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My sanity has turned to madness, And my goodness has turned to badness I need to possess you, I would sell my soul My life is trembling, I have no control.
~ from "Obsession," by AnimotionLing crawled into Mulan's room, by the front window tripping over the ledge as he came in. He clamped into the room.
~ Quiet, do you want to wake the entire house?, ~ Silver Fox hissed in his mind.
"I'm sorry, " Ling hissed back, " I could have come through the door like most people, but I had to wait until night. "
~ You had to come in at night, before Mulan fell asleep, otherwise the spell wouldn't work, now, did you finish preparing the stone?~ Silver Fox asked.
"Yes," Ling droned like a small child being lectured by a teacher. He spent all day preparing it, bathing it in incense, burning it over an open flame, and sprinkling it over water. The other troops probably wondered what he was doing, but he didn't care. If this works, Mulan will love me, he thought, Right now that's all I care about.
~ Put it under her pillow, ~ Silver Fox demanded. Ling lifted Mulan's pillow, and looked at the stone in his hand. He remembered that Silver Fox told him that the stone would give her nightmares, that would drive her away from Shang and to himself. He squeezed it tighter in his hand. Forgive me Mulan, he said, as he put it under her pillow.
From outside the room, Ling could hear Mulan's footsteps heading for the door. He ran to the window and sneaked out. "Okay, we gave it to her, now what? , " he asked.
~ Patience, Silver Fox said, ~ You'll want to see this. Now, close your eyes and imagine yourself invisible ~. Ling obeyed, and felt his body disappearing, "Hey, this is neat. I love your powers!, " he said gleefully.
Silver Fox hushed him, as she told him to wait. "Soon, I'll do my part."
"I knew there was something wrong ," Chi Fu said, as he ripped off Mulan's top knot. All of her hair flew down to her shoulders. "A woman."
Shang glared at her dumbfounded. A gasp fell through the entire company. "Shang, I can explain. My name is Fa Mulan . I did it to save my father." Mulan protested, but she knew it would do no good.
"Liar. Treacherous snake." Chi Fu declared. Mulan continued to object, but still the emperor's advisors accusations rang through her ears.
"The law is very clear about this, she must be put to death, " Chi Fu said to Shang. The captain looked down at the recruit, the one he called Ping, the one he once trusted, the one who lied to him, and advanced towards her.
Ling, Yao, and Chien Po ran to their comrade to defend her, but Chi Fu held them back. "You know the law."
Mulan looked down at the snow, and said nothing. She saw Shang's shadow advance on her. She felt nothing as his sword sliced through her body and enter her heart.
Mulan woke from her bed, shivering. She was no longer on the mountain being tried for their discovery of her, she was still in her room, waking from a nightmare. She shot from her bed and looked outside. The stars twinkled merrily at her and the bamboo trees swayed noiselessly in the wind. The dream confused Mulan. She hadn't thought about that night , in a long time. What caused her to think of it now and in that way? Shang hadn't killed her, he spared her life and they went on and defeated the Huns. Shang would never do that, would he?
~ How do you know he wouldn't ,~ an eerie voice whispered, ~ He was headed for you with that sword in his hand. Perhaps, he had a momentary weakness, but he would have killed you, just as easily as an enemy. ~ Mulan shut her ears, to the voice. She didn't want to hear it. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw someone standing by the trees watching her, a person perhaps. I hope it's not Ling, she thought.
Mulan tried to get last night's encounter with Ling out of her mind. She wanted to dismiss it as a drunken error or a prank concocted by him and Yao, but she couldn't. Suddenly, a dozen half-remembered conversations and idle scenes from the past year entered her mind. The girls Ling always talked about, but never showed, the slightly too-long looks he gave her, the accidental bumping into her. Mulan, tried to dismiss , but could only come to the conclusion Ling had confessed to her: he had fallen in love with her.
Mulan felt confused, as though she were feeling torn apart inside. She felt like she couldn't trust herself, or anyone else. She knew that no matter what happened, whether it be last night or her dreams, she had to face them alone. "Ancestors, please give me good dreams and thoughts ," she prayed, as she fell back to sleep.
Mushu wandered into the woods, looking for any sign of Silver Fox and her pranks, but he knew it would be beyond difficult . Silver Fox didn't exactly, leave a trail of clues behind her. He looked around the woods. "It's quiet, too quiet.," the dragon said. The small dragon gulped in fear. When it came right down to it, he didn't want to face Silver Fox. He remembered the last time, he encountered her. She had manipulated one of Mulan's ancestors, Fa Dang into killing his own son, because she made him believe the poor innocent boy was plotting against him. Of course the incident caused Fa Dang to lose his mind and eventually his head, and it caused Mushu his guardianship. Occasionally, Mushu heard more about her, and the things she did. How she caused a man to burn his house down with his wife inside, because he thought she was cheating on him, how a young man killed his brother over a woman. Her powers weren't just limited to mortals, she could get through to guardians, too. Mushu even heard she got to his friend, Monkey. "I won't let my girl become your next statistic, Babe.," Mushu declared.
"Who's going to stop me, Babe, you?," A voice mocked. Mushu looked at the direction of the voice. Sure enough, the small fox stared icily at him. "Why if it isn't my favorite lizard.," she said sweetly. "Last I heard you were ringing a gong. "
"Yeah, thanks to you.," Mushu said. "I ain't going to let you hurt Mulan."
Silver Fox clapped her paws in delight. "Ah, I love a good show. Now, come on, keep doing it. Make me laugh."
He raised his fist in an attempt to fight her. Cri- Kee cowered in the corner terrified of the spirit. "You want to fight me girl, 'cause I can take you. I can take you , right here and right now, before you even get to Mulan."
Silver Fox looked over to Mushu and grinned, her white teeth practically glowing. "Now, how do you know I haven't already gotten to Mulan?"
Mushu started. That thought hadn't occurred to him. "Uh, well, I can stop you from doing anymore trouble to Mulan. Now, you want to fight or not?"
Silver Fox jumped down to be eye level with the dragon. "Gladly, I haven't had a good fight in a long time." Mushu first threw fire in her direction. The fox was consumed by the blaze, but then water fell from her paws dousing it. "Is that all you can do?," she teased.
"Just lemme get started.," Mushi mocked, firing an even bigger blast. Silver Fox laughed as she snapped her fingers. The fire that had emerged from him, now reverted back to him. Mushu was caught off guard by the trick and fell over. Cri- Kee ran to her friend's side, cursing at Silver Fox in cricket language.
The entity grinned. " I got you riled up enough to use your own powers against you. Now, since you two really are of no consequence , I don't really need to destroy you. But since I can't have you following me and warning Mulan, either. " She pointed her finger in the air, and Mushu and Cri- Kee went flying into the tree.
Mulan woke up the next morning, lost in thought. She was concerned because first she couldn't find Mushu anywhere. He had fallen asleep near her bed, but must have woken up early because she didn't see him. He'll turn up soon, I hope, she thought to herself. She greeted her mother , father, and grandmother, said good morning to Yao and Chien Po , but when she saw Shang the nightmare reentered her mind.
~ There he is, the man who tried to kill you , ~ the same voice whispered dripping with sarcasm ~ the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. ~ In her head, Mulan envisioned him coming after her with the sword. She shivered.
"Mulan, are you all right ?, " Shang asked, leaning closer to her. He held her arm, and Mulan drew back, suddenly not wanting Shang to touch her.
"Just keep away from me.," she warned. Seeing the image of him with the sword in her mind.
"What is the matter with you?, " Shang asked grabbing her a bit too roughly . "Did something happen to you the other night." Mulan pulled away from him. Realizing he was hurting her, Shang let her go. His tone was a bit softer. "Mulan, please tell me what is wrong. If I am to be your husband, I have a right to know. "
~ How could he know, when he's the problem?, ~ the voice asked. ~ He'll think you've gone mad. Best keep it to yourself. ~ "Best keep it to my -," Mulan muttered, then reverted back to her normal voice. "Nothing, I'm fine , just a dream. I think I'm going for a walk, alone. " She walked out the door, leaving her friends and family stunned by her behavior.
Three days later, Yao and Chien Po were rubbed their hands by the night fire. The embers leaped from log to log giving off a warm and friendly blaze. Mulan and Shang's wedding was one day away , but neither felt like celebrating. They hadn't spoken for a while, until Yao broke the silence. "Do you think he's gone funny in the head? I mean, he's always been funny in the head, but do you think he's finally lost it?"
Chien Po shrugged, knowing full well whom his small friend was taking about. "I don't know, I hope not. "
Even though none of them had ever said, they felt as responsible for Ling as he felt for them. Despite his braggadocio and swaggering attitude, there was a fragile ego that got bruised easily. He didn't show it much, but Yao and Chien Po knew him too well. Ever since their childhood days in the orphanage, they agreed to look out for each other.
"What bothers me is that he won't say anything?," Chien Po said, worried, not an emotion he usually felt. Yao nodded. After Ling told them how he really felt about Mulan, he withdrew from them. He was more intense now, angrier seemed to keep to himself. Yao didn't want to say anything , but a couple of times he caught Ling talking to himself.
"Speak of the devil.," Yao said, pointing at the approaching soldier. Ling staggered to the fire an sat down, warming his hands. His pupils were dilated and there was a glassy look to them. His hair had fallen over to his shoulders and hung in tangles. The soldier rocked his thin body back and forth near the fire and he was mumbling a deep conversation with an invisible something. He sat less than ten feet away from Yao and Chien Po , but he might as well have been miles away.
Chien Po was the first to break the ice. "Hi, Ling, would you like something to eat?"
Ling rocked himself and said in an eerie sing song voice. "The empire will crumble, and soon the empress will be mine while the emperor will cry."
"What, the blazes are you talking about?," Yao asked, brushing against his arm.
"Don't touch me.," Ling hissed.
"I don't know who you think you are lately, but you don't tell me what to do.", Yao yelled clenching his fist. "And, if you did anything to hurt Mulan, I'm going to forget our promise and tear you apart, you selfish idiot!"
How do you know, I did anything?," Ling teased, his voice carrying a tone of evil malice.
"Think about it, after you stupidly told us, you liked Mulan, she's walking around like someone's after her. If you can, for one minute, think about someone besides yourself! " In a moment of fury, he grabbed Ling and pushed him roughly. Instead of his usual, fearful look or wise guy grin, Ling smiled an evil smile.
"I warned you not to touch me.," Ling said. Yao, suddenly was lifted off the ground, tossed in the air, and then thrown to the ground. Chien Po leapt up to defend his friend. Ling looked directly, at him and stopped. Chien Po felt an unusual presence as if there was another person standing behind Ling watching them. Ling snarled and gnashed his teeth and then ran off through the night.
Yao ran to Chien Po's side. "Are you all right?," he asked. Yao nodded. "I am, but Ling won't be."
"Did you see the look he gave me when I looked at him?," the big soldier asked.
"No, I'm sorry I missed it as I was hurling towards the ground," Yao said sarcastically.
Chien Po shook his head. "No, I mean what Ling is going through may not be his fault. I felt a presence, next to him."
"You mean, like he's possessed or something?," Yao asked. Chien Po nodded. "We must tell Shang and Mulan."
Yao nodded and they headed for their tents. Through the tent, they can hear Mulan and Shang in the middle of an argument. "They'll be all right," Yao said, "We'll tell them later."
Shang watched Mulan go and he grumbled at her, but also at himself. He was very concerned for her and he didn't want to see her in trouble, but it hurt him to see her like this. It seemed like overnight for no reason at all , she had turned away from him, like it repulsed her to be with him. He recalled the argument in his mind. He simply suggested that she have someone with her at all times, because he was concerned for her. "You don't trust me, is that it?," she asked, anger rising in his voice. Then, they went back and forth like children.
Shang shook his head in anger. They both seemed rather edgy lately, but then a thought struck his mind: Did he trust her? Mulan had been going off alone lately, everything seemed so right between them and then all of a sudden she withdrew from him, that wasn't normal, but did it mean anything? Come on, he thought to himself, this is Mulan she wouldn't do anything like that , she's honorable. He smiled and laughed a little at the thought, but then wondered what was bothering her. Why was she so happy, four days ago and now she seems so morose , so angry, so alone? Was she having second thoughts and if so, why? And why wouldn't she tell him? He picked up his sword off the ground and swung it a little, in practice. His thoughts seemed to chime with the swaying, and they all seemed to be asking, why, why, why? Whatever is happening with her, I want to be there to help her, he thought, to find whatever is troubling her. Finding he had no answers, he left the tent to watch his soldiers.
Mulan wandered into the woods, a little deeper than she had usually gone. More images from her dreams filled her head, and all of them of Shang. In one she caught him with another woman, and he told her to leave, but when she refused, he drew a sword into her. Another had her running home to see it in flames, and Shang killing he family, on and on. And each one the dreams, just got worse. She didn't understand them and under normal circumstances she would have laughed it off. But, when she woke up and faced Shang, the dreams were still there in her head. Instead of the kind good hearted , but strict general, she came to love , she saw the cruel cold hearted self righteous tyrant in her dreams, and that terrified her.
~ Maybe you really don't know him ~, the voice suggested. ~ Maybe you just envisioned him as a do-gooder hero when all along he was that way , or maybe you don't really love him. ~
"I do," Mulan said loudly, but not sure anymore. She wondered if she loved him, would she feel this way.
The voice continued to taunt her , and Mulan put her hand over her ears to block the sounds , but they just got louder and louder. "STOP!," she commanded , falling to the ground. As soon as she said it, everything just stopped, the voice, the birds, the wind, it was complete silence.
Mulan sat on the ground trembling with fear and uncertainty, then she felt something behind her. She looked behind her and saw a small ornate temple. It was red and gold on the roof, and large ugly demons guarded the front staring accusingly at the young woman. Even though it was a temple, Mulan felt a little fearful of it, but drawn to it at the same time. She curiously walked to it and opened the door. "Hello.," she called. Her voice echoed in the mist that had formed in the room. Almost mechanically, she put her whole body in the room. The door shut with a bang and she jumped with fright.
"Hello, is anyone there?," she called. Her voice came back to her, eerie and distorted. She walked further into the long corridor. It was abandoned and lit only by candlelight. The walls and the floors were blood red, as though they were bleeding. Mulan gulped, and felt a lump in her throat. She tried to call. "My name is Fa Mulan and I need help."
"Mulan?," a high pitched voice called. Mulan recognized it. "Ling?," she called back. For a second, she forgot how he treated her and was just happy to hear someone. Hell, she would have kissed Shan Yu if he were there.
Ling ran down to meet her. "Are you all right?," he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine.," she said, then she felt tears sting her eyes. Before she realized it, she began to cry , so much her body shook. Ling held onto her. "No, I'm not all right. I think I'm going mad." Then she explained about her dreams, and how she was starting to hate Shang. "And, I don't know why , it's like I'm being controlled by someone and I can't explain it. The worst part is I can't tell him." Looking closely at her with a look of concern, and slight guilt, Ling patted her on the shoulder , then he held her close.
After they sat for a few minutes, Mulan pulled away from him. "How did you get here? I swear, I've never seen this place before."
Ling's eyes narrowed. "Oh, well, it's always been here. I've been here for about an hour. The neat thing is it's been abandoned by, uh, priests, but they still have some of their stuff here, like their tributes." Upon Mulan's shocked look, Ling continued. "Oh don't worry, I haven't taken anything, but they did, um, leave their wine. Care to partake?"
"I don't know, it doesn't seem right.," Mulan said.
"You look thirsty, besides the priests aren't going to use it..," Ling suggested. Mulan sighed, but then nodded. Ling smiled, thinly. "Okay, you wait there and I'll get some."
"Okay," she said.
Ling went into Silver Fox's room glaring at her.. The entity looked up from the bowl of grapes, an ugly monstrous servant was serving her. "She wasn't supposed to be in here.," Ling growled.
"Hello, you invited her remember?, she said. Then she made a small gold vial materialize and float into Ling's hand. "You know what to do.,"
"Put this in her wine, and she'll be mine forever," Ling repeated. "Why couldn't I have done this in the beginning?"
"Because, she was already with Shang, you dunce," Silver Fox said. " She needed to lose her feeling for him, before she even considered another man."
"She no longer has feelings for Shang, right?," Ling asked.
"Close enough.," Silver Fox said, "Now go to it, Lover Boy." Ling popped open a bottle of wine and poured it into an ornate goblet. He then added the vial. The dark red potion had a faint odor of opium, as he added it. The red potion stirred and mixed with the maroon wine, until it was hidden completely.
He then poured himself another glass. "Don't mix the two," Silver Fox teased. "The last thing I need is for you to be more love sick than you are already." Ling grimaced, but left the room without saying anything.
He went downstairs and handed the potion drink to Mulan. The young woman thanked him and took a slight sip. "After, this I'd better get moving," she said, as she drank a bit more , "and so should you."
She didn't react until the goblet was finished. Suddenly, she felt dazed. As she stood, she absently dropped the goblet on the floor. The wine spilt to the ground. Mulan's head spun, and she felt dizzy and nauseous. She swayed back and forth, as if trying to keep her balance. Something wasn't right. "Ling, what have you done?," she droned.
Her vision became blurred. She looked right at Ling. Her confusion and terror at the dreams, not to mention her fear of Shang evaporated as her vision became clearer. She looked right at Ling, her eyes focused on him and only him. Her stomach felt fluttery, and she panted.
"Ling.," she said dreamily. Then, she pulled the soldier closer and kissed him on the lips. Ling was confused, but then he returned the kiss. Without another word, the two grinned and fell into each other locked in their embrace.