Making A Choice


Back in China at the Li Family home, Ming was inside their large lavish stable, tending her Arabian brown horse, Gleam.

"I mean, I get why he has to go out there," Ming started as she puts down a large basket full of carrots while Gleam looks at the carrots with hungry eyes and licking her lips.

"But, can't he just let some other General take his place or something!" She thought out loud, taking out a carrot, sticking it to Gleams direction, who in turn, was about to bite, but missed just as Ming began to make gestures while continuing her rant.

"Sure my dad's the best General out there, but there are plenty of men out there!" During her rant, Gleam tried to bit the carrot, but Ming's wild gestures makes it impossible.

Finally having enough, Gleam neighed in annoyance, making Ming stopped to look at her.

"Oh, sorry pal." She apologized, handing it out to her horse, with Gleam chopping down on it happily.

"I just wish, Baba didn't have to leave almost all the time." Ming said miserably, as she slides down on the stable door.

Gleam looked sadly at Ming. She have known Ming since they were both 5, and Ming has always been there for her, even when her master wanted to get rid of her because she was a runt. However, Ming saw something inside of Gleam, knowing it could lead to something great. They have been best friends ever since, and they always had each others back, like when Gleam would comfort Ming when people make fun of her white hair.

Now though, Gleam is comforting Ming on her father's departure by bending her neck down and nudge her friend.

Ming looked up to see Gleam's emerald eyes looking down at her reassuringly.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around her horse's neck.

"Thanks, Gleam. You're always there for me." Gleam just neighed in response.

After while, Ming just began to clean the stables, it was then she heard voices.

"Mulan, are you sure?"

"She's my daughter, I have to tell her."

"But you know how she gets, let us handle her."

"May I remind you what she did when you stole her bow?"

Realizing it was her family and they were talking about her, Ming dropped her broom and walked out the stables to see her mother, the three princesses and four out of the nine princes outside.

"What's going on?" She asked, making everyone turn her, which made the princesses and the princes wince.

"Uh...hey Ming!" Xia said with a forceful smile as she walked over to Ming, "Did you wash you're hair today?"

"Xia, you know I hardly ever take a bath." Ming said with a deadpan face.

"Uh...Ming?" Chi-San, Xia's eldest brother, who was 25 years old, walked over to Ming and slightly lead her away from her mother, "Remember how I told you about the hyenas and the lions?"

"You mean that ridiculous story on how you and the others explain to me how some soldiers can't come back to their families?"

"Yeah, you see.." But Ming just sighed in irritation before freeing herself from Chi-San's hold and walks over to her mother.

"Mom, what's going on..." Ming trailed off when she saw her mother's eyes red and puffy with tear strains on her cheek. She also notice a parchment in her hands, making Ming's heart rise with fear.

"Mom..." Ming started, too afraid to ask.

"Ming, this came from the Emperor," Mulan said, handing it out to her daughter, "It's about your father."

At the mention of her father, Ming swiftly took the parchment out of her mother's hand and began to read it quickly with her eyes scanning it swiftly.

Dear Members of the Li Family Hold,

I regret to inform you that the man of the household, Li Shang, has been kidnapped by the Hun Army with his troops killed.

The leader of the Huns has told me he will release General Shang if his wife, Li Mulan, gives her head to them.

However, I know of how great importance Li Mulan is to China. I will have some of my best troops go out and battle the Huns to rescue him.

I am sorry for the kidnapping of General Li Shang

Sincerely, The Emperor

Ming still scan her eyes over the letter, not believing this happening. Her worst nightmare just came to life, and she wasn't there to stop it.

"Ming, even if the troops failed to rescue your father, I'm going to give the Huns want." As soon as her Mulan said that, it made Ming drop the letter in bewilderment.

"WHAT?!" Ming yelled, "Mom you can't!"

"Ming, your father is out there probably being torture by the Huns!" Mulan yelled just as loudly as Ming, which makes the princesses and the princes slowly back away, knowing how personal this is getting.

"Oh, so you want him to come back home, knowing his own wife killed herself just because of him?!" Ming retorted.

"Ming! No matter what you say, my decision still stands!" Mulan said stubbornly.

Ming breathe in and out. She was so angry with the Huns for making that arrangement and very frustrated with her mother for not thinking at would happen. She needed to take her anger out on something, but she doesn't know what. Of course there is the princes and the princesses, but her angry is not enough for them. And there is no way is she going to hit her mother. So she decided to go with the only one option...


Inside the large house of the Li Family, Mushu and Cri-Kee were playing checkers inside the walls.

"So what are you waiting for?" Mushu said, waiting for Cri-Kee's turn.

Cri-Kee looked deep in thought, but then he smirked before picking one piece up and hopped it over three of of Mushu's pieces and took them away.

"Wh-" Mushu said, astonished at Cri-Kee beat him, "How did you do that!" Cri-Kee just smirked in triumphed. "And I thought losing to a 9 year-old was embarrassing enough."

Just after he said that, a slim pale fist burst through the wall, almost hitting him and Cri-Kee, making them screamed.

"Jeez! What put Ming in the mood?!" Mushu screamed.


"I never understand how she does that!" Song whispered to her siblings and cousins as Ming pulled her fist out of the wall with it completely unfazed.

"Ming," Mulan sighed and began with a gentle voice to try calm her daughter down, "I know you just want to protect us, but not all things are possible."

That of course, didn't help Ming's mood all. "You always say that!" She screamed, "'Ming it's impossible to do this! Ming it's impossible to do that!'"

Now Mulan's patience where reach it's limits, "Ming, I know my place! I think it's time for you to learn yours!" But after saying that, Mulan quickly regretted it.

Ming just stared shocked and hurt at her mother. She couldn't believe her own mother said that to her. All her life, her parents told her that they love for who she was and always encourage her to be herself. But now to hear her own mother say she needed to know her place as a traditional daughter, something that's far from who she is, then you couldn't imagine how hurt she must feel.

Then all her sadness and hurt turn into her anger as she glared at her mother, "So that's how you really feel about me?" She asked harshly.

"Ming..." Mulan tried to reach out, but Ming just ran away from her and into the house

The princes and the princesses were still standing there, feeling slightly awkward at what to do. They understand why Mulan would do this, but they've been looking after Ming since she was baby. So you can tell they were pretty torn.

Luckily, Mushu and Cri-Kee poked their heads out the hole Ming made and were pretty confused at what was going on.

"Uh...did one of the princes break Ming's bow again?" Mushu asked, looking at the damage of the wall.

Mulan turn to glare at her old guardian a bit, making Mushu laughed nervously.

She sighed before speaking, "Mushu, Ming and I got in a disagreement, and...I said things I shouldn't have said."

"Oh, don't worry girl, if there's anybody that can calm her down and it's me and the ol'cricks!" Mushu said reassuringly, before he and Cri-Kee follow Ming into the house.


Meanwhile in the house, Ming made her way through the darken hallway while trying to keep her tears in check.

Once she reached her door, she slid it open and once she enter her weapon scorched filled room , she shut it hard. Enough for a sign on her door to flip from 'Welcome', to 'STAY OUT!'

Ming put her back against the door, breathing in and out, before breaking down and crying, pulling her hood over her head and putting her knees to her chest and sobbed her heart.

There was so many things she was upset about, her father being capture, her own mother saying she has to be something that's not her, and being told her beliefs is not true.

Unknown to her, Mushu and Cri-Kee slipped under her door and looked up at her with a few smiles to in hopes to make her feel better.

"Hey, Ming ol'pal," He said to start a conversation with the crying Ming, "You know, I just heard of this new weapon that the blacksmith worked up-"

"Mom sent you hear to try and make me feel better, didn't she?" Ming asked, not looking up.

"Well, uh-" Mushu stopped making an excuse when Ming looked up at him with an raise eyebrow.

"Oh alright, but come on, what happen that made you this upset?"

That almost put Ming off when she quickly looked up and glare at Mushu, "Well, how about for the fact that my dad is kidnapped by a group of ruthless barbarians or that my own mother says that I have to be something I'm not!?"

That shut Mushu up. He understand Ming would be pretty upset with Shang being kidnapped and everything. But there was no way Mulan would ever say something like that to her own daughter, could she?

"Ming, come on," He said gently as he put a comforting claw on her knee, "Your mother was just upset, she'll come around..."

"I don't want to hear it, Mushu." Ming interrupted, before getting up, walking over to her large window, opening it, and jumping out into the gardens.

Mushu sighed, "I guess Ming is really taking it hard." Cri-Kee just nodded sadly to agree.


A few hours later, it was dark and close to raining. At the blossom tree, Ming was sitting silently on a tree branch with her hood over her head as she looks at the Yin necklace her father gave her.

Ming have never forgotten when her father first gave this to her. Something she would never forget...

7 years ago...

Ming was tossing her feet in the air while sitting on a high branch of the Blossom tree. She was wearing her hair in a pony tail, back then half of her hair was black and white.

"Ming!" She looked down to see her father in his General Uniform with a bag over his shoulder.

"Aren't you going to come down?"

"What's the point, Baba?" Ming asked, lying down on the branch. "Even if I do something, you still go out there!"

"Ming, you know it's my duty to protect the country." Shang tried to reason with his daughter.

"Is duty all you care about?" She called back.

Shang sighed, knowing just how stubborn Ming is, especially growing up with white hair, it has made Ming pretty snappy.

He then looked down, only to see his Yin necklace that Fa Zhou had given to him. He wore this because it reminded him of Mulan and him. It was then an idea struck him.

"Ming! If you come down, I promise I would give you something!" He called out. After hearing that Ming sat up, she could never refuse a gift from her father, especially after he gave her a bow and her cape.

Jumping down, Ming ran up to her father, "What is it?" She asked excitedly.

"This," He unhooked the necklace and put it around her.

"Your necklace?" She asked confused.

"Whenever I wore this, it reminded me of your mother," He explained, "But now, I think you need it more than me."

Ming looked down at the necklace, and suddenly, she did felt like her father was always with her. Looking up, she launched herself at her father and hugged him, which he quickly returned.

"I love you, Baba."

"I love you too, my Little Soldier."

Of course, that was 7 years ago, even though she now has this necklace around her, she can't feel her father anymore.

She soon felt more tears come to her eyes.

Wiping them away, she looked up to see her mother's silhouette at the house, bending down, looking like she was praying.

Ming knew that was never going to work, she has seen what the ancestors really are. There was no way she was going to trust them on something like this.

But how is she going to rescue her dad? Ming looks almost exactly like him, so pretending to be a soldier was far from the question.

Then suddenly a thought struck her. Everybody inside China knew what she look like, but no one outside China knows what she looks like.

Knowing what she has to do, with a flip of her cape, she disappears into the night.


Author's Note: Finally done! Trust me, things are not always easy. But no school today, so FREE TIME! Please review!

SHOUT OUTS-

otherrealmwriter: Uh, yeah, not much better, but I hope you like it!