Misadventures of Monkey King and Lin

Lullaby For A Stormy Night

"Wukong? Can I sleep with you, tonight?" Lin whispered to her brother as the storm raged outside the small inn the pilgrims had stumbled into.

"What's wrong, Pebble?" Wukong mumbled, barely half awake.

"...I don't really like storms that much." The girl mumbled, not meeting the monkey's eyes.

Wukong frowned, slightly confused. She doesn't like storms? She didn't seem to have a problem when I fought that dragon guy. Eh. Humans are weird. "Okay." The ginger shifted over to the far side of the small bed he'd been given. Lin slipped into the bed, curling up with her back to the monkey. Wukong blinked at her before deciding that was something to worry about another time. It's probably nothing. After a few minutes he was out cold.

That was a few months ago. His sister hasn't said anything about it since and there haven't been any big storms like that. Until tonight, that is. The small group had taken cover in a cave when the storm hit. Wukong briefly glanced at Lin, attempting to be discreet. The girl was teasing Tripitaka about the water dripping down his long ears. She seems okay. Maybe it was just a one off thing. His eyes roamed the cave, taking in all the stalagmites and stalactites. The king suppressed a shudder. The sight was all to similar to one he was stuck with for five hundred years, leaving a foul feeling in his stomach. The ginger monkey mentally waved it off and went to rest with the others. It was further into the cold season, so Lin and Master were curled up and tucked between the warmer forms of Wukong and Zhu Bajie. Everyone bid each other goodnight before going to sleep.

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A short while later Lin's eyes opened. The immortal girl frowned, uncertain of why she had awakened. The storm had caused her to feel uneasy, but the presence of her brother and their new family gave her enough comfort and security that such events bothered her less and less. An arm tightened around her shoulders as a quiet chitter was mumbled into her ear. Lin blinked, awareness quickly coming to her. Wukong woke me up? Wukong had curled around her in his sleep and seemed to be having some sort of nightmare. The uneasy monkey tucked her head into his chest as he shifted, desperately holding onto the girl. "Wukong." Lin whispered, patting his side in an attempt to get him to free her. "Wukong, wake up." Her brother's grip was beginning to border on painful. Piercing crimson eyes shot open as the monkey woke.

"L-Lin?" Wukong whispered half awake, releasing the girl. The two stared at each other for a moment. "You're not supposed to-" He was cut off by a loud crash of thunder and Lin's subsequent flinch. More aware, the king's eyes scanned their surroundings. "Wait. This isn't-" His sister gripped his hand tightly as more thunder echoed into the cave.

Lin gave him a shaky smile. "I think you had a nightmare." The faint tremble in her hand went ignored by both of them.

"Pshh. I don't have nightmares." Despite his words, he inched closer. The monkey's eyes bounced between the cave and the shivering form of his sister. "You-" Wukong nervously cleared his throat. "You said you aren't super into storms." Blinking in surprise, the girl nodded. "Right. Yeah. Cool. Cool. Cool." He glanced around with an anxious air. "I'm not a big fan of caves. I guess. I'm not scared!"

Lin interrupted him. "I understand." She glanced around furtively. "Can I teach you something my mother use to do whenever I wasn't scared by was definitely super not into something?" She'd had to deal with her fear of storms alone for a long time, but her mother's lullaby always helped. Now it can help my brother too.

"Okay?" Wukong replied, feeling slightly confused as Lin took a deep breath.

"When the light is running low and the shadows start to grow." She hesitantly sang, voice cracking before she started to gain more confidence. Wukong stared at her with wide eyes, taken aback. "And the places that you know seem like fantasy." Lin patted his cheek with a tiny smile while his lips started to wobble. "There's a light inside your soul that's still shining in the cold with the truth." The monkey sniffled, his eyes watering as the girl continued to sing. Lin's voice caught and she hugged him tightly, quietly singing into his ear as he returned the hug with a shaky breath. The girl locked eyes with a half awake Tripitaka, who stared at the two in concern. I didn't mean to wake him. She shook her head slightly, nearly stumbling over her words. "The promise in our hearts." Wukong pressed his face into her hair, choking back a sob. Poor monkey. He was really scared. All she could see for a moment was Wukong as a baby trapped in that furnace. Their Master's face softened and he gently smiled at her before turning to give them some privacy. He's a good man. Accident prone, but kind. She patted her brother's head as he shook. "Don't forget, I'm with you in the dark."

Wukong quietly chirped into the girl's hair. "Thank you, Lin." The king whispered, sniffling as she ran a a hand through his fur.

"Go to sleep, Wukong." Lin murmured as she tightened her arms. "I'll keep you safe, big brother."