I would like to get started on it this week. This is the only week where I'm not up to my ears in work. Whoever has it, can they send it please?

It was night, and darkness brooded over the earth; nothing was heard save the winds gentle sighing. Darkness reigned supreme over the earth, occasionally letting a stray moon beam through as an act of extravagance. The silence was soon shattered by the sound of a flint being struck. The darkness turned toward the sound in alarm, then quickly fled as a small bobbing point of light appeared, revealing a young Chinese maiden sitting up in bed, shielding the growing candle flame from any stray nighttime breezes. A small dog was ng at the foot of her bed, it’s four paws twitching in it’s sleep. She carefully set the candle down on a nightstand next to her bed, and reached beside herself to pick up a small scroll.

Mulan sat on the edge of her bed and reexamined the message that had arrived by imperial messenger the previous afternoon. The Emperor’s seal, a twisting golden dragon was upon the cover. The rest of the message was delicately etched with a fine silver pen; such beautiful writing was surely the work of the emperor’s finest scribe. It was an invitation to the Fa family (what there was of it) to visit the Imperial City, and attend a special feast honoring the full restoration of the Imperial Palace.

Mulan pursed her lips, as her eyes glided over the message once more. "I suppose it’s polite enough," She thought when she was finished, but she knew a request from the Emperor wasn’t really a request.

Mulan tried instead to think of something positive about it. "At least I’ll get to see Shang again," she concluded. Due to the loss of virtually all the Chinese standing army, Shang had decided to take up temporary residence in the imperial city, and help train a new professional army. Mulan still hadn’t sorted out all her feelings about Shang, but if nothing else, they had become strong friends, despite how little she had seen him after the war.

Mulan was startled out of her reverie by the sudden crowing of the rooster. She had been thinking so hard that she leaped forward in surprise, making a muffled thump on the dirt floor.

"Ouch!" "I guess there are some disadvantages of military training," Mulan said as she picked herself off the floor, brushing the dirt from her nightdress (dirt floors will do that to you). Little Brother, awakened by the noise, charged over to Mulan and tried to lick her feet while they were still available.

"Not now," Mulan said to her dog. She didn’t want to get dog slobber on herself this early in the morning.

Little Brother looked up at Mulan, his tongue hanging out.

She smiled at him, he looked so cute.

"Oh little brother, whatever am I going to do," she said as stroked him between his ears.

Little Brother cocked his head sideways, as if he was trying to listen; when nothing further was forthcoming, he padded back to the foot of Mulan’s bed to lye down.

Mulan bent down, and retrieved the message, setting the Imperial invitation back on her nightstand, and paused to blow out the candle; Darkness returned to continue it’s rein for a little while longer. Mulan got back in bed, fully intending to doze for an hour or so until she was supposed to be up...

"Mulan are you up yet," Fa Li called from the kitchen.

Mulan awoke with a start. "Aiya," she exclaimed when she saw the light of morning in her room. "I’m late!" "Ah, I’ll be ready very soon mama," she said loud enough for her mother to hear.

"Be sure you do," Fa Li said, "Today is not a day to be late."

Mulan quickly got out of bed and prepared for the new day.
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`"Little Brother!" exclaimed Mulan. "Stop it. I have to get ready." Little Brother let out a small whimper, and Mulan couldn't help but smile at him. "Oh, Little Brother! How can I be mad at you?"
Mulan proceeded to get dressed and hurried into the family sitting room, where the rest of the family was waiting. "What?" What had she done now? Fa Li said nothing but grabbed Mulan by the arm and dragged her outside. Fa Zhou and Granny Fa followed.
Fa Li and Granny Fa climbed into the back of the small wagon, Fa Zhou sat atop one of the Fa family horses, and Mulan saddled Khan.
"What are you doing?" asked Fa Li.
"Riding Khan," answered Mulan.
"It's not lady-like."
"But Mama--"
"Mulan..."
"Mama, please?"
"Oh all right," Fa Li gave in, but irritably, "but be sure not to get filthy."
********************************************************************************
After the long journey to the Imperial City, the Fa family stretched their tired limbs. Little Brother jumped from the wagon and barked excitedly, Khan whinnied, the Mulan yawned. Mulan hadn't been able to sleep at all last night. Her stomach churned and she wondered what it would be like to see the Emperor, in a more formal meeting, not like the night she had defeated Shan Yu.
A small smile spread across Mulan's face. She was thinking of Shang. At least something good will come out of this, she thought to herself. Suddenly, she felt her face grow flushed.
"Mulan, are you all right?" Fa Li asked in a worried tone as she felt Mulan's forehead.

"Nothing, Mama," Mulan reassured her. I'm just a little tired," she explained with a yawn.
Fa Li gave Mulan a suspicious glance, but didn't say anything, for Mulan was thankful.
"Well," started Mulan, "we'd better get going and find out where we're going to stay. We can't just stand here," and with that she climbed onto Khan and galloped ahead.










Soon they arrived near the palace gates.
"Now what does the letter say to do?" Mulan asked, Honestly she knew the anwser she wanted to hear her father tell her.
Mulan rode up next to the wagon so she could hear.
"Mulan,you know that you ride up to the gates and use the medallion to get in."
"And Mulan" Grandma Fa called " Hurry Shang is probably inside already" Mulan got off Khan and walked up to the palace guards
showed them the meadallion and they opened up the gates. Soon they made their way to the wagon and took the horses reins from Fa Zhou
and told them that they were taking the horses (including Khan into the impearial horse stalls) Mulan and her family finally made their
way up the palace stairs into the hallway. By now it had grown dark. The emperors empor's messager told them that they were to make themselves
compfortable, and to get ready for dinner.
`````````````````````````````````````````````````` lyiSoon they arrived near the palace gates.
"Now what does the letter say to do?" Mulan asked, Honestly she knew the answer she wanted to hear her father tell her.
Mulan rode up next to the wagon so she could hear.
"Mulan , you know that you ride up to the gates and use the medallion to get in."
"And Mulan" Grandma Fa called " Hurry Shang is probably inside already" Mulan got off Khan and walked up to the palace guards showed them the medallion and they opened up the gates. Soon they made their way to the wagon and took the horse's reins from Fa Zhou and told them that they were taking the horses (including Khan into the imperial horse stalls) Mulan and her family finally made their way up the palace stairs into the hallway. By now it had grown dark. The emperors empor's messager showed fa Zhou and Fa Li their room, Grandma Fa her room and then Mulan her room. told them that they were to make themselves
comfortable, and to get ready for dinner. Soon after Mulan unpacked her things , a messenger knocked at the door.
"What could he want?" Mulan asked herself. She answered the door and was looking right at Shang.
"Ummm, uhh " Mulan stammered "Come on" Mulan thought "What's the word I'm thinking of?"
"Hi" She finally said. Shang smiled
"Hi are you ready to go to dinner?" he asked "Is he asking me out to dinner?" she thought.
"Dinner?" she asked.
"Yeah, dinner ....with the emporer....that's tonight,did you forget"
"Oh right dinner, right now?"
"Yes...Are you ready?" Shang asked, Mulan looked at what she was wearing
"No not really, could you ww-wwait a minute,please?"
"Yes sure" Shang said as Mulan walked into the other room.
"Umm, Shang are my parents following us down?" Mulan called from the door of the other room.
"No, they're already down there we're the last to arrive"
"Oh so we're late!" Mulan yelled running out of the other room dressed.
"That was quick" Shang commented
"Thanks, Now lets hurry"
"You're the guest of honor, you're supposed to be late"
"Now how come you never told me that?"
"You never asked, anyway we have a few minutes to spare,do you have your speech ready?"
"OH NO!! a speech was I supposed to have a speech ready!?!" Mulan asked she was now clearly shaking.
"No you weren't supposed to have a speech, calm down"
"You're right I need to calm down But that was a mean trick" Mulan said teasingly pushing Shang.
"Did you know that the Gang of three is here also." Shang asked.
"What kind of questions will the emperor ask us anyway?"
" The normal like do you have any secret crushes?"
"Now why would he ask that ?"
"I don't know, but I'm curious,does the famous Fa Mulan have a crush, Does she wish she knew anybody better, or any thing like that?"
"Okay for the record not really"
"Oh so that means you kinda have a crush on someone" Shang said as they started down the hall. " Is it one of the Gang of three?"
"Shang could you see me with one of the gang of three?" Mulan asked sarcastically.
"Oh then is it Chi-fu?" Shang teased. The face Mulan made looked like she ate a lemon.
"Okay then is it a some one from your village? Will you ever tell me?" Shang asked, Mulan smiled
"Who do you have a crush on, if you tell me I'll tell you " Mulan reasoned.
"Oh who I have a crush on is boring, you wouldn't want to know"
"So you do have a crush on someone, Who is it?"
"Now that's talent, Mulan you were waiting for me to say that" Shang said just as they walked into the dining hall. Mulan and Shang sat beside each other listening to all the conversation. Just then Mulan had an idea
"Shang write who you love on a piece of paper and hand it to me and I'll right who I love and we'll exchange it, No laughing or bad comments,deal" Shang nodded and started writing. Mulan felt childish but wrote on the paper and they quietly exchanged the pieces of paper no one even noticed Mulan looked at the name one the paper and found out Shang loved........

=)

Can't wait for your part!! ^_^

I wonder what will happen next I'm sorry I couldn't get the fan fic to you I was so swamped with work it wasn't funny!!

That ok...I know exactly what you mean, I don't know how I'm going to get a chance to finish the fic, lets hope I get some study halls so I can work on it!!

I have no study halls in school I have after school and I'm having more blond moment by the day I can't write a fan fic anytime soon

I just polished off a 3,200 word paper on Robert E. Lee for my Psy. & Civil War class. I read 1,100 pages of material on him, and I did it all in a week!

I have a headache just thinking about it, I haven't done anything that hard yet I just have to do these little reports on Mythology on TV in front of our school, It's extremely Hard

Yea I think you win the bussiest person award! but still I have soooooooooo much to do and so little time. Has anyone ever heard of this woman from ancient China named Empress Wu? I'm supposed to do a three page paper on her but I'm not finding much info. Has anyone read the book "OF Mice and Men" I have to do a five paragraph essay on that too and I have no clue what to write. I'm also completely stuck on the fanfic. EEEEEEK! I hate writers block. It will be a while but I know some inspiration will come to me eventually. But I would hate to have been you Ben! Are you in college? If so what's your major??

Yea, I'm in a community college. Currently in my second year.

My major is Business/Computers. I'm going to transfer to a technical school this fall. 'xpect ya' all will see even less of me then. I hope not!

If your gone then who'll be the comp. genius in our group?