Ming quickly brushed grains of rice off of her armor and wiped her mouth with a sleeve. She had seen her father and brother doing that whenever her mother wasn't looking. She rode up to the area before the steps that went up to the Imperial Palace itself. Ming had long ago gotten used to the grandeur of it, but she never got over knowing that this was the place where her mother saved the entire Middle Kingdom. She smiled with pride as she rode through men who where also called there. Some of them looked too young or too old to be soldiers. Training would be brutal on them. The young ones would turn into men and the old, well, she didn't want to think. She heard the gongs ring and every man's attention turned to the top of the long row of steps. The Emperor stepped to the head of the stairs and everyone bowed. His council members stepped up beside him, as did a young man in armor. Ming guessed that would be De Sheng, the prince.

"Men of the Middle Kingdom! I thank you for helping to retrieve the soldiers we have lost to the Hun army!" the Emperor started. He wasn't the same emperor who had bowed to Mulan; he was his eldest son.

"Now each of you will have to under go training to become China's finest soldiers!" he finished and he and his councilmen left. A heavy-set man in the crowd, a soldier, started yelling out that men who have had any military training should gather by the stairs. Ming steered her horse toward the stairs, eyeing every other man she saw headed in the same direction as her. She saw a group of three men who all looked the same. She reached the stairs first and got to them the same time De Sheng reached the bottom. She bowed to him and he smirked, which she thought was very odd. Once all the men had gathered the prince eyed them all, surveying them. Ming realized she was the only one of horseback, she felt a little embarrassed sticking out so much.

"You men have had military training? You look like a bunch of women in armor!" he yelled out to them. Ming narrowed her eyes. She guessed princes don't have to worry about first impressions. Sheng had noticed Ming narrowing her eyes in anger.

"You, on the horse! Dismount and come over here," he commanded. She did so and handed the reins to a man standing near by. She walked over to me.

"Sir?" she asked.

"Do you realize that you are not soldier material?" he asked her. Her eyes narrowed even more.

"Why do you say that, Sir?"

"Look at you, you're so small, you could fight a woman and lose," he told her.

"Size does not matter. You, as a member of the Chinese army should know that of all people. A single soldier once defeated the entire Hun army, thousands of men. In the Chinese Army size means nothing compared to the strength, skill, and intelligence of every single soldier in it, Sir," she told him.

"You said that quite sure of yourself, tell me what is your name?"

"Li Ling," she responded. She was Ling, not Ming.

"You may remount your horse Ling. All of you, follow me!" he said as he walked through the crowd. Ming remounted her horse and followed.

Sheng had mounted a white stallion and was now leading the group of about thirty men to a campsite. Besides the Prince Ming was the only other person on horseback. She rode a little behind and to the right of Sheng, not wishing to cross paths with him. He would have to prove himself to her as an army captain before she would respect him. She felt that because he was born into a place of respect, he didn't have to be respected. Hundreds of people are born every year, should she respect them all?

"Ling, come up here," Sheng ordered her. She obeyed and rode her horse parallel to his.

"What you were talking about, the entire Hun army being beaten by a single soldier, you were talking about Mulan, weren't you?" he asked.

"I was."

"Are you aware that my family and her's are close?"

"I was."

"Are you aware she has a son and a daughter?"

"I was."

"Do you say anything but "I was"?"

"I do," she responded. He grumbled slightly and they rode the rest of the way in silence.

The camp had been set up when they got there. The tents for the Prince, the supervising council member and the kitchen had been set up. The men had brought their own tents and set them up around the camp. Ming set her's up just up of the camp under a cherry tree beginning to bloom. Now she stood in the lineup the next morning in her training clothes. She saw a log sticking vertically in the ground and sighed. She stood at the end of the line farthest from the log so hopefully she'd be last. She noticed a young man sitting in front of one of the big tents writing on some paper in his lap. Sheng walked out in front of the line of people, taking off his overcoat and throwing it to the ground behind him. He walked back and forth along the row of men starting by the log. When he got back to where he started he pulled out a bow and arrow and shot it to the top of the log. If he had gripped the bow tighter the shot would have been swifter, Ming thought.

"You," Sheng said pointing to the man closest to him, "retrieve the arrow. But don't forget these," he said as the man walked over to the pole. Sheng handed him one round stone tied to a strap.

"This signifies discipline," he said as the man's hand fell under its weight.

"And this signifies strength," Ming whispered.

"And this signifies strength," Sheng said as the man's other hand dropped to the ground.

"You need both to reach the arrow," Ming whispered.

"You need both to reach the arrow," Sheng said. The man tried, he failed. As did the next, and the one after that, and so on. By the time it was Ming's turn the arrow was still stuck in the top of the pole, and Sheng looked like he lost all hope. Ming grabbed the straps and easily carrying them to the log, she turned her head slightly just to give Sheng a grin. He noticed this and looked at her curiously. Ming swung the stones around the back of the pole so they wound together. She used them to easily climb her way to the top of the pole and throw the arrow at Sheng's feet. She had to admit, it felt good being so good at something every other man failed at. She climbed down the pole and handed Sheng the weights and got back into line, knowing very well every man there was looking at her in shock.

The rest of the day went like that. She already excelled at everything Sheng was teaching them. She even helped some of the other men. Then it came time for Sheng to stand at the ledge with a staff and a bucket of water on his head. In three groups of ten the men each picked up a stone and threw them at Sheng. Sheng repelled every one of them. Ming had to admit he was good. She was in the second group. While every other man picked up the smallest stones they could find, so they'd be harder to hit, Ming picked up a medium sized one. When Sheng told them to throw all the other men threw rocks right at him. Ming threw her's up into the air and landed it perfectly in the bucket of water with a "plunk" sound. The sound made Sheng look up by instinct and hence making him drop the bucket of water from his head. He didn't get wet but he still didn't look pleased. Her father hadn't been pleased when she first did that to him either. Her mother thought it had been hilarious. Ming smiled remembering her mother laughing so hard as her father picked up the bucket. Sheng handed the staff to Ming and shoved her to the ledge. He placed a bucket of water on her head and told the third group to take aim. Ming readied herself as all the rocks came flying at her. As she expected they were all medium-sized and were thrown to land in the bucket. She repelled them all easily. Sheng picked up a small stone and threw it at her stomach after all the others had been repelled. Ming dropped a hand and caught the stone quickly. She looked up at him and stared into his eyes as she threw the stone over her shoulder into the gorge behind her.

Ming felt tired as she stood in the food line for her rice. She held her bowl and chopsticks and took steps forward as the line moved up. She sighed in boredom and looked around the camp. She saw the same young man who had been sitting in front of the tent that morning. She figured he was the supervising councilman. He looked too young to be one though. He wasn't wearing his hat that he had been earlier; he had his hair down and tied behind him. He looked as if he had been pampered his whole life, yet he still was well built. Sheng looked like a man who had actually gone through military training, with a well-built physique and a small scar under his left eye that made him look distinguished. The councilman walked over to her to her surprise.

"Are you Li Ling?" he asked. She nodded.

"The Captain wishes to speak with you," he told her and began to lead her in the direction of Sheng's tent. She placed her bowl and chopsticks into a fold of her clothes and followed him. Sheng's tent was a golden color with dark red trimming. The councilman lifted a flap of the tent and told her to go it. She found Sheng sitting in the middle of the room looking at a map of China and eating casually from a bowl of rice. He looked up as the flaps closed behind her, leaving the two of them alone.

"You wish to speak with me, Sir?" she asked.

"I do," he said beckoning her to sit on the ground opposite of him. She did so and her eyes surveyed the map. He was working on a plan of attack.

"Do you consider me a fool?" he asked her. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Sir?"

"You better me at the Imperial Palace, on the trip here, at the pole, on the ledge. Every encounter we have with each other you seem only to prove yourself better then I. So, do you consider me a fool?"

"No, sir, I do not. I consider you one who enjoys being tested. Hence why you called me here, for a rematch. Now if you'll excuse me, Sir," she said standing up and walking out of the tent.

"Wait!" she heard him yell as he quickly followed her out of his tent. She continued walking away as he caught up.

"You consider yourself quite highly!" he said to her.

"I consider myself quite hungry," she corrected him walking toward the line for rice.

"You do know who I am, don't you?"

"You are a man who has been led to believe he deserves respect for doing something all other men and women have done. The simple act of being born."

"You are the bravest man I have ever met!"

"I am not a brave man, Sir."

"Then you are foolish?"

"I am Li Ling, Sir. I am no fool," she said as she continued walking even though he stopped surprised.

"You're hiding something from me Li Ling, and I know what it is," he told her. She stopped in her tracks. Could he?

"I hide nothing from you, Sir," she told him. He walked over to her, now grinning.

"I should have put it together sooner. Li Ling, I know who you are."

"What do you mean, Sir?"

"You are the son of General Li, aren't you?" he asked. Ming felt a wave of relief rush over her.

"I am."

"Why did you hide that from me?"

"I did no such thing Sir," she told him beginning to walk toward the rice line again. Now she really was getting quite hungry.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't ask."

"Anything else about you I should ask?"

"Perhaps if I'd like to be part of the troops sent to retrieve my Father?"

"You have no choice in the matter, but of course you will be."

"Then I am glad I have no choice."

"You know, I'd be willing to bet that your sister is mad that you're out here and not her."

"I wouldn't bet against you," Ming said and smiled.

"How is Ming doing? I haven't seen her for, hmm, six years."

"She was at the Matchmaker's all but four days ago."

"She's old enough for the Matchmaker's already?"

"As am I," Ming said. It felt kind of weird talking about herself.

"Me too, ha! Perhaps your sister and I shall be matched together!" Sheng said and laughed. Ming stopped walking frozen in her tracks with her eyes wide open. Sheng noticed and turned around curiously.

"Against the idea?" he asked smiling.

"I fear for your safety only Sir," Ming told him. Sheng laughed.

"You and Ming have a lot in common then?"

"Almost everything," Ming answered him.

"Then I fear for my safety as well," Sheng said as Ming started to walk again. She took out her bowl and chopsticks and got in line. The men in front of her bowed to Sheng. Sheng smiled at her.

"Relax men, in the rice line all of us are nothing but hungry souls, right Ling?"

"Wrong, Sir. In the rice line we are all still under your command. We still must act upon your order and desire. You are our future emperor, and therefore in your presence we must bow," Ming told him and bowed. She replaced her bowl and chopsticks into her clothes and walked off in the direction of her tent. She could skip a meal, sleep would cure her hunger for a bit.

Ming walked into her tent and made sure she tied the flap closed. It wasn't as large as Sheng's but was roomy enough. She untied her sword first and set it on the ground. She took her bowl and chopsticks and set them by her sword. She sighed and sat down on her mat.

"Ow!" she heard as she sat down. She quickly leapt off of the bed and grabbed her sword.

"Who said that?" she demanded. She took one hand and loosely tied her hair back up. Her eyebrow raised as something small moved to the end of her bed under the covers. She gripped her sword hilt tighter and the creature appeared. It was a small red dragon, almost lizard like.

"Don't be sitting on me again," he said as he stood up and rubbed his head. He couldn't be more then a foot tall. Ming looked at it curiously.

"Who, are you?" she asked.

"Me? I am the powerful! The pleasurable! The Indestructible-!"

"Mushu, yea we know," a small blue dragon said walking into the tent.

"You just have to spoil all my fun don't ya?" Mushu asked the female dragon.

"Only when it's just foolish," she told him.

"Who are you!" Ming asked.

"Well this is Mushu over here, you probably heard of him. He's the one who almost botched up your mother's fate."

"Hey I did good!"

"Yea whatever. Well my name is Yang, and we were sent by the ancestors to help you," Yang explained. Ming set her sword down and sat crossed legged on the ground.

"I figured they'd send someone. But, why two?"

"Well ya see, the Fa ancestors and the Li ancestors couldn't decide who to send. So they sent us both, I'm from the Li family; I helped your grandfather become general," Yang said.

"And I am from the Fa family, you probably already know how much I helped out your mom."

"Yes, Mother has told me of you, when I was a child she'd tell me stories of a small red lizard. Father would tell me stories his father told him when he was little, about a fierce dragon that was a blue as the midnight sky," Ming told them. Mushu frowned and Yang grinned tauntingly.

"But why are you two here?" she asked. Yang walked forward leaving Mushu still upset.

"Your Mother was worried about you, so the ancestors sent us to help you," she explained.

"But I don't need any help! I am excelling in all of the training and I am going to be sent to look for Baba…"

"Yes, but you've never been in battle, like we have. It takes a lot more then skill to survive a war," Mushu said. Yang looking at him. He sighed.

"Okay not much more," he confessed.

"I was trained by the General of the Imperial Army since birth in all aspects of war, I was breed for it. And you say I've never been to war, you try going to the market place during the afternoon, that's war!" Ming told them. The two dragons glanced at each other.

"Alright, alright, you so don't want us here. But we gotta stay, cause it you fail it'll fall on our heads."

"Just like his failure cost a man his head," Yang said.

"Hey it was one little mistake!" Mushu defended himself.

"Listen you can tag along if you like as long as you don't get me into trouble," Ming said as she lay down on her mat.

"Ah, she's a tough cookie," Mushu said nodding at Yang. Yang sighed.

"So young, so angry, damn that Koto music."