Struggle for Existence
Chapter 2
By Yukira Tsurama
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine...but, if you are reading this, they probably aren't yours either! HAHA!
... welcome to my world.
Author's Notes: Okay, I was going to slack off on fanfiction and proclaim writer's block, but with the inspiring reviews I've received, I've put off studying for midterm exams to write this chapter! Thanks for your support!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yue Ying rode on her horse for a few hours, until she could no longer recognize where she was. In other words, she was lost.
Tired and somewhat frustrated, Yue Ying let the horse drink some water at a nearby stream, then began to examine the flute that had belonged to Zhen Ji.
Never before had Yue Ying seen such an exquisite and unique weapon that doubled as a musical instrument. She checked the flute for flaws, but found none.
The flute was crafted out of gold and steel, and it was a deep blue color with solid gold embellishments at the ends. Various gems were studded in the flute itself. It surely must have been a great loss for Lady Zhen.
After a few more minutes, Yue Ying decided to head for the nearest town and figure out Zhuge Liang's strategy from his planning notes.
The nearest city was Changshan, a large crowded place where people roamed around night and day. Because of the great economy, restaurants there often served free food from time to time, and merchants would spare some goods for the pretty girls. Although there was a good chance of Yue Ying remaining inconspicuous for the time being, she wasn't safe yet. Flashes of blue and red armor were evident in the crowds of people, signifying that the Wu and Wei soldiers were after Yue Ying.
Yue Ying snuck up to a quiet table in a large restaurant and was amazed by the hospitality of Changshan. The owners of the restaurant seemed to recognize Yue Ying, and would send waitresses over her table to bring dim sum and hot tea, free of charge.
Yue Ying smiled and sipped her tea, but frowned when she saw two Wu soldiers enter the restaurant. Although she tried to remain inconspicuous, she couldn't help but be angered by the way the two soldiers treated the other people in the restaurant. Still, she needed to be obscure.
Laying out the scrolls and planning notes of her late husband, she drank more tea and read through the notes carefully.
Even though Yue Ying was concentrating on one paragraph, a small sketch of a dragon drew her gaze to one of the scrolls.
"A certain warrior fled away to a town always awake, night and day." Read Yue Ying. "A city dearest to him on this earth, being the place of his birth."
She then realized that the scrolls held riddles that would tell her the locations of the Shu warriors. But which officer was this riddle talking about?
As she recited the names of all the generals that she knew, she realized that Zhuge Liang was more intelligent than she thought he was. The Wei and Wu soldiers would never guess which generals these were since they had never known the Shu officers outside of battle. In fact, Yue Ying began to resent battle. It was such a thing that stopped your social life, and slowly turned you into a jaded regretless soldier, with no other purpose in life except for taking other men's lives.
Still, there was a reason for all this slaughter. The ideals of the Wu and Wei kingdoms were very different and alike with Shu's, but it contrasted enough to separate the three kingdoms.
However, the sketch of the little dragon still stood clearly in Yue Ying's mind. "Wait..." she thought. "Little Dragon? That's...Zilong! Zilong is here, in Changshan!"
A feeling of triumph glowed in Yue Ying, and she felt more confident about her mission. But one question still stood clear: How would she find Zhao Zilong in such a vast, crowded city like this? Also, Zhao Zilong would be trying to remain as obscure as Yue Ying, to evade the enemy soldiers as well. And once Zhao Zilong disappeared, you had a slim chance of finding him.
Although these doubts weighed heavily on Yue Ying, she still glowed with might and ambition, knowing that she must complete her task...not just for Zhuge Liang, but for herself and all of Shu.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed some Wei soldiers chasing a badly wounded girl outside. Defending the girl would expose Yue Ying, but she felt an obligation to save the girl. Yue Ying grabbed the scrolls, nodded in thanks to the waitresses, and unsheathed her spear and ran out of the restaurant.
Outside, Yue Ying could see that the girl was holding a sword and also looked faintly familiar, but Yue Ying just couldn't place a name on that face...
Yue easily maneuvered through the large groups of people and caught up with the Wei soldiers. Using the blunt end of her spear, she rendered the Wei soldiers unconscious. If she had killed anyone, then calamity and chaos would arise. Yue Ying didn't want that to happen.
As Yue Ying got closer to the girl, she noticed the girl was wearing green armor. Another hint...but she still didn't remember who the girl was.
When the girl saw Yue Ying, she immediately bowed, despite her wounds, and acknowledged her. "Lady Yue."
Yue Ying couldn't help but look confused. The girl noticed Yue Ying's blank look, and introduced herself. "Lady Yue...I'm one of your bodyguards, Mei Jing."
"Oh, that's right!" thought Yue Ying, now grinning to herself. "I haven't fought before yesterday in a long time...no wonder I don't even recognize my own bodyguards!"
"Oh..." Yue Ying's voiced trailed off. "Where are...the other bodyguards, Cai Lin, Mai Li, and Junying?" Yue Ying smiled triumphantly, proud that she had remembered her other bodyguards' names.
"I don't know."
An awkward silence passed over them. "Anyways, I'm looking for General Zhao Zilong." Said Yue Ying without thinking.
Mei Jing stayed silent, not sure how to reply, but she answered after hesitating. "I shall assist you."
"Alright..." answered Yue Ying.
"Very well..."
Yue Ying and Mei Jing set off on their next mission: Finding Zilong.
~*~*~
The sun was overhead. It was noon. Zhao Zilong was walking in the noisy crowded city of Changshan, searching for Yue Ying.
Zilong remembered Zhuge Liang's instructions precisely.
(small flashback)
"Go straight to Changshan and remain there until I send a messenger for you." Instructed Zhuge Liang.
"Sir...who shall see to the protection of Lady Yue?" asked Zhao Yun.
Zhuge Liang smiled good-naturedly. "I know that you are a good person, and a polite gentlemen, but Yue Ying has been given a location as well. I shall see to it that she does."
"What if...something happens to her?"
"Whatever it is," assured Zhuge Liang, "I will be able to protect her. Just do as I say, and Shu will be just fine."
(end of flashback)
Zhao Zilong knew that Yue Ying wasn't going to have anyone to protect her. He had seen a glimpse of Sima Yi, expertly poised for the attack...he had watched Zhuge Liang die, and he was mixed up on what to do. Following orders, he fled straight for Changshan, but a feeling of worry kept striking him. He was worried about Yue Ying.
And now, maybe if Zhao Yun hurried up and found her, Yue Ying might still be okay. He hadn't seen Yue Ying exit the palace at all, and could only keep telling himself that Yue Ying was just fine, in the care of Jiang Wei...
That rose some suspicion as well. The whereabouts of the young strategist were currently unknown.
And although Zhao Zilong was trying to remain inconspicuous as well, he was unintentionally getting the undivided attention of young women all over Changshan.
~*~*~*~
Yue Ying had suggested that she and Mei Jing split up to cover more ground. Mei Jing refused, saying that they would get lost. Yue Ying and Mei Jing then walked side by side, Yue Ying searching on the right, Mei Jing on the left. A young merchant winked at Mei Jing and gave her a jade pendant. Blushing furiously, Mei tried to focus on helping Yue Ying.
It had also seemed that Yue Ying was more respected and popular than she thought she was. People everywhere had heard rumors of Yue Ying's prowess in battle and sharp intelligence, and they whispered among themselves as Yue Ying passed by.
Finally stopping for rest, Yue Ying spoke. "Are you sure that you don't know where the rest of your group is?"
"Yes."
And as the two women kept searching, Mei Jing received more trinkets from merchants, and Yue Ying was still drawing attention.
~*~*~*~
Zhao Yun was walking in one direction continuously, and he thought he heard Yue Ying's name being mentioned. Perhaps it was his mind. He continued walking, and then he heard, "You mean Yue Ying!? The female warrior and genius!?" Zhao turned and saw that it was two young women that were quoting Yue Ying's presence.
"Umm, excuse me ladies. Have you seen Officer Yue Ying anywhere in the city?" inquired Zhao Yun, politely waiting for a response.
Upon seeing this handsome warrior near them, the two young women whispered little things into each others' ears and giggled. Zhao Yun then became aware of the attention that he had drawn to himself unintentionally. Turning around, Zhao Yun could see a crowd of more young women giggling air- headedly as they pointed and chattered. The crowd then ran after him.
Oh, Zilong had been stuck in a sticky situation like this before. It almost reminded him of Cao Cao's men that had pursued him as he rescued the child lord Liu Shan, except that these were giggly girls.
What could Zhao Zilong do? At Changban, he had fought and defeated Cao Cao's men. What would he do now?
He ran.
Zhao Yun sprinted as quickly as he could, heading for a hill of some sort.
~*~*~*~
Yue Ying and Mei Jing were ready to give up. They had been searching for quite a long time, and both women rested against a tree nearby a hill.
A man in white armor ran past them with amazing speed. Yue Ying's eyes lit up. "It's Zhao Zilong!" she cried.
Mei Jing and Yue Ying headed after Zhao Yun, Mei Jing getting ahead. Once she was close enough, she tried to get the young general's attention. "Zhao Zilong! Over here!"
Oddly enough, they got a response that sounded like "Shit! They know my name!"
Yue Ying tried to call out to him. "ZHAO ZILONG!"
Zhao Yun turned around, upon recognizing Yue Ying's voice. "Lady Yue!"
Behind him, the crowd of girls squealed.
Although they were extremely exhausted, the trio ran somewhere, not caring about where they were going, only intent on escaping.
As they were running, though, Yue Ying felt somehow drawn to Zhao Zilong, and a part of her couldn't deny it.
But, more importantly, Yue Ying was on the right path.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Whee...I'm exhausted. I think that this chapter had too much humor...what do you think? Tell me. I'm open to comments.
Answers to reviews:
BlueDWGirl: Yup...even though Zhen Ji was cheating, Yue Ying still has her flute. Hehe. I wonder what she'll do with it, though... Oh, wait. I'm the authoress. I should know...but I don't.
General-Beatrix666: Hehe. The scene with Yue Ying and Zhen Ji playing that game took me forever to think up...mainly because (1) I'm not that creative when it comes to witty things and (2) I was really tired. I should really edit that part, but naah...
VampireTybalt: Oh, Yue Ying is pretty much set with Zilong. Although placing her with Sima Yi would be interesting...
Beaniebag: I have just noticed that the plots in my fanfictions always change and develop spontaneously! Oh...and about Zhuge Liang... I just figured that he needed to be dead for Zhao Yun and Yue Ying to be together...and if he didn't die, then his strategy would go according to plan, making my story...straight to the point with no sudden twists. Hehe...sudden twists...
Phoenix Spear: Yes...that gives me an idea. Just for fun, I'll include a part about Zhen Ji lamenting and wailing over her flute. But don't worry...she'll get a new one.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Oh, and review! Hehe.
Chapter 2
By Yukira Tsurama
Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine...but, if you are reading this, they probably aren't yours either! HAHA!
... welcome to my world.
Author's Notes: Okay, I was going to slack off on fanfiction and proclaim writer's block, but with the inspiring reviews I've received, I've put off studying for midterm exams to write this chapter! Thanks for your support!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yue Ying rode on her horse for a few hours, until she could no longer recognize where she was. In other words, she was lost.
Tired and somewhat frustrated, Yue Ying let the horse drink some water at a nearby stream, then began to examine the flute that had belonged to Zhen Ji.
Never before had Yue Ying seen such an exquisite and unique weapon that doubled as a musical instrument. She checked the flute for flaws, but found none.
The flute was crafted out of gold and steel, and it was a deep blue color with solid gold embellishments at the ends. Various gems were studded in the flute itself. It surely must have been a great loss for Lady Zhen.
After a few more minutes, Yue Ying decided to head for the nearest town and figure out Zhuge Liang's strategy from his planning notes.
The nearest city was Changshan, a large crowded place where people roamed around night and day. Because of the great economy, restaurants there often served free food from time to time, and merchants would spare some goods for the pretty girls. Although there was a good chance of Yue Ying remaining inconspicuous for the time being, she wasn't safe yet. Flashes of blue and red armor were evident in the crowds of people, signifying that the Wu and Wei soldiers were after Yue Ying.
Yue Ying snuck up to a quiet table in a large restaurant and was amazed by the hospitality of Changshan. The owners of the restaurant seemed to recognize Yue Ying, and would send waitresses over her table to bring dim sum and hot tea, free of charge.
Yue Ying smiled and sipped her tea, but frowned when she saw two Wu soldiers enter the restaurant. Although she tried to remain inconspicuous, she couldn't help but be angered by the way the two soldiers treated the other people in the restaurant. Still, she needed to be obscure.
Laying out the scrolls and planning notes of her late husband, she drank more tea and read through the notes carefully.
Even though Yue Ying was concentrating on one paragraph, a small sketch of a dragon drew her gaze to one of the scrolls.
"A certain warrior fled away to a town always awake, night and day." Read Yue Ying. "A city dearest to him on this earth, being the place of his birth."
She then realized that the scrolls held riddles that would tell her the locations of the Shu warriors. But which officer was this riddle talking about?
As she recited the names of all the generals that she knew, she realized that Zhuge Liang was more intelligent than she thought he was. The Wei and Wu soldiers would never guess which generals these were since they had never known the Shu officers outside of battle. In fact, Yue Ying began to resent battle. It was such a thing that stopped your social life, and slowly turned you into a jaded regretless soldier, with no other purpose in life except for taking other men's lives.
Still, there was a reason for all this slaughter. The ideals of the Wu and Wei kingdoms were very different and alike with Shu's, but it contrasted enough to separate the three kingdoms.
However, the sketch of the little dragon still stood clearly in Yue Ying's mind. "Wait..." she thought. "Little Dragon? That's...Zilong! Zilong is here, in Changshan!"
A feeling of triumph glowed in Yue Ying, and she felt more confident about her mission. But one question still stood clear: How would she find Zhao Zilong in such a vast, crowded city like this? Also, Zhao Zilong would be trying to remain as obscure as Yue Ying, to evade the enemy soldiers as well. And once Zhao Zilong disappeared, you had a slim chance of finding him.
Although these doubts weighed heavily on Yue Ying, she still glowed with might and ambition, knowing that she must complete her task...not just for Zhuge Liang, but for herself and all of Shu.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed some Wei soldiers chasing a badly wounded girl outside. Defending the girl would expose Yue Ying, but she felt an obligation to save the girl. Yue Ying grabbed the scrolls, nodded in thanks to the waitresses, and unsheathed her spear and ran out of the restaurant.
Outside, Yue Ying could see that the girl was holding a sword and also looked faintly familiar, but Yue Ying just couldn't place a name on that face...
Yue easily maneuvered through the large groups of people and caught up with the Wei soldiers. Using the blunt end of her spear, she rendered the Wei soldiers unconscious. If she had killed anyone, then calamity and chaos would arise. Yue Ying didn't want that to happen.
As Yue Ying got closer to the girl, she noticed the girl was wearing green armor. Another hint...but she still didn't remember who the girl was.
When the girl saw Yue Ying, she immediately bowed, despite her wounds, and acknowledged her. "Lady Yue."
Yue Ying couldn't help but look confused. The girl noticed Yue Ying's blank look, and introduced herself. "Lady Yue...I'm one of your bodyguards, Mei Jing."
"Oh, that's right!" thought Yue Ying, now grinning to herself. "I haven't fought before yesterday in a long time...no wonder I don't even recognize my own bodyguards!"
"Oh..." Yue Ying's voiced trailed off. "Where are...the other bodyguards, Cai Lin, Mai Li, and Junying?" Yue Ying smiled triumphantly, proud that she had remembered her other bodyguards' names.
"I don't know."
An awkward silence passed over them. "Anyways, I'm looking for General Zhao Zilong." Said Yue Ying without thinking.
Mei Jing stayed silent, not sure how to reply, but she answered after hesitating. "I shall assist you."
"Alright..." answered Yue Ying.
"Very well..."
Yue Ying and Mei Jing set off on their next mission: Finding Zilong.
~*~*~
The sun was overhead. It was noon. Zhao Zilong was walking in the noisy crowded city of Changshan, searching for Yue Ying.
Zilong remembered Zhuge Liang's instructions precisely.
(small flashback)
"Go straight to Changshan and remain there until I send a messenger for you." Instructed Zhuge Liang.
"Sir...who shall see to the protection of Lady Yue?" asked Zhao Yun.
Zhuge Liang smiled good-naturedly. "I know that you are a good person, and a polite gentlemen, but Yue Ying has been given a location as well. I shall see to it that she does."
"What if...something happens to her?"
"Whatever it is," assured Zhuge Liang, "I will be able to protect her. Just do as I say, and Shu will be just fine."
(end of flashback)
Zhao Zilong knew that Yue Ying wasn't going to have anyone to protect her. He had seen a glimpse of Sima Yi, expertly poised for the attack...he had watched Zhuge Liang die, and he was mixed up on what to do. Following orders, he fled straight for Changshan, but a feeling of worry kept striking him. He was worried about Yue Ying.
And now, maybe if Zhao Yun hurried up and found her, Yue Ying might still be okay. He hadn't seen Yue Ying exit the palace at all, and could only keep telling himself that Yue Ying was just fine, in the care of Jiang Wei...
That rose some suspicion as well. The whereabouts of the young strategist were currently unknown.
And although Zhao Zilong was trying to remain inconspicuous as well, he was unintentionally getting the undivided attention of young women all over Changshan.
~*~*~*~
Yue Ying had suggested that she and Mei Jing split up to cover more ground. Mei Jing refused, saying that they would get lost. Yue Ying and Mei Jing then walked side by side, Yue Ying searching on the right, Mei Jing on the left. A young merchant winked at Mei Jing and gave her a jade pendant. Blushing furiously, Mei tried to focus on helping Yue Ying.
It had also seemed that Yue Ying was more respected and popular than she thought she was. People everywhere had heard rumors of Yue Ying's prowess in battle and sharp intelligence, and they whispered among themselves as Yue Ying passed by.
Finally stopping for rest, Yue Ying spoke. "Are you sure that you don't know where the rest of your group is?"
"Yes."
And as the two women kept searching, Mei Jing received more trinkets from merchants, and Yue Ying was still drawing attention.
~*~*~*~
Zhao Yun was walking in one direction continuously, and he thought he heard Yue Ying's name being mentioned. Perhaps it was his mind. He continued walking, and then he heard, "You mean Yue Ying!? The female warrior and genius!?" Zhao turned and saw that it was two young women that were quoting Yue Ying's presence.
"Umm, excuse me ladies. Have you seen Officer Yue Ying anywhere in the city?" inquired Zhao Yun, politely waiting for a response.
Upon seeing this handsome warrior near them, the two young women whispered little things into each others' ears and giggled. Zhao Yun then became aware of the attention that he had drawn to himself unintentionally. Turning around, Zhao Yun could see a crowd of more young women giggling air- headedly as they pointed and chattered. The crowd then ran after him.
Oh, Zilong had been stuck in a sticky situation like this before. It almost reminded him of Cao Cao's men that had pursued him as he rescued the child lord Liu Shan, except that these were giggly girls.
What could Zhao Zilong do? At Changban, he had fought and defeated Cao Cao's men. What would he do now?
He ran.
Zhao Yun sprinted as quickly as he could, heading for a hill of some sort.
~*~*~*~
Yue Ying and Mei Jing were ready to give up. They had been searching for quite a long time, and both women rested against a tree nearby a hill.
A man in white armor ran past them with amazing speed. Yue Ying's eyes lit up. "It's Zhao Zilong!" she cried.
Mei Jing and Yue Ying headed after Zhao Yun, Mei Jing getting ahead. Once she was close enough, she tried to get the young general's attention. "Zhao Zilong! Over here!"
Oddly enough, they got a response that sounded like "Shit! They know my name!"
Yue Ying tried to call out to him. "ZHAO ZILONG!"
Zhao Yun turned around, upon recognizing Yue Ying's voice. "Lady Yue!"
Behind him, the crowd of girls squealed.
Although they were extremely exhausted, the trio ran somewhere, not caring about where they were going, only intent on escaping.
As they were running, though, Yue Ying felt somehow drawn to Zhao Zilong, and a part of her couldn't deny it.
But, more importantly, Yue Ying was on the right path.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Whee...I'm exhausted. I think that this chapter had too much humor...what do you think? Tell me. I'm open to comments.
Answers to reviews:
BlueDWGirl: Yup...even though Zhen Ji was cheating, Yue Ying still has her flute. Hehe. I wonder what she'll do with it, though... Oh, wait. I'm the authoress. I should know...but I don't.
General-Beatrix666: Hehe. The scene with Yue Ying and Zhen Ji playing that game took me forever to think up...mainly because (1) I'm not that creative when it comes to witty things and (2) I was really tired. I should really edit that part, but naah...
VampireTybalt: Oh, Yue Ying is pretty much set with Zilong. Although placing her with Sima Yi would be interesting...
Beaniebag: I have just noticed that the plots in my fanfictions always change and develop spontaneously! Oh...and about Zhuge Liang... I just figured that he needed to be dead for Zhao Yun and Yue Ying to be together...and if he didn't die, then his strategy would go according to plan, making my story...straight to the point with no sudden twists. Hehe...sudden twists...
Phoenix Spear: Yes...that gives me an idea. Just for fun, I'll include a part about Zhen Ji lamenting and wailing over her flute. But don't worry...she'll get a new one.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Oh, and review! Hehe.