Chapter 11-The Rescue
A/N: I'm taking a break from the study bit. Thank you so much to the reviewers, especially to Fallen-Angel. Thank you! And I apologize if this chapter's not up to expectations. Exams have been taking up brain storage space.
26/9/2002- Eeee! BIG GOOF! Chapter 11's been replaced! Thank you to Lady Katherine for pointing it out! (Btw, his leg's injured. Sorry bout that confusion)
Disclaimer: All right, just in case you haven't been following here's what I own: Lady Mai Lin, Ming Kei (You can take him though) and Loong Fai (Hands off this one!) and all those other unfamiliar characters you didn't see in 'Mulan'.
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Shang had been following the trail Mulan's kidnappers left behind. Looks like they were too busy to cover his tracks, thought Shang. Khan had been following him quietly behind somehow sensing he was being led to his mistress.
Shang hoped she hadn't been killed. He doubted it, not with her skills. Still if they had done anything to her...he gritted his teeth. Judging by the tracks, they had been traveling at a high speed and beyond the province border. It would take him all day to follow it. But he continued following. Hold on, Mulan. I'm coming, thought Shang.
**********
Mulan wrapped her arms around her knees, wondering what would happen to her. Sure, Ming Kei would 'marry' her but after faking their deaths, where would she go? Maybe she could drown herself or something. She'd much rather die than be Ming Kei's pawn. Suddenly, a rustle caught her attention. It better not be a snake, thought Mulan. She edged farther from the sound. However, something once called a snake popped out.
"Found you!" "MUSHU! Thank my ancestors!" She hugged the dragon tightly. The guards raised their eyebrows thinking it was another ruse. But the girl seemed to be babbling to herself and hugging something invisible. "Crazy," they muttered.
Mushu patted her back. "Hey, it's okay now." Mulan hastily wiped her tears away. "Where have you been?" "After we arrived at that village, me and Cri-Kee decided to check it out. Who knew we'd end up getting eaten by a hungry cow?! You don't want to know how we got out..." He shuddered.
"But we were in that village for eight days!"
"I know. Do you have any idea how long it took us to get through FOUR stomachs without getting killed?" "Cows have four?" Mushu nodded vigorously. "When we got out, you were gone! We've been trying to get to you ever since." Mulan asked softly. "Did you see Shang?" "No. When we found your campsite, nobody was there. Even Khan wasn't there. We had to fly." "Fly?" Mushu pointed to a sleeping Cri-Kee. "He's got wings beyond your imagination."
She giggled in spite of the situation. "Now, how and why did you end up here?" Mulan explained everything from when they met Loong Fai to Ming Kei's plans. Mushu was fuming. "Why that no good son of a..." He shut up at Mulan's glare and cleared his throat. "So this whole rooms full of guards?" Mulan nodded slowly. "Well, they haven't dealt with the great Mushu..." He rubbed his claws together and grinned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Shang stared in awe in front of a building a quarter size of the Palace. Even then, it was large. An eight-foot wall surrounded the area. He saw that the tracks stopped at the entrance then continued on inside. Whoever kidnapped Mulan must be filthy rich to build such a place, thought Shang. He looked at the map he'd drawn up. Although not a complete one, it would clearly show where the mansion was located. Shang hastily scribbled a message at the back then tied it to Khan's neck.
"Back to camp with you. Yah!" Khan galloped off into the direction they'd come from. Mulan did say he was more intelligent than usual and Khan had done this before...Shang shook his head. It was a desperate idea but he couldn't leave. Not when he was so close. Shang observed the entrance. Five HUGE guards were looking in each direction. No doubt there would be more inside and there were no way else inside except to climb the wall. One question, would it work?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mulan stepped out of the cell. Mushu grinned. "Who would have thought those guards would actually believe you were a demon!" "Hey, I am well known for my acting skills in the guardian world!" Mulan gave him a look. "You expect me to believe that?" "Well, it got rid of the guards, didn't it?" Cri-Kee gave him a high five.
"Now, all we have to do is find Shang, ride to the City and tell the emperor!"
"Uh huh, sure. While we're on the way, why don't we snap our fingers and I'm sure the palace will appear right in front of you! Hello! Be more sensible, girl! First, we gotta get out of here and the door's locked!"
"Couldn't you melt it?"
"It's metal. It'll take hours. We don't have hours. Those guards will be back any minute." Heavy footsteps could be heard. "Make that 'will be back now'! Quick! Back into the cell!"
Mulan had just rushed in when the door was unlocked and it creaked open. Two guards carrying something between them walked in. Behind them, ten muscle bound men followed timidly like scared children. The first two set their burden down and looked around the dungeon. Seeing nothing, they turned and glared at the ten men.
"You idiotic imbeciles! I see no demon! Not even a rat! There's only that girl and she's stuck in that cell!" The second guard spoke up. "You don't even deserve to be called men! Scared of a mere shadow. Both of us will stay here and make sure you bumbling fools don't run. Now, throw that trespasser into the cell. Ming Kei will deal with him later. The rest of you, BACK TO YOUR POSITIONS!"
Two men picked tossed an unconscious Shang with a grunt. Mulan gasped and knelt by his side. His leg was bleeding profusely. She ripped part of her shirt and tied it around his leg, temporarily stopping the flow. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open. "Where the heck am I?" "In a cell in Ming Kei's mansion." Hearing her voice, Shang sat up. "Mulan! Are you alright?" "Yes, but your leg's bleeding badly. What happened? How did you get here?"
"I followed the tracks. There wasn't any other way except to scale the outer wall. I thought I was safe when I jumped to the other side as it was empty. But the moment I reached the mansion, men sprang from all directions. I managed to wound them but more kept on coming. In the end, I got stabbed. After that, it all went dark." He sighed. "I must've looked pathetic."
Mulan smiled. She put a hand on his shoulder. "It isn't pathetic to come save me." Shang smiled then noticed her bandage. "A bandage? What...?" His features turned angry. "They hurt you?" "I was ambushed that night. We fought but when they slashed my side, I fell and got captured." Shang's eyes flashed in fury. It scared Mulan but it proved he loved her. "Ming Kei had a doctor tend to me. It's alright."
Shang clenched his fists at the name. "He hasn't do anything to you, has he? What does he have to do with this?" Mulan told him what Ming Kei had told her. By the time she finished her story, Shang could hardly breathe out of fear and anger. "So, it's all over. Ming Kei wins." "Shang, there is a way out of here. But it's going to be bizarre. Whatever you see, stay calm and silent." Arching an eyebrow, he nodded.
She nodded at Mushu. With Cri-Kee's help, he set fire to a pile of wood by the wall. The sudden light that illuminated the dungeon made the guards look up. "I HAVE COME FOR YOUR SOULS!!!" boomed Mushu, his shadow looming up on the wall. "I AM THE PUNISHER OF THE WICKED! PREPARE TO...die?" The 12 guards had run screaming from the dungeon leaving the exit wide open. "I am the man! Or the dragon anyway."
Shang stared in amazement as Mulan grinned. Coming to his senses, Shang half limped, half ran to grab his sword that the guards had dropped onto the stone floor. Mulan followed him. They ran out of the dungeons, Mushu and Cri-Kee on Mulan's back. "You, Cri-Kee, are one lucky bug!"
A/N: I'm taking a break from the study bit. Thank you so much to the reviewers, especially to Fallen-Angel. Thank you! And I apologize if this chapter's not up to expectations. Exams have been taking up brain storage space.
26/9/2002- Eeee! BIG GOOF! Chapter 11's been replaced! Thank you to Lady Katherine for pointing it out! (Btw, his leg's injured. Sorry bout that confusion)
Disclaimer: All right, just in case you haven't been following here's what I own: Lady Mai Lin, Ming Kei (You can take him though) and Loong Fai (Hands off this one!) and all those other unfamiliar characters you didn't see in 'Mulan'.
************************************************************************
Shang had been following the trail Mulan's kidnappers left behind. Looks like they were too busy to cover his tracks, thought Shang. Khan had been following him quietly behind somehow sensing he was being led to his mistress.
Shang hoped she hadn't been killed. He doubted it, not with her skills. Still if they had done anything to her...he gritted his teeth. Judging by the tracks, they had been traveling at a high speed and beyond the province border. It would take him all day to follow it. But he continued following. Hold on, Mulan. I'm coming, thought Shang.
**********
Mulan wrapped her arms around her knees, wondering what would happen to her. Sure, Ming Kei would 'marry' her but after faking their deaths, where would she go? Maybe she could drown herself or something. She'd much rather die than be Ming Kei's pawn. Suddenly, a rustle caught her attention. It better not be a snake, thought Mulan. She edged farther from the sound. However, something once called a snake popped out.
"Found you!" "MUSHU! Thank my ancestors!" She hugged the dragon tightly. The guards raised their eyebrows thinking it was another ruse. But the girl seemed to be babbling to herself and hugging something invisible. "Crazy," they muttered.
Mushu patted her back. "Hey, it's okay now." Mulan hastily wiped her tears away. "Where have you been?" "After we arrived at that village, me and Cri-Kee decided to check it out. Who knew we'd end up getting eaten by a hungry cow?! You don't want to know how we got out..." He shuddered.
"But we were in that village for eight days!"
"I know. Do you have any idea how long it took us to get through FOUR stomachs without getting killed?" "Cows have four?" Mushu nodded vigorously. "When we got out, you were gone! We've been trying to get to you ever since." Mulan asked softly. "Did you see Shang?" "No. When we found your campsite, nobody was there. Even Khan wasn't there. We had to fly." "Fly?" Mushu pointed to a sleeping Cri-Kee. "He's got wings beyond your imagination."
She giggled in spite of the situation. "Now, how and why did you end up here?" Mulan explained everything from when they met Loong Fai to Ming Kei's plans. Mushu was fuming. "Why that no good son of a..." He shut up at Mulan's glare and cleared his throat. "So this whole rooms full of guards?" Mulan nodded slowly. "Well, they haven't dealt with the great Mushu..." He rubbed his claws together and grinned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Shang stared in awe in front of a building a quarter size of the Palace. Even then, it was large. An eight-foot wall surrounded the area. He saw that the tracks stopped at the entrance then continued on inside. Whoever kidnapped Mulan must be filthy rich to build such a place, thought Shang. He looked at the map he'd drawn up. Although not a complete one, it would clearly show where the mansion was located. Shang hastily scribbled a message at the back then tied it to Khan's neck.
"Back to camp with you. Yah!" Khan galloped off into the direction they'd come from. Mulan did say he was more intelligent than usual and Khan had done this before...Shang shook his head. It was a desperate idea but he couldn't leave. Not when he was so close. Shang observed the entrance. Five HUGE guards were looking in each direction. No doubt there would be more inside and there were no way else inside except to climb the wall. One question, would it work?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mulan stepped out of the cell. Mushu grinned. "Who would have thought those guards would actually believe you were a demon!" "Hey, I am well known for my acting skills in the guardian world!" Mulan gave him a look. "You expect me to believe that?" "Well, it got rid of the guards, didn't it?" Cri-Kee gave him a high five.
"Now, all we have to do is find Shang, ride to the City and tell the emperor!"
"Uh huh, sure. While we're on the way, why don't we snap our fingers and I'm sure the palace will appear right in front of you! Hello! Be more sensible, girl! First, we gotta get out of here and the door's locked!"
"Couldn't you melt it?"
"It's metal. It'll take hours. We don't have hours. Those guards will be back any minute." Heavy footsteps could be heard. "Make that 'will be back now'! Quick! Back into the cell!"
Mulan had just rushed in when the door was unlocked and it creaked open. Two guards carrying something between them walked in. Behind them, ten muscle bound men followed timidly like scared children. The first two set their burden down and looked around the dungeon. Seeing nothing, they turned and glared at the ten men.
"You idiotic imbeciles! I see no demon! Not even a rat! There's only that girl and she's stuck in that cell!" The second guard spoke up. "You don't even deserve to be called men! Scared of a mere shadow. Both of us will stay here and make sure you bumbling fools don't run. Now, throw that trespasser into the cell. Ming Kei will deal with him later. The rest of you, BACK TO YOUR POSITIONS!"
Two men picked tossed an unconscious Shang with a grunt. Mulan gasped and knelt by his side. His leg was bleeding profusely. She ripped part of her shirt and tied it around his leg, temporarily stopping the flow. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open. "Where the heck am I?" "In a cell in Ming Kei's mansion." Hearing her voice, Shang sat up. "Mulan! Are you alright?" "Yes, but your leg's bleeding badly. What happened? How did you get here?"
"I followed the tracks. There wasn't any other way except to scale the outer wall. I thought I was safe when I jumped to the other side as it was empty. But the moment I reached the mansion, men sprang from all directions. I managed to wound them but more kept on coming. In the end, I got stabbed. After that, it all went dark." He sighed. "I must've looked pathetic."
Mulan smiled. She put a hand on his shoulder. "It isn't pathetic to come save me." Shang smiled then noticed her bandage. "A bandage? What...?" His features turned angry. "They hurt you?" "I was ambushed that night. We fought but when they slashed my side, I fell and got captured." Shang's eyes flashed in fury. It scared Mulan but it proved he loved her. "Ming Kei had a doctor tend to me. It's alright."
Shang clenched his fists at the name. "He hasn't do anything to you, has he? What does he have to do with this?" Mulan told him what Ming Kei had told her. By the time she finished her story, Shang could hardly breathe out of fear and anger. "So, it's all over. Ming Kei wins." "Shang, there is a way out of here. But it's going to be bizarre. Whatever you see, stay calm and silent." Arching an eyebrow, he nodded.
She nodded at Mushu. With Cri-Kee's help, he set fire to a pile of wood by the wall. The sudden light that illuminated the dungeon made the guards look up. "I HAVE COME FOR YOUR SOULS!!!" boomed Mushu, his shadow looming up on the wall. "I AM THE PUNISHER OF THE WICKED! PREPARE TO...die?" The 12 guards had run screaming from the dungeon leaving the exit wide open. "I am the man! Or the dragon anyway."
Shang stared in amazement as Mulan grinned. Coming to his senses, Shang half limped, half ran to grab his sword that the guards had dropped onto the stone floor. Mulan followed him. They ran out of the dungeons, Mushu and Cri-Kee on Mulan's back. "You, Cri-Kee, are one lucky bug!"