Shang struggled up from the ground and frantically whirled around, scanning the area all about him.

"Chen Po! Chen Po!!!"

Ling put an apologetic hand on his shoulder, "He’s gone Shang. Shan Yu just… took him."

"That’s not possible…" Shang shook his head in disbelief as he whirled around again looking from his friends to the Ronins and then beyond the charred and smoking debris of the palace ruins. "I had him at my fingertips…"

"Poor Chen Po," Yao woefully stared off, "I hope he's okay."

"Of course that all defends on who we are actually fighting," Rowen carefully pondered.

"What do you mean by that?" Shang suspiciously eyed him.

"Talpa would have no real use for him except perhaps as a hostage," Rowen explained.

"Then he would be safe," Kento wondered outloud.

"Uh-hm," Rowen nodded, "But on the other hand, if that was the Shan Yu you speak of. He's out for revenge. In which case, Chen Po’s probably being tortured as we speak or if he's lucky, already dead."

"That's it, you punk!" Yao lunged at Rowen and grabbed by his collar. "You better watch what you're saying about my friend..."

"Cool it, Yao," Sai managed to pry the two apart. "Rowen was just speaking tactically..."

"Tactically? I say you Ronins just don't care!"

Ryo charged forward, "Yao, that’s enough."

Shang’s gaze finally settle on Ryo of Wildfire.

"You!" Shang charged at Wildfire and hastily grabbed Ryo by the collar of his armor. "Use your armors! Use your powers! Go after Chen Po!!"

"Hey, watch it!" Ryo angrily shrugged him off. "Look, we can’t do that."

Utterly fuming, Shang pointed an accusing finger at Ryo. "He’s gone because you Ronin idiots…"

"What?" Ryo’s voice almost seemed to flare with fire. "Us???" He whipped out a katana and pointed the tip directly at Shang’s throat with utter animosity and revulsion.

Sai’s eyes widened in alarm. "Ryo! What are you doing?"

With temper still raging, Wildfire ignored Sai and addressed the captain, "You and your three stooges were the ones getting in our way! Next time if you’re wise, you’ll just get lost…"

"I’d much rather watch Shan Yu trample over your pathetic team of…"

"Shang!" Ling nervously stepped in between the two, "Shang, calm down."

Not giving him a second glance, Shang shoved the skinny man aside.

"You and your Ronins are still nothing but…"

Suddenly another voice stopped them all cold in their bickering. "Stop it! All of you!!"

The first thing they realized was that it was a female voice. The next thought to register was that it was Mulan’s voice.

And in deed they saw it was her as she stepped through the heap of decimated wood and stone buildings. She looked at everyone with a pleading look in her eyes. "What happened here? Why is everyone arguing?"

For a moment, no one answered.

"I… I’m sorry, Mulan," Ryo started. "I didn’t realize you were listening."

"That doesn’t answer my question. Why were you arguing?" Suddenly a realization hits her. "Where’s Chien Po?"

Again, no one answered.

"What happened to him?" Mulan asked, this time raising her voiceslightly, a frantic fear slowly burning up the sides of her stomach.

"We’ll talk about this after we see the emperor," Shang put a comforting arm around her. "For now, let’s go…"

A shrill shriek interrupted his words. "Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!"

"Ling? What’s wrong?"

Everyone turned to see the thin, lanky man screaming like a woman and hiding behind Sage’s armored form.

"Fire Spirit! Fire Spirit!"

Everyone’s eyes followed in this direction in which his trembling finger pointed, and they all made out a hazy, misty figure. Indeed, this being had fiery red hair, blazing bright and vivid as he approached the group step by slow dignified step.

"It is a Fire Spirit…" Mulan gasped and stared.

"That’s no fire spirit," Ryo answered with a faint smile. "That’s Anubis."

"Ronins," Anubis started, "Glad to see that you have reunited."

"Always glad to see you," Rowen answered with a crooked smile. "I hope you can give us a hand here."

"I’m afraid I can’t stay long here, Ronins. Only long enough to give you this information which I know you’ll find invaluable."

"What can you tell us?" Sai eagerly asked.

"It’s not what I can tell you, but what you can discover from within this." Anubis received no verbal responses from that comment, merely 8 sets of confused expression gazing back at him. He continued before they could bombard him with questions.

"This was an ancient Chinese poem Mia found in her grandfather’s computer files," Anubis continued. "I believe the answer lies within, but it is up to you to discover it."

The former warlord held out his hand and with gradually, a scroll materialized in his hand.

"Ryo," Anubis handed him the rolled up parchment. "The fate of this world and ours is in your hands now."

Brows furrowing with concern, Ryo’s hand closed tightly over the scroll, his knuckles turning an anemic white.

Anubis nodded his silent farewell to the group, and vanished just as abruptly as he had appeared.

"How about a look at the poem, Ryo?" Sai asked while he powered down from the Torrent armor.

"Yeah," Rowen did the same and rid himself of the Strata armor, willing the battle-worn metal suit away in a flicker of light. "Let’s see what we have to work with now."

Ryo also dispelled his Wildfire armor as he opened the bounded scroll. Mulan and the Chinese group also moved in closer as Ryo started his recitation of the ancient words from the parchment.

"When pass one cycle of the great war,
The ancient evil rears its head,
Though the sky be dark, hope is not lost,
The world will again be safe to tread.

Hence will come six virtuous fighters,
In the darkness of impending strife,
Place thy trust to the wisest scholar,
And from the grave of death find life.

But warriors be not without opposition,
Soon thy troubles grow five fold,
But seek the chiming choir in nature,
For from the darkest wood grows the brightest gold.

Unite! Mighty warriors,
Be joined once more,
Bring justice to chaos,
And resurrect honor as before."

A moment of confused silence followed. Each person attempted their best to reiterate the poem in their minds, but none found success in decoding the cryptic message.

Sage was the first to speak. "Six fighters… could that mean White Blaze too?"

"Possible," Rowen answered while he began pacing. "But how do we find life from death?"

"Chiming choir…" Shang murmured. "What about the gold growing from wood? How is that possible?"

"We shouldn’t try to exhaust our efforts now," Mulan spoke up. "Let’s go back inside the palace. If we show this to the emperor, I’m sure he can gather his advisors to help."

Later that evening

Mulan stared remorsefully into the sky, for once not noticing the beauty of the rich navy blue sky embellished with the golden glowing jewels that were the stars, nor the silvery glory of the lustrous moon.

Leaning back into the grassy plain beneath her, she heaved a sigh. What was there to do now?

"Hey babe!" a cheerful voice greeted her.

Without even bother to look at her addresser, Mulan murmured curtly, "I’d like to be alone right now Mushu."

"Oh, come on," the fiery little dragon hopped up closer. "I know you’re feeling down girl."

"Then you wouldn’t mind leaving me alone."

"That’s where you’re wrong," Mushu answered, "I’m here to cheer you up!"

Mulan got up off the ground and briskly walked away, "No thanks."

"Mulan!" As he ran after her, Mushu desperate yelled. "Come on!"

"Mushu, just stop it!" Mulan suddenly turned and yelled. "I lost Chen Po today… Shan Yu has him! Dead or alive…" she choked back a sob.

"Mulan…" Feeling a pang of guilt, Mushu climbed up to her shoulders and gently patted on it, trying to convey whatever amount of comfort he could manage. "Those Ronin dudes can beat Shan Yu right? Those armors have serious honey bun-kicking power!"

Not getting an answer from Mulan, Mushu just continued. "Yeah, they’ll blow that demon dude outta China, you’ll see. And I’ll bet ANYTHING they’ll get Chen Po back good as new."

"Really?" Mulan looked at him through teary eyes.

"Well…" Mushu stopped to consider. "I wouldn’t bet my pair of lucky fuzzy panda slippers…"

"Mushu!" Mulan giggled.

"Now that’s what I like to see," Mushu smiled. "And just to make you feel better, I promise I’ll look after Yao and Ling too."

"Thanks Mushu, I don’t know what I’d do without you…"

"I know, I know," Mushu smirked. "You’d be lost and utterly bewildered…"

"Shhh…" Clamping a hand on his snout, Mulan suddenly silenced him.

"Someone’s coming!"

From the dimly lit night, she focused her concentration on a shadowy shape moving across the imperial garden. It proceeded from the East slowly towards her direction.

Mulan nervously reached for the paper lantern beside her, hopping to illuminate her surroundings better with the meek little flame inside. When she finally recognized the figure heading her way, she exhaled a breath of relief and smiled. "Ryo, what are you doing out here so late?" She lowered the lantern to the ground again.

"I could ask you the same question." Wildfire took his seat on the ground next to Mulan. "But I guess you’re having trouble sleeping too?"

A pensive nod answered Ryo’s question.

"How is the…"

"Emperor’s counsels are still studying the poem… they don’t have many leads yet," Ryo answered Mulan’s unfinished question.

Silence.

They heard a cricket’s song in the distance, serenading a melancholy night sky.

"That’s a lovely moon tonight," Ryo commented, while gesturing towards the lustrous silver crescent above. "It reminds me of…"

"What was that fight about?" Mulan promptly interrupted Ryo, the concern in her voice evident, possibly even caustic.

Obviously caught off guard, Ryo stared at her for a moment in a fashion that almost suggested that he didn’t understand her words.

Mulan repeated herself, "That argument the Ronins had with Shang and the others… what was that about? Please, Ryo you have to understand just how important it is that we work together without this type of conflict."

Nodding, Ryo acknowledged the truth in her words. "It wasn’t really a fight. It was more a disagreement on the strategy with which we deal with Talpa." He paused, not quite sure how to enunciate his next thoughts to Mulan. "In truth, I don’t think Shang likes me very much."

Struck into inarticulateness by Ryo’s direct, if not almost blunt statement, Mulan only managed a blank stare as Ryo turned to face her.

"Would you happen to know why, Mulan?"

"Ummm…" She cleared her throat nervously. It was not proper for a lady to bring about matters of conflict between men. "I didn’t realize there were any real problems. But Shang’s just a little untrusting towards foreigners." So it was the half truth… Mulan bit down on her lower lip.

"Oh, really?" Ryo declared it as a statement rather than a question. "Mulan, just let Shang know that we would appreciate it if they could step aside during the battles. I really don’t think they’re equipped to handle Talpa anymore."

"But Ryo," Mulan argued with disbelief edging on her words, "We know the way Shan Yu thinks, and no matter what you may believe, that will be an advantage in this war."

Ryo looked back at her long and hard, slowly narrowing his eyes and setting his mouth in a grim, thin line.

"No," he replied flatly.

"You don’t understand…" Mulan began but a loud BOOM interrupted her words.

In absolute astonishment, the two whipped around towards the direction in which the detonation came from: the palace. Though the source of the disturbance was hidden from view, they could seen the consequence of the attack.

For the moment a large golden dome of light flashed and flickered over the sky, marking the aftermath of an explosion that they knew could only have been inflicted by a mystical armor. The illumination turned night into blazing day before dying down to darkness.

"Oh no…" Ryo muttered. Another attack on the same day? Talpa just isn’t letting up. As he got up and vaulted back towards the palace, Mulan scrambled up to follow him. They two were vaguely aware of the urgent sound of imperial horns that blared through the one still and silent night, sounding as a distress alert to the palace guards.

Talpa was back again!