All the fics in this series are inspired by the "Twisted Princess" fan art of Jeffrey
-
Twisted Princess Tales: Mulan
The tale of Fa Mulan is whispered only among the elders of the villages that dot her homeland of China. Over cups of hot tea, they relate this tale:
Fa Mulan was the only child of an honored, yet elderly, former soldier in the Imperial Army. When the Huns began their invasion of China, the eldest male in every household was expected to join the army to fight for the Emperor. Since the Fa family had no sons, the task fell to the patriarch, despite his age and growing infirmity. So great was Mulan's filial piety that she decided to take her father's place. Cutting her hair and donning her father's armor, she took her horse to the camp and passed herself off as the black sheep son of the Fa family who had returned to fulfill his duty. At the great battle of the mountain, Mulan was able to strike down most of the Hun force, by causing an avalanche that buried them beneath crushing snow and ice. Brave daughter even saved the life of the commander, the warrior son Li Shang. Yet it was soon seen that she had suffered a sword cut across the abdomen, and, with her life blood dotting the white plain with blossoms of red, she collapsed.
Hours later, the wounded daughter somehow awoke, and she found her midsection, from breast to hip, wrapped in bandages. Her secret discovered, she was placed on trial at that very moment, thrown face down into the snow. At the feet of Li Shang, she proudly proclaimed what she had done to save her father's life and reminded everyone at how she had saved all of their lives as well. The chorus of male voices indicted her, for the crime of not being a man, and Shang drew his sword to impose sentence. Before the blade fell upon her neck, she cursed them all, promised that the Empire would fall and she would return to have her revenge.
Even as the falling snow buried her body, her curse became truth, as the surviving Huns attacked the Emperor and mortally wounded him, before they lost their own lives to his army. The Empire would now suffer turmoil as the heirs of the slain ruler fought and played at intrigue in order to obtain the throne. Shang and his soldiers returned home in disgrace, living in shame for one year. On the anniversary of honorable daughter Mulan's murder, her hand broke through the snow of her makeshift grave, and she clawed her way out. Yet this was not the same flower that had selfishly sacrificed her lift; this was a lifeless body, preserved by the cold and animated by a vengeful spirit, a dark dragon-like shape that coiled itself, tattoo like, upon her arm. The head had found neck again, fused together with some dark force. Her body was clothed half in her father's armor, and half in the mimicry of the dress her mother had made her to wear for the match making ceremony. Scars and wounds cut through the fabrics and skin, yet did not bleed. Arrows shot a year ago now used her shoulder like a quiver, awaiting her hand to guide. Eyes and skin were white, even more than the snow at her feet. This vengeful creature called out to the murderers of its host, caused them to travel back to this mountain without knowing why. It was here that she slayed them, with arrow and sword, and some even found themselves losing limbs and life to dark claws and fangs. Shang was left for last, and as he knelt in the snow, she reminded him of his evil deeds, then brought the sword down upon him just as he had done a year ago.
The elders tell this tale when a grandchild or cousin or other kin go missing, their blood linked, no matter how small, to those who had condemned sweet daughter Mulan. These relatives of the murderers are said to be called to the mountain, loosing their lives to sword and arrow and claw and fang. They say the spirit will not rest until it has sated it's desire for vengeance upon every living relative of those who wronged the dutiful and always remembered daughter Mulan.
