Ch. 11
"There it is!" Ling slowed his horse to a stop and pointed to the Xi An gates in the distance.
"Come on!" Rowen yelled to the others, "we gotta hurry, the others probably arrived ages ago."
"Yeah," Yao rooted, "the sooner we find them, the sooner we can track that stray Hun down." To emphasize his point, he pounded his fist into his palm. "He wants a fight, we'll give him the beating of his lifetime!"
"Alright, now this guy speaks my language!" Kento gave his horse a nudge and dashed forward. "Let's go kick some Hun rump."
~~~~~~
The palace was something most illustrious indeed. Elegant pillars adorned with dragon carvings, and high reaching walls embellished with gold, silver and jade trimmings, which managed to impose a certain type of awe and wonderment upon them all as they strolled through.
"As you can see," Chi Fu lead the small group through the palace at a meandering pace, "We have made a few innovations and construction improvements since your last...visit, Miss Fa."
Mulan lowered her head, as she remembered the way the fireworks consumed the Eastern Chambers and the most of the Imperial Court.
"Chi Fu," Shang urged him impatiently, "could we possibly walk a bit faster, this matter really is quite urgent."
"Captain, I advise that you not rush me. As the emperor's aid I know perfectly well how important such issues are to the state..."
"Well you obviously don't know how important this issue is to the people!" Shang finally lost his patience with Chi Fu's arrogance. "Whoever that Hun was, he eradicated an entire city and there's really not much to stop him from doing it again!"
"That's enough, Captain Li!" Chi Fu silenced him with a condescending wave of his hand.
Leading the group to a set of large, heavily adorned doors, he motioned for them to stop. He whispered a few words to the guards who were standing by. The guards nodded knowingly and opened the door to allow them admittance.
Upon entering the emperor's Council Chamber, they were greeted with yet another eyeful of elaborate architecture and affluent decorations. But what was more astounding was the sight of an entire room of ancient scholars at work.
Rows of the emperor's advisors were seated before him as they went through scrolls of petitions that were sent in from all over the Middle Kingdom.
But everyone stopped and looked up in disbelief as the Chi Fu lead in the group of four warriors. A soft hum of murmurs settled over the advisors.
"What is this?"
"A woman in the emperor's Council Chamber?"
"My goodness, that boy... with the hair of the sunlight..."
The emperor, in astonishment, let the writing brush that was in his hand drop absentmindedly to the paper scrolled, as the eccentric crew approached his desk.
"Your majesty."
In unison, Mulan, Shang, Ryo and Sage bowed to emperor show their respect.
"Mulan, Captain Li," the emperor unsteadily began. "I hope you intend to explain..."
~~~~~~
"Wait guys," Sai questioning glanced around at the bustling market place. "Should we head for the palace or try to find them here?"
"No," Rowen pointed to the palace walls beyond the markets. "We won't find them in the market. The chances are they are already with the emperor by now."
Ling gestured forward, "Let's go then..."
So they rode off, the hooves of the horses clattering steadily and rhythmically as they raced down the streets.
None of them heard the familiar feline roar among the noisy market as they departed towards the imperial structure at the center of the city.
~~~~~~
He was angry.
No, he was furious! How was he stupid enough to have gotten captured in the first place?
With an angry roar he protested again and clawed at the bamboo cage.
The crowd in that vicinity of the market gasped. Some shrank back in fear while others drew nearer for a better look.
"Esteemed ladies and gentlemen of Xi An," his captor announced to the mass of people who had gathered around. "We have a special treat for you today. We have a fine beast here. A true rarity from nature. A tiger with a coat white as snow and temper twice as viscous as those usually found."
White Blaze growled menacingly as he thrashed against the bars of the cage once more.
The man paid no heed to his threats.
"Now truly this creature has magical powers bestowed upon him from the heavens. Do I hear a bid for his majestic fur?"
"30 yen." Came a cry from the crowd.
"No, 45 yen."
"50!"
White Blaze groaned fearfully as the bidding continued. Why did he get the feeling this was going to hurt?
~~~~~~
"Your majesty..."
"What's the meaning of this..."
With more than a hint of suspicion, the murmuring among the advisors began again. But the emperor easily silenced them with an imposing wave of his hand.
"Chi Fu," the emperor called.
"Yes, your highness," his skinny right hand aid, scrambled forward, eager to please.
"Take my place and continue the Petition meeting with my advisors. I will speak with these guests. Let it be known that we are not to be interrupted."
Chi Fu bobbed his head up and down to indicate the acceptance of his duties, before the emperor led the Mulan, Shang and two Ronins out of the Council Chamber.
Through the corridors of the palace, the four youths followed the emperor. Each felt more and more uneasy every time they passed another servant or worker who would all stop to bow reverently.
Finally they reached the emperor's Throne Room. Yet again, the attending maidens and few counsels were ordered to leave. And soon, they were alone in the grand chamber of the emperor's ruling title.
The emperor took his seat at the throne.
"Well, Ryo and Sage, was it? What can you tell me about this threat you call 'The Dynasty'?"
"Your majesty, the destruction by one warrior they employed at Ni Yang is nothing compared to the full potential of the Dynasty. From what we can tell, they are weak at the moment, else had they sent an army of Dynasty soldiers all of China would be in ruins..."
"Are you questioning the competence of my empire's soldiers?" the emperor asked, not without the least bit of indignity.
"No, by no means," Sage quickly apologized.
"Sire, these Dynasty soldiers are like no enemies you've ever seen."
"And how exactly do you 'Ronin Warriors' intend to stop them?"
Ryo and Sage retrieved their power orbs.
"Virtue!"
"Wisdom!"
So thus with another ostentatious spiral of lights and florish of flashes, they once more donned their sub armors.
"Hmm... Amazing, quite amazing..." the emperor arose quickly to his feet and approached to examine the two youths. "Yes, truly a power from the heavens." But upon recalling their words, his expression of appreciation altered to that of concern.
"But if the Dynasty is as strong as I have heard you report them to be, two boys in such armor would still not be much of a match for them."
"But our armors can do much, much more."
"Yes, and we have three friends who can help us. And five joined can defeat them!"
~~~~~~
"You don't understand!" Ling yelled at the palace guards who stood in the way of their desired destination. "We have to get in there!"
"Come on, let us in. We know Fa Mulan..."
"Oh, please, everyone knows Fa Mulan. Now scram!" The guards yelled with decreasing patience.
"No one shall pass. The emperor is having a very important discussion with his advisors," the guards each withdrew their swords with annoyance and regarded them as that of trifling insects. "Now clear out of here before we personally escort you out."
"You want a piece of me?" Kento strutted up, his hand reaching into his pocket for his Hardrock power ball. "Come on punks!"
Sai grabbed a hold of him before he could get any further. "Kento!" He flashed the guards a nervous smile. "Sorry, officers, we'll be going now..."
"What are you...are you nuts?" Kento wrested free from his grip. "We have to get in there! One way or another. Sai take off your hat."
"What? No way!"
"Come on, you too Rowen, we'll show them who they're dealing with..."
"Kento," Sai hissed as he grabbed a hold of his arm. "We are leaving."
Sai gave the puzzled guards a nervous salute before they hastily retreated from the palace entrance. Rowen and Sai were dragging the angry Kento with him.
"Lemme go!"
"Kento, come on, we'll find a different way in..."
He was still kicking and struggling with them as they continued further from the palace. But without warning they suddenly heard war cries drifting back from the entrance gate.
"Halt! You're not authorized here..."
"Taste the power of the Dark Dynasty!"
And among the screams of agony that followed, the Ronins and the Gang of Three turned back and saw an explosion from the direction of the palace entrance.
Without even thinking, but relying on instinct, the three Ronins suited up in sub armor and raced back towards the palace. In donning courage and casting away their confusion, the Gang of Three followed them.
Rubble and debris littered the area which was once the entrance gate, but now just a gaping hole in the palace wall. Sprawled on the ground, inert and motionless, the two palace guards were, without doubt, already dead.
Rowen was the first to realize what was happening. "Oh no! The palace! It's an attack on the palace!"
For a moment, all they could do was stare, awe struck, at the trail of destruction that lead to the interior of the palace.
"What are we waiting for?" Kento made an agile leap over the scattered heap of rubbled. "Here's our way in."
~~~~~~
In the Throne Room, the emperor thoughtfully stroke his beard as he considered their situation once more.
"So you believe that if we find your other friends you may be able to defeat this threat of the Dynasty?"
"Yes, we've defeated them before and if..."
Ryo's statement was suddenly interrupted by a series of shouts from outside the throne room.
With a loud BANG the door flew open and one of the palace guards frantically rushed in.
"Your highness! Your highness, he's attacking..."
His warning remained unfinished for he suddenly slumped over and fell forward into the ground, thus revealing an arrow embedded in his back.
"What in the name of..."
The stunned group got their answer as the dark figure entered into their view.
"No, this is impossible..." Mulan backed away a few steps in utter horror as the huge sepia toned figured approached like an encroaching shadow.
"Yes, my dear," Shan Yu's thundering voice sounded with ominous congeniality. "I'm back, you really didn't think that little fireworks display would be able to stop me did you?"
But there was obvious something different about Shan Yu. His size was just as dominating as before. His long shaggy hair though, instead of being black as the dead of night, was now a ghostly white. And his once amber glowing eyes were now black and without pupils.
"This is the Shan Yu you were talking about?" Ryo asked Mulan.
Still filled with flabbergasted fear, she could only supply him with a dull nod.
"Well, he doesn't look so tough."
Shan Yu's voice shifted to a lower pitch, with a slight echoing effect as he voiced, "Oh no Wildfire?"
The two shocked Ronins were rooted to their spot as the voice registered in their head.
"Talpa?"
The Hun general gave them a final maniacal laugh before his eyes glowed red, and a flash of dark energy and garrotting smoke engulfed his figure.
When he reemerged...
"Talpa's armor!"
There was no mistaking it. The six blade-like spikes which rose maliciously from the armor plating...the red apocalyptic mask which encased the face of their most powerful enemy...
"Mulan, Shang, get the emperor out of here," Shang pulled her behind him.
"But you..."
"Go!"
The two grudgingly complied, leading the emperor out through the back door of the throne room.
"Ohh, being protective...isn't that touching?" Talpa drew out his sword. "So who wants to be the first to die?"
"How about you, Talpa!"
Sage recognized the voice that sounded from seemingly out of no where. "Kento, is that you?"
The three Ronins and the Gang of Three bounded through the door, trapping Talpa between them.
"You guys go find the emperor and Mulan," Rowen waved the Gang of Three away. The three guys wasted no time in scurrying away.
Talpa just chuckled with belittling contempt. "Well, now that the stars of the game are all gathered on center stage, the show can finally begin."
Ling, Chen Po and Yao wasted no time in scurrying out the door.
"Not you Talpa! Your time is up! Armor of Wildfire!"
"Armor of Halo!"
"Armor of Strata!"
"Armor of Hardrock!"
"Armor of Torrent!"
In the sequence of events that followed, cherry blossom petals whirled through the air. The fragility and delicacy that they added to the air, though, was soon interrupted by the strength and blunt power of metal and iron. When the aura of light died down, five armored warriors stood ready for combat.
"Alright Talpa, we're ready to send you back where you belong!" Kento charged forward while twirling his nun chucks in the air.
~~~~~~