So I'm back. To all those who are really reading this. Don't get used to this, me updating this quickly. I just kinda sorta got a little bored. Ok, onto the disclaimer. I own nothing in this story, except for any oc's that may drag their happy selves into this universe. Yeah, continue down. People look away from the bold, yeah the letters. Okay bye now.
The months that followed moved sluggishly along for Mulan. Every morning she went about the same routine, eating, doing her chores, and ready herself for the next day. It was always the same, just as it had been before. Though it wasn't the same in one way, talk of her marriage. Her mother continuously fretted over what she was to wear, how she would act, and preparing her for the day she would leave her family. A cloud hung over Mulan's head at the mere thought of being sent away to live with a stranger. Her life as she knew it would be over, but there was nothing she could do now. The pendant that lay at the base of her throat attested to that, and how it weighed heavily like a milestone that couldn't be removed.
A whinny interrupted her thoughts. Khan jostled the side of his stall, his dark pools fixated on her. Mulan smiled halfheartedly as she moved closer to him, stroking his nose. "What are we going to do, Khan?" Silver streams etched a path on her cheeks, but still she smiled. Khan, sensing his rider's pain, pushed his nose firmly into her hands. A thought crossed into her mind, and she looked over at the reins slung loosely over the side of the stall. "How about we go out today, just the two of us?" Khan knickered in response, muscles quivering in excitement.
It only took a moment to get Khan saddled up, and the whole time he was pacing impatiently. Mulan stroked his flank and climbed up onto the side of the stall. Placing her hands on his back, she slung her leg over and sat down. Khan tensed in anticipation, and Mulan snatched up the reins, crying out loudly as he bolted for the entrance. Zhou watched from the window, smiling at the sight.
As Khan picked up speed, the whispering breeze turned into what seemed like a howling gale to Mulan's ears. Her lips parted slightly, and she tasted the salt from her tears. She laughed wildly as they raced along, passing a babbling brook. She looked down at her reflection and frowned. Her hair was wild above her shoulders with bits of straw weaved in, and her cheeks were flushed and her Hanfu, filthy. I could never pass for a perfect bride. Her shoulders fell at this realization.
Suddenly Khan tensed up beneath her and paced nervously. Mulan looked around and saw what was upsetting her steed. Two imperial soldiers and a man clad in blue were racing down the path towards her village. The sound of heavy drumbeats rolled across the land. Mulan's brow furrowed, and snapping the reins, she steered Khan back towards the village. Khan snorted in frustration but complied.
As they neared the village center, Mulan leapt to the ground and guided Khan along behind her. The man in blue was already in the village, flanked by the two soldiers and surrounded by a crowd of people. His lips parted, his voice filling the space.
"Citizens," he began slowly, "I bring a proclamation from the imperial city. The Huns have invaded China. By order of the Emperor, one man from every family must serve in the imperial army." Jerking his head back, he opened a scroll bearing the emperor's crest and proceeded to read from it.
Mulan scanned the crowd for her father, her blood freezing when she heard her family name. It was then she saw him. Features hardening, he handed his cane off to her mother and proceeded to limp forward. He bowed slowly and reached for the scroll.
"Father you can't go!" He whipped around as she rushed forward and placed herself in front of him. "Please sir, my father has already fought for-"
"Silence," the man cried out in anger. His features contorted into a mask of utter disgust. "You would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue in a man's presence." He jerked his head up, and his body positioning, along with his voice, seemed much more feminine.
Zhou turned his face away from Mulan, his voice lowering. "Mulan, you dishonor me." Her eyes widened at these words. She made a move to say something, but she felt the weight of someone's touch at her elbow. Dropping her gaze, she allowed them to pull her out of her father's way. She heard him accept the scroll and walk away. Storm clouds gathered in the skies above, and a single teardrop fell from Mulan's eye.
Silence hung over the table that night, coinciding with the premature grief that seized them all. There were no words exchanged, and there were none needed. This was the last night her family would be together. They all knew that Zhou would surely fall in combat and be lost to them. She looked around at her family and saw nothing but their silence, their composure, their acceptance. Rage consumed her, and she slammed her cup down, cracking it.
"You shouldn't have go," she cried out in frustration. Her mother called her name in an attempt to silence her. "There are plenty of young men to fight for China!"
Her father answered her calmly, "It is an honor to protect my country and my family."
"So you'll die for honor!"
"I will die doing what's right!" He shot up out of his seat, towering over her.
"But if you-," She pleaded.
With his face a hair's breadth from her own, he snapped, "I know my place!" His voice lowered and he continued sternly, "It is time you learned yours."
Mulan's eyes widened, and she turned quickly, fleeing from the room. Flinging open the doors she staggered outside and fell against the nearest pillar sobbing. Shakily she rose slowly walked out into the storm, stopping at the base of the Great Stone Dragon. Slowly she clambered up to sit between his stone paws. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she rested her cheek against the cold stone and let her tears mix with the falling rain.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting at the feet of the dragon. Her limbs had long since become numb to the cold. She was soaked through to her marrow, and her emotions were drained. She pulled her knees away from her chest and looked towards her parents window. It seemed that Zhou was trying to console her mother but to no avail. Li simply moved away from him, obviously in distress. Mulan closed her eyes briefly. When she opened her eyes, she saw as her father's shoulders slumped in defeat, and with nothing else to do, he gently blew out the firelight.
Mulan's brow furrowed. She wasn't going to sit back and watch her father ride off to his grave. With renewed strength, she left the dragon and made her way up to the family temple. Halting at the base of the steps, she took a breath before she walked on towards the temple. Inside the temple, she lit the incense and bowed her head.
"Please let them be safe," she whispered softly. Quickly she sprinted down the steps and back to her house.
As quietly as she could manage, she stole back into the house and made her way to her parents room. She saw it, the scroll, at the bedside. Sliding her fingers around the pendant around her pendant she yanked on it, snapping the cord. With one hand she grabbed her father's scroll, and with other hand she lay the necklace gently down in the scroll's place. She smiled sadly at the peaceful expressions on her parents faces. She backed out of the room and walked down the hall to retrieve Zhou's armor.
She slowed her pace as she neared the wardrobe, slowly curling her fingers around the cool wooden knobs. Throwing open the doors, she gazed at the armor and looked down at the sword. She grabbed the blade and rested on her knees. Squeezing her eyes shut, she grabbed a portion of her hair and brought the blade through it. She felt the weight of fallen hair in her hands and made short work of the rest of her hair, cutting it short enough to where she would be mistaken as a man.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," she whispered softly, looking down at the scattered remains of her tresses. She stood up quickly and made for the armor, seizing it up. She fumbled for a moment when she tried to put it on, but eventually she figured out what went where. "If I were a man, this wouldn't have been so difficult, but then again, I wouldn't be sneaking off in the middle of the night."
She drew out the blade carefully and caught sight of her reflection in between its sharpened edges. Lightning crackled outside, and she sheathed the sword. She looked back briefly in the direction of her parents room and ran outside into the pouring rain. Thunder smote the clouds overhead, sounding off in the distance as she made her way towards the stables. Standing for a fleeting moment in the doorway, she heard Khan rear up and begin crying out in alarm. She hurried over and grabbed his reins, desperately trying to calm him.
"Khan, Khan. It's alright. It's just me, boy," she whispered soothingly, stroking his forehead gently. He calmed down quickly upon realizing that she was his rider. She smiled wistfully and saddled him up. "We're leaving tonight, boy. I need you to take me to the army encampment." He knickered in response and cantered up to her side.
Grabbing his reins, she led him into the storm and stopped, looking back at her home. She hadn't even left yet, and she was already missing home. Taking a deep breath, she hopped onto Khan's back and steered him towards the gates. Throwing one more fleeting glance back, she sent up a silent prayer to whoever was listening to her in the skies. Please, protect them. She jerked her head up and cried out, digging her heels into Khan's flanks. He neighed and raced off through the gates. Slowly, horse and rider faded off into the distance, melting into the darkness beyond. The gates creaked and groaned, still left swinging amidst the stormy gale.