I apologize for the delay. Well, the chapter is here, hopefully you guys will like it. mmoore13, thank you so much for reviewing.

Chapter 7: Savior

The news about Mulan made a big impact upon Shang. He remained shocked and speechless. It couldn't be possible for Mulan was incapable of committing such crime. She was a hero and a very honorable young woman. He sat on a bench and thought about the possible reasons why Mulan would want the emperor dead, but none of them made sense. Perhaps the messenger misunderstood the information or someone was playing a dirty joke on him. Pulling his hair with both hands, Shang remembered the messenger's last words, "She will be executed tomorrow morning." He clenched his fists in anger and punched the tree beside him. An image of Mulan being beheaded drifted inside his mind; she cried for mercy claiming she was innocent but no one listened, instead, they just threw whatever they had in their hands. Shang had to prevent that. He decided he had to go and figure out what happened on his own.

Shang went to the stables to fetch his horse. He mounted him and headed to the Imperial Palace. He knew Tang wouldn't approve his decision. Inside, Shang knew he was doing the right thing.

An air of woe invaded the Imperial Palace. Lanterns were lit by the people who gathered outside to show respect to their dead ruler.

Li Shang hurried up the stairs in search of someone that could clear his doubts about the emperor's death. The guards let him in and Chi Fu was the one who greeted him. "I told you she was not trustworthy, Li Shang," he began, "Look what she's done now."

Shang glared at Chi Fu and said, "I wish to speak to Prince Wenming, if you don't mind."

"I'm afraid he cannot attend you right now," Chi Fu replied smugly placing his hand on his chest, "But as the emperor's advisor I was left in charge."

"What happened last night?" asked the young man completely out of patience.

"I already told you. Fa Mulan killed the emperor," Chi Fu answered, "She was found inside his room next to the emperor's corpse."

Shang shook his head silently, revealing the lack of trust he had toward Chi Fu. Knowing the man he would say anything against Mulan to make her feel inferior, useless and ashamed. To Shang, it just couldn't be.

"It happened," assured Chi Fu in his squeaky voice, "Of course she thought she'd get away with it just like she did when we discovered she was a woman in the mountains, pretending she was innocent."

Shang lifted Chi Fu demanding, "Tell me the truth!"

"I warn you," Chi Fu began, "I am."

Rolling his eyes yet remaining stern looking, Shang interrupted Chi Fu's sentence by putting him back down. The elder man dusted his robes indignantly as if they were all messed up with dirt. "This morning, the wench admitted it had been herself the one who killed the emperor." Shang shook his head. There had to be someone trustworthy enough that could tell him what happened.

Seeing the doubt on Shang's face, Chi Fu spoke up, "I can take you to the dungeons so can believe me." He gestured a guard nearby to approach them. Chi Fu whispered something into the guard's ear and then he said aloud, "Take him to Fa Mulan." The guard nodded and Shang walked behind him. "Li Shang!" Chi Fu called out, "You are not allowed to speak to her." Ignoring Chi Fu, Shang kept walking.

The guard opened the door, revealing Mulan's weak form. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor and never dared to look at the men. Shang had never seen her so miserable, so defeated before, despite the hardships and shame, she had overcome the obstacles and succeeded in a dignified manner.

Shang stepped one foot toward her but the guard gestured him not to go any further. "Mulan?" he called out, but the guard silenced him and told him they had to return.

Resigned, Shang left the palace.

On his journey back home, his thoughts and doubts got worse. He wondered why Mulan wouldn't even look up at him when he called out her name. Was she hiding something from him? He wanted to believe in her innocence yet he was very confused given the circumstances.

"She is the purest hearted woman you'll ever know," a distant voice said. Shang looked around to see where the voice had come from, but he spotted no one. "Why not turn back and save her from the cruelty she's facing?" The voice went on, "She's paying what another person did when her only crime was to find herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and even that wasn't her fault."

"Who's there?" asked Shang pulling the reins of his horse to halt, "Show yourself."

"I'm right behind you."

Shang turned around and found no one. Then he felt something on his shoulder, probably something had fallen.it was the weirdest creature he had ever seen. "Hello." It even talked.

"How can.?"

"Oh please," Mushu replied, "Haven't you seen a dragon before?"

Shang raised an amused brow and answered, "Dragon? Actually, I thought you were a lizard."

"Lizard?" exclaimed Mushu indignant, "How can you possibly think I'm a lizard? There are no red lizards as far as I can tell. Besides, I don't do that tongue thing." He stuck his tongue out and put it back in swiftly. "I am Mulan's guardian."

"Guardian?" went on Shang, "She never mentioned she had a guardian."

"I was the one who helped her out when she joined the army," bragged Mushu puffing his chest proudly.

"Good, but what does that have to do with you telling me about, I ."

Mushu cut him off, "I cam e to ask your help. Listen, we have to get her out of the Imperial Palace before she gets killed."

"What if she's guilty?"

Mushu frowned disappointedly. "You think she's guilty?"

"Not really," Shang stuttered, "I just don't know what to think. I mean, she ."

"Listen carefully," Mushu dove in, "Never believe what Chi Fu says. He's an old nosy liar. You know her. If she didn't kill you, why would she kill the emperor?" Shang glared at the dragon. "Ok, ok. Sorry, I was just kidding."

"You're right," Shang said, "So far you're the only person that has said something the makes sense." He was disposed to do anything to save Mulan from death; after all, he had a debt to pay and a promise to fulfill.

"Ok, let's get our brains to work!" suggested Mushu.

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The door creaked open. Mulan was tired of everything and everyone; Prince Wenming had gone into the dungeons to insult her and Shang had been there also. It hurt her he didn't speak to her. Then again, he must've felt very embarrassed to even look at her. Nothing mattered now. She would give in to face the penalty for the foul action someone else did.

"You lied once," those bitter and cold words pronounced by Shang during the parade when Mulan informed him that the Huns were still alive, repeated in her mind again and again, "Why should I believe you know?" She hopelessly broke into tears.

"Knock it off, silly girl!" commanded Chi Fu.

But Chi Fu's commands meant nothing to her, so she kept weeping.

"You're not going to obey me?" inquired Chi Fu. He made a pause and then he continued to hiss, "Perhaps you haven't learnt that I'm superior." He then raised his voice, "And you will do what I command!" The man took the whip in his hands and hit Mulan's back with it, making the soft weeping turn into piercing cries. As he hit her, an evil and smug laughter escaped from him. He really enjoyed to see her like that; helpless, weak and tied, not even fighting to stop the torture. Minutes later, she fainted because of the loss of blood and Chi Fu left the dungeon holding his head up high.

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Night had fallen. Outside the dungeon where Mulan was imprisoned, a muscular guard watched over the surroundings. No one was allowed to go near her anymore, not until dawn when the execution would take place. The guard was tired of standing there all night doing nothing. He tried to get some sleep several times, though he failed, for he had to do his job.

Suddenly, a man dressed in black robes and his face concealed inside a dragon mask, landed before him. The guard seized his sword, but the intruder caught him by surprise: the man pressed his thumb on the guard's neck, and in a matter of seconds he fell unconscious.

The masked man snatched the sword from the guard's sheathe and destroyed the dungeon's lock with it. He ran inside to set free Mulan.

"Let go of me!" she cried almost in a whisper, "I swear I didn't kill the emperor?" At least she had recovered from the pass out she had previously.

"Shh," replied the masked man, "I know, that's why I'm getting you out of here."

"Who are you?"

"You shall know soon enough," answered her rescuer.

Mushu got in running and climbed to Mulan's shoulder. A weak smile spread across her face at the sight of him, she was much more relieved with him there. Surely this man hidden inside the dragon mask was a friend of his. She totally denied the possibility that her rescuer could be Li Shang.

Mushu melted the bonds on her wrists, letting her arms free.

Mulan got on her feet. Right then, the masked man took her in her strong arms to carry her out of the dungeon. He began to run. They went past the guard, whose eyes were shut; he would get back to his senses in a few hours.

To their advantage and good luck, the dungeons were located in the lower part of the palace and there was an exit, that lead straight outside the palace.

The masked man helped Mulan up a white steed that looked somewhat familiar.He then took his place behind her and noticed the horrible wounds on her back. There was still fresh blood dripping from them. After he circled his left arm around her waist, he pressed his heels on the horse's barrel and loosened the reins of him. The horse galloped away swiftly. Mulan began to feel dizzy. She hadn't eaten since the night of the banquet. Her eyes began to feel heavy. Although she fought to keep them open, it turned out to be useless.

"My baby!" cried Mushu.

The man pressed his heels harder on the horse's barrel to hurry him up. His home was not so far away.

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Mulan awoke with a cry and found herself lying on a wide bed. Someone was pressing a cloth with hot water to cure the wounds on her back.

"It's ok," a gentle voice assured, "You're safe now." That voice could only belong to one person and that was Li Shang.

'Shang?' she thought to herself. It was unbelievable yet it was wonderful. She blushed when she realized her bare back was being exposed to his eyes. At least she was lying face down, for she was totally shirtless. She pursed her lips as the pain returned when he applied the medicine to disinfect the wounds.

"Who did this to you?" asked Shang.

"Chi Fu and a guard went to the dungeon saying that Prince Wenming told them he wanted me to pay for the emperor's death," she went on in a shaky voice, "they wouldn't stop whipping me until I said it was me the one responsible of killing the emperor."

Silently, Shang handed her a cup of tea. Mulan gestured him to turn around so she could cover herself with a blanket. "You can look now." She was now sitting her body wrapped with a silk blanket. Mulan took a sip of the tea Shang prepared. "Shang, why did you rescue me?" she inquired, "I mean, you shouldn't get involved in this kind of things."

"It is of my concern.I owe you my life, remember?" he replied, "I told you that if ever you needed something you could always count on me."

"Thank you," said Mulan taking another sip of her tea.

"Is there anything you want?" offered Shang.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

Shang took a seat beside her. "How are you feeling?" he questioned, hoping she wouldn't take him wrong. He really didn't want to pressure her. The young man was really concerned about her well being.

"I'm ok," Mulan confessed, "I just.I .want to go home. My parents."

Shang interrupted her, "You must rest for now. We'll see tomorrow."

Mulan nodded, although not very convinced. It wasn't that easy to rest when her parents were told she was a criminal and less the to the fact she was in Shang's house hiding. His life and honour were in danger, for he could get accused of high treason.

"Don't worry, everything's gonna be ok," reassured Shang.

Mulan sighed melancholically and a tear rolled down her cheek. "How can it possibly be ok? Everyone in China thinks I'm guilty."

Shang wiped the tear from her face with his thumb. "Not everyone," he paused and tried to meet her eyes, but they were fixed on her feet, "I believe in you."

Mulan looked up at him. "Why? I."

"You are a hero and you wouldn't have done that." He inched closer to her. Hesitating, he embraced Mulan.

"You are a good man," she broke into tears resting her head on Shang's chest , "Thanks for believing me."

He was stunned to hold her so close to him and to see her cry. Honestly, Shang had never seen her crying. She had always been very brave in front of him, but now she was just being vulnerable like any other woman would be.

The door opened. Tang gasped in both shock and anger. "What is she doing here?" she demanded. It was totally against Chinese traditions: Mulan and Shang embraced sitting on the bed, Mulan wearing the blanket around her, the time, everything.

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