"Fine," She snapped, hoping the anger raging through her veins was enough to distract from the pain. "Fine," He snapped back. Mulan turned her back to him, crossing her arms angrily. She rubbed her chest, breathing slowly.

*Set during the transport of the princesses. Mulan didn't come away from the impromptu dip in the river as well as she thought*

Mulan often found herself either pacing rapidly in a line or sewing her clothes when she was angry. Shang would sometimes know she was hurting and take her hand to the semi-secluded blossom tree in her garden to relax, but other times he would force her to fight him, claiming it was a training session.

So, after their argument earlier in the evening, she was raging mad, but furiously upset that he hadn't yet come to see her, or even gone near her.

Her chest had begun to hurt shortly after they crawled out of the river, but she assumed that she must've hit it at some point. It certainly didn't help her mood, but the final straw was Shang's attitude. As they screamed at each other for the princesses (though she suspected it was more than that) she couldn't help but feel worried at the worsening tightness of her chest. "Fine," She snapped, hoping the anger raging through her veins was enough to distract from the pain. "Fine," He snapped back. Mulan turned her back to him, crossing her arms angrily. She rubbed her chest, breathing slowly.

Long after he stormed off, Mulan stayed by the river bank. She sat there, breathing back the urge to cough. The dizzy feeling grew worse over the hour or so she sat there. By now: everyone had probably gone to bed.

She wandered back to camp slowly, regretting not bringing Khan with her. She rubbed her arms as she walked slowly through the cold night.

~

Midnight soon rolled around, not taking the chill in her bones (deeper than the cold) or the painful rattling in her chest. She rubbed her sternum harshly, trying to clear whatever the hell illness had settled. A cough ripped through her throat. She wheezed painfully as she tried to regain her breath. "Mulan?" She coughed into her fist again, looking up. "What?" She croaked. Chien-Po frowned in concern. "You don't sound well," He pointed out. Mulan rubbed her sternum harshly again. "I'm sure it's fine," She wheezed. Chein-Po's eyes narrowed. "Why don't I take you to the village doctor? I'm sure they are still awake,"

"It's fine, Chien-Po, honestly, I'm fine." She took slow breaths.

"I'm fine," She repeated, whether, to herself or Chien-Po, she didn't know. "Ok," Chien-Po sat on the bench next to her, poking the fire. Had Mulan felt 100%, she would've made conversation. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

~

Mulan woke up the following morning gasping for breath. She shot upright, bracing herself on her arms. She coughed loudly. Her breaths came out in wheezes. Her eyes watered.

Was she having an allergic reaction? She took a shaky breath in but stuttered and started coughing again. She wheezed for oxygen, fighting back the urge to cough again. She rubbed his sternum, forcing herself upright. She took a long inhale through his nose and out again. Her chest ached something horrific.

"Mulan!" A blurred person burst into her tent. She identified the blur as Chien-Po, feeling guilty all of a sudden for worrying him. She grasped his arm tightly, wheezing for air pitifully. She coughed harshly again. "Shang!" Chien-Po yelled. Mulan blinked at her fist in shock.

She coughed again harshly, the echo reverberating in her skull.

More blood splattered onto her closed hand.

Her vision blacked out to Chien-Po screaming for Shang.

~

She woke up in a hut. Her chest ached horribly, but not as bad as earlier. "Oh my god, Mulan, you're ok!" A flash of beige and black hair rushed to his face. She turned wearily, blinking her eyes slowly. "Huh?" She mumbled. Shang sat near her arms, rubbing her shoulder. "Chien-Po rushed you to the village medic at just gone one. You were nearly blue, Mulan."

Mulan felt something under her nose. "Why isn't she speaking to me? Is she ok?" Shang asked sharply. "She might be a little out of it for a while. Fainting does that to someone, especially if they've got pneumonia." Mulan blinked and shook her head. "The princesses?" She croaked. "They're safe, they're with the others,"

Ah.

Shang combed his hand through her hair, a habit she found rather cute. "Everything's ok though. You'll be weak for a while, but you shouldn't have another attack. If you do, I've written down instructions on what to do for you."

She nodded as her eyes began to drift shut. "Rest. The longer you rest, the quicker you'll heal,"

The healer left, closing the door behind. A while passed, and just as she was on the brink of sleep, she heard: "I'm so sorry,"