The First Journey

The night was still young when Fang exited the little inn she'd been using for her lodgings the last few weeks or so. And made her way down the busy roads of the village, passing by people and places with only one location in mind.

Familiar screams of excitement and anger tore up the scene as she approached closer. Her eyes glancing up at the tarnished sign on the side that held the image of a dragon fighting another dragon on it. 'The dragon's maw' as some had called it, a fighting ring for those of lesser power who used it to bet and maim their way to the top. No rules, no mercy, just demons doing what demons did best. 

And she was living for it.

Weeks ago she'd found herself short on cash, all those coins her dad had bestowed upon her having finally been used up with all the food and other little luxuries she'd spent it all on.

Looking back on it now she kind of regretted letting herself be so greedy.

That was until she found this odd little place through the fanatical deal of some stranger in a bar talking about it. A place where fighting got you cash. And she was good at fighting! Trained by the best! Quick and strong. So she'd given it a shot one night, and since then had started raking in the coin like they were grains of rice. Sure she'd gained a few suspicious glares from the onlookers on the sidelines with her 'hooded persona', but she paid them no mind. She was too busy sinking her teeth into the forearms of her enemies and burying their faces into the ground. Having the time of her life as she was able to show off her strength in a way she'd never been able to before.

That was until she found herself suddenly dragged to the side, pulling her from her thoughts as the world blurred and next thing she knew she was staring back at her father as she was pulled into a small alley between buildings.

"W-wuh- DAD?!!" She exclaimed, finding herself caught off guard altogether as she backed up. Her brow furrowing at the sight, almost thinking it were a trick if it weren't for that familiar smell of peaches on him. "What are you doing here?!" She hissed, eyes darting around as if trying to make sure no one else saw them.

"What am I doing here?? What're you doing here?? This is no place for a lil peach like you!" His face in the light she could see did not look happy as he scowled back at her, before gesturing promptly to that same fight club she'd just been about to enter.

Fang huffed, ugh, there he went again... "I was just looking- sheesh"

"Yeah, uhuh, looking for trouble." -sigh- "Honestly...I-"

"What's your deal?? I can handle myself." Fang put her hands on her hips, finding her frustrations growing.

"My deal?? I was just passing by an decided to check in on you-"

"Are you serious right now??" Fang snapped a little, "You seriously think I'm dumb enough to believe that load of crap??" 

"And don't lie to me either, I know that was you back at the market hiding behind that stupid fruit stand too!"

She'd known he was following her for the longest time, she had noticed him just a little over a few years now since she'd left home. It wasn't so obvious at first, but every now and again she'd catch him slipping, and it got to the point she'd even find fresh fruit laying around nearby, with no fruit tree in sight.

Wukong shifted before her, arms crossed as he rolled his eyes, not really seeing the problem with this. She was his kid after all. It was only fair. 

"Geeze, someone woke up on the wrong branch this morning..."

"You're following me!! After you promised you'd let me leave to go on my own!!" Fang exclaimed, pointing at him accusingly.

"I never promised to not check in on you." He threw back.

That got a groan of annoyance out of Fang as she raked her hands down her face.

"Don't see what the big deal is, plenty of parental god figures check in on their kids every once in a while!" He clarified, trying to justify his actions.

Another weight of annoyance snapped that branch of hers a little more as she stared at him with a look of conflicted anger. 

"That's not the POINT dad!! You- ugh- THIS IS THE WHOLE REASON I LEFT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!"

He blinked, staring back at her in silence.

"I wanted to live on my own, I wanted to see the world and FIND myself, how the hell am I supposed to do that if you're out here draggin' my ass around??" There, she said it. After keeping it to herself for so long she finally let him hear the truth.

His face seemed to scrunch up, finding her words distasteful. "I don't think I like your tone..."

Might as well go all in since he started this mess.

"Well I don't like you! And your OVERBEARING PARENTAL shit!" She screeched back, chittering her teeth as her tail lashed behind her.

That definitely got a rise out of him as he gasped. "Fang!!"

"Well it's true!! You're always breathing down my neck!! Always putting standards and stuffing morals in my face like I'm some- some- dumb kid that doesn't know any better!!" She tried to justify herself, her frustrations, wishing he'd just let her live her life and not remind her every waking second that she had a duty to perform eventually.

"That's because you DON'T know any better!!" Wukong frowned. "And frankly, I have every right to look out after you. I'm your father!"

"Oh- oh is that what its gonna come down to?? Seriously?? 'I'm your dad and this is how it's gonna because I said so.' Ugh."

Of course, of-fucking-course he would resort to using that card.

"Go away. I don't wanna deal with you anymore." She turned around then, she was going to be late for the midnight rounds anyways, and they always paid better.

She could hear her dad shuffling behind her, calling her back. "Hey! Where are you going?? We're not done talking here!!"

But she wouldn't have it, out here he couldn't ground her, out here she could do whatever she wanted. No cave, no rules. Just the open world and its law of survival.

"Sun Wu Fang!"

His voice practically shook the air around them as he called it out, even in a village like this she could hear how quiet everything became from the frustrated call of the king.

"I thought I taught you better than that, especially when it comes to respecting your elders. But clearly you being out here has changed that, I don't like this new attitude you're sporting, it isn't you!" He started up, that anger from her seeping into him and being thrown right back at her face. "And another thing, a fight club?? Really?? I didn't train you so you could waste your life taking on fights for a living! You're better than this! Better than that place!" He ranted, his tone chittering with how worked up he'd gotten. "Honestly, sometimes I regret having let you leave the island. This only proves my point that you're not ready to be out here. Especially with all these terrible influences..."

Suddenly that branch she'd been hanging on for the longest time snapped, and along went her with it as she spun around and glared back at him with a look that dared to challenge his own.

"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you, to lock me away an never let me go huh?!!"

"Wha- I never said-"

"Shuddup!! Don't ever talk to me again!! I hate you!!"