The following Characters are owned by Ken Penders(King Gong, Dark Legion, and Lien-Da(referenced)), Ian Flynn(Shinobi Clan), Michael Gallagher(Barby Koala), Karl Bollers(Jack Rabbit(mentioned only)) JayFoxFire(Emerald the Bat), and Frank Storm(Monkey Khan, Lau Khan, Li Yuen). Also I think the four clans are owned by all of these people one way or another. If I'm wrong on any of them, please correct me.
Chapter 10: A test of character
Bunnie would wake from her physically induced slumber, to find herself on her right side, leaned up against a cold wall of concrete. Beneath her would be an equally cold floor covered in muck, trash, and dirt from outside. Come to think of it, this entire room seemed to have a chill to it. To make anyone placed here feel as uncomfortable as possible. 'As if this dirty floor didn't already give that impression away.' Bunnie thought. But disgusted as she was by this visually unpleasant, not to mention unfamiliar, change of scenery, Bunnie managed to hold her lunch. Having fought in wars since she was sixteen, and with some of the things she had seen in her recent service as a Royal Guard, she was more than certain to have had been in worse situations. And settings for that matter.
Or so she thought. That was until she made an effort to get back to her feet. Only to feel nothing. Neither a sense of movement from below or the expected shift in angles. Immediately in a fright, Bunnie looked down at herself quickly, her horror only worsening upon noticing that her metallic legs were now missing. As was her arm as she was come to see immediately after an attempt to at the very least sit herself up. Bunnie began to hyperventilate for a moment, her mind beginning to replay memories from her rescue as a teenager. The near complete roboticization that nearly left her bedridden. The horrific adjustments she had had to make to readjust to society. The pain. The fear.
Bunnie would quickly tap both of her temples rapidly in an effort to stop this train of thought. 'Alright, buns, pull yourself together now!' She thought. 'Situation's definitely bad, but worryin ain't gonna do you any favors! Now suck it up and think on gettin yerself outta here!'
To better help herself relax, she would also consider the positive events surrounding those of her near traumatic beginnings as a freedom fighter. Rotor and Chucks patience with her in times where she had proven difficult for one. If not for their persistence and procedures on her new limbs, she might have never been able to walk again. Let alone use both hands. Another pleasant memory came to mind. Really a set of memories if she was being honest, but nonetheless it helped her at slowing her breathing. Helped as Chuck and Rotor had at restoring her mobility, Bunnie likely wouldn't have dared to venture outside the medical center if it wasn't for Tails initiating conversations and bonding with her. To this day, Bunnie saw Tails as something of a younger brother for that. Sonic and Sally's friendships would follow shortly after and Tails would even go on to make upgrades to the limbs. Then there was Antoine whom she had seen grow from a skittish coyote desperate to earn affections from a princess whose heart already belonged to another, to a skilled and brave warrior(most of it due to Bunnie lending him some much needed training. One who eventually won her own heart as well. Finally there would be her three children. Jaques, Belle, and their first real son: Ken D'Coolette whom, despite not being Bunnie's firstborn, was just as much her son as both of her other children. A son who seemed to be hand picked by God just for the two of them. With cybernetic enhancements, a trouble fitting in anywhere, and a genuine interest in martial arts and Antoine's disgusting snails, he was almost too perfect for them.
Bunnie would again reprimand herself for not focusing on the tasks at hand: getting out of this cell, and finding her son. Though as she doubted she'd accomplish that second part here, the first task would have to do for now. Unfortunately, there wasn't much she could do on that front either. Not without her enhanced limbs. For now, she would have to depend on her husband for help. 'On that topic, where is sugar-twan?' Bunnie pondered.
Bunnie would take another look at her surroundings, finding herself to be in a caged in sectional of a much larger room. Though, in terms of cleanliness, it wasn't really much of an improvement. The rabbit would also discover no signs leading to the whereabouts of her husband. Likely due to her position on the floor and a lack of proper lighting.
Bunnie would quickly find herself in a state of great concern once her eyes had properly adjusted to the dark setting, revealing a collection of bones and skulls scattered across the floor at an unsettlingly slow pace. Bunnie's concern would only grow worse when she spotted a skeleton in the far right corner of the room, this one looking more recent than the other littered bones. Worse still, the skeleton in question bore a familiarly thin nose. A bit too familiar for her liking, in fact.
"Looking for someone, Mrs. D'Coolette?" A voice asked her from the shadows, in the form of a deep growl.
Bunnie would turn her attention to the source of the question almost immediately, finding the large Gorilla in golden armor from earlier standing in front of a door, centered in front of the far wall with a bored expression, almost like he expected the southern yellow belle to do something.
The rabbits immediate reaction would be to glare at the Gladiatorial Tyrant, the mixture of fear for her husbands well being and an unbridled rage evident in her green eyes. "If you've done somethin to my Sugar-Twan, I'll-."
"Tempting." Gong interrupted. "But I doubt your lover would put up anymore of a fight than you did. Killing him simply isn't worth my time. So for now, I'm content with allowing the both of you to slumber in that cell."
It would take a moment after that comment for Bunnie to finally notice the wooden platform above her that served as the bed. A closer glance would also reveal the black nose to Antoine's snout just slightly peeking over the edge. At this, the rabbit would find relief. Relief that immediately gave way to confusion as she turned her head back in the direction of the approaching Gorilla.
"Well if we ain't here for ya to kill us, then what's up?"
The Gorilla smirked and approached the cage slowly. "Initially, I was curious. The two of you are legend in your hometown, yet the boy you raised failed to beat me in combat for the throne." He would stop inches in front of the bars. "Now I see where he gets his strength. As well as his weakness."
Bunnie's face scrunched up in rage. "Our son is far from weak. Especially compared to you if you're still lookin for him."
The Gorilla scoffed. "Your son?"
"Sugar-Twan and I certainly raised him as such."
"Regardless, the boy has no parents." Gong growled. "His mother, I ripped in two while this-" Gong lifted his bladed mace for emphasis: "- crushed his father's skull. Ken Khan is little more than a bastard. And he shall die like one."
Bunnie rolled her eyes. "Alright now, enough with the dramatics. Why do you even want him dead? My son's far too private to ever want somethin like this."
"Regardless, your "son" as you like to call him, is the lost Prince of the Dragon Kingdom." Gong explained. "And where some people are concerned, the rightful heir to the throne I fought for."
Bunnie raised an eyebrow. "Or they just don't like you."
"I do not maintain my position to be liked, but to be feared for my own accomplishments." Gong answered, his eyes narrowed and bitter. "Ken was only born into the role of future king, where as my father taught me that real warriors, real kings, fight for what they deserve. And once they have that power, they only keep it by striking fear into the hearts of all who would dare oppose them... but your boy gives the people hope. Hope that I will extinguish when or if he returns." Gong's grin would grow wider. "But back to why I still have you. As of right now, the people of the Dragon Kingdom are unaware as to why two Freedom Fighters from a distant nation are here, or why you came across me in the first place. And as it happens, I'm looking to expand my territory."
Bunnie narrowed her eyes as she felt her heart sink into her stomach. This had been exactly what they were warned to avoid. The very reason they were advised to make their search a stealth mission to begin with. Especially with Maximillian Acorn as the current King of Mobotropolis. Gong had just made it clear that he wasn't going to take any other explanation than an attempt at assassination, and she and Sally both knew better than to believe that Maximillian would try to negotiate with another nation for peace. Simply on account of it being another nation. This was an almost guaranteed formula for war.
Despite the new tension, Bunnie would do her best to look unphased and unafraid, simply not wanting to give this tyrant that benefit as she responded: "Wouldn't be our first time dealing with a power hungry dictator. Sally's sure to make short work of you after."
"Fair point." Gong responded, turning around and beginning to exit the room. Though not before stopping and directing one final smirk at the grounded Rabbit before adding: "Guess I'll have to kill her first."
As agreed, the Bride of Rich Nights would allow some of her warriors to escort Ken and his friends on their journey to the Mountain of Roaring Skies. The destination in question being the hidden sanctuary/civilization of dragons left near victim to an I'll guided age of Dragon Hunting. An action resulting in the near extinction of their race according to Relic. After centuries of service to them, no less. In punishment for the King's actions, the remaining dragons overpowered him and confiscated the staff, bringing it to a new homeland where only a select few knew the exact location.
On the bright side, the Mountain wouldn't be too much farther. With the information the Bride of Endless Reach had given the group, Relic and Barby suspected that they would be arriving at nightfall. On the dimmer side of things, Ken was still very much not ready for this. He would still go through with retrieving the weapon, sure, but he was still terrified of the very aspect of having more people's lives in his hands. A feeling that had only grown worse after the Yagyu Lord had nearly killed the Bride of Rich Nights while he was engaged with another foe. Granted, he was the only person on hand who actually could deal with the Kamezon, but it didn't make him feel any less confident. What if he nearly failed to save someone else despite how powerful the Atom Bat was said to be. Or worse: What if he did fail? What if he failed to properly govern the nation? What if he failed to secure the Atom Bat in the first place. What if he got someone on this very team killed?
These thoughts would only continue to plague the young chimpanzee's mind as he kept his gaze to the ground, now composed of a path of gray foot stones. On either side of him would be a jagged and unevenly shaped wall of rock, both of which began to seem more narrow the longer his mind focused on the destination ahead. The danger the dragons would undoubtedly pose for the group. The stress only continued to grow more overwhelming with each step closer. The setting seemed to shake around himself, though he knew nothing was actually shaking, while feelings of dread continued to rise. The monkey would actually began to feel sick.
"Is something on your mind, young cub?"
Ken would finally look up from the path of foot stones, noticing Li Yuen, Espio, Relic, and Barby, most of whom gazed over at him with visible concern. Most except for Li Yuen who would simply gaze at the chimp with a calm smile. Ken began to dearly wish that he had the lion's optimism.
"I'm fine." Ken lied. "Lets keep going."
"Ken, wait a minute." Barby said that while holding a hand to the monkey's chest. It didn't do much to hold him back, but it got his attention. "We don't know what's waiting for us up there and we need you to be focused."
"I'm focused." Ken responded dryly. "Please let go of me."
Relic would be the next person to speak up: "Ken, you look about as fine as Midas when he turned his daughter to gold."
"Pretty sure that's a myth, Relic." Ken replied, rolling his eyes.
"My point is there's clearly something wrong with you." Relic answered "And as someone who really doesn't want to die in a dwelling place of literal dragons, I think we can afford to give you a break!"
"And what about everyone else back at base?" Ken asked. "How long do they have before Gong figures out where they've been and kills them too?"
"They were made well aware of the risk when they joined our cause." Espio answered simply. "The refugees as well."
"So we're just okay to waste out time talking because they're willing to die anyway?" Ken retorted.
"None of that is on you, Ken!" Relic shouted.
"All of it is on me, Relic!" Ken snapped back. "Just about everyone here has been losing people for the past fourteen years because I wasn't there to do anything about it!"
Relic would facepalm as Barby would be the next person to speak up. "You're not the one to blame for that! I was the one who snuck out of here and dropped you off on the front doorstep of the D'Coolette's because I wanted you to have a life outside of all of this. Was it a bad idea? Maybe. But you were only an infant when I rescued you from your uncle. And when I brought you back to base, I knew I couldn't put you at risk again. At least not now." Barby placed a hand on the monkeys cheek, directing his gaze in her direction as she continued: "That is why you were our last resort. So that in the best case scenario where we finally won, you would get to live the rest of your life with the two people I knew would love and understand you better than any of us could in this environment."
Ken frowned. "And worst case?"
The koala smiled at this. "Like Espio said, we all knew what we were getting ourselves into. Long before you came back."
Ken sat alone in his tent as the moon rose slowly above the night sky, his mind still pondering through his earlier conversation with the Freedom Fighters and the worries he still held for his friends and comrades. 'We all knew what we were getting ourselves into.' He remembered Barby saying. Though the comment was clearly intended as a way of comforting the monkey's anxieties, it hadn't really helped by much. If anything, he had been worried to the point of near silence now. The koala had confessed to being well aware of what they were currently risking over him, after all. With a dedication like that and little to No powers at their disposal as they had been for the Knothole Freedom Fighters, not to mention the additional admittance that Ken was their very last hope for victory, he couldn't help the feeling that this mission was not destined to end well for them. Not if they all continued on on the path with him.
With the entrance of the tent open, Ken would gaze through and up at the mountain that awaited the group ahead. Said mountain was almost plain looking, rocky gray with large patches of green here and there. But it was massive. Likely bigger than any he had ever climbed on his hiking trips with his parents, let alone seen. The very tip of the mountain, where the monkey guessed the Atom Bat was being guarded, stretched high above the only set of clouds, gray and thick. From time to time, Ken would also see yellow flashes inside the clouds, each followed by barely audible thunder.
If Ken had to make a guess, he would say that the mountain was only a couple miles away. A journey that would only take him forty minutes if he went out on his own. Maybe twenty if he hurried. Either way, he had already developed a plan to keep the priorly mentioned bloodshed from escalating. Anymore than it would have to anyway. He would only need to make sure everyone was asleep before he left. With any luck, the Dragons would be asleep as well. Maybe long enough for him to grab the Atom Bat and sneak out undetected. Admittedly it wasn't the best idea. One that would depend on a lot of maybes and chance. If any one thing were to go wrong, the plan would backfire on him in one of two ways. Either someone could wake up, which would immediately result in everyone going with him, or he would have to fight a massive Dragon. On his own. If Ken had to pick between either negative outcome, he would sooner opt for the latter. At least then, he would be the only person at risk. And if everything went well, maybe Ken could ask for the Dragons aid in exchange for the weapon being returned once he no longer needed it. Also alone. He doubted a group of mobians would last more than a couple seconds against an army of Dragons. Let alone himself.
Actually, the more Ken thought about that particular part of the plan, the more he began to realize that maybe stealing an ancient and powerful relic right from under the noses of an entire civilization of Dragons, really wasn't the best idea. They could very well kill him over the mere disrespect of thievery in of itself and kill the others immediately afterwards just to ensure no one knew their location. Ken would then think of an alternative. Likely a much stupider alternative, but it would at the very least be the better one in terms of a show of trustworthiness. As opposed to risking complete disaster with petty theft, Ken would instead opt to negotiate with their Bride. Explain his situation, give his reasonings, and hope the Dragon wouldn't incinerate him at any point during. Again, not the best idea, but it certainly beat him and everyone here potentially suffering their wrath.
Ken would be pulled from his thoughts by the sight of a familiar figure pulling the entrance to the tent a little wider as he gave the boy a calm and friendly smile.
"I saw the light in your tent was still on." Li Yuen said. "Do you have a minute?"
Ken would simply nod and scoot back further into the tent to allow the Lion entrance.
After a short thank you, Li Yuen would bend down to crawl inside and sat in front of him with his legs crossed.
"So." Li Yuen said. "Tomorrow morning, we will be concluding our journey and retuning you back to Dragon Kingdom as the reinstated Prince. How are you feeling about that?"
Ken frowned. "Probably no where near as excited as the rest of you."
Li Yuen would tilt his head slightly and lean forward with a bit of a frown. "And why would that be?"
Ken would go quiet for a moment, pondering just how to make his concerns known again to the Lion without sounding repetitive. "I know what Barby said earlier today about everyone being willing to risk everything for me. To see me on Gong's throne-."
"Your throne." Li Yuen corrected with a smile.
"But it still bothers me, you know?" Ken asked him. "You guys have been fighting for this probably since the day I was born. And good on you all for fighting for a worthy cause, but now that I'm here, it's..."
"It's what, young cub?"
"It's worse." Ken answered. "The Bride of Endless Reach pretty much confirmed that me being here is gonna have consequences on a lot of people. On top of that, I keep getting more people dragged into this mess. It's bad enough that my best friends life is on the line, now I need worry about Yagyu blood on my hands if I don't really hurry tomorrow to get that staff." Ken slumped and lowered his gaze to the ground. "It's all... just a lot."
For a moment, Li Yuen said nothing. Ken actually began to wonder if the Lion had left before he heard him say: "You know, I believe this is a perfect point to continue our conversation from the other day."
Ken looked back up at the smiling Lion, his expression still uncertain as he replied: "I don't know. I don't want to risk sounding like a broken record-."
Li Yuen would place a hand on his shoulder, keeping the same smile from when he had entered the tent as he interrupted: "It's okay if you are. In this case, it's actually a good thing."
Ken's frown became a confused expression.
"Ken, the very fact that you even have these questions, in fact, the very fact that you have expressed these concerns through this entire journey, only strengthens our resolve to fight for you. Because your shows of concern, of compassion, show us the kind of person you truly are beneath all of this fear and regret. The kind of person who is quick to put others before himself, even when his own way of life is put in jeopardy for it." Li Yuen would smile a bit more. "While I cannot promise that the Brides prophecy will not come to pass, I urge you to hold on to that compassion and concern. Because those very traits will make you the best king in the history of this nation. And a king who I will readily fight and die for."
While Ken did his best to smile in response to the Lion's words, it had only furthered the resolve of his current plan. As skilled of a fighter as Li Yuen was, Ken knew better than to believe that this would guarantee his safety. From a single Dragon, no less. Let alone an army. Furthermore, the Lion also had a little girl to worry about, with no one else to turn to should something happen to him. As far as he knew, anyway. Regardless, the boy also knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if the Lion died because he hadn't made an effort to stop it from happening. If Ken were in her position, he would already be worried sick for the Lion. Bearing that in mind, Ken's lonely journey up the mountain was not guaranteed. For Li Moon's sake.
Ken waited for a couple hours after Li Yuen had left to retire for the night in his tent. Surely long enough for all the residents to have fallen in too deep of a sleep to notice him sneak away. Ken had even made sure to turn off the lamp so no one could see his shadow inside. But even with the safeguard in place, the monkey decided not to take any chances, walking quietly across the footpath while also paying close attention to his surroundings. Just because everyone else's lamps were off, didn't mean everyone was asleep. At the halfway point, Ken began to wonder if he should have just snuck around the exterior.
Much to the monkey's relief, no one had seemed to notice him leaving. Whether that was actually due to his skills as a fighter, or poor effort on their part, Ken couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. What mattered to him now was making it the rest of the way to the mountain without any sort of difficulty. 'And both ears open for the sound of giant wings flapping.' Ken thought.
As the Prince of the Dragon Kingdom walked closer towards the sky piercing mountain, Ken would take notice once more of the clouds that surrounded the top. Now that Ken was much closer, he could better hear the boom and crackling of thunder. In much better detail, Ken would also see the yellow lightning zigzag within the clouds, on occasion hitting the sides of the mountains. A rather curious thing that that the monkey would also come to notice would be the change in frequency with the lightning. Especially as he got closer. He mustn't have been too much fatter from the mountain itself when there would be a flash of lightning every half second.
As Ken was now practically beneath the mountain, he would also take notice of steady drops of rain pouring from the cloud, streams of water pouring down the sides. Something that would undoubtedly prove to be problematic if he didn't grab onto the properly dried rocks on his climb up. Upon closer glance, Ken could also see a subtle buildup of ice on some of there rocks. 'Extra careful.' Ken thought.
Ken had actually begun to consider walking back to his tent at that moment. Especially once the thunder began to crackle at a much louder frequency and the water trickled down in a much larger amount. The longer he observed the mountain and it's increasingly violent climate changes, the more it's dangers seemed to surpass everything he had faced so far. People like the Gossamer and Traitor Yagyu warriors could at the very least become predictable after fighting them with enough time to observe and a persistent show of defense. With enough offense, a machine like the Kamezon could be broken down and rendered useless. But this wasn't as simple as that. There was no physical or literal opponent that he could simply overpower or outsmart. Upon this very mountain was nothing short of the forces of nature. A single wrong move on this climb could only result in certain death.
But despite the immense fear coursing through his body at that very moment, it wouldn't take the chimp long, after a fervent prayer, to regain his nerve, and begin the perilous climb towards the destiny that awaited him at the top. Ken was more than a little aware of the potential risks to his person, and his parents, without a doubt, would have had his tail had they any idea what he was doing. But Ken also knew better than to believe everyone in the group would have survived a climb like this had they all gone together. And worst case scenario, Ken figured it would've been better if something had happened to him and no one else. Regardless of what dangers currently awaited him.
The first set of dangers would present themselves almost immediately, the walls of earth becoming more soaked with every inch he climbed, or at least it seemed. Whilst keeping a steady grip on what jagged or rounded surfaces he could, Ken would be quick but careful to keep an eye out for any that weren't currently being ambushed by rivers of rain. Or at the very least, nearby surfaces that were only lightly drenched. It definitely wasn't the best move, the Monkey nearly slipping on several occasions. To make matters worse, he would occasionally be required to jump long distances just to get to another stone, or a ledge. But the only decision opposite of these actions would be to climb back down and wait for everyone else in the morning. For both aforementioned reasons, and the fact that he genuinely didn't want to risk climbing down the twenty feet he had already reached, Ken would press forward, his determination unscathed.
The next hundred or so feet would prove more difficult, the rain now turning to shards of ice that would deliver small cuts into his skin as they passed rapidly. Admittedly, a less than pleasant experience for the boy, but one that he would endure nonetheless as he dashed quickly through. From ledge to ledge. On occasion, Ken would be blessed with shaded areas that would protect him from the increasingly harsh ambush of hale. Ken remembered to pray thankfully in those moments.
At what was probably five hundred feet, the problems with the ice would only grow worse. Luckily, there would be no more hail for the bleeding Monkey to deal with. Just boulders of ice that would come barreling down the walls of rock at random intervals. Sometimes in large numbers. Sometimes covered in spikes. And other times, both. Ken would have thought that nature was starting to look extremely petty if not for what I Tv was supposed to be guarding. With this issue, Ken would take extreme caution and care to watch out for any more ledges that would provide him with protection from these boulders. Or at least, in the case of shorter or more brittle ledges, enough time to plan his next climb or set of jumps.
On occasion, the Monkey would also come across a small cavern in the walls, and rest there for a moment if his arms became too tired. Something he had almost thought impossible considering he was a cybernetic mobian with mechanical enhancements to his strength, but this mountain had more than proved him wrong on that point. Ken would also do his best to regain his strength without making any noise upon noticing occasional collections or large eggs in the same tunnel. Undoubtedly Dragons eggs. Ken wasn't quite sure whether or not any parenting dragons resided here as well, but he thought better than to test his luck by looking. He would also refrain from having any kind of physical contact with the eggs for extra good measure.
Ken almost immediately began to regret leaving the tunnel he found at what he guessed to be five thousand feet, the forces of nature practically going overkill at this point as there would now be a collection of small twisters would occasionally form and circle the mountain. As if that hadn't been bad enough, the rain was back and there would be occasional bolts of lightning striking many places at random. For this, Ken would be relying on nothing short of constant prayer, proceeding further up and avoiding the twisters and lightning as best as he could manage. Not at all an easy feat with both being unpredictable. But with an occasional rock falling over to him to block a bolt, and other rocks flung by the twisters carrying him higher and higher up to the top of the mountain, Ken refused to believe God wasn't watching out for him.
Finally, after what must have been hours and at six thousand feet, Ken would climb the final ledge at the top of the mountain, rolling to his back and catching his breath. After the journey spent, and obstacles faced, he definitely felt like he needed it. But he wouldn't allow himself to rest for too long. Despite his prior estimates, the Monkey had no actual idea how long it had taken him to climb up this mountain. With the clouds surrounding and nearly darkening the area where he sat, Ken believed it to be at the very least possible that the sun was out and everyone else was waking up and preparing themselves for the journey here. Without a doubt, everyone would be in a rush once they realized he was gone. That in mind, Ken would make haste back to his feet and hurried with care to investigate his surroundings.
At first, Ken wouldn't see much, his eyes still adjusting to the darkness. Though he could make out a singular golden glow several feet ahead of himself. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust before getting a better look at the setting around him. The gray flooring would be uneven in several areas, giant chunks of broken rock scattered here and there. In other areas, there would be massive pools of water, each surrounded by a collection of the brightest green moss Ken had seen on his entire journey. As the ravaging sounds of nature appeared to quiet down outside with each closer step taken, and his vision only becoming clearer, Ken would even see and hear a large waterfall roaring against one of the walls, the water pooling into what Ken could now see was a hollowed out path in the ground, leading into each pool of water.
Ken would focus again on the glowing object, approaching carefully and slowly in case of anymore looming dangers. As he got closer, he would hear something like a metallic humming. Like when a thin pitchfork was flicked and held close to one's ear. Only more constant and more harmoniously appealing to the ear. Ken would also notice a slowly swirling mass, which he soon realized to be storm clouds, at the very tip of the straight object.
Upon getting close enough, Ken would make out what he believed to be the Atom Bat in the center of the glow. The relic would be the same height as a bo staff, composed of what appeared to be gold as it gleamed brightly within the glowing space. On either side of the staff would be a structure shaped like a four sided diamond, the top half being longer than the bottom. While the bottom half would be composed of the same golden metal as the rest of the staff, the top halves would be red like a ruby with four gems of jade green on four sides.
For a moment, Ken could only stare at the weapon. Partially out of sheer amazement at how this thing looked. Whoever had built it years ago certainly had a good sense of style. The rest of him would gaze at it in worry as the mere sight of this thing would also serve to remind Ken of his approaching task at hand. As well as the responsibilities that would automatically come with the possession of this weapon. What it would symbolize before billions of the people who resided here.
But Ken would put these concerns out of his mind for now, instead deciding to focus on the immediate concerns at hand. The Monkey had come this far, and people needed him. All he needed to do now was find a way to get this thing out of here and on his person. Preferably with the Bride of Roaring Skies permission.' Ken thought. 'On that topic... where is she?' Ken then wondered as he quickly turned his head in search for her. Considering this was her turf, she couldn't have been far, right?
But Ken would find his search coming to an end far quicker than it had started as the spring began to shake violently. Violently in such a fashion that the young Prince had to struggle to remain on his feet. All the while, the darkness quickly retreated in response to a blue morning glow that shone in from the ceiling. Ken quickly looked up to find that the entire ceiling was rising. Uncurling as well. It was at this point that Ken had begun to fear the worst, simply watching as the uncurled structure with lime green scales and an almost pale white underside turned towards him. Eventually, the Monkey would find himself faced with the head of a massive, horned Dragon with golden eyes and sharp teeth the size of skyscrapers. Ken figured she must have been the size of the mountain itself as the Bride of Roaring Skies released a threatening growl that shook the ground beneath his feet.
Ken would only gaze up for a moment in awe of this dragon's sheer size. He certainly expected the dragons to be large, but he was more expecting Toothless from the How to Train your Dragon movies. Or Red Death even. Of course, now that Ken really thought about it, he shouldn't have been too surprised. Considering how increasingly difficult every step of the climb up here had been, it definitely made sense that not only was the Bride of Roaring Skies up here, but that she would also be terrifyingly massive just to make things more difficult.
Thinking it better than to tick off the Dragon, who already looked pretty ticked off on her own, Ken stick to his new plan: negotiating with the terrifyingly large giant in hopes that they could come to some kind of agreement as opposed to fighting her. Skilled as he might've been, and as tough as his skeleton was, he doubted he was gonna last longer than half a second against this behemoth.
Ken swallowed before shouting as loudly and politely as he could: "Bride of Roaring Skies! I have come to bargain-!"
Ken wouldn't get a chance to say much more before he was struck by a massive bolt of lightning. The impact was harsh enough to shake the entire cavern and knock him towards one of the nearby rock walls. The immediate momentum from the bolt had also been strong enough to send the cybernetic monkey through one of the walls of rock, after which he hung tightly onto the nearest ledge. The monkey made haste climbing back into the cavern, then, as the aforementioned Dragon snarled down at him. Ken was immediately unsure about whether or not he would be able to beat this Bride in an already less than fair fight, but he had already come to far than to simply give up now. That and, with everything he had already endured, the young Prince really wasn't curious to see his odds against the forces of gravity.
The Bride of Roaring Skies voice boomed across the skies above him: "I expressmere surprise. Despite your age, you are the first Mobian to ever get this far... I am almost sorry that it will all soon be in vain."
Ken would have been shaking in his now damaged coat if he had only come for himself. Ken could actually feel his hands shake as he nearly failed a moment to meet the giants' gaze. It would only take the memory of his family and friends faces to get him to stand atop of the ledge and gaze up at the Bride of Roaring Skies. A gaze of returned determination met the Bride's angry one.
"We'll see about that."
The Dragon wasted no time at another bolt of lightning, which Ken could now see had emerged from her mouth. But Ken would be quicker, dashing from the ledge and rolling across the ground to his feet before the lightning would hit and completely obliterate the ledge, sending rocks raining down the side. Ken sincerely hoped that no one else had been climbing up at that moment. Ken would nearly be so caught up in that moment that he almost failed to notice the incoming bolt of lightning. Ken would fortunately dash and roll out of the way just in time before the bolt exploded against the ground a couple feet behind himself. The monkey would then waste no time, remaining in motion as he dashed and rolled away from bolt after bolt. Not an easy task considering the speed of the projectiles and the amount of effort and strength required to keep in a consistently faster pace, but he knew it would be far better doing that and risking a painful tire than death by an angry dragon.
After a while, or at least what felt like a while, Ken would stop under a large and hollow tunneled rock to catch his breath and regain his strength. Ken would also begin to feel a sharp burning sensation in several places now that his adrenaline was starting to wear off. Likely from the lightning strike that had hit him in the beginning. Regardless, the Chimp knew long before this fight had even started that he couldn't keep his efforts up for too much longer. Eventually both his strength and adrenaline rush would run out, and the end result of that was pretty obvious by this point. Then again, he didn't have a lot of options. None aside from reaching the Atom Bat and fighting back, that was. The only question was how to get to it without being turned into a well done appetizer.
Thinking and acting quick, Ken would turn his head to look outside the mini-cavern and proceeded to look for anything that could give him a tactical advantage in getting past the Dragon. Whom was now unleashing a constant attack of lightning upon the small tunnel, cracking the ceiling more with each passing second. It wouldn't take long to finally find an effective route. Admittedly, as risky as every other step taken thus far, but by far the only route in sight, and needless to to say, he didn't have a lot of time on his hands. Ahead of the exit, Ken would see a few large rocks and smaller tunnels, all coincidentally in the path of the Atom Bat. If Ken was quick enough, the rocks and tunnels would give him temporary cover from the Bride of Roaring Skies barrage of lightning. The last rock presented a problem, however, being a considerable distance from the relic. Ken would literally have to book it in order to make it over in time before the lightning bolt hit him.
With no other option in sight, Ken would make a quick and sizable dash towards the next large rock, the small cavern he had been in moments prior exploding into bits. Ken would then wait a moment behind that rock to regain as much stamina as possible before dashing and taking cover again. Then again, and again. The young Prince only repeated the process, getting closer towards the Atom Bat with each run and dash from rock to rock and rock to tunnel. But as good as the Monkey had been doing so far, the harder task would now be upon him, the Atom Bat now much closer than before, and yet considerably far. The Bride of Roaring Skies had certainly taken notice of this fact as well, only making matters worse as she created a wall of lightning in front of Ken's side of the rock.
"You have demonstrated much skill, descendant of Wukong, but that alone will NOT make you WORTHY!"
Ken would quickly glance towards the other side of the rock, noticing the lack of a barrier of lightning. This, Ken decided, would be a no go. With that route left wide open, Ken could only guess that it was a trap. Meant to turn his current desperation to the Dragon's advantage. But the monkey wasn't dumb enough to fall for that trick. Besides that, there was an even crazier option that the Dragon likely hadn't considered. But maybe crazy enough to catch her off guard for an instant. Only an instant, but with the proper speed and footwork, an instant would be enough.
Ken would back away from the rock by a short distance to get a running start. The monkey would then use what little momentum he had to rush himself up to the top of the rock and jump with all of his might towards the farthest side of the barrier which, thanks to its point of origin, would be tilted at an angle. An error that the Bride of Roaring Skies would try to correct by lifting the barrier higher in hopes of stopping the meddlesome child. But her attempt was timed far too late as the young Prince would already be well past the barrier, landing on his feet within arms reach of the still gleaming weapon. With the weapon now in close proximity, Ken would waste no time in reaching for the weapon, which seemed to glow a little brighter as his hand got closer.
Ken would suddenly be knocked away from the Atom Bat by a strong blast of lightning. While the Bride of Roaring Skies hadn't been quick enough to correct herself with the barrier, she would prove herself more than capable of recovering herself moments after the failure. The resulting force of the lightning blast had been enough to send Ken flying towards another wall of rock, smacking hard enough into it to snap his metallic spine into two, earning a pained shout from the monkey. The young Prince would then descend quickly towards one of the many pools, splashing painfully into it with his upper half, thankfully, landing on the rocky shore while the rest of him remained slumped into the water.
For a long moment, Ken could only cry and pant in pain as the Bride of Roaring Skies would lift her head to the sky, roaring in victory over her foe, almost seeming to gloat. Though, considering the way she had talked down to him earlier, she likely was. But it would only matter little to the Monkey as he painfully lifted his head in the direction of the Atom Bat, still shimmering a little brighter like it had before. In fact, Ken thought he could see the weapon glow with each passing second. In desperation, the Monkey would begin to make beyond painful attempts to pull himself out of the pool. This action would immediately be met with another powerful strike of lightning, electrocuting the pained Monkey in the water.
"Remain still, you pitiful worm."
Relic would find herself awoken by the sounds of commotion just outside her tent. Something that only served to confuse her as she normally prided herself on being the first person awake. It was the only was she could manage to grab a fair helping for herself at breakfast. Naturally, because of her inferior size, her brothers and sisters back home would normally assume that she didn't need anywhere near as much food as everyone else did, and resorted to giving her only a quarter of what they ate. Either that, or they were being really mean. Regardless, she wasn't willing to make that mistake with a group of people who barely knew her.
Relic would leap from her sleeping bag and grab the nearest object(ironically a wooden spoon), as the entrance to her tent would be yanked open by a frantic looking koala. One whom Relic would only recognize by voice due to the lack of glasses. Regardless, Relic certainly hoped that she could see how frustrated she was in that moment.
"Relic!" Barby practically barked. "Do you have any idea where Ken ran off to?!"
Relic was about to scold the Koala for not knocking before barging inside before that question actually processed itself in her mind. The Pika immediately became worried, visibly so, in fact, as she dropped the spoon.
"Ken's gone?"
Before Barby could say more, both she and the Pika would turn their heads to the sound of a distant roar. Also loud and unlike any Mobian that either had ever heard roar before. An unnaturally constant sound of thunder would follow shortly after, leading both girls to realizing, to their utter horror, where the Monkey in question had wandered off to. Both of their expressions became petrified as Barby rushed back outside, barking orders for the others to immediately start heading towards the mountain while Relic grabbed and hastily wiped at the frames of her glasses with the end of her night shirt.
"Ken, you idiot!"
Ken would feel his blood boil along with the water below him and his hoodie disintegrate to ash as the Bride of Conquering Storm continued to strike him with a constant beam of lightning, screaming louder in pain as he held tightly to the moss at the edge of the pool. Both out of desperation and due to the intense electricity running violently through his body. The Bride was definitely doing her best to make sure that staff didn't end up in his hands. But it mattered little. Ken's mind was made up. He would either walk out of this place with the Atom Bat in hand, or he would die trying.
After a long moment, the lightning would finally stop, the Bride of Roaring Skies growling down at the boy, whom was currently bleeding and sparking from open scars. "First your people slay millions of my own, then they dare disgrace me further by using a means to cheat their way to victory?! Disgraceful." The Dragon lifted her hand higher, taking aim with the intentions of unleashing a stronger blast of lightning that would have been sure to destroy him. "I make this offer only once more, mobian, surrender honorably while I still grant you a chance, or die with dishonor."
For a while, Ken would say nothing, still recovering from the pain dealt to him by his larger opponent, his skin so hit that steam erupted from it. Through it all, the Bride of Roaring Skies would continue to glare down at him, remembering the horrors his predecessors had inflicted on her people with each second that passed. She still remembered the betrayals and the trails of bodies, the murdering of the her own children like it had all happened yesterday. Not to mention the small regard that Emperor had had for them since the moment he could process what they were. Had she known what would have become of allying with the bloodline of Wukong, she might have never dreamed of it. Regardless, she certainly had no intent of allowing the newest in the bloodline to leave this place alive. Not after failing to act once already.
Despite the pain coursing through Ken's body, the next response the Bride of Roaring Skies would see from him would involve him finally lifting his head, the same desperate look as before planted on his face as he gazed back towards the weapon. Ken would also do his best to simply reach out towards the weapon, hand shaking in his efforts. Of course, Ken was aware of how fruitless of an action this likely was, given he was now the same distance away from the staff as when this battle of wits had begun. But even with his death imminently approaching and his short life flashing before his eyes, Ken couldn't settle for giving up. His final efforts, he decided, would instead be spent trying one last time to ensure the victory of the freedom fighters and their victory over Gong. For their sake, as well as his family's.
The Bride of Roaring Skies would release a deep sigh of annoyance, mixed with a low growl of contempt. "So be it."
But just as the Bride of Roaring Skies was ready to unleash a final blast upon the young Prince, a bright golden light would emerge from the Atom Bat. Said reflection would prove to be so bright that the Dragon would be forced to look away, shielding her eyes with one of her large, black wings. Even then, she would be forced to shut her eyes tightly as the light shone through the wings, making them almost transparent. The Bride of Roaring Skies would also be forced to release her already built up blast of lightning into the sky, thunder, the loudest it had been so far, echoing across the clouds. Much as she had wanted to in that moment, the Dragon couldn't simply release that thread of lightning towards the Monkey without more proper eyesight. Or else she risked destroying the mountain and any dragons that resided within it.
Amidst the near blindness, the Bride of Roaring Skies would also feel an agitated sense of confusion. The Dragon angrily began to ponder what exactly had just happened. 'Did the worm bring help?' She wondered. 'The same person who gave this pretender means of cheating his way through the climb perhaps? Surely that explains the blinding light! Surely someone has made an attempt to stun me just long enough to get away with the weapon!' The Dragon chuckled. 'A foolish tactic nonetheless. The weapon cannot be simply taken by those unworthy of wielding such power. Not even in the tightest of grips could any Mobian hope to move it, not even an inch. And even if they brought artificial means of moving it, this mountain is far too large for them to escape any means of me catching up. Either way, their efforts will all be in vain once the glow inevitably fades.'
And indeed the glow would fade, precisely as she had expected. Although, the Bride of Roaring Skies would hesitate to ready another blast, a powerful and authoritative voice in her heart, mind, and very soul telling her: "No! Only wait and watch." Figuring that she had nothing to necessarily risk by listening and simply watching before taking any further actions, the Dragon decided to comply and gazed back down into the cavern at the top of the mountain. Said Dragon would also find herself completely unprepared for what she saw next.
Ken would be exactly where he had been before, laying with his lower half still in the steaming pool while gazing towards a much closer Atom Bat, arm stretched out as the relic in question floated slowly towards him. For a moment, the Dragon could only stare in complete and utter shock. The Bride of Roaring Skies would then growl in distaste. 'A trick.' She thought. 'It has to be!' Again, she would hear the same voice from earlier: "Look." At first, the Dragon would find herself confused. But then she saw it. While certainly not as bright as it had been earlier, she now realized that blinding light had come from the weapon, the Atom Bat displayed a much brighter glow than it had before. Only growing brighter as it floated closer towards the young Monkey.
By that point, the Bride's expression would be a mixture of bewilderment and anger. "How is this possible? How could the Atom Bat possibly find you worthy?! A spoiled, and entitled Prince who has never known an ounce of suffering in his entire lifetime-?!"
"I'M NOT!" Ken would interrupt. The Monkey would pant for a long moment, catching his breath and doing his best to fight through the pain as he repeated: "I'm not worthy. People say this is a weapon used by Kings, but I could care less about the throne."
The Bride of Roaring Skies snarled at that. "First you have the audacity to come here alone, cheating the trials of the mountain with unnatural gifts, now you reject your birthright?! And just when I thought the bloodline of Wukong could sink no lower."
Ken lifted his head to her, finally, though it pained him to do so. "I never asked for any of this! The augmentations were forced on me as a baby and I didn't know I was part of some Royal family until days ago! I've been living in a suburban home. For as long as I can remember with people who love me. That's the life I want, more than anything. More than my soon to be responsibilities."
The Bride of Roaring Skies would pause at that, her expression showing a slight hint of sympathy. Though she still didn't entirely trust this child, the Dragon more than understood that notion. Up until the self proclaimed Jade Emperor had decided to hunt after them with the very weapon they created for Wukong, the Bride of Roaring Skies had had a normal life of her own. Or what could be considered normal for a Dragon. Back then, they could fly around publicly, befriending and even loving the Mobians with little consequence. They were accepted just as they had once accepted the Mobians. Even with her current distaste, she dearly missed those days, as well as the Mobian whom she had given her heart to. The one who was slaughtered by his one for this very fact. The Bride wasn't sure if Ken was only making an effort to appeal to her emotions, but it was definitely working at the moment.
"Then why abandon such a life?" She asked. "If you truly favor their love over a life of endless power and luxury?"
"Actually, it was because of that." Ken answered painfully. "When my friend found out where my birthmark was from, the new King sent people after me. To kill me. And I knew my family wouldn't be too far behind if he knew they existed so I came here to ask him to leave them alone. I thought maybe I could make a trade or something. But not only is he dead set on killing me, I also met the Freedom Fighters. I saw what kind of world he was creating for them and the refugees they took care of, and I couldn't take it. I knew in that moment that I had to do something. For my people. Even if it meant abandoning the the home I loved. Because I also know that if my parents, my real parents, were here in my place, they'd do the same thing."
For a while, Ken would hear nothing from the larger Dragon. Only seeing a thoughtful expression. Despite having just expressed how much he needed the Atom Bat, he definitely didn't blame the Bride of Roaring Skies for any doubts on her part. Relic had made him more than familiar of what she had lost a while back. Furthermore, Ken understood what she had to lose if she gave him the staff. He only hopes that what he had said, plus the desperation in his eyes, would be enough to convince her. After a long moment, the Dragon finally looked back and him and raised her head high above the large cavern. For a moment, Ken thought she was about to kill him anyway, just to be safe.
"Though I do not do so with an easy heart, I will grant you one chance to call the weapon to your hand." The Bride of Roaring Skies answered. "To choose it as it has chosen you." The Bride would then narrow her eyes back down at the Monkey. "But take caution: should you fail, I cannot allow you nor anyone who has joined you on this journey, to leave this place alive."
Ken would nod in response to the warning, though not with much visible comfort. The young Prince lowered his head painfully back towards the staff, still casting a golden glow around its structure. Though Ken would be lying if he said he hadn't been dreading this moment for the entire trip, it was far too late to turn back now. Even if he had more time, he also couldn't guarantee the same for anyone else involved if he waited any longer. Ken would raise his arm again, though hesitating for a moment upon remembering just what he was giving up. Even now, he could see the proud smiles of his mother and father, hear the giggles of his infant siblings, even remember the fun times they had had. All the lessons he had learned from them. But in that same moment, he would also remember everyone else in this land who had helped him along the way. All the people still hiding. To deny them their king now would also mean to deny them that same happiness. That same freedom. Even if it hurt like Dark Gaia, he couldn't rob them of that. No. He wouldn't rob them of that. Finally, Ken outstretched his hand and called the Atom Bat, as well as his destiny, to come to his hand.
Barby, the Yagyu, and the other Freedom Fighters would all bear urgent expressions as they rushed towards the large mountain, the storm clouds practically swirling over it now. From what everyone could tell, the clouds had started to look a little less sickly gray, and the had stopped a couple minutes ago. It wouldn't be enough, however, to convince Barby that Ken was out of whatever kind of trouble awaited everyone at the top. Barby only hoped that they wouldn't be too late for a rescue by the time they finally reached him. Barby had already lost many soldiers and maybe even many more people in her efforts to win the war against Gong. Among the few things she and her comrades hadn't lost, she desperately prayed that she could keep children, especially children Ken's age, as one of them.
Meanwhile, Relic was both beyond terrified and ticked off. The Pika had half of a mind to smack him with one of her history books again when she next saw him. The very second she next saw him, in fact. Going up against Gong without any sort of physical preparation for fighting an opponent that big was one thing. Objectifying Emerald? While it had definitely been enough to make the girl livid, it hadn't proven itself to be something she couldn't forgive. But to climb up a mountain without any gear, alone, not to mention the freaking DRAGON waiting up there, one described as being the size of the mountain itself by the way, was nothing short of the largest amount of lunacy, if not idiocy, that she had ever seen him establish! At this point, Relic would find herself surprised if he didn't have a death wish.
The large group would immediately come to a stop as a bright, golden light, shine within the small twister of clouds, after which the clouds would evaporate into a thin fog. Thin enough for the group to spot the massive, green dragon with gold spinal spikes and black wings with outlines of gold. In that moment, everyone would begin to fear the worst. Dread would begin to fill Barby's heart as she collapsed against Espio in shock and Relic fell to her knees, already mourning the potential loss of her best friend. Espio did his best to comfort the shaken koala while Ember and Li Yuen would gaze up at the large dragon, Emerald with an unrestrained anger, and Li Yuen with patience. In fact, the others would soon come to notice the Lion start to smile despite everyone else's shared grief.
Before they could ask anything of it, however, Emerald would be the next person to earn everyone's attention, her angry expression relaxed with one of awe. "LOOK!"
Though initially confused, it wouldn't take long for everyone to notice the familiar shape flying quickly towards them on what appeared to be a cloud. Everyone's expressions would immediately turn to relief, surprise, or a mix of both as their hopes would then be confirmed, the Chimpanzee, his wounds and injuries now completely healed, wielding the golden staff of legend as he slowed the clouds speed as he approached the ground. He would also be without his hoodie, his bare chest and abs exposed to the group, something Relic couldn't be sure made him comfortable. But that hardly mattered. Their friend, and the future King of the Dragon Kingdom, was alive!
The Yagyu would cheer and rejoice as Ken stepped down from his then dissipating cloud, using the golden staff to get down safely as Li Yuen smirked. "Do us a favor and try not to break this one before we meet Gong again, alright?" He teased.
Ken rolled his eyes as almost everyone else would chuckle. "Very funny."
Ken's expression would immediately turn fearful when he noticed Relic, still in her night wear and obviously not having thought about changing, as she stomped towards him. Needless to say, she did not look happy.
Ken would start to back away, dropping the Atom Bat as he raised a pair of hands as if to tell her to settle down and smiled fearfully. "L-look, Relic. In my defense-."
Relic didn't wait for said defense before she began charging towards him too fast for her to see her then expression.
"RELIC WAIT-!"
Ken wouldn't get to say a single thing more before he was tackled off of his feet and onto the footpath with a rough thumping sound. Ken would instinctively attempt to shield himself as he would actually begin to fear for his life. Ken couldn't quite put his finger on why, but no. Fighting and nearly being electrocuted to ashes somehow wasn't worse than this.
But in his effort to shield himself, he would feel something on his body blocking his upper arms from closing all the way. Come to think of it, Ken also didn't feel any sort of pain. The monkey looked down to his chest area and, to his surprise, found a crying Pika hugging him tightly. His heart melted at the sight, though he wasn't entirely sure whether or not it was safe to touch her yet.
"Ken, you scared me half to death!" Relic scolded tearfully. "Don't you EVER do something stupid like that again!"
Ken would only watch her for a moment, still trying to assess the danger, before smiling and hugging her tightly back. "I can't exactly promise that when you've got enough brains for the both of us."
To his relief, Relic would chuckle tearfully. "Stupid jock."
"Nerd."
Meanwhile, the Dragon Kingdom would be particularly quiet, with little activity or really much reason to be out and about. It was the late afternoon, after all. At this time of day, everyone would either be at home relaxing or working a second shift job while Gong still allowed such an opportunity to exist. For the most part, there would be more activity from children, most of whom would be playing a variety of activities outside. But none dared to play hide and seek. After Gong's recent capture of the people living in the sewers, no one wanted their king getting the wrong idea.
One of such children would be Li Moon, doing her best to play the outdoorsy type as she played a game of ball with other girls her age. Yet every so often, she would find herself distracted. The capture and her practically last minute escape, courtesy of her sitter, was still fresh in her mind. As was the capture of the rabbit woman and the coyote. She knew her sitter had told her to simply stay out of trouble and find a place to hide until the others came back, but what about them? They still needed help and she was, scared as she was to admit it, the only person in a place to do so. It only made sense for her to do her best at thinking of a good break out plan from there, didn't it?
Li Moon would unfortunately not have much time to think that through as the ball would then hit her square in the cheek with a rubber smack.
"Ow!"
Li Moon would immediately clutch her cheek as it turned red and became sore from the impact. The other girls would run over only seconds after to check on her, just to ensure that she was okay. A gesture that she couldn't help appreciating. It made her wish all the more that this war was over so that she could make some friends like all the other children.
But the small vixen wouldn't get much more time to continue appreciating the kindness of her new acquaintances as the nearby TV's would all screech painfully loud and shift to a black screen with white text that read: 龙王国的重要广播. In English, this would translate to: Important broadcast from the King of the Dragon Kingdom. After about ten seconds of the unbearable noise, Gong's face would be the next thing to appear on the screen. As usual, he would be wearing his golden gladiatorial armor with his bladed mace in hand. Li Moon would only find herself more scared as Gong would bear a sinister smile.
"Greetings, my fellow subjects." Gong started. "As many of you are likely aware, a mass arrest was conducted earlier today against Mobians residing in the tunnels of waste beneath our very civilization. The Mobians in question were revealed, by an informant who stepped forward in the better interest of the Dragon Kingdom, to be members of a terrorist organization that fights to see me overthrown. Though many of them were noncombatants, each freely admitted to helping in Barby Koala's cowardly and reckless cause by their own means and actions for the past fourteen years. As this is a capital offense, each Mobian in question is scheduled to be publicly executed in the public arena where they will undergo a trial by combat against myself."
While some of the other children around her would applaud their tyrant king, Li Moon would feel her heart sink into her stomach. The child felt sorry enough for not being able to do much for the other refugees during the aforementioned mass capture. Far as she was concerned, being a child with an urgent instruction from her then caretaker to run the hide was no excuse for that. To know their now impending doom only made that feeling worse.
"However, this public display of justice must be postponed for the time being, as the threat to our nations security has only become more dire." Gong continued. "Among this uncovering of traitors and cowards, I myself would uncover two overseas combatants with a plot of assassination assigned by none other than the current ruler of Mobotropolis."
The next thing to pop up on the screen would be a live video feed from the upper corner of a small and dirty room with a medium-sized caged cell against the wall. Inside this cell would be the aforementioned two Mobians, one a uniformed Coyote, and the other a yellow rabbit missing one of her arms and both of her legs. The Coyote would be holding the Rabbit close to him, sitting her on his lap while both engaged in a conversation inaudible.
"Many of you will recognize this here two as Antoine and Bunnie D'Coolette. Two acclaimed heroes who served in the war against Julian Robotnik under the leadership of Sally Acorn. Leader of the then Knothole and now Mobotropolis Freedom Fighters. Her father, Maximillian Acorn, was supposed to help bring about a new generation of peace, at least according to the daughter who only fought his battles for him. But with this cowardly action, and his display of "desiring peace", King Maximillian has shown his true colors."
The screen would change again, this time displaying pre-recorded footage of the elderly King of Mobotropolis, his face red with what was likely the angriest expression Li Moon had ever seen in her entire life.
"YOU DARE ATTEMPT TO STRIKE A BARGAIN WITH ME, YOU FILTHY FOREIGNER SCUM?! I WOULD SOONER BE CAUGHT DEAD!"
Li Moon would be one of the few children to gasp in shock at the squirrels horrid remarks. Sure, Gong wasn't the most pleasant person to deal with, and was likely hiding certain details from the argument to make his side more agreeable, but it certainly didn't justify Maximillian's discriminatory remarks. It certainly didn't do his nation any favors at the moment. Li Moon could only wonder for a moment how someone as nice as Ken had become so while being raised in a place governed by someone like that. She genuinely hoped Bunnie and Antoine weren't mean as well.
"This senile man does not desire peace but to conquer the very world!" Gong would say as the screen cut back to him. "To rule it with an ideal that people like us, who have nothing short of fought and earned our right to co-exist in this world, should only exist to serve them our freedom on the golden platers made from our efforts!" Gong paused a moment, seeming to hear the resulting booing and audible discontent with the squirrel. "And with his desires expressed, and plans set in motion, there will indeed be a king to take the throne of Mobius! If Maximillian seeks my power so badly, I grant him the right to earn it!" Again, Gong would pause as some of the children around her, as well as adults in their very homes, we're heard applauding him. "It is time to take up arms, my loyal followers! Tonight we set sail for their very border, and tomorrow we will crush their puny army!" There was another pause followed by more cheering. "And after our victory is attained, and we prove ourselves worthy of our place above him, I will personally sever the head of their leader, and display as an example to all who would dare make an example of our great nation!"
Li Moon would quickly retreat from her current setting, the small vixen now terrified for the safety and well being of Mobotropolis, as well as her friends and family currently behind bars. Making matters worse for the girl would be the fact that neither her father or the other Freedom Fighters had returned home. She decided then, in that moment, that she would have to make do on her own. The vixen still lacked a plan, remaining greatly uncertain of what exactly she was about to do, but she could no longer stand idly by and wait for events to unfold. Barby certainly wouldn't, and neither was Ken for that matter. Besides, with the way that things currently stood, she was all that was left of them. With haste, and a sense of false determination, the child would make her way towards Gong's palace, intent on forming a plan from there.
Sorry again for the time it took prepping the chapter. As priorly mentioned, I've got quite a bit on my plate. But to be fair, I imagine it beats waiting for several months. ; But what did you all think of the chapter? Please feel free to leave me a review to let me know, or follow to support the story. I thank you all very much for reading, and may the Lord Jesus Christ bless, protect, help, and watch over you all with happiness, good tidings, good health, and that you would all come to know and love Him as your Lord and Savior if you haven't already. In Jesus name I pray, amen.