A/N: I can't believe it took me so long to finish this chapter, but I got focused on other stories and my work that have occupied me a lot! But here's the final chapter for my story. I thank the readers for the support and it was a pleasure to write (even if I was extremely lazy with it).
Mulan left the princesses and their boyfriends the following morning to go see her parents and her grandmother on the outside of the town. She looked forward to see them and even if she knew she also had a second purpose with her visit. After a night of great sleep, she had only got more certain she needed to have the company of her old, little guardian that also was her absolutely best friend.
In at the meantime, Mushu and Cri-Kee sat and watched the lovely flowers that were keeping on blooming in the garden of the Fa family. They were defiantly a beautiful sight, but both of them felt like something or someone was missing to make it even better. They looked at each other and hung with their heads and sighed.
"I wish Mulan was here. It would make this way better" Cri-Kee squeaked and nudged Mushu with his head and smiled cheerful at him to try and lighten the tense mood.
"Yeah, I know, Cri-Kee, I know we are supposed to be happy on her behalf and all that, but I can't help but lonely here as those stupid ancestors just keep on, well, being them" Mushu walked around in the gardens while Fa Zu rested and his mother was out helping his wife getting food for supper.
All of them were unaware that Mulan was on her way and when she got close, she smiled as she walked up to the door holding her hand in Shang's. Her home would always be in the house she had lived in all her life before marriage with Shang or at least like her second home.
"It's good to be home. You know that feeling when you get back to the place you've lived most of your life. I love you and you know that Shang, but you also know what kind of person I am and I love my family until the end of world" Shang kissed Mulan's cheek and smiled amused at his wife whom was free spirited.
"Even if I haven't had a family to get back to, I know exactly what you're talking about and I know this a special place to you and you know that you can always get around here if you want to. I completely understand so" Shang smiled so cheerful at Mulan and she kissed him feeling so extremely lucky a so understanding and supportive husband. Not many girls could say they were so lucky to be married to someone so famous as Shang had become within the last year. Not only that, she was also very famous herself, she had brought the honour back to her family and she was in a healthy relationship.
She was standing outside the door with Shang and walked in after she looked at the surroundings. Everything seemed to be as normal as they usually were before the invasion of the Huns. After that there wasn't anything that could describe normal or at least when it came to Mulan and her person.
She walked into the garden and admired the blooming beauty of the nature that was growing within the very walls of her childhood home.
"It sure is beautiful, huh Shang?" Shang nodded and just as they were about to head into the were surprised by Mulan's father who apparently had gotten closer to them while they had been lost in their thoughts.
"FATHER!" Mulan squealed and embraced her limp father with strength, but still gentle due to his condition and then kissed him on his forehead and cheeks as he held his dear girl close to him and felt a special warm feeling that he only felt whenever he held Mulan in his arms. It was just like when he was embracing her the day she got back from the Emperor's palace after defeating Shan Yu and saved China and he thought she had been killed.
"It's great to see you again Mulan"
"It's great to see you too, father" Fa Zu then turned attention over Mulan's shoulder and onto Shang who bowed politely.
"Honourable Fa Zu. It's a pleasure to see you again"
"You don't have to be so formal, Shang. We're family after all" he first squeezed his shoulder a bit and then he hugged the general who got surprised at first, but ended returning the hug trying to be good son-in-law.
They walked inside and sat down to get a nice cup of hot tea and talked about how life was in their own place and they both felt delighted about it even if Mulan admitted she missed being with her family a bit, at least more than Shang would admit. Her father said all of them missed her as well, but they were also delighted about how she grown up and how much she had honoured her family name. it almost brought tears in the strong girls eyes.
She excused herself from her father and Shang to go outside a moment for herself. She stood up and left the two men with each other to talk about all sort of manly stuff and she was certain that her father would ask if they were planning to get children of their own soon and Shang would probably get lost for words. She laughed of the thought of Shang being lost for words, but also got happy of the thought of growing a family with Shang. It was a dream she had had since she was 15 years old and she knew she were destined to create a family. She wanted both to have boys and girls. She didn't know how many, but she knew she and Shang would have to talk about it at some point.
She looked at the surroundings and then she saw what she intended to find all along. No one else, but her old guardian and she were delighted to see him. Even if he seemed a bit sad.
"Mushu!" Mulan shouted as she walked closer. At the same time, Mushu seemed to have noticed her and he suddenly seemed a lot more cheerful as he practically ran towards her and jumped into her arms and embraced her as good as he was capable at. Mulan returned it by keep her right arm around his scolding back and she was also feeling great as she held her guardian close, yet gentle to her.
"It's so good to see you again, Mushu" Mulan expressed as they parted and she patted his head and stroke his teary cheek as he clearly felt mutual happiness.
"It's great to see you too, girl! Is pretty boy taking good care of you? Otherwise I'll really have to kick some mature general-butt!" Mushu started a bit emotional and with every word trying to be just as humorous as he always was when he was around Mulan. He tried to act like the Mushu he had been ever since she and he was getting her into the army and keep her identity a secret and until the mission to marry off the emperors three daughters.
"What brings you here? Just visiting your old folks?"
"That and also because I wanted to talk you about something" Mushu raised eyebrow in surprise. What did she want to talk to him about? After all, he wasn't her guardian anymore now that Shang and his ancestors had taken over the duty of protecting her, so the only thing she could talk to him about would seem to be friend stuff.
Even though all that, Mushu couldn't deny that he was beyond delighted to see her once again. No one meant more to him than his little Mulan. The little girl, he helped out saving China just a bit less than a year since all the adventurous things they had gone through together.
"What do you want to talk to your former guardian about? I know about my good looks, but there can't possible be much to talk about anyways. I mean I'm not exactly your guardians anymore" Mulan just shook her head at his silliness, but also the fact that he seemed to feel a less worthy now that he wasn't her guardian. That wasn't what made him her friend, but the dragon he was.
"Mushu, even if that is true, I don't think of you any different. You're still the best friend I ever had and that's why I've come along with Shang to talk to you. I was about to offer you to come and live with us and in some way still an extra guardian. Our friendship is too precious to me to just let it go. That's what I've been trying to say to you. Shang fully understand and support my view on this" Mushu could not believe what his ears heard. Were they deceiving him or what? This couldn't be true. It had to be something he misunderstood.
"I'm sorry, do I got something in my ear or did you just ask to me come along with you? Because I seriously think I heard you wrong, girl" Mulan at his silliness, he was either trying to make her feel funny or what just being stupid at the moment. She just shook her head once again and slapped her forehead this time to show that she clearly found him a bit stupid in an amusing way of course.
"Mushu" Mulan said in a serious tone and show an expression that could not be misunderstood by any chances.
He was starting to realize things. She wasn't kidding or anything. She actually wanted him to come along with her. There was nothing he'd rather do than be with his little Mulan. It was like a dream coming true and even if he wasn't fully understanding things, he knew that there wasn't really many things left for him since Mulan's ancestors didn't seem to find him as amusing and funny as Mulan apparently did. She by far appreciated him way more than they ever had even if they made him guardian after Mulan had saved China from the threat of the Huns.
He smiled happy as never before. This was truly a wonderful thing happening to him.
"Of course I want to come along with you. Nothing's left for me here anyways as my little girl isn't mine to protect anymore and with no other children, what is a dragon to do anyways?" Mushu teased shaking his head.
"Maybe not so much if he wasn't a dragon who meant much to his friend. You're my friend, Mushu and I'm yours until the end of the line" Mushu felt happy as ever and he quickly excused himself to find his beloved partner, Cri-Kee and go pack a few things that he wanted to take with him for his new home. He also woke up the ancestors to their irritation, but when he announced that he was going to leave with Shang and Mulan, they got into big applause and usual tried to insult him, but for once Mushu didn't care. He left with Cri-Kee and smiled as he felt the small cricket nudge him and Mushu patted his head as Cri-Kee sat on his shoulder and got back to Mulan with him.
Mulan and Shang stood outside saying goodbye to Mulan's father and waited for the dragon to show himself and as he smiled nodding at Mulan, he sat himself at the front of her as her horse and Shang's took off with high speed.
An hour later they were back at their place and Mushu stood in awe. It maybe wasn't much of a luxury, but it looked cosy and a place where he could easily got himself comfortably, but mosyly because he was where he was destined to be and with whom: he's one true friend, Li Mulan and her gentle husband who he had met on occasions.
Time passed and everything was going smooth as they all lied down on the grass looking up at the stars above and felt like everything that had been so dramatic and new back at the war, had suddenly made their lives so wonderful and they hoped it'd stay like this a long time into the future.
I know I said 3-5 chapters, but I figured 2 chapters would work better as I looked through several different ideas and found this the best. Even though all that, I'd say it had been a pleasure to try a different kind of fiction than the ones I have written most. Take care all of you. If any of you want to see more, I write about Frozen at the time being and consider the Lion King. I also consider stopping wiring, but I'll need time to decide what to do.