Wukong had thrown his ring down into the crust of the earth, and Xiaotian had transformed it into a lantern. MK couldn't remember this yet, his past memories too finicky and still developing, but Wukong easily led the way.
The village who'd been handed the mysterious lantern had become a city themed around them. Lights were strewn up everywhere, with buildings looming over railways and roads. People bustled around, preparing for a festival as the team boarded one of the trains.
Wukong was frowning from where he stood, and MK had to stifle a laugh as Mei pointed him out. The brunette looked out the window in awe, nudging his best friend, "This place is really pretty." Mei nodded, phone in hand as she took pictures. Their anxiety fell as their excitement grew, and soon they arrived at their stop.
Sandy led them out, smiling at their excited rambles. They waited until everyone had regrouped, and MK eyed the giant lantern in the middle of the city. He felt something within him pull at the energy within the paper decoration, and a golden hue of light shined through the red paper. MK gasped, "There! The Third Ring!"
Tang squinted his eyes, musing softly, "We could take it." Pigsy moved to agree when Sandy suddenly picked up a flier, "Hey, there's a talent show going on. The winner gets to hold the lantern until the next festival!" Wukong frowned, "I think we should listen to Glasses here. I mean... it's right there."
"Why are you so nervous? It's just the cubs watching us dance." Xiaotian grumbled, trying to ease his brother's nerves. Wukong flushed, shaking his head, "I get shy. I'm not made to perform." The brunette cub nodded, "You said you had a friend who was. Maybe someday, he can put on a show with me. And you can watch."
MK grinned, "Maybe you and Tang can get it, and we'll perform. It'll be like the Ultimate Distraction!" The others nodded, excited at the prospect of driving forward a plan.
---
"You need to do better." The Lady's voice was as frigid as her touch. Macaque didn't flinch, couldn't even twitch, and stared straight ahead. Maybe he felt scared, or annoyed. Maybe he simply felt the need to survive, to bite at the hands that force-fed him.
He had a habit of getting angry and horrid when he was scared, after all. Not that the Lady would let that slide. She'd managed to teach him that lesson plenty of times by now. And he didn't want to hurt the little girl she'd forced to temporarily grow up. He missed the boy he'd come to care for.
He missed the Sun's beloved Star.
White eyes met innocent baby blues, and the demoness was in front of him. "Well? What do you think?" Her words were not a true question, a true command. So the warrior remained quiet. Better mute and stupid than holding back a pained scream.
Chains could burn into your skin without ever raising their temperature.
"I want you to go find out what they're planning." The Lady whispered, yet it echoed out. That was a command, and the warrior could feel his body preparing to move. "I want you to bring me the King and his Wish."
He fell, sinking into the abyss of his shadows, and moved towards the warmth he'd always reached for.
---
MK grinned, watching the cheering crowd roar in excitement as Pigsy sang, waves of pure music crashing down on everyone like the tides that came from crystal waves. He glanced up at the lantern, grinning as Tang waved at him from the opening at the bottom, holding up a golden lantern. The Third Ring.
Mei laughed as the song came to an end, bashing into a gong beside her. Lights gleamed over them, making his skin warm beneath the costume. Confetti flew down, scattering with the breeze that seemed to surround the city's incoming early winter.
And then screams erupted.
Pigsy pushed at him to run, ice sprouting out in neat trails. MK ran, feet slamming against the ground as he forced off the costume and smudged most of the face paint off. He heaved as Wukong leapt down from a rooftop, Tang on his back and with the ring in his hands, no longer a lantern.
"Get on the train!" Wukong screamed, pushing anyone within reach into the vehicle. MK stumbled against a seat, heaving and trembling as ice tried marking the windows. The train sped off, screeching against the cold metal of its rails. Wukong clicked his tongue, pointing up at a mountain, "There! The ritual has to be recreated up there!"
Pigsy cleared his throat, "The, uh, Samadhi Fire...could it free Macaque? Despite..."
'Looking worse.'
MK looked away, and his mentor remained silent. The moment stretched on before the king suddenly nodded, "Yeah. If anything could free him, it'd be the fire." Mei smiled, eyebrows turned down in her determination, "Then I'll free him. Lead him to us, and I can do it!"
New bouts of hope washed over them, but the moment was shattered as a pink flurry of petals crushed metal. The back of the train was torn off, and a figure stood tall despite the opening as wind rushed in, "Sun Wukong. You cannot set the Samadhi Fire loose." Wukong stepped in front of everyone, a single arm stretched out.
The rings buzzed from their position against MK's chest, and the boy stared at the deity before them. Tang gasped, "The Third Lotus Prince, Nezha!" MK nudged the scholar, motioning for him to remain silent. He glanced back out the window, swallowing thickly. They were so close.
"Hand over the rings." Nezha instructed, eyes narrowed. And then Wukong had jumped forward, and punched the prince into the skies. "Go to the ritual, wait for me!" And then the sage leapt out of the ruined train, soaring away on his somersault cloud.
MK swallowed thickly, gripping the rings tightly. "Mei, you ready?" He gave her a small grin, and she returned it with a feral smirk, "Born ready."
---
Wukong threw the deity back, face carefully set into a neutral gaze, "Nezha, enough. I know it is your duty to protect the ring's locations and such, but--" A spear lurched forward, and the king dodged.
"You don't understand! Otherwise you would've--" Nezha inhaled sharply as his ribbons were caught in rough hands, pulling him to the side, "Would've what? Let the damn world freeze over? Nezha, you haven't seen her. You don't know how strong she's become since her entombment. You are the one who doesn't understand!"
Nezha sputtered, crashing against the snow on a nearby mountain. He threw out his hands, bottom lip trembling. Petals flew out, nearly impaling the sage. Wukong leapt off of his cloud, rolling onto the snow. Nezha stood back up, ready to continue their fight when the temperature dropped further.
It was beyond freezing.
Wukong shouted out a warning as ice crashed against their bodies, pinning them against frozen snow. Harsh winds blew over them, and a lone figure landed swiftly before them. Nezha felt his breath catch in his throat, eyes widening.
"Did she..." Nezha swallowed, disbelieving as the frozen warrior staggered forward. Wukong was staring at Macaque blankly, eyes glossy, and the prince looked away. Macaque crouched down before them, white eyes staring intently at the king. A cold hand reached out, grabbing Wukong by the jaw and tilting his head up.
---
He didn't know what was happening.
They had arrived at the cave, and found a cavern full of scrolls and beautiful statues of the group from the Journey to The West. It was nostalgic, staring up at them in awe. And then, near the back, was a carving in the wall. One that looked so familiar, yet so unrecognizable it hurt. The image of Qi Xiaotian had stared back at them as they moved towards the mountain's peak.
MK pretended he never laid eyes on it. Pretended as if he hadn't felt a pull from his very soul trying to make him move closer. The rings grew warm in his arms, and the brunette trudged ahead.
Snow and rubble met them, winds carrying snowflakes wafting around softly. Mei moved to the middle, ready to wait with as much patience as she could possibly muster up. Tang and Pigsy moved to a podium up top, and MK stayed with Sandy. The boy huffed, holding up the rings, "Now what? Wukong might not be back for a while."
And then Tang had cried out as the map lit up, and the world lit up in golden hues.
The rings erupted into flames dancing forward into the circle Mei stood within, and MK cried out in surprise. Then the flames dove into the dragon girl, and she gasped.
Red exploded into the world, adorned in black and magenta lights.
---
Macaque rotated the king's face, leaning in with wide, glowing eyes. Wukong swallowed thickly, gaze softening, "Oh, Mihou, what has she done to you?" The warrior leaned away, but his hand stayed. His ears, all six flared out, twitched suddenly, and then a wave of red washed across the horizon.
The warrior stiffened, letting go of the king and standing back up. Wukong struggled, calling out for the shadow user, "WAIT-!" Nezha blinked, another shout echoed out, and the warrior disappeared.
"Hold still." The prince glanced at the king, and then brought down sharpened petals down against the ice. A prison the king should have been able to break apart. Wukong staggered to his feet, and Nezha realized his hands were trembling. "The Samadhi has been released. We need to go, now." Wukong nodded numbly, summoning his cloud before rocketing across the sky.
They flew against frigid winds, and Wukong suddenly reached out. The king crashed against the rubble amidst the snow, arms embracing the warrior. Macaque didn't make a single expression, and suddenly the king was holding him up towards Mei. Nezha held in a breath.
---
Macaque felt the ice snap and evaporate. He felt warm, something foreign by now.
He was in the arms of another, and he could tell they were burning. They weren't warm. They were hurting.
The warrior gasped, chest heaving as he turned to look up at the world around him.
Wukong laughed in relief, Mei gave a triumphant whoop despite being on fire, and the others cried out.
Macaque licked his lips, throat dry, "What is happening? What did you do?"
The cold continued to be chased away.
Nezha grumbled, looking behind them, "She knows. She's coming." The sky was too blue. A color now ruined by the demoness.
He was so tired, so scared.
MK huffed, frustrated, "But Mei needs to check up with Red Son! He gave instructions on the scrolls and everything!" Mei nodded, fire dimming as she landed on the ground.
Macaque felt himself be passed off to Sandy, and he hazily looked over towards Wukong.
"I'll go hold her back."
Protests erupted, and still the king left.
The warmth fell, and Macaque wished he could beg him to stay, too.
---
Wukong moved across the horizon, moving against frigid air blowing against his body. It made him want to shudder, but he held it in. He couldn't afford to feel the cold pressing against his skin.
He scowled, trying not to think of his son's distraught face and broken pleas for him not to go. Sun Wukong was an immortal being, he would be fine. He would be able to afford such a fight. If he wasn't able to hold her back for even a few minutes--
The mech stood tall, and he landed gently on the head, feet soundless despite the metal he'd landed on. A cold voice laughed at him, and the sage exhaled softly, "Lady Bone Demon." He turned, eyeing the demoness and her thrall.
"Sun Wukong! Have you come to best me on your own?" She swayed, smile much too sweet on her stolen face. The king exhaled again, a puff of vapor escaping his lips, "I have done so before." He clenched his fists. "I could do so again." She smiled, and then the ice came raining down.
---
MK watched them battle, standing beside Nezha as the sky lit up in gold and blue. The brunette swallowed thickly, "He'll be okay." His reassurance falling against the winds blowing their breaths away.
The colors clash, ice raining down in splintered frayed forms. If MK could, he would leap into the sky and help his brother. But he was useless, unlike those that came before him. It made the brunette want to scream.
Nezha suddenly stiffened, and a symbol appeared in the sky. MK felt his eyes widen, and he cried out in pure terror as a screech of pain rang out across the battlefield. It fell silent.
It was too quiet.
And then Nezha was pushing him away as a figure landed over him, bringing down a devastating blow. Glowing blue eyes met his, and MK gasped as he tried scooting away. Wukong twitched, and then the shadows welcomed the star into their depths.
The king didn't move towards the boy, trembling as he stood over Nezha's form.
---
MK ended up on his back, gazing up at sunny skies. The irony of the warmth splayed against his face made him cry, tears bubbling out and running down the side of his face, into his ears. People surrounded him, asking what was wrong. Red Son asked where Wukong and Nezha were.
The boy sat up, a sob escaping past his lips.
The ice stuck to his clothes like angry flakes melted as Mei hugged him, and he breathed in the smell of smoke and fruit. He cried, gasping for air, scared out of his mind.
This was never part of the plan, this was not supposed to happen.
Macaque sat beside him, eyes hardened, "She took him, didn't she?" MK whined, nodding, and everyone inhaled sharply at different degrees. MK wiped at his face, "I was useless, I couldn't--" He shook his head, "We can still save him, we can! We can!"
Sandy nodded, trying to smile. MK bowed his head.
---
He prayed his Wish would be safe.
He begged for the cold not to infect him too badly.
He hoped against hope for them all to succeed.
He felt confident in his Star.
He shuddered as the cold dug into his soul.
He felt angered as she crawled beneath his skin.
He wished, just as he did all those years ago.
"My New Champion" she'd called him. Not that he would be. NOt truly, not for as long as the Moon and Star were free. The Sun may bring life, but it still burned whatever it touched in spite. The king smiled to himself, waiting for his cursed touch to destroy the damned witch.
He waited. Patience for once a strong suit of his.