Once Upon a Second Chance

(33) - In Love and War

Lonnie ran a hand through her hair in exasperation as she made it back to her alternate mother's camp.

"Still haven't found anything?" Mulan asked, looking up at Lonnie as she approached.

Lonnie shook her head as she took off her jacket and threw it on the floor. She laid down on the ground and put her head on the jacket with her arm underneath her head as well to provide extra support. She closed her eyes as she sighed in defeat. "When I couldn't find any trace at them from the hospital, I looked around the woods aimlessly to find some clue as to where they went. They clearly don't want to be found."

"So why are you still searching?"

"Do I have anything better to do?" Lonnie said with dry humor.

"Well, you've been out there all night. Why don't you get some sleep? You can go out looking for your friends when your well-rested."

"Can't sleep." The younger girl said. Her eyes lit up as an idea came to her head and she rolled on to her stomach and looked at her alternate mother. "Why don't we spar?"

Mulan raised an eyebrow. "You want to fight?"

"Yeah, to pass the time." Lonnie eagerly rose to her feet and grabbed a sword.

"I... don't want to hurt you," Mulan said a bit unsure.

"Well, I'll be offended if you don't even try," Lonnie said, a little offense being heard in her voice. "How else am I supposed to improve?"

Mulan looked around with a dumbfounded look. "O-Okay. Why not?" she said, getting up and finding her own sword.

The two swordswomen got into a fighting stance. Both giving small smirks as they charged at the same time.

They kept an even distance from each other as they exchanged attacks. They had similar fighting techniques, but it was clear the older woman was more experienced as her her blows were quicker and more confident.

Lonnie attempted to take Mulan by surprise and spin out of her reach and attack her from the side. However, Mulan barely had to turn in her direction to block the teenager's oncoming attack and launch a counterattack. She used her weight to use her sword against Lonnie's and knocked her off balance.

As Lonnie was recovering from the counterattack, Mulan took the opportunity to launch at Lonnie, the latter who managed to dodge it at the last second. And Mulan's attacks suddenly became more and more quick and unpredictable that Lonnie was unable to keep up. As Lonnie was too busy trying to dodge her alternate mother's advances, Mulan took the opportunity to suddenly duck and knock her alternate daughter off the floor and onto her back.

Lonnie groaned in pain as she processed what had happened. The groans were mixed in with laughs as she looked up, impressed with the woman's fighting ability. "That was fun."

Mulan shook her head in amusement at the enthusiasm of the girl. "You're quite skilled for your age," she said, grabbing Lonnie's hand and helping her to her feet. "Clearly my parallel self's doing."

"I would like to see you two spar," Lonnie said excitedly, making Mulan slightly concerned at the girl's interest in seeing people battle. Though, it almost reminds her of herself at her age.

FORTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

"Mulan, what are you doing?!"

The young girl rolled her eyes at her mother's voice from her place on the roof.

"I just wanted to see Baba fight. He never lets me," a seventeen-year-old Mulan frowns as she turns away from her view of her father sparring a comrade in the garden of their house.