《The Moon of Aolai (Journey to the West rewrite with OC insert)》


 I Can See the Sky

    I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve ever been this angry. Ever.


    I stared at the loud snoring bastard in front of me, and was tempted to use my sword to put an end him right now. Drunk bastard.


    Fuck. This world he dragged me to might have some strange rules. I wasn¡¯t sure I could kill him.


    I put my sword, Lonely Moon, back into my necklace.


    I went to the window. A full moon in the sky. Just a single moon. But when was the last time I saw a moon?


    It felt invigorating. Outside the window, I could see the rest of the monkeys still celebrating. Well, it wasn¡¯t everyday their king came home dead drunk with a lady slung over his shoulder and declared he was marrying her.


    Fuck, how did I even end up in this situation? All I wanted was to dance under a tree. Then some drunk guy showed up, declared he was going to marry me, slung me over his shoulder, and hauled ass through the portal as Lady Ethereal tried to kill him without hurting me.


    Then to top it all off, he destroyed the anchor point for the portal. I had no idea where another one was.


    And now our ¡°marriage¡± was being celebrated by the hundred or so monkeys that called this island home.


    Maybe I really should try to kill him. I mean, I wouldn¡¯t know if I could until I tried right?


    No, think sensibly. This guy was an idiot, but he was clearly strong. He fought off Lady Ethereal¡¯s guardians like they were nothing, while being drunk. First, I should try to disarm him.


    His weapon was a staff which he held loosely in his hand as he snored. I snuck closer, and grabbed it. Now, just to slip it away¡­


    It wouldn¡¯t budge.


    I tightened my grip on it and tried again.


    Nothing. How heavy was this thing?


    Shit. I abandoned any notion of sneakiness, and did everything I could to drag it away.


    Well, I didn¡¯t succeed in moving the bar, but I did succeed in getting him to let go of it.


    Bad news. He let go of the staff, and grabbed onto me. He dragged me into bed and now was cuddling up to my back while he slept.


    I tried to push him away. Nothing. He was as immovable as his fucking staff.


    ¡°Let go of me, you bastard!¡± I yelled, and punched at his arms, but he just kept snoring away.


    Fuuuuuuuck. At least he was asleep, and didn¡¯t drag me into bed while he was awake. It probably wouldn¡¯t have ended with cuddling then.


    I continued struggling for a while before finally giving up. Until he let go of me, I wasn¡¯t moving.


    Fuck my life. What was even the point?


    I was just tired. I already had a bad day. And now, I¡¯ve been kidnapped to one of hundreds of different worlds to be the wife of the strongest yet dumbest monkey I¡¯ve ever met. I lashed my tail in frustration.


    I wanted to go home. Not back to the in-between. My real home.


    But I couldn¡¯t. I could never go back.


    Ugh, forget it. I was stuck, tired, and I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to care anymore.


    At least I could watch the moon from here.


    Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. The moon eventually vanished from the window, and was replaced by the light of morning. This world seemed to have a day-night cycle similar to my old world, except the sun was far cooler. It seemed simply warm rather than scorching.


    It rose higher in the sky, and the morning was far quieter than the night was. I guess everyone but me was sleeping off all the booze.


    It seemed to be about mid-morning when he stirred. He finally let me go as he groaned and rubbed his forehead.


    He blinked sleepily. And zeroed in on me.


    ¡°Who?¡± He blinked and rubbed his eyes again. He stared at me again. And smiled smarmily.


    ¡°Hello there pretty lady. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    I slapped him.


    He stared at me stunned as I yelled at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know my name because you fucking kidnapped me and married me without introducing yourself!¡±


    I jumped out of bed and stomped over to the window.


    ¡°What? No, last night I went through the portal to have some fun with¡­¡± He trailed off as last night¡¯s memories came back to him and he grimaced.


    ¡°Fuck, um, well, sorry about that. I can just take you back through to home, and we can call it even right?¡±


    ¡°How? You destroyed the anchor point! We can¡¯t make another portal!¡±


    ¡°Uh, I did?¡±


    He zoned out for a moment before wincing again. ¡°Oooooh, yeah, I guess I did. I, uh, didn¡¯t do anything bad to you last night right?¡±


    ¡°Besides claiming to all the monkeys out there that you married me and ordered a feast? Besides throwing me over your shoulder and dragging me to your room? Besides grabbing onto me and refusing to let go all night?!¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, besides that.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking if you raped me, no, you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s the one thing you didn¡¯t do. And if you try to change that, I will find a way to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Ugh, this hangover is killing me. Is there any water around?¡±


    I growled. ¡°Seriously? Your hangover? My life! You fucking kidnapped me, and now I can¡¯t get back!¡±


    ¡°I know that! But I¡¯m not going to come up with any good solutions while my head¡¯s pounding.¡±


    I hated him so much. There was water in one of the pots nearby. I tapped into my chi, and used it to manipulate the chi in the water, lifting it up, and dumping it on the bastard.


    He stared at me, soaked and shocked as I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me.


    Fuck him. Fuck my life. Fuck these monkeys.


    I didn¡¯t know where I was going, just away from him. Soon I was surrounded by smaller monkeys, who clambered around me.


    ¡°Queen! Queen!¡±


    ¡°I am not your queen!¡± I stomped my foot, and they scattered.


    They continued chittering. ¡°Queen is cranky. No sleep!¡± They laughed.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ugh, I was not in the mood for this. ¡°Go away!¡±


    They began tugging at my clothes again. ¡°Queen, food, bath! Follow us! No longer cranky!¡±


    They tugged me along, and I let them at the mention of food and a bath.


    They brought me to a large hot bath, where steam filled the air. ¡°Royal bath! For royalty!¡± They chittered, and a group of four or five brought forward a large platter filled with various fruit.


    Hmm. Not bad. With one last withering glare, they disappeared, rushing back through the door. I was alone now. I activated my chi sight just to be sure.


    Fine. A nice warm soak sounded nice after everything I¡¯ve been through.


    I slipped my clothes into the storage space of my necklace, and lowered myself into the water.


    Ah. That felt good. I reached for the platter, which they set beside the bath, and grabbed some kind of reddish-yellow fruit. Hm, crunchy, a little sweet and a little sour. I finished it and grabbed another. This one was yellow, and long. Hm, this one was more mushy, and sweet.


    Oh. There was a fruit that looked similar to one in my homeworld, but it was pink instead of blue. I grabbed it, hoping it would taste similar.


    Hm, not as crunchy, but the sweetness was similar. If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was home, relaxing in the river in the shadows as the sun warmed the water.


    I finished the fruit too quickly. I had to open my eyes again.


    I wasn¡¯t home. I was in a strange world, with no hope of ever going back. Now even the in-between was gone to me, along with Lady Ethereal.


    What was I going to do? I sank into the water, fully submerged. I stayed there as long as I could before surging back up for air.


    I gasped. As I caught my breath again, I made my decision. I was trapped here because of that bastard, so he¡¯d have to help me find a way back. And if he showed any sign of turning on me, I¡¯d use everything in my power to make him regret ever coming through the portal in the first place.


    I probably shouldn¡¯t stay here for too much longer. I didn¡¯t have any soap to really get clean, and I needed to try and pick up the pieces of what my life has become. I ate one more piece of fruit before climbing out.


    No towels to dry myself off. It seemed like this world was extremely primitive. Only monkeys of high importance wore clothes, like that bastard earlier. From the amount of chi inside that bastard, there were some chi manipulation techniques, but they seemed limited to collecting chi inside oneself to amass power. And it seems limited to important figures, so it wasn¡¯t well-known among the population. Maybe on purpose?


    I don¡¯t know. I used my chi again to manipulate the water and draw it off of me. I was dry in a few moments, and activated my necklace and dressed in a flash.


    Bath time was over. Time to go throttle that bastard.


    I turned towards the door I came in, but the sound of talking stopped me in my tracks.


    ¡°Just entertain her for now! I¡¯ll talk to her after I get the smell of booze off me. And I''ll reschedule the brotherhood meeting! They can¡¯t come over tonight!¡±


    The door popped open, and that bastard was standing in front of me. Naked.


    My eyes automatically travelled down. Fuck, he was hot. That just made me even angrier.


    ¡°Uuuhh.¡± He seemed at a loss for words. ¡°Wait, what are you doing here? This is the royal bath.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and you married me, which makes me royalty.¡± I think. He was a king right? Those monkeys were calling me a queen earlier. ¡°And you¡¯re fucking lucky I¡¯m already dressed, or I would¡¯ve gouged your eyes out. Now would you care to cover up?¡±


    He glanced down then just shrugged. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m about to take a bath, so, no?¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± I could feel my face burning as I shoved past him. I should kill him. Or I should at least try.


    Once I got past him, I stood face to face with a much taller monkey. He gave me a bow.


    ¡°I am General Beng, Your Majesty. Would you like a tour of the cave?¡±


    ¡°Anywhere away from here.¡± I followed him away from the bath.


    We seemed to be inside of some kind of cave, called the Water Curtain Cave, which was inside Flower-Fruit Mountain, which was on a large island named Aolai. The palace apparently ran throughout the mountain. It has springs, kitchens, bedrooms, dining halls, and lots of other rooms I quickly lost track of.


    Several smaller monkeys littered the corridors. They played cheerfully, tugging at our clothes mischievously before Beng half-heartedly lifted his lips and gave a half-growl and they scampered away.


    ¡°Are these the servants?¡±


    They didn¡¯t seem to behave like servants. They behaved more like spoiled children.


    Boquin shrugged. ¡°Not really. They readily help the king when he asks, but otherwise all his subjects are free to come and go as they please. Only we four generals stay in the palace full-time. Along with you now Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. I won¡¯t be here for long. Once I find another anchor point, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you discuss that with the king.¡± Beng had a sour look on his face. It seemed like he didn¡¯t want to touch that topic with a ten foot pole. Yeah, me too.


    The tour ended in the throne room. It wasn¡¯t much, just a stone throne with a bunch of fruit and monkeys sleeping off what seemed like a crazy night.


    ¡°Please wait here. I¡¯ll go inform the king you¡¯re waiting for him.¡±


    He walked off, leaving me alone with the sleeping naked monkeys.


    None of these guys knew how to treat a lady. I sighed and sat on the throne. Might as well enjoy the peace and quiet now. I¡¯m sure everyone will go wild when the ¡°king¡± arrives.


    This entire palace was in disrepair and horribly messy. The citizens were disorganized and had only the barest concept of power structures.


    Calling this a kingdom would be an insult to civilization everywhere. Even this throne was falling apart.


    I mean, what was even the story here? Clearly this civilization was advanced enough to carve a mountain into a palace once. A collapse due to poor leadership?


    Nah, it was something older than that. An entire palace couldn¡¯t collapse in a single generation.


    Ugh, not my problem. If this so-called king wanted to rule over the ruins of his people, that was his business.


    Beng walked in, followed by another, shorter monkey, and they each stood to the side.


    The shorter monkey bellowed out. ¡°Attention! The king has arrived!¡±


    The sleepy monkeys startled and many of them jumped up and started hollering and cheering. Ugh, how the hell did he trick them into loving him so much?


    The bastard himself walked in. Wearing some shiny new duds. And a fucking cape. The prick.


    He walked in like he owned the place, waving down the crowd. He walked over to me.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a brave one aren¡¯t you? Sitting in the king¡¯s throne. That enough fun now though. C¡¯mon now, up up.¡±


    Did he think I was like the rest of these mindless monkeys? I matched his smile with a sickeningly sweet one of my own.


    ¡°But this is my chair darling. I¡¯m your queen after all. If I leave this throne I¡¯ll have nowhere to sit.¡±


    His smile dropped before coming back a moment later, looking far more wicked. ¡°You know honey? You¡¯re right, you need a seat worthy of a queen.¡±


    With one effortless motion he lifted me up, sat down and put me in his lap.


    ¡°What the-put me down!¡± I struggled, but he held me without breaking a sweat.


    ¡°But then you¡¯ll have nowhere to sit dear. There¡¯s no more worthy a seat for a queen than the king himself!¡±


    The monkeys howled in laughter, and I could feel my ears turning red.


    First kidnapped and now humiliated. Damn it! I should¡¯ve tried to kill him last night, consequences be damned!


    I could feel my anger and embarrassment reaching a breaking point, and tears rose up in my eyes. I looked into his eyes on defiance. I was not his fucking toy.


    His laughter cut out as he saw my face and and he paused. Then he shouted out into the room. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. Everyone out!¡±


    The monkeys seemed shocked and few kept snickering.


    ¡°I mean it!¡± He slammed his staff down, rocking the ground. ¡°Everyone out! Beng, Liu!¡±


    The two larger monkeys ushered the smaller monkeys out, leaving just the two of us together.


    Once everyone was gone, he finally let me jump out of his lap. I walked a few feet away from him, trying to hide my true feelings.


    ¡°Sorry about that. It was just supposed to be a joke. And you were defying me right in front of my monkeys you know, so¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do with me?¡± I still didn¡¯t turn around, and tried to keep my voice even.


    ¡°Uh, well, since I can¡¯t just send you back through the portal¡­¡±


    ¡°Your general said your subjects are free to come and go as they please. Can I leave?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I won¡¯t stop you but, you¡¯re not from around here. Do you know how to survive out there?¡±


    I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t even know the name of this world.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out.¡± I moved towards the door.


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± He grabbed my arm, and I spun around and did my best to yank out of his grip.


    Too late. He saw.


    I was scared.


    He was too strong. The amount of chi I had couldn¡¯t compare with his, even if my manipulation of chi was better.


    He already kidnapped me and destroyed my way back. He had me in his grasp.


    He could do anything he wanted to me.


    His grip loosened, and I finally managed to pull away. Once out of his grasp I just trembled.


    ¡°Um, I¡­¡± He seemed at a loss for words.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Please, just leave me alone.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait anymore as I ran through the door and the palace, heading for the iron bridge that was supposed to lead outside. Other monkeys screeched in surprise, as I abandoned any sense of decorum to get out of there as quickly as possible.


    I was at the edge of the bridge. Okay, this waterfall should lead outside.


    ¡°Wait! Stop, come back!¡± Shit he was following me.


    No time to think. I opened the storage space in my necklace and summoned my sword. It flashed before me, and I levitated it using chi. It¡¯s been a while since I did this.


    No time for hesitation. I stepped onto it and sent it forward at full speed through the waterfall.


    I burst through.


    Brightness. Shit, I needed to get out of the sun.


    Wait no. This world¡¯s sun was fine. I caught my breath, finally outside for the first time since I left my homeworld.


    Lunus, how I missed it.


    I leaned on my sword into a spin, and leaned forward to decrease my drag. And I looked down at the island.


    It was big. Flower-Fruit Mountain dominated the center, a massive river running from it, and wrapping it¡¯s way through the island to the ocean.


    I checked behind me. No one seemed to be following me. Maybe they couldn¡¯t fly.


    Ok, now what?


    Well, this entire island was apparently his domain, so I think it would be best to leave. I activated the invisibility ability on my necklace.


    Me and my sword disappeared in a flash. Gone. I flew out over the ocean.


    Maybe I could find a kingdom not in complete ruins. Then... I¡¯d think about that when I found it.

 Ew, Humans

    It took about a half an hour before I saw land. Thank you Lunus.


    I dove down. There was even a village! Finally some normal¡­


    Those weren¡¯t monkeys.


    I leaned back on my sword and came to a stop as quickly as I could.


    What were they?


    They were mostly furless except for the top of their heads. Some kept this fur short, while others grew it out, and looking at it made me queasy. They just¡­ let their fur flop around like that?


    They still had hands, but their shoes looked unnatural. As I flew over the village, I saw one without shoes, and almost threw up all the fruit I ate this morning.


    Lunus, what was wrong with their feet? How could they even walk around like that?


    I didn¡¯t like this. Maybe this was just some kind of severely distorted type of monkey? I mean, they were ugly, but maybe they were friendly?


    I searched for any normal monkeys, and wandered into what seemed to be a market place. I stayed well above the hubbub, trying to decide if I should drop my invisibility.


    There! Finally, a monkey. They were¡­ They were¡­


    In a cage.


    I came to full stop as I took in the horrible scene.


    A cage that was much to small for her. She sadly chewed on some bad fruit as the creature out front talked with some other creatures.


    She chittered, asking for something better, but the creature didn¡¯t even look at her while it smacked her cage.


    Lunus, no. These creatures were horrible.


    Something stirred in the cage next to her.


    Oh Lunus. It was a baby.


    The creature picked up his cage and set it on the counter. The lady began screaming, begging him to leave her son alone. He just smacked the cage again.


    The creature talked more, and the creature in front of it nodded and held out something.


    Was this thing selling a baby?


    The island was a paradise compared to this. I couldn¡¯t watch this anymore.


    I brought my fan out, and threw some blinding powder on the creatures. The things cried out, and kept my invisibility on as I moved to help them. I opened the mother¡¯s cage and grabbed the cage for the baby, and got them both onto my sword. I flew away from the town as quickly as possible.


    I pulled the baby out of his cage and handed him off to his mother. ¡°Are the two of you okay?¡±


    She gratefully accepted him. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much. Just hungry.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your home? I can take you there.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Not safe. Humans. Destroyed. Not safe.¡±


    ¡°Humans. Is that what those are called?¡±


    She nodded and looked down. ¡°Flying? Are you a god?¡±


    ¡°A god?¡± I shook my head at the unfamiliar word. ¡°No, just a monkey. Like you.¡±


    ¡°Not like me. I can¡¯t fly.¡±


    I shook my head and sighed. They had no safe place to go.


    I knew a place they¡¯d be safe.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you somewhere safe. Just hold on to your son.¡±


    Okay, from land, Aolai was¡­ this way. I angled back towards the island.


    I flew slower this time. And lower. In case either the mother or the baby fell off.


    Luckily neither of them did. But it was beginning to get dark by the time I sighted the island.


    I landed on shore, helping the mother stand up. She looked into the forest with interest, and trepidation.


    ¡°I smell other monkeys. Are they friendly?¡±


    ¡°They should be.¡± Besides technology being woefully underdeveloped, as far as I could tell, these monkeys wanted for nothing. Lots of food, friends, and a good environment.


    Sure enough a few monkeys were already poking their heads out of the trees. Finally, one became bold enough to climb down and onto the beach.


    ¡°Queen? Queen bring new friends?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ forget it. Yes, I brought new friends. They¡¯re hungry. Do you have any food you can share?¡±


    ¡°They need food?¡± The lady looked at the bony mother and nodded. ¡°Food is this way. Lots of food. No lost babies. Plenty of food.¡±


    I nodded to the hesitant mother. She began following the native monkey into the jungle, but turned back one more time.


    ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re a good queen. You saved me and my baby. I¡¯ll always share food with you.¡±


    She vanished among the trees.


    I sighed and turned back towards the ocean. All my running and I just ended up here at the end of the day.


    I¡¯ve never seen an ocean before today. I sat down and watched the sunset.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The beams felt warm on my face. Not something I¡¯ve ever felt before either. More than a few minutes in my homeworld¡¯s sun would¡¯ve left me screaming from the burns.


    But this sun felt nice and warm. It warmed me rather than burned me, and I watched it sink behind the waves without pain.


    What was I going to do? How far has those things, those humans, spread? Did all of them treat monkeys so horribly?


    No, surely not. There had to be at least one monkey kingdom right?


    Besides this shitty one.


    A twig snapped. I whipped around. Fuck he was back.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t leave! I¡¯m not going to go near you.¡± I should leave. I should take my sword back out and fly as fast and as far as I could.


    But he stayed well away from me, and sat a few feet away on the shore.


    ¡°So, I might have really fucked up.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Please elaborate. How exactly did you fuck up, and how much?¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry about what I did yesterday. I got way too drunk, and now I can¡¯t fix it. I broke the only thing that can get you back home. So just tell me what I can do try and help. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to make it right.¡±


    ¡°Do you know of any other anchor points in this world?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. I just found that swirly thing in the basement.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°Then how the fuck are you going to make this right? There might not even be another anchor point on this world. It could take eons to find another.¡±


    ¡°Look, I can¡¯t reverse time and undo everything I did. And to be honest, I don¡¯t have the time to try and find another fancy portal when it could take that long. What I can offer, is a safe place to stay for as long as you¡¯d like. That¡¯s the best I can do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough! What I¡¯m just stuck on this fucking island for the rest of eternity!? Aren¡¯t there any other monkeys kingdoms I could go to?¡±


    ¡°Not as far as I know, and I looked far and wide. I know it¡¯s not good enough, and I know I did you wrong, but I can¡¯t do anything else!¡±


    We were both breathing heavy from our arguing, and standing up facing each other. He took a deep breath and stepped back.


    I broke away too. I was angry, and I had a right to be angry, but he had a point. Being angry was getting me nowhere.


    I took a deep breath too. ¡°Look, I understand I don¡¯t have a lot of options , especially after seeing those¡­ those humans out there.¡± I pointed towards the land I knew was out there beyond the horizon. ¡°But I refuse to be confined to this island for the rest of my life. There has to be something you can do. You¡¯re powerful right?¡±


    He ran a hand through his fur. ¡°Look, if you think humans are bad, then you¡¯ll wet yourself the first time you meet a demon. Unless I go with you every time you head out, there¡¯s no way I can guarantee your safety¡­ Unless¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°Nevermind.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me so I can tell you how much I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    He took a deep breath. ¡°My name would be enough to protect you¡­ if everyone thinks you¡¯re my wife.¡±


    I summoned my sword. He held up his hands. ¡°Whoa! I told you you wouldn¡¯t like it!¡±


    ¡°You fucking pervert! I knew coming back here was a mistake!¡± I jumped on my sword and took off again, towards the direction the sun set.


    ¡°Wait, hold on!¡± I looked back and saw the bastard was following me. He was somehow flying on a fucking cloud.


    And he was gaining.


    I leaned forward and pushed for maximum speed.


    ¡°Shit! I didn¡¯t mean we¡¯d actually get married! I just meant that if people think you¡¯re my wife, then they¡¯ll leave you alone!¡±


    ¡°Until what? You think I want people to think we¡¯re married? What about when I want to marry someone else? Or was this all some convoluted plan to get me into bed?¡±


    ¡°Look, you want to search for your anchor point thingie right? You can search for one without worrying about getting eaten or kidnapped if you¡¯re known as the Monkey King¡¯s wife! No one within ten thousand li will bother you if you give them my name!¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure, and the fact that you fucking kidnapped me for that very thing has nothing to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Gods you¡¯re fucking fast. Look, I promise not to lay a finger on you if you don¡¯t want me to, can we please not have this conversation at ten-thousand li a minute!¡±


    I stomped on the brakes, suddenly leaning back. The bastard went whizzing by me, screeching, bringing me a dose of joy I desperately needed right now.


    Finally, he got himself stopped and turned around. He groaned when got to me. ¡°How the fuck did you do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault if your cloud doesn¡¯t work as well as my sword.¡±


    ¡°Uh, his name is Nimbus, and he¡¯s sensitive.¡± He patted his cloud. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her Nimbus, she¡¯s just being mean.¡±


    ¡°Now explain yourself. How exactly does me giving you what you want help me?¡±


    ¡°For one, you¡¯re not giving me what I want. I was drunk last night when I said I was going to marry you. I quite enjoy being a bachelor you know.¡±


    I quirked up my eyebrow at that. ¡°Yesterday, when you kidnapped me, you said, and I quote, ¡®Oh, you¡¯re the most beautiful monkey I¡¯ve ever seen. Please marry me and end my empty lonely life beautiful maiden.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I fucking did not.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You slurred your words a lot. I¡¯m paraphrasing. What I do remember clearly, is that after I turned down your hasty marriage proposal, you screamed you couldn¡¯t possibly live without me and tossed me over your shoulder like a sack.¡±


    ¡°That part¡­ may be accurate. Look, I was drunk. I have no idea where my head was at that night. And I¡¯ll admit you¡¯re very¡­ fetching.¡±


    I snorted and got ready to blast off on my sword.


    ¡°But! But, I clearly don¡¯t lack for company. I¡¯m a king after all. I can have any monkey I like back on Flower-Fruit Mountain, and I can guarantee none of them are as much trouble as you are. Look, all I¡¯m saying is that we play pretend at a couple of gatherings, and then everyone will know not to mess with you if they see you out and about while looking for your way back home.¡±


    The fact I was even considering this infuriated me. ¡°What if, while I¡¯m out and about, I find another monkey I want to marry?¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just say you died. You can have your happily ever after, and I won¡¯t be responsible for you anymore. Happy now?¡±


    I sighed. I didn¡¯t have any other good options. ¡°Fine. But just so you know, this does not make us even.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, let me guess, it¡¯s not even close. Look can we just head back? It¡¯s getting late.¡±


    The sun has fully set in the sky. I just had one condition to fulfill before I went back for good.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I held out my hand. ¡°I want you to promise again. Shake my hand and vow upon your chi you won¡¯t touch me.¡±


    He gave me a sharp look, but it softened and he nodded. He reached out and grabbed my hand. ¡°I vow upon my chi I won¡¯t touch you without your permission.¡±


    Got him.


    I activated my own chi, and resonated it with his, impressing his vow upon him.


    He gasped and yanked his hand away. ¡°What was that!?¡±


    ¡°Just insurance in case you decide to get handsy. As long as you keep your promise, nothing will come of it.¡± More importantly, with the vow in place, I now felt safe enough around him to go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain. If he did try something, I could have him on the ground, writhing in pain within moments.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t.¡± He growled. ¡° Will you finally give me your name? If we¡¯re going to pull this whole being married thing off, I should probably know it.¡±


    ¡°Yue Lunaste. And yours oh illustrious king?¡±


    ¡°Sun Wukong. It nice to formally meet you Lunaste.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Lunaste is my last name.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you put your given name first? Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why do you put your surname first? I guess it¡¯s just different here.¡± I shook my head. It was a small difference, but it reminded me just how far from home I was. I looked back at Wukong, who split his attention between me and the island. I got a fun idea.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see back in the cave slowpoke!¡± I blasted off, rocketing towards the island, leaving him soaked in the spray of water I left behind me.


    He sputtered and we raced back to Flower-Fruit Mountain.


    I got my own room, and some kind monkeys delivered me fruit. I munched on it while looking out the window on the side of the mountain.


    The moon was back. It wasn¡¯t Lunus or it¡¯s little brother Anaste. But it had it¡¯s own charm. I might as well enjoy it now, because there was no moon in the in-between.


    No stars either. They weren¡¯t like the stars I knew. They had empty stretches of blackness between their tiny prinpricks of light. On Pluas, the night sky was so packed with stars, it shone with brilliance.


    This was different. But not bad. In a way, there being less stars made you appreciate each individual one even more.


    I polished off the rest of my fruit. The food here wasn¡¯t too bad either. Then again, anything would be better than the in-between¡¯s nutritional paste after a couple of decades.


    I set the platter outside the door, and climbed into bed.


    My mind wandered to my home. My family. Like it always did.


    No. Just focus on the now.


    But why? My darkest thoughts whispered.


    Why bother going back at all when I could die here much more easily?

 The Brotherhood of the Pig Demon Kings

    The next few days passed by in a whirl. Sun forbade me from going out yet, saying that word of mouth still needed to be spread about me. He went out often, saying he was bragging about me to all his friends and acquaintances.


    I¡¯d be able to go out after he introduced me to his brotherhood, the meeting of which was tonight.


    I went through what clothes I had. It wasn¡¯t much. I refused to even think about touching half of my wardrobe. It only reminded me of my sister.


    I would really prefer a new outfit, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Apparently my ¡°husband¡± stole all his clothes from either dragons or humans.


    Eventually, I settled on a dress that was nice, but not too nice. Sun said they kept things casual. I used my chi to slip into it, and tie the bow at the back.


    Sun said I didn¡¯t even have to act like I liked him. He was just openly admitting he kidnapped me. All I had to do was tolerate sitting next to him for a few hours, and then I can start looking for anchor points.


    As futile a task that was. In order feel an anchor point, I¡¯d have to be less than a li from it. Plus, it takes time to feel out the flows of chi to see if it formed a snarl necessary for an anchor point.


    I¡¯d have to slowly fly over the land and comb through each and every crevice to try and find one. Even then they were so exceedingly rare, I¡¯d be lucky to find one in the next ten thousand years, if there was even another one on this world at all.


    Maybe I should have a plan B.


    Knocking at my door. ¡°You ready princess?¡±


    Sun Wukong, and his charming nickname for me. ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a second!¡±


    I gave myself one last once over in the mirror. Accessories, check, fur, straight and shiny, and my dress was wrinkle-free and not malfunctioning.


    I took a deep breath. I was as ready as I would ever be.


    I threw open the door, causing Wukong to leap back. ¡°I¡¯m ready, keep your pants on. Now, walk me through the guests again.¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Well, there¡¯s going to be six of us. Bull Demon King, Dragon Demon King, Eagle Demon King, Lion Demon King, Macaque Demon King, and Gibbon Demon King. You¡¯ll have a hard time just listening, so you don¡¯t have to worry about talking to them. Just stay by my side the entire time. Seriously, don¡¯t leave for a moment. These guys like to party hard.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you don¡¯t trust me.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not who I don¡¯t trust. I just don¡¯t want to leave you alone with them. Don¡¯t leave my side, for any reason. Understand? These guys aren¡¯t as nice as I am.¡±


    I swallowed thickly. ¡°Understood.¡± Wukong was already bad enough, and he was warning me about these guys? Well, they sounded like bad news.


    He nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. Oh!¡± He gave me a once over. ¡°You look nice today.¡±


    He knew exactly how to piss me off.


    He offered his arm and I grudgingly took it. Whatever his so-called ¡°friends¡± were like, something told me I wanted to avoid them by hiding behind Wukong as much as possible.


    We made it to the banquet hall as the first to arrive. Monkeys were bringing food in and then quickly scampering out, and the fruit and wine was quickly piling up. All this for just eight people?


    We sat down, and Wukong reached for the wine but I slapped his hand away. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t. If it¡¯s as serious as you say, you¡¯re staying sober so you can protect me.¡±


    He grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to drink when they get here anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to add some more before they get started. The last thing I want is you dragging me off to your room again and cuddling me all night.¡±


    He grumbled under his breath but grabbed a mango and munched on that instead.


    One of the generals, Ba, walked in. ¡°Three of your guests have arrived. Bull Demon King, Eagle Demon King, and Gibbon Demon King are here.¡±


    He bowed as the three walked in. Shit. They were big.


    I activated my spirit sight. And breathed a sigh of relief. None of them had the amount of chi Wukong did. Even the three of them combined didn¡¯t. As long as I stuck close to him it would be fine.


    The creature with large horns laughed boisterously. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it until now! You really do have a wife! And here I thought I¡¯d be the only married man in the brotherhood forever! Congratulations Wukong!¡±


    The Eagle Demon King snorted. ¡°It seems a shame to me. Bachelorhood suited you my friend. But I suppose if you get antsy you can always take another wife or a couple of concubines!¡± His words sent another round of laughter through the group and Wukong.


    ¡°True enough my friend. But as Gibbon will tell you, my wife is more than pretty enough to keep me entertained.¡±


    Gibbon Demon King nodded. ¡°I have to agree with you there. Your wife truly is a vision. Tell me, did she have any sisters? I might be tempted to get one for myself.¡±


    I tensed up, my older sister flashing through my mind. She would kill you before you could take one step towards her.


    No wonder Wukong told me to stay near him. These men were disgusting. I did my best to tune them out as they sat down.


    They poured out wine for themselves and for Wukong. Ba came in again and introduced two more of the gathering, the Lion Demon King, and the Dragon Demon King. They gave their own inappropriate greetings to Wukong and sat down.


    Now I understand why there was so much damn food and wine. They ate like they were Pig Demon Kings. Watching Wukong engage with them turned my stomach.


    I pushed my own fruit away, and the last demon king, the Macaque Demon King arrived.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late. I was picking up a gift for the newlyweds.¡± Everyone greeted him, and he pulled out a box.


    He tossed it towards Wukong, who caught it easily. He grinned and shook it. ¡°What¡¯s inside? A lovely dress for my wife? A perfume?¡±


    Macaque gave him a shit-eating grin. ¡°You should let your wife open it. It¡¯s a gift for both of you after all.¡±


    He handed it over to me, and I regarded the small wrapped box with suspicion. ¡°Wukong, is it really okay to open this?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Macaque is a bit of a prankster, but he wouldn¡¯t hurt you.¡± He leaned forward and whispered. ¡°Not if he wants to keep his head on his shoulders.¡±


    Ugh his breath smelled like wine. I looked around to see everyone looking at me in anticipation. Well, I had a feeling I wouldn¡¯t like whatever was in there, but I might as well get it over with as quickly as possible.


    I untied and unwrapped the box. A small wooden thing. It didn¡¯t seem big enough to hold anything other than a trinket or some ribbons.


    I popped open the lid.


    A cloud of powder hit my face, and I coughed. Ugh, it got in my eyes too. I rubbed them and they watered. I did my best to glare at Macaque as everyone but Wukong started laughing.


    Wukong grabbed onto me and wiped the dust off my face. He gave Macaque a withering glare. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem you know what kind of gifts are appropriate for a new couple.¡± He looked pissed.


    Macaque waved him down. ¡°It¡¯s fine brother! Remember, I said it¡¯s a gift for both of you. Give it some time to work.¡±


    ¡°Time to work?¡± Wukong asked. I think.


    I didn¡¯t have anything to drink right? But I felt so woozy. And hot. ¡°Wukong? I don¡¯t feel good.¡±


    Macaque chuckled. ¡°Well, the man said it worked fast and it seems he was right.¡±


    ¡°Macaque, what the hell did you do to my wife?¡± Wukong looked even more pissed.


    ¡°Relax, it¡¯s just something to make her obedient. She should be a lot more responsive in bed tonight.¡±


    ¡°You gave her a fucking aphrodisiac!?¡± Wukong stood up, knocking against the table.


    Macaque put his hands up. ¡°Whoa now, it¡¯s just a joke brother. Besides, I figured you¡¯d appreciate this kind of gift. She probably hasn¡¯t been much fun since you got her right? This will help break her in. Right guys?¡±


    He looked around the table to the others who nodded in agreement, except for the Bull Demon King. He pushed back from the table, eyeing Wukong warily.


    He looked angry. Angrier than I¡¯ve seen him. ¡°Out. Everyone. Now.¡±


    ¡°Wukong, it¡¯s-¡°


    ¡°It is not fine! Now you all need to leave so I can take care of my drugged wife. Banquet¡¯s over, all of you, get out!¡±


    Everyone except the Bull Demon King grumbled as the got up. Bull Demon King leaned forward, and spoke to Wukong before he made to leave.


    ¡°Please forgive him. None of them understands a wife is different from other women. I¡¯ll talk to Macaque.¡± He pushed off the table and left.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, because the problem is that she¡¯s my wife.¡± Wukong sighed and rubbed his forehead. He turned back towards me.


    He knelt down. ¡°Yue, how do you feel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so hot.¡± I was beginning to slur my words together. I felt so hot. This stupid dress.


    ¡°Whoa there! Let¡¯s keep our clothes on. Damn, he really fucked you up. Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically.¡± I continued staring up at him.


    ¡°Let me rephrase that. Can you try and stand up?¡±


    Hmm. I tried to put some strength in my legs. Nope. I shook my head.


    ¡°Of course you can¡¯t. Fucking Macaque! The next time I see him¡­¡± He slammed his staff down on the table, and it smashed into two pieces, it scared me. I withdrew from him.


    He realized he scared me, and quickly withdrew his staff. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yue, I¡¯m not angry at you.¡±


    I sniffed, on the verge of tears. ¡°You¡¯re scary. You¡¯re scaring me.¡±


    A devastated look crossed his face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Yue, I promise I won¡¯t scare you again.¡±


    ¡°I want to go back home. I miss everyone.¡± My family flashed through my mind.


    He swallowed. ¡°I know Yue.¡± He glanced back down at my legs. ¡°Yue, I need to take you back to your room. Do I have permission to touch you?¡±


    I turned away from him. ¡°No! You promised!¡±


    He groaned. ¡°I assure you, I¡¯ll only be touching you for locomotion purposes. Once I get you to your room and into bed, I¡¯ll happily not touch you for the rest of the night.¡±


    I sniffed. I felt awful. ¡°You promised. You can¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. And I won¡¯t touch you without permission. But how do you suggest I get you to your room?¡±


    ¡°Ummm.¡± I didn¡¯t want him to touch me, but maybe it was okay if I touched him. ¡°Turn around.¡±


    ¡°Okaaaaay.¡± He turned around. I reached up towards his shoulders, but he was too tall. ¡°Sit down.¡± He sat and I was finally able to reach.


    I wrapped my arms around his neck. My legs refused to move, but Wukong got the idea. He picked up my legs and stood up.


    Good. Now I was touching him, but he wasn¡¯t touching me. Except my legs. But I couldn¡¯t move my legs, so it was fine.


    ¡°This will work. Hang on.¡± He walked out of the dining room and down the hallway, towards my room.


    The entire world swayed. I felt queasy. I closed my eyes and nuzzled into Wukong¡¯s neck. This wasn¡¯t as bad. The world wasn¡¯t spinning anymore.


    We reached my room. I could tell because Wukong opened and closed a door.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s time to get off. Your beds right here.¡±


    No. His fur felt so soft and warm.


    ¡°Um, Yue? Did you fall asleep? It¡¯s time to get off.¡± He poked me in the side.


    ¡°Nooooooooo. You smell good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell no.¡± Wukong grabbed my arms and gently took me off his back and set me down on the bed.


    He laid me down on the pillow and pulled a blanket over me. ¡°There. I¡¯m not touching you for the rest of the night. Gods know you¡¯re going to be furious enough in the morning.¡±


    Ugh, I was so hot under this blanket. And in my dress. I grabbed my necklace and stored my dress back inside. Still too hot.


    I began kicking my blanket off, making Wukong¡¯s eyes go wide.


    ¡°Nope!¡± He grabbed the blanket, and tucked me in tightly. ¡°Nopity, nope, nope, nope.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re so mean!¡±


    ¡°Something tells me you¡¯ll appreciate it when you sleep this drug off.¡±


    ¡°I feel weird Wukong. I¡¯m so hot.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I¡¯m sorry. They were¡­ a lot worse than I thought they¡¯d be.¡± He sighed. ¡°But, I told you I won¡¯t let anything bad happen to you and nothing will. I¡¯ll stay until you¡¯re better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared of you.¡±


    Silence. Then a sigh. ¡°I know. I know I can never make things right with you. I just fucked up too badly. I¡¯m still fucking up.¡±


    ¡°I want to go home.¡± Tears began slipping down my face. ¡°I miss everyone. Dad, my sister, my friend Luvouse. I¡¯ll never see them again.¡±


    ¡°I know. I took you away from them. From your family.¡±


    ¡°No Wukong, they¡¯re all gone. They¡¯re all dead. I¡¯m the only one who made it out. I escaped to the in-between.¡±


    His eyes snapped from the window to me. ¡°What? Wait, say that again.¡±


    ¡°It got them all. It feasted on my world.¡± The sickening memories filled my head. White spores hacked up with every cough. Tiny white fibers that covered the dead.


    So many nightmares.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, stay with me, so you¡¯re saying I didn¡¯t steal everything you loved away from you? C¡¯mon, this is important.¡±


    I began crying again. ¡°You¡¯re scary Wukong, You¡¯re scaring me.¡± His face was close to mine, his eyes focused on me. He flinched at my words and took a step back.


    ¡°Fuck, what am I doing¡­ We¡¯re going to talk about this later.¡±


    ¡°It killed them. It got them. I¡¯m the only one left.¡± I began crying even harder. I missed them so much.


    ¡°Uh, hey it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re safe here. I won¡¯t let anything bad happen to you.¡±


    ¡°It took so long. They spent weeks dying. They became so quiet. They could barely move at the end.¡± It was all so vivid. It was like I was reliving my final days in my world all over again. ¡°It covered everything. There were no more trees. No more shade. It blotted out Lunus.¡± I began shaking.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! Hey, stay with me! Yue!¡±


    ¡°Stop Lady Ethereal! Let me go back! I don¡¯t care if I¡¯ll die! Let me be with my family!¡±


    Wukong stilled. ¡°Yue?¡±


    ¡°Chi Devourer, Chi Devourer, Chi Devourer,¡± I continued reciting it¡¯s name.


    ¡°Fuck, this is not a fucking aphrodisiac. C¡¯mon Yue, snap out of it! Gah, I¡¯m sorry about this but you might hurt yourself at this rate.¡± He picked me up in the blanket, and swaddled me tight. He set me in his lap and held me. He patted my head. ¡°Shhhh. It¡¯s okay Yue. Everything is okay, please calm down.¡±


    I blinked rapidly, and took some deep breaths. I wasn¡¯t on Pluas. The Chi Devourer wasn¡¯t here. I gulped, my throat dry.


    I could see moonlight from the window. Lunus? And someone was holding me.


    Dad? Luka? Luvouse? It didn¡¯t matter.


    I wasn¡¯t alone. I closed my eyes after one last shuddering breath. I was so tired. So tired of just surviving. Living on nutrient paste, rarely talking to an organic being like me. I wanted to go back home.


    Maybe I could rest. Just for a little while.

 Pluas

    Lunus was high in the sky. I jumped around the trees, grabbing onto the branches and reaching for the Luni fruits. Their gentle blue glow in the moonlight made them easy to spot. I grabbed whatever I could, dropping them into the basket my sister was carrying down below.


    ¡°Okay Yue! That¡¯s enough! We¡¯ve got plenty for dinner and tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming down then!¡± I jumped branch to branch until I reached the ground. Luka sat nearby, inspecting the fruits for bad spots or bugs.


    ¡°This bunch looks pretty good. Let¡¯s head back home. Dad said he¡¯d teach me about using chi to create illusions today.¡± She hopped up.


    ¡°Hmph, chi manipulation is boring. I don¡¯t understand why you sit through all those lessons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not boring! It¡¯s fun! One day, I¡¯ll be as strong as Dad is, and I¡¯ll be able to use chi to do anything.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°I already know how to use chi for important things. Why would I need to know more? I want to move to Lunaris, and live in the big city. I¡¯ll get fancy job, and live like a queen!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, and you¡¯ll find a prince who¡¯ll sweep you off your feet huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯ll be the romance of the eon. Just like in my books!¡±


    She snorted. ¡°You¡¯re such a little kid. Everyone knows romance isn¡¯t like in stories. You should grow up.¡±


    ¡°I am grown up! And what¡¯s wrong with wanting love? I want a man who¡¯s handsome, strong, kind, and he¡¯ll always listen to what I say. And you¡¯ll end up all alone pursuing your ¡®strength¡¯.¡±


    ¡°If you find a man like that, I¡¯ll eat my own tail. C¡¯mon, race you back home!¡± She took off.


    Gah, she was so much faster than me, even with a basket full of fruit.


    ¡°Hey, no fair! Come back!¡±


    She disappeared through the trees, running along the path, as I fell further behind.


    I broke through the trees into the clearing around our home. And froze.


    It was covered in thin white fibers. White particles floated through the air. My hand flew to my necklace, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The air purifier was on. I wasn¡¯t infected.


    I had to work to push open the door. The white fiber snapped easily individually, but together they were hard to push through.


    Inside wasn¡¯t much better. Everything was coated in white. The kitchen looked like it hadn¡¯t been used in months.


    Where was Dad and Luka? Were their air purifiers on? I pushed deeper into the house.


    More and more white fibers. Luka¡¯s room was next to mine. I had a hard time pushing it open, but she wasn¡¯t inside.


    What about Dad¡¯s room?


    I reached the end of the hallway, and pushed open his door.


    Dad was on his bed, covered in the fibers.


    ¡°Dad!¡± I rushed forward, but someone suddenly grabbed me from behind.


    ¡°Yue, No!¡± Luka struggled to hold me. ¡°Stop! It¡¯s too late for Dad! We need to leave!¡±


    ¡°No! He¡¯s right there! He¡¯s still breathing!¡±


    ¡°Yue! Yue, look at me, look at me Yue. That is how the Chi Devourer works. It leaves you just alive enough to produce chi. But Dad will never wake up again. We need to leave, before it gets us too.¡±


    ¡°But Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything for him Yue. He would want us to escape while we still can. We need to go somewhere the Chi Devourer won¡¯t reach us.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s everywhere! There¡¯s nowhere on Pluas to go.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to go to through the portal. To the in-between.¡±


    My breath caught in my throat. ¡°But we¡¯ve never been there before. Dad said we weren¡¯t ready.¡±


    ¡°We have to be ready. Come on.¡±


    She pulled me out of the house, and down the path in the backyard. It wound through the trees, and Luka dispelled several of Dad¡¯s traps and illusions meant to stop people from finding the anchor point.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    We reached our destination, a place where the branches of the trees formed a knot in the middle of the clearing.


    Luka finally let go of me. ¡°Pay attention Yue. You might need to know this someday. First, activate your chi sight.¡±


    I nodded shakily and activated it. The world lit up into blues and yellows, yellow for active chi and blue for inactive chi.


    My sister was churning with active chi, showing me how much stronger she¡¯d gotten by training with Dad. ¡°Okay Yue. Now I¡¯m going to move my chi to the anchor point, and swirl it to the left. Remember, you need to go slowly, or it won¡¯t take.¡±


    Her chi moved out of her, and entered the knot. She swirled it left, slowly, easily, like stirring a pot.


    ¡°Once you feel it activate, swirl it faster. Keep up the momentum. You¡¯ll feel it once the portal forms, and that¡¯s when you can stop.¡±


    More chi poured out of her as the swirl picked up speed. Eventually, it reached a point where it began picking up chi from the surroundings, and Luka pulled her chi away. It continued to pick up speed, until a large crack rang through the air. The swirl split open, shining a brilliant white in my spirit sight.


    ¡°Okay, you can stop using chi sight now.¡±


    I blinked and the world became normal again. The portal in the center of the clearing looked black now, hanging just below the anchor point.


    Luka nodded. ¡°You packed your necklace right? You have everything you need?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, I packed all the clothes I own, and all my treasures from Dad.¡±


    Luka nodded. ¡°Here, I want you to carry my clothes too. I¡¯ll transfer them to your storage space.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m close to being full, and I want more space for when we head through.¡±


    ¡°But Luka-¡°


    ¡°Please, just take my clothes.¡±


    I nodded wordlessly. Something about her desperate tone made me shiver.


    Once I had them in my necklace she walked me over to the portal. ¡°Okay Yue, once you get to the other side, find Dad¡¯s friend. Her name is Lady Ethereal. She should be looking out for you. And remember what I just taught you about anchor points. It might be important one day.¡±


    ¡°Luka, why do I have to remember? You¡¯re coming with me right?¡±


    Her eyes were shining. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yue. I lied to you. I know you always hated taking my hand-me downs.¡±


    ¡°Luka, you¡¯re coming too, you have to. I can¡¯t do this on my own. I barely know anything about chi. You¡¯re the strong one.¡±


    ¡°I know. But you¡¯re strong in your own way too Yue. I know you¡¯ll find your own way forward. Take care of yourself.¡±


    ¡°What no, I¡¯m not leaving, you can¡¯t-¡° Luka pushed me into the portal.


    And everything turned black.


    ¡°Luka!¡± I jolted up, reaching for a sister who was long gone. I breathed heavy for a few moments, trying to reorient myself.


    Light. Birdsong. A familiar bastard¡¯s face looking worried. I wasn¡¯t on Pluas. I was on this new world I really needed to learn the name of.


    I took another couple of deep breaths and Wukong¡¯s words finally reached me.


    ¡°Yue? Yue, are you okay? Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can hear you, and no, I¡¯m not okay.¡±


    ¡°Did you have a nightmare? You suddenly woke up screaming.¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡± I licked my dry lips. ¡°Water?¡±


    ¡°Uh, here, I brought it in a little while ago. Drink slowly.¡±


    He handed over a small cup, which I greedily sucked down. I coughed after I finished it off.


    ¡°Whoa, I told you to drink it slowly.¡± Wukong rubbed my back until I finished coughing.


    I was still naked, and he was touching my bare back, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care. I didn¡¯t even care my chest was exposed.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care about anything.


    I slumped back into bed after finishing my coughing fit. The dreams were back. Perhaps I should¡¯ve seen this coming. Lady Ethereal wasn¡¯t around anymore to give me my medications.


    I turned away from Wukong. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Please leave.¡±


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s it? Weren¡¯t you going to try and kill me for the whole drug fiasco last night?¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Hey, Yue. I¡¯m serious. Are you okay? Are you still under the effects of the drug?¡±


    ¡°Wukong.¡± I spoke softly, still turned away. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please leave.¡±


    I listened as he didn¡¯t move for a couple of minutes. When he finally spoke his voice was thick with emotion. ¡°Fine. But I¡¯ll be back tomorrow. We need to talk.¡±


    He stomped out the door, slamming it shut.


    Knocking. ¡°Yue? I¡¯m back. Are you in there?¡±


    I didn¡¯t bother answering.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡± Wukong pushed open the door and came inside. I heard him take a few steps into the room before coming to my bedside.


    ¡°Yue, why are you still in bed? It¡¯s morning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m back because you said some things while you were drugged. I thought I kidnapped you from your family, but you said they all died because of some ¡®Chi Devourer.¡¯¡±


    ¡°They did.¡±


    ¡°Well, then why didn¡¯t you tell me! The guilt was eating me alive you know.¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to feel guilty. I forgive you for kidnapping me.¡±


    Silence. For a moment I thought he left.


    Until he finally whispered. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired. Please leave.¡±


    Silence again. Footsteps and the door closed.


    The door opened. ¡°Yue, I¡¯m back. I have some medicine from an immortal here. He said it would definitely cure you of whatever drug is in your system.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not drugged anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yue, will you please just sit up and take it?¡±


    I sat up. Wukong was standing beside my bed again, holding a cup of water and a small piece of paper with grounded medicine inside. I took the paper, and poured the medicine into my mouth. Then I took the cup and washed it down with water.


    I gave the cup and paper back to Wukong and turned back to face the wall in bed.


    ¡°Yue, I asked around the palace. No one¡¯s seen you eat in the past few days. When¡¯s the last time you ate something?¡±


    ¡°At the banquet.¡±


    ¡°That was three days ago! Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Silence again. And a sigh. ¡°If I bring up some fruit will you at least try to eat some?¡±


    ¡°Wukong, I¡¯m t-¡°


    ¡°If you say you¡¯re tired again, I swear I will drag you out of that bed down to the kitchen and force-feed you.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll eat some fruit.¡±


    He walked back to the door and came back a few minutes later.


    He set a small plate with a peach, a mango, and a banana on the bed. I sat up and swallowed a couple of bites of each.


    Once I couldn¡¯t stomach any more, I set the fruit back down on the platter and laid back down.


    ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re tired and you want me to leave.¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow. And I won¡¯t take the same answer again.¡±


    He walked to the door and left.

 Unyielding Protection

    Knocking. And the door opened. ¡°I¡¯m back Yue. Anything new to say?¡±


    I didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it!¡±


    Wukong grabbed me and pressed me down onto the bed. He hung over me, looking furious. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your problem is, but you¡¯re either going to tell me or I can have my way with you right fucking now. So fucking say something.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to say.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Get angry with me! Scream at me! Hit me! Fly off on your sword! Do something besides just lie here! Be Yue!¡±


    ¡°I am being Yue! This is how I am.¡±


    He growled. ¡°No it¡¯s not. The Yue I know is fiery, and determined, and compassionate, and she doesn¡¯t take things lying down!¡±


    ¡°Why? Because you know me so well. I¡¯ve been here for what, a full week now? And for most of that I¡¯ve been doing exactly this.¡±


    ¡°Well, I know you couldn¡¯t have been like this before. No one can live like this.¡±


    ¡°I hate to break it to you, but before you kidnapped me, this is mostly what I did. The only reason I even got out of bed the day you kidnapped me, was because Lady Ethereal kept bothering me about fulfilling my exercise requirement. Why do you even care? Do you feel guilty? I already told you I forgive you so you can just leave already.¡±


    He growled again. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t feel guilty anymore, especially if this is what I kidnapped you from. But if there¡¯s one thing that pisses me off more than anything, it¡¯s being ignored. So congratulations, because you have officially pissed me off!¡±


    He jumped off the bed then lifted me up. He carried me princess style in the blanket.


    ¡°What the-¡° He threw open the door and carried me out of my room. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°The bath! You look, and smell, terrible!¡±


    ¡°Wukong, I¡¯m warning you. Put me down.¡± I grabbed onto his chi vow.


    ¡°No, you¡ª¡± His muscles seized and a shriek ripped out of his mouth as I pressed his chi vow onto him. He fell to his knees, but he still didn¡¯t drop me.


    It lasted about fifteen seconds. I dropped it after that. He opened his eyes back up and stared at me, still in his arms. He never dropped me.


    ¡°Was that you?¡± He stared at me, shocked.


    ¡°I warned you. Now take me back.¡±


    He gritted his teeth for a moment before taking a deep breath. ¡°No.¡±


    I hit him with his chi vow again. He clenched his teeth so hard, I could almost hear cracking.


    Yet despite the pain, he didn¡¯t hold me harder. He was still holding me gently.


    I stopped at about thirty seconds. He caught his breath, slightly shuddering.


    This was just torture at this point. This wasn¡¯t why I made him take the chi vow. ¡°Just let me go.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why? If you¡¯re doing this to fuck me, stop. Just stop. I won¡¯t let you. I¡¯ll never let you.¡±


    He shook his head again. ¡°This isn¡¯t about that.¡±


    ¡°Is it really about me ignoring you?¡±


    He shook his head again. ¡°This is less painful.¡±


    ¡°That is less painful? Than what?¡±


    ¡°Watching you kill yourself.¡± With one last breath, he stood up again.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Why? Wouldn¡¯t it be a relief for you if I died? You wouldn¡¯t have to feel guilty anymore. So just stop.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m going to take care of you, even if I have to fight you every step of the way. I promised you I wouldn¡¯t let anyone hurt you, and I won¡¯t. Even if it¡¯s yourself I have to protect you from.¡±


    I activated the vow again. I would make him drop me.


    He gritted his teeth and stepped forward. Then did it again. Each step was a labor as he felt the most excruciating pain in his life.


    He was so determined. I watched struggle with each step.


    Finally, I cut out the vow. I refused to look at him while he paused and glanced at me. I didn¡¯t want to torture him. I just wanted him to leave me alone.


    He carried me out to the bath, the royal bath. And dumped me, still in the blanket, over the side.


    I whipped the blanket off and threw it out of the water. I tried to subtly watch for his reaction. If he tried anything¡­


    Unfortunately, his eyes were just full of pity.


    I turned around, and just sat in the bath, not moving, not looking at him and not saying anything.


    ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re just asking for it.¡± He marched out of the baths.


    Should I make a break for my room? I thought about it, but decided that would be giving him too much of a reaction. I would sit here until I became a shrivelled prune to make him stop.


    He came back, and slammed down a jar of water with a platter of fruit on top. ¡°You are going to eat and drink.¡±


    No I wasn¡¯t.


    He growled. I heard him moving around before he splashed into the water beside me.


    Shit. He also got undressed and jumped in the bath.


    No, I don¡¯t care. He can do whatever the hell he wants.


    He lifted up a cup that was on the platter and dunked it in the jar. He brought it up and drank it.


    Was he trying to tempt me by showing how good the water was or something? He turned towards me with puffed out cheeks.


    Fuck. He wasn¡¯t about to do what I think he was.


    He sat beside me and grabbed my face and kissed me. I activated the chi vow again, and considering the increased contact, it had to hurt even worse than before. Despite that, he pushed the water into my mouth, and I was eventually forced to swallow.


    Once he pushed all the water into my mouth and ensured I swallowed it, he finally backed off.


    He took a couple of breaths. And smiled. ¡°Now, despite how painful that was, I¡¯m not opposed to doing that again.¡±


    Arrogant bastard. Just how high was his fucking pain tolerance? I jutted out my hand for the cup.


    His smile grew even bigger as he dipped the cup back into the jar and gave me the water. I drank it down in one gulp.


    I slammed it on the ledge, but he picked it up and dunked it again. He tried to hand it to me, but I ignored him.


    He made to swallow it, and I angrily jutted my hand out again and he gave it to me. We repeated this process another two times before he was satisfied. He picked up a piece of fruit .


    ¡°Now, before we start this song and dance again, just know I will chew this piece of fruit and feed it to you like I did with the water.¡±


    I held my hand out and wordlessly accepted the fruit. I chewed on it as he swam around me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help wash you since it doesn¡¯t seem like you have any interest in it. So consider yourself warned.¡±


    He hesitated, then took a deep breath. Then grabbed my arm. He froze for a moment, clearly expecting pain. I didn¡¯t activate the vow. It wasn¡¯t because I felt bad, no, I just wanted to make it a surprise. If I used it too often, he¡¯d just get used to it.


    I ate the fruit he gave me and he began to rub my fur, getting all the accumulated sweat and dirt off until it returned to its original silvery-blue color.


    Once I was finished eating, he plopped another piece of fruit in the hand he just finished, and moved on to my other arm.


    And so it went. As soon as I finished a piece of fruit, he moved on and gave me another before starting again. From my arms, to my torso, to my legs, and my head.


    He hesitated when it was time to clean my tail. He gave me a glance before reaching for it.


    I swung it away from him. ¡°No, I¡¯ll get my tail.¡±


    He seemed relieved. Tails were sensitive. I swallowed my pride and washed my tail myself.


    Once it was back to its original sheen, Wukong nodded. ¡°Good. Now keep eating fruit while I get washed. If I see you without fruit in your hand, I¡¯ll feed you fruit myself.¡±


    I continued munching, occasionally grabbing another piece, trying to ignore Wukong. Lunus it was hard though. My eyes kept trailing back to him and traced his figure as he scrubbed himself like he did me.


    Bad brain. If Wukong saw me looking at him like that, he¡¯d pounce on my weakness.


    I ran out of fruit on the platter about the time he finished. He looked at the empty platter and nodded approvingly.


    Finally. Bath time was over.


    Wukong picked me up and set me at the edge of the bath. ¡°I¡¯ll ask the monkeys to grab us some towels. I¡¯ll be back in just a moment.¡±


    I just wanted to be done. I activated my chi and used my water moving trick to dry both of us instantly.


    ¡°There. Will you take me back to my room now?¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Wukong felt his fur before grinning again. ¡°That¡¯s a neat trick. And I¡¯m not taking you back to your room.¡±


    My heart hammered in my chest. ¡°Then where are you taking me?¡± I swear to Lunus if he said his bedroom-


    ¡°It¡¯s only morning. The day¡¯s just getting started. I figured we could go out for a ride around the island on Nimbus, and then play some games with the monkeys in the jungle. You know, normal monkey things.¡±


    ¡°Just take me back to my room.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m officially kidnapping you a second time as of right now.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to change anything. I won¡¯t change. I still want to die. Nothing you can do will make me change my mind.¡±


    ¡°Then, I guess I¡¯ll keep this up for the rest of our lives.¡± He summoned his cloud, and gritted his teeth as I activated the vow again. But he set me down on the cloud, and then laid his staff in my lap. I struggled against it, but I couldn¡¯t move it. Stupid fucking heavy staff.


    ¡°Sure you will.¡± I laid on my back, determined to not give him an inch as he floated us through the hallways.


    I gave him one week before he gave up on me and moved on.

 I鈥檒l Try

    I have severely underestimated his determination. It was going on month six of him aggressively caring for me. Except he was a lot less aggressive about it now.


    Now instead of forcing me into the bath every day and forcing me to eat, he used gentle encouragements. Like promising lots of hugs, and giving me pieces of my favorite food. Or that after playing in the snow with the monkeys we could have a nap. Or telling me he¡¯d help me brush my fur out after bathing.


    I¡¯d never seen snow before. The area I lived in my old world was just too warm for it, and what areas did get snow, it vanished quickly under the burning sun. It was interesting.


    There were also creatures called butterflies that landed on the island as a part of a yearly migration. They blanketed the trees, and all the monkeys played with them.


    Wukong eventually moved into my room, after he realized I had nightmares. He would wake me up whenever I had one. It helped me get more sleep, and I was no longer constantly reminded of everything I lost. Eventually, I just decided to use his bed instead of mine. His snoring and warmth comforted me, reminding me I wasn¡¯t alone. It helped prevent the nightmares altogether.


    It was all little things. But they added up.


    I was staring out the window. It was rainy outside today. Wukong was still asleep, snoring beside me.


    Why? I did my best to ignore him. Well, I had days where the warm sun managed to tempt me out of bed to play, and he didn¡¯t have to push me to eat and drink. Days where I could appreciate the warm sun, and his jokes brought a smile to my face.


    But I had more days where all I did was lie around. Where the weight of everything crushed me and I felt like I¡¯d never be able to rise again.


    He stuck by me on those days too. He just laid with me, and occasionally tried to give me water and food.


    Today didn¡¯t feel like either of those days. Today, I felt caught in the middle. I wanted to get up, to see everyone and play some games.


    But the grief crushed me. And something else too.


    I was so scared. I was starting to care. For this world. For this kingdom.


    For him.


    And that terrified me.


    Wukong was waking up. He shifted and sleepily looked at me and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a bad day isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s okay. We can just lay here for a while.¡±


    He pulled me onto his chest and started purring. Why did I tell him I liked his purring?


    Well, because I did. It¡¯s thick rumbling vibrated throughout the room. It was like a massage chair I could lay on.


    I was liking more and more things.


    ¡°Wukong, stop.¡±


    The purring came to an end. ¡°Not in the mood for some purring? What would you like then?¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°No. I¡¯m not going to do that.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this Wukong. It hurts too much. I¡¯ll just lose it all again.¡±


    He was quiet, but continued playing with my fur. It was a few minutes before he spoke again. ¡°I can¡¯t even fathom what you¡¯ve been through Yue. Losing not just your family, but your entire world. Everything. But I know you can be happy. I¡¯ve seen it when the butterflies came through, and how you first smiled when you saw snow. You can be happy here, despite your past.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this Wukong. I can¡¯t care again. I¡¯ll just lose everything. It hurts too much.¡±


    He continued petting me. He didn¡¯t say anything. He just held me as the tears began slipping down my face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to try. Just let me go. It¡¯s too scary.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t make you want to live again Yue. All I can do is try to make your life worth living. All I know is I can¡¯t let you go. I¡¯ll never be able to let you go. So I¡¯m sorry, but no.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me? I don¡¯t have anything left to give.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Well, this right now is nice. Just keep talking to me. You can tell me about your homeworld, about the end, about your nightmares, about the snow, or anything else you want to talk about. Just don¡¯t shut everything out. Don¡¯t shut me out.¡±


    We stayed quiet for a while again. After the death of my world, and being trapped in the in-between by Lady Ethereal, I thought I only had one option. Then Wukong came along, and despite his mistakes and crude methods, it felt like he gave me another.


    A hard choice. The difficult one. One where I¡¯d struggle, and get hurt, and keep carrying the memory of what I lost, knowing I could never have it again.


    But I could have new things. Snow. Butterflies. Monkeys who always told me how happy they were to see me.


    And Wukong.


    I sniffed, and wiped my eyes. I made the hard decision. ¡°Okay Wukong. I¡¯ll try.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    He stared at me, dumbfounded before he stood up and twirled me in the air, the biggest smile I¡¯ve ever seen on his face. ¡°You will? That¡¯s incredible! We have to tell everyone! Wait, let¡¯s throw a party to celebrate! I¡¯ll get Beng and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whoa! Wukong!¡± I snapped him out of it.


    He set me down. ¡°Sorry, did I scare you? Are you alright?¡±


    I smiled despite myself. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just don¡¯t want a party or anything. Can we just stay here for a little longer? I want to take it easy today.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Of course! Anything you want. Do you want to listen to my purring more?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds nice.¡±


    We laid back down, and I cuddled up to his chest as he started purring again. Yes, this was nice. Just me and him.


    As long as I had him, I knew I¡¯d be okay


    I didn¡¯t get better right away. I still had bad days. Days when I felt too heavy to get out of bed. But once I started putting the effort in again, the good days began to outnumber the bad.


    Wukong stayed with me the whole time. I encouraged him to start doing his own thing and visit his friends, but he still spent most days right by my side.


    Winter came to an end, and spring arrived, and with it, babies. Monkeys of all kinds had lots of children. I frequently went out and about the island and helped heal babies that had fallen ill, or were born unhealthy.


    Word spread fast, and soon sick monkeys of all kinds were coming to see me. While I had their attention, I usually gave them a basic lesson on chi manipulation. Some even had a talent for it.


    Early summer was quick to arrive too, and with it, the end of my first year on Shijie.


    ¡°No, not over there, over there by the other door.¡± Wukong suggested we throw a party to celebrate, and I agreed on the stipulation that I planned it.


    I recruited some monkeys to make some floral decorations and potted some small flowering trees that I recruited General Ma to move.


    He heaved up the flower pot and set it beside the door. Perfect. There were strings of flowers, flower crowns, flower rings, and floral centerpieces. I didn¡¯t have a lot of options for decorations on this island. Wukong volunteered to steal some party supplies, but I told him he had no eye for d¨¦cor and to handle collecting the food.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect Ma. Thank you. Tell Wukong I¡¯m ready for him to bring the food in. He promised to get something good while hunting.¡±


    Ma grunted. He wasn¡¯t the most vocal of monkeys. He trotted out the door.


    I fussed with the centerpieces, nervous. I wanted everything to be perfect. It was the first time I¡¯ve ever planned a party. I wanted everyone to have fun.


    I had room for games, some musical instruments Wukong stole for me, a place to dance. And wine. It wouldn¡¯t be a party without wine.


    There was a large crash outside. I ran over to the door, terrified one of my potted trees had fallen over.


    No, but a bit of the ceiling did. Wukong was cursing as he tried to drag a giant boar that could barely fit down the hallway.


    I smacked my face. Was he really going to try and drag that whole thing into the banquet hall? Sometimes he had more strength than sense.


    ¡°Wukong!¡± I waved to get his attention. He noticed and hopped down off the boar.


    ¡°Well? Pretty impressive right? This should be enough to feed everyone for the night.¡±


    I gave him a smile. ¡°Yes, you did a very good job. But, um, I don¡¯t think it will fit very well through the doors. Right?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± He looked at the much smaller doors. ¡°I suppose not. Oh! I¡¯ll just make them bigger!¡±


    He pulled his staff out of his ear. I jumped in front of him, hands held wide. ¡°No! No, instead, what if we dismantled the boar here, and bring the meat we¡¯ll eat through to the kitchen. That way we don¡¯t have to break more of the palace.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Good idea! Monkeys!¡± Wukong began organizing the monkeys to skin and butcher the boar. I¡¯d have to organize them later to clean up all the blood and guts that were going to be all over the floor.


    Later. I walked back into the palace to the kitchens. Some simple fruit dishes lined the counters, and the monkeys occasionally popped one into their mouths as they created more. I left General Liu in charge of the kitchens, and he kept the monkeys on task.


    ¡°Liu, Wukong caught a big boar. The meat will be coming in soon.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°You heard her, start the fires in the ovens! Get the honey glaze warmed up! We¡¯ll be roasting soon!¡±


    All the monkey¡¯s cheered and started the preparations. Everything seemed well in hand in here at least.


    Just one last thing to check. I went back to the banquet hall, where Beng was trying to corral the musicians.


    ¡°Now remember. You all play together! It¡¯s not a competition!¡±


    The monkeys all nodded and began playing. It was rough. Really rough. But I could somewhat pick out a melody among the madness. I could hardly expect them to be experts when they only started practicing a week and a half ago. It would do for now. Hopefully they¡¯d be better for the next banquet.


    ¡°Beng! The meat will be ready soon! That means the guests can start coming in!¡±


    He nodded and shouted at some monkeys playing off to the side. ¡°You two! Go tell everyone outside they can start coming in!¡±


    They ran off towards the entrance of the cave and I followed them. Ah, it looked like Wukong had gotten the guts and the carcass out. I grabbed the attention of a few monkeys by waving at them.


    ¡°Go grab a few jars and fill them with water. Then spill the water on the floor to wash away the blood.¡±


    They nodded and ran off.


    Finally, everything was ready.


    I headed into the banquet hall, and sat down. The first few monkeys were coming in and oohing at the decorations. Meat and the fruit dishes began coming out of the kitchen too. And the musicians started again.


    It was rough. Very rough. But it was better. Much like my first year here.


    Wukong came out of the kitchen and saw me sitting next to his throne. He smiled then bounded over.


    ¡°Hello princess. Are we ready to get this party started?¡±


    ¡°Almost. Let¡¯s get a few more guests in and I¡¯ll make a toast.¡±


    ¡°I can see why you wanted to plan. Everything looks great. But you realize these decorations are going to get absolutely wrecked when the monkeys start drinking right?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re just flowers. The important thing is to try and cover up the smell of wine, because it¡¯s also going to get everywhere tonight.¡±


    He laughed, and I smiled and looked back over the crowd. It was about time, before the monkeys got too distracted by food.


    I poured wine from my cup, and lifted it up and shouted out to the crowd.


    ¡°Everyone! I¡¯d like to make a toast!¡±


    The monkeys paused in their merrymaking to listen to me. The band abruptly stopped and the monkey¡¯s in the kitchen poked their heads out.


    ¡°This celebration marks the end of my first year here with you all. It may have had a rough start, and I mean a really rough start, but now as I look back, I smile. Spending time with everyone here has helped me rebuild my life, and I finally feel like I¡¯m moving forward again. So raise your cups! To a better year than the one before! And let¡¯s PARTY!¡±


    I threw my wine back and drank it all down in one gulp. The monkeys went wild and most of them did the same.


    Then the monkey¡¯s did what they do best. They descended into absolute madness. Dishes were devoured, flowers were strewn about, and more wine was spilled than drank. I sat back down, happily watching it all as I poured another cup.


    Wukong had an entire jug of wine for my toast, and was just now polishing it off.


    ¡°Ah! That was good. Did I miss anything?¡±


    I gestured at the chaos. ¡°Just the usual.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I think I¡¯m going to join in. It looks like they¡¯re playing a drinking game over in the corner. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sit here another second. Save me a spot though.¡±


    ¡°Always!¡±


    He ran off to join in and I enjoyed the sight of partying monkeys for another minute or two.


    If the me who first arrived in this world saw me now, she might not believe it. But this world, and these people had a way of growing on you. I pushed up out of the chair. Time for that drinking game.

 Vengeance and Love

    The banquet stretched on long into the night. As the hours wore on, the monkeys began to drop what they were doing and go to sleep, either by choice or from the amount of wine they consumed.


    Even the generals retired for the night, leaving the hall to check and make sure no monkeys wandered where they weren¡¯t supposed to.


    As for me? Well, I had been milling around Wukong, and he finally suggested we get some air. So now we were floating on Nimbus, lazily circling the island.


    It was a great night out tonight. The stars looked so close, like I could reach out and grab them. Or maybe it was the wine talking.


    ¡°Okay, and then he said, ¡®This isn¡¯t the place for monkey business.¡¯ And I whipped off my cloak and said ¡®Then you¡¯re not getting any business of mine!¡¯ and stormed out. You, you should¡¯ve seen their fucking faces, they were all so shocked, I never saw so many shocked humans in my entire life!¡±


    I snickered at Wukong¡¯s story as he finished it. He always told it when he got really drunk. And yeah, he looked sloshed.


    But I wasn¡¯t one to talk. Here I was laughing at a story I heard about a dozen times like it was the first time I ever heard it.


    The moon looked so bright. I felt so warm and nice. And Wukong was here with me. I shifted and leaned into him. Everything was perfect.


    He stiffened up and moved away. ¡°Um, we should probably head down. We¡¯re both pretty drunk right now.¡±


    ¡°Why? I like it up here. Let¡¯s just stay a little longer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Yue, it¡¯s probably about time to head to bed.¡±


    ¡°Please?¡± I gave him my best puppy eyes.


    ¡°Oh, okay, just a little bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± I shuffled over next to him and leaned on him again. So nice. So warm.


    ¡°Um, Yue, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­ purring?¡±


    Was I? I just felt so happy right now. I wanted to spend a little longer with Wukong. I shuffled a little closer. I looked up at him and smiled.


    He stiffened up again. ¡°Okay. You¡¯re drunk. We¡¯re heading back down.¡±


    ¡°What? Noooo!¡± I grabbed onto him to try and make Nimbus stop descending.


    ¡°Yue! Let go! I¡¯m¡­ really reaching my limit here!¡±


    His eyes were darting everywhere but to me. I smiled. I knew how to make him stop.


    I climbed into his lap and nuzzled into his neck.


    ¡°Gah! Yue!¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we spend a little more time together today? I want to have some more fun.¡±


    He grabbed onto me and yanked me away from him. He set me beside him. ¡°Yue, if you weren¡¯t drunk I¡¯d say yes in a heartbeat. But we both are, and before we do something we¡¯ll regret in the morning, I think we should drink some water, and get some sleep. Here''s your bedroom.¡±


    We floated outside the window of my bedroom.


    ¡°No! Wukong, don¡¯t leave me!¡± He set me down on my floor, off of Nimbus and hopped back on and floated away.


    ¡°Goodnight Yue. Don¡¯t forget to drink some water.¡± He flew off, down the mountain, towards the waterfall.


    ¡°Wukong! Get back here!¡± How could he?! I was practically throwing myself at him!


    I collapsed onto my bed. That fucker. I wasn¡¯t that drunk. I knew what I was doing.


    I¡¯d show him.


    I grabbed the jug of water beside my bed, determined to drink the whole thing before I slept. I didn¡¯t have time for a hangover in the morning.


    ¡°Okay, thank you Beng. Just keep all the monkeys away from the room until we come out.¡±


    It was in the early hours of the morning. I¡¯d just finished my bath, and made sure to brush out all my fur. I knew I looked good. I wore a light dress, and was making the last preparations with General Beng.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stand at the end of the corridor Your Majesty. I¡¯ll ensure no one interferes with you and the king.¡±


    Good old reliable Beng. Even though he stayed up as late as the rest of us, he was already awake and guarding the palace. I¡¯d have to get something special from the kitchens for him.


    But now, I knew we wouldn¡¯t be disturbed.


    I quietly opened the door to Wukong¡¯s room and looked inside. Good. Still sleeping. I closed the door behind me quietly.


    I tiptoed across the room and got into his bed. I flashed away my dress. Good thing he was a heavy sleeper. I laid my head down, and pretended to sleep.


    Back in bed, nice and warm, it wasn¡¯t hard to drift off.


    Movement. Not from me. I blinked and yawned. I rubbed my eyes. And stared straight into a shocked Wukong¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yue? But, I, you were¡­¡±


    I gave him a smile. ¡°Good morning Wukong. Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Yue, what are you doing here? I put you in your room last night.¡±


    I frowned and tilted my head at him. ¡°No you didn¡¯t. You brought me back here, remember?¡± I cuddled up to him. ¡°Stop joking honey. We should sleep in a little longer.¡±


    He shrank back from me. ¡°Yue, did you crawl into my bed? Are you still drunk?¡±


    ¡°Wukong, stop it. I¡¯m not in the mood for jokes. C¡¯mere. I want a kiss.¡± I moved in towards him again, but he jumped out of bed.


    ¡°Yue, I think you¡¯re the one who needs to stop. I definitely did not sleep with you last night.¡±


    Wukong had a pretty good memory, even when he was drunk.


    Unfortunately for him, I was a better liar.


    I let my eyes filled with tears. I was a daddy¡¯s girl with an older sister who loved to try and get me in trouble. I knew how to act.


    ¡°Wukong, do you¡­ do you not remember our first night together?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°What? No! I mean, yes? I mean-¡° He took a deep breath. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a first night together.¡±


    I wiped away my eyes, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I should have been more considerate. You drank more than me after all.¡± I gave him a hurt look that said it definitely wasn¡¯t fine.


    Watching him question his sanity gave me a feeling of deep satisfaction. But I wasn¡¯t done yet.


    I pushed up off the bed. ¡°I should go. You can¡¯t remember, so it would be awkward for me to stay. Don¡¯t forget to drink something for your hangover, and take a bath. I¡¯ll wait for you to go first.¡±


    The implication that I would have bathed with him hung in the air, along with the tension that this would harm our relationship. I flashed my necklace and my light dress appeared again. ¡°I¡¯ll head back to my room. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    I moved to the door. C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon¡­.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Hook, line, and sinker. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave yet. I just¡­ I remember dropping you off to your room yesterday.¡±


    I gave him a quizzical look. ¡°I told you, you didn¡¯t do that. Are you sure you weren¡¯t dreaming?¡±


    ¡°Okay, well, what do you remember? Maybe we can figure out what happened.¡±


    I walked up to him. ¡°Well, I was feeling really good yesterday, and I cuddled up to you, like this.¡± I pressed into his chest. ¡°And I started purring.¡± I purred and nuzzled into him.


    ¡°Um, Yue, this is a little-¡±


    ¡°And then I looked up at you and smiled.¡± I looked up at him and smiled again and I heard his breath catch. ¡°And you kissed me.¡±


    ¡°I-I did?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I thought I pushed you off of me.¡±


    I looked down sadly. ¡°I was hoping we could jog your memory. I¡¯m sorry, it was a dumb idea.¡±


    I was about to back away, but his arms sprang up around me keeping me close to him. ¡°Hold on, maybe there was something to your idea. So, I kissed you?¡±


    I nodded and looked up at him. I pursed my lips and closed my eyes.


    Finally. He kissed me, long and slow.


    By the time we broke apart, we were both breathing heavy. His voice was husky as he whispered. ¡°What happened next?¡±


    I bit my lip to hide my grin. ¡°We should probably move to the bed for this next part.¡±


    Mmmmmnnn. Both of us were purring, and cuddling together. It was probably around midday.


    The last couple of hours went exactly how I always envisioned them. With a few surprises from Wukong here and there.


    I cut off my purring, now fully satisfied. ¡°Well, do you remember now Wukong?¡±


    His own purring cut off. ¡°What? Oh, yes, definitely. I definitely remember now.¡± He nodded once, very confidently.


    I snuggled deeper into his chest. ¡°Oh Wukong. You¡¯re such a liar. But it¡¯s okay.¡± I popped up and looked him straight in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a liar too.¡±


    He froze. ¡°Um, you are?¡± I could see the panic in his eyes.


    ¡°Yep. You were very sweet last night. Refusing to sleep with me because I was drunk.¡±


    ¡°I fucking knew it! I did drop you off in your room!¡±


    He was beginning to get it. I pressed another kiss onto his lips. He hesitated, but accepted the kiss just the same. Nice and sweet.


    I drew back first. ¡°Yeah, you did. And you really pissed me off. Just so you know, if I don¡¯t want sex, I will tell you to your face.¡± I pulled on his cheeks, stretching them out. ¡°And when I do want sex, I¡¯ll make it very obvious like I did last night.¡±


    ¡°Owowowowowow,¡± He looked so pitiful his cheeks all stretched like that.


    Fine. I already got what I wanted anyway. I let go of his cheeks and they snapped back to his face. ¡°Got it?¡±


    He nodded, rubbing his red cheeks and scowling.


    Aw. Maybe I went to far. I kissed his cheeks to make them better. And then moved on to the rest of his face.


    ¡°Yue, mnnn, Yue, hold on. So we didn¡¯t actually sleep together last night?¡±


    I pressed one last kiss onto his nose. ¡°Nope. Though, it certainly would have been poignant, and beautiful if we had. It was technically the anniversary of the day we met.¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine I get it. But¡­ you didn¡¯t just sleep with me to get revenge right?¡±


    Oh wow. That look in his eyes. He was really worried about this. I flicked his nose.


    ¡°Ow! Hey! What was that for?!¡±


    ¡°For suggesting I¡¯d ever do something so idiotic. Do you really think I¡¯m the sort of lady who would sleep with somebody for revenge?¡±


    ¡°Well, no, but-¡°


    I pressed a finger to his lips, interrupting him. ¡°Wukong. Shut up. In case you haven¡¯t figured it out already, let me make this clear.¡±


    I sat up, and he did too. I moved into his lap and looked into his eyes. Chocolatey brown. Warm. Sweet.


    I cupped his face. ¡°I love you. I love you more than anything else in this world. Yes, you¡¯re an idiot who doesn¡¯t think before he acts. And you think you¡¯re a lot smarter than you actually are. And your temper is going to get you in a lot of trouble someday. But I love all those things too, along with all the good things. You¡¯re loyal, brave, and you¡¯ve been so kind and patient with me. And you never expected anything more for taking care of me. You just wanted me to get better. And that helped me more than anything. How could I not fall in love with someone as amazing as you?¡±


    His eyes were watering and he sniffed. ¡°Damn it Yue. How long have you been working on that?¡±


    ¡°Came up with it just now actually.¡±


    He buried his face in my chest to try and hide his tears. ¡°You¡¯re right. You are a liar.¡±


    ¡°I swear to Lunus, I just came up with that.¡± I patted his head. ¡°And I meant every word.¡±


    I kissed his head, and he pulled back from me, with a determined look in his eye.


    ¡°Yue, I¡­¡± He trailed off. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to force it. Just say whatever pops into your head.¡±


    ¡°Shhhh. It¡¯s my turn. Okay, um¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Drunk me is a genius.¡±


    I blinked. That was not what I was expecting to come out of his mouth.


    ¡°Shit, that came out weird. What I mean to say, is that the day I got drunk in the in-between and dragged you home with me, drunk me was right. I have a whole kingdom, but none of my subjects are really like¡­ me.¡±


    I nodded, following along. I wanted to see where this led.


    ¡°So, when I saw you dancing, and wearing clothes, and talking, I got so excited. And you were just so beautiful. Everything about you, from your fur, your tail, your eyes. Seeing you felt like destiny. Like if I could just talk to you, and stay with you, I¡¯d never have to feel alone again. Admittedly, drunk me did not do a very good job of getting his point across, and the shiny metal lady was very aggressive, and well, some poor choices were made. But I guess what I¡¯m trying to get at, is that when I¡¯m with you, I feel like I belong. For the first time since I was born. And getting to know you has been the greatest gift you could ever give me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Wukong.¡± That was by far the sweetest thing I¡¯ve ever heard. Nothing in any romance book could¡¯ve prepared me for that.


    ¡°I love the way you get mad at me, I love the look in your eyes when you decide to do something, even though it¡¯s hard, and I love the way you pull pranks, because, wow, you really had me going there. I guess, what I¡¯m really trying to say here is¡­ I love you too. More than anything.¡±


    Now it was my turn to sniffle. ¡°I guess it¡¯s good to know this isn¡¯t just a casual thing then.¡±


    He gave a half-hearted chuckle at my lame attempt of a joke. I hugged him, as hard as I could, and he hugged me back, probably not as hard as he could because that would snap my spine, but hard nonetheless.


    As we hugged, I couldn¡¯t help but think of a few burning questions. And a few hard truths I had to get off my chest. ¡°Wukong, we¡¯re both serious about this right?¡±


    He gently rubbed my back and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m more serious about this than anything else. I didn¡¯t even feel this serious when I got dragged to the underworld.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s something I need to tell you. I¡­ can¡¯t get pregnant.¡± I pulled back from our hug.


    ¡°You can¡¯t? Is it an old injury? I might be able to find something to help with that. If you¡¯d like.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s not that. When monkeys in my world wanted to get pregnant, we ate a special fruit. It would send us into heat for a week or two, and that¡¯s when we¡¯re fertile. But since my world is gone¡­¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t get the fruit.¡±


    I shook my head.


    He let out a long slow breath. ¡°That¡¯s okay. If we really want babies, we can figure something out. There¡¯s all kinds of strange magic in the world. If we look hard enough, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find something. And even if we don¡¯t, we can always adopt. So don¡¯t look so sad, okay?¡±


    ¡°Thanks Wukong.¡± I hugged him again. Lunus, why was he so perfect?


    ¡°Yue, if we¡¯re together together, does that mean you want to get married? Like actual married.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± I pulled away again. ¡°Aren¡¯t we already married?¡±


    ¡°Uh, what exactly do you think marriage is?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s when two monkeys sleep together, profess their love for each other, and vow to stay together for the rest of their lives. Then they throw a party telling everyone.¡±


    ¡°Um, here there¡¯s a ceremony. I think. Marriage is really more of a human slash demon thing here.¡±


    ¡°Wukong, by my standards, we¡¯re already married. We threw a party telling everyone we¡¯re together ages ago. In fact there were two! The night I first came here you told the monkeys, and the day you invited your brotherhood over for a banquet. And now that we¡¯ve done the first part, we¡¯re officially married according to my world¡¯s rules.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He seemed shocked. ¡°But what about the monkeys?¡±


    ¡°Wukong, they call me their queen. They already think we¡¯re married.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°It just feels like we should do something to celebrate. Would you like a ring or a bracelet?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You want to celebrate more? After what we just did? And why jewelry?¡±


    ¡°When humans and demons get married, they exchange jewelry. It¡¯s supposed to show they belong to each other. As for celebrating¡­¡± He kissed me again. ¡°We¡¯re going to be doing a lot more of that from now on.¡±


    I giggled. ¡°Jewelry to show we belong to each other? Hmmm. I like that. It¡¯s romantic. But I¡¯m picking them out. You have a terrible eye for design.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, but back to the topic of celebration¡­¡± He shifted me in his lap.


    ¡°Whoa, as much as I would love to¡­ I¡¯m hungry. We should get something to eat first.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but we¡¯ll be coming back to this topic.¡± Wukong shifted me out of his lap, and I flashed my dress back on while he pulled some of his clothes off some hooks on the wall.


    As he got dressed, he looked outside. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s getting pretty late. I¡¯m surprised no one¡¯s come to check up on us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I have Beng guarding the hallway. I told him not to let anyone through until we left the room.¡±


    He stared at me in shock. ¡°Gods, you¡¯re so fucking sneaky. I fucking love that about you.¡±


    I laughed as I opened the door, and Wukong followed me out.

 A Celestial Visitor

    Life with Wukong was sweet. We each still did our own things. Wukong had his own goals he wanted to reach after all. And I continued teaching our monkeys about chi manipulation. It was starting to become more widespread.


    I found the monkeys who learned chi manipulation had a longer attention span and better critical thinking skills. That encouraged me to try and teach as many monkeys as I could.


    But my favorite days were those when Wukong suggested we spend some alone time together. Just relaxing on Nimbus, racing over the ocean, showing me fantastic sights in this world, or just cuddling together in bed.


    Wukong promised today would be another one of those days. We¡¯d have some fun with everyone in the throne room together, then retire to our room when we wanted to be alone.


    I fluffed up my fur and admired my dress. I paid special attention to my looks today. I might be queen of a rudimentary kingdom, but I was still a queen. If we were technically holding court, I wanted to look the part.


    The last thing I looked at was my silver bracelet. Polished up and looking good. The little red gem in the center shone with brilliance. Wukong had a matching bracelet, gold with a blue gem. Jewelry to show we belonged to each other. Such a sweet notion.


    Okay, all ready. Wukong was probably waiting for me in the throne room. He had to leave earlier to deal with some trouble on the beach, but said he¡¯d meet me there.


    I walked towards the throne room and the sound of playing monkeys. Ba was standing guard at the entrance and nodded.


    ¡°Announcing Sun Yue! The Monkey Queen!¡± All the monkeys went wild, and Wukong grinned, I went to my throne beside his.


    ¡°Did I miss anything?¡± I asked as I sat in the throne he got me.


    ¡°Nothing interesting. Some demon landed and started causing trouble, but it didn¡¯t put up much of a fight. I just tossed it¡¯s body in the ocean.¡±


    ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t even ask why he was here before you killed him.¡± I grabbed a peach and a few nuts from a nearby platter for breakfast.


    ¡°Well, does it really matter? He was threatening to kill the monkeys.¡±


    ¡°There could be a whole demon army about to invade you know. Information is important.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°If a demon army does invade, then I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±


    Same answer. Every time. I rolled my eyes.


    I handed the walnuts off to Wukong who cracked them in his hands and gave them back to me. As I picked the good parts out, Ba came back through the entrance, looking alarmed.


    ¡°King, Queen, we have a visitor. A celestial god.¡±


    Wukong bolted up. ¡°There is? You¡¯re sure?¡±


    ¡°He calls himself the Evening Star and says he has a memorial from the Jade Emperor.¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± Wukong jumped up and pumped his arms into the air in victory. ¡°Bring him in! No, wait! I should get something better on. Uh, Yue! Can you entertain him until I get back? I don¡¯t want to keep him waiting outside.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, of course.¡±


    ¡°Great! Bring him in! I¡¯ll be right back!¡±


    Wukong ran back towards our room, leaving me in a daze.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Ba looked to me for direction.


    I nodded. ¡°Go ahead and bring him in.¡± Ba nodded and left to go fetch our guest.


    I ordered the monkeys to make some simple fruit dishes and bring out some wine. And I straightened out my outfit.


    I felt nervous. I knew this was a big deal to Wukong. He¡¯s been wanting to visit heaven and get the celestial¡¯s attention for a long time.


    I sat as regally on my throne as I could and waited for him to arrive.


    Ba came back in. ¡°Now announcing the Evening Star, Venus.¡±


    A human walked in. Ugh. It looked like an older one, with wrinkles and long, floppy white hair tied behind his head.


    Urk. I know Wukong said most immortals on this planet were humans, but why did they have to look so¡­ gross.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Remember your manners. I took a deep breath and gave our guest a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice of you to come Evening Star Venus. I am Sun Yue, the Monkey Queen. Welcome to our home. Would you like some refreshments?¡± I gestured to the food and wine coming out from the kitchen.


    He shook his head. ¡°I apologize, but I have an urgent message for Sun Wukong, a memorial from the emperor. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t linger. Is Sun Wukong here?¡±


    ¡°We have sent word. He¡¯ll be here soon. Please, sit down while you wait, and we can talk.¡±


    He begrudgingly sat at the banquet table and I joined him. I had the fruit dishes sat on the table along with some cups filled with both water and wine.


    He didn¡¯t touch the food, and just looked around. ¡°I was unaware Sun Wukong had a wife. You said your name was Sun Yue?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I am. We¡¯ve been married for a few years. Why don¡¯t you tell me about the memorial? What does the emperor need with my husband?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best if I read it to you both when Sun Wukong arrives.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± Awkward silence. Shit. What the hell was I supposed to talk to this guy about? He didn¡¯t eat so we couldn¡¯t talk about the food. He wouldn¡¯t talk about the memorial without Wukong. Gah!


    I activated my chi sight. This guy wasn¡¯t even strong! I probably had more chi than him.


    This is for Wukong. He really wants to impress this guy.


    I took another breath before trying again. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t have any problems getting here.¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡­


    I give up.


    Luckily, Ba stood at the entrance and announced Wukong¡¯s arrival.


    Wukong swaggered in wearing his best clothes, the ones made with shiny silk, and a crown with colorful feathers.


    Evening Star stood up, and bowed as Wukong sat in his throne. I moved up and sat beside him, happy to be done with the ¡°entertaining.¡±


    Wukong waved down the cheering monkeys, and gestured to Evening Star. ¡°Welcome to Flower-Fruit Mountain! Please, have something to eat and drink. We¡¯re pleased to have a guest from heaven here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the time. Once I read the memorial to you, you¡¯ll understand. May I?¡±


    He brought a scroll out of his sleeve, and Wukong practically vibrated in his seat. ¡°Yes! Ahem, I mean please, go ahead.¡±


    He opened the scroll. The first bit was a very long date that meant nothing to me, and the next part was just some flowery talk about the Jade Emperor.


    I suppressed a yawn, and he finally got to the important part. ¡°Sun Wukong is hereby invited to heaven, and offered a position in the heavenly court effective immediately. The emperor shall appoint him upon his arrival to heaven, posthaste. With the deepest regards-¡°


    My head began spinning as he launched into the end of the memorial. Wukong and me in heaven? Leaving Flower-Fruit Mountain?


    Living with a bunch of humans?


    I didn¡¯t know about this.


    Evening Star finally finished, and Sun jumped up from his throne. ¡°That¡¯s great! We should have a banquet to celebrate!¡±


    Evening Star shook his head. ¡°Well, according to the memorial, we need to leave for the Jade Palace for your appointment right away. Please follow me.¡±


    Wukong turned to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go Yue! We should hurry to heaven!¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on, Wukong, are you sure about this? What about our monkeys?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be here when we get back.¡±


    ¡°But neither of us has been to heaven before. Can we talk about this first?¡±


    ¡°Yue, it¡¯s heaven! What is there to talk about? It¡¯s the greatest place in the world!¡±


    I thought Flower-Fruit Mountain was pretty great.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Evening Star caught our attention. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your wife has not been given an invitation. She shall have to remain here while you receive your appointment.¡±


    Oh. That knocked the wind out of Wukong¡¯s sails.


    ¡°But¡­ she¡¯s my wife. Why wasn¡¯t she invited?¡±


    Evening Star bowed again. ¡°My apologies. I believe the emperor was unaware you had taken a wife recently. Once you get settled in your appointment, I¡¯m sure arrangements can be made to bring her to heaven.¡±


    I jumped on this opportunity. ¡°Please give us a few minutes to discuss this in private Evening Star. Enjoy the refreshments in the meantime.¡± And eat some of the fucking food we prepared just for you.


    I dragged Wukong out of the throne room and off to one of the private rooms in the next hallway. I poked my head out to make sure no little monkeys were listening in before moving back in to talk about this huge life change.


    He still seemed shaken. ¡°I didn¡¯t think only I would be invited.¡± He shook his head.


    ¡°Wukong. Are you sure about this? Moving to heaven? Living with all those humans? What about your responsibilities here?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve left before and everything was fine. And¡­ you don¡¯t understand Yue. Heaven is the goal of every immortal. It¡¯s the ultimate achievement. I¡¯ve been achieving great things for decades to try and get their attention. It¡¯s all I¡¯ve wanted for so long¡­ But if you don¡¯t want to, we don¡¯t have to go.¡±


    Wukong meant that. He stared deeply into my eyes. Heaven meant so much to him, but I meant more.


    But I didn¡¯t want to get in his way. He wanted this. Even if we had to separate for a little bit. It wouldn¡¯t be forever. And once we got there, I could see for myself what heaven was like and we could talk more about staying there.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Wukong. This is important to you. You should go with Evening Star to get your appointment, and then you can come get me once you¡¯re able. We¡¯ll give heaven a shot. And if it doesn¡¯t work out, we can just come back.¡±


    He nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you Yue. This means a lot to me. I promise, as soon as I get settled in, I¡¯ll send for you. Be patient until then. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± We shared a brief kiss. We walked back to the throne room.


    ¡°Evening Star. I¡¯ll come with you to get my appointment at the Jade Palace.¡± Wukong stood proudly.


    Evening Star nodded. It looked like he didn¡¯t even sit down. I really didn¡¯t like this guy. ¡°We should leave immediately. I¡¯ll show you to the Jade Palace.¡± I followed the two of them to the waterfall, the entrance to our palace. Venus got onto his own cloud, and Wukong summoned Nimbus.


    Wukong held my hand. ¡°We¡¯ll be together again before you know it. Goodbye for now Yue.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye Wukong. Try not to get into any trouble. I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±


    He squeezed my hand briefly, then hopped on Nimbus. I saw the two of them off with a smile.


    Once they exited the cave it dropped. Wukong and I have never been apart for very long. Not since I came to this world.


    I counted the years. Four years and two months. It didn¡¯t seem like much compared to how much time I spent on Pluas and in the in-between. But I¡¯ve changed a lot since then.


    I shook my head. Moping won¡¯t make the time go any faster. Maybe I could try and change the kingdom while Wukong was gone. Clean up the palace, teach the monkeys how to cook more things, maybe even teach the generals some advanced chi manipulation. He¡¯ll be so surprised when he sees.


    If I stayed busy, I wouldn¡¯t have time to miss him.

 Alone

    The next few weeks were spent doing exactly that. I repaired the palace, taught more cooking techniques and then basic fire safety to the monkeys who worked in the kitchens,and showed the generals how to stop aging using chi.


    He still didn¡¯t come back. I didn¡¯t receive any word.


    So I moved on. I decided to begin some chi agricultural practices. Imbuing flowers with chi to create different effects, like different colors, smells, and even medicinal properties. This took me through winter and into the next spring.


    He still hadn¡¯t contacted me. I talked to the generals about it. They said he once went on a journey that took twenty years. He¡­ wouldn¡¯t leave me for that long. I just had to be patient.


    That summer, I tried to create more formal chi training for the monkeys, with more advanced students as the teachers. It gave mixed results. It seemed like it was best to teach chi manipulation one on one, but most of the monkeys on the island knew the basics now.


    That winter, we were visited by an immortal who expressed interest in the chi flowers I grew. I traded some of them for scrolls that taught the basics of formations and spells. They were forms of chi manipulation I¡¯d never seen before. The next year, I started my research into them in earnest.


    It had been two years since Wukong left.


    My research was beginning to bear fruit. I could arrange the plants in formations to produce more chi and fruit on the island. Which is good because the anti-aging technique was spreading and fewer monkeys were dying every year. Many of them have become significantly smarter too. A few even invented techniques I¡¯ve never seen before.


    That was how year three passed.


    The fourth year I began to slow down. The generals tried to keep me engaged with running the island, but I spent more and more time in my bed.


    Year five passed in a haze. I officially spent more time in this world without Wukong than I have with him. I began contemplating the easy choice again.


    I thought he had forgotten about me.


    Year six. We were attacked by a demon that left heavy damages on the island and killed several monkeys. I had to save them myself. Afterward, I began organizing an official military under the four generals. I taught them offensive chi techniques, set up defensive formations and created different strategies for different situations. I made the hard choice again.


    Year seven. I put away my wedding bracelet. I headed up new research into formations, spells, and chi techniques. By organizing teams to use chi to change the landscape, we managed to turn the entire island into one giant defense formation. No more monkeys will die while I¡¯m in charge.


    That summer I continued to use formations to advance our agriculture. Other monkeys were advanced enough to help me, and I taught them how to maintain and create them.


    The rest of the year was devoted to creating treasures. By inscribing formations onto materials, we can create treasures that freeze enemies, melt then harden the land to trap them, and heat oil we can then pour onto enemies from the mountain. I feel confident in our defenses now. Moreover, several monkeys began to show interest in crafting. I went to human lands and collected many tools and blueprints they¡¯ve been experimenting with.


    We threw a giant banquet at the beginning of year eight. Many monkeys gave gifts to me and the four generals to thank us for saving them and making the island more safe.


    The rest of the winter and spring, I devoted to practicing fighting. I wanted to lead by example. The generals helped me learn. The research division made a breakthrough in infusing chi into objects. Now treasures could be activated on a timer, remotely or, when linked to a chi-gathering formation, operate indefinitely. We put a few defensive treasures in high-security areas around the palace.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I spent our anniversary in my room. I eventually got my wedding bracelet back out and put it back on. I just hoped he was still alive out there.


    The craftmonkeys made great progress. Rudimentary furniture and clothing was being circulated in the population. I hoped as they continued to refine their techniques, we could begin getting good quality furniture for the palace domestically. I was getting tired of stealing everything from humans.


    That fall, I took a break at the encouragement of the generals. So much had changed on the island. The more I looked, the more I was reminded of my world. We¡¯re still far off, but maybe one day¡­


    Year nine began. Most of the research was beyond my rudimentary understanding of chi, so I focused on domestic issues. That winter, I established the first school on the island, to decent success. Most mothers appreciated having a safe place for children and babies to play, and it was run by older ladies who were experienced with children.


    That spring, I formalized planting and harvesting schedules for all the different plants on the island. Now the agriculture teams could fully run autonomously, barring any emergencies.


    That summer, the first few basic houses went up. We threw a three day party to celebrate. Most monkeys still stayed in the palace, but those who chose to live outside appreciated having a roof over their heads.


    The fall and winter, I looked at the calendar and established official rest days and holidays. Important holidays included the day Wukong found Water Curtain Cave, the day he brought me to this world, and the new year, held in the spring.


    Finally, fabric. The craft monkeys collaborated with the research and agriculture teams to create plants that could be turned into a soft fabric. Variations were still being created, but the new year¡¯s festival had colorful strips of fabric for decorations, and it became wildly popular among the population.


    Year ten, summer. These past few weeks, I¡¯ve been establishing an official chain of command, beginning with me and Wukong, down to the four generals in charge of defense, and then the head of each division, including agriculture, domestic affairs, research, and crafting. Each division reported to a different general, and they would bring any important affairs to my attention as they judged fit.


    I had pretty much nailed it down, but there still needed to be procedures for when the heads wanted to step down. I was thinking they could designate their replacement, and train them for a season before retiring.


    I needed to get Liu¡¯s input on this. He was in charge of domestic affairs, which was the largest department. He would know best how to organize this.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s getting late. Perhaps you should retire for the night.¡±


    I looked up at Beng. ¡°It is? I didn¡¯t even notice.¡± I set down the plans. They were etched on a thin bit of fabric. Still figuring out paper.


    I stood up and stretched. My muscles protested after sitting for so long. I guess I had been working for a while. ¡°Okay Beng. We¡¯ll have another sparring session in the morning tomorrow. Also, I¡¯ll need to talk to Liu tomorrow, so please ask him to be there too. Two against one should be a good challenge for me.¡±


    ¡°As you wish Your Majesty.¡±


    I bid him good night, and went into the Royal Wing, as I decided to call it. It sounded grander than it was. It was just a few rooms and the baths.


    A bath sounded nice. I walked into the bath and used my necklace to undress. I hopped in.


    Ah. That felt nice. Moments to relax were few and far between nowadays.


    I let the warmth wash over me and floated. Like always, whenever I had a moment to think my thoughts turned to Wukong.


    I rubbed my left wrist. I took my bracelet off to bathe, but I could feel the hole where it was.


    Every day I debated putting it back in my drawers. It¡¯s been ten years. He¡¯s either forgotten about me, or dead. I wasn¡¯t sure which outcome I would prefer.


    If he was alive, I could at least ask him why. But if he was dead I¡¯d have someone to blame. A target for all the hurt I¡¯ve felt.


    This was useless. I should get out and go to bed.


    I sighed and swam over to the edge. When I heard yelling.


    ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty!¡±


    Beng burst through the doors of the bath, breathing hard. I shrieked and submerged myself behind the ledge.


    ¡°Beng! I¡¯m naked! Get out!¡±


    ¡°My apologies Your Majesty, but I needed to tell you right away!¡±


    ¡°Is it a demon attack or something? It can wait until I get dressed! Out!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him Your Majesty. He¡¯s back! The Monkey King is back!¡±


    It felt like everything froze. I could hear my heartbeat for a few titular moments. He was back. Wukong was alive and he was back.


    And he would be lucky to stay that way once I got a hold of him.

 A Disharmonious Reunion

    Beng ran out as quickly as he came, and I wasted no time in getting out of the bath and dumping the water off of me. On my way out the door I used my necklace to dress myself as quickly as possible. I continued to run down the hall, and out of the royal wing, and to the entrance of the palace.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one. Monkeys from all over were congregating to the entrance of the palace. There was a buzz in the air.


    I got my sword out and hopped on it, racing above everyone¡¯s heads and weaving between those swinging on the ceiling. I made it to the entrance just before the crowd.


    There he was. Shaking off the water after coming through the waterfall on Nimbus. He saw me and smiled.


    He was right here. He was alive.


    His smile dropped as he realized I wasn¡¯t slowing down. He hit the ground just in time to avoid my sword.


    I hopped off, and got between him and the waterfall. Good, I cut off his escape.


    ¡°Yue? Is that you? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What am I doing? What have you been doing!? Where have you been? What happened to your promise to send for me? What the fuck made you disappear for ten fucking years!?¡±


    ¡°Ten years? Yue, I¡¯ve been gone for ten days.¡±


    ¡°What? Take a look around Wukong! You¡¯ve been gone for ten years. I fucking gave up on you coming back! I thought you died or worse, you just forgot about us. Forgot about me.¡±


    Wukong looked around, confused. ¡°Yue, the palace does look nice, and the island does look a little different from how I remember, but I¡¯ve only been in heaven for a week and a half. Are you pranking me? Because it¡¯s not funny Yue. You should stop.¡±


    I sent my sword towards his head. His eyes widened and he barely had time to parry it with his staff. ¡°A prank! Do you seriously think this is a joke? Do you have any idea what I¡¯ve been through since you¡¯ve been gone? You¡­ you¡­¡± I shook my head. I grabbed my wedding bracelet and wrenched it off. I threw it onto the ground.


    ¡°Yue, why?¡± Wukong had the nerve to look hurt.


    I hopped on my sword. ¡°Figure it out you bastard.¡±


    I tilted to full speed and burst through the waterfall.


    Now that I was alone, I let the tears fall. Gone for a week and a half. What bullshit.


    I flew up as high as I could and headed east until I could no longer see the island. Then I stopped.


    Fuck. I broke down and just started sobbing. I sat down on my sword and just cried.


    He was alive. He was back. And he said he was only gone for ten days. Was that the best he could come up with? He was better liar than that.


    He could¡¯ve told me heaven imprisoned him. That he had to fight in a war for heaven. That he couldn¡¯t come home.


    But no. He didn¡¯t. He just forgot about me and Flower-Fruit Mountain the moment he got into heaven. Did our marriage mean nothing to him? What about all his sweet words and gestures?


    Was it all just a lie?


    It¡¯s been a while since I felt this bad. I wanted to throw myself into the waves and sink to the bottom of the ocean, but I shoved the urge away.


    I was still needed back on the island. I needed to ask Liu about retirement procedures in the morning. Then I had a report from Ba about recent developments in the research division.


    While all my duties helped my urge to self-harm, they didn¡¯t make me feel better. Wukong really just left me. And he couldn¡¯t even bother to come up with a good lie to cover it up. Did I mean that little to him?


    I loved him. I loved him with all of my heart. Even after ten years all I wanted was for him to come home, safe and sound, and with a good reason for being away.


    Now it felt like my heart was breaking. Like he just threw it into the wall and shattered it. I begged him to not make me care all those years ago, and he told me I would never lose anything again.


    That liar.


    I drifted aimlessly over the waves as I continued to sob. By the time they ran dry, the sun was beginning to peek over the waves of the surf.


    I needed to get back. The generals will be worried. But I just felt so tired now. I just wanted to crawl into my bed and never come out.


    Oh, I was headed for a very dark place. I¡¯ve learned to recognize the signs. But I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to care.


    I shifted my sword west and started back home. The sun rose slowly over the surf, and as I got closer to the island, I spotted a little cloud zipping to and fro above the island.


    Wukong. I didn¡¯t want to deal with him. I activated my invisibility. And went straight to the palace.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The moment I got through the curtain of water, I dropped my invisibility, startling Ma.


    ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Ma bowed.


    ¡°Ma, tell the generals I¡¯m resting today. We¡¯ll suspend all meetings and paperwork for now. Only get me if there¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    Ma hesitated. ¡°I will send up food and water to your room. And check to ensure you consumed them.¡±


    Something I told them to do when I took a lot of ¡°rest days¡±.


    ¡°Thanks Ma. I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to walk, so I just flew my sword straight to my room. The other monkeys took one look at me before jumping out of the way. Word of Wukong¡¯s return and our fight must be common knowledge by now.


    I made it to my room without incident. I put my sword away in my necklace and collapsed into bed.


    I flashed my dress back into my necklace before I got sucked into oblivion.


    I didn¡¯t want to be awake. I think I¡¯d rather have a nightmare than be awake right now. But awake I was. I groaned.


    I looked out the window. It looked like I slept the whole day. I just laid in bed, trying to muster up the motivation to get up and grab the water and fruit outside my door.


    I didn¡¯t want to. I just wanted everything to stop. I pressed my hands into my eyes.


    If I didn¡¯t get the water and fruit, the generals will know I didn¡¯t eat. If they know I didn¡¯t eat, they¡¯ll come into my room themselves and try to feed me. It would be easier if I just got the water and food now.


    I still felt awful. But I kicked off my blanket and got up anyway. I shuffled over to the door and opened it to grab the food and water.


    Something that had been leaning on the other side of the door fell in. That something was Wukong.


    He laid at me feet staring up at me in shock. ¡°Yue?¡±


    I scowled and went to slam the door shut on him. He held his hands up to stop the door. ¡°Wait, Yue please, I need to talk to you.¡± He stopped the door without a problem. Fucking Wukong and his fucking freakish strength.


    I gave up on closing the door and marched over to the bed. I threw the covers over my head.


    I heard Wukong scramble up and come over to the side of the bed. ¡°Yue, please, I know what happened now, please listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off.¡±


    ¡°Yue, you have every right to be mad, but please don¡¯t do this. I have some food and water here with me. Even if you don¡¯t want to talk to me, please eat and drink something.¡±


    I sat up abruptly. Wukong had the fruit and water in his hands. I grabbed the fruit and practically swallowed it whole. Then I grabbed the cup and downed it in one breath. I slammed the cup back into his hand and looked him in the eye.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    He bit his lip and nodded. He actually left without saying another word.


    As the door shut behind him, I couldn¡¯t help but cry again. Just seeing him felt like hot knives in my chest.


    And yet I wanted to call back to him. I wanted to let him change his story, to tell me I never left his mind while he was gone. I just wanted things to go back to how they were. I wanted to curl up on his chest while he purred.


    I felt so weak. I wanted him. I wanted to give him another chance.


    ¡°Wukong?¡± I called out softly. I knew he couldn¡¯t-


    The door was thrown open and Wukong rushed in. ¡°Yue? Do you need me?¡±


    I reached out to him. ¡°Hold me. Like how you used to.¡±


    He picked me up and set me on his chest within seconds.


    He started petting me, and purring. Just like he did before he left. But it just made me feel even worse. I started crying harder.


    The purring stopped. ¡°Yue please, tell me what¡¯s wrong and I¡¯ll fix it. I¡¯ll do anything to make this right. Please just say something.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why did you leave me? I got so bad. I needed you. Why did you break your promise?¡±


    ¡°Yue, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s all my fault. I should¡¯ve asked more questions. I should have checked in on you sooner. But I didn¡¯t lie to you Yue. I really was in heaven for only ten days. I only learned when I got back that every day in heaven is a year on Shijie.¡±


    ¡°Stop lying! How is that even possible? Just say you forgot about me! Just say you never cared about our marriage!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you Yue, and I¡¯ll never ever say those things. Not as a joke, not as lie. Never. I care more about you than I do myself, the world, and heaven all put together. If I¡¯d known this would happen I would have never left without you. I¡¯m so sorry Yue. Even if it takes the rest of my life I swear I¡¯ll make it up to you. But I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t leave me. Don¡¯t give up on us. That¡¯s the one thing I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear. Please Yue, I¡¯m begging you, give me one more chance.¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t. He¡¯ll just hurt me again. But I wanted to. Oh Lunus, how I wanted to believe him.


    I couldn¡¯t help it. I wasn¡¯t a strong person.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I whispered. ¡°Just this once. I¡¯ll forgive you. But you can¡¯t ever leave me alone like that again. I¡¯ve already warned you once. I can¡¯t lose anything else. Or I really will break.¡±


    ¡°I know Yue. I promise. I¡¯ll never leave you again. I¡¯ll always be where you can reach. I know I¡¯ve already broken too many promises. But I swear that was the last.¡±


    I wanted it to be the last too. No. I¡¯d make sure it was the last. I rubbed my bare wrist. ¡°My bracelet. Do you have it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes, I have it right here.¡± He pulled it out from under his armor.


    I picked it up and felt it over in my hands. It had a dent from when I threw it down, but it wasn¡¯t broken. It was still wearable. I slipped it back into my wrist and felt over the smooth inside. Perfect for engraving.


    ¡°Wukong, I changed a lot of things while you were gone. Did you see?¡±


    ¡°Um, I was mostly looking for you, but there are a lot more fruit trees now. And the palace looks good too.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll stop by the research and crafting division and I¡¯ll show you. I want to put a formation on our bracelets.¡±


    ¡°Formations? You¡¯ve been learning the Taoist arts while I was gone?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s less like I¡¯ve been learning them and more like I¡¯ve been combining them with chi and seeing what sticks. But we¡¯ve made a lot of progress. You probably didn¡¯t notice all the defensive formations when you were looking for me, but now the island is fortified. If anyone tries to attack us, they won¡¯t find it easy.¡±


    ¡°Ah. That, uh, reminds me of something I have to tell you. We may be attacked soon.¡±


    I pulled back looked at him. He wouldn¡¯t look me in the eye. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I may have, sort of¡­ abandoned my post in heaven.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, just keep in mind I¡¯m very strong right? So naturally, I should be given an important position. Maybe in charge of the army or something. But ah, I wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! I was assigned to the stables, and it was fine, but then I asked about bringing you over, and they said I needed a higher rank for that. So I asked them what rank I was, and it turns out I was at the bottom. Which, you know I left you for that job, and when I heard that it really made me mad, so I just¡­ left.¡±


    ¡°Wukong. Did you start a war with heaven?¡±


    Wukong was quiet. Trying to gauge my mood. ¡°Maybe?¡±


    I sighed. ¡°You need to go find the generals. Tell them we¡¯re initiating plan A. Siege defense. They¡¯ll know what to do. Once you do that, come back here. Bring some more fruit. I¡¯m still hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go do that right now! I¡¯ll be back!¡±


    He set me back on the bed, and rushed out of the room. I sat up in bed and rubbed my temples. Somehow, I had forgotten just how much trouble it was to manage Wukong. I loved him, but Lunus, sometimes he was more trouble than he was worth.


    I flopped back down in the bed. It was a problem for tomorrow. Right now, I just wanted Wukong to come back, feed me some fruit, and sleep on his chest.


    Only time would tell if I made the right choice.

 Forgiveness and War

    The next day I went over the plan, and replanned for different contingencies. Like if the army approached from the sky, or if they had certain treasures. Wukong zoned out about five minutes in. I eventually sent him out to see if he could get any allies from his so-called brotherhood.


    After an extensive planning session that lasted all morning, the generals and I broke for lunch. I took a walk around the palace to try and clear my head.


    I still hadn¡¯t quite accepted the fact that Wukong was back. We were together again.


    I was still mad at him. I¡¯d probably be mad at him for a very long time. And another part of me felt empty. All of my suffering just turned out to be a fucking scheduling problem. One that could¡¯ve been solved if we bothered to learn a little more before jumping in feet first.


    For one, I wouldn¡¯t trust Wukong when he said he had everything under control. I¡¯d verify where he was going, how I could find him, and what was going on. I rubbed my bracelet. Our very first stop this morning had been to the research division, and I had our bracelets engraved with tracking formations. Just a little bit of chi and I¡¯d know exactly what direction he was in, and how far, as long as he was wearing his own bracelet. I pushed chi into it again.


    I knew where he was. I could find him if he doesn¡¯t come back.


    I could breathe again. I let go of the bracelet and sighed. There was another formation etched into them. If I sent some chi into it, it would cause the other bracelet to vibrate.


    It was an emergency button. If I pushed it, Wukong would know I¡¯m in danger, and rush to my side. He had a formation that would do the same thing, but he assured me he¡¯d never need it. We¡¯ll see.


    I just wanted to get through this crisis with everyone alive. The entire castle was on high alert, and we were stockpiling as much food and chi as possible. But no evacuation plans.


    If this all went south we had nowhere to run to. We had to defend ourselves here and now.


    I needed to eat something. I sighed and turned towards the kitchen. I needed to stop worrying. Everything that can be done was being done. We just needed to plan for a few more contingencies, and then we¡¯d wait.


    Honestly, that would probably be the worst part.


    I ate something I didn¡¯t really taste and we went back to meetings. We ironed out the last few details, and broke around dinner.


    I went to the throne room to try and keep morale up. Most of the monkeys were nervous, but some were excited they¡¯ll get to take part in battle with the king. Whatever it took to keep them calm I guess.


    We played games and sang songs while the musicians played. I constantly kept checking Wukong¡¯s location with the bracelet. He¡¯d been bouncing around all day, but now it felt like he was coming back home.


    I breathed a small sigh of relief. He was almost here. He was coming back.


    I retired to the Royal Wing for the night. I needed to try and relax.


    I slipped my dress into my necklace and climbed into the bath. I just had to not think about the possible impending war or my marital issues.


    It wasn¡¯t working.


    I sighed. While the water was nice it wasn¡¯t having the effect I wanted. It felt like all my mind wanted to do was run and worry.


    I trailed my hand through the steam. Maybe I should just get out. Of course, trying to go to sleep in this sort of mood was going to be nigh impossible. I¡¯ll be on edge all night.


    I pushed off from the edge and floated. I closed my eyes. Just me and the water. No impending doom. Just me and the water.


    Not working. I sighed and opened my eyes again.


    Wukong.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    I jerked up, out of the water, narrowly missing Wukon¡¯s forehead. ¡°Lunus! Wukong, what the hell are you doing? You scared me.¡±


    He giggled. ¡°I gotcha! I finally pulled a good prank on you!¡±


    Uh oh, I recognized that somewhat slurry, gleeful tone. ¡°Are you drunk!?¡±


    Drunk and in the bath naked. He laughed and swam up to me. ¡°I had a few drinks. It¡¯s rude to turn down hospitality when you¡¯re asking for help.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, did you at least get any troops to help defend the mountain?¡±


    ¡°Yes! They¡¯re sending them over tomorrow! Everyone but Macaque, because he is dead.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Macaque is dead? When did that happen?¡±


    ¡°When I killed him.¡±


    I stared at him. ¡°What?¡±


    He giggled again. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. None of the other brotherhood knows. I killed him when he made you sad.¡±


    ¡°You mean all the way back when we first met? After he drugged me?¡±


    A cross look appeared on his face. ¡°He made you sad. He made me break my promise. I asked him what was in the drug he gave to you but he wouldn¡¯t tell me where he got it. I made him talk.¡±


    The look disappeared as soon as it came. It was replaced with puppy eyes. ¡°I made you sad too. I¡¯m sorry Yue.¡±


    Wow, he was really drunk. I was also a little pleased he killed Macaque back then. I really hated that guy.


    But back to sad Wukong. He whimpered and gave me another sad look. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault Yue. I know you said you forgive me, but I still feel bad. I hurt you. I¡¯m not a good husband.¡± He sank down into the bath until his mouth was under the water and looked away from me.


    What was I supposed to say to that? I nodded. ¡°Yeah, you haven¡¯t been a good husband.¡±


    He whimpered again, a weird sound coming from under the water.


    ¡°But I gave you another chance. A chance to be better. And while I gave you a second chance, you shouldn¡¯t count on a third. So treat me right, okay?¡±


    He nodded, splashing water everywhere. He popped his head back above the water. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything Yue. Just tell me what you want me to do and I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll be a good husband.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Did I have anything for him to do? Let¡¯s see, his brotherhood committed the troops, the defenses were in order, and we had plenty of chi for the defensive formations.


    No. I was thinking too much like a queen. I needed to think like a wife. What did I want him to do for me?


    ¡°I know. My muscles are tight from sitting all day. Can you give me a massage?¡±


    He nodded eagerly and popped up onto the ledge. He patted beside him. I pulled myself out of the pool and sat on the edge.


    Wukong began massaging my shoulders. Ah, that did feel nice. I could feel myself relaxing as he continued to my neck and back.


    He moved lower. Towards my tail. I should stop him, but I felt so good¡­


    He touched my tail and it felt like lightning arcing through me. I let out a squeak and stiffened up.


    His hands retreated. ¡°Yue! I¡¯m sorry did I hurt you?¡±


    No, but now I suddenly felt the urge to do something I hadn¡¯t done since he left. I turned back towards him. ¡°Actually Wukong, there¡¯s something else I want you to do for me¡­¡±


    Mnnnn. Warmth. Fuzzy soft warmth. It felt so familiar.


    It felt like home.


    I didn¡¯t even have to open my eyes to know who was holding me. Wukong. I knew him by his touch, his scent, and his breathing.


    I felt so safe. So warm. So comfortable. He was right here. He was with me.


    I just wanted to lay here for the rest eternity. Just snuggled up next to him in bed from now until the end of time.


    I enjoyed the feeling as much as possible until he started to stir. Eventually, he woke up enough to say, ¡°Yue?¡±


    ¡°Shhhh.¡± I tugged him into a tighter embrace. ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t ruin the moment.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t ready to move yet. He readily complied, his arms pulling me closer. After a few minutes, he started purring.


    We stayed snuggled like that for a very long time.


    But we eventually had to get up.


    I groaned and blinked open my eyes. I patted Wukong. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. We need to get up.¡±


    He blinked and stopped his purrs. ¡°Can I talk now?¡±


    ¡°As long as you think about it first.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°I love you.¡±


    Well, at least he said the thing most unlikely to piss me off. It was something.


    I sighed and pressed my lips against his in a brief kiss. ¡°I love you too. Even if I don¡¯t like you very much right now.¡±


    He sat up and stretched. I swung myself off of the bed and flashed a dress on. I looked out the window.


    It was about midmorning. I looked over the island as Wukong got dressed.


    So much preparation and planning. It wouldn¡¯t be for nothing. I¡¯d keep my monkeys safe.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay Yue. I¡¯ll protect you and everyone else.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Your job is to handle any strong foes we can¡¯t. We can handle regular foot soldiers. When are the troops from the brotherhood arriving?¡±


    ¡°They just said tomorrow. So, sometime.¡±


    ¡°And did they mention how many troops they were sending?¡±


    He paused. Then shook his head.


    I probably shouldn¡¯t expect much. ¡°And how much do you care about keeping those troops alive?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a war right? People are going to die.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But that doesn¡¯t mean our people have to die.¡±


    He gave me a look. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I think we should station the allied troops in the valley leading to Water Curtain Cave. It will slow down the celestial troops and make them spend more time in our most heavily trapped and fortified route. The losses the celestial army will incur will be astronomical. But¡­ the allied forces will be trapped in a meat grinder. Between our traps and the enemy. I don¡¯t think any of them will survive.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± He was quiet for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll follow your lead Yue. I trust you. If that¡¯s what you think is best, we can put them there.¡±


    I nodded. Sometimes to spare your own, you had to sacrifice others. I was a leader.


    Leaders had to make hard decisions.

 First Contact

    They were here. It was about three weeks after Wukong came home.


    All the allied forces were in place. Only about 2,000 total. A token force in a battle of this magnitude. But they would play a pivotal role.


    I introduced the concept of name tags, and had them created for each of the soldiers, mostly for our allies. None of them knew the full plan. The least we could do was try and get their bodies back home.


    Including our allies, our army numbered around twenty-two thousand troops. Most of ours were stationed in the palace, ready to activate traps and hurl weapons down at the enemies.


    However, some brave soldiers volunteered to be our feet on the ground. These teams focused on mobility and harassment. Once the war officially started, they¡¯d target enemy food supplies and steal whatever armor and weapons they could get their hands on, and set the camp on fire for good measure. They had the highest risk of getting captured or killed, but they each had invisibility tokens they can activate to escape, and extensive knowledge of the island. They could get away and hide for as long as necessary.


    And finally, our food supplies. If we rationed it out carefully, we had enough to last us about a year. Hopefully we could get food production up and running in the palace before then. The agriculture and research divisions were currently working together on it.


    We were ready as we were ever going to be. The enemy has set up camp to the south of the mountain, which offered the most direct route to the entrance. It was also our most heavily fortified area, carefully crafted to look completely mundane.


    The enemy had raised a flag to parley. Probably to deliver an official declaration of war. Wukong and I were forming a party to meet them.


    Wukong and I were both going, along with General Ma. The other three generals would stay behind and organize the defense in case something happened to us.


    I straightened out my dress one last time. It was looser than what I usually wore, to free up my movement if if came to a fight. I was also loaded up with protection spells.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to come Yue. I can handle this.¡± Wukong looked at my final preparations worriedly.


    I snorted. ¡°No. I¡¯ll handle the negotiations. Your job is to sit beside me and look tough. Got it?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Okay Yue. But if they make a move towards you, I will slaughter them all.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. I give you permission to start the battle if they try anything. General Ma and I will fly back with my sword. But don¡¯t start until they make the first move. Depending on their conditions we might be able to come to a peaceful resolution¡±


    Wukong summoned Nimbus and lifted me aboard. He hopped on after me, followed by Ma.


    Ma raised our own parley flag, and we flew out of the cave and towards the tent set at the halfway point between the opening of the valley to Water Curtain Cave, and the enemy camp.


    We landed about ten feet away. The guards at the tent eyed us warily.


    We approached. I spoke up first. ¡°We are here to speak with your leaders. Step aside.¡±


    ¡°No weapons allowed inside the tent.¡± The left one growled.


    I held up my hands and showed they were empty. ¡°We come unarmed.¡± Of course, we weren¡¯t actually unarmed. Wukong had his staff tucked away in his ear, my sword could be summoned in a flash, and Ma was the largest of the generals, and his fists were deadly weapons themselves.


    They begrudgingly stepped aside. We entered the tent.


    It was empty. Did they seriously just set up this tent and then make us wait to see them?


    Heavenly gods were arrogant. I activated my chi sight to keep an eye on the outside of the tent. Well, we weren¡¯t being surrounded. A good sign. Maybe they had some honor after all.


    I sat at the small negotiations table, and waited. Wukong sat beside me, but fidgeted. Ma stood behind us imposingly.


    I could see a figure approaching with my chi sight. Just one.


    I shut off my chi sight as they entered the tent. It was a large man, who had a blue tint to his skin.


    ¡°Sun Wukong!¡± He bellowed. ¡°You are under arrest for defying the will of heaven! Not only did you abandon your post, you now claim to be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! You shall pay for this insult!¡±


    What? I peeked at Wukong and watched him flinch at the words. Lunus, what the fuck did he do now?


    This wasn¡¯t the time or place. We needed to show a united front. In the face of whatever the fuck this guy was doing.


    ¡°Fight me Wukong! And if you lose, I¡¯ll drag you to the heavenly court for your execution!¡±


    Welp, there goes any chance of a peaceful end to this.


    The man drew a large battle ax from his back. And there went any negotiations at all.


    ¡°Wukong, don¡¯t kill him. He needs to take a message back to the army.¡±


    ¡°As you wish Yue.¡± Wukong got a wicked grin on his face and drew his staff.


    The man let out a battle roar and swung his axe towards Wukong. With one swing of his staff, Wukong split the axe in half, and batted the man halfway back to camp. He laid on the ground for a while before limping back to the camp.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The soldiers that were guarding the tent also ran back towards the camp. Wukong moved to chase them.


    ¡°Let them go. It might be a trap to try and lure you away from us.¡± I hoped it was, because so far, this was just pathetic.


    ¡°So,¡± I gave Wukong a mirthless smile. ¡°What¡¯s this about being the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?¡±


    He shuffled and wouldn¡¯t look me in the eye. ¡°Well, it happened that day I went to see the brotherhood to get troops. They offered me some drinks as I explained what happened in heaven and they were outraged I was treated like that. So we came up with the name ¡°Great Sage Equal to Heaven¡± but I didn¡¯t think they would spread it.¡±


    He blinked and sat beside me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yue. This is bad isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I sighed and patted his head. ¡°I wish you told me earlier. But maybe we can use this. Let¡¯s wait here for someone else to come. Maybe I can get us out of this while keeping our pride and our land intact.¡±


    We waited, and eventually another figure flew towards us from the camp. A very small human. I didn¡¯t know they came that tiny.


    Wukong looked at the approaching figure with confusion. ¡°What the hell is a child doing here?¡±


    A child? That was a human child? It looked like a miniature human.


    The child stopped a good ten feet away from us. He wore wheels on his feet and his arms were wrapped in red silk.


    ¡°I am Nezha, son of Heavenly King Li Jing. I am here to place Sun Wukong under arrest. State who you are and why you are here.¡±


    I stood up. ¡°I am Sun Yue, wife of Sun Wukong and the Monkey Queen. We came here to speak with your leader before the battle, but I see he has not deigned to grace us with his presence. Deliver this message to him and the Jade Emperor! If Wukong is granted the title ¡°Great Sage Equal to Heaven¡± there will be no need to battle!¡±


    Nezha¡¯s faced flushed red. ¡°You are as arrogant as I heard. Duel me, and if you succeed in beating me I¡¯ll deliver your message. If not, I¡¯ll arrest Sun Wukong here and now!¡±


    The kid transformed into a massive creature with three heads and six arms. Weapons appeared in each of his hands. He gave a massive roar.


    I grabbed Wukong before he went in. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him. He has the most chi out of everyone in the army.¡±


    He grinned. ¡°That means I can really let loose then.¡±


    I stepped back and he transformed into his own three-headed six-armed monster.


    I will never understand this world. I turned to General Ma. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat. This might get messy.¡±


    I summoned my sword and Ma carefully balanced on the hilt. Together, we retreated from the battlefield.


    I landed a few li away to watch, and sent Ma back to the palace to deliver the news to the other generals. I watched their fight with bated breath.


    They were evenly matched. While Wukong had more chi, Nezha was faster, and had his own tricks. He wielded each of his weapons with finesse and skill while Wukong kept him at bay with sheer force and his duplicated staffs.


    This was going to turn into a draw if something wasn¡¯t done. Wukong must have realized that too.


    I saw him sneakily duplicate himself. This smaller Wukong snuck up behind Nezha and proceeding to attack from the back.


    This surprised Nezha enough for Wukong to gain the upper hand. He pushed Nezha back and beat him into a retreat.


    Nezha transformed back and flew off towards the camp. Wukong transformed and flew on Nimbus towards me. He wore a big grin on his face.


    ¡°Did you see that Yue? I got him! How did I look?¡±


    I briefly smiled at his antics. ¡°You did great! Very dashing.¡± He preened as I dropped my smile and looked back towards the camp.


    The same trick wouldn¡¯t work twice. Hopefully heaven would take the path of least resistance and there wouldn¡¯t be any need for more bloodshed.


    The army stayed for the next two weeks. But they didn¡¯t make any more moves. We just had to stay alert and be ready for when something does happen.


    That something turned out to be Evening Star approaching our home, alone and unarmed.


    Wukong gave the order to let him in, and we were getting ready to greet him in the throne room.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you take point here, but remember it¡¯s best to deescalate. If they give you the title, then the war will end. If they don¡¯t, we¡¯ll try and negotiate to end the war. And if he insists on arresting you, we¡¯ll take him hostage and try to negotiate for a ceasefire for his release. You got it?¡±


    Wukong smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve got it Yue, but you¡¯re far too worried. You saw how I kicked their asses before. I¡¯m sure we can handle them.¡±


    I sighed as I straightened out his armor. ¡°You¡¯re strong Wukong, but I don¡¯t want to push our luck. Let¡¯s just see if they¡¯re willing to negotiate for real now.¡±


    He dipped down and gave me a kiss. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll follow your guidelines. Title means no war, negotiate if we can, and take him prisoner if we can¡¯t. I got it.¡±


    I sighed. Everyone was getting antsy in the palace. The sooner this ended the better.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    We exited our room and headed to the throne room. General Liu announced us, and Evening Star rose to greet us.


    He bowed. ¡°I greet the Monkey King and Queen. I have another memorial from the Jade Emperor. May I read it for you?¡±


    Wukong sat down in his throne and I followed suit. He gestured towards the scroll. ¡°Please do Evening Star. I hope it¡¯s good news.¡±


    Evening Star unwound the scroll. He launched into the flowery language I struggled to parse through. Why did humans have to make this so complicated?


    Finally he got to the important part. ¡°And so, the illustrious Jade Emperor sees fit to grant Sun Wukong the title of Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and grants him a position equal to that of a high official, along with a mansion and many attendants. Effective immediately as soon as Wukong ceases all hostilities towards the heavenly army.¡±


    More flowery language. But we did it. We won. We wouldn¡¯t be going to war with heaven today. But some parts of the decree still made me concerned.


    The Jade Emperor wanted Wukong in heaven. Where he could keep an eye on him. And the time dilation¡­


    I gripped the edges of my seat. Was Wukong going to leave me behind again? I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle being alone for that long again.


    Wukong interrupted the decree. ¡°What about my wife?¡±


    Evening Star glanced up from the scroll. ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°My wife. Who I had to leave behind last time. Is she invited?¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course. While she is not specifically mentioned in the decree, I am certain she is invited as well. You¡¯re being granted a high position after all.¡±


    Wukong frowned and looked over at me.


    Shit. Do we take it? Wukong and I would both be in heaven, in enemy territory. But I really didn¡¯t want this to end in bloodshed. I was certain if this turned into a protracted conflict, we would lose. We still haven¡¯t seen the full extent of heaven¡¯s forces.


    I bit my lip. We had to take this deal. If we went to heaven, we¡¯d be watched. But we could also watch them. Our intelligence on heaven¡¯s influence and strength was minimal. If I went there myself, I could learn as much as I could in case it ever did come to war.


    I slightly nodded and Wukong turned back to Evening Star. ¡°Then we¡¯ll gratefully accept. Please, stay awhile and let¡¯s throw a banquet to celebrate our peaceful resolution and my new position.¡±


    Evening Star was tying up the scroll. ¡°No need, as we really must leave for heaven as quickly as possible.¡±


    What? But we needed time to prepare. I needed to talk to the generals and discuss our plan to disengage our troops.


    Fuck, heaven did the exact same thing last time. Insisting we leave immediately without giving us time to plan and discuss.


    I leaned over and whispered to Wukong. ¡°You make him stay for a banquet. I need to go talk with the generals before we leave. Keep him here until I get back.¡±


    He nodded and gave Evening Star another smile. ¡°I really must insist you stay for a banquet. It¡¯s not every day we get to entertain someone such as yourself!¡±


    As Wukong distracted him, I left the banquet hall as quietly as I could. I grabbed Liu. ¡°Get the other generals and tell them to meet me in the offices. We need to plan for me and Wukong being away for several years.¡±


    Liu ran off to find the others and I rushed towards my offices.


    I had a lot of work to do.

 Heavenly Time Bubbles

    I think we had a plan nailed down. The generals would wait for several weeks after we left to return to normal operations, just in case this was a trap. I¡¯d come down from heaven every year, every day for me, and check in to ensure the island was running smoothly.


    Luckily, the island wouldn¡¯t require much oversight with the generals here. They knew what to do. I worked with them long enough to know they would be able to handle it.


    It was late into the night by the time I got back to the throne room.


    Evening Star sat in the middle of a bunch of monkeys partying like a bunch of monkeys would. Damn, it looked like fun.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t seem too amused. Wukong sat next to him and kept handing him food and cups filled with wine.


    ¡°And the the guy said, ¡®I don¡¯t want any monkey business in here¡¯, so, so, I threw off my cloak and said, ¡®Then you won¡¯t be getting any business of mine!¡¯ and walked out! You should have seen their faces! It was hilarious!¡± Wukong roared in laughter while several other monkeys rolled their eyes. I was guessing it wasn¡¯t the first time Wukong told this story tonight.


    I sat beside him and gave Evening Star a smile. ¡°I apologize for my husband. As you can see, he just loves to live life to the fullest. It would be best if we let him sleep it off. Would you like to stay at the banquet? Or I could take you to a guest room if you¡¯d like?¡±


    Evening Star sighed. ¡°I would like to retire for the night. But we really must leave at first light tomorrow. We shouldn¡¯t keep the emperor waiting.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t care less about what the emperor wanted. ¡°Of course, first thing tomorrow. I¡¯ll have Wukong ready to go at first light. Please, follow me.¡±


    I led Evening Star away from the party, and dropped him off at one of the rooms I have reserved for guests. Then Wukong and I retired to the Royal Wing for a bath and sleep.


    Wukong floated sleepily while I washed the smell of alcohol off of him.


    As I finished up, he grabbed onto me. ¡°Yueeeeeee,¡± He looked up at me with his big brown eyes. ¡°Did I do good today?¡±


    ¡°You did great Wukong. But you¡¯re not going to like me when I get you up tomorrow. I won¡¯t like it either, trust me. Now hold still. I need to get your head.¡±


    I washed the top of his head, and after he grabbed me again.


    ¡°Yueeeeeeee,¡± He gave me the same look. ¡°You¡¯ll love heaven. Everything is so shiny there. And the weather¡¯s always nice, and the ground is all bouncy in spots. It¡¯s really great.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll see tomorrow. Now come on, let¡¯s get out, get dried off and go to bed.¡±


    I tugged him out of the water, but before I could dry us off he grabbed me and looked down at me from where he stood.


    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll make it up to you Yue. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to protect you.¡±


    ¡°I know you will.¡± I dried us off by moving the water out of our fur. ¡°Now, follow me. It¡¯s time for bed, and I¡¯m going to make you drink some water.¡± I tugged him along and managed to get him into bed where he practically hit the pillow snoring. I followed soon after.


    The next day, as soon as I woke up, I checked the window. Not quite first light, but eh, good enough.


    It was a slog getting Wukong up and ready to go. I packed up a little bag for him filled with some extra clothes and put it in my storage space. It was a tight squeeze with everything else in there, but I managed.


    Next we went and collected a very grumpy Evening Star, and with a hop onto Nimbus, we were off.


    I paid attention to our route. It seemed like heaven was northeast from Flower-Fruit Mountain. And quite a ways away. We had to constantly slow down for Evening Star to catch up.


    Finally we arrived. I saw the gates of heaven, and the first thing I did was activate my chi sight.


    Holy shit. I¡¯ve never seen anything quite like it. Heaven was built on several hundred clouds that had some kind of core with formations inscribed on them. The entire area was enclosed in some kind of bubble. The chi inside the bubble seemed to move at a much faster pace than outside the bubble. Lunus, no wonder they needed gates. If anyone tried to cross the barrier, the difference would kill them. The gates were the only place where the gradient was gradual enough to safely cross.


    I needed to look into this. Was it a natural phenomenon that they built in? Or were they somehow creating this field, because that was a terrifying thought.


    My wandering thoughts snapped back to the present as the guards let us through the gates.


    I shivered as I passed through. Somehow, the chi had been compressed into a thin line that separated the excited chi from the normal chi outside.


    Inside, I could practically feel the chi surging around me. It actually made me feel a little sick. I turned off my chi sight and leaned onto Wukong.


    ¡°Are you okay Yue?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    I waved him off. ¡°The journey was just a little stressful. I just need some time to rest.¡±


    He looked over at Evening Star who sighed. ¡°We can bring your wife to your mansion before you go to see the emperor. But we should hurry.¡±


    Ugh, I really didn¡¯t feel good. I didn¡¯t want to miss meeting the emperor, but I also didn¡¯t want to meet him while I was turning green.


    Wukong nodded and picked me up. He carried me along behind Evening Star as he flew to one of the mansions that lined the tops of the clouds.


    ¡°This is your mansion. The attendants inside will tend to your wife.¡± Evening Star stood outside the doors. Wukong gave him a dirty look before setting me down.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to stay with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ different here. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be used to it by the time you get back. Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± He reluctantly let go of me, and followed Evening Star.


    As I watched him fly off again, I shuddered. Lunus, how could any of these people stand this? It was like I was thrown into the rapids of a river and tossed about.


    I staggered inside. Great more humans. They were just always going to be around weren¡¯t they?


    They whispered among themselves and one approached me. ¡°I am the head servant here. May I ask who you are?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Sun Yue, Wukong¡¯s wife. I¡¯m not feeling well. I need a place to rest.¡±


    More whispering. The head servant bowed. ¡°Right away my lady, please allow us to see you to your room.¡±


    One came and helped me stand, and the head servant led us through the corridors to a large and well-appointed room. Once there, I collapsed into bed.


    ¡°Would you like anything else my lady?¡±


    ¡°I just need some time. I let you know if I need you.¡±


    She bowed. ¡°Very well my lady.¡± She and the other servant walked out.


    I climbed under the covers and flashed away my dress. I just needed to breathe. And try not to think about all the chi swirling in the air around me.


    Lunus there was so much. Why wasn¡¯t I feeling better?


    Was it¡­me?


    I used my chi sight to check myself. Oh. Yeah, that was probably it. I had a much lower chi count than the air around me. That¡¯s why I was feeling so much pressure. I needed to equalize it.


    Okay, just remember what Dad said. Breathe in. Let the chi in. Breathe out. Keep the chi.


    After a few more minutes, I began to feel better. I checked again.


    It already looked much better. A few more minutes and I¡¯d be fine.


    How did the people who came and went from this place not lose it? Well, maybe they didn¡¯t have the same control as me? I usually don¡¯t let my chi equalize with my environment because I always had more chi than my surroundings, and it was more beneficial to hold onto the chi.


    But then¡­ did everyone in heaven just let their chi come and go? They didn¡¯t hang onto it? I guess it wasn¡¯t much of a problem here, where the ambient chi was enough to keep you from aging, but when they left their chi would leave them and they¡¯d start aging again.


    Wait. Was that why Evening Star was in such a hurry to get back?


    This chi didn¡¯t just cause the time dilation. It kept the people of heaven immortal. I felt like I stumbled upon some huge secret. I had to figure out how they were doing this, and more importantly, how to undo it. Then I¡¯d hold a massive trump card over heaven.


    I was starting to feel pretty good. Less than an hour in heaven and I already learned something incredibly important. I got out of bed, refreshed.


    I¡¯d ask for a tour of the mansion to start. Then I¡¯d ask more about heaven and who was who.


    Finally, I¡¯d start studying the barrier in detail tomorrow.


    Heaven had a lot of rules. Like¡­ a lot of rules. Wukong and I have been here for two weeks now. And there were rules for everything.


    Moreover, there seemed to be more rules for females than males, which I didn¡¯t understand. I wasn¡¯t allowed to meet a human male without my husband? Why? Not to mention all kinds of clothing rules, rules on how to leave and enter a room, rules on when and how to eat.


    Wukong ignored most of these rules. Just¡­ completely ignored them. He got quite a few dirty glares for that. I tried to follow the ones I thought made sense, but the ones that said I had to wait for Wukong to give me permission to go outside, I completely ignored. I told him where I was going, why the hell would I need his permission to go there?


    Female humans in particular seemed to hate me. Well, those floppy-furs could say whatever they wanted. I wasn¡¯t the one who piled all my fur up on my head.


    By and large, I ignored everyone who weren¡¯t my servants, or Wukong. In the morning, I traveled to the gate and went to check on Flower-Fruit Mountain. By the time I got back, only a few minutes would have passed. Then I went to Wukong and discussed our plans for the day.


    Wukong was making connections among the constellations, a group of immortals who seemed to have no discernable purpose. But they loved to gossip and Wukong told me everything he heard. Heaven was not the paradise everyone made it out to be. There were marital problems, fights, betrayals, and bad people. When I heard Nezha¡¯s story the first time, my jaw dropped open. I wanted to give him a hug now.


    As for me, I usually spend my days observing chi patterns and the barrier. There was a definite pattern happening, but I¡¯ve yet to discern the origin of the bubble. I think it originated from somewhere in the Jade Palace.


    But after watching the gate a while, I confirmed my theory that the people of heaven were only immortal because of the environmental chi. As soon as they left, their chi signatures dropped sharply.


    I was sharing all my findings with the research division back on the island. They were conducting their own tests on creating the ¡°time bubbles¡± as I decided to call them. Still no definitive results though.


    I was doing exactly this when I saw Wukong racing towards me on Nimbus. I was alarmed at first until I saw the big grin on his face.


    He jumped up and picked me up and spun me around. ¡°Yue! You won¡¯t believe it! I got a job from the emperor!¡±


    ¡°A job?¡± My mind jumped to the worst possible scenario. They were sending Wukong on a dangerous mission. I tightened my grip on his arms. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t worry.¡± He set me down. ¡°It¡¯s right here in heaven. I¡¯m the new caretaker of the heavenly peach orchard!¡±


    ¡°Peaches?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Peaches! They¡¯re your favorite fruit! Mine too!¡±


    ¡°Why? Why would they put you in charge of peaches? You¡¯ll just eat all of them.¡±


    He looked offended. ¡°What? I¡¯ll be a great caretaker! I¡¯ll protect those peaches from any thieves who try to take them!¡±


    ¡°Except yourself.¡±


    He looked outraged. ¡°I¡¯m not going to steal the peaches! I¡¯m supposed to protect them!¡±


    ¡°Wukong, any peach that has ever landed in front of you went straight into your mouth. I¡¯ve seen you decimate the entire island¡¯s supply of peaches. You¡¯re going to steal the peaches.¡±


    He stomped his foot. ¡°I¡¯ll prove it! I won¡¯t steal any peaches.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but if you do, you have to bring some home for me. I want peaches too.¡±


    He pointed accusingly. ¡°And now you¡¯re encouraging me! I¡¯ll show you. I¡¯ll resist and be the best orchard caretaker that has ever existed!¡±


    He pumped his arms and hopped on Nimbus. He flew a distance before turning around and coming back.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost dinnertime. Do you want to come home with me?¡± He seemed a little sheepish.


    ¡°Pfft. Hahaha. Yeah, let¡¯s head back.¡±


    I sat next to him on Nimbus, still chuckling at his not-so-dramatic exit.


    I didn¡¯t know what idiot thought it was a good idea to put a fruit-guzzling monkey in a peach orchard, but they had to know what Wukong would do right?

 They Didn鈥檛

    Sure enough, the first day Wukong came home, he brought me some peaches. He was really glum about it too, but I cheered him up by telling him they were the best peaches I¡¯ve ever tasted.


    And they were. The things were positively packed with chi. It was like an energy boost with every bite. I sent one back to the island so we could try and grow them, but apparently the reason they were so chi-dense was that they were grown in heaven.


    My research into the barrier hit a wall. The most I could confirm was that the bubble definitely originated from the Jade Palace. But without going in there, I couldn¡¯t do anything more. And trying to sneak in there was a death sentence. Guards at every corner, dozens of defensive treasures. Even with invisibility, I wasn¡¯t confident I could get in and out unscathed.


    So I had to put an end to the bubble research and instead focused on learning more about the technology and spells available in heaven. Whatever I found, I sent back home. They had a whole building devoted to storing books that anyone could just walk in and read. Wild.


    We were still settling in when Wukong showed up at the front door one day with a wild look in his eyes.


    He slammed the door of my study open, and rushed in. ¡°Yue, I think I really fucked up.¡±


    I stared at him for a moment before sighing. This was bound to happen sooner or later. ¡°Who did you kill, and do we have to run?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± He paused and thought about it for a moment. ¡°Yet.¡±


    ¡°Let me get these papers together and we can go. Tell me what happened on the way.¡±


    We were out of the mansion and through the gates of heaven with a couple of souvenirs Wukong stole within minutes. A couple of carafes of wine, a bottle of ¡°immortality pills¡± which just looked like pills packed with an insane amount of chi, and a peach for me. I snacked on it while Wukong told me about his latest idiotic escapade.


    Apparently, a bunch of female humans showed up to pick peaches for a big peach festival neither of us we¡¯re invited to. They naturally, do not find many peaches. Apparently, the emperor didn¡¯t expect Wukong to eat them all like the gluttonous monkey he was. Seemed like that was more on him than Wukong. Wukong heard about the party, knocked out the humans, impersonated someone who was invited, stole a bunch of wine, got super drunk, tried to get home but ended up in another guy¡¯s house, ate like five bottles of pills, then sobered up and realized that he made several mistakes. So he searched for another pill bottle and got it for me so I wouldn¡¯t be mad. He also stole more wine for the monkeys back home cause he said it was really good. And after all that, he finally came home to me and we booked it.


    ¡°And that¡¯s it?¡± We were quickly approaching Flower-Fruit Mountain when Wukong finished his story and I asked if that was all.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s it. Oh wait, the peaches, wine, and pills are all supposed to make you immortal. Does that make me, uh, one, two, three¡­ six times immortal now?¡±


    ¡°Well, you probably have about double the chi from when we first went into heaven, so¡­¡± I also had a lot more chi. Unlike the wasteful heaven immortals that just let the chi dissipate when they left, I managed to keep all the chi I gained from inside the bubble. I was a lot more durable and strong now. Still nowhere near Wukong¡¯s level, but I could handle myself with the average heaven immortal now.


    He puffed up. ¡°And you said I had a lot of chi to begin with right?¡±


    ¡°Before, you had enough chi to level a continent. Now you probably have enough chi to destroy the world. If you knew anything other than the most basic chi manipulation. Which you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Ha! I¡¯m immortal six times over now.¡± Wukong puffed up with pride. Cute.


    I giggled as he continued to preen himself, and turned my attention back to the pills. I could eat them myself, but they¡¯d be far more useful to the research division. A way to store chi.


    Honestly, the first application I could think of for this wasn¡¯t as a medicinal pill, but as a battery. So far formations had to be fueled directly, but if we could store chi in pills, we could save it and store it for when we really needed it. It would likely be too late for the coming war, but studying this could get us a lot closer to the technology and weapons from my old world.


    I put the pill back in the bottle. It would be useful, that¡¯s for sure. As for the wine, it was likely packed with chi because of heaven¡¯s chi-dense environment. I¡¯d give a little to the research division to be sure, but we likely couldn¡¯t replicate it without understanding the bubble.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    We arrived back to the island and I switched back to queen mode. I explained the situation to the generals, and began Plan A Siege Defense again, but this time I had a much better idea of what was going to be thrown at us.


    Heavenly King Li Jing would likely be mobilized, along with Nezha and a few other generals, the same as last time. However, it likely wouldn¡¯t end with a peaceful resolution this time. We already spurned heaven too many times. It will come to a battle.


    Luckily, we had about 40,000 monkeys this time, in addition to whatever Wukong would be able to muster from the brotherhood. With the addition of new traps and tricks developed during the years we lived in heaven.


    I felt like this was something we could win.


    It didn¡¯t take long for heaven to set up camp in the same place as last time. Our allies had doubled, and I was using the same plan with them as the first time. Sorry, but my priority was protecting my monkeys.


    The parley tent was set up. And like last time We went with Ma to meet the enemy.


    This time, they were waiting for us. Li Jing sat at the table and Nezha and another general I haven¡¯t seen before sat in the back. I took my seat next to Wukong, as Ma stood behind us.


    Li Jing grimaced at us. ¡°We have come to discuss terms of surrender.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°A wise decision. We will accept an immediate withdrawal of troops from the island, along with an official truce.¡±


    His face turned red. He set down his cup of tea. ¡°No, we are here to discuss your surrender. All we want is Sun Wukong to pay for his crimes in heaven.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but how exactly would you have him pay for his crimes? Perhaps we could come to a monetary settlement.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Only death would be enough to pay for his insults. And I doubt monkeys would have much wealth to offer.¡±


    No negotiations. The same as last time. ¡°Then I fear we cannot come to an agreement. We shall let the coming battle decide.¡±


    I stood up, closely followed by Wukong. I turned to leave.


    Li Jing said something while our backs were turned. ¡°Fine. It won¡¯t be difficult to kill a bunch of monkeys anyway.¡±


    I whipped back around. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    He looked down on me somehow from where he was sitting. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not sure what kind of shoddy plan you have, but we are heaven¡¯s elite. This war is almost an insult. The only worthy warrior among you is Sun Wukong.¡±


    A low growl ripped through the air. Not from me. From Ma. Everyone in the tent took a breath as he stared daggers at Li Jing.


    Years of planning and work. Of training. Of experimenting. He¡¯d learn soon enough. Our efforts would speak for us. But I just couldn¡¯t let his insult go without one of my own.


    I turned back around and stared down at him, remaining calm. ¡°You will not kill one monkey during this war. That is my promise to you. I doubt you¡¯ll be able to say the same by the time we¡¯re finished.¡±


    I turned back to leave with Wukong, but he had his own teeth bared. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know you to be a coward I¡¯d challenge you here and now. But if you take one step onto the battlefield, know that I will find you and I will kill you.¡±


    Li Jing was turning a peculiar shade of green as we exited the tent. Wukong summoned Nimbus and we went back home to prepare for battle.


    Once we got back, I set the plan in motion. Once their troops left camp, our field teams will set fire to their food supplies and equipment. Then they¡¯d circle teams for harassment every night so their troops didn¡¯t get rest.


    The battlefield would be the valleys leading to the mountain, and possibly the air space above. It was all trapped to the moon and back, with the main portion of our allies stationed in the meat grinder to stall troops so we could kill as many as possible without risking our own.


    The majority of forces were stationed inside the mountain. About ten thousand were the support division focused on supplies and the activation of formations and traps. Another ten thousand were healers, ready and waiting in medical bays to treat troops.


    The last twenty-thousand were ground troops stationed at entrances and strategic points in the mountain. They were prepared to move out into the battlefield if necessary, but hopefully our allies could stall heaven long enough for them to give up the battle.


    Every inch Heaven wanted they¡¯d have to pay in blood. While we sat back and conserved our strength.


    As I predicted, the celestial army approached early the next day, at dawn.


    I straightened out Wukong¡¯s armor. ¡°Remember to retreat if it gets to be too much for you.¡±


    ¡°Yue, it¡¯s me. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I took a deep shuddering breath. This was happening. We were really at war with heaven and Wukong was about to engage the enemy.


    ¡°Just be careful. Please. I know you think you¡¯re invincible, but you¡¯re not. Use the bracelet if you need to. You remember how to use it right?¡±


    Wukong gripped my shoulders and looked into my eyes. ¡°Yue. Everything will be okay. I¡¯m strong. You can count on me. I¡¯ll come back.¡±


    ¡°Wukong, I told you I don¡¯t believe in strength. Don¡¯t be strong. Be smart. Run and live to fight another day if you need to.¡±


    He gave me a hug. ¡°I will if I need to Yue. But don¡¯t worry about me. Just focus on your own battle. The generals and monkeys need you to lead them, while I inspire them from the front. Don¡¯t let that bastard Li Jing claim one of ours, and prove he¡¯s a moron who knows nothing about war.¡±


    We kissed, sweet but far too brief. I sent him away and he flew out of the entrance.


    I just sent my husband away to a war he might die in. I was left feeling empty. Like I was preparing for grief that hasn¡¯t arrived.


    I turned back, and went to the entrance of the palace. Once I was through, I nodded to Liu and he activated the defensive formation on the entrance. Only someone as strong as Wukong could break it.


    Once it was done, Liu followed me to the war room. Inside sat Beng. Ma and Ba wanted to be on the battlefield to prove their capabilities. Ba was leading the guerilla groups and Ma would stand with Wukong on the front lines.


    In the center of the room was a table with a hologram of the island. It showed the position of our troops and the celestials in real-time.


    Time for the battle to begin.

 Not One Monkey

    Troops moved across the island, as the celestials marched towards the valley that led to Water-Curtain Cave. It was our most heavily fortified area. Li Jing must really think we¡¯re all idiots.


    ¡°Once the rear troops cross into the valley throw up the barrier, drop the invisibility on our allies, and activate the non-lethal traps on the center and rear of their formation. Don¡¯t activate the forward traps yet.¡± It was far too early to throw away our allies.


    Beng and Liu relayed orders to the support and main troops. Wukong would be fighting on the front lines with our allies as well.


    Once the final soldier crossed into the valley, the barrier rose up, cutting off their escape. I contacted Ba with a magical treasure. ¡°Launch attack on their camp now.¡±


    Traps were simultaneously activated, and the celestial soldiers sank into the ground as it liquefied, then hardened again trapping them. With a loud shout, our allies and Wukong sprung into battle.


    They mowed down the enemy troops with ease thanks to their immobility. Unless the celestials pulled something out of their hat now, it would almost assure our victory.


    I also kept an eye on our guerilla teams attacking the enemy camp. It was hard to tell from just dots, but none of them have blinked out yet which seems like good sign.


    I watched as the enemy soldiers lights blinked out by the dozen and frowned. This was too easy. Sure they underestimated us, but this was heaven we¡¯re talking about.


    More than half the troops had fallen by the time our back barrier broke and the ground rumbled. Then the lights began retreating back to camp.


    Well, it seems our first trap has been undone. But if they thought it would be that easy, then they have another thing coming.


    ¡°Tell Wukong and our allies to back off, once they¡¯ve retreated to safety, activate middle and back lethal traps on the enemy.¡± Beng relayed my orders to Ma and Wukong while Liu directed the support troops to ready the correct traps.


    Once they retreated, the traps instantly activated and I fancied I could hear the screams of celestial soldiers as they were all set ablaze with chi fire. Hundreds of dots began blinking out at once. The retreat dissolved into a rout.


    ¡°Activate long range weapons, and open fire.¡± Liu relayed my orders.


    This was a risky gamble. While our long range weapons could annihilate the enemy, it also opened ingresses into the mountain an enemy could take advantage of. However, I believed they were well past trying to organize an effective attack.


    My gamble paid off. More and more enemy lights blinked out. The massive army had been reduced to a small fraction of its former size. The soldiers began trickling back to their camp.


    I contacted Ba. ¡°The soldiers are returning to camp, pull out immediately, regardless of mission status.¡±


    It seemed like all the guerilla teams had already retreated, but I wanted to be sure.


    I sighed, sat back, and rubbed my temples. That went pretty well. It was mostly due to them underestimating us, but good nonetheless. We did some serious damage to them while taking none in return.


    ¡°Okay, have Wukong and Ma return home, and send some supplies to our allies to thank them.¡± Their morale should be high after today, but I wanted to keep it that way to ensure they didn¡¯t leave. ¡°Liu, have the support division put on standby mode again and remind them to stay vigilant on watch. Spin the wheel to see what traps we¡¯ll use for the next battle. Once Ma and Wukong get back and I¡¯ll get Ba¡¯s report and we¡¯ll hold a meeting to discuss the battle and our plan for tomorrow. But, preliminary good job. That went mostly to plan, and it was all within expectations. We took no losses while dealing significant damage to the enemy, showing the Siege Defense strategy is very viable for short-term conflicts.¡±


    Liu puffed up with pride and Beng relayed my message to the troops before pounding his chest and screeching in victory. I let them have their moment, smiling to myself as I walked out to receive Ba¡¯s report in private. They deserved to celebrate all the effort they put in over the past decades.


    I¡¯ll celebrate once we¡¯ve won.


    It was good news all around at the post-battle meeting. Wukong bravely regaled his battle against the Nine Stars, the Four Heavenly Kings, and Nezha. It seemed they still hadn¡¯t found a way to deal with him duplicating himself, and he and his clones were able to beat them all back.


    With some great assistance from Ma of course. Ma had taken down not one, but two enemy generals all on his own, which deeply impressed the other generals.


    Ba had also executed his part flawlessly thanks to the celestials underestimating us. Most of their camp had burned to the ground, including food supplies and equipment.


    Overall, we had delivered a crushing defeat to the army of heaven. I leaned back on my chair, considering. Our enemy was likely to ask heaven for reinforcements. Before that, I¡¯d like to parley with the enemy again, to see if they were willing to negotiate for a settlement.


    Wukong sat up and cheered. ¡°Okay, I think we all know how incredible we were today. So let¡¯s celebrate! Bring out the wine and get the party started in the throne room!¡±


    The generals whooped and hollered and I pulled Liu off to the side. ¡°Distribute wine to the support division too. Our victory today is thanks to them.¡±


    Liu nodded eagerly, and I followed Wukong to the throne room, pleased, but still nervous about the battles to come.


    After nursing his hangover for a day, we were ready to set up a parley tent and wait for the enemy to contact us. A few monkeys volunteered to bring the materials and build the tent.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    This time, it was Wukong, me, and Beng who went to the meeting. We included some light refreshments including fruit and tea.


    As we waited for Li Jing or another general to arrive, I briefed Wukong on our negotiation strategy again.


    ¡°Remember, we¡¯re coming from a position of strength, but we can¡¯t demand things. The goal is a truce so we can negotiate a settlement with heaven. Start by gloating a bit, then move into the pitch to give them some of our technology. Nothing too important, but enough to make up for all the chaos you caused.¡±


    ¡°I know the plan Yue, but are you sure about this? Heaven immortals are known for their arrogance. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be too interested.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s the best I¡¯ve got. And they don¡¯t have much to be arrogant about right now.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth. I honestly expected more from heaven. It¡¯s disappointing how few strong warriors they have.¡±


    ¡°I think your definition of strength is skewed. Shhh. Someone is coming from the camp.¡± I followed the figure with my chi sight. Something was different about this one.


    Their amount of chi was average, but it seemed to be circulating in their body rather than just sitting in there. It indicated they might know some chi manipulation techniques, but not any ones I knew. We needed to be cautious around them.


    The flap opened, revealing another human. This one didn¡¯t have any floppy fur, in fact he had no fur at all. He sat down in front of us, and nodded in greeting.


    ¡°Good morning to the Monkey King and Queen. I am Muzha, son of Li Jing, and disciple to Guanyin, the Buddha of Mercy. My Buddhist name is Benevolent Pilgrim.¡±


    Wukong cocked his head in confusion. ¡°Erm, no offense, but aren¡¯t Buddhists nonviolent? Why are you on a battlefield?¡±


    Muzha nodded. ¡°I am here on behalf of Guanyin to take stock of the situation. It appears you¡¯ve caused quite a bit of trouble in heaven, throwing the Peach Banquet into disarray, and then defied the will of heaven in a rebellion. I¡¯m here to confirm the situation on the ground.¡±


    So, he was just a message boy. One who wasn¡¯t even affiliated with the people we want to negotiate with. This was a massive waste of our time. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything from heaven.


    We should leave. I turned to Wukong to say something, but he belted out before I got the chance. ¡°Well, Muzha, as you can see we¡¯ve been dominating the heavenly army. Their camp is in tatters and is at a fraction of it¡¯s former size. Best of all, we have not lost a single monkey!¡±


    Wait. He was going forward with our negotiating plan. To this messenger.


    He puffed up his chest. ¡°Heaven¡¯s reputation must be built on false rumors! Why, I bet we could take the war to heaven itself and win!¡±


    That was not a part of my negotiation strategy. Wukong, why the fuck are you escalating this!?


    Muzha turned a peculiar shade of red. ¡°I see the stories about you are not unfounded. Your arrogance and mischief are truly boundless, and you must be brought to justice.¡± Muzha stood up and summoned a wooden staff. He levelled it at Wukong. ¡°I shall defeat you here and now, and you shall answer for your crimes.¡±


    Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Wukong also stood up and drew his staff out of his ears. ¡°Very well, but just know I¡¯ve bested stronger foes than you. Let¡¯s take this outside.¡±


    I watched in horror as Wukong followed Muzha out of the tent. I sat there, stunned for a moment before scrambling after them.


    Beng followed me, and we stood out side as Wukong and Muzha stood across from each other and started the battle.


    They both moved swiftly, flying into the air with a series of fierce clashes. I activated my chi sight and watched as Wukong beat Muzha back. Muzha was forced farther and farther until he turned into a streak of light and ran towards heaven in the northeast.


    Wukong proudly floated down. ¡°Ha! Did you see that Yue? He was all talk, no action.¡±


    I stared at him in horror. ¡°What have you done?¡±


    To say I was pissed at Wukong would be an understatement. I was in my own room back at the palace trying to nurse the giant headache Wukong just gave me.


    He was sitting outside the door and begging. ¡°Please Yue, I told you I¡¯m sorry! I got caught up in the moment! Please forgive me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. I was still pissed at him.


    ¡°Please Yue!¡±


    I growled, marched over to the door and threw it open. ¡°Wukong, do you even know what you just did?¡±


    ¡°Um, I gloated?¡±


    ¡°You just antagonized someone we aren¡¯t at war with and brought a new enemy into the war against us. He used some kind of strange chi technique I didn¡¯t recognize, and his master is sure to bring more. You¡¯re gloating could have just cost us everything!¡± I screamed at him and he shrank back.


    ¡°Yue, he wasn¡¯t that tough to defeat. I can handle anything they want to throw at us. We¡¯ve already destroyed them once. Why don¡¯t you think I can handle this!?¡± Wukong started yelling.


    ¡°Wukong, I know you think you can handle anything, but you have no idea what kind of monsters are out there waiting to prove you wrong! It¡¯s just a matter of time until someone comes along and smacks you down! And I don¡¯t want to be around to see that happen!¡±


    ¡°Yue, I keep telling you I¡¯m strong, but you never seem to believe me! Fine! I¡¯ll prove it to you! Tomorrow, I¡¯ll wipe heaven off our island for good!¡±


    ¡°Wukong! Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    Wukong was furiously walking down the hallway as I called after him. I stepped after him then flinched, and rubbed my temple. My headache was worsening.


    I went back into my room and flung myself back into bed with a huff. Fine. If he wanted to throw himself at death then he can! The only reason we were even in this mess in the first place was him! He just had to accept a position in heaven and leave me for ten years!


    Anger stirred in my heart, and I fell asleep.


    I woke up late the next day, to knocking at the door. Fucking Wukong. He was probably here to gloat about his victory over heaven. I dragged myself out of bed and to the door.


    I opened it up.


    ¡°Beng?¡± Beng and the other four generals were outside. They seemed¡­ distressed.


    ¡°Your Majesty. We apologize for interrupting your rest.¡±


    I sighed and rubbed my face. ¡°It¡¯s fine. How did Wukong¡¯s attack go? Did we have any casualties? Is heaven receiving reinforcements? Are they on the move?¡±


    They all stilled. Beng swallowed. ¡°Your Majesty, we have grave news. During the attack this morning the king¡­ was captured.¡±


    No. My blood ran cold. Why didn¡¯t I stop him? Because I thought the only people on the island were people we¡¯ve already beaten.


    I stepped out of my room, and started walking towards the entrance. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±


    Beng and the generals followed me. ¡°The King organized all of our troops for an assault on the enemy camp. However, we met a powerful band of enemies along the way. They called themselves Erlang and his brothers. The King engaged Erlang and they fought sixty rounds. The King¡¯s usual tricks didn¡¯t faze him, and they both grew massive to fight at full power. But they were too close to the troops and they panicked. Once the King realized his forces were routed, he tried to retreat using his shape shifting powers, but Erlang matched him. Finally, a net fell from the sky and ensnared him, and Erlang dragged him away.¡±


    We¡¯d reached the entrance. ¡°The heavenly troops?¡± I asked.


    Ba shook his head. ¡°They¡¯ve started to pull out of the island. They have what they came for after all.¡± A somber silence settled over them.


    ¡°Plan Z. I¡¯m going after Wukong, and neither of us might ever come back. I know the four of you will be good leaders to our people.¡±


    They raised a cry. Each of them spoke over each other, exclaiming none of them could possibly replace me or Wukong. I gave them a small smile.


    They really were loyal. And dependable. I was going to miss them.


    I raised my hand and they fell silent. ¡°I understand you¡¯re all worried, but I have to go after Wukong. He¡¯s my husband. And I know the odds of us coming back are slim. So please, don¡¯t ask me to stay. I know I¡¯m being cruel to you.¡±


    Ma huffed and shook himself. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare Your Majesty. But we shall wait for you and the king¡¯s return. For however long it takes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Working with you for all these years has been an honor.¡± I summoned my sword and stepped onto it.


    Beng had one final thing to say. ¡°Your Majesty, are you sure you don¡¯t need help? What is your plan to attack heaven?¡±


    ¡°No, its less risky if I go on my own. As for my plan,¡± I readied myself to blast off. ¡°I¡¯m going to burst their bubble.¡±

 Bubble Bursting

    I hovered on Lonely Moon, next to the bubble that separated heaven from the rest of the world. Okay, this should work.


    In theory.


    I pulled a small needle from my necklace. I controlled it using my chi. I looked back down at heaven. I¡¯d only get one shot at this.


    But I couldn¡¯t back down. I couldn¡¯t lose Wukong. Not after getting him back. I just couldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve already lost the rest of my family, and I wouldn¡¯t give up while there was hope.


    And if I died, at least I¡¯ll be reunited with him on Lunus.


    I tightened my focus. And began pouring chi into the needle.


    I summoned treasures and talismans from my necklace, and poured more and more chi into the needle. More. I needed more.


    I summoned chi gathering formations from my necklace and they gathered as much chi in a sphere a few li around me. I still needed more.


    I drew on my own chi reserves. I poured everything but the lowest amount of chi I¡¯d need to defend myself.


    I had nothing left. I just had to pray the tiny needle that hurt to look at with my chi vision was enough.


    I tasted blood in my mouth. My nose was bleeding.


    I summoned one defense talisman I left in reserve, and activated it. I took a deep breath.


    And hurled the needle into the bubble.


    For one titanic moment, the bubble rippled. Then it shattered.


    The turbulent chi inside rushed to the chi-less air outside, and the current nearly knocked me over. As the chi rushed out, I could see the people inside fainting from the sudden drop in chi. I didn¡¯t have long. The effect would wear off as they adjusted.


    I rushed inside. Wukong would be at the execution platform.


    I flew through heaven as the immortals laid like they were dead. There!


    They had him lashed to a Demon-Subduing pillar. He was knocked out too from the change in chi. I flew down, and looked at the ropes.


    They had a lot of chi. I used my sword to try and saw through them. Fuck! I didn¡¯t have enough chi left to get through them.


    I kept trying. I had to keep trying.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Wukong was waking up. He blinked at me. ¡°Yue?¡±


    I didn¡¯t speak. I kept trying to saw through the ropes.


    ¡°Yue, what are you doing here? You need to run!¡±


    ¡°No, I can get this. I know I can.¡±


    ¡°Yue, they can¡¯t kill me! They¡¯ve tried, and they can¡¯t figure out how! But you can die!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you here. We¡¯re going home together.¡± Tears began blotting my vision. This fucking rope!


    ¡°Yue, I¡¯ll be fine, but if you stay they¡¯ll kill you, and that¡¯s the one thing that will kill me! You need to run!¡± Wukong struggled against the ropes, but it was a fruitless endeavor. The soldiers and people around the execution platform began stirring.


    ¡°Gods damn it Yue! You should leave me! I¡¯ve never gave you anything but trouble anyway! Just go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain and enjoy life! Forget about me!¡±


    It was too late. I flashed my sword back into my necklace and made it invisible. I darted around front and kissed Wukong.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you! And you¡¯re not allowed to leave me either! You promised to never leave me alone again! We¡¯re in this together.¡±


    Wukong¡¯s eyes shimmered, even as the soldiers cried and ran up onto the platform. Soon, I was tied up too.


    The Evening Star groaned, and rubbed his forehead. The after effects of the massive chi migration I caused had clearly rattled everyone.


    He turned to the man next to him, who was still catching his breath. ¡°Your Majesty, are you alright?¡±


    Was this the Jade Emperor? I activated my chi sight.


    Hm. There was something different about him. It took a few minutes before I figured out what.


    He was creating chi. Well, all living creatures naturally created chi, but not at the rate this man was. He was constantly pumping out chi into the environment at an incredible rate.


    I think I was looking at the reason for heaven¡¯s high chi. The emperor looked around, and then at me with a furious expression. ¡°Did you do this?!¡± He took a step forward. ¡°Hundreds of thousands of years of work, all gone! Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    I bared my teeth at him. I really didn¡¯t care what I just did, but if I pissed him off I¡¯d do it again.


    ¡°Death! For both of them!¡± He screeched.


    Evening Star intervened. ¡°It shall be done sir, but perhaps we should address the people first. I¡¯m sure we all want to know what just happened.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The Emperor nodded and began issuing orders. It seemed my little bubble burst would cause quite a few problems.


    For now, the soldiers tied me up to another pillar. I stared out over the confused immortals. I wonder if they could tell they were aging again. A few still found it hard to breathe.


    It took a few hours until order was restored throughout heaven and the emperor and Evening Star returned, this time with a new man in tow.


    He was bald on top of his head, but long grey fur flopped around the back of his head. It looked nauseating.


    He nodded at us. ¡°I assure you sir, this plan shall work. And I¡¯ll get my pills back as well.¡±


    The emperor nodded and turned around. ¡°Bring it in!¡±


    Several immortals carried a large kind of metal pot with a symbol on it.


    They built a fire under it at the bald immortal¡¯s direction, and the pot began smoking. What were they doing?


    The immortal nodded. ¡°Alright, throw them in!¡±


    My eyes widened in shock. They were going to cook us? Alive? I¡¯d underestimated their cruelty.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Wukong cried out. ¡°Leave my wife out of this she only came to rescue me!¡±


    His cries went unheeded as the soldiers untied us from the pillars and brought us to the pot. They tossed Wukong in first, and he screeched in fury.


    ¡°If you throw her in here, I will kill all of you once I get out! I swear it!¡± His cries echoed as they tossed me into the dark pot.


    Ouch. I fell on top of Wukong. I looked up as they slowly put the lid on, the sky and all light disappearing.


    I squirmed off of Wukong. He stayed silent. I couldn¡¯t see him in the dark. ¡°Wukong?¡±


    He sniffled. Oh. He was crying.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yue. You were right. Just one mistake and they had me. And now you¡¯re going to die here, and I can¡¯t do anything to help.¡±


    I mean, the floor was hot, and the temperature was getting uncomfortable. But I wasn¡¯t out of tricks yet.


    ¡°Wukong, now who doesn¡¯t have any faith? I won¡¯t die that easily.¡±


    He sniffed. ¡°But you don¡¯t have any treasures on you. And I know you¡¯re weak.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m low on chi, yes, but who said I was out of treasures?¡±


    I activated my necklace into emergency mode. It took over my chi functions, regulating my temperature, purifying the air I breathed, and eliminated my need for food and water.


    It also activated a beacon that would tell my father and sister where I was, but that function was useless now. The only person I had left was in here with me.


    ¡°I activated my necklace. I¡¯ll be just fine. What about you? We can try and share my necklace.¡± It would reduce it¡¯s functionality, but I think it was doable.


    ¡°No, you keep it. As long as you¡¯re okay, I can deal with it. Just stay with me.¡±


    It was getting hotter. The ropes tying me up were beginning to burn. The smoke rose into the air.


    I fidgeted until they snapped. I blundered through the dark towards Wukong. I found him.


    I wrapped him in a hug from behind him. His ropes were burning off too.


    He was shaking. ¡°You should have left me to die. Now we¡¯ll share the same fate.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be okay Wukong. I don¡¯t know how, but we will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a terrible husband. All I¡¯ve ever done is hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You saved me from the in-between. I wasn¡¯t living before I met you. I died with my world. But you brought me back to life.¡±


    ¡°Then I left you, abandoned you for ten years. You should have rejected me then.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t. I decided to love you again. And you promised to never leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yue. I was too arrogant. You were right. All it took was one mistake. I routed my own army by transforming, and then I got too caught up in myself to notice the trap springing up around me. You should have left me to my fate. At least then you wouldn¡¯t have to share it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll always share our fate. We¡¯re married after all. Please, don¡¯t do this Wukong. We might fight sometimes, but I still love you. I¡¯d never leave you to die alone.¡±


    He sniffed then turned around and hugged me. ¡°Thanks for caring about an idiot like me Yue. Once we get out, I swear I¡¯ll kill everyone who decided to throw you in here with me. You don¡¯t deserve this.¡± He coughed.


    ¡°Save your strength. Let¡¯s just focus on getting through this together.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just smoke. I¡¯ll be fine. I love you Yue. You need to survive too. Then I¡¯ll save you. Just please don¡¯t die. That¡¯s the one thing I wouldn¡¯t be able to take.¡± He coughed again.


    ¡°Shhhh. Of course I¡¯ll survive. I¡¯m doing better than you! Just stay quiet and endure.¡±


    We both fell silent just held each other in the dark as it got hotter and hotter. Even my necklace had trouble keeping up, but I survived.


    Wukong had it worse than me. He kept sniffling and crying, unable to keep his eyes from watering because of the smoke. At least he stopped coughing.


    It took a long time. A very long time.


    But the heat began to drop. As the heat dropped, Wukong began to tense and look up. So did I.


    Finally, a crack of light.


    Wukong picked me up, and jumped out, slamming the lid out of the way.


    It caused an immortal to fall, the same one who threw us into the pot to begin with.


    There weren¡¯t as many immortals now, just a few soldiers. Wukong leapt to the ground and summoned Nimbus. He set me on it.


    ¡°Yue, are you okay? Did you get burned?¡± He looked me over, and I gasped. ¡°What!? Where are you hurt?! Talk to me Yue!¡±


    ¡°Wukong, your eyes¡­¡± I reached out and held his face still.


    His beautiful chocolate eyes. They were gone. Instead his eyes were a deep red, and his pupils were slitted and gold. His poor eyes. Did the smoke do this to them?


    He brushed my hands away. ¡°I¡¯m fine Yue. Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Better now that we were back out. I didn¡¯t have much chi left, but I¡¯d survive. Now that the chi was no longer smoke, I could absorb it more easily. I breathed in and out slowly, absorbing all the chi I could.


    ¡°Guards! Surround them!¡± The immortal shouted.


    Wukong''s face turned dark. ¡°Stay here Yue.¡±


    ¡°Wukong-¡°


    ¡°I have a vow to fulfill. Turn invisible.¡±


    ¡°Wukong no, let¡¯s just leave.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m ending this here and now. I won¡¯t let you be in danger again. Turn invisible.¡±


    I never heard him so serious before. I swallowed and activated my invisibility. It over took Nimbus, and Wukong floated it up into the air. And pulled out his staff.


    Destruction. That was the only word that came to mind as I watched Wukong rip the soldiers to shreds. He turned to the immortal, who was fleeing and chased after him.


    He was intercepted by more soldiers. The battle raged on. As more people showed up, the fiercer Wukong fought. I never seen anything like it. It was terrifying.


    This was Wukong? It couldn¡¯t be. My husband was sweet and mischievous. He wasn¡¯t a monster that tore into anything and everything around him.


    The skies grew dark, and storm clouds gathered all around us. More immortals appeared among the lightning. They all engaged him at once.


    Even then he couldn¡¯t be pacified. Wukong was really going to do it. He was going to kill everyone in heaven.


    He steadily fought his way to the Jade Palace and ripped down the gates. He charged in, flattening the army that poured from the palace.


    ¡°Wukong, no¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t war. This was a massacre. It was horrific, the air filled with lightning, the smell of blood, and the screams of the dying.


    I summoned my sword, still invisible and flew towards him. I had to stop this. Whatever heaven has done, no one deserved to be ruthlessly slaughtered like this.


    The wind battered me as I drew closer. I squinted, barely able to see. Where was Wukong? I needed to find him. I needed to stop him.


    Shit. I was losing control. My sword swayed under me, and I crashed into the cloud island below me.


    ¡°Wukong!¡± I cried out, my voice lost in the storm. ¡°Wukong, stop! Come here! Wukong!¡± I activated my chi sight, but it was no use. This storm was chi-empowered. The world just swirled in endless yellows around me.


    I deactivated my invisibility. ¡°Wukong!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t hear me. No one could hear me. There was only chaos.


    Then I heard the gentle sound of a bell.

 Buddha

    A bell rang through the air. Calm spread with it. The storm calmed and cleared, allowing me to see again.


    Wukong. He was just up ahead. He floated in the air, confronting the thunder immortals.


    But they were backing down. The glanced nervously between Wukong and the latest immortal who arrived.


    It was a human with shaved hair, he held a calm expression on his face as he descended from on high.


    I activated my chi sight and frowned. The man completely vanished from my vision. Didn¡¯t he have chi? Every living thing had chi. Yet he blended in perfectly well with the environmental chi.


    I switched back and looked back at Wukong. He seemed ready to attack him at any moment.


    ¡°Wukong!¡± I called out and Wukong snapped to me. He flew over.


    ¡°Yue, what are you doing? I told you to stay on Nimbus and stay invisible.¡±


    ¡°Wukong, we should leave. Now.¡± I was getting a very bad feeling from that man.


    The man floated towards us, and stared at me in particular with inquisitive eyes. Wukong bared his fangs at him and whispered. ¡°Buddha.¡±


    Buddha continued to stare me and finally said something. ¡°You¡¯re not from here are you?¡±


    He could tell? How? My grip tightened on Wukong and he growled again. ¡°Stay away from her.¡±


    Buddha¡¯s eyes went from me to Wukong. ¡°Tell me, what is it you desire?¡±


    ¡°Right now? The destruction of Heaven and the Jade Emperor.¡±


    Buddha sighed. ¡°I see not much has changed. I cannot just allow you to do as you please, as both the Jade Emperor and Heaven is important for the continued existence of this world. That is, unless you can best my challenge.¡±


    ¡°A challenge?¡± Wukong¡¯s eyes lit up.


    No. I opened my mouth to stop Wukong, but flinched and stayed quiet as Buddha stretched out his hand towards us, palm up.


    ¡°If you can jump from the palm of my hand, I shall let you do as you please.¡±


    Wukong looked like he was ready to take the challenge, but gave me a worried glance. I subtly shook my head, but the Buddha spoke up again, causing Wukong to look away.


    ¡°No harm shall come to her while you are away. Of that I guarantee.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re on.¡±


    ¡°Wukong no!¡± It was too late. Wukong had already jumped into his palm and launched himself skyward. I watched as he left my vision.


    I activated my chi sight and looked at Buddha again. He was somehow using chi, but not in a way I recognized. I had to figure out the trick.


    Fuck. I still couldn¡¯t see him manipulating any chi, but I felt that something was happening. Something was different. I just couldn¡¯t figure out what.


    I kneeled in front of Buddha. I didn¡¯t have time or power. Begging was the only option I had left. ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill him. He¡¯s not bad, just impulsive. Please spare him.¡±


    He smiled at me, his palm still outstretched. ¡°I never planned on killing him. While he needs to be punished, he can still be redeemed. But you are far more interesting to me child. The strings of fate are changing around you. I believe you shall breath new life into an age old tale.¡±


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a marble with his other hand. He held it out to me. ¡°Here. I believe this should be with you. I have faith you¡¯ll use it carefully.¡±


    I gently took the marble from him and activated my chi sight. And gasped.


    It was a snarl. An anchor point. Somehow packed into a tiny glass ball. I could form a portal with it.


    I looked back up at Buddha. ¡°Thank you, but¡­ I don¡¯t need this. Not anymore.¡±


    He offered another mysterious smile. ¡°You will. Now, stand back. Wukong will be returning shortly.¡±


    I flashed the anchor point into my necklace and scrambled back just in time for Wukong to come rocketing back onto Buddha¡¯s hand.


    He gave him a triumphant grin. ¡°I made it all the way to the pillars of the universe. Now stand aside so I can destroy the Jade Palace.¡±


    Buddha nodded. ¡°You did. And yet you did not leave my palm.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Wukong scoffed. ¡°Impossible! Are you unwilling to admit your loss?¡±


    ¡°No, I am enlightened, and am one with the universe. Look here, on my finger. Doesn¡¯t it look familiar?¡±


    ¡°On your finger?¡± Wukong looked down and stiffened. ¡°What? But¡­¡± He crouched down and sniffed.


    He turned pale. And jumped off his palm, summoned Nimbus, and grabbed me in a panic. He started flying away as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Wukong! What are you doing!?¡±We flew away from heaven at top speed, and in a flash we were back over human lands.


    ¡°You were right. We should have just ran.¡± His gaze remained focused ahead of him, but a dark shadow cast itself over us.


    A mountain. An entire mountain was over us.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Wukong picked me up and chucked me away, and I barely left the mountain shadow before it descended.


    ¡°Wukong!¡± I summoned my sword, and caught myself, then flew towards the mountain.


    He was crushed. No. Buddha said he would spare him. Was it because he ran?


    Tears began spilling. And a voice came from behind me.


    ¡°Worry not. Wukong is still alive.¡±


    I whirled around. Buddha. ¡°He is?¡±


    ¡°Go to a small clearing on the southern side of the mountain and wait. You shall see him shortly.¡± Buddha floated on his cloud towards the top of the mountain.


    A small clearing on the southern side. I flew down and searched the bottom of the mountain until I found it.


    I landed, and looked up at the mountain. It was tall. Very tall.


    Rumbling. And grunting. I looked back at the bottom, where the mountain cut into the ground at an unnatural angle. The ground was moving.


    A head popped out. Wukong. I ran towards him.


    I dropped to my knees just as he managed to free one of his hands.


    ¡°Wukong! You¡¯re alive!¡± I was so relieved.


    He looked up at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Yue! I¡¯ll be free in just a second! Let me just get¡­¡± He struggled with his other hand and it popped out too. ¡°Ahah! Now-ooooof!¡±


    Wukong¡¯s eyes went wide and he floundered with his hands. ¡°What the-it¡¯s so much heavier now! Why would it-¡° Wukong was silenced at he looked behind me and I spun around. Buddha. I supposed it was to be expected at this point.


    ¡°I placed a seal at the top of the mountain. Until I send someone to take it off, you are to remain trapped here.¡± Buddha¡¯s eyes fell to me. ¡°Understand?¡±


    I swallowed thickly. And bowed to him. ¡°I understand. Thank you for your mercy.¡± He was telling me I couldn¡¯t free Wukong myself. If we didn¡¯t want to risk his wrath, we would wait.


    He nodded. ¡°I will pray your punishment passes quickly. Until we meet again.¡±


    He vanished. He didn¡¯t fly off, didn¡¯t turn invisible. He just fucking vanished.


    I fell to my knees. I think I understood what mortals meant when they referred to a god now. A being so powerful you couldn¡¯t hope to resist. One you could only beg for mercy.


    ¡°Yue¡­¡± Wukong sniffed and I turned around. He looked up at me, looking more pitiful than I could ever remember before. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yue.¡±


    I shuffled over and placed his head in my lap. I closed my eyes and just ran my fingers through his fur. ¡°You¡¯re alive Wukong. That¡¯s what matters to me. We¡¯re both alive, and we¡¯re together.¡±


    ¡°Yue,¡± Wukong sniffed again. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve you Yue. I never have. You should leave me and go back to Flower-Fruit Mountain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll visit them later. For now, we can just stay together. I won¡¯t leave you Wukong. Even if we fight, or you make really really bad decisions, or even if you scare me by losing control. You¡¯re my family. My husband. And I love you.¡±


    ¡°I was so mad Yue. They tried to kill you, even when you did nothing wrong. I just wanted to make them pay. I felt horrible. I was horrible. I should have listened to you from the very beginning. Then none of this would have happened.¡±


    ¡°Shhh. I know Wukong. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure what I did to heaven was worse than what you did. You just insulted them. I destroyed one of the major things that made them heaven.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you did? What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Well, in order to rescue you, I popped the time bubble around heaven. Now the people who stay there won¡¯t be immortal anymore, time won¡¯t pass quickly, and they still didn¡¯t have it back up by the time we got out of the pot, so it¡¯s lasting.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± He sniffed, his tears winding down. ¡°So we got them good?¡±


    ¡°Between your rampage and my sabotage, I¡¯d say it¡¯ll take a long time for them to recover. So yeah.¡± I gave him a wicked grin. ¡°We gave as good as we got.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯ll teach them. Don¡¯t mess with the Suns!¡±


    ¡°Or you¡¯ll get burnt.¡± I finished our spontaneous family motto and we both chuckled.


    We stayed quiet for a few minutes. I was still trying to digest everything that happened. I think Wukong was too.


    He was trapped. He couldn¡¯t move from this spot under the mountain.


    ¡°What are we going to do now Yue? I know you said you wouldn¡¯t leave, but they need you back on Aolai. I know how important you are there. They can get along without me just fine, but you¡¯re different.¡±


    I patted him. ¡°I¡¯ll visit them to let them know what¡¯s going on. Tomorrow. And they can survive without me too. I only visited once a year in heaven after all. I prepared them for the possibility that neither of us might come back when I left. They¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll live here with you, and visit them every couple of weeks.¡±


    Wukong sighed. ¡°Yue, you don¡¯t have to punish yourself for me. You¡¯ll be better off on Flower-Fruit Mountain. You can live there and come visit me.¡±


    ¡°We both know you¡¯ll be too lonely. I will too. We¡¯ll miss each other too much. No, I¡¯ll fly some craftmonkeys here and they¡¯ll build me a house. Right into the side of the mountain, so you can be sheltered too. Then, I¡¯ll live here with you. We can wait for the person Buddha will send together.¡±


    ¡°I truly don¡¯t deserve you. You deserve someone better than me. Someone who doesn¡¯t drag you into trouble all the time. All I do is start wars and reach for things I don¡¯t need.¡±


    I ducked down and gave him a brief kiss. ¡°Then you¡¯ll just have to be someone better. Someone I can rely on, and who listens when his wife tells him something is a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°I will Yue. I promise, the moment I get out, things will be different. I¡¯m done with trying to impress heaven or chasing fame. All I need is you and our island to be happy.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Change doesn¡¯t happen overnight Wukong. It¡¯s hard to change. But I¡¯ll help you. And you shouldn¡¯t change too much. I think it¡¯s cute when you try to impress me.¡± I giggled as Wukong groaned.


    ¡°Cute isn¡¯t exactly what I was going for.¡± He snuggled his head deeper into my lap. ¡°I¡¯ll do it Yue. I will change. I¡¯ll become someone better, someone who deserves you. I swear it.¡±


    I continued to pet his head, and leaned up against the mountain, exhausted from everything we¡¯ve been through. ¡°I know you will Wukong. You¡¯re too stubborn to ever let me go, and I love you too much to ever leave you. Since you promised to make me happy, you have to become better. And you always fulfill your promises.¡± I yawned.


    ¡°Go to sleep Yue. I¡¯ll wake you if anything happens. You¡¯ve been through too much today.¡±


    ¡°Just for a bit.¡± I laid down, setting my head next to his. ¡°I love you Wukong.¡±


    ¡°I love you too Yue.¡±

 A Wild Monk Appears!

    Time passed quickly in the following weeks. I went back to Flower-Fruit Mountain and told them about everything that happened. I took supplies and monkeys back and forth until a small cabin was built around Wukong. I established a few groves of trees on the mountain so I¡¯d have an easy source of food nearby.


    Unfortunately, after that time passed slowly. Seasons changed, and I visited Flower-Fruit Mountain every few weeks, but it seemed like everything was running smoothly there.


    The research division continued to innovate, the agriculture division continued to grow, and the crafting division honed their skills.


    Heaven didn¡¯t make any more moves, so we cut the standing army, freeing up more monkeys to whatever pursuits they wished.


    Flower-Fruit Mountain entered a period of peaceful prosperity as it continued to grow. All I had to do was approve of any new initiatives proposed by the generals.


    For example, a standardized language, codified laws, and a new currency known as a chi coin. They all seemed like good ideas to me, so I approved them. The monkeys changed rapidly, resembling my old world more and more.


    I spent most of my time on Five Elements Mountain with Wukong. To help pass the time, I picked up a few tricks from humans.


    I traded them the fruits I grew on the mountain, and they gave me lessons and objects to help pass the time.


    How to sew, cook, carve, calligraphy, singing, dancing. While their attitudes towards monkeys could use work, I learned that most humans aren¡¯t that bad. They were just trying to survive, like everything else in this world. They were still gross though.


    Time continued to pass. Humans came and went. I finally mastered sewing and could now make myself new clothes. I passed these techniques on to Flower-Fruit Mountain resulting in a boom of clothed monkeys. Finally. It only took about three hundred and fifty years to get them to stop being naked.


    I learned to read and write in the language the humans used, and taught what I could to Wukong. But he kept mixing everything up, and he got frustrated easily. He could read basic sentences, but anything more complicated and he couldn¡¯t parse it.


    I spent a lot of time talking to Wukong. About anything. Everything. We laughed and joked. I fed him fruits I gathered, meals I cooked, and used him as a guinea pig for new recipes I wanted to try. I sat with his head in my lap, petting him for hours, comforting him.


    I learned to sing. I sang while I did chores around the cabin, while I cooked, sewed, or anything else I could sing while doing. I was rough at first, but my voice improved with time. Wukong said he loved it when I sang, even when I was off-key and my voice was pitchy when I started.


    Wukong taught me more about the world and Taoism, telling me about the master he learned under once I took an oath of secrecy. And how he was kicked out for showing off to the other students.


    Life went on. Seasons passed. I took up sword dancing again, something my father originally taught me. I remembered each step like they were engraved into my muscles. This world had sword-dancing too, and I took some time to learn about it, although the dance my father taught me was always my favorite.


    Me and Wukong celebrated our anniversary and the holidays of Flower-Fruit Mountain the best we could. I made sweets, something called moon cakes to celebrate the new year, and shared them with Wukong and our neighbors.


    Our life wasn¡¯t perfect. I wanted Wukong to hold me. I wanted us to both go home and live happily. But I refused to take the talisman off the top of the mountain. The memory of Buddha¡¯s power stuck in my mind. I wouldn¡¯t risk losing everything again.


    Not when what we had was good enough for now. And the promise of better in the future.


    It was a brisk spring day, and I was coming back from harvesting mushrooms and bamboo sprouts from the mountain. I was planning on using them to make a nice dish for dinner.


    I almost dropped the basket when I saw a woman immortal standing outside our door.


    I activated my chi vision, and saw that while she still had active chi, it was much smaller than even a normal person¡¯s. Similar to Buddha¡¯s.


    I set down my basket and bowed to her. ¡°I am Sun Yue, the Monkey Queen. What brings an honorable person like yourself to our humble cabin?¡± My heart hammered in my chest. Was Wukong finally going to be freed?


    She nodded to me. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you Sun Yue. I am Boddisattva Guanyin, and this is my disciple Muzha. I have a task to give your husband. May we come in?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t even noticed the familiar young man behind her. I nodded furiously, and opened the door for them. ¡°Of course. Please, come in, come in. Would you like something to eat or drink?¡±


    Muzha eyed the place suspiciously, but Guanyin simply smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, I am afraid we¡¯ve been given an urgent task from the Buddha and cannot stay for long. Is that Sun Wukong?¡±


    Wukong¡¯s eyes were wide and he practically vibrated as he watched Guanyin with anticipation. ¡°I am Sun Wukong. Were you sent by the Buddha?¡±


    ¡°I am Boddisattva Guanyin, and I was. I have been sent by the Buddha to find a mortal pilgrim to go west and receive the Tripitaka from Buddha, then bring it back east and teach the people of this land Buddhism. However, this journey shall be perilous and filled with many dangers, so I have been seeking out disciples to help the pilgrim on his way. Are you willing to take him as your master and accompany him on the journey to the west?¡±


    He nodded eagerly. ¡°I am! I so am! Just pop that talisman off the mountain and I¡¯ll get that monk west faster than you can blink!¡±


    Guanyin rolled her eyes and sighed. ¡°Something tells me you won¡¯t find it that easy. But I¡¯ll tell him about you and send him your way. He¡¯ll take the talisman off the mountain for you. Be patient and wait for him until then.¡±


    ¡°Um, Boddisattva Guanyin? Will I be allowed to accompany my husband on his journey?¡± Nerves that I wouldn¡¯t flitted in my stomach.


    But they turned to relief when she nodded. ¡°The Buddha said that if you wish to go along, you may. You won¡¯t be a disciple, just Wukong¡¯s wife. Will you be okay with that?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I nodded. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s perfectly fine!¡± As long as I could go and help keep Wukong on the straight and narrow.


    She smiled. ¡°Then we should be on our way. The sooner we find this pilgrim and start his journey, the sooner you will be freed.¡±


    I opened the door and let them out, and I watched them from the doorframe as they flew off. Once they were gone, I shut the door behind me.


    And squealed in delight. I jumped up and down, unable to contain my glee. ¡°Wukong! Did you hear that?! You¡¯re going to be freed!¡±


    He was practically vibrating from where he was in the rock. ¡°I am! And with one trip west on Nimbus, we can head home! I can¡¯t wait to get out so I can hold you again! And see everyone on the mountain! And run and jump and fly and-¡° He continued listing everything he wanted to do, but the last one was naughty and made me flush.


    ¡°Wukong!¡± I berated him and he laughed.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true! It¡¯s one of the things I¡¯ve missed the most being trapped under here! Watching you be incredible and beautiful every day but being unable to touch you is one of the most torturous things about this!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible.¡± I laughed. ¡°Oh! I collected some mushrooms and bamboo sprouts today. I left them outside. I¡¯ll make something special for dinner to celebrate. Wait here.¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha. That joke never gets old.¡± Wukong called out as I rushed out the door.


    This was it. Soon Wukong would be free and we could just be together again.


    The worst was behind us.


    I waited patiently for the next few weeks for the pilgrim. I started to prepare for Wukong¡¯s freedom, informing Flower-Fruit Mountain, sewing some new clothes for him from a tiger that tried to make its home on Five Elements Mountain, and packing up the cabin.


    A part of me was going to miss the cabin. It was our home for so long. But the memories would stay with us, and we could always make more.


    A few weeks went by in a flash. Everything was prepared. Now we just had to wait for the pilgrim¡¯s arrival.


    Finally, there was a knock at the door. I had been adding some flourishes to Wukong¡¯s outfit when I heard it, and immediately set it down and bounded over.


    I took a deep breath. And opened the door.


    Oh. It was just the hunter who lived a few li away with his wife.


    ¡°Um, Boquin? What are you doing all the way out here? Do you or your wife need help?¡± Our cabin was a little closer than the city, and I knew some basic chi healing.


    He shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m here to help out a monk who said he needed to come here. He helped me and my wife out of a tough spot, so it¡¯s the least I can do for him.¡±


    My heart hammered as a young man in a cassock peeked out behind him. He had a shaved bald head and had a fancy golden staff he clung to. His eyes darted here and there.


    That was a Buddhist monk all right. I smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting him. Thank you for bringing him here. I hope it wasn¡¯t any trouble.¡±


    Boquin shrugged. ¡°Well, I had to scare off a few demons. This kid is a magnet for trouble, so be warned. I even had to rescue him from being eaten when I first saw him. Just keep a close eye on him and make sure he doesn¡¯t wander off and he¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Will do. Oh! I¡¯m going to being moving soon, so you can take this cabin.¡±


    His eyes widened. ¡°Really? I¡¯m sad to see you go. It was nice to know you were out here if we ever needed any help. But I¡¯ll keep your cabin in good repair and use it on my hunting trips. If you ever want it back, just say the word.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m hoping that won¡¯t be necessary if this monk is who I think he is. Take care Boquin. Say goodbye to your wife for me!¡±


    He nodded and turned to leave. ¡°I will, you take care too Yue.¡± He trodded off, leaving the young monk behind with me.


    I smiled at him. ¡°Please, come in! Would you like something to eat or drink? I don¡¯t have much, but I have some tea and oranges.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. That sounds nice.¡± The young monk tenderly stepped in and looked around. His eyes were immediately drawn to Wukong, who was practically vibrating.


    ¡°You¡¯re here to free me right!?¡± Wukong excitedly shouted, and the monk leapt three feet into the air.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! DEMON!¡± The monk ran back out the door and down the mountain. Shit.


    I summoned my sword and flew after him. ¡°Wait! We¡¯re not demons!¡±


    ¡°THAT¡¯S SOMETHING A DEMON WOULD SAY!¡± The monk was not that fast. I got around him on my sword and hopped off.


    ¡°Whoa there! Let¡¯s just calm down. Didn¡¯t Guanyin tell you about us?¡±


    ¡°No! She just told me to head to this mountain! And go west! But I¡¯ve been almost eaten two times now. My guards were eaten, my horse was eaten and now you two are demons who must have tricked the huntsman somehow! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    I sighed. ¡°We¡¯re not demons, we¡¯re just monkeys. And Wukong is harmless! He¡¯s just excited to get out.¡±


    ¡°He has glowing red eyes!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that doesn¡¯t make him a demon does it? He can look a little scary, but I promise you he¡¯s quite friendly. Oh! Maybe you¡¯ll feel a bit calmer if we introduce ourselves.¡± I bowed to the monk. ¡°I am Sun Yue, wife of Sun Wukong, who you saw inside. Bodhisattva Guanyin instructed us to wait for you to free Wukong so you can take him as a disciple and we¡¯ll help you get west.¡±


    He paused in his panicking and bowed back. His politeness was stronger than his survival instincts.


    ¡°I am the Buddhist Monk Sangzang, but I have taken the name Tripitaka for this journey. It is nice to meet you.¡± He peeked up. ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat me right?¡±


    I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°No, just the opposite. We¡¯ll keep you from being eaten.¡±


    He chewed on his lip. ¡°Okay. I apologize for my rudeness. My journey hasn¡¯t been easy and my nerves are on edge.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯m sure someone who¡¯s been on the road for a long time would be nervous meeting strangers.¡±


    ¡°I started out two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Two days? A demon tried to eat him for each day he¡¯s been on the road? ¡°Uh, please, come in. Let me get that tea for you. I¡¯m sure it will help calm your nerves.¡±


    I led him back inside the way one might lead a timid horse who might bolt at any second. I shot Wukong a look to keep quiet and started warming a pot of water using a talisman.


    I fixed him a cup, poured one for myself, and set a bowl full of oranges on the table between us. I offered him a friendly smile.


    ¡°Now, Tripitaka right?¡±


    He took a long sip of tea and sighed. ¡°Yes, at least for the time being.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Of course. Of course. Now my husband has been trapped under this mountain by the Buddha as a punishment for causing trouble in heaven. Guanyin said you would free my husband by removing the talisman at the top, and in exchange he¡¯d become your disciple and help you get west. Evidently, she didn¡¯t tell you about our arrangement, but would you still be willing to go through with it?¡±


    ¡°I, um, I suppose so. It¡¯s clear you were expecting me, so the Boddisattva must have visited you.¡± Tripitaka took an orange from the bowl and began peeling it.


    Good. Now that we cleared up that misunderstanding, we could move on to business. ¡°Great! Once you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll fly you to the top on my sword, and you can take it off, then Wukong can fly you to pick up the scriptures and bring them back to the eastern lands.¡±


    Trip looked up at me. ¡°I can¡¯t fly.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well, I mean, I figured, most people can¡¯t, but we can so we can just take you with us.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No. Guanyin said that was the one rule Buddha had for the journey. No one can fly me there, or take me to the western heaven by magical means. I have to use mundane means to get there. No flying, no magical travel, just by feet, horse, or boat.¡±


    Fuck. This was going to take a lot longer than I thought. My mind whirled and I shared a look with Wukong who looked equally incredulous. Why the hell would the Buddha make this so much more difficult?


    ¡°O-Okay. I guess I¡¯ll just take you up the mountain by foot then. It might take a few days though. I¡¯ll, uh, I¡¯ll get packed.¡±


    Shit. I might have to make a trip to Flower-Fruit Mountain to get supplies. I only had the barest necessities in the cabin because I thought we¡¯d be leaving soon.


    I grouped together what I did have. I think it was enough to get us there. I might have to make a quick trip to get enough to get us down though.


    Once I packed a bag, Trip seemed done eating. He stood up.


    ¡°Um. If we run into any demons, you¡¯re strong enough to protect us right?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t run into any. Everyone around here knows this mountain belongs to me and my husband. We don¡¯t take kindly to trespassers.¡±


    Okay, I had all the necessary supplies in my necklace, and I packed a bag full of food for the trip. Just one last thing.


    I knelt down in front of Wukong. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon Wukong. Your clothes are right there on the chair. Once we free you, come to the top of the mountain. We¡¯ll wait for you there.¡±


    He gave a slight purr as he rubbed my nose with his. ¡°I love you Yue. Stay safe and hurry.¡±


    I reluctantly backed away and shifted the bag of food onto my back.


    ¡°Okay. Are you ready to go Tripitaka?¡±


    He had been watching me and Wukong with a curious expression, but he snapped out of it and nodded. ¡°Yes. I am ready to continue my journey.¡±


    We set off.

 Five Elements Mountain

    A few hours later and we haven¡¯t made much progress. Tripitaka needed a lot of breaks. He sat there, panting on a rock trying to catch his breath, and I sighed as I looked at the setting sun.


    ¡°There¡¯s a place we can camp just a little farther up. Do you think you can make it?¡± I asked.


    He nodded and stood up, even though he was still out of breath. He was a trooper at least. He hasn¡¯t complained once even though the hike was clearly hard on him.


    We hiked up for another li before we made it to the spot I had in mind. I began building a fire as Tripitaka collapsed on the ground.


    I set a small tripod over the fire with a pot pulled from my necklace. I started preparing ingredients and letting them bubble in the water I summoned from the air.


    The smell of the vegetable stew I was making stirred Tripitaka from his death, and he stiffly walked over and sat, staring at the stew, drooling.


    I chuckled. ¡°Just a few more minutes. The vegetables need to cook through. You¡¯re a vegetarian? Most Buddhist monks are right?¡±


    He wiped his mouth. ¡°Yes, and thank you. I couldn¡¯t eat at the huntsman¡¯s house because they only had meat available.¡±


    ¡°Wait, when¡¯s the last time you ate?¡±


    ¡°Um. Yesterday morning. I had some rice cakes from the saddlebag on the horse before we were attacked.¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°What!? Why didn¡¯t you say something?! I could have made you something better at the cabin!¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°Suffering is a part of the journey. I endure to prove my faith and achieve enlightenment.¡±


    ¡°While suffering is a part of the journey, that doesn¡¯t mean you should go out of your way to find it. We would have made much better time today if you weren¡¯t half-starved. Here.¡± I poured out a bowl and handed it to him with a wooden spoon. ¡°Eat all of this, and another bowl. I¡¯ll fix more in the morning, so don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you so much ma¡¯am. You¡¯re very kind.¡± He began shoveling in the stew, barely letting it cool. He opened his mouth in shock and blew on it and tried to stop burning himself.


    I laughed at his antics. ¡°When you get hungry, speak up. We¡¯ll have a much easier time if you¡¯re not about to faint. And you don¡¯t need to thank me. I¡¯ll be coming with you on your journey, so this is just me doing my part.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me? Not just Sun Wukong?¡± He¡¯d slowed down, and was properly cooling down his stew before taking a bite.


    ¡°Of course! Wukong is my husband. Where he goes, I go.¡±


    ¡°I did think the two of you were close at the cabin. But this journey will be dangerous. Are you certain a lady such as yourself can handle it?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°You do realize I¡¯m an immortal right? I¡¯m much stronger than you. If you can get through this journey alive, then I think I¡¯ll be just fine.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± He went to take another bite, but his spoon scraped against the empty bottom. He looked up at me with wide innocent eyes and I laughed again.


    He reminded me a little of my old friend Luvouse. So innocently curious and a little dopey. I took his bowl and refilled it again.


    ¡°Here. Remember, it¡¯s hot.¡±


    He nodded and took caution from the start, cooling down each bite. I ate the rest of my first bowl and pulled out a pear to munch on while Trip finished up.


    He ate another bowl, which polished off the stew, and I cleaned up the remains.


    There wasn¡¯t a tent, so I pulled some old clothes out of my necklace for us to sleep on.


    I made up our little makeshift beds, thankful it didn¡¯t look like rain. I¡¯d have to add tents to the list of supplies we¡¯d need when I visited Flower-Fruit Mountain.


    ¡°Thank you Sun Yue. Your thoughtfulness is very kind.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I waved him off. ¡°Please, call me Yue. It¡¯s not right for you to address me so formally when you call my husband by his given name.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure he won¡¯t mind? We¡¯re already alone together on this mountain. A man and a woman can¡¯t be just friends.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll never understand humans. Ever. I¡¯m not a woman. A woman refers to a female human. I¡¯m a female monkey. The closest term for my gender in your language is ¡®lady¡¯. And no offense, but I couldn¡¯t be less interested in you or any other human if I tried. You can bring your concerns referring to infidelity up when there¡¯s a male monkey other than Wukong around.¡± Even then, I didn¡¯t want them. Wukong was already plenty for me, and he trusted me to stay true to him just as I trusted him.


    ¡°Ah. My apologies. I didn¡¯t mean to offend. Very well, I shall call you by your given name. Yue.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Thank you. Now let¡¯s get some rest. We need to start off early tomorrow to make up for the time we lost today.¡±


    I settled into the clothes, curling up in my dress though it was a little uncomfortable. I wasn¡¯t going to take it off out in the open like this. Nudity was one thing I agreed with the humans on. It was to be kept in private.


    ¡°Thank you again. And goodnight Yue."


    The next morning started early, right as the sun peeked over the horizon. I made some more food as Trip offered prayers and meditated. Once he was finished, we ate and started off again.


    We made much better time today. We were nearing the peak when the sun began to dip lower and lower. I wanted to push ahead as quickly as possible, but I knew it would be a lot riskier in the dark. So while I wanted to free Wukong, it was better to wait.


    I made some more stew, grimacing at our depleted stocks. After we freed Wukong tomorrow, I¡¯d have to fly to Flower-Fruit Mountain to get everything we¡¯d need. Another bag for Wukong, clothes for him, tents, food, more cooking utensils, and sewing supplies. Then I could give everyone the good and bad news. Good news, Wukong was free. Bad news, it was going to be a while longer before we could come home.


    I sighed and shook my head. No point in getting mad over it. It was what it was. Plus, it couldn¡¯t take that long right? Tripitaka was a regular mortal who aged normally. At most this trip could take a human lifetime. That was less than a century!


    I flashed the bowl into my hands and poured some rice and veggies into it. I handed it off to Tripitaka who was drooling again. ¡°Be careful. It¡¯s hot.¡±


    I added some meat to mine and began munching away. Clouds were beginning to gather, but hopefully it wouldn¡¯t lead to rain.


    ¡°Hm? Yue are you not vegetarian?¡±


    I looked at Trip, my train of thought breaking. ¡°Huh? Oh, no. I enjoy fruits and veggies, but I also like a little meat to balance out my meals.¡±


    He seemed confused. ¡°Then, are you not Buddhist? I assumed since your husband was becoming my disciple, you would convert too.¡±


    ¡°Oh. No. Not at all. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t plan on converting to Buddhism. I already have another faith, and it¡¯s quite important to me.¡± Lunus, the moon of my old world flashed through my mind, along with the small temples where we left offerings for those we loved who passed on.


    ¡°Ah, my apologies again. I hope you aren¡¯t upset by your husband converting.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°Not at all. We never had the same faith, and couples with different faiths happened a lot where I come from.¡± The country I lived in was a haven for such people. They escaped the prejudice of their old countries to be together there. Luvouse¡¯s parents were like that.


    ¡°Really? That sounds quite unusual to me. Isn¡¯t it only natural a husband and a wife share a faith?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°What exactly is natural about it? As long as they love and care for each other, aren¡¯t they married? Faith isn¡¯t something you can share. It¡¯s personal to every individual. So it seems to me you can marry someone even if they don¡¯t believe the same things. What matters is you respect each other¡¯s faith, and support them in their worship.¡±


    He paused in his eating and stared deeply into the fire. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought about it that way before.¡± He took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. ¡°But isn¡¯t it a woman¡¯s duty to serve her husband? Does that mean she should convert to his religion too?¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Let me remind you I¡¯m not a woman. I¡¯m a lady. And while I love Wukong deeply, I don¡¯t serve him. I support him. I¡¯m out here with you because he needs me, just like I know he¡¯ll be there for me when I need him. We¡¯re partners, not a master and his servant. Also, like I said, faith is deeply personal. If a woman abandons her faith to be with someone she loves, is that true conversion? Or did she just give up a piece of herself to make room for another?¡±


    He took the last bite and swallowed, but continued staring into the flames. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to meditate on it. Thank you for discussing it with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Hmm. Usually these sorts of discussions turned into arguments. But Trip seemed to be truly thinking things over and deciding for himself. I think I was beginning to understand why Buddha said no flying.


    Buddha didn¡¯t just want the scriptures in the eastern lands. He wanted someone to teach them. Someone willing to take new ideas into account and think for themselves before forming opinions. This journey was meant to turn Trip into that sort of person. And it seemed Guanyin chose well.


    ¡°Well, thank you for listening to me. If you ever want to discuss things again I¡¯d be happy to talk with you. I¡¯ll even tell you about my own faith and beliefs.¡±


    His eyes sharpened. ¡°You will?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. But not tonight. It¡¯s getting late and we need to clean up. But we¡¯ll have plenty of time while we¡¯re on the road.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve only been taught the basics of theological debate, but I¡¯ll do my best to keep up with you.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Well, you know more than me then! Here, give me your bowl and I¡¯ll clean them off. Let me get the clothes out and you can get them ready for us to sleep.¡±


    We went about our separate chores, and I smiled. I liked Trip. He was nice. Maybe this journey wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all. I haven¡¯t seen much of the world or met many people besides the monkeys on Flower-Fruit Mountain. Maybe it was time to change that.

 The First Disciple is Captured!

    The next day we started off early again and made it to the top about mid-morning.


    Tripitaka was catching his breath, sitting on a rock while I inspected the talisman adhered to the rock that jutted out of the top of the mountain.


    I had it figured out. Somehow, the talisman redirected all of the chi in the mountain to suppress Wukong. So instead of Wukong just dealing with a mountain spread over a wide area, it was like he was dealing with a mountain¡¯s worth of weight sitting squarely on top of him.


    I also figured out it reacted to the sort of slowly circulating chi Buddhists use. I could mimic it to take it off, but I promised Buddha I¡¯d wait until his chosen person took it off. I waited for Trip, who finally caught his breath and stood up.


    ¡°Okay. I just need to rip it off?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait for Wukong to come. I told him to meet us at the top here.¡±


    He nodded and reached for the talisman. I held my breath as he managed to wiggle his fingernail under it, then he tore it off with one smooth motion.


    Nothing. Then a rumble.


    Wukong was out. I looked down the mountain, certain a little flying cloud would come zipping towards us any moment now.


    Sure enough, just two minutes later I saw one little cloud zipping towards us with one happy monkey on top.


    I cheered as Wukong got closer, and he jumped off at the top and picked me up and swung me around.


    ¡°Yue! I¡¯m free! Gods I¡¯ve missed you.¡± He pulled me into a tight hug, which I returned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too.¡± I sniffed, tears of happiness forming. He was out. We were hugging. All was right with the world.


    He pulled away just enough to give me a kiss. A deep one.


    A throat clearing reminded me we weren¡¯t the only ones up here and I elbowed Wukong away. Yep. One very embarrassed Buddhist monk was trying to look everywhere but at us.


    ¡°Not now. Wukong. Later.¡±


    He looked up at Tripitaka and sighed. ¡°Fine. Later.¡±


    With one last squeeze he let me go and turned towards Tripitaka. He bowed, and punched his hands together in a symbol for respect.


    ¡°Disciple greets Master! Thank you for freeing me, Master! What are your orders?¡±


    Tripitaka seemed taken aback. ¡°Um, well, I guess we should head back down the mountain and continue west. Does that sound good to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master! Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll protect you from anything that wants to eat you!¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± I interjected. ¡°We need more supplies. I was planning to make a trip to Flower-Fruit Mountain to pick some up. You two can get started on your journey, and I¡¯ll catch up to you.¡±


    Trip looked worried. ¡°Um, will you be able to find us again on the road?¡±


    I tapped my bracelet. ¡°As long as Wukong is wearing the bracelet that matches this one, I can find you. I¡¯ll be back before you set up camp for tonight. And Wukong.¡±


    ¡°Yes Yue?¡± He gave me a broad grin.


    ¡°Be good.¡±


    He laughed. ¡°Of course Yue! I¡¯m a changed man now!¡±


    Sure he was. I gave them both one last look before summoning my sword and flying off.


    It was only for a few hours. What could Wukong possibly do?


    My resupply at Flower-Fruit Mountain went better than I hoped. The generals accepted we¡¯d be gone longer than we hoped without much fuss, and offered me several treasures and talismans that would be helpful for a long journey like ours.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    My necklace and bag were packed full. Which was good because I wasn¡¯t sure when we¡¯d be able to make it back. It already took a couple hours to fly to the mountain, and then a few hours back. It would only take longer the farther west we got. We¡¯d have to find supplies and food along the way.


    But I had all the basics now. Everything I¡¯d need for cooking, mending, and camping. I just had to get back to Wukong and Trip.


    As I passed over the human lands, I checked Wukong¡¯s bracelet location. And frowned.


    It was a lot further east than I thought it¡¯d be. Even further east than Five Elements Mountain, which was their starting point. Did they get the directions mixed up or something?


    I followed his signal until I saw a little floating cloud with a sullen monkey on it. I sighed and flew over and landed on Nimbus with Wukong.


    ¡°What happened? Did Trip get eaten?¡±


    Wukong glanced towards me, suddenly furious. ¡°You won¡¯t believe it Yue! I picked him up and ran with him down the mountain, but he shouted for me to stop! Then I had to follow him as he walked slowly on the road! A bunch of bandits sprang out and tried to rob us, so I killed them, and he was mad at me over it. He was so ungrateful and he called me a murderer!¡±


    ¡°He did?¡± I sort of agreed with Wukong here. If the bandits attacked first, then they were the aggressors, and should accept the fact they were risking their lives. Wukong defended himself and his master. That they died was simply the outcome of the risk they took.


    ¡°I know right? So I jumped on Nimbus and flew off. I was so mad at him.¡±


    I sighed and sat next to him. ¡°While I agree he should be somewhat grateful for you saving his life, humans don¡¯t like killing other humans. Even if they attack first.¡±


    ¡°But why? It¡¯s stupid!¡±


    ¡°I know. But you¡¯re Buddhist now too, and Buddhists are supposed to be peaceful. Maybe you should have stopped at just scaring them off.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re agreeing with him.¡± He turned away from me.


    ¡°Wukong, we both knew this wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Are you going to quit at the first hurdle because your master yelled at you?¡±


    He growled. ¡°No! I¡¯m just mad is all.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can be mad while we find Tripitaka. It¡¯s going to get dark soon and I don¡¯t want him getting almost eaten a third time.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Fine. I left him a little past Five Elements Mountain.¡± Nimbus reluctantly moved forward and we headed to where Wukong left Trip.


    We went slowly, and I kept my eye on the road until I spotted him.


    ¡°Over there! Near the smoke!¡± I pointed.


    Wukong set us down to where Trip was burning the bodies of the bandits, tears leaking down his face.


    I jumped off Nimbus and started helping without a word. It was clear Trip didn¡¯t want to talk right now.


    Wukong helped too, and soon we had the bodies built into a pyre. Trip offered a prayer for their souls as smoke rose in the sky.


    He turned back to Wukong with a hard look on his face. ¡°Well?¡±


    Wukong took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± His apology lasted two seconds before he added on ¡°For saving you from those bandits!¡±


    ¡°Wukong!¡±


    ¡°What it¡¯s true! They attacked us!¡±


    ¡°Your Master is upset! You should offer a sincere apology!¡± Why was he so impossible sometimes?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Yue. I expected this.¡± I turned back to Trip and he pulled some clothes out of his bag, including a golden circlet. ¡°Here, this is for you Wukong.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Wukong seemed taken aback for a moment, but then he smiled. ¡°Oh! I get it! You¡¯re offering me these as an apology for yelling at me right? I accept!¡±


    I didn¡¯t think that¡¯s what this was. My eyes swept between Trip and Wukong as Wukong put on the clothes.


    They looked good on him. But it seemed awfully high-quality for a gift from a mortal. I activated my chi sight.


    Wukong was putting the circlet on. I shouted. ¡°Wukong! Stop!¡±


    Too late. The moment the circlet was on his head Trip began whispering, and Wukong started screaming. He tried to tear the circlet off, but it seemed welded to his head.


    Or more specifically his chi. The circlet somehow bonded with the chi inside him in a way I didn¡¯t understand. I didn¡¯t know how to get it off.


    I turned to Trip, who continued chanting, and pushed him down.


    He stopped his chant and looked up at me while tears filled my eyes.


    ¡°Stop it! Stop hurting him! We trusted you! He was only trying to help!¡±


    ¡°Yue¡­¡± Guilt filled his eyes for a moment before they turned to the still-smoldering pile of bodies. ¡°He went too far. This can¡¯t be justified. Most of those bandits tried to run and he hunted them down and slaughtered them. He needs to be punished.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he does, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to hurt him like this.¡±


    ¡°No. Being his master does. It¡¯s my job to control him while he¡¯s on this journey so he doesn¡¯t give into his impulses. I¡¯m sorry Yue, but I need to punish him so he doesn¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± I choked out. ¡°But just know that if you control someone through force then they¡¯re not your disciple. They¡¯re your slave. I expected more from you.¡±


    He looked like I slapped him and I turned back to Wukong. He¡¯d stopped screaming in pain when I pushed Tripitaka down. I knelt down next to him as he whimpered.


    ¡°Wukong? Are you okay? Is there something I can do to help?¡± I looked him over with chi sight. There didn¡¯t seem to be any permanent damage.


    ¡°Yue, I can¡¯t get it off. Can you¡­¡± His face fell as I shook my head. I had no idea how the circlet blended with his chi. If I took it off without knowing what I was doing, I could seriously hurt him.


    His face fell and he whimpered again. ¡°It was awful Yue. I never felt anything like that. Even your vow wasn¡¯t as painful. It was like my head was splitting open.¡±


    I patted Wukong to comfort him. ¡°It¡¯s okay Wukong. I got him to stop. We just need to be careful so it doesn¡¯t happen again. Can you stand?¡±


    He took a shuddery breath and nodded. He stood up with a little help from me, glared at Trip, who flinched and looked away again.


    We started west again in complete silence. Wukong and I rode on Nimbus while Tripitaka walked. Neither of us said a word to him.


    That was the status quo for the next few days. Until we reached the river.

 The Incredible! The Adorable! The Ao Lie!

    The river was wide, and the waters rushed through in rapids. We couldn¡¯t swim across, or more specifically, Tripitaka couldn¡¯t swim across.


    I sighed as I looked out over it and back at Tripitaka. ¡°I might have something that can help.¡±


    I tapped into my chi, and used it to control the water. Lunus this was hard.


    I pulled the water out of the river under the eyes of Wukong and Trip. And formed a bridge.


    Okay, now I needed to increase the tension until it can hold Trip¡¯s weight. I tightened my focus. Just a little more¡­


    ¡°Okay. You should be able to cross now. But hurry.¡±


    Trip gave me a look that said he thought I was crazy, but took a cautious step onto the bridge. He looked amazed as it held his weight. He went to take another step, but froze.


    There was a roar, and an enormous snake-like being broke through the water, and right through my bridge which splashed back into the water as my focus shattered.


    Wukong pulled Trip back onto dry land just in time, and threw him behind him as he raised his staff to defend against the dragon.


    Wukong fought the beast back, and prepared to end it, but the dragon retreated back into the water.


    Wukong screeched in frustration. ¡°Get back here you shitty lizard!¡± He screamed more profanities at the water as I rubbed my temples.


    ¡°Wukong, stop that. It¡¯s not coming back so you can kill it. And we can¡¯t cross while it¡¯s here. We need to figure something out. Let¡¯s set up camp.¡±


    He growled at the water one more time before turning back. ¡°Fine.¡±


    I sighed and brought out the tents. This journey was beginning to get to all of us.


    It wasn¡¯t just the silence of the past few days. Well, it was a big part of it.


    It was also the fact that Wukong wouldn¡¯t let go of his stupid pride. He always thought he was right about everything. I knew he was frustrated because of his circlet, but still, it was hard to travel with him like this.


    Something had to change. Both between us, and between him and Trip, because he was seriously starting to look depressed.


    I built a fire and we sat around it, Wukong and I together and Tripitaka on the other side.


    I looked between the two of them and sighed. This wasn¡¯t going to be pleasant. ¡°Any ideas on how to get past the dragon?¡±


    Wukong shrugged. ¡°I say we bait the dragon out so I can kill it. Then we can lay it¡¯s body across the river and get across.¡±


    Trip shook his head. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t kill it. It¡¯s just trying to to defend it¡¯s territory. It¡¯s innocent.¡±


    ¡°Of course you¡¯d say that. But guess what? We still have to invade it¡¯s territory to get across, so unless you have any actual solutions, why don¡¯t you stay quiet.¡±


    Trip frowned at Wukong¡¯s aggressive rebuke. ¡°Maybe instead of fighting it, we can try to talk with it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, it seemed real interested in talking just now didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe if you didn¡¯t immediately attack it, it would have! It¡¯s a better idea than baiting it out so it can just dive under again when you try to kill it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, here we go again. Wukong, how dare you save my life? Wukong, don¡¯t you dare defend me from something when it tries to eat me! Wukong! How dare you kill something that tried to kill us first!¡±


    ¡°Wukong!¡± Tripitaka was standing now and yelling. Wukong stood up too.


    ¡°Oh, what? Did I do something you don¡¯t like? Are you going to ¡®punish¡¯ me again?¡±


    ¡°Both of you, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!¡± I stood in between them and stared them both down. Wukong was the first to sullenly sit back down, and Trip glumly followed. ¡°You¡¯re both behaving like insufferable children right now. Here¡¯s our plan.¡± I pointed at Wukong. ¡°You fly off and find Guanyin. She wouldn¡¯t send us on an impossible journey, so she has to know a way we can get through. I¡¯ll stay here and protect Tripitaka until you get back. Got it?¡±


    He grumbled. ¡°Got it.¡± He summoned Nimbus and hopped on. He rose up and flew away. I watched until he was out of sight, and then sighed.


    I looked back at Trip. His depression seemed to have reached it¡¯s maximum level. I sat back down.


    ¡°You can¡¯t argue with Wukong. You¡¯re just stooping down to his level, and he¡¯ll never admit you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to punish him! But he keeps fighting with me on everything. I¡¯m supposed to be his master! How can I teach him anything if he doesn¡¯t listen to me?¡± Trip broke a stick and angrily tossed it into the fire. It was the closest I¡¯ve seen him get to actually hurting something in anger.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    No matter how frustrated he got with Wukong, he didn¡¯t punish him again. It seemed he meant what he said about wanting to teach Wukong too.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not happy with you either. And while I agree you need a way to control Wukong the way you went about it wasn¡¯t right. You basically tricked him into putting the circlet on. Why didn¡¯t you just talk to him about it? He might have put it on willingly.¡±


    Trip snorted. ¡°Really? You think he would have put on a circlet that hurt him whenever I want it to willingly?¡±


    ¡°Maybe? He¡¯s done stupider things. And before all this, he was serious about taking you as his master. Despite how he¡¯s been acting the last few days, he really does want to change. He wants to be better. But he won¡¯t learn if he feels like you¡¯re forcing him to learn, like trapping him with a circlet that hurts him whenever you want it to.¡±


    Trip sighed. ¡°Well, what do you suggest? Should I take it off? I won¡¯t have a way to control him then.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying you need to come to some sort of agreement. Establish some boundaries on when you can and can¡¯t use the circlet. Once Wukong feels like he has some control, he¡¯ll work with you and not against you. But you¡¯ll have to show a lot of patience with him.¡±


    Trip sighed. ¡°Okay. Its worth a shot. And Yue¡­¡± he trailed off, and buried his head between his knees.


    ¡°Trip? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°You, you don¡¯t really think I¡¯m like a slaver right?¡± His voice cracked, and I heard the layers of thick emotion and guilt underneath. What I said back when Wukong put his circlet on must have really gotten to him.


    ¡°Oh Trip.¡± I walked around the campfire and pulled him into a hug. ¡°I don¡¯t. I think you could have done better. But it was a difficult situation for all of us. You just want what¡¯s best for Wukong, even if we disagree on the methods. I won¡¯t apologize for what I said, but just know I still think you¡¯re a good person. You¡¯re not a slaver. You¡¯re nowhere close.¡±


    Trip cried as I gave him a shoulder the cry on. I patted his back. Wow, he was crying really loudly.


    Wait. That wasn¡¯t Trip crying. My eyes widened and I whirled around to see the dragon was back.


    It stared at us with tear-filled eyes as it sobbed. ¡°That-that was the sweetest thing I¡¯ve ever seeeeeeeeen.¡±


    It sounded female and she threw her head back and cried some more.


    ¡°Uh.¡± I pulled some large scrap cloths from my necklace. ¡°Would you like this to dry your tears?¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± She gently took the cloth from my hands with her short arms, then brought her nose down and blew into it.


    She then tried to hand it back to me. I pinched it, careful to keep it away from me and threw it directly into the fire.


    She seemed calmer now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just, the two of you were so moving. The way he was so devastated at something you said, and the way you comforted him without even apologizing, but it was clear you still cared about him. It was all just so sweet. It made me wish I could have a conversation like that with my dad, although I know that will never happen. I¡¯m sorry for trying to eat you earlier. Can we start over? You seem like really good people.¡±


    Wow, she talked fast. ¡°Um, well, sure! I¡¯m Yue, and this is Tripitaka. We¡¯re on a journey for the Buddha to collect scriptures from the west and bring them back east.¡±


    Her eyes widened. ¡°Wait. Waitwaitwaitwait. You¡¯re the super special monk on a journey? Did Guanyin send you?¡±


    Trip nodded. ¡°Uh, yes. She did give me this cassock and staff and told me about everything. She¡¯s also saved my life a few times.¡±


    ¡°Ooooooooooh. So, I¡¯m like, really sorry now. You see, Guanyin saved me from execution. She brought me here and told me to wait for the super special monk on a journey to come through here. But it¡¯s been a while, and a lot of other people who weren¡¯t you have come by, and I was getting really hungry waiting. I¡¯m like super-duper-ultra-mega-sorry. Can you please forgive me and let me come with you?¡±


    Trip looked at me, flabbergasted. Well, I didn¡¯t know what to tell him. I was just as flabbergasted as him.


    ¡°Ah! Guys, look out!¡± Fuck, my husband had the worst timing.


    He flew between us and the dragon with his staff flying. It smacked the dragon between her eyes and she roared. She and Wukong resumed their battle now twice as fierce as before.


    Guanyin floated down next to us and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this. I didn¡¯t think the other disciples would do this sort of thing. Wukong! Stop fighting the nice dragon! And Ao Lie! Who said you could eat people while you were waiting for the pilgrim!¡±


    ¡°What? But she tried to eat us!¡± Wukong gave another swipe at the dragon, Ao Lie apparently.


    ¡°Wukong!¡± Guanyin gave him a tone that said one more swipe and he¡¯d be finished.


    He growled and backed off. He flew over by me and hopped off Nimbus with a sour look on his face.


    Ao Lie was a lot more sheepish. She swam over. ¡°Oh, gods, I¡¯m so sorry Guanyin, you have no idea. I¡¯ve just been waiting for a long time, and I got really hungry because dragon form takes a lot of energy you know? And I just wanted a taste really, I swear I haven¡¯t eaten anyone else, I promise.¡±


    Guanyin held up her hand to stop Lie¡¯s tirade and sighed. ¡°Just help these nice people across the river and on their journey okay? Do you remember what we discussed?¡±


    Lie nodded eagerly. ¡°Of course! Hop on board folks, I¡¯ll get you to the other side faster than you can say zamblooey!¡± Lie brought her long body up to the bank, easily moving through the rapids.


    Wukong walked towards Lie, and I turned to Guanyin before following him. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    She waved me off. ¡°It looked like you already had everything figured out by the time I arrived. Oh, but I should warn you. There are two more disciples up ahead, named Wuneng and Wujing. If you tell them those names, they¡¯ll know I¡¯m the one who sent you and they¡¯ll aid you on your journey. If you find yourself blocked, you¡¯ll likely find them nearby, willing to help.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Got it. Thanks again!¡± I followed the rest of the party onto Ao Lie, and she ferried us across the river.


    We hopped off on the other side. And Ao Lie climbed up onto the riverbank and shook herself off.


    ¡°Now, let me introduce myself! I am the great! The powerful! The adorable! The Ao Lie! Daughter of the eastern dragon king!¡±


    Wukong cocked an eyebrow at her. ¡°I think I threatened him once?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did! My dad gave you your staff!¡±


    Trip gave her a small smile. ¡°Well, having a dragon along is certain to be very helpful.¡±


    She snapped her fingers. ¡°Exactly! Now to use my fantastic powers of transformation to make this journey a piece of cake!¡±


    She began humming her own theme song as she twisted up into the air. The wind whipped up as she spun faster. Water spun around her and we squinted as a brilliant light began shining from her.


    She compressed, spinning faster and faster until she was just a ball of water and light that exploded into a rainbow of colors, and there, standing where Ao Lie, proud dragon, daughter of the eastern dragon king stood.


    Was a horse.


    ¡°Tadaaaahhhhhh! Please, save your applause for the real show. This is but one of my myriad of tremendous powers.¡±


    ¡°Pfffffft!¡± Wukong began laughing his ass off. Trip just stood there confused. I was trying to fend off a growing migraine.


    Lunus, I hoped the next two disciples were fucking normal.

 Wukong has the Worst Plans

    With a horse our journey became significantly easier at least. We didn¡¯t have to slowly follow Trip while we were bored out of our minds. Now Lie could keep up a good trot all day without slowing down. The only problem?


    She never stopped talking.


    ¡°So, I mean it was just a little bit of fire right? Sure I mean, I burned a whole palace down, burned a priceless pearl to ash and accidentally killed like a lot of people. But it was a accident! And he¡¯s my dad! He should forgive me right? But nooooo he¡¯s all like ¡®You¡¯ve committed treason against me!¡¯ and ¡®You shall pay for your sins!¡¯ and then just hands me over to heaven for execution? I mean, what the hell right?¡±


    Wukong groaned, while Lie continued talking. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much more of this I can take Yue. I¡¯m losing my fucking mind.¡±


    I sighed and looked over at Trip. He seemed to have entered some kind of meditative trance. ¡°Hey, Lie? We¡¯re going to scout ahead for a bit. We¡¯ll find a good place to camp for tonight.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, sure thing! See you soon! So, as I was saying-¡°


    Wukong wasted no time in blasting ahead with Nimbus, and within a second we were out of earshot. He sighed in relief as we lifted into the air.


    ¡°Gods, she¡¯d be perfect if she just learned to shut up!¡±


    ¡°Try to understand, she¡¯s been alone for a while. It¡¯s only been a few days. Once she gets it out of her system she¡¯ll probably settle down.¡± I hoped.


    Wukong sighed again. ¡°This journey hasn¡¯t exactly been going how I wanted. First the circlet, then the dragon, and now the endless droning.¡±


    ¡°What were you even expecting?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but definitely more fighting and a lot less talking. Maybe with some heroics thrown in for good measure.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Well, we¡¯re still just getting started. We haven¡¯t even gotten out of the eastern country yet. You¡¯ll get your chance to show off. But have you talked to Tripitaka yet?¡±


    He studiously looked away from me and began looking at the horizon searching for a good spot to camp.


    ¡°Wukong, you need to talk to him. He¡¯s supposed to be your master.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, my last master didn¡¯t strap a circlet of pain to my head.¡±


    ¡°Wukong, look at me.¡±


    His eyes remained focused on the road ahead.


    ¡°Please. My love.¡±


    He groaned. ¡°You know that¡¯s cheating.¡± He turned back and looked at me.


    His eyes were so nice and soft. A vivid red with golden centers. I pushed some fur behind his ear and smiled.


    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t how you wanted it to be. But it was never going to be easy. Change never is. You want to be better don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course Yue. I want to do right by you. I want to learn to be better.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is how it starts. Talk to Tripitaka. Accept him as your master, and he can start teaching you about Buddhism. And over time, you¡¯ll begin to change.¡±


    He groaned. ¡°Why are you always right?¡±


    ¡°Because you have a good eye for ladies.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you said it then it must be true.¡± He dipped down and we shared a kiss. Then two and three. Finally I had to push him away.


    ¡°Wukong, we¡¯re supposed to be scouting.¡± I giggled.


    ¡°Oh, we can have a little bit more fun can¡¯t we? There¡¯s nothing up ahead anyway.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± I pointed to a few curls of smoke coming up just a few li down the road.


    Wukong sighed. ¡°Damn it.¡±


    We stopped fooling around and scouted the smoke which seemed to be coming from a large mansion on the outskirts of a village with several outbuildings and courtyards. They would likely have some places for us to stay tonight.


    We didn¡¯t land and introduce ourselves. Most humans did not react kindly to that. We found negotiations are best left to Trip.


    We went back to Trip and Lie and told them about the mansion we found and they picked up the pace, eager to sleep in a real bed, or in Lie¡¯s case, a stable.


    We reached the mansion well before it got dark, and Trip asked them to allow us to stay the night. The owners of the house let us in and invited us to dinner.


    We gathered in the dining hall as the owners, an older man and his wife, displayed a scrumptious array of food to us.


    The man was speaking to Tripitaka. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like average pilgrims.¡± He looked at me and Wukong


    ¡°Ah, yes my disciple and his wife are both extraordinary people. I hope you don¡¯t mind their presence.¡± I offered a slight head bow as Trip introduced us. Wukong was already busy stuffing his face. Why Wukong? Why?


    I smiled to try and hide my husband¡¯s rudeness. ¡°Thank you for sharing your home and food with us.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, well, when I saw your¡­ unusual nature I knew you musn¡¯t be ordinary people. I have a favor to ask of you. We have a small¡­ demon problem.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Wukong perked up at that. ¡°Demons? Where? I¡¯ll take care of them for you!¡±


    ¡°Wukong, swallow your food before you speak.¡±


    He hurriedly swallowed. ¡°If you have demons, I¡¯d be happy to take care of them for you!¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you for your enthusiasm, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a bit more¡­ complicated than that.¡±


    ¡°Dear, we should just tell them flat out.¡± His wife turned towards us. ¡°Our daughter married a demon.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Wukong was taken aback. ¡°I mean, if this a family dispute, I think I¡¯d rather not get involved¡­¡±


    Her husband sighed. ¡°She didn¡¯t know he was a demon when she married him. He looked like a handsome young man. She introduced us to him, and he was perfectly nice. I mean he still is but¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s ugly.¡± His wife wasted no time in getting to the point.


    ¡°Dear!¡± He reprimanded.


    ¡°What? I know you don¡¯t want our grandkids to look like that. And our daughter is upset too! He might act nicely, but he still lied about himself to marry our daughter. We¡¯re justified in kicking him out!¡±


    The man sighed. ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done. He¡¯s a powerful demon who wields a rake as a weapon. Which is why we need your help.¡±


    ¡°Uh, well¡­¡± Wukong looked to me and Trip for answers. Trip just seemed lost in the moral ambiguities of the request, so I leaned forward and whispered to him instead.


    ¡°We should help. They¡¯re giving us food and a place to sleep. It would be different if his wife wanted to stay with him, but it sounds like she doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I, Sun Wukong, will help you rid your home of this demon! I even have a genius plan.¡± He smirked. Uh oh.


    That was never a good sign.


    ¡°Wukong, this is stupid.¡±


    ¡°What?! How could my beloved wife say such a thing?¡± Wukong gave me the big eyes, which didn¡¯t work because he didn¡¯t look like my husband at the moment. He looked like an especially nauseating human.


    His voice was even distorted. Ugh. ¡°Because it¡¯s stupid. You¡¯re not even hiding your tail.¡±


    Wukong met the daughter and she thanked us for helping to rid her of her especially ugly husband. I haven¡¯t seen him yet, but I¡¯d reserve judgement considering I found most humans gross.


    He transformed into her, and planned to wait for him to get home, then attack him while his guard was down.


    Wukong carefully shuffled his tail under some blankets. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He¡¯ll never even know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know his name.¡±


    ¡°I can just make it up as I go along. Watch. I¡¯ll bet he¡¯ll fall for it, hook, line, and sinker.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take that bet. What are we playing for?¡±


    ¡°Really? Uuuuuuh, I know! If my superior acting skills fool him, we¡¯ll continue our little scouting mission in private.¡±


    ¡°And if I win?¡± Which, I was fairly certain I would.


    ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll accept Tripitaka as my master, even without talking to him.¡±


    ¡°All I want is for you to talk with him. I¡¯m not wasting my win on that. If I win, I want to continue our scouting mission, but with me leading. Sound good to you?¡±


    Wukong blushed as the young woman. ¡°Oh? Sounds like I win either way to me. But sure. You¡¯re on!¡±


    Trip¡¯s head popped up from the window. ¡°He just got home. He¡¯ll be here in a few minutes. I¡¯m going to hide.¡± Trip ran off.


    I activated my invisibility, and Wukong straightened out his blankets and made sure his tail was hidden.


    Soon enough, big heavy steps walked up to the door. It slid open with a heavy thud, revealing a¡­ pig.


    It was pig demon. Lunus, no wonder they were worried about their future grandkids.


    He smiled at Wukong. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you dear. I¡¯m home from work.¡±


    Wukong shook off his surprise and offered him a smile. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too honey. All my parents did today was complain about us. I¡¯m sorry they¡¯re not being understanding.¡±


    His smile broadened as he walked in. ¡°It¡¯s fine dear. They¡¯ll come to accept us in time. Would you like a kiss to cheer you up?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no-no, I¡¯m just too worried. My parents have even found someone to kick you out. He¡¯s a powerful warrior and a genius trickster.¡±


    I resisted snorting.


    The pig responded. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry dear. Not when I have my Soul-Rending Rake with me!¡± He plucked it out of his pocket and it grew. He swung it around in a demonstration. ¡°One hit and not even the mightiest warrior will remain standing. You have no need to fear. Now about that kiss¡­¡± His got even closer to Wukong, and kneeled down with his lips puckered.


    I did my best to resist laughing as terror flashed on Wukong¡¯s face. He pushed the pig man back as he pretended to be worried. ¡°Oh, but this warrior is called Sun Wukong! I heard he¡¯s really strong!¡±


    Piggy froze. ¡°Sun Wukong? That¡¯s what they said his name is?¡±


    Wukong had both hands pushing him away and leaning back. ¡°Uh, yes?¡±


    Piggy stood back up much to Wukong¡¯s relief and my disappointment. ¡°Ah, I uh, just remembered somewhere I have to go. I might be a while, please don¡¯t wait up for me.¡± He began rushing around the room, stuffing junk in his knapsack before throwing it onto his back.


    ¡°Honey, where are you going? You should stay a while longer.¡±


    Piggy turned back on the doorway. ¡°Look, it¡¯s been a good run, but-¡° He froze again as his eyes travelled behind Wukong. To his tail.


    ¡°Fuck. Jigs up.¡± Wukong summoned his staff and dropped his transformation, rushing at the pig.


    Their battle went outside, but I couldn¡¯t follow them. I was too busy laughing. Lunus, the only way that could have been better was if Wukong was actually forced to kiss him. Hopefully he¡¯ll think twice about impersonating someone¡¯s wife in the future.


    I finally stopped long enough to stumble out the door, still laughing. Wukong and the pig were fighting up in the sky, and Trip was staring up at them, mouth wide open.


    I dropped my invisibility and walked over to him, still struggling to contain my laughter.


    ¡°Tripitaka, I have to, to tell you what just happened in there. It was hilarious.¡±


    He looked at me incredulously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried for Wukong? He¡¯s risking his life to help these people right now.¡± He waved up to their clashes in the air.


    I looked up and activated my chi sight. ¡°No, Wukong¡¯s fine. It¡¯d take an act from Buddha for that pig to win against him.¡±


    ¡°But the demon has a powerful treasure that steals sou-Oh no! Wukong just got hit with it!¡±


    Sure enough, Wukong just got hit on his head with the rake. A negligible amount of chi left him. It might have been enough to faze a normal human, maybe even an average immortal, but for Wukong?


    He didn¡¯t even notice.


    Wukong stared him down as The pig dropped his rake and put his hands in the air. Looked like he was surrending.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go meet them out on the road. The pig¡¯s been officially kicked out after all.¡±


    I pulled Trip, who was still gaping along to the front door, where a familiar white horse was waiting for us.


    ¡°Hey guys. I heard fighting. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Wukong just defeated a demon, and we¡¯re meeting him down here on the road.¡± I waved at Wukong and he brought the defeated demon along.


    He puffed up. ¡°I have bested yet another foe! You may all praise me now.¡±


    ¡°I think you mean you lost a bet.¡± He grimaced, while I snickered.


    Trip shook his head and looked at the pig demon with his head hung low. ¡°What are we supposed to do with him? We can¡¯t just let him run around decieving more women.¡±


    Lie lit up. ¡°Oh! We can have him carry the bags! It¡¯s awful heavy to carry both the luggage and Tripitaka. Uh, not that you¡¯re heavy Tripitaka, its just carrying both you and the bags tires me out a lot.¡±


    ¡°I like that. The bag-carrier! That¡¯s what we¡¯ll call you.¡± Wukong slapped his back causing him to sputter.


    ¡°Uh, I really wish I could help you guys, but I unfortunately can¡¯t. You see I have an important obligation to fulfill.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You can stop right there. Whatever lie you¡¯re about to say, you can keep it to yourself. You¡¯re coming along with us until we figure out what to do with you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie! The Boddisattva Guanyin gave me this task! I¡¯m to wait along this road for the pilrim heading to the western heaven to aid him on his journey west! If I miss the pilgrim, she¡¯ll be very cross with me, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t accompany you.¡±


    We were all stunned speechless, even Lie. I finally just shook my head.


    ¡°Are you Wuneng or Wujing?¡± I asked.


    He stared at me, confused. ¡°The Boddisattva named me Wuneng, but how do you know the name she gave me?¡±


    I sighed and gestured to Tripitaka. ¡°Wuneng, meet the pilgrim heading to the western heaven, Tripitaka. Trip, this is your second disciple, Pigsy.¡±


    Pigsy swallowed thickly. ¡°Ah.¡±

 The Best Disciple

    Pigsy was not the sharpest tool in the shed. We decided he¡¯d stay with Ao Lie in the stable until we left tomorrow morning. Letting him back in the house would just be awkward after we promised the family we¡¯d kick him out. But we let them know he¡¯d be coming with us and they were very pleased to know their daughter was now single again.


    To thank us, they gave us some food and money, which was good because we were beginning to run low. They also let us have a whole courtyard to ourselves rather than just beds to sleep in for the night.


    Trip had taken over the main room, and the servants of the manor were attending to him.


    The tried to serve us too, but I sent them away, as it was clear they were nervous around us, and I didn¡¯t want them interrupting anyway.


    Wukong had gone to talk to Tripitaka at my insistence, and I was getting ready to prank him when he came back.


    I was invisible, and stood quietly next to the door. I heard the sound of Wukong¡¯s footsteps getting closer and suppressed a giggle.


    He opened the door. ¡°Okay Yue, I talked to Master and-¡° He stopped when he saw the room was empty.


    Before his confusion could turn to panic I leaned in and blew on his neck. He shrieked and jumped up.


    ¡°Yue! I know that¡¯s you! You nearly gave me a heart attack.¡±


    I giggled and kept moving. I didn¡¯t want to end the game too soon. ¡°So, you talked to Tripitaka? Do you accept him as your master now?¡±


    His eyes scanned the room for me and narrowed. ¡°Yes, we spoke about the circlet and created some rules on when he can and can¡¯t use it. I suppose if he¡¯s to be my master he needs some way to keep me in line. Hah!¡± Wukong grabbed empty air where I was just at.


    I leaned over and whispered in his ear again. ¡°Good. Maybe you can start learning from him then.¡±


    Wukong flinched again, and whirled around and grabbed me. ¡°Hah! Now I¡¯ve got you!¡±


    I dropped my invisibility. ¡°You did. But I¡¯m still the winner. Have you forgotten our bet?¡±


    Wukong¡¯s fur fluffed up. ¡°Oh, uh, yes.¡±


    ¡°Really? It was only an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I meant no. Yes as in I remember.¡±


    ¡°Then you should also remember that you lost. Now¡¯s the time to pay up.¡± I leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed me back, and I pushed him to the ground. He broke it off and stared at me, confused.


    I flashed my dress off. ¡°I won, which means I get to lead. Now, stay down.¡±


    I was exhausted, but happy the next morning as we packed up. Wukong let me rest on top of Nimbus while he and the new guy got all the luggage squared away.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she have to do anything?¡± Pigsy complained loudly for the umpteenth time.


    I didn¡¯t have to look at Wukong to know he was speaking through gritted teeth. ¡°Because she¡¯s not a disciple, she¡¯s my wife, and she¡¯s tired. Now shut up and grab those bags. We¡¯re moving out.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s your wife then she should be helping you. A man¡¯s burdens are his wife¡¯s burdens after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because clearly you¡¯re the person I want to take marriage advice from. Now pick up that bag before I smack some sense into you.¡±


    Pigsy grumbled some more, but under his breath so we ignored it and we set off again.


    We had to travel a little slower to keep pace with Pigsy, but not by much. Even though he complained about it, he carried the luggage well, and kept up a good jog. He didn¡¯t tire easily it seemed.


    Wukong was up on Nimbus with me purring, resting my head in his lap. It was nice and sunny too, and Lie was nice enough to realize I was resting and kept her voice down so only Trip could hear her. Today was nice.


    ¡°Okay, we should be coming up on the border of Tang soon. After that, we¡¯ll be in the lawless lands. Everyone, keep your eyes out for a river.¡±


    We continued on, with me napping intermittently. It was during one of these naps that Wukong gently shook me awake.


    ¡°Yue? I hate to wake you up, but we¡¯ve run into a problem.¡±


    ¡°Mnn.¡± I blinked and rubbed my eyes, and sat up. I gave a yawn before looking up at Wukong.


    ¡°Are we camping yet? Should I get started on dinner?¡±


    He smiled at me briefly before looking back up. ¡°Um, no, but we might end up camping here. There seems to be a problem at this river here.¡±


    I looked out. Oh.


    That was a big river.


    So big, I could barely see the other side when I used chi sight. I frowned as I looked at the river.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Something was wrong with it¡¯s chi. It was circulating weirdly. It looked like it was taking anything from the surface and dragging it to the bottom where it stayed.


    The water was almost stagnant it moved so slowly. It was so thick with silt that it was impossible to tell what was under the surface.


    I looked along the bank. There was a small building with a dock, but they were both rotting away. A faded sign advertised a ferry for Flowing Sands River, but I didn¡¯t think waiting would make a boat show up.


    I stretched and looked back at Wukong. ¡°Can¡¯t Lie take us across like last time?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s another problem.¡± He turned Nimbus around and we saw both Trip and Pigsy losing a tug-of-war match with Lie¡¯s reins.


    ¡°I said NO! Have you seen that water!? It looks fucking terrible. Anything could be in there! I¡¯m not throwing my life away just so you guys can drown in the middle of the nastiest river I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Lie screeched as they continued pulling.


    ¡°Come on Lie, it¡¯s not that bad.¡± Trip tried to convince her, but with one shake of her head she ripped her reins out of their hands.


    ¡°No! There¡¯s something wrong with that river. And until we know what it is, I¡¯m not dipping one scale in it!¡±


    ¡°What kind of dragon is scared of some water?¡± Pigsy scoffed.


    ¡°Oh, well then Mr. Bravery, why don¡¯t you go ahead and jump in? Carry Trip across on your back and the rest of us will fly over.¡± Lie stared Pigsy down until he looked away, grumbling.


    Yeah, this was a problem all right. I shook my head to fully wake myself up. ¡°Okay, I see what you mean. Any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you could make another water bridge?¡± Wukong suggested but I shook my head.


    ¡°Sorry, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to make a bridge that long. Maybe my father could, but I¡¯m nowhere near as good as him.¡± Once again, I regretted blowing off my chi lessons in favor of romance novels.


    Trip heard me and perked up. ¡°Then maybe you could bring your father here and he could¡ª¡± He shut up and I turned around and confirmed Wukong was furiously shaking his head and crossed his arms in an x.


    He froze when he saw me watching, and tried to play it off like he was stretching.


    I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine Wukong. I won¡¯t break down just telling him about it. Sorry Trip, but my father is dead.¡±


    Trip turned red. ¡°Oh. Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have suggested that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you didn¡¯t know. But that still leaves the problem of what we¡¯re going to do about that.¡± I waved at the giant river.


    And the giant man coming out of it.


    Trip shrieked as the mud-covered man suddenly rushed him, only to be intercepted by Pigsy.


    As Pigsy swiped at him the man pulled out a wooden staff and used it to fight him off.


    The two continued to duel for a few minutes, and the mud slowly slipped off the most unusual man I¡¯ve ever seen.


    He was blue. I didn¡¯t know humans could come in that color. And as the muddy water dripped out of his hair, it revealed a vivid red hue. He was wearing necklace that seemed to be made from skulls.


    I didn¡¯t think this guy was human. Well¡­ maybe a poisonous one.


    Regardless, he and Pigsy were evenly matched. As they battled it out, I spied Wukong¡¯s hand twitching from the corner of my eye.


    He sprung into action, suddenly springing out with a vicious swipe of his staff. The blue man suddenly sprung back, and dove back into the water.


    ¡°Hey! I didn¡¯t ask you to jump in! I could have beaten him!¡± Pigsy jutted out his rake at Wukong who looked at him sheepishly.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, I just saw the two of you going at it and I wanted a piece of the action you know? The only people I¡¯ve fought in ages is you and Lie, and neither were really that good.¡±


    Pigsy sputtered at the new insult, but everyone ignored him. I kept watching the water, trying to see if I could spot the blue man, but it was no use. The water was just too thick.


    Lie whined. ¡°See? There¡¯s some kind of monk-eating demon in there! And you wanted me to swim in there!¡±


    Pigsy and Wukong were now hurling insults at each other, with Trip in between them getting them to calm down.


    I rubbed my temples. What now?


    ¡°I got it!¡± I looked up at Wukong who seemed to have an idea.


    He smiled broadly. ¡°We¡¯ll capture that monster and get him to swim across with Trip on his back!¡±


    Pigsy snorted. ¡°And how exactly do you propose we do that? Jump in and fight him?¡±


    He grinned at Pigsy evilly. ¡°Thank you for volunteering.¡±


    Pigsy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What!? No! You¡¯re the super powerful monkey capable of razing heaven! Why don¡¯t you jump in and do it?!¡±


    ¡°Because I can¡¯t swim. I just sink. But don¡¯t worry! Like you said you almost had him right? Just jump in, and if he gets to be too much for you, just come ashore and I can finish him off.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t even better able to see in there! How the hell am I supposed to fight him!?¡±


    ¡°Guys!¡± I shouted and everyone turned to look at me. ¡°There¡¯s a simple solution here.¡±


    I cupped my hands and shouted out over the water. ¡°Wujing! You¡¯re Wujing right? The pilgrim is here! You can come out now! We won¡¯t hurt you!¡±


    I waited for a few moments, and sure enough a muddy head started sticking up out of the water. He watched us until he was sure we wouldn¡¯t attack before poking his mouth above the water line.


    ¡°You guys are really the pilgrims fetching the scriptures? You¡¯re not going to attack me again are you?¡±


    ¡°No! We¡¯re not! You just made us panic when you rushed like that. You¡¯re Wujing, the last disciple Guanyin mentioned right?¡±


    He stood up, out of the water completely and nodded. ¡°I am! I¡¯m Sha Wujing! I¡¯ve been waiting for you guys for a while. Sorry for scaring you, I was just so excited to see a monk. I thought you might be the master I¡¯ve been waiting for.¡±


    He jogged up to the bank, wringing his hair out, and brushing the mud off. He bowed to Trip.


    ¡°Disciple greets Master. I¡¯m Sha Wujing, but you can just call me Sandy. Everyone does. It¡¯s nice to meet you!¡±


    He gave us a smile and stood up. Now that he was standing next to another human, I could tell he was tall, about seven feet. He towered over the rest of our group.


    Wukong greeted him next. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you too! I¡¯m Sun Wukong, the first disciple and your older brother. I like your necklace!¡±


    ¡°Thanks! I made it myself! I¡¯m pretty crafty you know?¡± Sandy beamed at Wukong, and puffed out his chest to better show off his skull necklace.


    Pigsy nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Pigsy, the second disciple. I see you used a sailor¡¯s knot to tie it. Do you have experience with boats?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I used to be a commander over a heavenly fleet, but I pissed off the emperor and got exiled here. But I love boats and sailing! I tried running this ferry here back when I first got exiled, but I didn¡¯t have any customers. Not a lot of people want to cross into the lawless lands I guess. But hey! You guys can be my first and last official trip across! Here, you¡¯ll love this.¡±


    He trotted onto the ancient dock without fear. He took off his necklace and tossed it into the water.


    It didn¡¯t sink, but instead transformed into a small dinghy. It would just barely have enough room to fit Sandy and Trip, but I guess that was all we needed.


    Trip looked uneasy as he got on board, but Sandy wasted no time in shoving off. ¡°Alright! The rest of you can fly right? We¡¯ll meet you on the other side!¡±


    He jumped into the water and began pushing the boat across. We watched him as they began to quickly cross the wide expanse of water.


    Wukong hopped up onto Nimbus, back next to me. ¡°Okay! Problem solved! Let¡¯s move out!¡±


    We started across with Nimbus, and kept pace with the dingy to keep track of Trip.


    Wukong gave me a smile. ¡°What would we do without you here?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°You¡¯d probably be complaining to Guanyin every day about how impossible this journey is.¡± I gave him a mischievous smile as he chuckled.


    My smile faded. Sandy was the last disciple. Now we had everyone in our little adventuring party. I don¡¯t think any more problems we run into will be solved this easily.


    It was up to us from here on out.

 Everyone Hates Road Trips

    We ventured into the lawless lands. It honestly wasn¡¯t that different from the outskirts of the Tang. There were still people who lived out here too. They were just a little more¡­ eccentric.


    ¡°Lousy Buddhists!¡± The old woman screamed as we rushed away from her house. Her family tried to restrain her. ¡°Freeloaders and thieves! All of you! Get away from my house! You won¡¯t get a single grain of rice from me you bandits!¡±


    She continued to scream profanities at us as we continued down the road. Once we were far enough away that we couldn¡¯t make out her words, we all breathed a sigh of relief.


    We all thought we were lucky, seeing a rice farm right around lunchtime. How were we supposed to know the matron of the farm hated Buddhists with a burning passion?


    I leaned onto Wukong, worried. Our food stocks were running low. Sandy and Wukong ate a lot themselves, not to mention Pigsy. Trip was still mortal too, so he needed food. We had to find someplace to replenish our stocks.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Wukong clapped his hands. ¡°So, that wasn¡¯t fun, and we still need food. Who wants to do some scouting?¡±


    Everyone groaned. Sandy and Pigsy had taken turns scouting and neither of the places they found was willing to give anything.


    I patted Wukong¡¯s arm. ¡°I can go. You¡¯re tired from keeping watch last night.¡±


    He gave me an exhausted smile. ¡°Thanks Yue. Come back quickly though.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± I summoned my sword and hopped on it.


    As I flew away, I heard Pigsy exclaiming. ¡°Wait, she can fly on her own? Why the hell does she always ride with you!?¡±


    I was too far to hear Wukong¡¯s retort as I flew above the trees and looked out into the mountains. There weren¡¯t many people out here, and there were even fewer willing to share.


    I skipped over the next few houses. They looked like hunter cabins, and they wouldn¡¯t have anything vegetarian for Trip and the boys.


    There had to be something. I flew a little higher, looking for a larger house, a village, anyone who might be more willing to help out some poor pilgrims.


    We needed something like a¡­ a monastery?


    Up on the next mountain. It was easy to miss because it blended with the rock. I flew towards it, praying it wasn¡¯t abandoned.


    People! I flew to the entrance gate and read the sign. Guanyin Monastery. Not only did I find some food for us, I found a place to sleep!


    It was turning to fall and the nights were getting chillier. A warm bed would do us all some good.


    I wasted no time in zipping back to the group with a wide grin on my face.


    I circled around everyone. ¡°You¡¯ll never believe what I found! On the next mountain up ahead is a Buddhist monastery!¡±


    Everyone froze, and then doubled the pace. Trip looked up at me in excitement. ¡°Is it really a Buddhist monastery? What¡¯s it called?¡±


    ¡°Guanyin Monastery.¡± A smile transformed his face from the depressed and hungry Tripitaka, to the thrilled and sunshine personified Tripitaka.


    ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! I can burn some incense to Guanyin to thank her for saving me all those times. Let¡¯s hurry!¡±


    I flew back to Wukong and joined him on Nimbus, and Pigsy didn¡¯t even grumble about it. That¡¯s how happy he and everyone else was.


    We made great time, and by dinnertime we were winding our way up the road to the monastery. It didn¡¯t take much longer to reach the gates.


    Trip gave the rest of us a wary look. ¡°You guys should take a step back. I¡¯ll talk to them first.¡±


    Understandable. We all took about ten steps back from the gates, leaving only Ao Lie, who looked like a normal horse until she opened her mouth, and Tripitaka, the only mortal in our group.


    He rang the bell and a monk about the same age as him walked out of the monastery and down to us.


    He gave the rest of us a wary look and turned to Tripitaka and bowed.


    ¡°Good Evening Brother. What brings an honorable man such as yourself here?¡±


    Trip bowed back. ¡°I am but a humble monk on journey west to collect scriptures from the western heaven. These are my disciples. You have no need to fear them.¡±


    The monk looked back at us. ¡°Hm. You have some weird disciples. I should probably get the okay from the head monk before letting you in. Uh, no offense.¡±


    Trip bowed his head. ¡°None taken. I know they¡¯re a little¡­ unusual.¡±


    Ao Lie piped up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! We¡¯re nice once you get to know us!¡±


    The monk¡¯s eyes widened and he practically tore a path running back up to the sanctuary.


    Trip just sighed. ¡°Ao Lie. What did we talk about?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t talk to mortals until we¡¯ve been officially introduced. Sorry, I forgot.¡±


    Trip sighed again, and we waited to see if anyone was coming back to let us in.


    Miraculously, someone did. An older man wearing a fancy cassock surrounded by other monks. He slowly walked down the path to greet us.


    He took his sweet time getting to the gate, but he got here eventually. He offered us a smile.


    ¡°I greet the venerable monk on his journey. Please, come in, come in.¡± His subordinates opened the gates, and we rushed forward, happy to be granted entrance. We started back up the path to the monastery, keeping pace with the old monk.


    Trip thanked him. ¡°We¡¯ve had a trying time since leaving Tang. Thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is why our monastery exists! To teach ignorant people about the wonders of Buddhism. We haven¡¯t had much luck, but that won¡¯t stop us from trying! But please, introduce your disciples. They don¡¯t seem mortal.¡±


    Trip nodded. ¡°They aren¡¯t. This is Sandy, Pigsy, and Sun Wukong, my disciples. The lady with Wukong is his wife, Sun Yue. And my horse is Ao Lie, a dragon. While they look fierce, they¡¯re quite friendly.¡± He gave everyone but me a glare to be on our best behavior. I was always on my best behavior.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    We stopped at the entrance and Trip handed Lie off to a monk that took her around to the stables.


    The rest of us went inside where the head monk treated us to a feast. A vegetarian feast, but still.


    The rest of us eagerly tucked into the food while the head monk and Tripitaka continued talking.


    ¡°I must say, it¡¯s quite a treat to have guests. You simply must tell us about your travels. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had many.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve had a few, but we only got started a month and a half ago. I¡¯ve almost been eaten by demons a few times. And getting my disciples wasn¡¯t easy. Oh, except for you Sandy.¡±


    Sandy gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Always happy to help!¡±


    ¡°Really? Being a traveling monk seems fascinating.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I said. ¡°It just seems rough so far. You seem to have it better. I mean, all the monks here seem well-off.¡±


    Yes, they were all wearing nice cassocks compared to Trip, and the food for this feast was also good quality. Not something I expected from people who mostly got by by begging.


    The head monk shrugged, and hid a small smile. ¡°No, not at all. While we have some humble treasures thanks to other¡¯s kindnesses, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing compared to a monk chosen by the Boddisattva herself.¡±


    The other monks spoke up in protest.


    ¡°What are you saying head monk? You have the best cassocks in all the land.¡±


    ¡°You are too humble head monk. To say you have nothing of note!¡±


    ¡°The head monk in his infinite wisdom has helped the monastery immensely!¡±


    The head monk waved them all off. ¡°Nonsense, nonsense. It¡¯s true I make a small hobby of collecting unique cassocks, but I¡¯m sure these wise pilgrims have no time for such things.¡±


    Ah. He really wanted to show off huh? I mean, he was feeding us, and it was a small ask.


    I nudged Wukong and he gave me a puzzled look.


    ¡°Ask to see his cassocks.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Oh! Uh, I¡¯d like to see them! Your cassocks I mean.¡±


    The head monk clapped in delight. ¡°Well, if you insist, how can I refuse? Go on, bring them out!¡±


    The other monks filtered out of the room and returned with several boxes. They opened them up and showed off the clothes inside.


    Yep, those were some fancy cassocks. Only Trip seemed mildly interested. The rest of us just gave bland comments about how nice they were when appropriate.


    That didn¡¯t seem to dampen the old guy¡¯s enthusiasm. He gave a hearty laugh. ¡°Yes, indeed I have some of the finest cassocks in the land. Tell me honorable monk, do you have any unique cassocks?¡±


    Trip froze mid-bite. He woodenly swallowed. ¡°Uh, well, i-it¡¯s nothing compared to your cassocks. I¡¯d be embarrassed to show it.¡±


    Wukong piped up. ¡°Huh? I think it¡¯s pretty nice. It¡¯s not any worse than these cassocks.¡±


    Trip glared at Wukong. Why? Did he not want to show them his cassock for some reason?


    I leaned over and whispered to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    He eyed the monastery monks, who were busy packing up the head monk¡¯s cassocks. ¡°I¡­ just don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to show them. It¡¯s nice, but sometimes nice things incite greed in people¡¯s hearts. You shouldn¡¯t show off your wealth.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid they¡¯ll rob us?¡±


    ¡°Shh! No, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Trip tried find the right words and sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯m getting a weird feeling from these monks.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but they have much less reason to trust us and the head monk showed us his things. We have far more reason to steal than they do, and our appearances don¡¯t exactly inspire trust.¡±


    Trip nodded. ¡°You have a point. Maybe I¡¯m overthinking this. I mean, they¡¯re Buddhist right? And they¡¯re being quite kind to us. I suppose it couldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Trip cleared his throat. ¡°I mean, I do have one cassock given to me by the Boddisattva. However, it¡¯s not as impressive as yours.¡±


    The head monk laughed. ¡°How modest you are! Please, there¡¯s no need to be shy. I¡¯ve shown you my finest, and I¡¯m sure a cassock from the Boddisattva herself can put them all to shame! Please, show us.¡±


    Trip had Pigsy dart out and grab his bag. Once he had it, he opened it up and brought out a small bundle of cloth. He carefully unwrapped it, revealing the cassock within.


    Wow. Wukong was right. It was nice. Even Pigsy and Sandy stopped eating long enough to admire it.


    It wasn¡¯t as decorated or as flashy as the head monk¡¯s cassocks, but it screamed quality. I was alright at sewing, but whoever made that was a master. It was perfect in every stitch. I couldn¡¯t identify the fabric either, but it shimmered in an understated way in the light.


    The head monk¡¯s eyes practically bulged out of his head when he saw it, and his mouth dropped open. When Trip saw, he uncomfortably cleared his throat.


    ¡°Um, as you can see, it¡¯s not as fancy as yours, I¡¯ll just have it put away¡­¡± Trip moved to put it back, but the head monk floundered.


    ¡°Wait! Ah wait! Please, let me have a closer look at it!¡±


    Trip froze. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know if¡ª¡± Every monk in the room turned to give him a glare, and he thickly swallowed. ¡°Um, okay, but please be careful.¡±


    He cautiously set down the package in front of the head monk.


    The man was practically salivating over it.


    Me and Trip shared a worried glance. I regretted convincing him to show it now. I had no idea this man would be so¡­ greedy. I didn¡¯t know monks could be greedy.


    I looked at Wukong, but he was absorbed in the food again.


    ¡°Wukong.¡± I whispered. ¡°Should we do something about that?¡± I nodded to where the head monk was drooling over the cassock.


    Wukong swallowed and whispered back. ¡°Look, he just doesn¡¯t have the strength to try and take it from us. If he tries, we can just get it back.¡± He took another bite.


    I mean, that was true I guess.


    Trip gave the head monk a wan smile. ¡°Um, I should put it away. I don¡¯t want any food to accidentally soil it.¡±


    Or drool. The head monk¡¯s mouth snapped shut and he tore his eyes away from the cassock to look at Trip.


    ¡°What? Oh! I¡¯m afraid my eyes aren¡¯t what they used to be. Please brother, may I take this cassock to my room so I may admire it in better lighting? I shall return it to you in the morning.¡±


    His eyes seemed just fine to me. But again, all the monks eyes fell on us.


    Under the pressure of their gazes, Trip leaned over and whispered to me. ¡°Yue, what are we going to do? I don¡¯t want to let him take it.¡±


    Shit. ¡°If we want to spend the night here, I don¡¯t think we have a choice. If he refuses to give it back in the morning, the boys can get it back.¡±


    Trip still seemed uneasy. ¡°O-Okay. You can take it for the night. But I¡¯ll need it back, just how it is now, in the morning.¡±


    The head monk eagerly nodded. ¡°Of course! Of course! I¡¯ll be very careful with it. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have something to attend to.¡±


    He not-so-subtly took the cassock and walked out with it. A few monks followed him.


    Trip looked after them, worried. I was too, although the boys were still pigging out.


    I leaned over to Trip. ¡°There¡¯s no point worrying about it now. Eat up while you can. The cassock will be coming with us when we leave tomorrow, one way or another.¡±


    Trip sighed and began picking at his food again. ¡°I know you¡¯re right. It just felt wrong to give away Guanyin¡¯s gift like that. Especially in this monastery.¡±


    Right. This was Guanyin¡¯s monastery. ¡°Worst comes to worst, we can always ask her to talk to the monks for us. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll listen to her.¡±


    He seemed a little comforted by that, and took a real bite of food.


    We finished eating and the monks led us to a communal room we can all sleep in.


    Pigsy knocked out right away, snoring in his bed. Sandy had gone to check on Lie and fill her in on what happened. Trip had gone to pray to Guanyin and burn incense for her.


    Wukong and I decided to go on a brief walk around the grounds and spend a little alone time together.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Wukong. I just feel terrible. I¡¯m the one who convinced Trip to show off his cassock.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that head monk was so greedy. He¡¯s supposed to be a monk for crying out loud. And if need be, all I have to do is march into the head monk¡¯s rooms and grab it before we leave tomorrow.¡±


    We were holding hands, strolling along the cliff. Smoke from the houses in the valley drifted upwards in the evening air. A cool breeze was blowing in from the north. It seemed like it was going to be windy tonight.


    ¡°Still, nothing would¡¯ve happened if I just kept my mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°Well, then, nothing would¡¯ve happened if I hadn¡¯t mentioned the cassock in the first place. We can¡¯t change what happened. We can only deal with the future. Whether that¡¯s giving the old monk a lesson he won¡¯t forget or they give us the cassock back and we part happily in the morning. It''s just clothes. It¡¯s not the end of the world.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but those clothes are important to Trip. I know if someone tried to take my sister¡¯s clothes, I¡¯d freak out. I should apologize to him.¡±


    He sighed and dipped down, pressing a brief kiss to my forehead. ¡°Do whatever you have to. I just don¡¯t want you to feel guilty over what that head monk did. He¡¯s the one who caused us all this worry. Not you, not me, and not Trip. Maybe we did show off the cassock, but he¡¯s the one coveting it. He should learn from Trip¡¯s example and let go of worldly greed, like a real Buddhist.¡±


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re learning something from Trip after all.¡± I giggled. I felt a little lighter now that he reminded me it wasn¡¯t I nor Trip who caused this whole ordeal.


    ¡°Well, he lectures us so much, I guess something had to stick. Just you wait. By the end of this journey, I¡¯ll be able to recite sutras by myself!¡±


    That¡¯ll be the day. Our conversation turned to lighter subjects, and as the sun set we returned back to the monastery.


    I gave Trip an apology, but he agreed with Wukong that it wasn¡¯t my fault. In the end, we all went to bed feeling a little lighter.

 The Flames of Greed

    I woke to the smell of smoke. I blinked, trying to decide if this is a nightmare. But my nightmares were usually filled with white strings not smoke. I sat up.


    Wukong was up too. He gave me an alarmed look. ¡°Yue, something¡¯s wrong. Wake the others. I¡¯m going to see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    He summoned Nimbus and flew out of the room. I hurriedly shook Pigsy, Sandy, and Trip awake.


    The moment they smelled smoke they were up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Trip asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Wukong went to find out.¡±


    Wukong came back, flying in, looking amazed. He shook his head. ¡°You won¡¯t believe what¡¯s going on out there. The monks are setting fire to their own monastery.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Trip shouted. ¡°Why?!¡±


    Wukong shook his head. ¡°I have no idea. But considering the fact they left us in here, asleep, I assume they wanted to burn us with it. What should we do Tripitaka?¡±


    Trip looked like a startled deer. ¡°I-I don¡¯t¡­¡± He still seemed shocked.


    After waiting a few moments for direction from Trip, Wukong sighed. ¡°I say if the monks want to burn their own monastery, we let them. Let¡¯s just grab Ao Lie and wait out the fire.¡±


    Sandy went and put a blanket around Trip¡¯s shoulders. The smell of smoke was getting stronger. The fire was getting closer.


    Pigsy went and easily knocked down the outside wall, offering us an easy escape. Sandy steered Trip outside, and Wukong followed after them, but paused when he saw I hadn¡¯t moved.


    ¡°Yue? Is something wrong? Are you scared?¡±


    I shook my head. I wasn¡¯t scared of a little mundane fire. But was that really our only option? To escape and watch the monastery burn from afar?


    My hands balled up in to fists. This wasn¡¯t right. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was just an elaborate scheme to get the cassock or if there was another reason for them to set the place ablaze, but it wasn¡¯t right.


    I looked back up at Wukong, my mind made up. ¡°No. I¡¯m going to stop the fire. We can save the monastery.¡±


    Sandy turned towards me in surprise, and Trip seemed to lift his head a little at my declaration. Even Pigsy stuck his head back inside and stared at me in shock.


    Wukong hopped off Nimbus and shook his head. ¡°The fires have already spread too far, and the wind isn¡¯t helping things. The monastery is already gone.¡±


    ¡°Not if we put our minds to it. We¡¯re immortals. If anyone can put out this fire, we can. Please Wukong, this is Guanyin¡¯s monastery, and we all know we somehow caused this. We have to do what we can to make it right.¡±


    ¡°Yue, the monks who set the fire are at fault, not us.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t bear any responsibility. Please Wukong, we have to at least try.¡±


    He sighed, and for a moment said nothing. Then he nodded. ¡°Fine Yue, but you can¡¯t place yourself in any danger. What¡¯s your plan?¡±


    I smiled. Wukong would help. ¡°Get Ao Lie to turn into her dragon form and bring rain. Then take this.¡± I flashed a large blanket out of my necklace. ¡°And put it over the back half of the monastery. It¡¯s fireproof, so it should keep the flames from spreading.¡±


    Wukong nodded, and jumped back onto Nimbus before zipping off.


    I looked at Sandy. ¡°Take Trip a safe distance away and guard him. Pigsy, I need you to draw as much water out of the well as possible. I can use it to try and fight the flames.¡±


    We went outside. Sandy steered Trip away from the blaze, and I got a good look at what we were fighting.


    The flames had spread far. But I was determined. Until Ao Lie brought that rain, I¡¯d keep the fire from claiming any more of the monastery.


    Pigsy began hauling up water and I used chi manipulation to draw even more water out of the well.


    Instead of dumping a paltry amount of water onto the fire, I instead used the water to saturate the areas the flame hadn¡¯t spread to yet. We worked quickly, and soon the fire was contained.


    I began working around the edges, where it was already wet, pushing inward, but I didn¡¯t make much progress. We just couldn¡¯t get much water out of the well.


    The building began to collapse, the fire taking it¡¯s toll. It had claimed about a third of the monastery. I bit my lip as I sent another bucket into the blaze. It seemed like we couldn¡¯t do anything to try and keep it from claiming the buildings it had already spread too.


    Something hit my head. A raindrop. Then another and another. Soon, it was pouring.


    Sandy, Pigsy, and I cheered as the flames began to abate from the rainstorm localized above the monastery. I could see Ao Lie¡¯s sinuous dragon form twisting and dancing among the clouds.


    Wukong jumped down and joined us, but he had a thin, grim line set to his mouth.


    Our cheers stopped. ¡°Wukong?¡± I asked.


    He sighed. ¡°I checked the head monk¡¯s rooms. No cassock.¡±


    What? This really was about the cassock?


    Trip stumbled then keeled over and vomited. Sandy patted his back, but had a dark glint in his eye. Pigsy growled.


    This really was about the fucking cassock. A piece of fucking clothing. That old bastard not only tried to kill us, he set fire to his own monastery to do it.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The depths of his greed made me sick to my stomach. I wanted to hurl like Trip. That old man was truly disgusting.


    Wukong shook his head again. ¡°I also found monks on the inside. It seemed not all of them were let in on the plan.¡±


    My disgust turned to rage. He planned to kill his own. A sin worthy of death.


    Some had no doubt burned. But we managed to save some too.


    I needed to control myself. I took a deep breath and unclenched my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ensure the fire is completely out. The three of you should go inside and gather the monks that survived. They deserve to know what happened.¡±


    ¡°Yue, are you okay? Ao Lie can make sure the fire¡¯s out.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it. Get Trip inside and get him warmed up.¡±


    Wukong reached out for my hand, but I yanked it back and turned away.


    I was soft as I said. ¡°Not right now Wukong. I can¡¯t break down yet.¡±


    I swallowed the lump in my throat, and angrily wiped away my tears. Despite what anyone could tell me, I knew I was at least partially responsible for this. We never should have shown that bastard the cassock. Not if we could have prevented this.


    I heard Wukong turn to the rest of the group, and tell them the plan, and I stubbornly marched over to the dying flames.


    While the rain was doing an admirable job, it needed a little help with the hotspots. I directed to the water to where it was needed, using my chi sight to find hotspots among the rubble. Once I was sure the last of the flames were out, I headed to the building where we ate yesterday.


    Once inside, I whisked the water off of me, and followed the sounds of laments and whispers to the dining hall.


    The monks were in a state of disarray. Wukong sat on Nimbus, keeping them back from Pigsy, Sandy, and Trip, who had made a small fire in the fireplace to warm him.


    Trip seemed a little calmer at least, but he still looked appalled. Probably thinking about the head monk. Sandy was tending the fire, stoking it and cast a worried glance at me.


    Pigsy, true to form, had gotten food. He gave a bowl of rice to Trip, who shakily took a bite.


    When Wukong saw me, he raced over on Nimbus. ¡°Yue?¡±


    I sniffed, and lifted my arms up. ¡°Wukong.¡±


    He lifted me up, and hugged me as I stopped suppressing my tears. He floated over to the fire to try and warm me up.


    ¡°Wukong,¡± I continued sobbing, not out of place here as many of the monks had tear tracks and anguished expressions. They had been not only almost killed, but betrayed, by someone they dearly trusted. A few of them began to gather in groups and talk amongst themselves.


    He held me as I cried, still unable to understand why. Why did all this happen because of a cassock? It was nice, but it was just cloth and stitching. A simple piece of clothing. People had died over it. Burned to death for the head monk¡¯s greed.


    ¡°Shhh. It¡¯s okay Yue. It¡¯s okay.¡± Wukong continued to comfort me as my tears wound down.


    I looked over at Trip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. None of this would¡¯ve happened if I didn¡¯t convince you to show your cassock.¡±


    Trip paused, then slowly shook his head. ¡°No. You were just thinking the best of our hosts. And even after we saw the head monk¡¯s greed, none of us could have forseen this. This is evil. None of us are at fault. The head monk needs to be punished.¡±


    Wukong growled. ¡°I¡¯ll happily give it to him while I¡¯m getting your cassock back. We just need to find out where that bastard has gone.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± We turned to two monks who had approached us. They both had tear tracks, but one had a far more determined look than the other. They were both young, and I recognized one as the monk who first greeted us at the gate.


    He was the one who wore the determined expression. ¡°Are you going after the head monk?¡±


    ¡°Shao!¡± The second one hissed.


    He turned towards his friend. ¡°What? We have nothing left to lose. You know something is wrong. It¡¯s been wrong ever since the head monk first took over. It¡¯s just that no one wants to admit it!¡±


    The other boy flinched and looked away. We shared a glance between us before Wukong moved Nimbus over, giving them space around the fire.


    ¡°It sounds like you have something you want to tell us.¡± Wukong said. ¡°Go ahead and take a seat. Pigsy?¡±


    ¡°Gotcha.¡± Pigsy fixed them two bowls, and they reluctantly sat down.


    The older one, Shao, didn¡¯t bother trying to eat, although the younger one nibbled on it between nervous glances at Wukong, Pigsy, and Sandy.


    Instead, he launched right into a story. ¡°It happened when he came around two years ago, when the old head monk died. Our monastery was poorer then. We didn¡¯t have as much to eat, and our robes were poorer. Most of our money went towards incense, and repairs on the monastery. But the people around here were more receptive to us. They were friendly, and willing to at least learn the basics about Buddhism. We focused on doing good works for travelers that came through, in the name of our patron, Guanyin. But then, the old head monk fell ill, and died before he could receive treatment. The new head monk took over.


    ¡°After the head monk took charge, more money started coming in. We had enough to redo the decorations in the temple and new luxuries for the monks. But the people in the valley changed. They began to curse us and call us thieves. None of us here knew what was really going on. And some of us didn¡¯t care either. But the people of this valley and the travelers passing through no longer came to us.


    ¡°But the money kept coming in. Several nights when I was on gate duty, I¡¯ve let cloaked figures into the monastery, and they¡¯ve met with the head monk under the cover of night. I watched them leave, and they headed to the mountain east of here. I believe that¡¯s where the head monk is now. I believe the figures are thieves who steal from the valley in the name of our monastery, and donate it to us. I¡¯m sure the head monk had something to do with it, but I could never speak out because there were too many monks who supported him.¡±


    Shao grimaced and looked down at his bowl. ¡°Of course, they¡¯re all gone now.¡±


    The younger boy looked at him. ¡°Li didn¡¯t betray us. He would have never have left us to die, no matter how much he likes his new cassock.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not here. So that means he¡¯s either with them or¡­¡± The word he didn¡¯t want to say hung above the two boy¡¯s heads like an axe. They both looked devastated.


    Wukong nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll head to the mountain and take a look around. It¡¯s the one directly east of here you said?¡±


    Shao nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure the thieves have some kind of hideout there. And please,¡± A dark look crossed his face. ¡°Don¡¯t spare the head monk.¡±


    ¡°Shao!¡± The younger monkey protested again, but Shao just angrily shook his head.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t care Shen. I¡¯ll never forgive the head monk for what he¡¯s done. Not even if Boddisattva Guanyin descended right now and asked me to. I know it goes against our teachings, but I¡¯ll never be able to let go of my hatred for him. He deserves to face the judges of the underworld for his sins, and I hope he¡¯s reincarnated as a worm and never attains enlightenment. He¡¯s made a mockery of our monastery and smeared Guanyin¡¯s name before condemning us all to burn. He doesn¡¯t deserve to live.¡±


    The younger boy, Shen, looked down at his bowl of rice before angrily shoving in another bite.


    Shao sighed and looked back up. He focused on Trip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve disappointed you too older brother. I know I make for a poor monk.¡±


    Trip shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you to try and forgive him. Not when the wound is still so fresh. And I agree.¡± His eyes were lit with the flames as he looked up at us. ¡°Some evil deserves to burn for their sins.¡±


    The rest of us shivered. I didn¡¯t know what had happened in Trip¡¯s past, but it was clear he had some strong feelings about it.


    Wukong nodded. ¡°So I have permission?¡±


    Trip look thoughtfully into the flames. ¡°Bring him here alive. He needs to answer to the people he¡¯s hurt most first. Then he can die.¡±


    Wukong gave him one last nod and looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡±


    ¡°Yue, no. It could just be mortal bandits, or it could be a demon. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m coming with you. I¡¯ll stay invisible, and I¡¯ll only intervene if I think you¡¯re in danger.¡±


    Wukong sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not going to convince you not to come am I?¡±


    ¡°Nope. If you leave me here, I¡¯ll just follow you.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± He turned to Pigsy and Sandy. ¡°You two. Look after our master and try to help the monks get this monastery back in order. We¡¯ll be back before the next sunset.¡±


    Sandy nodded and gave a salute while Pigsy groaned. ¡°Why do you get to have all the fun while I¡¯m stuck here with all the work?¡±


    With a deft twist, Wukong smacked him on the top of his head with his staff. Pigsy yelped and rubbed his head while Wukong smirked.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the older brother that¡¯s why. Behave yourself.¡± With that last warning, Wukong flew us out of the dining hall, and out of the monastery.

 Je Ne Sais Quoi

    We headed east and I turned my chi sight on.


    ¡°Yue, are you sure you¡¯re up for this? You seem pretty upset still.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m up for this because I¡¯m upset. That bastard needs to be brought to justice. He tried to kill us over a cassock. He had dozens of his own cassocks, so it wasn¡¯t even out of desperation. And he tried to kill his own monks. In the country I lived in, that was considered a crime so evil, neither Lunus or Anaste would take your soul when you died, and you¡¯d be cursed to wander the universe, alone, for eternity. Plus, I¡¯m not letting you out of my sight. We might just be dealing with bandits, or there might be a demon involved. Whatever it is, I¡¯m not taking chances on you getting captured again.¡±


    Wukong seemed a little taken aback by my rant. He shrugged. ¡°Fair enough. I would tell you not to worry, but I guess that would ring a little hollow. Oh! Down there!¡±


    ¡°I see it.¡± Large iron gates were built into the mountain, and were reinforced with an insane amount of chi. In fact, it seemed the chi from the mountain were reinforcing them.


    I gave Wukong a troubled glance. Even if he used all his might, I wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d be able to breach them. It wasn¡¯t just the amount of chi, it was the way it was arranged. In a pattern of strength. While Wukong had more chi overall, it would take several times more chi than what the gate had to break it.


    ¡°Okay Yue. Hop on Lonely Moon, and turn invisible. I¡¯m going to go knock.¡±


    ¡°Wukong, be careful.¡±


    He gave me a quick peck. ¡°I always am.¡±


    Sure he was. I summoned Lonely Moon and flew a distance away. I gave Wukong a thumbs up before turning invisible.


    Wukong wasted no time and drawing his staff and whacking at the door. ¡°Wakey, wakey! Wukong¡¯s here with your delivery of ass-whoopin! Open up you fuckers!¡±


    A small eyehole popped open. ¡°Oy! Who¡¯s making so much noise out here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Sun Wukong, and I¡¯m here for the old bastard in charge of the Guanyin Monastery, and the cassock he stole. If you give them to me nicely, I might just let you all live!¡±


    The eye widened and the hole slammed shut. Likely getting whoever was actually in charge here.


    It took about ten to fifteen minutes, but the gate eventually opened up, revealing a warrior dressed all in black. Black armor, black shoes, black fur.


    He was a very large and intimidating black bear.


    He held up a spear, and roared at Wukong. ¡°Why are you making a racket outside my doors?! I¡¯ve half a mind to silence you for good!¡±


    Wukong scoffed. ¡°Please. Cut the bullshit. I know you¡¯re protecting the old bastard who tried to burn down his own fucking monastery last night. He has something important, so if you hand him and the cassock over, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±


    The bear shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± He gave Wukong a smirk that said he definitely knew. ¡°And who are you anyway? I haven¡¯t got any reason to be scared of the likes of you.¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit. And I¡¯m Sun Wukong, the Monkey King!¡± Wukong puffed himself up, and took a fighting stance with his staff.


    The bear tilted his head. ¡°Who?¡±


    I¡¯ll give the bear this. He knew exactly how to get under Wukong¡¯s skin. Wukong just stared at him, flabbergasted.


    ¡°You know, Sun Wukong? The monkey who won two wars against heaven and is unable to be killed? The Great Sage Equal to Heaven?¡±


    The bear pretended to think hard, then snapped his claws. ¡°Oh! You were heaven¡¯s stable boy weren¡¯t you?¡±


    Oh. He was very dead. Wukong didn¡¯t waste any time lunging at him with murder in his eyes.


    I watched the battle rage between them. Despite Wukong having more chi, he couldn¡¯t bring the battle to a conclusive end in a fair fight.


    He''d gotten rusty.


    I guess it made sense. It¡¯s been five hundred years after all. As they continued to fight though, I could see him getting faster, his moves flowing more smoothly.


    The sun rose high into the sky, and around noon, the bear backed off and shouted.


    ¡°Time out! I need to eat!¡±


    Wukong stopped out of sheer surprise. ¡°What? Eat?¡±


    The bear nodded. ¡°I was about to eat breakfast when you rudely interrupted me, and now it¡¯s time for lunch.¡±


    Wukong¡¯s surprise turned to fury. ¡°What!? Aren¡¯t you a warrior? There¡¯s no fucking stopping for a meal when you¡¯re in a life and death battle, you coward!¡± Wukong lunged again, but with a deft feint, the bear withdrew and quickly flew back through the gates, shutting them tight behind him.


    Wukong screamed and shouted, pounding on the gates. I sighed. The bear had noticed Wukong was improving and he was likely to lose. That was more likely the reason for his hasty retreat.


    I flew up to Wukong and dropped my invisibility. ¡°Wukong, there¡¯s no point. He¡¯s not going to let you in.¡±


    He growled. ¡°Of all the rude, inconsiderate things! Stopping in the middle of a fight to eat? I¡¯ve never even¡­¡± He continued to grumble, still mad. Maybe he was a little hangry himself.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go back to the others. We can eat something and discuss strategy.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Okay Yue.¡±


    He was silent as he flew us back to the monastery. We landed, and headed inside, and found everyone back in the dining hall.


    It seemed the monks had been busy. They were covered in soot as they morosely ate their meal. Recovering what they could from the fire most likely.


    Our group was in a table in the back. Trip lit up when he saw us approaching, but his expression fell when he saw Wukong¡¯s defeated expression.


    ¡°What happened?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Wukong drew himself up. ¡°It¡¯s a black bear spirit. He¡¯s hiding the old bastard in his mountain, I just know it! I challenged him to a martial duel, and he was pretty good. But around noon, he just fucking stopped fighting, and went back into his mountain to eat. I mean, who stops in the middle of a fight to fucking eat! I can¡¯t break down the gate into the mountain either. So, now we¡¯re here.¡±


    Wukong finished his story with a harrumph. It was clear he considered stopping for any reason in a fight the height of rudeness. I didn¡¯t think many people would agree, especially if they were on the losing side.


    Trip sighed. ¡°Well, sit down. Get something to eat. We¡¯ve just been helping the monks comb through the rubble and bury the bodies.¡±


    Even though Trip tried to state it matter-of-factly, it was clear the work weighed on them. Trip was picking at his food, and Sandy and Pigsy were covered in dirt, yet their appetites also seemed subdued. The monk¡¯s grief was rubbing off on them.


    A monk brought over two more bowls for us, and as we ate, I tried to come up with a plan.


    By the time we finished, I had the bones of one.


    ¡°Okay, so, we need to inform Guanyin.¡±


    Wukong groaned. ¡°Do we have to? I¡¯m sure if I goad him enough, I can beat that bear. Next time for sure.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°This is Guanyin¡¯s monastery. We at least have to inform her about everything that¡¯s happened. I¡¯ll go talk to her. Wukong, you try challenging the bear again, and Pigsy, you watch the doors of the mountain. If anyone comes out, capture them. We can interrogate them to see if there¡¯s another entrance or something.¡±


    No one seemed particularly enthusiastic. I clapped my hands, drawing eyes from all around the room.


    ¡°Hey! I know this isn¡¯t easy. But this is what we signed up for when we started this journey. Trip, you said suffering is a part of the journey, and now it¡¯s here. Pigsy, you need a serious attitude adjustment if you ever want to earn forgiveness. Sandy, I¡¯m sorry this hasn¡¯t been going well, but we need you to stay strong and watch Trip while the rest of us deal with the problem at hand. And Wukong¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°Being better isn¡¯t easy. You need to stay positive, even when things aren¡¯t going your way. Now, are you guys ready to beat up a nasty bear and get these monks the justice they deserve!?¡±


    Their eyes finally lit up. They all gave me determined nods, even Pigsy.


    I nodded. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s keep going. We are going to figure this out! Let¡¯s cheer Buddhism on three!¡± I stuck my hand in the center of the table, and the four of them quickly followed suit. ¡°One, two, THREE!¡±


    We lifted our hands up and shouted. ¡°BUDDHISM!¡± To my surprise, several monks also cheered. It seemed my impromptu pep talk had also inspired them. They resolutely walked out of the hall, ready to tackle the heavy task at hand.


    Trip, Pigsy, and Sandy all seemed renewed too. They finished eating, and Pigsy stood up and nodded to Wukong.


    ¡°You ready brother?¡±


    If my pep talk had inspired everyone else, it fired up Wukong. ¡°YEAH! I¡¯m going to kick that shitty bear¡¯s ass!¡±


    He flew out of the hall like a shot on Nimbus, leaving Pigsy scrambling to keep up.


    Trip and Sandy nodded to each other, and Trip said. ¡°Thank you Yue. We all needed to hear that after last night and this morning.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Anytime Trip. I know I¡¯m not your disciple, but I still want to help all of you, even if all I can do is offer a few words of encouragement.¡±


    ¡°A few kind words at the right time can change destinies. So thank you, you¡¯re right. We will figure this out.¡± He nodded, and Sandy gave me a small bow of respect before they headed out.


    I was just glad I could do something to make them feel better, even something as small as a pep talk and a cheer. I walked outside, and summoned Lonely Moon.


    I flew off towards the western ocean. Back when we were first married, Wukong had brought me there, and we toured a lot of immortals homes.


    Guanyin¡¯s had been one of them, but that was a long time ago. I had to stop once and ask for directions, which they graciously provided.


    As the afternoon turned to evening, I found it. A small island with a bamboo forest. I landed and a familiar young man greeted me.


    Muzha nodded to me. ¡°Sun Yue. Are you here to see the Boddisattva?¡±


    ¡°Yes, is she available?¡±


    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll retrieve her now.¡±


    Muzha went into the forest, and I patiently waited on the beach. It wasn¡¯t long before he returned, with Guanyin.


    I bowed to her. ¡°Boddhisattva. I fear I bring grave news. In the lawless lands, west of the Tang empire, there is a monastery that bears your name. We ran into trouble while staying the night, and I fear a part of the monastery was burned down as a result.¡±


    An anguished expression crossed her face and she sighed. ¡°I know. I have been watching your journey from afar. That monastery began going astray two years ago, but I was hoping the head monk would return to the path of goodness. But now it seems he¡¯s committed sins worthy of death.¡±


    She shook her head in grief. ¡°It is I who should apologize and thank you. I should have intervened before the head monk became so hollow and greedy. But thanks to your mercy, most of my monastery was saved, along with most of the faithful monks still there. They can still recover, and find their way again. But you came to me about the black bear spirit, yes?¡±


    Wow. I hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d been stalking us. It was a little creepy. ¡°Uh, yeah. Do you know anything we can do against him? We know he¡¯s hiding the head monk and cassock inside.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you. I need to address the monks left at my monastery. And I might be able to help you with the black bear spirit too.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thanks, do you want to ride with me or¡­¡±


    With a wave of her hand, a giant lotus flower rose from the ocean. She serenely sat down, and the flower began floating towards the monastery.


    Wow again. She was extra. I glanced at Muzha. ¡°Is she always like this?¡±


    He just gave me a tired look and nodded. Poor kid.


    I hopped back on Lonely Moon and followed her. She was slow. Real slow. That lotus flower looked majestic, but it got a lot of drag in the wind.


    Guanyin didn¡¯t seem that fussed about it. I followed along at her pace, which felt glacial compared to the speeds I usually fly at.


    We reached the monastery late at night. She slowly flew down and landed her flower. Which was glowing. Brightly.


    The monks obviously noticed, and they all formed a crowd around here, dipping into the lowest bows the could, lowering their heads to the ground


    I mean¡­ yeah she looked cool. Even if it seemed highly impractical.


    I spotted our group among the crowd, and landed next to Wukong, who looked depressed again.


    Guanyin gently raised herself off the lotus, and hovered in the air. So extra.


    ¡°Monks, I know your sorrows and woes. I¡¯ve heard your prayers and received your offerings, asking for aid. I know you have been faithful to your teachings. I have come to alleviate your suffering, and reward you for your faithfulness. And I humbly ask you forgive me for allowing such a tragedy to occur.¡±


    Many monks raised a cry, insisting it wasn¡¯t her fault at all. They begged her to forgive them.


    I shook my head and turned to Wukong, who looked even more depressed than before my pep talk. ¡°Wukong? What¡¯s wrong? Did something go wrong after I left?¡±


    He sighed and turned away from me, his mouth set in a grim line. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    Pigsy piped up. ¡°He couldn¡¯t beat the bear and he escaped back into the mountain.¡±


    Wukong growled. ¡°He fucking said he had to go to sleep! He stopped our battle for his bedtime. He doesn¡¯t even deserve to wield a weapon!¡±


    A few monks shot dirty looks at him for being so loud when Guanyin was still giving an inspirational speech nearby. He shut his mouth and sighed.


    ¡°Anyway, it didn¡¯t go well. And Pigsy accidentally killed the messenger they sent out of the mountain.¡±


    Pigsy sputtered. ¡°He was very fragile. One hit with my rake and he was gone. I would¡¯ve liked to see you do any better. At least I got the message he sent out.¡±


    So, L¡¯s all around. But we had a message. Hopefully that would help us come up with a new plan. Plus, I got Guanyin to help us now.


    It seemed she was finally winding down. She serenely floated over to us. ¡°Let us discuss our next moves in private. Please, follow me.


    She led us back, into the old monk¡¯s rooms. With a snap of her fingers, his things vanished, replaced with more elegant versions that featured lotus motifs.


    She nodded. ¡°Much better. Now, are there any leads you can give me to work with? The more we know about this spirit, the better.¡±


    Wukong and Pigsy glanced at each other. Trip sighed and bowed to her. ¡°I apologize for my disciple¡¯s incompetence. But all we¡¯ve managed to recover is this.¡±


    He pulled out a small box from his robe, and handed it to her.


    She opened it and found an opened letter. She read through it. Then nodded.


    ¡°I see, an invitation to a nearby immortal. And he asks them to bring a pill of immortality as a gift. Very interesting.¡±


    Wukong snorted. ¡°Yeah, but thanks to this bozo, we have no idea where the immortal lives, which means I can¡¯t see him, which means I can¡¯t impersonate him. It¡¯s essentially useless.¡±


    Guanyin shook her head. ¡°Not necessarily. You see, I¡¯ve met this immortal. I can impersonate him if necessary. But if this bear can compete with the famed Monkey King, I fear I¡¯m no match for him myself.¡±


    Yeah, most of her powers seemed centered around looking really cool.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Wukong scratches his chin. ¡°Maybe you won¡¯t have to, if I can sneak in too.¡± His eyes twinkled. ¡°I have a good idea.


    Uh oh. That was never a good sign.

 Immediate Regret

    ¡°No.¡±


    Wukong flinched at my deadpan tone. ¡°Yue, I know you¡¯re worried, but I can handle it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you said back before you were captured by heaven.¡±


    He winced as he recalled our fight. ¡°I swear it¡¯s different this time Yue. I survived them cooking us in that pot. I can survive a little stomach acid.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it okay! What so it¡¯s fine for you to get eaten? What if the bear manages to digest you? What if something else goes wrong? I¡¯m just supposed to stand aside and let you go through with this?!¡±


    Wukong gave a slight growl. ¡°I know I¡¯ve made some mistakes, but I won¡¯t die that easily. You know that! This is the best plan we have to take down the bear.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not our best plan. You just think that because it¡¯s your plan. I¡¯m sure if we thought about it, we could come up with something else. Why do you insist on throwing yourself into danger every chance you get!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see you offering any other alternatives! And it¡¯s a good plan! Maybe you should have a little more faith in me!¡±


    ¡°Maybe I would if every time I put my faith in you, you came through, and didn¡¯t leave me for ten years!¡±


    We were standing face to face, breathing heavy from our argument. Everyone else was awkwardly shifting as far away from us as possible, taking turns looking between us, eyes wide.


    Guanyin was the exception. She sat serene as ever, in the chair at the desk.


    ¡°Yue, that was a long time ago! You already know how sorry I am about that! Don¡¯t use it to try and guilt me into not going through with this now!¡±


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I?! Throwing yourself into a situation with no idea what you¡¯re doing! It¡¯s basically the same! You haven¡¯t changed at all!¡±


    ¡°What!? The reason we¡¯re even here in the first place is because I¡¯ve changed! All of this, this entire plan is because I¡¯m trying to be better. For you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare tell me you¡¯re going to do it for me, because you¡¯re not. Not when I¡¯m standing right here, telling you I don¡¯t want you to do this!¡±


    ¡°What, you think I want to be eaten by a bear?¡±


    ¡°I think you want to get revenge on him for running from you!¡±


    Wukong scoffed. ¡° Oh yeah, because getting eaten is clearly how I want to teach him a lesson. Sometimes Yue, you¡¯re just impossible!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the impossible one?! Try talking to yourself for once. Some days, I regret ever marrying you!¡±


    Hurt. All over Wukong¡¯s face. What did I just say? I put my hand over my mouth. I went too far. Way too far.


    I turned my back to him, and pushed through the door.


    ¡°Yue!¡± Wukong called out, and reached for me, but I was already gone. I was scared I¡¯d say something even worse in anger.


    I summoned Lonely Moon, and burst through the nearest window, flying off into the night.


    I turned my invisibility on, and flew off over the valley. I didn¡¯t stop for a while. Long enough for my tears to finally overcome my willpower.


    When that happened, I stopped and cried. That was the worst fight Wukong and I have ever had. We fought before, but I felt like this time I finally said everything I wanted about his reckless nature. And some things I didn¡¯t mean. Regretting marrying him?


    Never. Never in a million years. A billion. Ever. Even when he frustrated me, or even now, when we fight. He meant the world to me. He was my family. I loved him.


    I committed a sin. I¡¯ve fought with my family and said things in anger. Lunus, help me. I didn¡¯t mean what I said. Please help me make things right between us. Calm my mind, so I don¡¯t get angry again. Please, ask him to remember our feelings for each other and forgive me.


    I looked up at the moon. It wasn¡¯t Lunus, but it was the best I could do as I prayed.


    Once I finished, I kept looking up at the moon. I hoped Lunus would receive my prayers, even if I was a different universe altogether.


    Just remember. The bonds we make can¡¯t be severed by death or by distance. Only we can sever our bonds. Whether in a rash moment, or over time when we fail to remember what¡¯s important in life. But broken bonds can always be mended, as long as both people will it.


    I have to fix things with Wukong. I have to apologize for what I said. Then we can try to talk about it calmly.


    I took a deep breath. And dropped my invisibility.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I looked around. Sure enough, there was a little cloud, zipping all over the valley. Even though he could find me in an instant using the bracelet, he would wait until I was ready to be found.


    ¡°Wukong!¡± I cried out to him and his little cloud paused then started racing towards me.


    ¡°Yue!¡± He almost crashed into me, and whisked me off Lonely Moon. He pulled me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Yue. I know you have good reasons to worry about me, and I¡¯m not dependable. We can come up with something else.¡±


    ¡°No, Wukong, I¡¯m sorry. I said something horrible and hurt you. I¡¯m so sorry. Please forgive me. I¡¯ve never regretted marrying you. Not once.¡±


    ¡°Of course I forgive you Yue. You¡¯ve forgiven me for so much more than just a few hurtful words. Even now. I shouldn¡¯t have argued with you about the plan. If you don¡¯t like it, I won¡¯t go through with it.¡±


    I sniffed. ¡°No. You know how scared I am of losing you. I¡¯m not always rational when it comes to your safety. We can talk about it. Without yelling or arguing with each other.¡±


    ¡°You do? But it¡¯s really okay.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No. We can¡¯t argue every time you come up with a dangerous plan. We both knew this journey was going to be perilous when we started out. And you¡¯re a warrior. Danger is a part of your life. And I know it always will be. I need to talk to you about it, rather than just shutting down and shutting you out. Maybe if I had done that back before you got captured, we could have won the war with heaven. I keep telling you you can¡¯t handle things, even though I know how strong you are. I know that¡¯s my trauma talking. There needs to be a balance. You can¡¯t just give into me every time I don¡¯t want you to put yourself in danger. We need to talk about it.¡±


    Wukong let out a breath, and set me back down on the cloud. ¡°Okay Yue. Let¡¯s talk then. I know you don¡¯t like the plan because I get eaten by the bear. What about that don¡¯t you like?¡±


    ¡°Everything. I know you¡¯re the only one who can use the transformation magic to turn into the pill. But couldn¡¯t you just fight him once you¡¯re inside? Why do you have to let him eat you?¡±


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to say I¡¯m confident in being able to beat him, I¡¯m not. He¡¯s a master at retreating. If there¡¯s another door like that inside the mountain, we¡¯re screwed. Or worse, if he gets out, and manages to lock us in the mountain with the doors. I refuse to be trapped like that ever again. The only way he can¡¯t run is if I¡¯m somewhere he can¡¯t escape from. Inside himself.¡±


    Fuck. Those were some good arguments. ¡°Okay, but what if something goes wrong? What if his stomach acid is too much for you to handle?¡±


    ¡°Yue, I¡¯ve survived much stronger acid than stomach acid. It¡¯s one of the ways the celestials tried to kill me when I was trapped in heaven. I know I can handle it.¡±


    Fuck. That was also a good argument. ¡°But what if something does? What if you get trapped in his stomach?¡±


    ¡°Guanyin will be right there. She has a few tricks that would be able to help me. I can just shout for her help if I need it.¡±


    Fuck. I curled my hands into fists. I felt my eyes watering, and I looked down, at our feet. ¡°How would you feel if it was me who had to take the risk? If I was the one who had to go into the belly of the beast?¡±


    Wukong was silent. I looked back up, and saw he had a very serious expression. He was working his jaw, deep in thought.


    ¡°I would hate it. I would hate it with every fiber of my being. But¡­ I¡¯d let you. Because it¡¯s important. Because it¡¯s something only you can do. Because if you didn¡¯t¡­¡± He brought his hand up and caressed my face. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be Yue.¡±


    Damn it. I gave up trying to to contain my tears. I lunged forward and hugged him, fiercely. He hugged me back, gentle. He patted my back, and smoothed the fur on the back of my head.


    I didn¡¯t want to let him go. But I knew I had to. If not today, then tomorrow, or next week, or sometime after we get home. He was just too wild to try and contain. He was always going to take risks.


    I just had to make sure he didn¡¯t take stupid, pointless ones. That we had a viable plan, and a backup in case things went wrong. But I couldn¡¯t protect him from everything. I had to let go.


    He wasn¡¯t Dad. Or Luvouse. Or Luka. He¡¯d come back to me. It was okay to let go. This wasn¡¯t my old world, where death was only a breath away.


    Slowly, I loosened my grip. First one hand, then the other. And my arms. Finally, I pulled back.


    Wukong¡¯s eyes were shining. ¡°Thank you Yue. I know it must be hard. But nothing in the world could ever stop me from coming back to you. Not even death itself.¡±


    I sniffed and smeared my hands over my eyes and nose. ¡°You better. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll just come and find you to drag you back. So if you don¡¯t want to get in trouble with me, you better come back.¡±


    ¡°Always.¡± He dipped down to kiss me. ¡°I love you Yue.¡±


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I stood on tiptoe and returned his kiss.


    Once we broke apart. I rubbed my face again. ¡°I probably look like a mess right now.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re biased.¡± I groaned. ¡°And we fought in front of everyone too. Lunus, I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Yue. We can tell them we made up when we go back.¡±


    ¡°The point went right over your head. I¡¯m embarrassed because we fought in front of them. And they even heard me say something so horrible to you. How can I even face them again?¡±


    ¡°You were just worried about me Yue. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want them to see me like that. Angry and yelling. What if they think I¡¯m a bad person now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. You¡¯re one of the best people I know. And they know you better than that. You¡¯re always helping out around camp and making us food. So we had a lovers¡¯ quarrel? They know better than to think you¡¯re a bad person just because of that. Plus, you were only arguing because you love me so much. Clearly, you¡¯re a good person.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°You¡¯re making me feel even more embarrassed. Let¡¯s just head back before I get too ashamed to face them.¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Let¡¯s just stay up here a little longer. I want to be alone together. Just for a little while.¡±


    I sniffed and dried the last of my tears. ¡°Okay. Just for a little while.¡±


    We sat down, and Wukong turned Nimbus so we could admire the moon.


    I cuddled up next to him, and he pulled an arm around me. He tilted his head, resting it on top of mine.


    ¡°I love you Yue. More than I¡¯ll ever be able to express.¡±


    ¡°I love you too Wukong. I love you all the way to Lunus and back.¡±


    ¡°But Lunus is back in your old world?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°That¡¯s how much I love you. All the way across this universe and my own. So much, I don¡¯t even mind that I was trapped in the in-between, because that meant I got to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Yue. You know I can¡¯t compete with you when it comes to sweet words. Um, I can go kill something for you and bring it back as a trophy. Would that help show how much I love you?¡±


    I giggled and shook my head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything Wukong. Just stay here with me. As long as I can moongaze with you, I¡¯m happy.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, maybe this will do.¡± He started purring. I loved the rough sound and how it practically vibrated the entire cloud.


    I snuggled closer and started purring too. We stayed like that for a while, just purring and cuddling while staring at the moon.


    I wished this moment could last forever.