Chapter 13-Shang & Mulan
Mushu watched as Mulan finished combing out her hair. The cut that Ming Kei had given her wasn't deep enough to kill her but the scar would be there for all her life. She'd been resting for a whole week in the Palace. Mushu thanked the Fa ancestors for keeping Mulan alive. Cri-Kee chirped at his side. "Yeah, she'll be fine. We'd better give her some privacy. Shang will be here any minute!" He winked and the two ran off.
Mulan felt the scar on her neck as she looked into the mirror. It was a reminder that being royalty wasn't easy no matter how it looked from the outside. Fai, Yao, Ling and Chien Po had visited yesterday with news.
(Flashback! Please keep all hands and feet within the vehicle. Thank you!)
Mulan lay back in her chair. It was sundown and she had finished her dinner. She had to admit, nothing could compare to the meals the chefs cooked for the emperor. Suddenly, voices could be heard outside her room door.
"What if she isn't in?" "Then, we'll come back another time! Yeesh, it's like your brain hasn't unfrozen yet!" "Hey!" Sounds of a scuffle could be heard. Mulan grinned. She knew who it was. As she opened the door, there stood Chien Po was holding on to Yao who looked as if he was ready to kill. His intended victim, Ling cowered behind an exasperated Loong Fai.
"Let me guess, this is a new way of saying hello?" The four men immediately pulled themselves together and greeted her properly. Leaving the doors open, she invited them in. They sat at the small table in the center of the room where a pot of tea and some cups stood. Soon, they were laughing and talking merrily. Yao, who'd stomped on Ling's foot underneath the table, felt it was punishment enough to watch Ling try not to cry out in pain. He didn't try to maim his lanky friend the whole time.
"So, you're staying on as Captain?" Fai nodded. "I'm just going to have to go through some extra training." He grimaced. Mulan smiled. "I got through it." Fai grinned widely. Yao brought up a disturbing subject. "Ming Kei has been executed, Mulan." She stayed silent, unknowingly feeling the scar at her neck.
She spoke up quietly. "And the empress?" Ling answered. "Because of her involvement, she's been banished. We don't know where." Mulan sighed. "How was the emperor?" "It hurt him deeply even though he didn't let it show." Said Chien Po in a low voice. Mulan bowed her head.
Not liking the somber mood, Fai spoke up. "Shang told me to tell you that he'd be visiting tomorrow, Mulan." She looked at him, eyes bright. "Really?" Ling, Yao and Chien Po chuckled. Fai grinned. "Yes. He sends his apologies that he couldn't visit today. The emperor had some business to discuss with him." "Not another arranged marriage, I hope?" joked Mulan.
The Gang of Three smiled knowingly. "Oh, I wouldn't know, Mulan. I wouldn't know." Said Fai chuckling. Mulan raised an eyebrow at that cryptic sentence.
(The Present! Hope you enjoyed the ride!)
Her thoughts turned to her father. Fa Zhou and the rest of the family would be seeing her in another week. She sighed. She was going to go home safely at last. A knock at the door brought Mulan back to reality. "Come in." Shang walked in, his helmet under his arm. She smiled as she went over to greet him.
"Are you alright?" "I'm fine, Shang. The doctor said I'd be able to return home soon. What about your leg?" Shang grinned. "Managed to kick Fai at practice this morning. It's fine." Mulan laughed. "Do you want to go for a walk?" "That sounds good." Somehow, both of them forgot or didn't want to remember most likely, that unmarried men and women weren't supposed to be seen walking together unless they were married or betrothed. No one stopped or questioned them but when you're a general who's gone through near-death experiences, a lot of people just let you be.
As Shang and Mulan walked to the Imperial Gardens, they talked. Lady Mai Lin wouldn't come out after Ming Kei was put executed. She wouldn't even eat. The emperor and her five other sons had tried to coax her out but it wasn't working. Mulan looked into the distance. "I don't have any idea of how she must feel. To know your own son killed your own husband..." She sighed. A breeze blew a subtle perfume from the flowers around them, as if trying to comfort her.
Shang shook his head. "I never imagined Ming Kei's hatred ran so deep. It must have been torture."
Mulan hesitated then spoke quietly. "It's torture also wondering if someone you love really wants you to go." Shang looked at her for a minute. Then he pressed something into her hand. Mulan held in her left hand, the withered blossom he'd given her so many weeks before. "How...where?"
"Fai found it by your bag at the camp. I never wanted you to leave. I wanted to defy orders, to run away taking you with me. But for both your sake and mine, I couldn't say anything. I was a general. But more than anything, I wanted you to stay. With me."
Mulan looked at him, smiling. She felt guilty yet so relieved and loved. "I never should've doubted you. Now I know better." Shang took both her hands. "The emperor gave me another order yesterday."
Mulan was a little annoyed that he'd be bringing that subject into conversation. But despite her annoyance, she was curious. "What order?"
"That we be married...will you?" Mulan's annoyance vanished immediately. She just stared at him, pleasantly shocked. Shang spoke softly. "Mulan?"
There was no answer as the withered blossom fluttered to the ground. Mushu and Cri-Kee sniffed as Mulan fell into Shang's arms in the west end of the gardens, and gave her answer in a kiss.
A/N: I'm wondering if I should do the wedding and give Fai the love of his life...what do you think? And thank you to the reviewers!
Mushu watched as Mulan finished combing out her hair. The cut that Ming Kei had given her wasn't deep enough to kill her but the scar would be there for all her life. She'd been resting for a whole week in the Palace. Mushu thanked the Fa ancestors for keeping Mulan alive. Cri-Kee chirped at his side. "Yeah, she'll be fine. We'd better give her some privacy. Shang will be here any minute!" He winked and the two ran off.
Mulan felt the scar on her neck as she looked into the mirror. It was a reminder that being royalty wasn't easy no matter how it looked from the outside. Fai, Yao, Ling and Chien Po had visited yesterday with news.
(Flashback! Please keep all hands and feet within the vehicle. Thank you!)
Mulan lay back in her chair. It was sundown and she had finished her dinner. She had to admit, nothing could compare to the meals the chefs cooked for the emperor. Suddenly, voices could be heard outside her room door.
"What if she isn't in?" "Then, we'll come back another time! Yeesh, it's like your brain hasn't unfrozen yet!" "Hey!" Sounds of a scuffle could be heard. Mulan grinned. She knew who it was. As she opened the door, there stood Chien Po was holding on to Yao who looked as if he was ready to kill. His intended victim, Ling cowered behind an exasperated Loong Fai.
"Let me guess, this is a new way of saying hello?" The four men immediately pulled themselves together and greeted her properly. Leaving the doors open, she invited them in. They sat at the small table in the center of the room where a pot of tea and some cups stood. Soon, they were laughing and talking merrily. Yao, who'd stomped on Ling's foot underneath the table, felt it was punishment enough to watch Ling try not to cry out in pain. He didn't try to maim his lanky friend the whole time.
"So, you're staying on as Captain?" Fai nodded. "I'm just going to have to go through some extra training." He grimaced. Mulan smiled. "I got through it." Fai grinned widely. Yao brought up a disturbing subject. "Ming Kei has been executed, Mulan." She stayed silent, unknowingly feeling the scar at her neck.
She spoke up quietly. "And the empress?" Ling answered. "Because of her involvement, she's been banished. We don't know where." Mulan sighed. "How was the emperor?" "It hurt him deeply even though he didn't let it show." Said Chien Po in a low voice. Mulan bowed her head.
Not liking the somber mood, Fai spoke up. "Shang told me to tell you that he'd be visiting tomorrow, Mulan." She looked at him, eyes bright. "Really?" Ling, Yao and Chien Po chuckled. Fai grinned. "Yes. He sends his apologies that he couldn't visit today. The emperor had some business to discuss with him." "Not another arranged marriage, I hope?" joked Mulan.
The Gang of Three smiled knowingly. "Oh, I wouldn't know, Mulan. I wouldn't know." Said Fai chuckling. Mulan raised an eyebrow at that cryptic sentence.
(The Present! Hope you enjoyed the ride!)
Her thoughts turned to her father. Fa Zhou and the rest of the family would be seeing her in another week. She sighed. She was going to go home safely at last. A knock at the door brought Mulan back to reality. "Come in." Shang walked in, his helmet under his arm. She smiled as she went over to greet him.
"Are you alright?" "I'm fine, Shang. The doctor said I'd be able to return home soon. What about your leg?" Shang grinned. "Managed to kick Fai at practice this morning. It's fine." Mulan laughed. "Do you want to go for a walk?" "That sounds good." Somehow, both of them forgot or didn't want to remember most likely, that unmarried men and women weren't supposed to be seen walking together unless they were married or betrothed. No one stopped or questioned them but when you're a general who's gone through near-death experiences, a lot of people just let you be.
As Shang and Mulan walked to the Imperial Gardens, they talked. Lady Mai Lin wouldn't come out after Ming Kei was put executed. She wouldn't even eat. The emperor and her five other sons had tried to coax her out but it wasn't working. Mulan looked into the distance. "I don't have any idea of how she must feel. To know your own son killed your own husband..." She sighed. A breeze blew a subtle perfume from the flowers around them, as if trying to comfort her.
Shang shook his head. "I never imagined Ming Kei's hatred ran so deep. It must have been torture."
Mulan hesitated then spoke quietly. "It's torture also wondering if someone you love really wants you to go." Shang looked at her for a minute. Then he pressed something into her hand. Mulan held in her left hand, the withered blossom he'd given her so many weeks before. "How...where?"
"Fai found it by your bag at the camp. I never wanted you to leave. I wanted to defy orders, to run away taking you with me. But for both your sake and mine, I couldn't say anything. I was a general. But more than anything, I wanted you to stay. With me."
Mulan looked at him, smiling. She felt guilty yet so relieved and loved. "I never should've doubted you. Now I know better." Shang took both her hands. "The emperor gave me another order yesterday."
Mulan was a little annoyed that he'd be bringing that subject into conversation. But despite her annoyance, she was curious. "What order?"
"That we be married...will you?" Mulan's annoyance vanished immediately. She just stared at him, pleasantly shocked. Shang spoke softly. "Mulan?"
There was no answer as the withered blossom fluttered to the ground. Mushu and Cri-Kee sniffed as Mulan fell into Shang's arms in the west end of the gardens, and gave her answer in a kiss.
A/N: I'm wondering if I should do the wedding and give Fai the love of his life...what do you think? And thank you to the reviewers!