I do not own any characters of debatable fiction/non-fiction origins (thankyou Dragon Spirit Fighter!) and basically anything that you recognise isn't mine.
Ok, first things first. I wanna send out a huuuge thankyou to everyone who reviewed chapter 1, you all had me going about on a high after I'd read them, I was so happy people liked it! I wana thank you all personally as well so here we go
Angel432- you were my first ever reviewer and I am eternally grateful to you!
Hilarity-Ensues- Long review, nice! I can get where you're coming from with theYeZhong age mix up. I was imagining him to be around 50 really, a sort of wise old guy, him being a consulate and all (exclude Chi-Fu from the equation). Sorry for the confusion!
Animelover 12344- I'm glad somebody likes the detail, people usually fall asleep during my descriptive writing!
Dragon Spirit Fighter- Thankyou for the welcome. Another long review to get my teeth into.Thanks for the history lesson :D
Jhs Rockerbaby- wahey it seems that my writing's actually doing what I wanted it do for once-Strange but apparently true
MiniEllie- I sorta figured that if anything was going to happen with Mulan/Shang they probably weren't going to be all 'lovey-dovey', at least not yet. This way means I can have lots more fun with them first (he,he,he) I'm working on the comedy but you might have to bear with me for a while, I'm kinda not much good it, but I try!
Animejacksparrowlover- Hope this is soon enough for you
Phew, I probably won't do that every time or you'll all get bored, but it had to be done. Anywho, on with the show….
'Mulan,' her grandmother called 'are you all right?' Mulan had been acting even more preoccupied than usual since her return from the village.
'Yes, Nai Nai, I'm fine.' Mulan felt her grandmother's eyes bore into her as she spoke, she obviously didn't believe her. Mulan hurried away before the interrogation could begin. She was never going to tell her family what she had heard.
Hours had passed since her return, and she had more than enough to keep her busy, but she couldn't stop her thoughts from returning to what had happened. She had known people found her a bit strange, and that some looked down on her for breaking with tradition, but she'd never imagined anything like this. Flower girl! Did people seriously believe that was what had taken place? She felt sick every time she thought of it. A complete stranger had come out with all that trash about her, perhaps that was what most people thought? I suppose several thousand witnesses at the palace isn't good enough for them is it? she thought bitterly. Of course it didn't really matter what people thought, she didn't need other people's good opinion. But however many times she said that to herself she still knew it wasn't completely true. She did want people to think well of her, or at least not to think of her badly.
Over the past few hours there had been several occasions on which she had felt a very strong urge to hit something, but she'd managed to control herself. The worst thing about all this was that she couldn't do anything about it. She had no choice but to live with the knowledge, there was really nothing else to do. She had tried to channel some of her furious energy into the many jobs she had been given, but it didn't help much. However much stress you try to take out in sweeping a room, you still hadn't solved the problem by the end of it, though you did have exceptionally clean floors.
She took refuge in her room. She flopped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Could she do anything right? She fails miserably in trying to be a proper lady, so she manages to save the whole of China from marauding Huns and people still think of her as, as a flower girl! Was there anything she could do that was acceptable? Yes there is, she thought, I could get married and have lots of sons, and only speak when spoken to, and never think of fighting again, act like the invasion never happened. But then I wouldn't be living. She rolled over and punched the pillows in frustration.
When she'd turned she had felt something in the sash at her waist. She pulled out the letter Ye Zhong had given her. Despite everything the sight of it made her smile. After his efforts in saving the Emperor, Chien-Po had been offered an official placement, which he had readily accepted. Like Mulan he had not joined the army because he'd wanted to, and he had seen enough of war. He was now employed as a high ranking scribe at court, and he took great pleasure out of being useful to people in his own quiet way. He wrote to Mulan once every two weeks and her replies were one of the few things she managed to keep fairly punctual. Looking at it from an informative point of view the letters didn't really have much to say apart from a few lines about palace life, or an update on how Yao and Ling were doing, (Yao had returned to camp as being in the army gave him a legal reason to regularly beat people up, and Ling had managed to get away with doing nothing much for the past half-year). But she always liked reading them, and in fact they were quite useful. When she was stressed or frustrated she had a habit of reading through them, the gentle words and just the decentness that showed through in them were usually able to restore her faith in the world a little.
She broke open the seal and started to read the letter. As usual it was full of nothing much, Chien-Po had met with an artist visiting the palace who was helping him improve his calligraphy, and Yao had got himself into another minor scuffle again, but it didn't matter. The skill of the writer made even the most mundane things interesting. After a little while she finished and started folding the parchment up again, when another slip of paper fell out into her lap. She turned it over and looked at it.
'When a light shines you don't put it under a bucket, so that its light helps no-one. You place it up high so that it shines on to everything around it. In a world of darkness there are some who would prefer to keep things hidden. You are a lamp, do not let those who wish to stay in the dark make you feel a disgrace for being so. Whatever you do you will shine, it is up to you were you will shine the light.'
Mulan sat there in bewilderment. She read the parchment again. The style of writing was different than Chien-Po's , and there was nothing about the message in the letter. She didn't think this was from Chien-Po. But there was no signature, or anything else that would point to the writer's identity. It was so strange. It was almost as if someone had read her thoughts. She hadn't felt such a disgrace for months. But, she thought logically, how could anyone have known in time to write the message? The latest Chien-Po could have sent the letter was a week ago, to reach her from the palace, it was impossible for someone to know.
She gave up trying to figure out who the message had come from and thought of what it said instead. It was strange yes, but when she read it she found herself able to see things from another point of view. She hadn't done anything wrong, she had nothing to be ashamed of. She didn't have to let these people get to her, she knew that she had done the right thing. And as long as she had friends and family who loved her she didn't have to care about what anyone else thought. She had known all this before, but the fact that someone else had confirmed it, and that the someone else was apparently a complete stranger and they were still able to see it, brought it home to her. It didn't make any of the words that had been said less painful, but now she could take a step back and look at things in perspective. But as for all that stuff about lamps, she was blown if she knew what they were going on about.
'Mulan! Mulan! Where are you?' she heard someone call, snapping her out of her reverie. She heard footsteps and her mother stood at the door.
'Have you been here all along? I've been looking for you for an age, it seems. Come, I need your help in the kitchen'
Mulan scrambled off her bed, putting the scrap of paper in her sash for safekeeping, and left the room in higher spirits, but even more puzzles than she had entered it with.
Mulan didn't have time to think about anything other than the tasks at hand for an hour or so. It was late spring, the nights were getting longer, and the Li s weren't expected until early evening but her mother was very particular when it came to visitors, and insisted that everything in the house was perfect. Everything had to be cleaned, new rooms had to be made up, food had to be prepared etc., etc. What amazed Mulan was that she was sure the whole place had been spotless before they started, with Fa Li living there it could hardly be anything else. When her mother had finally released her she went to the stables to see Khan.
They had always had horses and Mulan found the smell of straw and horse a comforting one. Khan came over as soon as she walked in.
'I spoil you too much you know,' she laughed, giving him the carrot she had filched from the kitchens 'if you had it your way you'd be as fat as those chickens!' The horse gave her a disapproving look
' I think I'll have to put you on a diet, hmm? Coarse grain at every feeding and half an apple every other week, how about that?' for an answer she was sent flying into a bale of hay by a quick but of the horse's head. While she was wallowing in the straw, trying unsuccessfully to stand up again, there was a loud knock on the outside doors. Scrambling to her feet she paused a moment to try and get some of the straw off her outfit, and to foretell dire punishments for the sniggering horse before rushing away to answer it.
She gave her head one last shake as she reached the wooden gates, lifted the bar off the latch and opened the door. When she saw who it was she grinned.
'Captain Li Shang, Lady Li Chien' she said bowing, a mischievous look on her face. She only gave the formal acknowledgement because she knew how much it annoyed her friend Chien.
'Hello to you too Mulan!' said the elegant girl who'd just stepped from the carriage. 'Are you ever going to stop doing that?' she asked wearily.
Mulan folded her arms, still grinning.
'What do you think?' she asked.
Chien sighed. 'That's a no then.' She rolled her eyes at her brother 'How on earth you got Mulan to follow orders in the army is beyond me.' She said, smiling.
'With great difficulty.' Shang said dryly, an amused look on his face. ' I must say, the straw goes very well with your dress.'
Mulan made a face at him.
'Blame the horse, not me. I didn't ask to thrown into a load of straw. Is there still a lot there?'
'Yeah, loads of it.' He said, smiling too
'He's winding you up Mulan, you can hardly see it'
'Good, or mama would have a fit. Well, do you two want to stay standing here 'till morning or would you like to come in?' She didn't wait for an answer and opened the door wider to let Shang's horse through. Chien's carriage had left by now.
'Come on, we'll see to Samir before we go up to the house.'
'Sorry,' came Chien, 'No can do. I've got a new dress on today; I'd be in for it if it gets messed up. I'll just wait here if that's alright.' Shang shot her an unimpressed look for the complete lie she'd just told, but Chien was hiding behind her fan, the part of her face that could be seen the picture of innocence.
'Suit yourself. You coming Shang? Mulan asked, completely oblivious to what was going on.
'Er, yeah, it's my horse isn't it?'
Chien watched the two walk off and smiled to herself. Just because she was younger than them didn't mean she was stupid. It was kinda obvious Shang had something in mind when it came to Mulan, why else would he have introduced the two of them? When they'd first met Chien had been pretty excited, this was the heroine of China after all, but she was also intrigued as to what sort of woman had managed to win her brother's heart. She had found someone beautiful, lively, intelligent, witty, hardworking and apparently completely unaware that they possessed all this. (A/N I don't particularly rate things it that order, it just sounded better that way) She also found a great friend, and the two girls had become quite close. Mulan, being 17 was two years older than she was and Chien looked up to her almost like an elder sister. But the one thing they never talked about was the thing, as it seemed to Chien, that was staring them in the face, i.e. the fact her brother was obviously in love with Mulan, and that as far as she could tell Mulan had a thing for him too. Neither of them had ever said it, but when they were with each other it just showed. Chien couldn't think of anything better than if the two would get together, but they both seemed so shy. Getting them on their own more often was a probably a good idea, but she told herself that was all she would do, you couldn't really hurry things like this.
'So, how you doing?' asked Mulan as they walked along.
'I'm doing OK. I managed to get leave for a while, so I might be able to relax for once. How about you?'
'Oh, I'm fine.' He raised an eyebrow at her, 'really'
'You don't sound convinced.'
She felt a blush spread across her cheeks. Oh no, there's absolutely no way I'm telling Shang what people have been saying. The whole stupid rumour was about him, albeit indirectly, and me. There is nothing that anybody could possibly do to get me to tell him that!
'Mulan, what's up?' Those brown eyes were gazing at her, full of concern.
She looked away; she really didn't trust herself when it came to Shang. ' I, erm, sorta,' he was still looking at her expectantly. She gave up. ' I'll tell you about it some other time.' Mulan berated herself mentally, You are so weak on this guy! She tried dismissing it all. ' It's not like it's important or anything.'
'It's bothering you, that makes it important.'
Now certain that she looked like one of those apples she'd bought this morning Mulan didn't say anything, in an attempt to prevent any sort of mix up between what was going through her head and what came out her mouth. They walked along in quiet for a while. She cast about for another subject.
'How long are you staying for?' she asked.
'That depends on how long you can put up with Chien and me.'
'In that case,' she laughed, loosening up again, 'you'll probably be out in half a day, knowing the way you two bicker.'
Shang took mock offence. 'Fine then, if you want to be like that!'
'Seriously though,' she went on, once they had recovered from Shang's amateur dramatics, 'how long do you expect to be here for?'
'Well, seriously, I'm still not sure. I don't have to be anywhere for a week-and-a-half at least, and Chien's not busy as far as I know. So it's probably going to be a case of just turning us out when you get bored of us.'
'That'd take a long time, don't worry.' She said, flashing a smile.
They had reached the stables while they were talking, and now they started to sort out the horses' tackle. Shang didn't have any trouble about where to put things; he'd been in the stables so often that he knew them almost as well as his own back home. Mulan gave Samir another carrot that she'd intended to give Khan before the interruption, and they gave the horse a rub down. Khan was shooting jealous stares over their way, and got all moody when she said that he'd already had his share. As a result Shang, who had stepped a bit too close and who Khan had never liked much anyway, ended up flying into the exact same spot Mulan had been thrown into a few minutes ago. When she had stopped laughing Mulan got round to helping him up and, suddenly remembering Chien waiting for them, they hurried back to the courtyard.
'Have I missed something' Chien asked looking them up and down amusedly 'and straw's now this season's must-have accessory? You two look a right pair!'
'Like I said before, blame the horse.' answered Mulan, who was still giggling a little, 'Don't you agree Shang?'
'Yes, blame the horse, and preferably issue some sort of punishment.' said Shang, who'd been hit a good deal harder than Mulan had. Fa Li suddenly popped her head around the front door.
Are you three ever going to come in?' she asked. They all looked a bit sheepish, they hadn't realised that the Li's arrival had been noticed, then Mulan led the way up the steps.
Hey, did you like it? I think this one's a bit shorter than chapter 1 because I decided I'd better split it when it'd reached 10 pages and I still hadn't finished. Which should mean that Chapter 3 should be up by tomorrow the latest. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!