Disclamer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: 2 years after the prolouge. Rating went down to T again due to lack of comments. I have my reasons. Still SSX POV.

Stupid sexist Quan. It's bad enough he got angry at me for being nosy and at Zhou Yu for telling me everything, but when I told him my logic that a woman beating Gan Ning would shut him up once and for all, he nearly shoved me in a carriage and shipped me off to Cao Cao's infamous woman tower. (Oh he wouldn't dare.)

Joking aside, he said that Gan Ning is a vicious and pretty much evil guy, and if he lays eyes on me I can consider myself raped right then and there. Wow, really optomistic there, brother.

I suggested attending the battle anyways, and promising to stay away from Gan Ning. Quan, being my brother, knew exactly what I was implying and said no again. (He knew the first thing I would do is charge Gan Ning the instant he stops looking.)

And now the jackass won't even tell me what day the troops are leaving for war! Well, that won't stop me. When I'm determined, nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is gonna get in MY way!

Apparantly something is, and something ALMOST did. When I woke up this morning, I COULDN'T GET OUT OF MY ROOM. My brother must have rolled a rock or something in front of the door, damn him.

That's not going to stop me. I looked out the window and saw a huge line of troops, horses, generals, and lo and behold, my stupid brother-- marching out of Wu and heading southwest.

Southwest... definitely towards the seas. They're headed for war already! And without me?

I wasn't letting an opportunity like this pass me by. I got dressed, pulling on my sleeveless, red vest-like shirt and buttoned it up down my chest and across my neck. I pulled my red pants on, (which stopped at my mid-calf; not really pants) and tied on my thick black boots. (AN: I know her boots aren't black, I like black boots. Who goes to war without boots? I went to Prom in boots!) I pulled my red headband over my short red hair, messed it up appropriately, and pulled my fingerless gloves on.

For some reason my Chakrams are missing. God DAMN my brother! He must have snuck into my room while I was sleeping!

Well, he didn't take the good ones. I keep the good ones under my bed. They're even better than the other ones, considering they're not as heavy and they're sharper.

Now to get out... that's an easy problem. All I did to escape THAT was throwing some ugly statue I hated through the window; it went right through the window and I jumped right through the hole.

Ha. I headed to my stables, mounted my white horse, but before I could head off... Da Qiao, Ce's widow, caught me escaping and wouldn't let me leave because she wanted to tell me some crazy dream she had about Sun Ce returning to life and kissing her. Whatever. I told her to take a hike, and she took me seriously and ran off. Honestly, sometimes I wonder how drunk my brother was when he asked that girl to marry him.

Speaking of which, watch over me, Dad and Ce, because that pirate's not going to know what hit him after I strike!

Thanks to the horsetracks left in the mud, I followed after my own army for what seemed like all morning. It sure was a muggy day, pretty lousy conditions for a battle.

Whatever. I'm already too eager for a fight to turn back now, and nothing's scaring this princess away from her duty... fighting and defending her homeland!

I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored.

I've been following these stupid tracks for hours now, and I'm bored. I'm sweaty, I'm tired, and if some pirate comes along I might as well rip my pants off and let him take me right here. (I'm joking. Any pirate who comes my way gets his block knocked off, regardless of my exhaustion.)

"Ugh," I moaned out loud. "Why did I come here? No pirate blood is worth THIS!"

"Hey, Lady Sun! What's happening?" a familiar voice echoed behind me. I turned around and saw the friendly face of Ling Tong, an officer in the Wu army I've known for a while, smiling at me.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm TRYING to get to Xia Kou! But I THINK I'm lost!" I complained. I'm usually an optomist, but there's no point in pursuing a lost cause.

Ling Tong chuckled. "I guess it goes to show you how lousy women are with directions-- OW!" I interrupted his sexist comment by smacking him on the back of the head.

"Yeow, that hurt!" he whined. I rolled my eyes. "Goes to show you what happens when you insult a woman."

"Yeah, well, if you see any, let me know." Ling Tong wiggled his eyebrows at me, earning him another smack.

"OW! Cut it out!" he whined again. "What does that saying go, Thou knows no wrath like a woman enraged?" I asked.

Lng Tong rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Enough of the feminist crap."

"Enough of the sexist crap!"

"Stop saying the word sexist, you're turning me on there," Ling Tong said with a grin. Before I could slap him this time, he squealed like a girl (sorry to all you ladies out there) kicked his horse, and went off.

"Wait! I promise I won't hit you! Wait up!" I wailed, chasing after him.

He stopped. "You promise?"

I nodded. He reluctanly stopped, and I kicked him in the leg. "OW! How is that helping?" he said angrily.

"It helps with my rage issues. Anyways, where are you going?" I asked.

"To Xia Kou! Dad asked for some reinforcements, so here I am." Ling Tong replied.

"You're going to Xia Kou and you didn't tell me? Ass!" I said angrily.

"Woah, woah, language there, Princess. I figured you knew everything already, Miss Women are so Smart and Almighty!" Ling Tong stopped. "Please don't hit me again."

"I won't if you don't take me to Xia Kou, RIGHT NOW!" I nearly screamed. "Alright, alright, chillax. You ARE going the right way. See those footprints? Those are PROBABLY where the other soldiers went, just a gue-- OW!"

Ling Tong galloped a few feet ahead of me. "Quit hitting me!" he said.

I rolled my eyes. To think I used to have a crush on him.

(No, this fic will NOT become LTxSSX! Don't kid yourself!)

"Here we are, ladies and germs, welcome to scenic Xia Kou, home of the insane women and the super-sexy generals... oh, wait, that's Wu I'm talking about!" Ling Tong said, pulling his horse to a stop.

Before I could slap him, (for the fourth time) he put his hands in front of his head and said, "I was talking about the Qiao chicks! Geez!"

Yeah. Right. "Alright, so where's the action?" I said eagerly. "I want to kick some ass!"

"OK, bloodthirsty princess, maybe you should LOOK OVER THERE," Ling Tong said, pointing. "AHA! PEOPLE TO KILL!" I screamed manaically, chasing after them. "LOOK OUT, BECAUSE SUN SHANG XIANG IS COMIN' TO GET YOU!"

Ignoring Ling Tong's sarcastic calls of, "Go get 'em, Princess Crazy!", I charged right at the first guy I saw. He heard me coming and whipped his head around, revealing probably the best looking guy on the face of the earth. (He made Ling Tong look like a... nevermind.) Unfortunately, I couldn't stop! "Look out!" I yelled, not wanting to cause any damage to that gorgeous face.

"Woah!" the guy yelled, diving out of the way. I fell right off my horse, and-- oof, landed right on top of his tattoo-covered chest, (which I just noticed was bare). I could feel the muscles of his chest on my back.

"Geez," the guy grumbled, sitting up. He noticed me on his lap. "I guess being hit by a horse is a small price to pay if you've got pretty girls falling on your lap," he commented, looking at me. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"I... I'm Sun Shang Xiang, Princess of Wu. Who're YOU?" I asked.

He flashed me a big grin, revealing a line of straight white teeth, and said, "I'm Gan Ning of the Bells." (AN: Oh come on you saw that coming.)

Oh great. Just great.

Over already? I know, I know... chapters are too short, you want some action. Well, too bad; it'll come laaaaater... you lovely people gave me 9 comments when I asked for 5 originally, but Chapter 1 yielded no comments... Read and Review, people! And tell a friend! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!