#✨dove✨ | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

googleitlol · 8 months ago

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AAAAAA This took longer than I wanted, life has been wild. I was planning on showing more of the Yellow-Robe Demon arc but with how long this took I'm just gonna give you guys this instead. Maybe if I ever decide to put this on AO3, I can include more of it but for now, this has been LONG overdue

Dove Masterlist:

Doubles

“There is no way this will end well for us, you know.”

You roll your eyes from behind Zhu Bajie, the pig demon carrying you on his back as he soars over the sparse clouds of the chilled night sky. Everything had been alright after Sun Wukong left– for a little bit, at least. Everything went wrong the minute your friends became involved in a royal debacle between a kingdom and a powerful demon. The demon, called Yellow-Robe, had kidnapped the kingdom’s princess to be his wife. After that princess aided you in rescuing Tripitaka from her monstrous husband, you and your friends agreed to help save her and dispose of her captor.

Unfortunately, things had gotten out of hand the minute Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing left to defeat him. Wujing was captured instead, and to make it worse, Yellow-Robe tricked the king and his court into thinking Tripitaka was a beast. You and Ao Lie had nearly defeated him, but you alone were not enough. With enough berating, you managed to convince Pigsy that the only course of action now was turning to the only disciple Yellow-Robe had yet to meet. You only hope he will go back with you.

“There is none that monkey hates more than the two of us.” Bajie persisted, and you roll your eyes at his pessimism.

“Will you cease your whining? I am sure Sun Wukong will understand and agree to return with us.” You try your best to reassure him, though your belief in your own words is shaky at best.

The demon huffs. “And if he doesn’t?” You frown, your companion voicing the concern that’s been picking at you skin since you started flying to the Monkey King’s mountain. What if he refuses to help? With how his involvement in the journey ended, you’re not sure what it might take to convince him to come back.

“…He will.” He has to.

It’s difficult to see much once you reach Flower-Fruit. With the cloak of darkness, you’re not sure where to begin your search. After a second, you’re able to land by and begin the trek uphill. While he was still with you, the Great Sage often mentioned his home.

All you had to do now was find it. “He said the entrance was behind a waterfall, didn’t he? If we find running water, we can follow it upstream and hopefully it can lead us to him.”

“Hmm…” You turn when you hear Pigsy’s voice a little ways behind. “Perhaps we can cover more ground if we split up?”

His smile makes it clear that he isn’t digesting the tired look you give him. He isn’t fooling you with this proposal, no matter what reasoning he conjures to justify it. You know he will likely wander off somewhere and leave you to do all the talking, he’s too afraid of Sun Wukong to confront him head on. Maybe he’ll find a cosy little space tucked away somewhere to doze off.

In all honesty, you would rather Bajie not be around to accidentally set off the Monkey King with his nonsensical ramblings. It also didn’t help that you had to listen to him all night during the flight here, and you feel completely done with the demon at this point. “Fine.” At your agreement, the pig perks up. You gesture over in one direction. “I will go this way, you go the opposite. If you find him before I do, try not to give him any more reasons to be spiteful.” You warn.

“You think so low of me, I have a silver tongue!” He argues, to which you can’t help but chuckle.

“I would say you were right, but I’d rather not waste my breath lying.” You sigh, making the pig demon look back at you in surprise.

He gives a shout as you begin walking away. “Hey!” His clear irritation makes you snicker. He played a big hand in his master banishing Wukong, so some light teasing was the least of the punishments he could receive.

You don’t acknowledge the pig any further, instead moving deeper into the mountain. Crickets sing their songs in the safety of shadows as you move, the croaks of hidden frogs overlap one another. Even with the veil of night blanketing the mountain, you can see the beauty of the landscape before you. Several of the trees you pass are ripe with fruit, bushes are peppered with bundles of berries, and in some areas you have to shift into a dove to get through the dense greenery.

It’s only when you hear running water that you perch on a low-hanging branch. You take a moment to listen for where the sound may be coming from before following it. It takes you only a few seconds to fly your way over, transforming back once you see the stream of water running downhill.

The moment you do, something lets out a startled noise from the opposite side of the water. Squinting, you notice a flash of brown behind the trunk of a tree. Is it an animal?

It peeks out from behind the trunk, the curious eyes of a young monkey following your every move. You subconsciously smile at the timid creature. “Hello, there.” You greet, but the monkey remains still as a statue. After a few moments of being subjected to its little stare-down, you tear your gaze away and spot a mango tree on your side of the stream. You take a fruit before holding it out to the monkey. “You don’t have to be scared.”

The little monkey looks between you and the offering before disappearing behind the tree again. Then, ever so cautiously, the monkey emerges on the ground behind the tree. The creature takes a few careful steps closer, reaching the edge of the stream. Now closer, you can see some scarring on the side of the monkey’s faze, by her ear. She manages to hop across the water, undeterred despite how she was missing a large portion of her left arm.

You frown for a moment as she approaches, kneeling down to greet her. Taking out a small dagger, you cut the mango in half, offering it to her. “Here you go, take it.” Part of you understands her skittish nature now, as she quickly grabs the half and runs back to keep her distance. You wonder what could have happened to give the poor monkey those wounds.

With the monkey still watching, you sit on the ground and take a bite of your half of the mango, the little simian watching as you do. After another bite, she slowly approaches again. It takes a little time, but eventually, she’s at your feet again.

“You are a brave one, aren’t you?” You smile, offering your hand to the young monkey. Her head tilts with curiosity, and she puts the mango back in your hand, making you laugh. “No, that’s yours.” You hand it back to her and give her head a slow pet.

She chitters at that, and in a flash she’s climbing up your arm and onto your shoulder, holding her mango in her mouth to get up. The picture of the little monkey right in your face with mango hanging from her mouth makes you giggle. She starts to eat with you, her tail wrapping around to the other side of your neck for support. You tend not to see many other monkeys on your travels, and the glimpses of the ones you do see in the treetops rarely approach like this little one. She seems much too young to be on her own, though. Could she have a mother nearby?

As if to answer your silent inquiry, you start to hear more chattering in the treetops. A gasp escapes you the moment you look up from the sheer number of curious eyes looking down at you. More monkeys begin to show from the trees, sharing little hoots and hollers between themselves before a small portion of them move to meet you as well. Some smaller ones that try to follow are dragged back, supposedly by their mothers, while the others hop across the stream.

“Wow, there’s quite a few of you, huh?” Were they all hiding before? The few that approach you tilt their heads, their seemingly synchronised curiosity makes you smile. One brave soul hops onto your lap, snatching your half of the mango from your hands and biting into it himself. “Hey!”

The first monkey on your shoulder gives a little shout, and the newcomer chitters back some sort of argument before continuing to eat the stolen fruit. “Count yourself lucky that I think you’re cute.” You mumble with a smile, resting your hand on the monkey’s head to give the thief a little scratch. The monkey begins to lean into your hand as you coat him with affection. “I don’t suppose any of you could lead me to the Water-Curtain Cave? I need to find some simian royalty.”

Unsurprisingly, none of them answer. In fact, many of them start to retreat back into the shadows. In just seconds, the only ones still there are the two on your shoulder and lap. A twig snaps from behind and you whip your head back to find the source of the noise. Is someone else here? Could it be–

The monkey in your laps hops away, shouting as you jump to your feet. The one on your shoulder climbs down to face the newcomer as your face contorts in confusion.. “What the…” Your words trail into nonexistence, confusion stopping them before you can speak. A stranger standing as still as a portrait, their eyes stare into you, their expression as concerned as you feel. But how else can you feel, when you’re staring at yourself?

Everything from facial features to clothing, she looks like an exact copy of you. There’s barely any time to process the lookalike before she turns to run deeper into the trees. “Hey, wait!” You call out, giving chase to the new you. Leaving the monkeys, you chase your copy past trees and around bushes, jumping over exposed roots and ducking under low-hanging branches.

No matter how fast you go, you can’t seem to catch up to her, though she never seems to make out of your sight. The second you shift into a dove, and you follow suit, taking flight and manoeuvring between leaves and branches. She makes a few tight turns that you’re able to follow, right until following her into a small clearing where she vanishes completely.

Now, more confused than before, you perch on a tree to scope out the area for any trace of her. What was that? It looked just like you… could have been an illusion? Or maybe a trick of the eye, a hallucination? What else could explain a second you? In all your life, you have never seen something so… odd. These past days have been stressful to say the least. Even before the stress of Tripitaka being captured, your life has been nothing short of chaotic since this journey began. Perhaps now it is starting to take its toll on you. Part of you had been wondering how long it would take for you to snap. Maybe this is it.

Before you can ponder any longer, you’re tackled out of the tree from behind. A small noise of surprise escapes you as you’re forced to meet the ground, hands keeping your small form stuck beneath them. You transform back to your original state but your assailant is ready for the change, grabbing hold of your arms and keeping you pinned to the ground. You try to push back but whoever this might be is strong, supernaturally-so. "So, you're looking for the Monkey King?"

The stranger chuckles as you pause, attaining your focus. "Why waste your time with him?" The weight keeping you down lightens, and you're able to get back to your feet.

Standing, you're now able to see your would-be attacker. It's another monkey demon, his build similar to the one you were looking for, maybe a bit leaner. His hair is black, eyes an unnatural violet. His arms stay close to his chest, crossed, with a lazy smirk stretched over his face.

Though, what catches your attention the most are his three sets of ears.

You don’t let the oddity throw you off guard. “Who are you?”

“Someone who can help.” He shrugs casually, one arm dropping to rest at his side while he holds his other out to you. “That is, if you’re willing to give me a chance.”

You eye the gesture with suspicion. “Do you expect me to believe that? You just knocked me out of a tree.” You scoff, though it only seems to amuse the stranger.

“I ask that you pardon my actions, I meant no offence. I could not pass up the opportunity, you were just sitting there…” He trails off for a moment before chuckling, almost sheepishly. “Sometimes my impulses override my judgement.”

He moves around you as he speaks, circling. You follow his movements, refusing to turn your back on this demon. “I doubt you want to waste time debating my actions. Your friend might only have so much time.” His words make you frown. “How long do you think that poor monk has before that king decides to kill that evil ‘tiger’, hmm?”

“How do you–?”

“Maybe the Yellow-Robe Demon will find where they’re keeping him and eat the Golden Cicada before the humans have a chance to do anything themselves?” He ponders with a small grin, stopping to watch your face contort in surprise. “I know a lot more than you think, Dove.”

You take a moment to stop yourself from snapping back with harsh words. It's obvious that he seems to be looking for such a reaction. “Then do you know where Sun Wukong is?” You ask, and one of his six ears twitches at the question.

“I do.” He replies, his expression never shifting from this smug look as he takes a step closer. You refuse to move back, and notice that aside from the differences you’ve already picked at, this monkey demon also stands a bit taller than the Monkey King.

He stares down at you for a bit, his eyes drifting over each of your features. You almost want to squirm under the intense gaze, uncomfortable. “Well?”

Your voice seems to snap him out of whatever was making his mind drift, and a chuckle rumbles from his chest. “I apologise, you might say I am in awe at the moment. I have heard about you and your pilgrim friends, however, being with you here feels different than what I expected it to be. I suppose hearing about a person is different than seeing them yourself.” Has Sun Wukong spoken about you and the others? It would not surprise you to hear if he had complained about the whole ordeal to his subjects, they must have all been curious as to what happened to their monarch.

“I have heard that you are quite cunning,” He continues, Leaning down a bit to whisper as if it were a secret, “tricking the Monkey King into wearing that circlet? I thought that was an admirable feat.”

You step back at that, regaining some space between the two of you. The reminder of your previous actions makes your skin crawl. “I’m sorry to cut your admiration short, but like you said, I do need to hurry. If you do not intend on helping me, I will be leaving to find Wukong myself.”

Stepping to the side, you move past the demon to continue your search. However, after just a few steps, the monkey is at your side again. “You should know, Sun Wukong is not the only one that can help you.” He smiles, and you roll your eyes.

A scoff slips through your lips. “Oh, really?”

“I have quite a handful of abilities, well-suited for your needs.” He continues. “I can take on that demon with as much ease as the Monkey King, save that Tang monk of yours– not to mention I can be much more well-mannered than the Great Sage.” You can’t help but let out a quiet laugh at that. Did Sun Wukong let all his subjects speak about him like this?

You glance over to the monkey with a smirk of your own. “Your words are sweet, but I would be a fool to take the word of a stranger who attacked me upon meeting. I would rather take my chances with the monkey I know than one I am unfamiliar with.”

The six-eared demon is silent for a few moments, and when you look over to him, you can’t seem to decipher his neutral expression. However, it does not take long for him to regain his grin and shrug. “It is hard to argue with that. It’s wise to choose what you know over what you do not.” He stops walking, his head shaking seemingly in disappointment. “Though, I should mention, your monkey is in the other direction.”

Seriously? You bite back a groan, though the tired look on your face is enough to get a laugh out of your tagalong. “I can take you to him, though he may not agree to go with you.” He voices what you already know. You might have come out here only to be sent away, this trip might all be for nothing. What, then?

“If you would rather not risk it, you have another demon at your disposal here. Just ask, and we can grab that pig demon you brought with you and go.” He offers, and you frown. Why does this stranger seem so insistent on joining the pilgrimage? Everything about this demon, it all felt off. Wrong.

Even if nothing was wrong with this demon, it would not change your answer. The possibility of Sun Wukong refusing to come back may be great, but that doesn’t mean it can stop you from trying. “With all due respect, Sun Wukong was chosen for this pilgrimage. He is the one I have come for.” You step closer to the demon with a smile. “So, please, lead the way.”

The demon scoffs a bit, his clear chagrin quickly wilting into a smirk before he shakes his head. “…It is difficult to feel disappointed with that precious aura of yours.” He leans down at you, a little too close for comfort. “You’re quite a treasure with that ‘gift’ as you call it.”

He stays like that for a moment, his eyes narrowed in seeming-amusement. It feels as though he’s watching for some sort of reaction, some sort of crack to your resolve. You refuse to show any, and with a grunt, he turns back and calls over his shoulder. “I am glad to be of service! Allow me to show you to our Monkey Majesty.” You roll your eyes at the nickname before following the six-eared monkey.

The two of you travel for some time in silence, so long that the dark sky starts to lighten just slightly. Part of you wonders if this is all some convoluted trap, but you eventually dismiss the idea. He already had his opportunity to do something if that was really his goal. From initial contact, it’s clear that any sort of fight on your own would weigh well in his favour, and with just the two of you, there’s nobody that would ever know what happened. It doesn’t mean you trust him, you still need to be cautious, but at the moment it seems as though he is keeping to his word.

Maybe he thinks helping you will convince you to accept him on the journey, which you still feel confused over. Perhaps he thinks it could be a way of getting close to Tripitaka and taking him for himself? Your thoughts are put on hold as he calls out over his shoulder. “Tell me, beautiful, why are you so intent on bringing back Sun Wukong?”

“It sounds to me like you already know the answer,” You do your best to pretend you didn’t hear the nickname, “we have to save Tripitaka.”

He pushes out a breath of air. “Sure, but you have others you can rely on for that.” One ear twitches slightly, and he turns to continue being your guide. “That Bodhisattva of yours would do anything for the little girl she found in that burnt-down house, why not go to her?”

His words make you pause, your eyes betraying your previously-composed expression with your surprise. You never mentioned how your master found you. None of the other pilgrims knew, not Wujing, not Tripitaka, and definitely not Sun Wukong. How could he know? “Who told you–?” “Like I said, I’ve heard a lot about you and your friends.” Even without seeing his face, you can hear his smirk, and it sends a shiver down your back. He knows so much about you, and he’s just carelessly throwing this information around in idle conversation! What else does he know? You continue to follow him and whether he cares for your concerns over his knowledge or not, he doesn’t show it. “But that’s beside the point. Why come looking for this demon for help out of all the people you know?” He asks again, ducking under a low-hanging branch.

“Don’t you loathe him?” He digs, and you glance away, gaze drilling into the ground in front of you as you follow. You would not say you loathe the Monkey King, he was actually becoming a little more bearable before his banishment. “Your journey has been so much quieter without him there.”

“Why do you care?” You frown, looking back up to face the monkey demon.

He looks back at you with eyelids dropped in an almost bored look. “I like to be entertained, especially by the hijinks of my…” He glances to the side, “…beloved king. I speak for many of my brothers when I say we were troubled by his disappearance.”

He pauses before meeting your eyes again with a twinkle in his eye that screams mischief in the same look you have seen from Sun Wukong so many times. “Luckily, you and your merry band of pilgrims are exactly the excitement I have been missing in my life. But enough about me, you’re avoiding the question.” He smirks, and you stop yourself from grumbling. “You do that a lot, huh?”

He’s right, though you would have rathered he just kept rambling on and forgot about how the conversation started entirely. Mostly because you have an idea of the answer he’s looking for, though you’re not entirely sure it was true. Even if it is, you would never admit it out loud. “I told you before, he was chosen for this journey. He never should have been sent away in the first place.” You frown to yourself, unable to help but relive the events in your mind, how terrible of a disbandment it really was.

Despite your own feelings, the demon laughs. “I see.” You watch him in confusion as he continues guiding, seemingly dropping the conversation entirely as he approaches a larger bush.

“See what?” He doesn’t respond, instead parting some of the leaves and leaning closer to the shrubbery.

He chuckles a bit under his breath, voice now a whisper. “Your friend seems to have already found Sun Wukong.”

“What?!” You race to his side, peering through the opening he holds open to see none other than Zhu Bajie sitting with Sun Wukong on a large stone. Are they just lounging about?! “That little– ugh!” Has he even told Wukong about Tripitaka and Wujing?

Before you’re able to jump out and confront the two, you pause upon taking in another look at Sun Wukong. He is laughing hard at whatever the two are discussing, in seemingly much better spirits than when you went your separate ways. You’re unsure if you have seen him like this before, or perhaps you’ve been so caught up in your vendetta against the King, you never cared to pay attention to his well-being.

You’re so caught up in the difference in Wukong’s demeanour, that you find yourself caught off guard again when your guide clears his throat. Only when you look up to give him your attention do you realise how close you are, just inches apart to share the space and look through his little window. “Oh, sorry.” You just catch the demon’s small smile before you step away. It’s been a long night, and you’re beyond tired after dealing with this entire situation.

Speaking of, you create your own space to spy through the bush, annoyed by the sight of the two brothers chatting like they were old friends catching up with all the time in the world. If it was not for Ao Lie being injured, you never would have dragged Pigsy here. You have to admit, though, Bajie really must have been telling the truth about that silver tongue of his, otherwise you would think that Wukong would have the pig roasting over a fire by now.

With a sigh, you mentally prepare yourself for confronting the two. “At least this saves me the time of finding a lost Pigsy somewhere else on the mountain. Thank you for the help– huh, I guess I never actually asked for your…” You turn back to your guide, only to find where he previously stood now vacant. “…name.”

A chuckle comes from behind, but when you turn in its direction you only see the whir of a figure, a shadow amidst the trees. You try to scan the area for a trace of the demon, but he is nowhere to be seen.

That was… you aren’t entirely sure what that was.

As creepy as it was, you have no time to ponder it, not when Tripitaka is still waiting for you. You come out from behind the bush, quickly moving to meet the two disciples. “Sun Wukong!” You call out, and the two turn to see you steadily approaching. Pigsy’s eyes widen and he lets out a nervous chuckle while the Monkey King– surprisingly– smiles.

“Dove?” He looks a little surprised, though seeing you doesn’t seem to put a damper on his mood. This is a good start. The monkey slides off the stone they were resting on, to stand and greet you. “Brother, how could you forget to mention you brought along a little birdie to visit me?”

You rest a hand on your hip as the pig looks frantically between the two of you. ‘Haha… We, um, got separated when we arrived.” He laughs nervously, making you roll your eyes.

“Spare him your lies, Bajie.” You glare at your companion before looking back to the Great Sage. “Sun Wukong, we have come to ask that you return with us to help Tripitaka.”

He laughs softly, side eyeing Pigsy as understanding dawns over him. “Oh, I see.” The pig shrinks beneath his glare before the Monkey King turns his attention back to you. “You want me to return? For what? So Master can give me another head-splitting migraine?” Your frown lessens at the mention of the circlet, and he continues with a chuckle before you can retort.

“You two are fortunate I am in such a gracious mood. Come share some wine with me back in Water-Curtain Cave, then I can send you off together. Wujing must be having a difficult enough time on his own, dealing with demons.” The King shrugs. “Or maybe they’re all sharing a bowl of rice and maggots together, who knows?”

Did Bajie not tell him anything?! “This is not some joke! Tripitaka needs you–”

“Really?” He interrupts you, crossing his arms as he gets closer. “Because he made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t.”

You start to feel annoyance pricking at your skin. You remembered how stubborn he is, but it is still frustrating to deal with.“This is serious, Wukong.”

“So am I.” He stops in front of you, his amused smirk now gone. “Besides, I thought you hated having me around. What are all those things you’ve called me again? Impudent, brazen, callous? I thought your misery was made all the worse the day I entered your life.” You cringe as he uses your own words against you. That is what you called him, what you told him.

You are unable to meet his eyes, looking away in shame. “I am sorry if my words have offended you in the past, but we do not have the time to–”

“Ah, I did not say you could speak.” Your head whips back to face him as he cuts you off, your guilt quickly being overshadowed by irritation. He cannot be serious.

“Excuse me?!” You glare at the Great Sage, who only grins at your reaction. “You do not tell me what I can and cannot do!”

“Yeah, I do here. Or did you forget?” He scoffs playfully, clearly amused before leaning closer “I’m King, Dove. It would do you well to remember that.” His grin stretches out even more as he speaks, his eyes egging you on.

Your glare sharpens as you attempt to reign your anger in. As much as you might like to bite back at his oh-so-cocky words, that isn’t what you’re here for. Saying anything to make him angry will only ensure that he does not return with you, and this entire trip will have been a waste.

When he sees that you have no retort, he lets out a small but content huff and turns back to Pigsy. “Thank you for coming all this way, Brother, but maybe you should take this one back to Master, hmm?” He walks back to the pig demon, gesturing back to you. “I hate to see her feathers get all ruffled like this.”

He snickers at his own joke as he walks past his brother, the pig going to speak but unable to say anything. You start racking your brain for what to say to make him stay, he is obviously in no mood to listen to either of you, but what can make him stop? What can you say to get him to…

Your mind goes back to that day in the orchard, just before that bone demon. All his questions you shut down, avoided. That stranger was right, unfortunately, you do that a lot. Just as Sun Wukong is about to disappear into the trees, you sigh. If this is what it takes to get that nosey ape to listen, then so be it.

“The reason I don’t eat peaches…” You say loudly, making the monkey pause. “…I was embarrassed to say it, because I know how petty it sounds. I… I don’t eat them because of you.”

Pigsy looks between the two of you, a little confused, but Sun Wukong did stop. His back is turned to the both of you, but you see his ears perk up ever-so slightly. You take it as a sign to keep going and walk closer. “I was there for the peach festival. Guan Yin planned to give me a peach of immortality, so I would live long enough to see this journey through.” You hold your arms close to your chest, smiling a bit at the memory.

“I had never felt so happy before. I think, in my mind…” You look down at your arms as you think of how to phrase what was in your mind. “I thought it was her way of saying I was worthy. That I had earned an eternity at her side once the pilgrimage was over, caring for others the way she had taken care of me.

“And when we arrived, you had already taken everything.” Your smile fades as you look back up to Sun Wukong. His head is turned slightly in your direction, though you can’t see his face. “The peaches, the wine, Laozi’s elixir! You took every and all methods we had! I was in the jade palace because without immortality, it was my master’s solution for living until the time came to accompany the Tang monk. I only was ever allowed to leave so I could say goodbye to my friends on their deathbeds. I spent everyday there waiting for when I could begin the journey and guide Tripitaka to the west so I can prove myself and I cannot even do that anymore because the monk was locked away by a king after this demon transformed him into a tiger and–”

“WHAT?!” You barely have time to blink before the Great Sage is in your face, his hands holding your arms in a tight grip. “Why didn’t you lead with that?!”

“It’s all I’ve been trying to get through your thick skull since we’ve been here! I told you Tripitaka needs your help!” You argue, recovering from the whiplash of how quickly he appeared in front of you.

His eyes widen a bit as you speak, his nose scrunching up as his hold tightens, almost hurting. You don’t even have the time to complain before he shakes his head and looks back at Zhu Bajie with a grave glare. “You. Follow me.”

“Yes.” He squeaks, nodding quickly while his brother looks back at you.

Before you can ask him to let go, the demon throws you over his shoulder. “What are you– put me down, Wukong!”

“What, do you want to walk up the mountain?” He snaps sarcastically before jumping up into the sky. Pigsy follows after, and in seconds the three of you approach a wooden bridge leading into a waterfall.

The bridge leads through a parting in the water, and only once the three of you are in the cave behind the falls does Sun Wukong set you down. You start to smooth out your sleeves from where he had been holding your arms previously as two monkey demons greet you all at the entrance of the cave. Now on the inside, you see how much larger the cave really is. A sheet iron bridge arches over running water, leading to a grand stone palace. Moss and flowers gave colour to the area, several trees sprouted from the ground, their leaves touched by the morning’s light that seeps in through cracks and larger openings from above. Over the entrance to the stone palace is a banner proclaiming, ‘The Flower-Fruit Mountain Rebuilt, the Water-Curtain Cave Restored – The Great Sage, Equal to Heaven’.

“Draw me a bath, quickly.” Sun Wukong addresses one of the monkeys, who quickly runs off to follow his orders.

Pigsy frowns with a befuddled look. “Seriously, a bath right now?”

“Master likes cleanliness.” Wukong is quick to reply. “I would like to clean up quickly before I see him again.” He admits, albeit quietly.

His words immediately catch your attention. Does this mean… “You’re coming back?”

The demon gives you a look you cannot fully digest, conflicted between concern and a simmering anger. Eventually, he sighs and looks back at Pigsy. “You two seem so desperate to have me return, and if Master is in trouble, of course I will help. I will need to talk with some of my generals before I go. The last time I left without a word, there were some… troubles that my people encountered.”

He glances at you again, his frown deepening. Before you can ask what might be wrong, he addresses the remaining monkey demon. “Take my brother to get some food while he waits, and have a bath drawn for her as well. She stinks.”

“Excuse me?! Have you smelt Pigsy?” “Hey!” The pig demon barely has a moment to retort before he’s guided away into the stone palace.

Now alone, Wukong takes your arm in his hand again. “Dove, what did he do?”

“What?” You frown, now feeling completely lost from the whiplash of everything that has happened in the last minute.

“That coward, his stench is like a blanket over you.” He explains, as if it would help you to understand what he might be talking about.

Could he be talking about that stranger? “The six-eared demon?” “Yes!” He puts energy into the word that makes you take a half-step back. “What did he do?”

“He guided me to you and Pigsy, why?” You frown, feeling your stomach become unsettled from his tone.

Wukong’s eyes feel as though they could burn into your head, you feel as though you can see his mind racing, but whatever he’s thinking remains a mystery to you. “…I can have someone show you where to go, we can talk more after we leave.” He lets go, walking past you towards the iron bridge. “And, Dove?”

“Yes?”

“I–” He cuts himself off, glancing back at you with a troubled look before turning back. “I’ll be back.”

#I’ve been so excited to get here #let’s finally get to the ✨communication✨#little dove #jttw sun wukong #jttw zhu bajie #jttw macaque #sun wukong x reader

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