Chapter 19
The expanded team made it back to the Fa family household swiftly and safely, thanks to Ron generating a Portal with his Mystical Monkey Powers. Khan and Baojia looked a bit shaken from the unexpected quick travel, but Mulan patted them down and made reassuring horsey noises until they were calm.
Fa Li was the first to emerge from the house, followed by Fa Zhou and Fa Nainai.
"Mama! Baba! Nainai!" Mulan ran into her family's arms. "That mission didn't exactly go according to plan, but Shang and I are married now!"
"Let's talk about it after we get a proper ceremony." Nainai winked, as if she knew something the rest of the family didn't. "First we have to get the road dust off of you…" The women ushered her inside, Kim following close behind.
Mulan sat on a stool, Kim and Fa Li working to get her ready. She was wearing a formal cross-collar hanfu, mostly reds and pinks with some purple accents.
"No makeup." insisted Mulan. Kim smiled, while Fa Li let out a somewhat exasperated sigh. Mulan saw her mother's resignation to this fact, and was unsure whether to be relieved or upset with herself.
"At least let me put your hair up?"
"I don't think that's possible…" Mulan held her hair up in a topknot, it still hadn't grown back all the way.
"I have a backup plan," said Kim, "how about a crown of flowers?" She held out a circlet of fresh-picked magnolia blossoms, the perfect color to match her dress, with silk ribbons streaming down and sparkling pins holding it together.
Mulan and Fa Li looked at each other, then at Kim. "That works." Mother and daughter finally agreed. Kim began to comb Mulan's hair, and started humming a song that she had heard on the radio back in Middleton.
"What are you humming?" asked Mulan.
Kim just smiled. "You'll see…"
***
Meanwhile, Shang had rewarded Mushu by combining the Li and Fa family temples. That way the guardian dragon could keep his pedestal! Mulan was happy to hear the news when she entered the ancestral shrine, but surprised that Shang had made such a non-traditional move.
"Can you do that?" asked Mulan. "I mean, aren't there rules?"
"Of course," joked Shang, taking Mulan's hands in his, "right next to the ones about dressing up like a man and joining the army."
Mulan giggled at the memory of what brought her and Shang together. She settled into his strong arms, just enjoying the closeness.
"I love you, Shang." she whispered.
"I love you too Mulan…" Shang murmured against her hair.
Kim and Ron watched the scene from the courtyard.
"You know, Ron," Kim began, "I think I'm getting over my childhood crush."
"About time, he's married." Ron sounded sarcastic.
"No it's not just that…" Kim took a deep breath. "When we thought he was gone, I cried alongside Mulan. Not just because I liked him, or because I felt bad for Mulan. It was because… what Mulan and Shang have is special. Very special. They're so meant to be."
"And so are we, KP." Ron finished. "Hey, you said you had a surprise for Mulan and Shang. What was it?"
"You'll see." Kim grinned.
A crowd had gathered again as Mulan and Shang walked from the temple to the center of the courtyard. Fa Li wiped a tear from her eye. Fa Zhou steadied himself. He was having difficulty, but he had to stand up for his daughter's wedding.
Kim and Ron held hands as they walked to the center, ready to congratulate their friends once more.
"Here comes the other happy couple!" Fa Nainai announced.
"I had a surprise for them…" Kim looked over at Mushu and Cri-Kee - the lucky cricket had stayed back for some reason. But the two wouldn't miss this for the world!
"Mushu, Cri-Kee, hit it!"
Cri-Kee plucked the strings of a pipa, while Mushu used an impromptu drum set. They played a soft, swaying intro.
Kim closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to recite an opening in a hushed tone…
"When I first saw you, I saw love
And the first time you touched me, I felt love
And after all this time
You're still the one I love."
Mulan and Shang held hands and walked to an open space.
"Mmmm, yeah…" sang Kim.
Mulan looked up at Shang. He took her waist, she held his shoulders.
"Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come, my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday."
They began to dance around the courtyard, their steps graceful and powerful at once. Their very movements were a testament to their fighting spirits and deep love for each other.
"They said, I'll bet they'll never make it
But just look at us holding on
We're still together, still going strong…"
Mushu and Cri-Kee made their music soar.
"You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life…
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night…"
Shang twirled Mulan around, kissing her hand at the end of the spin. Mulan smiled brighter than the stars and moon - then continued dancing.
"Ain't nothin' better
We beat the odds together
I'm glad we didn't listen
Look at what we would be missin'..."
Mulan grinned, sharing the teasing look with Shang. Though they were so different, they were very much the same. It was the first and most important lesson - a lesson they had both learned.
"You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life…
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night…"
Mushu and Cri-Kee played an instrumental bridge. Shang lifted Mulan, making her giggle. She loved his strength, and knew she could rely on him. Just as he could rely on her.
"You're still the one…"
Mushu did a count-in with the drums, and Cri-Kee played a few chords to transition to a more triumphant key. It was higher, but Kim knew she could hit those notes.
"Yeah… You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life…
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night…"
Mulan gazed into Shang's eyes. She blinked, a smile spreading across her face again. She began to move in as Shang touched her face.
"I'm so glad we made it
Look how far we've come, my baby…"
Kim held the last note, as Mushu and Cri-Kee did one last flourish with the instruments.
Mulan, in perfect sync with Shang, closed her eyes and entered a passionate kiss.
***
TO BE CONTINUED...
