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Soulbound

Summary:

Everyone had a soulmate, even a monkey born from a stone. 

Jaecheondaeseong was eager to meet the person that was destined to be his. 

So eager, in fact, that he was breaking into the record halls of heaven to find them.

A body without a soul and a soul without a body, existing separately until they are reunited. What chaos that will cause indeed.

(On Hiatus.)

Notes:

Shout out to Pundemonium for listening to me whine about having writer's block for like two months and also beta reading this weird soulmate au I am compelled to write even though I don't totally know what I'm doing with it :D

Chapter 1: (Prologue) Spark

Chapter Text

Everyone had a soulmate.

At least… that was what Subhuti had said when Jaecheondaeseong had asked. 

Everyone had a soulmate, even a monkey born from a stone. 

Jaecheondaeseong was eager to meet the person that was destined to be his. 

So eager, in fact, that he was breaking into the record halls of heaven to find them. 

For something those puffed-up gods liked to use to tout their own importance so much, the record halls were startlingly easy to break into.

Or maybe Jaecheondaeseong was just that good. 

That was probably it. He was too incredible and powerful to be stopped. His soulmate would likely be very amazing--- though not as amazing as he was. After all, Jaecheondaeseong was the monkey king, the sage equal to heaven, the-

" What are you doing, you damn monkey? "

Curses. And a thousand plagues on whatever fates had conspired for Jaecheondaeseong's path to cross with that fucking fox.

"Hojosa," Jaecheondaeseong said, grinning at the world's most annoying stick in the mud, "shouldn't you be licking the Jade Emperor's boots?"

" Shouldn't you be mucking out the stables? " The nine-tailed fox replied, crossing his arms and giving Jaecheondaeseong an unimpressed look. 

"Oh, really?" Jaecheondaeseong asked, tapping his chin in mock thought, "I don't remember anyone telling me to do that. Of course, no one ever tells me to do anything because I'm far too incredible to be ordered around." 

Hojosa's expression didn't change. " I seem to remember you were sent there after you demanded that the heavens acknowledge your pathetic pride, " he said.

Jaecheondaeseong laughed. "Well, you see- LOOK OVER THERE!" he cried, pointing at something over Hojosa's shoulder. 

When the fox turned to look, Jaecheondaeseong sent a clone sprinting to the left while he bolted to the right, cackling. 

" YOU DAMN MONKEY! " Hojosa roared, " I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE! "

His threat would have been more concerning had he not taken off after the clone. 

"Stupid fox," Jaecheondaeseong laughed to himself as he continued to race through the night. The full moon was high, and he felt like he could take on the world. 

When he finds his soulmate, they will. Then, they'll become the rulers of the universe and conquer everything in sight!

Excitement burned in Jaecheondaeseong's veins as he finally skidded to a stop in front of the massive stone doors of the records hall. 

Subhuti said that every soulmate pair appeared together. Even if one of the pair was born earlier than the other, both souls began existence in the same moment and would end together. 

He'd meant it to tell Jaecheondaeseong that he was not alone, that he never would be, but Jaecheondaeseong didn't see how his other half merely existing did him any good. They were meant to be together. They should be together now! Not in some fragile might-never-happen future!

Jaecheondaeseong drew in a breath and leaped up a window above the doors. Annoying as the fox was, Jaecheondaeseong didn't want him getting in his way when he was finally so close to his goal. 

Breaking into the records hall was easy, so easy that Jaecheondaeseong couldn't help but snicker to himself about how arrogant the gods were to think no one could even get in. 

Down below, Jaecheondaeseong heard the sound of footsteps. He ducked into the shadows as two servants passed by, one carrying a lantern and the other a stack of scrolls. 

Silently, he followed after them, and when they reached the inner doors to the record hall, slipped in behind before the doors closed.

The record hall wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting, not that he'd been expecting anything in particular. It was a large room filled top to bottom with shelves of scrolls neatly organized into piles. Yellow lanterns blazed between them intermittently, casting long shadows in the room. 

But what caught Jaecheondaeseong's interest was the column of softly glowing orbs in the center of the room. 

Something about them drew him in, and as he approached, he could see that they were labeled with names. 

It wasn't in any language Jaecheondaeseong could read, but as he circled the column, a gentle tugging grew stronger in his chest. 

This was where he was meant to be. This was where he would find what he was looking for. 

Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, his eyes fell on a name that he knew must be his despite the unreadable characters. 

"Hello there," Jaecheondaeseong whispered, picking up the orb above the label, "I do believe you're mine."

The orb was a pretty pearl color, and as he held it, a rush of emotion he couldn't describe washed over him. 

Warm, it was warm like the sun, soft and sweet and addicting. 

How strange that something so small could make Jaecheondaeseong feel so mighty. So right. 

"You and I, little spark," Jaecheondaeseong said to his soulmate, "we will shake the universe."

Though it seemed to have no mind of its own, the orb pulsed back in response, something bright and fluttery. 

" JAECHEONDAESEONG! " Hojosa bellowed, his voice shaking the room, " COME OUT AND FACE ME, YOU SORRY MISCREANT! "

"He's so dramatic," Jaecheondaeseong lamented to the orb, "I don't know why he's so upset. It's probably that stick up his ass--- keeps him from feeling any joy."

The orb hummed softly, and Jaecheondaeseong felt rather disappointed. "Is this how it's always going to be?" he asked it, "me coming up with witty banter and genius plans, and you glowing?"

A wave of affection was his only response. 

"Hm, well," Jaecheondaeseong shrugged, "I suppose we'll find a way to make this work."

"Hey!" A startled voice cried, "you can't be in here!"

Jaecheondaeseong turned to see one of the servants he'd followed in, staring at him with an indignant expression on their face. 

They stared at each other for a beat before Jaecheondaeseong bolted, laughing as the servant let out another indignant cry and gave chase. 

Jaecheondaeseong was able to easily escape, however, because he was the mighty monkey king, and they were just a lowly office assistant. 

All the while, the orb hummed happily in his grasp, warm and bright. 

 


 

Jaecheondaeseong's soulmate proved to be quite the partner in crime despite their mindless formless state. 

They ended up with the nickname "Spark" because Jaecheondaeseong needed something to call them, and "Shiny Rock" was unbecoming of the heavenly warlord's eternal partner. 

Spark was Jaecheondaeseong's constant companion, and for all that, they were nothing but a soul; they were excellent company nonetheless. 

At first, Jaecheondaeseong had feared that he would need to tote Spark around, that his soulmate could be lost like a marble. Instead, Spark began their penchant for surprising Jaecheondaeseong in the most pleasant of ways. 

For although Spark had been an orb when Jaecheondaeseong had first found them, they were not bound by one shape or form, instead as changing and shifting as the wind. 

They were a comfort when the boredom of existence became too much and an astonishingly useful piece on the battlefield. 

Jaecheondaeseong couldn't pinpoint the exact moment Spark began to change, but slowly over time, they seemed to absorb the essence of battle, shifting to protect Jaecheondaeseong from danger, and soon, to attack. 

"Wow, moo~!" Uma laughed, surveying the damage Spark had done to an enemy that had tried to attack Jaecheondaeseong from behind. "Where'd you find such a fancy weapon, moo?"

"It's mine," Jaecheondaeseong replied, "always has and always will be."

His response made her laugh again. 

"C'mon," Jaecheondaeseong said, waving a hand, "I want to find more enemies to fight." 

 

....

 

Nothing was as fun as fighting. That's why Spark was perfect. They were slowly becoming more and more deadly the more battles Jaecheondaeseong brought them into. 

"You're doing so well," Jaecheondaeseong told Spark one evening as he was lying on Geundoowun and staring up at the night sky. "At this rate, we'll be able to drag those shitty gods down from their snobby pedestals." 

Spark glowed in response in their place on his chest, warm and sweet as ever. 

"Those stupid gods won't know what hit them," Jaecheondaeseong said, tucking his hands behind his head. 

They'd been getting more annoying lately. Always trying to tell him what to do and acting all arrogant. He'd show them, though. He was the great monkey king! He was going to make them bow before him!

 

....

 

"Interesting friend you've got," Hephaestus said, watching Spark whirl around Jaecheondaeseong. 

"Can you make the armor or not?" Jaecheondaeseong asked, ignoring her earlier words. 

"Yes, yes, of course," Haephestus laughed, "I'm the world's greatest blacksmith after all."

"Good," Jaecheondaeseong replied.

"But tell me," Hephaestus said, reaching out a finger, "where'd you find this cutie?"

"You think it's cute?" Jaecheondaeseong asked, a little offended. No soulmate of his was cute! Nothing about Jaecheondaeseong was cute!

Spark, sensing his ire, shot a burst of light at Haephestus' finger instinctively. 

"More like feisty!" Hephaestus laughed. 

"Well, it is more dangerous than most of the lame enemies we face," Jaecheondaeseong bragged. Spark hummed at his words, whirling around him once more before settling around Jaecheondaeseong's shoulders. 

"Uh-huh," Haephestus replied, an amused look on her face. 

"What?" Did she think Jaecheondaeseong was lying?

"Nothing, nothing," Haephestus replied, "I've just never seen anything like this before."

"Well, of course not!" Jaecheondaeseong replied. "Spark is one of a kind!"

"Be careful not to break it then," Hephaestus said, "still, something this powerful would be excellent to make that armor you wanted."

"What?"

"If you want something stronger than barbadium, then bring me something stronger," Haephestus replied, "something alive, like you or me."

Jaecheondaeseong snorted and turned around, calling, "forget it," over his shoulder. No way was he going to use Spark for an ingredient. 

 

....

 

"My lord!" A monkey called, "King Uma is awaiting our reinforcements!" 

"It doesn't matter," Jaecheondaeseong replied, glaring up at the sky, "if those arrogant gods are fighting her, then that means they're distracted and open for attack."

Spark hummed beside him, warm and supportive, and Jaecheondaeseong knew now was the time. 

"Come," he told Spark, "let's go have a proper war."

Up, up they went, into battle against the forces of the heavenly realm. 

Jaecheondaeseong laughed as he cut through swaths of the heavenly realm's forces. Beside him, Spark whirled and surged out, striking down anything that got too close. 

They should have been unstoppable. 

Instead, Jaecheondaeseong finds himself trapped inside a burning inferno. 

It hurt. 

It hurt. 

It hurt, and he did not know where his Spark had gone. 

When Jaecheondaeseong finally broke free, he faced the tyrannical gods once again. 

For all his hurriedly gathered strength, he was still no match for them. 

He was trapped under a mountain for centuries as punishment.

Only Spark, ever faithful, kept him company. 

 

....

 

"What a funny friend you've got there!" The woman that Jaecheondaeseong would come to know as Xuanzang exclaimed. 

"It's none of your business," Jaecheondaeseong replied. Spark let out a sharp hum and flitted closer to Jaecheondaeseong's head. 

Xuanzang just smiled. 

She was so odd. 

She chastised Jaecheondaeseong for killing, but she said that he was made to be loved. 

Jaecheondaeseong knew that. Spark was made to love him, and Spark didn't care who he killed. In fact, Spark was always close behind Jaecheondaeseong, defending him from any surprise attacks. 

 

....

 

Still, the more time Jaecheondaeseong spent with Xuanzang and their other companions, the more he could feel himself changing. 

Xuanzang's good cheer was infectious. 

Jaecheondaeseong found himself wondering what it would be like once they had finished their journey. 

 

....

 

He never found out in the end. Tagathata and the gods betrayed them. 

Despite his strength, there was nothing he could do to stop Xuanzang's death. 

"Eat me," she told Jaecheondaeseong as Spark whirled around them, trying to defend against oncoming attacks. 

So he did. 

He wasn't strong enough to defeat the gods. 

As his vision faded to black, Jaecheondaeseong just wanted to forget it all. 

Forget the gods.

Forget Xuanzang. 

Forget Spark.