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The cold breeze had found its way up the white furred monkey.
His clothes rustling in the wind, he grabbed his scarf.
Holding it close in case the wind decided to steal it from him.
His amber eyes had a steady gaze at what looked like ants from the branch he was sitting on.
One of the individuals he watched with caution shining brighter than the rest.
Laughing as he looked to be nagging a pig demon.
The pig got angered and raised his hands towards the golden monkey, to no avail as the golden monkey was flying on a cloud out of the others reach.
A human sighing as he rode behind on a strange looking horse.
The horse itself looked calm and showed no threat but its fangs shone in the newly risen sun.
It’s green-blueish mane covering its eyes.
But the shade could still see the sharp eyes, ones the shade knew he’d seen before but could not pinpoint when.
Another demon walking not far behind.
A soft smile across his face, he was also strange looking.
Blue scales covering his giant body.
Fins as ears and a big puffy ginger beard.
If the shade memorization was not wrong, the pig’s name was Zhû Bâjiè.
The water demon was Shâ Wùjing.
The Monk’s Tang Sanzang.
Lastly, the white horse's name was Ao Lie.
After a month of stalking them he had heard their names more than once.
Something that they all had, except the horse and monk, had head circlets on their heads
Seeing the circlets woke something inside the shade, it made him worry, angry even.
But he pushed it aside.
He did not want to deal with that right now.
But the shade's tail flicked before he could get a grip of himself, accidentally making some rotten leaves fall slowly towards the ground.
The shade cursed himself before he let himself be swallowed by a shadow.
He begged Buddha that none of the pilgrims had noticed him or started becoming more careful about their surroundings.
He traveled in the shadows, the dark realm welcoming their master.
He moved to another tree, this branch further up in the leafy crowns and giving him more protection to the sore eyes.
As he lurked a bit more in the branches shadows before becoming more sure his “victims” could not see him. The monkey came jumping out from the shadows and landing with grace on the branch.
The six ears that he had been pressing towards his head fluttering out, each giving out a heavenly shine. They flickered as the sounds that had been muffled hit his hearing hard.
This did not disturb him to a level he could not handle.
The white monkey was blessed by the wind and storm, born with six ears. His hearing was very sensitive, this gave his hearing defects, even though he could hear everything.
From the sand crunching under a camel's hooves in Africa, to the Antarctic ice falling into the deep blue.
Sure nothing went missing from his hearing, but it was overwhelming. Hearing every single breath from millions at the same time.
Many times he felt like he was invading, even though it was not by his own wants.
That's why he muffled his ears, pressing them against his head, and putting a spell on them.
They were still sensitive but it made it much more barble.
But his hearing did not only give defects, the shade could hear the past and future.
This power was very shaky and so he often did not want to use this power.
The time he did he heard unsettling screams…The screams of ripping fur and skin.
A scream that made himself fall to his knees and cover his ears with all his might.
It felt as if someone was ripping his ears out and instead implating daggers in the sockets that were forcing its way into his brain.
It left him with a week's headache and a fear of using his ‘amazing’ ability ever again.
Yeah best of not trying that again.
The white monkey left the memory train. He had something much more important than going thinking about his ‘super cool powers’ as one had told him there were.
He went back to focusing his hearing on the pilgrims.
The shade will have to keep his distance now that he almost got himself caught.
Not knowing what the demons capabilities were.
And he would much rather find it out in his own way, instead of putting his own fur at risk.
Something he noticed almost immediately was the strange horse's movements.
He had become much quieter with where his hooves hit the ground.
The water demon too, his large clothes not hindering him from walking in shockingly calm and quiet movements.
The piglet and golden monkey had also stopped their bickering.
The shade knew the golden monkey had noticed his presence.
He felt bitter as he knew the sage would hunt him out from his shadows protection.
The white monkey knew him well enough to not think otherwise.
The golden monkey's pride was too high to let a stalker get away.
The white monkey considered if he should come out already or maybe start messing with the traveling group.
If he went out and exposed himself his month of stalking would go to waste.
Maybe he should just annoy them as he already knew he’d be caught in short by the golden monkey.
The latter seems like a better option so he chose to go with that.
He sat on the branch listening intensely at the pilgrims movements.
He could hear every cell die and new ones be made in their bodies.
Their blood that ran smoothly like rivers in their veins.
Their hearts beat rapidly, stress making their heart beats abnormal.
Some faster than others as some could kill h- were cocky.
The white monkey let a smirk spread across his lips.
He had missed the feeling of making his enemies shiver with fear as they had no way of telling where he was. How far they ever ran or how good they ever hid, he could always find them.
Always.
But this time his victims of his stalking would defeat him, if he tried to attack them that is.
Well that was a bit too nice on his part, the golden monkey would defeat him.
The others? No, the white monkey was almost equal to the golden monkey.
And he knew for a fact that none of them could put an end on the impulsive monkey, even if they fought together.
And it is impossible to kill an immortal, not to mention a seven times immortal!
Yeah no attacking would be a suicide mission.
And the shade doesn't want to die.
Pain was never his thing to begin with.
Then suddenly a heart's rhythm was missing.
The rhythm the white monkey had heard so so many times.
He could recognize it in a room full of millions.
And that heartbeats were gone.
No they were gone from the rest and moving in an insanely speed towards him
The six eard knew running was too late now.
So instead he slank into the shadows.
The second his body was in the shadow realm and he was watching in the shadows, the golden monkey landed with a thud on the branch.
Just where the shade had been creeping.
But he knew that the other had the power to see exactly where he was with the golden vision of his.
So the white furred monkey jumped through shadows until he was far away from the other.
That would be his only chance to get away, for now at least.
But he feared that his choice might have been the wrong one.
That stung, he always plans ahead.
And this time it had gone wrong.
He didn’t think that the golden monkey would attack on impulse like that.
It had been a bad move. The golden monkey was impulsive, he always tried to jump into action. Maybe the shade had gotten used to being the one to stop the king.
It had been a foolish act and it angered him, the golden monkey should think before he does something.
“Brother Wukong!” Could be heard from the other pilgrims.
“Tsk tsk.” Wukong said, his golden tail flickering.
His pride was probably hurt by not being able to catch whoever was stalking them.
“Did you catch them?” the monk asked, trying to find where the golden monkey was.
The trees covering him.
“No.” Wukong growled.
“Pff- are you becoming rusty dear older brother?” The piglet nagged. His laugh came out like grunts. He let out a huff when he lent back at a tree stump. Old bark falling to the leafy ground.
“Shut it bacon.” Wukong bit back at him. He landed with a thud on the ground. The newly fallen leaves flying around him.
“Ya going after them, no?” The pig demon grunts, the mere idea of having to wait for one of Wukongs many fights sounded boring.
“Someone will have to.” The golden monkey answered, his tail revealing his irritation.
God damnit Wukong!
The six eard thought as he shifted into a small mouse.
He knew that his luck had run out.
This hunt was already leaning to its end, and it hasn't even gone on for long!
Whatever, that was not the main thing the white monkey needed to worry about.
No, he needed to get away.
He muffled his hearing, as he did not need to hear every single drop dew being drinked by the small forest creatures.
He ran between the rots.
His white fur got soaked wet, being a small mouse only left him cold and wet. But he knew that it was a much better option than turning into a deer. As his white coat would give him away.
He’d stick out like a sore thumb in the fall's orange colors.
Already hearing Wukongs climbing in the treetops close behind the six ears turned into a little sparrow.
Maybe if he just got over that mountain in the distance he’d be able to get away.
So he let himself be lifted by the wind.
The wind that had formed his stone egg, the wind that travels all the sounds to him.
He trusted the wind, he knew that it would be there and not leave him.
Then suddenly like a flash he was caught between claws, he felt as the claws sank into his skin.
He couldn't help but yelp out, something that hurt more than getting his skin peeled off.
It showed vulnerability and that would take a while to heal his pride.
The simina did not have to guess who was clawing into his flesh.
He already knew it was none other than Sun Wukong.
He turned his head up, being met by two golden-red eyes staring at him.
Wukong had turned into a hawk and was now inspecting the shade.
Like a carnivore looking at its prey.
His stare was something the six ears was not familiar with, he had never seen this side of Wukong.
No he had, but he had never been met with it.
His stare should be warm when he looked at the shade, like the mere gaze could melt a thousands frozen seas.
But there was no warmth in his eyes.
And the shade hated it, this was not Sun Wukong.
He wanted to destroy the one who had made him into this.
And he knew who to blame, the monk. The golden monkeys so-called master.
Before the white furred monkey could open his beak to utter a sound he was slunged towards the ground by Wukong. Who dived after him.
The shade was not dumb, he knew that Wukong was trying to kill him, the golden sage saw him as a foe.
Which was valid as the shade had been praying at him and his companions.
But Wukong didn’t know who the other was, not when the white simina was in this form.
Which the six ears felt was strange as Wukong should be able to recognize his power's core.
But no, was the Great Monkey king so dumb he had forgotten he had that ability?
That's a silly thought!
Sun Wukong could be impulsive and sometimes he did not know his limits, but he was not stupid.
Far from it, Sun Wukong could master something by just listening after all.
So calling him dumb would only make oneself an underdeveloped organism.
Or was it that the king had forgotten about the shade?...NO! Impossible! He’d never forget me.
The shadow monkey told himself.
Wukong just doesn't recognize me, we haven’t crossed paths for years now. That must be it.
But the shade had no time to worry about that now, if he did not make the Monkey king remember him, he would most definitely be met by an earlier death.
As the two monkeys in the forms of birds flew by fast speed towards the ground the shade turned his body so he no longer faced the golden hawk but the ground.
As he was just a few meters away from hitting the ground and milliseconds from breaking his neck he opened a shadow portal. He had been able to take the tree's shadows and given them the length to meet the open ground so he could use his powers to create a portal.
He was met by his dark domain.
For any other being but himself his shadow realm was overwhelmingly dark, from every angle they would be meet by darkness.
The world gave no way of leting in the suns rays.
But still the realms master was able to locate himself, shadow to shadow, one tree’s shadow to a demon's shadow.
And just like that he traveled from the protection from a tree’s shadow to the water demon's shadow.
Where he got out from his shadow domain.
Being met by a loud yelp from the pig demon.
Whom’s face burnt up by embarrassment.
The others turned around to face the white simina.
Who crossed his arms already waiting for an attack from the golden monkey.
Who came dashing out from the tree’s, his eyes gave away his overwhelming rage.
His staff in his right hand ready to strike the one who had so cowardly gone after his master and comrades. Instead of ending the fight with him.
But he stopped just in his tracks when he saw who was standing before him.
His eyes big as apples and his mouth agape.
“Liùěr?” He mumbled, looking at the white simina like he was an illusion
“Sun Wukong.” Liu Er Mihou answered his king as he bowed down. Before he could look up or utter a word he was catched between Wukong's arms. The oh so familiar warmth that he was embarrassed to admit he had missed so dearly.
He hadn't forgotten about him.
If the shade's face wasn't naturally red by his face mask Wukong would probably laugh at him. Laugh at the flush that had draped over the white furred monkey.
Sun Wukong spined the white monkey around before setting him down his arms around Mihou’s waist.
Wukong was beaming with happiness.
Their foreheads hit each other with a bit too much force than it was intended, but none of them gave it much thought as Wukong nuzzled their noses together.
But their moment was cut short by an awkward cough.
“Erm, monkey, who's that?” demon asked with his hand covering his snout like he had just thrown a coughing fit.
If the golden monkey wasn't already embarrassed he sure as hell was now.
His peachy colored face mask had turned into a rosy shade, which the pig had never seen before.
He let out a snort.
Now holding his snout as he tried not to burst out laughing.
“Wukong, who is this?” The monk asked as he got off the strange looking horse.
Who looked like it could understand the conversation. But that woud be impossible, right?
Or is that horse a demon the monk had also enslaved for his own goals?
He felt a growing rage at the thought of that, he already didn’t like the monk.
From the moment he saw that monk use the circlet spell on Wukong the seed of hatred towards the monk had been planted.
And just as fast an bamboo plant grows, Liur’s hate grew.
He felt as the plant was clawing it’s way out from his throth.
It’s leafs were his hands, ready to claw the monks oddly clean face to threads.
Why was Wukong here? With the monk whom only brought him harm?
Had Sun Wukong gotten dense after the 500 hundred years under the mountain?
Wukong had told Luier that the two would be basking away in the sun eating fruits. So why was he still here…so far away from the shade?
Luier felt stupid at once, why was he thinking something like that? It’s so out of character and really nothing he should worry about!
Ugh it was all so confusing.
But at the same time he could not hinder those words, those words that he had placed so far in his mind as a way to cope. But still it was there, pushing and clawing any other memories or thoughts…
Had the king lost interest in him?
….
Now he sat there beside The Monkey King, crossed-legged and a bowl with some strange looking soup the pig demon had made.
Turns out that Ao Lie was a dragon and not a horese, and he had the power to transform into a human.
Liuer had thought the dragon would speak harshly towards him, as his last encounter with a dragon had been not so pleasant.
He was aware dragons often were very well manerd, but as they had a higher title they would often get that over their heads.
But to Liuer’s surprise Ao Lie had been very kind, maybe to nice. As when he listened to their conversations he saw how Ao Lie often let himself be talked over.
Hmm, what a strange one.
Liuer had followed the pilgrims for a month but never once had he seen Ao Lie transform,
The water demon, Shâ Wùjing, was no better. He was the largest both in muscles and height, his appearance was more frightening than calming.
But yet he was overly nice.
It bugged the white simina a bit, but he never commented on their overwhelmingly kindness.
Though they were better than Zhû Bâjiè’s hot temper
Zhû Bâjiè was stubborn, not most of what other said or told him got through the thick head of his.Much like Wukong.
Liuer let out a sigh as he took another sip of the soup.
It tasted…weird, Liuer was not an expert of any sorts when it came to food.
But this was not right.
Like someone had just thrown all the ingredients into hot water.
His nose wrinkled by the taste.
It missed meat, not so surprising a Monks were strict vegetarians.
Liuer put down the bowl, he was considering pouring the mess of a soup out when no one looked, or sucked it up and just drink it all.
“Everything alright?” Liuer flinched at Wukong's whispering so closely by his ears.
Liuer hoped Wukong didn’t notice it.
As he would feel to ashemd that he had been so in his own mind that he didn’t take in his surroundings.
Sure he knew no one around him would atack him, but he had to be careful.
Careful not to mess up and be hunted away from the pilgrim’s.
If he did he’d not be able to help Sun Wukong.
“Y-yeah.” That came out embersingly stutteringly.
The shade cursed himself once again before he cleared his throat to speak again.
“Am fine, why?” He asked, tilting his head.
“You looked so sucked into your own world, your soup is going to get cold y'know?”
Wukong said, like Liu’Er Mihou had heard the monkey mothers at flower fruit mountain talk to their cubs.
He didn’t know if he should be frustrated with how Wukong seems to think he needs to be pampered with.
Or if he feel comfort that Wukong noticed such a small thing, no that he felt the need to worry about him.
“Oh.” Liuer finally answered.
Zhû Bâjiè had heard what the two had talked about, so he let out a grunt before saying in an aggressive and exaggerated tone, “Something wrong with my soup?”
Liuer was a bit taken back by the pig demon's bluntness.
“It’s a bit bitter.” Liuer answered, fighting back his smirk.
This situation reminds him of his and Peng’s many arguments.
He didn’t know if he wanted to bicker with the other, which he felt dumb for even answering with his normal boldness.
If he wanted to stay he should be alot more nicer.
But wouldn’t they see his true colors after a while?
Ugh, it was all so exhausting.
But to the six ears surprise the demon just snorted.
“Well, it ain’t that easy to make good food with the lack of ingredients.
And the ones we have are either on the edge of molding or straight up roots.”
Oh, maybe he was to quick to judge.
“And sorry it ain’t perfect for your taste.”
Or maybe not.
“Can’t we all just sit down and eat a clam dinner?” the monks sighed, bringing his bowl up to his mouth.
He blew on the soup before taking a sip, he tried to hide his grimanc with the best of his abilities but to no avail.
“So, monkey how d'ya know erm-”
“Liuer.”
“Liuer, you two seem awfully close to each other to be just old friends.”
The two monkeys glanced at each other, a pink shade covering their faces, but neither answered the pig demon. If anyone would ask Liuer why he was so red, it was of course by the hot soup. And not because he was sitting so close to his loved one again after 500 years.
Even though Wukong wasn't a handsome stranger he couldn’t help but feel the butterfly fill his stomach like it would do when they were still young.
Liuer felt happy, at peace. And he hoped his suns warm beams would never stop embracing him.
He knew his Sun and he trusted him, he’d never hurt him.
...Right...