FH:

Wukong needs comfort,
his Warrior's there to serve the King.

Today's prompt:
"I know you better"

=)

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Wukong was sitting alone in a small cave behind his Shame Temple. After this whole almost-end-of-the-world, he thought he needed some time for himself.
MK almost died. Everyone almost died. He almost died.

It terrifies him.

He couldn't stop thinking of what happened, and so he came to this little hide out of his to calm down a bit. He lost count of time, laying in the darkness like that. In the past it used to be more comforting... he wonders why.

Something was missing. He doesn't want to think that this something is someone.

He doesn't really need to eat, being immortal, several times over at that, makes it rather more of a hobby than a need. And so he doesn't notice that what was supposed to be a few hours break from reality, turned into a whole two weeks.

At some point his line of thoughts was broken by soft steps. Wukong hasn't even turned to the person. He hadn't need to. A calm, steady rhythm could not be mistaken for anyone else.

"How did you know I was here?" The King asked, hostility hard in his tone.

"I know u better." was a simple response, making Wukong's eyelid twitch in annoyance. Somehow this simple claim made him instantly mad.

"Longer." he murmured with a sour expression "You know me longer than anyone else." he turned to Six Eared, sitting up "But not better. Not anymore." he furrowed his eyes, glowing a menacing gold in the darkness.

Yet, Macaque seems unfazed this time. He walks up closer, uncaring of the wary gold gaze, as he just sits across from the Stone Monkey. He looks at him, as if he could see in the dark as well as his King. He can't. But he sure very well hears his irritated panting, sped up heart beat and angry flickering of the rusty tail from right to left.

"I know your favorite color is cyan." he suddenly says, making Wukong blink in surprise and clench his fists right after "You said it reminds you of the sky, where birds roam free." he smiled softly, and then glamor fell off his ears "And that it reminds you of my ears, the ones that hear the present. You used to say it's because now is what's important, because now is when we're making our memories." his ears fluttered and Wukong turned his gaze away. He hadn't seen those petals in centuries. It felt almost criminal to look at them again and enjoy their beauty. Last time he saw them, being the day that ended it all, as they laid flat, covered by crimson. Glamor tends to not hold up after death...

"It's just a stupid color. It doesn't mean anything." he crosses his arms over his chest, and pulls his knees closer.

"I know you're a liar." Macaque hums, as he pulls one knee up and rests his arm on it "You lie to protect. Yourself or others. Doesn't really matter in the end." Wukong wants to argue, but the Warrior is faster "I know the Journey changed you. Not much. But I can see it did." King clenches his fists "I can see it in a way you try to act better than an old you would. I can see it in the way you treat your new friends. I can see it in a way you're holding back your punches now." Wukong feels his fists are shaking.

"Pretty vague things for someone who claims to know me." he snores. To his surprise Macaque doesn't pick up the banter. His Shadow just chuckles, oh what a breeze like giggle it was. As if carried by the winds of the past where everything used to be easier.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Macaque crossed his legs "I guess I could keep talking about simple things. Like your love for peaches and naps in the sun. About your fascination with fireworks and your completely unhealthy habit of eating stuff made out of your own hair." he chuckles again and it makes Wukong question his sanity. Maybe he had gone crazy and Macaque wasn't here at all, "I could dwell on your fear of death and obsession on immortality and power that in the end, so ironically, made you destroy all you wanted to protect." Wukong feels a pang of guilt squeezing his heart, so he bares his teeth in anger.

There's a pause. As if Macaque waited for some response. It hadn't come, or at least it took too long, so he continued.

"But that would be too simple, right?" he sighed, "Any good historian can tell most of those things. Any of our brothers could, having to spend some time with you now." he shrugged and his tail curled up and uncurled "But I said I know you, and I am not gonna back myself from it." he looks at the King, a fierce confidence ablaze in them "I lived in your shadow for centuries Wukong, and I don't mean it in any bad way." Wukong feels confused.

"Ah, right, an unfamous sidekick of the Great Monkey King." he snores again, desperately trying to pick up a fight. Hoping Macaque would cough the bait and they could just go back to this comfortably well known fight.

"Your Shadow. Yes." Macaque fell into the darkness beneath him and moved on the wall behind Wukong making him jump away a bit "I don't despise my title, you know?" he shifts on the wall in a light purple glow "And so as a proper Shadow I know you. I know you better than anyone, dead or alive." he shifts around the walls, as if circling the King "I knew you in your youth. I knew you in good and in bad. In health and in sickness. In life and in death." he disappears from sight, yet his voice still echoes in the small cave.

"So what? Came here to rub in my face what a shitty friend I was?" he huffed, his hand came up to his ear, he knows his staff is with MK, but it's a muscle memory.

"Your words not mine." Macaque snickers, earning an angry growl from the King "But that's not really the truth." his tone softens "You made some shitty choices and so did I. I am not here to dwell on the past." he stated to Wukong's surprise.

Macaque jumps out of his shadows, walking up to the King. The Stone Monkey in a ready for a fight stance, watching the Warrior with a wary gaze.

"I know you Wukong." he claims again "I know when you feel threatened you fight. Especially when threatened emotionally." his ears flutter again.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he huffs, baring his teeth in a warning, as Six Eared makes another step closer.

"I know you came here because you don't want to fight anymore." as he says, he places his hand upon Wuong's raised fist. It shakes, but it falls down under the light push of the ebony monkey's palm "I don't want to fight anymore too." he does the same with the other fist, holding them gently in his palms, as if they were made of porcelain, not stone "And I know you. I knew you would be here, trying to calm down all those conflicted emotions you're feeling." he takes one step closer "But it seems you forgot one thing." he smiles softly, his ears fluttering again.

"What?" his voice is still hostile, but it wavers slightly as if on the edge of breaking.

"You always come here, to fight yourself. And in the darkness, when no one could see you, your Shadow never left you to be alone in this fight." he gently stroked his fists with his thumbs, "Who else could you share darkness inside you with, than your own Shadow?" he hums "After all, what Shadow would I be to leave you alone?"

"You did." the bitter tone is harsh and it wounds. Macaque really wants to bite back. He so badly does. He's not a saint to keep in all of the anger and hurt he has inside. But he bites his serpent tongue, his ears fluttering as he listens to the past giggles of his King, cheerful smile he can hear in his tone. He reminds himself again, that this is what he wants above all else.

He misses the past. He misses their friendship. He misses them. And for the sake of that he bites his tongue. There will be time for heavier topics later.

"And for that I will never stop trying to make that up to you." he gently guides Wukong's hands up to his cheeks, nuzzling into them "But I am here now. I know you came here for comfort, and that's all I came here for." he speaks softly "I know I can't change the past. I know you wish to change some of it, just as much as I do. So how about we focus on that cyan, and start making memories we're gonna be proud of again." his voice became slightly unsure, as if losing the strength to carry this conversation, but still not going to give up "Please. Let your Shadow take care of you once more." he almost pleaded, and Wukong's heart skipped a beat.

The Sun had always had a weak spot for the Moon.

Wukong gently strokes dark cheeks "I think cyan is still my favorite color." he speaks, very quietly, words too silent to echo through the cave, but he's sure his Shadow hears him well.

Macaque smiles and gently pulls him to sit down again, this time side by side.

"How long I was gone for?" he asks unsure, as he leans his back against Six Ear's chest.

"Two weeks." he answers simply.

"Two weeks?!" Wukong turns to him in surprise, he really had lost the count of time "Let me guess, MK put you up to this." he sighs, it would make much more sense in his head. After all, why else would Macaque look for him.

"No. But he was worried when you hadn't shown up to the training and he couldn't find you in the hut." he says. And Wukong tries to stand up, wanting to immediately go to his successor, not wanting to worry the kid again. Yet he's pulled back down by a firm hand of his Shadow "I told him to give us a few more hours. He knows you're in good hands." he reassures.

"Yeah, good hands." he huffs slightly sarcastically but leans against his Warrior again.

"Anyways, do you want to talk it out or just cuddle?" Macaque decided to just move on with what they were here for. Wukong got silent for a moment, thinking over how he felt and what he really wanted now.

"I don't think I feel like talking. It's still too early." he huffs, playing with the hem of his tunic "But I'm not sure about sitting in silence as well..." he added unsure. He was conflicted and confused. He couldn't just open up to Macaque now, too much had happened. But he also felt so shitty about not being able to do so and it poisoned his mind.

"Perhaps a distraction then?" asked his Shadows as if reading his mind "Do you want me to tell you a story?"

"Will you make a shadow play, like in the past?" Wukong asked, looking up at him with a somehow hopeful gaze. Macaque chuckled.

"I wouldn't tell it any other way." he assures as purple shadows swirl on the wall before them "It's a story about the Sun and the Moon." he starts right away, and shadows mirror his tale.

Macaque smiles softly, feeling his King relax in his hold, and so he continues to tell a simple story, of how the Moon would always come back to the Sun. And that Sun had many Stars around, so it didn't need to worry about being alone ever again. Because they all cherish and love the Sun very, very much.

The Moon isn't sure when exactly the Sun had fallen asleep in its hold.