Hi everyone! Thank you so much for all the reviews! The last few chapters were a bit slow but this one is much more exciting. The story line really starts to shape up. I wrote it all in about a half hour though so my grammar might not be at well, top of the line. Tell me what you think! And don't worry! All of the characters will appear in my story.
Hint hint ; ) If you still don't know who I am talking bout yet then it's either your really thick or haven't been payin attention! Just kidding! ; ) Read and review! And for the last two chapters or so, I know the time frame is little messed up, but Shang couldn't be out for too long.
That night, Mulan again, cried herself to sleep. While she slept a danger was coming closer. In the middle of the night she heard footsteps outside her door. At first she thought it was her Granny up but these footsteps scurried about. They were looking for something. Mulan got up. She crept quietly into the kitchen and grabbed a knife for protection. She turned and headed into the tea room, but as she walked in, two men grabbed her.
Mulan tried to scream but one of the men clamped his hand over her mouth. They carried her to her parent's bedroom where they were sleeping peacefully. Above them was a third man, he held out his sword right above her father's neck.
"If you don't cooperate they will both die," The man with the sword said. Mulan hung her head in defeat. Her family was all she had left. They led her out of her house and outside to where their horses stood. They tied her hands behind her back and one of the men lifted her up onto a horse. He tied hers to his so that she could not ride away. With her hands tied, if she jumped of, she couldn't go far, plus, they knew where she lived.
They rode away. They headed out through the country side. In no time at all they had made it out of her village. They rode silently along the hills and farmland. They rode on and on all night. Mulan was so tired. It had to be almost morning, and she had hardly had any sleep. She was too frightened to rest. They made it into the forest. The early morning light shone above the canopy of trees and shined down upon her face casting shadows everywhere. The birds were beginning to wake and their song's filled the silent air.
It would have been beautiful had not there been a group of bandits riding through. Mulan sighed. She hoped that whatever they were going to do to her that they would do it quickly. She didn't want to suffer anymore. Maybe they would just kill her and end it all. Instead, they kept on riding.
Towards the end of the forest path, they neared the base of a massive mountain. Carved into the front of the mountain was a stone base. It took up most of the mountain. They took a path on the side and for the next hour they just rode up. Mulan wished that someone was there to comfort her. Where were they taking her? Into this strange mountain fortress.
As they neared a huge hole ion the mountain's face Mulan realized it was a door. She got a better look at where they were heading. The mountain seemed to be hollowed out, the part that was made up of this odd building was about 15 stories high, a flag marking the top. The cold stone walls of the door shot up like towers, that's what they ended up being.
'What could they want with me? Why did they take me here?' Mulan wondered. If they wanted to kill her, they would have done it already. There was something more to this. Someone else behind it all. They were bringing her to him. She was still confused as to what they wanted with her.
A man called down from the right tower "Do you have her?" The other men with her nodded and they went inside the great stone palace. As soon as they got inside she was picked off her horse and thrown to the ground. She hung her head, waiting. Then, a shadow emerged out of the dark corner of the long hall in which they stood.
"Perfect, another one, put her with the rest and give her some decent clothes." He said, then he turned and left.
Mulan had not even bothered to look up to see who her captor was. One of the men threw something at her as he pulled it out of his pack. It was the dress she wore in the imperial city, the one she had worn when Shang had proposed. She couldn't think about it. She didn't want to see that garment ever again.
"Change, the boss won't want you in your nightgown," He said in a coarse voice.
She looked at the dress, her hands were still tied. She wanted to hold it. One of the men walked up to her and held out his knife, she thought he was going to cut her, but instead he cut the rope. She grasped at the dress and they led her to another hallway. It ended up being a dungeon. There was no light except for four small lanterns on the wall. Even though it was early morning, the dungeon was as dark as night.
They led her up to a door and almost as soon as one of the men had undone the bronze lock, she had been thrown to the stone floor. They shut the door and left. As soon as she was sure they were gone, Mulan burst into tears. She held up the dress. She cried for a while, then she heard a small whimper. She looked into the dark. About seven or eight young girls were in the dungeon with her.
As she focused in the dark she noticed they all shared the same characteristics as well, her. They all had short thick hair small frames. They were all about her age too. They had rounded them up for something. What was going on?
"Where are we?" Mulan managed to murmur.
One of the girls stepped forward. " We were all captured from our villages." She said.
"They were looking for that Milan girl" Shouted another. "Now they will kill us all!" She said, breaking into tears.
"You mean Mulan! I hope they find her! Then maybe they will let us go!" Another said.
Mulan went into shock. These men had been looking for her. They had endangered all of these girls at the hope that one of them was her. What would they do with them? With her? She sunk into a corner away from the others and slowly managed to slip into her dress. She felt at peace for some reason. Then she started to cry.
Back at home, Mulan's family was in a panic. Their daughter had disappeared again. What had happened? Fa Li was worried for her husband, she didn't know if he could withstand this stress. Granny Fa prayed. In the Fa temple, things were just as busy. The ancestors chatted about, wondering what to do. Finally, the first ancestor spoke up.
"Stop!" They all looked at him, "We must send a guardian! Since Mushu has been successful with Mulan before, maybe a familiar face will help her through this ordeal. Plus, it could be a way to get rid of him for at least a while," They all agreed.
"Cri-kee, ring the gong to awake the guardian," He said pointing at the little cricket.
"Chirp!" He replied, as he hit the gong and started vibrating along with it.
"I lllllliiive!" Mushu exclaimed.
"Mushu, Mulan is in danger, she has been kidnapped and is being held at the first mountain of the great forest, you must find Captain Li Shang and tell him of her ordeal." The first ancestor said.
"I am on it! Whoevah messes with my girl has got it comin to him! Now, uh, where do I find lovah boy?'' Mushu exclaimed.
He is staying in Inns along the countryside. You should find him there." He replied.
"Say no more! I am on it! Come on Cri-kee! I'm gonna need all the luck I can take!" Mushu said, already out the window.