Book 3: Heart Strings

Chapter 25: Inferno

Turning Tides

Chapter 25

Inferno

Red Son pulled at the bottom of his jacket and looked in the mirror again. It wasn't fitting right, at least that's what his head told him. It actually fit him perfectly. His mother popped his hand and ran her fingers over the shoulders and down his back and stepped back.

The bull king stood up and looked over his son. He was slightly larger than they were. Being able to change how tall he was must have been great. But with Red Son he took after his mother with a lot of things. He knew he disappointed his father a lot with that aspect. Yet he still shared his temper.

"Stop fidgeting." Was he? He looked up at his father and then back down at himself.

"Do I look foolish?" He asked his father. His father blew hot air from his nose and it ruffled his hair. It was pulled back in a high bun and their symbol was on the golden cuff that surrounded the base. His make up felt odd to his skin since he hardly wore it this way anymore. Not since he was Red Boy.

"Stand up straight, you are the son of the Demon bull family. You must show everyone you are to be King today." He told his son. "Then we can retire and go on vacation and you can do as you wish." That was news to Red Son.

"But are you not going to rule after I leave?" Red Son asked.

"Nope, you'll be married and if we're lucky you and MK will go to the fountain of creation someday and create many children." The larger bull just chuckled and sat down. "I tried to conquer this world many times. It's getting old, and so am I."

"But father you are immortal. You do not get old." Red Son told his father. The bull just chuckled and shrugged. How very uncharacteristic of him. He must have been in a great mood to allow that.

Someone hit the door and called out 'ten minutes!'

Red Son looked back in the mirror and sighed.

"But if you are having second thoughts about MK..." Princess Iron Fan said looking around at her husband.

"No no, if there is ever any choice I have ever made in all my thousands of years...this choice will never be regretted. I love him, and he is where I belong." He opened the door and started down the hallway.

MK could hear soft music playing in the main room. He took a deep breath, standing in one spot running his hands down his arms and feeling something on his head he looked around at Wukong his phoenix feathers now sat upon his head. The last piece of his armor. Wukong looked so different without it and honestly Wukong kind of felt naked without something on his head.

"Just think, you'll get to do this with pop soon." MK laughed nervously. Macaque chuckled and cleared his voice.

"Monkeys don't traditionally marry, Kid. We uh...we just mate for life." That was news to MK. MK learned long ago that when Wukong called him kid, it was actually saying his name and not actually calling him a child.

"So this is...something for me and Red?" He asked. The two fathers nodded.

"It's their tradition. We just go with it, besides it's a party and there's food." Macaque said and jumped moving out of the way as the doors were knocked on quietly. MK took one last deep breath before the doors were opened. The doors at the other end of the ball room were opened as well and Red Son was on the other side of those. The demon's eyes fell on him and it was like all their doubts washed away, no more nervousness. Just them, and the universe. Everything else just fell away. They didn't notice their walk across the room together, and they didn't notice the people murmuring both their displeasure of the males marrying, a human marrying a demon, or even the fact that MK was Wukongs adoptive son. Nothing mattered except the hand they held. The parents sat down on either side. It wasn't till they stopped and looked up at Jade who held out her hands so they could get on their knees and bow.

Today their family truly became one.