I just want to say a special thanks to Shadow-X-Girl for this idea of a Fairy Tail - Mulan cross! DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from Fairy Tail (Hiro Mashima is the creator) nor Mulan (Robert D. San Souci made the movie).
It was a sunny day. The birds were chirping happily and a few lonely clouds sailed across the sky. In the gardens, dragonflies landed on reed stalks, resting before they flew off again. A little sunlight met the earth under beautiful cherry blossom trees, which dropped their pink leaves with the slightest breeze. The gardens shone with a soft pink glow. Everything here seemed calm.
But not in the village. The people were erupting into laughter and song. They were getting ready for a special annual celebration. A big wooden stage was occupying the center of the village. It shone with the reflection of sunlight and the polisher's pride.
All the young ladies who were not yet married were to go up on stage during the ceremony and perform a certain dance, the traditional "Kyou-no-Shiki". The young, unmarried men were to be in the first few rows of people. The women had to match the other ladies' speed during the dance; same steps, same time. No exceptions. It had to be perfect; and it always was. Never in the history of Yosei Village was there one woman that messed up during the performance. While learning the Kyou-no-Shiki dance, it was imperative that there be strict lessons and discipline.
The redisu have trained hard to master it, and the time has finally come to show the Yosei Village that they are worthy of honor. This ceremony decided their future. If a young lady caught the attention of a young man, they would be wed in a few days' time. If two men fought over one woman, they would each play Mahjong. The first man to complete his game would get to marry the young woman. The losing man would have to wait until the next year to marry.
The ladies had no choice, but that was tradition. Women were supposed to be humble, quiet, and obedient. No one expected anything less from them. That was how they were raised since birth. Be humble, be quiet, be obedient. Those were the rules for women. If a woman was told to do something by a man, they would do it without question. That was how it was.
But there was one girl by the name of McGarden Levy. She was, in a way, different from the other young redisu. Her parents, McGarden Okami and Shizuka, were also somewhat different from other parents. Instead of being overly strict on raising their daughter, they thought it best to be kind and gentle in bringing her up. They acted strict in public, but when they got home, they treated her to new books for her to read before bed. Her favorite book by far is Fairy Tail.
Because she was not raised as strict as other young ladies her age, she grew into a strong, brave girl. She acted respectfully towards others in the village, but later went home to read or play Mahjong with her father. She often forgot to go to the dance lessons, and had to make up for it by learning from her mother or a friend.
Today was the day of the wedding shiki. The day that all the young ladies have been waiting for. The results decided their future. It was one of the most important ceremonies the Yosei Village celebrated. And McGarden Levy was running late.
The McGarden garden was beautiful, especially to the girl who's future was depending on this day. She pulled a thin brush and some bamboo paper out of her homemade handbag, dipping the brush into a deep pink paint inside a small round wooden container. She was sitting in the grass, looking up at the cherry blossom tree every now and then for more details, her hazel eyes searching for any secrets it may be hiding. Her long blue hair was pulled into a high ponytail, reaching down to her upper back. A string of hair fell forward from behind her ear, which she pushed back. She painted pink flower petals on the paper, mixing some pink and white to get a lighter color, then applied it to certain parts of the tree she was painting.
"Levy, Levy!" McGarden Okami called from the house. "Daughter, what are you doing? You must get ready for the wedding ceremony!"
"Oh, right! Sorry, father! I'll hurry, otosan," she added when he looked at the time worriedly, turning back to her painting. She put the lids on the paint containers and shoved them into her bag. She lightly blew on the wet paint on the paper, setting it beside the cherry blossom tree, hoping her grandmother wouldn't touch it.
Her grandmother, McGarden Porlyusica, always needed to have an eye on her. She would take things laying around that she thought had value, then sell it in the market. She already tried to sell two antique vases, seven Mahjong tiles, and three china cups.
Good thing we caught her before she could actually sell them, Levy thought. Of course, there was the one vase... It was long gone before we could stop grandma Porlyusica from offering the young merchant a deal. What a shame, she added with a sigh. That was my favorite one when I was a little girl..
Whenever they confronted Porlyusica about the problem, the old pinkette always started to shout at them.
"When I was growing up, we didn't have as many things as we do now. We had farm tools and enough food to eat only one or two small meals a day. NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! YOU PEOPLE THESE DAYS ANNOY ME!" she would reply angrily.
Levy thought with a chill how scary her sobo could be sometimes. The village would have evicted her and told her to move out, but no one was brave enough to deliver the news to the old woman. So, she stayed where she was, at home and selling the family's things.
Levy hurried inside, put on her orange kimono with white edges, and put her hair into a high bun. She stopped just a moment to admire the small book designs near the bottom of the kimono. She was about to walk into the busy street when she suddenly stopped, feeling a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned, looking up at her father.
He smiled down at her, shallow wrinkles in his face revealing that this man had many long years of experience. His dark blue hair was tied into a high ponytail, which reached down to his upper back. A few short strings of hair stuck out from behind his ears. He was wearing a plain black-and-white kimono, which reminded Levy of yin and yang. A jade necklace rested on his collarbone.
"Good luck, daughter," he said, taking the necklace off and placing it around Levy's neck.
She smiled back, touching the necklace with her index and middle finger of her right hand. She leaned forward and gave him a hug. "Thanks, otosan. I'll do my best!"
Okami watched his daughter disappear into the crowd. He couldn't hide his expression of worry any longer. I hope you remember to contain it, musume; daughter. Please, don't let anyone see what your curse can do!