Reflection (Disney Twisted Tales) - Elizabeth Lim Page 0,1

never make her family proud of her.

The Huns drew closer. As Mulan raised her sword higher, a flash on the blade caught her eye again. Not her reflection this time, but that of a snowy overhang on a peak behind the Huns.

Her thoughts quickened as she tilted the blade from side to side, then glanced up, taking in the massive snow embankment.

She had an idea. It was crazy, and it would mean disobeying Shang’s order. But if it worked…

Mulan’s heart raced with a sudden burst of hope. What was there to lose? If she didn’t try, they’d all die. Even if her plan succeeded, they likely wouldn’t survive…but China—she could save China from the Huns.

No time for second thoughts.

Mulan sheathed her sword and lunged forward, grabbing the cannon from Yao.

“Hey!” he shouted after her, but Mulan was already racing toward the Huns.

It was the boldest, wildest thing she had ever done. She tucked the cannon under her arm, barely noticing as Mushu grabbed hold of her scarf so he could keep up. Up the hill she ran, and with each step she grew more determined and less afraid.

Behind, Shang shouted after her, “Ping! Come back! Ping!”

She ignored him. The Huns were descending fast. She had only moments before Shan-Yu was upon her and his army crushed what was left of Shang’s troops.

Mulan stopped and planted the cannon into the snow, aiming it at the overhang, praying she had picked a good spot.

This could work—if Shan-Yu didn’t kill her first. He was so close she could smell his horse’s sweat, so close she could see his black eyes glaring at her.

Her blood thundered in her ears. Distantly she could hear Mushu telling her to hurry. She fumbled in her pocket for her pieces of flint and frantically tried to light the cannon’s fuse.

She didn’t see Shan-Yu’s falcon soaring overhead. It swooped down, its powerful wing knocking her back into the snow and scattering the flint rocks behind her.

Mulan jolted up.

No no no, she thought as she swept the snow for the flint. She couldn’t find it!

She looked up. Shan-Yu was charging straight for her.

She grabbed Mushu by the neck, squeezing until he choked a breath of fire. It was just enough to light the cannon. Sulfur burned into the air. Mulan crouched, holding the weapon steady as it shot off toward the overhang.

Shan-Yu’s horse reared from the cannon’s explosion, but Mulan was barely aware of the Hun leader. Her gaze was locked on the overhang, and on the rocket arcing smoothly toward it until it finally lodged itself into the snow.

A loud rumbling erupted. Snow plummeted off the precipice, washing down into the pass in fearsome white sheets. Avalanche!

Mulan grinned. She’d done it.

She stumbled, struggling to keep upright as the ground shook. She needed to get back to the others.

Suddenly Shan-Yu loomed above, and her grin faltered. Up close, he was like a mountain himself—broad and large, his fists alone the size of Mulan’s head.

Shan-Yu’s deep-set eyes narrowed with rage, and he lifted his sword with one powerful arm, ready to deliver her a crushing blow.

“Ping!” Shang shouted from behind. Before she could draw her sword to try to defend herself, Shan-Yu let out a furious cry and swung his blade.

Mulan braced herself for the blow.

It never came. Shang shoved her out of the way. It happened so fast. Before Mulan even tumbled into the snow, she heard a rush of wind, and the swipe of Shan-Yu’s blade.

Then a low, pained grunt.

“No!” Mulan cried, lifting her head and pushing herself up. “Shang!”

The captain’s red cape fluttered behind him, caught in the wind. For a moment, she couldn’t see him, and she thought maybe, maybe it was the Hun leader’s grunt she had heard. Maybe Shang had defeated him.

Then Shang’s cape settled, sweeping over his back as before. And any hope Mulan had died.

She saw he was hurt, too hurt to even lift his sword. It fell from his hand into the snow with a thump. Shang staggered back, his boots grinding into the snow. He raised his fists, not about to give up.

“Is this the best China has to offer?” Shan-Yu said, laughing.

“Go, Ping,” Shang rasped, as Mulan raced to help him. “Go.”

She wasn’t fast enough.

With one swift punch, Shan-Yu knocked Shang off his feet.

And the captain collapsed.

“NO!” Mulan screamed.

Shan-Yu laughed again and jumped off his horse, blade in his hand. He stabbed it into the snow, wiping it clean of Shang’s blood. Then he advanced toward Mulan, cleaving the air