Chapter the seventh

Thanks for the reviews I got.(2 to be exact). I'm hoping to get way more reviews this chapter. I am using a suggestion given to me by KingOfTheRock in this chapter who gets the credit for it. As u may remember, Mulan is using Shang's cape for clothing. I picture her to have fashioned some sort of tunic with it. Just go with me there.  Also thanks to katyrose for the helpful suggestions! Onward Ho!

Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Mulan. I only own Fi Wan, but feel free to use him in a story if you need an extra jerk. Hehe.

"Ok, if we're west now, where would the palace be?" Yao pondered out loud. The gang was standing outside of Mulan and Shang's hiding spot until they had been found the previous day. The gang knew they were the only hope, but none of them knew what way to go. After many minutes, Ling began to get annoyed.

"Look dummy, " he said, directed at Yao. " It's obviously that way." He said.

"Who's a dummy?" Yao replied, getting angry. Chien Po didn't like where this was going.

"Guys, let's just agree that you both have an equal level of intelligence. " he said.

"What? No!" said Yao rather loudly. "I'm not dumb as a post like him." He gestured to Ling. Yao had had enough.

"I'm sick of you!" he said. " and I'm outta here." With that, he turned and sauntered off towards the direction he thought was to the palace.

"Go ahead!" Ling called after him. "And you too!" he said to Chien Po. He walked away in the opposite direction of Yao.

"Wait...Please!" Chien Po tried to call them back, but it was no use. He sighed and headed off the other direction alone.

MEANWHILE

Mulan and Shang sat in the damp carriage that had once held their so-called friends. Shang was at one end and Mulan at the other, both too busy drowning in self-pity to talk. In the carriage with them were two soldiers who kept silent. Both Mulan and Shang were thinking along the same lines which consisted mostly of things like: How could we have bee so stupid? We're cooked. It would take a miracle to help us now.

They weren't sure how long they had traveled, but they began to hear the bustle of the festival going on in the streets of the imperial city. Chi Fu had sent some soldiers down to spread word of China's victory without knowing that they had not won yet.

Mulan had almost drifted off to sleep when she awoke with a start. The guards had fallen asleep, but both she and Shang were bound. She stretched out a leg and whacked Shang's foot to get his attention.

"Shang, they're having a victory festival. They don't know about the huns." She said.

"If I know the huns' strategies, I know they waste no time. With all the time it took us to get here, that would mean they must be somewhere in the imperial city." Said Shang.

"We have to warn the people." Mulan whispered loudly so not to wake the soldiers. "But how?"

MEANWHILE AGAIN

Yao was also hearing the mumbles of the people. He came over the crest of a hill and saw the palace.

"I was right! Stupid Ling." He began to celebrate his success at getting to the city when he heard rustling in the bushes nearby. His heart leapt and he dove behind a rock, shaking in fear. He peered over the edge to see something emerging from the bushes. He prepared to fight if it was bad when out of the bushes came…

"Ling?" asked Yao. "I thought you were going the other way." A dirt-covered Ling had walked up to Yao out of the shrubs.

"I was." He said. "I don't know how I ended up here." His face squirmed in confusion. Just after that, a familiar voice came upon them.

"Ling? Yao? Is that you?" Chien Po came from the other direction and approached the two. "Maybe I took a wrong turn." He thought and scratched his head.

Ling looked over his shoulder to see a carriage far in the distance with what looked like Chi Fu riding a horse in front of it.

"No." Said Ling. "We're too late. Look!" Chien Po and Yao came and saw the same sight.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Yao. "Let's call it truce and go help our friends!" He then stuck his hand out and Ling and Chien Po put theirs on top before raising them into the air and running off into the village square.

When they got to it, the carriage had become out of site. They looked in all directions, but it was not to be sighted.

"Look!" said Chien Po. "Over there." He pointed to a carriage that looked like the one they needed to find.

"No, it's over there." Said Yao, pointing to another. Ling spotted another.

"Haw are we going to find them when there's so many carriages?" Ling asked, frustrated.

"We'll split up." Said Yao. "I'll go to this one, you go to that one and Ling can go to that one."

"Right." Said Ling and Chien Po together before dashing after the carriages.

"Excuse me!" called Ling after a carriage. " he ran up beside it to see that it was being driven by an elderly man.

"Hello, there." Said Ling suspiciously. " What have you got in your carriage, may I ask." The man looked a bit confused, but answered.

"Hay, sir." Ling eyed him again.

"Really?" Ling said. "Well then how do you explain the two people who are sitting in the back with soldiers?" Ling was sure this was a guard of Chi Fu's sent to take Mulan and Shang to the emperor. The man was more confused than ever now.

"I do not know what you mean, sir." He said.

"Oh, don't play innocent." Said Ling loudly. "I happen to know that your carriage holds none other than the esteemed captain of the army and- Huh?" he swung open the doors to see nothing but piles of hay.

"Uh..um.." he stammered, trying to cover his obvious mistake. "Uh.. annual hay inspection. Your carriage looks clean. Well done sir. Gotta run!" with that he zoomed away hoping to avoid any other clashes like that. As soon as he was out of sight, he groaned in demeanment. He looked up to see Yao and Chien Po coming around the corner. Chien Po looked dizzy and was swaying as he walked and Yao had been smothered in flour and was as white as a ghost.

"Don't ask." He muttered. Ling heeded that.

"Listen, it's hopeless to find them." Said Chien Po. "Let's just talk to the emperor instead." The other two nodded and they all ran off to warn the emperor, praying thet they would make it in time.

XXXXXX

The huns were moving quickly. Concealed inside a paper dragon, they slowly crept toward the palace. There were five of them including Shan Yu, but after all this, they did not see giving up as an option.

XXXXX

The carriage containing Mulan and Shang screeched to a halt inside the palace walls. The door flew open and Chi Fu ordered them to be taken inside. It was just reaching darkness.

"Take them inside to the dungeons." He ordered.

"Hey, that's not fair." Mulan disagreed. "The emperor hasn't said anything yet." Chi Fu leaned close to her face.

"I don't see the emperor anywhere. Do you?" he said. "Take them away." The soldiers dragged Mulan and Shang down to the basement where they were roughly thrown into a cell. At least we're together. Thought Mulan.

"But, you can't do this!" called Shang, grabbing the iron bars.

"Oh." Chi Fu said, turning to face him. " seems to me I already have."

"You don't understand." Shang persisted. "The huns are in the city!" Chi Fu never even took the time to think about what Shang had said.

"One lie after another." He said, turning his heel.

"You have to believe us!" Mulan cried. " We saw them! If you don't warn the people, China will fall."

"You don't seem to get my drift." Chi Fu said back. "I am second in command to the emperor. Whatever I say without him knowing goes. " With that, he turned and walked to the dungeon door.

"Oh, and you will appear in front of me tomorrow for your official sentence. I trust you know what it will be." He winked before slowly drawing a finger across his throat, symbolizing death. He smiled and left.

Shang and Mulan stared after him, not believing that it had come to this. Shang hung his head. Mulan retreated to the corner with her head in her knees.

"It's all my fault." She whispered. Shang heard her and came up beside her.

"Mulan." He said firmly. "Look at me." She lifted her head to show tears glistening in her eyes.

"If I hadn't met you, I would have never known what a gift life can be." Mulan lifted her head more and came closer to him. Tears came from her eyes and landed on the hay they were sitting on. Their eyes met and their faces came closer. Mulan's eyes fluttered as their lips came together in a meaningful kiss.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sorry about how long it took me to update. There's more to come. Ill start on the next chapter soon. Review please!