Disclaimer: I always forget to do this -_-;; Anyways, I own nothing but the plot and OCs. Dreamworks owns the rest!


Lei inhaled deeply and savored the aroma of dinner, shrimp dumplings with chili and lime sauce, and fried rice with egg and bean sprouts flavored with soy sauce. While dinner at the Chan household was rarely a communal event, he had managed to get off work early today. Wen had almost immediately sold out her homemade confections in the village and Kong, for once, had decided to stay home. Lei believed it was due in no small part to the vegetable chopping lesson he decided to give Kong as they helped Wen prepare dinner; he smiled remembering how his younger brother's eyes had gone wide as he made swift work of the carrots and snow peas with deft strokes of his kitchen knife.

Kong took his chopsticks and speared a shrimp dumpling on one of them. He grinned at his brother.

"Whoa, this looks great bro. Almost kinda like we're eating in a restaurant!"

"Do NOT spear the food please." Lei said, crossly. Kong had always had trouble following proper table manners. As a youth, he had made sure to instill proper behavior into both his siblings. He was met with limited success, when it came to Kong, at least.

"Thanks for cooking for us, brother. How'd you get Hong to let you off work so early anyway?" Wen asked through a mouthful of rice, chewing daintily.

"It's almost winter so the restaurant's not gonna be able to stay open as late as it used to. Not a lot of folks are willing to freeze their butts off just to snack on some lo mein." he replied with a chuckle.

Lei inhaled deeply, mentally bracing himself. He really hated the Emperor right now, and didn't give a damn if he ended up on the tip of Needle Mountain in Hell for thinking such unholy thoughts. Clearing his throat, he thought of a good lead in to the inevitable confession.

"Hey Kong, you like to fight, right?"

Kong froze midway through stuffing a dumpling in his mouth. His eyebrows furrowed at the strange question from his brother. A disturbing thought was that Lei had finally had enough and this feast was a last meal for him, before his brother finally snapped. He eyed the window, figuring that if he tucked and rolled as he jumped out….he'd probably break both his legs. Deciding to accept his fate, he speared both his chopsticks on his bowl of rice.

"Whaddya mean? I—I guess…." Kong began warily.

"You, uh, you wanna learn how to—you know—fight, like, really well? You'll also get some basic schooling along with it… " Lei said, forgetting to admonish Kong again for his table manners. Time and again, he would remind his younger brother that the chopsticks standing vertically planted in the bowl of rice resembled the sticks of incense that were usually burned in a funeral, as a ritual to placate the dead. This time however, Lei was much too worried about other matters to be concerned with etiquette.

"I don't understand." The younger langur was quite confused at the sudden encouragement from his elder brother who usually abhorred violence.

"I, uh, wrote some kung-fu schools and one of them wants to accept you as a student. Their master is coming here so that he can evaluate and interview you." Lei said with a grin. He had heard stories about the Jade Palace, residence of none other than Grandmaster Oogway and Master Shifu. Both figures were considered living legends in the entire country, even gods in some areas. He figured that if Kong lived with them long enough, some of their good influence would rub off on his slacker of a brother.

'Yeah, and if I hang out with Dalip just a bit more, I might get taller. Maybe grow a trunk and tusks too.' came the bitter thought.

Wen smiled happily and gave her oldest brother a one armed hug. She turned and gave her other, still dumbstruck sibling a hug as well.

"Wow, you hear that, Kong? You're going to learn kung fu!"

Kong, for his part, was still slightly shocked at the sudden news. He had all but forgotten about dinner and seemed to be thinking about something.

"Lei, where'd you get the money for this?" he finally said. "I—I mean, even the cheapest schools out there have some kind of dowry so they can keep their place running." He removed his chopsticks from the rice and laid them on the table, apparently remembering the manners his brother instilled in him.

"Hong gave us advanced pay for about five months and I figured, you know, I'd get you something worthwhile." Lei rubbed the back of his neck somewhat sheepishly.

"Why would he give you advanced pay for five months?" inquired Wen, her eyebrows knitting together. She knew the old dog was quite generous, some might say too much for his own good, but this was above and beyond. The female langur felt her breath hitch in her throat as something clicked.

"Lei…oh my gods…." she said, her voice quaking slightly. She reached out to touch her brother's hand. Lei felt a huge weight lift off his chest. He loved his sister for being as sharp as ever and together, they could break the news to Kong that…

"…Hong's dying isn't he?!" she squeaked. Wen couldn't bear the thought of the old cook dying. He had just given her some almond dough too!

Lei felt the grains of fried rice he had just eaten turn into gravel in his stomach. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. He gave his sister a soothing pat on her hand.

"No, no, sis, take it easy. Hong's alright." Lei said, his voice hollow.

"So what is it then?" It was Kong who had asked this time. He looked deadly serious.

Lei took a deep breath; it was now or never.

"Guys, I have to go… away for a while." said the young simian, his voice tight and even. He kept one hand on his sister's and the other balled into a fist.

Nothing happened for a few seconds. After the initial silence, both Kong and Wen began speaking out at the same time.

"Huh? What's that mean?"

"What are you saying?"

Lei took a deep breath and began to explain, looking his siblings straight in the eye. The lantern they had lit for the night was giving off a faint light, illuminating his face with a grim glow.

"The Emperor needs us to fight the Manchurians and drive 'em out China once and for all. They're—"

"They've got the Guard and the Navy for that, don't they?" Kong interrupted, his voice quaking the slightest bit. He felt bile rising out from his stomach, threatening to spill his dinner out in front of the table. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Sure, he'd heard rumors around town every now and then, but this—this couldn't happen to them.

"They miscalculated the Manchurian's numbers, I guess. Lian village was just recruited four days ago." Lei spoke again, not admonishing his brother for the interruption. "They need all the able-bodied males they can get."

Wen was silent, both hands folded on her lap. She looked like she was struggling not to cry as she reached out to touch her brother's shoulder.

"Lei, when did you--?"

"A couple of weeks ago." he replied, swallowing a lump in his throat. He hated to admit it, but Dalip was right. He should have told them earlier; much earlier. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this sooner…"

The oldest member of the household felt his ears ringing with guilt. Kong and Wen didn't speak for a couple of moments.

"Well, if you're going, then I'm coming with you." came the bold statement from Lei left side. His younger brother crossed his arms stubbornly, looking quite obstinate. Lei felt his ears ringing again, but for an entirely different reason this time. Despite being sixteen years of age, his brother had still not grown out of throwing a tantrum every now and then. This irritated the elder primate to no end.

"You can't." said Lei firmly. Kong opened his mouth in protest but his brother cut him off. "Not only are you underage, you've got school coming up! I heard the Jade Palace is very nice this time of year."

"B-but…what about Wen? You're going off to fight in a war, you're making me go up a mountain in gods-know-where….where's that leave her, huh?" Kong snapped and suddenly felt quite guilty for sounding like he was using his sister as a way to get his brother to stay.

"I can take care of myself." muttered the female langur quietly. It was true and it irked her a bit to be thought of as the helpless little sister; fragile and weak . She had practically mothered these two since she could walk, and here they were treating her like she would fall dead the moment they left her alone?

Lei seemed to take notice of his silently fuming sister and decided to abate her anger quickly. It was not wise, nor pleasant to get Chan Wen mad, despite the fifteen year old being nearly a foot shorter than both him and his brother.

"No one's saying you can't, but since Dalip's coming with us as well, Hong's gonna need some help in the restaurant."

"B'wha?" was intelligent reply from his sister.

"Well, you know almost every recipe in the menu anyway, and you already know your way around the kitchen." Lei said, going in for the kill.

"Only after you taught them to me." she replied modestly. "And besides, cooking for two brothers is NOT the same as cooking for a hundred different customers!"

"With Kong's appetite, it's pretty darned close, don't you think?"

Wen seemed to think about this for a while and smiled. Kong, and even Lei, both had appetites for an army. It took her the better part of ten years to be able to cook just the right amount of food, so that she herself would still be able eat.

"You really think I can do this?"

"Of course I do! Hong does too, actually. He's already agreed to hire you." Lei smiled as he hugged his sister. Well, at least that was one sibling he needn't worry about too much.

Kong, on the other hand was still sitting on his chair, his expression unreadable.

"What's the matter with you?" Lei asked amicably. It surprised him when Kong picked up with bowl of rice and hurled it across the room. It broke with a crash, scattering grains everywhere on the floor.

"This is bullshit, you know that?! Why are we even bothering with the Manchurians anyway? They haven't done shit lately!" he yelled, his fur bristling in anger. Lei calmly stood up and went face to face with his younger sibling.

"The Emperor thinks they may be planning their next move, so he wants to catch them off guard while they're preparing."

"Fuck the Emperor!" Kong yelled again.

WHAP!

A sharp, stinging pain spread across the younger langur's cheek as his head was thrown to the side. He had taken harder hits during one of street fights, but this one—this one hurt. Blinking back tears of pain, he glanced at his brother. Lei was looking at him sternly, his gaze piercing. Wen looked horrified, one hand covering her mouth.

"You can't speak about the Emperor that way, you know that right? What have I always told you?" Lei said, his tone patient. He rarely ever had to actually raise a hand on his siblings, but found it necessary to use on Kong; especially on Kong. It was unimaginably difficult to discipline and act like he wasn't just eight years older than Kong; that he himself wasn't really just a kid. Although not often, he wished on occasion that he could be just a regular older brother to his siblings; an older brother that got into fights with his younger brother and teased him about girls, or taught him curse words that would make their parents blush. As gēge, it was he should have been the bad influence!

"Kong, don't take this against me or the Emperor." Lei finally said after a long silence. "I'm going to fight in this war, not because I want to fight. I'm doing this for our country, and by extension, you and Wen."

Kong nodded once, staying silent. A remaining question was still burning in his mind. Breathing deeply, he decided to ask.

"You don't trust me to take care of Wen while you're gone, huh?" he said, his voice strangled.

"Kong, that's not—"

"No, it's okay. Truth is, I really don't trust myself either." he continued, chuckling bitterly. "Dalip and Makan—man, they were so right. I am a burden to the two of you."

The young simian's fists began shaking at his sides.

"I'm the only other man in this house and I can't even hold down a job! I should be the one taking care a' Wen, and she's the one always taking care of my own drunken ass."

The young langur turned to face his older brother, but still couldn't find the courage to look at him.

And Lei, bro, I'm sorry. There's just not much I can say except I'm sorry, for everything. The least I could have done was showing you some gratitude and I couldn't even manage that!"

The shame coursing through his body made him want to jump in a river, so he could quench the burning feeling in the pit of his stomach. He found himself unable to tear his gaze from the floor. He was surprised to feel a hand on his right shoulder and another on the left. Finally looking up, he was greeted by the faces of his siblings smiling down at him.

"I'm sorry baby bro." Lei began. "I don't mean to be an ass, but you're right; I don't think you're ready for the responsibilities yet."

Kong looked like he wanted the ground to eat him up. He went back to gazing on the floor. Wen opened her mouth to contest, feeling it might have been a bit much. Lei continued to speak, however.

"But just now, you've shown me that you want to start." he said with a spark in his eyes.

"Huh?"

"It takes guts to own up to your shortcomings and even more to admit them out loud. What you just did—well, it's a start."

Kong gave a small sniffle and turned his back quickly, hurriedly wiping his eyes. He felt Lei drape a long arm over his shoulder.

"Hey now, come on. Men don't cry, right?" he said jokingly. Kong gave another quick sniffle and glared at him angrily.

"Who's cryin'? That was the cheesiest shit I've heard in my life!"

Both males gave each other a small smirk. It was an unspoken rule after all, one that Kong had thankfully picked up. No mushy-gushy feelings were allowed to be shown among men. If they were, they must punctuated by lots of cursing.

They were suddenly alerted by the sound of a higher pitched sobbing.

"W-well…I'm n-n-not a m-man, so—so—I'll j-just go ahead and—and—oh, you two!" Wen wailed as she tackled both her brothers in a massive hug. Lei patted his sister's head comfortingly, not minding her tears soaking through his shirt.

Kong felt his eyes beginning to glaze over as he lay out on the roof of their small cottage. Although he did generally enjoy more athletic pursuits, star-gazing was a pleasure he always tried to enjoy when he could. Lei had tried to learn astronomy when they were younger with the intention of teaching it to him and Wen, but ultimately decided to dedicate himself to the culinary arts instead. He thanked his lucky stars that Lei was not so quick to give up on other skills like reading and writing; he had learned by befriending some of the local teachers and poets in the village, and begged to be tutored by them. If he had to throw in a few free orders of siomai or lo mein, well then, so be it. After they had tasted the then-fourteen year old's excellent cooking, they were more than happy to indulge his academic fancy. Lei would literally come home right after the lessons and pass them onto his siblings, patiently teaching them until they mastered it. He would sleep a few hours before repeating the cycle again for the following three years. It was only now that Kong was beginning to see how fortunate he was to be literate (although Wen and Lei would sometimes jokingly argue otherwise) in a village of farmers and peasants. Just another thing he owed to his brother. He liked to think it was ironic how he was beginning to appreciate his brother, just as Lei was about to be sent to war, but the fact remained that it was not irony at work, but his own damned fault.

"Hey, mind if I join you?"

Kong sat up from his supine position and looked at the smiling face of his brother. The older langur took a seat beside his younger brother who moved aside to make room for him. They both continued to observe the celestial bodies for several moments.

Kong decided to speak first. "How long you gonna be gone?"

"Couple of months, maybe a year. Don't worry, I already paid off your lessons for a full two years. You oughtta be a master by that time, right?" Lei said, attempting to lighten up the mood.

"You'll write?"

"As often as I can. We're gonna be moving around a lot. The Manchus don't really stay in one place, so we gotta keep catching up to them."

They stayed silent once more. Slowly, Lei pointed up at the sky with his forefinger.

"Hey, see that star over there?" Kong squinted, focusing on his brother's pointed digit first and then following its direction.

"Yeah, that one? What about it?"

"I've heard some people can use it so that they never get lost. Like navigators or something."

"Really? You know how to do that?"

"Nah, just something I heard about. I'm sure you'll learn that from the Masters over at the Jade Palace. Maybe you can teach me something for a change."

"I'll remember that. Hey, Lei?"

"Yeah?"

Kong finally sat up and looked at his brother who had remained lying down.

"Take care of yourself out there, okay?"

Lei raised a fist and gave Kong a thumbs-up. He turned his head to look at his brother and gave a lopsided grin. His younger brother gave him a smile and promptly stood up to head to bed.

The remaining langur on the rooftop gave a sigh, rubbing his eyes. He took this as a sign and headed off to bed.

They were to receive the official word in but three days. Hopefully, Kong would be headed to the Jade Palace by that time.

A/N: And there's another part down XD Please review guys! Tell me everything you have to say; I have to confess that this story arc, for me, is uncharted territory. I don't have much experience with multi-chapter fics and drama is something I don't write much. If this came out a bit sloppy, then I apologize.

Ah by the way, Lei made reference to Needle Mountain here and I couldn't find a way to integrate it's explanation in the story so I'll put it here. Needle Mountain is actually part of the Buddhist version of Hell; it's literally a mountain of needles that stands in the middle of a River of Blood where the damned float around, choking on blood. It's very 'Hellraiser' if you ask me. Another thing that wasn't explained, gēge means "older brother".