Goodbye, an once upon a time fanfic

So I've never written this pairing before. Honestly I didn't know I shipped it so much until episode 3x03. I have a lot of feelings about the way these two characters and their relationship was handled, and if you want to talk about it message me! :D I'd love to talk about it. But yeah basically I really like what the writers did, because it not only served the plot by getting Mulan to Robin Hood but also greatly affected the character development of Mulan and Aurora, I think. I've seen some stories from Mulan's side, but none from Aurora's. So this is Aurora's point of view from her scene in 3x03.

Alrighty here goes. Disclaimer: none of this is mine. And I haven't written in a while so I'm a bit rusty.

I like to take a lot of care when tending to my garden in the castle. Not many people know about it; it is hidden in a courtyard beyond the sight of the walls around the castle. All the windows from the castle that point towards the garden are in me and Phillip's private quarters, so no one can really see the garden except for us. I'm not sure anyone knows that it still exists aside from me, Phillip, and Mulan.

Things have been so stressful lately as Phillip and I tried to get our kingdom back together. While Mulan and I travelled with Emma and Snow, our people came back and restored the kingdom. It's been arduous work and there is still years of work to be done, but it is coming along well. Phillip has taken to his position of power well. He helps the people build and allows people to stay in the castle until their houses are built. Slowly but surely, as those from Emma's world would say, villages are being recreated and people are going on with their lives.

I help out as much as I can. I can't build, like Phillip does, but I do help run our kingdom. People can come to me with grievances and I will help sort them out. I ration the food and try to help whenever I am needed.

The work that we all do is tiring, so we try to make sure that everyone can have time to themselves and with their families. Phillip has some work to do in the castle with the council, which gives me time to tend to my garden.

I didn't realize how much I missed certain things during m He helps the people build and allows people to stay in the castle until their houses are built. Slowly but surely, as those from Emma's world would say, villages are being recreated and people are going on with their lives.

I didn't realize how much I missed certain things while I was under my sleeping curse. Certainly I missed Phillip and his voice and his arms around me, just as I missed the warmth of our bed in our castle and the way the sun looked as it set every night. I didn't think about how much I missed the garden, though, until I was here again. Phillip said he and Mulan cared for it as best they could when I was cursed, and now it is better than its been ever.

So, I carefully water my plants, being sure to find the proper balance as to not parch them nor drown them. As I try to properly cultivate the plant life before me, I can't help but think about the baby. It has been a few days since we found out and I have not been able to contain my excitement. I'll find myself smiling at the most random times. It is great to smile and know why. I have Phillip and our child and our friends. We've been through so much and now we can finally just be happy and live our lives.

My smile widens as I remember when Phillip was the happiest that I've ever seen him, when I told him about the baby. I was crying because I was so happy and at first he was scared, because he didn't understand why I was crying. But then I told him and he wiped my tears and held me tightly and kissed my hair and told me that he loved me and our child more than anything. He lifted me up and spun me around and we danced like we did at our first ball together, a bit scared but completely exhilarated at the start of something new and incredible. That night as I fell asleep in his arms I wasn't afraid, for once. I felt safe.

Since then, our future has been a bright topic of conversation. I can imagine Phillip teaching our child to ride a horse, and the three of us talking walks in the garden. I can see our child being infatuated with Mulan's armor, then Mulan laughingly putting her helmet on his or her head. I imagine Snow and Emma coming back and telling our child all about their adventures. Phillip says he has an old friend called Belle who would have some excellent stories from many lands to share.

This is what we've wanted for the longest time. Before the curse, Phillip and I talked often about having a family. It never quite worked out, though. I think that now, the time is right, though. Phillip and I are different people than we were before the curse, but we're better. We've grown more. Seeing Snow and Emma go to extreme lengths for the wellbeing of their children…I now know what is necessary to be a mother and I know I can handle it. As for Phillip and I, our love is the strongest it has ever been, because it is confirmed that we can overcome anything. The kingdom is rebuilding. We have great friends. This is all that we've ever wanted. We've wanted a family for so long, and now we are having one.

So, I carefully tend to my plants. It is quiet in the garden, and I know that things will not be quiet in the castle for long. Right now, only Phillip and I know about the baby. Once people know, things will change. Traditionally, there have been great celebrations when there is an impending heir. I do not want that, though. Phillip and I already love our child very much, and no celebration will change that. I want the kingdom's resources to go to rebuilding.

But that is in the future yet. We want to wait before telling anyone. We like keeping this to ourselves. We have been separated for so long and it is nice to have things for ourselves. This is something that we have wanted for so long, it is wonderful for just the two of us to be able to enjoy this for a little while.

So I am thinking about all this as I give my plants water. That's one of my favorite things about the garden – it's a safe place for me to think.

Phillip says that I can get so deep in thought that I don't notice the world around me. That's definitely true, because when I look up I see Mulan and have no idea how long she has been there for.

"Mulan!" I exclaim, immediately getting up and walking toward her. "How long have you been standing there? What are you doing here?"

"Just gathering up my courage," she responds with a smile. It is so great to see my closest friend smile again.

We meet halfway, and I take her hands in mine. I've missed Mulan so much, it feels so great to hold her hands. I can barely stand still, I'm so elated to see her.

"Is Phillip here?" she asks.

"No, no, shall I go get him?" I reply. He's just inside the castle, meeting with the council but I'm sure he'd step away from that for a bit to see his old friend.

"No, that's unnecessary," Mulan said quickly. "It's you I wanted to talk to." I can tell by her tone of voice and her urgency that she has news to share with me. "You see…"

Unable to contain my joy any longer, I smile widely. I am so happy that Mulan is here! She is here at the castle and she can stay with us whenever she wants, and maybe this time she'll stick around. She can be here with me and Phillip and our child. Our child. I know Phillip and I agreed to keep the news quiet but we need to tell Mulan. It would literally not be possible without her!

"Why are you smiling at me?" Mulan asks, laughing slightly. Clearly she, too, is happy that we are reunited.

"I can tell that you are bursting with news but so am I," I say, resolving to tell Mulan our news. She deserves to know. And I haven't seen her in so long. I didn't realize how badly I wanted to tell her until right now. I want her to know so we can all share in this joy together. I'm sure she'll be just as excited as Phillip and I are, and she must know that she is a welcome part of our family whenever she wants to be.

"You are?" she asks.

I inhale, realizing that I need to gather up my courage as well. Telling Mulan makes it more real. "Phillip and I are expecting a baby."

Mulan's face loses expression; she's clearly surprised by what I've told her. She probably did not expect for this to happen so soon; there has not been a great amount of time past since Phillip and I reunited but the time feels right now.

"That's excellent news," she says finally, and I can see her smile. I rush to give her a warm hug.

"It's like a dream come true," I admit, overwhelmingly happy. I feel her put her arms around me. "Now, please, please, tell me your news!" I ask as we part.

"I'm joining Robin Hood's band."

My face falls. "What? You're leaving us?" My mind is racing. She is leaving. She is leaving us behind.

"Yes. I'm afraid so," she continues. "Goodbye."

We hug again and this time when I pull her close, she doesn't return the gesture. I want to hold her tight and feel her in my arms. Her leaving is like losing a part of me. She is my best friend. I pictured us being in each other's lives forever. She'd stay with us and work with Phillip and know our child. She'd talk walks in the garden with us. We'd be the best of friends.

I want to cry but I know that I can't until she can't see me. Surely this decision has been unbearably hard for her. She knows that we are family to her, whenever she needs us to be. One doesn't just leave their family on a whim. Everything she and Phillip shared, everything she and I shared, she would not just walk away from it without good cause.

And I trust Mulan. No matter how much this hurts me, she's doing what she needs to. I am in no position to tell her what to do, not after everything we've been through. She's saved Phillip and she's saved. She literally had my heart in her hands and saved my life. That is a debt that I can never fully repay, but I will always try to.

So, this is me fulfilling that debt. Honor is important to Mulan, so it is important to me, as well. She taught me more about the subject than anyone else ever had. So, I need to honor her wishes. If she wants to go, I need to let her go. I can not cry in front of her or make this any harder for her than it is. If she needs to leave, I need to let her.

I am confused as to why she is choosing to leave. I do not think I will ever understand. But I trust Mulan. More than anything, I trust her. I do not know how long she will be gone but I trust that she will find whatever it is that she is searching for. And surely she'll return in the future. She'll want to see me or Phillip or the baby.

I want to ask her why she is doing this, but I can't. I can see her walking away and I can see her be sad but I can't make the words come from my mouth. I think I do not want to know why. What I could have done to make her want to leave. Was she only staying for the adventure? We are friends, are we not? She cared about me as I cared for her. I loved her. I want her to be a part of my life and I want to be a part of her life.

I think of all these things as I watch her walk away. I want her to turn around, to see that I'm still standing here, ready to take her back to where she will always have a home. I fear that if she turns she will only see the tears coming down my face, but I'm sure she has tears as well. This can not be an easy decision. She does not turn.

So yeah. This is a thing. I really wanted to explore Aurora's side of this, because Mulan's side is pretty well documented. I think like some people may be angry with Aurora, like "how can you not see that she loves you!" and all that, but one of the points I was trying to make with this is that Aurora loves Phillip and she loves Mulan, and the love she has for them is what it is and won't change. She sees Phillip as someone she is in love with and will not stop loving, which is true. She sees Mulan as someone she loves and will not stop loving, which is also true. And I think that because she sees Mulan as someone to love instead of someone to fall in love with (which is not a fault, just part of who she is as a human being), she doesn't understand why Mulan is leaving and I kind of wanted to explore that.

Also this hasn't been proofread, so...

Also: have a great day, everyone! :D