wrinkles nose- So, two chapters. Wee! I guess I'll update like, two chapters every other day. Or try to anyways. Weekdays are busy usually. I had another idea for a fanfic actually, I wrote the 'prologue' but some of my friends were booing it ;P. So I don't think I'll be posting that up. I guess it's too serious? But if anyone wants to read it, I'll post it up at the end of this story or something. Gaha…thanks for reviewing and reading!

Chapter 23: Before the Battle

Qing Wan rolled around in the tent that night, because there were no extra tents around. Gan Ning had offered her his general tent and slept outside to 'guard' her. She stared out at the tent window that was flapping freely from the gentle breeze outside. She could hear the soldiers start to wake up and prepare for the big battle ahead of them. Slowly she pushed her blankets aside and walked over to the set of armor that was set up for her. She had an argument with Gan Ning earlier about wearing armor or not, and at the end he had convinced her to wear a bit. "Not everyone's like me you know." She could remember Gan Ning flexing while saying it, "You haven't had training in months, and you're slow."

"Hey, Qing Wan." She could see his shadow outside the tent, "Hurry up, after breakfast we got to meet up with the Shu guys."

"Alright." She told him, she turned to look at the red set of armor again. Every piece she put on, she could remember the time she had helped Lu Xun with his. Grabbing onto her helmet, she placed it beside her waist and walked out.

"Morning General Cheng." The soldiers greeted her; she nodded in reply and walked over to where Gan Ning was chatting with his men. "Morning General Cheng." The men bowed, "We'll be getting ready Lord Gan Ning."

"Alright." Gan Ning grabbed a bun off the table and threw it over to her; she caught it successfully with two hands. "Come on, stuff it down and we'll be on the horses." Qing Wan held the steamed bun in her hands and looked at it. "What's wrong?"

"I can't eat it, the armors too stiff." She sighed.

xx

The Wu army marched from the riverbanks down the dirt path of the Jing province, they were scheduled to meet up with the Shu army to join up with Lu Xun at the borders. Qing Wan's struggled with the heavy helmet that kept slipping off her head while they were heading across the bumpy roads. Gan Ning held on to her horses rein beside her and led her to the correct path as she held the helmet up high.

"Can I just not wear this?" she questioned the Wu general.

"Why not?" Gan Ning chucked the reins back at her, "I never told you to wear the helmet anyways." He laughed galloping forward. Soon they could see a flood of green as Shu soldiers were lined up neatly on the right side of the field. Gan Ning raised his hand in the air and positioned his men to the left, then he and Qing Wan walked up to the middle.

"Lord Gan Ning, Lady Cheng." Liu Bei greeted, Gan Ning had sent a letter to explain all about Qing Wan's situation. "I wish you both good luck." He smiled warmly. "Bo Yue, Zi Long." He called out to the two Shu generals, dressed in their war attire they walked over. Jiang Wei smiled at Qing Wan.

"Lady Cheng, surprised that was you." He laughed, Qing Wan scratched her head and blushed. She looked over to Zhao Yun but turned away to see his glare.

"I'm going to get the troops." Zhao Yun snorted, walking to the back.

"Don't mind him." Jiang Wei explained, "He's just…"

"It's my fault anyways," she looked down on the ground, "I'm sorry that I lied."

"You had your reasons, but it's not your fault. Qing Wan, I need to tell you something."

"Bo Yue." They turned around to see Zhuge Liang walk over, "Don't tell anyone now. Wait until at least it's over, you know this is going to harm Zi Long." Jiang Wei stood silently as his teacher lectured.

"Let us get moving, we need to be there as soon as possible." Gan Ning shouted to his men. Both the armies let out a huge war cry as they began to travel north, to begin the battle with Cao Cao.

xx

The day and a half trip to the north was quiet, the soldiers barley got time to rest, as they didn't set up camps for the night. It was about nighttime when they could see the Wu and Lu flag flap freely across the look out tower. "They're here Lord Lu Xun!" the archers cried out to the Wu tactician below them.

"Open the gates." He instructed the two guards who began to pull the giant gates inwards. He smiled to see the massive force of Wu and Shu heading towards them. Getting on his horse, Lu Xun rode out to greet them. "Xing Ba! Lord Jiang Wei! Lord Zhao Yun!" he called out, not noticing the female general who rode behind Gan Ning.

"Lord Lu Xun." The three replied, they turned back to their men. "Set up camp here! We have a big day tomorrow!" they ordered. The men cried with pride and scattered across the large lands of Shu. Lu Xun nodded in approval to the three generals until he noticed the female in the back, dressed in armor and wearing a helmet that covered her eyes.

"Who's this?" he questioned Gan Ning, who let out a sly smirk.

"Bo Yue, Zi Long, let us head in first." Gan Ning slapped the two men's back playfully, "We shall celebrate with a bit of wine and food prepared for us." He cackled, slapping the general's horses' butts forcing them to run inside the gates.

"Xing Ba!" Lu Xun was shocked to hear that familiar voice, "Oh crap." He saw her cover her face longer with her helmet.

"Qing Wan?" Lu Xun moved his horse slightly to be beside her, he placed his two hands on her helmet. Quickly he could see her scrawny hands try to press it down. "Qing Wan, it's you."

"No, no it's not." She replied, making a deeper voice. "I'm a man!"

"Then why won't you let me see you?"

"Because…I'm an ugly man!" she sighed at her come back, she slowly released her hands from the helmet and allowed him to slip it off. After all she was having trouble breathing anyways. "Uh, hi Bo Yan." She greeted him. Tears formed under Lu Xun's eyes.

"You're alive!" he shouted, pouncing on her. The two fell off their horse and landed in the grass.

"OW." Qing Wan screeched, Lu Xun jumped off.

"I'm sorry." He tried to help her up, "I just…"

"Yeah, yeah." She pushed him away, using the ground for support she pushed herself up from the ground. "Bo Yan, you shouldn't act like that." She patted the dirt from her clothes, "You're married."

"Qing Wan…"

"I'm going to go find Xing Ba, we have a big day tomorrow." She walked over to her horse and got on slowly. She winced from the pain of the fall, "and I need some ointment or something." She mumbled riding into the giant gates. Lu Xun stood there without a word, he was happy that he got to see her again. Yet he was sad that after so long, she still hasn't learned to forgive him. Getting on his own horse, he returned to the main camp sadly and entered one of the tents where Gan Ning and Jiang Wei were talking.

"Am I disturbing you?" Lu Xun asked seeing the two stop talking right away.

"Oh nothing, we were just talking about some stuff that happened." Gan Ning told him, "How was Qing Wan?"

"It was okay, I'm going to go get rest now. See you all tomorrow." He muttered quickly and walked out.

"It was okay?" Jiang Wei asked Gan Ning with a confused look.

"Who knows."

xx

Qing Wan walked out of her guest tent that was provided for her with a bucket in her arm. It was a ritual for her to always find a stream to take a bath in before the battle, to wash off all the 'bad' things that would keep her from victory. She stepped out into the forest west of the main camp, following the stream that led across the area she found herself in an isolated spring. "Just perfect." She thought, placing her feet in the water to test the temperature. She prepared to untie the ribbons to her robe until she heard rustles in the trees. "Who goes there?" she cried covering herself and stepping back. She saw the shadow emerge from the trees. "Zi Long…" she whispered to see the Shu general.

"I'm sorry, I'll be leaving." He said turning around to leave.

"Wait!" Qing Wan cried out, trying to climb the small hill where he was on. Since she lacked shoes, she slipped on one of the rocks and fell down on her bottom. "Ow." She held onto her back where she was injured earlier. Zhao Yun hopped down the hill.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his arm holding on to hers. Their eyes met one another as the full moon's glare surrounded them. Their faces inched towards one another until the sound of the crows gawked in the air. Zhao Yun pulled his face back and stood up sturdily. "If you're alright, I should be going now." He looked at her coldly and continued to walk down the path that lead back to the camp. Qing Wan watched slowly as he gradually slipped away from her, she couldn't explain why her eyes formed tears that dripped into the water.

"I'm sorry!" she cried out, hoping he would hear her.

xx

Wooosh. The war scene is next…I don't know how to describe a good war scene. X.x. But yeah…next chapter will surely be fun to write. Until then!

xReika