The next day, we set off for the battlefield. It seemed that General Li was in need of our assistance. As we walked, we grumbled about marching. We had learned to do it, but we all hated it.
We soon reached the Tung Sho Pass. I frowned when I noticed no sign of the Chinese Army. "My father should be here," Shang murmured.
I didn't want to say what I suspected, what I knew, had happened. The army had been slaughtered.
Ping glanced at me. "Save the cannons," Shang ordered, we quickly got the cannons out of the carriage and moved to a small hill where we could easily attack the Huns.
We soon were down to one cannon. Ping grabbed it and I swiftly followed. He shot the top of the mountain and I sent an airblast at Shan-Yu, knocking him off-balance. Unfortunately, he quickly recovered and injured both of us. We quickly took off running, rescuing Shang in the process. I attempted to use my Airbending to keep us from falling over the cliff, but that didn't work. Then I tried to use it to slow our falls.
After we were pulled up, I collapsed into the snow. "So, now what?" I asked, calmly. "I mean, we just saved China. What happens now?"
"Kai-Ling, your side is glowing," Ling said suddenly.
"My side is what now?" I asked, staring at it. My eyes widened. I was screwed.
"Maybe we should have the medic look at it," Shang said.
"Worry about Ping first," I replied.
Ping—Mulan—and I were quickly treated. The medic emerged and revealed we were both females. "My name is Mulan. I did it to save my father," Mulan explained.
I was brought out alongside her. "Traitors," Chi Fu snapped.
I growled and stared at the snow, willing it upward, creating a water dome over Mulan and myself. "I joined for I am the sole survivor of my family," I snapped icily. "My name is Maelynne."
"A life for a life, my debt is repaid," Shang snapped. "Move out."
They left the two of us behind. I quickly gathered our things. "We're heading West," I said.
"But home is to the East," Mulan protested.
"Fire Nation War?" I reminded her. "We can still defeat them. Come on!"
I led Mulan toward the swamp when we saw the Huns climb out of the snow. "We can take these losers."
We soon led the Chinese army to victory—disguised as women. Afterward, the Emperor declared us traitors. Instinct took over, I used my Airbending to knock Chi-Fu away from us and we jumped onto Khan's back. I took over once we had cleared the Imperial City. "They'll expect us to go south. We'll go west," I said firmly. We soon reached a familiar swamp—well, familiar to me. I dismounted and helped Mulan down. "Khan, go south," I ordered.
He whinnied. I turned to Mulan. "Khan, we need you to lay down a false trail for us," I explained. "That way, Mulan and I can get out of here."
Khan nodded and took off, going back east three miles before turning south. Mulan and I hurried through the swamp, soon reaching the village where Uncle Hakoda was gathering the swamp Waterbenders. "Uncle Hakoda!" I ran over, followed by Mulan. "She's all I could find."
"One is better than none," he reassured me.
I nodded. We soon reached the island where the rest of my friends were waiting.