Hello! Thank you all so much for your reviews! I have been trying to update at least once every day, but that's because it was a three day weekend. I won't be able to write as much during the school week but whenever I get the chance I will write more! I do not own Mulan or any of the other characters. This is gonna be a long one!
Suddenly, water came down upon their heads and pushed them under. They separated and Mulan was pushed to the bottom. Shang surfaced again and then dove down to find her. He grabbed her arm as the current pushed them farther along. The water got rougher and rougher.
With every second it got faster and harder to stay alive. They surfaced together as another wave came crashing down on them, though this time they managed to stay together. Mulan winced and Shang pulled her up again.
Mulan, gasping for breath searched the surface thoroughly looking for a way to get out. Up ahead, a tree branch hung out along the water. She glanced at Shang, trying to breath through the waves.
"Shang! Do you see that branch up ahead!" She called out to him.
He nodded, " On the count of three," We let go and grab on!" She said to him.
He nodded, as they neared the branch they readied themselves. Then, the current again moved them aside, towards a large rock piercing through the surface of the cutting water, Mulan was nearest to the branch, so with one arm holding onto Shang, and another onto the branch, she managed to save them just barely missing the rock.
All of her muscles strained trying to hold on and put up with the intense pressure of the water and the weight. Shang was still being pulled out, she couldn't let him go, but if she let go of the branch they would both drown. She couldn't lose Shang, not again, she had been given one more chance at happiness and she would not blow it. She was losing her grip; she would let go of one or the other any moment now. Then, Shang managed to grab onto the branch, He stuck out his arm, pulled his weight up and let go of Mulan's hand.
She quickly grasped the branch. They now had both of there arms around the branch. The water was not so quick to let them go. With one more intense wave, Mulan let go, the water pulled her away, and she hit the rock next to them. Just before she was about to be pulled away, Shang grabbed her arm. With one arm, he managed to lift himself onto it, then he pulled up Mulan. He had to focus all of his strength.
As soon as they were safe on shore they embraced each other.
"Oh Shang! I am so happy you are alive! I thought you had been killed! When I heard about that ambush I, and how did you ever find me? Thank you for saving me! How did you ever make it?" Mulan exclaimed.
Shang put a finger to her lips, never letting her go.
"Mulan, I have to tell you something. " Shang said nervously.
Mulan looked up at him. He looked like someone who had been through a war. His eyes were filled with caution and his stern expression covered up his nervousness.
"What's wrong?" She said, still in his arms, Her wet hair dripping down on her face, covering her eye.
"Mulan," Shang started, pushing the hair off her face with his finger. "Mulan, Shan Yu is alive. He attacked me in the canyon. I don't know how, but he is, and he has rounded up an army stronger than the Huns ever were."
Mulan looked at him in shock . Her happiness had just been completely interrupted. She pushed him away and turned. He walked up beside her. His long hair stood out, half tied up, half pulled down by the water. He put his hand on her shoulder.
"You need to rest, you have been through too much in these last few hours. I am sure the men made it out safely." He said.
"Shang I," Mulan started, and then she whimpered in pain. "Ah," she cried, falling to her knees.
"Mulan, what's wrong!" Shang cried out, kneeling down besides her, putting an arm around her back.
"Shang, " She said, lifting her arm to reveal her bloodstained gown. Her clothes had been ripped right through to reveal a large cut.
" You must have been hurt when you hit that rock," He said putting her in his arms protectively.
Just then, a breathless Mushu ran up beside them, Cri-kee right at his side.
" Is everything all right? You never came out so we came look'n and, " Mushu glanced at Mulan's crippled form. "What happened!" He cried out.
" She was injured in the river, where are the other men? The girls?" Shang said.
"The men are gone, you never came back and it wasn't like no body was coming after us! They left you your horse!" Mushu exclaimed, jumping up besides Mulan.
"Shang, I am so sorry I ever believed you were gone, that I ever doubted you," Mulan managed to say.
She blinked a few times, then blacked out.
Mulan could feel a warmth in the air. She lay on the ground. Was she dead? What had happened? She remembered an intense pain cutting into her side, then all of a sudden being cradled in Shang's arms. Mulan opened her eyes. It was dark. A fire lit up the walls of, what was it, a cave, yes a cave. Beside the fire sat Shang, his head in his lap, his hair pulled back.
She herself lay on the ground, Shang's red cape wrapped around her (Ling had left it with horse). She felt the pain in her side, but it was not as bad. She looked up again. Shang still had his head down.
Mushu sat besides him. He was warming his claws by the fire while Cri-kee sat with a leaf wrapped around his little shoulders. They must have been in a cave in the mountain. Mulan looked back at Shang. He was, crying? Then he lifted his head and glanced at her.
"Mulan!" He said, rushing over to her.
Mushu jumped up and him and Cri-kee also came to her side.
"Mulan! Your awake! Are you all right?" Shang said.
"Shang what happened?" Mulan asked.
"You fainted. You were bleeding so badly. I cleaned up the wound. It isn't very deep but, oh Mulan! I am so happy your alright! I thought you would die!" Shang exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her and she sat up.
"Shang, I, how did you, I mean, thank you for helping me." She said.
"Mulan it's all right, I am just so happy your alright and here." He said, putting a hand on her face.
Mushu stared at the young couple.
"Uh, Cri-kee and I gotta go and uh, get more firewood. Come on Cri-kee!" He said, walking out of the cave.
Mulan and Shang watched him leave.
"Shang, how did you get here, why?" Mulan asked him. Then she thought about and wished she hadn't.
"Why? Didn't you want me to?" He said sternly, backing away from her.
"No, I didn't mean it like that, Shang, I, please," Mulan started.
"Mulan," Shang said, calming down. She was just confused.
" Shang, I thought I would never see you again," Mulan said, looking at him.
Mulan looked down at herself. She was wearing the pants that she had kept on from under her pajamas and her undershirt. She blushed at the thought that Shang had taken off her dress and had seen her in nothing but her undershirt.
Shang picked up his cape from the ground and draped it over her shoulders when he saw her looking at herself and blushed. She gladly took it and hugged him. He fell back and returned her embrace.
They stood up and sat back down.
"Shang, I thought you were really dead. You don't know how much you scared me! You should have seen me! You don't know how much you scared me!" Mulan suddenly cried out.
"Mulan I," Shang started.
"No! Do you know what you put me through! And when you stopped writing so suddenly! I thought that something was seriously wrong Shang! I was so scared!" She cried out, breaking into tears.
Mulan! Stop it now! Do have any idea what I have been through! How dare you be so selfish! Thousands of men have died and left behind their families and all you can think of is yourself!" He cried out.
Mulan paused and looked up at him.
"Shang, I'm sorry. You just scared me. I thought I would never see you again. And all I could do was sit at home sulking. All I wanted to do was help in some way. I wanted to be out there with you." She said, crying into his shoulder.
He put his arm around her and held her tightly.
"Mulan, I'm sorry. This has been as hard for you as it has been for me." He said.
"I'm sorry too. Shang, I , I, I still love you." She said.
Shang looked down at her relieved, the said, " Mulan, I love you too. I will never leave you again."
Then she looked up at him and kissed him. He kissed her back and then they hugged again. Neither of them ever wanted to let each other go.
"I saw you were still wearing the necklace I gave you." Shang said.
"I never take it off." She said.
"Do you remember what it represents? Why I gave it to you?" Shang asked.
Mulan looked up at him and smiled This had been exactly what she wanted to hear.
"You gave it to me when you, proposed." She said hopefully.
"I wanted to know if you were still willing to, well, uh," Shang stuttered.
" I have waited too long not to marry you now Li Shang." She said, then she hugged him again. She could feel his muscles tense up.
" Mulan, do remember what I said before." Shang said sternly. He tensed up again and backed away.
"Yes, about Shan Yu." Mulan said sadly.
"I think he's the one who kidnapped you. He must have been looking for you." He said in his Captain voice.
"But Shang, why? How do you know it was him? She said.
"Mulan, he's attacked me. Personally. He could of killed me right then and there. But he didn't because he knew I would come back for you. He wants to make us suffer. He left me there unconscious.' He said, recalling that terrible battle.
"What should we do?" She asked him.
" I don't know. But for now, you need some rest. I washed your dress. I'm sorry but it ripped and I had to uh, shorten it. I would keep those pants. It's more like a robe now than a dress." He said, pointing to a pile in the corner.
It didn't matter to her. She lied down in the corner, the cape still around her shoulders. He came to sit down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. That's how they fell asleep. Mushu crept back in after hearing the whole thing. He smiled at the couple sleeping peacefully in the corner.
"My little baby's getting married isn't she?" Mushu said to Cri-kee. The pair huddled up besides them and they all fell asleep. They slept calmly throughout the night besides the warm fire. In the morning, they were in for a surprise.
Mulan woke up before anyone else. She put on her "dress which was now only long enough to cover her knees. Her pants were rolled up like Capris and she put on her shoes ( I forgot to say that she had put on shoes before leaving her house with the men, she couldn't travel like that barefoot). She walked outside and bathed in the sunlight.
The cave sat on the edge of a mountain path, a cliff stuck out a few yards away. A few trees stood here and there. They must have been near the top for there was snow and the air seemed thin. As soon as she stepped out she heard a noise. Mulan turned around and saw, nothing?
She ran back inside and woke Shang.
" Shang! Wake up! I heard something outside!" She said shaking him.
He opened his eyes and stared out.
"Shang, did you hear me?" She said.
He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't, instead he pointed at the mouth of the cave. Mulan turned around to see what he was staring at. There stood at least ten strong men. They all had their swords out.
"Did you think you could get away?" One said, stepping forward, revealing himself as one of the five Huns who had escaped.
"Shan Yu doesn't like this little trick you had planned for him. But it doesn't matter. We were looking for Fa Mulan, the hero of China, and I think we just found her." One said.
Mulan glanced back at Shang. She recognized the look in his eyes. He had a plan. She wondered what he had planned. Then, without warning, the men charged at them. All of them were heading towards her.