▪ Tanuki ▪

So how does a commission scam work? You’ll get asks like this from blank blogs who didn’t see your commissions posts and instead are programmed to send these to anyone using certain tags. Afterwards, they’ll offer you $300 to draw a pet but won’t use your preferred payment option. Instead, they’ll ask for your email address. What happens next? You’ll get a phishing email claiming to be from PayPal saying you need to upgrade your account and when you click the link you’ll compromise your account details to the scammer who will then try to get your money. You will not be paid for your work at the scammer will then move on to someone else and block you.

If someone was really interested in commissioning you, they would already know the answer if they seen your post about it.

She used to love the snow.

When she was a little girl, she and her sister loved to play with the white, cold and soft condensed water droplets that were grazed by the coldness of winter even before they fell from the heavens above.

She could still recall every game they played, from transforming into their foxes form and ski on the side of hills, leaving a trail of candid snow and a delicate fog behind them, or the simple and usual snowball fighting or small pranks at the expense of their fellow playmates.

And when they were too exhausted to keep on playing in the snow, their Mother would call for them, changing their clothes with warmer ones and tell a story while brushing Lixue's hair, while she did the same with her sister claiming that only she- aside from their Mother-, was allowed to touch and style the raven hair of her sister.

All while the fire crept inside the richly decorated fireplace in the Queen’s favorite salon, the place where she encountered only with her closest friends, and her two daughters.

…. So many sweet and warm memories connected with the snow, and yet they were now wrapped in a thin veil of nostalgic grief.

Xiao Yin let out a small sigh, her concentration in the meditation completely lost as she soon realized that it was utterly pointless to try to fool herself, that she couldn’t fully push in a deep corner of her mind those thoughts, for they would keep on lingering deep within her head like a parasite. 

The Warrior Sorceress raised from the floor, a low sound escaping her throat but never  managing to exit through her mouth, her lips remained sealed: By now she was used to sit with her legs crossed for as long as her meditation took, and yes, she could've used a pillow to make it a little more comfortable… But she always refused to since she was a young girl still learning the Arts of Fighting and Magic, for her youthful, wild and unstoppable fire of determination wished to burn any kind of small comforts of the matter even when she wasn't training to maintain her balance, to change her whole body into an animal or to learn how to make roots from the earth answer her call and aid her in fights.

For any form of comfort, with the mere excuse of her being young and a woman, would’ve been equal to weakness in front of everyone else’s eyes, and she couldn't afford that, nor to let her Master down.

To her that would've been a dishonor punishable by death.

Still, that slight and dull aching in her limbs when she finally stood up after at least two incense sticks had burned out, never truly disappeared, much to Xiao Ying's personal disappointment.

“I must say: For a woman of such great power and strength, you often act like a stubborn cub, Little Fox.”

An all-too-familiar voice commented with irony, making the Sorceress' head almost snap to its direction as she turned around, her vision welcomed by the sight of Sun Wukong laying in a casual manner against the frame of the opened wooden window frame, his characteristic smirk playing on his features as his fur captured the dim light of the pomeridian sun behind him.

He wasn't wearing his signature armor: Instead, he was wearing a much more modest and seemingly comfortable attire, with a sapphire blue shirt and long black pants, a tiger’s fur decorated his waist and held tight by a reddish garment like a tight belt. 

The upper clothing was left loose enough to allow a small view on his broad and strong chest, while his long tail swooshed slowly behind him in a placid way.

Who would ever thought that the so-called Handsome Monkey King and self proclaimed Great Sage Equal to Heaven, when he wasn't going on some adventure and chasing the thrill of a challenge, could enjoy the calm within his Mountain, to the point of favoring more comfortable and modest clothing? Then again, ever since she met him in person, Xiao Ying soon discovered how he was nothing like people described him, and hardly failed to excess or shake any expectations one could have after hearing the stories about him: The Stone Monkey was a walking mystery, one that as soon as you thought you started to understand, he would completely took you by surprise by showing you a complete new side of him, like and endless and never-tiring discovery.

The Warrior Sorceress couldn't help but wonder to herself whether he had just arrived, or watched her for a long time in silence before deciding to make his presence known to her.

“Oh? Care to explain in which way I give you this impression, oh Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who so-often enjoys sneaking into a lady’s quarters with little regard for her privacy???”

Xiao Ying asked with a questioning raised eyebrow, while she learned to get used to the “surprise visits” from the Monkey Yaoguai, his ability on appearing and disappearing when one least expected it and his unpredictable nature made it hard for her not to get a bit… Surprised, whenever he decided to drop by the small cottage he had prepared for her after she accepted to follow him in his domain.

Wukong let out a small, genuine simian-like chuckle at her words, pushing himself off from the wooden frame and instead taking a couple of steps inside the dining room, his tail moving in a relaxed manner behind him.

“Well, in all fairness, I did provide you with said quarters, so it's only fair that I drop by every now and then to make sure you've grown… Accustomed, to your actual refuge.”

He stated, scratching lightly the back of his right ear with a calm and unchallentic demeanor.

“Seriously though, Little Fox… There's no need for you to torture yourself by sitting in the same position for two incense sticks straight, on the bare floor… You could've at least got yourself a pillow to make it a bit more comfortable. Instead, you stubbornly practice meditation like a kid who has yet to learn the base of discipline.”

The Monkey King commented as he looked at the Sorceress' legs, now covered by the skirt of her long black and red kimono as she turned around to the table she had set previously with a refined porcelain teapot and two matching cups, the sweet scent of the peaches tea’s brew mixed with white hibiscus flowers grazing his nose.

He found it both intriguing and alluring, how despite his tendency to appear unannounced, this woman had soon picked the habit to prepare something to share with him, and she even tried her best to make that sweet pinkish fruit he loved among every other as the main protagonist.

It was a small, and perhaps banal gesture, but for the Handsome Monkey King and Great Sage Equal to Heaven that meant more than what he would’ve ever dared to admit, even to himself: It proved that not only she observed and listened to him with a watchful and attentive eye, but she also tried to make him feel at ease, welcomed even… He could hardly remember when was the first time someone, aside from his beloved monkeys, had welcomed Sun Wukong so genuinely and sincerely.

Xiao Ying shook her head lightly as she started to pour the tea into the delicate cups, her jade earrings clicking gently at the movement.

“I’m just used to meditating without the comfort of a cushion under my bottom, Great Sage… If you're concerned just from witnessing me meditate like this indoors, I wonder how you would react to seeing me meditating while sitting on a cold stone, with a waterfall falling all over my bare body..!”

The Sorceress commented with irony, only to freeze briefly with the teapot just slightly inclined towards the remaining empty cup, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she realized how her words could've been misinterpreted.

Still, she couldn't just turn around and openly deny it, for it would be the same as admitting that she had thought of him staring at her while she was completely stripped of any clothing while only the unstoppable flow of the waterfall cascaded on her, and that felt like an humiliation she wasn't yet ready to face.

So, naturally, the best course of action was to clear her throat as she resumed pouring the tea and change the subject quickly.

“A-anyway… What brings you here today, aside from-..?”

Her sentence was cut mid-way, for as soon as she turned around to look at him, Xiao Ying’s nose almost brushed against Wukong’s, his gaze burning into hers while his lips were curved in a lighter version of his signature smirk, his breath caressing her face as he stood only mere inches away from her.

For a moment, just a brief moment, Xiao Ying felt like a flutter in her chest, where once her heart used to beat and a strange, unfamiliar warmth grazed her cheeks.

Her eyes locked into Wukong’s, honey eyes meeting with burning molted gold, as the Monkey King’s breath graced her face like a delicate, gentle and unexpected caress, one that carried the scent of Mt. Huaguo’s delicious and juicy peaches with a faint and even more delicate trace of berries entangled in the middle.

Before the Warrior Sorceress could muster a word and ask what he was doing, Wukong was already acting: His arms darted around her body, making her bend slightly with a quiet gasp as she suddenly felt like she was falling backward on the wooden table, but the Immortal Monkey’s right hand promptly sneaked on her back, stopping her from falling over the wooden surface and the tea set and potentially risking to get injured in the fall, with subtle sound of the delicate porcelain set clicking slightly because the vibrations.

Xiao Ying blinked a couple of times for how fast everything just happened, realizing that she was now sitting on the table’s edge, her face then lowered and suddenly her own breath stopped flowing from her very lungs, as she witnessed Sun Wukong himself, on his knees beneath her, his hands sliding slowly over her covered legs and moved to the side the fabric of her kimono to expose their softness under his touch, leaving a path of goosebuds on her skin and his eyes still locked into hers in that intense, deep stare that only served to amplify that fluttering in her chest.

“S-Sun Wukong, what are you-..?!”

The woman’s voice finally came out, only to be abruptly interrupted when the Monkey King’s fingers squeezed on her calf, his fingertips applying a gentle yet firm pressure on the spot while his thumbs pushed gently right beneath her knee, making the Sorceress’ eyes to snap open wide and her teeth sinking on her lower lip, in order to refrain that sigh that raised from her throat and tried to escape from her lips, muffling it just barely before it could resonate in the open air.

That low, genuine simian chuckle of his didn’t help her to feel less embarrassed in the slightest.

“Your voice might speak the truth from your mind… But your body screams the truth of its own struggles, Little Fox.”

Wukong mused softly, his tail brushing slightly on the floor as his fingers and palms started to brush and press skillfully over her right leg, adapting his touch according to any shift on her face and any sound that she tried to muffle and silence, but never once being too rough.

Xiao Ying’s eye fluttered closed for a brief moment for the Stone Monkey’s hands and fingers ministrations, already feeling her aching muscles slowly but steadily melting under his touch.

“I-I had… No idea, t-that the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, one of the greatest warriors ever existed, knew how to relieve one’s body from this kind of aches…”

Xiao Ying gently murmured under her breath, her eyes opening and locking on Wukong’s prone form, while he almost snickered at her words with a light shake of his head, his gaze now focused on her long and slender limb as he kept on massaging the woman’s leg with great attention that bordered to reverence.

“My hands are skilled in many different arts, Little Fox, not only the ones of fighting."

Wukong replied calmly with an undercurrent of light irony coloring his voice, his long tail moving lazily on the floor, signaling the Monkey Yaoguai’s relaxed mood.

Xiao Ying instinctively rolled her eyes to the ceiling with a faint smile on her lips, adjusting her sitting position to be a little more comfortable, but not pulling away nor recoiling from his touch: She had the gut-feeling that, even if she tried to make him stop, Wukong would just keep on massaging her legs more stubbornly.

And she wasn’t wrong, for Mortals, Gods, Demons etc. had witnessed in more than one occasion, how his skull was just as hard as the Mystical Rock which the Monkey King was born from, and denying him something only fueled his burning determination and desire to get what he wished for no matter what.

And in this case, he wanted to help the pretty guest who he welcomed in his realm to achieve calm and relaxation… Both in her body and her mind.

“Tell me, Xiao Ying… What is obscuring your mind like a dark, pestering and looming cloud of tempest?”

Wukong asked with genuine curiosity, his calm gaze meeting her honey-gold one as the woman blinked in surprise at his words, and he could see in the slight movements of her eyebrows how she wondered to herself how he saw right through her, only to remember just as fast about his Keen Eyes that could see truth of all things, realizing that he had, indeed, been watching her for much longer than what he might’ve given away.

Xiao Ying paused for a moment as she stared at the Monkey King’s face in silence, before she let out a new sigh, this time it wasn’t caused by his skillful and relaxing massage though.

“It’s… Nothing, Sun Wukong.. Just some shades from my past.”

The dark haired woman tried to brush-off his concerns for her emotional state of mind, her pride as a warrior refraining her still to openly admit or show vulnerability.

The Monkey King hummed briefly under his breath, clearly not buying the mere and futile excuse, but his hands never stopped their movements as they lowered slowly to her ankle, this time Xiao Ying allowed herself to let out a small sigh of relaxation as the stiffness slowly but steadily started to melt beneath his touch.

“Shades, or memories?”

He wondered with an inquiring and calm tone, one that carried the silent meaning ‘You can trust me, I’ll never judge you for confiding in me’, words that were never expressed through the way of sound, but carried in every attentive and careful touch of his fingers on her skin, in the way he kept grazing her like a gentle caress, but never once over-stepping any invisible boundaries that could’ve potentially endangered the frail trust the Warrior Sorceress had bestowed upon him like a blessing from the very heavens, and he knew better than any mortal or immortal being, just how important trust was, especially for a tormented and cracked soul like hers.

Xiao Ying’s shoulders slumbered slightly as she exhaled in an almost defeated way, as it dawned to her that trying to convince Sun Wukong to let go on something or leaving some things unspoken and buried, was almost the same as trying to take him down on a fight: Basically fruitless and impossible.

So, instead of dragging this out for longer than needed, she understood it was much better to just lay everything out and get over with it.

Who knows, perhaps this way her mind could feel a bit more free and at ease, finally. 

“... It should be snowing, by now…”

Xiao Ying whispered as her face turned to the direction of the still open window-door where Wukong entered from, her gaze lost in the distant and greenish spectacle of Mt. Huaguo’s lavish landscape and beautiful trees. 

The Monkey King tilted slightly on the side, an instinctive gesture of confusion and genuine curiosity, that the Sorceress promptly satiated before he could ask her to explain her words.

“In my homeland- where there used to be my now forsaken homeland-, this… This was the time when snow started to wrap it like a blanket of pure, cold and beautiful white, almost as white as the very moon in the sky.”

She started to explain, sighing softly as Wukong’s hands moved on her other leg to graze it with the same gentle, delightful massage its twin limb had experienced.

Wukong listened attentively to each word and syllable, never ceasing his touches to ease her pain, but giving her his total and unbreakable attention in that moment, sensing the importance that it carried with every breath of hers and every and any words that followed from that instant on.

“I used to love it, when it snowed…” The woman started. “In my youth I enjoyed it the way many other children does: Playing with it in the company of my beloved sister in every and any way our young and silly minds could think of… One time we tried to build a snowman with my Master’s features, I even stole his glasses to make it more realistic…” She paused briefly in the middle of her tale, the corners of her lips bending upwards. “Needless to say, when he discovered what we did, he didn’t see the funny part of it all, and punished me by holding my balance with one leg above a log in the middle of the snow.. And with a bucket of water on top of my head.”

Xiao Ying allowed a small and gentle giggle to come out from her lips, one that was joined by Wukong’s own chuckle as the image of her younger self’s playful misdeeds and their consequences played in his mind, finding oddly endearing how this Warrior Sorceress, so elegant, so stoic and mostly dignified, used to be a little rascal herself who loved to play little tricks and frivolous games that perhaps had ended-up bringing trouble on her, but also brought sincere laughter and joy in her life.

A deep part of him wondered how it would sound like, a full-blown and heartfelt laughter from her, for ever since he met her she only let out small chuckles and polite giggles, refraining herself from fully enjoying the joy of the moment.

But he knew, there was such a thing as a time and place for him to explore such matter fully, right now, what mattered the most was to listen to the words of her heart, and perhaps helping her finding some clarity amidst that darkness that laid right beneath the beauty and joyous memories of her youth, like a snake hiding in a flower field, ready to strike any time when one would be enraptured by the flowers’ delicate beauty and sweet scent, lowering their defenses enough to allow the snake to bite and let it’s venom completely ruing the ethereal beauty of nature with its vile poison.

“Sounds like a joyful and lively youth to me!” Wukong commented, his chuckle defusing softly as he kept on speaking. “One that was nothing but the prelude of your journey in discovering the woman you were meant to become, a woman of great intelligence and amazing abilities, a true Warrior of your own.”

Wukong commented sincerely, he was never one of flowery words or empty flattery, preferring much more to speak truthfully and honestly, and while not many might’ve appreciate the things he said and spoke depending on the moment, at the very least he could say proudly that he was being honest from the very beginning to the end.

Yet, judging by the way Xiao Ying’s cheeks flushed with a gentle pinkish color once more, it seemed like she actually appreciated his words.

“And yet, I can sense something lurking beneath these beautiful memories of yours… Tell me, why is it so?”

The Monkey Yaoguai asked politely, his fingers drawing invisible and slow circles on her sore leg, his calloused palm brushing on her skin with surprisingly gentle caress, one that nearly shocked the Sorceress, who knew full-well the extent of his power and strength, and discovering that his hands could wield such gentleness just as good as they wielded Ruyi Jingu Bang, felt just as surprising and new as the first time she had gripped on her sword’s hilt, right before heading to her very first battle.

Xiao Ying’s honey-gold eyes lowered from the natural landscape to the floor, taking a small breath and exhaling quietly as she tried to come up with the right way to express her current feelings, to put into words what was haunting her mind like a lingering ghost.

“It’s just that… I’ve realized that I haven’t seen the candid snow in over three thousand years, since I fell into that deep sleep after the fight with that cursed, damned Jiao who had destroyed my entire family and land…”

One of her fists clenched on the table at the mere mention of that creature of chaos and destruction who had spilled the blood of the foxes who had raised her like their own ever since she was brought by the river on a small basket that their beloved Queen had found, saving her from the risk of drowning in the cold waters.

She couldn’t help it, every time that cursed creature, a pale and distorted imitation to his much nobler cousins the Dragons,  was even just barely mentioned, she would instantly be brought back to the memories of that dreadful night, a night lightened by trees caught on fire, to the suffocating smell of smoke and the stench of death and blood being spilled like water.

The choked screams of agony and pain of those innocent souls sometimes still rang in her ears late at night…

She slowly shook her head in an attempt to push that memory deep down within her mind, focusing her attention on her current conversation with the Monkey King instead.

“I used to really love the snow… And I’ve so many beautiful memories related to it…” Xiao Ying paused briefly, before she turned her attention back to him. “But now… It seems like not only the snow in those memories inevitably also reminds me of my failure in saving my people and our home… But it also reminds me of… Her…”

The Warrior Sorceress let her words sink for a moment, and Wukong paused briefly in his ministrations as he looked at her face, the way her eyebrows frowned slightly and that faint trace of unshed tears moistening her eyes and her lips sealed shut in a mask of quiet grief told him exactly who she was talking about: Her sister.

Sun Wukong never asked much about her, sensing that was a rather… Sensitive topic, for every time her sister was mentioned and the Warrior Sorceress did share a few words about her, he could almost feel that deep and unbreakable sense of sisterly love that still lived in every breath of his new fighting companion and estimated guest in his mountain domain.

He never asked what happened to her the night the Jiao destroyed their home, it was easy to guess from the very moment Xiao Ying told him that no one was spared from that senseless slaughter, and from that veil of silent pain that fell upon her eyes, almost as she was asking for forgiveness from the deepest part of her soul.

“Is that a bad thing?”

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven asked with curiosity, wanting to see the woman’s response to his question.

The Sorceress’ eyes turned back at him, her gaze hard to decipher, but they held no anger nor malice in them, on the contrary, they seemed to think deeply about his question, and the answer she was about to give him.

No… 

It wasn’t a bad thing, that the snow reminded her of the candor and delicate pure white of her beloved sister Lixue’s long and beautiful hair and her soft and spotless fur that covered her body when she turned into he animal form, or the way her 8 tails moved and swayed in the air every time she walked or ran after her, matched only by the beauty of her regal white and red kimono, the way her blue eyes sparkled with wonder every time Xiao Ying came up with a new game to play together in the snow.

What bothered her, was… The constant reminder of the price Lixue paid, for Xiao Ying failing to protect her.

“No, it’s not a bad thing that I’m reminded of her, Sun Wukong…” The Sorceress started, her voice filled with a deep and barely contained emotion. “She was named after the graceful beauty of winter’s first snow after all, and she was really a living symbol of elegance and grace. Her voice was soft like a caress of Spring’s breeze, her heart as big and vast as the very horizon… She was everything I wasn’t, and perhaps, this was the very reason why our bond was so strong, despite not sharing the same blood.”

A small, tentative smile appeared on Xiao Ying’s soft and plum lips, not even noticing how his eyes were completely focused on her, utterly enchanted by the sincere and genuine beauty of that single, small and simple smile. 

He was about to ask her where the problem of it all was laying then, but the Sorceress raised by Fox Yaoguais quickly answered that question for him. 

“I think… Maybe I’m just concerned that, from now on, whenever I see the snow, not only will those memories re-play in my mind… But I will also constantly be reminded of her very essence, and how…” She paused for a moment, biting her lower lip for a moment to stifle a small sob that threatened to escape her. “H-how it… Doesn’t belong in the world of the living anymore.”

Xiao Ying’s eyes closed for a moment as she let out a sigh, her hand reaching for her golden hairpin, the thumb and index finger caressing gently the tiny details of the fox mask engraved in her sword, disguised as a mere accessory out of commodity and a subtle way to take her enemies by surprise.

“I miss her, Sun Wukong… I miss the life I used to have with her and the foxes in our homeland, I miss my home… Lixue, my Master, our people and our land… They were the very reason why I pursued the path of a warrior.”

The Sorceress admitted, her eyes opening slowly as they stared at nothing, her vision slightly blurry for unshed tears that somehow she still managed to stop from falling on her cheeks, nostalgia twisting and grief mixing and striking in her chest like an unforgiving and invisible blade.

“Every choice I made, every single thing I’ve done… It was for them. But now they’re nothing but memories, and memories can live only in the past, until the mists of time completely engulfs them and makes them disappear, just like the sun melts away the snow until nothing of it remains, but a dump and wet earth… They’re gone, but I’m still here; A warrior with no people nor land to fight for, driven solemnly on my desire to bring justice to the undeserved and premature deaths brought by the bloody claws of a selfish and arrogant creature.”

Xiao Ying’s lips sealed shut in a bitter and self-reprimating smile.

“Gods, aren’t I just pathetic?”

She whispered with a humorless laugh, one caused by her deep-rooted sadness and never-ending feeling of loss and regrets… But then, amidst that consuming pain, she suddenly felt a gentle grip on her wrist, she blinked for a moment as she registered the warm touch as Wukong’s hand wrapped around her wrist, her eyes followed the movement of his hand guiding hers down, until she was staring the Monkey King’s face once more, his thumb brushing gently on her knuckles while his eyes burned into hers like golden and ethereal twin suns, no trace of a grin or chuckle on his lips, replaced with a serious expression, his gaze intense but with no trace of judgement in them.

“I’m afraid I have to disagree with you on this, Xiao Ying.” He started to speak, his voice low and carrying a note of wisdom in each word that left his lips. “There’s no such a thing as being pathetic in grieving for the loss of those who you held dear to your heart, to your very soul… And I know how hard it might get to think back of them, how the pain for losing them will forever linger in those memories that represent the most beautiful and precious moments of your life with them, perhaps that pain will never truly disappear..”

His words were spoken from his heart, and based on every action of hers, every time they spoke to one another and shared a bit of themselves and their past experiences and adventures, on the way she always spoke truthfully and never once tried to deceive him.. True, maybe she attempted a couple of times to disguise her real feelings by keeping a mask of being alright, while there was a tempest raging in her shattered heart…  But never once has she tried to fool him.

And while he couldn’t promise to make her heart whole again nor to completely remove that pain from her chest, the Handsome Monkey King and Great Sage Equal to Heaven, was ready to do anything and everything in his power to help her realize that a broken heart could still mend, and that it was possible to live with that kind of pain and still enjoy the beauty and simple joys life still offered to those who weren’t yet caught in death’s icy and ruthless grasp. 

“But try to think of it this way, Warrior Sorceress.” The Stone Monkey added. “This painful feeling of grief that now accompanies most of your memories regarding your people, your precious sister… It’s not something to be ashamed of, nor that should shackle you. It’s just a testament of how deeply your love for all of them ran, of how you were ready to throw yourself in the battlefield to shelter your own people from the rages of war, to grant them a peaceful and blissful existence through each and every one of your sacrifices and struggles.”

As he spoke, Wukong’s face leaned closer to her hand, his lips caressing the back of her hand in a gentle and reverent kiss, one that almost made her breath stop right on her throat, her cheeks now bearing a dark shade of pink, surprised by the gesture and the way he spoke to her, almost baffled by the way he understood how she pursued her path as Warrior Sorceress to allow everyone else in her village to live a life free by the worries and the fear of the horrors of war… Horrors that forced their way on their doorstep anyway despite how hard she tried to shield all of them and to save them, in the end.

Yet, hearing Sun Wukong, the Monkey King and Great Sage Equal to Heaven putting in his own words and even recognizing that truth of her that no one else would ever have discovered or even bothered trying to see… It made her feel like for the first time in her life, someone finally understood her.

His eyes softened as he looked at her. “Snow might melt and leave nothing but a dump and wet earth… But it’s from that very dump earth, that a new life grows with the passage of Spring, and each blossom carries the promise and hope for a brand new beginning.” 

After a brief pause to allow his words to sink in, Wukong carried on his heartfelt speech.

“When you’ll see the snow once again, and it will remind you of your sister, do not hold yourself back from showing your real emotions out of fear of being judged by unexisting eyes or believing that you don’t deserve to do it because of something you couldn’t possibly control… Cry for those fallen souls, mourn for them and your lost home, for the sister who you loved as your family just as if you were truly one another’s flesh and bones… And then, allow yourself to create new memories: Indulge in those frivolous, joyful and heartfelt games you used to love sharing with your sister, enjoy yourself on the snow just like you used to during those times when life seemed still so simple and blissfully easy. Not as a way to replace the previous memories, but as a way to celebrate the people who you shared them with, to pay your honors to the love they brought in your life, inspiring you to become the astonishing woman you are now.”

The Stone Monkey’s lips offered Xiao Ying a smile full of gentleness and tenderness, one meant to offer her understanding and comfort her from such pain.

The Warrior Sorceress stood in front of the Monkey Yaoguai without uttering one single word, utterly stunned by the wisdom carried heavily in every phrase and word of his, the sincerity in his voice was something that she couldn’t possibly foresee or predict, and it re-confirmed what she already knew about Sun Wukong through the tales of his past deeds, and what she could witness by herself since their first meeting: He was the most unpredictable and full of surprises creature creation had ever witnessed… And that was one of the many things she really appreciated and liked about him.

“And perhaps,” He then added, this time his voice sounding a bit more like his usual cheerful-like one. “Maybe you’ll learn how to live with this pain, and no longer see it as a blade ready to fall upon your head every time your mind wanders on the path of memories… And finally start to live your present more freely, and… Maybe even starting to think about what you’ll do, after your revenge will be full-filled and the Jiao will fall by your hand.”

…. The silence that followed stretched out for longer than the both of them had intended: From Wukong’s side, it was out of his wish to let Xiao Ying assimilate the words he had just spoken and let her reflect on them, while on her end… She was indeed reflecting on his words, especially the part regarding what she would do, once her revenge would be complete.

Admittedly so, she never really thought much about it, ever since the Gods had awoken her from her deep slumber with their foolish order to fight against the Monkey King for rejecting  Buddhahood after his Journey to the West, what had drove her very body was nothing but the mere memories of fighting, and a reminiscing flickering flame of her past self who loved to take challenges and fight with Warriors and adversaries she was aware were much stronger than her, to see where her own limits resided and how she could get stronger in return so she could truly carry her title as Warrior Sorceress with honor and pride, and fully protect the ones she loved the most.

Only after she and Wukong fought, and he stopped her to ask about why her eyes were so dull, deprived of one’s bright wish to live just to see another tomorrow, had the Sorceress finally felt like she was being really awakened.

And then, after she told him her story, as she recalled her fight with the Jiao that had left her body exhausted beyond any human limitations, forcing her in a state of sleep that had left her mind in the darkness for so many years, the dormant flame in her started to turn into a full-on fire, ready to burn everything on her way and to turn into ashes the creature who took away her past, her home… Her kind, innocent and gentle Lixue, her precious sister.

So, when he offered his deal to follow him on his mountain so that she could prepare herself for her hunt and upcoming fight in the security and calm of his domain, away from the Gods and their fury for her failing to defeat Sun Wukong (although Xiao Ying never promised them nor vowed on her honor that she would succeed), and in exchange she had to help him investigate who was behind the recent disappearing and deaths of many of his own kind, and fight alongside him like a true fellow Warrior, she accepted.

It was a deal made for mutual gains, one that was probably the most honest and noble one she ever heard of in her whole life, for not only she would get to fight alongside someone as skillful and strong as Sun Wukong himself, but he was giving her an opportunity to get the retribution and a revenge that was long overdue. 

And besides, she found it very honorable, that he wished to discover who was harming his people and stop them for good, it was a feeling that she knew far too well, and after being welcomed among the other monkeys of Mountain Huaguo, the woman with dark raven hair grew more determined to help their community out, for in their unity and family-like warmth, she saw a reflection of the foxes who had raised her like their own, a reminder of how the simplest ways of life were as precious as the rarest jewel made of jade.

She couldn’t stay idly and let whoever-the-culpirit was to keep on destroying the peace of that community, to let them taste the desperation and loss that had fallen upon her own people like a plague… She wasn’t gonna let that happen again, never again. 

“Tell me, Xiao Ying…” Wukong then spoke again, adjusting his kneeling position slightly so that his face would be closer to hers, making sure that her eyes, her very attention were on him and him alone. “What will you do, after you’ll get the retribution you seek so desperately?”

Such a simple question came out from the Immortal Monkey Yaoguai, yet one that neither him nor the Warrior Sorceress herself ever dared to bring up before, to think about what the woman would do afterwards.

“... I don’t know, Wukong…” Xiao Ying started, her eyes briefly looking down, before they returned to him. “The reason I learned how to fight and became a warrior was to protect my land and my family. Now that they’re gone, I’m fighting to avenge their deaths…” She paused briefly, a small and faint smile filled with sad irony decorated her lips. “The truth is, Great Sage, that I’m nothing but a broken shell of my former self… The only thing that still drives me to live another day, is this desire to avenge what I lost that night, the ones who were taken in the most barbaric way… All while being stuck in this limbo, created by my own grief, and fed by my hatred for the Jiao.” 

The raven-haired woman took a small breath and exhaled, before she continued “I guess… Once the Jiao will die, I’ll just be left with no purpose at all: I no longer have a home to return to, nor anyone out there who’s waiting for me and that I should protect, after all.”

She shrugged her shoulders slightly on her last words, after all, what good was a Warrior, if they had nothing to fight for? Nothing that could drive them to fight with their very last breath, to emerge victorious from the raging flames of war like a majestic phoenix rising from its ashes. 

Wukong stared at her for another, long moment, before his lips curved into a warm, almost tender smile, his hands raising all the way up her legs to her hips, until his arms wrapped around her waist and back, drawing her closer to himself and letting his head rest on her chest, relishing in hearing that soft gasp coming from Xiao Ying’s lips, her figure frozen for a moment and a new warmth blossomed on her cheeks as she looked at the Handsome Monkey King and Great Sage Equal to Heaven, now embracing her in a hug that was meant to both encourage her and offering the Sorceress solace in the middle of the midst of her sadness and uncertainty of what the future could hold for her, like a long, laborious path in the middle of the thickest fog that led directly into the unknown. 

Then, when he felt Xiao Ying’s arms closing in on his broad shoulders, pausing just a mere instant before finally returning his hug, Sun Wukong closed his eyes as he felt his own heart almost soar with happiness and secret satisfaction, feeling like not only the Warrior Sorceress was trusting him enough to allow such a seemly simple gesture of solidarity on his part, but also as a sign that he could take a little ‘leap of fate’ of his own, a small… Wager with himself, the only kind of bet the Great Sage knew, with absolute certainty, that won’t get him imprisoned for over 500 years. 

"Why don't you stay here in my Mountain, Little Fox?”

Xiao Ying paused as she registered the Monkey King's question- no, almost like a calm, tempting request, like he was quietly and carefully testing his luck, as he leaned his head against her chest with no ill intentions, almost like one of the little ones of his beloved monkeys who rested their head against their loved ones’ chest, in a gesture of familiarity and complete trust, one that symbolized their union as community and family.

It wasn’t so unlike the way foxes went to sleep together, especially during the colder seasons and nights, and the woman was once again astonished by the way some customs among monkeys and foxes were more similar than anyone could imagine, but she couldn’t focus on it; Right now, she had to answer him… Even if her answer was more like a question of her own. 

"... For how long, Great Sage?" 

She then retorted softly, feeling the way his strong arms, honed by centuries of fighting and adventures, tightened slightly around her form like he wanted to prevent her from disappearing.

While she didn’t expect Wukong to ask her to stay in Mt. Huaguo, she had to admit to herself that ever since Wukong introduced her to his fellow monkeys, she was threatened with the utmost respect, the children were very curious about her and tried in their lively, joyful and playful way to get her attention every time they wandered near her cottage, which seemed to happen more often lately, if she had to be completely honest. 

But, for how long could she bother Wukong and his people with her presence in their domain? Almost as if he sensed her thoughts, the Monkey King’s lips curved into a playful and soft smirk at her question, pretending to think about it just for about 40 seconds.

 "Does the rest of my life sounds good, to you?" 

He then replied, his ear pressing against her chest, searching for her sweet warmth, and the sound of her heartbeat, committing every "thum" into his memory, like it was the most rare, beautiful and enchanting melody he has ever heard.

Xiao Ying blinked a couple of times at his words, her honey-gold eyes then narrowed slightly as she realized how something in his words felt slightly… Off.

"Aren't you immortal, tho?" 

The Warrior Sorceress questioned with a raised eyebrow, and in response, Wukong chuckled deeply, his quiet simian laugher vibrating in his chest and against her form: One of the things he loved the most about his enchanting fellow fighting-companion, was her ability to spot even the slightest and seemly banal details that others mostly overlooked, even if others might’ve seen it as a cunning side associable with the side of many foxes’ personality that many failed to appreciate, the Monkey King and Great Sage Equal to Heaven, actually found it both endearing and invigorating, even. 

The Sorceress then, sighed as she caressed his shoulder with the light touch of a peach tree's first blossoms, her long raven hair moving slightly with the shaking of her head as she realized that not only she probably would need to use her magic to warm the tea up again, but Sun Wukong was truly as unpredictable as the very weather, and as childish as the youngest of his monkeys.

"Silly Monkey..."

“Clever Fox.”

The End.

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Pheeew, that was a long and tough one!! X'P💦💦💦 I hope you liked my little one-shot about Sun Wukong and my OC Xiao Ying!! ✨💜✨🖤❤️‍🔥