Hey everyone. I hope you all are doing OK. There's definitely enough going on to sadden even the happiest optimist, but we can get through this.

I'm sorry I haven't been very on top of my fanfiction game, but things have been crazy. I just can't find motivation with everything going on, but I will try to keep updating this story weekly.

I do not own Mulan.

The happiness I'd felt at the creek didn't last long. The Festival of Lanterns was drawing, and memories of Mulan kept surfacing.

"Do you think anyone will be able to guess this riddle?" Mulan held up a slip of paper, and I read it. What question can you never answer yes to?

"What is it?" I asked.

"Are you asleep yet?" Mulan laughed and pasted the riddle onto the golden glowing lantern. "Ready?"

We put our hands under it, and Mulan counted down. "Three, two, one." We lifted, watching the lantern slowly rise into the sky to join the multitudes.

The Lantern Festival was supposed to be a time of family reunion and togetherness. Right now, it was anything but. Our aunts and uncles were coming to visit, but the absence of Mulan left a very clear effect. Mama and Papa fought a lot now, and Grandmama was very quiet.

"Daiyu!" Mama's voice snapped me out of my reverie. "I thought I told you to go to the market!"

I thought back quickly, but she'd said no such thing. "I'll go now," I said, grabbing my basket and taking off out the door. Mama had said she wanted mutton stew for dinner, and I took mental inventory of our larder. The only ingredient we were missing was the meat.

While I waited for the butcher to slice up the mutton, one particular vendor caught my eye. She was hawking flowers, and among them I noticed an orchid.

Mulan's name meant 'wood orchid.'

After paying the butcher for the meat, I walked over to the woman. "I'd like to buy that wood orchid," I said, pulling a coin out of my pocket and handing it over.

"Here you are, little one." A grin creased her weathered face as she gave me the flower.

"Thank you!" I waved at her and walked off, absently twirling the flower between my fingers. When I arrived home, I gave Mama the meat and put the flower in a small vase, filling it with water. I was about to go back into the kitchen to show my parents and grandmother, but the sound of Mama's voice stopped me short.

"This is all my fault."

"No, no." That was Father. "Why would this be your fault?"

"I tried to force her to be something she wasn't." There was a quiet sob.

"No. It's my fault. I yelled at her."

"Nonsense, both of you." Grandmama. "This would have happened regardless. She would never have let you go to war, Zhou."

I turned away from the door and walked into my room. I looked at the bed where Mulan used to sleep, and tears blurred my sight. "I love you, Mulan," I murmured. "I wish you were here. I wish there was no war." I hiccupped and set down the vase next to her bed, where I'd placed her jade comb.

Little Brother whined from behind me, and I turned, picking him up and looking back at Mulan's bed. "I know, boy." I rubbed his head. "I know you miss her. I miss her, too."

He snuffled, rubbing his wet nose against my shoulder. I buried my face into his soft fur and cried.

"Daiyu!" I sighed and looked at the ceiling. I been run ragged all day, cleaning the house, cooking, making sure Little Brother didn't get into mischief...everything, really. Our Aunt Lei was supposed to be arriving today.

"Yes, Mama?"

"Aunt Lei will be here soon. Where are the irises?"

I smacked my head. "I'm sorry, Mama. I'll get them from the garden right now." I ran outside and picked several irises, remembering one time when Mulan and I had been in the garden together.

"Look at that cherry blossom!" Mulan pointed up to the top of the tree, where a huge bloom sat gracefully on a branch. "Wouldn't Mama love it?"

"It's too high." I was ever the practical one. Mulan tilted her head to the side, considering.

"I have long arms. If I climb the tree, I can get it."

"No! Father said never to climb his trees!"

"He doesn't have to know we climbed them! We can say it fell. Now you can go inside and tattle, if you want me to get in trouble."

I sighed. Of course I didn't want to get her in trouble. "Be quick!"

She'd grinned and begun to climb the tree. It didn't take long before she was at the top and shimmying, on her belly, towards the flower. She'd stretched out, but the branch had broken beneath her and with a shriek, she'd toppled to the ground, landing smack on her stomach. "Mulan!" I'd ran towards her, heart swollen in my throat. "Are you alright?"

She'd rolled over with a smile, presenting the flower in her grip.

"Daiyu! Aunt Lei is here! Please hurry with the irises!"

I ran into the house just in time to see Aunt Lei walk in. She was a knife-like woman, with a sharp eye and sharp judgement. I absentmindedly brushed my hair back and put the irises in their place. "Hello, Aunt Lei."

She examined me, ignoring my greeting. "You've certainly grown. But why are you wearing that?" She pointed at my hand-me-down hanfu.

"It's just something I wear sometimes," I said.

"Hmm." She turned back to my mother. "Did you hear the news?"

"No, what?"

My aunt was grim. "There's been a battle. Massacre, really. The majority of the Chinese army was killed by the Huns at the Tung Shao pass. There were no survivors."