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zarahjoyce) wrote2014-04-12 03:49 pm
zarahjoyce) wrote2014-04-12 03:49 pm
Entry tags:
The Proud Twins/Legendary Siblings II Fic: Fragments
Summary: Snippets of Xiaojiang's life, set pre, during, and post series. Xiaojiang/Xue Yu (of course). VIDEO FOR REFERENCE IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED!
OH LOOK IT'S ANOTHER ONE!
Notes: Probably the only 'The Proud Twins/Legendary Siblings II' fic about these two in existence. That I know of. AND I LOOKED EVERYWHERE! I loooooooved this show years ago and my obsession was rekindled when I discovered all subbed episodes were available online! I can't resist writing about these two because they are so perfect and awesome and just. FOREVER UNDER EDIT BECAUSE I WANT TO COVER EVERYTHING AND THEN SOME.
-
Even as a child, he'd always believed he had a fantastic sense of self-preservation and a healthy obsession with life and living - even as he sought revenge and with it, possible death.
Yet he focused on the two things he had that could keep him alive in Tianmen Sect - not an easy place for pugilists to live in, much more for mere children his age.
-
It was only after a month of training under the Black Cavalier that he discovered the presence of another child living in the manor.
"She is Chief's daughter," one of the soldiers quietly told him, after he was caught side-eying the girl walking around the training grounds with her head held high, the White Cavalier beside her. "He's quite fond of her. Better watch yourself around her; one wrong move and you'll die."
Nodding, he averted his gaze, told himself to stop speculating about the girl he'd probably never see again after this.
He needed not be told twice.
-
An easy aptitude for fighting. That, he was told, was one of the things he had that made the Great Chief of Tianmen Sect notice him.
He was prepared when he was called one morning for an exhibition fight, with most of the members of the sect coming to watch.
He was prepared to fight whoever or whatever was ordered to face him.
He hadn't been prepared to fight her, however.
She couldn't be older than him, he thought, when they faced each other in the arena. She was agile, being smaller and thinner than him. For one whose sword was almost as big as her, she wielded it just as easily as he did his. Perhaps she used it for as long as he had. Perhaps she'd trained with it for as long as he had.
That should not surprise him - yet it did.
It was a terrifying scene, two children fighting with everything they had with them, while bloodthirsty adults watched with barely contained glee. She must have trained under the White Cavalier, because her moves were almost identical to his, only smoother, more fluid.
He used his strength to his advantage, however, and soon he had his sword pointed at her throat, while she looked up at him defiantly, murder in her eyes.
"Enough," her father commanded, and soon the two of them were on their feet and bowing before him.
The Chief clapped him on his shoulder and laughed, congratulating him on a fight done well.
He couldn't help but feel he'd done something right, by winning this fight.
Then he turned, caught the burning gaze of the girl beside him.
He couldn't help but feel he'd done something wrong, too.
-
"You're good."
It's the first time she'd spoken to him ever since they fought. He paused and looked at her face; barely any expression marred her features, and it chilled him, just how she could make the words sound like a deadly threat.
"You think so?" he asked, keeping his expression carefully blank.
She inched her chin upwards. "I can be better."
It was an unspoken challenge, a threat to his life, even, but it made him smile, nonetheless. "Good."
He hadn't realized it then, but it was the first of their many, many encounters where she'd end up glaring and walking away from him in a huff.
-
One day, he discovered, to his great delight, that a stray dog had managed to squeeze in between the crevices in the walls and found its way into the manor.
It was white, with black spots all over, and after a few coaxes, he'd managed to tame the little beast. It would lick his fingers and let him ruffle its ears, and it was always the highlight of his every day.
He'd sneak in leftovers into his robes just so he could feed the dog, though he was smart enough to lure it outside the gates after every meal.
He wished he could keep it close; heaven knew he desperately needed companionship to keep him sane - but knew otherwise.
He had no wish to put into danger innocent lives.
And he knew only death awaited non-pugilists in Tianmen Sect - non-humans included.
-
Of course, being the Chief's daughter, she was an exemption to the rule.
He found out about her fondness for creatures that others would consider vile; poisonous snakes and various scorpions were her absolute favorites, and they littered the area around what he could only guess to be her quarters.
Once, he caught her talking to a snake tangled around her wrist, and she looked at him and smiled, and there was nothing warm or comforting or remotely friendly in that smile.
That night he made sure to check every crevice in his room to assure himself that there were no unexpected surprises lurking about.
He wasn't able to sleep well that evening.
-
He'd suffered through a particularly hard training and looked forward to stealing some moments to enjoy himself.
He headed to the place where he knew the dog would be waiting for him. Pulling packs of food from his robes, he turned right around the corner - and froze.
There the dog was - dead.
And she was wiping her sword on the grass, looking up only when she heard him approach.
For a moment, he couldn't speak. Couldn't take his eyes off the soft body of the animal lying haphazardly on his side. The urge to check if the dog was still alive was strong, though from the amount of spilled blood on the ground, he knew it would be a futile effort.
He turned his gaze to the other living creature there, and asked, "...what did you--?"
She straightened herself. She glared at him, though he swore there was something odd about her expression--
"It bit my hand," she said, lips curled in disgust, throwing a look the dog's way. "It deserved to die."
A flawed philosophy of hers that she would carry for most of her life, he would later realize.
For now, though, the urge to retaliate was barely bearable. He glared at her, and she glared right back, and he flexed his fingers; if only he'd brought his sword with him--
She's the Chief's daughter. Killing her would solve nothing.
So he breathed through his teeth and restrained himself and said, "You should have your hand looked at so it won't get infected."
"Don't tell me what to do," she said - though she clutched the injured limb closer to her chest and took her leave in a hurry.
He buried the dog near a tree, and wept quietly afterward.
-
Three days after the incident, and the number of snakes crawling about Tianmen quarters dwindled to half its size.
If she'd noticed, she never gave any indication.
If he was asked, he'd deny knowing anything about it.
-
In retrospect, why would the dog even bite her hand? It could have easily bitten her in the leg. Unless--
--unless she was reaching out to touch it. Being a new face, however, prevented the dog from realizing she was trustworthy.
Was she?
He had no way of knowing - not that he intended to.
But it made him wonder...
-
They fought a few more times after that. It seemed that the Tianmen Chief wanted to test their strengths against each other for reasons only known to him.
Often he'd end up offering a hand towards her to help her up.
Often she'd end up leveling the tip of her sword against his throat as he looked up at her.
Growing up together in Tianmen Sect had been all but normal for both of them, it seemed.
-
"Why do you always smile like that?" she demanded of him, one day. "It's annoying."
"I smile when I find something amusing." He paused, eyed her quietly. "You should try it, some time." Before he knew it - before he could rationalize it - he was smiling again.
Her chin came up and she left in a huff.
-
"The day has come," the Black Cavalier had said, and there was a sad tinge to his voice and expression as he handed him his sword. "You know what to do."
His own stomach curled uncomfortably, though he did his best to hide his emotions.
They both knew what this day meant.
In Tianmen, for one to be a Cavalier, one had to defeat the current bearer. Take his life, take his title. Should the attempt be unsuccessful, then the young one would have to be killed, as punishment for being too weak and ultimately ungrateful for the training he had endured.
Only one of them would keep his life after this fight.
He had an obsession with life and living, and this, coupled with his desire for revenge, drove him to thrust his sword at the Black Cavalier without preamble - tearing flesh, tearing bone. His hands were bloodstained and shaking, though he kept his face a mask, as he looked down upon the corpse his old mentor. His old friend.
He had done it. All his preparations - rewarded.
The cost of his success was high - but necessary.
He bowed his head low, repeated to himself:
It was necessary.
-
Thus he donned the title Black Cavalier, and the Tianmen Chief shook his hand, awarded him with a suit to reflect his name and his own Tianmen Token, still stained with the blood of his predecessor. He was welcomed into the tight-knit group of elite pugilists, all fighting for the Chief, all fighting for Tianmen's glory.
He bowed his head, sang practiced praises, and when he looked up, he saw that the Chief was congratulating her.
The White Cavalier, he thought, and he smiled.
Of course. It suited her.
She must have felt him watching her, because she grimaced and turned away - all without even looking at him.
-
Infiltrate Bu-er Manor and watch Yuwen Pu?
What an interesting task.
What made it more interesting was that she was unexpectedly given this assignment alongside him.
Black and White.
Was he sent to protect her? He couldn't tell. Not that he was willing to do it.
Not that she needed his protection, anyway. He'd seen and experienced for himself just how capable a fighter she was. Truly she made a formidable Cavalier; a worthy daughter of the Tianmen Chief.
"Don't get in my way," she quickly warned him, as they watched the servants ready their horses for travel.
He cocked his head to the side and smiled at her - only because he knew it made her seethe. "So long as you don't get in mine."
She pursed her lips and walked towards the gate, with him shadowing her every step.
-
The tests they underwent were laughably easy. Already this was proving to be quite a mindless task.
His attention was caught easily by two other contenders, however.
One was sly and quick as a fox. Xiao Yu.
The other, quiet and strong as a mule. Wuji.
He hadn't known then, but meeting them was providence from heaven.
-
He could tell that she found this task to be burdensome as well.
She showed no inclination to master any gambling skill, and partook training halfheartedly because she needed to. Otherwise, she would have found herself sent away from the manor - away from fulfilling her task.
However, being the only female participant with her beauty made her quite popular with the many men loitering in the area. Her other contender was the mistress of Bu'er Manor and really, who was foolish enough to dally with the master's daughter?
It faintly amused him, then, to watch each of her would-be suitor be coldly shot down with threats of bodily harm and mutilation.
"Careful," he told her after she'd sent a particularly bold, portly fellow away from her. "You do realize that you're not allowed to harm them?"
"Yet," she bit out, and there was cold fury boiling in her voice. He smiled; he liked seeing her angry.
"Let them live long enough to suffer your wrath until the right day comes, then. For now - I'd advice you to suffer their attention. That - or mar your face to make yourself less beautiful." He looked up from cleaning his blade to look at her.
That gave her pause, and he wondered if she realized he'd offhandedly complimented her. Not that he intended to; the words slipped out, unbidden.
Perhaps she did, however, as she whirled around to glare at him. "I don't need your advice."
"I'm giving it anyway."
"Keep it," she snarled, and walked away from him
He laughed as he finished his task.
Yes. He definitely liked seeing her angry.
It made her more human, it seemed.
-
"Was it you? The one who stopped me from killing them?"
He paused from his musings to look at her. "Give me one reason why I should save them from you."
"I just feel you're in good terms with them," she said, face impassive, as always. "Like you're friends."
"You're over-imagining things," he scoffed, walking back into his room and placing his hands on the door handles. "Do friends behave like that? Then you have friends too. If not, you wouldn't think Xiao Yu, Wuji, and I are."
He watched her face; her lips parted in disdain, and he smiled in reply.
They both knew she'd grown up without such companionship.
He wondered, then, if he should pity her for it.
-
Due to his failure, Yuwen Pu's execution was immediate and unavoidable. Their movements were synched perfectly as she delivered a piercing attack and he, the final blow.
"Pathetic fool," she said, as they rode away from the forest. "He deserved to suffer more for ruining Father's plans like that."
He glanced at her. "He's already dead," he said. "What more punishment is there to give?"
"His daughter still lives," she replied. "To have him watch her suffer and die before dying, himself - it would have been more fitting."
The way she said it - unfeeling and callous - annoyed him to no end. "A pity, then, that you weren't able to do it." Inside, however, he was thankful Yuwen Pu's daughter still lived.
Innocent people need not be affected by this conflict, anyway.
"Yes," she agreed, pulling him away from his thoughts. "What a pity."
-
It happened in a blur; he'd stood but a moment to give the boy back his ball, and when he'd turned to face her, her sword was unsheathed and the old lady was dead at her feet.
A minute more, and the old man who served them was, too.
For the first time, he allowed himself to ask what had been bothering him all the years he knew her: "Don't you feel anything at all?" Killing was not something to be done as easily as breathing - didn't she know that?
Perhaps she truly didn't, for she only regarded him coolly and asked, "Feel what?"
Pity. Remorse. Anything. Yet he kept his mouth shut, especially after the discovery that her hunch was correct; the old fools were, in fact, assassins trying to kill them.
"Did you have to kill the boy, too?"
She held her head high, her gaze on the road before them. "With those caring for him gone, who'd be left to watch him? I did him kindness by killing him."
Odd that she could confuse one with the other, though a part of him couldn't deny what she'd said.
Had the boy lived through that day, there was no guarantee he would survive the next, and those coming after that.
And if he did, there was no guarantee his life would be easy, given that his relatives tried to kill two valuable Tianmen Cavaliers.
Perhaps she was right; killing him had been a kind act, after all.
"Who would have thought that the White Cavalier is merciful." He glanced at her and smirked.
She glared at him. "Don't make me laugh."
Like you know how, he thought, but didn't say aloud. He only looked away.
-
"Useless fool!" she spat at him, sword drawn out, but not quite directed at his throat. "If you hadn't participated in that childish game against Wuji, then Ming Yue might have already fallen in our hands!"
He brushed dirt from his sleeves. Perhaps he had overestimated his skills, but losing to Wuji stung. He didn't need her to berate him all the more for it.
"Are you quite sure of that?" he asked her. "We were outnumbered. If I hadn't played with Wuji and went with your plan of taking Ming Yue by force, I can't be sure you'll still be alive by now."
"And you?"
"Didn't you say once that you thought Wuji and I were friends?" He sheathed his sword. "I would have used our friendship as a way to bargain for my life. I would have been forced to leave you behind to suffer your fate."
She stood there, glaring at him with such severity that could have turned him to stone, had she the power to do so. She said nothing.
He sighed noiselessly. Conversations with her yielded nothing, anyway. "Come. We need to look for some place to retire for the night." He looked around them and said, "The poisonous fumes are coming."
-
"The dog has been crippled. Why bother to feed a dying dog?"
He nudged the dog away from him and stood. Faintly, the memory of her killing an animal flashed in his mind, but it no longer filled him with fury - just resignation. "Dogs are intelligent. Knowing they might die, they still strive to live on. Sometimes, animals know how to treasure their lives more than humans do."
"Rubbish."
He looked at her, surprised that she could so easily disregard such an idea. "Don't you agree?"
"As far as I'm concerned, there's only success and failure. Who cares about treasuring life?"
She was incapable of humor, that much he knew - which meant her words were what she truly believed in. Could someone truly be so cold? Was this how her father raised her? He had no way of knowing, exactly, though knowing the Tianmen Chief, this would hardly be surprising.
Now he did feel pity for her. He couldn't help but appeal to her, "Don't become a tool. Only tools are devoid of feelings."
She pursed her lips. "I don't know what you're saying."
Frustration bubbled up in his chest. How could anyone have such a mindset?
Their conversation naturally flowed into strategies of catching Ming Yue instead, and it relieved him, this change in subject.
It diverted him from thinking of ways on how he could help her, when she didn't even know she needed it.
-
He had no time to think. The enemies were advancing, the poison was coursing through their bodies - he reacted purely on instinct.
He shoved her behind him; protecting her even when the circumstances were against them both, when it might even be too late already. "Run! Run!"
Summoning air and gravel, he created the illusion of an explosion so they could attempt to escape.
-
When he came to, there was only excruciating pain flowing in his limbs, especially in his left arm. His strength seemed to have deserted him. Daylight was too bright, and it blinded him.
Still, he struggled to stand, using his own sword to steady himself. Only when his thoughts started to made sense did dread begin to flood him.
Xue Yu. Where was she? They both fell into the waters. He could remember her struggling in the river; could recall him trying to catch her hand in his, but to no avail. She'd drifted away from him, fighting water all the while, and not long after that, he lost consciousness.
"Xue Yu!" He had to find her. He had to. Panic had never been a familiar friend, but there it was, knotting his stomach. He looked around her; she had to be here. Somewhere. He could not return without her. He had to find her! "Xue Yu!"
He'd taken only a few steps when metal flashed before his eyes, and suddenly there she was, attacking him. He was thankful that by then he was slowly regaining the use of his arms. He deftly deflected her thrusts, then caught her off-guard by hitting her back with the hilt of his sword. The decision not to harm her any more than he should had been made in a split-second.
However, the momentum caused them to both crumple to the floor, betraying just how much the poison weakened them.
"Why are you attacking me?" he demanded, disbelievingly. Had she gone insane?
There was only blind hatred in her gaze. "It's your inefficiency that spoiled Chief's plan. You deserve to die!"
What? "But it was unpredictable. You can't blame me!"
She inhaled deeply, seemingly gathering her fury, and said, "If you hadn't bothered about those animals of yours, they wouldn't have the chance to tackle us!"
What an illogical thought! "What use is there in saying that now? If we don't work hand in hand, we'll both be stuck here!"
She pushed herself up, then. "I will definitely leave this place, but you must die for your mistake."
"You're really thickheaded!"
By the time she attacked, he was ready for her.
Their fight, reminiscent of the ones they had before, lasted only a minute.
-
When he awoke, it was to discover that she had yet to wake, herself.
He pushed himself to his feet, gathered his sword in his hand. Walking towards her, he checked if she was still breathing.
His hand hovered over her face, her neck. As he looked down on her, he contemplated on disposing her, right then. She was a threat to his own safety, and he would do everything he could to live on.
She groaned - but didn't open her eyes.
At that point, he sheathed his sword and moved away from her.
If it was her fate to die here, then it would not be by his hand.
-
He had to find himself something to eat. Otherwise, he would die of hunger.
-
OH LOOK IT'S ANOTHER ONE!
Notes: Probably the only 'The Proud Twins/Legendary Siblings II' fic about these two in existence. That I know of. AND I LOOKED EVERYWHERE! I loooooooved this show years ago and my obsession was rekindled when I discovered all subbed episodes were available online! I can't resist writing about these two because they are so perfect and awesome and just. FOREVER UNDER EDIT BECAUSE I WANT TO COVER EVERYTHING AND THEN SOME.
-
Even as a child, he'd always believed he had a fantastic sense of self-preservation and a healthy obsession with life and living - even as he sought revenge and with it, possible death.
Yet he focused on the two things he had that could keep him alive in Tianmen Sect - not an easy place for pugilists to live in, much more for mere children his age.
-
It was only after a month of training under the Black Cavalier that he discovered the presence of another child living in the manor.
"She is Chief's daughter," one of the soldiers quietly told him, after he was caught side-eying the girl walking around the training grounds with her head held high, the White Cavalier beside her. "He's quite fond of her. Better watch yourself around her; one wrong move and you'll die."
Nodding, he averted his gaze, told himself to stop speculating about the girl he'd probably never see again after this.
He needed not be told twice.
-
An easy aptitude for fighting. That, he was told, was one of the things he had that made the Great Chief of Tianmen Sect notice him.
He was prepared when he was called one morning for an exhibition fight, with most of the members of the sect coming to watch.
He was prepared to fight whoever or whatever was ordered to face him.
He hadn't been prepared to fight her, however.
She couldn't be older than him, he thought, when they faced each other in the arena. She was agile, being smaller and thinner than him. For one whose sword was almost as big as her, she wielded it just as easily as he did his. Perhaps she used it for as long as he had. Perhaps she'd trained with it for as long as he had.
That should not surprise him - yet it did.
It was a terrifying scene, two children fighting with everything they had with them, while bloodthirsty adults watched with barely contained glee. She must have trained under the White Cavalier, because her moves were almost identical to his, only smoother, more fluid.
He used his strength to his advantage, however, and soon he had his sword pointed at her throat, while she looked up at him defiantly, murder in her eyes.
"Enough," her father commanded, and soon the two of them were on their feet and bowing before him.
The Chief clapped him on his shoulder and laughed, congratulating him on a fight done well.
He couldn't help but feel he'd done something right, by winning this fight.
Then he turned, caught the burning gaze of the girl beside him.
He couldn't help but feel he'd done something wrong, too.
-
"You're good."
It's the first time she'd spoken to him ever since they fought. He paused and looked at her face; barely any expression marred her features, and it chilled him, just how she could make the words sound like a deadly threat.
"You think so?" he asked, keeping his expression carefully blank.
She inched her chin upwards. "I can be better."
It was an unspoken challenge, a threat to his life, even, but it made him smile, nonetheless. "Good."
He hadn't realized it then, but it was the first of their many, many encounters where she'd end up glaring and walking away from him in a huff.
-
One day, he discovered, to his great delight, that a stray dog had managed to squeeze in between the crevices in the walls and found its way into the manor.
It was white, with black spots all over, and after a few coaxes, he'd managed to tame the little beast. It would lick his fingers and let him ruffle its ears, and it was always the highlight of his every day.
He'd sneak in leftovers into his robes just so he could feed the dog, though he was smart enough to lure it outside the gates after every meal.
He wished he could keep it close; heaven knew he desperately needed companionship to keep him sane - but knew otherwise.
He had no wish to put into danger innocent lives.
And he knew only death awaited non-pugilists in Tianmen Sect - non-humans included.
-
Of course, being the Chief's daughter, she was an exemption to the rule.
He found out about her fondness for creatures that others would consider vile; poisonous snakes and various scorpions were her absolute favorites, and they littered the area around what he could only guess to be her quarters.
Once, he caught her talking to a snake tangled around her wrist, and she looked at him and smiled, and there was nothing warm or comforting or remotely friendly in that smile.
That night he made sure to check every crevice in his room to assure himself that there were no unexpected surprises lurking about.
He wasn't able to sleep well that evening.
-
He'd suffered through a particularly hard training and looked forward to stealing some moments to enjoy himself.
He headed to the place where he knew the dog would be waiting for him. Pulling packs of food from his robes, he turned right around the corner - and froze.
There the dog was - dead.
And she was wiping her sword on the grass, looking up only when she heard him approach.
For a moment, he couldn't speak. Couldn't take his eyes off the soft body of the animal lying haphazardly on his side. The urge to check if the dog was still alive was strong, though from the amount of spilled blood on the ground, he knew it would be a futile effort.
He turned his gaze to the other living creature there, and asked, "...what did you--?"
She straightened herself. She glared at him, though he swore there was something odd about her expression--
"It bit my hand," she said, lips curled in disgust, throwing a look the dog's way. "It deserved to die."
A flawed philosophy of hers that she would carry for most of her life, he would later realize.
For now, though, the urge to retaliate was barely bearable. He glared at her, and she glared right back, and he flexed his fingers; if only he'd brought his sword with him--
She's the Chief's daughter. Killing her would solve nothing.
So he breathed through his teeth and restrained himself and said, "You should have your hand looked at so it won't get infected."
"Don't tell me what to do," she said - though she clutched the injured limb closer to her chest and took her leave in a hurry.
He buried the dog near a tree, and wept quietly afterward.
-
Three days after the incident, and the number of snakes crawling about Tianmen quarters dwindled to half its size.
If she'd noticed, she never gave any indication.
If he was asked, he'd deny knowing anything about it.
-
In retrospect, why would the dog even bite her hand? It could have easily bitten her in the leg. Unless--
--unless she was reaching out to touch it. Being a new face, however, prevented the dog from realizing she was trustworthy.
Was she?
He had no way of knowing - not that he intended to.
But it made him wonder...
-
They fought a few more times after that. It seemed that the Tianmen Chief wanted to test their strengths against each other for reasons only known to him.
Often he'd end up offering a hand towards her to help her up.
Often she'd end up leveling the tip of her sword against his throat as he looked up at her.
Growing up together in Tianmen Sect had been all but normal for both of them, it seemed.
-
"Why do you always smile like that?" she demanded of him, one day. "It's annoying."
"I smile when I find something amusing." He paused, eyed her quietly. "You should try it, some time." Before he knew it - before he could rationalize it - he was smiling again.
Her chin came up and she left in a huff.
-
"The day has come," the Black Cavalier had said, and there was a sad tinge to his voice and expression as he handed him his sword. "You know what to do."
His own stomach curled uncomfortably, though he did his best to hide his emotions.
They both knew what this day meant.
In Tianmen, for one to be a Cavalier, one had to defeat the current bearer. Take his life, take his title. Should the attempt be unsuccessful, then the young one would have to be killed, as punishment for being too weak and ultimately ungrateful for the training he had endured.
Only one of them would keep his life after this fight.
He had an obsession with life and living, and this, coupled with his desire for revenge, drove him to thrust his sword at the Black Cavalier without preamble - tearing flesh, tearing bone. His hands were bloodstained and shaking, though he kept his face a mask, as he looked down upon the corpse his old mentor. His old friend.
He had done it. All his preparations - rewarded.
The cost of his success was high - but necessary.
He bowed his head low, repeated to himself:
It was necessary.
-
Thus he donned the title Black Cavalier, and the Tianmen Chief shook his hand, awarded him with a suit to reflect his name and his own Tianmen Token, still stained with the blood of his predecessor. He was welcomed into the tight-knit group of elite pugilists, all fighting for the Chief, all fighting for Tianmen's glory.
He bowed his head, sang practiced praises, and when he looked up, he saw that the Chief was congratulating her.
The White Cavalier, he thought, and he smiled.
Of course. It suited her.
She must have felt him watching her, because she grimaced and turned away - all without even looking at him.
-
Infiltrate Bu-er Manor and watch Yuwen Pu?
What an interesting task.
What made it more interesting was that she was unexpectedly given this assignment alongside him.
Black and White.
Was he sent to protect her? He couldn't tell. Not that he was willing to do it.
Not that she needed his protection, anyway. He'd seen and experienced for himself just how capable a fighter she was. Truly she made a formidable Cavalier; a worthy daughter of the Tianmen Chief.
"Don't get in my way," she quickly warned him, as they watched the servants ready their horses for travel.
He cocked his head to the side and smiled at her - only because he knew it made her seethe. "So long as you don't get in mine."
She pursed her lips and walked towards the gate, with him shadowing her every step.
-
The tests they underwent were laughably easy. Already this was proving to be quite a mindless task.
His attention was caught easily by two other contenders, however.
One was sly and quick as a fox. Xiao Yu.
The other, quiet and strong as a mule. Wuji.
He hadn't known then, but meeting them was providence from heaven.
-
He could tell that she found this task to be burdensome as well.
She showed no inclination to master any gambling skill, and partook training halfheartedly because she needed to. Otherwise, she would have found herself sent away from the manor - away from fulfilling her task.
However, being the only female participant with her beauty made her quite popular with the many men loitering in the area. Her other contender was the mistress of Bu'er Manor and really, who was foolish enough to dally with the master's daughter?
It faintly amused him, then, to watch each of her would-be suitor be coldly shot down with threats of bodily harm and mutilation.
"Careful," he told her after she'd sent a particularly bold, portly fellow away from her. "You do realize that you're not allowed to harm them?"
"Yet," she bit out, and there was cold fury boiling in her voice. He smiled; he liked seeing her angry.
"Let them live long enough to suffer your wrath until the right day comes, then. For now - I'd advice you to suffer their attention. That - or mar your face to make yourself less beautiful." He looked up from cleaning his blade to look at her.
That gave her pause, and he wondered if she realized he'd offhandedly complimented her. Not that he intended to; the words slipped out, unbidden.
Perhaps she did, however, as she whirled around to glare at him. "I don't need your advice."
"I'm giving it anyway."
"Keep it," she snarled, and walked away from him
He laughed as he finished his task.
Yes. He definitely liked seeing her angry.
It made her more human, it seemed.
-
"Was it you? The one who stopped me from killing them?"
He paused from his musings to look at her. "Give me one reason why I should save them from you."
"I just feel you're in good terms with them," she said, face impassive, as always. "Like you're friends."
"You're over-imagining things," he scoffed, walking back into his room and placing his hands on the door handles. "Do friends behave like that? Then you have friends too. If not, you wouldn't think Xiao Yu, Wuji, and I are."
He watched her face; her lips parted in disdain, and he smiled in reply.
They both knew she'd grown up without such companionship.
He wondered, then, if he should pity her for it.
-
Due to his failure, Yuwen Pu's execution was immediate and unavoidable. Their movements were synched perfectly as she delivered a piercing attack and he, the final blow.
"Pathetic fool," she said, as they rode away from the forest. "He deserved to suffer more for ruining Father's plans like that."
He glanced at her. "He's already dead," he said. "What more punishment is there to give?"
"His daughter still lives," she replied. "To have him watch her suffer and die before dying, himself - it would have been more fitting."
The way she said it - unfeeling and callous - annoyed him to no end. "A pity, then, that you weren't able to do it." Inside, however, he was thankful Yuwen Pu's daughter still lived.
Innocent people need not be affected by this conflict, anyway.
"Yes," she agreed, pulling him away from his thoughts. "What a pity."
-
It happened in a blur; he'd stood but a moment to give the boy back his ball, and when he'd turned to face her, her sword was unsheathed and the old lady was dead at her feet.
A minute more, and the old man who served them was, too.
For the first time, he allowed himself to ask what had been bothering him all the years he knew her: "Don't you feel anything at all?" Killing was not something to be done as easily as breathing - didn't she know that?
Perhaps she truly didn't, for she only regarded him coolly and asked, "Feel what?"
Pity. Remorse. Anything. Yet he kept his mouth shut, especially after the discovery that her hunch was correct; the old fools were, in fact, assassins trying to kill them.
"Did you have to kill the boy, too?"
She held her head high, her gaze on the road before them. "With those caring for him gone, who'd be left to watch him? I did him kindness by killing him."
Odd that she could confuse one with the other, though a part of him couldn't deny what she'd said.
Had the boy lived through that day, there was no guarantee he would survive the next, and those coming after that.
And if he did, there was no guarantee his life would be easy, given that his relatives tried to kill two valuable Tianmen Cavaliers.
Perhaps she was right; killing him had been a kind act, after all.
"Who would have thought that the White Cavalier is merciful." He glanced at her and smirked.
She glared at him. "Don't make me laugh."
Like you know how, he thought, but didn't say aloud. He only looked away.
-
"Useless fool!" she spat at him, sword drawn out, but not quite directed at his throat. "If you hadn't participated in that childish game against Wuji, then Ming Yue might have already fallen in our hands!"
He brushed dirt from his sleeves. Perhaps he had overestimated his skills, but losing to Wuji stung. He didn't need her to berate him all the more for it.
"Are you quite sure of that?" he asked her. "We were outnumbered. If I hadn't played with Wuji and went with your plan of taking Ming Yue by force, I can't be sure you'll still be alive by now."
"And you?"
"Didn't you say once that you thought Wuji and I were friends?" He sheathed his sword. "I would have used our friendship as a way to bargain for my life. I would have been forced to leave you behind to suffer your fate."
She stood there, glaring at him with such severity that could have turned him to stone, had she the power to do so. She said nothing.
He sighed noiselessly. Conversations with her yielded nothing, anyway. "Come. We need to look for some place to retire for the night." He looked around them and said, "The poisonous fumes are coming."
-
"The dog has been crippled. Why bother to feed a dying dog?"
He nudged the dog away from him and stood. Faintly, the memory of her killing an animal flashed in his mind, but it no longer filled him with fury - just resignation. "Dogs are intelligent. Knowing they might die, they still strive to live on. Sometimes, animals know how to treasure their lives more than humans do."
"Rubbish."
He looked at her, surprised that she could so easily disregard such an idea. "Don't you agree?"
"As far as I'm concerned, there's only success and failure. Who cares about treasuring life?"
She was incapable of humor, that much he knew - which meant her words were what she truly believed in. Could someone truly be so cold? Was this how her father raised her? He had no way of knowing, exactly, though knowing the Tianmen Chief, this would hardly be surprising.
Now he did feel pity for her. He couldn't help but appeal to her, "Don't become a tool. Only tools are devoid of feelings."
She pursed her lips. "I don't know what you're saying."
Frustration bubbled up in his chest. How could anyone have such a mindset?
Their conversation naturally flowed into strategies of catching Ming Yue instead, and it relieved him, this change in subject.
It diverted him from thinking of ways on how he could help her, when she didn't even know she needed it.
-
He had no time to think. The enemies were advancing, the poison was coursing through their bodies - he reacted purely on instinct.
He shoved her behind him; protecting her even when the circumstances were against them both, when it might even be too late already. "Run! Run!"
Summoning air and gravel, he created the illusion of an explosion so they could attempt to escape.
-
When he came to, there was only excruciating pain flowing in his limbs, especially in his left arm. His strength seemed to have deserted him. Daylight was too bright, and it blinded him.
Still, he struggled to stand, using his own sword to steady himself. Only when his thoughts started to made sense did dread begin to flood him.
Xue Yu. Where was she? They both fell into the waters. He could remember her struggling in the river; could recall him trying to catch her hand in his, but to no avail. She'd drifted away from him, fighting water all the while, and not long after that, he lost consciousness.
"Xue Yu!" He had to find her. He had to. Panic had never been a familiar friend, but there it was, knotting his stomach. He looked around her; she had to be here. Somewhere. He could not return without her. He had to find her! "Xue Yu!"
He'd taken only a few steps when metal flashed before his eyes, and suddenly there she was, attacking him. He was thankful that by then he was slowly regaining the use of his arms. He deftly deflected her thrusts, then caught her off-guard by hitting her back with the hilt of his sword. The decision not to harm her any more than he should had been made in a split-second.
However, the momentum caused them to both crumple to the floor, betraying just how much the poison weakened them.
"Why are you attacking me?" he demanded, disbelievingly. Had she gone insane?
There was only blind hatred in her gaze. "It's your inefficiency that spoiled Chief's plan. You deserve to die!"
What? "But it was unpredictable. You can't blame me!"
She inhaled deeply, seemingly gathering her fury, and said, "If you hadn't bothered about those animals of yours, they wouldn't have the chance to tackle us!"
What an illogical thought! "What use is there in saying that now? If we don't work hand in hand, we'll both be stuck here!"
She pushed herself up, then. "I will definitely leave this place, but you must die for your mistake."
"You're really thickheaded!"
By the time she attacked, he was ready for her.
Their fight, reminiscent of the ones they had before, lasted only a minute.
-
When he awoke, it was to discover that she had yet to wake, herself.
He pushed himself to his feet, gathered his sword in his hand. Walking towards her, he checked if she was still breathing.
His hand hovered over her face, her neck. As he looked down on her, he contemplated on disposing her, right then. She was a threat to his own safety, and he would do everything he could to live on.
She groaned - but didn't open her eyes.
At that point, he sheathed his sword and moved away from her.
If it was her fate to die here, then it would not be by his hand.
-
He had to find himself something to eat. Otherwise, he would die of hunger.
-