Adversity

What happened after the words "You fight good"? How did Mulan and Shang's relationship even begin, and where does it end up? (NOT following the events of the sequel)

Hello, this is my first fanfiction, and I simply just ran out of fics to read, so I thought I could just write my own! My plans for this story are to make it rather long, but it may take a while to get it done.

**Disclaimer

I do not own Mulan, nor the characters in the movie

Chapter one: You fight good

Shang stood, looking out over the crowd of at least 35,000 people surrounding the palace. Though there were so many people, he could only focus on one. However, she wouldn't know it. He watched as she kicked her horse and started the journey back to her home and let out a longing sigh, swearing under his breath. 'How can I manage to be at such a lost cause with her,' he asked himself, 'she's saved my life multiple times and all I can manage to say are three words that don't even fit together in a sentence?'

His thoughts were soon interrupted by a presence next to him. He looked to his side as the elder man spoke with eloquence. "The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all."

Shang still couldn't gather his thoughts, not even in the presence of the emperor, when it was most important. He shook his head slightly and looked back at his superior. "Sir?"

The emperor gave him a dissatisfied look and proceeded, "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty." The elderly man then put on his cap, gave Shang a look, and entered his palace, leaving Shang to decide what to do on his own. Once again, Shang's thoughts were interrupted by three concubines who started to laugh at him.

"'You fight good,' captain? Is that the best you could do?" asked Ling. "I mean, she saved us multiple times! We wouldn't even be here if it weren't for her!"

Shang shifted uncomfortably. "I know she did, it's just-"

"She came back even after you left her in the mountains!" Interrupted the quiet Chien-Po.

"Yes, but-"

"Not to mention she killed Shan Yu with a huge gash in her stomach." Said Yao, smirking at Shang. However, his expression changed to a horrified one in the blink of an eye once he heard what Shang had to say next.

"I KNOW!" He snapped, looking at the three of them in annoyance. He sighed, however, and looked down at his feet. "I-I'm just... Not so great when it comes to... women."

The three stared in disbelief for a moment before starting to snicker to themselves, which erupted into uncontrollable laughter, and the three doubling over and clutching to one another to be able to stand.

"Y-You mean to tell me," Ling started, taking a short break to laugh, "that the oh-so-strong, impressive, and masculine general has problems with talking to women?!" This only made the three laugh even harder, and Shang's face turn redder.

Scoffing, Shang looked to the side. "It isn't funny. I mean, what about you guys? It's not like you three could be good at it either!"

"Maybe not," said Yao, "but we don't have the pretty-boy reputation to keep up, captain."

Shang punched his side, causing Yao to stop laughing and rub his arm.

"Alright, alright, pretty-boy. Why don't you just go follow her, then?"

Shang rolled his eyes at Yao, scoffing and glancing to the side before facing Yao once again. "And say what, exactly? 'I'm sorry for abandoning you in the mountains, doubting you, and telling you you don't belong, I love you?'"

The gang of three exchanged glances before looking back at Shang. "Why don't you come up with an excuse to be there so you don't sound as pathetic?" Asked Ling. Shang only growled at this.

Churn Po looked around, before taking a few steps away from the group and picking up Mulan's deserted helmet and giving it to Shang. "You could say you are returning her armor, captain."

Shang hesitantly took her helmet in his hands, looking down at it. He looked back up at Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po and smiled. It was decided that he would take her armor to her, and hopefully try to get some time to talk to her in private while he was there. Shang was off soon enough, with her armor in his saddlebags, eager as ever to be able to see her once again.

Once the sun set over the mountains, and the woman-warrior could no longer see where she was going, she stopped Khan and went inside of an inn, carrying the clothing she had for the night. 'Thank the Gods I still have some extra coins with me...' she thought as she walked inside. As she looked around, she noticed that the room had gone silent upon her arrival. Some people were staring at her with a smile, some even bowed, but of course, there were also a few people looking at her with disapproval. 'Looks like news travels fast,' she thought as she quickly paid the inn keeper. He greeted her with a smile and a bow, and sent her on her way to her room. Once she got inside, she sighed, happy to be able to finally rest for a little bit. She bathed and changed into her dirty night clothes that she wore at camp, and fell asleep with thoughts of what the next day would bring for her in her head. Little did she know, a young captain had entered the inn just after she fell asleep.

Shang sighed in relief, having finally found an inn along the way to Mulan's house. As he went to put his horse into the stables, however, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of a familiar black horse. Khan. The stallion started to whinny at the sight of Shang, which caused the captain to panic. He quickly and quietly attempted to quiet down the horse, and when he finally did, he tied up his own horse and quickly left the stables. He looked through a window at the inn, and was relieved to not see Mulan inside of the main room. Of course, he couldn't wait to see her, but he didn't even know what to say to her yet. He couldn't tell her now, he needed more time to think about how to approach her after everything they've been through in the last twenty-four hours. He quickly slipped into his room and fell asleep trying to think of what to say to her the next day.

Mulan woke up early, much to her dismay, changed into her dress, and headed down to the main room to bid the inn keeper a final farewell.

"You are welcome here anytime, heroine of China." He gave her a warm, fatherly smile as she left the inn and went around the corner to the stables. As she got Khan, she opened her saddlebags to put her night clothing inside. However, when she did, she noticed a sleeping Mushu and lucky cricket, and smirked to herself as she put the clothing on top of them. She closed her back and untied Khan, hopping up on his back and giving him a kick, sending them off without her even noticing the white stallion in the stall next to Khan's.

As the villages, people, and landscape started to get more and more familiar as she neared her home, she was suddenly struck by fear and nervousness. 'What are my parents going to say to me?' She thought, as she remembered the final conversation she had with her father, in which he got angry at her for 'not knowing her place.' She sighed. Though she had the sword, the Emperor's Crest, and the honor of having saved China multiple times, she still couldn't picture her parents being anything but angry at her. However, once she entered her own village around noon, the idea that she was home started to sink in. Though she was mortified of what her parents would say once she arrived home, she was beside herself happy to be back. She slowed Khan once she saw the gates to her home. "This is it..." She whispered under her breath. She took her sword and her pendant from the emperor, passed the gate, and tied Khan up inside of the stables at her home. She walked past the house and heard a gasp from her mother. Mulan went to the front of the house to see her mother and grandmother burst out of the front door. The older women stopped and stared at her, and Mulan felt the butterflies rise in her stomach. She ran to greet her family members, who happily accepted her embrace.

"Mama, grandma..." Said Mulan, a smile on her face as she hugged them. Her mother broke the hug and smiled at her daughter, starting to tear up at the sight of her.

"Mulan," She whispered, smiling widely, "are you okay? Is everything alright? Is... Are..." Her mother couldn't even speak. Her grandmother decided to speak up and smiled at Mulan.

"It's great to have you back, Mulan. You should go check up on your father, though, he's been seeming lost without you here!" The elderly woman pointed to a man sitting on the bench under the magnolia tree. Mulan took a deep breath and walked towards her father, her mother and grandmother waiting in the entryway. Once she stood in front of him, he looked up at her, looking astonished.

"Mulan..." He whispered loudly. Mulan fell to her knees and looked down. "Father... I have brought you the sword of Shan Yu," she handed him the sword without looking at her, and he placed it to his side, still staring at her in awe as she continued. "...And the Crest of the Emperor," she said, handing him that as well, "...They're gifts! To honor the Fa family..." She looked up at him, puzzled as he took the rewards and placed the on the ground. She was surprised when her father got on his knees and hugged her tight, speaking softly as he put a hand on her cheek.

"The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter. I've missed you so..." This caused a tear to fall from the girl's eye, and she hugged him tighter than before. "I missed you, too, Baba."

The two stayed there, wrapped in each other's arms, unaware that Mulan's grandmother had started to talk to Fa Li.

"Great," she said, rolling her eyes, "she brings home a sword. If you ask me, she should have brought home a ma-!"

Shang had left the inn early that morning, noting that Khan was already gone from the stables. On his journey to her home, he had to ask around in various villages for directions to the Fa household. He finally got there and opened the gates quietly. He saw Khan in the stables, and decided to put his horse there, for the time being. He stood behind two women, helmet in hand, and watched Mulan reunite with her father. He smiled, though he felt a little bit of jealousy, because he missed his father, and because he wished to have her in his arms. Once he thought that the older woman was done making remarks to the younger one, Shang cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Excuse me," the ladies were surprised to hear another voice, and looked back at him and stared in awe as he continued. "Does Fa Mulan live here?" The women pointed to a magnolia tree, where he noticed Fa Zhou sitting. "Thank you." Shang was walking away when he heard the lively old woman speak.

"Woo, sign me up for the next war!"

Shang simply dismissed the comment and walked up to Fa Zhou, who stood in Shang's presence.

"Honorable Fa Zhou, I-" Shang stopped once he saw Mulan behind her father. His heart rate increased and he felt his stomach drop as he forgot everything he planned to say as he saw her. He suddenly realized that he hadn't even finished his sentence and spoke once again.

"Mulan! Uh... You forgot your helmet!" He exclaimed, and then turned to Fa Zhou. "Well, actually, it's your helmet, isn't it, I mean-" Shang gave up and looked down a little bit, but was luckily saved from more embarrassment when the smaller figure took her helmet from his hands and smiled at him.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Flustered, he managed to get four words out of his system. "Dinner would be great."

Well, that's the end of the first chapter! Yes, I know, it's pretty much just covering the end of the movie, but I have a whole story planned! Anyways, please review, if you liked it, disliked it, whatever! Thanks :)