29.ii The Hall of Perfect Light

~ Anari ~

The gold in Ritsu’s eyes and sideburns was brought forth to the surface. His skin shone with Resplendent Radiance. So much so that Anari had to blink and take a step back, for the last time she had seen Ritsu glow like this was during the incident with the trolls in the noodle house.

It was then that Anari noticed how differently Ritsu was dressed. The last time he entered the Radiant State, he was wearing a Nike tracksuit. This time it was full warrior regalia from an era that she couldn’t quite place. The spider was so distracted by how dignified and legendary the monkey appeared in his armor that she failed to notice what the perfect light revealed on her own person until it was too late.

Sun Ritsu gaped right back at his spidery companion. Judging by the look on his dopey face, he was in awe of the way the light replaced Anari’s leather and fringe with drapings of sparkling black seaweed and glistening iridescent seashells. The sunglasses that she kept tucked just above her forehead had been exchanged for a seashell crown.

Neither the spider nor the monkey commented on what they saw in the other. They merely allowed themselves to look on in wonder and appreciation.

But curiosity eventually morphed into confusion, especially as the light dimmed and a new voice entered the misty space.

“Oh, so you’ve come back to bully me again, have you?”

Anari turned her head at the voice first, her body immediately dropping into a defensive crouch. A great presence occupied the back wall. It was massive and molting.

“A phoenix,” Anari whispered. “Sun, get behind me!”

The phoenix fluttered its stiff, purple plumage (or what was left of it anyway) and croaked, “High Immortal, I prefer, Sea Witch of the Southern Tropics.”

Ritsu, who was back in his glamoured sweats, scratched his dark brown sideburns and repeated, “What’s he talking about?”

Anari straightened up and checked on her own glamour. The seaweed and shells were gone to her relief.

“Nothing, Sun. He’s crazy.”

The phoenix lifted a broken wing in order to scrape some ash out from his armpit.

“Strike one. What else have you two got to insult me with? I’ve heard it all before. I know that I am ugly. Fat. Purple–”

“No one came to insult you, Immortal,” Anari said. “We’re looking for a monkey’s staff. Have you seen one lying about?”

The phoenix paused in his pruning and fixed the spirits with a yolky stare. “Never have I met a clone of the Great Sage who didn’t know where they last laid down their staff.”

Anari looked sideways at Ritsu, wondering if she could excuse her companion’s lack of knowledge without completely insulting him. In the end, she settled on, “He’s still got leftover amnesia from the Lake of Ninefold Darkness.”

The spider couldn’t be certain, but for a second she thought she saw the monkey’s shoulders relax ever so slightly.

“There’s nothing here, Spideress. Nothing but a dying immortal and a hall full of old glass… and trash.”

Anari rolled her eyes, adjusted her shades back onto her nose, and turned to leave.

“Come on, Sun.”

What a waste. Guess we’ll just have to look somewhere else.

“Wait.”

Anari paused. Over the rim of her shades she saw Ritsu approach the phoenix.

“Don’t! Those things are dangerous!”

The monkey ignored her. “He can’t move, Anari.” Then he knelt at the foot of the platform amidst a row of misshapen candle wax and crumpled theme park pamphlets.

“High Immortal, is this your shrine?”

The phoenix blinked his yolky eyes once. “It used to be, fair and benevolent monkey. Once upon a time.”

Without prompting for more, the great spirit pushed aside some ash near one of the candles and said, “All my kind are deep in the bed of the Lake these days. The only offerings I get now are cruel reminders that I’m not cute enough–”

The sound of paper rustled as Ritsu fished his last cheeseburger out from his hoodie.

“It’s not much, but…” He found a match on the floor to light the wax with. “This is made with one hundred percent adorable beef.” He slid the wrapped burger inside the small cradle of light.

Anari crossed her arms and sighed. She couldn’t for the life of her figure out what compelled the sun clone to do this sort of thing. It would have never crossed her mind to leave the phoenix an offering.

“I can’t help you find what you came for, generous monkey,” the phoenix said, eyes wet with gratitude, “but I can lend you a blessing. If you’ll accept.”

Sun Ritsu took the blessing of the high immortal, who never explained what it actually was he was blessing him with. That alone made this whole ritual seem just about useless in Anari’s eyes. But she didn’t spoil the moment between the monkey and the phoenix. If Ritsu wanted to accept empty blessings from senile immortals, then that was his business.

When they left the Hall of Perfect Light, Sun Ritsu was smiling quietly to himself, the tiny ornament in his ear glinting handsomely even in the dying afternoon sun.

Anari wanted to ask him what he was so happy about when three new spirits interrupted the silence.

“There you are!” Bodhi called from one of the rusty roller coasters. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you two!”

Anari recognized the monk and Ham Song waddling at their feet. But there was one other spirit striding in their wake. Anari expected to see Baobei, the cute consultant she had hired that morning. Instead, she saw pink hair, a customized nautical uniform, and a wide smile that could only belong to one manner of spirit.

The new sun clone approached, regarding Sun Ritsu with an intrigued, hungry look. Anari already didn’t like the way the Sun crossed her ankles while idly twirling her short star-tipped scepter.