SPECIAL APPLICATION: Saiyuki Gaiden - Goujun [AU]
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AU (Alternate Universe) Character Application
PLAYER INFO
NAME: Christa
CHARACTER INFO
CHARACTER NAME: Ao Jun (Chinese Name) Goujun (Japanese Name, Canon Name)
SERIES: Saiyuki Gaiden
PERSONALITY: ‘Draconian’ is the best word to describe the Dragon King Goujun. He is serious, cold, proud and rigorous. He serves the Heavens without question and has a strict honor code. Adding a dragon’s vanity and territorial nature, he is not easy to get along with at first, and his new general Kenren calls him a muckity-muck Dragon King - something that is fitting. He has a lot on his shoulders, even though he is still young by Heaven’s standards.
Underneath the coldness, though, he is actually a kind creature. He is fair, polite and has a good heart. The sacrifices he made in his youth to save the people from starvation proves this, but he has vowed to not go against the Jade Emperor again and sully the name of the Dragon Kings - which is what puts him in a difficult position when he’s pulled into the mess between friendship and his honor as a commander.
According to Chinese legends, the water dragon (which all the Dragon Kings are) is less selfish and opinionated than the other dragons. He is more inhibited and less power-hungry, he can accept defeat without recriminations and he makes a good negotiator as he knows when, where, and how to apply pressure. He has a tendency to be over-optimistic and needs to learn how to relinquish what is unfeasible so that he can concentrate his energies on the most rewarding endeavors.
This all applies to Goujun. He does not appear to hold grudges even though he was defeated so easily by his marshal when taken hostage, and he shows a talent in negotiation as he does his best to make the rebel god Konzen Douji understand that his traitorous actions will have dire consequences. He also seems to be a charismatic leader despite his stern nature and is well-respected by his subordinates.
TIMELINE: Chapter 29,right before being attacked by the Nataku-beast.
CANON+AU BACKGROUND:
[the Chinese legend]
Long ago, there were no rivers or lakes on the Earth, only the Eastern Sea. In this sea lived four dragons: the Long Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon, and the Pearl Dragon.
One day, as they flew from the sea to the sky and played in the clouds, the Pearl Dragon pointed down to the earth and cried out for the others to come and look. On the Earth they saw many people putting out fruits and cakes and burning incense sticks while they prayed.
One white-haired woman, kneeling on the ground with a thin boy on her back, was praying, "Please send rain quickly, God of Heaven, to give our children rice to eat," - for there had been no rain for a very long time and the crops had withered, the grass turned yellow, and the fields cracked under the scorching sun.
"How poor the people are!" said the Yellow Dragon. "They will die if it doesn't rain soon!" The Long Dragon agreed and then suggested that they go and beg the Jade Emperor for rain. He then leapt into the clouds and flew towards the Heavenly Palace with the other dragons following close behind.
The Jade Emperor was in charge of all the affairs in Heaven and on Earth, and he was very powerful. He was not pleased to see the four dragons rushing into the palace uninvited. "Why do you come here instead of staying in the sea and behaving yourselves?"
The Long Dragon stepped forward and said, "The crops on Earth are withering and dying, Your Majesty. I beg you to send rain down quickly!"
The Jade Emperor pretended to agree with him and responded, "All right. You go back first and I'll send rain tomorrow." The four dragons thanked the Emperor and flew happily back to the sea.
Ten days passed and no rain came to the Earth. The people suffered more and more, some eating bark and roots, others forced to eat white clay when they had nothing more to eat. Seeing this, the four dragons felt sorry for them because they knew now that the Jade Emperor cared only about pleasure and never took the people to heart.
They decided they could only rely on themselves to relieve the people from their misery. Seeing the vast sea, the Long Dragon said he had an idea. "Look, there is plenty water in the sea where we live. We should scoop it up and spray it towards the sky. The water will be like raindrops and come down to save the people and their crops!"
"Good idea!" said the others.
"But", the Long Dragon added, "We will be blamed if the Jade Emperor learns of this."
"I will do anything to save the people!", the Yellow Dragon declared. The others dragons agreed and they flew down to the sea, scooped up water in their mouths, and flew back into the sky where they sprayed water all over the earth. The four dragons flew back and forth, making the sky dark and before long the sea water became rain and it poured down from the sky.
"It's raining! It's raining!" the people cried. "Our crops will be saved!" They leapt with joy as the wheat stalks raised their heads and the grasses straightened up.
The Sea God discovered what the dragons had done and reported it to the Jade Emperor who became enraged and ordered the Heavenly Generals and their troops to arrest the four dragons. Being outnumbered, the dragons could not defend themselves and were soon captured and brought to the Heavenly Palace.
"Go and get four mountains to lie upon them so they can never escape!’, the Emperor ordered. The Mountain God used his powers to make four mountains fly from afar and pressed them down on the four dragons, imprisoning them forever.
The dragons never regretted their decision and determined to continue to do good for the people, they turned themselves into four rivers, which flowed past the high mountains and deep valleys, crossing the land from the west to the east, and to finally into the sea.
And so China's four great rivers were formed; the Heilongjiang (Black Dragon) in the far north, the Huanghe (Yellow River) in central China, the Changjiang (Yangtze, or Long River) farther south, and the Zhujiang (Pearl River) in the very far south.
[headcanon background]
The above legend is true; long ago, there once lived four dragons in the sea, which went against the Jade Emperor to bring rain to the people. But the story does not end there. Seeing what they had done for the people, the creator of the universe, Yuan-Shi-Tian-Zong, looked down upon the dragons and smiled. Freeing them from their river forms, he allowed the dragons to ascend into Heaven while leaving their river imprints on the lands below, forever marking them as a vital part of China.
Impressed by their wisdom and forgiving them for their so-called crime, the Jade Emperor gave the dragons a humanoid form and allowed them to join the ranks in Heaven. As rulers of the sea, each dragon was given the title ‘Dragon King’ and became commanders over the Heavenly Armies. While in the Heavens, they lived in grand buildings located near the Heavenly Palace, but in the World Below, they kept their crystal castles guarded by shrimp soldiers and crab generals.
The Yellow Dragon and Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, Ao Kuang (Goukou), was the leader of the Dragon Kings since he was the eldest brother, and he was given command over the Eastern Army. Known as the hornless dragon, Ao Kuang made up for it by having an impressive set of dragon whiskers, looking almost like Fu Manchu-styled facial hair in humanoid form. His scales were a sandy yellow hue with tan highlights, and his mane was short and golden. Like all his brothers, his eyes were set on blood-red whites, his iris a bright blue.
The Long Dragon and Dragon King of the Southern Sea, Ao Chin (Goukin) was given the command over the Southern Army. His scales were colored like a peacock’s feathers and he, almost as if compensating for his older brother, had a grand set of horns on his head, pronged like those of a deer. His mane was long and unruly, a deep green color that was similar to sea weed. His eyes were frightening to behold, as the iris was black as night, making it look like one huge pupil in the red sclera. Many soldiers feared the stare of the Long Dragon, as it seemed to look into their very soul.
The Black Dragon and Dragon King of the Northern Sea, Ao Shun (Goushun) took the command over the Northern Army. He was eldest twin brother of the youngest Dragon Kings, and his scales were black as onyx, shimmering slightly in blue. His horns were average for a dragon and his dark black mane was braided and slung around his neck as a scarf in humanoid form. He was a cold creature with bright green eyes, and while he was identical in all but color to his white brother, they were quite different in personality and rarely got along.
Lastly, the Pearl Dragon, Dragon King of the Western Sea, Commander of Heaven's Western Army and Father of the Zhujiang River was named Ao Jun (Goujun). He was the youngest of the dragon brothers and the one most curious about the World Below, for it was he that had noticed the people of the Earth starving from the drought. With pale white scales that shimmered in nacre hues and a mane of silver, Goujun was truly worthy of the name ‘pearl dragon’.
For several passing centuries the Dragon Kings served in Heaven, only returning to the sea now and then to hunt and feed on sharks and whales. Heaven’s law of no killing could be frustrating for a dragon and they sometimes tired of vegetarian food. As more tiny rivers and pools appeared in China, the Dragon Kings were given harems of dragon consorts to fill their crystal palaces with. Goukou soon had a son, named the Crown Prince of the Dragon Kings. His name was Ao Ping.
Unfortunately Ao Ping was a few centuries later killed by the demon hunter Li-Nezha. A monstrous Immortal with three heads, eight arms and nine eyes, Li-Nezha was sent down to Earth by the Jade Emperor to subdue a plague of demons that spread over the land.
One day, while he was paddling in the Eastern Sea, he set it alight to see what would happen. Puzzled by the mysterious flames, Goukou sent Ao Ping to investigate. But in a playful mood of boyish high spirits, Li-Nezha killed the Yellow Dragon’s son. The enraged Goukou zoomed from his underwater palace seeking revenge, but was defeated himself in a most humiliating manner. The other Dragon Kings could not take revenge due to the Heavenly Law of no killing, but they burst into Li-Nezha’s home and kidnapped his mother and father, demanding that Li-Nezha paid for his crime.
This was a delicate situation requiring the utmost diplomacy and tact… so an abashed Li-Nezha sulkily committed suicide and his parents were released. (He was later reborn as the son of a human Emperor, but that’s a whole other legend.)
The second child of Goukou also gave him trouble. She fell in love with a mortal man in the World Below and later gave birth to the first Japanese Emperor. Needless to say, the other Dragon Kings were not exactly hoping for more troublesome offspring after this, and any children their many consorts had were made into good luck spirits and common four-toed dragons.
Goujun was the only one of the Dragon Kings to not choose a prime consort or have any children, preferring to occupy his time with the army and Heavenly politics. He and his twin often had spats about the best way to lead an army, and the frequent arguments escalated until the day that Goushun challenged Goujun to a fight. To protect his pride, Goujun could not refuse, even though he did not want to fight his twin brother.
The fight took place at the Heavenly Army’s training grounds, and the two dragon brothers met sword to sword in a fight about first blood. Being all but equal in strength, the brothers fought until they were exhausted. Goukin, who had watched the fight between the two youngest brothers, decided that it was a draw and neither of them would win. Goujun accepted this, but Goushun was not satisfied. The brothers drifted apart after this, only seeing each other at official meetings.
Several centuries passed, until the lethargy and boredom in a never-changing Heaven was beginning to take its toll…
[canon background]
Goujun’s part is Saiyuki Gaiden is as a minor character, but he is nevertheless important. He acts as the narrator through the whole story, which is presented as his written report after the events that took place.
He was first seen (chronologically) when meeting with Kenren, a Heavenly Soldier that was transferred from another army to Goujun’s own. The reason for the transfer involved having beaten up his higher-ranking officer and slept with his wife, so it was a safe solution to avoid the shockwaves. Goujun pointedly said that Kenren better get used to the idea of toeing the line while in the Western Army. He would not be allowed to act in a way that would stain the military record of Tenpou, the field marshal and Kenren’s commander.
A few years passed, and Goujun was later seen meeting Kenren in a hallway and reprimanded him for not greeting his superior officer. Kenren pointedly said ‘hi’ and ‘goodbye’ in one sentence and then turned to leave, but Goujun stopped him by asking why he was keeping a flask of wine in his belt. Kenren cheekily replied that it was his fuel. Annoyed at that, Goujun then told Kenren that if it was not for his marshal, Tenpou, Kenren would have been thrown out of the army already. He should remember to thank him. Kenren just laughed at that and left, while thinking that such an alien creature with his strict personality was someone he just could not respect.
While attending the great festival to celebrate the Jade Emperor’s birthday, Goujun witnessed the calamity made by Goku, a heretic being brought to Heaven from the World Below and put into the care of the nephew of the great bodhisattva Kanzeon Bosatsu, Goddess of Mercy. Goku got into a fight with bullying gods in the middle of the Jade Emperor’s speech, and when joined by his keeper, Konzen Douji, and Goujun’s own subordinates Field Marshal Tenpou and General Kenren, it was a big and loud mess. Konzen finally took responsibility for the fighting and made them all leave with him (as an excuse to get away from the boring event) but it was the start of a tale that would shake the very foundation of Heaven - and Goujun’s last thoughts before they disappeared was that they were dangerous.
During a call from the Jade Emperor to send out the childlike War Prince Nataku into another battle, Kenren interrupted the meeting and bowed to the Emperor, presenting himself as the general of the Dragon King Goujun’s army. Goujun himself watched as Kenren tried to make the Jade Emperor change his mind, as Nataku was still injured from a previous battle, and to give him the mission instead. Insulted, the Jade Emperor asked how Kenren dared to think that a simple soldier could take the War Prince’s place, and Kenren said that he could not, but believed that he would do better than the lot that came back unscratched from the last mission - where Nataku secretly had been forced to fight alone.
Shocked, Goujun demanded that Kenren stopped his insolence, but Li Touten, Nataku’s father, intervened and said that his son was the perfect warrior and that simple wounds would not stop him. Adding that the boy was eager to sacrifice himself for heaven if needed, Nataku could not do anything else but agree to his father’s claims. Dismissed, Nataku passed by Kenren, whispered a thanks and then socked him in the stomach before continuing on his way. As he left, the Jade Emperor demanded that Kenren was to be taken away and disciplined.
Kenren was later seen imprisoned and covered from head to toe with wounds from being tortured, and Goujun came down to the cells to see him. Being asked if the dragon is there for the grand tour, Goujun scoffed and said that he always thought Kenren was a fool, but not this big a one. Throwing Kenren a key to his bonds, the Dragon King continued to speak, saying that since he was Kenren’s commander, he should have spoken to him before going against the Emperor. If the suggestion had come from Goujun, the Jade Emperor might have listened.
Kenren disagreed, and adds that he just had to say something about the situation. Goujun asked if it was worth it, since it ended up like this, but the general told the dragon that the punch from Nataku hurt a lot more than being disciplined. He then mused that the fact that Nataku had to act like an adult even though he was a child… seeing that was always so painful. The boy could never say a thing like ‘it hurts’, and that might be what true suffering was.
Tension in Heaven ran high after this, getting worse by the day. As Nataku returned from his latest mission, Goku rushed to say hello to his only friend - but Li Touten saw Goku as a threat to his control over his son and whispered to Nataku to kill Goku. Enraged by this, Goku punched Li Touten but was stopped from doing more damage by a cold-looking Nataku, who said that his father is his lord, and he would do as told. Materializing a sword out of nowhere he attacked, but was stopped by Kenren.
Li Touten told Nataku to kill Kenren as well, and a fight broke out. In the middle of this, Tenpou noticed what was going on and tried to launch a sneak attack on Li Touten, but was also stopped by Nataku. Thrown into a wall but then slowly getting up again, Tenpou joined Kenren in an attempt to protect the shocked Goku. But facing the War Prince, they were outclassed and started screaming for Goku to run. But the boy doesn’t, and Nataku attacked him, stopping his blade just under Goku’s chin. Smiling, Goku told Nataku his name, as he was now given one, and the War Prince’s eyes overflowed with tears. In the next second, he turned the sword to himself, trying to commit suicide rather than killing his friend.
Splattered by his friend’s blood, Goku broke down in tears as Nataku died before his eyes. Li Touten demanded that people move so that he can take his son, and while he picked up Nataku, he said that the body might still be of some use. Goku snapped at this, rushing towards Li Touten in rage - but he was grabbed by the hair and forced down by guards. As Kenren and Tenpou tried to help Goku, they were also surrounded by guards. Li Touten screamed for the guards to arrest the rebels, and as he did, Goku’s golden circlet shattered and he was transformed to a berserking monster known as Seiten Taisei, the Great Sage equaling Heaven and Earth.
His mere aura disintegrated the guards around him and he started to slaughter everyone that was in his way, just as Konzen Douji arrived to the scene. Noticing how dangerous Goku was, Goujun tried to tell the people to not approach him recklessly, but the chaos was a factor and people did not listen to him. Killing all the guards in the room, Goku then started to advance towards Li Touten, who threw Nataku’s body in the boy’s face, trying to shield himself. Even more enraged, Goku jumped over the body and tore out one of Li Touten’s eyes.
In an attempt to stop him, Kenren told Goku to make him his opponent instead, but the bloody boy just gave him a psychotic grin. Fortunately, Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Goddess of Mercy arrived at that moment, and told the rest of them to stand back while she dealt with Goku. She easily clothes-lined him and pushed him down on the floor, raising her hand to kill him. But Konzen Douji interceded, punching his aunt in the face. Giving her nephew a smile and then shoving a knee in his groin, she told him that he better not regret raising his hand against her. Picking up the unconscious Goku, Konzen glared at the Merciful Goddess and said that he will not.
Laughing at this, Li Touten told the guards to arrest them all, for now they were traitors and enemies of Heaven - and thus under death penalty. Surrounded, Tenpou and Kenren grabbed their weapons to protect Konzen while he carried Goku, and they got ready to flee. Goujun called for them to stop it, and Tenpou located the Dragon King in the middle of the crowd and headed straight for him with his sword drawn. Meeting him sword to sword, Goujun was surprised by a kick to his stomach and faced the tip of Tenpou’s sword. Being taken hostage as a way for the four traitors to escape, the army backed away and he was forced to leave with them.
Brought to the south-west barracks and Tenpou’s library, the four traitors and their hostage regrouped. Kenren boarded up the place while Tenpou and Konzen cared for the unconscious Goku, still in Seiten Taisei form and sick with a high fever. Goujun was tied up and pretty much shoved into a corner while the men tried to come up with a plan on what to do next. Speaking up, Goujun called them fools to expect that they could run away after making all of Heaven their enemy. That just made Tenpou and Kenren laugh, saying it sounds like they are terrorists.
As the Heavenly Army surrounded the barracks, Goujun asked what they plan to do now, and he heard that Tenpou’s answer of ‘we’ll figure something out’ was told with uncertainty. They were not overzealous, stupid soldiers… what could they do with only four men? All that was left was suicide, but even that would be too late.
Outside, Li Touten had taken over Goujun’s army, and Goujun watched as Tenpou and Kenren opened a window to speak with them. As they did, he was left in the room with Konzen Douji and the unconscious Goku. Trying to understand their reasoning, he started speaking to Konzen. Seeing that the man had never had anything to do with the army before, the Dragon King wanted to know what made him get involved with this, just to save a boy. He was a higher god, after all, so he would have gotten away safely. Konzen answered that it’s just that he doesn’t like what he doesn’t like, not matter what side it is.
While Tenpou and Kenren had a flashy performance of mockery with the army surrounding the building as audience, Goujun continued to ask Konzen what he would do now. The army was looking upon them as enemies and unclean, and would put in all their might in subduing the traitors. All for a lone child. He also added that Konzen was like a flower in a greenhouse; he had no combat experience or powers - all that awaited him was destruction. Konzen said that Goujun is probably right… but he could not go back now, and he did not want to.
While he spoke, a shadow moved behind Konzen, getting up from the bed. Goujun noticed that Seiten Taisei has awoken and screamed for Konzen to loosen his bonds, since the god was no match for Goku and it would only end in Konzen’s death; Goujun would fight Goku for him. But Konzen did not move to untie Goujun, and instead moved to meet Goku as the boy lunged towards him. Landing on top of Konzen, Goku’s claws nicked the man’s face but the god simply sat up slightly and embraced the boy. The shock seemed to return Goku’s circlet to him, and he passed out again.
Meanwhile, outside, Tenpou and Kenren laid down their demands for freeing the hostages (for they had taken most of the people in the barracks as well as Goujun) and said that they wanted to go down to the World Below. Like all deserters, Heaven was not their destination. Returning inside after that, Goku had woken up and was very upset about what happened. Saying that he doesn’t want the three men to disappear just like Nataku, Kenren made a pinky promise with him that they would always be by his side. After that, Konzen announced that they would be leaving at dawn in secret to try and get to the World Below.
Tenpou and Kenren spent the whole night coming up with strategies, and as dawn came, the Heavenly Army attacked the south-west barracks. They managed to break in and free the hostages, but there was no sign of the four traitors or Goujun. Li Touten commanded the army to set the entire place on fire, and as two army men broke down the door to Tenpou’s library, they sat off a huge explosion that destroyed everything.
Meanwhile, Konzen and his friends had taken a hidden passage from Tenpou’s library to the imperial library to escape, and they took Goujun with them, still tied up and at gunpoint. Goujun marveled at their impressive tactical maneuvers of making sure that the passage could not be found afterwards. Reaching the library, Kenren stopped Goujun and said that this was where they would say good-bye. Since the group was heading for the World Below, they had to get into the Imperial Palace and use a gate in the deepest cellar.
Asking what they were going to do with him, Kenren grinned and said that Goujun just has to sit tight here and wait to be rescued. Tenpou added that he was sorry for dragging Goujun into this mess, but there had to be some sign to outsiders that Goujun was not involved in the plot. Goujun realized then that they had kidnapped him to save his reputation, and as the men said goodbye, he straightened up and asked them to report properly when leaving. Turning around and standing to attention, saluting their commander, Tenpou and Kenren presented themselves and formally reported that they herewith resigned as soldiers of the army.
Goujun bowed his head to that, watching their retreating backs. (The translation is a bit strange here and I have not been able to find another, but I think he said that he envied their freedom… which makes sense.)
While the group fought their way through the Imperial Palace, Goujun was rescued and filled in on the latest events. The fleeing rebels had disappeared in the corridors at the lowest level of the Imperial Palace. Goujun was then called to Li Touten, who planned to make the young Dragon King take the blame for everything. He told Goujun to go down and make the traitors surrender, and Goujun had no other choice but to go or be seen as a traitor as well.
As he was on his way there, the news that the Jade Emperor himself has been killed by the traitors reached him. Goujun found it ridiculous that people could believe that the traitors could both kill the Emperor and be at the lower levels of the palace at the same time. The plot thickens and it seemed like Konzen Douji and his friends are not the only enemies in Heaven.
At last, Goujun found Kenren alone in a strange laboratory, with hideous monsters dead at his feet. The man was lighting up a cig, and the Dragon King asked him how he could smoke at a time like this. Kenren defiantly replied that he could smoke because it was a time like this. It made it taste a lot better. The two faced each other and Kenren smiled slightly, saying he thought that Goujun might show up.
Watching what was left of the lab and the monsters, Goujun pondered if this was what Nataku had really been, stringing things together in his head. Asking if they started the rebellion because they knew of this heresy, Kenren replied that if it was, then what would happen? The Dragon King said that a thing like this would not be forgiven, as the heretic pollution was a danger to all of heaven, but Kenren interrupted him, saying that the government didn’t tolerate these unclean beings existences, yet they took full advantage of them, creating victims like Nataku and the dead beasts at his feet.
Goujun said that he was not aware of this, but then reprimanded himself for not trying to be aware of it. He had never questioned the Heavens before. It was immoral of him, but he silently wondered if he would have gone down here as a final stroke to his immorality, if he did know. Kenren said that it was not Goujun’s fault alone, but the Dragon King answered that even though what Li Touten had done was unforgivable, they could not pass over what Kenren and the other had done, either. The Heavenly Army existed to subdue whatever disturbed the peace and order of Heaven... and as a commander of the same army, he had to ask Kenren to surrender then and there.
Goujun added that he was willing to negotiate with the government for Kenren and report to them about what Li Touten had done. He would not be pardoned for all that he had done, but under the circumstances he would escape with his life, at least. Kenren drew his gun at that, firing it towards the Dragon King and reminding him that Goujun had come there to end it. If he was just going to stand there, Kenren would kill him first. Taunting the dragon, he asked if he would let it end with everything still up in the air - he, a muckity-muck Dragon King?
Thinking that he knew from the start that it would end like this, and remembering Tenpou’s apology for dragging him in to the mess, Goujun drew his sword and advanced on Kenren, saying that the man never changed - and he was still bad at provoking him. The two men engaged in an epic battle, sword against gun. The battle came to a slight halt when they found themselves in a standoff with Goujun’s blade at Kenren’s throat and Kenren’s gun pointed to Goujun’s head. The Dragon King blurred as he quickly stepped away, and Kenren laughed, saying that Goujun was lucky since he was out of bullets.
Goujun was surprised that the man could even lift his arm any more, injured as he was. Lifting his sword, the dragon was truly saddened that this was all he could do as his commander - to give him a swift, clean death. As he got ready to execute Kenren, the man laughed again. Puzzled and asking why he laughed, Kenren just replied that it was what he had decided to die with. Stunned by this, Goujun didn’t notice that one of the beasts in the room didn’t seem all dead, and it reached out to strike the Dragon King…
ABILITIES:
[canon abilities]
Swordsman - Goujun carries a sword and is shown fighting Kenren with it. Seeing that he is a commander, he must be very talented with the blade, and the fact that he could keep even steps with a gun should be proof of that.
Speed - As said, Goujun keeps even steps with a gun, and blurs out of sight similar to Bleach shinigami’s shunpo.
Claws & Fangs - He has both claws and fangs in the series, which could be used as weapons (he seems to be clawing Kenren once in their battle). The claws are sometimes drawn as blunt short nails instead, so it seems like he is able to change them. (Or it’s a continuity error.)
Scales - Goujun is drawn with scales covering his body. They’re shown mostly around his face, but that is most likely just to simplify, since they’re in different places from panel to panel. (They should give him natural armor, like a chainmail bodysuit.)
Heightened Senses - Hearing and sense of smell. Since the youkai in Saiyuki seem to be able to track things by scent and pick up small sounds, it would make sense for a dragon to be able to do so as well.
[abilities from Chinese legends]
Water Breathing - As a water dragon, breathing in water should not be strange. Even if the dragons do not seem to have gills, they can live under water indefinitely.
Water Control - Chinese water dragons can control water in any way they wish. This would be similar to ‘water bending’ from Avatar: the last Airbender. The dragon can spring floods, boil or freeze water, make it follow its will - or the complete opposite, drain water away and leave everything dry and dead.
Rain Creation - Most famously, the Dragon Kings are the deities to pray to when having a drought. They are the lords of rain and can create rain clouds and mist, as well as stopping and dispelling the same.
Dragon Form - According to legend, the Dragon Kings can take human forms (also seen in Saiyuki Gaiden) but their true forms are that of five-clawed (imperial) Chinese dragons. They are said to have ‘a head the size of an elephant’ so needless to say they are huge. (Favored food for water dragons are whales and sharks, so...) In this form, the dragon can fly - and eastern dragons do not have wings, so they swim through the air like it is water. [This is an ability that can be removed, or at least shrunk to a more accommodating size.]
GAME INFO
EDENSPHERE NAME: Tian (天, Heaven)
BIRTHDAY LOG: Yes, please!
DREAM: The dream started out fuzzy, like most dreams do. There was a dark, silent place where he floated weightlessly in comfortable warmth. It felt almost like he was immersed in water, so deep below the surface that the sun’s rays could not reach him. Then the scenery slowly changed, a golden door appearing alone in the darkness, without any walls or floor around it. As the door slowly opened, the outline of four people could be seen, hurrying towards the open gates.
The light from the door intensified and the floating dragon could pick up little details - the flowing of long blonde hair, a scent of tobacco smoke and the glare of someone’s glasses. They were familiar, these three men, but the feeling was a strange mixture of anger and friendship at the same time. The fourth shape, however, was never hit by the light form the door, too short and small to reach it. All that the dragon could see was that it was a child, holding the blonde man’s hand tightly.
The two other men turned to face the dragon, and stood at attention with a sharp salute. Seeing them more clearly now, he marveled at the strangeness of the couple. Both were dark-haired and handsome, but different as night and day. The bespectacled man said something, but the words never reached the dragon’s ears, too mumbled and strange like they were speaking under water. In the next moment, the men turned and ran after the blonde man and the child, leaving the dragon behind.
Slowly, the doors closed behind them… and a suddenly woman’s amused voice was heard right next to the dragon’s ear, washed in together with a breeze of shining sakura petals floating in the darkness.
“Boredom in Heaven is a deadly thing, your majesty.7”
Opening his eyes, he found himself in a strange cocoon, and what he had thought was water seemed to be some kind of disgusting goo. Reaching out to rip his way out of the cocoon, the dragon was unceremoniously washed out on the floor of the Hall of Beginnings.
JOURNAL SAMPLE:
[the writing is immaculate and slow, drawn with a slight sweeping motion from someone used to handling a brush rather than a pen]
Being born in a new world without any memories and only a vague dream to give a sense of self is unacceptable. Those who rule this place must truly look down upon us all, to bring such shame to its prisoners.
It is a pity that you all seem to accept this fate without question.
I will not be so easily duped.
Tian 天
ASPIRATIONS: I have no special aspirations for this guy, other than having him join the Guard or the Watch and being a pompous asshole looking for a way out. =P
NOTES: 90% of the headcanon background is made from Chinese legends about the Dragon Kings, strung together and only slightly modified to fit as a background story. As Goujun is presented as a Dragon King in Saiyuki Gaiden, I figured going for the ‘real’ legends was a natural choice.
AU (Alternate Universe) Character Application
PLAYER INFO
NAME: Christa
CHARACTER INFO
CHARACTER NAME: Ao Jun (Chinese Name) Goujun (Japanese Name, Canon Name)
SERIES: Saiyuki Gaiden
PERSONALITY: ‘Draconian’ is the best word to describe the Dragon King Goujun. He is serious, cold, proud and rigorous. He serves the Heavens without question and has a strict honor code. Adding a dragon’s vanity and territorial nature, he is not easy to get along with at first, and his new general Kenren calls him a muckity-muck Dragon King - something that is fitting. He has a lot on his shoulders, even though he is still young by Heaven’s standards.
Underneath the coldness, though, he is actually a kind creature. He is fair, polite and has a good heart. The sacrifices he made in his youth to save the people from starvation proves this, but he has vowed to not go against the Jade Emperor again and sully the name of the Dragon Kings - which is what puts him in a difficult position when he’s pulled into the mess between friendship and his honor as a commander.
According to Chinese legends, the water dragon (which all the Dragon Kings are) is less selfish and opinionated than the other dragons. He is more inhibited and less power-hungry, he can accept defeat without recriminations and he makes a good negotiator as he knows when, where, and how to apply pressure. He has a tendency to be over-optimistic and needs to learn how to relinquish what is unfeasible so that he can concentrate his energies on the most rewarding endeavors.
This all applies to Goujun. He does not appear to hold grudges even though he was defeated so easily by his marshal when taken hostage, and he shows a talent in negotiation as he does his best to make the rebel god Konzen Douji understand that his traitorous actions will have dire consequences. He also seems to be a charismatic leader despite his stern nature and is well-respected by his subordinates.
TIMELINE: Chapter 29,right before being attacked by the Nataku-beast.
CANON+AU BACKGROUND:
[the Chinese legend]
Long ago, there were no rivers or lakes on the Earth, only the Eastern Sea. In this sea lived four dragons: the Long Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon, and the Pearl Dragon.
One day, as they flew from the sea to the sky and played in the clouds, the Pearl Dragon pointed down to the earth and cried out for the others to come and look. On the Earth they saw many people putting out fruits and cakes and burning incense sticks while they prayed.
One white-haired woman, kneeling on the ground with a thin boy on her back, was praying, "Please send rain quickly, God of Heaven, to give our children rice to eat," - for there had been no rain for a very long time and the crops had withered, the grass turned yellow, and the fields cracked under the scorching sun.
"How poor the people are!" said the Yellow Dragon. "They will die if it doesn't rain soon!" The Long Dragon agreed and then suggested that they go and beg the Jade Emperor for rain. He then leapt into the clouds and flew towards the Heavenly Palace with the other dragons following close behind.
The Jade Emperor was in charge of all the affairs in Heaven and on Earth, and he was very powerful. He was not pleased to see the four dragons rushing into the palace uninvited. "Why do you come here instead of staying in the sea and behaving yourselves?"
The Long Dragon stepped forward and said, "The crops on Earth are withering and dying, Your Majesty. I beg you to send rain down quickly!"
The Jade Emperor pretended to agree with him and responded, "All right. You go back first and I'll send rain tomorrow." The four dragons thanked the Emperor and flew happily back to the sea.
Ten days passed and no rain came to the Earth. The people suffered more and more, some eating bark and roots, others forced to eat white clay when they had nothing more to eat. Seeing this, the four dragons felt sorry for them because they knew now that the Jade Emperor cared only about pleasure and never took the people to heart.
They decided they could only rely on themselves to relieve the people from their misery. Seeing the vast sea, the Long Dragon said he had an idea. "Look, there is plenty water in the sea where we live. We should scoop it up and spray it towards the sky. The water will be like raindrops and come down to save the people and their crops!"
"Good idea!" said the others.
"But", the Long Dragon added, "We will be blamed if the Jade Emperor learns of this."
"I will do anything to save the people!", the Yellow Dragon declared. The others dragons agreed and they flew down to the sea, scooped up water in their mouths, and flew back into the sky where they sprayed water all over the earth. The four dragons flew back and forth, making the sky dark and before long the sea water became rain and it poured down from the sky.
"It's raining! It's raining!" the people cried. "Our crops will be saved!" They leapt with joy as the wheat stalks raised their heads and the grasses straightened up.
The Sea God discovered what the dragons had done and reported it to the Jade Emperor who became enraged and ordered the Heavenly Generals and their troops to arrest the four dragons. Being outnumbered, the dragons could not defend themselves and were soon captured and brought to the Heavenly Palace.
"Go and get four mountains to lie upon them so they can never escape!’, the Emperor ordered. The Mountain God used his powers to make four mountains fly from afar and pressed them down on the four dragons, imprisoning them forever.
The dragons never regretted their decision and determined to continue to do good for the people, they turned themselves into four rivers, which flowed past the high mountains and deep valleys, crossing the land from the west to the east, and to finally into the sea.
And so China's four great rivers were formed; the Heilongjiang (Black Dragon) in the far north, the Huanghe (Yellow River) in central China, the Changjiang (Yangtze, or Long River) farther south, and the Zhujiang (Pearl River) in the very far south.
[headcanon background]
The above legend is true; long ago, there once lived four dragons in the sea, which went against the Jade Emperor to bring rain to the people. But the story does not end there. Seeing what they had done for the people, the creator of the universe, Yuan-Shi-Tian-Zong, looked down upon the dragons and smiled. Freeing them from their river forms, he allowed the dragons to ascend into Heaven while leaving their river imprints on the lands below, forever marking them as a vital part of China.
Impressed by their wisdom and forgiving them for their so-called crime, the Jade Emperor gave the dragons a humanoid form and allowed them to join the ranks in Heaven. As rulers of the sea, each dragon was given the title ‘Dragon King’ and became commanders over the Heavenly Armies. While in the Heavens, they lived in grand buildings located near the Heavenly Palace, but in the World Below, they kept their crystal castles guarded by shrimp soldiers and crab generals.
The Yellow Dragon and Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, Ao Kuang (Goukou), was the leader of the Dragon Kings since he was the eldest brother, and he was given command over the Eastern Army. Known as the hornless dragon, Ao Kuang made up for it by having an impressive set of dragon whiskers, looking almost like Fu Manchu-styled facial hair in humanoid form. His scales were a sandy yellow hue with tan highlights, and his mane was short and golden. Like all his brothers, his eyes were set on blood-red whites, his iris a bright blue.
The Long Dragon and Dragon King of the Southern Sea, Ao Chin (Goukin) was given the command over the Southern Army. His scales were colored like a peacock’s feathers and he, almost as if compensating for his older brother, had a grand set of horns on his head, pronged like those of a deer. His mane was long and unruly, a deep green color that was similar to sea weed. His eyes were frightening to behold, as the iris was black as night, making it look like one huge pupil in the red sclera. Many soldiers feared the stare of the Long Dragon, as it seemed to look into their very soul.
The Black Dragon and Dragon King of the Northern Sea, Ao Shun (Goushun) took the command over the Northern Army. He was eldest twin brother of the youngest Dragon Kings, and his scales were black as onyx, shimmering slightly in blue. His horns were average for a dragon and his dark black mane was braided and slung around his neck as a scarf in humanoid form. He was a cold creature with bright green eyes, and while he was identical in all but color to his white brother, they were quite different in personality and rarely got along.
Lastly, the Pearl Dragon, Dragon King of the Western Sea, Commander of Heaven's Western Army and Father of the Zhujiang River was named Ao Jun (Goujun). He was the youngest of the dragon brothers and the one most curious about the World Below, for it was he that had noticed the people of the Earth starving from the drought. With pale white scales that shimmered in nacre hues and a mane of silver, Goujun was truly worthy of the name ‘pearl dragon’.
For several passing centuries the Dragon Kings served in Heaven, only returning to the sea now and then to hunt and feed on sharks and whales. Heaven’s law of no killing could be frustrating for a dragon and they sometimes tired of vegetarian food. As more tiny rivers and pools appeared in China, the Dragon Kings were given harems of dragon consorts to fill their crystal palaces with. Goukou soon had a son, named the Crown Prince of the Dragon Kings. His name was Ao Ping.
Unfortunately Ao Ping was a few centuries later killed by the demon hunter Li-Nezha. A monstrous Immortal with three heads, eight arms and nine eyes, Li-Nezha was sent down to Earth by the Jade Emperor to subdue a plague of demons that spread over the land.
One day, while he was paddling in the Eastern Sea, he set it alight to see what would happen. Puzzled by the mysterious flames, Goukou sent Ao Ping to investigate. But in a playful mood of boyish high spirits, Li-Nezha killed the Yellow Dragon’s son. The enraged Goukou zoomed from his underwater palace seeking revenge, but was defeated himself in a most humiliating manner. The other Dragon Kings could not take revenge due to the Heavenly Law of no killing, but they burst into Li-Nezha’s home and kidnapped his mother and father, demanding that Li-Nezha paid for his crime.
This was a delicate situation requiring the utmost diplomacy and tact… so an abashed Li-Nezha sulkily committed suicide and his parents were released. (He was later reborn as the son of a human Emperor, but that’s a whole other legend.)
The second child of Goukou also gave him trouble. She fell in love with a mortal man in the World Below and later gave birth to the first Japanese Emperor. Needless to say, the other Dragon Kings were not exactly hoping for more troublesome offspring after this, and any children their many consorts had were made into good luck spirits and common four-toed dragons.
Goujun was the only one of the Dragon Kings to not choose a prime consort or have any children, preferring to occupy his time with the army and Heavenly politics. He and his twin often had spats about the best way to lead an army, and the frequent arguments escalated until the day that Goushun challenged Goujun to a fight. To protect his pride, Goujun could not refuse, even though he did not want to fight his twin brother.
The fight took place at the Heavenly Army’s training grounds, and the two dragon brothers met sword to sword in a fight about first blood. Being all but equal in strength, the brothers fought until they were exhausted. Goukin, who had watched the fight between the two youngest brothers, decided that it was a draw and neither of them would win. Goujun accepted this, but Goushun was not satisfied. The brothers drifted apart after this, only seeing each other at official meetings.
Several centuries passed, until the lethargy and boredom in a never-changing Heaven was beginning to take its toll…
[canon background]
Goujun’s part is Saiyuki Gaiden is as a minor character, but he is nevertheless important. He acts as the narrator through the whole story, which is presented as his written report after the events that took place.
He was first seen (chronologically) when meeting with Kenren, a Heavenly Soldier that was transferred from another army to Goujun’s own. The reason for the transfer involved having beaten up his higher-ranking officer and slept with his wife, so it was a safe solution to avoid the shockwaves. Goujun pointedly said that Kenren better get used to the idea of toeing the line while in the Western Army. He would not be allowed to act in a way that would stain the military record of Tenpou, the field marshal and Kenren’s commander.
A few years passed, and Goujun was later seen meeting Kenren in a hallway and reprimanded him for not greeting his superior officer. Kenren pointedly said ‘hi’ and ‘goodbye’ in one sentence and then turned to leave, but Goujun stopped him by asking why he was keeping a flask of wine in his belt. Kenren cheekily replied that it was his fuel. Annoyed at that, Goujun then told Kenren that if it was not for his marshal, Tenpou, Kenren would have been thrown out of the army already. He should remember to thank him. Kenren just laughed at that and left, while thinking that such an alien creature with his strict personality was someone he just could not respect.
While attending the great festival to celebrate the Jade Emperor’s birthday, Goujun witnessed the calamity made by Goku, a heretic being brought to Heaven from the World Below and put into the care of the nephew of the great bodhisattva Kanzeon Bosatsu, Goddess of Mercy. Goku got into a fight with bullying gods in the middle of the Jade Emperor’s speech, and when joined by his keeper, Konzen Douji, and Goujun’s own subordinates Field Marshal Tenpou and General Kenren, it was a big and loud mess. Konzen finally took responsibility for the fighting and made them all leave with him (as an excuse to get away from the boring event) but it was the start of a tale that would shake the very foundation of Heaven - and Goujun’s last thoughts before they disappeared was that they were dangerous.
During a call from the Jade Emperor to send out the childlike War Prince Nataku into another battle, Kenren interrupted the meeting and bowed to the Emperor, presenting himself as the general of the Dragon King Goujun’s army. Goujun himself watched as Kenren tried to make the Jade Emperor change his mind, as Nataku was still injured from a previous battle, and to give him the mission instead. Insulted, the Jade Emperor asked how Kenren dared to think that a simple soldier could take the War Prince’s place, and Kenren said that he could not, but believed that he would do better than the lot that came back unscratched from the last mission - where Nataku secretly had been forced to fight alone.
Shocked, Goujun demanded that Kenren stopped his insolence, but Li Touten, Nataku’s father, intervened and said that his son was the perfect warrior and that simple wounds would not stop him. Adding that the boy was eager to sacrifice himself for heaven if needed, Nataku could not do anything else but agree to his father’s claims. Dismissed, Nataku passed by Kenren, whispered a thanks and then socked him in the stomach before continuing on his way. As he left, the Jade Emperor demanded that Kenren was to be taken away and disciplined.
Kenren was later seen imprisoned and covered from head to toe with wounds from being tortured, and Goujun came down to the cells to see him. Being asked if the dragon is there for the grand tour, Goujun scoffed and said that he always thought Kenren was a fool, but not this big a one. Throwing Kenren a key to his bonds, the Dragon King continued to speak, saying that since he was Kenren’s commander, he should have spoken to him before going against the Emperor. If the suggestion had come from Goujun, the Jade Emperor might have listened.
Kenren disagreed, and adds that he just had to say something about the situation. Goujun asked if it was worth it, since it ended up like this, but the general told the dragon that the punch from Nataku hurt a lot more than being disciplined. He then mused that the fact that Nataku had to act like an adult even though he was a child… seeing that was always so painful. The boy could never say a thing like ‘it hurts’, and that might be what true suffering was.
Tension in Heaven ran high after this, getting worse by the day. As Nataku returned from his latest mission, Goku rushed to say hello to his only friend - but Li Touten saw Goku as a threat to his control over his son and whispered to Nataku to kill Goku. Enraged by this, Goku punched Li Touten but was stopped from doing more damage by a cold-looking Nataku, who said that his father is his lord, and he would do as told. Materializing a sword out of nowhere he attacked, but was stopped by Kenren.
Li Touten told Nataku to kill Kenren as well, and a fight broke out. In the middle of this, Tenpou noticed what was going on and tried to launch a sneak attack on Li Touten, but was also stopped by Nataku. Thrown into a wall but then slowly getting up again, Tenpou joined Kenren in an attempt to protect the shocked Goku. But facing the War Prince, they were outclassed and started screaming for Goku to run. But the boy doesn’t, and Nataku attacked him, stopping his blade just under Goku’s chin. Smiling, Goku told Nataku his name, as he was now given one, and the War Prince’s eyes overflowed with tears. In the next second, he turned the sword to himself, trying to commit suicide rather than killing his friend.
Splattered by his friend’s blood, Goku broke down in tears as Nataku died before his eyes. Li Touten demanded that people move so that he can take his son, and while he picked up Nataku, he said that the body might still be of some use. Goku snapped at this, rushing towards Li Touten in rage - but he was grabbed by the hair and forced down by guards. As Kenren and Tenpou tried to help Goku, they were also surrounded by guards. Li Touten screamed for the guards to arrest the rebels, and as he did, Goku’s golden circlet shattered and he was transformed to a berserking monster known as Seiten Taisei, the Great Sage equaling Heaven and Earth.
His mere aura disintegrated the guards around him and he started to slaughter everyone that was in his way, just as Konzen Douji arrived to the scene. Noticing how dangerous Goku was, Goujun tried to tell the people to not approach him recklessly, but the chaos was a factor and people did not listen to him. Killing all the guards in the room, Goku then started to advance towards Li Touten, who threw Nataku’s body in the boy’s face, trying to shield himself. Even more enraged, Goku jumped over the body and tore out one of Li Touten’s eyes.
In an attempt to stop him, Kenren told Goku to make him his opponent instead, but the bloody boy just gave him a psychotic grin. Fortunately, Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Goddess of Mercy arrived at that moment, and told the rest of them to stand back while she dealt with Goku. She easily clothes-lined him and pushed him down on the floor, raising her hand to kill him. But Konzen Douji interceded, punching his aunt in the face. Giving her nephew a smile and then shoving a knee in his groin, she told him that he better not regret raising his hand against her. Picking up the unconscious Goku, Konzen glared at the Merciful Goddess and said that he will not.
Laughing at this, Li Touten told the guards to arrest them all, for now they were traitors and enemies of Heaven - and thus under death penalty. Surrounded, Tenpou and Kenren grabbed their weapons to protect Konzen while he carried Goku, and they got ready to flee. Goujun called for them to stop it, and Tenpou located the Dragon King in the middle of the crowd and headed straight for him with his sword drawn. Meeting him sword to sword, Goujun was surprised by a kick to his stomach and faced the tip of Tenpou’s sword. Being taken hostage as a way for the four traitors to escape, the army backed away and he was forced to leave with them.
Brought to the south-west barracks and Tenpou’s library, the four traitors and their hostage regrouped. Kenren boarded up the place while Tenpou and Konzen cared for the unconscious Goku, still in Seiten Taisei form and sick with a high fever. Goujun was tied up and pretty much shoved into a corner while the men tried to come up with a plan on what to do next. Speaking up, Goujun called them fools to expect that they could run away after making all of Heaven their enemy. That just made Tenpou and Kenren laugh, saying it sounds like they are terrorists.
As the Heavenly Army surrounded the barracks, Goujun asked what they plan to do now, and he heard that Tenpou’s answer of ‘we’ll figure something out’ was told with uncertainty. They were not overzealous, stupid soldiers… what could they do with only four men? All that was left was suicide, but even that would be too late.
Outside, Li Touten had taken over Goujun’s army, and Goujun watched as Tenpou and Kenren opened a window to speak with them. As they did, he was left in the room with Konzen Douji and the unconscious Goku. Trying to understand their reasoning, he started speaking to Konzen. Seeing that the man had never had anything to do with the army before, the Dragon King wanted to know what made him get involved with this, just to save a boy. He was a higher god, after all, so he would have gotten away safely. Konzen answered that it’s just that he doesn’t like what he doesn’t like, not matter what side it is.
While Tenpou and Kenren had a flashy performance of mockery with the army surrounding the building as audience, Goujun continued to ask Konzen what he would do now. The army was looking upon them as enemies and unclean, and would put in all their might in subduing the traitors. All for a lone child. He also added that Konzen was like a flower in a greenhouse; he had no combat experience or powers - all that awaited him was destruction. Konzen said that Goujun is probably right… but he could not go back now, and he did not want to.
While he spoke, a shadow moved behind Konzen, getting up from the bed. Goujun noticed that Seiten Taisei has awoken and screamed for Konzen to loosen his bonds, since the god was no match for Goku and it would only end in Konzen’s death; Goujun would fight Goku for him. But Konzen did not move to untie Goujun, and instead moved to meet Goku as the boy lunged towards him. Landing on top of Konzen, Goku’s claws nicked the man’s face but the god simply sat up slightly and embraced the boy. The shock seemed to return Goku’s circlet to him, and he passed out again.
Meanwhile, outside, Tenpou and Kenren laid down their demands for freeing the hostages (for they had taken most of the people in the barracks as well as Goujun) and said that they wanted to go down to the World Below. Like all deserters, Heaven was not their destination. Returning inside after that, Goku had woken up and was very upset about what happened. Saying that he doesn’t want the three men to disappear just like Nataku, Kenren made a pinky promise with him that they would always be by his side. After that, Konzen announced that they would be leaving at dawn in secret to try and get to the World Below.
Tenpou and Kenren spent the whole night coming up with strategies, and as dawn came, the Heavenly Army attacked the south-west barracks. They managed to break in and free the hostages, but there was no sign of the four traitors or Goujun. Li Touten commanded the army to set the entire place on fire, and as two army men broke down the door to Tenpou’s library, they sat off a huge explosion that destroyed everything.
Meanwhile, Konzen and his friends had taken a hidden passage from Tenpou’s library to the imperial library to escape, and they took Goujun with them, still tied up and at gunpoint. Goujun marveled at their impressive tactical maneuvers of making sure that the passage could not be found afterwards. Reaching the library, Kenren stopped Goujun and said that this was where they would say good-bye. Since the group was heading for the World Below, they had to get into the Imperial Palace and use a gate in the deepest cellar.
Asking what they were going to do with him, Kenren grinned and said that Goujun just has to sit tight here and wait to be rescued. Tenpou added that he was sorry for dragging Goujun into this mess, but there had to be some sign to outsiders that Goujun was not involved in the plot. Goujun realized then that they had kidnapped him to save his reputation, and as the men said goodbye, he straightened up and asked them to report properly when leaving. Turning around and standing to attention, saluting their commander, Tenpou and Kenren presented themselves and formally reported that they herewith resigned as soldiers of the army.
Goujun bowed his head to that, watching their retreating backs. (The translation is a bit strange here and I have not been able to find another, but I think he said that he envied their freedom… which makes sense.)
While the group fought their way through the Imperial Palace, Goujun was rescued and filled in on the latest events. The fleeing rebels had disappeared in the corridors at the lowest level of the Imperial Palace. Goujun was then called to Li Touten, who planned to make the young Dragon King take the blame for everything. He told Goujun to go down and make the traitors surrender, and Goujun had no other choice but to go or be seen as a traitor as well.
As he was on his way there, the news that the Jade Emperor himself has been killed by the traitors reached him. Goujun found it ridiculous that people could believe that the traitors could both kill the Emperor and be at the lower levels of the palace at the same time. The plot thickens and it seemed like Konzen Douji and his friends are not the only enemies in Heaven.
At last, Goujun found Kenren alone in a strange laboratory, with hideous monsters dead at his feet. The man was lighting up a cig, and the Dragon King asked him how he could smoke at a time like this. Kenren defiantly replied that he could smoke because it was a time like this. It made it taste a lot better. The two faced each other and Kenren smiled slightly, saying he thought that Goujun might show up.
Watching what was left of the lab and the monsters, Goujun pondered if this was what Nataku had really been, stringing things together in his head. Asking if they started the rebellion because they knew of this heresy, Kenren replied that if it was, then what would happen? The Dragon King said that a thing like this would not be forgiven, as the heretic pollution was a danger to all of heaven, but Kenren interrupted him, saying that the government didn’t tolerate these unclean beings existences, yet they took full advantage of them, creating victims like Nataku and the dead beasts at his feet.
Goujun said that he was not aware of this, but then reprimanded himself for not trying to be aware of it. He had never questioned the Heavens before. It was immoral of him, but he silently wondered if he would have gone down here as a final stroke to his immorality, if he did know. Kenren said that it was not Goujun’s fault alone, but the Dragon King answered that even though what Li Touten had done was unforgivable, they could not pass over what Kenren and the other had done, either. The Heavenly Army existed to subdue whatever disturbed the peace and order of Heaven... and as a commander of the same army, he had to ask Kenren to surrender then and there.
Goujun added that he was willing to negotiate with the government for Kenren and report to them about what Li Touten had done. He would not be pardoned for all that he had done, but under the circumstances he would escape with his life, at least. Kenren drew his gun at that, firing it towards the Dragon King and reminding him that Goujun had come there to end it. If he was just going to stand there, Kenren would kill him first. Taunting the dragon, he asked if he would let it end with everything still up in the air - he, a muckity-muck Dragon King?
Thinking that he knew from the start that it would end like this, and remembering Tenpou’s apology for dragging him in to the mess, Goujun drew his sword and advanced on Kenren, saying that the man never changed - and he was still bad at provoking him. The two men engaged in an epic battle, sword against gun. The battle came to a slight halt when they found themselves in a standoff with Goujun’s blade at Kenren’s throat and Kenren’s gun pointed to Goujun’s head. The Dragon King blurred as he quickly stepped away, and Kenren laughed, saying that Goujun was lucky since he was out of bullets.
Goujun was surprised that the man could even lift his arm any more, injured as he was. Lifting his sword, the dragon was truly saddened that this was all he could do as his commander - to give him a swift, clean death. As he got ready to execute Kenren, the man laughed again. Puzzled and asking why he laughed, Kenren just replied that it was what he had decided to die with. Stunned by this, Goujun didn’t notice that one of the beasts in the room didn’t seem all dead, and it reached out to strike the Dragon King…
ABILITIES:
[canon abilities]
Swordsman - Goujun carries a sword and is shown fighting Kenren with it. Seeing that he is a commander, he must be very talented with the blade, and the fact that he could keep even steps with a gun should be proof of that.
Speed - As said, Goujun keeps even steps with a gun, and blurs out of sight similar to Bleach shinigami’s shunpo.
Claws & Fangs - He has both claws and fangs in the series, which could be used as weapons (he seems to be clawing Kenren once in their battle). The claws are sometimes drawn as blunt short nails instead, so it seems like he is able to change them. (Or it’s a continuity error.)
Scales - Goujun is drawn with scales covering his body. They’re shown mostly around his face, but that is most likely just to simplify, since they’re in different places from panel to panel. (They should give him natural armor, like a chainmail bodysuit.)
Heightened Senses - Hearing and sense of smell. Since the youkai in Saiyuki seem to be able to track things by scent and pick up small sounds, it would make sense for a dragon to be able to do so as well.
[abilities from Chinese legends]
Water Breathing - As a water dragon, breathing in water should not be strange. Even if the dragons do not seem to have gills, they can live under water indefinitely.
Water Control - Chinese water dragons can control water in any way they wish. This would be similar to ‘water bending’ from Avatar: the last Airbender. The dragon can spring floods, boil or freeze water, make it follow its will - or the complete opposite, drain water away and leave everything dry and dead.
Rain Creation - Most famously, the Dragon Kings are the deities to pray to when having a drought. They are the lords of rain and can create rain clouds and mist, as well as stopping and dispelling the same.
Dragon Form - According to legend, the Dragon Kings can take human forms (also seen in Saiyuki Gaiden) but their true forms are that of five-clawed (imperial) Chinese dragons. They are said to have ‘a head the size of an elephant’ so needless to say they are huge. (Favored food for water dragons are whales and sharks, so...) In this form, the dragon can fly - and eastern dragons do not have wings, so they swim through the air like it is water. [This is an ability that can be removed, or at least shrunk to a more accommodating size.]
GAME INFO
EDENSPHERE NAME: Tian (天, Heaven)
BIRTHDAY LOG: Yes, please!
DREAM: The dream started out fuzzy, like most dreams do. There was a dark, silent place where he floated weightlessly in comfortable warmth. It felt almost like he was immersed in water, so deep below the surface that the sun’s rays could not reach him. Then the scenery slowly changed, a golden door appearing alone in the darkness, without any walls or floor around it. As the door slowly opened, the outline of four people could be seen, hurrying towards the open gates.
The light from the door intensified and the floating dragon could pick up little details - the flowing of long blonde hair, a scent of tobacco smoke and the glare of someone’s glasses. They were familiar, these three men, but the feeling was a strange mixture of anger and friendship at the same time. The fourth shape, however, was never hit by the light form the door, too short and small to reach it. All that the dragon could see was that it was a child, holding the blonde man’s hand tightly.
The two other men turned to face the dragon, and stood at attention with a sharp salute. Seeing them more clearly now, he marveled at the strangeness of the couple. Both were dark-haired and handsome, but different as night and day. The bespectacled man said something, but the words never reached the dragon’s ears, too mumbled and strange like they were speaking under water. In the next moment, the men turned and ran after the blonde man and the child, leaving the dragon behind.
Slowly, the doors closed behind them… and a suddenly woman’s amused voice was heard right next to the dragon’s ear, washed in together with a breeze of shining sakura petals floating in the darkness.
“Boredom in Heaven is a deadly thing, your majesty.7”
Opening his eyes, he found himself in a strange cocoon, and what he had thought was water seemed to be some kind of disgusting goo. Reaching out to rip his way out of the cocoon, the dragon was unceremoniously washed out on the floor of the Hall of Beginnings.
JOURNAL SAMPLE:
[the writing is immaculate and slow, drawn with a slight sweeping motion from someone used to handling a brush rather than a pen]
Being born in a new world without any memories and only a vague dream to give a sense of self is unacceptable. Those who rule this place must truly look down upon us all, to bring such shame to its prisoners.
It is a pity that you all seem to accept this fate without question.
I will not be so easily duped.
Tian 天
ASPIRATIONS: I have no special aspirations for this guy, other than having him join the Guard or the Watch and being a pompous asshole looking for a way out. =P
NOTES: 90% of the headcanon background is made from Chinese legends about the Dragon Kings, strung together and only slightly modified to fit as a background story. As Goujun is presented as a Dragon King in Saiyuki Gaiden, I figured going for the ‘real’ legends was a natural choice.