#I haven't imagined him stealing Xiaojiao yet but I've done plenty of Xiaotian stealing and a few stealing Red ones. I should change that

[starsfic]

Macaque was impersonating Red Boy all those years ago, resulting in him getting forced into becoming Guayin's disciple.

The palace of Lion Camel Ridge was usually quiet at night. At this time, the trio of kings would be off in their rooms, doing their own things until sleep or morning came. It was a routine that had been set for over five hundred years.

Tonight, however, was different.

Another array arranged itself around the screaming babe, dulling down the flames but not the heat. Azure Lion was the only one brave enough to stand close to Demon Bull Prince Red Son, studying the half-blood. He tsked. "He barely resembles him. Are you sure the rumors of Jade aren't true?"

"I did the tests, just to be sure," Yellowtusk said, huddling away from the baby with scrolls. Ever since the child had arrived to the mountain, his screams and cries hadn't died down, and neither had the Samadhi fir. "He is the son of Bull and Princess Iron Fan."

A growl leaked from Azure. It was still a twist of the knife, Bull's abandonment of their crusade, in the news of Sun Wukong's return to the world. The plan to kidnap Bull's child was a hasty one, but one that would work out.

He was sure of it.

Wings flapping alerted the two kings to the arrival of the third.

"Macaque has been captured," Peng reported, their wings shrinking down. "They got to the ceremony site and realized their mistake there. He is now in the custody of Bodhisattva Guanyin, supposedly to atone."

"There is little we can do for him right now," Azure huffed. A thought sparked to life. "Has he told where the child is?"

"No," Peng rolled their eyes and stepped closer to Red Boy, who's wails had died down. Now he just looked grumpy. "One good thing about that simian, he can keep his mouth shut. Although that might just be because Wukong was there."

A flick of his tail was Azure's only reaction to the name long cast in evil at Camel Ridge. "We have our weapon then," he said, gesturing to Yellowtusk. The ball of arrays lowered with Red Boy, sinking into Azure's hands, allowing him and the grumpy toddler to eye each other. "Since Bull has become soft, we will raise this child into his full potential and then claim victory for ourselves."

At the news, Red Boy sneezed out a mixture of blood and flame.