It was late when the sun finally fell and darkness arrived in the city of Megapolis. The streets had long since emptied out and stall lights began to flicker off one by one. All but a single home, illuminating the road in a yellowish glow.
Megapolis Orphanage.
The only one within the entire city, housing a scarce number of children.
From the shadows of an alley not far away, a figure emerged. Clad in a dark cloak, bright highlights of red and pink would peek out from time to time. In their arms was a small bundle, held securely.
The man stepped out slowly into the light, mindful of the area as he took a second glance over. There was a hesitation in his movements- A moment of doubt as he glanced down at the cargo he bared. "...For your safety," he reminded himself.
A few more steps and he stood before the orphanage. He exhaled deeply, hunching over to lower the precious cargo he had in his grasp. It was a larger hand woven basket, lined with a soft blanket to cushion what lay within.
A human child.
Not much older than a few hours.
In a moment of crystallized time, the hooded figure examined the infant more closely. So tiny, with rounded cheeks and brown hair messily falling in front of his face. There was a softness to his skin, untouched by the sun and elements. Around his neck, a simple pendant that had been placed beforehand.
A necklace that will never nor should ever be removed. An enchantment has been placed upon this pendant as a sort of persuasion- convincing all who laid their eyes upon it to turn away. That the Pendant wasn't important and thus shouldn't be touched.
He hoped this would be enough to keep this infant hidden.
The forlorn figure sighed, "There." he gestured to the building behind the child. "Now your journey may begin." his voice grew quiet, glancing from side to side once more. Taking his time, he knelt beside the infant.They slept rather peacefully throughout the journey here, never once stirring.
The figure couldn't help but feel... sad, at how things were turning out.
"You'll find a warm home. You'll be happy, I'm sure. Fulfilled and loved." he patted the child's head. Their time together was short, but valued.
Something about one so innocent and pure tended to put many things in perspective. Tilting his head back, the hooded figure eyed the stars above. He agreed to this task, but realized only now of its consequences.
Should his actions ever be revealed, he would surely suffer a thousand deaths by the hand of the King himself. Though even if he managed to avoid that death, the Emperor would have his head.
All paths lead to the same fate of demise. An ending he deserved for his play in all this.
He had been given a single mission- entrusted to him by the highest officials of the Celestial Court. His loyalty was being tested on this day.
"Nezha...Steal yourself unto Flower Fruit Mountain before the Stone Monkey's return. When the children are born, take one with you from that place. Ensure you are not detected. When you are safely away may your blade pierce the child's heart swiftly and without pain, Oh Lotus Prince."
Nezha shuddered, eyes squeezing shut in dismay. Yes, that's right. His mission was to kill one of the two offspring of the mighty Sun Wukong while he was away from the mountain with his Mate. It had been an elaborate ruse, concocted by the Jade Emperor himself.
A false agreement to peace, if Sun Wukong simply laid down his Staff for good. Should the King do that, the Celestial Court would never bother him or his allies again.
The location had been set, and together Wukong and Macaque left Flower Fruit Mountain to find a final resting place for the Monkey King's Staff. In that time, Nezha had breached the safety of the seals within the Mountain. Considered an ally, a friend, a brother, of course he was allowed entry and the seals were not set off to detect his presence. It was almost too easy- painfully so.
The reasoning for this deceit was hard to swallow, but even if Nezha disagreed, he could not go against the Emperor- the man he swore his spear to. So no matter why the Jade Emperor insisted that the two children could not coexist, he followed his order.
For a time, he convinced himself you could actually accomplish this madness. It was only when he stood above two wailing cubs, only recently hatched from their stone egg, that he faltered.
Never had he been asked to slay someone so young. It left a sickening taste in his mouth. As much as he tried, and he certainly tried, he could not find the will to see it through.
So instead, he opted for another course of action; to hide the children where no one would find him. Blend him in with the masses of the human realm, and let the child grow and age. Without the touch of the celestial realm, or the taste of its food, the child would surely age the same way all mortals did.
There would be no longevity to his life, and within 100 years, he would be gone. The worries of the Celestial Council could be satiated, and his Brother-.... No, he didn't deserve to call the Monkey King that anymore.
Sun Wukong, would never know. He would live peacefully with Liu'er Mihou and their newborn. Nezha had already ensured there was not a single trace of a second infant born atop that mountain.
All he had to do now was step away and everything would be done. It was this last step that seemed to be his greatest struggle.
It felt almost fitting that the child should grow up here, in Megapolis. Several miles outside the city, overlooking its great view, Wukong had settled his Staff atop a neighboring mountain. Nezha felt almost poetic that he would have the child living where his Father's presence would be close at hand.
Poetic and cruel.
He shook his head with a small musing, "You knew the risks." extending his hand, a small lotus petal formed between his fingers. He settled it against the child's sleeping chest. "Grow well, young one." Nezha patted their head, scooting the basket a tad closer to the door. He stood pressed against the doorbell.
In a flash, he was gone, leaving nothing but a soft wind's breeze.
Moments later, the door opened.
"Hello?" an older woman stepped out into the crisp night air. She was wrapping a shawl around her shoulders. Puzzled, she looked around for any sign of who had pressed the bell. Finding no one, she almost turned to go inside, before noticing a basket.
She gasped, scrambling closer the moment she realized what was in. "Oh! Oh you poor dear!" recognizing a child, she lifted him from his small bed to hold him to her chest. He didn't stir once, peacefully asleep.
There was no note. No semblance of a name. Just a small child in a basket with a lotus petal in his hands, and a circular pendant around his neck.
They named him... MK.
———————————
Liu'er Mihou was nearly in tears when they arrived back home. While Wukong's expression was solemn, he couldn't stop the emotions that took over himself. The journey had been somber, welcomed by dark clouds above their heads. Hand in hand, he and his mate did not utter a word until they arrived home.
Softly he caressed Wukong's back, knowing how much that Staff meant to him. It was his sun's very soul, almost. He had carried that since they were young, following him through wars and journeys both. It bore witness to everything Wukong once was, and now is. To set it aside was like abandoning family.
"I'm alright, Mango." Wukong murmured, but his eyes were distant. Turning, he took Mihou's hands into his own, lifting them to kiss his knuckles. "I'd much rather have peace than carry my Staff into another war." lifting his gaze, he meant these words, even if it was hard. "I've already had to leave you behind once.... Never again." His Journey to the west, while insightful, was far too long to his liking. It was hard enough reconnecting with Mihou when he returned after so many years. His Mate had all but closed himself off, giving Wukong nothing but hurt glares. It took several years to wiggle his way back into Mihou's heart and hold it like he was now. He would never risk it again. This lovely soul- who looked at him like he was the sun itself...
Mihou squeezed those calloused hands, eyes steady, "Like I would ever let you leave me behind to fight the celestial realm alone." he chided. Stepping closer, his voice was barely above a whisper, "Are you certain we can trust them to keep their word...?"
"Perhaps not." his King mused, eyeing the clouds above them. "They know the consequences of crossing us." It was only due to the truce that stilled Azure's war across the realm. Having taken over half of the Celestial Realm as his own, planning to storm the Jade Emperor's very home next. Wukong would have stood together with his Brother to strike that god down...
That didn't happen though. For them to offer up a truce so easily was definitely odd. Perhaps it was just a ploy to give themselves some time to regain their strength? Wukong wasn't sure.
Honestly, if he could avoid having to confront Nezha at the steps of the Jade Emperor's door, he would prefer that. That kid was like a little brother to him- it would hurt to have to fight against him.
"I guess we'll wait and see." he sighs.
Macaque snorted, "You? Waiting and being patient?" he cupped Wukong's face, "Who are you and what have you done with the Monkey King?"
"Har har." Wukong sneered. Only Macaque could make him feel so happy and so annoyed at the same time, "Make your jokes. Get them all out of your system." his hands slid around Macaque's waist, tugging the simian closer. Sneaky fingers coiled around darkened fur, slipping against the glamored spell hugging his mate's back. Deactivating it, he was welcomed with six beautiful ears. The flush of red that took over Mihou's face was heavenly, "There you are."
Those same ears twitched, flattening just a tad when Macaque glanced away, embarrassed. "Wish you weren't so obsessed with them." he hummed when Wukong leaned closer to kiss his ears. It tickled, spurring a chuckle. "Knock it off~"
Wukong grinned ear to ear, nipping lightly. "I can't help it. You hide them from me all day." The nipping of sharpened teeth grew to insistent kisses and touches. He buried his face into Mihou's neck, leaving very little space between the two. Pressing his love against the tree behind them, the two breathed in the other's scent.
The war was over. They could finally live in the promised peace they dreamed about for years.
Mihou hummed- a rather pretty noise that Wukong wanted to store away and hide in his pocket for whenever he had to be apart from his mate. "I'm a little late with this but..." Mihou kissed Wukong's temple. "Welcome home, Wukong."
"I'm home, Mihou." the sun kissed monkey whispered, his heart feeling full. With a swish of his tail, he excitedly lifted his head. "We can do anything we want now. Eat all the peaches we want. Then it won't be long until the baby-" crashing lips overcame Wukong's. Startled, his voice cut out in a high pitched gasp. Slowly, he relaxed, feeling Mihou's arms wrap around his neck.
Oh~
Enveloped by Mihou's warmth, Wukong kissed back just as fiercely. Enraptured by the presence of the other, they hardly noticed when one of their tribe had appeared from the underbrush. They themselves didn't seem to even realize what it was walking into before it shrieked and fell backwards.
Torn apart, the larger simians turned their heads. They eyed the little monkey with matching frowns, not overly happy with being interupted. The chimp was already rolling itself back into a sitting position, bouncing wildly. The King's had returned!
The monkey chirped and shrieked, bounding to the two to run around their feet. Wukong sighs, realizing their alone time was officially over.
"We're home." Macaque offered with a sly smile, his hidden hand dancing up Wukong's side enticingly. Gaining the King's curious side eye and flirty smile. Macaque was more than happy to drag his mate into the shadows behind them and claim him where no one could see- ahh but the little Monkey seemed to be panicking about something so he shouldn't.
"What is it, little one?" he asked. His expectations ranged from some new bug discovery, to the river having dried up somehow. Both were plausible depending on what the Monkey's got into while they were gone. What he hadn't expected was for this little chimp to point to the top of their mountain.
Wukong's hand slowly slipped from Macaque's waist, shaky at his side. "What about it?" he asked the youngling, his throat feeling dry. They both knew without having to say it what exactly was atop their mountain. For the last few months it had been a very heavily guarded location of their home. It left them both feeling tense at the slightest mention.
The youngling pointed again, speaking in the language only the two could understand. Chirping with glee, " The Baby."
Liu'er didn't need to hear more than that before he was already sinking into his own shadow and out of Wukong's grasp. The King was still trying to grasp what the youngling could possibly mean with that sentence. Turning to now empty air, his Mate already on a mad dash up the mountain slope, the King wasn't far behind.
Their baby!
They arrived moments later in the sanctuary at the top of their Mountain. The nursery where their little one was safely secured.
The Tribe had found their way to the location, having been there for who knows how long before their King's arrived. They parted the moment Macaque rose from the shadows of the trees, eyes wild with concern.
"Where-?" his voice cut out, choking back into a whimper of shock. He covered his mouth with his palm.
In a burst of air, Wukong was landing beside his mate. Disheveled and gasping as he stood on wobbly legs, having felt panic the entire few seconds it took to scale their home. His expression broke for a moment, melting into something akin to tears. "Mihou..." he whispered. His mate was shaking his head up and down slowly.
Sitting on the ground, circled by their tribe and their people, was the young prince. Their son. Their Baby, who they had agreed to name Qi Xiaotian.
His fur was creamy white, cupping bouncy cheeks and sunset tinted eyes. He was currently holding his own tail, hugging it against his small chest. The slightest lean one way or another seemed to teeter the unbalanced child, who swayed back and forth precariously. The Monkeys were quietly reaching out to straighten the baby back into a sitting position, chirping in praise to their Prince.
Macaque fell to his knees, his arms caught by Wukong who couldn't seem to hold either of them up and just fell with him. Arm in arm, they laughed wetly. Tears stained Mihou's face, pulling forth a rare grin.
"He's here."
Wukong nodded numbly, burying his face against Mihou's head. "Our Baby."
In their tears, they rejoiced. The next chapter of their lives were beginning. Their infant was as beautiful as the crystal sands that surrounded their home. Sweet and round. He was everything they hoped for and more. Forget the war, forget the celestial realm- none of it mattered anymore. They were parents and an official family. They turned to embrace the other, soaking in the sight of their precious little boy.
With how he looked around, they wondered if he was searching for them. He certainly was trying to find someone... just not his parents.
No, he was looking for the other one. He had no name for them. Or any idea what they looked like since they were in the dark for so long, but the other one had been his companion. They had been in the dark together, hugging the other for comfort and warmth for so long now...
All Qi Xiaotian knew was their smell. They were here not long ago, but for some reason disappeared. The other one... his other half. Where did they go? He chirped out for them, and while he once got a call back when they first emerged, that chirp didn't sound out this time.
It upset the child.
So he wailed, spurring panicked chirps from his parents before they were rushing to him.