Third Person POV
The writing on the tombs glow a bright blue colour, a transparent figure releasing itself from the prison behind the words. The figure, a round man, creates a staff and holds it in his right hand. He glances up at the dragon hanging from the ceiling. "Mushu, awaken," he orders.
The dragon shakes lightly, then a black puff of smoke forms underneath it. A red dragon, that could easily be mistaken as a lizard, collapses onto the floor and bounces numerous times. "I live!" Mushu says dramatically, rising from the floor through the smoke as if he is Frankenstein. "So, tell me what mortal needs my protection, great ancestor. You just say the word and I'm there."
"Mushu," the great ancestor says.
"And let me say somethin'," Mushu interrupts. "Anybody who's foolish enough to threaten our family, vengeance will be mine!" The great ancestor rolls his eyes as Mushu growls.
"Mushu!" the great ancestor repeats but with a greater tone. He extends his hand out to the statues that sit on stands attached to the walls near the ceiling. "These are the family guardians. They...?"
"Protect the family," Mushu sighs.
"And you, O demoted one?"
"I ring the gong."
"That's right," the great ancestor nods. "Now, wake up the ancestors." Mushu picks up the gong reluctantly and sighs.
"One family reunion comin' right up," he mutters. He starts smashing the gong with a mallet. "Okay, people, people, look alive! Let's go, come on, get up! Let's move it, rise and shine. Y'all way past the beauty sleep thing, trust me."
The other words on each tomb begin glowing and all the ancestors emerge one by one. "I knew it! I knew it!" one of the ancestors protest, poking her staff and the ancestor next to her. "That Minsheng and his girlfriend, [Y/N], were troublemakers from the start."
"Don't look at me!" the other ancestor says. "Minsheng gets it from your side of the family."
"He's just trying to help his father, [Y/N] too," an older ancestor debates.
"But if they're discovered, [Y/N] especially, Fa Zhao and [L/N] [F/N] will forever be shamed," another ancestor explains, using an abacus to explain himself. "Dishonour will come to both families. Traditional values will disintegrate."
"Not to mention, they'll lose the farm," an elder ancestor with glasses adds.
"My children never caused such trouble," the first ancestor from before says. "They all became acupuncturists."
"Well, we can't all be acupuncturists!" the ancestor with a very long beard yells.
"No!" the older ancestor shouts. "Your great-grandson's friend had to be a crossdresser!" All the ancestors begin shouting over each other, arguing as usual.
"Let a guardian bring her back," an ancestor suggests.
"Yes, awaken the most cunning," another adds on, grabbing Mushu and holding him up to one of the statues.
"No, the swiftest," the abacus ancestor snatches Mushu and holds him up to another statue.
"No, send the wisest," the older ancestor holds Mushu up to a statue of a monkey.
"Silence!" the great ancestor demands. "We must send the most powerful of all." He extends his hand out to the Great Stone Dragon statue outside the window. Despite the statue obviously being of great importance, Mushu begins snorting.
"Okay, okay, I get the drift," Mushu laughs, "I'll go." All the ancestors start laughing louder than a pack of hyenas, but Mushu on the other hand, isn't amused.
"Y'all don't think I can do it? Watch this here," Mushu scoffs. He inhales and lets out a breath. Instead of a large flame shooting out of his mouth, a tiny flicker does instead. Mushu exclaims happily, "Jump back, I'm pretty hot, huh? Don't make me have to singe nobody to prove no point."
"You had your chance to protect the Fa family," the great ancestor reminds.
"Your misguidance led Fa Deng to disaster," the old female ancestor snaps.
An ancestor with his head being held in his hands, literally, monotones, "Yeah, thanks a lot."
"And your point is?" Mushu asks.
"The point is we will be sending a real dragon to retrieve Minsheng and [Y/N]!" the great ancestor yells, approaching Mushu quickly.
"What? What? I'm a real dragon!" Mushu shouts, pulling the great ancestor toward him by his beard.
"You are not worthy of this spot!" the great ancestor demands, pulling Mushu off of his stand. "Now, awaken the Great Stone Dragon." He throws Mushu out the door.
"So, you'll get back to me on the job thing?" Mushu pokes his head near the door. The great ancestor throws the gong into Mushu's face, his answer obviously being 'no'.
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Mushu drags the gong behind him reluctantly, muttering to himself. "Just one chance, is that too much to ask?" he mumbles bitterly. "I mean, it's not like it'd kill ya." He rushes to the Great Stone Dragon and smashes the gong harshly. "Yo, Rocky, wake up! Ya gotta go fetch Minsheng and his girlfriend!"
The Great Stone Dragon stays still, as expected, not a single sense of spirituality rising from its dusty, stone appearance. Mushu drags his feet toward the front of the stone. He whistles, "C'mon, boy! Go get her! Go on! Come on!" He throws the mallet as if it's a dog bone. Still, not a single response.
He tries again by climbing up the stone and standing right in front of the dragon's face. He matches the expression that the Great Stone Dragon is doing and growls. He jumps to the other side and yells into its ear, "Hello?" He hits the gong against the ear impatiently multiple times. "HELLOOO!"
Unfortunately, he seems to hit the ear a bit too hard and it breaks off. Mushu frantically attempts to place the ear back on, but to his horror, it doesn't work. "Uh oh," Mushu gulps. Before you know it, the entire neck of the stone and below comes falling right off. The only piece left intact (kind of, anyway) is the head of the dragon.
"Uh, Stony?" Mushu calls as he stands in the middle of debris and dust that clouds around him. "Stony?" He pats the top of the Great Stone Dragon's head, smiling nervously. "Oh man, they're gonna kill me!"
"Great Stone Dragon!" the great ancestor calls from their resting place. "Have you awakened?" Thinking on his feet, Mushu grabs the bottom of the Great Stone Dragon's head and lifts it up just above the bush.
"Uh, uh... yes! I just woke up," Mushu yells, imitating the Great Stone Dragon. "I'm... I'm the Great Stone Dragon! Good morning! I will go forth and fetch Minsheng and his friend! Did I mention that I was the Great Stone Dragon?"
"Go! The fate of the Fa and [L/N] family rests in your claws."
"Don't even worry about it. I will not lose face." The massive stone becomes a bit too heavy for Mushu to carry and he suddenly tumbles backwards down the hill. Unfortunately for Mushu, he lands right underneath the stone. "Ugh, my elbow," Mushu mumbles. "I know I twisted somethin'."
He somehow manages to push the giant rock off of his back and looks around him with his eyebrows curved upwards. "That's just great. Now what?" Mushu wonders. "I'm doomed! And all 'cause Miss Man and her dumb boyfriend decides to take their little drag show on the road."
Cri-Kee jumps over the Great Stone Dragon's head and chirps happily to Mushu. He chirps and looks over his shoulder, as if he's telling him to get Minsheng and [Y/N]. "Go get them? What's the matter with you?" Mushu accuses. Going to go get them is a death wish. "After this Great Stone, Humpty Dumpty mess, I'd have to bring them home with a medal to get back in the temple."
Mushu gasps as an idea strikes him. "Wait a minute, that's it! I make Minsheng and [Y/N] war heroes and they'll be begging me to come back to work," he slaps his hand with his fist victoriously. "That's the master plan. Oh, you done it now, man!"
Mushu runs off, leaving Cri-Kee behind. Obviously, he thinks he's able to manage this by himself. Cri-Kee follows next to him, anyway. Mushu looks down at Cri-Kee and raises an eyebrow. "What makes you think you're comin'?" he asks. He continues speeding off out the gate and glances back when Cri-Kee answers him with a little chirp.
"You're lucky?" Mushu chuckles. "Do I look like a sucker to you?"
Cri-Kee chirps back.
"What do you mean, 'a loser'?" Mushu grumbles. "How 'bout I pop one of your antennas off, throw it across the yard?" He chases Cri-Kee down the gravelly road. "Then who's the loser? Me or you?" He turns down a corner and makes his way toward Minsheng and [Y/N].
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Your POV (finally)
"Basically, you just try to deepen your voice," Minsheng instructs. Currently, he's trying to help you develop a 'manly' voice to make your entire act seem a bit more convincing. "And try to make it sound as natural as possible. I've seen tons of ladies sound like they got a rock stuck in the back of their throat."
"Okay," you nod. You try to lower the pitch of your voice. "Excuse me. Where do I sign in? Hah, I see you have a sword. I have one, too. They're very manly and tough." You try to take the sword out but it slips out from your grip.
"Eh, could be better," Minsheng grins. Khan rolls over on his back and bursts out laughing. You take off your shoes and throw one at Minsheng and the other at Khan.
"I'm working on it!" you scoff. You snatch up your shoes and place them back on.
"I know, but if you want to not be discovered, then you need to be convincing. Acting like a man isn't easy. I mean, sometimes even I forget how to act manly," Minsheng shrugs.
You sigh. "Who am I fooling? It's going to take a miracle to get me into the army." Before Minsheng can utter some words of encouragement to you, a loud voice shrieks from beside you.
"Did I hear someone ask for a miracle!" the voice booms. Without a hint of hesitation, Minsheng steps in front of you and takes out his sword with one hand, the other extended out. You glance up and see the silhouette of a dragon casting itself on a rock. Fire roars beside the silhouette for dramatic effect.
"Let me hear you say 'ahh'!" the dragon adds.
"Ahh!" you scream, running and hiding in a bush. Minsheng follows you.
"That's close enough," the voice approves.
"A ghost," you whisper to Minsheng.
"Get ready Minsheng and [Y/N]," the voice informs. "Your serpine salvation is at hand. For I have been sent by your ancestors," the dragon kicks what looks like the silhouette of a cricket, "to guide you through your masquerade." The fire grows larger. "So, heed my word! 'Cause if the army finds out that you're a girl, [Y/N], the penalty is death!"
"Who are you?" Minsheng asks bitterly, poking his head from above the bushes.
"Who am I? Who am I?" the dragon repeats dramatically. "I am the guardian of lost souls! I am the powerful, the pleasurable, the indestructible Mushu." You emerge from the bush and watch as a tiny red lizard looking thing appears from the rocks.
Your smile quickly turns into a frown. Obviously, you were expecting something more... powerful-looking. "Pretty hot, huh?" Mushu grins. Before you can even open your mouth in shock, Khan walks over and steps on Mushu numerous times. Minsheng moves Khan out of the way quickly, glancing down at the red dragon.
Mushu coughs out smoke and helps himself up. "Uh, my ancestors sent a little lizard to help us?" Minsheng asks.
"Hey, dragon," Mushu corrects, hitting Minsheng's arm away from him. "Dragon, not lizard. I don't do that tongue thing." He mimics what a lizard would do and pokes out his fork-like tongue.
"You're... um," you begin to say. Mushu climbs up a stick of bamboo beside you and attempts to finish off your sentence.
"Intimidating? Awe-inspiring?" he asks.
"Tiny," you hesitate, making a small hole with your fingers.
"Of course," Mushu shrugs. "I'm travel size for your convenience," he switches over to the bamboo stick on the other side. "If I was my real size, your cow here would die of fright." He pats Khan on the head, smiling. Khan bites at Mushu. "Down, Bessie."
He shuffles over onto your shoulder and continues, "My powers are beyond your mortal imagination. For instance, my eyes can see straight through your armour." You gasp and cover your chest, slapping Mushu across the face. Of course, you doubt that he's being serious, but that's absolutely disgusting.
"Don't you dare touch [Y/N]," Minsheng snarls.
"All right, that's it!" Mushu growls. "Dishonour! Dishonour on your whole family! Make a note of this. Dishonour on you, dishonour on your cow, dishonour-"
You grab Mushu and stop him from speaking. "Stop. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," you apologise. "I'm just nervous... I've never done this before."
"Then you're gonna have to trust me. Both of you. And don't you slap me no more! We clear on that? All right." You glance at Minsheng and he gives you a weak smile. You can tell that he's still weary, but you give him a reassuring look. There's really no one else you can trust anymore. And besides, what can a little red lizard do to you?
"Okie dokie, let's get this show on the road!" Mushu exclaims. "Cri-Kee, get the bags. Let's move it, Heifer."
For a tiny lizard, he sure is loud and feisty.
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⇢˚⋆ ✎ ˎˊ- Author's Note
Sorry that most of this chapter is about the ancestors. I'll try not to include any more point of views outside of [Y/N]'s! However, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)