One person on the tiktok comment section had a theory that the reason the monkeys were so happy to see Macaque is that they never knew where he went. Wukong just came back one day without Macaque, and he obviously wouldn't tell them what really happened, so instead he just told the monkeys that he left them. So the monkeys were obviously confused and missed him, which is why they were so happy to see him again
Bright amber light washed over Flower Fruit Mountain, blinding all but a selected few of those who had gathered to witness the conflict between the Lion and the newly awoken monkey.
“Now then-”
“You think unglamoring yourself will do you any good? You’re nothing more than a mindless, savage animal!” Azure snarled as he swung his sword at the boy only for it to stop mid cut as the boy grabbed it in his hand. “What?!”
“Oh, there is nothing mindless about me, friend.” The boy said, his voice distorting and shifting with power. And in the next instant, the boy was inches from Azure’s face. “But since you want savagery.”
Azure went sailing backwards from the tail slap the child struck him with, tumbling and cartwheeling as the boy followed him, kicking, punching and using his tail to smack Azure around with ease.
Qinglong and nine of the Zodiacs watched with smiles and tears of joy as the flow of time fully returned to them, bathing them in warmth and comfort. They were whole at last and this time they would not allow it to be stolen away from them again.
“What of our brothers?” Yanli questioned, despite her joyful tears her concerns were still split. “Where are they?”
“The three of them have gone to Tathagata, and have all been placed under the hold of a tightening band. They are safe, and whole just as you are.” Qinglong told her. “They know their crimes and have submitted themselves to him for holding until you are able to make your own judgements for their actions.”
“We will deal with them and their actions later, Yanli.” Nǎinai assured, gently petting the rabbit’s shoulder. “For now, let us rejoice and prepare for what comes next with grace.”
“Yes Nǎinai.” Yanli nodded, sniffling a little.
“I don’t recall the child being this intent last time.” Zhōngchéng said as he continued to watch the scene below.
“Last time, he was still unfocused and wild.” Xuān stated, her tone sharp and laced with both anger and fear. “This time, he has guidance. And let us not forget, Azure is guilty of crimes against both the Sun Troop and now against the family of the Fifth Monkey. He will be lucky to survive even after his defeat.”
“But Xuān, he must survive to undo-”
“He will not.” Xuān said, cutting Xian off. “The Lion’s body is cracking and breaking with every strike, he will have no power to undo what has been done this time.”
“What does that mean?” Yanli asked.
“Come on, you always pretend to be a friend, to care for others, when really you were just using them to get what you wanted!” The amber auraed monkey accused as he single handedly tossed, smacked and kicked the lion this way and that with seemingly no effort, no matter what Azure did to try and counter the continued assault. “Turning everyone against each other, as if you yourself are someone else’s pawn in a bigger game!”
“Enough!” Azure snarled and snatched the boy in his hand squeezing tightly. “I did not sacrifice everything to see my efforts ruined by a bastard child of a traitor!”
The boy smirked and uttered something that made Azure’s eyes widen seconds before the boy broke free of his hand, raced up Azure’s arm, over his shoulder and kicked the back of Azure’s head.
Erlang Shen watched through his third eye as Azure’s body began to crack and fragment from the rapid onslaught of strikes from a child who suddenly seemed so much more powerful now that something had shifted within him.
Did Wukong know about this? The boy had just claimed him as kin, was that why he trained the boy? No. The Monkey King couldn’t have known this. Nor could anyone else, he’d seen the boy at the Court for the Spider Clan, and even with the sealing array within him, the boy was mortal, the same as the parent who had attended with him that day. Something had shifted now, and as he watched he realised the sealing array was all but shattered, save the innermost seal at the core of the array but even that was barely holding itself together, allowing this immense and unfamiliar aura to protect the boy as he attacked the lion over and over again.
Was this the power his uncle had spoken of? If so, how did this child seem to know more about it? Had his uncle been mistaken about how much awareness the child had all this time? Or was this due to something else?
So many questions…
“Azure Lion is falling apart.” Wu Long said as the boy charged Azure again, the strike leaving Azure’s body littered with cracks and tears, similar to those that had been appearing all across the Realms.
“Prepare for the worst.” Erlang Shen’s order to the masses was heeded, weapons raised and lines formed, ready and prepared for battle. “And hope for the best.” He added more to himself than anyone else.
“If you put your hand in the Monkey Cage after winding them up with your twisted plots, then you should expect to get bitten in return for what you did!” He warned as an amber primordial monkey formed around him, surrounded by four smaller amber forms, though these smaller ones were not identical or completely formed and instead of attacking Azure they merged into the first monkey, increasing its size and bulk until it stood taller that the former Jade Emperor and surged forth, closing its jaws around Azure’s now seemingly miniature body before imploding and further splintering the Lion’s body.
Azure’s scream tore across the world as a wave of black and amber energy cut through the world and beyond.
The Enlightened One and the three guilty ones watched silently as the world began to splinter and shatter around them.
Seeing it all unfold once more the sheer might and power that they’d witnessed only once before, wild, untamed and raw, was now channeled and focused with a maturity and confidence that had been lost until moments ago.
It was different then before, but the intent was clear as it had always been.
“All is well.” One said.
“No.” The Enlightened one said. “All is not well.”
And it wasn’t. The splintering was worse, the cracks and tears were wider and Azure’s body was already so broken and fragmented it would not survive long enough to fix the damage even if he was so inclined to be convinced to do so this time.
“The child?”
“For the sake of everything to come and those who still live, we can only hope.” The Enlightened one told them.
The seal Yellow Tusk had placed upon him was gone, and the pain was so much worse- What is this boy?!
“Savage enough for you?” The boy demanded as he came at Azure again and the lion barely brought his sword up in time to block the little monkey’s coming strike with the flat of his blade. “Come on!”
“You’re just like Sun Wukong! A monster who ought never have been born!” The Lion accused through gritted teeth as he tried to split his attention between healing himself and sealing the tears and rips around them.
“Sometimes, the world needs a willing monster more than it needs a puppet hero.” The boy asserted coldly and forced his aura against the blade, forcing Azure to focus all his attention on keeping the boy blocked. “Come on!”
Over and over and over again the boy pushed his aura against the blade, cracking it until it shattered and Azure’s head was flung backwards from a powerful strike to his chin, forcing him to look up into the golden aura of the monkey.
“This ends now, Azure Lion. You’ve hurt enough people with your delusions of greatness in this lifetime!”
“No! I will not be denied-agh! No!” Azure denied as his body cracked and fragmented around him.
“You want to be a hero? Then prove it! Show the world you’re capable of fixing the mess you’ve made!” The boy demanded as he swung around and smacked Azure across the face with his tail, sending the lion down into Flower Fruit Mountain with such force the falling lion split the mountain cleaning from peak to base. “Show me!”
Peng fled, just as they’d been told he would but still Mei was angry about it, even though Macaque had assured her that Peng would have nowhere to run and they’d likely find out his fate later.
They met up with Ao Bing and Chi Yue, who were already outside the ruins of the Waterfall Cave, where the tears and rip were growing steadily worse, trying to fight the winds to get closer, moments later, Tang, Pigsy, Sandy and Yellow Tusk arrived in one of Tang’s golden bubbles.
The sealing spell of the waterfall cave had formed chains that connected the whole of the mountain together, making it impossible to remove the seal without wholly and utterly destroying the Mountain itself, but the winds and power that surged out of the cave was enough to toss and fling the rocks and chains around like ribbons tied to a fan.
“Where’s MK!?” Pigsy yelled, trying to be heard over the winds.
“He’s in there!” Ao Bing said, sliding back an inch further as he tried to push forwards. “If this tearing doesn’t stop-”
“Don’t say it!” Chi Yue said as Wukong shot overhead on his nimbus cloud carrying the scroll with him as he broke through the barrier and vanished into the cave.
There was silence for a moment and then a pained snarl that shifted into a death cry, the wind picked up and forced them all backwards a few feet, even as Sandy dug his feet in the ground and braced Tang, Pigsy and Mei while Yellow Tusk braced Ao Bing, Macaque and Chi Yue.
Then came a sound that none of them wanted to hear.
“MK wait!!” Wukong's cry was lost to a cry of agony.
“MK!?” Mei cried over the winds.
He knew that others had turned their attention to him now, watching for his reaction to the outcome of these familiar but different events at the very edge of their vision. It was amusing to know he was suddenly the focus of such attention when he had done nothing to deserve it this time. His attention was on the boy and his family, watching and smiling as the scene folded itself in new ways to achieve the same result.
Despite the obvious pain and overwhelming power that now lay in his hands, the little monkey was doing what he knew by instinct, guided by the returned fragment of himself that had been stolen and sealed away into channeling the buried instincts and half taught lessons of the past cycle to do what had to be done to save the world and people he loved so much.
And it worked.
It was glorious, a delight to view and to hear, sending familiar and beautiful ripples of effects into motion all while making new and wonderful patterns all at once.
Slowly, the cracks, the rips and tears around the world began to pull themselves shut, sealing themselves tightly and neatly as if they had never been there, allowing the Realms to heal and recover all while the boy commanded the power he was still too young to handle.
And beyond his efforts, his parents, his friends and even the Wise elephant, pooled their power and chi to force the chains to pull the broken parts of the mountain back into one solid piece, unaware of just how helpful their aid was as the boy reached his limit and dropped the power from his hold right into the seal the Third Lotus Prince had been prepared to hold the power and with a final pulse of power, the lotus seal locked shut around the power at the same moment the mountain reformed.
The gamble taken by the three had been won in their favour, but only just.
Without the out of control power to hold them aloft, they fell, but where as before, the boy had landed badly because his body was sore, battered and bruised, this time he was caught in his mentor’s arms and cradled as he panted heavily. He was tired, sore, beaten and bruised, but he was alive, aware and whole and moments later, surrounded by family who would keep him safe and offer him comfort unconditionally.
Having seen all he needed to see to know what was required from him in the coming days, he smiled, knowing it would unnerve the one he knew was watching him closely enough to see it and turned away from the scene.
He would write a letter, a short one but a needed one, explaining that he would visit his dear friend when the boy and his family had had time to properly rest and recover from this excitement and thrill. He did not wish to rush and put undue stress upon the boy’s shoulders to be fine before he had another life changing revelation given to him after all.
“Is it over?” Someone finally dared to ask.
“Erlang?” Chang Hao asked, one hand on Erlang’s shoulder to steady the sage as his third eye closed itself and he lifted a hand to shield it from the light of Heaven.
“It's over.” The Illustrious Sage announced. “The False Emperor is dead, the power of the Jade Emperor is sealed.”
“Our orders?” Li Jing asked, trying not to grit his teeth at the thought of waiting even longer to hear whatever possible excuse his wayward son had to offer for this failing of duty.
“Sirs! A message from Her Highness!” A voice called out as the ranks parted to let a guard through their lines carrying a hawk on his gloved hand.
Erlang carefully removed the message carrier from the bird’s foot and opened it swiftly. After reading the words he smiled. “We return to the Court. The injured will be tended by the doctors and the able will help with repairs and rebuilding. Once that is done, Her Highness wishes to speak with the remaining Court officials.”
There was a chorus of 'Yes Sirs' from the ranks as the united armies began to filter away to pack their tents and clean up after themselves. Erlang hoped that Nezha was delayed a little longer, just to give him time to remind Li Jing of his own failings to leave more suitable forces to help Nezha.
They were welcomed inside without question and brought to the room where their missing trine was waiting. The three were unarmed and it was explained that it was by their own requests that they be bound so they could not attack or defend themselves from whatever punishment was to come their way beyond the one already given to them by the Enlightened One.
Yanli couldn’t compose herself enough to go inside with the other Zodiacs, her tears simply would not stop flowing, and so she and Qīng stayed at the door, listening but not partaking in the discussion to come.
Ruohan the Chǒu Ox, Wúdú the Sì Snake and Gēshǒu the Yǒu Rooster were kelt, their arms shackled and their heads now adorned with matching golden circlets. They did not look up to meet the gaze of their fellow Zodiacs, nor did they fuss or complain about their situation, instead, they knelt, quiet, accepting and resigned to whatever was to come in response to their action now laid bare for their siblings to see.
“Why, Ruohan?” Xian asked from his place on Mingjue’s shoulder.
“You know why, Xian.” The Ox answered, his head low. “You’ve all lived this with us.”
“We know you, like the rest of us, seek justice and freedom. We know you, like the rest of us, were unhappy with the actions taken against the Liar for her crimes. We know you, like the rest of us, wanted more done.” Mingjue agreed. “But none of that answers why, Brothers. If it did, we would have stood and acted with you.”
“Your actions have been the thoughts of many, no one will deny that, not even sweet Yanli. But for the sake of those amongst us who haven’t the heart for such cruelty, such manipulation and self-righteousness, we did not act upon the desires.” Zhǒnglèi said, and the three shrunk in on themselves, aware that they were the reason Yanli could not speak for it was their actions, their hidden movements where no one could see them, that had reduced her to silent tears.
“Our actions were our own, and they were what we deemed necessary to ensure the end of this false prison we are all trapped within against our will.” The Snake claimed, calm and resigned from his place beside Ruohan.
“Your actions, Wúdú, pushed Azure Lion beyond his limits, to the point where the child had to step in and do what Azure could not.” Bǎomǔ stated matter a factly. Her bright eyes glaring at them with a heat they deserved. “Your actions could have very well killed the boy.”
“We miscalculated.” The Rooster said, his voice cold and sharp.
The slap resounded harshly. None of them said anything as the Rooster picked himself up from the ground when he’d fallen from the force of the strike, nor mention the bloody claw marks that now lined his face.
“I deserved that.” He accepted, knowing he had spoken out of turn and without consideration.
“You deserve worse. Lie again, Gēshǒu, and I will forsake every bond we share and personally shatter you from inside out!” Xuān snarled as blood dripped from her claws and her eyes shone upon the guilty three with anger the others did not show. “You three did not miscalculate. You did not take an educated guess. You did not make a misguided prediction. You gambled. You gambled everything we have worked for, everything the Late Emperor prepared behind the scenes, everything we have built, on a chance- an improbable chance, that the boy would survive the sealing array shattering unscathed, and it almost cost us EVERYTHING!”
“Xuān,” Zhōngchéng pleaded, one hand taking hold of the Monkey’s shoulder and pulling her attention from the three and to the door of the room, where the muffled sobs of their fourth sister filtered from, mixed with the soft soothings of their seventh sister. “Please.”
Xuān growled, her tail lashing behind her, but for the sake of Yanli, she stepped back. “My warning stands for all of you. Lie again and I’ll take the eternal silence Yanli will give me to see you all a broken wreck.” She warned, a promise behind every word.
“Why, brothers?” Nǎinai asked the question again, her aged voice soft and tender despite the anger.
“We’re tired, Nǎinai.” Ruohan spoke honestly for the three of them. “We three have been tired for a very long time, tired of watching the world crawl through the same trenches, tired of listening to the same arguments and same voices, tired of pretending we can endure it any longer.”
“Xuān is right, we gambled, we risked everything, because honestly, what else could we do? We were patient once. We listened and obeyed without question or doubt because we thought we had to, and then, after giving us the briefest taste of freedom, or wholeness, of being us again… What did any of us do to deserve this falseness?” Wúdú asked them. “What did any of us, Zodiac, God, Mortal or otherwise, do to earn this hatred and cruelty from one who once only however us all with her love and care? Who promised that when all was well we would be free of this endless repeating cycle only to then betray that promise?”
“We did nothing.” Mingjue agreed, “The liar’s mask came off because of her own fears and selfishness, we all know this.”
“And still, she lives and was permitted to cage us all, one last time just to see, just to be sure that her fears were unfounded. We could not bear it and so we did what no one else was willing to do.” Gēshǒu said, looking at Xuān and Bǎomǔ. “Just like at the river bank, so long ago when we three did what no one else was willing to try and to achieve a victory in the race. We united and while the rest of the false cycle settled in to wait and play out as it would, we prepared and plotted the actions needed to ensure the boy’s fate was as it ought to have been.”
“We had planned to act sooner, when the boy first showed signs of his powers as a child. But we were stopped and warned that such actions would certainly end everything badly.” Rouhan admitted. “And so, since then we have been planning this, preparing as best we could, knowing that no matter the outcome, we would be judged and trialed for our crimes.”
“And if the boy had died?” Xian questioned.
Rouhan, Wúdú and Gēshǒu met the gazes of their fellow Zodiacs with the same certainty and assurance they’d worn the day they’d all sworn themselves to their lives as Zodiacs. “Then we’d be next in line to face the wrath of Wu Zhiqi, Tongbi, Mihou and Wukong.” Wúdú answered for all of them.
None of them could argue that such a fate was the only worthy outcome of such a loss.
She could keep her silence no longer.
This was the only chance she’d have, and she intended to make it count.
Neatly wrapping and gently packaging the items with uttermost care and tenderness, she penned a note for the one person she knew she could trust to deliver them where they needed to be and handed it to her fastest delivery bot. “No one but Third Lotus Prince Nezha must have this. No one else. Not his father, not his brothers, not even Erlang Shen. It must be Nezha.” she instructed.
“Yes Ma’am.” The bot assured and took off.
Silently, she prayed that it would be the start of mending the pain she’d seen fester and grow for far, far too long.
