Previously on this Fic - Chapter 16
"Before I lied..." Elsa's eyes went wide as Mulan spoke but the recognition she was looking for was still absent "I don't remember you, but I feel something deep... "Pausing she frowned "It's just, that doesn't make sense".
"Right, it's like my head forgot, but our hearts remember" Elsa breathed out a little overwhelmed herself.
"But that's completely irrational" Mulan raised her hands exasperated.
Elsa laughed a little at the conflicted, frustrated expression on Mulan's face as she struggled to see reason in her emotions. Before her cheeks shone red and she turned away from her, longing to touch Mulan, to hold her tight.
"Is this funny?" Mulan scoffed.
"I'm sorry I don't mean to insult your feelings, it's just this," She paused letting out a relieved breath "talking with you it's like something has been missing-and I didn't even notice how important it was, now that-I'm just" Elsa stammered losing her train of thought, as she looked longingly into Mulan's eyes.
"Happy" Mulan stated with a small smile.
"Yes" Elsa nodded but her expression was apologetic "I can't go with you, I can't leave Emma or Killian, we must stick together, despite everything" She shrugged.
Mulan nodded and Elsa handed her some supplies, before waving goodbye as she headed off into the forest alone.
At the age of fourteen, Anna of Arendale had already buried her parents and spent her youth isolated in her home. After that, she was cursed to live out her days in a padded cell at the Storybrooke hospital. Elsa came knocking at her door just as the curse broke and they lived happily, for a short time.
Their sister shared a bedroom in the tiny house Cherrywood lane, regularly visited the ice cream shop on main street. Spent afternoons laying in the grass beside the football field at Storybrooke high, but that life was gone no too.
When one door closes, another doesn't always open-at least not without a push, or in this case-a shove. Crashing through a large double doored entranceway. Anna's eyes darted back to the skies, locking onto the winged creature pursuing her. Screeching as it swooped down flying through the open door. Clutching a storybook under her arm, she held it close to her chest. Anna's eyes wide with fear racing down the long entranceway of a decrepit castle.
Gaining speed, she was able to slide along the hardwood floor, her shoes worn down enough, to not have any traction. This momentum was abruptly halted upon slamming into another taller girl. The collision resulted in a moment of disorientation, their ears ringing while they lay on the floor. Looking over at her long black hair and stoic expression, Anna recognized her from the halls of Storybrooke High.
"Owe" Mulan groaned sitting up.
"This is my hideout," Anna blurted out alarmed.
"We can probably both hide here" Mulan cocked one eyebrow.
"Right" Anna smiled apologetic and a little embarrassed her cheeks flushed red.
Mulan grabbed Anna's arm pulling her up from the floor and they ran into the next room, slamming the door shut behind them. Mulan moved quickly shoving the bookshelf until it toppled over, sealing them inside. The two stepped backwards, their eyes on the door, as the creature clawed and thrashed. The repeated thumping was the only sound for a few minutes. Mulan kept her eyes squarely on the door but held her hand out for Anna to take. She grasped it and the resulting squeeze was like a comforting hug. Eventually the creature stopped, the abrupt silence welcoming.
"I think it's gone," Mulan said.
Mulan let out a sigh of relief looking at Anna with a sympathetic stare, her two braids frayed and unravelling. The Storybook still in Anna's tight grip, she looked away feeling too vulnerable. At that moment Anna felt like a small child, being watched as she cozied up to a comforting blanket.
"What this?" Mulan half smiled pointing at the Storybook.
Anna could tell Mulan was trying to distract her from the monster on the other side of the door and a smile briefly graced her face.
"I found it, it's just like Elsa's," Anna explained, still gripping it tensely.
"I thought it was gone, with the rest of Storybrooke" Mulan's voice faltered, clearly not expecting to feel such sentimentality towards it.
Anna could see the hurt in Mulan's eyes and her voice and knew she was lost just like her, wondering how everything had fallen apart so suddenly.
"I was alone in the woods" Anna sniffled her eyes distant "I fell in the mud and when I looked up, there it was amongst the bushes"
Mulan's eyes went wide, locking onto the brown leather bound book. Anna could see she understood its significance. In that moment she unclenched her grip on it, letting Mulan get a better look.
"Can I read it?" Mulan asked in a curious tone.
"Sure" Anna smiled, stepping back she sat on a dust coated bench, opening up the book over both their laps.
Rapidly flicking through the pages Mulan suddenly stopped on one. Anna's face lit up with a coy smile. Noticing Mulan's attention was focused on one person in particular. It wasn't surprising-Elsa's story was one that inspired many, but in Mulan's eyes was something different: a deep longing. Her hand delicately touched the image of the princess, as she stood alone on a mountain top, surrounded by white.
"Have you read this before?" Anna questioned curiously.
"No I never really hung out with your sister and her friends" Mulan didn't say it with any bitterness or resentment. Almost confusion trying to recall something and coming up blank.
"Are you sure?" she questioned whether that couldn't be right, feeling familiarity with Mulan.
Anna squirmed slightly, feeling a deep sense of deja vu able to feel the joy and companionship of moments past with no context.
"This is magic right, not a normal book, it gave Elsa hope, got Emma to believe" Mulan stated it like a question. But the one she was really asking was, could that magic save them now?
Anna looked up to her with lost eyes, unsure of the answer. Thinking back to her earlier gumption, charging into the mausoleum, demanding that Regina destroy the curse.
"I needed my sister back" she paused as her voice broke "but I just ended up alone"
"When we returned I realised I had no life to return to, but then Elsa found me" Mulan smiled at the thought, putting her arm around Anna's shoulder. "She was looking for you"
"Where? Was she ok?" Anna gasped.
"She was with Emma" she smiled nodding her head "but I couldn't stay, and Elsa couldn't leave"
"I feel-something happened to her," Anna croaked out.
Mulan nodded in agreement, but her expression was perplexed. Anna could see her mind was racing, slowly coming to terms with something,
"I'm starting to believe in soul mates, true love" Mulan mocked herself.
"Well of course, true love is real, how can you not believe in it" Anna chuckled at the thought.
"Not where I grew up, it was all arranged marriages" Mulan sighed.
"What's changing your mind?"
"Not my mind, my heart" she turned to Anna as a giddy smile bubbled up to the surface.
"Ok, now I'm confused" Anna cocked her eyebrow perplexed.
"I just feel this aching-longing, I can't help but believe it's about Elsa"
"Oh, awesome!" Anna abruptly stood up leaving the book in Mulan's hands. Her joy, infectious as she smiled wide but Mulan seemed perplexed "I mean not awesome that you're hurting, but nice you have feelings for Elsa" her words came out in a ramble, while her smile did not leave her face.
"I don't understand, how I could feel so" She paused lost for words "I only just met Elsa"
"It can happen" Anna grinned with an excitement in her eyes that scared Mulan as she turned towards the cabinet blocking the entrance.
"What are you doing?" Mulan stood up concerned.
"I have an idea of how we can get to Elsa, it might be a little dangerous" Anna head tilted to the side, her eyes widened with excitement.
"I'll do anything" Mulan stood up standing tall.
"First, help me open the door" Anna stated, already attempting to push the bookshelf out of the way.
"This is crazy!" Mulan's voice shook as clung desperately on the back of a flying monkey.
The sky around them filled with a horde of flying monkeys that blocked the sun's light and cast a large shadow across the valley. To her left was Anna screamed with joy barely clinging onto the beast. Never had Mulan given up control to such an extreme. At the mercy of the feathered monkeys, they could only hope they were headed in the right direction. The beast's flew in unison swooping over the field of armed dwarfs, all seven with varying confused expressions upon setting eyes on the girls.
"Monsters in the sky!" Grumpy yelled, axe in hand from the ground below.
The homestead Mulan had left behind just days ago, was now a warzone. Dwarfs and knights fought axes against sword in the grassy field, the King's army outnumbered the seven-ten to one.
"Let go now" Mulan yelled as they neared the ground.
Training in the Emperor's army had never prepared Mulan for such a feat and yet she took in stride as she hit the ground. Ducking and rolling she remained unscathed and ready to fight.
"Are you ok?" Grumpy asked, running over.
"Great, all part of the plan," Mulan grunted, getting up from the ground.
"Really?" Anna stated somewhat innocently bemused.
"No, not at all" Mulan chuckled and offered her a hand pulling Anna from the dirt.
All the fear she had for this place and these people was distant; she knew that reluctance was seeded in doubt, that she could fight this battle. Anna whipped around frantically searching for Elsa but she wasn't there. In a cloud of green magic Zelena appeared in front of the house, her bloodshot eyes searching with pursed lips.
"Dark One" Zelena called out demandingly.
"Who is that?" Anna asked, her voice shaking, her eyes darted to her sister.
"The Wicked Witch?" Mulan answered-but also questioned, unsure what was going on.
Rage surfacing Zelena's eyes twitched a look that gave the rest of them pause, readying for a fight. Letting out a frustrated scream the witch sent a fireball towards the house; it increased in size as it collided with the roof. The house engulfed in flames in mere seconds and she cackled watching with glee.
"Fitting name" Anna stated, eyes wide turning to Mulan.
The chaos continued as the knights and dwarfs fought each other, now the winged beast joined the fight. The knights' weapons were no match, breaking in half by the axe's blade, but the dwarfs were overwhelmed by sheer numbers of knights marching to battle.
"Where is Snow White?" Zelana yelled like a growl, her eyes on Grumpy.
"Not home, come back later" Grumpy yelled charging towards her.
With an eye roll and a flick of her wrist she sent him flying through the air, Mulan's eyes followed the dwarf landing atop the stable. Remaining still, Mulan reached for Anna grabbing her arm she pulled her back before she could run towards the witch.
"No, you'll get hurt," Mulan warned.
"What are you doing here?" Zelena asked, her disdain clear in her narrow hateful eyes.
"I'm looking for my sister?" Anna shouted desperately.
"Sister, I've got one myself, you're better off without her," Zelana mocked.
Vastly outnumbered and with the fight now from three sides, the only logical choice was to run-flee. Get somewhere safe and regroup, but Mulan knew this was where she needed to be. The warrior felt at home amongst the battlefield, her eyes darting around and she formed a plan.
"Elsa's in there" Jiminy said as he flew by pointing at the barn while just dodging the claws of a swooping monkey. Mulan didn't even turn to look at the barn, her eyes scanning the horizon hearing a rumble from beyond the treelines, grow louder.
"What are we waiting for?" Anna asked.
"Got to time it right" Mulan held her back once more as she analysed the battle.
An arrow whizzed past Mulan's head hitting a knight charging towards them in the chest, piercing his worn armour. Emerging from the forest on horseback a legion of people all with bows, led by Robin Hood and Regina, changing the tide to their advantage.
"Now" Mulan shouted.
Taking the sword from a fallen knight's hand Mulan swung at a flying monkey as it bared its claws, diving down from the sky.
"Stop, don't harm them!" Robin called out.
"What, the flying monkeys?" Anna questioned confused.
"These creatures, where once people, we can still save them," Regina explained confidently.
Mulan gasped her chest tightening before dropping her weapon and diving out of the creature's path. Back on her feet in seconds only to meet with a knight's blade, but she did not falter lifting her sword; she disarmed him elegantly. Twirling around she charged forward with Anna by her side, they ducked out of the way of another fireball. Making their way across the battlefield, Mulan became an unstoppable force, every dive-punch and slash purposeful and forceful. They were now just steps away from the barn's entrance.
"Where going to make it" Anna stated
A flying monkey slammed into Anna's side sending her to the ground. pinning her down with its claws it growled, preparing to bite. Regina appeared from a cloud of magic, a vial of potion in her hand.
"Your mine" Regina chuckled menacingly.
Forcing her hand into the creature's chest ripping out his heart, while Anna looked on in horror. Smiling Regina let out a few drops of potion onto the heart. Before shoving it back into the creature's chest. It heaved falling to the ground and slowly through bated gasps, became human again.
"Thank-you" Anna stuttered out getting to her feet.
Mulan's eyes were focused on the barn door, punching another knight in the face knocked him out cold. Never having felt more alive-more herself, then in this moment. For the last week nothing felt real and now like a fog had been lifted, she felt a purpose. A deep desire pulling her forwards. There was no denying it was love, fierce and True.
But as the barn door opened and her eyes locked onto Elsa, she wondered if that would be enough, if she was enough.
Light peek through the wooden planks creating an aura around Elsa as she lay sleeping in a crystalised coffin, made of ice.
"No, I'm too late" Mulan stuttered out.
Anna's yelling as she punched a knight square in the jaw pulled her from despair, for a fleeting moment. Before more knights burst in, Mulan stepped closer only to be met with a shake of the head from Anna.
"I'll hold them off" Anna yelled, gesturing for her to keep moving forward.
"What? what will I do?" Mulan asked bewildered that she couldn't take the last leap suddenly crippled with doubt.
"You need to believe in yourself," Anna said, throwing the Storybook at Mulan's feet.
Gripping it in her hands suddenly Mulan's world shifted and the sound of the battle faded into the distance. Finding herself back on the football field of Storybrooke High. Before the curse broke, when she and Elsa were known by Erika and Mey. Their fake memories, a carefully constructed prison that stopped them from forming connections with those around them. Not long after Emma Swan had decided to stay in Storybrooke and the clock was ticking once more, did her life change forever.
The autumn sun in her eyes-Mey squinted, a football gripped tensely in her hand as she ran another drill, like any other day before it. But this time as the ball left her hand she was eclipsed. Her eyes locked onto a face and so did the ball-smacking a blonde girl strolling by the field in the forehead. Causing her to lose grip on a slushie, sending ice in all directions when the cup dropped to the ground.
"I swear, these jocks are so annoying, act like they own the yard" Mulan rolled her eyes, overhearing her complaints before reaching them.
Her helmet and paddling suddenly felt suffocating as she stood before the frustrated girl who mumbled to herself, about having to do the washing again.
Erika squatted down picking up the ball, now coated in sticky ice from her slushie, just as Mey took off her helmet revealing her long black hair she couldn't help but smirk.
"Nice catch" She looked towards Erika, who just stared blankly back, still holding the ball in her hands.
"You're a girl?" her tone was affectionate, she stuttered the words out.
"Yes" she scoffed in response.
Their eyes locked onto each other and they just stared for a moment, Emma looked at Erika frowning in confusion as she stood frozen-silent.
"Are you ok?" Mey asked with a frown somewhat concerned.
"Ughh, don't mind her, she's fine" Emma took the ball from Erika's hands, handing it to Mey.
With a coy smile she took a step backwards without taking her eyes off Erika.
"You should be more careful" Erika mumbled realising she's been starring and began to stroke her hand through her braid.
"I'm Mey, sorry about your drink" Mey smiled, sincere in her words, but distracted as she looked into Erika's eyes.
Erika just nodded still kind of staring and smiling at her with adoration, but failed to use her words.
"Ok, thanks for the ball, I guess I'll see you around" Mey awkwardly replied, taking this silence as indifference.
Turning jogging back to the field she could have sworn the cute blonde called out a farewell, but she didn't dare turn back and check. The world shifted in a blink-like waking from a dream everything came hurtling back.
Her mind was like a tapestry reforming itself with all the moments they shared, revealing an epic love story. A first date, driving an in labour Ashley to the hospital. A school dance, helping break into Principal Mills office- their first kiss at Granny's. Their dual lives colliding when the curse broke. Every touch, every kiss right up to the moment it was erased.
"I remember," Mulan gasped "I love you"
All her doubt about who she was, and whom she could love was eradicated. This clarity was joyous and Mulan leant forward kissing Elsa's lips fiercely.
Notes: late update and next few updates will be late as I'm really trying to get work this ending until I love it but life is busy