Creatures from the Void Come Out to Play

  “This is Xiaotian.”

If there was anything he loved most in this world, his dog was definitely it. For his hound, his smile warmed to body temperature.

  “Orー Little Heaven. They're an old dog, but you'd never guess by how lively they get.”

Their senses were sharp as well. Just as they were in their prime. Evidently, as they'd managed to pinpoint the Monkey King's protegee with ease. MK, huh? 

"That's such a great name, I love it!"

Something about the name Xiaotian is kinda familiar to him in a cosmic sort of sense, but he's changed his own name multiple times over the years so it doesn't really register past that.

MK quickly goes back to doting on the dog. "Yes you are, yes you do have a great name, yes you do!! You're such a good puppy, yes you are!"

Yang Jian, huh? Doesn't sound like anyone MK's heard of. Though, after what happened last time, he really doesn't want to take this guy to his mentor. If it's important, he can act as a messenger and then take Monkey King's word for it if they have a reason to skedaddle.

Still, Pigsy taught him better manners than being paranoid all the time. What's the chances of three calamities in a row?

"Nice to meetcha! Actually, I was just finishing up for the day. My arms are all jelly-like and stuff, but hey, he's got a roof over his head until I come back tomorrow, so job well done on that front!"

His first instinct had been to say no, that he was alright and reassure Mk that this was no big deal. However, he'd be a hypocrite for doing so. He was trying to get Mk to see that it was ok to ask for help and lean on the support of his friends, that he didn't need to do things on his own.

Progress!

Wait, shoot. He's HURT.

MK quickly rushes over to his mentor's side to assess the damage. He also moves into a position where the Monkey King can lean on him for support if it's hard to stand.

"Right, okay. Where are you hurt," MK quickly goes into mother hen mode, something he's adopted from Pigsy whenever he got sick. "Do you got any bandages nearby or should we go get em? We also need to get it cleaned up and washed off, and then we'll get you a place to relax while it heals."

Hands held behind his back, the man offered a smile to the young one. The man left a trail of footprints up to the boy and Xiaotian. There, he squatted by his dog.

"They bite. But..."

From beneath his robes, he produced a small drawstring bag. And within that bag, dried meat strips. He pulled out two pieces and offered one to the houndー who snarfed it up with a snap of their jaw. The other piece, held out to the monkey boy.

"They also accept bribes. Hold your fist out like thisー" Xiaotian sniffed the man's hand as it as presented to them. "Then open your hand and give them the treat." He lead by example and the dog continued to sniff his hand with vigor, as if it would suddenly manifest something there for him.

Oh, so this is this guy's dog. Seems simple enough. After all, the puppy looks well taken care of, and it's getting plenty of treats, so whoever this is can't be THAT bad.

MK happily takes the treat, presenting it to the dog while also letting it sniff his hand. Probably isn't the best smell, he's been rebuilding parts of Monkey King's house all day and he's really sweaty, but it's just like dogs to not care about that part.

...still gonna need a shower. Maybe he can stick his head under the new waterfall after Monkey King finishes redirecting the river over there. Wherever the heck he is right now.

"Hey buddy. I see you like these, want another?" MK offers the treat.

Of course, the moment the dog takes it, MK happily starts petting, feeling the soft and fluffy fur under his hands and instantly looking a lot less tense compared to the prior few moments.

The canine tentatively sniffed the air. An ear raised to the sound of feet through sand. A young one, a boy. The closer they approached, the more confident the obedient Xiaotian became. It acknowledged the stranger with a single barkー before seating themself paws forward. The fur of their tail trailed through the sand, leaving a fan pattern where it went. What a good dog. Well disciplined, well taught. A sleek coat and fit build, indicative of the finest care the world could offerー and rightfully so, his master was proud on all accounts.

Where his dog went, so did he. The two companions shared a likeness in their dark silhouettes. And for now, were about as stoic as the other. Yang Jian approached the stretch of shoreline from inland. With only two present on the beach, he could easily surmise the reason for his hound's call.

Puppy! Oh, it's so cute, wagging it's littol tail, and it's rolled over all cute, and oh my gosh it's so soft, MK wants to pet it sooo bad.

....wait, hold the phone.

MK sees another silhouette in the distance, a more human-like looking one. Better to be safe than sorry, MK's eyes light up gold to make sure there's actually someone on the shoreline and it's not his paranoia getting to him. Sure enough, the gold vision reveals someone else, giving off the same kinda vibes he gets when he uses the power around Nezha.

This better not be another one of his mentor's... "friends."

"Excuuuuuse me!!" He calls across the beach, waving an arm at the stranger. If they're a bad guy, MK is perfectly capable of defending himself. "Is this your dog?? If he is your dog, can I pet him??"

It was MK's mind that couldn't handle it now, clearly - even Macaque's, struggling to comprehend how that much power could be toppled from the outside. He'd just have to think positively about this looming situation. That thing he was so, so good at.

"Thanks man. And I promise I'm gonna fight against whatever nasty thing I was made for with everything I got too!"

He's feeling his confidence returning a little bit. It was good to get all that stuff off his chest, it makes him feel a bit lighter as a result. And he's not kidding, he's gonna fight to be himself, the him he is right now, and if some ancient jerk with their stupid game is gonna get in the way of that, MK's gonna mess their world up!

"Sky's not gonna fall apart while I'm on duty, that's for sure! And then once this whole thing with the Jade Emperor's taken care of, and they get a new guy that can look after it, I'm looking forward to a long vacation too!"

Seriously, what idiot's gonna top dethroning the Jade Emperor? It can't get much worse than that, right?