Chapter Two

A Message

Mushu bounced into the Fa family shrine. He had just heard the good news and wanted to share it with all the ancestors. He was so excited! Mushu loved parties of any sort, and weddings definitely qualified! The fact that it was Mulan's wedding was the icing on the cake! He was going to have so much fun planning her wedding for her!

"Hey, everybody! Wake up! I've got great news!" Mushu yelled.

One by one, the ancestors appeared. The First Ancestor yawned and scowled at Mushu.

"What great news, you're quitting your job?" the First Ancestor demanded hopefully. The other ancestors giggled and tittered.

Mushu returned the scowl, "No!" He scrambled to his shelf and turned to address the whole group, "Mulan..." Mushu paused for effect,"... is getting married!" He grinned and looked pleased with himself for delivering such an important message.

Mushu's message caused quite a stir. All of the ancestors cheered and hugged each other. Even the grumpy First Ancestor seemed pleased!

Mushu didn't want his part in the engagement to go unnoticed. After all, the better he looked, the longer he'd keep his job as a guardian!

"Oooh, I am good!" Mushu exclaimed, " If it wasn't for me, those two would never have met!" He pointed to Mulan and Shang, who were walking past the shrine. "Look at 'em! Those lovebirds! They look so happy! And all because of my excellent work!" Mushu smugly watched the reactions of the ancestors from his perch on the guardian shelf.

Uh, oh. The First Ancestor had one of those I-Know-Something-You-Don't-Know looks on his face. Those looks usually meant Bad News For Mushu.

Mushu was afraid to ask, but he did, anyway.

"Ok, what's up? What is it ya wanna tell me?"Mushu crossed his skinny arms and glared at the First Ancestor.

Now it was the First Ancestor's turn to look smug. He grinned a seemingly evil grin and reached for a scroll. He read it off to Mushu.

"The personal guardian of a female may only be active while his charge is single. On the date of her marriage into another family, the husband's family guardians take over in the areas of safety, companionship, guidance..."

"Ok, ok, ok, so what does that mean in Chinese?" Mushu demanded.

The First Ancestor was only too happy to oblige.

"It means, oh slithery one, that when Mulan gets married, you will become like the other guardians. Asleep until awakened by the gong ringer!" The First Ancestor pointed to the other family guardians, who were stone carvings of animals.

Mushu grabbed the scroll and squinted at it, "That can't be right! Lemme see that! Maybe it's a typo or somethin'." He had no wish to turn into stone for who knows how long. Some of the other guardians had been asleep for centuries! That was a lot of parties to miss out on!

"Of course, there is an alternative..." The First Ancestor pointed at the golden gong serving as an ashtray near the door.

No way was Mushu going back to gong duty. He'd done that for too long! It was better to be a rock!

"But...I won't get to see Mulan's kids grow up! Or...I may not ever see her again!" Mushu frowned as he realized the implications. Mulan wouldn't even come here when she became an ancestor herself. She'd be in Shang's family once she got married.

"Too bad, but that is part of the job. You are just lucky that you have time to say goodbye." one of the ancestors said, very un-sympathetically.

"Yeah..." Mushu jumped down from his shelf. He'd be spending plenty of time there later. He sadly looked at the scroll he still held, and then he dropped it as he dejectedly left the shrine. As soon as he left, he heard music and laughter as the ancestors celebrated. That was one party that Mushu didn't want to be a part of. Besides, he just wasn't in a partying mood anymore.

Shang and Mulan ended their walk through the gardens at the stable. They entered the barn and each went to their horses. Shang tightened some straps on the pack that his pure white stallion wore. Mulan stroked Khan's long, angular face.

"Are you ready, Mulan?" Shang led his horse to the stable door and mounted. He turned his horse to look at his fiancé. Mulan led Khan out of his stall and smiled at Shang.

"Almost ready! I need to go get the guardian, just wait until you meet him!" Mulan led her horse outside the barn, mounted, and rode off toward the shrine. Shang watched her go, a confused look on his face.

"Meet him?" Shang shook his head and galloped after Mulan.

--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Mulan rode up to the Fa family shrine. She saw Mushu sitting on the steps in front of the small temple.

"Hi Mushu! Are you ready to go?" Mulan greeted her little pal. Then she noticed that he seemed sad. "What's wrong?"

Mushu looked up at Mulan and Khan. Should he tell her? Shang rode up beside Mulan. No, thought Mushu, This is the happiest day of Mulan's life! I can't ruin it for her! She'll find out soon enough...

"Um, nothin's wrong! I was just thinkin' to m'self." Mushu tried to grin at Mulan. He hoped she bought it.

"Who's the lizard?" Shang asked amusedly.

"Dragon." Mushu corrected, then he breathed a decidedly small flame. "See? How many lizards you know breathe fire?" Shang still looked unconvinced.

"Shang, this is my guardian, Mushu. Mushu, well, I guess you know Shang." Mulan giggled, remembering the first time she'd met Shang. Mushu had been trying to give Mulan tips on how to act like a man. They hadn't been very good tips, and Mulan had appeared, to Shang, be quite an odd boy!

Shang wore an unsure smile as he looked Mushu over. "Your guardian? But he's..."

"Intimidating? Awe-inspiring?" Mushu tried to draw himself up into intimidating and awe-inspiring poses.

"Actually, I was expecting a guardian who was a little less...alive?" Shang frowned at Mushu. So much for a quiet, romantic camping trip.

"Oh, you mean like Rocky, there?" Mushu pointed at the old Great Stone Dragon statue, or what was left of it. Most of it had been knocked down, now the base was all that remained standing. Mushu patted Khan's nose, "Well, don't you worry, none. I'll be a rock. I...I mean as quiet as a rock. You won't even know I'm there! Besides," Mushu looked disdainfully at the statue, "I am much more travel-friendly. Your stone friend there wouldn'ta lasted a minute on the trail! Now, aren't y'all glad I'm not made outa stone?" Mushu smiled weakly. He had come really close to spilling his secret!

Mulan reached down from her saddle and scooped Mushu up. She hugged him.

"Of course, I am, Mushu! You're my best friend! Other than Shang, of course." Mulan smiled and let Mushu crawl into her saddlebag. He grinned back at her. Oh, my. How would he ever tell her? Then Mushu felt something hop near his feet. He reached into the saddlebag and found Cri-Kee!

"Cri-Kee? How did you get in here?" Mushu asked the blue cricket. Cri-Kee chirped and smiled at Mushu. Mushu patted the little bug on the head with one claw. "Ok," he said,"I guess you can ride with me."

"Are we all ready to go?" Shang asked tiredly. Things were not going as planned. What kind of animal would show up next to join the couple on their private camping trip?

Just then, three mismatched horses galloped into the Fa's courtyard. Mulan and Shang rode over to meet them. Shang groaned inwardly. It was Ling, Chien Po, and Yao! What, did they want to come camping, too?

Ling rode forward importantly. "We have a message from the Emperor!" he announced. Yao's horse galloped ahead of Ling's horse. "I'll tell them!" Yao shouted. " But I want to tell them!" Ling whined. Ling and Yao dismounted so that they could punch each other. Chien Po calmly rode his enormous horse up to Mulan and Shang.

"The Emperor wants to see the both of you at his palace as soon as possible." Chien Po said. "His Majesty said it was important." Then Chien Po dismounted and went to break up the fight between his two friends. Shang turned to Mulan.

"We'd better go, then!" Shang said, " The camping trip will wait!" Mulan nodded and together, the five of them rode off to the Emperor's palace.