Disney: Modern Times: Mulan

Chapter 3. Who I am inside

Mulan was miserable. She had just caused a scene in the classroom, was sent to the principal's office, had her mother over, and now was being driven home early. She really didn't feel like herself at all. 

Soon Li and Mulan were back home. They got out of the car and were meet by Zhou. He had heard about the incident also but never the less tried to smile to cheer Mulan up, but that only made Mulan turn her head away in shame as she went into the house to her room. 

Zhou's smile faded as he saw his only daughter run off inside the house. Li walked up next to him and said, "she tries very hard to impress us that she doesn't know that we love her no matter what." 

Zhou nodded his head in agreement and decided to talk to Mulan once she got out of the house.

Mulan went into her room to get changed. She went behind a changing station and threw off her dress and put on some normal clothes (like the clothes you see on my poster for my story). She then looked into her dresser mirror and saw her makeup. With a swift motion of her arm, she swiped half of her makeup off her face to reveal two sides of her face, one side was elegant and beautiful, the other side was plain and normal. Mulan wanted to know when her reflection would show who she was inside. She then wiped off the other half of her face revealing her full normal face.

Little Brother walked into the room and saw Mulan looking upset so he hopped on her dresser and rubbed his face against hers. Mulan liked the warm comfort so she patted him on the head. Although the little dog cheered her up, Mulan still felt empty inside. She worked hard to impress and make her family proud, and now she ruined it all.

With a sad sigh Mulan undid her hair bun, left her room, and went to the garden. Sitting down on a stone bench under a blossom tree, she began to tug at her hair, a habit she possessed whenever she was sad or nervous.

Then a throat being cleared rang in her ears as she looked beside her and saw her father looking at her. Not wanting to look at her father with shame, Mulan turned her head away and continued to tug her hair. Zhou knew his daughter was depressed and didn't want to talk so he just sat down beside her and looked at the blossoms and then back at Mulan.

He knew just what to say.

"My my what lovely blossoms we have this year." He said softly. Noticing that Mulan started looking at him, he looked around and saw a pink and purple blossom. "But look, this one's different than the others" he plucked the hybrid blossom of the tree and placed it in Mulan's hair. "I bet despite its differences it will be the most beautiful of all."

This finally made Mulan get over her embarrassed self, and she blushed and smiled lovingly at her father who also smiled back.

"You don't need to be a proper lady Mulan" he said softly and calmly, "I just said that because your mother wanted you to.

With that said, Mulan wrapped her arms around her father, and Zhou did the same thing to his daughter.

"Thanks baba, I really needed that." she said 

"You're welcome" Zhou said in return as he got up and went back in the house. 

What her father said to her, made Mulan's heart swell with love and confidence. She was ready to give herself another chance at school tomorrow, but this time, she would just be herself.