Chapter nine.
Near a mountainous region, in North of China, the Hun army was hiding in a forest; the Huns warriors were taking care of their horses, preparing the animals to battle in case they find the Imperial army.
Lady Sheeva was sat on a rock, sharpening her sword; she was with a serious expression on her face, taking a look at the blade, like she was seeing if was sharp enough. She haven't changed much in the last years; she had a black hair with some gray locks and even though she was wearing a thick black coat, was visible that she had a beautiful body even though her age and the fact she gave birth to ten children.
She got up and with a null expression on her face; she cut a medium tree that was on her left with a single sword swipe and without look at the tree. The woman in her fifties looked with disdain at the fallen tree and put the sword back in its sheath.
She walked toward where the "princes" and the "princesses" (you know, her sons and daughters) were; all together and preparing to fight against the Chinese army.
The twin daughters of the middle aged woman were training how to fight with swords; they were training fiercely as if they were enemies.
The twin who used her hair tied in a braid now was wearing her hair down and wearing a gray headband tied to her forehead; she was wearing a yellowish white sleeveless shirt and black pants with boots covered in animal fur that reached up to her knees. Tied to her waist, she was wearing a piece of armor that looked like a skirt that reached up the middle of her thighs.
The twin who used her hair tied in a high bun now had a short hair, which reached to her neck (like Mulan's hair but much shorter) and she was also wearing a gray headband tied to her forehead; she was wearing a dark brown coat with a hood that looked like a thick scarf and long sleeves, she was wearing black pants and black boots, just like her father. She was wearing a purse on her back with arrows and a bow over her shoulder to fire the arrows.
The oldest son of Shan Yu and Lady Sheeva was training hand-to-hand combat with the youngest son; the boy was training with the fierceness of an adult, even for his thirty-five years old brother it wasn't easy to fight him.
The other six brothers were also training hand-to-hand combat; but just like the twins, just like the oldest and the youngest brother, for them, fight is something more than usual.
Shan Yu was on the top of a tree; he cut part of the tree and put his sword back in its sheath. He looked at the horizon while the cold wind wave his hair and his falcon flied toward him.
The falcon approached to Shan Yu and dropped a small doll in his hand; Shan Yu analyzed the doll and came down the tree, he looked to his best warriors and threw the doll toward the men.
"What do you see?" He asked as he threw the doll toward one of the men.
"Black pine… from the high mountains."
"White horse hair; Imperial stallions."
"Sulphur; from cannons."
They said as they analyzed the doll, the last to analyze the doll handed the doll to Shan Yu, who caressed the toy with his eyes closed, "This doll came from a village in the Tung Shao Pass; where the Imperial army is waiting for us."
"We can avoid them easily." The archer Hun said.
"No; the quickest way to The Emperor is through that pass." Shan Yu said as he took a few steps to the right. "Besides, a little girl will be missing her doll;" Shan Yu said as if he was worried but he was being wickedly sarcastic, "We shall return it to her." He completed his sentence while looking at his warriors with a psycho smile, making they understand exactly what he meant.
Those Hun warriors smiled wickedly as well. Shan Yu turned around and stood still for a moment, "Get ready to leave and warn the others to get ready, I'll warn my family." He said and walked toward where his wife, sons and daughters were waiting for orders.
When he appeared where his family was, the "princes" and the "princesses" and Lady Sheeva stopped what they were doing and stood still, while Shan Yu took a few steps around them before talking with them.
"What's the matter?" Shan Yu's wife asked with her hands behind her back; she was a very, very tall woman.
"The Imperial army is waiting for us at the Tung Shao Pass; we're going to leave today to fight them there." Shan Yu answered Sheeva calmly as if it was nothing.
"Can't we avoid them, my father?" The seventh son asked putting his hands on his waist and arching an eyebrow.
The oldest of all the siblings looked at his younger brother with a null expression in his face, "I think we'll go by that pass because is the quickest way to The Imperial city;" Ayanga said with a serious voice but still with a null expression on his face, then, he looked to his father, "Isn't it, father?" he asked.
"Yes, but is not just because is the quickest way to the Imperial city…" He said to his firstborn and then, his facial expression turned from calm to a wicked one, he smiled like the psychopath he is, "…It's because is also the quickest way to the Emperor."
The twin with the short hair smiled and crossed her arms "Now I'm enjoying this plan…"
"When we get there, we will show imperial soldiers that they are nothing but ants when compared to our forces." The twin with long hair said as she put her right hand on her waist and made a gesture with her left hand (that gesture we do with the fingers when we want to represent that something is small).
"Exactly…" Shan Yu said looking at his daughters.
Jieng Yu, the youngest of all the siblings, looked at his older siblings; luckily, none of them noticed that he was looking to them.
Lady Sheeva smiled psychotically and put her hands on her waist. "And we are going to cause them a loss ten times greater than what was already happening in their country." She said with a deep voice but still feminine.
Shan Yu approached to Sheeva and arched and eyebrow while smiling slightly, "That's why you are my wife." He said as if he was proud of her; because she's as crazy as him. The woman bent her head behind a bit and grabbed her husband by his hair, kissing him deeply; she didn't do that for sentimental reasons, but just for the opportunity.
The Huns leader ran his hand over his wife's body; he gripped her thigh with one of his hands and put the other hand on her breasts. All the siblings turned their heads in the opposite direction; it was very uncomfortable to see their parents kissing so intensely and Shan Yu and lady Sheeva didn't seem to mind at all that their sons and daughters where seeing that.
The fourth son covered his younger brother's eyes with his hands; the ten year old boy was already getting nauseous with that sight.
Shan Yu and Lady Sheeva backed away from each other a bit but he was still looking at her. "When we win this war and conquer the empire, the whole China will have to kneel before their new Empress." He said with his typical psycho gaze and psycho smile.
Then, he approached to his daughters and touched their faces gently; each hand touching each girl.
"Chinese men will have to bow to your beauties, my daughters. Any man who refuses to marry you is a complete fool. Cause if they refuse, they'll die." Shan Yu said to the nineteen year old twins; he said calmly, proud of his daughters.
Shan Yu toke his hands away from his daughters' faces and looked toward his sons, except the youngest. "About you, my sons; the most attractive women of China will be yours." The brothers looked to each other and smiled slyly; as if they were imagining the beautiful women of China in their arms and enjoying their bodies.
"And about you, my youngest son…" Shan Yu begun and approached to Jieng Yu.
"… And also our future leader." Lady Sheeva said as she approached to Jieng Yu as well.
The boy for a moment looked at his parents, older brothers and older sisters who were looking at him proudly. So he reacted, trying to please his family. "The Chinese people will have to kneel before their new imperial family!" The ten year old boy pronounced proudly.
"This is my son I'm so proud of." Lady Sheeva said as she put her hand on her son's shoulder (Jieng is as tall as a teenager).
"Everyone, mount on your horses, we'll leave now." Shan Yu ordered and in moments, Shan Yu, his wife, his sons and his daughters mounted their horses and were ready to leave. Jieng Yu was holding a flag tied to a very long stick and he was always beside his mother.
The horses walked toward the Hun army with the Yu family mounted over them, the Hun army was already assembled and ready to leave.
"Let's go; we'll take days to get there." Lady Sheeva ordered to the Huns, who were about to obey to her but Shan Yu prevented them.
"One moment!" Shan Yu said and raised his hand a bit, making a gesture to the Huns stay where they were.
"What's wrong, father?" The sixth son asked.
"You already know my orders; I do not allow my wife and children to fight on the front lines, you must be behind the army." He said ordering.
"But, my father, we're descended from you! We're the strongest of the Huns!" The third son tried to argue.
"These are my orders! So it will be!" He replied angrily and all those eleven family members nodded; they got behind the Hun army.
"Great… Now let's go!" Shan Yu ordered and the Hun army along with his family, started riding toward the mountains.
In China, at this same day, at the night…
It was a calm full moon night at the Wu Zhong camp; the soldiers were assembled around the campfire, they were chatting, making jokes, laughing and celebrating one more day of successful training.
Mulan was eating her dinner inside her tent like always, but she was never alone; Mushu, Cri-Kee and Khan were great companions for her, and her training comrades now were treating her with much respect, but to prevent that by any chance someone find out she was a girl, she preferred to not stay too much time with her comrades.
Meanwhile, Shang had just finished eating his dinner and picked up a towel; he put the towel over his shoulder and walked toward the lake.
He looked around to see if no one was near; then, he released his hair and took of his shoes and his clothes. He entered the water and swam to the other part of the lake; he stopped when he was near the other edge of the lake.
Shang plunged into the lake's water for a few moments; he stayed with his eyes closed during these moments, then, he emerged from the water and took a deep breath.
He washed his hair and his body, but he stayed there a few more minutes; just to relax. He rested the back of his head on the edge of the lake while looking at the full moon with a calm expression on his face; the water reached to his chest, his shoulders were out of the water.
"This is why I like to be in this lake… I can be in peace after a long day of training and mainly…" He said to himself and closed his eyes, "…Chi Fu can't bother me."
Shang heard something moving behind the tall grass on the other edge of the lake; he rolled his eyes and swam to where he had left the towel and his clothes.
He got out of the lake and dried with the white towel, twisted his hair to remove the excess of water and put his clothes and his shoes on; but didn't tie his hair up.
Shang picked up the towel and put it over his shoulder; when he was walking toward the camp he looked to where the noises were coming from, he saw a black horse with a long blue towel over it.
"It's just Ping." Shang muttered to himself and kept walking away from the lake, although he didn't saw Ping, Shang knew he was there. But he stopped when he heard someone speaking to "Ping".
"This is not a good idea, what if somebody sees you?" A mysterious voice asked to "Ping" in an annoyed tone.
"I don't remember any recruits with a voice like that ... And why is he so concerned about someone seeing Ping?" Shang asked himself confused. But he forgot everything he was thinking when he heard Ping's reply.
"Just because I look like a man doesn't mean I have to smell like one." Shang heard Ping say, maybe that voice was a bit higher but definitely was Ping.
Shang covered his mouth with his hand, he laughed with that comment of Ping; it was so ironic. "Ping just improved in the trainings and think he is already a man; he is one of the best soldiers here, but he's still a boy." Shang said as he returned to the camp and entered his tent.
He tied his hair up and took a scroll, sat on the bed and started to read whatever was written in it (whatever because I don't know how to read or speak in Mandarin).
Suddenly, he heard someone call him from outside the tent, "Captain! May we have a word about the recruits' situation?" By the voice it was obvious who was calling him out.
"Of course, he had to show up to disturb me…" Shang muttered to himself annoyed and got up. He pulled away the tent's curtain and saw Chi Fu looking at him with an impatient look. "Come in; let's talk about the recruits, although we don't have anything to talk about them." Shang said to Chi Fu, and grudgingly inviting him to come in.
"You're wrong; we've got something to talk about them. And let's talk about this in my tent; follow me." Chi Fu said and turned around, walking toward his tent. Shang just followed Chi Fu, grudgingly again.
When they were inside Chi Fu's tent, Shang sat in bench made of red wood and dared to ask to Chi Fu, "When are we going to leave and go to the Tung Shao pass?"
"You think that your troops are ready to fight? Hah! They would not last a minute against the Huns!" Chi Fu said arrogantly as always.
"They completed their training." Shang objected.
Chi Fu approached to Shang and looked at him in his eyes "Those boys are no more fit to be soldiers than you are to be a captain." Chi Fu replied to Shang; indeed, with the intention of offending him.
Shang had to contain his anger so that no "rude" words would come out of his mouth, for a moment there was a silence inside that tent.
"Once the General reads my report, your troops will never see the battle." Chi Fu said as he backed away from Shang and pointed to his clipboard.
Shang's interior now was burning with rage; he had to say something, otherwise, he would punch Chi Fu so hard that he would break his face into pieces.
"We're not finished!" Shang said putting his hand on Chi Fu's notes.
"Be careful, Captain," Chi Fu said as he removed Shang's hand from his clipboard "the General may be your father, but I am the Emperor's council." Chi Fu said proud of himself, despising Shang for being a Captain.
"Ah, oh, by the way, huh, I got that job on my own" Chi Fu said and approached to the tent's entrance "You're dismissed." He added as he pulled away the curtain, telling Shang to get out.
Shang came out of that tent absolutely furious and emotionally worn out; he has a difficult temper, but being humiliated like that after almost two months of hard work can irritate anyone.
He passed by Mulan, "Hey, I'll hold him and you punch! Heh, heh…" Mulan said trying to cheer Shang up, but he barely looked at her and kept walking toward his tent. "…Or not," She muttered, Mulan realized that he was really riled up with what just happened.
"For what it's worth," Mulan said to Shang and he walked a bit slower, as if he wanted to hear what she had to say "I think you're a great Captain." Mulan said and Shang stopped walking, he looked at her for a moment and returned to walk to his tent.
Author Note: I won't focus in scenes you've already seen and know perfectly what happened. I'll focus to make scenes that you are moments we've not seen in the movie! Did you get it? I think you did, so let's return to the story.
Shang was sat in his bed, finishing reading the scroll he was reading before Chi Fu interrupted him. But he was with difficult to concentrate in the scroll; he was grumbling with anger, he was still in the mood to punch something hard enough to break it.
His face turned from angry to thoughtful when he remembered what "Ping" said; he smiled a bit and his eyes looked at the left, but everything he was seeing was "Ping's" face when he looked back for a moment and saw the boy looking at him; by his facial expression he said that sincerely.
"For what it's worth, I think you're a great captain." Those words were resonating inside Shang's head, finally there was something resonating inside his head that was a good thing.
Shang lay on his back over his bed, with his legs out of the bed, his feet touching the ground and he was holding the scroll over his chest with his right hand. His eyes were closed, he remembered some moments of clumsiness of Ping and this made him remember some clueless moments of Yin; but most of all, Shang noticed the resemblance between those two, both friendly and able to see good things even in the worst moments.
He arched an eyebrow but his eyes were still closed, "I bet Ping and Yin will get along very well when they met, they have such similar personalities…" Shang said to himself; he smiled a bit thinking of them three being friends.
Shang opened his eyes and sat up on his bed; he got up and put the scroll back with the other scrolls, "I better read this later, since I can't concentrate on these texts now." Shang muttered and suddenly, someone appeared on his tent.
"Captain! Urgent news from the General!" Chi Fu said desperately as he entered Shang's tent. Shang turned around and saw Chi Fu holding a paper in his hand and wrapped in a towel.
"We're needed at the front!" Chi Fu said desperately.
Shang was really confused, then, he frowned. "What? How? Explain this right now!" he asked annoyed.
"Look at this!" Chi Fu said desperately as he handed the paper to Shang.
Shang took the paper and read out loud what was written. "From General Li: dear son, the Huns are approaching to us, we need the help of your troops as fast as possible!" Shang now was really worried with what was happening.
"What are you waiting for, Captain? Go warn the recruits!" Chi Fu said with a voice that mixed despair with irritation.
Shang crossed his arms and gave Chi Fu a challenging look, "Weren't you the one who said my troops would never see the battle?" Shang said ironically.
Chi Fu's eyes widened when he noticed that he had nothing to argument, "N-Never mind! Just go warn the recruits! This is an emergency!" Chi Fu answered as he got out of Shang's tent and walked toward his tent.
Shang came out from his tent smiling confidently; he could hear Chi Fu saying things like "This is a catastrophe! A calamity! An utter disaster!" as the Emperor's council walked toward his tent. It was so ironic and convenient that Chi Fu had just offended him morally and minutes later he entered his tent desperate saying that they had to leave to the battle.
But then, his smile faded and he became serious again as he walked toward the recruits' tent and started calling them out, ordering them to come out from their tents.
Meanwhile, Mulan was sleeping peacefully inside her tent; her hair down and messy, she was covered with a blanket and Cri-Kee was sleeping by her side, inside Mulan's shoe and using her white sock as a blanket (so cute!).
Khan was near the tent, the animal was also sleeping peacefully; Mushu silently tiptoed toward Mulan's tent as he passed by Khan, he didn't want to wake the horse up because every time he approached to the animal he got kicked or trampled.
But he just entered the tent and woke Mulan up in the most scandalous way possible. "Hey! Wake up, sleeping beauty! Get ready and pack your things!" Mushu said excited and with his arms rose up.
"What's going on?" Mulan asked confused and sleepy, she sat up and opened a bit the tent's curtain to look outside but everything she saw was Khan looking to her confused and the sky was still dark. "Is still night Mushu, go back to sleep and don't disturb me till is morning." Mulan said annoyed and lay to return to sleep.
"Get your lazy butt out of this bed and listen to me!" Mushu said as he pulled off the blanket that was covering Mulan. Mulan frowned and sat up; she stretched and looked at him with a sleepy and irritated expression.
"So? What happened? Better it be really important." Mulan asked annoyed and looking at Mushu with her eyes half-closed.
"Pack up, Mulan! We're moving out!" Mushu said excited.
Mulan's and Cri-Kee's eyes widened; Cri-Kee gaped and Mulan stood motionless for a moment while Mushu was looking at her with a very eagerly.
Suddenly, Mulan grabbed Mushu with both her hands and pulled him closer as if he was a doll. "What? Is this a joke? Tell me it's a joke!" Mulan asked.
"It's the truth! I was walking around when I heard the Captain and the Emperor's council talking that the troops at the Tung Shao pass need the help of the recruits!"
"Ping!" Someone called out Mulan and her eyes widened, by the voice was Shang who was calling her; she looked at Khan and the horse was looking toward the voice was coming from.
Mulan looked at Mushu and he looked at her with an expression of "didn't I tell you?" in his face and crossed his arms.
"Hide." Mulan said as she put Mushu back on the ground. Mushu nodded and quickly hide under the blanket; Cri-Kee did the same.
"Ping! Are you deaf or something?" Mulan heard Shang call her again, by his voice he was walking toward her tent. Mulan quickly put on her training shirt and tied her hair up in a bun; she didn't put her shoes on but it wasn't necessary.
Mulan got out of her tent and saluted Shang, "Here I am sir, what's the matter?" Mulan asked with her right hand on her head.
"Ping, pack your things; we are moving out." Shang said with a worried and serious voice.
"Oh my god, Mushu wasn't joking…" Mulan thought for a moment looking at the ground; then, she raised her eyes and looked back at Shang. "Did Chi Fu decide we're ready to go to the battle?" Mulan asked to Shang, pretending that she didn't know what was happening.
"No, Ping; some minutes ago we received a letter from my father and his troops need our help as fast as possible." Shang said and Mulan became even more nervous than before.
"I'll pack my things right now, sir." Mulan said and entered back to her tent.
Shang saw her entering the tent and stood there for a few seconds, then, he turned around and walked toward his tent to get ready to leave.
Mulan put her socks and her shoes on, she put her elegant green armor on, put her helmet on her head and tied her sword to her belt; when she came out from her tent Khan seemed shocked of seeing his owner dressed in armor again.
Mushu and Cri-Kee were hid behind Mulan's neck, under her green scarf. Mulan tied the reins and the saddle to her black horse. Mulan pulled the horse by the reins and guided him to the middle of the camp, where all the other soldiers were; all of them dressed in their armors and looking to each other apprehensive, afraid of the unavoidable fate.
Shang was in front of a small carriage, he was dressed in his elegant armor with bright-red cape; he walked toward Mulan and reached out, looking at Khan, Mulan understood what he meant with that gesture and handed Khan's reins to him. The horse seemed a bit reluctant of letting Shang guide him but Mulan didn't objected, so he just followed Shang.
Shang tied the horse to the carriage and returned to where he was, beside his own horse. Khan neighed and looked to Mulan with an expression of "seriously? Do I look like a drudge?" in his face.
Mulan shrugged and looked at Khan with a look that she was almost trying to say "Sorry…" to her horse. Khan rolled his eyes and stood still.
Mulan walked toward Khan and stood by his side; she put her hand behind her neck, Mushu and Cri-Kee went up in Mulan's hand and she put her hand behind her lower back, the little red dragon and the little cricket quickly entered the carriage before someone could see them.
Shang and Chi Fu mounted on their horses, all the soldiers lined up in a row and Mulan held Khan's reins to guide him as they walked towards the Tung Shao pass.
"Soldiers, welcome to battle…" Shang said to his men and positioned himself in front of Chi Fu and in front of all the soldiers. "Move out!" Shang ordered and everyone started walking toward the Tung Shao pass.
They left the Wu Zhong camp worried and scared, because they didn't know if they would return home alive; they didn't know if would even win the battle.
End of Chapter
Stay tuned! The next chapter will have very original scenes
That came straight out of my mind!
I bet you all didn't expect the chapter to be published so swiftly…