"Why?" asked Ma Chao, his eyes filling with pain. "Why are you leaving me?"
"I must…if it is his wish that I be with him, then I must," replied Xing Cai. She was on the verge of releasing her tears, but she reinforced herself with an emotionless face.
"Surely he would understand if you said no!" continued Ma Chao.
"I cannot. Don't you understand, Chao?"
"No, I don't!"
"It is as I always say. Duty above all else," said Xing Cai, and she too felt her heart rip as she articulated those four words.
"Even above your own freedom and happiness?" asked Ma Chao.
Xing Cai sighed in sorrow. "Yes."
"Don't do this too yourself, Cai!" cried Ma Chao. And don't do this to me either… he thought.
"Lord Zhuge tried to persuade him to choose others, but all to no avail," muttered Xing Cai. "I'm sorry Chao, but I must go to him…"
"No…" said Ma Chao, his voice a hush whisper. He turned Xing Cai around and looked into her eyes.
"Don't say yes to him."
XXXXXXXXXX
Ma Chao walked into the hall where he was to pledge loyalty to Liu Bei. He was glad someone was willing to take him in. And Liu Bei sounded like a just man.
"Everyone, please welcome Lord Ma Chao," said Zhuge Liang, introducing him to the soon-to-be colleagues. Applause was made and Ma Chao walked up to Liu Bei. He knelt before him and touched his head to the ground.
"I, Ma Chao, style Mengqi of Xiliang will serve Lord Liu Bei loyally until death," said Ma Chao. Liu Bei grasped his hand and helped him up.
"Thank you, Ma Chao," said Liu Bei. Ma Chao bowed.
"My lord."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Here is your room, Lord Ma Chao," announced Zhao Yun, showing Ma Chao his new room.
"Thanks!" Ma Chao noticed that his baggage was neatly placed on a table to the left and his spear was placed upon a rack on the wall. "My Spear of Justice!"
"Spear of Justice?" laughed Zhao Yun. "Interesting!"
Zhao Yun then led him to the stables. "Your horse is here, next to mine. What's its name?"
"Shadow Runner." Ma Chao looked at the white horse next to his.
"Mine's White Dragon."
The two horses neighed to each other.
"I wonder if they said 'Hi' to each other just then," asked Ma Chao.
"I'm sure you understand horse language, Ma Chao," punned Zhao Yun.
The two sauntered to the dining halls for it was nearly dinner time.
"Things here are pretty simple. If you have any questions, fell free to ask anyone of us. We're all friendly and don't bite," said Zhao Yun with a smile. "I'm glad you could join us, Lord Ma Chao."
"Ma Chao would be fine," said Ma Chao.
"Well, same for me then," replied Zhao Yun.
They walked in silence for a while, Ma Chao thinking about the past, his wife, his children…
Huang Zhong passed by and greeted Ma Chao. "Evening Lord Ma!"
"Well, this is our old guy in Shu—"
"I'm not old!"
"Only females don't own up to their age!" shouted Zhao Yun.
"I used to be better looking than you when I was your age!" proclaimed Huang Zhong pointing a finger at the Dragon of Changshan. Zhao Yun burst out laughing. "What? You think I'm lying?" Huang Zhong looked at Ma Chao. "Don't listen to him Ma Chao."
Ma Chao could not stop a smirk from appearing on his face. Huang Zhong huffed at the smile and walked off, muttering, "Young'uns these days…"
"And that's Huang Zhong, best archer there's ever been. Never misses."
"You guys have such a close bond," said Ma Chao. He had felt so empty when his family and everyone close to him were torn away by Cao Cao.
"Well, Chao, as long as you're here in Shu, I'll be your friend for life," declared Zhao Yun. Ma Chao looked at Zhao Yun and smiled.
"Thank you."
Zhao Yun nodded at Ma Chao. "Anything for a friend."
XXXXXXXXXX
Ma Chao, having some free time, decided to explore the environment outside the city walls. Sure, the city was filled with exotic things. But Ma Chao liked the nature better.
Ma Chao trekked about the place. Basically, he was just wandering around Cheng Du when he came across a little path. It did not look much like a path, but to one who rarely missed a detail, Ma Chao picked it out. Curiosity pushed him to explore and see where the little path went. It became a steep slope, but Ma Chao was determined to see what was ahead. He pushed past bushes and branches in the way, and the path opened up into a small clearing, a small cliff, overlooking a deep valley.
The clearing held bare trees which looked forlorn. It was Spring, so Ma Chao wondered why the trees were bare. Was it because the soil there was bad? There were other colourful plants and shrubs growing in the clearing, so soil must be fertile. It was a small clearing, and Ma Chao immediately spotted a crate next to a bigger crate. From the looks of it, someone must have come here and put them there as chair and table. Ma Chao smiled, walked towards the crates and sat down. He took out some water and sipped it, admiring the beautiful view of the valley from the clearing. It almost seemed as if the clearing was made for the valley outlook.
Despite the beauty, Ma Chao could not stop thinking about his dead family and friends. He sighed and rested his head on the bigger crate which acted like a table. How he wished he had a bottle of wine right there and then. He pretended the water was wine and took a gulp. Sadly, he could not cheat himself.
"Ah, you found this place."
Ma Chao instantly twisted around to see a woman younger than him with shoulder length, jet black hair, wearing what was mostly white and green attire.
"Is this a private area?" asked Ma Chao, watching the young woman.
"Oh no, it's just rare to see anyone here. I thought I was the only one capable of finding this place," she answered with a smile. She walked towards Ma Chao and sat on the makeshift table. "You can bring your own crate chair." She pointed at the one Ma Chao was sitting on. "That's mine."
Ma Chao nodded. "Of course, of course. But can I borrow it for today?"
"That you can, Lord Ma Chao."
Ma Chao looked at her in surprise. "You know me?"
"I saw you fighting with my father at Jiameng Gate," answered the woman.
"Zhang— you're father's Zhang Fei?" asked Ma Chao, bewildered.
"That's right. I'm Zhang Xing Cai, nice to meet you." Xing Cai held out her hand and Ma Chao took it with a gentle handshake. "Just call me Xing Cai."
"And I, Ma Chao." Ma Chao began to think he should call some kind of meeting and tell everyone to call him Ma Chao. It was beginning to get tedious, having to tell everyone that there was no need for formalities if they were all the same grade.
"How do you like it here?" asked Xing Cai.
"Very nice. I'm just glad I have a home right now." Ma Chao had a little flashback when he was on the run from Cao Cao. Of all people, he had to flee from that bastard. He looked glumly at the scene before him.
"You look sad," commented Xing Cai. A silence ensued and Ma Chao figured Xing Cai wanted him to share what was on his mind.
"Have you ever lost pretty much all your family and friends? All your loved ones? I try to blame it on someone, but it all adds up to being my own fault," growled Ma Chao. He hated himself for being so weak. He could not protect anyone, what right did he have to be a Tiger General?
"Cao Cao?" asked Xing Cai, watching Ma Chao thoughtfully.
"Yes."
"I see. Then he is your mortal enemy."
"I hate him with all my heart. But still, if I was stronger, wiser, then maybe I could've saved my family. He…was only doing what he thought was right."
"But he's not right, is he?" asked Xing Cai, rhetorically. Ma Chao answered despite of that.
"No, he isn't."
They looked out onto the valley again, but Ma Chao's mind was totally somewhere else, recalling what he and Xing Cai had just said. He probably was not even looking at the valley, his face had just happened to turn that way.
"Shall we digress?" asked Xing Cai all of a sudden, and Ma Chao snapped back into reality and nodded in agreement. "You know, this place is actually very beautiful."
"Well yes, look at the scenery!"
"No, not the scenery." Xing Cai got up and walked towards one of the bare trees. "These are Peach Blossoms."
"Wha— really? But there aren't any flowers," said Ma Chao, looking up at the tall trees, their branches reached out, shielding, but not particularly well, the two people below.
"The only bloom in Winter. We'll have to wait until next year. It's only the start of Spring right now. But they should be beautiful when they come out."
"They should be?" asked Ma Chao, repeating a part of Xing Cai's sentence.
"I only found this place at the end of Winter, just when the last petals fell off, leaving the trees bare. It's beautiful, don't you think? Just imagine what would happen if the trees decided to bloom."
Ma Chao smiled at the thought as he looked at the pale trees then turned his attention to Xing Cai. He did not realise before, because he was too busy thinking of painful thoughts, that this woman was quite beautiful.
"Do you come here often?" he asked.
"I come when I have nothing do. But often, it's when I need a little bit of personal space. If you need a place to do the same, feel free to share it with me, Chao," said Xing Cai, her voice soft and sweet.
Ma Chao was tired. He pulled of his trademark helmet, placed it on the crate table and rested his head on it. His long blonde hair, freed from the helmet decided to spill itself around Ma Chao's head.
"Blonde…?" asked Xing Cai, surprised. Ma Chao cracked open an eye.
"Yes, it's natural."
Xing Cai raised an eyebrow. "Are you Chinese?"
"I am," he answered with a grin.
They stayed for long moments, peace swirling around them in the form of cool air. They did not talk to each other, for they were lost in their own thoughts.
Ma Chao yawned and stretched. The sky was getting dark. "What time is it?"
"Around five, I think…" answered Xing Cai. "Come, I'll take you somewhere nice for dinner."
"I couldn't poss—"
"It's alright. Let's just say it's my way of welcoming you to Shu." Xing Cai grabbed Ma Chao's helmet off the crate and pulled on his arm.
"Alright, alright! No need to pull my arm off!" complained Ma Chao, albeit playfully with a light laugh. They pushed past the bushes and raced off back into town, with Xing Cai in the lead.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Best baozi, food and wine you could possibly get!" exclaimed Xing Cai, introducing the shop, 'Li's Excellent Restaurant'. Best name you could ever get too.
Ma Chao frowned. "That's a really long line…" The line had approximately twenty people in it.
"It only proves how good this place is. Come."
"But it'll take a long time to get inside."
Xing Cai walked to the front of the line and waved to a man inside. She then made a sign for 'two'. With a smile, she called Ma Chao over.
"What?" asked Ma Chao.
"I know the owner because I come here often. He'll get me a table, no matter how long the line."
The owner came towards them. "This way, Lady Zhang." He led the two towards a table in a corner.
"That's not very just, Xing Cai, there's at least twenty people waiting to get a seat," said Ma Chao as he sat down.
Xing Cai laughed. "You are a very just man. But it's alright to be unjust a few times isn't it? Food does tend to overrule our sense of justice sometimes."
"Interesting excuse." Ma Chao sighed. "Alright. Any good dishes you want me to try?"
"I'll order the things I usually eat? You can trust my taste," said Xing Cai, and Ma Chao nodded.
Xing Cai gestured to a waiter and ordered what she thought was good.
"…and rice wine for two," finished Xing Cai. The waiter thanked them and took the orders to the kitchen.
"You drink wine?" asked Ma Chao.
"How can I not? My dad is always drinking. Sometimes he'll force me to drink with him when he's depressed. Don't worry, I have a really high tolerance for alcohol."
"I'm glad."
The food came and the two warriors of Shu ate their fill.
"Good?" asked Xing Cai as she downed a small cup of wine.
"Indeed, very good. Love the baozi and the noodles," replied Ma Chao. He refilled both he and Xing Cai's cups.
Xing Cai raised her cup. "A toast!"
"For what?" asked Ma Chao, but nevertheless, he raised his cup too.
"For joining us so that we can reunite the land and restore the Han!"
They clinked their cups together and chugged it down in one go before continuing to refill.
"Thank you," said Ma Chao with a nod when Xing Cai refilled his cup for him. He grabbed the wine bottle and poured, but nothing came out. "Already empty…let's get another one."
"No Chao, it's enough. Too much alcohol isn't good," replied Xing Cai, her hand on Ma Chao's to stop him from gesturing to the waiters for wine. She then called out to a waiter and asked for the bill.
It was after much arguing, when Ma Chao finally gave in and let Xing Cai pay.
They left the restaurant and walked down the street back towards their home in the military area. Ma Chao looked at things with an amazed expression on his face, like a tourist. Indeed, he was a newcomer to the town.
"Haven't you seen these things?" asked Xing Cai, a hint of wonder in her voice.
"No…You do know I've been living in the Northern-west corner of China for most of my life, right?" answered Ma Chao before stepping quickly towards a store to examine another curious item.
Xing Cai smirked. "Are you trying to tell me you're a primitive?"
Ma Chao turned and was about to say something when a sudden loud crackling could be heard. Both turned their heads to the direction of the sound and saw a bolt of light soar up towards the sky before exploding into a tonnes of small pink coloured sparks in the shape of a flower. Others around them looked up in awe at the fireworks.
"How could I forget? It's the Spring Festival! They always display fireworks," explained Xing Cai as she and Ma Chao watched another colourful explosion.
"Woah!" shouted Ma Chao as three fireworks were released at the same time, each of a different colour, standing out against the dark night sky.
When the show came to an end, the onlookers clapped and cheered.
"Happy Spring!" Xing Cai said to Ma Chao with a smile.
"Happy Spring," repeated Ma Chao.
As they continued their journey back home, they passed by a brothel.
"Oh sir! Please do come in~" said one of the women, waving her handkerchief in front of Ma Chao's face.
"Er…" muttered Ma Chao, turning his head away from the annoying handkerchief. Xing Cai looked at him with an amused expression.
"You're not going to ask me what this is, are you?" she asked, pointing to the brothel.
"Che," answered Ma Chao before turning back to the prostitute. "No thanks." He then set off at a brisk pace, causing Xing Cai to have to catch up to him. "I have enough logic to work out what that was."
"Well, didn't it interest you?" questioned Xing Cai.
"No. And even if I were, how could I possible go into a place like that in front of Lady Zhang?" replied Ma Chao with a knowing smirk.
"Indeed, I would be most horrified." Xing Cai laughed. "Come, let's not keep loitering here. It's getting late. We should sleep early and wake up, bright and shining for training."
"You!? Train!?" exclaimed a surprised Ma Chao. "What?"
Xing Cai sighed loudly and with a hand on hip, looked into Ma Chao's eyes. "Have you not realised by now that I too, am a soldier? How else could I have seen you fighting my father, hm?"
Ma Chao scratched the back of his neck and looked away sheepishly. "Oh…yeah…"
Xing Cai nodded. "Right, at least that's clear."
Ma Chao followed behind Xing Cai, watching her with a broad smile. She was so different from her brash father. She who was cool, calm, collected and above all else, kind and gentle. Zhang Fei was brash, loud and loved alcohol, most probably to the point of which if alcohol ceased to exist in the world, he would die.
Ma Chao reckoned he was getting along quite well with Xing Cai. Maybe they could become more than just friends? Ma Chao smiled and shook the thought away with a soft sigh.
Time would tell. And surely, fate would have its own way.
A/N: Aha, first romance/a little angst fic. Gah, hope I didn't make it too lame and clichéd… I love this pairing. I started liking this pairing after reading 'My heart is yours' by dragooncanon. Awesome story. This story will kinda have the same storyline as that fic…I hope you guys won't kill me for that. Besides, this story line is used a lot!
(like, the XingcaiXLiuShanXMaChaoorGuanPingorZhaoYun love triangle)
Anyways, it would be really nice if you could review, because I need to know my degree of fail or success (fail more likely) to writing romance fics. Hate it, like it, I'd love to know! And you'll be helping me improve and change stuff. =D
Thanks for reading, hope your R&R!!