Ship In A Bottle (A Monkie Kid Reader Insert)

Chapter 51: A Shattered Goblet

The memory, if it could be called that, felt like no more than a blur...

It wasn't often that the Celestial Realm would host grand festivities such as this. Banquet tables lined from within the royal dining room, stretching far out to reach outside of the hostess' palace to welcome every celestial in the feast that was to come. Heavenly fairies glide across the floor to hang the last lanterns, casting a warm glow on the pathway leading to the gates. Like the lanterns, lightening up the atmosphere were the bright faces that chattered amongst themselves about this occasion.

This day is perhaps one of the only days when warriors, scholars, and acolytes can freely converse with each other without the stress of their duties. An off-day. Now that was something that didn't happen everyday in the Celestial Realm. It was why any celestial would be excited when they spot a tree from the royal orchard bearing fruit. A symbolic fruit of their labors, one would say. And today, they finally get to feast on it.

Back in the dining room, the highest ranking celestials each find their seats in time for the peach maidens to arrive. Once they did, their eyes set on no other than their reflection on the golden platters being brought into the spacious room, holding the main stars of the show from within. 

Now with the maidens placing them on the table, they opened the lid to reveal the culinary masterpieces, each with the peaches of immortality integrated into the dishes that will soon be feasted upon. Peach syrup glistened as some of the maidens carefully poured it on the dishes, while the others went to fill everyone's goblets with heavenly wine, bringing more color to the table.

Tempting as it was to start eating, the celestials knew better than to start without the hostess herself. As such, they held their gasps for the silhouette looming above them, her shadow casting through the curtains that drape the entrance. On both sides of the entrance, four generals stood, meeting each other's gaze. They wasted no time pulling the ropes, lifting the curtains to welcome no other...

...Than the Queen Mother of the West herself.

Charms of the longevity peaches' likeness dangled from her headdress, reflecting the glow her very presence emitted. Only the finest silk of turquoise and gold draped her figure, tailing behind as each celestial she passed kneeled in respect. Next to her own throne was the Jade Emperor, offering her a hand to place her next to his seat.

All that was left was the speech. Not even the most observant soldier noticed the twitching fingers of the Curtain-Lifting General hailing from the Flowing Sands River. A mix of impatience and excitement entered his bloodstream in the form of building anticipation, a sensation shared by his fellow generals. 

As it was time for the celestials to return to their seating for the speech, the Quicksand General met eyes with the Tiger General, with their bear and buffalo comrades doing the same. Only they, and a numerous amount of others, knew what was about to come next. The speech ends, and all raised their goblets as emperor and empress declared a toast.

It was fascinating, what a single shattered goblet can lead to...

What was the start of one of the most respected occasions, fell into complete disarray. The dining room fell into utter pandemonium, as celestials turned against each other. Some even revealing themselves as demons, with the whereabouts of the deities they impersonated raising even more concerns. The bloody havoc that happened earlier outside of the palace had already happened by then, with the rebelling celestials and demons holding those still loyal down. 

What happened next was the hardest to remember. The most notable details included the emperor's voice thundering for an explanation, the clash of weapon against weapon, and the Quicksand General landing on the emperor and empress' dinner table. A demand for change, he cried out. The words escaped his fanged maw, like it escaped his memory now. Something about the death of a newlywed, mass hunting, an oath of kingdoms. But the biggest demand remained remembered...