You Will Never Find Love - A twisted Mulan Story

Chapter 13

Guys!!!! This is the last part of my story! I really hope you enjoyed it! I had a lot of fun writing it, and I might be starting another one of these twisted Disney story things soon! I would really love feedback on weather or not you liked the story, and if you have any ideas for the next one! Thanks for reading!!

I stood on the steps, watching Mulan canter through the crowd. As she left, I felt a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why? Suddenly, the emperor came up next to me, clearing his throat. I looked over at him. He looked straight ahead, though his eyes were full of amusement. He smiled.

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all," he said, and looked at me expectantly. I frowned in confusion.

"Sir?" I asked, not knowing what he had meant. The emperor pointed to where Mulan had disappeared into the crowd below.

"You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty!" he said.

Then he walked off, leaving me with my thoughts. I sighed. The emperor thought I liked Mulan. Thought I was in love with her. But I wasn't. At least not in the way he thought. I was not in love with Mulan, and I never would be. But I did love her. I had come to enjoy her time and company. I had come to rely on her presence. She had saved my life a number of times, so she was a badass, but she was also nice.

Maybe the nicest person I knew. It was then that I figured out what had to happen. I thought again about the words the Witch had given me so long ago. "You will never find love, Lee Shang."

Maybe that was true. Maybe I would never find someone to love unconditionally, but I could have Mulan. No matter what other people thought, I did love her. I loved her as a best friend and dearest companion. If Mulan loved me as something more, then that was ok. Anything was ok. I hadn't known her for very long, but I liked her company. I wanted to stay with her.

I turned to where she had been standing, but then I remembered that she had left. She was going home. I had to find her.

***

I rode for days, finally finding myself in a small village full of wooden houses, and fenced off gardens. I asked around the market for the house of the Fa family, and finally found it. A small garden was accessible through a stone wall. I could hear voices on the other side of the wall, though, at the moment, I couldn't hear Mulan's.

When I got to the opening in the wall, I saw two women facing a scene in front of them. Mulan and a man I recognized as Fa Zhou, Mulan's dad, were hugging on the ground. Shan Yu's sword and the emperor's pendant lay near them. The first woman, who was shorter and had wispy white hair shuffled her feet.

"Great!" she exclaimed. "She brings home a sword. If you ask me, she should have brought home a man!"

I smiled and chose that moment to make an entrance. "Excuse me," I said, stepping out from behind the wall, and biting my tongue to keep from laughing. "Does Fa Mulan live here?" I asked.

Both of the women's eyes widened, and they pointed behind them through the opening in the wall.

I walked past them and into the garden. I didn't see Mulan, but her father stood next to a cherry tree, steadying himself on the trunk. I bowed.

"Honorable Fa Zhou, I-" Mulan stepped out from behind him. "Mulan!" I exclaimed. Now that she was there, I had no idea what to say to her. I pulled her helmet from my belt.

"You... forgot your helmet!" I said, holding it out to her. "Um... no, I mean i-it's actually your helmet," I said, looking at Fa Zhou who raised an eyebrow.

I internally kicked myself for sounding so awkward. Mulan smirked and walked over to me. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" she asked, taking the helmet.

"Would you like to stay forever?" the woman who I assumed was Mulan's grandma called. I smiled, and Mulan shook her head in embarrassment.

I looked back at Mulan. "Dinner would be great!" I said. She smiled sweetly at me, and this time, I'm sure I smiled back.