Author's Note: Alright, I have many things to go over. First I'd like to
thank the person who reviewed as 'no one' for telling the so called ROTK
historian what for! Second I'd like to tell the ROTK historian what for
myself! I do not mind it so much when people don't like my story, it's
when people DON'T EVEN READ IT and say they don't like it is when it really
gets to me! If you are reading this ROTK His. (which I highly doubt because you're as stupid as a butt) the reason this stuff is on fan fiction dot net is because IT WOULDN'T REALLY HAPPEN! It's just fun to write it that way!!!! I have an Idea for mister dumb freako historian, he can go
buy 800 million copies of ROTK and read each on over and over and be pleased in how historically accurate they are. Also, it's not supposed to be a ROTK fic, its DYNASTY WARRIORS fic! I think we'd all like to join up and say how this meanie should go away and never come back! If you like to tell the meanie what for as well, please leave a review for him to find! Thank you, my friends! Next, I PROMISE I'LL PUT SAMONOSUKE IN!! The very first chapter of part four, I swear he'll be there under the name 'Hyuga'. Please believe me!! Lastly, I'll thank you all again for being such good
reviewers! You rock, y'all! I promise I'll start writing ten times as fast so you can get to part four and see the climax!! Not to mention the marriage chapter which I'm looking forward to writing! Lu Bu and Zhang He
face off in chapter 44, it shall be explosive! Nyo! Hope you like it! (and BTW, ROTK His. Your SPELLING is what's APALLING. See it's spelled with an 'A', not an 'O' dummy. There's other mistakes, but you wouldn't want to try something new, you just like what you think is right : ) And if you knew ANYTHING at all about Japan, you'd know my name is feminine, which
means in dumb people terms I'M A GIRL, NUMBNUTS! )
Enjoy!
Part Three
The Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 43
Dimmed Firefly's glow
Zhang He was outraged. He immediately leapt out of bed, searching for his armor and weapon; he was going to rescue her this very second. The moment he was on his feet his entire body gave out and he collapsed to the ground. The rushing pain in his stomach flared up again, it churned and writhed, like someone had stoked a fire in his stomach.
"My God!" Zhou Yu yelled. "You must be stupid!" He grabbed Zhang He's right arm and tried to pull him back in.
"No! Diao Chan is in trouble! She could be hurt! OR worse! She could already be married to Lu Bu! What about everyone else? They're in danger too! Don't you care?" Zhang He said, kicking feebly.
"Of course we care, but nobody is in any shape to go off fighting battles, especially you!" Zhang Liao said firmly, hoisting him back onto the mattress. Zhang He shot him a pugnacious look and cross his arms, waiting for the aching pain to cease.
"Rest now, Zhang He. Once everybody has made a full recovery, we'll go." Zhou Yu said, exiting the tent with Zhang Liao.
"Hmph!" Zhang He grunted, refusing to give in passively. "I'm fine. I could take down Lu Bu alone if I wanted to. . ." He said to himself. Then he brightened up a little. "How long could it take for everyone to make a full recovery anyway?" And with this optimistic thought, he fell to sleep once more.
It turned out to be a lot longer than Zhang He had expected. The very next day he questioned Zhang Liao if everyone was all right and if they could start the ambush, but he shook his head and left the room. The next day and the day after that there was still no new answer. Zhang He was growing more and more restless by the minute. He knew very well he couldn't even walk, but the thought of Diao Chan firmly in the grasp of that villain Lu Bu made his flesh crawl. He had to rescue her. What would she think if he didn't?
The days dragged on, leaving Zhang He to sit in his uncomfortable little bed and stare up at the ceiling. At times people would come in to visit, like Zhang Liao, Zhou Yu and Sima Yi when he had pretty much recovered, but it could not quell his boredom. Day after day he stared out the tiny bamboo window, the only thing letting beams of light, as well as hope in the room. The shadows danced around the floor in the evening, while the morning brought a soft glare, lighting up to sides of things and creating an even more dense shadow on the other side. Zhang He was surprised one day when the strong icy winds subsided all at once and a burst of much-needed warmth melted away the last remnants of the winter months. In a strange fancy of nostalgia, Zhang He recalled the happy night they had all spent celebrating the coming of summer near the hot spring in what seemed like so long ago.
Would something like that ever be able to happen again without Diao Chan? No, life could never be the same without her, never ever.
"I'll find you Diao Chan. I promise I'll come for you." Zhang He said into the air. Maybe, He thought, just maybe my words will carry on this spring breeze. Maybe they'll float through the open window and fly high into the clouds. Then, just like riding the current of a stream, they'll ride along the sky and find Diao Chan sitting in a high tower in Lu Bu's castle. Then maybe, just maybe she'll know I'll come for her. . .
After almost two weeks of waiting for something to happen, Zhang He finally got up the courage again to try and walk. It seemed his injury was a lot better; it no longer hurt when he moved or bled. He turned shakily and placed his feet on the ground one at a time. Very carefully, he transferred all his weight onto his feet and gained his balance. He cautiously picked one foot up and placed in front of him. His legs were a bit weak from not being used properly for two weeks, but he soon got the hang of it once again.
He made his way to the door finally and slid it open, realizing how good it was to walk again. He smelled the fresh air and took a deep breath, feeling refreshed.
"You finally got up, did you?" Said his brothers' voice from the side of him. Zhang He turned to see Zhang Liao sitting with his back against the side of the building looking up at the sky.
"Yeah, I feel a lot better, thanks to you guys!" Zhang He said. He would have sat down by Zhang Liao, but he feared he might not be able to get back up easily.
"What do you say we talk a walk? To get our muscles working right again." Zhang Liao said, rising in one graceful movement. Zhang He nodded and caught up to Zhang Liao's side. They walked up to the meadow in almost silence, mostly looking around at the scenery. Zhang Liao kindly set a slow pace for Zhang He so he wouldn't feel upset he wasn't up to par with his brothers' strength just yet. The day was clear, and even with the quietude Zhang He felt, the part of his heart where all five of the girls were was still missing. They came to rest on a rolling hill somewhere off to the side of the meadow and sat for a bit.
"You know, I was a bit scared you weren't going to survive. That first day . . . you looked like you weren't going to make it." Zhang Liao said on a more serious note.
"You don't need to worry about me . . ." Zhang He smiled. "Haven't died yet, have I?" Just then another thought struck him. "Oh, by the way how's Mitsuko?"
"She's doing great. I think she actually might be healing faster than you!" He laughed a bit.
"That's great! We can be on our way soon. Then we'll get Diao Chan back and everyone can be happy again. Once that scoundrel Lu Bu has been slaughtered, do you think I should propose to Diao Chan? I've been thinking about it lately. . ." Zhang He said this all very quickly and Zhang Liao laughed again.
"Do what you think is right, bro. Personally, I think she'll say yes, but what do I know. You're lucky, you know, to have someone like that. I could never get up enough courage to tell a girl how I feel . . ." He said.
"You mean a certain girl?" Zhang He gave a wry smile and raised his eyebrows.
"Quiet, you!" Zhang Liao pushed him gently and smiled back.
"Come on, tell me!" I am your brother, after all. . . Why wouldn't you trust me?" Zhang He shone an innocent smile in his direction.
"Because you're a sneaky little lout! I know your ways . . ." Zhang Liao looked at his feet for a moment, then back at Zhang He, still frozen in his angelic grin. "Fine, you bastard. I know you'll stare at me for hours on end if I don't. . ." Zhang Liao was silent. He twirled a piece of grass along his index finger, creating a spiral (UZUMAKI).
"Well!?" Zhang He said after a minute.
"It's Zhen Ji . . ." Zhang Liao said quietly, still making rings of grass.
"Zhen Ji? Um, incase you haven't noticed, she's spoiled rotten . . . You haven't got enough funds to keep her happy. . ." Zhang He replied, unaware of his harshness.
"No, no, no. . . You've got it wrong. She was spoiled, but now she's . . . Changed. . . Her room is right next to mine, you know. I talk with her quite often." Zhang Liao said in a 'matter-of-fact' voice. Zhang He just looked at him trying to keep a straight face. "Alright, so she's not exactly Spartan yet. What I'm trying to say is, she's different from when you first knew her."
"I'm just teasing, brother. I think it's great! And I think I've got the perfect plan to win over her heart. . ." Zhang He said, concocting away.
"Oh no! Not one of your crazy plots! I can't count all the times your 'perfect plans' got us into more trouble than we could deal with. . ."
"Fine, but your going to come crawling back to me, wanting to know my ingenious idea, I KNOW it!" Zhang He jested enthusiastically. Both brothers laughed and felt much better than before.
That night Zhang He thought about Diao Chan even more. He could barley keep his eyes shut and every sound seemed to agitate him further. Even Sima Yi's gentle and soft breathing, barley audible, made his nerves feel stretched. Many more nights like this followed, and Zhang He began to grow even more restless. A few more weeks later Zhang He was ready to fight again, but so many others were still healing. Sun Ce was quite bad off, but he was improving everyday. It was as if every thing that kept his world glued together was suffering against a pugnacious rainstorm and beginning to melt away.
He lay awake yet again one evening, almost a month and a half after his injury, thinking he couldn't go on like this much longer. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
"What if I go on my own? If I use Dobutsu magic, Lu Bu would be as good as dead. . ." He said to himself in inspiration. He turned to the corner and looked at his Metal Talons growing dusty in the corner. He climbed out of bed and padded over on the shiny wood floor then looked at the weapons intently. In a spark of activity, he grabbed a small, empty pack and filled it with several clothes changes and his battle outfit. He dug up some provisions from crates outside of the room and stuffed them in the crate as well. He slung the bulging pack over his back and equipped his Talons.
He opened the door to the cool night and took on step outside the door. He looked back at Sima Yi and hesitated for a moment. He had been the only one sleeping in the room because Sun Ce was still in the infirmary and Zhou Yu was too busy helping out. If I die, he'll never see me again . . . And neither will Sun Ce, Zhang Liao or Zhou Yu . . . Zhang He turned away critically. He decided to act now before he changed his mind.
"Goodbye, everyone. You'll see me again." He said to all the sleeping people of Shi. For no reason at all he broke out into a run, sweeping over the moonlit hills as he ran through the gate leading out of the camp. He feet slipped swiftly over the silver tinted blades of grass as he moved in a streak along the countryside. Suddenly he felt as he was in a race with the moon. He could see it shining through the black silhouettes of the leaves on the trees and it seemed so big to him. He flew over the meadows and valleys, determined to outrun his never-tiring racing partner.
At the break of dawn he stopped and lay in the grass and was finally able to rest some. After his mind and body had been refreshed, he sat up and thought of more important matters.
He didn't know where Lu Bu's castle was. In fact, he didn't even know where he was . . . The more he thought about what he'd done, the more he wished he hadn't done it. He sat there on the sunny hill, looking up into the empty sky and feeling alone. It had seemed so right last night to just start running and to keep running, but now he was like a young child in an unfamiliar woods. He couldn't even begin to remember what way he'd come. Just as he was about to gave up hope, a voice from somewhere reassured him.
"Zhang He! Wait . . ." It sounded desperate and weak, like someone who was in peril but had no more energy to fight back. "Please wait! Where are you?" Zhang he stood up.
"I'm here!" He yelled into the atmosphere, hoping for an answer. "Over here." Zhang He heard panting from below him and saw Sima Yi stagger up the low hill, looking faint and drained.
"You . . . Idiot. . ." He gasped and fell to his knees. "How stupid. . . can you get?" Sima Yi stared daggers at Zhang He as he caught his breath.
"S . . . Sima Yi." Zhang He said weakly. "Fancy meeting you here. . ." Now it was Zhang He's turn for a nervous laugh.
"You. . ." Sima Yi growled, getting to his feet. He looked up fiercely at Zhang He, hands on his hips.
"Sima Yi! I can explain, you see-" He began.
"What I see," He said harshly. "Is that your going the wrong way . . ." His face softened into a smile. Zhang He automatically grinned as well.
"That's a relief, for a second there, I thought I was going to be scolded." Zhang He sighed.
"You ARE going to be scolded!" Sima Yi said snappishly. "That was a really stupid thing you did! There's no way you defeat Lu Bu and get the others back single-handedly! Knowing you, you'd probably charge in there blindly, slashing at everything that moves and if you ask any intelligent person, that's surefire way to get killed. In fact, you just did almost the same thing; Lu Bu's castle is to the east, not south. I know this for a fact; I remember the area like the back of my hand. So seeing as you can make out which way is up, I'm here to help you . . ." Zhang He laughed a little.
"Alright, thanks." He said, still smiling. "I could really use you. And I'm sorry for leaving you behind, that was kind of stupid."
"Kind of stupid?" Sima Yi exclaimed, smiling as well. "That was plain old asinine! Truthfully, you are the most reckless and bullheaded person I've met, you're the one who's always getting us in trouble! But then again . . . what are sworn brothers for?" Zhang He laughed again and clapped a hand on Sima Yi's skinny shoulder.
"Alright, you show me the way." He said gratefully. Sima Yi puffed out his chest and with his head held high and began to lead the way. There weren't many chances for Sima Yi to be the leader, and even in this diminutive party of two, he felt important.
Zhang He and Sima Yi trekked across the countryside, the fragrant spring wind blustering all around them. The rolling hills waved their grass in waves, making the land look as it were gleaming. Sima Yi stopped at the top of the hill and inhaled some and found the direction of the wind.
"Judging from the relative humidity in the atmosphere and the unchanging conduit of the trade winds I'd say a cold front's arrival is imminent . . ." Sima Yi blathered darkly.
"You know everything, don't you?" Zhang He said mockingly.
"In layman's terms," He looked sharply at Zhang He "It means a storm is coming. A rather bad one, I might add . . . With spring about halfway over, these happen quite often in this part of the world." Zhang He spotted some clouds looming on the edge of the horizon and sighed.
"We'd better hurry up, then. . ."
Zhang He and Sima Yi spent that night huddled uncomfortably close under a low den in the side of a bank in the forest. Shortly after they discovered this too-close-for-comfort housing, a drizzle broke out and wet the moss- covered floor. They attempted to stoke a fire (Zhang He remembered well the way Mitsuko showed him) but failed. With no food, Zhang He and Sima Yi fell asleep in the cramped little cave made of dirt and held up by roots.
They awoke very sore, cold, and damp. Zhang He stepped outside in the rain (which was now thundering) and tried to stretch some life back into his aching joints. After they were all packed up again, they resumed their journey, this time, covering their heads with their packs.
Around noon the rain paused for a moment, but they both knew the storm was far from over. They began their ascent up a steep grassy hill of which halfway up a fire-engine-red wall made of smooth, polished stone rose up.
"Look! There's a city over there! Maybe we can go in and wait until the storm is over at an inn." Zhang He pointed out. Sima Yi's eyes didn't move from the ground.
"That's not a good city, you don't want to go there." He said a bit forcibly. "Let's just go around it."
"No way! I'm tired of being cold and wet. I've been in worse cities, I think we can handle this one." Zhang He said looking for the entrance.
"No, this is a BAD city. There's poverty and bandits run wild everywhere. The guards kill innocent people for no reason and the leader is a fat pig who . . . who . . . eats children! And there's plague and famine and assassins and wild drunks and rogue warriors and ninjas from Japan who are evil and cursed! And witches!" Sima Yi said animatedly. "And if you go in that city, you'll NEVER GET OUT! Trust me. . . I've been there."
"Sima Yi, you're the smartest person I know, but you are the worst liar in the world. If you can't get out of the city then how did you manage to escape during your visit?" He asked skeptically. Sima Yi considered for a moment.
"Magic." He said in an as-a-matter-of-fact voice while he nodded and looked Zhang He straight in the eye.
"Right . . . well, I'm going in. You can wait out here until I'm back." Zhang He began to march towards the entrance, counting down the seconds until Sima Yi's response.
"Wait!" Sima Yi caught up with him. "Please don't leave me. Please, can't we find another place? There's another town much nicer than this one just down there! Please. Not this place." Sima Yi begged.
"Why don't you want to go here? It looks like a prosperous town, looks safe too. I can see inside. Everything looks peaceful and clean. Why is it bad in any way?" Zhang He asked sensibly. Sima Yi stood and pouted for a minute until Zhang He started walking forward again.
"Stop! If you MUST know the truth, this is Qiao." Sima Yi admitted.
"And . . ." Zhang He raised his eyebrows, not seeing the reason quite so clear yet.
"This is my hometown! I don't want to go in there because my father could catch us." Sima Yi said, embarrassed.
"Oh, Sima Yi. It's a huge city, the chances he'll discover our presence are almost zero to none. It's not like he's patrolling the streets everyday awaiting your return." Zhang He reasoned. Sima Yi shook his head.
"You don't understand. . ." He grabbed Zhang He's arm and pulled him to a little window in the wall. Zhang He looked through and saw one of the largest cities he'd ever laid eyes on. It had countless market places and residences all lying before what was just nearly a palace. It was about on fourth the size of Yuan Shao's biggest structure, which was still sizably large. The roof was dark blue with enormous golden ornaments in aesthetically pleasing places. They doors were large and black and lined with a deep purple. It was secured by what seemed an infinite number of guards; each dressed in the same royal purple and dark blue. A large crest was right above the entrance way carved out of what seemed to be stone.
"Do you see that house?" Sima Yi pointed directly to the almost-palace.
"How can you not?" Zhang He marveled. "It's huge! What, did you piss off the rich Lord and he's got all his guards looking for you?"
"No, Zhang He. That's my father's house! He IS the Lord!" Sima Yi explained, looked at the magnificent domicile with distaste.
"You used to LIVE there?" Zhang He gasped, open-mouthed. "Whoa! You must've had everything! Did they give you whatever you wanted? Did you get servants? You must have had the best life there! Your childhood must have-"Zhang he stopped there, suddenly remembering. "Oh, I didn't mean to . . . sorry." He said quietly.
"It's fine." Sima Yi said a little softly. "And to answer your question, yes. I got anything I pleased and got to do anything I wanted. After my 'training' was completed, anyway. Right after she was murdered . . . I think he was just trying to get me to forgive him . . ." Sima Yi said angrily. He suddenly came out of his anger. "What I'm trying to tell you is that he's got guards all over the city who'd recognize me in a half a second, and the last thing I want right now is to see my dear old father. . ." Zhang He pondered for a bit, the made a triumphant noise.
"Ha! I've got an idea. . ." Zhang He shouted enthusiastically. "They'll know what you look like in those clothes. . . You always wear that hat. . . but if you wore my clothes, they won't know it's you!" Sima Yi took one look at Zhang He's shirtless and flamboyant ensemble and shook his head violently.
"There is now way in hell I will wear that. Besides, it'll show all my scars and I'll be cold." He said squeamishly. "It'll make the trip longer, but if we go around the city we'll be right at Lu Bu's home. I know, I saw it from my room there.
"Look, if we cut through the city and you wear the 'disguise' they won't know and we can take a day off our trip. Wouldn't you hate it if Lu Bu was getting closer and closer to Sun Shang Xiang as we speak? Wouldn't you hate if we were just ONE day late? Wouldn't you hate it if-" Sima Yi cut Zhang He off.
"Alright, alright! I get the picture!" Sima Yi yelled. "I'll wear your stupid 'disguise'. But we are not stopping for one minute! We're going through the city, straight as an arrow, and not looking back. Agreed?"
"Agreed!" Zhang He, holding back a smile.
In about ten minutes Sima Yi was dressed and Zhang He had a problem. Since Sima Yi was a lot shorter than Zhang He, who now stood at six foot one, Sima Yi's robes were much to small and Sima Yi looked as if the pants that fit Zhang He so well might fall down.
"Just tie the sash a little tighter." Zhang He said and Sima Yi obeyed.
"This isn't going to work." Sima Yi said, gazing at how foolish Zhang He looked with the edge of the robes ending at the middle of his calf and the sleeve near to his elbow. Suddenly, Zhang He had another idea.
"Here! Take this money and go buy me some cheap clothes that fit in one of those market places." Zhang He said, dropping some coins in Sima Yi's hand.
"Zhang He . . ." Sima Yi whined.
"Just do it! People will think we're nuts if you don't!" He explained. Sima Yi nodded reluctantly and slipped through the wide entranceway without so much as a look from the guards on duty.
Soon, he returned, carrying a pair of clothes in his hands. He threw them to Zhang He and waited for him to put them on. He saw that they were red silk with golden frog-buttons and a pair of black trousers. After Zhang He was dressed they were finally ready to enter the city.
When Sima Yi and Zhang He walked through the gates again, the guards gave them a half suspicious look this time. As soon as Zhang He turned towards the market place his eyes danced with amazement. Everywhere interesting and colorful things were being sold to all sorts of people. He turned and a shady man in dark clothes buying mushrooms, herbs, and spice from a vendor. To his left were two girls that looked exactly the same in every way and all around him people were busying off to their next adventure. He stepped up to a cart laden with shiny looking jewelry that would look splendid on Diao Chan. When he walked up to inspect it, the owner rushed over quickly.
"These are nice, neh? I'd bet you'd like to give them to your woman, neh? Alright, to you, my fired, I'll sell them for half price!" The man said very quickly.
"Oh, no, I was just-" But the man cut him off again.
"Still to much, neh? I see you are a smart buyer, my friend, very smart indeed. Oh, and such good taste. I see you favor those emerald earrings. It has amazing quality my friend, and it would look so beautiful on your woman. Alright, to you I'll sell for one quarter the normal price!" He continued excitedly, showing the gaudy pair of earrings off.
"Well, they're lovely, but . . ." Zhang He started.
"Zhang He! We're going straight through, remember?" Sima Yi said, walking up beside him.
"Good blazing heavens . . ." Said the vendor, looking straight at Sima Yi. "Is that you, Sima Yi?" The man wore a dark outfit and Chinese cap over his long braided hair. His moustache was long and thin and his beard was so pointy, Zhang He had the strange urge to reach out and touch it to see if it would prick his finger. He wore a strange metal frame that hung on his ears and rested on his nose. This connected to lenses of glass in front of his eyes. "I haven't seen you in ages, boy! Where have you been?" The vendor smiled, showing teeth that appear almost as sharp as his goatee.
"Keep you voice down, Yen. I'm not supposed to be here. What is the ridiculous thing?" Sima Yi grabbed the metal frame that was perched on Yen's nose and inspected it. Yen took it back and placed it back on his face.
"Those are glasses. They help some people see! Lot's of people have them now. Don't tell me you've been out of this city long enough to not know." Yen asked comically.
"Well, it's true." Sima Yi admitted, still keeping quiet. "What's new, around here? Have they given up looking for me?"
"They stopped searching for your camp, but they know you're with Shi now. You should have seen the Lord when he learned you'd escaped form Cao Cao. He was so angry I thought he was going to explode. He's still got the guards on the lookout though, you'd best be careful." Yen warned. He then laughed a bit. "Although, I don't think many people would recognize in those clothes." Sima Yi smiled a bit.
"Zhang He, this is Yen. We call him Yen because he's from Japan and his Japanese name is too hard to say and 'Yen' is the currency in Japan. He loves money so much, that's his nickname. He was one of my only friends while I lived here." Sima Yi explained.
"More like partner in crime. Ninja Baby suffered royally back in our day." Yen laughed, a look of fond nostalgia crossing his face. "He got you a couple of times too, but who was always there to untie you from the tree? Who was it that save your life hundreds of times?" Yen asked indulgently.
"You were and I'm eternally grateful." Sima Yi said automatically. "Are Ninja Baby's morons still around? They'll recognize me, if anyone does. . . I'll pay if they do." Sima Yi said half to himself.
"Yeah, but their not organized without their head fool telling them what to do. You still ought to be careful though." Yen said, patting Sima Yi on the shoulder.
"Alright, Yen, we've got to keep moving. If all goes well, I'll be having a wedding soon, you'll come, won't you?" Sima Yi asked hopefully.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world. You know where to find me, if you ever need me, my friend, take care. . ." Yen waved them off and rushed over to a customer who'd been eyeing some sparkly necklaces. When they made it to a less chaotic part of the market Zhang he looked over at Sima Yi.
"Partner in crime? I didn't know 'Sima Yi' and 'crime' even belonged in the same sentence!" Zhang He said, a little confused.
"Well, let's say I wrecked my share of havoc. Ninja Baby deserved it after he'd tormented me all those times." Sima Yi said, not hiding a wicked little smiled.
"And what's this I hear about a wedding happening soon? I thought we were all going to get married on the same day?" Zhang He asked, secretly hurt inside that he didn't know.
"Well, we were going to save this for later, but Sun Shang Xiang kind of proposed to ME the night before Lu Bu arrived. We said that we wouldn't tell anyone until everyone else was ready to get married too, but I wanted Yen to come when we all DO get married, and I really don't see him that often. . ."
"She proposed to you?" Zhang He said through and amazed laugh. "Tell me how it happened!" Zhang He begged.
"No, that's embarrassing . . ." Sima Yi said, failing to hold back a smile. He looked back at Zhang He who was wearing his best begging expression and sighed. "Alright, I was standing on that little hill just outside camp because I couldn't sleep and she came and stood down beside me and we talked for a bit. Then I said something and she responded in a certain way–"
"What did you say?" Zhang He asked impishly. "Give me details!"
"If you MUST know I said that I felt like I was lost without her and I didn't want to leave me alone again. . ." Sima Yi admitted, blushing profusely. "And she said she wouldn't ever leave me alone, and we didn't have to be alone ever again. Then she said if I was so worried about that why don't I just propose. I was a bit surprised at that, as you can imagine and I couldn't exactly find my words. Then she said 'fine, I'll handle it!' and she got down on one knee and said 'Sima Yi, will you please propose to me?' and then I did what she asked. That's what happened in a nutshell . . ." Sima Yi said, his face red instead of white.
"Wow, my training has finally paid off!" Zhang He laughed.
"Maybe I should be the one training you! I did get engaged before you did. . ." Sima Yi said slyly. They both laughed at this for a while, then fell silent.
They walked along for a bit, keeping their heads low whenever a guard walked by. Sima Yi led the way through the twisting and bewildering pathways, which he seemed to know by heart. As they were passing through a particularly strange place, which appeared to be the ghetto of Qiao, Sima Yi suddenly stopped.
"What?" Asked Zhang He, stopping as well. All he could hear was the plink, plink of water some where in the alley, but Sima Yi recognized some warning sign unknown to Zhang He.
"Hey, Sima Yi!" Said a voice behind them. Sima Yi turned as if he expected to see someone else he knew, then stopped dead. Zhang He turned as well and saw two guards standing only ten feet away from them.
"Stay where you are, my Lord!" The first guard warned upon being spotted. "We know it's you and we can catch you again!"
"Just come quietly and nobody gets hurt." The other cautioned, sounding a bit afraid himself. Sima Yi grabbed for the dark feather fan on his belt but it fell to the floor with a loud clatter. He took two steps backward quickly then shot off down the alleyway. Zhang He immediately followed, his heart racing. Sima Yi looked panicked and a thin sweat had broken on his forehead.
"We've found the young Lord! He's that way!" Yelled the same guard. Soon it was as if everybody in the entire city was yelling something about Sima Yi and everybody was after them. Whichever way they turned, someone was beckoning Sima Yi towards them, or trying to grab them. Zhang He was out of breath in a matter of five minutes and it seemed as if Sima Yi was having a harder time. His breath was ragged and sounded painful and he was slowing down more every second. Soon Sima Yi was so far behind Zhang He that he could barely hear him.
"Zhang He!" Sima Yi gasped and whined. "Please don't leave me behind! Please. . ." Sima Yi suddenly tripped forward and fell onto the rough stone ground. Zhang He rushed back and tried to help him up, but Sima Yi was on the verge of passing out.
"Come on Sima Yi! Come on, they're coming!" Zhang He urged.
"I can't . . ." Sima Yi gasped. There was a brand new cut along Sima Yi's chest, which issued a fine stream of blood. There were wild footsteps from all directions and shouts usually consisting of 'He went this way!' or 'Over here! I saw him!'. Then a voice that sounded dangerously close was heard.
"He's right over there, my Lord. Not a hair on his head was harmed, just like you said." Explained a guard's formal voice.
"Good work, Gen Suo." Replied a sharper voice, which had a streak of worry running through it. Hurried footsteps echoed off the sides of the alley and a man dressed in splendid formal attire glided into view. His face looked a bit red from running, but the rest of his skin was pale as milk. He had on the colors of the esteemed Sima house and his eyes gleamed with the same ferocious light as Sima Yi's did when he was concocting a particularly excellent strategy. His hair, a deep ebony black was pulled back and waxed. An elegant fixture was placed on top of his head that was similar to the ones Cao Cao loved to wear and show off. His tiny moustache just made it off the sides of his chin and a bit of a beard was place in the middle of his chin. His eyes looked worried and at the same time a bit frustrated.
"Yi . . ." He breathed, looking at the crumpled form of his son.
"Get back!" Zhang He yelled as Sima Yi got up the strength to stand up.
"Yi! Wait!" Sima Fang said emphatically. "Wait!" But Sima Yi was motivated to move when he saw his father standing so close to him. He ran up the alleyway while being supported by Zhang He, trying to escape.
"Leave me alone!" He shouted back at his father. "Just let me go!" It hurt Zhang He to hear that Sima Yi was on the verge of tears.
"Please, my son! Don't leave!" Zhang He saw that Sima Fang was not pursuing them, but rather stand dejectedly at the end of the alley, hands at his sides.
"Don't fall for it Zhang He!" Sima Yi snapped, "Just keep going!"
"No! Don't!" Sima Fang interjected. "I won't lose you again!" Sima Fang rushed up, faster than lightening and grabbed Sima Yi's free arm.
"Let me go!" Sima Yi screamed thrashing his arm trying to get it free. "Let me go, father!"
"Stop acting so foolish, boy!" Sima Fang scolded harshly, fighting back with two times the strength. "You, Zhang He. Is that your name? Let my son go, we have some matters that haven't been settled." Sima Fang's words sounded like venom.
"Sima Yi . . . What should I do?" Zhang He asked warily, still holding tight to his brother's arm.
"Don't let go, no matter what! We can win, Zhang He! Help me fight!" Sima Yi yelled still flailing violently to be free from the grasp. Zhang He looked up at Sima Fang and for some reason he couldn't help Sima Yi. Sima Fang looked sad, somehow, like this was his last chance at something. Zhang He suddenly let go of Sima Yi's arm gently.
"Nooooo! What are you doing!? Help me Zhang He! Don't do this! PLEASE HELP ME!" Sima Yi wailed, tears flowing down his face.
"Sima Yi, I . . ." Zhang He couldn't seem to finish. Why had he done that?
"Please Yi, listen to reason!" Sima Fang begged. "I won't hurt you, I promise! Just come with me. . ." Sima Yi gave up slowly and fell to his knees, his tears splattering onto the stone.
"Why?" He moaned painfully. "Why do you want me to come back? You loath me. . . I know you do . . . You have from the day I was born . . . Why do you want to keep me inside that prison!? Why can't I just live my own life!? Why do you want me back?" He sobbed, sounding hopeless. Sima Fang go onto his knees beside Sima Yi. He squared his shoulders so that Sima Yi's face was visible. Sima Yi wouldn't look his father in the eye.
"I don't loath you, Sima Yi." Sima Fang said in a completely different tone. "I never have, I don't know where you got that idea, but it's true."
"You're a liar. . ." Sima Yi said viciously. "You tried to kill me more than once. You want me back so you can finish your business, so you can eliminate your GUILT!" Sima Yi punched his father in the face with such amazing force on the world 'guilt' that Sima Fang's head was bashed to the side. He slowly turned back to face his son, tears now in his eyes.
"That's not true. You may hate me, I'm sure you do, but I don't even dislike you. I'm sorry, so sorry for all the things I've done to you. I never meant for it to happen that way, I can't control my temper. I deserved that punch, and a hundred others. Please Sima Yi, I beg you . . .I just want my son back . . ." Sima Fang whimpered. He threw his arms around Sima Yi and began to cry as well. Sima Yi – looking dumbstruck and moved at the same time – gasped a little. Then more tears dropped from his eyes and he put his arms around his father as well, both of them sobbing. Zhang He looked the other way, feeling a bit embarrassed for Sima Yi and Sima Fang, but nonetheless he thought it was sweet. Later on they stood up, brushed off their clothes and cleared their throats in nearly identical manners.
"Alright. . ." Sima Yi said softly, "I'll go home. But only for a while, I'm on a rescue mission."
gets to me! If you are reading this ROTK His. (which I highly doubt because you're as stupid as a butt) the reason this stuff is on fan fiction dot net is because IT WOULDN'T REALLY HAPPEN! It's just fun to write it that way!!!! I have an Idea for mister dumb freako historian, he can go
buy 800 million copies of ROTK and read each on over and over and be pleased in how historically accurate they are. Also, it's not supposed to be a ROTK fic, its DYNASTY WARRIORS fic! I think we'd all like to join up and say how this meanie should go away and never come back! If you like to tell the meanie what for as well, please leave a review for him to find! Thank you, my friends! Next, I PROMISE I'LL PUT SAMONOSUKE IN!! The very first chapter of part four, I swear he'll be there under the name 'Hyuga'. Please believe me!! Lastly, I'll thank you all again for being such good
reviewers! You rock, y'all! I promise I'll start writing ten times as fast so you can get to part four and see the climax!! Not to mention the marriage chapter which I'm looking forward to writing! Lu Bu and Zhang He
face off in chapter 44, it shall be explosive! Nyo! Hope you like it! (and BTW, ROTK His. Your SPELLING is what's APALLING. See it's spelled with an 'A', not an 'O' dummy. There's other mistakes, but you wouldn't want to try something new, you just like what you think is right : ) And if you knew ANYTHING at all about Japan, you'd know my name is feminine, which
means in dumb people terms I'M A GIRL, NUMBNUTS! )
Enjoy!
Part Three
The Romance of the Four Leaders
Chapter 43
Dimmed Firefly's glow
Zhang He was outraged. He immediately leapt out of bed, searching for his armor and weapon; he was going to rescue her this very second. The moment he was on his feet his entire body gave out and he collapsed to the ground. The rushing pain in his stomach flared up again, it churned and writhed, like someone had stoked a fire in his stomach.
"My God!" Zhou Yu yelled. "You must be stupid!" He grabbed Zhang He's right arm and tried to pull him back in.
"No! Diao Chan is in trouble! She could be hurt! OR worse! She could already be married to Lu Bu! What about everyone else? They're in danger too! Don't you care?" Zhang He said, kicking feebly.
"Of course we care, but nobody is in any shape to go off fighting battles, especially you!" Zhang Liao said firmly, hoisting him back onto the mattress. Zhang He shot him a pugnacious look and cross his arms, waiting for the aching pain to cease.
"Rest now, Zhang He. Once everybody has made a full recovery, we'll go." Zhou Yu said, exiting the tent with Zhang Liao.
"Hmph!" Zhang He grunted, refusing to give in passively. "I'm fine. I could take down Lu Bu alone if I wanted to. . ." He said to himself. Then he brightened up a little. "How long could it take for everyone to make a full recovery anyway?" And with this optimistic thought, he fell to sleep once more.
It turned out to be a lot longer than Zhang He had expected. The very next day he questioned Zhang Liao if everyone was all right and if they could start the ambush, but he shook his head and left the room. The next day and the day after that there was still no new answer. Zhang He was growing more and more restless by the minute. He knew very well he couldn't even walk, but the thought of Diao Chan firmly in the grasp of that villain Lu Bu made his flesh crawl. He had to rescue her. What would she think if he didn't?
The days dragged on, leaving Zhang He to sit in his uncomfortable little bed and stare up at the ceiling. At times people would come in to visit, like Zhang Liao, Zhou Yu and Sima Yi when he had pretty much recovered, but it could not quell his boredom. Day after day he stared out the tiny bamboo window, the only thing letting beams of light, as well as hope in the room. The shadows danced around the floor in the evening, while the morning brought a soft glare, lighting up to sides of things and creating an even more dense shadow on the other side. Zhang He was surprised one day when the strong icy winds subsided all at once and a burst of much-needed warmth melted away the last remnants of the winter months. In a strange fancy of nostalgia, Zhang He recalled the happy night they had all spent celebrating the coming of summer near the hot spring in what seemed like so long ago.
Would something like that ever be able to happen again without Diao Chan? No, life could never be the same without her, never ever.
"I'll find you Diao Chan. I promise I'll come for you." Zhang He said into the air. Maybe, He thought, just maybe my words will carry on this spring breeze. Maybe they'll float through the open window and fly high into the clouds. Then, just like riding the current of a stream, they'll ride along the sky and find Diao Chan sitting in a high tower in Lu Bu's castle. Then maybe, just maybe she'll know I'll come for her. . .
After almost two weeks of waiting for something to happen, Zhang He finally got up the courage again to try and walk. It seemed his injury was a lot better; it no longer hurt when he moved or bled. He turned shakily and placed his feet on the ground one at a time. Very carefully, he transferred all his weight onto his feet and gained his balance. He cautiously picked one foot up and placed in front of him. His legs were a bit weak from not being used properly for two weeks, but he soon got the hang of it once again.
He made his way to the door finally and slid it open, realizing how good it was to walk again. He smelled the fresh air and took a deep breath, feeling refreshed.
"You finally got up, did you?" Said his brothers' voice from the side of him. Zhang He turned to see Zhang Liao sitting with his back against the side of the building looking up at the sky.
"Yeah, I feel a lot better, thanks to you guys!" Zhang He said. He would have sat down by Zhang Liao, but he feared he might not be able to get back up easily.
"What do you say we talk a walk? To get our muscles working right again." Zhang Liao said, rising in one graceful movement. Zhang He nodded and caught up to Zhang Liao's side. They walked up to the meadow in almost silence, mostly looking around at the scenery. Zhang Liao kindly set a slow pace for Zhang He so he wouldn't feel upset he wasn't up to par with his brothers' strength just yet. The day was clear, and even with the quietude Zhang He felt, the part of his heart where all five of the girls were was still missing. They came to rest on a rolling hill somewhere off to the side of the meadow and sat for a bit.
"You know, I was a bit scared you weren't going to survive. That first day . . . you looked like you weren't going to make it." Zhang Liao said on a more serious note.
"You don't need to worry about me . . ." Zhang He smiled. "Haven't died yet, have I?" Just then another thought struck him. "Oh, by the way how's Mitsuko?"
"She's doing great. I think she actually might be healing faster than you!" He laughed a bit.
"That's great! We can be on our way soon. Then we'll get Diao Chan back and everyone can be happy again. Once that scoundrel Lu Bu has been slaughtered, do you think I should propose to Diao Chan? I've been thinking about it lately. . ." Zhang He said this all very quickly and Zhang Liao laughed again.
"Do what you think is right, bro. Personally, I think she'll say yes, but what do I know. You're lucky, you know, to have someone like that. I could never get up enough courage to tell a girl how I feel . . ." He said.
"You mean a certain girl?" Zhang He gave a wry smile and raised his eyebrows.
"Quiet, you!" Zhang Liao pushed him gently and smiled back.
"Come on, tell me!" I am your brother, after all. . . Why wouldn't you trust me?" Zhang He shone an innocent smile in his direction.
"Because you're a sneaky little lout! I know your ways . . ." Zhang Liao looked at his feet for a moment, then back at Zhang He, still frozen in his angelic grin. "Fine, you bastard. I know you'll stare at me for hours on end if I don't. . ." Zhang Liao was silent. He twirled a piece of grass along his index finger, creating a spiral (UZUMAKI).
"Well!?" Zhang He said after a minute.
"It's Zhen Ji . . ." Zhang Liao said quietly, still making rings of grass.
"Zhen Ji? Um, incase you haven't noticed, she's spoiled rotten . . . You haven't got enough funds to keep her happy. . ." Zhang He replied, unaware of his harshness.
"No, no, no. . . You've got it wrong. She was spoiled, but now she's . . . Changed. . . Her room is right next to mine, you know. I talk with her quite often." Zhang Liao said in a 'matter-of-fact' voice. Zhang He just looked at him trying to keep a straight face. "Alright, so she's not exactly Spartan yet. What I'm trying to say is, she's different from when you first knew her."
"I'm just teasing, brother. I think it's great! And I think I've got the perfect plan to win over her heart. . ." Zhang He said, concocting away.
"Oh no! Not one of your crazy plots! I can't count all the times your 'perfect plans' got us into more trouble than we could deal with. . ."
"Fine, but your going to come crawling back to me, wanting to know my ingenious idea, I KNOW it!" Zhang He jested enthusiastically. Both brothers laughed and felt much better than before.
That night Zhang He thought about Diao Chan even more. He could barley keep his eyes shut and every sound seemed to agitate him further. Even Sima Yi's gentle and soft breathing, barley audible, made his nerves feel stretched. Many more nights like this followed, and Zhang He began to grow even more restless. A few more weeks later Zhang He was ready to fight again, but so many others were still healing. Sun Ce was quite bad off, but he was improving everyday. It was as if every thing that kept his world glued together was suffering against a pugnacious rainstorm and beginning to melt away.
He lay awake yet again one evening, almost a month and a half after his injury, thinking he couldn't go on like this much longer. Suddenly, an idea struck him.
"What if I go on my own? If I use Dobutsu magic, Lu Bu would be as good as dead. . ." He said to himself in inspiration. He turned to the corner and looked at his Metal Talons growing dusty in the corner. He climbed out of bed and padded over on the shiny wood floor then looked at the weapons intently. In a spark of activity, he grabbed a small, empty pack and filled it with several clothes changes and his battle outfit. He dug up some provisions from crates outside of the room and stuffed them in the crate as well. He slung the bulging pack over his back and equipped his Talons.
He opened the door to the cool night and took on step outside the door. He looked back at Sima Yi and hesitated for a moment. He had been the only one sleeping in the room because Sun Ce was still in the infirmary and Zhou Yu was too busy helping out. If I die, he'll never see me again . . . And neither will Sun Ce, Zhang Liao or Zhou Yu . . . Zhang He turned away critically. He decided to act now before he changed his mind.
"Goodbye, everyone. You'll see me again." He said to all the sleeping people of Shi. For no reason at all he broke out into a run, sweeping over the moonlit hills as he ran through the gate leading out of the camp. He feet slipped swiftly over the silver tinted blades of grass as he moved in a streak along the countryside. Suddenly he felt as he was in a race with the moon. He could see it shining through the black silhouettes of the leaves on the trees and it seemed so big to him. He flew over the meadows and valleys, determined to outrun his never-tiring racing partner.
At the break of dawn he stopped and lay in the grass and was finally able to rest some. After his mind and body had been refreshed, he sat up and thought of more important matters.
He didn't know where Lu Bu's castle was. In fact, he didn't even know where he was . . . The more he thought about what he'd done, the more he wished he hadn't done it. He sat there on the sunny hill, looking up into the empty sky and feeling alone. It had seemed so right last night to just start running and to keep running, but now he was like a young child in an unfamiliar woods. He couldn't even begin to remember what way he'd come. Just as he was about to gave up hope, a voice from somewhere reassured him.
"Zhang He! Wait . . ." It sounded desperate and weak, like someone who was in peril but had no more energy to fight back. "Please wait! Where are you?" Zhang he stood up.
"I'm here!" He yelled into the atmosphere, hoping for an answer. "Over here." Zhang He heard panting from below him and saw Sima Yi stagger up the low hill, looking faint and drained.
"You . . . Idiot. . ." He gasped and fell to his knees. "How stupid. . . can you get?" Sima Yi stared daggers at Zhang He as he caught his breath.
"S . . . Sima Yi." Zhang He said weakly. "Fancy meeting you here. . ." Now it was Zhang He's turn for a nervous laugh.
"You. . ." Sima Yi growled, getting to his feet. He looked up fiercely at Zhang He, hands on his hips.
"Sima Yi! I can explain, you see-" He began.
"What I see," He said harshly. "Is that your going the wrong way . . ." His face softened into a smile. Zhang He automatically grinned as well.
"That's a relief, for a second there, I thought I was going to be scolded." Zhang He sighed.
"You ARE going to be scolded!" Sima Yi said snappishly. "That was a really stupid thing you did! There's no way you defeat Lu Bu and get the others back single-handedly! Knowing you, you'd probably charge in there blindly, slashing at everything that moves and if you ask any intelligent person, that's surefire way to get killed. In fact, you just did almost the same thing; Lu Bu's castle is to the east, not south. I know this for a fact; I remember the area like the back of my hand. So seeing as you can make out which way is up, I'm here to help you . . ." Zhang He laughed a little.
"Alright, thanks." He said, still smiling. "I could really use you. And I'm sorry for leaving you behind, that was kind of stupid."
"Kind of stupid?" Sima Yi exclaimed, smiling as well. "That was plain old asinine! Truthfully, you are the most reckless and bullheaded person I've met, you're the one who's always getting us in trouble! But then again . . . what are sworn brothers for?" Zhang He laughed again and clapped a hand on Sima Yi's skinny shoulder.
"Alright, you show me the way." He said gratefully. Sima Yi puffed out his chest and with his head held high and began to lead the way. There weren't many chances for Sima Yi to be the leader, and even in this diminutive party of two, he felt important.
Zhang He and Sima Yi trekked across the countryside, the fragrant spring wind blustering all around them. The rolling hills waved their grass in waves, making the land look as it were gleaming. Sima Yi stopped at the top of the hill and inhaled some and found the direction of the wind.
"Judging from the relative humidity in the atmosphere and the unchanging conduit of the trade winds I'd say a cold front's arrival is imminent . . ." Sima Yi blathered darkly.
"You know everything, don't you?" Zhang He said mockingly.
"In layman's terms," He looked sharply at Zhang He "It means a storm is coming. A rather bad one, I might add . . . With spring about halfway over, these happen quite often in this part of the world." Zhang He spotted some clouds looming on the edge of the horizon and sighed.
"We'd better hurry up, then. . ."
Zhang He and Sima Yi spent that night huddled uncomfortably close under a low den in the side of a bank in the forest. Shortly after they discovered this too-close-for-comfort housing, a drizzle broke out and wet the moss- covered floor. They attempted to stoke a fire (Zhang He remembered well the way Mitsuko showed him) but failed. With no food, Zhang He and Sima Yi fell asleep in the cramped little cave made of dirt and held up by roots.
They awoke very sore, cold, and damp. Zhang He stepped outside in the rain (which was now thundering) and tried to stretch some life back into his aching joints. After they were all packed up again, they resumed their journey, this time, covering their heads with their packs.
Around noon the rain paused for a moment, but they both knew the storm was far from over. They began their ascent up a steep grassy hill of which halfway up a fire-engine-red wall made of smooth, polished stone rose up.
"Look! There's a city over there! Maybe we can go in and wait until the storm is over at an inn." Zhang He pointed out. Sima Yi's eyes didn't move from the ground.
"That's not a good city, you don't want to go there." He said a bit forcibly. "Let's just go around it."
"No way! I'm tired of being cold and wet. I've been in worse cities, I think we can handle this one." Zhang He said looking for the entrance.
"No, this is a BAD city. There's poverty and bandits run wild everywhere. The guards kill innocent people for no reason and the leader is a fat pig who . . . who . . . eats children! And there's plague and famine and assassins and wild drunks and rogue warriors and ninjas from Japan who are evil and cursed! And witches!" Sima Yi said animatedly. "And if you go in that city, you'll NEVER GET OUT! Trust me. . . I've been there."
"Sima Yi, you're the smartest person I know, but you are the worst liar in the world. If you can't get out of the city then how did you manage to escape during your visit?" He asked skeptically. Sima Yi considered for a moment.
"Magic." He said in an as-a-matter-of-fact voice while he nodded and looked Zhang He straight in the eye.
"Right . . . well, I'm going in. You can wait out here until I'm back." Zhang He began to march towards the entrance, counting down the seconds until Sima Yi's response.
"Wait!" Sima Yi caught up with him. "Please don't leave me. Please, can't we find another place? There's another town much nicer than this one just down there! Please. Not this place." Sima Yi begged.
"Why don't you want to go here? It looks like a prosperous town, looks safe too. I can see inside. Everything looks peaceful and clean. Why is it bad in any way?" Zhang He asked sensibly. Sima Yi stood and pouted for a minute until Zhang He started walking forward again.
"Stop! If you MUST know the truth, this is Qiao." Sima Yi admitted.
"And . . ." Zhang He raised his eyebrows, not seeing the reason quite so clear yet.
"This is my hometown! I don't want to go in there because my father could catch us." Sima Yi said, embarrassed.
"Oh, Sima Yi. It's a huge city, the chances he'll discover our presence are almost zero to none. It's not like he's patrolling the streets everyday awaiting your return." Zhang He reasoned. Sima Yi shook his head.
"You don't understand. . ." He grabbed Zhang He's arm and pulled him to a little window in the wall. Zhang He looked through and saw one of the largest cities he'd ever laid eyes on. It had countless market places and residences all lying before what was just nearly a palace. It was about on fourth the size of Yuan Shao's biggest structure, which was still sizably large. The roof was dark blue with enormous golden ornaments in aesthetically pleasing places. They doors were large and black and lined with a deep purple. It was secured by what seemed an infinite number of guards; each dressed in the same royal purple and dark blue. A large crest was right above the entrance way carved out of what seemed to be stone.
"Do you see that house?" Sima Yi pointed directly to the almost-palace.
"How can you not?" Zhang He marveled. "It's huge! What, did you piss off the rich Lord and he's got all his guards looking for you?"
"No, Zhang He. That's my father's house! He IS the Lord!" Sima Yi explained, looked at the magnificent domicile with distaste.
"You used to LIVE there?" Zhang He gasped, open-mouthed. "Whoa! You must've had everything! Did they give you whatever you wanted? Did you get servants? You must have had the best life there! Your childhood must have-"Zhang he stopped there, suddenly remembering. "Oh, I didn't mean to . . . sorry." He said quietly.
"It's fine." Sima Yi said a little softly. "And to answer your question, yes. I got anything I pleased and got to do anything I wanted. After my 'training' was completed, anyway. Right after she was murdered . . . I think he was just trying to get me to forgive him . . ." Sima Yi said angrily. He suddenly came out of his anger. "What I'm trying to tell you is that he's got guards all over the city who'd recognize me in a half a second, and the last thing I want right now is to see my dear old father. . ." Zhang He pondered for a bit, the made a triumphant noise.
"Ha! I've got an idea. . ." Zhang He shouted enthusiastically. "They'll know what you look like in those clothes. . . You always wear that hat. . . but if you wore my clothes, they won't know it's you!" Sima Yi took one look at Zhang He's shirtless and flamboyant ensemble and shook his head violently.
"There is now way in hell I will wear that. Besides, it'll show all my scars and I'll be cold." He said squeamishly. "It'll make the trip longer, but if we go around the city we'll be right at Lu Bu's home. I know, I saw it from my room there.
"Look, if we cut through the city and you wear the 'disguise' they won't know and we can take a day off our trip. Wouldn't you hate it if Lu Bu was getting closer and closer to Sun Shang Xiang as we speak? Wouldn't you hate if we were just ONE day late? Wouldn't you hate it if-" Sima Yi cut Zhang He off.
"Alright, alright! I get the picture!" Sima Yi yelled. "I'll wear your stupid 'disguise'. But we are not stopping for one minute! We're going through the city, straight as an arrow, and not looking back. Agreed?"
"Agreed!" Zhang He, holding back a smile.
In about ten minutes Sima Yi was dressed and Zhang He had a problem. Since Sima Yi was a lot shorter than Zhang He, who now stood at six foot one, Sima Yi's robes were much to small and Sima Yi looked as if the pants that fit Zhang He so well might fall down.
"Just tie the sash a little tighter." Zhang He said and Sima Yi obeyed.
"This isn't going to work." Sima Yi said, gazing at how foolish Zhang He looked with the edge of the robes ending at the middle of his calf and the sleeve near to his elbow. Suddenly, Zhang He had another idea.
"Here! Take this money and go buy me some cheap clothes that fit in one of those market places." Zhang He said, dropping some coins in Sima Yi's hand.
"Zhang He . . ." Sima Yi whined.
"Just do it! People will think we're nuts if you don't!" He explained. Sima Yi nodded reluctantly and slipped through the wide entranceway without so much as a look from the guards on duty.
Soon, he returned, carrying a pair of clothes in his hands. He threw them to Zhang He and waited for him to put them on. He saw that they were red silk with golden frog-buttons and a pair of black trousers. After Zhang He was dressed they were finally ready to enter the city.
When Sima Yi and Zhang He walked through the gates again, the guards gave them a half suspicious look this time. As soon as Zhang He turned towards the market place his eyes danced with amazement. Everywhere interesting and colorful things were being sold to all sorts of people. He turned and a shady man in dark clothes buying mushrooms, herbs, and spice from a vendor. To his left were two girls that looked exactly the same in every way and all around him people were busying off to their next adventure. He stepped up to a cart laden with shiny looking jewelry that would look splendid on Diao Chan. When he walked up to inspect it, the owner rushed over quickly.
"These are nice, neh? I'd bet you'd like to give them to your woman, neh? Alright, to you, my fired, I'll sell them for half price!" The man said very quickly.
"Oh, no, I was just-" But the man cut him off again.
"Still to much, neh? I see you are a smart buyer, my friend, very smart indeed. Oh, and such good taste. I see you favor those emerald earrings. It has amazing quality my friend, and it would look so beautiful on your woman. Alright, to you I'll sell for one quarter the normal price!" He continued excitedly, showing the gaudy pair of earrings off.
"Well, they're lovely, but . . ." Zhang He started.
"Zhang He! We're going straight through, remember?" Sima Yi said, walking up beside him.
"Good blazing heavens . . ." Said the vendor, looking straight at Sima Yi. "Is that you, Sima Yi?" The man wore a dark outfit and Chinese cap over his long braided hair. His moustache was long and thin and his beard was so pointy, Zhang He had the strange urge to reach out and touch it to see if it would prick his finger. He wore a strange metal frame that hung on his ears and rested on his nose. This connected to lenses of glass in front of his eyes. "I haven't seen you in ages, boy! Where have you been?" The vendor smiled, showing teeth that appear almost as sharp as his goatee.
"Keep you voice down, Yen. I'm not supposed to be here. What is the ridiculous thing?" Sima Yi grabbed the metal frame that was perched on Yen's nose and inspected it. Yen took it back and placed it back on his face.
"Those are glasses. They help some people see! Lot's of people have them now. Don't tell me you've been out of this city long enough to not know." Yen asked comically.
"Well, it's true." Sima Yi admitted, still keeping quiet. "What's new, around here? Have they given up looking for me?"
"They stopped searching for your camp, but they know you're with Shi now. You should have seen the Lord when he learned you'd escaped form Cao Cao. He was so angry I thought he was going to explode. He's still got the guards on the lookout though, you'd best be careful." Yen warned. He then laughed a bit. "Although, I don't think many people would recognize in those clothes." Sima Yi smiled a bit.
"Zhang He, this is Yen. We call him Yen because he's from Japan and his Japanese name is too hard to say and 'Yen' is the currency in Japan. He loves money so much, that's his nickname. He was one of my only friends while I lived here." Sima Yi explained.
"More like partner in crime. Ninja Baby suffered royally back in our day." Yen laughed, a look of fond nostalgia crossing his face. "He got you a couple of times too, but who was always there to untie you from the tree? Who was it that save your life hundreds of times?" Yen asked indulgently.
"You were and I'm eternally grateful." Sima Yi said automatically. "Are Ninja Baby's morons still around? They'll recognize me, if anyone does. . . I'll pay if they do." Sima Yi said half to himself.
"Yeah, but their not organized without their head fool telling them what to do. You still ought to be careful though." Yen said, patting Sima Yi on the shoulder.
"Alright, Yen, we've got to keep moving. If all goes well, I'll be having a wedding soon, you'll come, won't you?" Sima Yi asked hopefully.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world. You know where to find me, if you ever need me, my friend, take care. . ." Yen waved them off and rushed over to a customer who'd been eyeing some sparkly necklaces. When they made it to a less chaotic part of the market Zhang he looked over at Sima Yi.
"Partner in crime? I didn't know 'Sima Yi' and 'crime' even belonged in the same sentence!" Zhang He said, a little confused.
"Well, let's say I wrecked my share of havoc. Ninja Baby deserved it after he'd tormented me all those times." Sima Yi said, not hiding a wicked little smiled.
"And what's this I hear about a wedding happening soon? I thought we were all going to get married on the same day?" Zhang He asked, secretly hurt inside that he didn't know.
"Well, we were going to save this for later, but Sun Shang Xiang kind of proposed to ME the night before Lu Bu arrived. We said that we wouldn't tell anyone until everyone else was ready to get married too, but I wanted Yen to come when we all DO get married, and I really don't see him that often. . ."
"She proposed to you?" Zhang He said through and amazed laugh. "Tell me how it happened!" Zhang He begged.
"No, that's embarrassing . . ." Sima Yi said, failing to hold back a smile. He looked back at Zhang He who was wearing his best begging expression and sighed. "Alright, I was standing on that little hill just outside camp because I couldn't sleep and she came and stood down beside me and we talked for a bit. Then I said something and she responded in a certain way–"
"What did you say?" Zhang He asked impishly. "Give me details!"
"If you MUST know I said that I felt like I was lost without her and I didn't want to leave me alone again. . ." Sima Yi admitted, blushing profusely. "And she said she wouldn't ever leave me alone, and we didn't have to be alone ever again. Then she said if I was so worried about that why don't I just propose. I was a bit surprised at that, as you can imagine and I couldn't exactly find my words. Then she said 'fine, I'll handle it!' and she got down on one knee and said 'Sima Yi, will you please propose to me?' and then I did what she asked. That's what happened in a nutshell . . ." Sima Yi said, his face red instead of white.
"Wow, my training has finally paid off!" Zhang He laughed.
"Maybe I should be the one training you! I did get engaged before you did. . ." Sima Yi said slyly. They both laughed at this for a while, then fell silent.
They walked along for a bit, keeping their heads low whenever a guard walked by. Sima Yi led the way through the twisting and bewildering pathways, which he seemed to know by heart. As they were passing through a particularly strange place, which appeared to be the ghetto of Qiao, Sima Yi suddenly stopped.
"What?" Asked Zhang He, stopping as well. All he could hear was the plink, plink of water some where in the alley, but Sima Yi recognized some warning sign unknown to Zhang He.
"Hey, Sima Yi!" Said a voice behind them. Sima Yi turned as if he expected to see someone else he knew, then stopped dead. Zhang He turned as well and saw two guards standing only ten feet away from them.
"Stay where you are, my Lord!" The first guard warned upon being spotted. "We know it's you and we can catch you again!"
"Just come quietly and nobody gets hurt." The other cautioned, sounding a bit afraid himself. Sima Yi grabbed for the dark feather fan on his belt but it fell to the floor with a loud clatter. He took two steps backward quickly then shot off down the alleyway. Zhang He immediately followed, his heart racing. Sima Yi looked panicked and a thin sweat had broken on his forehead.
"We've found the young Lord! He's that way!" Yelled the same guard. Soon it was as if everybody in the entire city was yelling something about Sima Yi and everybody was after them. Whichever way they turned, someone was beckoning Sima Yi towards them, or trying to grab them. Zhang He was out of breath in a matter of five minutes and it seemed as if Sima Yi was having a harder time. His breath was ragged and sounded painful and he was slowing down more every second. Soon Sima Yi was so far behind Zhang He that he could barely hear him.
"Zhang He!" Sima Yi gasped and whined. "Please don't leave me behind! Please. . ." Sima Yi suddenly tripped forward and fell onto the rough stone ground. Zhang He rushed back and tried to help him up, but Sima Yi was on the verge of passing out.
"Come on Sima Yi! Come on, they're coming!" Zhang He urged.
"I can't . . ." Sima Yi gasped. There was a brand new cut along Sima Yi's chest, which issued a fine stream of blood. There were wild footsteps from all directions and shouts usually consisting of 'He went this way!' or 'Over here! I saw him!'. Then a voice that sounded dangerously close was heard.
"He's right over there, my Lord. Not a hair on his head was harmed, just like you said." Explained a guard's formal voice.
"Good work, Gen Suo." Replied a sharper voice, which had a streak of worry running through it. Hurried footsteps echoed off the sides of the alley and a man dressed in splendid formal attire glided into view. His face looked a bit red from running, but the rest of his skin was pale as milk. He had on the colors of the esteemed Sima house and his eyes gleamed with the same ferocious light as Sima Yi's did when he was concocting a particularly excellent strategy. His hair, a deep ebony black was pulled back and waxed. An elegant fixture was placed on top of his head that was similar to the ones Cao Cao loved to wear and show off. His tiny moustache just made it off the sides of his chin and a bit of a beard was place in the middle of his chin. His eyes looked worried and at the same time a bit frustrated.
"Yi . . ." He breathed, looking at the crumpled form of his son.
"Get back!" Zhang He yelled as Sima Yi got up the strength to stand up.
"Yi! Wait!" Sima Fang said emphatically. "Wait!" But Sima Yi was motivated to move when he saw his father standing so close to him. He ran up the alleyway while being supported by Zhang He, trying to escape.
"Leave me alone!" He shouted back at his father. "Just let me go!" It hurt Zhang He to hear that Sima Yi was on the verge of tears.
"Please, my son! Don't leave!" Zhang He saw that Sima Fang was not pursuing them, but rather stand dejectedly at the end of the alley, hands at his sides.
"Don't fall for it Zhang He!" Sima Yi snapped, "Just keep going!"
"No! Don't!" Sima Fang interjected. "I won't lose you again!" Sima Fang rushed up, faster than lightening and grabbed Sima Yi's free arm.
"Let me go!" Sima Yi screamed thrashing his arm trying to get it free. "Let me go, father!"
"Stop acting so foolish, boy!" Sima Fang scolded harshly, fighting back with two times the strength. "You, Zhang He. Is that your name? Let my son go, we have some matters that haven't been settled." Sima Fang's words sounded like venom.
"Sima Yi . . . What should I do?" Zhang He asked warily, still holding tight to his brother's arm.
"Don't let go, no matter what! We can win, Zhang He! Help me fight!" Sima Yi yelled still flailing violently to be free from the grasp. Zhang He looked up at Sima Fang and for some reason he couldn't help Sima Yi. Sima Fang looked sad, somehow, like this was his last chance at something. Zhang He suddenly let go of Sima Yi's arm gently.
"Nooooo! What are you doing!? Help me Zhang He! Don't do this! PLEASE HELP ME!" Sima Yi wailed, tears flowing down his face.
"Sima Yi, I . . ." Zhang He couldn't seem to finish. Why had he done that?
"Please Yi, listen to reason!" Sima Fang begged. "I won't hurt you, I promise! Just come with me. . ." Sima Yi gave up slowly and fell to his knees, his tears splattering onto the stone.
"Why?" He moaned painfully. "Why do you want me to come back? You loath me. . . I know you do . . . You have from the day I was born . . . Why do you want to keep me inside that prison!? Why can't I just live my own life!? Why do you want me back?" He sobbed, sounding hopeless. Sima Fang go onto his knees beside Sima Yi. He squared his shoulders so that Sima Yi's face was visible. Sima Yi wouldn't look his father in the eye.
"I don't loath you, Sima Yi." Sima Fang said in a completely different tone. "I never have, I don't know where you got that idea, but it's true."
"You're a liar. . ." Sima Yi said viciously. "You tried to kill me more than once. You want me back so you can finish your business, so you can eliminate your GUILT!" Sima Yi punched his father in the face with such amazing force on the world 'guilt' that Sima Fang's head was bashed to the side. He slowly turned back to face his son, tears now in his eyes.
"That's not true. You may hate me, I'm sure you do, but I don't even dislike you. I'm sorry, so sorry for all the things I've done to you. I never meant for it to happen that way, I can't control my temper. I deserved that punch, and a hundred others. Please Sima Yi, I beg you . . .I just want my son back . . ." Sima Fang whimpered. He threw his arms around Sima Yi and began to cry as well. Sima Yi – looking dumbstruck and moved at the same time – gasped a little. Then more tears dropped from his eyes and he put his arms around his father as well, both of them sobbing. Zhang He looked the other way, feeling a bit embarrassed for Sima Yi and Sima Fang, but nonetheless he thought it was sweet. Later on they stood up, brushed off their clothes and cleared their throats in nearly identical manners.
"Alright. . ." Sima Yi said softly, "I'll go home. But only for a while, I'm on a rescue mission."