Disclaimer: Everything from the Disney movie belongs to Disney. Everything else belongs to me.

Summary: What if, despite the fact that Mulan saved China, the Emperor had still demanded that she be executed? What if she escaped? And what if Shang was the one who was sent to find her and kill her? What would he do?

xxxxxxx

Forgotten Heroine by lightbird

Chapter 1: The Sentence

As the fireworks exploded and the flames began to envelop the roof of the palace Mulan slid down the rope with the lanterns, letting go as she approached the ground and landing on Shang who had been running out of the palace. They both fell to the ground.

"Where is she? Look at this mess!" Chi Fu griped, coming down the stairs from the palace entrance.

She began to back up toward the three men that had ended up being her friends, Yao, Ling and Chien-Po. They moved forward to protect her.

"Step aside! That creature is not worth protecting!"

Chien-Po pushed her behind him. Shang stood in between them and Chi Fu, looking angry. He was about to speak to Chi Fu but he was interrupted.

"Enough of this."

It was the Emperor. He came down the stairs, stopping a few steps above the platform. He gestured for Shang and her three friends to step aside. They couldn't do anything but obey. Mulan stepped forward and bowed before him.

"I've heard a great deal about you from Chi Fu, Fa Mulan," began the Emperor. "You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated a soldier, deceived your commanding officer, dishonored the Chinese army, destroyed my palace, AND…you have committed high treason! I sentence you to be put to death by beheading immediately."

Chi Fu stepped forward and seized her arm with a self-satisfied sneer, ready to escort her to her death. Before he could lead her anywhere, Khan came galloping up to the platform, whinnying ferociously and forcing everyone to jump aside.

"Restrain him!" Chi Fu shouted to Shang, Yao, Ling and Chien-Po, dropping his grip on her arm.

But Shang and her three friends were too stunned to move, and Khan was too determined to be restrained by anyone. The noble steed bucked and knocked everyone out of his way. He stopped alongside of her and Mulan quickly lifted herself onto his back. As soon as she was on him, Khan galloped down the stairs, away from the Imperial Palace, away from Chi Fu and the other men who were attempting to seize her; carrying his little mistress to safety.

Several men in the crowd in the Imperial Square and along the main street tried to get in the way to stop her, but Khan paid no attention to the fact that he was about to trample them. He barreled forward and the men in his path had to jump out of the way.

Shang was standing on the platform, staring after her, looking stupefied.

"Captain Li!"

He turned at the sound of the Emperor's voice. "Yes, your Majesty?"

"Captain Li," the Emperor ordered. "You should lose your head, too, for not executing her when she was revealed! But your father was my bravest and most trusted general; and in honor of him and of his memory, I will give you another chance to carry out your duty. Go after her. I don't care if she is brought back alive or dead. If you bring her back alive, she will be executed here. But if you must execute her out there, then do so and bring her head to me. But do not allow her to escape again. She must be made an example of."

"Yes, your Majesty."

"And Captain, if you do not carry this out, you would be wise to not bother to come back here."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Shang turned and ran for his stallion. He mounted and was about to start off after her.

"One moment, Captain."

Shang turned around as Chi Fu approached him.

"I advised the Emperor that it would be a good idea for me to go with you. And this time I will make sure that you do your duty and carry out the Emperor's law."

xxxxxxx

Shang had been able to keep Mulan in sight as she rode off; that is until he was held up by Chi Fu. She had been moving at a thundering pace and Khan was larger and much more powerful than his own stallion. And he had more stamina. But once they finally started off, he pushed his stallion to continue through the night to try to close the distance between them and catch up to her. Chi Fu kept up on his own stallion, complaining all the way. Shang tuned him out.

She was heading south and Shang guessed that she would continue to ride in that direction. It made sense. She was going toward where it was warmer; it would be much easier to survive there than in the harsh winter that was lingering in the north.

He followed Khan's hoof prints into the forest, keeping an eye on the ground. They continued on. Apparently she had not stopped yet.

"Do you have any idea where you are going, Captain? The Emperor will have your head if you let her get away. And I will not be afraid to carry out his order."

"I'm following her horse's hoof prints, Chi Fu. As for her getting away, I was prepared to leave immediately when the Emperor gave his order and would have caught up to her easily. I lost time waiting for you."

The obnoxious man just turned his nose up and sniffed at him.

Shang sighed and rolled his eyes, cursing the Emperor and the fates for this situation and the fact that he had to ride alone with the despicable toad Chi Fu.

xxxxxxx

Mulan continued to ride all night long and through the next day, trying to put as much distance as she could between her and the Imperial City. She rode south, staying in the forest. Winter hadn't completely ended yet, and it was freezing in the north; not just in the mountain passes but in the lowlands as well. It would be warmer in the south and easier to survive.

She finally stopped early the next evening. Khan had continued steadfastly and nobly, but he needed food, water and rest in order to go further. Once she had stopped, the adrenalin rush wore off and she realized how badly she needed those three things as well. She found a stream deep in the forest and led Khan to drink. She drank the freshwater from the stream, too, nearly choking as she gulped too quickly the much-needed liquid. Leaving Khan to graze, she stripped and waded into the stream, catching a fish for her own dinner. Mushu lit the pile of wood she had gathered and she ate ravenously after the fish was cooked thoroughly.

She found a thick clump of trees far off of the forest path and pitched her tent underneath. Mushu told her that he would keep watch and wake her if anyone was coming. She crawled into the tent and lay down, weary and depressed.

She would never see home or her family again. She felt a dull ache inside of her, weighing on her heart and radiating throughout her entire body. She wanted the tears to come; she knew that they needed to come. But the pain, the sadness wasn't sharp enough for them to come, or even for a lump to begin to form in her throat. She just felt a dull sensation of profound grief that was like a miasma surrounding her.