Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

☆~BEGINNING OF ARC ONE~☆

A droplet of water landed on MK’s nose, jolting him awake. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the neon glow of the city. The drizzle ceased upon awakening, leaving the atmosphere fresh with the scent of rain and the faint ozone of electricity. Tiny beads of condensation clung to his fur, catching the city lights and making his midnight-black pelt shimmer like a starlit sky.

How strange, he didn’t remember falling asleep. One moment, he’d been enjoying the view up to one of Megapolis's tallest skyscrapers, overlooking the city park and the fancier middle district. Now, the sun had dipped beyond the horizon, and the world had transformed into a sea of vibrant neon lights and dark alleys. Light pollution prevented the glorious night sky from shining, but MK grew up here, he was used to it. Instead, the artificial beauty of the light illuminated the overcast sky, making the clouds glow.

The young monkey demon yawned before standing up, arching his back and stretching before stepping onto the edge of the rooftop. The intense wind tugged at his fur, but with his long tail, he easily kept his balance. He was over one thousand feet up, having flown up here as an eagle. This was one of the tallest skyscrapers his city had to offer. From this height, even the bravest would feel their stomachs churn at the sheer drop. 

But not MK.

He turned around with his back facing the open air below, then leaned back and let himself fall. Wind roared past his ears as the skyscraper’s edge vanished from view, replaced by a blur of neon and glass. His heart pounded, not with fear, but pure exhilaration. The city rushed up to meet him, glimmering streets and towering buildings flashing by in streaks of color. A younger version of himself would have been screaming his head off just by being on the rooftop. He would have clung desperately to anything he could, wide-eyed and trembling at the very thought of stepping off the edge. That MK would’ve watched in awe, maybe even horror, never imagining he would someday become so fearless and free. But there he was, free falling off a massive tower for the mere thrill of it, and he was proud of how far he's come.

MK spun around in the air, angling himself between the gaps of the buildings as he dropped, feeling the wind swirl around his body. In the blink of an eye, his body shimmered, shrinking and reshaping as he plummeted. Feathers replaced fur, and his arms were tight. His sharp eyes locked onto the streets below as he became a peregrine falcon, the fastest creature in the sky. The rush of air felt different now, slicing past his streamlined body as he tucked in his wings, diving at breakneck speed as he reached terminal velocity. In just a few seconds, he was nearly at the ground. The city was alight in streaks of rainbow as lights bent in his vision.

At the last moment, just before hitting the streets, MK snapped his wings open. The sudden force yanked at his body, slowing him down just enough for him to shapeshift again. In a flash of gold, he was back in his demon monkey form, spinning through the air with perfect control like a professional acrobat. His feet hit a rooftop ledge, rolling and leaping into a sprint without missing a beat. His tail streamed behind like a ribbon as he sprung into the next jump, landing on a moving bus. The momentum carried him forward, his body flowing effortlessly from one motion to the next, climbing and running across walls.

He laughed, wild and free, leaping and flipping through the cityscape like it was his own personal playground. He jumped again, catching a streetlight, swinging around it before launching himself toward the next rooftop. This was his piece of heaven in the mortal realm, and right now, he was having the time of his life. MK darted across the rooftops, moving with a speed and precision that no one else could match. His feet barely touched the concrete before he launched into another leap, landing seamlessly into a full run. Every ledge, every railing, every flickering neon sign, he knew them all like the back of his hand from the thousands of noodle deliveries he's made over the years.

This was where he had learned to run. Long before he had ever swung from vines or dashed through the dense jungles of Flower Fruit Mountain, he had honed his instincts here, in the heart of dense cityscape, or around the noodle shop racing with Mei, about a decade before he became Wukong’s successor. The city had been his first training ground before he ever thought about fighting. Here, he wasn’t just fast, he was unstoppable. He could outrun anyone, even Sun Wukong himself. The older monkey might have had centuries of experience, but MK had a deep connection to this city the King would never have. They had raced here together during one training session, and MK hadn't lost a single time.

Megapolis wasn’t just a home, it was a part of him. No matter what threats lurked in the shadows, no matter who tried to bring chaos to his city, he would be there to protect it with everything he had, even if it cost his life, and the same goes for Flower Fruit Mountain.

As MK sprinted across rooftops, his presence didn’t go unnoticed. He was in one of the busiest parts of the city, after all. Down below, people pointed, murmuring in excitement and confusion as they saw a streak of movement, a blur of black fur. Fingers pointed up as murmurs spread and phones were lifted high, capturing glimpses of the mysterious creature dashing by. They had no idea that the hero who had been protecting their city, the Monkie Kid, was actually, well, a monkey. 

These days, whenever he was in town, he avoided his usual look. His signature yellow jacket and red headband made him instantly recognizable, so he rarely wore them in public anymore to avoid paparazzi. Instead, he switched things up, trying out different outfits and styles. He still kept the bandanna, but now he used it to tie his hair back rather than wear it across his forehead. 

Tonight, he had gone with a simple red hoodie and jeans. It was comfortable, unremarkable, and, most importantly, it was big enough to last. His favorite yellow jacket was sitting in his closet, waiting for another trip to the tailor. It was a hassle keeping up with all the adjustments these days. Every few months as he grew and matured further in adulthood, he had to adjust for his broadening shoulders, stronger sternum, and the muscle he had built from endless training. But an oversized hoodie could last him years if he treated it well enough. Even with all the effort to blend in, though, there was no mistaking what he was right now. A monkey demon running wild through the city was a rare sight, even in a place called Metropolis where millions of demons and humans lived peacefully together. To them, he was just some mysterious, agile figure leaping through the night. 

On nights like these, MK always kept an eye out. Somewhere in the city, there were always demon monkeys searching for a way to Flower Fruit Mountain ever since Wukong started allowing them back. The truth was, they were always welcomed, but were too afraid to try. But now, MK was finding a lost monkey nearly every week. He always offered a ride on his cloud, and if they refused, he pointed them to the direction of Sandy's barge. The water demon was beyond joyful to hear about the new monkey migration, and volunteered his aid to bring them safely home.

MK had learned to recognize them, even when they hid behind human disguises or intricate glamour spells. Some of them actually managed to see him first, trailing behind him through the city until MK realized he was being followed and stopped in a private alleyway for them to catch up. Without fail, when they finally got close enough, they always asked the same question:

"Are you the Prince?"

MK never knew how to answer that, but just said yes since it was the quickest way to gain their trust.

It wasn’t the first time he had been called a prince. The wild, non-demon monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain had always addressed him that way, chirping and chittering the word like it was as natural as breathing… But that was different! He had spent so much time with them, they've seen MK being carried on Wukong’s back, playfully wrestling in the trees, and using the special calls that only family shared. To them, it was obvious. If Wukong cared for him like a father, then he must have been adopted in a way. And, therefore, He was their Prince.

But hearing the title from others, specifically from demon monkeys, that was something else entirely, and it felt more impactful somehow.. He never claimed that title, and Wukong had never officially announced it. And yet, somehow, it had found him anyway.

Suddenly, the fur on the back of his neck prickled. He had been noticed. Their gazes locked for a split second as he skipped across a row of street signs. She was already in her monkey form, though she had done her best to conceal it. A hoodie masked her face, her tail tucked away in a pair of sage-green sweatpants, but MK caught the telltale details, like a pink facial marking matching her hootie and the tufts of light tan fur escaping from where it framed her face. She was about his age.

He didn’t slow, trusting her to follow like so many others had before. His tail was raised high in the air like a flag, a black silhouette that can be seen against the bright lights of the cityscape. He kept his pace just manageable, making sure she could trail him. 

But something changed.

After a while, he realized she wasn’t keeping up anymore. Hmm, how odd. She had been doing well, better than most, actually. Frowning, MK changed course and swung down from his vantage point, landing quietly in the shadows. If she had fallen behind, something was wrong. He scanned the streets, searching for any sign of her bright pink hoodie, but got nothing.

Then he heard something peculiar. Voices, harsh, and unfriendly, coming from a distant alleyway.

MK took a deep breath, steadying himself as he concealed his presence and lifeforce, blending seamlessly into the surroundings. Silently, he crept closer, scaling down a steel beam. The alley was dark, but that wasn’t a problem. He had decent night vision, and it didn't take long for him to spot an entire group of demons surrounding someone, their jeers and taunts echoing off the brick walls. The outer ring of the gang wasn’t just standing around. They were watching, scanning the rooftops, walls, and street, looking for something. And when MK was a flash of pink at the center, he knew exactly what this was.

It looked like the rumors had spread. Recently, demon monkeys had been sighted in the city, and now, a street gang had caught wind of it. In his youth, Pigsy had warned him about guys like this ever since he was old enough to understand. Even Mr. Tang had given him cautionary tales, always telling him to be careful during his deliveries, even going as far as to point out certain spots on a map to avoid or be wary of.MK didn’t have to worry about that kind of danger anymore, but right now, he had a different kind of problem.

He recognized this gang. Sandy had actually been the one to tell him about these guys. They were an all-demon crew, each wearing a blue scarf tied around their left arm, with a select few more than one. Their hideouts were among the seaports near Sandy's property, preying on docked sailors and robbing ships that came in late at night. Sandy had a recent run-in with these fellas, but they quickly scampered off once they realized who Sandy was. They didn't know he had adopted a more peaceful way, so when the blue giant went to get tea for them all, they left nothing but a rain of dust off when he returned. If their turf was near the fringes of the city, why were they there in the heart of it? What else, but to investigate the strange visitors that went to Sandy's barge, seeking passage to the mountain. If MK had to guess, once they figured out that the voyagers were rare monkey demons, they likely tracked down where they were coming from.

MK’s tail lashed as he revealed himself, no longer bothering to blend in the environment. Almost instantly, the outer ring noticed him, and were all alarmed to see how close he had gotten right under their noses. He let out a loud snarl as he dropped from above, landing heavily on all fours. The concrete cracked beneath his hands and feet, like a spiderweb of fractures spreading from the impact. His fur bristled, making him appear larger than he actually was. He bared his freakishly long canines, spitting.

The entire gang snapped to attention, but quickly parted as somebody walked through. A large white tiger demon stepped forward, the clear leader. He had three blue scarves the same shade as his eyes wrapped around his muscular arms, and he had more than anyone else. His white fur was blinding to look at, and his black stripes were as dark as the shadows. His sharp teeth flashed in the dim light as he snarled back at the monkey. When MK didn't back down, the tiger roared and charged, but MK didn’t flinch. He had seen plenty of bluffs before. He had fought demons that had the capacity of dominating an entire city single-handedly. This guy wasn’t one of them. So MK didn’t move. Instead, he stood up and straightened to his full height, meeting the tiger’s charge with nothing but unbridled confidence, keeping eye contact the entire time with a bored frown.

The gang leader skidded to a stop just inches from him. His breath was hot, reeking of rust and rot. Up close, his sheer size was more apparent. He towered over MK, with claws long enough to slice him in half and hands wide enough to crush a man’s head. His black and white fur was streaked with battle scars, twitching with barely restrained aggression. He expected MK to cower, or at least react in some kind of way. But MK had fought living nightmares, facing creatures with magic that could level mountains. This was nothing. He felt the tiger's magic the second they locked eyes. The fight was over before it even began.

Still, the tiger played his part well. MK had to give it to him, he was still terrifying. His brief flash of surprise was expertly masked as he took a slow step back, his lips curling into a malicious grin. He began to circle MK slowly, like a hunter toying with prey that didn’t yet realize it was cornered.

“That was a bad move, monkey.” The tiger rumbled with amusement. “You might be strong, but strength means nothing when you're outnumbered.”

The claws on his feet were unsheathed, scraping against the pavement as he walked.

“Tell me…” His grin widened as he bared all his teeth, each twice as long as MK’s middle finger “How fast do you think you are? Fast enough to get away before my boys tear that bug-ridden hide clean off of you? This is the part where you run.”

The gang’s laughter filled the alley, bouncing off the steel walls in a discordant echo. Their weapons gleamed under the dim light, dulled metal and jagged edges meant more for intimidation than harm.

Then they dragged their hostage into view. The girl’s arms were pinned behind her, and a blue scarf was tied around her mouth, muffling any attempt at speech. Her wide, frightened green eyes locked onto his, silently pleading for help. He didn’t care what happened to himself, but upon seeing them threaten one of his own, something inside MK snapped. He wasn't taking the situation as seriously as he should've, and he wasn't about to wallow in this mistake. A long, drawn-out growl rumble shook deep in his chest. He took a single step forward, and the gang, so full of laughter moments ago, all tensed up.

“Who,” MK asked, his demeanor immaculately calm, “Do you think I am?”

That was when he saw a brief flicker of hesitation in the tiger’s grin, and the slightest waver in the gang’s confidence. Then the tiger laughed, it was booming and grated his sensitive eardrums.

“Oh, come on, prince. Don’t play dumb.”

MK’s tail tip twitched. Prince? Again? How many times was this going to happen?

“Ever since you showed up, more and more demon monkeys started appearing out of thin air, and they’re all looking for you.” He jabbed a claw toward MK’s chest. “Calling you their Prince.”

“So?” MK folded his arms and lifted his chin.

“So…” The tiger’s grin stretched wider. “You really don’t get how that looks, do you? How foolish.”

The gang murmured behind him, a ripple of agreement.

“Demon monkeys are strong, especially the ones with your mask shapes. Regular demon monkeys are short, dull, and hardly have any face marks.” The tiger snarled. “And now they’ve got a leader? Someone with enough respect for them to call their Prince? That’s a problem, we can't have any rival gangs around here, got that?”

MK blinked. Then blinked again.

They… Thought he was some kind of gang leader. HIM of all people. He barely held back a snort. Mei and Red were gonna lose their minds when they heard about this. The tiger misread his stunned silence and continued to talk.

“You don’t make it easy, either.” He hissed. “You’re everywhere. We’ve seen you all over the city. You’re on social media, you show up on everyone's feed. You're easy to find in person, but nobody can follow you. It’s like you vanish into thin air, retreating back to the same damn place your kin appear from.”

MK couldn’t help it anymore. He cackled with laughter, screeching loudly in a way only a monkey could. Everyone looked at each other, confused. They didn't like MK's reaction one bit. What kind of psycho laughed in the face of their gruesome feline leader?

“You think this is funny?” The tiger’s ears flicked back in irritation.

“Pfft- You have NO idea!” MK wiped a hand down his face, shaking his head. 

The gang’s murmurs grew uneasy at MK’s laughter, and the tiger’s grin twisted into a snarl as he roared with fury.

“You think this is FUNNY?” He repeated with a bellow, stepping closer, his claws flexing at his sides.

“HAHA- You-” He pointed at the tiger. “You think I’m some kind of underground crime boss because a bunch of monkeys happen to show up?”

“Quit yer lyin’! Do you think we don’t see what’s happening?” The massive white cat sneered. “You show up, they show up, and suddenly every lowlife in the city is whispering about a new faction rising up. You think we’re just gonna let that happen?”

“Look, none of us are in a gang, and I can guarantee you that I don't lead one.”

“Yeah?” The tiger’s whiskers twitched. “Then what are you?”

MK opened his mouth-

And in the split second he was distracted, the tiger grabbed the hostage by the collar and yanked her up, claws pressing just a little too close to her throat. MK could hear her cry a little, terrified.

The alley went silent.

MK was paralyzed. His smirk vanished and his tail stilled. Even the playful glint in his eye was gone. The tiger noticed immediately. His sneer returned, triumphant to finally have the upper hand.

 “Ah, there it is.” He chuffed. “I knew all that talk was just for show.”

The gang moved closer to surround him, sensing the change in the air. MK didn’t say a word. 

“Let’s see if I got this right, you are not in a gang, you don't have any business with us, but you’re still here? Stickin’ your little muzzle where it doesn't belong?” He leaned with a whispered growl. “That's not how things work with us, Prince.”

MK still didn't react, afraid that one wrong word or move would end in violence. Once again, he wasn't taking this seriously. Head in the game, MK.

“Finally got nothing to say, huh?” He shoved the girl toward one of his men. “I got a better idea.” He took a step forward, looming over MK. “How about we settle this? You and me. Let's duel, right here, right now.”

The gang let out excited whoops and cheers, shouting over each other and making a racket. Some had their phones out, probably to record the slaughter.

“What’s wrong?” The tiger’s blue eyes gleamed. “Still got nothin’ to say, fleabag?”

Slowly, MK inhaled. Then he lifted his head, and a menacing grin stretched across his face.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

At that, the gang surrounded them. The tiger backed up, and with a roar, he charged once again. This time it wasn't a bluff. MK could tell by the way he favored his right side, the tiger demon was about to dash to the left side, probably assuming MK was right handed. Unlucky for the feline, MK was ambidextrous.

He couldn't use any of his powers or his staff, it would reveal his true identity. Instead, he was going to use his teeth, claws, and tail. The tiger seemed to do the same, not having any weapons on him. The moment the tiger feinted right and lunged forward, MK was already out of arm's reach. He slid to the side, hardly moving, just enough to let the tiger’s claws slice through empty air. The gang roared in excitement as their leader skidded to a halt, ears pinned with annoyance.

He's sloppy. This guy was strong and scary, sure, but he was used to fighting mortals, not someone like him. The tiger turned on a dime, not giving him a second to breathe, coming at him with another brutal swipe. MK ducked, barely dodging the claws aimed at his face. He retaliated with a fairly weak jab of his tail, slamming it into the brunt of the tiger’s chest. The big cat let out a grunt but didn’t falter, instead twisting into a low slash meant to take MK’s legs out from under him. MK jumped, not high, but enough to avoid the blow. Macaque had taught him this technique. The closer he was to the ground, and the less he moved, the easier it was to counter. His feet barely touched the ground before he lunged forward with an attack of his own, sinking his claws into the tiger’s shoulder and using his momentum to flip over him. His opponent let out a snarl of frustration as MK landed behind him with a smug smirk.

“C’mon!” MK teased, shaking his hands like they were sore from the strike. “I thought you were supposed to be a frightening kitty!”

The gang howled in laughter, some jeering at their own leader. The tiger’s tail lashed, his eyes flashing with rage. Then, without warning, he spun, claws raking toward MK’s chest, much faster than he expected. MK barely managed to jump out of the way, but the tiger’s claws caught the fabric of his hoodie, tearing through it with a loud rip. MK stumbled back, hand flying to his chest. He wasn't injured, thank goodness. But his hoodie was tattered, so that sucked. He'd have to get it fixed later.

MK exhaled slowly. Okay, no more playing around. If they wanted a show, he’d give them one. He learned a hard lesson from Monkey King recently, that sometimes, you needed to make an example out of someone to protect people. He needed to show them just who they were dealing with, and if he scared them enough and they got the hint, they wouldn't mess with his kin any more.

“What’s wrong?” The tiger grinned, thinking MK was close to giving up. “Finally realizing you’re out of your depth?”

“Nah.” MK flexed his fingers, letting his white claws glint in the dim alley light. “I was just deciding how badly I should embarrass you.”

He moved. One second, he was standing there, and the next, he was completely gone. The gang barely had time to gasp before MK reappeared behind the tiger demon as his foot slammed into the tiger’s back. The force sent the big cat flying, barreling past some of his goons and crashing into a pile of old crates with a thunderous boom.

The gang fell quiet. MK cracked his knuckles, watching as the tiger staggered to his feet, shaking debris from his dirty fur. His eyes were wide panting as he struggled to stand.

“You-” The tiger growled, but MK didn’t let him finish.

He was on him in an instant, grabbing the front of his shirt and lifting the massive, heavy feline clean off the ground with a single hand. The gang collectively backed away. MK made sure they saw their leader dangling above the ground, showing off his stretch and the sheer effortlessness of the display.

“You think I’m scared of you?” MK hissed. “You think you can just mess with my people?” 

He threw the tiger down, slamming him onto his back with a ground-shaking thud. 

“You should be the one scared of me, I've shown nothing but patient mercy so far, and yet you refused it.” MK bared his fangs and grinned his canines together in a bone-chilling crackle.

The tiger wheezed, scrambling to push himself up, but MK was already gone from his sight.

“Up here.”

The tiger barely had time to react before MK dropped from above, landing on the tiger’s chest, pinning him down. Now it was MK's gold-speckled eyes that were gleaming like a predator’s.

“This is the part where you run.” MK said, his voice as calm as it was cold.

The gang took off immediately, scrambling over each other in their rush to escape, abandoning their leader.

“As for you…” MK leaned in closer to the tiger, his claws flexing over his opponent’s heart. “If I ever catch you near my monkeys again, let’s just say I’ve been exceptionally good at holding back tonight.”

The tiger nodded frantically. MK stood and jumped off of him, letting him scramble away, tail tucked between his legs as he bolted out of the alley. The moment he was gone, MK wasted no time checking on the other monkey. He reached out, carefully undoing the scarf around her mouth.

“Are you okay?” He asked. ”You're not injured, right?”

“You really are the Prince.” She stared at him, wide-eyed. 

“Oh, come on!” MK groaned. “Is that really what everyone calls me?”

“It’s true.” She smiled, surprisingly calm despite everything that had just happened. “I knew I’d be okay because you were nearby. But… it was still pretty scary.”

“Yeah, I bet.” MK sighed. “You did good, though. Those guys shouldn't bother anyone else now.”

“What’s your name?” She laughed softly at that, then looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. “Like, your real name?”

“MK.” He answered without hesitation. “And you?”

“Fae.”

“Alright, Fae, let’s get you out of here.” MK nodded, then gestured to the now-empty alley. 

“Oh, wait! My family is still out and about. We split up to look for you.”

“Wait, what?”

“We’ve been looking for you for a few days, but we kept missing you. So we split up across the city to cover more ground.” Fae fidgeted with a hoodie string, looking a little embarrassed. “Can you help me find them?”

“Well, I can’t just leave you guys scattered all over this place, can I?” He jerked his thumb toward the nearby building. “Let’s get to higher ground for a better vantage point.”

He turned and scaled the same steel beam he descended from earlier, his claws easily taking hold in the rain-slicked metal. But when he glanced down, Fae was still at the bottom, staring. up at him with an uneasy expression.

“Hey! It’s too slippery, this isn't like a tree at all!” She admitted with a small, frustrated huff. “How do you climb it so easily?”

“I’m used to the cityscape. I learned how to climb here long before I've ever stepped foot in a jungle.” He loosened his grip, sliding back down before crouching in front of her. “Hop on.”

She hesitated only for a second before clambering onto his back, arms locking around his shoulders and tail around his waist. MK adjusted his stance to keep her steady. 

“Hold on tight.”

Then, with barely any effort, he scaled the beam again, reaching the rooftop in seconds. As soon as they landed, Fae slid off his back, eyes wide in amazement.

“Whoa…” She breathed.

“First time climbing a skyscraper?” MK chuckled. 

“Yeah, and you make it look way too easy.” She gasped when she looked at the glowing horizon. “My family is still out there. My mother, father, and two older brothers. I don’t have a phone, and I can’t verbally communicate with them since it's too noisy, but I do know about their general locations. We are all supposed to meet at the park once the sun rises, but that’s a whole night away… And there’s no telling if they’re in danger right now.”

“Then we don’t wait.” His speckled eyes gleamed under the city lights. “Let’s go find your family.”

Under the misting rain and streetlights, MK led Fae through the city. He weaved through alleyways and climbed fire escapes as if the concrete jungle offered nothing more than a few measly obstacles in his way. Meanwhile, Fae did her best to keep up. Her footing was sure, but she hesitated at every jump and every ledge. MK noticed how she scanned the rooftops, looking for branches that weren’t there. The city was foreign to her, its sharp edges and steel structures were a far cry from the dense greenery of the jungle.

Then, they reached the park. The silence was different from a regular forest. There was no rustling of leaves or distant calls of birds or insects, but the low hum of traffic and the occasional siren in the distance. Fae stilled when she heard a nearby chirp, then, without a word, she ran forward on all fours. MK followed, watching as she leaped up a large oak tree where someone was waiting for her. The reunion with her brother was swift and quiet.

Fae Introunced MK, and then they were off once again, now three monkeys strong. MK led, and the duo followed. One by one, they tracked down her family members in each district. They found her eldest brother near a dimly lit bus stop, and then they discovered her father watching a food court from the edge of a rooftop just a few blocks down. There was one monkey left to find, and she was supposed to be near MK's own apartment. 

As he led them, he realized they all had trouble navigating the city's hostile infrastructure. MK always paused for them, taking the time to reflect on just how easy it was for him. This city was like his territory. He had mapped every street, every shortcut, and every hiding place. He knew the local shopkeepers, the lively street performers, the regulars that ordered noodles, and the kids who played in the arcade. He kept an eye on them, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. Because that was what he did. Flower Fruit Mountain was his second home, and he was still mapping out the entire mountain in his head and learning all the faces of each inhabitant. He had never thought about it before, but here, in this sprawling kingdom, he moved the same way, perhaps even better than in a forest. The jungle had vines, trees, and hidden trails. The city had scaffolding, rooftops, and winding streets. And just like the mountain, this place had people who relied on him.

As Fae reunited with her mother at last, MK guided them to Sandy's barge and they parted, promising to visit once they were home at the mountain.

He went back to climbing skyscrapers by himself, looking out at the city skyline. It gleamed under the night sky as a sheet of rain began to pelt down from the fog above, clinking against the metal. He was getting soaked, but he didn't mind, because this was his home, and the sound of rainfall against metal was a welcoming one.

MK pulled out his phone to check the time and- WOAH! It was nearly midnight already? Aww man, what a bummer. With a shaky yawn, he began his trek back to the noodle shop. It was Friday night, and he had recently gotten special news. He had to wake up early for a very special occasion tomorrow. He took a shortcut to get home before leaping onto the fire escape in a single bound before crawling through his unlocked window, the hinges creaking as he opened it.

He plopped right into his bed with a sigh. He couldn't sleep just yet, he had to get ready for bed. He made it quick, taking the red bandanna out of his ponytail, tying it to his bedpost and tossing off his wet clothing until he was dressed in nothing but his natural, thick layer of fur. His poor shower had been abused recently, whenever MK switched into his human form to shower after a long day spent as a monkey, he still smelled dirty and felt grimy no matter how hard he scrubbed. Therefore, he had no choice but to bathe in full demon form, and that meant fur getting stuck in the drain and all over the tile walls. The shower was brisk and hot. The humidity in the room was akin to summer in the rainforest with the amount of thick steam curling through the air as droplets clung stubbornly to his long fur. He snatched a towel, patting himself dry with restraint, resisting the instinctual twitch to shake off the water like a sopping wet dog. 

In the fogged mirror, his reflection slowly emerged. His fur was fluffed out and poofy. He leaned in, his gold-speckled eyes scanning the familiar yet ever-changing face of his. Curious, he opened his mouth and prodded at his sharp teeth with one of his white claws Yikes, definitely not a mouth he’d want aimed at him! His mandarin-orange face marking stood out vividly, a neat little heart painted right between his brows. The surrounding fur crept closer to it with every passing moon, a quiet reminder that he was growing up faster than he felt. He lifted the claw podding his face to trace the marking’s permeameter before gliding down to the near-identical mark on his chest. It mirrored the one on his face in shape, another heart, except with symmetrical crescents curled along the bottom which curved inwards, giving it a more butterfly-esk appearance.

Without further ado, MK tugged on his nightwear and collapsed face-first onto his bed with a heavy flop, bouncing in the air briefly. He had actually reshaped the mattress into a mock nest, building walls with pillows and blankets, mimicking the ones he’d learned to build on Flower Fruit Mountain. Wukong and Macaque had shown him how, laughing as he fumbled with the weaving, and now it felt strange not to sleep like this. He even included one final blanket over the top, a habit Macaque had gotten MK to join.

He didn’t bother shifting back into his human form. Honestly, he was starting to prefer sleeping in this one. He loved to curl his tail around one of his legs and the feel of his fur against the bedding. He sighed contentedly as his thoughts drifted to Mei and Red Son. It had been too long since their last sleepover. He missed the constant snarky banter, the sugary snacks, and MK and Mei both trying and failing to finally get Red Son to sleep in the bed with them. The fire demon adamantly refused, even going as far to give MK a mattress for when he visited. They both used to sleep over often, but it's a shame how busy they've been. Oh well, surely they'll have another fun night together.

Sleep started to pull him under, and he welcomed it. His eyes fluttered shut, ready to experience whatever strange dream his brain conjured up. 

Then-

A sudden, piercing jolt erupted at the base of his tail, like someone had jabbed a white-hot needle into his spine. The pain sparked up his back in a burst of searing energy, like a bolt of electricity crackling through his nerves, with enough force to leap up, nearly falling from his bed. His fur bristled, and he could have sworn he saw a brief, golden light flashing across the room, so fast he thought he would have imagined it. His power surged before fizzling just as quickly.

Panting softly, MK twisted to glare at his tail. It looked the exact same, but something felt different. Off. Wrong. Maybe. Or... Something? It was hard to tell. All he knew was the exhaustion that followed hit him like a crashing wave, significantly stronger than before. With one last yawn, he tucked his tail close and curled back into his nest, and the world vanished.

Little did he know, that brief power surge was just the beginning of yet another life-changing journey, a mere premonition of what was to come. In exactly twenty four hours from now, his world would change yet again…

For better, or for worse.

Chapter Text

Immediately after waking up, MK checked to make sure his tail didn't explode after last night, got ready, groomed his fur, tied his red bandanna, and blasted off on his cloud to meet up with his mentors on the mountain.

Now, he padded behind Wukong and Macaque on all fours, matching their pace as they moved through the winding forest trails. Macaque had grumbled about walking like this at first, but eventually dropped onto all fours too, mostly because his tail would've been harder to see for their followers. Both Wukong and MK couldn’t help but laugh when the dark monkey plopped down with a grumpy growl, and they began their trek.

The jungle was more alive than usual, and that was saying a lot. This side of Flower Fruit Mountain was typically quiet, shaded by the dense canopy and mostly covered in darkness, but today was different. A lengthy river of fur flowed through the underbrush as wild monkeys leaped from branch to branch or scampered along a cleared path through the dense foliage. Their excited chatter echoed along the trees as they followed the leaders at the front.

It had been five months since the ruins were rebuilt, and in that time, the once-small settlement had exploded in size. When word spread that descendants were welcome back on the mountain, those who had been scattered across China and beyond jumped at the chance to return to their ancestral home, more appearing every few days. What had started as a humble group of twenty-six had now grown to nearly two hundred.

MK recently received special training from his mentors and some of the village residents, learning to spot those who concealed themselves in human form or under glamor. He had always been able to sense them on some level, but now, he could pinpoint their species. It was a skill that had proved invaluable to finding lost demon monkeys who were searching for a way around the volcanic ring of the massive island. On his usual noodle runs or late night walks, he had taken it upon himself to keep an eye out for any lost kin, similar to how he guided Fae and her family last night. He had become a voluntary ambassador of sorts, recognizing and inviting displaced monkey demons back to the mountain. 

Thanks to his efforts, many more monkeys returned home, even if they weren't born there, as long as they were a descendant from the mountain population, they were invited. Many still called him the Prince, a title he didn’t quite know how to feel about, but one that got their immediate trust. If MK invited them, they came. Some even trusted him enough and rode with him on his nimbus cloud, always terrified as they traveled across the ocean at high speeds. Other times, Sandy offered a safe passage on his barge, who was beyond delighted to lend his aid.

But today was special.

Exactly one month ago, the first demon monkey in centuries had been born on the mountain. And now, it was time to meet them.

As they stepped into the heart of the settlement, the wild monkeys scattered, climbing trees, scampering across rooftops, or vanishing into the thick foliage. Their excited screeches faded into the background as the resident demon monkeys emerged from their homes, drawn by the arrival of their king. A ripple of movement spread through the village as heads turned, ears perked, and tails flicked to attention. Then, in an instant, the resident monkeys rushed forward in a wave of joy to welcome the trio.

“Sun Wukong! You’re here!”

“Goodmorning, your majesties!”

“Our king has arrived!”

“Sir Macaque! Prince MK!”

Wukong laughed as he was swarmed, letting the younger villagers climb up his arms, only to be swiftly taken off by nervous adults when they realized their cubs were clambering over their king. MK barely had time to brace himself before he, too, was caught in the crowd. He was the most approachable of the three, considering how he brought many of them here in the first place. 

They all chirped out in greeting. Funnily enough, not all of them spoke the monkey language. Most were born after their ancestors fled the mountain, never learning it besides basic greetings and words. And even if they knew it, it was almost always the old dialect. But no matter what, the basic calls remained the same over thousands of years, unchanged and recognizable by instinct.

“Prince, you finally came back!”

“Have you grown taller?”

“Wait, does the fur around his face look longer?”

“Aww, they grow up so fast.”

Before MK could greet all of them, the crowd suddenly parted. A hush fell over the villagers and a monkey with bright blonde fur stepped forward. Jing, the unofficial leader, founder of the village, and father of the new cub, stepped forward. He stopped in front of Wukong and bowed.

“Great Sage.” He said with reverence. “We are honored by your visit.”

“Okay, I know you’re just messing with me now, Jing.” Wukong gave him a weird look as Jing greeted him formally. “Since when do you call me Great Sage with a straight face?”

“Since my cub is officially part of your legacy, oh mighty King.” Jing straightened up with a sharp-toothed grin as he spoke with playful sarcasm, but there was genuine pride in his orange eyes.

“Ugh, don’t start. I already have too many titles.” Wukong groaned.

“Mhmm, and he can definitely afford to drop a few, don’tcha think?” Macaque leaned over to MK.

MK snorted but quickly straightened when Jing turned to him with a welcoming grin. 

“MK, good to see you again, little fella! You’ve been slacking on your visits.”

“I’ve been busy!” MK threw his hands up. “Noodle deliveries, training, you know the deal!”

“Those sound like excuses to me.” Jing teased before waving a hand toward the large hut behind him. “Come on, Euhang’s inside. She’s been waiting for you guys.”

Excited murmurs spread through the villagers as Wukong, MK, and Macaque followed Jing toward the hut. The soft sounds of chittering and the occasional high-pitched squeak could be heard from within.

“Shh.” Jing pushed the door open and covered his mouth with a finger. “Try not to be too loud, they're both feisty when they're cranky.”

When they stepped inside it was dim, with the windows covered and the floor covered in soft materials. Euhang was awake, resting in a cot that was overflowing with bedding, cooing at something in her arms. When she realized who's there, she looked up and waved. She sat up as they grew closer, cradling a tiny bundle of fuz against her chest. 

“Took you long enough.” She teased with a yawn. She shifted slightly, revealing the little cub nestled in her arms. “Come meet Shanfeng, our son.”

“Oh wow, he’s so small.” MK approached first, eyes wide with wonder. 

The tiny cub had pinkish-blonde fur, his little arms stretching before curling back in. As his eyelids fluttered open, the same piercing orange shade as Jing’s looked back at him, bright and curious. His tiny tail twitched, and MK’s heart melted on the spot.

“He’s adorable!” Wukong cooed softly, leaning in to get a better look. “Look at that face, and that fur! Jing, he really takes after you.”

“Of course he does!” Jing puffed out his chest proudly, reaching into a claw for his son to grasp. “But he’s got his mom’s markings. Look at that perfect little heart-shaped mask.”

“More like strawberry-shaped, it's a bit oblong if you ask me, it goes past his nose a little bit.” Wukong purred, crouching down for a better look.

“Be careful.” Euhand warned as the king got closer. “He’s already started biting and pulling everyone's fur out.”

As if proving her point, Shanfeng wiggled in her arms, reaching a tiny hand toward Wukong’s face. Before anyone could react, he latched onto the king's curly cheek fur with surprising strength.

“Wow! He’s got a strong grip!” Wukong squawked as the little simian attempted to steal one of the curls for himself. “You’re raising a little warrior here!”

Shanfeng warbled happily. MK watched in awe as the cub’s tail wrapped around Wukong’s wrist, holding on tight. Wukong leaned over the cot, making sure the one month old wouldn't fall on the floor, even though monkey cubs rarely ever let go of anything.

“Yep.” Jing said smugly. “Good luck escaping now. Oh- Careful there, MK. If you stay in his line of sight, you’ll have a baby monkey stuck to your face next.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t mind.” He admitted, watching as Shanfeng explored the top of Wukong's head. He was the only monkey with curly fur, after all, of course any cub would be curious. MK beamed, feeling a warm fondness settle in his chest. 

“You know, MK, I might just have to put you on babysitting duty.” Euhang chuckled softly, reclaiming her cub from uptop Wukong's head. “You seem smitten already, I'd love for him to take after you.”

“Nope, absolutely not, that's way too much responsibility! You think I can handle that? I can barely keep track of my own tail!” MK squeaked before quickly turning to Macaque. “Besides, Macaque’s the one with the good reputation with the wild monkeys. Ask him about it!”

That made everyone pause, and they all turned toward Macaque. The grumpy, broody edgelord of Flower Fruit Mountain… A babysitter? They stared at him, but Macaque hadn’t even noticed. He was busy observing Shanfeng, watching the little cub stretch and fidget, and seeing how his tiny hands curled into his mother’s fur. 

There was something odd in Macaque’s expression

“Macaque?” Wukong prompted, raising an eyebrow.

Still nothing.

“Is he okay?” MK whispered, moving his hand in front of the older monkey's face.

Then, finally, Macaque blinked, as if coming back to the present. His ears flicked up in surprise when he noticed everyone looking at him. 

“What?”

“You good there, bud?” Wukong smirked. 

“Yes?” Macaque frowned. “What were we talking about?”

“Nothing much.” MK closer with a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Just talking about how you apparently have a great reputation with the wild monkeys and their cubs.”

“Real funny, kid.” Macaque scoffed, crossing his arms, but his usual sharp edge wasn’t there.

He took another small glance at the sleepy cub. Shanfeng let out another tiny, sleepy chirp, and Macaque looked closely at him again, and that same unreadable look creeped back onto his face. MK caught it this time, a twinge of curiosity sparking in his chest. Something was up.

“Come on, Macaque, you’re great with cubs, I've seen you before!” Wukong shuffled beside Macaque, pushing him closer to the cot. “Besides, I think he likes you.”

“He’s literally half asleep.” Macaque huffed, rolling his eyes. “He doesn’t even know I’m here.”

As if wanting to prove him wrong, Shanfeng's tiny claws grasped at the air before latching onto a bit of Macaque’s dark fur. The cub let out a soft little squeal of joy, climbing up the stranger before he was practically buried under a thick mane of black fur. Euhang laughed as the cub let out a tiny, contented sigh. Macaque, meanwhile, stood as still as a statue with disbelief painted across his face as his ears pinned. 

“This is just the cutest thing ever!” Wukong was the first to break the silence with a smug grin, watching the cub ruffle his nose through Macaque’s fur, busy memorizing his minty scent. “You're officially his new climbing post.”

“I- This… I don’t-” He gestured vaguely at the excited strawberry-colored fur ball curled against his shoulder, his tail flicking in agitation. “This shouldn't happen to me.”

“Why not?” MK snorted. “I don't see why a fluffy baby monkey wouldn't like a bigger, fluffier monkey.

“That's not what I mean-” Macaque cut himself off, his jaw clenching as he looked away, six ears still pinned. His hands hovered uncertainty near the cub, as if he wanted to pet him but couldn’t quite bring himself to. “I just… I don't know if I deserve this.”

“Well, it’s happening now.” Euhang said with a fond smile. “And it looks like you’ve got a new little buddy.”

Shanfeng made a soft, sleepy sound and burrowed deeper into Macaque’s fur, little claws kneading at it instinctively. Macaque refused to move. He appeared calm, but something about the way his breathing became hitched, not in irritation, but with nervousness… He was acting extremely odd, like he was stressed. 

“Whatever.” Macaque exhaled sharply through his nose and gently loosened the cub’s grip, careful not to wake him before handing Shanfeng back to his mother. “He’s your problem, now.”

But the moment he stepped away to leave, MK caught an odd glint in his eyes, like he wanted to hold on just a little longer. It was a very strange interaction. Wukong watched him too, his grin fading just a bit.

The front door shut, leaving behind an odd silence in its wake. MK glanced between Wukong, Euhang, and Jing.

“Okay… was that just me, or was that weird?”

“I dunno, he always seems a little weird to me.” Jing shrugged, already turning his attention back to his mate and cub. 

“Hmm.” Euhang hummed, adjusting Shanfeng in her arms to brush a strand of fur from his face. “I mean, he didn’t seem that off to me, maybe I just don't know him well enough.”

“He looked… stressed. And sad.” MK concluded as his voice lowered to a whisper aimed at his mentor. “Like… Really sad.”

For once, Wukong didn’t immediately respond. His usual grin faltered. Then, to MK's surprise, guilt flashed across his face. And before MK could even ask about it, Wukong suddenly spoke, forcing a fake smile.

“Welp! Probably nothing! Y’know how he is, always brooding over something.”

“Uh-huh.” MK squinted at him. 

“I’ll ask him about it later. For now, I gotta bounce.” Wukong ruffled MK's fur a little too roughly before heading for the door. “But hey, great seeing you all! Congrats again on the cub, you two!”

“Take care, Wukong.” Euhang chuckled. 

“See ya around.” Jing gave a lazy wave. 

MK, however, did not let it go that easily, because he caught the faintest whiff of sour peaches. That man is a lying son of a boulder.

“Wait, you’re just leaving?” MK said, wrinkling his nose.

Wukong turned, walking backward with an exaggerated grin. 

“Yup! King duties and all that, gotta keep moving, y’know how it is.”

“Monkey King.” MK deadpanned.

“Whaaaaaat?” Wukong choked on absolutely nothing.

“You looked guilty. Super guilty. What do you know?”

“Nothing!” Wukong dismissed him, skedaddling away so fast he nearly tripped over his own tail. “No idea what you’re talking about! Anyway, bye!”

And with that, he bolted, jetting out the door. MK just stood there, watching him go, not buying it for a second. Euhang watched Wukong disappear out the door before shaking her head. 

"Well, that was something." she muttered, adjusting Shanfeng in her arms as he let out a sleepy yawn.

"I don't know much about Macaque, but he always seemed a little... Tense.” Jing shrugged. “Maybe he's just not great with kids?"

"Maybe, but I've seen baby monkeys climb all over him before without batting an eye, something doesn't add up." MK sighed. “I dunno... He wasn’t acting like he was annoyed. It was more like he wanted to stay, but he was forcing himself to leave."

"That, or he really didn't want to babysit.” Euhang joked, earning a laugh from Jing, but MK barely heard them.

His mind lingered on Wukong's reaction. The guilt in his expression, and considering that he left so abruptly... The King definitely knew what bothered Macaque. MK would have to ask later. Because if there was one thing he'd learned by now, it was that when it came to his mentors, nothing was ever simple.

MK sighed, still feeling like something was off. But before he could dwell on it too long, Euhang’s voice pulled him back.

“By the way,” She said, curling back up in the cot with a sleeping cub, “I never got to thank you.”

“Thank me?” MK blinked, confused. “For what?”

“For the little piece of your rock, it's very beautiful.” She smiled warmly. “I wasn’t awake to see it last time, but Jing told me you left it for us just like Wukong had done.”

“Oh!” MK perked up. “Yeah! I, uhh… I actually got the idea from Monkey King after he mentioned leaving a piece of his stone, and I thought it was a good idea so I did it, too.”

“It means a lot, really.” Euhang rested her head on a pillow as Shanfeng dozed off.

“You should’ve seen her when she first found it.” Jing chuckled. “I thought she was gonna cry.”

“Oh, hush.” Euhang growled, but there was a grin on her lips.

“It’s nothing, really.” MK rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little embarrassed. “I'm really glad you guys liked it.”

They chatted for a while longer, mostly about the village’s growth and MK’s recent training. But eventually, the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the settlement when MK looked out the window, peeking from behind the curtain.

“Welp, I should probably head out before it gets too late.” MK said sadly. “Tomorrow is the first Sunday of the month, which means training day.”

“See you soon, cub.” Euhang purred.

“Come visit again soon, yeah? The new little guy’s gotta know who our Prince is.”

“Oh, come on, don't call me that, it's so weird!” MK giggled, embarrassed.

They laughed, and with one last wave, MK left. Some of the wild monkeys stayed in the village, but most must've returned home, which meant his mentors had guided them back. As he turned and headed back down the path to the settlement's entrance, his mind was still circling back to Macaque’s strange reaction, and Wukong’s even stranger guilt.

MK decided to leave early right at sunset, slipping out before anyone could notice. He launched himself into the trees, moving swiftly through the canopy before summoning his cloud. The jungle rushed past as he soared, the village lantern lights shrinking behind him. He let the cloud carry him toward the waterfall cave so he can get a much needed rest. But as he flew over the plateau, a place where he often practiced his language lessons or shared meals with his mentors, he noticed a figure sitting beneath the lone peach tree.

Macaque. Bathed in silver moonlight, the shadow user leaned against the tree trunk, staring at the sky with a blank expression. His long tail was draped over one knee, his six ears fanning out slightly back as if lost in thought. Something about the sight made MK hesitate. He hadn’t expected Macaque to be here. After debating whether or not to check on him, MK steered his cloud downward, landing quietly a few feet away.

“Hey,” MK chirped softly, “Didn’t expect to find you here.”

Macaque’s ears twitched at the sound of MK’s voice, but he didn’t turn around immediately. He just sat there, still staring at the night sky. When he did finally look over his shoulder, there was a faint trace of a smirk on his face, though his amber eyes were distant.

“Didn’t expect to be found, either.” He replied, his tone more nonchalant than MK had anticipated. “I figured you’d be enjoying the festivities, you always love to visit the village.”

MK took a few cautious steps forward, noticing the way Macaque’s posture seemed tense, despite his casual words. 

“Right, I know.” MK admitted, his gaze flicking to the peach tree Macaque had been leaning against. “Are… You okay?”

Macaque didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he shifted his position, pulling his legs up in front of him and resting his chin on his knees as his tail wrapped around his feet.

“I’m fine.” He said after a long pause, but MK knew he was lying. Macaque wasn't even bothering to hide his souring scent.

The silence grew longer as MK tried to figure out what to say, but Macaque’s unreadable expression made it difficult to even start. Finally, he decided to just ask.

“Why’d you act like that earlier with Shanfeng?” MK blurted out, his curiosity and worry overtaking his usual hesitance. “You looked… I don’t know, like you wanted to stay with him, but you left.”

Macaque stiffened, but didn’t turn away. His fingers twitched at his sides, but he didn’t speak for several moments. He took a deep breath.

“I don’t have the patience for things like that anymore, MK.” Macaque finally muttered. “Besides, I’m not exactly cut out for… That kind of thing.”

“But you’re good with wild monkeys.” MK frowned, still not entirely understanding. “They all trust you to look after their cubs.”

“True.” Macaque said, his voice thick with something MK couldn’t quite place. “That’s different, though.” 

“What do you mean?” MK stepped closer, sliding down the tree trunk to sit nearby.

“Forget it, MK.” Macaque’s amber eyes flicked to him then, but only for a second. It was like he didn’t want to look at MK for too long. “Just… don't worry about it.”

“Alright,” MK finally said, his voice soft but determined. “But I’m not letting you bottle it up alone.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.” MK said stubbornly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Macaque let out a stark, bitter laugh, running a claw through his dark fur. He looked at over his shoulder again, his eyes narrowing slightly at a slightly confused MK

"I'm such a hypocrite, aren't I?" He laughed, shaking his head. "I always tell you to stop hiding things from us, but here I am, doing the exact opposite."

MK stayed silent, sensing that this was something important. He stayed still, not wanting to interrupt, but his heart tightened at the strange tone in Macaque's voice. The older monkey ceased his laughter and finally took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring at the ground now. 

"I always wanted a cub,” Macaque began, "It was one of my biggest dreams, something I thought about all the time. I wanted to find someone, a mate, and raise a cub together. I'd teach them everything I knew, and pass down all I learned. I even pictured it, a little one climbing up my fur, asking silly questions about my ears. I would always be there for them... All the things I didn’t have growing up."

He paused, clenching his jaw before buying his muzzle in his knees, slightly muddling his words.

"But after everything that happened…" Macaque continued, his voice cracking slightly, making MK freeze and hold his breath. “It feels selfish, like I’d be setting them up for failure. Maybe I’m not meant to be a father, MK. Maybe... That’s something I’m just not cut out for anymore. All the people I've hurt and things I've done... I don't trust myself to raise a cub. I don't trust myself to take care of anyone, really, including myself. Plus, I've wanted to raise a cub with a special someone, but that hope fizzled out long ago. I've got no family and no trust in myself. So I’m just convinced it’s something I’ll- That I'll never-"

The last words seemed to fall out of him with a faint sob, as if saying his thoughts out loud made it more painful. MK didn’t know what to say at first, but decided to appeal to the older monkey's softer side.

"You’re not a failure, Macaque. You can still-"

"It’s not about failure, kid. It’s about being too broken to try." Macaque cut him off with a short, tired laugh. "I've got problems, and I can't fix everything wrong with me. Some things are permanent. I can't expect anyone else to fix me, either."

"Hey." MK said after a moment, crawling closer, still giving him space, but staying close enough to show that he wasn’t going anywhere. "I don’t think you’re as broken as you think."

“Hmph.” Macaque snorted, though it wasn’t as dismissive as before. "Is that so?"

“You're always here for me, you know I look up to you, right?” MK nodded, leaning forward just a little. “Maybe you don't have all the answers, but that doesn't mean you're not worth something."

“There's something else…” Macaque’s gaze lingered on the stars for a long moment before he spoke again. “I used to think I had all the time in the world, and I clearly didn't. I’m not like Wukong, I may be immortal, but I'm not untouchable. I’ve lived a long life, and I’ve done things I can’t undo. I’ve made enemies and hurt more people than I can count. And the truth is... The truth is, I don't know what happens next. I don’t know if I’ll be around to watch a cub grow up, or if I’ll even get the chance to be the kind of father I want to be. I might die tomorrow, or next week. And what does that mean for raising a cub, huh?"

He paused, shaking his head slowly, almost as if he was speaking to himself more than to MK.

"How do I teach a cub anything, when I don’t even know if I’ll be there long enough to see them age? Or worse, what if I’m not even the one they need? Raising a cub takes more than just a few life lessons and a warm nest. They need safety and guidance. They need someone who won’t abandon them or leave them behind when things get hard. And I don’t know if I’m that someone anymore, you've seen what I've done, all I do is run away.”

"I always dreamed of teaching someone, of giving them the things I wished for as a cub, but... Who would I be to do that now? It feels selfish, like I’d be setting them up for failure. Maybe I’m not meant to be a father, MK. Maybe... That’s something I’m just not cut out for anymore."

Macaque’s voice was strained with a tinge of sadness behind it, like he was trying to convince himself of something he didn’t fully believe.

“There's no point trying to bring a little one of my own into this world, knowing that I might not even be able to raise them right. It’s all a cruel joke. I don't want to leave behind more issues, and I especially don't want to be the thing they have to recover from."

The moonlight cast shadows across Macaque’s face as he sat. He wasn’t looking for pity, and he certainly didn’t expect MK to have an answer. But it was clear that, deep down, he was wrestling with the idea of his own mortality and what it meant for the future he once dreamed of. MK understood what Macaque was so afraid of. He died once, and he's afraid of leaving a cub without his guidance. He's also questioning if he's good enough to even try. Finally, MK spoke his own thoughts.

“You don’t have to do it alone.”

Macaque looked at him, his brow furrowing slightly, as if he hadn’t expected that response.

“It doesn’t have to be just about you,” MK continued, “There are people who care about you, and they'll help you. You’ve got a whole community behind you, and I can guarantee you're not as alone in this as you think. What, do you think humans go about life like they will die tomorrow? No, they have hope. The way I see it, everyone deserves a chance at happiness.”

Macaque stared at him with a blank expression, but his ears moved, a tell Wukong once taught MK that Macaque was listening intently. 

“You’ve already done a lot of those things you've mentioned… For me.” MK went on, leaning forward. “You’ve taught me so much, like fighting, fur grooming, nest building, tree jumping, how to be more aware of my surroundings, and that's just a few examples. And you’ve looked out for me, even when I didn’t realize it. You’ve been like a mentor to me, even if you don't think you are, I know I consider you one.”

“Yeah, and I also tried to kill you.” Macaque let out a short, dry laugh, followed by a bitter growl. “More than once, I've hurt your friends, and I’ve likely done the most injustice to you out of anyone else.”

“And you’ve done more good than bad at this point.” When MK rebutted, Macaque’s ears shot up. “I mean it. Yeah, you messed up, but you changed. You’re still changing, and you're actively putting an effort, so, there! You've got no excuses now.”

Macaque’s mouth opened like he wanted to argue, but nothing came out. 

“Look, I can’t tell you what to do.” MK sighed, settling back against the tree. “I just think… If this is something you really want, you shouldn’t give up on it just because you’re scared.”

Macaque was quiet for a solid minute, lifting his head out from his knees and watching the stars. Finally, he exhaled, slow and heavy.

“I’ll think about it.” He replied.

MK, seizing his chance, scooted close until they touched sides. Macaque didn’t protest, in fact, he let out a slow breath and leaned ever so slightly into the warmth.

Now that he thought about it, he really had started treating MK the way an adult demon monkey would treat a young one, not quite a child, but not fully independent either. In their culture, a cub wasn’t considered fully grown until they could completely fend for themselves, and the fur around their face fully cradled their facial marking. Despite all of MK’s power, all his recent growth, he was still learning, and the fur still growing around his face was proof of that.

And maybe that was okay. MK was learning, too. Learning that he didn’t have to do everything alone, that he could depend on both Macaque and Wukong. Having them as mentors along with his friends gave him different perspectives and different strengths to draw from. Where one faltered, the others filled in the gaps, and MK would do the same for them. Maybe that was what Macaque needed as well… A family.

“So…” MK frowned, tilting his head to lean on Macaque’s shoulder. “Did Monkey king come to talk to you?”

“Yeah. You caught that, huh?” Macaque let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. “We had a little argument, don’t worry, it wasn’t bad. Actually, it was needed.”

“About what?”

“Turns out, Wukong suddenly remembered that I always wanted a cub and put two and two together.”

“…And?”

“And we talked about it. That’s all you need to know for now, ask him about it, I'm too tired.”

MK knew better than to keep pestering him. Instead, he settled for nudging Macaque lightly. 

“Well, that's good. I guess that means he’s still looking out for you, huh?”

As if on cue, the sound of whistling wind signaled Wukong’s arrival before he even spoke. 

“There you are, bud! I've been looking all over for both of you!”

“He found me first.” Macaque barely glanced over. “You're getting slower, you mangey ape.”

“C’mon, you two.” Wukong narrowed his eyes at the comment, but didn't say anything about it. “Time to head back before it gets colder.”

“Go with him, MK, you need sleep.” Macaque stretched and stood up, bringing MK up with him. “I just want a little more time alone now that the stars are out.”

“Alright, but don’t stay out too late.” MK stepped forward, and to Macaque’s surprise, wrapped him in a quick side hug. Macaque stiffened slightly but didn’t pull away before MK let go. Without a word, Macaque jumped up into the peach tree. The pink blossoms fluttered down to the ground from the branches he shook.

MK hopped onto Wukong’s cloud, and they took off into the night sky. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the wind whipping through MK’s fur as the mountain passed beneath them.

“So…” Wukong whistled. “What’d you two talk about?”

“Stuff.”

“Oh, stuff.” Wukong raised a brow with a snicker. “That’s really specific.”

"...I know a little about what happened." He admitted, tilting his head and watching Wukong out of the corner of his eye.

“I'm not surprised he told you.”Wukong sighed, running a hand through his curls. "Macaque always was more talkative with you. We had a little discussion. I never thought about it before, y'know?"

"Thought about what?" MK asked.

"About how much he wanted that kind of life. A family with cub of his own. I never noticed back then, and I should have. He mentioned it ages ago, before he… Well, before he died." 

MK nodded, recalling the way Macaque had frozen up when the cub latched onto him, how he’d gone quiet, how he’d looked both drawn to and afraid of the tiny new life in the village.

"I brought it up, and, well, he got mad, claiming that it didn’t matter anymore, and he was never meant for that. He said that it was a stupid dream to begin with."

"And I told him it's not true!" MK exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know that, but convincing him isn’t easy." Wukong sighed. "He’s got it in his head that he’d just screw it up. That he’s done too much bad to ever deserve something like that."

“That's what I got from our own conversation.” MK frowned. "It's not fair."

"Life’s not fair, bud, especially not for magic monkeys like us." Wukong glanced at MK with a lopsided grin. "But you already knew that, huh?"

“Ugh, for sure.” MK didn’t answer right away, staring at the waterfall that cascaded over the cave entrance.

The curtain opened as they neared, continuing their flight down the winding caverns. As they landed softly in front of the hut, Wukong exhaled, staying behind as MK started walking forward. 

"Macaque, he…" Wukong said, making MK stop walking. "He partially blames me for ruining his chances. Both by challenging Heaven… And then, y'know, dying later on." 

"He actually said that?"

"Not outright, but I know how he thinks." Wukong lowered his head, closing his eyes. “I dragged my Warrior, my Moon, into such useless battles in my quest for immortality and power, and he only followed me because he didn't want me to fulfill my dreams without him… He put aside his own ambitions for mine. And then, when he needed me most… I-"

Wukong suddenly went silent as his golden eyes were locked onto his claws like they held the answer to a question MK didn’t even know how to ask.

"That’s… That’s not on you." He finally said, his voice softer. "You couldn’t have known things would turn out that way."

"Yeah? Try telling that to him.” Wukong let out a breath that was almost a laugh, but it lacked any humor. He flexed his fingers before dropping his hand, shaking his head. "He gave up everything for me, and what did he get in return?"

"He has you now."

Wukong paused. His head snapped up, and his expression changed just about every second. 

"You’re here now, you’re both here now despite everything. You can still be in each other’s lives again, right?"

And… Wukong smiled, and MK was rewarded with a real chuckle out of the King. He reached out and ruffled MK’s fur, his usual cheeky grin creeping back onto his face. 

"Go to bed, MK, you’re getting too wise for your own good."

MK screeched as he swatted his hand away, giggling. Wukong waited until MK had stepped inside before turning his gaze towards the holes in the cavern ceiling, peering at the stars, which he knew Macaque was also watching.

"He has me now, huh…?" He cooed to himself.

Then he turned and followed MK inside, where his kid was already cooking noodles with ingredients he brought from home. What did he ever do to deserve someone like MK? Yup, that's it, MK's the most perfect person in the whole universe, and there's absolutely NO way he could get any more so.

When wukong finally stepped inside, The smell of sizzling garlic and simmering broth filled the room as MK stirred the pot with a swaying tail. Oh, he's already gotten started. And, in a few minutes, he dished out two steaming bowls and handed one over with a grin.

“Not bad for a rushed meal, right?” He chirped, already slurping up a mouthful.

They ate in companionable silence, broken only by the soft clinks of chopsticks and MK’s occasional purr. It was simple, do estimate the moment, and exactly what both of them needed tonight. When Wukong looked up, MK looked peaceful, and something about that made his mentor’s chest ache in a way he didn’t quite understand.

Once the dishes were cleaned and the quiet settled in again, MK stretched with a yawn. 

“I think I’m gonna head out. I've been getting really tired at night lately… Probably just need more sleep.”

“Okay, bud, g'night.” Wukong ruffled MK's fur before the younger monkey made his way out Shuilian Cave. 

After a brief flight across the ocean, he dove down through the skyscrapers and zipped through towers until he recognized the neon pink sign that hangs over the doors to his home. The lights under his room were still on, and he arrived right as the shop’s shutters were being drawn closed for the evening. The sky had turned a deep indigo, stars just starting to peek through the twilight haze as MK drifted down on his balcony. He reached his window just as the streetlights flickered on, landing softly and pushing it open before crawling inside.

When he heard a soft ring of a bell, he knew Pigsy left and he was now alone. He slipped out of his clothes and into the shower for a quick rinse. After brushing his teeth, he padded across the room, making sure his beloved red bandanna was tied securely. Exhaustion settled on his shoulders, heavier than usual. After another routine night, a long day…

Actually…

Why did his fur prickle like something was off? 

Why did he suddenly feel… Uneasy?

Was he about to get another weird surge like last night?

He was about to get his answer.

Without warning, a sudden, searing jolt of pain ignited within his core. 

This was nothing like last night.

He doubled over with a shriek, clutching his chest as a searing pulse of energy erupted from deep within him. His limbs seized, causing him to stagger briefly with an alarmed, frightened cry. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, gasping as his vision blurred, choking on nothing. Worse, The base of his tail ignited with agony, white-hot and worse than anything he’d ever felt before. It throbbed violently, with each pulse sending another wave of power rippling up his spine. He couldn’t think, it hurt so much, he couldn’t bring himself to breathe. The air refused to fill his lungs, no matter how desperately he tried.

He reached for comfort, somehow clawing his way into the confines of his nest, collapsing in the center. Just when he thought he might suffocate under the pressure, a blinding burst of golden light engulfed the room, so bright MK had to close his eyes, and even then, he couldn't fully block it out. And then, there was nothing but darkness.

MK’s body slumped limply onto the bed, unconscious before his head even hit the pillow.

Chapter Text

Sunlight streamed through the window, painting golden streaks across MK’s room. A few rays landed directly on his face, making him groan and bury himself deeper into the cozy blankets. He didn't want to get up, he at least deserved some sleep after whatever the hell happened last night, but something was strange, too much to ignore. His body ached, and not from the usual kind of post-training soreness. 

Slowly, MK peeled his face away from the pillow, blinking against the sunlight. His room looked normal. Nothing was on fire, the walls weren’t cracked, and his nightstand still had his bandanna neatly tied around it. He sat up, moving sluggishly, and immediately winced and flopped back down. His chest still throbbed faintly, and the base of his tail exhumed a dull, twitchy ache like it had been sprained. He didn't really care enough to investigate. The weekend was calling, and more importantly, so were his exciting plans for the day. He was supposed to meet Mei and Red Son at their hideout in the forest that bordered the city and the desert, and the excitement kept him from falling back asleep. He tried anyway since it was still ridiculously early.

Alas, with a heavy sigh, he yawned and rolled over, only to nearly fall off the bed. He flailed, catching himself at the last second before blinking groggily at the floor below, half hanging off the mattress.

“Alright, I’m uuuuupppppp…” He complained to the universe, rubbing his face as he sat up properly. He touched the base of his tail, only to realize there was nothing there. Before he could freak out, he realized that he was in his human form. Hmm, maybe that'll have something to do with last night, he wasn't human last night. Whatever, time to get ready.

He started his morning routine without much thought, ignoring the ache. The more he moved, the more it faded. He stretched before going to the bathroom to brush his teeth. The cold water splashed on his face woke him up properly. After brushing his hair, he grinned and winked at the handsome devil looking back at him.

"Lookin’ good, MK."

He turned away, throwing on his iconic yellow jacket before a thought struck him. Why not start the day in style? He wasn't going out in public today, so he could monkey around with his friends! In a flash of gold, dark fur grew over his skin. His vision and hearing sharpened and tail shot out behind him as he shifted fully into his monkey form. It felt natural, and he was finally more at ease using this form, and was starting to like it more and more. He grinned, stretching out again. The ache was completely gone now. Finally, some good news!

And then, his tail hit something. MK frowned, glancing over his shoulder. He must have knocked something off his desk, likely a sketchbook. Eh, whatever, he had stuff to do.

He took a single step forward, only to stumble. His arms shot out to stop himself and his fur prickled.

"What the-" He steadied himself with a yelp. That was weird.

Shaking it off, he walked toward his desk, but his elbow smacked into a cup full of pens, sending them scattering across the wooden floor planks. MK groaned, crouching to pick them up. He couldn't leave these here,he might step on them later.

"Geez, I’m clumsy today."

As he crouched down and reached out, his balance wobbled again. His tail lashed instinctively to counterbalance, except, weirdly, he overdid it and nearly fell over. MK caught himself on the chair before collapsing on the floor. That was weird, he thought he mastered his balance in this form, It's even better than his human form! Maybe even wasn't as awake as he thought?

He grabbed the last of the pens and tossed them back into the cup. He stood back up, took a step back, and- WHACK! Something knocked into his chair, sending it flying into the wall with a loud thud.

“Who- What-” MK jumped, whipping around in a fighting stance. Nobody else was here. He continued on his way, but walking felt awkward, like his weight wasn’t shifting right. His tail flicked again, knocking over a stack of books.

“Okay, what is going on?” He spun around, looking for the culprit. Was something following him, disappearing whenever he looked? With an aggravated huff, he turned back to his bed to snag his red bandana. By the time he got it on properly, he had already forgotten about the weirdness from earlier… Until he tried walking again. Every few steps, his weight tipped too far one way or the other, and he had to constantly throw out his arms to keep himself steady. His stride felt tipsy, like he was walking on a boat in a storm. 

His tail knocked something else over. He snapped his head, finally catching a glimpse of movement behind him. It was a blur of fur that definitely wasn't his tail, it couldn't reach that far to the side. What was that? He spun in a full circle, trying to get a better look, only for the blur to move with him.

“Hey! I see you!” He twirled again, and the blur followed him.

He spun faster, determined to see this thing properly, except now he was just spinning in circles in his room like an idiot. Once he twisted around a bit too fast, he tripped over himself. With a very undignified monkey screech, MK crashed face-first onto the floor. For a moment, he laid there. His breath came out in short, annoyed huffs. His arms splayed out as he rested on his stomach, his tail was lashing.

Hey, hold up just a second. There were two long shadows on the floor, moving above his head on either side of his tail. There was also a strange weight tugging at his lower back, like something new was… Connected to his spine. He straightened up, flexing his tail absentmindedly, only for his heart to skip a beat. There was way too much movement back there.

Slowly, hesitantly, MK lifted his head and turned to look at his backside.

One tail.

No, two tails? 

Wait- 

THREE!

MK blinked and shook his head. He shook his head around, expecting the extra tails to disappear like some weird morning haze, but no, they all remained, all three of them, tangled together and fighting each other.

His breath caught in his throat as he jumped to his feet. He spun again, but the extra tails followed him, moving with his body. He whirled faster, but all it did was make him trip over his own feet once more, crashing back onto the floor. MK pushed himself off the floor and leaned against the wall, legs wobbling beneath him. His tails tangled wildly, throwing his balance off again and again, and he had to throw himself down on his bed to catch his breath. 

He had been so careful, spending the past year learning to control his monkey abilities, to master his balance, his instincts, his senses, heck, even a new language, everything! And now, he felt like he was starting over. When his heartbeat sped up, he realized that he needed to calm down. In for seven, hold for seven, out for seven, just like Macaque taught him a while back. Deep breaths. He needed to think. Maybe he just needed to move, running and climbing things always helped him relax. He could run across the rooftops like he always did, he planned to go to the forest like that anyway, what's the harm in going early?

MK grabbed his phone and stumbled toward the window, he couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness that accompanied every step. He practically threw himself at the fire escape, scrambling up onto the ledge of the rooftop. His foot slipped, his tails responded by fanning out and he barely caught himself from falling.

“Come on-” He hissed under his breath with clenched fangs. He had three tails, and somehow, he was worse at balancing? 

Shoving the thought away, MK forced himself forward, clambering up the fire escape with his claws gripping the metal rungs with more urgency than usual. Every time he tried to correct his balance, something else moved the wrong way. The middle tail was somewhat responsive most of the time, but the other two were chaotic and ridiculously uncooperative. One lagged behind while the other jerked too hard in the opposite direction.

By the time he reached the rooftop, he was already tired. Even so, MK crouched low on all fours, hands pressed to the concrete, forcing himself to focus. He took a deep breath before taking off. His feet and hands hit the rooftop in a steady rhythm, rocketing forward with the wind rushing past his face. This was good, this was what he needed. But even on all fours, it was a chore to keep steady. He couldn't control the tails properly. They either acted independently, they all responded to his commands, but each in a different way. The middle tail was in the correct place as the original and was the most faithful of the bunch, but even so, he struggled to move it the way he wanted.

His tails tangled right as he leaped between two buildings. MK yelped as his body became lopsided mid-air, losing his composure. He barely managed to tuck into a recovery roll, saving himself from a crash before skidding to a stop. He collapsed on his side and just laid there, groaning. His tails lashed in protest, still moving out of sync.

“Uggggh- I hate this.” MK buried his face in his hands. 

MK let out a frustrated breath, giving up on the rooftops. This wasn’t going to work. If he couldn’t even walk without tripping over himself, what was the point? instead, he whistled, and his nimbus cloud zoomed toward him in an instant. He clambered on awkwardly, flopping onto his stomach with a growl.

As the cloud soared toward the forest, MK forced himself to focus. He was not going to let this freak him out, he's definitely learned from his many, many mistakes. That’s why he stayed in his monkey form, refusing to shift back. If he stayed like this long enough, maybe his body would figure it out on its own, and there would be no need to worry.

The nimbus carried him to the treetops, and MK spotted their hideout nestled in the branches ahead. Finally, He leapt off the cloud, landing near the base of the treehouse. Or, he tried to land. His tails swung the wrong way, to nobody's surprise. He wobbled, nearly tumbling backward off the ladder. He threw his hands forward, barely catching the ladder before he face-planted into the moist dirt. MK hissed under his breath, chattering his annoyance as he climbed, still refusing to change back into a human. If he couldn’t even climb a tree in this form, he didn't deserve to be a monkey, extra tails or not.

After what felt like forever, he reached the entrance, still grumbling. He shook stray leaves out his fur before shoving open the trapdoor-

And immediately froze. Mei and Red Son sat inside, both looking up from their conversation. MK blinked, and they blinked back. They weren't supposed to be here until later!.

“Couldn't sleep too, huh, Monkie Man?” Mei giggled, waving her hand. 

MK stared at her. Then at Red Son, who was already eyeing him suspiciously. He had not planned for this. Without a word, he tried to shrink back, tucking his tails close to his body as he started to defend back down the latter. Maybe if he left really fast-

A hand clamped onto the back of his hoodie. Or at least, it tried to. Red Son’s grip slipped, and instead of grabbing fabric, his fingers latched onto the scruff of MK’s neck, making him go limp. Red Son, to his credit, also paused, looking slightly baffled at the handful of skin he had just grabbed. Since when did the Noodle Boy have a scruff? He lifted MK a little experimentally until his body was halfway above the floor.

“Woah!” Mei’s eyes widened. “Wait, that works? You can just pick him up like that? Heheh, Red Boy, I think we just got new blackmail material!”

“AH! No- Put me down!” MK yelped as his face flushed. “I can't move!”

Red Son, with an expression that was far too smug, gave a slow, considering nod. 

“Fascinating. I had my suspicions that you weren’t a normal monkey, but this?” He gave MK a gentle shake, making his whole body shudder with embarrassment. “This confirms it.”

“I will bite you!” MK, still unable to move his limbs, lifted his lips instead, flashing his teeth.

“Oh, please, as if you could.” Red Son carried MK inside, bringing up to eye level in a silent challenge. 

“I can still scream really loudly.”

“...Wait, Don't you dare.”

While they began to bicker, Red Son lifted MK further up into their hideout, and that’s when Mei shrieked and jumped to her feet, pointing.

“MK, YOUR TAIL!”

MK stiffened. Mei's eyes were locked onto his backside. His attempt at hiding them had failed spectacularly. All three tails were on full display, flicking and twitching in separate directions. The jig was up.

“…Okay.” MK said, still dangling from Red Son’s grip. “So, funny story-”

Wordlessly, Red Son stomped over the couch before dropping MK with a strange scowl across his lips. The monkey grumbled, pushing himself up while his tails twitched unhelpfully behind him. Stupid things. He had spent ages getting used to just one tail, and now he had two extras like some kind of cosmic joke. Apparently, he brings chaos onto himself as well.

“So, is it a new magic monkey power?” Mei guessed, leaning into him and gently snatching one of the new tails.

“Monkeys don't magically grow more tails.” MK grumbled with a pout.

“Neither do monkeys purr when they’re comfy, or see in the dark… Although the night vision seems to be a you thing and not a demon monkey thing.” Red Son added, looming over the pair with crossed arms. “What's the harm of adding a few more freak abilities?”

“I don’t know why this is happening, okay? I woke up this morning with extra tails! I can’t climb right, I keep knocking stuff over, and I’m pretty sure I forgot how to walk properly.” He cried, gripping his fur. “It sucks!”

“So, what’s the plan? Are you gonna go see the other mystic monkeys about it?” Mei snuggled up to him and passed her finger through his soft fur, knowing that doing so tended to calm MK down when he's stressed. 

“I'm going later today. But, uhh…” He leaned closer to Mei. “I kinda wanted some alone time first before I got bombarded with whatever weird nonsensical explanations they're gonna throw at me.”

“A foolish choice.” Red Son scoffed. “You are clearly struggling, and yet you avoid seeking the most logical source of answers?”

“I swear I'm gonna see them!” MK complained. “Just… Later. I wanna try and figure this out on my own first.”

“Well, as long as you promise to do it later… How about some video games?” Mei giggled. “C’mon, let’s boot up something fun!”

“Oh, wonderful, yes, let’s waste more time and completely avoid the problem.” Red Son groaned even though he sat on a bean bag chair, grabbing a controller.

“It'll be fine!” Mei said, already grabbing her own controllers for herself and the money besides her. “MK needs a break before his existential crisis turns into an existential meltdown.”

“I’m in!” MK sat up, already feeling better. He scrambled upright and almost fell over again. “What’re we playing?”

“Welllll…” Mei grinned, holding up the game case. “Three stock, stage hazards on, randomized characters, items wnabled, and insane power-ups. Pure chaos.” 

“Oh, heck yeah, I love the game!” MK gasped. 

Red Son muttered something about having enough chaos, but still grabbed the third controller.

The game began. At first, MK was having the time of his life, smacking Mei’s character off the platform and dodging Red Son’s intense combos... Until his tails decided to act up. The middle one had been fine for the most part, but the other two were absolute menaces. One of them knocked his controller clean out of the fire demon's hands mid-battle fight at an important moment and lost the game because of it. A new scorch mark appeared on the fire-proof ceiling that day.

Another time, when Mei and Red Son were against him and they both went in for a combo attack, one of his tails wrapped around Mei’s controller wire and yanked it straight out of the console.

“MK-”

“I didn't do that on purpose!” MK laughed, relishing in the victory that soon followed.

But it wasn't all silly, harmless incidents. MK screeched in surprise as one of his tails suddenly flung his own controller across the room. It whacked against the wall, bounced off a bookshelf, and landed straight into a bowl of popcorn and smashed the glass bowl to pieces. Mei and Red Son turned to look at him.

“I swear to the celestial realm above, I have NO control over them!” MK said, gripping all three of the tails in one fist to stop them from causing more harm.

“No kidding.” Red Son grumbled, adjusting his glasses.

“Okay, MK, I love you, but this is getting ridiculous.” Mei tsked, fishing the controller out of the popcorn. 

“They’re the ones acting out, scold them!” He complained, only for one of his tails to slip out from his grasp and smack Mei’s drink off the table. It landed with a crash and sticky soda puddled across the floor… And across Red Son's coat.

“I’ll clean-” MK panicked, but it was too late.

“THAT. IS. IT!” Red Son snapped as his hair flared.

With a brief burst of flames, he launched himself at MK, grabbing at his hoodie. But somehow, like another cruel joke from the universe, he missed and grabbed MK’s scruff by accident for the second time within the same hour.

“I grabbed it again?” Red Son blinked down at his hand. “Seriously, Noodle Boy, why do you have a-”

“I DON’T KNOW!” MK shrieked, his body once again unable to move… But his tails were unaffected. One tail whacked into Red Son’s face, knocking his glasses off, then proceeded to yank a blanket over Mei. The second thought it would be funny to snap the fire demon's hair tie, and the third hit the TV remote, cranking the volume all the way up.

Red Son flinched at the loud game music and promptly dropped MK on the floor. All three of them had highly sensitive ears, so when Mei slammed her game controller down and made a mad dash for the remote to mute it, the trio were all relieved by the silence. She turned to MK with a sigh.

“Okay, nope, you’re going to see your mentors right the heck now.”

“NO!” MK flailed with a squeak. “I can fix this!”

“MK.” Mei grabbed his shoulders. “We just watched you fight for your life against your own limbs. You clearly cannot fix this.”

“For once, she's correct.” Red Son, still rubbing the spot where he got smacked in the face, glared at MK from behind a clump of long red hair while simultaneously reaching for his glasses. “You are pathetically incompetent at handling this.”

“That’s a tad harsh, don'tcha think?” MK whined.

“You think so?” Mei grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the treehouse's trapdoor. “Well, so is getting smacked in the face by your rogue monkey tails every two minutes!”

“Guys, come on!” MK continued to struggle, his legs kicking uselessly to try and stop her from pushing him. “I just need a little extra time! Just one more-”

One of his tails whipped out again, snagging the TV cord and yanking it straight out of the socket. The TV screen instantly turned off. Mei and Red Son turned, once again, to look at him in silence.

“…Okay, maybe I need help.” MK admitted.

“Finally!” Mei lifted him up and set him down at the latter with a small side-hug before pointing at the sky. “Go on, git outta here!”

He really just got kicked out of the treehouse by his own friends. With a disgruntled sigh, MK flopped onto his nimbus cloud, his three tails waving around, like they too were upset. 

“This is gonna be so embarrassing…” He muttered before speeding off to Flower Fruit Mountain.

MK soared over the open ocean with the wind rushing past his face as his trusty cloud carried him toward Flower Fruit Mountain. Below, the water shimmered in the morning light, waves crashing against jagged volcanic rock formations that formed a fiery ring around the island. MK barely paid attention to the view. He was too busy grumbling about his three ridiculous tails, which continued to act like they had minds of their own. At one point, a sudden gust of wind made him wobble, and one tail slapped him in the face.

"Ouch!" He groaned, rubbing his cheek before swatting the tail away when it came back for seconds. “Behave back there!”

Finally, the island came into view, its dense jungle stretching up the mountainside. A shimmer of magic prickles at his skin as he passes the invisible barrier that protected the mountain from enemies. It was put up only recently that a village was established. 

MK aimed straight for the familiar waterfall cave entrance, eager to find his mentors and demand an explanation for whatever was happening to his monkey form. But when he landed, stumbling a little when his balance betrayed him again, he quickly realized nobody was here. MK stood at the entrance of Wukong's hut, blinking. He peeked inside the windows. No one was waiting to greet him, he just heard the faint echo of dripping water and the distant songs of tropical creatures. Oh, wait, it's the monkeys troop’s breakfast time! Monkey King should be with them! It made sense, the wild monkeys always ate together at sunrise, and Wukong liked to personally hand out food… Which meant MK just flew all the way here for nothing.

"Great." He chirped with a growl, ready to leave. "Guess I’ll just-"

When he turned around, his shadow was waving at him. Slowly, hesitantly, MK raised a hand, but his shadow did not copy him. Instead, it reached forward and grabbed his wrist. Then, with a ripple like ink spreading across paper, Macaque rose up from the darkness and replaced the shadow, grinning mischievously.

"Hey there, kid." He yawned, japping a claw at MK’s very obvious extra tails. "What's up with that?"

“Oh, uhh- Good morning to you, too?” MK still had 

"You were about to leave without saying hi. I just made sure you didn’t miss me." His eyes flicked back to MK’s tails, a wicked, sharp-toothed smile forming. “When were you planning on telling me you grew extras?"

"Wait, what are you even doing here?" MK inquired, tilting his head.

"I always sleep late, kid.” Macaque's amber eyes glanced upwards. “Last night was rainy, so I stayed in the peach tree overlooking Wukong’s hut."

"Wait… Really?" MK said, then, after a pause, he realized something. "Hold on, you build nests, really good ones! They're warm and waterproof! Why would you need to sleep in the cave?"

Macaque’s ears fluttered. He was quiet for a second, then quickly turned his attention back to MK’s issue.

"You know what? I think we’re getting distracted here." He said smoothly, stepping closer. "The real question is, how long have you been hiding these?"

"I didn’t know they were there!" He cried, and one of the tails wrapped around Macaque’s wrist. "And they won’t listen to me!"

"Wow.” Macaque barely held back a laugh. “That's new.”

"Nothing about this is funny!" MK huffed, tugging his tail back, but it still held on stubbornly. "I don’t even know how this happened! I woke up, changed into my monkey form, and bam! Three tails! I didn’t do anything weird, I didn’t eat anything cursed this time! At least, I don’t think I did…"

"Huh. Y'know… I might have a theory." Macaque hummed, prying away the tail from his wrist.

“W- Wait-” MK’s stammered. "Really?"

"However-" Macaque said, holding his hand up. "I should fetch fur-for-brains before he gets pissy that I explained it without him. I'll be right back."

When Macaque slipped into the shadows, MK sighed and sat curled up against the cave wall, pinning his tails under his legs. MK stared at the empty space where Macaque had been, still frowning. The sound of the cascading waterfall filled the vast cavern. MK tapped his claws against his knee, getting bored.

A few minutes passed, and they appeared quicker than MK anticipated. The shadow portal appeared nearby, and before he could even react, Macaque reappeared, this time dragging someone with him.

"There he is, Wukong. See? He's totally fine."

"MK!"

Wukong barely had time to get his footing before he was on MK, ruffling his fur, gripping his shoulders, practically clambering all over him like a worried parent checking for injuries. 

"Are you okay? Do you feel weird? Dizzy? Why didn’t you say something sooner? Bud, you gotta tell me when-”

“Monkey King!” MK cried, squirming away. “I just found out about this about three hours ago!"

Wukong pulled back slightly, golden eyes scanning MK up and down before narrowing at the extra tails pinned under his legs. 

"Aww, there's nothing to be scared of!" The king cooed, trying to hide a small chuckle. "Sooooo… I guess it’s time for ‘The Talk.’"

“The… WHAT?” MK immediately jumped to his feet and was backing away to the cave entrance. "Nope! Never mind, I don’t wanna know! I’ll just live in ignorance forever, thanks but I'll just leave now."

"Too late!" Wukong sang, tossing an arm around MK’s shoulders before he could bolt. "You’re gonna to hear about it whether you like it or not!"

“What a fun day this is turning out to be.” Macaque snickered, leaning against the cave wall, blocking MK's escape. “This is gonna be fun."

"Alright, listen up, bud. When demons get older, during their youngest adulthood years, they always manifest some new features.” Wukong began, doing his best to cover the amused smirk on his face and failing fantastically. “It could be longer fangs, extra limbs, maybe a fancy new power. A real mixed bag, honestly. But it’s always something that wasn’t inherited from their parents."

"Okay, but… I don’t have biological parents."

"True," Wukong said, "But just like me, you were still made with average monkey features in mind! For example, I didn't always have curly fur, these babies came in when I got older!"

"What kind of crazy biology nonsense-" MK muttered, sounding a bit too much like a certain fire demon. "Okay, sure, whatever, but why did it happen overnight? Shouldn’t it have, I dunno, grown in slowly?"

“About that…” Macaque cleared his throat. "Usually, these appear gradually, but yours just showed up, by the sound of it. So, I have a theory. MK, have you had any mishaps with your powers lately?”

“Mishaps?” MK whined, not enjoying this conversation. "Like what?"

"Y’know, unexplainable power fluctuations, bursts of energy, strange sensations…"

"Well…” MK mumbled as his mind flicked back to last night. "Now that you mention it…"

Wukong and Macaque glanced at each other excitedly before they both leaned in, intrigued. Why were they suddenly acting like two excited parents?

"I was just trying to sleep, completely minding my own business! Then- BAM! out of nowhere, I felt this huge surge of power, and it scared me really badly, I thought I was about to explode!”

"And after that?" Wukong laughed, but Macaque was… Purring?

"I crashed out!" MK reenacted everything, pretending to faint. "Right after I panicked, I blinked and was gone. One second I thought I was going insane, then the next, I was dead asleep."

“Ah-hah!” Macaque snapped his fingers. "There it is, that’s what happened!"

“You figured it out?”

“Sure did.” Macaque confirmed with a chuff of laughter. "Kid, your body just went through a major change. That power surge was pretty much your magic and body disagreeing when you should get your new traits. I would know, it happened to me, too."

“You're joking, right?”

“Nope, I can confirm he's not joking!” Wukong chirped. "It's rare, but sometimes young demons experience random magical surges that force a transformation. Normally, they grow gradually over time. A surge is usually harmless, just exhausting and disorienting.”

“What he said.” Macaque huffed. “I'll tell you a quick story. I was born with six ears, but one day, I got knocked flat by my own magic. Next thing I knew, I woke up with my hearing immensely stronger than before. Suddenly, I could hear everything. Not just in the present, but the past and future, too."

“Wait, I didn't know that!” Wukong snapped his head to the dark monkey. "I always thought you were just naturally annoying and overpowered from the beginning of your existence."

"Hold on, this is, like, a normal thing? That's crazy!" MK exclaimed.

"For demons? Yes, it is.” Macaque nodded. “We call them adult traits, you're at least guaranteed two. You can sometimes inherit your parent's adult traits at birth, which is why you sometimes find demons that look unique, like seeing one with multiple animal features. Anyways, good luck learning to walk again, three tails sounds really fun.”

“Oh, come ON!” MK groaned, stomping his feet. "I can't believe I didn't know about this!”

“Hmmmmm…” Macaque studied MK’s tails. "Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure this was hinted at before."

“It was?” MK and Wukong asked at the same time.

"MK, remember your war form in the fight with Azure? You had three tails back then, too."

"Is that right?" MK's fur on the back of his neck prickled. He wasn't exactly focused on how it looked at that moment.

“I remember now, I thought it was strange!” Wukong snorted, covering his muzzle. “It makes sense now, our war forms are a reflection of our true selves.”

“So you're saying this was a long time coming?” MK glanced back at the dancing appendages behind him.

“I guess so!” Wukong purred. “Any more questions?”

“No, I don't think…” MK’s eyes widened, and he straightened his posture a little, leaning forward. "Wait, wait, wait, hold on a second. You mentioned that more than one trait can appear… Right? PLEASE tell me I misheard that."

There was a pause, and both his mentors were dead silent for a long time before Wukong broke out in a fit of wheezes and hearty cackles.

"That’s the fun part of growing up, your body just decides to give you more than you bargained for!" Wukong screeched with laughter as MK's jaw dropped. "Like Macaque said earlier, you're guaranteed two, but sometimes it's more. Both Macaque and I had many more than two traits!"

MK’s face fell even more as the conversation went quiet again.

"TWO?” He screamed. His fur fluffed up as he started to panic. “So I could, what, I could grow even more tails? Or, like, extra arms or eyes? What if I grow horns or wings or something?"

"Relax, kid!” Macaque lifted hand to his head, though it was more out of amusement than frustration. “The traits usually stay in line and match the species of demon you are.

“Usually? So it still might happen that I get something crazy, huh?” MK cried.

“...An extremely small chance.” Macaque murmured out the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, don’t sweat it, alright? You’re not the only one who’s been through this." Wukong patted MK's shoulder with a glint in his eye. "We can share what we've gone through if it makes you feel better. I’ll go first. Did you know I used to have brown eyes?”

"Wait, what? Brown?" He glanced up to meet Wukong's incredible golden eyes. "But those are-"

"Mhmm." Wukong nodded with a hum. "I know, you can’t imagine me with anything but these shiny jewels now, right? But when I first broke out my stone, my eyes were brown, as well as my fur. I've never had a sudden change like that you're going through, all mine were gradual. Between you and Macaque, I can't help but feel left out here.”

“Oh.” MK continued to hold eye contact with wonder. "That’s… Actually pretty cool."

"Well, since we’re sharing…" Macaque, seeing that MK was starting to relax, leaned in with a wicked grin. “My hearing was the only spontaneous trait that appeared from a power surge, the rest appeared naturally over time. And, oh boy, did it surprise me.”

"What, now you’re gonna tell me you secretly have even more ears or something?" MK turned to him, a little wary. 

"No, but that would be pretty funny." Macaque just gave a mischievous smirk. "You wanna know something even better? My fur changes."

"Your fur?” MK squinted at the fine strands on the dark monkey's mane. “What about it?”

"I cover it up with glamor these days, but my fur color actually changes based on the seasons." He dropped the glamor on one of his arms, and MK was surprised to see the tiniest stripes of gray at the base of some tufts. "See, in the summer, it’s jet black. Since it's getting later in the year you can see it starting to change."

"Wait, so it’s not always the same?” MK's muzzle nearly touched Macaque’s arm as he observed it closely. “It's still summer, what's with the gray spots?”

"When I was a cub, it was actually white year round. But then as I got older, it started to change. In the spring and autumn, it starts to transition between white and black. During the summer, it's fully black. But now that the air is getting cooler and it’s late summer… See these?" He ruffled his fur showing off a thin layer of dark gray. "These are tiny bits of white starting to grow back. My pelt also grows thicker and longer. Oh, I also shed in the spring, glamor can't stop that from happening, so watch out. I only hide it because I prefer black, it's easier to hide in shadows."

"That’s amazing!" MK couldn't help but look at Macaque from a new perspective. He couldn't imagine him to ever be fully white. Wait, didn't he say it was his natural color?

“Yeah, kid, I’m basically a walking reminder that demons can be full of surprises. Don’t feel so bad about your tails. Everyone’s got their own quirks, yours just happened to be super unique."

MK took all of this in, now feeling a little better about the whole situation. He couldn’t quite grasp everything just yet, but it was reassuring to know he wasn’t alone.

"See? Nothing to worry about!” Wukong smiled, ruffling MK's fur. “You’ll get the hang of your new tails, and if you get any more surprises, we’ll be here. Just don’t grow any extra legs, alright?"

"And if you do, don’t forget to warn us the moment it happens so we can teach you how to walk in style." Macaque chuckled, bumping one of MK's new tails with his own.

“I get it, I’ll try to learn to use them.” MK sighed, but a smile tugged at his lips. 

Now that he knew that this oddity wasn't dangerous or something weird with his powers, he couldn't help but feel excited. With three tails, a whole lot of new possibilities opened up before him. He could grasp more things at once, paint multiple pictures, play multiple instruments, use them to confuse his enemies during battle, or he could carry more noodle deliveries at once! 

"That’s the spirit, bud!" Wukong said, slapping MK on the back, making him stumble forward as he desperately tried to balance. "Now, since you're here early, let’s get to training before you trip on your tails and break something."

Ah, right, he needed to learn how to use them, starting with walking. But whatever came ahead, he knew it would be as exciting as always.

Chapter Text

A week had passed since MK’s transformation, and though the initial pain had faded, the adjustment had only just begun.

It was Sunday again, a training day. MK had been climbing up to the mountain every afternoon since the surge with Wukong's help, doing training drills he had first done when first picked up the staff. Mastering the use of his three new tails was harder than he'd imagined. In his human form, walking was no issue. But in his true monkey form, every step was a challenge. His balance was constantly off, his tails moving and swaying in conflicting directions with defiance. The training had helped a lot, but he still had many issues to overcome.

This morning’s training was just him and Macaque. Wukong had rushed off to the nearby monkey village for some kind of urgent troop meeting, leaving Macaque in charge of the session. Those lessons were always scary. For example, MK currently stood barefoot atop a narrow, moss-covered log stretched over a shallow ravine, arms out, three tails twitching erratically behind him as he tried not to fall. He was instructed to walk across and back several times, and was absolutely praying he didn't die today. He didn't need another "ravine incident."

"You're compensating with your shoulders again." Macaque called from the riverbank, watching intently, arms crossed. "Stop trying to counterbalance with your upper body. That’s what the tails are for."

"I know that!" MK wobbled as one of his tails curled too tightly, while the other two unhelpfully flicked to the side. "They’re fighting me!"

"Hmm. Maybe because you’re treating them like separate limbs." Macaque replied, leaping effortlessly onto the other end of the log with a grace MK deeply envied. "Just as I suspected, that dumb golden furball has you using it all at once. You’re not used to having more than one, so don’t try to control all three just yet."

"Oh, wonderful, how helpful." MK stuck out his tongue 

"Try winding them together." Macaque inched closer to MK, careful not to shake the log. "Braid them if you have to. Treat it like one tail until your body adjusts. Trust me, it’s what I did when my hearing first surged. Having too many signals at once can throw you off."

"Wait, you braided your ears?"

"…No, MK." Macaque deadpanned. "I focused on one thing at a time, letting the stimuli blend together until I was good enough to control it. You should do the same. Bind your tails, let them act as one."

"I Guess that's not the worst suggestion ever." MK grumbled under his breath but hopped off the log, landing awkwardly on all fours. "Fine, I'll try, but if I fall off this thing again, I’m dragging you down with me."

"You’re welcome to try." Macaque smirked, already helping him twist the three long tails into braid. 

Once they were snug, MK experimentally wagged them and blinked in surprise. It actually felt like one tail now, much heavier, but easier to command.

"Huh, that’s way less annoying now."

"Good, now get back up there." Macaque said, stepping aside with a sly grin. "And this time, try not to look like a newborn fawn"

MK climbed back up onto the log. His feet gripped the mossy surface with more confidence than before. With his tails wound into one, it felt heavier than a single tail, but it was manageable. He focused on keeping them together, shifting his balance with more control. The extra weight forced him to be precise, but every successful step felt like proof that he was getting the hang of this.

"See?" Macaque's smug grin was contagious. "What’d I tell you?"

"Thanks, that’s really encouraging," MK huffed, but a goofy grin that mirrored his other mentor's tugged at the edge of his lips.

Macaque smirked, and just like clockwork during their solo training sessions when the King wasn't around, the teasing began. He jumped on the opposite end of the log, tearing a small twig off a nearby tree and flung it lightly at MK’s shoulder. 

"Balance is one thing, but now, this is where the real training begins."

"HEY!" MK dodged the second twig, barely keeping upright. "No throwing things!"

"Oh? Says who?" Macaque said, already winding his arm again. The third toss made MK stumble, and the dark monkey only cackled harder.

"Okay, that’s it!" MK lunged, but the log betrayed him. He slipped, yelped, and as he tipped backward, one of his tails must've felt peeved, because it uncoiled from the braid and snagged Macaque’s ankle.

"What the- Wait, no, MK!"

They both went tumbling down into the soft grass below with a thud. MK hit the ground first. And unfortunately for him, Macaque landed squarely on top of him, knocking the air out of his lungs.

"Oof!"

Macaque realized his position and quickly rolled off of the smaller monkey and laid beside him. They were not both on their backs staring up at the sky.

"Worth it-" MK wheezed.

Macaque stared at the cloudless sky, stunned for a second, then broke into quiet laughter, shaking his head.

"You little brat!" Macaque snorted, whacking his tail against MK's side.

"Told you I’d take you down with me." MK laughed too, not even trying to shove him off. 

"You sure did." Macaque nodded with a sigh. "I have six ears, you'd think I'd listen."

For a moment, they stayed there like that. Macaque’s weight pressed lightly into the side, the breeze rustled the trees, while birds sung morning melodies somewhere overhead. MK was still catching his breath, his cheeks were slightly pink from both exertion and laughter, even under his mandarin marking.

"Alright, five-minute break." Macaque yawned with a purr. "Then you’re climbing that log again."

"Aww maaaan!" MK wailed.

"Whiney cub."

They took a break, but before their five minutes were up, a sudden gust of wind shook the trees overhead, and Wukong dropped down from above.

"That was fast." Macaque sat up immediately. 

"There's been a decision." Wukong said, his tone more serious than usual. "I’ve got news, and a favor to ask."

"What’s going on?" MK sat up too, brushing grass from his fur. 

"One of our scouts went missing last week. Jing, Euhang, me, and a few others are heading out to investigate."

"Sounds… Great…" MK said, already uneasy. He hoped the gangs in the area had nothing to do with it. 

"Jing and Euhang needed someone to watch Shenfeng while they’re gone." Wukong continued, turning to MK. "They suggested you."

"Me?" MK squeaked. "They were serious about that? I thought it was a joke!"

"They trust you, and Shenfeng’s taken a real liking to you as well."

"But I’ve got zero experience with kids!" MK three tails were not moving for once, plopped on the ground. "Why not ask someone in the village?"

"Because," Wukong said with a small smile, "they wanted Shenfeng to know who you are. You're one of the mountain’s guardians, just like me and Mr. Grumps over here."

"I dunno, it feels like a lot…"

"You’ll be fine, they are nothing like human kids, demons are born older, which may or may not be easier for you…" Macaque trailed off before standing up and coughing into his fist. "Point is, you won’t be alone. There are people nearby if anything goes wrong, an entire village, in fact."

MK still hesitated, until Macaque stepped a bit closer, grabbing the younger simian’s hand and pulling him up on his feet.

"You’ve got a good heart, I know he’ll feel safe with you."

"Alright." MK exhaled a shaky breath. "I’ll do it."

"Good." Macaque purred. "I’ll be meditating on the tree by the beach. You know the one, if you need me."

He vanished into a portal right as he finished the sentence. Wukong laughed, stepping onto his cloud.

"You’ll be great, bud. Someone’s already keeping an eye on him until you get there."

"Right…" MK gave him a half-hearted, nervous thumbs up.

And then, after hopping on his cloud, Wukong was gone, too. MK glanced around the quiet clearing once more before taking a breath. After one last glare at the log over the ravine, he transformed. After a brief flash of light, fur became feathers, and his three tails became three sets of tailfeathers, which he knew was already going to be a challenge flying. When the light faded, a tall stork stood where he had been.

Without another word, he beat his large wings and took off toward the village on the other side of the mountain. MK arrived quickly and circled down to the jungle floor, landing lightly among the trees before shifting back into his monkey form. He paused only a moment to twine his three tails together like Macaque had taught him. He’d been practicing for a week now, and it was really paying off. There were no more awkward stumbles or wobbles. And now, with the tails bound and balanced, his walk was much smoother. His dark fur helped blend the trio into what looked like a single, thick tail, and even though he tried to be discreet, some villagers caught sight of him. Still, they didn’t react strangely. A few nodded respectfully, others gave him small waves or chirped friendly greetings as he passed by. One even bowed, which made him almost trip out of sheer surprise. But none of them started, none of them noticed the change, and if they did, they chose not to mention it.

Relieved, MK quickly jogged up to the designated hut. He pushed the wooden door open and stepped in. Inside, two monkeys were waiting. One was an older midwife with graysh-black fur, a sharp-eyed and no-nonsense sort who looked like she'd seen a hundred cubs born and wasn’t impressed by anything anymore. He recognized the other.

"Fae?" MK gasped in surprise, smiling.

"Huh?" The light brown monkey turned at the sound of her name. Her green eyes widened in delight when she saw him. "MK!"

He hadn’t seen her since the day they helped her family escape to Sandy’s barge last week. And yet here she was, safe, no longer in thick clothing to hide her features. She wore a pastel pink sundress and smiled brightly. It was genuinely nice to see that she’d made it.

"Hey!" MK stepped further into the hut with a shy wave. "Sorry if I’m a little early."

"Early? MK, this is perfect! I was hoping I’d get to see you again!" Fae bounced over to him with a wagging tail. "You remember me, right?"

"Of course I do!" MK laughed. "It’s good to see you again, Fae."

"I’ve already found my place here. I’m an apprentice midwife now!" She gave the older monkey beside her a playful nudge. "I’m learning everything from Miss Xuma here. Isn’t that cool?"

Xuma snorted gruffly but didn’t deny it. She was holding a small ball of fluff in her arms. It was Shenfeng, just how MK remembered him. The cub’s strawberry-blonde fur caught the morning light as it shone through the windows, and his bright orange eyes peeked out from his caretaker's arms with curiosity. When those eyes locked onto MK, the cub chirped excitedly, reaching out with both tiny hands.

"Hey, little guy!" MK nervously cooed, already holding out his arms.

With a sigh that sounded more fond than annoyed, Xuma carefully handed Shenfeng over. The cub nestled right into MK’s chest, still chirping as he grabbed at MK’s yellow jacket with tiny reddish claws. MK purred as a tiny hand lightly smacked his muzzle before nuzzling into it.

"Hey…" Fae said, squinting at something behind him "Was your tail always that fluffy?"

"Ah, right." MK said, glancing over his shoulder. His tails were still braided.

He moved Shenfeng gently to one arm and reached behind to start unwinding his tails. As they separated, first two, then three, he let them splay slightly to show their independence. Fae gasped at the sight. Even Xuma raised her eyebrows.

"You’ve got three?" Fae gasped in awe, reaching out as if to touch one but holding back. "That’s… That’s incredible!"

"I guess it is." MK rubbed the back of his neck. "It kinda just happened overnight."

"Let me guess- Adult trait?" Xuma asked. When MK nodded, she hummed. "You’ll be a handful, won’t you?"

"Wow, he really likes you!" Fae purred, reaching out and gently tickling Shenfeng’s chin, making the cub squeal with delight. "Looks like Euhang and Jing knew what they were doing."

"I'll leave you to it." Xuma gave MK a firm nod and began packing up a few herbs into a pouch. "Fae, let’s go. I have a requested check-in this morning."

"You’ve got this!" Fae passed MK one last excited grin. "If you need anything, just ask someone!"

"Right." MK nodded, adjusting the cub in his arms. "Thanks. Good luck!"

With that, the two stepped out into the sun, and once the door closed, MK turned his attention back to the little cub now gently tugging on a piece of his white shirt.

"Well," MK said, smiling down at him, "Looks like it’s just you and me, Shenfeng."

The cub squeaked happily, eyes wide and curious as he reached out toward MK’s face. MK leaned down slightly, letting Shenfeng pat his cheeks with his tiny hands, then the little monkey erupted into a delighted little laugh. MK bent down and sat cross-legged on the floor, setting Shenfeng gently down in front of him. To his amazement, the cub stood on all fours despite being so young. His tail stretched as he took a few brave steps, then collapsed into MK’s lap, giggling the whole time.

"Whoa, careful!" MK laughed, catching him. "You’re gonna be running around before long, huh?"

Shenfeng continued to crawl around for a while, before the cub yawned and settled on his lap, nestled against his stomach. MK’s smile softened further than he thought was possible. He stroked a hand gently down Shenfeng’s back. His three tails swayed slowly behind him like they too were content. Maybe he wasn’t so bad with kids after all? MK leaned back slowly, careful not to disturb Shenfeng as the cub softly sighed and curled even closer to his chest, and the little monkey's breath tickled his fur. MK didn’t dare move, he just sat there for a long time, eyes wide in quiet awe at how peaceful it was. 

Suddenly finding himself with nothing to do, he uncoiled his right tail and reached it out toward a shelf nearby. His tail was steady, and when the tip wrapped securely around the spine of a small novel, MK’s face broke into a wide, proud grin.

"Yes!" He whispered triumphantly.

He guided the book gently back into one hand, opening it with a quiet crack. Shenfeng softly snored, still nestled against him, and MK chuckled under his breath. 

"Don’t worry, little guy. I’ll read it to myself."

And he did, quietly flipping the pages with one hand while his tail tucked the others aside, MK read about tales of the old villages on Flower Fruit Mountain, Mount Huaguo, before half of the population was lost in a great fire set by a celestial, Erlang Shen. It was further proof that Shenfeng's existence was a true miracle. 

Hours passed. Sunlight moved slowly across the floor, casting golden shapes through the curtain-drawn window. Shenfeng didn’t stir, napping through it all, with one tiny hand still clutching a fold of his yellow jacket. MK began to hum softly. A lullaby he vaguely remembered hearing from Mr. Tang often in his own youth, and Shenfeng sleepily huffed, stretching his little arms once before going still again.

He glanced toward the door, then the sky through the window. The light had shifted again. Shouldn't Jing and Euhang be back by now? He looked back down at the cub in his lap.

"…I guess I’ve got you a little longer." He purred gently. "That’s okay, I don’t mind."

His three tails rested against the floor, relaxed. They were no longer wound together at the moment. For the first time, they actually behaved. And as the minutes ticked on, MK leaned back just a little, opened another story, and kept reading, but not before taking his phone and snapping a quick selfie. 

Shenfeng started to awake with a tiny stretch, hands kneading softly against MK’s stomach as he blinked open his bright orange eyes. Then, without warning, the cub let out the cutest series of sleepy noises MK had ever heard. Tiny, squeaky chitter-purrs mixed with soft warbles as he yawned wide, little fangs barely peeking out from pink gums. MK froze as heart melted on the spot.

"Oh my gods-" He cooed, as Shenfeng chirped some more and buried his face into MK’s shirt with a whimpery sigh. "...Wow. That was the cutest sound in existence just now."

He’d learned over the past few months that demon monkeys, and really, most animal demons, made noises when they were asleep or waking up. At first it had startled him, especially when he stayed at the mountain and woke up to hear Wukong chattering up a storm, and Macaque muttering sleepily in soft growls and clicks. They even unknowingly replied to each other. MK nearly always woke up before them because of his job, and it was oddly comforting. He even remembered Pigsy snoring , snorting, and huffing while asleep when he was a kid.

The ultimate embarrassment arose the day he found out that he did it, too. It wasn't long after he started using his new form more often. He remembered waking up groggy one morning at Mei’s place, only to hear her trying to stifle a laugh the moment he was awake. He was in his human form, but even so, he made little chittering sounds before he even opened his eyes. He’d been mortified when Mei showed him a video. It got worse when he remembered that Red Son mooed like a cow calf in his sleep. It was absolutely adorable, but MK had only heard it because he woke up earlier than anticipated one morning long ago. Not even Mei knew about it, the fire demon would always wake up long before either of them, and MK knew it was definitely because he didn't want the two menaces to make fun of him. If Red Son ever heard his monkey noises, MK would simply vanish from existence. That's it, it's game over. Their next sleepover would be an interesting one for sure.

He groaned at the thought of it. He wanted more than anything to have a sleepover with both of them again, but he just might have to sacrifice some dignity if he wanted that wish to come true.

"I'm gonna have some fun in the near future, aren't I?" He whispered to Shenfeng, who let out a squeaky warble and began crawling up his chest with renewed energy, reaching for his face. "That wasn’t permission to squeal again, tiny monkey!"

The cub was already wide awake, eyes alert and palms patting MK’s mandarin-colored cheeks like he was checking to see if he was real. MK laughed and nuzzled back gently, raising his tails to give the cub something soft to lean against.

"You’re quick to wake up just like me, huh?" He giggled. "I guess you just needed a nap to recharge!"

Shenfeng responded by grabbing a tuft of MK’s fur and pulling with surprising strength for someone so small.

"Oww! Hey! Not the fur- Ouch! Not that either!"

The cub giggled, a bubbling monkey-laugh that made MK melt all over again.

"Little stinker." MK chuckled, lifting the cub gently and setting him upright in his lap. 

He was supposed to be nervous watching someone’s cub for the first time, but honestly, he was feeling more confident by the second! …Aaannnddd he absolutely jinxed himself by thinking it was going smoothly. One second, MK was proud of being a successful cubsitter, but the next moment, MK could only describe as complete and utter chaos.

Shenfeng, small and innocent-looking just minutes ago, spontaneously exploded to life. The cub launched off MK’s lap with a squeaky trill and scrambled up the shelf so quickly it would make a squirrel envious, knocking over a bowl of herbs, three books, and an unlit candle all at once.

"Shenfeng!" MK scrambled after him, knocking over a cushion. "That’s not a toy, that’s medicine! Probably? I think?"

Shenfeng, meanwhile, chirped triumphantly and dove back down, latching straight onto one MK’s tails as he fell, pulling it down with him before he hit the floor.

GAH!" MK screeched and his fur stood on end from the sudden pain, tears pricking his eyes. "Not the tails! NOT THE TAILS! Gods, WHY are they so sensitive now? Ow, ow, ow!"

Before he could recover, the cub had all three bundled up in his little arms like they were prized plushies, tugging and chewing them with wide-eyed fascination. MK tried to gently pry him off, but Shenfeng squeaked defiantly and bit down harder on the the middle one.

"YIKES!" MK cried, bouncing on one foot in a desperate attempt to not shriek again. "Macaque said you'd be different from a human, he didn't tell me about this!"

He gently tried to shake Shenfeng off, only for the cub to cling harder and begin attacking the two tufts of fur on either side of MK’s face with his feet, grabbing and pulling with the unique, flexible big toe on his feet. Apparently, those two tufts were particularly fascinating to the cub for some reason.

"Wh- why these?" MK sputtered, trying to dodge the poking toes. "They're just cheek tufts! They're not toys! Stop, no- Don’t try to swing from them- AHH!"

It was like babysitting a hurricane with grabby paws and no sense of gravity or respect for physics. Shenfeng flipped upside down while still clinging to one of MK's tails with his own the moment MK decided to stand up. MK half-ran, half-tripped backward, frantically trying to keep his dignity intact. 

"Okay, I am definitely not ready for parenthood, I need reinforcements!"

He yanked open the hut door with his foot singed, his arms and tails were full of baby monkey madness, turned to look at the cub, who was now chewing on his ear like a corn cob. MK nearly hit the ceiling when a shadow portal suddenly appeared on the wall and Macaque stepped through the corner of his eye, completely unannounced.

"AHHHHH-" MK screamed, nearly throwing Shenfeng like a football. "Macaque! You can’t just DO that!"

"Whoa, easy!" Macaque raised both hands with an innocent grin. "You were yelling loud enough to summon the dead... So I figured I should check in."

"Look at him!" MK gestured with wild eyes at the cub latched onto his ear, still gnawing it contentedly, unaware of the new monkey in the room. "He’s been using me as a jungle gym!"

"Sounds like you’re having a great bonding experience." Macaque snorted, half-amused, half-sympathetic. 

"Bonding?" MK squeaked. "He tried to eat all my tails!"

Right then, Shenfeng gave a particularly harsh tug on MK’s ear and prepared for launch, but Macaque was faster. Before the cub could rocket across the hut like a tiny missile, he swooped in and caught him mid-air. Shenfeng chirped and kicked but was already distracted by the new silky fur texture, quickly climbing up Macaque’s shoulders and straight into his mane.

"Well, well." Macaque snickered, smirking as the cub clung to him eagerly. "You’re a slippery one, aren’t you?"

Shenfeng purred happily and playfully flicked one of Macaque’s lower ears.

"You’re a lifesaver." MK sighed in relief, flopping backward into a pile of pillows like he’d just run a marathon. 

"Mhmm, you owe me." 

Just then, Shenfeng leaned to the side and peered back at MK, eyes wide and sparkling. He pointed directly at MK’s bundled tail, then at Macaque’s ears on one side of his head.

"Huh?" MK said, squinting. "Wait, he’s pointing at my tails and your ears?"

Macaque also looked a bit bedazzled by the cub's behavior. But before they could do anything about it, Shenfeng chirped again and pointed again with even more determination.

"Ohhh." Macaque cooked. "Three tails and three ears. You’re so smart, huh?"

The cub giggled, clearly proud of his deduction. MK sat back up, still frazzled, but watching them. Macaque held the cub while Shenfeng chirped with joy, back to exploring the dark monkey’s neck fur.

"You’re good at that." MK said softly.

"At what?" Macaque lifted a brow. "Catching wild cubs or making them stop screaming?"

"Both!" MK whistles. "Also, you didn’t scream when he grabbed your ears, aren't yours much more sensitive than mine? What's your secret?"

"Centuries of pain tolerance."

"Oh."

MK fell down and sat cross-legged on the floor as he watched Macaque with quiet awe. It was like watching a master at work. The moment Shenfeng gave a high-pitched whine, Macaque didn’t even flinch, he just tilted his head and chattered a brief response.

"He’s hungry." Macaque declared without missing a beat.

"Wait, how do you-"

But Macaque was already gone. He strode to the far wall, crouched, and opened a cleverly camouflaged hatch in the floor. A cool draft rose up, was it a fridge? MK hadn’t even noticed it,and definitely didn't know how Macaque knew. From it, Macaque pulled a small, prepared bottle of milk. And placed it in a nearby microwave that wasn't as hidden.

"They have a fridge in here?" MK’s jaw dropped.

"I saw it in the shadows." Macaque shrugged as he tested the milk on his wrist. "Cub gets hungry every few hours, I'm not surprised they have stashed something just in case. Solar powered refrigerator, smart."

MK stared at him as he returned and gently eased the bottle into Shenfeng’s eager little hands. The cub latched on instantly, eyes fluttering as he drank, purring. Macaque sat cross-legged next to MK and held the cub against his chest, occasionally chittering or nuzzling the baby’s fluffy cheek.

"You’re amazing at this." MK blurted.

"Hmm?" Macaque glanced up, mildly surprised.

"You’re, like, a cub whisperer." MK said, hushed. "I thought he was just excited, but he was just hungry, and you figured it out in five seconds."

"Cubs cannot speak yet, but they can still tell you what they want with chirps." Macaque explained. "Unless you've had a cub yourself, you won't instinctively know what it means. I learned everything by watching and listening."

Oh, Macaque knew this stuff, that explains it, he wasn’t just guessing, it was something Macaque had once cared deeply about. So that's how he always knew what to do around the younger wild monkeys, MK recognized similar calls between parent and child. And he also remembered, a week ago, after they’d all first met Shenfeng for the first time, and how Macaque had freezed up and had to leave early. But now, he was relaxed, he looked nothing like he did the last time he was here.

"You told me… You wanted one." MK said out loud, not really meaning to. "A long time ago."

"I did." Macaque nodded slowly, eyes still on the cub in his arms. 

MK leaned forward a bit, his gaze flicking between Macaque and the sleepy cub nestled against his chest.

"So," He began carefully, "have you thought about it more? Since last week, I mean."

Macaque didn’t answer right away. He looked down at Shenfeng, the cub was now fast asleep once more, then let out a long sigh as he looked at MK with a soft, almost wistful expression.

"I have," He said, "And I still want it, more than anything."

MK perked up.

"But…" Macaque paused. "Now's not the right time. We have to get the village population stable first. That comes before any dreams of cubs of my own."

"You mean, like, encouraging couples to raise families and stuff?"

"Exactly." Macaque nodded. "We’re trying to rebuild something here. The family troops, the culture, the traditions, everything we lost. And the truth is, we need more cubs. But…"

He hesitated again.

"But what?" MK asked.

"Our voluntary scouts keep finding signs of demon monkeys in the city, just like you. Some of them try to make it here. But recently… They don’t always make it."

"Wait, what?" MK kept quiet despite his surprise.

"They’re disappearing." Macaque turned to look MK directly in the eyes. "We’ve had at least four confirmed disappearances in the last month. It’s why Wukong, Jing, and Euhang are out right now, they’re investigating it."

"Why didn’t any of you tell me sooner?" 

"So sorry about that, we've all been distracted lately." Macaque admitted with a tired sigh. "We only recently learned this, we didn't mean to leave you in the dark, especially since you're also a scout, our best, actually."

MK frowned. He glanced down at Shenfeng, suddenly hyper-aware of how small and vulnerable the cub was.

"So something’s… Taking them?" He asked quietly. "Or are they lost?"

"We don’t know yet. 

There was a long, tense silence between them, broken only by Shenfeng’s sleepy breathing.

"…Okay," MK said eventually, "Then I’ll help however I can."

"I know you will."

An hour passed after that.

MK decided to do something silly, something Mei would be proud of. He made sure to silence the shutter and angled his phone just right to avoid Macaque’s ridiculously sharp hearing. He caught one with Shenfeng’s tiny claws tangled in the dark mane. His favorite had to be the one where Macaque was idly reading a book while his shoulder was being drooled on, not a care in the world.

MK, meanwhile, was flat on the floor on his back. His tails were twitching in exhaustion, and his face was blank as he stared up at the ceiling. Man, was he sleepy.

That’s when Wukong finally arrived, stepping through the doorway with a curious expression.

"...Did I miss a battle?"

"Just a cub." Macaque didn’t look up from his book. 

Wukong's eyes traveled up to the mess of strawberry-blonde fluff nestled on Macaque’s shoulder and cracked a smile. 

"Well, he’s made himself at home."

"You could’ve warned me babies are crazy!" MK raised a limp hand. 

"I thought it was obvious!" Wukong snorted.

Not long after, Jing and Euhang arrived, looking exhausted. They exchanged quiet nods with Macaque and Wukong before turning their attention to MK.

"Thank you both." Jing said, carefully scooping Shenfeng off Macaque’s shoulder as the cub grumbled sleepily. "We didn’t expect to be gone that long."

"You two are lifesavers." Euhang added, offering a small bow. "Truly."

"Tis’ no problem." MK sat up halfway with a yawn, one eye still closed and fur a disaster zone. 

This turned out to be an exciting and exhausting training day.

Chapter Text

It was late morning, and MK grumbled beneath a heap of blankets, blinking as light filtered through the window and past his curtains. The air had a new chill to it, crisp, cool, and the tiniest, extra bit of humidity. He blinked again, realizing with surprise that the room was colder than when he’d fallen asleep. He yawned and stretched, flopping his tails over the edge of the bed. The tips flicked like they too felt the change. Yup, It was definitely cooler. His fur fluffed, adjusting to the temperature.

“Finally autumn!” He yawned, feeling a small thrill. 

He sat up fully, rubbing the sleep from his face as excitement built in his chest. In just a few more weeks, he would experience his first winter with a monkey form. He was excited to test his coat of fur against snow. His body was finally built for these temperature changes, and he'd been wondering what it would feel like to wear a tank top during a snowstorm. Red Son always wore light clothing the colder it was, he said it was because it felt good to burn magic or something. MK was hoping he could relate somehow.

He pulled his tails around and held it in front of him, marveling at how the soft fur thickened near the base. It looked like it could keep him warm.

“Only one way to find out!” He grinned, already hopping out of bed.

There were dead leaves scattered outside his window, golden and red, crunching lightly in the whistling breeze. The sky was overcast, but not gray, just chilly enough to promise frost in the next few weeks. MK threw open his closet, determined to find a scarf, but no jacket. He was going to test this fur properly, even if it meant leaving behind his iconic yellow-orange jacket. He picked out his favorite red scarf, thick but soft, woven by Sandy ages ago for his birthday, and looped it snugly around his neck. His clothing was light and easy to move in, just enough to feel comfortable without weighing him down. Saturday and Sunday meant training at Flower Fruit Mountain, and MK wasn’t about to miss it.

After a warm shower and an aggressive battle with his thinning toothpaste tube, he dried off, brushed his fur down and tied on his red bandana before stepping back to look at his reflection.

“Alright, looking good as always!” He purred, then paused.

His eyes caught something odd in the mirror. Leaning in, he turned his head slightly. His shirt was still off, and right across his collar and along his upper arms were… Stripes? They were faint, but visible, and ever so slightly lighter than the rest of his dark fur. It looked like a dark auburn instead of the usual black. 

“Eh?” MK squeaked, shaking his head twice, and squinted.

He ran his hand through his arm. The fur was the same smooth texture, but the color was new. The entire undercoat was reddish, and he's just now realizing it because of the little stripes poking through. How long had it been there? Should he be worried? Uhh… He probably just had new fur growing in, yeah! He had been shedding lately, and it made sense that new fur would come in brighter and darker, like baby monkeys, or fuzzy peaches! He knew that his body wasn't perfect, so what if his fur changed? 

Still, a small prickle of unease ruffled his pelt. His fur usually grew in the dark, then brightened from sun exposure, getting sun bleached, not the other way around.

“Nah!” He shook his head with a laugh. “You’re overthinking it, MK. This is totally normal monkey stuff.”

He turned, tails twining comfortably behind him, and jogged toward the door. Whatever this nonsense was, it could wait. Flower Fruit Mountain was calling, and he was getting hungry. It was nearly lunch time!

After a quick trip across the ocean, MK touched down on the soft, worn earth of the training grounds, kicking up a swirl of dust. The cool autumn air brushed against his fur, crisp and refreshing. It was warmer on the tropical mountain, and only ever snowed during the coldest nights, but even so, it felt cold today. In the center of the clearing, he could already see two familiar monkeys. Sun Wukong and Macaque were standing close together, deep in discussion. Wukong was full of energy, yapping about nothing in particular, while Macaque nodded along.

“Morning!” MK jogged over with a grin.

Both looked up at his arrival, Wukong waved vigously and Macaque briefly nodded.

A small crowd had gathered along the edges of the training grounds again. MK’s smile faltered for a second. It seemed like every week, more monkeys came to watch. Warriors, elders, young ones, even a few curious wild monkeys with their cubs clinging to the backs of their parents. They liked to support MK, that or they liked seeing him get tossed into the dirt by two legendary martial arts masters.

Probably both.

MK awkwardly waved to the onlookers, some of whom cheered or chirped at him. He ducked his head, cheeks burning faintly under his fur. Great, not only did he gain a fan club in the city, but it looks like the mountain was starting to gain one as well. Still, he couldn't help but glance around, just in case. Nope, Jing and Euhang weren’t here today. That made sense, they were probably swamped with village responsibilities and taking care of Shenfeng. He missed them a little, they were his biggest supporters.

“Alright.” MK cracked his knuckles. “Who’s throwing me through the air first?”

“That would be me, bud.” Wukong said, cracking his neck with a confident smirk. 

The crowd perked up immediately, chittering excitedly. A few of the smaller cubs climbed up higher to get better views. Even the older warriors leaned forward with interest. The training matches between the Great Sage and the Young Sage were never dull. Wukong wasted no time. With a basic steel cudgel, he lunged, and MK was already moving, dodging the first sweeping strike of the metal staff and countering with a kick that Wukong easily blocked. They clashed in a blur, staff against staff, steps cracking the ground, and movement too fast for most eyes to follow. Wukong launched into the air, and MK followed, meeting him with a burst of speed and daring strategy.

They didn’t stay grounded long, with each exchange causing them to climb higher, streaking through the air in golden lights. MK landed on his cloud and bounced off, catching Wukong’s guard with a feint and nearly slamming his side.

“Not bad!” Wukong laughed, flipping onto his sommersault cloud. “You’re getting faster.”

“Or you’re just getting older!” MK grinned through heavy breaths, panting.

That earned him a direct hit to the stomach with the flat of Wukong’s staff, light enough not to injure, but plenty hard enough to knock the cocky youngster through the clouds and into the side of a cliff.

“Ahhh… Yeah, I deserve that.” He groaned, rolling over. A cheer rose from the crowd watching from a distance.

As he sat up, catching his breath and adjusting his bandana, he glanced toward the sidelines just in time to catch Macaque watching him. Not with his usual passive interest, but with intense focus, much more intensely than normal. His arms were folded as he leaned on one leg with a carefree posture, but his eyes were tracking MK’s every movement. He wasn’t just watching, he was studying, how strange.

They wrapped up the spar after a solid twenty minutes of mid-air combat and wild acrobatics that left both of them breathing hard and the audience cheering. Wukong gave MK a proud heat pat before stepping to the side too much on some peach chips.

“Alright, cub.” Macaque grinned mischievously. Stepping in the arena. “Time for a long overdue lesson in fighting dirty.”

“Wait,” MK frowned, “You're allowed to say that but when I tried using sand once-”

“Sand is rookie-tier, and feints are, too. We’re moving on to things like ‘accidental’ tail grabs.” Macaque said flatly, already circling the younger monkey. “Now, come at me like I stole your favorite sketchbook.”

They stayed grounded this time. Not long after first picking up the staff for the first time, MK quickly learned the difference between honorable sparring and real fights where rules didn’t exist, which was most of the time. Macaque tripped him with a shadow clone, distracted him with false attacks, even faking a stumble to bait MK into a more vulnerable stance. It was frustrating, but extremely fun!

And still… Through it all, MK couldn’t help but notice how Macaque kept watching him, and not just his form or footing, either. Once, between dodging a nasty elbow jab, MK caught a flash of something strange in Macaque’s amber eyes. He didn’t say anything, and neither did Macaque, but the dark monkey was definitely behaving strangely. It was subtle, so much so that MK thought he was imagining it. Each time they passed each other, Macaque’s hand would brush briefly over MK’s shoulder or the top of his head. A pat, a light ruffle, sometimes a long brush down the arm or one of his tails. MK had started to notice the pattern every time they passed. And each time, Macaque’s fingers lingered just a little longer in his fur… Like he was checking something.

Macaque smirked and swept a leg at MK’s ankles, only for MK to leap over it and counter with a flurry of weak jabs from his tails.

“Not bad.” Macaque said, effortlessly dodging each one. “But I could easily counter a move like this, that’s mistake number-”

MK suddenly vanished, not in a puff of smoke or with a flashy teleport. Just gone. One second he was there, and the next, he wasn't. Macaque’s eyes widened just slightly, and he froze for a hair of a second. From behind, MK appeared, using two of his tails to snatch Macaque’s legs while the third blocked the older monkey’s view. MK used his elbow, aiming right for the older monkey’s ribs and slamming it into his chest.

“HA!” MK shouted triumphantly as Macaque stumbled back with a grunt, blinking in mild shock as MK pulled his tails upward, causing Macaque to fall to the ground.

When MK stepped back, there was a pause, a collective cheer from the crowd, and then, a slow clap.

“About time.” Macaque huffed, rubbing his chest as he stood back up, but he was more pleased than pained. “Dirty, sneaky, yet effective.”

As they finished sparring and MK went to grab water and hydrate, Macaque’s hand passed across his head, quite roughly. His claws ruffled the fur, making the younger monkey jump. His mentors loved to ruffle his fur, but why so harsh?

“Whaddya doing?” MK turned around.

“Fixing your bandana, I think you tied it loose today.” Macaque was already walking past, waving goodbye.

“Oh… Thanks?”

While MK rubbed at a forming bruise on his side while Wukong gave him a proud grin and a high five.

“Not bad, bud!” Wukong said, stepping back. “Looks like you're finally using your tails to fight!”

“I think I only tripped over them once today!” MK grinned, panting.

“Sounds like progress to me!” Wukong laughed, clapping him on the back. 

The sun had moved overhead, casting long shadows across the training grounds. Most of the crowd had dispersed, heading back to their homes. 

“Alright, lunch time.” Wukong gathered leftover snacks and glanced up at the jungle. “The little suns should be waiting.”

“Oh, I haven’t seen them in a while!” MK perked up, helping clean up the arena so they could leave faster.

Wukong led the way through a narrow path to a familiar clearing. Macaque followed behind MK, quiet as always, though MK could feel his eyes on him. Every time he glanced back, Macaque would quickly look away. It was subtle, but MK noticed.

When they arrived, a large line had already formed. The clearing was filled with the chattering and hoots of wild monkeys. Their eyes lit up at the sight of Wukong and MK, and they began to bounce and whoop excitedly. MK crouched at Wukong’s side, helping hand out pieces of fruit, nuts, roots, fish, and juicy bugs. Some monkeys even bounded over to Macaque, who knelt down to offer food in silence. The wild monkeys took offerings with both hands and deep bows, a ritual that had become part of their routine. 

They addressed Wukong with reverence, calling him their Great King. MK was often called their Hero Prince. And even Macaque had an unofficial title as the King's Shadow. MK didn’t miss how Macaque’s ears twitched every time he heard it. The cubs in particular like to call him that.

“Why are you glaring at me, I didn’t name you that.” MK said under his breath, nudging him.

“I know.” Macaque sighed, handing a peeled cantaloupe slice to a cub. “Still not a fan of it.”

“Could be worse!” MK chuckled, watching a younger monkey climb up his leg to sit on his shoulders. “They could’ve called you grandpa or something.”

“They did once, and Wukong laughed for ten minutes straight.”

MK snorted, hand flying to his mouth to muffle the burst of laughter. The monkey on his shoulders echoed his giggles with high-pitched squeaks.

“For the record, I’m not his shadow! I’m his equal, and have been for centuries, he's just not able to get hurt while I am. You’d think they’d drop it already.”

“Yeesh, you’re still grumbling about the title?” MK snickered. “Didn't YOU call yourself that before?”

“That was a shadow play, it was supposed to be tragic and make you feel bad for me.” Macaque said flatly. “I’d rather be called grandpa, and I’m not nearly that old.”

“Debatable.” MK teased. “I've called Monkey King an old man, what makes you think you're safe?”

Instead of snapping back, Macaque huffed softly, leaning forward and squinting at MK’s cheek. 

“Hold still, you’ve got something.”

“Huh?” MK blinked as Macaque reached up, claws gentle as he brushed through MK’s fur. “Oh, yeah, I got nicked there earlier.”

“It’s dried, some blood clumped it together.” Macaque crouched beside him now, carefully working out the matted strands with great care. The monkey on MK's shoulder chattered and jumped off, leaving the two alone.

“I’m fine, don't worry about it.” MK winced as a bit of fur tugged loose. “You guys are careful.”

“We try to be, but we still don't like seeing blood on you.” Macaque grumbled. “Hmph, there's dust everywhere in your fur. Tell you what, since it's driving me mad, you can groom mine after you let me take care of yours.” 

“Deal.” MK chirped, already settling into a more comfortable position. “But if I find any gray fur, I’m telling the whole troop. You’ll never escape the grandpa allegations.”

He caught Macaque subtly glancing at his own fur, fingers brushing over it like he expected to see something. MK raised an eyebrow, realizing he wasn’t imagining it, Macaque was indeed checking his fur. Oh, right, his winter coat should be coming in! MK remembered that now. 

“Are you good?” MK asked, eyes narrowing. “You’re not worried about your glamor slipping, are you?”

“…Maybe a little, it's not just the fur I'm hiding. I'm not surprised you remember.” Macaque muttered, already starting to work through MK’s fur. “It’s about that time of year, it actually starts turning gray before white. So, no, I'm really not beating the allegations after all.”

His touch was firm but not painful. He dusted, detangled, and sorted through each strand with patience, but MK quickly realized he wasn’t just cleaning him up, Macaque was inspecting the strands underneath.

“Wait a second… You’re using this as an excuse to check out my fur again!”

“I told you the dust was driving me mad.”

“Mmhmmmmm.”

There was a pause before MK continued, quieter. 

“Do you think this is like, one of those traits? Like with the tails?”

Macaque didn’t answer at first, but he eventually held out his arm, and glamor faded from just that section. His fur shimmered, shedding its usual black sheen and revealing a thick gray undercoat. The color matched the stripes forming under MK’s own fur almost too well, just blackish-gray instead of reddish-auburn.

“It could be another trait surfacing.” Macaque admitted. “I don’t know. I'm the only monkey that changes color during the seasons, and if that's the case, what a strange coincidence.”

MK glanced back and forth between their fur. The resemblance wasn’t exact, but it was close enough to make MK feel uneasy.

“…Huh, check that out.”

It was strange, and the timing was perfect. Macaque kept glancing at him like he wanted to ask more, but didn’t. When Macaque was done, MK returned the favor as promised, cleaning his mentor's fur. During it, Macaque recovered the glamor on his arm. 

Once they finished grooming, they parted ways to get food. Macaque gave MK a final once-over, glancing once more at the stripes.

“Keep an eye on yourself for any more potential traits arising, alright? Let me know if anything changes.”

“Got it!” MK replied with a grin before Macaque vanished in a shadow portal.

Finally, time to eat. But just as he sat down and reached for his meal, he heard the unmistakable chatter of tiny feet scrambling toward him.

“Oh? Zhi! Shui!” MK lit up instantly, speaking in monkey language and immediately forgetting his hunger as the two little monkeys nearly tackled him. “How’s it going?”

“You thought we wouldn’t come see you?” Zhi hugged his neck, burying her muzzle in his thickening fur.

“My bad!” MK laughed, clutching his chest. 

Shui giggled and scrambled up onto his lap, clinging to his shirt while Zhi quickly claimed her usual perch on his head. They were two of the monkeys he’d grown closest to over the past few months. Zhi, the older sister, had pale-brown fur and was a menace to MK’s freshly groomed pelt. Shui, her younger brother, had fur a shade lighter and a gentle, wide-eyed curiosity that MK adored. He’d first met Shui during the rainy season, pulling the little guy from rising floodwaters during a storm. Since then, Shui had stopped being shy, at least around MK. These days, he clambered onto MK any chance he got, eager to be close. He’d even started joining in with the older cubs and their games after MK encouraged him to.

“You missed hide and seek this morning!” Zhi pouted with a frown.

“Sorry, I was getting tossed around by your King and his ‘Shadow.’”

Shui let out a trill of laughter and tugged gently at MK’s bandana, clearly just happy to see him. He didn't speak much, reminding MK a lot of the immortal elder, Baoshi. He hasn't seen her in a while, he often wondered why. He always looked for her sparkly silver fur every time he entered this clearing.

The two cubs climbed all over him, and it sure didn't take long for the siblings to discover his tail. Or rather, his tails. MK had braided them together once training was done, keeping them neat and manageable. Plus, he didn't want to surprise the troop by suddenly showing up with two more than he was supposed to. But the moment Zhi tried to use it as a rope to climb onto his back, she blinked and let out a startled shriek. Shui, right behind her, poked at the braid curiously before squeaking in alarm.

“Ahh! You have three!” Zhi continued to scream, jumping away to get a better look.

“Three?” Even Shui spoke up, cautiously poking MK's braided tails like it were a snake.

Their uproar startled nearby monkeys, and within seconds, more began to wander over, all drawn by the high-pitched chatter and wide-eyed stares. MK laughed nervously as the growing crowd circled around him, also reaching out to touch the thick braid.

“Guess the secret’s out.” He said to himself in his own language as he unraveled the braid to show them. 

Three powerful tails fanned out behind him, each covered in the same dark fur with hints of lighter auburn around the tips. They all cooed and warbled, amazed. Wukong, who had been resting beneath a tree nearby with a bowl of sliced yellow peaches and cracked nuts, looked over with a mouthful of food. He watched the commotion before tossing a nut into the air and catching it in his mouth.

“That didn't take long.” Wukong chittered in monkey speech with an amused, cheeky grin.

“I know right?” MK scoffed, stretching his tails that earned more excited chittering from the crowd.

“They’re cubs, nothing escapes them.” Wukong leaned back, clearly entertained. “You better give them rides. You’ve set expectations, now.”

Zhi had already overcome her shock and was already pointing at his tails again, excited. 

“Can you swing with them? Do they grab things? Can you fight with all of them?”

“Play?” Shui asked, blue eyes wide with wonder.

MK found himself doing tail tricks for an audience of wild monkeys by spinning, grabbing fruit, and lifting small cubs into the air. For a moment, he forgot all about the worries of new traits or strange fur patterns. 

When his stomach growled, Wukong brought him a bowl filled with a little bit of everything. The monkey crowd dispersed, most of them returning to their trees or trotting off to nap in the sun on rocks or wildflower patches. MK happily grabbed a red apple and sank his sharp teeth into it, crunching loud enough to make a few cubs glance over before returning to play with his tails. He didn’t mind, he liked their attention. He sat down next to Wukong beneath the tree, wagging his tails to keep the cubs occupied as he ate. They talked about nothing in particular, mostly Wukong talking proudly about new village developments, and MK asking about them between bites. 

Wukong had a relaxed expression across his muzzle and began passing over bits from his own bowl, nuts, berries, the occasional oddly-shaped root… And then he handed over a fat, juicy beetle grub by accident. MK took it without thinking and popped it in his mouth.

“Wait, no!” Wukong tried to stop him, hand reaching out, but it was too late.

But MK was already purring in delight, eyes half-lidded as he chewed. 

“Mmm, that was really good! What was that?”

“...Are you serious right now?” Wukong stared at him like he’d just sprouted a fourth tail. 

“Oh, was it this thing?” MK picked through the bowl until he found another grub, holding it up victoriously. “Man, they’re amazing. You’ve been holding out on me!”

“But- But you HATE bugs!” Wukong sputtered. “You looked like you were gonna cry when I offered you one when we first met!”

“Duh, that was before I knew I was a monkey!” MK laughed. “But then, like, a little over five months ago, I ate a cricket to freak out Mei and Red. It worked, but it also kinda backfired for me because I ended up liking it.”

“Five months ago?” Wukong looked offended. “You mean to tell me you’ve been eating bugs in secret while I’ve been begging you to try one for ages?”

“I guess I just didn’t want to admit you were right.” MK grinned wide, showing off his sharp teeth. 

“Sheesh, this is what happens when I leave you alone with Macaque too long.” Wukong loudly complained. “You'll get all sneaky. Next thing I know, you’ll be sulking in trees and lurking around in the darkness.”

“Hate to break it to ya, but I already do that.” MK snorted, still chewing.

"Exactly what I'm saying, too much broody monkey influence on you.”

MK laughed again, but as Wukong leaned back with a huff and tossed another nut into his mouth, MK’s thoughts drifted back to earlier, when Macaque had dropped his glamor, just for a moment.

Influence, huh? MK glanced down at the fine fur on his arms, brushing a thumb over it. Wukong didn't seem to notice the stripes, or at least didn't say anything. 

MK wondered if it was more than just coincidence, but what else could it be?

Chapter Text

The sun peeked in through the blinds, shining right into MK’s eyes. A cool breeze drifted in through the cracked window, carrying the noise of distant car horns and the smell of food from a street vendor somewhere down the block.

MK stretched with a yawn. His three tails were over the edge of the bed before he finally rolled upright. His fur was rumpled and stuck out at ridiculous, odd angles. After slipping off the bed sleepily, he shuffled toward the bathroom and flicked on the light.

It wasn’t until he leaned over to brush his teeth that he paused, catching his reflection.

“…Huh?”

There were even more stripes now, forming along his jawline and cheekbones. It was still the same shade of reddish-auburn that appeared much more vivid in the bathroom lighting. There hadn’t been this much yesterday! MK turned his head left and right, watching them catch the light.

“They’re kinda… Pretty?” He whispered, running a finger over one that streamlined down his sideburns. It didn’t feel any different, it was just fur, same as always.

He finished brushing his teeth, shook his head clear, and went to get dressed and tied his favorite bandanna tied securely around his bangs. He made a silly face at his reflection one last time, then bounded downstairs with a skip in his step. He transformed into his human form just in case they had patrons. It was nearing lunch time, so they usually had visitors at this time. Weekends didn't deliver to customers, after all.

The familiar scent of broth and fresh noodles greeted him as he stepped into the noodle shop. Customers hadn’t arrived yet, but the quiet clink of a teacup told him who was already at the counter in the same spot as usual.

“Morning, Mr. Tang!” MK called as he sat on a stool nearby.

Mr. Tang hummed in acknowledgement. But when he looked up from his book, he shrieked and his teacup nearly went flying. 

“Tangy? What happened?” Pigsy rushed in from the kitchen, ladle in hand like a sword. “Is it a demon? A celestial? A- oh.”

They both stared at MK.

“What?” MK poked his face. “Do I have extra eyes? Horns?”

“No, why would that happen?” Mr. Tang said, pointing with a trembling finger. “Your hair, MK. Your hair is changing color!”

MK blinked, turning to look at his reflection in the shop's windows. Sure enough, even in his human form, streaks of auburn-red now bled through black, barely noticeable yesterday, but absolutely undeniable now.

“Oh, cool.” MK laughed, confusing his dads. Tang and Pigsy exchanged confused glances.

“Cool that your hair’s changing color?” Pigsy raised a brow. “Kid, that’s not normal!”

“Yeah, but I’m not really human anymore, remember? Monkey King and Macaque said it's just adult traits.”

“Huh… Well, yeah, that checks out. I went through a few changes too, back in the day.” Pissy gestured vaguely to his own head. “My tusks didn’t always curve this far.”

“Right, I read about that!” Tang exclaimed, pushing up his glasses with excitement. “Demons develop new physical traits as they mature! It’s a whole biological transformation process, super fascinating to study!”

“Exactly!” MK grinned “Just another sign I’m growing up.”

“Did you develop anything else, MK?” Tang asks.

MK paused, glancing around the shop. The front was still quiet, there were no customers yet. With a sly smile, he jumped off his stool and let his body change to his demon form. Dark fur sprouted, his face marking appeared, and three thick tails unfurled behind him

Tang screamed in delight.

“THREE TAILS? This is amazing! This is incredible! Do they all do different things? Are they prehensile? Oh my gods, I need to write this down!”

“You got three of those now?” Pigsy stared for a moment, jaw slack, then slowly walked around MK like he couldn’t believe his eyes. “Kid… You were barely tall enough to hold a ladle when I first took you in. Now you're already getting your traits?”

Tang was still gushing, scribbling something in a notebook he’d pulled from thin air. MK smiled at both of them, all three tails wagging happily.

“Guess I gotta grow up sometime.” 

“Sure, kiddo.” Pigsy let out a small snort and slid a steaming bowl across the counter toward him. “Eat up. Fish and tofu soup today.”

“No noodles?” MK giggled, taking a deep sniff. “What’s the occasion?”

“I asked for something lighter!” Tang said, not looking up from writing. “Felt like trying something new, and I am paying today.”

“Are you actually paying this time?” MK side-eyed him.

“Rude, but yes. Mushrooms and tofu for me, seafood for you. Pigsy remembered that you're not the biggest fan of mushrooms.”

“I didn’t hate them-” MK started.

“You said they tasted like soppy wet sponges and disappointment.” Tang reminded him.

“Fair enough.” MK shrugged and got to eating, biting into a crunchy shrimp tail.

He was just finishing the last sip of broth when the bell above the door chimed. Instantly, MK shimmered back into his human form, tails and fur vanishing, just in time for the morning rush to trickle in.

“Welp, back to work for me.” Pigsy chuckled, wiping his hands on a towel. “See ya around, MK.”

MK waved goodbye to Pigsy and Tang as he stepped out into the crisp, late morning air.

“I’ll be back before sundown!” He called over his shoulder.

“Stay out of trouble!” Pigsy shouted.

“Take notes if you see anything unusual!” Tang added, already back to read through his book.

MK chuckled to himself and leapt skyward to land on his sommersault cloud. The wind whistled past him as he soared high over the city. Today was Sunday, a rest day from both training or noodle deliveries. He wanted to visit the villages to meet new faces and perhaps catch up with old ones.

As the ocean shimmered beneath him, the magic barrier surrounding the mountain tickled his face as he passed over the usual landing point on the beach, but instead of descending, he angled sharply right, heading straight for the dense jungle side of the island. MK landed lightly on the moist forest floor amongst the deep greens and earthy smells of the soil. Dew clung to the leaves and moss underfoot as he approached the carved wooden gates of the village tucked deep in the jungle canopy.

Two guards straightened as they recognized him, backs straightened with alertness before relaxing.

“MK.” one greeted with a respectful nod. “Welcome back.”

“You’re looking different again.” The other commented with a grin, already pushing the gate open.

MK gave them both a shy wave and entered the village. Almost immediately, whispers and exclamations followed in his wake. Monkeys peered out from windows, elders glanced up from morning duties, and young ones nearly tripped over themselves staring.

“Three tails now?”

“Look at those stripes!”

“Did he always have those?”

It was true, his changing form was drawing attention. His tails waved hypnotically behind him, reddish-gold stripes gleaming in the filtered sunlight, and his fur had grown subtly brighter and longer in places. MK gave everyone a warm smile, greeting those who came close and waving to others.

“Hello!” He chirped, waving off the praise and curious glances, but his heart beat a little faster. There were… A lot of eyes on him. 

It wasn’t like in the city, where being the hero felt more like being admired from afar with a somewhat secret identity. But here, it was different, and much more personal. These villagers knew him. Now they were watching his fur, watching his tails, watching him change, and they were looking at him as more than just a protector, like he was someone even more important.

As he passed a group of elders seated on woven mats near a restored shrine, one old monkey, with fur like silver mist and bright eyes despite her age, reached out and gently touched his wrist as he passed. 

“The Prince who mirrors the Sun and Moon.”

“Huh?” MK turned to look at her.

But she only smiled, closing her eyes and bowing her head in peace. Others murmured in agreement, repeating the phrase under their breath. He moved on, but the words stuck with him. Sun and Moon? Did they mean Wukong and Macaque? He hadn’t even considered the full implications of how much he resembled them. Well, he had been training with them a lot lately, they had a strong influence on him. That's probably what they meant.

MK made his rounds through the village, offering smiles, helping carry baskets, and greeting both familiar faces and newly arrived families. Just like Monkey King often did, he wandered, checking in, asking questions, and praising his favorite things. It felt right. He noted how much greener the village had become since his last full visit. New trees had been planted along walkways, their flowering branches providing both shade and beauty. The scent of pollen and ripe autumn fruit mingled in the air. Decorative vines now climbed up bamboo fences, and monkeys had started weaving living walls from plants with vibrant and colorful petals. One corner of the village had been transformed into a jungle gym for the growing cubs, built with thick ropes, swinging logs, and hanging platforms. There were lots of safety nets in case one should fall, and MK remembered that Macaque had commissioned those. He watched a few young ones dangle from their feet and tails, laughing and shrieking. The central plaza had come a long way too. Red, gold, purple, and blue lanterns hung along circular walkways, gently swaying in the breeze. Intricate stone carvings had been added to the ground, spiraling outward like sunbursts and waves. There were colorful banners fluttering from wooden poles. Incredible handmade mosaic tiles shaped like flowers and monkeys had been placed along benches.

MK paused, just for a moment, to take it all in. The restored mountain village wasn’t just surviving, it was rapidly growing and thriving. He continued weaving through the village, stopping wherever he was waved down or tugged on by small, curious hands. Everyone had something new to share, telling him about the fruit harvests, a cub that had learned to climb an entire tree by themselves, and showing off each new house built. He laughed with artisans as they showed off new tools crafted from the volcanic ring around the island. He sampled roasted meat skewers offered by another group of elders seated on shaded mats. He even got roped into helping a group of teenagers rearrange stones for a firepit.

Everywhere he went, someone had something to say about him.

“Look at his fur now, have you seen the color?”

“Three tails! That's gotta be hard to balance with.”

“He’s got the King’s keenness and the Warrior's stance, how peculiar.”

MK tried to play it cool. He smiled, he waved, he answered questions. But internally, his stomach twisted just a little. These weren’t just casual compliments anymore, they were expectations. Still, he pressed on, listening, laughing, doing what he could to help. Jing and Euhang weren't here, and neither was Shenfeng, which was a major bummer. He was told that they were at the beach for the day, teaching their cub about the ocean. It was a cute thought.

Somewhere near the center of the village, construction had been underway for a while. It was a restoration of an old temple dedicated to Wukong. The space was small but sacred, adored for its pristine view of the mountain’s peak, the place where their king was born. MK spotted the builders first, a crew of strong-armed monkeys covered in dust and wearing tool belts made from woven vines. One of them spotted him passing through and flagged him down.

“Hey, MK! Got a moment? We could use a strong back, and extra hands!”

They didn’t need to ask twice. 

“I’d love to help!” MK purred.

With a deep breath, he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. His three tails unbraided behind him. The moment he stepped into the site, he took a look around. There were massive stones, some twice the size of the builders themselves, which had been sitting idle for weeks. Worse, there was a pile of boulders blocking the back scaffolding, completely immovable by normal means. They had been there since the construction began, MK definitely remembered seeing these rocks around long before restoration had even begun.

MK cracked his knuckles. If he could swing a multi-ton staff like a twig, this was going to be a piece of cake! With ease that left jaws hanging, he lifted an ancient, fallen pillar over one shoulder. He also scooped debris with his tails, hoisting boulders into neat stacks, and clearing the path with a single shove of his shoulder.

Gasps echoed through the crowd as monkeys gathered to watch.

“Did you see that?”

“He just lifted that like it was a pebble!”

As MK dusted his palms and stretched out his aching limbs, one of the builders chuckled and patted him on the back.

“You really take after the Monkey King,” They said, “Strong, fearless, always helping out. We didn’t ask him for help, though, it would be pretty strange asking the guy you’re building a temple for to carry stones, yeah?”

“Yeah, that’d be awkward.” MK snorted, wholeheartedly agreeing.

But unlike Wukong, who seemed to have endless energy, MK was already feeling the fatigue creeping in. His shoulders were sore, and his tails, once so eager to help, now hung low behind him. After a solid hour of hauling heavy stones, he was spent. He bowed out politely, saying something about needing a nap and maybe a really long bath quietly under his breath. But just as he turned to leave, a soft voice called to him. 

“Young prince?”

The first group elders who had spoken earlier were waiting under the shade of a large tree. Their fur had turned silver and white with age, and each bore old burn scars and traditional clothing. The elder that had touched his writs earlier was the one talking.

“Come and rest, Let us care for your coat.” She offered, gesturing to the wooden platform they sat on, where bowls of warm water and snacks were nearby. It caught MK completely off guard. 

“Huh? Oh, I- Uhh- Thank you!”

He knew better than to refuse. These elders were among the oldest demon monkeys on the mountain, maybe even as old as Wukong himself. He stepped forward, and with quiet gratitude, let them guide him to sit. His eyes fluttered half-closed as their fingers and claws worked through his fur, smoothing tangles and brushing away dust. 

“How are you feeling, little Prince?” One of the elders hummed softly as they gently worked through MK’s fur. 

MK blinked, hesitating. He could’ve given them a simple answer, saying he was fine, but for some reason, he knew he probably couldn't hide from these guys, which made honesty feel like the only option. Besides, he knew they'd help him.

“Tired.” He admitted, tilting his head back slightly with a sigh. “Not just physically, but all of this is so new for me. I’ve never been a leader before. All my life, I wasn’t really a follower, either. I kinda just did my own thing. Drawing, playing instruments, cooking new things… I liked being alone, and suddenly, I'm not.”

There was a pause as one of the elders gently scratched behind his ear, like comforting a cub.

“I see, you were once a loner.” One said with a coo. “And now you are becoming a symbol.”

“Yeah, and it’s exhausting.”

“You are only tired because it is new.” A soft chuckle answered him. “You feel everything more deeply because your heart is still adjusting. That is a good thing, it means you care, and you're putting lots of effort into learning.”

“Don't worry, you’re doing wonderfully.” Another elder added. “The village adores you. Not just for your strength and kindness, but for your sincerity.”

MK was quiet as a welcoming warmth rose in his chest. His tails all curled around his torso in a self-hug.

“Oh, thanks,” He churred, “I think I needed to hear that.”

They stayed with him as the sun dipped lower in the sky, brushing his fur until it shone like polished mahogany, whispering old stories and offering gentle advice. The evening breeze carried the scent of flowers and leaves, and he quickly felt sleepy. MK yawned as the breeze tousled his mane. The wooden wall at his back was solid and warm from the day’s sun, the perfect place to doze.

“You’re drifting off, little one.” One of the elders laughed gently as they raked their claws through the fur along MK’s shoulder.

“I promised I’d be back home by nightfall… But I’ve got time.” MK hummed sleepily. “Can you guys wake me up an hour before sunset?”

“Of course.” one of them said with a chuckle. “You deserve a rest, Prince. Let the mountain watch over you for a while.”

MK smiled, sighing as he shifted to get comfortable. He leaned back against the smooth wooden wall of the hut, resting his three tails beside his thigh. He closed his eyes. The quiet murmur of the bustling village around him faded in and out, serving as the perfect lullaby. Footsteps in the dirt, soft chatter, the laughter of cubs running nearby, it was such a unique song. He could hear villagers approaching, voices hushed in curiosity.

“Is that really him?”

“Look at those tails…”

“I've heard his black fur glows gold in the sunlight.”

They lingered for a bit, respectfully distant, perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of him at peace. MK didn’t mind, he was too sleepy to care. The cool wind brushed past his face, and he let himself fall fully into sleep, trusting the mountain and those watching over him.

Chapter Text

MK sighed heavily as he stared at his reflection, toothbrush hanging from the corner of his mouth. It was early Monday morning, before sunrise. And here he was once more, squinting at something new in the mirror. Two faint curls of fur were forming on each of his cheeks. They were reddish like his stripes, slightly raised and spiral-shaped. He spit out his toothpaste and leaned closer with a groan.

“Seriously? Again?”

He had the same amount of stripes as yesterday and the same auburn tint streaking through his pelt. He poked at the two curls experimentally, watching them spring slightly under his fingertip. 

“I’m gonna need a chart at this point… I'm hoping Mr. Tang is keeping up.”

Still grumbling, MK threw on his hoodie and tied his bandanna in place. Technically, he was just a delivery boy, that was the original deal. But ever since he’d started helping out before dawn, it just sort of stuck. A habit, maybe, or maybe he just liked seeing Pigsy’s sleepy surprise every time he walked through the back door before the lights were even on. MK had started working in the dark during the morning, no longer needing the light in his monkey form. It was always pretty funny to surprise his dad each morning.

By the time he got downstairs, the noodle shop was quiet and cold, the air was filled with faint traces of garlic and spices from yesterday’s dinner rush. MK cracked his knuckles and got to work. With a broom in one hand, mop in the other, and his three tails ready to help, he made short work of reorganizing stacked chairs and wiping down counters. Having three tails was absolutely overpowered when it came to cleaning. He chuckled to himself as he worked, sweeping and mopping the floor at the same time all while humming a tune. It was a lot easier to feel like himself when he was useful, when he wasn’t staring at every little change and wondering what it meant.

The back door creaked softly as it opened, letting in a faint draft of cool morning air. Just like clockwork, Pigsy stepped inside, rubbing his eyes briefly and grumbling something under his breath about early mornings and aching knees. Then he froze upon seeing MK. He'd had yet to get used to the kid working in pitch darkness even after nearly seven months.

“GAH!” He flinched, hooves flying to his chest at the sight of MK sweeping in pitch darkness, his son's eyes catching just enough light to appear like they're glowing.

“…I’m gonna put the lights on and pretend that didn’t happen.” Pigsy grunted, flicking the switch and flooding the shop with light.

MK giggled, unfazed, already moving to check the pot of water he’d put on to boil minutes earlier. Pigsy headed toward the prep station, grabbing a cleaver and starting in on the day’s meats and vegetables. They worked in comfortable silence, with only the clatter of knives, broom strokes on tile floors, and water beginning to steam.

As the first rays of sunrise spilled across the shop's windows, the front door swung open and a bundled-up Tang stumbled in, hunched like a miserable old man and blowing into his hands dramatically.

“Cold! Cold! Coldcoldcold- Good morning, guys!”

“Morning!” MK chirped, tails flicking in amusement as he peeked up from wiping a countertop.

Tang beelined for a prepared cup of hot chocolate as if his life depended on it, but paused halfway. He stepped closer, squinting at MK’s face. 

“Wait a second…”

“What is it?” Pigsy looked up too, finally seeing what he’d missed in the dark. 

Neither of them said anything at first. But they were staring.

“What?” MK looked back and forth between 

“You got… Curly things on your cheeks now.” Pigsy drew circles in the air, motioning at his face.

“Curly things?” Tang leaned closer, then gasped. “Oh my gosh, they look so cute!”

“I saw them this morning.” MK groaned, rubbing his face. “I was hoping I imagined it.”

“Fascinating…” Tang whispered, marveling a little longer before writing it down on a small notepad.

Despite the minimal commentary, MK could feel how they were looking at him. It wasn’t bad, just… Different than when the stripes first started showing. They knew about what had been going on lately, and Tang had it all written down. He’d told them all about Flower Fruit Mountain, when the monkey demons had started coming back, and everyone contributed to rebuilding villages deep in the jungles. He’d told them about Jing, about that stupid fight months ago that started over a misunderstanding and ended with him getting stabbed by some whacky mythical sword.

They could still see the deep scars that crossed the bridge of his nose and the one in his shoulder. Pigsy had yelled when he first saw them. Tang had teared up, immediately asking a dozen questions about the battle, the demon monkeys, and if MK was feeling okay. As interesting as it was, he was always worried for MK.

“They’re just curls, or maybe I slept weirdly last night.” MK shrugged and went back to wiping down the tables. “Maybe they’ll disappear by tomorrow.”

At the end of cleaning, MK sighed and stretched. With a quick shimmer of gold, he shifted into his human form, but left his three tails out. Just like what he did with one tail, he’d gotten good at tucking them under a jacket when he was out in the open. Bags of neatly packed noodle boxes sat on the counter, still steaming and fresh. Orders skyrocketed during the colder months. MK reached over and gathered them up, a few on each arm, the rest carried easily by his tails. He’d been multitasking like this since he learned how to control them, and now it was just part of the morning routine.

Pigsy unlocked the front door and held it open for him. 

“Alright, MK. Be safe out there. And don’t forget, a lot of orders have a side of dumplings today!”

“Got it. See ya, Dadsy!”

He stepped outside, expecting another quiet, normal work day. The city was just starting to wake up, and his delivery cart was parked right where he left it… But someone was sitting inside it.

“Heya!” Mei waved cheerfully with arms stretched behind her head as she laid across the seat like she owned it. Her helmet sat beside her, but there was no sign of her bike, which was mad suspicious. “Morning, Monkie Man!”

“Mei? What are you doing here?”

“Eh.” She shrugged, spitting her tounge out. “I’m soooo bored, I thought I could hang out, just figured I’d catch you before you started your route. Hope that’s cool.”

“Yeah, of course!” He laughed and climbed into the driver’s seat after loading everything up. “You could’ve texted me, y’know.”

“And miss the dramatic reveal? No way!” Mei leaned in closer. “Wait a second… Are those new?”

“Huh?” MK patted his face, but his cheek fur was gone.

“No, not your face.” she said, already leaning around behind him. She reached out and plucked one of his tails gently. “These! You’ve got, like, these cute curls at the tips now!”

“What?” MK twisted his torso and looked back. Sure enough, all three of his tails now ended in curled tufts of fur, like swirling clouds. There were a lot of them.

“Oh, wow, I completely missed those!” He gasped, and the fur on the backs of his tails rose. Mei was already giggling, phone in hand. MK whined, swatting uselessly in her direction as she kept it aimed at him. “Mei, quit it!”

Ding! 

MK froze. He knew that sound. The cursed little chime from their shared group chat.

“You didn’t.”

“Ohhh, brother, I DID!” Mei, red in the face from laughing, was already doubled over, breathless from wheezing. 

“Nooo!” MK fumbled in his jacket pocket and yanked his phone out, dreading what he’d find. 

Sure enough, there it was, a full-body shot, tails all fluffed and curled at the ends. Even worse, Red Son had already reacted with a flame emoji without any words.

“You’re the worst!” MK slapped a hand over his face in embarrassment. “I can’t believe you did this to meee!

“But it's funny!” Mei said through hiccupping laughter, kicking her legs playfully as MK slumped behind the wheel.

“I’m revoking your tail privileges, no more petting them.”

“Try me, Monkie Man.”

Groaning, MK started the vehicle, ears still red as Mei cackled beside him, clearly proud of the chaos she's caused on this random Monday morning. They set off on the delivery route, the small delivery cart puttering along as Mei settled in beside him, holding his phone like his co-pilot, badly mimicking the voice of a GPS assistant.

“Alright, next stop is three blocks down, then left, keep going straight past the marketplace.” 

MK nodded, grateful for her help so he could keep his eyes on the road, though he flinched every time he heard the shutter click of her phone camera.

“...Mei.”

“What?” She said innocently, snapping another shot. “You’re photogenic!”

“You’re lucky I’m too busy driving to throw you out.”

Noodle deliveries went about as smoothly as they could with Mei tagging along, meaning every stop took twice as long thanks to her commentary, curiosity, and insistence on complimenting MK’s fur, breaking the ‘no touching’ rule he imposed within about twenty seconds later. She especially liked the tails.

“I’m just saying-” She grinned as they waited at a red light, “If you're keeping them out so often, you should name them!”

“Name my tails?”

“Yes! Like… this one can be ‘Flick,’ this one ‘Swish,’ and that one can be ‘Bonk!’”

“I’m not naming my tails.”

“You so should.”

“…Bonk? Are you kidding me?”

“Absolutely that one.”

Thanks to his passenger princess, they finished deliveries earlier than expected. MK parked behind the shop, stretching out his back with a long groan.

“Welp, thanks for being annoying as usual.” He said, grabbing the empty bags from the back 

“Anytime, Prince Fluff Butt.” She flashed finger guns as he summoned his cloud.

“Tell Red Son I will get revenge for that cow sticker he left on the cover of my fancy sketchbook!” MK shook his head, grinning as he floated upward. 

“Ha, bet.” Mei snickered as MK blasted off into the clear blue sky.

The wind carried him swiftly across the ocean as his cloud zoomed toward the familiar shape of Flower Fruit Mountain rising above the sea. It was a brief ride, but always a peaceful one. MK directed his cloud toward the arena nestled deep within the cliffs. A single figure stood in its center, awaiting him. The weekday trainings were private, public sessions were only on Saturdays, and the villagers respectfully honored that rule. The figure at the center of the arena turned slightly at the sound of MK landing. Monkey King smiled and waved. Macaque, however, was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Macaque?” MK jogged up and asked. “Isn’t he supposed to be here, too?”

“He’s watching Shenfeng today.” Wukong smirked. “Since you weren’t around today, he offered to take cub duty.”

“Aww, that’s actually really cute.” MK cooed.

“Right?” Wukong chuckled, stretching an arm behind his head. “You should’ve seen him. Shenfeng climbed right on his face.”

“I can imagine that.” MK nodded, vividly remembering the little menace pulling his tails.

MK jogged closer, stopping just in front of the Monkey King. With a shimmer, he shifted back into his monkey form, feeling his fur appear under the yellow jacket he forgot to take off. Wukong visibly tensed. His golden eyes fixed on MK’s face. He didn't speak.

“…What?” MK asked, also frozen in place.

Wukong’s gaze lingered on the two fresh curls in MK’s cheek fur. MK sheepishly smiled and gestured at his own face. 

“Oh, yeah, the curls! Do I look more like you now or what? Should I start practicing cheeky grins and dramatic entrances?”

He chuckled at his own joke, but Wukong didn’t laugh. If anything, his ears twitched like he’d heard something unexpected.

“Nah!” Wukong said suddenly. “Training sounds boring today, let’s do something fun!”

“Like what?”

“How about climbing with your tails?” He was already stretching his limbs. “You said you wanted to get better at climbing with all three. Now’s as good a time as any to try it out.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah, I promised to help, didn’t I?”

Before MK could reply, Wukong crouched and launched himself skyward in a single bound, disappearing into the canopy above. MK scrambled up after him, winding his tail together like Macaque had taught him. It was awkward at first, he swung forward with too much momentum, but with Wukong calling out corrections and advice from overhead, MK began to find his rhythm. He climbed faster, coiling his tails around branches for balance, using them like a fifth limb, then a sixth, and seventh. He whooped as he made a particularly graceful swing, using two tails instead of his arms.

Every time MK passed through a shaft of sunlight, Wukong’s watchful golden eyes flicked toward the soft curls at the end of each tail. And each time MK turned his head, Wukong’s gaze snapped back up to his face, particularly the new cheek curls. It definitely started to get awkward between them.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?” MK asked, pausing on a branch and hanging upside down.

“What?” Wukong seemingly snapped out of a trance. “I’m not!”

“You are!”

“Well, You’re just adapting fast and I'm really impressed, that’s all.” Wukong glanced away. “Awesome job, bud!”

“You sure that’s it?” MK folded his arms, still hanging.

“Yup!” Wukong replied, a little too quickly, already hopping to the next tree.

MK followed, but he didn’t stop wondering what was really going on. They continued running, swinging, and leaping through the canopy. It was second nature once MK finally got the hang of it, no pun intended. Wukong led the way and MK chased after him, matching his speed more and more with each jump.

Then, MK misjudged a leap, his foot slipped on a slick branch, and he couldn't correct his balance in time. Normally, he would be able to fix this mistake, but the weight of his extra tails sent him over 

“MK!” Wukong called out, already diving toward him, but MK didn’t fall.

His three tails snapped out in perfect unison, gripping a thick branch above and catching his fall. With a grunt and a twist, he flipped upright and landed neatly on the forest floor all fours, grinning.

“I’m good!” He chirped.

“…Right. Of course you are, nice save.” Wukong sat on a branch above with an approving nod.

“Were you trying to catch me?”

“Of course!” Wukong brushed it off with a flick of his tail. “It must have been an old habit from when you were first learning, but it looks like you don't need me lurking over your shoulder anymore.”

MK smiled, but Wukong’s expression didn’t match. There was something unreadable behind his eyes. They continued lapping the mountain, and by the time the sun dipped low, bathing the canopy in gold, MK’s stomach growled. 

“I think that’s my cue to head home.”

“Alright, bud, I should get to the clearing before the monkeys get angsty.” Wukong smiled at his successor. “You’re definitely getting better, keep practicing with those tails.”

The golden monkey watched as MK flew off into the sky. As MK flew over open water, he frowned and pulled his hoodie over his head, tightening the strings. The ends of his tails curled out behind him, tufts dancing in the streaming wind. His fingers brushed the curls on his cheeks, his claws flicking the bouncing tufts. He didn’t feel like laughing anymore. What was that look Monkey King kept giving him? Even Macaque had been acting weird, even before the curls.

MK gripped the front of his hoodie as the cloud drifted steadily through the sky. He kept his head down, his tails curled tightly, twitching with nerves. The curls on his cheeks felt heavier now. Wukong was the only monkey with curls, and always had been. Heck, he even had weird fur stripes like Macaque. But for some reason, he kept recalling that weird, unreadable look on his mentor's face in particular when he first arrived on the training grounds… MK couldn’t shake the crawling feeling in his chest.

His fingers trembled as he pulled out his phone. He hated calling people, he always found that texts were easier, but this couldn’t wait. He hit the call button on the shared group chat and held the phone to his ear. It didn’t ring for long.

“MK?” Mei’s voice rang out, chipper and alert. “What's up?”

“You never call, Noodle Boy.” Red Son added dryly. “This must be dire.”

MK didn’t even have the energy to banter. 

“Hey, umm… Can I ask you something, Red? About demon traits, specifically the adult ones?”

There was a brief pause.

“Are you okay?” Mei asked again, more serious this time.

“I’m not hurt!” MK said quickly. “I just- Umm, I got some new stuff this morning. Like, curls on my cheeks, and my tails have these little tufts on the ends now. Mei saw them earlier, and I'm sure you saw pictures she sent to the group chat, but I want to hear your opinions.”

“Oh, I loved them!” Mei chimed in. “You looked super cool, like Monkey King! You should totally lean into it.”

“That’s the problem, Monkey King’s the only one with curls.” MK groaned, pressing the heel of his palm to his forehead. “No other monkey I’ve met has them, and he was acting weird all during training this afternoon.”

“You’re manifesting adult traits, that's what I thought when you first sprouted two more tails.” He could hear Red Son sigh over the phone. “I didn't say anything at the time, I believed it was something your mentors should explain.”

“But why THESE?” MK demanded, his voice shaky. “Aren't they supposed to be unique?”

“It could be your stone monkey nature. Or it could also be…” Red Son trailed off for a second, but then his voice returned. “Look, you'll be okay. I got mine just a while ago, and I'm still the same person.”

“You did? What are they?”

There was a very bull-like snort on the other end that had Mei giggling.

“I keep them hidden with glamor, not because I don't like them, but because it's too flashy even for me. Maybe I’ll show you in person sometime. This is not phone-friendly. Trust me, it’s more thrilling when witnessed firsthand.” 

“You’re not alone, MK, We’re here!” Mei added. “No matter how much your fur changes or how many tails you grow!”

“Thanks, guys… Really.” MK laughed weakly. “I guess I just needed to hear that.”

As the glowing lights of the city came into view beneath his cloud, MK let out a long breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. The call had helped, at least a little. He said his goodbyes, smiling as his friends wished him sweet dreams.

“Sleep well, MK!” Mei said, and MK was pretty sure she was singing.

“Rest up, we'll speak soon.” Red Son said.

The line disconnected, and the world was quiet again with nothing but the wind rushing in his ears. MK sat back on the cloud, watching the neon skyline pass beneath him. The curls on his cheeks ruffled gently in the wind, and the tufts at the ends of his tails flicked every now and then with each shift of thought.

He felt better… Mostly. Something about Red Son made MK narrow his eyes. The fire demon was just about to say something important, but trailed off at the last second, of course MK was suspicious.

“…He definitely knows something.”

Chapter Text

A few days passed. MK kept up his usual routine of noodle runs, cloud rides, and training on the mountain. Monkey King still glanced at his fur, though not as often, like he was trying not to look. Macaque was more discreet, but MK would rarely catch his eyes lingering. They might just be worried for him, he looked a bit bedazzled and scruffy lately, sleeping in later than he ever needed to. Twelve hour naps were getting more common.

Still, things felt normal enough… Until this morning. It's always gotta be morning where something went awry. MK jolted awake just before dawn, grimacing. A sharp, throbbing pain pulsed at the tips of his fingers. He groaned, rolling over in bed, not even opening his eyes.

“Ugh… Monkey stuff again?” He growled, assuming it was just another new trait appearing, flaring up at the most inconvenient time possible.

But when he finally cracked his eyes open and sat up, what he saw made his blood run cold. His fingers were bleeding, pooling on his mattress. It looked like it had been going for quite a while, too, there was a river of crimson that ran down the sheet and dripped on the floor. And worse… His claws were completely gone! GONE!

“Crud!” MK hissed, clutching his hands. “That’s not good! Not good, not good, not good!”

There was no way he could handle food like this, not with open wounds! Their loyal customers expected good service, not an injured delivery boy spreading bloodborne illnesses around! He hurried to the bathroom, clumsily treating his hands with ointment and bandages as best as he could, grimacing through the sting. Once the bleeding stopped enough for him to move again, he exhaled and transformed into his human form, keeping his tails out. That would have to do for now. It was the best he could manage for now.

“Seriously, what else is going to change?” He stared at himself in the mirror with a frown, grabbing several pairs of plastic gloves.

By the time he made it downstairs, the sun was already peeking over the horizon.

“Aww man…” He sighed. “I missed cleaning.”

Pigsy was already downstairs, hunched over the counter while slicing some zesty-scented chives. Tang was absent for once, probably just running late or still tangled up in his good ol’ heated blanket. MK shuffled in, trying not to wince every time his fingers brushed something.

“Morning, kid.” Pigsy greeted, not looking up from the cutting board. “Tang’s probably sleeping in again, it's cold today.”

“Yeah, probably.” MK nodded, stuffing his bandaged hands deeper into his sleeves.

“You didn’t clean up this morning.”

“Uhh, yeah, sorry.” MK stiffened but quickly forced a laugh. “I had a really awful nightmare. It kinda threw off my morning.”

“You've been having a lot of those lately.” Pigsy finally paused and looked up, concerned, but he nodded slowly. “Are you alright, kiddo?”

“Yeah, Totally!” MK said too fast. “Just tired.”

“Alright, well, no rush today. Surprisingly, not a lot of orders came in, lucky you.”

“Lucky me.” MK echoed with a relieved smile.

He turned to the counter where the morning orders were packed. One by one, his three tails reached up and snatched the delivery bags, lifting them up without using his hands.

“Having three extra limbs comes in handy, ain't that right, MK?” Pigsy joked in an attempt to cheer his boy up.

“Heh, tell me about it!” MK grinned with a chuff, honestly appreciating the comment.

He started toward the door, the bags bobbing behind him in the grip of russet-striped fur. Pigsy waved a cleaver in a half-wave. 

“Stay safe out there.”

“Always do!” MK called over his shoulder, stepping into the morning light, masking his pain behind a grin, like always.

Deliveries were a pain. Every finger hurt and sent a sharp jolt through his hands every time he so much as brushed a button or gripped the steering wheel. When handling food, he made sure to always wear gloves over the bandages. He tried not to grimace too often, smiling through gritted teeth at the usual customers, hoping they didn’t notice how stiff his movements were. It took longer than normal, but thanks to his tails doing most of the work until he absolutely had to hand the orders over, it could’ve been a lot worse.

Once deliveries were finally done, MK let out a breath and checked the time. Late afternoon, perfect. Time to hang out with friends! They had arranged a hangout day not long after MK called them a few days ago. Truth was, he really did miss hanging out with them, and he sure wasn't gonna let his stupid hand pain stop that. He hadn’t seen Red Son in person since the whole three tails situation. They agreed to meet up at the small park near the shop, a cozy space with vending machines, shaded benches, and a lovely overgrown koi pond. As he rounded the corner, he spotted a familiar flash of green.

“MK!” Mei waved like a maniac, earning a few baffled glances from pedestrians. “Took you long enough!”

“Sorry!” MK huffed with a crooked smile. “Traffic was awful!”

Mei narrowed her eyes but said nothing at first. She felt something off immediately, but couldn't pinpoint what. Behind her, Red Son stood beside a bench, arms crossed with his gaze locked on MK.

“You’re walking funny.” Mei said suddenly, stepping around him. “Wait- WOAH! what happened to your hands?”

“Nothing!” MK stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I'm just clumsy, and I burnt my fingers on a boiling pot of water this morning. I should really stop daydreaming while doing that stuff, I know.”

“You’re terrible at lying sometimes, Noodle Boy.”

“Ugh- I know!” MK groaned and slumped forward with a whimper. “It's nothing bad, don't worry!”

“Okay, fine.” Mei finally said, throwing an arm around his shoulder. “But if you complain, I am allowed to say ‘I told you so.’”

“Deal.” MK huffed. He may or may not regret this later.

What he didn’t expect was to be dragged into the neon glow of the arcade. Of course it was the arcade. They were already near it, how didn’t he see it coming? He winced inwardly but forced a grin. Mei had already bolted to her favorite rhythm game, and Red Son walked to other reflex games. MK did his best to play along, literally. He used his elbows where he could, his palms when necessary, and snuck out a tail or two to subtly hit buttons without being seen. It wasn’t perfect. Every once in a while, a jolt of pain reminded him just how torn up his fingers really were. He hid the blood with his jacket cuffs and excuses, and smiled every time one of them looked his way. It wasn't bad, and he made sure to dirty any machine, but it was enough to take several bathroom breaks to change the reddening bandages.

Red Son noticed. He watched MK fumble with simple controls, noticed how he never used his fingertips, how he winced when gripping anything too tightly. The bandages were far too thick to be a simple burn accident. And when MK accidentally dropped his tokens and hissed under his breath, Red Son didn’t miss the way Mei glanced over sharply.

He leaned toward her while MK was distracted pretending he could still play air hockey.

“He’s doing significantly worse off than he’s letting on.” Red Son growled. “You can see it, can’t you?”

“Yup.” Mei nodded. “But if we ask again, he’s just gonna pretend it's fine like always.”

“Then we’ll need to be… Creative.”

“So what's the plan?”

Red Son thought for another minute before suddenly snapping his fingers, getting the Noodle Boy's attention.

“Ah, blast it, I forgot! I left an important blueprint at our hideout! Dragon Girl, you’ll want to see this one, it’s for that bike upgrade you asked for.”

“Dude, what? Not cool!” Mei caught on instantly. “You better not have already built them without me!”

“Oh, uhh, you guys wanna go now?” MK turned to watch them, forgetting about the hockey game.

“Yes.” Red Son said smoothly, already ushering them toward the prize counter. “Let’s cash out. You looked like you were done anyway.”

“Honestly, yeah.” MK yawned. “Today’s been kind of tiring for me.”

He didn’t suspect a thing.

The ride in Red Son’s sleek, rumbling car was uneventful. MK sat quietly, curled up in the back seat, his fingers still hidden in the sleeves of his hoodie. Mei chose music on her phone from the passenger side, playing along with Red Son’s act, but kept shooting glances at MK through the rearview mirror. He was slumped in the back, staring out the window mindlessly. They eventually pulled off the road and into the forest. The rest of the trip was on foot, weaving through trees and up the wooden ladder, opening the trapdoor to their hidden treehouse. MK thought nothing of it, this was their routine.

But the moment they all stepped inside and closed the door and the lights were flicked on, Red Son spun around and grabbed MK firmly by the wrist. MK let out an indignant, surprised simian screech.

"Enough." The fire demon growled. "Why are you hiding your fingers?"

MK flinched, trying to pull away without answering.

"Red, come on, it's nothing, just- Let go-"

"Don't lie to us!" Red Son snapped. “You agreed to go to the arcade with bleeding hands. You let us drag you there and then and pretended it didn’t hurt. What were you thinking?”

“Whoa, whoa- Guys!” Mei stepped between them, arms spread wide. “Hey, let’s just take a breath, alright? Breathe, dummies! Red, I like the enthusiasm, but you’re coming in way too hot. And MK...You are hiding something and you’re freaking us out.”

MK hesitated, shoulders sagging with pain and guilt. Why did he even think he could hide this from them?

“I just… Didn’t want to ruin the day, it's been a while since we hung out.” He rubbed his arm. “I didn’t think it was that bad. I thought I could handle it.”

“You should’ve said something.” Red Son released his wrist, more gently this time. 

“You didn’t have to suffer just to hang out with us,” Mei added, “That’s not how this works, we could have easily done something different!”

“I didn’t want you guys to worry…” MK looked away, eyes on some old banners pinned to the walls.

“Guess what, we are worried,” Red Son snorted, “So stop dodging. Come on, show us.”

MK turned his attention to the floor for a long moment. Then, slowly, with trembling fingers, he pulled his sleeves back. The bandages were soaked through in places since he was unable to change them in the car. Fresh crimson blotches peeked from the gaps where his fingernails were. His fingertips throbbed, still bleeding at the edges. Mei gasped softly and Red Son’s brows furrowed.

“Oh, MK…” Mei murmured, stepping closer. “What happened to you?”

MK sighed shakily and peeled back the bandage on his right index finger. He hadn't had the time or courage to really look at it this morning. But now, all three of them could see it clearly. There was no wound, just smooth, unbroken skin, but blood continued to seep out from seemingly thin air, trailing slowly down his finger.

“What the heck…” Mei breathed, leaning in with wide eyes.

MK hesitated, then transformed into his monkey form. Where his claw should’ve been, there was now an alarmingly deep hole. A wide, clean cavity dug down in the tip of his finger, replacing the bone that was his claw.

“AH!” MK’s fur bristled with a scream. “That’s not normal!”

“MK, what the heck?” Mei took a step back, hand clamped over her mouth in a barely stifled gasp. 

Red Son didn’t flinch. He bent down slightly, inspecting the finger closely.

“There’s something in there ” He announced, reaching out gently. “Hold still.”

“Okay…” MK tried not to sniffle, he wasn't a baby. 

“See that dark line?” Red Son tilted MK’s hand slightly to the light so that they could barely see the bone within. “That’s a finger bone, and a claw attached to it.”

“A new one?” MK flinched as Mei bumped into him to get a better look. “But it looks nothing like my old claws!”

“No, it doesn’t.” Red Son took a picture with his phone before using his flashlight to better see it. “Your old claws had more of a curve, these are longer and sharper, I would compare it to a raptor’s talon rather than your previous monkey claws.”

“That actually sounds kind of metal, but also really painful.” Mei paled a bit. 

“It is.” MK hissed, gripping his wrist. “It really is.”

Red Son must’ve pressed a pressure point on MK’s finger because suddenly-

“Agh!” MK cried out, jerking back in pain.

With a sudden surge, a curved claw shot out from the fingertip like a spring-loaded blade. All three of them jumped, eyes locked on the sleek, hooked claw that now gleamed in the light. It had fully extended, longer, pure white besides some blood, and meaner than any monkey claw MK had ever seen. Halfway, somewhere between the tip and his finger, there was a thin line on each claw like a ring, like it had been folded. For a second, no one said anything.

“…Well,” Mei whispered, “That’s new.”

Then, MK flexed his knuckle, and the claw slipped smoothly back inside the fingertip like it had never been there at all.

“Retractable…” Red Son said, adjusting his glasses and bending down again. “You’re developing retractable claws.”

“Go figure.” MK said, still panting slightly. “I feel like a cat even more now.”

“Purring, a scruff, and now retractable claws, heh.” Mei laughed into a fist.

“Please don't remind me of the scruff.” Red Son grumbled.

With trembling fingers, he undid the rest of the bandages on his right hand. Red Son wordlessly moved to the nearby first aid cabinet and pulled out supplies. Between him and Mei, they cleaned and dressed the new claw sockets carefully. The pain was dulling, but the shock really hadn’t faded. The tips of the claws poked out, appearing smaller than his last pair. As it turned out. They were too long to fully conceal them. Little did anyone know, those claws were longer than any monkey needed them to be, putting feline demons to shame.

Once the right hand was fully wrapped, Red Son reached for the left, but MK paused him.

“Wait.” He said, holding up his left hand. “I wanna try something first.”

He stared at his hand and focused, feeling for the strange new muscles tucked deep under the skin. Like before, there was a pressure on bone that wasn't there before. He flexed, and all five claws shot out at once. It was painful since the wound was still fresh, but it was worth getting a better look at them. They were long, gleaming, and curved ever so slightly forward like blades meant for gripping, climbing, but mostly for slashing and cutting. Craziest of all, they were almost triple the length of normal monkey claws. 

“Whoa!” Mei gasped.

“Okay, that's it.” MK stared down at them with a pounding heart. “This is actually kinda terrifying.”

“Agreed.” Red Son lightly sneered as he carefully began treating the wounds. He dabbed away the blood with gauze, mindful not to press too hard on the sensitive skin around MK’s knuckles. “It’s like your body’s building a new structure underneath. You should’ve told us sooner.”

“Like I said, I didn’t want to freak anyone out,” MK frowned, flinching as Mei gently wrapped the cleaned fingers on his other hand. “I think I'm kinda freaked out, actually."

“Too late for that, Smartie Kid.” She said softly. “But seriously… This is freaky-cool. You’re literally growing retractable claws, think of all the new possibilities!”

MK nervously laughed, watching as Red Son secured the last bit of bandage in place. They packed up the first aid kit and cleaned up the small mess of blood on the floor. They all decided to head home as the sky darkened and the treehouse dimmed with the setting sun. Before they parted ways, Red Son turned to MK and Mei. 

“I’ll show you both what I look like without glamour.” He said, adjusting his coat. “Not today, there's been enough excitement.”

“We knew you used glamour, but I didn’t think you were hiding that much.” 

“The more powerful the demon, the more intense and noticeable the traits are.” Red Son smirked. “It’s easier to blend in this way, trust me. Mine are extremely noticeable. Not in a bad way, it's just annoying to stand out in a crowd all the time.”

MK looked down at his bandaged hands, then up at Red Son. He was surprised when the fire prince laid a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re not alone in this. It’s scary, yes. But it’s also natural for us.”

Even as they said their goodnights and went their separate ways, those words stuck with MK. He waved as he stepped onto his cloud with newly bandaged hands. As he soared upwards in the night, he was already debating on how to break the news to his monkey mentors.

Chapter Text

If he could stop waking up in pain, that would be great, universe.

This morning, MK’s teeth ached deep in his gums, a dull, throbbing pain that made him shoot upright in bed. Panic kicked in immediately. Were his teeth falling out next, like his claws? He rushed to the mirror and yanked his mouth open. Relief washed over him when he saw all his sharp teeth intact, though his gums were definitely swollen. Great, another thing to add to the growing list of weird changes, he would have to keep an eye out on them.

He’d already called off every evening training session and canceled today's hangout with friends with the excuse of sore fingers and toes. Which wasn’t a lie, his fingers still ached, though they’d finally started healing. More recently, the claws on his feet disappeared as they regrew the same retractable ones on his hands. He knew he’d have to come clean soon, especially to his mentors. But he wasn’t quite ready to show off the claws until he could control them without flinching. He wasn't really upset about this change, only mildly annoyed on how they came in. He had to hurry and deep clean his room before anybody found the crime scene his stupid hands made, twice since his feet decided to come in later. Yes, very annoying and mildly infuriating indeed.

In the meantime, MK had been experimenting. Once the pain dulled, he found it surprisingly easier to write and grip objects when the claws were retracted, like he was still in human form. The new ones were sharper, longer, and stronger than his old ones. When fully extended, they locked into place, completely solid and unmoving. More dangerous, but also more functional. MK had gotten creative with his downtime. After getting used to the feel of the new claws, he’d started small since they were still sore. He tapped and scraped them against different materials like wood, metal, and glass to test how sharp they really were. They left light marks on the brink outside his apartment without much pressure, and with a little effort, they carved into a takeout box like it was butter. Wood and even metal stood no chance.

Next, he tried climbing. His apartment wall didn’t appreciate that experiment, but it worked. His claws gave him a confident grip. He noted that it took control not to damage what he held, which meant he'd need to adjust his strength or retract them. He even tried running across the rooftops one night, and was presently surprised to find out that it was actually pretty easy to control all twenty claws. And then, of course, he now had a new scratching post. It was a gag gift from Mei and Red Son after he kept complaining about not being able to sharpen them on anything since everything was too easy to cut. His two goofball friends built him a post made up of incredibly hard steel material. MK scoffed at first, but the second he used it, his muscles relaxed. It was actually kind of amazing. It left marks, but it didn't break, nor did it make an unpleasant screeching sound as he scratched it.

He was right in the middle of scratching, sliding his claws down the post with satisfying resistance, minding his own business, when Monkey King suddenly shimmered into view with a smug grin. MK yelped and nearly fell over.

“Easy, bud!” Wukong's astral projection chuckled, floating upside down with his arms behind his head. “Didn’t mean to spook you. Well, maybe just a little.”

“You can’t just show up like that when I’m… Uhh… Busy!”

“Hey, it's very important!” Wukong grinned wider. “Listen, there’s an emergency village meeting. Something’s up, and we need you there.”

“Serious-serious, or Monkey-King-serious?” MK straightened, claws retracting with a subtle click out of sight of the floating monkey in his room.

“Serious-serious.” Wukong glanced at MK's hands, but only after MK had tucked them in his jacket. “Come soon, I’ll meet you there.”

His golden projection flickered and vanished. MK sighed, grabbing his bandana and opening his window to summon his sommersault cloud. On his way there, he even got a surprise visit from Monkey King again, once again making MK jump and nearly falling into the ocean. 

MK traveled to the village, and after landing, he was immediately greeted by the villagers, some with respectful nods, but most with excited chirps or curious glances. The moment he stepped onto the main path, a small crowd began to form. He walked steadily toward the large meeting hall. It had been padded with thick soundproof walls designed to contain anything from shouting matches to intense debates. It had only recently been finished, all the previous meetings were in a sturdy old building, meaning this would be the first time this hall would be used.

As he moved, monkeys began to flank him, both wild and demon alike. They crept from alleyways, rooftops, and branches, their feet padding across the dirt or tapping softly against stone, falling into an unintentional procession. They were curious and uneasy. His ears twitched as he picked up nervous whispers.

“Did you see his fur?”

“Yeah, redder than before, almost crimson.”

“Do those curls look just like the Great Sage to you or…”

“They shared the same stone, that’d explain it, wouldn’t it?”

That last one made MK stumble a little. He tried not to let the whispers get to him, keeping his posture relaxed and casual even as the crowd thickened further. It was strange, being watched this way. They hadn’t noticed his claws were missing, so that was a plus. He’d tucked them away completely in his jacket, but he couldn't hide his fur. They noticed that the red stripes had grown, nearly covering all of the black. He had a few more curls now, around his shoulders and jawline were hard to hide, and he hadn't even thought of using glamor before coming here. They weren't nearly as pronounced as Monkey King's, but the fact that he had them in the first place was a mystery.

He recovered quickly, politely waving to a few brave cubs who scrambled up wooden light posts to get a better look. Their wide eyes followed his every move. He kept walking until he reached the building. Just before stepping inside, he glanced over his shoulder at the horde of fluffiness following him. Their eyes still lingered even as he stepped inside and locked to doors.

He was the last one to make it. Monkey King’s second astral projection had warned him earlier, appearing while MK was still en route over the ocean. Truly a jumpscare to remember.

“Hey, just checking in, we're waiting for you, okay byeee!” He had teased before vanishing immediately. Yeah, that's literally all he said, leaving MK on his cloud with an arched back like a frightened cat.

By the time MK actually arrived, the meeting had already settled into quiet anticipation. Jing and Euhang were the ones who’d called it, apparently, something that rarely happened unless it was serious. Euhang stood near the front with Shenfang cradled in a wrap across her chest. She gave MK a polite nod. No time to find a sitter, apparently.

Everyone took their places. Jing and Euhang stood at one end of the room while Monkey King and Macaque stood at the opposite side. MK slid into the space next to his mentors, giving him a decent overview of the entire gathering. He took a moment and glanced around the room. The villagers who had come weren’t just ordinary citizens, they were leaders, specialists, and any kind of decision-makers in charge of operations across the mountain. MK recognized most of them. Seated among them were the volunteer scouts and pathfinders, the ones who helped travelers to the mountain. MK counted himself as both, technically. A leader by reputation and luck, and a scout by habit and kindness. 

The moment he sat down, the meeting began.

“We’ve a second missing scout, also, more travelers have not made it here after being directed.” Jing wasted no time. “They’ve been vanishing near the city outskirts near the same stretch of passage routes every time. We’ve checked the paths ourselves, spoken with city locals, and we even combed through abandoned areas. There's no clues telling us what happened.”

Whispers and mumbles began, but Jing raised a hand and pressed on.

“We’re certain this isn’t the work of the usual gangs. We’ve tracked their movements,.too, and lately they’ve been avoiding demon monkeys entirely.”

“They’re afraid of us?” One scout asked with disbelief in his voice.

“No, not really.” Jing said with a humorless smile. “They think there’s a secret organization backing them, and apparently, they think someone’s leading it.”

Macaque arched a brow and slowly turned to MK with a questionable side-eye. MK tried not to meet his gaze and shrugged weakly. 

“Wow, that’s weird.” MK whispered quietly. “Who would think that?”

“They call him the ‘Prince.’ He’s a monkey demon that's got glowing eyes, dark fur, runs up and jumps off buildings, and can punch a hole through a wall.” Jing continued. “Ring a bell, anyone?”

Everyone turned to stare at MK. The younger monkey shrank back in his seat. 

“...Dang it.”

“Honestly, that works in our favor.” Macaque broke the silence with a brief chuckle. “If they think we’ve got some all-powerful monkey defending our people, they’ll stay far away from our travelers.”

“We didn’t even have to scare them ourselves, how convenient.” Wukong smirked.

“I scared ONE gang!” MK groaned, putting his face in his hands. “I didn’t mean to start rumors!”

“Accidental or not, it’s helping.” Euhang smiled faintly. “No demon monkeys have been targeted by gangs ever since the rumors arose.”

MK didn’t share their confidence. He slouched in his seat, eyes landing on the map spread out on the central table. He hadn't realized that was there until now. The main routes were marked in ink, with all the missing locations circled or starred. The circles were for travelers and stars were for scouts.

“But what if this isn’t good?” He said, fidgeting with a new corkscrew curl on his wrist. “The gangs are backing off, but if monkeys are still going missing without a trace, then what’s the point? It just means something worse could be out there!”

Macaque and Wukong both turned to him as he spoke his thoughts.

“What if they're trying to find me or lure one of you out? What if they’ve already figured out who the ‘Prince’ actually is?”

The room went quiet for a beat. 

“If I had a nickel for every time someone tried to hunt you down, I’d have way more than two.” Jing hissed under his breath.

It could be good and bad, there simply wasn’t enough information to tell. Meanwhile, they had other issues to attend to. A rather heated debate had started between Jing and a scout.

“Blocking the roads entirely would cause panic. Travelers will think we’re under siege.”

“But leaving them open without protection is careless!” Snapped a scout that patrolled around Sandy’s harbor. “We can’t keep ignoring the disappearances. Sooner or later someone important is going to vanish.”

“We’re all important,” An elder said, “And we need eyes on those roads. How about employing armed escorts?”

“Not enough bodies for that.” A captain of the guard said, frowning. “We’re stretched thin.”

“I’ll take a loop around the city perimeter by myself.” Wukong raised a hand, gathering everyone's attention. “Nothing gets by me unless I want it to.”

“You sure that’s not just ego talking?” Macaque said dryly. “I’ll go, too. Same areas, but after dark. And MK can tag along, the harbor isn't too far from his place, and I'm sure he knows all the back roads and shortcuts. He's better at disappearing in that concrete jungle than perhaps all of us.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” MK blinked, startled by the praise.

“If MK teaches those paths to a few scouts, we can also create escape routes.” Euhang suggested, trying her best to ignore the ball of strawberry fluff that was now gnawing her finger. “I've seen first hand just how effective he is with those.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Wukong nodded. “Let’s give them a reason to be scared of the ‘Prince.’”

That earned a mix of snorts and chuckles around the room.

“While they’re out tonight, how about setting up a check-in system?” Suggested one of the village coordinators. “Travelers can follow from the edge of the city to the foot of the mountain. They can write down their name somewhere as they pass each checkpoint.”

“We could post symbols!” offered another. “On the trees or signs. Someone could cast a spell and make it hidden to outsiders, but clear to monkeys descended from the mountain? Is that possible to do?”

“And someone should always escort them up, even partway.” Said a lead scout. “If the gangs think we’re organized and watching, they’ll continue to stay away.”

After a flurry of agreements and final details, Wukong stood and cleared his throat. 

“Alright, sounds like we’ve got a game plan. Jing, would that be all for now?”

“Yes.” Jing nodded.

“Very well, let's get our ideas organized!” Wukong waved his hand, dismissing everyone. “Meeting adjourned!” 

The room gradually emptied, everyone headed off. Their voices echoed into the halls as they began preparing for a long night. MK went out the back door with Macaque and Wukong, the fading sun casting long shadows across the stone path behind the meeting hall. The moment they were out of earshot, Wukong let out a groan and rolled his eyes.

“Ugh, I’ll probably be stuck here all night doing boring King stuff. Meetings about meetings. Scrolls. Strategy. You know, the fun stuff.”

“Oh no.” Macaque snickered. “The consequences of your actions.”

“I earned that consequence, thank you very much.” Wukong lifted his chin smugly.

“Sure you did.” Macaque said, then turned to MK with a half-smirk. “If you’re up for it, we can hit the city tonight. I’d rather be out in the field than stuck listening to old monkeys debate politics again, my six ears can't take this nonsense for much longer.”

“I’m ready when you are!” MK nodded quickly. “And honestly, I need the distraction. Everyone was staring at me weirdly there. Like I was… I don’t know, different?”

“They’re just figuring it out.” Macaque said, even if he also had a strange expression on his face. “Give it time, or don’t. I don't care what they think of me apperance anymore, and neither should you.”

“Alrighty, I'll leave both if you do it, good luck!” Wukong had turned to leave, but paused when MK suddenly called out.

“Wait! I almost forgot, I wanted to show you something!”

“Oh? What is it, bud?”

“Okay, don’t freak out.” MK hesitated only a second before holding out his hands. 

Both mentors looked over. He turned his palms up and curled his fingers slightly curled. His sharp, dark claws that once tipped each digit were gone. His hands looked bare. 

“Uhhhhhhh-” Wukong's jaw hung. “Bud, what happened to your claws? Why are they so tiny, now?”

“MK?” Macaque stepped forward.

“They fell out, I found bones buried in my sheets after I had to clean them.” MK laughed nervously at the morbid idea. “I woke up the other day and it was messy, trust me.”

“All of them?” Macaque crouched down and grabbed one of MK’s ankles before he could protest. Sure enough, there were no claws there as well, just faint ridges where they used to be with the tiniest claw tips poking out the skin.

“That’s not normal!” Wukong’s face had gone pale. “You’re not supposed to just shed claws like a gecko's tail!”

“I said not to freak out, I'm okay!” MK declared honestly. “I'm pretty sure it's another annoying trait, watch this.”

He flexed his fingers, and after a soft click, long, curved white claws suddenly snapped out from his fingertips like spring-loaded blades. Just like he, Mei, and Red Son had, his mentors both jumped back at the sudden movement.

“Holy crap!” Wukong gasped. “Where were you keeping those?”

“They retract now.” MK wiggled them a little. “See?”

“Fascinating.” Macaque gently grabbed one of MK’s hands to inspect it. “Retractable claws are ambush predator anatomy. They'll be Perfect for climbing or surprise attacks. You could gut someone just by kicking them. Gotta say, I'm pretty jealous.”

He let his mentors each take one of his hands. Wukong gently prodded the skin where the claws vanished into, while Macaque tilted his head, looking closely at the slight crease in skin above each fingertip. MK then retracted the claws on his index fingers, showing the small, clean slit they tucked into. The very tips poked out, hardly noticeable with a brief glance. 

“Okay, hear me out. I think the claws fold into a little sheath built inside the bone and muscle of each finger, like a pocket?” Wukong's rare Great Sage mode had been activated. “Judging by that faint line in the center, they probably fold when retracted and slide along a tendon path, kind of like how cat claws work, but deeper.”

“That’s kind of gross!” MK wrinkled his muzzle while watching Wukong poke at the spot again.

“Gross? No way, it’s awesome! It’s like a built-in weapon!” Wukong ruffled MK’s reddish fur. “Do they still hurt?”

“Not anymore.” MK said. “But I do keep accidentally slicing into everything, I've been practicing climbing and it's definitely different now.”

“You’ve got tails for that now.” Macaque reminded him. “Use the claws when you want to scare someone or rip something apart. I bet they'd be useful for tonight's excursion.”

Wukong couldn't delay any longer. He gave MK one last smile before stepping away, ruffling his fur one last time.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Absolutely no impulse control and plenty of reckless decisions?” Macaque teased.

“Yeah, precisely that.” Wukong grinned over his shoulder but his tone changed seriously for just a second. “Keep your eyes on him, alright?”

“Uh-huh, of course, your Majesty.” Macaque rolled his eyes. “He’s not leaving my sight.”

Wukong vanished when he rounded a corner, leaving two dark monkeys behind. MK exhaled and looked up at Macaque.

“So… Now what?”

“Now we gear up.” Macaque passed him a toothy, crooked smile.

He led MK through the winding back paths of the village, past curious glances from monkeys. Whispers followed them, but Macaque didn’t stop or slow down. He pushed open a carved wooden door tucked beneath one of the village’s older buildings. The inside was cool and smelled faintly of wood oil and cloth. It was an armory, well-maintained and well-used. Weapons lined the walls, but Macaque didn’t lead MK to those. Instead, he brought him to a side room where a short demon monkey with black fur sat stitching beside an open window.

“Jun, this MK, the one I told you about.” Macaque greeted.

The seamstress looked up, eyes twinkling behind round glasses. 

“Ah, the Prince himself.”

“Oh, uhh, MK is fine, ma'am!” MK flushed.

“Sure thing, MK.” She chuckled and stood. “Come here, sugar, let’s get you measured. I'm assuming you're here because you need something, correct?”

“I asked for a replica of my stealth fit.” Macaque leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “All black, lightweight, and packed with hidden pockets. The same one as mine would do, plus a black bandana.”

“Oh yes, I can do that.” Jun said with a smile as she measured MK’s shoulders. “I’ve never made so many interior compartments before. You sure this one won’t tangle his tails in his own pants?”

“Wait, how many pockets are we talking about?” MK raised an eyebrow.

“Enough to stash snacks, smoke bombs, and maybe three or so knives, minimum.” Macaque smirked. 

“Yes, very spacious and useful.” Jun added, moving quickly as she scribbled down numbers. 

“Heh, do I get a cape or something?”

“No capes.” Both Jun and Macaque growled at the same time.

“Why not?” MK pouted.

“Oh, that's easy.” Macaque said. “You’ll get it caught on something. I don't wear mine when I need stealth, only when I need to intimidate enemies.”

“That's right.” Jun winked. “And nothing ruins a mission like being strangled by your own fashion choice.”

“Oh.” Was all MK said in return.

“Give me an hour or two.” Jun concluded, already grabbing black fabric. “Come back before sunset, it’ll be ready.”

“Thank you, Jun.” Macaque gave a grateful nod. “You’re the best.”

“And don’t ya forget it!” She grinned back at him with a sharp-toothed smile that rivaled his own.

The duo stepped back out into the village streets, and Macaque gestured forward.

“C’mon.” He said. “We’ll stock up next. We've got a few more places to hit before nightfall.”

They spent the next hour moving from stall to stall, grabbing essentials such as water flasks, a pair of daggers, some dried fruit and jerky, and a few small pouches of powdered spice, Macaque’s favorite for blinding opponents in a pinch.

“Sweet!” MK chirped while inspecting their items. “But do we need night vision goggles or something?”

Macaque froze mid-step, then let out a sudden, booming laugh that echoed through the trees. Several nearby villagers jumped, startled. One even dropped a basket of fruit.

“...What?”

“Kid, we’ve got built-in night vision.” Still chuckling, Macaque wiped at his eye. “So good that you could probably see finer details in the dark if you squinted.”

“Oh, right.” MK grinned. “That makes sense.”

By the time the sun dipped low behind the trees and the shadows stretched long across the village paths, they made their way back to the armory and Jun's section of the building. True to her word, she had the outfit ready. MK’s jaw dropped when he saw it. It was made of sleek black fabric with dozens of subtle seams hiding even more pockets than he could count.

“Whoa!”

“Told you it’d be perfect.” Jun beamed with a proud purr.

Macaque helped adjust the belts across MK’s torso and thighs, cinching them tight enough to stay and light enough to breathe. He stepped behind him and gently gathered MK’s long head fur, tying it back into a bun with the freshly-stitched black bandana before using sturdy hair clips to pin his bangs back.

“Your fur’s getting long.” The older monkey said. “You’ll look like me at this rate.”

“I don’t think I can pull that off.” MK said, grinning despite himself.

“Sure you can, if it keeps going, you will.”

Once MK was situated, Jun handed Macaque his own matching set, and once he’d suited up, the two of them looked near-identical in the shadows of the room.

“Are you ready for this?” Macaque asked, tying his own fur out of his amber eyes.

“Yeah!” MK nodded once. “Let’s go find out what’s hiding in the dark.”

Chapter Text

MK guided the speeding cloud over the glittering water. Macaque stayed crouched beside him as the wind tousled his fur. The sky behind them shone with the glow of pink and amber as the city’s lights slowly flickered to life below. By the time the sun had vanished completely, they landed in the outskirts where concrete met shadow. 

They didn’t speak, simply because they didn’t need to. After a brief glance exchanged between them, they launched onto the rooftops. Their feet thudded softly over old shingles and concrete ledges as they moved in sync, both on all fours. MK followed Macaque’s lead for a minute, then passed him with a snarky grin. Macaque chittered and gave chase. They raced through the night, leaping over large gaps, darting across laundry lines like vines, and even ran through some poor lady's house when she left all her windows open. 

“Is it just me, are you getting slow?” MK took a daring leap and rolled into a smooth landing, grinning up at Macaque as he took the lead. “You're really not beating the grandpa allegations, I mean it!”

“You know the city better than me, this doesn’t count!” Macaque stuck his tongue out mid-run. 

They paused on a tall rooftop, crouching next to each other. They took deep breaths, looking at the view of the horizon, glowing with neon lights.

“I missed hanging out like this.” MK panted and glanced over.

Macaque didn’t respond at first, but then his tail found one of MK's.

“Yeah… Me too.”

Then, with another nod, they took off again, like silent shadows leaping across rooftops, searching the city for the signs of anything suspicious lurking in the dark. They haven't been in the city together since they've spied on Jing and Euhang a while back. Heck, they hardly hung out alone anymore. But here, they could run wild.

They ventured deeper into the city, past shuttered windows and flickering street signs, through alleys painted with graffiti and across rooftops cluttered with antennas and loose rocks. The noise rose with every leap with sirens in the distance, music from a block party, voices, engines, barking dogs, loud horns. 

MK didn't think that something was different at first. It was akin to feeling pressure, like being deep underwater… But eventually, it was too much, like a frog in water not realizing it was slowly heating until it boiled over. Right in the middle of a leap, a shiver went down his spine, and his foot slipped under him as he landed, tumbling across a rooftop. Now on his side, he curled up tight and pressed his hands to his temple. The wind brushing past his fur felt like little needles. The ground thudded beneath him with every shout, every honk, every pass of a car and every single rumble of nearby construction zones. His own thoughts jumbled like clattering stones, constantly building up toppling over each other. The city wasn't any louder than he was used to, but it FELT like it was.

“Wait… WAIT!” He called out to Macaque, who had yet realized something was wrong. MK tried to get up, but staggered and fell again. “I can’t… It hurts!”

“MK?” Macaque skidded to a halt, snapping his head around and perked his ears.

“GRR- Everything’s too much, it’s like I can FEEL everything, the ground and sky are buzzing!” MK hunched over, gripping his head as he tried not to hyperventilate. “It's like the whole city is moving! Through the ground and my tails, I didn’t notice before but now it's too much, I don’t- I ca- I can’t focus!”

Macaque was at his side in seconds, lifting MK up into his arms and bringing the younger monkey to his chest. He immediately brushed his cheek fur close to MK's nose.

“Remember to focus on breathing when you're stressed,” He instructed, “It’s okay, look at me.”

MK looked up, gripping Macaque’s fur as he took deep breaths, finding it much easier to pay attention to the minty scent that clung to his muzzle. His three tails lashed and twitched, reacting to the endless rumbles in the ground with fur on end. MK stumbled, clutching the base of his tails with his feet, as if holding them might help. The other monkey noticed.

“Just as I thought, you’re just overstimulated,” Macaque looked over to MK's reactive tails. “It happened to me often when I was younger, I didn't realize my senses were growing stronger until it hurt.”

“It’s like I can feel the entire world!” MK cried into Macaque’s fur. “And my tails won’t stop shaking, they hurt the most!”

“I believe it because they’re picking up vibrations.” Macaque guessed, crouching beside him. “You've been complaining about sensing more vibrations during training sessions lately, I've prepared for this possibility.”

“You mean… They’re supposed to do this?”

“It might be a new trait, congrats.” Macaque nodded. “I feel ya, the city’s a lot. I get overwhelmed here, too. My trick is to focus on one thing and drown the rest out. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually.”

“Will it, though?”

“I’ve got six of these, remember?” He reached up and tapped the edge of MK’s ear with a faint smirk on his face. “If I didn’t learn how to block things out, I’d have gone insane centuries ago.”

“Right… I forgot.” MK whispered. “That’s kinda impressive.”

“Kinda?” Macaque scoffed playfully. “Kid, I’ve taught myself half a dozen dampening spells just to survive slightly noisy festivals. I've also figured out that glamour spells help, especially ones that tune perception. If your senses are too open, you can just lower it with magic.”

“So, in a way, it’s not just me?” MK laughed despite himself, already noticing how their conversation was distracting him from the intense vibrations.

“Not even close, you’ve got strong traits coming in,” Macaque snickered, “Stronger than most I’ve seen. With traits like that, you're really reminding me of a younger version of myself with all those stripes in your fur, extra limbs, and growing senses!”

There was a pause. MK looked up at him with a puzzled expression, freeing his nose from fur. Macaque’s face went still, realizing a bit too late what he just implied. 

“…What do you mean?” MK asked slowly.

Macaque opened his mouth, then shut it again with an audible click.

“Macaq-”

“Hey, hold up, do you know how to use glamor yet?” Macaque cut in louder than he needed to be.

“Uhhhh… Yeah?” MK flinched, caught off guard. “I’ve done it before to hide my identity from Jing and his troop back then, remember? I could probably use some extra help to master it.”

“I can do that.” Macaque chirped, already moving again. “Let’s get you to a quieter area first, then we’ll go over it properly.”

MK didn’t argue. The thrum of the city was still too much, especially beneath his feet, in his chest, and worst of all, through his tails. They quivered, still twitching with every beat of movement around them, almost like fuzzy antennas.

“Want a lift?” Macaque offered, glancing over his shoulder.

“Oh, yeah, thanks.” MK hesitated only a second before nodding. 

He scrambled onto Macaque’s back without hesitation, gripping the fur peeking out from his shoulders while his feet gripped fabric. His left and right tails wound together around Macaque’s torso while the middle one remained free. Macaque then leapt forward again, retracing their path. The buildings thinned out as they moved toward the quieter edge of the city where they first landed. Resting like this on his second mentor's back soothed MK just a little, though he still grimaced now and then at some unseen pulse in the air.

“Glamor is basically a thin veil of magic, it allows you to change or hide a physical attribute.” Macaque said as he slowed their pace, hopping onto a shorter rooftop and letting MK slide down from his back. “It actually changes the outward appearance, so when I used to hide my ears, it truly felt like I had one pair until I removed the spell. My senses also change, and my hearing dulled. When I was revived from death, that spell helped me adjust after… Well, let's just say a while of not using them. I have all six out now, a little extra information of the world is worth the potential pain.”

MK nodded and closed his eyes, focusing on the three limbs that split from his spine. They spazzed out, overly sensitive, catching every breeze and footstep on the ground below. It was still too much. But every time he thought he had it, a rumble would jolt through him again and throw it off. His ears twitched sharply at a siren far off in the distance. His tails bristled with frustration. He breathed in deep to try again, doing his absolute best to remember what it felt like to have only one tail. He tried to recall how lightweight it was, reminiscing on the simple balance he used to have. He imagined folding the other two away, imagining them pulling into himself like they were never there to begin with, or maybe just poofing away… But nothing happened. MK opened his eyes with a frown, looking at his swaying tails.

“It’s not working.”

“It may be harder because your traits are still new.” Macaque sighed.

“Wonderful.”

Then, the dark monkey stepped forward and gently placed a hand near the base of MK’s tails. MK stiffened again, but didn’t pull away.

“There’s a popular alternative, though.” Macaque said. “Not as elegant, it won’t hide them, but it’ll help dull the sensations a bit. It's impossible to cast certain spells like glamor on another person, only you can change your appearance… But I can do this.”

There was a faint violet glow that lit Macaque’s palm, and a shimmer trailed down MK’s tails. MK shivered as the magic settled into the fur, then sighed in relief. The vibrations were still there, still stronger than normal, but manageable. He can handle this.

“…Wow.” MK breathed as his body loosened. “That’s way better. Still there, but not stabbing my spine every two seconds.”

“It’s a dampening spell,” Macaque explained, “it's much easier to break than glamor, so be careful, but it's good in a pinch. You were holding yourself together pretty well, gotta say.”

“Seriously, thanks.” MK smiled weakly. 

“Don’t mention it.” Macaque patted MK's head. “I'll remove it when you feel more confident. Heck, you can probably figure out how to remove it if you really want.”

He turned away to look out over the city below. MK followed his eyes, watching the flicker of neon signs and the distant flashes of traffic lights.

“Feel ready now?” Macaque asked with a smirk.

MK flexed his fingers, unsheathing his claws and gave his tails a small shake.

“Yeah.” He declared. “Let’s go.”

Now that the vibrations no longer overwhelmed his senses, MK found his footing again, both physically and mentally. With a new happy spring in his step, he grinned and gestured for Macaque to follow.

“C’mon! I wanna show you my favorite routes.”

“By all means, lead the way.” Macaque was willing to hang back and relax for a while.

MK became the guide. He darted through narrow alleys and leapt over air vents, glancing back every so often to make sure Macaque was keeping up. Not that he needed to, Macaque could match his pace in his sleep, but he liked being out front for once. He pointed out hidden ladders tucked behind broken signs, shortcuts through crumbling skylights, and ledges just strong enough to carry their weight. All the sneaky little tricks he’d picked up from years of running these streets. The duo looped in and out of the deeper city like ghosts, watching for anything suspicious, any flicker of danger. They moved in sync without speaking, and Macaque was more than happy to hang back, letting MK call the shots.

The kid was sharp. He tracked movement on the streets, picked up on stimuli others might miss, sensed wrongness even before it had shape, it impressed Macaque more than he expected. And despite the new tails, MK hadn’t tripped once. He was adapting on the spot. And more than that, he belonged here. MK didn’t flinch when they returned to the deeper city, successfully blocking out distractions and was fully focused on the task ahead. Macaque stayed quiet, letting the quiet pride settle in his chest as he watched the kid run and skip street lights with a smile.

It was then that something odd happened. From the corner of his eye, Macaque noticed his own shadows creeping along the rooftops. Normally they stayed close, but tonight, they drifted toward MK, and the younger monkey didn’t even seem to notice. If anything, he fit right in. The shadows reached for him, subtlety wrapping around his legs and arms curiously. Macaque watched, mesmerized. Huh… They’ve never done that before. Most people shy away from his shadows, even when they weren’t inherently dangerous unless he made them. Even when they were calm, they unsettled folks, but MK melted into them. Even despite the streaks of lighter fur he’d developed recently, his pelt still drank in light the way Macaque’s did.

MK was going to make for the perfect night patrol partner. It wasn’t just the way he moved, though that was a big part of it. He was fast, quiet, and clever in a way Macaque rarely saw in someone so young, even if he was extremely naive at times. But more than that, MK had incredible instincts. Not to mention the kid could fully hide his presence and aura, something demons usually took centuries to learn to do fully, and MK had mastered it in a few weeks. He was starting to use his extra traits without hesitation, too. His tails helped him balance, now capturing invisible sound waves, and even when overwhelmed earlier, he hadn’t shut down. He adapted to whatever the world threw at him. He didn't want these traits at first, but he had taken it in stride and used it to his full advantage. 

He also had a way of easing tension without trying. Macaque had spent countless nights alone, surrounded by nothing but his own thoughts and shadows. But with MK here, the hours passed faster, and another pair of eyes, ears, and just a couple more tails was useful for anyone. And his enthusiasm was infectious. No matter how dark the alleys or how late the hour, MK still grinned like he was on some grand adventure. 

By the time the one of the many city clocks chimed past midnight, Macaque felt sleepy. It didn't help that the temperature was freezing cold. He stretched neck and rolled his shoulders with a groan. 

“Alright, kid. I’m calling it. As fur-for-brains would put it, I need my beauty sleep.”

“Hey, uh, I was gonna ask… Do you wanna just crash at my place tonight?” MK lit up a little. “It’s closer than heading all the way back. You’ve stayed over once before, you know what to expect! Besides, I already built a nest and everything…”

Okay, now that was tempting. Macaque remembered the last time MK had curled up instantly in a pile of plush blankets and clothes. Since Macaque didn't really like beds, they made a mini-nest out of whatever soft material was around. It wasn't bad, and he could never forget that wonderful, heavenly heater next to MK's bed, as if MK himself wasn't already one.

“…Alright, you win.”

MK beamed. It really was too good to pass up. He led the way through dim alleys and up the sides of buildings like it was second nature. Macaque followed close behind, doing his best not to visibly shiver. Curse the autumn weather. Just a little longer, and he could bask in the blessing that was indoor heating. 

When they reached MK’s building, the younger monkey hopped up to his window and unlocked it before clambering inside. Macaque stared up at him from the fire escape.

“You have a perfectly good fire escape.” He pointed out dryly.

“Yeah, but that's lame!” MK peered down with a wrinkled muzzle. “I guess Mei always used the window when she’d sneak over when we were younger. Then Red Son started doing the same thing recently. You want in on that tradition, too?”

Macaque snorted and climbed in after him, muttering while MK laughed from the windowsill. The moment he was inside, Macaque’s amber eyes locked on the bed instantly, and more specifically, the nest built atop it. It wasn't like the one they had made in a few minutes like last time. MK had clearly put time into this. The thing was layered, reinforced, structured like a hollowed-out cocoon with high, solid edges. It was clean, clearly cared for, and more than anything else, it reeked of MK’s scent, singling that MK had been actively sleeping like this. Funnily enough, MK hadn't bothered to turn the light on for them.

“I’m gonna wash up real quick!” MK called, flicking the heater on with a satisfying click before disappearing into the bathroom with a change of clothes in hand.

Alone, Macaque slipped into the shadows and popped out moments later dressed in loose, comfortable clothes. A short-sleeved lavender shirt with yellow sunflowers and matching satin pants, his favorite sleepwear, and something he'd never let Wukong catch him in. He was already eyeing the nest like a starving man at a banquet.

He crawled in. It was so warm. Macaque curled up instantly, pressing his cheek into one of the heavier blankets, letting out a quiet purr before he could stop himself. His cold fur and skin greedily soaked in every drop of heat. The structure of the nest was solid, supportive, and somehow gentle at the same time. Had MK built this for himself? Macaque was honestly impressed. It was probably one of the best nests he’d ever curled up in, and that was saying something. The kid might not be a pro at using leaves and twigs, but he made do with the materials he had here. Macaque stretched out, muscles finally beginning to thaw.

“Kid really does know what he’s doing.” He sighed.

MK emerged from the bathroom in a soft shirt and loose sweatpants, towel drying the ends of his fur. The second he spotted Macaque half-buried in the nest, he didn’t say a word. He just smiled, tossed the towel over his shoulder, and padded over. With zero hesitation, MK crawled in and snuggled close. He knew the most comfortable spot by heart at this point. He curled into Macaque’s chest with his nose nuzzled into the thick mane just below his chin. His ear was pressed flat over the older monkey’s neck, and his arms slid easily beneath Macaque’s shoulders, pulling him close. Three long tails coiled gently around Macaque’s singular one, twining together. Macaque let out a long, relaxed breath. His chest rose and fell slower as his hands vanished in MK's fur.

“…You’re getting way too good at this.” He chuffed.

“I know.” MK whispered back, already sounding half-asleep.

Macaque didn’t reply. He just rested his chin on MK’s head, eyes slipping shut, finally letting himself melt into the heat. The night outside might’ve been cold and loud, but here in this little nest with MK’s warmth pressed against him, it was peaceful.

MK fell asleep first. Usually, Macaque was the one out cold the moment they hit the nest, clinging to whatever body heat he could steal without looking too desperate. But tonight, MK had barely settled before his breathing slowed. Macaque stayed still for a while, listening to the heater beside the bed. Then, as slowly and carefully as possible, he leaned back just enough to get a better look at him. He brushed a hand over MK’s back, combing his claws through the thick, dark red pelt. It had grown richer in color, deeper and fuller. Now, new stripes were appearing on top of the red, lighter than the rest of, like streaks of terracotta or burnt orange painted into his coat. They ran down his arms, his sides, even appearing faintly along the base of his tails.

Macaque hesitated for a long moment before he dropped his glamor. It rippled off him, fading from his fur until his true pelt was revealed beneath. The color lightened, no longer the endless black he kept projected, but a cool, dark gray. And, like MK, lighter stripes emerged across his arms and shoulders a mere shade lighter. He stared at them, then at MK’s fur again, nestled so peacefully against his chest. Next to each other, they didn’t just look similar, not exactly matching, but closely enough to stir unease deep in Macaque’s chest.

Without thinking, he reached into the shadow beside him and pulled out his phone. A little beat-up, barely used, but always nearby. He rarely kept anything on it, just a few pictures of things that caught his interest. Most of the time, he used it to talk to MK or Wukong. He lifted it now and took a picture without the flash of MK’s red fur with terracotta stripes, pressed against his own gray coat with its mirrored markings, making sure the moonlight provided enough luminance to capture a good picture.

He stared at it for a second. Then, slowly, he tapped the contact that said “Sunshine.”

Moonlight: look at this.

He sent the picture right after. The message was sent with a soft ping, the little circle beside Wukong’s icon remained unlit. The King was probably dead asleep somewhere on the mountain, tangled in his ridiculously soft peach pink blanket. Seriously, where did he even get that thing? Macaque exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose before reapplying the glamor. In a blink, the gray vanished beneath black again. It wasn't just the stripes that bothered him. MK had a way with shadows, too. Macaque had noticed it during patrol, the kid’s presence barely disturbed the flow of darkness. Plus, the shadows reached out to him, curious and quiet, the same way they did to Macaque before he manifested his magic. But none of that make sense, MK already had magic, so he for sure didn't have shadow magic. It didn't matter, he was merging with the shadows even right now, even in sleep. The nest sat in near darkness, but MK blended into it effortlessly. Macaque stared for a long moment with his heart caught in his throat.

This was surely another strange coincidence.

…Right?

MK turned slightly in his sleep, breath hitching in a heavy yawn for half a second before it steadied again in a consistent purr. One of his tails tightened its hold around Macaque’s.

“…What are you, kid?” He whispered wearily, buying his nose in MK's floppy bangs.

He settled into the nest, curling around MK’s body in an embrace. The heat soaked into him like a balm. He could already feel the cold draining from his limbs, replaced by the steady comfort of being held. A soft, deep purr rumbled from his chest that matched MK's, and Macaque let it rise freely.

Even with the worrisome thoughts swishing around in his noggin, he didn’t even realize he was smiling when he finally drifted off.

Chapter Text

Macaque stirred first, blinking slowly in the heavy warmth of the room. The hum of the heater was still going strong, surrounding them in blissful heat. MK remained asleep pressed in close, but woke not too long after. His arms were still tucked beneath Macaque’s shoulders, and his three tails were still wrapped around his. Well, at least he wasn't being suffocated again. Neither of them spoke. Instead, the room was filled with soft, sleepy noises of gentle chirrs, little chitters, warbles, and coos that passed between them in a special way monkeys sometimes spoke in the mornings. MK replied to Macaque’s low rumble with a squeaky chirp of his own, still too drowsy to bother moving.

But eventually all good things must come to an end. 

“It’s almost noon.” MK yawned. 

His body stretched against Macaque’s before untangling himself. Macaque whined quietly at the loss of contact, but let him go. MK rolled out of the nest with his mentor and shuffled off, leaving Macaque to change and as he grabbed clothes from a drawer and retreated to his bathroom. He returned a few minutes later in a red tank top and faded blue jean shorts, face still damp from splashing water.

When he stepped back into the room, the heat hit him like a wall.

“Geez, was it this warm when I left?” MK wheezed, fanning his face. “This room feels like a sauna! Are you okay?”

Macaque, very much okay, had already climbed back into the nest, now somehow dressed in a red hanfu. His eyes were barely open, a contented look on his face as he slowly sank deeper into the blankets, half-pretending he hadn’t heard MK.

“You filthy traitor.” MK teased, giggling as he dropped to his knees and grabbed at Macaque’s arms. “I got you out of that nest once, I can do it again!”

“Not happening.” Macaque groaned, trying to roll away. “I just got comfortable-”

“You already were comfortable, you heat-seeking shadow!”

Macaque let out a terrifying yet completely threadless snarl as MK dug his hands under his arms and started tugging. Eventually, with a reluctant groan and a final, overly exaggerated flop, Macaque allowed himself to be dragged out of the nest, blinking in the bright midday light on the floor of MK’s little apartment.

“There.” MK grinned with all his teeth, triumphant. “See? It’s not so bad, you're just cranky.”

Macaque yawned wide enough to flash some fangs and muttered an incoherent complaint that might’ve been words, but MK didn’t bother deciphering it. Instead, he chirped. It was a quick, high-pitched sound that echoed in the quiet apartment, just to convince the broody monkey to wake up. It worked. With a stretch that popped his joints and another heavy sigh, Macaque finally stood and followed MK down the stairs.

The shop was unusually quiet for a Sunday. Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy were all gathered at the counter, mid-conversation, but no customers lingered, the dining area was completely empty. The open sign still glowed faintly in the window, but the stillness inside felt more like early morning than noon. Odd, but not impossible. The weather was overcast, hinting at cold rain.

MK waved to everyone and headed straight for the kitchen, poking around in the fridge until he found what he was looking for. 

“Hey, good news!” He said, pulling out two leftover bowls of noodles. “I got your favorite from a leftover order!”

He dumped the contents into a pan to reheat, and while they waited, he tossed extra soy sauce into one of the bowls, because of course he remembered how Macaque liked it. Once it was hot and ready, he passed the soy-soaked bowl to the older monkey, who accepted it with a pleased coo and barely-mumbled thanks. With a smug glance directed at Tang, Macaque pushed money across the counter towards the chef.

They sat down together and ate slowly, chatting between savory mouthfuls while Pigsy wiped down the counters, Tang half-listened from behind a book, and Sandy brewed a fresh pot of tea for everyone with Mo on his shoulders. Once the bowls were empty, MK jumped out of his seat.

“Alright! We should head out again.”

“Already?” Tang asked, raising a brow. “You just woke up! It's the weekend, relax!”

“Exactly.” MK grinned. “That means we’re well-rested!”

“I wouldn't be opposed to sleeping in.” Macaque sighed with his head on his hand. “Mayne we should go back upstairs where its warm and-”

“Later, guys!” MK jumped out his arms, waving at the trio before Macaque could complain again.

“See ya!” Tang sipped a fresh cup of tea that Sandy passed over.

“Have fun!” Sandy called.

“Mrow!” Mo yowled.

“Don’t start any fights unless you’re planning to win them!” Pigsy added with a gruff laugh.

MK laughed too, already heading for the back door with Macaque trailing behind him, looking more awake after eating a bowl of seafood and soy noodles, coincidently, one of MK's favorites as well.

They both took the form of albatrosses to travel to the mountain. It was Macaque’s idea, actually, instead of riding MK’s cloud, wanting to make sure he's actually awake. The glide over the ocean was smooth and quiet at first with nothing but the wind brushing beneath their feathers as the shorelines shrank behind them. But it didn’t stay calm for long. A game started when MK tilted his large wings a little too much and veered just close enough to bump Macaque. That led to a snap of Macaque’s beak. And then suddenly, they were off, dipping and diving, transforming mid-air in a game of tag. Hummingbirds, hawks, eagles, crows, songbirds, they pulled all the stops out. 

MK cackled as he morphed into a bright, scruffy rooster.

“Let’s see who glides the longest!” He crowed to the side. A crown of long feathers flopped over his head, resembling a rockstar's wild hairdo.

Macaque, unwilling to let that slide, turned into a sleeker, more dignified rooster, complete with a black spiked rose comb, muffs, and a beard. He matched MK’s glide, feathers nearly touching, coasting the wind. MK lasted about a minute before a strong gust nudged him too close to the waves. His balance tipped again, and with a panicked squawk, he flailed and shapeshifted to a seagull.

“That was too close!” He cawed.

Macaque laughed and also shifted forms, then dove after him as a kestrel. After a final swoop, he called out, 

“Summon your cloud!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Just do it!”

Still catching his breath, MK complied. His cloud appeared beneath him. Macaque landed beside him and immediately shifted back to his demon form, black fur ruffled from wind and flying. MK followed suit, landing next to him in his demon form. But before MK could ask what was going on, Macaque reached into a nearby shadow and pulled out his phone. He turned his back slightly, keeping the screen hidden from view as he unlocked it and tapped around in silence.

“Everything okay?” MK leaned a bit closer.

Macaque didn’t answer right away, turning the screen off before MK could see it. Whatever he saw, it unnerved him just enough for MK to notice.

“…Yeah.” Macaque finally said, though it didn’t sound convincing at all. “Thanks for letting me crash at your place for the night, by the way.”

“Are you sure? I mean, if something’s wrong-”

“I need to see Wukong today.” Macaque interrupted gently. “It’s about… Something between us. I’ll let you in later, okay?”

MK’s ears twitched with uncertainty. He didn’t like being left out, especially not now, when things between them felt more solid than ever. But he nodded anyway. 

“Okay.”

“Thanks, see you around, MK.” Macaque said with a crooked half-smile transforming into a crow and flying off.

Left on the cloud alone, MK didn’t know what to do for a moment. The sky stretched endlessly around him, the mountain not far in the distance. He sighed, then turned the cloud toward the village below. If he was here already, he might as well check in.

The moment he stepped foot into the outer village, he was mobbed. Monkeys swarmed him with excited chatter, tails flicking and eyes wide. Dozens of voices overlapped as villagers tugged at his arms and shoulders, all trying to talk over each other. From the fragments he caught, something had happened.

“You gotta see it!”

“It was found last night!”

“Deep jungle, northeast path, come on!”

It didn’t take long for MK’s curiosity to win out. He nodded, straightening up. 

“Alright, lead the way.”

A small group gathered and began weaving into the thick jungle canopy, guiding him toward the unknown site. Whatever it was, it had the village talking, and MK now had something interesting to do. The deeper into the jungle they went, the denser the canopy became until sunlight barely reached the ground. It was a swampy area, with the scent of musty sulfur and mud stinging MK's nose. Eventually, the thick trees gave way to a clearing where laughter and the rustle of activity filled the air. Demon monkeys were everywhere, climbing over old stone ruins, playing on vine-covered beams, and chatting excitedly. Whatever had been found, it had already become a hot hangout spot. 

He spotted a familiar face near the edge, dressed in a pink sundress.

“Fae!” MK waved.

“Heya, MK, you made it!” She turned with a big smile. “Come on, you gotta see what’s at the center, it's super cool!”

She led him past the playful tidings and deeper into the ruins. At the heart of it all stood a mostly intact structure, an old, domed building partially sunken into the damp earth. Thick tree roots twisted through its stonework, but the double doors still held strong. Inside, the air was musty and cool. Some of the monkeys were inside and exploring. Shelves were carved from stone lined the walls, many filled with old tomes, scrolls, and artifacts. It was a library. Tang would kill to visit this place.

He explored a bit before his eyes caught on a partially unfurled scroll resting on a pedestal. Carefully, he approached and opened it further. Inked in elaborate, angular script was a record of ancient demon bloodlines. This book was not up to date to the modern era at all. As he scanned through the markings, familiar names jumped out… And two in particular caught his eyes.

Sun Wukong and Liu’er Mihou.

Both listed not as descendants of any line, but as bloodline founders.

“Huh… A bloodline founder?” MK tilted his head with curiosity. “That sounds kind of cool.”

“You think?” Fae, standing behind him, let out a snort. 

“Well, I did pop out from a rock,” MK replied with a chuff, “I've got no biological origins. Seems to fit me as well, doesn’t it?”

She laughed along with him, but not everyone did. An elderly monkey sitting quietly in the archive room looked up at MK with an unreadable expression. His eyes lingered too long before he rose silently and walked away, disappearing down one of the dark stone corridors without a word.

“…That was weird, right?” MK frowned slightly, watching him go.

“What was weird?” Fae didn’t seem to notice. “Come on, there’s more to see! Some of the carvings upstairs are still legible.”

Still puzzled, MK cast one last glance toward the corridor before following her deeper into the ruins. They descended a winding staircase carved into the side of the archive tower, its steps worn smoothed. At the bottom was a round chamber illuminated in filtered rays of sunlight, the walls entirely covered in artwork. The air smelled of old paint and moss, ancient yet preserved.

MK took a slow step forward, eyes wide. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of murals wrapping the chamber in a timeline. They reminded him of the sacred murals in Nüwa’s temple, painted with precision only someone deeply familiar with the stories could create. They were all done by expert hands, capturing the legendary lives of the Monkey King and Macaque, such as their miraculous births, early mischief, the havoc in Heaven, followed by the devastating fire that consumed Flower Fruit Mountain while Wukong was imprisoned for five centuries… Or did that happen during the journey? MK really needed to read that book. 

Right after the art of the fire, he reached the end where the artwork stopped. Shockingly, this last mural appeared rushed compared to the others. It wasn't stylized or beautiful, it was unnerving and somehow depressing. He couldn't tell what it was about. It was a mostly blank wall, covered in red handprints, so dark it appeared black. Nearby were strange grooves in the wall. It was unnerving, to say the least.

But then MK paused. On one far wall, an entirely different set of murals stood out. The art style was much simpler, and somehow, extremely familiar. The paint was older, more faded, but just as intact. He stepped closer. Wait… The linework was unmistakably Macaque’s, it had to be! It matched the doodles he sometimes caught in his journals or the notes MK had seen him sketch idly when deep in thought! But wait, these were ancient, centuries old, and given such incredible care and effort. Each one told a story, and the one he was looking at made MK’s blood turn cold. 

The fire that burned the mountain still appeared, but it didn’t stop there. The murals continued. They depicted events that hadn’t been recorded in any historical text MK knew. The Journey to the West and the pilgrims traveling down a road, he knew about that one. Next, a great battle between two powerful monkeys, one golden, one black. That one didn't ring a bell. MK climbed the stairway, recognizing some stories, and not having a clue about others. 

And then, at the top of the chamber, in the very center above it all was a newer mural. MK’s breath hitched. It showed the summit of Flower Fruit Mountain. In the center was a stone on a pedestal in the sunlight with many other carved shards of stones cradling it. But surrounding the mountain, partially hidden in shadow and fog, were cloaked figures, too many to count. They stood in the forest below the peak, with heads tilted upward as though they were watching. It didn't look exactly like the stone egg he hatched from, but it was very similar.

Fae had grown silent beside him, also staring at the art with wonder and awe. She pointed toward a stone plate beneath the central mural.

“There's a plaque at the bottom that had been translated by some elders,” She said, “It said that these are predictions… Made by Lui'er Mihou, the Six-Eared Macaque. I wonder, is it actually the same monkey with six ears that always hangs around the King? Did he make all these?”

Now that MK knew these were predictions, the murals he hadn’t recognized earlier began to take on new meaning. There was a plaque above each work, and MK wished more than anything to be able to read the mystery language along with the date next to each, probably the approximate time the predictions would occur or when it was painted. The dates of most of the plaques had been translated, and a price of paper was carefully taped next to each.

MK studied more paintings. One had Wukong seated upon a golden and jade throne. He looked older in a way, wise, regal, and draped in lavish robes embroidered with sun and clouds. By his side was Macaque, no longer cloaked in dark clothing, but dressed in shiny silver and violet-colored silks, sitting on the right side armrest. Their sworn brothers had their own seats nearby, ruling together over a court filled with monkeys, demons, and celestial figures. Another mural showed a young demon monkey, barefoot, fluffy, and bright-eyed, walking alongside Wukong and Macaque. Strangely, Wukong was wearing simple clothes instead of any of the royal regalia or armor he wore now. The three were traveling a coastal path near a quaint seaside hut, built near a massive tree in the sand. The little ginger cub looked excited and joyful, leaving tiny footprints as they walked.

MK blinked and stepped closer to more of the more worn panels. One showed a winter scene, with Flower Fruit Mountain blanketed in thick snow. A monkey with white fur stood at the center of the village, surrounded by villagers. MK recognized Wukong alongside them. The next painting directly beside it showed a disheveled Wukong standing alone at the edge of a cliff, covered in patches of red. The mountain looked bare, devoid of greenery. Not burnt… But dead. Behind him were the ruins of a massive, crumbling mountain. Dark clouds swirled overhead as sleet fluttered down from on high. The Monkey King held a crystalline sword with red edges in one hand and a staff in the other, looking distressed. MK dared not look closely at the furry brown and gray lumps on the ground. Feeling unsettled, he quickly turned away from this mural.

Then, there was one more left. It was older than most, nearly crumbling. It must've been one of the first to be painted. In it, Wukong and Macaque stood in a cave. Between them was a cradle with a soft nest. Light shimmered through a crack in the cavernous ceiling, shining down on them. Above the art was a single line of ancient script on a plaque, weathered with time but barely legible.

“Does anyone know what this one means?” MK asked Fae softly, pointing at the words.

“Only the last word has been translated so far.”

“What is it?”

“Family.”

MK smiled faintly, still staring at the mural. It was… Cute. Sweet, even. Macaque had predicted something like this centuries ago. A quiet life with Wukong, a home by the ocean, and a cub following at their heels. He got what he wanted most. And apparently, Wukong was there too, not as a rival or enemy, but as a friend, or maybe even as a partner. It was strange seeing them painted like this, completely at peace. Was there a chance they could've become mates one day?

MK felt warmth in his chest at first. Then, slowly, that warmth fell away. Macaque predicted all of this… He obviously would’ve known about these murals. He would’ve painted them, maybe with hope or with longing. But now he doesn't have a family, and might never have one. Macaque revealed that he had wanted a future like this, and instead, he got war, exile, pain, betrayal, and even death. Not a mate or a cub, there was no peaceful existence by the ocean… Because all the predictions with cubs in them already passed the time frame they were predicted for, MK had stopped seeing them at some point. This mural felt less sweet now and more like a wish that never came true.

Fae glanced at him again, and this time, MK caught it. It was the same look the elder had given him before walking away. Like she was looking through him, rather than at him.

“You know what?” MK suddenly said, gave a small wave to Fae, and forced a smile as he turned to leave back up the stairs. “I should probably head out, I've got stuff to do…”

She nodded, but her eyes lingered on him like she wanted to say something, but MK was already gone. The air outside the archive felt colder than before, or maybe that was just him. He took a back way out of the building to avoid others. 

As he passed a hallway lined with broken old furnishings and sun-faded fabrics, his eyes caught something. A mirror. It was warped with age, clouded and cracked at the corners, but MK stopped anyway. He stared at himself. The reflection was murky, but he could see his fur. It wasn’t just dark red anymore. New, lighter stripes were spreading again, brighter than the red. Every single black strand had fallen out, leaving red and orangish-terracotta behind. His gaze dropped to the curls next to his fur. It used to be a tiny twist, but now, it was boldly corkscrewed against his cheeks. It was similar to all of Wukong’s curls, except his were contained and he didn't have nearly as many.

Then he remembered the elder in the archive. The way he stared at MK after the joke about bloodline founders. That wasn't the strangest thing he's seen lately. He recalled each and every whisper and rumor when he passed through the village. Wukong’s uneasy glances. Macaque’s sudden secrecy as he hid his phone screen. 

MK pressed a hand to the faded glass, suddenly unsure of the reflection looking back at him.

“…Something’s wrong.” 

He wasn’t sure what, exactly, but it was starting to feel like everyone else already knew.

Chapter Text

The last golden rays of sunlight stretched across the jungle canopy, igniting the leaves in hues of molten amber and lush emerald. From a high perch atop a weather-worn outcropping, Fae and several other villagers watched MK leave. He was flying low, headed toward the sea. The trailing light painted his fleeing figure in warm tones as he disappeared over the trees, leaving only a whisper of wind and the fading glow behind.

By the time the sky deepened into purples and deep indigos, a heavy chill had settled over the mountainside. Crickets chirped louder as the air turned brisk and damp with fog. Nighttime creatures began to emerge from the darkness, exploring the mountainside with renewed vigor, eager to explore the newborn night.

When Macaque finally decided to drop from the pink canopy of a peach tree, Wukong was already seated on a wide rock with his arms folded and his tail twitching behind him.

"You’re late." Wukong said without looking.

"You’re lucky I came at all." Macaque replied as his feet hit the ground. He settled beside Wukong on the rock.

A beat of silence passed. They hadn’t spoken all day, even when Wukong demanded over text for Macaque to come over, the king changed his mind and said he needed time to process and think. So, Macaque, not having much else to do, decided to get more evidence. He followed MK a little longer, taking a few pictures and leaving before MK arrived at the village. For the rest of the evening, Macaque tried to get Wukong to meet up with him, but avoided the dark monkey for the longest time, finally deciding to meet at their usual spot beneath the lone peach tree on the plateau at sunset once MK left. Besides the tree at the beach, this was another spot they've come to enjoy. Now that he was here, Wukong had the audacity to say Macaque was late, how annoying.

"So." Wukong looked over to the other monkey. "You gonna show me the other pictures, or did you chicken out?"

Macaque rolled his eyes but pulled his phone from a fold in his sleeve. A swipe, a tap. He handed it over wordlessly. Wukong stared at the images, swiping through an entire gallery. MK’s reddish-brown coat with the terracotta stripes shimmered in autumn sunlight. The curls on the kid's face were even more notable. A handful more littered his body like birthmarks, especially on the tip of his tails.

Wukong finally came to the final photo in the gallery of the single shot of last night, the only picture in darkness. Macaque’s true fur color was next to MK's. Dark grey with subtle banding right next to deep crimson and orangish hues. The similarity was uncanny, to say the least…

"Yeah," Wukong huffed, "That's… Not nothing."

“I’ve looked at that one twenty times this past hour.” Macaque didn’t look at him. “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s too perfect. His fur color and stripes doesn't mean anything." 

"They might."

"They shouldn’t."

“But they do, and you know it, Mac. You said it yourself, your shadows are acting weird around him. He’s got my curls and your pelt. He’s got my build, your gliding gait, my tail twitch, your reflective eyes, and a perfect mix of our face marks.”

“So what? Macaque scoffed with a snarl. “The universe just decided to play a cruel prank, that's it.”

“Don’t say that-” Wukong warned.

“It’s too good to be true.” Macaque turned away, fur bristling. 

“Why are you so stubborn about this?” Wukong did his best not to snap. “That’s what you’re going with?”

“You don’t get it.” Macaque’s voice sharpened and he whipped around to hiss. “If it is true, I wasn’t there. I wasn’t even alive. I didn’t hold him, I didn’t raise him, I didn’t even know. I don’t get to magically have this.”

“And you think I do?” Wukong stood, a little slower, and a little softer than expected. Macaque glanced up, surprised. “I wasn’t there either. I don’t even know how it could’ve happened.”

“And yet…” 

“And yet,” Wukong agreed, “Here he is. With our fur, our tricks, and, whether you like it or not, he has our instincts.”

Macaque looked away, jaw clenched.

“I’m not saying we go running to him shouting ‘surprise, you’ve got two more dads!’” Wukong added, throwing his hands up. “We don’t know for sure, maybe it really could be one hell of a coincidence.”

“It doesn’t mean he’s ours.”

“But it doesn’t mean he isn’t.”

A long silence stretched between them. The wind rustled through the trees below like whispers too faint to catch.

“…Do you ever think about the predictions you’ve made when we were younger?” Wukong said as his gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the last sliver of sun melted into the ocean, leaving only streaks of orange and purple over the waves.

Macaque didn’t answer at first, adjusting his footing on the cliffside rock. The wind tugged at his red hanfu. 

“Why are you talking about that right now?”

“Because it’s been rediscovered.” Wukong said. “In the jungle, a group of cubs were playing and stumbled upon it.”

“What?” Macaque gasped, turning toward him sharply. “That place was sealed after the mountain burned-”

“Well, not anymore. I didn't have time to check it yet, but I know it's what they found. I remember what’s inside… Do you?”

“Some of it, I painted the most likely futures.” Macaque said slowly. “Enough to regret most of it. Seriously, where are you going with this?”

“The carved eggs at the summit, with only one being complete."

Macaque looked away again. His voice, when it came, was barely above the wind. 

“That was one of the first I ever painted.”

“You painted all those pieces while in a trance, right? It was one of those times when your hearing locked onto something too far ahead to make sense of. You learned a special spell to paint glimpses while you listened.”

“…Yeah.”

“And after that egg, you painted more until a cub with four purple ears appeared, right?”

“I thought it was going to happen, I was so sure of it. I heard a cub's chirping and our laughter, and I thought… Nevermind.” Macaque stopped, teeth clenched. “I painted that future with shaking hands, I was so happy. Every day, I counted down to the moment it was supposed to happen and would check the mountain peak every moment I could.”

“And then it didn’t…” Wukong's tail swept closer, laying across the other’s. “I had no idea you were doing all that…”

“Nothing happened. The timeframe flew past, and that was that.” Macaque’s voice cracked. “Days passed, months, then years. I thought I got it wrong. That I messed up the spell, or misheard something… I gave up once I could no longer hear any more possibilities. We probably carved those rocks, considering how there were many failed ones. No wonder it didn't just pop up.”

“…What if you didn’t stop listening?”

“Don’t do this.” Macaque turned toward him, lifting his lips in a grimace.

“I’m serious. What if you didn’t get it wrong? What if the future was so far ahead, you didn't see it?”

“Wukong, that's the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard!” Macaque snapped. His tail lashed once behind him and left Wukong's touch, more from grief than anger. “You really think I missed something like that?”

“I think… Maybe you didn’t miss it. ”Wukong didn’t flinch. “Maybe you weren’t supposed to hear MK at all.”

“Start explaining before I throw you off this cliff.”

“We have to remember that MK is the Harbinger of Chaos. He was supposed to be born eons from now, too far for even you to hear.”

“The Nine-Headed Demon interfered.” Macaque’s hissed.

“Yes.” Wukong nodded. “He messed with his egg. He was never supposed to hatch yet. And that might’ve… I don’t know, changed the path forward? The egg you painted was different from MK's, even if it did look very similar-”

“He's here now, I should've seen him!” Macaque bared his teeth, cutting Wukong off. “So why couldn't I? Huh?” 

“I don’t know!” Wukong’s voice cracked, frustrated. “I really don’t! I'm just guessing here, what if there's something that happened that not even the universe could predict?”

“And you want me to just- What?” Macaque turned on him fully now, amber eyes shining and glazed. “Just listen again? Listen to the future like it won’t ruin my life all over again? You used to take my visions for gospel, it's what gave you the stupid idea to challenge the Jade Emperor in the first place, you have no right to tell me to do this again!”

“I want you to check, just once.” Wukong said, almost pleading. “MK’s got to be our cub, Macaque. Don’t you want to know for sure?”

“…”

“I've spent years waiting, centuries convincing myself the visions would come true. And when it didn’t…” His voice broke. “When it didn’t, I swore I’d never use my hearing like that again. I'm not going to hope for a false future.”

Wukong didn’t try to touch him again. He just remained seated beside him in the dark, letting the cold whistling wind speak between them.

“…Then I’ll hope with you.” Wukong said at last. “But if there’s even a chance that he’s ours, I'd want to make sure, even if it hurts.”

Silence.

Macaque closed his eyes listening to the world around him. Far above, the stars pulsed. The sea hissed and roared. And somewhere in the distance, the wind carried the fading sound of a cloud still speeding over the horizon.

“...”

“No.”

“Mac-”

“I said NO!” His voice was harsher this time. “I’m not doing this. I’m not tearing myself apart just to find out it was a lie all over again.”

“It’s not a lie, just look at him!”

“You don’t KNOW that!” Macaque’s snarl cracked into a shout, all semblance of self-control vanishing. “You don’t know ANYTHING! You never waited centuries alone with hope that rotted in your chest! You weren’t the one who counted every single day, only for the thing you wanted most to never come!”

Wukong leaned back with a slack jaw, stunned. Macaque’s voice broke as he went on, trembling.

“I painted that mural with joy. For the first time in my life, I saw a future that made sense. A cub… Our cub. I thought-” He covered his face with his hand. “I thought the world was finally giving me something I didn’t have to lose.”

“But you didn’t lose-”

“YES I DID!” Macaque’s roar echoed through the trees, through the cliffs, bouncing back from the rocks below. “I lost that cub the moment I died! All visions of cubs stopped when I was revived, no matter how hard I listened. The second I realized that no matter how much I wanted this, it was never gonna happen!”

He dropped his hands, and Wukong froze. Macaque’s face was wet as tears fell and dropped to the ground.

…He hadn’t seen him cry in centuries.

“I’m not doing it again, and that's final.” Macaque’s voice was hoarse now, scratchy and quiet. “I can’t… I won’t survive it.”

Wukong reached out, but Macaque turned away, shadows darkening under him. 

“Don’t follow me.”

He fell into the ground in an instant, vanishing into the night.

Wukong sat alone, the moonless sky now pitch dark overhead besides a sea of stars. The only sound left was the soft crash of waves far below and the wind, colder than before. He exhaled shakily and sat on the stone ledge, burying his face in his hands.

“…I can’t survive it alone, either.” 

Chapter Text

After a long day of deliveries, MK barely made it to Wukong’s place before he collapsed face-first onto the couch. He didn’t even bother making a nest. His body ached like he’d been deadlifting a mountain, not just handing off noodle boxes across the city. He wasn’t even that busy today. Just annoyingly tired. Absolutely exhausted, really. Kaput.

Monkey King had left some tea on the stove, a kind and considerate offering, but MK didn’t move for it. He just laid there, blinking slowly up at the ceiling, the light of dusk filtering through the waterfall hideaway. 

Everything felt a little off lately. He could feel changes inside himself. The sounds of the city were busier now, but not in a bad way. It was like he could feel every vibration stronger than before, even with a dampening spell muffling the most of it. His hearing was the exact same, so there was relief in that. Macaque had once told him not all traits showed up physically, it was probably something to do with that. Lucky him. At least his teeth stopped hurting. They didn't fall out, thank goodness. He doesn't see or feel anything different with them, so perhaps it didn't change after all.

His fur was thriving, if he could call it that. Wild tufts sprouted every which way. His arms, his shoulders, even down his back and along his tails had grown fluffier and faster than usual. Grooming was an everyday battle now. Just this morning he’d spent twenty minutes trying to tame the curls forming behind his ears and around his brow. The fur on his head especially had become a nightmare, growing thick and fast, with stubborn little cowlicks that refused to settle. Those weren't a problem before. Eventually, he gave up trying to trim them short and decided to just grow it out until it reached his chest. It actually slowed down the more it grew, but not by much. He just kept it in a man bun most of the time. Mei loved his new look, and Red Son had already started giving him pointers on how to maintain it.

It wasn’t all bad. His fingers had stopped hurting at least. As a bonus, the soreness that used to pulse through his tails after the energy surge was gone. That was a win. Still, the stress of it all, the changes, the stares, the unspoken questions that hung in every glance from his mentors, it was starting to wear him down. Every day, it got harder to smile and pretend he wasn’t worried. He just needed a good night's sleep. Curling into a tight ball in the corner of the couch, he decided that he wouldn't mind staying overnight. He could sleep a full eight hours. Ten, maybe. For a month, that also sounded nice.

Not long after closing his eyes, a soft creak broke the quiet before he could fall asleep. Wukong stepped in through the front door. He paused just inside the threshold, gaze sweeping over the quiet space until it landed on MK. Wukong sighed softly and crossed the room. As quietly as possible, he knelt beside the couch, looking at the younger monkey’s face. Peaceful now, but even resting, there was a subtle furrow to MK’s brow. Wukong rested his arms across his knees, leaning forward.

“Kid…” He sighed. “You really don’t know what it could all mean, do you…”

“…Mmm? Monkey King?” he blinked one eye open, then both. “What time is it?”

“Late enough.” Wukong said, forcing a light smile, even though he was surprised MK was awake. “Didn’t mean to bother you. I Just came to check on you. You’ve been dragging your tails lately.”

“It's fine, I haven't slept yet.” MK yawned and sat up, running a hand through his tangled fur. “You’ve been doing that a lot.”

“Doing what?”

“Checking in on me. Showing up out of nowhere and looking at me like you know something I don’t.”

Wukong’s smile faltered. MK leaned forward, elbows on knees. 

“Everyone’s been acting weird. Macaque, the monkeys at the village, especially the elders. I really feel like I’m missing something. So…” He trailed off for a moment. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

The room fell quiet. Wukong didn’t answer right away. He stared at MK for a long moment. Then he exhaled and sat down beside him with another deep sigh.

“There is something.” He admitted. I don’t have answers yet, but… I think something about you is different. Not bad-different. I’m trying to figure it out before I say anything. I don’t wanna give you half-truths or throw ideas at you that might not even be right.”

“So you are hiding something.” MK frowned.

“No, I’m investigating something,” Wukong corrected gently, “And I promise, if I find out that it's true, you’ll be the first to know. I swear this time, kid.”

“…Okay,” MK said, “I’ll hold you to that.”

“You should.” Wukong gave him a small smile, more honest this time. “You deserve the truth, and all of it. You know I haven't been terribly honest in the past, but I'm keeping you in the loop from now on. I tease you often. But you're not a cub, you can handle it.”

MK nodded slowly, then leaned back into the couch, too tired to keep arguing.

A flicker of shadow appeared on the wall, and Macaque stepped out with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face.

“Done.” He announced.

“Done with what?” MK, still slouched against the couch, blinked up at him blearily. 

Macaque vanished into the portal before MK got an answer. Before he could complain, Wukong had already scooped him up, ignoring his startled yelp as he was picked off the couch.

“Time to go!” Wukong chirped with a laugh, stepping through the still-open portal Macaque had left behind.

MK didn’t even have the strength to protest. The other side smelled like trees and moss, warm bark and cool rock. He was lowered gently onto something large, soft, and warm, like a pile of fresh bedding. MK sat up slowly, staring. It was a large nest. Thick branches woven to make a sturdy base. Wukong, most likely. The bedding was layered and soft, clearly Macaque’s touch, down to the giant leafy blanket.

“Did you guys build this?”

“Well, I built the base.” Wukong said proudly, thumping his chest.

“I made it comfortable.” Macaque added, arms crossed again, but this time, there was a proud glint in his eye.

Before MK could react further, they each climbed in beside him, one to the left and one to the right, and sat close enough to make the nest feel a bit smaller. Then, without asking, they started gently combing their claws through his wild fur.

“I’m not a cub!” MK huffed softly. “Didn't you JUST say that I wasn't?"

“Still look like one.” Wukong said, but his fingers got tangled in a tough knot. “This stuff’s grown like crazy, what are you even eating?”

“Probably a trait, if I had to guess. That or he's taking extra vitamins. I'm sad my fur doesn't grow this fast." Macaque tugged a section lightly, then hummed under his breath. “And look at this… The stripes. They’ve changed again.”

MK looked down at his arms. Where the darker red used to be, they’d faded, replaced now by a warm terracotta hue, and amongst those were newer stripes. Ginger-gold, faintly gleaming when the moonlight caught them just right.

“Huh… Looks like…” Macaque’s voice was oddly quiet as he spoke a broken sentence.

“Of course it does!” Wukong snorted. “Handsome color choice, if I do say so myself.”

“Don’t make it weird, fur-for-brians.”

“I’m not!”

MK didn’t respond at first. He was still staring at the colors in his fur. After a while, he curled up in the nest, tails wrapping around himself slowly, not quite knowing what to say. Wukong and Macaque just kept grooming in silence, the quiet broken only by the sound of wind brushing against the leaves outside, and the soft rhythm of their hands smoothing through fur. They kept grooming his fur with patient strokes through the longer curls. MK remained still, letting their presence lull him. The soft crackle of wind through leaves outside barely reached them. His eyelids drooped as they became too heavy to hold. He could hear their soft chitters now. Little noises that weren’t quite words, just a few instinctive monkey sounds like chirps, coos, quiet chuffs as their hands moved through his fur. They were all high-pitched, a human couldn't hear it. MK wondered if they always made these noises even before he got his new form.

He inhaled deeply. Wait… Their scents were different. Wukong still carried that familiar morning dew brightness, but now there was a layer beneath it. It was earthy, like fresh soil. And Macaque had always smelled faintly of mint and the dank scent of rain-soaked forest. But now there was something lighter, undoubtedly a floral scent. Lavender?

“Uhh…” MK opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly. “You two smell different.”

Both mentors paused.

“Oh? Do we, now?” Wukong was the first to answer with a carefree chuckle. “That’s normal! Means you're almost done!”

“Done?”

“With all the changes and traits!” Wukong said, tapping MK’s muzzle gently with a finger. “When a demon’s traits finish settling, they get a new scent, it marks your final stage.”

“Now that you smell ours, it's only a matter of time your facial fur grows around your mask.” Macaque nodded beside him. “You're nearly there.”

“So I’ll get a new scent?”

“You’re close.” Wukong purred “you actually went through it pretty quickly, it won’t be long now until you don't have to worry about it anymore.”

“Good.” MK let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s really good.”

Just as MK began to settle again, his eyelids fluttering, Macaque suddenly paused.

“Hmm.” He hummed. “You’re twitching a lot.”

“I’m tired.” MK grumbled.

“No…” Wukong chimed in, grinning far too wide. “He’s dodging you, Macaque.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” MK cracked one eye open with a groan. “What the heck am I dodging-”

But it was too late. Fingers jabbed playfully at his sides. The sensation caused MK to freeze and lock up as his body was tickled.

“AHH!” MK shrieked, flailing as Macaque’s claws found a particularly sensitive spot just under his arm. “Not fair!”

“War isn’t fair!” Wukong snickered, joining in with a wicked sparkle in his eyes.

MK tried to roll away, but the nest betrayed him, it was too soft and deep. His legs kicked uselessly against the bedding as both mentors pounced. Wukong’s tail joined the attack, wrapping MK’s ankles while Macaque had zero mercy for his sides.

“EEK! Traitors! You’re both traitors!”

“Correction,” Macaque said smoothly, “we’re mentors.”

“And this,” Wukong added, “is called a lesson in agility!”

MK was breathless with laughter, squirming in the mess of blankets and fur. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes as he batted at them, useless and delirious. His three tails did their best to swat the two malicious monkeys away. It was the most awake and normal he'd felt all day.

Eventually, they slowed, letting him catch his breath. MK was panting, flushed, and still giggling under his breath.

“Uncalled for!” He wheezed.

“You were falling asleep too early.” Wukong said, fluffing up the fur on his head affectionately.

“You skipped training this evening, it's only fair.” Macaque added with a smirk, gently tucking the blanket around him again.

Wukong’s eyes sparkled with mischief again, but this time, they weren’t focused on MK. His grin stretched wider as he turned toward Macaque, who had just resettled himself and was smoothing MK’s head fur back into place with slow, careful strokes.

“You think you’re safe?” He whispered, far too gleefully.

“What?” Macaque blinked, halfway through smoothing out the blankets over MK. 

“You heard me.”

“Sun Wukong. Don’t you DARE.”

“I dare.” Wukong challenged. Macaque bared his fangs in return.

“I swear, if you lay one finger on me-”

Wukong leaped forward, going straight for the base of Macaque’s abdomen. The shadow demon let out an incredibly undignified sound, half-yelp, half-snarl, and tried to shove him off, but Wukong had already launched into a full tickle assault, laughing the whole time.

“WUKONG! You’re insane!” Macaque hissed, writhing and batting at him with increasing desperation.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever seen!” MK rolled onto his back and wheezed out a tired laugh. 

“Stop laughing and help me!” Macaque snapped, in between laughs and growls. His claws caught nothing but air as Wukong leaned just out of reach, teasing and poking at any opening he could find.

“Not a chance!” MK grinned. “You started this!”

“I did not!”

“You did with MK!” Wukong snorted gleefully. “And the second you told me not with you!”

Macaque hissed, trying to scramble backward out of the nest. Wukong caught him by the tail.

“Oh no you don’t!”

They wrestled gently in the far corner of the nest, muffled snorts and the occasional chitter slipping through. Macaque nearly escaped three more times, only to be caught again by Wukong's tail or a sneaky grip all while MK squealed with laughter. 

Eventually, Macaque’s angry protests gave way to helpless laughter, his tail lashing wildly as Wukong tackled him into the side of the sturdy nest. His snarls had softened into breathless chuckles, and MK watched with a smile. It was strange, how peaceful it felt. The two strongest beings he knew, his mentors, his protectors, his family, laughing like happy, young cubs beside him.

Macaque finally shoved Wukong off with a grumble, huffing and adjusting his cloak with as much leftover dignity as he could muster.

“You’re insufferable!”

“Oh yeah?” Wukong smirked and sat back down beside MK. “But you’re smiling.”

“Gods above and below, shut up!”

“Totally worth it.” MK giggled again, crawling in between the two.

Neither of them replied right away. Wukong leaned against his side. Macaque, after a beat, leaned against the other. Their warmth surrounded him again. As the quiet settled over the nest, MK let his eyes drift closed. The soft rustling of fur and blankets, the gentle sounds of breathing, and the lingering warmth of the new earth and lavender scents lulled him into that quiet space just before sleep.

He heard Macaque shift slightly, then a quiet breath, barely more than a sigh.

“He’s just like we were… Back then.”

“Yeah.” Wukong replied. “Full of wonder, strength, and love.”

“I miss it.” Macaque whispered. “Before everything changed. Before the whole heaven fiasco. Before everything… Back when I still heard those happy futures.”

“We were different people then.”

“And we still are.”

Another pause.

“I still remember the first time I held a cub at all.” Macaque cooed sadly. “So when I heard a future promising one, I waited for it, even though it never came.”

“Even though, in a way, it had?”

“…Don’t say things like that, Wukong.” Macaque warbled, not quite a laugh, nor a sob.

“I’m just saying what I see.”

“Hey…” Wukong’s voice dropped even lower, like he was afraid of waking MK, even if neither of them realized he was awake. “Have you thought about it? You know… The theory.”

Macaque was quiet. The crackle of night insects and the rustle of distant leaves filled the space between them. 

“Yeah, I’ve thought about it.”

Wukong turned his head slightly, watching him in the low moonlight filtering through the treetops above the nest.

“I don’t know how I feel. I wouldn’t mind if it were true, I really wouldn’t. I think part of me might even want it. But…” He trailed off, jaw tightening. “I don’t know if I’d be at peace with it right away. But I do know I wouldn’t hate it, not even a little.”

“I get it.” Wukong reached out, slowly, brushing his knuckles gently against Macaque’s arm. “It’s… A lot. But just knowing that you don’t hate the idea, that’s more than I expected.”

“Didn’t expect me to even consider it, huh?” Macaque let out a small, bitter laugh under his breath.

“No,” Wukong admitted softly, “But I hoped.”

“Again with hope? But why?” Macaque turned to look at him, brows slightly furrowed, but his expression wasn’t angry. “Hoping gets you nowhere, I've told you already.”

“Because… I’m grateful we’re here again. Like this. Even if it’s just for now. I get to hold you again, even if it’s not the way it used to be. And if… If he is…” Wukong’s gaze flicked toward MK, still nestled in the center of the nest between them. “Then maybe we did something right, even when everything else went wrong.”

Macaque didn’t answer right away. His eyes also lingered on MK, watching the quiet rise and fall of his chest. Then, without a word, he reached out, grabbed Wukong by the scruff of his fur, and tugged him in roughly. Wukong made a surprised high pitched noise, but didn’t resist. He let himself be pulled into the space between Macaque’s arms, tucking his forehead into the curve of the other’s neck. They embraced each other in the dim light, holding tightly like they might break apart if they let go. In the center of the nest, MK, still secretly awake, felt warmth spill into his chest. He could’ve sworn his heart was melting.

“I’m so sorry.” Wukong whispered after a while. “For everything I did to hurt you. For not listening to your desires and dreams, for being too proud and greedy, and for pushing you away when you only tried to help me or shake me out of my stupid delusions. I already had the world in my arms the entire time and I threw it all away. I regret it more than anything else.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Macaque’s arms tightened just slightly around him. “For walking away when you were confused and alone, for lashing out instead of giving you space, for not coming back afterwards even though I knew you were scared, and for letting you believe I didn’t care when I did. I never stopped caring, even after I was revived and realized what you did to me.”

They were quiet again, just holding each other.

“I missed you.” Wukong's voice wavered.

“Me too, Peaches” Macaque breathed.

“...Plum.”

MK doesn't remember when he fell asleep, but he remembered that it was warm and safe.

Chapter Text

Night cloaked the city in darkness.

MK jumped down just outside his window from his cloud, looking one last time at the fading glow of sunset brushing the horizon in streaks of gold and lavender. Streetlights blinked one by one, and traffic roared in the distance. The city never sleeped, and tonight was no different. He crouched outside his apartment window with one hand gripping the sill, the other resting on the frosted glass pane. The orange radiance of city lights shimmered over rooftops, and the last vestiges of daylight spread through the sky like gentle rivers of fire.

He sighed, letting the wind ruffle through his fur and vapor puff from his mouth. He was exhausted. After a long day on the mountain, all he wanted was a shower, eat food, and to collapse in his soft nest. His muscles ache in places he didn’t know could. His fur was puffed up from the wind, and his now-sheathed claws were scuffed from running errands all day. Mostly, he had helped explore the jungle for more abandoned, forgotten ruins.

He was about to hip in his room, but something stopped him.

Just as he leaned forward to push the window open, he froze. Before he realized why, his fur lifted, every single strand prickling at once. A wave of something crawled down his spine. He snapped his head and activated his true sight, scanning the alley below, the rooftops, the power lines stretching into the dark.

Nothing moved.

It was faint at first. A shiver across the surface of his skin. Not from the cold, exactly. It was an uneasy prickle that came with sensing eyes where none should be, or hearing a sound he wasn't meant to hear. The monkey glanced behind him, snapping his head around and igniting his gold vision. Nothing. He stood on the balcony a moment longer. 

His ears twitched next. He heard something. He wasn't sure how he could've possibly heard it, it felt so far away. A disturbance, like a thread, had snapped somewhere far away-

A scream.

…

It didn’t last more than a second, more a gasp than a cry, but MK had somehow caught it. Again, he didn’t know how he’d heard it. He shouldn’t have been able to, not from this distance, not with how quiet and brief it had been… And yet, it had reached him as clearly as if someone had shouted just around the corner. Someone must be in danger!

His exhaustion fizzled out. Without thinking twice, MK dropped to the fire escape, then to the ground, landing in a crouch. He dropped to all fours and bolted forward, racing into the night. He ducked beneath a half-shut gate, squeezed between narrow gates and pipes, and leapt clean over massive gaps. Running on all fours made it easier to move like he needed to. He was fast and low to the ground, weaving through obstacles. His tails now made it easier to change directions on a dime if he used them just right. His claws provided extra grip on particularly difficult terrain, and the vibrations he sensed in the ground pointed him to hidden pathways.

The scream had come from far away. Yet, somehow, he knew exactly where to go. Ten minutes in, the skyscrapers gave way to smaller, older buildings with walls of tin and grime. There were fewer lights here, and even fewer people. The flickering glow of a busted streetlamp popped and burned out in a crackle. 

Fifteen minutes in, and the roads turned to broken pavement and rusted chain-link fences. Finally, he slowed. He crept along the edge of a quiet industrial zone, with old warehouses and rusty tin roofed architecture. Shadows filled the spaces between, cloaking his approach to whatever he was about to come up on. Up ahead, one warehouse door swayed open in the wind and a slow, metallic creak that sliced through the dark. MK crouched lower, heart hammering and fur bristling. He didn’t move yet. There was nothing but complete and utter silence. But the scream still echoed in his mind. Something had happened here, and might still be going on.

MK slowed his movements, and his heartbeat relaxed as his breathing evened out. The moment he willed it, his aura vanished, snuffed like a candle. He hid not just his body, but the very presence of his soul. He became nothing. Quiet as the night itself, MK crept forward into the warehouse. The air inside was stale. The interior was dimly lit by a few dangling bulbs that flickered weakly, casting jagged shadows over the cold concrete floor. Instinct guided him. He stayed low, scaling a stack of rusted shipping crates, keeping to the higher ground where the support beams and shadows offered better cover. Old metal scaffolding creaked underfoot, but he was careful. A single misplaced step could expose him, but MK knew how to be silent, a fact his entire found family will debate him on.

When he found a good vantage point, he looked down. Below, a circle of strangers, a total of six of them, all standing in a loose half-ring. Their backs were turned to him, all dressed in thick cloaks that concealed their features. Some had long coats or armor patched with strange metals. Their postures were calm, but their presence was… Unnerving, to say the least.

These people were the least of his concern. In the center of their formation was a young demon monkey, arms trembling as he covered his chest and abdomen, tucked tightly between his legs. His fur was two-toned, half dark brown and half gray, and his olive-colored eyes were wide with terror. He couldn't be much older than MK. 

“Please…” The monkey sobbed, shivering. “I didn’t do anything! I’m just passing through! Please don’t hurt me!”

MK’s fur rose. Something deep in his chest screamed at him to intervene, but he held fast. If these were the guys responsible for the missing monkeys, he had to remain calm and make sure. Then, one of the masked figures stepped forward, silent and without words.

“W- Why… are you doing this?” The monkey cried when the cloaked figures didn't respond. “I didn’t do anything. I swear, I didn’t do anything!”

The group didn't utter a word. Their feet made no sound on the warehouse floor, like ghosts. Another adjusted their thick leather gloves. Not an inch of skin showed, all covered up by flexible black fabric.

“Please, just tell me what I did! Why are you doing this?”

Still nothing. One reached into their coat and pulled out a weapon. It was long, sleek, and blade-like, but unlike any knife MK had seen before. It shimmered with a faint, unnatural energy, dull blue along the edge like frozen ice. It was shaped strangely with serrated edges, meant to grab rather than slice. MK’s breath got caught in his throat. He didn’t know what these people were, but everything about them screamed danger. He pressed closer to the beam, barely daring to breathe.

“You don’t have to do this!” The two-toned monkey scrambled backward a few feet, clearly exhausted and hyperventilating. “I'll do anything! Please, just let me go!”

Still, the hunters said nothing, they simply stepped forward as one, closing the half-circle. MK’s fingers curled tightly around the metal beam. These people had a purpose, one they didn’t need to explain to justify hurting someone. Slowly, he shifted along the rafters, closer. He needed to hear more, needed to know why. But time was running short. These guys might not speak, and he'll never know what their motives were.

He needed to decide when to intervene very soon, because if he waited too long…

They might kill this monkey.

One of the hunters raised the blade higher. The two-toned monkey screeched and fell backwards against a rusted tin wall. Suddenly, before MK could reveal himself and jump in… They all turned. Every head snapped upward as one, locking onto the exact point where he laid hidden in the rafters. Like a deer caught in headlights, MK was paralyzed, caught off guard by the synchronized movement.

…What?

He hadn’t made a sound, His aura was still completely undetectable, but they sensed him anyway? MK barely had time to yelp before a blade zipped past his neck. Having no choice, he dove off the rafter. Steel clanged against metal as he tumbled into a controlled fall, spinning around before landing on all fours with a grunt. He didn’t get a moment’s breath before they were on him, five against one. The sixth stayed behind with the terrified monkey, who shrunk back into the corner.

MK ducked under a blade and flipped backward, skidding across the dusted concrete. He snarled, summoning his staff in a flash of gold. He couldn’t run, he refused to leave this monkey behind. MK sprang forward, splaying his three tails like gold and copper ropes. One tail wrapped around a support beam, letting him whip around faster than his enemies could follow. He swung his weapon, catching two in the chest and sending them flying. The others adjusted their stances. One threw a shuriken, but MK knocked it aside with an expert parry. His retractable claws snapped out, slashing through another measly metal weapon aimed for his arms before springing back into his fingertips. 

"Come on then!" He yelled a challenge, using his magic to stretch his staff out. It smashed into another’s back.

“I know you! You’re the Prince!” The two-toned monkey cried out from behind the sixth member. “You gotta help me, they’re going to-”

The cloaked figure guarding him suddenly slammed a gloved hand over the monkey's mouth, harshly silencing him. The monkey stumbled back with a bloody nose. That sight made MK falter, just long enough for one of his opponents to slash at his leg. It was painless at first, and he questioned if he even got hit. However, after a moment… Gods, it was painful, like getting struck by lightning. MK staggered, gritting his teeth as the world shimmered and swirled, and he felt strangely dizzy. It was near-umberable, but he's been through much worse.

“Thay the best you could do?” He hissed, summoning his true sight.

The world was splashed in glowing gold, and the slight fuzz in his vision vanished. His assailants glowed in the darkness. His tails twitched and he focused. He could now sense where the next attacks would fall. He spun with one tail, flipping over a wide slash, and drove his claws into what felt like a chestplate beneath the cloak of another hunter, knocking them down. Whatever those weapons were, he decided it would be best if he didn't get hit again.

He reached for the fur uptop his head to summon clones, but another attack came, and he had no time. They gave him no opening, circling with ruthless coordination, keeping him boxed in. They weren’t fighting like random aggressors, they were fighting like they knew him. MK gritted his teeth, ignoring the blood dripping down his leg. He’d have to make an opening. 

In an effort to break free, he launched himself at the nearest one with his claws. The hunter blocked with their blade, but MK let the rebound carry him sideways as a tail moved, gripped their wrist and knocked the weapon aside. He kicked his opponent square in the chest and sent them tumbling backward. He let his instincts guide him, and his body moved with such confidence that surprised himself. The pain in his leg from earlier had faded into a dull burn, another good sign. There was a limit to whatever magic was in that cut. He could win this.

MK crouched low on the warehouse floor, ready to pounce again. The attackers may have surrounded him, but he knew he was stronger. They hadn’t expected him to fight back so ferociously. All five were back, but not for long. His staff whirled through the air, knocking one of them off their feet and into a pile of crumbling crates with a crash. The others hesitated, giving him a breath of space. They obviously have decades of experience, perhaps centuries, but MK had really damn good mentors.

Right as he turned toward the fifth and final opponent and moved in, the two-toned monkey’s pleading cry shattered his focus for a second time.

“Please, help me!”

“I’m coming!” MK responded.

It cost him. The monkey captured MK's attention. The brief moment of distraction gave them the window of opportunity they needed. MK turned, realizing his mistake, but too late. He felt a serrated weapon slice across his elbow and up his bicep. It was much deeper, more jagged, and it hurt like last time, appearing right after the pain of the last one had faded. His nerves lit up once again. His elbow and upper arm throbbed. He clutched his arm and tried to back away since his stance was faltering. The flow of the battle had turned again. MK clenched his teeth and glared at them. Then, along with the pain, he felt pressure collapsing inward. A deep ache gripped his chest, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe, like his lungs refused to fill properly. He stumbled, wheezing. There was no reason he should feel this way, what was happening? 

The five attackers paused for only a heartbeat. MK expected another attack, so he was baffled when they all turned tail and fled.

“Hey!” MK forced his body to move, but his legs sluggish and his ears rang. His true sight was the only sense he could rely on fully.

Once more, MK made an incorrect prediction. They must've had enough, they knew he couldn't beat them, so they were leaving. He won the battle and the day was saved.

But as they fled, one of them grabbed the two-toned monkey.

“NO!” MK shouted louder, grinding his teeth in a final warning. “Let him go!”

“HELP ME!” The monkey shrieked, reaching for him as he was pulled away.

The group all jumped out of windows, smashing free to the outside world. MK's fingers trembled around the staff in his loosening grip. Even with his gold vision still flickering around the edges of his sight, his muscles were too heavy, and his lungs refusing to cooperate. The world warped and wavered. He forced his feet forward with a pained groan until he was finally up and running, leaping through the broken windows.

Even with his compromised senses, he could still hear the monkey’s screams. He chased the sound and vibrations from the monkey. Strangely, he couldn't sense any of the cloaked figures. He skidded across shipping crates, leapt over derailed train cars, and ran As fast as he could to with his weakened body, still having enough energy to spring over entire boats with a single bound. He needed to keep going until the strange feeling wore off.

“Please, please hold on-” He whispered to nobody in particular.

But then, MK paused… Because the screams had abruptly ceased. Dead silence rang in his ears like static. There was no more trail to follow. He broke into another sprint before skidding to a stop, landing on a tin roof before peering down. Below, in the shadows of a barge, scattered brown and gray tufts of fur drifted in the chilly night breeze. There were patches that had been torn out. To his horror, small streaks of blood splattered the ground nearby, smeared along the slick surface.

“...No.” 

His gold vision fizzled out. After landing on solid ground, he backed up until he hit the rusted hull of a metal wall and slid down. His knees curled to his chest as he caught his breath. His face tingled, and he felt faint. Even worse, he couldn't think straight. He could’ve saved him. He was supposed to save him. Why couldn’t he fight harder? Why did it feel like his own body was turning against him? He was a hero, he was supposed to win! He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt them brim with tears.

Had he… 

Failed?

MK didn’t know how long he sat there, gasping and cold, arms wrapped around himself as he willed himself not to break down and cry. His ruffled pelt felt soaked, heavy from sweat. The scattered tufts of fur still remained in the edges of his vision. He couldn’t shake the memory of their horrified screams, begging for help. He won the battle, but it didn’t feel like victory. He failed to save what mattered the most.

But he wasn't alone. He'd been told time and time again that he could rely on others. Where he faltered, there were those willing to pick him back up on his feet and finish what he couldn't. He was done running from his problems, and he wasn't going to hide away anymore.

He stood, grabbed a fistful of fur, and summoned his somersault cloud. It shot beneath his feet, and MK hissed through his teeth, clutching his injured arm and limped onto the fluffy surface. Once on, he shot into the sky like a comet. Tears streaked from the corners of his eyes, carried away and wiped clean by the wind. The clouds parted as he burst through them, and the sky roared and shook as the sound barrier was pulverized. The sea blurred beneath him like a dark mirror. In record time, he spotted the jungle-covered cliffs and glimmering blue waters around Flower Fruit Mountain.

He barely slowed down, heading straight for Shuilian Cave. He crashed through the jungle canopy, and the waterfall curtain parted in an instant. MK leapt from the cloud, his bare feet and hands hitting the moist dirt with a brief stagger before breaking into a sprint, recklessly running the rest of the way to Wukong’s hut. The lights were on, and two figures stood at the doorway. Wukong was already halfway down the steps the moment he saw MK. He had his battle armor on, obviously put on in a hurry, it was scuffed and not properly adjusted. Macaque stood nearby with all six of his ears splayed wide and twitching with every sound. He must've heard MK coming long before he’d arrived. 

And MK, pale, shaking, and breathless, stopped at the bottom step where he met Monkey King, who was there to catch him.

“...I think I found what you've been looking for.” MK wheezed, holding out the red-tinted tufts of multicolored fur.

Wukong’s sharp gaze immediately dropped fur in his successor's fist that was clutching fur, to the ugly slice across MK’s calf, and then to the second, messier cut on his elbow and arm. The Great Sage moved fast, quicker than MK could register at that moment, reaching out with steady hands and inspecting the wounds.

“What happened?” Wukong asked patiently, clutching the younger monkey's shoulder and holding him up.

MK didn’t answer right away, and not with words. Instead, he wordlessly placed the fur in Wukong’s palm. Wukong’s eyes flicked down, finding the bundle of short, coarse fur, with the tips glistened wet and red with fresh blood.

Macaque’s expression darkened immediately. He snatched the bundle before Wukong could speak, sniffed it once, and snarled.

“I’ll alert the village leaders. Patch him up, get the story, and meet me there.”

He vanished in a portal, leaving no room for argument. Wukong and MK were alone.

“Are you okay?” Wukong looked back at MK, whose expression was disturbed. 

“I mean… Yeah.” MK shakily nodded.

Wukong didn’t question it. Instead, he guided MK gently toward the couch. MK dropped down with a sigh and let himself sag into the cushions. Wukong knelt before him, pulling out a small kit of herbs and wrappings from under some floorboards, then pulled the wounded arm toward him. The ski. was shredded, halfway clotted, and fur had crusted in blood. Wukong’s face twisted slightly at the depth of it. 

“You’re lucky this didn’t hit anything major… It got close.”

MK didn’t look down.

“I should’ve stopped it.” He whispered with fists clenched in his lap. “I fought back. I won, but… It wasn’t enough. I was right there, and it still wasn’t enough…”

Wukong’s hands froze, and his eyes flicked up to meet MK’s as he kept talking.

“There were too many of them-” MK continued, eyes glassy now. “And they were strong. They didn’t even speak. I hid my presence, and they still found me. The first cut hurt like a static shock, but the second one was worse. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe right. I was so dizzy. I couldn’t- I should've gone all out!”

His voice shook as a heavy sob wracked his body.

“I couldn’t stop them.”

Wukong didn’t speak for a while. He simply resumed bandaging the arm wound with a firm but gentle touch, then moved to MK’s leg. He cleaned it carefully, applying a balm that caused the kid to hiss softly on contact.

“MK…” Wukong finally spoke. “You fought them off. You chased after them with two injuries and still didn’t give up. You did more than most could have.”

“But I still failed!” MK wailed, looking at the floor. “He begged for my help, and now all that’s left are scraps of fur!”

Wukong set the bandages aside and moved closer, placing a hand on MK’s shoulder. 

“You didn’t fail him, MK.” Wukong said softly. “If the people you faced are who I think… They’re a threat far different from anything you’ve faced so far. They're sneaky, they've given me problems in the past already. You did the best you could.”

“But it wasn’t enough-” MK choked on a hiccup. “I had the power to stop them, if I’m supposed to be something great, then why do I feel so helpless?”

Wukong’s expression faltered. His grip on MK’s shoulder tightened just slightly. He leaned forward, forehead gently resting against MK’s for a moment.

“Because you care.” he murmured. “That’s what makes you strong, MK.”

He tied off the cloth, eyes lingering on the wrapped wound a beat longer than necessary. He sighed.

“I need to tell you something. A lesson I wish someone had taught me a long time ago.”

MK didn’t respond. He continued to stare blankly at the floor, but was paying attention nonetheless.

“Listen, you can’t save everyone.” Wukong moved the bangs from MK's face. “Even if you give it everything you’ve got. Even if you fight with every last breath,it won’t always be enough, trust me. For example…”

He grabbed MK's hands and squeezed.

“I failed to save you once.”

His voice dropped for just a second, pinched. MK finally looked up.

“It’s the hardest part of being a hero, practically in our job description's fine print. There’ll be times when you’re too late, when you’re too weak, when everything you are is just… Not enough. And it’ll hurt like hell. You’ll want to tear yourself apart over it. You'll beat yourself up. You'd think about how you could’ve changed something if you’d just been stronger enough or took the situation more seriously and gone all out.”

He swallowed hard, then met MK’s eyes.

“But as long as you tried, as long as you gave it everything, it's all you could really do sometimes.”

Still, MK didn’t speak. Wukong leaned back and stood, not expecting a response anymore. His shoulders sagged as he walked to the nearby shelf and grabbed a soft blanket. He didn’t say another word as he came back and gently draped it over MK.

“You’re allowed to rest now, you're safe here.” Wukong said, softer this time. “I'll be okay, bud.”

He didn’t wait for a reply. He sat beside MK, letting the silence fill the room, watching over him like he had so many times before. He knew this part, too. The fight was over, but the pain still lingered. It never gets any easier. So, yes, Wukong stayed. He didn’t say anything nore, and MK didn’t look up. He stiffly leaned into him until his cheek brushed against the thick mane of ginger-golden curls. The moment he touched it, he crumbled. With a shuddering breath, MK buried his snout deeper into the fur, inhaling the faint scent of peaches, dew, and the new addition of earth. Wukong let him, wrapping one arm protectively around MK’s back while the other came up to cradle the base of his skull, gently guiding his head closer. His hand never stilled, gently combing through MK’s fur with long, methodical strokes. There were tangles in MK’s pelt, several, actually. His coat had been growing faster than it used to, coarse in some areas, soft in others, mostly unkempt from the stress of constant changes. Wukong didn’t rush, working through knots one by one.

MK didn’t move. His breathing was uneven at first, each inhale catching on invisible sobs he refused to come out. But, little by little, the tension eased from his shoulders and his body slackened. He inched closer, curling toward Wukong’s warmth like a frightened cub. Wukong cooed quietly to him. He didn't speak real words, just those instinctive, comforting sounds only another monkey would understand, like chirps, chuffs, and purrs that vibrated in his chest where MK rested his ears.

An hour passed. MK didn’t say a word the whole time, and neither did Wukong. Eventually, the Monkey King paused. His hand stilled in MK’s fur. He leaned down, pressing a wet nuzzle to the crown of MK’s head.

“I’ll come back soon.” He promised with one last warble. 

MK didn’t react. He was quiet, nearly asleep, still wrapped in the blanket Wukong had left him with. He barely stirred when Wukong gently pulled back, easing away from the couch. He gave one last look over his shoulder, turning off the light and vanished past the front door, leaving the room dark and quiet.

MK didn’t move. The warmth that had surrounded him faded slowly. The stillness returned, and with it, the thoughts… The same thoughts Wukong had just warned him about. Could he have done something different? What if he summoned clones earlier? Could he have grabbed the monkey from the beginning and ran for it? The thoughts came one after the other like waves, drowning out the world, replaying the events constantly like a tape on rewind. He curled tighter under the blanket, wrapping his arms tight around himself. He hated this feeling. The guilt. The uncertainty. The fear. He grieved quietly, tears soaking into the pillow. 

And finally, too exhausted to keep fighting his own mind, MK fell asleep, knowing that tonight, he wasn't enough.

☆~END OF ARC ONE~☆

Chapter Text

☆~BEGINNING OF ARC TWO~☆

That night, MK stayed on the mountain. Not by choice, but it was all he could do. After napping a good chunk of the night, he had tried to summon his cloud again, confident that he'll feel better in the safety of his own nest, maybe even call his friends for comfort. Pigsy and Tang worked magic at making him feel better. But the moment he stood up to leave, his knees buckled. The exhaustion caused him to fall back down, and he didn’t bother trying to get up a second time. The nest Wukong and Macaque had built for him still held their scents. It should have comforted him, but it didn’t. MK couldn’t rest, and he sure as hell tried his damndest. He laid there, curled up with his knees to his chest, guarding his abdomen. His claws dug gently into the cushions. His eyes closed and he slowed his breathing. 

Sleep came, once, twice, then again, and each time it left him just as fast. He always woke up with a start with no discernible reason as to why. He jumped up in a jarring panic that gripped his heart and yanked him out of whatever shallow rest he had managed to conceive, like ripping him out of a peaceful grave. Over and over, he’d drift off, only to jolt awake.

The scream of a ghost haunted him. He kept hearing it, the one from the two-toned monkey, begging for salvation that never came. It had burned into MK's brain. He'll never forget hearing it cut off. The sudden silence was worse than anything else.

MK squeezed his eyes shut and rolled over and tried again.

Sleep. Wake. Sleep. Wake.

When he closed his eyes, he saw blood and the scattered fur. And every time he opened them again, there was nothing but the dark ceiling of the hut, only able to see it due to his reflective eyes, saving him from the worst of the darkness that surrounded him. It only brought him the smallest peace of mind. He sat up at one point, running his claws through his pelt, tugging at the growing tufts. He dragged a pillow over his face at one point and yowled into it, frustrated. What was the point of all the strength and gold vision and speed and claws if he couldn’t stop something like that?

He couldn’t save him.

His tail twitched against the bedding.

He should’ve moved faster.

If only he'd gone all out.

He turned over, burying his face in the pillow again.

He should've fought harder.

His fur bristled, standing on end.

He could’ve-

His thoughts began to spiral, a mantra looping like a curse behind his eyes.

You can’t save everyone.

You won’t save everyone.

It’ll happen again.

You can’t save everyone.

You won’t save everyone.

It’ll happen again.

The words weren’t his. It was the truth, the things Wukong had said were true. If someone like him couldn't save everyone, what hope did MK have?

The sun hadn’t even started to rise when he woke again, this time, his cheek fur was damp and his throat dry. The blankets were tangled around his legs while his body ached from curling in too tight. He was too aware of his own breathing and his heartbeat, along with the weight of his fur on his back, no longer that of a human. Every part of him felt loud, and he hated it, reminding him that he was perfectly alive.

Eventually, after who knows how long, his hyperactive brain gave up and shut down, like his body just realizing that it's too tired to fight anymore. He was paralyzed in one spot, not asleep, but not entirely awake. Strange apparitions danced behind his eyes. Like dreams that refused to form.

And, all the while-

You can’t save everyone.

You won’t save everyone.

It will happen again.

The front door creaked open with a groan that echoed into the quiet, dimly lit hut. MK barely moved in the nest. For a moment, he thought it was Monkey King returning like he promised. Footsteps crossed the floor softly. The visitor sat on the edge of the couch near the nest, silent for a moment before speaking. MK already knew who it was based on their scent and footsteps, and it wasn't Monkey King

“Wukong’s busy.” Macaque sighed heavily, not looking at MK.

MK sat up slowly, blinking away the bleariness in the edges of his vision. A scowl settled across his face without him even realizing. His teeth clenched until his jaw clenched and he couldn’t keep it in any longer.

“Of course he is...”

His voice was hoarse, but then it cracked, rising in volume in an instant.

“Of COURSE he’s too busy! He’s always too busy! Too busy to check on me,too busy to teach me anything, too busy to even care! The most he ever does anymore is check in and immediately leave!”

Macaque flinched hard at the sudden outburst, all six of his ears flattening back against his skull as MK’s voice struck his sensitive eardrums. He didn't interrupt, even as MK’s tail lashed and his hands clenched into fists. MK was acting completely out of character, and Macaque didn't know how to respond. 

“He’s supposed to be my mentor!” MK snarled. “He’s supposed to guide me! He said he would! But all he does is vanish and keep secrets and act like I’m fine! I try to pretend a lot, but I'm NOT fine! I needed him last night and he ran off to do gods knows what!”

Macaque opened his mouth to respond, but MK cut him off with another yell.

“He’s never here, I don’t even remember the last time it was just me and him without some crisis or some village meeting or some crazy battle! It’s always something!”

Silence fell hard after that. Macaque rubbed his face, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked absolutely exhausted.

“He’s not trying to leave you behind, MK,” he cooed quietly, “Trust me. He’s trying to juggle lots of things he never expected to have again. I'm sure once everything settles down, he'll be back to one-on-one training sessions and quality time just like before.”

MK didn’t answer. He glared at the floor, chest still heaving, the heat of frustration prickling along his skin, biting like thousands of tiny fire ants. His hackles were raised, making him appear nearly twice his size.

“He’s got a whole village now. He’s trying to be King again after centuries of wanting nothing to do with it.” Macaque looked off into the dark. “But you're the one he talks about constantly. You’re the first thing on his mind when he wakes up and the last thing he worries about before bed. Especially after what happened earlier when you came out of that battle injured. He’s terrified he’s going to lose you…”

MK’s lips parted slightly, stunned.

“He hides it,” Macaque continued, softer now, “but I see it. All those times he was off somewhere, half of them were just him looking into things about your changes, trying to find answers. Kid, I know you’re mad, you have every right to be. But don’t mistake his distance for neglect. He’s just as scared as you are.”

“I don’t want to be scared anymore.” MK turned away, hiding his face in the pillows. “I hate this feeling.”

“I know.” Macaque let out a slow breath and reached a hand toward the nest, resting it on MK’s shoulder.

They sat in silence… But it didn't last long. MK’s breath caught as a puzzle piece clicked in his head. His expression turned dropped as he looked up at Macaque.

“Wait… what you said earlier…” He repeated slowly. “All those times he was off somewhere, half of them were just him looking into things about your changes, trying to find answers…”

He narrowed his eyes.

“What answers? What could he possibly be looking for? Adult traits are… They’re just a part of growing up, right? Both of you even told me I was almost done with them… So what is there to investigate?”

Macaque didn’t respond. His amber eyes widened, and he sucked in a quick breath of air. That was really all the confirmation MK needed. 

“You’re hiding something, too...” He accused, lifting his lips in a snarl. “Both of you.”

Still, Macaque stayed silent.

“And don't even try to tell me off.” MK went on, each word getting louder. “He said he was ‘investigating something,’ that he didn’t want to give me half-truths, and if it turned out to be true, he’d tell me, Isn't that right?”

He stood, jumping out his nest and umconsciously unsheathing his claws.

“I’ve been trying to be honest with you, Macaque! I’ve done everything I could to not keep things from you guys! When I didn’t know what was happening to me, I came to you! When I failed that monkey, I didn’t hide, I came here and told you everything! Why can’t I get the same in return?”

Macaque’s ears drooped. Each second that passed was painful and tense. Then, finally, Macaque responded as MK opened his pitch again, and his voice rose as his fangs flashed.

“Because if we tell you and it’s not true, it’ll HURT YOU!” Macaque snapped.

“…”

The yell broke what little peace remained, silencing MK completely. Macaque’s breathing was uneven and his hands were clenched at his sides as he stood up.

“If we’re wrong, if we say what we think and it turns out to be nothing, then what? You’ll have gotten your hopes up for something that's not real. We told you that we're investigating something, we didn't lie… But we would be lying if what we're looking for turns out to be false.

The younger monkey whimpered as Macaque helped him sit back in the nest.

“MK,” He added, “we are trying. But this isn’t something we can take lightly. We didn’t plan for this, we didn’t even know it was possible… I didn’t even let myself believe it could be even remotely true until recently.”

“So… There is something?”

Macaque met his eyes and didn’t look away this time.

“No, but there might be.”

MK’s shoulders slumped. His hands shook slightly as he turned away. His tails were limp across the pillows. Macaque took a slow breath, collecting himself. His voice, when it came next, was calm once more.

“Look… I know it’s scary. But whether it’s true or not, you’re not in danger. I promise you that, alright? None of this will change how we feel about you, but it could change how you think of yourself. That's why we're being so careful with this.”

MK stared at him, still sniffling, though his panic had dulled. His body ached from exhaustion and the emotional storm he’d whipped up. He wiped at his cheeks with the back of his hand.

“I… I’m sorry I yelled.” MK whined.

“Nah, no need for apologies. I lost my temper, too. I wasn’t exactly… Cool of me, either.” He gave MK a weak smile, even if the corners of his mouth were twitching downwards. “Guess we both kinda freaked out, eh?”

“Yeah, I guess we did.”

“Hmm…” Macaque hummed and rose to his feet and stretched with a grunt before crawling into the nest nearby. “Sunrise is in an hour, and you look like roadkill.”

MK cracked a small, horse laugh. He shuffled over and let himself collapse into the soft bedding next to Macaque. The dark monkey reached out and gently pulled MK in, starting to groom his fur obsessively.

“You’ve got tears and sweat all over you.” He tsked. “We can’t have your fur looking like this, that's not very prince-like of you.”

MK closed his eyes and sighed, focusing on the drag of claws and fingers against his fur. The familiar scent of mint hit his nose, but there was something else too. A subtle layer of lavender, soft and calming. It had grown stronger than the last time he'd caught it.

“You still smell different.” He murmured

“Yes, and that new scent is here to stay.” Macaque chuckled low in his throat, a soft purr following the sound. “You’re getting one too, you know.”

“Really?” MK blinked sleepily. “What's it smell like?”

“Hmm, I can't say for sure, but I think it's fruit-ish.”

“Oh, really?” MK tucked himself closer, resting his head into the crook of Macaque’s neck. “That’s… kinda cool.”

“Mhmm.” Macaque continued to comb through MK’s fur. “Your cheek fur’s getting longer, looks like you're gonna need a trim soon.”

“No way, I'm tired of looking like a cub!” MK gave a quiet, tired chirp of protest.

They both laughed under their breath. The cave outside the hut was still dim, only a faint hint of dawn creeping in through the cavernous ceiling.

“I know this isn’t easy,” Macaque said, “But we’ll face it together.”

“…Okay.” MK purred.

They napped together for a while. The steady, even breathing between them soothed MK’s frayed nerves. His fingers were curled loosely into Macaque’s mane, and Macaque had one arm loosely slung over MK’s shoulders. 

Neither of them did anything for some time, not until the front door creaked open. MK grumbled groggily, barely lifting his head as Wukong stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the pale light beyond. His expression was tight with worry, but as his eyes landed on them curled up together in the nest, he visibly relaxed, but only slightly.

“Psst, hey,” He whispered, “Sorry to wake you two, but the meeting’s about to start.”

Macaque grunted but didn’t protest, sitting upright. MK rubbed at his face and yawned, exposing his sharp teeth.

“Do you want me to be there?” The young monkey asked.

“Only if you’re up for it.” The King nodded. “You were there, and you might remember something new that could help us. If you’re willing to speak, they need to hear what happened.”

“Good.” MK replied. “I’ll go.”

“I'll make a portal so we can get there quickly, gather around.” Macaque announced.

The dark monkey got out of the nest and helped MK up while Wukong stood next to them. Afterwards, he raised a hand and a shadow rippled in front of them. They stepped through, and the world blinked out around them. For a second, all was dark, cool and weightless, and then light burst back in as they stepped out the other side of the portal.

Once he jumped through, Macaque’s steps faltered, and he staggered with a gasp, the portal blinking out behind them as he stumbled instead of fading like it normally did.

“Macaque?” MK asked, alarmed, but Wukong was already reacting.

“I’ve got you.” Wukong said, catching him with both hands before he could hit the floor.

The King moved in without hesitation, catching him under the arms and lifting him back on his feet. MK blinked in surprise, watching as Macaque clutched Wukong's chestplate briefly and breathed heavily through his nose.

He’s… That tired?

Macaque usually handled long-distance shadow travel like a breeze. But this time, he looked drained and dizzy. Wukong passed MK a glance but didn’t say anything. He gently helped Macaque to stand, steadying him with a hand on his back. The dark monkey growled as his head tipped forward until his chin nearly touched his chest. His limbs were heavy in Wukong’s grip. His eyes were lidded, and he couldn't find a steady footing.

“You’re burning too much too fast.” Wukong cursed under his breath. “You've spent enough last night, just relax.”

“Shut up…” Macaque rasped. “Don’t make a scene.”

“Little late for that, Plum.” Wukong said softly, glancing around the meeting hall while MK's jaw hung after hearing Wukong say Macaque’s nickname.

Several council members and village elders were already peering over curiously. Another pitiful grunt left Macaque’s throat. His ears were pressed flat to his skull, and he still hadn’t found the strength to stand on his own, struggling to fight his own wobbly knees. 

Wukong sighed and, without asking, he crouched and hoisted Macaque up onto his back.

“Hey!” Macaque growled, weakly kicking his flimsy legs. “Not in front of everyone, you Peach!”

“Are you gonna stop me?” Wukong hissed quietly, adjusting his hold. 

“Put me down!” Macaque hissed, face flushed with humiliation. “They can't see me like this…”

“No.” Wukong adjusted his grip. “If you're really fine, then stop acting like you’re not about to pass out in approximately two nanoseconds from now.”

Macaque didn’t respond. His head slumped forward, fur brushing the back of Wukong’s neck with an angry, flustered huff. MK followed close behind, too shocked to speak. He’d never seen Macaque this depleted outside of a major fight. He wasn’t just tired, he's straight up burnt out. What had he done to get like this? MK said nothing, trailing beside them as they made their way into the great hall. He glanced back just once, catching Macaque bury his snout against Wukong’s shoulder, his six ears and long tail limp like some of Pigsy's noodles.

Wukong walked while Macaque clung to his back, with arms around his shoulders, legs around his waist, and head resting against the back of Wukong’s neck. Even with his claws loosely hooked in Wukong’s fur and in terrible condition, his grip remained true, a natural instinct for monkey demons apparent even in adulthood. Everyone saw them pass through. The room was already filled with village leaders, scouts, council members, volunteers, and warriors seated or standing along the long table that dominated the chamber. But now, every pair of eyes locked onto the arrival of the King, the Prince, and the sleepy Warrior.

Jing was the first to stand. His blonde fur bristled as he stepped out from behind the table. Euhang, beside him, rose with a gasp, eyes widening as she noticed Macaque slumped against Wukong like a ragdoll. Both lacked a certain strawberry furball at this meeting, and that was probably for the best. 

“Is he-” She gasped, covering her mouth with a hand in shock.

“He’s unharmed.” Wukong said without looking at her. His voice was calm but tight. “He just overused his magic last night.”

Everyone remained silent, watching as Wukong carried Macaque down the aisle and gently set him in a chair at the head of the table. Macaque didn’t respond beyond a slight grunt and half-hearted glare. MK could sense the fear in the room as he sat nearby. If a powerful celestial monkey like Macaque could be reduced to this… What did that say about the threat they were facing?

Wukong stepped up to the elevated platform at the head of the table. He looked over to the villagers, then over to MK.

“You have the floor, MK.” He encouraged the younger monkey with a subtle nod.

MK took a breath and rose from his seat. He took the opportunity to glance around. The room was silent. Their gazes were fixed on him, waiting. He took a breath, then stepped forward. If they were going to solve this mystery, he could not afford to hold back any details. He needed to tell them everything, including what he had failed to do.

“I was coming back from the mountain. It was late at night. Just before I got to my apartment, I… I felt something strange.” His three tails refused to remain still, lashing with anxiety. “I followed my instincts to find whatever was bothering me.”

A few murmurs and whispers rose at the table.

“It took fifteen minutes to reach an old warehouse near the harbor. I hid my presence, no one should’ve known I was there.”

He paused.

“But they did.”

“Who?” Jing asked, standing straighter.

“I don’t know.” MK’s hands tightened at his sides. “I couldn’t see their faces, they all wore cloaks. They surrounded a demon monkey about my age with a two-toned pelt, scared out of his mind. They didn’t say a word to him. I tried to listen and stay hidden, but then they just- Then turned to me, like they could see me.”

He paused to steady his wavering voice and cleared his throat.

“They attacked me. One of them got my leg.” he reached down, gesturing to the newly bandaged appendage. “It hurt more than it should have, it burned so bad and I had to use my true sight ability to keep my vision steady. It wasn’t even that deep, but it definitely hurt more than it should've.”

Euhang clutched her chest. He tail snuck over to her mate's.

“I fought back and managed to hold my ground. But then…” MK glanced toward Macaque, still barely conscious at the bench, but listening intently to the story with his ears splayed. “I got cut again, this time on my arm, and it was pretty bad. The pain was just as bad, even though this cut was deeper, but suddenly I couldn’t breathe right.”

“Where’s the other monkey?” Jing's orange eyes locked on MK's.

“...”

“…They took him.”

The room fell silent, all quiet conversations immediately ceased. 

“I tried to chase them. I couldn't sense them, but I heard him screaming. I ignored the pain and ran. But then…” His voice cracked, but he managed to force out the next sentence. “The screaming stopped. All I found left was fur and spots of blood.”

Wukong’s hands slowly clenched into fists. His golden eyes narrowed and the corner of his lips lifted into a fearsome grimace, grinding his canines.

“…It’s them.”

“Are you sure?” Jing stiffened.

Wukong didn’t answer immediately. When he did, his voice was colder than the stone he hatched from.

“I’m sure.”

Gasps echoed in the chamber. An elderly monkey stood from her spot, wailing and retreating to the corner of the room. There were numerous piercing cries of despair. Some of the youngest members looked around in confusion. Wukong cleared his throat, and they all turned to face him.

“Effective immediately, excursions off the island are off-limits without trained warriors in their group.” Wukong ordered. “We double the guards around the harbir starting tonight. And no more solo trips to the mainland. If anyone disobeys, I will personally escort them back. The island itself should be safe with the protective barrier in place, but I'll check it just to be sure.”

“Who are ‘they’?” MK asked quietly.

Wukong looked at him and MK caught a brief flash of hesitation.

“…Later,” The King said, “In private, I swear it, MK, the moment I get a chance to.”

MK nodded slowly, eyes never leaving Wukong’s face. He looked composed on the outside, but MK saw just how worried and nervous Wukong truly was. He hid it well, nobody else seemed to notice. Now wasn’t the time for questions. MK sat down, letting Wukong and the council members debate over decisions and plans, this wasn't really his thing, nor was it his place. He made his way over to Macaque, the dark monkey was much more awake now. His body was still trembling faintly from fatigue, but his six ears were perked, listening to everything.

“Are you alright?” MK chirped softly, crouching beside him.

“I will be.” He chuffed with a subtle smile. “Once I can stand without falling like a befuddled ape on fermented fruit.”

Satisfied, MK's gaze drifted back toward the long table where the council sat. Everyone was now deep in conversation. Arguments began in hushed tones. Some called for a lockdown on the island, while others demanded recalling all scouts. 

“We can’t afford to wait and see any longer!” One older monkey slammed his palm down on the table. “Not when we’ve already lost one!”

“But if we act too fast-” Another snapped back, “we risk making them scatter and we’ll lose our trail entirely!”

Jing stood silently behind his seat, arms crossed, glaring at the ceiling like it would give him the answers to the universe. Euhang remained just behind him as her eyes occasionally flicked toward Wukong and then to MK.

But Wukong, for once, didn’t interrupt the debate. He let them argue and speak their grievances. It was rare to see him like this, to say the least. MK had seen Monkey King in battle, seen him bicker, tease, and make decisions alone. He’d seen him serious, and sometimes even wise. Here, he stood on the elevated platform, with his back straight and narrowed, golden eyes watching each council member as they voiced their fears and demands. He didn’t silence them or shout over them, he listened. Like a true King, not just in name.

“You’re staring.” Beside him, Macaque chuckled weakly.

“Well, yeah, I've never seen him like this.” MK admitted quietly.

“Yeah.” Macaque’s voice was faint but amused. “He gets like that when he’s really scared.”

“Scared?”

“Don’t let the show fool you. He’s rattled, kid. He's always been good at hiding his fear with sheer stubbornness.”

MK stayed silent, watching as Wukong leaned forward, finally raising a hand. The council fell quiet instantly. The Monkey King's golden fur catching the soft firelight of the hall.

“We do both. Double patrols along our borders. Scouts will be in groups and will not stray off the set paths in the city. Silent recon only, if you encounter anything strange, do not engage and immediately report back here.”

“And if we do come across them?” A scout asked cautiously.

“Run into busy areas. I doubt they'll attack out in the open. I understand if any volunteers resign after today, feel free to help in a different way.”

Silence settled once more. A few murmurs picked back up, and MK took the opportunity to ask a question.

“…Is this how he used to rule?”

Macaque didn’t answer right away. He was busy watching Wukong's body language.

“Not exactly.” He said, never looking away. “Back then, he ruled mostly by himself. He rarely called a council. He’s learned since then that having more opinions and different points of views can lead to better results.”

Euhang stepped away from Jing’s side as her worried gaze locked onto Macaque. 

“…What happened to him?”

She didn’t look at MK, or Wukong, or the council. Only at the slumped form of the Warrior, leaning in his seat like the strength had been drained straight out of him. Her tail twitched behind her, betraying the worry she tried to keep masked behind a calm front.

“If you don't mind me asking, what could’ve possibly happened to reduce him to this?” She asked, gesturing faintly to Macaque. “He’s a celestial primate, what's up with him?”

Wukong glanced toward Macaque but didn’t speak to him directly, but the Warrior nodded, giving permission to tell them all.

“Last night, he used his magic to sweep nearly the entire city. Every alley and street, if it were in the shadows, he could sense them, looking for any suspicious activity. But more than that, he found more demon monkeys. A whole lot of them, much more than we predicted were currently in Megapolis, nearly five hundred of them.”

Amazed gasps and murmurs rippled across the table. MK felt his heart soar at the number.

“We couldn't reach or verbally warn them all,” Wukong went on, “So he used his shadows to guide them safely toward the harbor. In doing so, it pushed him past his limits. Some of them were hiding, some were injured, and many too scared to come out. We later questioned them, and they were all on edge.”

“He overextended himself for them?” Euhang said, leaning into Jing.

“He always does.” Wukong replied, a small, weary smile on his face.

Macaque made a faint sound in the back of his throat as all eyes turned to him.

The meeting was concluded not long after. Monkeys left in solemn silence or deep in hushed conversation. Jing and Euhang didn’t linger. As soon as the last word was spoken, they left to oversee the shores to stand at the cliffsides and ports to welcome in the refugees from the sea, those brought here by Macaque’s shadow guides. Sandy had already brought in nearly fifty new arrivals with his barge, and they needed introductions to the village.

Wukong helped Macaque stand up. He still leaned into Wukong's side, but he was able to walk now. The Sun and Moon stood together, silent and watchful as the village erupted into life before vanishing into the crowd together, and MK lost sight of them.

MK wandered on his own after a while, not really looking for anything in particular, just checking in with familiar faces and the fifty new ones as well. While traveling down a path, he overheard some peculiar words as he passed by.

“…Poor thing, she hasn’t spoken much at all. Apparently, she was alone in the streets for days. She was brought here in hopes of reuniting with her parents, but there's no news yet.”

“She’s the only one without a family.” Another voice added. “The whole village’s trying to help out in the meantime.”

Curiosity tugged him toward the small group gathered under one of the pavilions closer to the treeline. A small demon monkey sat on a thick woven mat, swaddled in a clean, oversized blanket. Her fur was streaked in cream and dusty brown, and though the grime had been scrubbed off, some faint bruises still lingered around her jaw and arms. She looked about the age of a young school child, maybe four at most. She didn’t cry or speak, watching the village entrance with wide eyes.

As he grew closer, MK spotted Macaque before he even reached the pavilion, sitting cross-legged on the mat beside the little girl. He must've separated from Wukong while MK was off exploring, it was good to see him strong enough to be interacting with others. The older monkey's posture was relaxed, holding a cluster of nuts in his hands. MK slowed, watching quietly from the edge as Macaque leaned in to speak softly to the child, redirecting her attention from the village entrance onto him instead.

“Okay, try again, just like how I showed you.” Macaque murmured gently, holding up three pecans between his palms. “Pick at least one strong one, and use it to squeeze the other.”

The girl furrowed her little brow in deep concentration, trying again to mimic the motion. She pressed her fingers together with all her might, tongue poking out between tiny teeth slightly in focus. The pecans rubbed against each other but didn’t crack. Her shoulders drooped with disappointment.

“Here, like this-” Macaque let out a soft chuckle and reached over. 

He took the nuts and applied a squeeze with just enough pressure. One of the shells popped with a satisfying crack. The girl’s eyes widened, and when Macaque handed her the prize inside, she took it. She sniffed, tentatively nibbled, and finally smiled. MK exhaled quietly. The sight warmed him more than he expected. Seeing Macaque out and about was a comfort in itself. After all the exhaustion earlier that day, he seemed better now. The cub also reminded MK a little bit of himself. He remembered being that small, that lost and alone, wandering the same city streets before Pigsy found him and gave him a home. He often forgot that Megapolis was built on a mountain, it was not easy for tourists to traverse, let alone children.

A soft crunch of leaves behind him signaled a presence. MK could see ginger-golden curls from the corner of his eye. The Monkey King didn’t say anything at first, standing beside MK and watching the same scene.

“Nice to see that she’s warming up.” Wukong cooed, nodding slightly toward Macaque and the girl. “He’s good with kids, isn't he?”

They watched a little bit longer.

“When we're alone, I'll tell you what we're dealing with.” Wukong leaned over with a whisper. “Just a reminder.”

MK nodded silently as Wukong sauntered off to meet the two monkeys under the pavilion, crouching down and talking to them. Then, very cautiously, Wukong leaned toward Macaque.

“…We should pause the research for tonight.”

Macaque didn’t answer right away. His eyes stayed on the girl, watching her crunch through the pecan. Then, with a curt nod, he agreed.

“Yeah.” He said quietly. “Let things be for now.”

MK went to walk away… But he paused as they began a new conversation. He was careful not to react, tilting his head just enough to appear like he was looking down the road to the village square, when in truth, every sense was locked onto the quiet conversation between his mentors. He wasn't normally an eavesdropping, but his curiosity was edging him on.

“…I’ve been thinking about it.” Macaque whispered as the cub walked away with a pile of cracked nuts in her little hands. “About doing what you suggested.”

MK didn’t turn around, but his heart gave a faint jolt.

“Are you sure?” Wukong's reply was cautious, hopeful.

“No,” Macaque sighed, “Not yet, but I’m thinking about it. I want to be sure of this.”

There was a pause. The chatter of passersby filled any silence there would've been.

“It won’t be easy for me, Wukong, and you know why.” Macaque added. “Last time I listened for a future that never came, it hurt. I can’t go through that again unless I’m completely sure... And I’m not...”

“I understand.” Wukong plopped next to the broody monkey on the mat. “You’ve got to be ready, take your time. I won't hold it against you if you decide not to.”

“Time, huh?” Macaque huffed a quiet, humorless laugh. “I still feel drained. I’ve got to recharge before I even consider trying. But I really want to try something, if not for me or you, but for MK.”

MK’s mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. Listening to the future? A prediction that never came true? Something so devastating Macaque refused to look again? And this “research” they kept dancing around… It wasn’t just about him growing traits or changes, was it? They were hiding something important, and by the looks of it, it's something they weren’t ready to face themselves. No wonder they didn't tell MK anything. 

He stepped away at last, forcing his body to stay relaxed, willing his face to stay blank even as a thousand questions tore through his thoughts like a hurricane making landfall.

What were they so afraid of finding? 

Or worse… 

Why were they so afraid of how he'd react?

Chapter Text

MK yawned as he rubbed his eyes, sitting up in his bed-nest with his fur still slicked from sleep. The sunlight was absent in the early morning. He had returned home yesterday to sleep, arriving late at night after Pigsy went home. It didn't take long for the memory of yesterday to return to him.

He groaned loudly, shaking away the unwanted thoughts and stretched before rolling out of bed, crawling around on all fours and getting dressed. He hadn’t changed out of his monkey form since encountering the strange group at the warehouse. It felt safer somehow, armor he wasn’t ready to shed, and weapon ready to defend himself with at a moment's notice. The streets were somewhat peaceful at this hour, but even so, the horns from vehicles filled the silence, a backdrop to the mundane routine. He took a shower, brushed his teeth, fur, and changed into his regular outfit with his yellowish-orange jacket and red pants.

Downstairs, the kitchen was still dark. The lights remened off, and MK went through the mental checklist of cleaning everything, preparing for deliveries, checking the early orders online, counting inventory, boiling water, and cutting ingredients. His body moved on muscle memory while his brain began to wander, still half in yesterday.

The back door creaked open. Ah, that must be Pigsy. As always, MK forgot to announce he was already inside. With a gasp, Pigsy jumped, and keys jangled in his hoofs. He didn't even say a single word, silently glaring at MK.

“Sorry, sorry!” MK winced. “I was just getting ready-”

“You better be.” Pigsy crossed his arms. “You ditched your shift yesterday. I didn't get a single call or text, not even a note!”

“About that…” MK opened his mouth, hesitated, then sighed and faced him fully. “I found a group of people hurting a monkey demon in the city… I fought them off, but they escaped with him. I got hurt. And I… I couldn’t save him.”

There. He told the whole truth, even though it hurt. No more hiding, just like he promised. Pigsy's expression shifted in an instant.

“Oh.” He stepped forward, softening his voice. “Kid… You okay?”

“I will be.” MK gave him a faint smile and shrugged. “I just needed to rest. I didn’t mean to leave you hanging, I swear.”

“No, I get it, that's rough for anybody.” Pigsy let out a long breath. “I’m sorry I snapped. Wait, did you say that you got hurt?”

“I got cut twice, Monkey King patched me up.” MK sucked in air as his fur pickled. “They used weird weapons. If anything, it felt like it had magic behind it and made it hurt worse than what it actually did.”

“Alright.” Pigsy patted MK’s shoulder. “Thanks for telling me. Are you still gonna work today?”

“Yeah, I can handle it.” MK nodded. “But I have to leave after my shift. Monkey King wanted to talk to me about those strange people, but he was too busy to explain something important yesterday.”

“Fine by me.” Pigsy sighed. “Orders are a bit backed up, but it's nothin’ you can’t handle. I sent out refunds and coupons as an apology for missing them yesterday, and you better believe everyone used them already, today's temperature is cold!”

“Thanks, Dadsy.” MK churred, already turning toward the pantry.

Without thinking, he flickered into his human form with his tails still out, using them along with his arms to reach for the food bags stacked high on the shelves.

Behind him, Pigsy muttered under his breath, thinking MK wouldn’t hear.

“Hair’s changin’ again…”

MK paused. So he hadn’t imagined it in the mirror. He had noticed that his fur was harder to keep up with, growing so quickly that he started to cut some off nearly every day. He tried keeping it in a mullet instead of a man bun just to spice things up. Even in his human form, his hair had grown longer, and worse, small curls appeared near his ears, smothering his sideburns. Lighter in color, too, like sunlight had seeped into it and the rays had been captured in the strands like amber. He said nothing and quietly continued packing.

MK’s flew by. He made deliveries across the city, from towering apartments to tucked-away corner shops. At every stop, he discreetly hid his three tails beneath his hoodie or under his hoodie, making sure they stayed tucked and unseen. He liked to keep them out, they were actually pretty entertaining. Some places were easier than others, especially the regulars who didn’t ask too many questions, except about his hair.

“Whoa, new hairdo?” One of the regulars commented as she received her order.

“Yup!” MK chuckled. “I thought about trying something new for once. I've been tying it up, so I decided to let it loose for once.”

“Did you dye it too? It looks lighter.”

“Maybe it got sun bleached or something,” He shrugged, “Lighting, probably.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. His hair had changed. The dark, spiky locks he’d sported for most of his life had grown, thick and long. It now resembled a messy mullet, long and unruly at the back, while his bangs had gotten so floppy, he needed his headband just to keep them from covering his eyes. The thing had gone from a stylistic accessory to an absolute necessity. The ends of each strand, it twirled ever so slightly. 

His shift ran well past noon, stretching into the late afternoon. The extra orders had stacked up, but MK kept his pace steady. He stopped by a convenience store between runs and grabbed a cold, mango-flavored energy drink. It wasn’t something he did often, but after nearly falling asleep while standing at a door waiting for a customer to pick up their food, it felt necessary.

Coffee was out of the question. He tried it once and instantly regretted it. His stomach turned on him, and the bitter aftertaste left his tongue begging for mercy. Monkey metabolism and bitter liquids didn’t get along. His sweet tooth, however, was always insatiable. He’d had a sugar craving since he could remember, and a hatred for anything bitter ever since he was a tot.

And now that he thought about it… He’d always been kind of odd. As a kid, he never really talked the way other children did. He babbled, spoke with strange noises, or outright screeched instead. Pigsy would often joke that he didn’t hear MK say a full sentence until he was five. MK remembered crawling more than walking and sprinting on all fours was his favorite form of movement, especially when playing outside. When trees were in the picture, he’d play on them before he could even read. Climbing was almost compulsive, it wasn’t a matter of if he’d scale a building, but how fast. He joined a parkour club in high school and was an absolute whizz, it was one of the many ways he and Mei had bonded in their earlier years.

Tang had homeschooled him for the first few years, mostly because the kid couldn’t sit still and kept hanging upside-down from desks and door frames. Plus, he would always cry when there were loud noises around, they always startled him. He also hated shoes, like, absolutely despised them. MK would ditch them every chance he got, and even now, as an adult, he only wore them out of social obligation. He still walked on his toes more than his heels, and on more than one occasion, he caught himself crouching on top of furniture like a hooligan rather than sitting like a normal person. To this day he still did it.

Even in his teens, the monkey habits never really left. He chewed on things constantly like pen caps, sleeves, chopsticks, and gnawed through items before he realized chewing plastic wasn’t ideal. He solved that problem with toys made for chewing, he'd throw them in the freezer and take them out later whenever he felt the need. When excited or upset, he would get antsy and feel the need to run around more. 

It was just how he was. He scratched behind his ears when thinking, played with his hair when anxious, and had a strange habit of hoarding shiny trinkets and cool rocks without realizing it. His room was half a storage room at this point. Little did he or anyone else know, he wasn't human this whole time. The secret was obvious from the start, and nobody even thought twice about the truth. Because, who would guess that he was a monkey the whole time? 

To this day, he still didn't know why he looked human instead of a monkey when Pigsy found him. Why wasn't he in his true form?

Once the final delivery was made, he dropped off his vehicle at the shop. MK exhaled and kicked off from the ground before landing on his nimbus. He stared up at the sky for a moment, then transformed into his full monkey form, using his three tails for balance as the nimbus took off at breakneck speed. The wind stung his eyes and whipped his small curls back, but he suddenly felt a little sick.

“Ooooh no-” MK groaned, clutching his stomach as he shivered uncomfortably. “Stupid mango drink…”

He knew caffeine made him shaks, and always messed with his heart rate and overloaded his senses. He was a monkey demon, not a human, and the drink's effects hit like a truck full of sugar and insane regret. The boost wasn’t worth it, not even close. It would've been better to fall asleep at someone's doorstep after all.

By the time he reached Shuilian Cave, he was jittery and slightly twitchy. He dropped down in front of Wukong’s hut just as his body gave another useless shiver. Once inside, the smell hit him like a divine punch to the face. Peaches and cake. It was a heavenly combination. Wukong was munching on a slice at the small table, the fruity aroma practically leaking from the dessert in between his claws.

“Where’d you get that?” MK asked, plopping down across from him, pupils wide.

“I got it from this really cool bakery that was recently built in the village.” Wukong chirped, muffled as he took another bite. “Special delivery. Want one?”

Wukong slid a slice towards his student. MK eyed it, then let out a sigh of defeat and took it. 

“I didn’t eat all day, I’ll suffer the sugar crash later.”

Wukong led MK back outside. The two sat quietly on the porch for a while, watching the warm rays of sunlight filtering through cracks in the cavern roof, creating shimmering patterns across the floor. They could hear the joyful screeches and songs of wild monkeys from outside.

After finishing their respective fruitcake slices, Wukong broke the silence.

“I said I’d tell you. So… Now, I’m gonna tell you what I know.”

MK looked up, shiping crumbs and icing stuck to his cheek fur. Wukong sat up straighter, growling a curse under his breath.

“Those people you fought… We know them simply as Hunters. A really old group made up of a mix of celestials, demons, humans… Whatever worked best to get the job done. They're organized, and their weapons are specialized to hurt victims with ancient magic. Not many know of their group's name, not even me.”

MK blinked, his hands slowly lowering from the plate.

“They’ve been around longer than I have. I've heard about them during my time in the celestial court as a stable boy, but nothing more. When the mountain burned down and I was imprisoned, they made their move and nearly wiped out all demon monkeys.”

The image of scattered fur and fresh blood came back to MK. He thought back to the murals that were painted by Macaque. There was a fire in one of them. His grip on the plate tightened, cracking it.

“They're back now,” Wukong continued. “But they’re not after just anyone. They’re targeting our kin, and I don’t know why yet. They always have a reason, somebody probably paid them to do it. They're a mercenary group, after all. That's about where my knowledge, unfortunately.”

MK’s chest ached. His hackles rose as he gazed down at the crack on his plate, baring his teeth at his reflection. He remembered the monkey screaming for help. The sound still echoed in his head. 

“…I’m going to stop them.” MK snarled. “I won’t fail again.”

Wukong didn’t answer. He reached over, ruffled MK’s fur before smoothing it back down.

“Hey, kiddo. I know I promised today… But duty calls.” Wukong sighs, resting a hand briefly on MK’s shoulder. “Maybe Mac can-”

“He’s supposed to take care of Shenfeng and that orphan cub today, remember?” MK mumbled.

“…Ah, right, forgot about that.” Wukong winced. “Well, maybe you could train with someone else? Or take a breather. Rest days are important, too, y’know.”

MK nodded, but it was clear in his drooping tails that he wasn’t thrilled.

“One day, bud, we'll go back to daily training, I mean it.” Wukong chirped before stifling his fingers through the ends of MK's mullet, through the small curls at the ends.

They left the cave together, and once Monkey King vanished into the clouds, MK pulled out his phone. He stared at his group chat for a moment before typing.

MK: Hey, are you guys up to wreak havoc in the desert today?

Red Son: Elaborate. 

Mei: YES, ALWAYS! Wait, are we training or starting a band?

MK: Training! Monkey King had to ditch me and Macaque was busy. I need to hit stuff.

Red Son: He left you again? What a great mentor. 

Mei: Oof, yeah, that socks. I’ll bring cool weapons!

Mei: *Sucks.

MK: YES! I’ll bring the snacks!

Red Son: I’ll bring actual skill, and whatever weapons I have around me. There's a rocket launcher I've been meaning to test. 

MK: See you two at the usual arena? 2pm? 

Mei: Race you there!

Red Son: I’ll teleport in at the last second and pretend I was early.

MK: Why am I not surprised?

MK smiled to himself and slipped his phone away. He summoned his cloud and leapt on it. As he soared off toward the desert, his heart felt the tiniest bit lighter. He might not get monkey training today, but at least he’d get the next best thing.

MK was late, arriving thirty minutes after. Flashes of flame and lightning lit up the skies even before MK touched down. Red Son’s fire sparkled, while Mei zipped around him with her jade sword in a blur of green. They were already in the groove, warming up and keeping up witty bantering as usual. MK landed a short distance away, letting his nimbus vanish beneath his feet. The moment he hit the ground, he was swarmed.

“Hey, there he is!” Mei waved at him before running over. “Took you long en- Wait… Are you okay?”

“You look like someone stole your favorite jacket.” Red Son commented as he approached. 

“Uh… I Forgot snacks?” MK kicked the sand with a foot.

“No way!” Mei cried, sliding her sword into its sheath with a sigh. “You had one job!”

“An easy job.” Red Son added, crossing his arms. “We agreed on snacks, sparring, and complaining about our parental figures.”

“Wait, I didn't agree to that last one.” Mei lifted a brow.

“But I know you want to.” The fire demon shot back.

“Sorry, guys. I'm a bit… I dunno, out of it today.” MK tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Mei plopped down and patted the ground beside her, and MK sat down. Red Son dropped next to him a second later, sitting cross-legged and unusually quiet, looking at the sand dunes awkwardly. 

“Is it about Monkey King?” Mei asked gently. “You mentioned he wasn’t around much to train lately.”

“That's only part of it. I think… I think they’re hiding something from me. Wukong and Macaque. Something really important, and I think it's something to do with my adult traits.”

That got both of their full attention.

“I don’t know what it is, but they’ve been acting weird since I started getting traits. Macaque’s gotten quiet, and Wukong always dodges the question. Whatever it is, they won’t say a thing. They promised to tell me if what they are investigating is true or not, but still… I’ve been trying so hard to be open with them, but it’s like they’re afraid to tell me.”

“…Well,” Red Son said, straightening his spine, “Maybe it’s time I kept up my promise.”

“Huh?” Mei deadpanned. Red Son ignored her and turned toward MK. 

“I told you both that when the time was right, I’d show you my true form without glamor.”

“FOR REAL?” Mei gasped when she realized what he's implying.

“It's time.” Red Son rolled his eyes. “Like I said, I've been waiting for the right moment to show it, and now would be appropriate.”

“Wait, seriously?” MK met his gaze with glittering eyes. MK and Meo stood up.

“Yes.” Red Son said as flames flickering around his fingertips. “I need to show you that in the end, everyone changes, but you're always still the same person. No matter what those two idiotic simians reveal to you, you're still the same annoying Noodle Boy, and I'll prove it.”

Roaring flames rose from Red Son’s feet, rising around him and swirling in a blazing hot inferno. MK and Mei stumbled back, blinking against the sudden light as wind whipped through the arena. For a moment, the fire grew too bright to look at directly, and then, like an ember flaring before it cools, it softened.

Red Son stood at the center, but not as the humanoid MK had always known, but in his unglamored form. For one, he was significantly taller, a height that demanded attention. His red hair was now twice as long. Curled white horns arched from his head, glowing faintly as it reflected the dying flames of his magic. Thick tufts of flame-red fur ran from his shoulders, down his spine, and along a long, tufted tail that lashed through the air like a whip. His legs were sturdy and powerful, covered in red fur and ended in gleaming silver hooves. His ears had also changed, long and floppy, just like a bovine.

But it wasn’t just bull features. Long charcoal-tinted claws glinted at his fingertips. The most noticeable feature had to be the blue, a few flame-like markings stretched across his arms and chest like tattoos on his exposed skin that lacked fur, flickering dimly with blue light.

“Whoa…” MK and Mei gasped at the same time.

“Hmph.” Red Son sneered with a pleased grin. “Still breathing?”

“I think so.” MK shook his head, blinking hard. “Gotta say, not what I expected.”

“I know, it's flashy.” Red Son said with a sigh, rolling a shoulder as the flame-markings dimmed slightly. “And ridiculously annoying to get clothing tailored for.”

“If I remember correctly, some of these traits are not from your parents, right?” MK questioned while Mei was still watching with a hanging jaw.

“Correct, some of this isn't inherited. They are called mutations, and since I'm a powerful demon, mine are quite noticeable.” He flexed a clawed hand, watching the faint blue glow swirl across his wrist. “This form is… A lot, even for me.”

“But you don’t hate it.” MK said quietly, not really a question.

“No. I don’t.” Red Son looked over, eyes narrowing, but not in annoyance. “It’s still me. And that’s the point I'm trying to make.”

He stepped closer, as the fire died down around him, glowing blue from the strange marking on his body as the sky turned red and gold with the setting sun.

“People change. We grow, we adapt, and sometimes, we discover things about ourselves we didn’t expect. You think you’re the only one with confusing traits showing up out of nowhere? Ta-da, even I got interesting additions in the end.”

“Oh, I see.” MK laughed softly. “You look awesome, though.”

“I know,” Red Son scoffed proudly, “Are we going to spar or are we here to gawk at me? I understand the temptation, but we have training to commence.”

“Right.” MK rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Let’s get to it!”

MK warmed up quickly, and was ready to spar. To his and Mei's delight, Red Son stayed unglamored the entire time, refusing to hide his real form now that he’d revealed it, clearly more comfortable like this.

Mei, however, pouted from the sidelines after being knocked down a third time.

“Ugh! Not fair! I’ve been trying to dragon-up since forever ever since I got my family's jade sword! Why does it have to be so hard?”

“Perhaps your fire just needs more kindling.” Red Son teased. “Not all of us awaken power by swinging a pointy stick.”

“Not helping!”

MK laughed, breathless and glowing with sweat and energy. His chest ached with joy instead of grief. He hadn’t felt this happy or calm in what felt like weeks. Uhhh… How long had it been since he got his tails? Yeah, that long.

By the time the stars came out, the three of them collapsed in the sand, panting, grinning, and side by side. Red Son’s flames dimmed to glowing embers, Mei’s sword was propped beside her, and MK laid on his back, staring up at the quiet sky.

“Hey,” He said quietly, “Thanks.”

“For what?” Mei asked, nudging him with her foot.

“For this, for being here.” He smiled softly. “I don’t think I’d be handling any of this if it weren’t for you guys.”

They didn’t say anything right away. But Mei reached out, linking her pinkie with his. Red Son, ever dramatic, exhaled an exaggerated sigh and flopped onto MK’s other side.

“Just don’t expect me to go easy next time.” Red Son grumbled.

“I’d be disappointed if you did.” MK chirped.

For this one evening, MK wasn’t the Harbinger of Chaos or the center of a crazy, unraveling mystery.

He was someone's friend. 

Of course he was changing, but at the same time, he wasn't. 

He's okay with that.

Chapter Text

MK had returned to scouting the city under the cover of dusk. It had become a habit once more, it wasn't like he had anything better to do in the evenings, so he napped after his shifts and would explore when night fell. He was back in the throes of nightfall, spending his evenings searching and wandering. Now, it wasn't just for lost demon monkeys, but for answers. 

Tonight, he’d chosen a subtle outfit, he dressed with a fitted dark blue denim jacket and jeans to match. The orange shirt beneath it clung to his chest, the same shade as his current fur color. His signature red bandana tied back his growing hair into a high ponytail similarly to how Red Son does his. His long bangs were held back by pins, keeping the strands out of his eyes.

His tails were wounded in a braid, in case he was spotted by prying eyes. He didn't want to be recognized. He kept to the shadows, weaving between stacked crates and rusted shipping containers and over railroad tracks. The air was heavy with sea salt and iron. Sandy's harbor always smelled like this, but MK didn’t mind, he had come to enjoy the briny smell of the sea. His senses were on high alert, tuned in on the faintest shift of wind to the slightest vibration under his palms. He moved on all fours over the terrain, balancing on a tilted beam stretched across a collapsed section of the bridge. The water below sloshed, reflecting the faintest shimmer of moonlight from behind rain clouds.

This place wasn’t far from the old warehouse where he encountered Hunters for the first time. He was sure it was more than his blood that had stained the concrete. But there was no shadowy threat here tonight. At least, not yet. There were no signs of usual presence of activity, or so he thought.

Just as he cleared the beam over the broken bridge, a burst of jovial laughter echoed from somewhere nearby. MK froze. It wasn’t the hunters, he was sure of it. No, these guys were noisy and careless. His fur settled down as he forced himself to take deep breaths. He heard many drunken voices, clinking bottles, and the telltale scrape of chairs on metal. His ears twitched, honing in on the source. MK narrowed his eyes and began to make his way toward the sound, cautious and silent. He kept close to the rusting wall of a storage unit, shadows swallowing his frame as he crept closer to whatever scene awaited him.

MK followed the sound. The voices were clearer now. As he peered around the edge of a crumbling brick wall, his gaze landed on a gathering of demons clustered around a flickering campfire made out of trash. There were a lot of them, at least thirty, maybe more. Some sat on crates, others leaned against walls or seated in rusty chairs, passing drinks and tossing dice. But what caught MK’s eye first were the blue armbands. Oh, yeah, he recognized these guys. He remembered them from a month and a half ago. They’d been harassing Fae. The last time they had encountered one another, he made their leader eat dirt in a brawl.

They would surely remember him, too. Or, they would… Once they put two and two together. MK grinned to himself. Time to say hello! Without a sound, he climbed the wall before dropping down on the edge of the gathering, landing in a low crouch just behind the nearest demon. He slowly straightened, stepping silently until he was right at the edge of the light of their campfire.

“Miss me?” MK called out, wearing the warmest, most overly friendly smile he could manage.

A few demons startled and turned, backing out the way in confusion and alarm.

“Who-”

“New guy?”

“Great, nother’ tiger demon.”

“Where did he come from?”

“Does the boss have a nephew or something?”

Their words jumbled together. MK’s current fur, fiery terracotta with ginger-gold stripes, it clearly threw them off. They must not recognize him.

“What, no drinks for me?” MK teased, sauntering into the circle like he owned it. “Do you guys seriously not remember me?”

A few of them laughed uneasily, still unsure of who he was. One demon with horns squinted and growled at him.

“Are you someone important or just plain stupid?”

A massive silhouette rose from the back of the room. Towering and broad-shouldered, muscle rippled under his striped fur as he stood. His blue eyes locked onto MK, lifting his lips in a snarl.

“That voice…” The tiger growled. “Where do I know that voice?”

He took a step forward to investigate but his subordinates blocked his path, chatting amongst each other. The tiger got annoyed and roared at them.

“SHUT IT! All of you!”

The other demons immediately fell silent. The tiger pushed some aside to get a better look at their new monkey visitor. The group followed their leader's gaze to MK's mandarin, heart-shaped facial marking. 

“Wait…”

“Oh crap!”

“That’s-”

“The Prince!”

Several backed away in shock, squirming in place, or reaching for weapons they weren’t brave enough to use.

MK's jaw hurt from smiling so much. He walked further into the group with a genuine, amused laugh.

“Aww, come on!” He cooed sweetly. “Don’t go quiet now, we were bonding!”

The white tiger bared his fangs, but didn't move. MK cocked his head to the side and walked right up to him, having to lilt his head to meet his eyes.

“Anything interesting going on lately?” He asked with a swish of his braided tails. “I’ve been on the lookout for weird things. Maybe you’ve heard something helpful?”

The demons said nothing.

The fire crackled, the only sound that dared fill the air as MK’s smile slowly dropped, just enough to make everyone tense. He wasn’t angry, but that glimmer of disappointment in his eyes made several of the demons glance away or fidget with their belts. One even dropped his drink, and the glass shards clattered on the floor.

The white tiger finally stepped forward. He moved with confidence, but MK could tell it was forced. Last time, he had been arrogant and truly sure of his power. Now, the tiger’s tail was low, and his shoulders tense. Still, he tried to act bigger than he felt, ironic for such a gargantuan cat talking to a teensy simian.

“Look,” He hissed, “We haven’t touched any monkeys since last time. We learned, loud and clear.”

He paused, flicking an ear toward MK, who remained dead silent with the same frown.

“In fact…” The tiger's whiskers twitched, “We’ve been spreading word. Every gang should know by now, anyone touches a monkey, they answer to the Prince. We made sure of that.”

A murmur of agreement rippled behind him. None dared speak aloud, but through their nervous glances, the rigid postures, they told MK enough.

“But… There’s something else.” The tiger swallowed, ears flicking back briefly. “A few of us, and other gangs too, some of their guys have gone missing. Not arrested, they didn't desert, they vanished completely without a trace. Every single one.”

The tiger stepped back and retracted his claws, averting his gaze.

“I swear, we haven’t been involved in anything since we've last seen you, and we’re not the only ones backing off.”

MK slowly looked around the circle of uneasy faces. He saw fear in their expressions. They were truly scared of him, or who they thought he was.

“Good.” MK said at last and turned away, ready to leave. “Keep it that way.”

MK had hardly taken three steps when-

“H- Hey, wait!” One of the gang members called out. The tiger glared at them, but they were more scared of MK than their leader at the moment.

MK turned his head slowly, reflective eyes gleaming in the dim light. The white tiger hesitated, then forced himself to step forward again.

“There's something else you should know. We… We've all heard rumors.” he said carefully. “Some think it was you.”

“What was me?” The Monkey tilted his head.

“The disappearances.” The tiger’s voice trembled slightly. “A few think you’ve been hunting down the ones who wouldn’t stop. Cleaning house, one by one.”

MK’s expression didn’t change, not one flicker of surprise or denial in any of his features. He remained stark still. 

From their point of view, MK was either angry or listening intently. 

In truth, MK was horrified to hear the news.

“I- I told them you wouldn’t, but some of them, they…” The tiger’s facade finally crumbled.

MK’s eyes wandered. A few gang members behind the tiger flinched as he looked their way. He didn’t need his true sight to notice the telltale glint of a phone's camera lens in one of their belts, or straight up having their phones out, recording this entire interaction. 

And an idea crossed his mind.

And incredibly stupid…

Reckless…

Idea.

“...Is that what you think?” MK turned to face them and their cameras fully.

A low growl emerged up from his chest, deep and uncomfortably calm. His sharp teeth glinted behind a tight-lipped snarl. He grinded his canines, making sure it was loud enough for all to hear.

“CK-… CK-… CK-… TSSsssshhhhhhh…”

The shrill sound vibrated through the room, and several demons took a step back. Some even tripped over crates and debris as they scrambled away from him. Even the tiger flinched, ducking his head as if expecting to be struck. MK used this moment to his full advantage, taking a page right out of Macaque’s book. His stance widened, unchesthing all of his claws and baring his fangs. His three long, braided tails unfurled and rose behind him, illuminated by the faint orange glow of the gang's campfire. Their golden-ginger stripes shimmered, bold and bright.

“Listen up, and listen closely.” MK snarled, fangs peeking through his lips now. “The monkeys are under my protection. Every. Last One. If I hear anyone touching them, or even threatening them, I WILL find out.”

He took a moment to pause, never once having to raise his voice. He wasn't talking to the gang, but to more so to any mysterious hunter that happened to be listening in. If not, they'll find videos of him online. He will reach them, one way or another. 

They will know him.

He'll prove that he's not scared.

“I don’t care what city, mountain, or pit you crawled out of. If I find out anyone laid a finger on them, I'll never forgive you.”

He took another step forward. His tails flared behind him. 

“I’ll make sure you'll never take a monkey in front of me again.”

Gasps passed through the crowd. The tiger’s ears flattened all the way back. One of the younger demons in the group dropped their phone with a clatter and backed away with a shiver.

“You want rumors and gossip?” MK pointed to nobody in particular. “Then go on, spread this one. Let every gang, every back alley wanderer, and every coward with a grudge know-”

He raised his voice for the first time.

“The Monkey Prince is watching.”

He turned without another word. This time, no one stopped him. They parted like the sea as he walked past. It was risky to show himself. But if it meant the Hunters came for him next, and not the others, then it was worth it. He was more than capable of defending himself. Besides, he also had two celestial primates as backup.

MK’s feet padded softly across the cracked pavement as he left the harbor behind. The chill of the ocean breeze ruffled his orange fur, but his mind buzzed too loud for him to feel cold. Someone was bound to post their interaction, yet, he didn't mind. He wanted them to. He had seen his disguised self on social media plenty of times while searching for monkeys, enough to know he was viral in ways he never expected. He's been given various nicknames, and there's plenty of speculation across the internet about his true origins. A handful of his clips had gone beyond Megapolis, gaining traction online far outside the region. He remembered one particularly cool video, a shaky phone capture of him and a few demon monkey warriors leaping across rooftops in perfect sync. They were used to navigating cityscapes, resulting in a thrilling run all the way to the docks. He definitely bookmarked that one.

His more public identity as the Monkie Kid was a little trickier. Locals had started putting the pieces together years ago. He was pretty sure most people knew that Pigsy’s delivery boy and the city’s brave hero were the same person. The noodle shop had boomed with business after the first Demon Bull King attack, and the sudden rise in attention had drawn sponsorships. MK had only accepted the ones that helped Pigsy, and only if they covered his identity somehow. He remembered the lipstick ad being the first one, his true face was concealed with heavy makeup, only recognizable by his outfit. The yellowish-orange jacket, the red pants, the bright red bandana… Those were what people remembered. Not his face, nor his voice. It was weird, but kind of fun. 

He knew the moment from earlier, the display would probably end up online, too. The three tails, the growl, the glare… He was willing to bet all the gang members that were recording would post their perspective. He needed the attention on him. The online theories about his appearance were about to go crazy, a truth only Flower Fruit Mountain monkeys knew about.

As he climbed a chain-link fence and hopped onto the back alley rooftops, he realized how deeply disturbed he still felt. No monkeys had appeared tonight. Macaque had guided many back himself, and MK hoped that was the reason why the streets felt absent. He paused on a rooftop edge, gazing out across the twinkling lights of the distant city. He could stay out late tonight. It was Friday, after all, but suddenly, he didn’t want to. He wanted to be home. He desired the comfort of his own space, his nest, soft blankets, and his worn Monkey King plush he had gotten as a child.

MK took one more glance behind him. Then, wordlessly, he dropped on all fours and ran back home, sticking close to the shadows as he did. He arrived home before midnight and unlocked his window with his keys. He normally left it unlocked, but he had been keeping it closed lately for safety reasons. Once he crawled inside, he landed softly on his floor and turned the lock behind him. His window clicked shut. He threw his denim jacket aside and grabbed some nightwear, and made his way to the bathroom. A hot shower eased some of the tension from his muscles, and he ran a comb through his damp fur, taming the longer parts that had started growing out again. His fangs got polished, and his three tails remained free of the braid.

Once dry and changed, he dove into his nest and grabbed his phone, only to realize it was vibrating on silent. The screen was lighting up like fireworks.

Thirty-five unread messages. Six missed calls. Ten video links. All from Mei.

Mei: MK!

Mei: YOU NEED TO LOOK!

Mei: Are you okay? You're, like, SUPER viral right now!

Mei: Look at what the comments are saying!

Mei: Why are you scarier than Red Boy now? He's gonna be so jelly!

Mei: No WAY, there's already edits and fanart!

After reading some messages, MK scrolled, jaw slowly slackening. The clips weren’t edited dramatically, some of them were just raw footage, shaky and muffled with gasps, but others had sound effects, slow motion, complete with interesting captions and comments;

‘Did he say he's the Monkey Prince, like the Monkey KING?’

'Remind me not to visit zoos anymore, I don't trust monkeys right now.’

‘Three tails mean three times the fear, yikes!’

He swallowed hard. In one clip, he saw himself slowly turning back to the gang, pupils glowing gold, which he didn't even realize he was doing, tails unfurling in a hypnotizing manner. His growl was feral, sounding more like a chainsaw than a monkey. His own image sent chills down his spine as he watched his video self stand halfway in the firelight.

That creature didn't look like him.

Mei: You looked AWESOME but also TERRIFYING! That tail reveal was the coolest thing I've seen all year!

Mei: Are you okay with this? I’m serious, this is getting BIG.

MK just stared at the screen. He’d expected something to show up online eventually, but wow, this was fast. He looked down at his hands. His claws were still out, or did he subconsciously unsheath them? He flexed his figures before hiding them again.

His phone buzzed again.

Mei: MK? Are you still alive? Don't make me come over there!

MK exhaled and typed a response.

MK: Yeah, I’m here.

MK: I think I really scared them on purpose.

MK: I wanted to spread the news, but I don’t know how I feel about everything exploding so fast.

He laid back in his nest and stared up at the ceiling. The city knew, the internet really knew, and hopefully, any hunters. He couldn’t take it back.

Mei: Hey hey hey, look, this one's my favorite caption so far: ‘When my sleep paralysis demon manifests, it's gonna be this guy.’

He laughed softly. That one was incredibly dumb.

MK: Still doesn’t explain why the most popular video caught me at my worst angle though, booooo.

Suddenly, a new message notification popped up from their group chat.

Red Son: MK. Mei. I assume you’ve both seen the chaos already.

Mei: Heck yeah we have. You’re late for once!

MK: Red, please explain why there’s a 4K video of me growling like a rabid animal trending on villain social media.

Red Son: That doesn't exist, I use the same media as you do, bozo. 

Mei: I’m going to make merch of this.

MK: Noooo please don’t turn me into a marketable plushie!

Their joking continued for a few minutes, but MK's curiosity started to itch. He opened a new browser tab and began searching forums. His fingers hesitated only briefly before he typed something in the search bar. The screen flooded with thread titles.

‘The Monkie Kid has a rival!’

‘Monkey King’s speculated heir is real?’

‘He’s like... One of the four celestial primates?’

But a few threads dug deeper, one had alarm bells ringing in his head. He clicked on one titled

‘Noodle shop guy? Same bandana and hair?’

The post was short, but dead-on.

‘Look, I compared the footage of this guy from a local noodle shop near my apartment. I made a separate post speculating that this same monkey could also be the Monkie Kid, feel free to check that out. I don't like to post pictures of random people online, so just go check the shop's website and you'll see him. But look at the hair, he has the same red bandana, but used differently. I went to eat in the shop the other day and caught sight of him. His hair was long now, and somehow, it was orange and not black like it should be.’

‘It’s him. I don’t know how, but it’s got to be him.’

MK sat up, heart racing so fast that it hurt. It was hard to breathe. He dove into another post, then another. MK rubbed his eyes and leaned back into his nest. The forums were flooded with wild guesses, but every so often, a comment hit way too close to home. One in particular made his fingers go cold.

‘What if he’s Monkey King’s kid? You know, a successor by blood. Maybe the ‘Prince’ title isn’t metaphorical? And now that I think about it, having the name ‘Monkie Kid’ and not being a monkey sounds kinda strange.'

MK realized that he had been getting messages the entire time. Oh, right, he was talking to his friends.

Mei: MK, You good? You stopped typing. I can feel your existential crisis from here.

MK: Just reading forums.

Red Son: Why would you do that to yourself? Trust me, reading about yourself does you no good.

MK: There’s a theory. Like, a lot of them. Most are wrong but some are crazy close.

Mei: Not like “Haha funny wrong?”

MK: Not like “Haha” at all.

He swallowed and stared at the glowing screen. His hand trembled slightly. The world was watching now, and some people were starting to see too much. What if someone figures out the truth? He copied the link of the first one, backed out, and grabbed three more that made his heart thud a little too loudly. One of them correctly guessed that some shop regulars had known the truth the whole time. His hands were trembling as he returned to the group chat.

MK: Okay, I need to be serious for a sec. I’m kinda freaking out.

MK: I'm sending some links now, please read.

After sending the stories, there was a beat of nothingness before Mei responded.

Mei: MK… Woah. These are scary close. What the heck? It's never been like that before!

Red Son: The first thread noticed your hair change. Who does that? The same person also guessed you're the Monkie Kid, I gotta keep an eye out for them.

MK: It’s not just them noticing. It’s the theories too. One guessed I was Pigsy’s adopted kid. Another is calling me the heir of Flower Fruit Mountain. One said the name “Prince” wasn’t a nickname, but a title.

Mei: Oh, MK, I’m so sorry. I know you didn’t want to be seen like this.

Red Son: This level of attention is excessive. I didn’t get this kind of sleuthing when I went viral for nearly destroying the city- Twice!

MK: And it’s only been about two hours. What if they actually figure it out? Like, everything? I wasn't being careful enough, I should've been more careful!

Mei: Then we’ll handle it together, okay? You’re not doing this alone.

Red Son: Indeed. Let them speculate. The truth is ours to protect, and reveal only if you choose to.

MK: Thanks, guys. Really. I just needed someone to see what I saw.

He stared at the threads again, feeling uneasy. Some people thought he was a freaky monster, others thought he was a hero. 

MK: I’m calling it, guys. Thanks again. Goodnight.

Mei: Night, MK. We’ve got your back. Always!

Red Son: Sleep well, Noodle Boy. Feel free to call any of us in the middle of our sleep, we'll try not to be grumpy about it.

MK let out a soft chuckle as he powered off his screen, tucked the phone under his pillow, and flopped fully into the nest, fur slightly ruffled from stress. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the faint shifting shadows that danced with the occasional flicker of light from passing cars or the glow of the distant city.

Should he try a glamor spell again? He could hide the terracotta and golden tones in his human form. It wouldn’t be hard to fake normal again, if his glamor spells would even hold properly. But the idea made something twist in his chest. He didn’t want to hide. He’d gone so long keeping parts of himself tucked away, his powers, his nature, his instincts, his monkey form… His pain. And now that they were finally out, he wasn’t sure he could go back.

More than that… he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Welp, he’d been discovered, just like he wanted to. His face was on videos, his tails were in the open, and people were guessing things they had no business knowing. But he was also stronger than he’d ever been. And the monkeys, the village, his friends, they all saw him for who he was, and still stayed. It didn't matter if the world knew who he was. The monkey was out of the cage.

So… Now what?

He had no answer, only the steady thrum of blood in his ears and the faint, stubborn slosh of anxiety in his gut. MK curled up tighter in his nest, tail braid flopping over one shoulder, and finally let his eyes fall shut. He’d deal with it when he crossed that bridge. He spent too much time in the past and present, he never looked or prepared for the future. It was the last big habit he had to change.

Despite the anxiety, he fell asleep, dreaming of the future.

Chapter Text

Autumn deepens. His fur, once deep gold, now shimmered a pale dusty blonde, and this time, the color change only took three days.

He was ready for the day. MK padded downstairs barefoot, his fur already fluffed from the early chill after a steaming shower, nice and soft. Outside, the wind whispered past the buildings, rustling the last few dying leaves clinging to the trees. The shop was quiet, dim, and cool, just how MK liked it in the morning. He got to prepping. The familiar hum of the fridge and soft clinking of dishes being set in place were the only sounds besides his soft breathing. Just before the front door creaked open, MK let out a soft whistle, a heads-up he and Pigsy had developed over the past few weeks to avoid startling him another in the dark.

“Thanks for the warning, kiddo.” Pigsy grunted as he stepped in before holding the door open.

To MK’s surprise, Tang followed closely behind, with. coffee thermos in hand, books in the other, and a sleepy, lopsided smile on his face. 

“Mornin’, MK.” He greeted with a yawn. “Haven’t seen the shop this early in a while.”

“Hey, Mr. Tang.” MK chirped as he stepped behind the counter. With a blink and a shimmer of golden light, he shifted into his human form. Like always, his three tails remained out, and they had automatically braided themselves together. 

Pigsy paused at the stove, having to do a double check.

“MK…” He said slowly, walking up for a better look. “Your hair, that’s not just sun-bleached, is it?”

“Wow, wait, that changed quickly!” Tang leaned in next, squinting. 

“Just monkey business.” He hummed, adjusting his headband over his longer bangs. He grabbed his delivery bags that had started to pile up. “Seasonal colors, maybe, just adult traits. Nothing to worry about. Really, guys. It’s harmless! Just let me get through deliveries and I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Pigsy didn’t drop it like MK had hoped.

“You sure it’s fine? Because Tang showed me that video last night. Don’t play dumb, kid. You went viral again.”

MK froze for a half-second. Then resumed tightening his delivery bag straps. Tang stepped forward, voice a bit more gentle. 

“People are asking questions. The red bandana… Your hair… Even your posture. They might catch on, and I know you don't want that…”

“Is this something we need to be worried about?” Pigsy sharpened a knife of slate. “’Cause if it is, you know we’ve got your back. Just talk to us.”

MK didn’t answer. He adjusted his headband, his bangs already starting to droop in front of his eyes again.

“Seriously, all good! I’ll be back before noon!” He said instead, breezing past them and pulling the door open. “Try not to get bored while I'm out!”

“Kid-” Pigsy started, but MK was already gone, the chill air sweeping in before the door swung shut behind him.

MK hopped into his delivery cart, jabbed the keys in the ignition, and the small engine sputtered to life. Frost clung to the windshield, and as he breathed, vapor puffed from his mouth in delicate clouds that vanished into the cold morning air. His jacket was zipped to his chin, but it didn’t stop the chill. He rubbed his gloved hands together and reached for his phone, just to check…

It was a mistake. His notifications were relentless. Mentions. Messages. Shares. Comments. Every platform had someone talking about him again. He hesitated, then tapped into a discussion forum.

“The Prince Returns: Another Sighting?”

He skimmed past it, but then realized who the poster was. It was the same guy that guessed his identity, the same user as before. He had a new post up, and it was the third one this week. Worse, this person had more and more followers by the day.

“Okay, I know I sound crazy, but just look at the timeline. He vanishes from the shop every time the Monkie Kid is out and about. Also, his hair changed again. I went to the shop yesterday. It was blonde! Before, it was ginger. And before that, black. I swear, it’s the same guy. It has to be! I'll keep everyone updated. If the Prince shows up again with blonde fur, I might actually die.”

The post had hundreds of comments, quickly nearing a thousand. MK’s hands trembled. He quickly locked his phone and shoved it into his coat pocket. They’re getting too close.

He tapped the gas pedal, pulling out of the alley and into the still-shadowed streets. He weaved between puddles of morning frost as the city slowly woke up around him. His reflection blinked back at him from a fogged shop window as he passed. In his human form, fluffy blonde hair peeked out under his bandana. It wouldn’t be long now until he would be spotted in his monkey form again. They'll know. But then again, if he was going to protect the monkeys… If he was going to draw attention away from them… He’d have to be ready for whatever came next.

Sometimes, he really doesn't think things through.

The morning sun peeked through the high-rise shadows as MK zipped through the city, box after box packed neatly in the back. The cold bit at his fingers, keeping most of his thoughts out of his head. His third stop of the morning brought him to a familiar apartment building tucked between two cafés. He hopped off, grabbed a bag, and took the stairs two at a time. As always, he gave three quick knocks before the door creaked open.

“Ah! There he is!” An old man in a fuzzy blue robe grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief. He was one of their regulars, and one of the rare few that were convicted of MK's true identity. "My granddaughter was showing me a video, I was just telling my her you’d be by. And lo and behold, here you are!”

MK handed over the bag with a smile, his cheeks already warming from more than the climb.

“I'm trying something new.” MK said, the same excuse he told everyone that noticed. “Guess it’s getting a little attention.”

“A little?” The man chuckled and waved a wrinkled hand. “Son, you’re all over the internet! My grandson also showed me a clip, some monkey growling at gang members like a whole beast! And you know what I said?”

“Please don’t say it…” 

“I said, ‘Hey! That’s the noodle shop kid!’” He jabbed a finger toward MK’s chest, amused. “Your hair was gold then! You think I wouldn’t notice that mop of yours, Monkie Kid?”

“Yeah,” MK laughed nervously, “A lot of people are saying that. I’ve been getting those comments all week…”

“Hmm.” The man squinted. “Still not denying it, eh? Don’t worry, I'll keep your secret.”

“Aha, you know me!” MK held up his hands, backing toward the stairs with a sheepish grin. “Just your friendly neighborhood delivery guy, sir, with a flair for fashion.”

He turned and jogged down before more could be said, the door closing behind him with a faint chuckle from the old man. Back in his vehicle, MK let out a soft sigh and leaned against the steering wheel. That man had always teased him, but lately, he seemed to be getting more serious. People were connecting dots. He knew that man even before he became Monkey King's successor, of course he'd notice. MK revved the engine again, wind tousling his bangs as he rode on. Just a few more stops, and then he could disappear again. He would really enjoy some training right about now.

The day stretched on, each stop melting into the next like scenes from a familiar play. At one apartment, a young mother answered the door with her toddler clinging to her leg. The little one always babbled happily at MK, reaching for his fluffy hair with sticky fingers. MK chuckled, handing over the food with a playful wink at the curious child.

At a coffee shop across town, the baristas waved him in like an old friend. They were MK's age, he really enjoyed seeing them every now and then. One of them squinted at him and asked.

“Did you dye your hair again, dude? Last week it was gold, right?”

“I'm trying out autumn vibes!” MK grinned, finger-gunning before ducking out.

Another stop, another curious glance. This time from a group of teens filming a dance video near the city park. They whispered among themselves as MK dropped off their noodles on the nearby table behind them. He tried his best to stay out the video, but he wouldn't be surprised if he slipped in. One of them actually called out as he left.

“Yo, is that the Monkie Kid?” just as he rounded the corner. MK didn’t stop, just laughed and waved without confirming or denying a thing.

Then came the final delivery, at last. A clean little apartment tucked in the quieter edge of the city. MK knocked, tapping the beat of a familiar song on the doorframe with his knuckles. It swung open to reveal a guy in his twenties, with large square glasses, short cropped hair, and wearing an oversized baby blue hoodie.

“Hello!” MK smiled and held up the bag. “Food’s here.”

“Right on time.” The guy said, then paused. “Been busy today?”

“Yeah.” MK nodded, stretching a little. “End of my shift, finally.”

“Man, must be exhausting with how much buzz your shop’s getting lately, it's so crowded, I can't get inside!” The guy gave him a polite smile but watched him closely. “I mean, after that monkey video went viral, I'm not surprised people would flock there.”

“Aww, so sorry about that!” MK shrugged with a tired grin. “You wouldn’t believe how many people have brought that up today, my hair and red bandana have been getting me in trouble.”

The guy chuckled, leaning against the doorframe, messing with something in his pocket.

“Totally random question, but… I noticed a few times that, uh, your posture’s different sometimes. Like, when you run. Ever had training in, like, parkour?”

“Huh? Oh, of course! I'm surprised you noticed that! I used to do parkour in grade school.”

“Oh wow, makes sense…” The guy said, eyes gleaming with subtle interest. “And your hair’s gotten way longer. Looks great, do you change it a lot?”

“Nah, it just sorta happens.” MK chuckled, not catching the faint gleam from the guy's pocket as he kept messing with it.

The customer took the bag, thanking him again, but just as MK turned to leave-

“Hey, one last thing!” the guy called. “How do you keep your fur so smooth?”

“Huh?” MK glanced back, half-listening and tired after a long day. “Oh, uh, I just shower and groom it out when I can. Kind of annoying when it's long but-” 

He paused mid-sentence.

The guy was smiling too innocently. 

…What question did he ask, again? 

“Sorry, just curious. You’ve got, like, amazing hair, dude. Have a great day.”

“Heh, you too.” MK forced a laugh, suddenly uneasy. 

As he retreated back to the streets, some small, cold part of his brain replayed that question again that made him speak out loud.

"Hold up, did he say fur or hair?"

He glanced back, but the door had already shut. MK stared for a second longer, then rode off without a word, ignoring how the wind was biting a little harder than before. He must've misheard the question, he's had enough monkey questions for one day.

After a long, draining day of deliveries, MK set course for Flower Fruit Mountain. The wind remained cold, whipping through his jacket as he soared over the glinting ocean on his cloud. About halfway there, he finally let himself change forms. Fur sprouted along his arms and legs, his three tails twisting free from the braid he’d kept them under his clothing all day. He instantly felt better.

The ocean breeze met him like an old friend, tugging playfully at his now long fur. But when he glanced down at his arm, something caught his eye, a new color that wasn't there before. White tips were beginning to show on a few tufts of his fur, especially around his elbows and jaw, appearing on his extremities. He ran a claw down his arm and sighed, almost laughing at himself. 

“New color again?” He sighed. “Like Macaque’s winter coat? Great.”

He blinked, suddenly very aware of how similar it looked to Macaque’s own seasonal shift. But the thought was uncomfortable, too close to everything he’d been trying to forget and ignore. He shoved it down, burying it under a tired groan and a shake of his head. He wasn’t dealing with that nonsense right now.

Soon, the familiar silhouettes of Flower Fruit Mountain rose to meet him, wreathed in mist and golden afternoon light. The sky was turning a deeper hue, and the jungle was alive with quiet hums and distant chatter. It was a sight for sore eyes, enough to calm the mess of anxiety in his gut. He landed just outside Shuilian Cave, feet hitting soft moss with a thud. He didn’t announce himself, walking in like he always did.

Waiting inside were the mystic monkeys. And immediately, he caught the shared look. Wukong and Macaque had both turned to see him enter, and something passed between them in the space of a glance. Not surprise, more like… relief? MK could kinda understand, they hadn't seen him in a few days.

Wait, did they already know? Who was he kidding? Of course they knew… Probably? Surely some tech-savvy villager had shown them the viral clip by now, or mentioned the forums blowing up with theories about some wild, powerful monkey prince. He wasn’t going to hide it. But he wasn’t going to talk about it either, not until after training. That's a future MK conversation.

“What's up?” He plastered on a tired grin and raised a hand in greeting. 

Wukong’s tail twitched. Macaque was already approaching MK, but neither of them spoke at first.

“Hope you guys weren’t too bored without me!” MK added, cracking his knuckles. “I’m ready to get absolutely wrecked today, by the way. Bring it on!”

Still, no immediate response. They were both watching him with narrowed eyes, scanning his posture, his fur, and his expression. Weird. Yeah, they definitely knew something.

“Uhh.” MK cleared his throat. “Sooo… training?”

Wukong finally gave a soft chuckle, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Right, let's get started!”

Training went on for nearly an hour. Wukong kept MK on his toes. His wooden staff struck fast and vanished faster, always slipping just out of reach every time MK was about to hit him with the real staff. MK pushed himself harder to keep up, each muscle fueled by frustration, guilt, and something he couldn’t quite name. He needed this more than anything in the world.

But eventually, Wukong slowed, glancing at the sun.

“Welp, I have to go.” He sighed, catching MK’s staff with a single hand and stepping back. His voice was calm, but his eyes… Not so much. “Village and political stuff. I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

MK drooped. Of course Monkey King had to leave, he always did. Wukong laid a hand gently to MK’s shoulder before jumping on his cloud and speeding out without another word.

And just like that, he was gone again. MK stood still for a moment, tails lashing behind him. A bitter pang of grief gnawed at his heart. He was used to this by now, he should've expected this, but it still hurt.

“Don’t let it get to you.” Macaque’s voice was softer than usual, gentle, even. He stepped forward, brushing his tail against MK's side.

“He doesn’t mean to keep leaving. He’s just…” He trailed off, ears angling sideways. “He's really trying to make time for you.”

MK didn’t answer. He didn’t want to talk about Wukong. Enough of this emotional constipation, he wanted to move. Macaque picked up on what MK wanted, and they got to it. They got started, and MK pushed himself until sweat matted his fur and his breath came in ragged huffs. All three of his tails flicked in time with his motions. After seven weeks, he's learned to fully control his tails. Macaque watched carefully as they clashed. A flicker of pride passed through his smug expression.

“I think it’s time.” Macaque said.

“Huh?” MK halted before landing another strike. “Time for what?”

“For you to really start learning how to use those tails.”

Macaque reached forward at the base of MK's tails. They glowed purple, and MK realized what the dark monkey was referring to.

“The dampening spell I put on you worked like a charm.” Macaque purred. “Maybe too well, it's not wise to limit a power like this.”

“You’re removing it now?”

“Only if you’re ready.”

“I-” MK hesitated. He remembered manifesting the new scene in the city. The overwhelming flood of sound and movement, there were so many vibrations, it was painful taking in so much stimulation at once. The chaos that turned his mind inside out until he couldn’t tell up from down.

“I’ll help you adjust.” Macaque added. “We’re not in the city. The mountain is quiet, I learned to use my ears here, after all.”

“…Okay.”

Macaque nodded once. His fingers reached out, pulling away the violet color that surrounded each limb. There was a soft tremor in the air as the spell lifted.

And MK’s world exploded. A wave of sensations surged through him as he felt new, powerful vibrations. He felt every breath of wind through the grass, the soft scuttle of an insect across a nearby leaf, and the shift of weight in Macaque’s feet all at once. The mountain itself was alive, and talking to him. He stumbled, ears pinning back, tails puffed in panic.

It wasn’t like before. Not a scream of chaos, but a chorus. It didn't matter, he was still overwhelmed. Still painful. He fell to his knees, gasping.

“I’ve got you.” Macaque was beside him instantly, steadying him with both hands. “Breathe through it, you have to fight it to concur it.”

“It hurts-” MK winced as his eyes stung. “It’s too much!”

“It won’t be forever.” Macaque’s voice was firm but kind. “Your body’s adjusting, your mind will catch up, I swear.”

MK stayed crouched there, letting the mountain settle around him, through him. It was like learning to hear for the first time, and the whole world was loud. But under the pain… He could feel a pattern. 

“I… Can do this.” MK hissed with a trembling voice.

“I know you can.” Macaque said. “And I’m right here.”

MK closed his eyes and steadied his breathing, letting the vibrations flood him. He was good at blocking out pain. He always had been. Years of chaotic fights, accidental injuries, being thrown through walls, and surviving world-ending threats had given him a high threshold. The vibrations weren’t pain for pain’s sake. They were information, a language he hadn’t known he could decipher until now. He understood what Macaque was doing, this was like exposure therapy but with magic.

“Good.” Macaque circled him slowly, arms behind his back, watching with a mischievous grin. “You’re starting to feel it, now use it.”

“Use what?” MK joked, even while flinching. “The migraine?”

“The wind, kiddo.” Macaque flicked one of MK’s ears as he passed. “The wind provides the most information out of everything else. I listen to it, but you must feel it”

MK closed his eyes again and focused. The breeze passed over his fur, slipping around his body. Alright, only wind right now, got it.The vibrations moved with the wind, brushing against his three tails. Each one flicked in response. The moment he blocked out everything else, he spun around and raised his staff, just in time to catch a rock Macaque had tossed toward his back.

“Nice!” Macaque grinned. “I'm glad you figured that out, because honestly, I have no other way to explain it.”

“Oh, wow.” MK lowered his staff slowly. “That’s actually really cool.”

Macaque nodded, crouching down to draw a circle in the dirt with a stick. 

“You have something special, MK. Not everyone has a scene as powerful as this. You’ve got eyes in every direction now if you learn to trust them. You won’t need me or Wukong to warn you about ambushes when your own tail can tell you what’s coming. Think of them like antennas that relay information you can't normally see.”

MK nodded in understanding. Macaque had a unique way of teaching. Training with him was like sparring with a shadow, unpredictable, disorienting, and clever. Unlike Wukong, who favored precision, balance, and brute force, Macaque used cunning, misdirection and mischief. MK threw himself into it, mirroring Macaque’s footwork, attempting to sweep low and strike fast, but the other monkey was always just out of reach. Even with his blind right eye, MK couldn’t catch him off guard. His six ears and shadows kept surveillance on MK at all times. He had been using his senses for centuries, while MK only had his for hardly two seconds.

“Better!” Macaque said before sprinting away. “You’re adjusting fast.”

But if MK was ever good at one thing, it was learning and adapting.

When Macaque rose to pounce again, MK waited before making his move, not even turning to meet the strike head on. MK had a knack for using the environment to his advantage in a fight, and this was no different. In the middle of the attack, MK grinded his teeth together-

“TSSSHHHHHHHH!”

It was sudden, noisy, and echoed around the arena, ricocheting off the mountain cliffs. The sharp screech of grinding enamel pumped akin to glass on steel. Macaque flinched at the noise. His six sensitive ears pinned back against his skull. MK seized the half-second of disorientation and dove down low to the ground on all fours, pivoting on a single palm, letting all three tails shift for balance. He swung, and his staff lightly struck Macaque’s ribs.

Macaque stumbled back with wide eyes, catching himself on one foot. He blinked once. Twice.

“…You-”

MK’s chest rose and fell with exertion, but he grinned, panting. 

“Did I do it?”

“You little trickster!” He said, grinning through his fangs. “You got me.”

Macaque stood up straighter, chucking. A grin slowly pulled at the corners of his mouth. MK’s heart swelled at the praise, 

“I overwhelmed your hearing, ha!” MK said proudly. “You taught me that, remember the lesson about fighting dirty?”

“I sure did.” Macaque nodded approvingly. “You’re learning to blend our styles. You have Wukong's speed and strength. and my cunning. That’s good.”

MK let the wind rush around him again, picking up leaves and loose sand. He felt calm now. It still hurt to pick up every tiny vibration, but he was focused.

As time passed with a few more drills and lessons, it was time to go. MK took a peach for the ride home, giving Macaque a bright, slightly toothy grin. The sun was just beginning to dip behind the horizon, washing the mountain in gold and crimson. Mk stepped onto his cloud, ready to head out.

Macaque watched. His ears twitched, and his gaze lingered on MK’s fur, specifically the small white tips that shimmered faintly in the waning light. 

“MK…”

“Yeah?”

Macaque opened his mouth, then closed it. His six ears fluttered. 

“…Nevermind. If your tails are bothering you too much in the city, I'll put the dampening spell back on, okay?” He said instead, coughing in his fist. “Good job today, kid.”

“Thanks.” MK purred. “And thanks for being here, it means a lot.”

The cloud lifted, catching the wind. MK turned to leave, flying off into the dying sunlight with the breeze trailing behind him. His blonde fur caught the light, and pale white tufts on his shoulders and tail tips shimmered like frost. It reminded Macaque too much of…

…

The dark monkey stayed there long after the cloud was gone, with his amber eyes still on the horizon.