"Do you want a piece of advice?" Aladdin asked.
"Go ahead. I'm listening."
"You don't go searching for what you want to be. You just keep moving forward through life until it finds you," Aladdin replied.
"Through certain circumstances, the sword found its way into your hand. If you ask me... I think it suits you." He smiled.
"Aladdin?"
"Yes," he replied.
Mulan sat upright and pulled Aladdin into a hug.
Aladdin froze for a heartbeat.
"Thank you. For everything."
Her arms wrapped tightly around him.
Aladdin slowly wrapped his arms around her.
"You are welcome."
Somewhere above the plateau, Mushu, Abu, Carpet, and Cri-Kee watched the events unfolding below from their hiding place beneath a large rock.
"Hey, let me see… Awww!! My girl found herself a prince charming… I wouldn't have chosen anyone better. What do you think, monkey?" Mushu threw his arms around Abu and pulled him close, holding onto him tightly.
"You and I together in one big happy family… I can see the picture… It's magnificent… It's amazing… It's Aladdin and Mulan."
"For the last time, my name is Abu. And that relationship isn't happening." Abu threw Mushu's arm off him.
Carpet folded his tassels together and nodded. His edges hunched forward and shook from side to side, as though feeling a sense of helplessness.
"What do you mean by that? If you think that my Mulan isn't good enough for your Mr Aladdin, then you better prepare yourself, because I have a lot of things to say…." Mushu stepped toward Abu and pushed him against the rock with his body.
"It's not that…" Abu wanted to respond, but Mushu quickly interrupted.
"Listen here, Abu. Mr Aladdin might have you, a talking monkey, a magic carpet, and even a bunch of magical items… He has a lot of items, but that's not the point… The point is I'm Mulan's guardian. I have to protect her from danger, and that includes heartbreak…
If you try to stop this relationship from happening… I don't care what reason you have, I will do everything in my power…"
"Aladdin is already married!" Abu quickly shouted.
A pin-drop silence enveloped their surroundings.
Mushu froze in his tracks.
Even Cri-Kee, who was approaching from behind with Carpet to break them up in case a fight broke out, froze, covering his mouth with his tiny fists.
"Come again?" Mushu cleaned out his ears and asked. "I didn't hear you clearly the first time."
"I said Aladdin is married. The Empress won't like this." Abu slapped a hand over his mouth once he realised what he had just revealed.
Carpet slapped his edges with his tassels and shook them in disappointment.
"Empress? What's going on? What's Aladdin doing with an Empress?" Mushu pushed his body against Abu, blocking his escape. "You better tell me everything you know, Abu… Oh, it's going to get really feisty in here if you don't."
Abu looked out toward the horizon as he tried to push Mushu away, but he didn't use too much strength, afraid he might hurt him.
"You better answer me this instant… You know what? I'm going to count to one… and if I don't get a response by then, you'll get what's coming." Mushu raised his hand and began to count. "Ten... Nine... Eight..."
"Three…"
Cri-Kee closed his eyes, fearing that something bad was about to happen.
Carpet observed from the side, deciding not to intervene.
"Aladdin is married to Empress Jasmine. She's the Empress of Ababwa and the Sultana of Agrabah!" Abu shouted.
He sighed in relief as the tension lifted from his shoulders.
Mushu froze once more, his jaw dropping.
Cri-Kee stumbled over one of his many feet and fell to the ground.
Carpet slapped his edges again.
Mushu snapped back to reality.
"Hold on. I didn't hear you clearly. Aladdin is married to who?" he asked, looking at Abu with a bewildered expression.
"I said Aladdin is married to Empress Jasmine. She's the Empress of the Empire of Ababwa and the Sultana of the Kingdom of Agrabah. Now get off me," Abu said, grabbing Mushu's hand and pushing it away.
Mushu let go and stepped aside.
"Empress... Empire of Ababwa... Kingdom of Agrabah..." Mushu repeated, digesting Abu's words. He was too stunned to respond.
After several moments of recollecting himself, Mushu turned to Abu and asked, "If Aladdin is married to an Empress, then what does that make him? An Emperor?"
"Yes. Emperor Aladdin Ababwa. He is also the Sultan of Agrabah," Abu nodded.
Cri-Kee had just risen to his feet when he collapsed to the ground again. It was unknown whether his little heart could handle the unfolding events.
Carpet shook his edges in disapproval.
"Did you know anything about this, Carpet?" Mushu turned to Carpet and asked.
Carpet turned around and quietly drifted into the night sky.
"Hey, come back here! Carpet, I can't believe you did this to us! We used to ride together! Look at me when I'm speaking to you," Mushu shouted emotionally, but Carpet had already zoomed off across the mountain.
In reality, however, he had taken a detour and arrived above their small cave quietly observing them from afar.
Mushu shifted his attention back to Abu. "If Aladdin is an Emperor and is married to an Empress from who knows where... what is he doing all the way here in China with my Mulan?"
"Vacation," Abu responded.
In case they encountered any unforeseen circumstances, Aladdin had ensured that Abu could never accidentally reveal his plans or the Book of Destiny, with or without his will, to anyone except him by casting a spell on his mind when he had shared the information.
Abu had naturally accepted the mental encryption because he also didn't trust himself with such information.
As for Carpet...
Anyone capable of reading the mind of a magic carpet was someone Aladdin would be happy to meet.
"You're taking a vacation in China at a time like this?" Mushu replied with a suspicious glare.
"Yea. The weather is nice."
"And you just happened to encounter Mulan by mistake and rescued her from the burning camp. Is that it?"
"Yeah. Everything is a coincidence," Abu replied, folding his arms and nodding in agreement.
"This is crazy. Ah!! My Mulan... my princess... She's going to be so heartbroken once she learns of this... Quick! We need to do something!"
Abu quickly grabbed Mushu and covered his mouth before he could do something crazy.
"Let me go, monkey!! Release me!" Mushu shouted indignantly.
"I won't until you promise that you won't reveal what I have told you to Mulan," Abu said. "Aladdin would be mad if he found out. His relationship with Mulan might be ruined. We should remain silent!!"
"But I can't!! Mulan needs to know the truth!! She has no chance against an Empress!! I can't bear to see her become heartbroken!!" Mushu retorted.
"Mushu? Snap out of it!" Abu grabbed the dragon and shook him.
"Stop shaking!! You're gonna rip my scales off."
Abu released his grip.
"Geez..." Mushu touched his scales, then, seeing they were alright, asked, "You have a plan?"
"Yeah. We remain silent."
"Silent?"
"Yea."
"Now why should I remain silent when I can spill everything to Mulan and save her the heartbreak? What makes you think you can stop me?" Mushu questioned, poking a finger against Abu's chest.
Abu smiled. He gazed downward.
"What are you smiling about? If you don't answer my question…" Mushu followed Abu's gaze and looked down.
"Ahh!! I'm stuck!! Someone help me!!"
The earth had gathered around Mushu's feet at some unknown point in time.
Cri-Kee slowly stepped back, shaking as though he were about to witness something horrific.
"Please don't do this!! We are friends. Comrades. Pals!!" Mushu clenched his hands together and fell to his knees.
Abu gently tapped his shoulder.
"Don't reveal this matter to Mulan or Aladdin, and I promise to spare you. But if you don't…" He grinned and dragged his thumb across his neck.
Cri-Kee ran to the edge of the cave and pressed himself against the wall, as though wanting to sink into it.
"I won't say anything. I promise!!" Mushu lowered his head to the ground and covered it with his arms.
"Good boy," Abu said, gently patting his shoulder once more.
The stone imprisoning Mushu's feet instantly pulled away.
Regaining his freedom, Mushu quickly stood up and ran to the edge of the cave.
"Carpet!! Pal, get us out of here!!" Mushu screamed at the top of his lungs, almost weeping.
Carpet soared into the small cave and halted before them.
Mushu and Cri-Kee swiftly climbed aboard.
Carpet saluted Abu with his tassels before soaring out of the cave at supersonic speed.
Abu walked to the edge of the cave.
CRACK!! CRUMBLE!!
The earth beneath his feet forged into a foothold and slowly moved outward.
Then he jumped off, transforming the earth into footholds and platforms as he chased after Carpet and the others.
Meanwhile, on the plateau, hidden behind a large rock, two pairs of eyes observed the unfolding scene.
"They seem like good friends," Li Shang looked toward Mulan and Aladdin in the distance, who were chatting and laughing together.
He believed that something was missing from the scene, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"I believe so as well," Chi Fu nodded in agreement.
"I think we should get going. We don't want to disturb them. It would be disrespectful if they discovered that we were spying on them." He whispered into Li Shang's ear.
Li Shang nodded. His gaze lingered on them for a few moments; first on Ping, then on Aladdin.
Then he withdrew his gaze and shook his head with a smile.
"Let's not disturb them and leave," Li Shang replied.
He hoped that someday he would find a friend with whom he could chat and laugh like that.
As the thought lingered in his mind, he left, with Chi Fu walking beside him.
***
Morning,
A large falcon circled overhead, releasing a piercing screech.
Aladdin stretched out his arm.
Mirage soared down and landed on it.
Aladdin untied the container from its claw and removed the scroll inside.
He handed it to Li Shang, who stood nearby with Mulan and Chi Fu.
Li Shang accepted the letter and unfurled it.
"Quickly, what does it say?" Chi Fu asked impatiently.
Li Shang read the contents of the letter aloud.
To Captain Li Shang,
Your report has reached me.
I thank Heaven that you, Advisor Chi Fu, and your surviving men are still alive.
The unknown traveller who came to your aid has earned my deepest gratitude.
If the opportunity arises, extend my respect to him and inform him that the Empire of China shall remember his deeds.
We have received your warning.
We have received no replies from the neighbouring camps, nor have our messenger birds returned. Until proven otherwise, I must assume the worst. We can no longer afford to divide our strength. Therefore, do not proceed directly to the Forbidden City.
If you continue on your current route, you risk leading him straight to the Emperor. Instead, change your course immediately and proceed to Mountain Pass.
I am dispatching fifty Imperial Soldiers to escort you from the pass and reinforce your company. Remain vigilant until you meet with them.
Do your best to avoid unnecessary engagements. Preserve the lives of your men whenever possible until reinforcements arrive. Do not allow him to lure you into another trap.
Continue to lead with courage, and remember that the Empire places its trust in you.
May Heaven watch over your march.
Respectfully written,
Captain Fan
Captain of the Northern Chinese Imperial Army
By the authority of General Li,
General of the Imperial Army.
As he finished reading, Li Shang folded the scroll.
"We have received our orders. We need to head to Mountain Pass, meet the escort force en route, and rejoin the General and Imperial Army," he said.