Title: I'll make a man out of you
Author: Scout Graham
Pairing: Ping/OC
Rating: No idea yet
Disclaimer: I do not own Mulan... sooo don't sue me just because I made Mulan gender confused, besides she's a cute boy!!
Summary- Mulan with a Trans twist... if you don't like stuff like this don't read it.

Chapter Six- Under the Trees

The sun's rays were beginning to chap and blister Ping's skin. He could move under the shade of the trees nearby but he didn't feel like it. He was burning up but it wasn't just the sun. He could feel his entire torso fill with fire at the thought of today's events. After his initial shock had been obliterated by the rage he felt he had come here to lie in the sun. Hopefully it would burn him up on the outside like he was burning on the inside; all because of that girl.

His head was swimming as he seethed. Who the fuck was she to save him? What made her so high and mighty that she could go around fighting other people's battles? She had made him look like a disgrace in front of all of the other soldiers. She had made him even more of a target for harassment from them, and not to mention Shang. She had done the impossible and made the ordeal that he currently called life ten times harder for Ping. And the worst was that little wink she had given him; he had come completely unglued. What the hell had she done to him, some kind of insane voodoo? It was only a small eye twitch for ancestors-sake! But that eye twitch had made him feel something different. Something warm, something... he didn't want to think about. He couldn't think about. This was the girl who had basically just ruined his life.

Not that there was much to ruin. Sure he felt whole now, but he was doing a pretty shitty job of being a man. Maybe this wasn't the right decision after all. Maybe creatures like him didn't fit anywhere in this world. He was a pitiful abomination, his body would never match his mind, and he was nowhere close to being honorable. He had probably brought more dishonor to his family with this one misguided journey than any other relative would ever be capable of. Even the nobility of idea of saving his father seemed to be clouded with his own selfish wish to be free.

Another bout of rage compelled him to get up and go under one of the trees. He proceeded to scream obscenities and pound his fists against the tree's rough bark until he collapsed yet again. Still blinded with anger he shook on the ground. "Why would you make me like this?" he screamed to whatever deity was listening, and he felt tears begin to sting his burnt skin. He lay on the ground sobbing until it felt like all of his energy had left him. Then he was left with only his thoughts.

Reason was beginning to sink in and his hands were beginning to throb. The skin had been scraped off pretty badly on several of his knuckles and he was bleeding. Thoughts of bandages were fleeting though and soon Ping's brain was back to the girl. She had been trying to do the right thing, he supposed, even if it had screwed him over a little bit. He decided that he would have to thank her for being kind enough to stop Shang's rant. Then there was the matter of the wink…

"Mula... Ping! Where have you been?" Mushu scolded, jarring Ping from his thoughts.

"Um here..." said Ping suddenly realizing that he'd been in this clearing by the lake for far too long.

"Don't you sass me girl, erm boy. I've been worried sick looking for you. You missed afternoon exercises and…. Holy Great Ancestor what happened to you?" The small dragon climbed onto Ping's shoulder as he sat up.

"What do you mean?" asked Ping hoarsely. Then he realized what Mushu was talking about. Hours of crying and hitting things would leave anyone looking pretty rough. Not to mention the killer sunburn he had going.

"You look like you lost a fight with a Hun," The Dragon began to smooth Ping's ruffled hair "and look at these hands, what am I gonna do with you boy?"

Ping said nothing as he struggled to stand up. He had to get back to camp it was extremely late, and if Mushu had noticed that he was missing then someone else was bound to notice. Mushu and Cri-Kee continued to fuss over Ping's appearance as he slowly made his way back to the camp. They seemed to understand the need for quiet and Ping was grateful. He focused on the story he was going to tell his commanding officer about where he had been all afternoon. Nothing was coming to mind at all.

When Ping re-entered the camp it was dinner time. The line of recruits waited in line to gather their rations of rice. No one noticed him as he walked by. Maybe he wouldn't have to explain himself after all. He decided against eating dinner and went instead to the training grounds. He had missed his daily exercises and training drills and he wasn't about to fall behind.

He started one of the intricate sparring drills that Shang favored with his Gun. After several minutes he could no longer focus due to the pain in his hands. His movements became sloppy and imprecise. He was about to stop when a voice startled him and caused him to knock over a pile of staffs.

"After that display, I can see why my Brother was picking on you."

Ping gasped audibly. What was she doing here?

A Gun is a Chinese fighting staff.

Let me know what you guys think!