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Whispers echoed through the caverns and abandoned buildings left forgotten underneath the busy and fast developing city of Megapolis.
If one looked closely they could see that amongst all the cracks that littered most things down there, there was a piece of the ground where those cracks came alight with an icy blue glow for a second, before that glow rose and began to crawl, searching for something.
The glow transformed into a mist, barely capable of flowing above the ground, but it still could, and it used that ability to approach the only person nearby.
And no one was there to look closely.
—----------
The mist was desperate.
She had been locked away for centuries, suffering eternally for simply trying to make the world a better place. It was only now that a small segment of her managed to escape, to claw and tear her way through the cracks of her tomb. The part was not nearly powerful enough to do anything, the most she could do was observe, maybe if she strained herself even talk, nothing more.
But she still had a small bit of her freedom back, she might as well use it to her advantage, pull the necessary strings to help bring her destiny to fruition.
She would need to find her most loyal servant.
Something stopped her.
There was something that kept her there, a feeling, an impression. A signature of something of great power.
She followed it.
The mist flowed through the cracks, staying close to the ground and using its features to help keep her form steady. Had she had a body she would have scoffed at how little energy she has, to not even be capable of lifting off the ground.
And she arrived at the signature, an artifact of great power. A staff in the ground, keeping something sealed, and a child.
They can't have been older than-what was it? Around the equivalent of a twelve year old in demon years. She had been locked away long, she wasn't certain of the demon-human aging differences. But the child was clearly of demonic heritage, if the faintly familiar horns, tail and ears were anything to go by.
They kneeled next to the staff, examining it, taking a few notes from time to time. They looked exhausted, like coming here was a regular occurrence, they had bags under their eyes and their long red hair was messy and unkempt. Their clothes reflected a background that wouldn't let a child be like this, or perhaps it would, because although the clothes looked like they belonged to royalty they were just as messy, dirty and torn up as the person wearing them. Royalty fallen perhaps?
Then she realized why the demonic features were so familiar.
She was looking at the child of the Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan, the creator of the Samadhi Fire.
She was looking at an exceptional opportunity.
—----------
Red Son was exhausted.
That was not a surprise, he had been exhausted for a long long time. Ever since the sealing of his father all he ever did was work. Work on lifting the staff, work on keeping himself and his mother safe, relocating if needed be. His memories of a carefree and lavish childhood felt more like a story he might have read back when he had time to waste on such childish and meaningless things.
Ever since…that…happened he had to give up those things. He couldn't afford to keep them. Not when in the first years(decades? he wasn't sure, everything blended together)his mother shut down, and the only thing that sometimes interrupted her silence was crying, the sobs that always broke his heart, because he couldn't help, he tried, he tried so hard, but when he tried to cheer her up she looked away, when he tried to hug her she pushed him away. It took a long time to realize that the only thing that would make her become herself again is to get his father back.
And he wanted that too, he wanted that so bad. Because he missed him, he missed the big hands lifting him up, the booming voice telling stories of glory. And he missed his mother, even though she was there he missed her and he felt so guilty about it but he did. He missed how she would style his hair, how she would play with him.(How she wouldn't send him away after he went to her crying about nightmares or missing his father. How she wouldn't have just nodded in acknowledgement without any emotion when he told him he was Red Son and he was a prince instead of a princess(not like it mattered anyway, they didn't have any power anymore, he was only a prince in title).)
But this wasn't about him. This was about his parents, he needs to make his parents happy, he needs to make them proud.
If in the meantime, while working on freeing his father he needed to find himself and his mother a new place to stay because the last one wasn't safe anymore than that's what he would do. If he had to stay up all night to not waste a single speck of time he could spend studying the staff keeping the Demon Bull King sealed that's what he would do.
So that's what he was doing.
Until he heard a voice.
"My, my what are you doing here, child?" The voice came out of nowhere. Red Son whipped around, trying to find the source, but no one was there.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" He yelled into the nothingness.
"Oh, I'm afraid I cannot" The voice chuckled. "You would find I do not have a body, therefore I cannot show myself. As for who I am, you can call me Voice, after all, that's all I currently am."
"What do you want?"
"I only wish to fulfill a destiny laid out. But on my way I stumbled upon a strange child kneeling next to the staff of Sun Wukong. This is not a place for a child to be."
"I am not a child!" He yelled, hair coming alight in frustration.
Voice chuckled.
"Alright then, but you still have a name, do you not?"
"Of course I do. I am Red Son, son of the Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan." He puffed out his chest in pride.
Voice gasped.
"Of course you are. How could I not notice? You are so similar to your parents. It is an honor to meet you, my prince."
Red Son felt even more proud at that, but also a bit awkward. He never got addressed like that, sure he was royalty, but he had been way too young to meet anyone of importance before. He was taught etiquette, but it was so hard to apply it to real life, lucky for him, he didn't have to because Voice continued:
"But, my prince, what on earth would you be doing here in the dust and mud?" Voice sounded concerned.
"I'm… I'm trying to free my father." He did his best to keep his voice from breaking, but he wasn't sure he managed. "The…Wukong he…sealed him away." Tears were forming in his eyes. (Stop it, you are not a child! Pull yourself together; you can't afford to be weak, especially in front of someone else.)
"Did he? Oh, how cruel of him! You know, Sun Wukong has made my life worse before too."
"Really?"
"Indeed, he is the reason only my voice is here right now. I too, am sealed away."
"But how could he?"
"He has always been a force of chaos, leaving wrecks and ruins behind wherever he went." Voice sounded sad now, as if grieving all that was lost due to the Monkey King's too much power being matched to a personality like his.
"But do not be sad! I just had the best idea, my prince! We could help each other. I would help you, and in exchange when the time comes, you could help me." Voice perked up.
"How could I help you?" He couldn't even help his family, he couldn't promise help to a stranger.
"It's simple, you just have to get a key, but you have plenty of time before that is needed. In the meantime I would help you with the staff."
"All I have to do is get a key?"
"Simple, isn't it? But sometimes things are just that."
Well if it was just getting a key, and in exchange Voice would help him free his father then this was the best thing that has ever happened to him.
"It's a deal then."
—------------
It has been years since Red Son first met Voice. Since then she has helped him greatly.
He always had a passion for technology, especially interested in how it could be mixed with or cooperating with magic. Voice helped a lot with the magic part. Thanks to her, he has been making invention upon invention, his magic stronger and his knowledge in the mystical arts growing bigger by the day. So far nothing he made was capable of lifting the staff, but he can feel that he is getting closer.
Nowadays she calls him 'her Key'. At first he was a bit skeptical, but he quickly yielded, he never had a nickname before and this counted like one, right? She said the name is because he's the key to her freedom, and if the time comes her key to a better world.
She told him many times about her destiny, about cleansing the world of anything bad, and the more he heard about it the more he wanted the day when he could help with that to finally arrive.
But waiting for it requires a lot of patience, patience he doesn't think he's capable of considering some conditions.
One of these being that his mother started acting strange ever since Voice showed up. She said she heard him talking to himself, that she is concerned this task might be too much for him and taking a toll on his mental state. Did she not believe him capable of freeing his father?
He got into a lot of fights with her. She just didn't understand things, she kept asking where he learnt the runes he was using, why he didn't go to her immediately with updates, why the bull clones were 'acting strange'. There was nothing wrong with the bull clones!
She kept questioning his abilities, calling him all kinds of demeaning things. Can't she see that he is trying? Can't she see that his inventions are getting better and better every time? He isn't useless, his skills aren't inept, he can do it!
Voice said he is perfectly capable. After every fight she is there to reassure him, tell him what is right and wrong. She said he can lift the staff and do so much more.
—------------
Red Son went back to his workshop, slamming the door behind him.
"Why is she like this? Why can nothing I ever do be good enough for her?" He slid down to the floor, leaning against the door as he yelled in frustration, knowing that Voice would be there. She was always there with him.
"Did your mother cause trouble again?" Her familiar voice answered.
"She always tells me that I can't do it. I can't lift the staff. She always doubts my abilities. She told me that this task is too much for me again."
"Well, yes, she is quite ungrateful despite the things you do for her, what I do not understand is why you would think she would appreciate the things you do given…unless…you do not know."
"Do not know what?"
She kept quiet, as if reluctant to tell him.
"What don't I know? Tell me!"
Her silence dragged on, but eventually she gave in:
"When you were born, you had a power, something more than any of us could ever imagine: the Samadhi Fire. A powerful flame capable of burning everything in any realm, be it mortal or celestial. As you grew they deemed your power unstable. They thought you were incapable of controlling something that was essentially yours. In the end they decided to tear the Samadhi Fire apart and lock it into rings, hiding them so reforging it would be impossible."
Silence.
Red Son sat back in shock. He lit a small flame in his hand, just the size of a candle. Weak. It wasn't weak once. He wasn't weak once. There was a time when he wasn't just…just this.
"Is…is that why the pull is there?" His voice was barely above a whisper. He didn't even try to conceal the tears forming in his eyes as his voice cracked halfway through the question.
"Pull?"
"I…I constantly feel this pull, toward four directions. Some…sometimes it turns into…into pain, and then I can't move or think or..or do anything, because it hurts so much. Is it because of that?" He was crying now, no, more like sobbing, fat tears rolled down his cheeks, and his breaths were interrupted by hiccups as he pulled his knees up to his chest, still cradling the shameful proof of his weakness in his hands.
"Oh, dear I didn't know. What I told you was all I knew about it, but your words tell me there was more to it then I could have ever imagined." Voice tried to comfort him.
"Is..is that why I feel the emptiness too?" His sobs probably made the sentence incomprehensible, but Voice still understood.
"I am so sorry you had to learn this from me, my Key. I never wished to hurt you like this. It most likely is. I can not possibly wish to express my sorrow through words only, all I can hope is you believe that I am sorry." She really did sound sorry, like telling him about this hurt her just as much as hearing it hurt him.
"I..I believe you." He hiccuped.
"Tell me one thing: If your mother had the heart to let you be weakened like that, then go on and blame you and belittle you for it, and not even tell you about it, then do you believe that she loves you? After she makes you hide your demonic features because they remind her of the very person you are working tirelessly to free, do you believe she cares about you? That your mother could ever appreciate the things you do for her?"
"No." His sobs slowed down, tears starting to dry up. He wiped his face with his sleeve. Anger replaced the shock and despair. "No I do not." He snarled.
—-----------
He knows that he should hate his mother. She hurt him. They hurt him. She kept things from him. But he just can't. He can't just rewrite the love he feels because of one thing she did. (Even if sometimes he wakes up in the dead of night to an agonizing pain in his chest that paralyzes him, making him unable to even call out, inform someone of his suffering, when the pain rises so high he wishes he just passed out to be free of the pain.) She probably had a reason not to tell him.
Voice might not know everything, maybe there was something else at play, something she doesn't know about. Maybe sealing the Fire was in his own good. (The pull is driving him mad, it doesn't matter if it was for his own good it hurt him.)
Despite what he said he doesn't really believe that his mother doesn't love him, maybe he began doubting it, but doubt is nothing a simple question can't fix.
—-----------
"Mother?"
"What is it now?" She sounded tired and annoyed, probably because of him again. "Did you finally succeed?"
"Well, no mother."
"Then why are you here?"
Perhaps Voice was right. A mother who loves him wouldn't act like this.
"Nothing mother."
—-----------
He pulled out the staff.
He finally did it!
“This is just the first of many great things you are going to do.” Voice whispered in his ear. He learned a while back that she could make her voice only be heard by him, but not before he freaked out and started acting strange in front of his mother when he thought she could hear Her too.
He was too preoccupied with the euphoria he felt at succeeding and seeing his father again to listen to her properly.
(His mother only cared about his father, she wasn't proud of him for doing something that was deemed impossible, only Voice was there to tell him he did good, just like she always had.)
—----------
Red Son watched as his father's…rampage(it was more of a tantrum really) opened a crack through the ground. A crack glowing a strong icy blue.
"Is that-" He whispered.
"Yes, it is, your time is near." Voice answered.
—----------
Red Son sat in his workshop, curled into himself and fidgeting with a loose thread on his sleeve. He didn't look up when he heard and sensed the presence of Voice, now in the form of a strong blue mist.
"You possessed him." He called out without turning toward the one addressed.
"Indeed. I needed a vessel, so early out of my release I had to strengthen myself a bit to ensure I could survive and find a fitting host. But it was needed for another reason: with a little nudge from me your father revealed his true colors. I'm afraid it would have taken much too long for you to realize that your father is just like your mother, lest I not help him speak his mind. Everything he said was things he thought but never spoke." Her answer came.
Red Son suppressed a wince at the reminder of his father's words.
“He tried to kill me.”
“I could only influence his actions so much, but I would not have let it happen, it would not have been deserved.”
She wouldn't have. Of course, he knew that.
"You could have taken my body. I would have lent it to you for a short while." He said, changing the topic a bit.
Voice chuckled.
"Thank you, my oh so generous Key. But the ties of destiny bind us. I could not have taken you as my host, for that is not how our destinies intertwine."
"Then how do they intertwine?"
"You play a big role in fulfilling my destiny, and yours too through mine."
The oh so familiar answer that didn't really answer anything.
"But I am not just a voice anymore, therefore I think it's time you knew my name."
—----------
"Patience my Key." His Lady's voice rang in his ears.
"How long do I have to keep my patience? How long do I have to play lapdog for the people who call themselves my parents?" He shouted in anger.
His Lady got herself a new host: a simple mortal girl. She didn't quite look like what Red Son would have expected her new host to be, he thought she would have gone for someone more befitting her title and importance.
"Not long, I assure you, I am making great progress with the Spider Queen, soon you can fulfill your destiny and cleanse this world with the flame that rightfully belongs to you."
The promise he has heard so many times ever since he was told about his past all those centuries ago when he was a child.
"You always say that."
"And I mean it." Her gaze was sharp now. The temperature dropped around them, and ice began to form on his hands.
"You don't have to wait long. In the meantime, keep your mask up." With that the ice disappeared and she vanished into the shadows.
—----------
He's had enough.
He had to bear through everything. He had to act like he believed his parents' words were genuine. He had to act like he believed that when his father called him son he meant it. (He oh so wished he meant it, in the moment after he did so, he pretended that he did.)
He can't keep on doing this for long.
—-----------
"Now the power of my Lady is on display for everyone to see." Red Son whispered, watching the feed of Megapolis being encased in ice on the big screen they had been previously using to watch that silly cooking show, as 'family bonding'. (Why did they want to pretend to be a proper loving family so hard? He can almost hear Her voice telling him that it is fake.)
"What do you mean by that?" Princess Iron Fan questioned.
In his pride he had almost forgotten that his parents were in the room, but even so, he didn't expect them to hear him, or even care enough to listen to him.
"Nothing, I didn't say anything." He tried to cover.
"I certainly heard something." His mother pushed.
He could, he should try to cover for himself further. But he was exhausted, he had been exhausted for so long, he doesn't want to be exhausted anymore. Here was a chance to stop hiding.
He laughed, it wasn't because of anything amusing, it was a laugh of relief, a deranged laugh of finally finally not having to act anymore.
"Oh, mother. Of course you did."
His parents exchanged a look that could almost be of concern if he didn't know better.
He stood up, turning around to face them properly.
"You know, I though you would catch on sooner, I had my bad moments, I was certain you would find out then, but apparently you didn't." He chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't been in service of the Demon Bull Family for a long time."
"What is the meaning of this?" The Demon Bull King growled.
"Red Son, what is this nonsense?" Princess Iron Fan asked with that fake concern again.
"I am finally living my truth mother." He said the last word mockingly.
"All these centuries, all this time I played being your little puppet, your obedient little thing that you could order around. I hated pretending to not know what you've done to me. I hated pretending that I think you care for me." He spat, full of resentment.
"What are you talking about?" Princess Iron Fan said in disbelief.
"What am i- YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!" He exploded with a burst of fire.
"You ripped me apart! You were so afraid of what I could do that instead of trying to help me learn better control you decided tearing me apart was the best option! I spent my whole life feeling empty, knowing that something was missing from me yet never being able to put a finger on what exactly it was."
His flames became stronger, taking on a strange blue glow, a faint mist starting to pool around his feet.
"I couldn't even remember what I lost but I still felt the pain, the void of that feeling that I am incomplete. I spent sleepless nights suffering because I felt the pull of my other parts begging to be reunited as one."
"Son-" The Demon Bull King tried to call out, but his words were met with deaf ears.
"And you intended to keep it a secret from me, you intended to just let me slowly go mad with the pain, the pull and never know what caused it. You do not deserve to call me your son, you do not have the right to claim you care about me. The only person who ever cared about me is the Lady Bone Demon."
"The Lady Bone Demon?" Princess Iron Fan whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
"She told me about my past, my birthright. She showed me where my loyalties should lie, and it is not with the people who call themselves my parents but do not act like it. She gave me power, and I will use it to help her fulfill her destiny, just as I will fulfill mine."
He raised his arms, and the mist around his feet rose into ice.
—-----------
"I'm sorry my Lady. I ruined it. I revealed my loyalty to you too early."
"You should be. Your foolishness put a wrench in my plans. How do you intend to fulfill your destiny if you cannot even keep up a simple act?" She snapped.
Ice crawled up his legs. He just watched it rise further and further, looking down shamefully so he wouldn't have to face his Lady. He let down the only one who cared about him, there was no making this right.
The spirit leaned down to look him in the eyes.
"I expect great things from you, it would be a shame if I found out you can not complete them" The ice continued rising, tightening a bit with her last words.
"I-I could pretend to be on the Noodle Boy's side. Get the rings. They would play right into my hands." He scrambled to make it better.
He looked in her eyes and finally her face softened.
"It seems all is not lost, my Key. That is an outstanding idea. But you must understand, I cannot let you on to your own devices after this. I will need a backup plan in case you fail me again." She said, directing her gaze behind him.
When he turned around he saw the Mayor(the guy creeped him out, ever since the first time they had to meet when they needed to cooperate to get something for their Lady) pushing a disgruntled Six-Eared Macaque through a portal.
—----------
"No! NO! Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Red Son yelled.
He was on his knees, looking like a wreck in the ruins that remained of the final battle. He didn't look like the loud and proud demon Mk fought, the brilliant inventor who was able to release the Demon Bull King, he didn't look like the silent figure standing beside the Lady Bone Demon after he revealed himself to be in service of the spirit when he failed to reforge the Samadhi Fire in himself.
He looked miserable.
Mk had really started to like the fire demon, he fit into their little team perfectly after they got over all the 'former enemy' business. He knew that he was not the only one who shared this opininon, the rest of the gang liked him too. His fiery outbursts were a lot more amusing and a lot less terrifying when they got to know him. Or maybe they hadn't gotten to know him, maybe it was all an act. It didn't feel like one. From what little he could see from the fire demons interactions with the spirit it seemed like he was just as much of a victim of her games as any of them, maybe even more so. He felt a wave of pity, hurt and concern washing over him as he watched the misguided demon try to pick up the remains, desperately trying to find words, but failing to.
He couldn't look at him suffering, so he didn't, he walked away and sat down.
Red Son's parents arrived soon after.
He could hear the fire demon yelling and crying and wailing protests as his parents took him home with them.
He covered his ears, he couldn't listen to the demon yelling how much he hates his parents and glorifying the manipulator that messed up his mind, he couldnt listen to the undignified screams, the outbursts, he couldnt stand to hear him thrashing, demanding to be let go.
He sat like that, covering his ears until Monkey King nudged his shoulder, handing him a bowl of noodles.
“So, they took him home?” He spoke after a long bit of silence.
“Yap, it wasn't easy, but they did.”
“Is he-” He couldn't finish his sentence, not finding the right words, but the monkey understood anyway.
“Poor kid was brainwashed to the max, I only hope his parents can undo all the messed up stuff he believes to be true.”
“Do you think he will be okay?”
Monkey King hesitated.
“I'm sure his parents will do everything they can to fix him.”
That wasn't an answer, but he went with it for now.