Disclaimer: Yeah, I own Dynasty Warriors. That's why, instead of making these crazy stories of mine a reality, I have my lazy butt on my chair, typing it into my laptop computer. Give me a break! I do not own Dynasty Warriors or any of its affiliated characters! GET OFF MY BACK ABOUT IT, YA KOEI CREEPS!
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When I finally woke up, I was sleeping directly on the couch and Da was lying on top of me. Tong had already left the room. I groaned and woke Da up, who yawned sleepily.
"Good morning," she said with a yawn.
"Ouch, I'm stiff," I said with a smile. "Must be what happens when you sleep on someone's lap."
Da giggled. "Shang Xiang, you're so obvious..."
"What does that mean?" I said, already knowing what this conversation would soon bring.
At that moment, Xiao came in, looking sad. "Hey, sis... hey, Shang Xiang..."
Da and I both got up and hugged her. "Xiao, please don't be so sad," Da begged. "Seeing you sad makes everyone upset."
Xiao sighed. "I thought about it for a while last night, and Lord Zhou Yu was talking to me about it.. he said that the baby was sick, and he's in a better place now. I guess that's a good thing."
Ling Tong came in and said, "Hey, Shang Xiang, Lord Sun Quan said that he wants to see you, NOW!"
"Oh geez. Was he mad?" I asked.
"No, he looked kind of happy. Dunno why."
"Alright, I better go," I said, patting Xiao on her back.
"Okay. Tell me what happened later. I'll be hanging around outside." Ling Tong headed over and took my seat, helping Da Qiao cheer up Xiao Qiao.
I got up and stretched. Now to find out what Quan wanted. Since I'd been up all night with Da Qiao, cheering up Xiao, I was still in the clothes I wore when me and Tong went to investigate that ship last night. I hurridly got dressed into a tan shirt decorated with a flower on the front and pulled on a pair of red shorts. I laced up my knee-length red boots and pulled my red headband on, noticing how long my brown hair had grown. Now it was barely grazing my shoulders. I shrugged, messed it up accordingly and raced off. (3rd outfit, DW4)
"Hey, brother! What's happening?" I asked. I know I should be more respectful to the Emperor himself, but since he was my brother, I never worried about it.
"Hello, Shang Xiang. How are you?" Quan asked, sitting on his throne at the front of the Main hall.
"Eh, can't complain. Tong told me you had something to tell me?"
"Yes, I did. Shang Xiang... you're getting married!"
"WHAT? To WHO?" I screamed.
"To Huang Gai! He needs a woman!"
"WHAT!" I screamed, thinking I was going to faint.
Quan chuckled. "Ha ha ha, I fooled you. I do need to tell you something, though, which'll be much more interesting than a proposed marriage."
"Oh, good. WAY TO NEARLY GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK, BROTHER!" I said angrily.
"Quiet, you. I'm thinking of asking the Nanmans in the Southern region of Nan Zhong for an alliance, so when we invade Shu we have some backup, but... I need a capable commander to lead a general or two and some troops down there to ask. Can I count on you?"
"YOU BET YOU CAN!" I said, jumping up and down happily. "What generals?"
"That's the good part. Ask whomever you'd like to accompany you, but I wouldn't push the limit. Maybe 2, at maximum 3. I don't want the Nanmans thinking we're invading." Quan said.
"If I could make a recommendation, I would suggest bringing Gan Ning," Quan continued. "He said he's good friends with the Nanman king, so I'm sure he would be useful in allying with them. Besides, have you ever seen the Nanmans? Tan skin, tattoos, very little clothing? He fits right in!"
"...okay. I'll discuss it with my 2nd-in-command first." I said, referring to Ling Tong.
"You mean Ling Tong? I don't think bringing the two of them together is such a good idea," Quan said.
"Tong's coming with me," I said stubbornly.
"Alright. Think it over, and talk to him about it. Speaking of Ling Tong, be sure to let him know we're holding the memorial for his father tomorrow. I forgot to tell him myself when I saw him 20 minutes ago. And don't forget having a celebratory banquet tonight, in honor of our victory at Xia Kou AND Gan Ning's addition to our army, so make sure to make yourself look presentable."
"Can I-"
"No, you cannot wear shorts. Wear a dress, Shang Xiang! It won't kill you and you look very pretty when you wear them."
"Yeah, it hasn't killed you yet," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Shang Xiang, I am not wearing a dress. I am wearing dress ROBES, customary for the Emperor of Wu."
"You're the first Emperor! That's a self-declared statement!"
"Get out of here before I really make you marry Huang Gai!" Quan ordered.
"Eep! Yes, brother!" I squeaked, and scurried off. One bad thing about having the Emperor as your brother-- he usually could make his threats a reality.
"So we're going to war again?" Ling Tong asked. As promised, I met up with him after talking to Quan and we were walking outside the castle, me telling him what Quan said.
"Nope. Quan said it's just an alliance seeking mission. We go to the Nanman territory, ask to see the King, we ask if he wants to ally with us in the war against Shu."
"...what happens if he says no? Are we doomed?" Tong asked.
"Uh... I didn't think about that. C'mon, why would he say no? Quit being a pessimist!"
"Alright, alright.Get off my back. Lord Sun Quan said 3 generals, right? So counting you, and me, (you're bringing ME, right?) that leaves one left."
I decided not to bring up Gan Ning. "I don't think I count... well, we got as long as we need to plan it out. I don't want to bring Lu Xun or Zhou Yu, that's for sure."
"Why not?" Ling Tong asked."They ARE geniuses, you know."
"Because Zhou Yu's a concieted jerk and Lu Xun's a bossy little twit whose brain is bigger than he is," I replied, laughing a little. "Besides, they'll both try and take control!"
"Yeah, whatever. So did Lord Sun Quan tell you about the banquet tonight? He told me to remind you you have to wear a dress. Ha ha ha." Ling Tong said, laughing at my terrible fate.
"ARRGH. I HATE wearing dresses! They're long, awkward, they restrain me from moving and they make me look FAT." I complained, being the typical woman for once in my life.
"They do not make you look fat, they make you look pretty. Prettier, since you already are," Ling Tong said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, half the generals are so wasted they can't see straight, so who cares?"
"Hahaha, what about you? You're still underage!"
"Well, I won't be NEXT year!" Ling Tong complained. Being only 20 years old, he couldn't drink any alcohol until he was 21. Ha. "And besides, you're a woman, you can't drink anything no matter how old you get!"
Dammit. "ANYWAYS," I said, changing the subject, "if you'll excuse me, I have to go try on a stupid dress for later tonight. So, I guess I'll see you later."
"What? Are you serious? It's nowhere near dark yet, why go in now?" Ling Tong asked.
"Heck, are you kidding? It'll be another hour until I'm done complaining about it," I said. "See ya!"
That's when I remembered the OTHER thing Quan told me to tell Tong. "Oh... I just remembered, Quan also mentioned that there's going to be a memorial service for your father, too," I said, watching Tong's expression turn to a sad one.
I wrapped my arm around his waist, trying to cheer him up. "Tong, come on. You said it yourself that your father wouldn't want you to be down in the dumps. He'd want you to be a better general than he was."
"I guess you're right... but how'd you get over your dad and your brother dying?" Tong asked.
"I'm still not completely over it. I mean, you still miss them... but over time you realize that the person wouldn't want you to mourn their deaths for the rest of your own life. They'd want you to keep on living, but let them live on in your heart," I said.
"And get revenge," Tong said, glaring off toward the direction of Gan Ning's docked ship.
"Oh, Tong, will you stop it? If you attack him, Quan's going to remove you from your ranks and make you leave Wu! I don't want that to happen!" I said, scowling at him.
"Why do YOU even care?" Tong asked. "If I get revenge, so what if he kicks me out of Wu?"
"Because I'm never going to see my best friend again! What am I gonna do without you?" I demanded, playing up the drama of the moment a little. (okay, a lot.)
"What do you mean?" Tong asked.
"You're the best friend I've ever had!" I said angrily. "And if that stupid pirate, or that dumb manly urge to get revenge whenever something bad happens to you, gets between us I'm not going to get over it!"
Ling Tong didn't reply. He also wasn't looking at me; instead he was looking down at the ground, his expression unreadable. "You don't believe me, do you?" I said angrily, letting go of him and putting my hands on my hips. "You're probably thinking of some stupid plan to kill Gan Ning and get yourself executed for treason!"
Before I could help it, a few hot tears escaped my eyes. I brushed them away, then without any warning at all I burst into hysterical crying. What the hell is wrong with me?
"Oh, Shang Xiang... come on..." Ling Tong's arms were around me, holding me tight. I was desperately trying to make myself stop crying, but no avail. My head was against Tong's neck, and his head was resting on my hair.
"That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me," he said. I sniffed. "Well, it's true. You ARE my best friend."
His arms tightened. "I... I got carried away..."
Long minutes passed until I was finally able to stop crying. I sniffed and made myself pull away and I felt his arms release me. Without saying anything, we looked at each other, then I turned away.
"I... I should go get ready now..." I said, wondering if anyone had seen us together. If one of the local maids known for being rather gossipy had seen us, I was doomed.
"Alright... see you later, then," Tong said. I smiled at him, and with that, I sighed and headed off to the castle, resigned to my fate.
Later that night, I reluctantly changed into a red dress, lined in gold thread, made of very soft silk. It was rather long, but it had a slit on the right side that started at my mid-thigh and went all the way down, giving me the ability to move (hooray!). It was sleeveless, and the collar went up to my mid-neck.
Da helped me get ready and assured me I looked magnificent. Yeah, whatever. I had to fend her off with a chair to prevent her from putting any make-up on me.
Da was wearing a dark red dress, almost a purplish-red that looked amazing on her. She was still in an early stage of her pregnancy, so it didn't show.
Well, she is a Qiao sister, and supposedly they're the prettiest women in the universe. Although she was almost unbearably feminine, I loved her and Xiao Qiao like the sisters I never had, so beggars can't be choosers.
"Shang Xiang, you should continue growing out your hair," Da said, brushing her own raven hair. Her hair was so long it fell down to her waist. I watched as she twisted one side up into the two twisty buns she usually wore it in. (DW4 hair style)
"Yeah, well, it's good the way it is now," I said, tossing the brush I had been using over my shoulder and fumbling around for my headband, avoiding some silly flowery hair clip Da was nagging me to use. "Hey, what happened to my headband?" I asked, unable to find it.
At that moment, Xiao, wearing a similar pink dress that blinded my eyes popped into the room, being as usual her happy and innocent self. "Hey! Sis, where did you want me to hide Shang Xiang's headb-- oh, hey, Shang Xiang! Hee hee!"
I snatched my headband from Xiao's hand and put it on, smoothing my brown hair down. "Darn it, stupid hair," I said.
Xiao Qiao twirled around happily, watching the big pink bow she had on the back of her dress bounce around. "Yayyyy! I love party dresses!" she squealed, her ponytail bouncing around behind her head. She had it tied up in a side ponytail, and it was styled with a large hair ornament. (DW3 hairstyle)
"I hate party dresses!" I said, scowling as I looked at myself in the mirror. Regardless to what anyone told me, I was a firm believer in the "I DO NOT LOOK GOOD IN DRESSES" theory.
"Xiao, how are you still so cheerful?" Da asked, looking confused. "Aren't you upset over the loss of your son?"
Xiao's face fell a little. "Yeah, well... the medic said he was really sick, and... he's in a better place now, where he won't be sick anymore! And Zhou Yu said we can have more children someday!" she said, her usual smile crossing her face.
That's Xiao Qiao for you. "Yeah, well, I wish stupid Tong would take the same approach you're taking, Xiao," I said, thinking of my friend.
"Oh, yes, I forgot our Uncle died recently, too," Da said, looking sad. "Yeah, it does kinda seems like our family is cursed," Xiao said with a shudder. "First our Uncle, then poor little Yin..."
"But what about you, Shang Xiang?" Da asked suddenly. "What about me?" I asked. "I haven't died yet, thank you very--"
"Not about you being dead," Xiao said, giggling with her sister. I hated it when they seemed to be telepathic, when one sister brought something up and the other immediately knew what the first was talking about.
"What the hell are you two talking about?" I demanded, watching Da shudder when she heard my language.
"You know! We're talking about our cousin!" Da said, now stiffling a giggle.
Xiao was laughing. "Yeah, Shang Xiang! When are you and Tongie (much to Tong's dismay, the Qiaos had a nickname for him, one he disliked) gonna get married?"
"WHAT?" I said, feeling my face get hot. "Ling Tong is my BEST FRIEND! Nothing more than THAT!"
"Suuuure," Xiao said, while Da Qiao giggled.
"You two are so annoying it makes me sick," I snapped. Ever since the Qiaos came to Wu, and met Ling Tong, discovered they were cousins and learned that me and Ling Tong were best friends, they'd been teasing me about the two of us getting together someday. "There's no way that could work out, anyway. We've been friends for too long."
"Well, if you've been friends for so long, you probably could make it work," Da said, serious for once.
"But I don't want to make it work," I said stubbornly. "I'm perfectly happy with being single right now. So GET OFF MY BACK ABOUT IT!"
"Geez, fine!" Xiao whined.
"Well, ladies, it's starting to get dark," Da said, glancing out the window. "Want to head out?"
My honest answer was "No". But then, I forgot! My saving grace! I sat down on the floor (Da looked scandalized) and grabbed my favorite pair of combat boots, which I wore to battle quite often.
"You're not wearing those," Da protested, trying to pull the boots out of my hands. "Oh yes I am. Now leggo," I ordered, tugging back.
"C'mon, sis, they're not THAT ugly," Xiao commented. "Besides, they make the dress look prettier in comparison!"
"But they're not proper for the occasion," Da protested, now seemingly aware that she was fighting a losing battle.
"Da Qiao, as the Princess of Wu, I order you to put the boots down," I said, assuming my high-and-mighty voice both the Qiaos and Ling Tong had grown to dislike instensly.
Da reluctantly dropped the shoes, and while I laced them up, if someone saw the expression on her face they would think she was being forced to drink poison. "There, you're all ready now!" Xiao said happily. "Now let's go!"
I groaned as the Qiaos grabbed me by my arms and dragged me off. "Waiiiit... I don't have my chakrams!" I yelled, but they wouldn't let me go. Damn.
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Review! Be cruel! Tell me what you think:) (PS- I have up to Chapter 27 written, but I just have to transfer them off my no-Internet computer onto the one that does.)