castaside | [Heart Game] From the ashes we can build

Entry tags:

heart game

[Heart Game] From the ashes we can build

WHO: Macaque, Red Son, Wukong, Korone, Donnie, Cole, Wash
WHAT: Soul fixin'
WHEN: March 9
WHERE: Red Son's house, Blossomcrown
WARNINGS: will be marked

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You are Macaque, and your throat is burning. Your fur is covered with soot. And the screams of monkeys burning alive are still ringing in your ears.

You are behind Wukong's seals in the caves of Flowerfruit Mountain with the few monkeys you managed to toss in here before the mountain burned. Too few, mostly young ones. They're looking to you in shock and confusion. You have no idea how to comfort them.

You walk out into a burned landscape. Meandering aimlessly through what used to be lush trees and foliage. You're going to have to go get food from elsewhere for the monkeys, you numbly think. You reach down and pinch what remains of a hibiscus and it crumples to ash.

You know that Wukong is still imprisoned under the mountain. That Heaven never would have burned this place if he were free. But he isn't. And you know that he never would have wanted this, but part of you wants to scream and rage about him not being here.

The next instant, your throat burns with more than smoke inhalation. How could you even think that?

MK grabbed his throat and coughed. It was hoarse and painful from the memory. He could feel it. The heat. The smoke. His eyes watered with tears and from the very memory. Heaven did that! They burned the mountain?! All those monkeys. Why? WHY?!

"THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" MK screamed out to no one. Why? Monkey King was already under the mountain. Why do that to his home?! Wasn't beating him and the brotherhood enough?! Why did it always have to be more? More pain and more punishment? In some dark corner of his heart, MK wondered if maybe it was a good thing the world almost ended.

Maybe it was a good thing they failed to save the Jade Emperor. Oh that felt gross. That was awful.

That little thought didn't go away.

Red Son jumps at the sudden scream. "MK?!"

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" MK found himself screaming again. He covered his mouth and shook his head. Don't yell at Red Son. Red Son didn't do it!

"...It's not fair. Heaven and its stupid punishments aren't fair. They take and take and say it's for your own good. Ooooh you'll reach enlightenment. It's worth it! But you, and DBK, and Monkey King, and everyone just end up hurt and angry and sad and scared! All they do is hurt and hurt and hurt and now I'm like, you know. Maybe it's a good thing Uncy Lion-" He stopped himself and looked away.

Ah, another punishment.

Red Son paused and he moves over to MK. Hands reaching out for his shoulders.

"You know I have no love for the Celestial Realm, right?"

That got MK to look back at Red Son.

"Yeah. I know. None at all. 0%. No stars on Yelp. Would not recommend."

"Good. There is a very short list of Celestials I am willing to even deal with without literally being cornered into it. Nezha is a very rare breed," Red Son said.

"However. Azure Lion was still wrong. Not in that the Celestial Realm is full of the self righteous and arrogant, the apathetically callous. But in the fact the Celestial Realm does have necessary roles in it. You saw that there MUST be a Jade Emperor and there isn't many who could take on that role. There are others too. That is the real reason why the rebellion was always doomed to fail. Sure, there were plenty of Celestials you could slaughter, but there are also plenty fulfilling a role that existence itself needs," Red Son said. He sighed and wrapped his arms around MK. "There is no conquering the Celestial Realm without having a solid plan and understanding of those roles and you can only get that information from a Celestial. There is a reason father has given up on that idea entirely."

The hug, more than anything, pulled MK out of those thoughts. There had to be a Jade Emperor or everything broke. Everything fell apart. But...

"Just because they're necessary doesn't give them the right to hurt so many people. To hurt Macaque, the monkeys, Monkey King...you," MK turned his face and nuzzled the size of Red Son's neck.

"...It's still not fair. Azure was wrong and he did the same thing. He hurt people. He hurt you. Me. All of us. I just...I wish it was more fair. That's all."

"I know. I do too," Red Son said, pulling him closer. Running his fingers through his hair. "And who knows, maybe in some centuries from now, we'll be able to figure out a plan to actually make them accountable without messing up the universe. If you want, I can try to figure something out. But it is one of those things you have to be careful to not let the thoughts consume you."

He turns his head and kisses the side of his head. "You don't want to hurt people like them. You're better than that."

MK snuggled close to Red Son. He held onto his mate and nodded. The dark thoughts still there just much less noisy now. Quiet and sitting somewhere in the back of his mind.

"I am..." MK's voice was soft. He wasn't fully convinced. MK was better than that when he wasn't causing problems. When he wasn't causing pain. When he wasn't the monkey demon thing.

"You are," Red Son assured, tightening his hold on MK. Kissing the top of his head. "And certainly better than Heaven."

That got a smile out of MK.

"I would hope so. Or I'd have a lot of questions."

"It would certainly be a feat to be worse. But no, definitely better," he said, another kiss to his temple.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Heart Game] From the ashes we can build

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation

Re: Level U cw: immolation