What Could Go Wrong
Run Down: What everyone should've expected to happen at some point given Monkey King’s track record of being a lousy teacher.
Content Warnings: Mentions of violence. Fighting over someone.
You owe me Editor
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“Come on, Macaque, there’s nothing to worry about!”
Such a sentence had been banned from Wukong’s arsenal, but apparently today was the day he wanted to test if Macaque was feeling gracious.
He is not. “Wukong, the kid needs more than just ‘you’ve got it bud’. I think it’d be more beneficial if you, oh I don’t know, actually taught him?”
Because as it currently stands, MK has been listening to every word his mentor has said. Fixing his posture, striking the correct pose, standing on his head for some unknown reason. But the poor kid’s mentor has refused to actually teach something. Only given words of encouragement.
That’s why Macaque declared he had a right to be on Flower Fruit Mountain after realizing that while Wukong is many things, from a backstabbing friend to a powerful being who’s mastered 72 transformations, but a teacher is not one of them. That would require a little bit of hindsight. And everyone knows only a certain shadow possesses such a quality.
Quite a laborious burden he bares.
Wukong glares from across the clearing, having stated he wanted to be as far from Macaque as possible. A feeling that’s mutual. “Excuse me, he’s my student. Meaning I know what works best for him. Right MK?”
“Right, Monkey King!” MK immediately agrees. And then only a second later the kid hesitates, rubbing at his neck. “Uh, would you mind repeating how I turn into a hawk?”
“That didn’t prove my point at all,” Macaque drawls as he looks over his claws.
“You just need to concentrate,” Wukong urges with a glare sent toward the shadow. “Imagine yourself as a hawk and everything that goes with it.”
“...that’s it?” Macaque asks. He had only joined this particular training session a few moments ago and therefore didn’t have the full story. But he hadn’t expected the all powerful ‘Monkey King’ to be this incompetent. Turns out he held the bar much too high. “You can’t even give specific descriptions? Like wings, talons, basic things that would be extremely helpful?”
MK sends a grateful look his way, but the kid’s mentor is waving a paw as if to shoo a pest away. “You clearly don’t understand the complexity of the training MK goes through. It’s spiritual. Something he needs to find himself.”
Macaque gives a look that says he’s not buying it in the slightest. Someone who, you know, had to master his ability completely by himself? No help, no guidance, no mentor. And not once did this ‘method’ of learning ever work for him.
He doesn’t continue to argue, however. Not with MK looking much more confident as he closes his eyes to concentrate. Of course, Wukong is currently beaming with the assumption his ‘teaching’ got the kid this far. What matters is they’re on the right track. He doesn’t necessarily care about the journey as long as they get to the end. For this round at least.
It’s completely silent save for the wind rustling the leaves on the trees. And then MK just...disappears.
Now, he might not have much experience with the actual transformation part when it comes to things like this. But Macaque doesn’t believe he’d be too off the mark with the assumption it’s a bit disconcerting, especially if this is one of the first times shape shifting into an animal. But what does he know? Why would Wukong ever think about an idea being a bad one? Especially involving yelling.
“Nice job, bud!” the celestial primate congratulates as he proceeds to walk through the grass. Meaning the shadow is quick to make his way over to the kid as well. “Piece of cake, right? Flying’s going to be a little more tricky, but we’ll do it mama bird style!”
“...you are not throwing him off a tree.”
“I am doing whatever I want,” Wukong growls, hands on his hips as he stops just shy of where MK had originally been standing. A stance that can be seen as something playful, but Macaque knows it’s meant to be a warning to back off. “And what I want to do is-”
Macaque’s fur stands on end when the most talkative being in existence suddenly cuts himself off, something that can only be a bad sign. One that’s made worse considering how still Wukong became. Pupils narrowing as something is watched.
That’s not normal.
Actually, none of this is. It’s much too quiet. Even if MK needs to learn how to fly, they should’ve seen a hawk jumping up in excitement, or at the very least be chirping up a storm. Much like his mentor it’s a bit of a chore to get him to shut up.
But there’s nothing. Not a single peep Macaque would have been able to hear yards away. So what-?
The shadow freezes when he’s finally close enough to see what currently has Wukong looking like he’ll pounce at any moment. Realization dawning on him what’s going to happen in about five seconds. Unable to help feel an incredible amount of sympathy for the poor kid. Because someone’s poor teaching skills made it so MK didn’t transform into a hawk, but instead shrink.
Now he’s no taller than about three inches. With blades of grass towering over him like mountains. Looking absolutely terrified and like he wants to run at any second.
The kid takes a single step back. “M-M-?”
They lunge at the same time. Instead of aiming for MK, however, like a certain impulsive celestial primate, Macaque collides with Wukong to ensure the miniscule figure who needs some time to process isn’t grabbed only a minute after shrinking. In which giants were stomping as they drew closer and closer, loud voices that would make tiny ears throb.
It earns him a genuine snarl as Wukong attempts to bite Macaque’s throat out. Who is happy to give a fierce kick in the chest and gain some space. “He’s mine!”
“Give the kid some space!” Macaque exclaims. Softly. Glad he’s the only one with six ears or else this would be ten times worse for MK. “He’s-!”
Wukong leaps at Macaque with a battle cry, one that says his attempts to ensure the kid isn’t traumatized aren’t appreciated in the slightest. Not when it’s clear ‘baby monkey’ instincts were triggered. Which, if he may add, wouldn’t have happened if Wukong actually taught about transforming.
But the damage is already done. Complete with Macaque doing everything he can to keep the sharp fangs as far from his face as possible. He’d be worried about how this might look to MK considering two colossal beings are wrestling a mere few feet away. But, again, he’s too busy not dying. Again.
“Wait-!”
He hears the soft and terrified cry. Barely dodges teeth wanting to sink into his shoulder and forces them to roll once, pinning Wukong to the ground at the same time he opens a portal directly below MK and onto his paw. Gently traps the kid in a fist to ensure he doesn’t pull a stupid move like jumping off.
“Okay,” Macaque pants as Wukong goes still, understanding this is an active hostage situation. “Look, I’m not trying to hurt the kid, but you need to be careful with him.”
Wukong sputters. “Of course I’d be careful!”
He barely holds himself back from slapping the most annoying being in exitance. “You’re going to burst his eardrums.”
There’s no surprise Wukong immediately opens his mouth to retaliate. No words are said however when MK’s flinch in noticed along with miniscule hands covering his ears. Finally there’s a look of regret. “He’s safe with me.”
“Uh huh, sure,” Macaque growls. “The rockslide incident was, what, only a millennium ago and you already forgot how to be a good giant?”
“Well if you weren’t-!”
The shadow sighs when it becomes clear Wukong’s more focused on arguing than anything else. He stands up in order to begin walking toward the mountain, opening his paw in order to not make MK feel like he was trapped. “Sorry about that, kid. Are you okay?”
He’ll admit, holding someone so small and fragile makes him feel not only powerful, but genuinely terrified. He’s seen Wukong use his transformations in order to win fights, display dominance, and just because he can. Yes, it’s absolutely terrifying to be on the receiving end even if that person is a genuine friend he can trust. But it seems like being a god isn’t as fun as it seems to be.
Not as MK trembles even with a giant smile on his face. “Yeah, of course! Wh-Why wouldn’t I be?”
He needs to teach the kid not to follow Wukong’s ideology of fake it till you make it.
“Hey! Hand him over!”
Macaque raises an eyebrow before stepping through a portal that puts him inside Wukong’s dedicated ‘mediation’ spot, ears twitching at the ‘MACAQUE’ that echos from below.
“Alright, let’s work on getting you back to your proper size.”
MK looks almost surprised, yelping as he’s gently slid onto the ground. Macaque can’t help giving a poke that makes the kid nearly fall over, smirking when he’s given the single most nonthreatening glare. “So what’s the story with the rockslide?”
Not what he thought would be said. Possibly ‘please don’t kill me’ or ‘Monkey King’s going to be here any minute’. Then again, Wukong isn’t one to tell about his failed endeavors. “Oh, it started because someone was being an idiot while climbing the mountain.”
“Don’t you dare finish that story!” Wukong calls as he races through the hall, skidding to a halt. Hesitating at the sight of Macaque sitting on the floor with his student perfectly unharmed. “And stop kidnapping MK!”
“I will if you properly teach him something,” the shadow growls.
“...will for which one?”
“Wukong thought it’d be a great idea to-”
“Okay, okay!” the celestial primate grumbles as he joins them on the floor. Gives MK a poke that ends in the kid falling over. “Growing back will involve a bit of meditation. Which requires silence.”
Macaque rolls his eyes, but he’s content in letting Wukong continue the lesson without interruptions. Especially when MK immediately raises his hand. “Question about the hawk transformation. Am I supposed to think about more than just its size?”
They both stare down at the kid for a few moments.
“...maybe I should’ve been more specific.”
“You’re both hopeless.”
