Wiping the Clock

Stitch nodded. He smiled slightly. He could name people too, just like Lilo. David would also remind Stitch of home. His head tilted to the side again, trying to make himself look cuter.

"David," he repeated, placing his palm on his chest, "Part of Stitch family. You now part of prideland-hero ohana." It was Stitch's way of saying what Clopin was saying. We trust you now, step out of line and you will be punished. "Stitch...earn respect? Ih? Stitch like Clopin...very nice. Shang...under pressure, he upset lots."

Copper let out a long sigh, "That makes it so much harder to hate the guy." He gave Stitch a small smile, "Alright. I'll give him a 2nd chance and try not to get on his bad side." i hope he doesn't push me too hard cus there's only so much i can take

After briefly explaining the scouting mission that had just occurred to Belle, Kida walked over in the direction that Clopin had taken the prisoner. She wanted to ask the generals about holding a ceremony for Jake, the fallen hero who had been killed recently, but she had heard Shang roar out of rage and was curious to see what had happened...

She now hid behind a boulder, completely shocked at the scene she had just observed. Shang completely lost his temper... was he out of his mind? He had nearly killed a villain who came to offer himself to help the heroes defeat his former team! Anger welled up inside of Kida, not at Shang for his heartless behavior but for something more. She wasn't offended, she was ashamed to call him her general.

Without another thought, Kida stood up and marched over to Shang's tent.

Calm yourself, Kida, her inner voice warned, Don't you go losing your temper, too.

She stopped in front of the tent and announced herself. The least she could do was be respectful.

"General Shang?"

Tears. Shang's eyes filled with tears as soon as he entered the tent. He did not consider himself arrogant. He just knew more than the others. He alone had been through military training, he alone had fought for honor an pride. He had been chosen to lead this army and none of them respected him. This made his stomach sour, it made him furious. But mostly it disappointed him. That no one was paying him any heed.

"I should step down, he said to himself, "Be a blind soldier and die for the cause."
He dipped his hand into the water basin and washed his face. So be it, he thought, I will blindly follow the king into hell.
His head turned. Kida. One of his best soldiers. Would she chastise him too?

"Yes soldier?"

Kida walked up to Shang, trying to keep her temper. She could see that the general was very irked, so she tried to tone it down as best as she could. But she found it very difficult to hide what was on her mind...

"What was that?" she asked in a somewhat calm tone, waiting for a reply. But her patience lasted about two seconds before she continued, "How could you be so cruel to that boy? You're our leader. He came to you, begging for a chance to help and you would simply turn him away in a heartbeat? Why did you get so emotional over this... this... Shan Yu person, anyway? So what if he was the second in command, did you not hear the part where he explained that he was under a spell when he killed Jake? It wasn't his fault, and yet you are looking to hang him for crimes that are not his own: the murder of jake and the crimes you hold against Shan Yu. That was shameful and prideful for you to lose your temper like that in front of a potential soldier, no less, one who is turning over a new leaf. I'm not naive, General, I understand that villain traitors don't deserve 100% trust right away, but you were too emotionally blind to see that he was only trying to make amends."

She heaved, then resumed a more respectful position, "Forgive my outburst, General. I apologize for stepping out of line," she bent over in half, bowing low out of respect, "but... as a high leader in this army, that was one of the most immature and disgraceful displays of emotions I have ever seen. You weren't acting like a leader, you were acting like a child who had been wronged in a game. It's time to man up. You were practically asking for a fight out of your own anger and prejudice, you wouldn't even stop to hear him out. He wasn't asking for you to respect him, he was asking for you to give him a chance to prove himself. General, I... I just can't stand by and watch a miscarriage of justice like that."

She bit her tongue. She had said too much. It wasn't that she didn't see him as a good leader, it was just that he still needed to learn to separate passion and dedication from emotional.

"Sir, I... I meant no disrespect..."

Stupid, Kida... you should not have allowed your mouth to run away with you...

Shang, peered at the girl for a quick second before returning his eyes to the floor. His heart felt dark right then, pain shooting through every core of his body. He was still not admitting he was wrong. They just did not understand. Why was it Clopin was not being chastised by them? He had said the same things, heck, he had a noose tied around the boy's neck.

"Shan-Yu...killed my father..." He said quietly. He sat down on his cot and ran his fingers through his hair, breathing in deeply. He would not admit he was wrong. He didn't think he was. How was he supposed to separate emotion from his fights? If he did that, it would make him just as bad as Shan-Yu. A killer. A fighting machine passionate about nothing but the slaughter of others.

Slowly his words returned to him. His voice was slow, his insecurities never showing in his voice. "How am I supposed to just forgive him? We've welcomed their kind into our ranks before without caution, Kida. It nearly destroyed us. I was looking out for our people." He couldn't understand why Clopin was not getting this speech as well. Oh right, Shang, he thought grimly, "That's because he is fun and charming and all the troops love him. Shang realized he was a soldier first and a friend second while Clopin was the latter first. He sighed. "Emotion Kida," he said trying to give her his thoughts in as few words as possible, "Is what separates us from them. Pride, honor, love, hope...and I am not the one who had the noose around his neck." It was a stab at Clopin the last statement.

"But...it doesn't matter...I'm a soldier. I will continue to act as a soldier. I suppose no more emotion is in good order." Shang was shutting down. Resorting to the only thing he knew; cold, hard, discipline.

Kida bit her lip. She had said too much and he had taken it the wrong way...

She walked over to his cot and sat beside him, not comforting a general but comforting a friend. She placed an arm around his shoulder.

"Shang, they have emotions just as we do. Except theirs is bent on hatred. I'm not suggesting that you become an emotionless killing machine. That's not what I'm saying at all."

She sighed deeply. She may as well tell him...

"Where I come from, we live in a secluded city under the ocean. I'm sure you've heard of the legend of Atlantis before. The people once trusted outsiders who had come from the surface in search of our city. I thought that they could help us unlock the secrets of our past to save our future. Instead, my curiosity naiveté nearly destroyed our world... and myself in the process..."

She could still only remember so little from that day... it was all a big haze... all that she knew was that Rourke had been fused with a piece of the crystal and was killed in an explosion. After Milo and the others brought her back the crystal had used her to save Atlantis but she still blamed herself for that happened that day.

"If I ever saw the man who tried to steal me--" she paused, "our life force," she corrected, "then I would probably feel like reacting the same way. But I'm not suggesting for you to remove yourself from all emotion in this. You're right, these are the emotions that separate us from them. But you forget that sometimes emotions can be misguiding. I was so sure and excited, yet I made a mistake that nearly cost me my life and the lives of my people. As a leader, you must rise above your emotional instincts and let your hunger for justice--not revenge, for they are often not the same thing--choose for you."

She got off the cot and knelt before him, looking up into his eyes, "And above all, do not give up. That would be legalistic for you to 'punish' yourself by demoting yourself from general to soldier, so it would do you no good. Rather than just giving up, do a little soul-searching and be completely honest with yourself. I have to do that every day and I always find things I need to change. Some things come easily and are changed right away, some things take time. But it is no reason for you to give up as a leader. There are people who need you, General Shang. As a soldier under you, I for one, will not give up on you, so don't you give up on us."

Shang gave her a pathetic look. Nobody had any faith in his leadership abilities. If Simba had, he would not be training troops, he would be making battle strategies. He couldn't believe what Kida was saying. He sighed. Stubborn was a word that was not strong enough to describe the general. Feeling slightly foolish, he sighed and rubbed the back of his head. Still insecure, still frustrated and still upset. Yet the princess had made some good points and was saying she belived in him. Yet her lecture and tone made him feel like a child.

"I'll never give up on you or on the army, Kida." He clasped her hands in his. "Perhaps you should take my position," he said with a smirk, "You are far wiser and more forgiving than I could ever be." He frowned and sighed, letting go of her hands. "I'll try and heed your warning." His idea still sounded better to him. Everyone already thought of him as harsh. Perhaps he needed to appear harsher.

"Do you not see what we deal with, Kida?" He asked, "One of ours is dead and more leave us everyday to become one of them. Aladdin and Clopin are allowed to be carefree because they do not have to deal with the training of these pups and children. I have to worry about it. Its on my hands when their blood is split."

Kida sighed, "Try running an entire civilization, Shang. I understand. And no, I won't take your position. Don't you see? You were made general. No one knew who I was until I came in. But everyone knows you, Shang. And you have capabilities that have been recognized. You will find your strength as a leader and then use it. And besides, you seem to be more capable of handling the stress of taking care of training batter than Clopin or Aladdin. You have the experience and I don't think that Simba could've chosen anybody better. But remember: loyalty and respect is earned. It is not always a free perk that comes with the title of a leader."

Her voice became cheerier, "If you need a captain or an advisor, that is a position I would be willing to accept!" she joked, "Of course, I wouldn't make much of a leader since all I seem to be good for is reconnaissance missions!"

She hoped it would make him feel a little better. "Don't give up. Don't break, Shang, because that's exactly what your enemies want to see. So don't let them win. You're human, you will have your weak times, but humility is a part of being a leader to. You are here to serve your troops. So do just that, and they will respect you."

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief but a small smile was seen on his lips. The girl had managed to make him smile, a feat that was rare. He nodded his head at her as if he was trying to find words to say. Leaders were wise. He was a soldier. But she was right. He had to admit she knew what she was talking about. He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you," he said almost as if he had no breathe left for words. His mind was ablaze with ideas, training missions and battle tactics. And also that someone believed in him. Believed that he deserved the respect he demanded. Believed that he wasn't just some crazy man who had seen war and was now bossing people around because of his so called experience. He was still smiling at her. Proud of what she had said to him, proud he could have her in his army.

Kida's eyes lit up when Shang smiled. She had done her duty as a soldier, which was serve her leader. After hundreds of years watching her father rule she had learned this much about the leader-people relationship: the leader was meant to serve the people by making sure that everything they did was--to the best of their abilities--in their best concern. Likewise, the people were meant to respect and serve their leader in whatever way was necessary. For once, she felt like she had succeeded in just that. Kida felt honored to have been able to do something useful. She saw the spark that had ignited behind his eyes, hoping it would set preparations for the war ablaze.

"Oh! I nearly forgot!" she exclaimed, "I also wanted to ask you about Jake's body. If it would be all right, I would like to suggest a ceremony for the fallen hero. I believe that he deserves more than just a reconnaissance mission in his name, he deserves respect for what he did," she paused thoughtfully, "And I really think that Simba needs closure. I don't know him very well, but he doesn't seem... well."

She had been concerned about the lion king ever since she had walked up to him the previous dawn to offer her condolences for Jake's death. He seemed shattered, a mere shell of the legendary leader she had heard of

((ooc: My bad Kida, I spaced XD))

Shang nodded his head as she spoke, releasing her hands and listening intently. It was good to show the soldier that they respected the dead. However, he would have to consult the king before anything else. Despite putting the four in charge, Simba had done little to help them. He knew the king was young but still something had to be done to boost his spirits over the mouse's death. Turning to Kida, he nodded his head and sighed.

"It would be disrespectful of us not to do anything for him," he said, "Besides honoring a fallen comrade, a ceremony might give the soldiers some closure and even boosts some spirits. So, yes, Kida, if you would please do something about that. I would appreciate it greatly."

Kida smiled, "Of course, General Shang! I would be most pleased to arranged a ceremony. I think we should do it at Pride Rock around sundown tonight," she paused, thinking momentarily, "Perhaps I should speak with the king about a eulogy? I believe he was a good friend of Jake's, I'm sure he would want to say a few words."

"I don't think King Simba would be the best for a eulogy," Shang said, "However, a talk for a moral boost from the king would be brilliant for the troops, especially the younger ones." He sighed and stood up, facing away from Kida. Hands behind his back, head lowered, he continued to speak. "The young ones need some kind of boost, you know? Just to let them know everything is going to be alright. I think this ceremony will help with that."

Kida nodded, "All right. I will speak with him about giving a speech. I agree with you, the younger onces would appreciate it very much. I have not been here long, though, so not many of the others really know me as well. I will need help rallying the troops together, though, so that everyone could join for the ceremony. Would you help me while I go speak to the king about a speech for the troops? Perhaps Clopin and some of the others could help spread the word as well. We will meet at Pride Rock at sundown."