The small room was dim, lit only by the few candles around the room. Wax pooled at their base from long hours of burning. In the center of the room, was a single bed, sheets crinkled from the woman that lay there.
Fa Li was a beautiful woman. Kind beyond measure and gentle, she was the epitome of a true lady. She was curvy, with delicate hands. Her hair was an inky black that fell over her shoulders, framing her round face. Her dark eyes and red lips were features sought by many young women.
Even indisposed as she was, her beauty could not be disputed by any. In fact, though sweat dripped down her pale skin and bags were under her tired eyes, as she cradled the small bundle in her arms, she exuded a glow that showed beauty beyond any of her years.
"Isn't he beautiful?" Fa Zhou brushed the tip of his fingers against the baby's cheek, his other hand intertwined with his wife's.
"He's more than I could have ever hoped for…" Both husband and wife gaze lovingly at their child. Li's voice was soft as she cut through the silence. "What shall we name him?"
The baby's large, black eyes gazed at them curiously. He giggled at their attention.
Zhou turned to his wife, smiling at their child's joy.
"I think we should name him… Ping."
Age 4
"Mama! Papa! Look at me!" Ping proudly displayed the silk dress that he wore. His mother's dress was far too big, the fabric covering his hands and surrounding his feet, burying his small body. His face was covered in white paint, his lips and eyes messily done in red and blue makeup. Both Li and Zhou gasped in shock.
Li was the first to come to her senses. She carefully approached her child, her eyebrows furrowed in worry. Ping's wide grin remained.
"Darling… what is this?" Ping turns to display the dress, tripping on the hem a few times.
"Am I pretty, Mama? I look just like those ladies that go to that big, mean man every year!"
"That's a woman, dear," Li pats Ping's head, smiling despite herself. "Why are you dressed like this?"
Ping cocks his head and scrunches his eyebrows together. The confusion clears and he grins once more, taping his mother's shoulder as if to console. "You're silly, Mama. It's cause it makes me pretty!"
"Sweetie, you don't need to wear this to be… um… handsome."
"But I don't want to be handsome! I want to be pretty!" Ping crosses his arms in a pout, long sleeves flying wildly. Both mother and father sigh.
"Go clean your face and change your clothes. We will talk later," Zhou cuts in, a rare occurrence with Li usually holding the reins with their child. Ping's pout only intensifies as he stomps out of the room, trying not to trip. Zhou turns to Li.
"What… what do we do?" Zhou looks to his wife, beyond worried about what this could mean for the future of their child. Li smiles sweetly and grabs ahold of her husband's arm.
"It is probably just a phase. He will grow out of it in time." Zhou looked at the still-open door, his wife's words easing him far less than they usually do.
"If you say so…" His voice was too weak to be convincing.
Age 7
"So, I was thinking..." Ping shyly looked up at his parents where he had beckoned them to sit moments ago for this super important secret meeting. Zhou and Li sat patiently, if not slightly apprehensively. Ping tugged at the hem of his shirt, frowning at the stiff feel of the fabric. He gnawed at his bottom lip, finally meeting his parent's eyes.
"I... I want to be a girl." Zhou and Li glance at one another. Li speaks first.
"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Ping thinks in silence before huffing in frustration.
"I just... I hate being a boy! The clothes aren't comfortable, and the other boys at school only talk about boring things. When, I play with the girls, they aren't so mean and they are way more fun to talk to! I like girl clothes. Wearing make-up makes me feel good. When I'm a boy, people treat me different..." Ping wrings his hands together and looks at the ground.
Zhou and Li didn't know how to feel about their son's confession. They didn't understand.
But they wanted to.
"Ping, we love you. No matter if you are our son, or our daughter. We just want to see you happy," Zhou smiles when Ping's head zips up in surprise. It only take a moment for that huge grin to replace his frown. Ping jumps into his parent's laps, grasping them tight in a hug that is returned immediately.
"I need clothes. And make-up. And I want to be a lady, like Mom. And-"
"Slow down! We will make sure to do all of that, just give us a second," Ping looks at his parent's smiling faces, still gripping tight to their shoulders and sitting in their lap, though he is far too old for that. Zhou's small smile fades as he stares seriously into his son's eyes. "Others will not be so kind when learning of your decision. We can not stay here. We will need to start anew elsewhere."
"Oh... I'm sorry. I know you like it here Dad, we don't have to leave the land behind..."
"We can bring the ancestors to our new home and it will be as if we never left. Ping, for your happiness, there is no price too large." Ping falls back into his parent's embrace, not dropping his smile even as his cheeks started to ache.
"I don't want to be called Ping anymore. Could you..." Ping hides his face in his mother's shoulder. "Could you give me a new name?"
Li smiles at her husband and rubs her hand on her child's back soothingly.
"When I was pregnant with you, we decided, if you were to be born a girl, your name would be Mulan."
"Mulan... It's perfect."
Age 16
"Mother, Father! A boy asked if I could be courted!" Mulan ran up to the main entrance, kicking off his slippers impatiently on the lawn. His deeper voice contrasted with the lovely pink gown he wore. His make-up was tastefully done, the subtle pink blush only enhancing his high cheek bones. He made a beautiful woman, though both his face and voice had an air of androgyny that made many double-take before dismissing the idea of the refined lady being a male in truth.
Zhou peeks past the door frame too quick to be dignified.
"The answer is no!"
"What?! But..."
"I'm not giving my little girl to anyone!"
"Father! He's nice. I think he would probably understand... my situation." Zhou meets Mulan in the hall, holding his cane in a death grip as he gently cradled Mulan's arm.
"Boys are wolves. He is not what he seems. There is absolutely no way I will marry you."
"But-"
"No buts! Our situation is... delicate. It is normal for us, but to others, they could only see it as strange... You are too young to make to make such an important decision. When you are older, you are sure to understand." Mulan sighed.
"Okay. I understand, it's just hard sometimes." Zhou wraps his daughter in his arms, letting his cane drop to the floor.
"I know, Mulan. I know..."
Age 18
"You seem excited."
"Of course I'm excited!" Mulan picked up the brush, applying the red paint to her lips. She checks the mirror when she's done. "I've been wanting to go to the matchmaker for years now!" Li smiles fondly as she watches her daughter eagerly get ready for the afternoon, many hours from now.
"I know darling."
"I mean, I'm probably going to be older than everyone else there, and I can't really get married, since I have a-"
"Language."
"Uh, yes. I am biologically male. But even so! I've been taking those classes for etiquette and it would be nice to be recognized as a lady. Others my age always seemed to have mixed feeling about me..."
"That is likely due to your lady-like mannerisms one moment, and your tom-boy act the next."
"But that's me! Being a lady is nice, but so is playing chess, wearing pants, and having an actual conversation."
"I know, sweety. But having the best of both worlds is unrealistic, and often impossible." Mulan scoffed.
"I know. It's just stupid. I wish I could just... I dunno. I'm going to try to live how I like."
"That's admirable, but often dangerous. Know where the line is, Mulan."
"I know, Mother." Li puts a jade hair comb in Mulan's hair, the brilliant white flower causing her hair to appear darker and her skin paler.
"Your father and I will be there for you, no matter what." Mulan smiles delicately, a mask of a lady, a far cry from her wide grin of the past, but no less sincere. Li claps her hands together decisively. "Right! Let us finish preparing you. This afternoon is sure to be an interesting one."
