Xiao hao milule long
Little Lost Dragon
Part 2
Disclaimer: Don't own and never will do
Warnings: AU, some language, no pairings!
Story:
Things had been reasonably quiet since our encounter with Kou Sya and at least Duo had finally stopped whining at me about being sorry for causing so many problems. He seemed obsessed with the idea that she looked like me, like she was an identical copy of myself but I somehow doubted it.
"Come on, Wu, she has your last name. She's a Chang, maybe she could be related to you in some form or other" he had retorted to me once. I had gone on to tell him that just because she had the same surname as me didn't mean anything. I pointed out that the name Smith in America was a pretty common name and not all of the Smith's were related.
Still I found myself wondering slightly about her, I couldn't deny the fact that she did look like me. That had been rather frightening, almost looking at a mirror image of myself. But I had not brothers or sisters, Father had told me that. I had grown up an only child, the only son and that was how everything had been. How it would remain.
I felt a chill run up my back, and I looked up to the sky. I gulped, how it would remain. Those words haunted me. I knew that the others would say that they were my family, but they were my friends. I had lost everyone who was a blood relation to me, everyone on that colony had been destroyed.
I hugged my knees harder, ignoring the pain of my shoulders. I had burnt them when I had been helping out and it stung. But it didn't sting as much as the thought that I was alone, with nowhere to return to once this war was over.
I half expected Duo to make an appearance; he had an annoying habit of doing that. But when the reassuring hand did come, it was from Mistress Ma Zhen. I nearly jumped, there was something calmer about her today and she seemed to be nervous. "Wufei, I'm sorry for my behaviour the other day. I wasn't angry with you, just with that long brown haired boy. I was fearful of what he would do to her" she said.
I suppressed a grin, "Maxwell may be a fool but he knows what people are saying straight. He wouldn't have tried anything with her" I tried to keep my voice level but found that it was hard with the thought of home.
Silently she sat down next to me and I went back to looking to the dark grey sky, rain was threatening but I didn't really mind. "Wufei, you came from the L5 colony didn't you?" asked Ma Zhen. I looked away, trying to hide my fear from her. "Yes, I did" a simple response. "Run-tse duh fwo-tzoo" [Merciful Buddha] she said. I turned to her, caught slightly off guard. "I was praying this day would never come" she explained.
"What do you mean?" I was intrigued by her words. She was holding a secret and I wanted to know what it was.
"It would be better if I told the both of you" she sighed and closed her eyes before getting up, "Follow me. We have many things to discus, Chang Wufei"
Now I was interested, we had only told them our first names – which had irritated me – so how she knew my family name was a complete mystery to me. I got up and quickly ran to catch her up.
She was heading towards the practice grounds – I had learnt the layout of the area shortly after we had got here. Here the students practiced and the mentors watched, telling them where they were going wrong and praising tactics.
I had been surprised to learn that this was a mixed temple, but I had learnt that it was in fact a mixture of three temples as the other two had been destroyed during a firing raid. I secretly hoped that me and the others had not caused the destruction. We stopped at the edge of the marked practice area and watched.
It was quite a spectacle, some many warriors fighting and learning together without bounds. The masters moved from group to group, keep their distance from feet, fists and a mixture of weapons that were flying in dangerous directions. My eyes eventually fell onto Kou Sya who was near the centre of the area.
I couldn't believe what I was watching. Unlike the moves of her partner – a boy in grey robes – she was flowing smoothly and elegantly. Each move was almost a ritual in itself and she didn't lose her concentration once. I could tell she was defending but I had expected her to be attacking in the same movements. The boy kept on going, hardly pausing between moves and becoming clumsy. I reflected on my earlier training and knew what that stage could be like.
The boy lunged at Kou Sya, a well-timed punch ready to hit her – but she sidestepped and let him fall to the ground. As he flipped over so that he could stand up, she placed her sword at his chest. It's point virtually above his heart, the cold look of a killer in her eyes. The boy appeared to think for a few seconds before hitting his hand three times on the concrete. He had accepted defeat over death at the hands of a female.
Kou Sya stepped back and allowed him to raise, then formally bowed in respect. "Chang Kou Sya" called Mistress Ma Zhen, causing me to jump out of my skin. I had forgotten that she was standing next to me.
The whole area stopped and fell deadly silent. As one the assembled group bowed in respect towards her and then stepped back so that Kou Sya was alone. I could see why Duo had mistaken her for me, she was my mirror image.
"Come, both of you" said Ma Zhen, turning and heading into the building. I watched where she went and turned. Kou had reached where I was standing and was looking rather anxious. She glanced at me, nodded her head and then followed. Knowing that the students were watching me, I followed them both.
The inside of the building was fine and delicate, everything made by the students in their spare time and as ways of focusing their attentions. Ma Zhen was standing beside a fire, adding some more wood to it. Kou Sya was kneeling with her head bowed.
Silently I knelt down, just a little to her left...wondering what exactly was about to happen to us both.
"Relax you two, I don't want any formalities whilst we are in here" said Ma Zhen, turning around to both of us. I exchanged a silent glance with Kou Sya before sitting more comfortably – noting that she had opted for sitting crossed-legged – in exactly the same way I had.
Ma Zhen laughed slightly, "Not even the word of the Buddha could deny it" she said but before either of us could say anything she continued on, "I don't want either of you two to speak until I have finished telling you exactly what I am going to tell you. Firstly I must apologise to both of you..." she took a deep breath and instantly my attention was hers.
"The lies that you have been told were by the request of your mother. Chang Tan An was raised under the Shoulin and married to the Dragon Clan on L5 by her master. In those days I was her friend, I had been with her for most of my life and we shared all we could.
After three years of marriage Tan An became pregnant with her first child – or at least that is what she told your Father Wufei. Tan An was wise of the world and knew how to read many different emotions of people. She had learnt that to survive that you had to bow to others requests. Two days before the birth, she confided in me a dark secret which would have threatened to destroy her.
Not only was she pregnant with one child but two – twins. She had dreams and visions that it would be her downfall and she requested me to keep a deadly secret. She was fully aware that she would bare a son – like your Father wanted – but she knew that one of the twins would be a girl.
From what I know, your Father had been brought up in the older traditions and believed that girls were inferior. Tan An begged me to take the girl if she survived and only present your Father with the boy. I could not understand her logic and questioned her deeply about it but she would not have it any other way. She did not want to lose either of her children but she didn't want to lose the respect of her husband.
Eventually I agreed to take the girl, I said that I would find a childless family for her to go to – but Tan An wouldn't here any of it..." she finally paused for breath and looked down at the ground.
I didn't dare believe what I was hearing, when Father had talked of Mother it had been in passing terms and he had always said that she was special to him. I couldn't believe that she would try to deny my Father a gift of a second child – but I knew her words to be true. Father had often said that daughters would never uphold their family name with any form of honour and he would have killed my twin...but what did this have to do with Chang Kou Sya?
I glanced at her – but her head was bowed low and I could not see her face. Ma Zhen took another deep breath and began again, "She did not want her daughter to be brought up for the sole purpose of becoming another wife. She wanted her to be a warrior – trained and disciplined like she had. I asked her why she wanted her daughter to be like that and her answer was simple – 'I want her to come back to the Dragon Clan when she is old enough and claim her place beside her brother'.
I was caught between two worlds over what I should do. When the birth came – Tan An's prediction was correct. She gave birth to twins – one boy, one girl. Before I could say anything she ordered me to take her daughter to my Temple and train her before your Father saw her. I could not escape her determination and I stored her away in a basket covered with red silk.
Those of us who were present presented the son to the Father and silently mourned for Tan An who had passed on with the effort of giving birth to twins. Two night's later I left with the infant girl and brought her up with her family name..." she looked away from us both.
I still didn't want to believe that I was a twin, I didn't want to believe that there was another out there who was my family who I had never seen before. "What has this got to do with me, Mistress?" came Kou Sya's voice, fear tightened.
"Don't be such a fool girl, you are Tan An's daughter just as Wufei is Tan An's son. You are both twins – the same as each other!" came Ma Zhen's voice as she looked into the flames.
I turned and looked at Kou Sya and she looked back at me, fear was deep within her eyes but also a glimmer of hope that had been long lost. I felt her fear – I felt fear for everything that I had just been told. It couldn't be right, there had to be some mistake. Mother...
Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself running. Running away from Ma Zhen, running away from the girl who looked me. I don't know where I was running but I had to run – had to get away from this! This...nightmare! No! It can't be!
"No! I won't believe it! I can't believe it! None of it's true...it...it" finally I stumbled and landed on the rough ground, tears running down my face, my skin scrapped and my mind aflame.
A.N
Well there ya go...interesting ne?
Little Lost Dragon
Part 2
Disclaimer: Don't own and never will do
Warnings: AU, some language, no pairings!
Story:
Things had been reasonably quiet since our encounter with Kou Sya and at least Duo had finally stopped whining at me about being sorry for causing so many problems. He seemed obsessed with the idea that she looked like me, like she was an identical copy of myself but I somehow doubted it.
"Come on, Wu, she has your last name. She's a Chang, maybe she could be related to you in some form or other" he had retorted to me once. I had gone on to tell him that just because she had the same surname as me didn't mean anything. I pointed out that the name Smith in America was a pretty common name and not all of the Smith's were related.
Still I found myself wondering slightly about her, I couldn't deny the fact that she did look like me. That had been rather frightening, almost looking at a mirror image of myself. But I had not brothers or sisters, Father had told me that. I had grown up an only child, the only son and that was how everything had been. How it would remain.
I felt a chill run up my back, and I looked up to the sky. I gulped, how it would remain. Those words haunted me. I knew that the others would say that they were my family, but they were my friends. I had lost everyone who was a blood relation to me, everyone on that colony had been destroyed.
I hugged my knees harder, ignoring the pain of my shoulders. I had burnt them when I had been helping out and it stung. But it didn't sting as much as the thought that I was alone, with nowhere to return to once this war was over.
I half expected Duo to make an appearance; he had an annoying habit of doing that. But when the reassuring hand did come, it was from Mistress Ma Zhen. I nearly jumped, there was something calmer about her today and she seemed to be nervous. "Wufei, I'm sorry for my behaviour the other day. I wasn't angry with you, just with that long brown haired boy. I was fearful of what he would do to her" she said.
I suppressed a grin, "Maxwell may be a fool but he knows what people are saying straight. He wouldn't have tried anything with her" I tried to keep my voice level but found that it was hard with the thought of home.
Silently she sat down next to me and I went back to looking to the dark grey sky, rain was threatening but I didn't really mind. "Wufei, you came from the L5 colony didn't you?" asked Ma Zhen. I looked away, trying to hide my fear from her. "Yes, I did" a simple response. "Run-tse duh fwo-tzoo" [Merciful Buddha] she said. I turned to her, caught slightly off guard. "I was praying this day would never come" she explained.
"What do you mean?" I was intrigued by her words. She was holding a secret and I wanted to know what it was.
"It would be better if I told the both of you" she sighed and closed her eyes before getting up, "Follow me. We have many things to discus, Chang Wufei"
Now I was interested, we had only told them our first names – which had irritated me – so how she knew my family name was a complete mystery to me. I got up and quickly ran to catch her up.
She was heading towards the practice grounds – I had learnt the layout of the area shortly after we had got here. Here the students practiced and the mentors watched, telling them where they were going wrong and praising tactics.
I had been surprised to learn that this was a mixed temple, but I had learnt that it was in fact a mixture of three temples as the other two had been destroyed during a firing raid. I secretly hoped that me and the others had not caused the destruction. We stopped at the edge of the marked practice area and watched.
It was quite a spectacle, some many warriors fighting and learning together without bounds. The masters moved from group to group, keep their distance from feet, fists and a mixture of weapons that were flying in dangerous directions. My eyes eventually fell onto Kou Sya who was near the centre of the area.
I couldn't believe what I was watching. Unlike the moves of her partner – a boy in grey robes – she was flowing smoothly and elegantly. Each move was almost a ritual in itself and she didn't lose her concentration once. I could tell she was defending but I had expected her to be attacking in the same movements. The boy kept on going, hardly pausing between moves and becoming clumsy. I reflected on my earlier training and knew what that stage could be like.
The boy lunged at Kou Sya, a well-timed punch ready to hit her – but she sidestepped and let him fall to the ground. As he flipped over so that he could stand up, she placed her sword at his chest. It's point virtually above his heart, the cold look of a killer in her eyes. The boy appeared to think for a few seconds before hitting his hand three times on the concrete. He had accepted defeat over death at the hands of a female.
Kou Sya stepped back and allowed him to raise, then formally bowed in respect. "Chang Kou Sya" called Mistress Ma Zhen, causing me to jump out of my skin. I had forgotten that she was standing next to me.
The whole area stopped and fell deadly silent. As one the assembled group bowed in respect towards her and then stepped back so that Kou Sya was alone. I could see why Duo had mistaken her for me, she was my mirror image.
"Come, both of you" said Ma Zhen, turning and heading into the building. I watched where she went and turned. Kou had reached where I was standing and was looking rather anxious. She glanced at me, nodded her head and then followed. Knowing that the students were watching me, I followed them both.
The inside of the building was fine and delicate, everything made by the students in their spare time and as ways of focusing their attentions. Ma Zhen was standing beside a fire, adding some more wood to it. Kou Sya was kneeling with her head bowed.
Silently I knelt down, just a little to her left...wondering what exactly was about to happen to us both.
"Relax you two, I don't want any formalities whilst we are in here" said Ma Zhen, turning around to both of us. I exchanged a silent glance with Kou Sya before sitting more comfortably – noting that she had opted for sitting crossed-legged – in exactly the same way I had.
Ma Zhen laughed slightly, "Not even the word of the Buddha could deny it" she said but before either of us could say anything she continued on, "I don't want either of you two to speak until I have finished telling you exactly what I am going to tell you. Firstly I must apologise to both of you..." she took a deep breath and instantly my attention was hers.
"The lies that you have been told were by the request of your mother. Chang Tan An was raised under the Shoulin and married to the Dragon Clan on L5 by her master. In those days I was her friend, I had been with her for most of my life and we shared all we could.
After three years of marriage Tan An became pregnant with her first child – or at least that is what she told your Father Wufei. Tan An was wise of the world and knew how to read many different emotions of people. She had learnt that to survive that you had to bow to others requests. Two days before the birth, she confided in me a dark secret which would have threatened to destroy her.
Not only was she pregnant with one child but two – twins. She had dreams and visions that it would be her downfall and she requested me to keep a deadly secret. She was fully aware that she would bare a son – like your Father wanted – but she knew that one of the twins would be a girl.
From what I know, your Father had been brought up in the older traditions and believed that girls were inferior. Tan An begged me to take the girl if she survived and only present your Father with the boy. I could not understand her logic and questioned her deeply about it but she would not have it any other way. She did not want to lose either of her children but she didn't want to lose the respect of her husband.
Eventually I agreed to take the girl, I said that I would find a childless family for her to go to – but Tan An wouldn't here any of it..." she finally paused for breath and looked down at the ground.
I didn't dare believe what I was hearing, when Father had talked of Mother it had been in passing terms and he had always said that she was special to him. I couldn't believe that she would try to deny my Father a gift of a second child – but I knew her words to be true. Father had often said that daughters would never uphold their family name with any form of honour and he would have killed my twin...but what did this have to do with Chang Kou Sya?
I glanced at her – but her head was bowed low and I could not see her face. Ma Zhen took another deep breath and began again, "She did not want her daughter to be brought up for the sole purpose of becoming another wife. She wanted her to be a warrior – trained and disciplined like she had. I asked her why she wanted her daughter to be like that and her answer was simple – 'I want her to come back to the Dragon Clan when she is old enough and claim her place beside her brother'.
I was caught between two worlds over what I should do. When the birth came – Tan An's prediction was correct. She gave birth to twins – one boy, one girl. Before I could say anything she ordered me to take her daughter to my Temple and train her before your Father saw her. I could not escape her determination and I stored her away in a basket covered with red silk.
Those of us who were present presented the son to the Father and silently mourned for Tan An who had passed on with the effort of giving birth to twins. Two night's later I left with the infant girl and brought her up with her family name..." she looked away from us both.
I still didn't want to believe that I was a twin, I didn't want to believe that there was another out there who was my family who I had never seen before. "What has this got to do with me, Mistress?" came Kou Sya's voice, fear tightened.
"Don't be such a fool girl, you are Tan An's daughter just as Wufei is Tan An's son. You are both twins – the same as each other!" came Ma Zhen's voice as she looked into the flames.
I turned and looked at Kou Sya and she looked back at me, fear was deep within her eyes but also a glimmer of hope that had been long lost. I felt her fear – I felt fear for everything that I had just been told. It couldn't be right, there had to be some mistake. Mother...
Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself running. Running away from Ma Zhen, running away from the girl who looked me. I don't know where I was running but I had to run – had to get away from this! This...nightmare! No! It can't be!
"No! I won't believe it! I can't believe it! None of it's true...it...it" finally I stumbled and landed on the rough ground, tears running down my face, my skin scrapped and my mind aflame.
A.N
Well there ya go...interesting ne?