It was quite a distance away, but they had to make it there on foot as there were very few transportation choices in the area. It was not surprising that their path was blocked by the Heartless and Nobodies.

‘The white ones are called Nobodies,’ Sora explained as they walked through a deep valley. He then started to illustrate Xigbar, Organization XIII’s Freeshooter. ‘Remember the guy in the black coat? The one with the eye patch. He’s a Nobody too.’

‘Oh…’ Mulan said, recalling the man who had put China in danger as she tried to digest everything. ‘So these Nobody beings… they don’t have a heart?’

‘Yup,’ nodded Sora.

Little did they know that the ones plotting against them were standing on a cliff which hung above them. On this cliff were two people, a man and a younger lady. The man was cloaked from head to toe, only allowing enough space for his eyes to see through. The dark haired girl was wearing a traditional Chinese garment, her cheeks rosy and eyes sharp like a phoenix.

‘What do you think?’ asked the young lady pleasantly.

‘Wonderful,’ said the man through his cloak. ‘The Mongol generals will be pleased.’

‘How could they not be?’ the young lady smiled. ‘With the Heartless and Nobodies under their command, it’d be easy to crush the Chinese army.’

‘That would be the case,’ the man started on a grim tone as he pointed to the group who were walking in the valley, led by China’s bravest woman. ‘If those people do not get in our way.’

‘The Keybladers, huh,’ the lady whispered as she took out a fan from the compartment in her sleeves. With a flick movement, she opened the fan and placed it in front of her cheek with an air of superiority. ‘I’ll handle that.’

‘Is that it?’ Riku interrupted politely after walking for some time. Standing tall before them was the Palace, the home of China’s emperor. Mulan led them into the Palace and right into the Throne Room. Sitting on the throne was an aged man in yellow, his white hair and long beard augmented his face which shined with wisdom. Standing by his side was a well-built man with dark hair, who smiled as Mulan approached.

‘Your Majesty,’ said Mulan as she lowered her head before the Emperor. Sora, Riku and Kairi followed suit, bowing in the sign of respect.

‘Rise, Mulan,’ the Emperor said in a deep voice. He then addressed Sora. ‘And you are Sora, the one who helped save China before, am I correct?’

‘Um, yes sir!’ Sora said nervously before a man of great respect.

The Emperor tittered softly. He then turned towards Mulan. ‘What is it that you’re looking for me?’

‘You Majesty, I’m here to report that the Heartless have returned,’ said Mulan. ‘Along with them are the Nobodies, a group of beings with evil purposes.’

The Emperor nodded as he listened to Mulan explaining the situation. ‘I have an idea on who might be behind this…’ he said as he stroked his beard.

‘You do?’ said Sora, excited to find a lead. As Mulan shot a glance at him, he cooled down and rephrased his words. ‘Uh… I mean, Your Majesty, who do you think is controlling all these Heartless and Nobodies?’

‘The Mongolian army,’ the man replied instead of the Emperor. ‘The Mongols have been hostile for awhile now. We have done some investigation work and we are quite certain that they are getting help from someone to control what you call the Heartless and Nobodies.’

The Emperor nodded. ‘Thank you, General Shang,’ he spoke. ‘Which brings me back to the task I asked of you many days ago, Mulan. Would you escort my daughters to kingdom of Qui Gong?’

‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty,’ Mulan said. ‘But I cannot agree on this matter. Your Majesty’s daughters should have the right to choose their husbands. They cannot be forced into marriage like this!’

‘Mulan, the Mongolian army is growing stronger and would strike at any moment and we need to ensure the safety of our people,’ Shang objected. ‘The Emperor only wishes to forge an alliance. If this is His Majesty’s wish, then we should carry it out.’

‘Your Majesty,’ Kairi spoke. ‘Are you planning to wed your daughters to people they haven’t met just to save your kingdom?’

The Emperor simply nodded and did not add any words. Sora, who finally understood what the argument was about, retaliated.

‘Arranged marriage isn’t the only way out,’ Sora retorted. ‘If I need to get rid of the army and the Heartless and Nobodies, then I’ll stand in the frontlines fight, not make someone do something they don’t want to. Especially marriage, nuh-uh.’

‘We have been through this before, Mulan,’ said Shang strictly. ‘We must carry out the Emperor’s task as his subjects. His Majesty has already spoken of the consequences. If the alliance crumbles, China will be destroyed.’

‘How could you throw your daughters to a foreign land?’ Mulan continued. ‘Do you not care about their feelings?’

‘They will be remembered as the women who brought China and Qui Gong together,’ the Emperor replied calmly but his eyebrows were furrowed. ‘They will be remembered as the women who saved China from the Mongols.’

‘You are betting them away without a second thought as if they don’t mean anything!’ Mulan cried. ‘Just because women are seen to be lower than men, does that give you the right to decide how they live their lives?’

‘Mulan!’ Shang yelled back at Mulan’s impoliteness. ‘That is enough!’

‘I will find another way to solve this,’ Mulan exclaimed confidently. ‘I will never bring your daughters to Qui Gong!’

With that, Mulan ran out of the Throne Room, her cheeks started to flush in red.

‘Mulan!’ Sora called out, but she never turned back. He looked at the Emperor and Shang hesitantly, and ran after Mulan. Riku and Kairi did an apologizing gesture to the Emperor before following suit, leaving only the Emperor and General Shang in the Throne Room.

‘Do you think I might have made a mistake?’ the Emperor asked.

‘No, Your Majesty,’ Shang replied. ‘Mulan… she has gone too far. She has acted irresponsibly.’

‘But General Shang,’ the Emperor continued. ‘Shouldn’t you be less harsh with her?’

The general fell silent as he looked at the ground. In his heart, he felt guilty as he chose between following the book and following his heart.

‘…Go,’ the Emperor spoke.

‘Your Majesty?’ Shang asked as he did not understand.

‘Have I not made myself clear? Go and follow Mulan,’ said the Emperor. ‘She is your bride-to-be after all, isn’t she?

‘What about Your Majesty’s daughters?’ Shang asked again. ‘And the kingdom? We need to forge the alliance!’

‘I will think of something else while you calm her down,’ the Emperor answered. ‘Woman should never be angered, as they are capable to do all sorts of unpredictable things. In my years, I have seen many ugly things in a marriage. General Shang, you have a lot to learn.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ said Shang with a deep bow before running off to chase his fiancée.
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Current Word Count: 7,729

Labels: NaNoMadness