Chapter the tenth

Thanks for all my reviews. They're always helpful. I am including a few clips of a Mulan 2 song in this chapter. Sorry it took me such an eternally long time to post this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own no part of Disney's Mulan.

Mulan and Shang ran down the halls of the palace looking for Shan yu.

"Will you please tell me what you are going to do?" asked Shang, still unclear of the plan.

"I've sent Ling and Yao to look for him." Mulan answered. "We're going to wait until they lure him to us, thinking the emperor is this way. When he comes, we attack."

Shang smiled. It might have sounded crazy, but they were willing to try anything.

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"We always get the worst jobs." Griped Ling. "We dress up like women, Chien Po plays guard. We search for big mean guy, Shang waits with Mulan."

"Ssh." Said Yao. "I hear something." There, around the corner stood Shan Yu. He was in the act of breaking down doors, looking inside every room for the two things he came for: the emperor and Mulan. Immediately, the gang did what Mulan had instructed. They noted that he was moving toward the east wing, which happened to be where the dungeon was located. They got to their feet and as silently as they could, they ran to Mulan and Shang.

"He's moving to the east side!" cried Yao upon reaching them.

"Mulan, if he's moving to the east side, that means the emperor is in more danger than before. The dungeon is the most easternly point in the palace." Shang said, relizing that they now had another problem to solve. Mulan's face fell.

"Aiya, I never thought of that." She said. "Okay, plan commences…now." The plan had begun.

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During all this, Mei, Ting Ting and Su were squished uncomfortably into a broom closet. According to Ling, it was the safest place.

"Oof, get your elbow out of my mouth!" Said Su in annoyance.

"I can't help it." Said Mei. "Ting Ting's crushing my hand."

"I can no longer feel anything from the waist down." Said Ting Ting. "We've got to get out of here before we suffocate. On three, we'll all push against the door. One…two…WHOA!" Su and Mei already got it open and the three tumbled down onto the floor.

Mei looked out the door. Screams could still be heard. Everyone else was running around for the sake of their lives, battling death and pain. How exciting! Thought Mei. It wasn't fair. Just because they were royalty everyone thought they were snobby and weak and needed constant protection. Why couldn't they ever do something brave or heroic?

"Girls, I've been thinking and personally, I'm sick of playing damsel in distress." Complained Mei. " I say we go out there and do more to help with this plan." Su and Ting Ting just looked at her, then at each other.

"No, huh?" Mei said quietly.

"Mei, we are the daughters of the emperor. Heroics are not what we're supposed to do. As much as I resent it, we were born to get married to a nobleman, have a few sons and sit and look pretty. And as much as I want to change it, there is nothing we can do to alter our path." Ting Ting explained, even though she really wanted to do what Mei had suggested.

"Ting Ting, maybe she's right." Said Su. "Maybe we could bust out of traditions just once. You know, save a day, not just be born with respect and honour, but actually earn it."

I wanna be like other girls.

Climb up a tree like other girls can

Just to be free like other girls

Get to be

"You don't seem to get it." Said Ting Ting. "I want to do it as much as you, but that is not what princesses do." Su and Mei paid no attention to her.

No escorts

No manners!

No nursemaids!

No worries!

No hands folded perfect

Like holding a lily.

Ting Ting looked at her sisters' hopeful faces and sighed.

"All right." She said. "Let's help them with their scheme, but if anyone asks, it was Su's idea." Mei nodded while Su scowled. They came out of the room and ran up to the group who were in the hall crouching ready with swords.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Ling. "I told you to stay in the broom closet!"

"We want to help." Said Ting Ting. "Please. There must be something we can do."

"He's coming! Stand ready!" called Yao. Instinctively, Ling pushed the three girls into the door of the room next to them.

"Sorry, Ting Ting but I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you." He said and closed the door. Ting Ting couldn't help but blush.

"Get ready." Said Mulan. "Here he is. One…two...NOW!" Yao, Shang, Ling and Mulan sprung from their feet onto the shocked Shan Yu. Mulan was using her Kung Fu as was Yao, and Shang and Ling went for his legs with the sword. He was a big man, but his strength was more surprising than his size.

"Filthy parasites!" he bellowed as he kicked wildly trying to shake Yao and Shang off. He reached down and grabbed Yao by the back of the neck and flung him off, knocking him against the wall. He flipped around to see Mulan, but did not bother to hurt her.

"What's this?" he asked mockingly. "a fight is not the place for little girls." Mulan was angered, but she did not allow her anger to take control of her. Suddenly, Shan Yu let out a sharp yell and turned down to his foot. Blood poured from a very deep cut that been given to him by Shang who was now standing up, slightly scared. Instantly, Shan Yu lifted him up by the throat against the wall. Shang started to gasp for air as Shan Yu's grip was so strong it was cutting off his air intake.

"Let go of him, you monster!" screamed Mulan as she flung herself at his back. Shan Yu turned to face her.

"Or what?" he asked. Mulan stared right back at him into his deep, yellow eyes.

"Well, I think that if I can take down your army, I can take you." She said as she pulled her hair back into a tight bun. Ping.

"The soldier form the mountains." Shan Yu said before dropping Shang and coming for Mulan. Shang thudded to the floor and Mulan, seeing the situation, took off like a rabbit.

"Yao, Ling go around the other way and block his path to the emperor. I'm going after Mulan." Shang sprinted after her and Yao and Ling went off.

Mulan was a good bit ahead of Shan Yu with another plan forming in her brain. She had lost Shan yu along the way an took a minute to stop and rest.

"Mulan!" Mulan jumped at the sound of her name. Behind her stood Shang.

"How are you planning to get us out of this?" he asked.

"I have another plan. Go to the fire tower and get me as many fireworks as you can." Shang nodded. "I'll hold Shan Yu off and lure him into the tower, got it? Now get the fireworks!" Shang sprinted back down the halls and into the street. He was completely out of breath, but he was to intent on finishing his mission to notice. He ran up to the firework vendor.

"I need all you strongest fireworks and please hurry the fate of China depends on it!" Shang said so fast it was hard to understand. The vendor nodded and handed Shang a huge basket of explosives.

"That'll be…" the vendor started to name his price.

"Sir, would you give me these without cost if they would save the country?" Shang asked.

"I guess so, but…" the vendor started to speak again, but once more Shang cut him off.

"Good. Much obliged." Said Shang as he ran back to the palace. The vendor was still staring after him in confusion.

"Nutcase." He muttered.

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Mulan, noticing that she needed Shan Yu to chase her to get rid of him, turned around and ran back. She ran until she heard hulking footsteps in front of her.

"He can't be far now-OOF!" Just then, she found herself face to face with Shan Yu. He raised his sword and as he brang it down, Mulan once again took off to the tower. Just as planned, he chased after her. He wasn't very fast because of his tremendous size so Mulan had the advantage and got far ahead of him. Mulan just needed to light the frieworks and get out. She didn't realize exactly how hard that was going to be.

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Shang sprinted back into the palace into the princesses who had gotten up after the gang had left.

"What are you doing?" Mei asked, seeing him with an armful of fireworks.

"I have to get these to Mulan so she can set the tower off killing Shan Yu, but not herself." He explained hastily.

"What's the point in that?" asked Su. "There's already a bunch of fireworks in the tower. Ling, Yao and Chien Po are up there and planning to set them off to distract Shan Yu. It'll probably be happening pretty soon, so you should warn Mulan to get out of there." Shang dropped his explosives.

"Are you telling that unless I warn Mulan she's going to be blasted to a bloody death?" Shang asked.

"Yes. Exactly." Said Ting Ting. As soon as she had finished, Shang ran to the tower praying to is ancestors that everything would be okay.

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Mulan and Shan Yu were battling it out. Mulan was cowering behind a pole anticipating his moves so she coould protect herself against his great strength. Why isn't Shang here yet? She wondered. She was weakening and could not hold up much longer.

Meanwhile, The gang was in the firework room full of deadly explosives.

"Are you sure we can get out in time?" asked Chien Po nervously.

"We just light them and run away." Said Ling. "This will kill Shan Yu for sure."

"Are you sure no one else is in the tower?" asked Yao." The others nodded.

"Pretty sure. Now, how do you light these?"

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Shang tore through the palace advising everyone he saw to get out of the palace. If they asked why, his answer was "that or be dead." He could see the steps of the tower.

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The gang figured out the lighting switch and set it to the first firecracker.

"Lets get out of here." Said Ling as they scurried Like mice down the steps into Shang.

"Where's Mulan?" asked Shang.

"we don't know." Said Ling. "We gotta get out of here. The thing is gonna blow."

"We can't! Mulan is still-" Just then, the whole of the tower blew sky high in a giant flash of red. The force was so powerful it sent The gang and Shang flying back against the wall. In seconds, all that remained of the east tower was a small pile of wood and charcoal and firework ends. Shang stared at the smoldering crater.

"Mulan…"

There's chapter 10. Hope u liked it. Please review!