Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara or Disney's Mulan
"Fujisaki Nadeshiko", Nobuko-sama called after looking at a scroll.
"Present!" the girl called as she came forward.
"Speaking without permission", the woman noted. Nadeshiko inwardly cursed herself, Utau had just told her to keep quiet and nod.
The woman led Nadeshiko inside where they sat on opposite sides of a table. After about five minutes of silence Nobuko looked up. "There is something about you I don't like".
Nadeshiko gulped. She really had no way to respond to that, even if she wanted to. More silence. "Pour the tea", the matchmaker instructed. Before she could do so, Nobuko grabbed her wrist and stared at it.
"Too skinny", she noted. "Not good for bearing children". Nadeshiko struggled not to point out that Nobuko should be the last person in the world to talk about someone being too anything when the woman herself had the figure of an Easter egg.
"Now tell me", the matchmaker said. "What is your duty as a woman?"
"My duty is to…find my true self and serve my country while following my heart", Nadeshiko recited the mantra.
"Wrong. Completely erroneous! Where did you hear such foolishness girl?" the woman barked. Nade cringed inwardly. What she had recited was a pact she made with her friends years ago.
"The duty of a young woman is to bear children and to please one's husband and in laws. Your 'true self' and heart are of no consequence".
This angered Temari. How dare this creepy shrewd spinster destroy the dreams of young women? They were just as entitled to chase their desires as a man. The cricket intended to show the matchmaker exactly how opposed she was to her teachings. She did this by using the woman's tea as her personal hot spring.
"What would you do if you found the Huns in your house?" the matchmaker questioned.
"Um kill them?" Nade said unsurely. What kind of question was that anyway?
"Chivalrous but no; you should run immediately to get your husband".
Nadeshiko nodded obediently while thinking something along the lines of 'anti-feminist bitch'. Nobuko's head snapped up and Nade feared she said it out loud. "Nadeshiko, have you gone to school and if so for how long?" she questioned.
"Up until last year, that's as high as the school went", the girl explained. Nobuko rubbed her temples.
"Don't go around telling people that. Most men want ignorant women. They tend to be more virtuous", she said. Nobuko then sniffed her tea and smiled contentedly.
Nadeshiko sighed in relief. Controversial as her ideas were, she at least knew how to act the part of a proper lady, and tea ceremonies happened to be her specialty. She was sure that everything would go swimmingly until she saw two antennas sticking out of the cup.
"Um, Nobuko-sama", she started.
"Be silent child", the woman ordered.
Nadeshiko crawled up on the table in an attempt to snatch Temari from the cup; unfortunately Nobuko looked up at the same time. "Let go!" Reflexively, she did just that and in result the contents of the cup splashed all over the already furious matchmaker.
"Why you clumsy bitch! Wait…is something burning?" In her anger, the matchmaker failed to realize she had been sitting on a stove. She jumped up. "You useless girl help me!" she shouted.
"Okay", Nadeshiko said in feigned innocence. She began to fan the flames, and they only got bigger, as she knew they would. Nade knew that anything she did at this point wouldn't better or worsen the situation so she decided to have some fun with it.
"Put it out! Put it out!" the woman howled in agony. Nadeshiko rolled her eyes. People could be so dramatic. She threw the rest of the tea onto her and stifled a laugh as her (excessive) makeup slid down her face. Temari smirked as she slipped back into her cage.
"You…YOU ARE A DISGRACE!" Nobuko shouted. "You may look like a bride, and you may be a Fujisaki but YOU WILL NEVER BRING YOUR FAMILY HONOR!" The door was slammed in Nade's face leaving her to reflect with half the village staring at her.
She walked the streets looking at the ground, with tears streaming down her face. She'd done it again. They were all banking on her; her parents, her friends, Baaya, and all she did was prove to be a bigger disappointment than any of them accounted for. At that moment, she desired nothing more than to be hit with a cart. Her wish was only half fulfilled when she ran into something…or someone.
And this someone had very fast reflexes, catching her by the waist before she hit the ground. She looked up; it was Hotori Tadase, a friend of her brother's. He was good looking, kind, and of a decent family. She would have probably ended up with someone like him if she didn't screw up so badly. This thought only made her cry more.
"F-Fujisaki-san, you're crying…what's wrong?" he asked. Nadeshiko sniffled. His beautiful eyes were sparkling and she felt herself become enchanted.
"Please don't shame yourself by looking at me", she said, returning her gaze to the ground. Tadase turned her head to face him.
"Fujisaki-san, it honors me to gaze upon one so beautiful", he said. Nadeshiko was puzzled. Why on earth was he being so nice to her? Surely he must have known what has just taken place.
"Hotori-kun, I am not worth your compliments", she said humbly, trying once again to divert her eyes from his handsome face.
"Oh, so you do remember me. In that case, please allow me to escort you to your home", he said, completely ignoring her previous comment.
Amu looked out the window and saw Nadeshiko walking with a boy. "Damn Nade, she has suitors already". Utau, Rima, and Yaya came to the window.
"Oh it's Tadase-kun! Aww they make such a cute match! Yaya wants to congratulate them!" the girl said. Utau nodded and the four rushed downstairs.
"Arigato Hotori-kun", Nadeshiko said while waving the boy off. He smiled at her.
"See you around, Fujisaki-san", he said with a wink.
"Oh my god he's sexy!" Amu said. "I knew you had nothing to worry about".
"Were you matched already or is he just a suitor?" Utau questioned.
"Yaya thinks Na-chi should pick Tadase! They would get married and have cute blonde and purple haired kids!"
"Maybe we could have a double wedding", Rima offered shyly. Suddenly Nadeshiko started tearing up again, leaving her friends stunned.
"Why is Na-chi crying? Are they tears of joy?" Yaya questioned.
"I know he's not the best but Tadase isn't THAT bad", Utau teased. Nadeshiko rubbed her eye and turned from them.
"No, I'm not engaged to Hotori-kun and I won't be to him or anyone for that matter", the girl said darkly.
"W-what do you mean?" Amu asked. She hoped it wasn't as she feared.
"Minna, I just want to be alone for a while", Nadeshiko said. She walked away and locked herself inside her family's shrine. She stared at herself in the mirror and wiped half the makeup off. She was supposed to be a beauty, a trophy wife, nothing more than a simple transaction to benefit her family.
She failed at that purpose…badly. But even if she hadn't, she wouldn't have wanted. Nadeshiko knew she was meant for more in life. But unfortunately her reflection didn't show who she was inside.
A/N: This is chapter two! I told you it was going to be a little different than the original but I hope you still like it! Review Please!