Author Notes: Same old, same old, non-historic moments part three. Get them while they are hot. Some not too nice stuff happens so beware. So yeah, nothing new to add, read, review, be merry.

Chapter 3: A Deadly Plan

In the training grounds Xiahou Dun was practicing his swordsmanship against a wooden carving of a man on a horse, with a wooden practice sword that resembled his actual sword. He first started fighting on horseback slashing many times, trying out different combinations and styles of attacks. After his horseback attacks, he got off the horse and attacked the wooden cavalier on foot. Xiahou Dun's attacks were combined with some defensive rolls and dodges to get around the sides of the practice enemy. Finally, after his duel on foot against the cavalier, he walked a few meters over to a wooden soldier that was on foot and continued to battle him until he finally hit the wooden warrior in the neck so hard that it cracked off the head. Dun stood there for a moment to catch his breath when he heard a familiar voice.

"Do that out on the battlefield and you are sure to slay that fool Ma Chao." Xiahou Dun turned around and saw Xu Huang standing there, holding his great axe across his should and smiling. "However, I think he might move around a little more than that there. Say, why don't you and I have a little sparring session, it could do you good to fight a real person and I know I could use the practice for battle. What do you say?"

"Do you think you could possibly beat me in sparring?" Xiahou Dun asked with a laugh. Xu Huang could tell he was joking and laughed back at him.

"I don't think... I know I could defeat you. Someone with your hot headed temper can be easily beaten." Xu Huang picked up the wooden spear and then stood in position to duel. Xiahou Dun stood ready as well as they prepared to fight.

Sima Yi stood outside the throne room waiting. He was standing there for about five minutes when finally the door behind him opened up. Out came Cao Pi, Zhen Ji and Zhang He. They saw Sima Yi waiting. Cao Pi raised his eyebrows at Sima Yi wondering why he was standing there.

"Is there something you needed Sima Yi?" Cao Pi asked him with a questioning gesture of his hands.

"I was just walking by and came to tell you that the plan will be happening very soon. I also was wondering how the alliance searching was going? Do I need to come help with that too or do you think you are capable of doing that yourself?" Sima Yi had a hint of annoyance in his voice towards the young ruler. Cao Pi waved off both Zhen Ji and Zhang He and turned back to Sima Yi.

"You will do good to watch your tongue when you speak to me! I am your Lord and you will talk to me with respect, do you understand?" Cao Pi's breath was hot and quickly coming out through his clenched teeth in anger. Sima Yi simply rolled his eyes back and scoffed. He then shrugged his shoulders up a bit and looked back at him.

"Whatever you say… My Lord," Sima said in response, accenting the "My Lord" part with some sarcasm behind it. "So, was your alliance search successful or not?"

"If it will make you feel better, yes I did find someone to become our ally, a representative will be coming by sometime soon to discuss the terms of our alliance. I just hope these people are not as annoying as they seem. I heard something about the one man… but it matters not, as long as these people can battle well enough and do not expect to be paid or anything, we will be able to destroy Ma Chao quickly and then we might as well destroy our "ally" as well." Cao Pi laughed at his own comment. Sima Yi raised his eyebrow a bit.

"So you are telling me once we defeat Ma Chao, you will just turn around and attack our new ally?" Sima asked him with a piqued interest in the matter. Cao Pi noted the interest and nodded.

"I see no need in having any allies after we get rid of him, after all, it's not like anyone else is that strong enough to possibly over throw us like Ma Chao. Once he's taken care of, there is no one else we need to really have an alliance for." Sima Yi laughed loudly. Cao Pi looked at him oddly. "What is so funny?"

"Ah my lord Cao Pi, I just never realized how similar you and I think. It is downright scary really…" Cao Pi laughed a bit at his comment and walked off. "What an insect that Cao Pi is… but it won't be that long until he will be killed by his own stupidity. Thinking he can make an alliance and then just turn his back on it? I'm sure it wouldn't take too long for whoever it is that he is making an ally to just up and kill him. Who knows, maybe Ma Chao will do us all a favor and kill off Cao Pi. Then I can finally have the throne for myself."

Sima Yi walked away from the throne room for the weapons storage building. He opened the large doors leading to the inside with a strong push. The doors slowly opened letting in more light into the dimly lit room. Towards the back was Dian Wei who was looking at a newly sharpened axe. The axe was huge and the opposite side of the blade was in the shape of a large lion head. He looked up at Sima Yi and nodded.

"Is it time?" Dian Wei asked him looking back down at the blade of the axe. A second man came from the shadows revealing himself to be Zhang Liao. Liao was holding a long glaive with a golden dragon head under the blade. Liao looked up at Sima Yi for his answer. Sima Yi simply nodded and turned away. Dian Wei swung around his giant axe and posed. "Let's do this."

The sun was slowly coming down from the sky as it reached around five in the evening. The sky was slowly darkening as the sky's colors were changing. Ma Chao came out from his tent and walked over to the lean-to tent that his horse was laying in. He patted its head causing it to look up at him with its big brown eyes. Ma Chao smiled to it and told it to get up so that they could go. The horse made a nod and quickly got up and got out of the tent. His horse walked in a small circle and then stopped beside its master. Ma Chao rubbed the back of its neck and got on the saddle. Han Sui walked up to Ma Chao.

"My lord Ma Chao, do you really think Liu Bei and his forces could help us defeat Cao Pi's army? I mean he may have a power ally behind him by now," Han Sui said with a touch of worry in his voice. Ma Chao shook his head.

"I can't guarantee that we will win, but as long as my heart is still beating, my horse is breathing and I still have my spear, then I will not rest until the day I end Cao Pi's life and the reign of Wei. It is what my father would want and it is what I must do. People like Cao Pi don't deserve to live in our lands. I will make sure of it one way or another. Wei will fall by my hands, I swear it." Ma Chao gently nudged his horse to walk forward. Han Sui called out to him as he slowly rode off to scout the area.

"I will make sure that Liu Bei gets your warmest regards…" Just as Han Sui said that a man came running over to him shouting.

"Lord Ma Chao! Lord Ma Chao!! I have urgent news!! Dian Wei and Zhang Liao were spotted coming in and out of our camp! My Lord you must hurry!" Ma Chao quickly turned around and rode back at the sound of the man's urgent cry to him. Ma Chao looked at the man and he quickly pointed towards the direction of the panic. Ma Chao quickly rode off towards where the man pointed and heard a scream from the distance. He could see two men riding off with some faded figures riding along with them, however the figures were screaming in terror and fear. Ma Chao recognized the figures and his eyes burned red in anger.

"Those cowards! I am going to kill them!! Men get together and chase them!!" Ma Chao quickly rode off in pursuit after them with an unorganized group of cavalry and men behind him. He got up to the gate a few moments too late as the huge gate doors were closed. Ma Chao stood outside the gate screaming insults and obscenities for them to get out and fight like a man. Ma Chao continued screaming, with a chorus of soldiers and officers behind him, for about an hour. Soon after, Dian Wei stood on top of the castle wall staring down at him.

"Oh? Well isn't it the feared Ma Chao. What are you doing outside our castle walls?" Dian Wei asked while laughing, which just infuriated Ma Chao even more causing him to curse even more and louder. Dian Wei laughed more at his anger.

"Get down here you spineless yellow bellied coward!! I will rip you limb from limb until you are nothing more than a puddle of blood and flesh!! I will kill you and all of the Wei followers!!!!" Ma Chao paced back and forth in anger as he was forced to stand outside and wait to find out what was happening inside. His anger was burning deep inside him like a wild fire. Soon he heard a sound that could make skin crawl. A moment of silent then fell upon them. But right after that Ma Chao saw something fly over the side of the wall down in front of him. He felt his stomach jump at the sight of it. In all his life of battling and war, never had he felt like this before, for on the ground before him was a bloody dismembered arm… of his wife.