Aftermuchtraveling,Mulanfinallyrodeintohervillage,herheartpounding.Shehadspenttheentireridefromthepalacethinkingofwhatshewouldsaywhenshewasreunitedwithherfamily,butnowthatthemomentwasalmostuponher,fearfilledher.Whatiftheydidn’twantherback?Whatiftheywerealreadydisgraced?Whatiftheytoldhertoleaveandneverreturn?

AsBlackWind’spaceslowed,Mulansawvillagersbegintoenterthecourtyard,curioustoseewhohadarrived.SpottingMulan,theirfacesfilledwithinterest.TheMatchmakersteppedoutontoherfrontsteps,herangryfacegrowingstillangrierwhenshesawMulan.

Stoppinginthecourtyard,Mulansawthedoortoherhomeopen.Amomentlater,hersisterrushedout.UponseeingXiu,allherfearvanished.Jumpingdown,Mulanranovertohersisterandthrewherarmsaroundher.Shewashome.

Mulanpulledback.LookingatXiu,shesmiledwarmly.Theyoungergirllooked??.??.??.different.Butthenhersisterspoke,andherwarm,happyvoicewasthesame.“ThereissomuchIhavetoaskyou!”shesaid,grabbingMulan’shandandsqueezingittightly.

Mulanlaughed.“Tellmeaboutyoufirst,”shesaid.

“Iammatched,”Xiusaid,lettingoutherownlaughwhenshesawMulan’ssurprisedexpression.“Youwilllikehim.”

“Iamhappyfor—”Mulandidn’tgetachancetofinishashermotherplowedbetweenthedaughters,throwingherarmsaroundMulanandembracingher.Theolderwoman’sarmsshook,andMulanlethermotherclingtoher.Nowordsneededtobespoken.Mulanknewshehadbeenforgiven.

Butthen,overhermother’sshoulder,shesawherfather.Zhoustoodsilently,leaninguponhiscane.Hisexpressionwasblank,hiseyesimpossibletoread.Pullingfreefromhermother,sheapproachedhim.Onceagain,herheartbegantopoundnervously.Shehadpracticedherspeechtohimahundredtimes,yetstillshestruggledtofindthewords.

“Forgiveme,Father.Istoleyourhorse,Istoleyourarmor??.??.??.Istoleyoursword.”Shechokedontheword.Stopping,shegatheredthecourageshehadfoundonthebattlefieldandwenton.“AndIlostit—theswordisgone.Iunderstandnowhowmuchthatswordmeanstoyou.”

SilencefelluponthemasMulanstaredupatherfather,desperatetohearhisanswer.Andwhenhespoke,hisvoiceshookwithemotion.“Itismydaughterthatmeanseverythingtome.”AstearsdroppeddownZhou’scheeks,hewenton.“AnditisIwhooweyouanapology.Itwasmyfoolishpridethatdroveyouaway.”

MulanbegantoshakeherheadbutstoppedasZhouhelduphishand.Helookedather,takinginthewarriorclothingsheworeandthewayshecarriedherself,evenwhenfilledwithemotion.Henoddedslowly,asrealizationofwhoshewas,whoshehadbecome,dawned.“Onewarriorknowsanother,”hesaid,hisvoicenowfilledwithpride.“Youwerealwaysthere,yetIseeyouforthefirsttime.”Reachingout,hepulledherintoahug.Mulansankintoit,feelingfinallyatpeace.

Astheystoodthere,Mulan’smotherletoutahappycryandrantothanktheancestors.Lookingtowardtheshrine,Mulansmiledasshesawthephoenixstatue,itsheadleaning,thewingcrooked.Themomentwasbrokenbyaloud,nasally,andaltogetherunpleasantvoice.Turning,MulansawtheMatchmakermakingherwayover.“ThereisnotamanintheentirekingdomwhowillmarryMulannow,”shesneered.

Mulanwasabouttoprotestwhenherfathersteppedforward.Heshookhishead.“ThereisnotamanintheentirekingdomwhoisgoodenoughforMulan,”hesaid.ThenheturnedhisbackontheMatchmaker,andheandMulanwentandjoinedtherestoftheirfamilyattheshrine.Reachingover,MulanstraightenedthePhoenix’scrookedhead.“Thankyou,”shewhispered.“Thankyouforwatchingoverme.Thankyouforeverything.”

Suddenly,thesoundofhoofbeatsfilledtheair.Amomentlater,theEmperor’sbannercameintoview,whippinginthewindastheImperialGuardcanteredintothecourtyard.Thevillagersgaspedastheyrealizedwhothemenwere.TheirvillagehadneverbeenhonoredbythepresenceoftheImperialGuard—untilnow.

Mistakingtheirappearancefordanger,Zhouturnedfranticallytohisdaughter.“Soldiershavecometopunishyou,”hesaid.“Youmusthide!”

Mulanshookherhead.“Nomorehiding,”shesaid,walkingoverandwaitingasthesoldierscametoastop.Theleaderremovedhishelmet.Asmilebrokeoverherfaceasshesawwhoitwas.CommanderTunglookeddownatherandnodded.ThenheturnedtoMulan’sfather.“Hello,oldfriend,”hesaid.

Stillnotsurewhatwasgoingon,ZhousteppedinfrontofMulan.“TungYong,”hesaid,greetingthecommander.“IamhonoredtoreceiveyouandtheEmperor’sGuard.ButifyouareheretodisciplineMulan,youwillhavetogetpastme.”Hishandtightenedaroundhiscaneandhestoodupstraighter.OnlyMulancouldseethathisbadlegwasshaking.

CommanderTungshookhishead.“Idonotbelievethatwillbenecessary.”Lookingoverhisshoulder,hesignaledtooneoftheguards.

Dismounting,theguardtookalong,ornateboxfromthebackofhissaddleandbroughtitover.CommanderTungraisedhisvoicesothattheentirevillagecouldhear.“UnderorderofHisImperialMajesty,theEmperor,IpresentthisgifttoHuaMulan.Shehasbroughthonortoherancestors,toherfamily,tohervillage,andtohercountry.”

Asthecommanderspoke,Zhoulookedbackandforthbetweenhisdaughterandhisoldfriend,strugglingtoprocesswhatwashappening.Allaroundthem,thevillagerswatchedwithwideeyes,andtheMatchmaker,whohadbeenlisteningmostintentlyofall,fainteddeadaway.Ignoringthesoundofthewomanfallingtotheground,thesoldierpresentedtheboxtoMulan.

MulanlookeddownatthegiftandthenupatCommanderTung.Shewasn’tsurewhattodo.Butathercommander’snod,sheslowlyopenedthelid.Shegasped.Insidewasasword.Mesmerized,Mulanlifteditfromtheboxandpulleditfreefromitssheath.Holdingitup,shetwistedandturneditintheair,theedgescatchingthesunandmakingitshine.Itwasmagnificent,andinherhand,itwasgraceful,too.

“Asbefitsagreatwarrior,”CommanderTungwenton,“theswordismarkedwiththePillarsofVirtue.”

Zhou’seyesdidn’tleavehisdaughter’sswordashewhisperedthewordsheknewshewouldfindthere.“Loyal.Brave.True??.??.??.”Butastheswordmoved,Zhou’svoicetrailedoff.Therewasanothercharacteretchedonthebackoftheshaft.“WhatisthefourthvirtueIsee?”heasked,confused.

CommanderTungsmiled.“Readitaloud,Mulan,”hesaid.

Slowly,Mulanranafingerovertheinscription.Shereadthewordsilentlyatfirst,andthenaloud.“‘Devotiontofamily,’”shesaid,theEmperor’sdecreenowthereasapermanentreminderofallthatshehadgiveninhonorofherfamily.

Dragginghereyesfromthesword,Mulanmetherfather’sgaze.Helookedbackather,overwhelmedwithpride.Asshewatched,hestraightenedup,standingtallerthanhehadevenwhenhewasinthearmy.Besidehim,hermotherandsisterstoodwithprideintheireyesaswell.“Youhavebroughthonortousall,”hesaid.

Mulan’sbreathhitchedinherchest.Itwasallshehadeverwantedtohear.Itwasthereason,sheknewnow,thatshehadfoughtsohard,andithadbeenwhathadmadeherfindherchiandhaddrivenherforwardwhensheshouldhaveturnedback.

CommanderTung’svoiceinterruptedherthoughts,andsheturnedtolookoncemoreatthemanwhohadhelpedherbecomeawarrior.Helookedbackatherwithpride.“TheEmperorurgesyoutoreconsiderhisinvitationtojoinourgreatestdecoratedwarriorsasanofficerintheImperialGuard.”Oncemore,thevillagersbegantomutter,shockedtohearthattheirownMulanhadbeenofferedsuchagloriousposition.“Heeagerlyawaitsyourdecision.”

AlleyesturnedtoMulan,everyonecurioustohearwhatshewouldsay.Fromabovecamethesoundofapowerfulbirdcall.Itechoedoverthetulou,causingeveryonetocranetheirneckstoseewhatcouldhavemadesuchamagnificentnoise.Mulansmiled.Shedidn’tneedtolookuptoknowwhatshewouldfindthere.Butstill,sheliftedherhead.There,intheskyabove,wasthePhoenix.Heroutstretchedwingsflashedinarainbowofcolorsasshedippedanddoveonthewind.WhenMulansawthePhoenix,hersmilegrewbroader.Herfriend,herguardian,hadcometocheckonheronelasttime.Satisfiedwithwhatshesaw,thePhoenixletoutanothercry,andwithaflapofherpowerfulwings,shesoaredaway.

WatchingthePhoenixgo,Mulanwhisperedgoodbye.Shewasn’tsurewhereherjourneywouldtakeher.Butsheknewnowthatshehadthestrengthtodoanything.ShewasHuaMulan,andshewasawarrior.

THEEND