Once Upon A Nightmare

- TWENTY FOUR -

- Lee Hang -

The coach's voice cut into our little moment. We parted from each other once again, but hopefully not the last or permanent time. She nodded her small head and just like that, she was gone.

I missed having her with me, fighting by my side. I missed holding her. I missed being with her. I missed her.

Mulan was the only person who could break my walls. No other woman― or person ―could do that. I was a warrior but with Mulan, I was a man. A simple, everyday man.

I remember the first moment I ran into her. Wow, her scared and nervous face was just too cute and funny to look at now. Sure, at the time, I thought she was a man but after finding out the truth, I was honored to fight alongside her.

But I was also ashamed of it. Of myself. I left her on that mountain. I left her behind with nothing. She was cold and injured and I just turned my back on a person who was doing the right thing. Her father would have never survived the war and she took his place. She not only saved me, but our men. She saved our home, our king, our land. And I left her behind no matter how many times she came back to.

Mulan was everything I wanted to be. She is everything I want to be. She pushes me to my best, challenging me everyday. I aspired to be her. To be just as strong, just as brave, and just as courageous as her. She took out an entire army on her own and wanted nothing of it, thought nothing of it. I strived to be like her in my own way.

I was honored to be the man she loved. It wasn't something owned but something great. Mulan was an honorable person. She always did what was right and found different ways to accomplish tasks. She was creative and witty and that was something I also loved about her.

I loved how people looked up to her. How she cared for everyone. I loved that she showed other woman that they don't need a man to solve everything or to bring honor to their family. That every woman just needed strength and smarts to complete tasks. Mulan was a role model.

But each role model had critics. Yes, there were people who hated her. There were people who publicly shamed her because of her heroic act. People even shamed her family. Fa Zhou went through many scrolls of hatred and threats but that never stopped him. For every scroll, comment, or threat he received, there was always five times as many compliment, children, or another scroll declaring their love for his daughter.

As the bell over the coffee shop door jingled, in walked the most beautiful dog. Yup, not the one I was expecting but I'd be a monster to not admit it was cute. The owner of it happened to sit down right behind my booth so the cute little thing sat outside and gave me big, pleading eyes to pet it. I scuffled its fur and watched as it wagged its tail in glee.

"I never knew you liked dogs." Mulan crouched down next to the dog and gave it a good scratch behind its ear before taking a seat.

I was mesmerized by her beauty. Just as I remember. Well, better.

"And I never knew that in your free time you liked to become a man."

She ducked her head and cringed. "I knew you would say that." She kicked me under the table. "I was doing it because of the free gym and the fact that girls aren't allowed to be on the weightlifting team."

"I'm sure they could have made an exception for the woman who saved all of China." She bored her eyes into me. "Or you could just wait till they find out you're a woman and then who knows what they might do."

"Like ditching me in the mountains when I'm injured?" Now it was my turn to cringe. "Oh, I remember. But I don't blame you. Well, maybe a little."

"That will forever be my biggest regret, Mulan." She nodded her head. "So, um, I didn't ask you to meet me here for just to reminisce. How much of our past do you remember?"

She thought for a moment. "Bits and pieces of it."

"Same. Apparently, there is a way to get all of our memories back. Adam, the beast, says you and I have to do just one simple thing." I watch her face contort with an odd look. "We have to kiss."

"Oh," she sounded surprised. "That's it? I thought we had to do something else like save the world."

I laughed. "We just might." First China from the Huns, then the world from the villains of our books.

After a moment of time passed Mulan asked, "So, does General Li Shang kiss?"

Kiss? Kiss? Who doesn't kiss? Just to tease her I answered, "No."

She looked at me confused and shocked. I guess teasing and jokes just weren't my thing in the past. Or maybe they weren't hers.

I cleared up the confusion and let her in on the joke. After a few laughs and jokes, we decided to leave the coffee shop and take a walk in the park nearby. We laughed and chatted as we strolled along the path, not caring who saw us or what would happen. We told stories of the craziest things we have ever done in this world and dressing up as a man never happened to be one of the things Mulan listed.

It was nice and I guess you could say romantic. As the afternoon passed by Mulan had to go. We stood under a beautiful cherry blossom tree. It all seemed cheesy and romantic but it was just right for this moment.

"I had a nice time. A wonderful, magical, princess time, Shang."

"I did too. Minus the princess part, because I'm not a princess, I would be a prince."

God one, Shang. Good one. I internally slapped myself.

Mulan giggled at my nervous rambling. I don't remember how to kiss. I don't remember what to do. What do I do? Lean in and touch her lips with your lips. Simple. Okay, got it.

I moved a strand of her hair from her soft features and look deeply into her brown, chocolate eyes. Just like I remembered. Love and warmth were the only things I could see in her eyes. Just like always. Slowly I leaned in towards her face and softly touched them. They tasted like warm cocoa on a cold, rainy night. They were as soft as an Orchid and were everything I imagined. But more.

With a small gust of wind encasing us, all of our memories came flooding back. When they all settled, Mulan uttered one last sentence before she left.

"I guess we really have made a man out of each other, Shang." I guess we have. 

🔽🔼🔽

► Aw, how romantic! Wasn't that a happy ending? Ugh, I love it. What about you? ◄