Chapter Text
“And so Mulan bravely took up arms against Shan Yu, and her cunning and bravery she was able to light a firework and lunch him away from the palace, they were able to save all of China from the Hans,” Princess Su tells the village children in her care but to Lonnie she was Āyí.
Lonnie was one of the kids, listening with wrap attention. The reason why her Āyí was telling stories was because it was the celebration of heroes, one that Empress Ting-Ting put in place to celebrate the heroes of China who risked it all to save the country and emperor from the Han’s. She loves hearing stories about her mom and all the good she has done for the world. Lonnie knew that she wanted to grow up to be exactly like her mom.
”Māmā, tell us the story about how she saved you from marrying that other emperor,” an excited Huì shouts. Lonnie giggles, nodding in agreement.
”Another time my loves,” Āyí smiles sweetly. Getting up from where she sat, she wipes down her dress and holds her hands out to her child Huì. They took it and she directed all the village children to where they will be going next.
”Ohhh what about when Lady Mulan took out a whole army with just one missile,” a boy that Lonnie didn’t know suggests. “My Bàba was there and he said that it sounded like “Shoooo boom!” And it was cool.”
”My Bàba said that he heard from one of the soldiers it sounded like there was someone yelling,” another boy yells.
”That’s right,” Ling, another one of Lonnie’s cousins nods her head. “Bàba said it sounded like someone was annoyed that Āyí missed.”
Lonnie giggles along with her little brother L’il Shang. It was a family secret that they had a little dragon to help them when they needed it. The yelling those soldiers heard was most definitely Mushu.
”Yes, sometimes in the heat of battle you will hear things,” Āyí tells the children, or at least that is what Shang told me and Po when he asked about it.”
Lonnie giggles again, it was funny seeing how obvious some people can be about the truth.
“No more stories though children,” Āyí tells them, sternly. “We have a lot to get to, now who wants yo get a class from the Prince-consort himself in how to shoot an arrow!”
”Me!”
”I do!”
”Please!”
”Let’s go!”
”Im going to shoot just like Mulan!”
”Ohh I want to see Shūshu,” Yi-min says, excitedly.
”Me too!” Her four year old brother, Fú, happily says.
The kids now all forgot about the story they heard and rush to an archery range where Shūshu Ling was waiting for them.
Lonnie smiles happily when she saw him but the smile was short lived when he noticed the frown on his face. She wasn’t the only one to notice because next to her, Āyí seems to stiffen up.
”I told you, it doesn’t matter who wants to do archery, these lessons are for everyone,” Shūshu says, looking angry.
”Pathetic!” An old man shouts, looking disgusted. “Girls don’t have the ability to even focus on their targets! They aren’t built to be able to handle any line of weapons, they are ment to stay with the children!”
”I quite agree,” a snobbish looking woman sticks her nose up. “It’s disgraceful how many women are trying to dishonor all our traditions!”
”Tell that to Mulan,” Shūshu growls. “I dare you to say that to her face, she how fast she proves you wrong.”
”Humph, Mulan is hardly an example,” scoffs the woman. “She brings shame to all of the respectable families in China.”
”Mulan is a hero,” Āyí jumps into the argument. “She taught us so many things.”
”Yes, taught the youth how they can throw away our traditions, women aren’t ment for the army and yet children today are being told these- these- AWFUL LIES about how girls and boys are the same!”
”they are, they both can be strong,” Lonnie glares at the man and women.
The man scoffs at Lonnie and she felt her anger rise up, the other children were confused, Lonnie could tell. Who wouldn’t be after hearing stories about how great Mulan was and then an elder blatantly calls her mom dishonorable. They were taught to respect their elders after all.
But they should learn to respect everyone too.
”Was Mulan wrong?” A young boy asks, looking confused.
”No, she saved China,” Shūshu tries to reassure the boy.
”By breaking the law, she should have been punished for it!” The man shouts. “You can’t keep lying to the kids and saying breaking the law is a good thing.”
”She saved the whole country,” Shūshu growls.
”She is a woman, she should have been killed for her blatant dishonorable act,” the man sneers. “Or at least been sent to the isle.”
Lonnie felt her anger grow, she wanted so badly to yell at the man for being mean about her Māmā but she couldn’t. In their culture, respect is the biggest most important thing ever right next to bringing honor to your family and stating a fight with an elder would be very dishonorable.
“You should teach these children actual honor instead of making a criminal a hero,” the woman sticks her nose up before she and the man leave, looking satisfied with what they done.
Lonnie felt so angry, she didn’t understand why people still looked down on her Māmā. She saved the emperor, she saved all if China, she did everything she could to protect her loved one but people don’t see that.
All they see is a woman who broke the law.
Lonnie didn’t understand why being a woman was still a problem.