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morfanerina · 2 years

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Lost and Found (and Lost again) - 3/3

With Stone Monkey grown, Macaque thought things would get better, his little family safe for as long as they lived. But we all know how Sun Wukong's history goes, don't we?

CW: Events from pre-journey to the west are followed, actually less violence described than previous chapters.

Chapter 3 of 3

Chapter 1/Chapter 2

Also on AO3

The elder lasted more years than Macaque had given them, but death comes to all mortals, and they weren’t an exception. Their death meant there was going to be infighting within the group a few days after, in order to decide on a new leader, but the mourning period should be enough for him to do his job in getting the few messages outside the mountain about the elder’s passing and return to take Stone Monkey and whoever wants away from there.

So when he arrived after delivering the messages to an amused Grey and his gibbon friend, he had his suspicions that something he wasn’t going to like happened. He was suddenly regretting stopping keeping an ear out, Stone Monkey's privacy be damned.

“Oh, you missed so much, Macaque,” Grey said, and gestured for him to follow. The other gibbon smirked. They walked to the main stream, where several monkeys had gathered, some playing, others observing the nearby waterfall. And then they went to the waterfall and stopped on the elevated rocks right in front of it. Macaque’s ears twitched, the noise annoying him.

“Well?” he asked the gibbons, who gestured for him to wait ‘Easy for them to do, they don’t have six ears.’

He didn’t wait long, Two monkeys jumped from inside the waterfall, laughing, and Macaque stared at Stone Monkey, now the equivalent of a yaoguai teen, a crown of leaves on his head . The crown typically given to the leader.

“ What. ”

“Oh, this is better than I thought,” Grey grinned “So, there have been developments, Macaque.”

Macaque stared at the now silent, but grinning sheepishly Stone Monkey “I can see that,” he deadpanned.

The monkey that had come with Stone Monkey, a friend of the golden monkey, coughed awkwardly.

Stone Monkey decided to use his favorite strategy in cutting tense situations. Bluntness “I’m the Monkey King now,” he said airily

“What.” Macaque repeated, his face blank “How- ”

“I jumped into the waterfall,”

“Why?” the golden monkey hesitated for a bit in answering him, his smile turning nervous.

“Liu dared me.”

“Who- Who is Liu?” Macaque asked, feeling a headache growing.

His friend coughed awkwardly again and Macaque decided this conversation was better done somewhere quieter. Both gibbons laughed.

-:::-:::-

The inside of the waterfall cave was wonderful and spacious and somehow had many of the basic amenities he has seen in yaoguai households. There were several beds even, which he took full advantage once the explanations were done, to lay down and curl up to rest and think.

His cub managed to be ‘king’ because he had found the location of their new palace. His cub, who was barely considered a teen. And the faction, in the type of fanaticism the elder had tried to establish for himself the last couple of years, had accepted the discovery as a sign Stone Monkey should be their ruler. And in the two weeks he was gone, several other factions had agreed with that statement, to the point Stone Monkey appointed helpers, from which was Ma, Grey, his gibbon friend and Stone Monkey’s friend - or as they were all now called, Ma, Beng, Ba and Liu - because he needed the support for dealing with the ever growing amount of monkeys that were joining.

Macaque didn’t understand the logic of adding Ba until he realized she was the only one of the group with actual political experience, having discretely advised the elder during the last couple of years of their life. Apparently Stone Monkey (he refused to call him Monkey King in his mind) had known her and known about her duties for a year now, as he accidentally overheard several of their discussions. And didn’t tell him.

To be fair, he had assumed Macaque had heard about it, which was a fair assumption, everything considered, but he had been busier this year… probably by the suggestion of Ba, if her slightly guilty look was anything to go by.

The monkey didn’t move as he heard familiar steps sneaking inside the room, and didn’t react outwardly when the bed space at his back dipped as a weight settled in.

“Are you mad?...” Stone Monkey asked in a small voice. The older monkey sighed and turned, tail twisting with the younger one’s and squeezing it in comfort.

“No. I��m annoyed and trying to understand everything that has happened. But I’m not mad at you,” ‘Beng and Liu on the other hand…’ “I don’t like that you became king,” ‘I can’t drag you away from this ’ “It’s dangerous.”

Many that are born like us become mortal as they grow.

You will lose them.

“I wish I had taken you away with me,” he said. Stone Monkey laid down then, golden eyes looking pensively at him.

“I like it here,” the golden monkey declared “I would like to travel, yes. But I like it here.”

Observing the cub he had watched grow into a mischievous, teen, now king, he sighed, a part of him already grieving the time passing, “Would you like me to tell you a story?” he asked.

“I’m not a cub anymore,” the other replied and let a beat of silence pass and then almost whispered, a bit shy “Can we cuddle as you do?” Macaque chuckled and adjusted them and told a story about a mortal and immortal who were friends.

-:::-:::-

Not willing to be an official part of the court made Macaque a confusing presence for those that did not know of him. It also gave him a certain degree of freedom that he took full advantage of, recognizing that somehow, Stone Monkey did not make a bad king even without his presence. His chosen companions also took their duties seriously, Ma never leaving the other’s side when in official business and Ba helping him navigate the political landscape, the other two taking their position as needed. He traveled instead, far and wide, for places he had missed and others he had never been, taking months on the road.

He always returned, with a story and gifts, to the delight of the court.

Unknowingly to many of the new recruits and members of the kingdom, Macaque’s absence did not mean he wasn’t aware of what happened there. He knew of the questioning Stone Monkey went through with his new allies and advisors, of the macaque’s presence and motive and what advantage would he ever give to the kingdom. Stone Monkey did not tell them of their relationship and did not tell them Macaque was probably the best spy one could have and one of the most deadly monkeys he knew. Instead, he shifted the conversations with surprising dexterity. Or fought hand to hand if the others grew aggressive and started to question his rule, always winning.

Ma had done well training him.

Those that tried to do a coup or assassinate the king? If they were not caught while Macaque was out of the kingdom by one of the loyal four, they would be found blabbering about nonsense, asking for forgiveness and mercy to the king, the six-eared macaque next to the throne smiling, knowingly. The Monkey King never outwardly acknowledges his presence in these times though in private he tried to chide the older one that he hadn’t needed to get so far, they didn’t need to lose their mind when they were already going to lose their life after all.

It was a peaceful ruling despite everything, so of course the status quo had to change when he least expected.

Macaque finished the last story he had, enjoying the awed face of the cubs in the room, when Liu caught his attention and gestured for him to follow him.

“It’s your fault our king is having a crisis,” the monkey said blithely.

Macaque blinked as he walked beside him “What do you mean?”

“Our king is having a mortality crisis,” Liu replied, seeming unsurprised by it “Suspicious timing for him to focus on it considering how peaceful it has all been,”

Macaque decided not to comment on the disguised accusation. He was fairly certain the first loyal four (as they were now called) had long noticed the increasing immortality stories he pushed onto Stone Monkey and his court. He was also pretty certain Stone Monkey himself was aware of the manipulation, considering how perceptive he was.

Memories of a long time ago had been haunting Macaque lately, the warnings of mortality among his kind making him feel desperate. He could not teach his own immortality secrets to Stone Monkey, with them not being compatible and fearing the other losing his life to the shadows. He might have, however, given suggestions . It’s not as if the kingdom needed the king always present after all, not when everything was peaceful.

Besides, Ma and Liu themselves had always requested those types of stories too, Ma adding a few she had known from when she had been young on occasion.

When arriving at the throne room, a roar of approval showed that the kingdom’s subjects certainly weren’t complaining about the impromptu choice of going on a journey of immortality if the sudden chants were to be believed.

The preparations were swift, Macaque advising on the minimum he should take and of the dangers he could find. He considered warning the other that the Chinese in FlowerFruit mountain was so antiquated that humans outside wouldn’t really understand him.

Nah, Stone Monkey needed some challenges or else it wouldn’t be fun.

In three days, the king was on his own journey, the kingdom celebrating his braveness and praying for good luck. Beng leaned on Macaque and asked “How long will your vacation take? I know you aren’t sticking around without our king for long.”

Macaque replied, after drinking a hearty gulp of his cup of wine “I’m not putting my feet here again unless Sto- Monkey King returns.”

“Yeah, we figured,” Ma said, sitting down next to them with her own cup filled to the brim “We got you a travel bag, it’s in your room. Got you a nice gift there too,” she added, casually.

Macaque… wasn’t sure what to say with the gesture. In none of the other times the others had helped organize for his journeys, he had even thought they were resentful of him going away. Neither seemed bothered by the ensuing silence, Beng filling it with inane conversation, Liu and even Ba eventually joining them as the party went on.

He went away in the night, with his new cloak and bag.

-:::-:::-

Two decades were a decent amount of time to get immortality. Macaque was going to ignore that it usually took far longer over the fact that the ones in the stories were not Spiritual Monkeys.

He had gotten distracted with a few personal quests the last decade, so he only realized Stone Monkey had returned to FlowerFruit Mountain by the honestly intimidating roar he had heard in that direction. Swiftly, with his newly gained, hopefully not cursed, shadow lantern helping with his control on the shadows, he used shadow portals to shorten the way to the mountain, antsy to know the details of the journey. Despite being half a world over, the trip took only a couple of months, and in that time he could hear the mountain inhabitants cheering their king’s victory and plans for a festivity and allyship.

When he returned, several monkeys hadn’t recognised him and it took him a bit to remember his ears were still glamored. He liked the anonymity however, so he kept the glamor on. He went through the crowd and slipped into a shadow until he was next to Liu, who was now his height and proudly using armor and a lance as a weapon.

“So,” he said, ignoring the startle and fumbling with the weapon the younger monkey did “What has been happening?”

Annoyed by being startled by the shadow magician, the other monkey told everything. Including the Demon King of Confusion taking over for a while.

“When did that happen?!”

“A few years ago,” Liu replied dryly and then continued, awe in his voice as he explained how the Monkey King beat the other easily… and then started an allyship with the other nine demon kings. The party was a celebration of that.

Macaque didn’t like the other kings, having dealt with them on occasion, but couldn’t deny being allies with them would be a great political advantage. Even if FlowerFruit Mountain was mostly isolated from the rest of the kingdoms.

Liu hid from the other that their Monkey King had decided to be blood brothers with them. He was angry that the other hadn’t returned to help them with the Demon King of Confusion.

“Oh yeah,” Liu added offhandedly “He has another name now, given by his Master,” Macaque perked at that and looked at him curiously “Sun Wukong.”

The older Macaque mouthed it a few times “It fits him,” he admitted, a bit annoyed another person gave such a well fitting name to his cub.

“Yeah, he is also now Grandpa Sun to all his subjects,” Liu laughed at Macaque’s expression.

The damn monkey was on the younger end of the population still, not even middle aged by their standards. Young adult at best, and he wanted to be Grandpa Sun?

Macaque shook his head and sighed. Saying goodbye to Liu, he went looking for his now immortal cub, excitement building up as the fact that Stone monkey was now immortal, like him, really hit him.

‘ With immortality, powers and allies, even Stone Monkey shouldn’t get in that much trouble for the next couple of centuries.’

-:::-:::-

Macaque started to fear going on long journeys, as it seemed the other did manage to get into troublesome situation.

“What do you mean you threatened a Dragon King for a weapon . And clothes ?” he asked.

“They weren’t doing anything with it,” Wukong defended himself “And the outfit was needed. I mean, with this weapon, I needed something to match,”

“I… literally have no words to say to that.”

A moment of silence, both deciding to return to their star watching, laying down on the sand, a few ways away from the waterfall.

“By the way I think I died a few days ago,”

“YOU DID WHAT-”

“I GOT BETTER!”

-:::-:::-

Macaque didn’t trust the Celestial Realm. Neither did Ma or Ba but Wukong had always been stubborn in his convictions, and for all that he loved his kingdom, there was a part of him that was curious of other places, especially ones that are supposed to be wondrous.

When he returned, huffing about being given such a lowly job, Macaque was present. The older monkey admitted to himself to feeling some relief and he knew Ba felt the same from their conversations. And then the visiting Demon Kings, the blood brothers (much to Macaque’s ongoing chagrin) riled Wukong up again, and talked about titles and suddenly the king was fighting deities and winning and Macaque honestly wasn’t sure what to do. He certainly couldn’t go hand to hand with Prince Nezha himself . The realization on how different their power levels were from one another hit him then and he was unsure whether what he felt was relief or not.

He ignored the bit of jealousy that he felt as Prince Nezha retreated.

The Star of Venus returned and affirmed Wukong had the title and then Wukong went to the celestial realm again, ignoring Ba’s and Macaque’s reservations.

The Six-eared Macaque had a bad feeling, growing as each year passed. He felt a bit of comfort that the time difference meant he probably wasn’t getting into that much trouble. It wasn’t even a year there.

If only he knew, Macaque would have cuffed him in the ear and dragged him away from the peach trees himself.

He was nearby when Wukong returned to the kingdom, sharing immortality wine and smiling too tightly, gathering the troops as quickly as he could without provoking panic. He returned to an angry army, the loyal four and Wukong finishing the war preparations.

When they spoke to one another, Wukong raged with wounded pride and admitted to his rash actions, not feeling any regret but that he might lose some of his subjects. Their fight was heard only by Liu and Beng, who made sure no other member got close enough to hear.

Then the celestial army came down, but they were winning but then they were captured, hostages.

Wukong went down.

“Macaque you can’t!” Ma stopped him, grabbing one of his arms, ignoring her injured leg and the cut on her face, pointedly not looking at her king.

“THEY ARE HURTING HIM,” Erlang then stabbed Wukong on the back and Macaque struggled in their grip, desperate, hearing the pained grunt from his Stone Monkey.

You will lose them.

“YOU CAN’T HELP HIM,” Beng yelled before getting elbowed in the throat, choking and coughing, releasing him. Liu lunged at the celestial monkey before he could enter a portal, ignoring that he could be dragging Ma with him, and got him on a chokehold, wincing as he heard Macaque’s sob.

They all knew not even him could fight against deities.

Heaven took Wukong from them, hurt and trussed up, a lamb to the slaughter.

You will lose them.

-:::-:::-

Erlang returned and burnt FlowerFruit Mountain to the ground a few days after.

For the first time since he entered FlowerFruit Mountain to save Stone Monkey, Macaque left, never planning to come back.

-:::-:::-

There was an earthquake and mutterings about a monkey trapped beneath a mountain, traveling in the yaoguai grapevine.

If we have no attachment to this world, we cease to live.

Macaque didn’t pay attention, still grieving.

We are the only ones around Six-Ears.

#lmk #lmk macaque #lmk sun wukong #lego monkie kid #monkie kid #monkie kid fic #fic #fanfiction #my fic #lmk six eared macaque #and that's a wrap for this fic #I haven't written anything without a happy ending as a goal in years so this was fun #it gets better. Eventually. Give them two millenia #of course maybe don't think about the betrayal sun wukong felt when Macaque never found him in 500 years #how their fight is a tragedy of anger and misunderstanding and trauma exploding and resulting in death #sun wukong's immediate regret at Macaque's death how he just wanted to break down but couldn't bc he was still on a journey #and him never explaining who Macaque was and masking so well the other pilgrims never knew the sacrifice he just made for them

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