Here is the 2nd last chapter! After this is the epilogue, I'm really glad I'm nearly finished this story and I bet some people thought I would never finish!Just a note, the prologue is now officially no longer cannon and I will edit and change the prologue later! Sorry it took so long but I was sick and really didn't want to write.
Imagine any map for the battle, but I'm thinking of like DW4 Hu Lao Gate but not at the same time. I hope the battle is good, because I tried and please review people! I would appreciate it very much! This also marks the end of various things and will set off a significant change in the series and makes Dong Zhuo be a bigger threat.
Assassin master ezio 91: Thanks! Glad you liked it, poor Diao Chan won't overcome her problems for a while.
kayladw1: Everyone hates Dong Zhuo, though if he died now there would be no series! Glad you loved it, you don't need to apologise.
Ju Shou sighed, he was filled with guilt and regret as his lord stood tall and proud. The noble had decided to have a final battle at Hu Lao Gate, he had called his two remaining sons to aid them and Ju Shou had been named master strategist for the battle.
"My Lord, I suggest that we call this battle off. We are facing a formidable enemy and with our recent string of losses, Zhang He's defection and Zhen Ji's departure that occurred moments before our morale is at an all time low and Lu Bu will no doubt charge through our ranks." Pleaded Ju Shou who stared at his master's eyes.
"Nonsense Ju Shou, we will crush those traitors to the Han and then the Yuan will be even more glorious then ever! Besides with wicked woman gone we will have an even greater chance of victory." Yuan Shao spoke, his voice was full of confidence and it made Ju Shou fill even more guilty.
"I must apologise my Lord, I shouldn't of left during your conflicts against Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo and allowing you to follow the advice of Tian Feng. I take full responsibility!" Yuan Shao's gaze turned to his loyal adviser's face.
With a roll of the eyes, the noble shared his opinion about Ju Shou's statement. "Don't be ridiculous, I had ordered you to go on that mission besides the blame lies purely on Tian Feng, that man had let me and the Yuan army down."
Ju Shou bowed and thanked his lord, he had forgotten how arrogant Yuan Shao was. However Ju Shou jumped to his feet quickly when Yuan Shao got into a coughing fit, the noble collapsing to his knees.
"Father/Master!" Came the immediate response as Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang immediately went to aid there father, who waved them off as he stood up. "I'm fine. It's just a cough, must be from the injury I sustained from the last battle."
The lie seemed to reassure his sons but Ju Shou was not as naïve as them. He knew there was something going on with his master, he was paler then usual and just now he had coughed up blood. Narrowing his eyes, Ju Shou studied his Yuan Shao intensely and knew that the man was trying to not cough again.
Whispering into Yuan Shao's ear the incredibly intelligent man asked with concern, "You sound gravely ill, you can tell me. I won't tell Tan or Shang." Yuan Shao could feel his sons suspicious stares and responded with "What a great strategy Ju Shou! Yes, of course though a noble such as I would of been able to come up with that eventually."
It was a code response and it confirmed Ju Shou's fears. "Father, was it a wise decision to give that psycho woman your prized horse?" Asked Yuan Tan, Yuan Shao turned his head immediately and glared at his son. "A noble does not call a general serving under them such words. Besides, she's willingly battling Lu Bu. I can only hope the plan will work."
The woman in question was currently playing a flute, with some degree of skill suddenly opened her eyes and let go of the flute. It fell into the snowing ground and shattered into pieces, Wang Yi grew a large sadistic smile as both sides started attacking each other.
"Curse that Yuan Shao! He won't get the chance to regret ever crossing me! Lu Bu charge through the enemy ranks and bring me back Yuan Shao's head. As for the rest of you, listen to Li Ru." Barked out Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu rolled his eyes but agreed to his orders. Hopefully it would prove interesting.
Turning his head, he looked back at Diao Chan. "Well are you coming?" He asked before riding off and the elegant dancer smiled but followed, her secret bloodlust was propelling her forward as she tried to keep up with Lu Bu.
Li Ru glared at her retreating back and began to wander off carelessly, stupid woman if only there was a way to get rid of her and Yuan Shao in this battle. He would love to kill two birds with one stone. "What's that?" Li Ru asked himself as followed the trail of scrolls, picking up each one as he went along.
Eventually the scrolls came to a dead end and Li Ru finally realized he had been tricked, "Oh no! the enemy will commence an ambush soon! I have to get out of here quick!" However as turned he only saw the faces of two smart straetgists, Guo Tu and Shen Pei.
"As much as I hate to admit it Ju Shou was right. Li Ru is a big enough idiot to fall for such an obvious tactic." Stated Guo Tu as Shen Pei smiled and began to circle Li Ru, like a hunter with it's prey. "I can only wonder if he's as weak as he is stupid." Claimed Shen Pei as he launched himself at his target.
Elsewhere in the battlefield Diao Chan could of sworn she heard Li Ru let out a terrified scream, 'No, it must of been my imagination.' She though as she stood behind Lu Bu, who was making sure she wasn't getting attacked.
"My Lord, your much to kind but I can handle myself." Diao Chan said but was met by silence. "Lord Lu Bu? Did you hear me?" The soft voice of Diao Chan questioned as Lu Bu glanced to look at her.
"I'm not risking your safety Diao Chan." Came the simply reply as Diao Chan smirked, everything was coming together perfectly. She gasped as someone grabbed her hair and in a split second she found a sword at her throat.
"So it appears that Lu Bu has a soft spot for women! Pathetic!" One of Yuan Shao's generals, Zhu Ling, said as Diao Chan looked in the eyes of Lu Bu. "My lord, please be rational." The dancer pleaded. Lu Bu turned his head away and stomped his foot.
The stomp unleashed a small quake and a huge sphere of energy appeared and knocked everyone near him to the ground. However, Diao Chan never felt herself connect with the ground as Lu Bu gently pulled her to his side and did a wide slash with his halberd.
Unfortunately for Zhu Ling, his throat was one of the things that the halberd touched and with a very deep cut to his throat, Zhu ling meet his end in in a few seconds after the slash. "I'm sorry..."
Lu Bu looked at Diao Chan like she was an idiot, "Don't be sorry there is nothing to apologize for. Zhang Liao! look after Diao Chan!" Zhang Liao nodded and the three continued to charge their way through the enemy ranks.
And the battle continued on, with the Yuan soldiers being sent to their slaughter. Eventually Lu Bu had killed a thousand enemies and Diao Chan gasped in surprise, "Lord Lu Bu, you are a True Warrior! Only you could hold off so many!"
A rumbling noise came next, it sounded like it was coming from above. When Diao Chan looked up, she didn't expect to see a rockslide. One was coming straight for her but she couldn't move, she was frozen in her tracks. "It looks like my dance is coming to an end." Closing her eyes, she embraced her fate.
But she opened her eyes when she was roughly pushed to the side, her head slammed against the ground roughly as she stood up to her feet, the blood rushing through her head and making her stance unsteady.
"Diao Chan!? Are you alive!?" Shouted a familiar voice, one that Diao Chan knew she had heard before but her brain was too damaged to think properly for the moment. The same voice shouted the same sentence, but with a more urgent, worried tone.
Shaking her head, she slowly got back to herself and looked at the sight in front of her. Boulders blocked her way to the main battle and she knew she'd need to take an alternate path. Eventually she could hear Lu Bu yelling, "Lu Bu? Is that you?" She yelled back, waiting for the response.
"Are you unharmed Diao Chan?" Smiling, the elegant woman answered back immediately. "Yes, I can't get around. You must continue on without me, but don't worry I'll be fine. I'll meet up with you later." There was a brief pause before Lu Bu answered back. "Are you sure your safe?"
"Yes, but please continue your advance." "Very well Diao Chan." It was silent for a long time before footsteps broke it. "How sweet, too bad precious Lu Bu won't be able to meet up with you again." Diao Chan turned around in alarm, half expecting it to be Zhen Ji but she knew the voice well enough to know otherwise.
"Wang Yi?" The woman smirked as she stepped forwards once more, raising her trishulas up. "When Ju Shou told me the plan, I expected three different outcomes. The first, was for the plan to work and trap Lu Bu here while I ambush him and take his head. The second outcome, the boulders to crush and kill Lu Bu and the third outcome being that the tactic fails and I leave Yuan Shao's army with his horse."
There was a brief pause as Wang Yi looked the dancer in the eyes. "But I never expected for you to fall into the trap. But once I deal with you then Dong Zhuo's head and vengeance will be mine." Diao Chan couldn't help but soften her gaze, "Please tell me how I can help you."
Wang Yi snarled, "There is nothing you can do to help me!" Diao Chan backed away from the ferocity and pure rage in her voice. "Now, at least try to last longer then two attacks." And with that Wang Yi dived at Diao Chan, who rolled out of the way.
Diao Chan instantly prepared to block an attack as Wang Yi ran towards her but summersaulted over the dancer and knocked her away with a single dash strike, imbued with a purple and dark blue aura.
Crying out in pain, Diao Chan struggled to summon the strength to get back up and fight but she never got the chance as Wang Yi slashes at them while crouching, continuing the assault by performing a reverse spinning kick.
Eventually, Wang Yi had Diao Chan pinned underneath her as she raised her trishula up in the air and just as it was about to connect with Diao Chan's flesh, the words the woman spoke stopped her in her tracks. "I pray you take you Dong Zhuo's head after you kill me."
Wang Yi trembled as she dropped her trishula to the side, slapping Diao Chan hard she stood up. "You are a very lucky dancer. But next time Diao Chan, if I ever have you where I can slay you, don't ever think for a second I won't do it."
With those words the woman with a heart full of vengeance mounted Storm Runner and rode off, never to return to Yuan Shao. Diao Chan put a hand over her heart. "You have a kind soul Wang Yi, I can only beg the heavens that you will overcome the problems in your heart. But thank you, I will always remember this because I know how much of a betrayal that was for you."
"Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang leave Hu Lao now." Yuan Shao spoke over the banging of the gate, he had no doubt that it was Lu Bu trying to break in. " But fath-" Yuan Tan was cut off by Yuan Shao, "That wasn't a suggestion it was an order. Obey it or face the consequences."
Yuan Tan and Shang were going to argue but after hearing that tone, both knew better and reluctantly both obeyed their father's commands. "Are you going to leave as well?" Ju Shou asked, Yuan Shao glanced over to his strategist. "I could say the same to you, but we both know that this battle will be my last. Who wins or loses makes no difference in my fate."
Ju Shou was about to speak but he forgot his words when Lu Bu broke down the gate and on his sides were Diao Chan and Zhang Liao. Ju Shou stared in disbelief and stuttered out a barely understandable sentence. "He's... He's... Lu... Bu's a... Mo-mo-mon-monst-monster!"
Yuan Shao glared at the three generals before him, a noble like himself was not going to go out without a kill. "You!" He shouted regally, as he pointed his rapier at Diao Chan. "I want to have a duel with you." Yuan Shao was going to make sure the tramp died at his hands.
"Very well, can you keep up with my dance?" Said Diao Chan playfully as she made the first move and did a graceful glide, knocking Yuan Shao high into the air. Slamming her whip, she created a pink, flowery tornado that caught Yuan Shao.
He was sent tumbling when it exploded. Not giving him the chance to get up, Diao Chan swung her whip and it tied around his foot, she launched him into the air and tossed him to the ground face first.
As Yuan Shao got to his feet, Diao Chan ran towards him and performed an aerial cartwheel, smacking the ground and Yuan Shao in front of her. Performing a graceful twirl, releasing various petals and pink energy which when Yuan Shao touched, sent him to the ground.
'I have the upperhand! If I can keep this up, I'll win!' Thought Diao Chan, a smile gracing her face as Yuan Shao stood back up again and launched into a coughing fit. Out of habit, Diao Chan straight away asked him if he was ok and due to her days as a servant/adoptive daughter of Wang Yun she ran over to check on Shao.
Shao smiled and elongated his rapier, it pierced through Diao Chan's left leg. She cried out in pain and collapsed to one knee, crouching down in pain. "That was a cheap trick." Diao Chan said through gritted teeth, Yuan Shao smirked. "Says the foolish servant girl who ran over to help her enemy."
Diao Chan struggled to her feet and tried her hardest not to collapse, her leg was bleeding badly and she couldn't last the pain much longer but she didn't know what attack to use without injuring her leg further. In her indecisiveness she left herself open for an attack.
And Yuan Shao took advantage of that by sending forth a small but powerful gust of wind which knocked Diao Chan right off of her feet and onto her back. "Ow!" She grunted in pain as she rolled to her stomach and pushed herself up.
'I can't continue my dance much longer, please someone help me.' Pleaded Diao Chan mentally as she prepared herself once more and fought through the pain as her leg threatened to collapse at any second.
Her pleas however were answered as crane suddenly flew and pecked Yuan Shao in the face, distracting him and allowing Diao Chan to limp behind him. Yuan Shao desperately swung his weapon around, trying to shoo away the crane when it pecked his face one last time.
Diao Chan felt something within her when the crane looked at her before flying away. She had a feeling that she knew the crane, she remembered seeing one at the start of her mission. Could it possibly be the same one?
But she shrugged off these thoughts as Yuan Shao struggled to recover from the unexpected assault on his face. "This dance has been passed down for generations," Claimed the dancer as she performs a spinning dance in place, hitting Yuan Shao with the a flowery aura as she spun.
However the damaging dance was cut short as her left leg broke under the pressure and collapsed, she fell to the ground and looked up tpo see Yuan Shao's victorious smile. "There was no doubt that nobility would win in the end."
"No... I want to keep dancing..." Whispered Diao Chan as she closed her eyes, her leg in too much pain for her to do anything. However a sharp grunt got her attention and the sight before her caused her to gasp.
Standing infront of her was Yuan Shao with Lu Bu's halberd sticking out of his stomach. "No one harms my Diao Chan. You got that?" He said with his intimidating voice being full of malice and rage.
Yuan Shao looked down to see the bladed part of the weapon. He looked back up, it all seemed to fake to be real. It couldn't possibly be really happening, it must be just a figment of his noble imagination. Impossible. Simply impossible.
The weapon was pulled out of his stomach and Yuan Shao slumped to his knees, his eyes wide as he still couldn't believe what was going on. How could he of been killed by a whore and her pet dog? As his eyes rolled back to his skull, he managed to say one sentence. "May... The... Yuan Family... Pros...per.." The thud of his skull connecting to the ground echoed as Lu Bu picked up Diao Chan.
One arm carrying Diao Chan while the other holding his halberd, he approached the shocked Ju Shou. "Humph! Feel lucky peon, life or death?" Ju Shou sighed, his eyes facing the ground. "I have always been loyal to Yuan Shao, the blame for his decline from power lies within me. I have accepted my fate."
"Ungrateful worm," Uttered Lu Bu as he swung his halberd, decapitating Ju Shou. "You." He said simply to a peon, "Cut off Yuan Shao and bring his and the other persons head to Dong Zhuo. Tell him that I killed them both and I expect a reward." The peon nodded and did just that.
Diao Chan had grown considerable pale. "Lord Lu Bu, you are truly my hero." She smiled weakly as she kissed his check before falling unconscious. Lu Bu silently picked her up bridal style and carried her off.
The final battle had ended and Yuan Shao had finally meet his end after many campaigns against Dong Zhuo. And as Diao Chan continued to drift off to darkness, she could only wonder wether or not this was a good thing or had it been a betrayal of the heart?
I'm sorry, I know it was kind of disappointing but it was much better until my laptop stuffed up and deleted like all of the writing so I had to do it all over again. I hope though that the final battle between Yuan Shao and Diao Chan was good. Btw, Yuan Shao was sick and his illness would of claimed his life if he had survived the battle so that's why he said it would be his last battle.
Anyway please review and the epilogue and prologue remake will be up shortly, the sequel will be possibly titled When the Heart's Torn Apart, or something like that. I want it to have something with Heart in the name of it or even Love. One of the two, and I'd appreciate it if someone could give me any ideas for a title!
The series might be called the Heart series or some crap title along those lines, any suggestions would be much appreciated! Well see ya!