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axl-ul · 6 months ago

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The Flight of the Western Crane: Chapter Eighteen

(A reupload/repost of my fic/dark retellingof Journey to the West which can be also found on AO3 under the same name)

(General info about this fic/wip/retelling is here)

****

Thankfully to the blessing of the storm, the serpentine streets didn’t reek with mustiness. Various pastries let themselves be known to all attendants equally; it didn’t matter whether they were right in front of them or observing the parade on the opposite side of the Jade Peak of Shufen.

Bajie stood next to Mei in anticipation when she pointed at a large stall hosting a long row of customers. Candied mandarins and cumquats gaped at them as if begged to be tasted. Once Márgerdra picked on their intentions, she firmly stood against another purchase despite her own itching tongue. Sanzang couldn’t be more grateful when Ol’ Sha’s head shone in the crowd like an unusual red beacon of a Persian lighthouse on a monotonous sea. The shy demon was basically running towards them, barely managing to keep his newly bought scripts and scrolls together under his armpits. Given his imposing stature, the comical scenery drew a chuckle out of few passers-by.

“I got a message from Brother Lie. The queen’s showing up later,“ Sha Wujing he wiped his large forehead with a piece of cloth given to him by the witch,“If anyone cares to wander a bit around you can. Just be here in two or so hours-“

“Alright, I have to answer nature's call. Anyone else with the same destination?“

“Kinda. I gotta pass water.“

“Could the two of you say it louder? I don’t think people around heard you well.“

“What is it now, blondie?“ Wukong rolled his eyes and leaned on Bajie’s shoulder,“We avoided the ‘bad’ words. We’re gentlemen.“

“Yes, dear,“ Bajie jumped in to join the defence, though both struggled not to break into laughter,“A real class…“

“Without an ass,“ Wukong finished the sentence, slapped himself on the rear and both demons started braying and guffawing.

“Cut it, both sides,“ Sanzang waved his arms and dragged himself, and thus their entire party, away from the centre of the street right under the patulous banyan. A dozen children, no more than ten, ran around, whooping and jumping. They started kicking a jianzi in a circle. The tiniest and most fragile-looking one bumped into the monk as she was about to retrieve the feathered toy.

“I’m sorry, mister,“ she peeped politely though her enormous eyes lingered on the young man too long to be considered within the limit of good manners. “Mister, would you like to become my husband? Not now but when I get older. I can play jianzi very well. I’ll be a good wife. By that time, you’ll probably be as dry as the apples we forgot and left in the sun last week. But you’re still better than most boys around,“ she rattled off and frowned back at an older boy who accidentally kicked away the toy.

The group laughed with the exception of shocked Sanzang. Even the Great Sage couldn’t help and chuckle. Coming closer, he nudged his master,“The kid’s got a bigger mouth than I did at her age.“

“And you, uncle,“ she averted her attention and pointed at Wukong,“said there would be the shadow puppeteers. Me and my friends can see none. Are you a liar?“

“Me and deception? Young lady, I would never,“ the monkey brought his hand to his chest. “As a matter of fact, my whole family was about to call the puppeteers as promised.“

“Uncle, don’t lie again. Is this handsome master your family?“

“Indeed he is,“ Wukong’s chest rose as he started boasting,“Can’t you see, little girl, the charm’s run in our blood for generations!“

Seeing the little girl with pigtails wasn’t the most trusting, he turned on his heel to face the waving group. “Here are my other two little brothers and my darling sister-in-law. And the lady with locks of pure gold, missy, is my precious wife.“

The girl didn’t hesitate just like before and ran towards Mei first, then she flung into Márgerdra’s arms. The witch’s eyes popped out. She found no other way than to bring the child up to her face. “Aunties are so pretty they could easily be princesses!“ Her tiny palms landed on Márgerdra’s cheeks and drew her nearer. “Though you look just as weird as Uncle Muhou,“ the girl whispered, still rather loudly, then giggled.

Neither Márgerdra nor Mei could help themselves but join. The witch’s hand rose to tickle the owlet,“Aren’t you one adorable mischievous lady!“

“Auntie, stop it!“ the child squealed.

“Are you still going to call me weird?“

“No! Never again!“

“Auntie Yaling will stop only if you invite us to the play,“ Mei joined and dishevelled the girl’s bangs.

“Alright, you win!“ the owlet cried for the last time before her feet touched the ground and she held onto her belly. Grabbing both women, her oval chin pointed at Wukong once again,“Uncle Muhou, lead the way!“

“Sweetie, why can’t you do it? We’re only visitors here,“ Márgerdra chuckled at the thought of a mere child bossing around the Great Sage himself. “Besides, what about your parents? Won’t they worry about you all?“

“Because Uncle said he knows the puppeteers. He’ll surely remember his way around. Mama and papa also don’t worry much. Everybody knows everyone here. The city’s celebrating, too. We’re allowed to hang around as long as we want! Guys,“ she called out,“let’s go!“

****

It was a peculiar sight to behold. Ol’ Sha sat down in the second row among the children. He darted whenever any character made even the slightest of movements and made notes into a journal. The smaller ones who didn’t find a seat in the first row used his gigantic stature as a way to gain a place with a better view on the colourful box with a translucent screen.

The shadows danced and fought and somersaulted from one point to another while the narrator’s winsome voice engaged the audience into the play of heroes. Once the monsters showed up, Sanzang and Mei quickly hugged each other, trapping two equally petrified children in between. On that occasion, the monk’s hat would fall deep to his face and tickle the princess. Immediately, their dismay would be washed away. Instead, felicity flew over to them. On the other hand, Bajie who sat only a few seats to the left salivated in his deep dream-like state whenever the hero’s sister or his lover showed up.

Out of nowhere, somebody slapped Pigsy on his nape, knocking down his cap. Quickly turning around, the gale of wrath remelted. It was Wukong’s tail that had hit him. The Big Brother Monkey roasted Bajie’s indelicate thoughts as easily as always. “I may be sitting up here in the tree,“ the imp uttered from above,“however, don’t think I’m clueless about your manners.“

“Big Bro, I didn’t do anything!“

“Shut up. There are kids around you. Behave.“ He planned to rebuke him further. But the weight of a small boy falling asleep on his shoulders suddenly shifted. Wukong rapidly grabbed the child and straightened up his spine. He let out some air through his nostrils. The boy didn’t wake up nor got hurt in the process.

Casting a side eye, there she was. Márgerdra’s lap was occupied by the owlet and her younger sister, both blinking scarcely. Wukong couldn’t decide whether it was because of the children’s background or whether they were just as exhausted as the boy on his shoulders. The excitement about the queen’s parade probably didn't allow them to doze off.

Inspecting further, he noticed that both girls had their hair remade by Márgerdra. She nimbly finished the owlet’s braided pigtail and tucked the small fringe behind her ear. By the start of the final act, the Wolf Witch brought her small coat over, a cushy and comfortable, though improvised, cover.

There. A single heavy beat against his ribs. Then another one. And another.

The boy started slipping, not a single reaction to the noise around. Soon, Wukong found himself holding him in his arms, snuggling to his auburn shirt.

The Wolf Witch reacted to his subtle shifting. Fearing he must have been cold, they started chatting what soon became friendly banter only they could understand fully. The delight in Wukong’s undertone neither Márgerdra’s subtle interest whenever her companion explained a character’s motivation or a tie to another legend slipped Pigsy’s perked up ears.

The weather affected most of them and so, Wukong had to jump down to carry a blanket over to his master and the princess. Before he sneaked away, the monkey demon asked,“By the way, you’re pretty good with kids.“

“You’re rather solid as well. I can see the monkeys calling you their Grandpa and these little rascals their Uncle.“

“I told you I love fun,“ the monkey grinned broadly. “To be frank, I’m glad to have a fellow Auntie. That little parley was really something. Did you pick up the skill around Mei?“

She briefly smirked but something inside remained freezing cold. Wukong didn’t know how exactly, but he felt it. He wished he could find the source of that ice. To seek out the truth and to melt it away.

“It doesn’t concern you,“ Márgerdra answered. The monkey demon stiffened upon hearing her terseness. Both had to come back to their senses, though, as the owlet complained about them interrupting the play.

The Great Sage hunched over and sneaked up on Sanzang. Now, he looked more like a tiger than a macaque. However, the monk was neither a prey or a naive owner.

“Everything alright?“

“Yeah, the play’s very entertaining.“

“That’s not what I had in mind,“ looking right and left, then up and down, not a single corner escaped his golden pupils. “How do you feel about meeting Her Majesty Spreads-Her-Legs, Shifu?“

“Wukong, be nice with this kind lady! I see your stances differ but keep yourself down.“

“That’s not a la-! Shifu, do you truly believe the queen’s nonsense? Do you even remember what’s said in our teachings? Can you read between the lines that the greatest evil hides under the clothes of kindness?“

“I know. My point is they don’t seem to be hostile.“

“‘Seem’ doesn’t equal ‘aren’t’.“

“Please, try to be nice with our hostesses.“

“Fine,“ the Monkey King put his hands up, seemingly backing down from his claims,“I’ll do my best. But this doesn’t change the fact that more men passed between those women’s legs than water under the bridges of Hangzhou, boy. Ow!“

Sanzang slapped the macaque’s back of the head and for a moment they focused on the play.

“I’m sorry, Wukong. I get what you mean. Would you like some, dad?“ Sanzang pointed towards a small basket with dried apricots. His master’s little joke stunned the disciple. Before Wukong had any chance to refuse, the narrator’s voice and the sharp howl of the erhu picked up on the strength. The shadows danced, the music died out and the crowd cheered. The story finally came to an end and even though it was fairly predictable with its happy ending, nobody complained.

All twelve children, no matter how sleepy, cheered upon the villain’s defeat. “One more tale!“ they all pleaded.

The puppeteers sized them up. They had to move their stall now as the parade kept approaching. Although the younglings and their persistence broke their hearts.

“Good friend, it’ll take only a minute or so,“ Bajie tried his honeyed words,“these youngsters wait all year round ‘til your show.“

“Indeed,“ even Sanzang jumped to the rescue. “Even though the innocence shouldn’t be spoiled and one shouldn’t keep hunting rewards for they’re earthly matters,“ his tongue almost slipped if it weren’t for a tiny squeeze on his forearm from Mei,“this is after all an enrichment of their cheerful lives.“

“Yes, mister puppeteer! Pretty please! Could you tell us about Yue Lao and the fox spirit lady?“ the owlet stood up in Márgerdra’s lap, rubbing her face.

“Not this again, Jingyi! Nobody wants to hear about all this lovey-dovey dumb stuff. What about all the monsters the Dragon Kings have to put up with?“

“It’s not dumb. You just can’t appreciate pretty things! Isn’t that right, Auntie?“

“What about Dasheng?“ another boy suggested. Some children fell silent, some gasped, some wondered and the others argued. The puppeteers started packing up more rapidly.

One of the older boys came closer and reprimanded his friend,“Don’t you know the adults don’t want us to talk about him?“

“I do. But I think he’s not that big of a boogeyman. He seems cool. And brave and strong! Don’t you know that he faced the Jade Emperor’s whole army by himself? That he refused to be treated the way he was just because he was a demon like us? He’s a-“

“He’s a monster killing us. He makes no difference between you and the fly you slapped a second ago.“

“But why? He’s a demon too,“ the boy argued back.

“Because a monk who thinks we’re evil tells him to slam our heads with the magical cudgel.“

“Is he really like that?“ Perhaps for the first time since they met her, Jingyi squirmed and briskly pressed her small frame against the witch. The Pilgrims as well as the princess remained silent, only daring to watch the ground beneath. Márgerdra gathered up her courage. Her eyes darted towards Wukong. He was standing in between her and the monk, surrounded by people, yet forlorn, unmoving in the frail light of the lantern hanging above. Only his chest heaved once in a while. He didn’t blink nor his lips quivered. The only thing that seemed to be alive within his presence were tiny flies flitting around. He was looking down to his feet. Despite the lack of shown emotions, Márgerdra sensed the tension within. The stone unravelled, revealing his shame.

“Precisely, my dear boy.“ As if it weren’t enough, the handmaiden with a beauty mark made her presence immediately. “The Kinbutcher is no better than the monk or the humans or the Celestials or Buddha. He is mighty, yes, indeed. Powerful and skillful and bold,“ she sighed and caressed her nape. The eyes under her heavily painted eyelids shone with unnerving lust. Márgerdra hoped to be wrong. But she knew better. “All he sees and thinks about are our sliced necks. Be like your friend here and remember those stories in the future.“ She patted the boy’s head and was prepared to make another announcement.

The Wolf Witch interrupted,“What if the stories lie? It’s happened many times that they like to exaggerate.“

“What would you know about it, Miss Yaling? Fairly enough, I doubt you’re familiar enough with the local legends.“ The emphasis on the last words was a clear message in between the lines for the Wolf Witch.

“I don’t dare to argue, Miss Yawen. Yet I’m certain that people anywhere and everywhere like to provide a show for the sake of it. It’s a simple principle of entertainment. Why would the Great Sage or the Tripitaka be different? You may believe in their goal or not. But condemn them just like that?“

“You speak as if you know them personally, darling.“

“I do not,“ Márgerdra put the two girls away from her lap and made her way to Yawen who cowered right away,“but I’ve lived through enough not to repeat such foolish judgement without proof.“

The she-wolf stared down the handmaiden. Yet, the two had to put aside their strife because the captain made himself known by his quick steps. The young man exchanged his armour for a more comfortable but still equally formal attire. However, the blade still shone at his side, prepared to be unsheathed in a moment of need. His hand in an elegant sleeve waved around as if he were lecturing the youngsters and not fellow adults. Explaining the plan of the parade, he began walking away and the rest followed.

“Uncle, are you okay?“

Wukong blinked several times. “Yeah, kid. Never felt better in my entire life.“ He forced a smirk and went after his group.

****

Locals and merchants from afar gathered up on the paved street, thus providing an obstacle and dividing the crew, although there was still some time left before the start of the parade. The chattering travelled fast, it infected everyone present in the wide street lined with brooklets, the artificial deviations of the river, from each side. Minnows swam with the current around lotuses and barclaya, the fan-shaped gingko leaves waved at them even at the slightest gust of the breeze. Their red fins easily created the illusion of long bright under the crystal clear surface lines thanks to their perkiness. The thick swarm of these tiny creatures scattered whenever playful children shoved their hands under the water. Rocks forming the old pavement became dangerously slippery because of the splashing. Wukong, who still retained the limping gait, nearly became one of the victims if Jun didn’t catch him.

“Master Huang! I thought you got lost. Don’t get me wrong but it was challenging to spot you,“ the captain looked down on the macaque,“I see you’re doing better now. I feared we may not actually duel.“

“Don’t worry. I’d never miss the chance for another match. When it comes to my leg, my beloved wife took care of me with the help of my little brothers.“

“Honestly, I’m glad you received a high-quality,“ Jun fixed his eyes on Márgerdra right when she bent over a bench of a stall in front of them,“help.“

The blood in the monkey boiled. No matter how much he tried, his left ear started twitching. To make things worse, Miss Yawen emerged from behind and made her way in between the two demons. As it became a custom, she hooked her arms around them, making the Captain of the Royal Guard and the Great Sage unwillingly press against her.

“What is it, Miss Yawen?“

“I’m simply curious how you two feel. The parade’s here and your face off is around the corner. Aren’t you excited, dear Master Huang?“

“I’d rather pass this question to the captain.“

“Thanks but there’s nothing special.“

“Guess we can agree on that one,“ Wukong uttered.

“Stop it you two. Always so humble and shy,“ Yawen cackled; such a sound made Wukong imagine an old donkey choking on an apple. Seeing the conversation wasn’t leading anywhere, she changed her tactics to make a further impression. The circular fan with a handle swished, a light breeze caressed the three people. “Oh my, is it just me or is it getting hotter?“

When Yawen let her cheek brush against Wukong’s biceps, he rapidly placed his hand above his brows,“Is that a cricket fight? I haven’t seen that in years. Little brother, look! It’s our childhood’s favourite hobby!“

“I think Miss Yaling and Miss Ah Xiuying are in need of help. Master Shui, shall you join?“

Jun used the moment of surprise and vanished from the scene as well, leaving infuriated Yawen behind.

****

The Eight Rules tripped over. Thankfully to Wukong, he regained his balance and he found himself beside a small shed. A circle of spectators, mostly men in their thirties, cheered as they rooted for one or another of the two crickets. Unlike the majority of the men, the referee, a rough-looking man with a dirty apron, sat silent on a stool, watching over the fight warily. “You wanna bet on one of those? Because we’re prohibited to gamble, Big Bro,“ Bajie pointed out.

“I know. I just needed to get rid of that viper. Man, I swear I’ve got goosebumps all over myself.“ The Monkey King shook when he looked back to see Yawen marching away off of the street, but attached his attention back to the black insects on the ground. “The one on the left with brownish legs’ gonna win.“

“That underdog?“

“He’s fierce.“

“Throw him at her when she comes. Maybe he’ll bite her ass off.“ Pigsy peeked behind,“That vixen looks like she’s up to something. I’ve got a bad feeling about this..“

“You bet. Like brother, like sister.“

A spectator on his right whistled with such great force that Bajie’s ears started ringing. The Eight Rules rubbed his neck and gathered up the courage to ask what had been gnawing at his mind. “Lady Márgerdra’s been swooning over you. I guess she sees something in you. “

“Nonsense. Stop it now, Daizi.“ Wukong felt his knees become wobbly and the heat creeped up to his cheeks and ears. “She’s a close friend.“

“Just that? From what I’ve witnessed she seems to be your type, as well.“ Wukong had already begun elevating his arm but Bajie stopped him in time. His expression changed. “Brother, I recognise what you hide even from yourself. We must obey the precepts. That means no relationships. But we also mustn’t lie.“

Despite the initial desire to walk away or yell and fight dissolved. Zhu Bajie’s voice was unusual. It was heartwarming, sincere and brotherly. Supportive but also reprimanding. Wukong suddenly felt as if it were him who was young and inexperienced with life.

“Do I look like I’m seeking counsel, Bajie?“

“You never do. Nevertheless, you don’t deny my claims.“

Wukong, who’d been observing and cheering on the cricket, halted. Clenching his fists and immediately relaxing them, he licked his dry lips over and over. It didn’t help much as the drought had already invaded the inside of his mouth and throat.

“Does she know she became dear to you? Don’t try to dodge the question.“

The Monkey King’s breath quickened. The world around was slowing down till it froze.

Wukong parted his quivering lips as he looked behind to find Márgerdra in the opposite direction. She was with the princess, his master and the captain, all admired the pottery. The captain sneaked his hand on the small of her back. Immediately, the monkey averted his gaze. Instead Bajie turned around right when the Wolf Witch temporarily leaned into the touch. It baffled the pig demon. But he recognised her disgust camouflaged as the cold when she pretended to borrow the Princess’ orange waistcoat, leaving the soldier with no choice but to retract his arm. Pigsy proudly tittered.

“No.“

“Then tell her the truth. For her sake. For yours.“

“How could I, Bajie?“ Wukong hadn’t intended to show any of his true emotions. But the despair crawled out on its own. Bajie was his brother, not only in teachings and arms. He was hearing his misery out, although the senior almost broke the supporting pillar when the side of his fist collided with it. What saved his steel face and iron reputation was the unexpected victory of the brown cricket and the fans cheering on their bets, thus muffling his cry.

“I asked this myself when I saw Chang’e and then Cuilan. Albeit I wasn’t lucky, at least I can help ya. Y’know, Big Bro, back then, I didn’t understand that love and care come from respect. And that, dearest brother, is rooted in honesty. Do you comprehend?“ Pigsy put a hand on Wukong’s shoulder while they walked around the small shed. There, out of the reach of the undesired attention of the possible onlookers, the Great Sage slid to the wet ground. He ignored the splinters sinking into his tunic and sleeves.

“I suppose. Shifu talks about compassion all the time. You know damn well I struggle with it. Yet with her, it doesn’t feel forced. But sometimes she’s one stubborn mule. And uptight! It drives me crazy. On the other hand, she’s witty. Sometimes, she chuckles at my jokes. The other time she scoffs. She’s so…“

“...complicated that you can’t wrap your head about it.“

“Exactly! She isn’t a Celestial fairy. Neither an evil temptress. She’s just… a woman…a broken one. And I guess I don’t want her to get broken even more…“

Bajie nudged him further to make Wukong come to terms with himself,“Do you know why?“

“She completes me. And I wish to complete her.“ He clenched onto the fine fabric covering his chest. “Around her, I feel as if I had really had a…“

His head lowered in between his shoulders. His arms wrapped around it, covering every inch like an ancient helmet of bizarre shapes. Wukong blinked a few times. In the darkness, a light shone on his sins. The mockery, insolence, murders and devouring. That monster, that strange, disfigured creature with its blank stare which had appeared in the Sage’s nightmare. Is he turning into it? Is it the inevitable end? There’s a saying that what goes around, comes around. Shall no Buddha or a Celestial or a saint or his dearest Shifu help? Will he help himself? Or will he hold her body as life escapes with her last breath? After all, this is what he wished for in the beginning.

“Wukong,“ Bajie’s comforting voice tore him away from the gloom,“today might be your last chance. Unless something screws up, I doubt you’ll share many private moments.“

“What about Shifu? Buddha? I swore to be a monk…“

“What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.“

“Meaning I better lie to him instead? Besides, what if I scare her off? You know well I’m new to this.“

“No, don’t simply mention it. It’ll be fine. About the witch, she pretends to be vain. But she refuses even the captain’s attempts. That ‘hunk’ doesn’t seem to reflect her vocal message at all,“ Bajie laughed. His grin froze once he realised he might have said too much. Wukong’s entire face puckered as he tried to decipher his junior’s message.

The awkward silence didn’t last long. It all started breaking up as good Ol’ Sha squeezed his way to them through the crowd, the new scrolls stored in a satchel another bookseller donated to him after an absorbing discourse. “Hey, guys. I wondered where you went off to. Anyway, would you mind helping me translate these with Shifu? I don’t understand some words there… Big Brother Monkey? What’s got into him?“

“Someone's head over heels and it’s not me this time.“

“Oh, is it about the Lady Wolf Witch?“ Wujing carefully slid the scrolls into the sack hanging from his belt.

The monkey demon threw his hands,“How does he know?! Bajie?“

“Brother Wuneng sometimes can’t keep his tongue behind his teeth. I noticed some of your interactions, too,“ Wujing squatted beside the senior disciple to ruffle his already messy hair,“You’re one meek lamb around our dear Miss.“

Thinking the two finally calmed down, one last visitor peeped around the corner. In comparison to Ol’ Sha, Yawen wasn’t welcome and it showed on each of the disciples. While the handmaiden remained silent, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing shuffled back into the street. Both had troubles to keep their grunts to themselves.

The Sage stood up with the same intention. Yawen’s palm on his ribcage changed that. He took a closer look at the demoness. She seemed different. More relaxed than by the start of the evening. There was a strange stench lingering around her as well. Wukong carefully stirred up the inner fire and let the sparks burn her image through his vision. Indeed, there were fresh traces of her twin.

“Dear, I’d like to invite you over.“

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.“

“I don’t take no for an answer, you know it, darling. I have a bargain for you.“

“You don’t say,“ Wukong barely contained his bitter laughter.

Yawen stood on her tiptoes. She practically spat out into his ear. “I know who you are. And I’m aware that you know who I am, too. We should stop beating around the bush, Qitian Dasheng.“

Sun Wukong’s skin turned ice cold.

“Don’t worry. I don’t wish to pose a threat to you. I’m not like my gege despite coming from the same blood. However, don’t try telling anyone. I have a few helpers around and I don’t wish for us to be disturbed. Is it clear? A business is a business, let’s keep it like that.“

“Private and straightforward.“

“Smart boy,“ she dragged her fan under his chin; his fur rustled under the tough material.

Wukong thought hard. On no account he wanted to put anyone under a risk. At the same time, he didn’t trust Yawen at all. In that moment he felt she managed to corner him. Or…?

“Deal. If you accept my condition.“

“Anything, mighty Dasheng.“ Her hands slid down his chest. Wukong felt the cutting pain of his clenching throat. His nails cut into his skin from the tight grip.

“The upper gardens. How secure are they?“

“Do you dream of seeing the wonder again? Did my initiation intrigue you?“

“Maybe.“

“If you insist,“ Yawen cocked her eyebrow and pursed her lips,“I bet you can get through the guards. Most of them will be present here at the parade anyway. It’s your advantage if nothing else. Once you’re in front of the gate, use this.“ Yawen took off one of her earrings and transformed it into a circular amulet. After casting a spell, a bird-shaped sigil appeared on the hoop and its gold gained a purple hew. “It should be enough to let you through the barrier.“

“What is it? A key?“

“An extension of Her Majesty’s permission. Just press it against the gate and let the energy flow through. Keep in mind, it’s not as powerful. Whatever you intend to do, make it quick.“

“How quick exactly?“

“Twenty minutes? Approximately?“

Wukong grabbed it and shoved the magical key into his pocket. Straightening up, his spine cracked and he got ready to leave. He wished to forget, to pretend it was all a bad dream.

Yawen sneered. She had to assure he remembered his promise,“The tea room in the eastern wing by the hour of the Rat, darling. Don’t be late.“

****

At first, the monkey thought a new day had already started. After his eyes got accustomed to the brightness he saw hundreds of onlookers crammed together like fresh fish in a harbour. The blinding light came from their lanterns - some hung on simple bamboo sticks, some were meant to be put on a water surface to float, others were waiting to be released into the wind. Many children, who had to sit on their father’s shoulders in order to see the upcoming parade, held onto them more tightly than to their wooden toys. Observing them while forcing his way through, Wukong noticed a few kites. Their wings and long tails carried patterns of azure feathers and scales. Around them fluttered glowing illusions of firefly swarms. “Must be a local thing,“ he thought.

It took him some time to find the rest. At last, he guessed the right direction when he recognised a head with short hair only his Master could possess. They were standing in front of a thick red rope which miraculously didn’t rupture under the pressure of hundreds of hands tugging back and forth. Undoubtedly, they chose the spot because of Mei who no longer needed to stand on her toes. The rising toe caps of her slippers with a silver fringe looked comical to Wukong, especially right next to Sanzang’s old straw sandals.

The cheerful tone of strings and flutes resonated for the first time just as the macaque stood by Sandy and Pigsy.

“Here they go! Quickly!“ Sha Wujing waved at his senior,“Look closely for the most skilled erhu player, Big Bro.“

“Isn’t that a bit vague description, Little Bro? There’s plenty of erhu players and all of them are equally exceptional,“ Bajie whispered back.

“His solo should start once the queen brings her elephant out to bless the locals. Apparently, the instrument’s sound soothes the elephant.“

“So that’s how we found the big girl in the first place. Somebody probably played the wrong tune during rehearsals“, Wukong crossed his arms. “Anyway, where’s our ‘noble’ cavalier?“

“Most probably where that viper. A part of the parade.“

“They’re coming!“ eager Tang Sanzang turned around. He only wanted to gently cover his disciple’s mouth since he deemed the discourse to be too loud. Yet, the hand shot out so abruptly it slapped against the pig’s snout. The shame made the monk’s lips form a thin line. Bajie squeezed his eyes upon the large sting spread around the jaw. He nodded to let the master know he accepted the silent sorry.

Musicians and dancers in unusual and colourful dresses approached. “The northern gate’s the starting point. They’ll visit each corner of the city and finish by the foot of the palace’s stairs where the queen would thank all her citizens and visitors,“ Sandy went on much quieter.

The elephant showed itself at last. A large red blanket with golden threads was thrown across the large back. On it, a wooden saddle with gemstones of green and azure blue carried the Mother of the Jade Valley. By her side knelt her brave nephew. Both were covered by dark blue capes with shiny silver threads and jade beads were bumping on their prideful crowns. They waved at the enormous crowd with winsome smiles. Wukong betted his neck that Jun winked at Márgerdra once he spotted her. On the hand, his grin soured when looking at the monkey.

“We got the chicken duo and the big girl. Lie should be somewhere around, am I right?“ the Monkey King did his best to find a distraction.

“Yeah. I think I got him,“ Wujing banged on his chest,“See that guy on the first carriage behind the elephant with chrysanthemums? The one with a few streaks of white in his hair?“

“Are you sure?“

“Brother, I’ve known him the longest from our group,“ the Friar Sand widened his eyes in disbelief upon hearing Wukong’s doubtful question,“Of course I’m sure! I’d recognise him even if going blind. We should start following them. We’ll snatch him at the end of the parade. If they start asking questions, I suggest Bajie handle the situation with his honeyed tongue. Maybe with a little help from Her Highness’ diplomacy.“

“You got the brains tonight, Little Brother,“ the monkey chuckled, not knowing what his junior disciples had prepared during his absence.

“Well, it means you’ll get some time to take care of personal business.“

Wukong’s gaze darted between his juniors. Then, he shook his head.

Left with no other choice, Pigsy nudged into him before tapping on Márgerdra standing in front of them. “Remember, at least once in your life, don’t be a liar, dear brother.“

The woman turned around. Wukong was prepared to point at his brothers, yet those were no longer in reach. Instead, they were asking Sanzang about his opinion on the show. Mei, an equally curious being, leaned towards them and attentively listened.

Wukong took a deep breath before he spoke up,“Would you mind a small walk?“

When Márgerdra raised her eyebrow, he added,“Boys found Lie. I thought that we may take a small break until the end.“

“As in only the two of us?“

“Yeah, I,“ the drought affected his throat once again, his heart raced faster than the Heavenly horses of the Jade Emperor,“wanted to talk to you. Privately.“

“We get privacy every night.“ Márgerdra tossed her head to get out the few streaks of her forehead. Though no sun was in sight, the humidity glued either hair of clothes on the itchy skin. She gazed back to the performers dancing as well as to the elephant vanishing in the distance. Perhaps she yearned to witness more of the unusual occasion. “Can’t it wait?“

“I’m afraid no.“ The Monkey King bit onto his cheek and tongue. “It won’t be long, I promise. Besides, I know a good spot. We can watch from there,“ he offered his hand,“So, are you coming with me?“

The witch examined the offered palm too long to his liking. The heat creeped up to Wukong’s head, he felt unstable in his own skin for the first time in his immortal life. At last, she accepted. Not wasting more time, the monkey demon led her away from the main road until he gained certainty about the place’s safety. “Are you still scared of the heights?“

“Kinda.“

“Do you trust me?“

“Something tells me not to answer that,“ Márgerdra replied, the suspicion sneaking into her voice.

Yet Wukong only laughed and swept her off of her feet, which caused Márgerdra to yell and claw onto him immediately. Both her hands transformed, the she-wolf didn’t care whether the fabric began to tear under her grip or not. “Sorry, blondie, but this is the quickest transport there.“

“You didn’t need to throw me like a ragdoll.“

“Sorry,“ he sat down on his cloud. “Given your last experience, I get you’re not a fan of this type of sightseeing. But you can peep out now. In case you want.“

The woman moaned and tried to adjust herself,“Only if you let me go. I’m no damn damsel.“

“Can’t do that. You’d fall through.“

“I don’t recall anyone falling to their death.“

“That was temporary and only to break the fall. Jindou Yu responds solely to me when travelling in a horizontal manner, not vertical,“ he explained, then nudged the witch’s head with his chin,“Gonna take a peek or not?“

The blonde exhaled and finally took a quick look. “They all look like ants. Strange glowing ants. It’s,“ lingering longer over the edge of the fluffy cloud, Márgerdra came to sincerely appreciate what the monkey was showing her - thousands of visitors tinier than the stars in the sky, even the elephant making its way through the main roads was barely a greyish dot,“nice.“ She drew closer to the monkey, her head found a nest in the curve of his neck.

****

The paths underneath curved like earthworms after the rain, the palace with the mountain looked like toys for children. The Wolf Witch noticed how the air changed as well. No longer heavy but feather thin, unbreathable for a human. Yet to the demoness it was a pleasant change when the breeze brushed through strands of her hair. She looked down again. The reds, blues and greys of the houses were soon replaced by the golden roofs and then rich green vegetation. Crickets chirped, water from pools splashed whenever a fin came up in a gracious dance of fish.

Finally, they landed on the shore of one of the five larger pools. “We’ll walk from here. Keep close to me. Most of the guards should be dismissed or slacking off. But y’know…“

“Just in case.“

“Yeah,“ Wukong chuckled and offered his shoulder,“you can lean on me if you’d like to.“

“Are you afraid of losing me?“

Upon hearing her playful tone, he could only respond by yanking her closer to him until they bumped into one another,“More than ever, Miss.“

Turning her head right and left several times, Márgerdra inhaled the moisture of the gardens. At first, she disapproved of the idea. Now familiarising with the grounds, it simply wasn’t possible to refuse. “Lead the way.“

He chose the side paths that led through bamboo groves or thick peony bushes. Churring nightjars took turns while playing hide and seek in the pines the same way the two demons hid behind a big rock overgrown with moss from a patrolling soldier. Wukong came to find out that the viper handmaiden didn’t deceive him - the guard was one of three who stayed on duty at the gardens. Watching him a bit longer, Wukong wiggled his fingers and blew in between the gaps of the hand seal. The guard’s feet slipped on the footbridge. He landed in the watergrass, yelling curses until his whole face turned red. Quickly, he rushed out and his soaking figure disappeared in the distance while his colleagues laughed at him.

The stunt amused Márgerdra, who put her arms on her hips,“I bet you it’s the only option to clear our way.“

“It is, blondie,“ Wukong stood up and faced the path on the left of the footbridge, which led to a stone zig-zag bridge with white rails,“Ladies first.“

“How charming of you,“ she tapped him in between shoulder blades and stepped on the bridge,“Until you make me fall, too.“

“Such a wonderful creature? I’d rather get struck by lightning nine times. This outrageous thought’s prohibited to true gentlemen’s nature. I’d never commit these heinous crimes!“

“I was of the idea you despise poetry,“ the witch chuckled. She patiently waited until the macaque ran up to her. Each new conversation flew more fluently and naturally than the previous one, this time was no exception. They laughed, sparkled with wit. The demon suggested to the witch to shut her eyes, claiming a surprise was ahead of her. Initially, the witch’s concern made her protest. But she found herself changing her stance again and let the demon blindfold her with her silky veil.

The murk embraced her. Yet no emptiness approached. With plenty of sounds and smells around, she was thankful to find Wukong’s palm to rely on.

Márgerdra felt unnerved, worried, though the inner turmoil had no relation to the thrill from the surprise. The place where their skins touched should’ve itched. Guilt bit her with each step taken although The last time she held onto somebody like this was none other than Ereanth. And yet, unlike him, Wukong wasn’t only walking beside. The demon stepped forward when she did, he waited when she stopped. For the entire walk, he stayed by her side and held her hand. The longer they walked, the more she thought and remembered.

No word could have described how Márgerdra felt when she for the first time in her long life met understanding and honesty. Something she only knew when she was at home. But that burnt down long ago. Finally somebody saw her as she was and would be. Wukong wasn’t her mirror even though she smiled when he did and he cried when she did. Neither was he Ereanth despite the shattered pieces of her husband the witch envisioned within the disciple. Wukong was more, his own person with flaws. Flaws that made him perfect. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven wore no shining armour nor rode a graceful horse across the sky. And that was fine with her. Because he achieved much more. He came to terms with himself.

They stopped. The room for Márgerdra to question her feelings ceased to be.

A jingle in the front. A hissing but not that of a snake. It sounded as if water boiled and tens of those droplets immediately fell down onto the live coals. Wukong shifted, carefully led behind what she suspected was a gate since the low thump was too powerful to belong to a simple wooden fence.

The Monkey King undid the knot, his breath tickling the Wolf Witch on the nape while his tail swished right and left like an odd fan. “You can open them now.“

Her cherry red lips parted slightly as a gentle smile drew itself under the warmed up cheeks, her lashes fluttered like butterflies.

In the silver moonlight, an enormous tree with snow white flowers stood, proud but gentle, powerful and welcoming. A familiar fragrance encircled the pair. Then she noticed more - a neighbouring fig tree, a smaller red construction and a rivulet occupied by fish, frogs and herons. Yet the cup-shaped flowers remained the centre of her attention.

As if he read her thoughts, Wukong said,“It’s a magnolia tree. I figured you’ve probably never seen one. A sparrow on the roof told me there might be one to visit.“ Seven heartbeats and still no answer. The Sage couldn’t blame her. He wanted the Wolf Witch to take her time, even if he were running out of his.

Her hand caressed the bark after taking several steps forward. Delight washed over the witch when she smelt one of the low hanging flowers. The fragile petals tickled her. At last, she answered,“The sparrow was right. Byzantine goblets, some divination and night embraces for instructions to these parts. The demon king gifted me several tokens of affection like that perfume as well.“

“I gotta give the guy credit. Giving you a horse would mean loads of dung to take care of,“ the monkey jested,“May I invite you to that lovely pavilion?“

As soon as she took a seat, he ran for the set and began the preparation. When Márgerdra acknowledged his stiff hands and a brief pause, he hesitantly agreed to her assistance.

While the pot boiled above the flame blazing from the monkey’s palm, he murmured,“Mar-ka. Már-ger-dra. Maaarrr-ka. Maaaaarrrrrr-ka.“ Before the witch managed to question, he quickly explained,“You said I can’t pronounce it. In my opinion, I did well.“

“If that makes you happy,“ she leaned back to watch the snowy flowers,“You don’t roll the ‘r’ properly.“

During their minor disagreement, Wukong unsuccessfully tried to convince giggling Márgerdra. The monkey even pretended to be offended when the witch labelled his attempt as adorable. “What about a deal? I’ll call you by a nickname of my own.“

“Another one? Fine, I’m listening,“ she perked up her ears.

Wukong shifted to pour her cup. He took his time to rethink the name. At last, he locked eyes with her. Softly, he said,“Mar.“

“Just Mar?“

“It’s catchy, classy, unique. Weird but worth remembering.“

“It has a nice ring,“ the Wolf Witch agreed and sipped her drink.

“Anyway, is it any good?“ He became even more pleased when the she-wolf praised the peach tea which, oddly enough, possessed refreshing lychee undertones. A pleasant silence fell over until Márgerdra asked about the fate of the family from the inn.

It took a while for Wukong to assemble a reply. No matter how much he tried, he saw how Márgerdra’s heart broke with each word. Although she didn’t break into a cry, her eyes still watered. He had to change the topic somehow. “That eyeliner survived my water attack but can’t handle a single tear? I told you to use mine,“ he rapidly blinked several times and waited. Indeed, she cracked a smile, even motioned for him to move closer and hand her a piece of spare cloth.

“Sorry,“ she sniffled,“I tend to be too sensitive at times but you’ve noticed that.“

“Nah, that’s fine. I’m quite the opposite. Cried only a handful of times and always for myself. Never shed a tear for another person, specially for a demon…“

At first, she kept quiet. Then she added,“I never saved anyone else’s hide.“

“What about Mei?“

“It often wasn’t just for her sake. Either my position or reputation would’ve been endangered. She’s a princess after all. Then you have basic reflexes. I don’t remember saving somebody purely out of selflessness. It’s always the dirty guilt that makes me come back. But only when the damage is already done,“ Márgerdra uttered. She drank her last cup and paused to gaze back at the tree. “Do you sometimes think of what it would be like to die?“

The monkey raised his brows not exactly sure what to say.

“I don’t plan to kill myself. I’m only curious since you’re immortal and I myself am rather old. So, what would you choose, Great Sage? How would you die?“

Wukong scratched his chin. “Preferably, I wouldn’t. That’s why I went through the ordeal of Yama’s bureaucracy.“ They laughed before he continued,“Something quick like getting my head cut off. Just imagine if my head grew back. The executioner would need to change at least fifteen blades.“

“That wouldn’t be exactly quick.“

“I know. But imagine the shock when witnessing my trick. Priceless. You?“

“Whatever it’ll be, I don't want to be alone. Not that there must be masses or weepers. Just…I wish someone’s gonna be there to let me know they cared. One person would be enough.“

The Monkey King let the topic silently go away prior to pointing at the graceful tree giant. “Mar, you see, up in the tree top. There’s a spot.“ She barely blinked, yet nobody was in his seat next to her. Led by intuition, the witch stood up and while calling his name, she circled the tree. A head with a pair of eyes equally sharp as the rocks sticking out of the city’s river hung upside down from a branch,“Wanna join?“

Márgerdra watched as he stretched out his hand. At last, she accepted. The macaque made sure her dress didn’t snag as she ascended. They settled down on racing to the top. Wukong thought the victory was his, however a slim hand offered itself upon his arrival. Breathless and shaking his head in disbelief, he accepted Márgerdra’s hand.

“You can’t take all the medals for yourself. If the motivation’s right, I always win,“ she notified him with a wink.

“Let’s go. We mustn’t miss the blast.“ He set out first but Márgerdra overtook him. That sight of her mesmerised Wukong. The demoness was in her best mood, she hopped to the edge of the massive bough like a little girl. Every step was solid, precise and confident, backed by years of experience and trainings. She even danced to the music below for a while during her wait for the monkey. Her body waved so elegantly it made Wukong think of the sea waves he crossed when seeking the Way. Wukong didn’t fight the chuckle when he saw her spin around for the last time. Even more, he applauded her craft.

When he caught up, the witch already sat and swung her legs. Her eyes were gazing below where the colours and sounds mixed profoundly. The water and air lanterns had been gradually released. The kites finally flew high up in the sky, their fireflies became the new stars. Márgerdra was surprised to clearly recognise an upbeat tune as well as to dissociate the elephant as a head of the great snake made of the procession slithering through the city.

She whispered,“It’s wonderful.“ Her head lowered until it found comfort in her left palm.

“Yeah, it is.“ At first, Wukong admired the view with her. But he soon caught himself watching her bathing in the moonlight. The branches created a perfect background for her frame which caused his heart to drum rapidly against his ribs. Upon inhaling the fragrance of the flowers and her body, Wukong imagined lying down and falling asleep next to Márgerdra.

“What did you want to talk about?“ the advisor locked eyes with him and the disciple thought his heart was about to jump out his throat.

“I guess I forgot, sorry.“

“Sure thing, tough guy.“

“At least we got an extra nice view, right?“

“Those boogeyman tales, I hope you’re not thinking over them. Or that name.“

“What?! No, not at all, blondie…“ the Monkey King halted.

“Monkey, I saw how you froze multiple times.“

Márgerdra fell silent, she didn’t want to push him. The situation was already uncomfortable. Even the wind seemed to have ceased.

“You’ve seen it. You witnessed it,“ he quivered like a leaf in the late autumn, his whole face twisted,“I wished death upon you. Yama knows damn well I’ve wished death upon my Shifu many times too and the boy barely knows the deal ‘round him! Bajie, Ol’ Sha… I even forgot about Lie. I didn’t bother about my family. That we were bound by fate? Destiny doesn’t exist. The boy was thrown into the lion’s pit and that lion’s me because nobody else was left to do the job!“

An even longer and more agonising silence. Wukong’s upcoming statement took Márgerdra’s breath away. “The sins I’ve committed, I’m no better than the vipers. Equal to Heaven? In their eyes, I’m pathetic. Ought I save the people with Shifu? People I used to eat? A demon king? For Heavens’ sake, I murder my own. The skin of a brat I wear is a cover for an old traitor… I’ll always remain a fiend, a criminal. I should’ve burnt in the crucible-“

“Wukong,“ Márgerdra interrupted him. He was so fragile and small as he hunched over, so exhausted and miserable. Her heated palms embraced his left hand that lay beside him. It brought the demon’s attention to the demoness. She continued softly,“You don’t have a reason to trust me. Tell me, though, do you believe me? If so, hear me out. At first, our strife was undeniable. But we moved forward. I know the cruelty you presented wasn’t you. It’s just a mask you created. Those kids loved you, your grandchildren admired you, your Master and brothers and even Mei adore you. All of you have matured, you included. That brat or an old guy, he became a man.“ Carefully, her hands slid up to the sides of his neck and held it for a while to let him adjust to the foreign pressure,“You’re a good man, Sun Wukong.“

“That requires a heart and a soul. I have only rock and dust inside.“

Márgerdra’s fiery willpower took over. No longer asking for permission, the demoness put her ear on the macaque’s chest. His body went numb but he patiently waited. As if his arms gained a will of their own, they moved up until they reached the blonde head and the delicate shoulders to stop there. Wukong tenderly, though still with a tinge of hesitance, embraced Márgerdra just as she sighed the warmest words ever spoken to him,“Your heart…it sings delightfully…“

As she straightened up, Márgerdra discovered how close they were. Her heart started pounding as well. Yet, for a different reason.

“Mar.“ There wasn’t much time left, he heard another scowling guard. He gathered the courage and proceeded to speak,“I do remember what I wanted to tell you. No way I want to force you. I just want you to know that…“

“Yes?“ Márgerdra twitched. She began to get more flustered the more he spoke.

“Under that icy surface, there’s a burning passion. You’re one of the people I respect. I know you carry a great burden. I wish to carry it with you, to help you the same way you help me. Without you, some things wouldn’t be complete. You matter to me.“

“Mar,“ a faint smile brought the few wrinkles,“I fell for-“

Citizens lit up the firecrackers and the thundering boom reached over the whole valley.

“Your clone!“ suddenly Márgerdra yelled out and briskly pulled Wukong’s hands down, “You didn’t use it, did you?“

“You forbade me to do so.“

“We should get back. Somebody may notice we’re not present,“ the witch pointed her finger down,“What are you waiting for? Come on! We must meet your brother.“

Left with no other option, he joined the she-wolf and sneaked past the patrol. During their quiet ride, he couldn’t help but notice the witch didn’t allow him to hold her further than beyond securing her from the fall from the Jindou Yu.

****

The elephant stopped on a podium in front of the palace stairs. The whole place was decorated with yellow chrysanthemums, red ropes, azure, turquoise and emerald flags and complicated knots hung from the old houses like in the rest of the city. The buildings that were closer to ruins the other day, now transformed into vibrant palaces of their own.

Shufen stood up in her seat and started thanking her subjects right after a representative of the folks expressed the general gratitude. Her slim arms spreaded above her great jaded crown. The glory the queen held was immense. Her powerful voice captured everyone’s attention. It seized them and didn’t let them throughout her whole speech. She invited the crowd to pay its respect to the monk’s plans to improve the settlement. A handful of eunuchs dragged him on the stage next to the elephant. After mentioning the past struggles and how easily they overcame them, Shufen made a last note,“Tomorrow, as it became our good custom, the Spring Guardian shall hear out my prayers to grant us a proper reward and secure another successful year. I also wish for you to listen carefully as I, Queen Shufen, have an announcement to make. Until then, however, rejoice! Drink, dance and sing as much as you can!“

Jun finally unsheathed his sword and assumed a ceremonial stance to bless the people along with his aunt,“Mother Queen Shufen, from the Heaven and Earth’s will, blesses the Jade Valley, the Jade Peak and its people with health of steel, plates full of food each day, children most filial to their parents and the bravest flames in their hearts as not even the Celestial army could tear our paradise down for it is under the protection of the Azure Crane Dynasty!“

Firecrackers were set off as the sentence finished. The crowd cheered and the elephant trumpeted. Right away, an enormous firework flew into the sky. Its orange, red, yellow and green darts parted ways to paint an image of a giant one-eyed bird.

Sanzang had to shrug as he gazed into that blank single eye. “Amitabha.“

“Have you just said anything, Master Shui?“

“Your Majesty! I haven’t noticed you came down from your seat,“ the young monk stuttered, wiping the sweat off of his brows. He couldn’t keep his hands from his apron and so he incessantly smoothened out the fabric.

“Master Shui, it is my duty to make myself known when it’s needed and invisible when it’s unexpected. A king must never become an easy target. Anyway, did you enjoy yourself?“

As the two spoke, Ao Lie finally reunited with his long lost brothers behind a big cart with wine pots aloof. “Big Brothers! Your Highness!“ He hugged them tightly before he began in a hushed voice, “Fine, listen. Tomorrow, I’m performing at the main celebration at the main palace. We should have a better chance to join our forces there since I’ve heard something big’s around the corner. That crane guy apparently caught the bandit boss.“

“Brother Wukong’s working on that already,“ Mei told Lie. “By the way, do you happen to know something about the Spring Guardian?“

“I’ve heard a thing or two. And I guess I actually may possess some knowledge of him.“

“Him?“ Bajie, Wujing and Mei asked altogether.

“Yeah,“ Lie heroically put his hands on his hips,“Dad and uncles told me a lot about our family. The guy seems to be a family. A cousin. A distant one, but still a cousin. If I could locate and meet him, maybe he could let us through the mountains or just straight up take us to the Broken Lantern.“

“Brocade Lantern,“ Mei frowned. She scorched Bajie when the pig cackled.

Wujing paused and rethought the proposition,“How do you know he’ll agree? It looks like the demon queen and your cousin go hand in hand.“

“I,“ Lie’s rare optimistic mood dissolved and his gloom returned,“forgot about that. But we share the same blood. He should come to senses once he sees me! By the way, where’s Shifu? I’d like to say hi to him… Your Highness, what is it?“

“Nothing, just that I’m a fan of your mastership in music. Your piece was excellent! And you’re so handsome tonight as well!“ Mei beamed at him and even clasped her tiny hands. The dragon-horse had to turn away to hide his blush. Ao Lie became immersed in his thoughts. He had so much to say.

All of a sudden, Sandy’s index finger darted up,“Brother Lie, I do remember you having a few strands of white hair, but not this much! Something happened?“

The question made Lie recall his most important discovery,“Where’s Brother Wukong? I must talk to him. And to the rest of you, as well. We may be in a much graver danger than what we thought. Somebody’s with the bandits and I’m certain he plays the bigger game. Don’t let him fool you. He looks like-“

Pigsy was prepared to utter a remark when he leaned against the cart. His shirt got stuck in a gap. The rest tried to free him, but they accidentally loosened the red rope securing the pots. An old man with white beard too neat to be an ordinary citizen cried out to alert the passer-bys. Jun rushed into the crowd to save three children. Yet he didn’t manage to grab a fourth owlet, a little girl with red ribbons tying her pigtails. From the depth of the crowd a woman leapt out. Her light garment swayed like a mysterious mist as threw herself and the child aside. Meanwhile a man with a thick bamboo stick masterfully shifted the course of the wine pots which reminded of a flock of furious bulls soothed by their grazier.

“Guess this belongs to you, kiddo,“ Wukong turned to squating Márgerdra and the owlet and handed her a little doll. The child promptly hugged her toy. She thanked them, then ran towards her worried mother to snuggle and to praise Auntie and Uncle.

Wukong turned on his heel and pretended to secure the cart with the main erhu player. In fact, both demons used the chance and secretly greeted each other.

Meanwhile, Márgerdra stood up with the help of the captain. “Thanks for saving those children. I don’t even want to imagine what could’ve happened.“ The she-wolf made a step forward since she intended to properly smooth out her clothes. Yet, she found herself falling into the soldier’s arms. Apart from her, a manly voice behind her yelled out.

“Miss Yaling, are you alright?“ Jun’s brows faintly raised as his inner satisfaction reached him. The situation’s development gratified him until he noticed what made the woman lose her balance.

Márgerdra and Wukong turned and noticed that one of the red ropes tied around their ankles during the chaos and bound them together. Both tried to untangle the knots but were unable to do so. One of the citizens suggested cutting it but nobody seemed to possess a sharp item. The butcher had no reason to be located in this part of the square either.

Wukong, still sitting on the ground and tugging the thread, looked at his juniors, silently pleading them. Yet, Lie stood by his master and asked for permission of Her Majesty to visit the scholars since they piqued his interest. Bajie, Wujing and even Mei intensely stared at the monkey and the witch. The three looked entertained, they snuggled together like toddlers. Inconspicuously, he shook his fist at them. At that moment, Jun cut the rope with his ceremonial sword upon Márgerdra’s request. The thick thread fell apart. The two ends drifted further apart when people began moving around.

****

Wukong wasn’t able to fall asleep that night. Everything irritated him, whether it was a fly of an owl, the thrum of the river, late chats of the servants in the halls or a simple mosquito on the other side of the bedchamber. He was constantly switching sides. If only Shifu’d managed to persuade the queen. Ultimately, he decided to leave the bed.

The floor was particularly cold and the stars shone bright through the windows. The Monkey King watched the moon. A single narrow cloud flew past it. Besides it, nothing crossed the round face. It was similar to the man with the long white beard. Scratching his right shin, Wukong’s nails grazed a rough object. He forgot to remove the rope earlier and now he couldn’t care less about it. “Damn that viper and whoever snitched on us,“ he murmured while biting on the nail of his thumb, a poor substitute for a straw. He narrowed his eyes and listened to the depth of the space. The numbers’ value was slowly reducing until he came upon number one. With his now slow paced pulse, the demon pulled himself up and set out.

Passing by the bed, his eyes flashed by the witch. She was squinting even in her sleep. A thin trickle of blood came down her nose. Wukong briskly checked her temperature. “Not again. Not now. Please,“ he muttered and switched her porcelain pillow for a colder one. His eyes slid down until they reached her bare feet. There, she too had remains of the same rope on her. Yet hers differed. Tangled around her left ankle, it was significantly thinner, the knot tighter. It’d probably cut into her skin over time. The monkey wondered. “Why didn’t you remove that bothersome stuff? Did you forget about it? Or…?“ he shook his head and gave the moon the last glance,“What am I saying? It’s the hour of the Rat, I better get going.“

In front of the bedchamber, a short eunuch was standing. Once the door shut, he politely greeted the Sage. Wukong easily sensed that under the courtesy, the man with deep-set eyes wasn’t there for a pleasant conversation, nor to show Wukong the way in the palace maze. Ironically, the macaque was glad as without him he’d take a wrong turn at least three times.

The monkey’s bare soles left foot marks on the polished wooden floor. Wukong didn’t care, though, as they vanished as soon as they had come to an existence. Yet, they and the eunuch followed him like the shadow his figure cast on the uneven surface of the walls. The halls of the palace truly differed. Some were an unpolished grey of the mountain, the others were shining carved marvels from malachite and azurite, a colour that also painted the many hanging drapes and even the queen’s garments.

The way came across as unending. While he expected many stairs on his way, the monkey had a tough time believing anybody’d slog to the wing to drink a simple beverage. Wukong had never been one of the anxious kind. Yet the higher they ascended, the tighter the walls and the smaller the ceiling appeared. Not to mention the room was in the most remote area. Because of that, he decided to take two stairs at a time. At last, he spotted a door. The eunuch gave him a farewell and left him to run up the last segment and to nearly bust the door.

Warily, he leaned over the ancient frame to check the inside. Apart from a single window on the opposite wall, two large shelves storing various clay containers by his right and left and two low armchairs with a chaise surrounding a rarely used table, nearly nothing was worth mentioning. Yet, Wukong had to correct himself as he noticed snacks neatly laid out on silver trays alongside a clay teapot. Knowing he had to take a risk, the Monkey King stepped in.

As he did, the door shut itself. Two hands rested on his shoulder. “Here you are,“ Yawen said and tucked on his jacket,“Let’s take this off of you. It’s summer and you dress like in the middle of the winter, you silly hunk.“

The monkey’s head swooned. His nose picked up a smell of resin incense. “What do you want?“ the Sage asked, although he knew the viper wouldn't express herself easily. He turned around and took a closer look at the room. The wall he now faced was covered in paintings of dancing women and men. Following the scenery to the left, he discovered a yellow folding screen where Yawen surely resided until his arrival.

“Firstly, don’t be rude and take a seat.“ The monkey collapsed on the chaise under the sudden pressure from Yawen’s hands. “I’ve started the tea preparation. It’ll take only a while. Until then, try these. I made them myself.“

Wukong grimaced at the tray of unfamiliar clams served with steamed vegetables. Yawen had to use plenty of garlic due to the meal’s strong smell. “What’s that?“

“A geoduck clam. Don’t you like to try?“

“Since you’ve found out who I am, you’d also know that I’m vegetarian.“

“They’re delicious and healthy.“

“Heard about that, never had a piece,“ he pushed the tray back. “Thanks.“

“What about these, darling?“ she tried her luck with another plate. This time the serving contained bananas, figs, nutmeg cakes and pine nuts topped with honey. Just as she placed the serving in Wukong’s lap, she stood up to pour a cup of ginger tea for him. Once she leaned over to handle it to him, Yawen noticed the hostility growing in his eyes. She retracted, but the arrogance still emitted from her. “A business is a business, right, Qitian Dasheng?“

He nodded,“Aye.“

“I help my brother Jin or, as you know him, Golden Wind Viper. He sent me messages warning me about particular Pilgrims crossing our territory. Give us your Shifu and you’ll be free to leave without Shufen hot on your heels.

“My Shifu? What an insolence. Have you lost your mind? No, don’t answer that, I’m pretty sure you did. Rather tell me, Yawen, why are you doing this? Who’s pulling the strings?“

“Somebody who said is close to you and wants to simply help. He went on about getting the world rid of sinful filth. He needs the monk for that. And me? To be honest,“ Yawen sharply inhaled when Wukong cackled and crossed his legs while making himself more comfortable in the chaise,“I despise being a handmaiden. When Shufen doesn’t feel like it, and she doesn’t feel like it quite often, she sends me to do the dirty job. She thinks she can lead. The truth is, she only needs enough people for her revenge against Laozi and the Jade Emperor. Little does she realise that life is simply not fair. Never will be. It belongs to the strongest and the most cunning. She’s lost once, she’ll lose again. You surely understand me.“

“No,“ the monkey spat and massaged his temples,“I really don’t. Neither do I understand your brother and that ‘somebody’. This whole place reeks of backstabbing. If you think I’d enjoy taking part in your games, you’re wrong.“

“Am I, Dasheng?“ Yawen stood up and made her way to the incense burner which stood next to a miniature mountain landscape with peculiar dwarfed trees. She switched the contents of the object and continued,“I hope this one shall be better…“

The viper was taking her time with her speech while she was watching the disciple’s every movement in the thickening haze. “You need somebody to tell you the truth. Those who died at Mount Huaguo deserved it. Everyone who fell under your hand was meant to have their neck snapped. It’s impossible to escape fate.“

Wukong clutched the backrest. Barely keeping his cool, he fairly replied,“Fate doesn’t exist.“

“You’re one of those, are you? How surprising considering you monks always speak of the circle of life and so on. Well, then, let me rephrase. Weaklings are good servants or good food, nothing else. And the elite, us, we must make that decision for them.“

“You’re sick.“

The monkey’s scowl didn’t take away Yawen’s high spirits who continued,“Remember yourself. You fought, you survived and perfected yourself. My gift are schemes, but I lack my brother’s muscles. Though I’m sure I easily surpass that barbarian whore you brought.“

Yawen sneered, knowing she hit the sensitive note that made Wukong snap, cutting the demoness short,“Language, Yawen!“ In no time, the new incense made him relax a bit. He was even dizzier despite her casual reaction fueling his rage. Due to the sleepiness and blinding fury, the monkey was left oblivious to the two shadows slithering behind or the steps by the foot of the long staircase.

“Dear Wukong, by all means, you have to give at least some credit. I’m holding the cards now,“ she switched her seats to close the distance and played with her loosely tied hair while resting her head on the macaque’s spread arm,“I love Jin, he’s my blood. But my poor brother’s dense. I have the brain and all I need’s a little help to reach my perfection. Look at me, am I not beautiful? Mesmerising? Lovely?“

The Sage glowered at her attempt to direct his face to her. Yet Yawen wasn’t discouraged by it. Quite the opposite happened as the viper started tracing the edges of the macaque’s figure. His left cheek and jaw, his shoulder and chest, his abdomen and thigh. She rubbed and tucked the yellow-brown fabric on his tunic, apron and trousers. “Join us, join me. You’ll have more than just the gold. The crown of the emperor awaits you once we’re done with Shufen and the Celestials. That’s what you wanted from the start. Join and you’ll have twenty thousands of Mounts Huaguo! Compare it with what you have now. You’re filthy, you smell, you beg for water and food each day. You’re the boy’s circus monkey jumping and dancing whenever he pleases,“ her nail clanked against Wukong’s headband as she poked another wound,“Yet you could easily pass as his Shifu with your wisdom and knowledge. The boy acts as your father, but shouldn’t the roles be reversed? It must’ve been so painful to admit you lost all your freedom. I’ll give you everything you secretly dream of.“

The Monkey King shut the large eyes and clenched his teeth. He was fed up with the handmaiden’s games. Wukong was close to vomiting caused not solely by the nutty fragrance. Her slimy touch made his stomach and entrails twist and clutch.

When he thought it couldn’t get worse, the snake demoness brushed her lips against his earlobe. Initially, the macaque consoled himself that it was a trick of his mind. However, his body shuddered the moment Yawen clearly licked his cheek with her forked tongue. It flickered in between her whispers,“Give me your might, your energy. Give me your untarnished seed. Plant it in me.“

Wukong’s eyes popped out in sheer disbelief. Wrath flooded him whole and made him jump to his feet with the golden-black cudgel in his hands. The magical pole shone as it swiftly flung with Wukong roaring,“You filth! Give my regards to Yama ‘cause I’m sending you to meet him!“ When the cudgel was about to collide with Yawen’s skull, her elongated hair wrapped around Wukong’s wrists and neck like pythons. The slick shackles tightened and threw him back to his seat. Immobilised Wukong didn’t admit a loss easily. Even in this dire moment, he fought to the very end. “Looks like I was right all along ‘bout you and Shufen. Lustful sluts rotten to the bone. Big words but not a single sign of fairness in the fight.“

“I don’t think so,“ Yawen loosened her evening garb and let it slide down. She approached him with only a nearly transparent camisole covering her. The demoness firmly clasped the disciple’s hips with her knees and settled in his lap. Her tongue slid up and down his cheek again, then she did so on his chest after ripping his shirt into pieces. Despite the intimacy, she didn’t notice his skin was slowly turning to a dark shade of grey. It hardened, protecting the macaque from grazes, while the veins beneath started glowing with a weak orange light.

****

Márgerdra kicked in her sleep. The dream was gone but her hand sought the comfort anyway. It wandered until it bumped into a scattered bedspread. She brought the fabric, which carried a smell of herbs and salt, under her nose. Though there was no sign of her companion, it seemed odd enough to comfort her. The dread didn’t hide its claws yet.

A tiger in a golden cage slowly morphed to a young bride. The very same bride she saw in the waves of the river and whose groom had but a white brocade for a face. The crowd sneered at her, pointing at her left sleeve. Its red fabric lolled at first. A trace of a slithery object followed, which looped under. A snake hissed and striked against the witch, aiming at her neck. Márgerdra retracted only to shoot out to stab the snake with her bestial claws. When she was about to hit it, the animal dispersed into millions of glass shards. Such a distraction let it reassemble a large distance away. The she-wolf sneaked through the fog closer to discover an unmoving body of a man. His contours were unclear but she had a feeling of knowing him very well. It was someone formidable. Someone whose presence was her sun and spirit her pillar. Márgerdra’s heart ached upon seeing how the scales rattled against his slim neck. Yet, he was still breathing. The witch once again dashed and kicked the snake away for good. Kneeling down, she held the man only to realise a pair of large eyes gazed back at her from under the heavy lids. Those wild and dark sparks made the witch shudder, she soon found a tear rolling down his bruised cheek. Whether it belonged to her or to him, Márgerdra didn’t care as she tried to keep him awake. He whispered but she couldn’t understand him, though it wasn’t because of her despair. Márgerdra refused to understand him. Then he collapsed. He let out his last breath in her arms and Márgerdra felt a half of her soul was gone with him. Yet the true terror was about to be released. A monstrous hand perforated his chest and the dead man’s blood splashed at the witch. His black shadow slowly stood up from underneath with a hardly beating heart in its grasp. The flesh turned to a grey stone and crumbled to pieces. Cider-like eyes fixated on her. She spat at the figure that crowned itself with the deceased one’s scalp. Tolerating no disrespect, the shadow dashed at her to deliver a fatal blow. Before it did, everything went black, then white. Then a scenery opened in front of Márgerdra. Her eyes slid slowly to the left until she turned around. There, the little girl faced a gaunt creature firmly standing in the snowfall. The deep look penetrated her like a needle does to a skin. The legs and arms were long and only a bit thicker than a twig. Instead of running away, the child ran towards it, seeking comfort in the disfigured girl. Her ashen skin was ice cold, yet the embrace warmed up Márgerdra. It heated even more when yells and cries reached their ears. Those two were torn apart. Márgerdra found herself half-naked and lying on stomach on the hard ground, screaming, crying, begging. That black-eyed creature banged on the door. But she didn’t hear anything anymore. All that she held in her vision by the end of the dream was the vast red sky of the sunset and branches with white flowers and a single unfamiliar ripe fruit. Márgerdra clutched the gaping wound in her belly. She inhaled the delightful scent. It was the last breath she’ll ever take.

One of the shutters closed itself with an unpleasant din. The sound disrupted the witch’s slumber. An equally restless boobook crashed inside the room. Brown and white feathers splattered around as the bird cried. Márgerdra had to catch her breath before she approached it. “How dumb you have to be not to hit a window. Doesn’t seem that bad, though. Hold still, sweetie, it’ll be over soon.“ Only when she immobilised the creature did green sparks glow in her palm to heal the bruised wing. “If it were more severe you could easily shake hands with one local rascal,“ she shook her head. Petting the boobook for the last time she sat him on the windowsill, however it refused to return to the sky. Instead, it warily watched the witch, keeping her a strange company.

“Wait,“ Márgerdra halted. Showing the bird her back covered in sweat, she searched the room. She called his name but Wukong appeared not to be with her. Yet there remained a single trace of him - his body odour. “You can’t shut up unless there’s trouble ahead.“

Exasperated, the witch hurtled down the halls like a billow of a petrifying smoke. She sniffed the air, listened to the tiniest of sounds. The trace led her to the eastern wing where she encountered a dumpy man. Due to his clothing, Márgerdra concluded he had to be an eunuch. Not wasting more time, the Wolf Witch used the best of her charms. “My apologies, may I ask whether you’ve seen my husband? He suffers from insomnia and sometimes I have to come and search for him.“

“Most likely not, Miss Yaling. I’ve been here but a while therefore I saw not a single man crossing these parts.“

“Is that so? I gave you my reason for why I’m awake this late at night. What about you, though? The patrol isn’t your duty.“

The eunuch was an innocence itself. He grinned like a child caught stealing sweets. Márgerdra’s adamant manners weren’t unexpected to him. When the witch no longer cared, she quickly dropped her polite act and let the frustration take over. It amused the eunuch, his grin widened even more, showing plenty of pearly white teeth.

A stifled shriek coming from upstairs was the last nail in the coffin.

The eunuch didn’t draw his hidden dagger in time. Márgerdra kicked the weapon out of his hand and punched him. Her brute force and dull pain threw him out of balance, giving the Wolf Witch a chance to deliver a knee blow into the man’s navel.

She no longer ran. Márgerdra jumped over several stairs at a time to get upstairs as soon as possible. A heavy fragrance fell onto her after she bursted inside the chamber. The smoke was heady, narcotic even. She froze when she spotted the scenery ahead.

****

“Don’t worry, my love. You’re going to love every second of this. Even beg for more. My Wukong-“ Yawen let out a muffled scream when the monkey’s fist finally escaped the clasp and hit her. Although unable to shatter her jaw into pieces, it still made her eyes water and even nearly fell off of him. Her teeth suddenly felt out of place as the right side started swelling. No matter the amount of wrath held within her slit pupils, the Sage expression changed to a pure jeer.

Retraining his wrist with a strand twice as thick, she stuffed his mouth with the nutmeg pie and figs with a piece of banana and then let her hair wrap around to silence the protest. However Yawen still struggled to untie his trousers. The handmaiden realised the drug caught up to her and she felt dizzy. Compared to Wukong, her endurance, thinking and coordination remained in better shape due to regular usage.

The knot gave up only partially so the demoness was able to slide just her fingers to his crotch. She sighed in between the tensed smooches,“Why are you still so soft? I gave you everything…“ She gazed into his eyes. Giving her idea a second thought, she let a few strands slide away to uncover the macaque’s lower lip. “Nevermind…“ Yawen caressed it with her thumb and leaned to nibble on it.

The sound of cracking wood and tearing paper drew both the snake and the monkey’s attention. Yawen’s hair flew around her head like horrific tentacles.

Using his chance to spat out the charcoal strands, Wukong cried out,“Blondie! Watch out!“

Márgerdra barely dodged the incoming attack. The witch was glad there was an antique armchair behind which she rolled on the ground until she reached a folding screen. The tentacle tore a hole in it easily and went to wrap around Márgerdra’s throat. Fortunately, the witch was able to find a second incense burner by touch. She threw it with all her might. Although she missed Yawen initially, it landed onto Wukong’s foot who, now almost completely free, easily kicked it into the viper’s face.

The handmaiden shrieked and backed off. Yet, she wasn’t finished. Her neck monstrously elongated and thrusted forward while the viper attempted to spit her venom into Márgerdra’s eyes.

Recognising the trick, the Wolf Witch’s whip swished and knocked Yawen off of her feet. Once she was on the ground, the leather tightened and dragged her to the window. As the witch fought with her, Yawen was still putting up a fight by grabbing on the shell, knocking it down and throwing the items at her enemy.

The last pot with dried leaves hit Márgerdra’s forehead. The world blacked out and then filled up with twinkles. She felt two hands wrapped around her neck. Not only were they clasping it, they pushed the witch towards the open window.

“Better stop stealing my lovers, rabid puppy. They belong to me.“

“So you can suck their life energy?“

“Naturally. Say, after the foreplay, why did you refuse my sweet Jun? Even I’m not that cruel. Do you prefer the Monkey King? Out of pleasure? To keep yourself young? Or were you foolish enough to do it out of pity? Or is it something else?“

When Yawen received no response she angrily hissed and coiled her neck before another venomous strike. “Can you fly? I bet it’s gonna be a spectacle.“

Even though the witch found no problem with quickly unwrapping the fingers from around her throat, the Wolf Witch couldn’t deny the monkey’s help. He grabbed Yawen by her hair and threw a hook punch under her right costal arch to toss her aside as if she were nothing.

Yawen remained lying on the ground. The couple approached warily only to make her last desperate attempt. The handmaiden’s sharp elongated face covered in green and grey scales twisted and she launched forward. Wukong’s fingers located her pressure points on the neck and Márgerdra kicked into the paralyzed demoness from the side. Yawen’s body flew out of the window.

The pair rushed to quickly recover her as they didn’t intend for the situation to end fatally. Yet the queen’s right hand was nowhere to be found.

“Monkey, do you think that she…?“

“No. She must’ve used one of the windows beneath. Or one of her accomplices caught her. She wouldn’t try something without a back-up. Besides, snakes heal quickly. Her showing up again than not should worry us more.“

Márgerdra looked at Wukong. His orange tunic had so many holes it barely hung on his torso. His ear, his cheek, jaw and neck were covered in red as if he suffered from smallpox. The same could’ve been said about his chest. The skin there resembled a stone but when she blinked, it was but bare flesh. Shivering and naked just like Mei in that cell. Just like that child lying on her stomach in the middle of winter. Not the pain buried in the soil of the past. Suddenly, there was an unbearable drought in her throat and she had to bury the pain in the soil of the past. And so should he. But first, he has to admit the truth. “I know it’s a dumb question-“

“Then don’t ask it,“ Wukong faced her, wrath marking every detail of his expression, and she saw the red sparks dying in nearly amber eyes and turning dark brown. She finished anyway.

“-are you alright?“

“You’re the one whose forehead’s bleeding, blondie.“

“Wukong, tell the truth. Please. How do you feel?“

At first he turned away. Wukong caressed the shreds hanging past his waist. His grip tightened it nearly tore away the tatters. The demon looked back. The air he was inhaling jabbed his mouth, throat and then lungs as if he were breathing in an entire nest of wasps. A voice more fragile than the glass and porcelain lying around, broken into numerous pieces, asked into the dead of the night,“Is this how the boy feels all the time?“

His mind told him not to expect Márgerdra to answer. But that annoying beating which made itself known each time in her presence said otherwise.

“A piece of meat thrown to wild beasts? I’m afraid so… But he has you. You saved him each time-“

“I’m sorry. I really am. For Sanzang. For little Mei. That they had to go through this. And so did you, Mar.“ Wukong let go of the shredded fabric and directed his hand to hold onto Márgerdra’s.

“Don’t be. You’re here now. And we fought her off. Together. That’s what matters. Let’s go to bed. You need to rest.“

In their bedroom, Márgerdra took Wukong behind the screen and to change. She brought him new clothes but briskly retracted to give him privacy. She didn’t forget to leave him a bowl of water and a cloth to clean the marks off of his body. The monkey demon came back to a neatly made bed. Yet he couldn’t go to sleep right away. Only when he wiped away the blood from Márgerdra’s forehead and treated her wound with simmering sparkles from his warmed up palm Wukong lay on his stomach beside Márgerdra. Exhausted but still gazing at each other, they kept silent.

“Mar, it was just a bad dream. It wasn’t real.“

The witch’s expression, though wreathed by loose hair, indicated stun. “No. It was more…I saw…horrible things. Terrible, gut-wrenching things. Things that are destined to be. An eye of the storm, unmovable, one we can’t bypass. Wukong, I’m scared.“

“Give me your hand.“

“Why?“

“Do it and I’ll tell you.“ Once he proceeded to give her hand a reassuring squeeze, the Sage continued,“Life is what you make of it. I don’t believe you can’t change things. As I said, life's a stone and you’re supposed to carve it. I agree that sometimes you just gotta dive into whatever you encounter. But why not just dive together?“

A silent question glimmered in Márgerdra’s look - an unspoken confusion mixed with disbelief and curiosity.

“Like now,“ Wukong raised his second hand and waited until Márgerdra herself bumped into his palm to signal approval of the comfort he brought by caressing her cheek,“We don’t want to be left alone. And neither could we survive this night without knowing somebody won’t leave us.“

“Everyone leaves by the end of it.“

“I won’t. I promise. Even when your time comes, I’ll be there to hold you. But promise me, you’ll continue to be this fierce, you stubborn witch.“

“Always, Kong-Kong.“

The monkey lifted his head. His tail, which till now peacefully had laid alongside his stretched body, did as well. “What did you call me like? Asking for trouble?“ he joked.

Márgerdra excused herself in haste. “You better get some sleep. You’re too tired to hear me properly. Good night.“ She intertwined her fingers with his and shut her blue eyes.

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Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be added): @vanessaroades-author @morganmaietto @aohendo @rbbess110 @jgmartin @outpost51

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List of chapters:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Epilogue

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journeythroughlifesblog · 1 year ago

Text

Help au chapter 27.

MK's skills improved with each passing day. His fighting technique became sharper. Just as Macaque had planned. The kid is almost ready.

Wukong's condition improved. The machines were only plugged in at night in case something happened to him in the event of an accident. He got to his feet, of course he needed help. He couldn't stay on his feet for long, but he was happy to be able to walk anyway. And if he could walk, it was a sign for him that he was coming home. Everyone protested, but Wukong was stubborn. They had to let him. But for safety, Macaque also teleported the machines. The doctor told him what to do and how.

And just like that, Wukong and Macaque were on mountain of the flowers and fruits.

Wukong was just lying in bed. He was hooked up to a machine that allowed him to breathe. Even though he felt better and could walk, he still had bad days (where he couldn't do anything).

The warrior entered the room.

"Hey. Wukong. How are you feeling?" Macaque said. Wukong looked at him and smiled faintly.

"Better..." he coughed "I don't understand.. what is this for. I can breathe now."

Macaque looked at him with a concerned expression, walked over to him and sat down next to him.

"I know, but it's just in case," he said and kissed the king's head.

"I want to see the kid today"

"No," said the warrior firmly.

"But I haven't seen him in a long time. Besides, he should know I'm still alive," he joked. Macaque glared at him.

"Okay weak joke..."

"Sunlight. I know you want to see him, but today... You see the state you're in. I shouldn't have brought you back here."

"It was my choice."

Macaque hugged him. "It won't be long.. it'll be fine"

"At least tell me what you're going to do today"

"Today. I'm going to do a little test"

"Test?"

"Yes. Checking if the kid has learned anything."

Wukong was fascinated by this. Test. Something that wasn't there yet. He was curious what Macaque had come up with.

"Oh... It's interesting. As usual. You have fun and I'm bored.."

Macaque nuzzled him on the head.

"Hey"

"I should go now... Do you want some tea?"

Wukong nodded. Macaque handed him the tea. The king drank. He immediately felt better and then came up with an idea. He'll surprise them. Wukong smiled. Macaque looked at him.

"You feel better?"

Wukong nodded.

"If anything happens. Speak and I'll be there right away. Do you understand?"

Wukong nodded. Macaque kissed the king's head again and disappeared into the shadows.

The king waited a little longer, and with great difficulty sat. He took several deep breaths in and out. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all, Wukong thought. But he was determined to get up and see MK. Wukong took out the tubes which help him breathe. And he was disgusted to find that it did help.

He got up. He swayed. He stretched out his hand to the wardrobe for support. He took several deep breaths in and out. He went to the mirror. Uhh.. I look like death, Wukong thought. He put on a spell to hide the crown and signs of tiredness. He debated whether to go in a bathrobe or change. Maybe the kid will understand? It's time to tell him, thought the king. he sighed. Okay, I won't waste my energy getting changed. Wukong thought.

He managed to get outside. He was very determined. He summoned his cloud and flew away.

A place near a mountain of flowers and fruits.

It has to wark, thought Macaque.

"Hey! Macaques!" MK said.

"Hey kid"

"What are we going to do today? Will Monkey King be here today?"

"No... Everything will be fine. Today I have a test for you"

"Test?"

Macaque nodded. "I thought it might be worth checking if you've learned anything"

"Oh? Ok. What should I do?"

Macaque pushed him forward. MK now noticed that a huge shadow monster was standing in front of them. How had he not noticed it before?

"What is this?!"

"your opponent"

"What?!"

"You'll be fine kid. Remember what I taught you. You're the weapon," said Macaque. MK took this as words of encouragement.

"I am the Monkie kid" said MK and whacked the monster with his stick.

Hi everyone, thank you for reading 😊.

Stay if you wanna know what will hapen next.

Will Wukong get in time to see what Macaque did?

What will hapen to MK? Will he ok? Will Wukong tell MK the truth? Yeah.. you will see in future chapters. 🙀😈😊

#lmk sun wukong #lego monkie kid #lmk monkey king #shadowpeach #sun wukong x macaque #angst #lmk macaque #liu er mihou #fanfic #this is a cry for help #sun #monkie kid #lmk mk #lego monkie king #lmk qi xiaotian #mk lmk #sun wukong lmk

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violetjedisylveon · 1 year ago

Text

It's Just A Little Cold

Little Star Chapter 5

Summary: Ma would like everyone to know her little brother is still an idiot. A well meaning idiot but still an idiot.

Aka: Chao-Xing gets her first cold, and Ma has to deal with Wukong and Liu'er freaking out.

Word count: 3.3k

Warnings: ⚠sickness(nothing serious), mentions of death, mentions of character death, fire injuries, mentions of miscarriages/stillbirth, think that's it⚠

A/N: This chapter kicked my ass so hard, I kept getting stuck at so many different points. Sorry it took so long. I'm so glad it's finally done.

I also made a bunch of dumb memes while I was stuck. Memes 1, meme 2, meme dump

And some Halloween art

Enjoy!

I meant to post this yesterday alongside the meme dump but was having an allergy attack, cause my body hates me.

Shadowpeach Family AU Masterpost

________________________________________________________________________________

Enlightenment be damned, her brothers were still idiots.

Ma rubbed her eyes as Xuěhuā continued to peacefully sleep on her back. Her little fluff ball could sleep through anything it seemed, including two panicked celestial monkeys barging into their nest in the middle of the night for what was most likely a stupid reason.

The idiots were sitting in front of her rubbing their heads, now sore because they broke into her home and she smacked them.

"You're just lucky I didn't have anything by the nest." Ma told them.

They at least had the decency to look guilty.

"I thought you two knew better by now." She scolded.

"Yeah… but it's an emergency!" Wukong exclaimed.

"Chao-Xing got sick." Liu'er said, nodding in agreement with his mate.

Now that was a decent reason to wake her up.

"Alright, let me see." She groaned.

The tiny little cub had been doing just fine the last two weeks, aside from her clear dislike of the cold, she was acting like a completely normal cub.

Wukong took Chao-Xing out of the baby sling and held his daughter out to her with shaky hands. She hadn't grown very much, that bit was odd, she still fit quite comfortably in her father's hands.

Ma felt around her nest for her glasses, thankfully it was easy to find them.

On a first glance, nothing appeared to be wrong with the little cub, but after a moment of observing, Ma did notice the little one shivering a lot more than she normally did, and her nose was slightly runny.

She rested a finger on Chao-Xing's tiny head to check her temperature, it was hardly a fever.

Then she sneezed, her ears and that odd spot on her side flashed brightly with it. It was a little weird but Liu'er's ears flashed when he sneezed, so it was probably normal enough for six eared celestial monkeys. She only had two to draw from and they both did it.

"She's just got a little cold, nothing to worry about." Ma told them.

They glanced at each other then back to her.

"Are you sure?" Wukong asked.

Ma was too tired to deal with this shit properly.

"Yes I'm sure, it's just a cold. It'll take a day, maybe two, to go away. Besides, it's not like it'll do anything to her, she can't die. She's fine." Ma snarled through gritted teeth, careful not to wake either child up.

"Are you-"

"I swear to- if you finish that sentence I will slap you." Ma threatened.

Liu'er wisely shut his mouth.

"Just keep an eye on her and try to rest, okay?" Ma told them.

Her idiot brothers nodded and headed back to their home to no doubt fret over their daughter until morning.

That's their problem now. Ma climbed back into her nest and settled down, Xuěhuā snuggled into place right on top of her. They were in just the right spot where she could still hold her child while letting them sleep on top of her, their favorite spot to sleep for whatever reason.

She wrapped her tail loosely around her fluff ball and went back to sleep.

XXX

Ma woke up the next morning to an impatient King staring down at her.

She scowled at her brother and slapped his nose.

"Hey! We didn't wake you up this time!" Wukong whined, rubbing his nose.

Ma muttered to herself and sat up, Xuěhuā slid off her back and landed softly in the blankets below. Liu'er was standing a more respectful distance from her nest, holding Chao-Xing close to his chest.

"How long have you been waiting?" She sighed.

"A while." Liu'er said.

"All night?" She guessed.

Neither answered.

She was going to take that as a yes.

"I already told you she's fine." Ma said.

"Yeah but she looks really upset, and she still hasn't gotten better." Liu'er told her.

"Every baby gets upset when they're sick, it's normal." Ma rolled her eyes.

"Could you just take another look at her?" Wukong asked.

"Fine." Ma huffed.

Liu'er carefully passed Chao-Xing to her once she got her glasses.

The little cub was a bit warmer than before, but illnesses usually got worse before they got better. She was shivering much more than the other day, she was practically vibrating.

And she looked absolutely miserable, the poor thing was probably freezing. Seeing how she already didn't like the normal cold, the misery on the infant's pinched face made sense.

"She doesn't like the cold from her fever. Keep her warm and she'll be fine." Ma said, handing the infant back to her parents.

"Are you-"

"Yes. This isn't the end of the world, it's just a little cold." Ma snapped.

That shut both of them up.

Ma gave her annoying brothers orders to bother the healers if Chao-Xing wasn't better soon. Regardless of how long the illness lasted, it couldn't do any permanent damage to her.

She flopped back down into bed, intent on sleeping the morning away.

XXX

Pleasantly, Ma wasn't disturbed by her stone brained brother for the rest of the day. She loved him but gods, he was annoying.

She spent the day at the nursery with Liu, giving the new and tired mothers advice or a break from their troublesome cubs. Xuěhuā played with the other toddlers while she talked with her little sister.

Unfortunately for Liu, she had always been a great listener.

"It's not even that big of a deal, it's just a typical infant cold, and Chao-Xing is immortal, it can't do any lasting damage to her." Ma told Liu as she helped the light brown monkey groom a group of sleepy infants.

"Wukong still worries over us, even though we are immortal too." Liu hummed.

Ma rolled her eyes. Her little brother had grown into quite the worrier. There was some basis for it, The Great Burning left it's marks on everyone, from orphaned monkeys who passed the story of the horrors and their survival down for centuries to the Elders who still carried the marks of the Burning on their fur, but he didn't need to go so overboard on it.

He hadn't even been there to see the worst of it either, by the time he returned five hundred years after, the worst of their injuries were fully healed.

Ma herself had been a part of the "lucky" few who hadn't died in the burning, or from her wounds after. If you could call any of them lucky. She had, however, seen those who were rejected by the Diyu come back, including her own brothers and sister.

"You know how he gets when someone's hurt." Liu said.

Ma huffed at the younger monkey, but knew she was right. Wukong didn't like seeing any of the troop in pain, and it was worse when he felt responsible for the pain. She hated the guilty look on his face when her old injuries, or any other Elder's injuries caused them issues.

Recently she'd begun pinning any pains she had on Xuěhuā, since the fluff ball loved to cling to her back and sleep on top of her. It was an easy enough excuse, and it didn't have Wukong looking at her like that.

Liu'er was not that much better, but he wasn't as much of an overbearing worrier, his ears let him keep track of everyone. He still didn't like seeing any of the troop hurt.

Both of the idiots were no doubt blaming themselves for "letting" their daughter get sick.

"He needs someone to talk him down and help him, not snap at him. Besides Mihou, you're the only one he listens to regularly." Liu said.

Ma glared at her sister as her words sunk in. Liu was right, no matter how much she hated admitting it. Wukong still didn't know how to express when he needed help and guidance. He'd had a lot of trouble being vulnerable as he got older, especially after that journey.

"I hate you, you know that, right?" Ma told Liu as she got up.

Xuěhuā spotted her getting up and raced over to climb onto her back. She waited for Xuěhuā to get into their preferred spot and glowered at Liu's cheeky grin. She flicked her sister's face with her tail.

XXX

Ma banged on her brother's door, then crossed her arms to wait. She might not have Liu'er's near omniscient hearing, but she could hear her brother scrambling from his room to the door.

Xuěhuā nibbled a pear on her shoulder. Her little fluff ball followed her most places, she didn't mind her cub's slight clinginess. They had some attachment issues, being abandoned will do that to you. Ma knew that much from personal experience.

Wukong opened the door.

He looked like shit.

"Have you slept once these last two days, Shí Hóu?" Ma groaned.

"Psht, an immortal like me doesn't need such trifle things as sleep." Wukong scoffed half heartedly.

"Your glamors are down." Ma pointed out, gesturing to his forehead.

Wukong glanced up as he brushed his hand over the scarred skin, his face fell once he realized she was correct.

"Was it the sleep deprivation or the stress that finally got you?" Ma asked.

"Both." Wukong cried, he honest to the gods cried.

Ma patted her little brother's shoulder sympathetically

"Welcome to parenthood." She smirked.

Wukong only gave her a tired glance through his burned red eyes. He normally glamored them, just like his scars, but Chao-Xing had cried each time he tried when they introduced her to the kingdom.

It had been a long time since any of them outside of Liu'er had seen their king's true eyes when he wasn't pissed or losing his grip on the glamor some other way.

Who knew an infant could hold so much power over the great monkey king?

"How much have you slept since she hatched?" Ma wondered.

Wukong didn't answer.

"You do know you have an entire mountain of monkeys to help you, right?" She said.

He glanced away from her, face flushing light pink with embarrassment.

"Some intelligent stone monkey you are." Ma snickered.

"Mihou forgot too!" Wukong objected.

"Yes, you're both idiots." Ma nodded.

She lifted the basket she had grabbed from the healers, neither of her brothers had gone to them yet.

"I've got some medicine, let's get your fluff ball feeling better." Ma said.

Wukong's tired red eyes lit up and he stepped aside to let her in. A faint scent of sickness hung in the air, no worse than the typical cub cold. Chao-Xing's smaller body could have just been having a bit more trouble dealing with the illness.

Xuěhuā hopped off her shoulder and scampered off to Wukong's bedroom. Liu'er was their favorite uncle since they could actually see him without the glasses they hated wearing. One day she'd get a pair to stay on long enough for Xuěhuā to see the difference.

"Uncle Mihou!" Xuěhuā chirped.

Liu'er shouted in alarm. He was very hard to startle, it just spoke to how tired he was.

"Oh… hey Xuě."

Liu'er was patting Xuěhuā's head as Ma came into the room. His ears twitched and he glanced up at her, looking just as tired as Wukong. His eyes went to the basket she was holding and some of the tension in his body left him, he scooted away from the Kings nest.

Little Chao-Xing was curled up in a tiny ball on the nest, the small cub was shivering and letting out pitiful little squeaks every few seconds. Half chewed and spit up bits of fruit were scattered on the blanket around her.

Ma set the basket down next to the nest and handed the healers instructions to Liu'er, then nudged Wukong into place next to his mate.

"She won't take it from me." Ma said when Wukong gave her a confused glance.

Chao-Xing was a tad bit picky about who she got food from. Any scent that wasn't her father's was unfamiliar, so she didn't want it.

"They labeled the medicine in order of taking it, she won't like it though." Ma warned them.

"Will it hurt her?" Wukong worried.

Ma rolled her eyes. He was such a worrier now.

"No Shí Hóu, it just tastes bad and children hate medicine." Ma said.

Ma observed her brothers treating their daughter with a careful eye. She knew how nerve wracking giving medication to a baby for the first time was.

While Liu'er had often helped out in the nursery before and treated the cubs there, Wukong had never touched medicine outside of battle wound treatment and it was a very different situation when it was your child you were treating. She had to correct them a few times when they didn't give her enough or tried to force it down.

Chao-Xing wasn't keen on making it any easier. The sick cub squirmed around in her fathers hands, determined to get off and back to the warm blankets below. She whined and fussed about everything they gave her. Her tiny face was scrunched up into an angry baby scowl by the time they finished with the first round of medication.

Luckily, the tiny fluff ball tired herself out with all the fuss she made and was asleep as soon as she was tucked into the warm nest. Xuěhuā decided to join in on nap time too and hopped up into the nest, curling up next to their cousin. Ma wasn't worried about Xuěhuā catching the cold, they had a very strong immune system for their age.

She made a pot of tea to soothe her brothers nerves as they hovered over their daughter for a little bit longer. They would both be a lot more responsive once they weren't panicking over Chao-Xing.

By the time they came out, she had the tea and food set out on the table in the family room. She let her brothers eat, silently sipping her own tea, as she waited for the opportune moment.

“She's very strong for something so small.” She said.

Her brothers looked up at her, tired confusion in their eyes as they waited for her to expand on that.

“She's a little fighter that's for sure, if she wasn't going to let it kill her, then this doesn't stand a chance.” She set her cup down and leaned back in her chair.

“What got you so worried?”

Liu'er was doing that anxious hand fidgeting thing he used to do, it was a habit she thought he'd grown out of centuries ago. It was one of his better habits.

“… she looked like she was in so much pain… I didn't like that… I felt like I was hurting her with everything that I tried. I don't want to cause her more pain.” Liu'er rubbed his eyes stubbornly.

Wukong leaned closer to him, resting his head on his shoulder. He put one hand over Liu'er's fidgety ones and gave it a little squeeze.

“She's already been through so much, she shouldn't have to suffer anymore.” He admitted.

“And you, Shí Hóu?”

Wukong jumped slightly when she turned her attention onto him.

“I- well, I don't want her to suffer more either.”

“Don't lie to me.” She warned.

“I'm not lying! I-”

“Shí Hóu.” Ma growled.

Wukong scowled at her, she glared right back until he sighed and hung his head in defeat.

“I feel like I already failed her.” He mumbled.

“How?”

“She shouldn't have gotten sick. I shouldn't have let it happen! What good am I as a parent if I can't even keep my kid safe? How else am I going to screw up if I can't do something as simple as that?” Wukong slammed his fist down hard enough to dent the table.

She was mildly surprised he hadn't broken it. He often lost his hold on his powers when he got emotional like this. He met her gaze for a moment before turning his head away and muttering something she couldn't hear.

Whatever he said pissed Liu'er all the way off.

The shadow monkey grabbed his face and turned him around.

“We're in this together, remember? If you ruined her life, then I did too. You aren't taking the blame for this that easily.” He growled, then kissed him.

Ma rolled her eyes.

“The parents who worry about messing up their kids are usually the ones that do the least damage.” She interjected before the situation could devolve into yet another useless make out session.

“And neither of you have ruined anything, she's sick, and she's going to get sick again and again cause that's what happens with babies, they get sick easily. It does not mean you failed, it's part of life, you can't control it.” She said.

She leaned forwards and held out her hands for them. Wukong rolled his eyes at the gesture and Liu'er rolled his eyes at him, they both took her hand.

“You're doing great.” She pulled the pair into a bear hug.

XXX

Ma ran her fingers through Wukong's messy, matted hair, working out the knots and tangles he had accumulated in the two weeks since his daughter's birth. Wukong was quietly working on Liu'er's own mess of hair. The shadow monkey had been too tired to argue when Wukong insisted he get some rest.

“Mom was constantly worried about whether she was raising us right.” Ma said, breaking the comfortable silence.

Wukong stiffened under her fingers. She continued grooming him.

“Really?” He wondered in genuine disbelief.

Mom had always appeared so confident in her abilities.

“Yeah, I would overhear her talking to her friends most nights, asking them if what she did was right or if she could have handled a certain situation better than she did. Almost every day she felt like she was messing up.” She sighed.

“Now I feel worse about all the trouble I caused.” He chuckled sheepishly.

“Don't be, she thought most of it was entertaining.” Ma shrugged.

“How do you think she did it? Feel like she was messing up so horribly but still try?” He asked in a small voice.

“Hmm… I don't know, but it definitely makes a lot more sense now than it did as a kid. Guess it's something you only really understand once you have a fluff ball of your own, huh?” She flicked his nose with her tail.

They settled back into a comfortable silence, the cubs and Liu'er slept without much disturbance, aside from an occasional cough from Chao-Xing.

“Do you ever feel like you're failing them?” Wukong asked.

“Definitely, sometimes I wonder if I should discourage their clinginess, and then I'm worrying that I push them away and make them feel unwanted, again, so I let it slide and then I repeat.” Ma nodded.

“Xuěhuā isn't exactly like me, what works for me doesn't necessarily work for them. I always have to watch out and make sure they don't get burned if they're out too long, and don't even get me started on the glasses. Xuěhuā is a brat about those.” She said.

“They hate them that much?”

“They try to break every pair.” She confirmed.

She loved her fluff ball, but her fluff ball was a little jerk sometimes.

“I think you should talk to Jiāng and Yīng.” She said.

“Why?”

“They have a lot of experience with cubs, they've had a lot of their own and helped many more with their own. They understand the loss and the conflicting feelings of your situation.” She explained.

Her brother was still as a stone. He actually thought he could get it past her. That sort of pain he couldn't hide from her.

“They know more than a few ways to handle the feelings.” She continued.

“It would be better to make peace with it then let it haunt you forever, Shí Hóu.” She finished.

“Just think about, okay?” She requested.

“I will.” He finally said.

“Good.” She nodded and they both went back to grooming._

________________________________________________________________________________

Yuze means rain, and she's def dead at this point, died to a sickness before Wukong started becoming more than a nuisance.

Yīng(wise/flower) and Jiāng(river) are some of the younger elders; they were little babies when Wukong took their names off the book. They are the most experienced with childbirth and all the stuff that comes with it, they know a thing or two about miscarriages and the healing process.

Ma will call Wukong "Shí Hóu" somewhat regularly, but especially when she is upset/exasperated with him, it's like your parent saying your full name, full stop and you shit yourself cause you fucked up big time. When Wukong decided to start calling himself "Měi Hóuwáng", Ma still called him Shí Hóu cause there's no way she's calling her little brother "handsome monkey king". It's a sibling pride thing, you wouldn't wanna call your little brother "handsome" either.

Liu'er, Ba and Liu all "died" in the Great Burning, they all got rejected by the Diyu cause their names were removed from the book of living and dead. Ba and Liu died early in the burning, and they don't remember much from the whole experience. Liu'er was not so lucky🙃

I hope you all have a good day, whatever that is for you!

VJS Out!

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arashikitten · 4 years ago

Text

OMGAFS pt. 3: Of Burning Ruby and Sapphire Ice

Red son restlessly paced the unfinished halls of the new lair, dark red coat silently fluttering as he did. It was a nervous habit of his, something he’d developed fairly recently, and he felt as if he might explode if he stopped.

The events of the past week were still fresh on his mind, and now played a starring role in his nightmares whenever he tried to sleep.

His father- his dear, beloved father- had attempted to kill him. His father, whom he was absolutely and unshakably loyal to, had called both him and his mother traitors. His father had called him weak. Useless. A disgrace. And even though Red son knew his father wasn’t in his right state of mind, even though he knew now that his father had been possessed…

It had begun to plant these seeds of doubt in him. After all, he’d had yet to reclaim the staff from that infernal Noodle boy, and the few victories he had were only achieved with the help of his mother or father.

He’d have yet to win a fight entirely on his own.

The thought stung, more than Red Son was willing to admit.

Then there was the actual fight. The one against the Demon Bull king. The one with Qi Xiaotian.

Qi Xiaotian. The Noodle Boy. The one who currently wielded the Monkey King’s staff. He had crashed into Red Son’s life with all of the reckless force and chaos of an out-of-control freight train, upending all of his hard work with a practiced ease. He frustrated Red Son to no end, and yet at the same time, Red son had found himself anticipating every fight against the Noodle Boy with a giddy, childish excitement.

Of course, he’d still hated him. Despised him for even thinking that he could stand up to the might of the Demon Bull family, regardless of whether or not he had the power and yes, fine, skill, to back it up. It was an insult, for a mere mortal to even consider the idea that they could even begin to compare to him, the great Red Son!

But now, everything Red Son had felt toward the loud, excitable man had been thrown into turmoil. And the worst part was that, looking back, Red Son could tell that this wasn’t just from the team up against his father. No, these complex feelings had been there, as far as Red Son knew, since the race for the immortal peaches. They had just been overshadowed by frustration and his preconceived ideas about the Monkey King’s successor. The fight a week ago had simply brought these feelings to his attention, strengthening them in the process.

Which, considering what exactly these feelings were, and who they were directed toward, was not good for Red’s already strained relationship with his parents.

Red son blushed as he remembered the fight against the Demon Bull King. He and his mother were crouched in a fighting position, his mother summoning her massive fan and Red Son already calling flames to his fingertips. His father, locked in the possession of the Baigujing, had charged at them, roaring like a wild animal…

Until Xiaotian, in true Noodle boy fashion, came careening full-speed smack-dab in the middle of the Bull King’s path, not unlike their first meeting. Red son, despite past experiences with Xiaotian literally dropping in on him and his family, had been surprised.

He’d been even more surprised when, without even thinking about it, he’d sworn to fight alongside the very person he’d been trying to kill not one week prior. He hadn’t even thought about it, hadn’t even been suspicious of Xiaotian at first. It had been a knee-jerk reaction, completely instinctual. That in itself was concerning, because his first, instinctual reaction to Noodle Boy showing up in their lair to fight his father should not be “let me help fight with you”, regardless of the circumstances. Granted, his mother had also agreed to help Xiaotian fight, but she clearly hadn’t been happy about it.

Red son, on the other hand… despite his history with Xiaotian, despite their numerous past conflicts, despite the VERY IMPORTANT FACT THAT HE AND XIAOTIAN WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FUCKING ENEMIES, Red Son had felt his heart leap at the prospect of fighting next to the monkey kid, instead of against him. And he’d found that he’d actually really enjoyed fighting with Xiaotian, made even more alarming when, hours after the fact, Red son had found himself daydreaming about fighting alongside Xiaotian again, of sparring with him on the rooftops or in the mountains, of talking about old stories and myths and shows they like… of just being together.

Of course, when Red Son finally caught himself, he’d denied absolutely everything, blaming it all on the leftover adrenaline and anticipation from the battle, telling himself that it was a one time thing, and nothing more.

That argument had been torn to fucking pieces when, that night, Red son dreamt that he and Xiaotian had become friends, sparring together on the rooftops of the city and sitting together at a small cafe, chatting leisurely over coffee and tea. They had rented out a small apartment together, in between the old lair and that little noodle shop he knew Xiaotian worked at. In his dream, they had gone to the apartment and sat on a small, gold and red couch to watch some nonsensical movie. They had talked about something that Red son couldn’t remember, when suddenly he’d found the noodle boy leaning up against him, head resting on Red’s shoulder, fast asleep. It felt so… so normal, so calm and happy and warm, it felt like home. It made his heart race, made his stomach flutter like a hummingbird’s wings, and he couldn’t help the rising joy and affection and love-

Red son had woken feeling more content than he had his entire life, and yet he still ached for more. Then he’d fully woken up, and that warm, brimming satisfaction was replaced with cold horror. This went beyond leftover adrenaline, beyond a stupid passing thought. This was real, this was serious. He liked Xiaotian, really liked him if that dream was anything to go by.

But he couldn’t possibly like the Noodle boy like that: they were enemies, constantly fighting each other, constantly at odds. There was also the very important fact that Red son despised the Noodle Boy, and the noodle boy more than likely felt the same way about him.

But even as Red son tried to argue, he knew that the first part, at least wasn’t true, and that it hadn’t been true since… since…

Red son blanched. When had he stopped despising the noodle boy? When had the fiery, burning rage softened into something less, had become simple annoyance as opposed to withering vitriol? Most importantly, when in the fresh, ever loving fuck, did the idea of living with Qi Xiaotian become more appealing, more tantalizing, than the idea of ruling the world alongside his father and mother?

It made no sense. How could he go from despising someone with every fiber of his being to… to… to whatever the fuck this was??? How could he go from wanting to from wanting to kill someone every time you saw them to wanting to live with them??? To wanting to spar with them, to wanting to go to coffee shops together, wanting to watch movies together, wanting to hold their hand and hug them and talk with them and….

Red had been so caught up in his head, so caught up in his thoughts about the Monkey kid, that he hadn’t even noticed that he had been walking to his makeshift room until he was standing at his new desk (there were already some darkened scorch marks from when he’d caught himself daydreaming about Xiaotian again, as Red had caught himself wondering what it would feel like to kiss the spiky-haired younger man. The memory still brought a harsh flush to his cheeks.), holding a small messy sketch that he’d done a couple of days ago. It was of Xiaotian, who, in the sketch, had the staff leaning against his left shoulder, one hand in the pocket of that gaudy orange hoodie, and a wide, easy smile on his face.

He’d hidden it in the small, hidden drawer on his new desk, to ensure that his mother didn’t find it. He’d been unable to bring himself to destroy it, and had taken to storing it in one of the pockets of his trench coat. He often found himself taking it out to stare at whenever he was feeling particularly stressed, or when he felt as though his parents were whispering about him behind his back, scorning him for being weak and a disappointment and-

No, Red Son growled to himself. They do not hate you. They do not think that of you, they love you, they support you, they are proud of you. But there was still that doubt, that lingering fear that the Baigiujing had planted, and for some reason, that little, shoddy, rough sketch of someone that should only serve to inflame those feelings of inadequacy was now his main source of comfort.

How strange, that his family was now the cause of his fear while his enemy was his source of comfort and warmth? But then again, Xiaotian had been turning Red son’s world on its head since that fateful day, when he’d fallen from the sky as though the Buddha himself had plucked him up by the hood of his hoodie and plopped him right into Red son’s life.

Perhaps he had. After all, Xiaotian was the Monkey King's successor, and he’d shown up at the exact moment that the Demon Bull king had been freed, and the staff along with it.

Red Son sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shoved the Xiaotian sketch into his coat pocket. Clearly, he’d been cooped up for too long.

Perhaps a nice walk through the edge of the city would do him some good. Besides, what were the chances of him running into the noodle boy there?

————————— ————————— —————————

His lungs burned as he ran, heart pounding in time with his footfalls. He couldn’t stop though, not until everyone was safe. And that meant running with everything he had, if only so he could get to the city in time to warn of the incoming threat.

Tears stung his eyes again at the thought. His mentor, his idol, had become a monster right in front of him. And the worst part, the worst part was that there was nothing that Xiaotian could’ve done to stop it. In that moment, he’d been nothing but a bystander, unable to do anything but sit by and watch as one of the most powerful beings in all of China, his mentor, was possessed by a demon.

Gods, Wukong had been so scared in that moment. Xiaotian had seen the small tremble in his paws, the way he’d recoiled from Xiaotian’s touch like a wounded animal.

And then there was the screaming. Xiaotian had gotten maybe 10 miles away from the mountain when it had started, loud and high and pained, a polyvocal screech that dipped between Wukong’s lower roars and the high raspy cries of the Baigujing. It had been close, too, no more than a few miles back, sending terror shooting through Xiaotian so hard and fast it had made him nauseous. He’d been rooted to the spot, eyes wide and hands clenched into trembling fists, tears starting back up and making his vision blur. He had stumbled back, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs that burned his lungs and made his throat tighten almost like a noose around his neck.

Wukong was hurt, and if the polyvocal quality of those screams was anything to go by, he trying to fight back for control. But eventually, Wukong’s voice had died out, submerged under the raspy, high voice of the Baigujing, and Xiaotian had to turn and run toward the city. The Baigujing was coming after all, and this time…

This time Xiaotian wasn’t sure he could win this fight.

So he’d continued to run, the constant mantra of don’t let them catch you don’t let them catch you the only thing keeping him from collapsing where he was. His mind kept playing tricks on him, too, with small wisps of translucent blue-white teasing the edge of his vision, and every dark shadow and oddly shaped log appearing like Wukong to Xiaotian’s tear-blurred eyes.

By the time he could finally see the edge of the city, Xiaotian’s nerves were raw and frayed, his lungs burning like they were on fire. There was no time to stop though. The possessed Wukong couldn’t be that far behind, and there were so many people he needed to get out…

But even as Xiaotian barreled toward the skyline, he had a realization that made his stomach drop like a stone: even if he was able to evacuate everyone in time, how in the hell was he gonna get anyone to believe him? Sure, the Gold and Silver demon brothers caused some issues every now and then, and the Demon Bull family had wrecked the city on more than one occasion, but Sun Wukong hadn’t been seen by anyone but himself for at least the last 300 years. On top of that, Sun Wukong was supposed to be one of the most powerful beings in all of China, preceded only by Guanyin and the Buddha himself. Something like the Baigujing, which had been considered a low level demon before now, should not have been able to take control of Sun Wukong so easily, or at all really.

So how, how was he going to get anyone besides Zhu Dachu, Long Xiaojiao, Tang Shifu, and Sha Wujing to believe him? And once he did that, however long it would take, how was he going to be able to evacuate the entire city before the Baigujing got here-

Xiaotian’s train of thought was abruptly derailed when he slammed into someone at full speed, bowling whoever it was over and sending Xiaotian himself skidding a good few feet in the dirt. He gasped in pain as his already bruised side slammed into the ground, no doubt aggravating the injury even more. He winced as he sat up, head spinning slightly as he did. Xiaotian lifted his hand to his forehead to assess the damage when the person he’d slammed into finally spoke.

“I ought to burn you to a crisp, you filthy peasant! Look what you did to my coat! How dare you- wait a minute. Qi Xiaot- I mean, Noodle Boy? What are you doing here?” Xiaotian froze as dread flooded him. No. No no no nononono. Why, out of everyone in the city, did I have to run into the one demon that tries to murder me on a regular basis?

Of course, out of the 20+ million people that Xiaotian could’ve bumped into, Red Son was the one person in his way.

Great.

—————- —————- ————— —————-

Of course, out of everyone that Red Son could’ve encountered, it was the damned Noodle Boy who had come barreling into him like a bat out of hell, jacket and pants torn and muddy (there was also a small red stain on his side that Red chose not to think about at that moment). The force at which the boy had slammed into him had sent Red Son flying, landing on his back with a thud and tearing up his once pristine trench coat.

That alone had incensed Red Son enough that he didn’t realize who had run into him at first. It was only when he turned to see that familiar orange hoodie, that signature bright red headband, that he had realized that it was Qi Xiaotian.

He’d been so shocked that he’d almost accidentally called him by his actual name, a slip up that he made sure to rectify quickly as possible. Couldn’t have the Noodle Boy thinking that he was important enough for the great Red Son to know his name, after all.

He watched as Xiaotian froze upon hearing his voice, and worry started to knaw at him when the usually confident and boisterous delivery boy started shaking, dread filling his eyes like tar.

It made something in his gut clench, seeing that look on Xiaotian. It reminded Red of war refugees, with their wide eyes that weren’t seeing anything that was truly there, lost in a world ravaged first by fire, then machine gun fire, then missiles. It was a look that spoke of horrific, monstrous things, things that would take even the most resilient of men and empty them until they were nothing more than husks, their spirits broken by the relentless waves of death and destruction.

It was a look that Xiaotian never should’ve had to wear, but here he was now, right in front of Red Son, beaten up and covered in dirt and bruises and cuts that he did not know the origins of.

Red Son was shaken from his musings when the Noodle Boy had jumped up, one hand reaching back for the staff and the other hand reaching out flat in front of him. He had already started to back away, and Red Son was struck again by just how haggard the usually energic boy looked then.

“Listen Red Son. I’m not here to fight right now, ok? I know you probably couldn’t care less, but there’s a very powerful demon coming at the city right now, and I don’t know if I’m gonna have enough time to evacuate everyone as is, so if you could please just-“

“What do mean, ‘a powerful demon’? Shouldn’t you be able to handle it, what with having all of Wukong’s powers and whatnot?” At that, an almost pained look flitted across Noodle Boy’s face, and the hand that had been going for the staff suddenly went to his side.

“That’s…. that’s the- the problem.” Dread turned to alarm at that. What the hell did that mean? Surely there wasn’t a demon powerful enough to take down Sun Wukong in their own, right? Not even his whole family could claim that, and they were one of the most powerful demon families around.

“It’s… the Baigujing, it…. it escaped to- to Flower Fruit Mountain.” Red Son’s stomach dropped like a stone. Shit. Shit. His father had been a tough fight under the influence of the White Bone Spirit, and had it not been for Xiaotian’s arrival, there was a very good chance he and his mother would not be alive today. If the Baigujing had possessed Sun Wukong….

“When I… when I got there this morning for- to train, with, with Wukong, it was already…. it was….” Xiaotian was shaking now, and Red Son hated just how much he understood the pain in Xiaotian’s eyes. After all, hadn’t he been in the Noodle Boy’s exact position not even two weeks ago? Hadn’t he known the terror, the betrayal, of seeing the person he looked up to more than anyone else on the planet turned against him, becoming a monster under the influence of some monstrous demon?

Hadn’t he watched as his father, his loving, caring father, for whom he had dedicated his life toward, came rushing at him with the full intent to kill?

If Xiaotian hadn’t shown up then, Red would be dead. As much as he hated to admit it (his heart jumped in spite of himself), he owed the Noodle Boy. He owed him so, so much, more than he would likely ever know.

Sun Wukong had been possessed by the Baigujing. Xiaotian had, more likely than not, seen it happen. Sun Wukong, possessed by the Baigujing, was most likely heading toward the city with the intent to level everything within a 10-mile radius, and then some. If they wanted to limit casualties, then they either needed to evacuate everyone…

Or, Xiaotian would have to face Wukong outside of the city. On his own. Where he would most likely die, scared and confused, murdered by his idol.

Absolutely not.

Before Red Son could reconsider, before he could even begin to think about the implications of what he was about to do, Red Son held his hand out to Qi Xiaotian. Determination burned in him, chasing away the icy tendrils of dread and replacing them with the barest glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he could do something good for once. Maybe he could fix his mistakes, become better than what he was

Maybe he could become someone worth loving.

And it was with that final thought that Red Son reached out to his enemy-turned-rival-turned-something else, one hand gripping the small sketch still in his pocket, and said

“Let me help.”

#monkie kid #mk #qi xiaotian #Red Son #red son monkie kid #Bluekong au #sun wukong #of molten gold and frozen silver #spicynoodleshipping #yes there is spicynoodleshipping here #i know there’s not as much action in this chapter #or angst #but I wanted to give my boi Xiaotian a minute to relax #also yes this is a red son redemption arc you’re seeing #maybe once this FIC is finished I’ll write a red son-centric story #a continuation if you will #also yes we will see Wukong next chapter #this is just the calm before the angst #trust me

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stellawolfearts · 2 years ago

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For a woven song, are there any dynamics that you're looking forward to fleshing out?

Yes yes YES

So of course we have the main two mk and macaque. I can't seem to make an au without them.

Nezha and Macaque is also a personal favorite.

So I'll say this because I haven't updated SHIT in a while so it's technically spoilers but also not and also I feel badmfor not updating so you yuys get special crumbs for now.

Macaque and tang in a brotherly sense same with pigsy. Youll see tang in the next chapter.

Ofc macaque and wukongs dynamic is going to be GREAT.

Macaque and pif

Redson and Mei (I love those siblings to death

Spider queen and mk (wine aunt)

Aaaannd yeah.

That's all I got for now. Regarding all my fics I'm really trying to get back into writing them but aws seems to be the one my brain wants to write the most so hopefully we'll see an update soon ;)

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cheri-translates · 4 years ago

Text

[CN] Shaw’s 2021 Birthday R&S

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an R&S which has not been released in EN! 🍒

Knowledge of Shaw’s 2020 Birthday R&S is highly recommended before reading this!

[ This R&S was released on 16 June 2021 ]

[ Chapter One ]

This is the fifth month that Shaw is learning how to skateboard. The little buddies who started out with him had given up one after the other because they couldn’t endure the bitter taste of tripping and falling. In the end, he’s the only one left.

The wheels grate against the ground in a regular rhythm. Leaping over the obstacle, it makes a swerve, accelerates, and flips... the skateboard is lithe and graceful beneath Shaw’s feet, akin to a reed leaf as it brings him into the largest skatepark in Loveland City with a wilful rush.

“Shaw! Shaw!”

Shaw halts the skateboard and turns around.

A little fatty with a band-aid on his knee walks over, smiling and revealing his missing front teeth. “Finally found you.”

Shaw laughs scornfully. “Why’s a defeated opponent looking for me? Do you want to lose the remaining half of your front teeth?”

“You!” Little Fatty flushes red in an instant. He straightens his neck and points to an area behind him. “I’m not competing with you. Someone else wants to!”

Shaw looks in the direction of his finger. A boy who is obviously taller than him by a head smiles at him, the skateboard beneath his feet sliding back and forth. At a glance, it’s clear that he’s experienced.

“My Bro Zhou is in the Loveland City Qing Xun Team,” Little Fatty hugs his arms with pride, as though he’s the one in the team. “So? Dare to accept it?”

So that’s how it is. He’s a scaredy cat who only dares to call in reinforcements.

Shaw purses his lips. He steps on the tail of the skateboard, and it responds by flipping upwards, the the edge of the board landing steadily in his palm. “Why not? What are we competing in?”

Bro Zhou shrugs. “I won’t make things hard for newbies. We’ll compete in tic-tacs and going over obstacles. How’s that?”

“Sure.”

[Trivia] Tic-tacs are a series of consecutive heelside-to-toeside kickturns where your feet remain on the skateboard. I copied this from Google and have no idea what it means LOL

THUD-

Losing his balance for just a moment, Shaw falls heavily onto the ground. His knees, elbows... waves of pain bloom on every joint. It isn’t a good feeling, but what makes Shaw even more frustrated is the arrogant laughter of Little Fatty. t’s even noisier than the cicadas from afar.

“HAHAHAHA Shaw lost! Let’s see if you still have the guts to be proud!”

He has a lot to say despite being a noob. Shaw rolls his eyes. Enduring the pain, he’s just about to lift himself up by the elbows when Bro Zhou walks over to him, offering him a hand. “Not bad.”

“Thanks.”

The other party continues. “But at your age, it’s best to stick to the basics. There’s no hurry to learn high difficulty moves like the dolphin flip. You’ll definitely fall.”

Shaw’s expression immediately turns cold. “I don’t need your pointers on what I can learn at whatever age.” He doesn’t touch the hand, standing up by himself. Lifting his head, he gives the other party a look over. “Do you come here often?”

“The Qing Xun Team practises here every day.”

“Okay. Next time, I’ll definitely win against you.”

Shaw doesn’t bother about the expressions on Bro Zhou’s and the Little Fatty’s faces after hearing his words. He casually pats off the dust on his body, picks up the skateboard which is flipped over on the floor, and leaves the skatepark.

[ Chapter Two ]

The moment Shaw enters through the doors of the antique store, the Old Man’s uproar begins. “Little Ancestor, did you wreck havoc in the Heavenly Palace again?”

[Note] Here, the Old Man calls Shaw “小祖宗”, which literally means “Little Ancestor”. This term is used in an affectionate way to address a naughty child

“Wrecking havoc in the Heavenly Palace” is a reference to a novel called Journey to the West (西游记), which features a troublemaking Monkey King Sun Wukong

“I’m hungry. What’s there to eat today?” Shaw doesn’t respond to the shopkeeper’s words. Placing his bag and skateboard behind the counter, he reaches out to play with the silly parrot at the entrance - it’s truly silly. Even after teaching it for a month, it can’t even say “welcome to the shop”. It causes Shaw to wonder if the Old Man was perhaps duped of his money once again.

“All you know how to do is eat...” The Old Man sets down the ancient text in his hands and props up his presbyopic glasses. “Old Qian from next door boiled chicken soup today and is giving us half. I’ll stir-fry two dishes. You can ask if the chicken soup is ready.”

Shaw makes an “mm” of acknowledgement, then turns around and heads next door.

The shopkeeper gets up and takes a few steps towards the kitchen. Then, he abruptly returns to the counter, reaching out to touch the coarse scratch marks at the edge of the skateboard. Inexplicably, he sighs.

The chicken soup is a little bland, and the stir-fried dishes are a little salty. Mixing and eating them together is just nice. Shaw lowers his head and pushes rice into his mouth with chopsticks. In his left ear, he hears the news of how the GDP of Loveland City has risen. In his right ear, he hears the nagging of his mentor:

“...I’m not discouraging you from playing with this thing. It’s good to toughen yourself up while you’re young and your bones and muscles are sturdy. But don’t be too rash. This... this thing of yours...”

“Skateboard.” Shaw speaks.

“Yes, skateboard. I remember that it’s only been a month since it was bought, and it’s already tormented to such a state. You have such an impulsive temperament. You should be more level-headed.”

What does this have to do with temperament? If I were to truly be impulsive, I wouldn’t need a month. Just three days would be enough to break a skateboard. Shaw looks at the chicken leg in his bowl, not saying these words aloud.

“Also, remember to report to the shop early tomorrow. Old Qian and I are preparing to head to the neighbouring city to look for goods. You should come along to broaden your horizons.” The shopkeeper taps his chopsticks against the rim of the bowl, signalling for Shaw to pay more attention. “Isn’t it your birthday tomorrow? I could pick out a gift for you! Sigh, I actually had my eye on an agate snuff bottle, but the guy suddenly decided not to sell it...”

“I’m not going tomorrow.” Shaw interrupts the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper furrows his brows. “Why are you throwing a tantrum?”

“I’m not. I have proper business to attend to tomorrow. The school organised a visit to the museum.” Shaw lifts his eyes, and his thin lips curve upwards. “The things I see there will be much more valuable than those trivial things you fiddle with.”

“You little rascal!”

Shaw laughs, wedging the chicken leg between his chopsticks and sending it into his mentor’s bowl. “I’m full, so I’m heading to the back to do my homework. Chicken legs are really nutritious, so you should have it.”

“Tsk tsk, and you still said you weren’t throwing a tantrum. You aren’t going home again?”

“I don’t want to go back today. I’ll definitely go back tomorrow.” Shaw has already walked to the entrance. He suddenly thinks of something, and turns his head to ask a question. “Mentor, your shop will always be open, right?”

These words came out of nowhere, and the shopkeeper isn’t able to comprehend them. “What?”

“Nothing much. I’m just worried that I won’t have a place to have dinner if an old man like you were to throw in the towel someday.”

The shopkeeper fumes with a glare. “What do you mean by that? You only care about the food? Also, my shop can continue running for a decade or two. I’m still waiting for you to bring back a disciple or a wife to serve me tea!”

Shaw lets out an “oh”, and his eyes crinkle. “In that case, you’ll have to wait for another twenty or thirty years.”

The eyesight of the shopkeeper is no longer as good as before, but he can clearly see that the smile of this child didn’t reach his eyes. After Shaw leaves, he suddenly recalls the fortune that he drew for Shaw half a year ago: “What awaits this catastrophe is a new beginning...”

This child is will meet his predestined fate this year, so what’s left is to see how he endures through it. The shopkeeper shakes his head, sighing once again.

[Note] The actual fortune is “河图数九，洛书数七，脐于九陵，七日来复” but I don’t have the energy to explain it so what I’ve translated above is the overall meaning :>

[ Chapter Three ]

When Shaw awakens on the next day, the shopkeeper has already left to inspect the goods. The shop is empty, and he’s the only one left.

Westmoon Street is lined with old houses, and there’s no soundproofing. Lying on the bed, Shaw can hear the chirping of birds outside the window, the yelling of people on the street, and the babble of the Chinese opera from the old bookstore next door: “I’m just like a caged bird with wings that can’t be outstretched. I’m just like a shallow water dragon trapped on a beach...”

Shaw rubs his face, then sits up on the bed.

The school had set the assembling time to be 9am. Heading out now will give him more than enough time. Shaw quickly washes his face and rinses his mouth. Just as he walks towards the front counter with some rice grains from the kitchen for the parrot to eat, he suddenly discovers that there’s something on the counter.

Walking over, Shaw sees that there’s a cake box as well as a t-shirt which has been washed clean.

There’s a slip of paper on the shirt. The strokes are clean and thin. At a glance, he knows that this is the Old Man’s handwriting: You need energy and drive to participate in the school activity. Don’t wear yesterday’s dirty clothes. Change into this.

The shirt look slightly familiar. He probably changed out of it one day and forgot about it, leaving it in the antique shop. Shaw pays it no mind, turning his head to that small cake once again. The various calligraphy and writings in the antique store are considered relatively charming. Yet, why does he always buy such unsophisticated cakes?

When his classmates celebrate their birthdays, what they eat are high quality custom-made cakes - red velvet, matcha crepe, chocolate molten lava... such a traditional longevity cake is probably found only in a place like Westmoon Street. It’s clear from the light red and light green colours that the embellishments on the cake were made by hand. Eating it would definitely dye his tongue. If he were to speak later, wouldn’t he get laughed at by his classmates?

Shaw bunches up his brows, but the fork in his hand doesn’t stop. The cream is plant-based and tastes bad. He eats a small egg shell at the base of the cake and it tastes bad. The “Happy Birthday” was written using peach jam, and it tastes really bad.

The silly parrot at the side tilts its head, watching as the boy eats mouthfuls while shunning it with every bite, finishing the cake entirely.

Shaw wipes his mouth, then rinses it with the barley tea on the table. Picking up that t-shirt, he returns into the house and changes his clothes.

[ Chapter Four ]

“...this ‘Painting of the Elevated and Pre-eminent’ depicts four famous scholars enjoying themselves. Students, do you know who the Seven Sages of the bamboo forest are?”

[Trivia] If you’re interested in seeing the actual painting, search for “高逸图” (“gao yi tu”)

“It’s such a waste that you didn’t watch yesterday’s episode. That scene where the main lead destroyed the opponent like a boss is unparalleled!”

“Aside from the both of us, did anyone else have fun at Anime City?”

“Are you done with the math homework? Lend it to me - I’ll find a place to copy it.”

...

The question posed by the museum guide is drowned out amidst the laughing and frolicking of the kids. He forces a smile while shaking his head. All of a sudden, he notices that a boy with bluish purple hair isn’t the same as the other kids. He’s staring at an ancient painting in the showcase, lost in thought.

As though seeing a saviour, the guide quickly points at him. “Student, why don’t you give me an answer? It’s fine even if you get it wrong. Uncle will explain to you!”

“...” Shaw turns his head, opening his mouth to say some words, but his voice doesn’t reach the guide’s ears.

“Student, what did you say?” The guide raises his volume.

“I said that the four people in ‘Painting of the Elevated and Pre-eminent’ are Shan Tao, Wang Jie, Liu Ling and Ruan Ji.” Shaw’s face is pretty much expressionless, and there aren't many fluctuations in his tone. “The one sitting down with his hands on his knees at the far right is Shan Tao. The one holding the ruyi sceptre is Wang Tao. The one next to him and drinking wine is Liu Ling. A boy is serving him. The one at the far left needs no mention - he’s the first of the Sages, Ruan Ji. So this painting is missing Ji Tang, Xiang Xiu and Ruan Xian.”

“...”

The surroundings gradually quieten down, and only Shaw’s voice echoes in front of the showcase.

"The scholars in this painting evoke a refined and tasteful sentiment, and the lines are beautiful. This is an extremely precious treasure in the realm of silk scrolls. This is why the ‘Painting of the Elevated and Pre-eminent’ has always been kept in the royal palace. It’s a pity that in order for our predecessors to avoid taboos, only Si Ma Zhong’s inscription is left on it.”

The youth lifts his chin, shooting a playful smile at the guide. “Okay Uncle, you can explain the next museum piece now.”

“Shaw, you’re incredible!” His classmates flock over to him, bumping him on the shoulders. “You were staring at that painting for such a long time. Did you memorise the words on the museum label?”

“Tch. These’s no need to memorise the museum labels for such things. You’ll know it from a glance.” Shaw laughs. “Also, I wasn’t looking at this painting...” When he says this, he pauses for a moment, swallowing his words.

If he wasn’t looking at this painting, which one was he looking at? The students follow Shaw’s gaze, and realise that there’s a floral painting hanging next to the “Painting of the Elevated and Pre-eminent”.

“Painting of a Courtyard and Dayliles”, Northern Song Dynasty, Xuan He Imperial Art Academy, anonymous... The students read the explanatory note on the museum label.

[Trivia] If you’re interested in seeing the actual painting, search for “霜庭萱草图” (“shuang ting xuan cao tu”)

The painting seems to depict a corner of a courtyard. A few daylilies display the patterns on their leaves. One big and one small dragonfly are perched on the flower. Aside from that, there isn’t anything else interesting about it. This painting doesn’t seem to have a name or seal, neither does it have a detailed explanation. Even the guide skipped past it. Since it isn’t a rare and precious ancient painting, what exactly was Shaw looking at?

His classmates are a little puzzled.

[ Chapter Five ]

All the classes assemble in lines at the entrance of the museum. The teacher very patiently reminds the students not to forget to do their homework over the weekend, and to remember to write down their reflections about the museum. The students drawl out “got it”, but their hearts have long since flown a million miles away, ready to keep toys and snacks company.

“Shaw!” After dispersing, Shaw’s classmates wave at him.

Shaw walks over. “What’s up?”

“All of us know that you aren’t in a good mood because you lost to a senior in skateboarding yesterday. Isn’t it your birthday? Bro Lu bought the newest game, so let’s head over to play at his place.” His classmate smiles while putting an arm around his shoulder.

“Who told you that I lost yesterday?” Shaw speaks coldly.

“Who else but Fatty? He was so proud yesterday.” The classmate gives Shaw a pat. “Relax, we’re on your side. Don’t think about these unhappy things. Next time, we’ll have lots of opportunities to get revenge...”

“If I wanted revenge, I wouldn’t wait till next time.” Shaw purses his lips. “I’m heading to the skatepark now. You guys coming?”

Since it’s the weekend, quite a number of skateboard hobbyists are already practising by the time Shaw reaches the skatepark. Very quickly, he locates Bro Zhou from yesterday.

Shaw gets straight to the point. “I lost yesterday. Today, I want to have a race with you. Do you accept?”

A hint of shock is in Bro Zhou’s eyes. He has probably never met a kid who is this unwilling to lose. “You fell so badly yesterday but still want to compete with me? You should practise more!”

“There’s no need to practise more when competing with you,” Shaw says.

With this, Bro Zhou’s temper starts to flare. He tilts his chin. “Fine, come on. Just don’t cry if you fall and break your arm today.”

A short while later, the news of how a “junior high school newbie dared to challenge Bro Zhou from the Qing Xun Team” spreads throughout the skatepark. Everyone gathers at both sides of the race course, curiously sizing up the main lead for today.

“S-Shaw...” His classmate pulls on Shaw’s arm. Looking at the deep bowl in front, he gulps. “Are you sure you’re competing with him in this? It won’t be good news if you fall!”

“If I want to play, of course I’ll only play the fun stuff. Just watch.”

Shaw walks to the starting line and takes a deep breath. When moving his limbs, his hand subconsciously touches the hem of the t-shirt - there’s a small Chinese trumpet vine. The green leaves and red petals cover the hole which was originally on the shirt. It’s just that the stitches are crooked, and it’s incredibly crude. At a glance, it’s clear that it wasn’t sewn by someone familiar with needlework.

[Fun fact] Chinese trumpet vine is 凌霄花 (“ling xiao hua”)

Shaw’s name in CN is 凌肖 (“ling xiao”)

Mentor is the best <3

He bites his lower lip.

The referee raises both hands. “The old rules apply. After getting past the Cola can obstacles, cross the bowl. The first person who reaches the goal will win. Ready... go!”

In the midst of a clamour, a bluish purple light rushes forward, taking the lead.

[ Chapter Six ]

The friction of wheels against the ground results in ear-piercing screeches. The skateboard brings Shaw forward at a high speed, and the cold strong wind accompanies the summer heat waves, brushing past his cheeks. The upright Cola cans aren’t enough to faze him. With the continuous twisting of his waist and a skateboard which moves naturally like flowing water, he and his opponent seem to bypass the obstacles comprising of twelve Cola cans at the same time-

There are three consecutive rows of Cola can structures in front of him. He has to use all sorts of techniques to jump over them. That way, he can rush down the bowl, and enter the final stage.

The arm he injured from the fall yesterday is still aching faintly. His feet seem to be protesting as well. He successfully jumps over the first row, the second row... Shaw holds his breath. He steps on the tail of the skateboard with his left foot. Gravity takes over quickly, and his right foot causes the skateboard to rise. The skateboard beneath his feet is akin to a flying fish jumping out of the water surface, creating a rotating arc above the Cola cans!

“It’s a dolphin flip!” Members of the audience exclaim.

Clack! Shaw’s shoulders wobble slightly when his feet return to the skateboard. When he finally stands steadily, he continues rushing forward. The final bowl is right in front of him.

The moment the skateboard dives downwards, Shaw feels a brief moment of weightlessness. This feeling is reminiscent of being thrown out of the entire world, making one want to continue falling like this until they plummet into the bottom of the swamp. The deep bowl is like the trough he’s currently going through. If he’s unable to climb out of the trough, he will drown in hatred, anger, powerlessness, disappointment... and lose to that weak heart of his.

But he’s Shaw, and he won’t lose just like that.

With a rapid dash, he soars upwards without trouble - underneath the brilliant blazing sun, the youth leaps out of the bowl!

After flying out of the bowl, the inertia causes Shaw to stumble a few steps. He falls onto the ground, lying on his back while pressing the finish line.

At the same time, he hears a dull thud from the bowl - his opponent had fallen back into it.

“Shaw won!” “Shaw reached the goal first!” “That rascal actually won against Bro Zhou?” “This competition was so awesome!” ...all sorts of voices emerge in the surroundings in a disorderly fashion, and a set of footsteps walk towards him.

“Your name’s Shaw?” A masculine voice asks from above his head.

Shaw doesn't speak.

“I’m Coach Wang from Loveland City’s Qing Xun Skateboarding Team,” that voice continues. “I see that you have lots of talent, and will make a good young successor. Are you interested in joining the Qing Xun Team?”

While saying this, a registration form is handed to him.

The late afternoon sun illuminates the sheet of paper, reflecting a glaring light akin to snow. Shaw takes one look at the registration form, then shifts his lips slightly. “I don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“My shirt’s really expensive, so it isn’t worth tearing them.”

The coach is rendered speechless.

Just as he’s about to say a few more words to persuade the kid, he suddenly spots the small flower at the corner of Shaw’s shirt from his periphery - this is clearly not an expensive t-shirt. These days, few shirts are mended using embroidery. And the fact that he’s willing to wear it despite the clumsy embroidery...

This kid has family members whom he cares very much about. The coach seems to understand this. His lips open and shut, and he swallows back the lines he prepared. In the end, he simply says, “...that dolphin flip you did earlier wasn’t bad.”

“Of course.”

The coach laughs as he leaves. Amidst the cheers from the surroundings, Shaw lies on the ground. Covering his eyes with his hand, he laughs.

“I won. Happy birthday to me.”

🛹 Shaw’s Date Prologue: here

#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc shaw

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angstandhappiness · 1 year ago

Note

@bi-scottsummers: #op this is such a wonderful little essay thank you#also. this could be completely out of left field. but it seems to me that SWK is still grieving & that a lot of his reactions to certain Uhh#situations which arise in the show can be directly traced back to the events of his past#the whole ordeal with LBD is kinda Yikes. bc it reads to me as him impulsively reacting to this untreated …. I don’t wanna say trauma but.#yeah. trauma kind of (the LBD chapter in the og series featured a VERY dramatic breakup between SWK & tang sanzang bc LBD manipulated her#way into the group and Buddha’s Specialest Boy refused to listen to SWK when he was like ‘that’s a demon man. maybe stop engaging with it’#to be fair he did also kill her on sight the first time they met her which as you can imagine would be a big No No for a monk but I digress)#idk how much of the og series theyre keeping as canon in the show BUT if we assume almost all then I think SWK’s flaws make a lot of sense#LBD pops up again; he remembers That Time he tried to protect his buddies from her & they all ignored him & almost died;#he goes Not This Fucking Time!! and leaves his current buddies behind & tries to take her on all by himself#quite stupid! some might even say astronomically stupid. but MMMM I love it when characters are stupid for reasons#not to say part of it isn’t just his reckless personality but SWK has lived a long life & I feel it’s possible that some of the shitty#habits he’s picked up along the way carry over. ALSO this is purely just me but he feels like such a lonely character in the show#I mentioned grief earlier bc of all the murals of the og JTTW gang you see on flower fruit mountain#and the fireworks scene. when he brings out a feast fit for like 6 people#the fact that at the beginning of the show nobody has rlly heard or seen from him in like. centuries ??? like he just isolated himself#completely after his friends died??? it’s like he’s haunted by them bro not one episode goes by where they let u forgot that he used to be#part of something bigger than himself#I forgot where I was going with this. ok wait yes I remember. I’m SO curious to see whether or not his past will ever be DIRECTLY addressed#because while I think he is just an inherently flawed being (as everyone is) I also think a lot of his communication issues and#self-sacrificial issues could be hmmm mitigated I guess if he ever decides to work through (what I perceive to be) one of the factors#contributing to them. just to be clear I don’t want him to be suddenly perfect I just think he’s got some shit to work through#he was canonically kind of an asshole to macaque before the show’s canonical start to JTTW & im sure he’ll continue to be an asshole after#all of this. but hopefully he will be an asshole who is a little bit better at processing & dealing with his emotions accordingly#I’m probably reading too much into this bc a lot of his shit can also just be attributed to arrogance#in which case YUM. love it when characters have to face the consequences of their actions😚love watching silly monke get his ass beat#like to be xtra clear: macaque & SWK both are letting trauma from their pasts ruin their chance at a future. but MK sees them as#villain/hero respectively. I just like this perspective bc then we have to consider where the line’s drawn or if theres even a line at all

@imminent-danger-came; #prev woag#''this is kinda outta left field'' *proceeds to give a lovely little analysis of SWK and his flaws/past*#But YEAH. Wukong? SUCH a lonely character.#I think pretty much everything he does in the show is motivated by whatever happened to the og JTTW crew#Like lol. All of his friends died. After DBK is sealed he's pretty much effectively cut his last tie to anyone.#And so I can imagine after watching everyone he cares about leave him (in one way or another) it's like next time#Next time he won't let that happen. He'll put himself on the line first#He'll protect MK (at this point the only person he has in the world)! He'll do it this time!#He's immortal 7 times over! He can't die! He's going to do this!#And then. Oh no. Oh geez he does NOT do that at all#Tragedy at it's finest fr fr#Prev I don't think you're reading too much into anything I think that's just his character#LMK expects you to draw a line between a lot of dots and by GOD have you drawn them#That scene in 2x00 when MK's like ''I gotta go watch the fireworks with my friends...'' and the way like#Wukong just turns and stares into the sunset#LIKE BRO???#I also always think too hard about Wukong calling the gang his friends in 4x07#''I'm not going to let some curse bully me or my friends a second longer!'' Your friends???#You consider them your friends?? You were confused that Tang was hugging you in 3x05.#And this is after showing how the og JTTW crew presents themselves in the gang like. SIR??? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FRIENDS.#Would love for Wukong to work through his problems. Would love for ANYONE in this show to work through their problems actually#I'm really hoping for a SWK V MK fight at some point.#For both SWK's and MK's arcs respectively MK needs to be the one to chew SWK out. LIKE I'M WAITING.#Anyways whatever a hero and a villain was at the start of the series that has really degraded by this point#it's just soup#I don't even know whats happening here anymore#I will say the first episode of the special is titled ''A Lifetime of Mistakes'' and they HAVE to go into Wukong's scroll piece. So.#These writers are fucking baller they're not going to pass up an opportunity to see SWK's past directly like this#Or pass on opportunity for MK specifically to see SWK's past#Like oh god it's all coming together

@bi-scottsummers: #PREV too true let MK lose his shit at SWK. as a treat<3#poor boy has taken after his mentor with regards to how well he processes + deals with unpleasant emotions#monkie kid#ok I’m done with the reblogs now I promise. no more essays in the tag god bles 🙏

@sterling-starlight: #I know I've joked about how I keep on making the sad old men in my shows my favorites#But for real?#My adoration and love for this stupid monkey is almost overwhelming#He's so so flawed but and he's shouldering several lifetimes worth of pain and guilt and lonliness#but he chooses to do his best when some weirdo kid stumbles into his life#he chooses to be KIND#It would be so easy to write him as embittered and jaded and a complete asshole#but they don't#I just-#he's going to ruin my life if he dies

@cloud-somersault: #ah what great analysis#we love it when people point out and understand that flawed characters are what make a story#expecting wukong to be perfect and not make mistakes even POST journey is not realistic#he was makign mistakes up till the end friends#he is by no means perfect#and that's perfectly fine#he's doing his best#he cares too much#and we love him for it#he goes the extra mile in trying to protect people#by lying and hidng information#making them think everything's fine while he's putting out fires behind the scenes#he wants to handle things and he puts that burden perpetually on himself#wukong still has development to go through and isn't that beautiful#aren't you excited??#characters without flaws...aren't really characters at all y'know?

@chipper-smol : #good good good analysis

@ec-arts: #this is a really good analysis

@mariposiel : #screaming crying throwing up

@rorylow : #WOAWW I LOVE THIS#IN-DEPTH SWK ANALYSIS FOR THE WIN !!

@chaotic-bumblebee-agenda : #THIS. ALL OF THIS

@confused-dreamer-wolf: #all of this#he is such a complicated character

@niyana-the-ambiguous-mobian : #OP this is a really good essay right here#but yeah what was he doing all that time after sealing DBK??? chilling in a eternal hot spring? #oh i am FUCKING LOSING IT#AHHHHHH

@cosmoshard : #Augh yesss#rly good points here

SWK being so flawed is like one of LMK's strongest bits. I feel like a different show would just have him be infallible or have him be like a twist villain or irredeemable or something. But he's neither of those, he's just incredibly flawed. It's also interesting that even though Mei and Pigsy are critical of him, they're still shown to care about him.

All in all, hes a more complicated character than people give him credit for :/

I 100% agree!

Honestly, if Sun Wukong wasn't flawed I'd find him a bit boring. You remove his flaws and you remove the meat of his character. Even all the way back in season 1 you get the feeling he's withholding information and concealing his past ("Show me the real Sun Wukong! The old you would have leveled this whole mountain range to stop me!"), and that only becomes more and more prevalent as the show goes on.

Wukong is first introduced as a hero, as the King who defended the world from DBK. Next he's introduced as a mentor, planning to make MK his successor (which I think is pretty debatable at this point, as I've said I personally think he just needed an excuse to train MK).

Slowly we learn SWK is pretty terrible at both of those things. He's not the hero or mentor anyone thought he would be—he's not even the mentor he thought he would be:

Macaque: “Haha, you saw a story about a hero who got handed everything, who didn’t have to work for anything, and you thought you were the other guy? The second the hero got real power, he couldn’t care less about his friends.” [ - ] "You know, I meant what I said—you really are a good kid. A good kid, with a really terrible teacher." (2x07 Shadow Play)

Pigsy: "Back from what? Your vacation? No- what could have been SO important you'd leave MK alone to face that- that thing! You're supposed to be his mentor!" (2x10 This is the End!)

Sun Wukong: "I know I can never make it up to you. Honestly I- I never thought I'd live as long as I have let alone be someone's mentor—turns out I'm not very good at it. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry MK, for all of it." (3x14 Destiny Fulfilled)

(he's staring sadly at a bowl of soup, never a good sign.)

s1 of Monkie Kid, as well as the Revenge of the Spider Queen special, establish a baseline. We meet Wukong as we're meant to know him—the legendary yet cheeky hero. Now that he's retired, Monkey King is training the next generation to protect the world and be the heroes in his place.

Right?

Well, just like our perception of Wukong, our perception of the role of the hero slowly degrades as well:

Lady Bone Demon: “Heroes? Please, you’re mere agents of chaos, the very thing I aspire to eradicate in this new world. No more destruction, no more disorder, I WILL HAVE PERFECTION.” (3x12 The Corrupted King)

Curse MK: "We’re just like Wukong. A fraud! A trickster! Destructive! Why would our legacy be any different? Actually, no no- the chaos and destruction we’ll bring upon the world will make Wukong’s past look like nothing." (4x07 Pitiful Creatures)

MK: "That can't be true! Monkey King's a hero he wouldn't just—" Azure Lion: "You saw it with your own eyes! His betrayal, his brutality—he took the only friends I had from me." (4x08 The Brotherhood)

Heroes aren't people fighting for the side of good, or even for what they think is right—they're agents of chaos. Destructive. "All doomed to play a role in tearing this world apart." Heroes are introduced as one thing, and then slowly revealed to be another.

Heroes, just like Wukong and anyone else, are flawed. They still make wrong choices. They still hurt people. Of course Wukong isn't a twist villain or irredeemable, because ultimately he IS a hero with plenty of the positive traits that come with that. But heroes are also flawed, and this is something I think is at the core of Lego Monkie Kid.

You can love someone, and that someone can do plenty of good, but that doesn't mean they're not broken, or that they aren't capable of causing suffering. This isn't something that only applies to Wukong either—pick any character and I'm sure you could apply this to them.

Now, all this to say that Wukong's two fatal flaws are his lack of communication and his self-sacrificial tendencies. Like Azure Lion says—he has a habit of keeping people at arms length, and more often than not doing that to protect them. These tendencies more often than not lead to his downfall.

So! Let's make some lists of where we see these flaws in the show.

Wukong's lack of Communication:

"Look, I'm going to come clean—um, I've been kind of watching you."

Leaving MK and lying to him during s2 (this includes lying about both going on vacation AND that LBD had returned)

Keeping his plan to stop LBD a secret during s3

"Where I got my staff!" "Got or took, right? You took it?"

Not telling the gang about the 4th ring

Other lies I'm sure have yet to be revealed (such as MK the truth about MK's origins, if that's the direction the plot's going)

Wukong's Self-sacrificial tendencies:

Leaving during s2 to find a way to stop LBD on his own

"What!? You're not going I'm going!" "Yeah so, here's the problem, you guys have this thing called mortality, so-"

Gravely injuring himself to get the samadhi fire Map

Blocking the brunt of the samadhi fire to protect MK in 3x10

Going off to fight the Lady Bone Demon alone

Protecting MK from the curse in 4x01

(and this post here that travels into theory territory)

Now, most if not all of these decisions lead to something bad happening. It's very in line with MK's words in 4x08:

MK: It doesn’t matter if I want to help people or not! Everything I do just- it just makes things worse!”

Wukong, even if he has a very questionable way of going about it, is truly motivated by protecting the people he cares about. However, these choices also hurt those same people. Not to reference samadhi fire Mei another time, but this is EXACTLY what she points out:

Mei: "We trusted you! All of us! How could you lead us into the fight without a real plan? Time and time again I've watched you put MK in danger leaving him to figure out EVERYTHING on his own. Don't you realize you're hurting the people who care about you the most?" (3x10 The Samadhi Fire)

But that's the point, isn't it? Even with all these flaws and after all these mistakes, Wukong still tries (he's very much like Mei in that regard):

Sun Wukong: “Point is, mistakes happen, but so long as you leave the world in better shape than you found it, then it’s all good. Right?” (4x01 Familiar Tales)

Sun Wukong: “We can’t change who we were yesterday or in a past life, or a hundred life times ago! We live with the choices we’ve made, for what matter is the choices we make RIGHT NOW! Only we decide who we are and what we do with the power we have.” (4x07 Pitiful Creatures)

This is who Wukong is. He's not a hero or a mentor, but he's someone who cares. That's the tragedy of his character, really. That's the tragedy of both him and MK. They're people doing the best with what they have, but still failing anyways.

"Nice hero speech bud, but I know better—deep in your hearts, you don't believe a word of that."

And people still love you anyways.

#not enough room previously in tumblr new version #lmk analysis #imminent-danger-came #readmore

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dancingthesambaa · 3 years ago

Text

The Smell of Plum Blossom Tea Ch 17

Summary: Just like a butterfly wing, a single act of kindness can change the course of the future, it certainly did for MK as a black furred monkey put out a hand towards him.

Rating: Teen and up

Chapter 17: Can You Feel The Love Tonight~

“Pass some of that Okra.”

“Here you go.”

“Why is this so spicy?!”

“Well it is the spicy plate, if you can’t handle the heat then you should have gotten the other plate.”

“No, just this one specifically is damn spicy!”

“Red made some of them.”

“It’s not my fault that your taste isn’t refined enough.”

“Come over here and say that!”

“No fighting at the table,” Macaque said as he watched Bohai try to stand up from his seat, while Red was smirking at him.

“Won’t be much of a fight,” the demon prince mocked.

“You little-” his mouth was then stuffed with green beans.

“Just eat some veggies and calm yourself,” Sheng cracked a grin as they put some green beans in their mouth.

The jellyfish demon moodily just chewed on his food in silence.

“Children, all of them,” Mei said as she set down the bowl of Okra Ahmed passed her.

“So have you heard about the rumors about Yakimoto,” Yanyu leaned into MK.

“Yakimoto? The head of the Neurology department?”

“That’s the one.”

“What about her?”

“Well recently I have heard from a friend of mine, who heard from the janitor, who had heard from a physician of that department, that he had heard that she had been having little outings with her lovely secretary of hers,” she whispered loudly.

“Wait, doesn't she have a husband?” His eyes widened.

“Yes she does, but she’s always complaining about the whole ordeal being set up as an arranged marriage by both of their parents-”

“That’s still a thing?”

“Apparently, the two see each other as siblings.”

“Really?!”

“Totally, in fact, there have been whispers that her husband also has a special man as well.”

“Shut up, tell me more,” he stuffed the Tofu in his mouth as Yanyu began to talk all about the man at the flower shop a couple of blocks down from Pigsy noodles.

“Is it always this loud,” Wukong smiled as he watched the table filled with little chaos.

“Like you wouldn’t believe it,” he said as he ate. “Just be glad this isn’t a holiday dinner then it really would be chaotic. Especially with everyone else that would join in,” he remembered last new year when they finally dragged Pigsy to close down the shop for one night to enjoy the holiday. It was a mad scene of chaos and energy as all of them were raving like mad lunatics even before the food came out, Ahmed and Sandy were barely able to stop Sheng, Daiyu, Tang, and Mei from setting off fireworks right next to some containers of peanut oil. And that was after MK and Mei had already demolished the kitchen with Yanyu siblings looking for the moon cakes.

“Everyone else?” He questioned as he noticed the slight smile on his friend's face.

“Oh don’t worry, stick around long enough and you’ll meet them face to face rather than watching them creepily from the distance” he shook himself out of memories.

The Monkey Sage paused, then he smiled widely, “I can’t wait then.”

“Okay, now can we learn how the hell you met Shun!” Mei exclaimed as everyone settled down in the living room. “Cause, I’m surprised you didn’t smell the crazy off of him at first sight.”

“It’s always the quiet ones that get you,” Daiyu muttered. “He seemed alright, but he was just hiding his batshit craziness.

“Right, I mean that just goes to show doc always had terrible taste in partners,” Yanyu nodded.

“Partners” Monkey King emphasized, “as in more than one.”

“Oh yeah, he has quite the number of people after his plump ass,” Minsheng smirked as they tried to smack Mac on the ass when he passed by him, but he winced when a black tail wrapped around his hand and flipped him over.

“No,” the simian deadpanned and was about to sit down next to Ahmed when Wukong pulled him over and sat him down beside him.

“Seems like you're quite popular then,” he joked and wrapped his arm around him.

“Not really popularity wise, but more of him simply having bad taste,” Sheng teased.

“I mean you're not wrong,” he shrugged as he sank into Wukong’s side.

“But how?!” Mei whined once more.

“Tell us!” MK soon joined her as he laid on Red lap.

“I’m quite interested to hear this as well,” the prince asked as well.

“Pleasseee,” Wukong batted his eyes

“Fine, fine, I’ll bite,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s not that interesting how we met, in fact, it was pretty normal.”

“What was it?”

“Amid a territory brawl over a section of land out in the Azurite Forest.”

“…okay I think we have two very different definitions

of normal,” Mei deadpanned.

“Probably, anyways I was sitting high in the tree watching these assholes argue-”

“I told you that past the Vivion Treeline was our territory and yet you dare go past that line and defy us!”

“Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you send your minions down and scavenge in our territory first!”

“You have no proof of any trespassing that happened!”

“Are you saying my own lies to my face?! HA! Now that’s a laugh to even think about, no I trust them long before I will even think about breathing in your direction!”

“I suppose it’s best you lay down and suffocate cause there is no way in hell that my boys lied to me!”

“Now ain’t that a lie!”

“That’s rich coming from you!”

“Sheesh, of course I would happen to stumble upon this right when I have to get some Fuchsia berries,” Macaque grumbled as he watched the argument from above. “Damn idiots.”

“I happen to agree,” Mac barely flinched when a calm voice called out and saw from the tree to the right of him was a gray lemur with a black and white striped tail. “I too have some important items that I need to procure, but these heathens happen to be in my way.”

“Only found in this forest,” the simian said.

“Unfortunately yes the Inada spiritual root is only grown here, if it was elsewhere I would have already turned back and away from this nonsense,” he scrunched his nose in distaste.

“I feel ya on that, the berries that I need happen to be for an elixir for the spiritual development of the 8th degree. One of my clients needs it after her body is close to breaking down due to her organs inability to support her fire breath,” he sighed as he looked down at the argument once more and noted that it would soon turn into an all out brawl.

“You're talking about the Firaga Restoration Elixir,” the lemur had a glint in his eyes. “Not many physicians know of that and even less have the ability to make it.”

“Made it a few times before…how about we help each other out?” He tapped his chin as an idea came to him.

“Go on.”

“Our items are pretty much in the same area, if we can sneak around and past the tree line then it would be homestretch from then on cause I am quickly picking up that most of the demons from each tribe are here.”

“Hmm, sounds adequate though do you believe to be capable enough to pass them undetected,” he turned to look at the monkey only to blink when he saw he wasn’t there anymore.

“Now where did he-”

“Is this good enough for you,” the lemur’s tail quickly shot towards the voice, but it was stopped by a hand. “Sorry, did I scare ya,” Macaque grinned as he held onto the furry tail.

The lemur blinked a few times before a smile grew, “It would appear that you have.”

“Well let’s get moving and the name is Macaque,” he let go of the tail, but the tail didn’t let go as it instead kept almost a loose grip around Mac's hand.

“I’m Shun,” the lemur purred as he stepped forward until their bodies were pressed together and he leaned down until they were nose to nose. “It will be a pleasure working with you.” And like he wasn’t even there, he quickly stepped back and began to move above the treetops of where the fight had commenced.

Macaque stood still for a brief moment before a fierce blush took over his face and he silently followed Shun. If both tree climbers happened to take glances at one another throughout the trip, no one would affirm anything.

“Like I said, horrible taste in partners,” Yanyu stated once more.

“Yeah, like you let him all up in your space and didn’t say a word, clearly bad,” Mei nodded.

“Like seriously, who would just go up and invade someone's personal bubble like that, totally rude,” MK joined in.

“You should have kicked his ass when he did that Mango, you have done it before,” Wukong said as he nonchalantly dragged him to his lap and rested his chin on Mac’s shoulder. “Don’t let anyone near you unless you want to.”

Everyone, barring Macaque and Wukong were either subtly or straight out eyeing Wukong, who was still cuddled up next to the black simian. They can practically taste the hypocrisy going on here.

“Okay I get it,” he put his hands up in mock surrender. “Don’t need to gang up on me like that.”

“So what happened after that?” MK asked.

“Well the rest is history, he began to hang around my place a lot more and next thing I knew we were going on dates with each other,” he shrugged his shoulders.

“Here’s what I don’t get,” Daiyu perked up, “did he ever ask you out?”

“Of cou-…” he stopped mid sentence as he thought it over then he furrowed his brow, “actually, now that I think about it, no. He never did. We were just eating out one day at a restaurant and proclaimed it to be a date.”

“Pops/Doc/Mango/Dude really,” Mei, Yanyu, Wukong, and Minsheng all groaned as the rabbit demon continued, “you really should have known something was up after that.”

“I really didn’t,” he rubbed the back of his head as he remembered he was taken aback by his statement but went with it as he did have a small crush on him back then.

“Just be glad you weren’t around to see Hui,” Ahmed said, receiving a wounded look from Macaque.

“Kitty, I thought you were on my side!”

“I am…just not when it comes to your choice of partners.”

“Even Mufasa here knows that she was batshit insane,” Bohai deadpanned, “nice and hilarious, but holy shit was she insane.”

“She wasn’t that-”

“Did you forget that she was a raging alcoholic scorpion that had the desire to go up to not only to the Celestial Realm and raid their alcohol supply, but to go down under all the way to Yama realm and claim the title of all the ten kings and live in luxury,” Minsheng bluntly stated.

“Just not Yama crown, because she stated that she didn’t want to do all of that work, not because it was suicidal to try to fight him,” Daiyu continued. She loves to fight as much as her siblings, but even she knew better than to pick a fight with one of the big boys on top, or in this case, down below.

“And I’m not even gonna mention that when she was in her drunken rage, she had the tendency to poison others with her tails when they stood opposed or even just breathed near her,” Bohai finished.

“…” Macaque said nothing as he just leaned closer to the other monkey, who happily complied with his actions as he further tightened his arm around him and silently rubbed his thumb on his shoulder.

“So much bad taste in partners, so much,” the bluenette put her head in her hands.

“I’m starting to see your point,” the pigtailed adult agreed as she glanced at the scene with a curious look.

“At least we don’t have to worry about that anymore, what I’m a bit curious about is how all of you guys met MK here,” Wukong tried to subtly move on from the conversation of Macaque’s romantic relationship. If he had to hear about yet another demon he dated, he might actually lose his mind.

“Oh let me!” MK eagerly began, “well I remember that I was sleeping when I heard Daiyu yell out.”

“Because of course it was her,” the bluenette said.

“And I walk into the room and-” as MK enthusiastically told the story, Wukong had quietly taken out the red rubber band holding his hair in a ponytail and gazed at the silky black fur cascaded down his back. And before he knew it, his fingers were entangled in Mac’s fluffy fur as the other simian sighed at the soft touches.

“Been a long time since you did this,” Mac purred as he relaxed into the grooming.

“Well it’s about time we pick it back up, besides no one is better at grooming than a monkey,” he purred, but he paused as he quietly had thought and delicately asked, “speaking of monkeys, do you want to visit the ones back at Flower Fruit?”

Mac's eyes widened as he almost instantly turned his head, but was stopped by hands, “Are you serious?”

“I mean they have missed you a whole lot,” he tried to nonchalantly say, “especially since they smelt you on the kid and was practically begging me to bring your ass over.”

“They are still demanding little shits huh,” he gave a small huff.

“The one thing that hasn’t changed.”

“…yeah I would like that,” he smiled up at him.

“Cool, cool,” he couldn’t stop his tail from excitedly wagging behind him, but he instead tried to stall it by looking at the fluffy fur once more as another purr came through. It’s not his fault he couldn’t stop it from emerging from his long time crush response and his fascination with his long fur.

“You really do have such a long fur, why’d you grow it out anyways, not that I’m complaining.”

“I dunno, I just forgot to cut it short and when I finally noticed I decided to just keep it,” he shrugged.

“Well I’m glad you did, it looks amazing on you,” Wukong said as he looked down to meet Macaque’s eyes and promptly realizing what he said, he quickly averted his gaze and nervously laughed, “Or you know, it looks good.”

“Ah, umm thanks,” the doctor said as he felt the faint blush on his cheeks.

The sage monkey was about to say something else when he noticed that a few eyes were on him and he quickly went back to his grooming session. While making completely sure that his eyes didn’t even go towards anywhere in their direction.

The traffic light trio saw the scene and they all shared a glance at one another, but opted to say nothing as the story continued and the two monkeys, in everyone's eyes, began to cuddle up together.

“Where is he?” Red huffed as he sat on the opposite side of Mei at one of the arcade booths. “Usually he’s the first one here.”

“I know he was helping Pigsy out with a large Party order, but that should have been done by now,” Mei shrugged as she took another sip of her drink.

“Well he should hurry it up else I will-”

“What’s up, party dudes!” An energetic voice cried out that instantly made Mei spit out her drink.

“Oh hell no!” She stood up as she grabbed her dagger and was inwardly cursing herself about leaving her sword at home, “I’m not about to deal with you a second time! Not today Satan!”

“Should I be concerned?” Red raised an eyebrow as he looked at MK, who was for some reason wearing a pink visor, blue headphones and an atrocious cheetah print outfit. “Cause this whole look right here is very concerning.”

“No need to worry hot stuff,” MK said as he wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Not here to do any lasting damage, unless you're into that,” he winked.

“W-w-what?!” A small burst of flame erupted from his head.

“I don’t trust that for a second,” the Dragon successor hissed as she still held her dagger up.

“I swearsies doll.”

“Wha-no stay focused,” she faltered but shook it off, “That is rich coming from the disembodied attachment of my friend who can just poof in and out without consequences of your actions.”

“Disembodied?” Red, still under the clone arm, confusedly said.

“Touché,” he pointed a finger, “but for real, I’m just here to deliver a message from the big boss himself.”

“Talk,” she demanded as she slightly lowered her weapon at that.

“BB will be late due to a crazy ass bitch on the block doin her usual bitch in and be all complainin about her food order being all wrong and demanding that they hand it over for free.”

“Oh,” Mei's eyebrow raised. “Bet that didn’t go over well.”

“No it did not my lovely Empress, cause next thing they knew the bitch was calling up the rest of her posse upon BB and Big Bad Boss and now she is yellin her ass about about some scam they be tryin to pull on them all.”

“I’m starting to see where this is head,” she sheathed her blade when she said that, though she did have a light blush of confusion over the nickname.

“Your thoughts be right as the next thing anyone knows, everyone is brawling with each other so hard that even some of the people on the street just up and joined in.”

“So MK got mixed up in that, but why didn’t he just text us that,” the Bull successor asked as he finally recognized that this was a clone and not the real MK.

“Cause Triple B ordered Double B to not get the food ruined under any circumstances my sweet King so now BB is hauling ass all around the town as the Karen Gang chase after his ass,” Portay MK smirked as he saw the prince blush.

“Karen Gang,” she snorted at the nickname, “Does he need any help, cause I will be more than happy to bust a few heads for him.”

“I as well.”

“Aww ain’t the both of you just a bundle of sweetness, makes me want to give you both a big ol kiss,” he flirted once more.

“Just show us!” At this point both teenagers had either a small or large flush on their faces.

“Alright Alright, I’ll show ya,” he said as he quickly made his way out of the arcade and to the streets with them both following. “But I won’t stop~ Someone got to help Double B get the ball rollin and I guess it will have to be me. This will be so much fun,” he muttered.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing my Sugar hearts!” He smiled at their groans of embarrassment.

“Is he always like this?!”

“I met him once and that was when he had me tied up during a never ending party, which I still can’t fully remember due to all the sugar and caffeine I inhaled.”

“The WHAT?!”

“Oh yeah, that was a ride.”

“Man, it’s been a long time since I’ve been here, huh,” Macaque mused as he and MK climbed up the mountain.

“Right, you lived here before,” MK said as they climbed up the steps. “What was it like back then?”

“Honestly, at first it looks and feels the same, every time that I breathe I can still smell the crisp pine air and the heavy mineral undertones that I still smell on Monkey King,” he took a deep breath. “This place really brings back some memories.”

“Good ones?” The doctor to be said with a bit of hope as they finally reached the top.

“Yeah, good ones,” he stopped as his ears pricked up at an incoming sound. “That screech,” he whispered.

“Huh?” MK looked to his Dad, only to be bombarded with the most ear piercing noise.

SCREEEEEECCCCCCHHHHHH

Then, almost out of nowhere, a hoard of monkeys all popped out and practically flew towards the black simian.

“What the-!” MK was startled by the sudden attack and was about to step forward to his Dad only to pause at the sight of multiple monkeys, all of them screeching in delight, clinging onto him as the demon joyfully nuzzled them back.

“I missed you guys too,” he purred as he felt many cuddles underneath his chin, on his back, upon his arms, even on top of his head. He really missed these idiots.

“Awwww,” the adult cooed at the adorable sight.

“Man, that was faster than I was expecting,” the student turned and saw his mentor standing right behind him. “One moment they were playing and the next thing I know they all began to run off. I swear their smell has gotten better over these years.”

“So that’s why they could smell Dad on me that time.”

“You got it,” he finger gunned him as he walked up to the pile of monkeys. “So it seems this is one-”

“HISSSSSSS!” All the monkeys clinging onto Macaque hissed at their idiotic king.

“Yeah, I deserved that,” he deadpanned as he plopped himself onto the pile, with MK following suit. “But I promise we won’t be so stupid again.”

“Ooo oo,” a female monkey crossed her arms as she sat on the monkey doctor's head.

“King honor,” he raised his hand.

“Ooo,” she nodded and gave him a flick on the nose before snuggling back on top of the head.

“She really hasn't changed one bit,” Mac snorted at her antics.

“Nope, but she is still as bossy as ever,” he smiled and gave her a scratch on her head.

“Especially when she forced me to drink water,” MK piped up, “she literally forced it down my throat after one of the sessions. I didn’t think you could drown via water bottle, but when there's a monkey there's a way.”

“Yeah, sounds like her,” both monkeys said.

The sun was beginning to set as MK and the rest of the tribe were all playing out in the mountains in an extreme game of hide and seek. Extreme as in they all will literally yeet themself off the tallest rock just so they won’t get found, the first couple of times MK played this he had to stop his heart from trying to run out of his chest, but he slowly found himself enjoying throwing himself off like a rabid maniac. Is there something wrong with all of them? Maybe, but no one can deny that it is really fun.

“I swear, their IQ always seems to decrease when they play these games,” Mac muttered as he watched his child vault himself off of a rock just so the seeker wouldn’t catch him.

“Didn’t you think of this?” Wukong hummed as he smirked when he saw his student delicately land on one of the boulders below.

“Yep and I still don’t know if I regret it.”

“I mean you did worse,” he coyly smirked.

“You don’t want to talk about dumbass ideas with me Mr. ‘Let’s just ambush the trailing cart of a tired ass deity that would happily shank up on our sleep.’” He snarked back.

“Says the one who thought it would be a good idea to toss me in the water, forgetting that my stone ass can’t swim!” He shot back, they were playing around and Macaque had the jump of him and tossed him in the river. The black simian paused at what he just did and immediately panicked and dived down after him.

“You should really think about losing a few pounds, you were heavy,” he mocked and then got promptly tackled by the other monkey.

“I’ll show you heavy, how’d you like that mushroom brain,” he teased as he began to wrestle him.

“Says you rock for brains,” he shot back as he tried to get the upper hand. This went on for a few minutes as both monkeys playfully began to wrestle each other on the ground. It ended when Wukong managed to pin him down while holding his hands above his head and wrapping his tail firmly around the others.

“HA! I win!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he huffed after he tried to get out after a few attempts. “Don’t get such a big head about it.”

“Aww, but you know it only does good things to my ego~,” he teased as he leaned down.

“No it doesn’t, simply it’s truly terrible.”

“It does!”

“Does not!”

“Does!”

“Does not!

“Does!”

“Does not!”

“Does!”

“Does not! Damnit!” He cursed at the trickery.

“How do you fall for it every single time,” he openly laughed.

Wukong was about to refute when he saw just how close to each other they were and sucked in a breath. He can feel his chest against his own with each breath of air, he can see the faintest shimmer of violet deep within his golden eyes, he can feel his nose touching the soft button nose of his partner.

Macaque obviously heard the intake of breath, no super hearing necessary, and was about to ask when he too stopped short. It could be from the fact that their noses were so close to each other that he could feel his warm breath, the way he could feel the muscle very clearly against his own fur, or even how his golden eyes seem to be extra bright today that he can’t. Stop. Looking.

Neither pair noticed a pair of human eyes locking onto them with a curious expression on his face as he slowly backed up.

Either way, all of those reasons are very much valid in both of their minds as a familiar silence filled the air and it felt oh so good as they just almost blend together as one. This wasn’t the usual safe cuddles that both were adjusted to, no this was something long in the making, that this was something that was more than the friend standpoint that they anchored themselves down on and refuse to step off. This was something even more than love, but the word itself is the only thing that fits what they feel for the other, and they instinctively knew that there is something more between them, something devastatingly eternal.

There can be more if they just make that step off the cliff and into the unknown air.

But not today, no not today.

Instead, Macaque put his foot back down to that safe cliff and latched on tightly as cleared his throat. “You want to get off me anytime, I kinda want to feel my bones sometime,” he managed to say. He can’t take that step, he knows he’s a coward when it comes to admitting that he actually loves Wukong, but they just became friends once more after their stupid separation and he refuses to do anything that jeopardizes it.

“Right, my bad,” he said with a fake smile plastered on as he got off him and sat beside him. He can see the air and he can feel his feet wanting to make that leap into the foggy air and see how far the two can go, but he will push down that impulse. He wants this so badly, for centuries (no matter how hard he tries to deny it) he wants to admit that he loves Macaque, but he will keep his mouth shut. His impulsiveness has already done enough damage as it is, no need to add the emotional turmoil on top of all the other shit he did to his friend.

The two of them sat in silence once more as they sat side by side to each other, totally ignoring the small moment between.

“So…what are you doing for the Lunar New Year?” Wukong asked in an effort to get rid of the silence.

“Well this year, we’re gonna spend it in the city with the others this time around. Everyone brings some food, usually, I bring the moon cakes as I have the extra hands and you can never have too many.” Ever since he had met Yanyu, who had dragged him to his first Lunar year with her family in the city, it had become somewhat of a tradition to go to the city every two years and spend time together. “What are you doing?”

“Oh you know, just gonna chill on the mountain with good food and watch the fireworks,” he nonchalantly said.

“Just by yourself,” he questioningly asked. If there was one of the many things he knew about Wukong, it was that he hated being alone on any occasion. He knew it stemmed from his own weird beginnings and his unawareness of the societal norms at the start, but it all went downhill after he was trapped in the mountain with only the bitch ass spirits keeping guard, he could only sneak in so many times before one of the guards noticed something amiss, unfortunately. (Though he quite happily stopped by when Wukong was finally free and he had quite the playtime with them, he still can’t help but grin at the sound of their screams. It was truly music to his ears.)

“Yeah,” he shrugged. It wasn’t anything new, ever since his friends have…gone, he couldn’t quite bring himself to spend the holiday with anyone other than the tribe from time to time. It just doesn’t feel right anymore…it doesn’t feel like he has the right anymore.

“Yeah, no. Your ass is coming with me to the festival,” Mac deadpanned.

“What?!” He turned his head so hard that he could almost hear his neck snap.

“You. Are. Spending. The. Festival. With. Us.” He slowly emphasized each word as if he couldn’t understand it. “Got it.”

“But-but-”

“We’re not talking about your ass here, but you are coming.”

“I don’t want to intrude, it will probably be really weird,” he tried to rebuttal.

“The group has almost twenty people and then those people will sometimes bring their friends along, the more the merrier.”

“What about how I look, cause no offense, but I don’t want to be mowed down in a frenzy to get an autograph or a picture or something!”

“We both know you have a human disguise, hell I sometimes use my own from time to time.”

“But-”

“Wukong,” he grabbed his shoulders. “You are going to come to the Lunar Festival with us.”

The monkey opened his mouth once more, but sighed and sagged his shoulder. “When have you become so demanding.”

“I learned that from you,” he smirked.

“Pfft, nahh you have always been a demanding shit even before me,” he chuckled as he laid his head on Mac's shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll join you guys.”

“Great, but if it does get too much just come grab me and we can bail to one of the rooftops,” he shifted and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

He smiled into his shoulder, “I wouldn’t mind that buttt I wouldn’t mind trying one of the moon cakes, especially if you make some with peaches in them.”

The doctor fondly rolled his eyes, “I’ll make some peach candy mooncakes for you dumbass.”

“Yes!”

#lego monkie kid #monkie kid #mk #macaque #six eared macaque #monkey king #lmk mei #PlumTeaAU

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rain-bow-donkey · 3 years ago

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Catch and Release: Ch 29

Inspired by @starsfic work on "Demon Customs."

Previous Chapter

WARNING: Alcoholism

Macaque and Wukong finally talk.

“You’re drunk.” Wukong stated.

Macaque rolled his eyes. “Way to point out the obvious, Peaches.”

Wukong frowned. Making a concerned face Macaque missed seeing.

Wukong always looked cute when he was worried.

Macaque missed having Wukong worry for him like that.

Wukong used his hand that was covering Macaque’s drink and took it from the demon. Placing it where the shadow monkey couldn’t reach it.

Macaque let him. Not putting up a fight. Instead just watching Wukong quietly. Slightly amused to have the other fret over him like this.

“What are you worried about me for, Peaches?” Macaque leaned onto the table with his elbow. Resting he face into his hand. “Aren’t you still mad at me from earlier?”

Wukong always got mad at Macaque whenever they talked about Tripitaka. Though to be fair, it was never really talking. Just them yelling at each other until one of them (Wukong) decides to leave the fight to blow off some steam.

Or just leave entirely for five hundred year without saying anything.

Macaque never really knows with Wukong.

“I am still mad of you.” Wukong took the blanket he was carrying and draped it over Macaque. “But I’m also worried. You aren’t normally this much of a drinker.”

Chuckling, Macaque tightened the fur pelted blanket around him better. “So I have to get shit faced drunk to get you to worry about me? I’ll keep that in mind.”

Wukong scowled at the comment. But decided to not dwell on it. “Why are you drinking this much in the first place?”

“Why? Why do you think, Wukong.”

The king frowned. They had plenty of fights before. And Macaque never turned to drinking for any of them. So why now?

Then a realization hit him. Wukong did the same exact thing when Tripitaka died. The King couldn’t handle the pain of losing his friend. And turned to drinking to forget about his pain. To try to remove the heartache in any way he can.

It never worked though. Whenever Wukong sobered up, he pain of loss eventually caught up to him.

And it look like that is what Macaque is doing now. Upset over the lose of their relationship.

Wukong sighed. He sympathizes with the feeling. Though for different reasons.

The Sage reached forward and started to brush his hands in Macaque head fur. Petting him to help provide comfort for the demon. Macaque closed his eyes at the touch. Giving a small low purr.

It was silent as they didn’t say anything to one another. Both afraid of saying the wrong thing and causing another fight.

“Why don’t you want to be with me?” Macaque asked in a quiet voice. The sincerity of the question made Wukong blink.

Wukong thought back to their early days. Everything started off so good. Macaque and him, they were going to rule the world together one day. And having the kind of love for each other that he saw other couples have too on top of that.

But then the Journey happened. And Wukong changed. The King didn’t want to take over the world anymore. But to protect it. And Macaque . . .

Macaque wasn’t so thrilled by that.

Sighing, Wukong continued to smooth the fur on the other monkeys head at a slow calming pace. “Mac, you know why.”

“I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.” Wukong softly insisted. “We’re a mess together.”

Scowling at the comment, Macaque seized both of Wukong’s wrists. Holding them in place. And looked up at the golden monkey.

“We weren’t always a mess together.”

Wukong gently pulled away. Macaque’s grip wasn’t tight so the King easily releases the others grip from him. Wukong could have done it more violently. Yank his hands away from Macaque. But the golden monkey didn’t want to do that.

Wukong was to tired to fight about this anymore.

“But now we are.” Sighing, Wukong closed his eyes to avoid looking directly at Macaque. Crossing his arms. “I don’t know why you expect this relationship to work. Neither of us have changed.”

“No.” Wukong perked up at Macaque’s insistent tone. “I haven’t changed. You did.”

Wukong blinked. Taking in Macaques words.

He was right. Wukong did changed. He became a better person. The ‘Hero’ of the story. Someone who took care of others. Saved them even. And the monkey was happier for it.

And it was all thanks to Tripitaka.

“Your right. I was the one who changed.” Wukong couldn’t help the small smile. “The friends I made on the journey helped me with that.”

Snorting, Macaque rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I could have told you that.” The demon set his gaze on Wukong, taking him in. Seeing the small fond smile on the others face.

Macaque used to love seeing a smile like that on Wukong’s face. When the demon was the reason for the smile.

But Macaque knew this time it wasn’t for him.

“Was that Monk really that much better than me?”

Wukong groaned, wiping the smile off his face. This again? “I’ve told you, nothing ever happened between us.”

“I’ve seen the way y’all stared at each other.” Macaque was too tied to yell. Which was probably a good thing. It helped to keep his temper in check.

“You’re still not listening to me.” Wukong almost whined. Putting his head in his hands. It was frustrating having to repeat the same thing to Macaque over and over again and still not be believed. It was one of the reason the King left in the first place. “We were just friends!”

Macaque didn’t say anything for a moment. Thinking over his next actions carefully.

He didn’t believe Wukong. Didn’t trust him enough to. Too afraid that the other would leave him for someone better. Someone good.

Someone like Tripitaka.

Macaque didn’t like the monk for that. For being a highly possible threat for taking Wukong away from him. It’s why the demon never liked Wukong being around the other. Macaque didn’t want to lose him to that human.

But Macaque couldn’t deny that that monk was important to Wukong. Enough for the King to end their relationship after Tripitaka died.

If Macaque wanted things to work out with Wukong, then the shadow monkey had to make some changes himself.

Taking a deep breath, Macaque raised from his seat.

He didn’t like the monk. But he had to accept that he was important to Wukong.

“Alight.”

Wukong raised his head at that. Surprise and confusion written in his face.

What did Macaque just say?

“Alight?” Wukong echoed questingly.

“Yes.” Taking the pelted blanket off his shoulders, Macaque draped it on Wukong’s.“Alight. I believe you.”

Thrown off, Wukong stared at Macaque as the other tightened the blanked over the golden monkey. “You believe me?”

“Sure. Why not.”

Macaque didn’t.

But he’s going to have to start too.

#monkie kid #lego monkie kid #shadowpeach #sun wukong #six eared macaque #catch and release #lost and found #the donkey writes #I'm not dead!#just busy with college lol

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echos-lighthouse · 4 years ago

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Erased Memories Chapter 1: Erased

AN: This is the first chapter of Erased Memories

This is an AU about everyone forgetting that Sun Wukong existed. Lot’s of angst and fluff potential

This is VERY long I highly suggest reading it on AO3. In case you can't, (and for master list reasons) I’m also posting it here.

This came out sooner than originally anticipated thanks to anxiety and insomnia. Love you guys

After the light died down, Wukong found himself in the middle of the street. A truck drove by, almost running the Monkey King over. He barely managed to dive out of the way. “Ey! Watch where you’re going!” The driver yelled. Wukong quickly ran to the sidewalk so as to not get hit by a car. After reaching the sidewalk, he took a moment to look around. No rubble, no smoke, no Spider Queen minions. It just seemed like an average day. “How did that happen,” He murmured to himself. Wait. “Did I miss the fireworks!?”

Pedestrians turn to look at him. He may have yelled that part a little too loud. After the people stopped looking at him (which was uncharacteristically quick) he looked a little ways down the street to see a familiar noodle shop. He tried to avoid the pedestrians as he walked by. They all seemed to be more pushy than usual. He walked into the shop, shut the door behind him and leaned against it with a sigh.

“Welcome to Pigsy’s noodles! Home of the world’s longest noodles! What can I get ya?” The man (or rather pig) behind the counter said. Wukong jumped at the suddenness, but when he realized who it was, he came and sat down at the counter. “Hey Pigsy. What happened to Spider Queen?” Pigsy glanced at the monkey, looking at him like he had three heads. Not that he hasn’t had three heads before, but he was sure he only had one at the moment. “I’m sorry, do I know you?” Pigsy asked. “Uh… yeah? I train your kid? He’s my successor?” Wukong reminded him. Pigsy’s face scrunched up. “Successor? He’s just a noodle boy. Look, I don’t know how you know I have a kid, and I don’t know who this ‘spider queen’ is, but if you’re not gonna order anything I’m gonna have to ask you to leave,” The Pig said, threateningly hitting his rolling pin like a bat. Knowing Pigsy would definitely pick a fight, Wukong thought it would be best to leave. He didn’t want to have to hurt him. Again.

“Wait, before I go, where’s Tang?” he asked, heading for the door again. “Who’s Tang?” Pigsy was still clearly pissed, but there was a slight bit of confusion on his face. “Nevermind,” and with that, Wukong left the restaurant.

“Where would that nerd be?” Wukong asked aloud while walking down the street. He was hoping Tang would know what was happening. He didn’t personally know Tang, but MK had shown him a picture of the guy on his phone, and if his memory served him right, Tang was often found at Pigsy’s Noodles, or at the library. He decided to head there next. Then he realized he had no idea where the library was.

Looking around the streets, he noticed a familiar kid riding a golf cart, heading back to the restaurant. “Kid? Kid! MK!” Wukong excitedly shouted to him and ran over. “Uh, hey… sir? Do you need something?” He asked. “Yeah. What happened to Spider Queen?” The young apprentice’s face morphed into one of horror.

“Spider!? WHERE!?” He started looking around himself looking for a non-existent spider. “Kid, there’s no spider on you,” Wukong said. MK let out a sigh of relief, before laughing nervously. “Sorry about that. Can I help you?” He asked innocently. Wukong frowned. “Do you not know who I am?” He asked. MK thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Nope, sorry dude,” MK didn’t know who he was. Wukong’s heart sank a bit before saying, “Uh… Do you happen to know where Tang is?” MK enthusiastically nodded.

“He’s at the library right now. I just got back from delivering noodles to him.” The library. “Where is that?” He asked. “Around the corner? Says ‘LIBRARY’ in big letters, it’s hard to miss dude,” MK said before taking off again. Of course it was obvious. Now MK was going to think he was crazy. Was he? He had to be if no one knows who he is. Or remembers Spider Queen. Right?

The library was familiar in a way. He had never been here personally, but it had a nostalgic feel to it. It kind of reminded Wukong of Tripitaka. Speaking of Tripitaka…

There Tang was, at the front desk, eating noodles and reading a book. “Tang?” Wukong asked cautiously. If Pigsy and MK didn’t remember him, Tang HAD to know who he was. Right? The guy is a huge Sun Wukong geek. There’s no way he would-

“Go see someone else. I’m on lunch.” He said, not even looking up from his book. That was out of character. Wukong needed to talk to him, and to do that he had to get this guy's attention. He just did the first thing he thought of doing. Even if he would regret it later. “Well I’m Sun Wukong. Isn’t it cool to meet your hero in the flesh?” He asked, almost flirtily. Tang looked up from his book to scan Wukong before shoving more noodles in his mouth.

“Is that like an OC or something?” He asked, turning back to his book. Wukong’s jaw dropped. Tang? TANG!? Tang didn’t know who Sun Wukong was!? What was happening? Suddenly, the phone was ringing, but Tang didn’t move to pick it up. “Aren’t you going to get that?” He asked. Tang slurped the last of his noodles, looking in the carton as though it were hiding more noodles. “I’m on lunch.” He said again.

Wukong groaned before asking another worker where the records of “Journey to the West” were. After finding out where they were, he meandered his way over to the books and plucked the first one off the shelf. He opened it up, and the first chapter didn’t even MENTION him.

He thought back to what happened before he realized no one remembered him.

He was fighting the lady bone demon. He jumped to gain force in his punch, but she faded away into a patch of cyan smoke, slowly dissipating. His fist only met air. Then the whisper. “I will erase the memory of you from this world.” It was quite haunting. He didn’t know what to make of it, looking around for the darn demon. Suddenly, a blinding glow encompassed his vision. When his vision cleared up again, the first thing he saw was a perfectly blue sky, and he was standing in the middle of the street.

“Sun Wukong, was it? Were you here all night?” Wukong woke up to Tang gently kicking his side. He groggily sat up, lifting the book up off his lap. It was the first volume of “Journey to The West.” He didn’t even remember falling asleep. He stretched as Tang picked the book up. “Journey to the West? I love this book!” He cheered. “Do you like it too!? I’ve been wanting to discuss it with someone, but no one else reads it or wants to discuss it with me.” Wukong felt a pang of guilt at Tang’s disappointed face.

“Sorry, no. I’ve never read it. I WAS in it though.” He said with a smirk. Tang squinted at Wukong as he stood up. “Are you sure? There weren’t any monkeys in it aside from Six Eared Macaque. Plus if you were in it, you’d have to be immortal or something,” He laughed as though that wasn’t a real option.

“Hey! I was in it! You know! Sun Wukong, the great sage equal to heaven, the monkey king, the leader of Tripitaka’s band TO THE WEST.” He pointed at the book. Tang just laughed again. “Alright, whatever you say,” Wukong was losing him. “How am I supposed to prove to you… Ah! I got it!” He said. He scooped Tang up and started running out of the library. Tang just accepted it. Being kidnapped was a pretty good excuse to miss work, right?

Wukong turned the corner back to Pigsy’s Noodles. He slammed the door open, where MK was talking to Pigsy. “We’re not open. Get out,” Pigsy said angrily. Wukong ignored the shop owner, and threw Tang into a chair, before picking up MK by the shoulders. “MK! Have you seen the staff yet!?” Wukong asked. MK blinked in confusion before stuttering an answer, “Uh… no? What staff?” He was clearly confused. “Come with me.” Wukong said, enthusiastically taking MK out the door.

“Hey get back here with my boy!” Pigsy yelled. Tang snickered. “Wow. Two kidnappings in a day. Gotta be a record of some sort.” Pigsy turned to the new guy sitting at the counter. “Who are you exactly?” He asked. “Tang. Huge fan. Love your noodles. Can I get a free bowl?” He asked with a teasing smile on his face. “No.”

Wukong carefully navigated his way between pedestrians as he took MK to where he had trapped the Demon Bull King. His staff should still be there. Although just to be sure. “Do you know who Demon Bull King is?” He asked as he walked into the surprisingly shallow tunnel. He set MK down as they walked in. “Kind of. Redson talks about him a lot, saying that guy is his father, but that’s all I really know about him. Why?”

Wukong didn’t look down at MK as they continued further in. “Because if you don’t know who he is, then he’s still trapped under the mountain with my staff. That’s a good thing.” He stopped MK as they were about to enter a giant room, surrounded by pipes. This was it. There was a mound of dirt with a tree, and a red and gold staff sticking out of the dirt. But there was also a lot of people surrounding it. “Who are they?” MK asked.

“That’s Princess Iron Fan. I’m assuming you know her son, Redson, and the others just look like robots. But we need to get through them, get that staff, and get it back to Tang so I can prove to him I was in ‘Journey to the West.’” He whispered. MK’s eye’s sparkled. “You’re in ‘Journey to the West’!?” he whisper-shouted. “Yes now look. I’ll hop on the robot bulls there, there, and there. I’ll distract Princess Iron Fan and Redson while you get the staff.” He said. “Wait, I’m sorry, what bull bots?”

Instead of answering MK’s question, Wukong leaped right into action. He jumped and stealthily landed on one. Then he jumped on the other two, before landing directly in front of the royal family. “Why Hello Princess Iron Fan, Redson, it’s great to see you two again after so many years. It’s been a while. We should catch up. How’s the hubby?” His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Princess Iron Fan growled. “He’s been trapped UNDERGROUND for a while now, no thanks to… actually I don’t remember who trapped him here,” she seemed surprised, but her demeanor eventually lead to not caring. Wukong was going to go on a rampage. “ME! It was ME! I trapped your HUSBAND under MY STAFF! How do you not REMEMBER THAT!? He shouted. The princess gave him a disgusted look. “Really, I think I would have remembered you,” She said. “Mother, who is this?” Redson asked. Princess Iron fan shrugged, to which Wukong made a condescending face.

“Hey! What is he doing there!?” Redson called, pointing at something behind Wukong. Wukong turned around to see MK with his hands on the staff, trying to pull it out. Shoot. Kid’s been seen. “A little help?” MK strained to get the staff out of the mound. “No can do kid, you need to know you can do this by yourself. Besides, I’m busy,” he said. The bull bots’ eyes began glowing red. “With what!?” MK shouted. Wukong turned to face the crowd of bull bots. “Taking out the trash.”

As MK continued to pull the staff out, Wukong was destroying bots left and right. “I got it!” The kid finally called out. “Great! Let’s get out of here,” Wukong said. He zipped over to MK, summoned a cloud, and they rode it out of the cave. “After them!” Redson called out. As they left the cave, a group of bull bots followed them out with Redson on a hoverbike. “Uuuuh, would you mind picking up the pace, like, now!?” MK screeched.

Wukong suddenly stopped the cloud, as a thought came to mind. “Why did you stop!? I said FASTER! How do you driv-”

“Are there any citizens behind us?” Wukong asked quizzically. “Oh no. Just a junkyard, the ocean, and an ARMY OF BULL BOTS AND A DEMON BOY WHOS GETTING CLOSER BY THE SECOND!” MK yelled. Wukong smiled. “Perfect,” was all he said before turning to face the bull bot army. He summoned a bunch of golden energy, and created a large golden explosion, causing all the bull bots and Redson’s hoverbike to malfunction and start falling.

“Woah! What was that!?” MK asked, his eyes practically shining with joy. “I’ll uh… I’ll tell you in a moment, kid,” Wukong said. We sounded kinda woozy. “Uh, Mr. Monkey, are you okay?”

“Oh yeah, I’m fine, hey, you should call me Monkey Kin-” Wukong was cut off by the cloud beneath them suddenly disappearing. “AH! Mr. Monkey WHAT’S HAPPENING!?” MK yelled as they began to plummet to the ground.

Out of nowhere, there was a flash of green, and MK realized he had stopped falling. “Mei!” He said happily. “Hey MK! Pigsy told me you were kidnapped by some monkey guy so I came to get you,” She said. Her voice was kind of muffled from her helmet and the wind, but it was still easy to make out what she was saying. MK gasped as he realized something.

“Mr. Monkey! We need to go back and get him,”

“Why? Didn’t he kidnap you?” She asked, confused. “Yeah, but he seemed to have a pretty good reason though. Plus, he kind of saved me from an army of bull bots,” He chuckled nervously. “Bull bots?” Mei asked as she turned around. “It’s a long story I’ll explain later,” They saw where Wukong was falling and Mei picked up her speed. But the Monkey was falling fast. “We’re not going to make it,” MK cried. “Not if you keep shaking me we won’t!” They were just about to reach him, but they were too late. He hit the ground so hard it made a small crater in the street below him. “NO!” MK yelled. Mei stopped her bike, and MK jumped off to go see Wukong’s limp body laying in the middle of the crater. “M-Mr. Monkey?”

Wukong suddenly burst into a coughing fit, causing MK to jump. “Oh Mr. Monkey, you're still alive!” He quickly hugged him as Wukong stopped coughing. “Kid. There’s something I need to tell you,”

“Yes Mr. Monkey?” He said. Wukong coughed again. “Show the staff off… to… Tang… bleh.” The monkey fake fainted. “He’s okay,” MK said softly.

“Redson! Demon Bull King? Bull bots!? That’s where the weird Monkey-”

“Wukong,”

“Not NOW Tang,” The shop owner grumbled. They had been talking while Wukong had MK out, Tang offering comforting words (and maybe sneaking a bowl of noodles) and Pigsy freaking out for MK’s safety. But when the kids brought back a passed out monkey and a tale of a golden explosion, they realized Wukong probably didn’t have any ill intent for MK.

“But how is he not dead?” Mei asked, poking the monkey’s cheek. “He’s immortal,” Tang said ominously. “What?” the others asked in unison. “Earlier I found him in the library, claiming to have lived through the events of Journey to the West. The problem with that, is that he would have had to be immortal. Considering the fall didn’t kill him, I say it’s a pretty good chance he is what he says he is,” Tang explained. He reached over the counter for another bowl of noodles, but Pigsy whacked his hand away.

“So he was being honest?” MK said, looking back at the sleeping monkey. “Well, most likely. If what you say is true, and you saw a golden explosion, then it’s quite possible, since the one in the records say Pigsy was the one to that.”

“I don’t remember ever-” Tang looked over at Pigsy. “Uuuh reading that Pigsy had powers like that,” He said. Tang’s face lit up. “You’ve read Journey to the West!?” He asked excitedly. Pigsy couldn’t look at him. “Yeah, something like that,”

After a moment of (awkward) silence, Pigsy spoke up again. “I have a friend who can help with your friend’s condition,” Tang chuckled. “Oh he’s not my friend.”

“Pigsy! It’s great to see you! How have you been?” The blue and orange giant asked his friend as he hugged the air out of him. “I’d be better if I could breathe!” Sandy put Pigsy down. “Well what brings you here buddy?” He asked. Pigsy simply pointed to the limp monkey he had dropped when Sandy picked him up (Pigsy was the only one who could carry him). Sandy leaned down to get a closer look at Wukong. “I know my teas are great, but I don’t think it can bring people back to life,” he said.

Pigsy blinked for a moment. “He’s not dead, just in critical condition,” he explained. Sandy looked up at Pigsy, then down at the monkey again. “Hmmm. Well I know just what to do about that!” He picked up Wukong and lead the group into the boat. Sandy led them to a small living room and he started to get the tea prepared. “Why do you have so many cats?” MK asked. “My therapist suggested it. Apparently I was harboring a lot of anger, and cats and tea help with that a lot.”

He served the rest of them tea before helping Wukong gulp some down. After Wukong woke up, he was instantly berated with questions. “So you’re actually in Journey to the west?”

“Did you know Tripitaka?”

“How do you all know who we all are?” “What do you want with MK?”

“Woah, woah guys calm down. Let him tell his story.” Sandy told them. They all turned to look at Wukong. “So uh… Where do we begin?”

He told them about the Journey to the west, and the lady bone demon. He told them about DBK, and spider queen (RIP MK), and waited for their reactions. “So everyone who’s ever known you, has forgotten you?” Tang asked. Wukong just nodded. “That’s rough buddy,” Pigsy said. “Actually, what about Quan Yin?” Sandy said. “Quan Yin?” Wukong felt his heart swell with hope. “Yeah! If it’s a demon’s curse, then a goddess or other celestial being should be resistant to it right?” MK said with a smile. Wukong’s face slowly began to light up. “You’re all right! We need to find Quan Yin!” He said excitedly.

“How do you suppose we do that?” Pigsy asked. Wukong stood up with a grunt, still beat up from the golden explosion and his fall. “We need to go to Flower Fruit Mountain.”

Over on flower fruit mountain, a monkey sat in a big cave behind a waterfall. He looked up at the mural again, looking at the familiar face he didn’t have a name for. The mural was strang. Macaque wasn’t sure why he hated it, but everytime he saw it, it enraged him in some way. The monkey at the top. Who was he? Why did he feel like Tripitaka owed him something. He didn’t get it. He wanted answers. He wanted them from the mural.

He looked out the waterfall at the other monkeys playing about the paradise. It was also familiar. Why was this place so familiar!? Macaque walked back inside staring at the forsaken mural infrustration. He felt like he was missing something. But what?

“I think I can help you, you know,” a demon said in the distance. “I thought I told you I don’t want your help,” Macaque yelled back. “You did. But I could help you get revenge on the people in that mural. Especially Tripitaka,” The demon whispered in his ear. He turned back to the demon. “No. I already told you no. Leave me alone.” The demon sighed. Oh well. I’m sure you’ll be getting your answers soon anyways.”

-----------

So this story came about because I wanted to know what would happen if Lady bone demon made good on her promise to Wukong from Revenge of the Spider Queen.

Pigsy has totally adopted MK change my mind

So Tang never had Sun Wukong in common with MK, so he never came to Pigsy’s Noodles to snag free noodles from him. He’s still a huge fan and buys noodles every day

I love Tang so much

One time Tang fell asleep in the library and stayed there all night. He almost got fired

Sassy Tang we stan

I mean, I’d excuse you from work if you got kidnapped

MK and Mei already knew Redson

Uh, yes, Lady bone demon reversed time a bit

I FORGOT THE SCENE ALL I REMEMBER ARE PIPES IM SORRY

They should've called them bull bots

He exerted too much energy with that golden bomb thing

Lol drama queen Wukong

Love how Tang and Pigsy barely know each other and are already acting like an old married couple

Sandy and I love tea and cats. I love his tropes

Also yes Sandy is basically Mystake don’t @ me

So yeah basically first episode rewrite but if no one knew who Wukong was and he was only a driving force in person

Macaque: ANGST ANGST ANGST ANGST

I feel like I should mention Tripitaka has a similar level of respect as the crystal gems did for Rose Quartz, and he's held in extremely high regards to both the heavens and the people, regardless of whether or not they’re avid JTTW fans. This is mostly for angst lol

#lego monkie kid #monkie kid #lego monkie kid au #monkie kid au #monkie kid tang #monkie kid pigsy #monkie kid mk #monkie kid mei #monkie kid red son #erased memories #erased memories au #monkie kid erased memories

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