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Wukong is on fire.
He’s a burning ball of flames. Flames that are lashing out and whipping hungrily at the air around him. Flames that are sizzling and crackling, hissing hungrily which a yearning to devour everything in sight. Flames that are gleaming a bright red-orange color. The entire area around him is painted in that hue. The entire area is about to be engulfed in flames.
“Monkey King!”
The voice sounds warbled. It breaks through the ringing in his ears like a sudden pin drop of clarity. His chest heaves with effort as his hands twitch. The flames are tearing across his body, sizzling as they burn at him. Hot, white agony is all around him, encasing him. But he’s too frozen to move. Too scared.
“Sun Wukong, you have to extinguish the flames!”
Burning. He doesn’t remember why he’s even on fire. He can’t be on fire. Fire shouldn’t hurt him. Fire shouldn’t be able to cling to him like this. He can already feel the way his skin is being ripped apart. He can feel the way the hair on his body shrivels away into nothing. He’s dizzy and confused, but he can’t move.
“Wukong!”
There’s another voice now. A feminine one. One that sounds so angry and terrified all at once that the flames shy away from the source. He hunches over, gasping for air. The inside of his mouth feels hot. He can taste copper. He can smell smoke and ash. He can smell flesh burning. And he knows it's his own, but oddly enough it doesn’t shock him as much as he should.
The voice clicks in his mind, and everything swings into motion faster than he can process. The flames were the Samahdi Fire. He had taken them. Barely. He could still feel the faintest trace of terror lingering in his body. He had barely made it. He had just barely managed to launch himself past Macaque to rip the ring out of Mei.
And then the flames had burst forth and consumed him in an angry display. His tail lashed behind him, scorching the stones around them. Every part of his body screamed in protest, in pain. He was almost sure the fire was coursing through his veins. But he had a reason for this. He had use.
The Lady Bone Demon. These flames were for her. His plan… his plan was falling into place. He whirled around, and the flames followed suit in a whirlwind that expanded as he turned. He could hear yelps coming from around him. Shouts and cries. Guilt lanced through him like a spear, but he couldn’t linger on that. He had the Samadhi Fire.
He had to defeat the Lady Bone Demon. It's the only thought on his mind right now, repeating in his head like a broken record. A mantra that drove him onward. He trembled against the pressure around his body, gasping in and out pathetic wheezes. The fire was a weakness of his. One that he knew. He had originally intended on somehow pushing past the pain and flames, but that plan was falling through.
He staggered a few paces, chest heaving with effort. The flames lapped at his skin hungrily, lashing out wildly at anyone or anything that got too close. The stone beneath his feet was burnt and ugly black ashen color, and he was sure most of himself would be that same color by the time he was done.
He shook his head a few times, tensing up as he prepared to shoot off. His time with these flames were limited. He could only handle them for so long. The back of his throat burned, both from the heat and the rising bile. He clenched his jaw, bending his knees. His tail lashed once, twice, flames hissing in protest against the fast movements, and he shot off.
The pain grew.
He had almost thought that blazing through the air would at least cool him off, but it did nothing like that. The wind pushed against the flames that were clinging to him, as if trying to tear them off. But the flames cruelly refused, clinging onto his skin and bone as if they were sewn into him. It felt as if his entire body was being pulled apart.
But he didn’t slow down or stop. If he faltered for even a split second, he would fail, and the Lady Bone Demon would win. Her idea would become a reality, and everyone would vanish. And he couldn’t let that happen. So he forced his body to continue moving despite the agony throbbing through him.
He felt the atmosphere change wash over him, and it offered relief for a split second. But then the cold was once more drowned out by the heat. But he was almost there. He was almost done. So he had to keep going.
He could see the mech growing larger and larger as he approached. He could see two figures waiting atop. He could see victory. So he rushed forward.
The flames screamed angrily once he landed on top of the mech across from the two. The blue domain was overcast in a red-orange hue now. A color that drowned out everything else. The Lady Bone Demon and the Mayor both stared at him. Wukong could see her mouth moving, but no words made it past the roaring in his ears. Once simple strike and it would all be over. Everyone would be safe.
Words continued to spill past her lips, but they never met Wukong’s ears. And they never would. He tensed up, flames whipping behind him. Move. He willed his body, and he burst forward. For a second, the demoness looked caught off guard, her eyes widening. And then she leapt backwards away from the attack, narrowly avoiding a fiery fist.
The Mayor shouted something and spun to attack, twisting his entire body to kick at Wukong. But the moment his foot made contact, the flames around Wukong’s body erupted, engulfing both of the two. A horrid smell hit Wukong’s nose, horribly similar to the smell of burning meat. But he brushed it aside. He swung his head around, almost feverishly, before locking eyes onto the Lady Bone Demon.
He moved again, arcing through the air and bringing his foot down. She raised two hands to defend herself, only to back away once the flames got close enough. Her clothes were burnt. The vessel was injured. He was winning.
He sauntered forward, breathing in and out through his mouth in ragged breaths. The demon made a face at him in disdain before summoning constructs behind her, sending them flying through the air towards him. But the moment they got close enough to the flames, they practically melted away, leaving him unscathed.
She was powerless.
Wukong tensed up and launched himself forward again. The flames hissed when he made contact with her, angrily surging forward to try and engulf her as well. But he moved faster. His fist collided with her side, and he felt bones crunch beneath his hand. A moment passed before her body was sent flying into a pillar.
He followed up immediately, rushing forward to pin her to it. He was winning. He was winning. He could see terror in her eyes. He could see her pleading. But the words would never be heard. He raised his other hand, balling it into a fist and drawing it back. The vessel would… likely not survive. He was aware of that. He knew that. But what was one child compared to the whole world?
“Monkey King!”
His vision sharpened, and the sound in his ears vanished. For a split second, everything melted away, and the flames died down. He faltered, slowly twisting around. His gaze felt like it traveled at a snail’s pace as it slid over the area, eventually landing on two shapes. One that belonged to Nezha, and another that belonged to MK. An MK who looked terrified.
He opened his mouth to say something, but the words died in his throat. The flames hissed a scream, almost as if warning him. Wukong whipped his head back around, looking back at the demoness. To his dismay, a satisfied grin was plastered across her face.
And then there was cold.
Something pierced his back. His hold on her fell away instantly. Every part of his body contracted, seizing as some invisible force lifted him off the ground. A strained, choked sound came up from his throat, and he wasn’t sure if it was a grunt of a cry. Every part of him was tense. Every part of him felt like his muscles were being pulled straight and beyond that.
The cold throbbed against his back, growing in strength before seemingly pushing itself into him. The flames screeched against the cold, flickering rapidly as the feeling surged through him. An odd emptiness filled his body for just a moment. A hollow, dead feeling. And then it began to fill up. Slowly but surely, it felt as if something cold was pooling up inside him, filling every part of his body.
He clenched his jaw, biting back a strangled cry of agony when a sudden sharp, shrill sound met his ears. And then there was cold. Cold all over his head and face. Cold in his teeth and eyes and nose. It was everywhere. But just like that, it snapped away. His body relaxed, and he slumped forward, still held up by whatever invisible force had latched on.
For a moment, he felt himself hanging there. And then he was moving, his back arching while he swung his head back. Flames crawled up his throat and out of his mouth, flaring a horrible blue color. Oddly enough, they weren’t burning him anymore. In fact, he wasn’t on fire.
He could just barely hear laughing over the ringing in his ears. Everything felt wrong. It was all fuzzy and muffled. He willed himself to lurch forward and swing another attack… but his body didn't budge. His heart skipped a bit, but he brushed it off. Maybe he was just in shock from whatever she had hit him with?
He tried again, yet nothing happened. Real terror sparked in his chest as he slowly realized he couldn't so much as twitch his tail. The ringing in his ears slowly became drowned out by his heart hammering in his chest. He tried to suck in any air, but he didn’t. Not the way he wanted. He was breathing evenly despite how fast his heart was racing.
“Go.”
It was her voice again. It broke through all the sound, and everything lurched to a halt. For a second, he didn’t move. Then, slowly, his body began to twist around. Slowly, MK and Nezha came into view.
He felt nauseous.
Run! The words never rose up his throat. His body moved, and he moved faster. Nezha just barely had time to whirl around and tell MK to run before his fist collided with the prince. And to his horror, flames burst forward, encasing Nezha in a fiery blue display. He heard a pained scream come from beneath him, but he was already looking up towards MK.
The boy had managed to jump backwards to a different spot on top of the mech, just barely out of the fire’s range. There was a look of horror in his eyes that made Wukong’s stomach churn. And yet his body still moved. He kicked off of Nezha, lunging at MK and swinging. A line of flames followed his swipe, just brushing past MK’s face when MK managed to duck.
MK staggered a few paces back, holding up his hands defensively. “Monkey King! Snap out of it!” He shouted. Wukong shifted in his feet, his movements not faltering for a moment despite how much he tried to stop himself. His body moved again, but this time the flames encased his tail. He whipped the appendage through the air, and he felt contact. MK must have too, because he reeled back with yelp, clutching his shoulder.
The demoness laughed from behind, hovering near the staff with a devilish grin. Wukong didn’t know if he was relieved the onslaught had stopped or if he was scared. She was speaking again, but the words were gone. Lost in a fuzz. Everything was fading away from his grasp, oddly enough.
But then it all came rushing back in a snap.
He was somewhere else now. No longer on top of the mech and no longer near the demoness. Despite that, he couldn’t help but feel fearful of what was going to happen. He couldn’t see anyone around him. Nor could he see anything around him. It was all gone. But there was a surface beneath him, which meant he could walk. He even stomped his foot once or twice to check…
…he could move! He startled, jumping. His tail lashed behind him, once, twice, and then a few more times. He raised his head to his head, running them through his hair with a shaky exhale. He could move! He let out a breathless, hysterical laugh, looking around. He still couldn’t see anything, but he could move, and that was all he cared for.
…except he wasn’t alone.
Just off to his left, a small spot was illuminated. Something was hovering above the ground, casting the ground with a hazy white-blue glow. And in the middle of that glow sat a child, staring up at the object with a tired expression. He blinked a few times, as if that image would go away, But she remained there, staring.
She didn’t look familiar. Or… no. She did. She looked like the vessel the demoness was possessing. Or was this the Lady Bone Demon playing a fool? He cleared his throat, taking a few steps over. “Hello?” He tilted his head softly, trying to come off as “safe” as possible. She looked over at him slowly, turned away, and then spun back around for a double take.
“Wh– but… but you-”
Wukong laughed, placing a hand over his chest. Nervous word vomit incoming. “Haha yes! It’s me! Monkey King! Yes! Uh… who are you and where are we?” He cleared his throat again, leaning down. She furrowed her eyebrows at him, squinting at him with a suspicious look. Then she raised her nose in the air, raising an eyebrow as well. “How do I know you aren’t just an illusion?”
Wukong blanked, opening his mouth to object before pausing. “...Ah… How do you know I’m not an illusion!” He shot back, pointing a finger at her. She scoffed, shaking her head. “That’s not how that works.” She muttered, rolling her eyes as she looked away. Wukong frowned, his tail stilling before twitching a few times. “What do you mean that’s not how it works?! What game are we–”
She cut him off, fixing him with an unamused look. “We aren’t playing any games. And now I know you aren’t an illusion, because she wouldn’t make anything as imperfect as you.” She spat the word “imperfect” out as if it were a sour tasting word. Wukong would’ve felt offended if he wasn’t curious. “Right… about that second question–” He began.
She raised a hand, pointing up at the hovering object. “That’s you.”
Wukong blinked a few more times, taking a moment before he took a few more steps forward. As he did, the object slowly came into view. It was more of a screen. And on that screen, he could see himself. Himself being given some… armor. Huh. He furrowed his eyebrows together, studying himself. He looked… ill. He looked physically ill and wrong.
“...Yeah. That’s me.” He breathed out shakily, frowning. She looked back over at him, then back at the screen. “... My name is Bai He. To answer your first question.” She murmured, pulling her knees to her chest. Wukong looked back at her. “Bai He?” He echoed, and she nodded. He continued. “And do you know where we are?”
“No.” Bai He shook her head. “But it feels like a cage. I can see what I’m doing, but I can’t actually do anything.” Her shoulders slumped down a little as she looked down. Wukong nodded, looking back at the screen. That explained it then. The Lady Bone Demon had obviously taken control of their bodies, and now they were here. Trapped in this… this place. But it did leave him curious as to why he didn’t appear here earlier.
“You’re leaving.”
Wukong was startled by her words. He glanced back up at the screen to see himself turning and walking away. And as he did so, a cold feeling crept over his body again. He glanced down at himself, his breathing stuttering when he saw he was almost see through. Bai He hummed, her eyes half-lidded. “Don’t mind that. It happens.”
Wukong glanced back up to say something to her, but it was all gone. The empty void he had just been in was gone, and now replaced with what used to be megapolis. Now, it was an icy domain. He didn’t know why he was here, but he wasn’t keen on finding out.
His body was moving against his will again. Marching onward through the streets slowly. The new armor he was wearing clinked together as he strode forward, tail swaying evenly behind him. He was looking for something. He didn’t know what or why or who, but he was looking for something. And that just made him feel even more sick.
He almost didn’t expect the sudden burst of fire that came at him. Almost.
He managed to reel out of the way just in time, although he almost wished it would’ve hit. Slowly, he craned his head over to gaze down another street. MK was there, alongside a battered Nezha, Mei, and Red Son. All of which seemed to be on edge. All of which looked horrified.
Wukong slowly twisted to look towards them, his movements strained. There was some… some pull. Some resistance. He shuddered, but his body did not. He ached, but his body did not. He was not his body. He was not this monster.
“Sun Wukong,” Red Son began, stepping ahead of the three. “That demon has infested your mind. Would you truly fall to such a low level as to let it win?” He hissed out. Wukong rolled his eyes internally at the youth, but he wished he could’ve said something. Communicated to them. But his mouth didn’t move. It didn’t work. He was just glad he hadn’t attacked yet.
Nezha took a step forward as well, eyes narrowed. “You have the fire within you, Wukong, and she has you. She has all she needs to create her… perfect world. But she hasn’t yet. Do you know why?” He tilted his head. Wukong took a step forward, and his heart lurched. Nezha didn’t falter. He continued. “Because she wants to make you watch yourself destroy us! And she isn’t going to stop until you have!”
He lunged once more. But this time, he didn’t connect. There was a flash of green, and then he was sent flying across the street. His body slid on the ice, armor screaming against it before he slammed into a building. Concrete fell onto him, but he stood up, shouldering it off. He heaved himself out of the debris, staring ahead.
Mei was at the head of the group now, holding her sword tightly in her hands. Two small fires had been lit within Red Son’s hands, and Nezha was holding his own staff. MK, however, simply hovered at the back of the group. Thank you. It was a silent thanks, but Wukong could’ve sworn he felt himself nodding towards MK. His own hands moved, falling to his sides with his palms turned outwards towards the group. Flames burst on his fingertips, engulfing his hands. It stung. It burned. But he couldn’t put it out.
He moved again, and then it was all a blur of fighting.
Nezha went first, of course. His speed being far faster than the others, he collided with Wukong head on, bringing his staff up to block any throws Wukong swung at him. He could see Mei and Red Son running to flank him, all while MK hovered near the back away from the fight.
Wukong’s tail lashed, and fire formed. It thumped once against the ground, and then he swung, his tail lashing behind him in any and all directions. He didn’t see what was happening, but he could hear the frantic footsteps as Mei and Red Son tried to dodge the attacks. His gaze was focused entirely on Nezha, his hands straining against the staff.
He knew there was some restraint. Despite the fact that he couldn’t feel himself tugging against his own body, he knew he wasn’t attacking Nezha at full strength or speed. Because if he was, he knew the fight would’ve been over the moment it started.
Something hot burst against his back, and it made him stumble. His foot slid and his attacks on Nezha faltered for just a moment, but it was all he needed. The staff twirled in Nezha’s hands before he swung, sending the sage flying backwards. Instead of colliding with a building, however, something else met his back.
Mei’s sword.
His body folded around the blade, the armor he was given just barely protecting him from getting cut. But her goal was not to cut. She heaved her arms forward, swinging him through the air as well. He twisted, lashing a fiery hand out at the ground. Flames ripped at the surface, ever so slightly slowing his speed. But he had already met his next target.
Red Son’s hands pressed against his lower back, just below where the upper chest armor stopped. Heat formed, and then it burst. Flames engulfed him, stopping the blue ones for just a moment. A voice urged him to get up and attack. He clenched his jaw, trembling with effort as he began to slowly heave himself upright. The flames continued. His own flames screamed and whipped against the others. He was losing. And he couldn’t have been more–
Win.
The world snapped out of focus. Everything became muffled far too fast, and his heart sank. He jerked upright, shoving Red Son backwards with his elbows. The shove sent him stumbling backwards, and Wukong took full advantage of that. He pivoted on one foot, drawing a fist back. Blue flames burst to life as he swung, smashing his fist into Red Son’s chest.
He heard a crunch. He felt a crunch. But it didn’t take back what he had done. The power behind the swing sent Red Son flying backwards, crashing into a frozen building. MK and Mei’s cries were drowned out by the growing ringing in his ears. More flames formed, encasing his back and feet.
He found himself moving again, this time towards Mei. She raised her sword to protect herself, and Wukong’s stomach churned. He brought up a knee and slammed it into the sword, pressing the blade back towards her body. And then he kicked, sending her flying back into debris as well.
Dodge.
He jerked to the side, just narrowly avoiding the staff Nezha was attempting to bring down onto his head. His tail whipped through the air, wrapping around Nezha’s waist. The fire hissed against the prince’s clothes. He heard a pained grunt, and then he swung. He twisted his body around, gaining momentum for a few spins before releasing, sending Nezha flying straight towards where he had sent Red Son.
And then there was only MK.
He turned to look at the boy slowly, movements loose and lazy. He took a step forward, and MK took one back. The boy began to speak, his eyes wide. “Monkey King… you have to snap out of it. You’re– You’re stronger than her. Don’t let her make you do this!” He shook his head, emphasizing the last sentence. But the words fell on deaf ears.
“You can win! I know you can!” MK continued, continuing the back up as Wukong drew closer. He pleaded with himself. He begged himself to stop walking. But he continued, movements heavy and slow. Strained. Wukong felt the tug this time. He felt the resistance. He felt the way his movements trembled.
MK’s breathing stuttered as Wukong stopped. “...Yeah, yeah! Like that! I know you’re in there! Push her out!” He breathed, a shaky smile forming on his lips. And for a moment, Wukong felt hope flicker in his chest. He felt relieved. He felt like he was winning. He felt–
Kill.
He burst forward. A silent shriek rose in his throat as his hand wrapped around MK’s neck, flames lapping hungrily at his skin. MK choked, kicking his legs as he was lifted into the air. He swung his head back and forth, wheezing out pleas. Wukong’s arms trembled. His heart pounded in his chest. He tugged against his own hand, screaming at himself to let go. To release. But he didn’t. His hold tightened and tightened and tightened and–
crack.
MK’s movements stopped.
Wukong’s head spun. His hold was finally released, but it was too little too late. The body hit the ground with a dull thud. The flames flickering on his hands slowly faded away as he stared down at the unmoving mass. There was no breathing. No moving. No twitching. He was still dead.
A hissing sound met his ears, and then there was steam. Steam rising from his face. Specifically his eyes. His… ah. Tears. The flames would obviously get rid of the tears. The flames… his breathing stuttered. He stared. And his head didn’t turn away. She was making him look and stare. She was making him suffer.
“Monkey King!”
MK’s voice met his ears. The sound came from behind him, which was.. Odd. The body was in front of him. Unmoving. But then it moved. It twitched, bubbling and twisting and fading into a shade of purple… ah. He internally let out the biggest cry of relief he could utter. It was a clone. It was one of Macaque’s stupid clones. Which meant that MK was alive. Which meant that the voice behind him was MK.
He turned slowly as flames started to slowly rise up again. MK was there, and he couldn’t tell if he was more relieved or horrified by that fact. But Macaque was also there. He could see Nezha, Mei, and Red Son lingering in the back, each regrouping with the other two. But what was most notable about the display in front of him was the fact that MK had the staff. MK… had the staff. He took a step forward again, and his heart sank. He tugged against his own body, but it did nothing.
Get the staff. Bring it to me.
A new order. A plea. A demand. A screaming voice in his head that spurred his body into action. He jerked forwards, lunging for MK and the staff. But his own attack was met. Macaque and Nezha both collided with him, shoving him backwards and away from MK. It was only momentary. It was temporary. It was just delaying it.
Wukong launched himself forward again. He swung a fist through the air, a trail of fire following the blow. But this time, Nezha and Macaque moved aside. This time, they let him by. This time, he went flying straight towards MK. The staff. He willed himself to stop. He willed himself to tear away from MK, but he did not.
He latched on to the staff, and everything stopped. The entire world flashed and he breathed. He inhaled and exhaled… and then it all lurched back into motion. There was a bright, gold flash and then his body was on fire again. He reeled away, tearing himself back from the staff and MK with a raspy exhale.
He stumbled, falling back onto the ground as he squeezed his eyes shut. His head was spinning and the fire on his body was burning hot. It was… hot. The realization slammed into him, and he forced his eyes open. Whether for better or worse, orange flames now lapped at his body. Not blue ones. And he.. He had opened his eyes on his own. He exhaled a shuddery breath of relief, shaking with every inhale and exhale.
He had control over his own body, but now he had the fire to take care of. Now he had these wretched flames to put out. Now..
“Sun Wukong! Calm yourself!”
That was Red Son. His voice just barely made it over the flames that were roaring in his ears. But he heard him. He glanced back up at Red Son, staring at him through the flames before exhaling a shaky cry. “I can’t!” He shouted back, clutching his own arms. The singing was back. The pain was back. He wanted it to go away.
“You need to think of yourself as one entity! You are not Wukong and the Samadhi Fire, you are Wukong with the Samadhi Fire!” Red Son shouted back. Wukong inhaled and exhaled shakily, tightening his hold on his arms. It was burning. It was burning so much, so much. He writhed where he was on the ground, wheezing in and out shaky breaths.
With the fire. With the fire. He repeated to himself in his head, curling up into a ball with pained, rasping gasps for air. Red Son drew closer while the others remained further back. He assumed it was a resistance to the heat. After all, Red Son had initially created the fire. “Calm yourself or you will be the undoing of the world.” Red Son hissed out, no longer needing to shout now that he was closer.
Wukong nodded his head a few times, although it was all mostly lost in the pain. He grimaced, curling up into an even tighter ball before letting out a wheezing gasp. The flames roaring in his ears were slowly becoming quieter. He inhaled and exhaled a few more times, trying to steady his breathing to the best of his ability. In and out, in and out, in and out.
The flames hissed around him as they slowly shrank, fading away into his arms and into nothing. The smell of smoke faded and the crackling around in the area fell silent. All that remained now were the heaving gasps of air coming from everyone and the smell of burnt flesh. But he had done it. He had put the fire out.
So he sank.
___
The very first thing Wukong noticed when everything started coming back to him was that he was somewhere else. Despite not having opened his eyes yet, he understood that. It was… quiet. That was the one big thing that stuck out to him. Moments before everything had slipped away, it hadn’t been this serene. The other thing he noticed was that he wasn’t on a flat floor. He was… in something. Something curved with an indent that he was nestled in. And that something had water in it.
The water was lukewarm. Warm enough to keep him from being cold without burning… speaking of, there was still some odd burning over his body. But it was muffled. And it wasn’t from the water in a way that it was hot. It was from the water in a way where the water was over a wound.
The water suddenly rippled, and something grabbed his arm. He feigned unconsciousness, unsure of where exactly he was just yet. He was becoming more and more away, the fog over his mind slipping slowly. He was in water, and something was wrapped around his body in different parts. His first assumption was a towel, but that didn’t make any sense. The more reasonable idea was bandages…
Speaking of, whoever had grabbed his arm seemed to be undoing the bandages. Slowly but surely, he felt them get unwrapped. He heard clothes shuffling, and then there was plastic being moved. After a few more moments of that, there was silence… and then something was being applied to his arm. Something that stung.
He jerked upright, his act shattering with a hiss. His eyes shot open and he pulled his arm close to his chest, heaving in and out shaky breaths. Whoever was here with him made a startled sound before clearing their throat. “You’re awake!” They squeaked out, voice soft.
Wukong blinked a few more times, looking around. He was in a tub of water, just as he had suspected. And there were bandages all over him. He winced, glancing down at his arm. Ugly black barns with red flesh showing had been revealed by the bandages. Part of the burn seemed to have a cream over it. He furrowed his eyebrows together before looking towards the person.
“...Tang?” He croaked out, voice raspy. The scholar nodded, readjusting his glasses. “Uh… yeah, yeah. Tang.” Tang nodded, reaching forward again. “Can I see your arm?” He whispered, extending his hand. Wukong frowned at him, his tail twitching under the water before stilling when pain shot up through it. He winced before slowly pulling his arm away from his chest, extending it away towards Tang.
Tang took it and continued to do what he was doing, which meant applying more of that cream. Wukong clenched his jaw together to keep from making any noises, rather focusing on where he was. It definitely wasn’t his mountain. The place didn’t look familiar in any way, shape, or form. Oddly enough, it reminded him of the noodle shop.
“You’ve been out for about two months.” Tang piped up after a moment, reaching out of sight before pulling a roll of new bandages out. He continued. “After you uh… fainted… we managed to defeat the Lady Bone Demon. But you got… pretty burnt, but I assume you already know that.” He explained, letting go of Wukong’s arm and gently setting it back down into the water. Wukong tensed at the initial pain before slowly relaxing as it faded. Wukong nodded slowly, humming. “Is… is everyone okay? Is the– the girl. Is she okay?”
Tang furrowed his eyebrows together for a moment before realization lit up his eyes. He nodded a few times. “Yeah! Everyone’s fine. MK is great, Pigsy and Sandy are all good, Mei and Red Son are good… everyone who got trapped is fine, too. And the little girl is okay now. She had some pretty bad bruises on her ribs and neck, but she’s been doing great. Macaque’s been keeping an eye on her.”
Wukong snorted. “Macaque?” He echoed in disbelief. Tang nodded, moving to the other side of the tub to do what he had done to Wukong’s other arm. “Yeah,” Tang confirmed, starting to undo the bandages. “Her name is Bai He.” He said, and Wukong snorted. “Yeah I know.” He shrugged, leaning back and sinking down, allowing the water to come up past his shoulders.
Tang paused what he was doing, raising an eyebrow at Wukong. “You know?” He echoed, and Wukong blanked for a moment. Right. They hadn’t seen what he had. He nodded, clearing his throat. “Yeah. While I was uh… y’know… I met her.” He nodded. “She’s a fiery little spitball.”
Tang exhaled a laugh, squeezing some cream onto the burns. “Sounds like her… Pigsy and her get along pretty well when it comes to heckling the customers. They both got this little act set up and everything.” He pulled out the new roll of bandages again before starting to wrap them around Wukong’s arm.
Wukong hummed, trailing off. Everyone was okay, and the demon was gone. He looked back at Tang, raising an eyebrow. “Do I still have the fire?” He asked softly. Tang paused what he was doing before sighing, slowly lowering Wukong’s arm back into the water. “As of now… yeah. We’re looking into ways of getting it out.” He explained.
Wukong nodded, unease crawling beneath his skin. Just the knowledge that he still had the fire in him made him uneasy. He swore he saw the water starting to simmer before it fell still once more. Tang cleared his throat, continuing. “But for now, Red Son said he’d try and teach you how to control it. That and how to make it not give you fourth degree burns.” He stood up, brushing himself off. “Your body did most of the healing. They’re down to second and third degree burns now, but we’re still monitoring them.”
Wukong nodded, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. “Alright…” He whispered out. Tang hesitated for a moment before speaking again, this time in a whisper. “MK was really worried about you…”
“...yeah.”
Wukong didn’t see it, but he could practically hear the grimace on Tang’s face. With that, the scholar exhaled and began to head towards the door. “I’ll leave you here for a bit longer… I won’t tell anyone you woke up yet if you don’t want me to.” He paused by the door. Wukong opened his eyes, looking over at Tang and nodding.
“Yeah just… give it some more time.” He whispered. He silently thanked Tang for his nod and watched as the other left out the door. And then it was just Wukong. Alone. He exhaled shakily, raising his arms out of the water. The bandages Tang had put on were new, but he could already see an ugly faded red staining them.
He frowned, dropping his hands back into the water with a shaky exhale. They’d won… But at what cost? He’d attacked his friends. He had attacked them without any mercy. For all he knew, he could’ve killed them if he hadn’t been able to break free like he had.
And even then… was he actually free?
It could’ve been his mind playing tricks on him. Maybe it was just his imagination… but he swore he still felt her crawling beneath his skin. He swore he still felt the ice in his veins. He swore he still felt it all. Even with the fire burning red hot inside of him, that unease lingered like the plague.
The shadow clone he had attacked could have easily been MK. He could have easily killed MK and moved on to get rid of everyone else. And he had no control over it. So what was to say she wasn’t lingering inside of him even now, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? He shuddered, sinking further into the water. It had lost some of its warmth now.
He closed his eyes for a few moments, breathing in and out slowly and evenly. Even if she wasn’t with him, there was still the fire. He didn’t know how to control it. It could easily burst and engulf everyone and everything around him. Red Son had helped him get it under control in the heat of the moment, but that could have also just been his own exhaustion.
He raised a hand above the water, staring at his fingertips. Think of it as part of you. I am Wukong with the fire. I am not Wukong and the fire.
He closed his eyes, trying to focus some bit. He felt heat, and he opened his eyes… but nothing was there. He exhaled a shaky breath, letting his hand sink back into the water. When he was here around them, they weren’t safe. He didn’t even know if he was safe. The fire could start up at any moment for all he knew, and she could still be hiding within his mind.
He had to distance himself from them.
He grabbed onto the sides of the tub, carefully heaving himself up out of the water. His movements were slowed and strained. Every little twitch sent hot shocks bursting throughout his body and joints. So he carefully stepped out of the tub and reached for a towel. After drying himself, he noticed a pair of neatly folded clothes set aside. Just a pair of sweatpants and a shirt, but it would do. So he picked them up and slid them on. After a few moments of struggle, he looked around the room. There was no other exit aside from the door Tang had left through. But going out that way risked being spotted.
He exhaled shakily, brushing it off. He slowly crept over to the door and concentrated. After a moment or two, a gold flash lit up the room and a small lady bug took his place. He slid out under the door, making sure no one was around before flying up and out of the nearest window. And once he was high enough, he allowed himself to change back and form a cloud beneath himself. He just needed more time, he decided.
So he shot off towards Flower Fruit Mountain.
___
The second time he woke up, it wasn’t as calm. Nor was it slow.
It was sudden and abrupt. He didn’t even remember falling asleep once he got back to the mountain. One moment he was drifting and the next there was fire. He jerked awake with a sharp gasp, and all he could hear was flames. Pain grabbed him and he convulsed where he was laying (thankfully a dirt clearing).
“Wukong!”
He recognized the voice right away. It was Red Son, but it made him curious as to how he was on the mountain. But shortly after, that question was answered by MK’s voice. “Monkey King! Calm down! It’s just us!” Right… calm. He twitched where he was laying, gasping in heaving breaths. Calmcalmcalmcalmcalmcalm–
The flames hissed as they began to fade, lashing out defiantly at the surrounding area. His bandages had most definitely been singed or burned off entirely. The already present burns on his body were stinging more now. But at least it was much easier to get the fire to “turn off” this time around.
The moment the flames disappeared, two pairs of hands were pulling him upright into a sitting position. He winced away from the touch, wheezing out a pained gasp. “Kid–” He began, breaking off with a few coughs. MK pulled his hands away, and there was the sound of something rustling. “I’ve got water!” And just as MK said that, a bottle of water was being pressed to his mouth.
He drank it greedily, relishing in the relief it brought his throat. After a few moments, MK pulled it away and Wukong inhaled with a few broken gasps. Red Son kept his hands on Wukong, seemingly focused on just keeping him upright. For the time being, it seemed they were just waiting on him to calm down. And after a few moments, he did…
MK broke the silence with a cry, throwing his hands up. “Why did you just run off! I mean- we were, like, all super worried about you, and then Tang was like,” He stopped back, cupping his hands around his eyes to imitate glasses. “Well actually, he woke up,” Wukong mentally scoffed. Traitor. MK continued, stepping forward. “And then we went to check and you were gone!”
Red Son leaned forward, eyeing the burns. “It seems what recovery you made has just been set back…”
Wukong exhaled a shaky breath, waving the two off. “M’fine, bud. Just needed a breather.” He needed to keep them safe. He winced against the throbbing from his burns, opting to hold his arms as he drew his tail around himself. MK exhaled a breath, tilting his head. “Are you sure you’re okay? I mean… you just seem a bit uh… not super eccentric Monkey King like right now.” He explained, shrugging.
Red Son snapped his fingers, hissing out his next words. “Well obviously he’s still recovering from using the power of the Samadhi Fire! You should know that, noodle boy.”
“I thought we were past that nickname!”
“Well you thought wrong.”
“Red Son!”
Wukong raised his hands, silencing the boy without having to say anything. “This… this whole interaction has been great and all, but you guys can head home now if ya’ want…” He whispered out, starting to pull himself to his feet. “I got everything under control here.” He reassured. Red Son scoffed at his side, crossing his arms. “You didn’t look so under control just a few moments ago.” He spat.
Wukong rolled his eyes at him, but he didn’t make any attempts to retort. MK, on the other hand, looked visibly distraught. “But those burns! C’mon, Monkey King, we gotta at least have them looked at.” He reached his hand forward to grab Wukong’s hand, but Wukong pulled away. MK paused, his expression falling.
Wukong exhaled a shaky laugh. “I’m all good, bud. Promise. I’ll come and see ya’ if I need anything! I get a… a sauna! Has some real good water in it. Y’know, like… healy stuff.” He shrugged. Red Son opened his mouth to challenge that statement, but MK spoke before he did. “We’re just worried about you, Monkey King. And it’d make all of us feel a lot better if you let us check on you a few more times.”
“I said I’m fine, bud.”
The words came out far sharper than he intended, but there was no taking them back. MK’s expression shifted into one between crestfallen and hurt. But he just sighed, drawing the staff out. “Let’s go, Red Son.” He murmured, turning to walk a few paces away. Red Son sputtered, looking back and forth between the two before sighing. He cast one more look at Wukong before heading over to join MK.
After a few more moments, they were gone. And then it was just Wukong. He could hear the sound of nervous trilling from his monkeys behind him, but he wasn’t focused on that. He glanced down at his arms, wincing at the sight before shaking his head. This was a good thing. If he kept himself away from them, it meant they had less of a risk of getting hurt.
It just didn’t feel like it was a good thing.
He sighed, turning to head towards his shack. He did feel guilty about it, because some part of him wanted help. But another part of him screamed to stay away. Him being near them only meant the risk of getting burned or attacked by him. And he was set on making sure that didn’t happen. Besides, he was sure he could make up some of that burn cream with his hair… or something. He had to have something in his stash.
He sighed, closing his eyes as he walked. He had the layout of the mountain practically memorized. He’d lived here for thousands of years, after all. He practically knew every stone and tree on the place. He just wasn’t expecting sudden pain to shoot up his leg when a monkey grabbed on to climb up his body.
He whirled around, and flames burst through the air. A few terrified shrieks filled the air while a single pained one rang out. He faltered, the flames falling away with a ghostly whisper. Most of the monkeys had scattered, but one was laying on the ground just behind him blowing on its hands frantically.
“Oh, oh– bud,” He breathed out, dropping down next to him. “I didn’t mean to.” He whispered, hands hovering nervously over the monkey. It looked at him once before making a fearful sound, scrabbling onto its feet before hopping away. He stared after it with a frown, chest aching. Even his own monkeys weren’t safe around him. If something as simple as that could set the fire off, was anyone safe around him?
He rose to his feet slowly, hugging himself as he did so. Red Son was supposed to train him to control the flames, but what if he hurt the boy? MK wouldn’t forgive him. No one would. Had any of them forgiven him for what he did while under her control?
He shook his head, turning to saunter back towards his shack.
He couldn’t let himself near anyone. He’d just have to figure out a way to get the flames under control himself. No matter how long it took or how much it hurt, he would control them. And once he had them under control, he’d make sure that demon was burned out of his body.
___
Wukong couldn’t stay away from them forever.
He had started off small, eventually coming to terms with the fact that he did need help controlling the fire. Red Son was a surprisingly good mentor, and he was a surprisingly good student. The fire was… much easier to control than he had expected. After a few weeks of training, that was. But even then, calling upon it and putting it out were two very different things.
It was still a struggle for him to consciously summon it, and putting it out was even harder. But he had gotten to a point where the flames no longer hurt himself. They were part of him now, as much as he hated it. And despite the fact that he had control of the fire once it was summoned, he still didn’t want to be around anyone.
Once the fire was there, it felt like it had no off switch. It drove Wukong crazy. It made him scared. It hardly ever seemed to flare up on its own anymore over a startle, but when it did, it was hell on earth trying to put it out. But it got to a point where it was manageable. Where he could keep the others mostly safe.
So when he got a text from MK inviting him over for a movie night, he decided to make a grand appearance. When he first got to the noodle shop, he lingered at the top of the roof for longer than he could remember. Anxiety had been gnawing away at him the whole time, and he was sure it was almost down to his bones. He was tense. And he was scared (not that he would admit it).
And when he finally gathered up the courage to walk in through the door, he was relieved to see a dimly lit room. It was quiet. It was calm. Most of everyone was there. Surprisingly enough, Macaque was there. But the person that caught his eye was–
“Bai He?”
“Mister King?”
He hadn’t expected to see Bai He. Not since their little meeting. Not since he had last faded away. But here she was, sitting next to Macaque on the floor with a card game going on between the two. Macaque’s ears twitched as he lifted his gaze to look up at Wukong, as did many others. Pigsy peered out at him from where he was making popcorn in the kitchen, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve met the kid before?”
Wukong sputtered, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously with a bandaged hand. “Well, uh, we sorta had an interaction once.” He explained, laughing. Bai He fixed him with a half-lidded look, pursing her lips. “Yeah we… We've met.” She agreed. “It wasn’t for long though… just a short little talk.” She shrugged.
Wukong swallowed, his hair standing on end. He hadn’t seen most of anyone here since the battle. The only people he had seen since then were MK, Tang, and Red Son, and all three of them were watching him like hawks. He carefully made his way over to join the group in the sitting area, sitting down on the floor in front of Tang with a little hum.
He was on edge. No one had made any move to have a full on conversation with him just yet, and that was what worried him. He wasn’t sure if they were scared of him or if they hadn’t forgiven him, and it was driving him up the wall. He must’ve looked the part, because Bai He (who just happened to be next to him) elbowed him. “You look like you just saw a ghost…” She whispered.
Wukong exhaled a shaky laugh, looking back at her. “Would you believe me if I said I did?” He whispered back. “No.” She responded with a little giggle. Wukong swallowed, breathing out shakily. “Well it’s a good thing I didn’t actually see one… I’m just tense, kid.” He leaned forward on the last part, making sure she would be the only one to hear it. Well, aside from maybe Macaque. But he seemed busy trying to steal a card back from MK.
Bai He leaned towards him as well, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you tense?”
Wukong shrugged. “I haven’t seen most of these people since the actual fight… and I’m not sure if they forgive me.” He let his voice drop even lower (if possible), his shoulders hiking up to her ears. She blinked back at him a few times before frowning, tilting her head. “Why wouldn’t they forgive you?”
Wukong looked away. “Because I attacked them.”
“You attacked me and I forgive you.” Bai He murmured. Wukong whipped his head back around to look at her, narrowing his eyes. “That was different.” He hissed, and she hummed. “How so?” And Wukong blanked. He opened his mouth before closing it, blinking a few times. She elbowed him again, leaning back away from him. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She reassured before turning back to Macaque, saying something about a go fish.
Wukong leaned back, closing his eyes for just a moment before opening them. He couldn’t argue with her logic, but it still had him on edge. People could put up acts easily. The laid back carelessness everyone was displaying right now could very well be hiding an on edge, nervousness. His shoulders began to hike back up towards his ears again until two hands rested on them. He startled, and a small flame sparked to life on his tail tip.
Red Son leaned forward, although he wasn’t the one behind him. “Relax, simian. It’s just Tang.” He muttered, rolling his eyes. Wukong blinked a few times… and the fire flickered out. From behind him, Tang squeezed his shoulders a little. “Sorry. Just… thought you seemed tense.” He whispered. Wukong tilted his head back, staring up at him. “So you thought grabbing me suddenly would help?”
Tang rolled his eyes. “No.” And then his hands began moving. “I’m giving you a massage.”
“Oh.”
Now that just didn’t make sense. Someone who held a grudge against a person wouldn’t just… just act like they didn’t care. They wouldn’t go as far as to do this. But here he was with Tang massaging his shoulders. He exhaled shakily, letting himself relax into the touch. After a few moments, Pigsy appeared and started handing out small bowls of popcorn to everyone.
Sandy mentioned he had brought some tea packs to make, and then Pigsy and him vanished back into the kitchen. It was all… surreal. It felt fake. Everyone just seemed so careless. Too careless. His throat felt tight, and despite the massage, he still felt tense. And he continued to feel that way until it worsened to an unbearable point when Pigsy and Sandy returned.
So he broke his silence.
“I’m sorry.”
Silence. It was crushing. It was suffocating. So he continued, almost frantically.
“I’m sorry for keeping the rings a secret from you all and then being so reckless as to get myself in trouble. And then for attacking you all… and I’m sorry for running off– I was scared of hurting you all more than I already had, because I didn’t have the fire under control and I thought she was still–”
His words began to slur together towards the end, almost becoming incoherent before Pigsy cut him off. “We forgive ya.” And that was all he needed to say to confuse Wukong. “But… but aren’t you mad? Or, or scared? What if I lose control again? What if–” And once again, he was cut off. This time, however, it was Mei. “Right idea, wrong execution.” She noted, continuing. “You wanted to do the right thing, and we all understand that. And… yeah, I was mad at you for a bit. But I know why you did what you did.”
MK followed up after her, leaving Wukong no time to interrupt. “And besides, we basically saw her get pushed out of you. We know you won’t lose control.. And Red Son has been teaching you, so you’ve basically got, like, the best chance of controlling the fire with him teaching you!” He explained.
Wukong opened his mouth to argue, but Macaque cut him off this time. “No one here is mad at you for what you did. You just gotta get that through your thick skull.” And Wukong scowled at him, his ears pinning back. “My thick skull? Have you seen yours!” He hissed back, and Macaque bared his teeth at him. Wukong scoffed, rolling his eyes before taking a moment to pause. Right… right. They forgave him.
“Thank you for forgiving me.” He whispered after a moment.
And oddly enough, it did feel like relief.