Okay, so I have an this AU where Wukong isn't the only one who decides to leave to improve himself. But we'll get to that in a bit. We're starting this story at the usual beginning of Shihou's childhood on FFM. A child born from sun warmed stone and celestial energy piercing the heavens. A shrill, scared, cry slicing through what peace was left on the summit. Perfectly valid response to suddenly existing and being bombarded by every sensation while all alone, only to feel something burning explode out of what you just learned is likely your most sensitive body part. Thankfully, in this story, the babe isn't left alone for long.
"Guys, it's over here!"
"We're coming! Gods, why is she so fast?"
"We may never know"
"She's awesome..."
"Dude, stop drooling! You're lagging behind!"
"Right-right! I'm coming! ...I was not drooling!"
Upon reaching the peak, ignoring the commentary of her friends below, a small tan furred head popped over the side, trying to see what caused such a commotion.
"I know the lights came from up here-" a screech rings out, nearly startling her into falling off the edge she hung on. After barely managing to catch herself, she more frantically scans the area, pulling herself up to stand on the flat surface.
"MA! Was that a cub?!"
She barely registars her friend's panicked question but manages to respond sounding just as worried and confused "I think so?!"
Another young monkey climbs onto the summit and finds his friend shuffling through underbrush that managed to cover the stone floor in patches. "What do you mean 'you think so'?!"
"I don't know Liu! It sounds like an infant but I haven't found them yet!"
A curious, no less scared, chirp sounded out just as the last two playmates climbed up. It was coming from a pile of rocks further ahead.
Just as Ma moved to get closer a hand grabbed her "Wait, what if it's a trap? Like-like a predator mimicking a cub?"
Ma just rolled he eyes, "then there would be no emotion, Ba. Besides I'd rather risk getting attacked than leave an infant to fend for itself." With a determined huff she yanked her arm away and made her way over to the pile of rocks the noise came from. The closer she got, the more the rock formation looked kinda like a nest, albeit elevated off the ground like a table, or maybe a pedestal. Around the stone 'table' were two large chuncks on the ground of what she could only assume used to be one giant rock laying on either side. Brushing that aside, she moved forward to look inside the dip that reminded her of a nest. A quiet gasp passed her lips as she processed what she was looking at. Surrounded by chunks of geode was a baby. Like an actual infant where she was half expecting a bird.
Baby fat like she's never seen before giving the infant chubby limbs she hardly thinks would be functional if they tried, big blue curious (and teary but no longer crying, thank gods) doe eyes surrounded by soft glittery gold, that surrounded by a perfectly peach pink mask, that itself was shaped like a peach, teeny tiny claws on their teeny tiny fingers and toes, and their fur! The fluffiest, curliest fuzz she's ever seen! Every lock practically glowing gold in the mid day sun. She wonders if it's just as soft as it looks. She finds herself moving to find out before she can really think about it. Her breathing is shallow and slow as though hoping not to scare them as she slowly reaches over to gently press at the round belly covered in peachfuzz, delighted by the squish and the giggle that followed.
"Aw, hello, little peachfuzz. What are you doing here?"
"That's actually a great question." The sudden voice of Beng startles her out of her trance, her sudden movement startling the baby. It- Ma glances down -he let out a startled chirp to follow hers, grabbing her hand as though scared she'd run away from the perceived threat without him. His tiny paws gripping her fingers so tightly broke her heart a little.
"Shhh, it's okay, you're safe, peachfuzz." She motions to pick up the infant, hoping to comfort him before tears start again. Her fingers finally run through his fur as she brings him to her chest, his little body barely fitting in her child arms and taking up most of her torso. He's even softer than she imagined!
Once he's comfortable, Beng takes this as her que to air her grievances. "What is a newborn doing all the way out here? We're miles away from the village, and I doubt anyone would come this far to abandon it. We have perfectly good systems for this!"
Ba looked skeptical. "I don't think he was abandoned by any of our people, nobody in the troop looks anything like him" and he was right, curly fur on its own wasn't a trait she's seen on any other monkey on the island, not to mention the peach mask.
"We need an adult," Liu pipes up, "but we can't carry him down the mountain. We're too small to do it safely while carrying a whole other body..."
"But we can't just leave him here!" Beng protests before Ma finally takes her eyes off the infant. "Then it's a good thing there's four of us!" She chirps "Buddy system. Two of us will stay here with the baby, and two will go get my mom."
No one argues with that logic. They decide Beng and Ba can stay with the baby while Ma and Liu went to fetch her mother. But then Ma reluctantly tries to pass the baby to Beng only for the little furball to become distressed and latch onto her fur hard enough to nearly pull it out once he realized she was trying to leave him. "Okay, looks like I'm staying here." Adjustments were made. The tiny monkey nuzzled under her chin, falling asleep not long after Beng and Liu set off.
Ba sat next to her, cooing at the tiny sleeping face on her chest before speaking to her. "Y'know, you're really good with cubs."
"I am a cub, Ba." She deadpanned, causing the boy to panic, his face blooming a deep pink.
"Ye-yeah, I know! I meant the tiny ones- infants! Y-your just so gentle and patient when you go to help your mom in the village nursery! Um-"
"Pff, I'm teasing, relax."
"...I knew that."
