One night Akari led Mitsuko somewhere outside and forced her to wear a blindfold to make sure she doesn't peak. Mitsuko didn't really like this, it made her uneasy and vulnerable. However she trusts Akari enough to let her do this...even if she doesn't know why she's doing it in the first place.

'Ok we're here you can take it off now.' Akari stated prompting Mitsuko to quickly take the cursed thing off. When she saw what seemed to be a clear vast ocean with a cloudless sky accompanied by a bright moon towering over the body of water. Mitsuko never really saw a sight like this before and found it almost captivating.

'Ta-da! Sorry when I was first coming up with this I was thinking of you know, a giant hill overlooking the town at night so you can see the lights while not listening to the distant sound of traffic. Like in the movies but I couldn't find anything like that.' Akari explained.

'I could've told you that...in fact I'm pretty sure I did since the moment we met.' Mitsuko replies as she giggles at Akari feigning a pout towards her.

'Well you haven't made the effort to explore your local town unlike me. Besides I always see some kind of spot like that in the movies so it stands to reason there must've been something like that in this town.'

'And yet here we are...on some slabs of wood over a body of water, the most romantic of destinations.' Mitsuko responded sarcastically as she smirks. Before she met Akari she wouldn't imagine herself saying half of the things she says with this tone of voice. Now its second nature to her when it comes to Akari, who now sits down on the edge of the jetty with her legs hovering over the water.

'Look do you want the damn ice cream or not?' Akari offers as she brings out a large container containing chocolate ice cream along with two metal spoons. Mitsuko quickly joins her and they both began to eat ice cream. Even though it was night it was still warm, the wind was generous enough to give them a gentle cool breeze giving them slight shivers.

'So why is it that we're here anyway?' Mitsuko questioned unsure why she's out here in the first place.

'Well, back in my old town there was a good spot where every now and again I'd go out in the night and just look up at the stars.'

'Really? Why?'

'I dunno no real reason, I just liked it. Helped me relax and clear my mind you know? Besides if nothing else they are really pretty don't you think?'

Mitsuko looks up at the starry sky and finds herself strangely overwhelmed for some reason. However the more she stares at the sky the more she begins to understand Akari's words.

'They are actually really pretty.'

'See I told you...besides I think you needed a break anyway.' Mitsuko looks at her with confusion.

'You seemed more stressed out than usual lately so it seems like you needed some time away from everything, escape the world and all that.' Mitsuko was touched that someone like Akari would give a damn enough about her to do something like this for her. Her cheeks start to flush due to embarrassment and had overwhelming happiness surged through her viens. So much so she even surprised herself when she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Akari's lips. Both of them were shocked by this action and Mitsuko immediately turned the other way out of embarrassment.

'I'm sorry I didn't mean to...it was only supposed to be on the cheek and as a thank you for putting up with someone like me is all.' Mitsuko internally cringes at herself she wasn't supposed to add that last part in. She was surprised when she found a pair of arms wrapped around her.

'You have no idea how much that makes me happy Mitsuko.' She whispers which sends shivers down Mitsuko's spine and plants another kiss on her cheek.

'And here you are criticising my choice of destinations for our dates.' Akari giggles as Mitsuko knew she wasn't going to live this one down and attempts to defend herself.

'Well...its just not the most normal of destinations is it? This is the last thing I would think of if someone asked me on a date.'

'Do you really think you of all people should speak about being normal?' She smirks as Mitsuko turns her body towards her.

'Of course! As someone who is out of the norm I have a better idea of what is normal and what isn't.'

'Really now? Then do you know what normal couples do on dates like this then?

'No not really I'm not that knowledgeable I'm afraid.'

'Is that so? Maybe I can give you a bit of a taste of that if you want?' Akari leans in towards her getting closer with her hands on her shoulders. Mitsuko froze partly in anticipation for a kiss as she closes her eyes. However she was pushed instead and couldn't stop herself from falling in the ocean. She attempts to swim up but its futile as she's a weak swimmer. As she does try Akari jumps in after her putting her hands on her shoulders again making her sink further with her long brunette hair covering her face.

'You say and think these things about me but yet...' She faces Mitsuko and her pleasant beautiful face is replaced like a skull like her skin was peeled off.

'Yet you decided to hurt me...why!? What was wrong with me to make you hurt me like this!?' A sirens scream deafened her as she woke up. Mitsuko jumps up in her bed hyperventilating she glanced at her surroundings erratically confirming that it was just a nightmare...yet this one seemed more...intense than the others.

She held her head in her hands while trying to calm herself down. She was lucky she was sleeping in her own room and not at the barracks with the grunts where she would've had a hundred of eyes staring right at her. She sighed heavily as she groggily got up from her bed and starts to don her armour. She knew full well she wasn't going to get to sleep now so she figured she may aswell go for a stroll around the castle. Maybe that will help clear her mind she thought to herself as she exited her room. The cool breath of wind hitting her face as she steps out under the dark sky lit only by the bright moon yet again.

She gazes at the moon with a hypnotised look in her eyes admiring the beauty of it. As she does this her thoughts drift back to the memory and that nightmare. Mitsuko shakes her head realising what's going on and goes on her stroll with her scythe in and the top half of the weapon resting on her shoulders. As she walks she looks around the castle and notices its almost bereft of life save for one or two of Liu Bei's guards on the walls. The atmosphere gave off the illusion of peace but Mitsuko knew that wasn't going to last long though.

She received the message about the coup to which she had ...conflicted feelings about it. On the one hand she understood that Lu Bu needed a new piece of land and this is the best way he can get one and is most likely how history played out anyway. On the other hand Liu Bei seemed like a nice guy and doesn't deserve to get backstabbed like that...it also reminded her of her own actions back in her time...which infuriated Mitsuko inside her mind why can't she just forget that!? She's not in that timeline anymore, she just wanted to forget...that's all she ever wanted when she first laid eyes upon the consequences.

This was one of the main reasons for her confliction, she welcomed anything that would disturb this so called peace, she needed her mind to be pre-occupied with a battle, on the lookout for something or someone just anything instead of waiting where those memories will begin to creep up on her again under the illusion of dreams before they quickly turn into nightmares. As she was walking she hears something. She followed the source of the sound figuring she didn't have anything better to do. The more she got closer the more...melodious it becomes. Eventually she came across what seemed to be a stable. She quickly hid behind one of the corners of a building as soon as someone came into view. She peeked over the corner and sees a familiar figure. She sees LingQi of all people standing seemingly on her own making a melodious hum. She dares to poke her head out more to see if there's anything specific that she's doing. As she does she spots an unexpected dash of red. It then...neighs softly as it raises its head. Mitsuko then realised it was red hare, the very steed that Lu Bu himself rides into battle. LingQi soon stopped her song which prompted Mitsuko to hide behind the corner again hoping she didn't see her. She draws one of her weapon and pointing it in the general area that Mitsuko was hiding.

'Who's there!?' She demanded to know as Mitsuko felt obliged to reveal herself.

'Wait its only me, its only me.' Mitsuko answered as she steps out to reveal herself, LingQi quickly lowers her weapon immediately in response.

'My apologies Mitsuko I didn't realise it was you.'

'Don't worry about it, in fairness I shouldn't have hidden like that anyway...how did you know I was there anyway?' Mitsuko questioned.

'You aren't as quiet as you think you are.' Ling Qi replied.

'Well...i'll have to keep that in mind. What are you doing up this late anyway? Training?'

'I was however when I finished I came here to visit my fathers steed.' Red hare begins to stroke his head to hers affectionately. Mitsuko was surprised to see them get on this well.

'By the way he reacts to you you'd think he was your steed.' LingQi was surprised to hear that and steps back.

'Oh no its not like that at all.' Mitsuko thought that was a rather strange reaction but rather than pursue it she decided to change the topic a bit to make her feel a bit more comfortable.

'Well how did your father obtain it anyway? I always wondered how he got it.'

'It was a gift from the former emperor, my father won a huge tournament to prove his abilities as a warrior. As a reward the emperor bestowed him red hare. I was only but a child at that time.'

'Oh really...i don't suppose he let you even touch him did he?' Mitsuko rhetorically asked since it would be hard for her to envision a man like Lu Bu to give anyone permission to touch red hare let alone ride him.

'No...but that didn't stop me from visiting him every night when I was a child when my father kept him home.' LingQi smiles fondly remembering that part of her childhood. For some reason seeing her smile like that made Mitsuko's worries wash away.

'Really? Was there a time when he caught you?' Mitsuko enquired, curious about LingQi's childhood.

'Not for a good while...until I made a mistake. I always wanted to ride him since I saw him for the first time and one night I actually did, however I didn't know how to properly ride a horse at the time. So when I rode him I didn't keep a hold off him and fell off and damaged my arm, my parents heard me cry and that's when my father caught me. He was really furious gave me a stern lecture after that and was much stricter on me. He even got some men to build a small fence around him so I couldn't even get to him.' Ling Qi started to laugh at that memory that she didn't think of in quite some time. Mitsuko joins her, she didn't think LingQi was the type of girl that would be rebellious against her father.

'And yet here you are still disobeying the order given.' Mitsuko smirks.

'I can't help it, it's the one order I can't follow no matter even if I wanted to.' She laughs slightly before Red hare proceeds to lick LingQi's face which made her giggle and step back a bit.

'Anyway what are you still doing up? It is quite late and we have the morning to proceed with.' LingQi asked referring to the coup. Mitsuko suddenly remembered why she was out here in the first place.

'Just couldn't sleep is all, nothing to worry about.' Mitsuko replies as she leans on the side of the stable and unknowingly let out a soft sigh.

'Are you worried about tomorrow?' LingQi inquired with concern, Mitsuko simply shakes her head.

'Its not that I'm worried about it, I'm sure it'll go well and they won't know what hit them but...its just who we're doing it to I guess. Liu Bei seems like a good person its not like he deserves what we're gonna do to him. ' Mitsuko admits.

'I understand how you feel, I'm a little uneasy about it myself. However if my father is to gain a new land of his own and complete his ambitions we must be prepared to do tactics like this, no matter who the victim may be. Liu Bei goes on about his sword brothers and his family however we must look after our own family and in order for us to do that we need a land of our own.' LingQi responded passionately.

'I suppose you're right, its not like those two can co-exist in a world like this anyway. Just wished we were doing it to someone else I guess and have a chance to fight him on the battlefield rather than doing this but if this is what needs to happen it will be done.' Mitsuko reassures her.

'Thank you...i'm glad you're on our side.' LingQi said to her however when she looks at Mitsuko's eyes something about them didn't seem quite right, she couldn't explain it but she didn't want to ask anything due to it could be just her imagination playing up.

'Yeah so am I, I suppose we better rest up then, got a big day tomorrow then haven't we?' Mitsuko smirked as she started to walk away.

'Wait...are you sure you can rest now?' LingQi asked yet again concerned for her well being. Mitsuko paused for a moment before responding.

'I think I can manage tonight just fine now.' She responded before walking. LingQi watches her walk away before she returns to her quarters. The moment the sunlight hits Xia Pi all hell broke loose. Lu Bu's forces ran rampant through the streets of Xia Pi eliminating Liu Bei loyalists on sight. The loyalists never stood a chance as they were just outnumbered and betrayed by even their own comrades who wanted to keep their lives. The chaos that inhabited the castle provided a good way to infiltrate undetected. The loyalists attempted to hide or to run away however most of them were found and killed on the spot. However a few of them managed to find some horses and escaped from the massacre. They were barely visible as Mitsuko and LingQi went on the walls as a red sun rises and filled the sky with the very blood that was spilt

'It seems they're going to find they're lord and inform them of what happened here.' LingQi stated.

'Indeed, I wonder how he's going to react.'

'Hmm hard to say with a man like him.' Pang Tong pipes up and walked up towards them.

'He has a couple of options. The first being to continue on his way to engage Yuan Shu's forces however the morale of the men would be lessened. The second would be to return and engage us immediately to reclaim the castle however without support it would be futile. The third option would be to surrender to your lord which is the most likely scenario.'

'Really why would that be?' Mitsuko questioned.

'Because whether he likes it or not he cares too much for who sits on the throne, Yuan Shu does it for selfish reasons and Liu Bei cannot let that stand. He cares too much for an empire that has already fallen to corruption and greed and cares not for the petty land wars other warlords are occupied with...for the moment at least. Plus this way he still has a chance to get supplies for his forces and a home even if it is not his anymore. It is the safest option he has for the moment especially since he doesn't have a strategist of his own. Plus he can conspire with someone else to help retake this castle at a later date.' Pang Tong explained.

'Then we should kill him when we have the chance.' LingQi thinks aloud.

'That is the safest option for your forces. You see how Liu Bei connects with the people, that is a power that should not be underestimated. However unfortunately your strategist and lord may not see it that way and accept his surrender due to him and his sworn brothers speaking about honour, you wouldn't really expect them to betray you.'

'So how can we stop it going down that route before it's too late? Just hope that Lord Lu Bu doesn't accept his surrender.' Mitsuko asked.

'More than likely yes, however I could be wrong and he could just challenge us out of rage and that would ensure his doom. Let's see how this plays out first though before we worry too much about the future that may not be.' Pang Tong chuckles to himself as he takes a seat on the wall.

'If it does come to that then I'll take his head and slay all those that oppose my father.' LingQi announces as she holds her weapon high.

'If you're going to do that at least save some for me.' Mitsuko replied and raises her scythe and hovered it over hers. LingQi looked at her and genuinely smiled.