Fa Mulan learns that her elderly father Fa Zhou—the only man in their family and an army veteran—is being conscripted and fears for his life due to his poor health. To protect him, she cuts her hair and takes her father's sword and armor, disguising herself as a man so that she can enlist in his stead. The family quickly learns of her departure, and Mulan's grandmother prays to the family's ancestors for Mulan's safety. The ancestors decide that the "Great Stone Dragon" will bring Mulan back and sends a disgraced former guardian, a small red dragon named Mushu, to awaken him. Mushu accidentally destroys the guardian's statue but then resolves to go instead, desiring to redeem himself to the ancestors by making Mulan a war hero.