Before he was Taken (Prologue)

Promises Broken

The explosion was deafening.

A huge cloud of fire rolled out from the palace before them. It's immense heat singed Mihou's face as he tumbled into the gravel, scraping his knees and elbows to ground himself. He hit the ground hard, rolling a few feet until his hands could snatch something. When they couldn't he found himself being dragged across the Celestial Realm surface,

towards the edge of the Silver Cliff. His fingers scrabbled frantically at the heavenly ground, searching for something, anything to grab onto. The ringing in his ears drowned all other sounds, a constant reminder of the ferocity of the blast. It was pure luck that his hand found an outcropped ledge, and he clung on with all the strength he had left.

His grip slipping, Liu'er' Mihou's feet dangled in the air, only saved by the single large hand snatching his own. "Mihou!" It was Azure, his hand clutch around Macaque's far smaller wrist.

Then with a mighty pull, Mihou was yanked upwards and back onto solid ground. He was dazedly aware of Azure's arms around him, pulling him back from the edge of the Silver Cliff. Together they rolled in a heap of heaving breaths and disheveled clothes away from the precipice, fighting against the ongoing gust of wind threatening to toss them both back down into the Mortal realm.

There he lay panting heavily, feeling the burn in his lungs as if they were filled with hot coals.

"Get down!"

With the wind dispersed, Mihou had lifted his head in a daze. This seemed to be a mistake, as a second far more powerful wave of energy swept over them a moment later.

Azure was upon him, covering the smaller male with his larger body and shielding the inky monkey from the blast. It scorched against his back, drawing a deep throated howl.

"Azure?!" Macaque called in shock.

The man gave a weak grimacing smile, grunting as he took the full brunt of it. "Stay down...!" Azure gasped, his voice barely audible against the deafening roar of the fiery onslaught. His protective gesture not an uncommon notion from this man. He was one always willing to put himself infront of what was important to him. The hint of his mortality lying beneath his indomitable stature sent a shudder through Mihou.

Azure was unmoving. He would do this for all his Brother, that was true. Yet Mihou, he had kept a closer eye on him during this battle. He had made a promise. Before their march up to the Jade Emperor's palace, Wukong had asked him a once in a life time request.

I wouldn't ask this of anyone else... Please, keep Mihou safe.

Azure would do just that.

The echoes of the explosion reflected back across the clouds behind them, dispersing them. Mihou's ears felt like they were melting, screaming in pain as they overtook his every sense with the pounding loudness of the attack. After a few quickened seconds, the shock wave slowly dwindled down. Leaping flames threw pits of ash around them, turning the heavens into a storm of sparks and destruction. It had been an hour, maybe two, since they marched to the Jade Emperor's palace- and the place was in ruin. Everyone was scrambling, bodies and allies tossed left and right. All before one piercing blast seemed to knock them all onto their backs.

"P-Peaches-" Mihou's hands were scrambling to sit him up, knowing where that blast had to have spurred from. The palace... it was gone.

When they arrived, they had been given a swift warning by the Jade Emperor's forces, who stood aligned at the golden gates to defend their Emperor within.

The Lotus Prince, Princess Iron Fan, and Shen Erlang stood to greet them, demanding they turn back. Not willing to turn away from their presence, Azure had lifted his sword.