A/N: chapter 9!
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(Long chapter, as promise!)
Disclaimer: 'Mulan' belongs to Disney; plot- mine!
Mushu, you're OK?
Mushu: I'm fine! –sniff- now to the chapter!
Well, you heard him!
A chance
Chapter 9
Three days later
Mulan stood near the gate of the Camp, surveying the newcomer who was the new recruits as they passed through.
Of each of them she requested to see the Notice, and when it turned out that Mulan was going to be their commanding officer, their reaction varied from disbelief to downright insulting, but Mulan stood her ground and already the soldiers started to respect her.
A lanky fellow, lankier than Ling came through the gate, leading his brown gelding.
"Show me your Notice." She said in a commending she was still trying to master.
The man went wide-eyed and said, "Show it to you?" he asked uncertainly.
One the new recruits strolled by, they didn't have much to do since the training didn't begin for 4 more days, looked to see what's going on and said, "Show it to her," he said to the other man, "she's our Captain."
The newcomer mouthed 'o' and showed Mulan his Notice.
"Very well," said Mulan and handed him back the Notice, she pointed to somewhere at the Camp, "go and build up your tent, training will start in 4 days."
"Yes, Captain." He said and went on.
Mulan looked again through the gate and a new someone came.
He got down from his gray mare, and Mulan started noticing that this newcomer was a little strange.
For one thing, he's was shorter than most men at Camp, he was around Mulan's height.
And another thing, he was almost too pretty for a man.
"Show me your Notice." She said and he grinned and gave it to her, there was something familiar about that grin.
She inspected it, everything was fine, but at the bottom was something another hand had written:
Hello Mulan,
I told you we'll see each other again!
And it was signed by the symbols for 'spring' and 'water' in Chinese.
She went wide-eyed from the Notice and looked at the one standing before her, "You!"
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Evening
Since their Camps were closer to Mulan's, the gang and Shang decided to have a fire in the conjuring point of all five Camps.
"Where's Mulan?" asked Chien-Po who was, as of lately, writing.
"Dunno, haven't seen her yet." Said Ling, warming by the fire.
Yao didn't say anything, because he was eating.
And Shang didn't say anything because...he was Shang, he didn't need many words.
Suddenly Mulan appeared besides a tree, coming from her Camp,"Hey, Guys!" she greeted.
"Hey, Mulan!" they greeted back, Shang just nodded.
"There's someone I want you to meet," she said to the tree she said, "Come on."
Behind the tree came what seems a young man in a training outfit, he looked abashed.
"Shang," Mulan said to him, "I believe you already know Chun."
"'Chun'?" he repeated, and then it struck him, he got up and bowed, "Lady Chun Shui." He said with the utmost respect.
"'Lady?!" exclaimed Ling, "you mean it's a woman?!"
"Yes," the newcomer beside Mulan finally spoke, "it's a woman." And untied her, which fell to the shoulders.
She could've been Mulan's sister; the two were a little alike, although the other woman was a little shorter than Mulan and her eyes less wide.
"And please, General," she said, looking at Shang as he sat back down after his bow, "don't bow; I don't want any of you to treat me differently just because I'm a noble."
"Guys," Mulan told to the bewildered gang, who wre still wide-eyed, "May I present the Lady Chun Shui."
"You can just call me Chun." Smiled the girl.
"'Chun Shui'?" said Yao, who finished eating; "you're a relative of the Emperor, right?"
"Yes, I'm his great niece." Confirmed Chun.
Mulan rounded on her, "Why did come to the army?" this was the question she had been meaning to ask all day.
"I want to serve China, and just sit around doing something useless," Chun answered sincerely,"tha's why I came."
"The Emperor didn't object?" asked Chien-Po quietly.
"Of course he did, but I explained to him and he understands, so he approved." Answered Chun with a smile.
Through all that Shang had remained silent but finally he asked, "Why do you want Mulan to train you?"
"Because I think she is the best. I mean, she did save China," she looked at Mulan," and besides she's a friend." She smiled warmly.
Through the entire evening there have been questions, and Chun and Mulan talked between them what Ling had named 'Girl talk', and of course eating dinner.
True, the gang did try putting their moves on Chun, but she just smirked and said, "I'm going to be concentrating on my training from now on, so I won't have time for that sort of stuff." And she and Mulan giggled at the sour faces of the three men.
After that, all departed, and Mulan put out the fire, and looked up.
"Oh, Shang," she said and she spotted the man," what are you still doing here?"
"I need, I mean, uh..." he was stuttering in front of her, again, "I mean, can I walk you to your tent?" he finally asked, out of breath.
"Sure." Mulan smiled.
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They stopped when they neared her tent.
"Here we are." Said Mulan awkwardly to break the silence.
"Yes." Said Shang, starting to feel uncomfortable.
"So..." said Mulan, fidgeting with a lock of her hair, which was loose.
"So..." said Shang, his hand twitching a little.
"Good night." Finally said Shang.
She stopped fidgeting, took a long breath, then tip-toed and kissed him on the cheek.
She pulled back and softly said, "Good night." Smiling she went to her tent.
Shang just stood there, a little shocked, and put a hand on the cheek Mulan kissed.
She has soft and warm lips...were did THAT come from?!, he shook his head (he's been doing that a lot lately, he pondered) and went back to his Camp
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A/N: this concludes chapter 9! So, long enough for you, people?
Mushu: It was long, but why, why I wasn't in it?!
You'll be next chapter, I promise!
Mushu: Deal! And here is a little song that I can sing, since my baby isn't here...
Shang and Mulan sitting' on a tree... (snap) mmfff!
Do me a favor and save that song for later chapters (snap)
Mushu: me poor mouth...later chapters, you say? What, they're really gonna...?
All in good time, my dear Mushu, all in good time (smirking slyly)
And please review and read my stories!