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Chapter Text

"All I'm saying is that we'd get a billion more deliveries done if you also started riding the bikes with me." Mei flipped onto her stomach, still reading the magazine from where she lounged on the counter. Her parents said that she needs to get a job and apartment so she'll "learn responsibility" and "stop slacking around the mansion", so now she's doing...this. She still doesn't understand what's fulfilling about this, and it doesn't pay well, but she likes motorcycles, so driving them for a living isn't so bad.

Her business partner scoffed, sitting up from where they had completely sprawled themselves next to the vehicle. They were barely in her line of sight, but she knew that braid anywhere. They kind of had to keep their hair like that, glowing an unnatural crimson, so it didn't get caught in anything when they worked. Cutting it off entirely wasn't an option, apparently needing it for "self defense", but after a close call with a wheel last week Mei's started negotiating them into an undercut, at least. Maybe eventually she can further negotiate into getting some cool designs buzzed in. They pretended it wasn't a problem, the braid way too long whether it's woven close to their skull or not, with pins to keep it trapped to their tank top. "I told you, if you want me out there, then you need to stop wrecking the bikes."

"UH, I'm wrecking the bikes because it's not fun to be out there by myself."

"Mei." Red placed one hand on their hip chidingly. "I highly doubt our customers want to see a demon at their doorstep."

"You can woosh yourself human."

"Wooshing myself takes energy I need to spend on other things. I'm perfectly happy with my fangs and cloven hooves in the workshop where no one sees it."

"Come on, there are demons everywhere. No way they'd get upset over someone like you."

"Heritage is also a factor."

That's a point Mei can't argue against. If nobody's met Red in person, they know of them, since their parents (much to their chagrin) are super fucking famous. Neither of them are particularly happy about the reason why, but it happened when Red was a baby and Mei wasn't born yet, so no one asked them their thoughts on the matter.

Mei turned as their computer pinged, quickly opening their logs. "Delivery. Easy one, too. Just a single package to the western district."

Red clicked their tongue. "There's construction everywhere. You'll shred your wheels."

"I'll be fine," Mei replied in a whiny voice, moving the bike off of its stand and walking it to the garage entrance. "It's just a video game store. People in busted houses gotta play, too."

"Mei, do not destroy the bike again."

"Mhm." She already had her biker jacket on, pulling together her gloves and her helmet. Red had a custom jumpsuit, the top of it tied around their waist like a red train, but hers got kinda...trashed. In one of her many crashes. But hey, she survived, so it did its job.

She can talk to Red while on the road, or just let them see through her helmet, but they have to finish their last touches on their bike and she wants some time to chill on the highway. She took the most efficient route to the store, and as soon as she had the package, she could let the motor fly.

Safely, with the video game in its box on the back of her bike, obviously. Don't tell Red that she took a hairpin turn there.

It's not a glamorous job or anything. Usually they're hired as couriers for companies that just want one package moved, but some local stores started using them for deliveries, and that made them slightly more busy. No, Flaming Dragon Delivery is in no way a household name, but it's not supposed to be. It just gets her a check for her rent, and a friend who crashes at her apartment so much they might as well live there.

She hated how her parents approached her with this at first, but the wound's healed over since then. Dragons are rare and powerful, capable of destroying buildings with their might. As such, they have a responsibility to the city to protect it and she needs to learn that responsibility and something something something she has to benefit her community somehow. Mom's an elected official, Dad's a department head at the biggest college in Megapolis, and she...does deliveries. It's more helpful than partying the night away like she used to, but there's no way this is what she needs to do to fill those shoes. She can't even turn into a dragon like everyone else in the family, or use that cool stormy power with the sword she can never, ever touch under any circumstances.

But she doesn't have anything else. She used the dragon money to set up the business, and after that, they were on their own. Red got hired because they showed up complaining that "no well-made bike would have that loud of an engine outside my window", and they were so busy angrily fixing everything that they got hired. She liked when they used to take their rides out for a spin together, able to do a bigger delivery because they took two bikes, but enough people openly grimaced at them taking off their helmet to start hiding in the garage. Red's never explained why they garner that reaction, other than that it's deserved. Mei doubts that.

She stopped when her phone chirped, showing that she's in the right spot. She took off the helmet, setting it on the seat as she grabbed the box. Why would someone order a video game to the middle of a construction zone? She thought there'd just be some repairs happening to a building and she can drop it in a mailbox, but...nothing.

Just an industrial elevator leading down.

She frowned. "Uh, Flaming Dragon Delivery? We're here with a package." Nobody answered, no one popping out of the rubble to be like oh wow, that's what I ordered, I'll sign right now!

She walked over to the elevator, white touring boots crunching in the gravel. She checked her surroundings a third time before pressing the button.

Ding.

Guess she's going down now. She watched the shadows shift and twist as she descended, metal girders turning into ancient stone. Megapolis is historic, someone living here for at least five hundred years, and it has a lot of tales surrounding the place. She could remember this one legend from school where-

The doors opened, and a man stood right in front of them. He had chocolate-colored hair pushed back with a red headband, a yellow jacket patched with denim over his shoulders. The tiger stripe pants were certainly a choice, like dark claw marks over blood-colored legs. He blinked, and for a moment, she thought his eyes glowed.

"Uh, hey, guy," he began with an awkward clear of his throat.

"Flaming Dragon Delivery. I have something for an..." She glared at the name scrawled on the wrapping in the worst handwriting she's ever seen.

"If it's a game, that's me. Need me to sign for it?"

She nodded, holding out a clipboard with the pen. He started scratching into it, only to grimace.

"Sorry, your pen is dead. Here-I'll grab another one. Be right back." He turned and walked down the dark tunnel. Mei squinted, wondering what that face on the back of his jacket was, and why it smiles with pointed teeth.

Okay, in a logical sense, she should just stay put. But also, dark tunnel. That's cool. That's explorable. She's only had like three deliveries today, so she's antsy. Mei shrugged off all of her common sense before following him.

As she walked, she heard someone mumbling to themselves, scraps of nervous energy slowly getting louder as she neared a patch of sunlight.

"Tang, you need to chill."

She jumped, bouncing back into the shade as the man's voice cut through the din. When she inched to the light, she saw a second person fervently flipping through a book like it held the answers to the universe. He adjusted his glasses, then wiped sweaty palms on his red overcoat.

"S-sorry, MK. I just don't get it. He's supposed to have his face outside of the mountain so we can talk to him."

MK, it had to be, cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean? The mountain's right there." He pointed to a hill in the center of the empty space, a red and golden staff jutting from the moss.

Wait, is that...

"Yes, but as he lays under the mountain, two attendants help him. They give him iron pellets when he hungers, and molten copper as he thirsts. He can't move, but he should be able to communicate."

"Maybe they're also under the mountain?"

"But they have to guard his staff to keep someone from pulling it out and freeing him."

"Then they're not doing their jobs, are they?" MK chuckled, stepping back and rolling his shoulders. "Look, I gotta sign for something, then we can start, okay?"

Mei froze as he looked directly at her hiding spot. Once again, he fluttered his lashes, like there's something stuck in his eye.

"Oh hey, you followed me."

Shit. She slowly inched to the sunlight, smiling awkwardly with zero excuse. Tang snapped his book shut, straightening his back with a stone faced expression.

"You must've known we're making history, right?" MK pressed, grinning as he gestured to the hill. "You know what that is?"

She has a feeling, a deep roll in her gut, which she doesn't want to be true. There's no way humans would try this, anyway. She has to be wrong. Mei shook her head mutely.

"Aw, not even a guess? Fine, fine. Look, we need to get that staff, and Tang doesn't have a pen, so sorry, but you should come back later."

"You're taking it?"

"Ha! You do know what it is. I guess dragons really are wise."

Her stomach stopped churning and started sinking. "How did you know I'm a dragon?" She squeaked. Plenty of businesses name themselves after dragons, okay? It shouldn't be a reveal, and she's been out of the public eye for a long time.

"I can see it." MK didn't explain further as he leaped in the air, landing next to the staff from a height that no human should reach. He spat on his palms, rubbing them together. "Watch this, dragon girl."

"No one can lift that," she quickly interjected, "it seals him because it's too heavy."

"Yeah, too heavy for a human. Too heavy for a demon." MK's teeth flashed. "Perfect weight for someone like me."

Tang scrambled backward as he pulled, the dirt rumbling and rising. Mei clutched the package close to her chest, leaning against the wall for security. MK's form flickered as he heaved, twisting and growling at the staff.

A snap of light around him, and he has fur on his cheeks, a cinnamon heart on his face, golden eyes, and a wiry tail. MK bared long fangs as the butt of the staff broke from the ground.

The earth beneath them moved, a single paw reaching out.

Chapter Text

Mei felt the mountain split like the hatching of an egg, watching someone forcibly pull it apart from the inside. MK wooped as he jumped down, landing right at the edge of the crack and using the staff to pull the person up.

Not a person. A monkey. Golden-brown fur like freshly turned soil contrasted the robe of tiger skin, the warrior completely armorless. He's not that tall, MK actually a head above him, but he had the confidence of anyone who had been in a thousand battles and lost none. He should be covered in battle scars, but instead he's completely spotless.

Two red eyes slowly turned toward her, like they're bleeding and staining his face in pink. When the monkey curled his lip, she caught a peek of his fangs.

That's the Monkey King.

"You're real!" Tang shouted, then clapped his hand over his mouth. "I mean, of course you're real. Sorry, you were just hard to find, and we couldn't...um..."

Monkey King blinked at Mei, then at him. He levelled his gaze on MK, studying the tail long enough to brush the ground, then the staff in his paws. He sounded hoarse, the entire inside of his mouth looking burned as he spoke. "You're like me."

MK nodded eagerly, practically dancing in excitement as he held out the staff. "Wow, yeah, so you're the Monkey King and I-wow-hahaha, this is awesome. This is amazing. We didn't know if we could help at all, but I wanted to try, you know? Least I can do."

Monkey King blinked. "Least you can do?" He echoed.

"Well, you know. Stone monkeys need to look out for each other. We were always told you were, like, dead, but obviously that wasn't the case. You can't kill a seven-times-over immortal, right? That's why they put you under the mountain? So I had to find you. Ask you some things, connect, maybe we can hang out-"

Monkey King clapped one paw onto his shoulder, his eyes glistening gold for a moment. He blinked and the light faded. As soon as he curled his lips into a smile, the grave tone evaporated from the air. "Good to see you, bud."

Mei should use this sweet moment to escape. Monkey deities have a certain, er, reputation, and she's not getting caught up in that. Especially with the king of the monkeys, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who was trapped under a mountain after trying to fight every other god. Her parents bemoaned it as the perfect redemption story that became ruined by his place as the god of chaos, instead doing whatever he sees fit.

No way she's sticking around for when the other shoe drops.

She dropped the package and ran, hearing all three of them shout after her. Antagonizing the monkeys can't help, can it? She turned around in the elevator and almost broke the button with how quickly she hit it.

Three individuals were watching her. One, the Monkey King standing at the end of the tunnel with glowing eyes. Two, a human shouting how she'll mess things up if she tells people this happened. Three, MK grabbing a hoverboard from where it leaned against the wall and kicking to start its propulsion.

She nearly face planted in her race to her motorcycle, shoving the helmet on and then burning her tires toward the road. Get away get away get away get away get away-

"Dragon girl!" Nope. She risked a glance backward at MK, his hoverboard steadily gaining on her as he clutched the staff in his hand. "Come on, what's the rush? I still didn't sign for your package!"

"Are you insane?" She shouted, smacking the sides of her helmet until she figured out how to make her voice audible. "You released the most powerful being in existence!"

"I mean, yeah, but what's the harm?"

"That he'll destroy the world?!"

"He totally won't do that!"

Mei swerved around a car, now having to pay more attention to not hitting the traffic. "Everyone knows about the Monkey King and how he will never stop grabbing for more. He'll take every scrap of magic and power for himself, dethroning all the gods and making every supernatural being bow down to him as ruler. How is that not destroying the world?"

"I mean, he didn't do that exactly."

"That's what he'll do this time!"

"You don't know that!"

She glanced back again, hoping that talking more face-to-face would convince him. "I know he had his chance for redemption and messed it up. The stories-"

"Or maybe the stories were wrong!" MK snarled, flipping the hoverboard so the jets will bring him right next to her. He almost edged her off the road, grabbing Mei by the front of her jacket so he can bare his teeth and keep her from wiping out completely. "Maybe they got sick of having a hero who didn't take everything so seriously. Maybe the gods thought his making was a mistake and did that to sweep him under the rug. Maybe getting rid of the only god that cared about mortals enough to come down from heaven was-"

"Move!" She kicked him in the gut before they could clothesline a car and both crash, although it just make him look at her with a hurt expression. Then, his face darkened.

"Fine. You want to move, dragon girl?" He dipped behind her so he could skate along the nearest building, the wall allowing him to climb higher. "Let's move."

Her tires screeched as she reached the highway, not wanting to get blocked in the standstill. Instead, she used the momentum to leap over the safety railing. Her wheels landed in a clnk-clnk on the wrong side of the road. She saw a shadow growing bigger and bigger in front of her.

The board stayed a few inches off the ground as it landed, a monkey cackling like a madman all the while. She turned so she's going with the flow of traffic, not against it, and shot off like an arrow away from him.

The earpiece in her helmet trilled. Mei quickly accepted the call.

"Mei, are you done with-"

"Getting chased by a monkey!"

Red waited for a moment. "What?"

"Monkey King is free and there's a second monkey and he has the staff and now I'm getting chased by him but that's not as important as the Monkey King being free and how we're all gonna die!"

Red probably pinched the bridge of their nose in exasperation where they sat. "Mei, supernatural monkeys, whether they're demons, ghosts, or otherwise, have been extinct for a very, very long time. Even if you saw the Monkey King, which I highly doubt, it's impossible for there to be a second-"

"Can you turn on the camera in my helmet?"

"I-yes." Mei waited as she heard the tell-tale click of them activating a hologram. "I'm watching."

"Great." She drove off of the main road, making a hairpin turn so she doesn't roll over when she goes in the opposite direction. She let MK flash to the front of the chase before he realized where she was, slamming the staff into the ground to force himself into a halt. He left cracks in the pavement as he lifted the staff again, flicking his tail as he glowered at her.

"Very funny, dragon girl. If you wanted to play a game, you could've just said so."

She heard Red curse in her ear. "I'll be there as soon as possible, keep the GPS on so I know where to go," they instructed.

"Roger," she replied, ending the call. She just has to distract MK.

MK didn't know who Dragon Girl was, and she seemed fun enough. Trying to be nice, naturally curious, a rockin' sport-touring motorcycle...

But then she said something to the effect of how someone can actually deserve to be put under a mountain, like that isn't the shittiest thing to do to an immortal being, and his opinion of her soured like wine. Maybe that's not what she meant, but hey, Dragon Girl gets to be a dragon. Everyone loves them, telling all the stories about dragon this who protects the ocean and dragon that who works so hard to keep rivers flowing. She's not a monkey, where the only other one anyone talks about is the big bad from five hundred years ago. She doesn't have to search an entire city from blue sky to bedrock for the only creature exactly like her. One who would understand.

And he doesn't even get to learn the whole story about what the hell happened back then, because she decides she'll blab before he gets a full minute with the king! Unbelievable. At least scope him out first. He seemed a bit confused when he first got out of the rubble, but when his eyes shone with his golden vision, really looking at MK...

Was that his nerves over meeting his idol talking, or was that moment electric? No way he's helping stick the Monkey King back underground when he just got out. Of course, no one can do that without taking the staff, and MK doesn't really know how to work it.

He'll figure it out. In the meantime, it's not like this is a real fight, right? There's no way this girl believes she's in actual danger. He's never hurt a fly before. Let's have fun. Make it a game. Just get her far enough away that by the time she talks, Tang has helped the Monkey King escape. Then they'll meet up alter. Easy as pie.

He grinned as he leaned forward, urging the hoverboard to top speed so the Dragon Girl can be eye to eye with him. As soon as he was close enough to tap her shoulder, she shrieked and laid it on the gas. Rude. He blew a raspberry as he stomped the edge of the board, wishing it could reach that speed. He could lose her, and he hasn't spent nearly enough time on the distraction...

The street's empty now, some part of town that loops back in on itself and only gets used when someone's truly lost. He's been able to gain on her even on the slower board because he can make much tighter turns, but if she keeps going straight, he'll lose her. Might as well conserve that energy now.

Agghhh but he's supposed to catch her! MK slowed enough to feel comfortable looking around, trying to find another way. Okay, so if he backtracks a bit over there, he could climb the fire escape and get on top of the building, and maybe if he hops a few rooftops he can catch her by surprise.

Wait, what is that coming toward him? MK blinked, squinting with his golden vision. It really only lets him see others' true forms without magical illusions, but he's heard tales of the Monkey King being able to see any distance with it. If he just...

Oh that got close very fast, didn't it? Another motorcycle, this one red and customized to hell and back. While the Dragon Girl looked like she had a sport bike that got adjusted to take deliveries, this had the rider coming at him like a bullet on wheels that should be in an action movie. That's kind of the extent of MK's knowledge (racing movies are fun, okay?) but wow that thing is basically on top of him now. All it's missing are the tacky flame decals that every villain has in those films.

Also he'd like to also have a motorcycle, not a hoverboard that is crushed under those wheels when MK leaps out of the way, but eh, gift horse.

The rider skidded to a stop in the middle of the road, dropping one foot on the ground. They had a purple racing suit with red fire licking up the sides (ha! Yep, box checked on villain cliche) and metal casings around their hooves. The helmet originally looked too blocky above the visor, until they flicked it off like a hologram and showed amethyst eyes with sliced pupils. If that didn't make their identity obvious, the red braid sure as hell did.

"Ha!" MK barked, sitting on his tail like a seat in the air. "It's the princess's son! I never thought you'd be running to the rescue of someone. What's with the bike, dude? You guys have a two-person gang I need to be scared of?"

"I'd hate to disappoint you, but I'm a son in name only." Red cocked their hip, glaring pointedly at the staff in their hands. "I've been in this city for five hundred years, and there hasn't been anyone stupid enough to do that. Especially not a monkey demon."

"Oh, I'm not a demon." MK dropped to his feet, grabbing Red's hand in his paws and shaking vigorously. "Name's MK. Second ever stone monkey, at your service. My old man found me in a rock and then boom, me."

Red's face twisted in mounting horror. "So you are also able to shapeshift?"

"Not yet. Kinda hoping the classic can teach me. Mentorship, bonding, all that fun stuff. So, y'know, if you and the Dragon Girl can not tell people I let him out, that'd be swell."

"I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because you let a god of chaos out of its prison, you fool!" Wow, a lot of people are hung up on the god-of-chaos thing. Red wrenched away from his grip. "There's nothing in any realm that will satisfy him when he's free. Whatever he has, he will grow bored of, including you."

"Speaking from experience?" MK smirked as their skin matched shades with their hair. "Fine, then I guess I'll just take my leave."

"Give me the staff, first."

"Oh, this staff?" MK held it up in the air. "The staff that you need to seal him back up? The staff that weighs almost eighteen thousand pounds? The staff that only a stone monkey can lift? You mean this?" He dropped in on the ground, crossing his arms as it cracked the street. "Yeah, go ahead and take it."

Red glared at him, then at the rod. They didn't move. Didn't even try.

"I was told you lost your spark, but this is just sad."

"Shut up." Red shoved the helmet back on their head, stomping over to their bike. They took a moment to make sure the braid stayed pinned to their shoulder before starting the engine.

That should've been enough stalling for Tang to finish the job, but MK called him just to be sure. He bent down to pick up the staff again, whistling as he twirled it in one hand and paced in circles.

"Yeah, I chased them off. Still got the staff. You safe? Cool. Can you tell Dadsy I'm out of a ride, though? Hoverboard got crushed. I know, real bummer. Worth it in the end. Talk to you later, love you. Bye."

Red knew Mei was bummed as soon as they saw the lights in the storefront off. It's barely even sunset, so she had no need to close up shop, unless she'd really rather sulk than do the one thing she enjoys in the world.

They opened the garage and walked in their bike, taking their time to not talk to the sad lump on the counter. They tapped the button on their throat to deactivate the helmet, then unzipped and left the top half of their jumpsuit dangling again. They already run hot, they don't need something so stifling on top of that. Only when they sat down on the only stool did they speak. "Hey."

Mei mumbled something into her arms.

"I didn't get a word of that."

She lifted her head just enough to enunciate. "I was right there and did nothing. I literally watched him turn into a monkey and pull out the staff. I saw the Monkey King claw out of the ground. And I did nothing."

"I think most people would freeze in that situation."

"But dragons are supposed to protect the city." She rubbed a green chunk of hair between two fingers as she pouted. "It's the entire reason why we live here and not with my cousins in the ocean. I'm supposed to keep this from happening, and I didn't."

"Did you know that the Monkey King was imprisoned under the city?"

"Is it dumb that even though he's supposed to be unkillable I thought he died anyway?"

"Not necessarily. But if you had no idea of the consequences, then of course it was difficult to proceed. Now that you have all the information, you wish you could've made choices with your current knowledge."

Mei blinked, turning to them incredulously. "Did you just explain hindsight like it's divine wisdom?"

"Perhaps."

"I'm never letting you take that meditation class again."

"I'm calmer, aren't I?"

"Well you aren't burning my comics when you get mad about the ending."

"I said I was sorry."

"It was a first edition, Red. First edition of someone dying."

"I'm still trying to find it for you, but I will." They leaned over to press their finger into her forehead until the skin turned red. "Just like how you will find a way to fix this."

"I can't. He's already out. And unless there's something about the staff we don't know about, we can't put him back."

Red scrunched up their nose, thinking back to their conversation with MK. Only a stone monkey can lift it. "No," they admitted eventually. "Unless we convince the second monkey to put him back."

"He kinda sounded a little off his rocker, so I'm going with no to that plan too."

"We could defeat him in battle and then force him to do it? Make him a hostage?"

"Very evil plan, Red." Mei didn't notice how they looked away, instead contemplating the logistics. "Actually, maybe that would work. Except for the part where neither of us can fight."

"You're a dragon and I'm a fire demon."

"Okay but I can't use any of my dragonness. I'm a human who can hold their breath longer, and that's not a power unless I'm at a party pretending to die in the bathtub. Also, I know you have fire, but I don't know if you should..." She mimicked her hair bursting into flame. "You know? You seem to be doing pretty well without it."

"If I'm choosing between a monkey destroying the city and getting a bit of hotheadedness back, I'll set my entire body ablaze for that staff."

"Don't do that. Your body isn't fireproof."

"Yes it is!"

"Prove it."

"No."

"Coward."

Red flicked her on the forehead again and turned in the stool so they can lean against the counter. "We have two options, then. Or maybe two steps. You need to tell your parents-"

Mei immediately started groaning melodramatically. "I can't tell them that I had a hero of the city opportunity and screwed it up! It's the peak of irresponsible."

"You need to figure out how to be a dragon, and they'll teach you if they think you can wield it well. What if you spun it as you realizing your destiny and needing to train for it?"

"I guess. And I'd probably need to ste-borrow our ancestral sword. That they'll totally let me have. Yes." Mei sat up as an idea overtook her. "Wait, you said two things. So you're-"

"-going to have to speak to my parents too." Red snorted in disgust. "DBK knew the Monkey King better than anyone. If he has a secret weakness, then my father would know, and my mother has a long list of allies that we can strong arm into helping us if we get a hold of her blood oaths. Maybe."

"Sounds like a big maybe."

"I don't know! She's also proficient in magic, so we could find some sacred items, or some spells, or-or-" Red could feel this plan falling apart already. They pinched the bridge of their nose, eyelids suddenly feeling heavy. "Maybe we should discuss this in the morning."

"Only if you don't wake me up at the crack of dawn."

"You shouldn't go to sleep two hours before, then."

"It's a lifestyle."

"I'm going to kill you."

Chapter Text

Alright, here it is. Classic jade and marble, a sleek design that stayed perfectly chic after five hundred years. The Dragon Clan Mansion.

Mei grabbed Red by the elbow and pulled them back so they aren't in view of the security cameras. Okay, now for the first hard part of many hard parts. "Red, you know that I care about you a lot, right?"

"Yes."

"And you know that I don't care what you used to do before we met. You said you're not proud of it, and you don't want to discuss it, so I've taken that in stride and refused to learn anything about it! That's how much I want to respect your boundaries."

"What are you talking about, Mei?"

"So I mentioned you offhandedly to my parents once and they completely flipped their lids about how they can't believe I hired someone so-" She awkwardly gestured to all of them. They crossed their arms, but didn't elaborate on why her parents would be so pissed, instead looking begrudgingly accepting of the fact. "So I told them that you were just on a trial period, and I totally fired you and you never knew where I lived so it wasn't a problem. I just happened to also have an agender mechanic and sort-of roommate who was not a demon and they didn't have to worry about being scary because they'd never hurt a fly. Because of that, I was wondering if you could..." She combed her fingers through her hair before giving them jazz hands. "Woosh?"

Red sighed, pinching the bridge of their nose. "I told you, different demons have different mystical...skill sets. Mine is fire, and I can't do much outside of that."

"But you showed me you can woosh."

"Yes, I am capable of illusion magic because of my mother, but it's not in my forte. I won't be able to hold it together all day."

"That's okay! We'll be as quick as possible."

"And if we are in a situation where I'm in close proximity with them for long periods of time, they'll start being able to see through it, because glamour can't suddenly make your parents stupid."

"Give you a breather every once in a while, got it."

"Also I can't do this and any other magic so I'll be completely defenseless. Don't expect me to use human limbs perfectly in that situation."

"No starting fights, piece of cake."

Red stared into the middle distance for a second, probably mentally checking if there's anything else to go over, before waving one hand dismissively. "Any details you gave your parents that I need to follow?"

"Yes, actually." Mei stood on her toes to be eye level with them, a wicked grin on her face. "I told them you have an undercut."

They curled their lip, already flummoxed.

"And I think you should make your hair a bright and amazing blue so it matches my green, and your eyes are very nice all purpley but that looks supernatural so you should make those pink-"

"Pink would be odder than purple."

"Hey, if you're so wishy-washy about your wooshing, then you don't get to do it a lot, right? So go big! Get wild! Have fun with it!"

"I need something I can sustain, not something fun." They glared in defiance of the puppy-dog eyes until finally relenting, gesturing for Mei to back up. They'd already dressed for definitely-not-a-demon-prince by wearing a long skirt and the most harmless band tee Mei could find, the backpack definitely not for stealing in case talking to the dragons doesn't work. They left a flare like Mei stared directly into a bed of coals as their hands traced their hair, now blue and not glowing, then pinched off pointed ears and scrubbed the purple from their irises. Their hooves just looked like particularly heavy shoes, and the small flush from being overheated all the time left like they traced concealer over their features. A small press on their blackened nails and they paled, the same with fangs shrinking into perfectly straight teeth. Red dug around in their backpack before placing square glasses on their nose. "Better?"

Mei giggled, immediately reaching to rub her hands through the buzzed underside of their head. "It looks great-"

"Mei!" Red scrambled away from her fingers, but not before the ice-blue tips flickered into long crimson locks and back again. "D-do not. Don't do that."

"Sorry. No touching, I'll be good at that."

"I can shake hands, but obviously pulling on my braid will make it come back. It breaks my concentration." They grumbled as Mei gave them a quick side hug as a way of apology. "It's fine. Let's just be in and out as quickly as possible."

"Like little thieves."

Maaaaybe they should've thought this through more than just walking up to two dragons, really hoping they don't realize they're a demon, and also if they do realize hoping even more that they don't get mad. Mr. Dragon barely even blinked as Mei ran to tackle him in a hug, while Mrs. Dragon just held out her hand for them to shake. They nearly sighed in relief when no gasps of horror came at the lightest touch.

"I'm Wei Long, and this is my husband, Lei Long. Our daughter's told us much about you." She smiled, showing off the only hint of dragon heritage with fangs jutting outwards. "Except your name, ironically."

"Uh, my name is Shancai." Red quickly glanced to where Mei was running to their rescue. "I'm Mei's mechanic at FDD. I also, er, well-" Maybe they shouldn't say they've been sleeping at her apartment half the week at the first meeting of the parents.

"Shancai is a genius with bikes and I pay them what I can for their work, but you know, Megapolis rent isn't cheap." Mei dipped to stand right next to them, clothing just formal enough to not look like they've both been living in squalor. "We've been talking about how it may be a good idea if we look for a slightly bigger apartment to both live in and share the rent, but we didn't want to start that ball rolling without you meeting them. We're actually planning to ask their parents the same question later, so we can't stay too long. Sorry about that."

Lei chuckled lightly, adjusting his glasses to get a better look at them. "Caring so much for your employee's safety that you're willing to let them live under the same roof as you? That's incredibly kind."

"You know me! I'm so kind and responsible. I've grown up a lot since we made the delivery system, and we love it so much. Really helping the community."

Can she get any less subtle over why they're actually there? Red took in the ridiculously tall tapestries of woven gold, interplaced between marble pillars and there's no way the walls are all made of jade, there's not enough jade in the world to do that. Their eyes widened when they saw the dome of a security camera in the corner.

Shit.

Red poked Mei's shoulder as soon as the parents turned away to talk to each other, leaning in close. "You didn't say they had cameras."

"Wouldn't every rich person's house have cameras?"

"Mei. Ever heard of a true reflection?"

"No?"

"Well, those cameras definitely don't see Shancai."

Her eyes widened. "Anything else that won't see this as you?"

"Well, only an artifact made for that exact purpose. But that thing's become borderline useless ever since machines became able to capture images." They shrugged. "My reflection isn't perfect and you shouldn't study my shadow, but you can't fool a machine with something that relies on you seeing what isn't there."

Mei sucked in her teeth before waving for her parents' attention. "Hey, I've told Shancai about all the cool stuff we have in our awesome dragon room. They were wondering if it's rude to ask for a look?"

Lei puffed his chest proudly. "Not at all. It won't hurt to give you a tour while we talk, after all. It's over this way."

As they left the atrium and meandered down a hallway with dragons on more tapestries, Wei turned to talk over her shoulder. "You see, we have plenty of relics just from being a prominent family dating back thousands of years. However, we also have a significant point of pride different from other dragon clans. The Longs are descendants of Ao Lie himself, a pilgrim who fought alongside the Monkey King back when he was a hero, not...well, what he became."

Red's and Mei's mouths both stretched too wide in forced smiles. "A real shame," Mei agreed at the same time as Red managed, "in the past, at least."

Wei nodded sadly. "But whether he was doing good or...destroying lives in the end, before that, he helped so many people, and he was Ao Lie's friend. The Monkey King was the last pilgrim to die, and after such a long time, so we couldn't divide his treasures between his friends and family like most can, and we certainly couldn't leave it unguarded in a mountain full of monkeys. So, the children of the pilgrims decided to divide them evenly, along with his last living sworn brother. Eventually the pilgrims' families had misfortunes, or felt unworthy, or were afraid of the precious things being stolen, so after hundreds of years, almost everything he owned either came to us or the Demon Bull Family."

Lei grimaced. "I shudder to think what they could want with his weapons, but we at least swore off using them. Everything hoarded by that wretched creature is safe here, where we can monitor it. It's a part of our job as dragons, to protect the city from something this dangerous."

Wei nodded. "After all, what if the Demon Bull Family uses their share of the heirlooms to take over? We need to be ready."

"I'm sure they'd never try that," Red said slowly, "not when they have no reason to."

Lei snorted, stopping in front of a doorless gap leading to the next room. "When you have all the power of wind or fire, it's too much temptation to use it for evil. Apologies if we have little faith in those outside of our control."

Red raised their eyebrows at that remark. "Aren't dragons outside of the sea in control of storms? What's to stop you from doing the same?"

"Living on land instead of on a riverbed or the ocean floor left us just like humans. Unless, of course, they use the dragon blade." Lei led them into a huge room surrounded by relics on pillars, the crown jewel being the marble statue of a dragon holding a sword between two claws. The pommel was shaped like a dragon's head, with a scaley hilt leading to a jade blade carved in the shape of water. Most swords have thin metal, but this looked like a thorough hacking tool too heavy for most people to use. Red did their best to look mildly interested, not immediately planning an escape route, as Wei led them to the center with an excited cadence.

"The dragon blade is a jian sword, the best in the world. The construction of it is an incredible sight to behold. Of course, I'm sure you can tell the blade is a single piece of jade, but that is only one part of its glory. A core of four plates of hammered metal makes sure that the jade stays intact and borderline unbreakable, stretching into the stone like coral digging into sand. Each metal's from a different sea, gifted by a dragon king to give us power on land. Ao Lie supplied the hilt itself, sacrificing one of his horns to be carved in his likeness. It's the most precious item in our entire collection, and we could never put a price on it."

Red nodded with a close-mouthed hum, stepping back so Mei could get a better look. This is her part of their quest, after all. Instead, they took the time to look at each item on its altar and read the label pounded into a plaque of gold. The jade rabbit's pestle, the calabash, Guanyin's sacred vase, a demon-revealing mirror-

Wait, demon-revealing mirror?

They stopped to check their reflection. Violet eyes, sharp teeth, long ears, a flush of heat over their nose, their braid starting to float and flicker in fear-oh no. If the dragons see their image in this, the entire plan is done for. They glanced up to where Mei was currently talking to her parents.

This was always an awful idea.

Mei felt a twinge of relief when Red let her handle it, "Shancai" wandering off while she drew her parents' attention.

"Mom, Dad." She spent way too long last night prepping for this talk. She took a deep breath. "I know that we don't touch Ao Lie's sword, ever, and that it's a big rule. No one's ever allowed to wield it since none of us are worthy."

Mom nodded seriously. "A long time ago, the only way to help others was to take up a blade and fight. Now, we have the benefit of a higher status to give the less fortunate our charity. We don't cut down our enemies, since we can instead spend that time lifting up our allies."

"Okay, but let's say theoretically there is an enemy we need to cut down? Maybe as soon as possible?" Mei's gut twisted as Dad's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Like, if I discovered a threat to the city that we need to defeat in an actual, physical fight. Can I use the sword then?"

"Dear," Dad began, and that's a bad sign since no good sentence starts with a chiding nickname, "we thought you learned this when you were in school. There is no conflict that you should resolve with violence. You are a dragon, and it's shameful to use your strength that way. You need to learn how to be diplomatic, reason your way out of trouble. It'll benefit you in the long run."

"I get that, but maybe I have to beat someone up first to get to the diplomatic answer. Like, they won't listen until I dragon them up a little?" She pounded one fist into her palm as a demonstration, which only made them gasp. "As a hero."

"Mei, that's-" Mom rested one hand on her shoulder, speaking down to her like she's a disobedient child. "If there's someone out to hurt you, we can handle it without doing that. Whether they're human, or a demon-"

"-it's the fire demon, isn't it?" Dad asked quietly. "They're after you, right?"

"What? No! Red is-" Mei hesitated, glancing back at where the demon was studying a mirror. "Uh, I mean, Red never did anything bad to me. They were, erm, cordial. Very kind. Very understanding."

"The bull prince, cordial?" Mom frowned. "That demon's been out of control since the day they were born. If they acted calmly to you, it's because they were going to do something worse later."

"Something much worse," Dad agreed. "Now, that child was never known for their planning skills, but they can't fight the impulse to-"

"What on earth are you talking about?!" Mei snapped. "Red's a great planner! Their blueprints are works of genius, they can do the math on our accounting better than I can in their damn head, and yeah neither of us are that good at the social cues you older people send in morse code, but they know better than to burn every building down. They're responsible-I'm responsible, and I wouldn't be here asking for this if it wasn't world-ending important! So would you just-"

A high-pitched wail ripped through the air, forcing them to cover their ears with crimson light flashing overhead. She heard a shout behind her, turning to where a blue-haired Red was struggling to hold a mirror and block out the noise. They fumbled, losing their grip on the artifact so it clattered on the ground. "S-s-sorry," they stuttered, trying to be heard over the din, "sorry, I just, uh, wanted a closer look, I'll just-"

Mom grabbed the mirror and held it up, showing Red's reflection: claws, fangs, hair whipping like a tail in their wake. "The bull prince."

"I can explain-"

"Mom, don't freak out."

Dad looked on in horror. "You knew it was them? You lied?"

"You never stopped affiliating with them, did you?" Mom asked, sounding genuinely hurt. "You've been lying for months about who you're working with. Who you're living with, who you're seen with around town-"

"Red isn't a bad person, alright? They're my friend, and the city's in danger, and Red's the only one I'd trust to have my back while we stop-" Mei cut herself off as she grabbed Red before her parents could, helping them step away from the dragons and towards the blade. "Red's my friend."

"You're helping steal from your own ancestors."

"We need to stop the Monkey King."

"Whatever lies the Demon Bull Family told you, I assure you, the Monkey King would never-"

"But he did, and I saw it myself, and we need this." Mei grabbed the hilt of the sword. "I'm really sorry."

"Mei." Dad's face deepened into a scowl as he stepped forward. "Don't you dare take that from our home."

"You said I need to be responsible and help our community, and I'm doing that, I promise. I really, really, really need the sword to do that."

Red raised one finger, clearing their throat to speak. "The mirror that sees through any disguise would also help with stone monkey transformations."

Mom glowered, wrapping her arms protectively around the wine-colored metal. "Over my dead body."

"Really?"

"You've never had a problem with killing before."

Red narrowed their eyes. "Mei, sword. Me, mirror."

Mei bobbed her head in agreement, and as soon as the room turned red again, they pounced. She planted both feet on the dragon statue, pulling like the hilt's trapped in a stone. She honestly thought she'd break it before it pulled free with a white flash.

Okay, now to use it to make an exit! She pointed at the eastern wall, mentally picturing a grand burst of lightning right to where they parked their bikes.

Nothing.

Right, no idea how this works. "Red, we gotta go!"

"On it!" Red shed all pretense of human form with a hoof to her mother's face ("sorry, ma'am!") before sprinting toward the exit. Mei followed close behind.

"I super promise we'll give it back after we save the world byeeee!"

Chapter Text

"Kid!"

MK exhaled sharply as a warm body collided with his, lifting him off the ground despite its short stature. "Hey, Dadsy. Missed you." Most who met him thought it was odd that his father was a pig demon, but then again, they also believe that MK is human. If no one's committing an atrocity, they won't check cameras for his true reflection. To others, Tang's his father and Dadsy's his partner, instead of the other way around. He's still trying to figure out what to call Tang outside of his name.

"I've been worried sick, you idiot. You told me you and Tangy were going to do this whole thing today, not yesterday."

"Well, we were planning to just scope it out, but I had a witness wander a bit too far. I thought she may tattle if we waited." MK lightly rapped his knuckles on Dadsy's head, a signal that he wants to be let down, before stepping back. He and Tang got free rides to Flower-Fruit Mountain on a cloud, but Dadsy needed an actual boat to get here. He's just happy they're okay. "So, what do you think of the monkey kingdom?"

Dadsy turned in a slow circle, his gaze hopping from the primates snoozing in trees to the heavy peaches to the glistening waterfall. "It's very...put together."

"Apparently Monkey King got sick of his subjects getting attacked every time he left, so he taught them how to attack on sight. They knew we're coming, so we're chill. Speaking of..." MK flicked his tail over to the dilapidated hut, with a certain fuzzy god chattering to the monkeys. It looked like they were trying to hold different parts of the building up while he hopped to and fro. Tang scribbled in his notebook all the while.

MK took his father's hand before leading him up the hill, stopping when bloodshot eyes turned to them. "Hey, bud. This the old man you're talking about?" Monkey King asked.

"Hey!"

"Old man means dad, Monkey King. Pigsy's my dad."

"Pigsy." Monkey King tried the name on his tongue, then nodded. "A fitting name. And if you all helped free me, you're welcome to use mine."

"Wukong." Oh, there's that rush again, a full-body shiver of anticipation. Being around another monkey is nothing short of incredible. "Yeah, Wukong. So, Dadsy already knows I wanted to find you since, hello, you're you. I guess we're just figuring out what to do next?"

"Yep!" Wukong chirped to the other primates, letting them take a break from putting the house together. "But first, I promised Tang a look into my monkey secrets first thing today. Right, Tang?"

Tang nodded quickly, falling over himself to stand next to him. "He told me all about his lost tales last night. So much of it was buried after they buried him, and there's still more to learn, like his full catalogue of magical artifacts."

"Sorry that I don't remember everything I own, but to be fair, I had to dedicate a room to it. I'm sure there'll be plenty you'll love when we go there."

MK held up the staff, feeling slightly awkward about holding it. "So I guess this is going in there, too? Or you'll want to keep it, right?"

Wukong blew a raspberry, slapping him on the back. "Don't be ridiculous! You wanted me to teach you all the mystic monkey powers, right? It's more fun with a staff, and it seems to love you plenty if it lets you jut carry it around like that."

MK bobbed his head, then his body, and wow he's practically vibrating with joy. This is incredible. Getting to spend the night on Flower-Fruit Mountain was incredible, although he was a little too tired to really take it in. He just had to stay up, swinging in a hammock that the Monkey King gave him, and looking down at where the god slept in a pile of his subjects.

Wondering if the Dragon Girl was right.

No, no way. This is all a misunderstanding. Why would the gods make MK if he wasn't destined to correct it? After all, stone monkeys don't just pop out of no where. Someone had to want it, and if they didn't, they'd just smite him as a child, not let him grow. Who wanted him around is still unclear, but...

It's just like the story. Monkey King was first released from the mountain by Tang Sanzang, because the pilgrim needed protection. It was ordained by deities. Now, MK has released him a second time, because five hundred years is more than enough to realize some mistakes. It's all good. He's doing the right thing.

Wukong stopped in front of double doors the size of the cavern, buried in the mountain's belly and waiting for a mystic paw to open it. "Alright, now get ready. There's centuries worth of history back here, and it's an exclusive pleasure to see it all." He turned to them with a big smile. "You want to see what makes the monkey kingdom impossible to mess with?"

A monkey, a human, and a pig nodded. Wukong rubbed his paws together before opening the door.

To an empty chamber.

Tang let out an ecstatic squeal. "You made all of it invisible so no one could steal it? How much qi does that take? I didn't know you could even do illusions!"

"It's not invisible, it's gone!" Wukong lashed his tail as he stomped to the center of the room, his voice echoing in the vast void. He held out his paws, waving them this way and that to show how he can't touch a damn thing. "They stole everything I had! Probably didn't wait until the damn seal got cold."

MK tipped his head to the side. "Who could've stolen from this place?"

"My so-called friends wanting their inheritance." Wukong growled as he stormed to a pile of empty boxes, turning the crates over so dust and cobwebs could puff out. "It's a whole thing that when a demon court loses its ruler, they divide the treasure amongst the allies. You're supposed to use it to protect that land and keep it from enemies. Obviously, no one did that." He sighed, working his way back to an easygoing demeanor. "But then again, it's not like any of my demon pals were still around. We were all taken out centuries ago by heaven itself. Maybe it was the pilgrims' families who don't know the protocol, and...meant well."

"Actually, not every ally was removed from their throne by the heavens."

Wukong turned with dangerous slowness to Tang. "What?"

"Well, all but one court you were associated with was deposed." Tang cracked open his notebook and flipped through to a sticky-noted page. "Only the Demon Bull Family still holds power. Apparently, the Demon Bull King was also imprisoned with your allies, but during your journey, he escaped. The heavens allowed him his life because he caught the eye of a celestial maiden, who swore to exist at his side a bit like an eternal parole officer. The gods agreed, only to find out it was a plan for elopement, but they couldn't go back on their word. All they could do was declare Princess Iron Fan no longer a princess, and no longer a celestial, forcing her fall into demonhood. So." Tang snapped the book shut, adjusting his glasses with a smirk. "One of your allies is still around. I'm sure you can ask them for your things back."

"But if DBK is still here, then the others must be too." Wukong sounded uncertain now, his scorched windpipe bobbing as he swallowed. "We all agreed that if anyone survives, they must help the others. It's a part of being a sworn family, that we-we have to help each other. So everyone else is alive, and they just couldn't find me before you did, or they couldn't lift the staff, so they weren't able to rescue me." His face tightened. "Right?"

Tang sucked in the air through his teeth. "None of the other courts are still around. All the kings you were with are gone, except DBK. I think he just...kinda...didn't do the thing you said. He moved on."

"Moved on." Wukong barked out a laugh. "Moved on from our oath. Moved on from how we gave our immortalities for each other. Just...moved on. Conveniently off the hook, right? He doesn't have to do a damn thing he said he would because-because he has a pretty woman to take care of his every need? Because he swore to a maiden that he'd keep his nose clean? He moved on?"

MK could feel him revving up for something, and quickly stepped in front of his dads with the staff out to protect them. Instead of leaping toward them, Wukong shot away, a boom like thunder shaking the chamber. MK focused back on how the Monkey King had a fist in the wall, cracks in the rock spidering up like an eggshell.

Wukong turned back to them, his upper arm still buried in stone. "I think we need to pay DBK a visit and ask for his side of the story."

"Oh no." Red took their helmet off with a grimace when they saw what exactly is going on. Their parents had the most expensive tiny house in the city, crammed like a hole in the wall on the exact opposite side of where Red crept around, entirely intentionally on their part. They got here with Mei, parked their motorcycles, and "oh no" was an understatement for how they felt at the moment.

"Yeah, guess there's only one window to sneak in, right?" Mei asked, completely missing the problem with the sleek stone in front of them.

"What? No. Well, yes, because the alternate portal is now a bitch to get to."

"Alternate-wait, your parents made a portal to the city?"

"We live in the middle in the desert. Er, they live. I don't."

"I still don't understand where you live when you're not sleeping at my place."

Definitely not in the Flaming Dragon Delivery garage since they lost the last apartment in a glamour screwup and they don't want to mooch off of Mei more. Red sighed, quickly dragging their friend by the arm to the tiniest window by the dumpster. They crouched down with their fingers laced for Mei to step up. She frowned, adjusting the straps of her backpack.

"Red?" Mei angled her head so they couldn't just refuse to face her. "I have the funny feeling you're not explaining something."

"I've made it clear I don't like being around them, but I never said why, and I'd like it to stay that way if you don't mind," Red grumbled as she knotted her fingers into their braid to steady herself, climbing onto their shoulders. Red grimaced as their hooves scraped the concrete, stepping forward so she can flip the latch. "My mother defeated the Monkey King last time, and my parents take meticulous notes on all their enemies. I'm sure they have some from their battle with him, potential weaknesses that they exploited or planned to exploit in another encounter. We won't even have to speak to them. Besides, I'm sure they have more items we can 'borrow', as you put it."

"I am borrowing the sword!" Mei stepped right on their face to climb into the window, Red hissing in pain as she pulled them up by their arms. "I'm going to give it back."

"If they forgive you for associating with me."

"Red, nothing that you could've done would make me not want to be around you."

"I doubt that." They dropped into a roll as the windowsill shifted, both intruders landing on plush carpet. Just as expected, the hole-in-the-wall is a chamber of red silks and intricate patterns, with a huge bed in the middle of it. They snorted as Mei gasped dramatically, somersaulting into the comforter.

"Red, is this your room?"

"It was." They wandered over to their dresser, taking every picture and planting them face-down so they didn't have to look. "I'm not a fan of something this posh."

"Aren't you a demon prince, though?"

"That's not the point of pride you think it is." They watched Mei dislodge a rug in her race to the closet, showing off an enormous singe mark, before covering it back up. "Having money is nice, but it's not the best for becoming someone...mature."

"Awww, were you the classic spoiled brat?" Mei giggled as she picked out the most expensive dress they've worn. "Did you beg for this?"

"Ugh. Do not-" Red startled, clapping both hands over their ears as the entire house throbbed. Mei dropped the dress like an old newspaper, irreparably wrinkling the fabric.

"Is someone attacking?"

"No, it's a party." Red bared their teeth as the pulse increased, less of something you hear and more something you feel beneath your hooves and deep in your tongue. They've always preferred jazz and swing to this disaster that other mortals call music. "My parents host something this time of year every year, so it's the perfect opportunity to get what we need and go without getting noticed."

"Wait, I know you aren't on good terms, but we're literally never letting them know we're here? I don't want to spook your folks with having someone break into their house with no explanation whatsoever."

"Trust me, they won't worry about something like that." After all, it's not like this is the first time Red showed up uninvited and grabbed something they're missing. It's just that now they're not pocketing some old memento from their room, and now trying to sneak over to their parents' personal chambers. "But if it's a party, we need to dress for the occasion. Blend in."

"Finally, a makeover!"

Chapter Text

Demon fashion is complicated. Part of it is just how much someone doesn't want to look human, and coming up with outfits that it could never make sense to just woosh, as Red was sure Mei would put it.

Lots of asymmetry, complicated patterns, materials that shouldn't work together, clashing colors, glowing and floating and melting and crystallizing. Red liked it at first, but like every subculture of fashion, it stopped being good around the time their parents adopted it, and they did not let go. Now any high-ranking demon tries to rock the style, and they have to raid their closet for what was once eccentric streetwear, and now may as well be black tie-level dresses.

And get an outfit for Mei, too. The biker jacket's not cutting it today, although the boots switched to neon platforms because Red can't offer anything better. On the bright side, a very stupid past Red thought that they could get away with wearing green without constantly being accused of dressing for the holidays, so there's plenty of Mei's favorite color in the closet. Mei picked mismatched gloves with claws on them (she would not stop fake roaring) and baggy trousers with a studded belt and glowing lightning bolts climbing up it. She snatched a midriff-bearing tank top, a minty green that she covered with a jacket she seemed way too excited about.

"I thought your family hated dragons," she whispered conspiratorially, pointing to how one climbed up the sleeve in long coils until the head rested near the heart, the shade of green obviously able to glow in the dark too.

"We don't hate them. We just don't get along with them."

"You know I'm required to take this."

"Go ahead."

"Cool, because otherwise I was just going to say no to all the other cyber-neon-weird stuff and walk around topless."

Red couldn't tell if she was serious with that, instead focusing on their own clothes. At least they found their prescription glasses, dark black pince-nez hanging from a chain around their neck. A crimson skirt belted at their waist that they can easily clasp back for riding their bike, then a techwear jumpsuit highlighted in purple, and they'd feel naked without a jacket but just looked at their old outfits with disgust. How dare a younger them be so concerned with fashion, filling up this tiny room with borderline junk? It feels ridiculous now that a god of chaos is awakened, and they have bigger fish to fry.

Mei snuck up behind them with her sword strapped to her side, poking them impatiently. "Uh, Red?"

"Sorry. Got distracted." They just needed something they can wear on the bike. It's not rocket science. They took a one-shouldered jacket of similar material, zipping up the deep red until it covered the ring where they collapsed the motorcycle helmet around their throat. Good enough.

"You need gloves too."

"Mei."

"Maaaatchinggggg."

They slid on some biker gloves before stomping over to open the door. "Let's go, quickly. In and out."

"Uh, we don't dress for an undercover mission and do an in and out. We should explore!"

"You have green hair, I have red hair. We will be spotted in less than a minute if we don't run."

"Then put a hat on, dude."

Oh they could feel their hair sparking at that. "Mei, I am begging you. Do not make a scene. Do nothing at all."

"Red." She stopped walking right before they could leave, digging her heels into the carpet. "I don't know how to fully explain that avoiding talking to the two people who know how to defeat the Monkey King is a bad idea, so I'm just going to leave it at that being a bad idea. If you don't want to even be near them, then that's perfectly fine. I can talk to them, and you go do the invading-their-privacy plan. Either way, someone needs to tell them what's up."

They hated that she had a point. They wrinkled their nose, stopping to stare at the ground. Once again, Mei nuzzled into their side with a concerned look.

"Like you said, you don't even have to talk to them. And hey, if you didn't want to talk to my folks either, I totally would've come up with a plan for that."

"I'll be fine. I just-" They pursed their lips, rethinking their next sentence. "You're right. It'll be better if we split up. I'll go to the study, you see if you can find my parents. You know what they look like?"

"I think I'm aware of how the 'hero of the city' dresses, yes."

"Then I'll meet up with you later."

Maybe Mei should've asked Red to stay with her. Not because this place is basically a basketball court full of gemstones and smooth stone carved in the shape of the wind, although that definitely helps her unease. Not because demons covered in neon lights and crazy fashion meant to make her eyes hurt surrounded her, in light conversations holding food she refuses to believe is safe to eat.

No. It's because it took all of thirty seconds for Iron Fan to float down to meet her, a golden dress just as oddly styled as everything else. The centerpiece to her crimson capelet was a clasp in the shape of a banana leaf, leaving Mei to have the gears churn in her head over what exactly that is.

"A dragon come to pay respects?" Iron Fan chuckled, horns tinkling with decoration. "Isn't this a surprise."

She may or may not stare at that leaf for way too long before replying. "Yep. Dragon, that's me. I heard you're super important and that my family doesn't really talk to you, but uh. New generation, am I right?" Is that leaf her fan? Did she shrink the fan to fit around her neck? How the hell does Mei do that with her sword? Can she just not be carrying it around in a backpack like an idiot? Can she do that with the mirror?

"Yes, tensions with the Long Clan and the Demon Bull Family have been-" -Iron Fan exhaled quickly through her nose- "-rough, these past few centuries. But you are their heir, correct?"

Holy shit she has to try to shrink her sword. "And I'll be changing things up!" She replied with a proud puff to her chest. "Responsibly, of course." Take that, parents. She's so responsible that she's going to the enemy family and helping their prince steal all their shit.

Okay that sounds worse than it is.

"Mm, of course." Iron Fan gestured for her to follow. Mei took the opportunity of her turning her back to take the backpack off, pulling out both the mirror and the sword. Concentrate. Think small.

The sword hummed, glowing ever so slightly, before shrinking to the size of a charm. The mirror rattled, more resistant, and only the surface of it shrank, the two long cords staying the same length. She pulled off one rope, using it to tie her sword around her neck, before knotting the other to loop the mirror in her jacket like a pocketwatch. Now she can follow Iron Fan, jogging to catch up.

"So, how does the hero of the city keep busy?" Mei asked, trying her best to make conversation.

Iron Fan chuckled. "Well, I saved this city five hundred years ago from that infernal ape. Now, it's just trying to keep it safe. That's a constant job, but never as difficult as that battle."

"Cool cool hey how did you do that, exactly?" Maybe she asked too fast, since the demon looked at her with open suspicion. Mei quickly correct herself. "My parents always made it sound like you used some dirty trick, but I know that can't be true. I want the real story, you know?"

Iron Fan reset her expression to one of ease. "A secret, I'm afraid. Hearing that others think I fought dishonorably is just a part of that burden. But I can't reveal it to you."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure."

Mei frowned. That's a spectacular dead end. Unless she finds a way to pry that information loose through gaining trust. Is there something here she can do? An ass she can pretend to kiss? She scanned the crowd. "Uh, who's playing the music for this? You're going to have dancing soon, right? That's why everyone's dressed for a super-chic rave?"

Iron Fan pointed to a dais in the middle of the room, empty for the moment. "We hired an independent artist. Apparently that appeals more to the...younger crowd, to find some fresh blood for them. They'll take the stage in a few minutes. I can take you to meet them, if you like."

"Actually, I really think I should meet the king, extend my big peace offering to him too, first."

"He's preparing the musician."

"Oh. Perfect!" Mei has left dead-end city. She let Iron Fan weave them through demons stumbling with alcohol, stopping in front of a side door. "Through here?"

Iron Fan nodded.

She grasped the handle.

Red wasted no time in arriving at the study, tripping over their own hooves to avoid being seen by guests that thought they were good enough to roam the halls. They do not need someone to recognize them, thank you very much.

Stone doors with bull heads and the rings through their noses as knockers greeted them, forcing the fire demon to groan with the effort of pulling them open. Having an eleven feet tall father means that they have to crane their neck to get a good view of all the furniture. He had an oak desk with an inkpot and quill, a display off to the side for him to pull up holograms, a bookshelf reaching the ceiling on either side of the door, and on one wall, a crackling fireplace with a television perched on top of it. Red shut the door behind them, unable to reach the lock, and started with the ladder they can glide across the bookshelves. There has to be something labelled "previous enemies" or whatever, right?

They picked up their glasses to adjust on their nose, scanning the bindings. A tiny scrap of them was grateful that Mei wasn't here to see them scooting way too close to each title, since she'd call them a blind nerd. It's loving, but...yeah, they can't see shit. It's a miracle they can drive without these things.

Does that book say "Red Son"? Just...their name, straight up, no author or other explanation? It's worn leather and topped in dust, like it's been there a while. They shrugged, trying to pull it out.

Click.

They pinwheeled their arms before landing on their butt on the ground, not knowing what else to do when the bookshelf they leaned the ladder on suddenly disappeared. In its place was a wide gap behind another shelf, where the first shifted behind it, and an empty room as deep as a bathtub is wide.

They did not remember designing this. In fact, when they touched the worn-out volcanic rock inside the cubby, it had to be long before they could design anything. Was this made back when they were born?

They glanced up to the new shelving, although it was more of a single weapon rack. A spear leaned against waxwood, a dark red-gold and pounded of mixed iron and steel. A maroon loop around the hilt showed elite status as a prince, the tassel brushing their fingers. This spear had to be taller than their father, and when they backed up to get a look at its head, they saw it carved in the golden image of a flame. It gave the appearance of the normal head of a spear, with an additional point on one side, and a hook of smoke angled downward on the other.

They leaned back to check the door, ensuring that no one's watching them, before grabbing the spear. They squeezed the metal with one palm, lifting it cautiously out of its place. Taking its weight on entirely almost made them collapse, swinging it out of its cubby before the secret area could click shut.

A pink light flashed in front of their eyes, there once and gone the next moment. That can't be their mother's magic, surely? Why would she make her seal that gaudy shade? Red had to have tripped an alarm of some kind, but whose...

Oh, they cannot be seen holding this thing. They need to find a way to hide it. Let's see, their mother can shrink her fan, but even then, they don't know what they'd do with a tiny spear. It's not like they have something to tie it to.

Unless.

They pressed their forehead to the staff, exhaling and concentrating on making it bend to their will. Small. Be small.

Once they opened their eyes, they breathed a sigh of relief at the more manageable shape. They skewered it at the top of their braid, fixing it the best they can without looking to stay in one spot. They're not fighting a monkey empty-handed, and this will be a good leg up.

That pink light was definitely strange...ah, bigger problems. Like finding records on the Monkey King's final battle. Maybe their father finally digitized everything, and they can look for it in the holograms. They heaved into the chair and pressed a button to boot it up.

It automatically loaded to the news. Red rolled their eyes, originally deciding they will change their father's settings later and just pick a different tab. Then they saw the byline and paused, one finger still on the digital keyboard. A blue-haired reporter grinned way too much for the grim news.

"It's barely sunrise and we've already had disaster strike. Early this morning, the Mansion of the Dragon Clan was attacked, besieged by a demon who stole two precious artifacts from their collection." The screen switched to playback of security footage, with a red-haired demon walking side by side with dragons as if nothing was amiss. "We have confirmation that illusion magic was used to appear human and gain entry."

Red hunched their shoulders, stomach churning as the two dragons who welcomed them into their home looked so proud to explain everything, then so disappointed when they held the mirror. The footage skipped ahead to the part where they kicked the matriarch right in the face, looking so much worse than they remembered it.

The reporter cut back in with a mugshot, showing a younger Red with hair aflame, several hands holding them down so the picture can be taken. "The dragons have confirmed the identity of the thief to be Red Son, possibly manipulating their daughter into stealing the relics. Red Son has an extensive list of possible criminal charges that they haven't answered for, so we don't know the full extent of their power or if they're capable of mind control-"

"Mind control?" They sputtered, even with no one to hear them. "Mei acted on her own accord, you-you half-wits!" How dare they accuse Mei of being weak enough to fall for that! They had to readjust their glasses to not lose them, glaring at the reporter like that alone could light them on fire.

"-but one thing's for certain: disappearing from the public eye does not make you less dangerous."

"It does when you left for therapy." They crossed their arms, leaning back in the chair with their chin barely level with the desk. They spent way too long intentionally hiding from the media circuits, and now they're back to front-page material. Awesome.

But now isn't the time to sulk. They need to act. They decided to climb onto the hardwood and crouch in front of the hologram, punching in keys until they could find the Monkey King's name in the archives.

Finally, an index. So now they just match up the designation with the book and page number, then-

"Would you like to explain why you're in my office?"

Oh no. They slowly turned their head, ears flattened against the booming voice.

Their father could never handle a party as long as their mother. Of course he'd come here to get away. And, of course, he showed up right when Red found what they were looking for.

This day just keeps getting better and better.

Chapter Text

"Dragon Girl's a party girl, huh?"

Mei wrinkled her nose at the nickname, slamming the door to the lounge shut before Iron Fan could follow them in. The stone monkey looked human enough right now, but she didn't have to check the demon revealing mirror to know better. An iridescent hooded jacket spread on the couch around him, easily creeping past his knees in gold shining like the sun. He still had the striped tiger pants, although he paired it with striped gloves and chunky teal sneakers. There's no way that all of those belts are functional, and that scarf had to leave him sweaty, but the staff dangling as an earring was the most annoying part. How dare he figure out how to hide his magical weapon before her? "MK, right?"

"Haha! You got it." He crossed his legs on the table, both arms sprawled over the back of a couch. "You musta gotten here after me, otherwise I would've seen those sweet bikes, right? Nice rides. Any chance you can make me one?"

"Where is the Monkey King?"

MK blew a raspberry. "Monkeying around, I assume. Not doing anything wrong."

"I doubt you're welcome in this house, so he's trespassing, at the very least."

"Lotta mouth from the kid from the enemy clan." MK stood to adjust the coat, the tails spread like a bird. "Does this look good to you? Wukong insisted that I needed to look good if I'm getting into some fancy demon party. Also, he got rid of the headband, which I really liked since that's my whole trademark pretty much, but he said this one friend of his looks incredible in a scarf and I couldn't just say no-"

"Stop chattering to distract me." She scanned the room for anyone ready to jump out at her, just in case. No Tang, no Monkey King, and no DBK. Crap. Either Iron Fan legitimately thought her husband was in here and got tricked, or that wasn't Iron Fan at all. Stupid monkeys and their shapeshifting powers.

"Sorry, sorry. I just-" MK tilted his head, trying to hide a snicker. "Look, you obviously think I'm a bad guy. So if we're not going to talk this out-"

"I'm not talking it out with someone who freed the Monkey King. You're going to use that staff to put him back under the mountain if you want to be on speaking terms."

MK held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, Dragon Girl, but I'm absolutely not doing that. Wukong didn't deserve to be under that mountain, and they don't deserve to be in the underworld."

"They?"

"Oh yeah. He told me the whoooooole story." MK removed the glamour with a shimmer of light, displaying his canines as the fur grew. "How a group of demon kings knew that the world needed to be better. How he went up to heaven to get inside the bureaucracy, and all that he got from it was burned. They tried to change the universe from the outside, and they lost their immortality as punishment. You know you're not supposed to put immortals in the underworld, right? Defeats the whole point."

"Everyone knows that the other demons were lost, while the Monkey King stayed under a mountain. This isn't new."

"Is it new that his journey for atonement meant nothing to the gods? That punishing someone eternally isn't fair? Oh!" MK stepped closer, tail flicking dangerously. "I know. How about the part where one of his best buds ran off unscathed by becoming a celestial in-law? Does that sound fair to you, just getting out of damnation because of nepotism?"

"The Demon Bull King isn't imprisoned because he helped Iron Fan save the world from the monster you idiotically dug out of the ground!"

"Five hundred years under a rock is enough. A thousand years in the underworld you don't belong in is enough. Wukong understands that, even if you don't."

"There's no guarantee he won't hurt others again now that he's out."

"Welcome to humanity, Dragon Girl. Anyone can do that. It's not a surprise." He shoulder checked her before opening the door, taking in the chatter of the party. "I have a job to do."

Red shrank in the center of the desk, wondering if they made themself small enough, they wouldn't be seen. Then again, Father is an eleven-foot-tall mass of magenta fur and muscle, and he already has glasses on. No way to scramble out of this without talking to him.

Father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe my own child is stealing from me."

"I'm not stealing."

Father glared pointedly at the spear skewered in their braid.

"I was going to give it back?" They tried. They shook their head to straighten out, standing with the stiffness of a rod. They can do better than this. "Father, the Monkey King has been released, and I must know how to defeat him."

"Really?" Father cocked his head. "Then we must stop him at once."

Wow, he believed them quickly. No time to think about it more, not when Red can avoid looking this gift bull in the mouth. "I need you to tell me how you defeated him."

"Ah." He gestured for Red to leave the room, his wide strides meaning Red has to scramble to stay ahead. "We used one of his own items against him, of course. I'm sure it's still in that room."

Red nodded, hooves scraping the floor as they stopped at a door of melted steel. Of course they'd use something from the armory! It's so simple that they could've thought of it. The room shimmered in obsidian, with raised pillars of violet marble marking off where the tile shifted in patterns of flame and wind. Just like with the dragon mansion, they kept everything on display, although they had slightly better security with the cases of wavering glass, foggy and tinged orange. Too hot for a normal mortal to touch, so only the Demon Bull Family can take what they desire. When they were little, they learned how to make this shaky liquid themself, tracing little patterns and pulling it apart like goo that hardened when it left their fingertips. They paused as their father took it all in. Weird. He should know what this place looks like, not flick his gaze over it like everything is brand new.

"Which piece was it?" They pressed.

"The Skeleton Key."

Not a weapon? Red didn't get it, and they can't pull out that location from the top of their head. "I don't think you ever told me the story of that one...don't you want the five sacred treasures of Lao Tzu, like the Seven Star Sword or Golden-"

"The Skeleton Key can open and lock any door. It's the only thing that can take us to the underworld, the only place that can keep an immortal away from the mortal realm forever."

"I-I'm not certain-"

"The Skeleton Key, boy. Now."

Boy? Red set their jaw, coming to a realization that they can't act on without actual proof. They stepped back, scanning the labels for the shaky boxes. Immortals always seemed to make magical items, then conveniently lose that item and make another for that exact purpose. So many capturing weapons, gourds that can melt their victims, weapons to slay demons with a single blow...

So there's an exact copy of the demon-revealing mirror somewhere, right? "One moment Father." They noted how he glared suspiciously, quick to add, "Since it is such a sacred treasure, we hid it extra carefully. You know that, of course, but it will take me a moment to...grab it." They made sure they were reaching into the right box, since fumbling around could tip him off. Ears of Diting, right? They barely reacted to the boiling glass over their hand as they grabbed the relic. "We have an agreement with the dragon clan, so we can't open it ourselves. We need a dragon to help, and I have one. With me. Who I must contact now."

"Very well."

Mei wanted to follow MK, but he disappeared in the crowd almost immediately. The golden coat's metallic sheen helped at first, reflecting back the bright markings of demons, but somewhere between the spirit that looked literally on fire and the group of four wolf spirits trying to dance in one big circle and drunkenly blocking the way, she lost him.

She stopped in the middle of the crowd, not caring who jostled her. She can't exactly grab her sword and chop at anyone in her way, so what's she supposed to do? Just wait until he supposedly takes the stage as the entertainment? But that's obviously a trap.

She squeezed between a deer and a fox, squirming her way to the hallway to avoid the brightness. Someone with glowing red hair caught her attention almost immediately.

"Red!" She waved them over, pausing when she saw the minotaur behind them. "And the Demon Bull King. Big-big fan?"

"Mei, my friend who is a dragon and I need." They wrapped one arm around her shoulders, holding out a fist with the palm turned up. "As you remember, I brought you here to unlock one of the relic boxes."

She glanced between them and DBK. "Sure," she replied after a moment.

"And to do that, you need to put this on."

She took the items passed to her. An earring that looked like a simple cuff, with a piercing to keep it attached to her lobe. She glanced to Red, who nodded in encouragement, before pressing it into her ear. She flinched as her head felt unbalanced, the cuff shifting around her head.

"Red?"

"What's taking so long?"

She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a yelp, slowly turning to the familiar voice. There's no way that DBK sounds like that, right?

"Uh, we're making sure it works."

"Then hurry up." Burning eyes. A rasping throat from molten copper and iron. That voice is just so crackly, and it tore through her soul like the canines of any demon. The Monkey King angled his head away, glaring at the crowd of demons. "Time is of the essence, dragon."

"Of course. But-" She passed the mirror to Red, who tied it around their wrist behind their back. She won't be so obvious as to take the cuff off immediately, but Red needs a way to identify these monkeys, too. "We need to check on one other thing first. Red, did you fill him in?"

Red nodded quickly. "I told him that the Monkey King has awakened."

"Cool. Did you tell him about the second monkey?"

Red faked a look of exasperation. "No, I'm so sorry! But you're right, I should have-Father." They turned to look at the Monkey King, forcibly staring at anywhere but the bull face. "There is a second stone monkey, and we must find him."

"I think I saw him here," Mei agreed, "and we need to take care of him first."

Monkey King glowered, then said, "you must be correct. We'll fix that as soon as possible." His slow departure to the middle of the party gave her plenty of time to organize her questions to Red in order of importance.

"Red, why was the Monkey King pretending to be your dad, where is your dad, do you know where your mom is because I think I saw her but I don't even know anymore, what's this earring, and how'd you know to give it to me?"

"He's after the Skeleton Key to get into the underworld for some reason, I have no idea, I also have no idea, the Ears of Diting can tell truth from lie with any sound, and I needed a reason to both not be alone with him and grab you so I acted like they were a dragon-only earring. What do you mean you saw my mother, what do you mean you saw the other monkey, did anything else happen when I was gone, what do we do now?"

"I thought I met her but I probably didn't, MK is here somewhere and according to him the Monkey King is trying to free his immortal friends from the underworld, I learned how to shrink my sword, I think we need to get them out of here before they take the key."

"We need to take the key with us."

"Why? Isn't it protected?"

"Anyone in the Demon Bull Family can take it, and he can shapeshift. He could get my mother alone and convince her that her husband wants it, he could go the other way around, and we don't have the ability to warn them because we don't know where they are. Leaving a written message can be missed or destroyed. We need to steal the key."

"Okay, but we need to go now, before-"

"Party people make some noise!"

MK got a few lightning-fast lessons from the Monkey King before all this, in between geeking out over staying the night at Flower-Fruit Mountain, helping his family settle into Flower-Fruit Mountain, and being practically catapulted over to the desert to infiltrate DBK's party. He doesn't have a lot, but he can shrink the staff, and he got some notes on how he acts.

Specifically, he needs to be more confident. Wukong really emphasized that as a selling point, claiming that while MK had a good show when chasing the Dragon Girl, he needs to bring that energy to their next encounter from the start. Don't doubt himself, don't get nervous. Be wild. Be fun.

He can do that. He waited until he lost Dragon Girl in the crowd, then climbed up on the main dais. He kicked open a panel, and rooted around for-there. Wireless microphone. He can clip that set onto his belt, then the second one on his shirt. It's already connected to speakers dangling precariously from the cieling. He breathed deep, clicked on the microphone, and decided what he'll say as a test.

"Party people make some noise!" His voice boomed across the room, demons stopping to look right at him. They didn't seem pleased to be staring at a monkey right now, but MK's used to that glare at this point. That hulking purple monster had to be Wukong, based on his general plan of attack. MK grinned. "Who is excited to be in the DBF palace tonight?"

He paused to take in the crowd's reaction, cracking a big smile. "Hope you like crashing the place when they aren't even home!" There, the bit of confusion in whispering voices. He doesn't get this kind of attention when he's nervously double-checking everything, and when he's just getting excited and jumping over trivia, other people are much more negative about it. Is this what confidence does? "Yeah, sorry to leave you outta the loop. Couldn't find the king and Iron Fan, so we thought we could lure them here by ruining their shit. Didn't work, obviously, but worth a shot. Instead-"

He exposed his fangs as he pointed to the dragon and demon at the edge of the crowd. "-we have some quality trespassers tonight. Real stars over there, go ahead and shake their hands. Let's see if I remember your names right." He strolled to the edge of the stage, feeling his blood warm with anticipation. Wukong wanted him to be confident, so he has to believe in what he's doing. He has to believe that it's right. So he'll convince himself. He knows that freeing Wukong was the right decision, because no one should be stuck under a mountain like that. He knows he doesn't want the Dragon Girl to ruin everything, or the demon she drags with her.

So is it so far of a leap to have fun with it? To get a little extravagant? He's doing what Wukong wanted, and listening to his mentor makes him feel so warm and fuzzy, he might explode from the goodness. He's not supposed to go this far, but he has to prove himself. He need to be worthy, and not let those two run away or outpace him again. He's also pretty ticked about her taking the high road during their initial chase, like he doesn't know anything. Like he doesn't understand the most basic parts of the city and what makes them tick. "Dragon Girl, who you may know as the heir to the Long Clan, if she actually did anything with that title except screw around on a bike. The most powerful mortal in the city is delivering your packages, because she can't do a single thing required of every dragon alive. Couldn't help but notice a fancy new necklace, a sword of some kind? So, what, your solution to not being able to use your powers is to steal from your ancestors? Bravo. I'm so happy that you're the self-proclaimed protector of the city from me, after doing literally nothing to stop me."

His grin widened as Dragon Girl tried to dip away, only for her companion to grab her shoulder in a consoling motion. "Oh right, almost forgot about the new and reformed prince of terror. What, is your name Red Sunshine now? You got a boat of therapy cats? Harnessing your qi through yoga?" Now it's Dragon Girl's turn to keep them from advancing, and wow that feels great. He could see Monkey King transform back into his primate self and give two thumbs-up, and that's even better. MK continued, emboldened, "You really made a name for yourself, you know. Your parents are heroes, you get all the descendant of greatness handed to you, and you use it to incinerate city blocks and go up in smoke when the fires are out. They must be pretty damn proud of you." He pressed one paw to his mouth, hiding a laugh before speaking into the mic again. "Maybe that's how they just disappeared from this place. They're worried sick about the kid that left and didn't deserve that concern. Hey, if we take you hostage to lure them out, do you think they'd be here immediately, or just let me keep you?"

"Cut it out!" Dragon Girl snapped.

"Aw, what's the matter? I'm too dangerous because I'm just insulting you? You gonna put me under a mountain? Take my staff?" He flicked his earring to make it form into the staff in his grip, slamming it onto the dais. The demons closest to him stumbled backward like he'd just jump into the crowd and start smacking them on the head. "Come on, then. Let's have a big fight with plenty of casualties, pulling out all the stops for a brawl. Or are you going to make sure that the monster you're so worried about hasn't used this time to grab the key?"

Red Sunshine immediately darted into the hallway, making Mk laugh. "Oh, they get it! Good job. Now everyone else here: you did great making this set piece. Real fun." He hopped off the stage, letting his golden eyes reflect the neon of their clothes. He flicked off the microphone and ripped it off his body, tossing it over his head onto the stage. No use broadcasting how he sounds when he fights. "But I'd recommend you start running, since there's no way you wanna attend the afterparty."

"Red!" Mei's boots squeaked on the floor as she followed her friend, watching them throw open doors to a room that felt warmer just from stepping inside. "Red, what are you-"

"The key, Mei!" Red stopped in front of a cube of goopy glass, jamming their hand inside. "I basically told the Monkey King where it is, and if my parents aren't here, then they can't protect it, but maybe him shapeshifting lets him grab it from the box-" They stopped with a shout of triumph, pulling out a long rod of bone and metal and shoving it into one of a thousand pockets on their jumpsuit. "Skeleton Key, here for the protecting."

"Why don't we just keep it in the box until after we deal with DBK?"

"Do you want to get second degree burns from brushing against it when we inevitably bump into each other?"

"No," she admitted after a beat. Red nodded in agreement, pulling something out of their braid and- "-where'd you get that cool spear?!"

"It was hidden in the office. It had my name on it, so I think it's my birthright?" They shrugged, grabbing the tassel from the end of it and using it to help them adjust their grip. "I...don't actually know how to use it though."

"Hey, I don't know how to use my sword, so-"

"We spent time getting that sword as a whole side mission and you don't know how to use it?"

"How hard can it be? It's not a spear, it's a sword. Chop chop, you know?" She moved to be side by side with Red, hearing footsteps coming their way. "Ready?"

"Mhm."

Multiple things happened at once. First, MK turned the corner into the room and tried to use his staff to vault forward, instead faceplanting into the floor in front of them. Then, Red raised their spear and their wrists made a popping sound that could not be healthy. Finally, Mei hit Red on the head with the hilt of her blade, which started a chain reaction of Red trying to block the blow, smacking themself on the ankle with the butt of the spear, losing their balance, sweeping their leg out and kicking Mei in the shin, and now they're all in a very pathetic pile.

Using a sword may or may not be harder than she thought. She raised her head, glaring at the monkey in front of her. "Do you give up?"

MK wrinkled his nose. "No."

"You want to try again?"

"Give me the key thing."

"No."

Red spat the end of their braid out of their mouth, working their way back onto their knees and leaning on the spear like it's the world's heaviest anchor. "No one goes to the underworld for an altruistic purpose, you ridiculous ape. The Monkey King is using you."

"How can he use me if I'm the one who let him out, huh?" MK snapped, standing without raising the staff. "No plan without me, buddy."

"And if you're the only one who can put him back under the mountain, he'd obviously eliminate the threat."

"Are you just saying what you'd do if you were the villain?"

"Are you saying that you're aware you're being villainous?"

MK shrugged. "No chance of being a hero when the most famous monkey almost destroyed everyone, right?"

"That's not-" Mei rolled her eyes, dusting off her pants. "That's ridiculous, okay? My super distant cousin got into a big fight with Nezha, that doesn't mean that I have no chance of being nice to people."

"Yeah, your cousin fought Nezha, and even though Nezha was wrong, he was rewarded, because Nezha's the hero. Wukong 'lost his chance at redemption', as you so shittily put it, and I'm paying the consequences."

"You don't have to."

"You're right! I don't. I can be the monkey that you remember better." MK spun the staff once, ignoring how it hit his temple. "Stone monkeys aren't born. I was made to do this. This is my destiny, and you're not standing in my way."

Mei prepared to try another strike. MK's eyes glowed for a moment, then he focused in on one of Red's pockets. He smiled, then tackled Red. They squawked in disbelief, losing the spear in their attempt to disarm the monkey.

Mei didn't have time to learn how to use the sword on instinct, ditching the weapon to start clawing at MK's coattails and pull him off. The monkey cackled, snapping back an elbow to strike her on the nose. She could taste the blood on her face as she tugged on his fur.

Red kicked them both off with effort, MK wheezing over the hoof to the gut. Mei landed underneath MK, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep him from getting away. She could see the Skeleton Key in his grip.

"Red, grab-"

"Aw, are the children playing?"

She sucked in a breath, hating the way that voice rasped and eventually smoothed. The Monkey King stepped forward, looking like a proper monkey this time as he peered around them.

Red shouted, grabbing for their spear only to have a tail wrap around their torso and casually toss them to the side. Monkey King took one hand over each of Mei's, prying her fingers off of MK's chest like her fingers were made of putty.

He picked up MK, wiping around the ends of the jacket. "Got it, bud?"

MK held up the key, pride seeping from every pore. Mei couldn't scratch together a battle plan when someone that strong dislodges you that easily from a simple hand-to-hand, and there's no way she can use that sword without somehow hurting herself or Red. She glanced to her friend, who stayed just as frozen.

Monkey King waved. "Thanks for letting us in the underworld, you two! Don't know how I would've gotten the key without you. We got a tight schedule, though, real packed, so we're just going to bounce. Bud?" He summoned a cloud, offering a paw to the other monkey. MK picked up the staff and practically leapt onto the cloud, he was so excited.

He did glance over his shoulder at Mei and Red, the edge of his mouth inching toward a frown.

Then the cloud zipped out of the room with the two monkeys on board. Mei swallowed, her ear ringing, only to realize it's because the stupid cuff is still on and freaking out over not having anything to decipher. She felt around it, making out the shape of a velvety horn, before it shrank to just a pointed end like a dog's ear. The ringing's gone.

"Red." She slowly turned to look at them. "What do we do?"

They picked up the spear, grunting as they rested it in their lap. "Well, we need a way to the underworld."

"Yeah."

"And we need to learn how to actually use these weapons."

"...Yeah." She turned the blade over, checking the waves crisscrossing on the jade. "I don't think we can wrestle those two, and my powers are locked in the sword." "She can't do a single thing required of every dragon alive." A ringing endorsement from their enemy, to be sure. She tried to look on the bright side, seeking a quicker solution. "Your fire magic can help though, right?"

"My fire will never be hot enough. I'm literally incapable of hurting him with burns. I have been for..." They twitched their mouth into a frown. "...almost my whole life, my fire has been restricted to just the mortal spectrum of heat. I may be able to hurt MK, but the Monkey King won't have a hair out of place."

"Then we go find someone who teaches us how to use the weapons?"

"Yes." Red pinched the bridge of their nose. "Do you even have any living dragons that can teach you how to use the sword?"

"My parents are a no, so...no. But we are going to a place full of dead people."

"If we find out how to get down there without a key that can open any door, including the one to the land of the dead."

"Yeah, and I'm sure someone can teach you spear magic to use with your fire magic!"

"It's not sp-nevermind. I think my father had some books in his office about the underworld, so..." They trailed off, staring at the door.

Mei nudged them with her elbow. "We'll find them too. Your parents are probably perfectly fine, but we'll check and make sure."

"Make sure." They released an unsteady breath. "Yep. We can do that."

"Library time!"

Chapter Text

"Found it!" Mei held up the book inlaid with golden thread, carrying it over to Red. They thanked her and quickly started flipping through it, drawing wide circles of dark ink on the floor. "So what are we doing now?"

"Making a seal. I have a few skills with portals, but I've never transported more than one person, and I've never done it to another realm, so I'm going to expand my reach by drawing in energy from the surrounding area. If I follow the instructions, this should be relatively simple."

"Don't we still need the key?"

"The key is to actually unlock the tombs the spirits are kept in, and if the spirit is locked up, that means they're bad news. As far as I can tell, the rest are relatively free-roaming. Or, you know, they can run around while being punished for their sins."

"Isn't there a sinless version of the place?"

"Nope. You just get punished until you're reincarnated. I guess you could argue that certain areas are less torturous than others, depending on your point of view, but that means very little. You won't end up in the spot that you see as 'not too bad' when you die."

"But there are multiple hells, and the monkeys are going to a specific one to fetch their allies. How do we know which one?"

"Easy. I'm altering the constraints of the spell to accommodate it." They pointed with the butt of the stylus at a sentence in the book that Mei couldn't read, the symbols stylized and loopy. "Oracle script is a little difficult to translate, but I have it down. I'm supposed to write along the outer ring where we want to teleport to, but specific coordinates don't help. Magic wants you to get a bit-eh-romantic with your language. So instead of just saying 'the land of the dead', I'm fixing it to make it more exact. We're going to 'the allies of the Monkey King in another plane, once killed'."

"And it's not going to kill us to go there?"

"Hm. Should I add that to the instructions?"

"Yes."

"Take us to the allies of the Monkey King in another plane, once killed, while leaving the transporters alive and mortal." Red tapped the stylus on their chin before adding, "Allies that will not kill us on sight, we will not die in transport trying to reach, and are in a location we can use magic to escape from."

"I like that addition."

"Thank you." They got to work scooting around the seal, repeating the instructions over and over in the arcane writing before it ended right where it began. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They took a deep breath, rubbing their hands together before pressing them into the floor.

Mei watched the circle glow and flicker, the ground falling away like someone soaked the stitches and ripped through them. Now, to step inside. If Red's making it happen, then she should go first. She jumped, and definitely didn't scream as the world became a miasma of shifting colors and blinding light. By the time she was on solid ground again, she had a headache and a reluctance to travel like that a second time. Hopefully there's just a set of stairs out of the underworld.

She thought she just closed her eyes and had to open them, but everything stayed just as black as the backs of her eyelids. She blinked a few times, rubbing her face. Nothing, and no amount of standing there helped her eyes adjust. She dug through her pockets, pulling out her phone and turning on the flashlight.

"How did you do that?"

She jumped, a voice echoing around her. "What?" She squeaked, turning the phone to see an end to the room, only to come up empty. Not even shining it on her shoes let her see the floor.

"The light." The voice sounded genuine and soft, tickling her ears like hair she hasn't tied up yet. "How'd you make a light in here?"

"My phone." She turned it skyward, except there's no sky, before twisting to scan the room again. "Any chance you can come over here so I can actually see you?"

"Oh. Haha, forgot I can do that. Sorry, been here a while. Just give me a sec." Footsteps echoed and cut off quickly, like the world couldn't decide how big the space was, before a face showed up in the light. He had two alabaster horns pronged like a deer, one broken off. Hair just as pale swept down his shoulders, with green chunks in front of his face. Jade eyes reflected the light like a cat's, with emerald scales over the bridge of his nose like the crest of seafoam to a wave. His sleeves dropped far past his fingers with a long trail behind him for the rest of his robes. "Hi!"

She blinked. "Are you a demon?"

"What? Why'd you say that?"

She pointed at the horns, then to the scales. "And, sorry to ask, but do you have a tail back there? Are you a snake?"

"I'm not a snake, silly." He giggled into his sleeve, barely hiding sharp teeth. "It'd be better for me if I was, I'm sure."

"Then what are you? And how do you know the Monkey King?"

"Wukong? Oh, are you here for him? Yeah, he's kinda immortal, so he didn't get stuck down here."

"Here?"

"The hell of darkness. No sensory input, going on for miles. You can talk to yourself, I guess, but that stops being fun after a while." He shrugged. "There's supposed to be eighteen hells, but then there are three types of eighteen hells, so there aren't actually eighteen. It's weird, but this place is more lonely than anything. No friends, no entertainment, just down here until it's your turn to leave."

"That answers only one question."

"Oh, right! Doy!" He smacked his forehead with his palm, sticking out his tongue. "Sorry, got distracted. Let's see...I know Wukong because I went on a big journey with him, and I'm not a demon because I'm a dragon. That was all the questions, right? Did I miss any?"

Mei dropped the phone, the other dragon quickly picking it up to correct the mistake. "You mean that you're Ao Lie?"

"Who else would I be?"

"The Ao Lie?"

"I don't know if I need a 'the' in front of my name. I'm not that special."

"But you-you made the dragon sword!" She tore off the necklace, expanding the blade in her hand to point it at him. "This! It's you! Your horn and everything!"

"Oh, dear, that old thing. My dad made it, and I took it on my journey and broke it like a dummy, so I made up for it with a quick fix from the dome." He knocked his knuckles on the top of his skull where the sawed-off horn stumped. "Apparently dragon bones are super magical, though. Who knew, right?"

"Everyone for hundreds of years."

"Oh. Yeah, well, you can use it to be a true dragon of storms, if you really want. If you have it, then you're my descendent, right? Are you my granddaughter?"

"Much more than granddaughter."

"I have a great granddaughter? Already? Really?"

"Uh." She'll explain just how long he's been in hell some other time. "If it's your horn making it so magical, then you can teach me how to use my powers, and you used the sword, so you know how to fight with one. Am I on the right track here?"

"Like the world's best horse!" Ao Lie agreed, his sleeves flopping as he signalled his excitement. "I can't believe I have a great granddaughter. This is so cool-and you came to visit me. How many ghosts have visiting great granddaughters? I don't have anyone to ask, but I bet if I did, they'd say no, their great granddaughters don't visit them, because their great granddaughters aren't this incredible."

"Aw, thanks." She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "But I have something else I want to do."

"What's that?"

"Get you out of the hell of darkness so you can teach me how to use the sword to save the world."

"Oh." Ao Lie sagged in place. "I'm pretty sure it's against the rules for me to just go, you know? And if I've been here long enough to get a great granddaughter, then my turn in reincarnation must be happening at any moment. I shouldn't leave."

"But I need you to save the world, great grandpa."

"Mmmmmmm." He hummed to himself, sticking his sleeves together into one big tube so he can fiddle with his hands. "Maybe they'll look past it if it's to save the world. Just this once."

"Yes!" Mei pumped her fist in the air. "So, how do we get out."

"You can't really escape hell. I mean, I guess if you could make a portal, then sure, but ghosts get anything that lets them portal out taken away when we first get here."

"Okay, well I'm not a ghost, so Red and I should still have-" Wait. She turned around. "Red?"

Where did her friend go?

Red waited as Mei jumped into the portal, ready to follow. Their body rushed with heat as the seal flickered, and for a moment, they thought they saw a spark catch. That's not good.

"Hey!" They quickly slid adjacent to the seal, stamping out the cinders so nothing in the library would become a blaze. Stupid fire magic. They knew that most of the books in here were fire proof normally, but combining their inborn demon magic with celestial mysticism can have nasty results if they don't control it. There's no telling how hot this portal is burning, and there are fires that can bypass any enchantment against the heat.

The gap in the center of the floor sputtered, and Red quickly resumed their position at the edge of it. The writing on the border isn't smudged, although it's flickering oddly. The portal was originally a white hot, but now it almost looks pink. Is that normal?

They cursed their past self for not paying attention in class, instead deciding to just jump in. It had to lead to the same spot if it uses the same instructions.

They had to make sure their hands were the last thing in the portal so it would stay on, closing around their fingers way too fast. They adjusted their glasses to counteract the brilliance of interdimensional travel before landing on a floor like sea glass. It's way too smooth for their hooves to gain traction, falling as soon as they took a step. When they rolled over, the ceiling of gold and marble seemed to spin. They followed the holy stone with their eyes to the likeness of flames on crimson pillars, followed by precious metal flowers.

This...is not the underworld.

Red focused on a dais at the far end of the room. A huge glowing flower, radiating pink energy like an ember, only filled them with dread. Definitely not the underworld, and when they looked around, absolutely not where they'll find Mei.

"Trespassing is not permitted." Someone spoke far away, sounding commanding and annoyed. "I would suggest you leave now."

"Got it. Doing that as soon as possible." They wobbled back onto their hooves like a newborn fawn only to bruise their knees. Okay, they need some kind of support to actually leave. Who makes their floor this slick anyways? There's no walking on this. They plucked the spear from their braid and expanded it, feeling awful for using such a precious item as a glorified walking stick.

"Where did you get that?"

Red glanced up, only halfway standing with the spear shaking in their hand. "It's mine."

"No, it most certainly is not."

"It had my name on it. If you want someone to take issue with, talk to the Demon Bull Family."

"Sun Wukong steals my spear, and instead of returning it to its rightful owner, the Demon Bull Family hoards it for five hundred years?" That person sounded ticked, and Red felt bad for a moment.

"Sorry. I'm sure we would've returned it if we knew who it belonged to. But I need it to stop him, so."

"Stop him?"

"Yeah. The Monkey King's escaped."

The center of the floor erupted in a circle of flames much like Red's, except this didn't burn and instead just blew them back with heated air. A single spear stabbed into the middle from the sky, followed by a boy who landed in a perch on top. He twisted a wheel on his foot so he descended, bringing the spear in a flourish so he could push forward with a single thrust. When he stopped, he had the tip of the spear inches from Red's throat, the demon stuck on the ground while two ends of a ribbon kept them from lifting their hands or the polearm.

Nezha planted one wheel on their gut with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean, the Monkey King has escaped?"

MK helped Tang draw the seal on the ground, stopping when it came to actually writing the symbols since his handwriting is, respectfully, absolute shit. Instead, he sat at the edge with Dadsy, staring at the sandy growths of Flower-Fruit Mountain.

No one goes to the underworld for an altruistic purpose.

He's using you.

There's no way they're speaking the truth. MK shouldn't give them the time of day. And he was right: the Monkey King wouldn't have a plan to use MK if he never knew MK would break him out. Of course, that's entirely contingent on the if. MK can flip it around, and if Wukong did know, and planned this...

Well, he's not putting himself in harm's way, is he? MK's the one who keeps trying to fight those two (and failing miserably). Does Wukong just not care? Can't he just destroy them with his pinkie? Why does he let MK just mess it up over and over, when he can make everything happen instantly? Why even bring MK along?

MK scuffed his shoe, digging his toe under a root and pulling it out. Maybe he should ask. He pictured the moment of that god's rage over being mistreated, how he buried his arm in the rock like it's jelly. MK shivered. Or maybe he shouldn't, because Wukong will retaliate. Is this what it means to doubt someone you're supposed to trust? To be too soft?

But he can't let Wukong know he's too soft for this. MK was made, somehow, and it had to be his destiny to help Wukong. He has to be right there to achieve his goals. He can't get tossed aside.

Why is his heart beating in his throat?

Dadsy pressed one hand into his shoulder, grounding him in the present. "You okay, kid?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just, you know. Pre-interdimensional travel nerves."

Dadsy looked unconvinced. He originally sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, MK with just his back to the wood, but he rolled down so his white shirt got caught on the bark too. "You know, kid, we're doing this because you want to do this. You don't owe the Monkey King anything else. He'd let us all go if you're not feeling it."

"No! No, it's fine." Who gets cold feet because a dragon said something that barely made sense, anyway? "I just-I wanna help, you know? And I don't feel like I've helped yet, so I can't leave until I do that."

"Kid." Dadsy chuckled. "You saved the Monkey King's life. You took a mountain off of him. You already helped."

"I guess. I still want to see it through." He buried his nose in his knees, flicking his tail around his ankles. "I appreciate you two helping, really."

Dadsy nodded, leaning back so he could curve a stubby arm around MK's torso. "We know how much it means to you to have another monkey in your life. We'll do anything to keep that around. But if you feel like this isn't working, then we'll try something else."

"I just want to help, and I haven't done that on our past two plans. I mean, I acted as a distraction both times, and while I'm sure that's a good role in the whole thing, it's not-" -he gestured vaguely around them- "-you know?"

"Exciting?"

"Monkey teaching. I'm supposed to learn how to be a great stone monkey like Wukong, and what did he teach me these past two times? How to crash my hoverboard and be mean to people? Those aren't monkey powers."

"Hm." Dadsy shrugged. "If it were me, I'd just be glad that I'm not the one in danger. The immortal god that can't get hurt should be perfectly willing to take every punch for me."

"Dragon Girl and Red Sunshine don't actually want to punch me. They're terrified of Wukong, and they just freeze up when they see him. And if I'm trying to learn to be like that, then..." He worried his lip between his teeth, careful not to cut it on his fangs. "Is my end goal just to be a bad person?"

"Do you think the Monkey King is a bad person?"

"No. He's my hero. He had everyone afraid of his appearance, and he persevered and became something truly great." Then he was stuck under a mountain a second time, but there's no way that was justified. It's just cruel. "Even if you mess up every once in a while, you're not evil."

"Then you're not trying to be evil."

"No."

"You've answered your own question." Dadsy leaned more of his weight onto MK, like a security blanket with a heartbeat. "If the ones going against you are too scared to act, then that'll make your job easier. But if you really want a fight, then maybe you just need time alone with them."

MK snorted. "Yeah, like I can get them alone without the Monkey K-" He stopped. That's not a bad idea. If there's a way to keep Wukong distracted while they fight, then Dragon Girl and her little demon friend will actually do something to stop him, and right when he wins, he can have Wukong return to witness his victory. Then he'll show he's strong enough to learn the big monkey things.

"Kid?"

"Thanks, Dadsy. You helped a lot." MK squeezed a quick hug from him before hopping up, running to meet Tang at the ritual circle. Time to portal to the underworld.

Chapter Text

"Ao Lie, there's someone we're looking for. They have red hair that glows and is super cool, and bright eyes, and hooves-"

"A demon?"

"Yes!" Mei pointed right at him, although now she was worried about the little light they have going out. She can't waste her battery on a flashlight, and calling Red didn't work. The best she had was the neon on her outfit outlining her shape and the dim light of her phone leaving Ao Lie in a ghastly pallor. "A fire demon. Have you seen a fire demon?"

"No, sorry. Besides, the hell of darkness specifically snuffs out the light of any sun or flame. No glowing here, except from your crazy clothes." Ao Lie rubbed his chin with his sleeve, thinking for a moment. "I met a fire demon a very long time ago, but that was a little baby. Demons of that kind age really slowly, so no way they're an adult now."

"I'm not asking if you've ever met a fire demon, just if you saw someone else jump down here through the portal-"

"Such a cute thing when they weren't trying to burn down the universe. They'd be pretty powerful if they worked at it beyond that."

"Grandpa. Focus." She took him by the shoulder, watching his head loll way too easily for shaking. "Is there anyone else here besides us?"

"The point is for sinners to not have anyone to interact with or any sort of stimuli, so no. This hell just expands infinitely when you get close to someone else."

"Then Red isn't here?"

"Your fire demon is not here," Ao Lie confirmed.

"There where are they?"

"Elsewhere, probably. But don't worry! If they're as good of a friend as you claim, then I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Yeah." She slowly sank to the ground, the sword limp in her hand. "Yeah, they'll try to be here soon."

To rescue her. Because she can't even jump in a portal correctly. A portal that they made, with their magic, in their parents' house, after sneaking her in, after helping her get her sword because she can't even convince her parents to trust her, and she just watched the Monkey King get released.

What has she contributed again? Not stopping MK the first or second time? She buried her nose in her knees, the monkey's words echoing back in her head. "I'm so happy that you're the self-proclaimed protector of the city from me, after doing literally nothing to stop me."

He's right. She's done nothing to stop him. And when she was finally going to fix it, to make it right, she just-

She jumped in a portal to the hell of darkness without Red, and with no way out. "I'm terrible at this," she mumbled into her pant leg.

Ao Lie tilted his head to the side. "Terrible at what?"

"Dragons are responsible. They're protectors, heroes, and I just-I'm so bad at it. I keep saying I'm going to save the day and I screw it up. Nothing I'm doing matters." Whether it's a delivery company or fighting a monkey. She lifted the sword and turned it, rubbing her thumb on the dragon carved into the hilt. "I was an idiot trying to take your sword. It doesn't belong to me. I'm sorry, Ao Lie. I'll give it back if I ever get out of here."

"But it's yours."

"No, it's the Long Dragon Clan's. I just stole it, like an asshole. Maybe my great granddaughter will be worthy of it, but I'm sure as hell not."

"I don't think you know how magic weapons work." Ao Lie crouched, flopping his sleeve on to her hands. "It made a big flash, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then it's yours. Magic weapons have rules to them, and they learn who their creator would want to wield them next. My sword chose you." Ao Lie smiled softly. "It chose you because I would've chosen you. I mean, I still would. You're just like my sister."

"So I'm the first dragon since you to wield it because I'm like your sister?"

"Of course not! Remember how I said I broke it, and I fixed it with my horn? Dragons aren't really supposed to lose those. It...may have killed me, sawing it off. A lot of nerves from the bone to the brain." He laughed fondly, like talking about his death was some grand adventure. "But I chose to do it anyway because I wanted my sister to have it. I knew I wouldn't grow old, and that if I died, I'd leave her all alone. I needed to protect her from beyond the grave. My family from beyond the grave, with every speck of dragon-y lightning I had."

"Why not just live and protect her?"

"My sister was pretty independent. Besides, I make, like, a ton of mistakes. My unluckiness was going to kill me long before my heart could stop. So, I told the sword that it should protect her until she dies, giving her the power of any dragon from the deep sea, no matter how far from the water she strays. And if you got the blade from the cool statue of me, with a big flash claiming it as yours, then it's because you're exactly who is supposed to have it. No one else but you could be more worthy."

"But I keep messing up."

"Welcome to the Long family." Ao Lie shrugged. "It's kind of a quirk of ours. When it counts, our actions will come through. I know you can save the day, Mei."

"I can't do anything without Red."

"Yeah, friends are pretty great, huh? I'll wait for them, too. Until then, wanna fill me in on what happened so we can make a plan?"

"Alright."

Red filled Nezha in the best they could, but honestly, it felt like it's partially the celestial realm's fault that they didn't have an alarm in place to tell them if this happened. Nezha claimed that's not his job, but Red didn't care. Instead, they took the stylus out of their pocket and started dabbing it with ink. Nezha grabbed their hand to stop them.

"What are you doing?"

"Making a portal to find Mei. If you want to help us stop the Monkey King, we'll need all the allies we can get, but I have to track her down first."

"That is not what I am asking." Nezha slipped the stylus out of their grip, holding it with disdain. "I mean: what are you doing with this? Why did you cover it in ink?"

"That's how you make a portal. You use a stylus to draw out the instructions, then-"

"No wonder it didn't work."

"Hey!" Red hissed, breathing through their nose to avoid setting their hair ablaze, instead crossing their arms. "I'm curious about what I'm doing wrong."

"You rely on magic that is unfamiliar to you."

"I have celestial blood, thank you. I can harness it just fine."

"Celestial blood does not make a celestial. You are a demon."

"Demons can't teleport across realms."

"They can if they use their power correctly." Nezha skated around the golden lotus at the back of the room, stopping at a shallow pool. When he returned, the stylus was clean. "Demon child, you have fire in your veins. Don't rely on your parents' way of performing miracles."

"And why does the god care how I use my magic?"

"Because I have never defeated Sun Wukong." Nezha begrudgingly admitted. "But I am the closest immortal to accomplishing that feat who can aid you. You took my spear with arcane fire, and it chose you because you can be a warrior as great as I."

"As great as I." Red shook their head. "No, I'm just here to support Mei. She wants to take the Monkey King down, so I'm helping her. No being chosen as a great warrior."

"You keep speaking of Mei. Is that another demon child?"

"She's a dragon. The direct descendant of Ao Lie." They glared at the inky sludge in their hands before discarding it, silently admitting that yes, if their portal didn't let them follow Mei as planned, then Nezha may have a point about their methods. "If she unlocks her heritage with the dragon sword, then my power won't hold a candle to hers. Besides, she's the one so focused on serving the city. She deserves the spotlight. I just..." They frowned, remembering how good it felt to burn so hot that cement softened under their hooves. Their stomach rolled under that mental image. "I've done nothing but hurt with my powers. They need someone with a clean slate to save the day, not a demon with baggage."

"That is what makes you a warrior." Nezha offered the stylus with a neutral tone. "You will fight alongside the hero, with no goal of becoming someone of legend." Nezha skated in a slow circle, pink flames flickering on his wheels and leaving a glowing trail behind him. "You refuse to use your magic how it is best, because you hate what you once did with it. You can make that right and atone by using your magic to better the world."

"As a warrior."

"If you truly believe you can never be a hero."

Red swallowed, staring at the stylus in their fingers. They still didn't get the difference, but if this means the god will help them help Mei, and they can make right their previous wrongs instead of hiding in a garage...

They loosened their braid, combing their claws through the locks. Keeping it so tightly wound without a hair out of place made it hard to set the strands ablaze, like a personal reminder of their forced limits. If it's free like this, or maybe in a ponytail-no, too similar to the braid to them. They cracked their neck, holding the spear in one hand and the stylus in the other. Their hair slowly raised around their neck as it glowed.

"What do I have to do?"

"Are you willing to use your demonic fire to rescue the dragon?"

"I'm willing to do anything. I won't hide it."

"Then here's how to make a portal with flames."

Mei looked up as she heard the crackle of fire, although she couldn't see it. Someone snapped their fingers, then scoffed at the darkness.

"Mei?"

"Red!" She couldn't see them, but she knew her bright clothes were visible, holding out her arms for a hug. Red chuckled from a few feet away, hooves clopping on the ground before warm hands picked her up. "Miss me, buddy?"

"I'm so sorry for screwing up the portal. I should've just teleported with fire because I can do that, but I insisted that I didn't need to use my fire for anything, and I ruined the instructions because apparently I was using two different portal making techniques at once so you got to go through one of them before it failed and I went through the other one that appeared when the first one disappeared when if I just used one technique then I could've just reactivated your portal-"

"Red, you're talking how I talk. Chill." She rubbed circles into their back, feeling hair like fine silk under her fingertips. "Did you put your hair down? I thought that makes you too flame-ish."

"Worth it to use my fire for something good. Although." They stepped back a bit, letting her shine her flashlight on their face as they tangled through their scalp. "Not going to be very easy to put a helmet on when it's like this. It's also even easier to get caught in bike parts than the braid."

"Hm." She snapped her fingers. "Your hair's all floaty sometimes, right?"

"It does like to stick up."

"Let me try something. Ao Lie, hold the phone." She forced Red to sit cross-legged on the floor, arranging herself behind them. She took the spear as Red shrank it to the size of a hair spike, fidgeting with their strands under the flashlight. She twisted the farthest locks together, putting up enough of their hair with the spear so half of it is still down. "So do you need to concentrate to make floaty hair, like glamour?"

"No. I-uh-I may use just a smidge trying to keep it down in the first place." They hunched their shoulders in embarrassment. "Fire demon hair wants to flicker, not wrestle into a braid."

"Let it go, then. Float away."

Red exhaled, the edges trailing upward. The pieces grounded by the spear kept it from all sticking out like a lion's mane, instead just curling outward like the flames it wanted to be. The chunks that the braid kept from the front of their face formed a mini shape of fire on their forehead. "Better?"

"Much better." Mei immediately squashed the bangs in her hand, relishing how it would just bounce back up into the ember outline. "It's like the coolest trademark. Me with my green stripes, and you with your glowy fire hair."

"As long as you're okay with me being obvious."

"Of course I am." She giggled as they stood up, the hair defying all gravity logic. "Red, have you ever seen those videos online of chickens where you move them up and down but their head stays in the same spot until it doesn't?"

"If you ever compare my hair to a chicken head again, I will not introduce you to the god I met."

"You did not meet a god. We did not meet two gods in twenty-four hours. I refuse."

"You are aware that the mortal realm's time moves much slower than in the celestial plane and underworld, correct?" Someone finally spoke up, not leaving footsteps but instead some odd whirring as he approached the light. If Mei still held the phone, she would've dropped it when she clapped her hands over her mouth. "It is no longer a day for you."

Mei swallowed. "Uh, hello. Nezha, the Third Lotus Prince, who is famous for slaying a dragon. Your big accomplishment is dragon slaying. The dragon slayer, Nezha. You. Hi."

"Oh yeah! That was my cousin." Ao Lie laughed and waved. "Long time no see, right?"

"Indeed. Many in heaven wept when the pilgrims passed, Ao Lie. It is nice to see you again." Nezha narrowed his eyes at Mei. "And I assure you, I would not kill another dragon. Not unless they deserved it."

"Great. So how do I stay on your good side for the rest of my very heroic mortal life?" Mei asked, very carefully stashing her blade on her necklace as if he just innately knew what she did and didn't take without her parents' permission.

"You're after the Monkey King, correct?" Nezha questioned.

"Yes."

"Then you'll gain my favor by working towards his defeat." Nezha nodded to Red, who stood and flicked a stylus from their sleeve. "Now we'll find the hell that they inhabit."

Chapter Text

MK trailed behind Wukong as they walked, apparently not wanting to use the cloud. He tipped his head so he could get a look at the monkey's face, not the tiger pattern dancing around him. It hurt his eyes, but his striped pants and gloves weren't much better. It just hypnotized him, making his thinking all fuzzy. Or maybe that's the thick air, stinking of petrichor and hanging low in his sight with blue smoke puffing from watery flames. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear it a bit. Wukong's face was too crackled from burns to realize he has to blink in the smog.

"Monkey King? Where are we going?"

"Pathway between the hells." Wukong flicked his tail, and was that annoyance? Was MK annoying him just by speaking? "We'll be there soon."

"To your friends?"

"To a friend. Most of them I imprisoned myself. The gods promised that their immortal status would be respected, and eventually they'll be freed." Wukong's knuckles cracked as he squeezed his paws. "Obviously, if they weren't let out while I was gone, the gods lied. I'm doing it myself."

"And they're heroes too, right? They'll help the world?"

Wukong stopped walking, MK bumping into his back. He slowly turned, red eyes reflecting the blue light. "I wasn't always a hero, kid. They aren't heroes, either. To humans, to gods, they're the worst of the worst."

"B-but they're misunderstood. We're not just letting melodramatic villains out?"

"They had the wrong leader. We all did, following someone whose ideals were impossible to turn into actions. I learned that on my journey. There is no healing the world with fancy words and dethroning emperors." Wukong curled his lip in what could be a smile, but all MK saw was the long fangs for digging into the skin of fruits...or humans. "I'll be the leader now. Their king. If they bow to me, they'll have goals they can turn into reality, not some fantasy to toy with in their minds."

"And that goal is?"

Wukong narrowed his eyes, then started on the cracked jet pathway again. "You'll see when it's realized."

"Oh." MK blew the hair out of his face, wishing he insisted on the headband. Wukong admittedly wasn't the most forthcoming before this, but he had a humor to him. It felt like genuine forgetfulness, not...dodging questions. This is a deflection. It's like he knows MK will disagree with it, and what is MK supposed to do? He's up against a god (not that he'd ever betray the Monkey King). That tiny seed of doubt planted by the Dragon Girl poked out of the ground before MK mentally crushed it under his heel. This has to be the right thing to do. Monkey King is doing it, so he has to be doing good. He was a hero. "So we get the first friend, and then the rest fall into place?"

"I have four allies I want to retrieve. Three of them were demons with power above their station, so they were locked away in a scroll. We'll need that too. But the key's for the one who was my companion since the very beginning." Wukong stopped where the road curved away, instead stepping off the beaten path and to the edge of black sand. They overlooked a valley, sizzling mist making it impossible to see the bottom, the sky starless and stalagtites slowly dripping beads of fire instead of dew to light the way. "He was always by my side, even when I didn't deserve him. I begged to spare him from the torture of the scroll, but they refused to keep him in the mortal realm when his magic rivals mine. Instead, they locked him in a tomb with no key forged to open it." He nodded to MK's hand jammed in his pocket. "Except for the Skeleton Key, which unlocks everything."

"But he's not a demon."

"No. He's more than that. Just like us." Wukong clapped him on the back, but MK didn't get the joy of the touch, instead souring over the vagueness of the plan. Wukong's making a tiny army, a strike force of the most powerful demons, for-

"No one goes to the underworld for an altruistic purpose."

MK thought the dragon was just being uncreative. Obviously there has to be something good down there, otherwise he wouldn't go. She lacks imagination. Now, he's part of a plan to release someone just as powerful as the Monkey King, never a hero, along with demons who tried to dethrone an emperor. What emperor? Like a human one?

Or the ruler of the gods?

"He'll take every scrap of magic and power for himself, dethroning all the gods and making every supernatural being bow down to him as ruler."

"There's nothing in any realm that will satisfy him when he's free. Whatever he has, he will grow bored of, including you. The Monkey King is using you."

MK squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out the voices of the dragon and the demon. They don't know. They haven't really been around Wukong. They don't get it-they don't understand that he needs to follow his destiny and-

"Do you think the Monkey King is a bad person?"

Dadsy's question, so gentle and genuine. He thought he knew when he answered it, but now, he's not so sure. MK blinked, staring at the ground dipping out from under them. Wukong's babbling, saying something about how the tomb is under this mountain, they just have to get down there. MK felt that paw on his back, scorching in its closeness. He remembered that same arm punching through a wall in rage. Even when MK thought he trusted the monkey, he extended the staff to protect his parents. He was scared the king will hurt them. Would he worry about that with a good person?

Does he think Dragon Girl and Red Sunshine could hurt his dads? They're good people, despite their misguided natures, so of course not. So why does he fear his mentor more than his enemies?

He crinkled his face as he looked to the other monkey. Red, bloodshot eyes. A burned throat ensconced by long fangs. Wiry hair like an ungroomed beast, each individual strand able to kill him on its own. Immeasurable power in limbs just waiting to be released at the drop of a hat. When he turns to anger like he did in the treasure room.

When someone disappoints him, like DBK did by letting his expectations down. When MK disappoints him, because it's only a matter of time. A paw burrowing through stone, whether it's a mountain or another monkey.

His mentor wants to free all-powerful creatures to overthrow the gods, and that's evil, but if MK admits that, he could die. How can he possibly escape this?

Hopefully his enemies will save him.

"MK's sticking with the Monkey King until the end, so we have to trick him into using the staff against him." Mei watched Red and Nezha trace shapes on the ground, just a stylus with Red flicking their wrist to display the blueprint for the portal they need. "We also know that they're here to free someone from some prison situation that only the Skeleton Key can solve, so we can use that to our advantage."

Ao Lie bobbed his head excitedly. "It can unlock and lock anything, so if we lock him in the inescapable tomb and keep the key on us, we win!"

Nezha frowned. "And how do we stop the child from taking the key from us once we do that?"

"It's four against one at that point," Mei replied with a shrug. "He's not dumb enough to take those odds."

"Intelligence does not equal lack of determination."

"Come on, he hasn't actually fought us head on. Partially because none of us know how to use our weapons, but-"

"You are not skilled in swordsmanship?"

"Or spearmanship," Red grumbled as they finished the seal, rolling their wrist to evaporate the hologram. "We're relying on you two to have the actual combat experience while we snatch the key."

"Being a ghost makes it difficult to fight," Ao Lie responded. "It's not like I phase through everything in the underworld, but when you fuel your magic with your life force, you need to be alive to do it."

Mei tapped her chin in thought. "Any chance you can possess someone and use their life force?"

"Oh! That sounds mean."

"With permission?"

"I assume so. If I have a body to move, I have a body I can channel life into, in a roundabout way. It's the soul that counts."

Red nodded, picking up what Mei was suggesting and moving on to their parrt of the plan. "Team Flame distracts monkey senior and keeps him away from the tomb."

"Team Dragon takes the key from monkey junior and waits for the point when you can have both monkey senior and their little friend in the tomb, so they get locked up together."

Nezha furrowed his brow. "What if Sun Wukong is the one in possession of the key? Or if he has a secondary goal?"

Mei blew a raspberry as she took her place next to Ao Lie along the edge of the seal. "No way that he's going after something grander right away, and he's not leaving MK without a job or just alone with the key. We got this in the bag."

"Alright, bud, I'm going for the bigger job, okay? I'm giving you the key."

MK swallowed as he took the artifact in his hands, rubbing his thumb over the eyes carved into it. So it's not bad enough that they're just breaking into a tomb that could hold anyone or anything. Wukong has a separate goal, one that he's not explaining.

Maybe it's not too late to trust him. "Can I ask where you're going?" MK tried, his lips trembling as he faked a smile. "Don't want to wander through a ghost town alone, you know?"

"Oh." Wukong only now seemed to realize how terrifying this entire situation is, and the pity on his face was a pathetic act at pretend. "Remember, other friends? I'm going to deal with the ones who could be more...confused by your presence. I'm leaving you with the nicest of the bunch. Promise." He knocked his elbow in jest, but it's still not funny.

"Someone who won't be confused by me?"

"Yeah. He hears everything, you know. He can probably hear us right now." Wukong looked over the side of the mountain, raising his voice for the unknown ally. "Don't worry! I'm sending a friend down to get you. I'm grabbing the scroll, but we'll meet up when we're done."

"W-wait." MK couldn't keep the fear from his voice. "The scroll with the dethroning-emperor demons? The ones you'll be the king of?"

"Yeah. They need to learn to bow early, right? It'll knock some sense into them to see just who is on top right now." Wukong still doesn't see the problem in that terrifying statement, instead summoning a cloud. "I'll be off, then. He's right at the bottom, and I promise to return with the scroll in five minutes. If I'm not back, I'm sure he's heard some sneaky back way out you can use. We'll catch up."

"Yeah." MK felt tiny as Wukong flew away, zipping off from the mountain. He looked back down at the key. Wukong isn't here. He won't know if MK just...

He can say the key didn't work. Maybe he was so upset that it failed that he broke it. On accident. Or it broke in the lock because the curse of the tomb outweighs the enchantment of the key. He can find a thousand excuses for why this failed.

For why the one thing keeping a villain locked away is destroyed forever.

But what will that get him? A god who takes their anger out on anything in range? No one will save him from this. Even if Dragon Girl was here, she'd probably just think that he deserved to regret setting a monster free, after everything he did.

Does he really regret it? He keeps saying he doesn't, but...

Even if the Monkey King shouldn't be trapped under a mountain, letting him run wild in the land of the dead could only lead to chaos. MK shouldn't do this.

But maybe he's wrong. Maybe that awful feeling in his gut is him overreacting. Maybe when he goes down there, and unlocks that tomb, the person inside is super nice. MK inhaled, curling the key in his tail. He turned around so he could start climbing down the mountain with sandy paws.

Don't think about how this could be a mistake.

Don't think about how he could be making everything worse.

Don't think about how he has only hurt people's feelings so far, and because he hasn't hurt them physically, it's not too late to go back.

Don't think about how he wants to go back.

Don't think about how he was so excited to meet another monkey, he completely forgot that monkeys can still be monsters.

He stopped, squeezing the slippery stone under the grains with grimey palms. His eyes stung, and he thought it was from how much the air hurt to breathe. MK sniffed, his nose full of mucous, not smog, and realized he's crying.

"Stop being a baby," he mumbled to himself, releasing one handhold so he can rub his nose on his sleeve. "You started this. You have to see it through."

He seriously thought going to the underworld was his chance to prove himself. Distract the Monkey King, he decided. Make it where he can fight a demon and dragon by himself, he planned. Show how cool and useful he is. Yeah, Wukong's plenty distracted, by world conquering. MK did not sign up for making celestial insurgents bow before him. He just wanted someone to answer some questions about his monkeyness that his dads never could.

He misses his dads.

There he goes, being a baby again. He pushed the hair out of his eyes, gripping too hard and pulling a generous amount of his scalp with a hiss. Finish the underworld thing so he can leave. Yeah. It'll be okay. He won't regret this.

He'll have a cool monkey mentor who will teach him everything, and he may get in little squabbles with Dragon Girl, but that's okay. He'll like it. He always liked playing the villain in games, as long as they all know it's pretend. No one will really get hurt.

As his shoes crunched on bones at the bottom of the valley, he remembered gods don't play by the same rules.

Right. In front of him, a part of the mountain was carved out, instead with a box crisscrossed in glowing chains. Two steps led to the door, surrounded by metal that seemed to suck all the light in. A grinning monkey face glowered above the lock.

MK swallowed, then held up the key.

Red let the dragons jump in first so they could quickly rewrite instructions and send them and Nezha to a different spot. They felt a spark of pride as making two different portals intentionally worked, not as a stupid accident.

When their hooves hit a new floor, they found a door the size of a house wide open, leading to a room lit by blue flames. Cold metal formed a bridge to where two groups of bamboo planks slowly circled each other, rising and falling like a lava lamp.

And a very guilty monkey had two under his elbow, and a third pinched between his fingers.

"Uh," Monkey King said eloquently.

"Remove your paws from the Scroll of Memory," Nezha commanded. Red stepped out from behind him so they could also look somewhat intimidating, but it's hard to upstage an actual prince.

"Oh come on, Nezha. You have no stake in this. Go lounge around in heaven some more."

"You are attempting to gather the previous insurgents to overthrow heaven."

"Wellllllllll." He made a so-so gesture with the plank in his grip. "I just think that as the one who actually beat all of them, I should be in charge. The whole taking-over-heaven thing got kind of old after I failed to destroy all the gods, what, three times? So I'm just going to take the immortals that are supposed to be immortal and not, you know, stuck down here, and we'll get out of your hair. If they still want heaven that badly, we'll just make our own."

"You cannot create a realm by yourself, and even if you could, the Jade Emperor forbids it."

"Duh, that's why I need all of my best buds with me. And it's not a concrete plan to make our own heaven, I'm just open for discussing our next steps when we're all together." The Monkey King chuckled lowly. "It's not like I've ever cared what the Jade Emperor thinks of me, anyway. If we all get left alone, then he should thank me for keeping his biggest competitors happy."

"You will not leave this place with those souls."

"Oh yeah?" Monkey King backed away from the scroll, tucking the three planks into the folds of his tiger robe. "Prove it."

Red doesn't know about every mystical object in the realms (knowing all the artifacts in existence and their purpose would be like being able to name every genus of flower by taste alone), but Scroll of Memory sounds both very important and very flammable. They can assume that Nezha figured out exactly how to not torch everything when he fights a long time ago, but Red is more of a just-see-what-isn't-burnt-and-burn-it-more kind of combatant. It's the main reason why they hesitate to use their fire magic for the most mundane tasks nowadays, with the flicker to their hair bringing a rush of energy that all too easily becomes rage.

So while the god on wheels charged forward with a battle cry, Red very bravely crawled on all fours to avoid the Monkey King meeting him in midair. Trapping someone in a scroll sounds like a very unique punishment. Maybe it's a fate received by technicality, like if they're still alive or immortal. So it can ensnare immortals, right?

They glanced over their shoulder right as Nezha drove the spear through the ground a millimeter from their hooves, yelping and scrambling farther forward. The Monkey King used the spear as a jumping point for a kick, knocking Nezha in the chin. Quickly, quickly.

Red batted their fingers at the scroll before they could sit up, glancing over the planks that waved out of their reach. So how in the hells does this work?

They squeaked as they were lifted by the hair, kicking out their hooves and grabbing for purchase. They rotated listlessly with the pull at their scalp as the only point of gravity. A heart-shaped face with bloody eyes and blackened lips from being burned to a crisp studied them carefully.

"Don't try anything, fire demon. You know you can't hurt me."

"Do you know you can't hold flames?"

Monkey King didn't catch on before their locks caught on fire, sliding through his fingers like he grasped only air. Red grabbed the spear as it dropped from their head, expanding it so the butt hit the god square in the gut. Nezha rejoined the fight with a wheel to Monkey King's face. Red let the gods throw each other in the opposite direction while they grabbed for bamboo planks, adjusting their glasses to squint at the labels. Oracle script can be hard to read, but this looks like a name. So, if the Scroll of Memory traps someone in their memory, then they just need to find the plank with Monkey King's name on it.

If only oracle script could go in alphabetical order. Red heard a shout, holding the spear to block the smack to their head as they read. This weapon is way too heavy to keep up with one arm, but they'll make do. That name starts the same as that other name, so there is a system. They spared a glance as Nezha catapulted backwards through the pillar of floating bamboo, the planks moving out of the way and rearranging themselves again.

"Need help?"

"I'm fine, fire child." Nezha did not sound fine, gritting his teeth as he squeezed his shoulder. "Just keep doing...whatever you're doing."

"Finding a way to keep him in check until Mei gets here."

"Good."

Red just had to hope Mei can find them in the first place.

Chapter Text

Mei and Ao Lie landed on their feet right behind MK, who stood in front of the most stereotypically evil crypt she's ever seen. The only way to make it worse would be to cover it in bones.

"Seriously?" She knew she planned it as a surprise attack, but the monkey in front of her was no idiot. She had to believe that. When he turned to look at her, she gestured at the grinning monkey's sharp teeth over the lock. "You can't be looking at that and thinking the Monkey King's planning something good."

MK glanced to the key, then the lock. "Maybe-maybe it isn't bad." He swallowed, not believing his own words. "Not every monkey is bad, or evil, so this one could be-could just be fine."

"And you think the Monkey King is fine?"

"Do you want me to say I messed up or something?" MK wrinkled his nose. "That I'm so sorry for something I can't go back and make not happen? I'm not helping by apologizing."

"Then how are you helping right now?"

"I'm helping my dads, not you." MK turned on his heel with the Skeleton Key changing its shape in his hand. "I'll fix everything. The first idea didn't work, but this will. I'll get a mentor who teaches me how to protect them, and monkey business, and it'll all be fine! Just stay out of my way."

"No!" Mei jumped on his back, balling one hand in his hair as she swung her sword to knock the key out of his hands. MK snarled, tilting to one side dangerously. "Ao Lie, help!"

"Right." The ghost dipped away from them, grabbing the key and pausing well within range of their tussle. Ao Lie slowly turned to look at the crypt.

"Grampa? This is the part where you run."

"Who is supposed to be in this tomb?" Ao Lie's voice lowered, losing the bubbly lightness Mei was so familiar with. "And what is their connection to the Skeleton Key?"

"How am I supposed to know?" MK grumbled.

"So you have no clue who you're releasing? You realize that's worse than picking a monster, right?" Mei snapped.

Ao Lie drifted toward the tomb, extending one arm. The floaty sleeve fell away to bare hands with white scales digging through the skin, slender claws tipping his fingers. When he pressed one talon into the metal, a purple seal burst into the air. Oracle script shook in deep hues, still recognizable even though it wasn't the handwriting Mei was used to. This is much older. "The lock with no matching key," Ao Lie muttered, "that will destroy any object forced into its opening."

He looked down to the key, ignoring Mei pushing off of MK to stand next to him. Even as she leaned close to decipher the sigil that popped into existence, it didn't mystically become understandable to her. "What's that say?"

"Do you trust me, Mei?"

"What?"

"If I made a decision that you won't like, would you trust that it's the right one?" His tone was indecipherable, but he held the Skeleton Key like it could spell doom for mortals everywhere.

"Like destroying the key?"

"Don't!" MK made grabby hands at the dragons, only for Mei to position her sword next to his ear, the staff dangling off of his lobe onto the blade tip.

"You're one of the pilgrims, Gramps. I trust you."

"I'm happy you feel that way." Ao Lie's smile was all teeth as he turned away. "Because this isn't going to make sense right now, but I promise it will later."

Mei saw the golden flash a beat too late, the staff weighing too much to hold up by herself on such a thin surface. MK grabbed the staff and knocked her on the knee, trying to sweep her off her feet but not having enough momentum. Mei sidestepped the next attack just in time, jumping backwards.

Ao Lie watched them with neutral interest. "Neither of you know how to use those weapons, do you?"

"Hack away with my sword, right?"

"That's a double-edged sword, it's better for stabbing. Also, while you can use it with both hands, when he has an advantage on range with the staff, I'd recommend keeping one arm free-"

"Do you have any idea how heavy this thing is?!"

"Do you have any idea how annoying it is for you two to be debating strategy while I fight you?" MK snapped, curling his tail around her wrist to lurch her into his waiting polearm. Mei held up her forearm to block it, hissing in pain as a bone cracked. Either Ao Lie's suggestion on using her offhand for defense was really, really stupid, or he forgot bones can break in the first place. Probably both.

She needs to draw him away from Ao Lie while he destroys the key. Mei stayed on the defensive, the jade blade still too heavy to lift without both arms. She can't make them progress back up the mountain, the sand too slippery under her boots, but she can gradually weave her way backwards into the fog. The air stuck to her lungs like crystals as MK swung for every body part that he could. Thankfully, he didn't know how to hide where he aims, so Mei could sluggishly move her injured arm to block it.

Two steps, then a hit, a dodge, a roll that she fumbled, three more hits, stepping back more, a dance that neither of them knew the first thing about but still performed to the best of their ability. Mei wiped the sweat from her brow before MK could try to strike her between the eyes.

"Do you never get tired?! Do you just fight people on the regular to get this energy?"

"We wouldn't be fighting if you left me alone! I just keep saying, Dragon Girl, it'll be fine if you don't tell people, Dragon Girl, just mind your own business, Dragon Girl, why are you even in the underworld right now no one asked you to follow us-"

"It's my job to make sure that people don't wreck the city, and if you're planning to do it, then I'm planning to stop you. It's that simple."

"Hah!" MK flicked his tail before she could lop it off. "I'd love to see you actually accomplish a single thing you say."

Mei drove the point of the sword forward, MK yelping as he scrambled off balance. He glared at the long slice across his leg, his pants splitting horizontally so brown fur beading with blood could spill out of it. His face went slack, changing his gaze from down to the wound to back up at her. As his expression changed in realization, the heart on his fur widened like an owl.

Then he ducked with paws over his head, and Mei instinctually turned to look what he could be so afraid of. The mountain they came from lit at the cap, pink and orange fire clashing with puffs of golden smoke. Last she remembered, that was not a volcano, and even if she can't hear it, she knew the struggle up there could only get worse.

So on the bright side, Nezha and Red found their way over to her and Ao Lie. On the down side, she has no clue if they can really trap the Monkey King in that tomb, since she was too busy dealing with MK to follow that line of questioning. She needs to focus.

Also, she needs to run and help Ao Lie, since MK just successfully vaulted off to find his mentor. Fingers crossed that trusting him was the right thing to do.

Red still didn't understand how to use the spear, so their attack strategy amounted to hoping that the Monkey King won't make clones, and then immediately losing once he made them.

One of them fisted their hair to force their head into the ground, Red growling as they set it ablaze. A poof of smoke, a single burnt strand of fur, and it didn't matter in the end because they had a pile of monkeys holding their arms down. They'll still claim a sub-victory given that a crucial bamboo plank that probably says Sun Wukong on it is stuffed into one of a hundred pockets.

They blinked the grit out of their eyes as they heard a battle cry, a single maroon pillar swinging towards the mountain. It should've increased in size as it came closer, but it seemed to shrink-oh shit that's the other monkey getting ready to bludgeon them.

Red scrunched up so that the end of the staff missed their head, instead landing with a big enough shockwave to rattle their teeth and shake the clones back into hair. Nezha and the original Monkey King both stopped in their tracks, one god a breath away from skewering the other. Nezha recovered first, twisting the spear so the tiger skin robe ripped around it. Three more bamboo planks clattered onto the sand.

Red dug their hooves into the grainy ground before springing forward. One, two, three planks, shoved into a pocket, and they have no idea what to do other than sprint the hells away from MK's staff. Some part of them whispered this is a good point to try the spear, but the rest screamed that if they can barely thrust with the spear, there's no way they can run with it.

The mountain wobbled as another chunk split under the staff, and Red's eagerness to not get crushed led them right over the edge of the cliff. They shrieked and looked for any handholds since a hoofhold is a bit impossible. The first chance at stopping their momentum jerked their arm so roughly that accidentally letting go hurt more than actually landing.

"Red!" Three Meis swirled in their vision, eventually forming into one. "You okay, dude?"

"Bamboo."

"Is that code for a concussion?"

"Bamboo. Put monkey in bamboo, it-" Their brain felt like yogurt as they tore at a zipper on their chest, holding up the plank with Monkey King's name on it. "Trap Monkey King in bamboo. Ta da, problem solved."

"Whoa." Mei took the bamboo with reverence. "And he'll be stuck? No getting out?"

Red lifted their shoulders off the ground in lieu of a shrug. Mei nodded, patting them consolingly.

"Great job. We're going to take the greatest naps after this, promise."

"You're making me tea."

"I'm making you tea."

Mei moved out of their line of sight, Red struggling to follow it as their head tilted to take in an open tomb.

"Mei? What happened?"

She laughed nervously. "So, the Skeleton Key is destroyed. Ao Lie is making sure there's no one in there since the crypt is very...empty looking."

"Whayoumean?"

"It's just dark in there. We don't really-" Mei cut herself off at a green burst of lightning, Ao Lie appearing in front of them again.

"Nothing." Ao Lie frowned, disatisfied. "Just shadows. But, as long as the lock destroyed the key, this was the right decision. You don't want to know what other monsters the Skeleton Key can let out."

"No monkeys?"

"No monkeys."

Red listened to her sigh with relief, their vision blurring. The shadows appeared to stretch and climb, like long limbs dragging themselves out of the darkness. It started in the crypt, then twisted into Ao Lie's shadow, and Mei's, and Red's with an odd shiver. They squeezed their eyes shut as it slunk up to the mountain.

Maybe they do have a concussion.

"We need Nezha down here to trap the Monkey King," Mei decided, "or we go up to the fight."

"No climbing," Red requested. They were way too tired to make that hike right now, if they even could. Landing on your back from who-knows-how-high really knocks the wind from your sails.

"It'll be faster to fly up," Ao Lie said. Both demon and dragon looked at him in confusion. "What, you don't know how to do that?"

"No?" Mei pitched her voice upward.

"Oh. One moment, then."

MK felt an awful chill, freezing in place with a spear pointed at his nose. "Nezha, right?"

The prince narrowed his eyes. "You should wish for immortality like your mentor."

"So do I get to be put under the same mountain, or are you lifting one next to it, or-" He clamped his jaws shut as, for the second time in the past few minutes, a giant monster showed up behind his enemy. The first time was just an enormous monkey disappearing into smoke, but that's small potatoes compared to the dragon.

Forest green scales covered a serpent as fast as a whip, floating from the foot of the mountain to high above them like a fish lazily drifting through water. MK hunched his shoulders as Dragon Girl foolishly dove off of it, Wukong growling as he jumped up to meet her. "Monkey King, don't-"

Nezha jabbed at his face in warning, not enough to cut him but enough to hurt. "We are ensuring you can never have Sun Wukong again, simian. And if you want to keep your life, you will not attempt any more insurrection of the gods."

"How can you even do that? He's immortal, and you can't trap him with the staff like last time. It's mine now."

"Immortals can still be trapped in memories."

"What does that mean?"

Nezha moved away, no longer blocking his view of the fight-except there isn't some aerial battle like MK expected. Instead, Dragon Girl landed right in Nezha's arms, and Wukong's nowhere to be found.

"Wukong?" He scanned the top of the mountain. "Monkey King?" Did he fall off? Is he still flying up there, crouched on a cloud that blends in with the mist? MK watched the dragon flicker back down to the valley, reappearing with a grumbling fire demon in its claws. He watched them pull out three dark scraps of wood, their face shifting into relief as they saw none of them were broken. MK focused on Dragon Girl, and how she had a plank exactly like it. "What did you do to him?"

"MK, we can't just-"

"Where did you trap him this time? Where's the other monkey? Where-where-" He shook with anger as he watched her guiltily put the plank in her pocket, confirming at least one question with a souring answer. "I want my key back."

"It's destroyed, little one." The dragon shifted, changing back into that pathetically nice man from before. "And there was no monkey in the crypt. Just darkness. We don't know why the Monkey King did what he did, but if he spends time in the Scroll of Memory, maybe he can be rehabilitated-"

"You're just going to leave him somewhere for all eternity again."

"Monkey child, I was Sun Wukong's closest friend while on the journey. I swear to you, I'll look after him. No harm will come to your mentor."

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

"Yes you-" MK swallowed, stopping before he could express more frustration. It's four against one, and they obviously can do whatever they like to him. He has no allies, his adventure was pointless, he never proved himself, and he's stranded. His voice quieted to a hesitant whisper. "Are you going to leave me here, too?"

The man blinked sorrowful eyes at him. "No, of course not. We'll return you to your home."

"Okay," he croaked, dropping to the floor. He didn't care that his blood mixed with the dark sand, crawling his fingers into the fur. Nezha made a deep circle in the ground, gouging out tracks to write in, as one dragon foolishly clung to the other.

He's stuck witnessing a victory party all alone.

When Red Sunshine jabbed his knee, he stood stiffly. He ignored the throbbing of his leg and watched his enemies jump in. The kind man, flanked by a demon and dragon that he held up in lanky arms, made it a quick exit. Nezha nodded from the other end of the portal.

MK stared at his shoes as the ground around them changed, stepping onto concrete. He didn't bother offering a single word to them, instead vaulting away on the staff. He's getting better at that.

Now to sulk at Flower-Fruit Mountain.

"We won!" Mei cheered, "And we're mostly unscathed!"

Red groaned from across the counter, bandaged hooves propped on the counter. For some reason the power in the good old FDD got shut down while they were gone, but they still got inside the garage with some key jimmying. Nezha was kind enough to let them pop over to the hospital, and now they're nice and patched up. She has a forearm cast and every muscle above her hips hurts and feels out of place, while Red sported an arm sling, a split lip, and an impressive lump on the back of their head, but they're not dead. That's pretty good for their first adventure as protectors of the city.

"Yes, good job!"

Red and Mei screamed at the voice, not expecting Ao Lie to show up semi-transparent and floating between them. Mei leaned over to wave her good hand through his stomach. "Uh, aren't you supposed to be in the underworld?"

"I hitched a ride with you."

"Are you allowed to do that?"

"No." Ao Lie shrugged. "But I said I'll keep Wukong safe, and I meant it. We don't want any of the Scroll of Memory in heaven, and the land of the dead is obviously in need of more security, so I'll watch over it here."

"But you phase through everything."

"There's no such thing as a perfect plan."

"Oh." Mei grinned as a new idea came to her. "So you'll train me in how to keep Megapolis safe?"

"Sure! And since Nezha owes me for destroying the Skeleton Key, I can ask to cash in that favor so he'll help your fire demon friend."

"You do not have to do that." Nezha made the bell above the door ring as he pushed one wheel through the entrance, carrying a drawstring bag the size of his palm. "We are putting the scroll pieces in the Leopard Skin Bag for safekeeping, and I am not letting it out of my sight. This is more important than any heavenly duty. Also, my return for the favor is not immediately dragging you back to hell."

Mei smacked her fist on her chest instead of clapping, since her fingers still feel like jelly. "Excellent! I can't wait to tell my folks that my ancestor and a god are helping me run my business."

"I...am not doing that."

"Come on, you think I can ride a bike with a cracked radius? We need money somehow."

Nezha scoffed, but didn't discount that. Instead, he gestured for Ao Lie to follow him to the back of the garage, so they can figure out the logistics of the deal.

Mei offered a fist to Red. They grinned and bumped it way too hard, both whining in pain and retreating to their ends of the counter.

Being heroes and warriors is a skill they'll have to work on between deliveries.

"MK!"

He blinked as Dadsy crushed him in a hug, sucking in a breath around the bruises. He didn't find his fathers on Flower-Fruit Mountain, so his next best guess was the noodle shop. Still, he didn't expect to be greeted with such urgency. "Hey, Dadsy. You okay?"

"Am I okay? Where the hell did you go?"

"Land of the dead, remember? Monkey King got...caught. But I'm good. Minimal bruising, bloody leg, maybe a sprained ankle. My back hurts a lot."

"You've been in the underworld this whole time?"

"Yeah." MK lifted his chin off his dad's head, angling to look at him. "How long was I gone?"

"Kid." Dadsy stepped back. "You've been out for months."

"What?" MK sputtered, pinwheeling his arms so he didn't fall outright. "But it was just a few hours!"

Dadsy slotted his shoulder into MK's armpit, helping him walk further inside and stop at the bar. "If this is how time works between realms, I don't want you to have any part of it, okay?"

"What-"

"I don't care if the Monkey King is stuck down there. You're not allowed to go missing like that again." Dadsy set him on a stool, meaty hands squeezing his shoulders. Deep brown eyes stared right into MK's soul. "Promise me that you're staying in the mortal realm from now on. No more portals."

"No more portals." He sighed, slowly dragging his hand down his face. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I never would've done that if I knew it would worry you."

"I'm always gonna worry, kid." He tousled his hand through MK's hair. "Just let me worry where I know you can come back, okay?"

"Okay."

Dadsy nodded, walking to where he can shout up the stairs to the second floor of the shop. "Tang! MK's back!"

MK flinched as he heard the back of a chair slam on the ground, footsteps flurrying to his location. He twisted on the stool to be in the optimal position for a teary-eyed Tang hug without aggravating his injuries.

He didn't need stitches, and his ankle wasn't as bad as he thought. He just needed to ice it, according to his dads, who insisted that no, he's not allowed to work in the kitchen again until he's better. MK wants to aid the family business now more than ever, but according to Dadsy, "even if Pigsy's Noodles is about to get bulldozed, I don't want my best waiter hurting himself for the job."

MK flicked the staff on his ear back and forth, staring at his leg where it was propped up over his blankets. He hasn't slept much, so the lights are off to encourage it. It's not helping, because he's not helping, and just sitting around waiting to get better sucks. He turned on the bedside lamp, grabbing for his notebook.

The darkness moved unnaturally away from his fingers and the spot of light. MK flinched, waiting for it to stop crawling under his hand. He spread his palm again, and the shadow of his hand spread too, way too slowly, like it didn't know it was supposed to.

He clenched his fist, and the shadow sluggishly followed. MK tried finger guns, and the shadow did the same with only the index finger before belatedly bringing the middle finger up too.

"What the fuck." Why is this happening?

Shit. The voice wasn't heard so much as felt, a deep tenor in MK's chest like he himself spoke without volume. MK squeaked, clapping both hands over his mouth.

"Uh. Hi?" He struggled to sit up and peek out the window, making sure that there isn't anyone outside. Just a moon blocked out by streetlamps. "Am I talking to my shadow right now?"

Kind of. I had to hitch a ride on your shadow to get out of that hellhole. Thanks for that, by the way.

"So you're not my shadow."

I am right now. The silhouette of MK cast onto the wall by the lamp shifted, becoming an outline of a very similar monkey with slots for an eye, an X over an eye, and a mouth. MK, right? The new stone monkey. I thought you'd be the best pick for a companion while I'm waiting for a body.

"What do you mean by that?"

Can't keep a body going for long without sustenance. I rotted away, but I'm technically immortal, so. The monkey bounced their shoulders, turning their head so six ears showed. But I was told you wanted a monkey to be around?

"Yeah, but Monkey King is-"

Gone, right. That really sucks. I was looking forward to saying hello after so long apart.

"Were you two friends?"

The monkey laughed, MK's heart leaping in his throat. You're funny, kid. You should be a comedian, not the king's lapdog.

"I wasn't his lapdog!"

Sorry. Would you prefer plaything? Entertainment? Pet? The monkey snickered, rising on the wall until their face clung to the ceiling with a sharp smile. I hear everything, kid, even things that no mortal should ever hear. I know he didn't care about you, and you were scared of him not caring. But you've been given an incredible gift.

The monkey rolled their tail downwards, stretching it until it shaped under MK's chin. You have all the power, and none of the terrifying god telling you what to do. You were scared that you made a mistake freeing the king, right? Well, guess what? Those "heroes" fixed it. He's trapped again, and it wasn't even your fault! You didn't know the Scroll of Memory can do that. You had no way of stopping it. You are completely guilt-free, and with that fancy stick, you can do whatever you want.

"But it's not right to just lock someone up for all eternity, no matter what they did."

I'd hate to break it to you, kid, but fixing every injustice is a fool's errand. Fixing even one injustice will land you in a bigger mess than it's worth. I mean, look at your dads. They were worried sick because the Monkey King didn't tell you that yes, mortal time moves slower than in every other realm. He knew that if you spend a couple weeks in the underworld, you would miss your dads dying, and did he care?

"No." MK knotted his fists in the comforter. "No, he didn't. He didn't even tell me."

Exactly! He never cared about you, or your family. The monkey slunk back down to his level, angling themself so it looked like they were just rubbing elbows. I do, though. You're a good kid. Really nice. You saved me, and I'm going to do what the Monkey King didn't. I'm going to be grateful. I'm going to help you be the best monkey you can be, with all of your incredible powers. I grew up with old Wukong, I know how it all works. And I'll help you and your family.

"Really?"

Of course. It's difficult to see the expression of someone so two-dimensional, but the X and eye lowered so it seemed so genuine. I won't lie to you kid, you really messed up letting him out. But you didn't make that mistake twice, okay? I'm right here with you. I'll make this better.

"I thought you said it wasn't my fault," Mk muttered bitterly.

And it isn't! No more guilt or blame for you. That adventure got tied off with a nice bow. Now, I'll show you how to really use your stuff to fix things.

"And the Monkey King? His friends in his scroll?"

He said it himself, I'm the nicest of the bunch. That he was telling the truth on. The monkey frowned. You don't want those other demons, okay? Trust me. I'm trusting you by letting me hide out in your shadow, right?

"I guess." MK released his hold on the sheets, lying back down again. "Is there a name I should call you?"

Macaque. The...Six-Eared Macaque, is my full name.

"Goodnight, Macaque."

Goodnight, MK.