Part 3
Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 24
Dark Spirit Dance
After two weeks of waiting, they finally returned. Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Ce rode in at sunrise and brought with them an armada of troops and supplies. They had seven new horses, hundreds of bags of rice, new tents, fierce-looking weapons, and fields full of soldiers. Also, they acquired three more generals to help fight in the Shi. First of all, Sun Ce's brother Sun Quan was following with his ape-face behind them. He looked as unfriendly and mean as ever, but help was help. Nextly, there came a tall, muscley, surly man named Taishi Ci. He wore golden armor and wielded two large poles of metal, similar to Sun Ce's tonfas. Finally, next to Sun Shang Xiang rode a very odd man. He was quite short and wore a collection of large bells around his neck. On his body he had donned a green vest, which openly displayed his tattooed chest. His hair was sticking up and he wore a red head band around his forehead. He was talking so loudly that Zhang he could here his voice from where he was standing. Sun Shang Xiang, whom he was conversing with, looked extremely perturbed and ready to strike him at any moment. He leapt of his horse, did a flip, and stood in front of Zhang He.
"Hey, man! So I guess you're the leader, huh? Nice place you got here, fit for the Ning!" He spoke extremely fast and extended his hand rather violently. Zhang He shook it uncertainly and looked towards Sun Shang Xiang, who had just rode up and dismounted.
"This is Gan Ning." She said, as if she had been enduring hours of this man talking endlessly. "He used to be a pirate, but he somehow joined up with my father."
"She's a fiery one, huh? I asked her to marry Gan Ning, but she didn't want to for some reason! Hmmm, guess Gan Ning is too much for 'er. Gan Ning. Sounds like a type of food don't it? I'm having some Gan Ning tonight-" Gan Ning continued on speedily and mostly to himself. Zhang He looked bewildered. How could anyone be this much of a maniac? Sun Shang Xiang heaved a sigh and darted off in a random direct to escape "The Ning".
Two days later, Diao Chan and Sima Yi returned with their own surplus of goodness. They brought an equally good share of troops and supplies and few generals of their own. Four new generals rode up on steeds, gleaming in the sunlight. The first was an extremely odd man by the name of Wei Yan. His face was completely obscured by a mask and he spoke in one or two worded sentences.
"You . . . Good . . . Me . . . Join . . ." He growled and Zhang he who nodded weakly. The next in line was a man that should have died years and years ago. He was a living mummy and had a crazed look in his eyes. He was, in fact, ninety-five years old and came dressed in full battle armor and carried a sword. He never seemed to know where he was and Zhang He had worries about his sanity.
"So, you are the whelp that's leadin' us, eh?" He said as he hobbled over to Zhang He.
"Yes, Sun Ce and I." He answered.
"Ah, well, I suppose it's better than . . . Who was leadin' the Shu again?" He asked.
"Liu Bei . . ." Zhang He responded, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, yes, yes . . ." Huang Zhong said, waddling away.
After he had disappeared, the next general showed himself. At first Zhang He didn't know what exactly was riding up, but he soon recognized it as Pang Tong.
"Pang Tong!!" He cheered as he helped the cloaked man off of the black horse.
"Hehe, I'm back!" He said reviving his footing.
"You've decided to join us?" Zhang He asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I thought I might help out the underdog. Besides, I'm a little tired of Liu Bei anyway." He laughed.
"Excellent, this is great!" Zhang He said clapping his hands together happily.
"Hehehe, see you tonight, kid." He said floating off to the distance.
After Pang Tong had dispersed the fourth and final general appeared. He was a tall and strong man, about six foot seven, with muscles upon muscles. He wore a huge plumage of golden armor with a helmet with a dragon's head on it. He carried a gigantic spear, which was hooked and looked very painful. He trudged up to Zhang He and extended an enormous, shovel-like hand. Zhang He reached out and grasped it, only to find it crunching his tiny hand into oblivion a second later.
"I am Ma Chao." He growled gruffly, staring down his nose a Zhang He.
"Nice to meet you, I am Zhang He." He squeaked, desperately trying to remove his delicate hand caught in the vice of pain. He finally let and wandered of to greet the rest of his comrades. The next second Diao Chan came bounding up. She took a flying leap into Zhang He's arms, knocking them both to the ground.
"You're back!" He said, hugging her while lying in the soft grass.
"Yay!" She smiled, rocking back and forth. He regained his stance and lifted Diao Chan back to her feet.
"Some of these new generals . . ." He said wide-eyed and shaking his head.
"Yeah, they're a bag of loonies, but they were the only ones who'd come with us." Diao Chan explained.
"So now we've got, you, me, Sima Yi, Sun Shang Xiang, Zhou Yu, Sun Ce, Xu Zhu, Xu Huang, Liao, Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Sun Quan, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Ma Chao, and Pang Tong." Zhang He counted off on his fingers.
"It's quite a lineup, but we might be on down in a while . . ." She said in a darker tone.
"What do you mean?" Zhang He asked, he stomach twisting up inside him.
"Don't you remember? September twenty second! The Lady in Black . . ." She reminded him. Zhang He's twisting stomach dissolved. He had completely forgot about that. Someone was going to die . . . Xiahou Dun, Xu Zhu, Zhang Liao or . . . Sima Yi. Zhang He gazed over at his frail sworn brother, who was dismounting his brown horse. What exactly happened to him every time he spit up so much blood? Was it a fatal disease? Zhang He didn't want to think about it.
"Today is September ninth, they've got thirteen days." She said woefully.
"I won't let Her take him!" Zhang He roared in frustration.
"There's nothing we can do! I don't want him to die anymore than you do . . ." Diao Chan said.
"Isn't there anything?" Zhang he asked, starting to give up hope.
"The Lady in Black never lies . . ." She repeated miserably. "All we can do is wait."
"Maybe it isn't Sima Yi at all . . ." Zhang He said, bringing up a hopeful matter, but not believing it.
"But it could be your brother, or Xiahou Dun." Diao Chan said as they made their way back to the center of the camp.
"Or Xu Zhu." Zhang He said a little more brightly "But then we'd still suffer a loss."
"Whatever happens, will happen. There is no use mourning over something that hasn't even occurred."
"You are correct, I must collect myself." He said, opening the door to his room.
"Can I come in?" She asked.
"Sure, we can play Shogi, Sima Yi won't mind if we use his board." He offered holding the door open for her.
"Sounds great!" She chorused smiling. They played around in the room for a while and talked for a while. Zhang He told her about what happened in the forest with Zhou Yu. She looked extremely surprised and told him that something was defiantly strange. Both Diao Chan and Zhou Yu's life had been saved when they were very young, and both in a forest. Zhang He also remembered something about a forest, but what was it? That blood red sunset, that village, something happened, and that's song was always ever present in all three of their incidences.
Later on, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce returned and shooed Diao Chan out. Zhang He lay around for a while, then got restless and went to see what was going on outside. The men were still working on the wall and some of the generals were walking around the grounds. Zhang he waved to Pang Tong, who was prowling around, looking for God-knows-what. Then he came upon Gan Ning, who was talking endlessly to Taishi Ci.
"Being pirate was a bad thing for the Ning, I think its better now I'm with you guys. But, you know I had a Ningin' good time when I was a pirate. And sometimes I ask myself, 'Why the Ning did I leave?' I guess it's for a greater cause-" Taishi Ci interrupted him hastily.
"Look, it's Zhang He, I guess it's time for me to go now, goodnight!" He said, practically fleeing away from Gan Ning. Zhang He's suspicions were confirmed; this man was an absolute lunatic.
"Hey, Zhang He, leader man! How the Ning are you? Gan Ning is fine, thanks for asking. Just now I was talking to that Taishi Ci 'bout how I used to be a pirate. You ever know anyone in piracy? It has it's values, but I like the nice side 'o life better. How 'bout you, you ever do anything mean?"
I have to go now, bye!" He called, tearing away from Gan Ning as fast as possible. He'd better prove himself to be helpful on the battlefield, or Zhang He was going to kill him. He lolled around the grounds for a while, staring at the moon, inhaling the sweet autumn air. He sat underneath the darkling sky and watched the stars appear one by one. After a few more minutes, Sun Shang Xiang came running across the grass about 30 feet away, followed closely by a tall strong soldier. She looked like she was crying, and the man was visibly smiling from all the way back where he was standing. Zhang He stood, angered, ready to help Sun Shang Xiang, but stopped when he saw she was running towards Sima Yi. His curiosity peaked, he snuck closer and closer and the eavesdropper in him emerged once again.
"Sima Yi!!" She wailed, rushing towards him. He stopped walking and turned to catch her. Sun Shang Xiang ran behind him and grasped his clothing.
"What's the matter?" He asked concernedly. The man ran up and came to a halt in front of Sima Yi.
"He tried to take advantage of me . . ." She cried into Sima Yi's back, shaking slightly. Sima Yi looked enraged and whipped out his Black-Feather Fan. The gruff man laughed throatily.
"You think you can take me down, ya freak?" He said menacingly, cracking his knuckles.
"I'm going to try." Sima Yi said defiantly "Don't you know it's a horrible crime to hurt a woman or touch her without permission?"
"Your stupid, women are tools!" The soldier said. Sima Yi's eyes narrowed and his fan was glowing with a sinister radiance. He shot about forty beams out of it and quickly turned the evil man into something that resembled Swiss cheese made out of meat. Sun Shang Xiang gasped and Sima Yi unequipped his weapon gracefully.
"Thank you, Sima Yi, you saved me!" She said sounding very relived.
"Are you okay?" He said in a much gentler tone as he turned to face her.
"I am now, you were amazing!" She said smiling.
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He asked, still not convinced.
"I'm fine, just a little shaken." Sun Shang Xiang said, brushing herself off.
"I'm glad." He said, sighing a little.
"Not even my father was ever that cool, and he's saved me a bunch of times!" Sun Shang Xiang said as she sat down in the cool grass. Sima Yi sat next to her and looked towards the sky.
"You're lucky that your father is so kind, my father wouldn't have saved me if I'd had gotten in trouble." Sima Yi said softly.
"What?" Sun Shang Xiang asked, looking at him. "That's terrible! Doesn't your mother help you at least?" Sima Yi looked at his feet and closed his eyes. He sighed loudly, and then sighed again. He kept taking larger breaths, quicker and quicker. Zhang He gasped quietly, he knew what was coming.
"Sima Yi?" Sun Shang Xiang asked, looking over at him. He sputtered a few times and coughed harshly. His entire body shook violently and he clasped a hand on his chest. He started hacking uncontrollably and sputtering horribly. Zhang he could he was trying to stop it, but to no avail. "Are you alright?" Sun Shang Xiang asked shrilly, placing a hand on his trembling back. Sima Yi grasped his throat as a small trickle of blood dripped from his mouth. He coughed violently several times and a river of fresh, red blood flowed from his mouth. "Oh my God! SIMA YI!" She shrieked as she put her arms around him, as he was about to fall forward. Sima Yi coughed a few more times and spit up the last remainders of blood. He started breathing slower and slower and relaxed a little. "Sima Yi? What's wrong?" She asked again.
"N-nothing, s-sorry, It's j-just something that h-happen sometimes to me . . ." He managed to say hoarsely.
"Are you okay? You need help!" She said trying to pick him up.
"N-no, I'm fine . . . I . . . can . . ." Sima Yi was loosing consciousness quickly. Sun Shang Xiang looked extremely scared and she was starting to shake a bit herself. She got underneath him and tried to lift him up on her back, but failed. Zhang He decided that this was the best time to blow his cover. He rushed out and ran to assist Sun Shang Xiang. He rested Sima Yi's unconscious body on his shoulders and pulled him slowly over to the incomplete infirmary. Sun Shang Xiang kept asking if Sima Yi was all right and whether she had done something wrong. Zhang He laid Sima Yi down in the solitary bed and stepped back.
"He's never passed out before . . ." Zhang He panted softly.
"What? What do you mean? Has this happened before?" Sun Shang Xiang squeaked, placing her hands on Sima Yi's chest.
"Yes, twice before I think, but right after he was perfectly fine." Zhang He said, remembering the Lady in Black.
"Is he going to be alright?" She asked, eyes growing wider.
"I. . . Don't know. I-I've had a prophecy that someone is going to die on the twenty second, and I think Sima Yi . . ." Zhang He left off.
"No!!" She yelled shaking her head back and forth violently.
"I don't know what we can do, be we've got to believe he'll live, we can't lose hope." Zhang He said gravely.
"Just because you had some stupid premonition doesn't mean anyone's going to die." She said angrily, staring at Sima Yi's handsome complexion. Zhang He thought he looked so sad and helpless. How could he live without his brother?
Sima Yi didn't wake until very early in the morning, before it was light outside. Sun Shang Xiang stayed wide-awake by his bedside all night, not showing the slightest bit of weariness. Zhang He had been lying motionless in a nearby with his eyes closed, listening for signs of life. When Sima Yi stirred, Zhang He cracked his eyes open to small slits.
"You finally woke up." Sun Shang Xiang said gently as Sima Yi sat up.
"Wh-where am I?" He croaked drowsily.
"In the infirmary. You blacked out after you stopped coughing." She explained softly. Sima Yi lay back and put his pale hands over his throat. Sun Shang Xiang handed him a silver drinking glass full of water. He drank the cool water gratefully and breathed his thanks. "Let me help you with this . . ." Sun Shang Xiang said sweetly as she leaned forward and put her hands on Sima Yi's heavy helmet. She lifted it off carefully and placed it on the table beside them. Her fingers slightly quivered as she released Sima Yi's jet-black mane of beautifully straight hair from its bun. Her fingers ran down the silky strands involuntarily. Sima Yi opened his mouth slightly and a patch of blush appeared on his cheeks. Her white hand slipped down and landed delicately on his face. He looked nervously into her sea-blue eyes and she smiled back contentedly. She removed her tiny hand slowly and placed it in her lap.
"Do you have a disease?" She asked cautiously. "You know, one that makes you cough?"
"No, It's my mind that does that." Sima Yi muttered, closing his eyes.
"Huh?" She puzzled.
"It happens to me whenever I suddenly think of something that happened to me a long time ago." He explained darkly.
"What happened?" She inquired sensitively. Sima Yi opened his deep brown eyes and stared at her meaningfully. He then shut them again and shook his head.
"I don't think I can tell you. . ." He breathed hoarsely.
"Oh . . ." She said, sounding hurt.
"But . . ." He said straightening up a little, "I have kept it bottled up for a long while. I don't think anyone knows besides me and my father . . ." Sun Shang Xiang looked up, and gazed at him. "It's not something good, though, it might make you sad . . ."
"If you don't want to tell me, it's alright. If it's something private, I understand." She said, picking at her fingernail timidly.
"It's alright with me, but I'm asking you if you really want to hear?" He explained. She nodded slowly but didn't look up. Sima Yi looked out the window for a moment, probably recollecting. Zhang He sank back into the chair and sat even more still, he was eager to hear, but at the same time, a little apprehensive. "Did you ever wonder how I became so intelligent?" He asked abruptly.
"Yeah, you were just gifted from birth, or something, right?" She guessed.
"Wrong, I was forced learned. My father was insane about making me the most intellectual mind in all of China. From the day I was born, he begun teaching me everything. He would never stop, ever, and by the time I was a year and a half old I could speak and carry out a conversation. Shortly afterwards I was reading difficult books that most of the villagers haven't even heard of." He said.
"That doesn't sound so bad." Sun Shang Xiang said quietly.
"Let me explain." Sima Yi said, "I wasn't allowed to do anything but learn. All I could do was read and write all day, my father wouldn't let me outside of my room. So, all day everyday I was locked up in a tiny room with nothing but books about math and science, written by the driest of authors. So, as I grew older, I became more independent and I figured out that I didn't always have to do what he told me to. So I wouldn't read all that time, just sit alone and gaze out of the window and dream of being outside with all the other children my age. Well, when my father found out I was learning, the retribution was fierce. At the young age of five I was beaten until I couldn't walk for an entire week. If my mother hadn't come in time, I would have been killed, most likely.
"Throughout the years, he began to develop a cruel streak. I was only allowed meals once a week and no sleep until I had completed at least half of a book. I watched the seasons grow and die through the tiny window in my dark little room until I was seven years old. Then, one day, my mother could bear it no longer, she was the only one who ever cared about me, who ever took the time to speak with me, and she was my only friend. She somehow got me outside for the first time in my life. It started off the best day of my life. I could finally smell the fresh air and see what the world actually looked like. She took me to the market and then to the dark forest outside our village. We came home very late, we were terribly tired, but it had been such a wonderful day. But, she was careless, and she didn't check to see if my father was there before we came in. He was. He looked furious and was holding his sword. She pushed me through the door and told me not to watch, but my curiosity was overwhelming.
"Then they yelled at each other for a while and he advanced. Then he unsheathed the sword and. . . And . . . That bastard cut her in half!" Sima Yi was shaking with anger and his eyes welled up a bit. Sun Shang Xiang put a hand over her mouth and Zhang He frowned.
"I couldn't b-believe it, I didn't even know there was that much blood in a person. Revolting as a corpse looks when it is disposed off in this manner, I still ran to her. With her last moments of life, she grabbed my hand and held me against her chest. She weakly hummed the song she had always hummed to me whenever I was frightened. I felt like I wanted to just die right there with, end all my suffering, I had never known true happiness. And . . . I still don't. . ."
Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 24
Dark Spirit Dance
After two weeks of waiting, they finally returned. Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Ce rode in at sunrise and brought with them an armada of troops and supplies. They had seven new horses, hundreds of bags of rice, new tents, fierce-looking weapons, and fields full of soldiers. Also, they acquired three more generals to help fight in the Shi. First of all, Sun Ce's brother Sun Quan was following with his ape-face behind them. He looked as unfriendly and mean as ever, but help was help. Nextly, there came a tall, muscley, surly man named Taishi Ci. He wore golden armor and wielded two large poles of metal, similar to Sun Ce's tonfas. Finally, next to Sun Shang Xiang rode a very odd man. He was quite short and wore a collection of large bells around his neck. On his body he had donned a green vest, which openly displayed his tattooed chest. His hair was sticking up and he wore a red head band around his forehead. He was talking so loudly that Zhang he could here his voice from where he was standing. Sun Shang Xiang, whom he was conversing with, looked extremely perturbed and ready to strike him at any moment. He leapt of his horse, did a flip, and stood in front of Zhang He.
"Hey, man! So I guess you're the leader, huh? Nice place you got here, fit for the Ning!" He spoke extremely fast and extended his hand rather violently. Zhang He shook it uncertainly and looked towards Sun Shang Xiang, who had just rode up and dismounted.
"This is Gan Ning." She said, as if she had been enduring hours of this man talking endlessly. "He used to be a pirate, but he somehow joined up with my father."
"She's a fiery one, huh? I asked her to marry Gan Ning, but she didn't want to for some reason! Hmmm, guess Gan Ning is too much for 'er. Gan Ning. Sounds like a type of food don't it? I'm having some Gan Ning tonight-" Gan Ning continued on speedily and mostly to himself. Zhang He looked bewildered. How could anyone be this much of a maniac? Sun Shang Xiang heaved a sigh and darted off in a random direct to escape "The Ning".
Two days later, Diao Chan and Sima Yi returned with their own surplus of goodness. They brought an equally good share of troops and supplies and few generals of their own. Four new generals rode up on steeds, gleaming in the sunlight. The first was an extremely odd man by the name of Wei Yan. His face was completely obscured by a mask and he spoke in one or two worded sentences.
"You . . . Good . . . Me . . . Join . . ." He growled and Zhang he who nodded weakly. The next in line was a man that should have died years and years ago. He was a living mummy and had a crazed look in his eyes. He was, in fact, ninety-five years old and came dressed in full battle armor and carried a sword. He never seemed to know where he was and Zhang He had worries about his sanity.
"So, you are the whelp that's leadin' us, eh?" He said as he hobbled over to Zhang He.
"Yes, Sun Ce and I." He answered.
"Ah, well, I suppose it's better than . . . Who was leadin' the Shu again?" He asked.
"Liu Bei . . ." Zhang He responded, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, yes, yes . . ." Huang Zhong said, waddling away.
After he had disappeared, the next general showed himself. At first Zhang He didn't know what exactly was riding up, but he soon recognized it as Pang Tong.
"Pang Tong!!" He cheered as he helped the cloaked man off of the black horse.
"Hehe, I'm back!" He said reviving his footing.
"You've decided to join us?" Zhang He asked incredulously.
"Yeah, I thought I might help out the underdog. Besides, I'm a little tired of Liu Bei anyway." He laughed.
"Excellent, this is great!" Zhang He said clapping his hands together happily.
"Hehehe, see you tonight, kid." He said floating off to the distance.
After Pang Tong had dispersed the fourth and final general appeared. He was a tall and strong man, about six foot seven, with muscles upon muscles. He wore a huge plumage of golden armor with a helmet with a dragon's head on it. He carried a gigantic spear, which was hooked and looked very painful. He trudged up to Zhang He and extended an enormous, shovel-like hand. Zhang He reached out and grasped it, only to find it crunching his tiny hand into oblivion a second later.
"I am Ma Chao." He growled gruffly, staring down his nose a Zhang He.
"Nice to meet you, I am Zhang He." He squeaked, desperately trying to remove his delicate hand caught in the vice of pain. He finally let and wandered of to greet the rest of his comrades. The next second Diao Chan came bounding up. She took a flying leap into Zhang He's arms, knocking them both to the ground.
"You're back!" He said, hugging her while lying in the soft grass.
"Yay!" She smiled, rocking back and forth. He regained his stance and lifted Diao Chan back to her feet.
"Some of these new generals . . ." He said wide-eyed and shaking his head.
"Yeah, they're a bag of loonies, but they were the only ones who'd come with us." Diao Chan explained.
"So now we've got, you, me, Sima Yi, Sun Shang Xiang, Zhou Yu, Sun Ce, Xu Zhu, Xu Huang, Liao, Taishi Ci, Gan Ning, Sun Quan, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Ma Chao, and Pang Tong." Zhang He counted off on his fingers.
"It's quite a lineup, but we might be on down in a while . . ." She said in a darker tone.
"What do you mean?" Zhang He asked, he stomach twisting up inside him.
"Don't you remember? September twenty second! The Lady in Black . . ." She reminded him. Zhang He's twisting stomach dissolved. He had completely forgot about that. Someone was going to die . . . Xiahou Dun, Xu Zhu, Zhang Liao or . . . Sima Yi. Zhang He gazed over at his frail sworn brother, who was dismounting his brown horse. What exactly happened to him every time he spit up so much blood? Was it a fatal disease? Zhang He didn't want to think about it.
"Today is September ninth, they've got thirteen days." She said woefully.
"I won't let Her take him!" Zhang He roared in frustration.
"There's nothing we can do! I don't want him to die anymore than you do . . ." Diao Chan said.
"Isn't there anything?" Zhang he asked, starting to give up hope.
"The Lady in Black never lies . . ." She repeated miserably. "All we can do is wait."
"Maybe it isn't Sima Yi at all . . ." Zhang He said, bringing up a hopeful matter, but not believing it.
"But it could be your brother, or Xiahou Dun." Diao Chan said as they made their way back to the center of the camp.
"Or Xu Zhu." Zhang He said a little more brightly "But then we'd still suffer a loss."
"Whatever happens, will happen. There is no use mourning over something that hasn't even occurred."
"You are correct, I must collect myself." He said, opening the door to his room.
"Can I come in?" She asked.
"Sure, we can play Shogi, Sima Yi won't mind if we use his board." He offered holding the door open for her.
"Sounds great!" She chorused smiling. They played around in the room for a while and talked for a while. Zhang He told her about what happened in the forest with Zhou Yu. She looked extremely surprised and told him that something was defiantly strange. Both Diao Chan and Zhou Yu's life had been saved when they were very young, and both in a forest. Zhang He also remembered something about a forest, but what was it? That blood red sunset, that village, something happened, and that's song was always ever present in all three of their incidences.
Later on, Zhou Yu and Sun Ce returned and shooed Diao Chan out. Zhang He lay around for a while, then got restless and went to see what was going on outside. The men were still working on the wall and some of the generals were walking around the grounds. Zhang he waved to Pang Tong, who was prowling around, looking for God-knows-what. Then he came upon Gan Ning, who was talking endlessly to Taishi Ci.
"Being pirate was a bad thing for the Ning, I think its better now I'm with you guys. But, you know I had a Ningin' good time when I was a pirate. And sometimes I ask myself, 'Why the Ning did I leave?' I guess it's for a greater cause-" Taishi Ci interrupted him hastily.
"Look, it's Zhang He, I guess it's time for me to go now, goodnight!" He said, practically fleeing away from Gan Ning. Zhang He's suspicions were confirmed; this man was an absolute lunatic.
"Hey, Zhang He, leader man! How the Ning are you? Gan Ning is fine, thanks for asking. Just now I was talking to that Taishi Ci 'bout how I used to be a pirate. You ever know anyone in piracy? It has it's values, but I like the nice side 'o life better. How 'bout you, you ever do anything mean?"
I have to go now, bye!" He called, tearing away from Gan Ning as fast as possible. He'd better prove himself to be helpful on the battlefield, or Zhang He was going to kill him. He lolled around the grounds for a while, staring at the moon, inhaling the sweet autumn air. He sat underneath the darkling sky and watched the stars appear one by one. After a few more minutes, Sun Shang Xiang came running across the grass about 30 feet away, followed closely by a tall strong soldier. She looked like she was crying, and the man was visibly smiling from all the way back where he was standing. Zhang He stood, angered, ready to help Sun Shang Xiang, but stopped when he saw she was running towards Sima Yi. His curiosity peaked, he snuck closer and closer and the eavesdropper in him emerged once again.
"Sima Yi!!" She wailed, rushing towards him. He stopped walking and turned to catch her. Sun Shang Xiang ran behind him and grasped his clothing.
"What's the matter?" He asked concernedly. The man ran up and came to a halt in front of Sima Yi.
"He tried to take advantage of me . . ." She cried into Sima Yi's back, shaking slightly. Sima Yi looked enraged and whipped out his Black-Feather Fan. The gruff man laughed throatily.
"You think you can take me down, ya freak?" He said menacingly, cracking his knuckles.
"I'm going to try." Sima Yi said defiantly "Don't you know it's a horrible crime to hurt a woman or touch her without permission?"
"Your stupid, women are tools!" The soldier said. Sima Yi's eyes narrowed and his fan was glowing with a sinister radiance. He shot about forty beams out of it and quickly turned the evil man into something that resembled Swiss cheese made out of meat. Sun Shang Xiang gasped and Sima Yi unequipped his weapon gracefully.
"Thank you, Sima Yi, you saved me!" She said sounding very relived.
"Are you okay?" He said in a much gentler tone as he turned to face her.
"I am now, you were amazing!" She said smiling.
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He asked, still not convinced.
"I'm fine, just a little shaken." Sun Shang Xiang said, brushing herself off.
"I'm glad." He said, sighing a little.
"Not even my father was ever that cool, and he's saved me a bunch of times!" Sun Shang Xiang said as she sat down in the cool grass. Sima Yi sat next to her and looked towards the sky.
"You're lucky that your father is so kind, my father wouldn't have saved me if I'd had gotten in trouble." Sima Yi said softly.
"What?" Sun Shang Xiang asked, looking at him. "That's terrible! Doesn't your mother help you at least?" Sima Yi looked at his feet and closed his eyes. He sighed loudly, and then sighed again. He kept taking larger breaths, quicker and quicker. Zhang He gasped quietly, he knew what was coming.
"Sima Yi?" Sun Shang Xiang asked, looking over at him. He sputtered a few times and coughed harshly. His entire body shook violently and he clasped a hand on his chest. He started hacking uncontrollably and sputtering horribly. Zhang he could he was trying to stop it, but to no avail. "Are you alright?" Sun Shang Xiang asked shrilly, placing a hand on his trembling back. Sima Yi grasped his throat as a small trickle of blood dripped from his mouth. He coughed violently several times and a river of fresh, red blood flowed from his mouth. "Oh my God! SIMA YI!" She shrieked as she put her arms around him, as he was about to fall forward. Sima Yi coughed a few more times and spit up the last remainders of blood. He started breathing slower and slower and relaxed a little. "Sima Yi? What's wrong?" She asked again.
"N-nothing, s-sorry, It's j-just something that h-happen sometimes to me . . ." He managed to say hoarsely.
"Are you okay? You need help!" She said trying to pick him up.
"N-no, I'm fine . . . I . . . can . . ." Sima Yi was loosing consciousness quickly. Sun Shang Xiang looked extremely scared and she was starting to shake a bit herself. She got underneath him and tried to lift him up on her back, but failed. Zhang He decided that this was the best time to blow his cover. He rushed out and ran to assist Sun Shang Xiang. He rested Sima Yi's unconscious body on his shoulders and pulled him slowly over to the incomplete infirmary. Sun Shang Xiang kept asking if Sima Yi was all right and whether she had done something wrong. Zhang He laid Sima Yi down in the solitary bed and stepped back.
"He's never passed out before . . ." Zhang He panted softly.
"What? What do you mean? Has this happened before?" Sun Shang Xiang squeaked, placing her hands on Sima Yi's chest.
"Yes, twice before I think, but right after he was perfectly fine." Zhang He said, remembering the Lady in Black.
"Is he going to be alright?" She asked, eyes growing wider.
"I. . . Don't know. I-I've had a prophecy that someone is going to die on the twenty second, and I think Sima Yi . . ." Zhang He left off.
"No!!" She yelled shaking her head back and forth violently.
"I don't know what we can do, be we've got to believe he'll live, we can't lose hope." Zhang He said gravely.
"Just because you had some stupid premonition doesn't mean anyone's going to die." She said angrily, staring at Sima Yi's handsome complexion. Zhang He thought he looked so sad and helpless. How could he live without his brother?
Sima Yi didn't wake until very early in the morning, before it was light outside. Sun Shang Xiang stayed wide-awake by his bedside all night, not showing the slightest bit of weariness. Zhang He had been lying motionless in a nearby with his eyes closed, listening for signs of life. When Sima Yi stirred, Zhang He cracked his eyes open to small slits.
"You finally woke up." Sun Shang Xiang said gently as Sima Yi sat up.
"Wh-where am I?" He croaked drowsily.
"In the infirmary. You blacked out after you stopped coughing." She explained softly. Sima Yi lay back and put his pale hands over his throat. Sun Shang Xiang handed him a silver drinking glass full of water. He drank the cool water gratefully and breathed his thanks. "Let me help you with this . . ." Sun Shang Xiang said sweetly as she leaned forward and put her hands on Sima Yi's heavy helmet. She lifted it off carefully and placed it on the table beside them. Her fingers slightly quivered as she released Sima Yi's jet-black mane of beautifully straight hair from its bun. Her fingers ran down the silky strands involuntarily. Sima Yi opened his mouth slightly and a patch of blush appeared on his cheeks. Her white hand slipped down and landed delicately on his face. He looked nervously into her sea-blue eyes and she smiled back contentedly. She removed her tiny hand slowly and placed it in her lap.
"Do you have a disease?" She asked cautiously. "You know, one that makes you cough?"
"No, It's my mind that does that." Sima Yi muttered, closing his eyes.
"Huh?" She puzzled.
"It happens to me whenever I suddenly think of something that happened to me a long time ago." He explained darkly.
"What happened?" She inquired sensitively. Sima Yi opened his deep brown eyes and stared at her meaningfully. He then shut them again and shook his head.
"I don't think I can tell you. . ." He breathed hoarsely.
"Oh . . ." She said, sounding hurt.
"But . . ." He said straightening up a little, "I have kept it bottled up for a long while. I don't think anyone knows besides me and my father . . ." Sun Shang Xiang looked up, and gazed at him. "It's not something good, though, it might make you sad . . ."
"If you don't want to tell me, it's alright. If it's something private, I understand." She said, picking at her fingernail timidly.
"It's alright with me, but I'm asking you if you really want to hear?" He explained. She nodded slowly but didn't look up. Sima Yi looked out the window for a moment, probably recollecting. Zhang He sank back into the chair and sat even more still, he was eager to hear, but at the same time, a little apprehensive. "Did you ever wonder how I became so intelligent?" He asked abruptly.
"Yeah, you were just gifted from birth, or something, right?" She guessed.
"Wrong, I was forced learned. My father was insane about making me the most intellectual mind in all of China. From the day I was born, he begun teaching me everything. He would never stop, ever, and by the time I was a year and a half old I could speak and carry out a conversation. Shortly afterwards I was reading difficult books that most of the villagers haven't even heard of." He said.
"That doesn't sound so bad." Sun Shang Xiang said quietly.
"Let me explain." Sima Yi said, "I wasn't allowed to do anything but learn. All I could do was read and write all day, my father wouldn't let me outside of my room. So, all day everyday I was locked up in a tiny room with nothing but books about math and science, written by the driest of authors. So, as I grew older, I became more independent and I figured out that I didn't always have to do what he told me to. So I wouldn't read all that time, just sit alone and gaze out of the window and dream of being outside with all the other children my age. Well, when my father found out I was learning, the retribution was fierce. At the young age of five I was beaten until I couldn't walk for an entire week. If my mother hadn't come in time, I would have been killed, most likely.
"Throughout the years, he began to develop a cruel streak. I was only allowed meals once a week and no sleep until I had completed at least half of a book. I watched the seasons grow and die through the tiny window in my dark little room until I was seven years old. Then, one day, my mother could bear it no longer, she was the only one who ever cared about me, who ever took the time to speak with me, and she was my only friend. She somehow got me outside for the first time in my life. It started off the best day of my life. I could finally smell the fresh air and see what the world actually looked like. She took me to the market and then to the dark forest outside our village. We came home very late, we were terribly tired, but it had been such a wonderful day. But, she was careless, and she didn't check to see if my father was there before we came in. He was. He looked furious and was holding his sword. She pushed me through the door and told me not to watch, but my curiosity was overwhelming.
"Then they yelled at each other for a while and he advanced. Then he unsheathed the sword and. . . And . . . That bastard cut her in half!" Sima Yi was shaking with anger and his eyes welled up a bit. Sun Shang Xiang put a hand over her mouth and Zhang He frowned.
"I couldn't b-believe it, I didn't even know there was that much blood in a person. Revolting as a corpse looks when it is disposed off in this manner, I still ran to her. With her last moments of life, she grabbed my hand and held me against her chest. She weakly hummed the song she had always hummed to me whenever I was frightened. I felt like I wanted to just die right there with, end all my suffering, I had never known true happiness. And . . . I still don't. . ."