Hey, I've got nothing to say for once. Go figure. :D

A'ght, I've got something to say on a completely unrelated note. Anybody like Soul Calibur? Then go read my Soul Calibur fics too!! They're under the Jenizaki account, just head over to the Soul Calibur section and I'll be around somewhere. Thanks mucho if you do:)

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(AN: Since, loyal readers, I'd rather not bore you to tears with tedious chapters about passing the two months away, and I'm too lazy to write them anyway, I'll fast forward.)

"Well, that about does it," Ce yawned. "Supplies, weapons, troops all ready to go. We head out tomorrow." He sat down on one of the comfortable chairs next to his wife and rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm exhausted," he said with another yawn.

"My poor baby," Da sympathized, stroking Ce's hair.

I rolled my eyes and supressed the gag reflex. Tomorrow we all set out for Chi Bi, hopefully able to beat Cao Cao's forces there. I had been talking to Da Qiao in one of the rooms of the palace when Ce came in.

"So am I interrupting any girl talk?" Ce asked. "Just pretend I'm not here if you are... I don't feel like getting up..."

"You're not, don't worry," I said. "Ce, you think we stand a chance tomorrow? Or are we gonna get our asses kicked?"

"Ah, we'll be fine," Ce said with another sleepy yawn. "Mmmm... alright, I'm goin' to bed, I'm gonna collapse. G'night, Shang Xiang, g'night, honey, g'night, son/daughter... see you later..." Ce kissed Da's cheek, patted her pregnant belly, got up, left and bumped into Zhou Yu, who was coming in the room looking worried.

"Hey Zhou Yu," Ce yawned.

"Where's Xiao Qiao?" Zhou Yu asked. "She's usually always around after dinner."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her either," Da said, rubbing her pregnant belly affectionately.

"Hey, this is Xiao Qiao we're talking about, don't worry about her," I said, grinning.

"And yet I am," Zhou Yu said, thinking. "Hmm... the only place I haven't looked is in the library, and I know she wouldn't be in there."

"She might be with Tong," I suggested.

"Where's he?" Zhou Yu asked.

"I don't know. Probably in his room," I said.

"Perhaps Xiao Qiao is with Lu Xun?" Da suggested. "If that's the case then she would be in the library."

"Well, I'll go look," Zhou Yu decided, and hurried off.

"Wonder where she is," Da said thoughtfully.

Tong came in the room, looking annoyed.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked.

"I'm beat," Tong whined, and flopped down on a couch opposite from me and Da. "I don't wanna go to war tomorrow... I don't care about Cao Cao, I say we let the damn Shu forces take care of it all."

"Shu'll be obliterated," I laughed. "Shu couldn't fight their way out of a box without getting their asses kicked. All that virtue crap they believe in--"

"Did you say Cao Cao!?" Da Qiao cried, standing up.

"Yeahhh... that is who we're fighting tomorrow," Tong grunted, and I threw a pillow at him to shut him up.

"Oops. I mean, uh, we're not fighting CAO CAO... we're fighting, uh... uhhh..."

Lucky for Tong, his demonstration of stupidity was interrupted by a white-faced Lu Xun, bursting into the room. "L-Lady Xiao Qiao! I heard her scream!" he gasped, looking terrified.

"Calm down, Lu Xun, what's going on?" I asked.

"Xiao Qiao! I heard a scream!" Lu Xun repeated, his brown eyes wide. "I think she's in danger!"

"What!? Why didn't you do anything to help her!?" I demanded, as me and Tong jumped to our feet (Da Qiao was out of commission due to the baby) and followed the strategist out of the castle.

"I don't have a weapon!" Lu Xun said. "I'll go get Zhou Yu!"

"Get my Ce too!" I yelled.

"I don't hear any screaming," Tong grumbled. "Maaaan, she probably just tripped over her own--"

"NO!! HELP MEEE!"

"Does THAT answer your question!?" I yelled. "Come on!"

Zhou Yu and Ce ran out of the castle behind us. "What was that!?" Zhou Yu asked, looking frightened.

"Sounded like Xiao!" I said. "Come on, it was this way!"

All four of us ran to the site of the noise. "XIAO QIAO!" Zhou Yu screamed, drawing his sword.

At least fifty Wei soldiers were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, brandishing swords and spears and trying to capture what I assumed to be Xiao Qiao.

"Come ON! Let's go!" Zhou Yu yelled, and chased after the troops quickly making their way back to their ship.

"Dammit!! What the hell are they doing here!?" Ce asked, angrily looking around. "God knows how many more of them are here hiding somewhere!"

"Nooo! Zhouie, help me!" Xiao cried, her scream piercing the night sky. Zhou Yu was running as quickly as he could, but the troops had already boarded their ship

"NO! XIAO QIAO!" Zhou Yu yelled, desperately trying to make his way towards his scared wife.

"Cao Cao must have sent these soldiers here to capture Xiao Qiao!! Dammit!!" Ce swore. "Xiao, we're coming! Hang in there!"

Several of the troops had managed to capture Xiao Qiao, and were trying to drag her towards the ship. Lucky for our side, she was struggling and trying to put up as much of a fight as she could, but she was outnumbered. There was no way we'd be able to get to her in time.

"Dammit! No! Xiao Qiao!" Zhou Yu screamed.

"Zhou Yu! It's OK, we'll get her back!" Ce said, quickly running to his best friend's side. "C'mon, bro, it's gonna be OK! We'll get her back!"

"I let her down," Zhou Yu said, in shock. "I couldn't save her. She's gone."

"No she's not, bro, she'll be fine!" Ce assured. "C'mon, we'll get her back tomorrow! Xiao Qiao's a tough cookie, she can take care of herself, alright? Don't worry."

Zhou Yu just shook his head and stormed into the castle. Ce glanced over at the ship sailing away and swore again. "We'll get you back, Xiao, I promise," he said.

I choked back a sob. My best friend had just been kidnapped, right under our noses, and I was helpless to do anything about it. How could I have let her down like this? The one time when she needed our help the most, and I did nothing to help her. I furiously wiped my eyes and felt a comforting arm around my shoulder.

"It'll be OK, Shang Xiang," Ce said gently, trying to calm me down. "I hate to admit it, I want to go back and tear Cao Cao's nads off, but there's nothing we can do right now except murder Cao Cao tomorrow."

I nodded and fought back another sob. Ce gently wiped one of my tears off my face and I hugged him tightly. "Ce, I feel like I let her down," I said sadly. "What if something happens to her? It'll be my fault!"

"It is not your fault," Ce said firmly. "How the hell were we supposed to know he'd ambush us in the middle of the night the day before a war to kidnap Xiao? If there's one thing we know it's that Cao Cao's not going to kill her, and she'll be safe when we get her back."

"Yeah, but still..." I sniffed. Ce gave me another hug. "She'll be fine, Shang Xiang. I promise."

(AN: Is it me, or is Sun Ce giving the impression that he doesn't care about Xiao Qiao? If it isn't just me, and you think it too, my apologies, I didn't mean it to seem that way. :P)

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It was with heavy, guilty hearts that we had to return to the castle and tell a terrified Da Qiao and Lu Xun that Xiao Qiao had been kidnapped.

"WHAT!?" Da Qiao shrieked, and began crying. Ce quickly ran to her side to comfort her, and she collapsed in his arms, sobbing hysterically.

Seeing Da cry was triggering those annoying female feelings that make you cry whenever you see someone else doing it. I shook my own tears away, forcing myself to be angry instead of upset. Crying didn't get you anywhere, that's why I tried to avoid them.

I turned to Tong, who hadn't said anything since Xiao had been dragged away. He was sitting down again, on the same couch as before, with his head in his hands. I moved over towards him and squeezed his shoulder. He looked up, and although he wasn't crying, he looked upset. Everyone in the room aside from Da all wore the same sick anger on their faces.

I put my arm around Tong's waist in an attempt to cheer him up, and although it didn't bring the smile back, I sure as hell didn't expect it to. Instead he leaned over and rested his head on my shoulder. I sighed and hugged him.

"Where's Zhou Yu?" Lu Xun, looking heartbroken, spoke up after the long silence, only interrupted by Da's sobbing.

"Not sure," Ce replied, still hugging his wife, which looked difficult due to her large bulging belly. "I think he went to bed..."

"How can he sleep with Lady Xiao missing?" Lu Xun asked.

"That's just how he is," Ce answered. "Da, honey, cheer up, c'mon, it'll be OK..." Da sniffed and snuggled up to him some more in reply.

I had to admit, when you were upset, there was few better places to cry your eyes out than in the arms of my big brother. Well, Ce at least. Quan never really was good with sentimental stuff.

Speaking of Quan. "Has anyone told Quan yet?" I asked. "He'll probably wanna know... Cao Cao invading this early, that is..."

"I think he went to bed too," Ce said. He let out a sigh. "God. I'm tired too, but... I sure as hell don't feel like sleeping in my nice fluffy bed with Xiao gone..."

"None of us do," I said sadly. "But somehow we're gonna have to get some sleep... we're not gonna be able to rescue Xiao if we're all falling asleep."

"I can't sleep knowing Cao Cao's fleet is right down the river," Tong said. He looked over at Ce. "Hey, Ce, do you think Da and Shang Xiang are safe? We don't know if Wei troops are in the castle."

"That's a good point," Ce scowled. "Dammit, I didn't even think of that. Alright, then it's decided. We're all sleeping in here!"

"There's only four couches!" I pointed out. "There's five of us!"

"I'm sharin' with my wife," Ce said, giving her a hug. "Oof. Maybe we should get the deluxe couch."

"Alright, good night everyone... let's try to get some sleep," Lu Xun said, taking his hat off and cuddling up against the couch cushions.

"Off," I said, poking Tong. "Other couch."

Tong rolled his eyes and relocated.

Ce yawned. "Alright, everyone get some sleep. And if Cao Cao busts in the room when we're all asleep, scream really loud." He blew out the candle on the table and the room got dark.

"Hey! I can't see!"

"Exactly. Go to sleep."

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A'ght, I know I ended that pretty bad. I was trying to make a transition scene from the Xiao Qiao kidnapping scene to the Battle of Chi Bi chapter, and that above crap is the result. Eww. Tomorrow's update begins the BATTLE OF CHI BI!! -cue dramatic background music-