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Chapter Text

For the longest time, he was in blissful dark, oblivious to anything that could be happening around. Whenever he stretched out he felt his fingertips graze something hard that was all around him, encasing him, protecting him from harm. 

Every once in a while something would wake him up and he'd be scared but something would soothe him back to sleep, he never tried to break the walls surrounding him.

When he woke up on his own accord, it was cramped in his little dark home, he didn't feel the need to go back to that blissful dark. Instead he felt a nagging in the back of his head telling him it was time, the wall in front of him cracked and a glorious light seeped in, he squinted his eyes and reached for the light. He pushed on the cracked wall and it fell away, he pushed behind him and found it to breakaway easily as well.

He stuck his head through the light and was met with an array of colors and light. He shook himself free of the rest of his old home and stumbled around. His limbs felt heavy and everything was so bright! 

Something tickled the inside of his nose and he sneezed, something bright and colorful came from his eyes and shot off into the sky. The little show made him giggle to himself as he stood up, he tried to walk forward but stumbled slightly. He caught himself on a nearby tree and the tree split from where he touched it.

That made him giggle too as he continued to walk around.

Two beings came down from the sky at one point and he looked up at them with wide curious eyes, they had flowing gowns and sashes and both had a golden spear in one hand.

"It's just a monkey?" one of them said with confusion.

"Just leave it then, I'm sure nature will take care of it anyway" the other dismissed.

And with that they left.

---

Nature did not in fact "take care" of him, or Shi Hou, as they had named him later on. Instead in the few months since he hatched he had found a large troop of monkeys and later ended up becoming king of their island.

Flower Fruit Mountain he had been told.

His new kingdom was Flower Fruit Mountain.

Things were great for a while, he gave his people a new home, safe from the predators that roamed the island. 

He learned that he loved games, he would play with the cubs whenever he got the chance between building up his kingdom, making a royal guard for those who wished to serve under him, and overall started making the island into a thriving kingdom.

After a few years, he even gained a sworn brother, the Demon Bull king, as he was called. Though Shi Hou usually called him dage or DBK for short. The bull would play with him too, but unlike with the monkey cubs Shi Hou could play rough with his brother and the Bull was more than happy to accept a challenge. Those days he would usually end up dozing off on his brothers chest afterwards, the child finally tuckered out, the Demon kings fur was so warm and soft he couldn't help purring when he snuggled in. He would feel the older pur back in response as well, as much as he would deny it.

They had feasts almost every night where everyone ate and drank as much as they wanted, when they wanted. 

All of his people were welcome in his stone palace.

But then he was woken up with news that would change everything...

---

"Dead?..." Wukong asked the guard with confusion.

The other nodded solemnly.

"But I just talked to elder last night?!" He reasoned.

They had had another grand feast, he sat on his throne that was much too big for his small frame for most of the night, drinking coconut wine. It tasted good but he didn't like how it made him feel, especially in the morning. He mostly just drank it because that's what all the adults gave him. He had spent the whole party talking to the elder of their family, it was the most lively conversation he had had with her. They laughed and celebrated and gone to bed far too late into the night.

Now he was being woken up far too early with a pounding headache to receive the worst news of his life.

"I'm sorry my king, she's gone, we found her this morning" the monkey informed him with his head bowed.

Wukong looked down at his bed sheets, they were golden in color and soft to the touch. A bed truly meant for a king, even one as small as himself.

He climbed down out of bed, standing and only coming up to the guards waist.

"Take me to her" he said with a broken voice.

The underling nodded and escorted the small king down the hall to where the troop elder had been sleeping. He came into the room where a few other monkeys were huddled together, consoling one another. In the middle of the room was a bed with figure lying under a white blanket.

Still as could be.

He approached the bed numbly, it was practically as tall as he was. He looked up at the edge of the bed and hesitated before climbing onto the bed. 

The king crawled closer to the body and sat on his knees next to it, next to her, and pulled back the blanket. There the elder of his troop, the closest thing he's ever had to a mother, laid with misted over eyes, her face grey and bleak with wrinkles frozen in place.

The sight horrified him, it chilled him to the bone and yet he couldn't look away.

Then he tried to shake her awake as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Elder.." he called barely above a whisper.

He took hold of her shoulders and shook her, gripping her tight enough he knew she would have yelped.

"Elder!" He called, his voice was more panicked.

The elders body just flopped around at the shoulders, Shi Hou could feel how stiff she was becoming and it only confused and worried him more.

"My king!" Someone called from behind.

Before he could reach to push at the elders face someone lifted him off the bed and away from the lifeless body.

"Please your majesty--"

"No! She's not dead!" He cried out.

The guard held him tighter, flipping him in his arms to hug the small king properly. Shi Hou squirmed, he could easily break the hold. They both knew that but he didn't want to hurt on of his own.

"I'm sorry my king, she's gone" the guard tried to console.

Hao the king briefly recalled his name.

Shi Hou stopped squirming and slumped into the hug, tears pricked his eyes against his will. He looked around the room and noticed they seemed to be the only two there now.

"I don't understand.." he whispered with a choke.

"It was just her time, she was old your majesty" he said softly as he lowered the stone monkey to the floor.

"But I just talked to her" the king protested, looking between the body and the guard.

"Sometimes death is like that, they could be here talking and and laughing and then..they're gone" Hao stated with a sorrowful tone.

"I..but..why?"

He didn't understand, this was wrong he just talked to her, she was right here. Why won't she just wake up? Did she go somewhere? Could he visit?

"It's just the circle of life my king, everyone dies at some point"

The king perked up at that and looked at his guard with scared eyes.

"Will you die too?" He asked.

"Well eventually yes, but hopefully not for a long time" he smiled softly.

"Wi...will I?"

"Death comes for everyone at some point, there's no avoiding it" 

He grit his teeth.

"Well I don't accept that! No one else is going to die! It's my job to protect my people and I'll do just that!" He declared, he set his shoulders back in a proud stance.

Hao looked at the kings flush face, his cheeks rosy and his eyes welled with tears but he could see the determination on his face. 

It made him smile softly and the shorter. A king who cries for his people is one filled with compassion and love after all, a sign of true leadership and that is why they follow the monkey king. 

"A noble sentiment, my king" he praised quietly.

---

It took some time, many weeks of researching anything the monkey king could find about immortality. 

He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat. Every time he closed his eyes all he saw was the elders dead body in that bed before it would morph into himself. 

He couldn't leave this world so quickly, life was fragile, he knew that now and it was flying by. He could die tomorrow or tonight and there's no telling what happens after you die! 

Is there another plane?

Is there nothing?

Is it just some black void where he ceases to exist?

He was scared.

Scared for his people, scared for his kingdom, scared..for himself.

He had finally found something, a man name Master Subhodi. He was a martial arts teacher that taught his students to become sages and as they progressed in their training they would gain supernatural abilities and immortality.

---

His master gave him a new name.

Sun Wukong

He liked it, it felt..right.

Wukong learned exponentially quicker than other students. He didnt know why, the other students were both envious and in awe every time he changed his form.

They would tell him how amazing he was and wasn't that just swell? First his people and now these humans, maybe he was the greatest.

He really liked his teacher, master Subodhi the man had taken him under his wing when he saw how quickly he was learning the techniques that took others decades to master.

"Are you sure you want to continue your studies? Perhaps youd want to wait until youre grown up?" his master asked.

"What do you mean? I am grown. I'm a king after all" he had beamed at his teacher.

Subodhi looked down at the child and raised a brow. He knew a child when he saw one, as much as said child might deny it he was still young. If he were human the old master might have guessed around five or six years old. And if he were to gain immortality at such a soft age, there was no telling how it would affect his mind in the long run.

A child's body has different needs than an adults, while his mind would age and mature his body wouldn't.

"Please, I'm ready master" the monkey insisted with pleading eyes.

Subodhi may be an ancient man, a man whose seen many things in his immortal life that would make a normal man go mad, a man that was known to have a resolve of steel to his students and peers...

But..

His little face..

It melted any ambition the old man had. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

"If..this is what you want, I..won't stop you" he said.

If his little student wanted to be immortal, he was going to achieve it with or without his masters approval, Subodhi knew that. The least he could do was guide him to do it safely.

The way Wukongs face lit up with pure joy stabbed at the old masters heart with his little twitching nose and ears and glittering big eyes, he had a feeling this was going to be quite the extraordinary story to tell.

Sun Wukong excelled in his studies under the watch of his master, he would play games with the child all the time as well. Anytime he would come to the man with the checkers board he'd accept, he'd let him read his study books next to him while he meditated. Those times usually ended with Sun Wukong falling asleep in the peaceful atmosphere, Subodhi would end up placing the child on a separate sitting pillow next to him to be more comfortable while he napped. 

Wukong even got him to play hide and seek once. The boy was in heaven that day. 

Wukong had truly bonded with Subodhi and began to look up to him as more than just a teacher.

---

A demon king had come to his island.

The demon King of Confusion.

He took his citizens hostage and used them as slaves. He marched his way to his thrown room, in his castle. His veins were boiling with anger, he had seen his people in their chains on his way in.

The cubs cried, the mothers and fathers were shaking with fear every time one of the demon kings goons looked to closely at them. And his royal guards, they were trying to be brave for the civilians and protect them as much as possible but Wukong could see the fear in their eyes.

He kicked open the grand doors to the throne room and demanded the demon king leave his island.

And the King of Confusion laughed.

"Awww, did one of the wittle baby monkeys get lost? Where's your mama?" He taunted.

"I am NOT a cub!" Wukong declared with a snarl, showing his little sharp teeth.

He was angry, so so angry. He had spent so long building his islands kingdom and then he made his first ever connection outside of the island only for them to kick him out after ten years like it all meant nothing! THEN he comes back home to find his people have been ENSLAVED while he was on his little quest??!

The demon king stood up from the throne and sauntered his way towards Wukong with a smug look before crouching to his level.

"Aw, are you sure about that, tiny? Its looks like its past your bed time~" he cooed with a sickly sweet voice and pinched Wukongs cheek.

And that made him snap.

Before the king of confusion could pull his hand back, Wukong latched onto his wrist and twisted with all his strength. He felt and heard something snap in the arm before the other king let out a howl of pain. 

Wukong whipped around and threw the demon king clear across the thrown room and even through three other walls beyond it before he landed in the dirt outside.

It wasnt long before the small king was dragging the King of Confusion kicking and screaming in pain to the shoreline and threw him as hard as his little arms could, into the sky. Wukong barely processed the goons were following their king, getting into their boats and picking up their fallen comrades as they left.

He looked down at himself, taking in his small appearance. 

Is that how everyone saw him?

A cub?

He wasn't a kid! He was an adult! He could do everything else an adult could and more! 

He was just short.

He shook his head, best not to dwell on it. He needed to check on his citizens and get things back to normal.

---

Sun Wukong met a strange monkey like him on his way to get a new weapon.then

Well, more like observed him from afar.

The monkey had six ears and bright purple eyes and he was about the size of an average adult human.

Wukong was on his way to the Dragon Kings palace and was flying over the mainland on his cloud when he heard a commotion from down below. He looked down and saw another monkey demon that was being confronted by low demon bandits.

He hid behind the tree line to observe, seeing if the guy needed help. The monkey, the six-eared Macaque as he heard him introduce himself as, had intimidated the bandits with his sharp teeth and used his shadows to make himself bigger.

It scared them off like roaches.

Is that what he had been missing?

What if he had looked like the Six-Eared Macaque?

Would his enemies take him seriously then?

He stared at himself in the mirror one day. He had the ability to change himself, why not try it?

He started by making himself taller, like Macaque.

Now the details.

Macaque looked rather intimidating with his big sharp teeth, would he also look like that?

He played around with his face, changing the shape, size and minute details before looking himself over.

He looked like himself but..different, he looked more mature.

Keeping this form takes energy but like the endurance trai ING with his old master he'd learn to adapt and soon this would become like a second skin. He smiled to himself, yeah he could do this.

---

"Your majesty! You have a letter!" A guard announced, entering the thrown room with vigor.

Wukong perked up on his thrown, now fitting him properly after his "growth spurt".

"A letter? From who?" He asked curiously, he looked at the folded envelope in the guards hand. 

It was pure white and glittered with what could only be described as purity.

Definitely wasn't from his older brother then he thought.

The king looked to his right at Macaque who looked at his king with equal curiosity before stepping down the short stone steps in front of the kings thrown to accept the letter, dismissing the guard with a silent thank you.

He had ran into the six-eared monkey again some time ago on the mainland. They talked for hours and after kicking some demon king ass together they quickly became friends, Wukong asked about his family and when the shadow monkey said he had none the king had offered him a place on his mountain.

It wasn't long before the Macaque became the right hand man of the Monkey King, his shadow, if you will. He was never far from his beloved king that he had began to lean into, when he felt hopeless all he had to do was look at his king who had managed to smile through every battle they fought together.

The shadow monkey turned back to Wukong and turned over the envelope in his hands before opening it. His eyes went wide and his mouth went dry.

"So?.." the king prompted.

"It's..from the Jade Emperor" Macaque answered.

The silence that followed was tense. Tense with anticipation and anxiety respectfully from both individuals as the shadow monkey read the letter silently.

Macaque gazed back upon the king with trepidation heavy on his face.

"They want you to join Heaven" he said.

Wukongs eyes widened before a smile appeared, wide and full of excitement.

Finally...

Chapter Text

Heaven was full of shit.

After being invited up to the Jade palace, his greeting was grand and he was escorted to the Jade Emperor himself where he congratulated the Monkey King on his accomplishments.

Sun Wukong had acted accordingly, respectfully even. 

His dage taught him manners after all.

Wukong was given the title "Protector of the Horses". He was told it was a high class and respected duty, that he should feel honored.

And he did for a little bit.

He took the best care of Heavens horses, he kept them brushed and clean and their manes perfectly braided for the generals. The people that came by smiled at him and he waved back with a smile of his own. He didn't understand why they chuckled when they walked away though, maybe the horse had a funny face to them.

All was seemingly great until he had overheard some of the heavenly maidens gossiping about him.

They were laughing about how the Jade Emperor made up the position of "Protector of the Horses". The whole thing was to keep am eye of him, to keep him on a leash.

Anger flooded his veins as quickly as his heart broke.

So they wanted to play that way? Fine

Wukong went back to the stables and opened all of the stables before ordering the horses to storm the palace and cause as much mayhem and chaos as possible before they got rounded up.

He marched his way out of heaven with his head held high out of spite and yelled that he would now be addressed as "Sun Wukong, Great Sage Equal To Heaven!"

---

Wukong stewed in his anger, he didn't want to play with the little ones, he didn't want to throw a party and he certainly didn't want anything to do with heaven.

They humiliated him, lied to him, talked about him behind his back for who knew how long before he overheard.

He focused on building up his forces, his kingdoms guard as been lowered since he went to heaven and he didn't want a repeat of what happened with the Demon King of Confusion in case he had to leave again.

In the middle of this, and envoy was sent down from Heaven.

The royal guard seized him on sight and brought him to their king.

According to the envoy, the Jade Emperor had seen the error of his ways and apologized for his grievance against the Great Sage Equal To Heaven and would like to invite Wukong back to heaven for a new job.

While the monkey king was suspicious of the whole thing, he liked that they addressed him by his title, so with caution he went back to heaven.

His new job was "Guardian of the Heavenly Peach Garden". It was a supposedly much more important job, one peach extended one's life span dramatically so it was his job to protect the great peaches.

But then he found out the truth.

There was a grand banquet about to happen, Sun Wukong had found out that every important God and goddess had been invited except for him. When he asked one of the heavenly maidens why he wasn't invited when he was told he was so important here.

What she told him lit a fire in his heart.

She had said that he wasnt invited because everyone knew he was just an immortal who looked after the peach garden and the only reason he was in heaven in the first place was because the Jade Emperor was keeping him around like a pet.

A..Pet...

He was thought of as an animal..

Apparently the big asshole just wanted to keep an eye on him so he didn't cause trouble on earth so he was invited here.

Wukong was thrown back and forth between anger and heartbreak.

He thought he was doing something good, everyone was treating him nicely now...why couldn't he be accepted?

That wasn't fair!

He was able to go the highest level in heaven! Only the strongest members of heaven can do that and they think they're better than him?! He was Sun Wukong, Great Sage Equal To Heaven and he would be respected as such!

He looked around the peach garden, it wasn't fair that he didn't get to eat any of these delicious beauties. He walked up to the closest tree and stared at one of the peaches hanging down.

They needed these peaches for the banquet, but why did they get to eat them and he didnt if he was supposed to be their equal. He grunted angrily and plucked the closest peach above him and shoved it in his mouth.

Oh.. He thought.

That was good.

He looked around to the other trees with ripe peaches still attached and grew a wicked smile.

If they thought him to be an animal, then he'll act like one..

---

He didn't know when things escalated to where they were.

Wukong was angry, he knew that. In his anger after leaving heaven he managed to get a group of people who also had beef with heaven.

They came to him first, saying how he inspired them to take a stand against the Jade Emperor as well.

Azure Lion, Yellowtusk the Wise and the Golden-Winged Peng.

All three used to be apart of heaven before leaving, disgusted by what they saw in heaven.

The demon bull king joined as well, and of course his right hand man Macaque. The shadow monkey qas ready to follow his king anywhere.

They formed The Brotherhood and it was really fun for a while, he could roughhouse with them just like DBK, they were more than happy to accept the "challenge", to him it was just play.

They would hold banquets of their own on his mountain and they would go on far into the night, laughing, drinking and telling stories.

"...and that is why they never let me near the crossbows again" Peng finished his story, the group was in stitches as he acted out the story.

When the laughter died down Wukong let out a silent yawn. He looked at his drink, it was still a fourth full of wine and he already felt buzzy in the head. His face felt hot, from both laughing and the drink.

Suddenly his cup was being refilled by one of his monkeys and he slumped in his chair.

He didn't want to drink that stuff anymoreeee he whined silently to himself.

He rubbed at his eyes and groaned quietly.

"What's the matter brother? Feeling tired already?" Peng teased from next to him, ruffling his hair.

Wukong batted his hand away with annoyance, he hated it when they did that, it felt like it put him of balance.

"Someone's grumpy, here drink some more wine, you've barely even finished your first glass" Azure teased from across the table, his cheeks dusted pink. "Our great leader should relax before the bug battle!" He exclaimed with a laugh.

"Uggh!" The monkey whined that no one seemed to notice except for the two people that weren't drunk of their asses.

The response made DBK and Tusk look at each other, seemingly having a silent conversation between them before the bull nodded and stood up.

Tusk turned to Azure.

"Azure why don't you tell the one about how you got your sword?" He prompted.

"Oh yes! Quite am adventure that one turned out to be" he chirped excitedly, drunkly waving his sword around.

While the others were engrossed in Azures story the Demon Bull King pulled Wukong out of the dining hall with the excuse of something needing his attention. When they closed the door behind them DBK scooped his baby brother up in one arm and began walking in the direction of his bed room.

"I can walk..where are we going?" Wukong asked.

"You are going to bed" the bull answered.

"What no! I'm fine!--" He was cut off by a yawn. "I wanna stay up with everybody" he whined as he lazily rubbed his eye.

"I know you do, but they're used to staying up a lot later than this and we can't have you falling asleep on the battlefield right?" 

Wukong slumped against the bull kings chest.

"I guess" he muttered before yawning again. "I feel kinda sick" he added.

"That would be the wine dear brother, you shouldn't be drinking it in the first place you know" he chided as he adjusted Wukong to be more chest level.

"Then why does everyone give it to me?"

"Because they dont..they don't know any better is all" he answered, he couldn't tell him. Wukong wouldn't understand and would just deny it before giving him the silent treatment for weeks on end.

Wukong just hummed sleepily and snuggled into the bulls chest. DBK smiled to himself and held him a little tighter.

His little brother began to nod off by the time they reached his bedroom, so he didn't fuss when he changed him into his pajamas and washed his face. The bull pried little fingers from his chest hair and gebtly laid Wukong in bed, the monkey looked up at him with half awake eyes.

"..light" he mumbled.

"Yes I know, I got it" the elder soothed. The bull turned to the small table next to the grand bed and reached for a round cover. Lifting the cover revealed a sphere of soft purple light.

A while ago the bull king discovered his little brother really didnt like the dark so he had made the smallest of light spells and trapped it in a ball of glass. 

For someone who thinks theyre an adult they sure act like their age sometimes he thought with amusement.

He decorated it as well with little cut outs so when the light hit it it made shapes on the walls and ceiling.

It was the perfect brightness to sleep while still being able to find your way around the room.

DBK turned back to Wukong who's eyes were already closed and breathing evened out, brought the blanket up to his chin, tucking him in snuggly before planting a soft kiss to his temple.

" 'Night didi" he whispered before slipping out of the room.

---

The battle ended horribly, the Jade Emperor cheated and used his brothers against him. 

He had no choice but to surrender and face punishment, it was that or they kill his brothers.

And everything hurt, it hurt so bad.

They wanted to know the names of those involved but he wouldn't tell them, he refused to put them through this as well. 

They said he was being executed but all he processed was the pain of lightning, fire and arrows piercing and running through his battered body.

They said something about him being g immortal several times over so that's why he hasn't died yet.

The next thing he knew he was being thrown into a giant pot and the lid closing behind him.

It was dark, he hated the dark, he wanted out.

He wanted his dage.

He wanted his family.

They promised they would look out for each other so where were they? Why did they keep hurting him? 

It began to get hot, the floor beneath him began to turn colors and heat up. It burned his feet and he leapt to the walls, his hands sizzled against the walls.

Why were they doing this?

Wasn't this too much for just eating some peaches and wine?

He didn't understand...

Where were his brothers?!

They were supposed to be here!

They were supposed to look out for each other! Azure said he was destined for great things, is this his idea of great?! He was supposed to bring upon a new era!

The pot began to fill with smoke, it burned his eyes. It made his eyes water and it just burned even more, like a never ending cycle.

He yelled out in pain trying to rub his eyes, he lost his grip on the walls and fell to the boiling floor. He heard his skin and fur sizzle and burn before he felt it.

He screamed and screamed but no one answered, no one came.

---

By the time the furnace turned off he had long since stopped his cries of pain. No longer were his eyes wet with boiling tears. Now he was quiet..

Waiting..

And furious.

When the lid opened he grabbed the first person in his view and pulled them in before leaping out of the pot, ignoring the screaming of the person he pulled in. He knew he lost his glamours, he didn't care if they thought he was small, they would learn of his ferocity and fear it just as well.

His eyes hurt, he couldn't see very good at all but when he concentrated his vision turned gold and certain things stood out ot him, things that would useful or a weak point in his opponents armor.

Guards tried to seize him but he just sent them right back with broken limps and faces just as quickly ad they came.

He bumped into one of the pillars of the hall and grabbed onto it. He swung the giant thing around, destroying the others pillars and taking out a good chunk of Heavens forces.

He was breathing heavily and practically foaming at the mouth with anger. He wanted to scream but his vocal chords were shredded, he wanted to cry but he had no water left in his body. He was tired of people lying to him, manipulating him, using him to get what they wanted

He matched their power and went beyond, he destroyed the palace and anything he could reach. He threw everything that he could pick up, and beat Heavens soldiers like they were an after thought.

He was only stopped by Buddha himself.

The Buddha shoved him to the rarths floor and used his hand to keep him there as a mountain formed around him. He was locked in place by a golden seal on top of the mountain and left there.

He tried calling out, for anyone to come for him but he was in the middle of a dense forest with no signs of civilization.

So he waited.

His wounds had healed up nicely despite the lack of proper care and his eyes were back to normal, and he could still do the gold vision thing! He was happy about that, it was useful.

He had tried calling out for Macaque, screaming his name into the distance, but he never came.

A couple days went by and he was visited by some earth spirits sent by heaven. They force fed him molten copper and lead pellets as further punishment.

---

He lost track of how much he cried, his anger had fizzled out long ago and was now just grief. He was hurt, betrayed, humiliated, manipulated and now he was lonely.

His only company were the woodland creatures that came across his prison and the earth spirits that fed him his weekly "food".

Weeks went by.

Then months.

Then years.

Decades...

Centuries...

He'd been abandoned and no matter how much he pleaded with Buddha who he knew could hear him the mountain never moved.

He was alone...

Then a man in robes came tumbling out of the bushes.

Chapter Text

Wukong was weary of the strange man that showed up.

He had a weird headdress on and wrapped in robes with a shiny gold staff that had too many rings on it. 

He looked fancy in Wukongs mind.

The man finally righted himself and brushed off the leaves and twigs stuck to him. He looked at Wukong and the cub shrunk under his stare. 

Any attention for these days wasn't good.

"A-are you Sun Wukong?" The man asked.

Wukong eyed him suspiciously.

"Who wants to know?" He asked hesitantly, his voice was raspy and worn for centuries of drinking molten copper.

"My name is Tang Sanzang, Tripitaka, I'm a Buddhist monk that's been sent on a mission westward for ancient scriptures. I'm here with the word of The Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, to free you so you can accompany me, protect me for what lies ahead and become my disciple"

Free him?..

He can come out?..

His heart fluttered at the idea of being free but..he didn't want to go west, he wanted to go home.

Maybe he could just sneak away after he's free..

He smiled and looked up to the monk.

"Yeah I'm Sun Wukong, get me out of here" he chirped.

The monk came closer and peeled the seal from above his head, the seal that's been trapping him for five hundred years, tormenting him with being just out of reach.

He told the monk to get away form the mountain, as far as he could before he counted to twenty.

Wukong felt his powers seep back into him and he felt renewed. He broke the mountain in half when he got out. He stood on shaky legs and looked back at the mountain before he launched himself at it and destroyed it completely.

It was satisfying to watch the source of his torment crumble before him and leave nothing but a pile of boulders. He bounced around and stretched his limbs, feeling the blood flow back into them after so long.

He was out!

He was out out!

He was free!

When he met up with the monk he stared down at him with shock and horror before suddenly shaking his head and snapping out of whatever trance he was in.

The monk held out some clothes.

"Here, to replace your torn ones" he explained.

Wukong looked down at himself, his clothes were in fact torn to shreds, centuries of rocks grinding against you was bound to tear your clothes he supposed.

Wukong accepted the clothes and promptly started taking off his torn ones. The monk made a stuttered noise before turning around.

"At least wait until I'm turned around!" He squealed indignitely.

"Why? It's not like you haven't seen a naked person before" he replied with confusion.

"It's called modesty" the monk answered with a huff.

Wukong just shrugged and continued changing.

"I also have this for you" the monk said as he presented the freshly clothed monkey with a golden headband.

It was a simple thing, just a plain golden ring with two swirls where the ends met as the decoration.

It was shiny, he liked that about it. He examined it in his hands, sniffing it even.

"It was a gift from Guanyin, she said you'd need it" the monk explained.

Well, Guanyin was the goddess of mercy he thought. Plus, they got along great when he was still in heaven.

He put the circlet on and immediately regretted it. The band tightened to the crown of his head, it was snug but it didn't hurt. He tried to pull it off after feeling it tighten but it didn't budge.

He grunted as he kept trying to pull it.

"What's wrong?" Sanzang asked.

"It won't come off! It's too tight!" He exclaimed, he was starting to panic now as he continued to struggle.

"Oh yes, it won't come off, Guanyin said it was to help you on our journey"

"Help me how?!"

"She said it was to keep you on the path of good" he explained.

Wukong whined and grunted as he kept trying to get it off before falling to the ground in exhaustion.

---

Tripitaka's eldest disciple was..weird, to say the least, in his eyes anyway. He wasnt sure what he was expecting for his protector but he didnt expect a little monkey that didnt even come up to hip. He didn't act like any demon he's met either, granted the other ones he's met were trying to eat him but his point still stood.

Sure the monkey was arrogant and full of himself like the rest he's met but he was oddly..kind, in his own way. Whenever they would come across a village the children would come up to his disciples in fascination. 

The monk was nervous and thought the monkey would hurt them at first, not knowing his own strength, but Wukong was as gentle as could be and simply went along with the children's antics, all three of Tripitakas disciples played with the children but Wukong played with them like it was second nature.

His eldest disciple had a youthful sort of air to him in spirit and in looks. When something wouldn't go his way he'd pout like no tomorrow until Tripitaka would slice up a peach and give it to him to forget why he was mad. Other times, when the monk would unfortunately have to use the circlet on him and he'd cry out and scream he wouldn't talk to or look at the Buddhist for days and just do what he was told without a word. 

He'd tried to comfort him before, try to ease the pain that he caused with the circlet, but he wouldn't even let the human touch him. If he'd look close enough he'd see the monkey flinch away before walking off to go to Sandy, the two had become quite close on their journey and the monkey would always go to him for comfort, favors or just to talk.

Wukong was also fiercely protective of what was his, his food, his clothes, his sleeping roll... 

He always ate like he thought they would take it from him.

The monk had taken note that the monkey had a weird thing about touch as well, he hated his hair ruffled but stroking it was ok, as long as his hands werent clammy of damp. He couldn't stand to be grabbed out of no where but it was ok if he saw it coming.

One thing the whole group took notice was that Sun Wukong got very upset and anxious when the sun went down. He would stick very close to Sandy after sunset and when it came to making camp for the night Wukong was right there sitting next to the river demon on watch, even if it wasn't his turn the monkey wouldn't fall asleep until late into the night.

Bajie would tease him relentlessly, calling him a scaredy cat and all kinds of colorful insults about being afraid of the dark. Often tormenting the small monkey with jumping out of bushes when he least expects it or telling him scary stories that make anyone's spine crawl.

Often Wujing and Tripitaka would have to pry Wukong off of the pig after he'd lose his cool and start walking on the screeching pig. Sometimes the monk had to resort to using the circlet to get the monkey to stop hitting the pig demon.

Tripitaka was afraid he might not ever bond with Wukong. He didn't want to hurt him with the circlet, he had vowed against violence but..he couldn't let one of his disciples kill people, even if they were evil.

He just couldnt get his teachings through Wukong's head, something wasn't clicking and he didn't know how to remedy the problem.

---

They had come to a village in the middle of a mountain valley. The village was famous for their rolling hills of mountain flowers and people would walk trails up the mountains for the view.

Bajie and Sha Wujing were gathering supplies while the monk and Wukong took Ao Lie to the stream to drink on the other side of the village.

The children of the village had gathered around the strange visitors, specifically Wukong.

Their curiosity turned to playfulness as they managed to pull the monkey into a game of tag of sorts, except all of the kids tried to tag Wukong and when one would he would chase them until he tagged one and they would all team up again and so on.

There were squeals of laughter as they played, they ran around the village square where a great cherry blossom tree stood tall and proud. The children managed to corner Wukong but before one could tag him he climbed the tree like the monkey he was.

The game of tag devolved into the kids trying to climb the tree with the small king, some managed to get up there and others needed the monkey to swing them up there.

Tripitaka watched with a soft smile from where he sat on the grass by the stream, Ao Lie drank from the stream, oblivious to what was happening.

"Your son is so cute!" a voice complimented.

He looked up from the ground and saw an older woman with grey streaked hair and crows feet making her look wise, carrying a basket of fruit. She had a sweet face that spoke of peace and kindness that would put anyone at ease. 

"Excuse me?" The monk asked.

"Your son? The little monkey there playing with the children" she explained, gesturing to Wukong who hung upside down by his tail and was gently swinging one of the smaller children in the air like some kind of swing. "I bet he'll fall asleep right quick after this, you might have to carry him home" she chuckled.

The monk chuckled nervously.

"O-Oh, He's not my son actually, he's my disciple" he explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just--he's so young and you look about the right age.." the woman apologized with an embarrassed blush.

"Heh, and despite his looks hes not actually a child, though he is a bit odd I will admit" Tripitaka laughed light heartedly.

At this the woman looked confused.

"Not to sound rude but..are you sure? I've seen you lot around town and he acts just like my son when he was young" she smiled.

Now Tripitaka was confused.

"How do you mean?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain, it's just a feeling we mothers have I suppose" she chuckled. 

She put her basket down and sat next to Tripitaka, offering him an apple from the fruit to which he took gratefully. He thanked her before pulling a small knife concealed in his robe and began cutting the apple into slices.

"My, that's an odd thing for a monk to have" the woman teased.

"Ah, well it's just for fruit, Wukong likes it when I cut his fruit into slices" he smiled and gestured at his disciple before popping an apple slice into his mouth. "Seems like the only time we get along actually" he added with a more somber tone.

The woman hummed.

"Let me ask you this, what exactly makes him so odd?" She asked.

"Well, for starters, hes wild. I can never predict what hes going to do and it seems like whatever I tell him to do, all he wants to do is the opposite. We're on a Journey westward and I'm trying to teach him how to be a Buddhist but the lessons just aren't sticking. He..fights people constantly and when he does I have to discipline him and I really don't like doing it. I hate seeing him so upset but it seems like it's the only way to get him to listen to me" he sighed.

"Hm. Sounds like my Lee when he was small. Anytime I told him not to do something, that's all he'd want to do. I eventually figured out that I had to explain why he can't do those things. Children can't function on just because I said so they're curious and want to know why, does that make sense?" She asked.

"Yes, I suppose, but that's not all. Whenever I have to discipline him I try to reconcile to make sure he's ok but he won't even let me touch him, he goes to his brother, another one of my disciples, and shuts down for nearly a week. I want to bond with him so we can be friends, I dont want him just thinking I'm here to punish everything he does but I dont..I dont know how.." he sighed with defeat.

The woman looked between the monkey playing in the distance the disheartened monk.

"I know it's not my place and you can think what you want but..children often think they're grown, and sometimes it's ok, that's how they learn to be independent. But it's important to remember they're still children and they still need support, sometimes for something as simple as carrying them when they're tired or slicing their fruit for them" she said pointedly before getting up with her basket and brushing off her pants and waving him goodbye.

When she turned the corner in the street Tripitaka looked back to where his eldest disciple was playing and took in the bright smile on his little face. He hadn't seen such a big smile on him since, well, ever and it made him smile in turn.

Something simple huh? He thought.

---

Wukong was lagging behind, normally he would be up in front of them but since leaving the village he seemed to be growing more and more tired the longer they walked. Tripitaka had suggested using his cloud but that proved to be a fruitless effort as it seemed that Wukong needed to actually be conscious of what he was doing to cloud step.

They still had quite a ways to go before they could make camp for the night, their master wanted to be by a water source for Wujing to refresh his skin and for Bajie to use the fresh water for their cooking and fill water flasks.

"Brother you're dragging us behind! Hurry up" Bajie complained when he passed the slow moving monkey.

Wukong rubbed at one eye before fixing the pig with a snarl.

"Shut up!" He just about growled.

"Bajie, leave your brother alone, he's just tired" the monk scolded lightly from atop of Ao Lie.

The village children had really wore the monkey out and he wanted to just go to sleep but they had to keep moving.

"But we're all tired Master, and he's just slowing us down!" The pig complained, poking at the monkey and making him stumble.

That made the monkey growl from deep within his throat and he pushed at the pig demon. It looked like it was just going to be a light hit before walking away but his small hand shoved the larger demon clear across the trail and into the treeline.

"Wukong!" Tripitaka reprimanded and stopped the horse.

"He started it! He keeps pushing and pushing and wont shut up!" The monkey all but yelled, and stomped one foot to make his point.

The monk watched his eldest disciple rub at his eyes with a pout that did not belong on such an old being, it rivaled those of the small children from the village. If he looked close enough he swear he could see a slight shimmer to the monkeys crimson eyes he opened his mouth to say something but...

"..it's important to remember they're still children and they still need support.."

It dawned on him then.

Could she be right? He thought. Wouldn't hurt to try

"Pilgrim, come here" he said calmly as he slid off of his seat, using the monkeys nickname in hopes of putting him as ease of punishment.

Wukong continued his pout and balled his fists at his sides but obeyed his master. Tripitaka took in his tired eyes glistening with tears even as he refused to look up at him and his face became red.

He reached out and ran his hand through his fluffed up hair, Wukong flinched at the contact before relaxing slightly and looking up at his master with confusion.

Tripitaka just held a soft look in return.

The monk crouched down and placed his hands under each of his disciples arms and lifted him as he stood back up. 

Wukong squirmed at first, confused as he continued grumbling and pushing at his master to put him down but the monk didn't and just adjusted his hold so the monkey was pretty much sitting in his arms, chest to chest with his much shorter legs draped around his waist.

Tripitaka placed one hand to the monkeys back and pushed him into his chest, forcing him to lean into him as if he were to sleep nestled in his shoulder.

Wukong sat frozen in place as he let his master hold him, the longer he stayed put the more he found his anger dissipating and giving way to exhaustion. He reached one hand and grabbed onto the monks collar, the fabric was soft between his fingers and smelt like sandalwood and old papyrus scrolls. 

It was like a balm to his heated anger.

Then the monk began to walk and oh was that even better. The gentle bounce of his steps and light jingling of the rings on his staff strapped to his back. Wukong felt a hand begin to rub his back, working his muscles loose with gentle kneading.

He wasn't sure when they started but there were voices around him, muffled and far away as they were. When he tried to pick his head up and snap out of whatever trance his master put him in he would be pushed right back down into the crook of his neck and the voices would go quiet before starting up again except much quieter, soon he didn't hear anything at all as his eyes got heavier and heavier.

Until he finally gave in and drifted off in his masters warm arms and went limp.

---

Bajie and Wujing were confused and in awe when their master picked up Wukong but werent surprised when the monkey fought the monk, as uncoordinated and sluggish as the fighting was. He didn't even let Wujing pick him up like that, the closest he got was when the monkey climbed onto him and perched on his shoulders.

But only when Wukong initiated it.

"Master what are you doing?" The pig asked as he dusted himself off from the ground.

"He's just tired Bajie, the children from the village really wore him out" he explained as he finally pushed Wukong into a secure hold against his chest.

"I get that but why aren't you punishing him?! He pushed me!" He squealed.

"Zhu Bajie, while he shouldnt have pushed you, not everything your brother does deserves the tightening spell and you poking him until he retaliates is not helping your case" he scolded

Tripitaka noticed Wukong had calmed down some in his arms. 

The monkey still tried to break free but the monk could tell he was losing the battle. He smiled to himself as he began to rub the smallers back, relaxing him further.

"Is Wukong ok master?" Sha Wujing asked, coming up from behind to look at his elder brother, he'd never seen his brother act like this before.

"Yes he's fine, like I said, he's just tired" he smiled to himself as he finally felt Wukong go slack.

Tripitaka looked down at his eldest disciple and for the first time he really took in just how young the monkey king appeared, his big eyes closed softly with his chubby cheeks and little nose upturned to be against the monks neck with his mouth slightly open as he breathed deep and even. His face was smoothed of any anger that was there before as he lay blissfully asleep in his arms like...well, like a child.

A child, huh? He thought to himself.

Maybe there was more to his disciple than he realized.

---

The rest of the walk was relatively quiet, the sun was almost hidden completely by the mountains.

Tripitaka ended up carrying Wukong all the way to their camping spot for the night with the last shred of light they laid out their bed rolls. The whole time Wukong slept peacefully in his warm arms, occasionally humming contently whenever he'd shift.

He was about to ask Bajie to get out Wukongs bed roll but the pig already had it in his hand and rolled it out on the ground.

"Thank you, Bajie" he said gratefully as he kneeled and laid Wukong down. The monkey didn't twitch once, even as the monk tucked him in with a light blanket.

Ao Lie transformed out of his horse form for once and crouched next to the sleeping monkey.

"Aw, he's so sleepy!" He giggled to himself, grabbing one of his arms and waving the limp limb around before letting go and watching his arm fall to his chest like a dead weight. 

Still completely asleep.

"Ao Lie, leave him alone, let him sleep" Tripitaka scolded softly. The dragon horse just shrugged but retracted his hand.

The group agreed it was better to just go to sleep and fill their water flasks in the morning so with Wujing on watch the rest laid down for the night.

Tripitaka laid down his bed roll next to Wukongs and went to sleep.

At some point in the night Tripitaka woke up to find his eldest disciple had moved around and was snuggling up to him. He smiled softly to himself and rolled onto his side, the monk grabbed his blanket and pulled it over the both of them. The monk draped his arm over the smaller and pulled him closer, earning a content sigh from the sleepy monkey as he rubbed his back.

In the morning, the Buddhist woke up to find Wukong had stayed put the rest of the night and was still fast asleep against him.

He looked so peaceful, he didn't think hes seen him sleep so soundly before and he felt a pain of guilt and horror.

He'd wished he realized it sooner. The more he thought about it the more horrified he felt.

He hurt this child, over and over with the circlet.

They sent a child to protect him on their journey. It didn't matter to him how strong Sun Wukong was he was still a bleeding child!

A child..that was stuck under a mountain for five. hundred. years, all alone..in the dark.

Darkness, resentment and loneliness was all he knew for such a long time it was no wonder his teachings weren't getting through to him, the concept of peace was practically foreign to a child that's only knew war.

He pulled Wukong closer to his chest and felt a few tears slip from his eyes. 

He would be better.

He would be patient.

He would pick him up when he fell down.

This he promised himself.

---

The journey was more..relaxed after that.

Tripitaka took the time to explain morals to Wukong, specifically why he couldn't kill people.

While there were times it couldn't be avoided, Wukong hadnt purposely hurt or killed any demons without being provoked.

Their relationship got better as well. The group was in much higher spirits as a result, Wukong even got along better with Bajie. Though they still 

The monk didn't tell the other disciples about his discovery, he figured it might make more problems surface. If the information got to the demons trying to eat him they could use it against Wukong and he would be in a whole different kind of danger, even more so if the information got to heaven of all places. 

He could only imagine what the gods and goddesses might do to a child that wreaked havoc in the celestial realm.

---

Wukong would get playful every now and again, part of being an eternal child, the monk supposed. 

When his disciple would get truly energetic but it was close to sunset, they would make camp for the night and bring the monkey away from the others to get some energy out with the excuse of working on meditation and fill water flasks.

They did work on the childs meditation, he couldn't sit still for the life of him but they were working on it. Though it seemed that tonight would not be that night. 

What seemed like only a few minutes into trying to meditate in the quiet forest away from camp the monk felt light and deliberate pokes along one of his sides. He cracked an eye open to see Wukong next to him with a look of utter concentration trying to get a rise out of him.

He raised a brow and smiled mischievously before quickly grabbing the child and pulling him into his lap, cradled by his robes across his legs.

"I'm trying to meditate here, Mr." He smiled before poking up the monkeys side as he had done to him. The child broke into a wide grin and squirmed in the monks lap.

"This is not what working on meditation is supposed to look like either" he smiled as he moved to his ribs.

The monkey broke out into giggles and tried to bat the hand away.

"I dont wanna meditahahate" he giggled defiantly.

"Oh so you just want to keep *me* from meditating then? Well how about a refresher on what karma is instead" the monk teased before skittering one hand to the monkeys knees and squeezing spiradically while the other dove into his armpit and wiggled around.

The child squealed in response, squirming less and less as he became a puddle of laughter until the monk decided he had had enough and just held him in his lap in a hug as his giggles died down.

And for once Wukong didn't even try to fight it.

---

Tripitaka was confused now.

Wukong had..grown.

Now they were almost the same height. The monkey looked older now, matured.

Was it some kind of spell they encountered?

Did he finally hit some kind of growth spurt?

"What happened to you?!" Bajie screeched in the morning when he saw his older brother. "Why are you..tall and older!?"

"What? I've always been this way, I was just squished under a mountain for five hundred years, it was only a matter of time before I shot back up" Wukong dismissed, now taller than the pig.

The other disciples and master alike were in disbelief and Tripitaka felt an odd sense of sadness. Like he had just lost something..something precious..

But he noticed Wukong still acted the same. He pouted, hated the dark, couldn't sit still and he was even more confused now.

Was he wrong this whole time? 

Was Wukong not a child?

He spent a long while of their long journey in wonder.

---

Tripitaka got his answer when the group met a black haired monkey.

The shadow monkey had impersonated Wukong and when he was found out Wukong fought the imposter.

And killed him.

Tripitaka was the one to find the aftermath. They had split up to search around for Wukong, the woods had become quiet which was never a good sign when the golden monkey was involved. 

The monk had heard desperate cries and followed them to a small clearing in the forest.

"Please, please I didn't mean it! Please!" He heard Wukong cry out.

Tripitaka emerged from the trees and approached cautiously.

"Wukong?" He called out.

Said monkey turned his head and tears were falling down his blood stained face in fat globs.

"Master! I-I didn't mean it! I'm sorry I didn't mean to!" He cried desperately.

As the human got closer he realized Wukong was holding something to his chest--

No.

Some-one.

It was the black haired monkey.

He was laying limp in Wukongs arms, blood was covering both of them but the biggest spot was the other monkeys face..

Half of it was caved in with Wukong's staff abandoned on the ground dripping with blood.

The monks hands went to his mouth and covered the noise he made in response.

"Wukong.."

"I-it was an accident" his disciple croaked before devolving into mutterings of apologies and pleads.

But it did nothing.

It took a lot of coaxing for Wukong to even let go of the dead monkey. He was still hysterical but the monk knew he had to get him away from the gruesome scene.

Wujing and Bajie took care to wrap the monkeys body up, they weren't sure what the relationship was between the two monkeys but he seemed important to their brother.

Their master took on taking care of Wukong.

He brought him to stream to clean the blood off of him.

When he got to stream he sat Wukong next to the edge of the stream while he dipped a cloth in the water but when he turned around he was met with the small monkey he freed from under the mountain, the one he bonded with back in that village..

The monkey was looking at his bloody hands and a fresh wave of fresh tears sprung to his big red eyes before looking up to the human.

"I..I didn't mean to" he croaked with a barely audible voice.

"Oh, Wukong" the human said with sympathy. The wet cloth met the monkeys cheek and the human carefully cleaned the child of the blood staining his skin as he cried.

Wukong sniffled and cried even as Tripitaka took his shirt from him and washed the blood from it in the water. The monk set the shirt aside and focused his attention to the distraught child.

They made eye contact and Wukong reached up to the monk, beckoning him for a hug, to be held, to be comforted, anything.

The human wasted no time picking the child up and holding him close as he cried it out. The small king burrowed as close as he could and clung just as tightly.

"It's ok, I know you didn't mean to" he whispered to him. 

Tripitaka held him tight until his breathing was slightly hitched, Wukong lifted his head and rubbed his puffy eyes. 

"Wukong, who was he?" The human asked ever so softly.

"He..His name w-was the six-eared Macaque, he was my best friend" he answered. "W-we were practically brothers" he croaked, tears pricking his eyes.

"Hey, it's ok" his master soothed. "I know it's hard but things will get better, I promise" he smiled softly and put his forehead against Wukongs, an affection he learned from the monkey.

"You'll be ok" he soothed as he gently rocked side to side.

Chapter Text

Wukong finished the journey.

He protected the monk.

He delivered the scriptures.

He did everything they wanted and yet they refused to take off the circlet.

"I did everything you wanted, take this thing off and FREE me!" Wukong demanded angrily before the Jade Emperor.

"I will do no such thing, not yet at least. There's one thing left we want you to do" the Emperor began, he stood up from his thrown and walked to a large window that showed the mortal realm.

The ruler tapped the window and it showed a palace in the middle of a desert.

"Your old brotherhood is stirring up trouble, I want you to take care of them, then I'll remove the circlet from your head" he ordered.

Wukong's stomach dropped, the window showed Azure, Yellow Tusk and Peng. They looked to be discussing plans of some sort over a table with Azure pointing at various spots on a paper.

Wukong turned to the Jade Emperor and turned angry.

"No! You can't do this! I went on the journey, that was the agreement! I want nothing to do with this!"

"You don't have a choice" the Emperor said before the circlet tightened.

Wukong's hands went to his head as he yelled out in pain. He went to one knee as the circlet squeezed tighter and tighter.

"S-STOP!" He yelled.

This wasn't fair, he didn't want anything to do with them! He did his job, why won't they just let him go?!

Tears ran down his cheeks.

He just wanted to go home

The squeezing stopped as he began to scream.

"Do as your told or it will continue until your head splits" he threatened before breaking into a grin. "You know I thought you'd be more willing to do this, they did abandon you after all"

Wukong breathed heavily as he sat crouched there, trying to compose himself but before he could even wipe his face the circlet tightened again and he screamed.

"What will it be Sun Wukong?"

"STOP! I'LL DO IT JUST STOP, STOP IT!" He screamed, banging his head against the tile floor, not caring anymore how his face turned red and blotchy with tears of pain.

The circlet stopped and Wukong sagged to the floor.

"Go, finish the brotherhood off and you will have your freedom" the Jade Emperor dismissed as he sat back on his throne.

Wukong sat up, facing away from the throne. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt a new wave of tears come to the surface. He stood up on shaky legs and ran out of the throne room before they could fall.

---

Wukong was a stirring pot of emotions. He was angry, he was sad, he wanted to scream and cry at the same time.

He showed up to Camel Ridge with his companions from the journey as they were sent with him by Heaven.

"SUN WUKONG!!" A voice yelled with venom. 

Said monkey looked to the sky and saw the Golden-Winged Peng diving for him and the battle began.

Wujing and Bajie took on Yellow Tusk and Peng while Tirpitaka provided help where they needed from a safe distance. The man may have great mystic abilities but he was still a human, a human that took a vow of no violence but that didn't stop him from creating barriers to protect his friends when they didn't see an attack coming.

Wukong took Azure head on.

"First you betrayed us and now you're here to finish us off like a true dog of Heaven!" Azure snarled as they clashed.

"Thats not true! I'm--"

"LIAR!" The Lion yelled.

The two fought viciously, blow for blow the ground rumbled beneath them. 

Before he knew it his brothers and master had been defeated and thrown at his sides in a heap and suddenly Wukong didn't know how to feel anymore.

He hasn't seen these three since he surrendered to heaven and it was like they had forgotten all about him and the brotherhood.

They looked at him with such hate in their eyes, even Yellow Tusk. He didn't want to do this, he really didn't. Even though they never went back for him, never tried to look for him...he didn't want to hurt them.

They were brother's once, they laughed together, fought together, ate together.

Did all of that mean nothing to them?!

They came at him with vicious strikes meant to kill, at fruitless as it would be.

He pushed them away with a gust of wind and they caught their breath. The peace was but a second before all three launched at him simultaneously.

Those few seconds felt like an eternity as if he was watching it in slow motion, he watched the anger in their eyes flare and stare directly into him as he reached behind and felt the bamboo scroll. 

When he ran out of the throne room in Heaven he made a detour and snatched a section of the memory scroll.

He didn't want to hurt them anymore, he didn't want to kill them, he couldn't. As angry and hurt as he felt he couldn't bring himself to stoop to their level, his master would be disappointed in him, after all their time together it would be like he slapped him in the face with his own teachings.

So he trapped them.

He opened the scroll just as they were about to strike, his eyes glistened with unshed tears of mixed emotions.

He had no choice, he didn't want them to die..he didn't want his family to die.

So even as they cursed his name and said the most horrid of things he sealed them in the scroll with a final silent apology.

When everything was said and done, they did take the circlet off of him.

Finally he was free.

Unlike them.

He went back to his mountain, after all this time and was horrified at what he had found.

His mountain had been burned, by the looks of things it had happened a long time ago but there were still healing scars across the land. He searched for his people but found mostly skeletons.

His guards, his people, his home, they were gone...

It was silent.

He felt something start to bubble within him and it got worse the more he thought about everything. He went straight to his bedroom and locked the doors even though there was no one he had to lock out.

As soon as the room went quiet he became overwhelmed with the bubbling emotions he had to bottle away. He wanted to scream at his brothers, tell them he wasn't with heaven but he couldn't.

He hated this, he hated heaven.

He just wanted his family back.

His people.

His kingdom.

His dage.

Macaque.

The brotherhood.

His grief suddenly turned to anger.

They left him to rot at Heavens hands and they call him the traitor!

Wukong growled and grabbed the closest thing to him and threw it as hard as he could. 

A chair broke against the stone walls and echoed around him.

Reminding him just how alone he was...

His breath stuttered and hiccupped as he began to cry all the tears he held back.

They abandoned him after everything they'd been through, didn't look for him once or even let him explain what happened during their battle with heaven.

Wukong took a few steps further into his room and grabbed something else and threw it as hard as he could.

He cycled through different emotions and it made his head hurt, the pain reminded him of the circlet and it infuriated him more.

He was hurt and full of grief and just angry.

He began to tear apart his bedroom, letting the tears flow as he screamed at no one. He was bubbling over and the only thing he could think to do was just let everything out.

So he did

He let his powers disperse around him in a strong wave. It rattled everything around him and the ground as he continued throwing everything he could. He grabbed his bed by the corner of the frame and whipped it around, flinging it to the door where the grand oak frame splintered on impact and sent wood pieces flying around the room.

He felt something primal and feral scratch at his throat, he screamed and growled as he continued destroying his room, throwing anything he could reach even the smaller pieces of his splintered bed.

He hiccuped and sobbed. His vision was swimming with overrunning tears. All he could do was cry and scream.

This wasn't fair, none of it.

He didn't ask for things to be this way and he didn't know how it got to this.

This wasn't what he wanted, all he wanted was the Jade Emperor to give him a better job, but Azure got in his head and made everything bigger than what it was! Made him think he was destoned for even greater things! He didn't actually want to throw a rebellion, that was their idea!

"HE LIED! HE LIED! HE LIED! HE LIEHEHAUHGHH!" He screamed over and over as he kicked the stone wall. The wall crumbled and gave way in a near instant.

His voice ran hoarse as he squeezed his eyes shut and threw the last big piece of his bed frame at a random wall.

He heard it hit something and then the sound of glass shattering behind him, he opened his eyes and looked with a snarl to see it was a glass ball now shattered on the floor.

His snarl vanished as he watched purple light dissipate around the glass and vanish.

His stomach dropped as he realize what he had broken.

The light sphere Bull King made for him

He dropped to his knees and tried to piece it back together but his hands shook and he couldn't measure his strength so he ended up breaking the large pieces of glass further. This happened two more time before his grief turned to anger again and he smashed his hands over the glass, feeling the shards cut the unprotected skin.

He felt it bite into him but he didn't care, he was angry and sobbing and he couldn't make it stop and now he had broke the last good thing he had.

He sat there on the floor for who knew how long and cried and hiccupped until there was nothing left.

He sniffled and wiped his face with his sleeve. It was getting dark in his room, the sun was setting.

His breath stuttered for a whole new reason at the thought of being in dark right now and he looked around at his now destroyed room, wood, feathers and everything in between was strewn about like a tornado, he spotted a couple candles on the floor and reached for them.

He was so tired now

Had he always been this tired?

As he lit the candles he laid down and took deep breaths to calm his racing heart. The longer he breathed the more tired he became.

He missed his dage, he wanted his big brother but he knew the bull was furious with him. He'd never want to talk to him again.

That thought alone made his breath hitch and fresh tears spring to his eyes.

He laid there on his side for who knows how long, watching his only source of light melt down before his body finally gave into exhaustion and fell into a dreamless sleep.

---

In the morning, he rebuilt what he could of his kingdom, there were a few survivors unlike he thought before. 

While it was true his guards and people had perished, they had managed to save a small group of younglings. He took them behind the waterfall curtain to keep them safe.

He would take care of them, be their grandpa Sun!

Yeah, he could do that.

---

Nezha came to him a few days later. As soon as he saw him Wukong began to throw whatever he could reach at him.

"Whatever it is, I don't care!" He stated annoyed. "Im done with Heaven, Im done with everything! Now go away!"

"Wukong, I know you want to be left alone, but I came here as a favor!" Nezha shot back as he avoided pieces of wood and rocks. He growled with annoyance before taking a breath and yelled across the large foyer.

"The Demon Bull King is laying waste to the humans!"

Wukong froze and dropped the pillow he was about to throw, giving the Lotus Prince the chance he needed to explain that his older brother was going on a rampage through the human settlements because the Camel Ridge Kimgs were imprisoned and if he didn't stop soon then Heaven was going to dispatch Erlang Shen to stop him himself.

"..and you know how merciless he can be, he will kill your brother if you don't stop him yourself" Nezha warned.

Wukong grit his teeth and nodded.

"I'll..I'll handle it" he said dejected

With a final nod from the prince he sped off on his wheels back to the celestial realm.

Wukong took out his staff and stared at it.

Bull king was all he had left...

Sure he hasn't seen him since he helped seal Red Son's powers away and they didn't talk, his brother just begrudgingly accept his help because he knew it was the only way.

But at least he was free and alive, unlike the others.

He grit his teeth and rested his forehead against his staff.

---

His brother had destroyed the human settlement, laying waste to anything the humans built and hurting whatever civilians were in his wake.

He showed up and the Bull King charged at him.

Wukong tried to reason with him, warn him that if he continued that Heaven would come after him and his family.

But the bull only continued to chew him out.

"You betrayed the brotherhood, you let the rebellion fall!! And then you kill our brothers?!!" The bull yelled at him. Rage was all that was in his eyes while Wukongs reflected only grief.

The Bull King's eyes narrowed to slits as he seethed.

"You are not my brother, never have been, never will! DO YOU HEAR ME MONKEY KING!? You are nothing to me!" He screamed hatefully.

Wukong felt his stomach drop.

He..he didn't mean that a voice inside told him.

Wukong looked down and away, he couldn't look at the bull anymore. His eyes pricked with tears as the harsh words echoed in his head over and over.

He didn't want to do this, why couldn't his brother understand that? He had no choice, it was either he did something or Heaven and he wouldn't survive the latter.

With that final thought Wukong sliced the nearby mountain and sealed his brother away. The bull yelled and cursed his name until the seal was completely and the mountain went quiet.

Wukong stood up with his hand still on his staff from where it was lodged and stared at himself in the shiny gold end piece.

He didn't recognize himself anymore. His face looked haunted and he saw their eyes reflecting back at him, angry and hateful.

He's ruined everything and theres no fixing it.

No fixing him.

---

He didn't know how much time passed since he sealed the demon bull king away but he kept watch over his mountain, watching as an entire city was built over and around it.

Until eventually his nephew and sister-in-law found it, now more of a small hill in the middle of the undercity. 

Keeping his distance as a fly on the wall, he watched what they did. He saw how advanced his nephew had gotten with his knowledge of engineering. He was starting to create a device that would supposedly lift his staff and free the bull king.

Wukong was doubtful but it wouldn't be the strangest thing he'd seen. He couldn't do anything to stop them, as far as heaven thought he was retired and he really didn't want to stir things up after so long. They finally left him alone and out of their affairs.

But if he didn't stop them then there was a good chance his brother would rampage through the city and hurt countless people.

However, there was something else was drawing him to the city too. 

A delivery boy.

The kid had a weird pull to him that drew Wukong in. When he used his gold eyes of truth he saw something that confused him.

By all accounts the boy should be a normal human, but..there was something in his core. 

He had the same magic signature as him.

He was like him?

The thought made his heart flutter.

Now he was excited.

---

Red Son had managed to free his father.

The kid, MK he had learned, had actually *lifted* his staff! He watched gush over the fact that "Monkey King's real! Oh my god!!" And the kid wanted to bring his staff back to him.

He liked this kid, he was sweet, kind.

And now he and his friends, who looked like exact copies of his companions from his journey which he was still reeling about.

He wasn't going to lie, now he was even more excited!

There was a lot more to this MK kid that meets the eye. He was just like him, he just knew it! Maybe the kid could do it, a fresh slate to keep the peace of this world.

The kid had a good heart that much he could see clearly. He was perfect, and with his staff he could see it awakened his core that was waiting to come out.

He would need his help either way to control it.

---

MK blinked slowly as he felt something poking his cheek. Princess Iron Fan had intercepted them at the volcanic barrier and taken the staff. He thought he was done for when she blew him away with her fan.

But as he slowly came to he realized he was in fact still alive. His eyes roamed around and he saw that he was in some kind of ruins, he felt something poke his cheeks again.

He looked over only for a monkey to lean into his line of sight, startling him MK shot up and turned around with a yelp.

MK looked at the Monkey who was crouched on the ground where his head once was. The guy looked as excited as could be with a big smile.

MK looked him over, he wore a loosely tied faded gold hanfu shirt with a red sash belt and teal trim and what looked like a stitched on hood that matched the trim. The shirt looked just a little too big for him, like it was made to give him a wider range of movement. 

He had maroon colored pants that tapered at the ankle with black flats with gold soles. The big sleeves of his shirt looked stained and worn with little rips at the cuffs like it'd been chewed by something. His hair was wild and messy with what looked like tiny twigs and maybe a couple leaves tangled in it.

Overall the guy looked like he had fallen out of a tree.

But what got him was how tired the guy seemed to look. There were dark circles under his eyes that could have been mistaken for smeared mascara had he not been so close. 

"Who-what-where-how did I get here?!" The kid asked frantically.

The monkey in front of him chuckled delightfully.

"I brought you!" He chirped with a smile.

"Brought me?..Are you..The Monkey king?" He felt like it was a stupid question but he couldn't help but ask, he was still trying to shake the fog in his head.

"The one and only!" The king answered happily as he stood up and rocked on his feet.

MK looked around and noticed they were in some kind of palace foyer, the place looked derserted with vines and plants alike running all over and some of the colmns were crumbled to boulders. He looked at the big murals on the walls, he recognized them as different adventures from the monkey kings stories he grew up with, in each one there was the monkey in question, though in the murals he looked a lot neater and tidier

MK stood there and a million thoughts came to his mind at once. 

"So. Where's my staff?" Monkey asked with a teasing voice, interrupting MKs tyraid of thoughts.

MK's heart dropped before tears sprang to his eyes and he knelt down to kowtow like his life depended on it.

"I. AM. SO SORRY! I had and I was going to bring it here but Princess Iron Fan came and took it and blew me away with her fan and now every thing is--"

The monkey started laughing.

"I'm going to stop you right there" He interupted, crouching and putting his hand on the kids shoulder. "Ok. I'm gonna come clean. Uhh, I've kind of been watching you"

MKs brain stalled.

"What?" He asked more pointedly than he meant to.

He thought back, the bird that pecked his hand, the butterfly, the lady bug, all of them had the same marks and tiny tail...

"That was you?!?!" He said incredulously.

Monkey laughed. 

He jumped onto MK and the boy struggled not to fall over as the monkey inspected him, looking at his arms, hands, and inspecting his face before jumping off of the poor boy.

"You should see your face!" He giggled. "You're perfect!" He cheered.

MK stood still as best he could while the monkey hung from his front like he was trying to flip him over.

"Uh. Perfect for what?"

Wukong smiled and jumped off the boy, making him stumble and catch himself before looking up to see monkey king cross his arms in a serious manner.

"To be!..My successor!!" He said as a grand announcement.

MK squinted incredulously and inspected the monkey himself.

"Uh, are you sure you're the monkey king? You've been cooped in here too long I think your brains turned to mush--" he was about to poke the monkeys face but was interrupted by Wukong's tail wrapping around him and placing back on the ground.

"Look, you fought demons and you didn't die and you made it here! Not just anyone can lift my staff you know" Wukong pointed out as he rustled through a pile of junk and pulled out a game board.

"Now let's talk about it over some games!" He chirped, sitting cross legged in front of the noodle boy.

"What?! I can't play games! I-We--" MK stuttered frantically even as the monkey king started placing checkers on the game board.

Wukong stopped and looked up at MK with a confused expression.

"Why not? I've got all kinds, checkers, jump rope, chalk, we could play hide and seek--"

"MONKEY KING!" MK yelled.

The delivery boy reeled at having yelled at the legend, had he not been caught in his own head he would have seen the king freeze and wither at the harsh tone.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just I dont have time for games, I came here so you can stop the Demon Bull King" MK apologized.

Wukong looked away, anywhere that wasn't MK's direction, with a bitter expression at the mention of the bull. 

"No" he said with an annoyed huff.

"What do you mean no??!" MK asked.

"Look, I'm done with the spot light and hero stuff, but you can stop him yourself!" he encouraged. "Think of it like a..a trial run of sorts!" He chirped.

"But..I'm just..me.."

Wukong stood up from the ground and put his hand on MK's shoulder.

"Listen, if you can lift the staff then you can use it, all you have to do is believe in yourself. Even a snudge makes all the difference!" He smiled. "DBK took the staff, so take it back! I'll drop you off on the mainland but you gotta do the rest yourself"

MK looked at the messy haired monkey with hope and nodded with a determined grin.

---

It hurt to see the Demon Bull King again.

Wukong stuck around and watched how the kid did from far away, he was testing him sure but he didn't want the kid to *die* before he got to train him. He couldn't help but shy away whenever the bull kings gaze passed over his direction even though he knew he was hidden from sight.

All he could hear were the demon kings last words to him before he was sealed away.

You are nothing to me!

It made him think of the dark nights he had to suffer with now and he felt his stomach pool with cold anxiety at the reminder.

But the kid amazed him, he was creative, witty and the king was in awe when he made that monkey mech.

As he watched MK and his friends sit on top of the monkey mech, victory noodles in each hand made by the pig that looked just like Zhu Bajie. In fact, all of the kids family looked like his old brothers, minus the girl, and it made his heart ache.

He shook his head, no, no he couldn't go down that lane of hurtful memories. He needed to focus on his new successor, his new friend.

He could remember the last time he made a friend...

With a smile he flew off back to his mountain, for once excited about tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Red Son had taken over the weather station. He caused tsunamis, snow, blazing wind, anything destructive within various parts of the city.

MK had gone up there with full confidence but very quickly he found himself plummeting to the ground by his own hands, well, staff in his case.

"Hey MK, how's everything going?" A voice asked from behind as he laid in the crater he had made and contemplated his life choices.

MK whipped around to see monkey king sitting on his cloud.

"Monkey king!" MK cheered with relief. "Great now that your here we can fly up there and kick Red Son's ass--"

"Oh no no no, in case you forgot I'm not in the spotlight anymore. Besides! I thought you were invincible!" Wukong said dramatically. "Right?"

"I mean. Yeah. Technically..but I don't exactly..have control" MK trailed off quieter and quieter before he closed his eyes and sighed. "Look, every time I try to use the staff I just..gunk everything up! I whacked my friends so many times with this thing and I can't ever seem to get it to do what I want"

Suddenly there was a weight on him, he opened his eyes to see none other than monkey king on his shoulders and climbing around before he felt hands in his hair digging around.

"Uh what are you doing?"

"Oh yeah! This is bad, really really bad!" The monkey exclaimed dramatically.

"What! What is it?!" MK exclaimed.

Wukong picked a bug out of MK's hair and tossed it in his mouth. 

"It's you dummy" he teased. "You lack confidence and your mind is everywhere. That's why you can't control anything" he explained as he jumped off of the boy and made him stumble before bouncing right up to Wukong.

"Hey I have confidence!" He sputtered. "I'm full of confidence!"

"Nope, you're just loud" the monkey threw back, pushing the kid off balance with his tail.

MK deflated.

"Ok well, what do I do then?! My friends are counting on me, they're up there right now and I knocked at least two of them unconscious!" He cried out.

The only way to get self confidence is to--"

"Fake it til I make it?"

"NO! Practice. You think took short cuts?! No! It took me centuries of-of training and just..beating up demons--so many demons.." the king rambled.

"But I don't have time for that right now. I need to stop Red Son"

Wukong looked away from him.

"Well, I do know a way..to limit..your power" the king trailed off. He really didn't want to limit the kids power, he finally had someone that could play on his level.

But he supposed it also wouldn't be as fun if he couldn't fight back properly because he had no control.

"Really?!"

"Yeah.." Wukong worried his lip between his teeth before continuing. "But you won't be invincible anymore"

MK's face drooped, thinking it over before finally shaking his head and looking at the monkey with determination.

"Do it"

"You sure?" 

"I can't help people if I can't control my powers" he answered, closing his eyes and opening his arms to accept whatever the monkey king had to do.

Wukong hesitated, he looked between his hands and the boy. He didn't want to seal his powers, if he wasn't invincible then they couldn't play. But...he understood his reasoning.

Besides, he'll be back to full power soon enough right? He thought to himself.

He sighed and began the spell, putting his hand to MKs chest the seal stuck and pushed the kid back.

MK crumbled to the ground and held his chest.

"You feel ok MK?" The monkey asked.

MK unfurled after a moment and smiled with a nod.

---

Red Son's defeat was pretty quick once MK figured out gold vision and didn't have to worry about bouncing all over the place. The down side of everything was that now things actually hurt when he would get hit. Probably not near as bad if he had no powers at all but still..the bruises and bumps stung.

"So what's this about you not being invincible anymore?!" Pigsy screeched when they made it back to Sandy's boat.

"I had Monkey King limit my powers" the boy answered. "-- just until I can control them better!" He added quickly.

"Wait he was here?!" Tang cried out.

MK looked around, activating his new gold vision. He spotted a familiar bird hiding in the high corner of some cargo.

"Still is" he answered Tang before turning toward the disguised monkey. "C'mon, I want you to meet them!" He called excitedly.

The others looked around to see what he was looking at buy saw nothing before looking back at the delivery boy with question.

"Uh, he's kinda shy?" MK said nervously before looking at the bird on the rafters. "Monkey King they don't bite I promise, they're friendly!" He encouraged, patting Tangs head to make his point.

Hequestioning. MK watched the bird inch its way closer to the edge before gliding down to his successor, clinging to him and peering over his shoulder to size up the others.

"Guys, I want you to meet the monkey king" MK introduced happily.

---

"So this is..the Monkey King?" Pigsy asked as he watched the monkey climb all over Sandy.

It took a little encouragement from MK to convince the king to change back into his monkey form to meet everyone properly, though that didn't deter said monkey from clinging to him.

They both however, forgot about the lack of MK's powers so as soon as Wukong changed back they both fell to the ground.

The boy, however, only smiled and chuckled before the monkey leapt up and began inspecting the others and jumping onto Sandy, climbing all around the river demon. The gentle giant only smiled and held out his arms to let Wukong move from arm to arm curiously.

The guy was..interesting to say the least.

They weren't sure what they were expecting, maybe someone who looked like they were in fact a powerful entity that brought chaos to all three realms. But instead they were looking at a wild looking monkey that looked like they fell out of a tree.

He seemed curious above anything else and stared at them weirdly at random times, specifically Tang. He was an odd duck in Pigsys mind and there was just something about him he couldn't place that just felt..off.

The way he acted, spoke and his overall presence felt familiar to the pig demon but he just couldnt place it.

"Yeah, I figured it'd be good for you guys to meet him, I don't think he really leaves the mountain and I thought if hes going to be training me, itd be good for him to meet you guys!" MK explained happily.

Pigsy, Tang, Sandy and MK watched Mei take the monkey around the secret base and explain how to play the game console.

Pigsy eyeballed the king, watching as stars appeared in his eyes every time something happened in the game. He rocked in his spot, practically bouncing with energy and Mei just fed off of it and gave the same energy back.

It was like they spoke the same language he thought distantly

"So? Thoughts?" MK prompted from next to him.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked without thinking.

 "Pigsy! " Tang scolded with a whisper he'll and nudge to the ribs.

 "What? It's a valid question"

"What do you mean?" MK asked

"I can't quite put my finger on it but somethings.. off about the guy" the chef explained.

"I think hes just excited, this is probably his first time meeting new people in who knows how long" MK waved off as they watched the monkey king and Mei play monkey mech, the kings eyes sparkling in wonder.

The chef shrugged.

I guess time will be the judge of that he thought.

---

Wukong didnt really want to meet MK's friends, it quite honestly made him mad to be around them, it hurt to look at them.

Especially his old master

His heart clenched each time he looked at him and every time he just wanted him to hug like he used to. So he had waited for the chance to ask him one on one about how things have been since the journey but..

But his master didn't remember him anymore, none of them did.

He doesn't pat his head or hug him or read to him at all anymore.

"Uh, I'm not sure what you mean" The scholar answered as he ate his noodles, Pigsy had just gone in the back to grab more ingredients.

Wukong sat crouched on one of the bar stools next to him and looked at him with such intensity that one would think he as trying to burn a hole in the guys head.

"Why don't you remember me?" Wukong asked. "I know it's been a long time but you said you were entering the cycle of reincarnation so its still you, so why don't you know me?!"

The scholar looked confused.

"Uh I do remember you? Your Sun Wukong, the monkey king, MK's mentor" he replied.

"No that's not right!" Wukong stated with furrowed brows. "Think harder!" He began to demand.

"Uh, monkey king I don't know what you're talking about" the scholar replied shyly.

Tangs eyes flicked around the room, the restaurant was empty save for the two of them and Pigsy was still in the back.

"Our journey! We went through so much! Why are you pretending like you don't remember?!" The king pressed, his voice was beginning to rise in frustration.

"Monkey king--"

"You don't even call me by my name anymore!" He exclaimed, leaning in close to look deep into the scholars brown eyes. "You're being mean" he said with a softer, hurt, tone.

Tangs eyes softened.

"I'm sorry, really, but I don't know what you want me to say" he said sadly.

Wukongs eyes widened briefly with hurt before narrowing in anger.

"Nnghhhh! Youre a liar!" He growled.

He briefly processed Pigsy walking back into the room.

"You both are!" He exclaimed angrily before he hopped from the bar stool and transformed into a bird to fly out of the shop with an angry screech.

As he soared through the sky he felt his eyes water from his bubbling emotions.

It's not fair he thought. Why did his master always pretend to not know him?

He always played with Bajie and Wujing over the years. Wukong didn't understand, his master went by a different name every fifty years or so which was fine by him, he changed his name too! But his soul was the same in every new body so it was still him! They all were the same inside so why?!...

He didn't understand why his old friends were being so mean to him.

---

Red Son stormed into his family's home, fuming about his defeat as his tailcoat continued to sizzle at the very edges.

"Plan didn't work out I see" a deep voice called.

Red Son whipped around to yell at them but practically stuffed his fist in his mouth when he saw it was his father of all people standing behind him.

He took a calming breath.

"I'm sorry, father, I failed you" he apologized immediately before perking up at him. "But!--There is good news! The noodle boy isn't invincible anymore!" He added quickly.

The Demon bull king tilted his head in thought.

"How is that?" He asked curiously, he knew damn well that little thief couldn't do complicated spells like that.

"That traitorous simian seems to have paid him a visit during our fight" the fire demon answered.

The bulls ears perked up with interest.

"The monkey king? He's still around?" He asked aloud.

In all honesty, the bull king thought something had happened to Wukong. He couldn't picture his little brother just giving a mortal boy his staff..

Bull King reached out and gently patted his son's head and affectionately scratched behind one of his calf ears before pulling his hand away.

"This is good news son, thank you" he said before walking passed his little calf and entering his bedroom.

The bull walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, resting his elbows on his knees in thought.

His little brother was still alive after all

He had hallucinated his brother when his successor defeated him, he realized that now but..he was alive.

He felt a weight lift from his shoulders just as quickly as guilt pooled in his stomach. It took him five hundred years to realize it but..he wasn't a very good big brother to Wukong.

And the last time he has seen him was in battle. He had said the most horrendous things to him before being sealed away. The bull was angry at the time, he let his anger get the best of him and he ended up saying something he couldn't take back.

Bull king sighed and stood up. There was no point in dwelling on it right now, he could think of what to do next later.

Chapter Text

There have been a few bumps and bruises along MK's path to being a hero. Mainly with his discovery of each power comes mischief, usually self-inflicted.

The duplication incident was particularly hairy, no pun intended.

He had to fight his way out of a calabash, one of the major tip offs that things weren't right, besides Mei saying she loves him, was the fake monkey king dressed like he was in the comics and posters and didn't act right. He didn't ask for a game or what he was doing like he normally did and it unsettled the delivery boy to no end.

Then he nearly destroyed a major road in that race with Mei when he reassembled his cart for a souped tech vehicle to win the race.

They messed around with a skeleton key that caught the attention of the bull family and ended up in the possession of Princess Iron Fan.

The boy was probably the least focused person Wukong had ever met. They had a sort of bet going on that MK could make it through the day without getting distracted and the noodle boy was determined to prove himself by going on one of the logest deliveries he's made.

Turns out it was just to Wukongs shame temple and the order was wrong but hey, he made it!

They were working on it though, becoming a hero was no walk in the park after all.

On the plus side, he noticed Monkey king had been warming up to the others. He and Mei seemed to hit it off, he seemed to be ok with Sandy but he could tell the monkey was still hesitant towards Pigsy and Tang and he didn't know why. The two didn't seem to know either and Tang was worried that he may have offended the Sage somehow.

---

MK had known since the very beginning that his mentor was strange, he always wanted to play games, he was clingy, hated it when MK had to leave the mountain and go home (he'dmake up any and every excuse to get MK to stay longer), the monkey didn't seem to know what personal space meant as he was always climbing on the noodle boy and he had a tendency to flip flop between moods at the drop of a hat. He'd be fine one moment and then exhausted the next.

Like today...

---

MK pushed Wukong back with the staff. The monkey held a playful smile as he used his feet to block and redirect the noodle boys attacks, his hands held behind his back at ease.

Wukong ended up kicking MK into the mountainside and the kid fell to the ground with a groan before getting up.

"You're getting better MK!" Wukong chirped happily.

"Really? Because to me it still feels like you're still royally kicking my ass" he grumbled, though there was no real heat to it. He felt like he wasn't making any progress at all.

"Yeah butttt, I see improvement!" He encouraged before a yawn made its way out.

Wukong ran a hand over his face before shaking his head.

"Sorry, are you getting tired of kicking my ass?" MK asked playfully as he got up and rolled his shoulders out.

"No, err, that's not what I meant, sorry. I'm just tired" the monkey excused before rubbing one eye.

MK's eyes softened and checked his phone.

It was only eleven-thirty in the morning.

"Why dont we take a breather" he suggested as he walked up to his mentor.

"No, no we can keep going. Maybe you'll be able to land a hit on me then" the monkey grinned as he continued to try and rub the sleepiness from his eyes.

"Nah. I could use a break anyway, at least to get some water" he insisted before plopping down under a shaded tree with his water bottle in one hand and his phone in the other. Wukong sat down next to him and looked over the kids shoulder.

He's been fascinated with these "phones" that humans made. 

"What is that?" He asked curiously.

"It's a game, you walk around this little world and collect materials to build things with" he explained as he tapped cubes to collect them.

Wukong watched with interest before a yawn crept up on him.

"What's got you so tired? You stay up all night?" MK asked before he felt a solid weight thump against his shoulder.

He looked over to see Wukong planted his head on his shoulder with half shut eyes, watching him play his game.

"I don't..sleep good at night" the monkey answered. "Dont like the dark" he mumbled so quietly MK almost missed it.

He doesnt like the dark? MK thought distantly.

"Well go ahead and rest your eyes, I have the day off today anyway so we have all day" MK prompted.

"I don't need a nap" his mentor nearly spat out with distaste.

"I didn't say nap, just rest your eyes. Or you could just chill while I play my game" he said before going back to his phone.

Wukong huffed but didn't move his head from his successors shoulder, instead he moved closer and watched him move around in the game. Mining, walking, building, mining, walking, it went on the same as he watched MK build a little house, make things out of other objects and it was oddly soothing to watch.

Soon he found it was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open. MK was warm and his jacket was soft against his face, it smelled like noodles and of MK's body spray that he'd been starting to grow fond of.

Maybe he will just rest his eyes...just for..a little bit..

---

MK felt Wukong slump further against him. He looked over to see the Sage had infact fallen asleep. He chuckled softly to himself before going back to his phone, not even a minute went by before he felt his mentor begin to slip off his shoulder.

He put his phone down just in time to catch Wukong's head. He looked at the ground around them, quickly deciding it wasnt a good place to lay he guided Wukong down to lay his head in his lap, his body following suit and readjusting to lay on his side.

MK began to play his game but that only lasted so long before he got bored, he looked down at his sleeping mentor. His dark circles that he'd grown accustomed to were darker in shade and seemed to really hang down on the monkey lately.

His eyes drifted to his hair and he felt himself wince in sympathy. His hair was filled with twigs and leaves and looked knotted and snarled as could be. He's seen the baby monkeys groom each other on the mountain, do they not groom him too? He's no expert on monkeys but you would think they would groom their king.

Hesitantly, MK placed a hand on top of the monkeys head, when there was no movement or bark of surprise he began threading his fingers through his messy and wild hair. With both hands he began playing with the wild locks, taking twigs and leaves out as he went along. 

MK began to get so lost in thought it surprised him when his lap began to vibrate. He looked down at the sleeping monkey to see his mouth curled into a small content smile and his face was relaxed as could be as he purred.

The monkey king...was purring

MK smiled softly as he watched the kings head push ever so slightly into his hands as he cleaned his neglected hair.

---

It took a while but he got all the debris out of his hair, he did what he could with the knots but there was only so much one could do without a brush. 

MK checked his phone and nearly an hour and a half went by. He looked down at Wukong and the monkey showed no signs of waking up soon. He put his hand on his shoulder, ready the shake him awake but..he looked so peaceful. He looked like he really needed this nap, he lowered his hand and sighed.

I guess I can wait a bit longer he thought to himself.

But he didn't want to sit here, his butt was starting to go numb. He looked at the entrance of the stone palace and then back at Wukong.

Wouldn't hurt to just explore right? He thought to himself.

MK shucked off his jacket and draped it over Wukong. With careful movements he lifted his mentors head from his lap and scooted away before putting his bag in his place and gently lowering their head onto it for a pillow.

There was a brief moment of movement from the monkey but he simply settled right into the backpack and pulled the jacket tighter around himself.

MK smiled to himself and walked away as quietly as possible.

---

The stone palace was in ruins, pillars were crumbling and dusty and vines grew everywhere as nature slowly retook the place.

He entered the large doors at the end of the foyer and came into a throne room of sorts. He looked up the short steps at the throne that was slowly being taken by nature. There was a little crown on the seat of throne, it was a simple design with a thin golden band and a ruby adorning the front. It was old and looked like it hadn't been touched in quite some time but what really got him was...it looked too small to fit the Monkey King's head.

It  didn't look big enough for any adult really.

MK explored further, he walked down the old halls and he found himself in front of a pair of wide doors, they looked different from the others, above it there was a carving of a crown in the stone frame.

"Monkey King's room?" He asked himself quietly.

He tried to push open the doors but it was like they were stuck, he rammed it with his shoulder and it the door opened a little but it was being pushed back. He rammed it with his whole body and it finally gave way, he looked behind it and saw that a bunch of wood and debris that was blocking the door.

He looked around, it was definitely a bedroom but everything was completely wrecked. The bedframe was smashed to bits and splintered all over the room while the bed itself was torn and shredded he barely recognized it as one. There were shards of vases and glass alike scattered about. It looked like a tornado had gone through here, the only thing that wasn't wrecked was the very middle of the room where a lone melted candle was.

He tilted his head in confusion but ultimately left the room. His brain only had one question.

What happened to this place?

A few twists and turns and the boy came to a dinning hall of sorts. It too, looked abandoned with vines and dust everywhere. There were plates and cups set up along the tavle in front of each seat, like a dinner party that never came to be.

MK continued on and explored, he got lost at some point. Everything looked the same to him in this place! He wound up in a round room with high ceilings.

It was a library, there were couches, desks, comfy looking sitting pillows, shelves upon shelves of books and candles were scattered around and there was a big..

Is that a blanket fort? He stopped mid thought.

He walked around the large tent and yes, it was in fact a blanket fort in the middle of the room. He crouched down to look inside and saw it was circus tent style fort and it was pretty big, big enough for someone to sleep comfortably inside. There were pillows upon pillows inside with various blanket to snuggle up in.

It looked quite cozy if MK was being honest, and it looked like it was used on the regular.

There was a lantern hanging from inside at the center of the fort with a small cluster of candles inside it, half melted.

"If you wanted a tour all you had to do was ask" a voice suddenly called.

MK screeched in surprise before turning around to see monkey king standing to the side and rubbing one eye sleepily.

"Sorry, I wasn't snooping, you just looked so tired and I didn't want to wake you up and I just--"

"Eh, it's fine" he waved off with a yawn.

"Monkey king, do you, live here?" He couldnt help but ask. "By yourself?"

"Yeah, well not totally by myself, I have the little ones. But enought about me, c'mon I'll show you around!" He chirped happily and began walking.

MK looked at the blanket fort one last time with thought before turning and following the monkey out.

---

Wukong had taken MK all around the palace and ended back in the library and MK looked at the books.

"Hey monkey king, could I borrow some of these books? My dad would love to read some of these!" He asked.

Monkey king was sitting in his fort setting up a checkers game, he waved his hand randomly at the kid.

"Yeah sure, I don't mind. I dont really understand half of them anyway. I like the action books more" the monkey dismissed.

MK looked at all the books and picked the ones that stood out to him. There was a small chest sitting on the shelf, covered in dust. He opened it to find a smaller book, it didnt look like a normal book, it was bound in leather and looked well used as well as aged. He picked it up off the table and examined it curiously.

There was writing on the front, it looked chinese but old chinese. He flipped through the pages a bit and found it was actually a notebook. Pages were filled with ancient chinese handwriting, but when he got to the middle of the book the writing stopped, they were just blank pages.

He couldn't read the ancient chinese but he knew someone who could!

---

"Dad, I got something for you!" MK called as he entered the restaurant.

He marched up to the scholar and plopped the books down infront of him.

Tangs eyes went wide as he examined the ancient books.

"Wh-wh-where did you get these!!?" The scholar stuttered excitedly.

"Monkey King's library, he said I could bring a couple to you to read" he answered.

Tang flipped through them until he got to the smaller leather-bound book and read the title. Ancient chinese was practically a second language at this point in his career.

Our Journey West he read.

By..Tripitaka

Tang gasped.

"What?" MK asked.

Tangs head whipped around at the boy.

"Do you know what this is?!" He exclaimed, he looked estatic.

"Uh, no?"

"This is Tripitaka's journal! This is his journal from the journey!" He practically yelled

Tang could even put it to words how excited he was. This was the biggest find in centuries! And he was the one that got to read it!!

"Wait seriously?" Pigsy asked, looking up from his veggies to peer at the book.

"I have get started now! I'll see you later!" He chirped excitedly at the two and practically bounced his way to the door.

---

"Thats weird" Tang said to himself.

He'd been flipping through the pages at his desk, Tripitaka's journal just stopped in the middle.

There had been entry after entry about the pilgrims progress both on their mission and their path to becoming Buddhists. 

The monkey king seemed to be having the most trouble with the path to Buddhism. It went on to say the methods of trying to help him and Tang winced in sympathy. The circlet sounded more like torture than discipline in his mind, but then it just stops after a mention of going through a village between the mountains.

He'd been reading and translating for hours he didn't even realize Pigsy had come up and put his hands on his shoulders.

Tang yelped in surprised and dropped the book back on the desk, landing under the desk lamps rays.

"Pigsy!" He scolded and playfully batted his hands away.

"Sorry, couldn't resist" he chuckled. "So, anything interestin'?" 

"Yeah! Pigsy this is the find of the century and I'm the first one to read it!" He said excitedly 

"Sounds like every scholars wet dream" the pig teased before Tangs face dropped slightly. 

"What? I was only kidding"

"No not that, its just. It talks about their journey and the progress each Pilgrim was making in their lessons but then it all suddenly stops" he explained, point in the direction of the abandoned book. "Like Tripitaka just stopped writing all together or something big happened"

"Well Im sure youll figure it out. I'm going to bed, so don't stay up too late, last time you got sleep deprived you tried to eat your own shirt" the chef warned.

"I remember, just a little longer ok?" 

"'K" the pig agreed quietly before planting a kiss to the scholars temple and leaving.

Tang turned back to his desk to see something brown beginning to form on the blank bookpage.

He quickly picked up the book and examined it out of fear he was burning it.

He brushed off the page but it didn't come off, he looked at it and he tilted his head to the side curiously. It wasn't burnt, they were words.

His eyes widened and he placed the book under the hot lmap light again and watched as more words appeared. Soon the page filled out and he turned the page, more words appeared on the once blank pages.

"Holy shit" he practically whispered.

Chapter Text

MK royally screwed up.

He knew that.

Monkey King had MK demolishing a stone wall, it was to build up strength so he could handle his powers better! But MK was too impatient.

The boy was just frustrated, he felt like he hadn't been making any progress at all in his training and it felt like the monkey king was just tugging him along to have someone around.

So when the Six-Eared Macaque offered to teach him he seized the opportunity.

You can never have too many teachers right?

MK began doubling his training, some with monkey king and some with Macaque. He was tired but he was excelling with Macaque, the noodle boy saw real results compared to the hammering of a wall for twelve hours a day.

So when the Monkey King asked where he was learning all these new tricks MK kind of got in his face.

---

"Step into the strike, MK" Wukong coached from behind.

MK growled quietly to himself, he felt something flare up inside, a hot anger that crawled up his spine and went into his arms. He swung the hammer at the wall and caused it to crack.

The anger grew hotter and his arms shook as he raised the hammer again.

 "Patience and focus" he heard from behind.

Something snapped inside him and he swung the hammer with all his might.

 "JUST SHUT. UP!!" He screamed as the wall in front of him crumbled and fell away.

 Wukong's eyes widened with shock as he watched the rock fall. He flew up for the crumbling wall with his cloud and looked at the damage.

"Where did you learn to do that?" The monkey asked as he gaped at the demolished wall before gasping and rushing up to the boy.

"Have you been running around with other mentors?!" He asked accusingly.

MK just stared at him with a shadow across his face.

"Patience and focus, isn't that what you said?" He asked before turning around to leave.

"MK, using that much power, your body can't handle it" the king pointed out worriedly.

MK turned around with anger in his eyes and sneered.

"You just hate that someone is actually teaching me what I need to know!" 

Wukong took a half step back.

"I'm just trying to help you" he said with a dejected tone.

MKs eyes flashed purple and his face contorted into a snarl.

"WELL I DONT NEED YOUR HELP!!" He yelled back.

Wukong flinched at the tone and stared at MK with wide eyes, gripping the edges of his shirt anxiously.

"I found someone else whose actually teaching me! I'm stronger, faster, everything I wasn't learning from you!" MK practically growled before grabbing his bag and leaving in a huff. "You're a joke! And I'm better off without you" he said before launching himself with his staff.

MK didn't see how Wukong shrunk into himself, he didn't see the hurt and tears gathering in the sages eyes.

He didn't see how he began to reach out, only to see the back of MK's jacket. The monkey symbol on the back had changed, it was a purple monkey with furrowed brows but he saw the shadows move the face around to a smug grin.

Shadows...

It can't be....

---

Macaque had said he found out where the beast lived. He said it was a monster that lived for destruction. He told him he was ready to take it down and he believed him, so he dove for the strike...

And the monster turned into Macaque..

He stole his power and infused it into himself.

The shockwave sent MK flying into the side of the cliff, his staff following and trapping him against the rocks. He struggled and grunted trying to free himself until the shadow monkey descended in front of him.

"Thank you, for giving me all of the monkey kings powers" he said before taking in the trapped boy.

"Oh nohoho" he mocked. "Can't you hold the magic staff amymore?! Well you know what that means!" He chirped.

Macaque slammed the staff further into the rock, making MK wince.

"There really isnt anything special about you. You're just some kid with a heavy stick" he laughed.

"Enough!" a voice yelled.

A flash of gold and suddenly Macaque was launched away from MK, he flipped and turned until he came to a stop with a snarl.

The monkey king landed between MK and Macque. The boy looked at him and smiled.

"Monkey king" he sighed with relief.

---

Wukong was upset..and mad.

But he didn't want to see MK hurt so when he saw his new mentor coming at him after taking his powers, he dove in.

"Monkey King" He heard the boy behind him.

He turned his head and glared at the boy.

He was still angry after all

"Monkey King!!" He heard another voice call out like they were long time friends.

Wukong knew who he was dealing with but that still didn't make it easier. When he saw Macaque he couldn't breath, he hadn't seen the monkey since..that day.

He felt his veins turn to ice, it was like seeing a ghost. He had killed his best friend centuries ago and yet...here he was...

"Monkey King! Good to see ya bud!" Macaque said with distaste.

He didn't answer, he couldn't. He could only look at the undead monkey before him with wide eyes.

Wukong began to hear a rushing in his ears.

"Whats the matter? Do I really have the Great. Sage speechless?!" He mocked. "Hm, looking a little rough around the edges there kingy, fire your stylist?" He said with condescension as he took in the kings messy appearance.

Wukong opened and closed his mouth but nothing came out, the rushing in his ears only grew louder. 

He didnt want to fight, he wanted to tell him everything, how sorry he was, how the journey ended, how the mountain had been since he..since he left.

Macaque scoffed.

"You really are a gem. It's going to be so satisfying killing you with your own powers" he sneered before launching towards the king.

---

The fight was swift and quick, Wukong used the same technique Macaque did to burst his power bubble. The shadow monkey was gasping for air at the hard punch but other than that he didn't have a scratch on him.

He glared at Wukong, the king only stared back in silent disbelief. He couldn't wrap his head around how he was here living and breathing after so long.

He didn't get to explain or ask questions at all before Macaque sunk into the shadows with a hateful look.

Wukong stared at where his old friend disappeared until a noise behind him broke him out of his static filled daze.

As he looked at MK, the hurt feeling returned. He saw the boy give a final push and the staff popped out of place. MK fell to the ground but quickly got up and dusted himself off.

Wukong crossed his arms as he kept thinking about before. MK had said those hurtful things and lied to him on top of it!

Just like everyone else..

MK took a hesitant step towards Wukong.

"M..monkey king listen--"

"Save it" he said with a little more bite than he meant to. "I'm used to this by now" he muttered before hopping on his cloud and speeding away.

---

"I think I really hurt Monkey King" MK said to no one in particular.

It had been a day and a half since the Macaque incident and he hasn't heard anything from the king. He's supposed to go to the mountain for training later today but he's not sure if he should go, he wasnt exactly welcomed yesterday.

He had tried to go to the mountain so he could apologize and talk but when he got to water curtain cave..

It wouldn't open

Like monkey king had locked him out, he tried knocking on the seal, maybe he could talk to him through the barrier but there was no answer. He left after about his fifth knock after he had been pushed away with a shock by the magic barrier.

So here he sat on one of the bar stools next to Mei, twisting himself around on the spinning seat.

"I doubt you did any actual damage to the guy, isn't he made of stone of somethin" Pigsy asked as he kneaded the noodle dough.

"No not physically, I think I really hurt his feelings. He hasn't talked to me since he flew away on his cloud" the delivery boy explained.

"Well, did you apologize?" Mei asked.

"I tried! But he cut me off and I tried to go there yesterday after work but I couldnt get past the waterfall, its like he locked me out"

Pigsy stopped kneading and looked at his son.

"Locked you out? Seriously, how old is he five?!" The chef asked with a scoff before he sighed. "You're supposed to go over there today for training right? Just apologize then, talk things out with him" the chef suggested. He's met the monkey king, while he's weird he doesn't seem malicious in any way.

"Yeah, and if he doesn't accept it I could always pound some sense into him" Mei said with a dangerous tone, her dragon blade glinting menacingly in the light.

MK only chuckled nervously and slowly pushed her sword back down.

---

MK stood on one of the rocks just in front of the water curtain cave. He reached out to touch the seal he knew was there, still it didn't open for him. He knocked three times and waited a beat.

"Monkey king?" He called, he knocked again before putting his forehead against the barrier.

"Monkey king please, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. Can we at least talk face to face? And.." MK took a breath. "If you don't want me as your successor afterwards, then I'll give up the staff...you can find someone worthy" he finished.

The forest around him was quiet, he was about to call again when he felt the barrier rumble.

He looked up and the waterfall split open for him. He smiled and hopped through, when he got to the other side he looked around for signs of the monkey. He saw one of the little ones skittering past him with a peach and entering the stone palace.

He followed the monkey through the palace and into the library where the kings fort sat, there was a blanket covering the entrance that was there before.

The baby monkey cooed and chirped at the fort wall before the blanket moved and they wiggled their way in.

"Monkey king?" He called softly as he approached. "Knock knock, can I come in?" 

The corner of the blanket picked up like a tent flap and MK took the invitation. Once he was in he saw monkey king sitting cross-legged on a cushy pillow with one of the babies in his lap, grooming the baby as it cooed and trilled while it played with one of the other babies. A few more little ones were scattered around the fort, most of them were napping, others tried to get the sleeping ones to play but ultimately fell asleep themselves. The lantern he had seen before was lit and casting a warm glow around the fort.

MK sat on one of the pillows across from him and sat in silence for a moment as he tried to articulate what to say. 

But the monkey king beat him to it.

"I thought you were different.." he said with a distant tone. "But you're just like the rest of them, lying until you get what you wanted"

"Youre nothing! And I'm better off without you!" his mind echoed

His mind flashed to the brotherhood and he shook away the thought.

MK swallowed.

"I'm sorry I lied, really sorry--"

 "That's not good enough!" Wukong nearly yelled, spooking the baby monkeys around them.

Wukong growled as he felt his face become hot.

 "My whole life people have lied to me! Used me! Abandoned me when they got when they wanted except for ONE person AND THEY'RE GONE!" He cried out, his eyes watered and his mouth wobbled as he tried to speak. " W-what makes this any different?! " he sniffed, whipping his eyes with the palms of his hands before turning away from the noodle boy.

MK stared at his mentor, he reached out and put his hand on his back. The monkey shook it off with a grunt.

He..really fucked this up.

MK sighed.

"I just..I just wanted to be good enough, like you" he said. "And I'm sorry I said those things, they weren't true. I dont know what came over me to say that but I didn't mean it! I know it's not an excuse and I'm not going to try and make one but I just..I'm so, so sorry.." He finished softly, putting his head in his hands.

Wukong looked up at the boy, he was looking down at the baby monkey currently trying to crawl into his lap. He could practically feel the regret rolling off the human in waves, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"You know, my old master used to tell me you cant let your emotions get the best of you. Especially when youre in a fight, it could cause you lose control, whether it be words or you just..hit too hard. Thats something you can never take back, I know a thing or two about that" the monkey said with distant eyes before snapping out of his spiralling thoughts. 

"But, your heart was in the right place MK. I dont want you to stop being my sucessor, you have a good heart. You just made a mistake" he said before punching him in the arm. "But I'm still mad"

MK chuckled and winced at the punch.

"Yeah, that's fair" he answered before growing a small smile.

"Hey, Monkey King, you said only one person didn't abandon you, but they're gone now" he started. "If you'll let me, I'd like to be the second"

That got Wukong to look at him, the monkey looked confused but intrigued.

"How about, as a new start, I take you to the anti gravity arcade" he suggested.

"What's an arcade?"

"It's a giant room full of all kinds of games and snacks" he answered with a smile.

Wukong grew a small smile of his own and wiped the last bits of tears from his eyes.

 "I'd like that" he said quietly before moving around.

"But first, we have some work to do" he said before he crawled out of the fort with MK hot on his heels.

---

Tang didn't know what time it was, he didn't care, he needed to read this journal like he needed to breath. Normally when he read ancient text he would translate it all and read it like a book but after the second page, he couldn't wait any longer.

Whatever the great monk hid in these pages he didn't want anyone to find, at least not very easily.

The first thing he noticed was the shift in the books tone. It was different from the first half, the hidden words seemed more genuine, at first the monk spoke about the monkey king like his troubled student but now it was softer, more sincere. 

It made it harder to read, he actually had to bust out his text books to translate the words. Most texts he reads were formal reports or something of the like but this..this was something else.

The perspective changed as well, what was once like data entries of progress was like Tripitaka was talking to the reader.

"..I have hidden these words out of fear for my eldest disciple. I do not wish to put him in harms way because of my carelessness. There's no telling what might happen if heaven hears of this or even the underworld, so I beg you to not breath a word of this to anyone.."

Tangs brows raised with curiosity and anticipation, this was it!

"...How he has gone this long without being discovered I do not know, it seems that he does not even know it himself but my eldest disciple is only a child.."

A..child? Tang turned back to his notes and triple checked that everything was translated correctly and to his surprise, it was.

"..The possibility was pointed out to me by a kind mother in a village between the mountains and I have seen the proof with my own eyes. Sun Wukong, The Great Sage Equal To Heaven, is only a child. He has had a troubled past, yes, but he is sweet and kind and full of curiosity and knowing what I do now, I believe it was only because he did not have someone to guide him properly, nurture him--"

Tang set the book down and stared at the pages as he processed.

Sun Wukong...was only a child? But, that didn't make sense, he looked like an adult, albeit a messy looking one. How?..

He picked up the book to keep reading when something shifted in the book and stuck out to him. A corner was sticking out from the back cover, with careful curiosity he pulled the paper.

It was a photo

There was a man dressed in robes in the center, he had a shaved head, a beaded necklace and a staff of sorts strapped to his back. 

Tripitaka he thought.

He was bent over and holding a child in his arms. Tang took in the tail and fur and little gold circlet on the child's head.

The monkey king

The cub had a gleeful smile showing his little fangs peeking out as Tripitaka dipped him upside down, reminding him plenty of times he did it to MK when he was that small. The monk was staring down at the monkey with a grin and he could see the pure love in his eyes as he saw the child smiling.

He turned the photo over, there was writing on the back. He looked to his text book and wrote the translation.

"My little pilgrim, the greatest gift I could have ever received"

The words were written with such familiarity, a father writing to their son.

Tripitaka's son he realized.

Tang put the photo down and slumped in his chair.

A child his brain could wrap around it. This was..this was monumental information.

He had to tell Pigsy! He had to tell the others! He--!

"I beg you to not breath a word of this to anyone"

Cold guilt seeped into his gut.

Tripitaka was protecting his child and he...he almost ruined his hard work, he--

A rumbling interupted his thoughts. Suddenly there were car alarms going off outside and screams on the streets.

Before he could even get up the door to his study opened and Pigsy came in with urgency.

"Tang we gotta go!" He urgently. 

"Uh.." before Tang could ask anything Pigsy was already picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder.

"Cmon!" Pigsy screeched.

Tang barely had time to grab Tripitaka's journal before being whisked away.

Chapter Text

The bull clones chipped away at the rock encasing the mysterious chest.

They were so close.

While the bull clones worked, the Demon Bull king and Iron Fan were going to settle down for the night.

DBK stepped over to the closet, he'd originally been sent to their shared room to grab his wife her favorite blanket to curl up on the couch.

He walked into the closet and spotted the red blanket folded neatly in the high corner above the hung clothes. He reached up and grabbed it with ease and was about to turn and leave when a heavy thud caught his attention. The bull looked up where he just grabbed the blanket and a box of sorts took its place.

It was wide and shallow and looked very old, he didnt recognize the old thing. Intrigued, he reached up and grabbed the box and put it on the ground.

The king knelt and lifted the tattered lid and let out a silent gasp.

There was photo after photo of his little brother, some were of the bull himself, some had the both of them and some were of their whole family. There were little trinkets in the box as well, he picked up a pouch and opened it. Inside he saw a multi colored orb of light all swirled together, glowing softly in the protective pouch.

He remembered this

He was going to give it to Wukong, he had been practicing his light spells and wanted to give him a better nightlight.

Fat lot of good that was He thought bitterly.

The king began going through the photos, most of them were of Wukong when he was small.

Before he began glamouring himself

Most of them were of his little brother being goofy, wearing the bulls clothes that were tons too big for him, using his food as props for his little stories, being passed out on the bulls chest in a crash nap with what looked like candy of sorts stuck to his face. The memories of those pictures came flooding back to him and he felt himself smile, one of sadness and longing.

As he flipped through the pictures he came across one that made his eyes sting. Wukong stood excited in front, the biggest smile across his little face. In his hands he held a fishing line with a fish that was nearly as big as his little body on the end of it. Next to him, giving him the biggest enthusiastic hug was himself, he looked so proud in that picture. He flipped the picture over and read the back.

Shi Hou's first fish

He felt two streaks of cold wetness run down his cheeks.

They looked so happy...before everything went to shit..before his brother went by Sun Wukong..before heaven..before the brotherhood...

He missed his brother.

He missed his little Shi Hou

"I see you've found my little shame" a smooth voice said from behind.

He didn't need to turn his head, he'd recognize his wife's voice anywhere.

"Why..?" Was all he asked.

He felt his wife sit next to him and lean against his arm lovingly.

"When you were sealed away, I was angry, so so angry. Angry at heaven, you for leaving that day and especially the monkey king" she sighed.

"But, as angry as I was, I couldn't bring myself to throw these away. Every time I tried, all I could think about was how much he meant to you" she finished, picking up a few photos and flipping through them.

"I said horrible things to him that I can't take back, my love" the bull said and he continued sorting. 

"Well, it won't matter once we crack open that chest and take what powers inside" she said with a cool voice before chuckling to herself and offering one of the pictures.

"I remember this one, he was so jealous when our son was born" she laughed.

DBK took the photo and grinned himself. Wukong was leaning over the cradle and peering at their infant son with a look of distaste.

"Yes, but it didn't take long before he got attached to his nephew" the bull reminisced with a smile.

There was a knock on their bedroom door.

A brief grant of entrance and their son walked in.

"Mother, father, it's time" he said before leaving.

---

The chest sat in front of them and oozed ancient magic. It made them shiver at the chill leaking from it. The demon Bull King stood before the large chest with the skeleton key in hand, he stared the key and then the chest.

Why was he hesitating?

Why did this feel wrong?

His mind kept going back to Wukong, his happy little face as he held up his fish. They were so happy back then, they all were...

He wanted that again

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"My love?" He heard his wife call from behind, he felt her hands grabbing onto the one with the key. "What are you waiting for? Open it" she prompted, angling his hand closer.

"Dearest, I've been doing some thinking lately. What if we didn't op--" he was cut off by the hissing sound of whispers and the key flying from his hand to the lock.

The key turned on its own and the chest opened with freezing air surrounding them. Wind burst passed them with such strength it blew away the bull clones and almost Red Son had his mother not grabbed ahold of him.

When the wind died the mother and son looked at the bull standing before the opened chest. There was nothing but bones and dust.

"Bones?! That's what we've been digging for?!" Red Son screeched indignitely.

Iron Fan ignored her sons anger and approached her oddly still husband.

"My love?" She asked. "What were you saying before?"

"Nothing" her husband's voice answered smoothly, it sounded cold and out of place. "Absolutely nothing" he echoed quietly and smiled, looking down the former maiden.

"We have work to do" the bull said with icy blue eyes before walking out of the dug out crater.

As he passed by the knocked over bull clones they rose like corpses from the ground, eyes equally blue and eerie.

---

MK cruised along on the tuk tuk, he had sent a clone back to Pigsys a couple days ago, telling them he'd be training with monkey king while the clone helped look after the city.

Monkey king was seated next to him, looking at the buildings as they zipped by.

He'll admit, things looked..eerie.

He reached the front of the noodle restaurant and got out happily, undoing the buckle holding Wukong in and the king jumped out, climbing all around him.

"So when are we going to the arcade?" He asked excitedly.

That's right MK thought, he'd promised to take monkey king to the anti-gravity arcade.

"Uh, in a little bit. I have to check in with Pigsy and everyone else first, k?" He answered.

Wukong pouted and sat back in the tuk tuk. MK smiled at his antics and turned around to enter the restaurant.

"Hey guys! I'm back--ooo" he stopped midway when he saw the barrage of bull clones on the building, all fixed on him.

The robots launched and MK closed his eyes and braced for the impact, only for it not to come. Instead he heard a horn and big crash.

He opened his eyes and a food truck was sitting in front of him, it was decked out with spikes and a metal plowing shovel at the front, it looked like something out of an apocalypse movie.

Figures jumped out from the truck and he prepared himself to fight only to stop short when someone hugged him tight.

"MK! You're back!" 

He saw the green highlights and dragon sword sticking out of her jacket.

"Mei?!" He gently pushed her away and took a good look at her, she was dressed for the apocalypse. "What happened to you?!"

He looked back at the truck and saw Pigsy come around and rushed to him as well, he was dressed the same too.

And Sandy.

And even Tang sitting in the driver's seat.

"What happened to you guys?!" He exclaimed as Pigsy hugged him.

Mei swung her sword to rest on her shoulder.

"Well, after you left--"

Tang cleared his throat.

"Hello? Glasses? Books? Does that mean nothing to you?" He asked indignitely.

The dragon girl sighed and waved her hand, urging him to go on, the scholar smiled and prepared for a dramatic story.

"After you left MK, the bull clones attacked. They were different, stronger, more ruthless. They paved the way for their master to take over. Somethings different with the bull king, he's..colder, more calculating..MK, hes taken over everything" he finished.

MK took in the news and took a breath.

"Where's DBK?" He asked.

"Not sure, but there are some really scary sounds coming from the mountain" Sandy piped up, pointing at the eerie mountain in question.

MK sighed to himself.

"Ok, sorry monkey king, the arcades going to have to wait. Gotta kick some bull butt first" he called behind him.

The monkey popped up from behind the delivery boy and hung on his shoulders, making the human support his weight.

"Aw what?!" The monkey complained dramatically before drooping himself over the boy, groaning. "Fineee"

---

Tang couldnt help but stare at the king when they got in the truck. He unconsciously felt for the journal tucked in his inner pocket as he watched the monkey squirm in his seat, unable to sit still.

For so long..no one knew.

Even to him, it still didn't feel real.

He didn't know what to do, those were only the first two pages and they dropped a bombshell like that?! He could only imagine what the rest said, he wanted to tell the others in the worst way but at the same time...

He'd be putting the monkey king in danger.

Maybe he should wait, at least just until DBK is defeated and things settle down--

"Why are you staring at the monkey?" A voice asked.

The scholar jumped at the sudden presence. He blinked and suddenly Pigsy was next to him.

"Huh? No. No I wasn't" he stammered quietly, looking away.

"Yes you were, it has something to do with that diary you got doesn't it"

"Its a journal and no--"

"Tang" Pigsy pressed. "We've been through too much to start lying to each other now, whatever it is, I can handle it"

Tang looked between the fidgeting monkey and Pigsy with a resigned expression. He couldn't tell him, it wasn't the time nor place and he wasn't even fully sure if he should believe it.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you. At least not yet, it's not a good time" he answered.

The chef sighed and nodded.

"Fine, later then" he said quietly.

---

The Demon Bull king felt cold, he knew he shouldn't be, he was next to a magma flow but all he felt was the chill of ice under his skin.

He felt like he was constantly being dragged under ice cold water, there were moments where he wasn't...himself, he could see and hear but his actions weren't his own.

He didn't order the bull clones to seize the city, he didn't have his son make the canisters that now sit on his back, when the power from the bones entered his system something else came with it.

It was harder to surface above the water, the whispers in his ears were louder and harder to ignore and all he could think about was crushing the monkey king but..but that wasn't right.

He didn't want this.

Not anymore.

But every time he thought against it he was hit by this wave of anger and resentment and was only encouraged by the whispers singing their siren song.

An alarm went off, he looked at the screen to see an amored..food truck?

The screen singled out the individuals inside, the monkie kid crew appeared on screen with the monkie kid front and center.

The screen beeped and another figure appeared in front of everything. A monkey wearing a faded gold shirt with equally worn maroon pants, their hair was wild and unkempt with that signature peach marking across his face.

The Monkey King

That one image made something inside him flare with grief for only a second before being replaced with rage that was not his own.

He growled.

"With this power not even the great sage will stop me! I will not be beaten by that simian abomination again!" He roared.

He wanted to crush that monkey. *Grind* his bones like he had done to him--

Wait..no he didn't. The monkey king had done no such thing to him...

He felt that tug again, it pulled him under the icy waters of his mind and things became mudled again. He knew he was speaking but..it felt so distant, that wasn't him, that anger wasn't his...

Something was trying to needle into his head, but he shut it out. The needling became more persistent, angry, as it tried to dig into his subconscious.

---

Princess iron fan knew something was wrong as soon as they opened that chest. Her husband's entire demeanor changed, he was colder, both metaphorically and physically. 

She kept quiet for the time being, she didn't yet know what she was dealing with but it was evident that whatever was in those canisters were slowly consuming her beloved.

The former maiden didn't realize how far gone her husband was until a picture of the monkey king appeared on the surveillance screen.

"With this power not even the great sage will stop me! I will not be beaten by that simian abomination again!"

That's not her husband...

Just before this he was tears about his little brother, looking at pictures in the closet that she hid away.

Her attention was drawn to her son as he approached the unstable king.

"Father, let me go and take care of those peasants--"

"You?! You've brought nothing but disappointment, time and time again you've failed me!" The bull said manically, his voice wasn't right, there was an echo to it, like someone trying to speak through him. "You're a traitor!"

Red Son back away.

"What no! Father I would never--"

But the bull king already swung his fist. It was by the grace of Buddha that she made it, blocking her husband's hand from their son.

"Thats enough! Come to your senses, this power is poisoning your mind!" She yelled.

She waved her fan and pushed him back.

"I do not wish to hurt you, my love" she warned.

But she would if he came any closer to her child.

Her "husband" roared in laughter, his voice changed completely, becoming cold and sinister, it was like it echoed around them in those cold whispers that made her skin crawl.

"As if you could"

---

"There, DBKs lair has to be there" Tang pointed out even as another armored truck clashed into them.

"Right, Mei and I will head down, you guys need to keep the bull clones busy" MK said before turning to the Monkey King.

"Monkey king, is there a way you can get us down there?"

Wukong smiled and grabbed the two young adults, busting out of the back of the truck ad Sandy spun them towards the hole.

MK and Mei screeched as they fell in the hole, holding onto Wukong, only for them to slow to a stop. It took a minute for the two to realize as such as their screams died out.

They were sitting on a cloud.

MK whipped his head towards his mentor.

"A little warning next--!"

Wukong put his hand to MKs mouth and pointed at the holes walls. Bull clones surrounded them, their eyes were dark as if not powered on or at the very least in sleep mode.

Wukong began to lower them down towards throne room, they were almost past the robots when Meis phone let out a ear splitting ring, echoed by the tunnel.

The three scrambled to turn off the phone, the green phone bouncing between their hands as they fought for the power button.

Mei managed to snag her phone and turn off the alarm.

"Seriously?! An update for monkey mech now?!" She snipped.

But it was too late, the robots eyes began to light up with icy blue and screeched at them, waking the others.

Mei and MK looked at each other with twin smiles.

"Monkey mech!" They said.

MK pulled out his staff and slammed it into the rock wall, chunks of stone and metal came together and formed MK's monkey mech around them.

Wukong looked around the inside with awe, his eyes sparkling at the shiny buttons and levers.

"I can handle these guys, you go kick some bull ass" Mei chirped, already strapping herself into the mech driver seat while simultaneously stopping a certain curious monkey from pushing every button within his reach.

"Yeah!--wait! Maybe I should take the mech--" MK was cut off by Mei pulling the trap door open, falling out with monkey king right behind him.

He felt his mentor grab on to him and their descent slowed, he was pulled up and he felt the white fluff of Wukongs cloud.

"She'll be ok right?" His mentor asked, looking up at the mech swatting bull clones like flies.

"Yeah she'll be fine" he waved off.

He's more worried about the bull clones honestly.

---

The two snuck in and hid high above the bull family. His stomach felt queasy about seeing the bill king again after everything, he was fine earlier but now that he was here? 

He wanted to throw up.

He hid them behind some rocks and cables, the first thing Wukong noticed was the tension between the family. He saw PIF standing between her husband and son with her arm held out as if protecting Red Son from his father.

What really got his attention were the bruises and scraps on the two.

"You are not my husband" the former maiden said with a low and dangerous tone.

The laugh that left the bull king was mocking and cold and made his hair stand up. He knew that laugh from somewhere and it set off alarm bells in his head and told him to get away.

He got lost in thought and lost his focus and with it went the cloud beneath them. They crashed to the ground with MK landing on top of him, both letting out twin grunts.

MK sat up and groaned.

"Egh, give me a minute" he grunted before facing his mentor who looked like they saw a ghost. "Monkey king?" 

"Monkey king" They heard snarled.

Wukong sat up and looked at the bull who was glaring down at him from across the lair.

He felt his body grow cold as he froze.

He didn't want to go through this again

His brother already hated him, said they never wanted to see him again, that they weren't brothers.

"Come to seal me away again?" The bull asked, his voice coming out distorted and he could practically see the bulls breath like it was the dead of winter.

It was as if things slowed down, he could feel MK pulling on him, hear him calling his name and yet...he couldnt take his eyes off the bull, he was stuck in place.

It's been so long..

The Demon king took a step forward and stopped, the bull jerked around, grasping and shaking his head like he was in pain.

One of the bulls arms shot out in an unnatural way and touched the ground, ice spread on the ground and shot towards him at a terrifying speed.

Ice?

Before Wukong could even do anything the path of ice was interrupted by a sharp gust of wind cutting it off. His attention went up to the former heavenly maiden hovering above the ground.

She was looking down at him with so many emotions on her face.

Anger.

Distaste.

Surrow..

But the the most pressing one was pleading.

"He's not himself" she said. "Whatever is in those canisters is poisoning his mind and taking over...will you help me?.."

Wukong looked at the bull fighting with himself and then at his once sister in law before nodding his head.

---

The Demon Bull king didn't know what was happening with his body. He couldn't control his movements or his own voice but he could still see and hear what was happening around him, like he was just trapped in his own body.

The needling in the back of his head was never ending, like it was trying to search for something and it was taking nearly everything to block it, he would not let it take full control!

He was stronger than this!

And yet, he watched helplessly as he raised his own hand to his wife...his child..

"No, stop this at once!" He roared angrily but no sound left his mouth. 

He smiled when his wife pushed him back. His Tieshan would take no shit from anyone, even him, and that's what he loved most about her.

Then something crashed to the ground, his body turned to see none other than Sun Wukong lying in a crater with his successor laid over top of him.

The monkey sat up and the Bull felt his breath catch in his throat. His little brother..after so long. He looked..thin, messy too, like no ones been....

He felt the needling and whispers spike into his head and he stopped that train of thought before it could go further.

He watched as his body moved towards the monkey and his prodige. He tried to stop himself, he pushed and pushed and felt the tugging on his limbs loosen ever so slightly.

He took the opportunity to try and take back control, he struggled but managed to grab onto himself in attempt to hold himself back. The ancient power fought back and one hand slipped from his control, it touched the ground. The bull watched as ice shot across the floor with one target in mind..

He could feel the anger coming from the foreign being controlling his body, he could feel who it was directed at.

His brother

He let a sigh of relief when his Tieshan stopped the ice from reaching the monkey king. It was short lived when his body suddenly lurched forward at an unnatural speed, blowing past the wind maiden and delivery boy. Suddenly he was in front of his little brother with his fist raised and his stomach dropped.

He saw the look of fear on the monkeys face, frozen where he sat. He hasn't seen that face in a long, long time and it made his heart ache. 

He didn't want this, he didn't want any of this anymore, he was free from the mountain, he had his family back, heaven wasn't breathing down their necks, they could be happy again.

"NO!" He screamed defiantly.

In a rush of adrenaline and sheer will, he seized control of his body.

In that one instant, the whispers hissing in his ears was pushed back and the icy tendrils threading through his limbs seemed to have snapped just as his fist was inches from his brothers face.

Things came in clear now instead of a tinted blue film, he could hear his own rapid breathing as his limbs shook with the effort to hold back.

He looked from his fist to the frozen monkey.

"..wu..kong" he barely breathed out, he didn't know what to say.

What could he say?

There was so much swimming through his head he lost his focus and the ancient being took the opportunity to take back control. The anger and murderous intent returned tenfold as the icy tendrils wove back into his muscles like puppet strings. He fought as hard as he could but it felt as if his conscious was being swallowed. Just before everything faded to black he saw a flash of red hair pull his little brother away and out of reach again.

Good he thought as he faded out.

---

The bulls other hand rose in the air to strike the monkey but just before it could bring it down something hit him in the head.

"Hey asshat! Over here!" A voice called.

He turned his head to see the little thief tossing rocks at him.

"Little thief" the demon king snarled, he felt the anger return as the entity inside had a new target.

"Yeah, I got more rocks where that came from!" The noodle boy taunted.

The bull charged and chased the monkie kid around, each time the super human barely dodged one of the bull kings strikes until he tripped on some rebar and the Bull grabbed him, slamming him into the rock wall.

"You" his voice echoed around the boy like cold whispers. "I would have thought you'd learn more of the sages tricks by now"

MK shrugged in his hand.

"I don't know what yo tell you guy" he said with a monotone voice.

And icy thumb plopped on the delivery boys heads.

"Wait don't!--"

The thumb came down and squashed him only for a bundle of hair to fall to the ground.

The possessed bull cooked his head.

"A copy?!"

"Yeah! Looks like I did learn a thing or two" a voice from above crowed.

MK came down on the demon king with countless clones and laid a full assault on the bull. The last strike hit the canisters clean off his back and landing somewhere in the distance. 

---

The canisters land and the was rumble as the glass cracked and spewed before what looked like lightning shoot out into the sky.

When the dust settled he spotted DBK crouched on the ground, his breathing was heavy and panicked as he looked around and at himself.

"I..what happened to me?" He asked aloud.

His wife approached him and grabbed his face, holding it gently in her hands as she stared into his eyes with a hard look before her eyes softened and she smiled.

"You came back to me" she whispered, pressing their for heads together.

Then he suddenly shot to attention and looked around frantically.

"Wukong! Where's--" He stopped short as he spotted the simian standing a ways over, clutching his shirt with desperate fingers as his son ran towards him.

He met the monkeys eyes, they were still blown wide and staring at him with a look he couldn't quite pinpoint. Disbelief? Shock? Fear? He took a step forward and the monkey took a step back, DBK paused.

Was his brother..afraid? Of him?

Things began to rumble and shake around them. He felt a tug on his hand and looked down to see his wife.

"My love we need to go" she said as she conjured a wind tunnel to whisk them away.

He met his little brothers eyes one last time before the wind pulled him away.

---

MK watched the bull family disappear into the wind tunnel.

"Aw cmon seriously?!" He whined.

The ground rumbled and things began to shift and fall around him. He looked around and saw his mentor a little ways away, staring where the bull family had been.

He rushed over to the monkey and tried to shake him out of the trance he seemed to be in.

"Monkey king c'mon!" He urged, shaking the sages shoulders.

Wukong blinked and looked bewildered at MK. Something cracked above them, MK looked up to see a big builder coming down onto them.

That seemed to break Wukong out of his stupor as he pushed MK down and stood over him, fully prepared to catch the boulder, but it never came.

The rock stopped just short of them and when they peeked around it there was Mei in the monkey mech, holding onto it with the giant clawed hand.

"Mei!" MK cheered happily.

The girl giggled and tossed the rock aside.

"C'mon let's get out of here ya monkey man" she said with a goofy voice.

---

The crew sat on the shoulder of the monkey mech, overlooking the city where the sun was finally peeking through and just about to set.

Pigsy had made victory noodles and everyone had a bowl in their hands, eating happily and congratulating MK for his win.

Except Wukong.

He sat on the far edge of the monkey mech and looked out over the city with his arms wrapped around his legs and resting his head on his knees. He seemed lost in thought with a look of worry on his face.

"Hey monkey king, you doing ok? You kind of..froze back there." MK asked, drawing the others attention to the golden monkey.

Wukong startled in surprise and looked over at his successor.

"Uh, yeah I'm-I'm fine" he answered a little too quick.

MK simply raised a brow and held and extra bowl of noodles to the king.

"You sure?..You want some victory noodles at least? Theyre really good!" He encouraged. 

Wukongs face cringed a bit at the sight of the steaming bowl.

"No, er-no thank you, I-I need to go" he replied, scooching his way to the edge of the mech.

"Why? Something wrong?" MK asked a little softer.

Wukong looked back at the city, he seemed twitchy and out of place to the noodle boy, like something was eating at him.

"No..maybe-I need to go" he said again and leapt off the mech.

The group scuttled to the edge to look where the king had leapt and a falcon soared up passed them and out, flying to who knows where.

"What was that about?" Pigsy asked pointedly towards MK.

"I don't know, he acted pretty weird down in the pit too. He just..I dont know what happened. Everything ended up ok but it still worried me" he said with a concerned look.

Mei hummed in thought.

"Well whatever it is I'm sure he's fine, he's the monkey king right? All powerful and invincible and what not?" She shrugged before taking a slurp of her noodles.

Unbeknownst to them, Tang looked out to the city, following Wukongs falcon form with his eyes. He felt the weight of Tripitakas journal in the inside pocket of his changpao. 

He thought of the photo he found between the pages, the monkey kings happy little face smiling with mirth. He looked so innocent in the photo, small. 

Right..invincible he thought with worry.

Chapter Text

"You ready to tell me why you've been acting so weird lately?" Pigsy asked.

The chef looked up at his partner, they were sitting across from each other at the small dining table in their apartment. It was late at night, MK had long gone to bed, exhausted from deliveries and heroing.

Tang was sitting with a pensive look on his face, watching for the pigs reaction. The chef could tell this was a serious matter to him but he didn't quite understand yet. His partner had been acting off ever since the night of the demon bull kings attack, he chalked it up to nerves about the take over but that was almost a week ago and things were calm now and yet..he was still acting weird.

He's been distant lately, spaced out, like he was really mulling something over in his head. It wasn't until tonight after the chef had finished closing the shop and came upstairs he found his beloved sitting at the table with a closed book in front of him.

He said he needed to show him something important, so he nodded and sat down.

Tang took a breath.

"Remember how I said that Tripitaka's journal just stopped in the middle?"

"Yeah, I guess"

"Well it didn't, he continued to write but in invisible ink" the scholar explained and showed the pig the once invisible pages, the words were a different color and jagged, like they were written with a fine tipped instrument instead of a quilt or charcoal.

"The hidden words are different, the style and tone is softer, they're written with such fondness that I actually had to use my text books to help translate"

"He hid a secret in his journal about the Monkey king that he took to his grave"

"Ok? And what was so important?"

Tang looked at the journal and back at him.

"The Monkey King is a child, Pigsy" He waited for a reaction.

The chef sat back in his chair, mot realizing he had been sitting up amd getting closer over time. He snorted and laughed to himself.

"Tang, the guys weird but i wouldnt say hes a child per say--"

"No, I mean an actual kid kid!" The scholar pressed.

Pigsy raised an unbelieving eyebrow and stared at him.

"I know, I thought the same thing but then I found this wedged between the pages" the scholar insisted and handed the chef a small photo from the book.

"What is this?" Pigsy asked as he stared at the photo in his hands. The picture was super old, pretty well preserved but really old looking none the less. The picture was of some monk guy and a little monkey demon child smiling happily in the moment

"I found that in Tripitaka's journal, thats him" he pointed at the monk in the picture before moving over and pointing at the child. "And that's, the Monkey King"

Pigsys eyes widened as he stared at it, stared at the child smiling gleefully. He set it down and looked back at Tang with disbelief.

"A kid?" He echoed barely above a whisper.

Tang nodded his head.

"But, then why does he look like an adult?" He asked.

"I'm not sure how, I haven't had a chance to translate the rest of the journal" Tang sighed.

"Have you told MK? Sandy? Or even Mei?" 

"No, Ive been too afraid to tell anyone because what if it gets out? What do you think other demon kings, the underworld or god forbid the fucking celestial realm would do if they found out they had their asses handed to them by a literal small child?"

Pigsy sat there for a moment and truly thought about it, the more he did the more his stomach dropped.

"They'd come after him" he said under his breath.

The two sat there in heavy silence, both feeling the full gravity of the situation. Pigsy looked at Tang.

"A kid..." he echoed with disbelief. "I've been mad a kid for acting like a kid" he grumbled, dragging his hands down his face.

"Pretty much"

"Not helping" Pigsys eyes grazed the photo on the table again and noticed something peculiar, picking it up he held it next to Tang.

"You know.." he said. "You look an awful lot like this Tripitaka guy"

Now it was Tang's turn to raise a doubtful brow.

"No seriously, look" he handed the photo back. "Picture yourself with a shaved head wearing his clothes"

Tang looked at the monk in the photo and then his reflection in his phone screen. 

Huh, he did look like Tripitaka.

The chef took a breath and sighed, rubbing his head.

"Ok, ok..I think thats enough for tonight. The Lunar New Year's festival is tomorrow and I'm gonna be super busy with the food truck. Why don't we table this until you can translate some more of that book and we can learn more" the chef suggested.

Tang snapped out of his spiralling thoughts and nodded dumbly.

"Uh, yeah..yeah sounds good" he muttered, grabbing the journal and following the chef to their shared room.

---

They decided to have training at the monkey kings shame temple, it was closer for MK and Wukong got to check on the place as well as enjoy the view of the city during the fireworks.

MK swung his staff at the monkey king, he was determined to land a hit, any hit really but the king was evasive. It felt like he was reading his mind or something and it was even more frustrating that Wukong wasn't even using his hands, they were tied behind his back.

But that still didn't stop him from talking a big game.

"You call this training? I've barely broken a sweat!" He said confidently, even though there was obvious sweat dripping from his brow.

Wukong smiled down at him.

"The battlefield isn't a place to be arrogant, gotta be humble! Think things through" he chirped back.

The king stopped the staff dead with his foot, pushing back into the air and flipping around.

They danced around like that with Wukong having a big grin on his face while MK tried his damn best to whack him with the staff. He got excited at the end when he thought he cornered the monkey to the edge of the cliff.

"Ha! Whose gotta be humble now!" MK boosted.

Wukong just grinned and stopped the staff with his foot.

"Still you" he giggled before he kicked the staff out of MK's hands and sent it into the cliff above them.

The cliff rumbled before a few pieces crumbled and fell on MK while he screamed in panic. When he pulled himself out he saw Wukong floating back to the ground on his cloud.

"You're getting better!" He chirped. "A bit predictable though"

"I almost had you" the kid pouted.

"Sureee" Wukong smiled. "I won by getting you where I wanted you by putting myself where you wanted me"

MK gave a disapproving hum.

"Seems like a shady lesson"

Wukong dropped his smile, his face dropping.

"Too soon" he pouted.

"Sorry..."

Wukong put on a smile and clapped his hands.

"Class dismissed!" He chirped.

MK hooted and spun around, collecting his things that were luckily spared from the avalanche.

"Yes! I should probably get going then, I'm supposed to meet everyone at the festival amd help Pigsy with the food truck and my dad's invited you to celebrate with us, if you wanted that is. They seemed a little..jumpy about it--woahh" he stopped his ramble when he turned back around.

The monkey king had set up a nice little picnic spot with pillows, blankets and even a little shrine with origami figures on the mantle.

"How long did it take for you to make this?"

The monkey just shrugged and sat at the edge of the cliff.

"C'mon it's New Year's, MK" he said, waving over his successor to sit next to him.

"Lets watch some fireworks" he smiled.

MK sat next to his mentor and took one of the cookies.

---

The spider queen stewed in frustration, the festival going on above them pounded into her head just how far she had fallen from her glory days.

"Are you done yet?" She asked impatiently from behind the scientist.

Syntax was his name?

"The machines are..operational, provided that the venom works this time" he shot back.

"It will work" the queen seethed.

She opened her palm and let the last hair of the monkie kid fall into the venom cauldron.

"It has to" she added quietly to herself.

The mixture rippled with a gold color before turning a venomous green and hope sparked in the spider queen. Syntax deployed one of the robots, it dropped out of the cocoon but before it could even stand up it short circuted and dropped dead before the demon.

"NO!" the spider growled, slamming her fist against the cauldron. "I was so close!" She cried out in defeat.

"I might have an idea" a voice offered.

The spider queen whipped around to face the mystery voice, one of her spider legs shooting out..only to find a young girl.

She stopped the spider leg just inches from the girl's face.

"And who might just you be?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"I can help you achieve something even the celestial host could not, the final destruction of the Monkey King"

The spider queen snarled at the mention of the monkey.

"The monkey king took everything from me, reduced me to hiding in this filthy place so what, pray tell, makes you think its so easy?" She snipped.

"I thought we could use, this" she said, she opened her hands to reveal a vile of sorts. It was old with a skull and bones handle at the top, the liquid inside was light blue and glowed slightly in the dark of the lair.

"My, my, I haven't seen one of those in quite a while" the spider queen commented.

The girl looked at the cauldron.

"May I?" She asked.

The spider gave a silent gesture of permission. She watched the eerie girl pull the top off the vile and pour it into the mixture, the green liquid turned an icy blue and began flowing through the pipes amd to the robotic spiders.

Another spider hatched from its cocoon and crawled around on the ground, it didn't malfunction, didn't sputter and die, it was..stable.

The spider queen grinned wickedly and looked at the young girl.

"Looks like you have your uses after all, what did you say your name was again?" She asked.

"Names are not important, I am only someone who thinks the spider queen has been away from her throne for far too long" she smiled sweetly.

The queen laughed.

"Well then, why don't we take it for a spin" 

The two looked at the scientist who began to back away from them.

"No, no I helped you!" He begged, the little spider jumped onto Syntax and he toppled over some boxes.

The two watched through his shadow as the venom worked its way through the man as he screamed in pain before going silent. There was a thud and suddenly Syntax was standing before the spider, his hair bright green and skin tinted purple.

He kneeled to one knee and bowed.

"My queen" he said.

Spider Queen felt herself tingle with excitement as she smiled wider than she had in centuries. She turned to the young girl.

"Alright miss mystery, what's the catch?" She asked.

"I simply wish to see you fulfill your destiny, my queen" the girl bowed in submission.

The spider queen raised her arms and hatched the rest of the spiderlings.

"Well alright then" she laughed to herself and set her sights on the festival above them.

Chapter Text

The festival was in full swing, Pigsy looked up and down the aisle of people in search of MK and Monkey King. He was really hoping MK could convince the child king to come to the festival, he had so many questions he wanted to ask the kid.

Did he have anyone looking out for him on the mountain?

How was he getting meals?

Does he really sleep in a blanket fort like MK said?!

His mind was racing.

But all he could do was grit his teeth amd put on a customer service smile as he served his noodles and dumplings.

He glanced over at Mei, she had volunteered to help him make dumplings until MK came, the ones she was able to do looked like crap but he could tell she was trying.

"Ugh. Isn't MK supposed to be here?" She asked, watching the dumpling she was trying to crease come undone for the umpteenth time.

"Yes he is!" Pigsy snipped as he leaned over the truck counter to look around.

Tang, who had been seated at the corner of the truck with his books scattered around him, pushed him back into the truck before he fell.

"Patience Pigsy, they'll get here when they get here" he tried to soothe before leaning close to him. "Besides it give me more time to translate" he whispered.

Pigsy let out an annoyed snort but went back to chopping vegetables.

Mei looked between the two and opened her mouth to say something when the truck shook and sudden Pigsy was being toppled over by stuffed animals and goodies.

He popped out too the mound to see Sandy's smiling face.

"Happy New Year everyone!" He cheered.

"Sandy! Where did you get all these?" Mei asked.

"I got goodies from all over the festival! They really out did themselves this year, I brought enough for everyone" the gentle giant chirped as he opened a little pouch of peanuts and began munching on them.

"Aw, thanks Sandy!"

Pigsy wrestled with the trinkets and snacks until he was standing upright again.

"Will you guys *please* screw around somewhere else?! I have a business to run and need to keep an eye out for monkey king and MK!" He grumbled.

Mei munched on hard candies from the pile and eyed the pig.

"Why the sudden interest in monkey king?" She asked.

"Because I..I just have some questions to ask him, that's all" he answered.

Whistles and bells sounded off in the distance, drawing everyone's attention as they saw moving lights going down the street.

"The parades starting, cmon!" Sandy urged.

"Nah, I have stuff to do here" Pigsy declined.

"Me too" Tang said and shoved his face back into the journal.

"Cmon guys, it's New Year's! MK amd monkey king might already at the parade" Mei persuaded.

Tang and Pigsy glanced at one another, they were uneasy but Mei had a point. Might as well look for the two around the festival, at least for a bit.

"Ok but just a little--"

"GREAT!" Sandy cheered and wrangled his friends under one arm and sped off towards the flashing lights and noise.

---

The floats were grand amd light up like stars. The people dressed in the parade danced to the beat of the drums as everyone cheered.

Mei and Tang sat on each of Sandy's shoulders while the gentle giant held Pigsy in his arms in an arm-throne like hold. The chef still stirring a bowl of noodles.

"MK and Monkey King sure are missing out" Mei commented. "Look at all of them. Oh! There's the dragon! Oh theres the monkey!" Mei pointed out as the monkey zodiac danced by them.

"And there's the spider!" Sandy added.

Tang made a noise of objection.

"Theres no spider in the zodiac, must be an eight legged rooster or--" he turned his head to look at the supposed spider float and was stunned to see a purple and green mechanical looking spider float cruising along with everyone else.

The people around it looked confused and even alarmed.

The scholar was about to say something else when the float burst open and a platform rose up as large wires and webs expanded beneath it.

On top of the platform stood the queen herself, the spider queen stood tall and proud at the edge where everyone could see her as she leered down at them.

The crew all collectively felt their stomachs drop even as Sandy held them all tighter to him.

"Look at everyone! Here to celebrate the year of the spider!" She rejoiced before turning to her henchmen. "Go tell them their queen is back"

The henchmen flew off the platform as did hundreds of tiny spider-like robots. The robots attacked the people as they ran and screamed, they latched onto their backs suddenly the people would rise up again with haunted green eyes, like zombies.

Large mechanical coils and wrbs alike began pulling things under the platform, growing and taking shape of a giant spider mech.

"Sandy run!" Mei finally said.

That seemed to snap everyone back to the present as the river demon shook his head and ran in the opposite direction, towards the pier where his boat was waiting.

---

Wukong and MK whooped and cheered as the fireworks went off. The sky above the city was a sea of exploding colors.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!" the two shouted into the distance.

Wukong jumped and flipped with excitement as more and more fireworks went off.

"Over a millienuim and fireworks are still the best thing humans invented!" The king chirped, pulling out a lock of hair and making more cookies to share.

"Uh am I eating hair right now?!" MK asked incredulously. "Do you eat your hair?!"

"Itsss best not to think about it" Wukong waved off.

Suddenly there was a lack of distant explosionss and the two looked out to see the firework had stopped.

"What happened to the fireworks?!" The monkey exclaimed.

Both of their eyes flashed bright gold and looked at the city. They saw a giant spider looking creature crawling its way around the city.

"The city!" MK cried out.

"The fireworks!" Wukong added.

MK looked at Wukong with a judging brow. 

Wukong chuckled and shrugged.

"Also, people getting hurt" he added lamely.

"Thats better" MK praised before being pulled by the arm onto a cloud.

He looked up at Wukong who stood at the ready to fly into the city.

"No one messes with my. Fireworks!" he grumbled before speeding off towards the mayhem and destruction.

---

When they got to the city, they saw how the citizens were being attacked by little spider robots and using the possessed people to chaos mayhem.

"Looks like spider queen finally crawled put of her hole" Wukong commented.

MK looked down as they flew across the city and his stomach sank at the view.

Spiders

Spiders were everywhere and crawling over everything and everyone.

"Eww, augh! Spiders! Get them away I can already fele them crawling on mee!!~" MK freaked, climbing over Wukong and making the Sage lose his balance on the cloud. He wrestled MKs limbs to see and he lowered them to the top of a building.

"Get off MK!" he said before managing to pry his successor off him.

MK rolled on the ground to see Wukong flying away.

"Wait!-Monkey king!!"

Wukong halted and looked back at the delivery boy on the roof.

"Look, if you can't handle some spiders then how are you going to help me with that?" Wukong asked, gesturing to the giant spider mech. "Find the others and get them somewhere safe, I can handle this" he assured.

"Wait I can still--"

But Wukong already sped off.

"--help.." MK trailed off.

He watched him disappear around the mech and he rushed to the side of the building, using his staff he pole vaulted across to land on the side of the mech walls. His gold vision lit his eyes as he peered through the metal body of the mech and watched his mentor in action.

---

Wukong flew around the mech, he spotted the Spider Queen in a large viewing room of sorts, watching her minions reign chaos on the city. He dove in through the side and shook the mech when he landed.

"Ooh~ Monkey king!" She greeted with glee, she leaned back on her personal spider palanquin. "Isn't this a nice surprise, finally come out of hiding just to see me?" She taunted.

"You know there are better ways to get my attention than destorying my favorite fireworks. I didnt realize you were so desperate for attention princess" the monkey shot back. 

"It's spider queen, sub-human!" The spider snarled before regaining her composure. "Thought I'd have to go through the kid before I got to you, but since you're here..I can destroy you first!" 

The queen raised her front spider legs and slammed them down, sending a shock wave towards Wukong and knocking out the lights as it came closer.

Spider queen charged at Wukong at breakneck speed. The monkey grabbed onto the spiders legs and threw her into a pillar.

The queen shook off the hit and stuck to the wall, crawling into the shadows for an advantage.

"Give it up princess, you're too easy to read" Wukong taunted, trying to draw the spider out.

He heard whispers behind him, faint and beckoning. He turned his head and smirked before diving for the blow.

Wukongs fist didn't meet the spider queens body, she was no where in sight in fact. His fist went straight into the set of grand double doors leading out of the room. Just next to the crater his fist caused was a little girl, her head tilted out of the way. She had an icy stare and the monkeys fur immediately stood on end as she looked up at him and he swore he saw her hair turn white for a second before his vision flashed with images of a skull, chains and blue flames consuming everything.

He jumped back in surprise, staring in shock at the girl. His guard dropped for just a split second as his brain tried to process what he saw but that was all the spider queen needed.

He heard a chuckle from behind and suddenly his arms and legs were being wrapped together and he couldn't move. He looked down to see webs ensnarong his while body as he was jerked back and slammed into the floor with a powerful force.

He looked down at the webs and gave an unimpressed glare.

"Oooh~ a web. You really think this'll hold--" he was about to snap the bonds around him when they suddenly fought back.

Electricity shot through his body, zapping him until he went limp. He breathed hard, reeling from the shocks, he began to feel..weaker.

"What is this?!" He cried out, pulling at the webs again only to be shocked violently until he went limp once again. He looked down at himself and saw the webs were pulling power from him, draining him like battery.

"Finally after all. These. Years. You're mine" the spider queen laughed.

The young girl made approached from the sidelines. The golden energy of the monkey king began to flow into the spider mech and roared to life.

"Well done my queen" she congratulated over Wukongs gasping breaths of pain between shocks.

"My webs will continue to drain the monkey king of his power until he's nothing but a dried up husk. This world is mine and nothing, no one will be able to stop me!" She rejoiced gleefully.

---

"No.."

From the roof, MK watched his mentor be wrapped up and shocked. The mech beneath his feet rumbled to life and he stumbled of the ledge.

He fell towards the ground but thanks to his growing reflexes he used his staff to slow his descent and he rolled onto the street.

He stood up and watched the spider mech crawl away on its creepy legs. He stared at where he knew his mentor was, trapped, in pain as they drained him of his powers. He felt helpless.

He shook his head, he had to focus! Take in his surroundings!

He glanced over and saw an abandoned noodle truck with a distinct pink pig on the side.

Pigsy! He remembered. Tang! Sandy! Mei!

He had to find them like monkey king said and get them to safety first. He looked around and saw how abandoned everything was, he shivered at the sight of the webs encasing everything.

OK, streets are no go so they're probably not at the shop MK thought, looked around and spotted a destination sign. 

There was an arrow pointing to the docks...

Sandy's boat! He remembered, they have to be there.

He got a running start and used his staff to vault him over the buildings, praying to every deity that was listening that he would find his family all ok.

---

The spider queen and the girl left the room, leaving the king to his fruitless struggling.

The webbing shocked Wukong each time he tried to pull away and between each zap he felt weaker and weaker. 

He couldnt move...

It hurt and he couldnt move! His mind flashed to his executions, tied to a pole and forced to endure the painful attempts on his life. He could feel the old scars on his body flare up at the memory.

His body grew hot, like he was roasting from the inside. No matter what he did it hurt, it burned, and breathing became harder.

He couldn't move, he couldn't move--

A distant giggle met his ears and his eyes searched frantically, he felt the air around him grow cold and his hair stood on end along his spine just like...

Another light laugh met his ears as he felt the presence get closer and closer until he saw the outline of a lady's shadow on the floor coming from behind.

The shadow came around and that young girl from before stood in front of him with a black and white hanfu dress, her black hair in a half up half down bun with a blue hair piece at the top that looked more like horns than anything else.

She had a calm demeanor and smiled justly so. He felt the power coiling inside the girl, the cold icy malice that was hidden behind a sweet face.

"It's been such a long time, Monkey King" she greeted.

He stared at her with confusion and she only contied to smile at him.

"Ah I see, it doesn't surprise me that you don't recognize me in this body. I had to make do with what I had, temporary I assure" she explained.

Wukong strained his eyes and used his gold vision. His stomach dropped to his feet as he saw the ancient bone demons soul curled inside of the young girls body, feeding off of her to fuel her own powers.

He began his struggle anew even as he felt his strength diminish under the life sucking webs.

"You see I need information of this new world, and in your..predicament, you have just what I need" she leered.

Wukong didn't like the sound of that, and he really didn't like how she came closer to him. He tried to struggle away out of instinct but he was already so tired, her hands touched his head and he screamed.

Wukong felt her icy tendrils peirce into his subconscious, like his brain was freezing over. He yelled out at the pain and gasped as he tried to ground himself at the shock. He could feel her trying to root around in his memories, plucking the strands of memory like a harp.

"S-STOP" He gasped as his vision went white.

And just as quickly the pain left his head, leaving him to slump forward and catch his breath as he faded in and out.

---

The lady bone demon has possessed many beings in her time, manipulating their minds, pulling the strings to their actions.

Each person had their own feel to them, almost like an aura of sorts, their soul if you will, and some were easier to possess than others but one thing that remain true in her time was that the younger the soul was, the easier it was to take control over. 

Like children

Their souls were more maluable, soft in comparison to her hardened ice, their smaller subconsious selfves easier to calm down with a nice dream.

As the bone demon reached her power into Wukongs head she was expecting to find his mental barriers to be hardened and rough like the rock he came from but when she touched them...

They were soft..they felt..small even..

She withdrew her hands like the king had burned her and stared at the supposed adult monkey as she processed what it meant.

Oh..She thought as she slowly grew a malicious smile and looked down at the trapped monkey like he was a grand prize.

Chapter Text

The demon bull king had scared away yet another customer, the peasant complaining about their pathetic little tastebuds not being able to handle their barbeque.

"Father, you can't scare away everyone that complains" he chided. "This is our chance at something great!"

His father only huffed and turned back to the grill.

"Great?! I'm the demon bull king, what would you have me be? The king of street food?!" He grumbled.

"Uh, yes?"

The bull let out an annoyed snort.

"Look, father, after..everything I thought a fresh start could be what we needed. No evil plans, no talking bones..." the prince trailed off.

At the mention of the bones, DBKs mind flashed back to Wukong. His brother looked so scared...scared of him. 

He sighed at the memory.

"You're right, my son, this our chance to start anew" the bull admitted.

He wasnt a conqueror anymore, he had to change for the better. He was glad his son was here to keep him steady, old habits die hard after all.

With it quiet between the two of them they finally heard the screaming around the festival. There was a spaced out rumble, like something huge was walking around. The two looked at each other and just as the bull took a step closer to his son the tent around them was ripped away.

DBK stood between his son and their assailant. He saw a giant mechanical looking spider staring them down.

"Uh? Father?" His son called from behind, sounding sheepish and nervous.

The bull saw something shoot out to them and in an instant he pushed his son away just as he took the blow. Weird sticky ropes wrapped around the bull, he pulled and snapped them away but they just came back stronger and suddenly he was being pulled back towards the machine.

The last thing he saw was his son being attacked by smaller mechanical spiders before being harshly jerked away from him and his vision went dark. 

---

The bone demon stared at the monkey king like he was a grand prize.

"How..fortuitous" she gleamed.

Perhaps she would be able to speed up her destiny and didn't need the Spider Queen after all. Fate has bestowed upon her the perfect champion!

She grabbed his face and held it still, his eyes were unfocused and exhausted yet held a certain defiance in them, but the demon could tell the draining was starting to take its toll on the child and he was at a perfect state for possession.

The bone demon smiled to herself 

All the cub was missing was a gift bow.

She summoned her very essence to her fingertips and began to sink into her new host--

Someone was coming

--She sensed another presence closing in on them. She stopped and stepped away from the cub in disguise like nothing happened just in time for the spider queens minions to come through the door.

"My queen! We have brought more--oh its you" Huntsman grumbled as Goliath dragged an unconscious demon bull king wrapped in webs just like the monkey king.

The bone demon didn't give any retort, she only eyed the monkey king who was slumped in his wrapped prison, eyes finally rolling to the back of his head as he gave in to exhaustion.

She simply walked past the duo with her hands folded neatly in front of her with a stoic face. It still wasn't safe for her to reveal herself yet, especially when doing something so crucial.

She'll just have to try again later

---

Spiders surrounded the dock.

They were floating just out of reach in the dock, Sandy was trying his best to get the engines started but it was like his boat wanted them to get caught and turned into zombies.

"Shouldn't we wait for MK?" Mei asked aloud.

Pigsy rolled onto the deck with the boats anchor.

"He's with monkey king far away from here, they're safer than anyone" the chef answered, though he was still worried.

The spiders crept closer and out of the shadows came one a large spider demon clad in a puffy coat with riddled with hunting gear.

"Sandy??" Mei called out with worry.

"Working on it!" The gentle giant called back.

Pigsy held up a pan in defense and came closer to Mei and Tang.

"We can handle one of her lackeys" the chef declared confidently just as another one of the spider queens henchmen arose from the shadows.

The two were leering at the group with malicious intent and suddenly the group wasn't so confident in their odds.

"It's not so bad once you get used to it" the one with the long braid insisted. "The transformation will be almost painless" they snickered.

The shorter of the two pulled out some kind of web like rope and started swinging it, ready to lasso the ship back while the bigger one behind got ready to pounce when suddenly there was a gleam of gold in the sky. The two looked up just in time to see a flash of yellow and red soaring down towards them. 

The group watched as the spiders jumped put of the way just in time. The dock shook at the impact and kicked up a bunch of dirt. When the dirt cloud settled a bit, Mei could finally make out what landed. She never thought she'd be so happy to see that bright yellow jacket.

"MK!" She called urgently.

"Kid!" Pigsy called next, rushing up to the boat railing.

MK turned around and his eyes lit with stars and relief.

"Guys! Oh my god! There are. Spiders. Everywhere!" He cried out. "I can still feel them crawling all over meee~" 

"Kid! Focus!" Pigsy lightly scolded.

MK shivered and stood straight, turning his attention to the spider henchmen collecting themselves from the ground.

The shorter of the two put his hand to his ear.

"We found the monkey kings apprentice, right where you said he'd be" he gleamed.

"No.." MK whispered to himself as he began backing up towards the boat.

"Send the rest" the spider finished.

The monkie kid looked just behind the duo and the spider bots were getting back up, their red eye trained on him and the boat. Then more red eyes began appearing in the darkened alleys, twenty, thirty, one hundred more? He lost count.

He turned and booked it towards the boat, he jumped at the edge and used his staff to extend his reach. Pigsy and Mei grabbed the staff and pulled with all their might. 

MK went flying into the boat, right into Tang like a safety net. Pigsy turned his head to the back of the boat.

"Sandy?! Now would be a really good time!!--"

"Found it!" The gentle giant declared, holding a remote with a Moe head shaped button. 

He pressed it and the remote let out a meow.

"Sandy??"

"Give it a sec!"

Suddenly there was an echoing meow that responded a ways away and the large cargo containers that sat neat and tidy rumbled until something big a shiny smashed through the top.

The group didn't get the chance to even take in what the thing was before sandy was gathering them in his arms and leaping for the machine.

MK heard Sandy tell Moe to do something and suddenly they were moving really fast. Sandy let them all go and he rolled on the deck and looked around frantically.

They were on a floating deck of sorts. Some kind of hover carrier. He looked at the others and it seemed they were in awe just like him.

"Isn't it cool?!" Sandy exclaimed excitedly.

"Super cool Sandy, it's great for taking in the..horrible views" she said, defeated as she looked over the railing to see the green gloom that's befallen the city.

Pigsy scrambled from where he landed over to MK and began looming him over.

"Are you ok?! Nothing broken?!" He asked before his face paled a bit as he finally realized something. "Monkey king, where's monkey king!"

"Spider Queen got him" he answered.

"What?! But how?!?!" Tang exclaimed, his face now morphed into worry and crowded his son as well.

"I don't know! There was this skull thing and Spider Queens webs and they just!...They got him!" MK tried to explain before deflating. "And I didn't even do anything to help, I just..froze"

"MK it's ok, we got this! We'll figure--" Mei tried to cheer up.

"She beat the monkey king Mei! We don't got this!" MK blurted before entreaties in on himself and turning around. "I-Im sorry I just..I dont know what to do" he deflated.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to see his dad with a soft expression.

"No one ever does kiddo, that's life" he said before Mei appeared behind him.

"But we're going to figure this out, besides, monkey kings a tough guy. He'll be ok" 

The others missed how Pigsy and Tang shared brief worried looks.

Sandy came up to MKs other side.

"Exactly, and as soon as we deal--with that!" he exclaimed and pointed at the sky.

The others looked where he was pointing to see a big ball of red fire hurtling towards them and it was...screaming?

Sandy moved and suddenly he was between the fire ball and them. The normally gentle giant slammed his fist down into the screaming ball of fire and stopped it dead. 

When the dust and smoke cleared they saw Sandy holding something in outstretched hand, a telltale red coat and purple pants was the dead give away even as Sandy held him by the face.

"Red Son?!" MK exclaimed.

---

When the bull king woke up, the first thing he processed were the electric shocks coursing through him, he felt...weakened by them.

He opened his eyes and saw the webs entangling his limbs, feeding off him like a parasite. He tugged at the white sticky threads but all he got was a big shock running through his body.

He sagged in his chains as he recovered, a delighted laugh met his ears and it enraged him.

"Who dares ensnare me, show yourself!" He growled.

The Spider Queen descended down from her master web and grinned gleefully down at the bull.

The Demon king growled and huffed.

"I must have surely fallen if I was captured by the likes of you" he said before smirking. "The would be Queen of spiders"

"Theres nothing would be about it, I AM. A. QUEEN!" The spider demon growled back. "And you're nothing but a battery for my mech, but don't worry, you're not the only one. Look around handsome, you're not the only prize I snatched up, everyone here is just dying to give me their power" she grinned.

Bull king looked around, his eyes searching frantically for one individual.

"Princess..Iron Fan?" DBK asked almost worriedly.

"Aw, sadly no. I haven't found your wifey yet, but I did catch an old..friend of yours" the queen smiled and turned the bulls head to the side.

He saw the messy hair and tail of a monkey. The body was too still for his liking, he could here the ever faint whimpers emitting from him as dark colored veins began to appear on his body, showing just how much the webs have already taken from him.

"Wukong.." he breathed out.

"Yes, he's been here for awhile, seems hes already tuckered out though.." the spider queen commented as she walked up to the imprisoned monkey. She grabbed his face and squeezed her sharp nails into his skin.

"Don't touch him!" The bull suddenly growled, both a warning and a promise. He pulled at his restraints, ignoring the sting of the electricity.

 "Oh? And what are you going to do about it? Hmm? Doesnt matter, I have party planning to do so I'll leave you two to catch up" and with that she let go of the kings face without care, practically shoving him back and sauntered her way out the door.

When the door closed, DBK looked back at his little brother. He was slumped in the webbing looking weak, his face was getting paler and stuck in a grimace. 

A surge of electricity cycled through and sucked more power from everyone, the bull king grit his teeth and he looked over at Wukong to the dark veins grow ever so slightly higher up his neck, just peeking over his cheeks as the cub in disguise whimpered at the pain.

Then there was a slight golden flicker, to the untrained eye they would have missed it but the demon bull king recognized the slight golden flicker at the edges of Wukongs person.

His glamour was beginning slip, Wukong was running out of energy.

He needed to get him out of here.

---

"Get him!" Mei shouted and tackled the bull prince, followed by the others piling on.

"What are you doing here, Red Son?!" MK exclaimed, eyeing him critically.

"Yeah" Mei chimed in. "You one of Spider Queens henchmen?!"

Red Son nearly burst a blood vessel.

"HENCHMEN?!?!" He yelled before erupting in flames and pushing everyone off of him, his calf ears twitching with annoyance as he stood back up to address them, shaking with both nerves and anger.

"Not that any of you care but my father was captured by that eight legged freak" he seethed. "So if you'll excuseeee me, I'll just steal this ship and be on my way"

"Wait-what?!? Thats not!!--" MK sputtered.

"Aughh!! Fineee will you let me steal you're ship so I can save my father and the world from this spider. menace, please" he rephrased, it looked like it pained him to say please and everything.

The group sputtered to life with refusals of all sorts.

"Hell no!"

"Nah huh!"

"You cant. Take. The ship!"

"Well I can't use mine! It's busted" Red Son grumbled before sighing. "But one thing I do have is this"

The prince pulled out a vile of some bubbly green liquid.

"It's the spider queens venom, with it she's turned everyone into her slaves, but I can make an antidote!"

The group perked up at that before the bull calf tucked the canister away.

"However, I'll need supplies and the only place to get them is.." he trailed off and pointed at the sky.

MKs eyes sparkled.

"Space???" He said, mesmerized.

"What?! No you noodle brain! The celestial realm!" He spat.

"T-t-the celestial realm?!?! The realm of heavenly deities and gods?!?" Tang suddenly sputtered, his heart fluttering with unbridled excitement he felt faint.

"Uh, sure" the bull prince answered.

"So, if you can get to the celestial realm..you can fix all of this?" MK asked hesitantly.

"Kid, you're not really considering this are ya?" Pigsy asked.

"Well, what other choice do we have?" He asked.

The chef was about to speak up before being tugged back by Tang.

"Pigsy, she has Wukong" he said with a hushed voice thick with worry before leaning in close. "We don't know how long he'll hold up, every minute counts"

Pigsys ears drooped at the reminder, he looked out in the direction of the city. He remembered the little smiling face from the photo tucked in Tang's sleeve and he felt that surge of protectiveness flare up again.

He was right

They needed to act fast, there was no telling how the cub was holding up in spider queens hands and it worried him to no end.

He sighed and looked back at his eldest son and nodded.

"Ok, lets help a demon rob the celestial realm" he said with determination.

Chapter Text

Wukong felt..heavy, as he slowly began to come to even as his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton and just got out of a ice cold vice clamp. He tried to lift his hand to rub at his face in attempt to wake himself up more but found his arms locked in place by his sides.

He tried to pull at his arms with sluggish movements, but his body didn't budge a bit. 

Suddenly he was a little more awake

His eyes shot open and he began to squirm before he even took in his surroundings. There was a voice in front of him but he couldn't hear what they were saying, he needed to get out, he needed to get free!

"Wukong" The voice finally came through, deep and concerned.

Wukong whipped his head up at the voice and his eyes finally focused on the purple blob in front of him. 

The demon bull king.

DBK..

Why was he here?!..

He felt his heartbeat pick up as his eyes drifted to the white rope looking stuff wrapped around the bull before he looked back down at himself and saw the same stuff and he felt his stomach sink as everything came rushing back to him.

The spider queen.

Trapping him to drain his power.

The lady bone demon...reaching into his head. He felt her icy grip piercing into his subconscious, he wasnt sure what she saw that spooked her away but he didn't like how she smiled at him as he began to black out.

What did she do?

What was she planning?!

His heart was racing against the pounding headache. His struggling was renewed by the fear of it all, his breathing picked up as he strained his body.

MK!..he had to get to MK!

A shock ran through his body and made him yelp and groan, panting as the lasting tingles faded. He didn't like this feeling! His body burned from the repeated electrical shocks, it felt so familiar that it made him nauseous.

"Wukong breath, breath little brother" the bull king instructed softly.

Wukong looked up at the bull with a near grimace as he breathed through the pain, blinking back tears.

"Brother? Thought I was nothing to you" He said quietly.

The bull shrunk back a bit sheepishly.

"Wukong--"

"I need to get back to them" the monkey interrupted. "She's back and..and I have to warn them!" He said as he tried to pull, ignoring how the shocks began to worsen.

"Who's back?" The bull asked but his question went ignored as the cub in disguise rambled.

"I need to get back and warn master, she'll go after him first!--"

"Wukong, what master?" He asked a little more firmly, getting his little brothers attention. Wukong looked at the bull like it was supposed to be obvious.

"One of MKs dads, master Triptaka" he answered.

---

Red Son had drawn a weird sigil on the carrier deck, standing up he examined his work once more before nodding to himself in satisfaction.

MK peeked over his shoulder and admired the pretty looking doodles.

"Soooo, this is going to get us to spac--I mean the celestial realm?"

"Yes noodle boy--"

"How?"

"If I tried to explain transdimensional teleportation, it'd melt yer brains!" The prince scoffed. 

MK upturned his nose and pouted.

"Rude" he said.

Red Son just rolled his eyes in response and turned back to his handiwork.

"You might want to hold onto something, this can get pretty bumpy" he warned as he knelt down again, about to activate the sigil--.

"Wait!" Pigsy blurted out.

"What?" The bull prince asked, barely keeping himself from gritting his teeth.

"Are you sure mortals can pass through into the celestial realm?" He asked.

"Of course they can!"

"Safely?!"

"Uh..probably, anyway let's get going!" The prince announced and activated the sigil.

The ship rumbled and a glittering ring shot out in front of them, the inside of it lit up with bright colors that felt warm and welcoming for a tunnel as the ship drew closer to it. When the front of the carrier breached the ring it sucked them in with neck cracking speed and shook them around in the tunnel but just as quickly the portal spat them out on the other side.

Everyone, except Red Son, were trying to get their balance and stand up without puking.

"See? Told you it'd melt yer brains?" The prince shrugged.

Once the shock wore off, the group looked around in awe. 

The celestial realm

Everything looked so..clean. The sky here was a beautiful pink and orange blend sunset, framing the ever fluffy clouds that made you want to take a nap on. The buildings around them were sleek and shiny and didn't look they had ever seen a spec of dirt.

They gathered by the railing and took it all in.

"So..now what?" MK asked.

"Now, we gather supplies. To make the antidote I'll need three things; Laozi's pills, a peach of immortality and the trigram furnace"

"Ok, and where do we find those?" Pigsy asked.

Red Son opened his mouth to speak only to pause in thought. Mei came up next to him.

"Red boy doesn't know!" She gasped.

The prince sputtered.

"Well its not like I've been here! I'm a demon!" he defended.

Tang cleared his throat in an obvious want of attention.

"Uh hello? Scholar of ancient times here?" He said.

"Oh right, whatcha got Tangy?" Pigsy asked, urging him to speak up.

"Well, going by the stories. The monkey king took the peaches of immortality from the heavenly orchard so unless they did the sensible thing and moved them, they should be in there and he got Laozi's pills from his alchemy lab so we should start there--"

"What about the furnace? I can't make anything without it" Red Son interupted.

"--Well it could be in the lab but my guess is that it's in the Jade Emperors thrown room" the scholar explained.

"What makes you think it's there?" MK asked, it did make more sense for the furnace to be in a lab or something.

"Well--"

"We don't have time, I'm going for the peach!" Red Son interrupted impatiently, he was about to hop the railing but Mei grabbed him last minute and pulled him back.

"Oh nonono, I'm not letting you out of my sight, we'll go together" she huffed.

"In that case, I'll grab the pills I guess. They look like normal ones right? Pill shaped?" Pigsy asked, unsure of himself.

"I'll go with you" Tang deadpanned.

"And I'll grab the furnace!" MK volunteered.

"By yourself?" Pigsy asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, better to sneak in one person than two, plus do any of you have monkey king strength to lift a furnace?" He asked with a smirk.

"Fair enough" his dad answered.

And with a final send off from Sandy, they all hopped over the railing and split into their respective groups, not seeing the spider shaped shadows following them.

---

The demon bull king blinked with confusion.

"What do you mean he's Tripitaka? Wukong, he died centuries ago" he pointed out.

"He told me before he died that he was entering the reincarnation cycle, and he did! His face changes a bit with each reincarnation but their soul never changes" the monkey king explained proudly, for a brief second he forgot about where they were before he deflated a bit.

"Though..he never..remembers me" he muttered before perking up again. "But I have a good feeling about this new one!"

The bull stared at his brother and his heart broke all over again.

He doesn't understand he thought.

"Wu--"

A jolt of electricity ran through the webs, shocking its occupants and screams and groans rang through the room. The bull looked to his brother as he breathed through the residual pain, the dark veins on the monkey grew ever slightly more and he spotted that they were starting to show up on himself as well, albeit very faint yet.

A quiet whimper from the monkey met his ears before it turned into a growl. He watched his brothers eyes turn red as he growled and pulled at his binds with anger, he thrashed in the webs and he saw a small tear crack the webs just above him before a shock ran through Wukongs binds. He slumped with a quiet whimper.

DBK looked at his brother and then the tear, an idea formed in his head but he didn't like it.

He just hoped he could explain and make it up to him once they were free.

---

The separate groups managed to get their individual ingredient, albeit some difficulty by dealing with a few spiders.

Tang and Pigsy climbed onto the ship first, out of breath and panicked as they searched around.

"Where are the kids?!" Pigsy squealed first.

"Not here yet but--"

"Sandyyyy!!" A voice yelled out. The three looked over the railing to see quite the sight. Mei was running for her life, her legs going as fast as possible while also carrying Red Son on her shoulders, flailing like a flag in the wind and clutching onto the peach they plucked from the tree.

Their eyes went beyond them to the Goliath spider demon chasing them.

"Sandyyyy!!" Another voice yelled out on the distance. The group looked to see MK riding on some sort of animal--no, machine? Running down the pathway and heading straight for them with the furnace in tow. Their eyes trailed past him and saw a pair of actual guard animals chasing the delivery boy.

"Sandy get the engines started! We got spiders on our tails!!" Pigsy cried out as Mei and Red Son tumbled their way onto the ship. The prince managing to hold up the peach so it wouldn't get crushed under him.

They felt the carrier shift under them, moving away from danger.

"What about MK?!" Mei exclaimed, racing to the railing just in time for her best friend to jump over them all and land on the carrier platform. 

The big drone finally gained its momentum just in time to sail away from the spiders that had just reached the end of their line. The group looked back in time to see the spider demons be chased by the guard dogs and they all let out a sigh of relief they didn't realize they were holding.

"Ok. We got the ingredients. What now?" Pigsy asked, looking to the bull prince.

"We need to get somewhere safe, where I can make the antidote and make a plan" he answered.

"But where? Spider Queen probably has her goons everywhere in the city by now" Mei pointed out.

"What about Flower Fruit Mountain?" MK piped up. "Monkey king has that place protected by barriers, no ones getting through those"

"I suppose that should suffice until we're ready" the prince said with reluctance.

"Alright! Sandy set the course for Flower Fruit Mountain!" The delivery boy exclaimed happily.

"Wow, you're your normal cheery self, what happened?" Red Son asked.

"I got a new power!" The boy chirped.

The others looked at him expectantly, ready to awe at the new discovery.

"The power...of self reflection" MK said dramatically.

The group deflated and looked at MK with deadpan expressions.

"What?" MK asked with a shrug.

---

"It's so pretty here" Mei smiled, taking in the colorful nature around them.

They had gotten to Flower Fruit Mountain with relatively no issue. Sandy landed on the beach as close as he could to the mountain, as soon as the engines were off they made their way up the trail to the barrier protected home of the monkey king.

MK opened the seal and they took cover behind the waterfall.

"Yeah. It's really peaceful, watch out for the little ones though. They like to jump and climb" MK warned and as if on cue a few of the baby monkeys spotted MK and hurried up to him, climbing him like their own jungle gym.

"Awww!!" Mei squealed, she picked one of the little ones off her friend and held it close. The baby cooed at her curiously and inspected her green tinted hair.

Then the babies spotted Red Son who was crouched on the ground next to the furnace. He was about to light a fire under it when the babies trilled and cooed at the prince as they began to climb on him.

"Awww!! Red Son if I didn't know any better I'd say they know you!" MK chirped.

Red Son squawked indignitely as one latched onto his face, he reached and pulled the cub off like velcro.

"Yes yes, it's nice to see you lot again too" the prince grumbled more towards the babies and ignored the two young adults making googoo eyes at the sight.

Unbeknownst to them, the actual adults were taking in the sights. Pigsy ignored the kids and walked closer to the ominous dark entrance of the monkey kings palace.

"This is where he lives?" Pigsy said to himself, looking to the ruined palace half engraved into the mountain wall.

The stone palace was run down and overgrown, vines and plants slowly taking over the place.

The chef felt his stomach drop. There's been a child living here..for thousands of years...

Pigsy walked up to the crumbling pillars, he looked inside the dark palace. It looked anything but welcoming but he was curious.

It was obvious that there was no one on the mountain capable of taking care of the monkey king (at least none that hes seen) and even if there was, he was their king in their eyes, right? How would you tell your king that it was bed time?

He moved to take another step when a voice startled him from behind. 

"Where are you going?" Tang asked.

"I just wanna look around"

"Pigsy this isn't our home, I don't think it's right for us to snoop"

"Tang this isn't anyone's home" Pigsy countered and gestured to the crumbling palace. "Look around it, it's falling apart and if the monkey king is as young as you say he is? I can't in good conscious just leave and not make sure he has the basic nesseities" the chef declared before walking in.

Tang made a hesitant noise before he too followed into the dark palace.

---

This place is falling apart was Tangs first thought.

Vines were running rampant through the great halls and cracking the floors. Once they were actually inside it didn't seem as spooky, it actually seemed somewhat peaceful.

In an abandoned..wasteland-like way he supposed.

They went through the grand double doors at the end of the foyer and found the throne room.

Tang looked around with awe, he couldn't help but imagine the history he was standing in. 

The parties..

The alliances made in this room..

If only these walls could talk.

He made his way to the throne, crumbling at the edges and dusty with disuse. In the center of the large seat sat a crown, a simple golden band with a ruby adorning the front.

He picked it up and wiped it clean, examining the glittering gold with awe. He didn't realize it before handling it but the crown was really small for an adult.

But it was the perfect size for a small child He thought distantly.

He turned to call out to Pigsy only to see the chef leaving the throne room.

"Pigsy?" He called, putting down the crown and quickly following his partner out.

He caught up with the chef in the hall, walking further into the palace.

"Pigsy? You ok?" Tang asked. 

The chef hummed in response, not a displeased sound but also not a happy one.

They continued walking down the decrepit halls, they came across other rooms that posed more questions than answers. The smashed up king suite left them confused and sad.

He couldn't explain it but something about this room felt like it held a great deal of sadness and grief. He looked back at Pigsy and he had a feeling his partner could feel it too judging by the way he shuffled away from everything.

Tang had to be the one to steer them out of the room to keep walking.

---

They found an old ballroom of sorts that looked completely taken over by nature, a once beautiful dining room that looked over the rest of the palace that was set up for a party that never happened.

Until finally they came to the grand library MK had told them about. 

And grand it was.

As they walked in further and explored the library, the pair were in complete awe.

The high ceilings gave way to mountains of bookshelves and books stacked from the floor nearly two stories high. Oddly enough this seemed to be the only room that wasn't completely invaded by vines and crumbling debris.

And suddenly the rose colored lenses were washed out when they found the blanket fort.

They stared at it for a moment before walking up to it. 

"Is that?..a fort?" Pigsy asked aloud like he couldn't believe he was asking because, duh!, it was a fort made of blankets!

Tang knelt down and pulled back the blanket wall of the circus tent fort. 

It looked cozy inside with lots of pillows and blankets, it looked well used too, like someone's been sleeping here for a long time.

They looked at each other and Pigsy knew they held the same thought. 

Has Wukong been living here? Like this? The whole time?

He couldn't speak for Tang but he knew right then and there, he can't let this child come back to this...

It wasn't right, there was no one here, how has this child survived by himself?! This can't go on!

He wanted--no, needed to bring Sandy in on this. They were going to tell the others anyway, but he needed Sandy on this one. Maybe he could build him a little house, something stable, something out of this crumbling death trap of a palace! He--

"There you guys are!" Another voice sighed with relief.

Pigsy looked over to see their son, he seemed out of breath like he'd ran the whole way here.

"Cmon! We're ready to head back to the city!" The noodle boy said with urgency and began jogging back towards the door.

Pigsy looked back at Tang and he knew they shared the same sentiment.

They can't let Wukong come back to this.

Chapter Text

Spider Queen sat atop her mechanical spider as the parade went by. Float after float went by along with her minions in celebration of her victory.

"Oh! Here comes the spider float!" The Queen said with glee. "And the spider dancers!"

She ate the grapes served to her on the silver platter and chuckled with pure amusement.

"Now this is how you rule!" She cheered before looking out at her sea of minions before spotting something that..didn't belong.

"What is that?" She asked one of her minions.

In the back of the parade line there was a large, crudely drawn cut out of the monkey king waddling its way along with the others.

Syntax grew nervous at the Queens shift in tone and flipped through his clipboard.

"I-I don't know you majesty, it's not on the approved schedule" he answered.

The queen opened her mouth to retort when their attention was grabbed by the cutout again. A large carrier ship tipped the cutout over and hovered higher in the air. She saw the little girl disappearing in a flash of blue light out of the corner of her eye, she grit her teeth with anger but ultimately focused back on the carrier just in time to see a big with the monkey kings staff stepping onto the front of the aircraft.

"Well if it isn't spider queen throwing herself a party!" He chirped. "Prepare to meet your DOOM!! HAHAHA!" He cackled.

She vaguely heard someone saying something about a hero speech and spiders but what got her was what he said next.

"Release the antidote!" The boy called.

Antidote?!

She watched as a golden liquid sprayed from large cannons around the ship, it rained onto the city and her enslaved minions like water.

Slowly her spider bots began falling of the people one by one, freeing them from her control.

"No no NO!" She cried as she looked around. 

She turned back to the heroes to see them defending onto the ground, leaving the safety of their ship.

The monkie kid swung his staff around and pointed it at her. No, no she came too far she would not be stopped now! Not when she has the monkey king powering her! She would not let the monkeys successor, this boy change her destiny!! 

"Your reign of horror is overrrrr..." the boys words died off as she grew to her full height once more to face them, smiling when her loyal minions flanked them from both sides.

"Oh monkey boy, your nothing without your master! There's nothing that can stop me, NOTHING!!" She exclaimed as green energy surged beneath her skin as she drew power form her mech.

"MK!" Mei called worriedly.

"I got it!" He said before launching himself at the queen, but it was too late.

Everything felt like it was in slow motion.

MK saw the energy be absorbed and the spider queen look at him with manic glee as she caught the staff inches from herself. There was a spark and the next thing he knew he was being flung backwards with strength that left him breathless as he hit the building behind him. His staff missing his head by inches.

The Spider was in brief shock herself as she processed what she did and she felt herself grin from ear to ear and laugh. She didn't even care when the others of the group sprung to action, all of them trained on her.

She waved her arms and moved her webs to her will, ensnaring them all and squeezing them as tight as could be and whacked them around like ragdolls. She laughed and laughed as she approached the monkie kid, a look of fear on his face as her webs ensnared him as well, pulling his limbs taught.

She walked up her webbing towards the boy.

"You think after all over won and lost and won again. I was really going to let some boy take it from me?!" She growled, she leaned back and stood tall, raising one of her sharp mechanical legs to the boys head. "No. Not today, not ever again! Bye bye problem child!" She bellowed and struck down.

But the leg never made contact, instead it was almost like it powered off just centimeters from his forehead.

"What?.." the queen breathed out with confusion.

They looked up at the mech as saw the once glowing eyes go dim, the power...cut off.

"No..no my powers!--"

She was cut off by a rumbling coming from her mech, giant puffs of smoke came from its body. It sounded like it was being torn apart from the inside before one more big boom exploded the side of it, sending the mech off kilter and downing one of the legs as something shot out from it.

---

The demon bull king took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself, he had to piss his little brother off and he knew just the button push.

"Wukong, your master is gone" the bull stated.

The reaction was immediate.

Wukongs eyes flashed a solid gold and a harsh golden wave fed into the webs around him. 

"Don't. Say that!" Wukong growled.

Bull king looked above his brother and saw that the top webs were starting to break. He looked back at the monkey and internally begged for forgiveness, they had to get out of here and this might be they're only chance.

"That scholar is not him" the older pressed.

"Yes it is, he reincarnated into Tang, hes same inside" the cub defended.

"That may be so but thats not how it works, when someone reincarnates, all their memories--"

"Stop it" Wukong warned, his face burned, he didn't want to hear this.

"Their experiences--"

"I said, stop!" He growled, anger beginning to bubble to the top.

"--their while life from before is wiped away--"

"No its not!" Wukong cried out, more force going into his struggling and the bull could see the webs tearing a bit further. "You're being mean!"

DBK prepared himself for the burst and hit the last nail in, just one more push.

"--hes never coming back, never going to remember you, because Tripitaka. Is. Dead!"

"NO HES NOT!!" Wukong screamed back and a sudden golden energy surged through the whole mech.

The webs wrapped around the bull king tore as well as the ones encasing Wukong and the other trapped demons as the system seemed to overload.

DBK slid to the floor as other demons fell from the ceiling, the connection finally severed. He watched some of them, the ones that were still conscious that is, back away and cower in fear of the great sage's power.

Wukong fell to the floor in a heap before getting up with angry tears welled in his eyes.

"Wukong--" he tried but he didn't get the chance to finish.

Wukong flew towards him and kicked him hard and fast like a bullet, knocking the wind from the bull as he hit the ground. Wukong kneeled on top of him, his hands gripping the fur on his chest painfully and shaking him around with wide angry eyes as he spoke.

"I had no one, no one! But he was there for me even when I didn't deserve it! He picked me up when I fell! He was there, to show me kindness when I thought I was the last person to deserve it!" He snarled, his glamoured form flickered and wavered. "He's not gone, I'll prove that it's him! Just watch!" The monkey jumped from the bull and busted the wall leading into the rest of the mech.

The demon bull king sat up, coughing as his diaphragm twinged in pain from where Wukong kicked him. 

"Where are you going" he grunted.

Wukong stood in front of the opening, his form glitching and wavering between an adult and one much younger.

"I'm going to prove it to you!" The cub declared before running off.

DBK heard and felt the mech being torn apart by his brother, he sat there is stunned silence for a moment before getting up, he still had to go find his son.

And hopefully, help pick up the pieces of his brother.

He had to know sometime he told himself, but it didn't make him feel any better.

 ---

The crew watched as the figure in the air took shape and landed in front of them with a golden flicker.

It left a crater from where he landed and with it he let out a wave of golden power that broke the web's around him and freed the monkie crew as well as sent the spider demon flying into one of the giant spider mech legs, watching her crumble to the ground in a heap. 

When the dust settled they were met with the sight of a disheveled monkey king, his eyes were full of unshed tears and he looked a hairs width away from breaking down.

But what mad when concerned the most was that his body didn't seem..stable.

It was glitching and flickering like a lightbulb that didn't have enough power to stay on. Tang watched in awe as he caught sight of his other form, it was small...

"He looks exhausted" Pigsy commented next to him.

Tang nodded in agreement just as Wukong locked eyes with him and bounded over to him, almost tripping multiple times like his legs were trying to give out from under him. Wukong grabbed his sleeves like a life line.

"Monkey king, are you ok?! " he asked worriedly but it was like the monkey didn't hear him at all.

"Tell him! Tell him it's you!" Wukong cried out, looking almost seconds away from crying himself.

Tang looked at Wukong with concern 

"Tell who what?" He asked just before a large figure landed in the same spot the monkey king did, it was the demon bull king.

Wukong pointed at the bull.

 "Him! He doesn't believe me! He said you're not him, so I need you remember me now! I can't do this anymore! This isn't fair! " Wukong cried again as his body glitched again, it was like he was filled with some kind of golden static.

Now everyone was watching.

"Monkey king, I think you should calm down first, we can talk about this later--"

"NO!" Wukong yelled. "Tell him now!"

He genuinely didn't know what to say or do to get him to calm down , he was getting flashbacks to the noodle shop when the king did this same thing and got so upset he left in a huff.

"I don't know what you want me to say" Tang said with worry.

Which seemed to be the wrong thing to say.

Wukong growled and a wave of golden power pulsed out behind him as he stomped his foot. Car alarms went off as the earth quaked, the sidewalk cracked and lampposts went down.

"Tell him you're Tripitaka!" Wukong yelled, tears springing from his eyes.

DBK said something and Wukong argued back but their words were lost on deaf ears. Tang stood there gaping at the king until the words sunk in and his eyes softened with understanding before turning to horror.

"Tell him you're Tripitaka!"

Oh. Oh...

This whole time, he thought...?

"..I can't do this anymore!.. "

Wukong looked broken when he said that..

How many times has this happened before him?

How long was he waiting for one of them to be him?

To remember their old life?

How many times has he been rejected?

Called crazy?

How many had he seen die and grieve, thinking they were his old master?

He had to put a stop to this, as much as its going to hurt, how badly he's going to react, he can't lie to him about this! He has to know!

He took a breath and yelled it over the arguing demons.

"I'm not Tripitaka!" 

Everything went quiet right then.

And then, a small broken voice said.

 "..what?"

---

"I'm not Tripitaka!!"

And just in that one sentence be felt his world shatter.

"...what?"

 He turned back towards the scholar.

"I'm sorry, but you have to understand--"

"No.." Wukong denied. "You're lying again!"

"I'm telling you the truth, and the truth is that I'm not your old master, Wukong" the scholar repeated, he tried to reach out, to put his hands on Wukongs shoulders but the glitching monkey backed away. He saw the others come closer, staring at him with worry.

Wukong felt his eyes prick, he tried to blink them away but Tangs words just kept repeating in his head.

His head swam with a rush of questions and it made him nauseous.

He felt something bubbling up inside him, Tangs voice became distant as the feeling grew and grew. His face burned and his vision became blurry. He made the mistake of looking at the scholar, his mouth was moving but he couldn't hear what he was saying over the ringing in his ears.

His heart beat harder and he couldn't stop his limbs from shaking..

If Tang wasn't Tripitaka then why does he have the same soul?! Where was his Tripitaka?!..

He wanted his master..

He wanted Tripitaka..

"But I-I.." he choked.

He wanted..

He wanted his..

"I want my dad!" he sobbed in admittance.

Something inside snapped as fat globs of tears began flowing down his cheeks, balling up his hands in his oversized shirt. He barely felt the rumbling around him as he let go, he stopped trying to hold up his appearance and he felt himself shrink to his original size. 

He wanted his dad.

He wanted the man that held him, that showed him kindness after so, so long. He wanted the man that taught him how to be a better person, to be good.

Tang was not Tripitaka

He wasn't even close.

He sees that now. 

This whole time he thought his master just didn't remember him. He had heard once that reincarnation could jumble ones memories but he didn't even have them at all to begin with, his soul remained but the life they had together was gone..

His dad was gone..

And Tang looked just like him, it was like a sick joke. Someone that was a carbon copy but couldn't be any more different.

Wukong felt himself let go as it sunk in. He had no energy left, all he could do was cry. He felt the ground hit his knees as he crumbled to the ground, his arms slowly grabbed onto one another in a poor attempt to self soothe and sobbed to himself.

He wanted his dad.

He wanted his dad he wanted his dad hewantedhisdad---

Just as he felt himself beginning to scream..someone wrapped their arms around him and squeezed him tight.

He gasped at the contact and his eyes shot open.

It was Tang...

His brain froze for a moment as he processed their touch, his arms were warm and they held him so tightly.

 His brain was screaming at him to push the imposter away but instead he cried harder, yelling and sobbing as he felt all the more tears roll down his cheeks.

The scent of old books and noodles drifted into his nose and he could almost choke. He couldnt help the jerky movements in his arms as his body finally moved and tried to push Tang away with a scream, but the scholar wasnt easily thrown. 

It wasn't fair.

He breathed heavily and sputtered when the air didn't go in right.

"I jus' wan' my d'd" he could barely croak out in a high whisper against Tangs shoulder.

He felt the scholar hold him tighter.

---

Tang could practically watch as the words processed in the childs mind. He watched as his face became blotchy as his eyes filled with tears and he let out that heartbreaking wail.

"I want my dad!"

And the ground around them began to shake and rumble. Through it, he watched the monkey king become the child he truly was. The glamours finally melting away as he shrunk in size and demeanor as he sobbed, fat tears rolling down his now chubby little cheeks.

He could feel himself tear up as he listened to Wukong's wails.

The cries of a lost child wanting their parent that was no longer here and couldn't understand why.

 "What the hell is happening?!" MK cried out.

Before either parent could say anything they were being tackled to the ground.

 "Look out!" A deep voice shouted and suddenly all three of them were on the ground in time to avoid the next pulse of golden energy that threw rocks and other debris at them.

 MK managed to look up and see DBK of all people keeping them shielded.

 "C'mon" he grunted and whisked the three away.

 They managed to make it behind a large piece of building debris just in time for a second wave to hit.

MK saw everyone else huddling behind the thing as well and looking just as confused..except for his two dads.

"What's happening to him?!" Mei asked frantically.

 "Its not his fault, he's just a little kid that's having some reallyyy big feelings right now!" Tang exclaimed.

"He's what?!" she exclaimed, flinching when a particularly high scream pierced the air.

 "Uh, we'll explain later" he said.

"Right now we have to calm him down somehow" Pigsy piped up.

And as if on cue, everything stopped.

They all looked at each other, the quakes and pulsing energy stopped, the only sound were the heartbroken cries of the little monkey. They all peeked around the rubble to see Wukong drop into a frog sit on the ground, sobbing his eyes out. There looked to be little waves around that were trying to be destructive but we're too weak to actually do anything.

 "He's out of steam" the bull king sighed with relief. "The draining finally caught up with him"

 "He's so..small" Mei commented.

Tang felt a pang of guilt in his gut and slowly moved out from the protection of the boulder like debris and began walking towards the distraught child.

He could only think of one thing to try and comfort him so he knelt to his level and took him into his arms, holding him tightly and hushing him softly as he let it all out. 

Sobs and hiccups were all he heard from the child as he pushed his head into the crook of his neck. He felt the boys tears begin to soak into his scarf as he cried.

Wukong tried to push him away with a choked whine. He didn't know how he managed to keep his hold on the child but he wasn't complaining.

"I jus' wan' my d'd I w'nt my d'd" He heard him barely croak between sobs against him and he felt his own tears slipping down his cheeks.

Wukong's breathing began to get short as if the beginnings of hyperventilating were setting in as he let everything out. He heard the others behind him but he couldn't care less right now, all he was focused on was Wukong.

Tang began rubbing the child's back, pushing firmly and evenly. One hand reached down to grab one of Wukongs that was latched onto his arm. He squeezed the small hand in spaced intervals to make an easy pattern.

"Sshhhh" he hushed into the small kings ear.

His only response was a choked cry.

"You're n-not him" he hiccuped.

"I know, I'm sorry I'm not Tripitaka, I wish I could give you that but I can't and for that I'm sorry" he said with tears of his own.

Wukong hiccuped against his neck and Tang continued trying sooth him, anything before he tried to take the city apart with his cries again.

He felt hesitant small arms latch onto him, holding on with a desperation he didn't know existed and it just broke his heart further, it was like Wukong was torn between wanting the comfort and wanting to run away to Buddha knows where.

Wukongs breathing got shorter and quick, sometimes stopping all together in little breath holding spells. Tang felt and heard the irregular rhythm and pulled back ever so slightly.

"Hey, you're ok, you're ok, take a big breath for me" he said as calmly as he could. "Take a big breath, like this--" he demonstrated by taking an exaggerated breath through his nose.

They were stuttery and short but it was better than before.

"There you go, big breaths" the scholar soothed and rubbed his hands up and down the kids arms. 

 "I w'nt my d'd" he breathed out barely audible, fat tears starting over again.

"I know..I know" he said equally soft.

Tang pulled him in again and let the kid cry it out, rubbing his back and whispering soft nothing's to him. It worked to some degree but the kid was still a mess.

"Oh, isn't that sweet? " a sickly sugary voice rang out.

If course, as the universe seemed to hate them, the spider queen and her henchmen began waking up. The queen was unsteady on her feet but quickly used the metal leg next to her for support.

"This isn't over" she said through grit teeth.

Tang held his arms around Wukong more protectively, as if to shield him from view, before he could say anything, MK stepped in front of them.

"Look, I may not know what's going on but I do know that your finished here. Your mech is destoryed, we freed the citizens from your venom. You have nothing left" he said with an uncharacteristic serious tone.

The spider queen stood to her full height and held her head up proud.

"If I'd known that the monkey king was just a bumbling child I would have taken care of him much sooner" she said, getting ready to launch at the group.

MK took his staff and slammed it on the ground, shaking it with a warning.

"If you take one more step I will rip off all those mechanical legs and shove them so far down your throat your grandkids with taste it! " he warned, his eyes flashing gold.

At first the spider queen seemed like she was about to challenge that until Mei came up next to him, her eyes lit up with green energy and her Dragon blade. Red Son flanked his other side and let his more demonic features shine as he played with his fire. But the cherry on top was the massive bull demon that stood behind the three, growing in size and mass to his full height and looking down at the spider queen with absolute murder in his eyes.

The spider demon looked at the four and took a step back.

"This, isn't over monkey boy" she hissed before grabbing her minions and slinking off into the shadows.

The four breathed a collective sigh and turned around to face the couple that were hovering over the sniffling cub.

They had some explaining to do.

The couple watched them approach, Tang handed Wukong off to Pigsy who hugged him tight as they stood back up. Wukong was still sniffling but at least he was calmer now, say in the chefs arms.

"I think it would be best if I take my little brother for now" the demon bull king voiced, arms held out to take the cub.

"Oh hell no!" Pigsy said with a time that left no room for argument .

But the demon would sure try.

"I know him best, I can give him what he needs --"

" What he needs is to be away from you. Don't forget you're the one who set him off to begin with " the chef said with grit teeth, he was trying to be careful of his volume, they didn't need to get Wukong worked up again.

"I'm his brother"

"That you betrayed and turned evil"

"I've changed!--"

"Why don't we let monkey king decide" Sandy, the ever voice of reason, piped up.

The group looked at each other and then at the cub in Pigsy's arms. The chef patted his back and got his attention.

"Do you want to go with--" Pigsy didn't even finish his sentence, as soon as Wukong laid eyes upon the bull demon he turned around and burrowed into the crook of Pigsy's neck in a poor attempt to hide and held on tightly.

That was all Pigsy needed.

The chef held him more protectively and stared the bull down.

"You heard him, thanks for your help, now get lost" he hissed and began walking off in the direction of home.

The others followed and left DBK and Red Son behind.

The calf looked up at his father.

"Father, what's wrong with the monkey king? What were they talking about?" He asked.

The king sighed and placed a hand on his son's back.

"My boy, I think it's time you learned the truth about your uncle. Things are about to change, it's better to be prepared" he said cryptically. "Take us home"

---

Pigsy swayed side to side, Wukong hadn't moved an inch, finally calm in his arms. There was the occasional shuddered breath that showed just how hard he had cried but otherwise he was fine.

The chef had been continuously rubbing his back. The kings head nestled in the crook of Pigsys neck with his eyes closed, having fallen asleep a long while ago.

"So..when were you going to tell us about all..this?" Mei asked, gesturing to the sleeping cub.

"Uh, yeah, what even is going on here?!" MK exclaimed with a hushed tone, he didn't need to get hit on the head again for being too loud.

"Hey, to be fair, I've barely known longer than you guys" the pig defended in a hushed tone, not breaking his rythmn.

"Thanks for the back up honey" the scholar deadpanned.

Pigsy held up a hand to change the subject.

"Ok, you start explaining, I'm going to go put the kid down upstairs. The little guy will probably sleep well into the morning anyway" he said before heading up the stairs.

As soon as Pigsy left with the sleeping cub, Mei and MK jumped at the opportunity to launch question after question at Tang until Sandy stood between the three with his normally peaceful demeanor.

"Ok ok, lets just..start from the beginning" Sandy said in a calming tone. "Lets give Pigsy and Tangy a chance to explain and maybe itll answer some questions you had already, yeah?"

Mei and MK looked at one another and nodded, taking their seats once more and waiting for the scholar to explain.

Tang sighed once they were all looking at him expectantly.

"Ok, it started with the journal..."

---

Pigsy stood in the living room of their upstairs apartment. He could hear the slight chatter from downstairs, as muffled as it was.

He hadn't put Wukong down yet, he took the chance to really take in the monkey's true form as he continued to gently rock him.

Young was his first thought. He was so young

And so hurt..

He took in his messy and snarled hair, dirtied face and clothes and winced at the sight.

They would have to get him cleaned up in the morning he thought distantly.

Dark circles held up the kids big red eyes that, for now, remained peacefully shut. He felt how desperately the cub had clung to him earlier, like he would disappear somehow if he didn't.

The chef could see just how worn out the kid really was and he didn't blame him one bit.

This kid..

This kid has been through so much, he remembers bits and pieces of the stories Tang told to MK over the years.

He put one hand to the kids face, pushing his head softly against him like a gentle hug. His thumb swiped against his temple, brushing the short hairs there back against his head. Wukong let out little sleepy chirps of content and snuggled a little closer in the hug.

Pigsy smiled to himself and just held the cub there for a moment, for a brief second he was thrown back to when MK showed up on his doorstep. The kid had a hard time sleeping for a long while which led to the chef rocking the kid to sleep much like he's doing to Wukong now.

The deja vu wasn't lost to him.

A small child showing up in his life...

Dirty and full of hurt...

No one to take care of them...

Pigsy sighed and bent over the couch, he grabbed one of the plush pillows and put it by the arm of the couch before laying Wukong down as gently as he could. He watched the kid twitch and settle into the new spot, his little arms that had been holding on so tight were now relaxed and splayed out without a care. 

Pigsy chuckled to himself.

Kids really out for the count He thought with amusement.

He reached over and pulled the throw blanket they kept on the back of the couch and draped it over the small king. He smiled softly and brushed Wukong messy hair out of his face and planted a soft kiss to the child's forehead before pulling back and standing up straight, looking at his handiwork.

After a nod of satisfaction, he turned on his heal and headed off to face the chaos that he knew was waiting for him.

---

"So..he's a kid" Mei said slowly.

"Yes"

"And Tripitaka, the guy who monkey thought you were, knew and hid it from everyone but you found it in his journal that I unknowingly gave you" MK added.

"Yes"

"And, up until a couple hours ago. Monkey king, a child, had the idea that you, were his reincarnated master?" Sandy reiterated.

"Correct"

"You know, this kind of explains some things" MK piped up, thinking aloud. "The behavior, mood swings, habits, the blanket fort.."

"The blank fort?" Mei echoed.

"Yeah, the guy sleeps in a big blanket fort in the palace"

"You mean the palace that was falling apart?!" Mei exclaimed. "MK, why didn't you say something to him? Or us?!"

"I thought he was just being eccentric! The monkey king is known for doing weird shit Mei!" He defended.

"As someone whose studied anything and everything about him, I can attest that is in fact true" Tang added 

"See?!" MK pointed dramatically.

"Either way, what now? We can't just ignore this" Sandy asked.

"We're not going to" A gruff voice entered.

The three looked at the stairwell to see Pigsy at the bottom of the stairs.

"I can not in good conscious let that kid go back to Flower Fruit Mountain when I know there's no one there for him" he continued.

"What? Do you think you can raise the monkey king?" Mei asked.

"All I know, is that I've got a little kid up there who just found out that that their dad, the one person they've been holding on for? Is never coming back. I don't know what he needs, but I can at least make sure he's safe and knows how to take care of himself. Sandy, I know this is a big ask but do you think there's a way that you could build a house or something? A small one? Just literally anything thats better than how he's living right now"

Sandy reached behind him and pulled out a few rolled up blueprint papers.

"Way ahead of you. I already have so many ideas!" The gentle giant exclaimed happily and laid out the paper on a nearby table and got to work.

"So..what do we do when he wakes up?" MK asked, looking up at the ceiling where he knew Wukong was sleeping.

Pigsy sighed and crossed his arms.

"Kid? I'm gonna be honest, I don't really know. This is kind of a play by ear sort of thing, I'm not even sure he knows how old he is" he admitted.

"Uhh, I think we're about to have much bigger problems guys" Mei piped up.

The others turned to her and she showed them her phone, it was playing a news feed of the Spider Queens defeat. There in the center of the chaos was little Wukong crying and screaming in the center of the rumbling power surges, the video glitched and cut out before Mei turned her phone back to herself but they all saw the numbers on the screen, the video was going viral and the comments were being flooded.

 "Fuckkkk" was the collective sigh.

Chapter Text

Wukong entered the room through the window, silent as a mouse as he hoisted his bag back onto his shoulder and approached the man on the bed.

He was so old now..

His hair was white and face full of sun spots and wrinkled with aged wisdom. The old man opened his eyes as he came closer to his bedside. The old man's face spread into that oh-so familiar smile that the cub cherished every time.

"Wukong.." the old man smiled.

"Master Tripitaka?.." Wukong greeted with uncertainty. He didn't like how old his master had become, he knew that meant the mortal was close to the end of his life.

As if reading his mind, Tripitaka chuckled and held out his hand to the monkey who immediately took it and held it close.

"My little pilgrim, it's ok, it's only natural" he tried to soothe.

"But it doesn't have to be!" The monkey king said quickly and produced a peach from his bag. "Eat this! It will save you! He urged, pushing to the peach into his masters hand.

Tripitaka only smiled and shook his head.

"No, Pilgrim, this is how it has to be" he said again. He pulled his hand back and sat up a bit in his bed.

The monkey helped him as best he could and fluffed his pillow behind him. The old monk smiled warmly to his boy and held out his arms.

"Come now, I want to see the real you one last time" he requested.

Wukong looked away but ultimately let down his glamours, now only standing about as tall as the mattress and looking up at his master with big round glowing red eyes that the mortal had come to love.

"Come here" he said again, arms still held out like a hug.

That was all it took for the cub to climb into the bed and curl up in his masters lap, unsure of what to do with himself.

Tripitaka took his round cheeks in his withered hands and pointed his face to him.

"My pilgrim, my boy" he said like sweet nothings.

Wukong felt his face begin warm as his eyes pricked with tears.

"I-I'm not ready for you to go" the cub mumbled, clutching his masters whites robes in his small hands.

Tripitaka took one hand and stroked the cubs hair, a sympathetic smile etched into his features.

"I know, and I don't want to leave you, but it wont be forever" he reassured.

Wukongs ears perked up, listening intently as his master continued.

"When I die, I will enter the reincarnation cycle. Do you remember what that is?" He asked gently.

Wukong thought for a second before shaking his head.

"It means that I'll be reborn as something entirely new. A new body, a new life, and when that one dies, I'll be reborn again into another life and again after that and so on" he explained as he held his cub close. "I won't be gone forever, just for a bit. I might look a little different each time though--"

"But it'll still be you?" Wukong asked quickly.

"In a way I suppose but it's..a bit more complicated than that--"

"But you'll come back" wukong emphasized.

"I'll always come back" his master soothed. "We'll meet again someday, don't know when or where but I'm sure we will"

Wukong burrowed his face into the man's chest and clutched his robes tighter as his eyes filled with tears once more. Tripitaka rubbed his back and held him like he had for all their years together.

"It's ok Wukong, you'll meet new people, good ones, and you'll go on more adventures than you can count!" The old man chirped before leaning over the side of the bed to grab something from the small bedside table.

"I have something for you, actually" he said.

Wukong lifted his head and accepted what was handed to him.

A small leather-bound book, it looked well cared for and loved.

"This is my journal from our journey west" he explained. "I want you to have it, keep it safe for me until..until.." Tripitaka trailed off, unsure how to say it.

"Until you come back?" Wukong asked hopefully, holding the journal close to his chest like it was the most precious thing.

"Uh, I suppose in a way, yes. When someone like me or someone you trust wholeheartedly comes for it. Can you do that for me?" He asked.

Wukong nodded fiercely and tucked the journal into his bag with great care before diving back into his master, hugging him in earnest and not just trying to hide his burning eyes.

He felt his master wrap his frail arms around him in return, squeezing him with all his old man strength could muster.

"I love you, my little pilgrim" he heard him say and that finally broke the dam, the tears he was barely holding back burst forth and all he could do was curl further into his dad.

"I love you too" he mumbled out through wobbling tears.

At some point he fell asleep, listening to his father's slowing heartbeat.

Until it finally stopped by morning...

---

Wukong opened his eyes with a gasp, light immediately flooded his eyes and he shut them just as quick with a wince. He brought his hands up to his face to rub at his aching eyes, his arms felt heavy, his whole body did actually. 

Preparing himself, he sat up on the couch. His whole body felt like lead but he managed. He looked down at the blanket that's was now dropped to his lap, someone tucked him in?

He looked around, he hadn't been here much but he recognized it as the upstairs apartment of the noodle shop. 

When did he get here?

His brain was foggy, he remembered the spider queens mech, the spiders, being captured. He remembered he broke out and found the others, and there was yelling and then...

Im not Tripitaka!

Oh..right.

He rubbed at his eyes in attempt to get rid of the burning in his eyes before it became too much.

He was tired of crying.

His brain went to last night before he exhausted himself. He sobbed and sobbed into Tangs shoulder last night and even Pigsys. He felt pathetic when he remembered how desperately he clung to the chef.

A clattering sound around the corner caught his attention followed by a quiet grumbling, curious and desperate for a distraction, he slinked off the couch and followed the sound.

As soon as his feet hit the floor he felt just how tired his body actually was, he felt just like he did when he partied with his brothers and they gave him those gross tasting drinks. 

He trudged his way around the corner, using the wall as a guide and a bit of support. He made his way into the kitchen to see none other than Pigsy rustling around in the cupboards. 

The kitchen was simple, it wrapped around the far wall with a small table that was clearly added by the chef to act as an island to give more counter space as well as a round dining table against the wall.

Pigsy looked to be in the middle of making a soup or something of the sorts, not surprising, and retrieved a cutting board to put on the island. He was about to start cutting his leafy greens when he spotted the monkey in the doorway.

"Heyy! You're up!" The chef chirped happily and immediately put his knife down and walked over to him.

It was then that Wukong noticed how..tall, Pigsy was. With his half awake, aching head, he looked down at himself. 

He was small

A pit of dread ran down his spine like cold water. He glamour slipped off, people saw what he really looked like! No one was supposed to see that, no one took him seriously without his glamour!

He clenched his fists and tried to put the glamour up again, maybe he could find a way out of it all. He concentrated hard, making his head throb as he did so. He felt his magic surged beneath his skin and a flicker of gold around him before it died out and he felt a cold sweat run down his brow, his body dizzy and vision swimming.

"Hey hey, easy kid" he heard a gruff voice call and suddenly Wukong felt himself being lifted from the floor.

He panicked and squirmed in the hold.

"Woah woah, hey I'm putting ya down, relax!" They reassured and Wukong did in fact relax a bit once he felt himself being sat down somewhere.

He managed to focus his eyes a bit and looked around. He was sitting on the edge of the dining table, Pigsy was much more eye level now albeit still taller when he straightened back up. He was still dizzy and everything felt like it was moving too slow and too fast at the same time.

He felt his hands being grasped in a gentle yet firm hold and squeezed periodically.

"Easy kiddo, just breath for a minute" the chef instructed.

Wukong did as he was asked and took some deep breaths, focusing on the squeezes of his hands. The throbbing in his head died down and he let the demon in front of him keep him steady on the table.

Soon, things came into focus a bit more and he was able to fully see Pigsy in front of him.

"There ya go, deep breaths, can you follow my finger with your eyes?" The chef asked slowly.

To Wukongs credit he did manage to follow Pigsys finger that was slowly moving in front of his eyes and that seemed to help focus his brain a bit more.

"That's better, you were pretty exhausted last night. The spider queen drained you pretty good" Pigsy explained. "Best not to push your powers until you've rested some more, how do you feel?" 

It took the monkey some time to get his mouth working, it felt like he swallowed a ton of cotton.

"Tired...dizzy" he mumbled. "...Thirsty"

The pig huffed out a laugh.

"Let me get you some water, can you sit up by yourself?" He asked, making sure the monkey wouldn't fall off the table before turning around a getting him a glass of water.

Wukong took the time to look at himself some more, he pulled his sleeve up and grimaced. His glamours had completely disappeared, even his scars were showing, at the least the ones visible on his hands. He quickly pulled his sleeve down when he noticed the pigs shadow coming towards him.

"Here" Pigsy offered softly.

Wukong took the glass in his hands, embarrassed at having to use both hands to hold it up to his lips. His arms just had no strength left.

He gulped the water down like a man dying of thirst. He saw pigsy through the bottom of the cup, he was smiling at him.

"What?" He asked when he finally came for air.

"Nothing, just...glad you're doing better" the pig answered instead and tousled his hair affectionately. 

Wukong looked down at his hands briefly before looking back at the chef.

"I guess everyone knows my little secret now, dont they?" He sighed.

Pigsys eyes widened.

"Yeah. That you're a k--"

"That I'm small?" Wukong interupted, seemingly not even hearing the chefs partial answer.

"What?" Pigsy couldn't help but blurt.

"No one would take me seriously, they always underestimated me because of how I looked compared to the other Demon Kings so, I hid it" Wukong explained and rubbed at one of his eyes as he yawned, his little baby fangs poking out as he did so.

Pigsy was internally screaming.

Does he really not know?! Does he actually think he's an adult?!

"Where is everyone?" Wukong asked, pulling the pig from his mental spiral.

"Uh, well, I thought itd be better if you didnt wake up to everyone hovering over you so I managed to send them out. Sandy's at work on his boat, MK has the day off since the shops closed so I sent him off with Mei and Tangs at work at the university" the chef rambled on.

Wukong felt himself cringe and the mention of the scholar, he wasnt ready to face that...whole thing yet. Pigsy must have seen his apprehension because suddenly the hand was back on top of his head, warm and steady in attempt to comfort him before he cleared his throat as a way of changing the subject.

"Alright then, now that you're awake, let's get you cleaned up yeah?" He said.

Wukong raised a brow in question before being scooped up again and carted off somewhere else in the apartment.

---

You know? For someone who had just woken up from a near eighteen hour coma of which was caused by sheer exhaustion both physically and mentally, the kid was still surprisingly strong.

It was fine at first, Pigsy set the kid down in the bathroom and pulled his dirty clothes off, throwing them aside to be washed later and he turned on the tub facet. 

Then all hell broke loose.

"No no no!" The cub cried out, squirming in Pigsy's arms as he walked closer and closer to the tub filling with warm water. Pigsy had quite literally had to tackle wukong to the ground, it's was something he was strongly familiar with, MK used to do the same after all.

"You're not getting out of it, you need a bath" the pig grunted.

Then Wukong said something that made him stop all together.

"No it'll hurt! I dont want to drown again!" He protested, his voice beginning to wobble.

Pigsy froze in place while Wukong continued to squirm. He looked down at the cub where he could now see the beginnings of tears in his big eyes.

"Hey hey, stop, ok?" He said gently, suddenly putting him down on the floor, Wukong tried to make a break for it but the chef still had a firm grip. "Wukong, hey, listen it's ok" he tried to soothe with a softer voice.

To his credit Wukong did stop and looked at the pig who knelt down to him , though he still seemed on the verge of bursting into tears, seemingly not knowing how to get out of the situation other than brute force.

"What do you mean it'll hurt?" He asked with concern.

Wukong looked between the tub and him and tried shuffling away, Pigsy held him in place and pointed his little face at him.

"Hey, I would not put you in the bath if I thought it would hurt you" he reassured. "It won't hurt, it's like a warm blanket, trust me. C'mere" 

He picked up Wukong again, the cub clung to him tighter the closer he got to the tub full of water, shaking even. Pigsy leaned down towards the water and put his hand in the bubble water and swirled it around.

"See? Doesn't hurt, it's just warm. Wanna give it a shot?" He asked, Wukong touched the pigs wet hand, when he saw that it did not in fact burn him he gave a little hesitant nod.

---

The cub froze when his hand met the warm bubble water.

It felt..nice...it wasn't hot.

It didn't burn...

Now that he sat in it, it smelled nice too. He reached and played with the bubbles a bit, splashing around.

"See?" He heard Pigsy from behind. "Not so bad is it?" 

Some things smashed in the water and plopped next to him.

A toy duck, a little boat with people on it and a little toy watering can made to look like an elephant.

Bath toys.

He raised a curious brow but he grabbed the brightly colored boat and plunged it in the water, it shot back up to the top with a wet ploop sound. He grinned at it and did the same with the duck.

He felt something strap around his forehead and it made him panic, reaching to yank the thing off but his hand was grabbed in a gentle but firm grip.

"It's just a visor, it's so you don't get soap in your eyes" Pigsy explained.

Oh he thought.

He twitched when warm water poured over his head, but true to his word, it didn't go in his eyes like Pigsy said. Slowly, he began to ease in the warm water and played with the bubbles and toys.

---

Pigsy watched the kid slowly relax in the water. With the kids back to him, he poured water over his hair and backside and let it soak his fur.

And his stomach dropped.

With his fur wet Pigsy could the skin beneath and what he saw made him feel cold.

Scars

They were covering his back from the nape of his neck and well down into the water.

Burns.

Slashes.

Lightning.

Like someone was determined to kill this kid and failed but...the marks remained.

Who would do this? He asked himself. Why?! Would anyone do this?!

"Pigsy?" Wukong voiced, confused when Pigsys hands suddenly stopped.

The chef looked up to see Wukong staring at him.

"Why do you look so sad?" He asked.

Pigsy looked between him and his scarred back.

"Eh, nothing. Everything's fine" he answered with a soft smile after a beat and reach for the conditioner. "Lets try getting some of these mats out first, yeah?"

With a nod from the boy, Pigsy grabbed the conditioner and got to work, the sound of bath toys being fiddled with filled the quiet bathroom all the while the pig behind was seething.

Nothing was in fact fine

He was angry, so very very angry.

Not at Wukong, goodness no, but at the people who hurt him. The evidence was all over the childs body and it made the chef feel sick. 

It didn't stop there, his back was the worst but his chest and abdomen held their own fair share of scars, mostly what seemed to be stab wounds and slashes across his shoulders like someone had tried to cleave him in half and around the crown of his head he spotted a long faded pink scar that created a perfect circle.

He was only a boy...but it was clear that he'd been through way more than even the most hardened veterans of war times.

When he stared at Wukongs scars, all he could think of were ways to hurt the people that did it. Did DBK know about this? Did he know how much his brother had been hurt?

Did the bull cause any of these?!

He doesn't think he wants the answer to that, he shook the thought away and let out a silent sigh. He needed to focus on what's in front of him and right now that getting this little munchkin cleaned up, fed and pop the question the rest were counting on.

He could deal with the rest later.

As he gently worked the soap against Wukongs back he broke the silence.

"Hey, uh. The others and I were talking while uou slept and we were wondering, if you'd..like to stay with us for the time being?" He asked nervously.

Wukong picked his head up from where he was playing with the toys.

"Stay? Why?" The cub asked.

"Well, the spider queen drained quite a lot from you, and judging by how you walked into the kitchen you haven't recovered fully, youre still pretty tired right? Cant even change your shape"

"Hm..yeah" Wukongs cheeks puffed out in annoyance at the reminder.

"Well, it could be like a sleepover, you can hang out with MK and everyone, play games and even further MKs training" Pigsy continued hopefully. "At least until you're back to full strength?"

The kid hummed in thought, the only sound between them was the small splashes of water from the toys.

"Hm...ok" he answered, he liked the sound of spending more time with MK.

Unbeknownst to the child, the chef behind him nearly went limp with relief.

---

Pigsy couldnt save the kids hair, not completely. He had tried and tried to detangle his matted hair with conditioner and detangler but it wasn't working, so with some gentle words and praise, he managed cut away the matted hair.

In the end, with three baths and a very tense haircut later, Pigsy was finally done with him and Wukongs fur was practically two shades lighter. He thought the kid was a brownish ginger but after the soap washed away the grime and grit he found that the little king had a golden copper color to his fur.

After he pulled the plug and pulled Wukong out from the tub he was wrapped and dried off with in a big fluffy towel and carried him into his and Tangs shared room.

Wukong stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, holding the towel around himself like a security blanket until Pigsy turned to the cub with a faded red college t-shirt in hand.

"Tang hasn't worn this in quite a while so I think it's safe to say he won't miss it" he said, kneeling down to Wukongs level.

"Where are my clothes?" 

"Lost in a vat of stain remover and disinfectant" the pig said bluntly before giving a good natured smile. "It'll be a while before they're done in the wash so you're gonna have'ta make do with this" he explained and rubbed the towel over Wukong one last time before pushing the cubs head through the neck hole of Tangs shirt.

The shirt went down nearly to his shins and the short sleeves were kinda long and baggy and went to his elbows, frankly it looked like he was wearing a big smock instead. He smiled and sat Wukong on the bed in front of him and began brushing out the kids newly cut hair, it turned out pretty good if Pigsy did say so himself!

It was less in his face and more clean cut, they could shape it more later when his hair grows, maybe let Mei take a look, he didn't really want to have to introduce Wukong to more people than he had to yet by taking him to a salon or something.

He still needs to figure out how to get the kid to a doctor yet so he could make sure the kid was getting the nutrients and vitamins he needed. Pigsy had a feeling that it was going to be like pulling teeth.

"There!" Pigsy chirped happily when he brushed the final wayward lock into submission.

Wukong didn't react, his gaze never wavering from a certain spot of the bedroom. Pigsy followed his gaze to the top of Pigsys and Tangs shared dresser, a photo of Tang sat on top as well as other various photos of their family.

But it didn't take a genius to know which one wukong was staring at. Pigsy leaned over to gauge the kids face, his face was blank but his held held a swirl of emotions that one could drown in.

"Hey, why don't we go to the kitchen, I'm sure your hungry by now, I know I am" he suggested lightly and scooted off the bed.

Wukong said nothing and just looked up at the chef with an unreadable expression and slowly slid off the bed to follow.

---

Wukong didn't know what to think.

Now that he was left to himself for a moment he receded into his head and he just felt so..empty, like someone hollowed him out with a dull knife.

For so long he waited, he waited for each reincarnation to come and when they did he always thought this is the one!, but they never were. They never remembered him, no flicker of recognition like he always hoped for.

And now he learned that all of that trying was for nothing. Tripitaka was never coming back.

None of them were..

And yet, he always found himself surrounded by them, time and time again.

He watched Pigsy move around the kitchen, slicing herbs and veggies alike and sweeping them into the pot. But all Wukong could see was yet another reminder of a brother that was never coming back.

He was right in front of him, he could see him, but it wasn't Zhu Bajie. 

He'd never be Zhu Bajie again and that crushed something inside of him.

Everywhere he looked in this apartment was a reminder of the family he lost and it hurt, it hurt so fucking much but he didn't have the tears or energy to cry anymore so there he sat, at the table where Pigsy plopped him down while he finished cooking with a far away look in his eyes.

He felt like an intruder in what once was his own family. Now they were strangers with painfully familiar faces.

And he had agreed to stay here for the time being

He startled slightly when a bowl of noodles was placed in front of him. He didn't realize how long he had been in his head.

"What's on your mind kiddo?" The chef asked, trying to sound cheery but Wukong could hear the concern in his voice.

The monkey just continued to look dejectedly into his soup as his eyes burned and his lips tighten to a fine line.

He heard shuffling and suddenly Pigsy was taking his hands into his much larger ones and squeezed.

"Hey, look at me" Pigsys voice crooned. 

Wukongs watery eyes met soft brown.

"I know it hurts, the way you found out was horrible and I'm so sorry. You've..lost, a lot and you've been alone for so..so long munchkin, but it will get better, I can promise you that" Pigsy tried to reassure.

Wukong took a shaky breath as Pigsy wiped the stray tears starting to trail down his cheeks.

"But right now, you need to eat something" the pig encouraged and nudged Wukongs soup closer.

Wukong sniffed and cleared his throat, wiping the last bits of wetness from his eyes as he nodded and turned back to his soup.

He leaned over a bit and sniffed the steaming soup, an array of scents hit his nose at once and he pulled back like it burned him. 

He looked up at Pigsy with unease who took his seat back at the table a little ways away to give Wukong some space but close enough to reach out if need be.

"Just a few bites, that's all I'm asking" he said encouragingly.

Wukong picked up the spoon and sniffed it again. It smelt..good, he supposed, but it was unfamiliar and there were chunks in it that he couldn't identify.

Sure he had ordered Pigsy's noodles before but that was just to test MK, he never actually ate the stuff.

He blew gingerly on the tiny bit of food and broth on the spoon and finally put it in his mouth.

It was good...

It was so. good.

His eyes lit up and he dipped the spoon back for a bigger bite, bringing it to his mouth and blowing on it again before eating. And he did it again and again and again..

He briefly caught Pigsy's eyes, his eyes soft and seemed almost relieved.

Pretty quickly Wukong was picking the bowl up and drinking the broth. The empty bowl hit the table with a satisfying clink. He looked down at the empty bowl as he chewed and swallowed the last bits.

He looked down at the empty bowl like he was sad.

"Want more?" Pigsy asked softly.

Wukong looked between the bowl and the pig before making up his mind and silently held it out to the chef in a silent ask for more.

Pigsy chuckled and took the bowl, refilling it and placing it down in front of him. He smiled happily as the kid wasted no time digging in while the chef began to eat his own food at a much more humane speed.

The chefs smile grew a little somber before opening his mouth.

"You know, I lost my grandmother when I was a young man" Pigsy told. "She was my everything, and after she was gone, I felt..destroyed, I missed her so much and it hurt so bad every time I thought about her"

Wukong had stopped eating as he listened to the story.

"But..it helped talking about her, sharing her story for others to know" 

Wukong was silent for a beat, biting his lip like he was about to explode until..

"...I miss him" he finally croaked. "All of them..."

"Why don't you tell me about him" Pigsy finally said genuine sympathy and curiosity.

The small king looked down at his noodles in thought for a moment before..

"...He was nice, gentle" Wukong began. "But it didn't start out that way...."

Pigsy listened as Wukong spoke for hours, nodding along while making mental notes, refilling Wukongs bowl occasionally. He listened as Wukong mentioned things that wetent even on his radar and he decided that he really needed to have a conversation with Tang later.

---

It was getting late when Tang came home, closing the door quietly, he had barely hung his bag up before Pigsy came and greeted him at the door.

"Hey!" He chirped happily only to be hushed by Pigsy.

"Sshhh! I just got him to go down for the night!" Pigsy hissing quietly. "Where's MK?"

"Sorry. And MKs spending the night at Mei's" Tang said in a much softer voice. "Where's monkey king?"

Pigsy just motioned for the scholar to follow as he headed deeper into the apartment.

Tang walked into the living room silently, his eyes going straight to the cub passed out on the couch.

The scholar smiled as he took in Wukong lying on his side, his chubby cheek smooshed against one of the couch pillows and limbs spread out like someone threw him there with a light blanket that had been kicked off at one point and now only covered barely half of him wearing--

Is that his college t-shirt?!

Yes. Yes it was.

Tang huffed a laugh to himself as he walked up to the sleeping cub and delicately brushed his newly cut hair back.

"What did you do to the poor kid?" Tang teased with a whisper, looking at Pigsy who hung back by the hall.

"Nothing, just..cleaned him up and fed him, kid ate four bowls of noodles. Little munchkin passed out sometime ago in a coma and I just didn't have the heart to move him" the chef sighed and smiled down at the cub.

Tang looked at the sleeping monkey and then back at pigsys softly smiling face before growing a fond smile of his own as he came to the realization.

"We have another kid now, dont we?" He teased.

"Like you didn't already know that" pigsy shot back.

Tang bent over and carefully fixed the blanket around Wukong, tucking it around his shoulders for good measure. Wukong shifted ever so slightly in his sleep and snuggled into the blanket with a sigh of content.

"Yeah, I did" Tang mumbled to himself with a soft smile as he stood back up.

Tang trailed after Pigsy towards their bedroom.

"So how did everything go?" Tang asked as they both got ready for bed.

"Pretty good, all things considered but there were some things that I discovered about the kid and I need your big brain to fill in some blanks"

"Ok?"

Pigsy leaned over the bed, looking more like his true demonic form than he ever had before. His eyes screamed with malicious intent and his normally short tusks and nails were staggering between lengths like the pig was having trouble controlling them.

"What can you tell me about The Monkey King and Heaven?"

Chapter Text

Red Son stared at the pictures laid out in front of him. The pictures were of his family from a time long before he can remember. He picked one up, he recognized himself as a baby, swaddled in a blanket and held in someone's arms. The arms were his uncles, Sun Wukong was holding him with a big smile on his face except...

It wasn't the Sun Wukong he remembered and grew up hearing about, no, this one was a young boy about five or six years old in appearance but he recognized him as the same person he watched Sun Wukong shrink into back in the city.

"I don't understand.." he said. "I.." He couldn't gather the right words.

His parents were sitting across form him at the dining table. They both had guilty looks which felt incredibly weird to him to see on such prideful people that were his parents.

"The legends say that he hatched from his stone egg as a fully formed adult, but..that's not the truth, is it" Red Son prompted.

His father sighed.

"No, your uncle hatched as a young monkey cub, he was born with tremendous and devastating power that actually shook heaven the first time he sneezed, he quite literally shot one of his eye lasers at the Jade Palace by accident right after he hatched" the bull chuckled.

His mother sat a little straighter.

"Sun Wukong gained immortality far too early. He was afraid of not being able to protect his people from death so in turn he became obsessed with finding a way to cheat it and bring it back to his troup. But in gaining immortality himself, unknowingly, he trapped himself in his child body, never aging, never maturing like he should have.."

"He became an eternal child" Red Son said softly. He looked down at the happy pictures on the table. He felt anger begin to take hold. "Why didn't you tell me this before?!" He couldnt help but snip. "This whole time, growing up you made the monkey king out to be this grand villain, but now your saying that this whole time, my uncle was just a child?!"

"I was angry at Sun Wukong for imprisoning your father, I was angry at your father, I was running a kingdom, raising you, I wasn't thinking clearly--"

The bull king grabbed his wives hand, squeezing gently.

"We both were angry at my brother, but now, things are different, things are changing. We can start over, I want to be a part of my brothers life again and him in ours, be a family. For the first time in a millennium Heaven isn't breathing down our necks, we can just..be" the bull king sighed as he stood up from his chair with his wife in tow.

"Can I..have one of these?" Red Son asked softly before they left.

"Of course, take which ever one you want" his father answered equally soft before they left.

Red Son looked down at the table, the happy photos struck a chord in his chest. He grew up with his mother telling him stories of the monkey king, how evil he was, what he did to their family but what was pressing the most in his head right now were the things his mother told him about heaven. She told him about the havoc in heaven and the rebellion and how it failed..but most importantly, she told him what heaven had done to the Great Sage. 

Red Son picked up one of the photos on the table, it was one of just him and his uncle, he looked to be maybe a couple months old. He and Wukong were both asleep in the photo, he was laying face down on Wukong's chest whose arms were wrapped around the infant protectively as he himself napped on what looked like his parents bed. 

He was only a child.. It kept repeating in his head as he remembered more of his mother's stories.

Heaven had wanted the names of those involved in the rebellion but the monkey king wouldnt tell, he refused to give up his brothers. His mother had been there for Sun Wukongs trial, before she began associating with his father, and told him of the things they did to the monkey in attempt to get information out of him.

He remembered her saying how she could still hear his tortured screams..she told him these stories like they were a grand triumph!

He grit His teeth.

His mother was clouded by anger for so long that she had forgotten what his uncle really was, she unknowingly raised him to hate a child who was probably just as scared and hurt as his father was! And now..now his father wants to just sweep everything under the rug?!

He deflated as looked at the photo.

"I don't think it will be that easy" he said softly as he gently thumbed the picture in his hand with a sad look.

---

News spreads like wild fire, that's all there is to it. So once the video of the monkey king went viral, it didn't take long for news to reach the more ancient demons via word of mouth.

The Lady bone demon grit her teeth behind her child mask. She needed to find a way to rectify the situation. She needed the monkey child to complete her destiny but she couldn't get to him if every other Demon was also going to start gunning for the child.

The bone demon pondered her options, the Spider Queen had drained a significant amount of the monkey kings powers, eventually rendered him unconscious even, it would take time for him to be back to full strength but even then the child was unpredictable so there was no guarantee and wouldn't be wise for her to try and approach just yet.

It would be better to send someone to test the waters first, have them bring the child here even, if they're able too.

The bone demon glanced at the angry Spider Queen who was pacing about the lair, stewing about their defeat and the revelations regarding the monkey king.

"My Queen, might I suggest something?" She asked, her childlike appearance doing wonders to hide the dark intentions.

The Spider Queen stopped her pacing and whipped around to face the not-child.

"What?" The queen spat.

"With this new..development, regarding the monkey king. I believe the child could be quite useful in fulfilling your destiny" she proposed.

"..How so?" The queen asked after a beat, brow raising in curiosity.

The bone demon smirked under her masquerade.

"Children are easily manipulated as you know, easy to trick. You could use him to do all the heavy lifting with the right motivation, especially if he were to think he was stopping you"

"Hmm, I suppose so, but how?" The Spider Queen hummed thoughtfully, calming down from her rage.

"You can leave that to me, my queen, but we should act quickly. The sooner we bring him to us the better" the girl warned.

"What makes you say that?" 

"Other demons have most likely heard the news by now, especially old enemies that had gone long dormant and they will want to take their pound of flesh from the child"

The Spider stood up straighter as that thought sunk in. The girl was right, other Demon kings would love to get their hands on the pint sized king.

"You're right, I'll send word out to some people, but you better have your sweet talk all ready for when the Monkey King gets here" the spider queen snipped and began walking out of the room.

"Oh don't worry, once he's in our grasp, you're destiny will be fulfilled in no time" she said softly, the Queen not seeing how the demons eyes lit up with an icy blue hue, her dangerous aura seeping out from the child disguise.

---

Wukong felt like he was being watched. He just felt eyes on him, it didn't feel malicious but past experiences always showed that that could always change on a dime.

He had come to a bit ago but hadn't opened his eyes yet or moved from his spot on the couch. He felt like he was being surveyed.

Finally he had enough, carefully he cracked open his eyes. The same living room from yesterday greeted him but he didn't see anyone--

A flash of yellow was the only warning he got before a face appeared in front of him, nearly nose to nose.

"Hey!!--OW!"

He didn't even register who it was, he acted on instinct and punched the face away from him.

Wukong sat up and watched his "assailant" bend over and clutch his nose. 

It was MK.

....shitttt He thought.

"I told you not to scare him, that's what you get MK" a voice chided from next to him.

Wukong looked over to see Mei sitting on the other end of the couch, relaxed and seemingly scrolling on her phone.

"S..sorry" Wukong said softly, he wasnt really sure what to say except to apologize.

"Nah bubs, MK had it coming" Mei chuckled.

"Yeah..that was my bad, I'd thought that'd turn out better" MK grunted as he continued to hold his nose.

"So how you feeling?" Mei asked, moving the subject along.

Wukong blinked, still a little stunned. He thought for a moment and assessed himself. His head still felt a bit fuzzy 

"Uh..better I guess"

"Great! Hungry? Pigsy made pancakes" the girl enticed.

"I'm..not really hungry" Wukong answered softly. 

Everything felt weird, he could feel something shifted in the dynamic, a disturbance in the force if you will, but he couldn't pin point exactly what.

They were acting nice, granted they were always nice but this felt..different..softer.

He looked down at himself briefly and saw his much smaller hands gripping the blanket in his lap.

Right..no glamour He remembered.

That's why he concluded.

"Cmon, at least a few bites, Pigsy won't let you leave the house until he knows we ate something for breakfast" MK insisted.

"Yeah, I learned the hard way" Mei shivered at the memory before shaking it off.

Wukong sighed and swung his legs over to slide off the couch, inwardly cringing when he saw he only stood a head taller than MKs knees. Though they didn't say anything, he saw the awkward smiles from the two like they wanted to say more but were using all their willpower not to.

They entered the kitchen to see Pigsy at the stove, something sizzling in the pan while Sandy sat at the table with tea. Sandy didn't look very comfortable at the table, the gentle giant looked cramped but moved with practiced ease in the small space.

His eyes moved on and landed on Tang, the scholar had a cup of coffee in hand and seemed to be talking to Sandy about something before he noticed the three standing in the doorway, the scholar looked down at him and smiled awkwardly.

"Hey!~" he greeted lamely.

Wukong felt his stomach knot, he was too familiar. He looked too much like him..

"Foods done!" Pigsy called from the stove and turned around with a large plate of pancakes in one hand and eggs in the other.

He placed them down in the middle of the table as Mei and MK sat down. Wukong stood there awkwardly, he slowly started shuffling his way back to the hall but was snagged by the back of the shirt. 

He turned to see Pigsy and the next thing he knew he was being lifted into the air and sat down at the table, a stack of books placed in the chair for him to sit on. A plate with two pancakes on it was placed in front of him with some butter and syrup, a fork being placed in his hand before he even had the chance to back away.

MK chuckled at Wukongs confusion.

"Yeah you're not getting out of it. Trust me" he laughed.

It was quiet while they ate but Wukong wasn't hungry, all he could do was stare across the table at Tang. He couldn't help it he just couldnt look away and the longer he looked the more angry he felt. He knew it was stupid and unreasonable. Tang had told him he wasnt Tripitaka but..he couldn't not be mad.

His Tripitaka never cared for breads, he liked fruit like him.

His Tripitaka didnt drink coffee, he liked tea.

His  Tripitaka didn't. Wear. Glasses!

Unbeknownst to him he had been stabbing at his pancakes, each stab a little more aggressive than the last. His eyes locked onto Tang that made the scholar sweat as he tried not to look at the cub but he could feel him glaring daggers at him and no one else seemed to notice or at least didn't speak up.

Pigsy cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention, all except Wukongs who seemed dead set on Tang.

"I can't close the restaurant today, it's my busiest day and I even have a couple catering orders for business meetings" Pigsy explained as he ate. "So I can't watch Wukong today.."

I dont need to be watched" Wukong thought, eye twitching as the conversation went.

"..you think he'd be ok at the University with you Tang?" He asked, not really thinking about it.

Wukong practically felt himself shiver at Tangs name. 

That's not his name.. He thought with bitter anger.

Tang stopped mid bite and glanced at Wukong across the table who looked at him with a look he couldnt really describe, so many emotions were in his big red eyes.

Pigsy looked between the two and grew a nervous smile.

"Right. Right, that's probably not a good idea" the chef mumbled. "I guess..he could help me in the shop?"

I don't need to be babysat! Wukong sneered in his head, he could feel everything was begin to boil over and he couldn't calm down. He wanted to them to stop talking about him like he wasn't there, like he was a child, he wasnt a child!!

"I can take him" MK chimed in.

"Uh kid, I don't know.."

"Aw cmon pleaseee???" The noodle boy pleaded. "I'll be responsible, I can look after him for a day!"

"I don't need a babysitter!" Wukong finally burst with a huff, stabbing at his uneaten pancakes, cracking the plate beneath it before crossing his arms, fork jabbed into the table.

The group stalled for a moment, like they all realized how they were talking and tried to backtrack before MK came to the rescue. The last thing they needed was to set off the tiny godlike monkey again.

"What? No, not a babysitter, just..we don't want you to get bored!" He said quickly, idling to himself. 

Wukong just glared at him with an unbelieving stare.

"Look we can spend the day together, making deliveries, showing you around the city, we can even stop at a couple of bobba places that I KNOW you'll love. Sound like fun?" MK asked hopefully.

Wukong looked down at his pancakes again, pouting as he picked at the now soggy food on the broken plate. It did sound fun, he liked riding in the noodle cart last time and he liked the idea of hanging out with MK all day...

He glanced at Tang out of the corner of his eye.

And it meant he wouldn't have to see him all day.

"..I guess" he answered quietly with disinterest but his twitching tail gave away the secret excitement that had MK smiling at him knowingly.

"Alright! Leggo~!" MK chirped happily before scooping up Wukong and heading down stairs.

"Wait he didn't eat his breakfast!" Pigsy shouted at them.

--- 

MK didn't really know what to make of everything anymore, at this point he was just rolling with the punches.

He kept glancing at the cub next to him, dressed back in his regular yellow and teal gi with maroon pants that Pigsy had finally relinguished, buckled in the cart and looking around at the buildings as they went by. It still didn't feel real, his mentor and hero, the person he idolized for nearly his whole life...was a kid.

And a young one too if he was to believe Tang.

He wasnt sure why he wasn't panicking or sitting in a corner yet, maybe it hasn't sunk in yet, he wasnt sure!

But he was good at compartmentalizing!

Some stuff made sense now though, everything at flower fruit mountain was like a kid was left alone with no rules, the crown he found on monkey kings old throne was too small for an adults head but would have fit a childs. It must have been before he started glamouring himself which now that he thought about he wondered how long he'd been doing that?

And the more he thought about it, the more of Wukongs behavior made sense. The mood changes and clingyness were in character of child his size. One minute they could be happily go lucky and climbing all over him as a greeting and the next they were pouty and didn't want to be touched, and now that he thought about it Wukong always looked like he needed a nap when he got like that....

Yeah, they really needed to work on his observation skills.

That was another thing he kept thinking about. How was his training going to continue? He felt weird about a literal child teaching him stuff but at the same time it was still monkey king and this whole time everything had been fine with training, he just knew the truth now! And it was still him, nothing had to change, right?

Who was he kidding of course things are going to change! How could they not!? He had so many questions but didn't even know where to start. How was the monkey king going to spar with him when he barely comes up past his knees?! Should he have been taking the time to make sure Wukong took a nap during their training times? He always looked so tired in the early afternoon.

He took a deep breath.

Answers will come later, right now focus on what you're doing just like monkey king taught you He thought. Just like you're mentor who is..secretly a child, taught you.

His phone dinged and he looked down, they were coming up to their first stop. MK pulled over and parked, using his phone to locate which building they needed.

"Ok, first stop, fifth floor of that building across the street, you ready?" He asked, looking up from his phone to see Wukong struggling with the seat belt.

"How do you guys deal with these things?!" The kid exclaimed as he wrestled with the strap and pulled on the buckle.

MK smirked and pushed the button on the buckle, releasing the seat belt and ultimately Wukong who had somehow wrapped it around himself.

"..oh" Wukong deadpanned before sliding off his seat and following MK to the back where the food was.

MK grabbed the order and stepped up to the edge of the street, looking right and left and he nearly missed Wukong darting out in front of him. By sheer reflex the noodle boy reached out with a gasp and grabbed the back of Wukongs shirt, halting him before he could reach the street just in time for a car to zip by them.

"We look both ways before crossing the street!" MK exclaimed, trying to come down from the mini heart attack as he pulled Wukong next to him.

He ignored Wukongs grumbling about how he would have been just fine even if he got hit and reached down.

"Regardless, just dont do that again, ok? I dont want you getting hurt" MK sighed softly, taking the small kings hand in his own. "So we don't get separated" he said as a lame excuse.

The king was starring wide eyed at their hands, a flicker of emotions crossing his features so fast MK couldnt sort them. But he noticed how Wukong looked at him with big eyes, something soft behind them. He squeezed the smaller hand and smiled at the happy wiggle Wukongs tail did and felt a small squeeze back as they stepped up to the edge of the road and MK leaned over past the other parked cars.

"We look both ways before we cross, you see any cars coming?" He asked.

"No"

"Then it's safe to cross, cmon" he said happily as they stepped out, crossing the street quickly.

Their delivery was to a regular, a kind older women that appreciated Pigsys noodles commitment to fresh ingredients. When she answered the door she greeted them both with a smile and cooed at Wukong.

The delivery didnt take long and Wukong ended up leaving the apartment building with a piece of candy and slightly sore cheeks.

"She knows I'm older right?" Wukong asked once they made it to the sidewalk.

"I don't really think she cared, she just wanted to pinch your cheeks" MK laughed.

"Ugh, you're telling me, that shit hurts!" Wukong grumbled.

MK just laughed as his child mentor rubbed at his cheeks, they walked up to the edge of the street and he looked both ways before he felt a small hand grab his.

He looked down to see Wukong holding it as the kid leaned over and looked both ways before tugging them both forward.

"So we dont get separated!" Wukong said dutifully.

MK couldnt keep the smile off his face as he walked across the street, squeezing the small hand in his and happy when he felt another squeeze in return, a warm feeling began to spread into his chest.

Maybe things changing is for the better..

---

As MK came to a stop, he looked over at his small passenger, he'd been quiet since about three stops ago. He had thought the kid was just taking in the city, after all he knew the monkey king hadn't been in the city like this in..well since the city was being built! 

MK looked over to see Wukong was starting to nod off. 

MK chuckled to himself, the kid was fighting it so hard.

MK glanced back at his phone map as he took off, notably more gentle than before now that he thought of the nodding tot next to him.

Before they left the shop, Tang had said not to be surprised if Wukong fell asleep and to let him doze if he did. The kid would need all the rest he could get to help restore his powers faster and heal in general.

MK turned the corner and pulled over, parking between two cars, this was the last stop before heading back to the shop and he'd have the rest of the day off. Maybe he could take Wukong out later if he was up for it.

MK looked down at Wukong who seemed to be floating between awake and sleep.

He checked the address of the order, it was on the second floor and seemed to be a straight shot up the stairs.

He could make that, he could be up and back in like two minutes MK thought and got out of the cart, walking around to the passenger side.

"I'll be right back ok? In and out, sit tight" MK said softly as he grabbed the last order and bolted for the stairs.

He really didn't want to leave Wukong unattended but he also really didn't want to wake him up and he couldn't carry both the order and the kid without almost dropping one.

It'll be fine, in and out, real quick.

---

"There he is!"

"Sshh! They'll hear you ya bone head!" Tackling his brother to the ground as the monkie kid walked around the noodle cart

"Don't shush me!" His brother shoved back and peeked through the bushes again.

They watched MK grab his food bag and jog off towards the apartment building.

"Nows our chance!" Jin got up and rushed towards the cart.

Yin once again leapt and tacked his brother to the ground.

"Are you stupid?!" He yelled in a hushed tone, mindful of the half asleep tot literally feet away. "What was your plan huh? We can't just rush up to him, we need to be cautious. This is still the Monkey king we're dealing with"

Jin shrugged off his brothers arms and huffed.

"Well what do you suggest?" 

Yin smiled and suddenly became engulfed with blue smoke. When the smoke vanished, his brother was standing before him dressed in a rather crude disguise of the monkie kid, like some cosplayer with a really shitty budget. A wig that matched MKs hair sat slightly askew on Yins head his signature red bandana, a white t-shirt with a painted on target on the front and a plain yellow jacket to complete the ensemble.

"Ohhh, good thinking" Jin nodded as his brother approached the kid.

Yin, dressed like MK, bent down closer to Wukong who looked up at him with half awake eyes.

"Hey uh..bud, cmon now" he hushed with his best monkie kid impression as he undid the seat belt around him and gently scooped up the small king.

Wukong mumbled something but otherwise stayed limp in the imposters arms.

Yin faced his brother with the child king in his arms, smiling victoriously. Wukong rubbed at his eyes, determined to fight off sleep.

"MK..no.." Wukong mumbled and tried to push 'MK' away. "I can w'lk"

Yin just patted the kids back in attempt to quiet him, he looked at his brother who pulled out a couple of round marble sized orbs from his pocket. They were a little trick they learned from their mother for a quick escape. It was a transport spell in a sense, the user crushed the orb with their foot and thought about where they wanted to go and when the smoke encircled them they would be whisked away to their destination, the two were about to crush the orbs when--

"HEY!!" An angry thunderous voice boomed at the brothers.

The two jumped and turned towards the apartments where the real MK stood at the foot of the steps with his now empty food bag. 

"Put. Him. Down" MK ground out in a dangerous voice that the brothers didn't think he was capable of.

Yin felt the kid in his arms startle and sit up from his shoulder, looking at MK as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"MK?..." he mumbled, he turned to look at "MK" and he could practically see the gears turning in his little head.

Yin and Jin looked at one another and raised the smokey orbs in their hands.

"DONT!!-" MK yelled and ran towards them but not in time for orbs to hit the ground and the three of them were swallowed in smoke and made a get away.

---

Wukong squirmed in the chair he was tied to and looked up at the two with a pout. They were turned away from him, discussing negotiations of some kind with someone on the phone, he didnt really care.

He could break these ropes easily, he could beat Yin and Jin and go out to find MK. The kid was probably freaked out about his sudden "leaving" but he didn't know where in the city he was and it probably wouldn't be too long before MK found him anyway, Yin and Jin aren't exactly the most stealthy and cunning.

He supposed he could have his own fun before MK came for him. It wasn't like he was in any real danger with these two and it'd be nice to be away from everything for a little bit.

He grinned to himself and grabbed the ropes holding his arms, quietly snapping them one by one until the ropes practically fell off. He reached down and did the same with the ones around his legs and got up from the chair, looking for a place to hide.

"Right, perfect, you have the reward ready and we'll bring him over" Yin smiled and hung up the phone.

"Alright monkey king, we're gonna go on a little trip--what?!" The two turned to face the Monkey King but their faces dropped when they were greeted with an empty chair.

"Ah! Where'd he go?!" Jin yelped, looking around frantically.

The two started looking around the room of their lair when they heard quiet giggles echoing around them.

"Monkey king? Come on out now" Jin tried to persuade.

The Spider Queen was gonna kill them if they didn't find him and bring him to her soon.

"Come on kid~" Yin called.

Another giggle rang out, this time closer, they looked in the direction of the hallway to see the little monkey peeking out from around the corner.

At being spotted, Wukong just giggled manically and ran in the other direction.

"Hey!" The two squealed and ran after him.

Not even a second later they were running in the opposite direction with Wukong chasing them, giggling like a mad man as his laser eyes shot out at the twins in random bursts of light.

---

Pigsy was going to kill him Pigsy was going to kill him Pigsy was going to FUCKING kill him!!

MK sped around on the noodle cart and looked for any sign of the monkey king or Yin and Jin but the smoke trail had dissipated long ago. He smacked his hand over his forehead over and over.

"Stupid stupid stupid! I shouldn't have left him! Of course something happened, something ALWAYS happens, STUPID!!--"

"Hey MK!" 

MK slammed on the brakes of the cart as Mei popped up in front of him, nearly hitting her with the bumper.

"Mei?! What are you doing I could have hit you!!" He exclaimed.

"But ya didn't, hey where's Wukong, I thought you took him with you?" She asked.

MK could feel the sweat dripping down his neck as he saw Meis face morph from confusion to anger.

"What did you do?!"

"I fucked up ok?!?"

---

Yin and Jin sat on the floor behind the couch. Both sporting char marks and burns in various places. The couch shielding them was in less than stellar condition as well as the rest of the room, some rafters had fallen or broken off completely, their work desk had been flipped and the papers with half cooked schemes were littered everywhere.

"What were we thinking?! We can't handle this shit!" Yin exclaimed, shaking his brother by the shoulders. "What were you thinking saying yes to the spider queen!?"

"In my defense, I saw this happening a lot differently"

They looked over the couch to see the source of the destruction, Wukong was sitting in the middle of the room. He was smiling to himself as he colored on the papers that littered the floor, brightly colored markers strewn around him. The kid had lost interest in terrorizing them and seemed to content to just color on the floor.

"We gotta cut our losses and lose him before the monkie kid shows up or worse, the king himself decides to end us" Yin rambled. 

"Hey Yin?"

"He's guarding the only exit, we'll just have to dig our way out--"

"Yin!" Jin said harshly.

"What!"

"I think hes fallin' asleep" Jin said softly, peering over the couch.

Yin stopped his ranting and sat up, peering at the small monkey on the floor. Wukong was rubbing at his eyes as he tried to continue drawing, a big yawn made itself known, the monkeys little fangs peeking out as he did so. The kid sat still for a minute, swaying slightly from where he sat like he was trying to shake himself out of it.

"Awww" Jin couldn't help but coo quietly.

"Well, he was fighting a nap pretty damn hard when we nabbed him. Kids his age still nap dont they?" Yin said softly.

Jin quietly stood up from where they were hiding, ignoring his brothers yelling whispers to get back down.

Jin approached the tired tot with caution, ready to pull away at any given moment should the kid attack.

"Hey kid~" Jin called softly. "Getting sleepy? You wanna sleep?" He asked.

"No" Wukong shook his head and grumbled as he tried to rub the tiredness out of his eyes.

"I think you do~" the demon cooed sweetly as he bent over, ever so gently he picked up the monkey and held him to his chest. 

He heard his brother behind him screaming at him in a whisper to put him down.

Wukong mumbled and squirmed slightly, trying to push Jin away but the demon held strong and began to rock side to side slowly.

Wukong made his half awake protests that were hushed by Jin as he was eventually rocked to sleep, the kid unable to keep his eyes open any longer.

The demon made his way towards the couch, swaying and bouncing ever so slightly as he walked until he laid the cub down on the beat up furniture.

"You know, when he's not beating our asses, he's actually kind of..cute" Jin whispered.

Yin opened his mouth to say something but suddenly the door behind them went flying off its hinges and two figures entered.

"WHERE IS---"

"SSSHHHH" Both brothers interrupted before even processing who busted the door.

It was MK and the dragon girl. The twins looked behind them at Wukong to see him squirm a bit in his sleep but ultimately settled down again, breathing deeply, the two sighed silently in relief.

"Where!--"

"SHH" Jin interrupted again. "We just got him down for a nap!" He said in a panicked whisper before stepping out of the way to show the cub on the couch.

MK still squared up to the two.

"If you touched a hair--

"Yeah yeah, we get it just take him!" Yin whisper yelled, gesturing to the cub, his brother nodding vigorously next to him.

The duo looked at each other before withdrawing their respective weapons and Mei stepped forward cautious of the demons on either side as she bent over, scooping the cub up in her arms. Wukong grumbled at the movement but settled down again, nestling his head in the crook of Meis neck with a content sigh. 

It was then that they took in the twins roughed up appearance. And..the rest of the damage, fallen rafters, furniture flipped and/or broken, papers littering everywhere..

"What happened to you guys?" MK asked.

"The monkey king happened" Jin answered, shivering at the memory of the past couple hours.

"He's a little menace, just take him!" Yin whispered frantically. "At this point we don't care what Spider Queen does to us!"

"Wait wait, Spider Queen? What about her?" Mei asked.

"Didn't you know? The spider queen basically put a hit out on the kid. She's offering a big reward for whoever can bring him to her, alive" Jin explained.

"Why does she want monkey king?" MK asked a little more defensive.

The twins shrugged.

"Dunno, rumor is she has some kind of plan for the kid but ya didn't hear it from us" Yin said cryptically before pulling something out from behind him and smashing it on the ground, a big plume of smoke enveloping the twins.

"See ya', good luck with the little bugger!" Jin said just before they disappeared completely, leaving the two heroes to look at each other with equal amounts of worry for the sleeping cub.

---

Mei held Wukong in her arms as MK drove the noodle cart back to the shop. Wukong continued to nap contently, his head still snuggled against her neck and his arms had wrapped around her neck as well while Meis hand rubbed up and down his back softly.

The duo had been quiet since they left the warehouse. 

The Spider Queen, wants the monkey king? For what? They already beat her at the new years festival, did she want to drain his powers again?

"MK, we need to tell the others" Mei finally voiced. "If the spider queen basically put a hit out on little king they need to know"

"I know..I just, really don't want to tell Pigsy how we learned about it" he said with a bead of sweat running down his brow.

Pigsy was giving him the scolding of a life time for losing the kid, granted it was just Yin and Jin but it could have been so much worse.

MK shook his head, he didnt want to think about that right now. He glanced at the sleeping cub and smiled to himself as he thought about their day together, he did great and the customers loved him, he ended up getting bigger tips today than he ever had.

Maybe I should take him out on deliveries from now on he smirked to himself.

They pulled up to the noodle shop and got out, MK went around to Mei and held his arms out.

"I can take him now if you want" he offered.

"You just want to hold him" Mei smirked, hugging Wukong to her chest.

"Well that and maybe if I'm holding him it'll stop Pigsy from whacking me with his spoon" he said smartly.

"Hm, good point, here" 

Mei gently scratched Wukongs back and softly prompted him to go to MK. The cub stirred ever so slightly, just enough to move his arms away from Meis neck and reach out blindly in front of him. MK bent down a little and took Wukongs hands in his own, guiding them to wrap around his neck as he lifted the cub from Mei and into his own arms.

Wukong burrowed into MKs neck and latched on with his arms.

"MK.." Wukong mumbled out in content and grew a smile as he dozed, trying to snuggle closer.

MK felt something warm blossom in his chest again as he looked down at Wukongs sleepy smile. He looked so peaceful and happy just from being in his arms, he did that.

He grew a wobbly smile of his own and held Wukong tighter to his chest as that warm feeling grew. 

"Oh~ someone's feeling those big brother feels~" Mei teased next to him.

MK ignored her as he leaned his head on top of Wukongs, he already loved the monkey king as his friend and mentor before, but now, he was starting to get to know Wukong, the child behind the title and hes starting to think...

He's starting to think he loves Wukong even more.

Chapter Text

"So what's your plan this time, genius?" Spider Queen asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

So far no one has been either willing to take her offer for the monkey or they were too afraid to even attempt to go after the kid.

"Well, I supposed we should just keep to the original plan until an opportunity presents itself" the young girl explained.

"What was the original plan?"

The girl held out her hand and a blue flame appeared, forming a locked cube of sorts. Next to her a great big furnace floated closer. 

"We have the trigram furnace, now we can take the next step towards your destiny" she said calmly.

"And what is that?" The queen asked, gesturing g to the cube.

"One of six powerful items needed, it must be retrieved from the cloud"

"The cloud?" Syntax spoke up excitedly. He turned towards his queen and bowed. "My queen, allow my to obtain the cube"

"What makes you think you can do it?" 

"The cloud is a maze of all information guarded by fierce beings that cannot be defeated by brute strength or the ability to track footprints in mud" he explained, casting a mocking look at his fellow henchmen. "It is connected to all the technology in the world where, as we know, I reign supreme" he smiled confidently.

The Spider Queen thought for a moment before waving her hand.

"Fine, do what you must" she dismissed.

Syntax smiled and tapped a few keys on his keyboard that sat snugly on his arm. A screen appeared infront of him as he continued to tap away at keys.

"Have any of you heard of the tale of the sleep bug?" He asked as he inserted an app into the cloud.

---

"Are you sure we can't just hold off a little?" Pigsy asked. "I haven't even taught him how to cook yet!" He pointed out.

"Pigsy, Wukong is in danger in the city, getting him back to his mountain is the safest option and you know it" Tang said reluctantly.

Pigsy just responded with his normal grumbling under his breath.

"It's not our fault Sandy works incredibly fast" MK shrugged.

Sandy rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

"It's not completely done, but it's definitely livable" he said.

"Ha! See? Its not done yet, therefore he doesn't have to go back!" Pigsy said 

Tang deflated.

"Look, I don't like it either, I was hoping to smooth over things with him before he went back to his mountain but with the spider queen putting a bounty on him, there's no telling who'll come after him"

"Plus, Wukongs mountain is blocked off by a barrier. No one can get through that waterfall cave unless Wukong himself unlocks it" MK pointed out.

Pigsy sighed and leaned his elbows on the counter.

"I know, I just don't like the idea of him being by himself right now" 

"We don't either dad, but..it's for the best" MK said sadly.

---

"MK, where are we going?" Wukong asked for the umpteenth time as MK walked further into his cave.

Wukong was latched onto MKs back like a backpack, his chin resting on MKs shoulder with MKs red bandana wrapped around his eyes. He could easily use his eyes of truth to see through it but MK seemed so excited about this so he fought with every fiber of his being to be patient.

"We're almost there, just a little longer. We have something to show you!" MK chirped.

"We?" 

"Yeah, me, Sandy, Pigsy, Mei, Tang. We made you something"

MK stopped walking and crouched down, letting Wukong gently slide down to place him on the ground. Wukong felt MK move around him, now standing behind him with his hands on the blindfold.

"We all helped Sandy build this, I think you'll like living here a lot better than that blanket fort" MK said with a lopsided smile before removing his bandana from wukongs eyes.

"Surprise!" Voices chirped excitedly.

Wukong blinked a couple times, adjusting to the light.

Mei and Sandy were standing in front of him before they parted in the middle to reveal a house behind them.

Wukongs eyes widened with awe as he took it all in.

It was a small house, made with wooden sidings, the roof composed of tightly compacted straw with a couple plants hanging down from the rafters, decorating the small porch.

It looked like a beach house of sorts.

Wukong looked up at MK behind him.

"What is this?" He asked.

"It's your new home!" He chirped happily.

Now Wukong was just confused. What was wrong with his palace? Sure it was old but it was still..home, and he had been staying with MK and Pigsy for the past couple of nights. Did they not want him in the city anymore? Had he done something wrong?

He was brought out of his thoughts by MK gently taking his hand.

"Cmon, let's see the inside" he smiled.

Wukong didn't pull away, but he didn't return the hand squeeze like he normally did.

The inside was nice, really it was, as soon as he walked in there was a couch facing the wall where he assumed one would have a TV, just beyond that in the left corner was a kitchenette and small dining table with some chairs around it. Along the right wall gave way to a small indent of the wall that had two doors facing each other, he looked in and saw the one on the left was a bedroom and the one on the right was a bathroom.

"Mei and I decorated a bit, it's not finished though, we thought you'd like to help pick out things for your room and stuff" MK voiced from somewhere behind him.

Wukong stared at everything around and sort if waddled around the room aimlessly as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt, a tell they had all learned from the boy that meant he was anxious about something but didn't know how to say it.

MK knelt down, looking into the rather empty bedroom with him.

"What's wrong? Do you not like it?" He asked softly.

Wukong whipped his head towards MK and shook his head.

"No, no its nice really it is its just..why?" He asked hesitantly.

"Why?" MK parroted.

"Why build this for me? Do you not--what's wrong with my palace?" He could get himself to ask the first question, he was afraid of the answer.

"Wukong, your palace is crumbling, it's not a safe place to live. You have to know that don't you?" MK asked. 

Wukong just made a noise of uncertainty as he worried the hem of his shirt between his fingers, looking around what was supposed to be his new room.

MK felt his phone buzz in his pocket, he stood back up and looked at it.

A reminder for his shift at the shop

He swipped it away and another notification popped up, a new game--he swipped it away.

"Crap, ok I have to go back to the shop, why don't you and Mei go through some decoration ideas until I get back" MK encouraged, he placed a hand on Wukongs back, the cub looked up at him.

"Just..give it a chance? Please?" He pleaded softly.

Wukong looked down again in thought, griping his shirt before meeting the delivery boys eyes again and nodding softly.

MK smiled at him in return and patted his shoulder before facing the other two.

"How's he liking it?" Mei asked in a hushed tone.

MK made a face.

"Hes..warming to it, he agreed to give the place a chance at least but it's new, you know how kids are with new things" he explained.

"Ok that's something" Mei said hopefully, Sandy nodding along with her.

"I suggested that you guys could go over decoration ideas for his room and such, but I have to get back to the shop or Pigsys gonna have my ass" 

Mei felt her phone buzz and reached for it.

"Yeah that'll be fun and--hey a new update, sleepbug?" She said aloud before looking back up at MK. "We'll be fine, go deliver your noodles" she said confidently.

---

MK came rushing into the shop like a hurricane.

"I'm here, I'm here!" He said as he stood to attention with his eyes squeezed shut.

He faced the counter, ready to be scolded for being late and was surprised when the only response came was a snore.

MK opened his eyes to see Pigsy of all people slumped over the counter, sound asleep. Next to him Tang was the same, face down in his thankfully empty bowl of noodles sound asleep with his husband.

"Pigsy?" He called. "Tang?"

He steppes up to Tang and gently picked his head up out of his bowl, didn't even falter in his snores.

"Dad?" MK called, his voice starting to creep with worry as he shook his dad's shoulder to no luck. 

"DAD!" He nearly yelled in his ear as he shook the man harder.

He only continued to snore on. MK ran around the counter to his other dad and viciously shook him by the shoulders of his chef uniform.

But nothing worked.

MK lowered his dad back to resting against the counter and mad his way outside and looked around for the first time since scrambling inside, trying to call someone for help except..

Everyone was asleep.

He run up and down the street, everyone that he would have seen out and about, walking their dog, eating from vendors by the corner, *everyone* was slumped over on the ground like there was some mass sleep bomb that went off. He shook them, poked them and even slapped a few but to no avail.

He paced back and forth, panicked, running his fingers through his wayward locks.

What to do what to do he didn't know who to turn to, he didnt know if this was magic or some other villain. Everything was fine before he left for the mountain!!--MOUNTAIN!!

He shot to attention at the idea.

Sandy, Mei and Monkey king were still on flower fruit mountain! He needed to get back there and show them what happened!

He ran back to the noodle cart as quick as he could and slammed his staff down on the ground, the the delivery cart glowed and began to disassemble itself, rearranging its parts and suddenly it was now a hover scooter. He hopped on and reved the engine back towards Flower fruit mountain.

---

MK burst through the door of Wukongs new place, explanation ready on his lips only for his stomach to stink to the floor.

Mei, Sandy and Monkey King were all asleep.

It looked like Mei was looking over some paint choices with Wukong who was nestled with his head in her lap with a large book open across his face while on the other side of them Sandy held some plans for shelving and other final plans to get the house fully functioning.

He ran up to Mei and shook her, hoping against all odds that they just happen fall asleep normally.

"Cmon! Not you guys too!" He said panicked as he tried to wake them but to no avail.

He hung his head in defeat.

"Cmon, do something" he muttered, poking at Wukong.

He was answered with a noise.

MK whipped his head up to look at Wukong, he had been inadvertently poking at the kids ribs. Wukongs arms twitched from where they held onto the book. MK took the book away from his face and poked at him in earnest.

"Monkey king!" He called, relief starting to creep in. He gave a few squeezes to his ribs and the kid came to life.

"MK!" He exclaimed with snickers and giggles before batting away MKs hands.

MK lurched forward and hugged the small king in earnest.

"Oh thank Buddha you're awake!" The delivery boy cried out.

Wukong squirmed from where he was being suffocated into MKs chest and pulled back just enough to breath.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked with confusion.

MK pulled away and held Wukong by his shoulders.

"The whole city's asleep and I can't wake anyone up!" MK panicked. "What happened after I left?"

"The whole city? Even Pigsy?" 

"Especially Pigsy, and Tang-"

"Right, and Tang"

"Mei and Sandy too, look" the noodle boy gestured to his other friends who were fast asleep.

"What happened after I left for the shop?" MK repeated.

"Nothing really, you left, Mei sat on the floor with paint samples and went on her phone, she fell asleep right after, same with Sandy. I couldn't wake them up and figured they needed a nap so I thought I'd do so reading while I waited"

"But why were you asleep?" 

"...reading makes me sleepy" Wukong muttered, looking away.

MK snorted a laugh before turning to the sleeping duo next to them. He looked at the phones in their hands, some sleepbug game appearing on screen. His phone buzzed and he looked at it, another ad for the sleepbug game--Wait.

"OH! Big brain!" MK yelped with triumph.

"Ok! Everyone was playing Sleepbug, Sleepbug put everyone to sleep, Sleepbug is an app, apps are stored on the--THE CLOUD" MK exclaimed before picking up Wukong under one arm. "We need to go to the cloud!" He declared and started walking before stopping in his tracks.

"But I don't know..where that is" he sighed with defeat.

"I do" Wukong said from where he was tucked against MK. The delivery boy held the kid up to eye level.

"You do?"

"Yeah the guardians and I go way back, I caused a little chaos in their library" he shrugged.

"Well then lead the way, leggo!!" MK said with full confidence as he hurried back to the hover bike with Wukong on his shoulders.

---

"So this is the cloud?" MK asked as he dismounted from the bike, the vehicle collapsing in on itself behind them.

"Yup. Hm, no guards" Wukong hummed quietly.

MK stepped up to the grand doors, depicting red and blue giants on their respective doors. He placed his hand on the door and looked back at his small mentor.

"Somethings definitely weird about this place--!" MK stumbled as fell through the doors, appearing to be nothing but a hologram.

Wukong followed him through as he stood up, both taking in the maze of knowledge around them, ever shifting and changing before their eyes, growing every second.

They started walking down the main aisle in awe.

"It's been forever since I've been in here, last time it was only books.." Wukong trailed off.

"How are we going to find the game in this mess!" MK exclaimed.

"Is that it?" Wukong asked, pointing to the high levels of books and computers alike.

MK whipped his head around to see a little green eight-bit game creature crawling around the walls, glitching to a red color and spread it across the web. The creature spotted them and let put an electric hiss before scampering in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" MK called before running after it.

"You go after it, I'll try to cut it off!" Wukong hollered before hopping on his cloud to go the other way.

MK chased the bug over aisles and mountains of books and scrolls and computers until finally they managed to corner it.

"Ha! No where left to run bug" MK gloated as he took out his staff. "Time to bring back our friends and--"

"Well this is a surprise" a voice echoed from behind.

MK turned around to see a familiar purple and green demon, ita spiders legs coming out from behind his back.

"You should be asleep" he said, stuffing the cube he stole in his jacket.

"One of Spider Queens goons? Wait why should I be asleep?" The boy asked.

The Spider raised a brow.

"Uh, cuz I put everyone to sleep with my game?" He said like it was obvious.

"That was you?!" MK screeched.

"Of course, now did I need to put the whole city to sleep just to incompacitate the guards of this library, perhaps not, but, in for a penny in for a pound I suppose" the villain clicked his tongue before the extended spider legs retracted into his back.

He stepped closer to MK, confidence bleeding from every step.

"Either way, you don't have the mental dexterity to debug my game, you're just a mother board with a decent GPU and no central processing unit" he said smugly.

"G..PU.." MK muttered with confusion.

Syntax sighed with exasperation.

"It means you look good and are well animated but you have no brains" he smirked.

"Big talk from someone who doesnt even know what theyre stealing" a voice chided from behind.

Sytax spun around to see the monkey king standing behind him, a cube being tossed in his hands. The spiders eyes widened and he patted himself down, the cube he slid into his jacket was gone.

"How?.." the spider trailed off before taking a step away from the king.

"Do you even know what this is?" The king asked with a serious tone, it sounded weird coming from such a soft face.

"Its..it doesn't matter, my job is to please my queen, nothing more" the spider lurched for the cube only for the king to jump out of the way and land next to MK on the other side.

"You act smart but you don't even realize when your being used" the monkey king pointed out.

There was a tense silence between the spider and king, MK looked between the two.

"Uh..I dont know what you guys are talking about but, are we going to fight or not?" He asked impatiently.

Syntax smiled, the light bulb going off in his head.

"Hmm, no. I'm a big fan of outsourcing" the scientist smiled wickedly as he slid his goggles over his eyes and a holoscreen appeared over his arm and he pressed a button.

Everything around them turned red, the red grew around them in a bright light, making them close their eyes.

Wukong heard the moving of mechanical legs and suddenly the cube was swipped from his hands.

"Hey!" He shouted as the light dissipated, he blinked the spots from his vision just in time to see Syntax hanging from the ceiling by his mechanical legs.

"I'd love to stay and chat but I have other things to attend to and you're about to be eviscerated by the guardians of knowledge, so I guess we're both pretty busy, ok byeee!!" The spiders voice echoed as he disappeared into the shadows.

"Hey, get back here!" MK shouted.

There was a sudden heavy thud behind the pair, they slowly turned around to see two looming figures weilding matching spears. 

"Only those marked in the great ledger of time shall be deemed worthy to enter this place of wisdom, and *live*!" The two parroted at the same time, raising their weapons and striking them down.

Wukong pushed MK out of the way and they rolled, Wukong popped up effortlessly and righted his successor before they made a break for it.

The pair ran and dodged as the guardians threw their spears at them, MK lost control of his staff and it extended, hitting the delivery boy and child. It shot them through warp circles throughout the library, narrowly avoiding the blades of the guardians spears.

It wasn't until the pair managed to smacked into one of the guardians that they stopped and rolled on the ground.

Both grunted and groaned as they got up, the guardians blocking their exit.

"You are not on the ledger, you are not worthy!" The two spoke with authority and raised their spears.

"WAIT!" MK shouted.

The guardians halted momentarily.

"But we *are* worthy, don't you recognize him, this is the monkey king, you know great sage equal to heaven, hero to all!" MK rambled as he held up Wukong for them to see.

The two guardians gazed at the child with scrutiny.

"Sun Wukong.." the red one started.

"..is a repeat offender.." the blue one.

"..and he has stolen knowledge even now!" the other finished with a scandalized tone.

"Wait what?" MK lowered his mentor and looked at him who was sweating bullets with a nervous smile.

It was then that the delivery boy noticed a scroll peeking out from under his hood.

"Wukong!" MK scolded. "We will talk about this later young man!" He grit before puttingnhim down behind him out of sight of the guardians.

"Ok but what about me! I'm the Monkie Kid, the new chapter, I'm sure you've heard of me saving people, Im totally worthy!" he tried to reason, standing with as much confidence as he could.

The guardians raised their weapons.

"Irrelevant! You are not on the ledger!" The red one repeated.

The guardians swung down and MK latched onto Wukong who was posed to deflect the blades until.

"CANT WE ADD OUR NAMES TO THE LEDGER?!" MK screamed out of fear, the spears stopped just short of the two huddled together, well, more like MK holding onto Wukong while Wukong was ready to fight his way out regardless.

MK peeked his eye open, seeing the spears stopped.

 "Like, can we sign up? Is that a thing?" He elaborated.

The spears raised and the guardians relaxed, suddenly looking ten times more friendly.

"Of course! Knowledge is for everyone!" The blue one chirped

"Lets get you two sorted out!" The red one added who grabbed MK by the head who in turn grabbed Wukong before he could sneak away.

---

Signing up didn't take long at all, MK even signed Wukong up.

"That's your full name?!" Wukong and asked when he saw the mouthful of words on the screen.

"Yeah, now you know why I go by MK right?" He laughed off.

The guardians printed off their IDs and bid them a happy scouring for knowledge just before MK spotted the game scittering by them.

Wukong and MK chased it around again and cornered it.

"Ugh, Syntax was right we don't know how to debug this thing" MK groaned.

"MK don't worry, we're not cavemen.." he gestured to the books and computers next to them. "..We have technology!" He exclaimed before grabbing a book about programming and--threw it at the game.

MK followed suit and together they beat the program with books until it flattened along the floor and squealed as it dissipated into pixels. The red lit walls turned to a calm blue as the game died.

It took a little longer to find their way out of the maze that was the cloud. They stood on the steps of the great library.

"I think that did it, we should go make sure everyone's ok" Wukong voiced and turned to walk away only to be stopped by MK grabbing the back of his shirt.

"Wait, you still have that scroll you stole" MK pointed out with a scolding tone. "Hand it over"

Wukong grimaced and pulled the scroll from his hood, handing it to MK.

"Is this what took you so long to catch up to me and Syntax?"

Wukong avoided looking at MK.

MK looked over the scroll, it was super old and even burnt on some of the edges, there was a picture of a skull on the ribbon holding it together, he opened it a bit to read the top.

"What's a lady bone demon?" He asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, just some research" Wukong waved off quickly.

"Some research? Wukong you *stole* this from the guardians, you're better than that"

"Oh but he's not!" A voice called out to them.

MK saw Wukongs face drain in color and fear flood his eyes before he turned to the source. It was a man on a cloud, the man held a certain air of danger to him. His face was cold with defined cheek lines, dark hair tied back into a half up half down bun that kept his bangs out of his face, but the most notable thing to MK was the third eye on the guys forehead. 

He wore long white robes with golden accents and golden chest plating, much like the uniforms MK had briefly seen on the heavenly guards but slightly different, his arm cuffs were more pointy and he had two long white tassels flowing from the back of his uniform. He held a three tipped spear clutched in one hand as he stood on his cloud above them, gazing at them with scrutiny.

"..Erlang.." he heard Wukongs haunted voice mutter.

Chapter Text

Nezhas always had an..interesting relationship with Sun Wukong. 

He's known the king since he came to Heaven, before everything went down. When he met him for the first time, in simple passing of the halls of the Jade Palace, he felt this odd connection towards the monkey. It was almost an inkling of familiarity that he knew he should recongize but for the life of him he just couldnt connect the dots.

No matter what their status was with each other in the hierarchy, he always felt this weird..nagging voice, whenever he was around the monkey, like that nagging voice knew something he didn't.

Even after everything that happened between Heaven and Sun Wukong. When the kings trial (if it could even be called that) came and went and he heard the screams of the monkey deep in the dungeons he felt that nagging little voice in his head, this instinct, become much, much stronger. The guardian began to pace the Palace, but no matter how far he went from the dungeons he swore he could still hear Wukongs crys and screams when no one else seemed to. No one else seemed to feel that anything was even wrong.

But his body, his entire being, was burning with the need to go down there and stop it all, to make the screaming stop and comfort the monkey. The feeling almost took over his mind completely at one point and he got to the dungeon door before being called away to other duties by Erlang Shen.

For millenia he didn't know why he felt this ingrained need to watch out for Wukong , to protect him, but...

Now he really wished he had listened to that nagging little voice.

He found out the truth when he was patrolling the perimeter of his temple. He was turning a corner when he heard some hushed talking, he peeked around and rolled his eyes when he saw it was a couple of heavenly maidens, they loved to gossip after all.

He turned around and began walking back in the direction he came.

"Did you hear about Sun Wukong?" One asked the other.

Nezha halted.

Sun Wukong?

He turned around and crept up to the edge of the building, just in ear shot.

"I heard something happened but not much else"

"Well, apparently, that very same monkey that caused all of that toruble and mayhem at the palace all those centuries ago, is just a child" 

"No!" The other gasped with a scandalized tone, urging the other to go on.

"Yeah. The higher ups did some digging and it turns out he's an eternal child, he was using a glamour this whole time"

"And no one suspected a thing? Not even Erlang Shen?"

"I guess not, hes been awfully quiet on the whole thing but I heard that the court is in the middle of making a decision on what to do about it"

"Oh but he's was always so polite to us. I bet he's the cutest little thing..." the voice trailed off as it got quieter.

The maidens had began walking again and so their conversation went with them. Nezha stood there in shock for a moment.

A..child?

But that's impossible, he would have been told, he would have known if there was a child in front of him regardless of dusguise--

And then it clicked, he put a hand to his mouth in horror as he realized what that feeling was all that time ago.

His instincts were trying to tell him this whole time. His instincts, his guardian spirit, saw and knew, and he didn't listen. He let a child slip through his fingers and they paid the price, he let a child be tortured and he didn't do anything to stop it...

His mind was sent back to that horrid time, Wukong had been in that dungeon for two. weeks and he could have done something.

He felt nauseous, he gagged but swallowed it down. For two weeks he let his once mentor torture that which he was meant to protect.

He failed in his duties.

He failed as a guardian.

He failed Wukong..

He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

But he would not fail again, never again.

He turned to his temple and cast out a sealing spell, locking everything down. He needed to confirm the rumors first and then check on Wukong, he needed to fulfill his primary duties, what he was made for.

---

"You've caused quite a stir up in the celestial realm, Sun Wukong" Erlang spoke with cold indifference until his eyes shifted, turning bitter. "You've made a mockery of the Jade Emperor and the entire celestial realm"

Wukong said nothing, he couldn't, his whole body was frozen in place.

"In the light of recent events--"

"I'm sorry, who are you exactly?" MK interupted.

Wukongs eyes shot to his successor and he managed to grab onto his jacket, tugging and shaking his head but the delivery boy didn't pay his warning any mind.

"Sorry but some of us are new to the scene and judging by the fact you seem to have a stick shoved up where the sun don't shine--"

"Silence!" Erlang snapped. "Child, you do not understand the gravity of the situation! Sun Wukong has made a mockery of everyone in the celestial realm! Dishonored those he fought by concealing his true self! And now the lady bone demon has been set upon the world! He must be tried and puni--"

"Erlang Shen!" A seething voice called out.

There was a pillar of light that landed a bit away from both parties and out came another celestial. He was younger than Erlang, his black hair in twin buns on top of his head while the rest flowed free behind him. He wore pink and gold armor with pointed pauldrons, a matching pink skirt that resembled lotus leaves with a red undershirt and teal pants with dark colored boots.

He had simple gold bands on his wrists and flaming hoops under his feet like rollerblades, a spear clutched in one hand as he stared down the other celestial.

"Nezha" Erlang greeted. "What brings you down here, shouldn't you be attending to your other duties?"

Nezha sneered at the man.

"You know exactly why I am here, a decision has not been made yet! You have no right--"

"Stand down, Nezha, do not forget your place" Erlang interupted with narrowed eyes.

Nezhas zipped over to stand directly in front of him, blocking Erlangs view of the pair, Wukong specifically.

"No you remember your place. Until a unanimous decision has been made he falls, and remains, under my jurisdiction and protection, that is my duty" he sneered, stomping the butt of his spear on the ground for emphasis.

Erlang narrowed his eyes before relaxing and putting on a fake easy smile.

"I did not come here to start a fight Nezha, I simply wished to check in with the guardians of knowledge" he shrugged. "They've stopped they're communications with me this morning and grew worried"

"That is a thinly veiled lie and you know it" the younger accused. "Return to the celestial realm, I will check in with the guardians if you are so concerned"

"I shall do no such thing"

"Return or I will tell the court that you went against orders and you shall be tried instead"

Erlang grit his teeth.

"..fine"

The warrior turned his attention to the cub, going around the Lotus prince to address him directly.

"But make no mistake, monkey. Another trial will happen, I'll make sure of it.." he leaned down closer. "..and when it does I'll be right back down here to drag you back to the Jade Palace myself and I'll restore the honor you took from me" his voice turned low and vindictive, his eyes flashing a harsh crimson. "One way, or another"

---

He watched Nezha get between them again, there were words said but Wukong couldn't hear it over the buzzing in his head.

He felt his blood run cold, the scars on his back beginning to burn the longer he stared at Erlang Shen. His vision began to tunnel as all he could focus on was the man in front of him, his chest tightened and breathing became harder.

Those eyes...they were burned into his memory. His body felt weak as his mind was sent plummeting back to those horrid weeks.

Erlang was asking him questions but he could barely hear that over the screams echoing along the stone walls.

Where was that coming from..was it him?

The scars along his body were on fire now. His throat felt like it was closing, breathing became even harder. He was suffocating, they were pouring water over his face again..he was drowning..

Someone was laughing, they always laughed when they got a good scream out of him, they made it a competition even.

His eyes began to sting, he couldn't do this again, it hurt, why wouldn't they just stop..

He squeezed his eyes shut and his cheeks felt wet, he heard crying, someone was talking but it was nearly drowned out by the echoing laughter and screaming.

Stop, please he couldn't go through this again, please just STOP!.

Something touched him and he flinched away. He tried to curl up on himself, trying to protect himself as much as he could.

He felt something wash over him, it felt warm, soft...safe even. 

Such a stark contrast from just moments ago, he felt his shoulders relax slightly into calm feeling. He opened his eyes and peeked out from his knees.

There was a gentle pink glow, pink petals floating softly around him.

He should know these petals, he's seen them so many times but for the life of him his brain won't work, he feels like he's sinking.

His body was slowly coming back to him but everything felt slow, he still trembled but he was no longer struggling to breath, nothing was suffocating him anymore.

It was then he noticed a yellow jack draped over him, it was warm against his back, cozy.

He felt that tired sinking feeling spread to his body and he felt his eyes droop as he watched the petals go by.

They were pretty..soft..

He barely felt it when he was being moved by unseen hands, he blinked and he was laying on something sturdy and warm, a hand began rubbing his back. It eased the burning he felt earlier and it just relaxed him further as he watched the petals drift by, he grapped the jacket around him and lazily hunkered down like it was a blanket.

Fingers made their way into his hair and he couldn't fight it anymore when his eyes finally fluttered shut.

---

MK watched the Nezha guy send the other away from them. He was lost at what was happening but he knew that he didn't like that Erlang guy.

"What a dick, what's the story there monkey king?" MK asked as he watched the figure disappear into the sky.

When no answer came he looked down.

"Monkey king?" He asked again.

He heard a hitched breath as his eyes found Wukong, he hadn't moved from where he was standing. He looked frozen in place, if it weren't for the ragged breathing he would have thought he was a statue. His hands were clutched desperately at his clothes and hair. He looked at his face and saw how distant his eyes were, wide and haunted with tears threatening to flow, the monkey was seeing something MK wasn't.

He stepped closer the kid.

"I can't..again, just...stop" He heard mumble from the kings lips, his mouth in a pained grimace as he heaved breath after breath and the tears finally spilled across frozen cheeks as his eyes finally slammed shut and he shook.

"Wukong, hey, it's ok, hes gone" MK tried to soothe.

The child was still crying, hands curling further into his hair and collar with a white knuckle grip, MK wouldn't be surprised if he had pulled out a few clumps of hair at this point.

He reached a hand to gently place it over one of Wukongs but as soon as he did, his vision was flooded with images. 

There was a brief scream and laughter, he saw a brief image of Erlang Shen standing infront of Wukong as his adult-self, bloody, beaten--

He jerked his hand away.

He stared at his hand with bewilderment before looking down at the crying child, his eyes cracked open and MK could see they were engulfed with a golden hue before being squeezed shut again as he sunk down on himself, shaking like a leaf as he heaved.

MKs stomach sank.

Oh..

Oh...

..what did they do to you?.. He thought with horror.

He looked down at his hand and back at Wukong, he didn't know how to help without touching him he--he eyed his jacket.

He slipped his jacket off and draped it over the curled up cub. He grabbed the edges of the material and pulled it tighter around the monkey hoping against all odds that it would help comfort him.

Nezha appeared next to him.

The celestial looked down at Wukong, his eyes softening and filling with what looked like guilt.

"H..how is he?" Nezha asked quietly, reaching to touch the monkey but MK smacked his hand away just before he made contact, going as far as to show his staff in one hand.

"Look, I appreciate you running off the other guy, buy I still don't know what's going on or who you really are" MK scrutinized.

Nezha took a step back to give some space.

"I suppose that's fair, I am the third lotus prince, Nezha" he introduced. "I am also the guardian of children, but..recent events have shown me that I am not worthy of the title" he explained, his eyes landing to Wukong once again.

"The guardian of children? I didn't know there was such a thing"

"I admit that I have not been as active in my original role in recent centuries. I have..another duty, that has taken up my time but once I learned the truth of Wukong I came to see him" Nezha explained, slowly taking a seat on the other side of Wukong, just in arms reach.

Nezha eyed Wukong with that same guilt ridden look. 

"You might have an easier time if you..hugged him" he tried to advise, the guardian within was begging him to take the child to fulfill his duties.

MK fixed Nezha with a deadpan stare.

"No! Really?! I haven't thought about that!" MKs voice dripped with sarcasm.

The two butted heads until a whimper made them shrink back. Wukong had curled further in on himself and let out a sob.

Nezha and MK looked at each other, all heat lost from their standoff.

"Let me try something.." Nezha said quietly.

MK watched the lotus prince summon his spear and close his eyes, the spear began to glow a soft pink before dissolving into what looked like pink flower petals.

MK watched the petals dance around them for a moment, creating a small dome that cast everything in a soft pink glow.

He felt himself relax.

Wait why did he feel relaxed?

He grabbed one of the petals and examined it.

A lotus petal He noted.

He couldn't explain it but he swore he felt the muscles in his arm melt when he touches the petal, he let it resume its orbit and he turned back to Wukong and Nezha.

Nezha was seemingly focused on something before looking back up at MK.

"Now try"

MK look at Wukong again, he watched the kings shoulders relax just a fraction and the golden hue around his eyes dampened. He reached out and placed his hand on Wukongs again.

This time surprised when his head wasn't filled with screaming and laughter. He gripped the childs hand firmly, squeezing it.

It took a momet but Wukongs head picked up from where it was smooshed between his knees, his face looking worse for wear and still a little out of it.

Then the cub began to grow tired, his eyes began to droop exponentially as he seemed to fall asleep right where he sat.

MK wrapped an arm around Wukong and pulled him over to lay on his lap. Wukongs eyes were barely open as laid down, there was no panic in his eyes now, just exhaustion as he began to rub his back.

"What did you do? What is this?" MK asked once Wukongs eyes drifted shut.

"It's one of my abilities, I conduct my qi into these lotus petals and it creates a calming effect, especially on children" Nezha explains, a swirl of lotus petals twirled in his hands for emphasis on his control. "He'll take a short nap or a light doze at the very least and once I take it down the effects will wear off relatively quickly, he might be a bit grouchy afterwards"

"That's..handy and its pretty" MK admitted, admiring the dancing petals above.

Nezha chuckled at that.

"Yes, it rather is.." he muttered.

There was a moment of silence, both taking in the calming petals.

"You need to be careful, you and your family" Nezha warned. "Heaven knows about Wukong now and they..the court is deciding what to do about it"

"But he hasn't done anything!" MK exclaimed.

"I know, trust me I know" Nezha quickly reassured. "The grievances between Sun Wukong and Heaven were over when Wukong finished his journey westward and claimed buddhahood"

"But?..."

"But there are those in the high ranks and the court itself that feel that Wukong has dishonored and wronged them for concealing his true self"

"You're saying they're pissed because they just found out that they were beaten by a literal five year old?" MK deadpanned, not believing what he was hearing.

"In less eloquent terms, yes" the prince admitted.

"And that Erlang guy, he's one of those people?"

"I'm afraid so"

"What can you tell me about him?"

"Erlang Shen was my mentor for many centuries, hes smart and cunning and when he sets his mind to something, nothing will stop him. Though, I am trying to stop the trial from happening theres only so much pull I have. Thankfully, there are those on the court that find the idea ludicrous and want to let bygones be bygones but there are others, like my former mentor, who want to bring Wukong in"

"For what though? What would they even do to him if they had him?!" MK exasperated

"I'm not sure, but I'm doing what I can to find out" Nezha assured before looking to MK. "I'll forever be in your debt for looking after Wukong when I was unaware of the truth but I'll take things from here" he said with a grateful look and held out his arms for Wukong.

MKs eyes widened and smacked the guardians hands away.

"You're not taking him!" He exclaimed.

Nezha took a breath.

"MK, was it? Look, I know you want to help, but you don't know what he's capable of or how to handle him"

"And you do?" MK countered. "Where were you when spider queen drained him, when he found out that Tripitaka was never coming back for him, he lost his shit and had it not been for spider queens draining webs I don't know what would have happened but we handled it, my family"

"And what will you do when he loses control again? When he's at full power?" The prince pressed, not out of scrutiny or spite but concern for innocent people.

Concern for people who were in over their heads.

"Well, what would you do?" MK parroted. "You've seen what he can do, you know how strong he is, what would you do? How much does he trust your word that everything's ok?"

Nezha was silent, it was true, Wukong and him weren't very close and as much as it's his duty to protect and care for children in need. Sun Wukong is a whole other league of his own.

He couldn't stand to him when they fought during the havoc in heaven, Wukong had made quick work of him and continued his rampage like he was nothing but a mere fly.

And if he took Wukong with him, there would be a fight. It was clear that the monkey kings successor was not going to let him go so easily and if Wukong had defeated him..he wondered just how strong his successor was going to be.

Even if he did take Wukong back with him, he would be under constant threat of other celestials or scrutiny of the higher ups. There was only so far his protection could stretch after all.

But down here, Wukong had people that cared about him, that much was clear. He looked down at Wukong, the sleeping cub looked happy, calm, cuddled against the other as MK gently ran his fingers through his thick golden locks.

He'd finally found a family after so long...

Nezha looked away from MK and stared at his lotus petals, making his decision he took a deep breath, this was harder than he wanted it to be but it was what was best for everyone involved.

"You care about Wukong, don't you?" The prince concluded.

"Yes"

"He trusts you, you and your family. More than he could trust anyone from the celestial realm or me for that matter, I lost my chance of that..a very long time ago" he continued with regret. "Never squander that"

The delivery boy nodded solemnly, listening intently. Nezha got up and stood at attention in front of MK.

"If I leave him here with you, I need to know, MK, I need to know that you understand just what you're dealing with. Sun Wukong is not a normal child" He explained with the serious tone of the general he is. 

"It won't be all fun and games, he needs structure, nurturement, someone that can curb his destructive nature and calm him when he loses control because he will and it will not be pretty"

MK didn't answer at first, he took a breath and let it out before gathering Wukong in his arms and standing up to eye level. Wukong woke up a little at being jostled but quickly laid half awake against his shoulder with a sleepy hum, soothed by the pretty petals drifting around him.

"Do you accept and understand what I am saying, MK? Come what may?" Nezha asked, extending a hand out.

"Yes, I do" MK nodded and took Nezha's hand.

The two shook on it.

Nezha swirled his other hand and took down the dome. The lotus petals twirled around his hand and formed his spear once again. MK could feel the forced calm leave his body and Wukong began to move a little, an uncoordinated small hand rubbed at his face before letting out a sleepy grumble.

"He'll start to come out of it soon now that the domes gone. To him he just took a nice little nap" Nezha explained with a small smile towards the cub. "I'll do what I can in the celestial realm, try to stop the trial from going through or at the very least find some kind of loophole"

"And we'll take care of Wukong down here, he still has things to teach me after all, as odd as it feels now I can't argue with the results" MK chuckled.

Nezha stared at sleepy cub in MKs arms, watching his big red eyes start to creep open little by little, his inner guardian still wanted to take him but..

"He'll be fine, Nezha" MK reassured as if he read his mind.

"..Ok" he said softly before summoning his flaming hoops. "I'll be in touch" he said before skating off.

---

"How much did you see?" Wukong asked.

He had been quiet their whole ride home so far, he finally woke up enough to have a coherent thought shortly after Nezha departed. He was sitting in front of MK on the hover bike, staring at the sea below them.

"Enough to know that I really hate that Erlang Shen guy" MK answered simply.

Wukong chuckled at that.

"Do..do you want to talk about it?" MK hesitantly asked.

"Not really.."

"That's ok, but if you ever do, you know where to find me, alright?"

Wukong nodded, his arms crossing. He still looked a little shaken, MK could see the slight shake of his arms as he held himself. Trying to make himself appear as if he was strong and tough but his troubled face gave it away.

He smiled softly at the cub.

"How about you stay with us tonight instead of your new place?" He suggested.

"I thought you didn't wanted there anymore?" Wukong voiced with slight confusion.

"What?! Of course we want you there! Why would you think that?"

Wukong shrugged awkwardly. 

"I just thought since you built the house..that meant you didn't..want me" he answered so softly that MK almost didn't hear him over the wind, he refused to meet his eyes now.

MK hit the brakes on the hover bike, now floating atop of the calm ocean. He turned Wukong to face him.

"Of course we want you, we just thought it would be..safer, for you on Flower Fruit Mountain"

Wukong looked confused.

"Look, we didn't want to tell you because we didn't want to scare you but spider queen pretty much put a bounty on you after the new years festival. We thought you'd be safer on the mountain" he explained.

The king looked like he was about to counter before he thought of something.

"Is that why Yin and Jin tried to kidnap me?!" He exclaimed as the realization hit him.

Now it was MKs turn to chuckle.

"Yes, and granted Yin and Jin aren't really that dangerous we were worried about other old enemies coming for you now that everyone knows the truth. Everyone saw you on new years, they know you're..small" MK decided to say instead of getting g into another battle of wills with a child on whether they were a child or not.

Wukong just sat there.

"Oh.." they said quietly.

"And, we couldn't let you go back to that crumbling palace you call home so we built you a new one" he finished, he brushed some stray hairs back into Wukongs hood.

"Of course we want you at the shop and home, you're apart of our family now, we love you! Do you understand?" He asked gently.

Wukong stared at his successor.

They..loved him? 

It took a bit before Wukong nodded dumbly and MK grew a big grin.

"Good! Now let's go home and make sure everyone's awake and Pigsy will make victory noodles!" He exclaimed before sitting Wukong down in front of him again and flooring the throttle of the bike all the while Wukong processed what he'd been told.

They..loved him.

He couldn't remember the last time he had that...

Chapter Text

"Pigsy!..This is embarrassing!" Wukong hissed in a whisper, his cheeks were pink as his eyes flicked around and he caught the gaze of various strangers who gave him a small smile as they walked by.

Pigsy only continued to push the cart and smirked at the cub. 

"Why are you embarrassed?"

"This seat is for little kids!" He hissed, his cheeks burning hotter. "And strangers keep staring and smiling at me! It's creepy as hell!"

Wukong didn't even know how he ended up in this situation.

Well he did, but that didn't mean he liked it.

Pigsy had insisted Wukong come along with him to go shopping, he tried to protest but the chef all but dragged him from the house and no amount of pleading to MK and Mei made them step in and help him him out, in fact they smiled and snickered to themselves as Pigsy pried him from the doorframe.

"Wukong, you are a little kid" Pigsy reminded. "And theyre smiling at you because they think youre cute, which you are" Pigsy teased as he pinched at one of Wulongs cheeks only for the cub to smack his hand away and pout even harder.

"Also, I wouldn't have had to put you in the cart if you hadn't kept wandering off"

Wukong groaned, raking his hands down his face. 

Ok so he wandered off once--a couple--ok he wandered off four different times but everything was just so new to him and he wanted to explore! Pigsy was taking forever to get through the aisles and he wanted to move and not inspect every little thing on the shelf! And it wasn't like he was lost!

Though..there was one lady who *did* think he was lost and was insistent on taking him to the service desk to "find his parents" and she wouldn't listen to a thing he said!

It wasn't until Pigsy came along looking for him did he get the woman to let go of his arm and send her off with that classic customer service smile he used on difficult customers at the shop.

And that seemed to be the final straw for the pig because the next thing Wukong knew he was being scooped up and placed in the baby seat of the grocery cart.

"I'm not a little kid" He argued with an exasperated tone. "Why am I even here?"

"Because it's good to get out of the house every once in a while" Pigsy answered with a shrug. "And because everyone else was busy and I needed help" he added with a teasing smile.

Wukong fixed him with a deadpan look.

"How am I suppose to help if I'm sitting in a baby seat?"

"You are helping!" Pigsy chirped before handing him the grocery list and a pen. "You're my list holder, tell me what we need and cross it off when it's in the cart" 

Wukong just grumbled to himself for the umpteenth time and scribbled off the few items Pigsy already put in the cart.

He should be back at the mountain or at the very least back at the apartment scouring over the scroll he took from the cloud. He needed to find someway to stop the lady bone demon before it was you late. He knew she had the instructions that they stole from the cloud but that didn't mean she had all the pieces, he knew he had at least one of them, safely stored in his treasure room.

But he didn't know how many more she still needed yet.

And not to mention, now Erlang Shen and all of heaven are out to get him!? He has no idea how he's going to deal with them yet!

He felt a knot form in his stomach, he couldn't let Erlang take him back if he did he would take him back to the dungeon, down to that room where no one would find him, where it was cold and everything hurt He--he couldnt go through that again--

A hand grasped his bicep and he jumped, his eyes wide.

"You're ok" Pigsy's voice became softer in an instant. He took Wukongs hands in his larger ones and held them gently.

Wukong blinked his teary eyes, the demons face was soft and gentle as he softly repeated assurances while he took some deep breaths.

Wukong took his hands away from Pigsy's and wiped the corners of his eyes.

"I'm ok" he insisted.

"What's wrong, is it the people? We can leave" Pigsy asked softly.

Wukong shook his head.

"No, no I'm fine" he repeated.

Pigsy stared at Wukong before sighing in defeat. He knew wasn't going to get anywhere not in a public setting like this.

"..ok" he said quietly before placing another item in the cart. "Cross off yogurt for me?"

---

Pigsy should've known to keep a better eye on Wukong in the store. Really he blames himself on that, one minute he would be looking at something on the shelf and when he turned around Wukong was no where in sight.

Every time, it gave him a little heart attack and he would frantically search around for the cub, so, baby jail it was.

He could tell Wukong wasn't happy but, you do what you gotta do sometimes.

The real reason he took him to the store with him was because they were all a little worried about him, especially MK. 

He knows the kid hasn't been at rest for a while now, and he wished he would just *tell* them what was wrong so they could help but he keeps pushing everyone away, saying not to worry about it.

Even now, his mind seemed elsewhere and as much as he would love to help, a public setting is not the place to have that conversation.

So, distracting the kid it was.

They reached the end of aisle and as he was about to turn down the next, a blue light on the floor caught his attention. He followed the blue light across the the main aisle that bridged the grocery to the home goods.

The blue light moved calmly and fluidly, he looked over and followed where it was coming from.

The stores aquarium

The store had a large aquarium of glofish set in a fake tunnel to show off their true glow, it was a common spot for parents to take their small children when shopping, he used to take MK in there all the time.

He looked back down at the cub and smiled.

"Hey, you want to see something cool?" He asked and turned the cart towards the fish tanks.

-

"....woahhh" Wukong breathed out.

He stared in hypnotic awe as the neon fish swam around, the tank lights reflecting off of their scales just right. There were tiny coral reefs, little treasure chests and a light up mini volcanoes decorating the various fish tanks on the wall and the fish swam calmly through their terrain.

It was so..peaceful.

"Cool, isn't it?" Pigsy agreed quietly, admiring the fish.

He peered down at Wukong.

He watched the cub reach his hand out to touch the tank and grin when the fish followed his hand around, giggling to himself as he led the fish in different shapes.

 He smiled to himself, in an instant, the great sage had become his true age. His eyes sparkly with wonder and awe as he played with the fish, little gleeful giggles bubbling out. 

He may not be able to help Wukong how he wanted but he could do this. He could at least take the hurt away for these few moments.

"Grocery stores not too bad now huh?" Pigsy asked before leaning on the handle of the cart, his voice turning to a softer tone. "Hey kid?"

Wukong tore his eyes away to look at him.

"Look, I know you didn't want to come shopping with me but I'm glad you did!" Pigsu smiled. "Now what say you, we finish up here and I can show you a special little spot MK and I would go after we ran errands. They have some of the best sundaes around" he whispered the last part as of he were telling the greatest secret.

That caught the cubs attention.

"But! You have to cut the grumpy attitude, forget whatever it's is you've been dwelling on for the past couple days just for these few hours, deal?" He smirked, holding his hand out to shake.

Wukong hummed, pretending to think about it before taking Pigsys hand and shaking it.

"Deal" He agreed.

Pigsys smirk grew as he pulled Wukongs hand closer to him, making the kid lean over to him and the chef dove for his neck, pretending to eat him up as his hands went for sides and knees.

Wukong squealed and snorted before Pigsy pulled away, a matching grin to the cubs splitting one.

"There! Better already" Pigsy grinned deviously before turning the cart around.

----

"Ok, milk, eggs, coffee, oatmeal.." Pigsy listed the items as Wukong crossed them off. "What's next?"

"Uh, aluh-mi-um? Al-um-num?" Wukong tried to pronounce.

Pigsy raised a brow and tilted the list towards hinself.

"Aluminum, bubs" he corrected, pointing at the big word. "Or you could say 'tin foil', I'll know whatcha mean. Tang wrote most of the list and between you and me I think he just likes using the big words cuz it makes him feel smarter" he teased.

Wukong gave a pained grin and looked back down to the list, crossing off the tin foil with a little harsher than needed.

Pigsy noticed the change with a subtle "oh.." escaping his lips and started pushing the cart along, an awkward silence meeting the mood change.

"Sooo, things still kind of rough with Tang, I take it?" The pig asked, already knowing the answer.

Wukong didnt meet his eyes and pig demon let out a disappointed sigh.

"Wukong" he said carefully. "You can't avoid him forever"

Wukong squirmed under the chefs gaze, looking guilty.

"I know, its just--logically, I know Tang isn't..him, but every time I see his face I see him and all I can think about us how he lied to me! A-and it..hurts, to think about.." the cub tried to explain.

Pigsy's eyes softened.

"Ok, how about we table this for later, yeah? Right now we're just out having a good time running errands. Sound good?" He asked.

Wukong looked back up at the pig and nodded with a grateful smile.

"Alright, what's next on the list.."

---

They were being followed.

While Pigsy talked about it being free sample day at the store, Wukong noticed it right away, a lady was following them from aisle to aisle, she looked mean.

The woman was a middle-aged human, wearing a beige cardigan and khakis with neat short dark hair framing her face, long in the front and short in the back.

She had a disgusted look on her face every time her eyes drifted to Pigsy and that immediately made him dislike her.

"Pigsy, we're being followed" he said quietly.

The pig seemed unbothered as he placed another item in the cart. 

"Let me guess, human? Middle-aged looking woman? Wearing beige of some sort, bonus points if she has a short hair cut?" He guessed with an unimpressed tone.

"To a T" Wuking complimented with surprise. "How'd you know?"

"Eh, this kind of thing used to happen when MK was little. They see a demon with a small child of a different specie and get suspicious, especially if it's a demon and a human child" Pigsy explained with a shrug.

"There are people still like that after all this time?!" Wukong asked incredulously.

"Some things never change, but I choose to ignore it, if no one moves forward then how can we better ourselves, yeah?" The chef shrugged off. "Besides! It's free sample day!" He chirped as they came to a sample stand at the end of the aisle, this one was little cups of fruit.

Pigsy grabbed two cups and handed one to Wukong.

Wukong took it but glanced back at the woman to see her walking straight for them with a sense of purpose.

"She's coming over here" he informed.

"I'll handle it" Pigsy assured, unbothered.

The woman stomped up to the chef with air of entitlement and arrogance.

"Excuse me!--" She said with a know-it-all tone, but Pigsy wouldn't even let her finish.

"This is my child and I have the paperwork to prove it! Now kindly fuck off" Pigsy spoke clear and with no room to argue just before he moved along, leaving the woman sputtering in disgusted disbelief.

Wukong looked at the pig with a raised brow.

"If you say it with confidence they usually leave you alone" Pigsy winked and popped a piece of mango in mouth.

Wukong just giggled mischievously in response.

---

Pigsy and Wukong pulled into the back of the noodle shop, ice cream in hand and groceries in the back of the cart.

Pigsy was right, the ice cream was delicious, it was creamy and smooth even with the cookie chunks and chocolate swirls in his bowl.

"Ok, finish your ice cream, gotta hide the evidence so Tang and MK dont get jealous" Pigsy chirped as he scrapped his bowl of the last bits.

He looked down at Wukong and chuckled. The kid had ice cream smeared on his chin and all over his hands somehow, even though it was in a bowl.

How kids managed to be so messy was one of the great mysteries of the world He swore in his mind.

"You got it all over yourself" he laughed and grabbed a few napkins from the glove box.

He wiped his hands and face clean while Wukong squirmed in typical kid fashion. Part of the chocolate wouldn't come off his chin so he licked his thumb and cleaned it off.

"Bleugh!" Wukong whined. "Whyy?"

"Then don't be so messy" 

Wukong wiped his face with his sleeves, sputtering, as he walked around the cart to carry groceries.

Sometimes it was easy to forget that Wukong was, to put it simply, a tiny godling because of his appearance.

So Pigsy was a little dumbstruck when his newly acquired son grabbed nearly all the groceries in one go, stacking the heavy crates on top of each other in one arm and grabbing nearly all the bags with the other before opening the door with his foot and walked inside, leaving Pigsy stunned in the alley.

"Right, super strength, gonna take some gettin' used to" Pigsy muttered to himself.

He grabbed the last few bags and was about to head inside when he heard something rattle the trash cans and a short lived yelp.

He turned around, looking around the alley to see no one there.

"Hello?.." he called to no answer.

He stood there and watched for a moment, he could feel eyes on him but couldn't see anyone. He eyed the same trash cans again with suspicion before finally turning around and heading inside.

Unbeknownst to him, once his back was turned, the shadows around the alley moved and retreated to the roof.

---

Macaque slammed the demon on the roof, pinning them to the floor with his body, his arm pushed against their neck with the threat of struggling.

"Who the hell are you?!" The snake-like demon screeched.

His scales flared out in anger and his yellow eyes practically glowed.

"Don't worry about it, why dont you tell me what you were doing snooping around that noodle shop?" Macaque countered, pushing down a little harder on their airway.

The demon choked.

"Cmon man, you know exactly why I'm here" he hinted.

The warrior growled in reply, he picked up the demon from the floor and slammed him into the wall of the roof stairs.

"I'm only going to say this once so listen closely.." he growled. "No one, is touching a hair on him, do you understand me?!"

The snake grunted.

"What's he to you?" He spat. "You his bodyguard or something?!"

"He doesn't need a bodyguard to take care of some low demon like you" the warrior spat back.

"Then why are you here?"

Macaque didn't answer, quite frankly he didn't know how to answer. 

He had seen the video, hard not to when it went viral on every media platform.

He didn't know what to make of it all, he didn't believe it one bit. Wukong had to be putting on an act, that form was not him, that wasn't the real Sun Wukong! 

It couldn't be!

He bad been stalking the shop since he saw it. He'd watched Wukomg and MK come in and out and every time he sees the tiny Wukong, he couldnt help but feel..angry, like he was being tricked and no one else saw it but him.

He wanted to confront him, tell him to knock off the baby act but every time..he just couldnt get himself to move from the shadows.

"Look man, I'm not the first demon to go after that kid, you can't beat us all"

Macaque grinned at that.

"Yeah, I know, but this will be the last time you try" he threatened just before his shadows began crawling up the snake demons body.

"H-hey man! Can't we talk about thi--!!" the demons words were cut off when the shadows engulfed his mouth, silencing him completely as they dragged him down into the dark abyss. 

Macaque turned back around to the noodle shop, through the window he could see Wukong on MKs shoulders, smiling as the family put groceries away.

MK...

He needed to get to the bottom of it all, he needed to talk to MK.

Chapter Text

Tang woke up at his desk with a snort. He blinked his bleary eyes and sat up in his chair, cringing at the pops in his spine as he did so.

He fixed his glasses that were skewed on his face and looked around, the living room was dark save for the lamp at his desk. He checked his phone and it was a little after two in the morning.

He let out a quiet groan.

He had been reading Tripitakas journal when he fell asleep. The monk had documented what seemed like everything about Wukong in the hidden pages. His journal turned from a timeline of events of their journey to what almost resembled a baby book that parents keep for their kid.

It was rather adorable to be honest.

However there was this one passage he hasn't fulling translated yet, it was covered in drawings of skulls and death and the words he did manage to translate were something about a bone..witch?

But, oh well, he closed the book and stood up from his chair.

Bed time.

He was confused for a brief second when he turned around to see the dark living room. He nearly forgot that they moved his work desk to the corner of the living room. What was once his study was now a small bedroom for Wukong, it was pretty plain right now, it had a twin size bed, some story books and stuffed animals that used to be MKs on a shelf and a small dresser that was mostly empty but Mei swore she would fill it with clothes for him.

He turned his desk lamp off and walked through the darkness towards his shared bedroom when he heard slight groaning and grunting behind him. He stopped and turned around, he noticed there was still light filling the small hallway.

He looked at the dimly lit floor and followed the light in the opposite direction of his bedroom.

It was coming from his stud--Wukong's room, there was a light coming from the cracked open door.

He walked up to the door, the frustrated noise getting a little louder and heard something being thrown on the floor as he got closer and softly knocked before pushing the door open. 

"Wukong?" He called.

He was met with Sun Wukong sitting in the floor, head in hands and pushing against his eyes as he growled with frustration, a little ways away from him was an old looking scroll that he'd clearly tossed aside.

"Uh heyy" he greeted rather lamely. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" He asked.

Wukong looked up at his door before going back to sulking. 

"Shouldn't you?" The cub countered rather gruff.

"Touché" Tang shrugged and walked into the room, crouching down to the floor.

"Whatcha..doing?" He asked.

Wukong just groaned, tapering off to a whine.

Tang looked over at the scroll from where Wukong tossed it. It was old and burnt on some of the edges, there was a picture of a skull on the hidges. He narrowed his eyes at the skull, he'd seen that symbol before in Tripitaka's book, it was the same skull drawing.

He could tell the monk was scared of whatever demon it belonged to and was very dangerous.

He picked it up and tried to read the top and was surprised to find the same words from Tripitakas journal but they were written in more formal characters, easier for him to translate.

"The Lady Bone Demon?" He read aloud, he knew that name...

He'd read the Journey to the West countless times, he knew every demon that the monkey king fought and she had always stuck out to him, all the other demons the monkey king beat into submission or even killed but the bone demon, she was trapped in a tomb.

That was the demon Tripitakas journal was talking about! He likely wrote it in panic so this didn't translate well when he was reading! But why was he reading about her now? Unless..

"Hey!" Wukong scolded and snatched the scroll back.

Right, focus on the cub, try to get him to open up first.

"MK mentioned something about a bone demon, is this what he was talking about? Is this why you've been so cagey lately?" He asked.

Wukong didnt answer.

"Who is she?" He asked.

C'mon, give me an opening He thought.

"Don't worry about it"

Tang sighed.

Ok, he needed to rip the bandaid off if he was going to get anywhere.

"Look I've seen this skull before in an old book. I dont know much but I know she's dangerous. Ive read Journey to the West, I know what happened" he said carefully. 

Wukong looked up at Tang with brief surprise before schooling his expression and looked away.

"She's back, isn't she?" Tang probed. "That's why you've been so distant, you're trying to find a way to stop her?" He asked.

Wukong gave a slight nod, a defeated look etched into his features.

"What have you found so far? Maybe I can help"

It was quiet for a moment, Tang was about to speak before he heard a sniffle. He looked at Wukong and saw the tears peeking at the corner of his eyes.

"Are you, ok--" 

"Nothing, I found nothing!" Wukong sniffled. "I've scoured over everything I could about her but there's no mention of a weakness or way to stop her"

Wukong rubbed at his eyes, frustration growing as the tears kept coming and he growled to himself as he smacked his hands against his cheeks roughly, trying to snap his body out of it.

"Hey hey, don't do that, it's ok" Tang tried to soothe as he grabbed Wukongs hands.

Wukong gave a weak growl.

"No its not, she wants to destroy everything and the only reason she was trapped last time was because of my master and he's not--he's not.." Wukong broke off with a hiccup, tears coming back to his eyes full force as his face screwed up in a silent cry.

Tang sagged as his teary face. It was clear Wukong was still grieving, and nearly any mention of his old master sent him to tears and it broke their hearts each time. It was partly why he's been giving Wukong as much space as possible.

And it didn't help that the kid hasn't been sleeping, too wrapped up in his research project to do so but now..

He thinks Wukongs finally hit a wall, he looked like death warmed over. His eyes were dark and tired and puffy around the edges, his hair was frizzy and body tense, his shoulders and hands shook slightly with each shuddery breath. His face was quickly becoming red and blotchy as his puffy eyes filled with unshed tears.

"This isn't just about the lady bone demon, is it?" He asked with a soft, knowing tone.

Wukong shook his head.

"Wukong.."

"I don't want to think about it" His small voice croaked.

Tang sat himself on the floor, his legs finally cramping.

"Do you want to talk about it instead?" He asked.

"..no" 

"..Do you want a hug?" He asked a little hopeful, opening his arms a little to the little monkey.

"..yeah.." Wukong croaked, the tears finally trickling down his chubby cheeks as he stepped up to Tang, his eyes squeezed shut.

Tang wrapped his arms around the cub, holding him tightly as his buried his face into his shoulder and shook. One hand went to the back of the kings head and ran his fingers through his tangled hair while the other rubbed his back.

He rocked Wukong side to side as he silently cried, taking shuddering breaths between each hiccup.

"I. Miss. Him" he heaved between cries.

Tang held him tighter.

"I know.." he reassured softly into his ear. "But it'll be ok, you'll be ok"

"Why are you here..I've been nothing. But. Mean to you" Wukong sniffled.

"Because I care" he answered simply.

Wukong wiped his eyes and took some deep breaths, not breaking away from the hug. He continued to rock side to side with Tang, it was soothing.

"But why, you're not my dad, you don't have to pretend" he replied, his voice still cracking here and there.

Tang rubbed his back again and pulled away just enough so he could look Wukong in the eye. 

"I know I'm not your dad, I could never replace him but..I dont need to be him to care about you the same way he did" he smiled down at the cub, he took a hand and wiped his tear streaked cheeks with his sleeve.

Wukong stared up at Tang for a moment, his big red glistening eyes looking for something in the scholars own. 

"Tripitaka loved you so much, Wukong, and I know it hurt him even more to leave you behind. I dont think he meant to hurt you, I think he just wanted to give you hope that things would get better"

"H-how do you know?" Wukong asked.

"Well, I was going to put it in a frame before I gave it to you, but I think you could really use it now" 

Tang reached into the inside pocket of his changpao, pulling out a piece of paper. It looked old but well preserved.

It was the old photo he found in Tripitaka's journal.

"I found this wedged between one of the books I borrowed from your library, read the back of it" Tang explained.

Wukongs eyes went impossibly big as he stared at the old photo before turning it over.

"My little pilgrim, the greatest gift I could have ever received"

Wukong's eyes watered for a whole other reason now as he flipped the picture back over and stared at the picture of his old master. He remembered when they took this picture, it was one of the few material things his master kept that wasn't essential.

He thought it was lost centuries ago but here it was..

His thumb gently ran over where his master stood in the photo, his kind face looked so loving and it was aimed at him.

He looked back up at Tang, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to say something but nothing would work. The scholar just smiled softly at him in understanding and wiped away his tears.

"..I'm sorry" Wukong said softly.

Tang cooked his head slightly.

"For what?" He asked.

"For being..an ass the past few days. You didn't deserve that, it just..hurt"

Tang smiled and pulled Wukong back into another hug. Wukong hesitated for but a brief moment before hugging back, griping Tangs shirt from the back.

"It's ok" Tang reasured. "It's ok, we're ok" he continued softly in Wukongs ear as the cub settled down, relaxing into the hug and drying his wet eyes.

They stayed there for a moment, Tang held Wukong and rubbed his back as he rocked side to side until the king began to sag in his arms.

"I think it's time for both of us to get some sleep, yeah? We'll figure out what to do in the morning" Tang proposed.

"I can't sleep" Wukong pushed away from the scholar, rubbing his puffy eyes. "It's too dark in here to sleep"

Tang was puzzled for minute before it. dawned on him.

"You're scared of the dark?" He asked, he wasnt condescending, just surprised.

"No! I just don't like it!" The king quickly shot down, offended by the accusation.

"Uh-huh" Tang smiled knowingly before switching topics, they'd tackle that problem another time. 

"Shut up! And my brain won't shut up either" Wukong whined, cheeks dusted pink and now starting to sound like the over tired child he was.

"How about I read you story then?" Tang suggested.

"I don't need a bedtime story, I'm not a child, Tang" Wukong pouted, crossing his arms to make his point.

Tang bit back his laugh at the irony of that statement, and the pout wasn't helping his case at all but he schooled his features just as quickly.

"Not a bedtime story, just a book, a book that I'll read to you until you fall asleep"

"It's still too dark in here to sleep though" Wukong pointed out.

"I'll handle the lighting issue, you pick out a story to read. How about that?"

Now Wukong's interest was piqued.

"What kind of book?" He asked through pouty lips.

"Any book you want, there are some good choices on that shelf if you want"

Tang started roll up the scroll as neatly as he could before directing the cub to the shelf on the opposite wall, what once held first addition books now held shorter, more kid friendly books for just such an occasion.

He watched Wukong move to the shelf and examine each one. Tang saw how exhausted the kid looked, it was much to late at night for him to be up. On the brightside, it shouldn't take to long for him to fall asleep once he started reading.

The scholar got up from the floor and placed the scroll on the empty nightstand.

"You pick a book, I'll be right back" Tang called before leaving the bedroom.

Wukong looked at the selection of books, hes never heard of any of these. He's used to much older stories from a more ancient Era. He's never heard of a "Charlotte's Web" but it had a picture of a pig on it, he liked pigs, one of his brothers was a pig.

He huffed in amusement before climbing up and grabbing the book just in time for Tang to walk back in the room with a lamp in hand. He recongized it as the lamp he'd seen on the scholars desk.

Tang set it on the nightstand and plugged it in. He then turned to the bed and pulled the blankets back just as Wukong came stumbling his way back and handed Tang the book with a yawn.

Tang smiled a bit at the cub before patting the open spot on the bed, waiting for the small king to get in. Wukong climbed up and laid down and Tang pulled the covers back over and tucked him in before laying down next to him and wrapping an arm around him.

"Charlotte's Web, huh?" Tang nodded, a good book in his opinion. The ending is a bit sad for a kids book but he knows Wukong had seen, heard and been though far, far worse.

Wukong lazily patted the scholar.

"I was promised a story, not judgement on my choices" he squirmed a bit.

"Ok, ok" Tang relented and began to read.

"Charlotte's Web, chapter one, 'Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

"Out to the hoghouse," replied Mrs. Arable. "Some pigs were born last night.'...."

Wukong listened to Tang read, he curled into his side and snuggled in. He remembered when his master would tell him stories on their journey, he would fall asleep in his masters lap content and cozy, listening to his soothing voice regale him with exciting stories.

And now, as he closed his eyes and listened to the story, he swore he could still hear his dad's voice, still here with him like he promised all those centuries agom

"Promise you'll be here when I wake up?" He mumbled out, half awake. 

The was a pause in the story before his dad's voice answered, soft and gentle as ever.

"I promise" they said.

---

Pigsy woke up to his alarm, six in the morning right on the dot, he reached over and hit the snooze before rolling over to wrap his arm around his partner--

Only for his arm to make contact with nothing.

He opened his eyes and saw that Tang wasn't in bed and looked around the bedroom to see no sign of the scholar.

Maybe he left for work? He thought to himself but he didn't remember Tang saying anything about working today last night.

Disappointed, he rolled over and turned his alarm off before getting up. He needed to open the shop today anyway.

He gathered his work clothes and made his way for the bathroom shower, walking down the short hall he passed Wukongs new room. Part of him grinned, Wukong's room, he had an official place here now.

He glanced in the open door as he passed, expecting to see a passed out cub but caught a glimpse of red and white.

He stopped and back tracked towards the bedroom. He opened the door a bit more as he stepped in.

And his heart melted at the sight.

Tang was laid on the edge of Wukongs bed, somehow not falling off with his head lulled to one side, glasses askew on his face and a book face down on his chest, still open to the page he left off on with his arm was wrapped around a blanket bundle in the middle of the bed.

Pigsy stepped closer and peered down at the bundle only to see Wukong snuggled down and gripping Tangs shirt with his face half buried in the scholars ribs, but the most notable thing was how..peaceful the kid looked, it was the most sound he's seen him sleep since the new years festival.

Pigsy smiled softly at them, he reached down and gently slid Tangs glasses off his face and folded them together before setting them on the nightstand. He was surprised when he saw the old picture of Wukong and Tripitaka leaned against the lamp, he smiled at the happy pair before turning back to his partner. He then slid the book out from Tangs hand, making sure to bookmark wherever the other left off.

Charlotte's Web He mentally read the cover before placing it next to the glasses.

"What t'me is it?" He heard a groggy voice ask.

Pigsy looked over to see Tang squinting up at him with bleary eyes.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you, noodle" he apologized with a whisper. 

Tang waved it off with a lazy hand.

"'S ok" he cleared his throat a little.

"Soo, what brought this on. Last I knew Wukong could barely be in the same room as you" Pigsy grinned, eyeing the passed out cub.

Tang smiled himself before looking down at Wukong snuggled against him. He explained what happened, waking up at his desk, finding Wukong still up, and everything that happened after.

"..He barely lasted to the second chapter before he fell asleep but I just..couldn't move, I promised him I'd be here when he woke up" he finished with a whisper.

Pigsy huffed a laugh through his nose. "Go back to sleep, I'll come get you guys later"

Tang just smiled as he rubbed Wukongs back ever so gently through the blanket as he fell back asleep, feeling a soft kiss to his cheek before he drifted off again.

Things weren't fixed just like that and Tang knew it. Tripitaka would forever be a sore spot for the cub, that wound ran deep into his heart, held open by a false-hope shaped thorn and had been festering for centuries. 

Only now was the thorn taken out and he could finally grieve and heal properly. Tang knew it wasn't going to be easy, there were going to be ups and downs, good times and bad.

But he was ready for it, come what may.

---

MK got up just before the shop opened. He got up and dressed, he walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair and peeked in to check on Wukong.

Like Pigsy, he was surprised but smiled fondly at the sight and gently closed the door.

No need to wake them yet, he thought.

He greeted Pigys downstairs, feeling good about the day as he collected his morning delivery orders and headed to the tuk tuk to begin his commute--and then he fell through the ground.

He gasped at the sudden lack of ground beneath his feet before it quickly returned and suddenly he was being pushed against a wall with a hand to his mouth to silence him.

His eyes opened to see Macaque of all people standing before him, holding him against the wall seemingly effortlessly.

He squirmed and tried to go for his staff but his shadows had wrapped around his limbs.

"I didn't bring you here to fight, MK" the shadow wielder spoke. "Now I'm going to let go, ok?" 

True to his word the shadows retreated back to their masterand the two stared each other down.

"What do you want?" MK spat, he was still cross after everything he put him through.

The shadow monkey crossed his arms and stepped back from the noodle boy, showing he didnt want to fight.

"We need to talk, about Wukong" 

Chapter Text

"We need to talk, about Wukong" 

"What about him?" MK snipped.

"Don't play stupid, I saw the video from the new years festival" the shadow monkey pressed. "What is Wukong playing at?!"

Now it was MKs turn to be confused.

"What are you talking about?"

Macaque scoffed.

"Why is he parading around as a cub?!" He emphasized. "What's his end game, what is he doing?" 

"He's not doing anything" MK shot back.

"Bullshit! I saw--"

"It's not what you think!" MK exclaimed.

"Then explain it!"

There was a beat of silence, both staring the other down in a battle of wills.

Then MK sighed, trying to loosen the tension that had grown.

"Why should I even talk to you, we're not exactly on the best of terms" he grumbled.

"Because Wukong doesn't realize the target he's putting on himself with this whole act. What does he think Heavens going to do if they think a little kid humiliated them" Macaque pointed out.

MK glanced around then back at Macaque.

"What do you know about that?" He asked.

Macaques eyes widened.

"They've already gotten involved, haven't they" he realized.

MK looked away from the shadow monkey, seemingly contemplating his options before sighing.

"Ok, if we're going to have this conversation can it at least wait until I finish my deliver--hey!" Before MK could finish, Macaque swipped MKs noodle bag and dropped it through a shadow portal. "What are you doing!?" He screeched.

"Relax, here" the ebony monkey scoffed as the noodle bag reappeared on the other side of him and he handed it to MK, now clearly lighter than before.

"What?.." the delivery boy muttered to himself as he inspected the now empty bag.

"There, deliveries done. Now talk" 

MK groaned, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Take me back to the noodle shop, pretty sure I have all the evidence there to convince you--woah!" He had barely finished his sentence before he suddenly felt weightless again as he sunk back through the shadows.

The pair came out of a shadowed part of the alley wall behind the noodle shop. MK whipped his head around at Macaque.

"A warning, Macaque, it wouldn't kill you!" He huffed and puffed.

---

The pair walked into the noodle shop, Pigsy had his back to them, stirring the big pot on the back stove, the sound of the back door shutting alerting the pig. 

"Back already? Did you even deliver--Oh hell no!!" The pig squealed with anger when his eyes landed on the black furred monkey.

Pigsy looked ready to pounce on monkey with his chefs knife clutched dangerously in one hand.

MK got in between the two.

"He didn't come her to fight, Pigsy, hes just here for answers" his son explained.

"Answers? You mean so he can use it against you and Wukong again, I don't think so" the chef scoffed.

"He might he able to help with the whole heaven situation, I just need to convince him that it's real. He refuses to believe that monkey kings a kid" MK explained.

"Because he's not" Macaque interjected.

MK grit his teeth before turning back to his dad.

"Look, I'll be right back, I'm going to get the book.." he explained before turning to the shadow monkey. "..you, be quiet.." he turned back to Pigsy. "..you, please try not to kill him" he pleaded.

Pigsy let out a low demon growl but ultimately began to go back to his noodles.

"No offense MK but I don't think your dad here would exactly be up for that challenge--hey!" Macaque barely got through his taunt before an alarmingly sharp chefs knife whipped past his head and embedded itself in the wooden beam behind him. He followed the knifes path back to its owner, the pig demons eyes held true, never wavering as he stared the monkey down.

"Don't push your luck, hes been brushing up on some of your history with monkey king" MK leaned over before going around him to head upstairs.

"Be quiet when you go up there, they're still sleeping" he called over his shoulder to his son, to which MK nodded in understanding.

The restaurant was empty besides the two demons. The chef slowly went back to food prepping for the oncoming lunch rush, muttering under his breath.

Had Macaque been anyone else, he wouldn't have heard him, but having six ears can be quite useful when shit talks involved.

"Stupid-ass rat, you supposedly hate Wukong, why did you even come here in the first place" the chef murmured to himself.

The monkey smirked.

"I just came to understand what Wukong did to make you fall for it all, hes not exactly an actor" Macaque scoffed.

It was true though, Wukong had the worst case of stage fright he'd ever seen.

Pigsy stopped his chopping and looked at the ebony monkey across from him with a cold gaze, seemingly unfazed by the monkeys hearing.

"What makes you think he's putting on an act?" He asked.

"Because that's not the Sun Wukong I knew, hes just as selfish as he always was and would do anything to save his own hide" Macaque scoffed.

Suddenly feeling eyes on him again he looked up at Pigsy who was scanning him with a scrutinizing gaze.

"What?" Macaque asked gruffly, annoyed by the chefs staring.

"You really have no idea what he went through for you, do you?" He said pointedly.

Now it was Macaques turn to look the pig up and down.

"What are talking about?" He asked quietly.

Now it was Pigsy's turn to scoff.

"Of course you don't, as soon as things turned south, you and your brothers turned on Wukong to save your own skin"

"Are..are you talking about the rebellion? What would you know--?!"

Pigsy stabbed his knife into his cutting board and starred the monkey down.

"Clearly more than you!!" The chef yelled. "You have NO idea what Heaven did to that sweet little cub!--"

"He is NOT a cub!!" Macaque shot back. "Hes tricking you all, that's all there is to it"

"Why can you not believe--"

"BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE TOLD ME!" Macaque finally yelled. 

The shadows around them rippled with the impact before settling back down to normal with a deep breath from the shadow wielder. 

"We told each other everything! I was his right hand man, he would have told me about the glamour! He would have confided in me!"

Macaque took a breath, holding himself a little tighter as he rambled.

"I was his right hand man.." he repeated like he was trying to convince himself "..for him to not tell me something this major, then that means he didn't trust me" he finally deflated.

"I trusted you.." a small voice called from behind.

Macaque turned around to see Wukong standing on the bottom step leading the apartment.

"..Wukong" Macaque muttered.

Macaque had never been this close to him in this form, or ever really, his hair was fluffed up on one side like he had just rolled out of bed, his clothes wrinkled and one pant leg was hiked up a higher than the other.

But that's not what drew his attention, no, it was just how young Wukong looked. 

Now that he was close he could see the babyfat in his cheeks, rounding them out with little, barely there, freckles dusting the tops of them from centuries of playing in the sun.

His eyes were bigger and rounder like this, bright red with golden irises that seemed to sparkle when the light caught them.

All of it topped off with his wild bedhead framing his face with soft baby hairs curling around his cheeks.

It was all just the epitome of innocence.

But he knew better than that.

"Stop it.." he said softly.

Wukong just tilted his head with confusion.

"Stop..looking like that" he said a little louder.

"Mac.."

"Just stop--"

Before Macaque could blink he felt small arms wrap around his waist as best they could and a warm presence press against him.

He looked down to see Wukong hugging him, his small hands reached up and scrunched his shirt tightly and his face buried so he didn't have to look at Macaque.

"I'm sorry" Wukong mumbled into Macaques pant leg.

Macaque himself froze.

Wukong had always had a unique feeling to him, not in a clothing or fur texture kind of way but more of an energy to him. 

Being versed in the same mystic arts as Wukong, he could feel the..presence, of others. Whether it was auras, their power or their souls he wasnt sure.

In the past, whenever Wukong came close or hugged him, Macaque could feel the dull thrum of his power beneath his skin. 

But now, as he was touching him, he could feel it again but..it felt different.

Back then, Wukong's power had felt warm and hummed steady under his fingers but now?...

It was like a burning sun, sharp and electric, what once felt steady was overflowing with what he could only describe as unbridled chaos.

When he looked down at Wukong, the small cub still clinging to him it finally cemented in his head.

This..this wasn't a glamour...

This was Wukongs real body... 

What he had felt before was dampened by the sheer volume and strength of his glamour but this..this was his unfiltered, raw power.

Like lightning in a bottle that could combust at any time if given the slightest flick.

He heard footsteps and looked to the stairs to see MK and the glasses guy--Tang? He briefly recalled.

He looked similar to Wukong, like he had just rolled out of bed, but there was a hesitancy to him when he looked directly at him. 

Both humans looked at him with surprise before MK seemed to read his face and he looked down at the small book in his hands.

"I guess I don't need this anymore" he muttered to himself, only being heard by the one with six ears.

Macaque snapped out of his stupor when he felt Wukong move his head.

"I'm sorry.." Wukong repeated again like a prayer. "..about everything.." his small voice murmured.

His words were so simple but they held such a weight to them. But instead of feeling lighter, his stomach sank further. In a knee-jerk reaction he pushed Wukong away, the cub stumbled back a little before starring up at Macaque with sad eyes.

The ebony monkey grimaced before sinking into his shadow before anyone could get a word out.

Wukong looked down at where the monkey had been, his face down turned and his hands went to grapple at the cuffs of his sleeves like he had done something wrong.

Pigsy was the one to approach, placing a gentle hand on top of his head before stroking down to smooth the wayward baby hairs.

"You ok?" He asked softly.

Wukong made an affirmative hum at the pig but his eyes didn't leave the spot that Macaque had been standing.

Tang crouched down this time, getting the kids attention.

"He'll come around, it'll just take some time is all" Tang tried to comfort, putting a hand to the kids back. "Besides, we have bigger things to talk about, remember?"

Wukongs eyes widened at the reminder and nodded before turning to MK and the others.

"We're going to need everyone here, close the shop and call Mei and Sandy" the cub instructed before heading back up the stairs.

Pigsy looked to Tang with a raised brow, the scholar gave a nod and followed the cub to the upstairs apartment.

---

"Ok. We're here, what was so urgent?" Mei asked as she sat down on the couch, MK and Pigsy on either side.

Sandy took a spot on the floor, his head nearly being level with those sitting on the furniture. Wukong sat on the coffee table facing everyone, Tang sat on the other side of coffee table behind him, arms crossed over the table like he was about to give a presentation, whispering reassurances to the kid to calm his nerves.

"Wukong has something he wants to tell everyone" Tang answered before looking at the cub, nudging him slightly. "Go on.." he encouraged.

Wukong fiddled with the hem of his shirt, looking anywhere but at the people in front of him.

"I..haven't been completely honest about everything" he began. 

Everyone sat a little straighter.

"Theres a new demon in the city and she's bad news" 

"Does this have anything to do with that scroll from the cloud?" MK asked hesitantly.

"Yes" Wukong pulled out the old scroll from behind, rolling it out on the coffee table for everyone to see.

Pictures of skulls and death decorated the papyrus, tales of woe and ice giving life to her story.

"I'm not sure where she comes from. She doesn't have any recorded name--not that I can find at least--its changed over time through the dynasties, The Ivory lady, Mysterious Whisperer, The White Bone Spirit but her most prevalent name is the Lady Bone Demon. And shes one of worst demons I've had the misfortune of meeting...." he began. 

He explained the story of how he encountered the bone demon on his journey west. He told them how she wanted remake this world to be in her perfect image and how she was willing to do anything to reach her goal.

He told how instead of letting him put an end to her, his master imprisoned the witch in a tomb to reflect on her actions.

"..but then she was released when bull king opened her tomb and he went crazy" Wukong finished.

The others stared in stunned silence, trying to process what they had been told. Wukong squirmed under their gaze, waiting for any of them to say something.

"So she's been around this whole time and your just now telling us?!" Mei said pointedly, trying to keep her tone level.

"Well I wasn't sure until the new years festival and she showed herself, she tried to probe my brain with little icy fingers" Wukong explained, mimicking fingers jabbing at something.

"She did what?!" They squealed in response.

"What? I was fine, she got interrupted before she could actually do anything, I'm fine" he reassured.

Though none of the were convinced and he squirmed under their scrutiny.

Pigsy held his hands up, sitting on the edge of the couch.

"Ok, regardless, if this bone lady is so evil, why did you wait so long to tell us?" He asked with an even tone.

Wukong looked anywhere but Pigsys eyes.

"I thought..I could handle it, before it became a problem. I thought I could make it go away before anyone would find out, so no one would get hurt.." he confessed.

"But?.." MK prompted.

 "But, she's making moves, she has plans and people to do her dirty work" he finished. 

"What is her plan? Beside the whole erasing the world thing" Sandy asked.

"She's building something, something bad, I only got a glimpse of the plans that Syntax stole from the Cloud, but it was for a mech, very old, very powerful. The ingredients she needs are incredibly hard to come by and even then you would have to be incredibly skilled in magic to make it which she is because of course she is" he ran his hands down his face with frustration at the reminder.

"Ok, well what do you know about her so far? Do you know if she has any weaknesses or a way to dismantle the mech?" Mei asked, tone much calmer than before.

Wukong shook his head.

"That's what I've been staying up for so long trying to do research, it's why I stole this from the Cloud, but I can't find anything useful about her! I have no idea how far along she is with making the mech and I'm running out of time!" He emphasized.

MK stood up, his body filled with confidence.

"No, we're running out of time!" He said, voice full of vibrato.

Everyone looked at him with a weird silence amongst them.

"Wrong choice if words!" MK corrected with the same tone before mellowing out. He stepped up to Wukong and put a hand on the cubs shoulder for reassurance.

"Look, what I mean is that you may not have told us right away, but you did now and its not too late! We'll kick my training into four-wheel drive! Whatever it is we'll figure this out, whatever comes at us, we'll face it together, I promise" He said, his voice warm and wrapping around Wukong like a security blanket.

The cub just looked up at the delivery boy, his brown eyes full of life. He glanced at the others, each of them giving a wink, a nod, thumbs up or soft smile of affirmation. With a light of determination back in his eyes he looked back at MK and nodded. 

"So, uh, what does she look like?" MK asked, breaking up the heartwarming feeling everyone was basking in.

Chapter Text

Kicking MKs training into "four wheel drive" was easier said than done when the teacher is a child that doesn't really know how to teach and the student can't focus on anything without nearly giving themselves an aneurysm.

But they were trying, and they had a lot of work to do.

Wukong had decided that the first thing MK needed to do was work on his listening skills.

"Ok, why am I blindfolded again?" MK asked.

"Because you need to learn how to listen" Wukong instructed from somewhere beyond the blindfold.

"Part of being a hero is listening to other people, MK" Mei piped in from where she sat next to Wukong on the bar stools.

"I know how to listen, I'm listening to you right now" MK pointed out, facing the wrong way from Wukong.

"No, you're hearing me but you're not listening" Wukong retorted, pouting at the blind human.

Said blind human stumbled around the noodle shop.

"Well what exactly am I supposed to be listening for" MK grumbled just before he tripped over the mop bucket and fell on his face.

"That, for starters" Wukong giggled, evil and mischievous along with Mei.

MK scrambled to get up and pointed himself in the direction of Wukongs giggling.

"Ok! Clearly this isn't working, Monkey King, why don't we call it a day and do something else" MK suggested, patting his surroundings to find his way around.

Wukong looked at MK as if he had grown a second head.

"MK, did you forget about a crazy bone witch trying--"

"Yeah yeah yeah, I get that. But you also said that she can't complete her machine without something you have on your mountain" The delivery boy persuaded. 

"See? I listen" he puffed, proud of himself as he found his way to Wukong. Patting around his head until he found his shoulders.

"MK--" 

"So! It stands to reason that things would be fine for the afternoon and we can go to the anti-gravity arcade, I did promise you we'd go, c'monnnnn~" MK insisted, pushing his face against Wukongs.

"Mmm, I..guess things would be ok for the afternoon, but just the afternoon! Your back to it until dinner" the king declared.

"Yes!" MK cheered happily and went to take off the blindfold only to find out it..wouldn't come off.

MK tugged at the thing and tried to rip it but to no avail.

"Uh, Monkey King? The blindfold won't come off!" He panicked.

"Oh yeah, it won't come off until you learn to listen" he explained.

"What?!--You know what? I can work with this!" MK chirped.

"Are you sure you want to go to the arcade blindfolded? You kinda need to see to play games" Mei pointed out.

MK tried to point himself in the direction he thought Mei was but ended up facing the wall instead.

"Yes! I'm not wasting this opportunity, besides, I promised Wukong I'd take him to the anti-gravity arcade like forever ago" He said dramatically. "Now leggooo!" He cheered and went to sprint out of the shop..only to face plant into the wall.

Mei rolled her eyes while Wukong was practically cackling. The dragon girl got up and grabbed MK by the back of his jacket to haul him through the door, Wukong following just behind.

---

When they walked into the arcade they were met with a large glass vestibule, small booths were set up for people to pay for admission before entering the arcade.

They stepped up to one of the booths but Wukongs attention was quickly stolen by the glass walls showing the interior of the building and everything the arcade had to offer.

It was incredible, on the other side of the second glass there was floor upon floor of arcade machines, people floating in the air as they bounced from floor to floor. His hands were pressed against the glass and he could feel the thumping of music and muffled cheering and excited screams.

There were neon lights and holograms floating along with the people, all advertising their individual games. There was even a dance floor on the ceiling were people were dancing to the upbeat music. People walked by with trays of drinks and snacks and candy, some he recognized and some he wanted to try!

He was practically bouncing on his toes with excitement. He loved games, he loved the video games that Mei had shown him and this place was full of them and he wanted to play every single one, he wanted to float like the those people and he wanted to eat that pretty pink stuff that looked like clouds that he saw go by.

"Alright you ready to have some fun?!" Mei cheered as she approached, MK in tow.

"You're gonna love this place!" MK added and went for the door, only to bump into the wall. He laughed nervously and patted around for the door handle.

Mei rolled her eyes fondly while Wukong just giggled at his successors misfortune.

As soon as the glass doors opened Wukong was bombarded with a pandemonium of noise. 

His whole body shuddered as they entered, the cheers and excited squeals he heard at the ticket booth was truly ear piercing and stabbed at his ear drums. Everything was suddenly brighter and larger than he saw before.

His head was on a constant swivel and taking in every possible thing, every time he'd look away something would change.

MK bent down to his level (with the help of Mei of course).

"Pretty cool right? You ready to party hard?!" He asked excitedly.

Wukong was practically vibrating with all the stimulation and suddenly he wasn't so sure about playing every game.

"Uh, MK? It's it kind of loud--" he tried voice.

"How about we start with the classic, Monkey Mech!" MK pointed, of course he was pointing at the wrong game but they knew what he meant.

"Are you sure you want to play video games blindfolded?" Mei asked again.

"I may be blindfolded but I'm a natural at this game, it would actually be leveling the playing field" he said with full confidence.

Wukong rubbed at his ears as he struggled to adjust.

"Well, while you guys do that, I have a DJ to see about a playlist" Mei announced and excused herself towards the gravity field.

Wukong whined as the thumping around him continued, he swore he could feel his organs moving around from the vibration.

He turned to MK who was blindly trying to play a game.

"MK, I don't know if I can do this" he admitted, he was starting to feel queasy as the squeals and shouts from people pounded against his senses.

"I hear you loud and clear" his successor replied.

He felt relieved for a moment.

"There's another game I can start you on instead! Cmon!" He chirped and grabbed Wukongs arm and took off in a random direction.

Wukong let out a noise of uncertainty before taking a deep breath.

He was Sun Wukong, he could handle a little noise. He would adjust as they went along right? 

Yeah, he'd be fine.

---

Wukong was not fine at all.

He wasn't adjusting and he just felt worse the further he was taken into the arcade. 

He was ready to leave.

He didn't even last very long before things became too much for him. His little ears were practically ringing from the music and beeping games and laser sounds blasting around the arcade. 

His eyes burned from the constant bright lights, between everything being either neon or flashing like it was a rave it was a miracle people haven't been going blind.

He kept getting swept up in the crowd and pushed into the anti-gravity field and that in itself was disorienting. He kicked and squirmed and tried to swim his way across the air to the others and it helped a little but he didn't really get anywhere.

It was his first time here and he was already putting the anti-gravity arcade in his book of places to avoid in the city.

And to make things worse, the very two people that took him here had no clue what was going on with him. Mei was off doing her own thing half the time, challenging other gamers and taking their betting money and MK was quite literally blind to all of his flinching and cringing at a particularly loud song from the DJ.

"MK, please, I really want to leave." he finally voiced, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Yeah we can go somewhere else, we haven't even reached the other floors yet!" He agreed.

The thought of going to the other floors made him want to pound his own head in, he let out a frustrated whine. His face burned like he was on the verge of crying.

"You're not listening! I don't like it here! It's too loud and bright and everything hurts!!--eaughh!!!" He barely finished his rant before an air horn sounded from the DJ station.

And that was the final stone before the dam broke.

His eyes burned, everything was too much. His ears hurt, his eyes hurt, his body hurt. He breathed heavily as he held his hands against his ears, he felt something wet trailing down his cheeks but he couldn't muster the will to open his eyes. He just wanted everything to stop.

He wanted it to stop NOW.

He felt hands touching him and he flinched away, it happened again and on instinct he swatted the hands away rather aggressively. 

"NO!" He screamed.

He felt something touch him once more and he cried out, jerking away from it before it enveloped him and suddenly he was off the ground.

"NONO NO! I DONT--AEUHH!!" He couldnt even get out anything intelligible, he just wanted to scream.

The touch felt like pins and needles stuck in his skin, he squirmed and the hold tightened, his eyes were still squeezed shut as he pushed and scratched against whatever was wrapped around him.

Suddenly he was let go of and he sat on something cool and smooth, he had a death grip on whatever had held him before and he couldn't get himself to let go.

He let out another frustrated cry.

He felt ridiculous but he couldn't make it stop, his body wouldn't listen to him and all he could do was let out heaving breaths.

He couldn't make the tears stop either they just kept trickling down his cheeks and he knew must look pathetic.

There was soft talking around him but he couldn't pay attention, all he felt was the fabric between his white knuckle grip.

Something gently touched his cheek and wiped away the wetness regardless that it continued to roll down his cheeks.

He managed to pry his eyes open.

He was vaguely aware it was quiet now and instead of harsh arcade lighting he was bathed in a single yellow light from overhead.

It was much darker than before and made his eyes hurt less.

He continued to heave and his eyes locked onto MK, albeit a very watery version through tears. He was standing in front of him with arms rest on either side next to him, boxing him in from where he sat on a counter.

MK had been wiping at his cheeks with a napkin.

"There ya go, just breath" he said softly.

He let out a shuddery breath and looked around to figure out where they were.

There was a sink next to him, the place smelled of a rather strong floral scent. There was a toilet just off the side.

A bathroom?

Mei came into view, looking at him softly.

"Feel a little better?" She asked softly.

---

MK was a little out of his element.

One minute, he was playing a game and everything was fine, the next, there was a sobbing child next to him.

Then Mei came back, she told him to grab Wukong and follow her. He did manage to grab the cub but it only caused him to yell and kick, he was pushing and scratching at his arms and the screaming..

He doesn't think he's ever heard anything like that come out of Wukong and he was helpless to stop it.

Mei brought them to a family bathroom and locked the door behind them, turning out half the lights as she did so.

"There we go, nice and quiet" Mei voiced aloud.

Now that it was quiet, MK could hear Wukongs sobs clearly and it broke his heart. He was heaving and hiccuping and he could feel tears dropping onto his jacket.

He placed the cub on the counter and let go, keeping his hands close but not touching.

Wukong had a death grip on his shirt and that was the extent of contact the cub was willing to do.

MK thought back, there had to have been signs right? He was supposed to learn to listen with this blindfold.

"MK it's kind loud in here.."

"..I don't know if I can do this"

"MK, please, I really want to leave.."

"..I don't like it here!.."

Oh he really was a bad listener...

"..I'm sorry" MK said softly, barely heard over Wukongs winding down heaves.

"I should have realized what the noise was doing to you, I would have if I was listening like you said" he apologized. 

The blindfold around his head loosened.

"MK.." Mei pointed out but the blindfold was the least of MKs concerns right now.

"You told me it was too loud, you told me you wanted to leave but I didn't listen to any of it, I'm sorry, I promise I'm listening now" he said softly.

The blindfold came undone and fell off and wrapped around his shoulders. Instantly he saw the state of Wukong clinging to his shirt, his face red and blotchy from the overflowing tears, even with his eyes squeezed shut.

There was a tap on his arm and he looked to see Mei offering him a napkin, nudging it towards the cub.

MK took it and gently began to wipe Wukong's face, trying to wipe away the tears that trickled down his round cheeks.

Wukong finally seemed to register them and he opened his eyes, sniffling as he took in his new surroundings.

Mei peeked around MK.

"Feel a little better? She asked.

Wukong just sat there for a moment before he nodded dumbly and finally pried his hands from MK to wipe at his eyes. MK gently moved his hands away and wet the napkin with warm water from the sink before wiping his cheeks again and around his eyes.

"You got the blindfold off" Wukong noticed as he let MK clean his face.

"Yeah, thanks to you, I learned to listen" MK said happily before curling back in sheepishly. " I am sorry though, I should have listened the first time when you told me it was too loud for you" he apologized 

"It's ok" Wukong accepted quietly.

"We can still leave if you want to. It's not a big deal if you do, we won't be mad" Mei offered.

Wukong looked away, he was conflicted.

"I..want to, but I did like spending time with you in the beginning" he admitted.

MK perked up with an idea.

"You know, if you feel up to it. There is a part of the arcade we know you'll love. But if you don't like it or you've had enough, we'll leave right now. Or even if you try it and still want to leave we will" MK proposed.

Wukong hummed in thought for a moment before meeting their gazes and nodding.

"Yeahhh, let's go!" Mei cheered.

---

Wukong cringed as they made their way across the arcade. Everything was still loud and bright as before but he pressed in with determination, covering his ears tightly as Mei led the way while MK followed behind him, his hands gently steering him where he needed to go as well as a grounding reminder that he was right there.

It looked like they were about to leave but right as they reached the exit they made made a turn down a short hall Wukong hadn't noticed before.

They reached another vestibule with double doors, likely to mitigate noise coming through. As soon as the first door closed things were instantly quieter again and after they passed the second, you couldn't even feel vibrations from the next room.

Wukong uncovered his ears as he took in the area. It was another arcade but this one was much, much, quieter with softer music playing from the sound system. The place was about half the size of the main arcade but it made up for it in variety of games. There was racing, double player, claw machines, dancing--

"Is that a ball pit?!" Wukong chirped excitedly.

Yup, it was. 

There was a big ball pit in the corner with a play structure surrounding it, there was monkey bars, a rope bridge, slide, rock climbing.

"Coolll!" His eyes practically sparkled.

Mei stepped up to him.

"This area is for those who have sensory issues so its quieter, darker and no random gravity fields to make you weightless" she explained.

She left out the part about this being the kids area of the arcade but he didn't need to know that.

"So, think you want to give the arcade another shot?" MK asked.

They watched as Wukong smiled and nodded eagerly. He bounced up to the closet game and looked it over before moving on to the next and then the next until he came to a racing game, a steering wheel and racing seat sitting in front of the large screen.

His eyes glittered at the colorful display and pulled MK over to it.

"Lets play this one!" He trilled excitedly.

Pretty quickly they were going game for game at nearly every console. Wukongs smile was bright and happy, a complete one-eighty than before. He was bouncy and excited and pulled them everywhere to keep up.

Mei and MK looked at each other and smiled.

While it was true that this section was made for people with sensory problems and that got overwhelmed with the chaotic nature of the anti-gravity arcade, but people usually took their small children here hence the ball pit and play structure, besides, he looked so happy.

---

Wukong was having the time of his life in the arcade. Game after game with his favorite people, he'd win some on the first try and he'd lose some to them but he didn't even care. 

They made their way around, stopping at nearly every game console and putting in a few rounds of quarters before Wukong scurried off in search of the next game.

Mei stretched out her back as Wukong disappeared around another aisle of games.

"I don't know how he has so much energy, I get that kids switch moods on a dime but I would have thought he'd tired out earlier" she groaned into the stretch.

"Yeah me too, but I'm glad he's having fun" MK smiled fondly as he followed along. 

Wukong scoured the games for one that piqued his interest, he thought about going to the racing game again but his attention kept getting drawn to a claw machine filled with stuffed animals.

Then he saw it, a stuffed tiger poking half its body out of the rest, sitting directly in the middle under the game light like it was meant to be. Something about the stuffy clawed at him, a deep seeded want settling in. He shook his head.

No, he did not want that thing.

He moved to turn away but couldnt help a second look.

It looked so soft..and warm--

No! No, those are for kids, he didn't want the stuffie he told himself and squared up his shoulders with his resolve, stepping away from the infernal machine.

"You want to play the claw machine?" MK asked as the two caught up with him.

"What? No! Why would I?!--let's play this one!" He pointed to the game across from it, a simple point and shoot game that had them looking at Wukong with doubt before MK grew a sly grin.

"Well, you can play that if you want, I'm gonna play the claw machine, maybe I'll win a purple hippo or something--" he said slyly.

"No! Go for the tiger!--The tiger!" Wukong exclaimed as he all but slammed himself into the claw machine to stare at the tiger plush beyond the glass with all the intensity that a five year old child could muster.

MK and Mei looked at each other with amused smiles.

"You heard the man, MK, get the tiger" Mei repeated.

MK played round after round with no such luck, the stuffed tiger was still stuck between a bunch of other stuffies and the claws grasp was too weak.

"Again, we're so close!" Wukong emphasized, his face pressed up against the glass.

MK fished around his pocket for more quarters only to be met with an empty pocket.

"Sorry Wukong, that was the last quarter" he said with remorse.

"Oh.." Wukong muttered with disappointment.

Both MK and Meis heart broke at the cubs sad eyes.

"But hey! We can still get cotton candy before we leave!" Mei tried to entice.

Wukong brightened at that idea and nodded, leaving the claw machine behind to claim his consolation prize.

---

When they finally left the arcade, they were surprised to find that the sun was already setting. 

They didn't realize how late it had gotten, Wukong was miffed about missing out on good training time but the "scolding" kind of lost its heat with his hands and face were covered in cotton candy residue.

"Sorry we couldn't win the tiger for you Wukong, maybe next time" MK apologized.

"It's ok, I didn't want that dumb thing anyway" Wukong spoke as if he was above it but he wasn't fooling anyone, they knew he was disappointed.

 "Well, all things considered did you have fun?" Mei changed the subject.

"Mhm! I think I liked the racing game best" he answered before leaning a little closer to the dragon girl. "Plus MK sucks at it so it's easy to beat him" he whispered like a conspiracy.

Mei laughed as MK held his hand to his chest, clutching his imaginary pearls.

"Oh! I can not be-lieve what I am hearing!! Slander I say!" MK squawked.

-

They were almost back to the noodle shop when the two noticed Wukong begin to lag behind, they looked down to see the cub yawn and rub at his eye.

"Getting sleepy?" MK asked, slowing his pace to match Wukongs smaller gate.

"No" Wukong rebutted, sounding almost insulted at the notion.

"Uh huh" Mei smiled knowingly and stopped walking, MK stopping just short of her.

MK watched Wukong rub at both of his eyes. Sleepy mumbles of protest trickled from the cub as he slowly began to lean towards the delivery boy.

"C'mere" MK chuckled softly while Mei cooed at the cuteness unfolding before her.

MK bent over and scooped the cub up from under his armpits. Wukong sat in MKs arms grumbled about being picked up. He squirmed in his successors arms and tried to get down but MK held steady.

"Noo..nonono" the cub whined in protest, pushing his small hand to MKs cheek.

MK just pushed Wukong flush against him, rubbing his back and massaging the nape of his neck.

MK began walking again and it wasn't long before the cub was practically boneless in his arms, his small arms hung limp around MK neck with his head nestled in the crook of his neck. 

Mei cooed at the sleeping cub, taking as many pictures as she could before her phone went off, a message from Sandy.

Not two seconds later MKs phone buzzed as well, the delivery boy tried to adjust his hold on the cub and fish his phone out of his pocket but failed.

"It's from Sandy" Mei voiced.

"Yeah, I got it too" MK confirmed as Mei opened the message.  

"Whats it say? My hands are a little full" the delivery boy nodded to the sleeping tot in his arms.

"He says Wukong's shack is done, that's great! We can get him back home, in a proper home this time. No more blanket fort in a crumbling castle" Mei nodded happily.

MK on the other hand, couldn't feel as enthused.

"Yeah..that's great" he said quieter

Mei looked at her best friend critically.

"MK.." she pushed.

"It's not that I'm not happy it's just, you saw how he reacted to the new place. He told me he thought we didn't want him anymore, I told him that wasn't the case and explained everything with spider queen but..I just don't think he's ready" MK refused to look Mei in the eye who in turned couldn't look away from the noodle boy.

"MK, he can't stay in the city forever, there are goons all over the place and you heard him about that bone bitch, she tried to probe his brain, what's to stop her from doing it again" Mei went on.

"I know that, I do but..I just don't want him to feel, ya know, abandoned again" he admitted, placing his hand on Wukongs back and held him just a little tighter.

The two walked in silence for a moment, thinking over ideas until Mei perked up with a grin.

"Oh! What if we did a house warming party for him it might make his new place feel less intimidating" she suggested.

MK hummed, thinking it over.

"That..could actually work! We'll get everyone to Flower Fruit Mountain, have some food, maybe bring a few gifts to make the place more cozy, yeah, let's do it!"

"Alright, I'll start on decorations and an invite list, you convince Pigsy to make food for it" Mei chirped as she began typing away on her phone, already donning her party planning hat so to speak.

"Invite list? Isn't it just going to be us and the rest of the gang?" MK asked.

"Well yeah obviously but I thought we could invite red boy! And maybeee his..parents?" She said hesitantly.

MK stopped in his tracks and grabbed Mei, turning her to face him.

"You want to invite them?!" MK hissed, mindful of the sleeping cub drooling on his shoulder.

"I know how it sounds, but I've been talking to Red Son and his parents seem really genuine about starting over with monkey king. By the sound of what he's told me, DBK really misses his little brother" she explained sympathetically.

MK looked skeptical, his gaze wandered to Wukong. He had already been through so much because of his brother but..who was he to make that decision?

He sighed.

"If..Wukong says it's ok then I'm ok with it, but that doesn't mean I like it" he conceded, shuffling Wukong up from where he began to slide down.

Mei gave a silent cheer and they started walking again.

They were walking for just a few minutes when MK felt Wukongs tail move around. He looked down and saw the kings tail begin to wrap around his wrist like a snake. He smiled to himself and looked at Wukongs sleeping face.

He looked peaceful, his little cherub face smooshed against him happily.

A big contrast to what it was earlier.

He frowned at the reminder.

"Hey Mei? How did you know what to do back there? At the arcade when Wukong started crying" He asked.

Mei looked at him funny.

"That was more than just crying, have you never seen a little kid have a meltdown before?"

MK just shrugged as best he could with his arms full.

"Oh right, it's just you and your dad's. Well, when little kids get really overwhelmed, they kind of just short circut and freak out. It can look like a tantrum, like how he was screaming and fighting you but it's all their brains can think to do to deal with the situation" she explained. "You kind of have to let them calm down on their own, best you can do is take them away from whatever was stressing them out"

"Huh" was all MK could say as he took in the information.

 He placed a hand to Wukong's back and held him a smidgen tighter in a hug as he continued to walk in the direction of home.

He'd have to do some research so he can actually help if it happens again, especially if it starts to affect his control over his powers.

---

MK walked into Wukongs room, the cubs face and hands now wiped clean of cotton candy and sticky germs. He set the cub down on the bed and changed him out of his regular clothes and into his sleep shirt. Wukong began to fuss as MK pulled the oversized college shirt over his head, jostling him as he pulled it the rest of the way around. Wukong started swiping at his eyes and face once his arms were through the holes, letting out a tired whine.

"Shhh, I know, youre tired.." MK whispered as he shuffled the fussy cub around the bed until his head was finally on the pillow.

He pulled the covers over Wukong and placed his hand over the cubs chest, letting the weight of his hand soothe him as he began to rub small circles like he'd seen mothers do to their babies on TV.

Miraculously, it actually worked.

Wukongs pinched face slowly relaxed and his arms slowed to a stop on either side of his head. MK smiled to himself as the king fell back asleep, his breathing evening out with the occasional soft trill.

He slowly lifted his hand like he had placed a delicate bomb on the bed and stepped away carefully, stilling for a moment to make sure Wukong wouldn't wake up again.

Once deemed safe to do so, he turned to the night light that was plugged in on the otherside of nightstand, a simple light bulb plug in with an orange moon-shaped panel in front of it, he flipped it on and let the soft orange glow illuminate the small room.

Nearly silently he backed up to the door and glanced around to make sure everything would be fine for the night before shutting the door softly with a satisfied nod.

MK turned to enter his own bedroom and got ready for bed himself.

---

There was a beat of silence in the small bedroom after the door closed, before the shadows began to twist and turn. A figure emerged from the pooling darkness, his eyes trained on the sleeping cub on the bed.

Macaque stepped towards the bed carefully, afraid of waking the king. He knelt down and stared for a moment, feeling the energy from the stone monkey.

The sharp and electric energy he had felt before was smoothed out now, calm almost, as the king slept.

He had been keeping a close eye on Wukong since their meeting in the shop. He still didnt want to believe it but here it was, staring him right in the face.

This whole time...

The anger he had felt was long since extinguished, he didn't know what to feel anymore. He's had a lot of..feelings, since he discovered the truth. 

He wanted to be angry at Wukong, he wanted to yell and scream but every time he looked at him all he felt was..guilt.

And it just kept growing, sinking deeper and deeper in his gut.

Macaque reached into the vastness of his scarf and pulled out something plush.

It was a stuffed tiger.

Specifically, the one MK was trying to win for Wukong at the arcade. He gently placed the plushie next to the sleeping cub, leaning it against him.

Wukongs twitched and the king began to move. Sluggish arms came down and zeroed in on the tiger, wrapping around the neck of it and bringing it down with him as he rolled onto his side, now facing Macaque directly.

Wukong drew the plush close to his chest, a small smile made its way to his face before holding the stuffed even tighter.

Macaque raised an amused brow and crouched down to the edge of the bed, staring at Wukongs sleeping face.

"..you really are a cub, aren't you.." he whispered mostly to himself.

Macaque raised his hand to the edge of the bed, hesitanting over Wukongs head.

He could feel the bone demons tug on his soul, pulling him closer to her. He can't resist her for much longer, but he dreads what will happen when that time comes...

He lowered his hand to Wukongs head, gently stroking the hair back from his forehead.

But for now, he can at least watch over everything from the shadows.

Chapter Text

Nezha rode of his flaming hoops across heaven. If he was going to start anywhere, he needed to see what she knew and ask for her help. She had a higher standing than him, more pull in the chain of command so to speak.

Her domain was on the opposite direction of his temple, she resided in the most luscious garden of her own creation. It was fitting for a goddess who healed and connected to the world through those relating to nature, often coming to people in need through the reflection in water.

As he broke through the last bits of clouds blocking his path, her garden came into view. 

He landed at the front gates, approaching the massive garden wall with awe. It's been quite some time since he'd visited the garden.

It's gotten more colorful, he believed. More lush.

He entered the garden walls, tall bamboo walls enclosed the whole thing and making it seem more like a maze rather than a garden.

He followed the sound or running water, rounding wall after wall of bamboo and trees with wild flowers blossoming all over them like vines. He passed heavenly servants that take great care of the nature surrounding their goddess, he gave a polite smile of recognition as he'd wheeled by as they did the same.

This place always had a calming effect on those who entered. A way to soul the souls coming from the mortal realm, heavenly soldiers and palace workers often reported the same comforted feeling, as if nothing would harm them once they were in her realm.

But Nezha was anything but calm right now. He managed to have a calm appearance, it was expected of him for someone of his rank. He couldn't lose face now, not when everything was hanging in the balance.

He needed to speak with her.

Finally he reached the center of the garden, a golden archway stood before him, a curtain of bamboo grown blocking his view of the inside circle. He could hear the running water of the ponds inside, the gentle humming as the godess worked.

He stepped off his hoops, wisping them away to be summoned later when he left, it was rude to just "wheel in" like she so often scolded him for.

Not that there was ever any heat behind said scoldings.

He hesitantly approached the bamboo wall, it was against the rules to disturb the gods and goddesses when they were working but this was an emergency.

And it concerned her favorite monkey.

He touched the bamboo wall and it pulled away from each other, creating a divide in the middle.

"Enter" a smooth voice granted.

He took a breath and stepped through the bamboo opening, he turned to see it closing back up behind him. He looked ahead at the goddess before him.

"Ah, hello Nezha" she greeted sweetly.

Nezha looked around at the few servants that surrounded the inner garden, some held large leaf fans while others held up trays of food and drink in offering, then his eyes landed on the goddess in the middle of it all.

She sat delicately on a large cushion beside the crystal clear pond, surrounded by willow trees and whispering lotus flowers that moved gently in the water, her long white robes draped gracefully along her imposing figure, accents of pink and gold along the sleeves and belt. Her hair was done simply, the sides of her hair that framed her face were pulled back into twisted ropes with budding pink lotus flowers intertwined before being tied off at the back of her head where the rest flowed freely down her back.

Quite the modest look compared to the normal intricate loops and head dresses he would see other goddesses wear.

He must have come to her on one of her more relaxed days.

He bowed deeply with respect and remorse for intruding.

"Bodhisattva Guanyin, I deeply apologize for intruding like this--"

Guanyin raised her hand to stop him.

"Nonsense, Nezha" Guanyin reassured easily, her tone almost motherly.

"You know you are welcome in my garden any time, have a seat child" she chided lightly.

Nezha stood up straight and approached the goddess, a large flower appeared from the ground to act as a cushion. Nezha sat with his knees tucked under him, back straight and shoulders back like it had been drilled into him from birth.

He faced the goddess who finally turned away from the pond to give him her full attention.

Nezha opened his mouth to speak but was halted by Guanyin once more as she waved her hand again and a couple of the servants around them quickly came and placed a small table between the two celestials and placed the trays of simple finger foods and poured the tea for them before shuffling out of the inner garden with a bow and a quiet thank you from Guanyin. 

"Alright, we're alone now, no need for formalities" the bodhisattva smiled at the prince. 

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, my little lotus? You've been quite busy as of late it seems" she asked.

Nezha watched Guanyin drink her tea while he only held the tea cup in his hands, hoping to sooth his nerves.

"I wish it was under better circumstances māmā, but I need your help. It's Sun Wukong, hes in danger" he explained.

Guanyin lowered her tea cup, her face tensing immediately.

"It's come to light that the Sun Wukong is but a child in disguise, or rather, a glamour" he began.

Guanyins face turned from concern to one of a longing sadness.

"I see, I knew it was only a matter of time" she spoke quietly, looking back at the pond as if it held answers.

Nezha perked up at that, his head snapping up to meet the bodhisattva.

"Wait, you knew?!" He blurted before he could remind himself of manners.

Guanyin sighed and looked back at Nezha.

"Yes, I did" he voice quiet, guilty even.

"How? How did you find out? When?!" Nezha asked incredulously.

"I'm a mother, little lotus, I've always known" she said sadly.

For a moment Nezha was stunned, his brain going blank.

She had known? 

There was a spark of anger igniting inside of him.

This whole time, Guanyin had known!?

The Goddess of Mercy!! Had let a child be tortured relentlessly for weeks!!

And for WHAT??!

Nezha felt the tea cup in his hands begin the creak as his breathing became harder. His anger must have shown on his face because Guanyin placed her own tea cup down and reached for his hands.

"Lotus please--" she tried softly, her eyes pleading for understanding.

"Why?" was all he could ask, his voice tight with barely contained anger. His guardian spirit roared inside at the whole notion.

"Nezha--" her voice grew more strained, the goddess seemingly coming unraveled.

"If you knew why didn't you say anything?" He asked with a shaking anger. "Why didn't you tell me?!" He asked exasperated.

"You have to understand--!"

Nezha ripped his hands away from hers and stood up, anger building in his eyes.

"What is there to understand?! You let a child be tortured for weeks! And yet you said NOTHING! Do you have any idea what they did to him?!?!--"

"Do not speak of what you know not!!" Guayin yelled before looking away at the pond, her mouth in a tight line and her eyes now beginning to gloss over with unshed tears. 

The garden around them became heavy with Gaunyins grief, the once luscious flowers and lily pads around them wilted as if they were burned, the flower cushion beneath him crumbled beneath his feet and he stood on the now dry and cracked grass.

Nezha closed his mouth, his next words dying on his tongue as he watched the normally composed goddess faulter. He had never seen this side of Gaunyin before.

She was looking away from him but the grief and regret was clear as day in her eyes and his anger left him in an instant.

He wasn't staring at a neglectful goddess but a guilt ridden mother that felt they had failed her children.

"..māmā.." he called quietly, he hadn't meant to make her cry..

"What was I supposed to do.." she began slowly, her voice tight. "..if I had exposed him in front of everyone, especially during his trial, he would have been much much worse off! So I helped where I could! I strengthened his glamour to withstand what he went through, physically that is, and even when it burned away in the furnace I did my best to cloud him in smoke so the truth was harder to see even at the cost of harming him further because.." She choked, wiping the few stray tears that dared fall. "..because contrary to popular belief, there are fates worse than death..." she added quietly.

Nezha didn't like the sound of that.

The goddess waved her hand and the garden began to heal itself, the grass turned lush and green, the lily pads grew and blossomed little flowers and a new flower seat bloomed for him to sit on. 

He did so and reached his hand across the small table and hesitantly rested it on Guanyin's. The goddess looked at the hands and smiled, holding the lotus princes smaller hand gently before using her other to freshen her face with a wave.

"I apologize my little lotus, it is very unlike me to lose control like that. It won't happen again" she apologized quietly.

"No, I am sorry, I fear that I may have projected my own grievances onto to you, māmā" Nezha admitted quietly. "I failed Wukong back then, I sensed something was wrong. My inner guardian knew and tried to tell me but I didn't listen close enough and Wukong had paid the price" he explained with a heavy tone.

Guanyin hummed sympathetically and cupped his face with one hand.

"What happened to Sun Wukong was tragic and it will forever be my biggest regret, one that breaks my heart every time I think about it" she began. "But we can not spend time blaming ourselves, there are bigger things at work now, the heavenly court is now aware of the potential Sun Wukong possess and will stop at nothing to bring him under their control" she said firmly.

Nezhas heart dropped at the implication.

"What..what do they want with Wukong now?" Nezha asked quietly, dreading the answer.

Guanyin closed her eyes and took a breath, willing her tears not to fall again as she spoke.

"Tell me Nezha, what do the rumors say about what Heaven does with soldiers they think need to be...fixed?" She asked.

Nezhas face paled and his stomach dropped to his feet.

"..no." he whispered. "That--they can't--!"

Nezhas aura flared, his inner guardian raging at the idea of it all.

Guanyin raised her hand in a placid manner.

"Calm. Yourself. This is no time to lose our heads" she said firmly.

The lotus prince stopped and took a deep breath, willing his fire down beneath his skin once more and nodded.

"Guanyin, please, I can't let them do this to Wukong, I already failed him once, I refuse to do so again" he affirmed.

The goddess smiled.

"I know, I never said I wouldn't help" she grinned.

Nezha simply smiled at his maternal figure and stood up, he had a house warming party to attend to after.

---

The Lady Bone Demon stared at the image before her.

A holographic image of the ancient demon mirror slowly twirled round and round, it was locked up on the monkey childs island.

Any way she thought about it, she couldn't think of a way to breach his perimeter. He had a barrier in place protecting his mountain that no demon could pierce and the island itself was surrounded by boiling waters and jagged rocks that would shred any boat or person stupid enough to come close.

She'd have to find someway to send the spider queens minions after the mirror when the time was right.

She had already collected the puzzle cube, the crimson-jimson weed and she had her remains from her tomb ready to add to the furnace. She needed the shadow lantern, the monkey kings staff and this blasted demon mirror.

The shadow monkey was her best bet for the lantern and he was lurking around somewhere in the city, trying to hide from their deal. As for the monkey kings staff, she knew that will most likely be the last objective.

She felt a presence move behind her, dangling from the ceiling.

"I don't know who taught you how to take revenge but it's not normally this boring! Can we hurry this along!?" The spider queens annoying voice whined behind her.

"Patience my queen, you can not rush destiny" she reminded. "There are three things we have yet to add to the furnace, one of them being on the Monkey King's island, protected by layers upon layers of protective sigils and seals" she explained calmly.

The queen behind her scoffed, muttering annoyances under her breath.

That was another thing that was beginning to grate on her nerves. She didn't know how much longer she could tolerate the spider queen before she skinned her herself.

But she needed her, she reminded herself.

For now. She smiled to herself.

This child's body won't hold her growing powers forever, she needed to get to Sun Wukong before her time ran out. 

She could already feel the strain her powers were putting on this body, she only kept the queen around as a back up, she was nothing if not prepared after all.

She extended her reach with her powers, letting her icy tendrils extend past the concrete and towards the little noodle shop above them. The morning sun was warming the pavement she crawled across, the sun peeking through the sky scrapers of the city.

She gazed up at the dark ceiling, seeing past it as her reach extended, feeling it course through the wood and walls, the carpet, furniture and plaster until her powers reached a small bedroom.

She slipped under the door and saw her prize laying prone in the small bed, a stuffed tiger clutched into the childs arms pulled the picture together quite nicely. She closed her eyes and reached her icy tendrils to the child, letting them curl around him possessively. 

The child shivered as they finally reached his temple and the monkey began squirm in his sleep, whimpering and eyes scrunched with discomfort.

She smiled.

The seeds she planted weeks ago were progressing nicely, tearing him from the inside. 

When the time was right, she would have a new body.

Permanently.

Chapter Text

They had decided on today, Tang was off from work, it was the slowest day of the week for Pigsys Noodles for both Pigsy and MK, Sandy didn't have any appointments to keep with his clients and Mei was always up for anything.

The crew had made a banner to hold between them to surprised Wukong.

A simply "Happy Housewarming" painted on it.

MK shape shifted into a cat and scurried up the stairs to Wukongs room silently, ever since he figured out how to do the seventy-two transformations he's been using them any chance he got. 

He didn't think he'd ever seen Wukong so excited for him to learn a new power before, even though he had woken the king up at four in the morning to show them. They spent the day with MK trying to match the speed of Wukongs transformations and learning to move and fight in each form, he was a little slower at it still but he was getting there.

He shifted back to a human and knocked softly on the bedroom door before entering. A soft orange glow illuminated the room, he bounced up to the bed excitedly. He stopped when he noticed the stuffed tiger clutched in the small kings arms.

Where did that come from?

Maybe Mei went back to the arcade? He thought to himself.

He raised his hand to shake the kid awake when he moved. Wukong held the tiger closer to himself, burying his face into the material.

He cooed silently at the cuteness until he saw Wukongs face.

His face was pinched with discomfort and squirmed, a small whine escaping the cub as his breathing pitched.

MKs face sobered as he watched the king squirm for a moment, he swore the room felt colder all of the sudden.

He placed his hand on Wukongs shoulder and gently shook him. That's when he noticed the king himself felt cold.

Ice cold

"Wukong, hey" he called, trying to rouse the cub. He touched his forehead, hoping the skin was somewhat warm when his own eyes flashed with images.

There was woman laughing, her skin white as bone.

Blue flames swallowed the earth in a cleansing swipe.

The woman calling Wukong over and over again as the cub shook his head and struggled against her. The woman's red gaze drifted to him and lunged, her face morphed into a horrific skeleton.

MK removed his hand from Wukong's skin with a gasp. His hand shook and he cradled it to his chest, the skin cold.

Was..was that the lady bone demon? He asked himself. No wonder Wukong was so freaked out about her.

He placed his hand on Wukongs shoulder again, making sure not to touch his skin and the cub shivered and whimpered in response.

"Wukong, wake up" MK said harder, rolling the king onto his back and shaking both of his shoulders. "Wukong!"

Wukongs eyes shot open with a panicked gasp, and MK swore he saw a flash of blue in his eyes before returning to an alarmed gold.

Wukong latched onto MKs arms with a death grip as he took in his surroundings.

"You with me?" MK asked carefully.

Wukong let out a shuddery breath before locking eyes with his successor.

The was hesitancy but he nodded none the less.

"..ok" the human breathed with the small king for a moment, letting go him catch his breath. "Was it a nightmare?" He asked quietly.

Wukong didn't answer, instead he just looked at the shadows around the room, like he was waiting for something to jump out at him.

MK looked at Wukong with concern, a face that young shouldn't look like the world is resting on their shoulders. He touched Wukong's forehead again, much to the kings confusion, and was pleased to find the skin warm again.

He then looked down at the abandoned stuffie between them and picked it up.

He smiled.

"I see you like the little friend Mei got you" he tried to coax with a tease.

Wukongs eyes went to MK then the stuffie before his cheeks burned a little pinker.

"You--you put that there!" He huffed, throwing the stuffed animal at his successor, his previous mood all but forgotten.

MK only laughed.

"You know it's ok to like a stuffed animal, even adults still have their childhood stuffies" MK shrugged, fluffing the side burns of the tiger and pressing a "kiss" to Wukongs face with the stuffie.

Wukong smacked it away, almost offended by the thing.

"Im not some little kid!" he hissed.

MK just rolled his eyes fondly.

"Uh huh, sure" he muttered with amusement. Hes just relieved to have snapped Wukong back to reality.

"Anyway, Pigsy wants us downstairs" he said louder before heading out of the bedroom.

Wukong hummed in acknowledgment as he slid out of bed. He was about to turn and leave when he spotted the stuffed tiger on the floor by his nightstand.

He looked back at the door and when he didn't see MK he grabbed the stuffie and hid it under his pillow before rushing off to catch up with his successor.

---

Wukong hopped down the stairs after MK, now fully dressed, and as soon as he reached the last step he was startled by a loud popping sound, he looked up to see the whole gang looking at him, little bits of streamers and confetti trailing down from a party popper in MKs hand.

"Surprise!" They cheered.

Wkongs eyes went to the banner held between Tang and Mei.

Happy..House..warming?

"What is this?" He asked.

"It's a house warming! For your new place on the mountain!" Mei cheered. "If you say yes that is" she added a little quieter.

Wukong tilted his head to the side.

"What's a housewarming?" He asked.

Tang piped up this time.

"A housewarming is a party to celebrate--"

"A party?!" Wukong echoed, suddenly much more cheerful than before, bouncing on his heels.

Wukong had always loved parties. 

At first it was a way of being closer to his loved ones on the mountain but as time passed and everyone..left, they became a way of remembering everyone he'd lost. He'd set up candles at their memorial site he made, make little origami versions of his brothers and master from the journey and bring them a dessert. 

It was only right to share what he had with them, even if they can't enjoy it fully.

"Yeah! There'll be food, games, gifts and we can work on my more destructive powers so we don't damage the city!" MK chirped with enthusiasm, doing a pose to hype everything up more. "So what do you say?"

Wukongs eyes lit up with excitement.

"Yes!" He bounced.

The crew cheered.

"Alright!!" MK exclaimed before turning to the rest of the gang. "Mei and I are on decorations. Sandy, Tang, you guys are on game set up. Pigsy, of course, is on food! Now le-gooo!!"

The others saluted before rushing out the door, on their way to Flower Fruit Mountain.

Wukong stood there as they all rushed off.

"But what do I do?" Wukong asked. 

Pigsy stepped up and turned him in the direction of the kitchen.

"You, get to help me plan the menu and be my little taste tester" 

"But it's my mountain, shouldn't I be with the others?" He asked.

"Nope!" The chef answered.

He guided Wukong into the kitchen and pulled out a little stool from under some bags of flour and spices and set it next to him at the counter, gesturing for Wukong to step up.

"You know I can just re-glamour myself right?" Wukong asked as he eyed the stool with a pout.

"Yes but there's no point in spending extra energy. Everybody knows you're short now, so theres no real point anymore" Pigsy shrugged.

Wukong grumbled to himself but accepted the stool and stepped up next to Pigsy, watching the chef pulled a thick book from a shelf and placed it on the counter between them.

"This recipe book has been in my family for three generations now. I can make anything in here, so what were you thinking?" Pigsy smiled warmly.

Wukong made a noncommittal hum, unsure of what to answer.

"Well, what do you like? What do you normally eat on your mountain?" The chef asked.

Wukong just looked at him and gave a half shrug.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" The chef exclaimed.

"I don't really do..groceries, like you do in the city" he said as if it explained everything.

"Well do you have a garden somewhere? There has to be a place you get fruits and veggies from right?" He asked hopefully.

There had to be someplace on that nearly empty island where this kid was getting his food from. If not for him then what of the baby monkeys, surely as king, or as close as he could be, he made sure the little ones were fed and taken care of.

"Mmm, not really. I mean there are some fruit trees and a couple wild veggies growing around but I usually just make my food" he shrugged.

Ok, now Pigsy was confused and even more concerned. He turned fully to the cub and looked down at him.

"What do you mean make your food? With what ingredients?" He asked slowly.

Wukong stood a little straighter and plucked a hair from his head and blew on it, a simple dumpling poofed into existence, it looked just like one he would make here in the restaurant.

Wukong then put it to his mouth and began eating it.

Pigsys jaw dropped in shock and felt a level of horrified he never thought possible at the sight.

"SPIT THAT OUT RIGHT NOW!!" He squealed with panic, nearly forgetting human speech for a moment, already taking a napkin from from one of the dispensers and putting it to the cubs mouth like a panicked mother.

---

After a brief heart attack about what the kid normally ate, and nearly and hour long lecture about proper nutritional needs, Pigsy finally took a breath.

He began making the most balanced and nutritional meals in his arsenal, fruit and veggie platters, dumplings, stir fry, anything, and making enough that he knew there would be leftovers.

He WILL make sure this child is fed properly, mark his words dammit! He thought to himself.

The chef had turned the cub back to the counter and pushed the recipe book closer.

He encouraged the cub to pick one or even a couple dessert recipes while he got started on making food, keeping an ear trained on him as he began to chop vegetables and measure the ingredients out.

Wukong had nodded silently and looked at the recipes but none of them were really jumping out at him, they looked and sounded too unfamiliar to be remotely appetizing.

He thought back on what foods he used to eat. There were a lot of desserts with fruit, nuts, or bread his cooks used to make that were always delicious but there was one that surfaced in the recesses of his memories. 

There was one dessert that he ate with his master, it wasn't often, just when they could find a place that makes them and they had the funds for it. But that made it all the more special when Tripitaka would surprise him with them.

It was a special kind of steamed sweet bun, normally they had red bean paste in them or even sweet potato but they always got theirs filled with custard that made them grin ear to ear as they ate them.

They would find somewhere peaceful to sit in a village and watch the people go by, counting the number of people that bought fruit versus meat, and whoever counted the most..won.

He felt his eyes tingle with the beginnings of tears as he smiled softly.

He liked those memories...

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve before turning to Pigsy, the chef had his back to him while he focused on his own task.

"..hey Pigsy?" He called.

The pig demon turned his head to him with a questioning hum.

"Can you make Baozi?" 

"You want steamed sweet buns? How come?" The chef asked with a raised brow.

"They were his favorite" Wukong answered. "We used to eat them together"

Pigsy looked down at the kid and saw the reminiscent look in his eye. He smiled himself and nodded in understanding.

"Sure bubs, what kind of filling do you want in them? Chocolate?" He asked.

"Could you make them with custard?"

"Mmm, alright, but you have to help me make all that custard" he smiled.

Wukong just grinned in response and went to wash his hands.

---

Wukong stood beside Pigsy on his tip toes on top of the stool, trying to see around the chef at what he was doing.

Pigsy noticed and smiled at his curiosity before scooting the cutting board over to Wukong. He rolled the kings sleeves up properly and handed him the knife.

"Hold the knife like this.." the chef arranged the cubs small hand to fit around the knife properly with his larger hands. He stood behind the stone monkey and placed the half peach on the board. "..And use your other hand to hold it still like this.." the chef explained as he manipulated the smaller hand into proper cutting position.

"..and then slice down with even pressure, let the knife do the work for you, just like this" Pigsy finished softly as he guided their hands in unison to make perfect slices, then turn the peach to do perfect squares.

They did a couple peaches together before Pigsy let go. The kings cuts were a little askew then what he himself would have done but they were just fine for what they were going to use them for.

He watched Wukong cut the peaches with utmost concentration and all he could see was MK. MK used to help him all the time in the kitchen, he swore he could handle a knife better than he could walk when he was Wukongs size and the memory made him smile fondly.

It was nice to have someone to cook with again..

--

"Now for the dough, we're going to knead it like this.." Pigsy showed Wukong how to roll the dough with his wrist, letting his body weight do the work and he pulled it back and rolled it around again.

Wukong mimicked his movements perfectly until it came to making the actual noodles. Where Pigsy moved with grace and practiced ease Wukong..faltered.

"Uh, I think I messed it up" came an uncertain voice next to him.

Pigsy glanced at Wukong to see the cub covered in tacky dough, it covered his face and strings of it wrapped around his arms and fingers. It looked like a giant bubble of gum popped in his face.

Pigsy laughed in earnest at the genuine confusion and pleading look Wukong was giving him. Wukong himself looked like he wanted to disappear but Pigsy assured him it was ok as he covered his own hands in flour and began detangling the monkey demon from the dough, still chuckling to himself at the silliness of it all.

Just like MK used to do when he first started He thought.

"Alright, we'll just make another batch of dough. Go grab another bag of flour for me, yeah?" He asked as he peeled the last of the old dough from his fur.

Wukong nodded and hopped down from the stool, dismissing himself to the back of the shop.

Wukong went to the back and found the flour on the bottom shelf of the pantry. He grabbed a bag and headed back when a flash of light caught his eye from the back window.

He turned around and saw a shadow moving in the window of the back door.

He eyed the door suspiciously, something didn't feel right. The hairs on his neck were beginning to stand up.

Definitely not good He thought to himself.

He went to the door and cracked it open silently. Whoever it was, if they thought they could mess with this noodle shop they had another thing coming!

He peaked his head out and looked around.

Nothing

But the danger feeling didn't go away.

He put down the flour and stepped out fully into the alley. His eyes widened as his hair stood up and he jumped out from the door.

In mid air something wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his sides as he crashed to ground. He grunted as he tried to pull his arms away from his body.

But it didn't budge.

He looked down to see the rope around him sparkled and gleamed in the light and his stomach dropped.

The diamond snare.

He looked up as a shadow eclipsed the sun over him.

"Erlang.." he grunted as he tried to pull again.

Erlang Shen stood before him, his imposing armor glimmering in the light.

"I told you I'd be the one to take you in" The general reminded. "Now come quietly, no need to pull more innocent people into your mess"

"Fat chance!" Wukong snarled, his eyes began to glow.

His body began to grow bigger, the snare stretching across his body and struggled to keep him contained. 

But instead of breaking through the snare, he let out a scream before something clamped around his mouth and he was shoved back on the ground on his back, Erlang standing over him.

His shoulder was burning and he felt his powers being locked away out of reach.

"Sshhh, no need to alert the pig" Erlang hushed.

Wukong heaved as he looked at his body, there was a hook sticking out of his shoulder. He could feel it hooked around his collarbone, grinding against the bone.

Erlang held a death grip over his mouth as he breathed heavy.

"Ah, you remember these don't you? You became quite acquainted with each other some centuries ago" Erlang asked rhetorically. "Now come along, there's a cell with your name on it"

Erlang let go of his mouth so he could stand, he was about to bring Wukong up to his feet when Wukong lunged at him and bit the generals hand, hard.

Erlang bit down on a yell as threw the stone monkey back down on the concrete, cracking the pavement on impact where his head hit.

Wukong struggled to move, black spots danced in his eyes but the adrenaline running through him wouldn't let him black our completely. He tried to inch his way away like a worm when a boot came down on the hooked shoulder and let out a sharp cry before his head was shoved down again.

Erlang growled as he untied one of the wraps from his armor, pinning Wukong down by pressing his knee into his back.

Though that didn't stop the monkey king from fighting with every muscle he had, his eyes burning from unshed tears as he heaved. His shoulder still burned and his head throbbed.

"Always so difficult Wukong, until the very end. I'll admit, your determination is admirable.." Erlang took the thick material and wrapped it around Wukongs mouth, gagging him. He tied a large knot and forced it in his mouth, dodging the squirming fangs as he did.

"..But I've been given a task, and I will deliver, regardless of tantrums that children will throw!" the general grunted as he tied off the gag.

He stood up and grabbed the back of Wukong's hood.

Wukong screamed through the gag, coming out a muffled growl and kicked like mad, even going into an alligator roll to try and break free...until Erlang twisted the hook further into his shoulder. Wukong had tears running down his cheeks as he screamed before he went limp, breathing heavily and looking at the heavenly general with the most hatred he possibly could.

"See? Was that so hard? Now then, time to go" the general said before making a drawing a sigil in the air, he touched it and it opened into a portal, the telltale cloudy environment of the celestial realm came into the view.

Wukongs stomach dropped further.

"Welcome home Wukong" Erlang welcomed as he walked through the portal.

---

Pigsy felt something was wrong.

Wukong's been gone for a while for just getting a bag of flour.

He heard a shrill noise from the back. It was short and cut off almost immediately but it was enough to set him in edge.

He sighed.

"Damn it" he muttered to himself.

He put his stirring spoon down and wiped his hands on his apron. He turned the heat down and headed towards the back of the shop. He stopped and glanced at the family bat hanging on the wall.

He eyes it for a second before grabbing it, something didn't feel right, sue him.

He walked to the storage room and saw nothing amiss...

Then he saw the back door cracked open.

"Wukong?" He called.

He looked on the ground and noticed a bag of flour tipped over, leaking a small mound of white powder.

He prepared his bat and burst through the back door to the alley. 

Nothing

He looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary, until he looked down.

The pavement was cracked in the middle of the alley like something small and heavy was slammed down, dirt and soot was scattered around like a fight happened. A set of small footprints stood out to him and then a set that clearly belonged to a grown adult...

And then he spotted the blood splattered on the cracked pavement.

A pit grew in his stomach.

"Wukong?!" He called urgently, looking around the dumpster and boxes surrounding the alley as panic started to seep in.

"WUKONG?!!" He yelled into the empty alley.