Chapter 10: More Decisions
Shang carried Mulan into the tent that the men had set up. A couple of men had gone toward the Imperial City to find a village and a medic. He set her down on the blankets that had been put out. He knelt beside her, taking some material that wouldn't stick and pressing it to her wound to try to stop the bleeding. The others waited outside.
She opened her eyes and moaned. "Shang?"
"Ohh, Mulan," he murmured, stroking her cheek. "Why did you do this? Now everyone is going to find out about you and…and I-I don't know what I can do for you."
"It's okay," she croaked. Then she closed her eyes again.
He stared at her face. She looked like 'Ping', her skin darkened, her features obscured. But he knew what Mulan looked like underneath that now. He felt himself leaning toward her to kiss her.
There were sounds outside the tent and he immediately pulled himself up and turned as the tent flap opened and the medic walked in. The medic gestured for him to leave while he worked.
Shang paced back and forth outside of the tent, out of his mind with worry as he waited for the medic to come out. The sun was starting to set already. He was worried to distraction about Mulan. He could see that the wound from Shan-Yu's sword was a nasty one and she had lost a lot of blood. And he knew that the doctor treating her in there now knew her secret; and it was about to be revealed to everyone. He had to think of what to do when that happened, but he found himself incapable of rational thought.
He'd been unconscious after the snow had overtaken him. When he had regained consciousness he was safe on the cliff already, Mulan kneeling next to him; he had hardly been able to believe that he was still alive in that moment. Chien-Po told him about what had happened as they waited for news from the medic. How she had ridden Khan through the avalanche, looking for him. How she had found him and pulled him up onto Khan. He didn't know how a tiny girl like her had pulled a large man like him onto Khan, but he had already learned that she would never stop surprising him with the things that she did. He could expect anything from her yet he never knew what to expect. Chien-Po told him about how she had shot the arrow with the rope up to the soldiers at the top of the cliff so they could pull them up by the thick rope before they fell to their death. The girl was unbelievable. That she could even have the presence of mind to shoot the arrow to the men while they were free-falling to their death was a miracle. He wasn't sure he would have. She'd saved his life, all of their lives. She had saved all of China. And that was how he would justify not carrying out the law when she was revealed. He'd just lost his father from this world; he fought the wave of grief and bitterness that threatened to rise in him as he thought about that. He would not lose her from the world too.
The medic came out and Shang went over to him, dreading what was coming. The medic began to whisper and Shang had to bend down to hear him.
"The wound will heal. There was a lot of blood loss, but there was no internal damage and I administered some droughts. She needs to rest."
Shang cringed at the 'she' and straightened up, looking at the doctor. He nodded, obviously thinking that Shang had been shocked by the news. Shang turned abruptly and went into the tent. He wanted to see her, to talk to her once more before the others found out. She was lying there, wrapped in a blanket. The doctor had bathed her face, probably to bring down the fever from her wound, and the lovely face of the girl was as visible as day. He stared at her full, red lips and the flush in her cheeks from the fever, accentuated against the white of her skin. She opened her eyes and saw him.
"Are you okay?" she asked him as she sat up, smiling, the blanket dropping to reveal her bandaged torso.
His jaw dropped. He couldn't believe that she was still thinking of, still worried about him when she was the one who had been wounded; and was now going to be in even more trouble. She looked down, cringed and pulled the blanket up over her chest.
xxxxxxx
"It's over," she muttered as she saw Chi Fu come barging in.
"So, it's true!"
Shang folded his arms for a moment and looked at Chi Fu, his face stern and somber. Then he dropped his arms, turned and stormed out of the tent.
"Shang!" she called out desperately as he left the tent, frightened that he was leaving her alone with Chi Fu. She realized that she had forgotten herself, calling Shang by his first name in front of Chi Fu. But Chi Fu didn't seem to have noticed.
He stormed over to her and grabbed her arm, dragging her up from where she'd been laying. Frightened and ashamed at her state of undress, and still feeling a throbbing pain in her abdomen, she desperately clutched the blanket, holding it over her chest as he pulled her roughly out of the tent. She was covered only by her trousers and the bandage around her torso.
"I knew there was something wrong with you," Chi Fu snarled. He roughly pulled the tie out of her hair and her hair fell down around her face.
"A woman!" he sneered, as if the word 'woman' was the most despicable one in existence.
The other soldiers gasped and she could see the stunned looks on Chien-Po, Yao and Ling's faces.
"Treacherous snake." Chi Fu threw her onto the snowy ground. It was freezing out and she was barely dressed. She didn't dare move the blanket away to wrap it around herself. She shivered, trying to brace herself against the cold.
"My name is Mulan," she said defiantly and strongly to the company assembled, looking at Shang, who had his back to her, wondering what he was going to do now. "I did it to save my father."
Shang glanced back at her, a pained look in his eyes.
"High treason!" the sniveling rat shouted, his face in hers.
She ignored him disdainfully and spoke only to Shang and the others, her captain and the men who had been her friends. "I never meant for it to go this far."
"Ultimate dishonor!" Chi Fu continued.
"It was the only way."
"Hmph!" Chi Fu grunted, walking over to Shang. "Captain?"
Shang looked at Chi Fu. Then he walked over to Khan and pulled her sword out of its sheath. She heard Khan whinny hysterically as he turned and walked toward her with it. She felt her heart sink. She hoped it would be quick. He approached her and she looked up, meeting his eyes. He'd gone all this time without killing her even though he'd known. Was he really going to kill her now, just because of Chi Fu? She wanted to be brave, and she still desperately hoped he had come up with some other idea. He stood there for a long time looking down at her, his eyes narrowed in anger. Maybe it was just as well, she thought. What kind of future did she have anyway? She lowered her head, waiting for it to be finished.
Suddenly, the sword dropped to the snow in front of her. She looked at it, then she looked up at him.
"A life for a life. My debt is repaid," he said, his voice toneless, his face expressionless. He turned and moved toward his stallion, calling for the others to move out.
Chi Fu began to protest, but Shang grabbed him by the collar and practically lifted him off the ground. "I said, move out." He dropped Chi Fu and went to his horse.
Mulan remained crouched on the snow-covered ground, the blanket over her chest, looking down. Suddenly, someone was bending down in front of her. She looked up and found herself looking at Ling. She felt him put something around her shoulders. Another blanket.
"Thank you," she said, softly.
"Yao and Chien-Po are gathering some of the food to leave for you."
She thanked him again. Those three had really turned out to be decent men.
xxxxxxx
It was about two hours to the Imperial City from the Tung Shao Pass. Shang couldn't stop thinking about Mulan. The girl was incredible. He had never known anyone like her in his life. Intelligent, reckless, courageous. He still couldn't believe the stunt that she had pulled off in the mountains, and that a tiny little girl like that had defeated the entire Hun army with one brilliant move that turned the tide of an entire battle. When she had grabbed the cannon and ran he was sure she had lost her mind. But she was a genius. She was wild and insane, but a genius. He was amazed and awestruck by what she had done for him, too. She'd risked her life again coming to find him after he'd been swept up by the wave of snow, had thought of him as well as herself. It was such a selfless act; he couldn't help but admire her, once again. She'd been concerned about his well-being. He still couldn't fathom how she had managed to pull him out of the churning avalanche and onto her horse, a tiny little girl like that. She had proven herself braver than any of the men in the troop, including him.
When they had reached the burnt out village the night before he had ordered the soldiers to search for survivors and had gone to search himself. He had noticed Mulan standing in one spot. She had found a little girl's doll on the ground and she was clutching it against her body tightly. Shang had been touched and the anger toward her that had surfaced as he had listened to her banter lightly with the soldiers on the way there seemed to dissolve inside him. He had felt an overwhelming desire to go to her and comfort her. He rode up toward where she was standing and dismounted. But he had felt foolish and had realized that he didn't know what to say that would comfort her. He just stood beside her, speaking of his own confusion about why his father wasn't there. He hadn't even been able to see the reality of it in that moment. It just hadn't occurred to him. But she had given him a sad intense look, as if she knew something. Then Chi Fu had cried out for him and he'd gone to see what he was pointing at. He would never forget the sight that met his eyes. In his dreaming of honor and glory in battle he'd never imagined anything so shocking and grisly. He'd been so naïve and ignorant, without a clue about the realities of war. And he'd worried for her. This was nothing for a young girl like her to have seen; nobody should have had to see it. Then Chien-Po had brought him his father's helmet, sympathy in his eyes. Shang had been devastated. His father, his role model, a man who had been invincible to Shang, who had done great deeds of valor and honor; this was his end. He had made a soldier's memorial to his father with the helmet and his own sword that his father had presented to him that day at Wu Zhong. The last time he saw him. He had knelt before the memorial and prayed to his ancestors, blinking back the tears that were coming to his eyes. Then she was there. The words that she said, the sound of her voice, her presence; they comforted him. He had stood up and acknowledged her sympathy and her presence gratefully, and had found the strength to press on. His own father had taught him long ago to put his duty before his personal feelings. He knew they had to get to the Emperor to protect him. He could mourn his father later.
He had wanted so much to talk to her before they left her in the mountains like that. He wanted to tell her that he never had any intention of hurting her, from the time he'd found out about her from Zhao and that he would have done anything to prevent this from happening.
He hadn't had a chance to talk to her. Chi Fu had barged in on them in the tent. And once the vile man had dragged her outside and exposed her to everyone, there was no opportunity for Shang to talk to her without it looking strange and suspicious. This had been the best he could do for her and he was miserable about it. She looked so cold, so vulnerable, so sad and defeated. Chi Fu had treated her in such a disgusting manner. And he had let him. He hated himself for it. He hated himself for being so weak about everything. He hated himself for the way he had treated her. He hated Chi Fu for being so repulsive. And he hated Yao, Ling and Chien-Po, because they could talk to her and show her that they cared for her. They didn't even seem to be upset that she had deceived them, the way he had been. They didn't take it personally the way he had when he'd first found out. He'd noticed that Ling had put an extra blanket around her and had spoken to her. Yao and Chien-Po had gathered food to leave for her. And when he had been approaching her with the sword, pretending as if he would kill her for Chi Fu's benefit, it was those three men who stepped forward to stop him. They had been Ping's friends; and the discovery that Ping was a woman named Mulan instead didn't phase them. She had been their friend, and whatever she was, they respected her for who she was and remained loyal to her. They were not ashamed to show that they still respected her, to step forward and try to protect her. He himself had not been able to do anything. They were better men than he was and he knew that he never deserved the concern and care that she had showed him.
He would never see her again now. His heart ached at that thought. He was completely ashamed of himself for the way he had behaved to her all along, both when he thought she was Ping and after he knew she was Mulan. And he knew nothing would ever make it right.
"Don't think I won't tell the Emperor what you failed to do back there, Captain," Chi Fu said, suddenly, interrupting Shang's thoughts.
Shang closed his eyes, forcing himself to remain under control even though he wanted to punch Chi Fu out. He opened his eyes and glared at Chi Fu. But he remained silent. There wasn't anything that could be said that would get through to an idiot like him, other than obscenities.
xxxxxxx
Mulan let the tears fall as she sat in the snow, now dressed in the blood-stained soldier uniform. Her father's armor was in her pack, saddled on Khan. She was still shivering, though she had the two blankets, one that Ling had kindly left her, and she kept them wrapped around herself as she sat by the fire Mushu had started for her after the troops were out of sight. Khan had lowered himself to the ground, leaning against her to warm her as well. She was heartbroken. She had been shamefully revealed to all of the men. Shang had apparently made the decision not to kill her, but she wasn't so sure that was a good thing. She didn't know where she was going to go now. If she made it home, it was possible her family would not accept her back after what she had done, something that she had been worried about all along. She doubted herself and her own motives now, too. It had seemed so clear when she left home that she'd done it for her father; but now she wasn't sure why she had really done it. And now she had nothing. No future. Nothing but dishonor. Word would spread about her. She would be dishonored, her father would be dishonored, all of her ancestors would be dishonored. She would have been better off if Shang had killed her. To complicate everything further, she had been heart broken as she had watched the troops disappear down the mountain. Her heart ached as the thought repeated in her mind that she would never see Shang again.
"Well," she finally said. "I'm going to have to try to face my father sooner or later. Let's go home."
"Yeah," said Mushu, sighing. "It won't be pretty. But don't worry. Things will be okay. We started this together and that's how we'll finish it." He hugged her and she hugged him back, smiling wanly. "And at least the captain didn't kill you. That's something."
"You realize, Mushu, that you may end up being stuck roaming the earth aimlessly with me for my entire natural life if I'm not allowed back in my home."
"I know it. And I'm never going to be allowed back in the temple. You, me, Cri-Kee and Khan. Together forever."
She stood up and gathered all of her things together, saddling everything onto Khan. As she was doing this, she suddenly heard a loud howl from down in the valley. She went to the edge of the cliff and looked down. She saw Shan-Yu and a few other Huns down there. How could that be? How could they have survived the avalanche? They had been buried under the snow for hours! She gasped, then turned back to Khan. The city was brightly lit and was visible from where they were. She knew they would be heading there. She sheathed the sword that had been dropped in the snow by Shang and mounted Khan, turning him around toward the Imperial City. She had to warn Shang or someone there.
"Home is that way," said Mushu.
"I have to do something," she told him, defiantly.
"I know. I knew you were going to say that."
Mushu sighed, grabbing the cricket that was still hanging around and hopped onto Khan's back.
"Okay, let's go."
xxxxxxx
The news of the Hun defeat had traveled ahead of them quickly to the Imperial City, and a victory parade had already been organized.
The parade leader announced them as the heroes of China.
Shang was staring down somberly as he rode on his stallion behind Chi Fu, and his men were marching behind him, looking as depressed as he felt. They were staring at the ground also. Shang had wanted no part of this, but as captain of the troops he had to participate, reluctantly, knowing that the one who deserved the honor and glory wasn't even considered worthy of mentioning because of what she was. She'd been discarded, by their tradition, their society and by him. After everything she had done for them and for him. Only because she was a woman. He sighed sadly, feeling ashamed.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a trotting horse behind him and he sat up as he heard her voice.
"Shang."
She was riding beside him, wearing the bloody soldier's uniform, her hair down.
"Mulan?" he exclaimed, unable to keep the surprise and joy out of his voice at seeing her face again.
"The Huns are alive. They're in the city," she told him.
He realized that Chi Fu was right there and would see her. He had saved her life in the mountains; and now she was here and it would all be for nothing if she was seen.
"You don't belong here, Mulan. Go home." His voice came out harsher than he'd intended. He rode ahead of her, hoping she would take the hint and leave.
"Shang, I saw them in the mountains," she said, riding up on the other side of him. "You have to believe me."
"That's madness, Mulan. The Huns were buried under tons of snow. They couldn't possibly be alive."
She rode ahead and turned Khan so that they blocked his way. He had to stop his own stallion. "Why else would I come back?"
"Mulan, go home. You will be killed here. Please listen to me this time and just get out of here."
"You said I had your trust and your respect, Shang. I know what I'm talking about."
Shang looked at her for a moment, then looked over at the crowd. Then he turned his horse and rode around her, continuing forward, hoping that his snub would make her leave.
"Keep your eyes open," he heard her say to the men behind him. "I know they're here." Then she rode off somewhere.
'Mulan,' he pleaded silently, 'Please leave. Please.' He knew that he would go out of his mind if anything happened to her.
The parade approached the platform at the top of one of the staircases in front of the palace, and the Emperor came down from the palace to meet them at the platform. The drummers ceased their drumming and the gong was rung. Chi Fu handed Shang Shan-Yu's sword. As the captain, Shang had to be the one to accept the victory of his troops. He remained numb, wanting to just get it over with and then hide somewhere. The Emperor made an announcement to the crowd about how they were safe thanks to the brave warriors. Shang cringed under the hypocrisy of the Emperor's compliment of them and knelt before him, holding out the sword.
"Your Majesty, I present to you the sword of Shan-Yu," he said, mechanically.
"I know what this means to you, Captain Li. Your father would have been very proud."
Shang forced himself to smile at him, knowing that his father would not be proud at all, then bowed his head lower, holding out the sword for him to take. Before the Emperor could take it, the falcon was suddenly there, grabbing the sword in its beak out of Shang's hands and flying it up to its owner, who was standing on the roof of the palace. Shang stood up, beginning to draw his sword.
Suddenly, men jumped out of the dragon float behind him. He turned, his sword drawn, and began to fight them, but they had caught him by surprise and knocked him down. He was stunned from the fall. He shook his head and looked up, seeing the Emperor's hat on the ground and realizing that the Huns had grabbed him. Shang leaped up and began to run after them.
"No!" he shouted, unable to believe that he'd let the Huns grab the Emperor when he was standing right there in front of him.
He ran up to the palace doors, but it was too late. They had already taken him inside and had shut the doors. Shang banged his fist on the door, then dropped his head on his arm, frustrated at his own stupidity and uselessness. She had been right and he had ignored her. He had treated her like a weak woman who wasn't supposed to have anything to say and should be invisible when he knew that she was anything but that. It was all his fault that this had happened. He heard Shan-Yu laughing from the roof.
His troops joined him and together they lifted up a large statue and tried to use it as a battering ram to break down the door. But it was to no avail.
There was suddenly a whistle behind them.
"Hey, guys. I have an idea," she said, and disappeared around the corner.
Chien-Po, Ling and Yao were beside him, on that side of the statue. They looked at each other then dropped the statue and ran after her. Shang stared at them in astonishment. He was left, standing there hesitantly and he realized that it was about time he started acting differently to her. He let go of the statue and followed the other three around the corner. If Mulan had an idea that was better than his, he was willing to go along with it.
When he got there he saw that somehow she had managed to obtain silk dresses, which she and the three men were dressed in, and they each had a fan. How she managed to find a dress that fit Chien-Po was beyond him. The three men looked ridiculous in dresses and women's makeup. But he immediately noticed how beautiful Mulan looked in the dress she was in; it was the first time he'd ever seen her dressed as a girl. She was not wearing make-up. She didn't need any. She and the three men were each standing before a column, their scarves wrapped around them, ready to shimmy up to the upper story just as they did for the arrow exercise. She had a plan, and she was already starting to carry it out, without him. He didn't blame her after the way he'd treated her in the parade. But he had to let her know, show her that he really did trust and respect her, and that he wanted to be part of whatever she was doing. He went over and tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled around, nervously, to see who was there. He looked at her reassuringly, taking his cape off and putting it around the column next to hers, giving her an expectant look and indicating that he was coming along. She smiled warmly. The five of them then climbed up to the second story and entered the palace.
She explained her plan. Dressed as concubines, the four of them would distract the guards. Once they had fallen the guards, Shang would run into the room they were guarding and fight Shan-Yu, protecting the Emperor. Shang waited while the 'concubines' went and flirted with the guards. The plan almost failed when one of the pieces of fruit in Ling's dress fell out; but they recovered themselves quickly and beat up the distracted Huns. He heard Mulan yell for him to go and he dashed out from behind the corner, his sword drawn, pushing past the others. As he past her, he noted that she had fallen one of the Hun guards and was using his bow to hold his head back. He dashed up the stairs to where Shan-Yu was holding the Emperor and intercepted his sword as it was about to strike the Emperor. As much training as Shang had and as good a fighter as he was, Shan-Yu was much larger and much more experienced in combat. It took every bit of Shang's strength and combat skill just to defend himself against him. Mulan, Chien-Po, Yao and Ling came up to the balcony then, and Mulan yelled for Chien-Po to get the Emperor. Shang saw that Chien-Po had followed her order and was over the ledge of the balcony with the Emperor, sliding to the safety of the ground with him on one of the ropes holding the decorative lanterns. Yao and Ling followed.
"No!" Shan-Yu yelled.
Shan-Yu slammed his head into Shang's in a fierce head-butt and everything went black. The next thing he was aware of was a small hand on his shoulder, shaking him. He opened his eyes and lifted himself up with her help. He saw Shan-Yu coming toward them with his sword, a wild, savage look in his eyes. Shang put his arm in front of Mulan, gesturing for her to move out of the way, and took out a knife. Mulan moved away as Shan-Yu approached. He knocked away Shang's knife, slapped him and grabbed him by the shirt collar, holding his sword to his throat.
"You took away my victory!" he snarled.
Shang knew he was about to die, and he was prepared to do so, if only Mulan would just get away from there and be safe. But Mulan's shoe came flying at Shan-Yu's head, hitting him, and he turned to her. The shoe bounced back to her.
"No! I did!" she said, defiantly. She pulled her hair back and gave him a smirk, looking at him defiantly.
Her face was light now and it took a full minute for Shan-Yu to make the connection. Then it dawned on him.
"The soldier from the mountains," he said in awe.
He threw Shang back on the ground and chased after her as she put her shoe back on and ran down the stairs off the balcony.
Shang sat up. He was still in a daze from the blow he'd received and he shook his head, trying to shake it off. He stood up and ran off in the direction where Mulan and Shan-Yu had gone. He went through the doors that led to the balcony and found the hallway in a shambles. Some of the supporting columns had been hacked up, and one of them had fallen and crashed through the outer wall of the palace. Where was she? He headed down to the front door of the palace and dashed out. People were pointing and looking up at the roof. Shang looked up and gasped.
There on the roof the tiny slip of a girl was facing the huge, hulking Shan-Yu alone. Wearing a dress. She had no sword. Shang watched as she whipped out a fan and not only disarmed Shan-Yu with it, but managed to get hold of his sword. She was threatening him with it. She was better than Shang now. Shang watched as she stabbed the sword into the roof and used it as a lever to swing her body around and kick him. She sweep-kicked him, then picked up his sword and plunged it into his cape, pinning him. The next thing he saw was Shan-Yu flying toward the fireworks tower propelled by a fire-rocket. How had she done that? She was gone now and the entire fireworks tower was exploding, the fire spreading to the roof of the palace. He looked around frantically for her and suddenly saw her sliding down one of the ropes of lanterns, toward the ground. He ran down the steps toward her to catch her. She dropped before he could get to her, landing on his back. He fell to the ground and looked to his right, seeing her on the ground beside him, smiling a sweet, proud smile. Then Shan-Yu's sword came down to the ground behind him with a clank. They both looked at the sword then at each other.
Shang stood up and held out his hand to help her up. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," she said, taking his hand. "You?"
He nodded, staring at her, feeling her hand in his; it seemed to fit in his so perfectly. He stood before her, feeling an overwhelming urge to scoop her up into his arms and kiss her.
But the ordeal wasn't over yet. Chi Fu came out of the palace sniveling about the trouble she'd caused. Yao, Ling and Chien-Po had come up to them, and Shang and the three of them moved to shield her. Shang stood in front of all of them as Chi Fu approached.
"Stand aside. That creature is not worth protecting."
"She's a hero," Shang snapped in Chi Fu's face.
"She's a woman. She'll never be worth anything."
Shang had had it with Chi Fu. He grabbed him by the shirt collar and began to lift him off the ground. "Listen, you pompous…"
"That is enough!"
Shang let go of Chi Fu and moved toward the Emperor, who was approaching.
"Your Majesty, I can explain," Shang began. He was ready to beg for her life.
The Emperor motioned for him to stand aside. He obeyed and moved aside, as did the other three men, leaving him a clear path to Mulan. She stepped forward bravely and bowed before him.
"I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan," he began. "You stole your father's armor. Ran away from home. Impersonated a soldier. Deceived your commanding officer…" Shang sucked in his breath and straightened up at that. The Emperor continued. "Dishonored the Chinese army, destroyed my palace, and…you have saved us all."
Shang blinked in disbelief as the Emperor bowed to Mulan. Chi Fu followed, dropping to the ground, prostrate. Shang smiled then proudly paid his homage to her, kneeling and bowing to the ground before her, along with Ling, Yao and Chien-Po. Everyone in the Imperial City bowed to her. The one who deserved it was getting the honor and acknowledgment finally.
When they had stood up again, the Emperor told Chi Fu to see to it that Mulan was made a member of his council. Shang was astonished to hear him say that, and was even more astonished when she turned him down.
"With all due respect, your Excellency, I think I've been away from home long enough."
The Emperor took off his pendant of the Emperors and put it around her neck. "Then take this, so your family will know what you have done for me. And this," he handed her the sword of Shan-Yu, "so the world will know what you have done for China."
She took the sword, looking it over, then beamed and threw her arms around him. The Emperor looked stunned, but then his face softened into a smile.
"Is she allowed to do that?" Yao asked.
Shang shrugged. He knew this girl would do it anyway even if she wasn't. She was that outrageous.
Mulan turned away from the Emperor and Yao, Ling and Chien-Po ran up to her. They embraced in a group hug, in which Chien-Po lifted them all off the ground. After he had set them back down, she moved away from them and started toward him.
Shang leaned toward her and started to open his arms, wanting to embrace her and tell her how much he cared for her. He couldn't bring himself to do it as he thought about how he'd treated her so much of the time that he'd known her. He found himself unable to speak.
"Um…you…"
She smiled at him, waiting for him to say something.
"You fight good," he said, patting her shoulder.
She looked disappointed. "Oh. Thank you." She walked past him and moved toward Khan.
Shang turned and stared after her, grunting at himself in disappointment.
He watched her as she mounted her steed, leaning forward. "Khan, let's go home."
He knew that what he'd said to her sounded so stupid. What he meant was that he was impressed with her, awed by her, at the fact that she was so brave, that she was a girl with more courage, more skill as a soldier than anyone he'd ever known. He loved her for that and for her incredible selflessness and for the fact that she was just a beautiful person. But it had come out all wrong and now she was on her horse riding away from him forever. She didn't even look back.
The Emperor, who had come to stand by his side as he sadly watched her riding out of his life forever, cleared his throat. Shang looked at him.
"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."
"Sir?..." Shang said, dumbfounded, turning to face him.
The Emperor gave him an annoyed look.
"You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty!"
He gave Shang another stern look, put his hat back on and turned toward the palace, leaving Shang standing there. Shang turned back to gaze off in the direction where she had gone. He sighed as he thought about her. He remembered the morning he saw her dressed as Ping, sitting on top of the pole after she was the first one to retrieve the arrow, smirking at him in triumph. He remembered the vision of her in the lake. He remembered running after the lone figure in the mountains while she charged head-on toward the oncoming Hun army with a cannon. He'd been torturing himself over her ever since he knew who she was. He was in love with her. He didn't know when it had happened or how she had gone from being his worst enemy to being the girl he was crazy about and the only girl he could imagine himself being with. She was the most unique, courageous, intelligent person he'd ever met. And after the way he had treated her at camp, had left her in the mountains and after all of the other times he had treated her so badly he didn't believe he deserved her or that he could even dream of being with her.
Shang was still overwhelmed by the intense events of that day; the avalanche, the fight in the palace. It had all come and gone so quickly; he could hardly believe it had really happened. He stood there for a long time, staring off at the horizon where she'd disappeared, thinking about the events of the past couple of months as well. So much had happened; and he was just beginning to understand how much it had changed him.
"Captain."
Shang woke from his reverie, realizing that Chien-Po was talking to him.
Chien-Po handed him a helmet. "It's hers."
"Oh." Shang stared at the helmet.
"Well, what are you waiting for, pretty boy?" said Yao. He and Ling were standing there, smirking at him.
"Huh?"
"Go after her, stupid!" Yao growled. "And say something smarter than 'you fight good' to her."
Shang stared at them in shock.
Yao and Ling burst into laughter.
"I…I want to go after her," Shang stammered. "But after the way I treated her…"
"Captain, you should at least try," Chien-Po said, quietly. "Even the Emperor noticed and said something to you. If nothing else, you can return the helmet and thank her for saving all of us. And make peace with her."
"Do you know where she lives?"
They did know. And after several more minutes of scoffing and merciless teasing they finally told him where her village was.