#Yellotusk in in the lwau now cuz all old people know eachother didn’t ya know

[rayalltheway]

One You Remember

Description: Yellowtusk enters the LWAU, thanks to an encounter he had with a living Changbiyuan far in the past.

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“Celestial!” An unfamiliar voice barked from some distance behind Yellowtusk, stopping him in his tracks as he walked through the outpost. 

A gibbon demon was standing on top of the hill that descended into the village. They were imposing in stature, blue fur and dark haired, the fur outline around their lighter-blue face shaped like a rounded butterfly — a symbol that was designed into their armour and clothes, which had clearly seen recent action. They were androgynous in appearance, looking neither like a man or a woman — so Yellowtusk assumed them to be neither, like his fellow Celestial warrior Peng. 

And right now, they looked less than pleased, at him, it would seem, as they marched down the hill in purposeful strides. They slowed down a bit once they crossed into the town, taking a moment to survey the destruction around them with a softened expression.  Yellowtusk had been sent down here with a larger group of celestial warriors to arrest a viper demon queen that had decimated a village under the rule of a celestial official. The aftermath was enough so that he wished to take his time with – and not just because he prided himself on being particular. 

The gibbon naturally eased back into soldier mode once they drew closer to the troop of celestial guards. They made no move to draw either of the dao blades strapped to their back, but a few of the celestial soldiers moved in quick formation to block their path with their spears. They stopped a hair’s inch from the crossed polearms, not fazed, simply raising their chin to make their voice heard once more. 

“I was one of the warriors on the field of battle today! And for the sake of more of them, I need to have a word with you!” They stated in an authoritative tone, loud enough for everyone to hear — glaring right at Yellowtusk. Things were still for a moment, some taken back by how defiantly this demon was speaking to Yellowtusk the Wise — himself included, though he was quickly recognized as a fellow veteran.

“…Of course.” He said, and nodded at the guards halting the gibbon to let them pass. They breezed past the two, coming to a stop in front of him. Even when they had to look up at him, they still made themselves tall and proud. 

“That was….quite an entrance. Have we met?” Yellowtusk asked in a measured tone. The gibbon’s features flashed a brief are-you-kidding-me expression before they hardened once more. 

“Fortunately not. My soldiers and I have been out here fighting that viper hag for a few weeks now.” They stated, bluntly. “We were in a pitched battle before you all showed up and ended it. Thank you for that, by the way. Sorry most of the action happened without you.” They continued with a light shrug, casting another look to the land around them, a slightly sardonic tone in their voice, though not without care. That itself was nice, and Yellowtusk found many of his colleagues made light of the situations that occurred beneath the earth, but not as a way of dealing with the sadness and unfairness of them, but because they felt so above it. 

Yellowtusk nodded in understanding.

“I see. You were a part of those rebelling demon factions.” He said, referring to the several demon camps that were set up around the mountain, making a truce to oppose a single threat. He felt somewhat guilty for rendering that amity mute for taking over the matter himself with his other celestial warrior. “You must be quite strong to still be alive. What is your name?” 

Changbiyaun arched an eyebrow. “Well, I see why you got that title of yours.” They said with a light smile, before they bowed. “I am Changbiyuan, warrior head of the Butterfly clan, in the mountains some miles north from here.”

Yellowtusk had never heard of them, but returned the greeting. 

“It is good to meet you, Changbiyuan. I’m sorry, but I cannot secure any land in the name of your clan, but any of the viper’s clansmen have escaped into your borders, we can track them down —“

Changbiyaun gave him an incredulous expression and let out a disbelieving scoff. “Are you kidding? It would be lucky if anything manages to grow in that cesspool again. That bitch did a real number on this place, and for what? To make some power-pedestal so she could pretend she’s the one true face of glory?”

Yellowtusk was getting quite stalled by their…plainspokeness. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone other than Peng had talked to him like this. 

“—And I didn’t come here to ask you to deal with problems I can handle.” They crossed their arms and were glaring at him once more, stoically. “I’m only here because you unjustly arrested my warriors. I am asking you to release them and return them to me, now.” They way they said that made it feel like anything they wanted could be brought forth into existence through the sheer force of their own will — but Yellowtusk only furrowed his brow in response.  

“Your warriors? You mean the viper’s guard?” He asked, suspicious now. They didn’t budge, but rolled their eyes, though not at him. 

“You mean the ‘guard’ that is made up of demons that the snake lady poisoned and kidnapped so she could force them to do their bidding? Because yeah, they’re  not hers.” The stated. “A quarter of them are warriors of mine and my sister’s clan. She had the gall to take them from within our borders.” They growled out that last part with a dark expression, fists clenching from where they rested on their biceps. 

Yellowtusk knew that, but was still a bit surprised regardless. He and the other celestial soldiers had arrested the viper’s demons following her defeat because her venomous control over the kinds of others was something she spread to her henchmen. He had removed the spell himself, leaving the demon in a confused daze. Even so, he had orders to see her warriors incarcerated, punished for partaking in crimes against the Celestial Realm. 

“And what exactly makes you believe we have them? We’re short of her full army.” He asked, wanting to be sure whether or not this gibbon was bluffing in order to make up for any numbers they might have lost during the battle with a handful of miscellaneous demons. They, on the other hand, narrowed their eyes at him with a slightly disbelieving look, before reaching into a pocket and thrusting their hand out at him, Yellowtusk seeing a small metal crest between their claws. It was silver and light, with the metalworking forming swirling lines that came together as a butterfly. It was a clan crest. 

“Because I saw one of your soldiers confiscating the armour of MY clan, that’s why. You should know which ones they came from. They ALL had this, covered by those scales that viper made them wear. She made them fodder.” The fury in their voice as they recounted the Viper’s deeds did indicate to Yellotusk that they were telling the truth, and he was stilled by the idea of what they described. He regarded the crest coolly, thoughtfully, but found the gibbon was unwilling to take silence as an answer.

“This is ridiculous.” They shook their head, arm dropping to their side and squaring their shoulders with righteous indignation. “You KNOW they were mind-controlled. You took the Viper demon down, the real threat is gone. Allow the warriors she captured to return to their rightful posts, and regain their agency. Their lives.”  Glancing around, Yellowtusk could see the Celestial soldiers around them were staring now, watching the display with either shock or anticipation. Yellowtusk scowled in the direction of some who looked amused under their helmets, and they turned away quickly. 

Yellowtusk sighed and turned back to the gibbon, who couldn’t seem to care less about the mocking eyes on them. 

“Would you speak to me in private about this?” He asked, his voice as imploring as it could be in this setting. Their face briefly scrunched up in distaste, but they also seemed to take note of his meaning, and sighed, nodding. They followed him into one of the larger nearby buildings still left standing, which Yellowtusk had been using as a makeshift office for his time here. Once he was sure they were alone, he turned to them in the dimness, sunlight breaking through the holes in the roof and walls. 

“Listen, Changbiyuan, I’m afraid that isn’t –” He paused, thinking and deciding to rephrase his next words before speaking again. “Our orders, my orders are to see any of the Viper’s forces imprisoned. She went against my realm, attacked one of our own. The emperor demands we make an example of her, and all who served her.” He said – though he didn’t find much conviction within his own words. He collected himself, keeping up his reasonable, yet untouchable front. The doubts he had and shared only with Peng in private, quiet places would not suffice out here in the field, where his loyalty was owed.

Even so, he felt himself wavering while looking into the gibbon’s eyes, something close to outrage burning within the browns of their irises, surging through them. “Unwillingly served her. Did you write THAT down? Or was that in the order given to you?” They challenged, eyes blazing. “My warriors would have never chose to do anything for her. They would have died before they submitted to a will they know not to be right.” Yellowtusk’s eyes widened at that notion, as they spoke it like it was just as things were. As they should be. 

“…I’m sorry. I do not have a choice here.” He said, as if he was still in broad daylight, under the sky, in the sights of Heaven, still staying under their thumb no matter how unjust it felt not doing so. He waited for Changbiyuan to let their anger slip, to end up getting dragged away by the nearby guards even with no intention of fighting, or even just curse him out and storm off. Instead, their eyes stayed on him for a long moment, before they dropped to the ground, nodding their head, seemingly in understanding. Or in consideration.

“Alright. I understand… “ they said, uncharacteristically calmly, and Yellowtusk did feel relieved, though the feeling was dragged down by a gnawing guilt — 

“If you need to enact punishment, then I’m right here.”

There weren’t many things that could make Yellowtusk’s mind halt, but this was officially one of them. “What?” He asked. 

Changbiyaun sighed, looking ahead, a heaviness set upon their frame. In this moment, the weight of their own sense of duty — the weight of the aftermath of war — was clear as their pride, and perhaps even outshone it. 

“They’re my soldiers. They’re in my charge and it is my duty to direct and guide them, and it was because of my own miscalculations and unthought decisions that put them in this position. They’re all some of the most sincere, most loyal demons I know, which is why I know they wouldn’t have done anything in these last few weeks that they weren’t forced to, and they never would’ve had their dignity violated so deeply if it weren’t for my misjudgment.” Thier voice never wavered. There was no self-pity in their words, no need for sympathy. Yellowtusk was still stunned even listening.

“I was in command, and of sound mind. I should have done better for them, and never should have forced my own will upon them the way that viper did. They are not at fault. and if you need someone to blame, I will take responsibility for their crimes, if you — “ They stopped, and brought their eyes back up  to Yellowtusk’s — and they were pleading.

“If you just let them go. Please.” 

Yellowtusk was silent, before he regained himself, giving the gibbon a hard look. “This is rash. You should know fully what you are saying. Surely your family — they need you here, protecting them.”

Changbiyaun snorted in response, looking to the side and shaking their head. “Dammit, that’s why I’m saying it. Wouldn’t you do the same?” They asked, glancing back at him, and Yellowtusk wasn’t sure if he should respond to that, though they didn’t give him time to.

“Those warriors are my clan. My family. I am here because those are the people I need to protect. So if I don’t do all I can for them, then I don’t deserve to.” They said, their voice full of fire, of finality, which was no less than what their eyes displayed, directed at the warrior within Yellowtusk rather than the Celestial without. 

He stared. This demon warrior of the mortal realm, displaying more bravery and nobility than most he met in a century. Was he so unsure of himself that he was letting them have the high ground here?…but then, has it been him on the lower end this whole time, no matter whether he was from the clouds above or not? How could he even still be standing here deliberating this? 

He took in a long, deep breath — and let it out like it was his last. Dammit, he thought, as he turned to the low table in the corner, various bamboo slips organised upon it. With a surprising amount of delicacy, he took a blank one, took his nearby ink, and wrote with careful speed. 

“That won’t be necessary.” He said as he finished, standing up and turning back to Changbiyaun, who was waiting only somewhat restlessly. He held out the slip to them, and they stared at it before giving him a questioning look. 

“That declares to the guards that you can access the captured warriors here in camp in order to locate yours, and leave with them.” He stated, and it was their turn to look surprised, eyes widening.

“What? You mean —“

“You can take them and go. Do not make a fanfare out of it, I do not do this lightly.” Yellowtusk said, still maintaining his necessary front as they took the slips from him. They were still looking up at him, their shock and suspicion laced with concern — directed at him.

“Your orders — you’re going to go back upstairs with an army that’s a quarter shorter than required?”

Yellowtusk shrugged. “Not if that quarter was never here to begin with as far as they’re concerned.” 

Changbiyaun stared at him for another moment longer, before their mouth closed in a firm smile, straightening once more and bowing. “Thank you.” They said, their strong, bold eyes soft with gratitude as they raised up, before turning and walking out of the building, into the sun.

Yellowtusk stayed there for a while, before leaving to return back to his duty. He had much more to think about in the centuries that passed as his loyalty to the Celestials waned further and further until he was eventually just biding his time — but he felt that even without his well-regarded memory,  he wouldn’t forget that day. Or that gibbon. 

~~~~~

“Yellowtusk.” The Lotus Prince’s voice cut through the comfortable silence of Yellowtusk’s cell in the Celestial Realm. He turned from his reading, which Ne Zha allowed him to have for taking his arrest so willingly, to look over his shoulder at the figure of the Celestial from the other side of the magically enforced bars. He wasn’t going to try and escape, but he accepted the precautions as only standard. 

“You have a visitor.” Ne Zha stated, and Yellowtusk’s ears raised questionably at that. “The guards will stand by to observe, but I have confirmed they are associated with the Monkie Kid. Don’t get any ideas.” He said, before turning sharply and nodding over his shoulder at someone out of view. Then, he was gone.

Yellowtusk was still with thought. He couldn’t think of who that could possibly be, and the fact they knew the heroes he had briefly fought alongside those few weeks ago didn’t help in that regard.

 Still, he sighed to himself and turned, knowing it was only right to face whomever this was fully and without shame — and was startled seeing they were already standing there. He hadn’t even heard them walking up to the cell. 

An elderly ape with a gentle, relaxed expression and stature was in front of this cell door, long white hair cascading down thier shoulders and partly done up at the back of their head. They wore what looked to be a modern variation of long, loose hanfu under a beige woollen jacket. But what really struck Yellowtusk was their eyes — or maybe the lack of them, and they were empty, dark pools with two golden pupils of light centering them, like he has seen in ghosts or spirits in the past. Beyond that, their dark blue fur framed the shape of a butterfly on their face —

Wait. 

Yellowtusk stood now in utter bewilderment as the memory of that young gibbon warrior full of promise, pride and self-sacrifice came back to him, the image of them melding into the gibbon in front of him now, the crowsfeet around their eyes lifting as they smiled at him, kind and warm — with just the hint of that familiar smirk he remembering when they teased his title, now seeing that he indeed remembered them. 

“Elephant memory?” They guessed, their voice clearly weathered by age along with the rest of them, but still holding that sense of undaunting strength, and compassion.  

“It’s you.” Yellowtusk breathed, stepping closer to the cell door before they were both standing as those two warriors in that dilapidated village building once did, two millennia ago. 

Changbiyaun grinned. “Hey there, Yellowtusk the Wise. Turns out, I missed one.”