Between Love and War
By: Mako_chan
Mako_chan@tekken.cc
...written a long, long time ago in a far away land in a magnificent parchment called "chicken scratch". I'm very sorry for such a horrendously late update. I hope you guys are still hanging on there. Akiramenaide ne m(_ _)m And happy holidays!!! :)))

*DISCLAIMER: No profits. No ownership but the story. DW and its characters belong to Koei.*


BETWEEN LOVE AND WAR
Chapter Six


Lu Bu closed his eyes and savored her. Diao Chan was more than he had imagined. She kissed him shyly, but he sought to deepen their kissing by gently placing his hand at the back of her neck. Getting lost in this sea of intimacy, Diao Chan moved closer to him and rested her hands on his chest. Finally without armor, her body felt small and warm, and her hands as light as feathers against him. Lu Bu swore that she was close to driving him into insanity.

Diao Chan thought she'd burst when he held her tighter. He had sparked in her intense and indescribable sensations, and she felt melting more and more against him.

When they broke off their kiss, Diao Chan was flushed and dazed. Unable to resist the urge, Lu Bu kissed her again but quickly. With hazy eyes, she touched his moist lips.

"Spend the night with me," he blurted out. "I promised that I will not force you to do anything that is against your will."

And without second thought, she replied, "Yes, yes. I would like that."

Lu Bu stood up and reached out for Diao Chan's supple hand, and she obliged by weaving her fingers with his.

When they descended from the stairs and in the restaurant, everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the couple with curious eyes. Lu Bu and Diao Chan had returned a dignified stare, dismissing their bigotry as if nothing happened.

They incited laughter wherever they went. Surprisingly, Lu Bu was not bothered by this and even snickered when he caught many of them trying to stop themselves from snorting.



Night came and it was beautiful as can be. The stars were scattered across the heavens and a gentle breeze had been blowing. At the center of the village, the people can be seen celebrating in front of a huge bonfire. Lu Bu and Diao Chan were among them, watching the women and children in their merriment. And not long after, a child had pulled Diao Chan and asked her to dance. Everybody stopped, with eyes reflecting great anticipation. Even Lu Bu could not help but sit up straight, looking forward to her performance - if there were two things that he would admit to himself that he would never tire of, it would be going to battle and watching Diao Chan. He had always dreamt of the day that she would dance for him, instead of that vile Dong Zhuo. As best as he could, Lu Bu would always take a peek inside the throne room every single night Dong Zhuo had requested for the courtesan. He had waited for this very day, and finally it had come.

With everybody paying full attention to her, Diao Chan simply smiled then took a deep breath. She moved with the grace of a swan, steps executed ever so flawlessly and her hands would be high up in the air. She danced effortlessly, a smile never leaving her lovely face. Noticing her general utterly and almost helplessly captivated by her, she danced towards him.

Lu Bu lost his logic for the moment, and it had been too late when he realized that Diao Chan was making her way to him. He froze when he saw her eyes -- they were playful; beckoning him to share a dance with her.

Finally she came up before him, and with her shawl she caught Lu Bu and made sure there was no escape. "May I have this dance, my lord?" Diao Chan asked, her voice sweet and lovely in the general's ears...before he knew it, she had already led him to the front, for all the people to see. Not long after, everybody joined in. And as Diao Chan taught and guided him, Lu Bu had started to like and enjoy fully the merriment...indeed, it was such a far cry from fighting...

"SOLDIERS! Dong Zhuo's soldiers! Run for your lives!"

Upon hearing this, the merriment suddenly turned into panic; the women carrying off their crying children and looking for places to hide, while the men took out their axes and sickles.

"My lord," Diao Chan was filled with dread, and at that moment, Lu Bu knew what he had to do. He shoved her away and got his weapon which he had hidden at the back of one of the small storage houses.

"Let me fight with you--"

"No!" Lu Bu roared and then said sternly to one of the women, "Take her with you." He walked away to face the menacing unit and pulled the cloak that concealed his weapon, tossing it high up into the air thus revealing his glorious Sky Scorcher.

"Lu Bu! You ungrateful WRETCH!"

"Just keep barking!" Lu Bu shouted back at Niou Fu, then assumed his fighting stance.

"Let's see how great a warrior you are if you can save this village from turning into dust and without suffering defeat at my hands!"

Suddenly, a little boy, lost and crying, came between them. With a smug smile on his face, Niou Fu raised his sword to decapitate the child.

"Bastard!"

As the boy was about to get hit, Lu Bu made a lunge forward, grabbed him and parried the strike. He pushed with so much force that Niou Fu came tumbling on the ground. Swiftly, he placed the boy in one of the empty water jars and instructed him to stay there until he came back for him.

"You can't run away forever Lu Bu."

"Tell me something I don't know," Lu Bu hissed as he came from behind. He lifted his Sky Scorcher, and the next thing that was heard was the sound of a weapon cutting right through human flesh and the sight of a pool of crimson...and without a moment's hesitation, he brought the rest of the pursuing unit as he came across them.



The fire had died, and it had been fortunate that it was not able to take the whole village down. Despite this, the people felt a greater feeling of horror -- the man whom they had sheltered was the most feared and notorious general of Dong Zhuo. Little by little, people came out, their eyes no longer filled with laughter but with dread. What was truly going to become of them, and at the hands of this man?

The look of anxiety on their faces and men tightening their grip on their weapons was the last thing Lu Bu had expected after defending their abode. Then it had occurred to him why...

As he began to turn back, he felt some thing cling to his leg.

"Hero!" the boy happily exclaimed. He had climbed out of the jar and was now thrusting his arms to the massive man before his small exterior.

"There is no reason to live in fear anymore," Diao chan declared, walking to Lu Bu's side. "The man before you ended Dong Zhuo's reign of terror." She glanced meaningfully at him and urged him to talk. Sensing that he needed more encouragement, she took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Lady Diao Chan and I, Lu Bu," he began, "are greatly indebted to all of you. No rogues shall plunder your land, your families shall live in peace from now on...my apologies...my pursuit has caused this. I shall help rebuild all that had been destroyed."