Chapter 10: China's Peril - Returned
Ash awoke with a sleepy groan and confusedly stared at his surroundings for a few moments before realizing he was back in his tent in the Land of Dragons.
"Ash, you awake?" he heard Sora's voice before his head poked in through the flap.
"Rude," Ash remarked. "I could have been undressed."
"Absolutely scandalous," the brown-haired boy rolled his eyes. "Captain Shang is waiting for us."
"I'm coming, I'm coming…" the trainer grumbled before pulling himself up.
"Hurry it up! Captain said bright and early!"
"I said I'm coming!"
"See? This all could have waited…" Ash grumbled.
"Early bird gets the worm, Ash," Sora chuckled. It was nearing noon and they had already completed three other assignments.
Their current mission was to open the mountain paths and head on to the village in the mountains. This was to be their last assignment and hopefully Mulan would gain the Captain's respect.
This mission involved clearing several rock slides while fending off Heartless attacks. Sora and Ash worked at clearing the rocks while Donald, Goofy, and Mulan kept the Heartless at bay. Mulan had been gaining more and more confidence as the day progressed and already she was slaying Heartless like she'd been doing it her whole life. Eventually the path was clear and Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po, the three men that had been giving them trouble yesterday, met up with them.
"Y'know, you ain't half bad," Yao said to a surprised Mulan.
"A man among men!" Ling added, patting her on the back.
"Thank you!" Mulan responded happily. The trio nodded before walking past them towards the village further up the mountain. Slowly, Mulan's eyes fell to the ground. "But… the Captain…"
"Captain!" Sora exclaimed, as the boys came to attention. Mulan's head snapped up to see Captain Shang approaching them with several soldiers in tow.
"Ping sure did a great job!" Goofy said as the Captain came to a stop.
"You bet he did!" Donald added.
"Hmm..." Shang sighed. "Fine. I'll let you join my troops... But I'm still not convinced you have what it takes to be a worthy soldier."
"And why's that?!" Sora demanded.
"It's alright, Sora," Mulan said quickly. "I'll find a way to show him what I'm made of." She turned her gaze to Shang, her eyes resolute. "Just give me a chance."
Shang smiled slightly. "That's the spirit, Ping." Mulan snapped into a salute, the others following her lead.
"Sir!" They exclaimed as the Captain walked away. Sora then turned to his companions.
"Alright, let's get on to the village then!"
They arrived at a quaint village, nestled in the snowy mountaintop to find the other soldiers milling about doing chores or just chatting. After moving away from any prying eyes, the party stood in a circle around Mushu. "Okay, girl! Here's your chance!" the little dragon began excitedly. "I saw this real shady guy and I know it's Shan-Yu!"
"Shan-Yu?!" Mulan gasped, prompting Donald to shush her.
"That's the Hun Leader!" Sora said excitedly.
"The leader of the Hun army?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why would he be spying? Wouldn't he just send someone else?"
"Either way, the Captain needs to know we're being spied on!" Mulan insisted. They were about to do just that when…
"Now wait, wait, WAIT!" Mushu stopped them in their tracks. "Everybody use their heads a second." The little dragon sighed, rubbing his face. "Now, why are we here?" he asked them. He didn't give them a chance to answer before he started again. "To make the Captain see Mulan's— I mean, Ping's talents and bring honor to her family."
The group nodded hesitantly, making Mushu grin. "So, let's go find out where Shan-Yu, or whoever this guy is, by ourselves, then if we're lucky, we can fry him up good!" Mushu said, slamming his fist into his open palm. "Though just tracking the guy down should earn us our stars. Captain Musclehead will have to notice my girl!"
The boys considered for a moment before turning towards Mulan. It was her honor on the line. The final decision would be hers. She stood there silently thinking for a good while. After several moments of silence, she looked up at them, determination burning in her eyes.
"Let's go." She said resolutely before turning to them. "Are you with me?"
"Of course," Ash said with a grin. "We're a team!"
"All for one and one for all!" Sora agreed.
"Now we're cookin'!" Mushu grinned. "Shan-Yu is in a cave outside the village!" At that he jumped back into Mulan's armor. The party made their way outside the village walls and, following Mushu's directions, found the cave that Shan-Yu was supposedly hiding out in.
As the group entered the cavern, Ash couldn't help but feel something was off. They'd faced no opposition the entire way here. No Heartless, no Huns. Nothing. Eventually the came to a larger chamber within the cave with no discernable way further.
"Dead end," Sora remarked. Donald looked around.
"Nobody here." The duck said.
"You're crazy!" Mushu huffed. "Check again!"
"Oh, well..." Donald sighed as he began walking towards the cave entrance. Goofy turned to leave as well.
"Wait for me, Donald!"
"Someone was here recently," Ash said, stopping Sora and Mulan in their tracks as they made to follow. His eyes fell on an old shrine near the back of the chamber. "There's some incense burning here."
"Exactly!" Mushu exclaimed.
"That doesn't really tell us if Shan-Yu was here though," Sora pointed out. "It could have been any of the villagers."
"I don't know…" Ash muttered. "My gut instinct tells me something is wrong. And following my gut has usually been the right call in the past." Sora opened his mouth to comment when suddenly the entire cave began shaking.
"What's going on?!" Mulan exclaimed. A familiar purple light suddenly appeared behind them and a barrier was formed, cutting them off from Donald and Goofy.
"Sora!" Donald cried.
"Ash!" Goofy exclaimed. "Ping!" As they made their concern known, unbeknownst to them, a large, hulking man stood at a distance, laughing silently as he made his way back towards the cave entrance. Heartless began appearing in the chamber, prompting Sora, Ash and Mulan to draw their weapons.
"Watch out for that big one, Ping," Ash warned. "That spear gives it a deceptively long range."
"Understood." Mulan said, focusing her attention on the Assault Rider. Seeing her determination, Ash smiled.
"Let's see what you've learned!"
"With pleasure!"
Ash watched with slight pride as Mulan finished off the Assault Rider with a decisive slash of her sword. Panting heavily, the warrior woman made her way back to her companions.
"You did great, Ping." Ash said sincerely, causing her to flush slightly at the praise.
"I-It was nothing!"
"Not nothing," he shook his head. "All your hard work is paying off."
Mulan's embarrassment increased at this, but she did give him a shy smile in response. "Thank you, Ash." She said. "It wouldn't be possible without you, Sora and the others."
"Like I said," he grinned as the barrier fell and Donald and Goofy made their way over. "All you needed was a little push."
"You okay?" Goofy asked, concerned.
"Yeah, thanks to Ping here!" Sora grinned. "She— er, he really saved the day!"
"C'mon!" Mushu exclaimed, popping out of Mulan's armor. "Time to report to the Captain!" They turned to him in confusion.
"But Shan-Yu wasn't here." Mulan argued.
"Please, that Hun is old news!". Mushu scoffed as he began leading the way out of the cave. "We're gonna tell the Captain how thousands of Heartless stormed the cave, and Ping took out almost every one of 'em!"
"I didn't take out all of them!" Mulan exclaimed.
"You did take out the big one on your own," Ash pointed out. Sora nodded in agreement.
"That's pretty darn impressive, if I do say so myself." The brunet Keyblader said with a grin.
"Let's— Let's just go report to the Captain," Mulan said with a flushed face. Their mirth quickly died as they exited the cave and were met with a horrifying sight. The village was in flames, almost entirely annihilated. Most of the troop was nowhere in sight.
"Dear Arceus…" Ash muttered in shock.
"Search for survivors!" Mulan said quickly, her face ashen white. They wasted no time following her into the ruins. It quickly became clear that there was no one left in the village to be found, however. Ash was beginning to lose hope when he heard Mulan call out.
"Captain!"
The party quickly made their way towards where her voice had come from to find Shang leaned up against a dilapidated wall, Mulan hovering over him.
"Don't overdo it, Captain!" Sora urged.
"It's just a scratch." the Captain assured them before falling to his knees in pain. Ash focused his magic and casted Cure on him. The man blinked in surprise before standing, testing his now healed wound in disbelief.
"Strange magicks, you people possess…" Shang murmured.
"Captain, please," Mulan urged. "The enemy. Where did they go?"
"They went towards the summit," Shang explained. "But my priority right now is finding the villagers. They fled into the mountains once those creatures began ravaging the village. They will freeze out there without assistance."
"We'll stop them!" Mulan said, her eyes blazing with anger.
"It kinda is our fault…" Goofy murmured. Mulan's face fell.
"Right." She said sadly. Mushu jumped from her shoulder into the snow, his face despondent.
"You mean my fault."
"The only ones at fault are the ones that did this," Ash said vehemently.
"He's right," Sora nodded. "Shan-Yu and the Heartless are to blame here." He turned to Shang. "Captain, if you track down the villagers, we'll handle the rest."
Sora then turned to gaze at the destruction, his face setting into a hardened scowl before turning towards the summit.
"Let's go."
He received no argument from his comrades.
Ash let out a shudder as the party crested the summit. Donald had cast a localized Fire spell that was doing wonders at keeping them relatively warm, but the frigid chill of the mountain still managed to cut through.
"Th-There doesn't seem to be anyone here," Ash remarked.
"No," Mulan shook her head, glaring up at the slope above them. "There."
Just as the party looked up, a falcon suddenly swooped overhead, releasing a shill cry. They watched as the bird flew to a tiny dot in the distance that slowly grew taller. Ash realized it was a man watching them in the distance as the bird landed on his shoulder. All around him other shadowy figures began making their way to the top of the summit. Hundreds and hundreds of warriors mounted atop horses began lining up beside their leader.
"The Hun army…" Mulan breathed out.
"T-That's a lot of bad guys," Mushu gulped.
A low thrumming sound suddenly filled the chilly mountain air as dozens and dozens of Rapid Thrusters, a type of airborne Heartless, began cresting the ridge above the Huns.
"This keeps getting better and better," Sora sighed.
"Donald, I hope you can keep that spell up while we fight," Ash pleaded. His face fell when Donald shook his head.
"Sorry. I'll need to concentrate on the battle."
"Great…" the trainer grumbled.
"Attack!" Shan-Yu roared, raising his sword at the party. The Heartless came charging toward them but the Hun warriors remained upon the ridge with their leader.
"He's saving his warriors for later," Ash exclaimed.
"Which means we can take them," Sora said resolutely.
Everyone drew their weapons and prepared for battle. Ash grit his teeth and braced himself as the creatures came closer and closer. They fell upon them like a great tidal wave, quickly separating him from his comrades.
Amid the chaos, he spotted some new Heartless that looked like towers with heads at the bottom.
"Ash!" He heard Sora's voice call out to him. "We'll handle the small fry! You take out those big ones!"
"Got it," the trainer called back as he ducked beneath a swarm of Rapid Thrusters and dashed towards the towering Heartless. The tower fired off a beam of electricity towards him that barely managed to avoid. Rearing back, Ash hurled Oathkeeper directly into the Heartless' core and caused it to explode, damaging many Rapid Thrusters in its wake.
"Nice!" He heard Sora's voice somewhere amid the chaos. Ash shook his head.
"One down…" He grumbled as he prepared to make his way to the next one. After several minutes of grueling combat, the party managed to clear out the horde of Heartless.
"D-Did we do it?" Goofy panted from beside him.
"I think we did!" Donald exclaimed.
"Don't celebrate just yet," Ash mumbled, looking up at Shan-Yu on the ridge above them. The Hun leader let out a bellowing roar and started charging down the hill. The Hun army let out a furious battle cry as they began stampeding down the slope. Shan-Yu's falcon flew over them, screeching all the while.
"W-What do we do now?!" Donald cried out as the sheer number of men charging towards them caused the ground beneath them to quake.
"Stand aside!" A familiar voice called out. The party whirled around to see Yao, Ling and Chien-Po crest the hill carrying a large dragon-shaped cannon with the Captain bringing up the rear with the rest of the troop.
"Draw swords!" The Captain barked out at the men behind him. "If we die, we die with honor!" One by one, the soldiers drew their steel, each of them had a look of grim resolution on their faces.
"Yao," the Captain said quietly. "Aim the last cannon at Shan-Yu."
"You got it," the burly man grumbled, placing the explosive on the ground and taking aim at the Hun leader. Mulan watched this all in distress. Her eyes traveled from the cannon to the Hun leader. She stood still as her mind raced a mile a minute. She looked down at her sword and saw the reflection of the snow-capped mountain peak.
She had an idea.
"I'm sorry about this!" Mulan grunted as she shoved Yao aside and grabbed the cannon.
"Ping! What are you doing?!" Shang cried out. His cries went ignored as Mulan ran forward through the heavy snowfall towards the Hun army. She plopped the cannon to the ground several hundred meters away from the army and took aim at the mountaintop.
Mulan looked up and saw the Huns rapidly approaching her position.
"I think you might wanna light that now!" Mushu urged her as she frantically fumbled with her flint stone. "Quickly, quickly!" Suddenly a mass crashed into her and sent her flying. Seeing stars, she looked up to see Shan-Yu's falcon quickly flying away. The men, seeing this from lower down on the ridge, quickly flew into action.
"C'mon!" Yao cried out, drawing his blade. "We gotta help!" The Chinese army quickly mobilized behind him.
"What is she doing?!" Sora hissed as he and Ash ran towards her. The others were hot on their heels.
"I think she has a plan!" Ash said urgently.
"I hope it's a good one!"
Mulan quickly scrambled back onto her feet and began frantically searching for her flintstone. "C'mon, c'mon…!" she looked all around her but couldn't find it! She looked up to see Shan-Yu nearly upon her. Thinking fast, she grabbed Mushu and squeezed him just hard enough to ignite the cannon. Mushu landed on the cannon, right before it fired. Shan-Yu's horse reared back in fright as the cannon sailed right past them.
"You missed!" The little dragon cried indignantly. "How could you miss; he was three feet in front of you!" Everyone watched in stunned silence as the cannon flew into the snowy mountain peak. Shan-Yu looked down at the soldier in front of him with a sneer. The sneer slowly faded upon seeing the smirk on the soldier's face. Quickly, Shan-Yu whirled around to see a mass of snow crashing down upon his army. Man and horse alike shrieked in terror as they were engulfed by the endless stream of snow.
"Avalanche!" someone cried out from the Chinese army.
Shan-Yu's face was overcome with fury as he whirled back on the soldier that was now cowering before him. With a roar, he slashed down with his sword, slicing through the soldier's armor.
Mulan cried out in pain as she was sent flying from the blow. Before she could hit the ground however, she felt arms catch her.
"Get her out of here!" Ash cried, handing her off to Goofy. He turned his Keyblade towards Shan-Yu. "Fire!" The hastily cast magic did not cause any damage, but it succeeded in startling the man's horse once again and causing him to be bucked off. The Hun landed in the snow with a grunt before looking up furiously at his assailant.
"You will pay for that, boy!" he snarled. Ash merely smirked at him before looking up behind him. Shan-Yu followed his gaze only to be engulfed by snow.
"Goofy, put me down!" Mulan cried out as the rest of the gang was running back down the hill. "I'm fine! Put me down before we all get killed!" The anthropomorphized dog did as she asked and gently set her on her feet. "Now run! Run!" Mulan led the way as she and the gang began frantically retreating.
"Quick! Behind those rocks!" Sora cried as he and the others quickly dove behind a rocky outcropping, shielding them from the avalanche. Mulan was about to join them when she spotted Shang still staring in stunned silence at the avalanche.
She dashed towards him and grabbed his hand. She began dragging him towards where her friends were sheltering, but in his shock, Shang stumbled. Mulan cried as she and Shang felt the cascading snow begin pushing them downhill. Scrambling in panic, Mulan's eyes widened as she saw that they were beginning to fall off the cliff face. Seeing their end, Mulan's eyes screwed shut and she grit her teeth as she felt herself go into freefall.
Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm and Mulan's eyes flew open. Looking up, she saw someone wearing a gleaming set of armor had grabbed her hand. They were riding atop a strange device that seemed to be floating in midair.
With a heave, the person pulled her onto the aircraft and to her relief, Shang was also seated behind her mysterious savior. "You've got guts, Ping," a familiar voice said, as the armored figure shook his head. "Lots of guts."
"Ash?!" Mulan cried out in shock.
"That's my name," her friend said and she could tell he was grinning from his voice alone. "Don't wear it out."
"Stranger and stranger you appear, Ash," Shang shook his head in disbelief. "Just who are you people?"
"I guess you could say we're not from here," Ash chuckled as he angled his Keyblade Ride towards the outcrop where the rest of the troop had taken shelter. They could already see Sora waving at them frantically.
"A non-answer," Shang noted as they disembarked. Ash allowed his armor to dematerialize as they all found their footing. "But I can overlook it. You saved my life, both of you. For that you have my gratitude and my trust."
"Thank you, Captain!" Mulan said with a smile before it faded into a grimace.
"Ping are you— Ping!" Shang exclaimed as she suddenly lurched forward. He caught her just as she was about to hit the ground. Feeling something wet, he drew his hand back and saw blood. "He's wounded!"
"Move!" Donald snapped as he came forward, raising his staff and casting a healing spell on her. Mulan groaned in pain, prompting the duck to furrow his brow.
"It must be deeper than I thought…" He said hesitantly. "My magic isn't as strong as it used to be… I need to see the wound to heal it."
"But Donald, if we do that…" Sora began only to fall silent as Donald looked at him grimly. The boy could only shake his head with a sigh. Shang watched on, his eyes slowly widening as Donald began removing Mulan's armor. Slowly, his eyes hardened as he saw the truth that they'd been hiding all this time.
Mulan's eyes fluttered open as she felt her pain beginning to fade. Her vision was hazy. Blinking the stars out of her eyes, she slowly sat up to see a worried looking Donald and a grim faced Shang. Looking around, Ash, Sora and Goofy all had grimaces on their faces.
"I— We're sorry, Ping," Sora said quietly. "We had to do it to save your life."
Staring at them in confusion for a moment, Mulan's eyes widened upon feeling the chill against her skin. Looking down sharpling, she saw bare skin… and her bound chest.
"You all knew, didn't you?" Shang said quietly. "All this time, you were knowingly breaking the law and committing high treason against the Emperor's army. It seems my trust was ill placed 'Ping'."
"My name is Mulan," the woman said bitterly. "I joined the army to save my father, who was crippled during his service to the Emperor. He had already done enough to serve. Why should he be made to die just because he has no sons?"
"Does it really matter if she's a woman?" Ash asked quietly. "Does it really change any of her deeds? She worked hard all this time and saved us all by destroying Shan-Yu's army."
"The law is the law," Shang snapped. "By that same logic, should we let thieves walk free because they are good fathers?"
"That's like comparing apples and oranges!" Sora refuted. But Shang only shook his head. He bent down and slowly picked up Mulan's fallen sword.
"The punishment for high treason and dishonoring the Imperial Army… is death." The Captain said resolutely. Mulan closed her eyes and grimaced. Ash made to intervene, only to be surprised as Shang threw the sword down at Mulan's feet. The woman's eyes flew open.
"A life for a life," Shang muttered. "My debt is repaid." He turned to address the rest of the troop who'd been watching in stunned silence. "Move out!" The party watched quietly as the rest of the troop followed after the Captain. Yao, Ling and Chien-Po gave them concerned looks as they left them behind.
The boys were turned away respectfully as Mulan quietly dressed herself, forgoing the armor she'd been wearing prior. She wore a gray shirt with green trims, white pants and martial arts shoes. She let her hair down as well, revealing it to be shoulder length. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you," she apologized, giving them a low bow. "And… Thank you for everything you've done. Especially you, Ash. Thank you for saving my life."
"That's what friends are for," Ash shrugged.
"So, Ping— I mean, uh, Mulan," Sora began awkwardly. "What are you gonna do now?"
"I… guess it's time to go home," Mulan said helplessly. Mushu shook his head.
"Y'know your daddy's gonna be more steamed than a chicken dumpling," he told her. She could only sigh in agreement.
Sora grabbed Donald, Goofy and Ash and pulled them into a mass headlock. "Don't worry, we'll take our share of the blame," he said with a grin.
Mulan smiled at them brightly. "Thank you, you're all wonderful friends."
Ash pulled her into the group hug. "Of course! Now let's get you home!" he said as they started walking to the ridge. When they tried to exit, they heard Shan-Yu's falcon screech from above. They all looked up and Sora ran to follow it. When he returned to the summit he saw a hand forcing its way out of the snow. The others came up behind him and gasped.
The hand then put itself on the ground and, to everyone's shock, Shan-Yu pulled himself out. He looked around for a bit until letting out a war cry. Then some Rabid Thruster Heartless appeared around him. Shan-Yu stood up and the falcon landed on his shoulder. The Hun looked toward the city with broiling rage.
"He's alive!" Ash whispered frantically. "How is it possible to survive that?"
"He's headed for the city!" Mulan cried. "We've got to warn Shang!"
"Right!"
"Well, if time is of the essence…" Ash remarked before pressing his hand against his pauldron. In a flash of light, his armor appeared around him. He then summoned his Keyblade Glider.
"Everyone hop on."
Shan-Yu urged his stolen horse forward at full gallop, his lip twisted into a feral snarl. He would stop at nothing to reach the Imperial Capital and see it razed to the ground. His army of Heartless followed behind him, enthralled by the darkness within his heart. Suddenly, however, a black portal opened before him. His horse startled, rearing up with a whinny.
"What black sorcery is this now?" The Hun leader roared, drawing his blade.
"Hold your horses, big guy," a sleazy voice said from within the portal as a black-cloaked individual stepped out. "Or I guess horse in this case. You've fallen from grace, King of the Huns."
"Watch your tongue, cur," Shan-Yu hissed. "Lest I cut it out."
"Oooh, I like the 'tude!" the cloaked man said, clapping somewhat sarcastically. "Tell ya what, I have a proposition for you. I see you're in need of some manpower. I've got something that might give you an edge in the battle to come."
Shan-Yu's lip curled into a sneer. "Unless you bring me an army, I'm uninterested."
"Oh, believe me," the man chuckled. "From what I've seen. This thing is all you need."
The King of the Huns could only cock his head, intrigued as a strange creature appeared out of the portal. He'd never seen anything quite like it before. The creature was silent as it stared at him hard and the Hun leader felt a chill down his spine. He could see nothing but rage behind its eyes.
The cloaked man simply smirked as Shan-Yu's eyes turned calculating.
"R-Remind me to never do that again," Donald gagged as he clambered off of the hoverbike.
"Ash can never be allowed to pilot the Gummi Ship," Sora said resolutely, his face pale and slightly green.
"It wasn't that bad!" Ash said indignantly. The rest of the party looked over to Mulan who was hurling into a nearby bush. "...I'm still working on it."
"Work on it harder!" Donald snapped.
"N-Nevermind all that!" Mulan finally finished emptying her stomach and stood on two wobbly legs. "We need to find Shang!"
"The palace is that way!" Goofy urged them. The party nodded and made their way towards the imperial palace, where they found a procession of soldiers marching. Mulan weaved her way through their ranks until she found Shang at their head.
"Shang!" She called out, prompting him to turn to her in surprise. "Shan-Yu is alive! He's headed this way!"
"And why should I believe you this time?" he asked her coldly.
"But she's telling the truth!" Sora exclaimed. Mulan stared at Shang pleadingly.
"You trusted Ping," she said. "Why is Mulan any different?"
"Hmm…" Donald grumbled, his arms crossed. He looked up in the sky and quacked in surprise as he pointed up into the sky. Everyone looked up and saw Shan-Yu's falcon flying over them. Shang looked around and saw Shan-Yu crouching at the top of one of the towers. The Hun grinned menacingly before jumping off.
"Move out! Do not let the enemy get anywhere near the Emperor!" Shang ordered. Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po charged forward, giving out war cries. Shang raised an eyebrow as he noticed only those three had charged in. The rest of the troop merely stared at him blankly. "That's an order!"
He turned to the other soldiers, only to see that they were engulfed in darkness for a moment before they became Heartless. He gasped in disbelief of what had become of his men. The party quickly drew their weapons and stood before him protectively.
"Captain!" Sora exclaimed. "We'll secure the courtyard and you can save the Emperor!"
The Captain hesitated until Donald shouted, "That's an order!" Shang nodded at them before making his way towards the palace gates.
"Surrounded…" Ash murmured. Suddenly, a lightbulb seemed to go off in Sora's head.
"Ash, Mulan!" He called out to them. "Follow my lead!"
Mulan nodded at him. "For China!" She cried out. Ash was quick to follow suit.
"I'll handle this!" Mushu shouted as he leapt into action. The little dragon summoned a burst of flames and damaged the surrounding Heartless. The four of them quickly then went flying around, burning and slashing the enemies in their wake. At the end of their attack, Mushu spat a myriad of fireballs into the air which landed on the few Heartless left and reduced them to ashes.
"The Emperor is still in danger!" Mulan urged them on.
"Then there's no time to lose!" Sora exclaimed. Ash nodded.
"Let's go!"
The party rushed towards the great stairs that lead into the palace. They reached the top just in time to see Shan-Yu holding his sword to the Emperor's neck. "Now, you'll bow to me," he seethed at the Emperor, who remained silent. "I said bow!"
Finally, the Emperor spoke. "No matter how much the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it." Enraged, Shan-Yu raised his blade.
"Stop right there!" Ash shouted. Shan-Yu turned to them and snarled. Suddenly, Shang dropped down out of nowhere and knocked Shan-Yu to the floor with a vicious throat chop. Moving quickly, he led the Emperor into the palace, while Chien-Po and Ling shut the doors, and Shang looked back at them with expectant eyes before the doors closed.
Shan-Yu recovered and ran to the gate, but the five of them got in the way. "It ends now!" Mulan declared.
"Right now," Sora added, eyeing the man harshly. The falcon landed on Shan-Yu's shoulder, and the Hun began to laugh as his body was surrounded by darkness. Heartless began to appear around him.
"Go, my warriors!" The Hun snarled.
"Donald, Goofy, focus on those Heartless!" Sora ordered. "Don't let them breach the gate! Ash, Mulan, we'll take on Shan-Yu!"
"Got it!" Ash exclaimed before dashing forward, Sora and Mulan forming up behind him. Shan-Yu met them halfway with incredible force as he and Ash locked blades. The trainer grimaced as he was pushed back.
"You cannot overpower me!" Shan-Yu hissed.
"Maybe..." Ash grunted back. He suddenly pulled back, making Shan-Yu fall forward in surprise. Ash kneed him in the face, sending him tumbling back. Shan-Yu clutched his face and glared at him.
"I see you are not one of those honor-bound fools," the Hun spat.
"Not to people like you," Ash declared, leveling his blade at him. "Wanna try again?"
"Then maybe I can even the odds a bit," the Hun had a look of malice on his face. Ash opened his mouth to retort when suddenly his instincts kicked into overdrive. He jumped back just in time to avoid being hit by a blast of water in the shape of a shuriken. The attack kicked up a cloud of dust, causing everyone to cover their eyes.
As the dust cleared, Ash looked up, only for his eyes to widen in absolute shock. Across from them, on the roof of a nearby building was one of his Pokemon.
"Greninja…?" he whispered. It was his Greninja alright. It was even still in his bond phenomenon form that he'd last seen him in back in Pallet Town. "Greninja! It's me! Ash!"
"Ash, something isn't right…" Sora hissed, looking at the creature in concern. The trainer was about to respond when Greninja began forming another Water Shuriken. The Pokemon let out a roar as it hurled it at his trainer with all his might.
"Why?!" Ash cried as he used his Keyblade to slice through the attack, only to be sent flying from the sheer power behind it.
"It's shrouded in darkness!" Sora exclaimed. Ash looked up in shock to see wisps of shadow being emitted by his Kalos ace. Almost like a Heartless.
"No…" he whispered.
"They told me this creature would be effective," Shan-Yu said cruelly. "It seems they were right."
"Ash, we'll deal with him!" Sora said, grabbing Ash and lifting him to his feet. "You go figure out what's wrong with Greninja!" The trainer nodded numbly and raced down the stairs and into the courtyard. Greninja leapt from the roof and landed in a crouch, poised to strike.
"Greninja, it's me!" Ash said pleadingly. The frog Pokemon said nothing, merely forming a pair of kunai out of shadow in response. His eyes held no recognition. They were wild, filled with nothing but rage. "Please don't do this…"
The Ninja Pokemon dashed forward at blinding speed, attacking with his Night Slash. Ash deflected the blows with his Keyblades but the frog's sheer speed was quickly outpacing him.
"Sorry, buddy, but this is gonna sting!" Ash cried before breaking away and leveling his blade at his own Pokemon. "Thunder!" The lightning bolt hit the Water-type for super effective damage, and caused the creature to screech in pain.
"Please stop!" Ash begged. "I don't want to fight you!" Greninja raised his webbed hand and formed a hand seal. Suddenly Ash found himself surrounded by dozens of copies of the Pokemon. The clones began to converge on him as one, prompting Ash to slam his fist into his pauldron and activate his armor.
The forged steel protected Ash from the rapid string of attacks long enough for him to summon his Keyblade Ride. Now hovering above the battlefield, Ash began rapidly casting Thunder on all the clones, destroying them one by one until there was only the original left.
Greninja let out a shriek before cloaking his entire body in shadow. Ash yelped as the frog made a massive leap, leaving a crater in the ground from where he'd lifted off from. The Pokemon slammed into him with the force of a train, sending him crashing onto the roof. His armor splintered into fragments of light as it dematerialized from the sheer power of the attack.
'What was that attack?!' Ash thought as his vision began swimming. "Dexter," the boy choked out.
"Shadow Rush — a rare and illegal move usable only by Shadow Pokemon. Little is known about this phenomenon."
"A Shadow Pokemon…?" Ash coughed as he forced himself up.
"Like our little gift?" A voice asked from behind him, prompting him to whirl around to see a familiar cloaked figure.
"The Organization…?" The trainer coughed once again, covering his mouth. He removed his hand to see blood.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten my name already?" The Nobody placed a hand against his chest where his heart would have been. "I'm hurt!"
"Xigbar…" Ash growled.
"We found more of these mutant freaks of yours," Xigbar said, flicking a finger at the still-raging Greninja down in the courtyard.
"What did you do to them?!" Ash demanded, still coughing up flecks of blood.
"We didn't do nothin'," the Nobody shrugged. "Like I said, we found 'em like this. All berserk-like." He shook his head and laughed. "But man! These things are real powerhouses! Looks like having their hearts taken by darkness really gave 'em a power boost!"
"You're wrong!" Ash snapped. "Their true strength is unlocked when their hearts are opened! The bond between trainer and Pokemon allows them to achieve the impossible!"
"Blah, blah, blah," the scarred man mocked him. "That power of friendship mumbo jumbo is nonsense. This here? That's true power." He shook his head. "But we'll let you find that out on your own. Later, kid! It's been fun!"
"No!" Ash roared, leaping towards the man as he stepped into a portal. "Get back here!"
"Ash!" Sora's voice called out to him. Ash whirled around to see Sora pointing towards the courtyard, where Greninja was being enveloped in a dark portal.
"Nooooo!" Ash cried as his Pokemon disappeared once again. The boy slowly fell to his knees before his body was wracked by an intense coughing fit.
"Ash!" The trainer felt several people surrounding him.
"Cure!" he heard Donald casting a healing spell. The pain was somewhat alleviated, but he continued coughing. "Cure!"
"It's gonna be okay, Ash!" Sora said worriedly.
"It's no good!" Donald let out a curse. "He took a lot of damage! We need a more powerful healer. We should take him back to Hollow Bastion so Aerith can help him!"
"I'm fine…" Ash trailed off into another coughing fit. "Okay, maybe not. What happened to Shan-Yu?"
"Mulan came up with this crazy plan using a firework to blow him up!" Goofy explained.
"Ha! Nice!" Ash gave her a thumbs up. The girl smiled weakly, but seemed very concerned about his condition.
"Let's get you back down," she suggested. "I know you plan on seeing a healer, but maybe the Emperor's doctor can help you. I imagine he can at least give you something for the pain."
"No arguments," Ash said weakly.
Later all of them stood before the Emperor, granted, Ash was leaning heavily against Goofy. A huge crowd of citizens had gathered in the courtyard behind them. The Emperor approached Mulan.
"I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan." he began. Mulan bowed deeply. "You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated an imperial soldier. You disobeyed your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonored your family name..."
With every point, Mulan flinched harder and harder.
"We get the picture…" Sora muttered.
The Emperor ignored him. "You are a young woman, and in the end…" Donald groaned. "...you saved us all." The Emperor bowed deeply. Mulan stood up straight, and was shocked to see the Emperor bowing before her. She looked around nervously as the citizens that were present bowed to them. Ash grinned and poked Goofy, who quickly got the hint. As one, he, Ash, Donald and Sora all bowed to her. Mulan was blushing heavily at this point.
"Captain Li," the Emperor stated. Shang nodded and picked up Shan-Yu's sword. He walked to Mulan and gave it to her. "Take this, so that the world will know what you have done for China."
"Thank you." She bowed again.
"Mulan," Shang started getting Mulan's attention. "Sora. Donald. Goofy. Ash." he said, catching their attention. "Thank you."
"'Thank you?' Is that all there is to say, Captain?" The Emperor asked. "If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, China's bravest woman, you'll have to be a bit more eloquent than that!" Shang gaped at him then looked at Mulan before turning away, embarrassed. Mulan giggled. Sora and Ash grinned at each other. Sora tapped her shoulder.
"Hey, can we get an autograph?" Sora asked.
Mulan turned to them and smiled brightly. "Sora, Ash, Donald, Goofy... Thank you... for everything." she said, pulling them into an embrace. Ash let out a grunt, making her jump back, a horrified look on her face.
"I'm sorry!" She quickly spun around and addressed the Emperor. "Your Majesty! My friend was seriously injured in the battle with Shan-Yu! Can you help him?"
"We tried our healing magic on him, but it wasn't very effective," Sora explained guiltily. He'd gotten a little too caught up in the ceremony and he'd forgotten Ash was still injured.
"We're planning on taking him to see a healer friend of ours, but anything you could do in the meantime… Donald trailed off.
"If your healing magic was ineffective, I'm afraid there's little the royal physician could do," the old man stroked his beard. "I believe I can procure some pain relieving herbal teas, however. I apologize that I cannot do more."
"That's more than enough, Your Majesty," Ash said as a man came forward carrying an ornate box. The man opened the box, revealing a bundle of medicinal herbs along with a mortar and pestle, a set of fine tea leaves as well as what looked like a very expensive tea set.
As the party's resident spellcaster/healer, Donald took the proffered box gingerly. "Thank you, your Majesty."
Meanwhile, Mushu paced on the floor, visibly trembling with excitement. "Now they gotta let me go back to being a guardian," he said to himself, not realizing that Goofy was within earshot. "They just gotta!"
Goofy was confused. "But, Mushu, I thought you already were a family guardian," he said, catching the others' attention.
Mushu looked flustered. "Wha?" He said, then realized his mistake. "Oh, uh, now don't you worry about that. That's just real technical, just for us guardians."
"You tricked us!" Sora exclaimed. Mushu tried to explain himself, but Sora had already lunged at him. Ash just sighed and mentally made a note to get revenge on Mushu when he wasn't beat up.
Suddenly, Shan-Yu's sword began to glow. "Huh?" Mulan mumbled as the sword floated out of her hands and into the air.
Ash spotted it and knew what was happening. "Hey, Sora!" He yelled, getting the Keyblader's attention, the said boy having smashed Mushu into the ground.
Sora stared at it for a few seconds before making eye contact with Ash. The trainer nodded towards the sword, then at his battered body before shrugging. Sora nodded in understanding he took several steps away from the group and summoned his Keyblade. A rush of energy thrummed through the air as the Keyhole appeared in the sky above them. Thrusting his Keyblade upward, Sora unlocked the path forward.
"Okay!" Donald cheered.
"Guess it's time to hit the road," Goofy remarked.
"You shall be missed," the Emperor said.
Ash turned to face the world's native residents. "…Is it okay if we come back to visit?" He asked.
"We insist you do," Mulan said happily. She placed her hands on his shoulder. "Promise you will. Thank you again for everything, Ash."
"We will look forward to your return," Shang added.
Sora smirked. "Play nice you two," he teased Shang and Mulan. They glanced at each other before growing flustered.
"Whoa!" Shang cried. "Watch it, soldier!"
Mulan giggled as Mushu jumped onto her shoulder. "Good-bye, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Ash!" she called, waving them bye, as they walked down the stairs. Ash looked back just before the Gummi Ship beamed them up.
"Bye, Mulan." He whispered before turning to face his friends. "DONALD! Don't just stand there, I'm dying here!"
"You're not dying, Ash," Sora said, sweat-dropping slightly.
"Let's just hurry back to Hollow Bastion," Donald grumbled, though he began preparing the herbal tea nonetheless.
"Don't worry, Ash!" Goofy said, giving him a thumbs up. "Aerith and the others'll have you fix up in a jiffy!"
"Bet they'll be happy to see us again so quickly!" Sora agreed, likewise giving him a thumbs up.
"JUST WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING?!" Yuffie snapped at them after the party stumbled into Merlin's house with a seriously injured Ash. "You've been gone for what? A day?! And Ash is already half dead?!"
"I'm not half dead!" Ash said defensively, even as he broke into another bloody coughing fit. Aerith looked him over in concern, murmuring a healing spell under her breath. "A quarter dead at most!"
"That's still more dead than you should be!" the ninja girl retorted.
"I'll be fine!" Ash waved her off. "I've been almost killed every few months since I turned ten!"
"That doesn't make it any better!"
"But—"
"That's it!" Cid roared, finally standing from his chair and stomping over to where Ash was being treated. "Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and drink your goddamn TEA!"
"Cid," Leon sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Language, please." He turned a disapproving look on Ash. "They have a point though. You need to be more careful. You won't always be close enough to Hollow Bastion to receive treatment."
"On that topic," Donald spoke up. "Aerith, when you're done, I need some training to strengthen my healing magic. I don't want this happening again."
"Of course, Donald," the brunette woman replied, though her concentration on her healing session never wavered.
"So, what happened, my boy?" Professor Oak asked worriedly. "You've been banged up before certainly, but never to this extent."
"I was actually hoping to ask you some questions, Professor," Ash admitted. "I ran into Greninja while we were out there."
"Greninja?!" Clemont exclaimed. "So did you bring him with you…?" He trailed off at seeing the grimace on his friend's face.
"I didn't," Ash said quietly. "There was something wrong with him. His body was shrouded in darkness and his eyes… they were filled with nothing but rage." He paused as he gingerly felt his bruised ribs. "...He's the one that put me in this state."
The natives of the Pokemon world could only stare at him in shock. A Pokemon as well trained as Greninja injuring their trainer to this extent… It was practically unheard of.
"T-That's awful!" Bonnie cried, clutching Dedenne close. She and Clemont were especially disturbed. Having traveled with Ash throughout Kalos, they'd seen firsthand the powerful bond between him and Greninja. Knowing that the Water-type had caused this much damage… was unthinkable.
Professor Oak had gone pale. "Did… Did you notice anything else?"
"He used a move I'd never seen before," Ash said. "I asked Dexter and he said it was called Shadow Rush. And that it could only be used by something called Shadow Pokemon."
"Oh dear," the old man combed his hand through his hair.
"You've heard of these Shadow Pokemon before, Professor?" Tracey asked.
"I have," Oak grimaced. "The phenomenon was first reported in Orre — a region known for its lawlessness. A criminal organization called Team Snagem was experimenting on Pokemon by artificially closing the door to their hearts."
"WHAT?!" All of the trainers in the room shouted, outraged.
"That's inhumane!" Ash snarled. "That's just… pure evil! Why would they even want that?!"
"It causes the Pokemon to enter a berserk state," Oak explained. "By doing that, the affected Pokemon would battle with no regard to anything, even their own safety. They essentially become soulless fighting machines. There were reports of Pokemon seriously injuring themselves and their own trainers."
Everyone, even those not familiar with Pokemon, could only stare at the Professor in horrified silence. Ash grit his teeth, feeling helpless.
"But how did my Pokemon become Shadow Pokemon?" he demanded.
"Tell me, Ash," Oak looked at him seriously. "Were your Pokemon mega evolved when our world fell?"
"Yes, why do you—" Ash suddenly paled.
"What?" Sora asked, confused. "What does that mean?"
"Mega evolution occurs when the bond between trainer and Pokemon reaches a climax," Professor Oak said grimly. "In a way, you could say, that during this transformation, the Pokemon's heart is fully exposed."
"And easily infused with darkness," Ash said despondently. "So you think that's how they became Shadow Pokemon?"
"It's a theory," Oak said with a sigh.
"Is there anything we can do for them?" Ash asked bitterly.
"There is, in fact," Professor Oak said, causing Ash's head to whip up. "According to reports, Shadow Pokemon were able to be purified."
"How?" Ash pleaded. Oak merely smiled at him.
"Love." He said simply. "The door to the heart cannot be permanently shut. By filling it with love and affection, the process can be reversed. It simply needs a catalyst."
"A what now?" the trainer asked, bewildered.
"Think of it as… a key," Clemont explained.
"A key…" Ash whispered, as Oathkeeper appeared in his hand.
"If anyone can purify them, it's you, Ash," Professor Oak said confidently.
"...Right." Ash nodded resolutely. "I won their trust once. I'll do it again."
"Now, we'll need to make some modifications to your Poke Balls," the Pokemon Professor said. "Your Pokemon are now closer to wild Pokemon than they are to trained Pokemon. They won't come quietly. You'll need to capture them once again."
"Got it," the boy nodded as Aerith finished her healing session.
"You're all patched up now, Ash," the woman said with a smile before her face turned stern. "But no strenuous activity for a few days."
"That means you're staying here," Yuffie said firmly.
"That works for us," Donald said before Ash could refuse. "That gives me time to work on my healing magic."
Ash deflated at his logic. "I guess that's true."
"We'll need the time to get your Poke Balls up and running anyway," Clemont told them. "So in the meantime, just try to rest up."
"...Fine," Ash sighed and settled in for a long rest as everyone else began making necessary preparations.
Pikachu watched over Kairi with a look of concern. The two of them stood on the beach, the girl staring off into the distant horizon. She'd been like this ever since Granny had explained Kairi's forgotten past. Even Pikachu had to admit, he was still shocked himself. His trainer had a sister! That was why the redhead had seemed so startlingly familiar when he'd first woken up.
"I have a brother, Pikachu." Kairi said after a long while. "A mother. A father. I have a family."
"Pika! Pi Pikachu!" The red-haired girl turned to the Pokemon and the two locked eyes.
"You know them, don't you?" Kairi whispered, much to Pikachu's shock. Her ability to understand Poke Speech was unlike anything he'd ever seen!
"Pika!" he nodded. "Pikachu?" A complicated expression came across her face.
"The way you look at me," the girl said quietly. "There's a familiarity there. Like you already know me. But… There's so much that I've forgotten."
"Piiii…" Pikachu's ears drooped as Kairi's face turned frustrated.
"How does that even happen?" she snapped. "How do I forget my entire family?! I was five when my first memories began. I should have been old enough to remember! What happened? The fall of our world shouldn't have erased my memories! So why?"
"Pi…."
"I'm sorry, Pikachu," Kairi said, a sad smile on her face. "I shouldn't be piling this all on you."
"Chupi," Pikachu jumped up into her arms and nuzzled her face. "Chaaaaa…"
"Hey, that tickles!" Kairi giggled as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. The two were silent for a while as they watched the waves lap against the shore. "You know… My family isn't the only thing I've forgotten."
"Pika?"
Kairi nodded. "It's true." She walked a few yards back to where her school bag was resting against a palm tree. Pikachu hopped up onto her shoulder as she rummaged through the bag. Finally, she pulled out a glass bottle that had a slip of paper inside it.
Popping the bottle open, she shook the paper out and unfurled it. Pikachu looked at it curiously. It looked like a poem.
"I forgot someone… Someone very important to me." Kairi said quietly. "I can't even remember his name. I remember his voice… and the things we would do together out on the island. But… Not his name. All I can remember is that it starts with an 'S'."
"Pika Pi Pikachu!"
"He's out there somewhere," she continued. "I don't know how. But I know it. My family as well."
"Pikachu!"
"That's right," Kairi smiled. "You're looking for my brother too." The Pokemon nodded firmly. "Maybe we can look together!"
"Pika!" Kairi began rummaging through her school bag again before pulling out an ink pad used for stamps. "Here." She opened the pad and offered it to the Pokemon. Pikachu stared at it for a moment before pressing his paw against it and stamping it firmly against the slip of paper. Kairi started blowing against it to dry it faster before rolling the paper up and slipping it back into the glass bottle.
The duo walked towards the shore and Kairi gently set the bottle into the water. They watched it drift away until it disappeared beyond the horizon.
"I wrote that letter to the boy I can't remember," she said quietly. "I told him that no matter where he is, I would find him someday. But now it has an added meaning. We'll find my brother one day too. And together, we'll all go home."
Pikachu couldn't have agreed more.
A/N: Bit of a change up at several points. I wanted to have certain scenes be more true to the original Mulan film. Ash is slowly finding his Pokemon, but he may not like what he finds.