As of today, it has been exactly one year since I joined , and posted my prologue for Brotherhood of the Dark: Message in a Bottle. And let me just say that it has been one heck of a year! So, I would like to thank all of you readers and reviewers for checking out my humble little story. Since I began posting, I've gotten over 40,000 hits! Thank you all very much for that!
Also, I'm about to take my poll down, so let me tell you the results. I had planned on putting the leading three into the story, but since there is a three-way tie for third, there'll be five: Red XIII, Rude, Cait Sith, Zell, and Kimahri. Thanks for voting!
Sora: "I'm doing the one-year disclaimer, cool! DarthKingdom does not own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, or anything else."
Chapter 51: China's Finest
Sora's feet crunched on a thin layer of ice and snow. It definitely wasn't Christmas Town, but it was very chilly. Sora looked around the familiar village he and the others had landed in. The majority of the small buildings were pale yellow, with scarlet ornamentation. This had been a temporary military camp for the Chinese army around the time of his last visit.
Kairi and Riku were on either side of him in the space between two buildings, Nehrut, Bariss and Axel were just appearing behind them when he heard a disturbance. There was shouting in the distance, and what sounded like cannon fire.
"Already?" Nehrut muttered under his breath. "I'd really like to sightsee for just once."
"But then we wouldn't be doing our job, would we?" Sora answered.
Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Yuffie came down seconds later.
"I guess there's fighting to be done." she observed.
"Let's see."
They exited the gap between the buildings, and were run over by three soldiers running in the direction of the village gates. The shortest of the three scowled, "Hey!"
He yanked Sora up by his hood, and held a fist to his face. "What's the big id- Oh, hey Sora."
After Sora scraped some of the snow off his face, he recognized the red and black armor, the permanent black eye, and the odd facial hair. "Hey Yao. Thanks for not hitting me this time."
Yao of the Chinese army let go of Sora's hood and patted him roughly on the back. His companions smiled at him. Chein Po, a large, portly man with slanted eyes gave him, Donald, and Goofy a hug that pushed all the air from their lungs. Ling, a very thin man, said 'hi' quickly, and then became very interested in Yuffie.
"Hey, good-looking." He said with a smile, thinking that he looked charming. "The name's Ling, and you are?"
Yuffie, looking disgusted, drew a dagger from her belt and held it at Ling's throat, causing him to gulp loudly. "The name's Yuffie, and I'm already taken."
"By me." Riku added, picking the shorter man up the back of the neck, and holding him up to his face like a scared puppy. "You might want to choose your words more carefully, buddy."
"First impressions are very important." Nehrut said with a smirk. Bariss laughed quietly.
"So who are these jokers?" Yao asked.
"Well, you've met Yuffie and Riku." Sora chuckled. "This is King Mickey, Nehrut, Bariss, Axel, and Kairi."
"Oh, the girl!" Ling said, smiling.
"Yeah, the girl." Sora said, giving Kairi's hand an affectionate squeeze.
"Hate to interrupt the reunion," Axel said, "But what's up over there?" He pointed up the mountainside, where the sounds of battle were coming from. Just as they all looked, a cannon fired, and they could see a projectile trailed by dark smoke shoot to another side of the mountain.
Sora half expected an avalanche like Mulan's from the last time, but nothing happened. It was like the snow refused to move.
"Oh yeah, that." Yao explained. "Ya see, about a week ago, this guy showed up with an army of those Heartless things. Don't know much about him other than he creeps everyone out. He's been attacking villages and soldiers since he got here, just adding on to his army."
"Is he tough?" Riku asked.
"Well, he started at the Great Wall seven days ago, and he's already this close to the palace, so... OF COURSE HE'S TOUGH!"
"Weapons grade sarcasm today then?" Nehrut asked.
"Anyway," Ling continued, "The Emperor got the message from one of our few scouts that managed to escape this Heartless army. The guy decided it was a threat that had to be stopped at once."
"So he sent all available forces to meet this army in the mountains." Chein Po said. "But things have been tough. We're being pushed back, there's just too many of them for us to hold off forever."
"Sounds like you need some help." Sora said.
"What makes you think that?" Yao said, trying to hold on to his pride.
"Because you're being pushed back, and there's just too many of them for you to hold off forever." Riku quoted. Another explosion from the mountains reinforced his words.
"Okay, you have a point." Yao admitted. "You up for it?"
In response, they drew their weapons. "Just lead the way." Kairi said.
Yao, Ling, and Chein Po rushed through the snow, kicking up little clouds of it with each step. At the gates, Chein Po scooped up an armful of portable cannons from a passing cart and tucked them under his arm. They passed up a few other soldiers along the way to the summit, tending to their wounds, moving supplies, or otherwise rushing toward the mountains.
As they got nearer the summit, the sounds of fighting grew louder, and more distinguishable. The shouts of commanders issuing hurried orders to their soldiers. The sounds of rushing feet, crunching through the ice and snow. The sounds of cannon fire, and blades whistling through the air. It sounded fierce.
They scaled the mountain, and started meeting weapons emplacements. Men took cover behind natural rock formations, or makeshift barricades. They would emerge only once in a while to fire at something below with cannons or arrows. Sora recognized some of them from his last visit.
When they got high enough, Sora looked down into the snow-filled valley below them. It was covered with tiny specks of black, that were unmistakably Heartless. Fighting them were hundreds of men in armor, utilizing swords, daggers, or arrows. They were fighting bravely, but they must have been outnumbered one-hundred to one.
"We have to help them!" Kairi said.
"You will, princess." Yao said, likely not knowing how accurate he was. "Just need to let the commanders know you guys are here."
Sora had a good idea which commanders he was referring to, and didn't ask. He just smiled. Soon enough, he could hear two very familiar voices shouting orders. They reached the summit where Shan-Yu was nearly killed, and saw ground zero.
Soldiers were holding a line from behind stone barricades, firing at rapidly approaching waves of Heartless. Two of them, Sora recognized. Fa Mulan, and Li Shang. Their blades were out, and ready. Sora noted that Mulan was wearing a set of deep green and black armor, like when he had first met her. But this was clearly a custom set, rather than the slightly bulkier set belonging to her father.
Though any other military commander would have chastised him for it, Sora ran up, and tapped Mulan on the shoulder. She turned her head, looking grave, but still determined. Her expression changed totally when she realized who had approached her.
"Sora!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in a sisterly hug. Shang and the soldiers nearest her turned at the sound of her voice. The common soldiers were wondering why their commander was embracing a stranger, but Shang was smiling.
"Sora?" A small, red lizard-like thing leapt from beneath Mulan's collar, and landed on the top of Sora's spiky head. "Man, it's been waaay too quiet around here since you've left."
"You should probably get your ears checked." He said, smiling. He lifted him gently off his head and set him on Mulan's shoulder. "So we hear you have a Heartless problem?" Sora asked, with a grin.
"We could use some help, soldier." Shang said. He noticed the others behind him. "Donald, Goofy. And who are these people?"
"Nehrut, Bariss, King Mickey, Yuffie, Axel, Riku, and Kairi." He introduced them.
Mushu shot off Mulan's shoulder at Kairi. He grabbed two locks of hair at the front of her head, and hung in front of her face. "So this is Kairi!" He said. "Girl, you know that Sora would not stop talkin' about you?" He smiled, showing a row of sharp, pointed teeth. "Y'know, I didn't wanna say anything, but girl, he has got it BAD for you."
She smiled. "I know. We've been dating for a few weeks."
His face drooped. "Oh, well... Dang it, I was looking forward to annoying you two love birds with it."
She whispered very quietly into his ear, "Try Nehrut and Bariss." She winked.
Mushu looked over the top of her head, and his eyes lit up when he saw Nehrut. "NO WAY!" he leapt off her head and onto Nehrut's. "My brotha! What's crackin' man?"
"Hey Mushu." Nehrut said, smiling.
"Seriously!? Who haven't you met?" Riku asked.
"So!" Sora said, addressing Mulan and Shang. "You want a bit of help with these guys?" He swept his arm out to indicate the Heartless.
"Yes please." Mulan replied.
"What're we waiting for then?" Axel asked. "Let's get us some Heartless!"
Without a word, he leapt over the barriers, and charged fearlessly (or foolishly, possibly both) at the Heartless, chakrams blazing, laughing like a lunatic. He set a group of Heartless ablaze, and Mushu exclaimed. "Ooooh yeah! I like this guy's style!" He leapt off Nehrut's head and 'ran' into the battle.
"Hold this line!" Mulan shouted to her troops, and ran after him.
The others were right behind her.
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And there you go! The action starts up soon, obviously. It's short, I know, so I'll post again soon.
Review please!