Part V
..."You're THE Mulan? The one that saved China from the Huns?" Wei asked
shocked. "Yes, now can I
please go home? I'm sincerely sorry about your clothes, but- " Mulan
didn't even get to finish her sentence
when Wei cutted in, "Oh, don't worry about my stupid clothes, the thing
is, I found you! The emperor is
going to be thrilled! He wants you in the palace right away, it's an
offer NO ONE can turn down!" "What?
I thought I made it clear, I don't want to work in his palace, I need
to stay home to care for my family, no
offense intended." Mulan answered. "Well, since it's late anyways,
can I talk you into this during dinner?"
Wei asked in a tone Mulan never heard the obnoxious him use...a respectful
tone, towards her, a woman...
And that is how Wei invited himself to dinner at Mulan house. During
dinner, Wei explained that the
emperor would like her whole family to move into the palace, she (Mulan)
would become the emperor's
advisor, since the old one resigned, and this wasn't something she
HAD to do, but little did Wei know that
happiness and freedom was more important to Mulan then wealth and royalty.
From the day he heard her
refuse the offer, he at first thought she was crazy, then, he understood,
and respected her...a lot. And a
friendship grew among the two young people...
"Hurry, we have to get there before my mother finds out that I'm gone!"
Shang whispered to his horse, Ping
(he changed the name, in honor of Mulan), he was heading towards Mulan's
hometown. After hours of
riding, Shang finally saw the gate entrance to the small village. He
smiled to himself, he finally reached
his destiny. Since he was very tired, he stayed in a small inn near
Mulan's home, he would set out the next
morning for Mulan's hand in marriage...but for now, a pillow, bed,
dreams about Mulan and a blanket
were enough to fulfill his needs, for the time being...
"It's amazing, how you can talk of war like a game of tag, didn't you
feel scared?" Wei asked Mulan down
by a river near Mulan home. "Of course I was, but the thought of failing
as a soldier, was even scarier."
Mulan answered modestly. The two friends were striking up a nice conversation...not
that this was
strange, afterall, they did this practically everytime they saw each
other. I her heart and soul, Mulan knew
she loved Shang. Shang for his bravery, his modesty, and at times,
narrow-minded male-chauvinist ways,
even though she knew he now truly respected her, but she also was starting
to like Wei's charming smiles
(not that Shang's weren't), humor, and haughtiness, The two men were
very alike, yet different. Now that
she thought about it, she loved both of them. *Uh-oh, I think I have
a little problem* Mulan thought to
herself before rejoining the conversation with Wei.
She's amazing, she's beautiful, she's everything I ever wanted. The
ditzy pretty face women I thought I
liked those type, but I never met a girl...no! Woman like Mulan, I'm
in love... I'm asking her for a life-long
commitment tomorrow morning. Thought Wei, as he snuggled into his warm
covers. Sigh, Mulan was a
goddess...too bad Shang thought so too...
Part VI
*Yawn* Mulan opened her sleepy eyes, it was yet another morning, a bright
and sunny day. She felt very
happy, cheerful for some strange reason. But she didn't know that her
cheerful and happy mood would
soon turn into a pressured and heart wrenching mood because of Li Shang
and Wang Wei life-changing
proposals...
"What do you want to do?" Chien Po asked Yao. "Hmph, I don't know, how
should I know? Why do I
always have to make the decisions? Can't your lazy brains some thinking
for once?" grumbled a cranky
Yao who hadn't had a good physical fight in days. "Now Yao, don't get
all on your high horse, chant with
me, namo omitofo, namo omitofo, namo omitofo..." Chien Po said. "Stop
fighting, why don't we all go
visit our good friend Ping- er, I mean Mulan? Afterall, we're only
a village away from her town." Ling
suggested. After few punches and bruises, they all agreed to Ling's
idea, and set off to Mulan's village.
Shang woke up the next morning not quite remembering where he was, then,
it hit him...Mulan, marriage,
happiness... He jumped out of bed, did his usual morning routine. One
hundred push-ups, a hundred
sit-ups, the martial arts routine, and got dressed, ate, and was off...to
Mulan's house.
"Ah! I'm late!", Wei thought to himself. He quickly dressed himself,
and rushed out the door towards
Mulan's home. It was there where the major marriage problem occured.
Shang and Wei met each other for
the first time by the door to Mulan's home...