Chapter Text
Macaque had been around long enough to understand that his life was never allowed to fall into anything one could ever call… “boring”. It was some kind of phenomenon, really. Centuries ago, the simian had convinced himself that there would soon come a day where something interesting didn’t happen; where he and Wukong could sit lazing under shady peach trees, letting their furs be warmed by the summer breeze.
But Macaque had never found that peace, never even got close to it. Rather, the celestial duo crumbled and collapsed into a mutual, celestial grudge long before they had a boring, regular lazy day. But instead of allowing himself to grieve his hopes and dreams, Macaque stuffed his longing deep inside of himself and buried it with several tons of rage, sarcasm, and a seething restlessness.
And that was fine. Macaque was happy to spend the rest of eternity hating the hell out of the very monkey he’d once lov… Admired. Admired, damn it. For many years, Macaque let himself do just that. The height of his sickly joy came from tormenting Sun Wukong and his over-enthusiastic protege. Though… in the back of his mind, Macaque knew that he missed Wukong with his whole soul.
Ugh, damnit, none of that stuff mattered.
Until… MK and his ragtag team of celestial reincarnations actually defeated the Lady Bone Demon, and saved the whole world with it. In doing so, they’d set Macaque free from her clutches. No longer was he tied to her destiny, her whims. That soft, whispering lull that always drove daggers into his gut was gone, banished from his brain… Leaving him free. No more deals, debits, or bargains to uphold. No more recent, concrete reasons to hate the Monkey King and his idiot friends.
That had been the shadow-wielder’s first, and biggest mistake. He had allowed Wukong into his life, just a little bit, and all of a sudden he’d found himself traipsing through distorted monkey memories alongside MK, searching for their solution to the whole Azure Lion conundrum. Imagine that: The Six Eared Macaque, sworn enemy of the Monkey King, risking his hide to save that dude’s sorry ass.
But they did it. Sure, the Jade Emperor was dead, and that was a huge problem, but for the time being it had been reduced to a quietly ticking time bomb. There was also that whole mystery involving Azure Lion, and how he’d been freed from the Underworld, but that could also wait too. Probably.
And now, while life still wasn’t exactly boring, lately it hadn’t been bad either. That bit was new. New times started peaking over the horizon; times spent with new friends. Bowls of noodles shared with Tang and Pigsy, A cup of tea and an hour of peaceful meditation with Sandy, and even the occasional training session with Mei or MK. When he did all of these things, he found himself doing them alongside Sun Wukong. It was strange, feeling as though he belonged with these creatures while simultaneously feeling a bit revolted at how he would often smile at Wukong’s idiotic quips.
Yes, it was revolting. Not an overstatement in the slightest. Macaque didn’t need friends, and he certainly did not need the Great Sage’s company. So instead, today he was training with MK. They danced around Megapolis, sparring. Both of them were really only putting half of their strength into their punches, as the vast majority of their energy was dedicated to sarcastic quips and spur-of-the-moment curiosities. The boy loved to chat, and he’d certainly talk all six of Macaque’s ears right off if given the chance. So the simian didn’t give the boy an opportunity, playfully evading, swiping him off balance with his tail, jeering about how fantastic of a mentor Wukong had to be if his successor’s fighting skills were this bad. All jokes.
Macaque landed on the edge of a building, smirking at MK as the boy tumbled onto an adjacent skyscraper’s rooftop. Above, the cloudy sky flickered with lightning. Raindrops pattered the pavement lightly, darkening the concrete with every mark.
MK shivered lightly. “Ugh, my jacket’s getting all wet. Hey Macaque, wanna call it for now? I’m pretty sure there are warm bowls of noodles waiting for us back at Pigsy’s.”
Macaque rolled his eyes. “Pfft, no chance. This is the perfect opportunity to train. You gotta learn how to fight in every environment, no matter the weather. The end of the world won’t wait for a little rainstorm to pass.”
MK frowned, thinking. Memories of the sky cracking apart, reality splitting at the seams as the balance of life itself was thrown into chaos. The Lady Bone Demon’s mocking laughter slipped into his ear, riding on the wind. Azure Lion’s desperate roars echoed quietly with the thunder. Macaque was right, the world wouldn’t wait to end just because the sky was a little cloudy. MK ought to know how to fight in every kind of weather.
“ Fine, but if I slip and break my butt, the only food you’ll be eating for a month will be Monkey King’s homemade knuckle sandwiches!” He taunted. Then, Wukong’s protege transformed into a bird and took to the winds.
“You’re on, kid!” Macaque called, taking after his sparring partner as rain drops splattered on his face. Their fight was almost akin to a dance, full of half-pulled punches and the occasional sarcastic jeer. The rain above got thicker and heavier with every passing minute, soaking everything in a clear, slick coat of water. At times like these, the city seemed so beautiful; cars lazily bumbling through the wetness, trees, plants, and flowers soaking in every precious inch of life-giving water. The sound of the rain dampened the regular hum of life, making everything quiet, save for the occasional crack of thunder and lightning.
Macaque and MK’s fight quickly grew into a playful game of cat and mouse, mentor and mentee swimming through the clouds and weaving in-between buildings. Laughter bounced off glass windows with each of Macaque’s attempts to subdue his opponent. The kid was surprisingly good at this. He’d certainly grown a lot since their first meeting. Sure, MK was The Monkie Kid, or whatever, but he was really making leaps and bounds towards being an ample and independent successor to the Monkey King.
For just the briefest moment, Macaque allowed his mind to drift from their game, and back to memories long past. He remembered a time where Sun Wukong, the man who was once his sun, his light, his brother, would have been shocked and appalled at the idea of being a mentor.
Wukong used to be so… different. He could hardly believe that the Wukong of 500+ years ago was the same soul as the present one. Was he really the very same Monkey King who stole celestial peaches, the same creature who stripped down the Demon Bull King, the Simian to erase his own name from the book of the dead?
MK popped out of a dark, swirling cloud, charging towards his foe with a swinging fist. Macaque easily dodged, briefly refocusing on the present. MK soared past him, a bright smile warding away the dark clouds. That smile reminded him so much of the Monkey King. The kid may have had his doubts about being the right successor, but Macaque had none.
What would happen once Monkey King finished training his protege? MK would take over as one of the world’s greatest heroes, and Wukong would successfully be out of a job. Macaque snickered at that, imagining Wukong sitting around on his ass for all eternity, with nothing better to do than gorge himself on peaches and sit around letting the sun tan his chest.
Would life even allow the king such a pleasure? Truly, was that possible? Was Wukong’s dream to spend all of eternity never having to worry ever again finally coming true? A memory snaked across Macaque’s vision, drawing his mind further away from the present. With MK getting stronger and more capable by the day, could they really spend their time eating fruit and doing “whatever they want”? For so long now, Wukong’s words used to seem like useless fodder; only a flat, half-bullshit daydream. Now… maybe there was some truth behind them. Maybe that future was still viable. With his mind far away from the battle, Macaque let himself indulge in Wukong’s sickly, tantalizing promises.
The rain quickly began to pick up, small droplets morphing into fat, speeding bullets. They landed in ever-deepening puddles on the pavement. The smell of petrichor rose up into the air, mingling with the chilled air. Below the battle, Megapolis’s streets quickly emptied, cars nestling into garages and pedestrians tucking into nearby businesses. MK noticed how everyone else seemed to take the hint to settle inside, where it was warm and dry, but Macaque was bent on this training session.
The teenager shivered as cold streams of water snaked over his skin, leeching heat. Ugh, it was time to end this fight. He started studying Macaque’s movements, the way he switched from being a playful, engaged opponent, into a quiet, evasive pacifist. His movements became defensive, using his dark colors to blend into the gray, wet surroundings.
I’ve just gotta aim where he’s going to be, not where he is, MK told himself, feeling determination rush through his veins. With a surge of power, gold took over his vision, revealing truths and pathways once invisible. A fluffy black tail slunk through the clouds, arcing downwards back towards the ground. There, The kid saw his opportunity.
As Macaque sped towards the ground, planning to use Megapolis’s many skyscrapers as camouflage, MK put on his own burst of speed. With amazing feed, MK’s feet sunk into the pavement of a nearby office building’s roof, noting briefly that the entire surface was covered in an inch of slick, frigid rain. Macaque landed right next to him, and MK’s whole body thrummed with joy as he watched the simian’s eyes widen with surprise. Immediately, the kid engaged his part-time mentor in hand-to-hand combat, tossing blows with amazing calculation and impeccable speed. Still on the defensive, Macaque parried the hits with everything he had. With every step that MK took forward, Macaque took one step back. Thunder and lightning swirled around them, carried atop gusts of wind and thick sheets of rain.
What happened next could only be described as an unfortunate set of convenient coincidences: MK felt the air shift, felt himself finally winning over Macaque’s impressive defense; overpowering the celestial with sheer technique and tact. The edge of the office building found the back of Macaque’s calf, and a conveniently thrown punch set everything in motion. Macaque bent backwards to avoid the blow, arching his back and throwing his whole body off balance. If it hadn’t been for the rain, he would have easily rebounded, slipped into a shadowy portal, popped out behind his opponent, and gone in for the victory. But the rain, the blasted rain, had a mind of its own. When Macaque dodged MK’s punch, his feet lost traction. The edge of the building blocked two scrambling feet from regaining balance, and with muted surprise, Macaque found himself tipping headfirst towards the ground.
Perhaps if he hadn’t been so stupidly daydreaming about the Great Sage, he would have thought to save himself. Instead, he crashed face-first into the ground, consciousness briefly shattering into fine wisps of crystalline glass. Stupid Wukong. Stupid brain.