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

Chapter 6

Fa Jiaying slowly regained conscious just as Fa Zhou and Fa Li arrived home. The first thing she saw was her worried granddaughter, leaning over her. "I'm tougher than I look, Mulan," she said. She saw Mulan smile, but she noticed it didn't reach her eyes. They stayed quiet for a few minutes, just sitting there, enjoying what would be some of their last moments alone with each other, although Mulan didn't know that yet.

"Mother, how are you feeling," Fa Zhou said as he rushed into the room.

Fa Jiaying decided to mess with her son, so she sat up slowly and motioned him to come to her. When he got near, she grabbed his hands into hers and said, "Goodbye, my son." After she said this, she let go of his hands while falling back into the bed. She then closed her eyes slowly, and held her breath for a few seconds. Fa Jiaying sat upright so quickly, that even her son didn't notice she sat up. To get their attention, she said one simple word, "Boo." Fa Jiaying had to bite back a smile when everybody in the room jumped and turned to look at her. "I'm not that easy to get rid of," Fa Jiaying remarked. Fa Zhou and Fa Li came by her and sat next to the bed. Fa Jiaying looked around for Mulan but she was gone.

A few minutes pasted before she spoke again. "I need to talk to my daughter-in-law," Fa Jiaying said to Fa Zhou, and when he didn't leave, she said, "Alone." Fa Zhou gave a weary nod and left the room. After a few minutes, Fa Li came and stood near the edge of the bed.

"How are you, grandmamma," Fa Li asked politely, when she could stand the way that Fa Jiaying was looking at her or the silence any longer.

"I'm not the one you should be worried about, Fa Li," Fa Jiaying said with a smug smile.

"I just found out yesterday, so how did you know," Fa Li asked, surprised etched on her face. Fa Jiaying scooted over in her bed, and then she motioned to Fa Li to come and sit next to her.

"I remember how you acted when you found out that you were expecting Mulan, but it was days before you said anything. I noticed this of course, but Fa Zhou didn't and I got to see that incredulous look on his face, but this time I won't. And so, I have a favor to ask of you. Would you be willing to tell him today," ask the puppy-eyed old lady, knowing that Fa Li would give in.

Mulan had thought that her grandmamma had really died. She didn't expect her to do that to them, to fake her death and sitting right back up as if nothing had happened. Mulan watched her sit up, trying to get Fa Zhou's attention again. When her grandmamma opened her mouth to speak, Mulan ran out the room for she could no longer deal with being in that room watching her grandmamma die, or even pretending her death. She almost made it out of the before stepping on something. That something turned out to be a very mad Mushu. Mulan didn't care; she took one look at him and started crying. She just needed to be by someone who understood her enough to not ask questions, it also helped that she was best friends with him and knew that Mushu would be there for her no matter what happened. "Where's the doctor," Mulan asked tiredly.

"He's gone. His family hasn't heard from him in weeks and they fear he's dead," replied Mushu, it was the first time he spoke that day after telling her about her grandmamma "How is she, baby girl," he asked, and then regretting it when he saw Mulan's face so he continued with, "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want too. I understand if you want to talk about something else…after all, I am your guardian."

"She thought it would be funny to pretend to die. She held my father's hand and said, 'Goodbye, son.' And then she laid down and held her breath. When no one was looking but me, she sat up and said something but I left so I didn't hear what she said." Mulan was sobbing by the time she finished. Mushu wish pretty boy hadn't left when he did. "His timing sucks," he thought miserly as he continued to try and comfort Mulan.

Mulan's dreams were haunted by memories of her grandmamma and her.

"What's this, grandmamma," a five-year old Mulan asked. Her grandmamma just smiled and took the flower out of Mulan's hand .Mulan could see the twinkling in her grandmamma's eyes, as she watched Mulan struggle to find the answer. "Is it a hibiscus?" Her grandmamma shook her head and waited patiently as Mulan tried to figure it out. "Can you give me a hint?"

"How about this, I'll give you a rhyme and you have to do the rest from there?" Mulan nodded ecstatically and her grandmamma laughed.

"It goes like this: `So delicate in form, yet strong in fragrance.

So small in size, yet big in beauty.

So short in life, yet long in effect…."

"Is it an orchid," Mulan asked after she thought about it for a few minutes. Her grandmamma nodded and they continued walking; only stopping if they saw something that caught Mulan's eye.

Fa Zhou paced up and down the hallway, trying to figure out what his mother would want to talk to Fa Li about. He finally gave up, and decided to go find his daughter. He went to Mulan's room, only to find her sleeping with a tiny lizard. Fa Zhou was confused enough, so he decided to go pray to his ancestors.

"Oh woe to me, ancestors, there is nothing more difficult than to watch a loved one die and be unable to prevent it." Fa Zhou tried to continue but no words would come out. He tried a few more times and was finally able to finish what he was saying, "Please, ancestors grant us more time with her. I know tomorrow isn't promised to everyone. I only have but one mother, and I want to cherish the time my family and I have with her and make the most of it. Just give us more time," he begged. Sobbing hysterically and muttering "please, oh please ancestors," Fa Zhou poured his heart out to the ancestors and all he could do was hope that they would answer his prayers. Fa Zhou stayed in there until the last of his had dried. With one last "please" he got up, and went to find Fa Li and his mother.