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Chapter Text

"You got another mentor?" Wukong whined, looking cartoonishly displeased.

MK gave a weak chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. It was a habit that he was picking up from the Celestial Monkey. Not that either of them noticed.

"I won a coupon to try it out?" Even to his own ears, the excuse sounded pathetic. With a heavy sigh, he admitted the truth. "She works differently than either of you! Shouldn't I learn how others fight? At least, wouldn't it make it easier?" He looked desperate.

The auburn furred monkey stayed silent. He had noticed the kid's performance improve significantly! He was getting more difficult to fight or pin down. However, his pride couldn't take the fact that his student was learning from someone else! His pride was always his source of punishment.

"Fine! But I want to see this new mentor!" His face tried to mimic a scowl, but it looked closer to pouting.

MK looked away to conceal his laughter of his silly idol. He was sure Wukong would like his new mentor, she was genuinely an excellent teacher after all. Maybe the monkey could learn a thing or two.

Not long after, the maybe-human introduced the two, giving Wukong the name Sun Hua, seeing as it was more common than Wukong.

The first thing that the Monkey King noticed of MK's new mentor, was that she was blind. Her eyes weren't exactly foggy, but they shook in unnatural ways and seemed unfocused. The second thing he noticed was how rough her hands were. It told him she was worked hard, and he welcomed that. The final thing was how toned her body was. Like her hands, she clearly worked her body into that of a fighter.

Still, he was arrogant. He believed he could best her. He had best many of the Celestial Armies strongest after all!

He quickly found, he could not. Even blind, human, and mortal, she always found a way to pin him or immobilize him. He grew to admire and loathe this.

"How are you-"

"You move with heavy steps. Even your breathing is loud." She didn't look directly at him as she said this, she never did. "You are strong, both physically and magically, but your will and spirit are not. You hesitate with each strike, you're unsure of your own movements. Plus," her lips quirked at the edges, "for a monkey, you are quite stiff."

His body froze at her words, he thought he had done well to hide that fact. Silently, she moved to him, sweeping her feet in front of her like always. With gentle hands, she pushed him. That simple push had him on the ground. Her look of amusement only grew.

"See? Had you been whole, I would rarely land a strike."

He didn't know why, but he begged her to teach him. To properly teach him. He would've offered almost anything for her to teach him! Yet, the only thing she wanted from him was passion and the thirst for knowledge he was once so famous for.

Under her tender guidance, Wukong learned more and more of her skill. She even taught him how to be a better mentor himself! How to communicate better and show his love for the people around him just a bit more. The last bit was the hardest to do after spending so long just shouting and arguing with them.

MK noticed the changes, but he also noticed how much happier Wukong looked. The Immortal Monkey seemed livelier, more genuinely energetic. The maybe-human also was getting more reasonable advice! It seemed everything was beginning to work out well!

Of course, with the Monkey King, situations can change at the drop of a hat.

Chapter Text

Wukong's head pulsed as he slowly came too. His body felt oddly heavy and cold. This made him frown. None of these feelings should be affecting him. Not since he became immortal and spent nearly 50 Celestial days in that damn brasher. During the journey he only got warmer, hard not to when so many demons tried to set him on fire or boil him.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, wincing as they were immediately assaulted with sunlight. He hissed as he rolled onto his side, feeling dewy grass beneath his hands and face. He shouldn't be feeling that.

Rapidly blinking, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven scrambled to sit up. Looking around himself, all there was, were blissful trees and bushes, tall mountains both in front and behind him. The area looked terrifyingly similar. The scent in the air, stained with demons and lost magic, was familiar as well.

"Why are you looking around like that?" A rough voice scratched at Wukong's ear.

He openly flinched, his blood running cold.

No... It couldn't... He got out! The kid saved him! He was-

"Well?" The voice snapped, a rough hand grabbing onto his shoulder. "Are you too tired to look your fellow brother in the face?"

Face to face, monkey to pig. The two stared at each other as the others stirred.

Ao Lie gave a quiet yawn, rubbing his eyes to see his brothers locked in a staring battle. He frowned at the sight, worry brewing in his stomach. They had just gotten Sun back, did the pig already forget what it was like without him?

Their master gave a heavy sigh when he saw this. He was sure that Monkey King had done or said something to upset Bajie. It usually was the case. Still, he didn't necessarily want to get involve. The two of them needed to learn to respect each other, they both were brothers now. They needed to get over themselves and come together in some form.

Then the Great Sage screamed.

Like lightening, he was on his feet, shoving the pig demon away. His red eyes, now glowing gold, were wide with frantic fear, darting to the familiar faces of his past. He tripped over his feet as he tried to get away from them. Away from the screams of him begging for mercy and that daunting smirk that the pig always possessed behind their master's back.

Ao Lie was to his feet and by his younger brother's side instantly, carefully helping him back up. His eyes never left the monkey though. They had only known Sun for a short time, but they had never seen such a reaction! It unnerved the white dragon.

"Brother?" The river-demon moved forward, a hand up in concern.

The red furred monkey flinched, taking more steps away.

"No... Not possible... Not possible." He began muttering, his hands practically clawing at his arms, tearing at the tunic.

"Monkey King!" Tripitaka snapped, worry at the edge of his voice.

They watched as the scratching stilled; those frantic eyes focused solely on the monk. For a moment they looked murderous, his lips peeling back ever so slightly in a fanged snarl. The fur on the back of his neck raised, his body hunching, preparing to attack. Then he crumbled to the ground, gripping his head. No, gripping his crown. He whimpered, beginning to mumble how he was a good monkey, how he would do anything to make the pain stop.

A pain that wasn't physically there.

This show of weakness hurt the young dragon. It was so sudden and manic in ways, but that only made his concern worse. Carefully, he moved closer to his older brother. Perhaps he had a bad dream? Maybe that demon-Celestial had done something to him the last time they fought? Before the Celestial officials took him away?

He didn't know, but he needed to help him.

"M-Monkey King?"

At his call, the terrified whispering stopped. Instead, he returned to looking around. Once again, his eyes glowed a bright gold color, almost desperately looking for something.

"MK? Where's MK?" His voice was deeper, the natural humor gone, replaced with a threatening growl.

"MK?" Bajie huffed, crossing his meaty arms.

The monkey growled at the rude tone, his fur beginning to stand again.

"MK! Where's my MK!"

The pig demon scowled, glaring at him.

"Your MK? Who is this MK!" He was growing angry. Angry enough that he forgot who he was yelling at.

He quickly remembered when the Great Monkey King gave a threatening yowl, fully bearing his fangs with red eyes gleaming like freshly fallen blood.

"My kid! My infant! Where's my infant!" He screeched, lunging at the pig demon.

The two fell, Monkey King on top of Bajie. The Great Sage grasped the pig demon's shirt, those eyes completely wild. He was going to kill him!

"Where is he!? Where, you stupid ink demon!"

Ink demon? They were momentarily stunned by his words, then he raised a fist!

Not knowing what else to do, Tripitaka began to chant. The tan furred monkey screeched and yowled, falling from Bajie to the ground. He withered and squirmed, clawing and digging at his head, desperate to remove the cursed band. Blood. So much blood was falling and staining the grass and Monkey King's shirt.

The chanting only stopped when Monkey King stopped moving. He was still alive, but he backed himself into a tree, constantly muttering about his non-existent baby. Something about needing to find him, to go home.

Ao Lie hated the sight. Sun was just confused! He didn't need that! He just needed someone to talk to him!

Taking a deep breath, he shape-shifted into a monkey form similar to the simian in front of him. He had made himself just a few inches shorter with slightly longer fur and tail. He could only guess what Sun's infant would look like, but for now this would have to do. He needed to calm Sun down, he was too dangerous like this.

Wukong felt a furred hand rub his face. It felt like the kid's fur, just a bit rougher. Still, he desperately latched onto them, breathing in their scent. Salt water and seaweed with an odd electric hint. Ao Lie's and Mei's scent, though Mei's had more engine oil to her from working on her bike.

"Monkey King..." The voice sounded so much like MK's nervous one. "It's Ao Lie."

He knew that, but he doesn't want it to be. If Ao Lie was in his arms, then that meant he really was in the past. The scroll could never get the scent or the physical feel of things right. There was always an oily and inky feel and smell that didn't belong or fit quite right. Here, there was none of that. That meant he was alone, having to go through the journey once again with no one to save him. Having to physically see and experience his greatest mistakes once more.

Ao Lie pulled Monkey King closer as he sobbed into his shoulder. He sounded truly heartbroken. It made the others look uncomfortable. They had thought nothing could make him look like that. They didn't even believe that he had the possibility to look so weak and helpless, needing a shoulder to cry on.

'As they should.' Ao Lie thought bitterly when he saw those looks.

"Monkey King..." He had to focus on his friend. He needed him. "Tell me about your infant. I want to know."

The sobbing calmed down after minute. It took three more before he started talking. At first it was shy and almost inaudible, the group having to lean in to hear his words. Then he was talking animatedly, his tail playfully swinging back and forth, his eyes glowing with pride.

The group only watched with strange awe at how proud and happy their egotistically monkey was talking of another person. A person they were positive didn't exist. Still, they waited till he was done before saying such to him.

"Monkey King...." Sha Wujing took a step forward, his lips thinned.

Those intimidating red eyes looked soft and peaceful. Enlightened in a way. It was that spark that hurt the river demon to snuff out. A feeling not mutually felt by the pig demon.

"Older brother, that child does not exist. If you do not believe me, then go to King Yama, ask him of your child!"

So Like gave Bajie a withering glare that promised a Dragon's wrath in his future. Still, the pig demon stood tall, so sure of himself.

Monkey King lowered his gaze, moving his hands to the wet grass. It was cold and slippery, long and untouched by mortal pollution. It felt real. More real than anything, and he had the crown on. He would always remember those painful moments. Nothing could ever copy how truly devastating it was to experience.

"I know." He finally murmured, a defeated look to him. "But they were wonderful dreams..."

The silent monk sighed heavily once more that morning, moving toward his first disciple.

"Pilgrim, you should let those dreams go... We must make our journey to the west. Those dreams will only weigh down on you."

The once boisterous King only nodded in silence, gathering his few items and summoning his cloud. It wasn't long after that their camp was picked up and they continued on their way.

It was a quiet walk that morning, continuing on and on. Then the older brother did something strange. Pulling a few strands of hair, he carefully wove them together before using magic to transform it into a square, paper tablet of sorts. A few more strands were pulled and became strange looking pencils.

"Older brother, what have you created?" Wujing moved closer to Monkey King's cloud.

"A book... It's like scrolls just with a hard covering and square shaped." As he spoke, he felt the leather front. "I'm going to write in it."

Bajie rolled his eyes, but smartly kept his mouth shut. He figured trying to say anything about it would end with the Monkey King trying to punch him again. That had been absolutely terrifying!

Chapter Text

Their journey was the same as before. Slowly making their way across the world to gain enlightenment. As they walked their journey, Wukong wrote and wrote, mumbling about certain things.

During the night it seemed to have been worse. He was always the person to keep watch, never seeming to rest. It was unnerving, Ao Lie was sure that his friend and brother was going to tire himself out.

All he seemed to want to do was to write. Writing, and writing, changing between several different books. They wanted to ask about it, but Ao Lie kept them quiet. He felt that this was something private, something that Sun had to do for his sanity.

There was also his sudden pacifism. His bloodlust was nearly quelled, and his recklessness having practically vanished! His infamous temper and impatience nowhere to be seen. It was more intimidating, everyone just waiting for it to reappear worse than before. Everyone but Ao Lie. He trusted that this Wukong would be kinder, would be sweeter. He could see it within his wise eyes.

Then they were there. In a strange little town that worshipped a rock. A rock that gave forth pure water that could never be tainted. That strangely could heal many ailments. It was there that the Great Sage fell to knees before the altar. His eyes welling with love and hope.

"Sun!"

"Pilgrim!"

Tripitaka and Ao Lie rushed to his side, Wujing and Bajie soon following. They could only stare at him in surprise, wishing to know what now was affecting their friend and brother.

"Ah! Is your disciple unwell?" The old patron looked extremely worried.

Had it been the wrong idea to show them their special rock? Even as desperate as they were becoming?

"That! That's my infant!" The monkey demon suddenly shouted, shocking the patron and other villagers.

The group gave him a worried look, except Bajie, who looked annoyed.

"That is nothing but a magical rock." The pig hissed.

Monkey King glared at the taller demon, scowling. Yet, he shook that attention away. He needed to focus on his baby. MK was right there. Was right in front of him! He could protect him! Teach him all the things he would need to know! He could properly raise him!

"They're not a rock, they're a baby. I am Sun Wukong, the Stone Monkey King. I would know more than silly pig." As he said the last part, he briefly glared at Bajie, who carefully shifted behind their master.

The patron looked at the monkey like he was deranged, he probably was. The man then looked to the egg, analyzing it. Soon, his face broke into realization, his mouth forming an O. His head whipped between the rock and the Stone Monkey many times, a strange, awed expression on his face.

"Your baby..." He murmured, before promptly falling to his knees, bowing to the Monkey King. "Great King! Please! Our village may benefit from the divine waters your child gives, but we cannot protect them." The old patron's voice rang out, causing a few to look and listen.

Murmurs spread quickly amongst the locals, and it wasn't too long before they all bowed and begged the same. Sorrow and desperation on their tongues and tones.

Tripitaka looked to his oldest disciple, his brows furrowed in concern. He knew of Pilgrim's ego. He worried that this show of submission would revert him back to that overly aggressive demon. A demon that the Budda had to seal away with a mountain. The thing that gnawed away at him the most, though, was Pilgrim's sanity. Was learning of this egg good or bad? Will taking the egg be good or bad? He couldn't assume much, but it left a vile taste in the back of his mouth.

"But you've been protecting him... You've protected and loved him, giving him everything he needs to be strong. You have done so well." Monkey's voice was soft, as if he was talking to a child. A voice none of the others have heard him use before.

The old man nodded, having not moved an inch from where he flattened himself against the floor.

"We have... But as much as the water gives us prosperity, it attracts demons. We can only hold them off for so long..." Slowly, the man raised himself to look the monks in the eyes. "Truth be, I brought you here in hopes of you vanquishing the demons that have settled. But what you say about our divine stone being that of an unborn child!" His face twisted in guilt. "Then you must take them. The demons will leave us be once they know the child is gone."

Monkey looked unsure. If there were demons nearby, they likely would notice immediately that such a power was gone. Probably the only reason they hadn't been attacked on this leg of the journey, most of the power being focused in one area. If he was to take his child, his MK, he would need to get rid of the demons. It would be a courtesy as well, seeing how well they had been taking care of MK.

"I will get rid of those demons, and if you still wish it, I will take my infant."

The patron nodded eagerly, whimpering ever so softly. He couldn't believe his luck! He truly couldn't! They would be rid of the demons! Even if the price to pay was the loss of their divine stone, it still would be worth it.

"Monkey King... Son, are you sure?" Tripitaka placed a gentle hand on his disciple's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.

The powerful King flinched, pulling his shoulder away from the touch like it burned. His face was firm once nothing was touching him. Nothing was keeping him from his baby, and nothing was going to harm his baby while he still breathed.

"I will be able to handle it." He said, making a move to jump into the air. He stopped and looked to Wujing and Ao Lie with a faint smile. "Keep Master safe and make sure that Bajie doesn't hurt himself."

The river demon and white dragon only could nod before their eldest brother was off in the sky. They now could only wait for his return.

While they waited, Ao Lie had volunteered them to help the village, mainly with crops. It had seemed that because of the demons roaming around, it was difficult to farm.

Bajie wasn't very pleased with this, but he had the most experience with farming. Even had the right tool from the beginning, nonetheless. Wujing found peace in helping remove the tough roots of last season's crops and even carrying the heavy bags. Ao Lie was more than happy to use his magic to cause the magical water to sprinkle onto the fields. Their master held no strength to help them, so he sat with the weaving women and spoke calmly with them about their skills. In the end, those lovely women took pity on the helpless monk and showed him how to weave simple strips. If nothing more than for him to mend their tearing clothes.

By nightfall, Monkey King returned. His clothes were ruffled with bits of already drying blood. A few gashes were around his arms and top part of his thighs. Yet, he had on a smile as he limped over to them.

"Many of the demons fled. Those that stayed to challenge me are now drinking tea with King Yama."

The town rejoiced immediately! Laughing and cheering! Hugging each other as they practically shouted words of gratitude to the Stone Monkey King. Only his party looked wary. They knew how he fought; they knew how noisy it could become. However, not even the ground had rumbled or yawned, there were no screams of pain or rage, no deathly fire burning toward the sky or to the ground. Nothing but his words and appearance to say there ever was a fight with him.

They kept quiet about this.

"Please! Stay for a few days! Rest and regain your energy!" The people quickly agreed, ushering the injured monkey to their well-off guest house.

After that, he was tended to at every sigh. He looked shy, waving them off with genuine compliments. The group ate lavishly, Monkey King especially loving the sweet dishes that they were able to serve him. The weaving women had even restitched his clothes, adding to his scarf to hold the baby close to him along with fancier clothes in case they meet others of high standing.

"We still cannot keep them. It would not be safe for us to do so nor would it be polite to keep a young from their parent. Thank you, we hope you unite with your baby soon." The Patron bowed deeply as he handed over the warm stone egg.

Wukong held the egg close in gentle hands. He could feel it. He could feel the heartbeat of the little monkey prince inside. A smile broke onto his face, him quietly cooing at the tiny thing.

Watching the Great Sage cradle the rock, the Great monk's old concern grew. There was such a protective look in the Sage's eyes. He held no doubt should push comes to shove, the Great Sage would abandon him to save his child. He could only hope it wouldn't come to that.

Chapter Text

The journey forward became rougher.

There were plenty of hungry Demons wishing to devour the monk for immortality. In some way they were the simpler ones, easier to deal with. Then there were Demons eager to take hold of the weeping stone that brought such pure water, it was rumored to elongate one's time. Rumors that held no truth of course, not that it mattered to greedy, obsessive Demons.

The urge to take both the Tang monk and the weeping stone only grew as rumors appeared. Rumors of how the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, a monster to be wary of on a good day, cradled and cooed at the magical stone like an expecting mother.

Should a Demon try to take it from him, their death was quick, never getting the chance to scream. Survivors, of which were few, whispered on how bored he looked as he killed. How effortlessly he had done it! How he never chased, turning back when they were gone from his immediate sight.

As much as Demons feared the Great Sage, his love for the stone brought more trouble for the group. Yet even they couldn't utter a word in fear of those red eyes blazing with fury turning to them. Not that Ao Lie would've genuinely complained about protecting both his Master and the egg.

When they weren't being chased, or fighting, or simply were taking a break, the restless monkey would meditate. The egg would softly sit in his lap as he glowed a soft and comforting gold.

Ao Lie, always observing, noticed that when the aura surrounding his eldest brother grew bright and opaque, the egg would absorb it. On the rare occasion that he would be able to hold the egg, he could feel it poking at his magic, but never taking it. As if it knew that taking his magic would kill him unlike their immortal parent. It greatly interested the White Dragon.

Furthermore, he noticed that when the stone gave them fresh water, it shimmered like it had flecks of gold within it and always tasted cool and fresh, washing away the day's fatigue. of course, it had done that before, but it seemed the magic within the stone grew stronger as time went on. He wanted to ask about it but felt like it would be overstepping his bounds.

Instead, he focused on the task of protecting his meditating brother from Bajie.

Ever since they bore the responsibility of not only protecting their Master, but now the egg, he had grown more vicious. Whenever he could, he would blame Monkey King. It was as if he blamed the monkey for the world's greed. Of course, their Master was blind to the King's torment, who waited quietly for his unjust punishments while stroking his egg with the softest look on his face. It wasn't fair, but there also wasn't much that Ao Lie could do.

"Young brother, why do you stay and twiddle your thumbs when you can scout for food for our Master?" The White Dragon stood between the pig and the resting monkey.

In the Demon's hands was a basket filled with dirt and pebbles. The dragon was sure that the pig would have dumped it onto the quiet monkey to get a rise out of him.

"Yes, young disciple, our rations are growing low." The monk offered a peaceful smile, having not noticed what his third disciple was planning to do.

"Why not Eldest brother? Since he has-"

"Why, older brother," Wujing placed a firm hand on Bajie's shoulder, "I remember well how you had found those truffles and mushrooms with great ease!"

"Yes, I remember young brother telling me how strong his nose is. Finding food for our Master should be easy for him." Ao Lie patted the fatten pig's back, pushing him towards the woods.

The pig puffed his chest out in pride. He liked being praised. It was the one thing he used to be given when he was a Celestial Warrior. Honestly, how was he supposed to know that the woman he was hitting on was Chang'e! She rarely leaves the moon for anything!

With great vigor, he marched onward to search for food. He was grateful that they no longer needed to worry about water though. As long as they have that rock... Maybe he should back off on teasing Eldest brother about it at least.

A few hours passed before Bajie returned with a basket full of food. There were carrots, leeks, mangoes, peaches, a few potatoes, and other valuable foods. The amount he brought though would only last them for a week more. The awake members didn't say anything about it. They were just glad to have that much waiting for them!

"Monkey King," Tripitaka lightly patted said Demon's shoulders.

The glowing slowly faded as he refocused on the earthly world. Taking one last deep breath, he released it slowly. He soon focused on his Master with tired eyes. It had been a while since he had meditated so deeply and for so long, and this young body of his still wasn't used to being stationary.

"We leaving, Master?" He slurred slightly, already climbing to his feet.

The Great Monk nodded, moving to a transformed Ao Lie. Summoning his cloud, Monkey King settled himself into it quickly, the egg tucked into his lap.

Lazily, he followed them. Like always, his main attention was on his stone egg. Then with a burst of speed, he would sit up and begin writing in those books of his.

Slowly, a week passed, and their food stores were running low again. They had a day or two left, only having that much time thanks to the Silver and Gold Demon brothers' lair having mortal-friendly food.

"Pilgrim, find us some food please." The Tang monk hummed softly.

Wukong shifted on his cloud, very unsure. He remembered that around this time they had to deal with Azure. He wasn't fond of this part of the journey. Phantom pains echoing across his forehead and vile looks of distrust peered into his vision for a moment.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded and flew away to collect the needed food anyway. Maybe gain a bowl of rice while he was at it.

As time went on, a monkey appeared. They wore Wukong's face well- right down to the way his curly hair framed his face and how those red eyes glowed with young mischief- and acted much like his old self- perfectly carrying themselves and flicking their hair out of their face just like him. But even Bajie saw through the clever disguise.

"We must rest, I am tired and need more time off my feet, Eldest brother." Ao Lie moaned, grabbing the fake Wukong's arm.

The imposter considered it before agreeing. Even if the real Sun Wukong returned, he was positive that he could trick these hapless monks. Maybe then his King can return home, finally understanding that no one but him and their people would understand the Great Heavenly Sage.

Yet, when the Sage returned with baskets of fruit and vegetables and a bowl of rice, the imposter realized his mistake. The rumors that had brought him there, were true. The Heavenly Sage that had caused nothing but chaos, was now caring for a blessed rock. These pilgrims weren't fooled and had instead tricked him. He was impressed by this.

"Macaque?" Wukong's face lit up, his tail beginning to wag. Haphazardly, he gave Wujing the food before jumping onto the familiar monkey. The greatest mistake he desperately wished he could change. "Macaque!" He chirped, securely wrapping himself around the other.

Seeing as his disguise wasn't going to be of any help, he released it. He was honestly surprised by how welcoming his Wukong was. They had fought and said quite harsh things to each other last time. He was sure his King would've held a grudge like he usually did.

No, that didn't matter. Having his Wukong clinging to him, smelling his peach scent, he realized this was exactly what he wanted. Not a useless fight.

The pilgrims watched as the dark-furred imposter buried his head into Monkey King's neck, securely wrapping his arms around his waist. He seemed to have pulled him closer.

"My King." The stranger murmured, his voice sounding almost longing.

The reaction was instant. The calm Monkey King giggled and purred loudly as his tail wrapped around the other's arm tightly. He missed the other calling him that, speaking in such a loving tone.

"My Warrior." His purrs grew louder, him only shifting to press more of himself into his beautiful opposite.

The two swayed, the Warrior stroking his King's fur with a soft smile. They both were clearly enjoying each other's company.

"Um... Son?"

The two looked to the monk. He flinched as blood red and amber snapped to him. Each with different intense emotions.

Wukong nodded quickly, untangling himself from his opposite. Once his feet were firm on the ground, he took on a serious appearance. A rare appearance for the pilgrims to see.

"Macaque, my Great Warrior of the Informing Wind, we need to talk."

Macaque's insides began jumping around. He wasn't sure if he was nervous or excited, but he agreed that they needed to talk. Glancing at the stone attached to his King's back, it was going to be a long talk.

The two monkeys moved to a shady tree line far from the others, just resting there for a moment. Neither were sure where to begin. They never had talks before. Arguments that were never brought up again, shouting matches over little things because they let things fester, fights that stopped when one of them got too hurt -- things like that! Despite both being Great Sages and intelligent Demon Monkeys, they were never good at talking. They both were too emotionally charged for talking to be of use.

Yet, there they sat. Waiting for someone to start.

Wukong decided he needed to.

"I'm sorry."

The shadow monkey snapped his head to his King. A King who was so sure of himself that even if proven wrong, would never apologize.

"What?" He breathed the word, certain his hidden ears had misheard.

The lighter monkey swallowed thickly.

"You were right. We- I shouldn't have challenged the Jade Emperor. I should have listened to you, truly listened instead of ignoring your concerns. Because of me, many of our people were slaughtered. I should have stopped when I erased our names from King Yama's books. I should have... I should have done many things differently." The rambling monkey stopped, taking a deep breath. He had to be careful. He almost revealed something that hadn't happened. "I am so sorry, my precious shadow. If there were any other words I could say to prove it, I would... But I'm not as intelligent as I boast. All I can do is ask you to forgive this obsessive Demon you call King."

Macaque watched in shock as the proud King kowtowed to him, firmly pressing his head into the dirt. This, along with his words, soothed any anger that had once burned his soul. Perhaps the 500 years of imprisonment had done him well? The Shadow Monkey didn't care. Not at this moment.

"Do you think one apology will fix everything?" He had to maintain composure; he could not let the other believe a single apology would fix everything. Even if it did. "Will you listen to me then, my obsessive Demon King?"

Raising his head, he gave a hopeful grin.

"I will."

"Then come home with me. Our people need you."

Wukong's face fell. He should've known that would be his Shadow's orders.

"I can't follow you home." He moved to rest on his knees, truly looking distressed at not being able to give the other what he wanted.

"Why?" The Shadow shuffled closer, cupping his King's face. After being away from him for so long, he was desperate to feel him again.

"I am bound to the Tang monk, and if you to kill- to become a threat- I'll..." Red tinted tears unwillingly slipped down his face. "Please don't make me hurt you, my Shadow." Not again. Never again.

Macaque felt anger burn under his skin once more, his amber eyes drifting towards the golden crown. The anger suddenly stilled as his many ears, hidden by many glamours, heard the faint screams of mercy from the past. Screams of his Sun.

"The screams..." His face only showed horror. "They... They are monsters!" He cried, gritting his teeth.

"My Warrior, stop! Please!" Wukong grabbed at Macaque's arms. Was he doomed to have to kill him again? "Please! I needed it! I am too stubborn and prideful to admit my mistakes! Master has yet to use it again since I returned!" Oh, what a lie, but one he could easily tell.

"But they hurt you! Force you to follow this useless mortal whose only worth is his soul and blood!"

The shadows grew around them, protectively wrapping around the smaller simian's body.

"But you cannot attack him! I am bound to protect him! To repent for attacking the Jade Emperor and Buddha!" It was as if he was talking to a wall. The rage just wouldn't go away. So, he had to say it. "If you attack, I'll be forced to kill you!"

Macaque's fury stilled and he focused on his Wukong. Tears fell like waterfalls as he desperately clung to the taller simian. Pain and panic were the only emotions in his eyes and face. He meant it; should the Warrior attack, the enslaved King would have to kill him. And it terrified the King.

Gulping down his rage, he pulled his Sunshine to him. He could not stop this. He could now feel the pulsing power of the fillet. Not even a hundred Wukong-strong mages would be able to get rid of it. He loathed being useless, unable to free his Wukong once again. What a worthless warrior he was.

The tan monkey buried his head into his dark counterpart's chest, still crying. The stress of the talk, as short as it was, had worn on him, that he fell asleep. It had been a long time since he was able to hold onto his Shadow like this. To hear his heartbeat drumming so steady and calm. Nightmares of his past sins were easily chased away with that heartbeat and the mixing scent of mangos and plum ink.

Ao Lie smiled as he hurried over with a warm bowl of food for the stranger. Even the glare didn't slow him down!

"Eat my friend! If you have Monkey King sleeping so soundly, you have my trust."

The dark-furred Demon scoffed but took the offered food. He had travelled many days and nights without much rest or food. Though, he didn't understand what the Dragon-Horse meant by his King sleeping soundly, he always slept soundly. However, he didn't have to wait long to understand.

"Since his return, he has not slept well. He stays awake for many days, and when exhaustion takes hold, he tosses and turns begging for forgiveness. I wish I know the words to say to comfort him... He is my brother, but I cannot find the root of these night terrors."

The awake monkey could hear the genuine concern in the Dragon-Horse's voice, those green eyes being open and honest. He frowned, looking to his sleeping King, then to the stone. Brushing his fingers against it, he felt a sting of power. A power with the potential to rival the Jade Emperor.

"What of the egg?" He did his best to keep the breathlessness out of his voice. Perhaps these night terrors had something to do with the egg?

The white-green haired monk smiled softly, fumbling with his sleeves. Still, he told the Sage's friend of his panicked awakening one morning and his call for an unborn child. He spoke more of the journey after, to the town that had begged him to take the egg. He told all of it till the very moment he sat before the Warrior.

"He must've had dreams of the future." The clumsy pilgrim looked to the other, hoping for an agreement. It felt like the only explanation for all of it. From the sudden maturity to the knowledge of an unborn being. It had to be the only explanation for it.

Macaque nodded, placing the now empty bowl to the side. He began to semi-groom his King's hair, holding back a grimace at the rough texture. He'll need a proper grooming when he returns home. He'll be pampered too. He deserved it after having to suffer for Azure's own sin.

The petting stirred the drained Monkey King, making him nuzzle his face into his Warrior's chest. As much as he wanted to go back to sleep, he was sure the petting was from his brother trying to wake him. After all, only Ao Lie woke him like that.

With a pitiful whine, he pulled back to let Ao Lie know that he'll be ready in a few minutes. Of course, at that point said Dragon had left the two alone and the semi-grooming wasn't meant to wake him.

"You could have stayed asleep longer, My King." Macaque used his thumb to brush away the dried tears, a burning rage in his chest at the sight. He kept a tight leash on it though. He didn't want to cause Wukong anymore pain.

The tan monkey leaned into the peaceful hands, a soft purr flowing from him. He then shook his head, pulling away. Neither one liked it.

"We didn't finish our talk..." Wukong carefully unwrapped his scarf, pulling the stone egg to the front. "We need to talk about him... Our baby."

Macaque's heart skipped a beat. Their baby? Yes, the stone egg was theirs. Only they could raise them right.

"Yes... Your Dragon friend told me of them..." He looked to see his King's reaction. His expression showed relief.

"Good... I'm glad, he's better with words than me."

There was a pregnant pause. Then, with a heavy breath, the egg was in the Shadow monkey's lap.

"This will be selfish of me, but please become my Regnant."

The Warrior froze.

"What?"

"My Regnant... While I am away, you will assume my power and-"

"No, my Peaches, I know what the word means and what it will entail, but..." His amber eyes scanned the stronger monkey in an unsured manner. "But I am unworthy to be your regnant.

"Unworthy!" The shorter gapped, eyes wide. "Why would you think such things? Is it because of Peng? We both-"

"No! His words mean nothing to me." Amber eyes fell to the stone in his lap. He could feel it tapping and pulling at his magic, desperately wanting it. But he feared it wouldn't be enough for such a young being. "I could do nothing while you were trapped under the mountain. All I could do was feed you fruit and give you company... I failed at both."

"We were mad at each other. We both are so stubborn, I don't hold it against you."

"You should. As your warrior I should have set aside my pride to stay by your side. Yet, even now, you are trapped -- enslaved-- by a monk, and I can do nothing. I am a worthless warrior."

Wukong felt his chest burn with guilt. Was... Was this what Macaque had originally felt about him? About this exhausting situation? He couldn't let it go on.

"You are anything but worthless! You are like the moon, pushing and pulling the waves to and from shore, guiding and lighting many wary travelers' paths home!" He grabbed onto the Shadow Monkey's hands. "You are so very intelligent and wise that the title of Sage pales before you. You are strong, so strong that I have to focus only on you when we fight! What Peng calls cowardice, I call caution. Caution that would have saved my head and our people. People who trust their lives and infants with more than their King!" The talking monkey's nose wrinkled in mock jealousy.

Laughter floated from the night simian's mouth like a nipping breeze. His face was flushed a glorious red that blended into his mask. He was so surprised by all of these flattering words, that his glamours fell, revealing his glowing ears. They twitched as gasps from the other pilgrims bore against the chirping night.

"I am physically strong and handsome, but you? Oh, my brave Warrior, my Great Sage of the Informing Wind, you are more. You fight so well that it's like trying to fight one's own shadow! You make battle plans so mag-mag- wonderfully," Wukong's brows were creased together in annoyance at not being to say magnificently. Still, the effect was the same with that blush growing bolder. "-that even knowing it would do nothing for them! And look at you. So enchanting, handsome, beautiful, gorgeous, and all new and old words of the same! Your fur so beautifully dark that in the light it looks purple like you are a shadow! And those amber eyes, they are the prettiest gemstones I have the pleasure of seeing. Don't get me started on your many ears that look like delicate flower petals." Those ears naturally pressed close to his skull then fanned out again. "Let's not forget your magic. So clever and gorgeous. Powerful, more than I think even the Buddha knows!"

"Stop!" Macaque freed his hands, lightly pressing them against his King's lips. "N-No more praise... I-I might burst!"

The solid thump-thump of Macaque's tail against the ground was the sound between them for a moment. Gently, Wukong pulled his opposite's hands down, caressing them.

"I meant every word." The thumping grew more insistent as the Shadow user momentarily stopped breathing. "I have always admired the way you handle our people and how you can use your magic for more than just fighting or trickery. So, please... Be my regnant and take care of our people and child."

Macaque's throat felt too dry. Too dry and his tongue too big. His heart hammered in his chest, as if he was waiting to see that cheeky grin his Sun pulled when a prank went right. That grin never appeared. He was being honest and genuine. Such a rare sight to behold!

"But... How? I don't know how to-to care for our baby! I-I don't-" He made a very distressed noise, his tail now lashing behind him.

The tan monkey laughed sweetly. His smile like spring sunshine. He seemed playfully amused.

"Meditate. Focus on your magic and meditate." He said it so confidently, like it was easy. For him it likely was.

The noir monkey gave him an unsure look but sat like he had seen monks do and closed his eyes. It was unsettling how much he thought and panicked, the world an awful blend of too loud and too quiet. Then he took a deep breath and focused on his magic like his King said.

It wasn't long after did he feel his magic grow. It was a cold burning that, at first, was focused on his stomach and spleen, wrapping around lungs and reaching to his heart.

He exhaled, the magic deflating but burning all the same.

He inhaled.

The magic covered his stomach, biting at his spleen, squeezing his lungs, and poking his heart. It went further though. Magic crawled up his neck, pressing into his shoulders like claws.

He exhaled again. The magic still covered his stomach and touched the bottom of his lungs, but it felt different. Less burning fire, or an extremely cold icicle, and more familiar. Like shadows.

He opened his eyes, his even breathing turning hard and ragged. His body was light and warm but stiff and uncomfortable. A new sensation that brought him strength.

"P-" Macaque stopped himself as he saw a very glowing Monkey King.

The aura was strong, the color of gold, and it felt warm. Was this what his King needed to do? Is this how he 'fed' their baby?

Determined to not disappoint his Peaches, he began to meditate once again.

The pilgrims watched in awe as a powerful silver-violet aura soon surrounded the Demon Monkey. He had just begun but it was clearer and more defined than Monkey's when he first started.

"Is it not like witnessing the Sun and Moon caring for a newborn Star?" Wujing muttered, eyes full of awe.

Ao Lie nodded, a sudden desire to have a baby of his own.

'One day. After this journey, I'll have many children.' He thought. 'And they'll call those monkeys Uncle.'

Chapter Text

The next day, Macaque left with the egg after refilling the canteens, tightly hugging his King, and giving friendly advice to the Monk. Monkey floated high in the sky, watching as the dark monkey and a clone of his hurried to Flower Fruit Mountain. Once they were long gone from his impressive sight, far too soon he thought, he floated along with his brothers and Master.

"Not going to write, Son?" Tripitaka offered a kind smile to his disciple's sadden one.

"I gave my books to him... He would be able to use the knowledge in them more easily than I."

Bajie snorted, an insult at the tip of his tongue but smartly kept it in. Instead, he said: "I hope that means less Demons hunting us for your egg."

Monkey King gave a fanged smile as he laughed.

"If they try to hurt my Warrior, they will be sorely mistaken."

The pig Demon looked up to the immortal simian, a vague smirk on his lips. Like he was catching someone slipping into a lie.

"Why is that, Eldest brother? Would you kill them?"

The fanged smile grew, those red eyes briefly glimmering like haunted gold.

"I would have no need to, for only my Warrior can match my strength nearly head on!"

A cold chill settled into the monk's chest, briefly glancing to his first disciple in hope of this being a joke. It wasn't. Clearly, his first and strongest disciple, who made both Heaven and Hell fall to their knees in pure terror, saw another as his near equal. Macaque's 'advice' rang thickly in his ears as a shadowy hand roughly pressed against his should in faux friendliness.

"I hear him scream in pain because of you, not even your divine Gods and Buddha would stop me from repaying the favor tenfold."

Tripitaka would have to be more decisive when using the crown. He should try talking, at least till he was sure it was ineffective.

The pilgrims hurried on. While meeting with other demons trying to find the egg, Monkey King had a good idea.

"Brother Bajie, if you can handle these demons I will carry our things till the next town." The pig demon looked to his brother cautiously. "It is a few hours of flying at my top speed, but are we not walking so leisurely? I swear it on MK."

With a determined look, Bajie dropped their things into the King's waiting arms. He would have at least a few days where his back won't hurt if he trusted the tricky monkey. Seeing how he swore upon his strangely named child, he found no reason not to.

Proudly wielding his rake, he fought the demons. They weren't particularly strong, but Bajie also wasn't strong himself. As often as he fought demons with Monkey King, he never stayed long to finish them off. Nor was he originally motivated to do so.

Despite that, the fights took longer and Bajie and Wujing got more hurt, the pilgrims felt happy. Wujing had begun to fear he was growing rusty and worthless the longer Monkey King took care of the fighting, so to be allowed to help even with small time demons was a euphoric feeling. Bajie was mostly happy to not have to carry their extra equipment for a few days, more than happy stretch and practically float around! Ao Lie and Tripitaka were just happy that the usual arguments were gone. Monkey King was happy that Wujing and Bajie were basically training! It would make plenty of fights more helpful if both of the exiled warriors could fight with him.

The town soon came and went with only a couple more demon slaying that the tan monkey was able to bribe Bajie to deal with. Wujing going with him to watch the swine's backside.

When it became Azure's turn, it was easier to tell the difference. After all, Wukong has had several centuries to master his Gold Vision, Azure barely had five. Still, he refused to kill an old friend, his very last mercy to him, and a warning.

"I made Macaque my Regent. If you still wish for us to be brothers, please talk with him. This time, I will take his words to heart."

The journey onward still had demons looking for the weeping rock or trying to eat or poison Tripitaka. For most of them, Bajie and Wujing dealt with them. Other times, Monkey King showed why he was considered a trickster god, forcing disguised demons to reveal themselves before killing them. However, on the journey, as they passed the mountain where Redson was supposed to lose his fire, they were met with genuinely friendly bull-demon citizens.

The pilgrims were welcomed to stay given proper food and rest. At first, they thought to fatten them up, but on young demon girl revealed the truth.

"The Violet Sage of the Wind had saved our Prince from his own flames! The flames had burned down our King's home, nearly burning him and Princess Iron Fan as well!"

"My Warrior helped save Bull King's son? B-But why treat us friendly?" The Sage hurried in.

The demon girl smiled fondly at him.

"Are you not the Gold Sage of the Sun?"

The flamboyant Monkey flushed as he nodded. The girl made a happy sound and bowed to him.

"As brother to our King and friend of the Violet Safe, we welcome you and your companions."

The pilgrims were able to relax for as long as they were within the Bull King's territory. Which felt good, causing a few nightmares to fade away.

Once they left, they hurried on their way. It wasn't long before they made it to that city that imprisoned Buddhists. This time, Wukong dealt with all the Immortal Taoists' tasks, loving how angry they grew till they died all the same.

Wukong noted that at certain points, they would fight knew demons or face new challenges that hadn't happened. He figured no matter what they all must face 81 trials. As much as that greatly slowed their progress, he didn't necessarily mind. His people were safe under Macaque's leadership and with Bull King's backing, he doubted anyone wanted to be fighting them. Maybe Azure even listened to him? He did miss some of their talks.

When they had gathered the scriptures, the Buddha kept looking at the monkey with a puzzled expression. They didn't stay for long, so whatever that expression was for never came up.

Surprisingly, the journey back was easier. Less demons seemed incline to hunt them, likely because of the holy auras that they were emitting now.

Wukong couldn't be sure as everything was growing into new territory, and that scared him. Still, he carried on as usual.

By the time they were truly done, a good few decades had passed. Tripitaka finally had Wukong freed of the crown, which the Monkey King smiled about. He was worried that they wouldn't without some major sacrifice on his side, one he would refuse to make.

He spent a few more years with his pilgrim brothers and Master, making sure they were living good lives. He even made amends with Ao Guan! At least, hopefully he did. Once he was sure they were fine, he flew back home.

On his flight home, he saw a new Kingdom, one sporting a familiar demonic aura. He hovered around, unsure of what to do about Spider Queen's more overt Kingdom. Yet, he didn't see anything wrong with it. It ran like any other Kingdom with traders, human traders, entering and leaving without a problem.

Doing a quick scan, he saw that most of the land around was void of demon life forms. Likely because demons on a trade route would be bad for traders and other traveling humans.

Seeing as the Queen was no problem, he hurried on his way. He hadn't seen his people for too long. And Macaque. Macaque was waiting for him. With MK, their baby.

He remembered seeing Macaque, and he couldn't stop feeling happy. His Warrior, his Shadow was back! Was alive! But his Warrior didn't feel like himself and he was attacking the kid. Wukong shouldn't have tried to hide his feelings, maybe then they wouldn't have so much anger between them. Anger that hurts their baby.

Yes, he not only considers MK his baby, but he also considered Macaque his other teacher and father figure. Macaque was always more creative with his magic than him. Was far smarter and trickier than him too. Maybe he should've told the kid the full story or sent him back to the Shadow Monkey in the guise of 'spying'. Just something that would've helped their baby.

"I can't keep calling him that... Pigsy's his dad, he raised MK to the wonderful kid he is." His own words stung and he wantd nothing more than to stop flying to cry. Then he remembered. "MK's not born yet... I can be his Dadsy!" The monkey cringed back with a shake of his head. "No... Daddy, Dada, even Mama would be better. Even if he's not raising him this time, he deserves the respect." With that cleared, he was about to continue on, except he was already there!

A bright smile formed on his face till he saw a golden sheen surrounding the mountain, the upper part of it.

Curious, Wukong floated down and pressed his hand against it. Doing so caused the spell, a very powerful protection spell, to reveal itself for a couple of meters. Giggles slipped passed his lips, lightly patting it. It bounced not too unsimilar to a bouncy ball.

Using his gold vision, it took him a moment to see correctly, and to focus. All around him were different colored whisps, some bigger and fatter, others thinner and paler. All of them were beautiful and unique in their own right. Looking at them felt like looking at one's soul. It was strange and beautiful, something entirely new to him!

The Protection spell was absolutely gorgeous, like a silk-satin sheet shimmering with beautiful red-orange hues. Then there were the dark violet streaks of magic reinforcing it all.

"Wow..." He breathed, grinning as his vision went back to normal.

He would have to experiment with that later. For now, he was content to going to the base and seeing if there was an opening. From the way the wove around the spell, he assumed there was at least a few entrances.

"Holt!" Came shouts as shadowy spears were pointed at his throat.

The tan monkey was unbothered, instead he was smiling. His blood-reed eyes scanned them with awe and wonder, a sort of motherly pride in his eyes.

"Who are you?" One of the dark monkeys stepped forward, raising his spear away from the other.

Wukong assumed that they were the leader of the troop that surrounded him. Their clothes were darker, like their stained fur and their painted red mask was some steps away from being a perfect copy of Macaque's. There also was that gold mini crown keeping their long hair out of their face that no one else had.

"I want to speak to the Monkey Regent, Macaque Liuer Minhou." As easy as it would be to knock these monkey soldiers out, he didn't want to. They were being so cute and good soldiers!

The soldiers shifted, looking to the darker monkey. They regarded the stranger with a look before nodding.

"Lee, tell the guards and our King of... our guest."

One of the lighter monkeys lowered their spear, letting it fade into shadows. They soon followed, jumping from shadow to shadow. Just like Macaque.

"Please follow us, Sir." The leader bowed their head, but it was clear they didn't trust him.

Wukong was fine with that. He's been gone for nearly a century, and even they were new to him! But look at them! Full demon monkeys that are using shadows! Macaque really beefed up their army!

The trail up the mountain was smooth and cleared with signs hanging from natural hooks on tress. There also seemed to be a few new paths!

"You will get a tour later, Guest. Please stay near us, least one of the Shadows attack you." The leader hummed.

Those words, that usually frighten everyone, seemed to have only peaked more of the tan monkey's interest.

"Shadows? That sounded like a name. Did Liuer make the Shadows as a covert army?" A wide and happy smile grew on his face. "Oh, Liuer! What an amazing idea!"

The Shadows paused their walking to look at the glowing monkey. He just kept rambling on how intelligent and creative a shadow army was. Yet, they'll shamefully admit they were distracted by how breathtaking the stranger's enthusiasm was. How warm and safe it made all of them feel. Some part of them grew soft seeing his wonder. They wanted him to praise them the same way he praised their King.

"Guest... We mustn't keep our King waiting."

An embarrassed flush formed on the tan monkey's face, his smile turning sheepish.

"Right, sorry."

They continued onward. Where the normal monkeys used to be, just a little beyond the vast waterfall and river, stood a proud wall. It was painted green and was smooth, standing a few feet higher than the trees. It'd be a difficult jump, but one Wukong was confident he could make. But that was for later!

"Greetings, High General Xi Tam." The guards were also demon monkeys. They wore silver and gold armor that looked light, likely to help them move around more easily.

"Greetings, we have a guard." Xi Tam gestured to the new face behind him.

The guards nodded, bowing their heads to the guest. It was rare to have one, on unknown one at least.

"We will not keep you."

"Thank you."

Wukong followed Xi Tam through the small demon monkey city, his eyes bouncing around. It got to the point that Xi had to hold his hand so he wouldn't go exploring! The tan monkey was just in awe of everything, cooing at the adorable baby monkeys that laughed and played with each other.

Quickly, they reached the waterfall. Xi Tam was about to open it, but the stranger beat him to it. A magnificent golden seal formed, letting the water separate.

The Shadow eyed the stranger, who looked pleased. Only the High Generals and the King could open the waterfall... Perhaps there was something new and unique about this monkey stranger.

The pair continued on their way, the stone path being lit by purple flames and some glowing flowers. The path was more worn than it originally was in Wukong's time, but that made him happy. It meant that there were many feet walking down this way, it meant that his people were thriving!

Soon, they were in the throne room. It was grand and beautiful. Red and yellow flowers hung from the high posts; the pillars painted an amythest purple with silver cappings. The floor was a solid ruby red with glimmering gold designs. Yet, that was nothing compared to the solid onyx-obsidian mixed throne that was draped in a purple cloth of a color and material Wukong hadn't seen in the current Era. It was a far cry from the stone look he once had it, the only decor being trimmed grape vines and flowers.

"My King, I have brought our guest."

Xi Tam took a few steps to the empty throne then knelt to one knee, head bowed.

At his words, the shadows darkened and grew unnaturally. The air became thick and mellow. Then in a dramatic fashion, Macaque appeared, stealing the breath of his Peaches.

"Yes, I can hear-" Macaque began, his glowing eyes on Xi.

"Mango!" A familiar chirp reached his many ears before a solid body collided with his.

The overwhelming scent of peaches and exotic flowers surrounded him. He looked down to see that all too familiar cheeky smile and gorgeous red-eyes.

"My Peaches." He breathed, resting a hand on the smaller's cheek.

The tan monkey instantly leaned into it, soft purrs sounding from him. Then he jumped away, looking his Regent up and down with those royal-colored eyes.

Macaque shifted a little, standing straighter. Did he look good? Maybe he should've changed when he heard that a random person had wanted to meet him. He was only wearing a black shirt that had silver accents via swirls with a purple tunic on top. His pants were black with the bottom helms being that royal purple, twisting up like smoke. He wore a silver bracelet and silver decorated his black shoes.

It was loose and casual, after all, he wasn't expecting unannounced company. His hair, which had grown to his shoulders, was pulled into a simple braid and his silver accessories shone faintly in the firelight.

The tan monkey frowned, like he was displeased with something. It burned the back of the shadow monkey. He done something to upset his Sun.

"Peaches?"

Xi Tam's ears twitched at the almost pleading tone his King gave. Never had heard it like that. Never.

"You're tall." Both dark monkeys gave the lighter one a look. "You're not using any glamours, but now you're taller than me!"

The frowned morphed into a childish pout, stomping his foot a couple of times.

Laughter slipped passed the Great Wind's lips, his eyes sparkling with relief. Of course, his little Peach would be upset by this.

"But I've always been taller than you, Peaches." He cooed, leaning down to talk more evenly with him.

It was true. Over the last several decades, he grew. Before, he was only a few inches, maybe half a foot, taller than his King. Now, at his full height, Wukong would be standing at his stomach.

"Not this tall!" The shorter monkey whined, his pout growing.

Another laugh, this time the Great Wind picked the other up.

"But, Peaches, I can cuddle you more! Remember how often you complained?"

A red hue took Wukong's face. Yes, he did complain about not having enough Macaque for cuddles. Well, there definitely was more Macaque for cuddles.

"My King?"

Red and dark amber looked to the general. Their brows were furrowed, confusion clear as day.

"Right. This is Sun Wukong."

That was all that needed to be said before Xi Tam practically bashed his head into the ground.

"Forgive me, First King!"

The tan monkey tilted his head, confused.

"Forgive you?" He spoke slowly. "Why? Did you do something wrong?"

"I had pointed my spear at you, First King. If-"

"Oh! That!" Laughter soft and free let the nervous general raise his head. The First King was smiling, a magical glow surrounding him. Xi Tam noted how perfect the First King looked within the Second King's arms. "You were only doing your job! I've been gone for so long it only makes sense you wouldn't have recognized me!" He laughed again.

"You have done well, High Shadow." The Second King nodded to him. "Go see High Doctor, that was a hard hit. Tell the others to meet me in two hours."

The Shadows swallowed the Second and First King, leaving an empty throne room.

Xi Tam gulped thickly before standing to see Doctor Daiya. This wasn't how he wanted to meet the First King.

Chapter Text

Wukong made a face once the two of them were out of the shadows. It had been so long since he last experienced it, in both lives, that it felt disgusting. The shadows always liked clinging to him, almost desperate to feel his warmth and his soul. Though, was it him or were they more clingy than usual? Probably just him.

Macaque chuckled deeply, the rumbling feeling so nostalgic. Like when the two of them were just kids. When neither of them were the King and Warrior... Where they were just Macaque and-

"Peaches, why are you crying?" The Shadow cupped his Light's face, his own face tight with worry.

Wukong leaned into it, desperate for the kind touch of an old friend. Buddha knows how much he had missed this.

"I was just thinking of the past... Before I became King..."

The Regent nodded slowly, a smile softening his face. He understood that all too well.

"I know. While you were away, I often thought of what it would've been like if you hadn't become King."

"We probably would've died centuries ago... But I think we would've been happy." Quickly, the tan monkey buried his face into the other's neck. "No more talk of this. King's orders."

"Yes, my King." Came the rumbling chuckle.

The two laid down, cuddling upon the softest nest that Wukong had ever felt! He pressed his hand into it, then lightly picked at it with his claws. The fabric was so well made that his claws couldn't pierce it well. He kind of liked it.

"Do you like it, Sunshine?"

Macaque held a soft grin as he watched his King look so intently at the sheets. It was adorable. All their years apart had only made his Peaches more handsome, changing him in a few ways but leaving him the same in others. Strangely enough, he appeared more naive and innocent.

"I do..." He paused for a moment, a frown forming on his face. "Did the Spider Queen make these?"

The Shadow Monkey gave a soft sigh, shifting in the bed.

"She did. She has her own Kingdom now and I often trade with her and our Brother. She hasn't caused any problems that would need your attention."

Silence formed between them. Wukong needed a moment to process his words, his Warrior knew that. Once he was able to process it all, he nodded.

"I saw her Kingdom on the way here... It was... Flourishing and humans kept traveling in and out, some of the spiders didn't even hide their forms... Do they eat something else now?" Red eyes looked up to the other.

Macaque snickered, smirking in a way that always made the King's heart race. Even when they were enemies, he always found it endearing.

"No, they still eat human flesh, but now they namely eat those that break their reasonable laws. You can look them over after I show you our home. It's changed since you've been gone."

The tan monkey sighed happily, shifting closer to his opposite. This. This is exactly how he wished his return was.

"Okay, and then food?"

"Of course, my King." Came a laughed response.

Despite Macaque's words, nor Wukong's hungry stomach, the two laid on the bed for a while longer. They wanted to feel each other in a casual setting once again. Soon, though, they did get up and the Shadow Warrior began showing his Sun King around.

The first area they went to were the training grounds, where they met with the High Generals of the Army and Air, Shàn Li Na and Liù Aang.

Shàn was a lovely female monkey demon, her fur the color of oak and her face was painted with four dark green slashes under her eyes. Her uniform consisted of a green tunic shirt with gold highlights and black pants. On her hip was a jian sword, the hilt looking worn from use. Truthfully, Shàn didn't look much like a traditional female demon, even by monkey standards. She was big, with broad shoulders and hair braided out of her stern face.

Liù on the other hand was a petite male demon monkey, though he had feminine characteristics that most male demons would've mocked. His fur was a soft sun bleached blond, it curling at the ends that was only really noticeable from his long hair. He bore two slashes and dots under his eyes of a dark blue. His uniform was a sky-blue tunic shirt and deep grey pants with swirls of gold and silver at the cuffs of each. He, unlike Shàn, didn't carry a sword, but wore a strange golden collar around his neck that looked like small pairs of wings encircling an opal. There was a thrum of magic within that collar, but not one that the ancient monkey king knew of.

The two were cordial with them, but their eyes never seemed to drift far from Wukong. They seemed surprised to see him, examining him in a way that felt intimidating. Like they were judging him for a part in a play. Still, the monkey king smiled, talking with them briefly.

The next place was the main city he had passed on his way to the throne room. There were houses, apartments, brothels and shops all lined up and entangled within the large magical trees. At first glance there didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the layout of the city, but there was. The houses and apartments were settled near the top of the trees, closer to the middle appeared to be schools and specialized buildings that Wukong didn't know for what. While the brothels and the majority of shops were closer to the ground, where many of inhabitants could more easily reach them. The majority of the inhabitants were, of course, demon monkeys, but there were a few spiders, bulls, and even a couple humans!

"Humans live here?" He couldn't keep the bewilderment out of his voice, his royal eyes staring at a small group of them. They were children, the ends of their hair carefully bleached and dyed in a process that Wukong knew hadn't been invented yet.

"Yes. Some humans came here claiming to know you and the egg. Upon listening, I was able to find the truth and had them live with us, as long as they listened to me."

Wukong grinned, his chest swelling with happiness. The people who had protected his MK for so long were here, with his Shadow and were protected! Their children, or grandchildren, seemed very happy, playing with the others so easily. It vaguely reminded him of the cities that would grow in the distant future. He hoped his meddling didn't change that.

But what if it did?

Macaque looked down to his King, frowning as his ears picked up on his increasing heart rate. He could tell something was wrong, but wasn't sure what... It made him nervous. So, he gently took his Sun's hand into his, rubbing circles into his palm. It had always helped ground him when they were younger, and it quickly seemed to do the same there.

"Want to talk about it?" The question was whispered with great hesitance. They had spent many years apart again, would talking work like it did that one time before?

The shorter monkey gave the other a weak smile, shaking his head. He didn't want him to know. To know the truth of his history... He feared they would go back to fighting each other. He didn't want to fight Macaque anymore. To be forced to abandon him again.

"I saw the shield. It's a beautiful spell. I haven't seen it woven like that."

They both knew what the golden monkey was doing, still Macaque followed. He was sure there was a reason why his King was shy about this. He was also sure in due time they would grow close enough that his King would tell him everything.

"Yes, I had based it off the one in the Journal." He gave a proud look, smirking ever so.

A flush of pink took the smaller's cheeks, making him puff them out. He then smiled, looking up.

The shield made the sky glimmer, but there wasn't any indication from inside that it was there.

"It really is beautiful... I saw your magic wrapped and woven within it... It looked strong."

Distracted as he was, Wukong missed the flustered look of his Warrior, who bit his bottom lip to keep a preening noise from slipping out. He loved it when His Sunstone praised him. He wanted to hear more if he was completely honest.

Before he could something, however, a young Shadow appeared, bowing before the First and Second King.

"My Kings... The High Generals have all been gathered and are waiting for you..." The young monkey's red hued fur was stained a deep purple at the edges, her face clear of any red mask.

Macaque frowned, his swelling pride dimming. Why did they now have to gather? Holding back a sigh of annoyance, he nodded his head.

"Thank you, we will be there shortly."

His dismissal made her vanish, likely to tell the High Generals that they'd be arriving soon.

"Will they like me?" Wukong grabbed Macaque's hand, desperate to feel comfort. He thought he had longer to enjoy the city before meeting them. Just meeting two of them was nerve-racking enough! Meeting Xi Tam didn't count, he wasn't examining anymore than a spy/solider would.

Macaque raised Wukong hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles with a charming smirk.

"They would love you and follow you just like I have."

That did nothing to settle Wukong's nerves, but he played it off as he had played many things off. He smiled like always, relaxing his shoulders and taking calm breaths. He hoped he didn't mess this up... He really doesn't have a good track record for it.

Chapter Text

Wukong shifted his feet a little as the High Generals bowed to him. They all wore fancy looking tunics and dresses, even the ones who had already met their First King. It greatly unnerved him. He wasn't used to people bowing to him. No one has bowed to him in so long that seeing it felt wrong...

Still, he gave a soft smile and bowed in greeting to them. The ones that haven't met him seemed surprised. Then one of them stepped forward.

This monkey was a woman, she had soft brown fur that was beautifully braided with pearls and rainbow feathers interwoven. Her face was painted with many colorful dots, her lips painted a deep red in a small heart. Her ruqun was elegant, being a graceful sky blue and white top with the skirt a darker blue with a stripe of gold down the center and at the helm. However, the skirt wasn't exactly like a skirt. The way it hung around her looked more like loose leggings and the sleeves of the jacket were shorter too.

"Greetings, Golden Sage of the Heavens." She bowed one more, her face looked sweet. "I am Fangsu Xue, the High General of Magic. I am also the main teacher of the island."

The tan-furred monkey smiled, nodding to her near-whispered words. Her voice was soft, beautifully so.

Another one stepped forward. Their clothing was mostly leather passed and instead of the traditional clothes of the era, they were wearing proper jeans and t-shirt. Their fur were covered in oil and stray bits of copper wire. Their hair was short but spiked, like they had gotten hit by electricity, maybe they had. But they were smiling so energetically!

"Greeting, Golden Sage of the Heavens!" They were practically bouncing as they bowed, their tail swaying and flicking with excitement. "I am Chung Cui! The High General of Knowledge!"

"Of technology." Macaque corrected, the edges of his lips had lifted in amusement.

Chung nodded, giggling happily still.

"I am Bolin Jiang, the High General of the Navy." He was a tall monkey with wavy fur that was peachy brown. "It is an honor to meet you, My Golden King."

"No, it's okay... Th-This doesn't have to be an honoring thing."

The last one scoffed. She wore a white ruqan, the jacket part being longer on the sides with yellow and blue highlights. Her fur was pulled tightly back by a purple ribbon and her face was framed by white and yellow glasses.

"It was you who had the wisdom to gift our Silver King his power. Before then you protected our mothers and fathers. We have the honor of life and knowledge because of you." Her face stayed unmoving as she kowtowed, pressing her head to the floor. "You and our Silver King have protected us well, meeting you will always be an honor."

"She is Daiyu Yang, the High General of Medicine." Macaque informed, placing a kind hand on the small of Wukong's back.

The smaller monkey leaned back into the hand, finding comfort in it.

"Okay... Thank you." He had no idea what to say... He was always terrible at crowd control.

"We should celebrate this! We must!" Chung jumped up and down multiple times, clapping his hands.

Macaque hummed, nodding along.

"We should welcome the rightful Monkey King back."

Wukong tensed at his old friend's words. He didn't want to be welcomed back as the Monkey King. That came with too much responsibility that he wasn't ready for- that he never was ready for. Yet, he didn't have time to voice his thoughts as the other Generals started planning the party. So, he smiled and nodded with whatever they were saying.

Macaque noticed his King's tense appearance but chose to wait till they were alone once more. It took till the sun fell before anyone left, but by the end of it, both Royal monkeys were feeling exhausted.

"Come to bed?" Macaque offered with a playful smile. It was as if he had made a joke. Though Wukong didn't get it.

Still, he smiled and nodded. He wanted more cuddles, to be spooned and protected. AS they laid together, Macaque gently running his claws through Wukong's hair.

"Was it the praise?" He suddenly asked.

A flushed color appeared on the smaller monkey's face, but he nodded.

"Not just the praise... Everything... It just feels wrong..." He buried his face into Macaque's chest, but it didn't feel as comforting as it had when they were younger. When he could so clearly hear his heartbeat, feel his fur against his cheek, smell his scent...

Macaque shifted, using his shadows to get rid of his shirt. The two relaxed in silence for a moment.

"Why does it feel wrong?"

He sighed. "I was away for decades and yet they still treat me like a King... Like I was good."

"You are good! You protected us the best you could, sure you fumbled-"

"I started a war with the Jade Emperor, that ended with many of our people dead and me trapped under a mountain." He scoffed, frowning deeply.

The Shadow Warrior couldn't say anything about that. He had advised against it, but Wukong wouldn't listen to him. He had forgiven him though. Their people had forgiven him.

"Sunshine, you're still not used to being back... Give it time." He whispered, carefully scratching that special place that always got the Sun King to relax and purr.

Even now, even after everything that had happened, he closed his eyes and purred. He rubbed his face against the soft fur, doing his best to relax. Doing his best to calm down, though the thoughts just kept going and going. There was really only one solution he could think of that allowed him sleep.

Chapter Text

The next few days began a frenzy to celebrate something. Everyone knew what it was, the return of their First King! Of their Sun Protector! But they were nervous.

They had grown up hearing stories of the Sun King's great power, how he had loved his people. How he had defended them against many different demons and Celestials. They had also grown up with the Moon King as their guardian, as their guiding hand to life! He was the one who brought them from the brink of normality, of being simple monkeys. Would the Sun King keep what the Moon had done?

Whispers spread around, worried and fearful. Far too fearful for what the future would entail. Yet, they would follow him, as long as the Moon wished to follow him.

Wukong may not have Macaque's ears, but he heard them. He saw the curious and terrified looks. He saw how cautious they were with calling either him or Macaque King. He also saw how they still looked to his Warrior for answers, still needing his guidance.

He kept silent on all this. He pretended to not know what was being whispered. He really didn't want Macaque to feel guilty, but he could already tell he was doing a terrible job at that. Macaque seemed to be in long meetings, his face always tired and wary afterward.

Then came the day of his celebration. There wasn't much that he could do except let himself be cleaned and groomed, his hair was brushed and picked at, his body wrapped and clothed in beautiful silky cloths. His face was gently painted, gold used to highlight his red eyes and red painted his bottom lip.

He looked beautiful, the vibrant red and gold hues of his outfit making him stand out and his make-up making him look both fierce and soft. His curly hair was pulled up into a tight bun with a gold ribbon holding it up.

He did his best to not look at it. It scared him too much.

He was led down the familiar corridors of his Stone Palace, the hallways empty of life. They all were waiting for him in the throne room. Waiting for him to reclaim it.

"Don't be so nervous." Macaque appeared from the shadows, dismissing the monkey attendants with a wave of his hand.

They bowed and hurried off to a different doorway.

"I'm not nervous." The Monkey King huffed, puffing out his cheeks.

The Shadow Master chuckled, smiling a little. This was the Wukong he remembered. The Wukong that was confident and defiant.

"Your heart is racing."

"It's always racing."

"No, it's not." Macaque was smiling so beautiful, so happily.

Would he still smile like that when he became the Warrior once more?

The tan-furred monkey gulped before he relaxed his body. He would have to do something about that. Macaque was too precious to stay in the shadows. He couldn't repeat his mistake again.

"Fine, I'm a little nervous. But it's nothing I can't take. I'm a Great Warring Sage." He puffed his chest out, hoping that his bravado would make Macaque leave him be.

The dark-furred monkey's smile faded a little, his ears twitching under the glamour. His heart was still thundering, his eyes never staying on him for long. Yet, he let it go. They were now just wasting time.

Entering the throne room, the dark-furred monkey cleared his throat. The relaxed atmosphere stilled as demon monkeys, humans, and half demons went silent and focused on their Kings.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Monkey Kingdom," Macaque's voice rang so perfectly, echoing just enough to be heard clearly throughout the room, "I would like to introduce you to our rightful King, Sun Wukong." He took a step down from the throne, turning his back as he spoke that familiar name. Then he knelt to his knees.

They easily- quickly- bowed to him, following their Shadow King's example. The Sun felt his face flush, a feeling of worry growing in his gut. He pushed it away, instead he smiled. They were his people. He shouldn't fear them. He shouldn't feel like this.

Taking a deep breath, he continued to smile at them. He needed to do what he should have done in his first life.

"Hello, my loyal subjects. It had been a long time since I had been here. Since I had been your King." He looked at them, looked at the new faces and bodies. They were so young. "In my absence, my Warrior, my Macaque has taken over. He has cared for you, helped you grow and become a Kingdom that I could only have dreamt of!" Pride was on their faces, Macaque's being a pink hue. "I am proud of that. I am proud of what you have done, and I am proud of him. I couldn't have chosen a better demon to not only be my warrior but to also be my regent."

The Shadow Master's heart thundered inside his chest, his face warm. It was so warm. Why was Wukong saying such embarrassing things in front of their people?

"While I have been back, I have witnessed the prosperity of you. Of this Kingdom. It is so beautiful. Again, something that I could have only dreamt of." He took a deep breath. "With that, I can't be your King."

A murmur spread about, fear crossing their faces. They worried he would abandon them, this time permanently. The last time had nearly killed them if their history was to be trusted!

"I can't be your King, as I have realized that my rule has brought us nothing. Yes, we have physical strength, but Macaque has brought more than that. He has given you hope and peace. Art and literature, and many more things I have yet to explore! He has given you the ability to grow and evolve." He looked at all those faces. Faces that vaguely looked like old monkeys he used to take care of. The guilt began to eat at him again. "I can't take the throne back. Instead, I completely revoke my right it. I give it all to the rightful Monkey King, Macaque."

The room went quiet, every person frozen and staring wide-eyed. Feeling bold-feeling so confident that he was finally doing something right- he grabbed his taller counterpart, pulling him back to the throne.

"Long live the Monkey King Macaque, The Great Sage of the Informing Wind!"

He kowtowed before his old friend, head pressing into the ground. The others followed eagerly, repeating his words with pride. Macaque looked to his friend, to the King he had followed through thick and thin. He watched as those beautiful red eyes gleamed up at him with pride and contentment.

He meant this. This wasn't a silly prank or a trick for the people, though he would never trick his people like this. No, this was what he wanted. He wanted and believed that Macaque was the right demon to rule, to have full authority, over their people.

So, he stood straighter, his chest puffing up in his own pride. Yes, this... This felt right. This was another thing that he had also wanted. To be in charge, to be out of Wukong's shadow as his warrior. A secret desire he hadn't even realized he had till that very moment.

After that, the celebration went on. How could it not? The First King had peacefully stepped down and placed the King of Shadows as their ruler! All their worries, all their fears, had faded away, now they were truly comfortable with their Sage of the Sun. The Sun that the Moon had waited so long to be reunited with.

Chapter Text

As the celebration continued for a week straight, the news began spreading. The whisperings of the proudful Sage finally humbling himself was all anyone could hear. It gave many demons hope to finally take the island, and others a sense of peace. However, this wasn't what the Celestials wanted.

"Great Sage of the Sun," Wukong silently winced at the title, "you have a guest." The monkey soldier held a hard look.

This was a new expression on the usually happy and peaceful demon monkey. Whoever this visitor was, it greatly annoyed them. Maybe not even them, as the accompany soldiers and attendants were sneering just as aggressively.

"Okay... I'll see what they want."

He slowly stood, stretching a little. Maybe he had been partying too much, but his legs were actually hurting. Yeah, he should take a break from dancing. Just a little bit.

The soldier bowed to him before guiding him to somewhere else within the castle. The hallways were lively, as always, but the servants weren't smiling. In fact, they looked annoyed. Who was this visitor to have gotten that look for not only soldiers but also the other variety of servants?

He was growing nervous. More nervous than he would've liked to admit. Still, he kept his head high, his back straight. He was powerful, he knew that. He just now needed to properly protect his world, protect MK and Macaque.

"Ah, Monkey King." It was a Celestial. A high official one that Wukong hadn't met before. Lucky them, or else they wouldn't have such an arrogant look on their face as they did now. "You do you like keeping your better's waiting."

Betters. Wukong wanted to scoff. This Celestial wasn't his better any more than Nezha was, and he was just a child to the Monkey at this point!

"You came unannounced." Was his only response to that. "Now, why are you here?"

The arrogant official huffed, narrowing his eyes. They then took a deep breath, beginning to speak again.

"We have heard that you are taking a break from being the Monkey King. I must say, we are displeased with this." He gave an exaggerated look of disappointment, as if he could control what Wukong was feeling.

"Displeased?" Wukong's voice unwillingly pitched, his eyes widening at what this idiot was saying!

"Yes. You are enlightened, you are now one of us Celestials... You can't truly believe that we would trust the word of a demon, do you? He has yet to repent like you have. To see the error of his ways." He looked like he would go on, his head held too high and arrogantly.

He was beginning to make Wukong mad.

"Shut it." His words were whispered, his fists clenched tightly.

Any demon or Celestial that knew him would've become quiet, but not this one.

"This Macaque is too dark and demented as he is. He has been allowing so many demons to walk all over him! Surely, you agree that can't be happening!" The Celestial didn't even look at him. No, he carried on! "He is too much of a coward to be a true King of your little apes."

This got Wukong seeing red.

"Shut it, you arrogant bastard!" He roared, instantly having the moron hanging in the air by his throat.

"W-What?" He gurgled, clawing at the truly immortal hand. His face was beginning to turn a beautiful shade of red.

"You do not talk about my Macaque like that. He is my King, I have chosen him for it." He dropped the idiot, his eyes red like blood and filled with rage. "Now, tell me the reason you're here. The true reason."

The Celestial coughed heavily, lightly gripping his throat. Tears beaded at the edges of his eyes, as he stared up in horror. Yes, he had heard of the stories, but he thought they had gotten this beast under control!

Gulping, he struggled to his feet in an ungraceful manner. Doing a halfhearted pat down of his now dirty robes, he glared down at the shorter male.

"I am here to inform you to take back the throne. Or we Great Celestials will destroy everything."

Wukong sneered, his fur raising ever so.

"Why would you do that?" He growled, taking a step forward.

The official flinched, but bravely- or stupidly- stayed put. He looked head on at the angry monkey, fear and arrogance clouding his face.

"Because as I had said, we cannot trust that monkey." He growled back.

The tan furred monkey hissed, his shoulders rolling back in preparation for a fight.

"That monkey is my Warrior. He is my opposite, the one that advised against the attack on Heaven. You officials should know that. You should have seen how he has behaved since he became my Regent! Everyone knows that I'm the reckless one and he's the thinker! Unlike me, he won't cause... won't cause unnecessary fights..." His blood suddenly chilled. "Oh... That's what this is about."

The official's face was suddenly pale, their mouth open and hands raised in a frantic way. The old King shut him down with a snarl.

"Leave. Tell your Jaded Emperor that I have given up my right to the throne peacefully, and should any others come to force me back onto it, I will kill them."

"But you are-"

"I am the Victorious Buddha, yes. But I am now the Monkey King's Warrior. I will defend and protect my home from all invasions. I am not starting this fight, but I will finish it. So, you think very carefully and leave."

The official whimpered, pulling away from the smaller of them. The look in those red eyes truly promised death should he push it. Should he lie as well. He had to leave now and warn the Jade Emperor what was going on!

Chapter Text

"Did I really do the right thing?" The fan monkey stressed, wringing his hands over and over as he paced Macaque's office.

The dark-furred monkey nodded, softly humming. He found that Wukong wasn't in the mood for listening. Not for a single second. No, he just needed a moment to ramble and come to his own conclusion.

"No... It was right, he insulted you. Called you a coward! A coward!" Anger shook on his face. "What's with those morons and calling you a coward? They're the real cowards." He growled, nodding.

Macaque smiled a little at how passionate Wukong seems to be getting for him. He loved it, it warmed his very being, but he needed his lovely Sunstone to focus.

"Sun Wukong." He called, his tone now sharp.

He flinched a little, a hand moving toward his head where the crown used to rest.

"Yes?"

"I have an idea of what could help with the situation."

The Great Sun Sage furrowed his brows. His lips were set thin and worry-filled. The only that he could think of that would be for him to...

"It's not that." Macaque cupped his opposite's face. "I know you wouldn't accept it. I'll tell the others and do try to keep a smile." He seemed amused, which made Wukong more nervous.

"Okay..." He whispered, just accepting whatever Macaque had planned. After all, his Shadow was much smarter than him when it came to diplomatic things.

As days passed by, the people were once again getting ready for a celebration, though everyone was more hushed about why. Wukong envied their knowledge, however he just smiled like always.

One day, he became bored, so he went to the training grounds where Shan Li Na and Liǔ Aang were running drills. The soldiers, a mixture of demon monkeys and not-quite-human humans, were moving with practiced ease. Their skills weren't anything to scoff at, but Wukong couldn't help but see the flaws in their movements.

"They look powerful." He said to the two High Generals.

Shan gave a soft nod, not breaking her gaze from her soldiers. Liǔ gave a smile, looking very happy at the compliment.

"Thank you. We train them as we have been trained and have learned."

"Learned?" The First King looked to the training army, his brows furrowed.

The way they were training and fighting wasn't the way that he and Macaque had originally fought or trained. Now that he was looking more intently, it was as if they were combining different styles of fighting, but it wasn't perfect. Some moves were choppy and actively seemed to go against what other moves were building up to. Sure, it was flashy, but that was all it had going for them.

"Where?"

"From the Journals." Shan finally looked to him, her brow quirked. "You seemed disturbed and unimpressed with their training. Why?"

The tan monkey gave her a soft smile, looking between her and her soldiers. Finally, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I know those moves... They're not being performed right."

She narrowed her eyes, her nose wrinkling in a way that suggested anger.

"Alright. Then show me." Her words were growled as she bared her teeth in a smile. A monkey smile.

A smirk formed on the Great Sage, feeling a bit challenged. He would hold back, she was mortal.

"Attention!" Liǔ's voice rang loud over the training field, gathering everyone's attention. "High General Shan Li Na and First King Sun Wukong are going to train!"

Whispers and murmurs broke out, and people pushed toward the center where the two monkeys were. Wukong was stretching a bit, gently- for him- cracking his bones.

"It's been a good minute since I've fought, but don't go ease. I'm immortal, so go all out!" He grinned brightly.

Shan narrowed her eyes at him, her smile growing so her fangs were showing. He couldn't stop himself from smiling back, his being a human smile.

She quickly started on a barrage of punches and kicks. She was fast, he'd give her that but compared to half of the demons he fought on the Journey, it wasn't too difficult to dodge and block.

Laughter floated from his lips as he continued to play with her, practically dancing around her. Her face contorted with genuine rage, and her fighting style changed to showcase this. She was putting more strength behind her punches, causing the air to ripple. Still, he danced around her.

After toying with her for a few minutes, he decided to actually finish the fight. In three moves- the ones he saw them trying- he had her on the ground trembling. She coughed heavily, spitting up bits of blood. She was glaring almost murderously at him.

Wukong gave her a soft smile, rubbing the back of his neck. Perhaps he went overboard.

"Sorry..." He murmured, leaning down to offer her his hand. 

With a heavy sigh, she took it, allowing him to help her up. The murderous look in her eyes were gone, though she still looked displeased.

"You don't... You don't need to apologize... I don't like losing." She confessed easily, her eyes looking away. She looked back to him quickly, her back straightening before she bowed deeply. "Please teach me and my soldiers the proper way to fight."

He gave a weak smile, rubbing his neck again. He did miss fighting, and he had gotten better at being a proper teacher... Besides, they really needed it and it was his job as Macaque's Warrior- even unofficial- to protect his people.

"Alright, but I need to experience what each of you can do, separately and as a group. After that, I'll see what needs to be improved on both fronts."

The ground soldiers nodded while the Aerial soldiers looked at him with awe.

"First King, would you please teach us some techniques as well?" Liǔ bowed just as deeply as Shan had, making the tan monkey embarrassed.

"S-sure... I don't see why not, but same thing!"

There were quick nods and murmurs of agreement. Since then, Wukong had something to do everyday. He was helping with their techniques, giving them proper drills, etc. He and the soldiers became joking and being comfortable with each other. Shan was stern and strict, practicing everything to perfection, but even she was opening up and becoming kinder. Liǔ wasn't as in the clouds, which was ironic as Wukong taught the Aerial fights how to summon magic clouds and transform into large birds of prey.

It felt nice having something to do than just be waited on hand and foot. He felt more connected with his people as well. Seeing who they were in wonderful way.

Then came the day of the strange celebration. Once more, Wukong was dressed in a beautiful Hanfu, this time it was a soft gold color with a complimentary purple sash. His hair, which had quickly grown to his shoulders, was groomed and pulled into a stylish bun held in place by a white jade hair pin that had peach flowers painted on it.

He smiled softly as he gave a slow twirl, lifting the skirt just a bit. It truly was beautiful, and in a way it made him feel beautiful as well.

"Sunstone." Macaque held a look on his face, his eyes scanning the beautiful that was before him.

Wukong was always handsome, always breathtaking, but this... Oh, how he could rival any of those lousy Gods and Goddesses.

He grinned so brightly, a nervous laugh drifting from him.

"Isn't this... a bit much?" He made a face, but he looked so happy.

"Nothing is too much for you, silly monkey." Macaque cupped his face, just admiring him while his old King practically melted into his hands. He could stay there for all eternity with Wukong like this. Just them. But they couldn't, not right now. "Come, our people are waiting."

The Great Shadow pulled away, giving a soft bow, offering a hand to his golden opposite. Said Celestial giggled, looking embarrassed but took his hand nonetheless. Together, they made their way through the winding halls back to the throne room. Barely two months have passed and they were already back there with another huge announcement and party to celebrate it.

Waiting in the room was their people along with the honored guests of the Bull and Spider Kingdom. The Spider Queen gave a polite bow of her head, keeping her back straight however in preparation of a fight. Wukong bowed to her as well, she was a guest and she should be treated with honor. The Bull King and his wife made their way to him, PIF cradling their sleeping son. He was still a little toddler after all.

"It is good to see you, Brother." DBK gave Wukong a small smile. His wife sat prettily on his burly arm, giving the old King a cold look. "This is my wife and son, I am sure my people have spoken of them?"

The tan monkey laughed a little, quickly nodding.

"Yup! Your people were very kind. And I'm glad that my nephew has been saved from a terrible fate." His red hued eyes drifted toward the sleeping child, his smile softening. "I believe he will be a very powerful demon in the future. If you and your lovely wife grant it, I would like to help him hone those skills."

The couple looked to each other, communicating with their eyes before both gave a more confident smile to him.

"That would be an honor." Princess Iron Fan murmured in her even tone. "I am Princess Iron Fan."

Wukong bowed at the waist, clasping his hands in front of him to show his great respect to her.

"Greetings, Sister Princess Iron Fan, I am Sun Wukong of Flower Fruit Mountain. It is an honor to meet you and your son, Sister."

The ex-Celestial grinned more sweetly, her cold eyes looking more kind. It seemed he had gained her favored.

Macaque joined their side, bowing to their brother and his sworn sister. The Bull Family and them began talking with ease, Macaque retelling stories of new adventures that they three of them had since Macaque became Regnant. Wukong listened eagerly, marveling at all they had done. A few Celestials were seen entering the room, their greedy eyes glaring down at the demons.

Soon, it was time for Macaque to make the announcement and why he had gathered them all there.

"Welcome everyone. It was not too long ago that we had a celebration of my official coronation and yet we are here once more." This got a few laughs. "We are here because I have heard the complaints of many people who saw it as a disgrace to our First Monkey King to strip him of a title, when it was he who gave us power to stand up and be ourselves."

The officials shifted uncomfortably when several demons glared to them. They then focused back to the King.

"I find they are correct. For we do owe our power to him, but I also know my old friend he will refuse any offer of dual Kingship. Instead, I shall make a new title just for him, our protector, our King, our High Priestess of War."

Macaque gave Wukong a warm smile as he offered his hand to him. The tan monkey's face flushed brightly, he offering a smile to those before him. He couldn't believe that this was happening.

"Should anything happen to me, the next ones to take the throne will be our High Priestess and whoever else that can claim the title."

Cheers surrounded the room, making the flustered monkey flinch in surprise before he laughed and gave them all such a warm and kind grin. His red-hued eyes scanned the crowd, but it was difficult to focus on anything, there was just so much movement! The air was just brimming with power and hope and magic! It was wonderful in a way.

DBK and PIF nodded a little, finding it to be a nice in between, though the ex-celestial didn't smile. She knew that this wasn't what the others would have wanted. They wanted an excuse to punish, an excuse and a weapon. With Macaque in charge, they'll get neither, especially with how Wukong seemed to look for the dark simian's approval. Even then, even as the young demon monkeys tried to pull the two apart, to congratulate and party, he looked toward the King. There was a fear, a fear of something that she couldn't place. It almost made her nervous.

"You think they will try something, my dear?" DBK whispered in her ear.

Her lips thinned more.

"I know they will." She muttered, her eyes shining with sadness. "I can only hope they won't hurt the children."

The large demon nodded, his fiery eyes glancing to the retreating backs of the officials. It didn't matter what will happen next. He and his people will stand by the duo simians' sides. This time, it won't be their fault if another fight breaks out.

Chapter Text

Wukong did a little twirl in his new hanfu. It was light weight and made from pink dyed demon spider silks, which also made it armor as well. It was long, just stopping at the top of his feet with a small slit in the back for his tail to move about. Then there was his makeup! It was minimal, mostly just a light gloss of his lips, some gold eyeshadow, but the most extravagant part of it was the peach blossom flower designs over his right eye. It all made him feel very beautiful, which also felt wrong for his title as Priest of War. Well, Priestess. It felt weird having a feminine title, but it didn't really matter. Gender was a weird mortal concept anyway and he was powerful enough to not care.

Stretching a little, he finally walked out of his room. He was bored and everyone was still in a party high, which wasn't bad! It just... Well, he wanted to do something! Something fun maybe! You know, have a little adventure and a new story to tell MK when he formed.

He stopped walking, a feeling of guilt washing over him. How long has it been since he's seen MK's egg? How long has he been on the Mountain?

Swallowing thickly, he decided to try and look for his baby. You can't really blame him for forgetting about it, right? During this time period he was originally reeling from the Journey and having to mourn not only the loss of his Moon, but many of his people as well! And since he's been back, there was just so many things to explore and relearn!

"No... I'm now just making excuses... I have to be better than that..." He muttered to himself, climbing the naturally made stairs to where he was born. He just forgot. Forgot because he knew MK was safe, and he trusted Macaque to keep him that way. Even still, he forgot. He would have to make it up to MK somehow.

The tan monkey's breath halted as he stood at the top of the steps, looking into the gorgeous field of flowers and trees that tangled in a beautiful mess. But none of that was what caught his attention or breath. No, it was the beautiful stone egg sitting where he once sat. The power radiating from the egg, a wonderful mixture between light and shadows.

The Great Sage practically crawled to his baby when his breath came back to him. His hands trembled a little as he tenderly cradled the baby in his arms. A wet laugh slipped through his lips as he caressed the smooth texture of the stone.

"Oh, MK... My little heaven that brought me from the brink of empty madness and sorrow." Tears began to spill down his cheeks as blurry memories drifted in and out of his mind. Empty and worthless memories as all they held was wasted days and crying eyes. "I never knew your first name, I never asked..." He pressed his forehead to the egg, closing his eyes as more recent memories, brighter and happier ones, took over the empty ones. "I do hope you don't mind the name I gift you... If you don't like, we can always call you MK again."

A warm feeling pulsed in his chest, as if something was telling him yes. Yes, that it was alright and that it all will be fine. He pressed a kiss to the egg, letting his magic surround the two of them. Like a hungry child, the egg absorbed the magic and a bit more as well.

Wukong laughed, pulling away a little.

"Look at you." He cooed, slowly rocking himself. "You'll be even stronger than before. I'll have more stories to tell. Nicer ones too."

Abruptly an idea struck him. Perhaps he could try and find treasures for MK? Ones that would protect him or at least entertain him while he's a child.

With a little smirk, he transformed into a dragonfly and sped off to the mainland after carefully putting MK back. Don't worry, he also left a note! He didn't want them thinking Heaven was so bold as to kidnap him! Like he wouldn't just send them packing, even in a skirt. Plus, he really doubted they would try such a thing.

Anyway, he went back to the mainland, wondering around in his new hanfu. The Spider Queen had spun it well, not even dirt was sticking to it no matter how much he jumped and played around! It snagged a few times on many different branches, but because of how well it was made, it didn't rip. It was so annoying, but he pushed through it. He would just make sure the rest of his 'Priestly' garbs were more flexible. Especially if he was going to fill the treasury with unique and fun looking items for his baby.

Suddenly, he heard a noise, making him stop. He looked around, his brows furrowed in confusion. Then he heard it again. Crying. Someone was crying.

Curious and a bit worried, he moved to see what was making that much noise. The noise didn't sound human or animal. It sounded something in between. Maybe a bit demonic.

Carefully pushing aside the ferns, his golden eyes stared at an injured white tiger cub with four fangs being gold. The cub was injured in a trap, a thick collar wrapped around their neck.

There was a strange aura around the cub, demonic and celestial at the same time. In a strange way, it reminded the Priestess of MK's egg, but also of someone else... Of an anomaly that the Heavens had executed for being nothing more than a wild beast several centuries in the future.

"In the future." He whispered, gold eyes widening.

His whispered words caused the tiger cub to stand, yowling with rage. There was a wild anger within those mismatched eyes. An anger he understood in so many different ways.

"Hello there." He murmured, stepping closer to the trapped beast.

The tiger swiped at him, though he didn't move away. Instead, he kept a soft expression on his face.

"You're hurt... I know some magic to help you heal faster." His voice was soothing like a mother's lullaby, a hand slowly reaching forward, palm down. "It's okay... I want to help."

The tiger's growl grew before they lunged as far as the trap allowed them, their golden fangs sinking into Wukong's hand. It stung, but the Journey had always felt worse. He smiled to the tiger, then frowned as he noticed something. The golden fangs weren't meant for this strange tiger's mouth.

The Priestess reached with his other hand, being so gentle as he rubbed the bottom of the tiger's jaw. The beast seemed to finally realize that the pink clothed monkey wasn't the enemy. Slowly, they released the monkey's hand, pathetically licking at the wounds.

"It's okay. Your growl is worse." He kept a sweet smile. He then frowned a little. "Your fangs... They must hurt..." A weak growl was his answer, the tiger moving their head from his hand. "It's alright... I have magic to make the pain more bearable and if you want, we can go to my Kingdom... I have plenty of items that can help you regrow your natural fangs."

As he spoke, he continued to caress the beast's face and neck, keeping them calm. He finally remembered them.

Many centuries in the future, hidden from all documents, was a secret mission to an organization run by humans- or at least humanoid beings. Despite the details of everything being fuzzy, what Wukong could remember was that there were so many lives ruined and destroyed by those horrid bastards' experiments. They had stolen babies of hybrid couples, it didn't matter who was the couple nor what they were, none were safe from their greedy hands and their sinful minds. What they did to those children, it was just sickening. Even the more human based hybrids were more mindless animals than intelligent beings. In the end, Heaven had killed them as a mercy seeing as there was no way to control them nor was there anyway to bring them back from that monstrous edge.

Back then, Wukong didn't care. He pitied the children, he truly felt they didn't deserve what happened, but he didn't care. He was too wrapped in his own grief and forced apathy to care. Now was different.

Swallowing, he helped the large tiger out of the trap and pulled the fangs out. The beast clawed at him, yowling and hissing in pain, but it was for the best. He waited a few moments, letting the both of them catch their breaths before he moved a hand forward. He was going to do his best to heal them, only to find a small adorable cub in front of him. All healed too!

Wukong cooed at the adorable baby, sweetly picking them up. The cub mewed timidly, looking up at him with a nearly frightened expression. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss the cub's head.

"It's alright... I got you, my child. You're perfectly safe in my arms." The kitten mewed again, a subtle purr rising from it.

The Gold Priestess laughed sweetly, his hold gently tightening on the cub. He would have to cut this adventure short, after he sees if those bastards were still in that area. If not, he'll have to try something else. 

Chapter Text

Wukong frowned as his gold eyes scanned the empty cave. It was a normal cave, who's only visitors were animals and maybe a few demons. Nothing to say that those inhuman bastards were ever here.

A growl brought him back to the cub in his arms. They were glaring at him, teeth baring. The new fangs were already poking out, looking healthy too.

"Sorry, I'm not upset at you." He cooed, gently running a hand through the demon hybrid's fur.

The cub swatted at his hand, trying to push it away. He allowed it, wanting the cub to be comfortable. At least somewhat, seeing as he was still holding them. Actually, what gender were they?

Holding the cub up in the air like that one movie, he looked. She squirmed, giving many yowls and growls. He tucked her close to his body again, running his hand on her head.

"You're a girl." He hummed, his lips thinning a little.

He could only imagine horrific nightmares those creatures- calling them Demons would be an actual insult to man-eating Demons- would do to her. Something twisted, something that would make even the Spider Queen and Lady Bone Demon disgusted and throw up!

Taking a deep breath, he used his golden eyes to examine the demon hybrid's magic and soul. It was gentle, but seemingly fragmented? It was difficult to describe, he hadn't seen souls like this.

Running a hand through his own hair. This was going to come back to bite him, he was sure of this. He didn't even know the cub's name!

"Crap..." He muttered, looking into the adorable demon hybrid's heterochronic eyes. "Do you even have a name?"

The tiger hissed softly, one of her legs twitching. Shifting her some, he winced at the sight of a branding on her thigh. 79, not a name or symbol of her owners, just a number. A number, like she wasn't even a living being!

"I'll take that as a no..." He muttered, looking at her face. He won't call her that. But she still needed a name, so he had to come up with him.

Her fur was nearly pure white, though she was so thin. He honestly could count the number the number of bones she had. He would have to fatten her up, healthily so, when he brings her home. Where she'd be safe.

"Hmm... Liàng Bái?" He offered, running a hand through her beautiful fur. With some cleaning and healthy eating habits, her fur really could be so beautiful like freshly fallen snow

The cub tilted her head, looking confused before she decided to try and bite and lightly claw at the monkey's arm keeping her trapped. He just smiled, laughing under his breath.

Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head.

"Okay, you're Liàng Bái now. My tiger cub."

He grinned, shifting his hold so he could fly home. He would have to show her to Macaque, he is the King of the Mountain now! Plus, he was sure Macaque would know how to de-traumatize or something similar for the cub.

The fight there was a bit longer, taking till near sunset seeing as Liang Bai waned to fight and nearly fell a few times. After the near third deathly fall, she seemed to have calmed down, though she was likely was just exhausted after hours of fighting against the immortal monkey.

"Wukong!"

Both tan monkey and white tiger flinched at the loud shouted. The monkey gave a sheepish smile at the very, very enraged expression of one Six-Earred Macaque Liu'er Mihou. The whites of his eyes seemed to pulse a deep purple black as the ambers lightened in a way. It sent waves of fear down Wukong's back. He was in trouble.

He had to make it right or else he'd lose him.

"S-Sorry, My King." His knees practically gave out from under him as he knelt into a bow.

Macaque's expression twitched before relaxing. He sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Wukong," he sounded less angry and more tired, "do you know how terrified I was when no one could find you on the island?"

Wukong glanced up, looking a bit confused.

"I left a note." He offered sheepishly.

The only response was an unamused look.

"Yes," The dark furred monkey's nose wrinkled as he stressed his next word, "after we caught a Celestial spy trying to break into your room."

The immortal monkey flinched back, his brows furrowing. Did- no, they couldn't be that stupid. Not with people like the Gold Star of Venus and Nezha. Hell, Laozi would advise against that!

"As if they could." He scoffed, shifting to sit on the floor more comfortably.

"Yes, would have been nice to-"

Liang Bai had decided in that moment to make a hungry yowl, sinking her growing fangs into Wukong's arms again. He was a bit lucky that apparently the sleeves weren't as tough as the skirt. At least for teething demons.

Macaque blinked multiple times at the sight of the demon tigeress. He then gave his opposite a questioning glance, who only looked sheepish.

Sighing, he nodded.

"I'll get some raw meat ready for her."

Wukong nodded back, smiling. He was so thankful that Macaque understood him. Though, what the hell was up with Macaque's eyes and that dreaded sense of fear? The immortal Sage should ask about that, looked into it... But he honestly doesn't care that much, he trusts that it's currently nothing major and wouldn't grow to be major.

Hopefully.

Chapter Text

"Now, now, that's not for biting. This is." Wukong showed the cub a cold teething ring so she would stop trying to bite at the book Wukong was currently editing.

It had been a couple of months since he found her, and he had been spending time trying to resocialize her. He also made sure to spend time with MK, meditating with him in his lap. In just a few more centuries, he would be greeting his lovely successor.

Anyway, back to Liang Bai. She's gotten better at not randomly attacking anyone that wasn't Wukong, but she would still growl and swipe if they got too close. The Priestess honestly took that as a win. Now, it was about time to teach her what she can and can't chew on. She hasn't taken to the teething ring just yet.

She hissed at him, swiping at the ring. She really didn't like them, not that he was looking to blame her or anything! She just wasn't used to using them, and teething rings were mostly used for toddlers. He wasn't entirely sure how old she was, but he was sure she had to be at least 5 or 6 years old. Maybe.

He leaned down and kissed her head. This settled her, something that he discovered shortly after getting her. He laughed softly, gently running his claws through her fur. A soft purr sounded from the tiger cub, making him smile.

"Hey, want to see something new?" He hummed, giving a soft smile.

Liang Bai chittered, tilting her head.

Taking that as a yes, he held her close and began to make the quick trek up to where MK's egg was resting. The wind blew around them, making Wukong laugh as his hanfu's skirt lightly wrapped around him.

Liang Bai looked around, hissing softly at almost everything, but she seemed to be calm. Yeah, fresh air would do her well. He should take her outside the Palace more. Maybe take her to the training grounds for her to get rid of some energy? She was a demon-hybrid, so maybe she could learn to shapeshift?

He was just drawing at straws for that one though. Learning to shapeshift was always a hard lesson for many demons to learn and master. MK was the exception to that. He was the exception to a lot of things.

Suddenly, the white tiger cub began hissing and spitting, eyes completely narrowed. Wukong tightened his grip on her, his brows furrowing. She was just struggling, clawing at the air, focused on something further up the rocky path.

The Great Sage opened his mouth, about to calm her, when he caught on to a scent, several scents in fact. Scents that shouldn't be so close to his son!

He released Liang Bai as he rushed up the worn steps. He would know that scent anywhere!

"What are you doing here?" His voice howled, his lips pulled back to reveal fanged teeth.

Several Celestial soldiers, some of which were so young compared to when Wukong had originally me them, jumped and whirled around to him. A couple of them brandish their speared, lowering their bodies into a fighting stance. Yet, that wasn't what made the Priestess's fur bristle.

One of the Celestial soldiers was holding MK's egg.

"The Jade Emperor has ordered that you are a danger to have this thing." The head soldier growled, narrowing his eyes.

Thing?!

"How dare you!" He howled, his hands flexing so his claws were prepared to kill.

The younger soldiers flinched, their grips knuckle white.

"You are being controlled by a mindless ape, it would be safer if it was within Heaven's palace." The leader tried a placating, condescending tone.

Before the Sage could attack, Liang Bai jumped from her hiding position in the lush bushes. She was in her larger tiger form, knocking one of the soldiers down, denting and scratching the armor.

The soldier groaned pitifully before whimpering at seeing the sight of a large, pure white demon tigress on top of him. The others scurried back, trying to put both her and the Sage in their sights.

Wukong rolled his shoulders back, tilting his head up as he fixed his expression. His master's old teachings coming forth.

"I will ask nicely once, give me my son and leave. You are not welcomed here uninvited." He took a few steps forward, his arm open to receive his child.

The soldier holding the egg was young, perhaps in his early twenties, and was someone that Wukong remembered being a Guardian of Children. He looked nervous, his lips thinned as his eyes darted between his superior and the Sage.

After a few minutes, he began to shuffle close to the monkey, genuinely planning to give the egg back. Wukong knew this if Liang Bai softening her growling look was to go by, and his own personal experience with that soldier.

"Don't move another step, soldier." The captain growled, placing a rough hand on his shoulder.

The Celestial winced, quickly pulling back behind his boss. His expression looked so guilty and remorseful as he shifted how he held the egg.

"S-Sir... King Macaque is kind and more socially intelligent. Surely, we can just have a truce or written-"

The future guardian flinched back and cowered more at the withering look the other soldiers and his superior gave him at his timid suggestion. In the future he was much more confident, a gentle giant in a way. It seemed the here and now was not the case.

Liang Bai hissed, pressing more of her weight on the fallen Celestial. His helpless groan seemed to have sparked the other Celestials to fight. Thing was, Wukong didn't even need to move as Liang Bai moved expertly between the five other Celestials, easily knocking them back.

"Don't kill them. Just lightly maim them." The monkey lightly patted her head.

She hissed, but moved toward them, starting the fight this time. It was brutial the way she crushed the inexpreanced warriors. She broke their weapons, cracking their armor, and shattering plenty of bones. Their voice rung out in cries of agony and pain, blood staining what remained of their clothes and armor.

When they yeilded, she stalked toward the only unscathed soldier. He bowed his head to her before carefully stepping around his deeply wounded comrades, tenderly handing the egg back to their parent.

For a moment, Wukong ignored the soldier to inspect the egg. There wasn't a scratch nor dent, nor anything else that wasn't already there from the development. He sighed heavily in relief, hugging his MK close to him.

He gave a withering glare to the soldier.

"Next time, be a soldier and stand your ground." He growled, dismissing the future guardian with a wave.

He and the less injured Celestial gathered the others, leaving as fast as possible. Liang Bai huffed at them before shrinking back to her cub form.

After a few minutes of making sure that they were alone, Wukong collasped to his knees, curling around MK's egg. Mk was nearly stolen. Stolen! He would need to have guard posted around him, but that also wasn't good. What if all that did was cause a fight that would destroy MK?! No, he would need to bring MK-

A pale furred paw lightly played with his arm. He looked up to see a confused but soft looking cub. Liang Bai dipped her head down and rubbed her cheek against the cool stone. Wukong smiled a little, running a hand through her fur.

"This is who I wanted to show you." His voice was soft, a bit wobbly but firm. "His name is going to be Qi Xiaotian, but I think MK would be easier." He chuckled wetly, tears brimming to his eyes. "They... They almost took my baby."

He pulled Liang Bai into his protective hold, sniffling and trying his best to not break down. The pale cub surprisingly stayed still and began to purr for him, rubbing her head under his chin.

Sniffling a little more, he kissed both her and MK's head. They were his babies, he had to find a way to protect them. He doubt he could sleep comfortably if he could.

Chapter Text

Macaque frowned as he watched Wukong cradle their egg. Ever since Heaven had tried to steal their baby, he was rarely seen with MK in his arms. It was also since then that Liang Bai had calmed down, and she could be seen walking by the Priestess's side.

"Peaches," The Shadow King knelt before the other, watching as those eyes looked to him.

The words he had wanted to say faltered inside his throat. There was pure terror in those golden-red eyes. He had never seen such a look on Wukong's faces except for when he feared he would have to kill him. But unlike before, Macaque felt like there wasn't anything he could do to help ease it.

"Peaches," he tried again, "they'll be safe... I have reinforced the barrier, even put one specifically around the nest." He reached forward, cupping his Priestess's face. "They'll be alright."

A terrified chitter escaped Wukong's lips when he opened his mouth, fear clouding his ability to communicate in the human tongue.

"Sshh, sshh." Their foreheads pressed together gently, both of their eyes closed as the egg and Liang Bai laid between them. "We'll train the guards, have a few openly guarding them and have a few Shadows watch. They won' leave our care."

"T-They want war." The tan monkey whimpered, squeezing his eyes closed.

Memories flooded his mind, all bathed in red. How could he forget how violent so many of his forgotten missions were? The reckless amount of bloodshed and destroyed lives was something that he had once turned a blind eye to. Should he had even trusted them after everything he had originally dealt with?!

"Then we'll prepare." Macaque's voice drew him back, opening his eyes to those cool amber ones. "We have allies. Strong and clever allies that I do trust. We won't begin the fight, we'll only prepare and tell the truth."

"The truth." The smaller simian echoed, his grip on MK loosening.

That was right, unlike before they had true allies. They had friends that would care for them. That could take in citizens and give them military aid.

"But what about now?" His brows furrowed, desperately looking for answers from his oldest friend.

"The Brotherhood. We can call upon the Brotherhood."

"But Peng and Tusk-"

"I've found them." His words froze Wukong, his breath stolen in fear. The scroll was supposed to be hidden for another few hundred years. "I even found a way to free them without breaking the scroll. And should they try to betray us, or leave us behind, they will go back there." Macaque's voice was hard, his eyes beginning to glow that twisted purple look.

Strangely, it had a calming effect on the Sun, who completely surrendered to those dark eyes. It was safe, protective and entirely serene. He took a deep breath, slowly nodding.

"Okay..." He muttered, giving his opposite a shaky smile.

Macaque rubbed their noses together, cooing at the tan monkey. Said monkey's smile became more relax, the fear within his glamoured eyes fading away. Liang Bai decided to make herself known by mewing at that very moment, pawing at the front of Macaque's tunic.

The two ancient monkeys laughed, Wukong swopping down to smother the cub with kisses. She mewled more indigently, but she didn't really try to flee from his love. Macaque watched the scene in front of him for a few more moments. After that, he had ordered the servants to get a few rooms ready for the future guests.

While the bedrooms were being prepared, he had sent a letter to Azure. They weren't exactly on talking terms, but they each did occasionally send an invite to the other. It was more of a curtesy than genuine friendship. This wasn't one of those times. It wasn't an invite; it was a summons. The blue lion would be foolish to think he could refuse, especially since it involved his true Celestial Brothers. The ones he cared both so much and so little about.

Chapter Text

"Why are we here? Looking at a scroll?" The Lion gave Wukong a curious look, though his eyes strayed from chastity to look elsewhere on the tan simian.

The Priestess said nothing, just wrapping his arms more tightly around his egg. He didn't like how those eyes roamed his body, he really wanted to have a jacket or something to cover himself with. It didn't feel right.

"As I have said in my letter, we are freeing our old brothers the Golden-Winged Peng and Yellowtusk the Wise." Macaque stepped between Azure and Wukong, his amber eyes shimmering with power.

The Blue Lion Celestial tilted his head higher, feeling as if he was being accused of something. What that could be or why, he didn't know and didn't care.

"Yes, but it is difficult to believe that you would know how to free them. Even I do not know where they are trapped."

The shadow monkey's lips curved into a grin, a strange smug look of pride on his face.

"Perhaps you hadn't been looking all that hard, Brother, for their prison lays before you."

The lion looked to the darkly stained scroll once more, truly looking at it. His heart shuddered in fright and worry. He had spent many years searching for his brothers, for the ones that truly believe in his cause, but he never found them. Now, he understood why.

"You know how to free them?" He gave a questioning look to the dark furred simian.

"I do. I just wanted you here to calm them." Macaque made a dismissive wave to the large being, his hand reaching out with twisted magic.

Wukong shied away from the scrolls, covering MK from it as well. He didn't want to go back there, to see everything like that again. It was so exhausting and painful the first time.

The scroll glowed a frost blue, floating into the air and spinning round and round. The aura around the Second King grew and grew, growing dark and more violent. Then, with a harsh push of magic, the scroll gave what the small group wanted, clattering to the ground.

Peng hissed in pain, their back aching as if they had spent several hours flying endlessly. Perhaps they had since their last memories were a bit hazy, but they were sure they were fighting someone? Was it the Jade Emperor's army or was it the betrayer Wukong? They couldn't remember exactly.

"Welcome back." The smooth, cold voice brought the two brothers from their pain and to the room around them.

The room was dim, the shadows coating every wall. It was also cold with the air smelling of dirt and exotic fruits. Then their eyes trailed to a hanfu wearing Wukong, who was clinging to an egg-shaped rock with a white cub by his skirt, and a royally dressed Macaque who glowered down at them.

"Well, it looks like the coward has grown some backbone." Peng sneered, but something felt wrong. It felt like they were in danger.

"Peng," Wukong stepped forward, putting himself between them and Macaque, "you should be grateful to him."

"Grateful?" Peng sneered, making a move forward, but Tusk stopped them.

"Why should we?" Tusk's deep voice echoed in the room, his wise eyes looking curiously at the two simians before him.

"He found your prison and had set you free." Azure stepped from the shadows, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Prison?" Peng's brows furrowed deeply, their muddled mind trying to pull together what their brother was talking about.

"The scroll." Tusk leaned down, picking the bundle of wooden scrolls up. He could feel it pulsing with power, eager to swallow him and Peng up once more.

The bird demon took in a sharp breath, their shoulders tensed. "Ah..." They muttered; throat dry. They glanced to Macaque, who looked at him with an unamused expression. "Thank you, I guess." They grumbled.

The darker simian waved his hand, sighing a little.

"Doesn't matter. We have need of the Brotherhood again."

Peng's eyebrow raised as they glanced to Wukong, who held a serious look for once in his immortal life! They decided to keep quiet for now.

"What need do you have of us?" Tusk moved forward, cocking his head so he was watching both Macaque and Azure.

"Heaven is angered with us for not following what they had wanted. They have tried to kidnap Wukong and his egg." Azure looked toward the stone within Wukong's arms.

An unknown emotion passed through the eyes of the once Celestials, making the once powerful and reckless King back away.

Liang Bai, having been forgotten by the powerful men in the room, enlarged and growled lowly at them. Her body curled in front of Wukong's, almost hiding him behind her. The strange Sun cooed at her, running a hand through her soft fur.

Macaque maneuvered his way in front of both the cub and Wukong, his head tilting in a way that screamed his anger.

"Yes, and we need allies. You do still want your wish, don't you?" His lips pulled into a sneer, his hidden ears flexing as the sound of the past trickled in along with an old prophecy.

"We can't go that far though." Wukong grabbed the sleeve of his dearest friend, looking up to his amber eyes. Were they always so dark and tinted with purple flecks?

"What do you mean, Brother?" Azure took a step forward, bowing in a way that kept him towering over the simian.

Wukong removed his hand from Macaque's sleeve, beginning to scratch at his own, eyes down casted. The sight of Azure and the world breaking apart haunted him for months. They were lucky to have found a way to fix it. To be able to fix it.

"None of us have the power to with stand holding the universe together... None of us." He glared deeply at each of them to make sure they understood how serious he was. "I have felt his power. He is weak physically, yes, but that is only because he is using his very essence to tether the world together. To keep it stable..." He swallowed thickly, his scratching growing worse at their disbelieving expressions.

Macaque leaned down, pressing a kiss to Wukong's head. It briefly felt comforting, then it felt a bit insulting.

"Then we will make him our puppet." He cooed, a cooling hand on his cheek.

"A puppet?" Peng wrinkled their nose.

"Yes, a Puppet King. He may have the power, but he would only be a figure head. We," Macaque gave the others a withering glare, "will have the true power. It would be far easier than what we had tried before."

Wukong couldn't stop the snicker that flowed from him as his mouth curved into a smile.

"Don't we have a true army now?" He hummed, cutely tilting his head.

The black furred monkey gave a matching look as he nodded. "Why, yes we do."

The Brotherhood felt awkward, as if they were intruders witnessing something sacred. Peng hated feeling so weak and helpless, and they hated how much Macaque had grown. He didn't seem as much of a cautious coward as he had who knows how many years prior.

Liang Bai made a huffing sound, bumping her head into Wukong's. The tan monkey laughed sweetly, happily giving her attention.

"Sunshine, go inform the others that the ritual was successful." Macaque's tender voice hardened ever so slightly at the order.

The happy monkey paused in his affection-giving to bow to his new king and leave. The trapped brothers were confused at the display, feeling as if more time had passed than they originally thought.

"What was that?" Peng hissed, taking a brave step forward.

Shadowy swords were placed at their neck, harsh eyes on glaring at them.

"I would suggest you be kinder to me, Peng." The Shadow Wielder hissed, the whites of his eyes replaced with a deep purple as his iris seemed to become more gold like with flecks of amethyst.

The room grew cold with the shadowy fear of death looming within the dim light, the shadows twisting and writhing as if they were being tortured.

It felt like death.

With that show of power, the Shadow King left, returning the room to its normal dim and cool self. The three of them stayed quiet for a bit longer. Then Peng spoke up.

"What is different with him?" They whispered.

Azure frowned deeply, rolling his shoulders back.

"Monkey King had stepped down... Macaque now is in charge."

The two looked at him in surprise, Peng's mouth opened and closed a few times. They then hummed with a thoughtful idea. Tusk gave his feathery friend a wary look.

"What are you thinking?" The elephant Celestial had a bad feeling.

"Even if that monkey isn't in charge, he still has that coward wrapped around his fingers." Their lips quirking up.

Tusk made a face, shaking his head. He rather not know what was going on in his brother's head. He had a feeling whatever it was would make him lose braincells.

"Do be careful... I doubt Macaque would allow anything to touch Sun Wukong." Tusk left quickly after, hoping-but knowing they wouldn't- listen to him. But any consequences would be all them now.

Chapter Text

Wukong pulled his skirt closer to his body, his smile becoming tenser. Liang Bai growled at the bird Celestial, her fur raised.

Peng had been weird since they had come out of the scroll. Like, they were a little clingy to him, throwing their arms around him and pulling him too close. It was things like that. It felt weird and gross. Their words felt like they had a double meaning, which he did his best to ignore. Like at that moment.

"Sorry, Peng, but I have to go... Yang has need of my attention." He gave his old brother a quick bow, twisting out of their hold.

The bird demon frowned a little, their brows furrowing. Still, they didn't refuse. They didn't want to be near that Doctor. She looked at them weirdly. Actually, all the demon monkeys of the mountain looked at them weirdly.

Wukong hurried down the hall without making it look like he was running away. He didn't want to give them the sick satisfaction of seeing his awkwardness. Sure, he could easily kill Peng, but that would go against what his Master had taught, and the kid would be so disappointed in him if he knew.

After turning a corner, a wave of dizziness washed over him, making him stumble into the wall. His breathing became labored briefly, his stomach clenching. He winced at the feeling, attempting to push the nausea down. He tried to remind himself that he was used to this. That he had faced this awful feeling for literal centuries. He just needed to breath and take things slow.

Liang Bai meowed weakly, pawing at his skirt. She looked hopelessly worried about him. Guess his dizzy and nausea spells were getting a bit out of hand... It's just that he was moving around a lot more than before...

"I'm okay, sweetie." He smiled warmly, running a hand over her head.

She briefly closed her eyes, bumping against his hand. Then the two continued onward to Yang Daiyu.

The young female monkey was a strange woman, cold and kind with thin smiles and pointed teeth. She worked almost mechanically, looking more fascinated in ones afflictment and the procedure to cure it than the actual patient themselves. Honestly, Wukong had no idea why he was called to her office. He never got sick, it was difficult to break his bones, and he naturally healed fast.

However, he didn't have to wonder for long as Macaque was there in a sleeveless shirt with Yang bandaging his arm. He didn't appear to be in pain, so it was strange to see him being bandaged.

"Moon?" Wukong tilted his head, blinking a little owlishly.

The dark-furred monkey grinned at him, leaning back a little.

"Hey, Sunstone~" His deep voice seemed to echo around the bronze monkey. "Just getting our blood drawn. I was wondering how different our blood was, especially compared to each other. That is okay, right?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Wukong stumbled a bit as he hurried in. "Of course it's fine! But I'm Immortal, wouldn't that make my blood even more different than yours? And what of the others?"

The Shadow King chuckled deeply, pressing his head against his wonderful Sunstone.

"Already thought of that, and I had already found them too. I sent some delegates to talk with them. We should hear back from them in a month or so."

Wukong nodded, a soft purr sounding from him. The purring stopped for a moment as the taller simian picked him up and settled him on his lap, but just a moment. Yang tenderly grabbed his arm, tying a rubber band around his bicep before pulling out a needle. Though, the immortal simian was distracted by being groomed by his oldest friend.

Macaque smiled sweetly, running his claws through the silky locks of his beloved Sun. His Sun practically glowed in the firelight, though he noticed how thin his Sun look. His cheeks weren't as plump as they should've been, and his skin looked a little pale. He also noticed that Wukong was sleeping longer, then there were Shan Li Na and Liu Aang's experiences with him that were... off putting. He understood that his King had changed during the Journey, but the way they had described his lagged movements...

His amber eyes looked to the Head Doctor, her looking to him with a deep frown. There was a great reason she was the Head Doctor despite her oddities. And seeing such a look from her...

He would have to do something to correct this.

"Wukong, are you eating enough?"

The smaller simian hummed distractedly, completely relaxed in his partner's hold. He then pulled himself away, naturally swatting those wandering hands from his hair and fur.

"Yeah, I've been eating."

"What have you been eating?" Macaque did his best to keep his voice leveled, though his expression was extremely tight. He tried to continue his grooming.

Wukong swatted his hands away again as he began to talk about his daily meals. There was no meat and very little source of protein. All he had been eating was a few bugs and many, many different fruits.

Both Macaque and Doctor Yang looked at him in matching horror. Yang pulled away completely from the pair, rushing to her desk where there was plenty of writing materials. There, she began to furiously-but carefully- write on the paper. While she wrote whatever she needed to write, Macaque began to interogate Wukong.

"Why are you only eating peaches?"

"It's not only peaches!" The bronze furred monkey hissed, looking mildly annoyed.

"It's close enough. Is the meat not made to your standards? Do you want it cooked in a certain way?" Macaque tried to press his head to Wukong's.

The older simian pulled back, attempting to slide out of the other's lap now.

"No, no! None of that! I can't eat meat!"

Yang paused in her writing, looking at him intensely.

"Can't eat- Why? Does it hurt? Do you-" Macaque tried to pull Wukong closer, his grip beginning to hurt.

"None of that! I just can't!" Wukong kicked his little legs, twisting and squirming.

"Why can't you? You're far too thin." Yang chide.

"What does my weight have to do with anything? Especially with me not eating meat?" Finally, the shorter simian escaped Macaque's hold, stepping away from both of them.

Liang Bai mewed, looking between the three monkeys. She looked confused and her concern was so clear.

"Wukong..." Macaque stood up, his expression looked so strange. "You need protein... You can get that from certain vegetables or beans, but the best way to get it is from meat."

Wukong crossed his arms, looking annoyed.

"Well, my Master is perfectly fine and he doesn't eat meat!"

There was a twitch of the Shadow King's eyebrow.

"Yes, but he's human. And how many times had he been helpless or captured?"

Too many times and he was pathetically weak, even compared to other humans.

"Well, it shouldn't matter. I've only eaten copper and gold pellets for the five hundred years under the mountain! I'm still the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, your Waring Priestess!" His voice raised a little, him roughly moving his arms to show his exaggerated annoyance. Except the world decided to tilt and he would've crumbled to the stone floor if Macaque hadn't stabilized him.

"Sunstone," The pet name sounded helpless, but Wukong couldn't hear it well.

He took a deep breathe, blinking heavily as his vision swam briefly. He swallowed thickly, feeling like he should puke. He just forced it down.

"I'm fine." He grunted, pushing both Macaque and Yang away.

He stumbled to his feet, the stingy feeling hitting the back of his throat. He swallowed once more before leaving as fast as he could, dodging the worried hands drifting to him.

He was fine. He was always fine! He didn't need whatever protein was! He was immortal! Immortal! He's survived on nothing but metal pellets when he was imprisoned!

The world seemed seem to move unnaturally beneath his feet, making his balance even more unsteady. Somehow, he was able to make it to his room, where he fell into his fluffy bed. Tears unwillingly began to fall down his face. He didn't understand why, and he hated it.

Chapter Text

Wukong was relaxing in the library, reading the many books that his people had written. He quite liked them. They were a mixture of cute and blunt. Though there were plenty of familiar situations and characters, it was still fun to read them. He kind of got lost within those pages. However, truth be told, he was hiding.

It had been a while- time slipping him by as he slept and kept busy with minimal tasks- since his checkup with Doctor Yang Diayu, and Macaque had changed.

In the beginning, the two of them ate whenever they were hungry as Macaque had taken his role as King very serious and that meant a lot of paperwork. Occasionally, there would be a night or two where Macaque and he would be able to have dinner together, even rarer to have one or more of the High Generals with them, who were busy with their own projects and duties. But after that appointment, Macaque ordered that the High Generals and a few other high standing officials have dinner with him, one where Wukong would also have to be for a couple of known reasons.

This normally wouldn't have been a problem. Normally. However, the meals would mostly be made of meat! Meat! Before there were some vegan meals! Before there was simple mash or hot potatoes with butter and chives on top, but then started adding bacon and cooked ham! Mixing it in to the point that there was no way to guarantee that Wukong wouldn't accidentally eat a piece that had meat in it! Then there was the month prior...

A scowl formed on the bronze simian's face. He still couldn't believe that they had tricked him into eating meat! He thought he had finally made it clear that he didn't need to eat it! He was immortal gods damn it! He had survived centuries without food!

But it had sickeningly tasted amazing. For the next few days, he had even felt better. The near constant head and body aches dulling to a more manageable level...

Still, they had violated his trust.

"What are you scowling about, little Brother?" Peng called, taking a seat next to the old King.

The First King gave him a wary look before sighing and leaned against them. They were on the same side again and Peng hadn't done or said anything bad about Macaque. At least not that he's heard. Plus, whatever weird thing they were trying prior had stopped.

Plus, plus... He really wanted to tell someone.

"Macaque made me eat meat."

The bird demon tilted their head, looking confused. They then hummed in understanding.

"Right, you're supposed to be a Buddhist?"

"I am a Buddhist." His golden eyes shimmered a little more red. He then huffed and slipped down from leaning on Peng's shoulder to their lap. Their feathers were extremely soft. "I could make a pillow out of your feathers."

The bird tensed a little.

"Not planning on killing me, right?" They gave a weak laugh.

Wukong laughed more genuinely, a relaxed smile on his face. "Nah, doubt you'd be a fun kill." At the end he stuck out his tongue.

This made Peng truly laugh, them throwing their head back. With that, the two spent a few hours just talking, making jokes, or reminiscing about the past and what they missed the most about it. After a little while, Peng began to undo the braid that some servants had done that morning and run their claws through it.

They didn't exactly know how to groom, their claws scratched a little too roughly at his skull, but Wukong would admit to being a bit touch starved. He had noticed that pets and grooming were becoming a weak point for him. He would like to get rid of that, but he didn't know how to except to desensitize himself to touch. Somehow.

"Your hair is quite silky." Peng complimented, bringing the bronze simian back to the moment.

"Jealous?" Wukong gave a lazy, lopsided smirk.

Peng snorted, rolling their eyes.

"Not likely, Priestess."

The two sat in silence, just enjoying the quiet moment of nothingness. Then the shadows lengthened, and the room grew cold like death.

"Sun Wukong, Golden-Winged Peng." Macaque seemed to glower at the two, his face pulled tight.

Neither one of them moved, but Peng did bow his head. They couldn't exactly look the seemingly larger demon in the eyes, everything in them screaming to run. Over the centuries, Macaque only seemed to be becoming more and more of a true demon.

Wukong narrowed his eyes on his oldest friend, feeling petty. He still hadn't forgiven him for the meat trick. He wanted him to know that, but he also knew he would get over it eventually. They would sit down, talk about their boundaries and everything would go back to normal.

But that was later.

He rolled onto his side, still facing Macaque but not sitting up. It had the desired effect of making him look even sourer. The whites of his eyes pulsed a deep plum color while his irises took on a glowing amythest color.

It was absolutely gorgeous, especially the way his magic seemed to flow off him like thick shadowy waves.

"High Priestess of War, I wish for us to talk." Macaque leaned down to be closer to his Priestess's eyes.

Said simian blinked slowly, letting his muddled brain process what was being said before he gave a pathetic whine, turning to bury his head into Peng's plush thigh. He was comfortable! He wasn't lying when he said he could make Peng into a pillow, or a bed.

The white feathered demon removed their hand from their little brother's hair, patting his back as if to get him to leave faster. The immortal demon whined once more, but finally stumbled to his feet.

The pain and dizziness were back, not that he would dare let Macaque try to use it as an excuse. With a quick yawn and stretch, he clasped his hands in front of him and gave his King and unamused look.

"Your office?"

The King's eyes returned to normal as he nodded, turning his back to both Wukong and Peng as he walked out of the room. Wukong rolled his eyes, doing his best to not be amused by how pouty his oldest friend was being. Yet, he couldn't help but give his brother a wrinkled nose look as he left, hearing Peng snort behind him.

He and Macaque walked down the winding halls that bustled with life and chatter. Expensive cloths and vases seemed to decorate each corner, vines and roots wrapping around the pillars and beams breathing in an air of freedom and wilderness.

Then the iron door closed, briefly trapping them in the King's domain. Pale purple flames sparked to life before they glowed a more traditional red-white hue, pushing the darkness and shadows into the furthest corners of the room. A room that looked mostly well-kept if it wasn't for the mountain of scrolls, leather bound books, and maps pinned to the wall with slips of paper attached to certain areas.

It looked so much like Macaque's theatre room.

Oh! When was the last time he had seen one of Macaque's plays? He should ask about that.

"Sun Wukong, my Warring Priestess."

Said simian looked to his King, face lightly flushed. He then noticed how the glow had returned to the other's eyes. Gulping, he moved to bow on his knees. Macaque was angry with him, he knew that and even as annoyed he was with him, he didn't want him to be upset with him.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, pressing his forehead to the floor.

"For." There was an edge to the younger monkey's voice that made the older's tail flick nervously.

"I-I don't know... I just don't want you to be upset with me... I'm not angry anymore either..." He kept his gaze down, gritting his teeth a little.

The dark furred demon sighed heavily, kneeling before his first King. Tenderly, he lifted Wukong's chin so they could look at each other.

"Peach, I'm just worried." The anger was gone, but his face was still tight.

"But I'm immortal, Mango." Wukong melted into the hold, his eyes slowly dropping.

"Yet you are so much weaker than you had ever been." A second hand cupped his cheek, bringing him closer.

"No, I'm not." The immortal whined, attempting to pull away, yet he was too weak to do so. To weak to the loving touch of his Shadow warrior.

"Please, Wukong, my beautiful King, my Celestial, just listen. You promised you'd listen."

Shimmering red eyes gazed into amber. Tears burned, making it difficult to see properly.

"But I can't. I promised my Master-"

"But he's dead!" Desperation clung to his words.

"I'm a Buddhist, I can't betray my vow..."

Macaque pulled Wukong into his lap, pressing their heads together. His tail was firmly wrapped around the other's waist, letting his hands caress and stroke every part of his Sun he dared. His Sun only sighed sweetly, melting into his hold, his hands grasping at his tunic shirt.

"Just once a month. At least once a month, that's all I'm asking."

He was so desperate, his touch becoming frantic, gently squeezing at Wukong's hips, stomach, and biceps. The bronze monkey's lips wobbled, him squeezing his eyes tightly closed.

"But you tricked me. You've tried to..."

"It's for you betterment, for your health. Please, just compromise with me."

Tears dripped down Wukong's chin as he buried his head into Macaque's neck, letting his comforting scent of mangos, ink, and rain drown him. The two just sat there, holding each other desperately. There were no more words that could be spoken to change either one's mind on it.

With a heavy heart and a deep sob, the Sun King finally answered.

"Okay. I'll compromise."

Chapter Text

(Not mine! Found it on Pinetrest)

It was a celebration. Word had spread of Wukong's lack of protein, which didn't leave the island, so the word that he was finally going to eat meat was something new!

Like the other times of celebration, it was strangely stressful. The pulling of his arms and attention, the demands for him to train and play... As much as he loved the attention of his people, it was just becoming too much!

Often times, he found himself hiding out in the library with Peng. Actually, the whole preparation time, the two had been spending more and more time together. Peng was there whenever the dizzy spells appeared, helping him keep upright. They were also there whenever he needed to rant about whatever crossed his mind, especially if it was overwhelming.

The two shared plenty of laughs and snacks, Wukong was even able to semi-teach the bird demon how to groom! They were still terrible at it compared to someone like Macaque, but it still was touch. A friendly touch that brothers could do.

"Peng! Look at this!" Wukong was grinning like a madman, twirling and practically dancing.

The skirt wrapped around his legs, making it appear as if the embroidered blossoms were dancing in the wind. His fingers grasped at the edge of the long sleeves, the sleeves floating around him like fallen petals or feathers. The deep marron red color complemented his soft, bronze-gold fur, highlighting the pinkish-red undertones of it. Even the way the deep bronze dai tightly wrapped around his waist, just added to the Sun Sage's everlasting beauty.

The bird demon hummed in awe, blinking in surprise. Sure, they have been seeing their violent brother wearing more and more hanfus and different types of dresses, but this was something else. It was as if they were seeing one of the fertility Goddesses or a beauty from one of Heaven's courtesan houses.

"My word." They finally spoke when they saw how the glowing simian became bashful and nervous under their silence. "You looking gorgeous, brother."

Wukong smiled again, giving a prideful and happy chitter, tailing swishing playfully behind him.

"Thank-"

His legs gave out.

Peng captured Wukong in their arms, holding the younger close to them. He breathed heavily, head aching and swimming, vision pulling in and out. His tried to breath but it was like he had several mountains laying on top of him. It also seemed like he was being passed from one pair of arms to another, or was it snatched? He couldn't tell, his body growing numb and distant.

"Sunshine, can you please open your eyes? Please..." That was Macaque's voice, he sounded so desperate.

"Moonshine?" His voice sounded distant, croaky too.

"Sunstone!"

"Mama!"

Mama?!

Blinking away the fog, Wukong sat up looking between his worried War-King and a... child? The child had to be a demon of sorts with white puffy-curly hair that seemed to reach her- he's assuming they're a girl by the squeaky voice- midback, no one had that kind of white hair. She was currently wearing a purple and gold yi with white ku that were lined with black stripes. The most notable thing about her, was her mismatched eyes, one being a celestial blue and the other being an earthy green.

"Mama?" Her slender and calloused hands grasped at Wukong's, her brows knitting together with her cat-like ears twitching back. Oh, he missed the ears, definitely a demon then.

"What?" He looked to Macaque for answers, his own brows furrowed. Though, he didn't pull his hand away from the child's. She just felt so tiny, needing to be protected.

"It's Liang Bai. She's learned to change into a human form."

Wukong's eyes widen as they snapped back to her. Oh, he could see it now! They had the same little pouty look! And when he looked throw his gold vision, he saw how her magic was the same too! Though, it looked a little older, maturer? Whatever the word it was to be, it was slightly different.

Moving his free hand, he patted her head, rubbing her ears.

"What a wonderful job!" He chittered, smiling brightly for her.

Her sadden looked brightened a little, the tension in her shoulders dropping. With a determined look, she hopped into his bed and curled into his side, 'stealing' some of his warmth.

"You've been asleep for a while..." She murmured, playing the long sleeves of her yi.

"Awhile?" He looked back to Macaque.

"Just for a couple of days." The Shadow King's expression was clear. Whether Wukong was ready or not, he was going to be eating meat that day.

"Okay." He sighed lowly, wrapping his arms around his tiger cub. He will finally relent to say that was dangerous, to say that he needed to eat meat.

The look that Macaque gave, the happiness that shone within his amber eyes, Wukong practically melted. Loud purrs rumbled from within his chest, him pulling Liang Bai closer as he began to groom her puffy hair.

She gave her feline chirp, leaning her head back with her eyes closed. For a little while, it was just the three of them, enjoying the quiet. Then a knock sounded at his door.

"Enter." Macaque's voice seemed to echo from the shadows, encasing the room and more with his commanding voice.

The door opened and a servant bowed to the three of them.

"Dinner is ready, My King."

The dark simian nodded, standing up. He turned to gaze at Wukong, his lips pulling into a somewhat strange smile- it was more triumph fang than sweetness.

"Do you need help standing, my Peach?" He reached out a hand.

The small tiger cub giggled, her lips also pulling into a fanged grin, the slits of her eyes widening. She jumped from the bed, clumsily straightening her yi and ku. She wetted her lips as she looked expectingly to Wukong.

Said simian gave a nervous laugh, grabbing onto the awaiting hand. Something in his stomach felt off. Like he was walking into a trap, but that couldn't be right. He was with Macaque! Macaque was safe! He was... Safe, right?

"High Priestess! Welcome!" Cheered Liu Aang, his grin almost as wide as Cui Chung's, who waved almost like a madman to get his attention.

The bronze-gold monkey laughed, his gold eyes brimming with happiness.

"Hello!" He chirped, pulling away from Macaque's arm. He was glad he was given a moment to change into his new red hanfu. He quite liked how it felt on him. If he was more honest, he would also say he liked how Macaque's eyes barely strayed from him.

Quickly, the room was filled with discussion, gold eyes jumping from person to person, laughing and wondering all the same. Then he noticed his old brothers, Azure and Tusk, being uncharacteristically silent. Their eyes were glued to their empty plates.

"Macaque," Wukong turned to his oldest friend, gently grabbing onto his bicep- when did his slender Macaque gain muscle?- "where's Peng? Shouldn't they be here?"

The nearby monkey officials chittered in laughter, as if their Priestess had said a joke. Their dark eyes turned gleefully toward the stiffening lion and elephant, too wide grins on their lips. Wukong only became more confused. Those didn't look like the usual tight-lipped smiles; they looked almost feral and threatening...

"They should be here soon." Macaque waved off the concern, leaning close to his First King. "Dressed to the Heavens, I am assured." His nose wrinkled in the way it always did when he made a subtle joke/insult.

Usually Wukong was in on those, but this time he was left in Macaque's domain. Not wanting his friend to feel like he wasn't understanding him, he laughed softly, tilting his head with a peaceful grin.

"That does sound like them." He supplied instead.

Before more talk could happen, the main course appeared. A finely seasoned and golden skinned bird was placed before the King and his highest officials. The bird was big, big enough that Wukong couldn't tell what kind it was. It was likely a demon bird, which even the non-intelligent ones could get quite big. Though, he vaguely remembered how delicate and delicious they tasted, and this one smelled just divine.

The bird was big enough for everyone to get a decent sized portion of it, along with a helping side of potatoes, rice and some broth that Wukong didn't know the name of. Though it did hold a fruity scent that he instantly fell in love with.

"Dig in!" Macaque waved his hand.

The room was filled with chitters and snickers, a few officials near Azure and Tusk lightly jabbing their sides, trying to get them to eat. They didn't even touch the broth.

Wukong tilted his head at them, curious and confused on why they were refusing to eat. They had never refused to eat before... He looked worriedly down at his own plate.

"Sunstone?" Macaque placed a hand over his.

"Where's Peng?" Golden eyes looked around the room, trying to spot the white feathered demon.

"He's here with us in spirit, my dear." That only seemed to confuse the shorter monkey more. "I was just told he had other... commitments as of now. But don't worry, he has gifted us a few things." Macaque smiled sweetly, lifting Wukong's discarded chopstick for slice of maybe chicken.

The older simian looked at it hesitantly, but didn't resist to keep his mouth close. He knew it was meat this time, so what could his Plum really hide?

The Shadow King grinned with sadistic fangs as he watched his beloved Sun's face glow in surprise. The chopsticks in his hand were snatched away as the golden monkey began to eagerly consume Peng's gift. Then he stopped, looking to their uneating brothers.

"Azure, Tusk, why aren't you eating? It's absolutely delicious!" He cheered, giving them an encouraging smile.

"Yes, brothers, why aren't you enjoying the meal?" Macaque hummed, leaning his head into his hand with a snickering look.

Wukong just gave him an unimpressed look. There was a joke going on between them that he wasn't understanding and at this point, he didn't want to.

The two looked a little sick as they slowly began to eat. Their faces scrunching in looks of almost disgust. It was a strange look, like they were disgusted with themselves.

Wukong ignored them, just happily eating the meal. He turned to Macaque grinning brightly.

"Who knew that Peng could cook so well!"

Laughter erupted from some of the monkeys, their laughter was high pitched and echoing, their eyes gleaming with a near feral light. The bronze-gold monkey chuckled under his breath, though he flashed Macaque a confused look.

Did someone tell a joke?

Macaque simply leaned over, pressing a friendly kiss to Wukong's head.

"Don't worry, My Priestess." He pressed another kiss, this one at the corner of the shorter simian's mouth.

A red hue colored upon the Sun Monkey's cheeks, making him smile so shyly at his food. Oh, who cares about why his brothers were acting weird, he should just enjoy the meal.

Chapter Text

"Brother Azure, have you seen Brother Peng?" Wukong held the most innocent expression of concern and confusion, a hand gently grabbing the large Lion Celestial's bicep.

A grimace formed on his large face. He seemed wary of something, eyes darting to the shadows.

"Azure?" Wukong leaned closer, concern growing.

The Celestial opened his mouth to answer, but he was never given the second as Macaque appeared behind the Priestess.

"My Sunshine," the dark simian purred, wrapping his arms around the other's waist. "I hear you're looking for that Peng still?" He hummed, laying head head on the shorter's shoulder.

"Yeah... He's been gone-"

"Well, the bird has given us a gift. Do you want to see it?" As Macaque interrupted, he curled around Wukong, blocking Azure from his innocent eyes.

"Gift?"

The golden furred monkey tilted his head. Peng had left them another gift? They were being awfully kind...

"Brother-" Azure reached out a hand, but froze when Macaque turned to look at him.

The two stared at each other with a tense air surrounding them. Despite Azure having the bigger and meater stature, Macaque had  grown considerably stronger and far more demented in the past centuries.

Azure bowed, his lips sealed tight.

The Shadow King smirked a little before he began to gently push Wukong somewhere else.

"Come on, I want to show you it."

The Sun Sage was very confused but chose to ignore what was happening. He was sure it was just them both being bitter about the past. He also wasn't exactly close with Azure as he was in the past either. The Lion's pride, ego, and ambitions had made their past interactions, and his uncertain future, sour.

A flash of silver and gold brought the wondering Sage back to the new present, blinking a little. He tilted his head as he was shown a lovely comforter. It was made from pure white silk with gold thread embroidered to look like little suns.

"W-What?" He reached to it, recognizing the Spider Queen's talent.

He then noticed that there was more. Paired with the comforter was a matching pillow set, with the corners being embroidered with peach blossoms. Then there was a very feathered hanfu, silver and gold feathers carefully woven together.

Even without his Gold Vision he could tell that the feathers were from the missing Brother.

"Peng had gifted some of his feathers, so I had asked The Queen of Spiders to make these for you." Macaque looked sheepish, his gaze not meeting his beloved Sun.

A red hued overtook Wukong's face, a bright and bashful smile on his face.

"W-Wow... A gift from both you and Peng?" His smile grew as had his blush. His tail whipped back and forth, occasionally flicking into a heart. "Thank you, Mango!" He shied away.

Macaque laughed sweetly, leaning down give Wukong an eskimo kiss. The smaller simian purred loudly, his tail forming another heart.

"I'll tell the servants to remake your bed... And do you want to try on the hanfu?" He handed the comforter and pillows to shadow clones, already grabbing the feathered hanfu.

"Okay!" He chittered happily, tenderly taking the clothes. He held them close to his chest, a bright smile on his face. He then went into another room to change.

The dark furred simian sat back, a smile on his face.  He really wanted to see how Wukong would look in his gift. He knew that his beloved son looked best in golds and reds, but he really wanted to see if silver could be a part of that. If not, then he'll just ask the Spider Queen to stain the silver feathers red and pink.

"My Moon..." Wukong was bowing his head, fiddling with the silver feather.

Macaque blinked a few times as he stared at the glowing simian before him. Silver and gold definitely suited someone so magnificent. Someone so-

"Perfect." A hot glow reached the shorter's ears. "You look absolutely divine."

A shy giggle escaped the other, his chest feeling so warm. He really liked this gift.

"Thank you..." He gave an experimental twirl, soft laughter following as the feathers tickled him a bit. "This feels wonderful... Imma show the others?" He looked to his King, a silent desire to know if that was okay.

The Shadow King grinned, nodding his head.

"Go on, let them know that Peng is a part of the gift too." He cooed.

That was exactly what he did, dancing and twirling in the glimmering hanfu. He was far too happy and excited about the new outfit to have noticed their tense looks.

"Isn't Peng nice?" He chirped, still looking at the beautifully woven hanfu.

"Yes... He's nice..." Tusk placed a hand on Azure's shoulder as he spoke, a grimace of a smile forming.

Wukong opened his mouth to ask about the weird look, likely to tease them for being jealous, but then demon monkeys hurried to him. They were all chittering chattering about how beautiful and elegant he looked, a few ueging him to give them a spin.

The glowing monkey laughed nervously before doing as they wanted.

A few days later, Wukong stopped Macaque. He was once again growing concerned about where Peng was. Surely whatever was important was finished now?

Yet, that wasn't where their conversation went.

"My Celestial, I want to show you something that I've been working on." Macaque looked strangely eager for whatever reason.

Curious, the gold simian pushed Peng out of his mind to follow his King. The two ended up in a small cave within their home, an orchard of mangos and plum stood before him in vast numbers. But these weren't ordinary mangos and plums, each were glowing with both celestial and demonic power. The mangos held a solid silvery hue, a few of the orangy fruit having grey stripes within their skins. The plums on the other hand glowed a sharp violet, the deep purple skins crackled with amethyst shades.

"Wow!" Wukong took a tentative step forward, looking at the fruits. "How?" He whipped his head to the taller monkey.

"A lot of work, but I tried breeding the powers of the Immortal Peach into other fruits." He smiled, plucking a ripe silver mango. "Only eat the mangoes." He warned.

The golden simian tilted his head in confusion. He tenderly took the glowing fruit, feeling the familiar pulse of magic that always came and surrounded the Immortal Peaches.

"Why?" He looked to the plums, reaching out to pluck one. Not to eat of course! He'll listen to Macaque when he says something like that. Except, a tan hand with black fur stopped him from touching it.

"Because of their powers." Macaque pulled Wukong's calloused hand back, gently rubbing it. "The mangoes can heal and rejuvenate people, reverting their age back by thirty or sixty years. Depends on whether they eat all of it or only half of it." The Shadow user shrugged, his ears twitching at the excited gasp of wonder. "And I do mean heal. It can cure any number of poisons and inflictions. Returning the devourer to the former strength, magic and all."

"So, it's much better than the Peaches?" He chittered, looking at the silver fruits in true awe. He then furrowed his eyebrows. "Then the Plums?"

"Poison." Was the only response. He only continued when he saw the wide-eyed look from his beloved Sun. "Unbearable poison with no way to manufacture a cure. Only the Immortal Peaches and the Silver Mangos have the ability to counteract it."

"How... How do you know all of this?" A guilty feeling began to spread throughout Wukong's gut. He wanted to throw up.

A sad grimace appeared on the taller simian's face.

"I experimented. Some of the volunteers didn't make it..." His tone was somber.

"They were honored right?"

"All those that had volunteered were honored." He echoed.

Wukong looked back to the dark plums, holding the mango close to him.

"What if we combined the three?" He muttered.

"I will let Doctor Yang Daiyu and Priestess Xue Fangsu know." He cooed, kissing his Peach's forehead. "Want to take a bite? I'm sure that we could begin selling this to the mainland."

Wukong scoffed jokingly as he took a bite of the fruit. His nose twitched a little at the flavor. It was sweeter than normal mangoes, a bit tangier if that made any sense. But he was hungry and when had he ever turned down food given to him by Macaque? Not pending a future that hasn't happened, nor when he was tricked into eating meat.

He then blinked a little, feeling a strange tingling sensation in his hands and forehead. He didn't want to release the glamour on his head, so he instead looked down to his hands. There, the many and many callouses and scars were fading. The scars and callouses he had earned before any of his immortalities.

When the tingling sensation faded, his callouses were completely gone and his scars had nearly faded into nothing. Rubbing his hands together, he flinched at how soft they felt. He doesn't ever remember a time when his hands were so soft. They had to have been at one point, but he couldn't remember that point.

"There we go." Macaque took the healed hands, smiling at them. "I know you're hiding more. I've heard the fights and how violent they had gotten... From what I've learned of the Peaches, there's only so much they can help heal..." He looked into Wukong's tear filled eyes, a hand tenderly cupping his cheek. "Is... Is this okay?"

The tears fell as Wukong leaned into his wonderful opposite.

"Y-Yeah... This is okay." He murmured wetly.

The two smiled at each other, just enjoying their moment. Then they left to do other important things.

Barely a week passed before he was summoned to the throne room for a meeting of sorts. It was there that he reacquainted himself with Nezha. The Protector looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes and his hair looked frazzled. Yet, he stood tall and with authority.

Wukong gave a brief smile to him before turning his attention to his King. He kowtowed before the dark simian, feeling his amber eyes on him.

"You have summoned me, my King." He moved to sit up, still kneeling before his oldest friend.

There was a strange fire within Macaque's eyes, the edges of his lips quirked up. He then spoke clearly, his voice practically wrapping around Wukong's body, filling his head with only him.

"I have summoned you as this Celestial has information that would be impertinent for us to know."

Wukong pressed his head low once more before gracefully standing up. He glided over to stand behind his King, silently snickering at the barely contained bewildered look on the Celestial's face!

"You may speak now." Macaque waved his hand, snapping the older deity out of his shock.

"The Jade Emperor is planning an attack."

"Is he now?" The dark simian huffed, his eyes narrowing. Unlike before, they were far more prepared and powerful.

"Yes, but he is willing," Nezha looked like he just sucked on a lemon, "to call it off if you reinstate Wukong as the rightful King."

"Why is he still obsessing over that? Do they really want me to be their puppet soldier?" Wukong couldn't help the anger in his voice, a hand naturally grabbing onto Macaque's shoulder. Were they so obsessed with forcing him to kill his Moon?

The Lotus prince shook his head, his eyes falling to the floor.

"You're... You're not entirely incorrect in your statement, but... They want someone to blame."

"Blame?" The shadows lengthened in threat.

"Yes... Everyone knows of Sun Wukong's temper, of his recklessness and carelessness. He is still known as a thief and a trickster, and many other things. His powers of shapeshifting and trickery have only been..." He stopped, again looking like he sucked on a lemon.

Wukong froze, an icy feeling running down his spine. He had so many enemies after the Journey. So many fights over something he didn't do, something that he didn't understand...

"You're saying that they wanted to use Wukong's past to do as they pleased? To piss off whoever they want and be consequence free?" The shadows writhed, Wukong's beginning to circle around him in a form of protection.

"Yes." The guilty and disgusted look on Nezha never went away.

"Then why not do it now?" The growl was barely above a whisper, but the aggravated darkness echoed it into everything.

For a long moment, the black-haired Celestial stayed silent, eyes glued to the floor. He kind of looked like a child being scolded by their parent. Then he looked up, a new fire burning in those tired eyes.

"Because everyone knows that he won't do a thing without your say. And they believe many of the growing Demon Kingdoms would break their alliance, weakening the Flower Kingdom enough for them to take its knowledge for their own."

The Sun Sage hissed, his blood boiling. Were those Celestials idiots? Oh! He had words! He had the temper to do something about this slight!

Macaque grabbed his waist, pulling Wukong into lap. They both knew the older simian could escape at any point in time but didn't. Instead, he relaxed into the Shadow King, turning his head to nuzzle under his Moon's chin. He wanted comfort, the feeling of betrayal and rage still burning inside of him.

"Why do you tell us this?" Macaque rubbed Wukong's stomach, letting his beloved Sun do as he wished.

"Because I can't stand by and listen to their arrogance any longer. Your failure to take over the Celestial realm has left me to think. To see beyond Heaven and truly witness and ask what more can be done. I say they no longer should be the only ones with power to do as they pleased."

His response seemed to please the Nightly King, who talked more earnestly with him. Talks like this had never been Wukong's strong suit, but he did do his best to listen. He had been trying to teach the kid that, and he rather not be a bigger hypocritic than he already was.

Thankfully, the meeting was ended shortly after, Nezha leaving for the Celestial realm as a sort of spy from what little Wukong could gather. For several more moments, he stayed on Macaque's lap, nuzzling his neck more. He wanted to show more of his affection for the dark furred monkey, but he didn't know how.

"Brother Wukong..." Azure Lion called into the room who knows how much had passed. He looked nervous, but certain. "May I speak with you?"

The golden furred simian whined, but ultimately got up and followed the lion out of the room and down the many halls.

"Yes?" He grumbled.

The ginger maned feline stayed silent, looking deeply into the shadows of the room. If he was looking for the Shadows, then he need not worry as they weren't there, the Great Sage would know. He had lived much of his life with Macaque, even more of it as enemies, he knew how to sense his magic and other using a similar type.

"Azure, if this is nothing, then I'd-" Wukong turned his back, a hand raised to push open the door. Then he stilled as he heard those three words.

"Peng is dead."

Chapter Text

"What?" Horror was the only emotion that Wukong could feel.

"Peng is dead." Azure repeated, his voice even but quiet.

"Wha- No!" The simian shouted, making the lion flinch.

"Ssh, quiet. We need to be quiet." Azure grasped at Wukong's shoulder, subtly pushing down. This made the other bow to lessen the pressure there.

"Quiet?" The monkey hissed, a fire forming pass the horror. "You tell me Peng is dead, and you want me to be quiet?"

"Yes." Azure's grip tightened, making the smaller Celestial wince. "Your Leash was the one to have killed him."

"My Leash?!" Wukong squealed, his lips pealing back into a scowl. "Macaque isn't my leash. He's my King."

"At this point, it is the same." Azure argued, his own lips pulling into a scowl. "Do you not hear me, Sun Wukong? Peng is dead and Macaque was the one to kill him."

He pressed his face closer to the golden furred monkey. He desperately needed the other to understand what he was trying to say! If he could just get it through his thick skull, maybe Wukong could find a way to tame that demon! Sure, he and his two Celestial Brothers had often mocked his cautious behavior behind his back, but this was going too far!

"What?" Golden eyes turned red, his mouth hanging open. Finally, it clicked.

"He was taken as a prisoner the day after you collapsed, being proclaimed as working with the Celestials to poison and kidnap you." The bushy haired lion pulled away, but didn't soften his grip.

"But... I was only out for a couple of days." He disagreed.

"Is that what he told you?" Azure scoffed, with a roll of his eyes. "You were in a coma for almost a month. The entire time, he had been using Peng for an experiment of sorts... I only saw one session. He plucked every last feather only for him to give him something to make them regrow, to begin again." His face looked a little pale, sick and disgusted at what he had witnessed.

"Regrow?" A stinging sensation formed at the back of his throat, his gut suddenly tense and tight. "But..." A hand covered his mouth. He felt sick.

"Where do you think Peng has been all this time?" Azure stressed.

A look of pure horror revealed itself on the Great Sage's face. The words he had said about Peng, the double meaning and too wide smiles at the dinner, the gifts.

"I said he cooked well." Wukong gagged, pulling from the other's touch. His breathing was becoming uneven. "I said he was nice."

It all seemed to crash into him, and he couldn't stop it. He just barely made it to a bathroom before he was throwing up. He ate Peng. He not only ate him, but he wore and slept on his feathers! He should've asked how Macaque got so many of Peng's feathers. There was no way he should've had that much!

He threw up again, feeling a large hand on his back, rubbing it. He couldn't believe how naive he was. But he had never thought that Macaque would've done something like this. To eat a fellow intelligent demon, no to eat one of their Brothers.

A few minutes passed with Wukong just gagging and throwing up. He searched his memories, trying desperately to figure out why Peng was targeted. Sure, they were an ass and had often mocked Macaque, but this was still too far!

Pulling himself up, a worried expression appeared. Swallowing thickly, he gratefully took the glass of water that Azure was able to procure. He may be Immortal, but even he wasn't immune to the stingy pain of stomach acid.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly stood up. Azure did his best to support him.

"Why?" He croaked.

The lion frowned deeply, a sadness in his eyes.

"He claimed they had poisoned you... That they were a spy for the Celestial's."

Wukong wrinkled his nose. Peng was plenty of things, but to be a spy? Not likely, they was a terrible actor.

"They're a coward... Not a spy." He spoke his thoughts aloud, flinching as another wave of sickness passed through him.

"Yes..." Azure patted his back comfortingly. "But they are loyal... Cowardly enough to run from a fight they won't win, but loyal."

It didn't make sense to him. Why lie about something that severe? Why kill and torture and experiment on them? There were just too many questions!

"I need to talk to him." Was all Wukong said as he rushed out, his hands tightly gripping his hanfu skirt.

The Lion smirked, feeling satisfied.

Macaque waited in his office, his ears unfurled. He had heard his name, and so he listened in. His face was neutral as he waited for Wukong to barge in. He knew his beloved Priestess was going to find out eventually, but he honestly thought Azure knew better to not speak.

"Macaque!" The name was shouted with such anger, for a split second the Shadow King was the Warrior once more. "How could you?" The red hanfu wearing monkey stormed forward.

Macaque took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes. He was the King and Wukong was his, the shorter monkey would understand that soon enough.

"Why wouldn't I?" He countered.

"They were our brother!" The Priestess shouted, slamming his hands on the desk.

"No, they weren't. They were a nuisance."

"Nuisance?" Wukong's nose wrinkled. "Macaque, they may be an ass and a coward-"

"I don't care what they have said of me in the past," the darker simian hissed. "They were trying to steal from me."

The bewildered look on the older simian's face wasn't lost on the younger, but the soon unbridled rage was.

"This was because they were trying to steal from you?" He bore his fangs, the glamours around him falling into nothing. Oh, how gorgeous he was~ "Macaque! That is childish and idiotic to torture someone over!"

"They were attempting to do so right in front of me!" The King growled, his brows furrowed.

"That doesn't make it better!" Wukong screamed, his anger shifting to something close to horror. "Nothing is more valuable than a life! Not something that can be replaced-"

"You can't be replaced!" Macaque stood up, his own snarl on his lips.

Wukong flinched back as he felt the shadows grow. This... This felt different. Macaque's shadows usually were just that, shadows, but this... No this felt like death.

"W-What?" It felt like the only question that the golden monkey had been asking for the past hour or so.

Macaque strode forward, shadows wrapping and entrapping Wukong within them. They weren't rough with him, but loving and gentle. Still, he couldn't move.

"They were trying to court you." A look of disgusted anger appeared on the taller. "The compliments, the gift giving, the grooming."

"They weren't trying to court me!" Wukong rebuked, tugging on the shadows that bound him.

They tightened their hold, making him flinch. This felt strange, different than any other times he was bound by them. It felt... Possessive.

"It doesn't matter." The Shadow user's voice dropped low, his clawed hands tenderly taking his Beloved's face, making those gemstone eyes focus on him and only him. "They're gone. No one is worthy of being your mate, your other half. Not me, and certainly not that fried chicken." There was a mocking hiss at the end.

Fear filled Wukong's heart, his breath hitching. What was going on?! Macaque wasn't acting right... He had never done anything like this! And his claim? Since when was that true?

"Moon, I-I'm the one not worthy of a mate, you didn't need to-"

Macaque takes, pressing their forehead together. "My sweet Sunstone, you don't understand how perfect you are."

Wukong tried to refute once more but someone burst into the room, falling into a kowtow.

"My King, my Priestess!" They cried, body trembling.

"What?" Macaque snarled, shadows inching their way to end the servant's life.

Without fear, they looked up, eyes wide with awe.

"It's the Prince. He's coming."

Chapter Text

The two rushed to follow the monkey servant to where MK rested, mild looks of panic and wonder forming. As they reached outside the Waterfall boarders, they saw the sky become eclipse with stars burning brighter and brighter.

"We're not gonna make it." Wukong whined, gripping Macaque's arm. He could feel it, MK was going to hatch so soon.

Were they going to miss their baby's birth again?

Macaque pulled Wukong close to him, dropping them into the shadows. They appeared at the top of the stairs to the nursery, the monkey guards already backing away from the glowing and cracking stone egg.

The usual sickness of shadow travel vanished in an instant. The tense air of magic from the bottom was much greater. It was suffocating, burning the little hairs that stood on end. It was a surprise to see that the guards were still there, still guarding the most precious of beings. 

Then he noticed the position of MK. The egg was floating a few feet above the pedestal, the leaking water floating around in a golden cocoon of sorts.

"Mama!" Liang Bai rushed from her post to grab onto said Priestess's skirt, her eyes barely breaking away from her brother.

Wukong patted her head, his breathing hitched. He couldn't believe it. MK was being born. After waiting for so long, his baby was being born!

A blast of light shot into the sky as the stone egg finally burst apart. The light was blinding, but the first King refused to turn away, not wanting to miss a second! Then the light dulled, revealing a baby monkey demon.

A coo sounded from the golden furred monkey, watching as the infant stretched and their little tail flicked and curled around their little body. Then they were falling.

Liang Bai pulled away from Wukong seconds before said monkey rushed forward, catching the newly born monkey.

He held MK close, being as gentle as he could with such a fragile thing. His red eyes examined the baby, tears springing forth like a faucet.

MK, his little heaven, looked so beautifully different and so wonderfully adorable. His fur was an off-white, yellowish color that the old King was sure would darken in the next few years to a deep brown hue. His face mask was the same heart shape with four little dots under his eyes, though the once orangey-yellow mask now had more obvious red-hues. Then there were his ears. Four of them, two on each side with the top pair glowing a soft gold color and the bottom glowing silver.

An awed chitter escaped the Priestess's lips before his knees gave out from under him. Instead of crashing to the ground though, he landed in Macaque's arms. The larger monkey easily carried his first King as a bride, letting his Sunstone be in awe of their baby.

"Our baby, look at our baby." Wukong whispered, nuzzling his head under the other's chin. The argument from before was long gone from his mind, the anger and fear disappearing in the presence of complete awe and love.

"So precious, so perfect." Macaque agreed, leaning away to kiss Wukong's cheek, close to his lips.

The Shadow King looked up, looking for the white tiger cub, but she was already taking control of the guards and the few servants that stayed to witness such an event. She glanced his way, bowing her head to him before returning to her acquired task.

With less fanfare, the two vanished in shadows once more, appearing in the Dark King's chambers. Macaque placed his Sun in the middle of the bed, mumbling something that went over the other's head. He was too distracted with how MK kept squirming and chittering.

He only turned away when he realized that the nest was wrong.

Wukong scowled at the imperfect nest and tried to move to correct it, except his restricting hanfu kept him rather pinned. Huffing, he tenderly took off his outer robes, carelessly tossing them to the floor. He paused when he heard his Little Heaven chirping. He sounded distressed.

The Buddhaist Monkey picked his baby back up, holding him close. Instantly, the baby monkey clung to the tuffs of fur that poked out from his undergarment. The distressed chirping had softened to the beginnings of a tender purr.

The Priestess purred loudly, kissing and nuzzling his baby. Carefully, he moved his baby hide beneath his wrap. He only began moving again once he was sure that MK was secure to him.

After that, he gathered the large and many blankets and covers, padding the bed and making a soft barrier to keep the future wondering baby from hurting himself. He plumped up the pillows and used them to hold up the walls, making better pillows for them to lay their heads.

With one more pat down of the nest, Wukong laid down. He brought MK out from under his shirt, curling around him a little. Then someone entered the room.

The Great Sage bolted up, holding MK protectively as he hissed threatening.

"Looks like Mama is done building the nest." It was Liu'er Mihou and Liang Bai.

They both were dressed in soft nightwear; Liang Bai look so adorable in her sky-blue robes.

The hissing stopped and turned into loud purrs. Wukong reached out a hand, an urging chirp leaving his lips.

The dark furred monkey chuckled, easily clambering into the nest, settling next to his beloved. The white tiger cub squirmed out of Liu'er's hold curling close to Wukong and MK's side.

"Mama..." She whispered, shyly looking up the golden-haired monkey.

Said monkey wrapped an arm around her, kissing and nuzzling her head.

"Mama," she whined, tilting her head to nuzzle her Mama's neck. "What's their name?"

The Shadow King looked to him, a soft smile on his face. He had a feeling he already knew that name.

"Qi Xiaotian." The name was whispered with love. "His name will be Qi Xiaotian, our little Monkey Prince."

Liang Bai giggled, whispering the name to the baby. She gasped softly, her tail flicking in surprise and awe as the tiny monkey prince grabbed onto her outstretched hand. She pulled him close to her, purring in her feline way.

Wukong cooed at the two before looking to his King, who was only looking at him, a hand on his hip. Carefully, he shuffled closer, enclosing their babies in safety.

"Liu'er Mihou." Wukong whispered lovingly, brushing his nose against the other.

"Shihou." Liu'er Mihou whispered back, eskimo kissing his love.

Said monkey flushed, happy and loving chitters slipping from his lips. He was only silenced when Liu'er kissed him softly. He relaxed in the bed completely, a feeling of happiness consuming him.

He purred loudly and happily, rubbing Liang Bai's back. He couldn't believe this. He really couldn't.

Chapter Text

"And why are you in a feminine form?" Doctor Yang Daiyu raised an eyebrow, looking up from Qi Xiaotian.

Currently, she was doing a checkup and making notes of his normal like body temperature and blood. However, it wasn't just MK she was checking up on. No, she also had to make sure that Wukong was alright.

He was eating meat at proper intervals and was interacting with his people; he held no reason to be checked on!

"Well, isn't it obvious?" She raised an eyebrow back.

Yang Daiyu sighed heavily, rolling her eyes.

"Not really." She murmured, looking back to the wiggling and chirping infant. "So, answer?"

The golden-furred monkey sighed equally as heavily, leaning her head back.

"Because Xiaotian needs milk."

Yang Daiyu looked back to her like she grew another head. She could do that, but this expression made her feel like a freak. Like she was in front of the Celestials again. Their sneers and sly comments on her appearance and power faintly echoing in her ear.

"We can give him goat milk, or have a wet nurse-"

"No." Wukong's words were firm, her eyes glaringly red. "I'm fine like this. I'm his Bama."

The doctor stared at her more deeply. Her twisted eyes scanning the Priestess up and down. For a few moments, they stood in tense silence before she sighed once more, shaking her head.

"So, you want to take this mother role... To the extreme?" She gave such a pointed look that the golden monkey's face became red.

"I-It's not extreme!"

"Uh-huh." She picked MK up, the baby whining loudly. He was kicking and squirming, making Daiyu have to change her hold so she wouldn't accidentally drop him.

Wukong offered to take him back, to which the doctor did so. She was watching the other with a curious look, as Qi Xiaotian had been behaving not only a moment before. The golden simian saw the look from the corner of her eye as she adjusted her own hold for her baby.

"He's hungry." She simply hummed, shrugging her sleeve low so she could breastfeed her baby.

"Oh..." Daiyu blinked in surprise before a thought crossed her mind. As it crossed, she leaned forward, almost getting in Wukong's face. "I hope you know that this means I'll need to check up on you more as well."

The older monkey made a face before nodding in defeat. She could see why, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

An hour passed with more tests done on both the royal monkeys. Both were in the clear though Daiyu had told the Priestess that she would need to eat more meat as her protein and iron levels weren't high enough to give proper nutrients to the infant. There were other things and suggestions made that weren't as important as the eating meat. Still, Sun Wukong agreed to everything.

She could remember the last time she had this feminine form for the specific reasoning of breastfeeding. It hadn't ended well...

He was babysitting for a Celestial woman who had recently given birth. Apparently, she needed to do something urgently, and her husband was nowhere to be seen. She gave him the baby despite his many protests and shouts of worry. The baby was hungry and seemed to want nothing, so he had turned into her and feed the baby that way. When her husband came back, he wasn't pleased, and this caused an argument between the two new parents. He, of course, was to be blamed especially when their baby became ill from lack of nutrition.

She remembered feeling horrifically guilty but desperately trying to clear her name. It couldn't have been all her fault! She wasn't the mother of the baby; she didn't even want to babysit the future god! But they continued to give her looks of hatred and disgust that made her little hairs stand up. She didn't like it when she had their attention, nothing good ever came from it.

"Shihou!" Macaque grinned brightly, wrapping an arm around Wukong's waist from behind.

The golden monkey tensed for a quick second before leaning into his grasp, smiling back at him. Lately, they had been calling each other by their old childhood names. She didn't really understand why they were doing that, but it felt nice... Like there was a distinction between the Macaque that he killed and the Macaque he made King. The Macaque he had yet to betray or abandon.

"Liu'er Mihou." She cooed, reaching back to cup her King's cheek.

He leaned into it, kissing her palm. She laughed sweetly.

"I see you've decided to be feminine?" He raised an eyebrow, a soft smirk on his lips.

A flushed expression appeared on the older simian. Was it really that weird for her to be doing this?

"I'm just using it to breastfeed." Her words didn't feel as confident as they had with the doctor.

The darker simian kissed his beloved's neck, nuzzling into him. It felt warm, making Wukong's heart drum just a bit faster.

"I wouldn't mind see you like this more often."

Wukong whined softly, holding Qi Xiaotian closer. The baby monkey was making soft, tired chitters. He lazily looked between the two, reaching out briefly to Macaque as if to say hello.

"Quiet." She muttered, nuzzling the top of the baby's head.

Macaque chuckled, looking amused. He then kissed Wukong's cheek, close to her mouth.

"I hope you know that I would love you in any form."

The embarrassed simian gave a nervous chitter, her ears burning a soft red.

"I know." She glanced to him, pouting. "Why are you giving such weird compliments?" It wasn't like he hadn't been showering her with compliments and gifts before, but after Qi Xiaotian was born it seemed to have increased. Along with the physical need to be touching. None of which Wukong would normal mind, but it felt strange... Especially since their fight wasn't too long ago.

The loving expression on the taller monkey changed to a tight one. It was like she had something wrong, and that made her nervous.

"Sun Wukong, Shihou..." Macaque moved to be in front of her, cupping her face. "Why wouldn't I give you compliments? How couldn't I give compliments to such a beautiful and magnificent creature like you?"

The Great Sage turned her head away, biting her bottom lip. She couldn't see it. Sure, she boasted about how handsome and powerful she was, but... Somedays she couldn't believe it. She couldn't even see it. She had lost so many people dear to her, scars from being too prideful covering nearly every inch of him. Well, the scars had covered him, but the mango did get rid of them.

Macaque could see this, and he hated it.

"You don't believe me." It was such a bold and loud statement that was spoken so quietly.

The Great Sage bowed her head, moving away from the burning touches of her... Of her Moon.

So many old fears and worries were sprouting once more. Was she good enough, strong enough to stand by his side? To protect him and their people? To make sure Death wouldn't come so easily to them.

"I have... I have done and experienced many things..." Words felt like acid, aches of past pain slithering across her body. "It is difficult to believe a monster like me could..." She stopped, feeling a tiny hand lightly pulling at her hair.

MK stared up at her with wide and curious honey brown eyes. He seemed to know something was wrong, that something had changed within the atmosphere. Even as an infant, he knew her so well.

The Shadow King watched as his Sunstone aged before his eyes, the golden gleam of youth and mischief being replaced with wariness and sorrow. There was something that Wukong was hiding from him and he didn't understand why. Sure, he had once heard Wukong's screams of sorrow and pain, had even heard of a painful future that had never passed. But that hadn't passed! They were in a better future! A brighter one!

"My Priestess..." Macaque reached for her once more but stopped when those red tearful eyes looked to him.

"I-I'm sorry, but it's Qi Xiaotian's nap time..." The nimble simian dodge her King's hands, rushing away to the nursery.

Macaque's expression darkened, his eyes burning a sharp amythest hue as shadows swirled and sharpened. He only reined in his power when the ground under his feet spiderwebbed. The stone floor looked as if it had withered, like all thousands of years had finally caught up to it.

The dark simian shook his head, slipping into the shadows to appear at the side of Liang Bai.

The tiger cub paused in her intense train, turning to him with a bright smile. Since Wukong had given her the main task of being Qi Xiaotian's guard, she had been training day and night to be the best protector for her little brother. She was genuinely becoming the best warrior they ever had, with her training partners being the third highest ranked soldiers.

"Baba!" She meowed, bouncing over to him.

He gave her a sweet smile, patting her head.

"Snowflake, I have a task for you."

Her soft, innocent face fell into stern expression. She stood straighter, tilting her head up so she could look more at him.

"Yes, My Emperor?"

Macaque quirked an eyebrow at the new title, but he decided to ignore it. Honestly, he quite liked it.

"I need you to keep an eye on the High Priestess of War, report everything to me."

"Of course, My Emperor."

Chapter Text

Wukong laughed breathlessly, putting her hands on her lower back. It felt strange training with large breasts. Well, large compared to what she was used to working with.

Anyway! She looked out to the sea of panting and whining soldiers she was gifted. They were the troublemakers. The ones that had abused their power and slacked off in training, along with a number of other little things that the Sage didn't bother keeping track of. It was her job to either force them to quit or make them into truly competent soldiers.

So far, they were no better than cannon fodder.

"Come on! I've known literal children that fought better than you lot!" She teased, bouncing from one foot to the other, her tail happily whipping around her.

The soldiers glared at her, some were even murderous. They were much different expressions from the usual adoring ones. Wukong welcomed the hateful looks. It made her feel more relaxed. Less like this was a dream ready to manipulate him into hurting someone he loves.

"Up! Up!" She called, her tone becoming sharper.

With hisses of pain and groans of complaints, they did as they were told. This was their fourth day, she was impressed that none had quit at this point! After all, she wasn't playing as nicely as she usually did! She made them eat the ground with every attack, bruising them when she blocked or dodged their attacks, exhausted them magically by forcing them to transform over and over. She made them follow through one set of moves even after they had gotten it perfect.

"Priestess, I would like a word." High Magi Xue's voice echoed throughout the training courtyard. Her beautiful face looking amused as those calculating eyes examined each of the soldiers.

Their grumbles stiffened, swallowing thickly as they bowed their heads to her. Wukong had yet to find a reason for the soldiers to fear her, but she wasn't wanting to test that.

Instead, she gave them a break to follow the younger monkey.

"Did something happen?"

Xue laughed sweetly, shaking her head as she guided them back into the palace.

"No. I was looking through our grimoires and found some old spells you had theorized."

A sparkle appeared in the First King's eyes. It had been a while since she had done anything with magic that wasn't related to fighting.

"I would need to see them again." She warned.

Xue shrugged.

"They're in the library, anyone can read them. They just need access to the Palace."

The two shared a friendly look. Despite how many servants and Shadows that walked the Stone Palace's halls, each had been vetted, and they had specific areas that they were to stay in during their shifts.

"I believe I should talk with Mihou about letting the school include magic in the curriculum."

The flowery monkey smiled more brightly.

"Please do. I would love to see more Magi that have some trained experience." Her words held no true venom, all of it being kind and joking. She then made a show of looking around Wukong, even patting her baggy pants. "What? No little shadows?" She teased.

Wukong snorted, glancing down at her plain pink pants, no little cub clinging to them. No cub was on her back either.

"Liang Bai had all but begged on her knees to take care of Qi Xiaotian while I train." She shook her head at the memory of that stubborn child shifting into her oh so adorable cub form to persuade her. "They should be in the sun-"

An explosion shook the Palace, making the two female monkeys stumble. For a second they turned to the other, brows pulled down in confusion. Then Wukong's breath caught as she used her Gold Vision. There, corrupting the air was Celestial magic, and not Liang Bai's.

Panic and rage surged through her body, her feet already shooting her off into the direction of the Palace's personal sunroom. One of the very few rooms that gotten natural sunlight. She had assumed that everything was peaceful with Heaven. She had assumed they knew better than to try and attack!

Slamming a clawed hand into doorframe made it crumble even more.

"What do you think your-" The Sage's shout died as her knees nearly buckled.

Before her were Celestials in haggard armor, there were just so many of them. Two were struggling with a yowling and feral looking Liang Bai, one was holding a crying and screaming Qi Xiaotian.

Both had a Celestial holding a copy of the very circlet that had scared him.

Red and gold clouded her vision as a roar of wrath bellowed past her lips. Those bastards barely had time to move before her flaming hands would strangle them!

The tender balance of power and control, of discipline she had learned throughout her now very long life, was gone. Someone was threatening her babies! Who did they think they were!

Blood spilled, splattering across the floor and her face, the wild look growing as she quickly noticed that the Celestials tried to drag her children out through the hole in the sunroom's roof! Liang Bai's struggles were growing weaker and weaker, her eyes glistening with frightened tears she refused to let fall. MK didn't know what was going on, all he knew was the unusual loud noise and violence. So, he cried and screeched, reaching for the one person a baby monkey would always look for in such moments.

Their mother.

Those large, innocent eyes so full of wonder and life were tainted with true fear and tears of unknowing sorrow.

It felt like the world was crashing down on her. Wukong was back under that damn mountain, swearing and yelling at Macaque with such harshness that their bond was nearly destroyed. The ground was crumbling like sand, sinking him to his knees and forcing him to watch as his world was changed without his control.

No. He won't allow it!

"Give me back my babies!" Her voice rung like a war cry; her body being surrounded by a gold cloud. She took the form of a war hawk, rocketing into the sky to try and catch her babies.

More Celestials fell from the hole, shooting magic and arrows at her. Her newly formed wings were nipped by both, her belly almost torn when she turned too slowly. Transforming back into his true form, he began clawing his way to his children.

Behind him, magic sprung to life, ensnarling and killing many of the intruders. Xue Fangsu was the High General of Magic for a damn reason after all. Her magic was delicate and beautiful like that of a winter flower.

Then came the clangs and shouts of agony from above. It seemed that the monkey demons had caught on and were slowing the attackers' ascent.

With a bloody push, Wukong continued on. He maimed all that stood in his way as quickly and painfully as he could. They didn't deserve mercy for attempting to kidnap his children and brand them with that damn circlet!

Purple-tinged shadows launched themselves to the rest, stealing away Liang Bai and MK. Settling them into the arms of the Monkey King. His face was pulled into a deadly sneer.

"Wukong," his voice echoed through the darkness, piercing every part of said monkey's being, "kill them."

The command was so simple, so perfectly simple. It was the same command he had used many times as well. The words struck a cord within him, transforming his bloody rampage that surprisingly had yet to kill a person, to him leaving none that opposed him alive. Well, only one who had fell and begged and pleaded with disgusting tears and snot dripping down his face.

"Wukong." Macaque's voice was cold and lifeless, his steps heavy as his power charged the air in a strange sensation of death.

The rampaging Priestess paused mid-swing, wild bloody eyes never leaving the sobbing man. With a snap of his teeth and a growl, he pulled away and located himself to the side of his King. Tenderly, he took his babies, mindlessly covering them in kisses, not caring if he covered them in blood as well.

Neither seemed to mind as they clung to him.

"I would say that I'm surprised, but that would mean I thought highly of your Emperor." There was disgust in the Monkey King's tone, his hands clenched tightly behind his back. "I wonder dearly what you were thinking." He stalked around the Celestial, eyes filled with power.

There was a heavy silence filled only by sobbing and whimpering.

Losing his patience, Macaque grabbed the Heavenly soldier's hair, yanking his neck back painfully.

"I asked you a question. I won't repeat it." His growl was quiet that had there been any other noise it would seem as if nothing was said.

"Okay! O-Okay!" The soldier sputtered. "We wanted to earn favor! Th-The Jade Emperor h-has been complaining, a-an-AAAHHHH!" He was cut off by Macaque using his shadows to break the man's ankle.

His screams made MK begin to cry all over while Liang Bai looked ready to tear his throat out. As much as Wukong wanted to bring them away, he felt rooted to the spot.

He hadn't been given permission to leave his King's side. To protect anything other than him and the children.

"I don't like being lied to." The Shadowy monkey warned coldly, the glamours around his ears falling.

As bloody as the scene was, it still was so beautiful to see them unfurl and twitch to every sound they heard, whether it was within the present or not.

The soldier sobbed more, sputtering nonsense. Before Macaque could be annoyed further, a pink flamed spear killed the soldier. All looked to the new person.

Floating just above the sea of death was Nezha. His expression was that of unrivaled rage, his breathing uneven from it.

"It's a declaration of war." He explained so simply. "The Jade Emperor had directly demanded the able bodies of the Royal children of the Monkey Kingdom as sacrifices of peace." He spat the words like acid, his eyes blazing with betrayal and hatred.

Wukong's grip on his children tightened, he even shifted his hold to hold them more effectively. He looked to Macaque, his own expression of rage faltering to a pleading one. Surely Macaque wouldn't give in to something as heinous as that?

Those amythest eyes looked to him, expression riddled with anger.

"We have been attacked." He started slowly, making his way to Wukong. "Again and again, Heaven has violated our boarders. Has forced their way in and has attempted to force their will onto us. They have tried too many times to kidnap our First King and our Priestess. To once again make him their puppet and pet." Growls and hisses responded to Macaque's chilling words. There was a crowd now, all eager and enraged enough to listen so closely. "Now they dare attempt to steal the First Princess Liang Bai and the First Prince Qi Xiaotian? Crowning them with circlets of punishment!" The enraged King whirled to look at the people.

Fear and wrath were the only expression. Wrath closing in, their teeth bearing as their true nature as monkeys that became demons. Even Wukong could feel his own anger beginning to boil and show. His children were almost stolen from him. They would've never known love and compassion in Heaven. They were going to be made into weapons and house pets for their sick enjoyment!

"No! We have been kind long enough! We have given them enough chances to redeem themselves! To think through their actions! To choose a different path! If they want a war, then we'll give them a war!"

The room filled with screeches of angered monkeys, fangs and claws bared in a show of force. Some banged on their chests, others hopped up and down, plenty scratched at the walls if they were near them.

Macaque looked to Wukong and grinned with a sick triumph feeling. There was the expression of paternal rage on the golden simian's face, his hold of the little children tight and protective. The dark simian couldn't even begin to describe the pleasure he received from that.

Nor could he shake off the paranoia that something tragic was going to happen to his beloved Sun.

Chapter Text

The declaration of war on Heaven and why was sent to all major Kingdoms- both demon and human- along to a variety of important people. Heaven was given a copy, of course. They were deathly silent, even with the strange time scale between the realms.

When they did give their reply, it was by trying to poison the Golden Priestess with something new. Something that nearly caused the Great Sage to slip into a coma if it wasn't for the Silver Mangoes. It had angered Macaque and their people, urging them to train harder. They were even more prepared for war after that.

Sometime after, the Royals of the Bull Kingdom, Spider Queendom, and the Scorpion Queendom had appeared for an emergency audience with King Macaque and his Court.

Wukong stood behind Macaque, wearing a sharp red male hanfu. Her hair being held tightly by a sharp golden pin that shone like fragment of sunlight. In her dominate hand, her staff gleamed deadly in the firelight, the red hue of it bringing forth the memories of destruction and bloodshed. Her intense red eyes glaring at the guests, truly reminding them what Wukong had once stood for.

Standing below on Macaque's right was his High Generals, each with their own glares and weapons in their hands. Madam Xue Fangsu tapped her mythical war fan against her left ear, her sharp eyes glowing with power when she roughly slapped it against her hand. Shan Li Na stared above their heads, her hand firmly gripping the hilt of her jian sword. Jiang Bolin mostly played with his qiang spear, sending a more silent threat than the others. Xi Tam was staring them head on, hands peacefully behind his back, revealing several varieties of knives on him, and there likely were more that they couldn't see or sense. The only ones that didn't seem focused on threatening the guests was Doctor Yang Daiyu- who was currently reading something- and Cuì Chung- who was also reading something and biting a stained finger.

Yet this show of force wasn't necessary as said guests bowed respectfully, their heads low. They weren't there for a fight.

The Spider Queen fidgeted though, her eyes briefly glancing up to the staff that had almost killed her and her people. However, she never moved from her placement. She was terrified of Wukong's wrath, but she truly was a loyal ally of Macaque's. He was the monkey that had saved her from rage, from complete ruin, so she owed him everything.

Taking a deep breath, Macaque began to speak.

"My honored guests and allies, may I inquire why you're here?" Macaque kept his tone soft but firm. "I doubt it is only to show support. You could have sent an embassy in your place for that."

The honored guests nodded but stayed silent. Then DBK and PIF stood from their places, faces firm.

"I am uncertain of the others, but I, the Demon Bull King, and my wife, Princess Iron Fan, have decided to relinquish the Bull Kingdom to the Kingdom of Flower Fruit Mountain."

The once celestial woman moved forward, offering a bound scroll along with the royal seal of their Kingdom.

The others quickly voiced their own vows of relinquishing their Kingdoms to Flower Fruit Mountain. Scrolls and royal seals in hand.

With barely a glance to the darkly clad King, Wukong moved forward, gently taking both. The weight of knowing what the seals and scrolls meant, weighed heavily on the Golden Sage. Even though the others weren't far from her King, it felt like an eternity walking to him. She bowed as she gifted them to Macaque. He carefully unrolled the scrolls, reading each thoroughly.

The room felt stiff, all bowing toward the dark furred monkey. Bowing before the demon that would become their Emperor. Even the brazen First Monkey King was still and waiting patiently for his King's orders.

"I accept." Those words made the others relax. "I accept your Kingdoms as Vassal States. I would also like to keep the current rulers in place of power as the new Vassal States government." As he spoke his words, he gave the seals back to Wukong, who gave them back to their rightful owners.

The once King and Queens bowed deeply once more. Relief washed over them more than his acceptance. Had he decided that they weren't good enough to keep in power, they would have accepted but only with heavy hearts.

"Thank you, Emperor Macaque of the Golden Flower Mountain Empire." Their voices meld together, echoing in the throne room.

Macaque nodded, a subtle smirk on his face. He quite liked the name for the Empire that had been gifted to him. He had wanted their support, their backing to take in civilians and offer aid, but this... This he found better, something that he could use more easily.

He rose to feet, his black and silver hanfu swimming around him like the shadows he controls. His stern face shifting to that of a friend, a movement all knew as a good sign.

"Thank you, my honored guests," He gave a short bow, wanting to show than say how much he appreciated their actions, "Your journey here mustn't have been easy, so I would like for you to stay a few days. It will give us time to sort out all the details in becoming Vassal States of the," his lips quirked up at the edges, "Golden Flower Mountain Empire."

"Thank you, Emperor Macaque." They bowed once more before standing to their full heights.

The Shadow King looked to his High Generals with an expression that Wukong had never seen before. The Generals bowed, quietly excusing themselves from their company. The Golden Sage briefly thought she should do the same, but one kind look from Macaque made her stay.

Before more words could be spoken, a servant dressed in a moon themed tang suit entered the hall.

"Great Emperor, tea has been prepared. Enough for our Honored Guests as well." The monkey demon bowed once more, leaving as quickly as they had came in.

Macaque chuckled a little, a soft smile on his face.

"Come, lets relax." He was already moving to where he knew the tea would be placed.

PIF floated next to Wukong, gossip on her tongue. It was strange as she had never thought she would become so close to the golden simian. Her first knowledge of him was when he had attacked her home. His attack was a blessing in disguise.

Wukong leaned closer to her, more than eager to listen to what she had found. She too had gossip of the mountain she wanted to secretly share.

DBK watched as his old brother laughed with his wife, an expression that he had never witnessed before on the simian's face. With lumbering steps, he stood next to Macaque.

"It seems our brother is truly happy in his position."

The dark simian glanced back to the whispering ladies, who had added the Spider and Scorpion Queens to the gossiping.

"He really has." There was love within that single sentence, his lips pulled into a loving smile.

"Eventually?" DBK hummed, looking forward.

"Very soon." Macaque confirmed.

The gossiping took a pause as everyone settled into their seats. Well, everyone but Wukong, who took her time pouring everyone two cups of tea, one being a silvery hue with the faint scent of mangoes, while the other was a sharp and dark purple with the pure scent of plums.

"I suggest drinking the plum tea first and the mango tea second." There was a playful note to the old simian's voice, taking her spot on Macaque's right side.

Everyone looked to the others. Had... Had they heard that right?

"Two cups of teas?" Princess Iron Fan gave her favorite simians a look.

Both blinked as if they were innocent. Then Macaque laughed. It wasn't loud, but it was a bit surprising.

"Apologies." He placed a warm hand on his beloved's shoulder. "I forgot to tell you of our newest poison."

The other royals tensed, waiting for him to continue. Instead of speaking more, the Shadow King picked up his plum tea and took a long drink of it then drinking his mango tea. He smiled softly as his Priestess poured him another cup of plum and mango tea, continuing on.

"I was able to breed the Immortal peaches into our mangoes and plums," there were tense whispers, "however, they developed different powers. Mangoes heal and de-age a person thirty to sixty years while the plums are poisonous."

The others nodded slowly, glancing at the plum tea. They didn't really want to drink poison, and they doubted their friend would see their rejection as an insult... DBK jugged the plum tea along with the mango tea a second later.

Wukong laughed at her brother, pouring him another cup of mango tea. PIF chuckled at her husband, following suit with more polite sips of the teas. Soon, the others were sipping on the tea.

The plum tea was a bit tart, but it was the after taste and feeling that made them move to the sweet mango tea quickly. The after taste was bitter, it felt like they swallowed glass and lava. The poison crawled throughout their bodies, boiling their blood. Swallowing the mango tea quickly healed everything, but not the phantom pains.

As they drank, Macaque spoke more of what happened that they had kept secret. Wukong stayed silent, just watching them all.

Despite being allies and friends, the room was tense, and the teas weren't helping.

Chapter Text

Wukong knelt before Macaque in her royal armor, staff placed in front of her. "Let me join the front lines. I can lead our people-"

"No." The Shadow Emperor didn't look up from his paperwork.

Having become Emperor so swiftly, he had to revise many things from the many kingdoms they had consumed. It was taking him far too much time, plus there were the assaults from Heaven that were never ending despite him sending many letters asking for a peace talk.

"Wh-Why?" Wukong scurried to her feet, expression tight.

The dark simian paused in his writing, the brush held high and posed to write a new decree that likely would increase the wealth and might of the Golden Flower Mountains. A might that could be short lived if the stubborn monkey didn't send his Priestess out to fight!

"Because, Peaches," the brush was carefully put down as those intense eyes looked toward her, "you are a mighty warrior. Had the Brotherhood not been so weak at the time, I truly believe that you would have become the new Jade Emperor."

Wukong looked away, a disgusted look on her face.

"We had discussed that." She mumbled, hands gripping onto her red silken sash.

Macaque nodded, a deep frown on his face as he remembered the conversation well.

Originally, they were just going to storm Heaven and kill the old Emperor, making one of the simians into the new Emperor of the world. The Golden Sage shot it down violently, eyes wide with horror. She held a bruising grip on Macaque as she explained her fight in great detail, how she could feel the true depths of Jade Emperor's power. Instead, she said they needed to make him into a puppet of sorts. Weaken his influence on Heaven, weaken the mighty armies that he has as well.

It was the first time he had seen his oldest friend look so terrified. Her voice trembled and being so close he could see tears welling in the corner of her eyes. He didn't like seeing as strong as her so terrified.

"Macaque, please." There was desperation within the Heavenly Sage's voice, head bowed so humbly. "Let me fight for our people."

The Emperor shook his head.

"I can't," Wukong seemed to deflate, "but I can have you train our warriors. You are the strongest of us, and it is your knowledge that has led us to this prosperity."

The words were plum laced honey, wishing to trap the other within her ego. She knew this, but she also knew there was a truth to his words. She had fought heaven multiple times, she had fought alongside them almost as many times.

With a deep sigh, she nodded.

"Alright... I'll train them, and then I'll join them." Her tone was sharp, eyes gleaming with a red light.

Macaque said nothing, going back to his paperwork.

This should've hurt, but it felt familiar. Just like in the days when Macaque was writing out his plays, he would often forget manners then as well. Being bold, she moved to his side and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

The Shadow Emperor closed his eyes, his shoulders dropping as he briefly relaxed. He turned to her, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

She left with her head held high. She was going to make sure that they didn't die. She was going to protect them, make sure that they get to see their families again.

"High Priestess Wukong!" Shan Li Na shouted, making her group pause in their training to bow to her.

Wukong slammed her staff into the ground, cracking it.

"Since we're in war, our Emperor has seen it fit that I train you harder than ever." She looked to Shan. "All of you. I want you all to make it home and this war to end fast."

"Yes, High Priestess!" Their voices were loud, echoing throughout the place.

Seeing their obedience, she went on to explain what she was wanting to do. She knew what each of them needed help with. She decided to make it a game. They were going to war, but she feared what would happen if they focused too much on that. Besides, she learned that people learn things easier if it's made into a game. Especially with MK.

For a full year, she trained the Empire's army. She made them good, made them truly demons worthy of the title. And for a full year, Heaven sent troops and armies to attack them. They attacked with all they could, a few Heavenly spies were able to sneak in and had nearly stolen the royal babies many times. If it wasn't for the guards or Shadows or even Wukong himself, they would've disappeared.

Macaque responded to every insult with his own attacks. Heaven was strong, however. They were able to keep the war in the clouds, causing minor storms.

It was aggravating to witness their people come home with missing limbs and a haunted expression within their eyes. To see the people she had grown to know and love and laugh with, come back changed and traumatized. If they came back at all. She wanted to fight for them!

"Please! Just let me fight!" Wukong screamed, slamming her hands on the desk, it creaking against the restrained force.

The dark-furred monkey pinched his nose with a scrunched look.

"I can't do that." His voice sounded strained.

"Why not?" Wukong growled, anger beginning to course through her. "Our people are dying and being tortured. We aren't showing anything! We're not proving anything!"

"Shi Hou, I can't." His eyes were flaring that violet magic.

His refusals were only making the Golden Sage more enraged!

"Our people are dying! They, they are becoming consumed by this! I can end this war! You-"

"Enough Sun Wukong!" The voice echoed from the shadows, scraping against the Priestess's heart.

The anger vanished into panic as she saw that familiar enraged look that Macaque had always given him. When they were enemies. When he had killed his Moon.

Wukong felt to her knees, pressing her head to the floor. Her heart hammered in her chest, it was hurting. "I-I'm sorry."

The room was silent and tense. The feeling of guilt and death wrapped around them like a boa constrictor.

"Shi Hou..." Shadows tenderly made the golden simian lift her head. Liu'er Mihou cupped her face, his expression tight with fear. "I can't send you to fight them... What if I lose you again? What if the Buddha comes and takes you away? O-Or they use the circlet?" As his fear grew, his hold on Wukong tightened. "Five-hundred years, Shi Hou... I've waited for you for five-hundred years... And then that journey kept you from me for nearly a hundred more..."

Those golden eyes looked away, guilt eating at her.

"The journey didn't take that long..." She admitted.

The dark simian looked conflicted, like he knew this but he hadn't wanted to hear this from her.

"Shi Hou, please just stay here. Stay and train our people. We are strong and eventually we will have the Jade Emperor's head."

"Mihou!" The golden simian scolded, lips peeling back in fear. "No, you-No! We talked about this! Stop bringing- Why are you desperate for death?"

The other said nothing, just pressing their heads together.

"I won't talk about it anymore. I promise."

Wukong closed her eyes, tears dripping down her face. It felt like everything was going wrong. She could understand his fear, but she wasn't going up against the Jade Emperor himself! It was just his army, an army she had taken on many times before! She... She should be allowed to fight for their people.

Wasn't she his Priestess of War?

Chapter Text

"Mama! Mama!" Liang Bai called, grinning a toothy sort of grin.

Wukong tilted her head, giving the small tiger cub a pat on the head. MK chirped at her, waving all his limbs as he much as he could. She laughed, teasingly grabbing his foot and pulled. This made the baby monkey squeal so happily and kick his little feet to play with her more.

"Did you want to show me something? Or do you want to have some tea?" The golden furred monkey tilted her head with a loving smile.

The small hybrid just grabbed the older demon's hand, dragging her to the training arena. There, the little tigress showed off the moves she had learned and mastered that day. MK cooed and laughed at everything that was shown, while Wukong smiled and made gentle comments. She made sure to keep her words encouraging but not degrading.

"Do you think next year I can begin working as a Shadow?" She was panting, a bright and hopeful grin on her face.

Her words made the Priestess pause. The Shadows worked directly under Macaque. They obeyed his orders over everything else. If she was a part of that, Macaque would be able to whisper into her ears.

He already is.

The thought was twisted, pulling at the memory of eating Peng. Of her twisted, toothy knowing grins. How she giggled and teased the remaining brothers, looking to Macaque for encouragement. Then another memory, one from earlier that month, popped up. Wukong had seen her whispering to dark corners, and upon leaving the corner the darkness softening.

A weak smile formed on her face, cupping Liang Bai's face.

"Now, why would you want to throw away your childhood for that? You can join them so much later." She tried.

The tigress whined, pouting so cutely.

"Buut! I want to learn Shadow powers! I can learn it! I know I can!" Liang Bai looked so pleadingly.

Wukong settled onto her knees, pulling her closer.

"Liang Bai, do you understand what you're saying?" She had to know.

Her childish appearance fell into seriousness. Her blue and green eyes gleaming with a bloody glint, and he knew his answer before the words were ever uttered.

"Emperor Macaque says that he can protect you and Xiaotian. I know my strengths, I know if I am taught more, I can also protect you."

It felt like a death sentence, like the little cub who clung to his skirt was gone. Her hands weren't clean, and he was fine with that because he believed he could protect her. Give her the childhood she never had in his original timeline.

He can't say Macaque took that away. He refuses to say that because it wasn't true. Liang Bai sadly was never going to have a normal childhood like he wanted. Not with her or his past. Not with Heaven still meddling with him and his life. Not when they had started a war!

"Mama!" Her still too small and thin hands cupped his wet cheeks, tenderly and desperately trying to wipe away the tears that didn't seem to stop.

With everything that was going on; the war, the merging of several prominent kingdoms, Macaque's ascension into Emperor, and even Wukong's own lack of action... It was making his head dizzy. Making it hard for him to decipher who he truly was.

Was he Sun Wukong, The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Victorious Buddha who had killed his beloved Moon? Or was he Shi Hou, The Golden Sage of the Sun, the Priestess of War that had given his crown to his intelligent Moon? Sun Wukong who couldn't stay still long enough to think through the consequences that always seemed to hurt everyone but him the most. Or Shi Hou who trembles at upsetting any delicate balance if it were to anger his kind Moon?

Who was he? A waring King turned kind and sagely that hides his pain behind a mask of indifference and confidence? A waring King turned Priestly and quiet that hides behind gentle smiles and honeyed words?

Wukong gathered Liang Bai into his arms, shifting to his original form. MK was old enough know to be on formula, he no longer needed to be in that form. No matter how comforting it had become in these long months.

"I love you so much." He muttered, breathing in her frosty scent of pine and river rocks.

He couldn't stay.

With Heaven deciding to go to war and Macaque refusing to put him in the direct fight. Hell, with him thinking about killing the Jade Emperor... He couldn't stay. Not when MK was so young and fragile.

But he couldn't take Liang Bai, and it broke his heart. But she would tell the Shadows any plan he would make. She would scream or hum in a way to catch the Moon's attention. And at this moment, it felt like he was trapped.

He could feel shades of chains wrapping around his body, weighing him down. Forcing a smile on his lips and stilling his hands in front of him. Chaining him to this mountainous island, to the stone palace, to Macaque and their children.

He needed to leave for his sanity. For the sake of him to still be Sun Wukong and not the motherly Shi Hou he was slowly becoming.

The tears slowly stopped, him just rocking his two babies. Liang Bai was clinging to him, her nails digging into his arm and side. She could sense something was wrong with him, that he was planning something. Yet, when she looked up to see a loving smile and those sunshine warm eyes, that thought faded away.

Why would her Mama try something? Wasn't Wukong happy here being doted on? Training those soldiers to perfection? Liang Bai saw him laughing with them, teasing and joking about somethings she had missed. She even knew where her Mama liked to hide when he was overwhelmed by the stares and voices. Even Emperor Macaque, Baba he was telling her to call him with such a kind smile, doted and loved on Wukong. There wasn't a moment when Mama wasn't being showered with love, affection, and devotion.

Why would Mama try to leave?

Chapter Text

Wukong smiled sweetly to everyone, trained his soldiers harder, played with the children more. He by all accounts looked content and happy, but Macaque knew his beloved Sun. He could see that something had changed and it was unnerving.

"My dear, what's wrong?" Macaque whispered one night, a night they were alone in their nest.

The smaller monkey didn't look him in the eye. Instead, he curled into his chest. The taller monkey wrapped his arms around him.

"You know that I'll do anything to keep you. Right?"

A hand grabbed onto the Second King's shirt, tears beginning to wet it. He didn't want the Celestials to have him again. He didn't want them to be able to control him. It likely would kill him this time.

A hand stroked his head, another arm pulling him closer. Macaque wouldn't let the Heavens take his beloved away again. He refused to let them torture his Priestess for whatever reason. He refused to let them get away with their past sins.

"I don't want to leave." His words felt weak and helplessly.

Macaque said nothing, just tightening his hold.

The two laid there, just holding each other, for hours. Sleep evaded them, which turned into a blessing as a servant hurriedly knocked.

"Your Majesties, its the Prince." The servant sounded so exhausted. "He won't go to sleep... He just keeps screaming."

Wukong laughed softly, already standing to his feet. Macaque frowned but relaxed when the smaller simian leaned over to press a deep and expressive kiss. He flushed a little, smiling a little lopsided. The Sage didn't turn around when he ran out of the room to try and calm his baby.

MK reached up to him, his cries softening to hiccups and sobs. Wukong cooed at him, picking him up. The motherly monkey could feel the Shadows stare at him, shifting around the room.

"Hey, hey, want to hear a song?" He asked his crying baby, leaning back to look at him.

The little cub nodded ever so, tightly grabbing onto tuffs of the Sage's fur.

Wukong closed his eyes, a slow hum escaping his voice. When he opened his mouth, he began singing to the spell. It was an ancient spell from a village that no longer existed. The spell was designed to lull all who heard it into a deep sleep of the singer's will.

The original singers had often made it so those trapped would be tormented with nightmares and visions of their heart's desires corrupted. He didn't want that. He loved everyone within his mountain home, nor did he want it to last forever.

He sang loud, letting his voice echo throughout the cave system. Opening his eyes, he watched as the souls of his people faded. A sleeping type of faded. He just had to wait a little longer.

The Shadows collapsed to the ground, lightly snoring. His glowing eyes drifted toward the violet soul of his old Warrior. The light faded in and out, fighting to stay awake. He saw it shift, saw it move closer to the door before dropping to the ground.

Tears slipped down Wukong's face, closing his eyes to turn away from the sight. He was leaving again. He didn't want to. He just wanted to stay within the nest he built, curled into Mihou's arms with MK and Liang Bai between them. He wanted to talk and laugh with their subjects, training and playing with them.

But he truly couldn't.

This Macaque, Mihou, was clingy. Had killed for him, feed him their brother's flesh, gifted him his feathers... Mihou was courting him in demonic ways that it made his demon side flush but his Celestial side cringed. He had Shadows watching his every move, even their daughter whispered of his actions. Then there were the quiet plans of becoming Emperor that the Sage was uncertain were forgotten despite her warning.

Wukong was tired. So very tired. He wanted the Heavens to pay for trying to steal his children, but he was tired of fighting. He was so old at this point. Perhaps he was just making an excuse. But there were many reasons for him to leave, but the most important ones were that Mihou was changing in a way that he wasn't sure he liked, and for his baby's safety.

Drifting from the nursery, taking nothing, he went to Liang Bai's room. She was in her tiger cub form, sleeping so peacefully.

Tears dripped down his cheeks as he knelt and pressed a kiss to her cheeks and forehead.

"I love you, my Winter flower. Be good for your Baba..." His words felt choked, his expression twisting to that of pain as he gifted her one last kiss on her nose.

With swift ease, he summoned his somersault cloud and fled.

He glanced behind him, watching as the mountain and its power grew smaller and smaller.

MK whined in his sleep, squirming a little before curling closer to Wukong. The tears fell faster, and a sob ripped through him. He buried his head into MK's curly hair, breathing in the scent of his family.

A family he had no choice but to leave for their safety.

Chapter Text

Wukong landed in the Kingdom of Women, near the village he had visited long ago with that Monk.

The thought of the monk made the monkey flinch, pulling his cub closer. Before he would have tried to ignore the fear and panic that would course through at the mention of him. However, the Sage could see now, with a much clearer head, that the monk wasn't exactly kind to him unlike what everyone else had whispered around him. That what they both had done was wrong, but Tripitaka was simply a mortal man in a time when those acts were commonplace. At least his newest reincarnation would have the luck of more accurate knowledge.

No, that wasn't why he was there. He wasn't there to reminisce of a past that he still wished to forget nor a future that he barely held love for. No, he wanted none of that, not while he was hiding in a secret cave that he had bribed the Mountain Spirits to show him.

No, he was there to rest and do the most regretful action he would have to do in this lifetime.

In his last life, MK had lived as a normal, mortal boy for two decades. Though it had always confused him how the kid went from a stone monkey to a human, seeing as the former was his true heritage. Of course, with time to think and how current events were going, he realized that Heaven had something to with it. He even figured out the spell they used to weaken him.

And he was going to use it on both him and Mk.

Even if he was silent, even if he hid from every shadow, his power had grown these many centuries. He saw it as he had watched everyone fall under his sleeping spell, he saw how his aura wrapped around every part of his Mountain. Even now, while he tried suppressing it, he could feel it leaking into his surroundings, breathing life into it.

Staying as they were, would doom them to be captured again. But now he was without the Shadows, so it would be a wonder of who would get to them first; Heaven or Mihou.

Taking a deep breath, he tenderly placed MK on the flattest surface he could find that wasn't the ground. Taking another deep breath, he focused his magic. Pulling it in, closer to his heart. He held his breath as he began to cast a powerful glamour. A glamour that would draw upon his son's innate power.

Unlike the Heavens, who didn't care how much the glamour took, Wukong wove the spell to take just enough to disguise him as human, letting it adjust to the boy's age and power of growth.

The little monkey cub awoke and began crying. The glamour itself wasn't painful, but the act of drawing upon a power that wasn't fully formed was.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The golden furred monkey whispered weakly, pulling his now human boy close to him.

As he sat there, rocking his baby back and forth, he wove the spell around himself. It would take more, he let it take more. His breath hitched and his body tensed many times as the spell continued, easing away the extra fur and hair, vanishing the tail and claws, reshaping his ears and nose. He could feel it all, it burned but he didn't stop. He colored his hair to a normal brown-black hue and his eyes following suit.

Once it was finished and settled, he felt exhausted. His body trembled in aftershocks, his eyes watering and burning. He still stood up; he had to get to the village. On his way to the cave, he had saw that it had adapted to have a train running through it.

Getting to the village was easy in way of not having to deal with demons, but difficult in stamina. Thankfully the elderly women were just as kind as before. They treated him a little differently, not that he knew why till he was in a private carriage.

His reflection was strange. Wavy black hair a deep twilight and golden-brown eyes popped against a sharp and womanly face. Even his body appeared to be that of a woman, though he still had his male parts as well.

Exhaustion breathed down his neck, making him sit down in the seats. His appearance didn't matter. As long as no one connected him to Wukong, he didn't care. As long as his power was being put somewhere else.

Glancing to the gifted stroller, his frown softened. MK looked so adorable in his new pajamas, clinging to his spider silk blanket- the one and only item he had taken other than the clothes of their back.

Yes, his appearance didn't matter as long as his baby was safe and happy. If it was for MK, he would face Heaven alone again.

Chapter Text

Where could Wukong go to lay low, even if it would be for a few days? Who would take him in so knowingly and so brazenly?

There were a couple of people in mind, several of whom owed him a favor of sorts. But they didn't feel trustworthy. Not with the job of keeping him and his baby safe from his Warrior. Not when he knew that Macaque would simply tear through them like they were nothing.

No, he needed someone immortal, strong, kind and compassionate. Someone who he didn't need a favor to ask for help from.

Guanyin.

The name brought forth emotions he didn't know what to do with. Emotions of distant betrayal, anger, grief, friendly love, homesickness. They were confusing and conflicting. He wanted to hate her, blame her for forcing his hand, for giving Tripataka the crown. Yet, he wanted to thank her for showing him the errors of his ways, for forcing true consequences on him.

Traveling to her domain as a human was difficult. Well, as difficult as someone who had no money anyway.

So, while they were stopped wherever they were, Wukong worked odd jobs. Seeing how he had a rather feminine appearance and his past, he chose the name Li Hua. He had heard from somewhere, he honestly could remember if it was true or not, that Li had once meant plum with Hua meaning flower.

Every time someone called his new name, a faint smile appeared on his face as he thought of the people he loved. Of course, his heart ached just as much as his body did from how he worked himself to the bone.

It wasn't like he was lazy or not used to working, this was just different. Before, he had the extra strength of being a demon and having trained his body for so many years, but he had locked much of that away as well. Since he didn't want to be spotted, nor have his magic grow too fast, he wasn't training.

By the time he got to Guanyin, his once toned body was soft and a bit round in the stomach. Not that he really cared.

Her eyes widen when she saw him, her mouth opening.

"Greetings, Great Guanyin, I am Li Hua... I wish to have refuge here for a little while." He spoke quickly, bowing deeply with MK clinging to him.

The compassionate woman paused, her brows furrowed. Snapping her mouth shut, she gave a weak smile.

"It... It is nice to meet you, Li Hua."

The name sounded sour from her lips, but Wukong kept quiet. Instead, they talked about other things, like Macaque.

"They have been looking for their Priestess. They believe that he ran away with Crown Prince Qi Xiaotian." MK laughed so happily, waving his hand toward the beautiful woman that called his name.

"Where have they looked already?" It took everything to keep his voice steady.

She looked to him, her expression telling so many things and hiding so many more.

"They have searched the Buddha's home, made an alliance with Chang'e, and have visited here often."

The warning was clear. Wukong would have to leave soon.

"The Buddha wanted me to give this to my servants." The beautiful woman passed a piece of paper to him as she stood up. "I will have a room prepared for you, and a mission." She bowed before leaving like a floating spirit.

Wukong looked to the paper, a frowning deeply. Unraveling it, he felt his heart stutter as he read the spell carefully. It was a seal, a seal specifically made to counter Macaque's hearing, to become dead to it.

Tears dripped down his chin, holding MK closer. The baby didn't know what was going on, so he only cuddled closer to his father.

The thought that he would be able to live a normal life made his heart ache. He wasn't ready to go back, not for a long while, but... To be completely cut off from Macaque's power? Was he really willing to go that far?

Chapter Text

He knew something was wrong when he heard Wukong's song. It sounded so sweet, so serene, but it was wrong. There was magic within his voice, magic within his words. It was a command for something, something that drove fear within his heart.

He tried to get out of their nest, tried to use his magic to get to his beloved Sun before he made a mistake. But whatever spell he used combined with Macaque's hearing, had him in a weakened state. He fell to the floor, his body shaking as he struggled against the spell to stay awake. He could hear their Kingdom fall asleep, the guards and Shadows falling to the ground as the lullaby was sung louder and stronger.

He gritted his teeth, clawing at the ground. Still, the darkness took him away to a heavenly dream. A dream where he had Wukong within his arms. The Great Sage was smiling at him, eyes gazing upon him like he was the Moon itself. They kissed as lovers, holding each other as such. It truly felt like heaven.

Then he awoke in his bed with Daiyu watching over him. Her face was tight with worry, medicine in her hands.

"We thought you'd never wake." She whispered, setting the bottle down.

Macaque groaned as he sat up, six ears flicking to the distant sound of the world around him. He could hear his beloved King's heartbeat.

"Where is he?" He growled, the shadows draining the light from the room.

The Lady of Medicine bowed and left without a word. He didn't need to wait before Xi Tam formed at his bedside, kneeling with his head bowed.

"Priestess Wukong has taken Crown Prince Qi Xiaotian."

"What?" The shadows spiked from where they laid.

Xi Tam bowed lower.

"We have alerted our allies and have sent embassies to others in search of the Priestess and Crown Prince, My Emperor..." A guilty expression passed across the young demon's face, his body slipping into a kowtow. "I... I'm sorry that we... that I couldn't save them."

The anger within the powerful primate subsided as he reminded himself of who he was trying to keep safe. Of whom had gifted him a throne and children.

"No..." The shadows slithered to their normal height. "There was nothing you could do... My Priestess is a clever one... Always hiding a trick or three up his sleeves." He smirked a little, amused a little now.

The Shadow General raised his head, a soft look on his face.

"We shall find the Priestess and Crown Prince."

Macaque nodded, ears twitching as he tried to find him. To pinpoint what sounds were surrounding that familiar heartbeat. 

There were sounds of trains, of chattering humans. The ringing of phones, and the buzzing of electricity.

"A city... He's in a human city toward the west." He murmured aloud for his awaiting Shadow.

Xi Tam bowed, his shadow lengthening. He stayed put, sensing that there was more to be said.

The monkey Emperor frowned, opening his eyes ever so.

"Why is he in the west?" 

He gripped the bedsheet tightly, worry beginning to burn within him. He knew Wukong had done something more than just run away. His aura was too big to not notice! It latched onto his surroundings, healing it, enhancing the magic of that was already there. He brought life to the world, there was no way to simple suppress that enough for the Shadows to not notice him.

Yet, if they couldn't notice him and Heaven got their hands on him...

The memory of the crown pressing heavily upon Shihou's head boiled Mihou.

He wasn't strong enough back then to deal with it, to break it, but times have changed. He was far stronger then. He knew his own aura was leaking out, was infecting the Mountain just as Wukong's had.

It didn't matter. As strong as he was, he'd much rather his Priestess not deal with that time of pain once more. Plus, what if they use their mortal newborn as the bargaining chip? There would be nothing either of them would be able to do.

Shaking his head, he shakily climbed out of bed. Xi Tam rose to help the still weakened Emperor.

"Maybe he is seeing someone?" The young monkey offered.

The Shadow Emperor paused, his body stilling.

"Investigate the Buddha and all the temples of his." He pulled his arm away from the Shadow, body beginning to tremble in rage.

Xi Tam bowed lowly, falling into the shadows to do as he offered. Macaque covered his mouth, fear making him sick. He needed to know what was going on. He needed to hear it.

Making his way to the nursery where his son had been hatched from, his ears twitched as the wind gave him the distant future. The laughter and calls for parents from children made him smile faintly.

 Wukong would never be able to stay hidden for long. He just had to patient and play this silly little game of his beloved Sun's. He will see the error of his way.

"Baba?" The young tiger demon took a step forward.

She was putting on a brave face, but her heart was pounding in her chest, her hands clenched tight at her side.

"Have you been well, my dear?"

She openly frowned, crossing her arms as she turned away from him.

"I... I failed..." She muttered, eyes watching the kingdom she had grown to love dearly.

He frowned, walking behind her. Tenderly placing a hand on her shoulders, he pulled her back to his chest.

"Your Mama is clever, he was never one to stay within one place for too long... He has made it his mission to know every way to escape from any place he has seen as a prison."

She frowned, not really understanding what he meant by prisons. Flower Fruit Mountain wasn't a prison! It was a paradise! Mama had been waited on hand and foot! Mama didn't have to do anything!

"We'll find Mama. It'll take time, but we'll find him."

Liang Bai turned around, wrapping her arms around the older demon. Tears wetted his clothes, quiet sobs escaping her. She still couldn't understand why Mama had left? Why wasn't he happy being doted on?

Macaque said nothing more, just holding his oldest daughter close to him. She was so young, she didn't understand the world just yet. That was fine, she would learn eventually and hopefully kindly if he had much to say.

"Liang Bai..." He knelt to her height, cupping her face. "I'm going to listen to the wind, I'll need you to protect me."

The white tigress nodded, wiping her tears. She would protect her Baba, protect him better than she had protected her Mama and brother.

Macaque sat with the stone pillar his son's egg had rested upon to his back. Closing his eyes, he fanned his ears out. The wind around him picked up speed, slamming him with the noises of time. It was painful for a moment, blinding him to the present and future.

Taking a deep breath, he focused himself. It had been so long since he had last used this gift that it was taking him a moment to regain control.

He could hear his beloved's heart, hear their son's as well. He heard his voice, talking and laughing with people. He was still in a human city, different than the one that Xi Tam was looking for. He heard another laughter, a voice calling for their parent.

That was the future though.

Tenderly pulling from that point, he moved closer to the present. He could hear more, hear his beloved talking with a woman, there words were strange as if they hadn't met before. She gifted him something, but he didn't know what it was.

Liang Bai jolted as her Baba suddenly began to cry, gasping for breath. His body was trembling, ears still glowing and flicking in many directions. If he had been standing, she was sure he would have collapsed to his knees in despair.

"Baba!" She ran to him, grabbing onto his arm. "Baba, what's wrong? What... What did you hear?" Her heart hammered in her chest like a hummingbird.

"Wukong... I-I can't hear his heartbeat."

Chapter Text

"Are you ready?" Guanyin whispered, her hand hovering over his shoulder.

She had noticed within the short amount of time that Wukong was there, he flinched away from any of her touches. Before... At least before he was banished from his party, he would lean into them with minor grumbles and proudful remarks. He looked at her differently too. There was no arrogance in his eyes, no anger, or pride... He looked at her with kind love, as if he was looking at his mother but there were shades of betrayal and pain that she couldn't understand. It felt like she couldn't understand him worse than before.

"As ready as I'll ever be." His lips quirked at the edges, a silent laugh slipping from him.

He told a joke, she was sure of it. She didn't know the punchline, however, so she just gave him an encouraging smile.

"Your mission is to watch him. I believe you would know where he is?" She dared not say the name or place. She dared not slip up so close to the end.

He nodded, pulling his sleeping baby closer. In a way, he hoped the "mission" was something else, somewhere else. At the same time, he was grateful to her. That city had protected and helped raised his wonderful successor for many mortal years, he could only hope it would help him as well.

Her hand was carefully placed upon his shoulder, her weak smile growing stronger. 

"You will do wonderfully... Here is your bag, it will have everything you need."

Wukong took the bag, noticing its weight. He was sure there were more things than he would need. However, he didn't say a word about it. He would need all the charity he could get till he was certain that he could live a good human life.

"Thank you, Lady Guanyin." He placed the bag at his feet, deeply bowing to the bodhisattva. "Your compassion truly knows no limits." He wasn't sure how true or false his words were, nor how they made him feel to speak them.

Her smile faltered, as if she knew what was thinking.

"Go, the train awaits." She gave him his final gift, a one-way train ticket to that city.

He took it with trembling hands. The city was still by the water. Still so close to his beloved home... To Macaque... But he could hide. He knew how to hide...

He smiled weakly.

"Thank you again, Lady Guanyin."

He finally left her side, picking up his bag as he went. The little cub curled closer to him, yawning a little as he began to wake up.

"Aww! Isn't he so cute!" A lady a couple seats away cooed.

"I know! Just so cute and precious!" Another lady muttered.

Wukong glanced at the women, a sense of pride swelling within his chest. He turned his head to look at them. They were average looking women, but they were kind. He didn't know how he knew that, but he trusted his instincts.

"Do... Do you want to hold him?" He gave a weak smile, a bit nervous.

Their eyes widen in wonder, the younger woman smiling brightly.

"R-Really?"  Her voice lowered as she drew closer.

As if knowing the conversation was about him, MK opened his eyes, blinking slowly. He looked up to Wukong and then to the eager women. Showing off, he smiled brightly and laughed, making grabby hands toward them.

The ravenette laughed, handing him over to the young woman, who cradled him carefully.

"Oh! Aren't you adorable! What's your name?" The young woman cooed.

"I... He doesn't respond to his name, so I've just been calling him Monkey boy." The honey-eyed human hummed.

The older woman scoffed with fondness.

"Should've called my kids that. Always climbing on things."

"Try swinging too."

The two laughed while the younger woman just played with the eager baby.

"How old is he?" The older woman caressed the boy's fluffy hair, making him squeal happily.

"Almost two." He sighed almost dreamily. He has successfully kept his successor alive for two years!

"Oh! You're a new mother?" The older woman paused, looking to Wukong.

His smile softened, remembering his baby girl.

"I... I had adopted a little girl some years ago." He reached toward his son, letting the boy grab and wiggle his finger.

"Oh?" The woman looked around, looking for a little girl. "Where... Where is she?" The woman's voice drifted away as she saw the crestfallen expression on his face.

"She's... She's with their Baba..." The words were spoken with care, whispered lowly.

The woman nodded, tenderly gripping the younger's shoulder. She briefly looked confused before understanding crossed her face.

The two women smiled to the other, handing the toddler back. He cradled him close, smiling as the baby laughed.

"Was he..." The younger woman stopped as the older squeezed her shoulder.

"He... He loves me too much." Wukong laughed weakly, tears springing to his eyes. "Sounds like a silly thing to leave for, but..." He couldn't get the taste out of his mouth nor the feel of the shadows encircling him. "He did something terrible to an old friend... Because he thought they were trying to take me away... Lied to me about it and convinced our daughter to lie as well."

The women frowned, a pang of sympathy echoing within them. They couldn't imagine it being easy to leave someone who loved them that much. At the same time, they couldn't imagine staying with that same person.

"He wants me safe, but he refuses my help when it counts... I hate being useless." He didn't know why he was telling these strangers this, but it felt... Comforting to speak so freely. In a way.

The older woman got up from her seat and moved to sit closer, wrapping an arm around the other's shoulders.

"You are a strong woman... It'll be hard now, but it will get easier."

Tears burned down Wukong's cheeks, him leaning against the stranger. He thought he was going crazy, that no one would understand him, but these humans did. How lucky was he to have met them?

Chapter Text

"Aww, come on, Pigsy." A dark haired human whined, reaching for the bowl of noodles.

"No! You need to-" A pig demon hissed, sneering a little.

His words were cut off when the door's bell rung. The two looked toward the door, seeing a dark-haired woman.

Normally, the two wouldn't have been so bothered, except the store was closed and that the door should've been locked. Glancing at the door, the pig demon grumbled under his breath as he placed the bowl of noodles before his husband. It seemed the lock jammed up again.

"O-Oh! Um... Are you... Not open?" The woman's voice was rough around the edges, as if she was used to being loud and shouting her words rather than whispering them as she was.

Her golden-brown eyes looked left and right, examining the empty dining area with a furrowed brow, the bottom of lip easily being chewed upon. She was holding something close to her chest, rocking her body side to side. Then again, she also looked like she hadn't gotten more than a night's rest.

"Oh, he'll be open in a minute!" The dark-haired human man laughed sweetly, smiling to her. "Come! Sit and look at the menu!"

The woman offered a kind smile, her tense shoulders relaxing ever so. With silent steps she slid into the seat next to the man, pulling the menu close to her. However, that seemed to have been enough movement to cause the bundle in her arms to start screaming at the top of their lungs!

The three adults jumped! Then the woman whined, getting up and doing a few quick laps around the empty dining area to get the fussy baby asleep again. The little thing squirmed in her arms, pushing the blanket out of his face to reveal his adorableness before promptly going back to sleep.

"Wow... He's uh..." The man laughed nervously, looking at the mother.

She looked so close to crying. Tears were making her eyes shine with her lips wobbling.

"He doesn't want me to stop moving." She rasped.

The two men looked to each other then back to her, watching as she swayed in an attempt to read the menu.

"My names Tang." The human man offered with a smile. "This is my husband Pigsy."

The woman blinked, briefly pausing in her swaying.

"Husband?" She looked between the two, blinking both rapidly and slowly. Then the baby began to get fussy, making her do another lap in the dining area. "Right, that's allowed now." She murmured, almost sleepily.

The two looked at each other again. She couldn't have been any older than them, so what did she mean by that? Was it the gay thing or the separate species thing? They didn't want to ask.

"Uh... Why don't I bounce him for a bit, and you eat?" Tang stood up, opening his arms.

She looked at him as if he said he was going to drag the sun down with a spoon. Then she smiled. It was the saddest smile they had seen. Like she was seeing someone else. Someone she had loved in a way.

"O-Okay... I think he might like you?" There was mixture of hope and knowing in her voice, eyes suddenly aware and alive with something Tang couldn't place. He had seen that fire within those eyes before... He couldn't remember where.

Carefully, she gave him her baby, making sure he was cradling his head properly. The toddler whined momentarily, then he latched onto the human's shirt, chittering in a pleased manner. The new mother could only collapse into the stool, barely softening her sob of relief.

It had been weeks with MK just crying and crying! He didn't know what else he needed! Wukong made sure he was feed whenever he wanted, changed, not overheating nor getting too cold! But he wouldn't stop crying! It was driving the Great Sage insane! He had even gone to a human clinic to see if his baby had gotten sick or was hurting, but nope! He was perfectly fine!

Pigsy placed a firm hand on her shoulder, giving it a tender squeeze as he placed a bowl of hearty noodles before her. It looked like she really needed it.

She eagerly slurped on the food while the human man did little dances with the baby. Even while asleep the baby giggled and chirped, waving one arm occasionally. It was adorable and it caused and ache with the couples' hearts. What they would do to have their own child...

"Thank you." The woman sighed in relief, smiling to them. "I'm Li Hua."

The two men nodded, Tang doing a more dancer's sort of bow.

"And who might this one be!" He gave a twirl, getting another sleepy giggle.

"He's MK, my little monkie boy. Only goes to sleep listening to Journey To-"

"The West!" The human's dance shifted into a more hopping sort of way.

Pigsy shook his head, as if he regretted waking up that morning.

"Yeah, big fan?" The edges of the woman's lips curved into an amused smile one would give a child. At the moment that wasn't too far off.

Happily bounding to her, Tang completely forgot about swaying as he rambled about the book and the other stories one could find. Sure, MK woke up, but he finally didn't scream his head off. Instead, it was like he was enthralled with the older man's passion for the all-powerful Monkey King.

It was definitely blush worthy.

"Tang, work." The pig demon hissed, pacing a bag on the counter for the man.

He whined a little but gave the woman her child back.

"Bye Ms. Li! I hope to see you again!" The scholar was gone within that moment.

Hua couldn't stop the relaxing laughter that fell from him, his body being pulled closer as his laughter turned into hard sobs. He thought he could handle it. He had handled it before without making so much of a fuss! Was... Was it because he had MK to distract himself?

A kind hand patted his back, making him look to the pig demon he never thought he would trust. Pigsy was so much different than his last incarnation. Gentler and far more honest. He was a good father to MK last time... Would he be able to help him now?

"You... Uh..." His brows pulled, clearly unsure of how to proceed. "You look... overwhelmed... And new to the city?" He quirked an eyebrow at that last bit.

He nodded. It was true in a way. He didn't know that city as well as his successor had, never really tried to since he hadn't seen it as his home. Just his Chain Temple and Flower Fruit Mountain.

"Well... I'm... I'm currently looking for a temp worker for the summer... If you don't screw up, I can hire you and we'll... Uh... We'll work out an arrangement for your kid."

Relief flooded the once monkey, more tears springing to his eyes. Buddha! Why was he being so emotionally? Did he need to see a therapist about this? A licensed one since Sandy was probably going through his aggressive arc still.

"Thank you... Um... Can I try tomorrow o-or next week?"

The demon nodded, putting a plate of dumplings before them.

"Yeah... Monday, don't forget."

Wukong smiled, watching as his cheeky little baby swiped a dumpling and began to messily eat it like they were still at the mountain. The pig demon didn't seem to mind till the orders began to come in, then he was distracted.

It was strange watching him work so hard and so quietly. Bajie would've complained the whole way, dragging his feet physically and metaphorically to prolong him doing the job. Somehow, that lazy demon found ways of dumping the role onto him with their master's approval.

In a way, he missed them. He missed the other pilgrims and their strange habits. He missed their laughter and stories. The teasing and jabs, even if a few were meant to sting painfully. He knew they didn't mean as much harm as they had done...

In other ways, he was glad that he didn't have deal with them. He loved Ao Lie, but the dragon was clumsy at best and actively injuring himself at worst. Bajie did as little work as he could get away with. Tripataka had a bad habit of not listening to the full story or seeing both sides, and Wujing would turn a blind eye to many wrong doings.

Yes, he loved and cherished them. It was why he had originally made so many murals of their faces. He never wanted to forget them and their kindnesses, of their teachings. But he also feared and worried about them. He never wanted to make the mistakes that had taken everything from him, not again. Especially when he got everything back.

Looking up to seeing Pigsy working hard on those online orders, a wistful smile took hold of his face. He was a mess, he can decide all of these things later.

Chapter Text

It was only so long before Hua, Pigsy, and Tang came to the conclusion that MK needed a proper daycare. He had too much energy, and really loved to climb and fall, waiting to be caught. Sure, all of them can catch him, but so many dishes and glasses and food have been destroyed because of this habit. And if he wasn't basically trust falling, then he was screaming and crying till someone started swaying with him, and no you couldn't go back to work with him on your back or else he'd cry louder!

So yeah, as much as the three love him, they can't work with him. He's truly too young to understand why he can't have their attention all the time. Plus, Pigsy and Tang had rationalized that it would do him some good to try and make friends his age, to socialize him with the fact he can't have someone's attention 24/7.

However, that left the issue of finding a daycare that could possibly be equipped well enough to care for someone like MK.

The head caretaker, Lady Tao as everyone referred to her, smiled at the clearly overworked mother. Her bright eyes looked at everyone like they were trouble waiting to happen. Lady Tao had been a caretaker for toddlers and young children for many decades at this point, she knew first time mothers when she saw them, and this beautiful woman was definitely a first-time mother.

"Hello, my dear." The older woman walked over to the other, a kind smile on her face. "Are you here to inquire about our services for this littlest one?" She looked to the tiny boy within her arms.

He seemed to stare at her with unblinking eyes. It was like he was staring right into her soul.

"U-Uh... I... I had read the reviews..." The woman looked everywhere but at the person in front of her. "I... Just for a few hours?"

A very nervous first-time mother it seemed.

Lady Tao tenderly patted the woman's shoulder furthest from the child.

"Let us discuss more finer things in the office, and then we can sign the paperwork, Miss..."

"Hua... Uh Li Hua." The name seemed to have relaxed her a little. Which was a bit odd, not that the old woman would say so aloud.

Within the office, Lady Tao found herself in the care of one Li Ming Qi or MK as Ms. Li suggested calling him. Honestly, it was the fastest review the old woman had ever dealt with. Apparently, Ms. Li had done a lot more than just simple online reviews. Plus, she came prepared to hand him over. No seriously, she came with snacks for at least thirty other children, a couple of hand-carved toys that were MK's favorite, his favorite baby blanket, a hard looking teething ring, and a thick folder about the boy.

"At least we won't have to keep you for too long." Lady Tao teased, getting a melodic laugh from the woman.

The weight that seemed to have been pressing upon her shoulders faded, making her look relaxed and at peace.

"U-Uh, just call if there's anything wrong... An-And he loves to climb, so be careful of that..." The frazzle reappeared as she tried to remember the random habits MK did as to not surprise the woman.

Tenderly, the older woman placed a hand on her shoulder again, giving it a kind squeeze.

"I will call if I have any more questions. I promise."

Hua relaxed her shoulders, nodding a little. Finally, someone who didn't turn her away after hearing what her baby does.

Lady Tao hummed as she carried MK over to where the other toddlers were playing. Her daycare was unlike others that only offered their services up till the children started Kindergarten, hers continued till they were at least twelve, and even then, she could keep watch over them while they got "volunteer" work done. She was well liked because of this, and the fact that she keeps meticulous notes on everyone's children.

Once, she had informed the room caretakers of MK's uniqueness, a smile ever present on her face, she left to finish filing the paperwork. Surprisingly, waiting for her was a familiar face. A woman who had many children and had left those children in Lady Tao's care.

Within the woman's arms was a girl with two-toned hair, black and a sharp green. The two exchanged simple pleasantries, the woman handing over the wide-eyed toddler to Lady Tao. The older woman simply brought the child to where she had placed MK, it seemed the toddler was about that old.

She then left to finally finalize those documents. It took her a little while as she also had to enter them into the digital system that she had recently installed. It was actually a lot easier for the caretakers to look up important information about their kids without having to run to the office.

After those two hours, Lady Tao began doing her rounds, making sure that every classroom had what they needed. Getting closer to the toddlers' room, there sounded like yelling and crying and was that a scream?

Lady Tao forwent walking and took off at a full sprint, heart racing. Entering the room, a shrill gasp escaped her as she saw the normally lightly messy room in total chaos! Tables that should've been too heavy for toddlers to flip, were flipped! Snacks were scattered everywhere with pillow fluff mixed between!

The cause of the chaos was easy enough to see, as the two were still fighting!

"What is going on!" Her voice carried over the screeching and yowling of the toddlers.

They broke apart, looking to her with wide eyes, absolutely covered in scratches!

"Lady Tao!" One of the caretakers, a woman simply called Jun, had large tears dripping down her cheeks. "W-We're sorry!"

The other two nodded, little nicks and scratches covering their cheeks and forehead. It also looked like they had gotten jumped on, likely from MK.

Her eyes snapped to the newly claimed troublemakers. They were looking up at her with such innocent eyes that it was like they hadn't caused a war of sort. It probably would've worked, if they weren't surrounded by the evidence.

"I'm calling your mothers." She didn't know why she was talking as if the toddlers would understand her, but... The reactions she got said enough.

MK looked absolutely thrilled, raising his hands and swaying left and right while making little monkey noises. The currently unnamed girl seemed to sour, huffing and pressing her cheek to the messy floor.

She walked further into the room, grabbing MK. He laughed happily, kicking his little feet as she carried him back to the office to call his and the unnamed girl's mother.

"I'm not her mother..." Mrs. Su sounded confused. "I... I had found her wondering nearby and thought that someone had forgotten to close the gate..." Her voice shifted to a quieter one, horror slowly creeping in.

Lady Tao felt her heart stop. If the little girl wasn't Mrs. Su's... She hurried to her filing cabinet. Lady Tao had organized it specifically by hair color and type for this reason after all. There were many children and not every caretaker was going to know their name, and with her accepting full-breed demon and half-breed demon children, it was easier to organize the cabinets first by hair and then by age.

However, she couldn't find anyone with that little girl's hair type. Not fully green, not fully black, not mostly green with black highlights and not mostly black with green highlights! She even looked at the other files, but nothing!

"I-I'm going to call the police... Hopefully her parents understand." Mrs. Su sounded like she was ready to puke.

"Yes... Yes... I-I'll see what I can do as well..." She hung up, hands beginning to tremble.

Taking a deep breath, she called MK's mother. It rang only for a second before it was answered by the woman. She sounded out of breath, worry dripping from every word as they spoke quickly.

Once that call was ended, she walked back to the room. They thankfully had gotten everything cleaned up, but the unnamed toddler was balling her eyes out. Seeing that she was crying, MK began the squirm.

"W-Whoa! Wait-" Lady Tao's grip on the squirming child slipped.

MK easily dropped to the ground and ran toward her, only stopping when they bumped heads. The crying hitched before stopping and she gave a happy scream. The two rolled about, seemingly pulling on each other's hair with laughter.

Lady Tao didn't know what to do at this point.

"Where is our daughter!" The hollow scream made the-hopefully- playing toddlers stop.

The unnamed girl whined a little, but she at least seemed to know that voice.

"Lady Tao!" Ms. Li's voice made the young boy squeal happily.

Scooping the two into her arms, Lady Tao went to meet the parents of the unnamed girl. The surprise on her face was nothing short as she saw the wealthiest known family, the Ao's, standing before her.

Which was the beginning of a confusing conversation and one that led her to understanding Ms. Li's reluctance to leaving her child. Turns out MK wasn't fully human and the unnamed child, Mei, was a dragon... And that the two had gotten attached... Very attached.

Lady Tao rubbed her forehead, a rare migraine burning. Seems Mei will now be attending her daycare along with MK... Seems she will need to pay the toddler caretakers more.

Chapter Text

Wukong seemed to have learned more things as a human than he did as a demon.

Demons, even the weakest of them, had long lives. They could live for hundreds of years, and the most powerful of them for thousands. There was no reason to learn, to grow or adapt to a time period that one could sleep or sneeze away. No reason to see how toxic their thought process truly was till it no longer mattered.

Humans were different. At best they lived for a hundred or so years, but they were fragile things. There were so many ways for them to die, so many mistakes that could end even more of them. They needed to grow and pass their knowledge quickly, but at the same time they needed to know more. Humans loved with every part of their being, hated just as deeply too. It was fascinating in a way, to see how desperate they were to protect their future, a future that could have been hell to them should they have lived for it.

As a human, as Li Hua, he learned what was to be scared of the simplest things. He learned that some people won't stop just because their egos were too big. He learned to look twice before crossing the street, before eating at random food stalls. He learned how to tie shoes and sing silly nursery rhymes that would help his baby sleep. He learned to laugh at mistakes, learned to let things wash over him like rain... Learned it wasn't always his fault bad things happened.

During those many, many years, he made sure that his baby knew how much he was loved. He also made sure that Mei didn't grow up thinking she was weird. He had gently corrected her parents' philosophy, telling a story of a dragon with vast power that had suppressed who they were which ended with... Ended with the Monkey King having to kill them as their power had gone out of control.

It wasn't a story that he liked talking about very much. Not liking how the icy blood felt on his hands, nor those big green eyes were filled with a vengeance he never had seen before. The guilt that ate at him for ending a friend's child...  But that was last time, a time that hadn't happened... Hadn't needed to.

After a little while, Wukong began to train his boy and Mei. It was that fear again. The fear that someone would take advantage of his baby, he wouldn't know what he would do if something like that happened and his baby... Oh, he just had to make sure his cubs could stand a chance. He had made too many enemies once again.

The pair of them took to the training with gusto, bruised grins gracing their faces. Their hands turned red and raw, callouses quickly forming that they showed off with joy. Their eyes glowed with confidence and energy that he hadn't seen in his original time. He thought it would be a silly thing for just the three of them.

"You should open a dojo." Mrs. Dragon hummed, sipping her tea.

Tang nodded eagerly, placing his teacup down as his hands began to tremble. He had that look on his face. The one he only got when the museum had a strange and new artifact from eons ago. It was... scary to put it lightly.

"Yes! That's what I was thinking!" His face was growing with a near manic grin.

The white-haired woman chuckled fondly, her polite face looking more relaxed.

At first, she and her husband were tense around Tang and Pigsy, clearly unsure of how to act around normal people. Thankfully, they had since eased into a form of friendship. It was funny and adorable watching the two nobles learn normal, common people hobbies. But they had grown close, close enough to even be allowed to call them by their first names, Lady Kè Xìn and Lord Le Yang!

However, it seemed now Li Hua was being cornered with something... He wasn't sure if he should be glad that Le Yang and Pigsy weren't there or not...

"U-Uh... Why would you... think those things?" He looked away from them, sipping his drink carefully. It tasted sour now despite it being sweet a minute ago.

The two gave each other looks, looks that only best friends could give and understand. They then looked to him like they weren't entirely amused.

"Sugar plum," a faint smile peaked at Hua's lips, "we have seen you teach the children how to fight." The noble lady hummed, tilting her head to Tang.

"Exactly." The scholarly man picked his teacup up. "You're tender with them, and your instructions and demonstrations are easy to understand." He paused to take a sip, giving what the once monkey hoped was a moment to clear things.

"They're just talented. I had-"

"Now, Sugar plum," Kè Xìn's voice was sharp, setting her cup down just a hint roughly, "we do not lie when we say we had seen you train the children."

"Really... You don't understand." Wukong's grip on the handle was weakening, so he placed his cup down. "I'm... I'm not the best teacher... They truly are just that amazing. They understand things that had taken me years... I don't deserve the praise that you're offering me." His words felt jumbled, his mind speaking too fast for even him to understand.

The white-haired woman stared at him for a long moment, lips thinned. He squirmed under her gaze, looking everywhere but at her. It felt like he was going to get scolded, and he didn't know how he felt about that thought. Perhaps terrified? Scolding never did mean well for him... Well, except with the Moon in a way.

She moved from where she sat to stand by the midnight-haired man, tilting his head up to match her eyes. She looked at him with a confident smile, eyes soft and almost understanding. She heard part of his story; saw the way he flinched at sudden shouts and cries. Watched as he did his best to shut down, so he didn't overreact to certain things, took a blame that wasn't aimed at him. She saw it all.

"Li Hua, Sugar Plum," she spoke sweetly, motherly even, "You have done wonderfully well training them. They likely are prodigies, but that means nothing without a teacher like you. Truly you would do wonderful as a Master. Would you try it? Just for a little while?"

Wukong breathed heavily, eyes beginning to burn as he held back teachers. He didn't know why they were so hung up on this. Why were they trying so hard to make him a dojo master? Did they have that much confidence in him?

"Hua, come on." Tang's manic smile had softened to something normal, tilting his head a little. "How about a year? Just try running a dojo for a year."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

The two gossip buddies looked to each before back to him, sharp grins on their faces.

"Not a chance."

Wukong sighed, slumping in his chair. Blandly, he stirred his now cold cup of tea.

"Fine... But only for a year."

The two grinned at him, Tang patting his hand.

"That's all we ask."