I always imagine Taro's sword as katana-like, owing to his japanese inspiration, but you can imagine it however you like.
Also, Taro's scarf that he got from Azure is orangeish yellow, the same color as Azure's hair now as to not be the same color as the Lego skin and because it would look nicer too.
Enjoy.
xxxxXxxxx
It was dark and silent, remarked Taro in his mind. It was just like back then, when he was still a tree except now he couldn't hear a thing in this giant box, even his own companions. It felt awful.
He didn't know how long it's been since he'd been sealed or if any time had passed at all nor did he want to spend eternity in this place. He tried his best to break free, but his body and powers were sluggish. Whether it was the seal or whatever the monk did, something made Taro feel weak.
Soon enough, the peach boy grit his teeth and gave up. With no other option other, the boy decided to shut his eyes and sleep; sleep for the eternity he would spend here to avoid going insane. And sleep he did.
Year by year, unbeknownst to everyone, roots started to grow out of the sleeping boy wrapping around his and his companions' bodies. The roots spread all over the seal and with enough time, they even creeped up outside it.
The land around the growing roots flourished with life. So much so that it attracted the attention of a certain group of six that sensed Taro's presence.
xxxxXxxxx
Centuries after Taro's imprisonment.
The peach boy's eyelids trembled as he felt his entire seal shake. It shook again, making Taro groan as his eyes barely opened. "What?" He muttered in confusion before he felt the seal shake once more and his eyes shot open.
Something was attacking the seal, Taro blinked as he realized this. Was someone trying to free him? He wondered hopefully as the seal shook once more. The shaking was following a rhythm, the peach boy noted as the seal shook once more.Taro waited with bated breath to be free, but the shaking suddenly stopped and the rhythm was broken.
Taro immediately thought of the worst, that whoever was out there was giving up. The peach boy, as quickly as he could muster in his weakened state used his power to send a pulse of pink energy through his chains and roots into the seal, shaking it from the inside.
Taro silently prayed and begged for his call to work before the seal shook from the outside once again. Taro quickly replied with a pulse of energy that shook the seal again. The next shake, Taro waited before he synchronized his own attacks with the one from outside. The effects of the syncing were visible at the seal began to crack, but it wasn't enough.
Taro immediately turned to his friends sealed with him and yelled. "Guys! Wake up! WAKE UP!" He said before Zao quickly sprung up.
"What?! Who?! Taro?" Asked Zao in confusion as he forced himself awake. It took him a few seconds to remember the situation he and his friends were in.
"We can escape this place, but we need everyone!" Replied Taro in a determined tone. "Help me wake up Zi and Zuzu!"
Zao nodded before he turned to Zuzu who was very close to him. The dog extended his neck towards the monkey before opening his mouth and biting down on the tip of the monkey's ear.
"AAAAAH!" Zuzu screamed in pain as he woke up before Zao let go of his ear. "MY EAR!!! WHAT THE HECK, ZAO?!"
"We can escape this place, but we need the bird!" Replied Zao urgently, prompting Zuzu to pause as he recalled the current situation and how they were sealed before turning to Zi. "I don't think he's gonna wake up easy."
Zuzu paused for a second before smiling at the sleeping Zi. "Leave it to me." He said before he collected as much of his saliva in his mouth as possible before he spat it all onto Zi's wing. "Dang, Zi! Your wing's looking kinda rough when its drenched. Maybe it's the stickiness, but it's not looking so pretty!"
Zao was confused for a second before Zi's eyes snapped open with a furious pink glow. "YOU FILTHY INSOLENT SIMIAN!!!" The pheasant screamed in anger. "YOU SPAT ON MY WINGS AGAIN, DIDN'T YOU?! YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE ABOUT MY HYGIENE AND STILL PULL THIS MOVE!!!"
"Hey, hey. Let's not play the blame game. Maybe a CERTAIN canine did it." Replied Zuzu giving Zao a side glance, making the dog glare at him. "Anyway, I heard we can leave this place!"
Zi paused, taking in the information as he remembered that they were indeed sealed away before Taro spoke. "Guys! Do what I'm doing and follow the rhythm!" He said before he sent a pulse of pink energy into the seal the exact time the shock from outside came in.
Zao and Zuzu nodded, but Zi nervously went silent. Zuzu saw this and reached for the pheasant's wing. "Let me help ya with that." The monkey said cheerfully.
Zi sighed before reluctantly extending his wing towards Zuzu's hand. "You're lucky offense isn't my specialty." He grumbled.
"We all know Peng cheaped out on your training." Replied Zuzu cheerfully before all four of them started attacking the barrier at the same time, all following the same beat.
Against this constant attack from inside and outside, the barrier cracked more and more until finally...it collapsed letting in a ray of sunlight as well as a ray of joy.
With the seal broken, the chains that trapped Taro, his sword and his companions disappeared letting them all crash to the ground screaming in fear. Luckily, Taro's sword only stabbed the ground.
Once the peach boy was back on his feet, he noticed all the roots decorated with flowers wrapping around his whole body which brought him to the next point. His body had only aged a year or two. Was he only sealed for that much time?
"Well, that was shor-" Zi tried to say before a group of six unfamiliar people entered Taro's prison.
Taro and his friends immediately became on guard, still weary from being tricked by the monkey king. The group consisted of an old man, an old lady, a middle aged man in a suit wearing glasses, a middle aged woman in a fancy dress, a 20 year old looking lady wearing modern clothes and a 20 year old looking guy wearing only shorts, sunglasses and slippers and nothing else.
"PEACH SPIRIT!!!" The first five immediately dashed towards Taro happily for a hug which the peach boy was too confused to avoid.
"Guys! You know I can't do hugs!" The one wearing only shorts and slippers said dejectedly.
Suspicious of the sudden affection, Taro picked the five strangers up and placed them on the ground before backing away and aiming his sword at them as Zao growled at the group with Zi and Zuzu backing him up.
"Who are you guys and how do you know me?!" Asked Taro in a serious tone with a frown.
The whole group was shocked by the act of aggression before the old woman came forward and spoke. "Of course, you don't recognize us like this. Let me tell you a story." She said with a soft smile. "A long time ago, a boy and his dog wandered through a forest heading to defeat an evil demon. The two stumbled upon a mischievous monkey that stole the boy's sword. With great vigor, the dog chased the monkey before realizing how fruitless it was as the monkey stayed atop the trees. And so, with powerful bites, the dog cut down six trees while chasing the monkey. Once the situation was settled and the monkey became the boy's friend, the boy turned to the helpless trees."
Taro's eyes widened as he started to realize who the characters in the story were and where this was going. Zuzu sweat dropped as he also realized what was going on while Zao felt like he made a mistake for some reason as he remembered that day. Zi, on the other hand, watched with interest as he also recalled that very day.
"The boy couldn't bear to let the trees wither and die like and this. The boy was the spirit of a peach tree whose fruit granted power and immortality. The boy shared this fruit with the trees, creating...us. We are the spirits of the tree you helped that day, little peach spirit."
Taro froze, contemplating his powers deeply as Zi spoke nonchalantly. "Oh, I remember that." the pheasant said before he glanced at Zao and Zuzu tip toeing away nervously and let out an evil smile. "Oi, where are you two going?"
Zuzu acted quickly and summoned a fake moustache with his mystical powers as well as cat ears for Zao. "I don't know what you mean, good sir. I am...human man and this is my friend, uhh...cat cat who is very much a cat. We were just passing by. Toodles!"
"They can't understand you, remember." Remarked Zi with a smirk as he crossed his wings, causing Zao and Zuzu to sweat drop.
"Nah, we totally can." Replied the shorts wearing guy cheerfully. "We don't hate you though. We wouldn't have become tree spirits if it weren't for you."
Zao and Zuzu sighed in relief before they returned to their previous positions as Zi grumbled grumpily. Meanwhile, Taro turned to the old lady with a horrified expression.
"I'm sure this is a lot to take in, especially for someone who's been sealed like you. You don't have to get all the answers today. Just relax." The old lady said with a smile. "How about we introduce ourselves to you before we take you home? I'm the bamboo tree Spirit." She continued before she pulled out a lock of her hair that transformed into a Bamboo stick in front of Taro's eyes. It was just like him when he cut his own hair.
The old man next to her was the next to step up. "I'm the pine tree spirit." He said proudly before cutting a lock of his hair that transformed into a pine cone.
"Cedar tree spirit." Said the middle aged man in the suit and glasses with a smile before he cut a lock of his hair that turned into small berry like cones.
"Juniper tree Spirit." Said the middle aged lady before she cut a lock of her hair that turned into berries.
"Apricot spirit, baby!" Exclaimed the 20 year old looking lady in modern clothes before cutting a lock of her hair which transformed into an apricot.
"And I'm the maple spirit, kiddo!" Exclaimed the man in shorts cheerfully before he licked his own arm. "Sorry, I can't make fruit. But I DO sweat delicious maple syrup, which is why I couldn't hug you with the others."
Taro was overwhelmed by the sudden family tree...,or tree family he gained. It felt a little awkward, but it wasn't bad.
"Now, let's take you to your new home." Said the bamboo tree spirit with a smile.
xxxxXxxxx
In Megapolis.
"Woah!" Taro admired the futuristic city in awe with starry eyes as the spirits led him through it. Zuzu was equally in awe, Zao was uncomfortable and Zi was admiring his own reflection on the metal of a motorcycle. "How long have we been sealed for? We were in ancient chin- I mean, it looked ancient compared to this!"
Maple spirit put a hand on his chin. "Say...when we're you sealed, relative to meeting us the first time?" He asked curiously.
Taro scratched his hair. "Almost three years." He said innocently, causing all the other tree spirit to go dead silent.
"What? Was it 10 years or something?" Asked Zi raising a brow at the spirits' silence. "That much time is nothing, my wings still glisten with the same beautiful shine from before I was sealed."
The spirits remained silent, prompting Zao to speak. "Uhh, is it 50 years? We did nap for a while." He asked raising a brow and the spirits looked horrified.
"Please don't say a hundred years." Said Zuzu with a weak smile.
"Five hundred years." Said the bamboo spirit, freezing Taro and his companions in shock and horror. "You've been sealed for five centuries."
Taro couldn't get his eyes off the ground in shock. This wasn't possible, was it? He felt both shock and anger at the monkey king. They didn't deserve this, especially his friends. None of them did. Taro instinctively clenched his fists as his hatred for Sun Wukong swelled up by the second.
As if on cue, the old lady spoke. "We're here." She said softly as she stood in front of a tall building.
Taro stared at the building in surprise before reading the sign at the front that had a black drawing of a tree. "The wood temple hotel." He muttered curiously.
"The best hotel in the whole city." Said the pine spirit cheerfully. "We, tree spirits, pride ourselves on our hospitality."
"And kicking out rude customers." The apricot spirit chirped in, patting Taro on the head.
"Let's show you to your room." Said Bamboo Spirit with a smile before she lead Taro into the building.
The tree spirits, as well as Taro's companions headed up t the building until they reached a floor with seven rooms each labelled with something to signify their owner like a bamboo stick or a maple leaf. Among these rooms there was one room that stood out to Taro, a room with a peach label. His room.
And this was the start Taro journey.
xxxxxxXxxxxxx
Around a month later at a playground.
"So, Junie? Why am I here?" Asked Taro raising a brow as he eyed the playground with his companions. He was wearing an azure colored vest over a black undershirt, black pants and azure colored boots as well as the orange scarf he got from Azure Lion around his neck.
"I thought it'd be fun for you to have friends your age." Replied the juniper tree spirit with a soft smile. "You've been helping around the hotel and training so much, we're worried about your development. You're still young."
"But I have-"
"Yes, but you need friends other than them." Juniper tree spirit cut in glancing at Taro's three companions. "They're a little too chaotic."
The three Z's did not try to refute the spirit's words and instead looked away awkwardly. Seeing this, Taro sighed before he entered the playground with a pout gesturing for his companions to follow him.
Taro found the most secluded part of the playground, through an abandoned tube for a small slide that had a small empty area inside and sat down crosslegged for what else other than training. His anger against the monkey king, his feeling of responsibility for what happened to his friends and his desire for revenge burned strong in his heart. He was determined to put that monkey down, no matter how immortal he was.
The peach boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he started to glow with a pink hue. Azure Lion taught him many ways to grow stronger, and meditation was one of them. Taro's companions surrounded him, all meditating in their own little way.
In this calm bubble where the four meditated, one child took notice of the scene mesmerized by the beautiful peach pink color. Taro sensed this child and immediately cut off his meditation with a tense expression on his face.
His friends soon followed, breaking out of their meditation with Zao being the first. They all were confused as to why Taro seemed so wary of the child before the peach boy muttered one word.
"Wukong?" The three companions immediately glared at the child, ready to end him without mercy.
The child didn't react and instead innocently approached Taro with a big smile on his face. "Pigsy!" The child exclaimed happily as he hugged Taro.
"Oh. So we're pigs now, huh?" Asked Zi raising a brow angrily. "Zao, get some extra bites on him for me!"
The dog bared his teeth as he approached the child with clear hostility. Zuzu's eyes glowed pink as the monkey got ready to blast the child to bits. The monkey was uncharacteristically silent, no quips or jokes, the mischievous one was serious.
The child didn't try to fight or reason, instead he did what any normal child would do in this situation. He hugged Taro tightly and started to cry.
"Wait- guys, I don't think this is Wukong." Said Taro stopping his companions in their tracks. "I mean, he does feel a lot like him. But-"
"He can transform, remember!" Countered Zao angrily as Zuzu fired a blast of energy near the child's foot. "He's just trying to trick us again!"
"Hold on, I think Taro's right." Said Zi, surprising everyone including Taro. "The colors are completely off. The transformed monkey king retained some colors from his original form. This one doesn't share those colors. Plus, it's too whiny. The Monkey King was strong enough to beat all of us on his own."
Zao's growling came to a halt as the maniac silver dog stepped away from the child, but Zuzu stepped forwards angrily. "Well. If this kid has something to do with Wukong, i say we pay him back for what he did to us." Said Zuzu glaring at the child with malicious intentions.
"Zuzu, it's just a kid that has nothing to do with what Wukong did." Countered Taro with a pleading frown as he covered the child's ears.
"YOU were a kid too! And you didn't have anything to do with what Azure did!" Snapped Zuzu angrily. "But that didn't stop Wukong, did it?!"
Taro paused with a frown before taking a deep breath. "Well, I'm not Wukong, WE are not Wukong...and WE do the right thing. Our revenge is with the Monkey King and not a toddler." He said standing protectively in front of the child. Zuzu growled before sighing and grumpily sitting on the ground, prompting Taro to smile. "Thanks, Zuzu, for not being like him."
Taro turned to the child hugging him. He was a little bit shorter than himself and was wearing a red headband. Taro always felt weird seeing kids his height, but he ignored the feeling.
"What's your name, little guy?" Asked Taro softly with a smile. The child didn't answer and only looked at Taro's hair with starry eyes. "Well, do you know your parents?"
The child still staring at Taro's hair, spoke happily. "Pigsy!" A vein popped on Zi's forehead the moment he heard the child seemingly insult Taro once again. Taro, on the other hand, looked to the horizons of the playground with intrigue.
"Maybe it's someone he knows." Said Taro calmly as he held the child's hand. "He keeps looking at my hair, so this "Pigsy" must have a similar color somewhere."
"Found Pigsy! He looks really familiar too." Declared Zuzu grumpily all of a sudden before pointing somewhere beyond the see through plastic of the current slide area. Taro quickly headed to where Zuzu was and looked closely before he found a pink pig demon looking for something worried.
Taro patted Zuzu on the head affectionately for his good work and seeing this, the child surprisingly did the same. Zuzu jumped back in surprise, glaring at the child as Taro took him to his parent. Zuzu frowned as he thought about this and his dislike for the child wavered.
Meanwhile, as Taro led the child to Pigsy; the child tripped on a rock and fell, injuring his knee. As the child began to cry, Taro quickly began using his powers. A peach pink light enveloped the child's injury and in a couple seconds, the injury was no more.
The child quickly stopped crying, prompting Taro to sigh in relief before he picked up the child and put him on his shoulders. "Now, you won't trip." He said cheerfully before he carried the child all the way to Pigsy.
"MK! MK!" Pigsy cried out in a panic, trying to find his kid to no avail before he noticed a boy with pink hair who had MK on his back. "MK?"
When Taro got closer to Pigsy, his feet suddenly stopped in their tracks. He remembered Pigsy's face, it was the same face of one of Wukong's companions. Putting two and two together, Taro had to fight the urge to run away when he saw the guy run towards him and MK.
"Oh, MK! I thought I lost ya!" Said Pigsy, taking his kid off of Taro's shoulders and hugging him before turning to Taro who was smiling nervously. "Thanks for bringing him back. I hope he didn't give you much trouble."
"He didn't." Taro replied nervously. "I- I should get going befo-"
"Taro! Where have you been?" It was Juniper tree spirit at the worst possible time.
The moment Pigsy and Juniper spirit locked eyes, Taro started begging silently that the worst wouldn't occur. Alas, fate had other plans.
xxxxXxxxx
A few days later at a small noodle shop.
"Juniper, you snake." Muttered Taro grumpily as he sat inside the noodle shop with a new plain cap hat sitting firmly on his head the same color as his scarf, hiding some but certainly not all of his peach pink hair. "Seriously? Playdates?"
"Small Pigsy!" MK exclaimed happily as he hugged Taro.
The peach boy rolled his eyes. "And thanks to you, I have to wear this stupid hat to avoid the monkey king's golden eyes of truth." Added Taro crossing his arms, letting baby MK do as he pleased. "Not that you understand anything. You're just going on with your life without a care in the world. *Sigh* I wish I was like you."
"Up!" Exclaimed MK cheerfully as he threw his arms in the air. "Up!'
Taro raised a brow. "You want me to carry you like I did back at the playground?" He asked, not expecting an answer before he easily put MK in a sitting position onto his back and shoulders. "There. Happy?"
MK started laughing happily, indicating that he indeed liked this. Taro's frown softened to the kid's laughter before he started moving around with MK on his back. The kid was delighted, prompting Taro to go a little faster.
Suddenly, the two heard Pigsy's voice. "Kid! Stop! You're gonna hurt yourself!" He said sternly.
Taro almost lifted MK like a feather to show Pigsy that he was strong enough before remembering that he needed to hide himself. In one swift motion, Taro tripped on air and fell on his face.
"I'm fine." He muttered trying to sound in pain as Pigsy took MK off his back.
"I get you're trying to be a "fun" big brother to MK, but the kid needs more than fun." Said Pigsy in a firm tone. "Like a good role model. So I better not see ya doing reckless moves like that again."
Taro was speechless as Pigsy walked out of the area and out of earshot range. "B- big brother?! Did you hear that?!" He exclaimed angrily. "You may be an innocent kid, but you're on my enemy's side! Plus! I was an only child! I can't be your big brother!"
MK paused, taking in some of what Taro had said with a big smile. "Beeg brudder!" The child exclaimed happily.
Taro sighed, unable to defeat MK in an argument. But it made him think of his past life. His old family. Could he ever have something like that again?
"Big brother, huh?"
xxxxxXxxxxx
Time always repeats itself, doesn't it? Once with Azure and Wukong and now with Taro and MK.
Now for some info dumps:
I didn't make any of the six tree spirits, they are characters from Journey to the west. The only antagonists who were actually innocent. They never attacked anyone or did anything bad and were pretty chill. They were killed because Wukong thought they COULD become evil in the future.
Taro's scarf and new cap hat are the only things that will not change in future outfits. Mostly because they're supposed to loosely mirror Azure's mane and two front hair braids. The hat is always on forwards cause I personally dislike its appearance backwards.
Maple tree spirit's clothing choice was made because the maple tree spirit journey to the west was also known by the name "Naked Demon". I had to include this in some way, so I made him wear only shorts, slippers and sunglasses. You all understand, right? RIGHT?!
Toodles!