Hi guys thank you so much for the reviews! I can't update as often but I will try to write whenever I can. After this, I think I am going to do a Harry Potter fic and then one about Mulan's childhood. In the meanwhile I have to finish this great novel I'm starting and catch up in studying. Hope you like it!
Disclaimer that nobody reads anyways that I forgot to put in earlier chapters: I do not own Mulan or any of the characters in the movie. Gosh, if you took the time to read this disclaimer your life really is pointless.
Mulan glanced again at Shang. He quickly whispered something to Mushu who was on his shoulder. The men were yards in front of them. Mulan braced herself. She would fight, but she was without a weapon. As she closed her eyes in desperation, Mushu jumped out in front of them. Suddenly all the men came to a halt.
"What is it?" One asked.
"It is just a puny lizard! Come on!" A larger man yelled.
"I am not a lizard!" Mushu cried out.
"It can talk!" One yelled.
"I am the all powerful dragon guardian! And I am here to kick your butt if you don't listen! And before you knock these poor people out Mister Man ovah here as a deal for you!"
" What do mean, you are just a small little demon! Why should we listen to you?" Another said.
Mulan opened her eyes after they had not been attacked for several moments. She glanced at Shang who gave her a knowing look. She glanced at the men in front of her, she had heard the whole conversation and couldn't believer just how easy it had been stop them.
"I say we kill them all now!" One cried out.
"Spoke too soon," Mulan thought to herself.
"Wait gentlemen," Shang said bravely in his captain's voice. " What have I done to you? If you spare my life, I will give you Mulan."
Mulan could not believe what she was hearing! Was Shang really going to deliver her to them to save himself! She became enraged and confused. She stared angrily at Shang who paid her no mind. The men did not recognize Shang as her rescuer. They would agree.
" Why should we listen to you? What is one more worthless man dead?" One asked, pulling out a dagger.
" If you let me go, I will convince the Emperor to stop attacking your forces." Shang continued, never taking his eyes off the mouth of the cave.
"How would you get in touch with the emperor?" One asked, sounding interested.
'I am general Li," Shang said.
Mulan looked at him. What was he doing? Was this really his plan? Last night he had told her he loved her and now he was ready to sell her for his own skin. She was completely confused. She was mad at Shang. Had he ever really loved her? If so not enough. An anger swelled up inside of her. There had to be something else, she pleaded to herself.
Then, she calmed down. She had to trust that Shang knew what he was doing. Was this really his plan? There had to be something else, she thought as she glanced back at him.
"How do we know you would keep your part of the bargain?" One asked.
"Well, If you let me go and I do it or if you don't you don't even have a chance that I might keep my word. So either way, it would mean more of a chance of me keeping my word if you let me go rather than kill me." He said.
The men looked at him, trying to figure out what to do.
"All we want is the girl, and if we let you loose you might do it and you might not, even if you don't, we will still have victory." The man in the middle said.
"Let, him go, Shan-Yu only wants the girl." Another man added.
"Thank you for your kindness gentlemen," Shang said in the same tone as the first training day at camp.
Shang stepped behind them with Mushu and Cri-kee back on his shoulder and broke into a run outside. Mulan couldn't believe it. Anger again filled her as the men stepped closer, ready to do whatever it was they had planned. Would they kill her there? Or would they bring her to Shan Yu?
Just then, Shang rode back into the cave on his horse. He rode around them and scooped her up just as they were about to attack. He pulled out his sword and slashed it at a man who had grabbed onto the horse. It all happened so fast Mulan was at a loss for words as they rode down the gorge and away from the men towards a small area of forest.
The men, who didn't even know what had happened ran after them angrily. Shang kicked at the horses side and quickly lost them in the forest. Then, another horse came up behind them. One of the Huns was riding towards them. Mulan turned around to face him as Shang kept riding. As soon as he was close enough she jumped out and kicked him off his horse and then quickly turning back to Shang's.
As soon as they were sure they were out of danger, they slowed down.
"Wow!" Shang exclaimed as they emerged out of the forest and turned. He stopped his horse and got off to rest. Mulan looked at him. At first she felt relieved and then angry at him for tricking her.
"What was that all about?" She said sarcastically jumping off the horse.
" What do you mean? I just saved us!" He said in the same tone.
" Yeah, and almost scared me half to death! What if you didn't come back!" She said kneeling down out of breath.
"That was never the plan! Besides, that was amazing!' He exclaimed standing up.
Mulan could see the thrill in his eyes. She had never seen this side of him before. It was as if he actually thought that it was fun! Then, he did something she had never seen him do before. He actually laughed!
'What is so funny?" She said sarcastically.
"Nothing, just," He broke out laughing.
She walked up to him and punched him in the shoulder.
"What was that for!' He said, still chuckling.
"You scared me!" She said.
"I'm sorry, it's just, I've never done anything like that before." He said. Then his whole face dropped and the laughter died in his eyes. Then his military training kicked in again.
" We should start back towards the base. Shan Yu is still looking for you. We have to find out what he's planning and tell the emperor." He said sternly, heading back for his horse.
Mulan stared at him. Then at Mushu on his horse. He gave her a " just don't mess with him right now," look. She walked back towards him and they mounted his horse and slowly started back into the forest back to the gorge to find the way back from where the men had come.
The ride was slow and silent. Finally, Mulan broke the silence.
"Thank-you" She said to Shang.
He only glanced back for a moment and then turned back. She nestled her head on his shoulder as they rode on. Mushu and Cri-kee had fallen asleep in Shang's pouch.
"I'm sorry," She said.
"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have tricked you. But, I couldn't think of anything else. I want you know that I never meant to scare you." He said solemly.
"No, you were only trying to get us out of trouble. I should of never doubted you." She said, putting her arms around his waste.
He stopped his horse put a hand on her shoulder.
"Mulan, I'm sorry I did what I did," He jumped off his horse and so did she. " Right now we have to concentrate on the job ahead. Shan Yu is looking for you. He wants us to suffer and he wants you dead. I'm sure he has plans for the rest of China." He said sitting on a rock. Mulan sat down besides him.
" What should we do?" She asked.
"We need to find out what he's planning. Then we can warn the emporer and be ready for an attack." He said.
"We would have to go back inside his base. It would be putting both of us in danger." She said.
"We have to Mulan. But I don't want to put you in anymore danger. I want you to ride home and get help." He said.
"Shang, I," She exclaimed getting up. " Shang, I don't care what you say this time, last time you went in alone you almost died and I would have! If you really love me, you will trust me enough to help!" She bellowed out at him.
"Mulan," He started.
"No! I thought that you of all people would trust me and not judge me! Shang, if I had been there to help last time, then, then," She broke out in tears.
"Mulan, if you had come with me last time Shan Yu would of taken you and we would both already be be dead." He said. He looked into her eyes and saw her pain.
"But Shang, now, I," She stumbeld. Then he yet again put a finger to her lips and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. She sobbed into his shirt. A long moment passed.
"Your right, Mulan." He said, resting his chin on the top of her head. She looked up at him.
"We have to work together to finish this. Then we can be together peacefully. I should have trusted you by yourself." He said.
"Shang," She started, but then she was suddenly interupted. Shang kissed her softly on the lips. She returned the kiss and thats how they stood for another even longer moment. A moment either of them wanted to end.
"Oh, don't they just make the perfect couple?" Mushu exclaimed hanging out of the pouch tied to the horse's saddle. Cri-kee chirped in agrement.
"Mushu," Mulan yelled out to him, pulling away from Shang who also looked up in suprise.
"If we do anything it won't be till morning. We should find a place to sleep. Besides, I'm starving, I havent eaten in almost two days," He said as they walked over to his horse.
"Sounds good to me," Mulan said.
Shang reached into the pouch where Mushu and Cri-kee had slept as they were now sitting on the saddle of his horse.
"I guess acertain guardian got to it first," He said, pulling out a loaf of bread that wads just slightly nimbled on and a smaller bag of noodles.
"Mushu blushed an even deeper red than his scales and exclaimed, " Well, camp sounds good to me! Lets start looking!" He said hopping off the saddle.
They both luaghed. A cheerful sound against the dead silence of the gorge.
They found a small spot between the cliffs and Mushu helped start a fire. Shang untioed his cape again and wrapped it around all of them as they lay against the wall next to the the fire. Shang had tied his horse to a tree just a few yards away and had given him some bread to eat along with some water from a stream running through.
That night, the whole world seemd at peace. Everything was perfect. But a dark thought huanted their minds. Their mission tomorrow was a dangerous one. They all just prayed that they would all make it through safely and succesfully. Little did they know another plan was was in action. A plan that would ruin everything.
Wow! That was one the longest so far. Hope you liked it! Keep the reviews comin!