Forbidden Dreams
By Natsue Arishima
Chapter Three: Grief
The corridor was dark, quiet. Shadows danced faintly off the walls, an eerie pattern flicking from side to side.
A single person was walking through the hall, his dark eyes looking straight ahead. Thick, beautiful ebony hair was tied up in a high ponytail by a silk ribbon, flowing gently around his shoulders. He was clothed in various shades of blue and purple, and a fancy shoulder-piece lay on his shoulder.
Up ahead, his eyes fixed on a faint, flickering light. The darkness seemed to fade as he neared the room, and gracefully, he stepped inside.
Scrolls festooned the many cushions, in some messy order that he could not define. Other books lay on the table, near the dim lamp, and quills could been seen scattered among them. A battle helmet lay on the nearest chair.
A man sat in front of the table, his back facing the door. He wore dark purple robes, and his dark hair covered his face. Hearing someone enter, he turned around, his dark eyes slim, to reveal his face. He held a black fan in his hand.
"Zhang He," he said darkly, his face showing no surprise or delight. The watching man trembled slightly at his voice, low and seducing.
"Why are you here?"
The elegant man hesitated before lowing himself down on the ground near Sima Yi. "I was merely checking on you."
The strategist turned around to face his unfinished parchment. "What for? You are nothing but a distraction."
Zhang He looked at the other, his eyes carrying entrancing beauty. "Forgive me..." he whispered, not meaning it.
Sima Yi sighed, his mind drifting off to Jiang Wei. "Go. You must prepare for battle." He motioned towards the door.
Zhang He frowned, not moving from where he sat. "You turn away beauty so easily. Is that all?"
"I have preparations I must finish."
"Your clever plans in reclaiming Jiang Wei is already foolproof!" Zhang He said loudly, slightly perplexed. He had never liked Jiang Wei. Of course, the young one was fair, but surely not as beautiful as he was! "Why do you live on dreams?"
Sima Yi turned towards him, his lips pressed in a thin line. Zhang He stared back, swallowing. He would not move.
The strategist suddenly pulled the other towards him, and Zhang He's eyes widened as Sima Yi abruptly kissed him, crushing his lips. Quick hands pulled at his long, dark hair, dragging him closer, and just as quickly as it had happened, Sima Yi pulled away.
"Now," he hissed, "Leave. We attack Wu first. Our dominance for Shu will soon be cleared."
He turned back to his work and ignored Zhang He completely. The officer felt faint tears prick his eyes as he got up quickly and left, leaving his passion behind.
*~*~*
The city was in ruins... flames still burning and licking hungrily... Trees that were once grand and beautiful groaned and shuddered, falling towards the dark red ground. The distant screams had faded... and above all else, there was silence.
Under the remains of a ruined house, the burnt wood moved. There was a faint gasp and a sharp hiss of pain, and the timber was pushed up.
A girl stood up limply, her knees weak and red battle garments ripped. She clutched two Sol Chakrams, and her dark eyes seemed weary, covered in dark memories that refused to fade. Taking a few weak steps, she fell face-forward onto the ground, her short brown hair hiding her face.
Jian Ye had fallen.
Her heart felt leaden, more out of shame then from the shooting stabs of pain in her right leg. The fiery spark had blown out long ago.
She heard faint, uneven footsteps, but was too weak to move, let alone fight. Her eyes gazed out, unfocused, as a pair of worn, bloodstained boots stopped by her face.
"Sun Shang Xiang..." came the faint call... and then, more urgently, "Sun Shang Xiang!"
The voice belonged to a usually carefree man, and sounded slightly strange in this serious situation. He groaned as he put weight on his legs, his broken ribs singing out in pain. An Overload tonfa was thrust down vertically into the ground in front of her, and the girl would have jumped if she had had the strength.
The Little Conqueror hissed as his breath came out shortly, kneeling down on his knees while supporting himself up with his arms. Damn that Cao Cao. Who would be cowardly enough to attack at night, when all was resting? He himself had barely got to his tonfas before he had felt something smash into his chest.
It had looked like a flute.
His mind cursed out at the woman who had held it. Who knew that Lady Zhen Ji could improve this much?
"Sun Shang Xiang?" he asked more softly, looking concerned at his younger sister's face. Her eyes flickered, but she didn't move. "You dead down there?"
He shook her limp form gently, and she coughed, blood splattering across the ground.
"They killed him..." she whispered. "Killed him..."
Sun Ce felt a lump rise in his throat. He knew perfectly well about whom she was talking about. His eyes suddenly blurred as he turned around and stared at the horrible reminder that Wei had left.
On the ground, near the top of the now tree-bared hill, a sword glinted in the hungry flames, looking very much like Savage Tiger. Shoved roughly into the ground, it stood upright, the dreaded treasure on its hilt.
Sun Jian's head.
Wu was over. Gone.
He felt no strength in his bones to carry on.
Forgive me... Father...
His thoughts were empty as he stared at the shocked and blank eyes of the former Wu ruler.
Choking slightly and forcing down the lump in his throat, he shifted his attention back to his sister.
"Come on, sis!" he whispered, making a weak attempt to seem his former self. "Don't tell me this little thing can kill a warrior such as you!"
She closed her eyes, sighing. Her grip on the Sol Chakram loosened. "It's over," she whispered, staring into the darkness of her eyelids. "I couldn't do anything. It was all so sudden... people were dying so quickly..." She breathed weakly. "Why did they come so abruptly? They wear the name of Coward on their backs, and yet they have no shame."
He stared at her, his words leaving his mouth as if they had been stolen. His ribs cried out again, and he made a face, breathing with difficulty. "Come on... I don't like to be waiting this long..." Placing his tonfas under one arm, he swung her limp arm around his shoulders and staggered upwards. Every step was agony.
She lay like a sack on his back, her feet dragging slightly behind them.
"There are survivors... Nearly everyone, in fact, except for..." His hazel eyes trailed off to the glinting sign from hell. Sun Jian stared back, his expression never changing. His voice was weaker now, "Father would have wanted it this way."
Sun Shang Xiang opened her eyes. A faint spark seemed to light. Gingerly, she put weight on her injured leg where Xiahou Dun had slashed it, her Sol Chakrams slipping down to her elbows. Sun Ce looked at her. No words were spoken, but he smiled faintly. "There's the girl that I know."
They slowly made their way to the burnt gates of Jian Ye. In the shelter of several fallen trees, other officers could be seen.
Sun Quan hobbled to meet them. "Sun Ce! You found her!" His left arm seemed to be bent in an odd angle, and Sun Shang Xiang noticed that there were several deep gashes on his chest.
"How many...?" she trailed off, looking at her brother's face.
He bit his lip, forcing a smile. "Amazingly, Wei took only one officer..." He swallowed. "Most of the farmers and peasants managed to escape, and for that I am grateful. We have found three of the ones that didn't have the time to leave."
He turned around, and the two got to see a little boy, only at around five, shaking in fear with a nasty wound across his forehead. He held an even smaller infant in his arms, a little girl, who was positively screaming. A fair woman sat a little ways off, her long dark hair flowing over her face.
Sun Shang Xiang opened her mouth to ask another question, but Sun Quan took her off Sun Ce's shoulders, riding him of his burden, and he placed her gently on the ground so that her back rested comfortably against the fallen log. Da Qiao was already there, treating as many people as she could. Her medical skills weren't the best, but they were good enough. The older Qiao didn't seem to have many wounds from the unknown attack - in fact, Sun Shang Xiang only saw several cuts on her face.
"Lady Sun Shang Xiang," she whispered, limply slightly towards her. The tomboy saw Xiao Qiao a few feet away, lying down with her eyes closed. The young girl had received a deep gash in her waist.
"Are you alright?" the beauty asked, brushing a few strands out her face. She looked at Sun Shang Xiang's leg and clucked, shaking her head. "This might sting a bit..."
The pain was dull, however she chose to look away while Da Qiao mended her cut, finding sudden interest in her chakrams.
"I've got one!" a voice hollered, slightly weary and yet still containing a playful drawl.
Zhou Yu turned his head, previously talking quietly with Lu Meng. His ebony colored hair fell from his shoulders as he stood up. Lu Meng looked curiously around, clutching his arm.
Gan Ning was walking out from Jian Ye, carrying something in his arms. The city was in dark flames behind him, reaching out as if to drag him back in.
Nearing the sorrowful camp, they realized that the former pirate held the young strategist in his arms. Lu Xun was covered in bruises and cuts, his eyes closed and breathing unevenly. His cap had fallen off, and his hair flowed around his face, making him look more feminine than ever.
"Damn them!" he muttered as he carefully placed Lu Xun on the ground. He plopped down besides him, brushing blood from over his left eye. He looked towards the young officer again, his face turning gentle, before shaking his head and looking back up towards Sun Ce. "Huang Gai should be coming. I couldn't carry him even if I wasn't wounded."
There came an agonized yell and they turned, Gan Ning hiding a faint smile as Huang Gai came staggering into view, hopping on his right leg. The left one seemed horribly wounded. The big man carried both of Lu Xun's Falcons in one hand, held Gan Ning's Sea Master in the other hand, and had his jaws clamped around the base of his Dark Shadow. How he could hold the club up in his teeth, the others didn't know.
Cursing in between every jump, he roared angrily as he saw the former pirate smiling sheepishly near the fallen trees. Zhou Tai and Taishi Ci walked by the frustrated man, forcing themselves not to smile and making no intention of helping.
"Little bastard!" Huang Gai growled, spitting out his club, which landed heavily on the ground. He deposited the two Falcons and Sea Master near Gan Ning's feet, glaring. Lu Xun opened his amber eyes slowly, his face wincing in faint pain as he struggled to sit up.
Having finished with Sun Shang Xiang, Da Qiao quickly hurried towards Huang Gai, who accepted her help though seething.
Zhou Tai turned around, staring back towards his previous home. "Jian Ye is beyond repair." His eyes were blank, reflecting off the burning inferno.
"There is still light," Sun Quan said loudly, looking towards his older brother. Sun Ce stared back, his face emptied of hope before faking a cocky smile.
"Sun Jian has been lost, but the Sun family still remains. We will get revenge, mark my words." Sun Shang Xiang looked up at Sun Quan's words. "You bet we will!" Some of her determination returned.
"We have only lost one life, and let us be grateful." He looked up towards the distant hill and turned harshly away. "Our only hope remains with Shu."
Silence followed, but the remaining Wu officers looked on towards Sun Quan with faint hope flickering in their eyes.
Sun Ce hopped up, ignoring his protesting ribs. "Come on then! We have much land to cover." His eyes flickered from each face and rested on Zhou Yu, who smiled faintly.
"Let us go, and may we all prevail," he whispered, walking up to massage his Lord's shoulders lightly.
There was bitterness in his voice that he couldn't hide.
Wu had fallen.
**********
A/N: Okay, so I know that some of the characters of Wu were sort of out of wack in this chapter, but even Sun Ce and Gan Ning would be depressed after losing an unknown attack. I also know that after Sun Jian's death, Sun Ce and Sun Quan are supposed to take his place, but... this is my world. ^^;;; Sorry... Anyhoo, I'm not that sure if I should add other couples in this story, so I need your opinions about this chapter. And yes, I will include Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei in the next chapter! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!
--Natsue Arishima
By Natsue Arishima
Chapter Three: Grief
The corridor was dark, quiet. Shadows danced faintly off the walls, an eerie pattern flicking from side to side.
A single person was walking through the hall, his dark eyes looking straight ahead. Thick, beautiful ebony hair was tied up in a high ponytail by a silk ribbon, flowing gently around his shoulders. He was clothed in various shades of blue and purple, and a fancy shoulder-piece lay on his shoulder.
Up ahead, his eyes fixed on a faint, flickering light. The darkness seemed to fade as he neared the room, and gracefully, he stepped inside.
Scrolls festooned the many cushions, in some messy order that he could not define. Other books lay on the table, near the dim lamp, and quills could been seen scattered among them. A battle helmet lay on the nearest chair.
A man sat in front of the table, his back facing the door. He wore dark purple robes, and his dark hair covered his face. Hearing someone enter, he turned around, his dark eyes slim, to reveal his face. He held a black fan in his hand.
"Zhang He," he said darkly, his face showing no surprise or delight. The watching man trembled slightly at his voice, low and seducing.
"Why are you here?"
The elegant man hesitated before lowing himself down on the ground near Sima Yi. "I was merely checking on you."
The strategist turned around to face his unfinished parchment. "What for? You are nothing but a distraction."
Zhang He looked at the other, his eyes carrying entrancing beauty. "Forgive me..." he whispered, not meaning it.
Sima Yi sighed, his mind drifting off to Jiang Wei. "Go. You must prepare for battle." He motioned towards the door.
Zhang He frowned, not moving from where he sat. "You turn away beauty so easily. Is that all?"
"I have preparations I must finish."
"Your clever plans in reclaiming Jiang Wei is already foolproof!" Zhang He said loudly, slightly perplexed. He had never liked Jiang Wei. Of course, the young one was fair, but surely not as beautiful as he was! "Why do you live on dreams?"
Sima Yi turned towards him, his lips pressed in a thin line. Zhang He stared back, swallowing. He would not move.
The strategist suddenly pulled the other towards him, and Zhang He's eyes widened as Sima Yi abruptly kissed him, crushing his lips. Quick hands pulled at his long, dark hair, dragging him closer, and just as quickly as it had happened, Sima Yi pulled away.
"Now," he hissed, "Leave. We attack Wu first. Our dominance for Shu will soon be cleared."
He turned back to his work and ignored Zhang He completely. The officer felt faint tears prick his eyes as he got up quickly and left, leaving his passion behind.
The city was in ruins... flames still burning and licking hungrily... Trees that were once grand and beautiful groaned and shuddered, falling towards the dark red ground. The distant screams had faded... and above all else, there was silence.
Under the remains of a ruined house, the burnt wood moved. There was a faint gasp and a sharp hiss of pain, and the timber was pushed up.
A girl stood up limply, her knees weak and red battle garments ripped. She clutched two Sol Chakrams, and her dark eyes seemed weary, covered in dark memories that refused to fade. Taking a few weak steps, she fell face-forward onto the ground, her short brown hair hiding her face.
Jian Ye had fallen.
Her heart felt leaden, more out of shame then from the shooting stabs of pain in her right leg. The fiery spark had blown out long ago.
She heard faint, uneven footsteps, but was too weak to move, let alone fight. Her eyes gazed out, unfocused, as a pair of worn, bloodstained boots stopped by her face.
"Sun Shang Xiang..." came the faint call... and then, more urgently, "Sun Shang Xiang!"
The voice belonged to a usually carefree man, and sounded slightly strange in this serious situation. He groaned as he put weight on his legs, his broken ribs singing out in pain. An Overload tonfa was thrust down vertically into the ground in front of her, and the girl would have jumped if she had had the strength.
The Little Conqueror hissed as his breath came out shortly, kneeling down on his knees while supporting himself up with his arms. Damn that Cao Cao. Who would be cowardly enough to attack at night, when all was resting? He himself had barely got to his tonfas before he had felt something smash into his chest.
It had looked like a flute.
His mind cursed out at the woman who had held it. Who knew that Lady Zhen Ji could improve this much?
"Sun Shang Xiang?" he asked more softly, looking concerned at his younger sister's face. Her eyes flickered, but she didn't move. "You dead down there?"
He shook her limp form gently, and she coughed, blood splattering across the ground.
"They killed him..." she whispered. "Killed him..."
Sun Ce felt a lump rise in his throat. He knew perfectly well about whom she was talking about. His eyes suddenly blurred as he turned around and stared at the horrible reminder that Wei had left.
On the ground, near the top of the now tree-bared hill, a sword glinted in the hungry flames, looking very much like Savage Tiger. Shoved roughly into the ground, it stood upright, the dreaded treasure on its hilt.
Sun Jian's head.
Wu was over. Gone.
He felt no strength in his bones to carry on.
Forgive me... Father...
His thoughts were empty as he stared at the shocked and blank eyes of the former Wu ruler.
Choking slightly and forcing down the lump in his throat, he shifted his attention back to his sister.
"Come on, sis!" he whispered, making a weak attempt to seem his former self. "Don't tell me this little thing can kill a warrior such as you!"
She closed her eyes, sighing. Her grip on the Sol Chakram loosened. "It's over," she whispered, staring into the darkness of her eyelids. "I couldn't do anything. It was all so sudden... people were dying so quickly..." She breathed weakly. "Why did they come so abruptly? They wear the name of Coward on their backs, and yet they have no shame."
He stared at her, his words leaving his mouth as if they had been stolen. His ribs cried out again, and he made a face, breathing with difficulty. "Come on... I don't like to be waiting this long..." Placing his tonfas under one arm, he swung her limp arm around his shoulders and staggered upwards. Every step was agony.
She lay like a sack on his back, her feet dragging slightly behind them.
"There are survivors... Nearly everyone, in fact, except for..." His hazel eyes trailed off to the glinting sign from hell. Sun Jian stared back, his expression never changing. His voice was weaker now, "Father would have wanted it this way."
Sun Shang Xiang opened her eyes. A faint spark seemed to light. Gingerly, she put weight on her injured leg where Xiahou Dun had slashed it, her Sol Chakrams slipping down to her elbows. Sun Ce looked at her. No words were spoken, but he smiled faintly. "There's the girl that I know."
They slowly made their way to the burnt gates of Jian Ye. In the shelter of several fallen trees, other officers could be seen.
Sun Quan hobbled to meet them. "Sun Ce! You found her!" His left arm seemed to be bent in an odd angle, and Sun Shang Xiang noticed that there were several deep gashes on his chest.
"How many...?" she trailed off, looking at her brother's face.
He bit his lip, forcing a smile. "Amazingly, Wei took only one officer..." He swallowed. "Most of the farmers and peasants managed to escape, and for that I am grateful. We have found three of the ones that didn't have the time to leave."
He turned around, and the two got to see a little boy, only at around five, shaking in fear with a nasty wound across his forehead. He held an even smaller infant in his arms, a little girl, who was positively screaming. A fair woman sat a little ways off, her long dark hair flowing over her face.
Sun Shang Xiang opened her mouth to ask another question, but Sun Quan took her off Sun Ce's shoulders, riding him of his burden, and he placed her gently on the ground so that her back rested comfortably against the fallen log. Da Qiao was already there, treating as many people as she could. Her medical skills weren't the best, but they were good enough. The older Qiao didn't seem to have many wounds from the unknown attack - in fact, Sun Shang Xiang only saw several cuts on her face.
"Lady Sun Shang Xiang," she whispered, limply slightly towards her. The tomboy saw Xiao Qiao a few feet away, lying down with her eyes closed. The young girl had received a deep gash in her waist.
"Are you alright?" the beauty asked, brushing a few strands out her face. She looked at Sun Shang Xiang's leg and clucked, shaking her head. "This might sting a bit..."
The pain was dull, however she chose to look away while Da Qiao mended her cut, finding sudden interest in her chakrams.
"I've got one!" a voice hollered, slightly weary and yet still containing a playful drawl.
Zhou Yu turned his head, previously talking quietly with Lu Meng. His ebony colored hair fell from his shoulders as he stood up. Lu Meng looked curiously around, clutching his arm.
Gan Ning was walking out from Jian Ye, carrying something in his arms. The city was in dark flames behind him, reaching out as if to drag him back in.
Nearing the sorrowful camp, they realized that the former pirate held the young strategist in his arms. Lu Xun was covered in bruises and cuts, his eyes closed and breathing unevenly. His cap had fallen off, and his hair flowed around his face, making him look more feminine than ever.
"Damn them!" he muttered as he carefully placed Lu Xun on the ground. He plopped down besides him, brushing blood from over his left eye. He looked towards the young officer again, his face turning gentle, before shaking his head and looking back up towards Sun Ce. "Huang Gai should be coming. I couldn't carry him even if I wasn't wounded."
There came an agonized yell and they turned, Gan Ning hiding a faint smile as Huang Gai came staggering into view, hopping on his right leg. The left one seemed horribly wounded. The big man carried both of Lu Xun's Falcons in one hand, held Gan Ning's Sea Master in the other hand, and had his jaws clamped around the base of his Dark Shadow. How he could hold the club up in his teeth, the others didn't know.
Cursing in between every jump, he roared angrily as he saw the former pirate smiling sheepishly near the fallen trees. Zhou Tai and Taishi Ci walked by the frustrated man, forcing themselves not to smile and making no intention of helping.
"Little bastard!" Huang Gai growled, spitting out his club, which landed heavily on the ground. He deposited the two Falcons and Sea Master near Gan Ning's feet, glaring. Lu Xun opened his amber eyes slowly, his face wincing in faint pain as he struggled to sit up.
Having finished with Sun Shang Xiang, Da Qiao quickly hurried towards Huang Gai, who accepted her help though seething.
Zhou Tai turned around, staring back towards his previous home. "Jian Ye is beyond repair." His eyes were blank, reflecting off the burning inferno.
"There is still light," Sun Quan said loudly, looking towards his older brother. Sun Ce stared back, his face emptied of hope before faking a cocky smile.
"Sun Jian has been lost, but the Sun family still remains. We will get revenge, mark my words." Sun Shang Xiang looked up at Sun Quan's words. "You bet we will!" Some of her determination returned.
"We have only lost one life, and let us be grateful." He looked up towards the distant hill and turned harshly away. "Our only hope remains with Shu."
Silence followed, but the remaining Wu officers looked on towards Sun Quan with faint hope flickering in their eyes.
Sun Ce hopped up, ignoring his protesting ribs. "Come on then! We have much land to cover." His eyes flickered from each face and rested on Zhou Yu, who smiled faintly.
"Let us go, and may we all prevail," he whispered, walking up to massage his Lord's shoulders lightly.
There was bitterness in his voice that he couldn't hide.
Wu had fallen.
**********
A/N: Okay, so I know that some of the characters of Wu were sort of out of wack in this chapter, but even Sun Ce and Gan Ning would be depressed after losing an unknown attack. I also know that after Sun Jian's death, Sun Ce and Sun Quan are supposed to take his place, but... this is my world. ^^;;; Sorry... Anyhoo, I'm not that sure if I should add other couples in this story, so I need your opinions about this chapter. And yes, I will include Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei in the next chapter! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!
--Natsue Arishima