Disclaimer: All characters in this story are the rightful property of Disney, except for Luo Jin, Captain Hsiao Tso-liang and Captain Ma Yuan, who belong to icedragon6171 and Captain Wo Chen, Huo Feng, Hsien Loong and Tsai Lin who belong to me!:)
A/N: This is the prize for the 400th reviewer! The incredible EBunnyLove gave me the following prompt:
For my prompt I think I'd like to see Shang's POV when he saves Mulan from Luo Jin back in the fortress and up until he gets thrown out of the gates. I've always wondered what he thought then and if he'd realized any feelings for Mulan by that point.
I hope you don't mind the fact that I wrote the POV in third person instead of first.
Just so that you remember, before the incident with Luo Jin, Mulan and Shang had been at odds because of Mulan's attempt to save a slave from abuse.
WARNING: please be aware that this one-shot deals with the issue of attempted rape, although not in a descriptive, explicit way.
Towards the Setting Sun: Rage
Shang was sitting at his desk trying to get some paperwork done. This was by no means a strange occurrence. Since General Su's arrival, Shang had been making an extra effort to ensure every bit of info was up to date. Not that the young General was particularly known for being disorganised or for not taking care of the affairs of the Army, but Shang didn't want to give Su Dingfeng any reason whatsoever to doubt his capacity for leadership.
The task, however, was not easy. Pleasing that man was as hard as taming horses to fly, and despite Shang's extraordinary discipline, he had to admit – even if only to himself – that the older man's scrutiny and constant disapproval were taking their toll.
Not so long ago, he would have had Mulan to talk to. Not that he would inform her of his doubts and anxieties, or of his relationship with the other man; after all, she was his subordinate and despite also being his friend, those discussions were not appropriate to have with a lower ranking official. She would have distracted him with anecdotes of her youth, they would have discussed text they both had read, or talked about the men's progress in training. Anything, really, would have distracted him from his current somber mood. However, the point was moot. It didn't seem like any talking of any kind was going to be happening between them any time soon. Shang told himself it wasn't a matter of pride. He was simply teaching her a lesson she needed to learn. That stupid female compassion of hers was both a hindrance and a detriment to her position in the Army. Orders were orders, and they had to be followed. No matter how brilliant Mulan was, they applied to her as they did to everyone else.
She had thanked him the other night for taking care of Luo Jin's injuries. He had hoped – although not really expected – an apology from her, and had only received thanks for performing his duties as a General of the Army. However, it had been soft, so different from the last hostile tones that had permeated her voice the previous time they had spoken. He was hoping for reconciliation soon.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts of that train of thought. There he was: thinking about everything except about the food provisions charts in front of him, which were coincidentally what he should have been thinking about. He looked down at them again correcting certain data that needed to be fixed. More soldiers at camp meant there was need of more provisions, and that had to be duly recorded.
Once he was done he decided to go out for a walk. He knew he should probably try to get some very much needed sleep. He also knew he was probably going to find sleep difficult that night, just as he had the night before and the one before that.
The sun had already set and the skies were the same drab grey they had been all day, only darker. It was also a bit chilly. Definitely not the best evening to take a stroll. His mind made up, he nevertheless walked on.
He wandered aimlessly away from the building complex and towards the walls that overlooked the city of Kashgar. The night was quiet. He had given the men leave to spend the evening in the town. The few that had decided to stay were nowhere to be seen.
Moonlight suddenly washed over him and he looked up. The moon wouldn't be visible for very long, but in that moment it illuminated the walls and the guardhouses, shining its light over two figures standing too close to each other to be guards on duty. Soldiers off duty were not allowed on the wall, much less to talk to those that were on duty. The men at the wall had to be attentive at all times, and could not be distracted by idle chitchat.
Already thinking of how he was going to reprimand them, Shang walked towards the stairs. He had almost made his way to the top when he heard a muffled cry. A female cry.
'Mulan!'
He rushed to the top and was greeted by the revolting sight of a man pressing Mulan against the wall of the guardhouse.
'Luo Jin! And to think I felt pity for that dishonourable bastard!'
Shang lunged for Jin, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him back and away from Mulan. Luo Jin cried out as Shang's hand dug into his recently broken and bandaged collarbone. Shang didn't give him any time to recuperate before his fist collided with the other man's face, making him drop to the floor.
With unparalleled swiftness, Shang delivered a strong kick to the prone man's head, successfully knocking him unconscious.
Having taken care of the threat, he turned around and slowly approached Mulan, who at this point had slumped to the floor in a trembling mess, tears spilling down her cheeks. She reached behind her, to touch the back of her head. Her fingers were crimson with sticky blood when she looked at them, her eyes widening slightly as she let out a soft pained sob.
Shang took her gently by the shoulders and pulled her to a sitting position. "Mulan?"
He heard her sob again, this time in relief, as new tears sprang from her eyes. Her shoulders quaked and her whole body trembled.
Shang felt a mixture of uncertainty and blind rage. He tampered those feelings down and concentrated on the woman before him. First things first: he had to take care of her. Later he would have time to deal with both Jin and his feelings, but right now, they were all secondary.
He wrapped his arms around her, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder while he caressed her hair. They sat there for several minutes until both her tears and shivers subsided.
He then gathered her in his arms and started to walk away, bypassing Luo Jin's still unconscious body. After the kick he had delivered, Shang had no doubt the man would remain out cold for a long time.
He left Mulan in the capable hands of the medic and ordered a couple of soldiers on watch to retrieve Luo Jin's unconscious body and to lock him up.
Tomorrow Luo Jin would serve as an example to the rest of the men.
In the meantime, Shang had a lot to think about.
Shang knew bringing a woman to the Army presented risks. But Mulan had always seemed so capable, so self-sufficient. Shang had, of course, tried to prepare her, to ensure she was ready to face the dangers of war.
Had he perhaps been too arrogant believing he would be able to protect her? No matter how proficient she was in strategic warfare, how well she knew "The Art of War", or how dexterous she was at hand to hand combat, the fact remained that she lacked the brute force of the men.
What if Shang hadn't happened to walk by and see what was happening? What if instead of one man, there had been more?
'No. I must not think like that. I cannot dwell on what could have been'.
When he had seen Luo Jin pinning Mulan against that wall, he had felt furious. Rage had coursed though his veins at the sight of the scene before him and it was only due to his outstanding control that he had not killed the other man right then and there.
That rage had not been born out of his duty as a General. Not even out of his duty as the man who had promised her father he would take care of her. No. It was only for her.
Was Mulan a desirable woman? Undoubtedly. Shang was man enough to admit he desired her for himself. And in a military camp full of men, even those who would find Mulan lacking upon comparison with other women, would readily dismiss those perceived flaws.
That, however, didn't lay the fault of tonight's events at Mulan's feet. Luo Jin was the only one responsible for his own actions. And he would be the one to pay. Shang was well aware he could not teach the men that a woman was much more than a tool for a man's pleasure. But he could certainly remind them that assaulting a military official – any official – was a crime.
A crime punishable by death.
Luo Jin would die in the morning.
…
If the day before had been overcast, then this day was positively black. The sky was a stormy patchwork of roiling clouds, ready to unleash the fury of the heavens on those gathered below in the courtyard of the fortress. A post had been erected in the early hours of the morning, and now every soldier garrisoned there was assembled to witness the punishment of Luo Jin, Mulan's former friend, and, as of the night before, assailant.
It was only through Mulan's intervention that Luo Jin's life was to be spared. Shang hadn't been willing to make that concession. The man had broken the law, and so he had to face the consequences. However, as he looked into Mulan's eyes while she begged him to spare his life, he understood: even after what he had done, Mulan couldn't bear to see her childhood friend die. There it was again: that stupid female compassion of hers.
But despite his misgivings on the matter, he understood. And he didn't want to be the one to add to Mulan's burden, so he would let her have it her way.
He would, notwithstanding, ensure the crime received fitting punishment: a whole life in dishonour instead of death. For Shang, that might have been even worse.
The whip cracked again, shortly followed by Jin's agonised scream as he received another lashing. He would receive two hundred lashings, to act as a warning to any who would think to act as he had done. Then, after his punishment was received, he would be discharged from the army and sent home, dishonoured. Maybe, then, Jin would have preferred death; his family were prestigious, and would not look twice at a son who had disgraced their name.
Another crack, another scream. Shang looked at Mulan, who stood beside him, and saw her wince, trying to stop her hands from shaking by turning them into fists. Still, she kept her head high. Shang couldn't help the swell of pride he felt for her in that moment. She was well aware that as a figure of authority and the victim of Jin's crime she needed to make an appearance. Shang didn't enjoy torturing the man, although admittedly, he illogically felt some sense of justice was being restored with each lashing, despite the fact that the previous night's events could never be undone.
The thud of a sword severing the ropes tying Jin's wrists to the post signalled the end, and Shang looked as Jin's limp form got dragged up and taken to the open gate by two guards. Now, with his back turned, the extent of his injuries was visible. His back, now a bloody mess of shredded skin, would be scarred for life, if he survived the trek back across the desert, and that way everyone would know what he had done.
The two men dragging Jin dropped him onto the dusty road outside the gate, before turning and marching back in. Jin, beyond, struggled up onto his hands and knees, his injured arm hanging limply by his side, even as the huge wooden gates began to close. Sitting back on his haunches, he seemed to stare at his hands for a moment, the gates drawing steadily closed behind him. Just before they shut, he turned to look over his shoulder, and caught Mulan's gaze, just or a split-second. Shang saw her tremble, and knew it would be some time before she could get over the whole ordeal.
Was it possible to get over such a thing? To get over a soldier betraying the trust between comrades? To get over a best friend dishonouring another in such a way? For Mulan's sake, Shang hoped so.
He was going to do everything in his power to ensure it was so.
The gates shut with a resounding bang, sealing away the image of Jin's bloodied form. That would hopefully be the last anyone ever saw of him.