Disclaimer: I don't own Mulan or the other characters, Disney does.

Chapter 3

Mulan paused in the doorway, causing Shang to bump into her. She quickly shushed him as she heard her father ranting on about something to her mother. Shang motioned her to move forward, but he and Mulan both froze when they heard Mulan's name. They leaned in, pressing their ears to the door, and started listening to Fa Zhou's voice.

"How on this Earth will we be able to handle her? She failed the matchmaker's test, and on the same day spoke out loud in a man's presence which caused her dishonor, We already know we can't control her. She went and joined the army without even telling us goodbye. She didn't even tell us that she was wounded, instead we had to hear it from General Shang," Fa Zhou paused for a moment, and then said, "You know I love her, for who she is but sometimes I wish she were just like other girls."

Mulan pulled back in shock, and she could feel Shang's eyes on her. She saw Shang try to reach for her but she pulled away. She opened the door slowly, took a step in and said, "I've tried to be the perfect daughter that you think that I can be if I try hard enough, but I cant. You may think you see who I really am but you don't. It feels like I have to play a part every day of my life, just to please you and in doing so, I deny myself of who I really am. Why must I conceal what I'm thinking, and how I feel? Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide? I'm through of denying who I really am, I'm sorry but I just can't do it no more. I rather be hated for being myself, than to be loved for someone I'm not."

Mulan could feel the tears dripping down her face but at that moment she didn't care. She knew what she had just said was wrong, that she shouldn't have even ease dropped to begin with. She was tired of people discussing how she should behave and how her life should be. She turned and left the room with Shang following close behind.

"Stop following me," Mulan exclaimed, when she finally noticed him. He said nothing and continued to follow her. "Great," Mulan thought, "now I have another Mushu." Mulan forced him to stop following her when she entered her room and slammed the door in his face.

"What's the matter? Pretty boy to clingy," Mushu said sarcastically. Mulan just rolled her eyes and went to bed, not even bothering to change her clothes.

Fa Zhou didn't know that she was listening. He wouldn't have even considered saying those things out loud to her. "Ancestors, what have I done," he thought miserably as he replayed all the times he said something without even thinking about how Mulan would feel. Memories surfaced of that day, the day he tried to forget ever since Mulan came home.

Fa Zhou this day would be coming. He heard the rumors that were going through China. Rumors that caused mothers to worry about their children. Sons making the decision to go to war instead of their father. Rumors of Huns crossing the Great Wall of China. "Only I don't have a son to go in my place," Fa Zhou thought bitterly. He never regretted not having a second child until that moment.

"The Fa family," a person wearing a stuffy robe called out.

He gave Fa Li his cane, for in war one must show no weakness. "I am ready to serve the emperor," he said as he took the scroll.

"Father! You can't go," he heard Mulan yell as she ran toward him. "Please, sir. My father has already fought for..."

The stuffy robe man interrupted her and said, "Silence! You would do well to teach your daughter to hold her tongue in a man's presence."

Fa Zhou said the only thing that he knew would make her go back inside. He couldn't look at her as he said, "Mulan, you dishonor me." He knew that Mulan wouldn't leave it at that, and he was right.

At the dinner table she mumbled something as she poured his tea. Fa Zhou knew better than ask what but he couldn't stop himself. "You shouldn't have to go," Mulan exclaimed, slamming down the tea pot.

"Mulan," Fa Li couldn't help but say.

Mulan glared at him, most likely remembering what he had told her only hours ago. "There are plenty of young men to fight for China, you shouldn't have to go."

Fa Zhou took a deep breath before speaking, "It is an honor to protect my country and my family and I will die doing what's right. I know my place; maybe it's time for you to learn yours."

Fa Zhou was brought out of these thoughts when he heard someone knocking on his door.

"Please, sir. May I stay here for the night," Shan Yu coughed for a good measure. The old man looked at him for a moment before ushering inside.

"What happened to you," the old man asked as his wife poured both Shan Yu and the old man some tea.

"I was attacked by Huns a few months back, and I lost everything. They took my wife and my two year old son. Since then, I've been trying to find them and I almost succeeded when I was jumped. That was two nights ago, and I've been looking for a place to stay," Shan Yu finished his story by forcing a tear to roll down his face. The old man nodded his understanding and led him into a spare room.

"Breakfast is served at seven sharp," the old man said as he left.

Shan Yu couldn't believe his luck. "Tomorrow," he thought, "I shall find out where Fa Zhou's bratty child lives." With that he fell asleep.