Triskix had lost all patience for disrespect after that "attack." We made our way swiftly to the palace. Triskix took out any who dared get close...which weren't many...since the look on his face spelt death. When we got inside, Triskix insulted Shang as soon as he questioned our presence. I almost laughed...he went straight for the weak spot...Shang's man-pride. Then blowing him off completely...he spoke directly to the Emperor. Introducing us straight off.
I was startled at how much Triskix had grown since we were children. It was only during times like this that I'd noticed it. He took control of the situation, and showed great potential as a Leader...
I snapped back into the conversation just as Shang shouted, "And how can we trust you?!" Yep...his man-pride was hurtin...
"If you don't, then this world is as good as Triskix toast." I slipped. Actually...I couldn't believe I'd said that out loud. I saw Tris roll his eyes.
I didn't pay too much attention to their reactions after that. I knew Triskix would convince them of the threat somehow...yet then I heard the breadth of his plan...
"...Destroy the heartless and the nobodies, and then seal off China from the portal ties." He stated.
"What?!" I shouted. "But then we can't come back!" I never thought he'd take things that far...this was serious...
"But neither can the heartless or lesser nobodies...it will keep this world safe." He responded...looking straight at me seriously.
"Hmm...we will become totally independent from the other worlds. China will have to be isolated and self-reliant..." The Emperor debated. "There will be no outside threat..."
"Or aide!" Shang disputed. "If China should come under threat..."
"Then we will have to deal with it ourselves Shang." Mulan interjected. "It is OUR duty to protect China. This is the best path before us now. I agree with your plan Triskix...if you're able to pull something like this off..."
"How ARE we supposed to do this?" I mumbled near Triskix's ear.
He looked back with a clear expression 'I'll explain later' written all over his face. I sighed...and fell silent.
"Very well...we shall aid you however possible." The Emperor consented.
With that we headed out of the palace with Mulan. We were to head straight for the training camp to gather all the able fighters. They would assist us in fighting the heartless. Though both Triskix and I had insisted they would only get in our way...Mulan wouldn't listen. We arrived...only to be swarmed by three men of various well...sizes. One was tall, and fat...another about medium height and severely thin...while the third was...well short and husky, one of his eyes bad.
"Mulan...who're these wimps?!" The little one stated glaring up at us.
Triskix twitched involuntarily. He began to raise his hand, I grabbed it and brought it back down. When he looked at me, I simply shook my head.
"We're going over here for a sec...okay Mulan?" I smirked and drug Tris over to the side.
"RaXi I swear you..." He began.
"Let's go over the plan of action..." I interrupted...we didn't have time for squabbling. "I've never done anything like this..."
"The Leader." Triskix stated. "All we have to do is eliminate all the heartless/Nobodies in this area...drive them back and get out. When we're safe...then the Leader will cut the ties to the Land of Dragons. From everything..."
"It sounds simple but I know its not..." I moped...it was because I had a terrible feeling. Marlex and Xeros had complied and withdrawn too quickly...there was something more in the works here...=_=
A guard called full alert upon the camp. The alarm bell was going off loudly and the entire camp was preparing for battle. Triskix grabbed the nearest soldier.
"What is going on?!" He demanded.
The soldier answered quickly. You would too with red eyes glaring at you...>.> "The...the Huns....in the mountain pass...." He stuttered.
"Huns?" I queried... "But they're all dead..."
"RaXi!" Triskix ordered. He didn't even have to tell me twice...we took off towards the mountains alone.
All along the ridges of the snow...there were hordes of heartless and nobodies...all waiting....there were hundreds...no thousands...I couldn't comprehend just HOW MANY there were. I was completely speechless. And so was Triskix.
Suddenly a portal opened up before us. Minx stepped out...but she wasn't alone. She'd brought Verex with her this time. My mouth almost dropped. He stood there by her side...a blank expression on his face...he wouldn't even look at us.
"hehehe...now you're both in trouble." Minx laughed. "As a gift for my Xerebus-sama...I've promised him your heads...heheheh."
"Tough luck...Nobodies don't die." Triskix insisted. Both of us had already drawn our weapons.
"What...did you come here to gloat Minx?" I asked haughtily. Then I started clapping... "Congratulations...you've made excellent replicas. Must've taken some effort...I didn't think you'd have it in you."
Her smile faded away. She moved beside Verex and latched onto him. "What's that RaXi? You shouldn't be so sarcastic...after all...I have what you hold precious. I've heard interesting things from Xerebus-sama...heheheh...But you know what? Verex-sama is mine." She stuck her tongue at me. "And you can't have him. Hehehe...he was a gift to me from Xerebus-sama."
My fists clenched and I felt my anger rising swiftly. "A gift?" I snarled. My blood was nearly boiling...I felt the marks on my face beginning to form against my will. And then it stopped...I felt Triskix's hand clasping my shoulder.
"RaXi." Triskix glared at me. "Now isn't the time for that..." He then stepped before me. "Minx! You're a foolish child. Xerebus is just Using you...haven't you figured that out yet..."
She seemed mad about this too. "YOU'RE WRONG! YOU'RE WRONG! YOU'RE WRONG!!!!" She shouted throwing a slight tantrum. "Xerebus is the only one! The only one who cares for me! But what would you know Triskix?! You don't have anyone!"
"He has me. And Lexian and Nyx...and many others who look up to and respect him. You really are a foolish child." I spoke suddenly. "We're going to stop you Minx...it doesn't matter what you throw at us." I looked at Verex...he still wouldn't look at me. It made me extremely sad.
"No matter what I throw at you...hehehe...how stupid." She dismissed. "Not even the two of you will survive this. Good bye RaXi...Triskix...We WON'T meet again. Come Verex." She turned and walked through the portal.
Verex finally looked up at me. His eyes were sad...yet deceptive. A slight smirk crossed his lips and he dropped something into the snow before entering the portal behind Minx. The portal slammed shut, and I ran for what he dropped. There were two gourds...one blue...one red. I didn't have much chance to look at them...the swarm of heartless and nobodies were set in motion...they came flooding down the mountainside. Time for action...
Triskix threw up a wall of fire far ahead of us...allowing only the stronger enemies to pass. I also reinforced this defense by forming ice spikes all along the ground. Any that got through the fire would meet with certain death upon the spikes. This tactic managed to keep the horde struggling for several minutes. Until the stronger ones got through the flames...and my spikes were severed down too far.
We prepared for combat but then we suddenly heard the sound of a cannon fire behind us. Mulan was shouting orders to a small faction of soldiers. The ground began to quake as the upper mountain's top began crashing down before us.
"TAKE COVER!" Mulan shouted at the top of her lungs. They'd started an avalanche...the same tactic she'd used on the huns. Triskix looked at me desperately...she'd left us in a bit of a bind... Sensing I had a plan Triskix ran to me...we stood back to back. Thinking fast I gathered up all the snow beneath our feet and began to raise us up on a platform of ice forming a large pillar. I only hoped it would withstand the massive waves of snow hurdling in our direction...Crouching down...I placed the palms of my hands on the surface...to reinforce it as much as I could.
Meanwhile, Triskix picked off any Nobody that dared rear it's head above the surface of the wave with deadly precise fireballs. I had to concentrate all of my strength on keeping us stable...as soon as the wave hit...it became a bigger strain. Until the wave slowed down...gradually. There was still a lot of movement below the surface of the snow coating...so...signaling Triskix to prepare himself, I jumped off the pillar and concentrated my power. Hardening all of the snow on the surface into a thick disk of ice, I forced it down as hard as I possibly could...in an effort to smash all trapped beneath it.
Landing on the hard ice, I fell down on one knee...in an effort to catch my breath from the strain of such a widespread attack. Triskix landed beside me. Lifting but one hand up...he combusted all remaining nobodies and heartless along the rim of the valley. He too seemed to be tiring...it had to be stressful...being in such a cold place and having to exert his power to such an extent. But it was over...even though there had been so many...we were victorious...
It was eerily calm after something like that. The Chinese soldiers rushed us cheering. They had Mulan held high up on their shoulders, praising her once again for her heroism. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the gourds.
"As I thought..." I mumbled. "Triskix." I called out. He approached. I threw him the red gourd. "Drink it. It'll restore your lost energy. But not all of it...save some for later. Just a drink or two will do." I instructed. Then opening up the blue gourd, I took a drink. It was sweet...So then...he's been improving it... I thought to myself. Back then...it used to be so bitter...horrid to drink. Even if it was effective.
"Now what?"
"Time to seal this world." Triskix instructed me. We said our farewells to Mulan...our Final farewells. For if the seal should work, we'd never be able to come here again...
"Thank you so much." Mulan stated bowing. The others followed her example.
"We don't have that much of an opening...we have to go now." I stated seeing the look on Triskix's face. "Good bye Mulan. Take good care of China." I smiled gently and followed Triskix through the portal to the world just outside China.
Now to seal the world and move on to the next. I wondered just how Triskix would pull it off...actually...how it was possible for the Leader to do so...
~RaXi
*****************************************
Go Tris! Seal the world off!!!
Oh yeah...go ahead and take us to the next world! X3
