Reflection (Twisted Tales, #4)

by Elizabeth Lim

King Yama, god and ruler of the Underworld, did not look happy to see them. His lips, barely visible under his thick peppery beard, twisted into a scowl. His eyebrows, which slanted up like two thick storm clouds and were so long they curled down his temples, furrowed with displeasure.

King Yama Description

deity.

Looked up

To her

surprise, Yama didn’t glow like his subjects, and he looked nothing like the demons. Yet his appearance was monstrous. Wrinkles contorted his face, and his cheeks were ruddy; his eyes flickered a fiery red and yellow. His neck was thick as the trunk of a willow tree, and his wild black hair was so abundant it rivaled ShiShi’s mane. When he stood, as he did now, the top of his heavy gold crown disappeared into the dark space above, and his black and emerald robes flooded down the steps past his desk. His eyes, hard, calculating, and currently an irritated shade of yellow, bored into Mulan.

King Yama Description

ShiShi opened his mouth, which must have been the last straw—because King Yama gave a thunderous clap with his monstrously large hands. ShiShi froze midword. His apricot-colored tail grayed, and his mane, spiked from the flurry of danger since meeting King Yama, hardened. He was stone again, and still as a statue. “Arrogant guardian,” King Yama muttered. “The stone ones are always the worst. So entitled.”

Shishi turned to stone

“Hundreds arrive in my realm every hour. I am the one who decides whether they stay in Diyu or whether they return to Earth or rise to Heaven. Do you know how much consideration goes into making such decisions? Do you know how difficult it is to decide whether someone should go to Heaven as a reward for his good behavior on Earth, or whether he should stay in Diyu to make amends for that one time he kicked a dog or had too much to drink? Or whether he should make those amends back on Earth in a new life? There is a schedule to keep, boy, and you are wasting my precious time.”

Yama words

Youdu

Name city

ALL OF LIFE IS A DREAM WALKING, ALL OF DEATH IS A GOING HOME.

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“Who is your guardian, anyway?” “His name is Mushu.” “I’ve never heard of him. I would have thought your ancestors would have sent the Great Stone Dragon of the Fa family to protect you.” Mulan shrugged. “Mushu’s…portable.” She smiled to herself. “When I first met him, I thought he was a house lizard.” “A house lizard?” ShiShi looked repulsed. “Strange that your ancestors would send such a pitiful guardian to protect you in battle.”

Talking about mushu and the stone dragon

“A guardian is a reflection of whom he protects. If your ancestors sent you a lizard, then they must not think highly of you.”

Popular unveiling

“He isn’t fully dead yet, and he’s not fully alive. He’s a spirit, not yet a ghost.” “What’s the difference?” “Well, he won’t be allowed to traipse about Diyu,” ShiShi reasoned. “He’ll be waiting somewhere until his time comes.”

Difference between spirits and ghost

He’ll have accepted his death—he’ll believe the honorable path is to die. You must convince him otherwise.” “I will.”

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“He may not believe you. Remind him of his childhood.” His voice grew hoarse. “Remind him that when he was only six years old, he wanted so much to accompany me to war that he sneaked into my trunk. I didn’t realize he was there until I was half a day from home. I told him to walk back, barefoot in the rain, to teach him obedience and patience. It was a harsh punishment, especially for such a little boy, but Shang did not complain.

remind shang

Except Shang was a boy. He knew he’d get to prove himself one day. And me… Her chest tightened, and she remembered her last dinner at home, the last fight she’d had with her baba. You shouldn’t have to go, she’d said. Mulan! There are plenty of young men to fight for China. It is an honor to protect my country and my family. So you’ll die for honor. I will die doing what’s right! But if you— I know my place! It is time you learned yours.

Mulan remembering her dinner with her dad

“I believe you. I do not know if I will see you again, Ping. When you find Shang, tell him he has…he has honored me greatly. And tell him I’m sorry…I’m sorry we never had the chance to fight together.”

Bitter sweet goodbye

“You’re brave and…confident. You remind me of Mushu sometimes, except you’re a lot bigger.” ShiShi shook her hand off him. “I’m nothing like your house lizard.”

Lmao i love how he calls him a house lizard

“Shang would never blame you for what happened to his father,” she said gently. “It wasn’t your fault.” “Says the soldier who blames himself for Li Shang’s death,” grumbled ShiShi. “I feel terrible for my part in what happened to Shang, but I’m not here simply out of guilt,” Mulan reminded the lion. “Saving Shang is the right thing to do. I’d do it even if he hadn’t been hurt saving me. I’d want to help.”

Compassion

“The heart of Diyu is a garden?” Mulan spoke up. As far as she could see were flowers and trees, all so lush and beautiful Mulan could almost forget she was in the Underworld. Tall grass tickled her waist as she stepped up to a tangerine tree. Behind it was a tinkling brook, teeming with white-and-red-spotted carp. “Don’t eat anything,” ShiShi warned her. “Or drink anything either, for that matter.” “Why not?” “King Yama’s playing a game with us. And in his domain, he sets the rules. No unnecessary risks.”

Possibly a trick

“There,” Shang said, pointing. A gilded pavilion peeked out of the trees, its jade-and-gold-painted roof camouflaged by the lush greenery in the courtyard surrounding it. “Maybe it’ll lead elsewhere in Diyu.” “It could lead us deeper into Diyu,” his guardian argued. “Or it could lead up.” “Shang’s right,” said Mulan. She swept her foot across the dirt, unveiling a brick path that led to the pavilion. “We have to try. Perhaps this pavilion has one of those portals that leads elsewhere.”

hopefully leads up

What was it I had to remember? Something about…not eating, not drinking in Diyu. Why? Because…because it would be taking a risk. But who had told her this? ShiShi? Yes, he’d warned her…but that wasn’t what she struggled to remember. It was something about the tea…the tea! General Li had told her that Shang would have to drink a tea that would make him forget his past life. Was that what she’d just smelled? Then the old lady was Meng Po, the Lady of Forgetfulness, and they were in her pavilion!

Lady of forgetfulness

Come on, Mulan. You had no problem being clumsy back home. You spilled tea over the Matchmaker and made a fool of yourself in front of the whole village. Meng Po is not an old lady. She’s a cunning servant of King Yama.

Meng po

“No, they’re ghosts. Even bandits and murderers have some hope of leaving this place. Only those who commit the gravest misdeeds, such as killing one’s family or one’s ruler, become demons. They have to stay in Diyu forever, since there’s no hope of redemption for them. Everyone else becomes a ghost.”

Demons and ghosts

Mulan cast ShiShi an apologetic look, suddenly remembering how she’d cut her own hair before stealing her father’s armor. Such a simple action, yet it’d changed everything. She’d severed ties with her old identity and gone from Mulan to Ping, from bride to soldier, from obedient daughter to woman who led her own life.

Fucking yas queen

Every step hurt more than she cared to admit, and even after what felt like hours on this mountain, every time she remembered she was literally walking on knives, her nerves sent a pang of panic to her mind. Her temples pulsed, and her forehead dripped with sweat.

Like walking on eggshells only worse

“‘The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.’”

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Shang said nothing. He was looking at her bare arm and her hands. The blood had dried on her fingers and palms, but they still looked like a mess.

Mulan after climbing the mountain of swords 🗡

Shang, on the other hand, seemed different. It was almost as if he still had a string tethering his spirit to Earth. Once it was cut, though…no, that was why she was here. To take him back.

The fate string

Shang was silent. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you earlier.” “I can’t blame you for that.” She hugged her knees to her chest and laughed through her nose. “There’s a lot to take in after coming to this place. Soldier demons, angry trees, lavish tea pavilions, and mountains of knives. I hardly believe it myself.” She started to get up, but Shang stopped her. “You need to bandage your feet, Ping.

What they encountered so far

“I just…I mean, I bet there are some girls who’d make better soldiers than boys. If they were given the chance.” “A female soldier? That’s the craziest thing I’ve heard.” “Girls can be strong, too.” “Not like us, Ping.” Mulan hid a smile. “You’d be surprised.” “Well,” Shang said. “As much as I’d love to meet a female soldier, it won’t happen in my lifetime. It’s against the law.”

Literally talking about Mulan without Shang knowing

“Perhaps when I marry, I’ll combine the ancestral temples so my bride won’t have to leave her family.”

Yes Shang combine the families

“I’d need to know what else you value in a girl,” she said to Shang, ignoring the strange stirring in her chest. “A lovely face with shining eyes? A sweet, melodious voice? Someone who’s delicate and graceful as a flower?” Shang reddened, and Mulan laughed.

“Ping” describing Mulan

“Chien-Po wants a girl who can cook well. Yao is the one who wants someone who adores him. Hmmm…I’d guess you’d want someone capable.” She wrinkled her nose. “Someone who can take care of the household when you’re at war.” “Taking care of the household is like commanding an army. My mother could be a general in her own right.”

Mulan teasing shang

“Someone who’s smart and brave, and kind. Someone I can trust. Someone who’s honest.”

Shang

Why do you care what Shang thinks? Mulan berated herself. You’re Ping, his friend. You’re not one of these village girls chasing after him. Besides, if you ever make it home, you’ll have other things to worry about. Like whether Mama and Baba will even welcome you back.

Her conscience

Still, for a monk, his pockets jangled rather noisily. Maybe it’s full of pebbles. Or stones. Who knows what ghosts in Diyu collect?

Wondering what ghosts collect

“Once you turn blue, it means you’re either going to be reincarnated or you’re bound for Heaven. I’m guessing you’re the former. Those bound for Heaven usually don’t stick around the lower parts of Diyu.” “The bandit ghosts were red,” Mulan remembered. “What does that mean?” “Red means you have a long time to serve. Behavior in Diyu is closely monitored, just as it was in the real world. King Yama’s put a stamp on all of us. Only he knows how long we have here. But our colors are a hint. When we get closer to blue, that means our time is coming up. Or we’ve done something to deserve getting out of this place.”

Short explanation of the colors

“What do you mean, why are we all here?” Liwei peered at her, his jowls sagging over his neck. “You know what he means. Not everyone in the Fa family’s been honorable, you know. I’d say some of us bring the family name down more than others.” He stroked his chin, studded with short white hairs. “How many husbands did you have again, Mei?” “You’re one to talk about reputation,” Mei retorted. “You think you get to take the high road because your parents were acupuncturists? Why don’t you tell them why that business didn’t survive? Oh, because you killed one of the patients.” “It was an accident!”

Dysfunctional fa family lol jk shishi threw shade

Inside the Chamber of Rocks were hundreds of ghosts, all chained to black lacquered columns. Each ghost carried a rock above his head so heavy that if it fell, it would certainly crush him. Mulan couldn’t look at them without feeling pity. “Don’t mind them,” said Mei. “I had to do it for a while, too. Twelve years, thirty-four days, and five hours.” She shuddered. “It’s best not to pay them any heed.” “Is this how ghosts are punished?” Mulan asked. “If you deserve it,” said Mei airily. “Or if King Yama’s in a bad mood when you greet him.”

A form of punishment

“I did my time on the Ice Mountain,” Liwei said, somewhat proudly. “Trust me, it’s much more agonizing than the Chamber of Rocks. Though there is another, fourth Fa ancestor in Diyu. Unfortunately, he’s still in the Valley of Eternal Misery. We were on our way to visit him when you three made such a commotion on the Mountain of Knives.”

Form of punishment

“Fa Mei died young,” said Fa Liwei. “It would have been tragic, had she not been such a shrew to her husbands.” Mei whacked him with her fan. “You should talk.” She faced Mulan and Shang, then jabbed the end of her fan into Liwei’s stomach. “This one died from indigestion. He choked on a fish bone.” “At least I was old.” “Old and fat,” Mei retorted.

Fa family Ancestor's Deaths

It didn’t look like a hall. Mulan was beginning to learn that Diyu’s structure was different from anything in the real world. Here, mountains could float on clouds, and rivers could course through the sky.

More diyu Description

“But he gave Mulan that dog. I remember now.” “Yes, because Fa Li was so sad she could not bear Fa Zhou a son…your grandfather brought Mulan a dog. He said they’d named it Little Brother.”

Aww little brother the dog

If Ping has a secret to hide, let him hide it. He has already proven himself to be trustworthy, so he must have his reasons.”

Popular underline Also hell yeah shishi

“Whatever secret you have,” Shang said solemnly, “I trust you keep it for the right reason, and I will honor that.”

Shang understanding

Strange; all her life she’d striven to become a proper young woman, to make her family proud of her. These past few months, she’d spent doing the opposite. Trying to pass as a man, a soldier.

Living in a man's world then " becoming" a man

“If you’re not Ping, then who are you?” Shang asked. “I’m…” Mulan sucked in her breath. Her voice shook, and she worried her heart might burst out of its armor. She set down her sword, rubbed the sweat off her palms onto her bare arm. Then she reached for her hair and undid the knot. The black sheet of hair tumbled down, brushing just against her shoulder blades. “My ancestors were right,” she said, surprised by how calm her voice was. “My parents never had a son. There is no Ping.” She raised her eyes to meet Shang’s. “There is only—Mulan.”

She's Mulan...

“You trusted Ping,” Mulan said. “Why is Mulan any different?”

Popular highlight fucking YESSSSSS

What did I expect? That he’d learn the truth and then congratulate me for fooling them all? For being a girl strong and brave enough to fight alongside men?

I mean yeah

Mulan hesitated. Her grandmother had always told her to beware of foxes. In all the tales she’d heard as a child, they were full of tricks and up to no good. Her instincts told her to be careful, but her emotions were high and her defenses were low. “I’m trying to get to the gates.” “I can come with you, if you like.” The fox smiled at Mulan, her jade-green eyes still unblinking. “You shouldn’t go alone, soldier. Not when you look so glum.

girl becareful of foxes

Even if I could go back and change everything, I wouldn’t. I’d still have gone to war for Baba.

Mulan wouldn’t change a thing 💜