This one's from a movie.
"Well, I guess that's it, then. We're done."
Joy contested Sadness's claim, saying:
"No… no. Not yet. There's got to be something we can do."
Joy's reassurance sounded desperate, even to herself. She fell silent after that, pondering what could possibly get them out, and make up for what they'd done. To calm herself down, she ran her hands through her hair. Although she had recently switched into more masculine clothes, as was appropriate for their situation, she still kept her hair done up with a decoration, as a reminder of why they fought.
While Joy was wrapped up trying to think of something, Sadness was taking the reins and manipulating the lacquered wood buttons and levers of the console. His quiet tears splashed on the mirror-bright stone of the console's body, distorting his reflection. He didn't feel like speaking yet, so he let the quiet continue.
The silence inside Headquarters was broken by Fear timidly saying:
"Well, at least we're safe now."
This was the wrong thing to say and the wrong time to say it. Disgust, quiet and unneeded until then, rounded on Fear and angrily said:
"We're safe? Safe? That's what you're worried about? We've given a horrible performance and we've failed everyone, and you're worried about how safe we are?"
As she chewed out Fear, Anger walked over to the shelf holding the idea lanterns, searching for one that would fit their situation. When he finally found one that suited his needs, he held it up and called out:
"Found it!"
Anger's proclamation distracted all the other emotions, and he wasn't interfered with as he carried the lantern over to the console, mindful of its paper covering. He plugged it in, and the lantern began to glow as their host accepted the idea. It was last-ditch and rather unlikely, but at this point, what other options were there?
Well, aside from just packing up and going home. That one was off the table.
All of the emotions watched with great interest as their host put the idea into practice. Anger took the controls as they made attempt after attempt after attempt. Orbs tinged red by the frustration of failure rolled into short term memory. Joy was not a part of it at first. When they succeeded, then it would be time for Joy, but while they tried, it was Anger's turn to impart the stubbornness to see their task through to the end.
But as they tried again and again, each time as unsuccessful as the last, Joy started thinking that maybe just going at it bullheadedly wasn't the solution. And if that was the case, then it was her turn. Part of Joy's purview was out-of-the-ordinary ideas and clever solutions. She put that interest to use and started thinking of some way to achieve their goal that wasn't the straightforward method that had failed. And when she found what she wanted, she announced to the other emotions:
"I know what to do!"
This caught the others' attention. When Joy was sure they were listening to her:
"This situation just needs a little bit of creativity."
And with that, she went over to the idea lantern, took it out, and screwed it in differently. Their host looked at the problem with a different point of view as Joy started manipulating the console in earnest and, behind the emotions, Creativity Island activated.
Many noises of appreciation for Joy were heard as she and Anger helped guide their host through their challenge. It was hard going still, but as the time passed and they didn't fail, the emotions grew ever more hopeful that they would succeed. And when she finally did, everyone in Headquarters cheered.
In the outside world, the sun rose. And as the sun rose, Li Shang exited his tent to see something that he had wished for but despaired of seeing. Ping, the soldier he had just the night before told to go home, was taking on the challenge of reaching the arrow on the top of the pole in an… unusual way. He had used the weights of Discipline and Strength to help him ascend the pole, instead of trying the normal way and being dragged down. As Ping reached the top of the pole and flung the arrow down, he had amassed an audience of many awestruck soldiers and one impressed senior officer.
On the pole, the soldier called Ping, who unbeknownst to anyone was actually a girl named Mulan, smiled in relief. She had overcome the challenge, in her own unique way. Now, she would hopefully have proved her worth to Shang, and would be allowed to stay in the army, and defend China.
She just hoped she could make it through with her gender a secret.
For my fifth character, I did Mulan. She's a fascinating character, and here's the hints that I gave about it being her mind:
1. HQ's Chinese-esque décor. The console's body is made of polished, mirror-bright stone, to give the idea of the Fa family's ancestor chapel. Its moving parts are lacquered wood, to give that Chinese feel (The ancient Chinese liked lacquerware), and the idea bulbs are small paper lanterns.
2. Joy has swapped from feminine clothing to masculine clothing 'appropriate to her situation'. The situation in question, of course, is Mulan crossdressing to enter the army. She still wears Mulan's flower comb, to remind herself that she did this so that her old and crippled father won't have to fight in the army.
3. Creativity Island. Mulan is very good at thinking outside the box. We see that in the movie's opening scenes and throughout the movie. She uses this ability to figure out how to reach the arrow.
4. The line about 'packing up and going home' is a reference to Shang's line in I'll Make a Man Out of You- "Pack up, go home, you're through". He says that line directly before this scene, after Mulan has failed in the army once too often.
5. The emotional reaction is what I extrapolated that Mulan would probably be feeling during that scene. Mulan is sad that she was expelled from the army. There was probably a twinge of relief that now she wouldn't have to fight and possibly die, plus disgust at herself for thinking that- Mulan is no quitter! Then there's anger and defiance, and her idea to get herself back in Shang's good graces by completing the arrowchallenge. Then she's frustrated that she keeps falling, and then she figures out an unconventional solution. She's joyful as she finally manages to reach the arrow.