Although she had been back many times since she was married, the sad news brought her back the swiftest. The gates seemed so dark, so sad as they rode up, looking at the house and farm. Everything seemed so black, as if light were afraid to shine on the house of Fa, as if such tragedy had extinguished the sun.
Fa Li met them at the gate, smiling through her watery tears.
"Mulan... Shang... You came so quickly.." Fa Li smiled as they dismounted. Mulan hugged her mother tightly.
"Mama..." Mulan buried her face in her shoulder and cried. Shang watched helplessly as the two women clung to each other and cried. Shang slowly pulled his wife away from her mother and smiled to them both apologetically.
"It's getting colder, Ladies." he told them, both guiding them into the house. The two women walked into the house while Shang put the horses into the stables. He sighed as the two horses drank from the trough. How could he do this? Survive in this house while his wife did nothing but cry?
He made his way slowly through to the house, finding Mulan sitting on the steps waiting for him.
"Mulan, we should walk." he pulled her to her feet and led her through to the gardens, watching her walk and remember. Shang smiled softly as she jumped onto the banister of the bridge, jumping from each post and then gracefully onto the ground.
"I used to come out here the whole time." She told him, smiling simply. "And there was a great stone dragon here... before Mushu knocked it down." she laughed quietly, brushing her hand against the stone that was left. "I used to paddle in the pond... and come out here when ever I was sad..." Mulan looked back to the house and then up to the grey clouds that were descending upon them.
"Mulan?" Shang asked quietly, not wanting to disturb her thoughts.
"It rained the night I left... I sat out here for hours in the rain... I sat under the dragon and watched my mother and father argue... then I ran." Mulan mumbled. "It doesn't feel real."
"The Army?" Shang asked. "Many grown men cannot handle it, how a sixteen year old managed I don't know." Shang told her honestly. Mulan looked away and walked further until they were out into the fields. She looked around the corn and wheat and wondered who would bring in the harvest? She normally did it, and Shang would help... but now?
Mulan rolled up her sleeves and tied her hair back. She grabbed what she would need and started to take in the harvest.
Shang watched her work for a few moments before helping. They needed the harvest brought in or they would starve.
They worked silently for almost four hours before Fa Li came to find them.
"Mulan, Shang... It's time. We need to go.." Fa Li smiled as Mulan and Shang made their way up to the faimly temple. "Mulan..?" Fa Li knelt with the others and waited for her daughter to speak.
"Great ancestors, another has joined you today, and we wish for you to accept my father into the temple. Please let him watch over us...and..." Mulan sobbed. "Baba I miss you." she whispered. Shang led her and her mother down the steps and back into the grieving house of Fa.
Long after the sun had set, Mulan joined the ancestors once again in the temple to think. She sat opposite her father's headstone and watched it. Mushu had often said that the stones would glow blue when they were awakening, he said that they would talk and offer advice to people who asked.
"Baba, please... I need help. I miss you so, and I feel empty and I worry that Shang hates me for it." Mulan spoke into the empty temple. "Help me, Baba, give me words of comfort." Mulan cried. A breeze blew through the temple, stirring her hair. It felt like her father was just behind her, wrapping comforting arms around her.
"The greatest gift and honour is having you for a daughter..."