The Last Stand

I don't own DW/ROTK or its characters

It was a beautiful night, he could see every star in the sky perfectly, and there was not a single cloud in the sky to block the few. On any normal night it would have been a perfect place to start planning a really ideal night. Then he was also walking across a lovely plain, that also would of fit in with the whole idea of the great night. It is funny how things went, one small thing, or in this case one big thing could destroy. In this case it was just who he was with.

He was standing in front of a man who was sitting a for the lack of a better word, fancy wheelchair. The man looked very old, his face looking very tired. Also nearby was a warrior who had grown into a fine warrior. Ma Dai, had always been in the shadow of his older cousin, Ma Chao, but he was starting to come into his own, and now with some many of the first generations, it was warriors like him, and Wang Ping, and himself that would have to advance the cause of Shu.

"Well, my friends it seems my time is almost up," Zhuge Liang said leaning for in his chair to cough for a second.

"My Lord, you will survive this, you're the great Kongming, you can find away to cheat death easy, just like how you tricked our enemies," Dai said almost in a despair.

A weak laugh came from Kongming, and then he smiled, a odd little smile really. "No even one as me can change the course of the heavens, Wei come here."

At his command he walked up to his mentor, and leaned close to him. "What can I do for you, my teacher," Wei said in a clear voice.

"Wei, the future of this land is in your hands, I have fate in you, restore the Han to its once glory," Zhuge said before Jiang Wei back up.

"Now, my friends, see that star, when it goes out, my life is over," Zhuge Liang said point to the star on way up in the heavens.

As he pointed to the star, it went out, as he did.

Jiang Wei slowly opened up his eyes, remembering where he was, laying on the ground looking at nothing really. His mind soon went back to what had taken back at the begging of a day not to long before this one.

Jiang Wei had gotten up early that morning, as he had everyday for his whole life. He had a early meeting with his top generals, Liao Hua, and Dong Jue. He was amazed that he still had such generals after so many others had passed away. They had been pushed back by attacks all the way to Zi Tong, but they were sure they could find away to turn it around, they had always done so in the past. He was sure they would find away to do it again. He walked out to see if his generals had any ideas, Saber pass if nothing else was going to be the perfect place to defend. He had just lost his best commander Xiahou Ba, the man who had changed sides and helped him so much during the last 20 years. He still felt sad over his death, knowing it was without a doubt his own fault, for not killing Wuan Guan, when he knew his surrender was false. It had also cost him most of his supplies. It was a mistake, that Zhuge Liang, would never make in a thousand year, or even Zhuge Ke, or Ding Feng would never make.

"Ok gentlemen," he said as he walked to the table with the other generals already sitting all-round. "Have we gotten any new news about the Wei army."

A small laugh came from the other generals, and himself as well himself, the idea that the Cao clan was in control was a joke, in fact, it was only a matter of time till the Sima clan took over completely. "Well I guess I should say the Sima army."

A very depressed looking messenger walked up to the generals at that moment. Wei could see the depression in his eyes as clear as he had in anyone's. "What is it, is the enemy army already here?"

"Well, my lord, Shu is no more," the messenger said with a weak tone of voice.

Jiang Wei froze at that moment, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Could he had lost his mind, how could Shu already surrender, "Um, what did you just say?"

"Well General Wei, Deng Ai, and his army had found a secret path, and moved into the Cheng Du region, were Zhuge Zhan, defeat them twice before being killed himself with his son in battle, the there was no defense for Cheng Du, and the emperor advised by Qiao Zhou, and the rest of the council figure they could surrender, fight to the death or go into exile, Qiao Zhou advised surrender to Wei. The rest of the council went with him, except for Liu Chen. He refused, and went against his father, he was kicked out of the palace, and killed himself rather then surrender."

Jiang Wei just stood there, still in shock. It was over, we lost, how… how could he face Kongming in the next life, how could he face the emperor. Liu Chen dead, the great talent of Shu for the future. Jiang Wei could feel his face get wet.

"I can give up, I can die knowing this, I must find away to save the land, there has to be something we can do," Wei said looking out of it, "We will falsely surrender to Zhong Hui, and use him to get rid of Deng Ai, and save Shu, I know it will work, Hui is a fool and will fall for it."

Jiang Wei almost laughed thinking about the rest of that day, and how Hui, even compared himself to Liu Bei, everything was working perfectly. He was going to get rid of the officers who did not agree by burring them. He got up realizing that he had fall and lost his senses when he was in the middle of the operation. He cursed himself, and went inside the palace. Many of the officers had escaped because of his collapse. They were now attacking the temple. Wei rushed inside, where he saw that Hu had been killed by a arrow shot to the head. Many men were dead everywhere.

He slide out his trident, for what was going to be the last time. He sighed, as he prepared himself. He could see everything at once. He could see the moment so long ago, when he switched sides to Shu, he could see the great victories he had with Zhuge Liang, and also with Xiahou Ba, and sad days of both their deaths. As well as the deaths of some many other friends. Then he could see the back of a man, wearing a white Taoist robe.

"Jiang Wei, you failed me, you were unable to defend the land, and you are the reason for the failure. I would have been just as well off if I had left the land to Ma Su."

Jiang could see the shadow of other looking down on him, and he could only look at the ground in shame. He came to his sense when he heard footsteps coming closer. He prepared himself.

"I Jiang Wei, last warrior of Shu, challenge all of you , challenge all of, in the name of all that is right in this world," Jiang Wei stood as the group of officers came at him arms held out. He cut down the first one as he came at him, the swung around and took out another, and then after a bit every single one of the warriors was gone. Then he felt it, his chest, there was pain in his chest, he was going to die. I could suddenly hardly pick up his own weapon, he picked up a sword one of the officers had, and killed himself on the spot.

A week later in Wu, Ding Feng, commander of the Wu forces had received the news of the fall of Shu, " We and Shu were like teeth and lips, with out the lips the teeth grow cold, and turn bad, we must prepare for war, one which I am not sure we can win."

17 years later, Wu came, and in a war that was badly one sided crushed Wu, and united the land under Jin.