A femslash I thought of after watching Mulan on YouTube. Aah~The wonders of technology nowadays~


The night was clear, dark shreds of cloud partly obscuring the moon's bright face. Below, spread across the land like a giant serpent; lay the Great Wall of China. It was China's pride and joy, a silent guardian, fortified to protect their land against any that wished them harm. Crouched on a hillock far below the battlements, the figure allowed a glint of a smile to flash from beneath his heavy fur hood. Soon… Soon all would change.


Mulan hummed as she dipped the brush into the ink tablet by her bed. With delicate strokes, she traced the words onto her own arm, using the sheet of paper as reference. "Let's see...quiet, and demure, graceful, polite, kind, poised…"She finished the last few delicate strokes of the brush. "Punctual!"

The cock crowed and the girl jumped from her spot on the bed with a frantic cry. The copying of the notes had taken far longer than she had expected. Stuffing one final heap of rice into her mouth, she ran from her bedroom. Entering the opposing room, she cooed affectionately at her idiot of a dog. "Who's the smartest doggy in the world?!" The animal leapt up, wagging his tail delightedly. Tying a bag of chicken feed to his collar, she opened the door, letting him tear out into the yard, therefore accomplishing one of her morning chores. She grinned triumphantly. One down, one to go.

Dressed properly, she emerged from the house, neatly balancing a teapot and cup on a brown tray. Passing Khan, she stroked the stallion's muzzle and planted a kiss upon his forehead. The stallion nickered affectionately, nudging her chest. She smiled and continued on her way, dodging a small gaggle of chickens. Judging by the trail of chicken feed, she guessed correctly that they had already been fed. Passing under the circular entrance to the gardens, she trotted up the cobblestone walkway.

Lifting her skirt to prevent from tripping, she ascended the stairs leading to the small shrine. Mulan smiled fondly at her dog, who was whimpering helplessly, snapping at the bone just out of his reach. She knew that it had been a good idea to put aside the bone from dinner last night. Putting it into his mouth, she turned and walked straight into her father.

Glass clinked as the teacup smashed onto the ground, the steaming pot of tea hanging upon Fa Zhou's walking stick. "Mulan…" he said warningly. The girl just smiled and produced a second cup from her belt.

"I brought a spare."

"Mulan…"

Mulan tipped the pot, pouring the tea into the cup. "Remember, the doctor said three cups in the morning and three at night." She placed the cup into his large, callused hands.

"Mulan, you should be in town already."

Mulan smiled. "Don't worry about me, Father. I won't disappoint you." Surreptitiously, she pulled her sleeve down, hiding her cheat notes. Turning, she ran down the steps, waving to her father as she went.

He watched her go. His eldest and only child. Always an abundance of smiles and energy. Fa Zhou sighed. If only she had been born a boy… He glanced down at the dog by his feet. It looked up at him with large eyes. "…I think I'll go pray some more…"


Riding bareback through town, Mulan lifted an eyebrow as she watched her grandmother waving to her mother from beyond a wreck of broken wagons and goods. She wasn't completely sure what happened and she was quite sure she didn't want to know. Hopefully no one would want to press charges. Smiling, she shook her head. It was no mystery who she resembled in the family.

Pulling to a stop next to her mother, she flipped down from the horse.

"Ta-Da!" The elder Fa glared at her. Mulan's smile faded. "What?" she whined. "I had to-" Her mother sighed frustratedly. "No excuses. Let's get you cleaned up." Grabbing her elbow, she dragged the disheveled girl into the shop. Khan watched her go sympathetically and snorted. His mistress was in for it now.


Dressed and primped to perfection, Mulan flinched as the doors to the matchmaker's quarters flew open with a bang. "Fa Mulan." The girl jumped up with a smile. "Present!" Her enthusiasm was greeted with a frown and lifted eyebrow. The fat woman made a note on her board. "Speaking without permission," she muttered. "Oops…" She walked forward, already filled with a sense of forboding. The doors slammed shut behind her.

Mulan's eyes followed the matchmaker nervously as the elder woman eyed her critically. "Hmm…" She made a note on her board. "Too skinny."

Mulan's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. What on earth… Just as the matchmaker turned away, the cricket decided to jump onto her shoulder. Forcing down a gasp of surprise, Mulan grabbed the cricket, attempting to put it back into the cage. Slipping from her grasp, it leapt to and fro until, for lack of better place to put it, Mulan stuffed it in her mouth, just as the matchmaker glared at her. Okay, hi Grandmamma, I don't know what's wrong with this cricket you gave me, but I think it's broken…

"Recite the code."

Smiling through a mouthful of cricket, Mulan fumbled for her fan and snapped it open, spitting Cricket out to one side. "Um…Fulfill your duties calmly and…" She sneaked a look at the blurred notes on her inner forearm. "Respectfully. And…um…relax before you snack..I-I mean act!Reflect before you act! This shall bring you honor and glory!"

She finished off in a rush, giving a sigh of sheer relief. The matchmaker suddenly grabbed her arm and confiscated her fan, twitching it from back to front, checking for cheat notes. "Hmm…"

Mulan shrank from her squinted gaze of suspicion and offered a sheepish smile. Huffing, the matchmaker returned the fan. Dragging Mulan to a nearby desk and she shoved her down. "Now, pour the tea." Mulan gawked as the woman exposed a hand, blackened by ink from her arm. "To be a good bride, one must always maintain an air of…," The matchmaker unconsciously drew a large beard on her face. "Dignity." The tea from the pot flooded the table as she stared at the matchmaker's face. Looking down, she quickly corrected her mistake and poured the tea into the cup, suddenly noticing the presence of Cricket, who was lounging comfortably in the cup.

Before she could remove the offending individual, the matchmaker took the cup and sniffed. Mulan cringed as the woman took a gulp and nearly choked, instantly spitting the Cricket out. "Bleh! Are you trying to kill me?!" Jumping up, she lost her balance, knocking over the small furnace used to boil the tea and falling upon the coals. "AIEEEE!"

Mulan jumped up as well as the matchmaker ran about frantically, screaming for someone to put out the fire. Fanning it frantically with her fan, Mulan's only result was to create a roaring fire upon the woman's backside.

The crowd gathered outside waited anxiously as screams sounded from inside. Suddenly, the twin doors slammed open once again revealing the matchmaker, slapping frantically at the fire on the butt. The grandmother chuckled in amusement. "Oho, anyone fancy fried pig?!"

"Grandmother!" cried Mulan's mother in shock.

The crowd watched in horrified amusement as Mulan grabbed the teapot and splashed in straight into the victim's face. The matchmaker stared flatly at Mulan as the girl returned the teapot to her and quickly went to join her mother, covering her face with her sleeve. The matchmaker threw the teapot after the trio's retreating backs. "You'll never be a proper bride, you hear me?! NEVER!"

Mulan flinched at the harsh words. Her grandmother laid a comforting hand upon her arm. Mulan favored her with a quivering smile and took control of Khan's harness. "M-May I go on ahead?" The two elder women exchanged looks, then her mother smiled sadly and nodded. Mulan pulled herself onto the horse's back without her usual enthusiasm. Giving Khan a gentle nudge of her heels, she rode off. The two women watched her go, fearful of her future.


Reaching home, Mulan dismounted from Khan and led him inside, eyes downcast. Feeling a gaze upon her, she looked up to meet her father's hopeful eyes and half-smile. Ashamed, she looked down again, quickly leading Khan into his fold and removing his harness. The horse gently lipped her clothes, regarding her with soft brown eyes. Mulan smiled sadly, and then exited the fold, watching as her father greeted her mother. His face fell and Mulan felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Unable to look any longer, she set off towards the garden.

Upon entering, she stared into the pool of clear water, reflecting her face back at her. Wiping the make-up from her face, she stared hard at her own face. "Maybe…this isn't the role I'm meant to play…"

Soft footsteps alerted her of another's presence. Her father joined her to stare at the blossoms. "What beautiful floweres." Mulan looked away, her heart clenching as cold fear trickled down her spine. "I'm sorry father." He acted as if he had not heard her. "But there's one which has not bloomed. It's probably going to bloom more beautifully than all the rest. Wouldn't you agree?" He smiled down at his wayward daughter.

Mulan's eyes widened, then smiled gratefully at her father and wrapped her arms around him.

The sound of drums thundered in the air. Fa Zhou lifted his head and Mulan untangled her arms from his torso. "Father, what's wrong?" A look of worry crossed his features and he stood, a soft groan of pain passing his lips as he willed his crippled leg to support him.

Mulan followed him as he advanced towards the street, a feeling of dread flooding her. Her father stared out at the three soldiers on their horses, surrounded by the people of their small village. Mulan joined him, along with her mother and grandmother. Her mother held her back as Fa Zhou walked out the door. "No, stay here Mulan. Don't interfere."

Mulan looked in frustration at her father's back. Her grandmother coughed, catching her attention, gesturing towards a ladder leaning against the wall. Running towards it, she scaled the wall quickly, just in time to see a scrawny man with a haughty expression snap open a scroll and begin reading. "I bring news from the Imperial City! The Huns have invaded and it is the Royal Proclamation that one man from each family much serve in the Emperor's Army!"

He coughed importantly and looked down at the scroll once more, snapping out names. One by one, young men came forward to accept the scrolls. Mulan felt a trickle of fear run down her spine. One man from each family, this would certainly mean… "The Fa family!" "No…" she whispered, looking down towards her father. He handed his crutch over to her mother and stepped forward, head held high as he limped forward to accept the scroll. Mulan leapt down from the ladder and raced out the door, intercepting her father just as he was about to accept the scroll. "Father, no! You can't do this!"

Fa Zhou turned in shock. "Mulan!" he exclaimed.

The girl stared pleadingly up at the soldier. "Sir, my father has already served the country loyally and-"

She was cut off by the tall thin man. "Silence." He glared at Fa Zhou. "You would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue while in a man's presence." He handed the scroll to Fa Zhou with a final sneer of derision in Mulan's direction. "Report tomorrow morning at the Wu Shong camp."

Mulan turned towards her father, opening her mouth to issue an apology, to beg him not to go. Fa Zhou averted his gaze from Mulan. "Mulan, you dishonor me."

Mulan's features crumpled in sorrow at her father's words. Her mother grabbed her shoulders to gently lead her away. "Come Mulan. There is nothing you can do." Mulan lowered her head and let her mother lead her into the house while behind her, the man continued calling out the names of families.

The dinner that night was silent and tense. Shoulders stiff with anger, Mulan lifted the teapot to refill the cups around the desk and suddenly set it d


own with a thud upon the table. "This isn't right! You shouldn't need to do this!" Her father calmly set his cup upon the table. "I consider it an honor to serve my country." Mulan scowled angrily. "There are plenty of able-bodied men to serve China! Would you die to serve your honour and pride?!" Fa Zhou stood up suddenly. "I will die doing what I believe is right!" "But-" Her father cut her off angrily. "I know my place Mulan. Know yours as well!" Mulan recoiled as if stung. She stared up at her father with pained eyes and ran from the house.

Fa Zhou sat down heavily, his gaze stony as he watched his daughter flee the house. He briefly met his wife's slightly accusing gaze. "Do not say I was too harsh with her. It is a lesson she will one day need to learn. Better it be from me than another."

Hiding beneath the stone dragon sometime later, with the storm raging about her, Mulan stared bitterly on at the figures illuminated through the window. She watched as her father blew the candle out, everything fading to black. Her father could not go to war. Mulan knew his legacy as a soldier, his brave deeds and his strength. That man did not exist anymore, not after the crippling wound he had taken to his leg. She would not allow him to now hardened, her brows furrowed as she made up her mind. She would go to war, not her father. And she would bring honor to her family, one way or another.

Stealing into her parent's room, she snatched the scroll issued by the soldier from the bedside table, gently depositing her flowered comb in its stead. She cast a final gaze at her parents, knowing very well that it may be the last time she would see them. Opening her father's cupboard, she removed his sword from his scabbard. Taking a deep breath, she positioned the sword above a lock of her hair and sliced down. Several moments later, hair cropped short, dressed in her father's armor and leading Khan, Mulan looked back one last time. The horse nickered softly. Mulan bit her lip and steeled her resolve. "Hyah!" The doors were crashed wide open as the horse and rider rode off into the night, unknowing what destiny had in store for them.


Alright! A revised first chapter. Hope you like it. =)