The Demon Bull King fortress was huge, with lava flowing around it.

Wukong fidgeted with his hair, nervously getting out of the van with the others. He could feel the heat burning his eyes, and his bare feet. But he didn't flinch, simply following the others into the large estate. Macaque was beside him, glancing at him ever so often.

The bull king was the one to open the door, his confusion evident, "What is the meaning of this?"

MK grinned, "Heyyyy! Can we come inside? It's super duper important and has to do with getting rid of LBD for good." The group nodded along, supporting the boy. Wukong simply avoided the bull's gaze, and Macaque only nodded in response to the larger demon's stare.

He stepped to the side, opening the doors wider.

"Come in."

---

Wukong stared at the food in front of him, unsure of what to do.

The others had no such qualms, eating either politely or messily. Macaque tapped his arm, gesturing at his plate. Wukong smiled weakly, shaking his head. Nausea wouldn't allow him to eat without worry. The warrior frowned, but didn't make any other moves, and it left Wukong wondering if he looked pathetic enough for someone that hates him to show concern.

The Demon Bull King hummed, "So what did you want to speak about?" Wukong cleared his throat, glancing over at Red Son, "We need your ring of the Samadhi Fire."

Princess Iron Fan straightened up, her eyes slanted, "Absolutely not. That flame was barely extracted in the first place!" Wukong's face fell into a neutral gaze, "It's either burn the witch, or we all freeze over. She's gaining on all of us, that much is clear. We need to do something. This is our only chance!"

Bull King sighed, "Wukong--"

The monkey stood, shoulders pushed back and his tired stance changing into one of authority. His eyes, as always, glowed despite the shadows casted over him, "We have a candidate for the fire. Mei is a dragon, she can do more than we could ever think of. I simply request your ring, and if it comforts you, perhaps your son could better train her on manipulating fire."

He glanced over at the demon once more, "It should be his expertise..."

Red Son's eyes widened, "How could I possibly know anything about the Samadhi fire?" Iron Fan sighed, "Red Son... The truth is, you were the creator of the flames."

Wukong sat back down, fighting the urge to sleep as the story was told to the redhead. Macaque pursed his lips, pressing a roll into the king's hands. The ginger sighed, biting into it as he glared weakly at the warrior. He must look absolutely pathetic. It didn't help that Pigsy seemed a little too happy when he saw Wukong eat the bread.

"Ah, it is about time you two moved along. See? Our gift is not a curse. Macaque seems inclined to see you at your best."

The monkey swallowed thickly, glancing back up as the bull king turned back to him, "We should speak in private. I am...still unsure of your plan." Wukong frowned, but nodded either way. The voices buried within his mind hummed.

"Hope that you do this right and convince him, Sun Wukong."

The king shuddered, understanding the veiled threat. This was supposed to be a gift, though it was in some ways. He gained a small family, and it seems perhaps he will regain old friends and past brothers...but the threats of having his progress washed away hovered over him in threatening spiels and taunts.

---

The bull sighed, "Why have you been neglecting yourself? How are you to fight that witch if you look ready to drop like a stone?"

Wukong blushed, eyes wide in shame, "It wasn't on purpose, really. And I'm fairly used to it, trust me, I'm not dropping unless I say so." DBK snorted, "Still stubborn as ever..." He shook his head, large body moving soundlessly as he continued to examine the monkey.

"Are you confident this will work?"

Wukong knew it would. It worked the last time, but now they knew. They were much more ready, and he had made deals to ensure their overall safety.

"I'm more than sure it will work."

The bull's eyes scanned over the monkey's red pupils, piercing through and into his mind. The older demon exhaled, "Alright." He reached up, taking off his piercing before handing it off to the younger of the two. Wukong smiled, "Thank you."

DBK suddenly paused, "...And what of us, Sun Wukong?" The monkey blinked owlishly, tilting his head, "...I'm sorry?" His confusion turned into embarrassment as the larger demon laughed. Wukong groaned, "Please explain instead of laughing at me at least!"

"Apologies, simian..." His laughter quieted down, replaced by a somber expression. "I am tired of fighting, it is clear you had your reasons as I had mine. You...will always be my younger brother, Wukong. We had our wonderful moments, and our fights, as any sibling would."

He moved, kneeling before the monkey, "But I want to have good times once more."

Wukong closed his eyes, tilting his head, "I'm tired, too." He didn't mean just fighting with DBK, and they both understood that. The ginger continued, "I missed you, too." He opened his eyes, smiling softly at the bull.

"So...Do you still like cooking?"

---

Catching up with his brother was wonderful, and Red Son had taken time during their week-long stay to train Mei.

Wukong had watched them move in sync, and Mei learned quickly. MK was there as well, learning how to channel any access powers he had by using the fire training. It was good for the boy, he seemed more in-tune with his abilities. And Wukong was proud.

Now, they were back out, traveling wherever Wukong said they needed to go. The trust they placed in him made the king feel ill, and he didn't miss Macaque's hesitant looks. As if he wanted to snark about it.

Fair enough.

Wukong was just glad the other was safer than in his original timeline. They had a chance, and he wanted only the best outcome. He had no idea what he was going to do regarding the brotherhood later, maybe the voices would let him hide the scroll.

Solutions and paranoid glances were all he could do.

And despite it all, the king tried his best to fall asleep, surrounded by the odd group.

---

The void seemed less daunting, or maybe he was used to it now. The voices were strange as always, giggling as lazily looked around, "...Time hasn't been reset in a while. That means I'm doing things right, right?"

"Yes...and no. Sun Wukong, you are bonded better and therefore we have no use of reclaiming our gift briefly. However, you have made a mistake in telling the companion Mei Dragon of her ability to receive the Samadhi Fire."

Wukong frowned, "What..? But then, why didn't you reset that moment?" He was floating now, hovering just below the stars that taunted him from above. The orbs of light felt blazing hot instead of warm.

"You have made it clear that reclaiming our gift deteriorates your mind. Paranoia does not match you well, Sun Wukong."

The king blinked owlishly, anxiously trying to keep still, "What did I do wrong? Why was telling her the wrong thing to do?" His thoughts ran at numbing speeds, and he could've sworn his heart stopped.

"She will not be wielding the fire."

---

"Wukong, wake up. You're dying again." The ginger blinked, looking up at Sandy and Macaque. He didn't answer them, instead, he looked off to the side, watching as Pigsy excitedly watched Cooking With Chang'e.

Oh, right.

Wukong sat up immediately, startling the warrior and the boatman, "The moon! The second ring is on the moon with Chang'e." He frantically stood up, attracting the other's attention. Pigsy's gasp was immediate, he stood up, proclaiming how amazing the goddess of the moon was.

Macaque frowned, "I can transport some people, not everyone. So choose who goes and who stays." Wukong's fur bristled as a small whisper brushed past his ears.

"Make up for your mistake."

"The ring is above a mantle in her kitchen, so Macaque should just take you there. Maybe you can meet Chang'e after, just please keep an eye on her bunny bots." He glanced away as the warrior's questioning gaze bore into him.

MK pouted, "What?! But you should go!" The ginger knew the group didn't exactly fully trust Macaque just yet, and honestly wanted him to be there, just in case. But the voices had been clear, and he had had enough with the replays by this point.

Wukong shook his head, "I, uh...Need to meditate a little bit more. Mac should go with you, though, since you need his portals." Mei's face was neutral as she sat up, "MK, Mac, and Pigsy should go. Tang, Sandy, and I will keep the camp and Monkey King safe! Plus, Tang wanted to study meditation."

The scholar nodded enthusiastically, "Exactly." Macaque continued to stare at Wukong and sighed, "Alright. I'll make sure the kid takes pictures of those bunnies for you." The king blinked in surprise, "...Huh?"

"As repayment for not immediately throwing me out when I...it's to pay that off, alright?" There was an odd expression on the warrior's face, one that seemed hesitant and nervous. Wukong slowly nodded, "Okay." He didn't bother telling the shadow user there wasn't a debt to pay back, simply allowing him to do as he pleased.

Satisfied, Macaque opened a portal.

---

Mei tapped the monkey, "So. Are you gonna explain?"

Wukong blinked, "Explain..?" She frowned, "Something's wrong. And I wanna know what's up." The king nodded hesitantly, "Oh. Okay, well... Mei, I don't know if you'll be receiving the Samadhi Fire. It's strange." He placed the palms of his hands against his forehead, closing his eyes.

"It's as if the ring's magic could've dispersed overtime. Like...How do I..." Mei hummed, "So, I might get fire powers. Or not. Well, what can we do to be ready?" Wukong sighed, "I don't know. I'm sorry." He sat back, keeping his eyes closed, "I'm gonna meditate now, if you want you can tell Tang."

His mind drifted away.

---

MK took the ring carefully, hugging it to his chest as Pigsy rambled on about the kitchen. Macaque sighed, "Okay, there's the second ring. Let's go--"

The young hero huffed, "No, not yet. Monkey King said we could meet Chang'e, and I bet she'd like some company." The warrior's tail flicked in agitation, "We're wasting time." MK moved forward, "Listen, I don't trust you a lot, okay? So this could be your chance. So."

The brunette stood tall, his amber-brown eyes slanted, "Are you gonna help us, or not?"

Alarms suddenly blared, and Macaque cursed under his breath, "Fine! But we need to get out, now!"

---

Tang wrote happily in his journal, watching the unconscious sage closely. Mei sighed, rubbing her cheek, "Poor dude, he seriously needs to chill out more often." Sandy hummed, "It's not easy for him, Mei. Monkey King has a big responsibility when it comes to the outcome."

The scholar nodded, "Yeah, that, and he keeps dying whenever he's unconscious. Kinda makes it hard for someone to relax." Mei grimaced, eyeing the fact the monkey was technically not breathing by this point. She suddenly brightened, "Yo, what do you think he sees when he's dying?!"

The trio turned to stare at him, questions bubbling up.

Tang babbled joyously, "What does death look like?! That is a very interesting question, yes, that's-!"

Wukong suddenly wheezed, eyebrows knitted together. The monkey bent over, coughing and gasping for air as he dimmed his glowing fur. Once he was sitting up and breathing evenly, he began to stretch carefully.

Mei beamed, "What's death like?"

The king blinked owlishly, face scrunched in mild concern. Before he could speak, a portal opened, and it was closely followed by Macaque, MK, and Pigsy. They were all holding a bunch of boxes filled with mooncakes.

MK beamed, "Monkey King! Hi!" He rummaged in his jacket, dropping a few boxes and pulling out a ring, "We got the second ring!" Wukong smiled, clapping his hands, "That's great, bud! I'm proud, and I see you hung out with Chang'e."

Pigsy was grinning, pure joy radiating off of him, "Are ya kiddin'?! I even got t'do something with her!" Wukong smiled, nodding along and pretending he didn't know Pigsy was starring in an episode later that evening.

Macaque placed the mooncakes down, off-handingly throwing some onto the sage's lap. Wukong wordlessly opened them, hesitantly eating them. The warrior seemed satisfied as he turned around to eat his own share of pastries.

Mei cleared her throat, "You didn't answer my question! What does death look like?"

Wukong swallowed down his treat, keeping a careful eye on Macaque's stiff stance, "...It depends." Everyone was listening now, leaning in. Their gazes made his skin crawl, and he grew less confident.

"Uhm. Sometimes...it's a void. With, uh, space above my head. Other times...it's a meadow? I think? But the sky is dark, and looks like the night sky. And yet, it looks and feels like the sun is shining down on the grass and flowers."

He suddenly slumped, "And sometimes... It isn't pretty. It mocks you, melting into red...and regrets. Lots of them."

Macaque looked up, face neutral, "That wasn't how it looked for me." Wukong mutely nodded, unable to think of anything to say. The others turned, looking at him with wide eyes. Macaque sighed, rubbing his temple.

"For me, it was a void. I was just moving from place to place, occasionally bumping into other souls. You're left alone with your feelings, and your memories. That was all it was for me."

Wukong nodded his head slowly, registering what he said. The king blinked slowly, looking away, "I was the only soul there." Not a lie, technically. He had no idea who or what the orbs of light were.

Mei hummed, seemingly satisfied, "Cool, so either I'm going to hell or a pretty place."

"MEI-!"

---

Camp was being packed up, and by then, Wukong had fallen asleep once more.

On the floor.

And face down.

Macaque gave an annoyed grumble, picking up the king with ease. He turned, grunting as the stone monkey's stiff limbs made it hard for him to move forward. Macaque sighed, his unease only growing heavier as he realized the king wasn't breathing, and his heart was still.

Why does this keep happening? What is his curse?

The warrior understood the king didn't hate him. It was strange, he thought he would considering...everything. And instead, he'd offered for the warrior to get his revenge. Something stirred inside of his mind, whispering for him to do it.

Wukong was more than unconscious, he could hurt him.

But something else was there, something old and hurting still. It begged him to be merciful and to refrain. Just look at him, he thought, watching the sage's still form.

He is no longer your enemy.

That sounded like someone else, though he didn't care. Macaque simply continued to walk, placing the king on a bed. His skin crawled from the missing warmth, and he had the urge to crawl into the blankets as well.

But that would be too much, he didn't deserve that kind of care.

But would the other even mind?

Macaque eyed the other heroes, watching them get ready for bed. He glanced back over at the king, nostalgic want buzzing in his ears.

He moved in, falling through his shadows and reappearing behind the ginger's form. He pressed himself against him, the touch seemingly curing the aching within his skin. Macaque closed his eyes, pressing his face against untame curls.

What did this mean for them?

What did this mean for him?

---

Wukong sighed contently, feeling an odd warmth wrap itself around his body.

"This feels familiar." The lights bounced around his head in glee, "We have moved you along successfully. Time has not been disrupted so far, isn't that wonderful?" Wukong shifted uncomfortably, smiling hesitantly, "Yup. Yeah. That's..."

His smile fell.

"...In the future. For the scroll... Is there a way to let MK know who he truly is before then?" The boy had been uneasy, and downright afraid of who he truly was when it had been abruptly revealed by the scroll. He deserved something better.

"Well... Sun Wukong. We have yet to decide how his fate goes as you make your way through the issue regarding the scroll."

He sighed, closing his eyes, "Oh."

The lights nudged him, burning him slightly, "Wake up. You have been still and gone for much too long."

---

He opened his eyes, coughing briskly as he began to breathe. Wukong turned, surprised as he watched Macaque's sleeping form press against him. His ears moved slightly from the king's coughs, but the warrior did not wake.

Wukong felt tears prick his eyes as he exhaled shakily.

He turned slowly, laying a stiff limb over the other's shoulders, breathing in his scent. It was a mix of many things, from salt water from the ocean, to dust from their recent adventures. There were hints of frost and fruits, and Wukong smiled as he realized he smelled of the foliage from their mountain.

The king listened to the others sleep, his aching heart soothing slightly. They deserved much better, he needed to be better.

His determination grew.