Chapter 10
"Don't touch my mother." Nataku said with authority as he eyed his father disdainfully. Li Touten gaped at him stupidly and at the same time trying to make sense of what happened in the last few moments.
That few moments caused him his everything. His dreams, his goals all crumbling before his very own eyes. The throne in heaven which he can already feel was being pulled away from within his grasp. His puppet, the one who can bring him glory had finally opened his eyes.
"Son? What…?" He stumbled with the words, trying his best to find the words that can convince his son otherwise. But it was obvious that Nataku had mad his mind up. He held his head high as he passed his father to kneel down beside his mother to ask her if she was okay.
Hestia still wheezed for air hungrily as Nataku patted her hand to help her calm down. Hestia nodded at her son as she finally recovered. The heretic offered a helping hand to his mother to support her weight to stand up.
"Son, are you picking her over me?" Li Touten asked unbelievingly. Nataku didn't answer. He just stood by his mother's side still fussing with her. He ignored his father's ranting.
"Nataku…" His father said warningly. Nataku looked up to glare with his father head on.
"Yes father?" The former Toushin Taishi asked his father in mock respectful voice.
"Is this all I'm going to get?" His father asks him quietly.
"Whatever are you talking about father? Is the years I spent as your puppet isn't enough?"
"I cared for you. I dressed you. I even had high dreams for you. And this is how you repay me?" Li Touten bowed his head, his fist as his sides shaking with silent anger.
"No father. You didn't care for me. You raised me as your son because you have plans to use me to get heaven's throne." Nataku answered his father with dead accuracy.
I… I… I changed son. You know that. This time around we'll be happy together!!" Li Touten exclaimed as he raised his head and looked at his son imploringly. Gojyo had to give the slimy god a credit. He certainly knew how to act. The guy had tears in his eyes and he had a puppy dog look in his face. Bleh.
"No father. You didn't."
"I did!! Did I hurt you? Did I get mad at your actions from before? I didn't, did I?" His father asks him, clearly getting desperate.
"Then what is the powder you put in my tea for father?" Nataku asks Li Touten slyly. His father looked like a deer caught in headlights, but boy did he recover quickly.
"I didn't put any! What are you talking about son?"
"Remember the day after we reunited? The next day when you brought me breakfast? You served me tea…"
"Yes, yes I did remember that day. But son I never…"
"Lies." Hestia butted in as she covered Nataku form with her own.
"How would you know that woman?!" Li Touten spat at her angrily. Hestia just smiled predatorily.
"It's because of this." She waved her arms in front of her and hazy smoke appeared. From within the smoke we heard some shuffling sounds. Following quickly after the sound was a life size figure of Li Touten, forming from the smoke, who was walking around some sort of kitchen, getting a breakfast tray ready. The real Li Touten sputtered unbelievably from the background.
The mirror image had finished getting the breakfast tray done. He snuck a quick peek at a door then grinned evilly. He went back to the tray, withdrawing from his pocket a packet of powder which he unceremoniously dumped onto the tea cup. The mirror image straightened itself up, put a patronizing smile on his face and went to the other room.
The other room appeared to be a bedroom, with a king size bed in the center with Nataku in it. His father greeted him happily, handed him the cup and watched hungrily as his son sipped the harmless looking tea. Nataku's mirror image looked like he was going to doze off when his father tucked him in bed again his words: 'Get your sleep son. You'll have work for me.' Echoed in the clearing. The smoke vanished as well the life size images.
Li Touten looked at Hestia like she had grown another head. The disbelief in his face was quickly changed to anger then to loathing.
"What is the meaning of this woman?!" He asked, enraged.
"Truth is out in the open I'm afraid." Hestia said charmingly.
"All lies!!!" The god bellowed angrily.
"No it isn't. That spell shows us exactly what happened at some exact time at some exact place." Hestia countered back.
"Nataku?" His father asks him questioningly. His son shook his head and stood tall beside his mother. Knowing that he completely lost, he turned his back towards them and started to walk. Li Touten stopped just inches from Hakkai and Gojyo before he turned to look at Nataku and Hestia who were engaged in a tearful hug.
Without warning, Li Touten made a grab for Gojyo's shaku jou and made a mad dash for Hestia.
"Oi!!" Gojyo yelled as he ran after Li Touten. Unfortunately the madman, the desperate father was faster than him. It was probably because of the adrenaline. Li Touten struck the stole weapon in front of him, the moon shaped end of the weapon plunging into the air straight for Hestia…
Thankfully Nataku saw his father raging for them. In the nick of time he shoved his mother out of the way. His father's momentum was great though, as he had managed hit Nataku's right thigh. He dropped to the ground, unable to support his weight on a broken leg.
His father wasn't content though. He raised Gojyo's weapon again to strike but was stopped when the owner of the said weapon grabbed one end of it from behind.
"I think I've lent this to you long enough." With that statement, Gojyo delivered a mind blowing kick to Li Touten's shin. He howled in pain as he crumbled to the ground. But the god still hadn't given up yet. He tried to crawl to Nataku deciding to just choke his son to death. Hakkai appeared from behind Nataku and gave him a hand to help him stand up.
"I believe father that this is goodbye." Nataku said angrily. His father just smiled.
"You won't kill me son." He said confidently.
"Oh yes I will father."
"Kill me and your mother dies as well." Li Touten answered him.
"I don't believe you." Nataku answered him, but he was faltering.
"I am the one who made your mother a god. Kill me and she won't be a god anymore." His father glared at him willing his son to try and kill him. If he can.
"Nataku. Don't believe your father. I'll still be alive." Hestia told her son. Nataku looked at her imploringly.
"Why do I feel like your lying?" He asked his mother.
"I do not, my little one. Don't hesitate. Once he's gone, the source of all your sadness and pain will be gone as well. I want you to be happy."
"I know. But I will be happy if I'm with you."
"I will always be with you." Hestia answered her son as she enwrapped him once again in an embrace.
"Now son, eliminate the source of all your sufferings." She said as she released hold of his son. Nataku nodded and started gathering strength in the palm of his hands.
"You wouldn't dare, you filth." Li Touten said. But he was shaking with worry.
"Goodbye, father." Nataku said as he launched the ki ball and hit his father.
"AHHHHH…" Li Touten glowed gold then with an extreme explosion turned into ashes. Li Touten is gone. Nataku watched as his father's ashes was swept by the wind before turning to her mother who had aged terribly. The young maiden of about 19 was replaced by a hundred plus year old woman.
"Mother?" Nataku asks tentatively.
"Nataku… Come here…" His son crouched down to her level and got her hand in his.
"Mother I… I shouldn't have…" He said as tears starts to from in his eyes.
"No, my little one. It's the right thing to do. Now you are free."
"I know but… How about you? Sooner or later…."
"I told you son, even if I passed this world I will always remain with you."
"But I won't have no one… I won't have any home to return to…" Hestia smiled.
"No son. You will have a home to come home to."
"What…?" His mother motioned him to help him stand up. He gingerly wrapped his arms around his mother's waist and hoisted both of themselves up. His mother motioned with her arms once again. Hakkai noticed that this was the same routine she did when she and Goku transported out.
"I will show you something highly amusing my little one…" Hestia said as they disappeared from Gojyo and Hakkai's sight. Gojyo whistled.
"What a show ne?" Gojyo asks Hakkai who was walking towards the still unconscious Sanzo. Even though his koi couldn't see his face he smiles, a very happy smile.
"Yes. And I do believe that the show will be getting much better."
t.b.c