Unknown Happen Stance

Chapter 34: Minglania Chinese Vacation P3

A Soldier Forced To Hide His Consistent Grief

"Class is dismissed for today," Shang responded. "Ben, Evie, and Musa, you will stay with us tonight. Musa, I hope you don't mind sharing a room with Evie."

"Of course not! I'd be honored to have someone as gentle as her be my roommate," Musa replied with a warm smile.
"Ben, you'll sleep with me, as you always do when you come for a visit," Shang added.

"How long have you been doing these vacations here?" Musa asked him.

"This is my ninth time," Ben explained, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "My mom, Belle, sent me every time she could see I was getting worn out from my Prince-in-training duties. I saw Lonnie climb that pillar and retrieve the arrow when she was eight years old while handling those weights. So Lonnie is my best friend and like a sister to me too." He continued, "Belle's the one I told where the four of us would be for the next four days. I had to get away from Dad for a while. I can't keep saying no to what really needs to change."

Shang nodded, understanding the weight of Ben's words. "It's good to take a break. You're worthy of this time for yourself."

Ben smirked and turned to Shang. "You would give Merida a good run for her money in an archery contest," he commented, trying to lighten the mood.

Mulan chuckled too. "I'd like to see that go down one day too. An archery contest between you and Merida would be as entertaining as the day I stole Shan Yu's sword right from his hand with a mere folding fan."

Everyone laughed, the camaraderie lifting the spirits of the group as they shared in the nostalgia of Mulan's legendary exploits.

They walked into Mulan's family carriage, and after a short journey, the carriage dropped them at the Fa family home. Shang lived here now, having donated his old home to a family who lost their home during the war. He had lived alone since his entire family was killed during the war by the enemy as they burned villages to a crisp.

The guardian statue was all that remained beside the legacy of his father, which he carried on with pride and sorrow.

"Can you imagine how it feels being the only hero having to consistently grieve?" Mulan replied, her voice quaking as it softens. "Shang is tough in public, outside these walls of my family home, but once we come home, he always stops at those statues to cry, children. He misses his parents so badly. A child—a son—brought low in Minglania the day his duty of honor was stripped away from him by the puncturing, rigid sword of a villainous man. Shang will not be respected as other grown men are in this realm. The chance to prove himself worthy to them already flew a thousand miles away when Shan Yu committed all that horrid genocide."

As Mulan spoke, she watched as her husband knelt down before the last remnants of his old life, allowing the tears he'd held inside to surface in the safety of their home. He mourned his loss, grieving for what he could not show outside of Mulan's quaint farmhouse.

Musa, moved by the scene, shed tears as well, empathizing with the weight of Shang's sorrow.

As they stood in the quiet embrace of the Fa family home, Musa felt the weight of the moment. She closed her eyes and let the melody flow from her heart, her voice rising gently.

"There's an emptiness our loved ones left behind, 
None could ever fill back to the brim again," she sang, her voice reminiscent of the wind chimes hanging in the temple behind them.

"Now they've gone and in our hearts there's a pain 
That never subsides nor dares to heal. 
Here in the silence, their voices I hear, 
Ringing on the winds passing by our ears! 
I know now that you're not here with me now, 
Don't think the things you did mean nothing anymore.

Out of every grief and loss comes a sure-fire blessing, Shang! 
When you were sinking low from the flood of disrespect, 
You chose to toss away your desire to earn respect. 
A self-sacrifice you made at your breaking point 
Became the sturdy cornerstone for the family of in-laws who welcomed you in afterwards after your hardest loss and well earnt victory, 
All because you saved a child they loved and cherished, 
And you learned to respect her new ways about doing normal things."

As the final notes of her verse lingered in the air, she continued, her heart wide open.

"Yes, we might be a frozen river that can flow no more, 
As our grief tries to make us second guess 
All the blessings we've brought to color the world around us! 
I am like you here, alone, 
Constantly feeling the need to hide my grief 
From the loss of my mother— 
My own father turned his back on me, undeniably harsh he was. 
I'm here alone with you; this void grief gives us 
Is a world where the sky has neither sun nor moon 
Or stars to light the dark, deep night! 
I'm here, like you, without my role model by my side, 
Same as you standing in a void under a sky without sun nor moon 
Or stars that sparkle in the night! 
Oh, no, no, no..."

At that moment, Shang surprised her by joining in, harmonizing with her voice in complete unison as they flooded the space with emotion.

"Here we are in a void of grief, standing under 
A sky that has neither sun nor moon 
Or stars to shine through the night!"

Their voices intertwined, rising and falling like the waves of their shared sorrow creating a moment of connection that transcended their pain. In that chorus, they found solace in one another's struggles, recognizing a shared journey through loss, and in their music, a glimmer of hope began to emerge.

As the final notes of their shared song faded into the stillness of the farm, Mulan broke the silence by clapping her hands, a beaming smile gracing her face. "What a lovely voice, Musa! Wow, I could really feel the empathy shouting in those lyrics."

Musa's cheeks flushed with a mix of pride and humility. "Thank you, Mulan. It's just . . . what I felt in the moment."

"I knew you had it in you, Musa," admitted Lonnie, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "That was beautiful. You have such a gift for expressing what we all feel but sometimes can't put into words."

Shang, still moved by the powerful emotions of the song, nodded in agreement. "You brought a lot of heart into that, Musa. Your voice has a way of touching everyone's soul. Thank you for sharing that with us."

Musa felt a warmth spread through her as the praise washed over her. "I'm just glad it resonated with you all. Sometimes, singing helps me process everything."

Mulan stepped closer, placing a comforting hand on Musa's shoulder. "We're all here for each other, especially when the burdens of grief feel too heavy to carry alone. Your song reminded us that it's okay to grieve and that we're not alone in this struggle."

Lonnie chimed in, her tone brightening, "And we can always lean on each other. Let's promise to share our feelings more often, whether it's through song or just talking. We're family now."

The group nodded, a sense of unity enveloping them. In that moment, they knew they could find strength in one another, lifting each other up in times of sorrow and celebrating the beauty of their shared experiences.