Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX or Mulan

Chapter 9

Waking Up

A calming breeze rustled the flags hung around the camp, making them gently blow around in the wind. Careful arrangements of tents were set up all around this area of the camp, each tent holding within its flimsy walls a soldier and his belongings - unless that soldier had already left for breakfast, which many probably had. A few birds passed overhead, flying directly over the lone tent which was shabbily set up - its occupant having no idea how to set up a tent and her dragon having even less of an idea about it than she did - a small distance away from all the other tents. It was under a skinny tree and had a white horse grazing outside.

Inside the tent, next to a sleeping brunette, an aqua coloured cricket slept sounding in a shoe, using a sock as a blanket. The cricket's sleep was disturbed when a blue and white dragon grabbed him and began roughly twisting his wings up together tightly. The cricket, Syrus, pulled a face which showed surprised pain, and then was lowered to the head of the slumbering brunette human. The dragon released the wings and Syrus rattled about as his wings unfurled at a rapid face, making a sound which was similar to an alarm clock. The dragon's tricks using the poor cricket worked - the brunette woke up and jerked her head up, staring blearily at the cricket.

"All right! Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Atticus grinned, lightly tapping on the girl's forehead. "Come on, up, up, up!"

The brunette turned away and pulled the blanket back over her head. Atticus was having none of that - he grabbed the bottom of the blanket and pulled it off the girl - who gasped at the sudden cold - and out of her reach, though she took a moment to sleepily search for it with one hand.

"Get your clothes on. Get ready" the dragon called. "Got breakfast for you."

Jaden sleepily sat up and stretched.

Atticus then jumped up onto her knee, wearing a pink apron and holding a bowl with chopsticks stuck into it up to her proudly.

"Look, you get porridge!" he proclaimed, showing her the porridge, with its two fried eggs and single strip of bacon on top, in the shape of a smiley face. (Eggs for eyes and bacon for a mouth). "And it's happy to see you!"

Suddenly Syrus popped up in the middle of the porridge, looking almost like he was supposed to be there to fill in the position of the nose in the smiley face.

"Get outta there!" Atticus groaned, using the chopsticks to fling the poor cricket out of the bowl and away. "You're gonna make people sick!"

Jaden, not paying attention to their antics, scratched her head sleepily and tried to wake up as she muttered "am I late?"

Not giving her an answer, the dragon suddenly stuffed a large mouthful of egg into her mouth.

"No time to talk" he said, shoving in another mouthful even though she hadn't yet swallowed. "Now remember it's your first day of training, so listen to your teacher and no fighting." He shoved into her mouth another few mouthfuls of porridge. "Play nice with other kids - unless of course, when the other kids want to fight. Then you have to kick the other kids' butt."

"But I don't wanna kick the other kids' butt" Jaden protested through an enormous mouthful of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full" Atticus sighed. "Now let's see your war face!"

Jaden looked at him with bulging cheeks and a confused expression. Atticus sighed again and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I think my bunny slippers just ran for cover" he said, quickly grabbing Jaden's shirt. "Come on, scare me girl!"

Jaden hastily swallowed and growled menacingly at him, pulling a fearsome face. Atticus was thrown back and landed on the ground, lying on his back and covered in porridge with the now empty bowl lying over him. He propped it up using his arm and grinned at the girl.

"Yeah, that's my tough looking warrior! That's what I'm talking about!" He jumped up and tied Jaden's hair up so it looked nice and short like a boy's. "Now get out there and make me proud!"

There was suddenly an urgent sound from the white horse outside, and Sapphire put his head down to the tent's door and hastily neighed some words, gesturing to an area of the camp a while away from Jaden's tent.

"What do you mean 'the troops just left'?" Atticus frowned.

Jaden, who had been lazily getting dressed, froze.

"They what?" she gasped.

A few seconds later, Jaden tumbled backwards out of the tent, hastily pulling her shoe over her foot before stumbling and running off in the direction the other soldiers had gone. There was the sound of Atticus' grumbling from underneath the now collapsed tent, and his small dragon shape poked about under the material. Then he ran out, still wearing the apron, dragging the girl's weapon in both his arms.

"Wait, you forgot your sword!" he called.

Jaden was too far in the distance and didn't hear him. Syrus bounced up onto the end of the sword's handle, close to Atticus, and watched the girl disappear. Atticus smiled proudly, looking like he was holding back tears.

"My little baby off to destroy people" he said proudly.

Then he started to cry feebly, and Syrus comfortingly patted him on the nose.

Please R&R