𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 | 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔 (𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐮𝐢'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕)

Honghui's whole body hurt. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was lying near the rest of the Imperial Army. His head pounded, and when he went to stand, his legs nearly gave out from under him. The last thing he remembered was getting Cricket to safety. Then there had been a curtain of white. The next thing he knew, he was waking up on the ground.

But at least he had woken up. He had the oddest feeling, almost a memory tugging at him, that someone had helped him, though he knew that was impossible. Only the craziest of people would have run into that avalanche. Shaking off the thought, he made his way over to Commander Tung. As he approached, he heard Cricket calling out.

"Has anyone seen Hua Jun?" Cricket asked, his eyes scanning the area.

Hearing Cricket's worried question, Honghui saw Commander Tung take notice as well. His battle-weary eyes searched the men. Spotting Honghui instead, he called him over. "Have you seen Hua Jun?" Commander Tung asked.

Honghui shook his head, a pit growing in his stomach. Had Hua Jun been swallowed by the snow? Or lost to an invader's arrow before the avalanche had even begun?

One of the soldiers gave a shout. Turning, Honghui spotted two figures silhouetted in the distance. The fog made it hard to make out the details, but as the figures came closer, Honghui inhaled sharply. It was Sheng and the women warrior he had seen in battle. There was no doubt about it. Her long hair flowed out behind her as she rode across the valley atop her giant horse with Sheng.

"Black Wind?"

Hearing Cricket, Honghui turned, startled, to find the young soldier now right next to him. He was staring at the warrior as well. Black Wind? Honghui repeated silently. What was Cricket talking about? Black Wind was Hua Jun's horse. His mouth dropped open as the rider burst free from the snowy mist and fog right in front of them. The horse she rode was Black Wind. Sheng was also seated on the back of the horse, standing tall, his expression emotionless. But if the horse was Black Wind, that mean the woman riding him was . . .

"Hua Jun?" Commander Tung said, putting a voice to Honghui's thoughts.

Sheng and the female warrior shook their heads in unison as they dismounted Black Wind.

"I am Hua Mulan," she said, her voice strong, steady--and feminine.

Honghui's head snapped back and forth between Commander Tung, Sheng and the soldier he had known as Hua Jun. The commander's face grew pale and the slightest of tremors shook his head as he stared at Mulan and Sheng. Honghui could see--and understand--the struggle Commander Tung was facing as he grappled with what was happening.

Mulan and Sheng saw it, too. Mulan straightened up, keeping her expression stoic while Sheng tensed, pressing his lips in a thin line. But Honghui saw the unease creeping into their bodies. Their shoulders fell just slightly; Sheng's hand quivered briefly. The proud warriors they had become was beginning to fade under the horrified gaze of Commander Tung..

Beside Honghui, Cricket gasped as he made the connection. "He's a girl . . .?" Cricket said, shaking his head in shock. The other soldiers mumbled and muttered under their breath as well, shocked by what they were seeing and hard-pressed to believe it. Honghui listened, his rage building. Hua Sheng and Hua Jun had lied to him. He, or rather she had been able to tell him what to say to a woman not because she had spoken to one, but because she was one! Sheng had just watched, letting Hua Jun's lie live. Honghui had allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of her, and she had beaten him in battle--more than once. His cheeks grew red as he remembered the lake, a blush coating his cheeks.

Meanwhile, Commander Tung's expression had grown icy. "You are an impostor," he hissed, his voice heavy with disappointment. "You," Commander Tung began, his icy gaze set on Sheng. "You both have betrayed your regiment." Mulan and Sheng hung their heads in shame. Commander Tung went on. "You have brought disgrace to the Hua family."

His words cut through Mulan and Sheng like a sword through their hearts. Mulan's head flew up. There was nothing worse he could say. "Commander . . ." Mulan begged.

The commander didn't let Mulan finish. "Your deceit is my shame," he went on. "When we return to the capital, I will yield my command."

A shocked murmur moved through the soldiers. Resignation? That was nearly unheard of! Commander Tung's career spanned decades. He was one of the most powerful and well-known commanders in all of the Imperial Army. Yet he would turn his back on it because of Mulan's deception? The men looked back and forth between the three. Mulan and Sheng may have helped them defeat the Rourans in this fight but was victory worth losing their leader? As the murmurs grew louder, Sergeant Qiang stepped forward.

"What is the punishment assigned to these impostors?" he asked.

Commander Tung didn't hesitate. "Expulsion."

At this, the murmurs grew louder, horror mixing with fear at the very word. Honghui saw Sheng and Mulan shake their heads. Mulan took a step towards her commander while Sheng watched, his eyes calculating and fearful.

"I would rather be executed," she said, her eyes pleading with him to understand.

Commander Tung ignored her, turning his back to her. Sergeant Qiang, stepping forward, took a deep breath and as everyone listened, he formally sentences her. "From this moment forward," he said, his eyes cold, "you both are expelled from the Emperor's Imperial Army."

As the sergeant's words slammed into Sheng and Mulan, their bodies seemed to shrink into themselves. Their eyes lost their light. Honghui watched, his emotions running rampant. Mulan and Sheng deserved this. They had lied to them all, put every single one of them at risk. Mulan had messed with his head--and his heart. But he still couldn't help thinking that they had been recklessly brave to do what they had done. To walk among the army and risk exposure at every turn. But they had done it. And they had excelled at it. They had even saved them. All of them.

Honghui shook his head, hardening his heart. It didn't matter. Not now. They had been expelled. They would spend the rest of their days alone and ashamed.

Mulan gathered Black Wind's reins and walked away, her gaze shifting to Sheng, holding a silent apology--and plea. Mulan was too ashamed to make eye contact with any of the soldiers. Honghui watched Sheng and Mulan go until they were just specks on the horizon. Hua Jun, he realized as he turned and made his way over to his comrades, was no more. It was as it should be.

But if it was as it should be, Honghui wondered, why did it feel so wrong?