Tripitaka was Cada.
She was alive, she was with him, she had found him just like she said she would…
He wanted to tell himself that he had always known, and maybe a small part of him had. Her presence had always comforted him in a way Cada's once had, and what he felt for her…
But how he had treated her sometimes – like she was an insignificant human, like she wasn't someone who could lead them on their quest – was enough to indicate that he hadn't truly known. Because he never would have treated her that way if he had.
It quickly occurred to him that he was hugging the life out of her without her understanding why. Though he didn't want to let her go, he went to pull away, but movement behind him made him pause. Padma handed the scroll to Tripitaka, she touched it, and went still.
And when she herself pulled back to look at him, he could see Cada in her eyes. She remembered him.
Monkey didn't care that she had a different body. He didn't care that she was no longer the Golden Goddess renowned for her beauty. She was still Cada on the inside. She was still the woman he loved.
"I found you," she said with wonder.
"Even when you didn't know what you were looking for." He smiled.
Their lips met with fiery passion.
By early morning, they were sat on the roof of the house, watching what little they could see of the sunrise.
Tripitaka curled closer into Monkey, burying herself in his warmth. They had spent most of the night… reacquainting themselves with one another, before explaining the entire story to Pigsy and Sandy. The other Gods had taken the whole situation in their stride, though Tripitaka had overheard Pigsy whispering to Sandy that it probably meant she and Monkey would be disappearing into bushes whenever they wanted some "alone time". She'd rolled her eyes at his prediction (that would probably come true), and giggle at Sandy's puzzled "but how can they be alone if they're with each other" questioning.
Her previous memories had settled. While her past human lives were more faded, like memories from a dream, her memories of her life as Cada were as clear as her memories of this life. She was still Hortense, ward of the Scholar. She was still Tripitaka.
She wasn't two people in one body. She was a single person who had led two vastly different lives.
Like he was reading her mind, Monkey asked, "What should we call you?"
"Whatever you like," she said with a shrug.
"Fine with me, Hortense."
"Except that." She elbowed him with a smile. "I'm Tripitaka, but I'm also Cada."
He nodded. "Maybe now you'll stop questioning whether or not you're supposed to be here. I think this is all the answer you'll need."
The idea that there were Gods (or perhaps beings even higher than that) moving them around like the world was their chess board never sat right with her, but she didn't think this was anything to do with that. This was the Red Thread of Fate, leading her back to Monkey no matter what.
She wanted to voice her other concerns. Was she still a human, or did remembering her previous life make her a Goddess? Not that she minded, but if she was still a human that would mean her mortal body would grow old and die…
But those were concerns for the future. They still had a quest; there were still two more scrolls to find, which they needed to deliver to the Western Mountains in order to defeat the demons once and for all. Concerns could wait until those problems were solved.
"Do you think there're any more Gods out there, reincarnated into mortal bodies?" she asked. "Or even demon ones?"
"Who knows," said Monkey. "I saw some in Heaven. Gwen was up there. Are you worried that Jin could be out there somewhere?"
Honestly, she hadn't thought about that. But since Monkey had brought it up… "They wouldn't have gone to Heaven, would they? Jin killed me, and considering what else he tried to do…"
Monkey took her hand in his. "If he returned, I won't let him take you."
"I wouldn't make promises you can't keep, Monkey King."
While the voice wasn't familiar, the tone behind it was. Monkey pulled his staff out of his hair and resized it, leaping to his feet. Tripitaka leapt up too, pulling out her dagger and wishing she had her old sword from her War Maiden days. They both jumped down from the roof to face their opponents head on.
Those opponents were a group of demons who had appeared from the trees, and they were being led by two who Tripitaka assumed to be the Horned Brothers, given the large horns sticking out of their foreheads. One of them was larger with golden hair, while the lankier one's hair was silver. Gold and Silver, the King had called them.
And while their bodies and faces were different, their colours were too much of a coincidence for them to be anyone else other than Jin and Yin.
From inside the house, the others appeared. Pigsy and Sandy didn't question the sudden arrival of the demons, and held their weapons ready. Padma and Wolf had their swords drawn, and the former looked particularly irritated to see the demons.
"You didn't tell us these guys are Jin and Yin," Monkey said to her.
"I was going to explain it later," said Padma. "Considering what happened to Cada, I didn't want you flying off the handle and going after them yourself."
Pigsy looked between them. "Wait, these guys are the Gods who were after the pair of you for unsavoury purposes?"
"Our intentions were not unsavoury!" said Gold. "They were to become our brides." There was a tranquil fury in his eyes as he looked at Tripitaka.
Silver's fury was out in the open; he was itching to throw himself into battle. "You were supposed to be mine, Padma! Why would you consort with that… animal, when you had someone like me?!"
Padma didn't look impressed. "Because he treats me like an equal; a person. You only saw me as a pretty little object to hang off your arm."
"If you really loved us," said Tripitaka, "then you would want us to be happy. You would let us make our own choices."
"The choices you made are ones you will soon regret," said Gold. "We allowed ourselves to reincarnate so that we could find you again. And now we have. Neither of you will be getting away from us this time."
The brothers drew their swords.
"But you can't," Sandy spoke up. "The Red Thread of Fate still binds them all together."
"Why do you think we want that scroll?" said Silver. "It can tell us how to undo what has been bound – and how to make bonds of our own." He glanced lustfully at Padma.
Wolf snarled, sounding like an actual Wolf, and lunged forwards.
And the battle commenced.