Chapter 9

"I believe we are right about here." Ladon exclaimed as he retracts his claws and started advancing on Goku, who was calling forth his nyoibo with unnatural calmness. After transforming to his true form, Goku looked like a new man with a completely different attitude.

When he first confronted Ladon he was unsure and was easy to persuade to believe that his purpose was otherwise. Goku was even hesitant to fight Ladon at first and the only thing that kept him alive was the promises he made. If not for it then maybe the judgment was long over done.

The claw bore down upon him but he blocked it with his nyoibo. He grinned at the surprised looking Ladon.

"Am I a worthy opponent now?" He asks in a smooth voice. Ladon quirked his eyebrows up.

"Yes I do believe you are." He says as he breathed fire. Goku brought a hand up and just like Hakkai produced a barrier strong enough to withstand the power of Ladon's fire.

"What?!" Ladon stammered as he eyed the golden shield surrounding Goku, looking a little panicked.

"Surprised Ladon?! I haven't even started yet!!!" Goku yelled as he swung his nyoibo sideward, which was still effectively entangled in Ladon's claws, and broke three of the menacing 'nails' of the monstrosity. The creature howled in pain and slithered back.

"Why? Why the sudden change, Son Goku?" Ladon asked in a more respectful voice as he detracts his remaining two claws in one hand. He eyed the saru solemnly.

"I just realized that I can't keep my promises if I won't be serious about this fight." Goku says seriously as he turns to gaze at the large maple tree, which by miracle was still standing tall in the middle of paradise despite the fact that they've been fighting for awhile now.

"Your promise to Sanzo?" The creature asks him, disdain lacing his voice.

"Yes. And to Nataku too." Ladon was about to open his mouth to say something about Goku claiming to keep his promise to his master when Goku butted in.

"I told you. I lost my memories about him. But I am here now and I am trying to recover them because I want to restore my friendship with Nataku." Goku says as he fingers one end of his nyoibo. Ladon kept quiet, urging him to continue.

"I know it's my fault. How could I forget about him right? But I don't know the reason why I forgot… And I can't keep on giving excuses. The only thing I can do now is to correct my mistake." The saru says sadness evident in his voice. He looks up at Ladon who was studying him while he was talking. The creature had a thoughtful look in his face.

"Tell me little one, what are the stakes you are willing to pay to get your memories back?"

"Anything. I will give anything." Ladon smiled, probably content at the statement.

"Even if it might cost you your life?" He inquired further his smile faltering to adopt a more brusque and serious appearance.

"Yes." Goku answered truthfully.

"Good. Now try and get it from me. Kill me, Seiten Taisen Son Goku!!!" Ladon yelled as he spread his bony wings once again and opened his arms. His greenish blue color turned reddish gold, his broken claws was re-grown and a thin coat of green fire surrounding his body. His true form.

"I won't hold back now, little one. Try and kill me!!!"

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"I am your mother." Hestia stated simply as tears rolled down to her cheeks. Nataku did a double take at the reply and was looking like someone gave him a calculus problem he had been told to solve in one minute.

"What?!" He growled finally, when he still can't make sense of the revelation. Hestia stepped forward, his usual graceful step now shaky.

"Nataku, I am your mother." Hestia replied yet again, more crystalline tears forming in her eyes. Her blue eyes held anxiety in them but it also held the unmistakable feeling of happiness. 

"What are you talking about woman?!" He yelled as he took steps back, looking afraid at the figure fast approaching him, his mother.

"You are my son, Nataku." Hestia replied calmly, her voice an octave higher than it should have been.

"Quit messing with me woman!!! How can I be your son?!" The former Toushin Taishi spat angrily. Hakkai got mad at the way Nataku had been talking to Hestia. He should be happy that he had been given the chance to know her mother… He should be happy that he had one that loves him despite the passage of time. Many were orphans that didn't even know their parent's name or their face.

"Stop talking to her that way!!!" Hakkai butted in angrily. He strode towards Hestia whose shoulders were shaking violently and put a hand to it.

"You have a father. Why do you doubt that you have a mother?" Hakkai asks him, his voice unusually hard.

"I do not doubt that I have a mother!!! Look at her!! She's human!! How can she be...?" His sentence was cut short when Hakkai slapped his cheek. Nataku didn't look so formidable now. He was confused, he lost his goal… He's just a child now getting some spanking. He raised his hand to cover his stinging cheek.

"You're a heretic. Do you honestly believe that your mother is also a god?" Hakkai asks him as Gojyo appeared at his side, looking as menacing and as angry as the fair mannered man.

"I… I…" Nataku stammered.

"Heretics are born because of the union of a god and a human just as a taboo is created between a human and a youkai." Gojyo said as he eyed the lost child. Nataku shook his head.

"No… It can't be…"

"Why can't it be? Why don't you just listen to Hestia first? Can you even imagine the pain she went through just to have a chance with you like this?" Hakkai asks Nataku, who still had a blank look on his face. Hestia who had recovered stepped up beside Hakkai and put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"That's enough, Hakkai." She said, possessing her grace and control once more. Hakkai and Gojyo nodded and stepped off to the side to give them the chance to talk.

"Please look at me Nataku." She pleaded to her son who kept his head bent low. Nataku didn't move. She sighed and dropped down to her knees. Hestia put her hand on Nataku's chin and forced him to look at her.

"Nataku, I've been waiting for a long time…" Her blue eyes met questioning gold.

"If you were my mother… Why'd you leave me? Why didn't I know you?" Nataku asks his voice breaking.

"I didn't leave you!! Your father stole you from me!" Hestia exclaimed as she clutched his son's shoulders.

"My father?"

"Yes. Li Touten… He got you from me when I died…"

"Died? Then why are you…"

"Alive? It's because I was granted the privilege to be a minor god. I was the chosen maiden of the tribe and I have tremendous powers because of that…" She looked up to check if Nataku was still listening, he still was so she continued.

"Our tribe was hunted down because of our abilities to cast spells. I just gave birth to you when they attacked. Multitudes of them… You were just born and I wanted you to have a future, I shielded you and cast the ultimate spell, but that requires the life of the caster. I did wipe out the attackers, died and was restored to life the next day." She paused, grasped her son's hand and put it in her heart.

"I looked all over for you but you were gone…" More tears spilled from her eyes. Nataku looked at her unbelievably but after awhile, his eye started to water. He reached out to Hestia…

"NATAKU!!!!" Someone yelled from behind. Hestia, Nataku, Hakkai and Gojyo turned to look. Standing a few meters from them, looking enraged and ready to blow was Li Touten.

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"Father!!" Nataku exclaimed as he withdrew his hand from Hestia's and stepped away from her. Hestia stood up as well, her soft features turning sharp.

"Hello, Li Touten." She exclaimed heavily. Li Touten ignored her and strode towards Nataku and grasped his arm to keep his son close to him. Nataku's eyes flickered with life then turned dull. Hakkai noticed immediately. He looked at Hestia and noticed that the woman recognized it too.

"Nataku? What did I tell you? Didn't I tell you not to believe what strangers say?"

"Yes father."

"And have you forgotten your goal here, son?"

"No father."

"Then what is your goal?"

"Kill those who hurt me."

"Good, son. Good. Now who loves you son?"

"You father." Nataku said lifelessly. Gojyo snorted derisively from the background.

"Got your puppet again eh, Li Touten?" Hakkai asks angrily. The god just smiled at him.

"My son was right. You haven't changed, Tenpou Gensui. You're still gutsy." He turned to his son and crouched down to his level.

"Who hurt you son? Who did?"

"Goku."

"And?" His father prompted him.

"His friends?"

"Who are they?"

"Konzen. Kenren. Tenpou." Nataku counted them off in his fingers. Li Touten smiled his feral grin.

"What are you going to do with…." He was cut short when he heard whooshing sounds. He looked up to see Hestia whose hands were clasped at her breasts in an intricate way and was chanting something under her breath. His eyes widened at her sight and moved to cover Nataku from her. Her closed eyes, while chanting suddenly opened as she uttered one last foreign word.

The winds forming around her turned blue and lifted off her. The wind made a beeline towards Nataku… His father's frame did nothing whatsoever to stop what Hestia did. Nataku was enwrapped in the blue wind for a few moments. It lifted and revealed a groggy looking Nataku.

"What happened?" He asks, his brows knitted in confusion. He looked around disoriented, and when he saw his father he stiffened but then relaxed when he remembered that his father is a 'good' father now.  Li Touten visibly relaxed at his son's reaction.

"Nataku? Do you believe I am your mother?" Hestia asks her son. Nataku looked at her. He obviously remembered everything that happened between her and him because he has recognized Hestia. He nodded shortly afterwards. Li Touten looked enraged and was ready to pounce on Hestia.

"You, you bitch!! You brainwashed him!!!" Li Touten yelled angrily as he clutched Nataku's arm tighter.

"Son!! Do honestly believe her? She's lying!! Your true mother died giving birth to you!!" Li Touten yelled, specks of spit flying in Nataku's face. Nataku was visibly frightened. His father took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Son, she cast a spell on you… She did something horrible to your mind…" Li Touten said solemnly. Hestia took several steps forwards and swiftly reached for Li Touten's cheek to slap him.

"You toyed with his mind. You gave him something to control him." Hestia said, hate lacing her voice.

"I did not!!! Nataku, believe me…. I did not." Nataku stepped back from his parents; his hands covering his ears, his eyes were wide with fright.

"Nataku… I… I…" Li Touten reaches out to him but Nataku shrank back. Li Touten reeled back, fire in his eyes.

"Bitch!!!" He launched himself at her and tackled her to the ground forgetting magic and such. He was overcome with rage that killing her with his bare hands seems like a very appealing idea.

He was strangling her to death. The kappa and Hakkai was frozen in their places as they watch Hestia's face turning blue. But before Hakkai and Gojyo could react to help her, a glowing ki ball was released and caught Li Touten shoulders. The god was thrown from Hestia's convulsing form.

"Don't touch my mother." Nataku said with deadly authority in his voice. Li Touten stood gaping at his son like a goldfish taken from its bowl.

t.b.c

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