Author's Note: I make up for the previous delay. Lot's of questions are
answered in this chapter, I KNOW you'll like it. More coming soon.
Enjoy!
Part 3
Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 35
As They Appear
Sun Ce stood in front of the altar next to Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Quan. The Lady Wu Sheng, The Sun children's mother had also come out. All four of them were dressed white robes and looked towards the floor. The altar in front of them was laden with a vase full of water and next to that was an urn filled to the brim with small polished stones. This was meant for putting incense into. One at a time the funeral attendants walked up, bowed, placed a colorful flower in the vase, planted a lighted stick of incense in the urn, bowed again, then stepped aside. Zhang He was among the first. As he approach he caught a look of Sun Ce's face. His eyes were empty and lifeless and he soon looked away from Zhang He. The Lady Wu and Sun Shang Xiang had silent tears pouring from their eyes, but bowed nonetheless when Zhang He left. He walked over to where Sima Yi and Zhou Yu were standing. Everyone besides the Sun family were in black robes with their own family crest above each breast.
"I hate seeing Sun Ce so morose." Zhang He whispered to his sworn brothers. Zhou Yu nodded.
"We should be sympathetic towards him, he loved his father very much." Zhou Yu answered quietly.
When everyone was done paying respects to the Sun family, they all moved out into an open-air patio where Sun Jian's body was. He was cleaned up after his battle with Liu Biao and the look on his face was peaceful. His hair was let down from its usual bun and was fanned out all over the white cloths surrounding him. The hands were folded upon his chest and he was dressed in a simple white kimono. He lay in a sort of cage of wood with pockets of oil set in a honeycomb-like pattern. The top was adorned with white flowers and good-luck scrolls. Sun Ce and Sun Quan stood on the left side of the fixture, and Lady Wu and Sun Shang Xiang on the right. Each were given a torch by the ceremonial priest and then the Buddhist Monk said a prayer in a different form of Chinese.
"May you reincarnate as one of our kin . . ." Sun Ce said at last. The flame was touched to the oil pockets and the structure was immediately ablaze. Everyone bowed as the body of Sun Jian burned. After there was nothing but ash left, the Monk put it into a small container, then placed this inside to sacred funeral boat. It was little and held flowers and a single torch. The monk lit it and they all ventured to the river. He said another short prayer and released it in the rushing water.
"Goodbye, father . . ." Sun Ce whispered as the tiny boat made it's long journey down the river and into the sunset.
Sima Yi sat on the edge of the cliff. He had brought a Koto with him and was playing it as the sun went down. The simple plucking of the strings poured a mournful tune over the main camp. It had been three weeks since the battle with Liu Biao and everyone was back at the main camp. The blood red light silhouetted Sima Yi's figure and his expert playing made Zhang He feel somewhat sad, but that sort of beautiful melancholy a man will feel when he sees something that is perhaps too lovely, for can never understand. The slow plucking of the string finally ceased and Sima Yi was still. Zhang He sighed. The Wu was no more. Now only three kingdoms remained, Shu, Wei and his very own Shi. How could he, a boy born as nothing more than the son of a farmer, have become leader of this grand operation? At times he wished he were no more than a stupid pawn that didn't have to worry about such things as his did in his present existence. Sima Yi looked back, noticing Zhang He for the first time. He raised his hand and smiled at Zhang He. Zhang He gave a small smile back and walked over to where his sworn brother sat.
"That was a lovely song, I heard from over there." He said quietly as he sat down beside him.
"You like it? My own composition, you know. I love playing music, it was one of the only things I enjoyed when my father made me . . ." He left off. Sima Yi pulled the claw-like picks off his fingers and piled them next to the smooth Koto. He then looked off into the glaring distance, the red light tinting his near-perfect face.
"Don't think about it, Sima Yi. My mother died when I was young, too . . ." Zhang He condoled.
"You didn't really know her though, did you?" He replied mildly. Zhang He shook his head.
"But I remember her face a bit. She was awfully pretty, such long hair, she always wore it up so nice. That's all I remember." Zhang He said. "But Rai Tso . . . She was like my mother . . ."
"She was a very kind woman. How did your real mother die?" He asked, gently running his finger along one string of the Koto. Zhang He pondered for a moment.
"You know . . . I don't really know . . . I think it was because of illness, but then again . . . Zhang Liao knows, I'll ask him when I get the chance." Zhang He answered.
"Well, how did you find out, then? Was she just gone one day?" Sima Yi asked a bit skeptically. Zhang He narrowed his eyes and searched the very darkest corners of his memory.
"I . . . remember a lot of yelling . . . Zhang Liao came into the house and he was yelling something, then he told me not to go outside, and . . . My brother, my real brother was there, he was sitting in a corner and smiling . . . and my father came back in, he was so mad. . . That's all." Zhang He said scratching his head.
"Hm . . ." Answered Sima Yi. "You're lucky then, you . . . don't know what it's like to see . . ." For a moment his eyes showed something that he might have another cough attack, but it was quickly quieted. "She was so gentle, I still can recall her touch. But you know the odd thing, about 10 minutes after she died; my father was surprised at her. Like, he didn't know what he had done, like it was somebody else's fault. But after that, I was free. I could go outside and everything. But it didn't make up for the loss. That song is what stuck with me, though. . ."
He slowly plucked the Koto again. In a moment, Zhang He's heart leapt for it was the very same song from his memory, the mysterious tune he knew from somewhere!
"Sima Yi!" Zhang He yelled abruptly. Sima Yi pulled his hands away immediately and looked up, alarmed. "That song! How in the world do you know that?"
"She used to sing it to me all the time . . ." Sima Yi said with his eyes wide.
"You know it, Zhou Yu knows it, Diao Chan knows it, and I know it!" Zhang He stressed, playing absentmindedly with his hair.
"Maybe it's a famous song or something. It seems like coincidence to me . . ." Sima Yi replied.
"We heard it that night, Zhou Yu and I, in the forest. I think it's something more . . ." Zhang He puzzled. Sima Yi shrugged. Suddenly a voice was heard from behind them.
"What's going on?" Said a cheerful tone. Zhang He craned his neck back and saw Mitsuke. He looked around, but Kawaii-Sama was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello, Mitsuke." Sima Yi answered. He sat down where he was.
"Man, what a sunset." He said enthusiastically. "Reminds me of home."
"Is Japan an interesting country?" Zhang He asked curiously.
"It's a great country! Oh, you should see the Sakura trees in spring! All the little kids are singing, Sakura, Sakura Yayo-i no sora wa! Miwatsu kaghiri, Kasumi Ka? Kumo ka? Oh, it's wonderful! And we have the doll festival in the spring, where all the girls have the magnificent collections of dolls, and the Lords come out of their castles on the star night festival, then we have the grand battles between two provinces where you fight to the death for the honor of your Lord. The mystic and beauty of Japan is never ending!" Mitsuke said excitedly.
"Why did you leave?" Sima Yi asked plainly.
"Ummm, because I . . . Well, I didn't fit in." Mitsuke answered uncertainly.
"Isn't that type of Hakama usually worn by Miko?" Sima Yi continued.
"You mean THIS? Well, sometimes, but guys wear them too. It was the only one I could find! My friend Kenshin wore a pink one!" He said quickly. (haha to all you Rurouni fans out there) Zhang He's suspicions rose once again. If only he could've found out that one day . . . Sima Yi suddenly stood up suddenly. He grabbed the Koto and stepped back.
"Did you feel that?" He asked.
"What?" Zhang He and Mitsuke asked simultaneously. Suddenly there was great rumbling of the ground. Sima Yi fell to his knees and Mitsuke screamed.
"It's an earthquake!" Zhang He yelled. Then the shaking got worse, the surface waves hit. The ground shook in an elliptical pattern and Zhang He fell over the side of the cliff. Before he could plummet to the trees some fifteen feet below he caught onto the side of the ledge.
"ZHANG HE!" Yelped Sima Yi from above. Mitsuke's white sleeved arm came into view and grabbed Zhang He's free hand.
"Got you . . ." He grunted, attempting to pull him up.
"Don't let go!" Zhang He, feeling himself starting to shake. Mitsuke heaved but to Zhang He's horror fell flat on his belly. All at once Mitsuke started to be pulled forward over the edge.
"No!" Said Sima Yi's voice and Mitsuke stopped falling. They were pulled back for a moment, then Sima Yi yelped again and Mitsuke was released. He fell forward onto Zhang He and gave a high-pitched scream as they both fell down towards the looming woods below. Zhang He clutched him, awaiting the horrible blow that was about to arrive as he smacked into the ground. He felt pine needles scratch his face and something sharp slash beside his arm and then all was black.
When he awoke the world around him was dark. The warm, heavy mound on his chest was definitely Mitsuke. As his eyes adjusted to the dark and he saw the gloomy shapes of trees all around him. He shook Mitsuke carefully until he awoke.
"I can't believe we survived that." He said as he stood up.
"I broke you fall, my back hurts so bad it feels as if it's broken." Zhang He said, brushing himself off. "Have you got your sword?" Zhang He asked.
"Yeah, never go anywhere without it." Mitsuke said, grasping the hilt. Zhang He walked up to the bottom of the cliff. He looked up into the starry sky above.
"Sima Yi!?" He called up, but there was no answer.
"Great, just great . . ." Mitsuke said. "I don't expect you know the way out?"
"I've never been here before." Zhang He said, starting to feel hopeless.
"Well, if the camp is that way . . ." Mitsuke said, pointing in the direction of the cliff. "Then we ought to go the opposite way until we come out of the trees, the head west, the north. It'll be easier to locate the camp without the trees obscuring our vision."
Zhang He nodded, and started on the path. Mitsuke immediately caught up with him and drew his Katana.
"You see an enemy?" Zhang He said, halting.
"No, I just want to be ready. The woods here are crawling with bandits and beasts of every manner. Always being alert, that is the way of the samurai. And besides, you are my lord, I must protect you at all costs." Mitsuke explained, stepping lightly. Zhang He smiled.
"I'm glad to have you on my forces Mitsuke, I could use more people like you." Zhang He said quietly.
"Your praise honors me." Mitsuke replied happily. They crept through the dark trees for a while, the temperature dropping gradually. Once a sharp breaking noise sounded to the left of the and Mitsuke snapped into a fighting stance immediately, but it turned out it was a harmless deer. When it began to look as they would never get out of the woods, the situation got even worse. They could no longer continue on in a straight path for an enormous lake was stuck in the middle of the forest. When the traveled along the sides of it, it was discovered that it connected to a river. There was no getting around it, and going through it was out of the question. The water had to be going at least twenty miles per hour, about ten feet deep, and it was icy cold, not the best conditions for the air was getting cold as well.
"I suggest we stay the night here. We have point of reference, fresh water, and I think I could catch a few fish here . . ." Mitsuke offered. Zhang He nodded.
"I can get a fire going, too." Zhang He put forth, prowling around for stray branches. He gathered a mound of them, the set them in triangle shape while Mitsuke shaved down sticks with his sword, and then removed the string that held his hair up and used it as line. He captured some bugs and fastened them to the end. Zhang He was rubbing his hand raw from trying to kindle a flame with only wood. A bit of smoke rose from the hole, but no flame rose. Mitsuke shook his head and stepped over to him.
"There's a much easier way to do it . . ." He said, taking the wood from Zhang He. "First of all the way you this wood set up, it'll burn out too fast. If you place them like this . . ." He set them up in a cube-like design which then criss-crossed over each other. "It'll stay lit for almost the entire night. Now, watch and learn . . ."
Mitsuke plucked a flat board-like piece of wood from the pile, and cut a notch in it. He also stabbed a little hole in the board near the notch. He got a bent stick and used one of the belts from his Hakama to make a sort of miniature longbow. He then hunted around for a smooth stone, also smashing out a little place in the bottom. He put them all together so that the stone was on top, the bow was fastened around the middle, and the stick was in the little hole near the notch. Zhang He had no idea how this was going to work, but in a matter of second, Mitsuke had birthed a tiny flame. He quickly slid it under the criss-crossed wood block and in now time at all it was blazing merrily away.
"That was amazing, Mitsuke! Where did you learn to do that?" Zhang He asked incredulously. Mitsuke shrugged.
"I grew up in a little village in the forest. Me and the person I love used to get lost there all the time, I think I picked it up from hi- . . . her." Mitsuke said. Zhang He eyed him, then moved his gaze to his feet. Mitsuke was great friend, he wouldn't want to give him up, but he was worried that he might be spending the night next a man who didn't "think" the same as most did. It was bothering him too much. He had to ask. He HAD to . . .
"Umm, Mitsuke?" Zhang He inquired timidly. He didn't want to hear if Mitsuke was. It would set up a bar between them. There was no way Zhang He could be truly comfortable with Mitsuke if Mitsuke wanted more than a platonic relationship.
"What is it?" Mitsuke replied, setting his makeshift fishing pole in the water.
"What do you . . .errr . . . think of girls?" Zhang He ventured, not meeting his gaze. Great, this makes me sound like I'M the one who's into guys . . .Zhang He thought But I couldn't just ask him straightforward. . .
"What? What do you mean by that?" Mitsuke asked innocently.
"Well, what I want to know is, well . . . You don't like . . . want men. . ." Zhang He said facing the other way. "Do you?" He added in a frightened tone.
"What!? Of course not!!" Mitsuke laughed. Zhang He laughed and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good . . . I was just a little worried, sometimes the things you say . . . It just sounded a bit like it. . ."
"Do I sound like that? I seem feminine, don't I?" Mitsuke said in an incapacitated tone, staring deeply into the rippling water.
"Well . . . Sometimes . . ." Zhang He said, throwing a bit more wood on the fire.
"It's just that . . ." Mitsuke began quietly. "Would you understand if I told you something?" Zhang He's alert returned.
"What?"
"Something I've done is bad, I've done something bad. So horrible, but it wasn't all my fault. I've also committed a wrongdoing to you. I want to tell you, but I could get hurt . . . You might try to kill me if you knew. . ."
"You could tell me, Mitsuke. I wouldn't kill you, you're my friend." Zhang He said, looking him in the eye. He seemed scared and his eyes were watery.
"Well, you see, I-" He began, but a fish suddenly caught his line. "Oh, it's a big one!" He yelled. His arms fell forward and Zhang He feared the branch would snap. "Pull it in, Zhang He!" Zhang He ran over and yanked on the line, wrenching a gigantic fish out of the water. It flopped around on the ground and Zhang He feared it would fall back in the water. Mitsuke Pulled a dagger out from somewhere in his hakama and stabbed the fish in the head.
"Wow, it's huge! That'll taste great once it's grilled up!" Mitsuke smiled. "I'll clean it now. . ." He said, picking up the fish and making a quick slit along its belly. Zhang He decided to drop the situation for now. He smiled as he watched Mitsuke scoop the innards of the fish out and toss them into the darkling waters of the lake. He scraped off the scales with his razor sharp dagger, and then cleaved the head in one fierce swipe. He put the creamy white meat on a stick and set it over the flames. He shrugged.
"I guess we'll have to eat with our hands, I have no chopsticks or bowls." Mitsuke said.
"I'm grateful to you we have anything to eat at all! It'll be all that much better in the morning when I don't have to wake up with a growling stomach! You're amazing Mitsuke, you can do everything!" Zhang He praised gratefully as he took a handful of fish.
"You are too kind, my Lord." Mitsuke laughed.
"Tell me more about Japan, please. I'd really like to know." Zhang He requested. They talked for a long while about Japan. Mitsuke spoke of the rolling green hills, the lush woods and the farms set in terraces where rice was grown. Of the little children that played along the side of rivers when the bugs sang in summer, and of the bamboo forests where sacred turtle stones lay that might grant your fondest wish. He told of the red Shinto gates in front of the temples where the rituals honoring nature were held and about the sweet smelling air and blossoms in the spring. Zhang He soon fell into a drowsy state in which he was not entirely asleep and definitely not awake. He began to dream that he was surrounded by outlaws, all of which armed with knives. He smiled gallantly and beckoned to them. All his friends were counting on him to win, and this was no problem. With a series of complicated martial arts moves, all of them were lying over the ground, bruised and sorry. Diao Chan rushed up to him and leaped into his arms, cheering and laughing. He awoke to find he was very cold and just a little wet.
It had snowed lightly during the night and the woods were coated in a delicate blanket of white. Mitsuke was still fast asleep and sprinkled with a few stray snowflakes. Zhang He crawled around the extinguished campfire and shook his small frame gently. He opened his eyes slowly.
"We'd better get going." Zhang He said, helping him to his feet. Mitsuke nodded and they began to head west. It was very interesting to trek through the frozen white world, but their feet grew progressively number. Zhang He's thoughts turned to last year's first snow. He had been with Diao Chan on that night. A surge of hatred and anger rose forth in him when he thought of Guo Tu's twisted smile appeared in his mind.
"Poor Rai Tso . . ." he said quietly to himself.
"What did you say?" Mitsuke asked.
"Nothing. . ." He said, wishing he hadn't spoke.
"Who's Rai Tso?" Mitsuke asked placidly.
"She was a good friend of mine who . . . died . . ." Zhang He said, pushing ahead.
"Oh, I'm . . . I'm sorry . . ." Mitsuke said, treading lighter. They trudged on in silence, stepping into clearing after clearing, glade after glade. This forest reminds me so much of that one. The one where Diao Chan broke her leg . . Zhang He thought. I wouldn't want to stumble back into Yuan Shao's palace . . . He thought, remembering Yuan Shao's last words. They walked until midday, with still nothing but more white trees. The day passed and they spent another night, this time without food. There was no snow that night but it made their sleep wet and unpleasant.
"I'm starting to think we would have been better off trying to climb back up." Mitsuke admitted what they'd both been thinking for hours. Zhang He nodded as the moved through narrow trees. All of a sudden he saw a man standing in the bushes in front of them . . . a man with a bow and arrow.
"Mitsuke! Watch out!" Zhang He said, pushing him to the ground as the missile whizzed above them. Then man moved to the side of them as Zhang He scrambled to his feet. Mitsuke tried to get up and draw his sword but it was stuck in the sheath. The man pulled back another arrow and aimed at Mitsuke.
"No!" Zhang He interjected. He launched himself in front of Mitsuke and punched the man in the face. He planned to do a crescent kick, but the man stepped aside and released an arrow, which landed right in Mitsuke's shoulder.
"Mitsuke!" Zhang He yelled, running to his side.
"Don't let your guard down! I'm alright!" Mitsuke yelled. Zhang He stepped nimbly aside from the sadistic archer, adding in a sidekick or two when he could. The man elbowed Zhang He in the chest and he fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. As he was gasping for breath, the man knocked another arrow and aimed straight for his heart. A streak of silver light flashed and the man fell into two pieces with a defeated yell. Mitsuke stood behind when the man once had, heaving and grasping his bloody sword as hard as he could.
"Mitsuke! Are you ok?" Zhang He asked urgently. Mitsuke looked up into Zhang He's eyes, the closed his own, starting to fall towards the earth. Zhang He caught him and pulled him over his shoulder. He took the sword from his limp hand and looked around. He began to run through the woods, yelling for help. All at once he came upon a house in a large tree. Not stopping to think why it was so familiar, he leapt up the boughs with impeccable grace and pushed open the door. There was nobody inside and it was very cold. A bed was in the corner and Zhang He put Mitsuke down upon it. He moaned and finger the arrow in his shoulder.
"Don't move, Mitsuke, I'll get it out!" Zhang He said, looking around for a knife.
"No! NO!" He said drowsily, trying to hold back Zhang He.
"You're talking nonsense, now stop! Hold still!" Zhang He said, trying to remove Mitsuke's shirt.
"Zhang He! Please no!" Mitsuke said, trying to push him off. Zhang He assertively grabbed the fabric and lifted it away from the arrow. He pulled it of his shoulders and threw it aside. He was about to cut the arrow out, but what he saw made him gasp.
Mitsuke's chest was wrapped in heavy white bandages, but his chest most definitely wasn't flat. He couldn't tell when Mitsuke wore the baggy shirt, but he could tell now.
"Good Heavens!" Zhang He yelled. "You're a . . . You're a . . . GIRL!"
answered in this chapter, I KNOW you'll like it. More coming soon.
Enjoy!
Part 3
Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 35
As They Appear
Sun Ce stood in front of the altar next to Sun Shang Xiang and Sun Quan. The Lady Wu Sheng, The Sun children's mother had also come out. All four of them were dressed white robes and looked towards the floor. The altar in front of them was laden with a vase full of water and next to that was an urn filled to the brim with small polished stones. This was meant for putting incense into. One at a time the funeral attendants walked up, bowed, placed a colorful flower in the vase, planted a lighted stick of incense in the urn, bowed again, then stepped aside. Zhang He was among the first. As he approach he caught a look of Sun Ce's face. His eyes were empty and lifeless and he soon looked away from Zhang He. The Lady Wu and Sun Shang Xiang had silent tears pouring from their eyes, but bowed nonetheless when Zhang He left. He walked over to where Sima Yi and Zhou Yu were standing. Everyone besides the Sun family were in black robes with their own family crest above each breast.
"I hate seeing Sun Ce so morose." Zhang He whispered to his sworn brothers. Zhou Yu nodded.
"We should be sympathetic towards him, he loved his father very much." Zhou Yu answered quietly.
When everyone was done paying respects to the Sun family, they all moved out into an open-air patio where Sun Jian's body was. He was cleaned up after his battle with Liu Biao and the look on his face was peaceful. His hair was let down from its usual bun and was fanned out all over the white cloths surrounding him. The hands were folded upon his chest and he was dressed in a simple white kimono. He lay in a sort of cage of wood with pockets of oil set in a honeycomb-like pattern. The top was adorned with white flowers and good-luck scrolls. Sun Ce and Sun Quan stood on the left side of the fixture, and Lady Wu and Sun Shang Xiang on the right. Each were given a torch by the ceremonial priest and then the Buddhist Monk said a prayer in a different form of Chinese.
"May you reincarnate as one of our kin . . ." Sun Ce said at last. The flame was touched to the oil pockets and the structure was immediately ablaze. Everyone bowed as the body of Sun Jian burned. After there was nothing but ash left, the Monk put it into a small container, then placed this inside to sacred funeral boat. It was little and held flowers and a single torch. The monk lit it and they all ventured to the river. He said another short prayer and released it in the rushing water.
"Goodbye, father . . ." Sun Ce whispered as the tiny boat made it's long journey down the river and into the sunset.
Sima Yi sat on the edge of the cliff. He had brought a Koto with him and was playing it as the sun went down. The simple plucking of the strings poured a mournful tune over the main camp. It had been three weeks since the battle with Liu Biao and everyone was back at the main camp. The blood red light silhouetted Sima Yi's figure and his expert playing made Zhang He feel somewhat sad, but that sort of beautiful melancholy a man will feel when he sees something that is perhaps too lovely, for can never understand. The slow plucking of the string finally ceased and Sima Yi was still. Zhang He sighed. The Wu was no more. Now only three kingdoms remained, Shu, Wei and his very own Shi. How could he, a boy born as nothing more than the son of a farmer, have become leader of this grand operation? At times he wished he were no more than a stupid pawn that didn't have to worry about such things as his did in his present existence. Sima Yi looked back, noticing Zhang He for the first time. He raised his hand and smiled at Zhang He. Zhang He gave a small smile back and walked over to where his sworn brother sat.
"That was a lovely song, I heard from over there." He said quietly as he sat down beside him.
"You like it? My own composition, you know. I love playing music, it was one of the only things I enjoyed when my father made me . . ." He left off. Sima Yi pulled the claw-like picks off his fingers and piled them next to the smooth Koto. He then looked off into the glaring distance, the red light tinting his near-perfect face.
"Don't think about it, Sima Yi. My mother died when I was young, too . . ." Zhang He condoled.
"You didn't really know her though, did you?" He replied mildly. Zhang He shook his head.
"But I remember her face a bit. She was awfully pretty, such long hair, she always wore it up so nice. That's all I remember." Zhang He said. "But Rai Tso . . . She was like my mother . . ."
"She was a very kind woman. How did your real mother die?" He asked, gently running his finger along one string of the Koto. Zhang He pondered for a moment.
"You know . . . I don't really know . . . I think it was because of illness, but then again . . . Zhang Liao knows, I'll ask him when I get the chance." Zhang He answered.
"Well, how did you find out, then? Was she just gone one day?" Sima Yi asked a bit skeptically. Zhang He narrowed his eyes and searched the very darkest corners of his memory.
"I . . . remember a lot of yelling . . . Zhang Liao came into the house and he was yelling something, then he told me not to go outside, and . . . My brother, my real brother was there, he was sitting in a corner and smiling . . . and my father came back in, he was so mad. . . That's all." Zhang He said scratching his head.
"Hm . . ." Answered Sima Yi. "You're lucky then, you . . . don't know what it's like to see . . ." For a moment his eyes showed something that he might have another cough attack, but it was quickly quieted. "She was so gentle, I still can recall her touch. But you know the odd thing, about 10 minutes after she died; my father was surprised at her. Like, he didn't know what he had done, like it was somebody else's fault. But after that, I was free. I could go outside and everything. But it didn't make up for the loss. That song is what stuck with me, though. . ."
He slowly plucked the Koto again. In a moment, Zhang He's heart leapt for it was the very same song from his memory, the mysterious tune he knew from somewhere!
"Sima Yi!" Zhang He yelled abruptly. Sima Yi pulled his hands away immediately and looked up, alarmed. "That song! How in the world do you know that?"
"She used to sing it to me all the time . . ." Sima Yi said with his eyes wide.
"You know it, Zhou Yu knows it, Diao Chan knows it, and I know it!" Zhang He stressed, playing absentmindedly with his hair.
"Maybe it's a famous song or something. It seems like coincidence to me . . ." Sima Yi replied.
"We heard it that night, Zhou Yu and I, in the forest. I think it's something more . . ." Zhang He puzzled. Sima Yi shrugged. Suddenly a voice was heard from behind them.
"What's going on?" Said a cheerful tone. Zhang He craned his neck back and saw Mitsuke. He looked around, but Kawaii-Sama was nowhere to be seen.
"Hello, Mitsuke." Sima Yi answered. He sat down where he was.
"Man, what a sunset." He said enthusiastically. "Reminds me of home."
"Is Japan an interesting country?" Zhang He asked curiously.
"It's a great country! Oh, you should see the Sakura trees in spring! All the little kids are singing, Sakura, Sakura Yayo-i no sora wa! Miwatsu kaghiri, Kasumi Ka? Kumo ka? Oh, it's wonderful! And we have the doll festival in the spring, where all the girls have the magnificent collections of dolls, and the Lords come out of their castles on the star night festival, then we have the grand battles between two provinces where you fight to the death for the honor of your Lord. The mystic and beauty of Japan is never ending!" Mitsuke said excitedly.
"Why did you leave?" Sima Yi asked plainly.
"Ummm, because I . . . Well, I didn't fit in." Mitsuke answered uncertainly.
"Isn't that type of Hakama usually worn by Miko?" Sima Yi continued.
"You mean THIS? Well, sometimes, but guys wear them too. It was the only one I could find! My friend Kenshin wore a pink one!" He said quickly. (haha to all you Rurouni fans out there) Zhang He's suspicions rose once again. If only he could've found out that one day . . . Sima Yi suddenly stood up suddenly. He grabbed the Koto and stepped back.
"Did you feel that?" He asked.
"What?" Zhang He and Mitsuke asked simultaneously. Suddenly there was great rumbling of the ground. Sima Yi fell to his knees and Mitsuke screamed.
"It's an earthquake!" Zhang He yelled. Then the shaking got worse, the surface waves hit. The ground shook in an elliptical pattern and Zhang He fell over the side of the cliff. Before he could plummet to the trees some fifteen feet below he caught onto the side of the ledge.
"ZHANG HE!" Yelped Sima Yi from above. Mitsuke's white sleeved arm came into view and grabbed Zhang He's free hand.
"Got you . . ." He grunted, attempting to pull him up.
"Don't let go!" Zhang He, feeling himself starting to shake. Mitsuke heaved but to Zhang He's horror fell flat on his belly. All at once Mitsuke started to be pulled forward over the edge.
"No!" Said Sima Yi's voice and Mitsuke stopped falling. They were pulled back for a moment, then Sima Yi yelped again and Mitsuke was released. He fell forward onto Zhang He and gave a high-pitched scream as they both fell down towards the looming woods below. Zhang He clutched him, awaiting the horrible blow that was about to arrive as he smacked into the ground. He felt pine needles scratch his face and something sharp slash beside his arm and then all was black.
When he awoke the world around him was dark. The warm, heavy mound on his chest was definitely Mitsuke. As his eyes adjusted to the dark and he saw the gloomy shapes of trees all around him. He shook Mitsuke carefully until he awoke.
"I can't believe we survived that." He said as he stood up.
"I broke you fall, my back hurts so bad it feels as if it's broken." Zhang He said, brushing himself off. "Have you got your sword?" Zhang He asked.
"Yeah, never go anywhere without it." Mitsuke said, grasping the hilt. Zhang He walked up to the bottom of the cliff. He looked up into the starry sky above.
"Sima Yi!?" He called up, but there was no answer.
"Great, just great . . ." Mitsuke said. "I don't expect you know the way out?"
"I've never been here before." Zhang He said, starting to feel hopeless.
"Well, if the camp is that way . . ." Mitsuke said, pointing in the direction of the cliff. "Then we ought to go the opposite way until we come out of the trees, the head west, the north. It'll be easier to locate the camp without the trees obscuring our vision."
Zhang He nodded, and started on the path. Mitsuke immediately caught up with him and drew his Katana.
"You see an enemy?" Zhang He said, halting.
"No, I just want to be ready. The woods here are crawling with bandits and beasts of every manner. Always being alert, that is the way of the samurai. And besides, you are my lord, I must protect you at all costs." Mitsuke explained, stepping lightly. Zhang He smiled.
"I'm glad to have you on my forces Mitsuke, I could use more people like you." Zhang He said quietly.
"Your praise honors me." Mitsuke replied happily. They crept through the dark trees for a while, the temperature dropping gradually. Once a sharp breaking noise sounded to the left of the and Mitsuke snapped into a fighting stance immediately, but it turned out it was a harmless deer. When it began to look as they would never get out of the woods, the situation got even worse. They could no longer continue on in a straight path for an enormous lake was stuck in the middle of the forest. When the traveled along the sides of it, it was discovered that it connected to a river. There was no getting around it, and going through it was out of the question. The water had to be going at least twenty miles per hour, about ten feet deep, and it was icy cold, not the best conditions for the air was getting cold as well.
"I suggest we stay the night here. We have point of reference, fresh water, and I think I could catch a few fish here . . ." Mitsuke offered. Zhang He nodded.
"I can get a fire going, too." Zhang He put forth, prowling around for stray branches. He gathered a mound of them, the set them in triangle shape while Mitsuke shaved down sticks with his sword, and then removed the string that held his hair up and used it as line. He captured some bugs and fastened them to the end. Zhang He was rubbing his hand raw from trying to kindle a flame with only wood. A bit of smoke rose from the hole, but no flame rose. Mitsuke shook his head and stepped over to him.
"There's a much easier way to do it . . ." He said, taking the wood from Zhang He. "First of all the way you this wood set up, it'll burn out too fast. If you place them like this . . ." He set them up in a cube-like design which then criss-crossed over each other. "It'll stay lit for almost the entire night. Now, watch and learn . . ."
Mitsuke plucked a flat board-like piece of wood from the pile, and cut a notch in it. He also stabbed a little hole in the board near the notch. He got a bent stick and used one of the belts from his Hakama to make a sort of miniature longbow. He then hunted around for a smooth stone, also smashing out a little place in the bottom. He put them all together so that the stone was on top, the bow was fastened around the middle, and the stick was in the little hole near the notch. Zhang He had no idea how this was going to work, but in a matter of second, Mitsuke had birthed a tiny flame. He quickly slid it under the criss-crossed wood block and in now time at all it was blazing merrily away.
"That was amazing, Mitsuke! Where did you learn to do that?" Zhang He asked incredulously. Mitsuke shrugged.
"I grew up in a little village in the forest. Me and the person I love used to get lost there all the time, I think I picked it up from hi- . . . her." Mitsuke said. Zhang He eyed him, then moved his gaze to his feet. Mitsuke was great friend, he wouldn't want to give him up, but he was worried that he might be spending the night next a man who didn't "think" the same as most did. It was bothering him too much. He had to ask. He HAD to . . .
"Umm, Mitsuke?" Zhang He inquired timidly. He didn't want to hear if Mitsuke was. It would set up a bar between them. There was no way Zhang He could be truly comfortable with Mitsuke if Mitsuke wanted more than a platonic relationship.
"What is it?" Mitsuke replied, setting his makeshift fishing pole in the water.
"What do you . . .errr . . . think of girls?" Zhang He ventured, not meeting his gaze. Great, this makes me sound like I'M the one who's into guys . . .Zhang He thought But I couldn't just ask him straightforward. . .
"What? What do you mean by that?" Mitsuke asked innocently.
"Well, what I want to know is, well . . . You don't like . . . want men. . ." Zhang He said facing the other way. "Do you?" He added in a frightened tone.
"What!? Of course not!!" Mitsuke laughed. Zhang He laughed and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good . . . I was just a little worried, sometimes the things you say . . . It just sounded a bit like it. . ."
"Do I sound like that? I seem feminine, don't I?" Mitsuke said in an incapacitated tone, staring deeply into the rippling water.
"Well . . . Sometimes . . ." Zhang He said, throwing a bit more wood on the fire.
"It's just that . . ." Mitsuke began quietly. "Would you understand if I told you something?" Zhang He's alert returned.
"What?"
"Something I've done is bad, I've done something bad. So horrible, but it wasn't all my fault. I've also committed a wrongdoing to you. I want to tell you, but I could get hurt . . . You might try to kill me if you knew. . ."
"You could tell me, Mitsuke. I wouldn't kill you, you're my friend." Zhang He said, looking him in the eye. He seemed scared and his eyes were watery.
"Well, you see, I-" He began, but a fish suddenly caught his line. "Oh, it's a big one!" He yelled. His arms fell forward and Zhang He feared the branch would snap. "Pull it in, Zhang He!" Zhang He ran over and yanked on the line, wrenching a gigantic fish out of the water. It flopped around on the ground and Zhang He feared it would fall back in the water. Mitsuke Pulled a dagger out from somewhere in his hakama and stabbed the fish in the head.
"Wow, it's huge! That'll taste great once it's grilled up!" Mitsuke smiled. "I'll clean it now. . ." He said, picking up the fish and making a quick slit along its belly. Zhang He decided to drop the situation for now. He smiled as he watched Mitsuke scoop the innards of the fish out and toss them into the darkling waters of the lake. He scraped off the scales with his razor sharp dagger, and then cleaved the head in one fierce swipe. He put the creamy white meat on a stick and set it over the flames. He shrugged.
"I guess we'll have to eat with our hands, I have no chopsticks or bowls." Mitsuke said.
"I'm grateful to you we have anything to eat at all! It'll be all that much better in the morning when I don't have to wake up with a growling stomach! You're amazing Mitsuke, you can do everything!" Zhang He praised gratefully as he took a handful of fish.
"You are too kind, my Lord." Mitsuke laughed.
"Tell me more about Japan, please. I'd really like to know." Zhang He requested. They talked for a long while about Japan. Mitsuke spoke of the rolling green hills, the lush woods and the farms set in terraces where rice was grown. Of the little children that played along the side of rivers when the bugs sang in summer, and of the bamboo forests where sacred turtle stones lay that might grant your fondest wish. He told of the red Shinto gates in front of the temples where the rituals honoring nature were held and about the sweet smelling air and blossoms in the spring. Zhang He soon fell into a drowsy state in which he was not entirely asleep and definitely not awake. He began to dream that he was surrounded by outlaws, all of which armed with knives. He smiled gallantly and beckoned to them. All his friends were counting on him to win, and this was no problem. With a series of complicated martial arts moves, all of them were lying over the ground, bruised and sorry. Diao Chan rushed up to him and leaped into his arms, cheering and laughing. He awoke to find he was very cold and just a little wet.
It had snowed lightly during the night and the woods were coated in a delicate blanket of white. Mitsuke was still fast asleep and sprinkled with a few stray snowflakes. Zhang He crawled around the extinguished campfire and shook his small frame gently. He opened his eyes slowly.
"We'd better get going." Zhang He said, helping him to his feet. Mitsuke nodded and they began to head west. It was very interesting to trek through the frozen white world, but their feet grew progressively number. Zhang He's thoughts turned to last year's first snow. He had been with Diao Chan on that night. A surge of hatred and anger rose forth in him when he thought of Guo Tu's twisted smile appeared in his mind.
"Poor Rai Tso . . ." he said quietly to himself.
"What did you say?" Mitsuke asked.
"Nothing. . ." He said, wishing he hadn't spoke.
"Who's Rai Tso?" Mitsuke asked placidly.
"She was a good friend of mine who . . . died . . ." Zhang He said, pushing ahead.
"Oh, I'm . . . I'm sorry . . ." Mitsuke said, treading lighter. They trudged on in silence, stepping into clearing after clearing, glade after glade. This forest reminds me so much of that one. The one where Diao Chan broke her leg . . Zhang He thought. I wouldn't want to stumble back into Yuan Shao's palace . . . He thought, remembering Yuan Shao's last words. They walked until midday, with still nothing but more white trees. The day passed and they spent another night, this time without food. There was no snow that night but it made their sleep wet and unpleasant.
"I'm starting to think we would have been better off trying to climb back up." Mitsuke admitted what they'd both been thinking for hours. Zhang He nodded as the moved through narrow trees. All of a sudden he saw a man standing in the bushes in front of them . . . a man with a bow and arrow.
"Mitsuke! Watch out!" Zhang He said, pushing him to the ground as the missile whizzed above them. Then man moved to the side of them as Zhang He scrambled to his feet. Mitsuke tried to get up and draw his sword but it was stuck in the sheath. The man pulled back another arrow and aimed at Mitsuke.
"No!" Zhang He interjected. He launched himself in front of Mitsuke and punched the man in the face. He planned to do a crescent kick, but the man stepped aside and released an arrow, which landed right in Mitsuke's shoulder.
"Mitsuke!" Zhang He yelled, running to his side.
"Don't let your guard down! I'm alright!" Mitsuke yelled. Zhang He stepped nimbly aside from the sadistic archer, adding in a sidekick or two when he could. The man elbowed Zhang He in the chest and he fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. As he was gasping for breath, the man knocked another arrow and aimed straight for his heart. A streak of silver light flashed and the man fell into two pieces with a defeated yell. Mitsuke stood behind when the man once had, heaving and grasping his bloody sword as hard as he could.
"Mitsuke! Are you ok?" Zhang He asked urgently. Mitsuke looked up into Zhang He's eyes, the closed his own, starting to fall towards the earth. Zhang He caught him and pulled him over his shoulder. He took the sword from his limp hand and looked around. He began to run through the woods, yelling for help. All at once he came upon a house in a large tree. Not stopping to think why it was so familiar, he leapt up the boughs with impeccable grace and pushed open the door. There was nobody inside and it was very cold. A bed was in the corner and Zhang He put Mitsuke down upon it. He moaned and finger the arrow in his shoulder.
"Don't move, Mitsuke, I'll get it out!" Zhang He said, looking around for a knife.
"No! NO!" He said drowsily, trying to hold back Zhang He.
"You're talking nonsense, now stop! Hold still!" Zhang He said, trying to remove Mitsuke's shirt.
"Zhang He! Please no!" Mitsuke said, trying to push him off. Zhang He assertively grabbed the fabric and lifted it away from the arrow. He pulled it of his shoulders and threw it aside. He was about to cut the arrow out, but what he saw made him gasp.
Mitsuke's chest was wrapped in heavy white bandages, but his chest most definitely wasn't flat. He couldn't tell when Mitsuke wore the baggy shirt, but he could tell now.
"Good Heavens!" Zhang He yelled. "You're a . . . You're a . . . GIRL!"