Disclaimer: Mulan, Shang and any other characters, scenes, dialogue, etc. from Mulan belong to Disney. Anything from or resembling the movie Seven Samurai belongs to the amazing Akira Kurosawa.

Summary: (AU) Inspired by the movie Seven Samurai. What if Mulan lived in a village between the northern border and the Tung Shao Pass and it was her village that the Imperial Army came to protect? In this fic, instead of Mulan going off to war in place of her father, the Imperial troop led by General Li comes to her village to defend it against incursions from over the northern border. This is a completely alternate storyline, despite some similarities in the beginning.

A/N: I know I'm in the middle of three Mulan stories already. But I had another nutty Mulan idea and had to get it down 'on paper' so to speak.

oooOooo

Chapter 1

Warmth began to permeate the air as the sun rose higher in the sky and the formerly empty street now filled with villagers moving about, beginning to start their day. Hurrying about and absorbed in their own tasks, no one noticed the two women waiting in front of one of the storefronts along the main road, stopped in one place as if they had nowhere to go. The older of the two, a short, plumpish woman with a pleasant, permanently creased face that was set in an expression of slight amusement gazed casually at the passersby. The younger one, a woman of middle-age with dark hair streaked with grey and fixed in a neat bun, stood tautly, wide dark eyes combing the streets, her pleasant face now contorted into an anxious expression.

In a beautiful garden surrounding a home that lay on the outskirts of this village, a lithe, agile teenage girl leaped about nimbly, alternately kicking and punching forcefully at the air, her movements swift, powerful, sharp and efficient. As she finished her workout, drenched with sweat now, her thick raven hair hanging limp and damp, the girl calmly drew herself up and serenely bowed to her invisible opponent.

Mulan was quite pleased with her accomplishments. One day she would show her father how much she'd improved at her martial arts and how much she'd taken his lessons to heart. Brushing her damp hair back from her face she knelt down and reached for the large vessel she'd brought out with her, then rose and went to the well to fetch some water to make tea for breakfast, and to quench her thirst.

Although it wasn't usual for a young girl to learn martial arts and swordplay, as a little girl Mulan had been fascinated as she watched her father practice, moving through his sword forms with such grace and beauty, his reflexes and movements like those of a cat. She'd attempted to imitate him, badly. Chuckling with amusement, General Hua Zhou had taken his six-year-old aside, beginning to teach her easy movements so she could stand alongside of him as he worked out, attempting to mimic his moves, holding a straight branch from a tree with the leaves and twigs stripped off instead of the fine sword that her father held. Both father and daughter relished these moments together, immensely enjoying each other's company during every one of these practice sessions. The general had no son to pass his knowledge on to and seemed happy to share it instead with his only daughter. As she grew older, he continued to teach her more martial arts moves and even some swordplay.

The general had been gravely wounded in his last battle a couple of years before and had been forced to retire. For a while they thought he might never walk again; but he fortunately pulled through and was able to get around once again with the aid of a cane. Despite his injured leg he still comported himself with an air of dignity and grace, and on more than one occasion she spied him by the weapons closet, grasping his old sword and lightly attempting to go through some of his old easier movements. He still moved with his old grace and beauty, but after only a short time the pain in his leg would force him to stop; he couldn't bear to put weight on it.

It was after this that she became aware of an illogical, urgent desire to master those same skills, an almost inexplicable wish to take his place and to honor him, and pass on the knowledge that he'd had no son to hand it down to. Never one to rise early, she suddenly began to wake at sunrise everyday, creeping out to the garden to practice. Perhaps she thought that if she had a son one day she could give him the gift of her father's legacy as a master warrior and hero.

Tea was prepared quickly and she hurried toward the temple with the pot and a cup, where she knew her father would be making his daily offerings and prayers to the ancestors.

She almost ran into him and dropped everything she was holding as he stepped out of the temple at the same time she reached the step leading to it. Stopping short, she regained her balance and handed him the cup, filling it with tea.

"Good morning, Baba."

"Mulan," he began, puzzled as he took the teapot from her by hooking his cane underneath the handle and holding it thus.

"Remember what the doctor said," she continued, not noticing the alarmed look on his face. "Three cups in the morning and three at night…"

"Mulan, you should be in town by now!" he exclaimed. "We're counting on you to…"

"I know, I know. To uphold the family honor. Don't worry, Baba. I won't let you down," she reassured him, turning and hurrying down the stone steps away from the family shrine.

"Wish me luck," she called back as she leaped across the stone bridge that lay over the small pond.

"Hurry!" he called after her.

oooOooo

"Hua Li, where is that daughter of yours?"

Li turned to Lady Ming, the matriarchal woman of the village that had addressed her crossly. Her head poked through the door of the bath house that they stood before, the place where the girls were bathed, dressed and made-up, transformed to look like brides for their meeting with the matchmaker.

"You know the matchmaker has no patience for girls arriving late," she added, then withdrew back into the bath house.

With a deep sigh, Hua Li turned back to face the street, her hands wringing nervously.

"Ai, of all the days for Mulan to be late!" she fretted, out loud but half to herself. "I should have prayed to the ancestors for luck."

"Don't worry, we have all the luck we'll need," her companion reassured her, lifting up the cage that she was holding. A cricket sat inside of it, chirping.

"Now, this is your chance to prove yourself," she spoke to the tiny creature now, holding the cage up close to her face.

Hua Li sighed, turning away and gazing off into the distance, praying that her daughter would appear in that moment. Something made her turn back and look into the middle of the street where her eccentric mother-in-law was now headed, one hand still holding the cricket-cage and the other covering her eyes, heedless of the horse-drawn carts that were racing at her from both directions.

"Grandma, no!" she exclaimed, her heart leaping into her throat, her arm shooting out in a gesture to stop her. She cringed as the two carts ran head-long into one another though both drivers had tried to halt their horses and avoid the collision. Grandma Hua stood safely on the other side of the street, removed from the tangle of horses and bodies and goods strewn all over the road, holding the cage up and whooping joyfully that the cricket was a lucky one.

Putting a hand over her chest in an attempt to steady her pounding heart, Hua Li shook her head and turned just as her daughter cantered up to the bath house on her large black steed.

"I'm here!" she announced, dismounting.

Her hair was disheveled and damp and her casual dress had obviously been thrown on hurriedly, Li assessed as she looked Mulan over. She knew in an instant that the girl had been practicing martial arts again, of all things on all days.

"What?" Mulan asked, confused as she saw her mother's cross expression of disapproval. "But, Mama, I was…"

"None of your excuses," she chided. "This is the most important day of your life and you had to be late. Now, in you go."

Lady Ming met her at the entrance as she nudged her daughter toward the door and she took over, bustling Mulan inside to be hurriedly bathed in the now-freezing water and primped and prepared for her meeting.

An hour or so later, Mulan was lined up with nine other girls her age, dressed in bright-colored silk, her face covered with the white powder, charcoal eyeliner and cherry red lip color typical of a bride. The cage with the lucky cricket her grandmother had given her was tied around her waist, and though it was lightweight she found that it changed her balance slightly as she walked. It was helpful in fact, because it somehow offset the weight of all the layers of clothing that she had on, making it easier for her to glide like the other brides-to-be. Her grandmother had winked at her as she turned in surprise after moving a little with the cage tied to her.

"My grandma did the same for me," she told her softly, then nudged her lovingly, indicating for her to follow the other girls. "You're ready now."

Several men and women of the village were gathered to watch the line of young girls marching single-file, smiling as they admired the vision of the row of beautiful porcelain dolls in bright, flowing dresses moving gracefully through the street.

The ten girls stopped and knelt, bowing their heads in homage as the matchmaker stepped out of her storefront, eyeing the line of brides-to-be before her with an expert, scrutinizing gaze.

"Hua Mulan," she called out looking over a tablet she was holding.

It was on the tip of her tongue to call out and indicate her presence; but just in time Mulan remembered her mother's lesson that she was not to speak without permission. She quickly closed her mouth and stood up, bowing humbly, trying her best to look the picture of demure.

"Come inside," the matchmaker ordered, turning toward the door.

Mulan followed her inside as the door shut behind her, feeling truly nervous for the first time that day and somewhat regretting now that she'd always taken her father's lessons so much more seriously than her mother's. She kept her eyes averted as the plump, gruff woman circled around her, assessing her as if she were a commodity that was about to be put out to be sold in the market.

"Too skinny," she remarked as she tugged at the sash that was tied in a stranglehold around her waist. "Not good for bearing sons."

Suppressing a sigh, Mulan made an effort to remain still as the matchmaker tucked a hand under her chin, turning her face this way and that.

"But, in your favor, you come from a very prestigious family and household. There are many men who would want their sons to marry into the family of the famous General Hua Zhou. And you certainly come with an ample dowry."

After circling around her once more she made some notes on her pad.

"Now, recite the final admonition."

Mulan cleared her throat softly and whipped out the fan that her mother had given her, staring at it as she tried to envision the words that she'd read over and over in preparation for this moment. She had considered writing the final admonition onto the fan, but decided against it in the end. She was not a cheater and she resolved that she could only do her best. But she stared at the blank fan now anyway as if the words would magically appear, in hopes that even if they didn't the fan would still miraculously help her. As she finished her recitation, the matchmaker grabbed her wrist and snatched the fan, looking at both sides of it.

Satisfied that nothing was written on it, she handed it back to her, the suspicious glower fading from her face, and Mulan released a soft exhale of relief, glad for the decision she'd made.

"Now, pour the tea," the matchmaker ordered, beckoning her to the low table in the room, where a teapot and two cups were set and gesturing for her to kneel there.

As gracefully as she knew how, Mulan lifted the pot and poured out a cup of tea for her.

The matchmaker was about to say something else, but the banging of drums outside interrupted her. Mulan fought the impulse to leap up and run to see what was going on. She glanced at the matchmaker and saw the look of alarm on the woman's face as she stood and crossed over to the door.

Mulan listened intently through the open door from her place at the table as a man announced that there were rumors of an invasion from over their northern border. A troop from the Emperor's army would be there soon, but the leaders of the village were ordering everyone to make preparations. The first priority would be to get the women and children to a safe place and the men of the village would be meeting that evening.

Returning to the table, the matchmaker coaxed her up.

"You're done," she said curtly, bustling her out the door abruptly.

Mulan waited off to the side while the matchmaker beckoned to her mother. The two women conversed briefly, and then the matchmaker called off the name of the next young woman as Hua Li turned and came toward her with a serious expression on her face.

oooOooo

It was as if she was looking at another person, Mulan thought as she stared at the porcelain doll that appeared below her in the pond that she was looking into. She brought her hand up to the comb in her hair, watching entranced as the reflection's hand raised up too and touched a comb that looked like the one she was wearing.

Her father had been at the front door of their house waiting for her when she passed through the outer gate on foot, leading her steed along. A hopeful smile spread across his kind face as he looked to her for news. She smiled back and nodded. Despite the abrupt ending of her session, the matchmaker had approved of her overall and had told her mother that she would make a suitable bride. When a match was found for her, she would be in touch with her parents.

"So, I'm going to be a bride after all," she murmured to herself as she continued to stare at the strange girl whose image appeared in the water.

A pang of anxiety flashed through her suddenly, settling in her stomach which began to knot up, and she felt a lump begin to form in her throat as the prospect of what would happen soon hit her. She was glad that now she would bring honor to her family, but the idea of being a bride and marrying a man that she didn't know made her nervous. Her own mother and father had a happy marriage and they genuinely loved each other. But what if she wasn't as lucky as her mother had been? She hoped that at least the man she was paired with would be nice. Would he be as scared as she was?

She finally roused herself and stood up, blinking back her tears and heading back to the house. It was time to remove the dress and the make-up, which she hopefully wouldn't need again for some time.

"Mulan, there you are," her mother called out from the kitchen entrance as Mulan stepped through the door. "Get washed and changed and come help me with dinner. It will only be the three of us tonight. Your father went into town for a meeting."

"About the invasion," she answered, nodding. "I heard the man's announcement."

Her mother gave her a look and sighed.

"I didn't come outside," Mulan added defensively, knowing of her mother's concern for her interest in martial arts and other things that were expected from a male child, not a young woman on the verge of being wed. "The matchmaker had the door open and I could hear him even from where I was at the table. An Imperial troop is coming here."

"Yes," Hua Li sighed, worry creasing her face. "But that's not your concern, Mulan. You are to stay inside and be safe when they come. Now get changed and come help me with dinner."

"I'll be right along, Mama."

oooOooo

There was a ruckus out along the road early the next afternoon, just a day after Mulan's meeting with the matchmaker. A girl's screaming and, curiously, the laughter of a crowd of men.

Hua Zhou moved as fast as he could toward the gate opening to see what was happening, her mother and grandmother following a few paces behind. Mulan hurried toward the road, but her mother put an arm in front of her to stop her.

"Stay inside, Mulan," her mother chided.

Dejectedly, Mulan stopped in her tracks, obeying her mother. A movement of her grandmother's hand caught her eye and she turned to look at her. Grandma winked and gestured to the tree just inside their walled off courtyard, which would offer a perfect view.

With a quick smile of gratitude, Mulan scampered over to the tree and climbed up, peering out into the road.

The screaming girl was Mei, one of the brides-to-be that she'd been lined up with the day before. She was in tears, running around in a circle and trying to dodge her father Lu Hu who was running after her trying to grasp at her hair. Mulan gasped in alarm when she saw that Lu was chasing his daughter with a knife. Several of their neighbors, all men and boys, were gathered along the road, watching them and doing nothing but laughing while Mei fled from her father, pleading with him to stop. She ran off toward the forest in the distance, her father chasing after her.

Angry and indignant at the whole situation, Mulan was about to leap down and interfere. She refrained when she saw that her father was speaking with one of the men who had been standing there laughing. After a brief conversation her father turned and came back inside their gate.

Mulan climbed back down from her perch on the branch and hurried over to her father.

"What's going on, Baba?"

Her father was shaking his head, his lip curled into a disapproving frown. "He's gone nuts," he muttered.

"Why was he chasing Lu Mei around with a knife? And why didn't anyone do anything to stop him?"

"Mulan!" her mother scolded. "You were supposed to stay inside!"

"It's not our affair," her father answered.

"But…"

"Let's go inside and have lunch," he said, cutting her off.

Once they were gathered around the table eating their lunch and sipping tea, Hua Zhou revealed everything that was going on. The men had met the night before to discuss preparations for the arrival of the Imperial troop that would be coming to protect their village and cut off the invaders before they made it too far into their territory, and to forge a plan for ensuring the safety of their families and the villagers who were unable to protect themselves.

"I believe that my old friend General Li is leading the troop that will be coming here, but we shall find out soon enough."

He went on to explain that the invaders were being led by Shan-Yu. When this came up during the meeting Lu Hu had stood up and urged them that it wasn't enough to hide their daughters. They had to disguise them as boys, lest Shan-Yu and his barbarians find them and rape them all.

Rolling his eyes, he released an annoyed sigh. "Shan-Yu is a fierce and dangerous warrior, but I've never known him or any of his men to rape women. This is an old battle for territory and resources that has gone on for many years. Anyway, Lu Hu got everyone riled up into a panic at that meeting. And now, apparently, he was trying to use that knife to cut Mei's hair off so she would look like a boy. She ran away from him and he chased her."

Grandma Hua began to laugh almost maniacally and Mulan and her family looked up and stared at her. "It looks like we don't need invaders to stir up this town," she quipped. "The men of the village have already managed to cause fear and havoc and Shan-Yu hasn't even arrived yet!"

Mulan turned to her father curiously. "Poor Lu Mei. Father, is that what you want me to do? Cut my hair and dress up like a boy?"

"I would not make you do anything that you don't want to, Mulan, and I don't even think that it's necessary. Lu Hu has gone a little crazy in his panic over his daughter. He would be better off just keeping her hidden. There's no guarantee that disguising her would make her safe, and she was not at all happy with the prospect of being made to look like a boy."

"Listen, Baba, I'm pretty good at martial arts. I've been practicing."

He folded his arms. "Yes. You're more interested in practicing martial arts than you were in being on time to get ready for the matchmaker. You thought I didn't notice, didn't you."

She lowered her eyes, blushing.

"We'll talk about that at another time. What is your reason for telling me now?"

"If I'm disguised as a boy, I can participate in the training and help protect the village."

"No. Absolutely not."

"Baba, if the men see me dressed as a boy and they believe I am a boy, they may expect it of me."

A long sigh escaped him.

"I've gotten really good," she insisted, almost pleading.

"Yes, I know you have."

She was unable to suppress the proud smile that came to her lips when he said that.

"I can help," she added.

"Zhou, you're not going to let her…" her mother began, worriedly.

"No. Mulan, I know how much you've improved and I am proud. But there is no reason for you or any of the other girls in this village to disguise yourselves as boys. I would rather you remain hidden and safe. A battle is not the place for a young girl."