Axel laughed to himself as he watched Sora and his friends made their way the training camp with a strange looking soldier. It didn't take long for the group to accidentally start trouble. The army's general quickly came out and put an end to the nonsense.

From the look of it, it seemed like there was a war on the horizon. Judging by the looks of things this side was getting real desperate for new recruits. It would take quite a bit of intense training to turn those fools into competent solider. But not all news was bad news. Roxas and Xion found a cave near the outskirts of the bamboo forest from which they could oversee the training grounds. They barely got any work done in the last world. This world was perfect for them to get stronger.

Axel backed into the darkness of the forest. Looks like they'll be staying in this world for while. Might as well tell the kids to get comfortable.

New Misssion: Level up!

Mulan... she was interesting.

A woman pretending to be a man in order to protect her father.

Xion couldn't help but to admire her. Sure Mulan wasn't the strongest or even the fastest but she had determination. She did was right even when others disagreed, it was inspiring. Axel even nabbed a few training suits from the camp so she and Roxas could train like her from afar. Not that Xion disliked being around Axel and Roxas, but sometimes they could be such... boys. Having someone like Mulan around was a breath of fresh air for Xion.

She didn't mean to be discovered, but it turned out to be the best mistake of her life. Xion and Mulan immediately hit it off. Both had people to protect and identities to keep secret. Sure Xion's situation was a bit more complicated, but Mulan was supportive. In the middle of the night both girls would sneak away from their friends and would meet up to train.

"How's the guardian life working out for you?" Mulan asked one day in between sessions.

"Guardian? Care to elaborate Ping."

"Well, you're job us basically to look after Sora, so that makes you his guardian. Kinda like Mushu." Mulan elaborated.

Xion stopped to pause for a moment, "Well I guess that makes some sense. But you know about Mushu, Roxas and I- We can't get near Sora."

"Well why not?"

"He'd freak out! If he freaks out, we freak out and the Organization could find out, that's why."

Mulan reached over to comfort Xion, "You're scared about how Sora will react."

"What if... Do you think he'll hate us…" Xion's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Sora... He's not that type of person. For all you know he must be as scared and confused as you are. Except he doesn't know what's going on." The older girl offered.

Xion thought for a bit. "Do you think... maybe I should try to talk to him?"

Mulan smiled, "Well I can't exactly tell Shang that Ping is actually Mulan... but if there was a way. I'd love to be just Mulan. Did I tell you how Goofy was the first one to figure out who I am." She confessed.

"Goofy? No way... But if Sora didn't figure it out and Goofy did. Maybe if we tell leave them clues, we can keep everyone safe while keeping everyone together!" Xion realized.

"Atta girl."

Xion beamed, "So you what's going on between you and Shang?"

Sora sung a bamboo stick around. Mulan, no, Ping was finally being accepted into the troops. He had no reason to be worried about her anymore. General Shang was still a bit of a jerk but his heart was in the right place. And more importantly, Sora felt like he was in the right place. Ever since he woke up, he'd felt weak, sluggish. There was a few times were he could feel himself slipping.

But here? It had been a few weeks since he's arrived in the Land of Dragon and he felt better than ever. Maybe it was because of the constant training but he no longer felt weak. The occasional heartless attack only proved to Sora that he was getting stronger.

He hit the practice dummy with his bamboo stick once again. Sora carefully placed his hand over his heart.

Did darkness somehow find its way into his heart while he slept? Is that why his heart was wavering? Was his heart faltering? Sora didn't know and it scared him. There were times where he wanted to just breakdown and reach for Donald and Goofy for support. But that fear held him back.

He just wanted to find Riku and go back to Destiny Island. His Island and more importantly, he wanted to back to Kairi. He missed her.

Sora shook those thoughts out of his head. General Shang had a mission for him and Mulan tomorrow. He wasn't about to blow Mulan's cover because he was being selfish.

If only he only he knew, he wasn't being selfish at all.

-x-

"Your mission is to secure the path over the summit so our company can pass. I've authorized you to be let through the summit. Don't let me down." General Shang command right before Sora and his friends left for their mission.

'Mission.' Sora didn't know the why but that word left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Yes Captain!"

In the mountain pass there were heartless that Sora had never seen before. And more unnerving, there were much less than he expected. Much less.

"Is it just me or are there no heartless here?" he asked out loud.

Donald and Goofy looked around.

"Garwsh you know, there were a lot more heartless before. That's why the army couldn't cross sooner." Goofy pointed out.

Mulan just stayed silent, she knew who had taken care of the heartless in the area. Mushu himself had made sure they had gotten word of the mission early.

"Let's just get to the mountain village. Shang's father is waiting for us in the mountain village."

"The one-eyed man said there'd be traitors, I never would have thought he was talking about his own." Shan Yu said out-loud as he faced of with the Nobody Trio. He laughed as the blonde one glared at him, "I don't suppose it'd to be too much to ask to keep quiet about the General's death."

A fireball was shot his way, one which he dodged with ease. He couldn't tell if it was the tall one or the girl with short hair that shot it at him. He had to admit these newcomers were giving him a harder time than the Emperor's army. "Still, I never expected the Emperor to recruit children into his army."

"SHUT UP!" the blonde one barked at him. The boy summoned a strange sword to his side, the man summoned two disk and the girl's hand glowed with a light blue hue.

Shan Yu scoffed, he could feel the darkness within him giving him strength. "Very well then, you shall meet the same fate as the General."

Pools of Darkness began to form on the cave floor, several heartless emerged from the ground. Shan Yu pulled his own sword and pointed it at the trio. "Let's begin."

Sora's heart sank the moment he stepped foot on the decimated village. The other soldiers scattered in hopes of finding survivors.

Mushu shifted nervously on Mulan's shoulder. "Shan Yu. They're here." He whispered in her ear.

Donald raised an eyebrow, "Who are they?"

"They? Oh uh they're uh-" Mulan stammered.

"They're Shan Yu's army!" Mushu interjected as he did his best to ignore the suspicious stares from Sora and his friends. "Don't look at me that way, Shan Yu's nearby. I can smell him." His hissed as he smelled the air.

Goofy chuckled, "I thought you didn't do the snake thing Mushu."

"Yeah will consider this an exception. Now we gotta get to Shan Yu before the rest of the army does, this our chance for Mulan to shine. TO THE CAVES!"

Everyone nodded in unison, "Right."

Turned out the caves where just a short walk from the camp. Just entering the cave gave Sora a bad vibe yet there a feeling he quite couldn't shake. Abandoned carts full of canons and gunpowder littered the tunnel in the cave. The further they went into the cave the more Sora felt a strong pull.

Something was there that was connected to him. He could feel it.

The sound of metal clashing echoed through the walls of the cave.

Goofy placed his hand out motioning the group to stop.

"Gawrsh, ya hear that fellas?"

Donald cupped his hand next to his ear. "Sounds like a fight."

If there was a fight then maybe... "Maybe some of the soldiers from General Lee's army are still here fighting Shan Yu! We gotta go help!"

With that Sora ran off towards the source of the noise, the pulling at his heart felt stronger. More importantly it felt right, something he hasn't felt since he woke up. So he ran and ran until he could see the light of explosions coming from the cave. The pull felt so familiar, so warm. It almost felt like...

"KAIRI!" He shouted as he burst into the cave and was instantly thrown back by a fire spell.

"SORA!" Donald and Goofy called out after him. Sora groaned as he nursed the back of his head. He forced his eyes open just in time to see Mulan run past him.

"Come on Sora, you have to get up." Donald pleaded.

He could hear the faint sound of a corridor opening. "Organization... XIII." Sora didn't hesitate. He sprinted into the cave to find Shan Yu clutching his right arm him in pain. A corridor of darkness closing right next to him.

And just like that, the warm feeling was gone.

Shan Yu glared at him and Mulan.

"More children, tsk. I'm done playing games." He raised his sword and summoned a horde of heartless.

With that Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mulan found themselves trapped in a cave filled with too many heartless to count.

Sora pulled out his keyblade. He couldn't help but to feel doubtful of himself. Sure he had been training non-stop for the past few weeks, but what if it wasn't enough? What if he couldn't protect his friends like he could before? What if he wasn't strong enough?

"Sora..." Mulan put her hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his spiraling thoughts. "You can do it, we're right here behind you." She assured him.

Donald and Goofy gave him nodded in agreement.

'Strength...' Sora always said his friends were his power.

'Strength...' He still had Donald and Goofy, they were still by his side. Even after he thought he lost it all.

'STRENGTH.'

The word floated around Sora's head until something just clicked. Sora's not weak, not at all...

"GIVE ME STRENGTH!"

He is strong. He's brave.

He is valent... he's Valor.

So Melody of Memory happened. I'll get to that more in the A/N of the next chapter so more people get a chance to play the game but I have opinions!

I'd like to mention, originally, I wasn't going to add drive forms. But they are such a staple of KH2 that'd it'd be criminal. I'll try to get the next up soon. Can't promise anything.

As mentioned previously is there is anything that you think needs amending, please do let me know. Thanks for reading.

~Ink