So I graduated high school and summer's always busy, so updates may slow down but I'm not gonna leave y'all hanging! Just be a tad bit patient, this'll update at minimum once a month!

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MK stepped back, his eyes lingering on the ink's blue grin. He shook his head, confusion clear on his face, "You're the curse...the one Azure warned us about!"

The curse didn't deny anything, only laughing at the brunette, "I'm more than that, Xiaotian. I'm you, your experiences, your dreams, your insecurities– I know them all." The curse was in the form of a monkey with MK's features. Its grin only sharpened the longer the young hero stared. The ink laughed again, "What? No other questions? I'm not exactly another Weekly Bad Guy."

The brunette pressed his lips together, grimacing as he suddenly seemed to glitch. MK inhaled sharply, stumbling forward. "I...I don't get it, what do you want? Why look like me and tell me a bunch of nonsense?" He swallowed dryly, trying to make sense of the curse that mocked him. "I just want to find Wukong and my friends."

"See, I know that, but why do you insist on ignoring who you are?" The ink hummed, landing on its feet as the ground trembled. MK heaved, his skin burning as another wave of golden static ran through his very being. It made him want to scream, though his fear kept his voice mute, and the ink only smiled.

"You are so much more." It moved, so fast all MK could do was blink before it was in front of him. Droplets of ink landed against his face, and the boy gasped. "You are a Wish, sent down to walk in the steps of the King!"

The world seemed to darken even more. The blue was still there, though, never leaving. Identical to a stain.

"You aren't Qi Xiaotian." A memory flashed, the ink shifting ever so slightly. "You aren't Xing." Another flash, another face. "You aren't Baoshin, Changyu– Or Xuanye!" More shifting, and MK stumbled back with a strangled gasp. "You aren't even Daiyu, the Wish born before you!" The ink cackled, form shifting one last time as MK screamed.

"You are nothing like them, you are so much more."

---

Their reunion was slow, with different adventures on each of their parts.

Tang turned towards Mei, panting as they were placed inside of another memory that aimlessly played on repeat, "Where could the others be? Azure– I saw him, Mei! He shouldn't have been trusted." The dragon girl's face was blank, but anyone could feel the anger buzzing beneath her skin.

"...Okay. Let's think for a sec. Maybe we should try to connect again, like what MK does!" She nodded confidently, twirling her sword as the scholar rubbed his arm. "I've been doing that. I found you and everything! The problem is..." He waved his hands around for a moment, clearly confused himself.

"The memories are layered, think of it like a cake. In order to get to one memory, we have to go through others. So I need to find the shortests routes, you know?" Tang grimaced, but felt relieved as Mei nodded along.

"Right, okay. So feeling for them works, but we have to get through other memories first... Well, what do we do once we find everyone? Monkey King's still somewhere around here."

Tang shook his head, exhausted, "I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait and see." Mei pressed her lips into a thin line, hands shaking momentarily before she exhaled slowly. She nodded towards Tang, signaling him to send them into another memory.

---

Wukong ran a tired hand down his face as the 'human' child stared up at him with wide, amber-brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you." The king mumbled, and the boy laughed, "Yes you can! You're stronger, aren't you? You can reach my ball." The child insisted, and Wukong smiled fondly, "Daiyu, my Star, I can't stay and help you."

The Sixth shook his head, baby curls spilling from his hairline as wavy locks bounced with his movements. He crossed his little arms, "You can help me! Please?" Wukong looked around, hesitating.

"I have to find my boy. He's out here somewhere." The king confessed, and Daiyu lit up, "I can help you! I'm good at finding kids, really!" Wukong smiled, "I know." He looked up, spotting the small ball stuck in a pair of lengthy branches. The sun poked through the leaves, the grass brushing against his boots as the king shuffled over.

"Okay. I'll help you, but then I need to go."

"Why can't I help you?" The boy asked innocently, and Wukong cleared his throat. "You...You need to stay here. You're someone's boy, too, my Star."

---

"Leave me alone!" MK cried out, arms shaking as his staff held back the ink's brutal attacks, "I just want to go home!" He ducked down, dodging the sudden wave of ink.

The curse cackled, never very kind, "You will reign in chaos and destruction like no other! Guanyin may have granted permission for your existence, and Nuwa may have created you– But you are just like Wukong." Ink sloshed, slapping against the ground as the young hero moved and jolted away.

"Nuwa– what? Why are you saying all of this? I'm a hero! I save people!" MK swallowed drily, adrenaline pushing through his limbs as fur covered his once bare skin. The curse frowned, blue shining brilliantly, "Oh, don't you mean from Wukong's mistakes?"

"What..?"

"Oh, come on, MK! You aren't that clueless, I know better than that." The curse crashed down against the staff, face leering close, "You made mistakes, too, but all of this? Every attack, every major battle, could've been avoided if not for Sun Wukong's mistakes!"

MK trembled, pushing against the ink, "Stop it! Stop it, I don't care!" The ink reared back as an explosive wave of gold crashed against it, but all it did was laugh and call the boy a wonderful liar.

And then gold tore the sky open, and leaping down from above was Sun Wukong.

He landed beside the boy, pulling him away from the ink with a snarl. MK cried out in relief, and the king embraced him, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, bud."

The ink watched, mouth disappearing for a brief moment. Glowing blue eyes staring at them blankly. It dripped like thickened tar, limbs morphing as the curse trembled. Its voice, identical to the Wish, echoed out.

"Harbinger of Chaos."

The brunette stared with wide eyes, tail swaying as he and the king positioned themselves for an attack. The ink did not care, still churning and ragged, "Destined to destroy and reign pain. Why do you fight as a hero?" It crowed, mouth splitting open as blue glowed from within its body.

---

They stared at the large golden tear, stepping through after a few moments as another scream riveted out.

Mei gasped at the scene before her, "MK!" She held out her sword, jaw clamped shut as she scowled. Tang sent a small flurry of golden magic towards the towering ink, sending it stumbling back. MK beamed, relief clear in his eyes, "You guys-!"

The ground shook, and they moved out of the way as droplets of ebony sloshed at them. Wukong moved fluidly, etching along the ink as golden memories flickered to life with each tremor. The others fought, magic pouring out as MK continued to fly over the curse with a large leap, and Mei gasped in awe.

"YOU ARE TO BRING BALANCE WITHIN CHAOS." The curse roared, throwing down a giant fist. "You were destined for more than the role of hero– To be a Wish granted to a king!"

MK snarled, eyes sharpening, "I hate that word. Destiny. Everyone keeps telling us what we should be, but I am not whatever hellhole you think I am!" The brunette moved fluidly through the air, claws stretched out.

As he carved into the ink, magic blossomed from around them. Tang and Wukong were both glowing gold, channeling the other's magic as it coursed through MK. The boy gasped, memories from different lives flashing before his eyes. Hands rearing away from torn ink, he reached up to his ear.

The staff gleamed, bright amidst the darkness. The curse stared with wide blue eyes, and MK grinned with feral intent, "I'm more than a chaos bringer, and I'm not Xiaotian– I'm MK!" The ink bowed its head, closing its bright blue eyes.

"So you say. Alright, Monkie Kid...prove us wrong."

The world then became blindingly bright, making everyone shut their eyes as Wukong managed to catch MK. The teal skies cleared, becoming less dark and dreary. Steady stone crunched beneath their shoes, and MK grinned with relief.

Wukong then stared ahead, glaring at something. The others turned, eyes widening as Azure Lion stood tall. He raised a paw as the king snarled, "You."

"Me."

And then the lion snapped, making the world a brilliant white.

---

When MK opened his eyes, his ears were swarmed by voices. Voices of his past lives begging for him to do something, to fight, to bring back Wukong.

He groaned, shaking his head, trying to listen to Azure as he spoke, as he tried to explain himself. The young hero closed his eyes with a hiss, gold buzzing within his bones as his fur bristled. The whispers grew louder and louder, begging for him to bite.

And then the lion held up the bamboo trapping the king.

MK was soaring across the sky in an instant, clashing against the lion with a ferocity that was not entirely his own. His claws dug into flesh, and the blue fur made his hazed mind screech with rage and fear.

The others were fighting, their weapons taken by one of Azure's newly freed brothers, Yellow Tusk, but MK didn't so much as blink. His canines clamped onto more fur and skin, making the ex-celestial soldier cry out with a roar. Azure lurched out, and MK simply leaped into the air in a graceful motion that was not his own.

Glowing eyes met pink, small hands reaching out towards a still falling bamboo piece.

A sword cut through the air, a blue streak cut through the scroll and sent the boy falling back. MK wailed audibly, hands scrapping as he launched himself across the ground, snatching up the pieces of broken scroll. Wukong's name was no longer glowing.

Azure tried to blame the boy, tried to justify himself. But the voices of the past overwhelmed the boy's ears, and MK snarled as if ready to lurch and attack again.

They retreated, and the others were left to try calming down a Wish, a Star, a Prince, who was now without their King, their Sun. They tried soothing the wailing screams, and MK finally found solace as the voices of his past lives died down.

Maybe he wasn't truly MK after all.

---

The king stared at the muddied child wandering the streets, eyes following small footprints and the child paused every now and then to turn to look up at him.

Amber-brown eyes curiously analyzed him the whole way. Wukong felt himself exhale, lost as the small boy reached a hand out. Tears lined his bottom lashes as Wukong tenderly took his hand, gripping it firmly with a gentleness he never lost when it came to his Wish.

They walked together, the trip slow and the sky dark with stars, the moon full and bright, competing with the city's lights. A breeze blew past them, ruffling fur and hair as it cooled warm skin, once before cold stone. Wukong looked up, staring at the still moon, now hiding behind a few looming buildings. His shoulders shook with a small tremor, MK didn't seem to notice.

His tiny hand was soft, his hair loose and wavy. Not stone, not decorated by fur, but a tiny thing resembling humans. Skin, and blood, and bones that were made for beings not at all brilliant and incredible.

"You're not Xiaotian." Wukong whispered hoarsely at the boy, and MK turned to look up at him. "You aren't Qi Xiaotian. You aren't my Little Heaven. You're... someone else. Something else." The king mourned with each step he took, and MK only stared at him with blank, amber-brown eyes.

"You are one of my Wishes. But you aren't them, you aren't my Xiao." The monkey licked his lips, hands trembling as MK continued to walk down the empty streets. "He's gone. He's gone since the day he'd turned to golden dust." He stopped for a moment, and MK paused a few steps ahead of him.

The small one looked back, amber-brown eyes blank yet accepting.

Wukong kneeled down, and lifted the boy into his arms. He held MK close, cradling his head, "You aren't Xiaotian, or any of the others. You are my Seventh, my MK, my Shooting Star, exploring the vast universe." He walked, and the child pressed his ear against the king's chest, right over his beating heart.

"You were born during sunrise. I wasn't there." Wukong whispered, running his fingers through baby curls. "If I was there, would you have stayed a monkey? Would you have been a smaller babe?" He asked silently, the breeze taking his words away.

The present was constantly shifting into the past as each second ticked by, the future creeping much too stealthily. Time ran joyously past his grasp, mocking him with tender minutes such as these. Moments he'd never had the chance to have.

"I would've raised you." The king confessed, voice raw by now. MK shifted in his arms, wriggling so he was sitting up. "You would've been mine for longer. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry you'll be gone one day, only to have another Wish take over."

Grief had a funny thing of rearing its ugly head when you didn't expect it.

The king looked up at the familiar restaurant, mutely taking in the neon sign for a few minutes. The weight in his arms grounded him, the boy's warm skin making the king want to plead for him to stay in his embrace. But he didn't belong to his arms, he belonged with a different body. Someone else who would let the boy place his head over their heart.

Wukong placed the boy down before the noodle shop's doors and walked away. He was not who the boy deserved to have held in their arms, and the king was nothing more than a connection to his origins.