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MK couldn’t believe it all was over for now at least. He always had that underlying fear of something going to happen these days despite the seemingly never ending peace. He was always on guard waiting for a new or old enemy to return. For chaos to strike. But nothing came. Nothing was new. It was too calm and he was full of too many emotions. He was by himself today, Pigsy had shop closed up due to a pipe leak he and Sandy were fixing together while Tang probably watched from a distance with a clever quip that would certainly get him yelled at. Mei was at a family reunion and Redson was working on a project and MK didn’t have the heart to go bother him. Truth be told he wanted to be alone. He felt empty but didn’t know how to talk about this. Even though the world was saved it didn’t feel safe. Nothing did anymore. He didn’t wanted to burden anyone with these problems. He sighed before he headed up to flower fruit mountain but Wukong too was gone so the place was just as empty as he felt. Besides the monkeys who lived here of course, who chirped happily and jumped to him curiously, sniffing him and climbing on him.
“Hey there little guys. Everyone feeling ok up here?”
They chirped and tugged on his jacket but he couldn’t understand what they were trying to convey.
“Hey you little scamps what’s up?”
Then he felt the cold presence of Macaque appear a safe distance away. The monkeys cheeped and leapt to him. Macaque didn’t push them off or look upset as he normally would try to by putting on that tough loner persona.
“Hey MK,”
His voice was low and a bit gentle. There was a look in his eyes. Guilt. So much guilt.
“Hey Macaque…what’s going on?”
He smiled weakly as his heart started racing. He hoped they weren’t going to fight. Or argue. He felt his palms sweat. Maybe he had a new lesson that would certainly scar him even more or make him feel even worse.
“Can we talk?”
That’s…not what he expected.
“Y-yeah, man. About what?”
Macaques eyes softened and filled with a deep regret of likes he’s never seen. MKs lips shook as he tried to stay cheerful.
“About you. About what I’ve done to you,”
His heart dropped along with his smile but he quickly tried to pick it back up.
“Oh Macaque don’t worry it’s all in the past-“
The dark monkey held out a gentle hand to stop his words.
“No kid. No it’s not. It’s not just a thing you can move on without discussion. The things I did to you were unforgivable. I hurt you. I manipulated you. I essentially abused you on multiple occasions both physically and mentally. Even when I tried to help you I hurt you in turn,”
There was real honest remorse in his tone. But MK couldn’t help but feel suspicion.
“What’s the catch,”
Macaque flinched slightly but let out a breath of understanding. The monkeys leapt to the ground and watched the pair talk with worried eyes, letting out little whimpers of worry and sympathy.
“There’s no catch kid. I’m genuinely sorry for everything I’ve done. And before you continue just know you don’t need to forgive me. I’ll be doing whatever I can to make it up to you,”
Tears suddenly appeared and burned in MKs eyes but he couldn’t understand why. He felt his breath quiver as it left his lungs. He choked on his tears and looked away.
“Why now,”
He tried to keep his voice steady but tears spilled.
“Kid…I was a coward. I should’ve apologized sooner. Changed sooner. I’m willing to tell you why…I acted the way I did if you’re willing to listen. It won’t excuse my actions but you deserve to know the truth,”
MK wiped his eyes and nodded.
“Please…I’m sick of lies,”
“Here…sit down. Stop me if I’m too close,”
MK sat on Wukongs porch and Macaque sat at his side. The monkeys followed and curled up and sat near and beside them both. One cuddled up in MKs lap like a form of comfort, hugging him gently to which MK responded with a hand resting on its back.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes…tell me everything. I just…I don’t want you to lie to me again. Ever,”
Macaque nodded.
“I swear on my second life. I won’t,”
MK nodded and gently rubbed the head of the monkey in his lap. He turned to look at Macaque and gasped at the sight of him. He was changing before his every eyes. One eye was gouged out and scarred over. Half of his fur was an aged grey while the remaining dark hairs contained a bit of said grey mixed within. His skin held less life than it had before. One set of ears turned into three, each with a fading pink to blue colour like a dying dusk. Faint signs of damage existed on each.
“I should start with honesty of appearances,”
“A-are you serious?”
“As serious as I can be,”
“So all this time you…”
“I know. I lied. I lied about so much. I’m sorry,”
MK looked closely at Macaque once more. He looked tired. Older yet somehow youthful with his rebirth, his second chance at life. Even the monkeys looked surprised and cheeped, touching his cheeks and picking at his fur. He sighed and very gently removed them from himself.
“Now…can I explain…why I was acting the way I did?”
MK nodded. He took a monkey back into his lap, gently stroking its soft fur. Macaque took a breath before he spoke, just as nervous as MK.
“Before I died you know Wukong and I were close. You know he kept chasing power and I wasn’t as supportive of that. And when he got trapped under the mountain he was resentful of me. And I began to resent him. It stewed within me for too long and I didn’t have anyone else to talk to about how I felt about it all. And it changed me for the worse. I became what I hated,”
He fidgeted his hands in his lap, this vulnerability scary to him.
“When he was freed we didn’t even make up. We started fighting. And I struck first. I was just so angry…I wanted him to stop. And I lashed out. Just like I did to you,”
“But why me…”
Macaque sighed and looked at his hands limp in his lap.
“I wanted to hurt Wukong the way he hurt me. It was wrong. Everything I did especially to you. You didn’t ask for this. You didn’t ask for these powers, this life. You’re…you’re just some kid,”
Tears returned and rapidly spilled down his cheeks once more. Someone who had caused him so much pain yet tried to help him in the end understanding exactly how he felt, saying what he wanted to hear for so long…it made his heart feel so warm yet hurt so much.
“I should’ve never taken my feelings out on you. Hell, I shouldn’t have even done it on Wukong. We should’ve talked. But we didn’t and dragged everyone into this mess. Innocents who didn’t deserve it. I’m sorry MK. I mean that,”
MK wiped his eyes with his sleeves. Macaque gently touched his shoulder.
“Even with my soul tied to the lady bone demon it didn’t change anything. My pain shouldn’t be someone else’s. I shouldn’t have made that deal. I shouldn’t have fought against you. I hurt you terribly and nothing will ever make that change. But I’ll do anything to make it up to you,”
MK sobbed into his hands. He let Macaque wrap his arms around him and the monkey in his lap moved aside with a worried noise. He didn’t feel as endangered now that Macaque was making change. It wasn’t much, that anxiety wasn’t going to fade away instantly. But it was a start. He felt like there was hope. Hope was the only thing left to hold onto. Macaque rubbed his back soothingly, letting him cry until he had no tears left.
“All I have left to say is don’t do what I did. Don’t bottle your emotions up. You don’t have to reach out to me specifically but please talk about how you feel with someone. I try not to listen in on your futures but…I hear some awfully worrying outcomes,”
“You…you hear futures?”
“As well as pasts and presents. I would’ve thought Tang would’ve told you,”
“Sorry I must’ve not been listening,”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m the only one who’s allowed to be sorry right now,”
“So what have you heard about me?”
“I hear potential possibilities. They’re endless. And hard to decipher since I only hear. But I hear cries from you. Any future where I don’t hear you open up I hear you break down. The future I hear where I don’t apologize I hear breakdowns. Anxiety attacks. You won’t be able to be near me. One of the many reasons why I’m doing what I’m doing,”
MK looked up and met Macaques gaze. There was a soft earnestness in the only eye that remained. An amber one either deep purple flecks around the iris.
“Thank you, Macaque. I just…I’ve wanted you and many of the others to apologize for lying to me and putting me through this but no one has and I just…felt so alone. Even when I know I have friends who care about me so much I just feel these doubts about being lied to about how they really feel about me,”
“Given all you went through that’s understandable. Don’t feel ashamed for how you feel. You have every right to feel this way,”
These cursed tears returned again but like before Macaque held him and let him cry, holding him and wiping tears with gentle hands. It was nice to feel hands like his once causing agony now being so gentle on his path to redemption.
“I don’t know if I can forgive you yet…but there’s a part of me that wants to,”
Macaque smiled softly.
“That’s good enough for me. Take all the time you need but also make sure you’re looking out for yourself,”
MK sat up and rubbed his swollen eyes.
“Let me get you some water,”
“N-no I think I’d like to come with. I don’t want to be alone right now,”
They went into Wukongs house with the monkeys in tow. Macaque poured him some water and found some peach chips in case MK wanted a snack.
“Thanks,”
“No problem, MK,”
He drank the water slowly and occasionally bit a chip but he wasn’t a fan of the taste.
“It’s getting late how are you feeling? Want me to teleport you home?”
“Actually…yeah I’d like that…I’m a little tired,”
“Understandable let’s get you home,”
Macaque gently took his hand and made a portal. The portals were always freezing cold but at least this time he wasn’t inside for long and landed safely on his feet in front of Pigsys. Him and Sandy were talking and visibly brightened upon seeing him.
“Kid there you are! You weren’t answering my calls I was worried,”
MKs mind blanked. He took out his phone and it was completely dead. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head.
“Sorry Pigsy I guess I didn’t charge it,”
Pigsy sighed and gently patted his shoulder.
“It’s ok, MK, Ive just been worried about you these days,”
Sandy stepped forward.
“Yeah little man. We’re here for you, you know? We care about you. You can tell us anything,”
MK turned back to look at Macaque who had his glamour magic back up looking as normal. He nodded in encouragement.
“Well…I was wondering if I could talk to you guys about everything that’s happened to me,”
And then Pigsy and Sandy sighed in relief.
“We were hoping you’d say that! Let’s get you inside,”
MK honestly smiled and followed them inside. He turned back to look at Macaque one last time as he was gently guided inside. Macaque gave him a hopeful smile that MK returned. He wasn’t going to be ok right now. Maybe not for a very long time. But one day he’d be ok. He’d thank Sandy for his aid, Pigsy and Tang for his support. He’d open up with Mei. And he’d thank Macaque for apologizing which pushed him towards the path to healing. Maybe when he was better he could finally forgive him honestly.