#Moonform AU

[lunar-wandering]

i was gonna write this for one of the prompts but i quite frankly have no energy so i'm just gonna say this;

Monkie Kid AU where Macaque was actually created as a manifestation of Chang'es sadness + loneliness and lived on the moon with her up until Wukong decided to show up there during his quest for immortality, trying to see if there were any immortality pills remaining.

Key notes about this AU;

Macaque calls Wukong a thief and Wukong gets RIDICULOUSLY offended

as soon as Wukong finds out that taking one of those specific immortality pills would make him be stuck on the moon he drops them like hot rocks cause he is NOT going to be stuck in one place for the rest of his long life no sir

Macaque has no idea what a peach is and Wukong is horrified

Macaque kinda always thought that he was also stuck on the moon but that's not actually the case, he can leave if he wants, which Chang'e tells him and encourages him to do so

Wukong does not explain to anyone on the mountain where Macaque came from. when asked he just goes "i found him" and does not elaborate in the slightest.

during s3: Chang'e: oh, how's Macaque doing? Wukong: ...he's uh. he's just chillin'- MK, with both horror and disappointment: Monkey King. Wukong: WHAT WHAT DID YOU EXPECT ME TO SAY??? I HAD A FIGHT WITH HIM AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN EACH OTHER IN HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND NOW HE WORKS FOR THE BONE DEMON?? CHANG'E WILL KILL ME Pigsy: aren't you immortal Chang'e: he won't be for long-

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Light and Shade

For Ruthari Week 2020

AU: Pre-Canon

Pairings: Runaan x Ethari

Rating: General? Teen? idk there’s a fade to black

Archive warnings: None

Prompt #2: Glowing/Fading

“Almost there,” Ethari murmured.

Runaan glanced over his shoulder. They’d walked a good four miles from the Silvergrove, and he still had no idea why, except that Ethari had something he wanted Runaan to see. Something secret and special. Something that required the light of the full Moon, which had risen an hour ago.

“Here we are.” Ethari’s voice was soft and shy. He paused, looking up, and Runaan stopped beside him.

Great ancient trees draped with thick ropes of tanglemoss surrounded them, reaching spindly fingers toward the full Moon overhead. The moonlight filtered down to the forest floor far below in misty rays that rippled with wafts of ground fog. Deep, musty shadows lurked all around the elves, full of guarded murmurs and grumpy croaks. The night was watching them. And it hadn’t yet made up its mind if it liked them.

Runaan glanced at the sturdy craftsman who had so recently danced into his life. Ethari was all softness and smiles, gentle nudges and quiet chuckles. He was nothing like Runaan, and yet he was exactly what Runaan craved. Knowing that the deepest yearnings of his heart were returned had made Runaan so happy—and relieved—that he rarely felt the ground beneath his feet these days. But he was still learning about Ethari, and his natural wariness had been trying to prepare him for some troubling secret during the whole trek out here.

“What did you want me to see, Ethari?” he asked. “This ancient grove?”

Ethari turned to him and slid his warm hand into Runaan’s as easily as breathing, interlacing their fingers. “That too, but… mostly something else.”

Runaan’s sharp gaze trailed across Ethari. The craftsman had brought nothing with him. His eyes lifted to the full Moon for a moment before landing on Ethari’s coppery gaze, holding a tentative question.

Ethari grinned eagerly. “You’re so clever, Runaan. I can’t keep anything secret from you for long. And I don’t want to. That’s why we’re out here. I want to show you something. Something… about myself.”

Runaan’s eyes widened. He traced Ethari’s cheek markings with a soft thumb. “I’m ready when you are.”

Ethari took both of Runaan’s hands and squeezed them tight. “Okay, here we go,” he said to himself. Then he let go and backed up into the center of the grove. His hands clasped each other nervously. “I only wanted to show you the once. If it’s not to your liking… I won’t do it again.”

As Ethari closed his eyes, Runaan felt a surge of concern rise in his chest. What could Ethari possibly show him that Runaan would dislike so much—

A gentle glow began to emanate from Ethari’s skin. It grew brighter, throwing its soft white light across the glade and up against the tangle of branches that crisscrossed overhead. Ethari’s markings blazed a deep purple that cut hard shadows across the luminescence of his skin. Even his clothing glowed along with him, giving off soft drops of light that flickered up toward the Moon and vanished. The sclera of his eyes darkened to black, and his hair dimmed to a medium gray. But his smile hovered, shy, tentative, waiting for Runaan to speak.

Runaan needed a moment, though. Moonshadows possessed two different magic forms, like all elves, and one was vastly more prevalent than the other. He’d only seen a moonform Moonshadow a few times in his life. And never this close, nor this fully. They tended to keep their light hidden, because Moonshadows craved privacy and secrecy, and a blazing moonform was the exact opposite of secret.

But, Runaan eagerly admitted, it was beautiful.

Small twitterings and flutterings drew Runaan’s attention upward. The tanglemoss that draped so heavily from the tree canopy was coming alive, drawn by Ethari’s light. The tendrils themselves began to sway and weave through the air, happily twirling in the elf’s glow. Snoozing Moon moths fluttered out from their tree nooks, fireflies drifted out of the tanglemoss in droves, and moonbats flickered and jinked around the mossy tendrils overhead, chasing the fireflies. Moonsong birds flittered around Ethari, dancing and weaving in his light, dipping the long trailing feathers from their wings to brush against his horns, his hands.

Sleepy moonflowers woke in the shadows beneath the trees and turned their faces toward the glowing elf in their midst. A deep hum that could only come from a sleeping nightserpent began vibrating through the soil beneath Runaan’s boots.

The Moonshadow Forest adored Ethari. How could Runaan do any less?

Without thought, Runaan shifted into his shadowform and stepped forward, holding out his hands for Ethari’s. As his magic took hold, the world grew brighter to his eyes, and Ethari became a blazing bonfire of white moonlight. “You’re beautiful, Ethari. Why would anyone ask you to hide this side of who you are?”

Ethari slid his bright hands into Runaan’s dark ones, and their magics swirled hard, tugging and pulling against each other. “I didn’t know if you’d be able to give your trust to an elf who was the exact opposite of stealthy,” Ethari said softly.

“I don’t trust you because of your stealth,” Runaan murmured. “I trust you because of your good heart.” He cupped Ethari’s glowing cheek, and his hand seemed to seal itself there, darkness hungry for the light.

“It seems our magics like each other,” Ethari managed. His moon-bright cheeks blazed a soft pink.

“Good. I don’t plan to separate them anytime soon.” Runaan leaned in for a kiss, and Ethari’s glow met him halfway. Ethari tasted of cool moonlight and fresh night air, and Runaan slowly spun them in a swaying dance beneath the full Moon.

When moonset woke them, their Moonshadow powers had faded into quiescence, and they lay snuggled in each other’s arms beneath Runaan’s spread tunic, listening to the soft sounds of the waking forest at dawn. Their eyes met and lingered, accompanied by soft smiles and softer touches.

“Thank you for letting me be myself, Runaan,” Ethari whispered. “I guess you’ll have to put up with my usual look until next full Moon.”

Runaan propped himself up on one elbow and smiled down into Ethari’s warm eyes. With one soft fingertip, he traced Ethari’s dark brow and circled down to his cheekbone, following the lavender marking under his soft sunset-hued eye. “I love everything about the way you look, Ethari. Full Moon or not, you’ll always be my light.”

Ethari’s face broke into a broad smile, and he pulled Runaan down for a long kiss. “Your light? Ah, Runaan. Never stop calling me that.”