A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter, sorry I ended it with such a big cliffhanger. Evil ain't I? . This chapter is going to be lots of fun for the guys, big battle baby! Yes, I think my male readers have wanted this for awhile, eh? Its mostly in Gan Ning's POV a little of Diao's. A venture into the mind of Gan Ning! Hehe sorry I'm a 'lil crazy right now. Ok I've delayed it long enough.

Gan Ning: Yep sure have! You certainly are took your sweet time didn't ya?

Me: Oh shut up and say the disclaimer.

Gan Ning: See chapter one.

Me: That sure was informative. Rolls eyes Men! Honestly! Anyway…. Here ya go.

Chapter 9: Why You Should Never Drink Too Much Masuo

((Gan Ning's POV))

I was still in a state of shock. Did she just kiss me? Diao Wan, the girl who hated my guts? The girl who wanted to kill me and leave my remains for the vultures? Though I have to say, she isn't that bad of a kisser. 'Okay this really ain't the time to be thinking about her, Ning. You have Zhang He's Golden Claw to your throat.' Zhang He motioned for Diao Wan to rise to her knees, and she obeyed. Her eyes meet mine, beautiful and green, but full of… was that love? I had never seen anyone look at me that way in a long time. Not since I was just a lad and still in contact with my mother. 'I wonder what happened to her and Dad? Well I can think about that later, right now I had Zhang He to deal with. I had this sudden urge to just kick Zhang He as hard as I could (which is pretty hard) for touching Diao Wan like he did. Anger surge through me, but I stayed still. Zhang He turned his attention to Diao Wan, but still kept his claw to my throat. He stroked her cheek once again; a look of utter disgust came to her as she jerked away.

"Ahh, am I not to your liking, Diao Wan? Oh well, as the blossom turns into a flower, you shall learn to like me. For after Wu, Shu, and your precious Gan Ning are defeated, I might just bring you back with me," he said.

((A/N: If you didn't get the analogy about the flower, it's ok. I didn't either. It just sounds like Zhang He and all his freaky-flower-analogies don't it?))

'THAT LITTLE SNOT-NOSED BUTTERFLY! He is gonna get it now!' I grabbed Zhang He's arm and pulled his claw away from my neck and twisted it around his back.

"Never turn your back to me Zhang He, and don't ever touch her again," I said then twisted his arm around tighter, "No one but me, got it pretty-boy?! Don't even thing about moving or your arm is gonna be ripped off!"

She just stared at me in surprise, a slight blush came to her cheeks, and she smiled me thanks. Zhang He was struggling and pulling, trying to set himself free. I continued to twist his arm into an unnatural position, making him wince and cry out in pain. Diao Wan stood up and picked up her Phoenix Sword and my Sea Master. She put her sword into its sheath, and held onto mine for me while I pinned down Zhang He.

"MERCY! Let me go! Ahhh!" Zhang He cried out as he tried to kick me off.

"Lady Diao, kindly hand me my sword so I may dispose of his head," I said to her, it was bout time I ended this.

"In a moment Gan Ning, I want to ask him something," she replied.

My heart almost skipped a beat as she said my name, and my stomach lurched with happiness as she smiled in my direction. She then turned to Zhang He and the smile on her face receded.

"Where are the Wei forces? Tell me and I might spare your life." She ordered.

I relaxed his arm a bit, keeping him in pain, but enough relief from it that he could talk. He sighed, but then looked up at Diao Wan. Extreme loathing spread over his face.

"I shall never betray my Lord Cao Cao, and if I do may I be killed on the spot!" he spat at her.

"Twist his arm tighter Gan Ning. He will talk," she commanded.

I obeyed, I thought it harsh, but yet again I would do the same very thing. Zhang He screamed again as I twisted his arm around tighter. As if on cue, Lady Zhen Ji of Wei came around a corner, her flute drawn.

((A/N: Ok, does anyone get why Zhen Ji uses a flute? Hehe sorry, I know that's one of the things we will be asking our selves for ages to come. )).

Zhen Ji quickly realized her comrade was in moral danger, and ran up to us. She then hit me in the back of my head so I accidentally let go of Zhang He. My head swirled and throbbed, and I held my head with my hands trying to see straight in all my dizziness. I saw Diao Wan draw her sword and say something, but the pounding of my head was too loud in my ears.

((Diao Wan's POV))

"Weakling! Attacking from behind is a sign of cowardice, I expected better from you Zhen Ji," I taunted drawing her attention from the dizzy Gan Ning.

She smirked at me, as if taking it as a compliment. Zhang He scrambled to his feet, taking his position beside Lady Zhen. Until Gan Ning came to his senses, I was outnumbered two to one. My mind raced, searching for a way to face this without ending up in an extremely bad situation.

'Like a pawn facing a knight and queen on a life-size chessboard,' I thought to myself, 'Zhang He the queen with an unlimited amount of moves. Lady Zhen the knight who could attack from the oddest of angles and still makes her mark. I was the lowly pawn whose knight-in-shinning-armor was currently puking out his lunch everywhere from his dizzy spell.'

I sighed. I never was one with much natural smarts. Gan Ning was now slowing getting to his feet, wobbling like a drunken duck. He shook his head, and I grabbed his arm to help him support his balance. He came to his feet, overcoming his dizziness that was caused by his sudden hit on the back of the head. I turned to look at him for a brief moment, and our eyes met. He held me in his gaze, then gave me a wink and a smile, which made me turn as red as my armor.

"They won't know what hit 'um," he whispered in my ear with a grin.

I returned his smile, then turned back to Zhang He and Zhen Ji. Immediately after my attention turned to them, they charged. Zhen Ji came at me with a flying kick. I raised my sword up and blocked her. Landing in front of me, she didn't waste any time with her next attack. She swung her flute around and hit me square on the cheek, sending me to the ground. That was her mistake. A welt formed on my cheek where she had hit me. I whirled my foot around into her legs, knocking her down as well. This gave me time to check on Gan Ning and Zhang He.

((Gan Ning's POV – just about two minutes earlier))

Zhang He charged forward at me, flipping and then striking out. I used my sword to block his claws, which got caught on the blade. I used this opportunity to punch him right in the face, bloodying his nose.

"That is for touchin' my girl! And this is for getting' on my nerves!" I bellowed as I kicked him in the stomach, which sent him to the ground.

Zhang He looked up at me with a dirty look, before using his other claw to cut me across my unarmored chest. Pain seared through me as well as sudden anger. I pulled my sword away from his claw and swung it at him furiously. I nicked his arm as he jumped away, but none the more or less. My chest started to bleed and I looked down. Four curved bleeding cuts, straight lines like that of a cat, lay across my torso. I growled in anger at my injury and did my charge attack. I used my sword as a lever, lifting him off the ground and making him air born. I pulled away my sword, and then kicked him as he fell, sending him several feet away. I grinned and looked to check on Diao Wan's progress with Zhen Ji. Both of them where on the ground, Diao Wan glanced at me for a moment before regaining her feet and raising her sword to offensive. I checked on Zhang He, he was crawling away, clutching his stomach. I smirked, 'He's running away. How sweet and fortunate for me.' I thought. I ran over and grabbed Zhang He, swinging him around to face me.

"Where do you think your going? Don't want to stay and play? I guess your just going to leave Lady Zhen behind to –"

I was cut off by the sound of Zhen Ji's flute playing a high-pitched haunting note. I knew that note, I had fought Zhen Ji to many times in battle not to know it. A sudden wave filled the air around us, and I whipped around just in time to see Diao Wan thrown into a wall. I turned back to Zhang He.

"I'll deal with you later, but if I see you move one muscle, your going to pay for it," I ordered at the startled Zhang He.

I pushed him down harshly, then ran to help up Diao Wan. She was slowly getting to her feet, Zhen Ji closing in on her when I came up from behind and smashed Zhen Ji into the side, sending her a couple feet to the side… or ten. Diao Wan looked up at me with her amazingly green eyes, mumbled thanks, blushed, and then regained her feet fully.

"I trust now that you have everything under control?" I asked.

"Yes, thank you very much Gan Ning. I am in your- Where did she go?" she interrupted herself.

I looked around and sure enough she was right. Zhen Ji was no where to be seen, she had escaped. Zhang He was still there, holding his bleeding nose, and also looking around for Zhen Ji. It was no use. She was gone. 'Smarter than Zhang He I'd say!' I thought.

"Shall we return to torturing Zhang He, or… the other thing we where doing?" I asked with a teasing smile.

"Torturing Zhang He of course! What would be more fun? Besides, I want to know where that lousy Sima Yi has set his camp," she replied while walking over to Zhang He.

"I could think of a couple things…" I said, but was cut off by a menacing death-glare from Diao Wan, "Then again, this will be more fun!"

"Better," she said with a smile.

Just then, a young Wu private came into view around the very corner that Zhen Ji had appeared.

"Thank the heavens I have found you! Lord Sun Jian and Lord Liu Bei have taken the Wei camp, they saw Lady Zhen Ji run from its direction and enter here. They took Wei by surprise and put Sima Yi to shame!" he exclaimed with pride and continued, "They sent me to come look for you. For you, Lord Ning and Lady Diao, where of said to have been looking for the Wei officers."

"That's stating the obvious kid," I retorted, "So basically, while we wasted our time hunting butterfly-boy down, we won the battle?"

"Well… yes m'lord, you could say that. It is requested that you follow me, Lord Sun Jian and Lord Liu Bei have planned a celebration," he said cautiously avoiding my eyes and talking mainly to Diao Wan.

"Wait one moment," Diao Wan requested.

I looked at her in confusion, as she raised her sword to Zhang He's neck.

"Dear Zhang He… I must say I'm sorry to end your life, but no one, and I mean NO ONE, interrupts me when I'm talking… or doing other activities," she spat.

"Diao Wan, may I have the honor of avenging you?" I asked, not wanting for her to have to kill him, even though it would have been quite the simplest of tasks.

"Yes, but do it with my sword," she replied reluctantly.

I obeyed. Lets say this to save this from becoming a PG-13 fic…that Zhang He is no longer living… or making up really bad flower analogies.

((About an hour later at the new camp, formally known as Wei's – same POV))

We were all sitting in a large tent, feasting, drinking, and making fun of Wei. The usual things you do after winning a battle. We all sat in a sort of disorganized circle. They're where several officers from Wu there, but Shu had most of their officers. Sun Jian had brought along Lu Meng as backup on his journey. They both were sitting to my far left. Zhou Yu was next to them in a corner of this square like arrangement, sitting next to Sun Ce. Then came me, with Sun Quan and Sun Shang Xiang sat to my right. Across from Sun Jian sat Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. Next to Zhuge Liang was his wife Yue Ying and Diao Wan sat a little bit behind her. Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei sat together next to her talking loudly and joshing Diao Wan occasionally –most likely about me-making her blush up to her ears. Next to those two was Pang Tong, shaking his head disapprovingly. All together it was a very loud, fun, and filling meal. We basically had raided the Wei camp's supply depot and where feasting on the food and wine… mainly masuo. I hadn't drunk masuo since I was a teenager! Wonder why I stopped? I'm quite fond of it really. I cupped a bowl of the wine in my hand, taking a gulp. I really shouldn't of, for I've had already had several cups… ok so it was seven, but no big deal! I've had more than three times that much before, seven wasn't much so an eighth cup wasn't that big of a deal.

"Wan! Come on! Spill the beans, what did you and Gan Ning really do while you two where 'looking for enemy officers' –yeah right my foot! - We want know!" I heard Zhao Yun tease Diao Wan from across the tent.

"Not even in your deluded dreams Yun," she implied.

"Ooh. Tough luck Zhao Yun, try bribing her she might tell then," Jiang Wei said aloud on purpose.

I laughed at the two, trying to get her to talk. She wasn't opening her mouth even if she was given a years-wage-bonus! Taking another gulp and draining the bowl of wine, I started to feel the affects of drunkenness.

((Diao Wan's POV))

I think Gan Ning had had at least ten cups of wine by now. He sat quietly across from me, listening to Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei –my they shut their mouths before I pummel them- tease me about going off with Gan Ning earlier.

"I bet they did somethin' naughty… that's why she ain't tellin Wei," said Zhao Yun to Jiang Wei.

"That's probably the reason my dear friend Yun, she never did tell us how that good-morning-kiss Gan Ning gave her was…" replied Jiang Wei.

"Very true my friend… but you must remember that she is TERRIBLY shy, and won't say a word!"

"True… she probably did want to keep that a secret, she seemed pretty shocked after it was over didn't she?"

My body became overwhelmed with anger. 'They where the ones who spied on me and then blabbed their big mouths? Ooh, they are gonna pay!' I was just about to pound them, when I saw Gan Ning get up and exit the tent. I then heard him puke a few seconds later.

"Leave it to him to go and get himself drunk. I knew he shouldn't have had that eighth cup of wine," said Lu Meng.

"Eight? He had eight!?" yelled Sun Quan.

"Yep. You we're sitting next to him, didn't you notice?" asked his father.

"No, but I thought Gan Ning would have had more sense than that," he replied.

"Gan Ning is a bottomless pit when it comes to his wine Lord Sun Quan," laughed Lu Meng.

While they talked, I decided to slip out and see if he was all right. I got up and squeezed behind Yue Ying, Zhuge Liang, and Liu Bei to the door. As I exited, I spotted Gan Ning doubled over into a barrel by a big oak, puking once again. I walked over to him as he emerged from the barrel, wiping his mouth and spitting to the side.

"Eighth cup not settling to well?" I asked softly as I came up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Actually I think it's the sixth cup that didn't settle –hiccup! - And that the eighth was more like the last straw," he answered turning his head half way around to face me.

He smiled drunkenly and leaned against the tree, being careful not to fall on his face in his current state. I laughed. He looked so comical. His usual spiky hair that stuck straight up in the air was flopped to the side. He was also hiccuping and constantly losing his balance. His vest had come undone from his belt, and he had thrown his bells, which he always had around his neck, or at his side, to the ground in his earnest haste to get to a container of some kind. He grinned, and his cheeks flushed red.

"Drunk aren't you?" I asked with a smile.

"Most definitely," he said with a laugh, returning my smile.

He reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me closer. Leaning down he gently kissed my cheek. I looked up into his eyes, and he met my glance. He then kissed the top of my head, and then pulled me even closer and wrapped his arms around my waist. 'Good thing everyone else was celebrating… Zhao Yun and Jiang Wei would never let me live this down.' I moved my hands up around his neck and rested my head on his chest. I closed my eyes and we stood there in silence. At least until I felt his hands slowly moving down where they should not be moving to. I jerked my eyes open and whipped my hand down and slapped his hands away. He just laughed and smiled. (A/N: What is it with guys and girls' butts anyway?)

"Sorry, it was the wine speaking…" he whispered with a mischievous grin spread over his mouth.

"Sure I believe you. Don't let it happen again or you'll find yourself beggin for your mother," I replied with a glare.

"Yes Ma'am. Anything you say General!" he teased, then kissing me softly on the lips.

"I wish! I'm just Zhuge Liang's minor officer! All I'm used for is to make sure Zhuge Liang doesn't go and kill himself. Unlike some people I know!" I teased back.

He then pulled away, and started back into the tent. I smiled and I followed him back inside. He opened the tent flap for me, and gave me a mock salute, which made me laugh. I walked in and sat down in my former spot between Yue Ying and Zhao Yun, who gave me a curious look but said nothing… thankfully. Gan Ning had entered behind me, and was sitting back down as well. He noticed me looking in his direction, and gave me a wink. Zhao Yun still had a curious look on his face, as did Jiang Wei. They both stared at me like this for several minutes till they said anything.

"Ok, what'd you do?" Jiang Wei asked.

"Do? We didn't do anything," I said half truthfully.

"You had to have done something. He's drunk, and your grinning from ear-to-ear. Somthin happened," Zhao Yun prodded.

"If anything DID happen, even in the SLIGHTEST chance, do you really expect me to tell you two blabber mouths?" I asked them with a glare.

"Yes," they replied without even thinking it over.

"Too bad. I'm not telling," I said in a singsong voice.

"Please?" Zhao Yun asked looking disappointed.

"No. So how are you Ying?" I asked, changing the subject.

Yue Ying, who had been listening in, just laughed and smiled. She was about to answer when our attention was diverted otherwise. Gan Ning had suddenly burst out into song and was just bellowing away at it.

"YO HO HO! IT'S A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME! SING WITH ME EVERYONE!" he sung at the up-most top of his lungs… and lets just say this… Gan Ning should not try out for choir.

Interesting… very interesting. That's all I have to say on the matter…

(A/N: Hope yall liked it! Please Review! Use the purple review box of power! I beg of you!

Gan Ning: Your desperate arent you?

Diao Wan: grins yes!