Long awaited and long anticipated. The final chapter of Control! Yay! Soooooooo sorry for the wait…I hope this is worth it ; Anyhoo…usual disclaimers, they're awesome but not mine. Enjoy!
IV. Release
Sanzo knew that he probably shouldn't be glaring, but there was something about the being that stood before him that grated on his nerves. A vein in his temple set to throbbing just looking at…her? And she was in his face. After the mess with Kougaiji, it was late enough that they had needed to set up camp, and that had given them a chance to regroup and decide where to go from there. The general consensus was that more information was needed before they could come up with a course of action, and that's when Kanzeon Bosatsu had made her appearance…and now she was in his face. He wondered idle if it was a damnable offense to pull a gun on a bodhisattva, but then she was speaking.
"This still too boring for you, Konzen?" she asked in an amused, throaty voice.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sanzo asked, ever the diplomat.
"You're still as adorable as ever." She smirked, which only served to irritate the priest more. This was the Goddess of Mercy? Why was she there? Why were Hakkai and Gojyo looking at him like he was supposed to know what was going on? And why did he have a sinking suspicion that the goddess was going to try to pinch his cheeks or something equally moronic? This whole situation was pissing him off.
"Enough play." She said, changing moods fast enough to catch even Sanzo off guard. "You wanted more information, so here I am. What do you wanna know?" There was a long shocked silence in the room.
"You're sayin' that just like that, you'll tell us everything?" Gojyo was the one to break the silence as usual. The loudmouth bastard never could figure out how to hold his tongue.
"That's right, cutie." She winked at the kappa. " 'Ask and ye shall receive' and all that shit. So again, what do you wanna know?" Well…since she was offering, Sanzo wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. He'd see just how far this kami's words went.
"Everything." He said simply. "What heaven has against Goku, why he was locked away, why you are so interested in this group. Everything."
"Curious as ever, aren't you?" The kami's eyes were on Sanzo once again. "And if you don't like what I have to say?" It was Hakkai who answered the question.
"It's the only way that we can know how to proceed." He told her. "Please tell us everything you know pertaining to ourselves and Goku." The weird smirk was on her face again.
"Alright then, boys. Get comfortable because this might take a while."
o—o—o—o
Strength. Power. So similar, yet so different. The strong were not inherently powerful, and not all those with power were necessarily strong. Power was often given to or taken by those who did not deserve it, and often times, those individuals were in fact weaker than the average being. They used their power as a weapon; a type of compensation for their lack of strength. Often times they hold power over others who are also weak, seeking power of their own. But then there are those who manage somehow to cage something that is strong in its own right. They abuse the strength that they hold, convinced that their power over that strength is absolute, but that is the fatal flaw of the weak and powerful; when caging strength that is beyond their power, it is only a matter of time before that strength breaks free…and seeks revenge.
Goku thought on this as he was being led to yet another "training session." When he had first discovered his true strength, the change had made him weak. He had more strength than anyone could ever dream of, but Li Touten held all of the power from the start. Time and the rigorous training that he was forced to undergo had changed all of that. With every passing day, Goku gained more and more power. He was learning patience, and keeping track of every offense thrown his way by the kami.
He was pulled from his thoughts for a moment for reasons he could not quite name. It was almost like there was a strange tickle at the edge of his senses. Looking up, he realized that they were moving past the place where Nataku sat staring into the eternal light of Tenkai. There sat another offense that would need to be paid back to Li Touten. Nataku had suffered the abuses of his father for as long as Goku had known the other boy, and it was his father that drove the War Prince to his current state.
'I'll pay him back in full.' He sent the thought towards his once friend knowing that the act was likely a wasted effort. "I'll pay him back for both of us." He continued past the area, concentrating on his rage to get him trough whatever new horrors were to come today, but even as he moved away to gain a bit more power over his master and a bit more incentive for revenge, the same tickle, a bare whisper of a presence that seemed somehow familiar, traced over his senses. Goku smiled inwardly as he continued laying his plans, ignoring the non-contact. He would have to stay alert for an opportunity to break free. If he could just get around that damned contract, Li Touten would be through. He just had to wait for the right moment.
No one walking by had even noticed that there was another, creeping through the shadows to approach the former War Prince.
o—o—o—o
Things were falling into place. She had just made contact with Jiroushin. He was taking care of his side of things. Now she just had to be sure that her people were ready. They had taken the story about their past incarnations as well as could be expected…better than expected, actually. She'd moved straight into the part about her plan to get the kid to them. They had taken well to that also even if the process would be a bit convoluted. What they were not so keen on was the part about the contract. That was a bit of a blind leap; lots of 'ifs' to account for, but she was sure that her plan would work. Still, the looks on their faces when she talked about all possible outcomes were adorable. If ever she needed to confirm that Son Goku had a positive and lasting effect on her nephew in both of his incarnations, she would need only remember the parting words she received from the monk as his group departed for the Temple of the Setting Sun.
"If he dies, so do you."
The words were a promise. It would be hell, but she knew that Sanzo would find a way to hunt her down and seal that vow, or die trying. Such an attitude; such passion! The inflection was the same flat monotone, but there was a force behind the words unlike anything she had ever heard in the voice of her bored nephew.
"Don't worry, Konzen." She said returning to her pond to continue doing her part to pull the last piece into place. "I'll make sure that you hold on to anything that brings you this much fun."
o—o—o—o
Things were falling apart. Goku had known that this order was coming, but he had not been expecting it this soon. He wasn't ready. He hadn't found a way to break away yet, and that was the problem. If he was still under Touten's command, he didn't know how long he would be able to resist the order to kill especially if it was very specific.
"It seems that your friends are even more foolish than we had originally believed." Touten sneered. "It has been discovered that your companions are planning to attempt to raid Tenkai."
"Right, cause people just wander into heaven everyday." Goku spat back furiously. If he was going to be sent to kill his friends, it sure as hell wasn't going to be on some bull-shit reason like that.
"On the contrary," The kami seemed to be taking great pleasure in holding this power over him. "It is known to many that the Temple of the Setting Sun serves as a gateway between Heaven and Earth. Genjo Sanzo has spoken on several occasions to the Sanbutsushin from that place. According to reports from the Sanbutsushin themselves, he has apparently now discovered a way to create a gateway that can bring mortals to the immortal realm using all five of the sutras entrusted to the mortal plane. He is traveling with those who were responsible for the resurrection of Gyumao. They are the one who must have provided the other sutras."
"No." Goku whispered the word quietly at first, refusing to believe what this power-hungry maniac was telling him. The others wouldn't be stupid enough to try something like that.
"It is a capitol offense for mortals to attempt to enter the immortal realm."
"No!" Sanzo wasn't an idiot. He would know the consequences of even trying to…
"By order of Tentei, Heaven's King, ruler of this land…"
"NO!" He wouldn't do it! He couldn't…
"I order you, Toushin Taishi Son Goku, to use all of your power in fulfilling Heaven's will and execute the rebels Genjo Sanzo, Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo, and all who stand with them."
Goku could only stare helplessly, filled with impotent fury as Li Touten issued the command. It was sealed. There was no way to break it now. The kami moved closer, gloating in his victory.
"This time, you will bring me their heads. If you don't I will see to it that everyone who has ever aided you in any way will suffer for your transgressions."
Concentrating all of his will, Goku tried to lash out then. He leapt at Li Touten intent on murder, but as always he hit the barrier imposed by the contract he was bound by which left him twitching in agony on the kami's floor. Touten looked down on him with contempt, shaking his head.
"Why I mush put up with such stupid animals is beyond me." He said and turned to walk away.
Goku lay were he was, mind racing as he tried to find a way around what he had just been ordered to do. He couldn't do it…but he also couldn't not do it. He felt a part of his mind try to slip, but he caught it and held it. He would figure something out. He had to. There was no other choice.
o—o—o—o
"So do you really think this is gonna work?" Gojyo asked Hakkai for what seemed like the millionth time. The Journey to the Temple of the Setting Sun was ludicrously short with the help of Kougaiji's flying dragons, but over the course of the journey, Gojyo had persisted in asking his question over, and over… and over again. And since they had arrived over 3 hours ago, he had continued asking the question over, and over… and over again.
"As I said before, Gojyo," Hakkai said putting on his brightest, fakest smile. "it's the best we have at this point." The smile dropped as he became very serious. "For better or for worse, this ends today."
"Well…let's hope that bodhisattva broad comes through with her end, 'cause if what she said is true, and Goku is under some kind of brain-fuck contract, sounds like he'll have no choice but to kill us…if he's even coming that is." Gojyo pulled out another cigarette and tossed the one he had just finished. "What the hell kind of plan is this anyway? You'd think that heaven would know that there is no way we could just break in." He took a drag and put his lighter away. "Or at least that we don't even have all five sutras. Who would believe that bullshit? Hell, I don't even believe it!"
"What I don't believe is how your lips are still flapping." Sanzo growled out. "Shut-up or get out."
"And who the fuck died and made you Tentei, you lame-ass monk! I'll say whatever the fuck I feel like!"
"That's it! You won't have to worry about Goku taking you out! I'm gonna kill you right now!"
Hakkai sat on the temple floor near-by with Kougaiji, Yaone, Dokugakuji, and Lirin preparing the tea that he had brought along.
"Even at a time like this…" Yaone commented as she accepted her cup.
"I would be worried if they were not bickering actually," Hakkai said smiling and handing the next cup to Doku. "Please refrain from using foul language in the temple." He called over to his companions as he handed off the next cup. "They both just need to blow off some—" Hakkai was interrupted as a strong tremor shook the ground. Silence filled the room as the seven companions held a collective breath. Attention was directed to the far end of the chamber. Though it was shrouded in shadows, there was no mistaking the aura that was coming from that direction.
"Leave. Now."
The voice that spoke sounded nothing like Goku's. It was slightly raspy, as thought the vocal cords had been damaged, and it sounded somehow older…much, much older.
"I've been ordered to use all of my power to kill you all." Flames suddenly flared around the room. "I'm supposed to stop you, and bring your heads to Li Touten." The temperature in the room dropped suddenly so that breath became visible. "I've become stronger than any of you can handle." Blades and weapons hit the floor and bent or crumbled where they lay. Goku stepped forward into the firelight so that they all could see him clearly and know that he was serious. "Leave now, or die." He planted the butt of his nyoibou onto the floor, and when it impacted, a shock moved through the entire temple sending dust and pebbles falling from above.
Silence again filled the room as everyone stared at Goku. They likely should have been considering whether or not they would take up the offer, but everyone was more in shock of the Goku that stood before them. Gone was the scrawny, hyper, chibi-saru. The man that stood before them was much changed. His hair was longer, his clothes were different, and his skin was darker, yes, but the changes were far deeper than physical. He was not taller, but the way he carried himself now made it seem as if he towered over them. He had always been 500-plus years old, but now, he somehow looked it, though he still had the outward appearance of a 19-year-old. He had changed so much in the three months he had been apart from them.
"Would y'guys quit starin' an' leave already!" Yet still somehow, the same saru.
"Right, and leave all the fun of kicking what's-his-face's ass to you? Not likely." It was not shocking that Gojyo was the one to pipe in and break the group's silence.
"Yeah, that ass-wipe is mine." Goku flinched a little at saying this, but covered it fairly well. "I'm already gonna catch hell for letting you go and even more when I try to stop him from killing all the people we met going west, so you guys really need to get out of here before it's too late!"
"It was too late the moment they stepped into this temple." Another voice spoke from the shadows, smug and self-satisfied. Goku suddenly cried out and fell to one knee, clutching his staff for support. Li Touten stepped into the light and looked down on his slave in disgust. "You will not defy me again."
"Get outta here." Goku said to the others, teeth clenched against the pain.
"Silence." Touten bit out sending Goku to the ground clutching his head. "You've received an order. You will obey." Goku began shaking his head vigorously. "Kill them." There was a smirk plainly in the kami's voice. The bastard was enjoying this! He knew, after all, that he would win in the end, and he had the patience of eternity to wait out Goku's breaking point. Goku knew this too. Desperate, he looked up to his last hope. If he could convince Sanzo, the others would follow; they always did. Locking eyes with his friend, his sun, his family, his savior, he put as much pleading as he dared behind his single message.
"Go."
Sanzo did not break eye contact but simply shook his head once in refusal.
"I once promised you that if you ever lost control, I would kill you myself." Sanzo said holding his gaze intently. "I'm here to make good on that promise." Goku's vision began to blur and he realized that he was crying, but for what he could not say.
"And if you think that we're gonna let a brat like you take us down after all the shit we've been through, you've got another thing comin'." Gojyo chimed in casually resting an elbow on Sanzo's shoulder.
"It would be inconvenient to have traveled so far and die after the objective was reached." Hakkai said. Jiipu 'kyu'ed in agreement from his shoulder.
"Son Goku. We still have unfinished business. After this, I plan to face you, alone, with my own strength." Kougaiji stood with Sanzo and the others to face of with Li Touten, and the rest of his group followed suit.
"How very touching." Touten mocked. "If I actually cared I might even be moved. But what none of you seem to understand is that there is no choice in this matter." He grabbed Goku by the hair and pulled his head up so that they were face to face. "Son Goku. Your will is mine. You will no longer resist. Kill these intruders and bring me their heads." He casually released the saru wiping his hands off with a napkin. Goku was already on his feet, face hidden in shadow.
"You guys'll have to stop me now. It's outta my control." Almost before he had finished speaking, he had moved, far more quickly than any of them could follow. Suddenly, he was upon them, nyoibou sending them flying in all directions.
"Stop him with what." Doku grumbled to his brother. "He crushed all of our weapons already." Even as he spoke, their weapons righted themselves where they lay. Gojyo turned an eye to Goku who was attacking Sanzo now but not exploiting any of the monk's known weaknesses or dealing any critical damage.
"Looks like the saru's still in there somewhere." Gojyo muttered to his brother. "We might live through this yet. Where the fuck is Kannon already?"
"Better to worry about where you are Gojyo-san!" Hakkai said raising a chi shield as a blast of Goku's chi energy came hurtling towards them. It hit with enough force to knock them all back despite the shield.
"Where the fuck did he learn this shit!" There was gun fire from behind them and they turned in time to see Sanzo's gun become frozen solid, fall to the ground and shatter. "Oooo! Now Sanzo's really pissed."
Lirin and Yaone attempted to attack him from two sides. He simply lifted his hands above his head in two swift arcs, and the earth beneath them followed his motions, sending up shields of stone to stop them. Gojyo lifted his weapon and sent the blade flying to bind his friend to buy some time, but Goku detected the move and knocked the blade away with a chi-shielded hand following up with another chi blast to knock Gojyo back again. And behind all of it, completely out of place in the madness was Li Touten's laughter.
"I hope you're enjoying this Kenren. Sharing your last moments with the creature you worked so hard to protect! I'll make sure you watch him kill your little green eyed woman before he kills you!"
"Don't tell me this shit is about everything that happened forever ago!" Gojyo said struggling to his feet. "How long have you been holding this grudge? Get a fucking life!" Touten stopped laughing then, glaring angrily at Gojyo.
"Good idea. I think I'll take yours." He focused his attention back to Goku "No more games. Finish this!" with those words said, Goku turned suddenly on Li Touten intent on dealing a blow of some kind; maybe enough to knock him momentarily unconscious. Touten was ready for the attempt, however. He held up a finger pointing it at Goku as he approached and the youth went screaming backwards, writhing in pain on his back. When he stopped, Touten's arm was still up, now pointing at the others around the chamber in various stages of bruised.
"Finish it." He said, then stepped back to watch.
Goku struggled to his feet panting. This was really about to happen. They had not been able to touch him at all. Not Kougaiji's summons beast, not Hakkai's chi blasts, not Yaone's bombs, not Sanzo's sutras; nothing. He stood now trying to figure out what to do, the many ways he could kill them all flashing through his mind, and without his willing it, his body began to move. He leapt into the air and brought the butt of his nyoibou down releasing a bubble of chi that knocked everyone to the walls with enough force to break bones followed by a wave of stone that would pin them all in place. There were tears streaming down his face. This was it. A final blow and he would take all of their heads off. This would end it, and end himself, because if he killed them all, there would be nothing left of him to keep the beast at bay. All would end. He took some pleasure in knowing that Li Touten would be among the first to die. He had been feeding the beast within enough interesting things to do to an immortal's body while keeping it alive. That should entertain the creature for some time.
He fought as hard as he could against the power controlling his strength, but he knew in the end it was useless. His arm was moving. It was moving more slowly than it would under normal conditions, but it was moving. The blade of ice was already formed at the edge of his staff. He focused accusing eyes on Sanzo, the bastard. He was bleeding and unconscious and about to die at Goku's hands. How could he? He'd made a promise.
The staff and blade began to move towards their marks. Goku steeled himself for the chaos that was about to be unleashed. He hated himself for his weakness, but there was nothing he could do. This was the end.
"I break this bond."
A voice rang out through the chamber, and Goku fell limp to the ground, a puppet whose stings had just been cut. A light filled the room blinding him, but Goku didn't care. He was free. Finally free. Nothing else mattered. Over time, he realized that someone was speaking to him, calling his name. The voice was not familiar, but somehow, the presence was. It took a bit to convince his mind that it was worth it to return to the rest of the world, but once he did, he opened his eyes to meet a pair of indigo eyes that he had not seen in a very, very long time.
"N-Nataku?" He asked incredulously. His mind was not functioning well enough at the moment to put together what was happening.
"It's alright Goku." The true War Prince said, looking up at his father. "This ends now."
"So this is what the bitch was up to." Li Touten's voice rang out into the stillness of the temple. "Waking my son, the only other person of my line, to break the bond. Clever."
"More than that, sweetie." There was a glimmer in the room and Kanzeon Bosatsu made her appearance. "I've also been talking with Tentei about what you've been up to lately. The Sanbutsushin agreed to help distract you so that we could wake Nataku, and now that Nataku is awake to offer new insight into events of the past, Tentei'd like to have a little chat with you."
To say that the look on Li Touten's face expressed irritation would be a mockery of the term. He was flaming pissed.
"So this is what you've been about, you conniving bitch!" He spit at the goddess. "You think you've won, don't you? Well you forget. That thing is still under the jurisdiction of heaven. He may not be under my control any longer, but Tentei will not stand for allowing it to roam the earth freely!" The kami was suddenly knocked back by a blast of chi. As he righted himself, he looked up to see Goku struggling to his feet.
"Fuck You." He said. "You trained me to be stronger'n anybody else. Well, I am now, so if you or anyone in heaven ever tries to mess with me or any of us again, I will find you first, and rip out your throat with my own hands, then use everything you taught me to stop anyone else who gets in my way."
Li Touten glared venom at the saru and the others in the chamber, but he held his tongue. Accepting the situation for the time being, he vanished into the surrounding darkness already plotting how he could spin the situation to work out in his favor.
"Alright boys," Kanzeon muttered in Goku and Nataku's general direction. "Enjoy your warm reunion. The rest is up to you." She vanished in a flare of light to follow Touten back to Tenkai.
The silence that followed was painful. The others had been saved from death, but they were all hurt, badly, and Goku knew that he was responsible. He stood surveying the damage he had done while under Li Touten's control and sighed.
"Nataku." He said, not turning to face his friend from long ago. "Thanks for the help an' all, but before we can catch up on the past 500 years, I gotta take care of this; gotta take care of them."
"It's alright." Nataku returned, stepping forward to place a hand on Goku's shoulder. "I'll help you. We'll take care of it together. We have all the time in the world to do whatever we want."
End
A/N:
So…there you go. That's how it ends…I must say, I really liked the prequel to this story a lot better. I think that the writing was easier 'cause everyone was more themselves before. Now everything is angst forever and limited happiness and seeing as that kind of environment is contrary to the characters' mind-sets, it caused a bit of awkwardness at times. There will likely be an epilogue to tie up some loose ends, but it won't be very long. Thank you all for bearing with me through my slow, slow updates. Please let me know what you thought of the story.