China Doll and the Forbidden Kingdom
by Tyval


tyval@webtv.net


Alone, in a strange yet familiar world, Mei Wong, the China Doll, finds
herself hunted by the army of an evil god and a reluctant half
witch/half demoness, white haired lesbian bounty hunter. Can she find
her own allies in a drunken immortal, a beautiful kick ass orphan girl,
and a silent monk?  


Special note: Unlike the boy in the movie, Mei is Chinese and is fluent
in both Cantonese and Mandarin. Since most of the dialogue would be in
Mandarin,  conversation in that will be written as normal. If Mei speaks
in Cantonese it will be put in ( ) parenthesises, and if she speaks
English in [ ] parenthesises. 

Some chapters rated NC-17 for F/F sex. This chapter PG-13.



Chapter 2:


Mei woke up with a splitting headache. She could feel a cold cloth on
her forehead and smell the unpleasant odor of a common Chinese healing
herb, wood smoke, and some background farm smells. She opened her eyes
to see a late middle age Chinese couple dressed poorly, like peasants of
another age.


 " [ Where am I?]," Mei asked in English then switched to Cantonese," (
I'm sorry, where am I?)"


 The old lady said something that Mei didn't understand. She handed Mei
the medicine. Her smile revealed haff toothless black teeth.


" I'm sorry, I didn't get that," Mei said switching to Mandarin as she
sat up.


Mei tried for several minutes, but whatever dialect these people spoke
it wasn't one she knew. All she could catch was 'great lady' and
'pretty'. A quick check showed she still had the ear-ring darts, knives,
and shuriken. The gold colored staff was propped up by the door. She was
still dressed the same, but it felt different.


Physically Mei felt fine, great even. Mei smiled and politely refused
the medicine. She somehow knew the $500 in the wallet in her back pocket
was nothing more than paper here. Mei smiled as she stood up, took out
her ear-rings, took the darts off and bowing gave the gold jewellery to
the woman. 


" I thank you for your kindness, but I must go," Mei said with another
polite bow.

  
The people were saying something, Mei didn't understand. Taking up the
staff she walked out into the open and a sight she hadn't seen in 7
years. Rice paddles, working oxen, people scurrying as they worked the
land in a tiny village, maybe 10 huts, narrow dirt road leading who knew
where.


Actually, it was more like another century. Even the Lung Ki of her
childhood had electricity, fans, tv's, a couple of cars and other 20th
century machines.


' Is it possible I'm dead, or asleep,' Mei thought and pinched herself,'
No,very much alive and awake. Time travel? Not without a time machine
and only 3 people have those. Okay, so G.O.L.D. is one of those 3.
Doesn't explain this.' 


Mei started walking down the road, she drew a few stares, but mostly the
'peasants' ignored her.


' Try to find a computer, phone, even a city,' Mei thought,' If such
things even exist here. Wherever here is.' 


Mei was on alert, hearing them before she saw them. She dove for cover
in some tall grass. Horsemen, armored horsemen, about 50 in number in a
slow gallop. Mei didn't recognize the armor, pre 'Three Kingdom's' era
though she guessed. One thing was sure, they were well armed and as few
as 5 of them could easily take the village.


Fighting a dozen street thugs was one thing, 50 well armed, well
trained, armored soldiers was about the limit of what Mei thought she
could handle if it came down to it. She had a bad feeling it would.


' Well, I can forget about the phone and the plane ride back to L.A.,'
Mei thought.


Mei tried to hold back, back the soldiers began ransacking the village,
two young women were thrown into a slave cart that followed the
horsemen. They were rather plain, but the pervert soldiers were just
looking for bodies. Mei was a knockout by anyones standards, but didn't
think about it.


' Oh no, do NOT do that,' Mei thought as the soldiers brutally stole her
gift to the older woman who had nursed her.


The soldiers did not know what hit them as a woman in scarlet suddenly
came from nowhere and charged them with a cudgel in hand. Mei didn't see
a man slumped backwards on a horse coming down the road.


Sweep. Strike. Kick. Strike. Spin. Strike. Plant staff and vault, two
more fall. Ten soldiers were down before the men knew what hit them.
Another 5 before the surprise was gone. Block. Strike. Block. Block.
Sweep. Kick. Mei retreated several steps for position. The newcomer,
drunk perhaps, had fallen off his horse.


" It's her! She's the one we've been looking for!," an officer shouted,"
Get her!"


' Okay, so I can understand these guys,' Mei thought.

 
It was still 32 to 1 as Mei was surrounded and in a defensive position.
The soldiers were obviously not used to resistance. Like a cobra Mei
stuck, 2 more fell to cudgel strikes, before she again went into a
defensive posture.


" C'mon boys," Mei said, still in Mandarin," Let's rock!"


" Rock?," one soldier said surprised.


The cudgel smacked him right between the eyes. He went down as the
possible drunk man stumbled into one of them. Enraged, the man slashed
with his sword. He cut nothing but air. Slashing again, he missed again,
then again. On the next attempt the drunk knocked him cold.


' Eight Drunken Fists style,' Mei thought,' He's not drunk!'


The fight became very one sided at that point. One sided against the
soldiers! They went down like wheat between Mei and the stranger. Mei
smashed the slave cart door setting the 2 girls free with the staff. She
then calmed what looked like the best horse. Leading it she walked up to
the pretend drunk giving a polite bow.


" Good sir, can you understand my words?," Mei asked," No one else seems
to."

 
" Then you must learn to listen," he said in flawless Mandarin.


" I guess I deserved that," Mei said," My names Mei Wong, some people
call me China Doll. I live in Los Angeles, but I was born in Lung Ki,"
Mei saw confusion in his face," Well, I guess neither exist yet."


" Lu Yan," Lu said," Wandering scholar. Come with me."


" That name is familiar," Mei mused aloud, Lu had a northern accent,"
Who are these guys?"


" I believe you are woman of the south," Lu said correctly telling her
accent," Talk even more than north women."


" Hey," Mei said, but shut up, mounting her horse.


Lu Yan's eyes grew wide as he got his first good look at the cudgel. He
mounted and rode in front. Mei didn't know where or when she was. She
tried to check her watch and was not surprised to find it wasn't there.
She was pretty sure none of the villager's had taken it or it would have
been shown off or taken by the soldiers.


Mei was also sure that her clothes were just well made cloth as well.
Anything 21st century had converted to the technology of the day. Just
to confirm it she checked 1 of her ankle knives. 'Made in the U.S.A.'
was no longer stamped on it. That was okay, Mei could tell time by the
sun. By that she reasoned it was mid morning.


As Lu Yan studied her, Mei studied him. Mid-40's maybe, in pretty good
shape, his hair was long and somewhat matted, his clothes poor but
serviceable, good for fighting in. He was even handsome in a grimy,
fatherly kind of way. His possessions were few, in a small bag he wore
and another on his horse. There were also 4 liquid containers, water or
wine, she didn't know.


They rode in silence for several hours, switching roads several times.
Mei reasoned it was about 2 when the roads became wider. Due to the
warmness and vegetation she guessed it was mid spring here. About 4 the
road they were on became stone, a city just ahead. 


' This is really pissing me off,' Mei thought as she found herself
unable to read any of the signs.


At least she could understand what people were talking about here. She
reasoned, {correctly}, that the villagers had spoke in a different
dialect. Lu Yan led her through the streets into the upper class section
of town. There he made a beeline to a very upscale resturant. 


" Excuse me Mr Lu," Mei smiled," But do you actually HAVE any money.
Because I don't."
 

" What about your necklace?," Lu asked.


" Yes, it's gold and might buy us 1 meal," Mei said," But what we need
is some way to buy many. Aha! 


On the second floor Mei saw a very attractive girl playing a stringed
Chinese instrument. She could't believe she didn't know what it was
called. Mei's father had always been frustrated that Mei had never been
able to play any Chinese musical instruments.  


Years later Questar had taught her how to play a guitar in an hour. Mei
also had an excellet singing voice, but in 'Rock music and ballads'
only. She could sing as good as the Wilson sister's, Britney, Mariah,
Beyonce, any good or great female rocker. But anytime she tried to sing
anything but 'Rock or Rock related' she was horrible.


The girl upstairs had given her an idea. She spotted a nearby shop where
instuments were being made. That was all she needed.


" Follow me," Mei smiled.

 
Lu Yan didn't know what she was up to, but so far she seemed like a
capable young woman. Walking inside the craftsman greeted them, politely
bowing.


" Good sir, I have a special request," Mei said," A special instrument I
need made. May I have a pen and paper."


Mei carefully drew out the makings of an acoustic guitar. 
 

" Can you make this?,"  Mei asked.


" Well, it's a little unusual, but I don't think it would take too long
to make, just modify some parts I already have on hand," the man said
intrigued.


Me took off the throwing star and handed him the gold chain. She would
never know that this man was a true craftsman and would have done it for
free just for the challenge. Mei watched him, Lu watched her, thinking
maybe she was crazy. Then again, there had to be a reason why the staff
had chosen her. Lu also had to admit she was very easy to look at.


It only took an hour and a half to make the sevicable guitar. He spent
another half hour to spruce it up a bit. Mei made a few practice strums,
it would do. She bowed and thanked the man.  


" Okay, you think you can play that?," Lu asked," And how will it get us
some money."


" Let's find a rich corner," Mei smiled," There, that looks good, it's
getting late, people going home, lots of traffic. Now, my style of music
is going to sound, pretty strange, but I'm willing to bet the young
people, the teens and 20's, will really dig it."


" Dig? We don't have shovels," Lu said confused.


Mei just smiled and tuned the instrument.When she was satisfed she
started to riff 'Johnny B. Good'. Lu jumped in surprise. He wasn't the
only one as many eyes came Mei's way as she duck walked and played. By
the time she got to the first 'Go Johnny go' she could already see some
younger people bobbing their heads and some moving to the music.


After passing the plate Mei changed gears for a 'Heart' ballad. When
that was over she gave them a 'Buddy Holly', followed by ' Avril's' 'I'm
WIth You'. Mei sang for over an hour, sweat beading on her forehead,
surprising Lu with how much money they were getting. As Mei had guessed,
the young people, who had never heard that kind of music were the most
generous. Mei also got 3 proposals for marriage.


" Well, I'm hungry, how about you?," Mei smiled at him.


" I see you have some surprises," Lu said," I never hear music like
that. It's loud!" 


Mei laughed. The food was good as was to be expected. Mei kept looking
over at the girl she had saw earlier. She was very pretty, 18 to 19
years old, Mei guessed, though there was a sadness to her and to her
playing. She was also dressed poorly, a contrast to most of the patons.
She asked the waiter if the girl had eaten. He answered that she hadn't
yet, she played for her meals.


' I'll just bet, probably only gets leftover scraps,' Mei thought her
heart going out to her.


" So, how good is your kung fu?," Lu asked her.


" Now Mr. Lu," Mei smiled, folding her hands in front," That's a trick
question. He who speaks doesn't know, he who knows doesn't speak." 


" Very good," Lu nodded," You passed the first test."


" My turn," Mei said," Just who were those turkey's, and why, come to
think of it, did they seem to want me?"


" Turkey's?," Lu asked.


" Sorry, I've been, um,  living in another country the last 7 years,"
Mei said," What I really wish this place had is cheesburgers, fries, and
a chocalate shake. It takes me an hour to work that back off of my ass,
but it's worth it."


" You are one strange girl," Lu shook his head," I have no idea what you
were just talking about. I do know young ladies not supposed to use bad
words."


" What should I have said,? " Mei coyly asked.


" Young ladies should say nothing, but if asked maybe say bottom, or
rear," Lu said.


" How about this then," Mei smiled wickedly, then yelled," FUCK!! FUCK!
Fuck, fuck, fuck!"


The pretty player couldn't supress a smile then a giggle! Mei thought
she was even prettier. Poor Lu Yan had turned 3 shades of red. A whole
lot of patrons were outraged. Mei was laughing her ass off. The manager
ran up, but Mei flipped him a coin, he bowed and started to leave.


" Wait a minute," Mei said, grabbing his arm and giving him another
coin," Get that poor girl over there whatever she wants to eat."


" You just gave him more than what our bill is going to be," Lu said.


" Good point," Mei said," I don't know what things cost here. This may
sound crazy to you, but I'm not from this time. I was born in China,
lived my first 18 years in China, I can't read anything, I'm still
missing a word or 2 when people speak. You'd better handle the money."


Mei glanced back over to the girl who gave her a nod and a slight smile
of thanks as the manager left her. If she only knew that she would be
safer with sharks in a boody pool than Mei....


" Well that is very strange," Lu said as 3 containers of wine were
brought to him," There is much about you that is strange."


" I would still like to know who those soldiers are and why they seem to
want me?," Mei asked.


" Not you, what you carry," Lu said," They were expecting a monk. So was
I."


" The staff?," Mei asked," In my time it has value as a historical
artifact, here, there's probably hundreds just like it."

 
" No, there is nothing like that particular staff," Lu Yan said, as he
was now dead serious," That staff belongs to the Monkey King, and it
must be returned to him."


" That's the staff of Sun Wukong?," Mei asked," No way!"


" Way," Lu said," And you are the Seeker of the legend. The proof is
that you are here, this is not a dream."


" I'm guessing that, if this is true, you weren't expecting a woman,"
Mei said.


" No we were not," Lu said," Those soldiers were part of the Jade
Warlord's army."


" So this whole thing does have something to do with Sun Wukong?," Mei
asked," Born from a stone egg on a mountain!"


Lu Yan nodded in approval, then began his tale. Mei knew most of the
story in folk tales and legends, tales of Monkey had been her favorite
and one of the reasons she had learned martial arts. But Lu Yan seemed
to know some things between the lines. About Sun Wukong and his battles
with the Jade Warlord, how Monkey defeated all who challenged him.  


Then came the part where the Jade Emporer left for his 500 year
meditation leaving the Jade Warlord in charge. Jade Warlord challened
the Monkey King to a duel. Monkey pretty much mopped the floor with him
until the Jade Warlord tricked Monkey by daring him to fight with fists
and feet only. 


Monkey set aside his magical staff only to fall prey to the Jade
Warlord's dark magic. With his last act before he returned to stone, Sun
Wukong sent his staff away to find the Seeker who would free him and
break the Jade Warlord's reign of tyranny over the land and heavens.


" For nearly 500 years, terror and massacre have been a way of life," Lu
Yan finished," The heavens cry while the land bleeds."


" So, this is before he teams with Pigsy and Friar Sand and goes to
India," Mei said," Jade Warlord can't win because I know Monkey escapes
and gains even greater fame. Legend or not to me this is history."


" No," Lu said," Jade Warlord can win. If he gets the staff, your
history, your world, everthing you know will be gone. Replaced by what
Jade Warlord creates."


" But history can't be changed," Mei said," Questar tried to save
Lincoln, Dragon roamed the American west trying to help people, we've
tried, we couldn't."


" I don't know of the things you mentioned, but this is magic we're
talking about," Lu said," Anythng is possible with magic. The normal
rules don't apply. And we talking about powerful magic, dark magic
backed by all the power of the 'Five Elements Mountain'." 


" Eeep," Mei gasped, this was bad, real bad; Thanos with the Cosmic Cube
bad.


" So, you do know," Lu noted.


" Yes," Mei nodded," If the Jade Warlord gets the staff he can keep the
Jade Emporer from returning. Monkey stays a prisoner and doesn't go
west. If Monkey doesn't go west, the teachings don't come to China. Just
for starters, no Shaolin Temple, no Lung Ki, no Khan, no Marco Polo, no
age of exploration, no America. It won't just affect China, but the
whole world will be stuck in a never-ending dark age of terror!"


" Now you see why there are those of us who have been seeking the
Seeker, the one who will free Sun Wukong from his prison of stone and
restore the Jade Emporer," Lu said," Perhaps you can be taught."


Into the resturant burst dozens of soldiers in the same armor as those
they had fought before. The army of the Jade Warlord! Mei almost smiled.
Now that she knew the score she was hoping to crack some heads. Patron's
scattered, some were rudely shoved. Stealing a glance Mei was glad the
girl had fled. Mei didn't want her in the crossfire.


" You just had to wear red," Lu said standing up.

 
" This doesn't concern you," the officer ordered Lu, shoving him back,"
We only want her. You, hand over the staff and come with us or die."


" Why, what could a little girl like me do against all of you big,
strong, soldiers," Mei coo'ed in her best 'bimbo' voice," Except for the
fact that I've seen scarier teddy bears!"


" Teddy bears?," the officer asked confused.


' Oh brother,' Lu thought, half hiding his face,' Another of her strange
sayings.'


Mei spun the staff so that it clocked the officer hard across the
forehead. Before anyone else could react, she re-grabbed, spun, taking 3
more out of the fight. She flipped her long hair back, wishing she was
wearing braids as she usually was.


A soldier drew his sword and swung at Lu Yan who easily dodged, his
counter punch sent the man back into several of his fellows. He kicked
another man who was charging up the stairs who also flew back into a
number of the Warlord's men. Mei flipped competely over one soldier's
head kicking him out as she landed. Lu Yan, flipped back onto the table
as 2 swords missed him, he kicked both out, rolled off, pushed the table
into a mass of men backing them up. One fell backwards over the rail.
 

Lu kicked the table up, caught it and brought it down on top of 4
soldiers who slumped down unconcious. Mei kicked rigt and left downing 2
more, rolling she swept a dozen men off their feet with the cudgel, spun
back up, and with quick strikes took 3 men. Lu ducked a sword and back
kicked the man, then took him out with a back fist follow. 


" Duck!," Mei called out throwing her 2 darts.


Lu did as the darts got 2 men behind him.


" Thanks," Lu said.


Mei struck a man in front across the side to the head, then with a
thrust, got a trooper behind her in the groin. Two men with drawn swords
charged at her, she threw the cudgel right at them. They went down as
Mei caught it on the rebound. Her sidekick took out another.


Lu did a spin kick that caught 3 men. Their numbers were working against
them. A bearded soldier came from behind Mei. Lu kicked a mans sword
away, then kicked it into the would be killers back.


" Thank you," Mei smiled at him, then threw the staff to him as many
came at Lu," Catch!"


Mei avoided a sword strike by doing a handstand on the railing. She
flipped up, avoiding a swipe at her arms, caught the man in a
'frankensteiner' move, kipped up, and with a spin kick sent 2 more down.
Catching the stff Lu blocked a half dozen swords, spinning the staff he
backed them up whckng 2 of them. 


" Catch," Lu grinned, throwing the staff back to Mei, who neatly caught
it.


The ranks of their opponent's were thinning. Lu didn't want to admit it,
but Mei's kung fu was damn good. He got a soldier with a back forearm
smash, barely paying attention to the man as he watched Mei easily take
out 5 more of the Warlords men. 


' She's more than good,' Lu thought as Mei flipped 3 times and put 4
more down. 


Mei's best style was a combination of crane, snake, and a Lung Ki style
of JKD, her best weapons were nunchaku and knives such as the ones in
her ankle sheaths. Speed, agility, and skill was her way. The cudgel was
actually slowing her down. 


Mei spun, kicking out, and another man went down. A sword came at her
arms, she released the stff pulling her arms away, but was unable to
regrasp it as she was forced to flip bacwards from another swing. Mei's
hands closed around something as she came up and clocked the man with
her guitar. Mei was really pissed as it shattered. Mei kicked the staff
back up to her hands. paused, and then noticed that she and Lu were the
only ones standing.


Lu smiled at her, giving her a thumbs up. Mei was surprised he knew that
gesture, but returned the smile and the thumbs up. Victory was short
lived as scores more of the Jade Warlord's soldiers ran in from the
doors or crashed through the walls!


" Oh Shit," Lu said.  


There was a third floor and a walkway to the Inn section of the bulding
there. Lu and Mei ran up the stairs and out onto the passage where they
saw more solders coming at them from that direction. They were hemmed
in. 


Cornered, but far from trapped. Roofs between the 2 buldings were just
like stairs. Lu jumped first, first to the right, run down 2 steps, jump
down to the left, run down 2 steps, jump to the ground. Mei right
behind. They were safely on the ground, but were vulnerable for just a
moment. Two archers had them cold.
 

The 2 blades came out of nowhere taking both archers in the throat. Mei
looked over, her eyes grew wide. It was the girl. She ran at 2 men,
somersaultd and kicked both men out.

 
" Quickly, the horses," the girl cried out.


" Who are you?," Lu asked swinging into the saddle.


" She is Golden Sparrow from the south," Sparrow explained.


" (Thank you sister)," Mei said, switching to Cantonese as a test.


Sparrow smiled at her, obviously understanding. Urging their horses
forward they soon discovered that they were surrounded by hundreds!
Everywhere they turned seemed filled with the Warlord's army.


" This way," Lu ordered, leadng them right through the inn.


The trio crashed through a thin rice paper wall. Mei, in the rear,
laughed and gave the Warlord's men the bird. While they didn't know the
gesture they somehow knew it's meaning. Taken by surprise, slowed by
their armor and their own numbers they were soon far behind an quickly
lost them in the dark and mist.


Color drained from the Captain's face. The Jade Warlord was not fond of
failure.


...............................


End of Chapter 2:


..............................


Thunderstorms are cutting this chapter short. The seduction will really
kick in in Chapter 3. I've lost chapters before, not taking a chance.

................................