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Ne Zha didn’t sign up for any of it.

Their only ideals meshed with serving the Jade Emperor and leading the armies of Heaven alongside Erlang Shen and, once, Princess Iron Fan, though her abandoning of the celestial armies for a previous member of the forces against them was one that severed their friendly bond. As for Erlang, though he was a fellow leader of the celestial armies, Ne Zha had found that their personalities were in many ways too close to truly mesh, instead cooly clashing until they needed each other’s commanding expertise.

In many ways, Ne Zha considered themself to be the sole commander of the celestial warriors, however selfish it sounded in their head.

The only person they would ever serve was the Jade Emperor. Other allegiances were simply another plate of armor in that fight and that’s how they imagined their interminably long life to be spent. Simply protecting the Jade Emperor and leading the celestial armies, making temporary alliances to strengthen their endeavor before breaking off with them as their ideals shifted.

When they did shift, Ne Zha neither wanted nor needed anything to do with them.

This is why when they heard that one of their previous old friends had a child, they did not visit with prosperous wishes or even watch too closely from the outside. Princess Iron Fan abandoned her cause for the Demon Bull King, a decision Ne Zha couldn’t imagine making.
Even if the child was that of their sworn sister, they did not care enough for the family to visit.

They did hear stories about the child, though.

From what they overheard from the warriors in Heaven, the child was a healthy demon boy and was given the name Red Son. He was a fire demon, and an exceptionally powerful one, power already rivaling his parents.

Impressive, Ne Zha admitted, but not unheard of. They were a living example of that.

Only difference was, Red Son’s parents were not mortal.

It was odd. As much as Ne Zha hated to admit it, the Demon Bull King was a powerful being, as was Princess Iron Fan. For a newborn demon baby’s power to be so exceptional so to rival his own adult parents is shocking.

Still not enough to go and see for themself, though.

So when they rested in the shade of a small gazebo, idly twirling their long spear that spat small sparks of pink heavenly fire, they didn’t expect for someone to request their allegiances to be…

Altered.

A pair of small bare feet pounded towards the celestial warrior, bringing a young boy who bowed to the Lotus Prince before speaking.

“Erlang Shen is requesting your presence, he says he has something to talk to you about!” 

Ne Zha motioned for the boy to stand up. “Good morning, Moksa. What brings you here?”

“Guanyin is visiting for a while, she brought me along.” Moksa shook his head. “That’s not important! Come on, it sounded urgent!”

Ne Zha laughed quietly at the bodhisattva’s disciple’s energy, somewhat reminded of theirs when they were his age. They picked their spear up from its position leaning against a wooden post and followed after Moksa, down pathways of marble and jade. The pair were greeted by various people mingling the celestial realm, including a relaxed-looking Guanyin sitting in the grass, who smiled and nodded at the passing Lotus Prince. Ne Zha returned the smile and gave her a short bow as they passed her.

“Ne Zha, there you are.”

Ne Zha stopped, turning to face Erlang. Moksa quickly gave his greetings and left, returning to the bodhisattva’s side.

Ne Zha nodded in the Little Sage’s direction. “Erlang.”

Erlang gave Ne Zha a look, whispering “Stay quiet and follow me.”

Xiaotian Quan barked at Erlang’s side.

“What’s going on, Erlang?”

“I said quiet!” Erlang shushed them. A bit of color rose to Ne Zha’s face as they fought back the urge to say or do something unbecoming of their title. They groaned and followed on their flaming golden wheels as Erlang sprinted, Xiaotian in tow, down a long corridor.

After a few hundred meters Erlang suddenly stopped, causing Ne Zha to almost crash into him. After a few quiet grumbles about how the wall is not a comfortable place to crash into, Ne Zha looked up. 

Princess Iron Fan was waiting for them.

“Princess Iron Fan!” Ne Zha nearly yelped before Erlang gave them an exasperated look, finger to his lips. “What are you doing here?”

“I don’t want any trouble,” Iron Fan put her hands up. “I just have a favor to ask of you, then I’m out of here.”

“You are aware you’re a fugitive here, right?” 

“The longer you stall the longer I stay, Ne Zha!”

Ne Zha sighed. They had forgotten just how stubborn she could be. “Fine. What do you want?”

Princess Iron Fan opened her mouth before glancing at Erlang.

“What?” Erlang put his hands up.

“I’m asking this of Ne Zha.” She sheepishly pursed her lips. “No offense.”

“What do they have that I-” Erlang snapped. He sighed. “Fine, whatever! Stay out of trouble, Gongzhu.”

Erlang turned around and walked away, Xiaotian trotting behind him. Ne Zha smirked.

Princess Iron Fan snickered behind her hand. “You two have known each other for ages, how are you still this petty with each other?”

“I am not petty!” Ne Zha retorted. “I swear if you start teasing me again…!”

Iron Fan raised an eyebrow and grinned at them. Ne Zha scowled. “I’ve told you so many times, I… never mind. There was something you wanted to ask of me?”

It was only then that Ne Zha got their first good look at Iron Fan. Her bright red clothes were covered in black scorch marks and her face and hands sported a number of burns.

“Gongzhu?” Ne Zha questioned. “Are you alright?”

Her position shifted, consciously or not covering up the burns. “I need your help with Red Son.”

Ne Zha did not expect that.

“Your son?”

“His fire powers are out of control and he’s just a baby, I thought that since you use some fire magic you could-”

Ne Zha couldn’t keep themself from laughing. “You came up here to ask if I could babysit your son?”

“Train! I want you to help train him.”

“Look, I’m too busy to be bothered with demon children right now. Why can’t you or your husband take care of him? Both of you know your way around fire, do you not?”

“Not this kind of fire, his fire is… unnatural.”

It was Ne Zha’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “He’s literally a demon.”

“No, you know that’s not what I mean!” Iron Fan groaned. “It’s not earthly fire or celestial fire, and I doubt it’s hellfire, it’s something different.”

  “Sorry, Iron Fan, you’re going to have to go bother someone else.”

“Ne Zha, please!” Princess Iron Fan shouted after them. “You’re the best person for the task. I trust you!”

“I told you before, my duties keep me too

busy here! I don’t have time to train your son.”

“At least go and see him for yourself! If not for any other reason to meet my child.”

Ne Zha sighed. She was not going to take no for an answer. “I’ll go down and see him. I can promise no more.”

“Come on, then!” Iron Fan gestured for Ne Zha to follow.

“You’re lucky today’s been a slow one,” Ne Zha sighed, following Princess Iron Fan out of the room and down to the mortal plane, Ne Zha on their wheeled shoes and Iron Fan in a whirlwind.

Upon arriving at the palace, Ne Zha was blasted with heat. They winced before realizing this was from an earthly source.

“Why is it so hot?” They hissed behind clenched teeth.

“The Demon Bull King’s preference,” Iron Fan responded calmly as she sheathed her fan and walked through the door.

The Lotus Prince was immediately greeted by the Demon Bull King.

Well, greeted is a bit of a loose term.

The Demon Bull King waited immediately inside, staring at the door as it opened. Princess Iron Fan smiled at her husband.

“What are they doing here?” The Bull King growled at Ne Zha. They tensed, small lotus petals swirling in formation to summon their spear.

“Calm down, my love,” Iron Fan waved her hands dismissively. “They agreed so see if they could help with…” she gave him a look.

The bull scoffed. “I suppose they are one of our final options. Go on, then.”

Ne Zha glared as they followed Princess Iron Fan through the foyer and down a hallway, pushing past the Bull King on their way down.

Princess Iron Fan arrived at a door with black markings spewing from under the crack. She quickly tapped the door handle a few times to check it was cool enough to touch before she opened the door.

The room clearly was meant to be a nursery, as it had the typical decorations of a doted-over baby, though every surface that was immediately accessible was simply blackened and coated in ash. Against one of the walls was a large cradle with a still figure inside.

Ne Zha walked carefully inside, peering into the crib. The child inside was a typical size for a demon baby, perhaps slightly larger, with chubby milk-chocolate fingers burning holes into his blankets. He had bright red hair that laid in his face, swirling over a pair of small horns and around large pointed ears. Red Son cooed softly in his sleep.

Ne Zha eyed Princess Iron Fan skeptically. “This is what you needed help handling?”

Iron Fan dragged a finger down the crib and swiped it on Ne Zha’s cheek, streaking it with black soot. “He’s a peaceful sleeper, but he’s uncontrollable when he’s awake.”

Ne Zha reached a finger towards the sleeping Red Son. Princess Iron Fan grabbed their hand and pulled it back. “What are you, stupid?” She hissed. She sighed. “I apologize, he's the worst when he’s upset.”

“I understand that, but you’re not doing a great job at persuading me you actually need my help here.”

Princess Iron Fan gestured to the burnt room. “Do you not believe me?”

“I told you all I promised was a visit. Good luck and congratulations, the both of you.” Ne Zha stopped their walk to the door when they heard curious babbling from the crib. They turned around to see that Red Son had woken up, standing up and using the bars for balance as he stared with bright red eyes at Ne Zha. A small hand reached out towards them and the young fire demon titled his head quizzically.

He was pretty cute.

Ne Zha walked back, leaning over the crib for no reason but to watch as the baby giggled and kicked his feet. His hand reached out and wrapped around Ne Zha’s finger, which immediately began to sizzle and burst in red-hot pain. Ne Zha yelped and pulled their hand back, staring at the burn marks on their finger.

Not a normal fire indeed.

Red Son jumped at the sound, scooting to the other side of the crib.

“Well,” Ne Zha held their burnt finger in their other hand, ignoring the stinging pain from the cooked flesh. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Red Son, but it is time for me to leave.”

Red Son’s lip quivered and his eyes shimmered with tears. Eager to not have to witness a child’s tantrum and giving themself a mental pat on the back for not taking the deal, they began to walk away.

Once again, they were stopped, this time by Red Son’s screaming wails.

Torrents of dark pink and black fire flowed from his eyes and mouth, his entire body engulfed in raging flames. The room was even warmer now, extremely uncomfortable for Ne Zha and deadly to most mortals. They winced in pain as bits of fire made contact with the skin on their arms.

“ Now do you see what we’re talking about?” Princess Iron Fan yelled over the rushing of superheated air.

“Point out my idiocy later, please!” Ne Zha shouted back, staring at the screaming inferno in the crib. After a moment, the cries turned to whimpers and the fire went down to a flicker.

With a short gasp, Ne Zha walked towards the child, who had tears made of steam slowly flowing from his eyes. He whined quietly and looked up at the Lotus Prince, who leaned over the crib, prepared a fire-repelling charm on his body, and carefully tousled Red Son’s hair. The tantrum was forgotten as the young demon giggled and began tugging on Ne Zha’s hair. Ne Zha’s shock slowly dissolved and turned to adoration.

Princess Iron Fan walked over to her son, picking him up from the crib. Red Son yelped as he was lifted into his mother’s shoulder, whimpering as she turned from Ne Zha.

“Do you want to hold him?” Iron Fan offered, Red Son bouncing in her arms.

“I- ah…” Ne Zha stammered. “I don’t know if…”

“Oh, go on,” the Demon Bull King grumbled from the corner of the room.

“It’s not hard, you just…” Princess Iron Fan lifted the squirming demon baby and positioned him on Ne Zha’s shoulder. Red Son’s face lit up with a wide grin. He began to giggle and play with Ne Zha’s dangling lotus earrings. “There we go. See? Easy.”

Ne Zha laughed. “Hello, little one.”

“So…?” Iron Fan gently elbowed Ne Zha’s free arm.

“Hm?”

“Will you help train him?”

Ne Zha ran a hand through the fire demon’s red hair, smiling fondly at him. Helping to take care of this child certainly wasn’t in the Jade Emperor’s best interest, his parents were a runaway and rebel respectively.

What would the Lotus Prince get out of taking care of this child? An ally who wouldn’t give a thought in the Jade Emperor’s direction?

If anything, teaching this child would harm Ne Zha’s only cause. Their only ideal.

What was an ally if they weren’t one of the celestial forces?

If only their decision was harder to make.

“I suppose it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I took a bit of time out of my schedule for him.”

Princess Iron Fan grinned, hugging the Lotus Prince (much to their quiet discomfort) and taking Red Son back. Red Son whined as he was lifted off of Ne Zha’s shoulder.

“It’s alright, little one, I'll see you again soon,” Ne Zha smiled, waving at the child.

Red Son grinned. “Gēge!”

Ne Zha turned a bright pink. “It’s just Ne Zha, kiddo.”

“Ne… Za?”

“Close enough,” Ne Zha laughed. “See you later, Red Son.”

—

“So? What’d old PIF want?”

Ne Zha dissolved their spear into lotus petals and idly swirled them around their hands. “Oh, you mean what did she want from me?”

Erlang kicked Ne Zha’s shin. “Yeah, smart guy, what did she want from you?”

“She wanted me to train her son.”

Erlang snorted. “Oh, so she wanted you to babysit! Makes sense why she’d pick you for something like that, maybe the slower life is the one for you.”

Ne Zha shot a sharp lotus petal past Erlang’s ear, sticking into the wall behind him.

“You missed.”

“I don’t know, Erlang, my aim is pretty good,” Ne Zha smirked, the petals joining and forming their spear. “Sounds like the slow life may be a bit boring for me, hm?”

“Fine.” Erlang snapped his finger at his side, calling Xiaotian over. He idly scratched the dog’s head. “You didn’t say yes, did you?”

Ne Zha stayed silent.

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“Ne Zha, even you aren’t this stupid! Iron Fan and the Demon Bull King are enemies of the Jade Emperor! Why in the world would you help their son get stronger?”

“Princess Iron Fan isn’t an enemy! Sure she ran away, but she’s still our friend and ally. It’s her child, I wanted to help. Besides,” Ne Zha dissolved the spear again, commanding the petals to vanish. “He’s no ordinary child. He’s powerful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Pff, sure. I’ve never seen a head as swollen as yours, of course you would say the child is powerful to boost your own ego.”

“It’s not my ego, Erlang,” Ne Zha insisted. “He really is. He wields a fire I’ve never seen before, it’s not celestial, earthly, or hellish in nature.”

“What is it, then?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think Gongzhu is either.” Ne Zha sighed. “He’s a baby that burned up his nursery with a single mid-scale cry. That’s not usual.”

“Come on, Ne Zha, we were both powerful children.”

“Yeah, but not that kind of power,” Ne Zha insisted. “I don’t know. He intrigues me.”

“There’s something you’re not telling me.”

Ne Zha smiled fondly. “He called me gēge.”

Erlang picked Ne Zha up by the neck, pinning him against the wall. His third eye glowed before he dropped the Lotus Prince on the ground. Ne Zha laughed. “What, did you think I was an imposter or something?”

“Shut up.” Erlang scratched behind Xiaotian’s ears. “Since when has something like that made you so sappy? Someone’s getting soft.”

Ne Zha elbowed Erlang in the stomach. He coughed.

“How’s that for soft, Little Sage ?”

Xiaotian barked. Erlang scowled but said nothing.

“He’s a cute kid. I don’t know, I’m excited to get to train him,” Ne Zha sighed. “I sure am fortunate to have the opportunity, huh, Erlang?”

“You are such a little jerk sometimes, you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ne Zha leaned against the wall before standing upright. “Wait, you’re not going to tell anyone about this, right?”

“Oh please, I wouldn’t do that to Iron Fan.”

“Thanks,” Ne Zha walked off. “Then if you’ll excuse me, I have a kid to train!”

“Whatever. Get out of here.”

Ne Zha laughed to themself, venturing down to make the trip to the Demon Bull King’s palace. They arrived at the door, knocking before coming inside.

“Hey, come in!” Princess Iron Fan greeted them, allowing them passage inside. “I was thinking you could just get better acquainted with him first?” She laughed as they walked to the nursery. “I can tell he’s excited. He keeps yelling ‘GEGE!’ every time I mention your name, it’s adorable.”

Ne Zha felt a wide smile tug at their lips. “I’m not his brother.”

“Maybe not, but he sure sees you like one.” 

Ne Zha walked into the nursery (remembering to equip a fire-repelling charm before entering) and was given a very enthusiastic greeting by a smiling Red Son, hopping in his crib.

“Hey, kiddo,” Ne Zha smiled, picking Red Son up and holding him. “Are you giving your parents too much trouble?”

Red Son sneezed, a small spout of fire flying from his nose. He giggled, hair hanging in his eyes.

Ne Zha laughed, sitting on the blackened floor and letting the young demon walk around the room. Every time he slipped and threatened to fall, Ne Zha would dive under him and catch him. Red Son would always laugh.

“I’m going to teach you how to be this fast some day, kiddo.”

Red Son pushed Ne Zha over, climbing onto their back. The child needed training, all right, but their strength was already too high for such a small form.

“Oh, ow, all right, come on,” Ne Zha laughed, out of breath from the pressure on their back.

The time with Red Son passed in many ways too swiftly for Ne Zha’s liking. It was only as they looked outside at the dimming light over the volcano the family’s home was built on that they realized how late it had gotten.

“All right, kid, I’ve got to go,” Ne Zha pulled themself from off the floor, patting the demon boy on the head before walking to the door.

“No…!” Red Son whined.

“I’ll be right back, dídí, I promise.”

Red Son frowned but thankfully did not start crying as Ne Zha picked him up and put him in his crib.

“Good night, kiddo.”

Ne Zha sighed and closed the door. They walked over to the living room of the palace, where the Demon Bull King had fallen asleep on a long couch and Princess Iron Fan sat in an armchair, sipping a glass of wine. She looked up and over at Ne Zha, grinning as they walked over to her.

“What?”

“‘ I’m not his brother’ , huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The walls are pretty thin, Ne Zha, I heard you call him your little brother.”

Oops.

Ne Zha felt heat rise to their cheeks. “Well, I mean- he was, I felt-”

Princess Iron Fan laughed, offering Ne Zha a glass. “The look on your face!”

“No, thanks,” Ne Zha muttered, knowing that wine would just make their face redder and their tongue more loose. “It slipped out.”

“Sure.” Iron Fan picked up the glass and bottle, storing it in a cabinet on the opposite wall. “Well, I’ll be seeing you later?”

“I suppose so,” Ne Zha looked out the window. It was fully nighttime. “Oh, it really is that late. I have to go.”

“Until next time, son!”

“That’s gross, Gongzhu!”

—

“Good morning, Red Son,” Ne Zha opened the door to what was no longer a nursery but a young child’s bedroom. “Did you sleep well?”

Red Son ran towards Ne Zha and gave them a hug. “Yeah…”

Ne Zha tousled Red Son’s hair before looking at the bedsheets. They were covered in scorch marks and burns. “Are you sure?”

“No. I think I had a bad dream.”

“Well, I have news that might cheer you up.”

Red Son smiled. “What?”

“Your mom said you’re old enough to start training with me.”

“Really?” Red Son began to bounce on his toes. “I can’t wait to learn how to beat up bad guys and-”

“You can already do that, dídí. I’m going to teach you how to not beat yourself up.”

Red Son stuck out his tongue. “Boring.”

“It doesn’t have to be, kid, watch.”

Ne Zha summoned their spear, dissolving it into two dozen lotus petals that swirled around them, forming right pink lights in the air around them and forming a large shield in front of them.

Red Son stared in awe.

“Granted, your magic is quite different from mine, but we have one big thing in common.” Ne Zha dismissed the petals and stretched out a hand. A small pink flame ignited in their palm.

“Fire,” Red Son whispered.

“That’s right,” Ne Zha affirmed, staring at the flame dancing around their fingers. “Fire is a wild and destructive magic, but it also is a warming light. Left uncontrolled, it can consume the wielder. However…” Ne Zha’s wheels ignited, both of their hands now holding a bright pink flame. “Used properly with calm and practice, it can be a truly magnificent weapon.” Ne Zha extinguished the flames, squeezing Red Son’s shoulder. “Are you ready to give it a try?

Red Son nodded.

“All right, open up your hands, like this,” Ne Zha cupped their hands, palms facing the ceiling. Red Son followed suit. “We’re going to see if you can produce a small flame.”

“Right now?”

“When you are ready.”

Red Son looked uncomfortable. “I’ve never made a fire when I wanted to before.”

“Really?”

“Mm-mm,” Red Son shook his head. “It always happens… im… i… imp- what’s the word?”

“Impulsively?”

“Yeah,” Red Son frowned. “Is that bad?”

“Of course not, Red Son.” Ne Zha thought for a moment. “I have an idea. It is difficult, but I think it’s what you need right now. Come with me.” Ne Zha motioned for Red Son to follow them out of the room. He obeyed, following Ne Zha out of the bedroom and down the hallway.

“Gongzhu?” Ne Zha called. They peered into the kitchen, where the Demon Bull King was cooking a late breakfast. Ne Zha tensed looking at the Bull King, as relations between them had not loosened as much as they hoped. “Have you seen Princess Iron Fan?”

“She’s sleeping in,” the Demon Bull King grunted. “Why?”

“When she wakes up, will you tell her I’m taking Red Son outside for a while?”

The Demon Bull King glared at him before nodding.

“Thank you,” Ne Zha took Red Son’s hand and walked with him outside of the castle. “Come on, kid, I’m going to take you to one of my favorite places down here.”

“Down here?”

Ne Zha stopped in front of the castle door. “I’m from the celestial realm, Red Son, that’s my home.”

“Can we go there someday?”

Ne Zha winced. The son of the Demon Bull King wouldn’t be welcomed there, they were sure of it. “Maybe one day, okay, dídí?”

Red Son thought about it for a moment. “Okay. Where are we going now?”

“A special spot,” Ne Zha promised. “Here, hop on my back.”

Red Son jumped onto Ne Zha’s back, his legs held to their torso and his arms wrapped around their neck.

“Hang on, kiddo!” Ne Zha’s wheels ignited in flame as they sped off the volcano. After only a few moments of fast travel, the pair reached a small mountain range with a temple built into one of the rock’s walls. Ne Zha stopped there, letting Red Son off.

“Where are we?”

“One of the calmest places in the mortal realm. I found it by accident with some friends once. No one else knows about it.”

“What friends?” Red Son sat down on the wooden floor.

“Well, one was your mother.”

“You were friends with Mother?”

“I sure was. Me, her, and my other friend Erlang Shen. We were a team.”

“Why aren’t you anymore?”

“I’m still friends with your mother!”

“But why aren’t you a team?”

Ne Zha tensed. “Did we come here to train or not?”

“Yeah!” Red Son stood up. “What do we do?”

“You sit back down.”

“Huh?”

“We’re going to focus on reflection and calm before you learn to use your fire on command. I want you to sit down, close your eyes, and listen closely. Can you do that?”

“Okay,” Red Son closed his eyes, breathing slowly.

“I want you to think back. Don’t say, just think. What was your first memory with your flame?”

Red Son’s eyes squeeze.

“Focus on those memories. What did it feel like to use that magic?”

Red Son took a few deep breaths that shook slightly. Suddenly, a bright burst of roaring fire exploded from his hands. Red Son yelped in surprise.

“Focus! Try to contain it!” Ne Zha yelled over the howling wind.

“I can’t! It hurts!”

“Stay calm, kid, it’ll get worse if you panic!”

Red Son cupped his hands together and squeezed his eyes shut, taking heavy breaths as the fire died down slightly. Another plume shot from him and it regained its size.

“Red Son!” Ne Zha yelled into the fire.

“Gēge!” Red Son’s small voice was laced with panic.

“Hold on, Red Son, I’m coming!” Ne Zha forced themself through the inferno, making it to the small fire demon and clasping their hands over his, smothering the flame. Ne Zha winced, careful not to yell out loud from the pain.

The fire erupting from Red Son’s hands eventually died, smoke pouring from his palms. Red Son shook, eventually crying tears of steam and wrapping his arms around Ne Zha’s waist.

It was a good thing the heat protection charm protected them from the child’s body heat, at least.

“Hey, hey, kiddo, it’s okay, you’ll get better.”

“I don’t want to use it, gēge, it hurts so much,” Red Son cried into Ne Zha’s stomach.

Ne Zha knelt down, wrapping their arms around the child and rubbing circles on his back.

The next few visits were not training lessons, they were interventions.

Princess Iron Fan would contact Ne Zha in a panic, saying that Red Son was losing control and needed help. They would rush over and calm him down, waiting until he was back to his non-literal fiery self before returning to the celestial realm.

They were out later and later.

“Ne Zha!” Erlang scolded one night. “Where were you today? I had to lead a thousand soldiers in training earlier and didn’t have any help!”

Ne Zha held up a finger as they wrapped a bandage around their arm, a set of fresh burns spreading across their skin. He finished, tying it off and sighing. “I apologize, I was busy.”

“Busy with Gongzhu’s son again? Your first priority isn’t with him, it’s here, with the army of heaven and the Jade Emperor!” Erlang crossed his arms. “Or has this child mixed up your loyalties? You’re the actual last person I’d expect this from.”

Ne Zha yawned. “He’s hard on her, Erlang. She needs my help.”

“She’s a competent person, Ne Zha, give her some credit.”

Ne Zha rolled up the bandage, showing Erlang the charred flesh underneath. “This was after I put on the strongest fire protection spell I know.”

“Your magic is getting weaker.”

“It isn’t, Erlang, it’s not my magic,” Ne Zha insisted. “It’s this child’s.”

“He’s a child, Ne Zha, what could-”

“This is serious, Erlang!” Ne Zha retorted. “I honestly don’t think this child can survive with so much power inside of him. He is in pain when he uses it, it’s like he’s being burned from the inside out.”

“And this bothers you… why?”

“That’s…”

A really good question.

Why did Ne Zha care about the fate of this singular explosive demon child? They had no obligation to become Red Son’s friend, their only promise was to try to train him to use that uncontrollable flame of his. If he couldn’t, that wasn’t their problem!

The kid had grown on them.

Ne Zha knew that now. The child of the Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan was now a dear individual to them.

Red Son didn’t help the Jade Emperor. His existence was sure to cause nothing but trouble for the heavenly forces.

Could Ne Zha truly become close to someone who didn’t have anything to do with the Jade Emperor they had sworn their life to serve?

Well, they answered that question for themself, didn’t they?

“Never mind,” Ne Zha muttered. “Cover for me tomorrow, will you?”

Erlang sputtered furiously as Ne Zha walked away, down a long marble path cutting through the clouds of the celestial realm.

—

It was two years into Red Son and Ne Zha’s bond when they made the first visit to the Demon Bull King’s house at night.

The lava spewing from the volcano in the backdrop illuminated the inky black sky and drowned the pinpricks of stars as they walked over to the door and gently knocked, careful not to wake up Red Son, who now was the mortal equivalent of about four years old and surely had gone to bed by then.

The door slowly swung open and on the other side stood the Demon Bull King, eying the Lotus Prince over skeptically. “Red Son is asleep.”

“I had hoped so.” Ne Zha inhaled. “I need to talk to you and Princess Iron Fan. It’s important.”

The Demon Bull King huffed, letting Ne Zha inside. Ne Zha walked through the darkened hallway and into the large living room, where Princess Iron Fan sat on a small cushion on the floor, flipping through a book. She looked up, smiling at Ne Zha’s presence but confused by it as well. “What’re you doing here? Red Son is-”

“Asleep, I know.” Ne Zha twiddled their thumbs. “May I sit down?”

“Yeah, go ahead,” Princess Iron Fan gestured to her armchair. “What’s going on?”

Ne Zha sat gingerly, wincing as they hit a freshly burned calf on the leg of the chair. “We need to talk about Red Son.”

“What about him?” The Demon Bull King grunted.

“His power is getting stronger, you know that by now,” Ne Zha brushed a stray hair out of their face, tucking it behind their pointed ears. “But his control isn’t.”

“Wasn’t it your job to make sure it was?” The Demon Bull King crossed his arms at the Lotus Prince.

“It’s my job to try, but it’s not working. The fire has a hold on him, not the other way around.”

“So? What should we do?” Iron Fan questioned Ne Zha.

Ne Zha looked at the floor, furious with themself that this seemed to be the only option left at their disposal. “We need to take the fire from him.”

“What?!” Demon Bull King snarled. “Why would taking his power away be the only option! This is my son we’re talking about, not yours!”

“I’m aware, I’m sorry,” Ne Zha whispered gently, pointing to the closed bedroom door where Red Son slept inside. “I wouldn’t suggest it if it wasn’t the best option we have.”

“Why would you do that?” Princess Iron Fan asked, not as angry as her husband but still hurt at the suggestion.

“The fire is burning him up. He,” Ne Zha inhaled, dreading the thought. “If we don't do something about it, it will consume him. I’m sure of that now.”

“You’re not serious!” the Bull King muttered.

“I wouldn’t joke about something like this.”

“Mother? Father?”

The bedroom door creaked open and Red Son stepped out, rubbing his eyes and wrapped in a blanket that was sizzling in his grip. “What’re you talking ab… oh, hi Ne Zha! What’re you doing here?”

“We’re just talking,” Princess Iron Fan stood up, ushering Red Son back into his room. “Go back to sleep, we can talk in the morning.”

“Okay,” Red Son whined, walking back into his bedroom. “See you soon, gēge!”

“Sleep well, Red Son,” Ne Zha smiled at the child as he walked into his room, shutting the door behind him.

“You really think it’s the best option for Red Son?” Princess Iron Fan sat back down and whispered to Ne Zha.

“I think it’s the only good option for him,” Ne Zha stopped. “I know it’s not really a good option, but we don’t have any good options. His case is a strange one, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“So? What would we do if we went along with this plan?”

“Well, we’d need to talk to someone who’s adept at the mystical arts, and a few individuals who have strong enough bodies to endure separating the fire from his body.”

“I can do that,” Demon Bull King raised a large hand.

“I can as well,” Ne Zha put their chin in their hands. “Gongzhu, I’d prefer if you sat this one out, it could be dangerous and Red Son needs you if something happens to us.”

Princess Iron Fan opened her mouth to retort but closed it again. She sighed. “Who else, then?”

“And who’s learned enough in the mystical arts to do the separation?” Demon Bull King asked.

“Well, the most skilled I can think of would be…” Ne Zha hummed. “Tang Sanzang, probably, and he has a strong warrior with him-”

The Demon Bull King groaned. “I would have to trust my son with that monk?”

“Hang on, Ne Zha, you aren’t suggesting that we…” Iron Fan groaned into her hands.

“Oh, you can’t be serious!” the Bull King growled.

“He’s probably the strongest of body in this world. He’s the best chance we have,” Ne Zha sighed.

“All right, so, we have the Great Monk to perform the ritual, you, me, and- tch- Sun Wukong to separate it and what? That’s it?” The Demon Bull King folded his arms.

“If you’re willing to go through with it, then, yes. That’s what we’re working with.”

Princess Iron Fan sighed. “Well, if it’s settled, find me when we should do it.”

“All right,” Ne Zha stood up. “I won’t disrupt your evening any more than I already have. Thank you for your time.”

“Hang on, I’ll walk you out,” Princess Iron fan stood up, walking with Ne Zha to the door.

“Have a good rest of your night, Iron Fan,” Ne Zha began to walk off.

“Wait,” Princess Iron Fan called. “What… what will happen to Red Son?”

“If we can get the fire out correctly, he should be okay.”

“Will he still have power?”

“I don’t know,” Ne Zha rubbed their arm.

“And… what if we don’t? What if it doesn’t work?”

Ne Zha looked away. The thought had been a fear of theirs, too. “I don’t know. I’m sorry, I don’t know.”

Princess Iron Fan looked at her hands and gave Ne Zha a quick hug. “Thank you for being there for Red Son. You mean a lot to him.”

Ne Zha felt their breathing clog in their throat. They wriggled free and walked off into the night. “He means a lot to me, too.”

That’s why I have to do this for him.

—

The ritual went by in a hazy blur.

Ne Zha hadn’t seen the Great Sage in a long time, even being under the thumb of the Great Monk didn’t diminish his cockiness.

As Sanzang slammed his golden staff into the ground, Red Son was engulfed in a blinding inferno. Ne Zha watched the child scream as the dark fire swirled around him and had the desperate urge to run in and calm him down, forcing the fire to be smothered.

It took every ounce of self-control and diplomacy to stay still.

When Sun Wukong slipped the fire roared louder and pressed into the three of them, one nearly shooting into the Great Monk. Ne Zha didn’t know they managed to stay calm.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the fire collected into a circular golden ring in front of the Lotus Prince, matching the two others in front of the Demon Bull King and Wukong. Red Son’s screaming stopped and he fell from the sky into his father’s arms.

Ne Zha took a step forward, peering over to get a look at Red Son.

He slept peacefully in the Demon Bull King’s arms.

Ne Zha marched over to Wukong. “Nice job back there, Wukong, way to almost get us all killed!”

They weren’t mad about the danger posed to them. They were furious that the ritual almost failed.

“Hey, chill out, Ne Zha! We did alright in the end, right?”

Ne Zha glared at him but ran towards Red Son and the Demon Bull King. Princess Iron Fan made her way there too to check on her son.

Red Son’s eyes slowly opened. “Mm…? Mother? Father? Gēge?”

Ne Zha squeezed Red Son’s hand. It was remarkably cool, only slightly warmer than a mortal’s body temperature. Enough to burn most mortal’s hands with enough time, but not even comparable to its previous heat. “Hey, it’s okay.”

“I’m going to take him home, you should probably…” Princess Iron Fan hoisted her son on her shoulders, gesturing with her head to the clouds above her.

Ne Zha got the message. “Go get some rest, all right, Red Son?”

“M’kay,” Red Son muttered, already slumping on his mother’s shoulders.

Ne Zha gave their greetings to Sanzang and his disciples, being sure to shoot Wukong one last glare before venturing up to the celestial realm.

It was only as they set foot on the clouds that it dawned on them.

Without his powers, Red Son no longer needed a mentor.

  Ne Zha had no reason to see him anymore.

—

The time passed agonizingly slowly in the celestial realm.  Without their visits to the Demon Bull Family’s home, each day was exactly the same for Ne Zha.

The mundane life used to give them satisfaction. Each day they were leading their army into glory for the Jade Emperor.

The one allegiance they needed.

The one alliance they would ever need.

Ne Zha said it themself. They didn’t have time to waste on some demonic child.

That failed to stop them from missing him, though.

Ne Zha sighed, grabbing their spear and venturing on their flaming wheels down to the mortal realm. They needed somewhere to think.

They landed on the wooden platform of the temple they tried to train Red Son at for months, the various black scorch marks visible on the hardwood. Ne Zha sighed, sitting down on the floor.

“Gēge!”

Ne Zha turned around in shock. “Red Son?”

Ne Zha felt a pair of warm arms wrap around their neck, Red Son laughing in their ear.

“Are you here to train me some more?”

Ne Zha stood up, glancing at the child quizzically. “Train?”

“Yeah!” Red Son grinned. “Watch! I just learned how to do this, I’ve been so excited to show you!” Red Son took a set of deep breaths, cupping their palms and producing a small orange flame.

The flame they had separated from him was a dark pink.

“It’s still a little small, but I’m getting stronger!”

Small?

“Hey, Red Son, what were we doing last time I saw you?”

Red Son thought for a moment. “You were talking with Mother and Father! It was late, I only saw you for a little bit. What were you guys talking about anyway?”

He didn’t remember the ritual.

He didn’t even remember the fire he possessed through his young adolescence.

“It’s not important,” Ne Zha insisted. “You want to train?”

“Yeah!” Red Son pumped his fists.

Ne Zha smiled. “Alright, follow my lead…”

Ne Zha proceeded to teach Red Son the same control exercises that they had taught him before. He didn’t seem to remember them but caught on fast. The exercises actually worked. By the time the sun set, Red Son was holding a steady flame in his hand with minimal trouble.

Ne Zha looked off into the sunset. “We’ve got to get you home, dídí!”

“Awww!” Red Son whined. “Can’t we stay for a little longer?”

“It’s late, we need to get you back to your family!”

“Fine,” Red Son hopped on Ne Zha’s shoulders.

“Oof! Kid, you’re getting too big for this!”

“No, I’m not!” Red Son retorted, positioning himself over Ne Zha’s shoulders as they traveled to the castle. Ne Zha let Red Son slip off of his shoulders before knocking on the door.

Princess Iron Fan answered the door, letting Red Son inside and telling him to eat dinner with his father before turning to Ne Zha.

“Where have you been? Red Son’s missed you.”

Ne Zha looked away shamefully. “I didn’t think he’d still have magic. I’m his mentor, what’s the point in teaching someone who has nothing to be trained on?”

“You’re not just a teacher to him, Ne Zha, and I know he’s not just a student to you.”

“He’s your family, though, not mine,” Ne Zha muttered awkwardly. “I feel bad intruding on the time you have with your son.”

“You make my child happy, Ne Zha,” Princess Iron Fan stared intently at the Lotus Prince. “That’s what matters to me.”

Ne Zha smiled. “If you insist. Did he show you?”

“Show me what?”

Ne Zha’s smile widened. “May I come in?”

Princess Iron Fan let Ne Zha in.

“Hey, Red Son! Come here for a moment,” Ne Zha called. A pound of footsteps announced the child’s arrival.

“Can you show your mom what you showed me?”

Red Son turned slightly pink from the attention. “It’s not much…”

“Nonsense. I thought it was very impressive.”

“Okay…” Red Son closed his eyes, inhaling before a small orange flame burst in his hand, gently flicking and waving from side to side. After a few moments, Red Son put his other hand on it to smother it out.

Princess Iron Fan looked from Ne Zha to her son. Ne Zha nodded.

“It’s still pretty small, but it’s gonna get stronger!” Red Son pumped his fist.

Princess Iron Fan bent down and hugged her son, who squirmed a little before accepting it. She turned her head and stared at Ne Zha, all of the emotion focused in her eyes and lips as she mouthed the words thank you.

Ne Zha smiled, mouthing any time before giving Red Son a boop on his nose and walking off. “You want to train again in a couple days, Red Son?”

“I want to train more now!” Red Son insisted, jumping on his toes.

“You need to go to bed, kid!”

“Aw, fine,” Red Son griped. “Night, Ne Zha!”

“Sleep well, Red Son.”

—

By the time Red Son had the physical maturity of a nine-year-old boy, he had gotten much more powerful.

The training sessions didn’t stop, obviously. At Red Son’s insistence and Ne Zha’s pleasure, the pair would meet at the temple several times a week to practice. What was once a small candle flame had become a destructive force that, unlike his previous flame (which was given the name of Samadhi), could be controlled.

Red Son himself was becoming much less of a child. He had begun to pull his long red hair back for training sessions, and his powers were reflected in his temper, which had become much shorter as he aged. He was clever, always finding an ideal time to make a snide comment or snarky joke.

Ne Zha couldn’t help but feel proud of him.

On one of their planned training days, Ne Zha sat on the wooden floor and waited for Red Son to arrive in a full sprint fueled by fire. What they didn’t expect was a rush of heat before a warm hand tapped their shoulder.

“Boo.”

Ne Zha jumped. “How did you-?”

Red Son laughed. “You like it? Little trick I taught myself.” He thrusted his hands to his side, a swirl of red fire engulfing him and erupting a few feet to the left. “Now I won’t have to run all the way over here.”

“Or ride on my shoulders,” Ne Zha grinned teasingly.

“That was a long time ago!”

“Not that long,” Ne Zha stood up. “Great job, though, Red Son! It’s great news if you’re making your own progress.”

“Thanks, Ne Zha,” Red Son stretched out his fingers, a small flare dancing from clawed finger to clawed finger. “I was thinking maybe we could spar today?”

Ne Zha raised an eyebrow. “What, you learn how to teleport and suddenly you think you can tussle with the champ? You do know that I am-“

“-the captain of the celestial armies, right hand of the Jade Emperor, I know,” Red Son’s fists lit on fire. “I just thought it’d be fun, that’s all.” He paused. “Unless you’re afraid you’d lose.”

“Ha! You wish, kid!” Ne Zha dived forward, spear aimed towards the young fire demon. Red Son jumped, flame bursting from his hands as he reared back and prepared a punch from behind. Ne Zha ducked, their shoes igniting in pink flame as they swerved around him and swept his leg. Red Son fell, preparing to get up as Ne Zha’s spear pointed at his throat.

“You’ve still got a lot to learn, dídí,” Ne Zha’s spear burst into a set of pink petals as they helped Red Son up.

“Whatever,” Red Son stuck out his tongue. “I’ll get you next time.”

“Kid, I’m much older than you. You’ll pick it up with time.”

“If you say so,” Red Son sighed, sitting down on the wood. “You never talk about your life outside of training me. What’s it like up there?”

“What?” Ne Zha was startled by the question. “Up in the celestial realm?”

“Yeah, what’s it like to be the strongest warrior up there?”

Ne Zha laughed. “Well, one of…”

“You know what I mean.” 

“It’s less stressful than you might think,” Ne Zha admitted. “As long as you keep it professional and efficient, it’s essentially making sure the warriors are prepared. Anything beyond that is out of formality and leisure.”

“Is it nice up there?”

“It’s beautiful. On a good day you might see people relaxing in the clouds, the orchard is lovely when it blooms,” Ne Zha glanced at the fire demon. They stopped talking.

“Why can’t I see it?”

“Well…” Ne Zha trailed off.

“Is it that I’m a demon?”

“No, well, yes, but that’s not…” Ne Zha sighed. “Your father rebelled against the celestial realm when he was young. Your mother left it to marry him. Neither of them are welcome there anymore.”

“Oh…” Red Son stared at his hands.

“The Jade Emperor is kind of famous for holding grudges,” Ne Zha grimaced. They mussed up Red Son’s hair. “You know that doesn’t mean anything to me, though, right?”

“I know.”

Ne Zha felt bad for driving the conversation in that direction. “How about we spar again next time we train?”

Red Son smiled. “Alright. I’m gonna head out, then.”

“Bye, Red Son!”

After Red Son vanished in a puff of red fire, Ne Zha ventured back up to the celestial realm. They were immediately met by a pair of maidens, gossiping about the commotion on the planes below.

“Ne Zha, did you hear? Apparently, the Great Sage had a tiff with the Demon Bull King! A big one!”

Hm.

The other maiden said something else that Ne Zha ignored. They leaned against a large wall, folding their hands behind their head.

They already couldn’t wait for the next session.

—

Something happened that day that hadn’t happened in the several years since Ne Zha had begun to train Red Son.

Red Son was late.

Ne Zha had been waiting in their temple for 45 minutes, debating whether or not to go down to the family’s palace and check on him. As he made the decision to get up and go, Red Son arrived in his burst of fire.

“Hey, kid, what took you so long?”

The statement was meant to be a joke, a light stab at their dídí. Instead, Red Son trembled.

“Hey, hey, what’s going on, Red Son?”

Red Son sat down next to Ne Zha,

chin in hands.

“Father’s gone,” Red Son’s stoic, tough, mature demeanor left him and his voice cracked. “He had a fight with Sun Wukong and…”

Oh.

It was that bad.

Ne Zha fought off their curiosity, instead wrapping their arms around Red Son. The young fire demon leaned into their touch, crying in their chest.

What do you say when you hear of the loss of someone so dear to someone close to you, but in reality, if you had gotten your way, would have died a long time ago?

Ne Zha settled on saying nothing, instead holding Red Son close to them and rubbing his back.

“Mother said he’s buried under stone, that he’s not dead dead, but…” Red Son sniffled, leaning against his gēge. “I don’t know what to do.”

Ne Zha felt terrible.

“She also said,” Red Son looked up at Ne Zha, red eyes staring sullenly into pink. “She said that the Monkey King was working for celestial forces.”

“Well, that’s not…” It wasn’t 100% true. “It’s complicated, he-”

“Why would he do something like that, Ne Zha?” Tears ran down Red Son’s cheeks. “Why would he take Father away from me?”

“I don’t know,” Ne Zha held Red Son closer. “Wukong acts on his own terms, and they’re usually more drastic than anyone would prefer. That doesn’t lessen what happened, though,” Ne Zha brushed a hair out of Red Son’s face. “I’m so sorry, dídí.”

“I think I want to go home,” Red Son muttered. “I don’t feel like training today.”

  “I understand,” Ne Zha let go of the fire demon and let him stand up. “Would it be alright if I came to offer sympathy to your mother?”

Red Son nodded, a burst of fire swirling around him as he vanished. Ne Zha sighed, wheels bursting with pink flame as they made the trip to the palace.

  The walkway outside the door was empty, Ne Zha assumed Red Son had gone directly to his room upon return. They knocked on the door gently three times and waited for a response.

When the door swung open, Ne Zha had to hold in a gasp. The always well-manicured, put-together Princess Iron Fan they knew was not who answered the door, but instead a grief-stricken woman with unkempt hair and black streaks where her makeup had run. She looked at Ne Zha and snarled.

  “What do you think you’re doing here?”

“I just wished to offer my condolences,” Ne Zha was taken aback by the hostility. “Red Son told me, I’m so sorry, Gongzh-”

“Stop.”

“I understand,” Ne Zha nodded sympathetically. “If you need anything I’d be happy to-”

“You don’t understand! How could you?” Princess Iron Fan screamed. Ne Zha took a step back. “My love is gone, how could you know what that feels like? And now you come here, ultimately serving the same ideals as… as he does! I never want to see you near me or my son ever again, because thanks to the people you’re aligned with,” Iron Fan poked Ne Zha’s chest. “He’s the only family I have left.”

“Gongzhu, I’d never want any of this to happen, I-!”

“Get away from my home,” Princess Iron Fan walked into the door, yelling before slamming it.

“And stay away from my son!”

—

Ne Zha never cried as a child.

It was one of the first signs of their bizarre nature. Throughout infancy and adolescence, the young Lotus Prince retained the maturity of an adult.

It had been a long time since they had grown truly close to someone. Aside from Erlang and Princess Iron Fan, the last time they cared about someone as a friend so deeply was before they became immortal, centuries before.

The harsh snap of losing a friend was nearly unfamiliar to them.

So when Ne Zha arrived back at the celestial realm, the numbness and shock wore off in an exhausting wave. They made their way to a private space in the realm, feeling that choking sadness truly come to life in their chest.

They could have been there for only fifteen minutes, but to Ne Zha it felt like hours.

“What are you doing here?”

Ne Zha groaned, their head between their knees. He was the last person they wanted to talk to right then. “Go away.”

Erlang snapped a finger in front of Ne Zha’s face, still hidden by their knees. “Come on, get up. We’ve got soldiers to lead.”

“Tell them I’m… I don’t know, sick or something.”

Erlang laughed. “Sick? You’re literally immortal, they wouldn’t believe that for a second. What’s going on with you?”

Ne Zha looked up, glaring at Erlang, knowing that surely the makeup around their eyes had run down their cheeks. Erlang’s eyes widened.

“Go ahead, check if I’m an imposter again or whatever,” Ne Zha mumbled, folding their arms over their knees and burying their mouth and chin in them. “I’m not coming in today.”

Erlang narrowed his eyes out of pure confusion. He sighed dramatically before sitting in front of Ne Zha. “Alright, spill. What happened?”

“Why should you care?”

“Ne Zha, I’ve literally known you for centuries and have never seen you like this,” Erlang raised an eyebrow. “It’s about that Red kid, isn’t it?”

“How’d you guess?”

“That kid screws with you, Ne Zha,” Erlang folded his arms. “You act a lot differently after going down to train him.”

“And how am I supposed to interpret that?”

“You seem…” Erlang let out a single breathy laugh. “Like a sentimental mortal.”

Ne Zha glared, fuming.

“Not even in that bad a way!” Erlang motioned to the ceiling. “You just seem younger, more alive. If you’re messed up this badly, it’s probably about him.”

“Fine,” Ne Zha muttered. “Did you hear about what happened between the Demon Bull King and Sun Wukong?”

“A bit, Wukong stuck him under a mountain, right?”

Ne Zha nodded. “The whole family is really broken up about it.”

“I mean, that’s not good but…” Erlang pauses. “That doesn’t explain… this.”

Ne Zha sighed. “Gongzhu told me to never see her or Red Son again.”

Erlang’s eyes widened. “What? Why?”

“Grief response, I guess…” Ne Zha muttered. “She thinks it’s Heaven’s fault that it happened, and as someone in a position of power up here…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Ne Zha leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. “She thinks I’d endanger her and Red Son.”

“I mean, you might, but everyone endangers everybody, right? Besides,” Erlang stood up and popped his back. “You’ve done more good than harm for that kid.” Erlang sighed. “I’ve got to go back to the soldiers. I’ll tell them you’re busy today, alright?”

“Yeah, okay,” Ne Zha took a deep breath and brushed their hair out of their eyes. “Thanks.”

—

Recovery from that kind of loss took time.

In Ne Zha’s case, it was hundreds of years.

The return just to the life of a celestial warrior and captain was difficult for them, but they adjusted after a while. The Lotus Prince would occasionally watch the young demon boy from the heavens above as he grew up (insistently bothering Erlang by asking for him to look with his third eye). Red Son reached young adulthood, becoming a powerful, passionate, hotheaded demon. While in the past the sight would spark a yearning to visit him, Ne Zha had trained themself to accept their short-term companionship.

Well, they still missed him a little

. Ne Zha also took a task into their hands, one that deep inside convinced them that they were doing something more for Red Son and his family. They guarded the map to the rings of Samadhi.

As time passed in the mortal realm, things started to shift for the Demon Bull Family. The weeks Ne Zha had watched Red Son engineer a powerful gauntlet came to fruition when the young demon got his father back.

Even when the Demon Bull King wreaked havoc in the mortal realm, Ne Zha couldn’t stop themself from feeling happy for Red Son.

After more time passed, the young fire demon even made friends (sort of), one the Monkey King’s successor, MK, and one the descendant of Ao Lie, Mei.

Ne Zha couldn’t stop themself from laughing the day they realized Red Son’s friendship with Mei was steering in a new direction.

Watching Red Son grow and flourish was not as good as being with him, sure, but it still brought the Lotus Prince happiness and tranquility.

That was, until Sun Wukong interrupted his guarding duties and came for the map to the rings.

The fool was stupid enough to want to bring that fire back into the world after seeing its strength firsthand. Ne Zha fought in an effort to keep him from taking the map, but not even a magical barrier and a lengthy fight was enough.

Sun Wukong was going to bring the fire back, the fire that so nearly killed Ne Zha’s dídí.

They tried to stop him again, immediately after he had taken the third ring, but was stopped by his trickster antics and the disparity from the Six-Eared Macaque.

It was a sick reassurance when Ne Zha realized that the fire would not return to Red Son.

As the Lady Bone Demon made her way through the world, she managed to possess the Monkey King and inadvertently trap Ne Zha in ice.

Stuck watching and unable to help. When had they felt that feeling before?

When the golden beam of light shot through the world and freed the Lotus Prince, their wheels ignited in pink flame as they raced to aid in the defeat of the Lady Bone Demon. The Monkey King’s staff was massively enlarged and they positioned themself at the top to help force it down.

And they looked down.

Next to the Monkie Kid himself was Red Son, helping to force the staff downward.

In a beam of brilliant golden light, the demon was vanquished, the staff shrinking down and everyone landing on the ground below. MK and the Dragon Girl run up to Red Son and give him a long and tight hug. Ne Zha took a step forward.

And another.

Red Son’s hair burst in a plume of red fire as he pushed MK and Mei off of him. The fire demon looked up, making eye contact with Ne Zha. Red Son’s mouth hung open.

“Gēge…?”

Red Son ran forward, wrapping his arms around Ne Zha. Ne Zha laughed, hugging him back (and coming to the realization that Red Son was now several inches taller than they were).

“Hey, Red Son,” Ne Zha squeezed the demon in their arms. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t see you, after what happened with your father it-”

“Don’t ruin the moment.”

“Okay.”

“You two know each other?!” Mei yelled, pointing at Red Son before moving her finger to Ne Zha.

—

“So, the Dragon Girl, huh?”

Red Son choked on his bowl of noodles, coated with a hot pepper sauce. “I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Red Son retorted through flustered coughs.

“Sure,” Ne Zha stared at the broth sitting at the bottom of their own bowl. “I’m proud of you, dídí.”

Red Son put his chin in his hands. “Why?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Ne Zha leaned on the log they sat on, placing their bowl behind them. “You’re strong, you’re clever, you’re passionate,” Ne Zha stared at the sky. “I wish I could have been with you to watch you grow up. I’m proud to get to have known you.”

Red Son smiled a small smile, looking down at his hands. “I’m not that strong.”

“Pff, are you fishing for compliments now?” Ne Zha teased. “Of course you’re strong.”

“Not really, after…” Red Son trailed off.

“Oh,” Ne Zha sighed. “Your parents told you about that, then?”

“Yeah,” Red Son looked uncomfortable, setting aside his empty bowl and staring at the ground.

“What happened then didn’t make you weak, Red Son. You’re one of the strongest demons I know.” Ne Zha elbowed Red Son gently in the arm. “Without you the Lady Bone Demon would still be here!”

“You do know I got her out to begin with, right?”

“It was bound to happen eventually, kid. Don’t beat yourself up about it,” Ne Zha grinned. “Mei and MK were right. You do have a good heart.”

Red Son’s cheeks turned a bright red and his hair started to smolder. “Don’t listen to a word those puny little mortals say about me!”

Ne Zha laughed. “I’m glad you found friends like them, Red Son. You deserve them.”

Red Son sighed and smiled. “I’m lucky to have them,” He turned to Ne Zha. “Don’t you dare tell them I said that.”

“I’m sure they know, Red Son.”

“Do you think…” Red Son stared at the campfire in front of him, flicking a spark from his finger into the flame. “Do you think it would be okay if… hypothetically, we started training together again? You know, for old time’s sake?”

Ne Zha felt a small spark inside of their heart. They had wanted that as soon as they met the little baby fire demon in the blackened crib. They shot a pink spark into the fire, watching the color swirl in the orange like a sunset.

“I think we can make that work. Same place?”

Red Son gritted his teeth. “Maybe not, it kinda… got a bit broken?”

Ne Zha laughed out of mock exasperation. “Dídí!”

“I can fix it later!”

“I know,” Ne Zha pondered on it before smiling. “How about I finally let you see the celestial realm?”

“I’ve actually been there before,” Red Son admitted. “It was pretty cool.”

“What? When?”

“A while ago, I went with all of those morons,” Red Son gestured to the Monkie gang, talking over bowls of noodles.

“You went up there and didn’t stop to say hi?” Ne Zha gasped, placing a hand on their heart in mock offense. “I’m wounded, Red Son!”

“We were getting chased by a bunch of spider demons, we didn’t have a lot of time to chat!”

“You what ?” Ne Zha snorted.

“Yeah…” Red Son laughed. “I’ve got a lot to catch you up on.”

“That’s okay, dídí,” Ne Zha wrapped an arm around the young fire demon and squeezed. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”