Chapter Text
There once was a rock atop a mountain.
From that rock, came a monkey.
From that monkey’s shadow, came another monkey.
Having grown used to the oddities of Flower Fruit Mountain, an island full of dragons, phoenixes, lesser gods and demons, the nearby troop of mortal monkeys shrugs, and accepts them as their own.
There was nary a day when the two monkeys were not together. Attached at the hip, bound together by forces far greater than the two little celestial spirits could comprehend at the time, they take to life fully.
Shi Hou, the mortal monkeys call the one with fur of gold and skin of stone. He can lift boulders and trees, fights demons with jovial ease, chases hunters out of their mountain with a cackle and playful demeanor, never fearing death. He’s strong even as a child, stronger than any of them, and growing stronger every day. Shi Hou is the one they come to venerate, to stand back and watch with awe as he takes to the world fully, wholly, with his heart and mind set out to find more, to see more than to know, to experience and learn.
It doesn’t take long for Shi Hou to take charge, the little monkey growing into a rambunctious teenager, awake the moment the sun rises and ready to take on the world.
He’s easy to love.
The shadow is different.
Liu’er Mihou is what they call the shadow, trailing after their little Shi Hou like a silent guardian. Liu’er Mihou is what they refer to in hushed whispers, well aware that no matter how far they run, how far they hide, the sensitive, luminous ears of the Six Eared Macaque will catch their secrets and covet them greedily.
Miles of ivory fur, the macaque could have been considered beautiful by his fellow monkeys; his fur shimmers much like Shi Hou, but differently than the bronze-gold radiance of the stone monkey. Instead, he has a certain ethereal gleam to his coat, a pale glow like a full moon that combined with his quiet demeanor, blood red mask in the shape of a wicked butterfly across keen golden eyes, makes him look more like a ghostly apparition. Something that is but is not fully there, an immaterial property to his presence that sends shivers crawling up the mortal monkeys’ spines.
Because when the Six Eared Macaque looks at you, it feels as if he knows everything about you already. Every thought, every strand of knowledge, every desire could be stolen by him if you dare as much as whisper it out loud.
There is truth in fear.
.
.
.
It starts like this.
A jump through a waterfall, a kingdom found.
Monkeys pile into a forgotten cave, plundering an ancient palace from times long forgotten. Among them is the brave little explorer, the one who discovered this treasure, who dared to go where no monkey has gone before and was awarded the title of king for his troubles.
Shi Hou sits proudly on the little makeshift throne the other monkeys made for him; pile of old blankets and pillows ransacked from the lost palace, with baubles of gold and silver, emerald and ruby, silk and cotton haphazardly attached among the soft bedding; a nest fit for a king, a throne in name but not quite fully in appearance. It would take some time for the monkeys to find the gaudy throne among the rubble of the throne chamber of the palace, and even more so to fix it up for their king. Days would pass before that discovery, so until then, the makeshift nest will do to venerate their new king.
The monkeys continue their rambunctious exploration of the castle while their tired king rests, lounging on his newfound nest as he recovers from his dare. He’s stretched out across the silken pillows like a true king, smirking smugly as his scowling shadow finishes drying off his tail from the waterfall.
Not one fond of seeing such an expression on his best friend’s face, Shi Hou rolls over and lazily reaches for his shadow, wrapping his arms around the other. Liu’er grumbles, leaning into the embrace and for a moment the king’s heart flutters, happy that his friend’s ire is fading… but then the demon bites him on the shoulder and digs his fingers grudgingly into his side.
An unexpected attack, masqueraded in a hug.
The newly crowned king, future terror to the heavens and legendary sage, can do little more than squeal in surprise and jolt away from his fuming shadow, huddling into himself as he decries at the ruse:
“Mihou, why!?” He declares with a dramatic whine, pulling his friend’s head away when Mihou comes for a second chomp. “Why must you hurt me so, friend.”
He watches as the other’s tail lashes out angrily, thumping against the blankets. The distant sounds of curious monkeys echoes through the cave as the Six Eared Macaque levels him with a narrow eyed stare.
“That was foolish.” The wiser of the two hisses. “You could have drowned.” Mihou points out, scowling.
Shi Hou ponders his words, recognizing the wisdom in them. Liu’er Mihou is his one and true friend, his moon to his sun, his anchor when Shi Hou’s spirit gets too wild.
“It was worth it!” He coos, enjoying the furtive flick of his friend’s glimmering ears, his conflict clear in the way Mihou wants to celebrate for him, but also is still mad at him for once again risking his life. Shi Hou puffs up his chest, proud. “I’m a king!” The young demon declares with a happy thrill, tail lashing.
In the distance, they hear the sound of something breaking inside the old palace, followed by the hoots and howls of monkeys.
Mihou huffs and pushes him down; Shi Hou crumbles with a chirped sound of surprise, falling into the mess of pillows and cackling louder as a result. His friend looks at his fallen form and sniffs, nonplussed.
“A monkey king.” Mihou chastises him.
The stone primate sits up, smirking slyly.
“The Monkey King!” Shi Hou crows back, cackling. His laughter makes Mihou shake his head, unable to stop himself before the sheer joy radiating off the golden monkey. “And, if I am a king now… then you are my general!” He points at Mihou, enjoying the confused slow blink his friend offers. “Every king needs a warrior!”
Mihou flicks him in the nose for his trouble.
.
.
.
The idea, implanted, quickly grows out of control.
They want to get stronger.
Shi Hou wants to be stronger; strong enough to fully defend his people. Strong enough to look at even the most dangerous hunters that come to their mountain and chase them out, make them pay for the pain they cause his people. No more pain of losing a beloved member of their troop for pelts and meat. The idea germinates in his mind and blooms into an obsession, one that Liu’er Mihou nurtures because if it brings his best friend joy, if it keeps them all safe, then surely it is wise.
They train every day.
By the end of their first hundred years of life, Shi Hou has challenged every demon on the island and some. Only the boldest hunters dare come to Flower Fruit Mountain, fearing the wrath of the spiritual primates that rule its eternally lush forests. They’re adults now; trading simple strings of fabric for clothing in exchange for stolen armor and weapons; they tower over the smaller mortal monkeys, forced to watch them grow gray and old, the sight implanting thoughts in Shi Hou’s head that will take many more years to fully bloom.
Still children compared to other demons, but they are strong and that is all that matters. Shi Hou is no longer satisfied with simply lifting boulders, fighting demons and small dragons. He needs more, he wants more; he pushes them both further every time.
Shi Hou develops his fighting style quickly; brute force, brute magic, clumsily applied but overwhelming to the local demon population. A blunt hammer to slam down upon the enemies of the Monkey King, a retribution in the shape of a golden monkey wielding whatever scrap of weaponry he and his friend manage to scavenge from fallen hunters… at least until the weapon breaks under Shi Hou’s hands and he is forced to find another weapon that manages to catch his interest, or use simply use his fists.
Liu’er Mihou is different. While he grows to be as tall as his friend, his shape remains more willowy, slender, an assassin's build fit for a monkey that likes cloaking himself in the shadows -for despite the ghostly pallor of his fur, Liu’er Mihou is one with the realm of secrets. His magic is meeker, sly and wicked, a dagger expertly handled by a demon who taught himself to harmonize his friend’s brute methods with his own tactical approach.
Together, they make a dreadful team to face. The local dragons learn to behave, less they incur the wrath of the Monkey King and his warrior. Demons of more nefarious nature move away, seeking easier pastures. Hunters all but disappear, barely daring to camp on the shores at night after long days spent fishing. They learn to leave trinkets to appease the demon monkeys and Shi Hou collects every little offering greedily.
Life is good.
And then, one day, it happens.
They’re resting from an afternoon spent training. Under the shadow of a peach tree, they rest against the ancient trunk while sipping from waterskins and gorging themselves on the stone fruits of the tree. The sun is bright, having yet to set over the island paradise.
It is a good, kind day, to bring an end to Mihou’s paradise.
“How far can you listen?”
.
.
.
Mihou picks a spot away from the cave to practice.
Every day, after training with Shi Hou, he sits on a rock at the very top of Flower Fruit Mountain, at the place of their birth -and listens.
Away from his rambunctious friend, he can focus on honing his skills.
He listens for hours, scanning the island, slowly, ever so slowly, reaching further and further. Catching secrets, magic tricks, things not meant for greedy little demons’ ears but he has them, it's his secrets now, his little treasures that he shares with Shi Hou proudly, happy to prove of use.
They learn new spells, catch news long before it reaches the island, learn of hushed treasures they sneak out to steal right under the nose of unknowing demons and lesser gods. They giggle to themselves as they quickly grow a collection and Shi Hou smiles so wide and earnest every single time that Mihou comes prancing down from the mountain, tail swaying with delight as he eagerly shares news with the stone monkey.
Mihou wants more.
He wants-
Something incredible.
Something that will really make Shi Hou happy.
Because his friend’s happiness is everything to Liu’er Mihou. Seeing him smile, hearing his laugh, feeling the absolute radiance of his magic as the other monkey leaps for joy upon learning of a new weapon, an old temple, a hidden treasury that Mihou has learned of -it’s everything.
And he wants more of that.
Shi Hou deserves all things in the world, in Mihou’s mind. So he will give him everything, because that’s what best friends do.
That’s when Mihou makes his greatest mistake.
The little monkey unfurls his ears, pours all his magic into them-
…and listens to it all.
.
.
.
It starts with a tale.
A search for immortality.
A staff.
A false king.
A false promise.
A war.
A mountain.
A filet.
A battle.
A trick.
It ends in blood and betrayal, and through it all, Liu’er Mihou screams for mercy that never comes.
Metal against bone.
Silence.
Then-
Adoration.
A thousand, a billion, a trillion voices, an endless prayer. For eons to come, for as long as the earth spins and the world keeps moving, it chants and sings the name.
“Sun Wukong!” A billion pray. “Great Sage Equal to Heaven!”
“The Victorious Fighting Buddha!”
“The Monkey King!”
A song of humanity, a veneration far greater than any of the gods.
The sounds of metal against bone haunts his ears and yet-
Before this song, before this promise of a golden future, in front of the knowledge of what will be-
-if what must be done is done-
….it’s worth it.
.
.
.
Sometimes, Mihou tentatively dares just a little bit.
“You’ll be a great hero someday.” He tells Shi Hou one day, years later.
The stone monkey pauses mid bite, turning to him curiously.
“Really?” Shi Hou manages to whisper through his food. He looks at him, blushing cheeks round like a chipmunk, his mouth full of peach as he chews, golden eyes bright and shining like little stars. So full of warmth and innocent love for life that Mihou has to wonder if the Song is right, if what he hears will truly come to pass.
There’s glimpses here, already.
(He doesn’t need to strain anymore to hear it.
His own screams.
The final dance.
The final act; metal hitting bone; a grand finale.
Banish the darkness, and the birth of the Victorious Fighting Buddha will be a promise set in stone.)
Mihou nods, throat too tight to speak.
Shi Hou smiles at his shadow, wide and delighted. Sunshine dances in his eyes, the raw elation at Mihou’s certainty a blessed poison and a hateful cure all at once.
“I can’t wait!”