(A/N: Welcome to Chapter 11 everyone! Hope you're having marvelous days! I am hyper, as you may plainly see, but that is another story all together . . .

Gan Ning: I'M SCARED! MOMMY!

DW: Funny . . . he's been doing that a lot lately . . . I wonder why? Hmm . . . ANYWAYS! Back the story. I'm working hard so I hope its good . . . and that's all I'm going to say, good night, good morning, happy new year, and may the Faeries (Don't ask; it's the British way of spelling it) of Good shine their blessings down apon those who review. SO REVIEW! Ok I'm shutting up now . . . I think . . . yeah I'm gonna go . . . and write this . . . yeah.)

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Chapter 11- Where'd Me Hat Go?

(Gan Ning's POV)

Ah, my head is killing me! Dang . . . what 'da heck did I do last night? My head feels like it's in a steel vice. Well, knowing me, I probably got myself drunk. Let's see . . . headache? Check. Any loss of memory over several periods of time? Check. Stomachache? Double Check. Yep, I got drunk. Funny . . . this doesn't look like my tent . . . this is . . . Oh no, don't tell me . . . Diao Wan's! Oh no . . . not good . . . what in the name of all that has to do with boats did I do this time?! Don't tell me I did what I'm thinking I did.

I looked around and, thankfully, found that I was only sitting next to her as she slept to my right on a cot. Well . . . I had been sitting. I was now currently located on the ground, fallen out of the chair in my shock. Diao Wan was fast asleep and breathing heavily. Her hair undone from its usual ponytail and was down, sprawled across her back like a blanket. She was on her stomach and stirred by-and-by. She turned onto her side, making the already very tangled blankets fall mostly on the floor in a white crumbled heap. I pulled myself up into the chair and sat down. I shook her to try and wake her, but she didn't budge. I decided to try once more by calling her name several times, but she still remain unconscious. I guess I should leave her alone. So I got up and decided to go to breakfast . . . well . . . at least after my stomach growled so loudly it could of woke the whole camp. I got up and walked towards the door, stomach rumbling once more.

"Oh, you're awake. Wait up, I'll go with you," said a tired voice behind me.

I stopped and turned around to see Diao Wan awake and slowly getting up. She grabbed a red ribbon from the floor and pulled her hair up.

"It sure took you long enough," I said with a smile.

"Yeah, right. By the looks of your bed head I'd say I'm not the only person who slept late this morning. Just woken up have we? I'm a light sleeper, it takes nothing to wake me up"

"That explains why I was halfway out the door before you noticed I was even aware of the world. Nope, been up for hours just watching you drool in your sleep."

She blushed and got a little mad. I just grinned and laughed.

"Perv!"

"Hahaha! You took that seriously?! My dear lady, you really need to lighten up and take a little joke once in awhile. You live longer when you laugh."

"It wasn't funny."

"Oh please, I am the King of Humor!"

"Alright, but even if I did drool in my sleep, WHICH I DO NOT, I would like to point out that it's a habit not nearly as bad as yours. You snore. Very loud I might add"

"Ok fine, you win . . . wait a minute. I snore?"

"Yes."

"No, I don't! I've never snored in my entire life."

"Oh really? How do you know? You're not exactly awake to prove that fact."

"I . . . uh . . . I . . . never mind. You want breakfast? I'm absolutely starving!"

"I know. Your stomach woke me up."

"Huh? My . . . stomach?"

She just laughed and started out the door. I followed soon after, and walked up behind her. She then punched my arm playfully and turned to look at me with a smile. I laughed and did the same. We came to the tent we had been in last night and entered. I sat down next to Lu Meng and grabbed a huge plate of food. I immediately started wolfing it down as fast as I could.

"Gan Ning, do you have any manners? And you call yourself a general," Lu Meng snapped from beside me.

"Nope, not that I know of," I replied and stopped eating for a brief moment.

"Anyway! Sun Jian has decided its time to return to the capital," Lu Xun piped up from Lu Meng's other side, "Liu Bei has done the same. Since Wei is defeated we have no other reason to stay here . . . or remain allies. Both-"

"Lu Xun, we do not need to talk while we are eating," warned Zhou Yu as he too entered. He continued in a lower voice, "Plus, such things are not subjects we should talk about in present company."

Zhou Yu made a glance at several Shu officers, who included Diao Wan, who were eating on the other side of us. They glared back at him with looks that could have killed a man. Zhao Yun reached down and gripped his spear and meant to get up, but his friend Jiang Wei put his hand on Zhao Yun's shoulder and held him back. Zhou Yu made his way over and sat by me. I then continued to gobble down my breakfast. I guess that even after fighting as allies for as long as we have, a prejudice still stands . . . or pride. I finished my last bit of food and feeling satisfied I decided to go see what was going on. I had to talk to Sun Quan, he was my boss after all. I got up and walked out to find him, thankfully he was only a little bit away so I rushed over. He had been staring at the ground walking towards me, but looked up at me when I approached.

"Ah! Gan Ning! Good morning! What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Well Sun Quan, I would like to know why Zhou Yu is acting like his hair is out of line, and Lu Xun said something about us leaving today," I responded.

He sighed and looked around cautiously. He motioned me to follow him and walked into a vacant tent. I obeyed and entered. The tent was completely empty except some of the soldier's supplies and weapons. Sun Quan turned to me and grabbed my shoulder and pulled me downward to his height.

"We are leaving and destroying all alliances with Shu. They are getting too powerful, and only one kingdom can rule all China. That kingdom will be Wu. We are going to act first and leave today as soon as possible and return to Jiang Ye," he said in a hushed whisper, "We must get our full forces and get ready to attack Shu. Also . . . I know you have become close to that female general of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang . . . do not get closer. You might need to kill her later on in this war."

My heart skipped a beat as he said those last words. He let go of me and put his hands in his pockets.

"Am I clear?" he asked me with stern eyes.

"Aye . . . sir," I answered unwillingly.

"That is the exact answer I wanted to hear. Good job, Gan Ning, its no wonder you are my most trusted general. Now if you'll excuse me I must go get my breakfast," he said while reaching up to adjust that silly hat of his.

But, he stopped. It wasn't there. Sun Quan's hat was missing.

"Huh? Where'd me hat go?" he asked aloud.

"You must have dropped it sir. And if you'll excuse me I have to be going," I said rather hotly.

I briskly walked out and ran into a young officer from Shu, Lu Chao. He stumbled a bit, and started to apologize until he got a good look at my face. He had been coming from the tent where everyone had been eating. Tall, yet not as tall as I was he stood only several inches shorter. Light brown hair, semi-short, being just a littler longer than normal short hair is. He had his Twin Ice Swords strapped to his belt and Shu's earthy green armor. His cold blue, almost black, eyes stared at me with dislike. He recognized me and scowled. His disgust was obvious.

"What kid?" I asked rather rudely.

"Lady Diao is looking for you. She asked me if I would help. It is rude not to help a lady," he said rather insulted.

"Sorry, my fault. Where is she?"

"Dunno, somewhere around the stables."

"Thanks."

I ran off to go find her and tell her. I know I shouldn't . . . but of all people, she should know. When I got near to where Lu Chao had said she would be, I saw her. She had stopped looking and was petting her horse's muzzle and humming an unknown tune. Her red flaxen gelding neighed softly and nuzzled her shoulder. She laughed and kissed his forelock. She noticed me and smiled.

"Hey there you are!" she said with a laugh, but she noticed something was wrong, "You ok? Something the matter?"

I walked over and put my hand on the gelding's neck, and stared off for a moment. I turned back to her concerned young face. I couldn't tell her . . . I didn't know why . . . but I just couldn't do it.

"Nah, nothin' is wrong. I'm perfectly fine. I ran into a friend of yours, Lu Chao right?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"Yes, he offered to help. He is one of Zhao Yun's good friends, a good fighter I've heard, but I haven't gotten the chance to see him fight," she answered with a concerned look still, but she turned to her gelding as he lipped her hair, "Storm Runner! You naughty horse! Does my hair look like hay to you?"

She laughed and pulled a piece of stray hair from the horse's mouth. She reached for a near by pile of hay and gave him a handful. The horse ate it gratefully and happily chewed.

"Gan Ning, do you know what Lu Xun was talking about earlier? Both kingdoms are returning?" she asked looking up at me with those emerald-green eyes.

"Dunno," I told her with a lie, "but yes we all shall be leaving today."

"Today? So soon? That means . . . we have to go to our own kingdom capital's don't we," she said choking on the last words slightly.

I couldn't help it, I grabbed her in a tight embrace and held her. She wrapped her arms around my waist and I heard her try to hold back several tears. I held her for several minutes until we noticed we weren't alone. They had begun packing and were tacking up many of the horses. We both let go of each other quickly as Lu Meng approached.

"Gan Ning! Start helping!" he yelled just a little ways off.

I leaned down and kissed Diao Wan on the cheek before leaving. I might never see her again. As I turned, she grabbed me and kissed me long and hard on the mouth.

"Goodbye," she said looking up at me.

"With a kiss like that, I'll be sure to come back. Bye," I said back with a half-hearted smile.

(Diao Wan's POV)

We left around lunch after eating. Wu had terminated our alliance with them . . . I don't know why . . . it had something to do with Sun Quan thinking one of us kidnapped his hat or something of the sort. We were almost home and I was miserable. Storm Runner was plodding along at a slow, tired walk. I patted him on the neck and went back to staring in space. Lu Chao and his wife Sun Zhu rode up on their horses laughing and enjoying themselves. I hadn't really been introduced to Sun Zhu, but I knew that Lu Chao and her were married . . . newlyweds by the look. I laughed as they flirted back and forth. Sun Zhu was very pretty with her long mane of black hair and almond eyes. She wore a green dress and rode sidesaddle. Her chakrams were attached to her saddle.

"Hello Lady Diao! Why looking so downcast on such a wonderful day?" Lu Chao asked brightly.

"Oh nothing, just a little homesick that's all," I answered back forcing a smile.

He smiled at me kindly and laughed, "Homesick? More like lovesick if you ask me."

"Very much the case considering that Wu is no longer with us," said Sun Zhu with a wink to her husband.

"Oh haha! Very funny you two," I laughed back in mock sarcasm.

They rode by me the rest of the way to the Shu capital. We laughed and talked, Sun Zhu and I teased Lu Chao, and he teased us back. When we finally got there and unpacked, I went straight for my chambers and threw myself down on the bed.

'Why did I let myself fall in love with the enemy?' I asked myself in my head.

(Gan Ning's POV)

It had only been around two hours since we had arrived home at Jiang Ye when it happened. I started feeling extremely ill and throwing up without stopping for several periods of time. Zhou Yu had put me to bed rest and was trying to figure out what was going on with me.

"Do you know what I got?" I asked weakly before another puking spell.

He looked over at me and looked downcast. He sighed and took a deep breath.

"Gan Ning, you have dysentery . . . it is not curable . . . your going to die."

END CHAPTER, TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: oh aren't I so evil! Rachel I know your going to kill me! Ah! Runs sorry it took so long to update, but you know how school is! Ah! Evil!