Chapter Twenty Three: Journey Through The Village

A/N: The thought occurs to me that I have not been as clear about disclaimers as I should have been. With that in mind, Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me. Nor does Mulan. Kingdom Hearts is the property of the Walt Disney Co. and Square Enix; Mulan belongs to Walt Disney Animation Studios.

And once again, Rise Above the X is not going to be following the plotline of Mulan 2.

Shan Yu held his hand out and his falcon Hayabusa dove down to perch on his arm. He opened his eyes slowly, regaining his senses to look the sorceress Maleficent. She was taller than even he, which made her quite the anomaly. Witchcraft by its nature was not something that Shan Yu was very familiar with. But she had restored him to this world and for that, he was in her debt.

"Well…what did you see?"

"They continue to march towards Fa Mulan's village," Shan Yu said. "They've passed through the Lǜsè Valley. We are a half-day's journey from them, if we walk a steady pace. Less if we use mounts."

"Well I says we attack now!" Pete grunted. "Let's pound these little runts into the ground."

"No…we do not yet have a point of advantage," Shan Yu said. "They're moving as we're moving, so overtaking them is not so simple a matter. And they're in the lowlands. Ambushing them would be difficult, unless we were to strike at nightfall."

"Aw, you're just being a big chicken!" Pete argued. "I say we take 'em now. Those brats have been ruining things for me forever!"

Shan Yu did not particularly like being compared to a chicken, especially since the implication was that he was cowardly. Furthermore, as he had been struck down by a "brat" with a Keyblade, it was hardly as if he were ignorant of what was at stake. He took three steps towards Pete and gritted his teeth.

"Make no mistake. It is not cowardice that prevents me from engaging with your enemies. It is prudence. With your Heartless, we have them outnumbered, but they can flee just as easily as we can follow. Don't question my strength!"

Shan Yu glowered at Pete. After a moment, the…well, actually, he wasn't quite sure what Pete was, beyond his not being human. Some foul creature granted sapience to serve Maleficent perhaps? Regardless of his origin, it was apparent that Pete was the true "chicken," as he cowered under Shan Yu's glare.

"Enough," Maleficent's cool voice sounded off, and Shan Yu felt his ears burn. Reprimands were not something he was well-acquainted with, as he had led his men for years.

"We are, after all, on the same side," Maleficent said as she stepped between Pete and Shan Yu. "We will need to work together, if we are to be successful."

"Yes, Maleficent," Shan Yu said. "I believe that the Keybearers and the others escorting the Emperor will reach their destination by the next sunrise, if they maintain their current pace. We may strike at dusk, if they stop to rest."

"No…not just yet," Maleficent said quietly. "These outsiders who work well together. They have fought alongside each other for most of their lives."

That almost sounded admirable, to Shan Yu's eyes. He and his fellows had all been raised together. As children, they played together and trained together. They had been brothers, raised by the community. They had learned together and hunted together. And they had been together for their first kills.

Shan Yu exhaled. From what he could see from Hayabusa, he had not been much younger than the two children when he had killed his first man. At the age of thireen, Shan Yu had killed for the first time. A farmer who had intruded on their land. His crops had failed and he had sought to steal their game, with a bow he had no right using.

Shan Yu and Zhemo had stumbled upon him quite by accident, and the farmer's end had come quickly and bloodily. And it had been absolutely glorious. The farmer had screamed and begged for mercy, and it fueled Shan Yu's urge for the battlefield for years afterward.

Pete and Maleficent advised that the Keybearers, especially the children, not be underestimated. They fought in perfect tandem. They were the bundle of branches that could not be broken. But that in itself might be a weakness—if they fought so long together, then they might not be strong by themselves. The bundle itself may be unbreakable, but separate one branch from the bundle, and it would be broken easily.

Shan Yu would have to converse with his friends. They too had unbreakable bonds, but they were rods of iron. They were strong in their own right, alone or together.

The Keybearers would fall. Fa Mulan would fall. The Emperor would fall. And Shan Yu would once again taste blood.

oooo

Isa stared straight out, as they marched through the edge of the valley. They were still several miles from Mulan's village. Possibly another day's journey. He exhaled gently. This was not a particularly enjoyable venture. It was downright balmy through this valley, and the roads were not as well-maintained here as they had been in the city. Isa grit his teeth and felt a rush of shame. It was unfair to hold the standards of one world to those of another, given the profound differences in technological development.

And more to the point, this may not be pleasurable, but it was necessary. The Emperor's life was at risk, and if he were to be killed, then the world would surely be thrown into chaos. The soldiers, even the more…immature ones, revered the Emperor. Removing him, without an heir, would cause a power vacuum and risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocents.

Isa glanced at Roxas and Xion. With their much shorter legs—and in particular, Xion's heeled boots—they were hardly suited for these sorts of marches. But they didn't complain. They even seemed to greatly enjoy the trip. There was some logic to this. Neither of them had traveled to this world in their year in the Organization, so everything they saw in this world was novel: the food, the horses, the animals—a falcon soaring overhead, a wild dog with orange fur that Lea took a liking to, a small creature that Isa took for a tanuki darted in front of them at one point—Xion squeed at it.

"Harruph! Such undignified behavior should invite consequences!"

Isa grit his teeth even more harshly. As it happened, not everything in this world was novel. Some things were depressingly familiar. The advisor, Chi Fu, displayed a concerning lack of regard for anything that opposed his worldview. Apparently, his disdain was rooted in Xion, and Fa Mulan for that matter, being warriors despite being women. Isa was something of a traditionalist himself, but Chi Fu irked him. He would have been far more sympathetic if Chi Fu's skepticism toward Xion had been due to presumptions regarding her age—goodness knew that Lea could coddle both the children. He'd been furious when Xion admitted Chi Fu had deliberately destroyed food stocks in order to prevent her from eating.

"You may be second to the Emperor sir, but I am her most immediate superior. Xion will answer to my reprimands," Isa said cooly. "If I find her behavior to be unacceptable, then rest assured, I will not hesitate to correct her."

Cooing over a small, furry creature was hardly such behavior that warranted correction in Isa's eyes, and he was not going to berate Xion for taking joy in one of the beauties of nature.

Chi Fu humphed again and Isa was willing to let the matter settle. The advisor closed the curtain of the wagon with a final look of disdain.

Isa did his best to ignore it. They were making decent time, all things considered. But Chi Fu's behavior still bothered him, and there wasn't much Isa could do to actively remedy the situation at hand.

"Ah, ignore him," One of the soldiers said. He was of average height and a build that would be generously called "lean," but was honestly more accurately described as "scrawny." This was the solider called "Ling."

"I beg your pardon?"

"He's just a stupid jerk," Ling insisted. "So, ignore him. He's just jealous that he can't keep up with us warriors."

Jealousy was certainly one of the most vile vices, Isa would readily attest to, or at least attest to away from strangers' ears. And taking in Chi Fu's general lack of physical prowess, compared to the rest of the soldiers…Isa could see Ling's point. That didn't excuse the behavior, but it did explain it.

"Perhaps you are right, but in the interest of maintaining civility, especially with your officials, I suggest a change in the subject."

"Well fine," Ling said. "You're right you know. It's a long trip, and I don't wanna waste it thinking about stinkin' Chi Fu."

Then why don't you changed the blasted subject already? I don't want any trouble.

"Ya know what makes it easier for me to march for a really long time?" Ling asked. Before Isa could answer, Ling shouted out, "Thinking about, a girl worth fighting for!"

"Hehehe," The short soldier, Yao, strode up to match pace with Ling. "Just like he said, a girl worth fighting for!"

"Oh no…not this again…" Captain Li muttered, at the head of the line. Isa felt a chill go down his spine.

"Isa, what's going on?" Roxas asked, trailing back to walk beside him. This was the first time in several days that Roxas had specifically sought out Isa's company. Isa wasn't sure whether he wanted Roxas to hear what Ling and Yao had to say.

"Think about it, Isa!" Ling said. "You help save the Emperor, and I bet you could get any girl in your village!"

There had only ever been one girl that Isa had ever developed romantic feelings for. Her. The girl in Ansem the Wise's laboratory. He and Lea had stumbled upon her one day, and they had become friends. Despite the holes in her memories—she could recall only being part of a group of friends and the phrase "May your heart be your guiding key."

It had been in an attempt to free her that had cost Isa his humanity, and all for naught in the first place. She had vanished without a trace. And as Ansem the Wise had said, despite pouring over his files and having Tron, his sapient computer program, search the archives, not even the tiniest clue to her whereabouts had been found.

Perhaps…when this was over, Isa might have the chance to search for her himself. They had a connection in their hearts. Surely, if he could devote himself to finding her properly, make good on his promise to protect her.

Her hair…it had been so shiny, even in the dim light of the laboratory, Isa had been able to see that. And her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky. Her laugh…

Isa blinked rapidly. Roxas was staring up at him, looking perplexed and concerned. The idea that Roxas would be concerned for his well-being was still something Isa was getting accustomed to. Given the recent events at Olympus, Isa wondered whether Roxas was especially concerned.

"I am fine, Roxas," Isa said firmly. "I feel no ill effects whatsoever. I was just…reminiscing about things long past."

"Someone's got a girl," Ling taunted, though unlike their interactions at the palace gates in the city, this did not seem malicious. "Come on, man! I'm sure a tough guy like you will have no trouble getting a girl. And let me tell you, ladies love guys who have scars."

Isa paused. This was what passed for compliments in this world? He loathed his own scar. It was a brand of his failure—he had attempted to protect Lea, fought back against the higher-ups in the Organization and it had cost him dearly. Adding to that, his scar was actually a sigil and it allowed Xemnas, and later Xehanort, to track him…

"What about you, short stuff?" Yao clapped a hand on Roxas's shoulder. "Do you have a girl back home to impress?"

"I'm not helping the Emperor to impress a girl," Roxas said, frowning. "I'm doing this because helping the Emperor is my mission."

That was a bit too close to comfort and though a part of Isa wanted to object over Roxas giving away too much information, he remembered that the soldiers assumed they were from another village. This was not necessarily a breach in the World Order.

"Yeesh, what a goody-goody!"

"Helping the Emperor is my mission!" Roxas insisted. "I help people who need it! It's what Sora did, so it's what I do!"

"Definitely a goody-goody," Ling agreed. "But some girls do like that!"

Roxas opened his mouth but then closed it again very quickly. He glanced further ahead, where Xion was walking with Fa Mulan and Chien Po. Xion turned her head for a moment and smiled brightly at them. Roxas gave her a small wave in return.

"Ooh, looks like someone does have a girl worth fighting for!"

"I'm supposed to fight for Xion?" Roxas shook his head. "She's my best friend. We've been best friends since forever. And I care about her a lot…but she can fight too. She's strong and smart and…"

Roxas trailed off, listing more of Xion's virtues. Isa noted that Roxas said "strong" and "kind" twice. Yao and Ling elbowed one another, grinning wildly. Roxas looked more confused than anything else and strode ahead to walk with Xion and Fa Mulan. Xion smiled brightly at him, and even from fifty paces, Isa could see Roxas's face flush.

Perhaps the notion that Roxas and Xion might develop romantic feelings for one another was not so far-fetched. But Isa would let Lea handle that particular life lesson when the time came to discuss it.

oooo

Roxas shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. The other soldiers were being awfully silly going on about "girls worth fighting for." As if the only reason to serve the Emperor was to get a girlfriend!

Roxas wasn't a complete idiot when it came to girls. For one, he knew that girls had "buttons" and you had to be careful not press them, or they'd get mad. He still wasn't sure what Axel meant by "buttons," since Xion's robe had zippers. Maybe it was one of those weird metaphor things. Roxas also knew that when a boy liked a girl, he tended to act kind of weird. Sora turned into a complete goofus wherever Kairi was concerned. And Captain Li got all nervous whenever Mulan was around.

Roxas should ask Xion what she thought about all this. She was his best friend. Axel was his best friend too, and Hayner was also his best friend…but Xion was special.

"Hey Xion, Mulan," Roxas nodded at the girls and blinked in surprise. He hadn't really realized it before, but Mulan was much taller than he was. "Er, Ling and Yao were going on about a girl worth fighting for, and well, I decided I wanted to walk with you guys instead."

"Again?" Mulan rolled her eyes but Roxas noticed she looked like she wanted to laugh. "They'll never change."

"Is that really so strange though?" Xion asked. "Roxas, you've fought for me. And I've fought for you. We fight for each other…like Sora and Kairi."

Sora and Kairi…Roxas wondered what exactly that meant. The entire reason he had been brought into existence in the first place, was Sora releasing his heart to free Kairi's own captive heart. Sora had been willing to sacrifice his own existence to save Kairi. It was circumstances that were strikingly similar to those that had transpired when Sora used the Power of Waking…

Roxas glanced at Xion. She looked radiant with the sun shining off her necklace, a brilliant orb of blue. Radiant…shining and pretty.

Once…long ago, but not such a long time ago…Xion had been willing to sacrifice herself to preserve Roxas's life. She had willingly let herself be destroyed…and then forgotten…and then Xehanort had gotten ahold of her heart…

Roxas knew in his heart of hearts, that he would be willing to do the same for her. Sacrifice. And now, after everything they'd been through, after everything that had happened—and everything that had almost happened…the bond he shared with Xion was stronger than any weapon. Through all worlds and all time, she would always, always be his best friend.

Roxas hoped that he could figure out a way to say this to Xion without it being too weird. He felt a little sorry for Captain Li, who stuttered and got nervous when he spoke to Mulan. He liked being able to talk to Xion.

"Kairi…she's a friend of Sora's, right?" Mulan asked. "I think Donald mentioned her a few times. Apparently, Sora turns into a complete idiot whenever she's around, and he's always trying to show off for her."

"Donald shouldn't say things like that!" Xion protested, her face reddening. "That's mean!"

"It's kind of true though…" Roxas chuckled. "Sora would do anything for Kairi."

"How is Sora, anyway?" Mulan asked. "It's been quite some time since he's visited. And Donald and Goofy?"

Roxas's chuckle died in his throat. Of course Mulan would ask about Sora. She was his friend. Friends asked about one another. They checked in on each other to see if they needed help.

But Sora…was gone. Tears prickled at Roxas's eyes. It had been one thing, in Olympus. There, the connection he felt had been so strong. And Sora loved that world, had fought there and played there and made so many friends. Left a legacy. Sora had been to this world too, but why, why was Roxas's connection to him weakening? Had something happened? Or maybe, it was something to do with this world?

"Is everything alright? Was it something I said?"

Roxas blinked. Mulan was peering at him, her expression concerned. Roxas shook his head rapidly,

"It's…um…Sora couldn't make it. He's…um…sick."

"Sick?" Mulan asked. "Sick how? He doesn't seem the type to catch a cold."

"Er…um…er," Roxas stuttered. He felt his face grow more flushed. And Mulan was staring right at him.

"Is there something wrong? I know that you know Sora, and Xion, you did mention that it's been a while since you've seen him. Did…something happen to…your world?"

Oh crap.

"What, er, um…" Roxas stammered. How much did Mulan know? He looked over his shoulder. Ling and Yao were still pestering Isa, and it almost looked like they were trying to get him to sing a song with them. Axel was talking to Captain Li. Chien Po was leading the horses drawing the wagon that the Emperor and his stupid advisor Chi Fu were riding in. If they were careful…they might not be overheard.

"You don't have to pretend," Mulan dropped her voice to a whisper. "Mushu's told me…stories."

"Mushu?" The name sounded familiar. Isa had mentioned it earlier, when they first arrived in this world.

"He was a friend of Sora's, and one of my family guardians. See, I don't really remember, but about a year and a half ago, there was this terrible storm. Darkness…the kind i had never seen before…but then when the darkness cleared away…and I felt better than I had in a very long time. And about a year later, after Sora showed up and fought Shan Yu, Mushu explained a few more things. He had traveled with Sora, across the worlds. And helped him fight Heartless. Did something else happen?"

Roxas didn't know what to do. Should he keep quiet? That didn't seem practical. Mulan knew there were other worlds. And she knew Sora. And this Mushu guy, whoever he was, knew Sora too. Would it really be so wrong to just…let her know? Not everything of course—Roxas couldn't imagine anything justifying telling Mulan about the Organization, or the Keyblade Graveyard. But admitting that Sora was somewhere that he, Roxas, couldn't reach…as awful as it was…having someone else to keep an eye out, their heart out, for Sora…that couldn't be too wrong, could it?

"Nothing happened to our world…but Sora's…lost somewhere," Roxas whispered, trying to keep his words as vague as possible. "He's stuck and we don't know how to get to him, or bring him home."

"That…sounds horrible," Mulan placed a hand on Roxas's shoulder. "You must miss him very much."

"More than I can say," Roxas croaked. "It's been hard. But I'm trying to live up to him, and do the things he'd do. That's one of the reasons I'm here—to help you."

Xion hadn't said anything. Roxas glanced at her and with a pang in his chest, he saw her eyes were full of tears. Mulan turned towards her and took Xion's hand.

"I think that Sora will return to you…" Mulan said. Her voice was equal parts gentle and resolute. "And I think he'll be proud."

Xion wiped her eyes and Roxas took the chance to do the same. He glanced around—they were out of the valley now. The sun was high overhead. In the distance, he could see a town in the distance. Maybe a mile or two away.

"Is that…your village?" Roxas asked. "It's a lot bigger than I thought."

"Almost. My family lives on the far end of the other side of the town," Mulan smiled. "It's been quite some time, since I've been home."

Home…

Roxas felt his thoughts go back to home. Twilight Town. Racing down the sleepy streets with Xion—who totally chugged Elixirs; working for Mister Yanushi with Hayner and Pence; eating ice cream and watching the sunset…he had eaten a ton of ice cream in the past few days, but he hadn't had a chance to watch the sunset…

Roxas felt a pang of homesicknesses and then a surge of guilt. It had only been a few days since he had left Twilight Town, though it felt like a whole lot longer. Mulan had been stationed at the capital for weeks, for months! Was this the first time she had even been allowed to go home? Well…if that were the case then, Roxas would make sure that Mulan would be able to enjoy her time with her family. She had been friends with Sora, so that meant he would be her friend too.

Sora…wherever you are…if you can feel me at all…please know that I'm trying…

oooo

The town that Mulan's family lived in was much smaller than the city of Thebes, Xion noted. And no massive buildings—nothing like a castle or a clock tower either. It was still nice, in its own way. There were a lot of people, most of them walking on foot. A few wagons here and there, and some vendors selling wares. Xion noticed someone was selling little wooden cages with crickets living inside them. That seemed peculiar—couldn't someone just go into the fields and find their own crickets?

"It's not further," Mulan said. "Less than a mile. We can discuss things further there. And my family will prepare tea for you, your Majesty."

"That sounds most excellent," The Emperor said from within his wagon. "Thank you, Mulan."

They walked a little further, and Xion glanced over her shoulder—Axel had joined Ling and Yao in singing some sort of song and all three of them were trying to get Isa to join in too. None of them sounded very good—Xion had heard a few songs on the radio in Twilight Town and there was also the musicians in Disney Castle—but they looked like they were having fun.

"Rah! Surrender Huns!"

Xion blinked in surprise and almost summoned her Keyblade when she heard the word "Huns." But then she saw something up ahead in the street. A little boy with a little wooden sword was running across the street. A moment later, a second little boy ran at him with his own wooden sword. They hit each other a couple of time and both began laughing.

"Heh, looks like they've started their training."

"Yeah…" Xion wanted to smile. The boys had to be about six or seven, maybe. They were smaller than even Vivi, or the little boy with the collection of figures back in Thebes. But there was something in their own laughter…it didn't seem very happy. It sounded kind of mean.

"Yah!"

One of the boys ran down the street, to where a small girl was playing with a little doll. He grinned widely and yanked on the doll. The little girl gave a cry of protest and tried to take her doll back, but the boys began tossing it back and forth. She was smaller than either of them and the boys began laughing louder. One of them hit her with his wooden sword.

Hot anger flared in Xion's belly. They were bullies. Memories from before…back when she had been working in the ice cream shop in Twilight Town, with Granny, rushed through her head. Xion winced at the memory of being splashed with hot coffee…having a sundae pressed into her hair…the humiliation had been horrible. Xion started towards the boys. They could play their little game, but they wouldn't take things that weren't theirs. And they would not hit someone who wasn't fighting back.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

Xion looked up. One of the soldiers, Ling, charged past her. Yao right behind him and then Chien Po. Wait a second, wasn't Chien Po supposed to be driving the wagon? Xion glanced behind her. The wagon had stopped in the middle of the street, and Chi Fu was getting out of it, looking very irritated.

Ling got to the boy holding the doll and grabbed it out of his hand. He held it high above the boy's head, to prevent him from jumping up to get it.

"Hey, give it back!" The little boy said, in a squeaky voice. "I'm like you! One of China's mighty soldiers!"

"What kind of soldiers are you?" Yao said, glaring at Squeaky and the other boy. "You think it makes you some sort of tough guy to steal a dolly?"

"We're soldiers! Soldiers are supposed to be tough and strong and everyone does what they say!"

"Soldiers are supposed to protect women and children!" Ling argued. "Only bad, evil meanies take things from people smaller than them! We do not bully others!"

"We're just playing!" The other boy whined. He stomped his foot in protest. "You're not being fair!"

"Fair play does not come at another's expense," Chien Po said firmly, and Xion was surprised how serious he sounded with his soft voice. "You will return this doll to the girl it belongs to, right now."

"I don't wanna!"

"Well, you're going to!" Mulan said firmly. Xion blinked. She hadn't seen Mulan cross the street to the others. She held the little girl's hand. "Return Mei's doll, right now."

The boys looked at each other and scowled, but they took the doll back from Ling and handed it back to the little girl. She tucked her head behind Mulan's leg.

"Can we go now?"

"Yes, you are to go to your parents and tell them what you did today."

The two boys looked up at Mulan and the other soldiers and then at each other. They stuck their tongues out at Mulan and then turned and ran down the street. The little girl sat down with her doll and began cuddling it. Mulan patted her gently on the head, and walked back to the wagon, Ling and the others a step behind her.

"That was great of you, to stand up for her like that," Xion said. "I think you've made her very happy."

"Humph! A tasteless display of force against two small children," Chi Fu scowled. "Those two boys, so young, yet they still show a desire to serve in

"They would make absolutely awful soldiers, completely unfit for the Emperor's army!" Mulan protested. "That sort of behavior cannot be tolerated."

"Well, they are only children," Chi Fu sneered. "You wouldn't know this, but boys will be boys, and boys like to play soldier."

"I played 'Soldier' plenty when I was a kid, but I never took any girl's dolly!" Yao said, glaring at Chi Fu. "And I got into a bunch of scrapes—there was a boy who stole my sister's doll, so I tossed him in the prickle bush."

"That will do," Captain Li said firmly. "Now, all of you, let's keep moving."

Chien Po got back into the front seat to drive the wagon, Chi Fu slammed the wagon door shut, and Yao and Ling began walking between Mulan. Xion found herself at the back of the group, with Axel, Roxas and Isa.

"That was…unexpected," Isa said. "Pausing an escort mission to curb bad behavior is…better than I thought of them."

"You doing okay, kiddo?" Axel placed a hand on her shoulder. "You look a little pale."

"I…I don't like bullies," Xion said. "I…should have tried to help the little girl. I should have done more…"

"You're doing fine…and we're still in a position to help these people. All of them, got it memorized?"

"Got it memorized. Still…I wanted to help the little girl…I think Mulan said her name was Mei…but the others…"

"Beat you to it?" Roxas asked. "I think that means you're better than you realize, Xion."

Xion smiled at Roxas and he grinned back. He always knew just what to say to make her feel better. And Axel and Isa too.

They hadn't been walking for that much longer, when they came to a stop at the edge of town. They were near a set of gates made of red wood, and the wall they were a part of went all the way around. The walls were tall enough that Xion couldn't see over the top. Was this all for Mulan's family?

A very short, very wrinkly old woman peeked out of the gates. Xion was immediately reminded of Granny.

"Hello, Grandma," Mulan said. "Are Mother and Father home?"

"Mulan! You went to war, and you brought home a man!" Mulan's grandmother said joyfully, looking at Captain Li. "How wonderful!"

"Gah!" Captain Li said. "It is…a pleasure to meet you, ma'am…er…"

"Lots of men!" Mulan's grandmother said, seeing the other soldiers. "Which one's mine?"

"Grandmother!"

A/N: And with that, another chapter is completed, my dear readers! I pushed myself to finish this one. I must admit, the conversation Mulan has with Roxas and Xion was not originally in the plans, but I found that it fits—I can't imagine Mushu would keep his mouth shut about his past adventures where he "saved everyone from Heartless" for very long.

The confrontation between Yao, Ling, Chien Po and Mulan with the two boys from the town was something I intended very early on.

And Grandma Fa is, of course, Grandma Fa.

Thank you for reading, my dear readers! Leave a comment if you're so inclined.

I appreciate each and every one of you!