The calm and kind King glided in the direction of the west wing of his palace with a calm and soft smile on his face, his subordinate walking beside him obediently. The entire West Wing of the palace was devoted to the sons and daughters of the ancient king.
Each chamber designated for a Master or Mistress was an isolated and independent dimension, originated for the solitary principle of meeting every single requirement of its Master, designed according to the preferences and choices of living of the resident.
Though, there was another room constructed where the Monarch and his children would convene their meetings.
Since today was the day of the monthly meeting between the siblings, it would be convenient for Haruto to simply surprise all of them by suddenly entering the Meeting chamber instead of visiting them one by one, not to mention it would prove quite amusing to see their expressions.
The massive door of the Meeting Chamber came into view, guarded by two colossal sentinels. Haruto turned towards his loyal subordinate with a kind smile "Oken, I believe you should stay outside, considering Kurama's less than pleasant temperament."
Oken gave a slight bow. "Sire, wouldn't it be better for me to follow in case something gets in the way of Master Kurama's rather volatile temper? I have no desire to waste your time by fixing something which should be my job to fix."
"Do not concern yourself with such trivial matters, Oken, I would like to be alone in order to properly greet my children." He dismissed with a soft smile when they approached the gate. The massive guards bowed to the kind ruler and opened the great doors to the Meeting Chamber.
"As you wish Sire, I'll wait for you outside." he relented with a small bow while the King entered with a calm and comforting aura.
The inside of the massive room like the rest of the palace was located in a separate dimension to properly accommodate the massive residents. The dimensionally isolated room was dimly lit with small torches of fire littered around for miles.
In the middle of the strangely isolated room was a raised platform where a large and crimson crystal throne was made specifically for the King to sit upon during his visits. The raised platform was lit up by two torches resting on either side of the throne, giving it an eerily commanding and mysterious look.
Starting from the right side of the throne were nine massive cushion-like structures for the nine siblings, curving around till it reached the left side of the throne. Each structure was different than the other in a unique way.
The first structure from the right side was a bed of dazzling golden sand. Sitting upon the bed or rather cushion of sand was a massive light golden raccoon-dog hybrid animal with strange black marks running down its body and a large spikey tail. This was the last child and youngest son of the King. Shukaku, Master of the Desert.
The second structure was entirely covered in bluish flames, seething and swirling from side to side due an invisible wind. Sitting upon this strange structure was a two tailed flaming blue cat with black marks littered across its body and different colored eyes. This was the eighth child and youngest daughter of the King. Matatabi, Mistress of the Hellfire.
The third structure was occupied by a large three spikey tailed turtle like creature with one eye closed and one opened, calmly floating in a pool of crystal blue water. This was the seventh child and fifth son of the Moon King. Isobu, Master of the Oceans.
The fourth structure was a pool of molten lava occupied by a large four tailed orange-red monkey. This was the sixth child and fourth son of the mighty King. Son Goku, King of the Sage Monkeys.
The fifth construct was a pool of boiling water with copious amount of steam rising from its heated confines. The massive figure relaxing in the boiling pool was a strange five tailed horse-dolphin hybrid animal with two long and two short horns atop its head. This was the fifth child and second daughter of the King. Kokuo. Mistress of the Boiling Temple.
The sixth structure like the rest was a pool of sizzling acid. The one occupying this dangerous structure was an enormous light bluish bipedal slug with stubby arms, feet and six long tails. It had two prominent optical tentacles and hole-like openings as a mouth with its entire body covered in the sizzling and hissing acid.
This was the fourth child and first daughter of the kind King. Saiken, Mistress of the Sizzling Acid.
The seventh structure was more like a massive nest or cocoon sticking to a giant tree in the room. Inside the nest was a massive blue armored rhinoceros beetle with seven tails resembling green insect wings and a large seventh tail emerging from its bottom. This was the third child and third son of the King. Chomei, Master of Insects.
The eighth structure was a rocky small landscape with clear clouds swirling above, giving off a serene and peaceful look. Laying in the middle of this peaceful landscape was a giant eight tailed ox with octopus tails and two long horns pointed at the front. This was the second child and second son of the calm King. Gyuki, Master of the Oxes.
The final structure was a peaceful forest landscape with a massive nine tailed fox laying in the middle, resting its head on its paws. This was the strongest of the King's children, the first child and first son. Kurama, Master of Foxes.
"So why are we here again?" the ever prideful and impatient Son Goku asked, taping his hands in the lava pool like an impatient teenager.
"I would also like the answer to that same question," Isobu asked calmly. "Usually, our meetings are only held when Father is present. Without him here, I see no point in coming here only to see you bickering with each other."
The four tailed ape King snorted mockingly. "Thank you for stating the obvious"
Isobu apparently didn't take kindly to that retort and glared at the Sage Monkey. "You wanna say that again, you damn monkey!"
"What did you just call me, you one eyed turtle?!"
Kurama rasied his head from his paws and glared at his two siblings while they bickered with each other. Normally, this wouldn't happen, since Father would maintain a sort of connection and peace between the uniquely different siblings.
In fact, the kind King was the only cord keeping them together; otherwise they would have split up a long time ago due to their differences.
His glare and little bit of Killing Intent seemed to have grabbed their attention. "Shut the hell up you two, or I will kill you both!"
Son Goku snorted in response. Even though he knew he would never be able to fight his older brother for long due to the sheer gap in their power level, however, his pride would never allow him to submit to anyone, besides Father of course.
"You still act all high and mighty even now, Fox, clearly our Father's absence has boosted your already titanic ego."
"I agree, you have no right to tell us what to do and what not, stay out of this." the three tailed turtle agreed with a scowl.
Matatabi knew the situation would get out of hand soon if the almost giddy expression on Shukaku's face was any indication since he seemed to have a disturbing habit of rubbing his hands when there were any signs of potential fight. "Let's all take a few deep breaths and go through this meeting like civilized people err … demons"
"Fight! Fight!" Shukaku shouted giddily, his eyes wide with maniacal ecstasy as he rubbed his stubby hands together like a mad scientist ready to dissect a poor sap.
The three tailed and four tailed siblings tensed when the aura around their older brother changed and turned to one of malice, knowing they were screwed if he unleashed even a slight fraction of his immense power.
Kurama slowly rose to his full gigantic height; his nine tails flickering behind him menacingly, his red eyes boiling with anger. "You dare address me with such disrespect!"
The two tailed hellcat stood up abruptly from her flaming cushion and tried desperately to calm her older brother "Brother, calm down! What would Father say if he saw you trying to harm your siblings?"
She backed away when he turned his malicious glare towards her. "He isn't here."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the massive doors to the Meeting Chamber opened and a familiar pressure rained down upon the room followed by the tall silhouette of a man in the darkness of the isolated chamber. "Now now, Kurama, no need to be so hard on your siblings."
The siblings except Kurama let large smiles of happiness appear on their visages despite trying to appear annoyed. Shukaku was the most vocal of all the siblings, jumping in his sandy cushion like a child on a sugar rush and screaming "Father" over and over again.
Kurama on the other hand was seething in anger. As soon as the regal figure of the King entered and floated to the middle of the room; he raised his massive paw and attacked.
His giant paw struck the ground with the grace of a speeding meteor, blasting away the ground and winds picking up pace. The other siblings scowled in anger at their older brother's disrespect for trying to attack their father.
"Kurama, you've gone long enough, stop this foolishness!" Gyuki growled in anger, the nine tailed fox ignored him and glared at the smoke covered ground.
"Is that any way to greet your dear old father?" A regal voice full of open amusement said among the rubble, the dust and smoke clearing away to reveal the regal figure of the King stopping the massive paw of his elder son with a finger.
The King was dressed in a long white coat reaching past his knees, matching black hakama, a white kimono style shirt with a few buttons undone, a blue sash wrapped around his waist and black socks hidden by white straw sandals
Long tresses of crimson hair reaching to the middle of his knees waved and swayed like the calm waves of a sea in a soft wind, two delicately thin bangs fell down right in front of his blue shinning diamond-like eyes. A soft and delicate smile danced on his lips, giving his otherworldly regal and handsome face a new light and aura.
The amount of amusement in his narrow crimson eyes angered Kurama even more. "You mean the father who saw fit to go to the human world first for two months instead of visiting his own children!"
"Stop acting like a child, Kurama."
The nine tailed fox tried hard to sneer at the kind smile on his father's face, only to avert his eyes after a few seconds of staring into those endless crimson pits. No matter how much anger he had pent up over his father's two century long slumber, he simply couldn't hold onto it for long when in his presence.
" LDear children! It's quite a pleasure to see you all again, despite your… less than pleasant welcome." the King said with a kind and regal tone, giving a pointed look to Kurama when he mentioned "welcome" and floated towards his pedestal, giving an affectionate rub to Shukaku's eagerly outstretched head and sat calmly on his throne.
"It's good to see you again, Father. I may not approve of Kurama's violent welcoming gesture, still it was quite painful to hear that you had departed for the Human World instead of meeting with us first." Matatabi started with a large but annoyed smile.
Haruto smiled at his youngest daughter with a kind look on his face. " No need to blame this old man for his mistakes, though you are not mere children to feel such irrelevant emotions in regards to my absence. I have given you my expressed permission to visit me in my Throne Room."
Shukaku let out a loud roar of annoyance and accusingly pointed to his siblings one by one with his chubby sandy fingers. "I suggested that, but these stuck up idiots were against the idea. Though I wanted to visit, I couldn't because of that pain in the ass Oken guy that follows you around all the time, he is creepy!"
Kurama let out a low growl when Shukaku included him in the list of "stuck up idiots" but kept silent, knowing that if he raised a hand against him now, his father would stop him regardless of his reasons.
Haruto gave his youngest child an amused look. "Shukaku, be more respectful towards my Right-hand. It's his job to look out for your safety and needs."
Kurama snorted. "Please, as if we need someone's help in taking care of ourselves."
"Hey you dumb fox, stop interrupting Father with your petty arrogant claims!" Shukaku shouted from his place to the King's right and pointed to the nine tailed fox on the King's right.
The two glared at each other like children while Haruto looked on with clear amusement in his crimson eyes, a small smile on his face. The rest of his children were calm for the most part since they hated bickering, though even they had their breaking point. Matatabi, Saiken and Kokuo were the ever peaceful daughters while Chomei and Isobu were his two calm sons.
The rest were as hotheaded as they came, Shukaku and Kurama would fight over the slightest of things, triggering an argument between Son Goku and Kurama over the title of the strongest demon between them. Gyuki would join in to prove his superiority leaving Matatabi to try and bring some semblance of peace between them.
Hearing a loud cough among them, Haruto turned his attention away from his two bickering sons and looked towards his daughter sitting in the pool of boiling water "Yes? Something the matter, Child?"
She cleared her throat and directed a discreet glare at her two bickering brothers. "Pardon their rather discourteous behavior, Father, I wanted to ask what was so important that you left so suddenly towards the Human World?"
"Your suppressed annoyance over the fact that I went there first aside… I was interested in joining a group of Heroes to see what the world was like " Haruto explained with a kind smile.
The dolphin-horse hybrid lowered her head in embarrassment at being found out, though she couldn't be blamed. What would someone else feel if their father left somewhere first after two centuries, instead of coming to see them?
The term "human" seemed to have gained the attention of Kurama as he turned around with a sneer, not really a fan of humans in general. The King couldn't really blame his son for his violent reaction, considering his previous history with humans.
"Wait, you mean those weirdoes who wear their underwear on the outside?" Shukaku asked innocently.
No matter how big or powerful they were, each of them weren't afraid to show their childish sides in front of him, even Kurama despite him trying to hide it with his impassive attitude.
"Indeed." Haruto replied with an amused chuckle. Shukaku always had a habit of turning everything into something humorous.
"Please don't tell me that you are going to wear it the same as they do?!"
Haruto let out a loud musical laugh at the whiny tone of voice. "Nonsense Child, I never mentioned anything about adapting their sense of fashion as well."
"Shukaku, you insolent little shit, you just accused father of that horrible fashion style!" Son Goku bellowed in his usual loud and boisterous voice.
"Who told you to butt in, you oversized monkey!"
"Why you…"
The King looked on with amusement and something akin to fondness in his crystal clear ruby red eyes, listening to his children bicker with each other like normal teenagers.