Chapter Text
It was still only dusk by the time MK and Monkey King had gathered all the things needed for their impromptu star-gazing, so he decided to pass the time by asking a question that had been on his mind.
"Monkey King?" His mentor hummed in acknowledgement around his mouthful of peach chips. "Did you ever know someone called 'The Six-Eared Macaque?'"
Monkey King froze, his entire body going stiff. MK continued on, not quite noticing his mentor's discomfort. "Because I haven't been able to find mention of him anywhere, not in Journey to the West, not in any history books, and Tang doesn't even know who he is!" He blew out a harsh breath. It was true; ever since Macaque became his second mentor, he had done his usual research and come up blank. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
According to history, the Six-Eared Macaque didn't exist.
"So I figured I would ask you, considering you'd probably know about any other mystic monkeys!" MK concluded.
Monkey King was... quiet for a moment, before laughing softly. "I haven't heard that name in years." He said, sounding sad. "So you did know him?" MK implored, leaning forward. "I did. He was a my best friend." Monkey King admitted softly, running his claws through the fur of one of the cubs on his lap, making the little one coo up at him in concern. "We did everything together. He stood by my side, through thick and thin. He even helped with me fight against the Celestial Army, though I've noticed you mortals never wrote about him." "If he was your friend, then why..?" MK didn't understand the animosity that Macaque seemed to hold for Monkey King; sure, friends have falling outs, but something to the scale he'd glimpsed within Macaque?
"Because I killed him."
MK went still, his blood freezing in his veins. "I- what?" he whispered, horrified. Monkey King had...
Monkey King just laughed sadly. "Yeah, not something that anyone would want to spread, to risk ruining my image." "How?" MK couldn't comprehend ever hurting one of his friends, never mind killing them! So why had Monkey King killed Macaque, and how was Macaque still here now?
"It was during the Journey. I was being disciplined by the monk, with the... fillet, for lashing out, and he had apparently been looking for me, so he saw it happen.. We hadn't spoken since Five Phases Mountain, and things didn't exactly go well then either." Monkey King sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "He thought they were attacking me, I think. I didn't get a chance to explain, because he just tried to kill my friends. We fought for a while, and I begged him not to make me hurt him. He didn't listen, and, well..." He shrugged, suddenly looking far older than he had this afternoon. "I didn't mean to. I must have hit him harder than I thought, because later I got wind that he had died." Monkey King buried his head in his hands, trembling slightly. "I just left him there! He was still breathing, so I went to go find my Master and-"
He inhaled sharply, and MK took that was his cue to wrap his arms around Monkey King in a hug that he hoped was soothing. "I killed him, kid, and I left him there. He never even got a proper burial, because there wasn't enough left to bury when he was finally found." He choked on a sob, and MK tightened his grip, tucking his head into the crook of Monkey King's fluffy shoulder.
They stayed like that for a while, Monkey King quietly crying and MK a silent yet comforting presence. He'd never realised his teacher was capable of such tears. Monkey King had always been this pillar of strength and resilience, someone who always got back up. But of course that wasn't true. He'd had to fight so many of his old friends, and watch so many people he cared about die. Monkey King was immortal, but not everyone around him was. The monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain were, but Monkey King hadn't left the island in 500 years. He probably hadn't had a chance to grieve, because as much as MK knew he loved the little ones, they were his family (Monkey King had gleefully explained how the cubs called him Elder Sun) and his subjects. He was a King, after all. He couldn't show weakness.
MK vowed to be the person that Monkey King could lean on, so he didn't have to deal with it all by himself.
A pillar for the pillar.
When Monkey King had finally calmed down and wiped away his tears, the sky had darkened and the stars were out.
"Sorry for dumping all that on you, bud," Monkey King huffed tiredly, scrubbing at his face. The motion reminded him of Macaque, and he smiled at the familiarity of it. No wonder so many of their mannerisms were the same, if they were as close of friends as Monkey King claimed.
With the thought of Macaque on the tip of his tongue, he opened his mouth to ask if Macaque had ever been betrayed by a friend in the time that Monkey King had known him, and if it was possible to bring people back from the dead--
The words died in his mouth as he caught sight of a streak of light across the sky. The student and mentor both looked up as more meteors traveled across the night sky, leaving them to witness their glory in awed silence. It was like balls of light were being thrown from the Heavens themselves. It was breathtaking.
"...Thanks for showing me this, bud." MK almost didn't hear Monkey King with how quiet he was under the noise of the very excitable monkeys also spotting the meteor shower. "Macaque used to love star-gazing too. I haven't done it since..." His voice trailed off, but MK got the gist. He smiled at his mentor. "Of course, Monkey King, it's no problem. If it makes you feel any better, you could tell me a bit about him? Macaque, I mean. I figured, since he isn't in any of the books, you'd want at least someone to remember him properly?"
He and his mentor sat and reminisced together, looking up at the sky. Even once the meteor shower long since ended, they stayed out there and talked about the adventures Monkey King and Macaque had gotten up to in their youth. It was a gorgeous night, and MK hoped that this sleepover helped Monkey King enjoy the stars again.