Hi, thank you very much for your reviews. ^ ^ Sorry, I was on vacation last week. Sorry that I didn't tell you. Don't worry, the story continues. :)

10. Reluctance and apprehension

"I will get so many troubles," Po muttered and leaned against the house wall of the living room.

He was so tired that he didn't want to search for a good place to sleep. He let fall himself on the floor and snored after a while.

The rain was still falling, and Po was sleeping deeply, when the door of the room began to move.

Shen couldn't sleep. His wing and his leg hurt terribly. Also his wounded head. He had to go out of the room. Even with effort. Hobbling he left the bed with a lot of pain. He needed some water for his dry lips. Slowly he pushed open the door and clutched himself on the door frame. He paused when he saw the panda sleeping against the wall.

The panda lay there, without protection and alone.

The lord's hands cramped. A touch of hope filled his mind.

This was his chance. Maybe his last one. The last chance to change his future.

The lord looked around. There must be something. A weapon or similar.

He looked down at the broken table. A part of the wood had splintered and was sharp.

A dangerous smile played around his lips. Better than nothing. It would also serve well.

With effort, he scuffed over the wooden ground and picked it up.

His glance wandered back to the sleeping panda. He pressed the right hand closer around the piece of wood.

If he had been fitter, he would have tortured him for his defeat.

"The time is over for you - panda. Like I wanted to do 30 years ago."

Suddenly a water drop fell down from the leaky roof and dripped on Po's face.

Po blinked.

"What...?"

He froze when he saw Shen with a sharp wood in his right hand.

Shen stood there for a second. Then he jumped at him.

"DIE!"

In a second, Po was wide awake and jumped aside. Shen lost his balance and hit with his body on floor. It wouldn't have been bad if he hadn't had a fresh broken wing and a broken leg. He could have stood up, but this time the pain killed his nerves and forced him to stay laying on the floor.

Po was still in shock, but he had recovered. With wide fear filled eyes he stared at the panting peacock, who still lay on the floor.

"You should cease doing this," Po panted.

Shen managed to kill his pain good enough to straighten himself.

"I will never stop, panda."

Po shook his head with disapprobation.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Why don't you kill me, panda?" Shen asked back.

Po scratched his head. "I can't kill you in this state."

"So you want to keep me alive to torment me more? Forget it."

The lord trembled hard and tried to stand up, always trying to control the pain in his body. His body cramped terribly. Po looked at him with pity. He hoped that his limbs weren't damaged too bad.

"That's not my intent," Po asserted. "I only wanted to help you."

Shen laughed like a lunatic. "Oh, you are so naive! Really. You are the stupidest creature in this world, panda."

"My name is Po."

"I would rather die than to speak your name in my whole life."

"Shen, I want to help you. What should I do that you believe me."

"Do you want to know an answer?"

"Uhm... y-es."

"There is - nothing - you can do."

Po kept silent and looked at the lord who smiled dangerously at him.

He sighed. "Well then, you have to go back to bed."

Po came closer, but Shen flinched.

"I said, don't touch me!"

"But Shen, after such a bad crash, you can't go alone..."

"I can!"

With that, Shen stood up with shaking muscles. He had effort to keep himself on his feet. He staggered to the side, and Po wanted to hold him, but Shen pushed his away hard.

"Away you go!"

But when Shen was in danger to fall again, Po ran to him again.

Shen became so angry that he gave the panda a cutting jap.

With fast steps he managed to arrive the room and covered with the blanket his martyred body. It was still a humiliation for him that he had lost a part of his proud feathering.

Slowly he laid himself on the bed.

"How long do you want to let me alive to mortify me more?" Shen asked with exhausted voice.

Po sighed deeply. "I don't want to mortify you. Why should I?"

Shen hissed. Assumed the panda that he was stupid?

"If I were you, I would do everything to take vengeance for my parents."

Po looked at him with sad eyes. "You loved your parents, didn't you?"

For a moment, Shen was speechless. Then he narrowed his eyes. "I hated them, more than nothing in this world."

Po didn't believe him.

"That isn't true, is it?"

"It's true!" Shen averred louder. "If you don't want to excruciate me, let me go."

"Shen! I can't let you go."

Shen became angrier. "Why not?" he gasped out with rage.

"First, you can't survive here. Second, I'm not allowed to let you go. As long as you are with me, I can guarantee that I don't break the law of the city."

Shen pulled the blanket closer around his body.

"So, you are still going to kill me."

"Uh, no, I mean... Maybe I can help you."

"To give me a shorter death?"

Po growled annoyed. It was useless. Shen still believed that he wanted to kill him.

"Call it what you will, but I can't let you go."

Shen narrowed his eyes. "For the last time - let me go!"

"No, I can't! If you want to make it easier for you, tell me who the attackers were."

Shen snorted. "Forget it! I will come free before it."

Po became indignantly. "You will stay here until we find a better solution. I'm sorry. I'm afraid we will have much more troubles."

Po left him and closed the door. Shen looked after him annoyed. Then he lowered his glance. Looking for something to find a way out of his desperate situation.

His glance stuck on the rest of the vines, which Po had used to straighten his broken limbs.

"You will never get the chance to kill me."

Po yawned wider and louder. He was walking outside to get a clearer head. It was so difficult with Shen. He teared his hairs. There must be a chance to come clear with him. Somehow.

Suddenly he heard a rumbling sound. Without hesitation he ran back into the house. In front of the room door he stopped.

"Shen?"

No answer.

"Shen?! Are you okay? Shen?!"

But the door had blocked.

"Shen!"

Po took a run-up and threw himself against the door. The old wood yielded and the panda fell on the floor with it. He didn't need to search long to understand what happened.

Po didn't believe what he was seeing.

Shen was hanging in the air on the ceiling with a noose around his neck.