Author's Note: See! I told you I would try to post every Saturday! Anyway, this chapter is important, so pay attention! Thank to everyone who left a review, favorited, or followed this story! Your support means the world to me! Enjoy, and be sure to leave a review!

Chapter Twenty Seven: Mulan

The clash of swords. The shrieks of frightened women. The wails of children. A distant explosion. My mind is on what I like to call battle mode as I wield my sword. I kill someone. I turn around and begin to battle another opponent. I disarm him. I knock him to the ground. I cut off his head. I feel nothing. I'm numb. That's what battle mode is for, numbness. The battle goes on for a while longer. Eventually, the Huns retreat. I look around and see one of the men under my command and order him to look around for wounded soldiers. Through the smoke, caused by both cannon fire and fires currently being smothered, I catch a glimpse of a red cape. I approach Captain Li Shang in the same way I have approached him so many times before in the previous past five months, five long months of battle after battle.

"I have sent some of my men to look for wounded soldiers, sir," I state.

"Good, lieutenant. A large tent is currently being set up south of here for any villagers. Take some of your men and look around for any survivors. The Huns' attack took us all by surprise, and the residents of this village are most likely hiding."

"Yes, sir," I bow respectfully and then begin to walk towards a group of soldiers. A good many of them are in the platoon that is under my command. "Soldiers!" They immediately turn to attention and bow to me. "Look around for any villagers who survived the attack! When you do bring them to the large tent just south of here!" I see some of the men exchange coy smiles. "And the women are to be treated with decency!" I spit at them. The men stop smiling and glare at me, but not a single one protests. "Dismissed!" The men walk off in different directions. Sighing, I begin my trek into the smoldering village.

I have only walked a few feet into the village when I pick up the sound of someone crying. The sound seems to be coming from a small pile of debris. As I approach the pile, I notice that the debris is stacked in a way that there is a small hollow spot in the middle. I kneel down by the pile and to crouch in order to see inside of the hole. In this spot, I see a small little girl who looks like she can be no older than four or five. She has curled herself into a tiny ball and my heart cracks as I hear tiny sobs escaping her.

"Hello there," I say as gently as I can while still maintaining my 'man' voice. The girl looks up and I see that her sad, frightened eyes are red from tears. She trembles from fright. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I won't hurt you."

"Go away," she whispers.

"I can't leave you here, it's dangerous. Why don't you come on out?"

"I can't come out," she states.

This worries me. "Are you trapped?"

The little girl shakes her head. "No, I just have to stay here."

"Why?"

"I'm waiting for my mama."

"Did she tell you to wait here?" I ask.

"No. We saw the Hun's coming and we were running together and then there was an explosion and then I didn't see her anymore and Mama always told me that if I ever got lost at the market I should stay in one place and wait for her so I'm going to wait for her here."

A pang hits my heart. There was an explosion and then she didn't see her mother? This girl is so young and innocent that she doesn't seem to understand that there is a good chance her mama is dead. Still, it is incredibly important to get this girl out of this spot. The debris could collapse at any time, crushing her. So, for the time being, I decide to play along. "What's your name?"

"Meixiu"

"How about this Meixiu: If you come with me, I will take you to a safer place for you to wait for your mama."

The little girl still seems unsure. "I'm not supposed to go with strangers," she states. It looks like I'm going to have to earn her trust, but how? She might be frightened of a male soldier, but what about a woman? Revealing myself to her is risky, but I can't let her stay here. I make my choice.

"Please come on out," I ask gently in my normal voice. Meixiu looks at me strangely and giggles a little.

"Mister, you sound like a girl," she whispers. I smile at her and I watch as realization spreads across her face. "Wait, are you a… girl, mister?" I raise my finger to my lips in a shushing motion. Meixiu pretends to seal her lips with a key and giggles a little more at the thought of being a part of such a secret.

"So will you come out?" I try again. She seems to consider this but still seems reluctant. "Are you afraid?"

"No," she replies, "but my doll is." With this, she shows me a small rag doll that she is clutching in her hands. The doll is in a pink dress, has black hair, and two black eyes.

"Oh, I see. What is your doll's name?" I ask, playing along.

"Mulan," Meixiu states with a smile. "It means magnolia flower which is my favorite flower!"

The irony is almost too much to bear. "Her name is Mulan?"

"Yes!"

"My name is Mulan," I say with a smile.

"Really?" she questions, her eyes wide.

I nod. "You know, at home, I have a magnolia tree in my backyard with a beautiful white bench under it. My favorite place in the world is under that tree."

"I had a magnolia tree in my backyard too!" she states excitedly. After a pause, she does something unexpected. Meixiu crawls out of her hiding spot. "I don't think anyone with such a pretty name could be a bad person," she tells me innocently. A smile stretches across my face.

"Thanks, sweetheart." I stand up and grab Meixiu under her shoulders. I hoist her onto my hip and feel her wrap her small arms tightly around my neck like she is afraid to let go. With her head resting on my shoulder, I head south.

The tent for refugees is quite hectic. Villagers are rushing to and fro looking for loved ones. I walk in with Meixiu on my hip. All of a sudden I hear a shout of joy.

"Meixiu! My baby! Oh, thank the ancestors!" A woman rushes forward, and Meixiu visibly brightens at the sight of her.

"Mama!"

I lift Meixiu and pass her to her mother.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you for finding her!" the woman cries, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Of course, ma'am," I state. "Goodbye, Meixiu." With a wave and a smile, I walk away, leaving the two to their reunion.