Dusk found the Monkie Kid crew gathered at Pigsy's Noodle Shop.
Mei stepped forward and placed her phone on the table. "Ok RedBoi, you're on speaker. "
"Thank you, Dragon Girl. I spoke with my Mother. I gather from your lack of updates that the Monkey King was of no help."
Said Monkey monarch was about to object, but the demon prince continued. "Mother believes it to be the disgraced celestial, Chuángnüér. Or, at least sheusedto be. Now she's apparently known as the Night Hag."
Now Monkey King did object. "Ha!" He shouted, pointing a finger at the phone. "The Night Hag is just a myth! A fairy tale! A pretty dark one, but it's still just a story." He crossed his arms and smirked.
"No offense, Mr. Monkey King, but we thought you were a story not that long ago."
All eyes turned to Sandy, who demurely held up one hand. The noodle shop's temporary delivery man looked almost as tired as MK, but so far he had yet to complain.
"Listen, blue, I knew Chuángnüér. Even after everything that happened, I can't see her turning into something like this."
The phone nearly dripped with disdain as Red Son answered, "Mother figured you'd say that. She remembered that you were acquainted. She also told me to remind you that people change, especially after what Chuángnüér went through. I'm sure you can elaborate on that,Monkey King?"
The room went quiet as Monkey King shrank beneath the sudden attention of the room. He scratched at the back of his neck, trying to avoid eye contact.
MK stood and shuffled over to his mentor. "Monkey King?"
With a heavy sigh, the Great Sage sagged. He never could resist the kid.
"It was a long time ago, back when I was up in the Celestial Realm..."
Sun Wukong lounged lazily amongst the branches of a peach tree. As far as jobs went, being the Guardian of the Heavenly Peach Garden wasn't so bad. The Jade Emperor hadfinallyseen reason and given him the status he deserved, his Monkeys were safe back on the mountain, and all he had to do was enjoy the beautiful weather of the celestial realm.
Giggling drew his attention back to his duties, and he glanced down to see a young maiden at the base of his tree. A smile bloomed across his features as he leapt down to greet his guest.
"Chuángnüér! I thought you were stuck in lessons all day?"
The girl threw herself forward and hugged the Monkey tightly. "Oh, Sun Wukong! It was just so dreadful! I had to escape," she swooned dramatically.
Wukong caught her and they fell to the soft grass beneath the shade of the tree. They lay there for a short time in silence, just staring up at the beautiful sky through leafy branches.
After a while, they began to chat. Chuángnüér, the daughter of the Bed Lord and Bed Mother, was in training to take over part of her parents duties. The maiden was not particularly thrilled at having her future planned for her, and took every chance to sneak out to the gardens to visit her simian friend.
"They just don't get it," she sighed. "I don'twantto be the Dream Goddess. I mean yeah, the Baku are adorable and all, but I just want to be free, like the cloud horses."
Wukong laughed at that. "They weren't free, though, not until I let them out! You should have seen the look on everyone's faces when they stampeeded through the throne room! It was priceless!"
Chuángnüér laughed. She rolled onto her side and faced her friend. "See? That's why I come out here. Everyone is sostuffy. But you, Sun Wukong, you're different."
Wukong shrugged, eyes focused on a peach that hung low above him. As a passing breeze rustled the leaves around it, the fruit swayed gently. So intent was he on the tasty potential snack the he failed to notice the softness in Chuángnüér dark eyes.
The girl laid a hand on Wukong's arm, breaking his concentration on the fruit.
"I wish I could be more like you, Wukong."
The sudden familiarity struck him, and amber eyes looked first at the hand, and then the features of it's owner. He knew that look, and gently pulled away. "Chuángnüér..."
"Yes, Wukong?"
He sighed. "It'sSunWukong, Chuángnüér."
The maiden moved her hand to her breast. "Yes, so you remind me. Butwhy? Why must it be? Don't you like it when I visit?"
The Monkey King sat up and turned to face her. "We've talked about this, Chuángnüér. I do enjoy your company. As afriend."
Usually in their encounters, that was where they would switch to lighter topics. But now the young girl crossed her arms with a frustrated huff. "It's because ofhim, Isn't it? Even though you ascended to Heaven and left him behind, you just can't seem to let him go, can you? You are a Celestial now, Sun Wukong! You deserve so much better than that Six-Eared-"
"Do not say his name," Wukong was on his feet, his visage dark. "I think you should go, Chuángnüér."
The girl stood as well. Her back was stiff, and he could see the shine of tears she refused to shed in his presence. "Fine. I tried, I really did." She took a few steps, then looked back over her shoulder. "Associate with whomever you wish, Sun Wukong. But just remember that you're stubbornness and attachment to that realm and it'screaturesis why you will never truly belong here. Why even the Jade Emperor will never take you seriously."
Before Wukong could ask her what she meant, she had run off down the path and out of sight.
He didn't have to wait long to find out. Later that day, Chuángnüér came back with six other maidens to collect peaches.
The other girls giggled as they plucked the juiciest peaches from the trees. Wukong was hesitant to approach when he noticed the sour look still marring Chuángnüér's features.
One of the girls approached her and bumped elbows. In a low whisper (which of course he could still hear) he heard her ask, "where's your monkey friend? I thought you were going to invite him to the Royal Banquet?"
Chuángnüér huffed and angrily pulled the peach he had been eyeing earlier from its branch. "Sun Wukong? You mean theGreat Sage Equal to Heaven?" she mocked.
Wukong felt hurt at the hostile tone, but remained hidden. It seemed that did not matter, however, as he caught he glancing at him him the leaves.
"Please," she continued, "that simian joke? The whole realm knows he's only here because His Highness the Jade Emperor needed an immortal to guard the garden," dark eyes bore into him from below. "I was going to take pity on him and invite him to the banquet, but that would only add to the delusion that hebelongshere. Better to let him learn his place among the worms and dirt like the wanna-be he truly is."
Chuángnüér glared for one more moment before she turned and smiled to the other girl. "Let's go get the rest of the peaches! TheactualRoyals are counting on us!"
The Monkey King looked down, afraid to see the judgement in his friends eyes. They all knew how the story went from there; how he wrecked the palace and the party, then ran away back to his mountain to sulk in humiliation.
He was startled when a hand landed on his shoulder. Amber eyes slowly met the brown of his student. Instead of disgust, he only found sympathy. He wasn't really sure which was worse in this case, but he leaned into the contact anyway.
"Dang, that girl wascold," piped Mei. "So what happened to her? Why'd she get the boot?"
Red Son, who everyone had nearly forgotten was still on speaker, clarified, "as you said, Dragon Girl, she was cold. She refused her duties and openly mocked her own family's purpose. Egregious as that was, that alone wasn't enough to earn her expulsion from the Celestial Realm. Apparently her parents had been instructed to provide a child with pleasant and healing sleep after sickness, so that he could grow into a Great Sage. Instead, Chuángnüér plagued him with nightmares. He never truly healed, and died before adolescence."
"I guess gettin' her heart broken by a "Great Sage" left her a little bitter, huh?" added Pigsy.
Tang nodded. "Legends say that the Night Hag was cursed to only exist in the dream realm. She feeds off the negative dreams of others, draining her victims of energy and life in order to regain her form and free herself of the curse."
"What happens to her victims?" asked MK.
Tang didn't answer, which told MK what he needed to know. Now it was Monkey King's turn to offer comfort.
"Don't worry, bud," he said softly, "We'll figure this out."
Shortly after, Mei thanked Red Son and hung up the phone. The demon prince swore to continue looking for information on his end, even as the group of friends began their own brainstorming session.
The sun had finished setting hours ago, and Pigsy made sure that everyone had a hot meal as they continued to look for a solution. Sandy was in and out, having to return to his temporary job as delivery man, but made sure to offer any ideas he had when he was back in the shop.
It was close to midnight, and they still weren't any closer to a good solution.
"So the only idea we have so far is for MK to justnotsleep?" huffed Pigsy. His crossed arms demonstrated his displeasure for the idea.
Tang shrugged, then leaned heavily against the pig. "No one said it was a good idea, just that it was the only one we've got so far. If MK stays awake, she can't go after him."
The young man held his head in his good hand, elbow digging into the counter. "I don't want to sleep anyway. But I can't help it- I don't even remember falling asleep in the tuk tuk or at Red's."
Mei slung her arm around his shoulders. "You've got us, Monkey Man. We'll take shifts."
"Yeah, and I've got a delicious caffeinated tea that'll help!" offered Sandy.
MK looked around the room at his mentor and adopted family. They all seemed so confident that they could help him.
"Ok. Find your biggest teapot, Sandy, because I'm gonna need alotof that tea!"