Authors Name: Imyourfreakingprincess

Title: Doubts & questions

Theme: Troubling Thoughts

Characters/Pairing: Mulan&Mushu (friendship)

Rating: K

Date: 6/06/11

Notes: This takes place during 'I'll make a man out of you.' This was also written for Chazzafans' contest. I've never written Mulan fiction before,so sorry if it's a bit ooc. I might continue with themes. I'm not quite sure yet. Also,please warn me if words are missing. The document manager is a friggin' cannibal.

Mulan stumbled into her tent,blindly looking for her clothes and equipment.

Mushu followed her silently,afraid that he would startle her.

She was clearly upset about something and had been quiet the entire day,despite his efforts to make her talk.

Usually,he was the only one who seemed to be able to make her laugh. But this time,he hadn't succeeded yet.

Maybe it was because of something he did. He couldn't remember anything he did that could make her this uncomfortable. But then again, he had already often annoyed people without realizing it. Gift or curse,take your pick.

The petite dragon (who was commonly mistaken for a lizard) made himself comfortable on one of the piles of cloth that were scattered around the small tent. He made a mental note that next time,he really should find someone who could at least set up a decent tent. He was fed up with waking up in the middle of the night with a collapsed tent on his head.

Soon he had to flee from his improvised chair because Mulan threw the pile into a small bag,not looking if she dragged Mushu with it. Jeesh,something was really wrong. He wondered if it was that time of the month. He hoped not,he was a trained and skilled guardian but even he wasn't able to cope with the horror that was PMS.

So he seated himself on the floor of the tent while he carefully studied his protégée,who was still rampaging around the small space. Well,she was rather crawling since there wasn't enough room to stand up. While she was busy packing her things,Mushu tried to find a reason why she would be so stressed. Maybe because of the practical joke the gang had played on her? They had crept in her tent and had placed gunpowder in her lamp. Needless to say that the results weren't pretty.

Nah,she had taken her revenge on them with her own tricks. (A big,hairy spider in someones shoe? A classic but still hilarious.) Besides Mulan wasn't that touchy. She was the toughest,strongest girl he had ever met. Not he had met that many girls. Human or not.

Suddenly,it hit him.

To be more precise:a shoe did.

"Sorry!"Mulan yelled and then she continued while Mushu moved a little to a safer place and shook his head. Poor clumsy,disorientated Mulan...

After an hour of ducking and running(on Mushu's part) she had finally packed her things and the poor dragon didn't need to hide anymore from the danger of being stuffed in a bag.

Or being hit by flying objects for that matter.

Then he noticed the sudden change in her appareance.

She sat down on her backpack,her shoulders slumped and her entire posure was collapsed. It seemed like the wooden magnolia had wilted.

Mushu was alarmed,his baby girl had never looked so defeated before. Even when she was send home,knocked on the ground or pestered by one of the recruits she didn't gave up;it was just one of the things that made Mulan well,... Mulan

Mushu climbed up her shoulder and patted her cheek. He hoped he was soothing. He didn't remember anymore how to calm someone. It had been a while since he had been a guardian,not that Fa Deng had needed soothing.

But Mulan seemed to relax just a little bit and for that moment,that was all that mattered.

After a moment that seemed like an eternity,she sat straighter and looked her protector in the eyes.

"What are we doing here,Mushu?"She asked with a small voice.

Mushu looked at her suprised. Why did she had to ruin the moment with cryptic questions?

Mushu desperatly tried to find an answer that was coherent and sounded logical. Not an easy job when one is perplexed.

"I...you know why!We're here to save your daddy!"

"I know that Mushu,it's just...well...I don't know if this was the right choice.", Mulan answered while she shifted her eyes to the ground,"Is this the honorable thing to do? Wouldn't it have been better if I just stayed at home?"

Mushu looked at her,there was no trace of the usually bubbly dragon he was anymore. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Okay,spill! What is this all about?"

Mulan refused to answer.

"Is one of the recruits troubling you? Because I have the perfect solution:you search for a club and I take care of a bag and then we..."

"No one is bothering me,Mushu. " Mulan cut him of.

"no?"

"no."

Then the answer dawned on him. It seemed almost impossible with his big,strong girl. But it was the only answer.

"You're scared,aren't you?" He didn't say it like he was accusing her. He just stated it.

"Arent you?"Mulan answered quietly.

Mushu uncomfortable murmured some words about honour,duty and defeating the bad guy before he let out a long sigh and peeked up towards Mulan.

"Maybe a little bit."

"Well, I guess I'm scared too." Mulan said.

Mushu nodded encouraging,gesturing for her to go on. Man,If it didn't work out as a guardian he could still try for a shrink.

"I'm just having a moment of doubt,okay?",Mulan sighed.

"I'm scared about what will happen if I die. What will my parents think? What are they thinking right now? "

"Whatever happens,I'm sure they love you."Mushu said.

"How do you know that?"Mulan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because you're their kid!"

"It doesn't always work that way ,Mushu.",Mulan told him.

"I do know that.",Mushu answered,"But not your parents. They're different."

"Why?"

Mushu turned to look in the eyes of his guarded one.

"Because I know you're parents longer then you think and I've seen your father's face when you were born."

Mushu smiled at the memory.

"His face was full of joy. I don't think I've ever seen someone so happy before. If he comes praying you can count on it that 9 of 10 times it'll be for you."

"Really?" Mulan looked seized with emotion but then her face fell. "He's probably praying that my actions won't cause to much dishonour."

"No! He prays for your well being,your health and sometimes he does pray for you to be less a klutz."

Mulan stuck out her tongue.

"I'm serious!",Mushu said,"They love you!"

Mulan smiled.

"You know,you can be really understanding when you want to."

"Years of experience,baby!", a smug look was plastered on Mushu's face,"But you're sure we can't knock anyone down?"

"Mushu..."

"Sorry! sorry! Just checking!"

Mulan let out a small laugh

"You always manage to make me laugh,Mushu." Mulan patted his head "That's why you're my best friend."

"We're best friends?" Mushu asked disbelieving.

"Of course." Mulan smiled.

"So,you're my BFF?"

Mushu mused this development for a while. Then his face lit up.

"THIS. IS. GREAT! Now we can buy those cute friendship bracelets I've seen in town ,oh, I know! We could make or very own secret handshake! Oh wait,I don't have wrists...or hands..."

The tiny chatterbox went on like that for a while,searching for solutions for the missing hand and wrist.

Mulan laughed again.

"We'll figure something out." she said and scooped him up in a hug.

A fire-breathing dragon and a kick-ass heroine. Together they fight crime.