41.ii The Drums of Heaven

~ Sun Ritsu ~

Sun Ritsu waited until Bodhi fell asleep first. When he could hear gentle snoring coming from the bed, he got out of his small bedroll on the floor and stood up. Bodhi didn’t shift or switch up their breathing. They appeared to be genuinely knocked out.

Ritsu felt a bit irresponsible for leaving them alone, but it would only be for a little while. He needed some time to clear his head or else he wouldn’t get any sleep before tomorrow.

After Ritsu left the hotel room, he wandered down the long hallway and onto the elevator, praying that he wouldn’t be followed by Ham Song. The old pig was always so concerned for Ritsu’s well being. It was endearing, but he needed space now.

If only he could get away from the nagging voice belonging to the trinket in his ear.

Oddly, it was quiet now.

Sun Ritsu walked in the direction of the Divine Cave of Three Stars Stadium. He thought it would be gated off, but there was an opening. As he breached the premises, he saw a soft trio of lights floating on the other side of the concrete tunnel.

The Golden-Hooped Rod of Compliance didn’t speak, but it tugged on its master’s earlobe, as if it were a magnet being summoned by a pole. Ritsu stuffed his hands in the pockets of his lemon lime tracksuit and answered the call.

When he entered the arena, he found it empty. Three glowing orbs haunted the space like jumbo fireflies. They were beautiful if just artificial copycats.

“Why won’t you look at me?”

Ritsu wasn’t surprised to hear Sun Surina’s voice behind him. He didn’t want to turn around, but there was no denying her now. Plus, he didn’t have everyone else around to worry about. Maybe now he could get off what was on his heart.

He turned to face her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Suri tossed something at him, which he caught with ease. He didn’t have to look down to know what it was. Everything clicked into place the moment the fuzzy weight settled in his hand.

“You probably think I meddle too much in your business.” Suri said, her tone strangely apologetic. Ritsu noticed that she wasn’t wearing her usual nautical uniform, but rather a set of starry fleece pajamas.

She wasn’t wrong. At first Ritsu wanted to blame the way Anari left on the thief, but that wouldn’t have been right. Ritsu was the reason Anari was no longer with them.

So then why couldn’t he stop glaring at her now? Why couldn’t he even stand to even look at Suri during her dazzling performance just hours ago?

“No, I don’t think that.” Ritsu said, doing his best to cloak the anger and resentment coiling inside.

Suri smiled, but there was something frustrating about it. “Eat the peach. We can do our business and go to sleep after. It will help, I promise.”

Ritsu felt his tail pierce through his glamour again. There was no reining it in this time.

Suri’s tail had slipped past her glamour too – as pink as the tassels that flared above her cheekbones.

“I chase. I steal.” She said, stepping closer to Ritsu with that star-tipped wand, slowly twirling.

“It’s the only way I can do the right thing around here — breaking the rules in a way that fosters a sense of rebellion among the spirits in this village. I want to help them. You may call my heroism fake, but it’s real to me.”

Sun Surina bit into a peach of her own, letting her fangs show proud.

“Eat that damn peach and let us fan this fire that grows between us. That way I can steal your staff fair and square. Then I’ll grow strong enough to help this Kawaii Village undo its millenia of brainwashing. If I cannot take the Golden-Hooped Rod of Compliance away from you then I have no business calling myself a neighborhood heroine!”

She ripped into the peach again.

Spat out the core.

“So fight me for real, Sun Ritsu! Do not run this time.”

.

The Drums of Heaven first begin

inside the monkey’s chest.

“You…”

Jaws stretching, teeth breaking

Into that essence, that Rhesus Macaque

“...cannot have my staff…”

Tears run fast down his face

streaking handsome cheekbones

“Sun SurinaaaaaaaHHHHHH!”

Because it hurts whenever a peach

is swallowed whole like that

“Sun RitsuuuuuuoooOOOOOO!”

Tears run fast down their faces!

Streaking radiant cheekbones!

Beneath Divine Three Stars,

Whispers of a legendary staff:

How can they call themselves

Immortal Beings unless they

G o

A l l

O u t

~~ “yeeeeaaaAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!” ~~

like Monkey Kings

~~ “keeeeeYAaaaHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” ~~

Bang.

Bang.

– the answer

the sound of heaven

drumming