Wow. Just wow.

So I've been on kind of a writing spree lately, and I got two chapters of Blissfully Ill finished yesterday (hurray for me!). I like this one better than the other, though the other I wrote first (it's strange...). Anyways, hurrah, Chapter 20 of Blissfully Ill! Let me tell you, did you know that this story has already reached over a hundred pages? Well it has. This is one of my longest writings ever, and it's a fanfiction! I only have one original story longer, and only by a few dozen pages. I'm so proud of myself *tears*

Anyway, a quick thank you to all who have been reading. I'm just so glad I have people who read and actually like my stories and tell me so! I'm so thankful for all of you... but I cannot spoil you! No more praise! (Unless you review, that is.)

Read, Review, and Enjoy. ;)

Chapter 20

The Buddhist Monkey liked gardening. In fact, the small primate enjoyed it so much that he'd spent the better part of three months searching for special rocks to add to his collection of sculptures. The stones were round and smooth, and came in two colors: the darkest of black and the purest of white.

They weren't hard to find, but the Buddhist Monkey spent much time meditating and reading, studying the teachings left to him from his wise master, the Orangutan Buddha. The little monkey didn't have too much time to himself between studies, but he managed to find a few hours at a time to slip down to a small beach cove a few miles off. There he collected the stones.

The stones were now arranged on the ground; Monkey had taken great care in placing them, and now, as he sat on a tall wooden pole stationed in the middle, he admired his work with a contented sigh.

Around him was the yin and yang symbol, which swirled around the pole where he knelt on the tips of his feet. He admired how the white stones gleamed joyously in the light of the morning sun, and how the black stones somehow seemed to grow darker against the light. He knew that, at night, it would be the black stones which gleamed in the moonlight, while the white stones acquired a milky white sheen, like that of ocean brine.

One end dark, one end light, both with dots of their reflection showing at the head; it was the symbol for peace and balance within the world. Buddhist Monkey smiled lightly and then gently balanced himself so that he could meditate.

Hours slowly passed. Monkey was barely aware of them, for he had retreated into a realm of reflection located in his inner psyche. Eyes closed, the honey-colored primate envisioned himself beside a large pool, which was sparkling like a sea of diamonds. The monkey made a sound of pleasure deep in his throat, choosing to settle down on his knees at the very edge of the water. He leaned over to admire the quality of his reflection, but instead saw unexpected darkness. The rest of the water was still clear, but his reflection was cloaked in purple shadows. Buddhist Monkey blinked in curiosity, but then two eyes that did not belong to him emerged from the head of the shadow.

It was a shadow ninja.

Buddhist Monkey was thrown from his meditation at the force of another essence prodding against his own. Quickly getting onto his feet, the small monkey silently leapt from the apex of the bamboo pole, his image fading against the full moon, which had risen in the hours of his meditation. Monkey landed in the rocks, at the point of white amidst a curve of purest black.

Monkey opened his eyes. Across from him at a slanted angle was a small army of shadow ninja. They stood silently in the night, eyes half lidded, even glazed, as they stared at their enemy.

From the point of black amidst a cloud of white, one ninja rose from the darkness, taking form before Buddhist Monkey.

Monkey didn't say anything. The air was silent, yet abuzz with tension and speculation.

A wind blew by.

"Our master is dead."

Buddhist Monkey was surprised and didn't bother hiding it. His defensive stance wavered with the dying wind, and he stood up straighter, tail tip curling. "Do you speak the truth?"

The shadow ninja nodded, and his companions stared forlornly at the ground at their feet. Buddhist Monkey relaxed slightly, but kept his eyes fixed on their supposed leader. "What happened?"

There was a brief moment of uneasy silence, then, "We do not know."

"How did he die?"

"In agony," the ninja said, and his own eyes fell to the rocks below him. His feet were balanced against their curved surfaces with masterful precision, as were Monkey's.

"The Shadow Lord was sitting in his throne room," the ninja said. "He had summoned all of his followers into the room, and there he told us things we know not of." The ninja's behind him, Monkey saw, seemed to draw a bit closer to each other at this point. Even the leader shivered slightly. "He said… that he had failed them. He sounded afraid. He attempted to tell us something… but his mind kept straying. He kept repeating the same line 'I've failed them. I've failed to kill the light, the ultimate power. They will come for me…', but he did not say much for long. A powerful force…" The ninja shivered visibly, as did his companions. "It was as if the moonlight and shadows mixed and became one, and ribbons of energy flew from the walls and wrapped themselves around our master's body. He screamed in agony before the ribbons crushed him."

The ninja's voice wavered as he finished his explanation, and Monkey could see fear clear in his eyes.

Monkey let his guard drop – for the most part – and asked, "Why are you telling me this? You've tried to kill me, and I've killed many of your kind."

The ninja shook his head as if Buddhist Monkey didn't understand. "We have never attempted to kill you. Only once did the Shadow Lord truly attempt to take your life, but he failed. There were few others. I have always… we have for a while been wondering why our Lord would send so many only to perish beneath your anger. We feel that whoever… or whatever… he 'failed' commanded him to do so. Perhaps it even wanted him to kill you, but he failed. We guess you to be the 'light'."

"But you are servants to the shadows and darkness." Buddhist Monkey looked around in thought. Flicking his tail, he glanced up at the moon as if it could give him the answers. "Why come to me?"

The ninjas who stood behind their leader all bowed low, falling to their knees and settling their foreheads against the bare dirt of the garden. The one who stood before Monkey took a knee and faced the ground, eyes closed. His fingers rested against the black and white stones. "Just as light and dark dance against each other – with each other – we chose to align ourselves with you. Just as yin and yang work together to create peace and tranquility, those of us who remain of the Shadow Ninja have chosen to work with you… if you help us find who murdered our Lord."

XxXx

Buddhist Monkey was sitting on the pole again, staring down at the rocks he'd placed only the day before. He had a lot on his mind, more than he ever thought he'd have to worry about. He'd attempted to send the ninjas away so he could think, but they'd refused to go back to the Shadow Palace, where their Lord was murdered. They said there was a strange, ominous force residing there now, too strong for them to pit themselves up against. Many of them were afraid, though most were simply cautious. They were up against something they didn't understand, and it gave them greater fears than even death.

Buddhist Monkey had allowed them all to stay the night at his own dwelling, and though there was little room the ninja's didn't complain and had slept soundly. At this morning they were wandering the grounds, inspecting the gardens and scouting around the forests which surrounded the monkey's territory. Buddhist Monkey saw that most of them seemed very idle, as if in a mist, and he couldn't imagine what they were thinking – their Lord had been cruel and secretive, but it was apparent they felt some great loss at his death.

The ninja who had spoken for them the night before was nowhere to be seen. It was difficult telling them apart, but the leader had a longer scarf running from his neck, one that caught the wind and rode it in even the slightest of breezes. He'd directed and ordered his fellow Shadow Ninjas the night before, but now he seemed to have melted into the shadows, away from prying eyes.

Probably to rest his own thoughts, Buddhist Monkey pondered, sighing gently to himself and closing his eyes. His long tail wrapped about the bamboo pole beneath his toes and he slowly calmed his breath. Meditation would help him to think…

He was at the pool again. Buddhist Monkey was once again overjoyed to see the serenity of the water, the sparkling surface, and he quickly knelt beside it. This time, when he looked into the water, he saw his own reflection staring back in wonder. High above him was the moon, and on every edge of the water were grasses reaching high as Monkey was tall. They swayed in a gentle breeze that cooled Monkey's back and ran ripples across the water.

There came no sound, but from behind someone came to join him. Buddhist Monkey tilted his head and saw it was Mother Panda and her cub; they knelt beside him at the water's edge and the mother took her young one from the portable basket she kept him in, allowing the young bear to dip his head in to drink.

The pleasant silence stretched for a long time, allowing Monkey to think more about his problem. He felt he could trust the Shadow Ninjas, though it seemed only logical that he don't – what if it was all a lie, a trap to have him drop his guard so they could finish him when he knew nothing of it? The safest and smartest thing for him to do would be to kill them all first, and yet something held him back. It wasn't really that he believed what they said, but he couldn't dismiss their words. It was as if, though he doubted their sincerity, he knew that they weren't lying.

"They have chosen to fight with light and not against it."

Monkey blinked, then turned to see that Mother Panda was holding her cub close against her stomach. The child was asleep, but Mother Panda was staring back at Buddhist Monkey, her grey eyes bright. It was odd, because Mother Panda had never spoken to Monkey and he didn't know if it was truly her speaking or another force speaking through her.

"Why me, though?" he asked, deciding not to argue. At the moment, Mother Panda held about her an air of peace and wisdom, and Monkey truly wanted any opportunity to set his worries to rest. "Why would they ask me to help them when they were trained to attack or kill me?"

"They understand that you are the only one to help them," Mother Panda said, her voice soft. She gently put her cub back in the basket. She held him so cautiously, and Buddhist Monkey suddenly noticed that her baby was quite plump, yet she herself looked painfully thin. He'd seen her scavenging in trash cans before, but he'd never guessed things were so desperate for the mother.

Mother Panda continued. "They understand that you are the light to their darkness. They know that without you they could not exist, and honor and faith have driven them to ask your help."

"I see…" Buddhist Monkey, smiled softly, dipping his fingers into the water. It was odd that they liquid beneath his fingers didn't move, and there were no ripples as there had been against the wind. "So we're like yin and yang. We move side by side, and while we're opposites and sometimes oppose each other, when we work together we find balance."

"Yes."

Mother Panda suddenly stood up. She bent down and placed her baby's basket in the water – the basket floated, and as Mother Panda stepped into the water she pushed the basket along with her. Monkey watched and felt himself slowly rising to his feet as the panda and her child reached the center of the pool, where the reflection of the moon sat still against the water. She turned, and releasing the basket so it bobbed gently beside her, she placed the back of her hand against the surface of the water. "Awaken."

Buddhist Monkey opened his eyes. He found himself standing on his toes against the bamboo pole, and below him were the Shadow Ninjas. All of them had gathered before him and the stone picture, and Mother Panda was kneeling before him as well. They had been observing her great interest, but their attention turned to Monkey, sensing that he had re-connected with the conscious world.

Buddhist Monkey was surprised to see the leader ninja standing beside Mother Panda, and grew even more so after he noticed the male was holding Mother Panda's cub awkwardly in his arms. The ninja himself looked surprised, and glance down at the sleeping bundle of fur he held warily against his chest.

Just as he'd seen in his meditation, Mother Panda rested her hand against the rocks at her feet. Night had climbed the sky by then, and as in his dream the light fell directly against her fur, making the white glow and the black gleam.

A ripple of light ran through the rocks below Monkey. Suddenly, Mother Panda blinked and lost her balance. She looked around, as if unaware of her surroundings, and nearly screamed when she saw all of the Shadow Ninja's gathered around her. Upon spying the Buddhist Monkey, however, she slowly began relaxing.

Monkey gestured for the panda to leave, and the mother stood slowly. She was shocked to see that her cub was in the hands of one of the ninjas, and she hesitantly moved to take him away. The ninja leader flinched at her touch, and their eyes met for the shortest of seconds before the child was in his mother's grasp again. The ninja's eyes dilated and Mother Panda's nose twitched in curiosity before she hurried out of the grounds.

Silence; then, the ground beneath Buddhist Monkey seemed to move. He looked down and saw the rocks beneath him shuddering as if a strong wind was blowing. One by one they began ascending into the air. Black stones and white stones alike began twirling around him, and soon they all flew into the air with a hiss. The stones glinted and shimmered like falling water as they swirled above Buddhist Monkey, making the yin-yang sign above him.

Buddhist Monkey dropped down from his post and stood before the Shadow Ninja leader. They both locked eyes for a moment, and simultaneously understood. Buddhist Monkey took a step back and bowed to the ninja as he would his old master. He was pleased when the leader – as well as all of the other ninjas – returned the favor.

"What shall we do now?" the leader asked as they stood alert again. As he asked the question, the hundreds of stones above them moved again. The black and white split into two separate forms, seeming like giant koi fish being viewed from above, then they began moving toward the west in a fish-like motion, as if they were swimming against the midnight sky.

All present followed the yin and yang images until they reached a high point of the mountains. They watched as the flying rocks continued on downward, heading away from the mountains it seemed.

"They're going toward the forest below," the leader of the Shadow Ninja's said. "They seem to be leading us toward Happy Tree Valley. Would it be wise to follow?"

Buddhist Monkey glanced over at them all. Then he said, "How long will it take to get there on foot?"

"Only five days, if we are swift."

"Send half of your friends to get provision from my home, and then we will leave. I do not know what awaits us… but with yin and yang to guide us, I hope we will learn what it is they plan."

This chapter was really fun to write, mostly because I didn't have to make anything explode or have anything get impaled upon a stick. It was just so mellow the whole time... and I enjoyed doing Buddhist Monkey's visions. I'd like to think I used some symbolism in thar. ;P

Review, my pretties! Please?