~*TRUE TO YOUR HEART*~
Mulan's Adventure Continues....
"Would you like to stay for dinner?" smiled Mulan.
'Her smile is so beautiful,' thought Shang staring dreamingly into her eyes.
'Everything is beautiful about her.'
"Would you like to stay forever?" called out Grandmother Fa.
Shang shook off his stare, " Um...yes,sure... I would love to stay for dinner." 'Forever would be nice...'
"Would you excuse me for a moment?" Mulan asked Shang, "There's a little special somebody I would like to thank."
Shang watched Mulan run toward the family shrine. All of the sudden he heard a burst of music, as if there was a celebration. 'What was that?' he wondered.
Mulan's father, Fa Zhou, was behind him, chuckling to himself, "Sounds like our ancestors have finally something to celebrate about."
Fa Zhou was seated on the bench with his cane on his side. In his right palm was a small pale lotus blossum. He gently settled the lotus blossum onto his lap and looked up at Shang with a warm smile. "Tell me Son, what do you think of my daughter?"
"Well...honorable Fa Zhou..." Shang nervously spoke, "She is beautiful, smart, and....she...fought with true bravery. You are very honored to have her as your daughter."
"You are very right, my son," Fa Zhou spoke in a stern voice, "We are blessed by our ancestors to have her. She has her own spirit and she has been blossoming into a beautiful flower. Oh my Mulan...she has saved my life. She is very lucky to have you as her captain."
Shang smiled to Fa Zhou's compliment. "Thank you."
"Look at her, she has brought us joy and smiles upon our faces. I love her dearly. Do you love love my daughter?" asked Fa Zhou.
Shang was confused. He didn't know what to say for this particular question. He didn't know how he was going to answer him. Shang began," Fa Zhou I...I..." He was not able to finish. Shang turned around and saw Mulan standing behind them. Their eyes met but they looked away as their faces blushed.
Mulan replied, "Come, it's time for dinner."
*******
Dinner was wonderful. Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves at the table. The food was delicious. Shang got to know Mulan's family and for a matter of fact her family adored him like their own son. Shang and Mulan couldn't help staring at each other, but whenever their eyes met, they would look away.
Mushu, Mulan's skinny little red dragon, was outside the window listening to the dinner conversation while Cri-kee, the cricket, stood beside him. "YES!! We did it! Mulan's got it going with victory against the Huns and she just saved China! She's unstoppable, she's unbeatable..she's on top of the world!!" yelled Mushu on the top of his voice. Cri-Kee gave Mushu a dirty look because Mushu was being too loud and obnoxious. "Whoopsie daisy! Got my big mouth moving again!" Mushu lowered his voice to a whisper, "Look's like Shang got it like peas and carrots with the family."
"Shang, do you mind joining me outside?" Mulan said as she finished helping puting away the dishes.
"Yes, I would love to" answered Shang.
Grandmother Fa winked at him, "Good Luck, Son!"
*******
Mulan and Shang strolled around her garden talking softly to each other. They shared many common things and good laughs.
Mulan was telling Shang about her village and the neighboring villagers. "I must tell you about this old lady Jam-Yai," Mulan told Shang, "She has been around forever but has never been seen out of her house in years. They say she is evil and has lived alone ever since. Rumor says she has powers beyond the ordinary."
"That's just a silly rumor," replied Shang.
Mushu climbed up onto Mulan's shoulder.
"Mushu!!" exclaimed Mulan. "What are you doing here?"
"Wow, is that your pet lizard?" asked Shang amazed.
Mushu got terribly annoyed with this comment. "WHAT---?!!!"
Before Mushu could've said anything Mulan clamped his mouth shut.
"Shhh..you'll scare him." Mulan warned Mushu.
"Don't worry, I won't scare him." replied Shang. "Mind if I pet the little guy?"
Shang already stuck out his hand and touched Mushu on his head. "Whoa! The little lizard is pretty hot," said Shang quickly taking away his hand, "I wouldn't be suprised if he made fire."
To prove Shang wrong , Mushu blew out a long strip of fire. Shang saw Mushu and widen his eyes in disbelievement. "Did you see your lizard spit out that fire or whatever it is?" he asked Mulan.
"Huh? No it's not fire. Um..He has this long unusual orange tongue and sometimes he does this tongue thing." lied Mulan.
"Thanks a lot," Mushu sarcasticly whispered. He jumped off Mulan's shoulder. Mulan and Shang sat down on the bench under the blossom tree. Shang picked a blossom and gave it to Mulan.
"Look at the stars, aren't they beautiful?" asked Mulan pointing towards the sky. "And look at the moon, it's so pale."
"The stars and the moon are not nearly as beautiful as you," Shang managed to bring himself to say.
Suprised and flattered, Mulan blushed, "Thank you...that was the most...." Mulan found herself staring back into his eyes. Shang stroked Mulan's cheek and slowly lowered his head closer to Mulan. They closed their eyes, ready for their first kiss.
At the moment, Shang stopped, "Uh...It's getting late, I must go home now. Thank you for everything." His heart was fluttering from nervousness.
Mulan sighed. She was a little disappointed but she managed to crack a smile across her face, "Shall we meet again?"
"Uh, yes we shall. Meet me at the bamboo field tomorrow at sun set." said Shang ready to go, "Mulan, thank you so much for dinner. It was wonderful...uh... good bye."
Shang walked quickly out the gate without looking back. He shook his head in shame for couldn't believe that he blew it not once but twice.
Mulan watched him walk away, sitting alone under the pale full moon. She looked at the blossom Shang had picked for her. "Good bye..." Mulan whispered faintly.
*******
As Shang jumped onto his horse in the still of the night, eyes were watching him. Hidden in the dark shadows stood an ancient woman. Her face was covered with a cloak hood. Her back had a huge putruding hunch. In her right hand, she gripped a crooked wooden cane. Hung around her wrinkled neck was a golden medallion with the characters of "POWER" and "EVIL" engraved on to it. The old woman watched Shang ride away. She let out a croaking hackle. She was the Old Lady Jam-Yai... Jam-Yai, had seen Shang not long before. The moment she saw him, she grew obsessed with him. Jam-Yai's obsession led her to be more and more insane.
That night, she followed Shang. She held her medallion tightly into her wrinkled arthritic fingers. "Yes...this is my chance once and for all," she snickered to herself, "All these years of living alone, I have found my match...my love. Shang shall be mine forever! I don't care if I have to destroy his precious Little Mulan..."
*******
The next day, Mulan was pacing about in her room.
"C'mon there, girl. You're making me dizzy pacin' back and forth," said Mushu, "What's the big deal? He said to meet him at the bamboo field, right? Now, don't be nervous and go out there and show him! You hear?"
Mulan sat in front of her dresser mirror and sighed, "I don't know what to say, Mushu. It's like I've never met him before. What should I do?"
"Honey, you came to the right place to ask for some advice!" exclaimed Mushu, "Now, no more jitters. You have to be confident in yourself. The first thing you have to do, is give him a big smile like this..." Mushu gave her a giant white toothed grin, "Then when it comes to kissing, you have to pucker up your lips like this..." Mushu showed Mulan his wet and slobbery
puckered lips.
"Oh, Mushu. You make me laugh." smiled Mulan and bent over to give him a little kiss.
Mushu blushed, "Aww baby. you know I'm always here for you. You need to find something to wear, it's almost sunset! You don't want to be late!"
*******
It was almost sunset. Shang had rode his horse to the nearby bamboo feild in hopes to find Mulan there. Mulan was not there yet. He jumped off his horse and looked down at a puddle to check his reflection.
He was nervous but he he knew he couldn't wait to see her.
Shang stood by his horse waiting for Mulan. As he waited, he greeted the passing villagers. All of the sudden a young maiden appeared before his eyes. She was tall and bony, pale, and her black hair hung below her waist. She wore a beautiful satin jade dress.
'She may be cute but she is not beautiful as Mulan,' thought Shang.
"Good day," replied Shang to the maiden. She smiled at him and her dark slanted eyes stared deeply at him. She kept quiet. "Do you need help, miss? " offered Shang wondering why she was staring at
him like that, "Do I know you?"
The woman did not say anything.
"Excuse me but I--," Shang did not finish for he could not talk no more. His eyes all of the sudden stared blankly and confusingly ahead. He looked like life was absent from his body. The maiden grinned as her golden medallion reflected off the sunlight.
*******
Mulan rode Khan, her black horse, to the bamboo field at the last moment of sunset. She knew she was late.
"Hurry, Mulan! Never be late for a date," advised Mushu clinging onto her shoulder. Cri-kee hopped along.
"I know Mushu...We're almost there. Besides I'm not that late am I? Come on Khan!" said Mulan as she rode as fast as she could. She felt excited and happy to see Shang again.
When they reached the bamboo field, Shang was not there. She saw other villagers but no Shang in sight.
"Look's like your guy's the one that's late," said Mushu.
"Don't worry, he'll be here!" assured Mulan, "I know he will."
*******
Hours passed. It was already dark. The villagers had already gone home. Still Shang had not showed up. They thought they had seen Shang's horse but it was in care of another villager. Mulan and Mushu looked everywhere and waited forever, but there was no Shang.
Mulan gave up and seated herself down on the side of the road. She brought her head down to her knees and covered her face, feeling tears rolling from her eyes.
"Baby, don't cry your heart out! I can't stand to see you hurt. Please girl...I'm sure there's a very good reason why he didn't show up," comforted Mushu as he Khan, and Cri-kee felt themselves crying, too.
"We should go home now. Your parents must be worried sick about you," suggested Mushu, feeling deeply sorry for Mulan, "Don't worry, he'll explain. Now, wipe those tears off your face."
Mulan tried to keep in her tears. She got up on her feet and slowly got up on Khan, sniffling. Cri-Kee trotted along until he saw something unusual from the corner of his eye. Mushu then noticed what Cri-Kee saw.
"Mulan, look!" cried Mushu.
It was Shang's torn red cape hanging onto a bamboo sick.
*******
"Shang!" Mulan was shocked as she held his torn cape. She looked down to the soft moist soil and saw freshly deep footprints in it, "He was here after all. He could be in danger or even hurt!"
"Follow the footprints!" exclaimed Mushu.
"Don't go anywhere. Wait here," Mulan said to her horse. She quickly followed the footprints which led into the the middle of the feild. "Shang! Shang? Where are you?" Mulan panicly called, "Mushu, I---," Mulan began but then screamed, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
Suddenly she, Mushu and Cri-kee felt themselves plunge into a dark, neverending hole!
*******
Crash! Mulan hit the bottom surface of the hole hard on her back landing on a soft pile of rich soil. Mushu landed second screaming his head off. Then Cri-kee landed on Mushu's head, knocking Mushu in a state of dizziness.
"Mushu are you alright?" asked Mulan picking him up.
"I've fallin' and I can't get up," muttered Mushu.
"We're stuck here not knowing where we are," echoed Mulan, "How are we going to get of this hole, it's so high up. And worse, Shang's could be in trouble! Now we've got ourselves in trouble! Just my luck..."
"Yeah, this lucky cricket ain't so lucky after all," complained Mushu glaring at Cri-kee.
Mulan heard Khan's snort by the hole.
"Khan? We need you to get help right away. You must get Father," Mulan ordered her horse looking up, " We have to find our way out of here. Mushu, can you see if there's a wall we could climb? It's too dark."
"Ha! No problem, you have me, "reminded Mushu holding a woolden stick.
"Great idea! I knew I could count on you." said Mulan patting him on the head as Mushu blew fire onto the stick.
"Don't worry honey, we'll find the way out
in no time!" assured Mushu.
Something strange happened. A haunting voice echoed in their ears. "Never...never...never," it chanted, "You will never live to see the light of day!"
*******
A woman appeared before them. She stared at them coldly and with hate burning into her eyes. The woman was tall and bony. Her face was pale and her hair was long, and she wore what seemed like a traditional wedding dress. She appeared to be a young maiden around Mulan's age.
"Who are you?" demanded Mulan, "Can you help us..."
The woman spread out a grin across her face but said not a word. Instead she let out a shrill of laughter.
"What do you want? Who are you?" Mulan spoke over the woman's laughter.
Finally the woman spoke to Mulan. "Why don't you know who I am?" she coldly asked. The woman grinned again. Slowly she pulled out her golden medallion from her neck, "I am Jam-Yai..." she rasped as her young pale face quickly transformed into a hideous, wrinkled face of an old woman.
*******
"Jam-Yai, I am not afraid of you!" declared Mulan, "What do you want from me?"
Mushu and Cri-Kee hid behind Mulan.
Jam-Yai's face transformed back into a young maiden. "You are asking what do I want? Why my dear girl, I want Shang."
Mulan and Mushu gaped in shock.
"What?" Mulan asked dryly, "You can't have him! You don't deserve anything!"
"Why yes, fortunately, I can. I can have everything I desire," snickered Jam-Yai, "After years of loneliness, I can finally marry the man of my dreams." Jam-Yai revealed Shang standing behind her. He seemed lifeless with his blank stare. Jam-Yai held his hand tightly.
"SHANG!! Shang! Wake up! Please!" cried Mulan desparately trying to shake him awake.
"Poor Mulan. You'll never wake him up. He's under my control now!" yelled Jam-Yai, "Face it, I always win. No matter how hard you try, I am going to marry him. You cannot stop me, but first I must get rid of you!"
Mulan was raged with anger inside of her. Her fists were tigtly balled. Her eyes narrowed, with a piercing look at Jam-Yai. There was no way Shang was going to marry that witch. Suddenly Mulan punched Jam-Yai hard in the face! Jam-Yai was knocked to the ground not knowing what had hit her. Mulan had given her a black eye.
"Why you little..." Jam-Yai getting herself to her feet. Jam-Yai tried to
hit Mulan but missed.
Mulan swung her right leg at Jam-Yai's legs, knocking her flat on her back. Quickly Mulan jumped onto Jam-Yai. Both wrestled each other, rolling onto the dirt floor, pulling at each other's hair, and tearing at each other's dresses. Mulan, pinning Jam-Yai to the ground, punched Jam-Yai to the left then to the
right.
"Go Mulan! Kick some butt! Go! Go!" rooted Mushu and Cri-kee. Even though Jam-Yai was badly losing, she managed to shove Mulan off her with a powerful force. She got back onto her feet ready to jump at Mulan.
"No you're not!" shouted Mushu hopping onto Jam-Yai, "You have me to deal with!"
"Get off me you filthy lizard!" screamed Jam-Yai, frantically trying to shake him off.
"That's it I've had it!" Mushu set Jam-Yai's long black hair on fire, "That'll teach you who's the almighty dragon!"
"Ahhhhhh! My hair!" shrieked Jam-Yai tring to put out the fire. Her hair was now burnt crisped.
"You'll pay for this!" Jam-Yai barked, raising her medallion above her head, "Say your last words-you and your lizard!"
Mulan and Mushu were trapped. Jam-Yai was going to destroy them by her powerful medallion! Cri-kee knew he had to do something. He hopped onto Jam-Yai's nose.
Jam-Yai screamed, "I hate bugs! Get off me, you grasshopper!"
Cri-kee went inside her dress tickling her. Jam-Yai moved in a dancing motion. Panicly, she tried to swat Cri-Kee off.
"Yea, Cri-kee! You got it going!" cheered Mushu.
"Mushu, cover her eyes!" cried Mulan.
Mushu quickly jumped onto Jam-Yai and tightly pressed his hands onto her eyes.
"Get off me you lizard!" Jam-Yai desparately tried to get Cri-kee and Mushu off her.
"You're nothing without your medallion!" exclaimed Mulan as she snatched Jam-Yai's medallion off her neck.
Jam-Yai threw Mushu off her eyes, "My medallion! Give it back at once!" begged Jam-Yai falling onto her knees.
"Say your last words!" Mulan warned Jam-Yai. Mulan threw the medallion against the the hard dirt wall. A burst of lightning exploded.
"NOOOOOOOOOooooooooo!!" Jam-Yai began to shrivel. Her skin grew wrinkled until her once young face shriveled back into an old disfigured woman until she was nothing but dust.
*******
Rocks and dirt started tumbling down from the dirt wall were the medallion exploded. The wall was caving in!
"Run!! Hurry!" yelled Mushu.
"Mushu, we can't leave Shang here!" called Mulan.
Shang blinked his eyes , "Where am I? What's happening?"
"Shang! You're alright!" Mulan looked at him suprised and hugged him, "It's a long story--we have to run... NOW!
"Huh?" Shang asked confusingly he looked back and saw an avalanche of the caving earth coming toward them, "You're right let's go!"
Mulan grabbed Shang's hand and pulled him with her. Mushu and Cri-kee clinged themselves on Mulan's shoulder's. They were running as fast as they could to escape from the falling dirt before it could bury them alive.
"Here let's stay under this rock," suggested Shang pointing to a giant sloped rock, "It should protect us from the dirt."
"Shang?" Mulan asked, "Doesn't this remind you of something?"
~*JAM YAI'S OBSESSION*~
Written By: Paul Handog
Jam-Yai:
There he is...
There's my love.
He's so heavenly...
Shang's like an angel from above.
I wake up everyday dreaming of him...
The most wonderful man ever made...
But there's that girl beside him...
A girl that I have chosen to hate!
Why would anyone take MY SHANG away from me?
Why would anyone try to keep us apart?
Well, that devil woman won't live to see...
The day when I'll be in Shang's heart...
No matter what!
Shang will be mine!
I'll get my man!
No thanks to that Mulan swine...
Oh...
My dear Shang...
What do you see in her?
She pretended to be a man...
How can you trust her this girl?
I know what!
I will have you under my spell!
Wouldn't be a suprise?
If off a cliff she fell?
She will not have you forever,
I will cast my spell,
And we will be together!
Oh...
My dear, dear Shang...
Not much longer to wait...
I'll make up a plan...
Then I'll set the bait.
Then you'll be MINE,
Yes, you'll be MINE,
In no time!
