Disclaimers: Do I even have to bother?
Chapter 12
"What? The Sun Family have allied themselves with Cao Cao and Liu Bei?" Zhang Liao said, as he was taken aback by the sudden news.
"Who cares" I will defeat anyone who stands in my way!" Lu Bu growled as he sat comfortably in one of the castle's rooms, with Diao Chan at his side.
"Do you not realize what this means?" Zhang Liao asked, annoyed, as he faced the mightiest warrior of them all. "This means that our fall is inevitable! All the major actors are against us!"
"Let them try." Lu Bu replied as he stood up. "I have waited for the day that I will finally come across a decent challenge. I have been waiting for the gods to grant me my prayer…and it seems, it will finally be answered."
"There's more my lord" the messenger interjected. "The Allied forces have camped right on the borders of Xia Pi! It is apparent that they have every intention of attempting a siege!"
"Fools, all of them" Lu Bu scoffed. "Let them come, and I will crush them like bugs!"
"I say we destroy the floodgate" Sima Yi decided, as he fixed his gaze on the outline of the castle.
"For the first time Sima Yi, it seems like we are in agreement." Zhuge Liang replied as he serenely waved his white-feathered fan. He surveyed the room and it's occupants. Standing right in front of him was one who claimed to be his rival, Sima Yi. Right beside Sima Yi was the other strategist Guo Jia, along with Cao Cao, his son Cao Pi and the virtuous Liu Bei. Right between him and Liu Bei was his sworn brother Zhang Fei. Right next to himself was the Wu sovereign Sun Ce, along with another of his rivals, namely Zhou Yu, with Lu Meng, Lu Xun and the Falling Star.
"If we are able to destroy the flood gates and flood the castle, this will lower the morale of the soldiers…not a bad plan." Zhou Yu speculated.
"There's just one problem. What about Lu Bu?" Lu Meng inquired.
"It is best that we do not underestimate a man of great talent such as him." Guo Jia replied as he scanned the map. "Now how do you defeat one such a man?"
"I believe" Zhuge Liang replied, "that a man such as him require no grand strategy in order to be defeated"
"What do you mean?" Cao Pi asked.
"A man like Lu Bu, who is ill-tempered, ill-mannered, unfaithful, proud and selfish will prove his own undoing" Lu Xun helpfully supplied. All of them, including Soi, looked at the young apprentice with interest.
Lu Xun cleared his throat and continued, trying to take his mind off all of the attention that he was receiving.
"With that kind of master, it is just a matter of time before his soldiers defect to us…"
"And we will be able to speed up the process by flooding the castle."
The people in the room trained their eyes on the owner of the voice, which was Soi.
"If Lu Bu is the idiot you think he is, then he will never admit defeat. That is his weakness and we must use it."
"But Lady Xiu Soi, how do you propose we subdue him without killing him? It was your idea not to kill Lu Bu…" Lu Xun asked as he trained an inquiring eye at Soi.
"Look at it this way Lu Xun" Soi replied, a little too enthusiastically. "If we are able to convince Lu Bu to join us, then we won't have to waste good talent! It would simply be a shame if we just kill him! You don't see a guy like that every thousands of years you know"
"But lady, what about his loyalty? He wasn't exactly the role model of vassals when it comes to being devoted. Look what happened to Lord Liu Bei"
"But if Zhuge Liang's prediction comes true and he loses this battle, then there will be nothing but contempt for him everywhere. He will have nowhere to turn to. He will have no choice at all but to fall back in our waiting arms and be faithful…if he doesn't want to live his life as an outcast, stripped of his honor, rank and popular support."
Zhuge Liang eyed Lu Xun and Soi. Interesting…they both have tremendous potential…I wonder how they would par against me…?
Sima Yi looked at Zhuge Liang and sneered. Oh no you don't…they are my prey…
Zhou Yu looked at both Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi. I will not let the both of you sabotage them!
"But when worse comes to worse, we might have no choice but to kill him" Lu Xun said grimly.
"But AFTER the floodgates" Sun Ce butted in, breaking the tension. "what then?"
"We attack after it creates confusion" Guo Jia replied. "The soldiers will have no chance when we strike. Then we would have to take care of Lu Bu and Zhang Liao."
"How do you propose we do that?" Zhang Fei asked, getting bored.
"We won't be a match if Zhang Liao and Lu Bu were to fight together" Cao Cao surmised.
"Simple. We separate them" Soi threw in. "We would need to lure them out separately. We have to split up and take care of them. One will be situated on the east, and another in the west. We attack simultaneously, draw them out, discreetly separate them, and take care of them. Whoever finishes first will aid the other."
"But we do not have that much capable officers. Majority of us will be needed in handling the units" Lu Meng pointed out.
"We will only need six capable officers. Three on one will be enough" Soi concluded.
"And I assume that you will be one of those six, my lady? After all, it is your plan" Sima Yi slyly asked.
"Of course." Came the unwavering response that sent the Wu faction on their toes.
"Sis-!" Sun Ce began.
"Shut up all of you!" Soi looked daggers at them and they all swallowed their protests.
"May I suggest" Zhuge Liang said "that each of faction will provide two of their most capable officers?"
"I will go" Cao Pi volunteered. "I have wanted to test that so called mighty warrior myself."
"I vouch for Zhang He. He is my most capable general" Sima Yi declared.
"Soi and myself" Ce confidently replied.
"NO. Definitely not Ce" Soi and Yu said simultaneously. He looked at the both of them wildly. "No fair! Soi gets to fight him while I don't?"
"My lord, you are the sovereign. You cannot fight. Allow us to do so." Lu Meng quietly whispered.
"I will go with Lady Soi" was Zhou Yu's response, which sent Soi's cheeks to flush and Lu Xun's gaze to hit the floor.
"What about Shu?" Guo Jia asked, as he scanned the third faction.
"I Zhang Fei will go for the honor of Shu!" Liu Bei's sworn brother growled, much resembling a bear.
"And like Sima Yi, I will vouch for Zhao Yun" Liu Bei announced.
"But Zhao Yun is not here" Sima Yi protested.
"Ah, but Zhao Yun will be arriving sometime tomorrow. We will just have to wait for him" Zhuge Liang calmly said.
"Argh! I still find it unfair! How come Soi gets to fight?" Ce harrumphed as he swung his arms around. As luck would have it, he hit the bottle of ink and sent it flying towards Soi, and on her gray, turtle neck sweater.
Seeing the black liquid on her top, Soi looked at a nervously smiling Sun Ce.
"Uhh…oops?" the sovereign meekly replied.
"SUUUUUUUUUUN CE-----!"
Sudden crashes could be heard inside the large tent, as everyone heard the ear-piercing scream and felt the hairs on the back of their head stand on end
"I still don't like the idea of Lady Soi fighting with someone like Lu Bu master…what if she gets hurt? Or killed?" A worried Lu Xun asked as he sat under a tree by the borders of the camp, accompanied by his teacher Lu Meng.
"Lady Xiu Soi does not have any choice…we are allied with our potential rivals and cannot afford to show any signs of weakness. One show of indecisiveness can be used against us by that devil Sima Yi…Lady Xiu Soi understands that, that is why I think we should stop openly being concerned for her…"
"But Master-!"
"Why do you think Lady Xiu Soi agreed to battle Zhang He in the first place? Defended Wu? Or said yes to fighting either the deadly Zhang Liao and the Mighty Lu Bu? You know that the mere sound of their names strikes fear in the hearts of trained soldiers…Yet she stood and accepted the challenge."
Lu Xun remembered the feel of Soi's cold, clammy, shivering hand when she was about to fight the general Zhang He. He could still remember the terror reflected in her eyes. "But she's scared…she needs us to make her feel alright."
"We all know that she's scared. In the end, she is only a child" Lu Meng whispered. "Do you know why she accepted the challenge even though she was scared?"
Lu Xun darted his eyes across the sky. "It was for Wu. If she shows that her resolve is weak, then they would accuse her of being a fraud and Wu would be shamed…If she backed away from their challenges, then she will be called a spineless coward…if her reputation gets damaged in any way, the people's only hope will be gone and our kingdom could be destroyed…"
"That is correct. That is why we should stop treating her like a fragile kitten that could get hurt due to her own helplessness. We should treat her like how we treat our own generals"
"But she's a lady! She is much like Lady Xiao Qiao, Lady Da Qiao, and Lady Sun Shang Xiang!-"
"But she is different." Lu Meng interjected. "She is the Falling Star. A greater burden falls on her shoulders…more than a lady of the castle…more than that of a princess…"
Lu Xun looked down, took a deep breath and bit his lip.
Somewhere nearby, in the shadows, a certain flute player was eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Hmm…this seems interesting…
Zhao Yun rode in solitude through the silent arrival of dawn towards the Allied Forces' camp. His head was bowed as he recalled the strategy meeting days ago. He could not fathom the fact that the kingdom of Shu was allying themselves with the main enemy,
Wei. And to add to the package, he received unbelievable news that Wu would fight with them for their cause as well. His mind then wandered to the thoughts of the Falling Star. He wondered how was she faring since the last time he saw her was at the banquet that was held almost a year ago…How, he wondered, would it be like to fight alongside her? He heard that she dueled with the famous Zhang He and won…
He was shaken from his reverie by the sound of splashing from the nearby river. He stopped his horse and glanced beyond the shrubs. Maybe it's a spy…
The general went down from his horse and went towards the source of the disturbance. He stopped by the bank and felt his feet rooted into place.
"Geez, the stain won't just come off!" Soi moaned, frustrated at the uncooperative stain on her top. She wore a single piece of cloth that was wrapped around her body and apparently, just finished taking a bath. Droplets of water ran on her skin as she did her laundry. She then stopped as she felt a presence behind her. She slowly turned and suppressed the scream in her throat as she saw that it was a guy.
Zhao Yun felt his blood rush to his face as he and the river goddess stared at one another. He knew that he had seen her somewhere before…but he couldn't point his finger at it…The girl lifted one eyebrow as she looked at him, the expression on her face unreadable.
"What the hell do you want?" she asked, her tone cold.
Zhao Yun regained his composure and took a step forward. "I was just—"
"Take one more step and you are dead"
Zhao Yun stopped in his tracks and looked at her. He sensed hostility, and a little bit of…fear?
She took a step back and started to sway due to the force of the current.
"My lady," he took another step forward "it's dangerous—"
"Get away!"
She started to fall and Zhao Yun jumped, quickly wrapping his arms around her.
As she felt his strong arms around her form, she screamed.
"Zhao Yun is one of my most trusted generals…he would never do such a thing!" Liu Bei defended as the said general stood brave and tall behind him.
"But you have to understand, Lord Liu Bei, that we hold our Falling Star in the highest regard. How do you explain the fact that she was struggling in his arms-he gestured to Zhao Yun- when we heard her fear-stricken scream and rushed to her immediately?" Zhou Yu countered calmly, yet rage was apparent in his eyes.
"Confess what you did, and you will be forgiven…" Lu Xun whispered, anger threatening to spill out.
Earlier that morning, a hair-raising scream was heard near the river, as everyone in camp was either waking up or still asleep. They immediately rushed to the scene and saw Zhao Yun, holding a struggling Soi in his arms. As they trained their weapons on him, the Falling Star ran past them and towards the hollow of a nearby tree, and it took them hours to coax her to come out. Yet even after she did, they haven't found a way to calm her down.
Recalling the event, Lu Meng furrowed his brow. Zhao Yun was known throughout the land, and a man of his caliber cannot possibly perform such an atrocious act. What had made Lady Soi act that way…?
"Come on Soi…it's alright…it was all an accident" Da Qiao cooed as she held the trembling girl in her arms. She looked at Soi and felt her heart strings being pulled. From the rebellious and free spirited individual, she became like a cold, scared little pup. Da watched as Soi violently shook her head.
"NO! No No No No…"
Shang Xiang practically held Soi's fisted fingers as they trembled and grew tighter, scarring her own palms. "Soi, relax…"
"No I won't!" She cried hysterically. "Don't you see he tried to molest me?"
"Soi…Zhao Yun could never do such a thing…we know him and you don't have to be afraid of him…please, just trust him…" Xiao Qiao worriedly said.
Soi looked at the younger Qiao with wild eyes. "Well I'm sorry for being afraid! I don't have a perfect husband to keep me safe from any jerk who wants me badly you know! No one has a perfect relationship like yours! You don't know how I feel!"
Qiao looked at her, startled, and felt tears threatening to come out.
"Soi! That was mean! Don't shout at Xiao Qiao like that!"
"Soi…" Da said, worried.
Soi looked down, her eyes blurred and was unable to think straight. As she remembered how the general's arms had held her tight that morning, with her wearing nothing but a piece of cloth, unwanted memories of her step father came flooding back.
She held herself tight and whispered to herself "It's going to be okay…it's not like before…not like it at all…" tears of fear streamed from her eyes as Da Qiao held her tight as if she was her own daughter.
"Interesting…" Sima Yi grinned as his eyes were sharply reflected in the candlelight.
"Now the weakness of the Falling Star has been exposed, what do you suppose we can do about it?" Zhen Ji asked, crossing her legs as a cocky smirk on her face.
"Quiet woman. I'm thinking" Sima spat as Zhen looked daggers at him.
"We have Zhao Yun to thank for that I suppose…who would have thought that she would be weak to a man's embrace? Women!" Xiahou Dun laughed, never minding that Zhen was there.
"They're all the same" Yuan sneered yet kept quiet at Zhen Ji's penetrating gaze.
"We should keep gathering more information about her." Sima Yi spoke as his eyes scanned the room. "Opportunity will present itself soon enough. Meanwhile, we should keep this plan strictly between the four of us…Even from Lord Cao Cao or Lord Cao Pi."
"But why should we keep this a secret from Lord Cao Cao?" Xiahou Dun asked suspiciously.
"Lord Cao Cao can easily be blinded by power and beauty and would not stand to see the Falling Star be ruined…not unless he can use her. I have reasoned with him that she is not to be trusted and was faithful to Wu. Sadly, he does not care whether she is a fraud or not…he is just thinking of how to entice her to our side and manipulate her just like Wu does…Lord Cao Pi thinks the same." He eyed Zhen Ji, her beautiful face contorted with hatred.
He continued. "The Falling Star is a threat and have to be taken out of the game"
The night was still and calm; the stars and moon slowly illuminating the camp as the soldiers slumbered and dreamt of battle, thoughts of the day to come in their minds. Yet a lone figure broke the silence as its silhouette swiftly hiked through the camp, apparently in search for something. The figure left camp and made its way through the bushes, until it was led to the riverside where a certain maiden sat on the grassy bank, looking at the stars.
Soi hummed to herself silently as she listened to her mp3 player. As the figure walked slowly towards her, she stopped, casually glanced behind her, and smiled when she saw who it was.
"Couldn't sleep either, Cotton Candy Boy?"
Lu Xun sighed. "Soi, you worried me…I came to you tent to check if you were sleeping and you weren't there! I was looking all over-"
She chuckled and he instantly stopped his rambling. "What is funny?"
"Nothing…"
"Soi, you have to be careful! It's okay to be carefree but technically, Cao Cao and his men have their sights on you as if you are game. Even if this is neutral camp, we have to watch our backs in case they pull anything-"
"Xunnie…Relax." Soi looked up. "The stars are beautiful tonight…I haven't seen any shooting stars though…"
Lu Xun once again sighed as he looked up. He'll have to let the matter drop…what was he going to do with her?
He simply grinned at her stubbornness and plopped down on the grass beside her.
They stayed like that for a while, silently appreciating the beauty of the night. Lu Xun kept stealing glances at her and felt his breath slowly leave him. The stars and moon gently shone their light on her face, in her simple gray turtleneck sweater. She needed neither jade nor gold to enhance her splendor. She only needed the moon and stars, he thought. He never knew how someone who was so broken and had suffered so mercilessly from darkness could outshine even the very sun itself. It was a vision that he will never forget, even after he dies.
He didn't realize that his companion was looking at him inquisitively. "Cotton Candy Boy…? What's wrong? Is there something in my face?"
"N-Nothing…" he stuttered as he turned away, blushing. "I was just wondering…"
"Hmm?"
"…How are you…?"
Silence answered him and he felt like giving himself a kick in the behind. I knew I shouldn't have asked!
"I'm okay now…thanks for worrying about me Cotton Candy Boy."
Xun looked at her and was greeted by the warm smile reserved just for him.
"Oh wait! I love this next song! Here…" she said as she one of the earphones from her ear and gave it to Lu Xun.
"I'm down to three batteries. I want you to experience listening to an MP3 before the batteries die on me completely."
He cautiously took the earphone and looked at it curiously. "Music…comes out from these little holes? How?"
Soi laughed and took the earphone from his hand, placing it on his ear herself. "I don't know myself…But I love whoever invented these!"
Lu Xun blushed as the sudden gesture, feeling her fingers brush against the skin of his ear. He then heard a slow, drumming, and strange words followed it. The music was alien…but nice.
"Soi…I can't understand what she's saying."
"Hmm? Oh, that's right…it's Japanese. I forgot that you can only understand words that comes out from my mouth…okay…I'll translate it for you. You know, this song reminds me of you…remember that girl that you secretly liked? The one that you told us when we were fighting over the Sansrival? I guess this is your song to her…whoever she may be"
Lu Xun froze and felt his heart stop. "…Really…?" was all he could say.
"Really" Soi smiled and started the song once again.
"This song is called 'Mou Sukoshi' "
The drums came again, along with the strange chimes.
soshite kizuita toki ni kangaeteru no wa kimi no koto de...
"When I noticed I was thinking about you..." Soi began as Lu Xun cautiously looked at her.
sore ga sugoku hazukashikattari
sugoku iyadattari omoete
sore wa boku ga kimochi wo
tsutaeru koto ga kowai kara de
"I felt very embarrassed
And I really hate that feeling
That's because I'm afraid
to convey my feelings"
Soi smiled at him. Lu Xun looked down and pretended to have found something interesting in the grass.
atama de osaetsukete mo kokoro ga dousuru koto mo dekinakute
autabi ni kimi ni satorarenai youni
itsumo to kawarinai youni hanashiteru tsumori de
"Even though I suppress it in my head, I can't do anything about my heart
I don't let you notice it when we meet
So it can be normal how I plan to talk to you"
Lu Xun felt his cheeks redden as he felt that Soi was looking mischievously at him. If only you knew…
yoyuu mo nakute kurushiku natta boku wa
kimi ni uso wo tsuiteshimau... dakedo
"To act so composed has started to hurt
Lying to you I will put away... but"
Lu Xun held his breath as he heard Soi utter the meaning of the next phrases:
mou sukoshi... mou sukoshi...
kimi no kokoro ni chikazuitara
mou sukoshi... mou sukoshi...
ima kono toki ga kienai youni
"A little more... A little more...
If I can get closer to your heart
A little more... A little more...
So that this moment won't end"
Xun continued to stare at the ground, not really seeing the grass. He felt as if his whole world froze.
douka kamisama boku ni yuuki wo kudasai
Please God, give me courage
Soi slowly bent down to get a view of Lu Xun's face. He slowly turned it away. She suppressed a smile. He is so cute…
soshite omoiagunete mo kakkou warui dake no boku de...
kimi ga dou omotteru no ga ki ni natte mo
ippo mo saki he sumanai wakatteru tsumori de
When I'm alone with my bad crazy thoughts
I worry about what you think of me
I'm sorry I stepped forward to try to let you know
Soi felt Lu Xun's face lift to look at the river and pretended not to see it.
jibun jyanai you na mune no moyamoya ga
itaku natte nigetakunaru... dakedo
"I'm not myself, I don't like the fog around my heart
Depending on someone else makes me run away... but"
Xun closed his eyes and only heard Soi's voice along with the strange yet pleasing sound. The feeling he had was bittersweet…this song was indeed the reflection of his feelings…yet…
mou sukoshi... mou sukoshi...
kimi no soba ni irareta nara
mou sukoshi... mou sukoshi...
yoru yoake nai de kureta nara
sabishii toki mo namida wo nugutte ageru kara
"A little more... A little more...
If I can get beside you
A little more... A little more...
Night does not continue once dawn comes
So wipe away your tears when you're feeling lonely"
Lu Xun smiled. He remembered the night when they were together on the roof of the castle…the way she cried on him and how he comforted her…
yozora ni ukabu kakete mo hikaru tsuki ga
tsuyoku mo narenai jishin mo nai
boku wo mite hohoenda hora ne...
"The glowing moon floats out into the heavens
I'm not stronger or more confident
See me smiling, look, OK?"
The song had the perfect words to tell her how he feels for her…perfect for him…yet the irony of it was…
mou sukoshi... mou sukoshi...
kimi no soba ni irareta nara
mou sukoshi... mou sukoshi...
yoru yoake nai de kureta nara
"A little more... A little more...
If I can get beside you
A little more... A little more...
Night does not continue once dawn comes"
The girl of his affections…she was the one who was telling him how he felt for her. Coming from her mouth…It was sweet, yet bitter.
mou sukoshi... mou sukoshi...
kimi no kokoro ni chikazuitara
mou sukoshi... mou sukoshi...
ima kono toki ga kienai you ni
"A little more... A little more...
If I can get closer to your heart
A little more... A little more...
So that this moment won't end"
He always dreamt that those words would come out from her lips…and they did…at least…
douka kamisama boku ni yuuki wo kudasai
"Please God, give me courage"
…not like how he expected them to be.
And I actually hoped the way she would say it would be different…how pathetic I am…As the song ended, Lu Xun opened his eyes and felt a single tear roll down his cheek. He bowed his head even before Soi glanced at him.
"Cotton candy boy…? What's wrong…?"
"Nothing." He answered. His chest felt heavy…he was having trouble breathing. He never realized that it hurt so much…
"Xunnie…?" Soi reached out yet Lu Xun slapped her hand away.
"DON'T!"
Taken aback, Soi looked at him with wide eyes. She felt her chest tighten…and it hurt. "Xunnie…?"
Lu Xun suddenly stood up and ran at full speed.
"Lu Xun!" Soi shouted, the pain in her chest worsening.
Lu Xun ran, away from his love, away from her outstretched hand. Her touch scorched him…he wanted it so bad yet he knew he cannot have her.
In his haste, his hat was suddenly caught by one of the low branches of the trees. He stopped and tugged, only to have it ripped wide open. He forcefully pulled it and it came free. He fell on his knees, holding his hat in one hand, while resting his head on the bark of the tree.
Her touch burned in his skin… and reality suddenly came crashing down upon him.
No way he was going to beat Lord Zhou Yu.
No way he has a chance with her.
As if to add salt to the pain, he realized that he just bolted away from her.
He chuckled and felt tears fall from his eyes. "I'm so pathetic…"
As dawn broke, the camp was very much alive and was swiftly getting ready for the siege.
"Okay everybody, this is it. The decisive battle." Lu Meng announced as his eyes fell on the people inside the tent.
"To be fair and give an equal chance on who will face Lu Bu or Zhang Liao, we will draw lots to decide which party will go to the east or west. The rest of the names will be shown to everyone to prove that none of us are cheating" Cao Cao said as a soldier handed him a bamboo container.
Almost everyone gave a sarcastic smile or cough. They all knew that the draw was organized not for who gets to face who, but rather who will fight with Xiu Soi.
Cao Cao wanted to team Soi up with the two Wei officers, and as expected, Ce, Yu, Xun and Meng adamantly refused. A heated debate followed, and to make things worse, an aggravated Zhang Fei wanted also wanted a chance to see how the kid could fight. A fight almost erupted on the spot when Zhuge Liang proposed to draw lots instead, to make things more 'fair'.
"Each of the sovereign will draw a name." Cao Cao said, as his eyes scanned the six officers. "The names that will be drawed will proceed to the east side. If your name is called, step forward."
Cao Cao reached inside the container and drew out a wooden stick. He smirked.
"Zhang He, step forward."
The said general gracefully stepped in front for everyone to see. "Let us dance through the enemy camp!"
Liu Bei reached his hand in the container and drew a name.
"Please step forward, Lady Xiu Soi."
Soi, wearing her, now clean, gray turtleneck sweater, denim shorts and dirty white canvas shoes, stepped forward beside Zhang He. "Ready and waiting"
Zhang He gave an ecstatic smile while the rest of the Wu faction silently prayed that Ce would draw Zhou Yu's name.
Ce took a deep breath and eyed Soi. I gotta draw Yu's name! Or any of the Shu! Gods, not Cao Pi!
Praying that Soi wouldn't be trapped between two Wei officers, Ce drew.
He almost sighed in relief and announced the name.
"Zhao Yun!"
Soi stiffened instantly at the name and the dragon of Chang Sha settled beside her. "For the glory of my lord"
"You will be situated to the east" Zhuge Liang explained. "As soon as you see a flaming arrow heading up to the heavens, attack and infiltrate."
They nodded, bowed and stepped back, as Cao Cao drew the remaining names and ordered them to go to the west flank.
As they were getting ready, Soi went to the back to the tents to look for a certain someone. As she passed by Zhou Yu's tent, she heard something rustle inside. Thinking that she would bid him good luck in the battle, she peered inside and was puzzled. On the center of the makeshift bed, a single, small porcelain jar was left on its side. She stepped inside and saw that the jar held some tea leaves. She placed it beside the bag and stood up.
What could that noise be…?
Shrugging it off, she went back outside and almost collided against something.
"Ouch! Sis, watch where you're going!"
"Sorry Ce!"
"Hmm?" He peered over her shoulder. "What were you doing in Zhou Yu's tent?"
"I heard something inside and I thought it was Zhou Yu. I wanted to wish him good luck, but no one's there"
"My my…it seems as though the Falling Star needs to rest…you seem to be hearing things. Why don't you sit this battle out?"
Her eyes turned sharply to the voice of the figure she failed to notice.
"Why good morning, Lord Sima Yi. I assure you that I am fine. Maybe you should be the one to sit this out, as you might not be longer needed for we are capable enough to handle this without you."
"Ah, but judging from the way you acted from Zhao Yun's touch, I'd say you've been working too hard as of late"
Soi felt her face burn and her temper rise. How dare he!
"I assure you, I am fine now. I acted like how any normal sane person would have acted. Any rational being would scream and freak if a total stranger embraces them when they are almost naked…Well…that is" she smirked. "if you have no reservations of having a total stranger, let alone a guy, embrace you while you are almost naked, Lord Sima, then I am afraid that we are at an impasse"
Sun Ce bit his lip, trying hard not to laugh, while Sima barely twitched. "I'll see you in the battlefield then. Good Day, Lady Xiu Soi"
"And a good day to you"
She tilted her head as she saw Sima Yi and Sun Ce, walking away from her. What were they doing together? Shaking her suspicion from her mind, she continued her search.
She made her way to the back of the tents and found what she was looking for: Lu Xun.
He had his back on her and he was fumbling with something. Soi nervously cleared her throat and nonchalantly asked:
"Hey Cotton Candy boy…whatcha doin?"
The apprentice glanced at her and back to what he was doing. "Hey Soi…" he greeted as softly as he could while he held his precious hat. "My hat was torn last and I can't fix it…I don't know how to sew."
Soi guiltily bit her lip as she recalled last night's incident. As Lu Xun bolted from her, at that moment, she felt like dying. Not knowing what made him ran away from her, Soi felt paralyzed at the thought that she and Xun would cease to be close due to that 'something' she didn't know.
"I'm sorry…"
"It's not your fault!" Lu Xun quickly said. He looked at her in reassurance. He should be the one saying those words…He woke up that morning feeling miserable for he thought that after that shameful act of his, Soi would be angry and will not want to speak to him. And here, to his surprise, is Soi trying to make things right between them, making the first move. He felt more ashamed at the thought, and to make matters worse, she thinks that she was at fault! That's the last thing he wanted her to think!
"No…I want to make it up to you…I know! Wait here" she dashed towards her tent and came back later with her container filled with beads. Opened it and pulled out a needle, a red thread and held Lu Xun's hat. She carefully sews the hat while Lu Xun watched her, a peaceful feeling in his heart. It felt nice being attended by Lady Soi like that…
"Here! It's finished!"
Lu Xun took it from her outstretched hand and looked at it. "You are really good…it looks new…and you also fixed some of the seams!"
She nodded. "I figured you were going to wear that for a long time, so why not make the repairs last?"
Lu Xun looked at her and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Soi…And I'm sorry for my rude behavior-"
"No. I should be the one who was sorry…I was teasing you, and I went a little too far…" She sheepishly looked down, with Xun's eyes on her. After a moment, she looked at him once again and asked, "…You really do love the girl, don't you…?"
Lu Xun looked at her in the eyes. "Yes…Yes I do…I would give my life for her"
Soi felt something inside yet shook her head. She looked down. "That's nice…" Her emotions were in turmoil…there is something that she cannot pinpoint yet there is a mixture of happiness for Cotton Candy Boy with a tinge of…jealousy?
Shaking thought emotions away, she looked at him and smiled. She should be happy for him. "I wish that girl would also see you Cotton Candy Boy…you are quite a find"
Lu Xun blushed at the comment. "Thank you…"
He gulped. He wanted his suffering to end. He wanted to stop pretending right in front of her…he did not like lying to her or hiding anything from her. He thought that he lost her…but she was here and they were friends… Who knows what will happen? They were going to fight Lu Bu and Zhang Liao…before anything else happens, he has to let it out! To further keep it will drive him insane… Who knows, maybe tomorrow he would wake up and find her gone…that she had gone home to her world…Or he would just find out that she will be wed to someone else…and she will never know how he felt…what if he had a chance after all? What if…?
No…Lu Xun closed his eyes. Even if I do not have a chance with her, I have to tell her…I do not want to spend the rest of my life regretting for things left unsaid and what could have happen…If the price of my confession will be her friendship…no, that will not happen. I trust Soi…
Xun smiled as the song replayed in his mind. It's ironic…that a song like that could grant me the courage that I need…
"Soi…"
"Hmm?"
Lu Xun clutched his hat tightly. "I have something to say…" He felt his heart race and his breath stop. He felt like he was going to die
"What is it?"
Lu Xun froze as his eyes met with hers.
"Cotton Candy Boy…?"
Am I really going to gamble on our friendship…? I'm afraid…of what her answer will be…
Soi tilted her head. "Is something the matter?"
Rejection…will be painful…but…"Xunnie…?"
If it comes to that, I will take defeat gracefully…"Hello…?"
And continue on loving her without regrets…"Lu Xun…?"
I trust her…"Cotton Candy Boy, spill it already!"
This is it…there's no turning back now…"Soi I-"
The gong suddenly sounded, sending a signal to everyone to assemble.
"Oh! Hold that thought Cotton Candy Boy! The siege will be starting soon" she stood up and helped him up as well.
"We should go to our respective positions! Well," she hugged him tightly. "Good Luck to both of us!"
As Soi ran towards her position with her weapon, Lu Xun looked at his hat that was in his hand.
He smiled. "It won't hurt to wait until after the battle…" He wore his hat, feeling empowered at the thought that Soi sewed it. He felt that they were never really far away from each other.
He then proceeded to Lu Meng's side for the Battle of Xia Pi
TBC
Author's notes:
People who completed the magic 6!
Sirius123: you're still with me and I am happy that you are! Thanks for mizu kagami love!
Blackangel04: thank you for the mou sukoshi inspiration! This one's for you!
Incomplete-ness: you guys rock! Thanks for the support!
Celestine1: Thank you! If you have any requests I'd be happy to do them!
Lorze the Brookes: thanks! This is another mp3 player scene!
Legendoflegends: thank you. Your reviews made me happy
You guys gave m the strength to continue. Thank you. And to all who read this fic, thanks!
I'll be waiting for 7 reviews. Magic 7! If I don't get seven…well… '
A confession cut short…kinda annoying. I wonder what will happen to the Battle with Lu Bu? Well, let's find out next chapter! (If I get 7 reviews that is…)