Roxas crumbled to his knees the moment he stepped outside the corridor of darkness. The weight on his body falling on top of the soft snow.
There was burning sensation that surged throughout his body but he wasn't in any pain. On the contrary, he could feel pure raw power flowing through him. It was overwhelming.
'What... what is this feeling?' It reminded him of the incident back the Beast's Castle, but this was slightly different.
"ROXAS"
He could vaguely hear Axel and Xion calling his name, but his thought remained to the cave where Sora was.
'Sora... what did you just do?'
"Woah."
The last of the heartless was finally defeated as a lone heart floated into the air above them.
Donald, Goofy and Mulan as Sora gently floated back down to the ground after defeating the last heartless.
"Woah." "Sora!" "Your clothes?!"
Sora looked down at his outfit. His usual outfit was now a brilliant red. "Cool."
"Is this part of the three Fairies's magic?" Goofy asked out loud.
Sora twirled Kingdom Key in his hand. "I think so. That was... wow." He glanced at his keyblade then back at where the heartless once stood.
'Did I do that.' He was awed. The power he felt was nothing like before. It almost felt like he wasn't fighting alone, as if someone else was fighting with him. As he stared at his hand he could feel that power returning to its rightful owner. His clothes going back to their usual colour.
"Gawk, where's Shan Yu?!"
Sora snapped out of his thoughts and surveyed the cave. Shan Yu was gone.
Mulan groaned. "He must have escaped during the fight with the heartless."
"Garsh, then that means General Shang could be fighting Shan Yu. He needs us." There was a bit of worry in Goofy's voice.
With that they all rushed out of the cave, hoping they would not be too late to join the fight.
By the time they made it out of the cave it was clear a scuffle had taken place in the ruins of the village. Shang's army was rough around the edges but still in once piece.
Mulan spotted Shang first, "Captain!" She rushed to his side.
General Lee was barely standing against an ashen wall. He held his side carefully, clearly, he took the brunt of Shan Yu's attack. Shang attempted to move towards Ping but fell as soon as he left the wall.
"Don't over-do it, Captain!" Sora cautioned as Ping propped Shang back onto the wall.
"It's just... a scratch." Shang tried to assure them through pained breaths.
"You rest, just tell us where the enemy is." Ping begged.
Shang took a deep breath and looked at Sora and his friends. "The summit... They went towards the summit. Take the remaing army with you."
Sora gave an affirmative nod. "We'll stop them." He turned towards Donald and Goofy, "Let's go."
Ping gave a small glance at Shang as they departed towards the summit.
The Hun were waiting for them on top of the summit. Mulan could see Shan Yu for the first time. He was tall and imposing, probably twice the size as her. There was shouting behind her.
"Ready the canons!" "Let's go men!"
An arrow whizzed close to her. The second she laid eyes on Shan Yu she knew they were in trouble. Shan Yu had the upper hand, the extra man-power, not to mention the power to control the heartless. Mulan's heart sank when Shan Yu summoned a wave of heartless to take the blow of Shang's canons.
"We need to get to the front and take on the heartless!" It was Sora, she was sure of it. Sora was incredibly strong, she knew that but to take on the Huns and the Heartless was crazy. They needed help. Something to give them the edge. She rushed after Sora, her swords slicing threw the Heartless. Not that it helped much, she swatted them they just showed up somewhere else. They needed to get to the source.
They needed to get to Shan Yu. And she knew just how to do it.
She pushed past the rest of the troops and grabbed a canon.
"Ping! Wait!" Was that Donald or Goofy? She couldn't tell, she had a mission to do.
She ran and ran until she made it halfway between Shan Yu and Shang. Shan Yu's army getting ever close
"Mulan! What are you doing?! You're gonna get yourself killed!" Mushu shouted in her ear.
"I'm helping Sora! But I need a match!" She searched her pocket for flint and steel but they were empty.
"Muulaaann!" Mushu whined.
Her eyes flickered to the top of the summit. Just behind Shan Yu, on the side of the summit where three cloaked figures. Shan Yu hadn't seen then, nor had anyone else from her army. If she could just get the canon to explode near the fresh snow, then maybe... but would the explosion be big enough? She could only hope they saw her. And figured out what she was planning to do.
"Mushu... I'm sorry."
Mushu barely had time to protest and she yanked on his tail, causing a small burst of fire to shoot out of his mouth; igniting the canon.
"YOU MISSED! THEY WERE THREE FEET IN FRONT OF YOU! HOW COULD YOU MISS!" Mushu shouted as the canon he was in shot off into the air.
Mulan watched as fireball flew from the side of the mountain towards her canon, blowing up the opposing side.
She didn't get to see the explosion however. a sharp pain burst through her side. Heartless began to overwhelm her. She could feel someone try to pick her up but everything was starting to being fuzzy.
"AVALANCHE!" "RUN!"
The ground began to shake underneath her, or maybe it was the lack of air. Either way she felt her legs runs as the snow began to catch up to them.
She tried to run, she tried. But as she soon would find out, it's impossible to outrun an avalanche, especially while blacking out.
"What was she thinking!" Xion cried out after the snow blanketed the area.
Axel grimaced, he wasn't expecting the canon to pack as much as punch as it did. Or else he wouldn't have added the extra fire-power. "That's the problem, she was the only one who was thinking. If the rest of them thought like she did then maybe they would have won the war by now."
Roxas rushed towards the edge of the cliff. He saw Mulan being attacked; he saw Sora rush to help her. He saw as they were buried in the snow. Sora was still alive, he could feel it, but where was he? Most of General Shang's army managed to escape in time, but not Sora.
'Come on Sora, come on. Where are you?' His eyes scanned for anything that might stand out against the glistening snow. He waited and held his breath. Until he spotted black and red emerging from the snow.
"There he is!"
Xion ran to his side. "And Donald and Goofy! They're alright. But oh... Mulan. She's hurt, we have to help her If they treat her, they'll find out she's-"
"No."
Roxas and Xion whipped their heads towards Axel. "No?!"
Axel pointed to where the Huns once stood. A large hawk began to free himself from the snowy prison. "Looks like we missed some."
"But Mulan-"
"Is not our problem. The second the Imperial Army leaves they will follow. And I bet I know who they'll go after. The Emperor is more important than Mulan."
The younger Nobodies looked back at the scene unfolding in front of them. Mulan was being taken to the medic, it was only a matter of time before she was discovered.
Axel kicked some snow over the edge of the cliff. "If we leave now we can make it to the city before Shan Yu." With that he opened a portal. Axel made it clear there would be no arguing. They were going to the city.
Turns out making their way to the palace was more difficult than they expected. The Huns had already infiltrated the city, not even the shadows where safe.
"How are we going to make it to the Palace now?" Xion asked out loud.
Roxas looked into the crowd of people celebrating. For him it was easy to tell which were regular civilians and Huns in disuse. But they both had one thing in common. "Axel, how much munny do you have on you?"
Axel raised an eyebrow but handed Roxas a small pouch filled with munny. "What's the plan?"
Roxas looked back into the crowd and pointed to a group of people dressed up in robes and masks. "That"
-x-
Sora and Mulan were held on as hard they could to Mulan's horse. They had seen the giant dragon Heartless emerge from the snow and make it's way to the Palace. Now they just hoped to reach the city in time to stop it.
Early they could make out the lights of the lanterns from the mountain, but now they were no were to be found.
The streets of the city were empty, and the sound of explosions came from the Palace.
"We have to hurry!" Donald shouted as they passed the Palace gates.
"Shang!" Mulan called out to Shang as he and his men where surrounded by heartless.
Sora turned to his friends and nodded. Within seconds they all jumped off Khan and onto the heartless, giving Shang and his men the moment they needed to break free.
"Mulan? What are you doing here?"
Sora huffed, "You're welcome!" They come to rescue and this thanks they get?
Both Mulan and Shang rolled their eyes at Sora's comment, but Mulan pressed on. "It's Shan-Yu. He's here! He's the one controlling the heartless along with that!"
Shang's eyes narrowed; his head whipped around to look above the plaza. Flying on a giant dragon-like heartless was Shan Yu with a victorious grin on his face. The dragon let out a vicious roar as more heartless emerged from its shadows. His men when on the defensive as Shan Yu crashed the dragon onto the Palace walls, infiltrating the safe hold and leaving him to deal with the dragon.
"The Emperor!"
Mulan pulled out her sword from its sheath, "Go protect the Emperor, I'll cover for you!"
"But-"
"That's an order!" Donald interjected.
Shang hesitated, but Sora and his friends did not budge. "Alright, Mulan let's go and Sora… here, I believe this is yours." Reaching into his pocket Shang pulled out a star shaped fruit and an orange shell that froze Sora in his tracks. "A man in a black coat came by, said to give this to you. Strange fruit isn't it?"
Sora held the paopu fruit in his hand as Mulan and Shang raced ahead. He remembered his island, racing across its sandy shores with Riku and Kairi.
Riku… He was here? When did he escape the Realm of Darkness? And Kairi? Did she somehow find a way to find them? Clutching the fruit Sora began to shake. 'If Riku was just here then maybe if I hurry…"
He took a step forward, the dragon roared loudly above him. If he hurried, he could catch up to Riku but he'd leave his friends to get attacked by the giant dragon above him. Yet he has been waiting so long to be reunited with Riku and Kairi.
He took a deep breath, "RIKU! I'LL FIND YOU! THEN WE CAN GO BACK TO KAIRI!" His voice echoed throughout the empty plaza. Satisfied Sora ran back to Donald and Goofy, "Donald! Give us an air boost!"
-x-
"Bow to me." Shan Yu commanded the Emperor.
But the Emperor did not even flinch, "No matter how the winds howls, the mountain cannot bow to it."
Shan Yu growled, "Then you'll bow… in pieces!" Shan Yu raised his sword high above his head.
"Not so fast!" Bursting in from the windowsill Mulan and Sora jumped from the now fading dragon heartless. Brandishing their weapons, Mulan put herself between Shan Yu and the Emperor while Sora pushed Shan Yu back.
A crash was heard from the hallway, Shang, Donald and Goofy burst through the door.
"Gawk, Sora!"/ "Emperor!"
Mulan passed the Emperor to Shang, "GO! Take him somewhere safe! We got this!"
Shang nodded and rushed out the door with the Emperor in his arms. Donald and Goofy took and defensive stance, making sure Shan Yu wouldn't be able to follow.
Shan Yu glared at the rag tag group. Something sinister began to stir within him. Something terribly dark, his fury only increasing when he made eye contact with the keyblade and Mulan. There was something about her that ticked him off.
His eyes widened in realization, "You…" He growled, "The solider from the mountains." Darkness began to swirl around him.
Sora and friends readied their weapons. They watched as Darkness overtook Shan Yu, he tightened his grip on his sword and charged at them. Donald cast a protective Aero spell on Mulan and Sora. Mulan ran ahead and climbed on the flags hanging from the top banisters. Goofy angled his shield as Sora ran towards him, used the shield to propel himself straight to Shan Yu, sending the man tumbling backwards. Using the opportunity, Mulan swung herself, landing a hit directly onto Shan Yu's chest, delivering the blow that sent him falling off the building.
With a loud thud, Shan Yu hit the ground below, temporarily stunning him. As the group hurried to get another hit in before Shan Yu covered, they noticed a strange figure standing next to the Hun.
"Riku?" Sora slipped out hopefully.
The figure looked down at Shan Yu.
"O-once more… I n-need more power... give me p-power…" Shan Yu managed to say.
The figure chuckled. "With a little more, do you really think you'll do your best? As if."
Summoning his weapon, the figure aimed at Shan Yu and fired. Sora and his friends froze in shock and confusion as Shan Yu faded into nothing.
The figure took off his hood, revealing a man with an eyepatch. He stared directly at Sora, "Riku? Sorry can't say I've met a Ri-ku." He taunted.
Sora shook with anger. Letting out a battle cry he jumped down from the banister and landed his keyblade on the Organization member's weapon.
The eyepatch man laughed, "The name's Xigbar, and you shouldn't go around assaulting people without their permission." He pushed Sora back.
"Seems you've forgot who you're dealing with." Xigbar pointed his arrow gun behind him. "Why don't I show you a sneak peak of what we're truly capable of."
Without turning back Xigbar fired, sending an arrow flying to one of the Palace's towers. The impact triggered an explosion, sending gunpowder bursting into the sky in a brilliant firework show.
Xigbar raised his hood over his head and opened a portal. "You'll have to be stronger if you want to defeat us. Wouldn't be a fair to fight you when you're not all there."
And with that he disappeared. Several footsteps grew louder behind them as more people approached.
"You did it!"
"Shan-Yu's defeated!"
"Ping! Ping saved us!"
Cheers and praise came from all directions as the Imperial Army and the civilian emerged from their hiding spots.
Mulan began to feel flustered at all the attention. Mushu cheered near her feet and even Donald and Goofy celebrated their win. Her eyes followed Shang as he made his way towards her. He didn't look mad or disappointed just confused. She didn't have much time to decipher him as the cheering turned into whispers. The crowds parted.
"I've heard a great deal about you Fa Mulan."
Mulan felt a pit of dread. She instantly bowed at the Emperor. "Your majesty." Her eyes stung with tears of shame.
The Emperor's face was impassive.
"You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated an Imperial solider." His voice kept getting louder and sterner with each passing word, "You deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army and dishonored your family name!"
Sora wanted nothing more than to put the Emperor in his place, couldn't he see than Mulan just saved his kingdom?!
"You're a young woman and in the end..."
Mulan braced herself for the punishment.
"... you have saved us all."
Mulan was shocked. She looked up to see the Emperor smiling at her tenderly. His face was softer now, it reminded her of her father. And to to it all off he bowed.
The Emperor bowed to her.
And the rest of China followed.
Hundreds of people bowed to Mulan and her friends. It was breathtaking.
"General Li."
Shang looked flustered but stepped up next the Emperor and handed him Shan-Yu's sword.
"Take this," The Emperor said, "so the world will know what it is you've done for China."
Mulan's eyes began to water. There was such a sense of pride that radiated throughout her body. She couldn't contain her excitement and pulled the Emperor into a hug.
"Thank you."
Donald nudges Goofy and whispers, "Is she allowed to do that?"
Goofy just shrugged. Above him the sky burst with color as fireworks exploded over head.
Sora stared into the sky in awe.
'One day Kairi, Riku. We'll see the sky like this together. '
"AXEL"
Axel laughed as he lit another firework, watching giddily as it exploded in the distance. The children clearly didn't return his excitement, not after their close encounter with Xigbar's arrows.
"Relax Xion. Thanks to Riku's help we managed to warn the Emperor, evacuate the people, and defeated the remaining heartless. Mulan is now a national hero and look! Even the General looks impressed."
Xion bit her lip. Mulan and Shang looked closer now. Sora and the Emperor seemed to laugh at the couple's expense. It was a lovely sight. "I guess so, but is it really alright to relax like this?"
Roxas leaned over the edge of the tower they were perched in. "Xigbar usually knows more than he lets on, but I don't think we should worry about him just yet… unlike Sora. Sora seems to be doing... alright."
Axel gave the boy a strange look, "Alright? What's that supposed to mean?"
Roxas bit his lip. With Sora's transformation something bothered him. What happened in the Beast's castle? "I don't know, I thought I saw something, but I don't know."
Xion scooted over closer to Roxas in order, "Saw what?"
"I don't know it was weird, almost like- oh."
Before he can finish his sentence, two Kingdom Keys appeared in his lap. He looked over to Xion who holding her copy of Kingdom Key. The sky above them changed colour.
Both children looped over the edge of the tower to see Sora pointing at Shan-Yu's sword that was floating in the air.
Completely reactionary, they two opened their keyblade at the sword. A beam of light burst from all four keyblades. There was clicking noise.
The world was open.
And now, it was time to go to the next one.
A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Anyways, it's been a while since MoM was released...
SPOILERS
Poor Kairi, still very much traumatized by Xehanort and all the things he did to her. I'm glad she's going to train with Aqua, i wonder if that will be a sidegame or will they skip over it like they did Kairi's and Lea's training in KH3. I have a feeling we won't be seeing much of the BBS and Days trio after this. Aside from Aqua and Ventus, I dont see where there story continues for the rest of the characters. Terra is free from Xehanort and the Days trio is finally together, they have their happy ending.