Honor to us all

In town Susan Vandom passed back and forth. Standing beside her was her old friend Yan Lin.

"Susan is your daughter here yet?" Kadma asked as she poked her head out of her shop.

Susan shook her head no.

Kadma sighed. "Well she had better hurry up. Nerissa is not a patient woman."

Susan sighed. "Of all days to be late, why did Will have to pick this day? I should have prayed to the ancestors for luck!"

Yan Lin snorted. "Please how lucky can they be? They're dead. Besides I have a special luck charm right here."

Then she held up a small cage. Inside was small green animal. It was the passling, Blunk. (A/N Blunk is the size of Crickee in this story)

Yan Lin smiled at the passling. "This is your chance to prove yourself, Blunk."

Blunk looked confused, until Yan Lin covered her eyes and stepped into the busy street.

"Yan Lin, no!" Susan cried.

As Yan Lin walked two carts were coming toward her in opposite directions fast. There was a crash and dust flew everywhere. When it cleared Yan Lin stood on the other side of the street, unharmed.

Yan Lin laughed and held up Blunk in his cage.

"This passling's a lucky one!" She cried. Blunk fainted in terror over what had just happened.

Susan shook her head and sighed. Then she heard a horse neigh and she turned her head to see Will riding in on Mr. Huggles.

"I'm here!" Will cried jumping off of Huggles. Her hair had straw in it. Susan looked at her daughter sternly.

"What?" Will asked. "But mom I had to-"

"None of your excuses, young lady," Susan said, pushing her daughter into Kadma's shop. "Now let's get you cleaned up."

As soon as she was inside Kadma took one look at Will and sighed. Will raised an eyebrow. Why was it then whenever she was around people sighed more than usual?

Then Kadma began to sing.

Kadma: This is what you give me to work with?

Well honey, I've seen worse

Kadma took Will behind a screen and undressed her.

We're gonna turn this sow's ear

Will was then thrown into a bath

Into a silk purse

"It's freezing!" Will said, her teeth chattering.

"It would have been warm if you had been on time," Susan laughed.

Kadma: We'll have you washed and dried

Primped and polished

Till you glow with pride

Just my recipe for instant bride

You'll bring honor to us all

Susan then noticed the smudged ink on her daughter's arm.

"Will, what's this?" She asked.

Will snatched her arm away. "Um notes. In case I forget something," She admitted sheepishly.

Yan Lin handed the cage with Blunk to Susan.

"Hold this we'll need more luck then I thought," Yan Lin said before walking away.

A few minutes later Will's hair was being done by Cassidy and Halinor.

Cassidy: Wait and see

When we're through

Halinor: Boys will gladly to war for you

Cassidy: With good fortune

Halinor: And a great hairdo

Both: You'll bring honor to us all

Susan led her daughter outside where other women were preparing their daughters.

Women: A girl can bring her family

Great honor in one way

Will walked by two men who were playing checkers. She smiled and made a move that helped one man win.

By striking a good match

Susan led her daughter away while the winning man laughed.

And this would be the day

At another place, Bess and Courtney Grumper were dressing Will up in a light pink and dark pink dress.

Bess: Men want girl

With good taste, calm

Susan: Obedient

Courtney: Who work fast paced

Susan: With good breeding

Courtney: And a tiny waist

Courtney and Bess pulled the dress tightly around Will, making her gasp.

Courtney, Bess and Susan: You'll bring honor to us all

Will followed Susan through town. Will smiled when she saw a little girl playing happily with her doll.

Town: We all must serve our Queen

Who guards from the Huns

A boy ran passed the girl and snatched the doll away from her.

A man by bearing arms

Will took the doll from the boy and gave it back to the girl, who hugged her doll tightly

A girl by bearing sons

Will then sat on the floor while Alchemy did her makeup.

Alchemy: When we're through

You can't fail

Like a lotus blossom, soft and pale

How could any fellow say 'no sale?'

You'll bring honor to us all

"There, you're ready," Susan told her daughter proudly.

"Not yet," Yan Lin said, walking over with items in her hands. "An apple for serenity and a pendant for balance." Then she pulled out a necklace of jade and put them on Will's neck.

Yan Lin: Beads of jade for beauty

You must proudly show it

Yan Lin held up the cage with Blunk in it and put it in Will's sash.

Now add a passling

Just for luck

And even you can't blow it

Will walked away toward the matchmaker's home.

Will: Ancestors, hear my plea

Help me not to make a fool of me

And to not uproot my family tree

Keep my father standing tall

Will ran to catch up in line with four other girls.

Will and Girls: Scarier than the undertaker

We are meeting our matchmaker

Town: Destiny guard our girls

And their future as it fast unfurls

Please look kindly on these cultured pearls

Each a perfect porcelain doll

Girl #1: Please bring honor to us

Gilr#2: Please bring honor to us

Girl#3: Please bring honor to us

Girl#4: Please bring honor to us

All: Please bring honor to us all!

The girls' knelt on the ground. The matchmaker, Nerissa, slammed the door open and called the first name.

"Will Vandom."

"Present!" Will replied, standing up.

"Speaking without permission," Nerissa said, writing on a clipboard.

"Crap," Will muttered, humiliated.

"Who spit in her bean curd?" Yan Lin muttered to Susan.

Inside Will was hyperventilating as Nerissa looked over her.

"Too skinny. Not good at all for bearing sons," Nerissa said.

Blunk then opened the door to his cage and jumped out. Will saw him, grabbed him, and hid him behind her back.

"Recite the final Admonition," Nerissa ordered. Will held up her fan. "Fulfill your duties calmly and…" She looked down at the notes on her arms, which was smudged slightly. "…Respectfully. Uh, reflect before you snack. Act, thus shall bring you honor and glory!"

Will took a deep breath, fanning herself. Nerissa grabbed the fan out of Will's hand and searched it for cheat notes. Finding none, she raised her eyebrow at Will. Then she took her arm and led her to a table.

"This way," Nerissa said. Sitting down, she let go of Will's arms, the ink on covering her hand.

"Now pour the tea. To please your future in laws you must demonstrate a sense of dignity." Nerissa rubbed her finger over her mouth, making an ink mustache. Will had been staring at Nerissa and was pouring the tea onto the table. She quickly regained her composure and poured it into a cup, while Nerissa continued. "You must also be poised."

Will looked into the cup and saw Blunk lounging in it. Nerissa picked it up.

"Um pardon me," Will whispered.

"And silent!" Nerissa cried.

Not wanted Nerissa to drink Blunk, Will tried to take the cup from Nerissa. "Could I just take that back, for a moment?"

They did a little tug of war before Nerissa fell backwards, the tea spilling all over her and Bunk falling into her dress.

"Why you clumsy…" Nerissa started. She trailed off when Blunk started moving around. She fell backwards onto a little lantern. Nerissa jumped up the bottom of her dress smoking slightly. Will, trying to cool it down, fanned it. This only caused Nerissa's behind to catch on fire.

Outside the people cringed as they heard something break and Neriss's yell.

Yan Lin smirked. "I think it's going well, don't you Susan?" She laughed.

Suddenly Nerissa burst through the doors trying to put out the fire. "PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!" She screamed.

Will got the tea pot and flung the remaining tea on Nerissa. It put the flames out and drenched Nerissa. Will quickly ran back to her mother with an angry Nerissa behind her.

"YOU A DISGRACE!" Nerissa yelled. "You may look like a bride, but you will NEVER bring your family honor!" With that Nerissa turned and went back into her home. Susan and Yan Lin hugged Will, who only hung her head in shame, knowing she had failed her family.