The brush dances across the plain parchment, bringing stroke upon stroke of black lines throughout the blank spaces. To the everyday mammal, the sight of an old rabbit painting under the tree is nothing too extravagant to watch for long. But a closer look shows the grace his brown-furred arm carries as he continues to stroke the paper, the sharp precision in the patterns revealed through time, and the delicate gentleness in his shading.
As he continues to paint, seemingly oblivious to the world around him, a younger rabbit slowly approaches the aged one. Black padded armor covers most of his grey fur with the exception of his head which was not covered by the helmet carried under his arm.
"Grandfather, it is almost time for lunch. You know how grandmother gets worried every time you don't show up on time." The young rabbit half-gested, half-warned the older rabbit. The painting patriarch gave a light laugh, staring with his brown eyes at a pair of more youthful emerald ones.
"Suyo, I may be old, but not helpless. I was a warrior after all."
"With no offense towards you, grandfather, but a warrior past his prime."
"Still a warrior, nonetheless. Besides, what I am doing right now is a therapy prescribed for my aching bones. It also helps me sharpen my memory and my senses."
The older rabbit continued to paint, but gave a silent message for his grandson to see his work beside him. The young rabbit walked toward his grandfather till he stood at his side, observing the form the black lines formed on the paper.
"You are painting the Great Wall. Have you been there?"
"Before it's destruction, yes. A magnificent and powerful testament of our empire."
"Not enough to halt the Horde, though."
"Maybe, but it was only a reflection of the strength our people held. In the end, the Horde met its end in our lands." He smiled softly as he finished his painting, taking it in his hand as he left the tree's shade and headed for the house.
"I have told you that story before, have I?" He asked the younger rabbit who followed behind him.
"More than I can count."
"Then why don't I start again? Only this time, let's start from the very beginning." The older rabbit said as he stopped to show his grandson his art once more.
The painting of the great wall shifted to a picture of reality. Ink lines became the outlines of the massive structure. Paper turned to stone. The mountains, the clouds, the evening canopy all became real as our story began.
A lone soldier walked across a wall section on his patrol under the night sky. The moon shone brightly throughout the mountains, illuminating the massive walls on top of them. The coyote took step after step forward, eyes and ears vigilantly scanning the empty surroundings.
A mass suddenly hit his head, causing his helmet to fall to his surprise. He gazed up to find what hit him, only to see the flight of a dark hawk. Clouds covered half the moon as the bird landed on flag pole of the tower ahead. Its sharp eyes watched the wary coyote, with the mammal below still looking a bit startled. The hawk let out a loud screech that raised the suspicions of the soldier, but not fast enough.
A three-pronged grappling hook suddenly launched into the air, landing against the wall's embrasure. The soldier's confusion slowly turned to concern as he moved the wall's edge, staring into the darkness below to find the unseen source of the hook. From dark depths below him, a massive surge of hooks came flying in mass, clattering sounding off as metal met stone on the walls. The coyote's confusion changed to realization shortly before fear.
"We're under attack! Light the signal!" He shouted at the tower behind him, running to it as fast as he can. All around, animals in rough garments and hoods made their way over the walls
He stopped in shock as the door leading to the tower opened to reveal two animals, bloodlust poised in their eyes. The coyote turned to a nearby wooden ladder and started climbing just as one of the animals, a large snow leopard, brought his sword down on the coyote to miss him by a hairline before slicing the ladder as the coyote barely reached the top.
The soldier picked up a torch as soon as he climbed over the tower's embrasure. He almost made his way to a large fire pit filled with pitch before a menacing figure appeared right across it. A breath of shock left the coyote as the figure brought its massive body upright, the only part of its hooded head revealed was a large snout, the tips of the black, long mane, and the dreadful reflection of light from yellow eyes. A large scabbard remained on his back as the stallion stared at the soldier, with the hawk landing on the shoulder of the invader shortly after he stood.
The coyote recovered from the shock he encountered and threw the torch into the fire pit, watching the pitch inside burn brightly into a large flame. The stallion broke his stare from the glaring of the warrior to see the towers to his side also lighting their beacons, a chain of fires that grew farther and farther.
"Now all of Zoona knows you're here." The soldier snarled with open fangs, holding his glare with the stoic horse.
The invader did not react. Instead, he took hold of the flagpole to his side and snapped it in half, carrying the end with the flag with him. He took hold of his half with both hooves, bringing the yellow and red flag symbolled with an encircled hoof surrounded by four claws towards the fire, burning it while holding a satisfying smile.
"Perfect."
Golden doors centered with the same symbol as the flag opened as three mammals, adorned in with capes and armors of high command, marched swiftly towards the elevated throne in the center of the large room.
The three mammals halted and paid their respects to the robed elder panda in front of them, with a cape buffalo and a red fox bowing completely to the ground by the sides of a lion who dropped to a knee and bowed his head.
"Your majesty, The Horde has crossed our northern border!" The lion raised his head and warned the panda emperor with urgency in his eyes.
"Impossible! No one can get through the great wall!" A weasel behind the emperor cried in disbelief as the panda held a paw to silence him so the warrior in front may continue.
"Shan Yu was leading them."
The panda sighed solemnly, glaring at an imaginary horizon in front of him.
"We'll set up defenses around your palace immediately."
"No!" The emperor opposed with emotion. "Send your troops to protect my people. Shifu!"
"Yes, your highness?" The weasel answered.
"Deliver conscription notices throughout all the provinces. Call up reserves and as many new recruits as possible." The emperor ordered as he climbed down the steps to meet the lion general. The ears of the fox and the cape buffalo flicked in surprise. An emotion that was also evident on the face of the lion.
"Forgive me your majesty, but I believe our troops can stop him." The feline tried to protest.
"I won't take any chances, general. A single grain of rice can tip the scale. One mammal, whether predator or prey, can make the difference between victory and defeat." The emperor then bowed to his generals as he dismissed them. The three animals rose and gave one final bow before exiting the throne room.
Later, the three mammals stood inside the command tent outside the palace. They observed the map in front them that held red elements, representing the imperial army, throughout the map scattered while black discs, representing the Horde, stay collected to the north of the map.
The cape buffalo snorted in disbelief as the generals talked about their plan of action.
"Zoona is invaded by barbarians and the emperor believes we have time to babysit recruits?" The large herbivore complained to his colleagues.
"The emperor has a point, Colonel Bogo. More mammals will allow us more power to finish them off. And the sooner we end this war, the better. We must call the reserves and have them rendevouz with the army north of the Imperial City." The lion said, moving the red elements from the sides of the map to its center.
"General Liong Heart, I believe we should have a central camp for the training of the new recruits while we bring up the army and the rest of the reserves. No use in retraining everyone." The fox suggested, bringing smaller red elements that represented the recruits away from the main red elements. General Liong Heart nodded in agreement.
"Bogo, you are to head to the eastern provinces and organize the reserves there. I shall head to the west and do the same as well as prepare our existing imperial army."
The Lion moved his and Colonel Bogo's elements to their respective positions before looking at the fox.
"Colonel Jun, you will head for the southern provinces and not only call our reserves but organize our recruitment camp here, south of the city." The lion commanded as he placed the small red elements by the south of the map. The fox look to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Sir, with all due respect, you do not expect me to do both task simultaneously? To train the conscripts and reorganize the reserves are both daunting tasks."
"Of course not. You will only prepare the camp then bring the southern reserves over to our rendezvous." It was Bogo's turn to be surprised at General Liong's plan.
"Who will then train and rally the new recruits?" The cape buffalo roughly asked.
"If I remember correctly, Nik has already finished his officer training with honors. Jun, do believe young Nik is ready for his first assignment?" The Lion general asked his fox subordinate, who looked at him with a stern, yet confident gaze.
"With all my heart and soul." Wild Jun, Colonel of the Imperial Skirmishers, said with pride and confidence.
"He better be ready. I do not envy young Nik if he has to train the rabble." Adis Bogo, Colonel of the Imperial Guard, snorted in both agreement and pity.
"Then we are to deploy all these plans immediately. Conscription details will be sent out now. Time is of the essence!" Liong Heart, General of the Imperial Army, ordered as he rolled up a parchment carrying the orders of imperial decree and handed it to a cheetah outside his tent. The nimble feline saluted and ran to the imperial palace to give the final details for the conscription notices.
Zoona was at war, and one male from every family is commanded to serve as soldier in the Imperial Army.
Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia or Mulan.