Stone Egg AU

by RinSilverstar223

Summary:

This is a compilation of chapters that I post to my Tumblr account as part of my Stone Egg AU. For more information please go check it out!

https://www.tumblr.com/rinsilverstar223/772512388178182144/masterpost-for-stone-egg-au?source=share

Chapter 1: Macaque PoV

It's alive. Here, warm against my chest. I can hear the thump, thump, thump of its soft, slow heartbeat. I can’t believe it.

When I found the stone, I thought for sure it must be a leftover piece of WuKong's. However, it didn't make sense for it to be in such pristine condition after all these centuries. Then, I heard the pulse from deep inside of it. I knew it was more than a stone. I knew, deep down, that only I was meant to find it.

Of course, I know nothing of these kinds of things. Do stone eggs for Stone Monkies need to be kept warm? Do they like shade or sun? The only person I know and trust who has a child of her own is my sworn sister, the Princess Iron Fan.

She's married to my sworn brother, Demon Bull King. I haven’t visited them since I congratulated them on their son's birth. As far as I know, he's grown into a powerful young demon. I only hope my sister may have some insight into how to raise a young one.

Finally, I reach Thunder-Amassing Mountain where my sworn siblings reside in relative peace. There had been some upset at their marriage a couple centuries ago. Demons and Celestial Maidens aren't usually the kind of pair that the Heavens give their blessings to. Thankfully, things have calmed down.

Carefully, I approach the great iron doors of the mountain fortress. It's quite an intimidating sight for those who aren't used to it. The fiery glow and threatening spikes do make it seem rather unwelcoming. However, I am not at all fazed. I go ahead and bang the knocker.

I could've just slipped inside with my shadow powers easily, but I wanted to do this right. Why sneak into a friend's house when you can get invited in? It’s simple logic.

Eventually, the great doors open up and I am greeted by Bull King himself. He looks well, as large and purple as ever. His green eyes peer down at me with slight surprise. I suppose he was not expecting to see me, which is understandable.

“Liu’er Mihou. What a surprise. What brings you here?” the great Bull King asks of me, crossing his arms.

“Bull King, brother, it’s been a while. If you'll allow it, I seek the advice of your good wife, Princess Iron Fan,” I respond politely and respectfully.

“With Iron Fan? Very well. Come in, and I will see if she is willing to see you today.”

He allows me to follow him back inside the fortress as the giant doors swing shut behind us. The inside is bright with fiery braziers and great tapestries depicting the Bull Family Crest hang from the walls in purples and reds. It’s quite the lavish home they've built since my last visit.

“How are things? Your son, Hong Hai’er, is he doing well?” I inquire in the effort to make idle conversation.

“Hong Hai’er is growing fast. His power is magnificent, and he'll soon be a promising addition to our family,” the Bull King replies proudly. He stops in a chamber with many seat cushions and low tables. “Wait here. I will check with my wife. If she is not willing to see you right now, perhaps you will consider staying awhile still? It would be nice to catch up.”

I smile and nod, a little surprised. We were never all that close during the glory days of the Brotherhood, but I don’t mind if we can be on better terms now. “Of course.”

He nods as well before leaving through a side door on the right. In his absence, I find a cushion to sit on. As I wait, I unwrap the stone egg from my chest a little bit just to check on it. It's still warm and pulsing. It has a faint golden glow that lights up my chest. Good. Still healthy-looking.

A good ten minutes pass by before Bull King returns. I'm happy and relieved to see his lovely wife with him. Iron Fan looks not even a day older than when I saw her at their son's first year celebration. Her long dark hair is pinned up in a style that mimics her husband's protruding horns.

I stand up as they come in as is the polite thing to do. Once they are both seated, I sit down again as well. I wonder how I should begin.

“My husband tells me that you have need of my advice? What advice could I give you, Liu’er Mihou?” Princess Iron Fan asks me after a moment.

I sigh and reach up to completely unwrap the bindings that hold the stone egg to my chest. Once it is free, I set it gently on the table in front of me. “This…this is a stone egg. Inside it is another Stone Monkie like WuKong.”

“What?” Both of them exclaim at the same time.

“I was shocked as well when I found it. And I do believe only I was meant to find it,” I tell them.

“Does he know? Sun WuKong…does he know?” Iron Fan asks, a look of concern on her face.

I shake my head. “No. I went to visit him…he’s been down there under that mountain for a few centuries now, and…he’s still not in a good way. I don’t think it's a good idea to tell him yet until he can calm down more.”

“It's probably best not to let Azure or the rest of the Brotherhood know either,” Bull King suggests with a grin frown.

His wife nods. “Agreed. They'd only be able to see it as another means to an end, another Sun WuKong to lead their meaningless crusade against the Celestial Realm.”

“I didn’t plan on letting anyone else know. I want to keep it as secret as possible for as long as I can.” I sigh heavily. I never even considered sharing this with the rest of the Brotherhood. I was only ever with them for WuKong's sake, and none of the others ever really liked me anyways.

“So, what can we do to help?”

My heart warms for them. Bull King has instantly become one of my new favorite people, and Iron Fan was already up there pretty high. They are actually willing to help me and keep this secret.

“Well, I really just need to know how to take care of it. I can remember a bit from when WuKong was still in his stone egg, but I was pretty young myself back then. Do you have any ideas? What happens when it does finally hatch?”

Iron Fan and Bull King both fall silent as they think. After a moment, my sworn brother is first to speak,

“Well, I imagine it will be hard to keep this secret once the stone egg hatches. If the stories are true, WuKong was quite…explosive when he emerged, right?”

I nod. “That’s right. He shot a laser up into the Celestial Realm and caused quite the disturbance. If this Monkie has the same powers, it would be nearly impossible to keep their hatching a secret.”

“We don't know how long it will take. Most eggs require warmth and a stable place to incubate,” the princess offers up. “Maybe by the time it's ready to hatch, WuKong will be in a better state to help?”

I can only hope. He hasn't shown any signs of improvement after these last few centuries. I wonder if he’ll ever give up and let himself heal. I miss him.

“I'm sorry we can't be of more help, Liu’er Mihou,” she says to me. “If we think of anything more, we'll definitely let you know.”

“Thank you. I am grateful to have you both supporting me through this. And…” I pause, a sudden thought coming to mind. “And if I may ask, should some ill fate befall me, would you be willing to look after this young one?”

Both are caught off guard by my request. Bull King looks at his wife. Iron Falookdss back at him. Then, they both look to me and nod.

“We will, Liu’er Mihou,” my sworn brother tells me with all seriousness.

“You can count on us,” my sworn sister adds, bowing. Her expression is grim when she lifts her head again. “You sound as if you are expecting something to happen.”

I shake my head. “I cannot be certain. I hear a great many things with these ears of mine. Some are things yet to come. I do have a sense that something may happen to me, but I cannot say when exactly it'll be.”

Chapter 2: PIF PoV

My heart pounds in my chest as I stumble down to the riverbank. The air is thick with the scent of blood. It's an all-too-familiar odor to me these days. I hate it.

But there it is. The mutilated body of my sworn brother. I crumble to my knees at his side, barely able to recognize the patches of his dark fur through all the blood and gore. How could he do this!?

I curse the Celestials, and I curse the Monkie King. When they made us seal away our son's power, the Samadhi Fire, I accepted it in order to save him from a worse fate. Then, they sent Sun WuKong after my husband simply because he accidentally destroyed a few villages in a fit of anger. Now, now that accursed monkie has gone too far. In the name of that damned monk he now serves, he's even killed his own mate, my sworn brother.

With effort, I push myself to my feet. Shakily, I begin to dig a grave for my sworn brother. It's the least I can do for him now. Once it's done, I lay his cold body inside and bury it. With the little strength I have left, I carve a nearby stone to mark his resting place.

I lie down next to the grave. My tears won't stop. I know this is foolish. I am the Princess Iron Fan. My son is waiting for me at home. I need to keep moving forward.

As I lie here, I remember a promise I made to Liu’er Mihou. The stone egg. I have to get to it.

I drag myself up again. Pulling the fan from my hair, I summon the winds to carry me away. Liu’er told me once where he hid the stone egg. I can only hope I am not too late.

Deep within the caves of Flower Fruit Mountain, there is a hidden hot spring. It is here, on a tiny island in the center of the pool, upon which a stream of sunlight from a crack high above rests, is a nest of blankets. However, the stone egg is nowhere to be seen.

Fear strikes through me. Desperate, I splash through the heated waters of the spring until I reach the island. I dig through the blankets frantically, but I can already sense it. I'm too late.

Damn the Celestial Realm! Damn them all!

Chapter 3: Continuation of PIF POV

Several centuries later…

It's finally time. After all these hundreds of years the time for the revival of my beloved husband has finally come. My heart aches in anticipation. I'm here, my love.

Our beloved son, even without the Samadhi Fire, has proven himself quite capable. His skills working with metal and bending energy to his will are unmatched by any I know. He has created a magnificent gauntlet that can lift the staff of the Monkie King and unseal my husband from his mountain prison.

Now is the perfect time to act. That bastard Sun WuKong has long been absent. The Celestials have all turned away, no longer caring for the goings-on of the Mortal Realm. Any Dragons or Demons won't dare stand in our way. Not now or ever again.

“Do it,” I order my son, patience at its limit.

The red-haired boy beside me lifts his gauntlet as he steps up to the magical glowing staff. He glances back at me, and I nod encouragingly. He takes a deep breath and grasps the staff in his gauntlet. A rumble shakes the room.

Hong Hai’er grips tightly on the staff. Energy crackles around him as he pulls with all his might. I watch with bated breath. This has to be it. My husband has to be freed.

Finally, with a resounding Crack! the staff is yanked out of its position in the stone. But nothing happens. No sign of my husband reviving occurs at all.

“No…” I utter, feeling as if my world is crumbling around me.

“Why isn't anything happening?” Hong Hai’er asks as he steps back over to me, staff still in his grasp. “Are we sure this is the right mountain?”

“No, maybe it’s one of those other giant mountains with a magical staff sealing away my husband,” I bite out. He flinches, and I immediately regret the harshness of my tone.

Then, all of a sudden, the rumbling starts again. It becomes more violent as it shakes the entire cavern. We nearly lose our footing as the very earth rends apart before us. A green glowing haze wafts up from the fissure.

“My love?” I call out hopefully.

A large clawed hand reaches up from within to grasp the edge of the chasm. Another appears on the opposite side. Soon, hulking form appears in the mist, hauling itself up out of the earth. I pull my son back to make room as it steps out into the open.

“Flesh…bone…I have returned to the Realm of the Living,” a deep, growling voice says. I know that voice, and I know that face.

“My love!” I exclaim with relief and joy.

My husband’s green eyes turn down to look upon me. His great face softens. “Princess Iron Fan. The years have been kind to you.”

“It's been far too long, my love. I dreamed of this day for so many long centuries,” I respond, floating up to touch his furred snout. He’s really here, alive and whole.

“How were you able to release me?” he inquires.

Before I can reply, our son clears his throat. We look down at where he stands. He speaks, “it was I, father! I forged this gauntlet in order to bend the magic staff to my will and free you from your imprisonment! With it, no one will dare stand in our way!”

My husband grins, a rumble of pride going through him. “Excellent. You have done well, Hong Hai’er.”

Our boy beams at the praise. It’s so adorable to see him flustered. I'm glad he's getting his moment to shine for his father. Together, we will be unstoppable.

All of a sudden, a piece of pipe from the ceiling of the cavern comes loose and falls down on top of our son. With it comes a little Human. What is this mortal doing here? Where did he come from?

Hong Hai’er shoots back up with a growl, throwing the pipe and Human boy off of him. “You! How dare you!”

“A little eavesdropper has fallen into our midst,” my husband, the Bull King, snarls. His expression is dark.

“Wait, wait, wait!” the young mortal cries in panic. He holds up what looks like a white delivery bag. “I was just delivering some noodles! I don’t know who ordered them or why I had to come down here!”

“A pitiful excuse. You think we'd believe such a lie?”

However, there is something rather odd about this mortal. I sense something rather familiar about him. He is not what he seems.

“Hold on, my love,” I speak up. I drift down to stand in front of the Human. “Who are you, boy?”

“Uh, no offense, but I don’t think that’s something I'm allowed to tell strangers, especially ones so scary,” he responds, backing up.

I harden my gaze, still unable to place why he feels so familiar to me. What is this odd aura he gives off? Is he not Human?

“Why waste our time on this little eavesdropper? He is inconsequential,” the love of my life says rather impatiently.

“My love, there is something strange about him. I sense that he is more than he seems,” I respond. I turn back to the boy. “If you value your life, you will answer my question.”

The boy looks around as he stumbles back away from me further. Then, he trips over the magic staff where it had fallen from Hong Hai’er's grasp when the pipe fell. To our great surprise, he quickly picks it up and points it at us.

“Stay back, I don't know how to use this, but I really just want to go home without any problems,” he stammers out.

“Impossible,” my husband utters behind me.

“How can he possibly lift that staff on his own!?” Hong Hai’er questions in disbelief.

His ability to lift that staff and the familiarity I sense from him all clicks together in my mind. “It can't be…”

“What is it, my princess? Have you figured it out?” Bull King asks of me.

I glance back at him. “I can’t believe it, but I think he must be…who else could he possibly be…”

“Who is he?”

“Do you remember our sworn brother, Liu’er Mihou? Do you recall the last time we saw him before you were imprisoned here?”

Realization dawns across my husband’s bovine face. He gazes once more down at the boy before us. “He can't be. This little Human can't possibly be it.”

Our son looks between us both in confusion. “Mother, father, what are you talking about? Who is this peasant?”

My response is cut off by the boy himself. “Look, I don’t know what's going on or anything! I have no idea what you are talking about, so I'm just gonna go…”

He backs away more towards the exit of the cavern, but my husband moves to intercept him. “No. Not until we have the answers we seek, boy.”

As if acting on its own, the magic staff lengthens and knocks my love back away. Then, it launches the boy back down the tunnel away from us. That’s Sun WuKong's staff! It must think we are the enemy, so it is acting in the defense of its wielder.

“We have to go after him. Not just because of who he is and the promise we made to Mihou, but we need that staff back,” I say, pulling my fan from my hair.

“Leave it to me, mother! I'll have Bull Clones scouring the city!” Hong Hai’er declares confidently. “I don’t know why that peasant interests you and father, but I won't rest until he and the staff are back in our grasp!”

“Very well. Don't disappoint us,” my husband agrees gruffly.

Chapter 4: MK PoV

Terror courses through me as I drive away from that construction site as fast as I can. I can barely think as my mind races through all that just happened. Was that THE Demon Bull King!? What the hell is going on!?

To my great horror, I happen to glance in the rear view mirror only to find that I am being followed closely by a big truck painted in gaudy reds and purples. My color association skills immediately put two and two together to realize that those guys from the cavern are chasing me down. Sweet cheese tea! Can I not just catch a break!?

Before today, I can honestly say the scariest situation I've ever been in is the one time on a delivery when a customer's dog got loose and chased me for three whole blocks. That was mild compared to this situation. These are literal Demons hunting me down for who knows why. What did I do to deserve such crappy luck!? Who even ordered noodles to be delivered down there!?

It's at this precise moment that my trusty tuk tuk decides to give out on me. I really should've been paying more attention to the gas levels. Thankfully, there's just enough juice to get her into a safe parking spot along the street. Pigsy would murder me if something happened to this little old vehicle.

Unfortunately, this means my pursuers can easily catch up to me. The big red and purple truck is closing in fast. The head of that redhead guy with the fiery temper pokes out of the driver side window. He shouts to me,

“You! Noodle Boy! You aren’t getting away from me!”

“Uh, can we reschedule this for another time? You know, just put this on raincheck?” I call back as I look around for escape options. Other people on the street are stopping to stare. Shoot.

“You think this is a game!? Your life belongs to the Demon Bull Family, you peasant! Surrender now and return what you stole!”

My gaze lands on the staff tucked away in my tuk tuk. It saved me earlier, maybe it will save me again. I pull it out, feeling how it hums softly with warmth in my hands. The Staff of the Monkie King.

The truck pulls to a stop in the middle of the street, mere feet from me. I ready myself for whatever the staff decides to do this time. I won't allow myself to be kidnapped or whatever by an evil Demon.

The redhead hops out of his truck. He's smirking and standing there like he owns the whole city. My poor overwhelmed brain decides at this time to acknowledge how good-looking he is. Why brain? Why must you betray me this way?

“Giving up, Noodle Boy? You’re smarter than I gave you credit for. I don’t know why my parents are so fascinated by you, but regardless, you'll be coming back with me now,” the Demon boy tells me with such cockiness.

“And what if I don't want to?” I retort, trying to hide my panic. I grip the staff harder. “I know better than to go off somewhere with a Demon I don't know.”

He growls, losing some of that composed arrogance. “You think you have a choice in the matter, peasant? If the Demon Bull King demands it, I, his son, will fulfill it. If you value your limbs intact and your face unburned, you better cooperate.”

This is getting worse by the minute. He’s not going to let me go easily. I look around again for an escape. To my dismay, I find that the crowd of onlookers have been replaced by what look like robot bull-men. Just great. I'm surrounded.

Finally, the staff moves in my hands just like before. It stretches down to hit the ground. Then, in an instant, I'm launched up into the air. As great as it is to escape, I'm still absolutely terrified of what I'm supposed to do now that I'm at least a couple hundred feet in the air. How do I get down!?

A flash of green catches my eye and relief washes over me. A familiar white-clad biker is soaring up high towards me. I grab the outstretched hand and swing up behind the rider as the bike shoots off the land safely on the ground several blocks away from that confrontation.

I slide to the ground with a groaning sigh of relief. The adrenaline is crashing out of me fast now that I'm away from all that. I look up at my savior as she removes her helmet to show off her green-highlighted hair.

“Mei! You're the best!” I praise with immense gratitude.

“I know! That was so much fun! Your little face off with that angry redhead was all over the local media, so I just had to come jump in!” my best friend exclaims excitedly. She bounces on her heels as she bounds off her bike. “Who was that guy? New friend of yours?”

“No! He was trying to kidnap me, Mei!”

Her expression immediately darkens. “Really? Where does he live?”

I laugh nervously as I get back up to my feet. My legs are still shaky, so I lean on the staff for support. “Don’t worry about it now. We got away.”

Looking around, I realize we're back in front of Pigsy’s Noodles. I realize that I left my poor tuk tuk behind. I'll have to go back for her later if I can remember where I parked the old girl. But right now there's someone I have to talk to.

I hurry inside the restaurant. Mr. Tang is sitting at the counter with a bowl of noodles as usual. If anyone can tell me about what’s going on, it’s Mr. Tang. He knows more about the Monkie Kind and the Journey to the West than anyone else I’ve ever known.

Before I can get to him, an angry shout stops me in my tracks, “there you are Xiaotian!”

I flinch and turn to face my boss and legal guardian, the esteemed owner and namesake of Pigsy’s Noodles himself. He’s scowling at me from behind the counter, absolutely furious. Oh no! I knew he’d be mad! I failed the deliveries!

“You wanna tell me why someone left a zero star rating on Pigsy’s Noodles?” he asks, showing the indicated review on the screen of his phone. His grip is so hard he could crack the entire device any moment.

“Look, Pigsy, there’s an explanation for this, I swear,” I respond, holding up my hands and the staff defensively.

“Yeah, he was trying not to get kidnapped by some angry red-haired guy,” Mei pipes in, always to my rescue.

The anger on Pigsy’s face dissolves a bit down into concern at her words. “What? Some redhead was trying to kidnap you? Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m fine! Mei got me out just in time, but that’s not the whole story!” I quickly try to explain, shaking my head. “There was this weird delivery to one of the construction sites on the other side of the mountain, and the instructions said to go down into this big cavern underground. You know I always deliver as instructed, so I didn’t question it. I went down there, and there was this scary lady and her son, the redhead we were talking about. They didn’t even know I was there at all. And then they-”

“Kid, you’re rambling. Get to the point,” my boss cuts in gruffly.

I inhale deeply. “The Demon Bull King has been released, and I may have stolen the Monkie King’s staff from him and his wife, Princess Iron Fan, so now they sent their son to kidnap me.”

“The Demon Bull King?” Mr. Tang questions, finally joining the conversation. “Xiaotian, are you sure? How could they have removed the Monkie King’s staff?”

“They had this gauntlet thing that gave them the ability to lift it, I think.” I hold up the staff. “But look! See? I’m not lying!”

“Wow, Xiaotian. You found a stick!” Mei teases, trying to lighten the mood.

I do not appreciate the lack of seriousness. Mr. Tang told me all about how dangerous the Demon Bull King is in his stories. Only the Monkie King himself could stop him. What are we supposed to do?

“Okay, say you’re right about all this, where’s the Demon Bull King now? Is that redhead still after you?” Pigsy inquires, still concerned and doubtful.

“I don’t know about the Demon Bull King’s whereabouts right now, but I do know that they really want this staff. That scary redhead was really serious about capturing me and taking it back.” I shudder at the memory of his threats.

“If that really is Monkie King’s staff, how are you holding it?” Mr. Tang questions.

The overwhelming anxiety is creeping back. This is not going how I thought it would. “I don’t know how I’m holding it or what is going on, but we need to find the Monkie King and get the staff back to him. He’s the only one who can defeat the Demon Bull King, right?”

Pigsy sighs. “Fine. I know a guy who can help us track down the Monkie King. Come on.”

Chapter 5: PIF PoV

“It seems your progress has come to a standstill, Hong Hai’er.”

My son whips around to face me as I alight behind him on a tall rooftop that overlooks the city. He doesn’t look happy to see me. You’re taking too long. I’m sorry my dear boy.

“Mother, for your information, I just learned of that Noodle Boy’s whereabouts. He and his little friends are heading towards Flower Fruit Mountain in search of the Monkie King,” my son informs me, crossing his arms. “I’ll go to-”

“No. You’ve done enough for now, Hai’er. Go back and help your father with that new armor you built for him. Let mommy handle the rest,” I interrupt with a tone that speaks of my unwillingness to argue.

He opens his mouth to protest, but he sees the look in my eyes and falls silent. In a whirl of flames, he returns to our fortress deep under the city where veins of magma flow to fuel his workshop and forge. Its defensibility is also strengthened by the lack of safe routes to and from without the use of teleportation. It’s a prime location that we’ve secured.

Now, on my own, it is easy enough to catch up with that boy and his companions. Getting to Flower Fruit Mountain is no simple task, and it involves traversing the Flaming Mountains that surround the Monkie King’s legendary home. There are few safe paths, and the only true way to get through is with my fan. So, at the perfect moment, I appear before this sorry excuse for a group of mortals.

“You will go no further,” I state, producing my giant fan with a great sweep. With their path blocked, they come to a halt before me.

“We’re not going to lose to you, lady!” the Pig Demon amongst them says defiantly. He resembles the old Zhu Bajie to some degree. What an odd coincidence.

“You misunderstand my intentions. I am here to uphold an oath made in good faith.” I point to the boy who holds the magic staff. “I only wish to save this boy from Sun WuKong’s trickery.”

“You’re the wife of the Demon Bull King! Why should we believe you?” a young girl with the aura of those descended from the White Dragon Horse demands, fire in her eyes.

“I have little patience for this.” This close to Flower Fruit Mountain, I do not wish to draw the attention of that Monkie if he is there.

In one swift action before they can even react, I use the gauntlet my son crafted to grab the magic staff. With my other hand, I grab the boy. He struggles in my grasp, but I will not let him go. He cannot fall into that bastard WuKong’s hands. I refuse!

“Let my friend go!” the White Horse Dragon girl shouts, lunging at me with crackling green energy like lightning.

She is far too late. I have what I have come for. In a rush of wind, I pull both myself and the boy into a vortex. On the other side, we are in my fortress, far from those fools. Finally. No time to waste.

Without delay, I drag the boy along through the halls despite his attempts to free himself and protest. I reach one of our guest rooms and guide him inside. He should be comfortable enough here for now.

“Listen, boy. I have no ill intent towards you. However, I do not have the time to explain things further. Please make yourself at home in this room until I can return and answer any questions you have, as long as you are willing to answer those I have for you,” I tell him before shutting and locking the door. I do feel bad about how this all has ended up, but I cannot let him go until I know for certain whether he is who I believe him to be or not.

Back in the hall, I head towards the throne room where my husband likely waits. I hope Hai’er has helped him orient himself to this present time period. A lot has changed in the last several centuries. So much technological advancement on the part of the mortals as well. It’s admittedly quite impressive.

Speaking of my son, I come across him as he is making his way into his workroom. I stop him,

“Hai’er. Come here.”

My dutiful son obeys and approaches with a respectful bow of his head. “Welcome back, mother.” His eyes alight on the staff in my grasp. “I assume that you were successful?”

I nod. “I have the boy in our guest room. I have work to do with your father, so I cannot explain everything right now. However, I would like to put you in charge of making him feel welcome here…but do not let him leave.”

There is a hint of confusion in his amber eyes, but he nods his head. “Of course, mother.”

I pat his fiery hair. He’s getting so tall. “That’s my good son. I know I can count on you.”

Chapter 6: Red Son PoV

My parents’ obsession with this Human boy is baffling to me. I cannot comprehend why he is so valuable to them that mother even put him in our guest room instead of the dungeons. It’s not like our cells are of poor quality. We may be Demons, but we have some class.

Grumbling, I stomp over to the guest room. The door is locked up from the outside with the handprint scanners I had installed to increase security. Every room of our fortress deserves the best defense system that I can provide. If I couldn’t do that much, I wouldn’t deserve to be part of the Demon Bull Family.

Opening the door, I find that Human lying face-first on the ground. Cautious for trickery, I make sure to close the door securely behind me before approaching. I crouch down and poke him experimentally. He isn’t dead is he? Humans are fragile, but they can’t be this fragile!

“Hey, wake up,” I say, poking him again.

To my relief, he groans into the purple carpet. I wouldn’t want my parents to find out that their ‘guest’ died. Still, mother entrusted me to look after him. I won’t allow anything to happen even if it involves reviving him myself. Failure is not an option.

“Alright, I’m gonna give you two options. You either can choose to keep lying here, in which case I will be forced to take physical action, or you can get up on your own and we can be civil about this,” I tell the Human boy impatiently.

With a great heavy sigh, he pushes himself up into a sitting position. He looks at me with wary eyes full of anxiety. I suppose that is to be expected. Humans and Demons have made a lot of advances towards living together in complete harmony since the old days when I first came into being, but there are still some tensions between our races.

“So, uh, I guess it was too much to hope that it was all a bad dream, huh?” the Noodle Boy speaks in a quiet, uncertain tone. He averts his gaze to the ground as he hugs his knees to his chest.

“How foolish. You are the guest of the Demon Bull Family. Not many have ever been so fortunate as you,” I state as I stand back up to my feet. “Though, I do admit I have little understanding as to why my parents have decided to show you such favor after you interrupted our reunion and stole the staff of the Monkie King from us.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he replies simply.

I frown down at him. If I focus my attention just right, I can almost make out the hint of something deep within him. My ability to sense auras and powers is not as refined as my mother’s, but I can tell that there may be something more to this Human than meets the eye. Is that why my parents are so fascinated by him? Could he not actually be Human at all?

Interest piqued, I admit I can accept his presence here more easily. Surely I will get to understand this unusual anomaly of a boy the longer he stays here. With that being the case, I will renew my efforts to ensure that he wants to stay here. If he actually wants to stay here, he won’t try to escape, which makes my job easier.

“Well, Noodle Boy, I suppose I do owe you an apology,” I start off, taking a deep breath in and out. It isn’t in my nature to be so passive. I’m a Demon of Fire, after all.

The boy looks up at me with surprise in his big dark eyes. “What?”

“Yes, an apology. I realize that my earlier actions and words were unnecessarily violent and may have caused you some distress. Be assured that I no longer wish to cause you harm, and neither do my parents.”

“I…uh, thanks? I guess? I suppose that was something I was rather concerned about considering you threatened to remove my limbs and all that…”

Oh. Yeah. I did say that. “I do apologize for the threats I made in the heat of the moment. You no longer have to worry about the safety of your limbs, Noodle Boy.”

He seems to relax ever so slightly. “That’s good. I quite like my limbs as they are.”

I can’t help but snort in amusement. Even considering his situation, he does seem to have some sense of humor. I’m rather impressed. Most Humans would be freaking out a great deal more, I imagine. We, the Demon Bull Family, are rightfully intimidating and dangerous, so anyone held against their will by us would be foolish not to be scared.

“So, uh, just wondering, but how long do you think I’ll have to stay here? I mean, this isn’t quite as bad as I thought it was going to be, but, uh, I would like to go home, you know…” the Noodle Boy inquires, stumbling over his words in his own nervousness.

I shrug. “I don’t actually know the answer to that, Noodle Boy. My parents have questions they want to ask you, but they have other important business to take care of beforehand. I suppose it’ll all come down to how long their other business takes and whether or not you can answer their questions.”

“And whether or not my friends can find the Monkie King,” he adds in a low tone.

A pit of cold uncertainty forms in my gut. If those friends of his do by some miracle find the Monkie King, that could be a problem for us. Monkie King defeated my father even when my father was at the height of his power. Now, my father has been weakened by centuries sealed under this mountain. What if we do lose again? Will my father be taken away from me again?

“I won’t let that happen,” I utter, filled with a righteous determination. “I won’t let the Monkie King take everything from us again. I won’t lose my father to that bastard again.”

“Maybe he won’t seal your father again if he comes back,” the possibly-not-Human boy says as if trying to reassure me for some odd reason. “I mean, last time, your father was hurting lots of innocent people, so that’s why Monkie King came to defeat him, right? So, as long as your father doesn’t hurt more innocent people, then Monkie King will have no reason to seal him up again, right?”

I glare down at him. “Are you so foolishly blinded by the lies that everyone has perpetuated over the centuries to actually believe that? Do you actually think the Monkie King is some great hero who saved the world?”

Unease grows in his eyes again as he stands up. He rubs his arm. “Well, I mean, yeah. I do believe that. All the stories I’ve ever heard have said that he saved people and defeated those who were causing harm.”

“History is written by the winners, Noodle Boy. It never gives both sides of the story.”

He sighs heavily and goes to sit on the bed, cross-legged with hunched shoulders. After a moment, he looks over at me. “Xiaotian.”

“Excuse me?” I question, caught off guard by this one-word statement. What on earth?

“My real name is Qi Xiaotian, so you don’t have to call me Noodle Boy anymore. Can I know your name since it seems I might be here a while?”

Huffing and crossing arms, a little disturbed by the sudden change of subject, I reply, “Hong Hai’er. That’s my name.”

He grins. “Really? That’s a great name!”

What is with this sudden change of attitude? Is he not right in the head? What’s going on?

Chapter 7: Sun WuKong PoV

Peace is something I’ve grown accustomed to. Retirement has been really good for me, and I have all the comforts I could possibly want. I mean, who could ask for more than unlimited supplies of peaches, access to a global network like the internet, and my little monkey buddies!

Except, that’s not exactly how things are going, as much as I’d like them to. There are some issues that keep me from fully being able to enjoy my retirement. Namely, at the present moment, the little Dragon girl now shouting up a storm as she stomps around my mountain. I mean, what is her problem?

Finally, it doesn’t seem like she’s going to leave any time soon, so I leave the comforts of my hidden home behind the waterfall to see what she wants. If all goes right, I can send her on her way back home and move on with my new eternity of relaxation. It’s the least I deserve after all the work and fighting I did for like, a thousand years or more.

“Hey there, little Dragon girl,” I call out as I land behind the mortal. She definitely looks like someone from the nearby city with her trendy green and white attire and the green highlights in her dark hair. Kids these days have all these new fashions.

“Excuse me!?” she snaps back as she whirls around. “You’re the Monkie King? You finally decide to show your face now? I’ve been out here on your stupid mountain, yelling, for hours!”

“Uh, yeah, I know. I was kind of just hoping you’d take the hint and go back home to your city. I mean, I’m kind of retired, you know.”

She looks absolutely furious. “Retired!? RETIRED!!? You’re the Monkie King! That Demon Bull King is released, and apparently you’re the only one who can stop him!”

I scratch the back of my neck. “Uh, yeah, I know. Don’t worry, I chose my successor already, and he’s the one who has my staff now. I know he’s got what it takes to defeat old Bull King.”

“Your successor? You mean my friend? You intentionally put my friend, Xiaotian, into danger just to be lazy and have your damn retirement!?” she growls, crackling with green energy. “Great job, Monkie King! You got my friend kidnapped by the Demon Bull King and Princess Iron Fan, and they have your stupid staff too! Wonderful planning there, oh Great Sage!”

“Wait, what did you say?” I question in disbelief, taken aback by her ferocious words. “Bull King and Iron Fan have my staff?”

She stomps over to me and shoves a finger against my chest. “I don’t give a damn about your staff! They took my best friend, Xiaotian! He’s the one that found your accursed staff! If you don’t do something about this mess you apparently started, I’m not going to rest until I personally make your life a living hell!”

Her green dragon form flashes before my eyes. I let out a sigh. This is not at all how things were supposed to go. I chose that kid, Xiaotian, to be my successor and initiated him finding my staff. I mean, he’s perfect. No one else in hundreds of years had his level of potential, and he was the only one actually able to wield my staff.

“Look, this was not what I intended at all. Your friend, Xiaotian, was supposed to find my staff and then make his way here so I could train him. I didn’t think that Bull King and Iron Fan would want to kidnap him. Why would they? It makes no sense,” I try to explain in my defense.

The little Dragon girl crosses her arms, judgement clear in her expression. “Yeah? Well, they did. So are you going to take responsibility to save my friend and defeat the Demon Bull King or not?”

Fantastic. More fights with Demons. “Well, I guess this was kind of my fault, so I should probably do something.” I pat her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll save your friend.”

“You better.”

 

I may not necessarily be the smartest, as much as I like to claim I am, but I’m definitely far from stupid. I have my ways of keeping tabs on the whereabouts of Iron Fan and that son of hers, Hong Hai’er, over the centuries. Now, I’m quite certain they’ve built a fortress for themselves deep down under the city. And I know how to get there, of course. I didn’t think I’d ever actually have to make use of this knowledge. 

With confidence and the strong desire to get this over with, I kick open the door to the not-so-secret elevator hidden in the city that takes me straight down to the entrance to their fortress. I’m not a huge fan of underground spaces. That’s probably due to the five hundred years I spent sealed in a mountain with only magma and liquid metal to consume. Let me tell you, not fun at all.

The great doors of the fortress are easy enough to knock down. I gotta hand it to Bull King and his wife. They really have an eye for interior decoration. The reds and purples with the gold embellishments really work well together. If they weren’t currently in my bad books, I’d ask them for some pointers.

“Yo! Bull King! You home?” I call out as I stride further inside the entrance hall.

A rumble goes through the fortress. The fancy set of doors at the far end are thrown open by the big guy himself. He’s looking pretty good for having spent so many centuries under this mountain. Then again, I looked pretty good myself after going through the same thing, so I doubt that’s much of anything he can be proud of.

“Sun WuKong! You dare show your face here so casually after what you did to me!?” Bull King growls, stomping into the chamber. His green eyes are alight with fury.

“Yeah, look, I had all the intention of just letting you go about your business after you were unsealed. I mean, five hundred years is a long enough sentence to be sealed up. But, uh, you kind of kidnapped a kid and stole my staff. That’s a problem.”

He scoffs. “I’m no fool, simian. I know better than to believe you’ll just let me ‘go about my business’.”

I let out a heavy sigh. “Listen, just return my staff and release the kid, and we don’t have to get messy with this. I don’t want to have to seal you up again, okay?”

The Bull King gets into a ready-to-fight stance. “You will not get that boy, and you will not be getting your staff back.” He pats the chest of his bulky armor. “The furnace in this armor that my son built has already absorbed your staff, and I will convert it into the energy I need to defeat you once and for all so you can never harm me or my family ever again!”

With my True Sight, I look into his armor. Just as he said, my staff is inside the central furnace-like part. I don’t think it’s being absorbed as well as he believes. I can get it back.

“If that’s really the choice you are going to make, then I guess we’re doing this the hard way.”

Chapter 8: MK PoV

Thunderous crashes shake this whole place. Something big is happening outside this room, and I don’t know what. The Demon guy, Hong Hai’er, seems as unsure as I am. He keeps glancing at the door as if he wants to run out there and find out what’s going on. Why doesn’t he?

All of a sudden, the door is blasted open. The force of energy is enough to knock both of us over. At least I’m on the bed, but Hong Hai’er is not so lucky. He gets thrown into the wall with a painful-sounding thud. I’m rather surprised to see him get back up so quickly.

Standing in the doorway is a monkey in gold, red, and teal attire. Immediately, I know who he is. “The Monkie King!?”

He grins at me, wielding his staff. “Hey there, Bud. You doing good? You hurt at all?”

I shake my head. “I’m…I’m okay.”

Internally, I’m freaking out. I’ve idolized the Monkie King my whole life thanks to Mr. Tang’s stories. Now he’s here before me in the flesh. And he just called me ‘bud’! Like we’re friends or something! That’s so cool!

Then, Hong Hai’er’s words creep into the back of my mind. I can’t help it, but a seed of doubt has been planted already. What if Monkie King really isn’t as great as the stories all say? What if I shouldn’t trust him so easily?

In a flash, the fiery Demon boy is throwing himself in front of me. Flames curl up from his fists and even his red hair starts to flicker and dance. It’s rather odd that he’s doing this. It’s like he’s actually trying to protect me from the Monkie King of all people.

“Ah, I know you. You’re Hong Hai’er, right?” Monkie King says so nonchalantly. He’s not concerned at all. He IS the most powerful being in the whole world.

“I won’t let you get any further, Sun WuKong! My parents tasked me with ensuring this boy’s safety, and I won’t let them down!” the boy in front of me states with such sincerity.

“Hong Hai’er, you don’t have to protect me! He’s the Monkie King! He’s not going to hurt me!” I tell him, getting up.

The Demon boy pushes me back down. “Stay back! Don’t forget that my parents still have questions they’d like to ask you, Qi Xiaotian! I will not fail to do my duty!”

Oh. That’s right. He’s not actually protecting me. He’s just trying to keep me here until I answer the questions of his parents. I’m a prisoner.

“Yeah, sorry to burst your bubble, little Red, but I’m rescuing the kid. Stand down now, okay?” Monkie King instructs, thumping the end of his staff against the ground enough to shake the room. “I already dealt with your parents, don’t worry they’re still alive and unsealed. If you really want to show some filial piety, I’d go tend to their injuries if I were you. Getting in my way really isn’t going to solve anything.”

“You…already beat my parents?” Hong Hai’er’s resolve is visibly wavering. He glances back at me and then again at the Monkie King. There’s strain in his voice when he says, “fine.”

With a whirl of fire, he’s gone. I’m left alone with the Monkie King. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing to be left alone with the Monkie King, but I can’t help but feel incredibly nervous and uncertain. There are so many thoughts swirling in my head right now, and I’m not sure if I really know what to believe anymore.

“So, uh, we gonna get out of here, Bud?” the Great Sage Equal to Heaven asks, gesturing back behind him to the hallway. “I mean, unless you actually want to stay as their prisoner.”

I quickly get up off the bed. “Right! Yeah, we should go…”

He can take me back home. I’m just going back home where I can compartmentalize all this and hope it never happens again. That’s right. It’s all over and done with now.

“Oh, wait, there is one thing I kind of need to discuss with you before I can take you home, but don’t worry! We can talk all we need to back on my mountain!”

“Huh?” I manage to squeak out before he scoops me up like I weigh next to nothing, and we’re zooming out of the fortress. On the way, I get glimpses of the destruction his fights caused. There are quite a few massive craters and holes that I certainly believe don’t belong where they are. I feel kind of bad. If I had been stronger, I could’ve defended myself and all this would’ve been avoided. Monkie King wouldn’t have had to come down here and rescue me, and the Demon Bull Family would still have a perfectly intact home.

Before I know it, we’re back above ground. It’s dark out and the lights of the city shine bright below us. To be honest, I’m kind of terrified right now because we are really high up and going super fast, but I trust that Monkie King won’t drop me. Right? He wouldn’t do that.

The city is quickly replaced by the deep expanse of blue ocean waters. Then, the Flaming Mountains come into view. I recall what happened there and look up at the Monkie King.

“Uh, can I ask if my friends are okay? Did they all make it back alright?” I inquire, concerned.

“Yeah, of course! Your friends are fine, Bud!” he responds easily.

That’s good. I was really worried that something might’ve happened to them after I was taken. Pigsy, Mr. Tang, Mei, and Pigsy’s friend, Sandy, all risked so much trying to help me get the staff to Monkie King, and we failed when the staff and I were both nabbed by Princess Iron Fan. I’m glad it all worked out in the end.

“That Dragon friend of yours is really something! She actually came stomping around my mountain to tell me that you’d been kidnapped! Ha!”

Mei really did that? My heart warms at the thought. She’s such an amazing friend. She always does so much for me. I wish I could do more for her in return, but I’m not really all that special. I mean, I’m just a normal Human delivery guy, and she’s a Dragon!

Finally, we land on the side of a tree-covered mountain. A large waterfall cascades down into a stream before us. I bet this place is absolutely beautiful in the daytime when I can actually see everything. Hold up! This is THE Flower Fruit Mountain, which means that is THE waterfall that Monkie King and his little monkey friends live behind! This is so cool! I can’t believe I’m actually here!

Monkie King sets me down on my feet and clears his throat. “So, Bud, listen, there’s some stuff you should know, and first of all, I should definitely say…my bad.”

I give him a look of utter confusion. “Huh? Um, what do you mean?”

“I kind of was the one who sent you down to get the staff. Look, I totally intended for this to play out a whole lot differently. I had this whole plan where you get the staff, Bull King gets to be free cuz five hundred years should’ve been long enough of a punishment and all, and you were to come here with the staff so that I could train you and stuff.”

“What? You…you were the one who ordered the noodles to be delivered down there? You wanted me to free Demon Bull King?” I question, utterly flabbergasted. Was Hong Hai’er right?

“I know it doesn’t sound so great when you say it out loud like that, but I had the best intentions! You see, I’m in the process of retiring since I’ve been fighting Demons for, like, a thousand years now or something. So, I chose you to be my successor, Bud!” Monkie King tells me with a grin. He pats my shoulder. “Don’t worry! You already proved yourself worthy by picking up my staff! All my powers are now your powers!”

This can’t be real. There’s no way this is actually happening. This is all way too much information to handle. It’s making my head hurt just trying to process it all.

With an exhale, I let myself plop on the ground to avoid passing out from the sheer enormity of what is going on. I got kidnapped by the Demon Bull Family. I had my idolization of the Monkie King severely questioned. Now, the Monkie King himself has rescued me and is saying that it was all supposed to be part of this plan to make me his successor? Me!? His successor!?

“Uh…not to question your sanity or anything…but are you crazy?” I ask the Monkie King, peering up at him from the ground.

Those glowing golden eyes look down at me from that furry monkey face. He laughs. “What? Of course not!”

“Really? Cuz I am not exactly successor-material. I’m just a simple noodle delivery guy. There is no way I could possibly be the successor of the Monkie King, Great Sage Equal to Heaven!”

Still grinning, completely unconcerned by my concerns, he ruffles my hair. “Hey, don’t worry about it, Bud! I know I’m a lot to live up to, but I know you have it in you to be pretty great! You see these golden eyes of mine? They see more than your average eyes, you know. I can see the potential within you!”

He actually believes I can be his successor? That I can be great? That someone like me has potential? I wonder in my head. I let my gaze fall to my lap. “But…I couldn’t even defend myself from the Demon Bull Family. I got kidnapped so easily and couldn’t even get out on my own…”

The Monkie King crouches down to my level and lifts my head up with his hand. “That’s just cuz you haven’t been trained yet. All my powers didn’t come for free. I had to train a lot and practice all the time, too. You’ll get stronger, Bud! Sooner than you might think, even old Bull King will be no problem for you!”

I do want to be stronger. I do want to be able to protect myself and my friends. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through trouble because I wasn’t strong enough to keep it from ever happening in the first place. I know it might take a long time for me to reach that level, but I’m ready! I’m going to give it my all!

I meet his eyes. “Okay! I’ll become your successor and become strong enough to protect my friends! No…I’ll protect the whole city!”

Again, he chuckles, face bright with amusement. “Kid, when I’m done with you, you’ll be able to protect the entire world!”

Protect the entire world? Really? That’s so much! But if he says so, then I’ll do it!

Chapter 9: Red Son PoV

Thankfully, neither of my parents were hurt too badly from the Monkie King’s attack. With their own healing abilities and the top-of-the-line medical equipment developed by yours truly, they’re already back to full health. Now, I’m left to deal with my failure at keeping that Noodle Boy here like Mother asked. I let my own concerns for my parents, who are fully capable of handling themselves, get in the way of completing my duty.

But could I have really done anything? It was Sun WuKong the Monkie King! I know I’m powerful, but I’m not powerful enough to take him on if both my parents were beaten by him so quickly! I kick my desk chair in frustration. I hate this feeling of powerlessness. I hate that my parents think I am weak and useless. But if I had stood my ground, I would’ve ended up in bad condition, and I wouldn’t have been able to help them heal.

So, the only thing left to do now is right my mistakes. I have to figure out a way to recapture that maybe-not-a-Human boy soon, but I don’t have the slightest idea how. And would that attract the Monkie King’s attention again? Would I be bringing more violence down upon my parents’ heads?

I’ll have to ask Mother. I’d rather do it as a surprise, but some things can’t happen the way I’d like without risking consequences. Mother will know if recapturing that boy right now will be a smart thing to do. She may even be planning to do so herself right now, and I can provide help!

With a deep breath, I calm myself down into a level state of mind before leaving my room to find my mother. At this time of the day, I can usually find her in the throne room. Father will likely be with her now. That might not be great. I don’t want to show any insecurities in front of Father especially. I don’t want him to know how much I’m starting to doubt our strength.

Steeling myself again for this, I head to the throne room. To my great relief, Father is not in there. Mother is alone with the Bull Clones, issuing instructions about maintaining our factory output. This is perfect. I’ll just ask her what the plan is real quick, see if she’s wanting to go after that boy, and then I’ll be on my way again before Father comes back.

“Mother?” I call out to her as I hurry over to her across the great expanse of the ornate chamber.

She halts her delivery of orders to the Bull Clones and turns to face me. “What is it, Hai’er? Can’t you see that mommy is busy?”

“I apologize for interrupting you, Mother, but I just wanted to ask if you intended to try to recapture that boy. I could certainly come up with a plan to do so, if that’s what you wanted,” I say, a little hopeful that she might offer me the chance to redeem myself through this.

“Oh, my dear boy, I know you don’t really understand what’s going on. Come here, I will explain why that boy is important to your father and me,” she responds with a surprisingly soft expression. She puts her arm around my shoulder and guides me over to sit with her Father’s throne.

“Mother? Why is he so important? I mean, I did sense that there was more to him than he seemed, but I didn’t think it was all that impressive or anything…”

“Hai’er, you might not remember this since you were so little at the time, but your father and I had a sworn brother. Well, your father had other sworn brothers once upon a time, but there was only one that we stayed on good terms with after we married and had you,” she starts to explain.

“Who was he?” I inquire, curious. Mother has never talked about having sworn brothers before. I knew that long ago Sun WuKong and Father had been sworn brothers, but that Monkie betrayed my father and sealed him away.

“This brother of ours was known as the Six-Eared Macaque, Liu’er Mihou. He was a talented Monkie not unlike Sun WuKong, but that is where their similarities end. Liu’er came to us once for advice. He had found an…” She pauses, a heaviness in her expression. “He found a Stone Egg. It was the same kind of Stone Egg that Sun WuKong had been born from. This meant that another being of the likes of the Monkie King would come into existence when it hatched.”

“Another? What does this have to do with the Noodle Boy?”

Mother pats my head. “Be patient. There is much context you must understand. You know about the Journey. I’ve told you the story of how Sun WuKong became the servant of a Sacred Monk, and how that corruption is what changed him for the worst, lead him to turn against his sworn brothers like your father. But that wasn’t all. He even…You must understand that Liu’er was more than a sworn brother to Sun WuKong. They were mates. And even that did not stop the Monkie King from striking him down. Liu’er was killed by his own mate in cold blood…”

The hollowness of her voice and the grimness of her tone shake me to my core. I have never seen my mother like this. It’s terrifying. She’s always been a source of strength for me through all the centuries we spent alone together without Father. She cared a lot about this Liu’er Mihou! Sun WuKong is such a vile monster to kill his own mate like that! We may be considered evil Demons, but even we know right from wrong! Killing your own mate is one of the highest evils I can think of!

“Your father and I had made a promise to Liu’er. If anything were to happen to him, we were going to look after the Stone Egg, to ensure that Sun WuKong and the Celestial Realm never found out about it before the being inside was capable of fending for itself…But I wasn’t fast enough. I went to where Liu’er hid it, but the Stone Egg was gone. Those idiots in the Celestial Realm somehow found out about it and got to it first. Now it’s…”

A realization is starting to dawn in my head as the pieces all start to come together.

“What I sensed inside that boy was the Stone Egg, Hai’er. I know it. The Celestials must have sealed it inside the Soul of a Mortal to keep it from ever hatching. They are rightfully scared of another being with Sun WuKong’s level of strength. They were barely able to control one of them, how do you think they’d fair against two?” Mother lets out a sharp, bitter laugh.

“So, that’s why you wanted that boy? You wanted to keep him away from Sun WuKong and honor your promise to your sworn brother?”

She nods. “That’s right. Now you understand the importance of that boy. He’s not just a Human. He’s the inheritor of the Stone Egg and its power.”

“But…Sun WuKong has him now. What are we going to do, Mother?”

My mother stands up and clasps her hands behind her. “We’re not going to just let that simian corrupt my sworn brother’s legacy. We must find a way to convince that boy that the Monkie King is not the Hero, nor has he ever been. Otherwise, Sun WuKong will groom him into being another Monkie King. For now, it does seem that Sun WuKong does not fully understand who that boy is, and that is our only advantage.”

I get up to my feet as well, filled with renewed determination. “Don’t worry, Mother! I’ll find the Noodle Boy again and bring him back here!”

“No.” She looks at me with a firm expression. “Kidnapping him was not the right way to go about things. It will only place us in a negative light, and he will be less likely to believe us. We must find a way to gain his trust first and convince him that we are not the villains. Only then can we protect him from Sun WuKong and the Celestials.”

“You want to… befriend him?” I question, a little confounded by the idea of it. It’s not like Demons can’t be friends with other beings and get along with others. I mean, look at my parents! They’re the least likely duo you’d imagine getting along, yet they love each other unconditionally!

Mother hums in contemplation as she looks at me. Then, she kind of smiles. “Well, if comparing Demon biological maturity to those of mortals, you and he would be roughly the same level.”

As much as I now understand the importance of the Noodle Boy, I can’t believe my mother is actually suggesting what she is suggesting. We are the Demon Bull Family! We don’t go around befriending mortals even if they’re special mortals with Stone Eggs bound to their souls or whatever! She can’t honestly be serious.

She takes notice of my expression and puts her hands on either side of my face in such a gentle manner. “Hai’er, this is important to both me and your father. I know it may seem like I’m asking a lot, but I think you are capable of doing this. For us. For the memory of Liu’er Mihou, your sworn uncle.”

My inhale comes in far too sharply as I meet her matching amber eyes. I failed to protect the Noodle Boy from Sun WuKong before. This is my chance to redeem myself. I’ll become his friend and do what I can to convince him that the Monkie King is not the hero that everyone makes him out to be. I can do this for my family.

Chapter 10: MK PoV

Training with the Monkie King isn’t exactly going as I thought it would. For a good most of the time, I’m still doing what I normally do. I still live in the little apartment above Pigsy’s Noodles. I get up for work at an unholy hour of the morning and deliver noodles all day, and sometimes in the evenings I go out with Mei to the arcade or a movie. Like, only once this entire week since I agreed to become his successor has Monkie King called me out to Flower Fruit Mountain for training. I thought this whole thing was going to be a lot for intensive, and I was going to have to give up my weekends or something.

Not that I mind not having to prioritize my responsibilities. I mean, it’s great that I’m not having to choose between helping Pigsy in the shop, hanging out with Mei, or training with Monkie King. I just don’t really get why I’m NOT having to do that. I mean, don’t I have to train and practice a lot to get stronger and learn all of his powers? How am I supposed to do that if I’m not spending more time actually being trained?

“Hey, Kid!” my boss calls, stirring me from my train of thoughts. He’s holding up a delivery bag. “Got an order that needs to go out. I know you have a lot on your mind with all this new Monkie King business, but I still need you to stay focused while you’re here at work, okay?”

I grin and hurry to grab the bag from him. “Sorry, Pigsy! I’ll get on it right away!”

Without a moment to lose, I run out to my newly retrieved and repaired tuk tuk. The old girl looks better than ever thanks to Pigsy’s friend Sandy who helped us before when we were trying to get to Flower Fruit Mountain. He’s a pretty handy mechanic, and he makes the best tea. I love all of his cats, too.

Music plays in my ears from my headphones as I head down the street. This delivery is out to the park that’s up higher on the mountain. It’s a really pretty place to relax and chill out with all the trees and ponds and flowers. I bet someone decided to have a nice picnic up there and ordered delicious noodles from the best noodle shop in the city. That’s totally what I would do, too.

When I park my tuk tuk along the street next to the expanse of lovely greenery in the center of a shopping district, I hop out and lower my headphones to hang around my neck. The directions say that the customer is waiting at the picnic tables situated in the copse of trees that make up a good portion of the middle of the park. So, I follow the paved path that will take me there. 

The air always smells better here in the park. I bet all the trees and plants keep the air fresher for sure. At this time of year, there are lots of nice-smelling flowers growing about, too, and elderly couples can be seen strolling along the various paths. All of this makes my mind relax and my worries ebb away. This is such a pleasant delivery compared to some of the others I’ve had to make in the past.

Ahead of me, I can soon make out the tables. There is a lone figure sitting at one of them. From here, all I can really make out is their long, fluffy red hair. A tingle of recognition tickles the back of my brain, but with all the good vibes I’m soaking up here, I ignore it. Humming, I stride right up to the table and say, 

“Order from Pigsy’s Noodles?”

The person looks up at me, and we meet eyes. Immediately, my brain goes into high alert, and I jump back in alarm. Oh, I should have known. I literally know no one else with that shade of red hair that looks like literal fire. I let myself lower my guard, not expecting them to try anything after Monkie King beat them so thoroughly.

“You!” I exclaim, summoning the staff out of my ear just like Monkie King taught me. “Hong Hai’er!”

The Demon puts his hands up. “Woah! Woah! I’m not here to fight or anything! I just ordered some noodles!”

“Yeah! Noodles that you know that only I deliver! You wanted to draw me out so you could kidnap me again!” I accuse, but something about the way he looks and is acting makes me think I might just be jumping to conclusions out of fear.

He looks a little guilty as he adjusts the little round sunglasses perched on his nose right above the cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. “Okay, yeah, I do admit that I intended to meet you here when you delivered the noodles. But I swear it’s not for the intentions you think! I’m not here to kidnap you!”

I stare at him for a moment, trying to read what his intentions could really be. I mean, he’s dressed pretty casually in a black shirt under his red jacket with purple pants. And he has his hair mostly down in a fluffy waterfall around his shoulders, which admittedly looks really nice in the early afternoon sun like this. Plus, he didn’t really do anything bad to me before. He even thought he was protecting me from Monkie King, even though it wasn’t necessary.

Taking a deep breath, I shrink the staff and put it back in my ear for now. I’d like to try giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I can learn something that will make it easier to NOT get kidnapped again or something.

“So, if you aren’t trying to kidnap me again, why did you want to meet me here?” I ask him.

Hong Hai’er sighs and looks around. “Well, for starters, I did pick a more public place to meet so that you might be more willing to…well, to talk?”

I scrunch my brows in confusion. “To talk?”

“Yes, Noodle-Qi Xiaotian. I would like to talk.”

Surprised and bewildered, I decide to sit down across from him. This could be beneficial in the long run. Maybe we don’t have to be enemies, and that would mean one less thing I have to worry about. He doesn’t really seem like a bad guy at heart even though he can be kind of scary.

“First of all, would you…like to eat with me? I ordered enough for the both of us if you’re interested,” he says, looking a little awkward. I would be feeling pretty awkward in his shoes, too.

“Uh, yeah, I guess I could. I’d just have to let my boss know that I’m taking my break now so that we have more time,” I reply, scratching the back of my head. Oh boy, this already feels pretty weird…

I pull out my phone and send a quick message to Pigsy letting him know I’m taking my lunch break. That gives us about twenty minutes to eat and talk before I have to head back. That should be enough time, right?

The Demon boy opens the delivery bag and starts pulling out the containers one by one. Thankfully, Pigsy included an extra set of chopsticks in the bag. He’s always considerate like that when it comes to deliveries. Huh, I didn’t look at the contents of the order. I wonder what kind of noodles Hong Hai’er likes.

Reading the labels, I recognize one of them as Lanzhou lamian , one of Pigsy’s specials today. The other is a spicier noodle soup that I know doesn’t get ordered very often. Pigsy only still offers it because he has a regular that really likes it. I wonder if Hong Hai’er likes spicy food, then.

“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I ordered one of the specials of the day if that’s alright,” the Demon boy tells me. He pushes the Lanzhou lamian over to me with the extra chopsticks.

“Yeah, that works for me. I’m the kind of guy who’d eat just about anything when I’m hungry, and Pigsy makes the best noodles,” I respond with a grin. “So, I see you got the spicy noodles. You…like spicy food?”

He clears his throat a little and nods. “Yeah. I do.”

Using my chopsticks, I pull up a bite of perfectly chewy hand-pulled noodles. After a moment, he also does the same. I feel a sense of pride for my boss’s sake when those amber eyes light up at the delicious taste of Pigsy’s Noodles. He likes it! That’s great!

“So, uh, what did you want to talk about?” I speak up after we’ve had a few more bites in silence.

“Uh, well, I was thinking a lot over what happened and how that was… handled …and I realize that we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot, and you might have a pretty poor impression of me after all that…” Hong Hai’er stumbles through saying in response, eyes trained on his noodles.

“Yeah, the whole kidnapping thing was really not cool,” I reply, nodding as I take another bite.

“That’s…understandable. I do apologize for that.”

Is he actually trying to make up for what happened? That’s not something I’d ever expect from the son of the Demon Bull King. Maybe I was right in thinking that he’s really not such a bad guy. I mean, it was more of his parents that wanted to kidnap me, so maybe he was just following their orders?

“I’m not really the kind of guy who holds grudges for very long.” I poke at my noodles. Then, I look up at him with a smile. “Maybe, if you wanted, we could try at being friends?”

Shock crosses his face as his eyes widen and meet mine from behind those little round sunglasses. I don’t think he was expecting that at all. I’m a little surprised at myself, honestly. Then again, it wouldn’t be all that bad if we could be friends. Maybe I’m thinking too fast here…

“You…want to try to be friends?” the Demon boy questions in disbelief and uncertainty. “You’re just going to forgive me that easily?”

I shrug. “You apologized, didn’t you? I believe in second chances, so I’m willing to give you one. You might think it's naive or foolish, but I really think the world would be a better place if we could all just get along and be friends.”

A smile curls his lips. “It is a little foolish, but it’s an admirable ideal to live by nonetheless.” He pauses for a moment and sets his chopsticks down. “Thank you, Qi Xiaotian…for being willing to give me a second chance.”

Chapter 11: Mei PoV

When Xiaotian, my BFF, said he wanted to invite a new friend of his to hang out with us, I was expecting someone cool and energetic like me or sweet and funny like him. To say the least, this was not at all what I'd expect in a million years. This is his new friend!?

Immediately, I grab my buddy and pull him away from the Demon. I know that red hair! It's the same Demon who tried to kidnap him!

“You! The son of DBK!” I declare, standing defensively in front of Xiaotian. “You’re the guy who tried to kidnap my friend!”

“Wait! Calm down, Mei! We're cool now!” my best friend tells me insistently. He comes up between us.

“I remember you. The White Dragon Horse girl,” the Demon guy says, crossing his arms. “I assure you that I did not know that you would be the friend we met here either.”

“Why? Is there something wrong with me being the friend you met here?” I snap back sharply.

“Hold on, both of you. I think we all need to take a breath and approach this civilly,” Xiaotian suggests. He demonstrates the deep breath. “Now, Mei, this is Hong Hai’er. He apologized already for what happened, so I'm giving him a second chance to be friends. Hong Hai’er, this Long Xiaojiao, but she prefers to be called Mei. She's my best friend so it would be super great if you both could get along.”

Those dark eyes of his look to me, begging me to follow along with this. I can't disregard the wishes of my BFF. That means I'll have to tolerate this guy for now. Ugh, he's definitely up to something.

“Alright. But if you step one toe out of line, I'll end you,” I state in all seriousness, poking the redhead's chest with my finger.

“Understood. But I have no ill intentions towards you or Xiaotian,” he responds with equal sincerity. I can see it in his amber eyes that he believes what he says to be true. 

He may not have ill intentions but his parents may yet still. They could be using him without his knowledge to gain our trust. We gotta be careful. Demons like them can't be trusted.

“Great! Now that that’s all settled let’s have some fun!” Xiaotian declares, leading the way into the arcade.

The arcade is a regular hang-out place for us. We like to meet up here when he gets off work and on the weekends. It’s a great place to just go crazy and have fun without worrying about the stress of the week and stuff. Now, I can’t let myself relax and enjoy myself as usual, cuz I gotta watch this Hong Hai’er guy and make sure he doesn’t do anything suspicious.

My BFF seems to be having fun showing off all our favorite games to his new Demon buddy. I don’t want to seem jealous or anything, but there is something irksome about sharing this time and space that used to be for just the two of us with someone new and possibly dangerous. I mean, that’s completely reasonable, right? It’s just because this redhead could be a threat to my friend.

“Hey! Red Boy, I challenge you to a round of Monkey Mech,” I proclaim loudly as the evening wears on.

Hong Hai’er looks over at me incredulously. “What did you call me?”

“Red Boy. Cuz you’ve got red hair and a red jacket. Duh,” I respond with a shrug.

His hair flickers brighter for a moment, but he simply sighs and says, “whatever. I’ll take up your challenge then, Dragon Pony Girl.”

Hah! Not even Xiaotian has ever beat me at Monkey Mech! I grin and lead the way over to the arcade cabinet of Xiaotian and my favorite game. “Prepare to get your butt whooped, Red Boy.”

“You’re pretty confident for someone who’s never seen me play,” he quips back easily.

If I wasn’t so worried about the potential threat he is to Xiaotian, I’d probably get along with him. Still, we’ll see his real worth with how he plays Monkey Mech. If he can even get me down to past half-health, I’ll consider him to be pretty cool in my books, even if he is suspicious. I might even consider actually trying to be his friend for Xiaotian’s sake.

“Alright! Let the battle begin!” our mutual friend exclaims, signalling the start of our challenge.

Hong Hai’er selects his mech, fittingly the Bull King mech. I, of course, pick the Dragon mech as always. I won’t change my ways if they work.

The battle begins as the music rings out in our ears. I begin with my opening combo, but he expertly counterattacks. An exchange of blows, counters, and parries ensues. I throw out taunts, and he responds equally with snapbacks of his own. Xiaotian cheers us both on in the background, but I can barely hear him as the fight draws closer and closer to its climax.

In a shocking surprise move, I suddenly find myself staring at my very first K.O. screen. I actually got beat. He defeated me.

I look over at Hong Hai’er. A proud smirk adorns his face as he looks back over at me. He won, and he knows this was more than just a friendly game for fun.

“Well, I have to admit you’ve impressed me, Red Boy. You’re pretty cool,” I state, nodding.

“That was awesome!” Xiaotian exclaims. “Even I haven’t ever been able to beat Mei before!”

The Demon holds out his hand to me. “Good game, Dragon-Mei. You put up a good fight, and I find you to be a worthy challenger.”

I can’t help but grin as I shake his hand. “You, too, Hong Hai’er. But don’t think this means that you’re entirely off the hook.”

“No, I don’t imagine it would.”

Chapter 12: MK PoV

Tonight is going really well. Mei seemed kinda tense about giving Hong Hai’er a second chance, but I think she’s starting to warm up to him now, which is fantastic. I want my friends to be able to get along. Really, I want everyone to be able to get along. That would be great.

Soon, I definitely start to feel how late it’s getting. It’s a good thing that it’s Friday, so I get tomorrow off. I’m going to sleep in and maybe watch some Monkey Cop and just relax. Things have been a little crazy recently, and having a day to myself would be nice.

Mei and Hong Hai’er are taking their turn at a racing game. They’re getting pretty competitive with it, but I’m glad to see them having fun. As I’m watching and cheering them on, I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. I pull it out and check my notifications.

A message from Monkie King? I think as I open up my texts. There, right at the top, is a message from Monkie King. It says that he wants me to come up for some training in the morning. I’m finally getting another training session with him, which is great. There goes all my plans to relax, though. Guess there’s always Sunday.

I go over to my friends just as Mei is proudly boasting over her victory. I feel a little bad, but I shouldn’t stay much longer if I gotta get up early for training. “Hey, guys?”

Both of them turn to look at me questioningly. Mei has concern in her eyes immediately. Oh man. This is the worst.

“What is it?” Hong Hai’er inquires, getting up from the game’s seat.

I rub the back of my head. “Well, it’s getting pretty late, so I’m gonna head back and get some sleep. You guys stay and have fun, okay?”

“Huh? But you have the day off tomorrow! You can sleep in, so why you gotta go now?” Mei questions, pouting. She crosses her arms with a huff. “Come on, you can stay a little longer, can’t you? I haven’t gotten to race you yet!”

“Ah, sorry, Mei, but I just got a message from Monkie King. He wants me to come up for training in the morning, so I really should try to get some sleep.” I feel bad about leaving them like this, but it can’t be helped. I really don’t want to show up too tired and not be able to train properly.

“Sun WuKong is training you?” Hong Hai’er suddenly asks in such a sharp tone. His gaze is fiery.

“Well someone has to teach Xiaotian how to use all these new powers he got when he lifted the staff, right? Why? You gotta problem with that, Red Boy?” my best friend answers for me.

The redhead Demon boy scowls. “Yeah, actually, I do. My new friend is being trained by the guy who sealed my father under a mountain. Kind of hard not to have a problem with that.”

“No offense, Red Boy, but didn’t your dad destroy a bunch of village and hurt innocent people?”

“I know that! But that doesn’t change the fact that I spent the last five hundred years without my father because of that Monkie! He didn’t even try to reason with my father, and that’s not the worst of what Sun WuKong has done!”

I quickly step up before they can get into another fight. “Hey! It’s alright! I know you and your parents really don’t like Monkie King, but he’s kind of the only person who can teach me how to use my powers! I gotta learn how to control them and become stronger so that I can protect people! So, I hope you can be okay with it for now.”

Hong Hai’er looks at me. He looks like he wants to say something, but he closes his mouth and turns away. His fists are still clenched as he lets out a breath and says, “fine. For now. But if Sun WuKong ever hurts you in any way, I won’t hesitate. You’re my friend now, Xiaotian. That means I’m going to be there to protect you.”

He’s a good guy. He really does care about my well-being. I know he’s just looking out for me, but I don’t think Monkie King will hurt me. “Thank you, Hai’er.”

---

“Great job today, Bud!” Monkie King praises, ruffling my hair as I plop on the ground.

I’m absolutely exhausted, and I don’t really feel like I made any accomplishments at all. I thought I’d be learning about how to use all the cool powers of the Monkie King like the 72 Transformations, but instead, he’s just been having me hammer away pointlessly at an old mural. He wants to bring the wall down in order to build some kind of breakfast nook or whatever. I didn’t sign up to be his construction guy! I thought I was supposed to be his successor!

“So, when am I gonna learn all the Hero stuff?” I question, flopping backwards and staring up at the ceiling of the Waterfall Cave.

My mentor leans over me with a grin. “Huh? The Hero stuff? You gotta learn the basic stuff before you can learn the Hero stuff, Bud. You think I learned everything right away?”

“Uh, yeah, you kind of did. All the stories say that you were able to master all your powers faster than anyone else! You’re the Monkie King!”

He chuckles and scratches his chin. “Oh. Yeah. Guess you’re right.”

I sit up. “So, teach me how to unlock my powers! You said I’d be able to protect the world one day! I can’t do that if I’m just doing menial chores for you in the guise of training!”

The Monkie King’s grin fades, and he sighs. “Look, Bud, I get it. You want to get stronger super fast, but you are still a Mortal. You aren’t ready to handle all the power yet. That’s why we gotta get you in shape and train you up, okay?”

“Right…” I respond, letting my gaze fall to my lap. Why did I think this would be different? I’m not the Monkie King. I’m just a Mortal Human. Even if I have the potential to be great, I’ll have to work even harder than I ever imagined. What did I think would happen? That I’d actually be able to master these powers quickly? What a joke.

A hand comes to rest on my head. “Why don’t you head home, Bud. You did good today. I’ll call you back up for another session soon, okay?”

I take a deep breath and push myself up off the ground. “Yeah. Okay.”

Pulling out the staff, I make my way outside and use it to launch myself off of the mountain. I’ve gotten better at controlling the staff and using it to travel, but that’s mostly from my own practice. Is this really the right path for me? Can I really become Monkie King’s successor? What if this is all a mistake?

With practiced ease, I land on the roof of Pigsy’s Noodles. It’s pretty late in the day, and I feel my stomach grumble with hunger. Even so, I look at the staff in my hands. What if I practiced on my own more? I could do exercises and strengthen my body up more by myself! Maybe Monkie King will see that I’m improving faster and teach me the Hero stuff sooner!

That’s it. From now on, I’m going to use all my free time to train. I’m going to give this my all. I’ll prove that I can be more than a Mortal Human. I’ll prove that I’m worthy of being the Monkie King’s successor.

Chapter 13: Macaque PoV

The vast amount of change that Mortals are capable of never ceases to amaze me. The once barely settled mountain has now become a sprawling city filled with new technologies. Noise is ever-constant in a place like this. It’s certainly a good thing that I’ve learned how to tune it out.

To be honest, my memories of how I was brought back to life are hazy at best. I do know why, though. I have my goal etched into my very being. Revenge. Revenge on the one who took my life and ruined everything.

Sun WuKong isn’t going to go down easily, I know that. I have to find a way to get stronger, more powerful. I won’t be able to rest easy and enjoy this new chance at life until he’s gone for good. The fact that he’s four times as immortal as a normal Immortal doesn’t help things at all.

All of a sudden, my ears pick up the all-too-familiar hum of his size-changing staff. My heart races at the thought of him being nearby. I’m not ready to face him yet. I haven’t been alive for very long, and I certainly haven’t built up even a fraction of the power I’d need to take him on.

My gaze flits around wildly for the source of that sound. Finally, I spot someone up on a nearby rooftop. In their hands, they are holding that long red staff with its embellished golden tips. That’s not Sun WuKong. I know what Sun WuKong sounds like even when he’s in disguise! Who else could possibly be capable of wielding that staff besides him and myself?

Quietly, I slip into the shadows and move closer. The person appears to be a young Mortal boy with dark hair held out of his face by a red headband. He’s wielding WuKong’s staff with some ease, but his stance and form is all wrong. Why would that egotistical Monkie King let some kid handle his staff like this? Who is this kid?

A door opens up on the roof and a Pig Demon sticks his head out, saying, “Xiaotian, it’s getting late. Are you seriously still practicing?”

The kid doesn’t let up his sloppy movements. “I’ll be done in a few minutes, Pigsy. I just want to get stronger so that Monkie King will teach me the Hero stuff.”

“Okay, but don’t push yourself.” The Pig Demon starts to leave, but he turns back. “Oh, Mei stopped by earlier. She was asking about you. Said you haven’t been answering her texts or calls. You shouldn’t let this whole Monkie King successor business keep you from your friends, Xiaotian.”

“I know, I know, but I just want to get past the basics. I’ll call Mei when I’m done up here, okay?”

The swine sighs and nods. “Okay. Don’t stay up too late.”

With that, he’s gone. The kid returns to his uncoordinated routine with renewed vigor. If I understood that right, this kid is being trained by WuKong to be his successor. There is something special about this boy, but I can’t place quite what it is. Did WuKong pass on some of his powers to this Human? That’s hard to believe, but it’s the only explanation.

An idea starts to form itself in my mind. If I were to help this kid awaken his full power, I could steal it from him. If I had both my own powers and WuKong’s, I’d certainly be able to defeat him this time. Could it really be that easy? Fate must be on my side if this opportunity so readily presents itself to me.

Slipping out of the shadows, I say, “your form is off-balanced there, Kid.”

The boy stumbles and almost drops the staff as he whirls around to face me. His eyes are wide as he squeaks out, “Monkie King!?” Then, his big, dark eyes squint at me. “Woops! Sorry, I thought you were the Monkie King. You look a lot like him.”

That comment leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but I force a chuckle out. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

“Uh, can I help you with something? I mean, I’m kind of trying to get some practice in before bed, so I don’t really have the time to talk right now.”

“Well, I just happened to be passing by, and I saw you over here practicing. It's pretty impressive that you can wield the staff of the Monkie King. Not a lot of people can do that.”

“Oh. Uh. Thanks?”

I stride over closer to him. “One thing, though, your stance is a little unstable. Let me show you.” I produce my own Shadow Staff and position myself in the proper fighting form. “See how I’m holding my staff like this? You want one hand closer to the center while the other is closer to the end. You should be upright but keep your knees slightly bent. Fighting with a staff is all about using the length to your advantage and keeping distance between yourself and your opponent.”

He copies my stance, and I prod his hands into the right positions. He grins at me brightly. “Thanks! I never would’ve figured all that out on my own!”

“On your own? I overheard that Monkie King is teaching you. Didn’t he show you how to properly hold the staff? You won’t get far without the proper form,” I ask, inciting a seed of doubt to drive a wedge between him and WuKong.

“He didn’t…I guess he figured I should already know it or something,” the boy responds. There’s a look in his eyes that already spells out the doubt he has for his “mentor”. My goals are going to be even easier to achieve than I thought they would be. He peers at me. “Uh, do you think…would you be able to give me some more tips? I want to get stronger so that I can protect people I care about.”

I make a show of scratching the back of my head in contemplation. “You sure Monkie King won’t be upset if I help you out?”

“Huh? Why would he? I’m sure it’s fine!”

Grinning, I shrug my shoulders. “Sure, I could give you some pointers, help you get through the basics. You can never have too many teachers, right?”

That bright smile appears again, the picture of naivete and innocence. “Yeah!”

“Great. I just have one condition. Let’s keep this a little secret, okay? I don’t usually go around taking on students. I wouldn’t want others to come hounding after me to beg me to teach them or something. You get it?”

The kid nods. “Yeah. So, what’s your name? Mine’s Qi Xiaotian.”

“Just call me Macaque.”

Notes:

Heheh

Chapter 14: MK PoV

“Are you sure, Xiaotian? You’ve been training a lot lately. You’ve gotta take a break once and a while, y’know.”

I sigh and prop my phone up with my shoulder as I sweep up the floor of Pigsy’s Noodles. “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry about me, Mei. I know my limits.”

“Tell Monkie King to give you a day off then! That new movie you were telling me about is showing this weekend! I even made sure Red Boy was going to be available to go with us!”

“Listen, Mei, I’ll try to get some time off from training to go to the movies with you and Hai’er-”

“I have an order that needs to go out, Xiaotian!” Pigsy calls, interrupting me.

“-But right now I have to get back to work. Call you later!” I quickly hang up before my best friend can protest and pocket my phone. I hurry over to the counter and grab the delivery bag. “I’m on it, Pigsy!”

“Wait a moment, Kid.” My boss grabs the back of my collar to drag me back before I can get out the door. “Slow down. We’re not having a rush today, so it’s okay if you want to take a moment to rest. You’ve got a lot on your plate right now, so don’t push yourself too hard.”

Am I really that noticeably tired that Pigsy is telling me to take more breaks during work hours? Am I pushing myself so hard that everyone is noticing? Do I have bags under my eyes or something?

“I’m fine, Pigsy. Don’t worry!” I tell him with a grin as I wiggle out of his grasp and escape out the door. I’m not that tired to be honest. Training with Macaque wears me out every night, so I always sleep well. And he doesn’t keep me at his dojo too late, either. He’s a pretty good teacher.

I open my phone to look at the address for delivery, but my message app is open. Mei and Hai’er are at the top of the list of most recent of course, but Monkey King hasn’t called me up for training in a few days. It’s like he forgets he’s supposed to be training me for a while, and then he suddenly remembers at some random time and messages me. Why can’t we have a regular schedule like Macaque and I have?

Shaking my head, I pull up the delivery address and climb into my tuk tuk. I’m sure he’s just busy, right? He’s the Monkie King! He’s probably got loads to do even in retirement!

---

Beep! Beep! Beep!

I smack my alarm clock groggily. Groaning, I force myself to sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes. Fortunately, I don’t feel sore at all from training like I usually do. Does that mean I’m actually making some progress? Am I getting better?

Yawning, I stretch and get up from bed. The sun outside is very bright today for early morning. I glance at my clock, and to my horror, it reads ten o’clock in the morning! Why on earth did my alarm go off just now? Did I imagine it? Why hasn’t Pigsy stormed up here to drag me out of bed?

It’s a rushed scramble to put on my clothes, and I nearly fall down the stairs as I pull my shoes on. I stumble out into the kitchen as I tie my hair back with my headband, saying, “I’m so sorry, Pigsy! I didn’t mean to oversleep, I swear!”

My boss turns to me from where he’s stirring a big pot of noodles. He has a surprisingly soft expression on his face. “Don’t you worry about it, Kid. I’ve got the shop handled today, and you’ve been working so hard lately. I decided to give you the day off.”

“The day off? In the middle of the week?” I question in utter disbelief.

“You need it, Xiaotian. Get some rest.”

As weird as this is, I won’t protest against an extra day off. Maybe Mei and Hai’er will be open to hanging out before I train with Macaque this evening. This is perfect!

Excited, I run back up to my room above the shop and change out of my work uniform. I should do some laundry soon, but I don’t want to waste this opportunity on that right now. I’ve really missed being with my friends. It’s been so hard to keep turning down their invites in favor of practicing.

Back downstairs in casual clothes, I run into Mei as she comes running into the shop. She has a big grin on her face as she grabs my hand, exclaiming, “I just heard that you have the day off! Come on! Let’s go have some fun!”

Grinning back and following along with her enthusiasm, I let her pull me along as we go out into the city. Oddly, everything is going absolutely perfect today. We never hit any red lights, there aren’t any crazy pedestrians trying to cross the streets at the worst times, and we even get stopped by someone handing out free cheese tea. This is almost scary with how perfect everything is going.

“Hey, since we have this chance, come with me!” Mei says after we’ve gone through every amusement we can think of in the city.

“Sure! Lead the way!” I reply, feeling pretty satisfied with all the fun we’re having. Then, it hits me that we forgot to invite Hai’er. “Hey, wait, what about Hai’er?”

“He’s, uh, he’s busy today,” she responds. There’s something really odd about the way she says it. There’s a tickle of warning in the back of my mind.

“Okay…if you say so.”

We drive down to the harbor towards where Sandy’s boat is docked. As we pull up, I can see that it’s been decked out with strings of lights and flowers. It looks really nice. I wonder what the occasion is.

“What’s with the decorations?” I ask my best friend as we hop off her motorbike.

Mei only grins again and pulls me up onto the deck. A table has been set up here with a fancy tablecloth and candles, like something you’d see at one of those expensive restaurants. What’s going on?

“You’re right on time, guys!” Sandy himself announces as he steps out from the cabin of his boat. He’s dressed up in a nice suit. “I’ve prepared everything just like you asked, Mei.”

Mei had this put together? This doesn’t seem like Mei’s usual style of party. This feels weird.

“What’s with the suit, Sandy?” I ask the big blue man.

“Oh this? Don’t worry. We got one for you two. Let’s get you changed, Little Guy.” With one hand on my back, he guides me back into the cabin. I glance back at Mei, and she just gives me two thumbs up.

“Why would I need a suit? Sandy, what’s going on?” I question, feeling an increasing wariness of the situation. I trust my friends, but something really off is going on.

“It’s a secret. I promised I wouldn’t tell, Xiaotian,” Sandy responds as we enter his room. There is indeed a nice suit laid out on the bed. He pats my shoulder. “Here we are. Go ahead and get changed. If you need any help at all, I’ll be right outside the door, okay?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

He leaves and the door clicks shut behind him. They must have some kind of surprise planned, so I guess I should play along. Why do I get the feeling that this is all wrong, though?

Taking a deep breath, I start to remove my clothes and pile them near the foot of the bed for now. I look at the suit. I’ve never worn anything like this in my life. I don’t even know how to tie a bowtie! I guess Sandy might be able to help me with that if I asked.

---

Standing next to the table wearing the suit, I look around for Mei. Wait. How did I get here? When did I change clothes? What’s going on? 

Alarms are practically blaring in my head right now. This is beyond weird now. This is downright scary. I have no idea what’s going on or why Mei decided to suddenly have some kind of fancy party-thing on Sandy’s boat. Who else did she invite? It wouldn’t be much of a party without the others, right? Pigsy, Mr. Tang, and Hai’er?

“How do I look?”

Mei’s question comes from behind me. I turn around to find her standing there in a really nice white and green cheongsam. She’s done up her hair and make-up, too. I thought she hated wearing make-up because it makes her face itchy.

“Mei? You look really nice, but I still don’t really know what’s going on.  Where’s everyone else?”

She walks over to me, a strange look on her face. She takes up my hands so gently. “Xiaotian. It’s just you and me tonight. I’ve been meaning for some time to tell you this, but I…I really…”

The uncomfortable vibes and the way she is acting finally click together in my brain. Oh no! This CANNOT be happening right now! No way! She is not about to do what I think she’s about to do! Oh heavenly peach trees, I might be sick!

“Xiaotian, for so long, I think I have really been-”

“Nope!” I declare loudly, pushing her away and stumbling over to the side of the boat in case I really do vomit. “By the heavenly courts above, Mei! What has gotten into you? You know I see you like a sister! And even if I didn’t, you know I’m not really attracted to girls!”

My best friend goes oddly still, and her expression goes blank. My head starts to hurt, and I think I hear something distantly. Voices? Arguing? What in all that is good is going on?

Notes:

The Calabash.
Yes, I know events are kind of out of order, but it'll all work out.

Chapter 15: Macaque PoV

I hate to admit it, but I’m starting to get a little, tiny bit concerned. The kid, Qi Xiaotian, has always been very punctual and enthusiastic about our training sessions. However, today, he’s not just a few minutes late, it’s been a full half hour since our scheduled start time. I know he hasn’t gotten lost because this isn’t the first time I’ve brought him to this abandoned warehouse that I transformed into a makeshift dojo.

There’s no way that I’m going to let something happen to such a golden opportunity. I may never get another chance like this to get one-up on Sun WuKong. So, I guess it is up to me to figure out where the kid is and why he hasn’t shown up yet. If he wanted to skip tonight, he could’ve just sent me a message on one of these portable communication devices I figured out how to use. If he’s just playing hookie, I’ll make him regret it with an extra intensive workout tomorrow.

Inhaling deeply, I close my eyes and put all six of my ears to work. The noise of the city takes some time to filter through, but I eventually tune down to that noodle shop he works at. No, I don’t hear him there, but that Pig Demon seems a bit distressed. Xiaotian didn’t return from an earlier delivery? From what I know of the kid, he puts a lot of priority on his job, so something must’ve happened on that delivery.

I sit down and cross my legs, getting into a proper meditation position so as to really channel my powers properly. It’s been a long time since I allowed myself to go this deeply. The voices and sounds in the shop begin to reverse themselves as I trace them back in time.

Finally, I hear the kid’s voice. He accepts the delivery and hurries out of the shop. I follow his sounds from here as he drives down the street in that strange little vehicle of his. Eventually, he comes to a stop in the lower levels of the city around the base of the mountain. He carries the delivery and knocks on a door. A voice, a Demon’s voice, asks for his name. Naively, the kid answers, and then his sounds vanish completely. The Demon and another Demon laugh, saying something about a calabash.

My eyes fly open. A calabash? If it’s the same calabash that Sun WuKong encountered on his journey, the kid could be dead. But there is a chance that it’s not the same calabash. Guess I get to go beat up some Demons and see if I can win some favor with the kid. Anything that could get me closer to my goal is worth it, but if the kid is already dissolved in there, well, those Demons are going to regret setting me back in my plans so severely.

Getting up, I slip into the shadows and make my way across the city towards the place that I heard Qi Xiaotian get captured by those Demons. I’ll have to be pretty careful about how I handle this. I don’t want word getting out that I’m back yet. If Sun WuKong hears, he’ll definitely come to finish me off, and I am not even close to ready to fight him again, as much as I hate to admit it. So, that means that these Demons, no matter who they are, will have to die.

The building is in desperate need of repair with a sagging roof and boarded up windows. I easily make it under the door and hide in the abundant shadows of the dimly lit one-room interior. The mix of cobwebs, boxes of junk, and dusty cloths everywhere really set the dingy atmosphere. The two Demons arguing in front of the only visible wall which is covered in papers, pictures, and strings really seem to be low-level with extremely poor taste. But they were able to get their hands on a calabash.

“I told you it wasn’t the Dragon girl!” the orange-skinned one is saying.

The other is nearly identical except his skin is blue. “But they’ve got so much chemistry! They’d be perfect together!”

“No, no, no! He’s obviously got it bad for the Bull King’s son!” Orange points aggressively at a picture of a red-haired boy on the wall. “Hurry and fix it before he figures things out!”

Interesting. This Demon believes Xiaotian likes Bull King’s son, Hong Hai’er? I’ll make note of that. My old sworn brother would likely not be pleased to hear that the successor of Sun WuKong wants to court his son if it is true.

I shift up to take form on the floor between the two fighting Demons. “Excuse me, boys. Would either of you have happened to see a young Human around here?”

Blue is clutching the gourd-shaped calabash. He lets out a little noise of surprise when he notices me on the ground, jumping back. Orange is a little more clever, it seems. He also screams a bit, but he tries to stomp on me like I'm a bug. In return, I reach out of the floor and grab his leg.

“That’s not gonna work on me,” I tell him before throwing him across the room. His body hits the pile of junk with a crunch .

I form all the way up out of the floor and look to the one holding the calabash. I hold out my hand. “Give that to me.”

“Uhh…no? We've got a plan with this here calabash,” he replies, red eyes looking me up and down warily. Guess he has some sense to be afraid of me, but he's not scared enough.

Summoning my spiked staff, I point it at the fallen Demon. “Let me guess. That's your brother?”

“Yeah! We're the Silver and Gold Demons, Yin and Jin!”

Huh. Those names do ring a bell, but it doesn't really matter. I step over to the unconscious orange Demon and grab him by the throat. “Well, how would you like it to just be the Silver Demon, Yin, from now on?”

Fearful understanding registers on his face. He looks at the calabash, then at their wall of papers, then at me. Finally, he holds the calabash out to me. “Here you go, then.”

“You’re smarter than you look,” I say, bringing his brother with me as I recall my staff and reach for the magical gourd-shaped item.

At that precise moment, cracks appear along its surface. They rapidly grow until the whole calabash explodes, sending shrapnel flying. I cover my eyes from the blinding golden light, dropping the nearly dead body in the process. What the hell!?

When the light fades and I can see again, both Demons are gone. Instead, Qi Xiaotian is curled up on the floor, grasping Sun WuKong's staff to his chest with one hand while the other clutches his head. He’s gasping for air, and his heart rate is high. He's clearly going through a panic attack of some kind. I know those well.

“Kid?” I tentatively ask after a minute of watching quietly.

The boy immediately looks up at me, eyes glowing golden just like Sun WuKong's. I quickly quell my own rising fear at the sight of those eyes. He must’ve unlocked some of that bastard’s powers. True Sight?

“Macaque?” he questions hesitantly. The uncertainty on his face is clear.

“Don’t worry, Kid. I got you out of that calabash and chased off the Demons who were messing with you,” I tell him reassuringly.

“Why do you…you look like that? Your eye…and you have six ears!”

That's not good. He can see through my glamor with True Sight. I should’ve remembered that. “Look at you, Kid. You've unlocked one of your powers. When your vision gets all golden and you start seeing all kinds of new stuff, that’s True Sight.”

He scrunches up his brows and de-summons the staff so as to clutch his head with both hands. “There’s so…so much! How do I make it stop?”

I hate to admit it, but in this moment, I really feel sorry for the kid. He's going through right now what I went through when I first discovered my powers. The overwhelming noise nearly drove me insane at first. For him, it's the massive amount of new sights he can now take in with True Sight. Nothing is able to hide from him now.

A curse in the guise of a blessing. I reach out and pull the kid’s headband down over his eyes. I know it won't block out much, but it’s better than nothing. “Take a deep breath, Xiaotian. Close your eyes and try to focus on reeling in your power like you're pulling in a rope. Let it coil up inside you neatly where you can easily access it again, but you don't have to worry about it coming undone when you least want it to.”

The Human boy inhales deeply as he sits up. The golden glow behind the red headband goes away once he closes his eyes. After a moment, he reaches up and pushes the cloth back into place on his forehead. He opens his eyes, and they are back to their normal dark irises.

He wobbles for a moment before collapsing forward into my waiting arms. Unlocking a new power and learning how to reseal it for later use is a strenuous task, so him passing out is within reason. He may be the Monkie King’s successor, but he is still a Mortal.

I could steal it from him now. It wouldn’t be pleasant for him, but this one power does open a channel to the rest of it. Besides, those two Demons got away. They will likely talk, revealing my return.

Picking up the kid in my arms, I once more drop into the shadows, bringing him along with me.

Chapter 16: PIF PoV

“Mother! We have a situation!”

Hai’er comes bursting into the throne room in a vortex of flames. My husband pauses in his telling about the unusual chasm that opened up in our  Bull Clone factory last night. We both stare at our son, waiting for him to explain this interruption.

Our boy inhales sharply and says, “Qi Xiaotian has gone missing. His boss at the noodle shop said that he left for a delivery yesterday afternoon, and he hasn’t come back at all. He won’t answer his phone either. I already have Bull Clones searching the city, but I thought it would be wise to let you know and seek your advice on the matter.”

“Qi Xiaotian…the boy? The one carrying the Stone Egg inside of him?” I inquire just to be sure that I know who he is talking about.

Hai’er nods. “Yes, that boy.”

I look up at my husband who is frowning far too deeply as he sits on his throne with his arms crossed. “My love, I can handle this situation. You can focus on that chasm in the factory, it may hold something interesting.”

“Huh? What chasm?” our son asks, confused.

I put my hand on his shoulder and lead him away. “Don’t you worry about it. Your father has it all covered. Let’s just focus on finding the boy, Qi Xiaotian.”

“Right.”

My dear boy is worried. I can tell by the furrow of his brows and the twitching of his tail. I’m glad that he’s come to understand how truly important that boy is. I do believe he has other reasons for his concern as well. Perhaps the two of them have grown rather close over these last few weeks. I’m glad that they get along.

In a whoosh of wind, I sweep us both away to land on the roof of that noodle shop. I could do this by myself, but I see no harm in bringing my anxious little boy along. He’d likely run off to search on his own anyway. I’m surprised he even had the restraint to come seek my help first with how he’s acting.

“Come along, I can track his aura from here. It’s a little faded now, but I still see its traces down along the street. The uniqueness of it does make it stand out against all the weak Human auras around,” I tell my son. I lead the way down the street, floating above the rooftops so that I can have a fuller view of the area.

“I’m going to murder whoever dared touch him,” Hai’er mutters as he follows behind me.

“It makes me happy to hear how much you have come to care for him, my sweet boy.”

He makes a flustered noise of protest, but he falls silent again. Then, after a short while, he says, “I know how important he is to you and father. You both made that promise to your sworn brother to care for the Stone Egg. But I admit…that I have become somewhat fond of that Noodle Boy. Both in my duty to protect him and as his…his friend , I will not rest until he is found and whoever hurt him has paid for daring to touch a hair on his head.”

“That’s my boy. Let us not waste our time then.”

---

The trail of Qi Xiaotian’s aura has led us to a dilapidated old building near the base of the mountain in the lower levels of the city where the shadier dealings tend to happen. The creaky door is unlocked and opens into a single room full of piles of junk. Coughing from the dust, I blow it away, but my attention soon catches on the only visible wall.

An uncovered lightbulb hangs from the ceiling to shine dim light on a wall covered in papers. I step closer to get a better look. It seems whoever lives here has an obsession with the boy. Articles, pictures, crudely drawn sketches, they are all linked together by threads and pins. It’s rather disturbing to be honest.

“What the hell is all this?” Hai’er questions as he comes up beside me to examine the wall. “Whoever they are have clearly been stalking Xiaotian for a while now. Bastards. ”

Looking around the room again, I spot a think book on the floor. The words “Scheme Book” are written rather messily across the front. Labelled tabs poke out of the pages. I read each one until I find one that reads “Monkie Kid”. Monkie Kid? Could that mean the boy?

Curious, I open the book to that tab. The page only has two unimpressive drawings that seem to depict Qi Xiaotian getting sucked into a gourd-shaped something. Gourd-shaped? A calabash?

“What is that, Mother? Did you find something?” my son inquires, peeking over my shoulder to look at the book.

“Well, if these doodles are anything to go by, whoever this is has planned to capture Qi Xiaotian inside a calabash. We can only hope that it is not the same calabash that Sun WuKong was sucked into during his journey. While that Monkie is Immortal, the boy is not.”

A slight growl escapes my son’s throat as his tail lashes about. “How dare they! Do you know where they’ve gone?”

I attune my focus to the energies and auras still lingering here. I can pick out the boy’s aura, now stronger, as well as the auras of two Demons, one gold and one silver. Then, I pick up another trace. A familiar energy that I never thought I’d ever feel again.

“Impossible!” I gasp out, crouching down to touch the floor where the purple aura is thickest. “It can’t be…”

“Mother? What is it?”

I shake my head, but my senses have never been wrong before. Somehow, someway, the dead have come back to life. “It’s…it’s Liu’er Mihou…”

“What? I thought you said that Sun WuKong killed him!”

My chest feels tight as I look up at my son. “I know that! I was the one who…who buried him. I found his body…he was dead…but how…how am I sensing his aura now? How could he possibly be alive?”

“If, somehow, it was him, then does that mean he found Xiaotian? Wouldn’t that be a good thing?” Hai’er asks with slight hesitation.

Doubt creeps over me. There’s something wrong about all of this. As much as I would love it if Mihou were alive, I can’t shake the warnings in my mind. I have to find him. I have to know if he’s really back or if this is just some cruel trick.

“Go home, Hai’er,” I state sharply, straightening up and brushing off my long red skirt.

“Huh? Why?” he immediately protests. His amber eyes are full of anxiety, confusion, and fiery stubbornness.

“Do not argue with me on this, Hai’er. I’ll handle this on my own from here on out. Go home and don’t tell your father anything yet. I will explain things to him myself once I find out the truth.”

“But-”

“Hong Hai’er, do as I tell you.”

My son clamps his mouth shut. I know it will be hard for him to stay at home while Qi Xiaotian could still be in danger, but I don’t want to take any risks right now. If Mihou is really alive, there is no telling what kind of mental state he is in after all he went through.

Notes:

Apologies for being so late to update this...

Chapter 17: Macaque PoV

The kid is still unconscious, but I can hear that power inside of him stirring. His first ability has been unlocked, and the rest will quickly follow. It’s like the floodgates have been breached. Nothing is going to be able to quell the speed at which he’ll likely improve from now on.

My own impatience for my vengeance is nearly overwhelming. That power is right there within my reach. If I take it now, I could finally beat Sun WuKong. The reason for my new chance at life would be complete, and this burning in my chest would be at peace at long last.

I’d be doing the kid a service. Getting too close to the Monkie King will ultimately lead to pain. Be his successor? That bastard WuKong is just using the kid as a means to be lazy. He can’t even be bothered to properly train the kid. If he had even been a remotely good mentor, the kid probably would’ve been less open to training under me, so I suppose I can thank him for being so awful that he practically placed the weapon of his own destruction in my hands.

Propping the kid up against the wall, I crouch down in front of him and lift my hand, preparing to do what must be done. “Nothing personal, Kid. This is probably for your own good, anyways.”

Before I can act, however, the door of my makeshift dojo is blown open by a powerful gale. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings, and my guard was dropped. I know that sound. I know this person.

“Iron Fan!?” I exclaim, whirling around to face my sworn sister.

Beautiful and terrifying as ever, Princess Iron Fan stands in the doorway, dressed in red like she always is. She doesn’t appear to have changed much at all in the last five centuries or so. Her fan is out in her hands, but her face is full of shock and doubt.

“How can this be? I know your aura, but I still can’t believe this…how can you be alive, Mihou?” she asks in a voice of disbelief.

“As much as I’d love to catch up, Iron Fan, I am busy. I’ve waited far too long for this opportunity, and I won’t let even you hold me back any longer.”

Her amber eyes linger on my face a moment longer before shifting to look at the boy on the other side of me. Her face hardens. “What do you think it is that you are doing, Mihou? Do you know who that boy is?”

“Sun WuKong’s successor, that’s who. Once I take the power from within him, I’ll finally be able to have my revenge. That bastard WuKong will finally know the suffering I went through all those centuries ago.”

“Wait, Mihou, I know what you must be feeling right now. I hate him as well, but that boy-”

I cut her off. “I’m not going to be swayed, Iron Fan.” With that, I plunge my hand into the boy’s chest, reaching for that bright golden core within him. Xiaotian screams out, even in his unconscious state, but that won’t stop me.

However, my claws are met with resistance. I focus all my senses on my task, trying to push past it. What is this? A seal? This is no ordinary seal, either!

“What the hell!?” I gasp out as I try again to reach that bright core of power within the kid. The force of my invasion causes him to scream out again, but I block the sound out as I shove my other hand in as well.

“Mihou! Stop it! Can you not see what he is!? Are you so blind that you’ve forgotten the reason we last met before you were killed!?” my sworn sister shouts at me. I can feel her coming closer behind me.

What is she talking about? I wonder as I stare into the depths of Xiaotian’s very soul before me. Then, it becomes clear. It’s right there. That familiar warmth. That thumping like a heartbeat against my palms. I know what this is. I know what he is. 

Rippling pain shoots through me as I try to remember. I throw myself back, clutching at my own head. No, no, no! Stop it! I don’t want to remember!

“Mihou!” Warm arms envelope me. “Mihou, what’s wrong?”

“Stop it! Stop it!” I cry out, curling into myself as agony burns through my body. “It hurts too much to remember!”

“Shh, it’s going to be okay! I’m going to help you figure this out, okay? We’ll get through this together. You’re alive, Mihou. You’re alive, and so is your Stone Egg!”

Stone Egg? My Stone Egg? My brain is on fire. I can barely process her words. “No…I have to…”

“Mihou, please. Take deep breaths.”

I don’t want to remember. I have to make this all stop. Defeat WuKong. That’s right. If I defeat Sun WuKong then the pain will finally stop.

With a burst of strength, I throw Iron Fan off of me. “I will have my revenge, Iron Fan. Nothing will stop me. Then, I’ll be free. My suffering will finally end.”

She moves in front of me, blocking my path to the kid. I have only ever felt this angry once before in my life. Baring my fangs at her, I snarl, “are you going to betray me, too, Iron Fan!? Have you fallen to the same level as that bastard, Sun WuKong!?”

Her own face twists in anger. “I will not betray you, Mihou! I made a vow to you that I would care for your Stone Egg should anything bad happen to you, and I intend to keep that vow! This boy is bound to the lifeforce of that Stone Egg, so I will not allow any harm to come upon him as long as I live!”

A…vow? No, I don’t want to remember! I try to force the pain of recollection to subside. No, I have to remember! I have to remember even if it hurts!

Trembling and weakened by pain, I let myself fall into the shadows.

Chapter 18: MK PoV

My head aches as I wake up. Everything hurts, but the bed I am lying in is so comfy and warm. I want to stay just like this for as long as possible until the pain goes away.

Voices are talking nearby. The closest one sounds like Hong Hai’er as he asks, “are you sure he’s going to be alright, Mother?”

“Don’t worry, Hai’er. He’ll be fine with some rest, I’m sure.” That’s Princess Iron Fan’s voice. What’s going on? Why is she here?

I force my eyes open and instantly regret it. The light makes my head hurt even worse, so I quickly close my eyes again and groan. Ow.

“I think he’s waking up, Mother. How much do you think he remembers from what happened? Do you think we should tell him about-?” my fiery friend says.

His mother cuts him off, “let me handle explaining things, Hai’er. It’s…it’s not an ideal situation at all.”

“Mother?”

I hear PIF sigh and reply, “let mommy handle it, okay? This isn’t something you should worry about.”

“How can I not worry about it? The sworn brother of yours that you cared so much about and thought was dead for centuries just showed up out of the blue and hurt my best friend!”

What? What are they talking about? The last thing I remember…is being with Macaque, I think? I was delivering noodles and then weird stuff started happening…right? My head hurts too much to really think about what happened and how I got here.

Eventually, my consciousness fades out again.

---

When I come to once more, the pain in my head and body has lessened significantly. I open my eyes slowly, relieved that the light in the room doesn’t hurt as much as before. Looking around, I recognize that I’m in that guest room of the Demon Bull Family Fortress. The same one that I was in before when I was kidnapped. I wasn’t kidnapped again, was I?

Further examination leads to the discovery of Hong Hai’er seemingly asleep in the chair next to the bed. It’s strange to see him look so relaxed that I almost want to giggle at the oddity of the situation. I refrain from doing so and instead sit up, wincing slightly at the still present ache in my chest.

My movement unfortunately wakes my friend up. He jumps up from his seat and looks right at me. “Xiaotian! You’re awake!”

I flinch. “Not so loud, please.”

He sits back down. “My apologies. How are you feeling? Are you still in pain?”

“Uh, I’m still a little achy, but not as bad as I was earlier, I guess,” I respond, taking a deep breath that sends prickles of pain through my ribs. “Um, so…what happened? My memory is kind of a mess right now. I know I was out on a delivery, and then I had a day off? And everyone was acting really weird? It’s all really fuzzy and jumbled up.”

“I’m not sure of all the details either, but I know that you were captured by some Demons at one point. They trapped you in a calabash. And then when you got out of the calabash, you went somewhere else with…with someone else.” The Fire Demon looks really uncertain as he tries to explain. Then, he stands up. “My mother will be able to explain things better. Please wait here while I go inform her that you are awake.”

“Oh, uh, okay,” I reply. Something about all this has me feeling really uneasy. I was trapped in a calabash? I got out and went somewhere with someone else? Was it Macaque?

I watch Hong Hai’er leave. I know the two of us are friends now, but I’m still not super comfortable with the idea of talking to either of his parents. They kind of scare me. But maybe I should give them the same second chance as I gave him? It’s only fair, right?

After a while, my friend returns with his mother. Princess Iron Fan looks just as beautiful and terrifying as she did before. The sight of her kind of makes my anxiety increase, but I try to stay calm. I can do this. I can have one conversation with her if it means figuring out what happened, right?

The former Celestial Maiden sits down in the chair that Hong Hai’er previously occupied. To my increased discomfort with the situation, my friend leaves the room so that it’s just the two of us in here. Come on, Xiaotian, you got this. She’s not that scary right now. She’s just your friend’s mom, right?

“You must have many questions about what happened,” PIF starts off in such a stiff manner. “I will explain to you what I know of what happened. I was informed by Hai’er that you had gone missing, so together we set out to try and find you. By following the traces of your aura through the city, I came across a rundown building in the lower city where Demons had resided. They left behind plans that detailed trapping you in a calabash. I can assume they somehow succeeded, but you were able to break out. However, there was another presence that came in and took you away to an abandoned warehouse that had been transformed into some kind of dojo.”

I nod. So Macaque rescued me from the Demons and brought me back to his dojo.

“Qi Xiaotian, I must ask you, what do you know about the Six-Eared Macaque King, Liu’er Mihou?”

My mind struggles to process the question. “Liu’er Mihou? That name does sound familiar, but I’m not exactly sure, uh, Your Highness.”

“The one who brought you away from that Demon’s hideout was Liu’er Mihou.”

“Ah, wait, Macaque doesn’t-” I stop myself. Macaque does have six ears. I remember that I briefly saw them. Is he actually this Liu’er Mihou? The Six-Eared Macaque King?

“He told you to call him Macaque? How long have you known him?”

I bite my lip. “He told me not to tell anyone. He didn’t want anyone to know.”

PIF sighs heavily, looking rather sad. “I know that I am not someone you trust. Sun WuKong may have you believe that I am your enemy, Qi Xiaotian, but I promise that I only have your best interest in mind.”

“Monkie King doesn’t think of you as an enemy and neither do I,” I say quickly. “Hai’er is my friend, so I want to be able to get along with you and Demon Bull King as well! It’s just…being around such incredible and powerful people is kind of scary.”

Her expression softens. “Thank you, Qi Xiaotian.”

I smile, some of my unease fades away. She’s a good person. She can be scary, but she isn’t evil like some people like to say. I really want to give her and DBK both a chance. I want everyone to be able to get along.

So, I’m going to make the first decision to trust her. “About Macaque, I mean, Liu’er Mihou…I met him a few weeks ago, I think. He kind of just showed up and offered to help me through the basics of my training since I’ve been struggling with it a lot. He’s been a great teacher!”

Princess Iron Fan frowns, a pain in her eyes. “I see. Liu’er…he’s my sworn brother. He is my husband’s as well. And he was once Sun WuKong’s. Many things happened five centuries ago. I fully believed that he was dead. I…I was the one who found and buried his body…so believe me when I say that I still struggle to believe that he’s back.”

This new information is a lot to process. I had suspicions that Macaque had connections to Monkie King somehow, but I didn’t think they were actually sworn brothers like DBK was. How could I not know this? I thought I knew so much about Monkie King and his past, but there’s still so much that I don’t know. How am I supposed to be his successor if I don’t know these things?

“You said he was Monkie King’s sworn brother. Did something happen between them?” I ask hesitantly. I need to know the truth. I don’t want to be left in the dark about these things.

The former Celestial Maiden clasps her hands together and takes a deep breath. She meets my gaze with such an intimidating level of seriousness. “I understand that you hold Sun WuKong in high regard, Qi Xiaotian, but he is not the Great Hero everyone likes to make him out to be. He has done a lot of awful things. You may think that I am speaking out of my own bias, but many who really knew him back then will tell you the same thing as I am now. My husband was not the only sworn brother that Sun WuKong betrayed. But he didn’t stop at just sealing Liu’er away. He killed him. He murdered Liu’er and left his body to rot in the mud. That is the truth of it.”

Monkie King…really killed his own sworn brother? No! That can’t be! I want to deny it. I want to shout at her that she must be lying. But the look on her face says that she is telling the truth. She’s not lying to me.

My head spins and the ache in my chest seems to tighten. My beliefs are starting to crumble around me. This can’t be happening. How am I supposed to handle this? How can I go back and continue training with Monkie King knowing all this now? I really want to believe that he’s a Hero, that everything I’ve ever known about him is still true, but it’s so hard.

“I don’t know how Liu’er is back now, but I do know why. He is after revenge. His thirst for it is immensely stronger than that of my husband. He will do anything to gain the power he needs to take on, Sun WuKong. I believe that is the reason he approached you and offered to train you. He intended to help you awaken your powers so that he could take them for himself. I wish I was wrong. I hate to think badly of Liu’er, but I’m afraid that he is no longer in his right mind. You cannot trust him.”

I bury my face in my hands, completely overwhelmed by all of this. I can’t process all of this. It’s way too much. “I want to go home. Please.”

“I…of course. This must be a lot for you to think through. I’ll ask Hai’er to bring you home.” PIF gets up and leaves the room.

After a moment, someone else comes in, and I guess it must be Hong Hai’er. I don’t look up as he approaches and says, “Xiaotian? Are you okay?”

I shake my head. “Please just take me home now, Hai’er.”

“Right. Okay.”

Notes:

My apologies. I forgot to post this chapter when I posted it on my Tumblr. I got overwhelmed by college transfer nonsense and then summer theatre rehearsals. Now I have a full week all to myself before it's back to school again...

Chapter 19: MK PoV

Monkie King has called me up for training. Standing at the base of Flower Fruit Mountain, I debate what I should do. Should I confront him about what I learned from PIF or should I just try to act like everything is fine? How can I really be normal around him now that I know these dark things he's done?

I have to ask him. I need to know his side of the story. There has to be some kind of explanation for what happened between him and Macaque. He wouldn't just kill his sworn brother for no reason, right?

Taking a deep breath, I walk up the path. Do I just come right out with it? Or should I try to be subtle? What if he reacts badly? He wouldn't hurt me, right?

My stomach twists into knots. I hate this. I hate that I'm doubting him. The hero I've always looked up to may not be as great as I've always believed, and I hate how it makes me feel. Betrayed? Scared? Sick to my stomach?

Monkey King is waiting outside the waterfall as usual. He grins and waves in such a friendly manner. Is it genuine? Does he actually like me or am I just someone he pawn off his responsibilities onto?

“Hey there, Bud! What's the glum face for? Someone eat your noodles or something?” he asks in a light tone.

“Um…may I ask you something?” I inquire, looking anywhere but at him.

“Of course, Bud! I am your mentor, so you can ask me anything!”

“Will you promise not to get angry or anything?”

He laughs. “Bud, I seriously doubt anything you have to ask me is that bad.”

I take in a long, slow breath to steady myself before asking, “were you ever going to tell me about Liu’er Mihou?”

Monkey King stiffens. The smile on his face vanishes faster than ice in hot water. There’s a frightening look in his eyes.

“How do you know that name?” he questions in a dark tone.

I take a precautionary step back from him. “That’s not what’s important. I just want to know the truth…and if you were ever planning to tell it to me if I didn't ask.”

“It was Iron Fan and Bull King, wasn't it. What did they tell you?”

“You're avoiding the question!” My anxiety rises as I hug myself. “If I'm going to be your successor, then I need to know the whole truth. Did you…did you kill him? Your own sworn brother?”

“You don't know the whole the story, Bud.” Monkie King turns away from me, fists clenched. “I didn't think this would ever come up…”

“So, you were just going to keep it from me?”

“I…it’s not something I'm proud of, Bud.”

“Please, just tell me why you did it. There’s a reason, right? I really, really want to believe that you wouldn't do something like that without a reason.”

“Kid, I–”

“Yeah, WuKong. Go ahead and tell him the whole story,” a familiar voice speaks out. Macaque!

Monkie King freezes, only his golden eyes flying about until it locks on something just beyond me. I start to turn around but a firm hand is placed on my shoulder as the dark-furred Monkie materializes behind me. His purple eyes are alight with malice.

“Liu’er…how…?” Monkie King utters, disbelief clear across his face.

“Does it really matter? It's your turn to tell a story right now. So go on. Tell the kid what you did to me.”

The Great Sage seems to regain his composure. “Don’t act like you didn't do anything wrong, Liu'er. I'll admit now that I never meant for things to go that far, but you aren’t blameless. You disguised yourself as me. You hurt my Master and brothers.”

Macaque's hold on me tightens almost to a painful degree. “I came to help you. I saw the way they treated you. That Monk punished you with that damn circlet when you were just doing what had to be done to keep them safe. You fought those Demons for them, and they only cursed you. I heard your screams, so I took action to save you.”

“Master was only trying to–”

“Ha! Still you defend them like you did back then! They poisoned your mind! They turned you against me, against the Brotherhood! Bull King was the only one to escape death at your hands! But wven he still got sealed away for five hundred years!” the dark-furred Monkie snarls, claws now digging into my arm.

“They were hurting people! You were hurting people! I had to stop them!” Monkie King snaps back fiercely.

“You chose your own enlightenment over those who trusted and believed in you! Just like you always do! Nothing else matters to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven than gaining more power! Not even his own mate!”

I choke on my own breath. Did I just hear that right? Were they mates!? Monkie King killed his own MATE!? He wouldn’t do that! He wouldn't go that far!

But even I am seriously doubting everything now. Everything I've ever known and understood about Monkie King and the Journey to the West is so, so wrong. My whole world is crumbling around me, and feels like I'm being torn apart from the inside. What am I supposed to believe in now?

“Liu'er. That's enough. You've made your point. You've dragged all my worst choices out of the dark to shove them in my face again. Now let the kid go,” Monkie King states in a dangerously low voice.

“No. I'm not about to let you hurt this kid like you hurt me and everyone else who got close to you. You don't get to use him up and toss him aside like you always do,” Macaque spits out.

I yank myself away from him and quickly put some distance between myself and both of them. “No! You both are awful! All of you keep trying to make choices for me that I am perfectly capable of making myself! And frankly, you are no better than Monkie King, Macaque! I know what you're trying to do, why you were helping me and being so nice! You wanted to steal my powers just so you could get your revenge on Monkie King! And Monkie King, I don’t…I don’t even know how to trust you anymore! You keep stuff from me and it's like you barely care about training me at all!”

I pull the staff out of my ear and throw it at him. “I don’t want to be involved in this anymore! I'm not your successor, and I'm not a tool for revenge!”

I hate this. This burning in my gut like I'm going to explode. Why can’t everyone just get along? All this conflict and chaos, I wish it would all just stop.

Chapter 20: Red Son PoV

The alert that somebody is at the front door of our fortress disturbs our family dinner. I quickly get up from my seat before either of my parents have to and announce that I’ll go see who would bother us at this time of the evening. Who would even know to come down here anyway?

As I approach the entrance hall, I nod to the Bull Clone who stands guard at the door. He pulls the lever that activates the opening of the great double doors. Once they are open, I see exactly who it is.

“Xiaotian?” I say. Why would he come here like this?

He doesn’t look great. Everything from the way he’s hugging himself to the redness of his eyes makes it clear that something happened to really upset him. Who would dare to hurt him!? I’ll make sure they pay!

“You should come inside,” I tell him.

The boy shuffles over the threshold before the Bull Clone pulls the lever to close the doors behind him. As he comes in, I do a quick visual scan for any visible injuries, but I don’t see any. That’s good.

“Did something happen, Xiaotian? You don’t look well.”

He nods. “Sorry for coming at this hour…I…I didn’t know where else to go. Mei is watching her house while her parents are out of town, and I’m not allowed in her house anymore since I accidentally broke her dad’s prized gold pinball machine…and Pigsy and Mr Tang are out on a date night…and Sandy went on some kind of meditation retreat…but I…I really needed to be around someone I felt safe with…”

He feels safe with me. A warm pride blooms in my chest amongst the constricting concern for his wellbeing. I go over closer to him. “Of course you are safe here. You’re my friend, and I’d never let anything happen to you, especially in my family’s home! We have top-notch security that was made and installed by yours truly!”

A small laugh escapes his lips, and I’m relieved to hear it. 

“Do you want to talk about what happened? Are you hurt at all?”

“I’m not hurt…not physically at least…” Xiaotian sighs heavily. “I’m just…I’m really tired…Do you think…would it be alright if I stayed here tonight?”

“Yes. I can have the guest room made up for you. We’re having dinner, so would you want to join us? We have more than enough food and it would be not any trouble at all,” I respond quickly. As much as I want to know what happened, I won’t push him right now. He feels safe here. With me, with us. It would go against my duty to my parents and my friendship with him to make him uncomfortable. I’m sure he’ll tell me when he’s ready.

“Ah, no, I’m not hungry, and I don’t want to intrude on your family dinner…thank you though. You’re a great friend, Hai’er.” The boy smiles at me in such a soft way that makes sparks dance in my chest.

“Of course! I am the son of the Demon Bull King, and it would be a dishonor to my family to be anything less than a great friend!”

He laughs a little again. “You’re funny sometimes, Hai’er.”

Am I funny? I never thought of myself as a funny person. “I was being very serious! But nevermind that, you look like you’ll collapse at any moment. Let’s get you settled into the guest room. Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything to my parents. I know they won’t have a problem with you staying here.”

“Thank you, Hai’er. Really.”

“It’s what friends do, isn’t it?”

He leans against my shoulder. “Yeah.”

Notes:

Just a short little chapter before more *emotions*.

Chapter 21: MK PoV

For once, I actually feel really safe and comfortable in the guest room of the Demon Bull Family’s fortress. I can curl up under the warm covers as long as I like and forget about everything for a while. No work, no training, no lies, no secrets, no conflict. It’s so nice here.

It’s odd, in a way. Not long ago, I would never have dreamed I’d end up coming here to be safe and to get away from everything. My whole life has been flip-flopping all over the place lately. Everything I knew is being challenged left and right.

What do I do now? I stare up at the red ceiling. I gave the staff back to Monkie King, but I still have his powers. I can feel their warm energy inside of me. Can I give them back? Do I want to give them back?

I still want to be able to protect those I care about and defend myself. There has to be a way for me to learn how to control them on my own right? Or maybe Hai’er and his parents can help? I mean, DBK was Monkie King’s sworn brother, so he might know some things that can help me.

There are still some questions I have about them, though. I don’t really know why they aren’t against me. I don’t want to think that they have some kind of hidden agenda behind being kind to me and helping me, but at this point, I can’t help but doubt everything. And I hate it. I hate that I can’t bring myself to believe in anything anymore.

There’s a knock on the bedroom door. Sighing, I sit up and call out, “come in.”

The door opens and Hai’er steps inside followed by a Bull Clone carrying a tray of food. He smiles at me. “You’re looking better this morning, Xiaotian. I brought breakfast for you.”

My stomach is rumbling. I don’t know if I ate anything yesterday, so I’m definitely starving right now. “Thanks. I’m really hungry.”

The Bull Clone sets the tray across my lap. I’m amazed by the spread of different foods. There’s so much! I guess this kind of thing is normal for a wealthy Demon family.

“Did you sleep well?” Hai’er inquires, taking a seat in the chair next to the bed.

“Yeah. I think so. This bed is really big and comfy,” I respond after chewing and swallowing the bite of sausage I had in my mouth.

“That’s good. I’m glad you feel comfortable here now.”

Oh. Right. Maybe I should just ask him. I want to make sure everything is out in the light. And even if there is something more, I don’t want to lose my friendship with him. I can tell that he’s genuinely my friend even if there may have been other reasons behind him initiating the friendship.

“So…I know this is going to sound really bad…but, with all the stuff I’ve been learning lately, I just want to know for sure if there’s anything else that I don’t know about.” I look him right in the eye. “Will you be honest with me, please? I don’t care if your parents have some other agenda. I really, really couldn’t care less at this point. I just need to know that you’re not going to keep secrets from me, too, Hai’er.”

He reaches out and puts his hand on my shoulder. “I am not going to lie to you, Xiaotian. I meant it when I said that I am going to be a great friend to you. So, I am going to tell you now, that, yes, I did initially approach you because my mother asked me to, but I will swear on my life that we never had any ill intentions towards you or Mei or any of your friends and family. My parents…they made a promise to someone a long time ago to protect you. I don’t think that I’m the best person to try to explain it, because I don’t really know all the details myself.”

They made a promise to protect me? To who? Who would ask them to do that and why?

I set my chopsticks down with a sigh. “Wow. My reality is really getting shaken up lately, huh? Haha.”

“This all must be a lot for you to process. I apologize that I don’t know enough to explain things better. There are many things that I don’t fully understand as well. But I can honestly promise that I am your friend now because I want to be, even if I initially started it because I was told to.”

“I know that. I believe you, Hai’er,” I tell him, leaning my head onto his hand on my shoulder. “Thank you for telling me. That really means a lot to me.”

I eat a few more bites of food. I should tell him now. I need to talk to someone about it. Sandy always says that it’s not good to keep things bottled up inside. And I want those around me to be honest and open, so I should be too. It’s only fair.

“I went to Flower Fruit Mountain to train with Monkie King yesterday,” I start off, staring down at the half-eaten tray of food across my lap. “After what your mother told me…about the Six-Eared Macaque, I asked him about it. I wanted to hear his side of the story. I don’t like making judgements until I know the whole situation, and I also still wanted so badly to believe that he was still the hero I was always told he was.”

“You asked him about it?” Hai’er asks, looking rather horrified. “What made you think that was a good idea?”

I hug myself. “I know it was stupid, but it was eating me up inside. I felt like I was going to go crazy unless I knew the truth! But he...he didn’t take it well. He admitted that he never had any intention of telling me, which is what really made me realize that I couldn’t trust him anymore. Nothing feels worse than knowing that someone I believed in for so long hid something like that and was never going to be honest with me. And…and then Macaque—Liu’er Mihou, I mean—showed up, and it all just escalated out of control from there. They just kept shouting at each other with me caught in the middle. And I found out that he was Monkie King’s mate? He wasn’t just his sworn brother! They were in love and Monkie King killed him!”

I choke up as tears begin to fall down my face. Hot, angry tears that burn my eyes. That feeling like I’m about to explode is back in full force.

“How am I supposed to handle that? Everything I’ve ever believed in, the hero I looked up to all my life, it’s all a big fat lie! And I hate it! I hate it all! I hate feeling like this! Both of them are horrible! They’re both just manipulating me for their own agendas, and I hate it!”

Energy explodes out of me. The tray is thrown clear across the room to smash against the wall by the door. Hai’er is knocked out of his chair and onto the floor. The whole room shakes from the shockwave.

I freeze, horrified. Did I do that? Was that really from me?

“Xiaotian?” Hai’er says as he picks himself up from the floor.

I can only look at him with wide eyes, barely even breathing.

My friend grabs my shoulders. “Xiaotian, it’s okay. I know better than anyone how strongly our powers can react to our emotions. You’re safe. You’re okay.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t even know I could do that.”

“I’m not hurt, Xiaotian. Everything is fine.”

I lean into him as my body seems to lose all its strength. He’s so warm. I really am quite lucky to have him as my friend. “I…I’m not Monkie King’s successor anymore…”

He pulls back and holds me up so that he can look me right in the face. “You mean that bastard ditched you!?”

I shake my head weakly. “No…I…I ditched him. I got so fed up with it all. With him. With Macaque. With them both trying to control my choices and use me. So I threw the magic staff at Monkie King and left. Just like that.”

“And…they just let you leave?”

“Yeah.”

Hai’er hugs me against him. “I am glad that you are safe. And as your friend, I will do all that I can to help you in whatever way you need. I promise.”

Notes:

SpicyNoodles? SpicyNoodles.

And angst. I said there'd be *emotions*

Chapter 22: Red Son PoV

Music begins to play from somewhere. Startled, I jump back from Xiaotian and look around wildly for the source. My friend sighs and leans over to the bedside table on the other side of the bed and lifts up his phone in its red and gold Monkey King themed case. Something inside of me boils at the sight of it.

Xiaotian answers the phone, “Pigsy?”

Even though the call isn’t on speaker, I can clearly hear his boss’s response, “where the HELL are ya, Xiaotian!? Tang and I came home and you weren’t in your room at all! Mei and Sandy said they haven’t seen you at all either! We’ve been trying to get a hold of you all night!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you all worry. I’ll be back soon and ready to work, I promise,” the Human boy says in a small voice.

“Kid, it’s a Saturday. You don’t work today. Are you alright? Did something happen with your training?”

His boss sounds a lot more concerned than you’d think a boss would. Is there more to their relationship? I mean, Xiaotian does live in the apartment above the noodle shop. Are they family or something?

“I’m fine! Really! I just didn’t feel like staying home alone last night, so I had a sleepover with Hai’er!” my friend quickly tells his boss, a fake smile plastering itself on his face even though they’re talking over phone call. “Sorry for not letting you guys know! I didn’t want to interrupt your date night, since you don’t get to have them very often and all!”

The boiling discomfort in my gut only grows. Xiaotian doesn’t feel comfortable being honest with those he’s closest with. He’s trying not to make them worry. He was honest with me, though. Why? Why would he choose to be honest with me over those he’s known for so much longer? I’m more than happy that he trusts me, but from a logical standpoint it doesn’t make sense.

There’s a sigh from the phone’s speaker. “Right. Just get your butt back home before Tang loses his mind—”

“Pigsy! Don’t you dare! You’re the one who was about to have a heart attack when you saw his bed was empty! Don’t pretend like you weren’t just as worried as I am!” the slightly muffled indignant shouts of that scholarly Human cuts in.

“I’ll be home soon! Don’t worry!”

“Xiaotian—” Pigsy starts to say, but my friend hangs up and lets out a sigh before he can finish.

Xiaotian slides out from under the covers, outfit from yesterday all wrinkled. He sits there on the edge of the bed and stares at his phone and scrolling through all the missed calls and frantic messages. His feet don’t quite touch the ground all the way, and his hair hangs in a loose mess around his face in the absence of his red headband.

“Are you sure that you’re okay with going home?” I inquire, sitting back down on the chair next to the bed.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” He runs a hand through his hair, making it stick up even more. A bitter smile twists his lips. “Ha, I didn’t even last two months as his successor…but now I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about these powers I have. I can’t just give them back, can I?”

I cross my arms and frown. He does still have powers even though he gave the staff back to Sun WuKong. There is the possibility that the powers he has never came from that bastard simian to begin with. If Mother’s theory about the Stone Egg is really true, then his powers could be the result of it being inside of him, bound to his soul.

“Have you ever considered that your powers are not from Sun WuKong at all? I mean, both mother and I have sensed from the very beginning that there is more to you than meets the eye. And even that bastard simian must’ve seen some powerful potential in you to choose you as his successor. Do you know anything of your lineage? If you’ve had any powerful ancestors?”

Xiaotian shakes his head. “No. I don’t really know anything. I’m just me. I’ve always just been Qi Xiaotian. Pigsy and Mr Tang raised me for as long as I can remember.” His brows furrow. “Do you really think that…I have some kind of innate power? Like Mei and Sandy do? From their heritage?”

“It is possible. I wouldn’t rule out any possibilities since your past is a mystery. If you’d like, I could start an actual investigation for you.”

“I don’t think…that’s something I’m ready for right now. Not after all that’s happened.” He gets up and slips on his shoes, grabbing his jacket from the top of the dresser as he goes. He stops next to the door. “I…I would kind of like to just be Qi Xiaotian, a normal Human noodle delivery guy, for a while longer if I can.”

“I understand,” I respond, standing up and walking over to join him by the door. “I’ll walk you out, if you’d like.”

He smiles at me genuinely. “I would like that. Thanks.”