#mental exploration

He assumed the others knew this truth and feared the repercussions with strength equal to his own. Yet as that monkey smiled at him, clutching the key to the ceremony in his greedy palm, Nezha feared just how wrong he was.

“Wukong, you fool. You’ll doom us all!” Clutching his throbbing side, Nezha glared at the Great Sage’s nimbus cloud fading into the distance.

Everything was starting to fade. Darkness was encroaching from the edges of his vision as he struggled to keep himself standing. Not even leaning on the rubble that was once his temple could stop the slow decline to the ground littered with signs of his failure.

He couldn’t pass out. He needed to track down that fool before he could start the end of the world.

No.

He’s stronger than this!

He won’t be stopped by mere pain!

He’s suffered far greater injuries than this!

No.

No.

“No!” Lunging forward, Nezha cringed as his ribs protested the sudden movement. But the pain was soon forgotten as he took in his surroundings.

He had been moved from the pitiful remains of his destroyed temple. Now he was on a soft mattress in a sparsely decorated room. Candles and incense burned around him, filling to room with a soothing scent.

By the door, his armor, astras, and weapon rested, freshly polished and repaired.

Looking down, the Third Prince saw his wounds had been tended to. Someone had dedicated a great deal of time to see him restored to full health. Someone was trying to help him make up for his unforgivable failure.

But who?

“It is comforting to see you awake, Nezha.” A deep voice said from the now open door, one that was rather familiar.

Nezha looked up to see a dear friend and teacher. Slick black hair pinned in the traditional style showing a visage free from wrinkle or scars. Dressed in his usual white and lilac robes, he had traded in his armor and weapons for instruments of healing, however, he was far from appearing weak. A powerful three-eyed warrior god joined by a sable furred magnificent canine with golden markings. The beast was a fine example of breeding, pure muscle and speed, yet somehow quite fluffy.

Erlang Shen

“Where am I?” Nezha asked. He was quite surprised to see one of the, if not the, most powerful warriors of the Celestial Realm tending to his wounds.

“After the seal was broken, I traveled to your temple to see you safely retrieved. You were badly wounded and spiritually drained but have been making steady progress towards a full recovery.” Erlang said, checking the bandages, pleased the bleeding had long ceased.

The snarling hound jumped onto the bed to settle against the young god’s side.

“I was alone?” As an extra precaution, Nezha never employed servants at his temple. Yes, this act forced him to perform extra tasks to maintain his massive residence, but he felt it was worth it if it meant fewer beings knew about the map’s existence and location.

But that also meant…

“You were the only living thing within fifteen li,” Erlang clarified.

“So, the Great Sage was successful in stealing the map…” For a brief moment, he prayed it had been a nightmare. Losing the map to the simian, who should be more than aware of just how dangerous those flames were, after a thousand generations of flawless vigilance was truly a travesty. But that was what the Great Sage did.

He ruined everything for his own benefit.

“Do not be so hard on yourself. All the Celestial Realm knows better than to underestimate that monkey when he’s determined. The fact you were able to hold him off for so long is worthy of praise.” He, even with all his might, still bore the scars from his first battle with the Great Sage.

“It’s less than worthless unless I am able to retrieve the map before the Samadhi Fire is unleashed. The entire world is at stake, I cannot allow myself to be weak.” Nezha pulled at the covers so he may track down that worthless ape.

Only for a gentle yet firm hand to halt his progress.

“There is a time for action and a time for rest. Your body still has a long road to recovery. Soldiers, scouts, and those devoted to our temples are keeping watch over the Monkey King and those he accompanies. Recently he has left the palace of the Eastern Dragon King and is entering the Great Desert of Endless Hardships.” Erlang explained, attempting to gently ease the young deity back into the bliss of sleep.

His words were designed to inspire comfort, yet they only served to kindle the panic and rage inside the young prince. The Great Desert of Endless Hardships was part of the Demon Bull King’s territory. Sun Wukong was heading directly for the first of the three rings, Nehza was truly too far behind.

Seeing the effect his words had, Erlang went for a more tactical approach. “I know it is hard, but you must know if you were to leave now, he would simply best you again with greater ease. You must be patient.”

To further emphasize his point, the divine hound shifted its head so that it now rested on the youth’s chest. Deep eyes stared intently at the god who was once the young boy who endlessly played with him. Meaning that if he had any inclination of leaving, he would have to disrupt the slumber of a creature he personally knew and adored since his reincarnation.

Gritting his teeth, the young god battled with his eternal rage and fury. Knowing his old teacher was correct, he bowed to his wisdom and allowed himself to sink into the fluffy pillows and blankets.

“I respect your wisdom and…am grateful for your actions.”

Nodding, Erlang closed the door behind him, leaving his beloved companion to rest at the young prince’s side.

He was conflicted.

On one hand, he was proud to witness the once wild youth grow into such a mature and respectable warrior. On the other, it was clear the millennia of near total isolation and dedicating himself to this sole duty had taken its toll on his self-worth.

A whisper of fresh flowers and spring water told him another had reached a similar conclusion.

Regardless of the past, they were there now. Their prince would no longer have to bear this burden alone.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Inside the TEA, tensions were running hot as the temperature continued to rise.

Desert travel was rarely fun, even when you were inside an air-conditioned van because somehow the heat was able to sneak past the cooling mechanisms to force the travelers to each lose a liter of water with each passing hour.

Didn’t help that the map was not proving a helpful navigation tool.

Ever since his phone dried out, Tang had been trying to compare the ancient map with every digitized map of China he could find from the past three thousand years, yet nothing even resembled a single landmark. Currently, the only reason they were still moving was to get out of the desert and maintain the distance between them and the growing hellscape of crystal and ice that was once their home.

“Good news, everyone. GPS shows we’re just eight hours away from the nearest city.” Sandy announced, happy to have some good news.

“Awesome. We really need to stock up on…everything.” Pigsy said, using his overshirt to wipe away another layer of sweat.

“There’s no telling when the Shackled will be upon us again, so we need to grab what we can and leave as quickly as possible,” Tang advised from the passenger’s seat, clinging to the map as though if he looked closely enough something would start to make sense.

“‘Shackled’?” Mei questioned the phrase from her spot on the floor.

“We needed to call them something, as a bonus, it serves to remind us they are not doing this of their own free will.” Tang defended. While they were chasing them and nearly caused their deaths multiple times, Tang firmly believed they should not be held accountable for these acts. After all, if his family was being threatened by a seemingly unstoppable force, even he would bend to see them live.

The youngest members shrugged in acceptance, not having the energy to argue or come up with something better.

“Back to the matter at hand. While we have nothing else, we’d better write a list of what we need to avoid wasting any time.” Pigsy offered because putting as much distance between themselves and an army sounds pretty good.

“On it,” MK said, tearing out a fresh page from his art book that miraculously survived.

“Our main priorities are food, water, medical supplies, toiletries, and fresh clothing,” Sandy stated from the front. In times of survival, it was important to have a clear view of what you needed.

It pained them but the four moved around the living area to check on what they had at their disposal.

“Looks like we have enough emergency rations for two more meals, but that might be pushing it,” Pigsy said, never happier at the knowledge his buddy was once a soldier. “Didn’t help nearly everything I brought was lost when we hit the waves.”

It wasn’t like they planned to suddenly be whisked into this ancient mess. The fact he packed all that food in the beginning was because he knew those two would burn three times their daily calories with all the training. Even though they had already eaten most of it during their travels, he could have squeezed another two meals out of it.

“We still have four gallons of water stored up.” Mei counted from the back. Although she was considering making it three with the sheer amount of sweat she had been drowning in.

“Not great but it should last us until we get to the city,” Tang muttered. “As for medical supplies, we are nearly out of gauze, medical tape, pain relievers, and antibiotics. Honestly, given the start of our journey and everything we may encounter, we should just double stock everything.”

“Yeah.” MK wrote everything down, along with a few extra items. “Okay all that plus, basic necessities, cat food, and fuel. That should be it, aside from the issue of payment.”

“Everyone got your credit cards.” At the pig’s words, everyone whipped out at least one plastic card. “We’re good.” This meant everyone could handle payment when they split up.

“Here’s the plan: Tang you handle medical supplies, if you think you have enough grab three more. There’s no telling if the next city we encounter has been thrown into chaos from Lady Bone Demon’s attack or not.” Pigsy pointed to the man as he retook his original seat.

The scholar’s glasses glinted as he wore a strangely content smile.

“Mei, you know our styles and sizes, grab four standard outfits, a jacket, gloves, boots, and snow gear. I want us to be prepared for anything and everything.”

The pro-gamer gave a thumbs up, already devising a new wardrobe in her mind. The anime dream team uniforms were once more within reach.

“MK, you’ll grab at least three large bags of whatever brand of cat food Sandy uses and ten water dispenser jugs. Sandy, while we’re shopping double-check everything so we don’t end up stranded on the side of the road and fuel up.”

The two nodded as Sandy directed MK to the food cabinet so he could write down the name as a precaution.

“I’ll handle the food, including where we can store enough to feed six people for multiple days.” Pigsy finished with a mutter.

“Well, that killed twenty minutes. Anything else we can use as a distraction?” Sandy asked, glad that the atmosphere had taken a brighter turn.

A loud clap brought everyone’s attention to their very own Monkie Kid. “So, we all agree I need to find some way to get my powers back.”

“Ah, technically yes, but-” Tang began, only to get cut off.

“You didn’t actually give any reasons or make an argument,” Pigsy said, more than a little concerned. Even when they had spare time in their prison cell MK was adamant about not talking about his fight with Lady Bone Demon or when they were attacked on the dronecopter.

“I thought it was pretty obvious given how close we were to being killed at the Eastern Dragon Palace,” MK stated, before turning to face his best friend. “No offense to your great, great thousand times great uncle, Mei.”

“Meh. I doubt he cares.” The young dragon said with confidence.

“Both during the attack and when he was threatening us, I couldn’t do anything. I was worthless.” MK admitted, feeling the words carve a scar in his heart for what could have happened to his family. “Monkey King said that the powers came from me, not the staff, so I should be able to tap into them again.”

“How? It took centuries of training and practice for him to obtain all of his abilities. You haven’t even had them for a year.” Tang pointed out, not feeling particularly keen on diving in blind to such dangerous territory. It wasn’t that he was trying to be cruel, but he still fought the urge to heave at the slightest thought of the dog head and mop hands.

“I have no idea. I was honestly hoping you guys would have some plan based on how I unlocked abilities in the past.” Cause to be honest compared to the Monkey King’s arsenal he barely scratched the surface.

“Shouldn’t your ‘master’ be part of this meeting?” Pigsy asked. Ever since their escape, the pig demon had been growing even more skeptical of the so-called ‘Great Sage’ especially when he never fully answered any of their questions.

“He’s occupied with regaining his own strength,” MK said, pointing to where his master was in the depths of meditation. A soothing golden glow emanating from every inch of skin bathed the back half of the T.E.A. in divine light.

“How did we miss that?” Mei questioned, snapping a quick pic of the glowing monkey.

“Then why don’t you do the same?” The chef asked.

“Well, I can’t-” MK started but stalled as memories of past lessons flooded in. A different teacher, different lessons, but they allowed him to discover many truths about his powers and himself. One of those lessons was the importance of deep mediation to interact with abilities that were truly his.

Trails of power.

A golden statue.

A world built on the memories he held dear.

“Huh? Maybe I will.” Grabbing a fluffy pillow from one of the bunks, MK went into lotus position and closed his eyes. He really had been slacking on meditation in the last few months and the lack of incense didn’t help. Why didn’t he ask the dark monkey what brand he used at the theater, he’ll never know?

Okay yes, it was because he was internalizing a lot of stuff, including the safety of his friends, the return of one of his mentors, and the fact something terrifying was on its way! He’s allowed to be dramatic, damn it!

Getting off track here. Focus on his breathing. Let the rhythm of his heart take him deeper and deeper. Block out all distractions.

Slowly, slowly…

Ding!

Opening his eyes MK looked around and saw he was no longer in the T.E.A.

“Step one in the books. Now for step two.”

The others watched as MK’s breathing evened out until it felt like he had froze.

“I guess this little think tank was worth something after all,” Mei commented, not sure how to handle this situation. Things were really going into new weird territory. And for their group that was saying something.

“So, we have two monkeys out of commission,” Tang observed, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

“We’ll have to be careful until they wake up,” Pigsy stated. He wasn’t that worried, so long as they kept moving things should be alright. Besides, it wasn’t like they were completely defenseless without the two.

“Ah, guys? Our ETA might be a little off schedule.” Sandy said, trying not to reveal how nervous he was.

“But you said this vehicle can handle almost any terrain?” Pigsy asked, remembering how proud the yoga enthusiast was.

“It can but I underestimated how much coolant we’d go through.” At his words, the van completely stopped. The main screen showed a cup of boiling tea at the top of a thermometer. “The engine’s completely overheated.”

“So, we’re stuck here?” Mei asked already feeling a new layer of sweat soaking into her jacket.

“Just for a few hours,” Sandy assured, even though he was dreading the blistering heat like everyone else. “We need the engine to cool down or we’re not moving.” The water demon unbuckled his seat and went to throw open the hood, releasing a burst of steam that nearly hit him and Mo in the face.

Nursing a growing headache, Pigsy knew they had to make preparations. “Everybody out. Staying inside ain’t gonna help anyone.”

“Mei, grab MK. I’ll get Monkey King. Tang, I saw a spare blanket and metal rods in the back, we can use them to create some shade.” The others nodded, as a plus it would help distract them, somewhat.

Mei tenderly grabbed her best friend and the pillow he was using, while Pigsy had no qualms about throwing the spiritual primate over his shoulder. Seeing such drastically different attitudes, Tang wanted to say something but knew it wouldn’t change anything.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Deep inside MK’s mind, the boy was struggling to make sense of how different everything was.

The first time he entered this world everything felt so bright and vibrant. Now…

Now it felt so empty.

The colors were muted to mere memories of what they once were. Scenes he once walked past showcasing pieces of his family’s pastimes were crumbling under an unseen weight. He had walked for what felt like miles not one phantom to be seen. Jagged pieces of ice had grown out of the flaming mountains, encasing the buildings that were once randomly dotted about.

If he didn’t know any better, MK would assume the changes were symbolizing his mental trauma and sense of helplessness.

“What’s happening?” He muttered, scared of what was wrong with him.

Furiously shaking his head, MK proceeded to smack himself. This wasn’t a time to get lost in thought. He needed to reestablish his connection with his powers so he could protect everyone.

With that in mind, he continued his trek down the path and up the mountain to where the statue dwelled. But not even his heroic nature could distract him from the crushing silence.

The first time he came here nothing was quiet. Even if sounds felt muted compared to Macaque’s instructions, there was still so much he absorbed.

The force of the roaring fires. The crashing of the waves. The sound effects echoed from the arcades and clubs. Knives grating against cutting boards. The slight buzz of a text being sent. Pages being turned. Kettles whistling.

Monkeys chirped from the trees and cats purred as they were being petted.

Everything, everything little sound brought this place to life and made it feel real.

Now…

MK tried not to think about it.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Digging in the supply closet, Tang feared for the future if things continued this way. Ever since MK became the Monkie Kid, Pigsy had grown more and more irritated with the king. Whenever MK wasn’t around Pigsy never held back on his opinions of their child’s mentor. He felt the King wasn’t prepared to handle the responsibilities and emotional requirements to truly be a teacher, much less a good one. And given everything Tang had witnessed, from their situation to MK’s self-esteem, it was growing harder to defend him.

The scholar was pulled from his musings when he felt something very familiar brush against his hand. Cautiously, he pulled out a vase, one with striking floral designs and not a single blemish on its surface.

“Huh? Guanyin’s vase?” Tracing the deigns, Tang felt the same nurturing/terrifying aura that drew him to it the first time. Grabbing the supplies, he was tasked with retrieving, Tang went to get some answers. “Pigsy, did you pack this?”

The chef stared at the vase for barely a minute before images of a flaming city-sized delicacy hurling down from the atmosphere linked together. “That thing? Didn’t you and MK take it from Monkey King’s horde to deal with that giant dumpling a few months ago?” That was one weird adventure and one long cleaning session.

“Yes, but he took it back, right?” Sure, Tang didn’t see him do it, but after the vase was restored surely MK took it with him on his many trips to Mount Huaguo.

“Apparently not,” Mei muttered, stabbing the rods into the sand as deep as she could.

Tang, however, felt as if there was more to this. Rushing back into the T.E.A., he grabbed six glasses and returned to their group. Taking a single cup, Tang tipped the vase over, eyes widening as crystal clear water started to pour out.

“It’s cold.” The glass felt as if he just used a fridge’s water dispenser. From the first aid kit, he was thrilled to find pH strips. Dipping a fresh strip in, he waited and soon the strip indicated a solid scale of 7.

“Well, the pH is stable…we have an ocean of fresh water at our disposal.” But whether it was safe to drink was another question he wasn’t prepared to answer. They should boil it first to be safe though-

“Gimme!” Mei snatched the glass, proceeding to chug it down in one fell swoop. Immediately one could see improvements, the young water dragon once on the verge of collapsing now appeared well-rested and eager to take on the next challenge. “So good.”

Despite the inevitable headaches and potential dangers, Pigsy took what wins he could get. “Alright, one thing’s going right today.” He went on to pour himself and the kid a glass. Even if he was in a deep meditation didn’t mean they had to risk heatstroke.

“But how?” Tang asked, still fixating on how such a priceless and useful artifact just appeared in their possession.

“Let’s not question it now. It's too hot for that nonsense.” The chef stated, taking a test sip. Finding the refreshing drink everything he needed in that one moment he proceeded to slowly pour half of the second glass down MK’s throat. He couldn’t be sure, but he got the sense the kid was relieved if for a moment.

Sandy was quick to join in on the action, grabbing himself a glass and refilling the bowls for all his little soldiers, who eagerly lapped up the refreshing liquid.

“Ah, guys? Is it just me or are there suddenly a lot more clouds in the sky?” Mei asked, feeling the heat start to lessen as the winds shifted.

“Hm?” Sandy looked up at the odd question. However, the reason immediately became clear.

What was once a clear blue sky free of a trace of white, was slowly growing dark as grey clouds floated closer to their campsite. The winds were starting to pick up speed, bringing a sense of welcomed coolness but also a sense of danger.

The sky was growing darker as the clouds gathered above them. A metallic scent slowly poisoned the air sending the therapy cats rushing back into the T.E.A., with the exception of Mo who was determined to remain by his partner’s side. Lightning crackled between the gray masses as the winds began to howl with even more vigor, but none of that was important.

At least not compared to the figure that suddenly appeared mere feet before the group.

They weren’t very tall and their billowing clothes did not give the impression they were cut, but something about them truly held their attention. They held an aura, a charisma that drew them in; it would have been comforting if it wasn’t saturated with bloodlust and long-tempered fury.

Then they spoke. “I have waited ten years for this moment. Spirit of the Red Sand.” Their voice did not feel as though it originated from a living creature, but a force of nature. It echoed and distorted as whispers trailed behind, at least of their number flinched due to that familiarity alone.

Pigsy was the first to glare at the newcomer. “Sandy, who is this punk?”

Mei drew her sword, placing herself directly between MK and their new foe.

The former soldier, however, could only say this. “Pigsy. Tang. Get the kids in the T.E.A.”

The figure tilled their head as though they had finally taken notice of the entire group. “Companions. I always thought you didn’t need backup.” They spoke with such condescendence, as though viewing their presence was a sign of an inexcusable weakness.

“I’m not that man anymore. I’ve moved past it, but I can see you didn’t.” Sandy stated, both with pride and remorse. He seemed to recognize the individual, not necessarily who they were but why they were here.

And that was all it took. One little phrase and all that control, all that calm was torn to shreds. “A little hard, when you lose your entire family to one monster.”

Sandy looked down at the statement, not having anything to defend his past actions. He knew he committed horrible acts. He butchered hundreds without caring about their history or if they had families waiting for them. He didn’t care, didn’t want to care.

Why should he?

No one could touch him and he thought he had all he needed in a found family who respected his choices.

The enemy unsheathed a blade with one hand and his claws with the other. A stance was taken and all thoughts of conversation were abandoned. The winds were whipped into a frenzy as streams of sand circled the group like hungry predators.

Oh, what he wouldn’t give to turn back the clock.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

MK grunted as he reached for a new finger hold.

He didn’t know why it was taking so much longer to find the source of his powers this time, but he knew he was getting closer.

Originally, he tried retracing his steps to Monkey King’s house, but nothing was to be found.

The golden statue was nowhere to be found, leaving him to scream his frustrations to an uncaring mental sky. Nails dug into his scalp as he viciously pulled at his hair. His vision turned watery as he forced the tears back.

Growling MK, returned to his feet and stared down the daunting mountain face before him. It was the only area he hadn’t checked yet and he refused to come back empty-handed. And that led to him climbing up an unstable mountain freestyle.

He honestly didn’t know if dying here would truly kill him, but he wasn’t eager to test that theory.

The only thing he had going for him was the faintest sense things had gotten a lot hotter since he entered his meditation. He could only pray the van hadn’t brook down or an ambush forced them into a sinkhole.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

In the physical world, things were not going great.

Their opponent was proving to be one of their more annoying foes

“Illusions! He’s combining illusions with the sand storm.” Tang deduced. And for someone who spent so long blending in with the crowd, it made sense. From the back of the group, he saw moments when duplicates would just fade in and out of existence. Blows would be stuck but have no backlash. Real attacks were thrown into the mix, but the question of what was real and what wasn’t kept everyone on edge.

The shifting sands and raging winds were already throwing them off, throwing in projections would serve to further disorient. Against a powerhouse like Sandy, it was an ideal strategy. As any direct assault was doomed to failure.

Mei was having a new problem. She had never had more power at her disposal. Her speed was unquestionable. And no one could say she would hesitate in a fight. But this wasn’t a normal fight.

What good was power if she couldn’t land a hit on a target? What good was speed if she couldn’t see where she was going? How could she swing her blade knowing she could accidentally hit one of the others?

This was a new sense of helplessness, having all this power yet being unable to use it.

Sandy was clearly the main target, but even with his vow of pacifism, he had decades of experience to allow him to dodge or redirect deadly attacks. Of course, that came with the risk of the others getting hit in his place.

“Then how do we fight this?” Pigsy growled, pressing his back against Tang to avoid being separated again.

“Since none of us are skilled in dispelling magic like this, we’ll need the golden eyes of truth. It’s the only way I can think of us ending this without causalities.” Unfortunately, the only ones with access to such power were currently beyond their reach.

“Come on kid. If you’re planning to do a big hero moment, now’s the time.” Pigsy pleaded hoping his voice would reach the little boy he raised. The boy who became weighed down with far too many responsibilities and trauma much too soon.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Finally.

Finally, he reached the summit! Or whatever the tops of mountains were called. He was too mentally exhausted to care about accuracy.

Now it was time to receive his prize.

Nothing.

Nothing!

He climbed for what had to be hours while his family was waiting for him. He stumbled his way through the wreckage of his thoughts when they could have been attacked at any time!

Was this a sign?

A sign he wasn’t meant to be the Monkie Kid anymore?

Did he truly have nothing left?

Was he now and forever meant to be helpless while those he loved gave up everything?

Starring at the endless sky, MK stood firm. “This is not the end.”

“Do you hear me! This is not the end! I refuse to give up.” He shouted, not caring who heard him. In the end, all that mattered was that he said it.

“I messed up. I let the Lady Bone Demon steal every ounce of power I had. I let her manipulate me too many times. I let the world down. I let Monkey King down. I failed my family.” He almost broke down at the last one. It hurt admitting his failures. But they were the cold, hard truth. He couldn’t ignore them, but he could conquer them.

Here and now, he would.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to sit back and do nothing. I will fix my mistakes, with or without powers.” Taking a deep breath, MK knew it was time to return to the outside. He had nothing left here, but so much out there.

A strange sensation drew his attention. Turning around he saw a glorious golden light.

“Huh?”

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

MK opened his eyes to the ongoing battle, feeling lighter. “Guys!” He cried out seeing them all struggling to stay unharmed.

“MK?” Mei returned as she darted around the sand twisters.

“What’s going on?” Because this didn’t feel like an attack by the shackled. There was no sense of the life being drained from him as all warmth fled from the universe.

“No time, Kid. We need golden vision if you have it.” Pigsy stated, dragging tang out of the latest barrage.

Not entirely sure what was going on, but knowing enough to comply MK reached deep inside. He stretched towards that tiny dot of warmth and willed it to flow into his eyes. Gritting his teeth, MK focused everything on his sight. TO focus on the world around him as it shifted and turned. Slowly a golden film slipped over his eyes as the duplicates of the unknown enemy faded away, leaving the original hopelessly exposed.

“He’s over there.” MK alerted, pointing to a small patch of sky above Sandy.

“On it.” Mei had been itching for this for far too long. In a flash, a green dragon charged forward and before the opponent could hide again, they were knocked from the sky, hurtling towards the ground. Mei returned to them with a satisfied grin, yet the sparks of energy revealed she was far from done.

“Stay down,” MK instructed. “We don’t want to fight you. The world is at the brink of destruction, none of us have time for this.” He may not know how this started, but if he could end it, he would.

“We know you are upset, but killing Sandy won’t solve anything,” Tang said, trying to reason with the demon weighed down with loneliness and heartache. “It won’t resurrect your family or lessen your pain. You know this. All you are doing is hurting yourself.”

Pigsy was occupied holding back an enraged dragon from tearing apart the landscape as while he’d love nothing more than to teach this ass a lesson, they needed to focus on what was important. And killing a defeated opponent in front of their friend who was still clearly struggling with his PTSD wasn’t going to help anyone.

“Why would I listen to such empty words? You are right about one thing, his death won’t make a difference, not in any way that will matter. The demon spoke, subtly pulling a knife from his boot. “However, it will achieve one thing.”

The demon lunged forward at the pig demon and the group’s only full human.

Then just as quickly as it began it was over.

Sandy stood protectively over the two, dagger shattered against his fist, but the attacker was quite the distance away. In a mere fraction of a second, Sandy intercepted a lethal attack with a crimpling blow of his own. He defended his friends, his family, but at the cost of his vow.

Once more shattered bodies lay before him as those around him looked on in fear. His past was becoming his present and his present was becoming his nightmare.

“Is he?” Mei asked, almost afraid to finish.

Swallowing MK walked over to the prone figure, placing two fingers on the demon’s neck as he was taught long ago. Subtly, he felt something. Fragile and weak, fluttering against overwhelming fear, yet stubbornly clinging to this world.

“No.” Barely.

The group let out a sigh of relief. Just because they weren’t fond of being attacked didn’t mean they wanted him dead.

“Looks like all that wind cooled down the engine,” Tang said, seeing the monitors return to normal and the engine no longer releasing steam. Perhaps it wasn’t the most tactful line, but they needed to focus on something else, some more than others.

“In that case, let’s go! I’ll drive.” Mei rushed to the wheel eager to leave this miserable place.

Pigsy was ready to follow her example but something held him back. Turning around he felt his protective instincts scream at how defeated his friend looked. “Sandy?”

“I tried.” The blue giant sounded like he was on the verge of tears. “I tried so hard to leave that part of my life in the past. But I failed, again. I almost lost control.” Not even the presence of his precious little soldiers could soothe this miserable sensation.

Just like with that spider demon, he nearly went too far. Just one fraction of a second without control and he would tack on another number to his body count. He just-just didn’t understand why this kept happening. He’d been making so much progress, had a good support system, and quality people in his life.

So why was it so easy to lose it all?

“But you didn’t. Don’t think for a second you are a failure. You gave that punk every opportunity to walk away. It’s not your fault.” Pigsy laid a comforting hand on his old friend. While he may not have understood why the big fella felt such a drastic change was necessary, he could respect it. He could see how much effort was put into making himself a better person.

“Besides how could anyone be upset with what you did? You only acted to protect us. That kind of selflessness is something to be treasured.” Tang added. While the two had never been that close before recently, it didn’t change that he cared about the water demon and wanted him to find joy in this life.

Wiping residual grains of sand from his eyes, Sandy looked down to his old friends, seeing nothing but kindness and support. “You guys are the best. I don’t know what I did in a previous life, but I know it wasn’t enough to deserve this.” It still hurt, but not as much.

“You deserve all this and more, big guy. Never forget that.” Pigsy smiled as he felt muscular arms wrap around him. While this setback would leave a mark on his friend, at least he knew he wasn’t alone.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Night fell.

With the cool darkness and civilization mere hours away, the group decided it was best to get as much rest as possible before they hit the ground running. Besides after everything that happened, their hearts just weren’t into completing their tasks anymore.

So, one light meal and a generous amount of mystically sourced water later and they were all out.

With everyone asleep there was no one to disturb the meditation of the Great Sage nor was there anyone to see his struggles.

At first glance, the Monkey King didn’t look any different than he did during the rest of the day. He was still meditating as his body gave off a heavenly glow. But if one cared to look at his face, you could make out signs of distress. Pinched brow and clenched teeth were merely the start. Underneath closed eyelids, his eyes were darting from side to side as his hands twitched uncontrollably.

In his mind, he was trapped in a nightmare forged from his past.

Fire

Roaring flames everywhere he turned.

The ropes that bound him had long since disintegrated, but there was nowhere to go. Ash filled the confined space choking his lungs. The smoke was leaking into his eyes and trying to rub only spread the pain.

What made it worse was the flames were fueled by his own body. The soot and ash was fur and flesh weakened by war and ravaged by fire. Even if he regenerated what he had lost any flaw in his defense was merely tinder for elemental hunger.

The pain never ended. The agony never stopped. No matter how long he screamed he would not blackout, he was not meant to know the escape of sleep. Beyond his screams, he could hear the cheers of the Celestial Court as they celebrated their victory.

This-This was all their fault!

All he wanted was respect. All he desired was to protect his people. And they decided to make a joke out of him! When he was free, he’d personally carve his wrath into every resident of this forsaken realm!

They’d learn their lesson even if he had to paint the entire realm red!

Gasping Wukong was forced from his trance and fell to all fours on the provided pillow.

Hastily taking shallow rapid breaths, Sun Wukong did everything he could to separate himself from that memory. The air was cool, there was no fire. He could leave whenever he wanted. He was back in the Mortal Realm, not the Celestial.

‘Get it together.’ He thought, not daring to wake the others by saying it out loud.

He could not afford to be any more of a burden than he already was. Worry and fear killed armies just as easily as superior tactics and overwhelming strength. He needed to remain in control at all times. If they knew just how close he was to breaking, it would be all over.

The soft chirps and rustles from nature drew Wukong to the outside, where the world continued to breathe despite the encroaching danger. All this beauty, all this life, if he failed none of it would remain.

High above, the moon shone so brightly invoking memories of silky fur that made even Chang’e’s domain appear dull. When a hand lay outstretched to meet his even during their darkest days. A kind voice cooed at him as the two of them lay intertwined beneath the stars so certain their future would be happy.

When this was over, Sun Wukong vowed to find his other half. To make things right. To finally end this emptiness eating away at his sanity!

But until then…