Swift as a Coursing River (MadaNaru)

Chapter 1: A Mother's Worth

Warning: Omega/Alpha Dynamics, Period Typical Sexism (For Omega's Female or Male)

Main: MadaNaru (Madara/Naruto)

Side Pairings: MinaKushi (Minato/Kushina), KibaHina (Kiba/Hinata), JiraTsuna (Jiraiya/Tsunade), ChoTen (Chouji/Tenten)

Note: I did what I could to keep it Chinese, please don't take offense if it's not quite right, Mulan is set in the Sui Dynasty of China (despite what many think) and there were quite a few things I couldn't find when I researched it. That being said, please do enjoy!

Chapter 1: A Mother's Worth

Panic roused swiftly within him, like the very winds of winter soaring through his entire body, it chilled him somewhere deep down. Yet as gusts of warm spring air wisped his hair around him, brought water stinging in his eyes, and a smile lighter than the summer sun lit his face with a glorious beauty, the likes of which many would clamor for. Precious beauty, wide shimmering eyes seeking knowledge adventure, and action, hair tangled and messed with from rolling in the grass or running with the wind itself, fast as he could on his noble steed.

His clothing always smudged with brown and green, the scent of fresh grass and bright spring flowers. That was his beauty at his finest, free and roaming, doing something that brought much levity to his soul. A rare occurrence as it was nowadays, his mother trimming him for his marriage, his father was trying to be lenient, but even he encouraged with cautious words for a more calm demeanor to take shape within his only child.

This dawn he'd run the furthest he'd ever ran, wind and speed carrying him all the way down the valley and across the river. His feet and ankles still damp from his romp through the clear water. It had been alit with orange and red tones of the sun this dawn, and he could not ignore the temptation it presented him.

He did not care, he was to bathe as soon as he entered his village once more, an appointment with a local groomer, for his meeting with the matchmaker of his village, something his mother had been preparing him for ever since he had come of age, a daunting time to be , its significance could not be ignored, even to such a free spirit as he. Not for the marriage itself, that was an experience he dreaded with all his being, his freedom would be lost, and his pride near gone.

No, it was his mother that he worried for, why he ran now, why his gut clenched with the cold sensation of anxiety. She was a kind woman, lovely throughout, stern in equal measure yet her intentions were bitterly clear for him. His well-being in mind in every thought she made. If he could not present to the matchmaker successfully, his mother would be so disappointed, her dark midnight reflected eyes would cloud over so thoroughly pupils would be nigh invisible.

He could hardly bare the thought. She was a kind woman, who gave him all she could, and taught him the balance of wisdom and kindness.

As he saw her standing in the morning glory, hair well tied, golden light shining from the fair crimson buns. Her dark clothing was dark, yet elegant on her slim figure, a yellow sash wrapped around her shoulders, hands upon her hips, she was an imposing figure, and the golden haired blond could only assume that he was late for his preparation. Something his father had joked of this very morning, of course the elder blond hadn't actually expected him to be late, not for such an important arrangement in his life.

He jumped from his horse in front of his mother, ensuring a baffled expression at his rude behavior, she only gave a huff at the display, and instead her pale long fingers drifted directly to his hair, pulling out a long brown twig, he could only assume that he knew where he had been at that point. The way her eyes lit with fire, burning midnight sky staring into his own eyes in anger. He stepped back quickly.