Consequences – The Army Days

I know what you are all thinking: Sequel! But, I am sorry to say, that this is only a bonus for all being such amazing people. Most likely it will be a series of one-shots, and never completed. Yes, it takes place after my story Consequences, and does have a plot to it, but will likely never be finished. There will be more details why at the bottom.

Anyway, I hope you all read and enjoy! Don't forget to review.

(OH, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T READ CONSEQUENCES THEN THIS WILL MAKE NO SENSE!)

Summary - The hunt for the girl who saved the Emperor continues, drawing closer and closer to the truth. All the while, Ping attempts to overcome the difficulties of being a Captain and keeping her secret safe.

0~o~0

She really didn't know how she had been roped into this. Really, what was Shang thinking, making her a captain?

"Right," she grunted and then cleared her throat loudly as the sound came out slightly strangled. Facing Shang was one thing. Hundreds of guys looking to her for training (not that they knew she was a girl)? Absolutely terrifying. "Right!" this came out slightly louder. "Attention, everyone!"

The low muttering of grumpy soldiers face first in their bowl of breakfast continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"Attention!"

One or two people glanced in her direction blearily before turning back to their food, clearly uninterested in what the scrawny boy had to say. Mulan frowned. How did Shang get his soldiers to behave! Of course, most of the camp hadn't been there when she arrived, but they should know better than to treat their captain like this.

Mulan forced her mind to recall her first day of training and winced slightly. Yah, she wasn't going to be walking around without a shirt on barking orders and demanding that they all pick up every grain of spilled rice. First of all, she wasn't going anywhere without her shirt. Second, there wasn't any spilt rice. So, what should she do? It was clear that they weren't going to listen because she clearly didn't look like much of a fighter . . .

What if instead of shouting at them, she politely asked the cook if he would like a day's vacation? He was such a hardworking man, and clearly feeding hundreds of soldiers had to be exhausting . . . of course, that fact that they men would have no lunch or dinner wasn't a problem.

Face lighting up, Mulan let out an ear-piercing whistle that caused several of the men to fall out of their seats with surprise. Mulan grinned wickedly as everything started to quiet down and the men turned doubtfully toward her.

"Seeing as all of you feel that you are much to important for either your captain or your training, then you much also be too important for your cook as well." Her grin broadened, preparing for the ultimate threat against hungry men, "In light of that, I am afraid that your cook will be taking a vacation for the next day."

Stunned silence met her statement and with a happy jump in her step she turned and stalked away to the training grounds, unheeding of the sudden roar of panic that erupted at her departure.

0~o~0

Having her own, large tent was nice, Mulan mused as she carefully sketched out several characters on a sheet of paper, a letter to her father.

The threat against food, apparently, worked quite well. All of the soldiers stumbled into the training grounds in record time. Of course, there were several who challenged her authority, but they were easily taken care of. The medical tent would be low on supplies for a while, but the men wouldn't doubt her decisions in the future.

It felt good to be able to beat someone in a fight, even better was the choked silence after she'd finished and inquired "Anyone else want to protest?" from the solders.

Another stroke of the brush left a precise streak of black ink on white. The entrance to her tent rustled and Mulan looked up, snapping to attention when she saw who it was.

"Captain – I mean General! What brings you here?" she asked, her voice lowering instinctively.

Shang smiled calmly and sat across from her, glancing briefly down at her letter and then back up at her, "I came to see how your first day was. Did the men behave?"

From his expression it was clear that he wasn't expecting good news.

Mulan took and deep breath and schooled her features blank, "They were fine, for the most part, though they really could work on their fighting hand to hand."

Surprise flickered over his features. "No problems, at all?"

A small smirk twitched at the corners of her mouth, "Not after I threatened them with no lunch or breakfast."

Laughter rang out from the captain's tent, startling several men as they walked by, and made them edge back warily. Sometimes it was best not to know.

0~o~0

The scout carefully pried his helmet off and wiped the sweat from his dirty brow. Tired brown eyes swept over the palace as it came into view, his hand clenching on the small bag at his side. Arriving at the gate he carefully handed over his information with a short description of what he was doing - important message for the Emperor – and slipped off of his horse as he stepped inside.

Nearly ten minutes later he was directed to a room in the upper part of the palace. Upon seeing the Emperor he dropped to one knee, bowing.

The Emperor, bathed in the evening light of the window he was looking out of, spoke up, "What is your message, soldier."

The young man shifted, but didn't look up as he replied, "I have just returned from the Western Pass. We believe that we have found evidence of the one who saved you."

The Emperor turned in surprise, "What evidence?"

With careful fingers the scout pried his bag open and pulled out a long sash, slightly soaked in dried blood. "This is the sash that the woman was wearing," a careful twist showed a slightly ripped portion of it, stained brown, "This would be the exact spot where she was wounded."

The Emperor kept his fact completely blank, "How can you be sure that this is the same sash?"

The soldier hesitated and then reached back into his pouch, pulling out a second item. The Emperor's eyes went wide. The small dagger was plain but well crafted and taken care of. The Emperor could recognize the blade that had saved his life not so long ago instantly.

"Her dagger," he murmured, stepping forward swiftly and picking it gently up out of the soldiers hand to examine it. This same dagger had gone missing after the fight, though he'd had everyone search for it in the aftermath. Upon a closer look his eyes notice a small design etched into the dyed leather of the hilt. A white lotus. His finger ran over the impression gently as a smile twitched over his lips. "She's alive."

He looked up, his eyes sparkling with ancient wisdom and excitement, "Tell me more about where you found this."

0~o~0

Two weeks after the Huns invasion . . .

Mulan coughed harshly as he pulled the blanket further around her, eyes dull with pain. Next to her Mushu muttered comforting words as he carefully boiled some water and leaves.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that you'll be fine. It's just a little sickness, nothing more . . ."

"Mushu," Mulan shot him a glare that was interrupted as another raking cough shuttered through her tiny frame. They both knew that the words were more for him than for her.

Apparently being crushed under an avalanche after getting slashed in the side couldn't be shaken off, and as a result she'd become severely ill nearly two weeks ride away from her home. Her wound appeared inflamed, to her horror, and her skin burned unbearably hot even as she shivered from cold.

Mushu drooped slightly and he sighed, glancing in her direction, "I know, I know." His small form shuddered, "I just . . . worry."

She smiled, pushing back the wince as her chapped lips split open again painfully. She reached out and patted him on the head, "Thank you Mushu."

They fell silent again and Mulan looked up at the stars, silently wondering if she would ever get to see her father again. A life for a life. How ironic that it should all end up like this. She sighed slightly and laid down, letting her eyes slip closed in sleep.

A life for a life.

Her's for her fathers.

She drifted off, Mushu watching over her sadly.

. . .

The knife glinted dully as Mushu pulled it out and stared at it. In the commotion at the palace he'd managed to snag it before anyone else before they'd left. He didn't know why he grabbed it, only that Mulan couldn't be found, and the knife was a clue.

The White Lotus etched onto the hilt was already a huge indicator of her family, and of her.

Sighing he glanced at the feverish Mulan and back at the dagger, then slid it back into its covering.

He'd tell her about it later, when she was feeling better.

. . .

"Mulan, you shouldn't be up!" Mushu growled as Mulan stumbled around the camp, gathering clothing and supplies that had been dragged out and used during their two week stay in the pass. She shook her head and coughed.

"We've been here long enough, Mushu," Mulan rasped, bending down to pick up a small pot only to have several items fall out of her arms as her side stretched farther than she intended, stressing the healing wound and making her hiss. She caught his look and snarled, "I'm fine Mushu!"

"You are not fine!" Mushu suddenly yelled, a small puff of flame snuffing out just past his snout. His eyes blazed angrily, and Mulan paused in surprise as the usually docile dragon puffed himself up. "You have a fever, you can't walk straight, and you can't even reason with me! How do you think that you can ride a horse all the way home?" he breathed heavily as they stared each other down.

Finally Mulan lowered her eyes, "They're tracking us, Mushu. There is smoke just down the mountain from fires." She trembled and Mushu deflated.

A tired sigh slipped past his throat and he nodded. "I know, Mulan." He glanced in the direction of the smoke worriedly, "I know."

Two hours later the camp was packed up – without Mulan's help – and they were riding away. Mushu guided the horse through the pass as Mulan slept fitfully in the saddle.

Back at camp a forgotten sash lay tangled and bloodstained in a bush. A few feet away, next to an abandoned and badly disguised camp fire, a small dagger glinted dully from the leaves that it was buried in.

0~o~0

Most of you probably know that I will be leaving Fanfiction, soon. This is just a little something that I have been working on for a while but never put up. So, for all you fans of Consequences, this is your sequel. It probably won't be finished, but I will update it if I can. You might not get more than one chapter from it so don't be too disappointed if I suddenly drop off the map.

If in three months I haven't said anything and I haven't updated then this sequel is up for adoption for anyone who wants to continue it. It makes for a good starting point. I can also write up a short story plot that might help organize my thoughts on where this should go if it ever does get adopted.

Hope you like it!

Oh, and check out my profile for other story ideas that need to be adopted before I vanish.

Please review!