"Aurora..." I heard her barely mutter through a raspy voice. I just stared down at her, tears falling off my cheeks. "I'm not going to make it..." She confessed to me still trying to gather her strength to talk with me. Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke those words. We both knew it was true, but I didn't want to believe it.
"No, Mulan! You're going to make it!" I felt my chest tighten from the sudden emotions that rushed in for this woman. Mulan gently squeezed my hand with her fingers, wanting me to understand, but I couldn't. I frantically looked up for Phillip wondering where he was, but Mulan's hand raised itself to my face, her fingers caressing my cheek, wanting me calm down.
"Aurora..." her hand fell a bit, but I had caught it before it completely dropped.
"Yes...?" I whispered trying to keep my cries silent, squeezing her hand.
Mulan's eyes filled with little courage of what was left, "I love you." I felt my heart break, I loved her too, and it was only now I was realizing this or even mentioning it. I nodded crying still, I saw her weakly smiling toward me knowing this would be her last moment with me.
"I love you too-" I cried out leaning down near her, hearing her breath becoming slight and as her eyes began to grow faint.
Mulan struggled to speak but spoke on, "I had loved you ever since I had laid my eyes in you..." I felt her warm breaths against my ear as she tried to breathe in, wanting to tell me everything now.
"Mulan, you would have been enough-I'm so sorry! I love you." I felt my voice falter as I spoke, knowing she was going be lost to me forever.
"Aurora..." I sat listening as she paused for a moment before she spoke. "They were cherry blossom trees...in the garden I had..." Her voice was beginning to sound weaker by the second. Tears began streaming down my cheeks immensely knowing she was fading quick. "Aurora...?" She whispered with all her might, wanting me to listen still. I shook my head not wanting her to leave me; to leave me alone. She could barely mouth the words, but I heard it as clear as day.
"I think I can finally hear them speak to me..." A single tear fell from her eyes as she closed them shut with a smile creeping across her face, and with one last heave of her chest, everything had gone silent.
"Mulan...? Mulan?!" I felt my whole body shake with fear and denial. I doubled over, leaned in near her face, just crying. "Don't leave me...because I love you..." I felt my lips touch Hers for the first time.
I hadn't imagined our first kiss would be like this.
Phillip finally came, but he saw me crying and cradling the woman, the woman whom I loved. I looked up at him with tears engulfing my whole face shaking my head. He felt immensely guilty and just stood there helplessly as I held Mulan for the last time.