I'll Make A Man Out Of You, Again

Chapter Nine

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Mulan groans inwardly as she drops the blade again.

It's the middle of the night, the soldiers are asleep in their tents, and she's trying to use her sash to drag a nearby sword into her reach so that she might cut the chain on her locked cage. Yes, cage. Mulan has spent the last eight months sleeping in a cage like a trapped rat. Which, makes sense actually, because through all of her escape attempts she's had to act quiet as a mouse to not get caught.

Mulan tries once more, holding both ends of the cloth and throwing it through the bars for it to clench around the sword handle. She grins and pulls it toward the cage slowly, as not to lose grip again. Finally, she grabs the handle. She gets a little too excited when she pulls it through, it clangs loudly against the metal bars.

Her eyes widen in fright. The sleeping guard sitting a few feet away from the cage, who is owner to the sword, rolls over on the dirt ground. Mulan prays fervently to her ancestors that he doesn't wake up, and he doesn't. She takes a deep breath and slowly plunges the sword into the earth. Each time she pulls it against the chain, a screeching noise reverberates and she looks up anxiously at the guard.

Screech. Screech. Scree-ee-eech. It's just starting to make an indentation when a loud bugle sounds through the campsite and Mulan drops the sword in surprise. The guard jumps to his feet and she pushes the sword away to its original spot, fast as lightning. Her heart beats a million times a minute.

The guard yawns and moseys over to the cage, grinning at her. "You're lucky," he says. "Today you won't have to walk a single mile."

Mulan knows why, but humors the guard anyway. "Why is that?" she asks quietly.

"Because this is how we'll be taking you into the Imperial City, of course," he says, gesturing to the cage.

Mulan nods, curtly. She had accepted her fate long ago. Still, that didn't mean she had to stop trying to escape, but she had become accustomed to the idea of death. At least the child would hardly suffer. Had Mulan given birth in the custody of the Mongols, she doesn't want to imagine what they'd do to it.

Five men lift the cage into the wagon and the oxen moves forward with a jolt. Mulan had always thought that the moments before your death must feel so frightening, but she is strangely at peace. Perhaps it's because she's had time to think about it. In fact, as she kneels to pray inside that metal cage, she doesn't even think to pray to be saved. She only prays that Shang is already dead so he won't have to suffer through the news of her execution.

-Meanwhile, At The Chinese Camp-

Shang watches curiously as the two scouts he'd sent out sprint breathlessly up the hill.

"General Li! General Li!" they shout, panting hard and clumsily making their way back to the other eight men.

Their tone alarms Shang. "What is it?" he questions. "What have you found out?"

One of the scouts, Ri, boldly grabs his shoulders. "Fa Mulan! She's alive!"

"Ah! I told you so!" Mushu hollers, leaping out of Khan's saddlebag with joy. "I told all y'alls she'd be fine, but nope! Ain't nobody had faith, nobody 'cept me! Oh, happy, happy day!"

"What?!" Shang gasps, disbelieving. "Where is she?! What have you-"

"We went into the Imperial City," interrupts Yen, "Everyone is talking about it! The Mongols are occupying it tonight and they're supposed to execute her on the steps of the Palace! They've had her this entire time!"

"WHAT?!" shouts Mushu, eyes bulging out of his little head. "No!"

She's alive? They've had her this entire time? Shang repeats to himself. Those savages have been with her longer than I have! Has she been tortured, raped? Has our child been born, have they... For a fleeting moment, his lower lip starts to quiver and his hard black eyes look soft. But he blinks and bites his lip and barks out a booming "Move out!".

The nine men are quick to adhere. They scramble to mount their horses and Shang, a light feeling in his abdomen and a million questions racing behind his eyes, jumps onto his and flies down the hill without pausing. Far in the distance, the red sun rises behind the tall gates of the Imperial City.

()-()-()

Boom. Boom. Boom. The giant bass drums beat ominously as Mulan's cage is led down the main road in the Imperial City. She doesn't bother to open her eyes and see the distraught citizens who line the street; she can hear their gasps, their cries 'No! It's Li Mulan!', their screams of terror caused by Mongolian soldiers. 'The child! Spare her and the baby!' she hears periodically from a heartbroken woman, whom she predicts is a mother herself.

I hope Shang is dead, Mulan thinks to herself. Then at least I'll be with him in the afterlife. Besides, if he is alive, there's no way he's going to save me now.

The parade stops at the steps of the Palace. Symbols crash loudly on either side of Mulan, and she thinks contemptibly that the awful soldiers have no right to touch the beautiful ancient Chinese instruments.

Daritai emerges from the covered carriage that had been drawn in front of the wagon.  He descends to the first landing, walking proudly in his gold-plated uniform, and his ebony black hair rolled perfectly into a topknot. Mulan had never been quite as intimidated by him as she had been about Shan Yu. Daritai was a large man, but would've looked like a child compared to the Hun leader. Daritai's hard expression paled in comparison to his deadly glare. How ironic that she'd been able to defeat the giant, monster-like warrior, but is defeated herself by a man he wouldn't of had in his army.

"People of China," he roars, "I am your new leader! Once the empire is overthrown, Mongolia will be expanded to your land!"

The crowd of thousands shout angry exclamations and Daritai grins in reply. He turns to the giant wooden doors behind him and shouts, "Bring forth the Emperor!"

The doors swing open and three Mongolian soldiers hold onto the frail old man as they pull him down the stairs easily. Mulan watches from her cage and feels a pang in her chest for the wise man she looked up to so much. The crowd cries out in agony.

"Don't worry," Daritai says slyly. "We have someone else to get to before your precious leader."

Suddenly, the cage door swings open and Mulan is yanked from it. Two of the soldiers that had once treated her with such respect now carry her roughly by each of her arms. They throw her at the feet of Daritai, and Mulan tries to look at her people with dignity as they scream her name in despair.

"We didn't know we were going to kidnap the heroine of China," he boasts, "But your woman-savior evidently isn't as perfect at planning as she lets on. And how else would we celebrate the fall of China than by executing not only your best soldier,"

Daritai gestures with his sword toward Mulan's stomach.

"But also the unborn child of your General Li?"

She does not give him the satisfaction of her reaction, but kneels there with pride showing in her face. She is not about to die a coward.

He kicks her in the side and she lowers herself with a moan. "To the fall of China!" he roars.

Mulan can see out of the corner of her eye the sword being raised. I deserve this, she thinks sadly. This is what I get for trying to prove everyone wrong. She sends a few silent prayers and waits for the worst.

()-()-()