Disclaimer: I do not own The Long Ballad, nor it's characters. Nor do I own any rights to the invention of Assassin's Creed and The Old Guard themes.
(Contains: Child Abuse, Torcher, Suicide, Fighting, Death, Romance, Drama, Depression, History, Real Places, Secret Groups, and Supernatural elements)
Early the next morning Mujin and Mimi arrived at Yangzhou and began to look for the goods that Eagle Devision, when they come to a vender selling fabric on their table. Stoping they look at the merchandise, however when the young lady brought up the festival and how she could give the fabric as a gift to her family. Mimi became depressed and sad that her family is gone, which then brought anger because the the girl reminded her of this. Throwing the fabric back onto the table before she rushes away in a huff as the young vender apologized for saying something wrong.
It wasn't till later when they come across a vender selling mooncakes, that Mimi realizes that the pouch Chang'ge had made for her was gone. So she and Mujin split up in hopes of finding it, where ever it was lost. As Mimi made her way back to where the girl that tried to sell her the fabric, and found her tucking a familiar looking pouch into the fold of her outer layer. Confronting her, Mimi accused her of stealing her pouch and was able to describe the pouch in detail, before grabbing it out of the girls hand and showing the crowd that had been attracted by the commotion they were making. Quickly dumping out the money that was inside onto the table only caring about the pouch, Mimi stormed off and left the now crying girl behind.
When she met back up with Mujin, she was shocked to find that he found her money pouch took it from his out stretched hand, before holding up to the one that is identical to the one in her other hand. Looking at Mujin, she told him that she had made a mistake, and quickly turned before she ran down the street to get back to the girl but finds that she had already left.
That night in Eagle Devision, Sun was going over the innovatory of the Devision when Chang'ge noticed the date.
"Today is the fifteenth day of August?"
"Yes, it's almost winter time" he said before realizing why she was looking sad again.
"That's right, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival in central plains, right?" He received a small nod from her and tries to cheer her up.
"I heard that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, people would view the moon and eat mooncakes. I could see if Su Yili would be willing to try and make them."
"Don't bother, that's not the point of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Only when one is at home with their family, does the Mid-Autumn Festival have meaning."
When she went to dismiss herself, he stopped her and told her that he had something for her. Standing he picked up a box that he had sitting next to him, before taking a few steps forward and holding the box.
"This is for you"
she looked at the box in his hand before taking it, glancing at him. As she opened the box, he watched as a look of amazement took over her face and felt contentment as she focuses on the glowing blue stone.
"How is this stone glowing?"
"Look at the glow. Does it look like the fireflies that we saw the other night?"
He stared into her eyes when she looked back to him and asked why he was giving her a gift.
"I just want to tell you that as long as you follow your heart, you can preserve wonderful things. For example, home is where you have family. However, a place that brings you peace and calmness can also be your home. On grasslands, you're showered with peace and unity."
Continuing with his words, he hoped that she understood that she could call Eagle Devision her home. As she looked down at the glowing stone, rubbing her thumb along its smooth surface. She stayed quiet as she gathered her thoughts, while her shoulders sagged before she said her next words.
"Be it grassland or the central plains, I hope both places could be in peace for a long time. I hope there wont be a war again, I hope that the people of both countries would be calm, and not need people like me to be a shield against hunger, fear, or attacks."
As she talked sounding worn down, he finaly came to the realization that because she was raised as an Old Guard. She had most likely always put others safety and needs before her own, with few doing the same for her.
"Thank you for the gift Tandin, I'll be going now."
She rubbed her thumb one last time over the stone before placing it back in and closing the box. As he watched her retreating form, and he felt his heart constrict for the girl that felt so alone in the world, wishing he could take away some of the pain she felt.
The fallowing day around noon, Chang'ge was looking at the two identical pouches in her hands before asking where Mimi had found it. 'Yangzhou, why would Leyan be in Yangzhou. Has something happed to her?' She thought to herself and stood up collecting some items as Mimi asked her what she'd doing. Explaining that she had made the other pouch for a childhood friend, and that her friend had to be in trouble if she was indeed in Yangzhou. With what she collected in her hands she told Mimi that she was going to go find out what had happened if the girl was indeed her friend, she turned and left her yurt while dismissing Mimi's offer to go with her.
Not long after Chang'ge had left Eagle Devision, an order from Great Khan had been delivered to Sun. Who now sat at his desk, trying to figure out how to carry out his fathers orders to mobilize his army against Tang, while not breaking his promise to Chang'ge. When he heard that Chang'ge had left the Devision saying she had word of a friend that may be in trouble, that she was carrying her battle axe, Sun decided that the only way to keep his promise, was to keep Chang'ge from being involved and give the order for his army to move out.
Returning from Yangzhou late that night, Chang'ge was instantly on edge when she saw none of the armies horses in their stables. Rushing to Sun's tent, she found Mujin organizing the reports on Sun's desk. Demanding where the army had gone, she started to figure it out herself when Mujin refused to tell her anything but to stay in the Devision. The moment she figured it out, she turned and ran to her yurt, quickly changing into her Old Guard uniform and grabbing the rest of her weapons before tearing through the camp towards a horse.
Mujin who arrived at the gate just as she rode through it, watched as she disappeared into the night as the guards at the gate talk about what just happened. Turning to Mimi as she ran up to him and asked where Chang'ge was going, he told her what was going on. When she mentioned to him what she saw Chang'ge wearing, he sighed and hopes that everything would turn out alright.
It was a day and a half later while riding his horse at the front of his army, Sun was once aging thinking about Chang'ge and what she was doing or thinking about. When a small dark figure stepped out from behind a tree and into the road in front of him, he called a halt to his men who were grabbing their weapons, he gets off his horse to meet the figure stared at him from under her hood. He can see the anger, and betrayal on her face as he came to a stop in front of her. Taking in her full uniform finally up close, he noticed how it fit closer to her form then her usual clothing and how her hair was no longer in its top not, but braided down in a long chain over her shoulder past her waist.
"You still ended up finding out" He states and she turned looking away from him, the word she said next felt like a stab to his chest.
"Lier"
"This is why I didn't tell you, because I didn't want you to be involved." At his words she looks back at him.
"I'm a slave in Eagle Devision, but I'm also an Old Guard raised in Tang and one of its citizen. How do you expect me to stay out of this?" She says to him sternly and he turns a question back onto her.
"You followed me so you could learn the armies itinerary and send it to the Tang court. Am I right?"
"No. If it is within my power to stop this invasion, I have to try. Even if I stop you once, the war would start a second time."
Her answer catching him by surprise with her quick response. However its at her next words he feels himself freeze, as a chill runs down his spine as she stared him dead in the eyes, her voice not wavering even a bit at her own words.
"If you want me to stay out of this, you're going to have to kill me."
"I told you, your life belongs to me."
His voice softened as he tried to grasp at anything that may change her mind and make her back down. But her stubbornness he could see, was at the forefront of her mind as she started to argue with him.
"Ashile Sun, Eagle Devision has a good life on grasslands. Why must you become a part of this?"
"Besides Eagle Army, Great Khan has dispatched over one hundreds thousand men. This battle cannot be stopped." His voice rising in frustration and saw her start to understand the situation.
Calling for Su Yishe as he looked over her shoulder to the group of men who were poorly hiding their ease-dropping, and watched as the man quickly moved towards them, before ordering him to take Chang'ge back to Eagle Devision.
"But...?" Su Yishe looked between him and the hooded woman in slight confusion as he once again looked back to Chang'ge, trying to make her understand that he was trying to keep her safe.
"Just listen and go back, stop messing round." He says in a soft command.
"If you do anything against the people of Tang, I'll never forgive you."
Taken back by her declaration, he took in a breath and walked past her, coming to a stop just as he passed when she pleaded to him.
"Ashile Sun. Please don't force me to fight against you on the battlefield one day." He looked down the ridge of his nose while clenching his jaw.
"Tie her up now, and take her back to Eagle Devision." He ordered loudly to his Commander and walked away from her as Su Yishe said sorry to Chang'ge for having to return her back to Eagle Devision.