Fa Zhou sad under the magnolia tree and didn't take notice of his surroundings. He would sit there from morning to evening until his wife or his mother would come and tell him that there is dinner.

During the time he only thought and cared about one thing.

Mulan. His dear child has gone off to war in his place. Sneaked out in the shadow of the night.

Fa Zhou blamed himself. He was the one who spoke the hash word to her. He was the one who stubborn wouldn't listen to her, so she had to make the only solution, that could save his life and honor, by herself. By going instead of him. He kept think about the possible ways she could die out there, and he hoped that if fate really want his only child die in battle it will be quick and painless.

He wondered what she felt in that moment she made her choice. Had she thought that it was a life for a life? And that it was okay, because she had made so many fails in her life? Had she thought that saving his life will be the only right thing she could do in her life?

Oh, how much he wanted to see her. To tell her that she didn't need to do that to prove herself. That he will always love her for the way she is.

Right now he wished that he had told her that before. That he could take all those hash words back and shallow them.

His wife walked in front of him.

"Dear, there is dinner."

Without a word he got up and walked inside. His mother had gone back from praying to the ancestors with a sad look on her face.

"Any news?"

Li shocked her head. "No, there has been no message."

"Well, then we know that she is not dead."

"She may still be in a trainee camp. The new soldiers have to be train first. We can just hope that the war ends before they are done training."
Fa Li nodded. She hoped for the same.

When Fa Zhou went to bed late that night, he had nightmare. His fear for his daughter mixed with memories from his time in the army. He could see the bodies of his old comrades lying around on the battle field with the smell of blood hanging in the air. Among them he saw General Li, as he remembered him. The general was standing over a young soldier with his head bowed, so Fa Zhou couldn't see the face.

"For dishonoring the Chinese army, you are punished with death," the general shout and lift up his sword.

In that moment the soldier looked upon Fa Zhou. It was Mulan. She had a sad look in her eyes, as if they were saying 'I'm sorry'.

"NOOOO."

"NOOOO."

"Zhou, Zhou," Li called and shook him until he woken up. "You were having a nightmare."

"Li?" he gasped. Sweat was running over his face. "I saw her. She was beheaded."

"Oh. Please, it was only a dream. There is still a chance that she survives."

Fa Zhou took a deep breath, but he didn't dare go to sleep again.

Fa Zhou picked up a flower, that had fell of the tree. He picked it up and looked at it sadly. Should he take that as a symbol of that his daughter is lost forever? If she comes back, he promised himself that he always will accept her choices to how she will live her life. He will even accept it, if she doesn't want to marry anyone. Damn be that matchmaker, as his mother would say.

Somebody was coming close to him. For a moment he didn't care, but then when he looked up, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Mulan…?" She had come back.

Before he could say more, his child kneeled down and showed him the sword and the emperor's crest and talked about honor.

He tossed the things on the ground and hugged her. Now he will tell her what he should have told her a long time ago.

"The greatest honor and gift is having you for a daughter. I've missed you so."

"I've miss you, too, Baba."

In that moment he felt that Mulan have forgiven him for what he said the last time.

Somebody else was coming over to them. Fa Zhou got up and saw a young man holding a helmet in his hands. An officer? Fa Zhou could recognize some traits from General Li in that boy. His son? If he has come here to say anything again Mulan…

The young Li bowed his head while speaking. "Honorable, Fa Zhou, I… Mulan?"

Zhou looked at his daughter, who looked surprised to see the young man. They know each other? He looked back at the young Li.

"Uhh…you forgot your helmet." He offered first the helmet to Mulan and then turned it over to Fa Zhou. "Well, uh, actually, it's your helmet, isn't it? I mean…"

Fa Zhou could see what doing on. The boy was here to see Mulan, because he has fallen in love with her. He shared a look with Mulan. He is your guest. You talk to him. As if Mulan understood it, she walked over to the young Li and invited him to dinner.

"Would you like to stay forever?" he heard his mother asked.

Well, if the young Li stay here forever, maybe Mulan will stay here forever.

"Dinner would be great."

"And you are?" Fa Zhou asked, walking over to the young ones.

Mulan was the one introduced them. "Father, this is Captain Li Shang, who was my commanding officer. Shang, this is my father."

Captain? Not bad. This was going to be interesting.