The Power of Love: Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's Mulan.  I'm not making any profit by writing this story.  I do own Ta-Ni, Yi-Pek, and Ma Ti.

By: Susan

Summary: Mulan is kidnapped from her wedding in order to save the honor in Shan Yu's family. Can she show Shan Yu's brother what true love is? Will she still marry Shang?

A/N: This is a sequel to my story, After Dinner, although you don't really need to read it in order to grasp the concept of the story ;)  Enjoy. ;)

xxx

"Yi-Pek? Brother? I've brought you some hot tea." Ta-Ni walked inside his room where he sat by the fireplace. "Brother, are you alright?" Silence was his response. She set the tea in front of him. It steamed and smelled delicious.

"Thank you." They stood in silence for a moment, feeling the warmth of the hearth and enjoying its comfort.

"You must let her go, brother." Yi-Pek turned to glare at her.

"Has your heart become soft? Do you care nothing for honor?" Ta-Ni was angry.

"My heart? You are the one sulking of a lost love and a young women who's future will die tomorrow."

"And you're the one who wants to change it." Yi-Pek said.

"And you do not want to change it? What's done is done, you used to say. The past is behind us now. You no longer believe that."

"It should be that way."

"But, brother, it is not! Don't you see? You have condemned Fa Mulan to death, just for the honor in our family. Why should we honor Shan Yu's death? Look what he's done to China! Look what he's done to our family! Forcing us to live out here in the forest. No contact with anyone. Mother and Father would be angry."

"He was our brother, Ta-Ni."

"That means nothing!" Ta-Ni was angry now. "Yi-Pek," she pleaded, "don't you understand? Fa Mulan is in love. You know how she feels. Even I know how she feels. She's young, she's smart, she's beautiful. She could find a way out at any time. But she does not."

"And why not? If she could escape, how come she hasn't." Ta-Ni thought for a moment.

"Because you will come after her."

"Correct."

"Shan Yu had asked you to murder her, if he did not. He wanted you to avenge his death." She paused, "If she escaped, would you?" Her brother was silent.

"Maybe. She means nothing to me."

"But, she means so much to so many others! She means the same to her family as Shan Yu meant to us. They love her. Just as we loved our brother." Ta-Ni looked at her brother sadly, "Don't you understand?"

"I don't think I ever will. That is why it is better to marry her and be done." Ta-Ni stood from her seat, full of sorrow for the young woman. It was true that she had felt the same way as her brother when they kidnapped her. But the poor girl, being taken from her family, her friends, and the love of her life, to marry the brother of the man who had tried to murder her. But yet, intelligent enough to escape, she did not. Why was that? Ta-Ni was unsure.

"She's no different from Ma-Ti!" She shouted desperately, blinking away tears. Her brother stood angrily. He reached out and hit her across the face. Ta-Ni was shocked. Never had her brother acted out that way. She put her hand over her mouth.

"Don't ever again say that name around me. What's done is-" He stopped.

"Look at you!" Ta-Ni yelled. "Look, you've been torn apart by the evil in you. Shan Yu would be proud!" Ta-Ni spat as she said her brothers name. "She is not any different from your once love. She's so in love right now. Marriage and a family await her. But she cares for him, and he cares for her, so unlike the many marriages China has been built upon. You're acting as Shan Yu did to you and Ma Ti. Tearing her away from her love without thought of anything but yourself."

"I do this for my brother!"

"You do this for honor. Honor. The word once meant something beautiful to me. But, now, it is no longer. I've seen what honor means in your eyes. You'll do anything to achieve it. Even if it means killing the soul of someone so innocent and beautiful it takes one's breath away."

"I-"

"You've learned from example, that's what. Don't you remember how you felt after your brother stole Ma Ti from you? You moped for weeks. You would not trust another woman, for fear someone would take her away. You loved Ma Ti, didn't you, brother? You were in love with her. And she was in love with you. But you stayed back, and you let your brother step into your territory and take her from you. Well, I promise you, Yi-Pek, that General Li Shang will not be that. that. stupid! He will not let anyone take Mulan away from him. His father and mother are gone. He has no siblings. She is all he has left. You will steal the souls of each and every person close to her, for she is the candle in their lives." Ta-Ni glared at her brother.

"Ta-Ni, be reasonable-"

"You first," She said, turning on her heel and walking out.

xxx

Ta-Ni stared out of the window of her room. It was turning dark. Her eyes were red. Her brother made her so mad. Did he think she cared nothing for honor? She was as angry as he was from what Shan-Yu had done. He had ruined her chances for marriage, for when China was attacked, her soon to be husband's parents had withdrawn the marriage proposal. Her family was worth nothing now. Her hopes and dreams for her future were smashed when Shan Yu led his attack on China.

She remembered what he had said. Honor is more important than love. But it shouldn't be. That's how it was to everyone. To the man she was engaged to, and to his family. To the townspeople they had lived with before the attack. Ta-Ni was forced to leave everyone she loved, just because those people counted honor higher than everything else.

But, Mulan. She was so different. She left her home to save her father, no thought of the horrible things that could've awaited her. She met someone who didn't care about society's rules, and wanted to marry her because he loved her. Ta-Ni wished her betrothed could've done something like that. But, then again, he didn't love her. It was a marriage for honor. She stared out the window into the darkness once more. A figured was crawling down the wall to the left of her. Ta-Ni blinked, and rubbed her eyes. What was she seeing? Should she call out to the person? What were they doing?

Ta-Ni ended up outside peeking around the side wall. She could tell it was a man now. He was about 5 feet from the ground when Ta-Ni asked him who he was and what he was doing. The man toppled to the ground.

" What?" His heart was racing.

"Who are you?" Ta-Ni asked. "What are you doing at my house?" The man stepped towards her, out of the shadows. She could make out his face, and she could tell by his physique as to who he was. Her hand was over her mouth.

" You're the General!" Ta-Ni said loudly. "What are you doing here?" Shang looked at her, his eyes scanning the dark haired young woman. She was older than Mulan, probably in her later twenties.

"What do you think I'm doing here?" Shang asked angrily. "If you live here, you've obviously taken part in Mulan's kidnapping!" Ta-Ni stared at him, growing saddened. "I don't understand you," He said, pushing her against the wall of the home. "You're Yi-Pek's sister, aren't you? And Shan Yu's as well!"

"I am." Ta-Ni agreed. "But, why are you here? You've just been speaking with Mulan, haven't you?" Shang just stared at her. He wanted to scream. Mulan was his. Why'd they have to take her away from him? Mulan was all Shang had left, and the whole country of China knew it. "General, why are you doing this? You shouldn't have been up there. If my brother had found out." Her eyes had a look of fright in them, as she looked about the darkened forest. "He would've killed you, General." She looked at the ground. "I'm so sorry about all of this."

"You don't understand," Shang told her quietly, still trying to hold back his anger. "I don't understand either," he said.

"General, listen to me. I feel your pain. I understand, I do. I don't know why I've taken part in this. I know how Mulan feels, being taken from her family and friends. When China was attacked, my family was forced to live out here, in the forest. And, my brother knows how you feel. His love was stolen from him long ago."

"Doesn't he see he's hurting people?" Shang asked.

"He's blinded by the will to honor his family. He wants everything to be the way it once was. If the honor can be restored, he will be happy."

"But it can't!" Shang yelled, "What Shan Yu did, it can't be fixed. Him and his troops murdered my father, murdered hundreds of innocent people, and tried to murder myself, Mulan, and the Emperor. Don't you see? They wanted to kill, they wanted to hurt people. You may not agree, but I feel your brother is a Hun, who lived throughout all of this." Ta-Ni slapped him, and Shang rubbed his face, almost confused.

"Don't ever insult my brother." Ta-Ni said, her face contorted in fury and rage. She was about to scream, but her eyes grew wide with sadness. "I'm trying to help you save Mulan, General. I wish someone would've helped me in my time of pain."

xxx