[Hero/Heroine - Boys Like Girls]
"Well that wasn't so bad now was it?" Mulan asked as they walked down from the temple. Shang smiled back at her. There were loud shouts and cheers for the new couple. The first to greet them was her mother and father.
Shang was smiling and he looked at Mulan who was also smiling but scanning the crowd for someone else.
"Mulan," her mother's voice brought her back to the conversation.
"Yes I know," Mulan said monotonously, "We will go to the palace for the banquet."
Her parents nodded and walked off, which was when Shang asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Mulan seemed taken aback when he asked this so she responded, "a surprise for you."
"Oh?" Shang looked at her in surprise.
"But I have to go somewhere first before I can meet you at the banquet, I hope you understand," Mulan gave him a sypathetic look.
"Now you're leaving me," Shang said.
Mulan laughed, "I promise I will be back, I have to go back home and Mei will be coming with me." At that Mulan gestured to Mei who nodded back to her.
"I'll see you later." Mulan said to Shang and kissed him as she left with Mei in a carriage.
Where could she being going? Shang thought to himself, But I trust her, right?Even after the night before Shang was still feeling a little doubtful, but who could blame him, it was part of human nature. But at least I know she won't be with another guy. Shang smiled.
In the meanwhile...
"Yeah," Mulan nodded, "Just a little nervous is all,"
"You can trust Shang," said a man from the back of the carriage.
Mulan turned around in shock, "What are you doing here? Where were you at the wedding? I was suppose to show you to Shang then! But if it wasn't for that Lin Feng..."
Mei was in shock, "But I thought he...how did you...why are you with him?"
"I met him at Shang's house," Mulan told her.
"Guess I am going to be a surprise to Shang at the banquet," he said to Mulan.
[At the Beginning - Donna Lewis & Richard Marx]
Shang arrived at the palace later than anyone with Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po. The banquet was in the main room, the largest room in the palace. People were already settled in their tables, laughing and drinking happily. There was a main table in the center for Mulan and Shang to sit at, but before he could make his way over there, people came up to congratulate him, each one asking where his bride was. But Shang said she went back home.
His mother came over to him, clearing the crowd surrounding Shang.
"Are you okay son?" She asked as she gave him a hug.
"Just a little scared," he confessed.
"But you already had your wedding, what troubles you?" His mother asked.
"My future, I know it'll be great with Mulan but..." Before Shang could finish, his brother and two sisters came up to hug him. They greeted him with hugs and congratulations.
Shang's older brother said to him, "Now you're gonna be a man."
His younger sister hit him saying, "Oh stop it. You don't have to be a man to have a wife. But we certainly will make you into a better man. I mean look what Mulan has done for you."
Shang smiled agreeing with what she had said. He asked his two sisters, "So have you guys gotten married yet?"
They laughed and told him, "No not yet. Just one more month. We've met the guys we are to be married to and they seem nice."
"Hmmm. Looks like I have to break these guys and punch some sense into them," Shang said jokingly.
They all laughed. "And where is your bride?" Shang asked his older brother.
He gestured to the girl laughing with Ting Ting and Su. Shang smiled as he knew that his brother had a perfect choice for him.
"But," all asked Shang, "where is your bride?"
And at that moment, loud shouts and cheers were raised up. Shang turned around and saw Mulan at the top of the stairway. He smiled as he ran up the stairs to escort her in. She was wearing the same dress, except cleaner and more smoothed out. Her cuts were hidden, and her hair was fixed again.
"You didn't have to change yourself up," he whispered in her ear as they made their way down the stairs.
"I had to. That dress was almost torn up," she responded, "besides I had to get your present, and as I promised, I have a surprise for you."
"What is it? Do I get to find out now?"
"Yes," she told him, "look to the left."
From behind the dark shadows of the room, Shang spotted a figure coming towards him. This wasn't a small figure, a larger one, someone bigger than he, yet familiar. Gasps were heard all around the room as he came into the light.
"Shang," his father said to him, "you have picked the perfect girl to marry. Take care of her."
"Father?" Shang was shaking his head in shock.
His father made his way towards Shang until they were just a few feet away. "Now don't tell me you're just going to stand there and give your father a hug?"
Shang gave his father a big hug, as tears came down from his eyes. Mulan hadn't seen Shang cry since the last time on the mountain when he found out that his father was gone.
"How did," Shang asked as he wiped his tears away, "how did Mulan find you?"
His father gestured towards her, awaiting her answer. "I was going to your house to maybe find your mother and ask her what would be the perfect gift to give you. I knocked on your front door and it was open, so I stepped in. That is when I found your father. I was in just as much shock as you were."
Shang turned back to his father, "How are you alive? I thought we found..."
"You found my helmet, not my body." he told Shang, "While in the middle of the fight against the Huns, a call had come to me that another village was also under attack, Mulan's village."
Mulan gasped in shock, as she turned to her parents, who nodded, confirming her fear.
"The fight against the Huns was going well," he said to Shang, "So I took some of my men to go to the village. As you can tell, her village is unscathed and we won the battle. I gave my helmet to my next commanding officer, to take my place as General in my absence. I didn't know that my men were going to lose against the Huns."
"But Mulan," Shang said as he faced her and smiled, "she saved us all. She used her wit and uncanny fighting skills..."
"Which is all that you taught me Shang," she told him proudly, "If you hadn't been tough on me, I never would have been just as you see me now."
"No," Shang shook his head, "you made the decision to stay at camp and continuing training even when I told you to go home, you made the decision to start that avalanche, you made the decision to come back and save China. It was you that had it all along. The rest of the army, China, and I, learned from you."
They leaned in to hug each other, and Mulan kissed him. Then they walked over to their table and sat down together. Throughout the banquet, people came up to talk to the former General, who announced that he would not be returning to the army life. Shang's family was happy that their father had come back. Mulan and Shang's family shared a table, bonding together. Every now and then the crowd would tap their drink glasses so that Mulan and Shang would have to kiss, which they enjoyed. As dinner came along, Shang and Mulan would feed each other. Overall it was a good banquet and a perfect day, except for Lin Feng of course.
Midway however, Ling, Yao, Chien-Po, and the three princesses moved towards the center of the room. They cleared their throats to silence the room and get everyone's attention.
"Now is the time for bride and groom dance," Ling announced to everyone. Shang groaned, the one thing he hated was dancing.
"But we're going to have two dances, because our groom and bride could not decide on a song to dance to," Mei finished.
From behind them a band arrived. Mulan grabbed Shang and pulled him to the front, where everyone could see.
"Fine, I get to pick the first song," Shang told Mulan.
Mulan laughed. "Fair enough, what is it?"
Shang looked to the band, "It's a slow song, do you guys know the song, I'll Be?"
[I'll Be - Edwin McCain]
The band nodded and the music started as Shang lifted his hand for Mulan to put hers in. He put his other hand on her waist, while she gently slipped her arm on his shoulder. They gazed into each others' eyes as they glided across the floor.
"You just had to pick a slow song didn't you?" Mulan asked.
"I hate dancing," Shang told her.
"Oh?" Mulan asked sarcastically, "If I do recall, you were dancing with me last night. And you're doing fine!"
"That was when we were all alone with no one watching us."
"Hmmm, so I know this General, who's not afraid to fight in the war against the Huns, yet he's afraid of a young girl and her dancing."
Shang laughed. "That's not fair. Besides, I don't have good footwork. And this isn't one of my 'manly' urges."
"No," Mulan said while laughing, "You have perfectly fine footwork. After all, that is what you taught us in camp. What's not fair is that we're still dancing to this slow song. Next song please!"
"Nooo," Shang faked fear and sang, "I'll be your crying shoulder. I'll be love suicide. I'll be, better when I'm older. I'll be the greatest fan of your life."
"Does that not mean anything to you?" Shang asked her.
"It does, but it also makes me sad. What better reason than to change the song please!"
The band heard her request and started playing a faster song.
[Save the Last Dance For Me - Michael Buble]
Shang groaned. Mulan laughed at him.
"I love how this amuses you," Shang said angrily.
"It's not every day that I get to dance with my commanding officer, nonetheless, see him scared and in pain," Mulan smiled. "Just follow my lead, it's the same dance we danced to, just faster."
Mulan extended her hand out to Shang, and he took it reluctantly and pulled her in. Mulan twirled out of his arms and waltzed and twirled towards the center of the floor, making Shang come after her. She turned around and ran into his arms and grabbed his hands as they twirled around together. Often times Shang would lift his arm so that Mulan could spin around gracefully.
"See," Mulan said, turning back to face Shang, "you're doing great!"
"I hate you for making me do this," he told her.
"Don't worry about your feet, just think about dancing with me," she told him.
"Oh I'll definitely save the last dance for you," Shang told her.
Mulan laughed and glanced at Mei and Su. After that, the three princesses grabbed Yao, Chien-Po, and Ling onto the dance floor. Shang could hear their complaining and watched as they reluctantly made their way to the floor.
"Does that make you feel better?" Mulan asked Shang, "I asked the princesses to bring the soldiers to the dance floor."
Shang smiled as he watched Yao step on Mei's feet. He started laughing as he watched Ling try some fast moves, and Ting Ting watching in disgust. Only Su and Chien-Po danced gracefully. Soon other couples made their way to the floor, including Mulan's parents and Shang's parents.
"Hey," Shang whispered in Mulan's ear, "How does it sound if we sneak out of here?"
[Until You - Dave Barnes]
Mulan smiled and nodded as Shang led her to a garden in the back. They explored the different gardens containing different flowers. Eventually they stopped and leaned over a balcony over looking all the gardens.
"It's so beautiful," Mulan said breathlessly.
"You're more beautiful than all of these gardens," Shang told her as he grabbed her hands.
Mulan smiled. "Am I always beautiful to you Shang?"
"Mulan, I don't think there will ever be a day when you won't take my breath away or amaze me some special way."
"I love you too Shang," Mulan said as she leaned in to kiss him. "Don't ever leave me."
"I won't," Shang said genuinely as he gazed into her eyes.
"Tell me this, why did you spare my life up on the mountains?"
"'A life for a life', I told you that."
"Nothing more?" she asked.
Shang waited a while and contemplated on his decision that day.
"To say no, would be a lie. But to say that I was madly in love you then would be a lie too."
Mulan gazed up at him waiting for his answer patiently.
"I saved your life because you showed me something I never truely knew."
"What was it that I showed you?"
"Love, it was kept from me like a secret, until you."
He leaned in to kiss her and hold her in his arms. A servant cleared his throat, which caught their attention. He gestured for them to return to the banquet.