Disclaimer: Why would I have a disclaimer up if I owned it?
[Author's Note] Lynn, you are so cool! Thanks for being such an awesome reviewer. *Bows low to you in Mulan-fashion*
Chapter ten.
*************************************************
After watching Shang leave, Mulan stood there for a few minutes longer. Did what she think just happened actually happen? Did Shang really leave for good? "yep," she thought. She wiped her tears away, and turned to go back to the house. It was about 3:00 in the morning, and she was tired. She cried silently as she got ready for bed. She couldn't sleep. The sunshine was beginning to filter through her drapes when Fa Li entered Mulan's room with some hot tea. Mulan took it gratefully. Her mother's tea always helped her get to sleep.
"How did you know I was awake?"
"I can hear your rustling and sobbing from miles away." Li smiled at her daughter. Her smile quickly faded. She looked at Mulan a little closer. It was still dark, but Mulan looked a little feverish. "Sleep now. Rest for the day. You need it." Fa Li felt Mulan's forehead. Hot and moist. Rest would be the cure. Rest and Li Shang. But Li Shang she could not provide.
The day went by quickly. With plenty of rest, Mulan quickly fought off the onsetting illness. By dinner, she was fine. The Fa family knelt around the table. Mulan, as usual, poured the tea.
"What happened to Captain Li?" Fa Zhou asked his daughter. Mulan told the story from beginning to end; from the true reason Shang came to their house to the reason he left.
"But I'm sure he didn't cut me."
"How are you sure?" Fa Zhou asked.
"I felt Shan-Yu's body cringe. Then I saw Shan-Yu's knife. And then I felt the pain. Shang hit Shan-Yu before my neck was pierced."
"Perhaps we should go to the stable and see if we can find some evidence."
"Father?" Mulan asked, wondering what he was getting at.
"If it was Shan-Yu's dagger that pierced your throat, it ought to have some blood on it, wouldn't you think?" Mulan smiled, and ran around the table to hug her father.
"Lets go!" She stood, grabbing Fa Zhou's arm.
"Mulan-" He wasn't yet done with his meal.
"Pleeease, father?" Mulan tugged at his arm, not listening to his protests. He dropped his chopsticks, and was helped up by Mulan. She practically dragged him the whole way to the stable. The bodies of Shan-Yu and the hun had been removed earlier that day. All that remained was the dagger of Shang, and the dagger of Shan-Yu. Mulan grabbed a cloth from a nearby table propped up against the wall. She knelt down, picking up Shang's dagger. She slowly wiped it clean. Then she turned to her left and found Shan-Yu's dagger. She put Shang's dagger down, and picked up Shan-Yu's. She looked at it closely.
"Yesssss!!" She yelled, and dropped the dagger and cloth. She jumped up and hugged her father excitedly. "We have found what we hoped for!" Her father smiled.
"Very good. I expect, then, you will be paying Captain Li a visit this time."
"Oh, can I?" Mulan released her father and held him at arm's length, smiling.
"Tomorrow. Tonight, you must rest. You need it." Mulan looked excited, and then gave her father a funny look. This was the second time someone said this to her within a twenty-four hour period. She wondered how she looked. She shook off the thought, and jumped once out of excitement.
"Okay, okay.. Let me get the knives and we will walk back together." Mulan quickly picked up the two daggers. They walked back to the house in silence. Once inside, Mulan ran to the linen closet and pulled out two clean cloths. She carefully wrapped in the first cloth Shang's dagger. In the second cloth she wrapped the dagger of Shan-Yu, careful not to wipe off the sticky, almost dry blood from the blade. She got everything set for the trip tomorrow, and then got ready for bed. Everything was going to be okay.
That night she rested well, and dreamt of beautiful things. It was the first of many contented nights to come.
=================================================
[Author's Note] Sorry it took so long. I hope you liked it!