Disclaimer: I don't own them
A/N:
Linkonpark- Gan Ning, Ling Tong, Sun Shang Xiang, Wang Yi, Zhang He, Zhao Yun, and Zhen Ji do make a ragtag bunch. I'm still coming up with the ultimate grouping that would resemble to the 80's Brat Pack ushering the Three Kingdoms genre gaming culture.
AquaticIdealist- Can't spoil it despite the movie plot is already known. LOL
"The Evil Empire Wei with Wu Rebel Alliance and Shu Jedi?"
Anyway, they already watched the movie in this part. I add four more people(And two extra ones) into this second part. I know there are so many characters I should have giving more screentime, but these are the ones I've planned.
Changshan Savior Year End Special
After the Star Wars Craze
The theater was crowed on Christmas night due to large lines where people are waiting to see The Force Awakens. There were also competitions from several movies that are Oscar noteworthy.
From the door where one of the rooms showing The Force Awakens began to open as people were coming out of the room after the movie ended, "Ping, Xingcai, I didn't expect to see you two here coming to watch Star Wars."
A group of seven came out of the room with positive reception, but Zhen Ji felt a deep scar in her heart as there's a very heartbroken scene that will be addressed in the next Star Wars sequel.
"We've decided to skip dinner with our family and go watch Stars Wars together. However, those two also showed up when we arrived," Guan Ping pointed at the two figures walking next to Zhen Ji.
Zhen Ji turns to the pair next to her and said, "Deng Ai and Xianying, you two also skipped the Christmas dinner at Yukimura's mansion?"
"Yeah, no offense to the Jin guys, we'd get bored with the Sima family hogging all the attention and Jia Chong's creepiness. It's hard to represent the Jin dynasty when we're just the last true Wei heroes," Xin Xianying look at Deng Ai who was about to respond.
"I don't want to bother myself with Jiang Wei and Ma Su's continuous arguing over Shu's fall. It became a bad memory for me, so I've agreed to go with her, not that it's a partial date…." Deng Ai shrugged.
"We wouldn't have it any other way. Friends with benefits, they say right Shizai" Xin Xianying pats his shoulder with a smile.
"I-I am not very good with making female friends," Deng Ai's shyness bought the other pair laughing.
"Let me add something else about you: you're not good at getting a girlfriend. You shudder, the female fans find you boring, and your hobbies are geography and botany. Everything about you in Dynasty Warriors alienate the most important accomplishment on your career, The Man who Conquered Shu," Xin Xianying said.
"However, Koei these days is having Sima Zhao steal most of your spotlights in Jin Musou Mode," Deng Zhi was right behind them looking satisfied with his Christmas evening.
"And Yuanji. I'm supposed to be her intelligence rival next to Chunhua. Both of us are portrayed as their 'Yes man' followers in Warriors. Isn't that original, Shizai," Xin Xianying glared at Deng Ai who shyly disagree with her.
"It isn't to be honest. Zhao Yun has to ALWAYS be a fan of Zhuge Liang as the rest of Shu are portrayed and never question his lord on what's right and what is wrong. Isn't that why you're always being dragged into Yi Ling stages against Wu?" Deng Ai turned to Zhao Yun who blow a sound.
"Koei thinks it's the right thing. It's technically the wrong thing and Cao Pi still wins. Wu and Shu got weakened over a province. The End," Zhao Yun said.
"…" Guan Ping and Xing Cai can argue with Zhao Yun about that.
"Hahahah, I'm with Zilong, Wu's 'victory' secures Cao Pi's position. Wei grows stronger as long as ShuHan grew weaker," Deng Zhi nodded.
The group behind Zhao Yun's group….
"The heck…are they saying Wu's victory at Yi Ling was Wei's victory!?" Gan Ning glares at the two Shu guys joining up with them after watching Star Wars.
"Well, Wei was there…" Wang Ping sighed.
"They didn't do squat! It was us and Boyun!" Gan Ning pointed at Zhang He and Wang Yi as representatives of Wei.
"Hey dumbass, who allied with Wei and made your lord king? You guys," Zhang Yi stopped walking preparing to start an argument with Gan Ning.
"Huh? You want to get beat up, Zhang Yi?" Gan Ning gave a threaten look at Zhang Yi as Sun Shang Xiang now felt annoyed that people are going to watch them cause an incident on holiday.
"I don't fear Wu. I wasn't killed at Yi Ling. I fought with Zhao Yun against Cao Cao alone at Han River which our Wei couple next to us call it Wei River," Zhang Yi crossed his arms ready for anything Xingba will throw at him.
"Hahaha, your card in Musou Blast is Bronze, a low tier. You don't stand a chance!" Gan Ning's taunts and threats didn't make Bogong shiver.
"Guys, let's not start this. Nobody celebrates Yi Ling and it's still a part of Wu's history as Lu Xun's greatest battle," Sun Shang Xiang said as she came between the two men having them refrain from fighting inside the movie threaters.
"Ah, Wang Ping and Zhang Yi did came to the movies with us," Deng Zhi's voice was heard coming towards the trio.
"And we've been followed," Zhao Yun looked at Zhen Ji as she giggled.
"Our naughty little brothers always curious to peep at their future big sister," Zhen Ji wobbled and teased her face close at Wang Ping's.
"Hehe, sorry. We were bored at the dinner party anyways," Wang Ping blushed.
"Gan Ning and our version of Princess Leia came with me too," Ling Tong added.
Sun Shang Xiang now the one blushing, "Gongli you've just called me Wu's Princess Leia."
"And that makes our favorite posterboy, Shu's Luke Skywalker," Zhang He rushed towards Zhao Yun making a round of applause.
"He's been calling Zilong Luke like a broken record after the movie ended. Luo what is it with Zhao Yun and Luke Skywalker parallels?" Wang Yi shrugged.
"Chosen Ones," Xing Cai laughed.
"Zhao Yun here has the strongest force sensitivity," Deng Zhi teased.
Zhao Yun felt like he wanted to strangle him, "I will do that force choke on you."
"Isn't that suppose to be a Sith move?" Deng Zhi mentioned the differences on Force sensitivity between Jedi and Sith.
"The Sith likes to choke people, Jedi resorts to influencing the weak minded like what Obi Wan did to the one with the lowest mind," Xin Xianying displayed Obi Wan's Jedi Mind Trick at Xing Cai who is the one with the lowest INT around here.
"Aw come on, just because I was born from a brute of a father doesn't mean I'm as weak minded as him. I'm smarter than Shao who is suppose to be the scholarly type in the family," Xing Cai shot an annoyed look at Xianying.
"I would go Sith and choke Ma Chao. Hatred and Anger suits me best," Wang Yi raised her hands as if she's choking Ma Chao.
"She's still obsessed with Ma Chao? I have to keep flirting with her," Zhang He sighed.
And with the group consist of people from four kingdoms, Zhao Yun, Zhen Ji, Guan Ping, Xing Cai, Zhang He, Wang Yi, Gan Ning, Ling Tong, Sun Shang Xiang, Xin Xianying, Deng Ai, Wang Ping, Zhang Yi, and Deng Zhi; together they left the movie theaters.
"I see, those two idiots saw Star Wars. That Sci Fi rip off shows such inaccuracies in a scientific sense," A man's voice came towards the group.
"Here comes the troll….." Gan Ning groaned.
"Yu Fan and Lu Su here too," Sun Shang Xiang revealed the two Wu guys she was surprised to see them.
"We've already finished our movie, Shang Xiang. Yu Fan here wasn't comfortable with the Star Wars fanatics mobbing every movie theater in the world. I must remind you, he's a Trekkie," Lu Su said.
"As Lu Su put it I am Star Trek elite. Star Trek is series that spans more lore and continuity than George Lucas childish children's tale!" Yu Fan pointed the group like he's giving them a lecture.
"Star Trek is boring. Boring characters except Captain Kirk who was killed off and the Star Trek universe loss its identity," Gan Ning made a yawn sound that put Yu Fan into an irritated mood.
"The Next Generation cast is just as good as the originals. I've watched both Star Trek and Star Wars Yu Fan," Deng Zhi came up to join the discussion.
"And which of the two Sci Fi franchise you would prefer?" Yu Fan asked.
"I'll take both! The best of both worlds! Star Wars is kind of fun while Star Trek is complicating," Deng Zhi answered with honesty.
"I would prefer Star Trek more," Deng Ai said.
"Only nerds prefer Star Trek…" Gan Ning scoffed at the trio and ended up getting glares at the smarter folks.
"I'm not too big of a sci fi geek, so Star Wars it is," Xing Cai felt nervous by her answer.
"Both and I wish I was a counselor like Deanne Troi, but Padme is my favorite. People keep misunderstanding her character in Star Wars," Zhen Ji said.
"Both," was Zhao Yun's answer.
"Same answer as Shizai's," Xin Xianying did her finger wiggling pose from ROTK 12.
"Star Trek is too complex for me to get into, so Star Wars," Ling Tong shrugged.
"I'm a huge, HUGE Princess Leia fan and now a Rey fan, Star Wars for me," Shang Xiang nodded at Gan Ning.
"Meh, Star Trek has more female characters," Yu Fan turned away from the group and decided to be on his way out.
"Well, it's hard for me to decide. Junyi?" Wang Yi looked at Zhang He who essentially made his choice.
"Both, the two sci fi series have fantastic musical scores. Star Trek shows more culture in Deep Space Nine. For Star Wars, um…am I the only one who loved the prequels," Zhang He scanned the Star Wars fans in the group. Gan Ning burst into laughter, but Zhen Ji poke him with her elbow, "Oh right, you are the Padme fan here. Lucas totally downplayed her important role in Revenge of the Sith as just a deposed woman…"
"Enterprise was supposed to be a prequel. Not any worst than Attack of the Clones. Odd movie numbers tend to be the 'bad' films compare to the Even numerical films. The rebooted film subverts this analogy," Deng Ai said as he feels more engaged into the discussion and his shyness towards Xianying fades.
"Enterprise isn't too bad as everyone says. But, Star Trek V is a badly writing William Shatner Fanfic," Yu Fan uttered the major disaster than is Star Trek V: The Final Fontier.
"Isn't that a movie where you go to space in search of God?" Guan Ping put the rhetoric question towards the embarrassing look on Yu Fan and the Dynasty Warriors trekkies.
"God! God! Why do we , the federation officers have to go on an incomprehensible voyage in search of God!?" Yu Fan screams in agony.
Lu Su comforted his scholarly Wu buddy, "At least, the fourth Star Trek movie almost won many Oscars."
"That was the late Leonard Nimoy's masterpiece," Deng Zhi nodded.
"The greatest Star Trek film ever."
"It still can't beat the entire original Star Wars trilogy and that's the most boring movie out of them all. There's hardly any action and it's just a film about whales. Has Star Trek become a wild life foundation?" Gan Ning doesn't want to continue hearing the trekkies love for Star Trek IV: Voyage Home.
"Time traveling was done right on that film. You don't travel time by 85 mph an hour from Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis silly Back to the Future garbage. It takes hundreds of light years beyond the sun! The biggest star in the universe!" Yu Fan urged.
"I wish the Millennium Falcon could go faster than that campy looking Klington Bird of Prey…" Sun Shang Xiang said.
"Now you all have seen The Force Awakens, would you mind explaining me why that…lightsaber has a crossguard?" Yu Fan pointed at the poster which shows Kylo Ren wielding a controversial lightsaber.
"….."
"You got me there. This is the one thing that didn't make any scientific sense…" Deng Zhi and Dynasty Warriors Star Wars fans gaze at the lightsaber designed for Kylo Ren.
"That was dangerous making a lightsaber with a hilt like that. Plasma could incarnate your skin as putting two vents in the crossguard isn't safe to me," Deng Ai nodded.
"But it worked on the film," Gan Ning defended the idea.
"Yes, because the villain looked too bad ass to not wield it. Forming weapons from crystals and energize them into a laser blade seems all to badass for the Star Wars fans. But this the clumsiest looking lightsaber I ever seen," Yu Fan mocked.
"Look, if you don't like the villain, how about telling the guys at Star Trek to make a villain as badass as Darth Vader! Or create a weapon that can look as cool as Han's blaster" Gan Ning urged.
"Darth Vader or is it Anakin Skywalker? Someone was a huge fan of Darth Vader and started calling himself Kylo Ren of the Knights of Ren something. Those ideas are so corny that there could have been a Knights of Khan on Into the Darkness. Nah, Star Trek isn't about a one dimensional villain who's been revealed to be Luke Skywalker's traumatic father who choke rape his mother because she couldn't afford to join 'The Dark Side' so they can rule together in the whole universe. Is Star Wars supposed to be a Space Drama or a Space Angst?" Yu Fan glared at Gan Ning making the latter furious with the former's comeback.
"Not everything in the force is with the Skywalker family," Zhao Yun said.
"Of course not, the Jedi council is being rebuilt in the sequel," Deng Zhi agreed.
"Yu Fan, you probably couldn't care less about the tragic of Padme and her feelings for Anakin. But remember, I was murdered by the man who wants to be emperor and number one in the history of Chinese civilization with his secret whore," Zhen Ji pouted.
"That man became a joke, Miss Zhen. Our lord became one of the greatest monarchs in South China. He's honored the 'GREAT' Emperor," Too bad, Zhongmou doesn't know how important I really am if Wu wanted to win and among other things," Yu Fan prepares to leave the group.
"I enjoyed our fandom debate on the two greatest Sci Fi franchises, it's time we head back home," Lu Su waved at the group and they waved back.
"Don't forget, Star Wars will always be better than Star Trek!"
Yu Fan grunted, "If it weren't for the original trilogy cast, that damn movie couldn't have reach almost 1billion in record ticket sale! I wanted it to fail!"
Spontaneous over Yu Fan's Star Wars trolling, Zhao Yun told Zhen Ji about another Star Wars/Star Trek debate, "Luo, which is more romantic: William Riker x Deanne Troi or Han Solo x Leia Organa?"
"Troi and Riker have so many romance moments, but also the Picard and Beverly moments. I kind of find Han and Leia comedic to be honest. I mean, look at Sun Shang Xiang and Gan Ning…." Zhen Ji pointed at the odd couple.
"There's our Star Wars parallels princess…ouch!" Gan Ning was cut shor over Sun Shang Xiang's temper.
"Next I'd tell Xingba that Zilong is my brother," Sun Shang Xiang muttered.
"Well, tomorrow we go back into the Koei building and test ROTK 13 again. Later guys!" Guan Ping waved and Xing Cai followed him out of the movie theatre.
"I'm already tired after waiting in that long line for an hour to watch Star Wars. Come on, Ai. It's our turn to leave," Xin Xianying dragged Deng Ai out the sidewalk towards her apartment for the night.
"Wait! I haven't told them about Data's unnecessary death in Star Trek Nemesis! It's the worst NG Star Trek film!" Deng Ai was shown being pulled away with his girlfriend.
"I too was upset with Data's death," Deng Zhi nodded.
"Note to self, don't let a director who don't know anything about Star Trek direct your Star Trek films," Zhen Ji exchange a nod with Deng Zhi.
"Junyi and I needed to go too," Wang Yi dragged Zhang He out and Junyi didn't react over her bringing him for a walk back home with her.
"Call me if you wanted to continue our 'girl talk'," Zhen Ji waved her friend goodbye.
"Wang Yi, I hope you're not going to a local bar to get drunk and rant about Ma Chao again…" Zhang He frowned.
"I'm going home before Dad and Ce finds out I watched Star Wars without the rest of the family. You boys better not get into trouble when I'm gone," Shang Xiang gave a warning to the duo as she departs alone.
"You don't have to worry about us, right Chewie!" Gan Ning nudged Ling Tong who shot a grumpy face.
Ling Tong imitiates Chewbacca, "Haaaaan!"
The trio left and only Deng Zhi, Zhen Ji and Zhao Yun remain, "Of all the parallels, Ling Tong is Chewbacca. We should have brung Wei Yan. See you tomorrow, Zilong and Luoshen."
"Phew…a Christmas party at Yukimura's, the Star Wars craziness all over theatres everywhere, and the Star Wars vs Star Trek debate. It's been a long night," Zhao Yun stretched his body yawning.
"Yep!" Zhen Ji was glad to go out with him. They're the last ones to leave and they decided to have late dinner together.
"I've been thinking about you after your last encounter with Cao Pi. My drama is coming out soon, but I'm not so comfortable with it's direction. I'm a symbol of hope, but you deserve hope more than any of these women being in my drama," he said.
The two walked together across the street gazing at the sleepless city as they look for a suitable restaurant that opens for Christmas. Zhen Ji remained silent listening to Zhao Yun.
"You deserve a happy ending, Zhen Ji. I felt that what I did in history, getting Liu Bei out of the brigand, rebuilding his forces with Yuan Shao's troops, facing Cao Cao at Hanshui, doesn't compare your tragedy," Zhao Yun told her.
She felt uneasy with him caring how she suffered, "It's always war and politics. Cao Pi's friends were all over the imperial court and the people. My tragedy doesn't matter as I knew I was going to die anytime whether your side wins or when the next time I'm being held in the palace and someone comes storming there to get me executed, raped, or heaven knows what other ill treatment women go through in war."
"I didn't expect you'll go through all that while I waited at Xin Ye for how long till Liu Biao make up his mind and get us a full scale invasion of the central plains and then Cai Mao happened, we were on the run, saved Liu Chan during the pursuit, Chi Bi happened, and I heard you gave birth to a daughter, The End. Assuming you don't care about what happened at Chang Ban," Zhao Yun comply the last sentence as sarcasm.
"Innocent people keep dying. Zilong, I HATE war and I've heard of what happened at Chang Ban. I can't speak for my own opinion of it. Remember, I didn't dare speak about Yuan Xi's death after I gave birth to Dongxiang. You know what kind of man Cao Pi is. My record didn't say anything about feeling relief to heard Yuan Xi died. Sigh…" She then stopped walking.
Zhao Yun turns to look at her depressed face resurfacing, "What Cao Pi did to you, I didn't expect he would go that far to cross the line. It took me three years to learn that you died. We had false rumors that he killed the Han Emperor. I knew there was something fishy going on at the capital until your death came up. I couldn't stop Liu Bei from ordering Liu Feng to commit suicide. He lost his mind over Guan Yu's death and made Meng Da's betrayal worst."
"Hence, Koei made me totally committed to his atrocities now. What's next? I call you an evil warmonger like Wang Yi called Ma Chao at the party. It could make me more of an aggressive female character, but more hated," Zhen Ji blinked.
"Well, our stories hardly make any sense anymore because of how loose the novel presented us. Let's say, you are jealous of Guo Wang and I want Liu Bei to abdicate Liu Xie and become Han Emperor. What did our characterization miss?" Zhao Yun shot the question at Zhen Ji.
She stares at him and saw him pressured over his popularity in the games because of it, "Come here…"
She embraces a hug while Zhao Yun hardly felt the warm response to her caring about him as his eyes turned dark and gloomy.
"…"
"Three Kingdoms is more popular than Star Wars and Star Trek in Asia, Zilong. I know what you're talking about. People missed the point about us because of the rulers we were affilate with. After Cao Pi abdicate Liu Xie, it's clear that your side was the good guys and I can't come to abide with the man who destroyed what I believed in….HONOR," Zhen Ji said.
"You shouldn't have taken your own life because of him…" Zhao Yun urged.
She's still hugging him and felt his heart beat on her nerves, "No one can save me. That's what the palace life is. Look on the bright side; I'm happy you become well liked in China for more than 600 years after the novel existed."
"Why am I feeling like I don't deserve all the positive reception because you said so?" Zhao Yun sighed.
"You keep on worrying about me when I'm Wei's problem. I am the Honey Trap Wei felt into," Zhen Ji can hear him mumble over her death.
Zhang Yi and Wang Ping are still following them hoping to keep an eye on the couple just in case they leave them alone.
"I think we should leave big brother and big sister alone," Wang Ping told Zhang Yi.
"Right and Zilong needs to man up. He's the best there is," Zhang Yi nodded.
"He is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. Who in their right mind can be as righteous and selfless as him? Who had the guts to question their own lord fearlessly?" Wang Ping grinned.
The two left the couple alone as Zhen Ji continue talking to Zhao Yun, "There's nothing you should be sorry for yourself, especially when you are on Liu Bei's side. I know Zhang Fei took Lady Xiahou when she was lost in the woods, I know Ma Chao did ruthless things in front of Wang Yi, I know about what you did at Chang Ban, I know about what happened at Chi Bi, believe me, nothing compares to betrayal I've gone through leading to my death. They can try to fix it in the games, but in the end everyone continues asking the question why he ordered my death?"
"….."
"Come on, let's go have dinner alone, just the two of us," Zhen Ji disengaged the hug and took his hand telling him to follow her.
The purplish cloud started showering snow and the two walked amongst the crowd of sleepless people in Christmas night.
"Zilong, when ROTK 13 comes out, you must build my relationship with you and help me raise my intelligent and debate skills to refuse on marrying Cao Pi at the Guan Du scenario," Zhen Ji suggested.
"I'll see if that's optional. Good thing, we can build it fast because of our virtuous personality in ROTK," Zhao Yun took out his cell and read a message from Nagamasa.
"By the way, I'll help you raise your politics and charisma," Zhen Ji said.
The town zooms out slowly.
"You'll make me become too overpowered, Luo," Zhao Yun shrugged.
"Ha! You are so much more talented than the records give you credit for," Zhen Ji laughed.
"Heard rumors Koei might make a Star Wars game collaborating with a western franchise," Zhao Yun told her.
"That sounds delight. Who would win you or Luke Skywalker?" Zhen Ji cooed.
"Why me of course….The Force is always strong with the most benevolence!" Zhao Yun uttered.
And here we say farewell to 2015! Back to the Future did predict the HDTV generation right?