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Macaque watched the phoenix feather in his hands, twirling it around as he sat on the porch of MK's window. He didn't know why.. and how he had gotten it. He didn't know why it was so important to him.. he just knew that it was. Melancholy gripped him yet again. Whenever he looked at the feather he felt a deep sadness and his head hurt. But he could not come up with a reason why..
It was truly a mystery.
The obsidian monkey hummed to himself as he watched the red and orange feather gleam in the sunlight.
As if there was something he was forgetting, something important..
He smiled sadly at the feather as he leaned his head back, trying to think.. wrecking his brain why this object was so important to him.. and why he had it in the first place. How had he come into it's possession anyway? But nothing sprang to mind. He just had it one day when he woke up. He remembered that day, there wasn't anything special or different that happened to him mind you..
But he remembered waking up. MK above him as he cried for him and someone else.. but he could for the life of him not recall the name the kid had shouted back then.
Suddenly a strong gust of wind ripped the feather out of his grasp, Macaque's eyes widened, an image flashing in front of his eyes.
An orange furred simian in yellow clothes, a blue bandanna around his neck and a yellow hat on his head, hiding the wild locks underneath it, a laugh as warm as the rays of the sun echoed in the memory and around him..!
He saw the other turn around to him, a bright smile on his lips as they parted and called his name.
”Liu'er Mihou~!”
The dark furred simian gasped, the pain throbbing in his heart and mind..
What was..-
No! That wasn't important!
Macaque stumbled off the porch, but that pain that the memory had caused was secondary.
The feather..!
Macaque forced himself on his feet rushing after it. The wind had taken the farther away from him.
No..!
“Macaque!?” he could hear MK exclaim in surprise as the shadow monkey jumped out of the window, running across the rooftops, trying to catch the feather.
Each time he almost managed to grab it, ir slipped through his gasp.
And each time..
He saw another memory flash before his eyes.
The orange furred simian in all of them.
They were always together, laughing.. fighting..!
But then why..! Why, why, why, why!?! Why did he not remember him!? Why could he not recall his name?! A growl left the Warriors lips, he wouldn't lose it- this!
Ever since that event a few weeks ago.. he had noticed how different MK and his entourage of friends and family had been treating him. Looking at him with pity and sadness, how they seemed to shrink in on themselves whenever they mentioned someone who he had no recollection off.. how they retold the story to the west and each and every time he felt that something was off. That someone was missing..!
How even Iron Fan and her spouse seemed to avoid a certain topic around him and even their son, Red Son, who usually was candid with everyone looked upon him with sadness and pity.
”Don't try to make yourself remember..”
“Shut up...”
”Don't look for me, I am just a story you've been told..”
The same voice continued and Macaque grit his teeth in frustration. He was so close.. so close!
“Shut up..!”
“You don't need these memories Mac.. You don't need these memories of me..”
He gasped, his steps faltering, the feather which he had almost managed to grab, slipping through his fingers. His breathing started to come quicker as the voice kept talking.
”I will take it all with me.. your sorrow.. your pain and your memories.. All of it.. so..-”
“No..-! Wukong!!”
Wukong..!
That was it! How could he have forgotten!?
His King..! His sun!
Macaque's eyes grew big, how could he have.. No he knew how..! Wukong! He had taken his memories, trying to shield him from the pain, trying to take all of it.. all of it like he always did..-!!
“Stupid, stupid.. stupid!!”
”Don't worry Liu'er.. like this you won't hurt.”
“No!” a sob broke free, as the memories rushed back. How the Thrall of the Lady Bone Demon had sought him out that day, for revenge and the betrayal against his lady, how Macaque had not been ready for it, had been caught off guard and how he felt himself slipping. Wasting his second chance at life. The damned man would have succeeded.. if he had been alone.
But as fate would have it on that day.. Macaque had not been alone. MK and Wukong had been with him. MK's eyes grew big, shouting his other mentors name in shock, whilst Wukong's beautiful golden eyes were only on him, mouthing his name before he turned on the Thrall, snuffing out his life with ease and within seconds. If MK had not been busy trying to stop the bleeding, trying to save Macaque he would have probably been shocked by the viciousness, but he was far too busy trying to stop the bleeding, anything to save Macaque.
He saw Wukong kneel in front of him, taking him into his arms oh so gently, like he was something to be treasured, something precious to the King.
A sad smile spread across Wukong's face, he realized what was happening to his moon. Macaque had realized it too, a powerful curse.. one that could not be broken without consequences. He remembered how he had tried to stop him, weakly calling out his suns name, pleading for him to stop. But Wukong ignored him. Tears gathered yet again in the Warriors eyes.
”I won't let Diyu take you again Liu'er.. you deserve to be happy, to live.. even if I am not there.”
“You..-” Macauqe growled, he did not even bother to wipe the tears away as he jumped, trying to catch the feather. He knew that there was nothing below, he knew that it was dangerous.. but..-!
“You selfish bastard Wukong!!” his fingers almost managed to reach it.. just a bit more!
“You can't just..- You can't..!!
Suddenly arms wrapped around him and Macaque's eyes widened and he was pulled back, his reaction was instant and he started to trash around wildly.
No no no no no nonononono!!
“Macaque-!”
“No-! Wukong's..! That is Wukong's!” the warriors eyes darted back to the skies, where he had seen the feather, but now he saw no sign of it!! “The last thing I have of him!” he tried to get out of the surprisingly strong grip, but the boy held on, not letting him go. They didn't understand..!
It was the last thing he had from the Monkey King! His sun! The only thing left of him! His body had disintegrated..! He had nothing else left of him! They couldn't even bury his body! Whatever the fates had decided for Wukong, as punishment for saving him, for breaking that curse on him, they had taken this last solace away from his Warrior.
They had taken the sun away from his moon..
Somehow with the last of his strength the Warrior managed to break free from MK's grip, rushing to the edge of the roof again, but the feather was gone.. he could not see it anywhere!
Devastated he put his face into his hands as the tears kept streaming down his cheeks, he felt the weight starting to crush him. The realization.. hitting him like a train yet again. When he was chasing the feather, he focused solely on that, but now.. he had nothing which could distract him from his thoughts, his grief.
The sadness and grief were crushing his very core. Wukong, he.. he was gone. He had sacrificed himself so that Macaque, that Liu'er Mihou could live..!
He could feel the movement and the warmth before he felt the arms around himself. Macaque looked up surprised at MK, who was giving him a shaky smile, which only made it more real.
His sun was gone..!
A soft sob.. then he started to weep and scream, letting his pain out as he grasped desperately unto the kid, he would reprimand himself later for sure, about how he should not have leaned on the kid, how he himself must be suffering, because of all of this, but right now the grief was too overwhelming for the dark furred simian as he sobbed and wept for his lost mate.. and MK? He held unto him in return, holding him as his own sorrow shone in his eyes, the successor of the Monkey King felt helpless.. and was hoping that holding Macaque, hugging him like this could at least give him some comfort and solace.
But he knew that the other wanted someone else in his stead, not him but the Monkey King to hold him like this, someone who they were both grieving for.