Innocence
By Natsue Arishima

Chapter Three: Separation

The wind whipped past him, ruffling up his hair. Bells tinkled quietly, and he tilted his head, bronze eyes staring up into the clear sky.

It was around noon. The sun was high up, a blazing, fiery orb against the smooth blue surface of the heavens. Not a single cloud was in sight.

From his perch, he could see far in all directions. Below him was Jian Ye, which was now quiet and devoid of the usual people. Only the two Qiao sisters were out, practicing their newest dance in the blooming courtyard. On his left, the distant azure waves of the ocean were lapping against the silent shore. To his right, land stretched far out, fresh and green.

He yawned, leaning his back against the rough bark of the tree trunk. The pirate had settled himself on one of the highest branches. One leg dangled beneath him, and the other was placed steadily on the tree limb. His arms were both folded neatly underneath his head. Slowly, his eyes drooped shut.

He came to this perch often. If he tried hard enough, he could almost imagine breathing in salty sea air. Water stretched on all sides of him. His crew would be down below, laughing and jeering, perhaps drinking and even dancing.

A pirate's life.

He smirked as he remembered, and then sighed. So much had changed since then.

His mind drifted onto Lu Xun. The boy still hadn't woken. It had already been several days since the last battle, and the pirate was worried.

So deep in his thoughts, Gan Ning didn't even notice the approaching man walking casually up to the tree truck.

"Hey, you dead up there?" Sun Ce's familiar voice shattered the peaceful atmosphere, and Gan Ning jumped slightly in surprise, nearing falling out of the tree.

"Oi, Sun bastard..." He placed on a twisted smile, quickly collecting his cool exterior, and jumped down, landing evenly on his feet. His bells jingled wildly. "What?" he drawled, scratching his head sleepily.

The Little Conqueror grinned, his long ponytail flapping in the wind. He grabbed Gan Ning's shoulders and messed up the pirate's already untidy hair with his free hand. "That's a nice way to greet a friend. Pop wants to talk to you."

Gan Ning twisted out from under Sun Ce's grasp and yanked his ponytail. "What for?"

Rubbing his head, Sun Ce glared. "Dunno. That's why he's gonna talk to you, not me."

The pirate playfully punched Sun Ce's arm before rolling his eyes. "Aye, cap'ain."

~*~

He was surprised to see Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Jian both in the garden. They appeared to be talking quietly in soft whispers, occasionally nodding here and there, totally oblivious to their watcher.

Gan Ning cleared his throat loudly. The two spun around, and he grinned, cracking his knuckles by habit. "You hollered?"

The Sun ruler nodded, smiling gently. "I believe I did," he stated, before turning to his daughter. "Get ready, then."

She smiled and rolled her dark eyes at Gan Ning, mouthing "new battle plan" before turning, stretching her long arms. Her light footsteps soon faded, and her brown head could be seen heading towards the building.

Sun Jian was silent for a few moments as he reached up towards a blooming peach blossom. Silence hung in the air. A few birds twittered sleepily and Sun Jian smiled, his weary face crinkling into a smile, the wispy, graying hair waving in the wind. Gan Ning sighed, yawning.

New battle plan, huh?

Who the hell are we fighting against this time...?


He focused back onto Sun Jian as the leader spoke.

"Wei retreated in the last battle, so we need not be bothered by them for some time." He inhaled slowly. "However, a new power has risen."

Gan Ning ran a bored hand through his spiky brown hair. "Mind gettin' to the point already?"

Sun Jian smiled and shook his head, turning to face the pirate. "You still seem to have no patience. All right then. You have heard of the Nanman, have you not?"

The pirate nodded, fingering one of his bells carelessly. "The fat guy... what's his name... Meng Huo."

Sun Jian coughed quietly, raising his eyebrows and ignoring the first part of Gan Ning's statement. "Good. Well, we've been having some problems with them down south."

"So?" Gan Ning didn't seem to be paying much attention.

Sun Jian sighed. "So... we are sending troops to eliminate them."

Silence followed his words. Gan Ning finally looked up, his eyes glinting. The tinkle of bells soon faded away.

"Am I part of it?" he finally managed. Weeks ago, he would have eagerly gone south. It meant battle, and he loved it. But...

"Yes. I am sending a majority of the troops. The Qiaos will stay here. Lu Xun, as you know, is in no condition either. As for me..." he gave a weary sigh, looking at his old hands. "It seems as if my age is finally getting in the way. I will also stay here. Sun Ce now has lead over the Wu army, and I believe he will be a fine leader."

The pirate forced on his usual cocky smile. "You bet. When will we be leaving?"

Sun Jian's eyes were fixed on the sky. "Tomorrow, at dawn. You'd best get ready."

Tomorrow?

He bit his lip, and Sun Jian noticed his hesitation. His Lord opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Gan Ning nodded, still smiling. Even so, his eyes were far from their usual brightness. "Sure thing."

~*~

The man slowly paced down the dark corridor. The moon had crept up long ago, bringing with it the stars. His silhouette flitted against the walls, blending in with other shadows.

His steps were light, extremely light. Barely any sound escaped. Gradually, he approached the end of the long passageway and turned to his right. Hesitantly, he raised his hand and silently pushed open the door.

The room was totally dark except for a few rays of the moon that had been able to creep through the window. The light washed over a single bed in the center of the room, and onto the pale, sleeping face of Lu Xun.

Gan Ning approached the bed, and looked down. His hand reached out to stroke the strategist's soft face.

Strange... he seems to be getting warmer...

He stood motionless for a few moments, before sighing. Turning around, he headed back towards the room entrance.

Getting a bit wimpy, are we?

Silently, he stepped out the way he came. "See ya, Lu Xun," he whispered, before shutting the door. Eyes dark, he went back the way he came.

He wandered around aimlessly, feeling strangely awake and alert. He soon found himself outside, on the practice grounds. His hands automatically went up to his waist, but found that his sword was no longer there.

The moon shifted behind the clouds, the eerie rays of light disappearing. A low rumble announced the beginning of rain. Small water droplets started to fall.

"Damn..." And yet, he still continued to wander, letting his feet take him to his usual haunts. Within minutes, he was soaked, the rain sliding from his matter hair down to his eyes. His shirt stuck stubbornly to his chest, the bells tinkling occasionally. The band around his forehead grew heavy and drooped over his eyes.

The hours passed. Gan Ning's eyes spotted several trees in the distance, inside the gate of the garden. He bent his knees and sprang forwards, the mud slapping his pants and shoes.

Gradually, the rain stopped. The pirate shook his head, under cover of the trees, water spraying from his hair in all directions. Taking off his shirt, he wrung it dry. The moon crept out again, glaring.

He yawned, and slid his back down the side of the trunk until was sitting. The stars dimmed. Gan Ning looked up, frowning. Morning was near.

He turned around and headed back for Jian Ye, dragging his soaked feet. He'd better get ready.

~*~

The sun had just peaked out of the distant hills. Jian Ye was already bathed in busy commotion as the many inhabitants scurried through the halls and out to the grounds. Sun Jian remained in his chambers, standing quietly by the window. His eyes caught the strong figure of the eldest Sun son, and the lord smiled before returning to his bed. "Good luck."

Gan Ning sat impatiently on top of his black stallion. His dangerous pirate sword was strapped to his waist, along with a few daggers and other small weapons.

Sun Ce was stationed on his grand white battle horse, his dark eyes scanning the mass of confusion. He caught Gan Ning's eye and winked, spinning his tonfas.

Gan Ning scoffed.

Zhou Yu rode up towards Sun Ce, the light glinting off his long, thick hair. Sun Ce turned and smiled warmly at the strategist, who rolled his eyes and whispered in the other's ear. Sun Ce blinked in mild surprise before laughing, swinging his arm around Zhou Yu's shoulder.

When most of the soldiers and officers were settled, and Sun Ce himself was flanked by Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Quan, Gan Ning nudged his horse forward, closer to the other officers.

"Well, guess that's it," Sun Ce muttered. Looking around at his fellow companions, the Little Conqueror turned his proud steed. The stallion faced the far off plains, his ears perked and tail swishing.

With the faintest command from his master, the white horse sprang forward in a full gallop. Wordlessly, the Wu army followed suit.

Forcing himself not to look behind him, Gan Ning dug his boots lightly into his horse's sides. His stallion responded eagerly.

They were off.

I guess this is it Lu Xun...

I won't be seeing you for a while...

**********

A/N: Feeling alot better now! Yay! But anyway, I was a bit bored and disappointed with this chapter, so I just felt like redoing it. For those who have already read this before, I didn't change the plotline, but just added more detail. Anyway, please R&R! I'll try to get the next chapter out soon.

--Natsue Arishima