Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Mulan, Disney does. Nor do I own any information about the Amanita mushroom.

Chapter 5

Mulan and Shang were walking, hand in hand, to the pond. Shang knew that this was Mulan's favorite spot, which is why he planned to tell her that he loved her the minute they got there. When they were near the pond, Mulan suddenly let go of his hand and pushed him in the pond. When Shang had resurfaced, he could see that Mulan was giggling like a child. "What was that for," Shang wondered to himself.

"You were tense the whole walk here, so I did it to lighten the mood," Mulan answered between her giggling.

"Can you read minds or something of that nature," Shang asked, confused about how Mulan knew what he was thinking.

Mulan waited until he climbed out of the pond to answer. "Nope, I just know you that well."

Shang couldn't help grinning, "Really," he asked as he walked toward her, "then what am I about to do?"

"Shang, don't I-," Mulan started to say but Shang was too fast for her, and scooped her up into his arms and threw her in the pond. He dived back into the pond and waited until Mulan was above the surface before saying, "As your captain, I order you to promise not to push me in again."

Mulan snickered, and inquired, "And what if I don't?"

"Then I will tell your father about the `king of the rock` incident." Mulan blush a deep shade of red, and Shang knew that he had won. Shang went and lay on the bank of the pond, Mulan soon following. They were staring at the clouds, when Shang randomly said, "What's your definition of love?" He could tell that Mulan was shocked, but he knew that she would answer it, he had to wait a few agonizing minutes before she answered.

"I think that love doesn't happen overnight and you can't force it, love happens when you least expect too. Love is giving you completely to someone, not excepting to gain anything in return." Mulan could see Shang staring at her, with a blank expression on his face, she suddenly realized why and she hurried up and said, "I'm sorry Shang; I didn't mean to go all poetic on you in fact, Mush-," Mulan broke of once she realized that she had almost said the name of her best friend and guardian, Mushu, who she hasn't seen since the night that she had fought with her father.

"Who," Shang inquired quietly; secretly wishing that he could go somewhere for he thought that Mulan already loved someone else.

"Oh, it's nobody," she quickly muttered, and looked away, but when she did she thought she saw a flash of red darting toward her.

"Mulan, I have some news for you…," Shang trailed off, not knowing how to tell her that he was leaving in a few minutes.

"What is it Shang," Mulan demanded, instead of asking.

"The emperor…I have…leaving now…you're not…goodbye…," Shang stuttered, hoping Mulan would get what he was trying to say. She nodded, leaning in closer to him. She briefly brushed her lips against his, and just as briefly pulled back. All Mulan said was, "Leave now," before running off somewhere. Shang nodded, only to realize he was alone. He got up, got on his horse and left.

Fa Jiaying hasn't been feeling ever since she drank her tea last night. "I've been poisoned by that stranger," she thought to herself. Her whole body, mostly her stomach, was hurting her. She felt sicker than she has ever had, and couldn't fight back any longer. She knew she was going to die soon, and she was praying to the ancestors that she would die quickly. Fa Jiaying lost consciousness when she fell to the floor, but not before seeing a red snake type creature in her vision.

Mushu knew something was wrong by the smell in the house, so he decided to check every room to find the source of it. The first three rooms he checked were empty, but as he was about to give up, he saw something in the corner of his eye. He turned to get a better view, and was shocked at what he found. He had only one thought running through his mind, which was to go get Mulan.

Shan Yu walked the streets of Mulan's village, memorizing the layout as he did with Mulan's house. He had stayed there for two weeks, and only left when he was sure the poison was in Fa Zhou's mother system. She didn't even realized that it was in her night tea, for the poison had no taste. When he was satisfied, he went to the woods, knowing that he wouldn't be followed. When he arrived to the center of the forest, he began to yell so loudly that the people in Mulan's village ran out of their houses and looked around for the sound. Shan Yu has been doing this every night since he left Mulan's house, convincing everybody that the forest was haunted. What the people didn't know is that this would be the last they hear of him until he returned again, only next time, he won't be the one hurt. Shan Yu then traveled to their newest camp, Jianyu, which his son had located in a deserted village that Shan Yu had burned down earlier that year. Shan Yu walked into the camp and smiled.

"How did it go," Xiongnu inquired. Shan Yu motioned him to follow him, and Shan Yu went inside of their "new" home.

"No one realized who I was and the poison is in Fa Zhou's mother's system," Shan Yu replied.

Xiongnu looked at Shan Yu in confusion, before asking, "Why in the hell would you poison one of them? Do you realize that they could get suspicious of you?"

Shan Yu laughed and replied, "I couldn't kill an old lady. Please, I can be nice when I want to. Now, what is step two…"

The medicine man had no choice but to show Shan Yu a book that contained the different types of poison, nor could he prevent Shan Yu from picking the Amanita mushroom.

From The Book Of Poisons

Also known as the Death Angel or Destroying Angel mushroom, this mushroom contains a deadly polypeptide toxin. The distribution of the peptides varies in the different parts of the mushroom, with the cap being the most deadly part. The toxin is taken up by the liver where it begins to cause damage. The liver is slowly destroyed and is unable to repair itself, and thus, the liver slowly dissolves with no hope of repair.Dried caps from this mushroom are made into a powdered substance and applied by ingestion. Whoever drinks this poison only has five days left to live, six if they are stubborn. The symptoms are slow to show themselves and often do not appear until 10-16 hours (or even longer) after eating
.

The first symptoms are stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. These may continue for a day or two, after which there is typically an easing of symptoms and apparent recovery. The "recovery" period may last for 2 or 3 days. Then the terminal phase of 3-5 days starts with the re-occurrence of stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea - accompanied by jaundice. Without effective, early medical intervention, coma and death occur between one and two weeks after eating the mushroom. Death is caused by liver failure, often accompanied by kidney failure.

The medicine man hoped that the family of whoever at it would forgive him. He sighed and returned to thinking about his wife, trying to recall the last time he called her by her real name and not by 'wife'.