The Princes of Ayodhya-The Ramayan Through Short Stories

Angad, Son of Vali

"Let's keep our spirits as good in these times as Angad tries, to keep his," he murmured, turning back around and swallowing. "-and then we shall succeed in winning one battle against Ravan without even trying." He squared his form. "Now let's make a Plan B in case Ravan does not return Sita. Papa always said that everyone should have a backup. Unfortunate defeat befalls upon the one who does not know what to do next, or what to do if."

----O----

Angad simply walked towards the caves, turning his head this way and that. (#Angadisnotahorse) Angad set his crown on his head and walked towards the beach again. Swallowing hard, he looked behind him. He knew one of the real reasons that Prabhu Shri Ram had chosen him to be their ambassador, other than the fact that he was one of the few monkeys who could fly. Angad was the son of Vali, and Vali was deeply respected by Ravan, despite defeating him once, and being able to do it again. Ravan would listen to Vali's son.

But he was not bitter against Shri Ram for this. Angad smirked as he leapt into the air, and did not fly, instead slowly ascending to the height of the clouds. It was quite crafty. And if Ravan ever underestimated him for his loyalty towards dharma-well then Angad could show exactly how he was the son of Vali.

Angad took in a deep breath, and reached out a hand, and felt it go through the dewy mist of the clouds. It was another thing, to be able to fly. One felt detached upon the world, as if they were swinging on a chandelier and observing a queer scene in a ballroom. Basically, he liked it. Lanka, the island, had learned to be quite scared of monkeys, and so it shifted around a little bit as Angad approached, but it did not move, for even islands knew that fate was fate, and it certainly couldn't move forever. Eventually, it would bump into Antarctica!

People screamed as they saw yet another monkey approaching (like how many flying monkeys were there for goodness sakes?!), and Prahasta, the army general of Ravan, rushed out of the palace, holding a long whip and growling. "Stop in the name of Ravan!" he roared angrily, swinging the whip around. "STOP!" Angad...well, he did not stop. Instead, he came crashing right into Prahasta.

Prahasta fell to the ground and looked up at a beaming monkey. "I come in peace, I promise!" he said. "You just wouldn't move out of the way! I've got a message to deliver to Ravan, King of Lanka, and I don't plan to reach him by destroying his favorite garden, not to mention burning his entire city!" Angad looked around. "Wow, you guys rebuild really quick." Prahasta tapped his foot, and Angad stood up.

"Hai!" Prahasta sliced the air with his sharp cleaver-like sword, but Angad jumped back just in time. "Ha!" Prahasta attempted to leap into the air, but Angad was there first, and punched him back so that he landed on the ground. But again, Prahasta rushed forward and attempted to stab Angad, leading only to Angad kicking him in the guts, and the rakshas flying back multiple feet, and landing in the dust.

"OOOOH-you just got yeeted!" Angad cried, hand over his mouth, jumping up and down, his tail flying this way and that. "By the way, where's Ravan's palace? I was supposed to be a peaceful messenger, but I accidentally whooped your butt, so I'd like to confirm that the rest of Prabhu Shri Ram's army can do so as well if he doesn't surrender, but they won't if he does." Prahasta stood up, grabbed Angad's shoulder and guided (cough-pushed-cough) him into Ravan's throne room.

Ravan sat upon his grand throne, one hand on his knee, the other hand clasped around his spear tightly. His eyes appeared half-lidded and bored, his appearance dismissive, and his mustache was curved up in a snarl. His courtiers, loyal advisers, and best generals sat on the lines of thrones on either side of the room, and right in the center was a long red carpet. Angad looked around, before turning back to Ravan with a grin. "Whoa man, bomb crib!"

Then, he turned serious, straightening up fully, his jaw squaring and he pushed Prahasta aside, walking right up to Ravan's throne and looking him in the eye. "Look. Prabhu Shri Ram is merciful. He has sent me, a peaceful messenger, to give you a not-so-peaceful message. There is more, much more where Hanuman and I came from. He asks, politely too, I would have thrown some curses in there, for you to return Maa Sita, and he won't punish you by eliminating your army and your generals. Return Maa Sita immediately, and all will be forgiven."

Ravan stared right back into Angad's eyes, before his face spread wide and he burst into laughter. This was the cue for the generals and the advisers to burst into laughter too, and soon the entire room was filled with laughter. "Y-You're a mere monkey!" Ravan laughed raucously. "What will you do to me and my army! We don't care if there are a thousand of you, but all of you, along with the two hermits, what will you do to me, Ravan of Lanka-HAHA! Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Angad simmered quietly. "SHUT UP!" the hall quieted. "Ravan, King of Lanka, you may not care if there are a thousand of us, but you will care if there are a million. You will care if all of them are as mighty as Hanuman. You will care when they finish off your generals and your sons and your advisors and your allies, one by one by one, you will care when they seize Lanka in the palm of their hand, you will care when one of them guides Lord Ram towards you, and when he cuts off your head with his arrow. You will care if the two princes of Ayodhya, two of the finest archers on this Earth, along with their millions strong army, attack Lanka."

Ravan snarled and sat back. "Look, Yuvraj Angad. I respected your father, Raja Vali." Angad looked away angrily. "They killed your father, so why are you siding with them? Join me, oh mighty son of the great Vali, and we shall avenge your father's death, your mother's dishonor, and your loss of your own kingdom! Join me and we shall annihilate those who stand in our way towards greatness!"

Angad turned towards him. "My father was great, but he did terrible things. He-much like you-took someone else's wife. I am forever devoted to Prabhu Shri Ram, a follower and a leader of dharma and someone who freely took me in without any preconceptions due to my father. Ravan-if you think that I can be swayed because of the mere mention of a name and power-like you-then you are wrong, because I'm not like you, and I'm not like my father!"
Angad paused. "But that's okay! Listen to this bet I present! If you can move my leg-" he stomped his leg on a step leading up to Ravan's throne. "Then Prabhu Shri Ram will move back his army and let you be." Ravan smirked, and told one of his generals to walk forth and remove the monkey's leg. The general walked forward, wrapped his hands around Angad's leg, and heaved up. But his face turned red and he bared his fangs, and still, Angad's legs would not move from the position it seemed now rooted to.

Soon, each and every one of Ravan's closest soldiers, generals, and advisors, his strongest wrestler, and heck even Indrajit had tried, but Angad did not budge, and neither did his leg. Finally Ravan drew up his clothes and leaned down to try and remove Angad's foot. But Angad smirked and quickly moved back just as he moved forward, so Ravan's crown fell. Angad picked up the crown and studied it closely before throwing it behind him.

"If you wanted to touch someone's feet, Ravan, you should touch Prabhu Shri Ram's and beg for forgiveness for your misdeeds." He pulled his foot back, and Ravan lunged forward once more, only to grab at thin air as Angad evaded his touch once more with a mocking laugh. "Now you have no chance. We've given you one already, Ravan, now all you can do is touch your God's feet and hope for a quick death, and we'll try to."

And with that, Angad turned his back on Ravan and flew into the air, back over the rushing waters of the Great Ocean, his smile only growing wider when hearing the shouts behind him fade away. The Great Angad had struck again!

Bonus Scene

Lakshman squinted, and he thought he spotted a missile racing towards him from the sky. Ram glanced at him, then back at the sky, not being able to see anything himself. "Bhaiyya," he began cautiously. "brace for-something?" he wondered, stepping aside just as the missile landed. Ram looked down, and there was Ravan's crown, resting right at his feet. Nal jumped aside with shock and alarm.

"JEEZUS!" he cried, and Neel began the composition of his newest story as Ram picked the crown up and inspected it and Sugriv smirked, one hand on each hip. Angad had most definitely proven himself to be the boldest one out of them, a daring vanar with a heart of nothing but brash courageousness. The question was-would this boldness win them the now certain war?

A/N-A rather small bonus scene, but it's been so long since I've done one of these, I just put it in!