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ISBN 978-1-368-00046-8
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Training 101
En Garde!
Take a Stab at It
Get a Grip
Cut to the Chase
The Pen is Sharper…
On the Fence
Strong Competitor
Swords with Friends
Tips and Tricks
Advance
A Fierce Opponent
Fight it Out
Obstacle
Fight to the Finish
Don’t Sweat the Technique
Victory
In the Cut
Low Blow
Look Sharp
Hit Back
Blow for Blow
The Biggest Challenge
Kinda Sworda Nervous
Slashed
Match Over
On the Edge
Honor Conquers All
Fall on Your Sword
It’s a Bout Time
The sword felt heavy in the young girl’s hand. At only nine years old, she struggled to hold it up without her wrist buckling. But it was the weight of it that she loved. The power and history she knew it possessed. She felt strong holding her birthright. Brave. Bold. Like a warrior.
Like her mother.
“Can we try again?” the girl asked, breathlessly. She loved this mother-daughter bonding time they shared. Some children played catch with their parents. But not her. She and her mother sparred with swords. They had been training for over three hours, but the girl was not tired. She wanted to practice until the sun disappeared behind the high stone walls of the Imperial City. She wanted to practice until she was flawless. Until she was a warrior.
Like her mother.
“I think it’s time to go inside, my little blossom,” her mother replied, sheathing her own sword and turning back toward their house. They had been training in the gardens, next to a peaceful babbling brook surrounded by vibrant pink peony flowers. The majestic Imperial Palace, with its crimson walls and sloped blue roofs, glimmered in the distance.
“Wait!” the girl called out, still out of breath from the practice. Her mother turned around, pausing beneath a canopy of cherry blossoms in full bloom. For a moment, the girl thought it looked like a pink halo around her mother’s head. “Five more minutes,” the girl pleaded. She wasn’t ready to quit for the day. She hadn’t yet mastered everything she wanted to master.
Her mother smiled a kind, knowing smile, and took three steps back to her daughter. She reached out and touched her daughter’s warm cheek. “I was once like you. Eager. Determined.” She chuckled. “A little stubborn.”
The girl smiled. She loved when her mother pointed out their similarities. Her mother was one of the greatest warriors the Imperial City had ever seen. Which was why the girl was out here every chance she could get. Practicing with the sword that her mother had won from the great and evil Shan-Yu.
She glanced down at the heavy weapon in her hand. It was long and jagged, with a thick steel handle. Unlike any sword the girl had ever seen before. And she knew that one day it would belong to her. Because it was her birthright. She just had to work hard enough to be worthy of it.
“But then,” her mother continued, dropping her hand from the girl’s face, “I learned the secret of being a true warrior.”
“Higher jumps?” the girl guessed. “A stronger grip? Faster reflexes?”
Her mother’s eyes crinkled. “None of those things, actually.”
The girl was confused. If becoming a better warrior wasn’t about faster reflexes, then what had she been spending all this time training for? Why had she been making herself dizzy running drills around the Imperial City? Climbing trees? Leaping hurdles? Balancing on the rails of fences? Was all her work for nothing?
“I don’t understand,” she told her mother.
“Being a valiant warrior is not about the strength you have here.” She reached out and gently touched her daughter’s growing bicep. “It’s about the strength you have here.” Her hand moved directly over the girl’s heart.
The girl frowned, still unable to follow. “But how do I train for that?”
Her mother laughed. “Unfortunately, my little blossom, it’s not something you can train for. It’s something you can only learn when the right challenge presents itself.”
The girl sighed, feeling discouraged. “But when will the right challenge present itself?”
Her mother’s eyes lit up, like she knew a secret the girl did not. “Now, there is a wise question.”
And then, just when the girl thought her mother might answer the question, she turned again and started walking slowly back home, her armor clanking softly with each step.
Hi, I’m Lonnie, teenage daughter of Mulan.
My mom is one of the greatest warriors to ever live. Actually, both of my parents are. But not only is my mom a clever and powerful swordswoman, she also defeated the evil Shan-Yu and his army of Huns, instantly becoming a hero and a legend. That’s a lot for a girl to live up to, believe me. But don’t worry, I’m doing okay for myself. In fact, I was recently invited to be the captain of the R.O.A.R. team at Auradon Prep. It’s the coolest sport. We battle with swords while doing all kinds of awesome flips and stunts. Becoming captain is a pretty big feat for a girl, given that a few months ago girls weren’t even allowed on the team!
And now I plan to be the fiercest R.O.A.R. player in the history of the sport. I am going to be a legend, just like my mother. Okay, well, maybe not exactly like my mother, because let’s face it, things have changed a lot around here. Obviously, I won’t be heading off to fight any insurgent armies in the near future. But just like my mom did, I’m going to show those boys on the team that just because I’m a girl, it doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own. I’m going to prove to all of them that I’m worthy of being their captain.
I want to be the best at what I do.
And that brings me to my story. It’s a pretty epic one, if you ask me. Maybe not like saving-the-world epic, but close enough.
I’m getting ahead of myself, though. I should probably start at the beginning. Because before you can fully appreciate my great warrior quest, you have to understand how it began.
And it all began with a book. A very important book…
I’ve been studying the R.O.A.R. rule book for the past few weeks, trying to commit every page to memory. I am the team captain, after all, so I have to be an expert on all the ins and outs of the game.
Lonnie was sitting in the stands of the R.O.A.R. outdoor arena, the place where they competed in the fencing-meets-parkour sport, reading the official team rule book. She reread the page a third time, making certain she had understood it correctly.
Ever since first trying out for the R.O.A.R. team at Auradon Prep, Lonnie had had a love-hate relationship with that rule book. For starters, it was the rule book that had originally stated she wasn’t allowed on the team, because she was a girl. It said, “The team will be comprised of a captain and eight men.” But then again, it was the same vaguely worded sentence that had allowed Jay, Jafar’s son, to eventually name her as captain of the team, bec
ause the rules didn’t state anything about the captain not being a girl.
Now, as she stared at the open page on her lap and reread the big bold words in front of her for the fourth time, she was starting to lean back toward disliking the rule book again.
EACH MEMBER OF THE AURADON PREP R.O.A.R. TEAM SHALL BE INDUCTED AT A SPECIAL CEREMONY, DURING WHICH THE MEMBER SHALL PRESENT THEIR OFFICIAL SWORD, THE WEAPON WITH WHICH THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN ALL FUTURE R.O.A.R. COMPETITIONS.
Lonnie sighed and cupped her chin in her hands. An official sword? That she’d use for all future competitions?
She knew it couldn’t just be any sword. It had to be special. It had to be meaningful. And it had to be located fast. The induction ceremony was less than two weeks away. She was running out of time.
Just then, Lonnie heard a loud commotion and looked up to see her teammates clamoring into the arena, all dressed in their armor, ready for practice. Lonnie closed the book and placed it in her bag, vowing to work on her little problem later. Right now, she had a team to lead. She pulled her armor on over the blue-and-pink floral training outfit Evie had designed for her.
She walked to the center of the group and clapped her hands twice.
“Okay, everyone! We’ll start with thirty push-ups. Go!” The team—including Lonnie—dropped to the floor. When they’d finished the push-ups, Lonnie led them in a few laps up and down the arena stairs and some basic stretching and warm-up drills, and then she paired everyone off to practice sparring. She paired herself with Jay because she liked sparring with him. He could be a little arrogant sometimes, but he was a good fighter, and he kept Lonnie on her toes. Plus, ever since they’d battled together on the Isle of the Lost and he’d gotten her on the R.O.A.R. team, he’d become one of her best friends.
Lonnie placed her helmet on her head and grabbed her practice sword, and they stood face to face, circling each other slowly.
Jay lunged first, but Lonnie had fast reflexes. She feinted left and he missed.
Then Lonnie lunged and Jay did a backflip, landing in a crouch. Lonnie advanced, trying to take advantage of his low position, but Jay spun at the last minute and Lonnie jabbed at the air.
Jay jumped to his feet, keeping his sword up in the defensive position. It was then that Lonnie first noticed his sword. Like, really noticed it. It was a majestic weapon—long and silver with a gold inlay on the top and an ornate metal handle. She cocked her head to the side to study it.
“What’s wrong?” Jay asked, lowering his arm.
“Nothing,” Lonnie said. “I was just admiring your sword.”
Jay grinned and held his sword out for her to look closely. “Well, yes, it is a girl magnet. Kinda like me.”
Lonnie rolled her eyes and stepped forward to examine it closer. “Is this the sword you were inducted into the team with?”
“Yup,” Jay said proudly. “And it hasn’t steered me wrong yet. I’ve won every competition I’ve entered with this sword. The sword you’re inducted with is really important.”
Don’t remind me, Lonnie thought, already feeling stressed out again.
“Where’d you get it?” she asked.
Jay withdrew the weapon, planted the tip into the ground, and leaned on it. “From a shop in downtown Auradon.”
“You bought it?” Lonnie asked, her mind already starting to turn.
Is that what she should do? Just pick out a sword from a shop and get it over with? It would certainly be easier. And it would allow her more time to study for finals, which were coming up next week. But something about that solution made her feel hollow. Like she was missing something.
“Yeah,” Jay replied. “Most people on the team inherit their swords from their parents. But obviously that wasn’t an option for me.”
When Lonnie looked at Jay again, she could swear she saw a flash of sadness pass over his face, but it was gone just as quickly as it had come. Then he picked up his sword again and began practicing his lunges, thrusting the sword forward and pulling it back.
“Their parents?” Lonnie repeated curiously. She glanced around the arena at her other teammates. They were all still sparring with their partners. Her eyes zeroed in on Chad Charming, the son of Cinderella and Prince Charming. His sword definitely looked like it had been made for royalty.
“Besides,” Jay was saying as he continued to stab the air, “my dad wasn’t really a sword kinda guy. He was more into evil snake staffs.”
But Lonnie had stopped listening. She was too wrapped up in her own excited thoughts to hear anything that Jay was saying.
Of course! It’s so obvious! How could I have not thought of it before?
“Lonnie?” she heard Jay say. “Hello? Are you okay?”
Lonnie blinked and brought her attention back to the arena. “Um,” she said, her thoughts racing. “You know what? I just remembered I have something really important to do. Can you take over practice?”
Jay shrugged. “Sure. But where are you—”
Jay never got a chance to finish his question. Because Lonnie was already halfway up the arena steps, running like the Hun army itself was chasing her.
I can almost feel the sword in my hand, I want it so badly. I know what I have to do.
Lonnie bit her lip and gripped the pen tighter. She leaned over her desk and began writing on a crisp white sheet of paper. She knew e-mail would be much faster, but she also knew that the council preferred letters. Handwritten letters. They were ancient and old-fashioned like that.
Dear Imperial Council,
I humbly request that the sword of Shan-Yu be released to me, as it is my birthright.
The sword had been given to her mother as a gift by the Emperor after she’d defeated Shan-Yu and his insurgent army. But after the kingdom of Auradon was united and all the villains were shipped off to the Isle of the Lost, the people of Auradon were asked to relinquish their weapons, since there really was no more use for them. Most people chose to place their weapons in the Museum of Cultural History. But Lonnie’s mother had chosen to place her sword in the Hall of Wisdom in the Imperial City, Lonnie’s hometown. There it could be watched over by the Imperial Council, who oversaw all official matters in the Imperial City, until Lonnie was old enough to inherit it. For the time being, it was kept in a glass case in the Hall of Wisdom, where citizens and visitors to the Imperial City could visit the weapon and pay homage to all that it represented.
Lonnie could remember going to the Hall of Wisdom to look at the sword when she was a little girl. She would place her palms against the glass case in which it lay and dream of the day when the mighty weapon, soaked in so much history and importance, would belong to her. Forever.
Now that time had come. Lonnie was certain of it. She was definitely old enough. And she was definitely worthy of it. She’d fought pirates on the Isle of the Lost and helped keep Auradon safe from evil. Plus, her sword skills were so strong, she’d become captain of the R.O.A.R. team. If there had ever been a moment she felt worthy of her birthright, it was now.
Lonnie made sure to put all of this into her letter, reminding the council of her feats as an AK (Auradon kid) and her great contributions to the kingdom. When she was finished, she reread the letter five times, verifying that every word was spelled correctly and every period was in the right place.
Then she signed her name at the bottom and folded up the letter. As she did, Lonnie imagined everything that would happen after this moment. She imagined receiving the council’s response, their glowing words about how brave and valiant she’d been. She imagined walking into the R.O.A.R. induction ceremony in less than two weeks with the famous and iconic sword of Shan-Yu. She fantasized about the reactions of her teammates. The dropped jaws. The wide eyes. The oohs and aahs. Of course, everyone would want to touch it. Everyone would want to hold the legendary weapon in their hands.
And then, finally, she imagined her very first R.O.A.R. competition. The shock on her opponent’s face as he gazed upon her powerful sword. She
could almost taste her first victory. With her warrior skills and that sword, she would be practically unbeatable.
Later, as Lonnie handed the envelope to the Royal Post messenger, she was confident the council would grant her request.
Now, all she had to do was wait.
It’s been three days, and I still haven’t received a response from the Imperial Council. I’m going crazy with anticipation!
Lonnie was out of her R.O.A.R. uniform and back in her traditional blue-and-pink dress, fidgeting in her usual chair in the Mad for Tea tea shop while her friends chatted nervously about their upcoming exams.
“Chemistry is going to be super hard this semester,” Evie, Evil Queen’s daughter, said as she grabbed a tea cake from the platter on the table. She wore a fitted blue dress, her dark hair flowing around her shoulders. “Doug and I have been quizzing each other nonstop for weeks, and I still don’t have all the fairy compounds memorized.”
“Don’t get me started on memorizing,” Jordan, the Genie’s daughter, said with a groan. She was wearing blue harem pants and a gold jacket. Her fuchsia-striped hair was pulled into a tight ponytail atop her head. “Do you know how many tiny little cities we have to learn for Auradon geography class?”
“Well, if I don’t pass mathematics, my mother is going to be furious,” Jane said, anxiously smoothing down her ruffled frock. Jane was the daughter of the headmistress, Fairy Godmother, so the pressures on her to do well at school were higher than for most of the students.
“You’ll be fine,” Mal, Maleficent’s daughter, assured her as she stirred her tea. Mal was looking wicked as always in purple leather and matching purple hair. “Meanwhile, I’m convinced botany class is going to kill me. Do you realize how many different types of magical plants there are?”
Normally, Lonnie would have participated in the conversation. She was just as nervous as any of them about her exams, but right now she had bigger things to worry about.
“I would have thought you’d be good at botany,” Audrey, Princess Aurora’s daughter, said dismissively. “After all, your mother almost killed my father with a forest of thorns.”
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