Woo! Chapter 3! And here, for a little help on relationships...

Sun Xu is Sun Ce and Da Qiao's daughter. She is loyal to both Shu and Wu, and fluxuates between the two quite regularly. She and Lu Xun are more of bf/gf, but she is known to jump into bed with Jiang Wei when she needs it. She looks up to her aunt, Sun Shang Xang, as well as her "uncle" Liu Bei and her mentor, Zhuge Liang. Her best friends in the world are Zou Mea and her horse, Stray Hex.

Zou Mea is Zou Ci's granddaughter (but she doesn't know it). She fluxuates between all kingdoms, with her boyfriend (Ling Tong) in Wu, her friends in Shu, and her mentor (Xiahou Dun). She, unlike Xu, will not jump into bed with anyone, but will joke about it to her heart's content.

And now...the chapter...

Rain

Heaven Bend to take my hand
And lead me through the fire
Be the long awaited answer
To a long and painful fight
Truth be told I tried my best
But somewhere long the way
I got caught up in all there was to offer
But the cost was so much more than I could bear

(Shu: Sun Xu late morning)

Waffles.

Sun Xu loved Jiang Wei's waffles, but today she had no appetite. She was pretty sure that it wasn't the previous night's musings and worries and sexings. No. This was a great feeling of impending doom, like the rain clouds that hung overhead. She walked down the hallway towards the grand strategy room, where Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang were waiting. Something inside didn't feel right.

She pushed open the doors, but her mind was so occupied with the strange emotion that she didn't announce herself at all. Xu simply walked into the room and sat down before burying her head in her hands.

"Sun Xu, is something wrong?" Liu Bei asked.

"Something just doesn't feel right...not a sick feeling...but like a premonition feeling. Don't mind me." She said, trying to divert attention from herself.

"I hope you'll feel better because you have a mission." Zhuge Liang said. Xu perked up.

"This is a peace treaty. Read it and then you must deliver it to Cao Cao."

"So...I'm your diplomat."

"Yes."

Sun Xu took the treaty, reading it over and nodding. This didn't shake her feeling of dread, but she stood and turned to leave.

Liu Bei came to her while she was prepping herself and Stray Hex, her great black stallion who looked scary, and was only terrifying when he needed to be. She didn't hear him until he spoke.

"Are you really alright?" He asked. She jumped and turned, slipping and grabbing Stray Hex for support.

"What?" She asked back, confused.

"I want to know if you're alright. You are like my niece."

"I'll be okay. Trust me." She replied, smiling. Liu Bei smiled. He hugged her quickly before she swung into the saddle and Stray Hex shot off like a bolt of lightning.

"Just leave a lantern out for me...Uncle Liu Bei..."

(A/N: "Uncle"? Sun Xu is Sun Ce and Da Qiao's daughter, thus with Sun Shang Xiang marrying Liu Bei, that means that he's her uncle.)

(Wei: Arena)

Lu Xun felled officers left and right, guarding his face viciously. He didn't want to end up in the same position as last time; Zou Mea could see it clearly. She couldn't intervene, for she would end up tortured for aiding the enemy. But Cao Pi had vowed to protect him to the best of his abilities, and Mea trusted him. Soon, Cao Cao stepped into the circle, and Lu Xun changed. His mind shifted from "prey" to "threat" in a matter of seconds.

It was clear that Cao Cao wanted Lu Xun to have a matching bandage on the other side of his face, but Lu Xun wasn't going to let that happen.

In one action of pure grace...

Cao Cao stabbed at Lu Xun, aiming for the left eye. Lu Xun jumped, his toes connecting with the flat side of the blade. That little ground launched him upwards. He whirled, feet tapping against the almost low ceiling before he jumped back down, touching the floor and positioned so one saber was at Cao Cao's throat and the other was blocking the sword.

Everything fell silent, only Lu Xun's exhausted breathing was heard.

Cao Cao snapped his fingers and Zhang He leapt gracefully from behind Zou Mea and Cao Pi, both who jumped in surprise (seeing as they didn't know he was back there). Lu Xun switched targets, but he was a second too late. Zhang He swiftly planted his knee into the boy's stomach, making him slip into unconsciousness. Zhang He held him, waiting for orders from Cao Cao, who simply nodded and then ordered the room to empty.

Mea and Cao Pi had no other option.

Cao Pi found Mea later, messing with the locks to the arena.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Lu Xun is in there...I need to help him." She said, succeeding in getting the first lock open.

(Wei: Cao Cao and "ambassador" Sun Xu)

It was raining.

Cao Cao read over the treaty while Sun Xu stood across the table from him, wary of the two door guards behind her. Her eyes never left the black orb in Cao Cao's hand. She knew that he held another orb, and she didn't have her weapons on her. She mentally cursed herself over and over again for leaving them back in Shu.

"This is...an interesting offer..."

Xu's attention suddenly jumped from the orb back to Cao Cao, who rose from his seat with the treaty in hand. Now, she focused on Cao Cao, trying her best to remain on guard. The feeling of dread in her stomach jumped. This was bad.

"Shall I return to Lord Liu Bei and tell him that you accept?" She asked, keeping her focus on Cao Cao.

"No. I don't believe that you'll be returning at all."

With one fluid and unpredictable motion, Cao Cao grabbed Xu by the throat and slammed her against the table. The two guards rushed up and bound her arms to the two table legs, repeating the process on her ankles. Cao Cao released her throat. Panic took over only when she saw the Hero of Chaos untie his belt. She cried for help, thought the back of her mind knew that she would only receive it if Mea was there...

And to her knowledge, she wasn't.

With the tip of his sword, Cao Cao began to slowly cut Xu's tight red pants from her legs. She struggled, screaming more as his hand pulled away the scraps of fabric and he began to remove his own pants.

'Mea!' Xu thought as she screamed once more.

But it was not Mea who heard Sun Xu's cries...

It was Cao Pi first, Xiahou Dun and Zou Mea second.

Cao Pi burst into the room, acting completely on impulse. His hands grabbed Cao Cao by the shoulder and collar of his clothing and slammed him against the wall. Cao Pi didn't know it, but he had just killed Cao Cao. He rushed to Xu, untying her and holding her when she latched onto him for lack of another person to hold at the time. Her body shook as her mind slowly registered what had just happened.

That's when Xiahou Dun and Zou Mea entered.

"Xu!" Mea cried, rushing over to her friend, who was no longer in hysterics but was crying.

"What happened here?" Xiahou Dun asked.

"Cao Cao was trying to rape her." Cao Pi replied, then shuddering as he dwelled on that thought a moment longer.

Xiahou Dun's eye grew wide and Mea's jaw dropped.

"Now what?" Cao Pi asked.

"Get her to bed. We'll figure everything out later."

Mea made preparations, speaking calmly to Stray Hex as she led him out into the pouring rain. Her own horse, the spunky white mare named Moon Shadow, followed. Cao Pi and Xiahou Dun stood on the stone steps, with Cao Pi holding a still terrified Sun Xu...who was wrapped in his blue cape for lack of a better substitute for her pants. Cao Pi set her side-saddle on the back of her great black horse. She smiled faintly and took hold of his mane, for he never wore a bridle. Mea looked back at the two.

"I'll be back soon. I promise..." She said, swinging into the saddle.

"Just come back in one piece." Cao Pi said. Xiahou Dun elbowed him in the ribs.

"Take your time. She'll need you."

Mea nodded. Sun Xu shuddered from the cold, not in touch with reality. Stray Hex took it as a sign, and shot off like a streak with Moon Shadow close behind him.

(Shu: Zhao Yun, Jiang Wei, and Liu Bei)

Lightning.

Zhao Yun was standing in the pouring rain, holding a lantern and looking for the sound of Stray Hex over the rain that pounded him over and over. The lightning that flashed overhead would occasionally illuminate the world for the barest moment, but then it would be dark again as thunder roared. He shivered from cold, but continued to watch. Jiang Wei had just finished his three hour watch, and was descending the watch tower ladder in order to go inside and dry off.

Then...

The lighting flashed, and Zhao Yun saw Stray Hex as clear as day, and the shrill whinny of the great black stallion informed him that he was not dreaming.

"Open the gates! NOW!" Zhao Yu shouted.

Jiang Wei did and rushed up to the steps, ringing whatever bells he could. Liu Bei rushed out into the rain just as both Stray Hex and Moon Shadow burst through the gates. It seemed as just as Hex came to a stop, Xu tumbled from the saddle and was caught by Jiang Wei. Mea dismounted and stepped out of the rain as Zhao Yun ran over.

"Zou Mea!" Zhao Yun said, hugging her, though they were both soaking wet.

"I love you too, but there are other matters." Mea said.

"What happened to Xu?" Liu Bei asked, concerned about his half-asleep niece in Jiang Wei's arms. Mea swallowed hard.

"She was almost raped by Cao Cao."

(Wei: Cao Pi and Xiahou Dun and Zou Mea)

The rain was clearing up as Mea and Moon Shadow sailed through the gates and up to the waiting pair. Cao Pi had his arms crossed, looking strange without his blue cape. Xiahou Dun's foot tapped in time with hoof beats.

"So...what happened?" Xiahou Dun asked.

"Um...Liu Bei was a little irked..." Mea replied, dismounting.

"Define 'irked' please." Cao Pi said.

"He kinda declared war..."

"WHAT!

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Chapter end! Ideas are always welcome.