He took out a string of ten copper coins and placed them in the waitress's hand.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call our staff. You've just become one of our esteemed guests," the waitress said with a smile as she slipped the coins into her apron pocket.
She winked at Aladdin before turning around and walking down the hallway.
After realising that he was finally alone, Aladdin sighed.
"You know, I didn't tell her what I truly wanted to say," he said, "I can solve all of her problems, but at what cost?"
The thought of Mulan never finding out what kind of person she truly was, was enough to make Aladdin pause any attempt to solve this issue with his own abilities. And that was what he found so difficult to accept.
After developing his strength through every means he could handle to deal with whatever came his way, and with political power rivalling those at the very top of the world order, yet to be rendered powerless in such a plight was incredibly...
Frustrating.
Abu didn't respond, as though finding the conversation bothersome. Instead, he tugged on Aladdin's sleeve, as though signalling that he wanted to rest for the night.
"You're right. She's only one princess... the first among the Disney Princesses who attained her stature without needing such a title. If I can't help her, then how am I supposed to help solve the problems of the others? I might as well pack my things and go home, and inform Fate that this is impossible to fix," Aladdin ignored Abu and decided to speak to himself.
"If I didn't know who caused all of this, and what would happen if I retreated, I would have done that already. Unfortunately, I'm stuck here for now."
He pondered deeply as he walked towards his room. He could guess what Mulan's answer would be tomorrow, but in case it wasn't what he had expected to hear, he hoped he could figure out something before then to help with their current situation.
Aladdin arrived in front of his room and entered.
Abu emerged from within his robe and rushed towards the bed as he closed the door behind them.
"Worn-out sheets, a dusty bed... I can't sleep here. This is not a place for royalty," Abu said as he checked the bedsheets, pillows, table, and chair in the corner of the room with a disgusted and disappointed expression.
He turned to Aladdin and folded his arms.
"This is the best they have. Besides, we're currently undercover, so we'll have to make do with this for now. Don't tell me that you've forgotten you had less than this just several months ago," Aladdin replied, rubbing Abu's small furry head before taking off his clothes to bathe so he could go to sleep.
"There's another alternative, and that's if you want to follow Carpet and spend the night outside." He pointed at the night sky beyond the window.
Abu shivered. Although Carpet was his buddy and would surely allow him to rest on him through the night if he pleaded with him, he didn't want to spend the night outside fighting off crows and vultures during his beauty sleep.
"Fine," Abu scoffed.
Left with no other choice, he removed his jacket and followed behind Aladdin as he walked out of the room to the bathroom so he could take his bath and go to sleep.
***
The next morning,
Aladdin and Mulan met with Madam Chi, the innkeeper of Madam Chi's Inn, the plump middle-aged woman with thick pale makeup whom they had seen yesterday.
"I don't know much, but the last I heard, the Barbarians have been growing restless, moving from one town to another. They were here a few days ago, but quietly left," Madam Chi whispered from behind the counter, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
"News says that they're being pursued by the soldiers, and after discovering that the army was stationed here, they ran away with their legs behind their backs.
These guys usually announce what they're going to do and then do it, and we haven't seen the army for some time after they arrived, so you can say that there's some truth to this information. That's all I know. If you want any other information, you'll need to ask the military themselves."
Aladdin nodded in understanding. "Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me. I should be thanking you for being such a generous customer. Business has been slow recently, but with your help, my girls and I no longer have to worry about living expenses for a long period of time." Madam Chi gently pulled two strings of twenty silver coins from under the counter before tucking them into her chest.
"Whenever you need anything, don't hesitate to stop by Madam Chi's. I promise to do my best to provide whatever information you need." She winked at Aladdin with a sly smile.
Aladdin nodded once more.
"We'll be taking our leave now. Goodbye," he said, standing up from the counter seat.
Mulan stood up as well.
"Safe journey. Take good care of yourselves," Madam Chi said, waving at the two of them.
"Goodbye, kind travellers," the waitress who had directed Aladdin and Mulan to their rooms, along with several others behind her, emerged from the kitchen and waved as well.
Aladdin had gifted each of them a few strings of silver coins, so they had come to see him off and show their thanks once more.
"Hey, it's those two from yesterday. Are they already leaving?"
"I heard from my sister that they are wealthy. One of them gifted her fellow worker a few coins simply for some information. Enough for them not to worry about work for a few years."
"Is that how you talk after what happened yesterday? Don't you have shame gossiping about a fellow person like that?"
A few patrons had visited the inn that morning and gossiped among themselves when they noticed Aladdin and Mulan. However, their loud words drew the ire of the waitresses and Madam Chi, who didn't hesitate to kick them out of the inn.
A few others remembered the events that had transpired yesterday and wished them a safe journey.
Aladdin and Mulan returned the kind gestures and observed the scene with smiles. They exited the inn and walked in the direction Madam Chi had given them to purchase horses.
Since they had lied to the guards yesterday that they would purchase horses before leaving the village, they had to see it through to the end.
After purchasing two horses, which cost ten silver coins each, Aladdin and Mulan rode out through the village gates.
They headed towards the location where they had left Carpet.
The fresh scent of morning dew drifted through the forest.
Upon arriving, Aladdin placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled.
A blurred dot emerged in the sky, accompanied by a sharp whistle.
Within seconds, Carpet arrived before them.
Carpet circled around the horses before landing on the ground with a bow.
"Beautiful!! Splendid!!"
Abu stretched out his hand from within the cloak and clapped. He threw several flowers at Carpet.
"No matter how much I witness it, I still can't believe I'm seeing a magic carpet and a talking monkey," Mulan sighed as she shook her head.
"You'll get used to it after a while. You do have a talking dragon, after all. I've never met a talking dragon," Aladdin replied as he pulled the reins, urging the horses forward.
They didn't plan on keeping the horses. However, they couldn't release them this close to the village. They needed to take them some distance away before setting them free, or else they would simply be captured again.
"I'm sure Mushu will be happy to meet you. That's if he's still alive," Mulan replied, glancing into the distance with a nostalgic gaze as she rode beside Aladdin.
"I don't believe that a dragon can die in a fire outbreak. So until we can confirm his whereabouts, he's alive," Aladdin said.
Mulan nodded. Her expression looked slightly better.
"So, what's your decision?" Aladdin asked.
"I've decided to rescue my remaining comrades who have been captured by Shan Yu and his army, then head to the capital to warn the Emperor about the attacks that have taken place," Mulan replied, her tone and expression serious. She tightened her grip on the reins.
For a moment, silence settled between them.
Taking a deep breath, she continued, "You said you would help. Now is your chance to take back your words and step away, because this won't be an easy task."
"I've already given you my word that I'll help in whatever way I can. I don't take back a promise once I've made it," Aladdin replied.
"It's settled. We search for the camp where the soldiers are being imprisoned, and when we find it, we strike at noon," Mulan replied with a nod.
After putting enough distance between themselves and the village, they dismounted, removed the horses' reins and saddles, and released them into the wild before climbing aboard Carpet.
They soared into the sky, hiding above the clouds as they searched below for the Barbarian camps where the captured soldiers were being held.
***
Shan Yu P.O.V
Shan Yu hated dreams. He didn't like the feeling of being helpless within his own body and being thrown into a strange world that he could barely make sense of.
He confronted the vast Chinese army head-on to test their strength and skill. He did not hide his tracks from their scouts so they could use whatever tricks they had against him.
He announced his attacks upon villages so they could prepare their resistance. He left survivors because he wanted them to spread news of his army and the fear it inspired.
He did not take prisoners because he saw no reason to use such an underhanded tactic to coerce information from the enemy and use it against them.
Shan Yu was a warrior.
Shan Yu feared no one. He was confident in himself and in what he could achieve. He trusted his right-hand men to fulfil whatever task he handed them.
So why would a man like him need to dream?
Unfortunately, he couldn't control it, but it was something he grew to hate regardless.
However, one day he began having dreams in which he was dead. One dream ended with his death by an arrow. Another by a sword. Another by falling off a cliff...
He could have several of these dreams in a single day, and they only kept getting worse.
Because of his hatred for dreams, he had researched how to stop them. In the process, he came to learn that dreams were sometimes glimpses of one's future gifted to the present.
Shan Yu could never believe such nonsense. However, these dreams had only begun after he started this war against China, and they only grew stronger the more he fought their armies and destroyed their villages.
Soon, Shan Yu began to truly believe that he might die in battle.
However, he could not accept such a fate. Who could accept death?
For the first time, Shan Yu began to act cautiously. Yet the dreams remained and only grew stronger.
Unable to endure such ominous nightmares any longer, Shan Yu decided to put an end to them. He raided the Chinese military camps one by one and took several survivors as prisoners.
Then, he faced them in battle to see which one of them could threaten his life.
But one by one, the soldiers fell to his subordinates before they could even reach him.
Shan Yu began to doubt his decision. But since it had already begun, he decided to see it through to the very end. If none of them could take his life, then he would finally head to the capital of China to capture the Emperor and usurp the throne.
By then, news of the military camps' destruction must have reached the capital, and they should already have begun preparing for retaliation. This was how he made up for his cowardly decision to raid the military camps without first announcing his attack.
And if, after all of this, he still lived...
He would search for a way to control his own nightmares.