Chapter 6

The Evil Plot

Mushu sighed. He and Cri-Kee were wandering through the forest not far from where the camp was. They were trying to find Shang and Mulan, who had wandered off into the woods quite some time ago. Mushu had decided to let them have their privacy, but they had been gone an awfully long time! Mushu was supposed to be protecting Mulan. He decided that he better find her!

Mushu heard voices in the woods, so he followed them. As they got louder, he began to hear what they were saying.

"...I just don't think it's fair, they should make the decision..."

"...arranged marriages have been happening for generations..."

"...so has murder and war, but that doesn't make it right..."

"...our first duty is to the Emperor..."

"...but I have a duty to my heart..."

"...not everyone is as lucky as we are, this is a flawed world. I'm just glad that my world is perfect..."

"Aha! There they are!" Mushu whispered to Cri-Kee. Mulan and Shang were standing in a clearing, embracing each other. Yikes! It was still daylight! They weren't even married yet! Mushu had to do something before this got out of hand!

"Hey! What do you think you're doin'? Get your hands off that girl!" Mushu yelled at Shang, "None of that is allowed until after the weddin' !"

"Who's there?" Shang released Mulan and drew his sword quickly, if a bit shakily. He was obviously embarrassed at being caught with his arms around Mulan. By custom, that wasn't done except by married couples.

Mulan reached out and pushed his hand down.

"Shang, relax, I'll handle this." She strode over to where Mushu sat in the bushes and leaned down. Mushu's fiery red color did nothing to camouflage him in the leaves.

"Mushu, what are you doing here?" Mulan asked, sounding annoyed.

Mushu frowned. Didn't she understand what was happening?

"I'm protectin' you! That's my job! He was deliberately..."

"Mushu, Shang and I were just discussing something. And my romantic life is none of your business! Thank you for your concern, but I am quite able to take care of myself." Mulan stood back up and walked over to Shang.

"But, Mulan...hey! Wait!" Mulan and Shang, hand-in-hand, were walking somewhere more private to continue their discussion. Once again, Mulan wasn't listening to Mushu.

"Man, that is goin' to get her into trouble someday!" Mushu grumbled, "I mean, I am her guardian, right?"

Cri-Kee chirped.

"So how am I supposed to guard miss 'I can take care of myself', huh?"

Cri-Kee shrugged.

Then Mushu remembered something. Something important. Something very important that he had to tell Mulan!

"Mulan! Mulan! Wait! I've got to tell you...oh, neve mind. I'll tell her when they get back to camp. C'mon, Cri-Kee." Mushu sighed and began walking back to camp.

On the way back, Mushu passed the end of the fallen log that was blocking the trail. Mulan and Shang would try to move it with the horses later. Suddenly, Cri-Kee chirped sharply.

"What? What do ya mean? I don't see anythin' strange about the log, it's just a big log!" Mushu said. Cri-Kee rolled tiny bug eyes and hopped over to the log. Pointing at the round base of the log, Cri-Kee again chirped sharply. Mushu's eyes widened when he saw why Cri-Kee was pointing.

"Oh, man, you're right! It's a big log that somebody chopped down! " The stump and the base of the log were smooth, except for a few axe marks on the sides!

"Chi Fu did this!" Mushu said, more to himself than to Cri-Kee. Cri-Kee frowned and looked in the direction of camp. The lucky cricket chirped again.

"I agree! If he did this, there's no tellin' what he might do next! Let's go! If I can't protect Mulan, I'll at least try to protect her mission!" Mushu ran to the camp with Cri-Kee hopping behind him.

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

As cricket luck would have it, Mushu and Cri-Kee arrived at the camp at the same time as Mulan and Shang. Mushu ran up to Mulan, eager to tell her about Chi Fu and the big log.

"Mulan! I gotta tell you somethin' really important!"

Mulan ignored Mushu and walked up to the princesses.

"Would you like to go back inside, now, your highnesses?" Mulan smiled sweetly at them. Mushu was extremely annoyed. Mulan could be so difficult sometimes! Mushu climbed up Mulan's back where the princesses couldn't see him, sat on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear.

"Mulan! Please, I gotta tell you, and it has got ta be now!" Mushu hissed desperately. Mulan swatted him away from her ear.

The princesses went back inside their carriage. Mulan began clearing the table.

"Mushu, I'm busy! Go find someone else to bother." Mulan crossly whispered back.

She's still angry about that hug thing. Mushu thought. Gre-at.

Mushu jumped down from Mulan's shoulder.

"Ok, if that's the way you want it." Mushu said, sounding a little hurt.

"Mushu, wait. I'm sorry. I'm not angry with you."

Mushu stopped.

"You're not?"

"No, I'm upset about something else," Mulan sighed, "And I guess I took it out on you."

Mulan walked over to where Mushu stood. She sat down.

"You're not even upset about that hug thing?"

"I was, but not anymore."

Mushu looked at Mulan. "I guess I overreacted a little about that thing with Shang."

Mulan laughed, "A little?"

"Hey! I am tryin' to apologize here!" Mushu crossed his arms.

"Ok, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" Mulan smiled at her quirky little dragon friend.

Mushu looked at her skeptically for a second; then he jumped back onto her shoulder and ruffled her hair. "Sure! As long as we're still friends!" Mushu grinned.

Mulan caught him and held him tightly in her arms.

"Mushu, you are my most trusted friend. That will never change! No matter how many misunderstandings we have. We'll be friends forever!"

Mushu looked uncomfortable. "Um, Mulan? I uh...I been keepin' secrets from you. There's something 'bout me thatcha should know. We...can't be friends forever. In fact, as far as I can tell, we don't have much time left." Mushu looked sadly at Mulan, who looked confused.

"You see, as soon as you get married, I...can't be your guardian anymore. I'm gonna turn to stone until another Fa comes along that needs me." Mushu explained.

Mulan was shocked. She hadn't considered this. She had assumed that Mushu could just remain her guardian for life...but he was a Fa family guardian, and soon Mulan wouldn't be a Fa anymore. Still, it wasn't fair!

"But I need you!" Mulan cried, "Even after I am married...I can't imagine you not being there..."

"Hey, girl! Don't look so down! We've still got one more adventure ahead of us!" Mushu tried to grin reassuringly, "and when the time comes, well, then we can be sad! For now, we can just enjoy bein' friends."

"Mushu, we will always be friends, whether we can see each other or not. Don't worry." Mulan said.

Mushu grinned and sighed contentedly as Mulan gently rubbed his little head. He was so tired! Taking care of Mulan was very tiring business. He got sleepier and sleepier...

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

Mushu awoke to yelling and screaming.

And splashing.

The sun warmed Mushu, and he was somehow rolling and jiggling in a seasick way.

Mushu opened his eyes. I sure hope last night wasn't a dream, and that Mulan isn't still mad at me! Mushu had been sleeping in Mulan's saddlebag, but the bag was wet! He poked his head out of the bag to see what was going on.

If last night was a dream, the scene that met his eyes was a nightmare!

Mulan was riding Khan towards Shang, who was clutching the reins of the carriage horses. Ling, Chien Po, and Yao were working to get the princesses out of the carriage because the carriage was in the river! Sacks of rice went drifting by. Water was everywhere!

Where was Cri-Kee? The little bug wasn't in the saddlebag with Mushu! Then Mushu spotted a small blue cricket floating by on a leaf. Mushu scampered down Khan's harness and snatched Cri-Kee from the water. He carried Cri-Kee back up onto Khan.

"Man, you are a lucky bug!" Mushu said, smiling at Cri-Kee.

Suddenly, the river splashed up against the wagons, knocking the supply wagon over! It broke loose from the passenger wagon and began drifting by like the sacks of rice. Then the passenger wagon dumped the princesses out. Shang yanked the horses out of the river, and the carriage was safely on dry land. But the princesses weren't!

Su's head went under the water! Then she rose out of the water, holding sacks of rice.

"I got the food!" she shouted.

"And I've got you!" Chien Po said, holding Su out of the water. He made his way to shore.

Yao helped Mae out of the water, much to her delight.

Ling tried to help Ting-Ting, but she did not act delighted. Instead, she tried to open her soaked fan and hold it in front of her face. It was falling apart. Ling had an idea! He rode into the woods.

Mulan had ridden downstream to see if she could catch the supply wagon, but it was gone. All that she managed to find were a few tents and a few more sacks of rice. She rode back to where the others waited. Shang had unhitched the horses from the damaged wagon. Chien Po helped Su dry off; Yao was seeing to Mae, Ling was nowhere in sight, and Ting-Ting sat primly on a large rock.

"Well, at least we'll have food and shelter." Mulan told Shang.

"Did anyone see what happened?" Shang asked. Mae looked at him. She supposed that it would be alright to talk to him under these circumstances.

"We were riding along, and suddenly, the carriage jerked hard, turned, and went into the river; dragging the horses with it!" Mae said.

"Hmm." said Shang.

Mushu and Cri-Kee jumped down from Khan's back. Mushu ran over to the wrecked and soaked carriage. He had a suspicion...

When Mushu looked under the carriage, he saw that the axle had snapped. He frowned. Axles don't just snap while they are driving along. Mushu got a closer look.

"Mulan! Mulan! I found out what happened to the carriage!" Mushu yelled, not caring, for the moment, that everyone else could hear him.

Mulan cantered Khan over to the carriage and dismounted. She leaned down and looked at Mushu.

"What happened, Mushu?" She asked seriously.

Mushu pointed to the broken axle, "The axle snapped! But that's not all." Mushu grabbed the axle and tried to move it closer to Mulan so she could see.

"Saw marks!" Mulan gasped. She saw Shang walking towards her. "Shang," she called, "We were sabotaged!" She showed him the saw marks. Someone had deliberately cut the axle!

"How did this happen?" Shang demanded when he saw the cut axle.

Mulan frowned in thought, "it must have happened while we were away from camp last night. Or sometime yesterday after we stopped for the tree."

"Which was your idea." Shang glared at Mulan.

Woah! That can't be good! Mushu thought, alarmed at the way Shang was glaring. It's like he's accusin' her of this whole mess!

Mushu had to set things straight!

"I'll bet I know who did this!" Mushu said, as though the thought had just occurred to him.

"Who?" Mulan and Shang said together.

Mushu told them about Chi Fu's plot to wreck the mission, and then save it himself. He told them about the cut tree. Then Mushu watched their reaction to the news.

"Ridiculous." Shang said shortly as he swung back up onto his horse.

"Shang, it does make a lot of sense." Mulan said, "who else would chop down a tree and cut our axle to stop us?"

"I don't know, but we should be careful. Whoever it is may still be out there." Shang said, and then he seemed to soften a little, "I'm sorry...about what I said..."

"It's alright." Mulan said tenderly. Mulan and Shang looked into each other's eyes and shared a romantic moment. Then Shang broke the silence.

"Your Highnesses? Can you ride?" he asked the princesses. They nodded.

"Good! Men, take your horses and tie the carriage horses to your saddles. Princesses? You get to ride the carriage horses." Shang was all business, now. He tied a sack of grain onto each horse and helped Mulan secure the tents onto Khan and his own horse.

Ling returned from the woods and rode up to Ting-Ting. She ignored him until he thrust a pile of leaves, sticks, and feathers at her.

"I made this for you." Ling said, "I guess you could say that I'm your biggest fan!"

Ting-Ting glanced at the messy leafy contraption. It was vaguely in the shape of a fan. She hesitantly took the makeshift fan from Ling and held it in front of her face. Ling grinned.

The group rode off down the trail once again. This time, the ruined carriage was left behind