I'm sorrryyy that this chapter is like super short…had to hurry and finish it before I got kick off the computer...

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

Chapter 9

Mulan just couldn't believe it. Her grandmamma had gotten better, she didn't even look sick anymore. So when everyone went to the market while her grandmamma stayed home, nobody was worried about her. "Why did he just poison her," Mulan wanted to know, but for once Fa Zhou couldn't answer her. The only thing he could do was hold her tight as she and Fa Li cried. The ceremony was a short one, but it was the way Fa Jiaying would have wanted it. They buried her next to the remains of the Great Stone Dragon. They stayed by her grave until the sun went down and then went to eat. Mulan thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked at their door.

"I'm sorry I'm late," said a very out of breath Shang.

"Late? What are you talking about," Mulan asked as he walked past her.

"I wrote to you saying I would get here this morning…hey where is Fa Jiaying," he asked when he had noticed that she was missing.

"She's gone, "Mulan said, not bothering to explain anymore. "If he really wants to know all he has to do is ask Fa Zhou," she thought to herself as went to her room, leaving a baffled Shang behind. When she got to her room, Mulan looked for the letter that Shang said he wrote. She remembered Fa Zhou handing it to her, but she didn't remember much after.

"Looking for this," Mushu said from behind her, holding a letter with her name on it.

"Give it here, Mushu," Mulan tried to grab it but Mushu slithered underneath her bed. "I'm not playing with you Mushu, hand it over!" While Mushu was dodging Mulan, and Mulan trying to catch Mushu, neither of them noticed a person standing in the doorway.

"Why are you talking to a lizard," a very amused Shang asked.

"I'm not…," Mulan tried thinking of a better reply than that but she couldn't. They stared at each other in silence. "Why did you comeback," Mulan finally asked.

"You didn't read my letter, did you," Shang asked quietly.

"I'd be lying if I said yes," Mulan answered.

"Oh...well, it really only said that I was coming today and that you have been called back to the army..."

Mulan couldn't believe her ears, "I've been called back. Why? We defeated the Huns…"

Shang nodded his head in agreement, "But not all the Huns are gon-"

Mulan interrupted him, "Trust me I know that. And I not going back…not until I catch him, and you can't make me."

"It's not my choice, Mulan. I don't want you going back, but the emperor ordered you to," Shang said calmly, trying not to raise his voice.

"Well, I'm not so goodnight," Mulan said just as calmly before shutting her door in his face.

"What are you going to do, baby girl," Mushu asked as he came out from his hiding spot.

"I don't know yet…how would I be able to go? My grandmamma just died, my mother is pregnant, and I know my father wouldn't be able to handle me leaving. What would you do, Mushu?"

He thought for a moment, "You could write the emperor a letter, or you could tell him in person."

Mulan didn't like either option but she decided that if she was going to confront the emperor, you might as well do it in person.

~the next morning~

"You sure you want to do this, Mulan," Fa Zhou asked wearily as he helped her onto Khan.

"Yes, Baba. I need to do this…I can't go back, at least not right now," Mulan replied.

As Shang and Mulan turned to leave Fa Zhou stopped her before saying, "I didn't tell him last night about Fa Jiaying…I couldn't." Fa Zhou left.

"What did he mean by 'I didn't tell him about Fa Jiaying'," Shang asked when they stopped for a break an hour later. Mulan couldn't look at Shang when she told him. She wound up telling him about the stranger's scar, how they think that the stranger poisoned Fa Jiaying, how Fa Jiaying had gotten better and then out no where they found her lying on the floor of her room dead. She told him about how her mother was pregnant and the way Fa Zhou acted when he found out. Mulan also told him how scared she is of going in front of the emperor and telling him no. Shang said nothing; he just came and hugged her. After a moment he said, "Come on, we want to make it there before dark." They got back on their horses and rode together silently. That silence was interrupted by three guys yelling, "Ping! Ping!..We mean Mulan! Mulan.
"

"I am going to take a guess but I think their happy you're here," Shang said when he heard them.

Mulan chuckled, "I forgot how much I missed them." She didn't get the chance to say anything else before they were right next to her.

"Y'all can talk to her tomorrow, she has had a long ride and I'm sure Mulan would like to go and rest, right," Shang asked, taking Khan's ropes from her.

"Right," Mulan was then led to her room for that night. Not caring that her clothes were dirty from riding all day, jumped into bed and instantly fell asleep.