Author's Note: YIKES! A short chapter, nooooooo.. I couldn't seem to fit
Zhou Yu and Sun Ce in this chapter either, but they'll be in the next one
fer sure : )) I did, however bring back one of my favorite charas! Hope
you like this one, full of surprises and junk.
Enjoy!
Part 2
The Power of the Red Moon
Chapter 20
Scarlet Horizon
Sima Yi emerged silently, looking battered and put out.
"Are you alright, brother?" Zhang He asked, trying to look at him face to face.
"Fine." He said, obviously distressed.
"What did Cao Cao say, I couldn't understand what was said after he hit you." Zhang He asked softly. Sima Yi sighed loudly and began stepping faster.
"He said that if I ever went near Sun Shang Xiang again, I would become an enemy." He said, still nursing his head.
"What? That's unreasonable!" Zhang He exclaimed.
"And . . . If our paths ever cross again, my mission is to kill her." Sima Yi continued.
"WHAT?" Zhang He yelled.
"Maybe I'm not in love, I'm probably just attracted to her, I could kill her if I really had to . . ." Sima Yi said sadly.
"No! Never give up on her; you two are a perfect match! And here's a bit of information that your 'advanced brain' didn't pick up: She's nuts about you! Can't you tell, if you asked her to marry you, she'd probably die of joy!" Zhang he said exasperated.
"R-really?" Sima Yi said shakily.
"Yes, really! A lot of girls would love to marry you, you're a genius and you're handsome! You're also really famous, not like me . . ." Zhang He said.
"Yeah, but you've already got a girl. I don't have the courage to walk up to a girl I don't even care about and ask her name, how could I ever ask the girl I fancy to come and marry me?" Sima Yi said hopelessly.
"You'll manage, I'm sure that things will work out just fine. You'll probably be married by this time next year with a son on the way. By the way, if I ever decide to marry Diao Chan, will you be my go-between?" Zhang he asked smiling. Sima Yi smiled a little too.
"Of course." He said.
The days after the battle crept along slowly. Sima Yi spent a lot of time resting and healing up, and Diao Chan and Zhang He were alone together most of the time. That one little kiss had been the only thing that they needed to begin on an intimate relationship. They were always seen in each other's arms and often slept beside on another. This was the happiest Zhang He had ever been, what he really needed all along was love. The pain of the memory of Rai Tso, the thoughts of upcoming battle, wondering about Zhou Yu and Sun Ce all disappeared when he looked into Diao Chan's perfect eyes.
Spring ebbed away and the days became hot and muggy. Bugs zoomed all over the place and even Cao Cao took breaks from ordering people around. Around the middle of June, something very peculiar happened to Zhang He. Siam Yi was well of the infirmary and was out in the courtyard, speaking with Xiahou Dun. Xu Zhu and Zhang Liao stepped up to hear what he had to say. Zhang He heard someone coming up behind him and turned to face Diao Chan. She smiled and strung her hands around his neck. They second he looked back, everything went ice-cold. The small breeze stopped and everyone seemed frozen. The brightness of the afternoon dimmed until everything was as dark as night. When Zhang he tried to stand up, he found his legs were stuck fast. Then, he saw Her.
The Lady in Black was standing in front of him. She turned her deathly white face towards Zhang He and flashed her demented smile. She took her strange blurred finger and pointed in the direction of Sima Yi. She held up three fingers then pointed at the sky. All of a sudden, it stopped. Zhang He stood up immediately and cried out quietly.
"What's the matter?" Diao Chan said surprised, letting go of Zhang He promptly.
"I-I just saw Her! S-standing over t-there!" Zhang he said, starting to shake from the adrenaline rush.
"Who did you see?" Diao Chan said, sounding worried.
"The Lady in Black! Over there, by . . . Sima Yi . . ." Zhang He started to feel sick.
"What did she do exactly?" Diao Chan said, refusing to believe it.
"She pointed near Sima Yi, then held up three fingers, then pointed to the sky." He said.
"Three months . . ." Diao Chan said, starting to sound lifeless.
"Sima Yi won't be killed, will he?" Zhang He demanded, getting sicker by the second.
"I don't know, but the Lady in Black never lies." She said, her eyes welling slightly.
"But look, my brother, Xiahou Dun, and that great oaf are all over there too, it could be one of them!" Zhang He said pitifully. "But Xiahou Dun, Zhang Liao, they are my best friends besides Sima Yi."
"One of those four people is going to die . . ." Diao Chan said, sounding slightly tearful.
"Should we tell them?" Zhang He asked quietly.
"No, because if they believe they are going to die, then they really will." Diao Chan said.
"What's today?" Zhang He said, sitting back down, still feeling slightly numb, and very ill.
"The twenty-second of June. So, on September twenty-second . . ." Diao Chan said with a great sense of foreboding.
Diao Chan and Zhang He spent the next week worrying about who is was who would die. They spoke in hushed voices and were extra-specially kind to Sima Yi. At the end of the week, Zhang he was trying as hard as he could to force it out of his mind. He lay asleep on night, feeling the hot air all around him. Diao Chan and Sima Yi slept soundly around him and he watched the quiet night through the small open window. The insects outside hummed contentedly and the stars twinkled above. Just as he shut his eyes and began to fall asleep, he heard voices and panicked footsteps outside.
"Restrain her, she could be dangerous!"
"I've got her! Should we kill her?"
"No, take her to Cao Cao, he may be able to use her."
"RELEASE ME AT ONCE! I've come to join the Wei!"
Zhang He sat up quickly and peeked outside. Two guards were holding a short, cloaked woman captive. They began to take her to Cao Cao's building and Zhang He's curiosity got the better of him. He stepped outside quietly and shut the door behind him. He trailed the small party until the reached the large doors of Cao Cao's building. They pushed the struggling girl inside and knocked her down to the floor. Cao Cao, who was sitting in his high backed chair, sat and stared down in his hawkish way.
"Who is this?" He said, sounding angry.
"We found her asking to get in at the front gates. She says she wants to join our forces." The guard said.
"Remove her cloak!" Cao Cao demanded. The ripped off the black cloak and Zhang He gasped. Sun Shang Xiang, wearing robes that looked quite shabby and were ripped in many places, was kneeling down on the floor. "That is Sun Jian's daughter, kill her at once!" Cao Cao said loudly.
"No, please! My Lord, I want to join the Wei, please give me a chance!" She begged.
"A likely tale! Sun Jian has sent you over as a spy!" Cao Cao spat.
"My Lord, I'll do anything, anything, just please, let me join! I don't want to fight for the Wu any longer!" She pleaded at spear point.
"Anything?" Cao Cao said slowly, stroking his beard.
"Yes, anything!" She reiterated.
"Then what you must do is kill your father and brothers in our next battle with Wu! Then I will consider you one of us. Until then, the only way you can stay here is under constant supervision of one of my most trusted general. If this is what you are willing to do, than I am willing to accept you." He elaborated grandly.
"Kill my father and brothers? Please, My Lord, is there nothing else?" She said uneasily.
"This, or death, you can decide. You can weave you own fate." Cao Cao said grimly. Sun Shang Xiang stared up with her deep blue eyes welling up. She opened her mouth several times, and then shut it.
"As you wish, My Lord . . ." She said sadly, bowing her head down and letting two tears fall.
"Hmm, and who shall monitor you . . . " Cao Cao mused.
"Lord Sima Yi! Please, may I be with him!?" She asked shrilly. Cao Cao looked down his nose at her and his lip curled.
"Absolutely not. I will have you under watch of Lady Diao Chan; I will give you two a room instead of all you sleeping in Zhen Ji's room, yes, that seems fit." He confirmed. Zhang He's stomach did a funny flip if they found out that Diao Chan was sleeping in Sima Yi and his room every night, he was sure Cao Cao wouldn't be too pleased. He sped off silently towards Zhen Ji's room through the dark night. He reached the door and pushed it open gently. There were walls of expensive robes and dresses and the counters and tables were laden with expensive looking gifts. He slipped inside and shook Zhen Ji softly. She opened her eyes wide, analyzed what was happening and let out a high-pitched scream. Zhang He, not wanting to get in trouble, slapped a hand over her mouth. She fought and wriggled, trying to get away.
"Stop it!!" Zhang He whispered fiercely. "Quiet down, I'm not going to do anything!" He removed his hand experimentally.
"What are you doing in my room, you fiend!? If you so much as touch me, my husband will-"
"Shut up! I need your help! Please, some guards will be coming in here in a while with another girl. If they ask, please tell them that Lady Diao Chan has been sleeping in this room from the beginning. Please, do this, we might get in big trouble." Zhang He explained quickly. She stared wide- eyed for a couple of moments, then nodded.
"Alright, I'll do what you say, but don't expect this all the time from me. Now hurry, before they catch you too." She said on a different tone. Zhang He bowed and took off through the door. His legs pumped as he propelled stealthily through the darkness. When he got back, Diao Chan was waiting for him in the doorway.
"Where did you go? I got worried when I woke up and found that you had vanished." She said, looking stern. Zhang He promptly explained all that had happened as he sat back down.
"Sun Shang Xiang has to kill her father and brothers? That Cao Cao is horrible! I wish all of us had just joined the Wu . . ." She said angrily.
"Sun Ce . . ." Zhang He said quietly.
"Oh, Zhang He . . ." Diao Chan said, holding him in her arms.
"That's not what happened, she really didn't come here did she?" Said a voice from behind them. Sima Yi was sitting up in bed, looking very upset.
"Yes, that's true . . ." Zhang He said.
"That little fool!" He exclaimed. "She just threw her entire life away! She had it all, a big family that cares about her, a nice place to live, her father is the leader of an entire army. How could she do that to herself?"
"Maybe something happened that made her want to run away, and the only other friends she has are in the Wei." Diao Chan offered.
"Nothing could make someone be that stupid! I can't believe that!" Sima Yi spat.
"I thought you'd be happy about, Sima Yi." Zhang He said quietly.
"Happy? She's going to get herself killed!" He yelled. Then there was a sharp knock at the door. They flung open and in the doorway stood a very perturbed looking Zhen Ji, holding a tearful Sun Shang Xiang by the arm.
"She wants to join your little sleepover!" Zhen Ji said, releasing her promptly and stepping away irritably. "Do NOT wake me up again!" She called as she disappeared. Sun Shang Xiang stood there for a couple of second, staring at them all with a trembling lip. Then Diao Chan stood up and put an arm around her shaking figure. She shut the door carefully and brought Sun Shang Xiang over to the floor and sat. Everything was silent for a moment, and then Sun Shang Xiang burst into tears, wailing miserably.
"Oh, God . . .I th-thought I'd n-never make it! I was s-so scared!" She moaned covering her face with her hands. Zhang He gestured to Sima Yi, willing him to take her in his arms, but he just looked confused. Zhang He gave up and hugged her himself. "Zhang H-he . . . I'm s-so glad to see you . . ." She cried, still shaking. Sima Yi looked very upset with himself for being so blind and Diao Chan looked very angry.
"What happened, Sun Shang Xiang? Why are you here?" Zhang He asked, trying to avoid Diao Chan piercing stare.
"My father decided I was going to have to marry Lu Xun! I would never, ever be happy again if this happened, but he stood fast. So I decided I'd run away, but the only other place I had people to go to, was here . . ." She said, her voice growing less shaky "I searched for days and days, trying to find you. I had to battle through wild animals and Shu and Wei soldiers all by myself, I just kept telling myself everything would be alright when I got to the Wei, everything would be fine . . . And I found you, I found you . . ."
you like this one, full of surprises and junk.
Enjoy!
Part 2
The Power of the Red Moon
Chapter 20
Scarlet Horizon
Sima Yi emerged silently, looking battered and put out.
"Are you alright, brother?" Zhang He asked, trying to look at him face to face.
"Fine." He said, obviously distressed.
"What did Cao Cao say, I couldn't understand what was said after he hit you." Zhang He asked softly. Sima Yi sighed loudly and began stepping faster.
"He said that if I ever went near Sun Shang Xiang again, I would become an enemy." He said, still nursing his head.
"What? That's unreasonable!" Zhang He exclaimed.
"And . . . If our paths ever cross again, my mission is to kill her." Sima Yi continued.
"WHAT?" Zhang He yelled.
"Maybe I'm not in love, I'm probably just attracted to her, I could kill her if I really had to . . ." Sima Yi said sadly.
"No! Never give up on her; you two are a perfect match! And here's a bit of information that your 'advanced brain' didn't pick up: She's nuts about you! Can't you tell, if you asked her to marry you, she'd probably die of joy!" Zhang he said exasperated.
"R-really?" Sima Yi said shakily.
"Yes, really! A lot of girls would love to marry you, you're a genius and you're handsome! You're also really famous, not like me . . ." Zhang He said.
"Yeah, but you've already got a girl. I don't have the courage to walk up to a girl I don't even care about and ask her name, how could I ever ask the girl I fancy to come and marry me?" Sima Yi said hopelessly.
"You'll manage, I'm sure that things will work out just fine. You'll probably be married by this time next year with a son on the way. By the way, if I ever decide to marry Diao Chan, will you be my go-between?" Zhang he asked smiling. Sima Yi smiled a little too.
"Of course." He said.
The days after the battle crept along slowly. Sima Yi spent a lot of time resting and healing up, and Diao Chan and Zhang He were alone together most of the time. That one little kiss had been the only thing that they needed to begin on an intimate relationship. They were always seen in each other's arms and often slept beside on another. This was the happiest Zhang He had ever been, what he really needed all along was love. The pain of the memory of Rai Tso, the thoughts of upcoming battle, wondering about Zhou Yu and Sun Ce all disappeared when he looked into Diao Chan's perfect eyes.
Spring ebbed away and the days became hot and muggy. Bugs zoomed all over the place and even Cao Cao took breaks from ordering people around. Around the middle of June, something very peculiar happened to Zhang He. Siam Yi was well of the infirmary and was out in the courtyard, speaking with Xiahou Dun. Xu Zhu and Zhang Liao stepped up to hear what he had to say. Zhang He heard someone coming up behind him and turned to face Diao Chan. She smiled and strung her hands around his neck. They second he looked back, everything went ice-cold. The small breeze stopped and everyone seemed frozen. The brightness of the afternoon dimmed until everything was as dark as night. When Zhang he tried to stand up, he found his legs were stuck fast. Then, he saw Her.
The Lady in Black was standing in front of him. She turned her deathly white face towards Zhang He and flashed her demented smile. She took her strange blurred finger and pointed in the direction of Sima Yi. She held up three fingers then pointed at the sky. All of a sudden, it stopped. Zhang He stood up immediately and cried out quietly.
"What's the matter?" Diao Chan said surprised, letting go of Zhang He promptly.
"I-I just saw Her! S-standing over t-there!" Zhang he said, starting to shake from the adrenaline rush.
"Who did you see?" Diao Chan said, sounding worried.
"The Lady in Black! Over there, by . . . Sima Yi . . ." Zhang He started to feel sick.
"What did she do exactly?" Diao Chan said, refusing to believe it.
"She pointed near Sima Yi, then held up three fingers, then pointed to the sky." He said.
"Three months . . ." Diao Chan said, starting to sound lifeless.
"Sima Yi won't be killed, will he?" Zhang He demanded, getting sicker by the second.
"I don't know, but the Lady in Black never lies." She said, her eyes welling slightly.
"But look, my brother, Xiahou Dun, and that great oaf are all over there too, it could be one of them!" Zhang He said pitifully. "But Xiahou Dun, Zhang Liao, they are my best friends besides Sima Yi."
"One of those four people is going to die . . ." Diao Chan said, sounding slightly tearful.
"Should we tell them?" Zhang He asked quietly.
"No, because if they believe they are going to die, then they really will." Diao Chan said.
"What's today?" Zhang He said, sitting back down, still feeling slightly numb, and very ill.
"The twenty-second of June. So, on September twenty-second . . ." Diao Chan said with a great sense of foreboding.
Diao Chan and Zhang He spent the next week worrying about who is was who would die. They spoke in hushed voices and were extra-specially kind to Sima Yi. At the end of the week, Zhang he was trying as hard as he could to force it out of his mind. He lay asleep on night, feeling the hot air all around him. Diao Chan and Sima Yi slept soundly around him and he watched the quiet night through the small open window. The insects outside hummed contentedly and the stars twinkled above. Just as he shut his eyes and began to fall asleep, he heard voices and panicked footsteps outside.
"Restrain her, she could be dangerous!"
"I've got her! Should we kill her?"
"No, take her to Cao Cao, he may be able to use her."
"RELEASE ME AT ONCE! I've come to join the Wei!"
Zhang He sat up quickly and peeked outside. Two guards were holding a short, cloaked woman captive. They began to take her to Cao Cao's building and Zhang He's curiosity got the better of him. He stepped outside quietly and shut the door behind him. He trailed the small party until the reached the large doors of Cao Cao's building. They pushed the struggling girl inside and knocked her down to the floor. Cao Cao, who was sitting in his high backed chair, sat and stared down in his hawkish way.
"Who is this?" He said, sounding angry.
"We found her asking to get in at the front gates. She says she wants to join our forces." The guard said.
"Remove her cloak!" Cao Cao demanded. The ripped off the black cloak and Zhang He gasped. Sun Shang Xiang, wearing robes that looked quite shabby and were ripped in many places, was kneeling down on the floor. "That is Sun Jian's daughter, kill her at once!" Cao Cao said loudly.
"No, please! My Lord, I want to join the Wei, please give me a chance!" She begged.
"A likely tale! Sun Jian has sent you over as a spy!" Cao Cao spat.
"My Lord, I'll do anything, anything, just please, let me join! I don't want to fight for the Wu any longer!" She pleaded at spear point.
"Anything?" Cao Cao said slowly, stroking his beard.
"Yes, anything!" She reiterated.
"Then what you must do is kill your father and brothers in our next battle with Wu! Then I will consider you one of us. Until then, the only way you can stay here is under constant supervision of one of my most trusted general. If this is what you are willing to do, than I am willing to accept you." He elaborated grandly.
"Kill my father and brothers? Please, My Lord, is there nothing else?" She said uneasily.
"This, or death, you can decide. You can weave you own fate." Cao Cao said grimly. Sun Shang Xiang stared up with her deep blue eyes welling up. She opened her mouth several times, and then shut it.
"As you wish, My Lord . . ." She said sadly, bowing her head down and letting two tears fall.
"Hmm, and who shall monitor you . . . " Cao Cao mused.
"Lord Sima Yi! Please, may I be with him!?" She asked shrilly. Cao Cao looked down his nose at her and his lip curled.
"Absolutely not. I will have you under watch of Lady Diao Chan; I will give you two a room instead of all you sleeping in Zhen Ji's room, yes, that seems fit." He confirmed. Zhang He's stomach did a funny flip if they found out that Diao Chan was sleeping in Sima Yi and his room every night, he was sure Cao Cao wouldn't be too pleased. He sped off silently towards Zhen Ji's room through the dark night. He reached the door and pushed it open gently. There were walls of expensive robes and dresses and the counters and tables were laden with expensive looking gifts. He slipped inside and shook Zhen Ji softly. She opened her eyes wide, analyzed what was happening and let out a high-pitched scream. Zhang He, not wanting to get in trouble, slapped a hand over her mouth. She fought and wriggled, trying to get away.
"Stop it!!" Zhang He whispered fiercely. "Quiet down, I'm not going to do anything!" He removed his hand experimentally.
"What are you doing in my room, you fiend!? If you so much as touch me, my husband will-"
"Shut up! I need your help! Please, some guards will be coming in here in a while with another girl. If they ask, please tell them that Lady Diao Chan has been sleeping in this room from the beginning. Please, do this, we might get in big trouble." Zhang He explained quickly. She stared wide- eyed for a couple of moments, then nodded.
"Alright, I'll do what you say, but don't expect this all the time from me. Now hurry, before they catch you too." She said on a different tone. Zhang He bowed and took off through the door. His legs pumped as he propelled stealthily through the darkness. When he got back, Diao Chan was waiting for him in the doorway.
"Where did you go? I got worried when I woke up and found that you had vanished." She said, looking stern. Zhang He promptly explained all that had happened as he sat back down.
"Sun Shang Xiang has to kill her father and brothers? That Cao Cao is horrible! I wish all of us had just joined the Wu . . ." She said angrily.
"Sun Ce . . ." Zhang He said quietly.
"Oh, Zhang He . . ." Diao Chan said, holding him in her arms.
"That's not what happened, she really didn't come here did she?" Said a voice from behind them. Sima Yi was sitting up in bed, looking very upset.
"Yes, that's true . . ." Zhang He said.
"That little fool!" He exclaimed. "She just threw her entire life away! She had it all, a big family that cares about her, a nice place to live, her father is the leader of an entire army. How could she do that to herself?"
"Maybe something happened that made her want to run away, and the only other friends she has are in the Wei." Diao Chan offered.
"Nothing could make someone be that stupid! I can't believe that!" Sima Yi spat.
"I thought you'd be happy about, Sima Yi." Zhang He said quietly.
"Happy? She's going to get herself killed!" He yelled. Then there was a sharp knock at the door. They flung open and in the doorway stood a very perturbed looking Zhen Ji, holding a tearful Sun Shang Xiang by the arm.
"She wants to join your little sleepover!" Zhen Ji said, releasing her promptly and stepping away irritably. "Do NOT wake me up again!" She called as she disappeared. Sun Shang Xiang stood there for a couple of second, staring at them all with a trembling lip. Then Diao Chan stood up and put an arm around her shaking figure. She shut the door carefully and brought Sun Shang Xiang over to the floor and sat. Everything was silent for a moment, and then Sun Shang Xiang burst into tears, wailing miserably.
"Oh, God . . .I th-thought I'd n-never make it! I was s-so scared!" She moaned covering her face with her hands. Zhang He gestured to Sima Yi, willing him to take her in his arms, but he just looked confused. Zhang He gave up and hugged her himself. "Zhang H-he . . . I'm s-so glad to see you . . ." She cried, still shaking. Sima Yi looked very upset with himself for being so blind and Diao Chan looked very angry.
"What happened, Sun Shang Xiang? Why are you here?" Zhang He asked, trying to avoid Diao Chan piercing stare.
"My father decided I was going to have to marry Lu Xun! I would never, ever be happy again if this happened, but he stood fast. So I decided I'd run away, but the only other place I had people to go to, was here . . ." She said, her voice growing less shaky "I searched for days and days, trying to find you. I had to battle through wild animals and Shu and Wei soldiers all by myself, I just kept telling myself everything would be alright when I got to the Wei, everything would be fine . . . And I found you, I found you . . ."