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Wukong let out a huff as he picked out a banana from one of the treetop’s branches, placing the banana down into the fruit pile he was making on the branch he was on.
Sure, he may be the monkey king, but he wanted to do something! He knew that all the other monkeys could go and gather their own food and stuff, but he didn’t want to be useless.
Even though he was Flower Fruit Mountain’s ruler, he could not miss the glances or whispers the older, senior monkeys would give him. Just because he was, what, 7, doesn’t mean he isn’t incable of being a monkey king! Nuh-uh! Absolutely not! He would be the wisest and strongest monkey there ever was, and will be!
He was just gonna collect some more of these fruit before somehow carrying them all back to the Waterfall Curtain Cave to stock up the troop on fruit their majestic king bestowed.
Or, at least, that was the plan until he heard a loud caw.
He swung back around to see a hornbill on the same branch as him, pecking and nomming at the fruit he collected. It then flew off into the treetops as if it stole food from kings all the time, no problem, with no consequences.
Well, THAT WAS JUST NOT GOING TO STAND.
He leaped from his branch after the hornbill, leaving the tree he was on. He would come back for the fruit later, after he PUMMELED THE ARROGANT BIRD.
Okay, he knew that the monkey troop were going to be wondering about him, but what was he supposed to do? Just LET that hornbill steal from him like that?
Also, this was his mountain. He knew Flower Fruit Mountain better than any of the other monkeys…! Sort of. Okay, he knew most of it. But he was the Monkey King! Trained under Master Subodhi! He beat up a demon in the Waterfall Curtain Cave that one time! He had mighty powers! No one could stop Sun Wukong, the great Monkey King! Especially not on a quest for VENGEANCE.
This chicken was GOING DOWN.
He leaped from branch to branch, either by tail or foot, eyes determined to teach this bird a mighty lesson onto why not to mess with the Monkey king!
He hesitated briefly when he reached another branch. This was as far as he explored, he’s never gone this deep into Flower Fruit Mountain. Eh, he would find his way back to the cave. Probably.
The treetops seemed to go on and on, carrying on like they could go on forever, even though Wukong knew that was not true. Wukong landed on one of the branches with a huff, scanning the area.
There! He spotted the horrible hornbill right away. It was on one of the branches below him, right on sight, eating down on the bits it had taken from Wukong’s pile in a very self-satisfied way. Chewing on his fruit.
“AHA!” Wukong snarled, leaping down to grab it and squash it to mush.
What he didn’t account for was that he was bigger than the hornbill’s thin branch.
He let out a hiss of pain as the wooden branch had hit him right in his stomach as the hornbill had squawked and flied away from him as Wukong had crashed into the branch and started falling down.
He let out a yelp as he felt twigs and branches scrape against his skin as he pummeled down.
The fall had finally stopped as he seemed to have crashed into a small river, his mouth plunged into the rushing water.
He let out a groan as a loud ringing rang in his ears, along with the splitting headache. He was glad he was immortal and all, but he really did wished he had learned how to be invulnerable as well.
He pulled his head out of the river, his chin dripping water. He circled his head for a bit as the ringing and headache faded away slowly.
Great, the monkey troop was going to fussing and frustrated with him now when he got back.
NOT AS FURIOUS AS I AM WITH THIS BIRD, he thought. WHO STARTED THIS WHOLE THING IN THE FIRST PLACE WHO NEEDS TO FEEL MY WRATH.
He blinked up at the treetops, squinting to find any sign of the arrogant hornbill, but nothing.
He let out a rage-filled snarl, standing up and shaking his fist at the trees. “ARRRRRRGH! COME AND FIGHT ME YOU STUPID, ARROGANT, SMIRKING… BANANA-FOR-BRAINS!”
He then heard giggling.
Wukong looked around, his previous anger fading away and swapped with curiosity. Okay, he was pretty sure hornbills couldn’t talk… that he knew of.
He walked around the nearby trees, searching for who could’ve made that noise.
“Hello?” He called.
He let out a chirp of surprise as a fluffy upside-down face burst out of the trees in front of him.
Wukong couldn’t believe his eyes. This monkey wasn’t like the small monkeys at all, he was around the same size and age as him and…looked so much similar to Wukong. A feeling of warmth twinged in him. He wasn’t the only one.
This monkey had dark fur like a starless night sky with tan skin. Wukong gazed at the sharp, almost flame-heart shaped red marking that was similar to Wukong’s own pink heart-shaped one. And his eyes… his eyes were like the honey drops Wukong would sometimes find when he explored the mountain.
“You’re like me,” they both said at the same time.
Wukong’s jaw was still down in shock as he had taken a quick step back as he watched the dark monkey leap down from whatever branch he was holding and gazed at Wukong with the same amount of surprise.
The two young monkeys gazed at each other in awe.
Now that Wukong got a better look at the other monkey, he saw the monkey had a red fluffy flame-heart chest, similar to Wukong’s own chest, but was more fluffier… softer. Wukong didn’t understand the instinctual urge to bury his face in the other monkey’s chest like a pillow.
Not only that, but he wasn’t really that bad-looking either.
Great idea, Sun Wukong. First time to meet another of your own kind and you have the balls to think he’s hot.
“Er…” Wukong realized suddenly that the other monkey was speaking. “Hello.”
Act cool, Wukong, act cool, act cool.
Wukong tried to smile despite his nerves, pulling out finger guns. “Heeeeyy.”
Now he was starting to wish he never got immortality so he could be buried six feet under the earth.
But his internal frustration and panic was disrupted when he heard laughter from the other monkey. Sure, he’s heard other monkeys laugh, but his… his was beautiful. It was like the wind bringing up a song in the breeze.
The monkey grinned. “Sorry, sorry…! I didn’t mean to laugh, I swear!” he gazed at Wukong. “I was just so… shocked. I thought I was the only one.”
“Me too,” Wukong was now regretting ever have not exploring this far into the mountain before.
The monkey tilted his head. “What’s your name?”
Record scratch. Say what.
Wukong blinked. No matter if he was another of his kind, it didn’t make any sense on how he did not know him. “Uh, hello? I’m—I’m Sun Wukong!” When no face of recognition came on the monkey’s face, he waved his arms around. “Uh, helloooo? Great, soon-to-be-legendary Monkey king?”
The monkey seemed to realize that him not knowing Wukong was getting to him, and he tilted his head. “So your name is Monkey king…?”
“What—? No! I mean, initially, yeah, but my real name is Sun Wukong!”
The monkey smirked. “Oh, Sun Wukong? Weird name.”
When Wukong started rambling on how Wukong was not a weird name, the monkey let out that beautiful laughter again, waving his hands around at him. “Sorry, sorry! I’m just teasing! Never really heard your name before. It does seem a little unusual, though.”
“It is absolutely not!” Wukong hissed. “I mean, sure, no other monkey would be called Wukong, because I’m the only one who should have it, but every monkey has heard it, meaning it’s very well-known here. And your the one with the weird name if anything!”
The dark monkey raised a brow with amusement. “I never even told you my name.”
Wukong didn’t understand what the dark monkey’s smile was doing to his brain, but it was making it all mushy and why the heck was his heart beating so fast?!
Wukong put his hands on his hips. “Well, I’m betting a hundred peaches that it’s weirder than WUKONG.”
The dark monkey smiled kindly. “My name is Macaque.”
Macaque, Macaque, Macaque, Wukong’s heart sang.
Wukong huffed, glancing away, trying to act confident in front of this really cool monkey. “Pfsh, see? Told you! Like, who in the right mind decided to name you Macaque?”
Macaque blinked. “I named myself.”
Wukong’s entire bravado stopped, jaw dropping as he stared up at Macaque in awe. “You named yourself? Really?”
Macaque shrugged, tail flicking. “Didn’t really have anyone to just name-drop me.”
Wukong’s mouth opened before he could think as he grabbed Macaque’s hands in his own. “That’s so cool! I never thought of picking up my own name before I became Monkey King, and you decided that, all on your own? Awesome! Did you come from a stone egg as well?”
Macaque smiled, hands holding in Wukong’s gently. “Sorta…? I actually came from a comet, you see, that crash-landed into the very edge of the mountain. But from what I know, the crash had made the comet to catch on fire, but luckily some rain had come and gone to sweep out the fire, and then boom! Meeeee,” he grinned.
“How long ago was this?” Wukong wanted to know every single detail about him.
Macaque’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully before smiling. “Oh! About 8 years ago, I think.”
Wukong’s jaw dropped. “You’re older than me?! Not fair!”
A purr erupted from Macaque. “What, are you jealous?”
Wukong pouted, tilting his nose up. “Nuh-uh! I’m just… surprised, is all. Also maybe still trying to acknowledge the fact that I’m finally meeting another of my kind!”
Another purr came from Macaque. “I know, right? You look just like me!… Maybe a little cuter.” He met Wukong’s eyes and glanced away quickly, smiling and hiding it at the same time. “Maybe a lot.”
It was only till then that Wukong realized they were holding hands.
WHY IS MY HEART BEATING FASTER THAN NORMAL?!
“Erm…” Wukong was surprised he could speaks words from how hoarse his throat was becoming. “How come.. how come you’ve never.. y’know, come to the troop?”
Macaque winced, ears flattening against his head as he looked down.
Oh heck, I made him upset!
“Well…” Macaque began. “I’ve seen some of the monkeys, but I didn’t really think… they would, y’know, welcome me in since I’m a bit… different than them.”
“Well, that’s not true!” Wukong exclaimed confidently. “They accepted me with ease, and they will do the same with you!”
A spark lit in Macaque’s eyes.
Wukong immediately pulled his hands out of Macaque’s reach. “I-I mean—! I didn’t mean— I mean—!” What was he supposed to say? “Hey, you cool, amazing, attractive monkey, would you wanna join my troop?” Could he start small?
“I mean…” he laughed awkwardly. “W-would you.. would you wanna be best friends?”
Macaque smiled. “Doi!”
“T-then…” Wukong stood up, offering a hand to Macaque. “Would you…erm… wanna join my troop? If you’d want to, of course! I mean, I’d understand if you didn’t, and I mean, we could always set up something where we could—!”
His word jumble came to a immediate halt as he felt Macaque’s hand on his cheek. “Wukong… I’d love to.”
“C-cool…” Wukong’s heart was in his throat, thinking fast, he pulled out the finger guns as he winked. “Coolio!”
Macaque let out a laugh as he purred. “Never do that again to me.”
“Right, sorry.” Wukong shuffled his hands back down.
As Wukong was leading Macaque back to Waterfall Curtain Cave, neither of the young monkeys realized the intertwined tails between them.