Petty Queen Macaque Au
(Part 8)
"You know of all the people I had expected to see here...You weren't one of them."
Macaque stops in his tracks...the shadows of the room start to dance across the walls in a way that makes Wukong's fur stand on end.
"You never were good at foresight... were you Sun Wukong...?"
Macaque keeps his frame calm, his back is turned to the man he hasn't seen for the last 500 years...He'd heard Wukong's heartbeat from miles away...it's a sound he could never forget...
Wukong growls under his breath...given tha nature of their last interaction, those mocking words leave a sting...
"You know I can't decide wether to strangle you for wearing my crown or to laugh at the sight of you in your chosen...queenly atire"
Macaque turns, his sharp gaze meets Wukong's... That murky golden view...it pulls on a nostalgia Wukong can't explain... There's an anger behind that look...one twisted by years of betrayal and loneliness.... Wukong can't explain it...but it's not as cold as he was expecting... He might be delusional...but... there's something else...something he could never name...
" The feeling is mutual, seeing you in common garments is rather amusing. Must have been very humbling for you..."
Wukong's temper rises, threatening to spill over... Those same eyes that pull him in, belong to someone with a tongue as sharp as a blade...
"Urg, Enough! Tell me, Macaque, what exactly you've been doing on my mountain..?"
"Calm yourself. This mountain has been my home just as long as yours."
"Yeah no, last time I checked. I was the ruler here. Not to mention the whole list of titles I have to prove it."
"Right~ And tell me ,oh great sage...where were you for the past few centuries? Because, last time I checked, your people were left to fend for themselves and watch eachother get killed off by pochers."
Wukong recoils at the reminder. "I was stuck under the mountain that a certain someone chose to abandon me under!"
"Oh so now you want to make it seem like you needed me?! You made it pretty clear last time that you didn't want me around!"
"I never said that!"
"Right, because I was supposed to take mockery and your ungrateful yelling as a sighn that my presence was deeply appreciated."
"I wasn't in a good place....You know that.."
"Oh? Were you just in a "bad place" every other time you took advantage of my loyalty? Every other time you ignored my advice and blamed me for the consequences of your actions?"
"How was I supposed to know how you were feeling??"
"I don't know, Look? Or gods forbid askk?!"
Wukong goes quiet for another second...He's out of things to throw back...curse Macaque's way with words..
"Dammit Macaque! Did you need to take over my kingdom for gods sake??"
" Well somebody had to! Somebody had to stay behind and clean up your mess. Somebody needed to protect them from the invaders you pissed off. Somebody had to build homes. Somebody had to make shure everyone could eat."
Wukong is about to give a snarl but Macaque cuts him off.
" You know what? No! You don't get to come in here and insinuate that my efforts weren't a fucking blessing to your people and home. So be greatful."
Wukong bites his lip...letting the desire to retort die on his tounge... Violence isn't always the answer, but it's shure as hell the easiest... He remembers what his master taught him...or well..at least tried to.. He speaks calmly...
"Macaque..."
Macaque goes still at Wukong's sudden change in tone.
"I don't want to fight you....but I will if needed...do not push me....."
Macaque raises an eyebrow...since when does Wukong not want to fight....? But his reasonable brain says this is a lot more beneficial for his ability to make a plan in the event Wukong does try to attack him...So he goes along..
"Well isn't this an odd sight..."
"500 years under a mountain can change a person..."
" ....So can 500 years of running a kingdom..."
A silence streaches between them....eventually broken via a sigh from Wukong...
"I guess so....but I'm going to need it back..."
"I figured you'd want that...though I can assure you that is not a very wise decision..".
"Elaborate."
"You see... I've built this place from the ground up again....every interaction in this kingdom is relient on me in some way...shape.... or form..."
"So if I were to kick you out..."
"Then the rest of the kingdom would fall like domino's....So be careful...these are people's livelyhoods you're toying with..."
Wukong hums in irritation...his past nature seeps out..
"What if I let it crumble....?"
Macaque walks closer and the shadows pool at Wukong's feet...not yet a threat...but a sighn to be weary...
" Then you will go down in history as a failure to your people...because I am no ordinary ruler... Even if you'd be able to keep it afloat...How would your poor reputation recover...?"
" When have I ever cared about what other people think?"
"Even if you can ignore them...you've always been bad at ignoring your guilt...Isn't that why you chased Immortality...because you believed if you were strong enough you wouldn't have to worry about loosing people...?"
Wukong grits his teeth...
"So you fancy yourself a mind reader... You don't know me.."
"...Just...think, Wukong...., think for once in your immortal life...."
Wukong goes quiet, he looks into those eyes that reflect the light of the past...and an uncertain future....He considers his options here....
"Fine....I'll let you stay...but your using that cunning mind of yours under my rule...can you manage that?"
"Are you belittling me?"
"Are you suggesting you have the ability to challenge me as an equal?"
" Yes...in fact not only am I the closest thing to it...it's the best possible outcome for you..."
"I boubt that..."
"It's the best possible outcome,because I would rather pluck out all of my fur than be under you thumb again...And with the way I set my system up it's the only way to put you back in power without the public growing to despise you..."
"And why is that?"
"Because by all verifiable metrics this throne is my marriage right."
"Marriage right...but you aren't-"
"According to every document this kingdom is built on...yes...we are married."
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