I'm back from my really long Hiatus! And I'm REALLY sorry! I just got caught up with my cult and then school and then I forgot, but we got DW4 Xtreme Legends and now I'm back here!

I'm still just so amazed by how Yue Ying took over my story. It was SO not about her when I first got the idea. And looking back I really want to update the stories and make the chapters longer. Also I hope I can make bonus chapters about getting the other three orbs.

Icy Conclusion

Yue Ying floated through darkness and knew she had died. She waited for something to happen. She waited for Zhuge Liang to come to her and hold her in his arms again. She waited for demons or angels or ancestors or anything but this infernal starless night. She prayed for escape.

It came with the sound of thunder.

The lightning bolt streaked across the sky. It turned in an arch and exploded in front of her. Momentarily blinded Yue Ying raised her arms to fend off any blows.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

The sound was soft. And short. but it carried with it a thousand ideas and a wave of emotion. The Lady of Shu knew she stood before a god. She knew she stood before the greatest.

"My Lord of Lords," dropping to her knees she kept her eyes closed.

Such piety.

"Emperor or Emperors, I do not dare look upon you. I only speak because i know you wish it."

She felt of hand rest on her shoulder and she shut her eyes tighter. The hand gently but firmly lifted her to a standing position.

Listen. You have been chosen.

"For... for what, Lord?"

To send back my jewels. To right what should have been righted years ago. Return the Jades to their Emperor.

"I... failed you, before. I.."

You did not fail. You learned. Go back now. Finish.

Yue Ying sat up and gasped. She was alone in her tent. A noise from the entrance brought her focus on a Shu solider.

"Oh! You are awake, My lady," the man bowed.

"I must see Lord Lui Bei," without another word the two set off through the camp. Yue Ying could see Wu officers moving throughout the camp. She carefully watched but found no sign of Wei forces.

"Y-yue Ying? You are awake?" Jiang Wei jumped up from his spot beside Liu Bei's tent and rushed to the woman.

"The Gods have delivered me back to you. We must finish this battle. What happened while I was out?" Yue Ying quickly questioned the youth as they entered the tent.

"Lu Bu and Zhu Rong's attack scattered our forces and..."

"All hope was nearly lost. It is good to see you awake," Liu Bei finished for Jiang Wei.

"My Lord," Yue Ying bowed quickly, "I am sorry I.."

"Now is not the time, Yue Ying. We are coordinating efforts with Wu... and maybe even Wei.... to deal with this new force. Your assistance is needed. Come, we are going to council."

Zhou Tai glanced around the council tent. Sun Quan was representing Wu along with Gan Ning and himself. The other two men stood around a map with Liu Bei, Yue Ying, Jiang Wei, and Wei Yan. Some representatives of Wei were there as well, but the men were of such little prestige they were mostly ignored, an insult the men were barely able to recognize. Zhou Tai grew bored of the plan and carefully left without being noticed.

He wandered outside and looked up at the night sky. The stars glowed a soft white and he watched them for what seemed hours. They seemed to explode and collapse and explode again and again. He could feel each blast gentle caress his skin. The Blast Orb called to him.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," a soft but silky voice whispered from the shadows.

Fast as lightning Zhou Tai pulled his sword and pointed it at Zhang He, "You are not welcome here."

"But here I am," the man stepped into the light, "You can come out as well, my dear."

Yue Ying stepped from the entrance and glared at the Wei officer. She did not like being caught so easily.

"So here we are, Warriors of the Jade. Set to do battle in a most beautiful night," Zhang He stretched upwards and smiled like a cat who had the mouse cornered, "Shall we go?"

Yue Ying frowned and stared at the man, "What are you talking about, beast?"

"Oh, such ugly words from such a lovely face," the man reached up to touch her cheek. He quickly regretted the idea as he found his arm twisted behind his back and Yue Ying whispering in his ear.

"I will kill you now."

"Stop. We have other enemies to combat."

"The silent pirate is right," Zhang He grunted out, "we have received information from our spies that Lu Bu and Zhu Rong are traveling south tonight with only a small group of guards."

"And you propose we go now to fight them. Alone," Yue Ying scowled as she let go of the man, "Do you take me for a fool?"

"On my honor as..."

"You have no honor!" Yue Ying stepped forward, but Zhou Tai grabbed her arm. She shrugged him off, "This creature does not deserve to live! Why should we listen to him?!"

"Because if you don't you will never see Zhuge Liang again," Zhang He beamed proudly, "He is alive you know."

Yue Ying's heart stopped. The words he said were poison. Could it be true? How could it be true? She saw him die! She held his hand and heard his last words! She buried him! He was dead! Wasn't he?

"My blades cause a person to inter a deep state of slumber, most like death. They eventually awake days later. You can imagine our surprise when one of the soldiers I defeated rose from the dead days later, seeking vengeance. When I attacked Zhuge Liang I made sure the blow was not a fatal one. We waited until you had buried him and returned to his grave site to reclaim him before he awoke," during his explanation Zhang He became very serious and it was hard for either of the listeners to judge whether he was lying or not.

"I.... I will go," Yue Ying said softly. She had to know the truth. She no longer cared if it was a trap. All she wanted was peace. Something this beast would not let her have.

"I will go as well," Zhou Tai said bluntly.

The three silently made their way through the camp. The quickly made their way south and stopped at a small pass through the low mountains.

"Here," Zhang He said, "is where we shall strike them. Let them enter the pass and then surround them."

"Fire," Yue Ying said as she looked around at the vegetation, "would make an effective trap."

"A fine idea, my lady," Zhang He grinned as he bowed.

Yue Ying gave the Wei officer a look of death, "My late husband often employed fire."

Zhu Rong stared at the back of Lu Bu's head as the rode through the woods. She distrusted him, but could do little about it now. The warrior from the North had come to the Nanman tribe as if by magic. He was lost in the Orb and destroying everything in his path. Zhu Rong was barely able to subdue him and then convince the treacherous thing to work for her cause. They then took their force northward and found the Three Kingdoms already engaged in battle. They would have taken the three Orb Holders they found then and there had Lu Bu not been so impetuous.

"Barbarian," Lu Bu turned and gazed at Zhu Rong. She found his pet name ironic, "Why are we fleeing when yesterday we easily routed the enemy?"

"I told you before, you large oaf," the woman's irises changed to a violent red, "We are walking into a trap."

"If it is a trap," Lu Bu returned with a few malignant rays of purple snap from his weapon, "then why are we walking into it?"

Zhu Rong breathed out harshly in frustration, she dearly hoped his idiocy was due to the Jade taking over, and not a reflection of his true intelligence, "Because how is it a trap when you know it is coming? The other Orb Welders will be there. When they strike we will destroy them and take their Orbs."

Just as Lu Bu was about return a sarcastic remark the hills came alive with explosions. Boulders were launched into the air as the crisp grass burst into flames. One rock came hurling down on the party. Lu Bu Raised his blade and sliced out at it. The rock quickly crumbled to dust.

"Charge them! Take no prisoners!" Zhu Rong screamed out and galloped directly at the flames. Her horse went into a blind panic and raced through them. As rider and mount pass the fire licked up their legs, "Fool! The God of Fire has sent me on a mission, and you try to use his power against me?" The flames encircled her and she and her horse became creatures of flame.

"This is not going as according to your plan," yue Ying remarked to Zhang He, the two had immediately jumped the Nanmen when Zhou Tai released his blast. They were making quick work of the soldiers, but Lu Bu still stood in the distance.

"Just wait...." Zhang He fought as if in a dance, each move gracefully and purposefully. Where his blades fell men died.

Mean while Zhou Tai had knocked Zhu Rong off her now delirious horse and engaged the burning woman.

"Why do you not submit? You can not win against me!" Zhu Rong's blades sizzled as they clashed against Zhou Tai's sword.

"We... shall.... see!" Zhou Tai pushed upward with his sword and an explosion pushed the Queen back.

"We shall see."

Yue Ying had reached Lu Bu and the two warriors circled each other warily.

"There is no reason for conflict. Drop your weapon and I shall see the Fire Witch spares you," Lu Bu smirked.

"If there is no reason for conflict, then you may be the first to drop his blade," Yue Ying slammed the end of her scythe down and catapulted into the air. The kicked the massive fighter square in the chest and toppled him. She placed her blade as his throat and smiled, "Do you surrender?"

"You have not fully healed from our last encounter. A deadly mistake," Lu Bu's eyes light up with power and Yue Ying felt her wounds blaze new with pain. She could feel the poison deep in her body start to attack her very being. She fell to her knees.

"I gave you a chance, foolish woman, now it is time too die!"

"Not.... yet!" a voice of gravel screamed in the distance. Wei Yan threw his blade and knocked Lu Bu's spear away. Yue Ying immediately felt the pain fade.

"Wei Yan? What are you doing here?" Yue Ying rolled out of way as Lu Bu made a mad dash for his spear.

"It seems we were spotted on our move from the camp," Zhang He stepped between the warrior and his weapon, "A mistake I am most gratefully for."

Lu Bu looked up at the man and glared.

Zhang He's next words were interrupted as a flaming Zhou Tai flew through the air overhead. His body hit a tree he crumpled to the ground.

"I am very tired of this fight. Give up the Orbs and no one else must die!" Zhu Rong had returned to her former state, but her blades were still consumed in flames.

Wei Yan charged from the right as Zhang He moved in from the left. Before either could get close the woman released a column of fire in either direction. The two warriors quickly fell and tried to put out the flames. Zhu Rong began to move towards Yue Ying.

"Come girl. It is over."

Yue Ying brought up her weapon. She steadied her mind and found her balance. And suddenly the words of a god rang back in her mind.

"......Return the Jades to their Emperor....."

She blinked. Why were they fighting so much? Clearly Zhu Rong wanted the Jades removed. And now that was her goal. They had let the Orbs' lust for power take them over. And now they were all going to die.

"Hiya!" Zhu Rong struck and Yue Ying blocked. Zhu Rong kicked out and Yue Ying stepped away. Zhu Rong fired bolts of flame and Yue Ying leaped away.

"Stop running! Just die!"

"Lady of Fire, give up this fight, we no longer need battle. We return the Orbs to the Gods!"

"That is precisely what I shall do, when you are all dead!" Zhu Rong screamed and the air sizzled. A wall of heat knocked Yue Ying to the ground. A maelstrom of flame erupted all around them. The blaze burned Yue Ying's very soul. She struggled to rise.

Another warrior rose up in the flames and launched himself at Zhu Rong. She turned suddenly and grabbed him by the throat. Wei Yan bit his lip but did not cry out. Instead his twisted his blade and cut the woman in the side. She dropped him and the air returned to normal.

Gasping for breath Wei Yan fell to the ground. He tried to stand but was kicked in the ribs.

"You dare to challenge me?" Zhu Rong held her bleeding side and stared down at the Shu solider, "Ashes."

Wei Yan screamed as the air inside his armor burst into flame. He screamed as the metal melted onto his skin. He screamed as he fell to the ground. He stopped.

Yue Ying stared as his body. He was dead. But with his death he had drained the last of Zhu Rong's strength. She fainted.

Slowly Zhang He got to his feet. He looked over the scorched battle field. His eye caught movement beside him and he quickly flipped out of the way.

"It is not over yet!" Lu Bu slammed his spear into the ground where Zhang He had just stood, "You should have killed me when you had the chance."

"A mistake I shall not make a second time!"

The two quickly engaged each other and fought around the field. Yue Ying tried to separate the two.

"Stop this! You are all under the control of the Orbs! Stop this!!!" She thundered, literally. The warriors were tossed away from each other. All three held up their weapons and prepared for the final bout.

Yue Ying breathed heavily. She suddenly gasped as the air froze her lungs. She looked around and saw snow falling. Neither Zhang He nor Lu Bu paid any attention to the change in weather. Both struck out at each other. Yue Ying again tried to stop them. She moved to trip Zhang He but Lu Bu slammed the bottom of his spear into her gut. She fell back.

The two fighters were seconds from finishing each other off. Yue Ying tried to rise but the strain of battle had gotten to her. She raised her hand and stopped. Crystals of ice had formed around her fingers. The increased and she could no longer move her limb. The same thing had happened to the other fighters. They stopped and stared at each other.

Laughter trickled through the air. A man walked calmly through the falling snow towards them. He tipped his hat, "Hello."

"Pang Tong!" Yue Ying yelled.

"It looks like I got here just in time," he said cheerfully.

"No... I will not lose!" Lu Bu flexed and broke the ice off. He raised his spear and charged the smaller man.

Yue Ying reached deep within her and pulled out the last bit of her strength, "NO!" the thunderbolt struck Lu Bu in the back and he flew over Pang Tong's head.

The Taoist glanced over his shoulder and saw Lu Bu's unconscious form slump, "Well then... that's that."

Yue Ying sat and stared at the sunset. It had been days since the Battle of the Orbs had ended. All of the forces had retreated to their respective home to recover. And to bury their dead.

Wei Yan's efforts in the battle earned him many honors and a statue was to be created in his likeness. Zhou Tai lived, as did the other Orb welders. though none of them could even remember what it felt like to have their powers. Yue Ying tried to recall how to use the orb, but it simply did not happen. It was like it had never happened. But no, it had happened, and she had lost so much.

Pang Tong came up behind her and sat down at her feet. He watched the last rays of the sun recede over the hills.

"How do you feel?"

"Lost."

"Why is that?"

"Zhang He told me... he said.... Zhuge Liang may still be alive," Yue Ying could feel the tears start to form in her eyes.

"And what does your heart tell you?" he looked up at her.

"That I have a long journey ahead of me."

I really need to learn to make endings. That's the first rule in my school of writing. Make your ending first, and go from there. Meh, it was fun. I think I'll go back through and fix it later. add in stuff and such.

Oh! the first person to guess who the God was at the start of the story gets a prize, a real one. If you can correctly guess who it is, I'll write you a Dynasty Warrior's story of your choosing. I'll work the details out with the winner.