As the days passed in the Forest of Prosperity, the three protectors of the city packed their belongings, pretending not to notice Mi Lao's suspicions. Often she would come and ask either Ke Li Si and Lu Ke what was going on and they would simply answer, "Home improvements." Of course, Mi Lao loved how the tree house looked and preferred it the way it is, but if they wanted to, she'd let them. But when her mother started packing her belongings out of her room, her suspicions grew. But even so, Fan, Ke Li Si and Lu Ke kept the surprise a secret, hoping it would last until the big day.
It already passed two weeks and there were still four days left. Mi Lao was in school at the moment and the trio was cleaning up any dusty parts of the tree house to keep it clean while they're gone. Fan already told Qiu Qiu about their temporary stay in the Valley of Peace and he promised to keep the city safe while she's gone and to look after the tree house. Fan was glad to have someone like family to make some of her worries fade, but as she thought about leaving, she still fears of any invasion of the foxes soon without her presence. Pretty soon, she would have to announce her leaving to the city's citizens. Who knows if they would grow more suspicious than Mi Lao? How would they react? Oh, who cares how they'd react? I'm doing this for them; to protect them.
"Ke Li Si," Fan called. "Mi Lao's pack is already finished, right?"
The python slithered over to the corner where all the packs are resting and found her blue bag. "Yeah, it is."
"Okay, good. I mean, four days left. I don't want to forget anything of Mi Lao's. She loves her kung fu stuff. Imagine how excited she'll be when we tell her."
"I can't imagine. It would probably be somewhere between screaming or just sheer craziness."
"I agree." Fan chuckled. "But I think she would enjoy it. You know her feistiness and what a tough cookie she is."
"I just wonder what kind of cookie." Lu Ke replied from his room. He was still busy packing, and probably the last one to finish. All Ke Li Si had to pack was his Guzheng instrument, for he can't part without music—ever.
"Probably an almond cookie. She's too sweet." Fan giggled. "But overall, back to the subject, I think this'll work. Y'know, between me and Mi Lao."
"There you go, Fan," Lu Ke said happily in the other room. "Look at it in the positive side."
"You guys know that I'm trying."
"It's good that you're trying." Lu Ke added as he emerged from his room carrying a huge bag behind him. Fan looked at him with such awkwardness that made her wonder what he's bringing along with him.
"Lu Ke?"
"Yes, Fan?"
"We're going to the Jade Palace. Not camping."
Lu Ke rolled his eyes. "Stop your teasing. This is my art stuff. I mean, I'm going to get bored in a new place when I'm not doing kung fu. You don't see me teasing you about what you're bringing."
"You don't have to." Fan said as she lifted her foot. "I'm just bringing these," she gestured to her many beaded bracelets that she used to make when she was a little peachick. They were tiny painted pebbles. Fan never cared for priceless jewels; she preferred to make her own by transforming simple pebbles into gorgeous accessories. It was how she got by. "… and this." She walked over to her bag, which was no bigger than Mi Lao's small bag and displayed her simple art supplies: brown-colored paints and her brush. That's it.
"Wow." Lu Ke said, his eyes wide. "No offense, but you're pack's so midget."
"Don't call my pack midget!" Fan gasped jokingly. "I'm just simple-minded."
"A little too simple-minded, maybe?"
Fan narrowed her eyes at Lu Ke. At times, she could be as feisty as her daughter.
"Okay, sorry." Lu Ke apologized as he dragged his bag to the corner. "But you deserved it after teasing my pack."
Both Fan and Ke Li Si started giggling.
"What?"
"Really," Ke Li Si said. "Your bag's ridiculously huge."
Lu Ke pouted. "Okay, I'll lessen the load."
"Good, because I have no idea how you'd manage to carry that thing in two days." Fan smiled, imagining the viper straining to pull the load while she and Ke Li Si wait up ahead.
"He probably wouldn't make it in five minutes." Ke Li Si joked.
"Shaddup." Lu Ke mumbled as he dragged his pack back to his room. "Oh, and Ke Li Si? Remember not to go over that crack in the floor."
The python looked confused. "Crack? What crack?"
"Ke Li Si! Watch out!"
"Whoa!" He shouted as he nearly fell in a crack beneath the aging wood. He caught himself before falling into the high branches below.
Fan took a look at the hole that was once a minor crack and gulped.
"Maybe we do need some home improvements…"
During those two weeks, the Furious Five and Po started working on cleaning up the rooms to make it as homey and comfortable as possible for their new guests. The wooden floor was polished, corners were dusted, bed sheets were washed and dried, new lanterns were ordered; the Five wanted to make it look perfect for their new students to stay in.
The Five also thought things through for how many rooms were needed for the four guests. Remembering that Fan was bringing her daughter over, they all decided to give them both one room so they would be with each other. They two friends had their own separate rooms.
Soon, it seemed that everything was already perfect to the Five, but with Po, he had different matters other than the new trainees; he also had Shen to worry about.
Every day for the past two weeks since Shen's been staying in the secret hiding place beneath the shed near the Jade Palace, he came to check on him. He would also bring him some food so he could regain his energy. Every now and then, it was just fruits, but when Po noticed that the peacock enjoyed eating peaches than the other fruits he offered, he started serving him peaches instead. He thought it was a good start, until he tried to talk to him, but it ended up backfiring when Shen scolded at him to leave him alone again. Po figured that he'll be ready to start when he knows it. He even told him that. Shen would be open to Po when he felt like it, and it may not be today or tomorrow, or next year, but he will be ready sometime. He has confidence that it'll happen.
There's already two more days until the trainees arrive and Shen's noticed the commotion from where he hid the past two weeks and five days. He lifted his long neck to better hear what's going on up there in the Jade Palace. He had a keen sense of hearing.
"Hmm…" he was curious about this. He's been hearing orders from an old-sounding voice he assumed to be the main master of the joint, and some other voices he also guessed were the Five. But he never heard Po's voice.
Then to his surprise, he saw the chubby panda carefully walking down the stairs with his pudgy and stubby feet. He was holding a basket of peaches. Oh, good. I'm starving. Then he saw him slip and bounce down the stairs. He gave an odd look to this act. That panda ought to lose some pounds…
When he saw him coming towards him, Shen braced himself not to be sandwiched by the tubby bear, but thankfully, Po controlled himself and walked to the hiding place.
"Hey, Shen." Po said, smiling.
The peacock glanced at him with a disgusted look. "Hey…"
"So," Po mumbled as he brought out the peaches. "I kind of snuck out to get these for you, but it was no problem. I'm actually supposed to be up there."
"Uhh…" Shen said awkwardly. "Thanks?" he received the peaches and started nibbling at the skin. He had a habit of eating skin first and then the fruit itself.
"Good, huh?" Po grinned.
"Yeah, sure." Shen said, concentrating more on the food than the person talking to him. He was disappointed to see that the peaches were gone once he finished them. All he saw in the basket were the many peach seeds he coughed up.
"So, what's with everyone in there?" Shen asked, not like he cared.
"What?" Po asked, then realizing what the peacock was talking about. "Oh, that? What's going on up there?"
"Yes. What's going on? Someone's coming, or…?"
"Uh huh. We got a letter from someone to have kung fu classes, so we're getting ready to welcome them and stuff, y'know?"
"Ah," Shen nodded. "I see."
"But, I don't think you'd care, anyway."
"You're right."
Po chuckled. Shen stiffened. He never meant to make a joke.
"So, remember, Shen, whenever you're ready to start, I'm open, okay?" Po repeated like every other day.
"Okaaaaay…" the peacock said sarcastically. Then the panda stood up and started walking up the steps. It wasn't until after five steps, he started getting tired and held a hand to his back. Shen had to admit, that panda was funny-looking. He chuckled at the thought, but then frowned again as he laid down on the cold soil. How am I going to do this? I don't even know if I'm ready yet.
He then had an idea. He decided to escape the hiding boundaries and calm himself down by walking around a bit. That's what most folks do, right? But not now… I must wait till dawn. And so he waited by taking a short nap since he didn't fall asleep the past night.
Everyone was ready to leave and Mi Lao is almost done with her day at school. Two more days, Fan thought to herself excitedly. Two more days and we'll be there. We'll be stronger than we are now.
Lu Ke already lessened his belongings, which made Ke Li Si and Fan picture him better with the new size than the load before. At least it's more portable. Fortunately for Fan, Mi Lao still never questioned her about the unexplained packing. But she figured that now could be the time to tell her.
The trio brought their belongings down the tree house and onto the forest floor safely. But it seemed like bad timing when citizens started approaching with awkward looks on their faces as they eyed the packs.
"Umm…" Fan said nervously, looking worried at the crowd. She can't deal with this now. She has to see her daughter. "Lu Ke, Ke Li Si, could you…?"
"What is it, Fan?" Ke Li Si asked, concerned about the crowd.
"Could you two… tell them the news?"
"Sure, we'll…" the python saw more and more citizens coming. "We'll try."
"Go on, Fan." Lu Ke motioned her by shooing her with his tail. "Go to Mi Lao. We'll take care of this for you."
"Thanks guys."
At that, Fan flew away from the crowd before anyone else could stop her. As she looked back, she saw the two snakes slithering away to a better place to tell the news. She took a deep sigh of relief. She's already excited for the next days to come that she doesn't want to spoil it with any more drama. She flapped her wings harder to get to Mi Lao faster.
The school gong already rang. School is over for today. Mi Lao joined the other bunnies, goslings and piglets outside to be picked up. It'll be just like every other day. I'm the last to go… she thought until she looked up and saw her mother; her mother waiting for her right there. She couldn't believe it at all. She's here?
"Mom?" she said, coming close to tears.
"Come, Mi Lao." Fan replied with a kind smile. She waved her wing, indicating for her daughter to follow.
Smiling, the kitten ran by her mother's side, happy that for once, she had the time to come get her. But even so, they never said a word to each other. It was mostly because Fan was trying to figure out how to tell her daughter the surprise. Uhh… Mi Lao... eh, daughter, honey… no too much names… uh… Mi Lao, you know how we were all packing and that we were doing it because of home improvements? Well… oh! Of course we need some home improvements; I mean, there's the hole in the floor from yesterday, but… oh, that's not the point. The point is… is that I'm an idiot… How do I tell her?
"Mi Lao?" Fan asked softly. Her daughter looked up. Her yellow-green eyes were so beautiful, Fan loved them so much. She reminded herself how much she cared about her baby and that she would do anything to make her happy.
"Yeah, mom?" she said with her innocent and childlike voice. If only she could be my little baby forever.
"Sweetheart," she began. Here goes. "Do you remember… back then… when you were so into the Furious Five—"
"I'm still into the Furious Five, mom."
"Of course," Fan giggled, making her feel a little better. "But do you remember when you used to beg me to take you… to some kung fu classes?"
She nodded.
"Well, it's hard for parents to decide things. There's one thing you must know forever, baby."
Mi Lao looked up at Fan.
"Whatever we decide, we choose because we love you. Or for me, because I love you. So much."
Mi Lao waited for more.
"I just want to make you happy, Mi Lao. I know that these last few years have been so very hard on you because of me. And… I want to make it up to you now."
"Cut to the… chase, mom?" Mi Lao said eagerly.
"Okay, sweetie." Fan cleared her throat. "We are all going to the Valley of Peace."
"…wha—"
"Yeah, we are all going to the Jade Palace. You, me, Ke Li Si and Lu Ke."
Mi Lao was silent and wide-eyed for five seconds until she squeaked, "All of us?"
"Yes, baby, all of us." Fan smiled.
"W-when…?"
"Well, we start walking over there, and in two days, we should be there."
As if by fate, a smile curved on the kitten's face and then she started giggling.
"So that's why-and the-and the-the things-home improvements-packing-I'm going!" Mi Lao exclaimed excitedly. "Are all my things packed already?"
"You're all ready, honey." Fan chuckled.
"Everything, mom?" the kitten asked crazily while shaking her mother to and fro.
"Yes! Everything that belongs to you is packed! What are you? ¿Loca?" Fan laughed as she saw more and more of her daughter's excitement.
"Maybeeeee…!" Mi Lao said.
"Yeah, maybe, right…" Fan rolled her eyes jokingly.
As they walked more to the tree house, the evening came, Fan explained the plans and everything Mi Lao had to know before they depart. As soon as they got there, Lu Ke and Ke Li Si were just approaching in a rushed manner. Fan wondered what was going on.
"What's wrong?" Fan asked the snakes.
"Oh, not much. We told them the news and they got a little ticked, but Qiu Qiu took care of it." Lu Ke explained.
"But if I were you, I would decide that we leave now before an angry mob comes. Qiu Qiu might stop them not, but not for long."
"Let me guess, they're mad at me for my decision because they think I don't care about them at all."
"Spot on. How'd you know?"
"Easy, I get that complaint all the time." Fan sighed disappointingly. "Yeah, we should go. I have no time to explain myself."
"Okay, we might have time to leave the city if we move now." Ke Li Si warned.
"Vama-noose." Fan said.
They all started their journey, Lu Ke the only one holding a lantern to light the way. Ke Li Si, Fan and Mi Lao were following behind.
Mi Lao started to notice the many bracelets on her mother's leg and was easily fascinated by them.
"Hey, mom. Did you make these?" she asked sweetly.
"Yeah, I made all of those bracelets when I was just a little peachick."
"They're very pretty." Mi Lao complimented.
"Yes," Fan smiled. "Especially the blue and green one. That one was my first bracelet. I remember showing it to my parents and they loved it from all the rest. It's, in my opinion, the most memorable one."
Mi Lao was silent for a moment before she admitted. "Mom, there's no blue and green bracelet."
Fan was startled. "Huh?"
"The bracelet you said? I don't see it."
"Maybe you just don't see it."
"Mom, I'm a cat. I have awesome sight in the dark and I don't see no blue and green bracelet on your leg."
"No," Fan looked around and started to panic. "Where is it?"
"Maybe you just dropped it, Fan." Lu Ke said soothingly.
"No, I didn't drop it, I swear."
"Don't worry. Try to retrace your steps and you'll probably find it."
"Something tells me I left it in the tree house." Fan said, her eyes narrowing.
"Well, try to hurry, okay?"
"No problem."
The small peahen flew away from the crowd and back to the tree house. It looked supremely empty and drab without anything in sight. No personality at all. Just an empty little house they're leaving for who knows how long. But it's for the best.
She looked around, but everywhere she looked, it was pitch black. She wished she had a light, but she tried to use her feet to be her eyes. She knew what the pebbled bracelet felt like and she was determined to find it very soon.
The room was very quiet. With the silence, she wondered how it would be like in a new territory, someplace she's never been before but only heard of. She knows it won't be the same, but with getting used to, she might like it. But first she needs to find the dang bracelet.
Rustle. Her head popped up at the sudden sound and turned her long neck around to see if anyone was around. She looked out the window frames. Nothing. She looked up in the trees. Nothing. She gave a shrug and continued to search. Rustle. She looked around again if anyone was fooling around with her. Again, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"Huh…" she whispered, and continued to search around some more.
Shen started to wake up from his nap, which did nothing to fix his lack of sleep and started to stretch. As he did so, he displayed his long, elegant train into a huge fan and relaxed, folding the white fan again. As he took a deep breath, he found it hard to open his eyes; they were heavy from sleep. As he looked around, he figured that now's the perfect time to have that walk he planned to have this evening. Before he started out, he gave himself a little shake to make his feathers a bit more comfortable and briefly groomed himself.
Then he flapped his wings and before he knew it, he was already high in the sky. He tried to be unseen by flying over treetops and low in flat valleys. All he wants tonight is just some fresh air to clear his mind for once.
Fan was still looking, but ended up frustrating with no results. It was one of her memories of her parents when she was in her youth; when she was small and young and believed that life were a fairytale. But she learned her lesson that life doesn't come the way you want it. And for her, it came unexpectedly in the most brutal way. She needed that bracelet to keep that memory… or does she?
"Oh, just forget it, Fan. You can never bring them back." She said. She's just making her friends wait for her more while she's just looking for a smeasly little bracelet. It's not worth it anyway.
She took a step to exit the tree house until he heard a thump on the floor. She looked down, curious as to what the sound came from and walked around. Then she accidently stepped on something hard and smooth. There were many of them, but there was also a skinny piece of thread that binds the stones together. She lifted her foot and looked down. It was her bracelet. How could she not have found it a long time ago?
"Jewelry is very important to you peacocks, isn't it?" a voice said behind Fan. The voice was oddly familiar, yet it sounded more mature and feminine. That voice is too familiar.
Fan turned around to see her finally since a decade. It was her. Si Lai. She looked a bit masculine, like she always had when they were kids. She was the most tomboyish girl she knew, but seeing her now made her feel more afraid of her. She was the one who killed her father. The one who destroyed her city and made her mother and several citizens die of starvation. The one who made everything happen without being told a reason.
Fan found it hard to breathe, for when she looked at the fox, all she could see in her mind was the disaster on the city she's caused. She saw all the fire, the destruction, the murder of her father. Seeing him on the floor. She thought she was going to be sick.
"Wow, Fan." Si Lai grinned. "The years have passed by… what? A good ten years? A decade? And look at you. Miserable yet still alive."
Fan just stared at her ex-best friend and her breathing became harder, more difficult. Her eyes widened with fear. I'll be dead very soon…
"You actually thought you could get away from, did you?"
"For what? For what exactly?" Fan yelled, which she couldn't tell whether it's from fear or courage.
Si Lai's face grew stern now and serious. "I know what your father did. Remember ten years ago? Remember that time when you peacocks thought that we—us, your allies… stole your precious aquamarine stone? Remember that?"
She did in fact remember. But she was so young. I was something she didn't really care for. She was actually the first in her family who thought to forget about it and to go along with their lives. But what did that have to do with this? She did all of this because we accused them once of taking our stone? We forgot about it after. There was no evidence at all. They just wanted to make sure who took it, and besides, they trusted their allies.
"Of course you remember," She spit out. "Look at you. So in denial… just like your father."
"Don't ever talk about my father!" Fan yelled. "My father never did anything to you!"
All Si Lai did was laugh. "Never did anything?" she started cracking up again, which made Fan fear her more, also making her think that after all these years, the fox was becoming psychotic. "There's the freakin' denial again, Fan. You can stop now!"
"Stop what?" Fan backed away, but Si Lai got closer.
"That you—your family… you all were still onto us about that stone!"
"No we weren't! We told your father on the spot that we were sorry for suspecting him for the crime! We forgot all about it afterwards, Si Lai!"
"Forgot about it? Ha! Suuuuure…" she smirked as she took out a feather from her pocket. Fan's eyes widened at the sight. Daddy…
"Looks familiar, doesn't it?"
"H-how…?" Fan was speechless. Never in her life has she given her one of her father's feathers at all. She was told that it was disrespectful to pluck a peacock's tail feather unless it simply fell off.
"This… this is proof that your father killed mine. You do remember Cai Ren, do you?"
She did see him a few weeks ago, did she not?
"I'm not stupid. Of course I do."
"He brought this to me. It was found at the scene of the crime. Right next to my father's body." She said with sadness. She remembered the scene and having intense shock of seeing the feather next to him. "And I know you peacocks have no secrets hidden from each other."
"My father never did such a thing!"
In a flash, the vixen ran right into Fan's face, retracted her claws in her paws, clenched her teeth and snarled. With her sharp teeth baring at her, Fan decided that this moment's been most fearful of seeing Si Lai again. I am dead…
"If you deny again, you'll join your parents…" she hissed menacingly. Her bright yellow eyes looked almost snakelike as her irises shrunk.
Fan was confident and sure that her father never did any murder and all this has a huge misunderstanding. She must honor her parents, not say what didn't happen. She's not denying, she's telling the truth.
"I'm not denying…" Fan said, not afraid of Si Lai now, but most afraid of her death to come. "And let me tell you something. If your father's looking down at you right now… I think he's disappointed in you."
That did it. Si Lai attempted to pounce on the peahen with an aggressive bark, but Fan evaded her sharp canine teeth as she slipped out the window. Being a peahen, it was easy for her to maneuver around high trees and canopies; she just never got around to doing so. She made sure that her claws sank into the bark to hold her grip. She could fly round, but with the darkness, it's easy for her to get caught onto a branch. Plus, there were vines onto the trees to worry about.
She began to transport herself from random tree branch to another and so on, hoping that Si Lai wouldn't find her.
"WHERE DID YOU GO?" Si Lai yelled as she jumped out the window and onto a nearby branch. She was never a great climber, but with her long claws, it could probably make her more able to find her. I can't let that happen. I still got my baby Mi Lao. I don't want her to live the same life I'm living now.
"Si Lai, I'm not fighting you!" Fan cried out.
The vixen's ear turned to the sound of the peahen's voice and growled. I know where she is. She lifted a match from her shoulder strap and lit it with the bark. As the flame ignited from the tiny match, she stared at the yellow amber of heat, chuckled to herself and threw it at the leaves, vines and tree branches beyond her.
From where she hid, Fan noticed a bit of brightness of yellow. She peeked from the side of the branch and saw what Si Lai had done. She set the tree on fire. The fire almost looked like a phoenix eating up all the life of the tree. Another home of Fan's engulfed in flames… just like her family home. It's like it's happening all over again. But I'm on my own…
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt warmer all of a sudden. She jumped in surprise after she realized that the flame was eating up the tree she was hiding behind. She tried not to get into the fire's path, which proved impossible everywhere she turned. She went one way and saw that it's being eaten up. She turns another way and the same thing. She's trapped. She stopped to see Si Lai keeping a furious face, looking even fiercer with the fire dancing in front of her. Oh, shoot.
She flew down the canopies of the tree, for there was no other choice other than burning to death. But as she flew down, a fiery branch came down on her, injuring her wing. The pain made her cry out as she fell. Luckily, the fire didn't devour the tree below yet, though, only to have her fall into vines tangling her up in their grasp. She saw Si Lai coming down in time. Fan had to hurry.
She started nibbling on the vines with her sharp beak to free herself, careful not to accidently cut a vine that might choke her. Snip. Snip. Snip. Snip. She's coming closer, crouched down and growling. Snip. Snip. Snip. There was one last vine to go, until Si Lai finally pounced to finally take the last life of the peacock family. Fan couldn't take any chances. She used her possibly last seconds to cut the last vine tangled around her wing, anxiously biting into it with a force she thought she never had before. Snnnnnnn-ip! She shot up flying before Si Lai could have her paws on her. She tangled herself in the vines while looking up at the surviving hen with pure hatred.
With her free hand, the fox retrieved her sword and carefully cut up all the vines holding her until she freed herself and clawed her way up the tree. Fan only looked down in fear, not looking forward to the worst. There was no other way to go without getting severely burned. I guess this is it… I'm already dead. There's no doubt about it. Goodbye Mi Lao. Please, please know that I love you so much. Ke Li Si and Lu Ke, you two are such great friends. I couldn't have done it without you guys. Qiu Qiu, you were faithful to my parents and me. Keep safe… goodbye world and—
"AAAHHH!"Fan cried as she felt the sharp claws of the violent fox go into her skin. She couldn't fight her back. She just couldn't. She was severely mistaken from all this. Even if she did fight her, she doesn't have a chance with her intelligence in combat. They fell below about thirty feet, their fall interrupted by a branch that happened to be in their way. Fan tried to fight her off to at least leave her grasp, but nothing proved possible. Each second to her was a second closer to death.
Shen continued his flight several miles ahead, feeling satisfied for once while feeling the fresh, clean breeze of the calm night. But it all stopped when he started to smell something a bit ashy. He smelled more and thought it seemed deathly. He tried to follow the smell as he glided over the lush canopies of a dense forest. It was until he came closer that he started to see smoke come up. His eyes wandered down in the smoky path and spotted a small patch of light where the path ended. He glided closer to investigate.
The closer he came to the spot, the clearer the image. A tree was on fire. Well, that's what happens when parents let their kids play with fire in a forest. Idiots…
But then he started to hear screaming. No, there were two different screams. They were both feminine. What is this? A catfight? But from the sound of it, it seemed violent. Being the eavesdropping guy he is, he flew in, curious as to what was going on. He carefully flew through the shrubby branches, cautiously whipping his train through the fiery depths of the smoky tree. As he moved in closer, he was surprised at the sight.
He saw a female fox down below wrestling with something else. From the heat of the fire and brightness piercing his eyes, it was hard to see while squinting. He tried closer, but no luck.
He climbed down more branches.
Fan cried out even more as more pain flashed into her injured wing whenever it hit hard surfaces. With Si Lai's weight on her, pain was everywhere. She feared the most excruciating and painful death possible coming closer.
Then a stump on a large branch stopped the rolling, catapulting Fan forward. As she looked up, she realized they were rolling right back where they started; almost close to the tree house, which was already in flames.
"Get up." Si Lai commanded. "Get up!"
Fan couldn't do anything. She was so weak, she couldn't move at all without having a part of her explode in pain.
"I said get up!"
Fan still lay where she was, staring at the tree house, the entire tree she called her second home, now destroyed. With her death coming, this possibly couldn't get any worse.
"Get up! Coward!" the fox yelled.
There was nothing the small peahen could do but just sit motionless.
Si Lai gave up and grabbed Fan by the neck, making her cough and gasp violently for air that she knows she won't have again.
"I'm giving you one… last… chance." Si Lai whispered. "Your father killed mine."
She waited for a response, but nothing came out but wheezes and gasps begging for air. Her face began to fade into a pale blue color and her eyes were narrowing. Fan could get herself out of this and just satisfy her with what she wants to hear. But she's not one for getting the easy way out. She must respect her parents' spirit through and through.
"N…. n-n… No." Fan admitted. "I'm not saying what didn't happen."
Si Lai's eyes grew angry and almost in a flash, a huge amount of pain was coursing through her after she gave a powerful punch to her stomach. She zipped through the tree house, breaking the wood into millions of pieces. She landed and stopped on the wall at the end of the house. She's completely worn out and for the first time in her life, she gave up. Not one part of her body moved.
Shen saw the whole scene. He thought about it repeatedly in his mind about butting into the fight, but each time, he held himself back. It wasn't any of his business. Save her, Shen. Isn't that the reason why you're here? To change yourself? You haven't been making any results the past weeks, start right now.
He watched the fox walk towards the tree house where the peahen landed in. He didn't know why, but somewhere in his chest, he felt sick and odd. He had to make something happen. When the vixen jumped inside the house, Shen grew furious. He's decided what he's going to do. He reached for his lance beneath his sleeves.
Si Lai saw the peahen still alive on the floor of the room and was determined to end her once and for all.
"This looks familiar, Fan." She said with a grin. "Something about a decade ago."
Fan was listening, but she couldn't see. The ashes were making her eyes hurt. She wouldn't want to see her death, anyway.
"Hmm," Si Lai feigned. "Oh, yes. Like your father."
If Fan still had her energy, she would attack her for that, but like she reminded herself before, it wouldn't be worth it at all.
"Fan, don't give up." A voice said. At first, Fan thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but she listened. "Fan, stand your ground. Don't ever give up."
"Mom?"
"Yes, Fan."
"And me, too."
"Dad."
"Listen Fan, you're doing the right thing. Believe to say that you're right. You're right for not fighting back. Keep peace with them. All this is a mistake."
"But how do I—"
"She must understand soon."
"But she won't listen."
"Let time do its job."
"But I'm going to die anyway. Like you."
"That won't happen, honey."
Her parents' voices faded away and she began to feel dizzy and lightheaded from the smoke. Her eyes began to feel heavy as well. She stopped breathing. The world seemed darker as her eyes were closing, closing, closing. The very last thing she saw was a cloud of pure white.
Shen broke into the fight just then and aggressively pointed his lance at Si Lai's nose. She was stuttered by the speed of the peacock coming in on a split-second. He stood in front of Fan's uncautious body, flashed his tail feathers upward and let out his shrill animal call.
"Get away from here!" he yelled. "Go! Or I'll replace her life with yours!"
As soon as Si Lai brought out her sword, Shen took it off her paws with a precise kung fu move in a heartbeat. He flashed his angry ruby eyes at the vixen, making her turn, grab her sword and out the window. She was out of sight.
When Shen thought the worst was over, he heard a crack below the house. He swooped over to the window to look below and gasped. The tree was growing weak as the bark turned into ashes. He turned his neck back to the uncautious body on the floor. He must get her out. He hurried to her body and carefully put his head through the peahen's under wing and out. He lifted himself to feel the peahen on his back, feeling satisfied of how she looked when it came to comfort. He tried walking a few steps, but it was a hassle doing so with the girl's head dangling. He gently lifted her head a little not to get in the way.
He thought it was just right. Then the house started to shake. Suddenly the room became lop-sided. Shen figured now's the time to leave. He lifted his wings and flew out the window right into the sky.
He looked back, seeing the bright orange tree plummeting down going smaller and smaller. Then a small clicking sound bothered him. He looked around to find what the sound was before realizing that he had something on his foot. When he looked down, he saw a blue and green bracelet stuck on his metal talons.