Part 3: Fluid River, Flowing Fire

Kara's twins, Heliu and Ruhuo, soon came to enjoy Len's presence. After all, Len was their godparent. And the longer Len stayed, the more stories that came out. But some stories brought more questions than answers. Such as how Len transitioned - a sensitive story, but one that Len knew had to be told.

At one point Heliu ran off, supposedly to use the restroom. Once in privacy, Heliu pulled down their pants and looked. Up to this point, the twin who bore Shang's likeness hadn't paid much attention to what was between the legs. Female anatomy. But now that Len was here, something had changed…

"Where's my twin?" asked Ruhuo.

"Right here!" piped Heliu, running into the common room again. "Len, there's something I have to tell you."

"And what would that be, Heliu?"

Heliu took a deep breath. "Niang, Mama, and Baba have been raising me and Ruhuo differently. We have names inspired by Baba's training song, and use they/them pronouns. That way we can explore and see what feels right."

Len chuckled - Heliu meant river flow and Ruhuo meant fiery. They could easily see the parallels to "I'll Make a Man Out of You." But they weren't sure what to make of the rest. It seemed like a good idea, one that they wished was available when they were younger. "Well, they're doing you both a favor."

"But I have girl parts." Heliu continued. "Does that make me a she?"

Len thought for a bit. "If you want it to, it can. But if you feel like a boy some days and a girl other days, that's all right as well."

"That… feels right." said Heliu.

Ruhuo followed up. "Well, in that case…" They took a deep breath. "You know how there's a fine line of gray when you paint the Taijitu? I feel like the gray line, but closer to the yin side."

The discussion continued for longer than they thought. It was around the afternoon, and Mulan and Shang had been trying to make dumplings for dinner. But so far, they were only making a mess. Kara hadn't been paying attention, but heard something about a flour fight and getting spanked with a rice spoon. She decided to stay out of that one. As much as she enjoyed seeing Shang's hot body, witnessing him getting spanked with a rice spoon was not on her priority list. So she decided to hang out with Len for a while.

"Hiya Len! What's going on here?"

"We're talking about…" Heliu began.

"Len, what's it called?" asked Ruhuo.

"Gender identity." said Len. Then, Len turned to Kara. "Kara, you've been raising them right. I have to say - Thanking You." They stood up and gave Kara a hug. "For the win."

"For the win." Kara echoed.

"Thanking You? For the win? What's that supposed to mean?" asked Heliu and Ruhuo, their voices overlapping.

"Camp speak." chorused the summer siblings. The two soon burst out laughing.

"Come on, little flame." Kara hoisted Ruhuo up and soon after put them down. "Scratch that, you're a big flame. Soon I won't be able to pick you up anymore."

"Niang, can I use she/they?" asked Ruhuo. "Len said the term was demi-girl."

"Yes, you may." said Kara, her smile growing.

"And can I keep using they/them?" asked Heliu. "I think I'm gender-fluid."

"Yes. Remember, it's your choice. And that choice can change over your lifetime." She took a deep breath. "As your Niang, it's my duty to respect your choices and not box you in. And if anyone tries to hurt you, I'll be there."

"We can fight too!" protested Ruhuo.

Kara laughed as she gathered the twins and Len into a group hug. Mulan often got side-eyes in the market on days she wasn't feeling feminine. This alone caused Kara to ask herself if the Li-Fa family had made the right decisions in raising Heliu and Ruhuo. But judging by her twins' happiness, they had. Whatever happened, the family would stay together and defend each other. Through their choices, they could make a better place for all.