Pursuit
By Yukira
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: The characters belong to themselves... And the character designs (except for Sun Ruan) belong to Koei. That...is all.
Author's Notes: Finally, the moment of TRUTH!! Zhao Yun confronts the woman that spread the rumor! Waah, my writing is bad today...
*~~~~*~~~~*
Zhao Yun wondered through the fog, searching for Sun Ruan. The fog was thick, and he wasn't able to see much...not that he would have liked to...
Zilong had returned earlier to the main camp to gather a search party, but so far, he had lost the others in their feeble group of five, and had no way of contacting each other.
He stumbled over a large rock and saw a group of cherry trees, adorned with their small, delicate pink blossoms. How his wife would have loved to see this.
Footsteps behind Zhao startled him and he turned around to see who it was.
Shen Yi, Shu's second female general, stood there, arms akimbo.
"What do you want?" he asked in a firm voice, betraying his emotions.
"What are you doing?" she countered in an equally firm voice.
Zhao Yun, annoyed, replied, "I'm looking for my wife."
"Your wife? Sun Ruan wasn't your wife, she was engaged to you and that's it. And besides, 'wife' seems to describe her as old. Maybe she was just-"
"What do you care!?" shouted Zilong, "You are probably the one that spread the rumor about-"
"Oh?"
Zhao Yun finally came to a realization. "You...spread the rumor!?"
"Did I?"
"You bastard!" spat Zhao.
"Yeah, so what!? There are plenty of girls out there just like her, in fact, grab a handful if you must!"
Zhao Yun eyed her scornfully. "What are you here for?"
"Zhuge Liang sent me. His orders are that of Liu Bei-"
"That's Lord Liu Bei, damnit!"
"Right, whatever... Anyways, I'm sure you won't be disappointed..."
Zhao Yun stood there, his back facing her, not looking back until she was gone.
Resting for a while, Zhao Yun's intuition took hold. Sun Ruan was probably dead or she survived. Either way, she wouldn't be returning to him...
Zhao Yun sighed heavily and walked back to his horse, mounted it, then dashed off in the direction of the main camp.
*~~~~*~~~~*
Sun Ruan was lying on her bed. Nightmares that plagued her never occurred when she was with Zhao Yun...
She couldn't get to sleep. Something was bothering her...
And then that's when she heard footsteps pacing the hallway. Although her wounds seared with pain when she walked, she managed to get outside.
Lu Xun had been walking around for a while, and when he saw Sun, his face lit up.
"You can't get to sleep either?"
Sun nodded, then winced at the pains.
Lu Xun carried her back to her bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Minutes later, Lu Xun brought back tea. Jasmine tea, bitter but comforting at the same time. Sun took a sip.
"I think...something's bothering me." Sighed Sun Ruan.
"What is it?"
"I'm not being true to you or anyone else. Not even myself."
"Jun, what are you talking about?"
"My...my name's not Jun Li. It was a fake name. I'm Sun Ruan Er."
Lu Xun, sitting next to her, was silent. "Are you related to our lord?"
"I...don't know. Maybe it's just a coincidence..."
"No, you must somehow be related to him..."
Sun shook her head. "I really don't know. I was orphaned as a small child..."
"Maybe you're his second niece...or...maybe it is just a coincidence, but either way, you share the same ancestors from five centuries ago..."
"You are right."
"So where are you from?" asked Lu Xun.
"I was engaged to General Zhao Zilong...but..."
"What happened?"
"He was cheating on me."
Both were silent until Sun spoke again.
"So what is Sun Qiao like?"
Lu Xun thought for a while, then answered her question. "She's...a normal girl, I suppose. She's pretty, but...not very intelligent. Okay, I guess."
"Oh?"
"But she's Da Qiao's daughter, so I will..."
"Has Sun Ce found another wife yet?"
Lu Xun shook his head. "He is still upset over Da Qiao. He will soon."
"I have nightmares."
"What kind?"
"I...was jumping off a mountain at night and there were...ghosts..."
"Do you believe in ghosts?"
"No, no...I don't...but they seemed so real..."
"In that case, I will stay here with you tonight."
"It's okay, you don't have to."
"But I will anyways."
*~~~~*~~~~*
When Zhao Yun finally reached the main camp, he saw a silhouette of Zhuge Liang inside a tent.
Zhuge Liang was seated at a table. Shen Yi sat at another side and Zhuge motioned for him to sit across from her.
"Do you know why you're here?" asked Zhuge.
"No...I don't."
"You need a wife. Lady Sun Ruan is gone, so you will have to marry Shen Yi."
"WHAT!?"
"No more outbursts Zhao Zilong, you may be depressed about this girl, but remember, my orders are as important as those of Lord Liu Bei."
"My lord, I refuse to marry Shen Yi... I'm confident that Sun Ruan is still out there...somewhere..."
Zhuge Liang snorted. "Hah, she is only an insignificant village girl. Shen Yi is a trained warrior that Shu is proud to have."
"Don't...talk about her that way!"
"You have two days to prepare for your marriage to Lady Shen Yi."
"Lord Zhuge Liang," spat Zhao Yun in contempt, "What if I were to find another maiden?"
"Keep in mind, 'Little Dragon', that no single woman out there can match Shen Yi's fighting skills. You will marry her in two days. Is that clear?"
Zhao Yun eyed them both scornfully and nodded.
*~~~~*~~~~*
Sun Ruan woke and saw Lu Xun sitting on the bed, half asleep. She smiled.
Suddenly, someone burst in the room. It was Sun Jian.
"The time to attack is now! Get ready!" he shouted, then went to other rooms.
Lu Xun woke up. "What's going on?"
"Lord Sun Jian says that we will have to prepare for battle..."
"Against who?"
"I...don't know."
"Let's go, then!"
Lu Xun went back into his room to prepare while Sun did so in hers.
Today, Sun didn't wear armor. She figured that she had nothing to live for, so she went clad in a white cheongsam tied with a red sash.
The Jade Dragon had been collecting dust for a week after Wei's surprise attack. She picked it up and hung it on her sash.
She met Lu Xun in the hall. He was clad in his battle attire and he nodded.
In the main room, Sun Jian began to discuss the plan. "Today, we will set up our main camp near Shu's in a secret position. Tomorrow is where we'll begin attacking."
"We are attacking Shu?" whispered Sun.
Lu Xun nodded.
Sun Ruan snuck back into her room and wore a cape and a hood over her clothes. Then she snuck back into the main room.
The army, generals on their horses and troops carrying flags, began their march solemnly.
Sun Ruan fell asleep and her horse followed the others. Lu Xun rode by to make sure she didn't fall off.
*~~~~*~~~~*
Several men pushed Zilong into a carriage next to Shen Yi. She was clad in a green qipao and Zilong was forced to wear a green silk robe.
Shen Yi looked down at him and snickered. "It looks like you'll be married to me. Show some respect."
Zhao Yun glared at her. "Not if I kill you first."
Pulling a vial and a needle out of her purse, Shen Yi shook her head slowly. "That's not very wise, is it?"
"What is that?"
"Poison. And I won't hesitate to do so in case you aren't behaving."
Zhao Yun sat a few inches away from Shen Yi and stared at her.
"That's it. Closer." Shen Yi gestured.
*~~~~*~~~~*
"Sun Ruan?" called out Zhao Yun.
"Sun!"
Sun opened her eyes.
"Hey Sun!" whispered Lu Xun, "Wake up! We're here."
"Oh."
Lu Xun dismounted and Sun followed suit. "We're setting up camp here?"
"Yes. Near the Shu's main camp."
"Oh. Good."
"Sun, is something bothering you?"
"No, nothing." Answered Sun Ruan. "Is it okay if I look around by myself for a while?"
"Yeah, go ahead. Just don't alert the Shu army."
"Thanks."
Sun Ruan took a look around her. The Wu army was setting up camp in a forest.
There seemed to be a path through a group of trees that called out for her to walk through. So she did.
It was a long walk, and it took an hour before Sun could see anything. Then, she saw light coming from one direction.
Pushing two trees aside so she could see, Sun saw something that saddened her and angered her at the same time.
Zhao Yun was sitting close to the female general, one arm wrapped around her shoulder. They were both wearing wedding apparel. Sun cursed him silently and continued to stare. So he was cheating on her the whole time! Now, she had proof and nothing else to live for.
*~~~~*~~~~*
Zhao Yun was disgusted on what he had to do. Shen Yi threatened to kill him if he didn't pretend that they were a couple.
Yawning, he turned his head to face the forest, then saw a certain someone.
It was Sun Ruan. Zilong gasped and jumped off of the carriage. Sun Ruan ran off into the forest.
Zhao Yun kept getting hit on the head with small branches. Tiny cuts adorned his arms, but he still kept running after Sun.
Sun Ruan continued to run faster and faster, almost tripping over rocks and falling, but not quite. Zhao Yun was having trouble keeping up with her.
The group of trees grew smaller and now they were running in a meadow. Taking this opportunity, Zhao Yun caught up with her and lunged forward.
"Get off of me!" cried Sun. Zhao Yun was on top of her and she was struggling violently.
Zilong pinned her to the ground and held her there until she stopped struggling.
"Just let me go."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
"Why not!?" she screamed. "You are getting married to another woman and have been planning to for-"
"It was a rumor."
Sun Ruan and Zhao Yun were silent until Sun started crying.
"No it wasn't!"
"Oh?"
"Let...me...go! Now!"
Zhao Yun loosened his grip on her and Sun used this opportunity to kick him off and start running again.
There was a large pond in the meadow and Sun jumped in without thinking. Zhao Yun got up and jumped in after her.
Zhao Yun was a strong swimmer and he was about to catch up with Sun.
Sun surfaced for air and then lost Zilong. She hid behind a rock.
Zhao Yun was having difficulty finding her. He swam around the edges.
Sun saw that Zhao Yun was evidently having trouble finding her. She tried to surface, but something was holding her back.
Sun looked down to see that her ankles were tangled in seaweed.
Sun struggled to get loose but the more she tried, the more she got tangled. And then she began to take in pond water. A strange euphoria started to come over her...
Zhao Yun gave up on trying to find her near the edges and was about to give up until he saw her body stuck vertically.
He swam over and saw what the problem was. Her legs were caught in the seaweed. He grabbed his dagger and sliced through the kelp.
When Zhao Yun carried her up to the surface and placed her on land, he tilted her head back and began to breathe air into her.
Moments later, Sun started coughing up pond water.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Sun ran off into the woods again, but this time, Zhao Yun did not try to stop her. He stared, noticing that she never looked back.
By Yukira
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: The characters belong to themselves... And the character designs (except for Sun Ruan) belong to Koei. That...is all.
Author's Notes: Finally, the moment of TRUTH!! Zhao Yun confronts the woman that spread the rumor! Waah, my writing is bad today...
*~~~~*~~~~*
Zhao Yun wondered through the fog, searching for Sun Ruan. The fog was thick, and he wasn't able to see much...not that he would have liked to...
Zilong had returned earlier to the main camp to gather a search party, but so far, he had lost the others in their feeble group of five, and had no way of contacting each other.
He stumbled over a large rock and saw a group of cherry trees, adorned with their small, delicate pink blossoms. How his wife would have loved to see this.
Footsteps behind Zhao startled him and he turned around to see who it was.
Shen Yi, Shu's second female general, stood there, arms akimbo.
"What do you want?" he asked in a firm voice, betraying his emotions.
"What are you doing?" she countered in an equally firm voice.
Zhao Yun, annoyed, replied, "I'm looking for my wife."
"Your wife? Sun Ruan wasn't your wife, she was engaged to you and that's it. And besides, 'wife' seems to describe her as old. Maybe she was just-"
"What do you care!?" shouted Zilong, "You are probably the one that spread the rumor about-"
"Oh?"
Zhao Yun finally came to a realization. "You...spread the rumor!?"
"Did I?"
"You bastard!" spat Zhao.
"Yeah, so what!? There are plenty of girls out there just like her, in fact, grab a handful if you must!"
Zhao Yun eyed her scornfully. "What are you here for?"
"Zhuge Liang sent me. His orders are that of Liu Bei-"
"That's Lord Liu Bei, damnit!"
"Right, whatever... Anyways, I'm sure you won't be disappointed..."
Zhao Yun stood there, his back facing her, not looking back until she was gone.
Resting for a while, Zhao Yun's intuition took hold. Sun Ruan was probably dead or she survived. Either way, she wouldn't be returning to him...
Zhao Yun sighed heavily and walked back to his horse, mounted it, then dashed off in the direction of the main camp.
*~~~~*~~~~*
Sun Ruan was lying on her bed. Nightmares that plagued her never occurred when she was with Zhao Yun...
She couldn't get to sleep. Something was bothering her...
And then that's when she heard footsteps pacing the hallway. Although her wounds seared with pain when she walked, she managed to get outside.
Lu Xun had been walking around for a while, and when he saw Sun, his face lit up.
"You can't get to sleep either?"
Sun nodded, then winced at the pains.
Lu Xun carried her back to her bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
Minutes later, Lu Xun brought back tea. Jasmine tea, bitter but comforting at the same time. Sun took a sip.
"I think...something's bothering me." Sighed Sun Ruan.
"What is it?"
"I'm not being true to you or anyone else. Not even myself."
"Jun, what are you talking about?"
"My...my name's not Jun Li. It was a fake name. I'm Sun Ruan Er."
Lu Xun, sitting next to her, was silent. "Are you related to our lord?"
"I...don't know. Maybe it's just a coincidence..."
"No, you must somehow be related to him..."
Sun shook her head. "I really don't know. I was orphaned as a small child..."
"Maybe you're his second niece...or...maybe it is just a coincidence, but either way, you share the same ancestors from five centuries ago..."
"You are right."
"So where are you from?" asked Lu Xun.
"I was engaged to General Zhao Zilong...but..."
"What happened?"
"He was cheating on me."
Both were silent until Sun spoke again.
"So what is Sun Qiao like?"
Lu Xun thought for a while, then answered her question. "She's...a normal girl, I suppose. She's pretty, but...not very intelligent. Okay, I guess."
"Oh?"
"But she's Da Qiao's daughter, so I will..."
"Has Sun Ce found another wife yet?"
Lu Xun shook his head. "He is still upset over Da Qiao. He will soon."
"I have nightmares."
"What kind?"
"I...was jumping off a mountain at night and there were...ghosts..."
"Do you believe in ghosts?"
"No, no...I don't...but they seemed so real..."
"In that case, I will stay here with you tonight."
"It's okay, you don't have to."
"But I will anyways."
*~~~~*~~~~*
When Zhao Yun finally reached the main camp, he saw a silhouette of Zhuge Liang inside a tent.
Zhuge Liang was seated at a table. Shen Yi sat at another side and Zhuge motioned for him to sit across from her.
"Do you know why you're here?" asked Zhuge.
"No...I don't."
"You need a wife. Lady Sun Ruan is gone, so you will have to marry Shen Yi."
"WHAT!?"
"No more outbursts Zhao Zilong, you may be depressed about this girl, but remember, my orders are as important as those of Lord Liu Bei."
"My lord, I refuse to marry Shen Yi... I'm confident that Sun Ruan is still out there...somewhere..."
Zhuge Liang snorted. "Hah, she is only an insignificant village girl. Shen Yi is a trained warrior that Shu is proud to have."
"Don't...talk about her that way!"
"You have two days to prepare for your marriage to Lady Shen Yi."
"Lord Zhuge Liang," spat Zhao Yun in contempt, "What if I were to find another maiden?"
"Keep in mind, 'Little Dragon', that no single woman out there can match Shen Yi's fighting skills. You will marry her in two days. Is that clear?"
Zhao Yun eyed them both scornfully and nodded.
*~~~~*~~~~*
Sun Ruan woke and saw Lu Xun sitting on the bed, half asleep. She smiled.
Suddenly, someone burst in the room. It was Sun Jian.
"The time to attack is now! Get ready!" he shouted, then went to other rooms.
Lu Xun woke up. "What's going on?"
"Lord Sun Jian says that we will have to prepare for battle..."
"Against who?"
"I...don't know."
"Let's go, then!"
Lu Xun went back into his room to prepare while Sun did so in hers.
Today, Sun didn't wear armor. She figured that she had nothing to live for, so she went clad in a white cheongsam tied with a red sash.
The Jade Dragon had been collecting dust for a week after Wei's surprise attack. She picked it up and hung it on her sash.
She met Lu Xun in the hall. He was clad in his battle attire and he nodded.
In the main room, Sun Jian began to discuss the plan. "Today, we will set up our main camp near Shu's in a secret position. Tomorrow is where we'll begin attacking."
"We are attacking Shu?" whispered Sun.
Lu Xun nodded.
Sun Ruan snuck back into her room and wore a cape and a hood over her clothes. Then she snuck back into the main room.
The army, generals on their horses and troops carrying flags, began their march solemnly.
Sun Ruan fell asleep and her horse followed the others. Lu Xun rode by to make sure she didn't fall off.
*~~~~*~~~~*
Several men pushed Zilong into a carriage next to Shen Yi. She was clad in a green qipao and Zilong was forced to wear a green silk robe.
Shen Yi looked down at him and snickered. "It looks like you'll be married to me. Show some respect."
Zhao Yun glared at her. "Not if I kill you first."
Pulling a vial and a needle out of her purse, Shen Yi shook her head slowly. "That's not very wise, is it?"
"What is that?"
"Poison. And I won't hesitate to do so in case you aren't behaving."
Zhao Yun sat a few inches away from Shen Yi and stared at her.
"That's it. Closer." Shen Yi gestured.
*~~~~*~~~~*
"Sun Ruan?" called out Zhao Yun.
"Sun!"
Sun opened her eyes.
"Hey Sun!" whispered Lu Xun, "Wake up! We're here."
"Oh."
Lu Xun dismounted and Sun followed suit. "We're setting up camp here?"
"Yes. Near the Shu's main camp."
"Oh. Good."
"Sun, is something bothering you?"
"No, nothing." Answered Sun Ruan. "Is it okay if I look around by myself for a while?"
"Yeah, go ahead. Just don't alert the Shu army."
"Thanks."
Sun Ruan took a look around her. The Wu army was setting up camp in a forest.
There seemed to be a path through a group of trees that called out for her to walk through. So she did.
It was a long walk, and it took an hour before Sun could see anything. Then, she saw light coming from one direction.
Pushing two trees aside so she could see, Sun saw something that saddened her and angered her at the same time.
Zhao Yun was sitting close to the female general, one arm wrapped around her shoulder. They were both wearing wedding apparel. Sun cursed him silently and continued to stare. So he was cheating on her the whole time! Now, she had proof and nothing else to live for.
*~~~~*~~~~*
Zhao Yun was disgusted on what he had to do. Shen Yi threatened to kill him if he didn't pretend that they were a couple.
Yawning, he turned his head to face the forest, then saw a certain someone.
It was Sun Ruan. Zilong gasped and jumped off of the carriage. Sun Ruan ran off into the forest.
Zhao Yun kept getting hit on the head with small branches. Tiny cuts adorned his arms, but he still kept running after Sun.
Sun Ruan continued to run faster and faster, almost tripping over rocks and falling, but not quite. Zhao Yun was having trouble keeping up with her.
The group of trees grew smaller and now they were running in a meadow. Taking this opportunity, Zhao Yun caught up with her and lunged forward.
"Get off of me!" cried Sun. Zhao Yun was on top of her and she was struggling violently.
Zilong pinned her to the ground and held her there until she stopped struggling.
"Just let me go."
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
"Why not!?" she screamed. "You are getting married to another woman and have been planning to for-"
"It was a rumor."
Sun Ruan and Zhao Yun were silent until Sun started crying.
"No it wasn't!"
"Oh?"
"Let...me...go! Now!"
Zhao Yun loosened his grip on her and Sun used this opportunity to kick him off and start running again.
There was a large pond in the meadow and Sun jumped in without thinking. Zhao Yun got up and jumped in after her.
Zhao Yun was a strong swimmer and he was about to catch up with Sun.
Sun surfaced for air and then lost Zilong. She hid behind a rock.
Zhao Yun was having difficulty finding her. He swam around the edges.
Sun saw that Zhao Yun was evidently having trouble finding her. She tried to surface, but something was holding her back.
Sun looked down to see that her ankles were tangled in seaweed.
Sun struggled to get loose but the more she tried, the more she got tangled. And then she began to take in pond water. A strange euphoria started to come over her...
Zhao Yun gave up on trying to find her near the edges and was about to give up until he saw her body stuck vertically.
He swam over and saw what the problem was. Her legs were caught in the seaweed. He grabbed his dagger and sliced through the kelp.
When Zhao Yun carried her up to the surface and placed her on land, he tilted her head back and began to breathe air into her.
Moments later, Sun started coughing up pond water.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Sun ran off into the woods again, but this time, Zhao Yun did not try to stop her. He stared, noticing that she never looked back.
