The night air was cool and crisp. I could feel Mulan's breath on the back of my neck; her arms tight around my waist. I sighed in content. I was married. Slowly, I removed one of Mulan's hands from my side, and pressed my lips to her knuckles. A rush of air rushed through my hair. I smiled, and her hand fell back down. She rested her head on my shoulder.

"Tired?" I whisper, straining my head backwards, but I cannot see any more than the red of her robes. She let out a mumble of words and burrows her face farther into my back. I laughed. Mulan grumbles and tugs at my middle, showing her annoyance. I laugh again.

"We're almost there," I whisper. The stars stretched out before us, and we reached a small tree beside the river. It's branches bend towards the ground, the trunk twisted and mangled. I pull the horse to the side of the road. Mulan sits up a bit straighter, allowing me to gently climb off of the horse. I gingerly reach up and help her down, cradling her in my arms. She sighs and lays her head against my chest.

"Are you awake?" I murmer. She sighs.

"Yes. Now I am. If you'd let me sleep....." her words drifted off. I smiled and placed her beneath the tree before tying the lead rope of the horse to a thick, low branch.

I sat beside my dozing wife and pulled her into me; stroking her hair. "Mulan, I'm so sorry. I never should have said those things to you." It all means nothing to you! The problem, Mulan, is you!" We are very different people.

She lets out a breath and pulled away. I froze, until she looked up at me, her eyelids drooping, but her eyes bright and alert. "Shang..." she sighed heavily. "It is me who should apologize. I am so sorry." I wrap my arms around her tightly and rest my chin on the top of her head.

"We are both at fault. I know we are very different, but we can work through it. We have to work through it. I love you." A bright look came across her face, the moonlight sparkled in her eyes.

"Not as different as I thought!" I give her a curious look. She grabs my hands. "I have to tell you something, Shang." My breath catches in my throat. What could she possibly say. Oh no. I nodded; unable to do anything else.

"Okay," she took a deep breath. "We aren't as different as I first thought, because, you see, my guardian was trying to break us up." I gape.

"Your....your guardian?" She nods.

"Well, when I ran away to join the army, to you, my ancestors sent me a guardian to look after me. Mushu." Mushu. Mushu the Guardian. I roll the name around on my tongue before nodding at her to continue. And she did.

She told me about meeting him, creating the name Ping, her training, everything. She told me of his role in saving China, and I watched as her eyes narrowed as she explained to me his attempts to seperate us to keep his position amongst the ancestors. She also explained his role as the "Golden Dragon of Unity."

"And that's what I was trying to tell you before the bandits attacked. But you let go! And I'll never forgive you for that! And I'll never repay you for doing it." When her words died out, she slumped forwards, her body taking on a appearance of exhaustion. I gaped, trying to comprehend this rush of information.

The entire time, I had caught her odd conversations to seemingly no one, it was Mushu. The entire time, I had thought that it was us that perhaps were not meant to be together.

She let out something between a dry sob and a sigh. "You don't believe me!" This snapped me out of my daze.

"I do! Of course I do! It explains everything!" I pull her closer to me and lean against the trunk of the tree, letting her rest her head on my chest. Our fights, our misfortune, our seperation! It wasn't just us!

"Please say something," she whispered. "Are you angry with me?" I sigh and rest my cheek on the crown of her head.

"Of course not. I'm angry with Mushu. And yet I owe my life to him." I sighed again. "Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't been there when the Huns attacked. I could have lost you forever. He brought you to me. And then he tore us apart. And then he saved us all." I haven't been this confused about someone since I discovered my soldier was Mulan on the mountain.

She sighed and drew herself closer. "I promise not to keep anything else from you. I love you, Shang." I smiled and lean down, gently kissing her.

"I love you." She smiles and kisses my jaw, then lays her head back onto my chest.

"Now, if you don't let me sleep, you're going to regret it tomorrow." I laugh and wrap my arms around her. We lay there for several minutes until I see the silhouettes of the princesses and the three men approach from the night, riding Mulan's dark horse.

"Mulan?" I gently nudge her. "Mulan, they're here." She groans and hits my chest, but still pushes herself upwards. I help her up, just in time for her to be cornered by the laughing and cheering group. The princesses wrapped their arms around her, thanking her, talking, congratulating. I couldn't help but smile. My wife.

I stood back, letting her have this moment, until I broke through their conversation.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesties, but we must be going. Mongolia is not a safe place to sleep tonight." There are surely some who are against the "Dragon of Unity's" orders. They nod in agreement. Mulan groans. I smile. Her eyelids are growing heavier and heavier. She'll fall from her horse.

"You can ride with me. The princesses can take your horse." I help her onto my steed and she settled against me.

"I was so scared. I thought I'd lost you." Her lips were next to my ear, her chin resting on my shoulder. I reach backwards and grab her hand.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," I whisper back. Her breath grows ragged and, to my surprise, I realize she is trying not to cry. "Mulan, you're overtired. You've been through a lot tonight. A lot these past few days. And it's my fault. But I'll never let you go again. Now sleep. We've got a long ride ahead of us." She nods and rests her cheek on my shoulder.

I wish I could hold her. But she was near, and that's all that mattered.