This is my first fan fic! Hope you like! Please read and review. Just as a note, if the beginning seems a bit a familiar (If she ever did post it!) I began this story a month ago and emailed the first part to another site but they never posted it! Please tell me what you think!

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Mulan asked her captain.

"Would you like to stay forever?" Granny Fa called.

"Dinner would great.." Shang said as they walked into the house.

They all went into the tea room. Shang felt at home. He had never felt this way before. He had been raised in a cold way. His mother died giving birth to his younger sister a who had died too without a mother. His father never remarried because of a broken heart, so he buried himself in his work. Planning to meet with other kingdoms, planning battle routines. He was always out on missions. Shang was raised by maids and servants.

He had gone into the army because of his father. All he ever wanted to do was make his father proud. Make his father happy. And when the time finally came when he could prove himself, it was too late. He wanted to give up, to stop, but just two small words gave him the comfort he had needed his whole life.

"I'm Sorry…" His young soldier had said. Little had Shang known that that same brave soldier was this beautiful young woman who he was beginning to fall for.

It had been six months since they had come back from war. Once or twice a week Shang would ride over and they would sit by the pond in the garden to talk. At first it was just "do you remember when," and "What do you think about," but soon, they had begun to discuss more personal issues. About family and duty and their childhoods.

Mulan felt bad for Shang. She had been raised by a family who loved her, and Shang was raised by people he hardly knew. Behind that strong face and stern expression, was a sad heart. After about two months, they both knew that it was meant to be. Mulan wanted to show her feelings for Shang, but she knew that it was not right. Hardly anyone would look at her, even after saving China, that she had broken tradition.

Mulan had started having dark dreams. Every night she would wake to find herself sweating and upside down on her bed. The dream was of a shadow, a dark image, that shone through the light. Every night, the shadow would get clearer and clearer, yet she still couldn't make out what it was. It scared her, yet she didn't know why. After about two weeks she decided to tell Shang.

"Well, what do you think it is?" Said Shang concerned. He didn't like it when Mulan was afraid, for she was one of the bravest people he had ever met. He loved the way she defied the odds to prove herself, he loved her bright personality that lit up her face. He loved everything about her.

"I don't know, but it scares me Shang, I don't know what to do." She said in a worried voice.

Shang knew that if he never spoke up about his feelings for her, then they would always just be friends. He didn't know what she thought of him, but he had to try. Otherwise he would never again have the chance. He worked up all his courage and started again to speak.

"Well, maybe your just over stressing yourself. You have been so tense lately, maybe all you need is some time to relax, to rest. Um, uh, how would you like to um, come out tomorrow with me, we can go to the valley and have some lunch. But a, if you, um, If you don't want to, er, well," He stuttered.

"That would be great, she said to him. Shang had never taken her out before. She had never seen his home and hoped that maybe this would give them a chance to get a little closer. She forgot all about her nightmares and hugged him. She could see how surprised he was by the noise he made, but then he hugged her back.

"So, I will, uh, ride over in the morning." He said putting on his helmet as he mounted his horse. Mulan waved as he rode away. As soon as he was out of sight she screamed and ran into room to lie on her bed and think about her "date".

That night she dreamt happily for the first time in weeks. Mulan dreamt that she was at some sort of celebration, everyone was happy and celebrating, then out of nowhere a dark fog filled the air. And in the fog she made out the dark shadow she had grown to recognize. This time, she knew who it was. His dark long hair waved in the air. As he stepped closer, the black and brown skins he was wearing waved and wrinkled. He looked at her with a cunning smirk and as she gazed into the burning yellow eyes of Shan-Yu, he said, "Boo".

Mulan woke with a start, She was on the floor of her room, all rolled up in blanket and covered in sweat. Mulan settled down and convinced herself that she was doing this to herself. She knew Shan-Yu was dead, She had killed him. Watched him die. No one could have ever survived that blast.

She couldn't get back to sleep, it was almost morning anyways, so she fixed her mind on Shang instead. He would be there in only a few hours. She got up and went to get ready. She brushed her hair that had grown back a little, and put on the same outfit she had bought to disguise herself to get into the palace. She tied the long red sash around her waist and started herself some tea.

She wondered what Shang had planned that day. It was against the law for a man and woman to be seen together out of marriage. Shang wasn't big on breaking the law or taking risks. She knew this meant that it had to be something so important that he was willing to risk it.

Just then, Granny Fa came into the room and sat besides Mulan.

" Why are you up so early, I know how you like to sleep in," She said.

" I'm going out today." Mulan answered.

" Oh, with that handsome young captain I suppose? Hey, if and you never get together, He's mine!" She joked.

They both laughed and Granny Fa helped Mulan get ready.