Once She Was Beautiful
By Roguefan212000
Mulan belongs to Disney.
I slowly walked through the deep snow. I longed for the warmth and comfort of home. The cold shining crystals seemed to cover all the earth. Its beauty was tainted by foot prints and blood. The chilly air carried the song of loss and pain. Do I truly belong here? This is the world of war. It is the world of men. Is it better than the fate of women?
If I stayed home, I would be throw into the arms of a stranger. Why does the path to honor lead to death? Great men forsake their souls for honor. My dear father was willing to die in this dark and lonely place. I could not let him. If someone must die then it will be me. I will not die for honor. I choose to die for love.
The smell of smoke and burning flesh was over whelming. I was starting to feel ill. A village had been sent ablaze by the Huns. Now , it was nothing more than a fading memory. My heart ached for the poor villagers. They never had a chance. The bodies of women and children were scattered all over the ground.
I found a little doll buried in the snow. I held it close to my heart. A single tear rolled down my cheek, but I did not bother to wipe it away. In the distance, I heard a low cry of pain. I swiftly followed the sound. A young girl lay dying in the snow. She appeared to be about six years old. Her round face was filled with terror and pain. I fell to my knees and pulled her into my arms.
The poor child was shaking in my arms. Somehow, I knew the doll belonged to her. I placed the small toy in her hand. " Shang ", I shouted. I never called him captain Li or captain Shang . He was just Shang to me. It never seemed to bother him. He rushed to my side. I saw the pain in his eyes. Shang quickly took off his cape and wrapped the girl in it. His deep level of compassion did not surprise me. I knew it was there all along.
We knew she was going to die. The girl s breath came in short gasps. I watched the rise and fall of her small chest . I glanced at Shang . He steadied the child with sad and weary eyes. It must be painful to realize that the grand and romantic tales of war were only lies. The wise elders never told young men that one could easily lose his mind . The rage of war caused good men to lose their hearts and souls.
This snow covered valley has become a graveyard. The wind seemed to cry for the fallen. I looked down at the child in my arms. Her little body was badly burned. Fate had been cruel to this poor girl. In war, mercy was for the weak. I watched the child take her last breath. She was finally free.
" Once she was beautiful ," I whispered. " Once she laughed and played in a fresh green valley. Once she never knew sickness or pain . Once and only once."
I began to sob. My cries seemed to echo through the valley. Shang put a comforting arm around me. We cried together. We were two souls lost in a snow covered battlefield .
Once the world was beautiful.
Once this place was filled with light.
Once men were not made to suffer.
Once children were not meant to die.
Once life had a real meaning.
Once I dreamt that I could fly.
Once I learned that true love was not a lie.
These things come once and only once.
The End
( The poem Once belongs to M.H. )