How do you write the Greif of one whose lost more than everything?
How do you put into words what it actually feels like to Lose a War for a cause you truly believed in, then be Tortured and Mocked and Chained naked inside a mountain for 500 years.
500years? And were just getting started...
How do you describe someone holding on to their last shreds of sanity while they sit in a dark hole, chained in an uncomfortable position that they can't adjust- Alone. For 500 years?
And when they're freed, they're not allowed to go home?
No, they can't go home yet. And when they tried? Their Sworn Sister formed a Crown of Torture on his head, and gave its activation spell to a stranger he's meant to protect. For a World that just-
Dishonored, Disgraced, Deceived and Abused him for his whole life? And whose most recent punishment just lasted FIVE. HUNDRED. YEARS.
He's just finally got to see the Sun and Sky again, allowed out of chains that's left scars embedded into his wrists and ankles and elbows and knees- Able to walk-
And he's not allowed to just. Go. HOME!?
How do you talk about that? As its happening? How do you describe it all, and then say "Oh no, He's not Broken just yet. There's still some Will to Live in there."
Even though there is?
What's worse is that no one- not even his own Sworn Sister and Brother-in-Law will talk to him or even look in his eyes.
No one will tell him HOW home even is.
And he can't go check.
And he's stuck with four fucking STRANGERS who also have not a damn clue- 3 of them weren't even BORN 700 years ago!!! He's stuck with CHILDREN and STRANGERS and expected to just-
LISTEN to a GUY whose lifetime He's lived a THOUSANDFOLD!? This "MONK" is fucking TWENTY GODDAMN FIVE and HES in charge!?!?
Wukong could have delivered those stupid scrolls in an hour, absolute MAX.
But him trying to do that led to a pain behind his eyes that he couldn't brute-force himself through.
That he couldn't breathe through.
He hadn't felt the need to Breathe in so long-
How do you describe that?
..and then how do you move on from all of that, to talk about that Journey?
Every demon, old friend, enemy, Celestial that he had to face to keep the others alive.
Every night he had to learn how to sleep again.
Every step he watched Pilgrim Ao take to carry that pretentious fucker across mountains. And not complain once.
Every time Pilgrim Sha just- how from the first day he met him it just felt like this was the only other person around with any serious amount of braincells.
Every night when Pilgrim Zhu insisted on cooking their rations, and refused to let Wukong keep his fruits raw. Practically poisoning his meals.
Every stupid fucking lesson before they went to pretend to sleep from the "monk" about Compassion, Trust, Empathy-
He had all of those.
And then he lost them in the Havoc on Heaven.
He just wants to go home, but they keep walking in the wrong direction.
How do you describe Wukong's Journey West? When its so full of absolute rage, Greif, Pain-
Friendship. Compassion..Trust and Empathy-
Wujing let Wukong put their sleeping rolls next to eachother so he could sleep again at night.
Eventually Lie joined in- and so did everyone else. That first night where Wukong was once again surrounded by breathing rhythms so close by-
It wasn't his nest with Mihou.
Or a nest with his Soul Siblings...
But this was the most tired he's allowed himself to feel in centuries. The most sleep he's gotten in that long, too.
Baije finally noticed Wukong wouldn't eat if some foods were cooked, so he stopped. And adjusted his recipes so that everyone would eat at every meal.
Wukong cried for almost an hour when he had a raw peach for the first time in.. forever.
Lie was really funny, and Reminded Wukong alot of the Twins; Ma and Ba. He felt familiar... Wukong just wanted Familiar.
They raced through the skies often while either scouting for food or camp. It was so much fun.
Sanzang... wasn't a horrible person. He was just- so tired.
Alot like Wukong.
...He taught the Scholar to read and write in Simian eventually. Trip loved to learn about Wukong's home and family and culture.
Trip once said it sounded like paradise.
Wukong couldn't wait to show him.
To introduce Wujing to Mihou, they'd get along with their shared love of Mahjong and Teas. Mihou would also like Trip, they both are really smart.
The Twins, Beng and Liu would LOVE Lie. His capacity for Fun, Adventure and Kindness would have the four wrapped around his horns.
...Loazi would like Baije. Mihou's father loves cooking, and learning new recipes.
Hoa, and the rest of The Troop.. Wukong missed them so much.
So how does one write what it feels like to finish the Journey, complete your one main goal in life of becoming a Buddah of Victory, Utterly Immortal, the Circlet Removed, Respected in Heaven-
Allowed to go Home.
But Home has been dead for centuries.
How do you describe the feeling of flying you and your New Brotherhood home- but you fly past the island because its.. Its not Flower Fruit Mountain..
To land on sands stained with ash.
To see an island trapped in time, but that time was when it was burning.
The bodies. Bones and Ash- their unique fur patterns just- gone.
The towering trees and the homes built within them nothing but splinters.
The rivers muddy and poisonous..
The animals sick and thin..
The birds are gone.
Everyone. Is gone.
How do you say how someone feels? Seeing all that?
How do you tell an Audiance that; "No, No I promise. He keeps Going. He still has Hope."
When-
When he finds his mountain, his home that he made with Mihou, almost cut in half-
The Holy Spring Destroyed.
And that when the Seal Opens, its by a forcefeild. Not a Waterfall.
And when he steps inside, he finds 73 mortal monkeys, from different and separated troops throughout the island,
And his Soul Siblings...
Liu is sick, and had been just barely holding on by the time he'd arrived, before Trip and Wujing rushed to help Ma make medicines with their own supplies.
But Ma wouldn't allow Wukong to enter his Den to find Mihou.
Ba wouldn't let his Twin tell him Why.
And Beng had just gotten back, his cream fur covered in mud and ash. And hazel eyes hollow.
When Wukong asked why?
Beng told him to follow.
How do you describe the greif of someone being told that- who you just saw?
Was all that was left of your entire race.
That your people were murdered. And your generals couldn't save them.
They couldn't save your husband.
And his grave is right in front of you.
Because Beng just finished making it.
Mihou had been long buried, but it took Beng making 6,557 other gravestones before he could get to his.
He had been making graves and their stones alone for 514 years.
While Ma took care of Liu, and the remaining People.
And Ba did his best to revive the Island.
But it was hard without their King, and his connection to it.
...But Mount Huaguo wouldn't respond to Wukong's Verbal Requests, no.
Only his Mental State.
How does one write about what it feels like to Rot?
I dont know...
But I'm willing to Try.
