(Alright, since the chapter before the last one was a bit shorter than usual, prepare youselves for one that's longer than usual)

After getting LBD's lackie tied up so that he could do anything, the group treated any injuries they had, then, Jiang sat cross legged and straight backed as the lackie explained his story. And the Lady Bone Demon's motives. As it turned out, he was once a Chief of War before he was placed under LBD's, or, as she was known back then, The Ivory Lady's control.

"All my lady ever desired was a world no longer plaqued by pain. Until the Monkey King and his companions got in the way. Fate, however, has gifted her a second chance. With the Monkey King under her control, there's no stop-" he said before he was interrupted by Pigsy, who grabbed the guy's shirt collar and yanked him towards himself. Jiang had to move out of the way before she was caught too. "Yeah, yeah, we get it already! If I hear the word destiny one more time!" The pig demon snapped.

Tang literally jumped onto him and began to pull at him. "Pigsy! Put the prisoner down!" He cried. Jiang turned her body a bit to face MK when he began to speak, ignoring the sliver of pain that shot through her ribs.

"Monkey King beat her before. We can do it again!" The boy said in that oh so niave tone of his. "I don't really see how now that she has Wukong and the dragon girl" Red Son told him, bringing the boy back to reality. Tang stopped his struggles with Pigsy for a moment.

Then, Jiang was surprised and mildly impressed when he slapped Pigsy's hands away so that he could hold the shirt collar instead. "Alright bozo! Your gonna tell us how Sun Wukong stopped the Lady Bone Demon last time or-" Tang demanded before he was cut off by the lackie. "Information won't help you now. My Lady has corrected the one mistake in her previous plan" he said.

"Oh, right, right, right, and remind me what was that mistake again?" MK asked. "The mistake of extending her compassion only to the mortal realm" the lackie answered with a weird smile. "Uh huh, I see. And where is this mortal realm?" MK asked as he pulled out a booklet and a pen.

"Your in it you moron" Red Son told him. "MK, little brother, I love you to death, but this is an interrogation. Not detective work" Jiang told him, though she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit amused. The lackie continued.

"Though she hadn't accounted for a celestial being to stand in her way. However, instead of Sun Wukong's swift vengeance, the great monk showed my Lady mercy. Until she had come to see the error of her ways, she was to remain imprisoned. And you fools, now her time has come again! The Samadhi Fire is the one thing strong enough to cleanse not only the mortal plane, but the celestial realm, and everything beyond even that! A fresh start! A clean slate. Just as she had planned. The Mech is a weapon to channel the Samadhi Fire. Now that it's in her possession, it's only a matter of time until the final moment arrives! My Lady's power is too great for you to best! Your friend will surrender the Fire. My Lady's victory is assured!" The lackie cried getting more and more crazed as he continued to talk. Until someone else chipped in.

"She didn't look so hot last time I saw her"

Oh yeah. Macaque was here too. And tied up as well.

"Nu uh, your in time out, so you don't get to chime in. Sandy! Spin him!" MK told him. "Uh, sorry, Mr. Miquack" Sandy apologized. "Come on you two. You must've seen it" the shadow monkey said as he was spun around so that his back was facing the group.

"Seen what?" Jiang asked him, crossing her arms. "She might be stronger than ever, but she's spread too thin. The Mech, the crystal, and now Monkey King? I bet you anything that keeping him suppressed is using every once of strength she's got!" Macaque told her. "Meaning there's-" Red Son started to say before Sandy cut him off.

"Some vulnerability!" The blue skinned demon cried. "Ugh, I was gonna say that" Red Son told him. "Welcome to our fun little group, where everyone finishes each other's sentences without a care in the world" Jiang said to him with a deapann expression.

"Whoahoho. We're really gonna listen to Macaque? For all we know, he's still working for her. He could be luring us into a trap!" Pigsy cried. "Pigsy, why would Macaque go through the trouble of getting away from the Bone Bitch only to go right back to working for her? That just doesn't make any sense" Jiang told him. She thought she could hear an amused huff coming from the shadow Monkey at the nickname she had developed for the Lady Bone Demon.

Then, Tang began to speak, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "MK, Jiang, from the moment you two picked up the Monkey King's staff, their stories became our stories. It's our responsibility to write the final chapter, no matter the outcome. If we do this, we do it together. Thats Monkey Kids 101" he said. "Together" MK said as the group shared a fistbump.

"Alright, Monkey boy, do you have a plan?" Jiang asked. "Well, if the Lady Bone Demon needs her Mech to use the Samadhi Fire, then all we gotta do is destroy that Mech before she gets the chance" MK explained. "That's your big plan?!" Red Son cried.

"Let him finish!" Tang called out, lightly glaring at the fire demon. "I was just checking we were all on the same page!" Red Son defended himself as he pulled at the color of his sleevless shirt. "As you were Noodle Boy" he said.

"We break into the Bone Demon's Mech, get Mei out of there, then we break the Mech into tiny little bits before that terrifying demon knows what's hit her!" MK told the group. "And what about Sun Wukong? If he shows up-" Red Son asked. "Then we fight Monkey with monkey! This monkey!" MK called out as he pointed to Macaque, who seemed startled at the fact he was about to be dragged into this chaoticness.

"Look, I brought you the Lady Bone Demon's lapdog, but I'm not ip for being a hero kid" he said. "We don't need you to beat him, we just need to keep him busy. As long as he's under her control, the mech's vulnerable. We can do this. You can do this" MK told him. "Nice speech kid, but-" the shadow monkey started to say before Jiang interrupted him.

"Alright, that's enough. This entire time, you've done nothing but play at being some bad guy. But if what I saw when the Samadhi Fire was released is anything to go by, you are not that person. You wanted to get away from the Bone Bitch, right? Well, no one will ever truly be free, not even you, until she's been taken down" she told him before crouching down a bit. "Help us. Please" she said. Macaque turned his gaze to the ground.

"Jiang, I'm not a hero" he said softly. "Then be a warrior" Jiang told him. At that, Macaque's gaze snapped back to her's, and after a moment of bewilderment, he let out a soft chuckle. "Okay, you win" he said, going through one of his shadow portals.

When he came out, he was standing, and no longer tied up. "Well shit" Jiang commented as she stood up. MK had a full on fit as he stumbled backwards before landing on the ground.

"What?! You could have freed yourself this whole time?!" Pigsy cried. "What can I say? I'm dramatic" Macaque told him, leaning forward a bit. Everyone got ready for the upcoming battle, and Macaque changed into his old outfit.

How he still had it with him, Jiang had no idea. Though his next surprise came in the form of getting something that would aid them. And he needed Jiang to help get it.

"There is no way I'm letting you take and wander off!" Pigsy cried. It was clear he still didn't trust the shadow monkey. "It won't take long if my suspicions are right" Macaque told him.

"What suspicions?!" MK asked. "Guys!" Jiang called out, making everyone shut up. "Look, I'll go with Macaque. He's on our side right now, so there, hopefully shouldn't be any problems. You guys go on. We'll catch up. Assuming that wherever we're going is close by?" She said, looking at Macaque with the last part.

He nodded. "The temple's just a few mountains away" he said. "Then let's go" Jiang said.

"Jiang! Please, for heaven's sake, be careful" Pigsy called out. Jiang smiled at him. "Hey, I'm always careful" she said.

Macaque transformed into an eagle and took to the skies. After a moment, Jiang followed him, and the others piled into the van and took off.

So, what do you know about the Pheonix Flame?, Macaque asked, his voice echoing in Jiang's mind. She honestly had no idea, and Macaque took her silence as such.

Just like Wukong to leave everything out until the end, he said, exasperated. Then, after letting out a sigh, the shadow monkey launched into an explanation.

The Pheonix Flame, is a fire that was wielded by Fèng Huàng, the original Pheonix. It was so powerful, that it rivaled the Samadhi Fire. Do you follow?, he explained.

Yeah, I follow. I'm just somewhat confused as to what that has to do with me, Jiang told him.

Jiang, the Samadhi Fire is powerful enough to even kill immortals. And yet, you stood against it, and came out without any burn wounds on you. Why do you think that is?

Jiang thought for a moment, then her wing beats faltered for a moment as she realized what Macaque was implying.

Wait. Are you saying, that, in a way, I'm descended from Fèng Huáng? She asked. Macaque gave a light nod then turned his head forward. Looking ahead herself, Jiang spotted something that was carved out of the mountainside that was up ahead, and followed Macaque down to it.

When the two landed, they both transformed back to their usual forms. "I discovered this place not too long after I left you guys to  deal with the fire. However, when I tried to enter..." Macaque said before walking forward. He held his hand out, and ended up pressing it against something.

But there was nothing there. It was like there was an invisible thing pressing back against Macaque's hand. "...that happened " he said.

Jiang stepped forward and did the same thing that Macaque had done. There was definitely some resistance, but then, shimmering red and gold waves came from where Jiang's hand was. Then, whatever it was made a show of shattering, then, it all stopped.

Macaque and Jiang shared a look before he reached forward. This time, there was no resistance. "Well, I guess that confirms it" He said before stepping forward.

There was a large tunnel that had been covered by the barrier, and inside was a pair of double doors. It took their combined strength to pull one open, then they slipped inside. There was a large circular room with a skylight at the top, which shed light into the room.

"My gods this place is huge" Jiang said as she looked around. Her voice echoed around the place, and suddenly, both human and demon were startled by a loud slam. Upon turning around, they discovered the door, which had been propped open, had now slammed shut.

"...okay, guess there's no going back now" Macaque said after a moment of hesitation. Jiang hummed in agreement before turning around. Then, she began aware of the engravings in the wall.

"Hey, check these out" she said. Macaque came over, and squinted. "There's definitely something there, but with this light, I can barely see it" he said.

Jiang traced the engravings with the tip of her finger, then jerked her hand away as an orange light appeared, following the engraving patterns. "Wow. It's Fèng Huáng's entire life story" Jiang said as the light covered all the engravings. She looked at all of the engravings, each telling a different story.

Fèng Huáng coming to the world, her rise in power, her meeting Wukong and his companions, all the way to her giving up her life to help seal away the Lady Bone Demon. "She sacrificed herself to save this world" Jiang said as she touched the engravings of that image. "It's what made her so respected by almost every demon that knew her. She lived a life of honor, dignity, and nobility. A lot of demons were upset at the news of her passing" Macaque's voice echoed from behind her.

"But the Lady Bone Demon's returned. So, in a way, wasn't Fèng Huáng's sacrifice in vain?" Jiang asked as she turned and faced him. "Five hundred years of peace and freedom from the Bone Witch. I would say that's a success in itself. Besides, in a way, your her descendant. Her power now resides in you. I sensed it when you stood against the Samadhi Fire. The power is there. It's always been there. You just need to find away to unlock it" Macaque told her. "Now it's just figuring how to do just that" Jiang replied.

Then, her eyes landed on something in the middle of the room. "Hang on a sec. That wasn't there before" she said. In the middle of the room now stood a pedestal, that held a clear vase.

Inside the vase was a glowing ball of red, gold, and orange flames that seemed to be moving in slow motion. "Or maybe I could just lift the lid off that vase" Jiang said, though she didn't sound too sure of herself. "Jiang, be careful" Macaque told her.

"How come?" Jiang asked. "I've managed to get myself into more than enough magical prisons, and I don't really feel like going through another one. But, no pressure" the shadow monkey replied. Jiang scoffed at his last words before cautiously making her way over to the vase.

"Alright, here goes nothing" she said before lifting the lid off the vase. Almost immediately, the ball of flames shot out and expanded, forming a swirling vortex that was kept in check by the circular walls. Both demon and human were overcome with wonder as they watched the display.

Then, Jiang's attention was caught by a small glowing ball. She reached out to touch it, then her vision went black. "Hello child. I've been waiting for you" a female's voice echoed slightly from behind her.

Spinning around, Jiang's eyes landed on a figure that was standing not too far away. She was clearly a warrior of sorts, if her outfit was anything to go by. Orange colored markings stretched across her face, and three small dots of the same color were lined up underneath the eyes, which were beautiful shades of light red and yellow.

Orange and yellow tipped red feathers could be seen here and there in the woman's hair, and long red feathers formed a tail of sorts behind her. She looked about the same age as Jiang, but her eyes held years upon years of wisdom and experience. "...Fèng Huáng?" Jiang breathed, looking wide eyed.

"Hello Jiang. It is so good to meet my descendant in person, even if I'm not really here" Fèng Huáng said with a light smile. "...So, do you know then, why I'm here?" The young girl asked. "Of course. You are here for the Pheonix Flame, though I am not sure why you have come all the way here when it is already in your possession" Fèng told her.

Jiang looked confused, so the woman elaborated. "You already have the Flame inside you. The passion, the fire, the love you carry for all that you hold close to yourself, that is the Pheonix Flame Jiang" Fèng Huáng told her. "But, the fire that was in the vase..." Jiang said, trailing off.

"That, is simply a physical manifestation of the Flame. The true fire is inside of you. You just need to let it out" Fèng Huáng explained before she began to fade away. "Remeber, focus the energy raging inside of you, and then release it" her voice echoed before she faded away completely. And with that, Jiang was back in the room.

"So the Flame's already a part of me huh?" She murmered, and the ball of light in front of her seemed to glow that much brighter. "Heh, that's good enough for me" Jiang whispered before she closed her eyes and began to focus. A spark of heat made itself known, and she immediately grasped on to that feeling, letting it amplify and grow, then, it all collected into her hand.

Upon opening her eyes, Jiang gave a small smile at the red, orange, and gold flames she now held. "Jiang?" She heard Macaque ask from behind her. The girl turned around, and Jiang watched as Macaque's eyes widened at the sight of the Pheonix Flame.

"Lets go take Lady Bitch Demon down from her throne" she said. She closed her hand on the flames, and felt the power surging through her, alighting her senses and setting fire to her nerves. She let the feeling take over her body and jumped into the air, shifting into the legendary bird of myths and legends.

Macaque transformed into an eagle, and together, both of them shot out of the mountain through the skylight.

Wooohoooo! Damn this form is so much more agile. Not to mention the sudden pick up of speed! Jiang cried out as she spun through the air, the action releasing a few tendrils of fire that quickly faded away. She heard Macaque chuckle.

Well, Pheonixes are known to be fast and agile. Not to mention beautiful too. Quite the sight to behold when someone actually does catch a glimpse of the bird itself, he said.

Wait, did you just call me beautiful? Jiang asked.

Maybe I did. But come on. Let's get back to the others, Macaque told her before he opened up a shadow portal. Flying through it, Jiang immediately spotted the van, and she and Macaque dived towards it. He shifted back into his usual form and knocked on the back door, which opened up after a moment of hesitation.

Jiang hopped onto Macaque's tail, which he gave a small start at, but went along with as he jumped into the van. "Hey, where's Jiang?! And what did you two do?!" She hears Pigsy ask. "Well, let's just say our little trip proved successful" Macaque told him as he moved his tail, revealing the Pheonix that sat on it.

"Wait, is that...?" Tang asked, and Macaque nodded. Jiang, with a bit of difficulty, transformed back into her human form. "Jiang!" MK cried before he tackled his sister in a tight hug.

"Good to see you too little brother" The girl laughed as she hugged him back. "Hang on, is that, Porty MK?" She asked, spotting the disturbingly familiar clone who waved at her. "Oh, yeah, as it turns out, you've got a lot more control over them when there isn't so many" MK told her.

Jiang simply decided to hold her tongue. "Well, now that Macaque and Noodle Girl is back..." Red Son, who had his jacket on, said before trailing off. Jiang watched as he made a glowing red spell appear on the floor of the van, which she now recognized as a teleportation spell.

"Aw yeah! We're at maximum porty boys and girl!" Porty MK cried as the van was suddenly given a boost of speed. A portal opened up in front of the van, and once they drove through it, they arrived at their destination. LBD's Mech could be seen up ahead.

The mere sight of it sent shivers up Jiang's spine, but she did her best not to focus on them. "Uh, remind me again how we're gonna destroy this thing?" Pigsy asked. "Macaque keeps Sun Wukong busy" Red Son told him without even looking at him.

"We break in and find Mei!" Sandy added. "Then we use Jiang and MK's staff to smash that Mech to bits!" Tang finished. "What? But the staff's gone" MK told him.

"No, its not. Bone Demon's keeping it at the top of the tower, but I don't see how a stick is going to be of any help" Macaque revealed. "Oh that's easy. We'll give her the old Monkey Mech finishing blow! MK and Jiang always use the staff to do that" Sandy told him before facing forwards again. "Even if it's just a big old stick, maybe it'll give you the power you need now to finish her" Tang suggested.

Pigsy put a hand on both siblings shoulders. "This whole crazy adventure started with the staff, so makes sense that we should use it to end it" he said. Jiang never out a soft breath.

"When did you guys think of such inspirational things to say?" She asked. "Okay, I'm really glad you guys said that cause, not gonna lie, I've felt super incomplete without it" MK admitted. Macaque then tossed open the back door.

"Come on you two, let's go!" He called, looking back at the two. Jiang sent one last look and smile at her friends before running out the door and transforming into an eagle. Macaque and MK followed her lead, and the trio flew up to the top of the Mech.

Upon landing on the ground, Jiang's eyes immediately went to the staff. "MK, I already have the Pheonix Flame and immortality. I don't need any more power" Jiang told her brother as she looked back at him. MK's eyes widened slightly at the implication of her words, but he stepped forward nonetheless as he let out a soft breath.

"Here, comes, monkey-" he said as he reached for the staff. "King!" LBD's voice echoed, and MK barely had enough time to jump back before Wukong landed where he had been. Thankfully, Macaque caught him as MK went flying past him, and Jiang let out a soft breath of relief before turning her gaze back up ahead.

Her heart ached at the sight of Wukong. And it made her all the more determined to take down The Lady Bone Demon. "MK and Jiang the Monkey Kids and the Six Eared Macaque. Here to embrace oblivion" LBD said.

"The opposite, actually" Macaque replied as he spun MK around before setting him on his feet. "I'm kind of on this whole living streak right now, so we were hoping, maybe, you could call off this whole end of the world thing" he said, leaning on MK's shoulder. "It would really help us out a lot" Jiang said as she leaned forward and crossed her arms.

"Uh, yeah! What they said!" MK added. "None of us can alter the course of destiny" LBD told them. "Yeah, I thought as much" Macaque murmered as he took up a battle stance.

Up ahead, Wukong did the same. "MK! Now!" Macaque called out. The boy then darted forward.

Right as Wukong did the same with his fist drawn back.