Disclaimer: It's pretty obvious that I don't own Mulan, and all that lot. Actually I'd like to question whether Disney can really say they do ( It kinda seems like someone copyrighting King Arthur, or Robin Hood, especially as Mulan was a real person, I'm not too sure about my examples), but to stop me being sued I'll put this stuff in.
Author's note: This is my first ever fanfic so please don't treat me too harshly. I've been really into the Disney movie at the moment, and once I found this site I've hardly stopped reading. I've now been inspired to do something of my own. Here it goes…Mulan had made sure all her chores were done before she stepped into the garden, to give her mother no excuse to stop her. It had taken her a while, but now she'd been getting up early she found she could have most of them finished by mid-morning. It was a force of habit now, getting up early. Her months spent in the army had done that much at least.
She was careful not to let the sword drag as she walked. It was still in its scabbard, but it was now also instinctive to keep the weapon in good condition.
As she wandered through the garden she thought about why she still did this. It's not as if you need to, is it? came a voice in her head. Yes it is said another. That was stupid, she didn't need to, did she? Well, whatever, she wanted to do it and she was going to.
She reached a secluded area and laid the sword down on the grass. She was quiet a moment, trying to calm herself before the routine began. She slowly stretched herself into a few positions.
She started with the basics, the jabs, kicks, weaving. Then she sped up. Jab, dodge, spin, kick, weave, jab, she went through them all, keeping perfect time as she added some more complicated moves. Her dress whirled about her. Yes, her dress. She still had her training clothes, and as her encounter with Shan-Yu had revealed it was actually possible to fight in her usual dress, but it wasn't the easiest thing in the world. As it was really too much hassle to change just for this, she'd done some work on her skirts to make it easier to move in them. She was glad she had, it was so much easier around the house, and you couldn't really tell by looking at them.
OK, not that much.
She carried on like this for a while, then made a short trip to the pond to cool her face. Now for the second part. She knelt down and slowly drew the sword out of its leather scabbard. It was sharp; she kept the blade in top condition. She stood up. A sword is only a tool, she knew, but she couldn't help the nameless feelings she had when she gripped the handle. She tied the scabbard to her sash. She continued like she'd done before, sometimes with the sword in her hand, sometimes with it hanging down from her waist. She was concentrating so hard on the manoeuvres that she did not hear anyone by her until they spoke.
'You're improving you know. But I'd be careful about your defences if I were you, I think they're getting a bit lax from having no one to spar with.' She finished a move then turned to face the speaker.
'What would you suggest then father?' she asked, smiling.
'Oh I don't know,' He said dryly, lowering himself onto a seat, 'perhaps you could teach your grandmother. I'm sure it'd do her bones good.'
' Ha! I don't think so, Baba, she'd probably send me flying.' She sat next to him.
' Do you often come here to practise your swordplay?' he asked her. She looked at him strangely for a moment.
' Why do you ask questions to which you already know the answer to?' she murmured, (A/N I'm sure that's from somewhere, I can't remember where though. Anyone know?) watching the lilies in the pond sway with the ripples of the water. They both sat quiet for a while.
'Why do you do it?' There it was again, why. She was a little flustered
' I'm not really sure.' She said, ' I suppose I just don't want to loose what I found, just because I'm wearing a dress again.'
They were interrupted by sounds of confusion from the house. They both stood up in time to see Mulan's Grandmother chase Little Brother out of the house, the little dog holding a much-too-large chunk of meat in his mouth. The poor thing was struggling so hard not to be toppled over by it, and Grandma looked so funny flapping about after him, that they burst out laughing. The little woman heard them and shouted,
' Don't you stand there giggling, you great lumps, come and help!' Mulan rubbed the sword with an old cloth then she and her father moved off towards the house.
The miscreant canine had finally been caught, and Grandma had gone back to her cooking. Mulan had just returned the sword to its place when her father said,
' I forgot for a moment there, Mulan, your Mother sent me down to find you. She wants you to go to the village for her I think. She has some things she needs you to get.'
Mulan found her mother weaving at the loom. She was making a pattern of blossoms drifting down onto a pool of clear water, and though it wasn't complete it still looked beautiful. Mulan sometimes wished that she could work the wool like that, then she would give herself a mental shake. She was good at other things. She stepped into the room.
' Mama, Baba said you wanted me?' Her mother stopped working and turned around.
' Oh yes, dear. Li Chien is coming over today, and I just need you to fetch me some things.' A quarter of an hour later and she was on her way to the village.
She left Khan at one of the stabling posts, slipping him an apple to keep him quiet. She went over the list in her head and set off to the market.
When she had first returned from the army the idea of coming down to the village alone was almost beyond her. Yes she could face hoards of invading Huns, but having everyone in the whole street stare at her suddenly seemed a lot worse. She really couldn't cope with all the pointing and the whispering. Just buying the groceries had become an excruciating ordeal for her. Every time she heard a murmur she would blush and in her heightened state of embarrassment it felt like everything she did was wrong. When her father took to coming down with her they quietened a little, but they were still there, News had reached the villagers of her exploits, admittedly they had become a little distorted along the way, but it seemed that nearly everyone knew what had gone on that night in the Imperial city, and the time leading up to it.
But that was 6 months ago. It had more or less died down now, but it still lingered, just beneath the surface. She had learnt to rise above it, and now she wouldn't think twice about walking down a crowded street, the prospect of which would have sent her scurrying away a few months back.
And not all the whispers were cruel. She was, after all, the heroine of China, and there were a fair few who thought well of her for it. She had actually gained a sort of fan club made up of some of the younger girls; they would come up to her and ask shyly ask to hear about her time as a fighter, and give her timid smiles whenever they passed her in the street. She didn't mind but it did feel very strange to know that people looked up to her, she who had been publicly disgraced at her meeting with the Matchmaker. But Mulan's actions had sown a seed of knowledge in these girls, and that was this; that a woman could perform great deeds, and be on equal terms with men. That a wife was more than just her husband, and was a person in her own right. Living in a society that was completely dominated by men, this was powerful stuff, and when something like that puts down roots, it becomes very difficult to rip it up.
As she made her way through the food market she checked off the items on her list as she went. Her mind wandered to the reason for the preparations. Li Chien was coming, and that meant that she'd probably be seeing some more of a certain
Captain soon. It was a nice thought. She had come to see Li Shang as one of her greatest friends over the past few months, and he visited them often. Knowing a guy as well as she knew Shang, and for so long, usually meant you were married to him, but Mulan was fine with how things were, if nobody wanted to change them. She wasn't quite sure what she wanted where Shang was concerned. Being with him felt really good, and she knew she really liked him. After an initial degree of awkwardness they'd found it much easier just to be themselves with each other. Shang dropped the whole stern Captain business and acted like the nice guy he really was, albeit with a kinda sardonic sense of humour sometimes, and Mulan, not having to be dressed up like some porcelain doll, or acting the man in the army, didn't have to be anything she wasn't and was a lot happier for it. It had been interesting, getting to know him all over again, or so it seemed like sometimes. There were major differences between knowing someone as your Captain in the army, and knowing someone as a friend, especially when one of you hadn't actually realised you were a girl, something that she teased him mercilessly about.
She knew she had feelings for him, but what they were she wasn't quite sure. She'd never had the chance to mix with guys outside her family since she was little, and she had never even looked at a man in that way before. Then Shang turned up, with his smile that made her melt somewhere inside, his playful teasing, and the sensitive side of him that she saw every now and then, however hard he tried to act the tough military guy. Not that she didn't find the macho Shang quite attractive too. She often wondered if their friendship could ever turn into something else, wondered what it'd be like to have those arms wrapped around her, to hear that voice and know that he'd never have to leave, but she wasn't going to do anything about it, not if he didn't want her to, and as Shang'd made no moves she was fine to keep things as they were. At least, that's what she told herself.
She had finished all her shopping by now, and was making her way back to Khan. She stopped to admire some silks in the dressmaker's shop. She had one silk dress at home, a present from Shang's sister Chien. It was a rich, deep blue in colour, with silver detail around the neck, sleeves and hem, and a pattern of delicate silver stars on one side. A sash of even deeper blue wound around her waist. She loved that dress, though she hardly ever wore it, for fearing of spoiling it. Yes, she had been in the army, and yes she was a skilled swordfighter, but that didn't mean she couldn't indulge herself in a nice dress every now or then.
But she didn't have the money. Oh well, window-shopping was quite good too.
She carried on past the tavern next to the dressmaker's. There was a group of men lounging on seats outside. As she walked by one of them quickly stuck out a leg, causing her to make an undignified leap to avoid it. She spun round.
' What was that for?' she asked indignantly.
' Decided to be a girl today have you?' the man said mockingly, ' Trying to decide what to wear when you go to camp?'
She blushed a little, not knowing why she did so, and glared at him. Maybe he's drunk, she thought. She had never seen him before, or his companions, who sniggered at his last comment. They must be visiting, which was fine with her because it'd mean she wouldn't have to see the disagreeable bunch again.
'What was that for?' she demanded again, 'What have I ever done to make you act like this?'
His manner changed suddenly, and he looked angry.
'Why should I,' he cried, his voice rising, ' why should I have to give an answer to you, you filth. I shouldn't even be lowering myself so much as to speak with the army's travelling flower girl!'
He had yelled the last bit. The whole street had gone deathly quiet. Mulan's face went from red to drained of nearly all colour. She took a step towards the man.
'What,' she whispered dangerously, 'did you just call me?'
' Don't act all insulted. You think that we would swallow all that trash you fed everyone. Pah! A soldier would have been killed for what you did. But I suppose you had a little something to offer the commanders, didn't you?' he sneered ' something to bargain with to save your worthless hide. I'll bet all that stuff about saving the Emperor was a cover-up, wasn't it? To save the army from embarrassment when everyone found out. As if a runty little wench like you could ever keep up with men.' He spat at her feet.
A few gasps could be heard. Mulan recoiled as if she'd been slapped.
' How dare you,' she said, her voice loud in the resumed silence ' how dare you!'
She sprung forward, a swift kick to the man's stomach knocking the wind out of him. She was angry now, not only was he insulting her in the worst possible way, he was insulting her family, and making a complete mockery of all the pain she had been through to cope in the army, as well as her fighting skills. Well he was going to be proved wrong now. She didn't care about what laws she was breaking, or the dishonour this was likely to bring to her. The only thing she cared for was making the fool in front of her pay for what he'd just said.
Before her larger opponent could react she delivered a fierce blow to his jaw which left him reeling. She swung her legs round and knocked the feet from under him, all the time dodging the ineffective blows raining down on her. He crashed into one of the benches, then fell to the floor. She punched his skull with all the force and anger she could, knocking him out. The weight she gave to the swing forced her to half-summersault over him.
The whole thing had taken less than a minute. She stood over him, breathing lightly. There was no sign of his friends. Astonished onlookers gaped at her, and she was sure one woman had fainted.
The deafening of silence was broken by the sound of hooves. Two men bearing the Emperor's crest rode up.
'Fa Mulan.' Said one of them, bowing.
' Ye Zhong' she replied to the official, her voice wavering a little. Her dislodged hair hid her blushing face as she did so. A member of the Emperor's Consulate was probably not the best person to turn up when she'd just knocked someone unconscious. Perhaps he wouldn't notice.
' Is there anything wrong.' He asked. She blushed even more. He had definitely noticed.
' This man had insulted me to the highest degree, sir, and I am afraid that I had trouble controlling myself.'
'You!' he barked, pointing at someone in the crowd, 'Fetch some water and revive this man!' Mulan remained with her head bowed while people saw to her denouncer. She tried to ignore the rising murmurs. Oh great, she thought, Back to square one again. The man finally came round. Ye Zhong had dismounted. He walked towards the dazed man who, after a minute or two, realised the import of his standard and bowed hurriedly. It went quiet again as the official cleared his throat.
' Do you know what you are?' he asked the man in front of him.
'No, sir' came the dutiful reply.
'You are a fool' and with that he delivered the still-reeling guy a clout round the head, the sound of which echoed round the street. The man didn't dare react, Ye Zhong was too powerful.
' That is the least of what you deserve for insulting and assaulting a person with the honour and protection of the Emperor. Pick up that basket!' He ordered, indicating the Mulan's goods, which had been dropped during the fight. The man did so.
' I hope you are not so stupid as to try this again, you'd be lucky to escape with your life if you did. Now I would advise you to get out of my sight as quickly as possible, and be glad I don't ask this women to pick up where she left off.' The man hurried away, looking daggers at Mulan. She sighed with relief, for a moment there she'd forgotten the consulate's nature, forgotten his warm actions to her when she had stayed at the palace. After indicating that the onlookers should return to their own business he turned round to face her.
' Idiot if he said anything to you, he was. Asked for whatever you gave him. I see that the army training wasn't wasted on you.' She gave a sheepish smile; not quite sure whether a comment on her fighting could be a compliment, given from a man who was neither Father or Shang. 'If you get any more trouble than don't hesitate to contact me.' She bowed, amused by his grandfatherly worry towards her, and the contrast with his manner just before.
' Now, the real reason I'm here. I was just passing through and Chou Chien-Po asked me to deliver this.' He handed her a letter with the palace seal on it ' I'll be off now, but first would you like me to escort you home, you must be a bit shaken?'
'No thank you, sir, you have done more than enough already, and I would not want to inconvenience you any further. Thank you for taking the trouble to deliver the letter, and thank you for what you did just now.' Mulan was eager to disappear; she was shaken by it all, and she wanted to get away from the still-staring crowd.
' If you're sure then; farewell Fa Mulan.' The old man ascended the horse, on which he still kept a very good seat, and set off with his companion. As soon as he was gone she began to hurry away, keeping her eyes to the ground and speaking to no-one. Ye Zhong might not have thought ill of her recent behaviour, but she sure knew that a lot of other people did. Leaping onto Khan she set of for home with her mind in turmoil, still reeling from the insult and anger, and with a rising self-disgust that she had descended to his level.
It should be getting better later on, but I wanted to see what people think of this one. I will be bringing back most of the characters from the movie, and a few of my own creations, but please don't expect me to be historically correct in this, I'm not even sure if the names I've come up with are right. Just a note, flower girl means prostitute if you were getting confused, that's why it's so offensive. Please R&R this and give me some feedback. Please, Please, Please (I squirm on the ground, grovelling) It'd mean a lot to me. Til' next time!