The sun was setting when she finally realized this had turned out to be a futile search. Mulan was standing on the peak of the mountain overlooking the huge valley below, after having walked for over 6 hours to get to the top. Aurora was right behind her, trying to catch her breath, as every princess not used to this life would. Mulan looked back for a while and laughed a little.
This girl, so fragile, so well taken care of her whole life, going on an endless search to find that one Prince. – She thought, before offering her hand to help the girl up the last rock.
"So this is it?" Said Aurora. It was more a statement than a question. "We've reached the end of…everything, apparently."
"Well, we still have the whole rest of the forest to search … again" she added, after a quick pause. "Though I don't think we should do that tonight". Replied Mulan, trying to be hopeful. She agreed with the princess though, it was over. They had reached the end of the world, the end of their search, of everything they were looking for.
201 days to be exact. That was the amount of time they had been going around and around, up and down, back and forth. After endless mountains, valleys, rivers crossed and caverns way too dark, they had reached the peak of this mountain, again, for the third time.
Mulan had lost hope a long time ago. She had only pursuit the search because Aurora wouldn't give up, wouldn't let go.
The warrior loved Phillip, she worshiped him. He was… well, to be honest, he was the love of her life, had always been. But she knew a lost cause when she saw one. Whether the young Prince had been taken by the wraith or died because of the dangerous of the Forest, Mulan couldn't tell, but she was sure of something, he was gone. Or they would have found him by now. She was skilled in searching and… well, to be fair, the Princess wasn't so bad herself, she knew her way around, sometimes clumsily, but she got there.
"What are you thinking about? You're quite for an awfully long time." Mulan heard Aurora's voice in the distance, and let go of her thoughts.
"Just that we should set camp for the night, it's getting dark." She said, turning around. The princess was sitting on the roots of a tree, watching her.
"Liar!" Aurora replied, but a hint of smile was on her face, making the warrior relax a little, she liked when Aurora smiled. "You were thinking about him, weren't you? I know you for quite some time now, I know when you think about someone you love, like your family and Phillip."
"Maybe." Said Mulan, but not a second had passed when she realized she wasn't thinking about Phillip at the time, but about Aurora herself. Weird – she thought to herself, not really giving much thought about it.
"I think about him a lot too. I'm glad I have you though, it makes this whole journey a little easier, somehow." She replied as if it were the simplest statement in the world, while standing up. "We have to set up the fire and cook something; can you get some logs while I'll find some fruits?"
"Yeah" Said Mulan. She wasn't ready for those words and felt silly when her heart beat a little fast. You and me both, she thought.
After a surprisingly good dinner of nuts, roots and a squirrel Mulan had been able to hunt, both women remained sat down by the fire, lost in their own thoughts.
Aurora kept thinking about how long this journey had been. So many days, so many different places of the forest she had never been before, that now seemed like a second home, so well she knew each turn, each cave. And above all, the certainty, for quite some time now, that Phillip was already dead. She tried for a while, for a long while, to believe he was alive. Mulan had always given her hope, and she had done the same in return, pushing her friend ( she could call her that now, after so much time together) forwards, encouraging her to take one more turn, one more time, another day.
But she felt stupid now. Stupid because she knew for so much time they would never find him. Stupid for feeling she had deceived the warrior, making her believe there was still a chance, still a glimpse of hope.
Mulan, on the other hand, was thinking about what she could do to soften the blow. It was time, she had to be honest. They couldn't go around this endless forest once again, searching for something that didn't exist anymore. She had to tell Aurora hope was gone, and that they would have to go back home, move on with their lives.
She imagined it would be devastating for the Princess to hear that. To believe that her beloved Prince would never be found. But Mulan knew there was a lifetime ahead of Aurora. She would go back to her kingdom, even though it was pretty destroyed after the curse, but she would go back there. She would still be the Princess, she could find someone, get married, move on with her life.
"Mulan…."
"Aurora…" Said both women at the same time.
After a quick chuckle, Mulan said: "Princesses first" with a head bow towards the younger woman.
"We need to go back home." Quick and simple, she said it."We won't find him."
The look on Mulan's face was misinterpreted by Aurora. She thought the warrior had felt disappointed and miserable on those few seconds, but she was actually really surprised. Never in the lifetime she knew Aurora could the Asian believe she could be that realistic.
"I'm sorry; I don't want you to be upset. I just feel this is hopeless and…"
"Aurora, you're right. I'm not upset, I'm relieved. I wanted to try and talk to you, convince you to go home, to your land. I just didn't have the courage to do it, I couldn't tell you to give up." At this moment she realized Aurora was crying, a single tears falling down her eye.
"I do love him. I've tried to resist for so long because I do love him, and giving this up would be giving him up. But how long will we be here, Mulan? This is not a life! This forest, these endless fields! I love him and I can't believe I'm giving him up, but I can't anymore." She started sobbing, the words got mixed up and now there wasn't only one tear but many, washing down her face, falling on the pink dress she was wearing.
Mulan put her head down, feeling everything Aurora was feeling. The loss, the lack of hope. The fact that the man she loved, that they both loved, was now forever declared out of their lives. She was sure about it for a while, but hearing Aurora's words made her realize it was real this time. There was nothing else neither of them could do. It was over. She felt hot tears steaming her eyes, felt her face get wet when they fell and started sobbing herself. It was the end of the line. Now they only had each other.
Drying her tears with the back of her hand she looked up at the Princess
"There is no point in crying, you know. We should celebrate his life, not cry over his death."
"We should bury him" Replied Aurora. "I know we won't be able to really bury him, but I want to do something."
After digging a small whole next to their camp the two women stood side by side, each holding the dearest present Phillip had given them. Mulan decided to bury her soldier's patch, the first present he had ever given her, on the first battle they fought together. Aurora took a ring from her pouch, Phillip's mother's ring, her engagement ring now.
Mulan and Aurora slowly placed the objects on the small hole the warrior had dug. Both women put their head down and prayed. Prayed for Phillip, but especially for themselves. "What to do when everything you planned for is over?" Thought Mulan to herself.
"We need to get some sleep" said Aurora.
Mulan and the princess had been lying for a while, side by side, in the little camp Mulan had built. The fire was still burning and both women were sleepless, but Aurora knew nothing good would come from spending the whole night awake.
After putting out the fire and quietly laying by Aurora's side, the Asian woman heard the dim sound of a sob, growing little by little. She knew there was nothing she could do to help the young girl. She was devastated herself, but all the losses of War had made her a little stronger. The princess, however, had never lost anybody before.
Mulan thought about what she could possibly do to make her companion's pain a little smaller. After thinking for a while, she realized the only thing to do would be just to offer her shoulder for the girl to cry on. She turned to Aurora, who was with her back facing the warrior and put her arms around her. Using the strength acquired in battles, she pulled Aurora's body close to hers and dug her face on the princess's shinning hair. She felt the princess's body stiffen for a small second. On that small amount of time, she almost regretted having done that. Though they were friends now, and were together on the woods all by themselves, they weren't close enough to be cuddling, at least not like this.
However, after the moment of surprise had passed, Aurora relaxed in the arms of the warrior. Turning her body to face Mulan, and without uttering a word, she rested her head on the warrior's shoulder and let all her tears fall out.
About 20 minutes had passed when Aurora finally stopped crying. For all that time, the only thing Mulan did, and the only movement she made, was caress up and down the girl's arms, while the princess relieved herself of all the pain caused by her loss. Aurora finally lifted her head. Looking deep into the warrior's dark brown eyes she was able to mutter a small smile and said "Thanks…for this and for everything". The warrior smiled in returned, and felt her cheeks grow a little pink for the recognition the other girl had given her.
Their eyes kept locked and Mulan felt her heart beating faster and faster. She saw her own eyes reflected on the princess's gaze. Slowly, she moved forward, one inch at a time, maybe not to scare the other woman, but mostly not to scare herself, and planted a soft kiss on pink lips. She felt Aurora's sudden intake of air. For a split second, thinking she had gone too far, she backed up ready to apologize. But just as her lips were leaving the princess's she felt Aurora's hand, that was before hanging loose behind Mulan's back, trail the short amount of space from Mulan's lower back to her neck, till it was tangled in her hair, pushing her closer into the embrace.
Tentatively, she opened her mouth, in order to feel the girl's taste. Her movement was accompanied by Aurora's, and Mulan finally had the courage to enter the girl's mouth with her tongue. What followed felt like an explosion. Neither woman had ever felt anything like that before. The connection shared previously, only emotional, had become physical, and their bodies started aching for the touch of each other.
Their tongues moved in synchronism, exploring every inch, every curve of the other's mouth. But only a kiss, as deep as it was, wouldn't be enough to suffice their growing desire anymore. Mulan rolled over on top of Aurora. With her right hand, she held the girl's left arm above her head. Her left hand repeated the movement, holding Aurora's right hand by its side. They looked deep inside each other's eyes one more time, realizing that was a moment of change, of incredible growth, a moment that would be remembered for the rest of their lives. Mulan smiled and felt pure love emanating from her body. A love that perhaps she hadn't realized was there before, but was so intense; she wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. Amazingly enough, she was reciprocated by Aurora's gaze and smile, and she was sure they were in the right place.
Mulan placed soft kisses in Aurora's mouth, and little by little followed the trail down the girl's neck till her collarbone. Nipping at the exposed flesh, she heard the hiss that came through the princess's lips as she felt the pain and pleasure of the soft bite. Back to Aurora's mouth, Mulan planted an open mouth kiss, this time a little more desperate, more urgent. Their breathing started to change as the atmosphere grew from hidden to open desire. Mulan kissed Aurora's chin and neck, till she reached to the hollow of her throat. The princess didn't dare to move, still holding her hands up above her head.
Mulan got to her knees, holding Aurora under her body. Slowly, she removed her vest and shirt, never breaking eye contact with the princess lying under her. The warrior was now bare-chested. She felt the cold air reach her nipples, hardening them instantly. Aurora's eyes darkened, desire filled her body as she had never felt before. Mulan was beautiful, her breast were small and even, simply perfect. Aurora, urging to feel the warrior's nipples in her mouth, sat up and placed both her hands on the warrior's hips. Her eyes were now in direct contact with the other woman's breast and she took a moment to admire her perfection. Kissing the space between them, she took a deep breath, and felt Mulan's scent fill her lungs. She felt her own wetness when, carefully, she placed her open mouth on the girl's breast, her right hand slowly touching the other one. Mulan threw her head back, feeling her breath become uneven. Holding Aurora's face with both her hands, she pulled the girl closer to a now passionate, intense kiss. Tongues moved in circle, up and down, faster and faster. Teeth bit hard on bottom lips as the two women lost themselves in each other.
Still keeping the rhythm, Mulan reached for Aurora's back and untied her dress. Holding both straps, she slid them off the girl's shoulders, exposing her breasts. Breaking the kiss in order to appreciate the girl's beauty, she smiled tenderly upon looking at her skin. Aurora's pink nipples were hard, not from the cold, but from the growing desire inside of her.
"Lie down" – said Mulan. It was the first time any of them had spoken since the beginning of their interaction.
Aurora obeyed, resting her hands on the warrior's thighs. Repeating the earlier movement, Mulan positioned the princess's hand above her head and again kissed her passionately. Her breasts touched Aurora's and both women moaned loudly for the first time. Mulan felt her body tremble with pleasure as she rested with full body weight on top of Aurora. Her tongue explored the girl's mouth, neck, and the valley between her breasts. It left a trail of wetness as she went down Aurora's body placing soft kiss all over her stomach. Reaching her navel, she hooked her fingers on blue dress and started sliding it down Aurora's legs. Once they were completely removed, she stood up and stripped off of her own clothes, always looking into the other girl's eyes.
Now they were both naked, Mulan standing, looking down. Aurora lying, her hands up above her head. The warrior couldn't move, she was mesmerized by Aurora's beauty. Her eyes went from the princess's eyes to her lips, slowly moving down her body, watching the pinkness of her nipples, the flatness of her stomach, up to the beauty of the princess's exposed sex.
"Come here"- Aurora whispered, so low Mulan only heard because of the deep silence of the forest.
As Mulan lied down once more on top of her, Aurora circled the warrior's waist with her legs, and felt the pressure of the woman sex against her own. They couldn't have described the feeling if they were asked too. Neither woman had felt that much desire, that much pleasure in the arms of anyone else.
Forcing her hips forward, Mulan felt her center touch Aurora's and slowly developed a rhythm that would soon leave both women aching for air. But she needed more, she needed to be inside Aurora, she needed to fell the girl's wetness with her own fingers. Reaching down, she cupped Aurora's sex with her palm. She could already feel the wetness that was pooling in her fingers. Sticking her middle finger, she explored Aurora's entrance, her clit, her lips.
"Please, Mulan! Please, fuck me!" – whispered Aurora in Mulan's ear.
Aurora's sentence was so surprising, so arousing, Mulan felt like she would come right there. Pulling herself together, she inserted not one but two fingers knuckle deep into the princess, hard and fast. The princess moaned loud and Mulan felt her back being pierced by the other girl's nails. She removed them all at once, earning a complaining sigh from the other girl.
Putting wet fingers in her mouth, Mulan sucked them slowly, while Aurora watched. "Open your mouth" said the warrior. She placed both fingers into the other woman and watched as the girl tasted her own sex mixed with Mulan's taste.
"Don't stop!" - said Aurora after licking Mulan's fingers clean. She held the warrior's hand and placed it over her own sex, bucking her hips in order to feel Mulan's fingers inside of her. And that's what Mulan did. First with only one finger, then with two. As both women picked up speed Mulan felt her own arousal taking over her. Every time she slid her fingers inside Aurora she reached closer and closer to her own limit. The warrior started moving a little faster. All they could hear was the sound of Mulan's fingers pounding inside of Aurora and the slick sound of the girl's wetness. The warrior felt Aurora's body tremble and an unexpected tightness of the girl's insides. Aurora started moaning loudly, her breath got shorter and faster. Involving the warrior with arms and legs, the princess pulled her closer and closer as she reached her highest point. A mixture of pleasure and pain and more pleasure she could only have described as heaven itself. She felt all her limbs go numb as she got down from that high and felt the warrior's weight on top of her. She smiled. She felt Mulan smile too, with her head buried in the girl's neck.
Finally lying by Aurora's side, Mulan cupped the princess's face with her hands and whispered: "So this is what real love feels like."
"Care to develop?" Replied the princess.
"I never thought you could feel love not only in your heart, but also running through your body. I never thought I could feel so grounded and yet so far off as I did just now."
Aurora simply smiled and lightly touched her lips on Mulan's. "I think we should sleep now. We have a kingdom to return to tomorrow, and I have a soon-to-be Princess to introduce my parent's."
Closing her eyes Aurora soon drifted off to sleep. Mulan did the same thing herself. No nightmares interrupted the woman's dreams that night.
