Author's Note: I'm back! I really should have deleted DoL, but I decided not to… all that writing and not completing it… I'll try to be more dedicated to this, as I'm hooked my currently nonexistent plot. I'll try to be historically accurate, as well, so if you know anything erroneous in my writing, please leave a review!

Personally, I did not think the sequel was better than the original (it almost never is). So here is my version, slightly not movie-worthy, and completely not better than the original.

Disclaimer: Everything mine is mine; everything else is not mine.

Historic Note: Let's pretend Mulan lived in the Tang Dynasty, with Li Taizong as Emperor. Let's also pretend that out of his thirty-six children, Crown Prince Li Chéngqián and Fourth Prince Li Tai were born second and first, respectively. To make it easier for me, as I'm a lazy authoress with no clue of Ancient China, we'll assume those two are his only sons. Meaning Chengqian is Second Prince, Li Tai is Crown Prince.

--

The sun shined lazily through the tree branches in the Fa garden, where Mulan sat. She was toying with a two silk ribbons. One could see both weren't used often now. Dust clinged to the ends and they had wrinkles on them from being folded and pressed on too often. Still, Mulan absentmindedly stroked the soft material, pausing to close her eyes and sigh, as if she was reliving some lost memory of hers.

Wrapping the ribbons around her shoulders, she went to the corner of the walls of her home, stepping on a stool to see outside. It was quite busy, she saw. The villagers had gathered outside for their "market day" and their loud voices made Mulan giggle. Some were selling the most ridiculous objects as well. Mama and Baba were both out there, somewhere, buying some goods for the month. Grandma was in the village, too, but Mulan suspected that instead of buying, she was gambling with the older women and men for—well, Mulan wasn't exactly sure what, but her mischievous grandmother was bound to be blamed for cheating, or something equally bad. Secretly, Mulan felt that Grandma did not cheat, and was always good at gambling, but she dared not say her thoughts to Mama.

After she groomed Khan and fed Little Brother, she went on to make supper. Thankfully, she had inherited her Mama's talent of cooking. Besides, she had her own talent: even Mama nor Grandma could dance as well as she could.

"At least I'm not completely worthless," she muttered to herself, taking a glance at the silk ribbons.

'But dancing is completely different from being worthy for a wife,' she reflected. And she did not know which was worse: the embarrassment from the admiring glances of adventurous women, or the utter humiliation from the scornful looks of the others. After all, she was known to be too skinny to bear sons.

But why would she have a son? No man would have her now, with all the news of her fame spreading everywhere; honestly, a cross-dresser for a wife? Even Mulan had to laugh out loud.

--

The sun was beginning to set when the rest of the family came back.

"I feel so rich today, Mulan! All thanks to my darling son!" rejoiced Grandma.

"Gambling again, Grandma?"

"It is thanks to your father's excellent skill at Xiang Qi that Fortune is upon me!"

They all laughed at the pun, and Mulan poured tea slowly as they ate. Dinner was lively, quite unlike that memorable day. It was really only a month after the Emperor, in effect, pardoned her, but it felt much longer to Mulan. War often did that to people; all she had wanted was to please her family, she did not expect to sacrifice her innocence and way of life, something that, even if it was expected, Mulan was not willing to give up.

Dinner was interrupted suddenly, by a neigh of horses. Mulan knew it was not their own… the sound had come from outside their gates. Mama had announced she would go inspect the noise, and within a few moments, returned with a messenger dressed in fine clothing.

"To the Fa family: I bring a message from the Emperor," he paused, and tentatively spoke, "It is specifically addressed to Fa Mulan."

Surprised, Mulan wordlessly took the scroll he held out. She scanned it, but her expression was unreadable.

Mistaking her reaction, the messenger asked, "Would you like me to read it for you?"

Mulan turned sharply, raising an eyebrow.

"I can read, than you."

"Oh, yes, of course. I apologize. I--"

He was ushered out by Grandma, who returned, muttering, "How dare he imply my grandchild is an incompetent, illiterate fool!"

Mama, although deeply perturbed, pressed Mulan, asking her what the Emperor wanted. Mulan passed it to her Mama, who then passed it on to everyone else at the table, until everyone had seen its contents.

"We cannot ignore His Majesty's request," Fa Zhou spoke wisely, "We will be escorted to the Palace early tomorrow, we should get prepared."

Everyone nodded, although Mulan knew they were all confused. Mulan went to her room, lying down on her sleeping mat. She could not sleep.

"If the Emperor did not ask for me to become part of his army again, then why is he inviting us to the Palace without an explanation?" she asked herself.

In the darkness, she shifted her gaze from the ceiling to the silk ribbons on one of the chairs, almost wanting them to give an answer.

There was none.