Chapter 35: The Fiery Mountains
Their fight to save the world just got a bit more personal.
Sandy shook off thoughts of the first ring around MK's wrist. One moment, they were all traveling together to the West.
The next moment, MK, Mei, and Sandy were separated from the others and stranded in the desert.
On Sandy's shoulders, MK and Mei panted. They had their jackets raised to provide shade from the scorching sun. Sandy's blue skin burned purple from the rays. Sweat ran slick down his shoulders as he trudged East. Hopefully, Pigsy and the others have turned around upon realizing they were gone.
His mind felt as fuzzy as the path ahead of him. But MK and Mei's grip felt cool and clammy. Their signs of heat exhaustion bolstered his lead legs to push ahead.
Keep… going… Sandy thought to himself. Or did he speak out loud?
His mind turned inwards from the blistering heat, leaving his body to drag itself forward.
MK. Poor kid.
Their run-in with a goldfish demon had made MK regain one of his powers. No one said it, but they were all hoping the same thing. If MK got the rest of his Monkey King powers back, they wouldn't have to use the Samadhi fire.
When they had set up camp, he and Mei joined MK in willing back his powers. As MK walked ahead, Mei asked something that stuck in Sandy's mind.
He and Mei were just talking about something. The view, if he remembered correctly. Then, Mei popped a question out of the blue.
"Hey, Sandy. If I said earlier not to wear the ring, do you think MK wouldn't end up with it?"
Mei had asked it so casually that Sandy did a double take to ensure he heard it well. But before he could respond, MK called to them. And their conversation was forgotten. Or rather, Sandy couldn't find the chance to approach Mei about it again.
His sandpaper throat swallowed what little saliva he could as he gasped for air. It was funny how his vision was obscured. He couldn't even feel sweat running down his eyes anymore.
MK must now wear the rings that could bring out the destructive Samadhi fire. It wasn't just Mei who was acting strange. The very news had pervaded their group in the oddest ways.
Pigsy kept scowling at Sun Wukong.
Tang kept jotting down notes with more fervor.
Wukong closed himself into meditation.
MK's drawings now included more than Sun Wukong and his group. There were drawings of Longnü and faceless sketches of undefined figures.
Sandy didn't know what to do. The only thing he could think of was to make sure they could still travel forward. Along the way, he came up with the idea. Maybe he could teach MK how to meditate.
But the Six-Eared Macaque had split them from the others. So, here they were after escaping him. Mei couldn't even transform into a dragon to fly them out. After the fight with Mac, she and MK had maxed out.
His vision tilted to the side. Sandy distantly felt his leg buckle underneath him. He stretched his hands to catch himself, breaking MK and Mei's fall. He grunted when his face crashed on the hot sand. Sandy hacked out the grain in puffs.
Somewhere, Mei and MK tumbled from his shoulders. The sun still beat overhead, interrupted by the shadows of circling vultures.
"Wait…"
Sandy turned his eyes to MK, whose gaze was fixed on some point at the horizon. Sandy followed it. He couldn't even gasp when he saw… a small green hill?
Everything began to grow dim. Sandy could sense things in bouts of consciousness. MK yelling. A golden light. Being up in the sky with the feeling of talons clutching his wrist. The faint pain of crashing back to the ground.
The green hill looked more like a mountain now.
Darkness again. Then, it was interrupted by a desperate scream from Mei. Sandy opened his eyes for the final time. Her hand held her energy sword heavenwards as she blasted green energy upwards as a call for help.
Mind reeling, Sandy staggered, trying to stand up. Then nothingness.
A wrong turn. A fake truck.
Hands grabbing her into the shadows.
She found Sandy. If they concentrated enough, they could see Mac holding MK by the wrist.
"Interesting," Mac said, looking at the first ring. But Mei had already had enough when MK's pleas to join them fell on six deaf ears.
She semi-transformed into her dragon, mimicking the dragon projection of Great Uncle Guang. Mac grunted when she rammed straight into him, tearing the fake truck apart.
His laughter rang in their ears as he formed his Monkey Mech. She and MK screamed when he grabbed Sandy. Sandy shouted at them to run. But they couldn't just leave him.
Mei knew she couldn't blast him if Uncle Guang's power couldn't stop him. She fully transformed into a dragon and charged.
Mei feinted for the chest where Mac was. Instead, she coiled around the mech like a snake. She opened her mouth to chomp on the hand's wrist that got Sandy.
But Mac's mech grabbed her by the neck and slammed her on the ground. She gasped and writhed. She de-transformed to loosen the grip around her. But the hand only closed around her human form.
She looked up to MK's horrified eyes before he started to glow-
Mei gasped. She winced when an ache split her head the moment she opened her eyes. MK's face greeted her, beaming in relief.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," MK said, retracting his hand from her forehead.
Mei groaned. A bowl of water was suddenly placed in front of her. "Drink," Sandy said, "You're still dehydrated."
Mei smacked her mouth. Her throat no longer felt scratchy and dry. She swallowed a bit. The inside of her mouth tasted… fruity?
Sandy helped her sit back, and she took the bowl.
"Slowly," Sandy directed as she drank, hovering from his giant form.
MK looked around. "Someone took us to their home and cared for us."
Mei chewed the pulp in the water, tasting lychee. She followed his eyes. They were in some kind of a hut. She looked down at the mat she was lying on.
"And they're also really hairy," Mei remarked, finding stray strands of coarse and thick hair on the bamboo floor.
She tried to get up, but Sandy stopped her.
"Let me check your pulse," Sandy asked.
Mei could only grin but stretched out her wrist nonetheless. "How would you even know my normal, Sandy?"
MK stood by the doorway. "You guys, I'm gonna go check outside."
"Wait-" Sandy protested. But MK was gone. Sandy could only sigh. He turned his attention back to Mei.
Mei fell silent as Sandy timed her pulse.
"Under a hundred beats a minute. Normal," Sandy declared. When Sandy nodded in satisfaction, Mei got up and stretched.
"C'mon, Sandy! I wanna know where we are." She hummed to herself as she walked towards the hut's exit.
"Uhh, Mei?" Sandy called out. "What you asked last time, well, it's not your fault," he said, if not awkwardly. His fingers began to do that thing where they poked at each other.
Mei froze. Shit. Sandy must be referring to the question she had asked him before they got split—the look on Sandy's face when she had asked made her relieved when MK interrupted them.
She turned around with a huge grin on her face. "Oh, that?" she said quickly. She blew out air from her lips, waving her hand. "Pfft! That was just me worrying about nothing." She jerked her thumb outside. "C'mon! We gotta catch up with MK." It was MK they had to look out for, not her.
"Mei," he said this time, in a voice that told her, yes, he was their friend. But he was also the older adult who had to look out for both her and MK. "If you talk to MK, he would say the same thing."
Mei paused. Sandy was rarely firm, often going with the flow like a river. They had seen what he could do with the West dragon guards that had tried to chase them. But he had always made himself small for whatever reason.
Then, MK's scream rang outside the hut.
MK had fallen onto his butt. A mountain of a black bear towered over him. But as he overcame his shock, he noticed the bear was wearing a robe. On his shoulder sat a white parrot. Glinting claws clacked against the hoe he was holding on one paw.
"MK!" he could hear Mei yell. They also stopped when they saw the strange bear.
Everyone stood at a standstill. Then, the bear gestured with his hands and claws. The parrot on his shoulder spoke up.
"I see you're awake now," the parrot said. Or rather, the bear signed, and the parrot spoke for him.
"Uuuhhh…." MK intelligibly said, "You rescued us?"
"Yes," the parrot said. It cocked its head to watch the signing bear. "We saw the light and traveled to see what it was. Far from home, aren't you?"
"Yeah," MK distractedly said. "I'm MK, and these are my friends, Mei and Sandy."
The bear bowed. The parrot even did a little curtsy. "I am the Black Wind Guardian," the parrot said in translation, "And this is my friend, White."
"Oh," Mei said. She looked at the black hairs she had found in the hut. "A bear demon," she said.
MK saw the white crescent patch on the bear's chest. "Um, can you tell us where we are?"
The bear formed a steep with his claws. Then he waved his claws away in an explosion. "You're in the Fiery Mountains," the White parrot squawked.
"The Fiery Mountains?" MK gasped. Then, this place must be the Demon Bull Family's.
But another thought niggled at the back of his mind. Mountains… mountains…
Sandy and Mei yelped when MK leaped at them. He tugged their arms, spinning them to turn their backs on the bear. Together, they huddled for privacy.
"There's a mountain in the map," MK said in a hushed whisper, spreading the scroll open. His finger traced the parchment. It passed a fishing town where they were supposed to meet Longnü. Then MK triumphantly tapped on the drawn mountain beside it.
"I knew it!" MK beamed at a mountain drawn to be on fire. The top of its flames were even curled into bull horns.
"Does that mean…" Sandy asked in a whisper.
"One of the rings IS here!" MK whispered back, giddy at their stroke of luck. "So that's why it was drawn that way. Fiery mountains!"
"Fiery?" Mei asked, looking around. Everywhere was crisp and green. The parrot spoke up, making them turn around.
"It used to be barren. When the sun sets, the red sandstones make it look like the mountains are on fire," White said, flapping its wings. "Also, this place is volcanic."
"Right," MK nodded to the parrot, "Thanks."
There was a low rumble. The bear's pale muzzle twitched, showing teeth. Was it possible for a black bear to look annoyed?
"I mean, thank you both!" he said as it dawned on him he was accidentally ignoring the bear, who was actually the one talking. However, Sandy stood between them quickly.
"Uh, Mr. Guardian and Mr. White," Sandy said aloud while signing in return, "Thanks for rescuing us."
"You know sign language?" Mei whispered from behind.
Sandy shrugged. "Some of my comrades would go nonverbal when it's bad."
MK saw the bear looked at Sandy with approval. He took it as his chance to step forward. He pulled down his sleeve, revealing the ring clamped on his skin.
"Have you seen rings like these anywhere?" he asked.
The bear crouched down from his great height to inspect it. The parrot cocked its head to see it better.
The guardian grunted, nodding in confirmation.
MK beamed. "Really? Can you lead us to it?"
"Nooooo…" MK groaned.
The guardian had taken them to an open market.
Demons milled around. While some stared at MK (and Mei for looking like a human), they mostly left them alone. Everywhere were stalls for affordable merch. Secondhand toy collectibles. Imitation bags of whatever high fashion brand names there are. Shoppers haggled. Merchants gossiped while keeping watch of their stalls.
And, of course, the jewelry section. Some of the gold and silver chains were displayed soaked in very diluted lemon water. From what MK had heard, it was a selling fad to prove they were real. But most were displayed in velvet stands, including bangles resembling the one on MK's wrist.
Mei shrugged beside him, covered in bling. Somewhere, Sandy was checking out cat-themed tea kettles. "Well, they do look like the ring," she said.
MK slumped forward with a sigh. He looked over to the guardian that had guided them there.
The guardian sat on the ground, patiently waiting for them to be done. He had transformed into a more humanoid form. His dark-skinned body had become that of a strongman's well-fed and muscled paunch. He sat slumped like how bears were captured to sit and stare at the view. For some reason, the white parrot had left before they had reached the market.
Judging from the similar shirts most demons wore, it's probably their uniforms for working at the plant. Strangely, they don't have the haggard look of people trudging home from work. Then again, Red had said the plant itself was labor-owned.
The guardian stood up and signed. "Come, you're still our guests," Sandy said aloud for Mei and MK. "I ask you to stay and replenish before continuing your journey."
Birds chirped overhead. A river gurgled down the ravine. The three followed the guardian down the trail. Using the hoe like a hiking stick, the bear continued to stride.
"What's that?" Sandy asked, directing their attention to the ravine wall. There was the mouth of a cave blocked by a roofed structure.
The guardian signed. "Murals," Sandy translated to MK and Mei. "That used to be the Fire-Wind Cave of Red Boy."
Mei and MK looked at each other. Could it be? "Can we go there?" MK asked. "Please?"
The guardian guided them towards the cave. Sandy, Mei, and MK stared at faded paintings.
The first mural on the left showed Red Boy captured by Bodhisattva Guanyin. He was bound by the five rings in a prayer pose. Between them, the Monkey King stood on guard for Guanyin.
The second mural showed Princess Iron Fan holding Red Boy's broken spear. Beside her stood the Demon Bull King.
The last mural showed Guanyin with two acolytes on either side, Shancai and Longnü.
"Who put these here?" MK wondered out loud.
"The outsider humans see the cave as sacred because of the bodhisattva." Sandy watched the guardian sign. "They sometimes come here to pray. So that she could give them virtuous children."
Mei only hummed, staring at Longnü, who was painted as a little girl beside an equally little Red Boy. Both looked like black-haired humans.
"Um… are they… worshipping Red Boy?" Sandy asked, gesturing at the incense before the murals.
The bear huffed in what sounded like laughter. "No, Fiery Mountains are still the domain of the Demon Bull Family. People have to be discrete in their prayer to the Bodhisattva," Sandy spoke for his signing.
MK wondered if Red or even PIF knew about this. The way PIF had reacted when she saw Red transformed as Shancai, she probably didn't want to see this cave again.
The guardian continued with his claws. "But it doesn't hurt to ask Shancai to plea on their behalf."
"Well, what do you know, MK?" Mei teased in a low voice. "Wanna pray to your boyfriend, too?"
MK answered by leaning sideways till they knocked heads together. "Oh, I'd definitely worship him," he joked back, "Care to join me?"
Mei stuck out her tongue. "Nah, he's much of a snob already."
MK laughed with her. But the idea felt sour in his head. He had seen Red make mistakes, flame up when embarrassed, and help him in his practical and snooty way. But the notion of him being this perfect distant deity was…
He internally frowned. You know what? I like him just the way he is. MK knew it wasn't common knowledge that Red Son had given up his celestial status long ago. But where would the prayers to Shancai even go?
The guardian pulled out a duster of white downy feathers. He lightly dusted the murals. With great care, he took out a rag and polished its borders.
When the guardian turned his hoe into a broom, MK took his chance. He glanced at Mei and jerked his head back at the cave. Mei gave him a grin that said, "Leave it to me!"
She spun Sandy around so that his entire bulk was covering the murals from the guardian. The guardian continued to sweep the ground's dust and fallen leaves.
"Soooo, Black Wind!" she said, leaning her elbow on Sandy's side to block his view further. "Great view from here, isn't it?"
MK quietly squeezed himself behind the mural. Dirt rubbed his jacket as he shimmied into the mouth of the cave. MK clamped down on his dread at the memories of LBD and the sewers. He blinked several times, trying to adjust his vision.
Oh, wait. Goldfish vision!
He activated his sight. But was confused at what met him.
The cave… was caved in. MK could see the walls that were smoothened and carved. But other than that, it looked like someone had triggered an explosion to make it collapse inside.
He looked around. It must be here somewhere!
MK peeked through crevices.
He swiped a finger on the rocks and licked it like how he saw in the movies.
He spat and coughed at the taste of earth.
Finally, he thrashed in the cramped space in search of it EVERYWHERE.
Then he found it.
MK blinked, wondering if his vision was playing tricks on him.
A few moments later, he popped up over Sandy's shoulder.
"So, uuuhhh," MK thought fast, "How come Hui'an isn't in the third mural? You know, her other disciple?"
The guardian stopped sweeping to answer. "Hui'an became one of the protectors of the Western Foothills," Sandy translated. Then, the bear gestured for them to walk. "Come, we're near the village."
As the bear led them away, MK beamed at Sandy and Mei. He mouthed, "I found it!" pointing at the first ring for emphasis.
Mei and Sandy gave him a thumbs up. As soon as MK turned his back to follow the guardian, they glanced at the rings around the captured Red Boy in the mural. Then, on the ring around MK's wrist.
The village turned out to be at the edge of the town. Like the demons in the marketplace, they seemed used to the guardian's presence.
"I'm known here as Yinshi of the woods," Sandy translated the bear's signing.
Soon, the guardian led them to a place that made Sandy speechless. Mei and MK stared in wonder at the grafted trees that bore more than one kind of fruit.
The guardian had led them to the village's food forest.
Sandy put a hand over his mouth. A forest that feeds everyone.
He had seen lands torn apart by greed and even been a pawn of it. And here was the antithesis he had read so much but had never been into.
"It's too hard for demons to work in the town when they live far away from it," Sandy said, choked, as the guardian signed in explanation. "So they became farmers."
He put his hands on MK and Mei's shoulders. "Guys…" he whispered, his voice breaking into high-pitch.
MK and Mei yelled in surprise when he dragged them around.
"These borders are made of fast-growing plants!" he said, excitedly pointing out a row of papaya trees. "Isn't that cool? They grow first to shade the future plants."
Sandy dragged them again. MK and Mei found themselves standing before what they thought were lemon-smelling weeds. "These little fellas act as pest control!"
He pointed at the rows of plants. "Veggies, firewood!" Then he gasped and gestured at rows of sprouts. "They even got tea leaves!"
"I didn't know you liked gardening so much, Sandy," MK laughed.
Sandy rubbed the back of his head. "I've always wanted one in my boat, but I can't figure it out yet."
The guardian began to sign. "If you help with the harvest, I can give you advice," Sandy translated aloud for Mei and MK.
Sandy and the bear spent the most time talking to each other. The remaining residents tending the food forest even signed in greeting. At one point, MK and Mei told him he didn't have to translate for them so he wouldn't tire out.
Their talk turned to Sandy's jobs.
"You're a soldier?" the guardian asked with hands caked with dirt.
Sandy concentrated on molding earth over the bulb he had sown. "I served," he said, "Not anymore, though." He was glad MK and Mei couldn't understand what they were discussing. They would only ask more questions.
Silence reigned as Sandy refused to elaborate.
It only made the guardian chuckle. "I've been a king," he said, waving his hand high before shaking it down. "Not anymore, though." He gave a look that he hadn't been proud of it either.
Sandy was relieved, but at the same time-
"Sorry," Sandy offered.
"Don't be," the guardian said, sweat making his dark skin shine. "We wouldn't be here if we hadn't been there."
Sandy laughed, feeling a bit lighter.
As per the guardian's rule, they only took what they needed, including what they'd need in their journey, with the guardian's insistence. Sandy had even struck a deal with one of the villagers who wanted their broken-down car towed away. He did so by carrying it off.
White, the parrot, had returned to the guardian's shoulder as soon as they had left the village. The guardian transformed back into his bear self. At one point, Sandy caught the bear signing to the parrot. But Sandy shrugged it off. He himself would talk to Mo sometimes.
They ate a vegetarian meal by sundown. Sandy watched MK happily sigh as he put away his empty bowl. The supplies they had taken from the Goldfish demon were good. But it was nice not to eat another bowl of fish flakes and noodle soup in a row.
Dinner over, Sandy stood over the broken-down car that he had acquired. Judging from this car, it might take him days to get it running.
"Stand back," Mei declared. She summoned an energy sword, stabbed it where the keyhole was, and turned it. Immediately, the car began to transform. With dragon magic, it master-built into a sleek, 5-seat vehicle -perfect for carrying their stuff.
She then turned off the ignition by unlocking her sword. The car fell back into a heap of junk.
"Don't worry!" Mei shrugged. "I can just do it again when we gotta go."
While the threat of Mac catching up to them was present, they all agreed to travel before dawn. The sun would soon rise after, making it safer to travel.
After turning in early, they began to get ready. With the guardian's help, they stocked the supplies on the edge where the mountains met the desert.
"We're almost ready!" Sandy beamed to the bear. "Thank you so much for helping us."
"My pleasure," the bear replied through White. He turned to MK, "I'm sorry you couldn't find your ring."
"Oh, he did!" Mei glanced at MK. "You did find the second ring, didn't you?"
MK chuckled with a smirk. "I found it alright." He put his hand in his pocket. Then, slowly, he began to pull it out…
…into a finger pointed at the guardian.
"It's on you all along!" MK declared triumphantly.
"What?" Mei gasped.
"In fact, you don't only have one ring!" MK activated his Goldfish vision. "You have two!"
"What?" Sandy gasped this time.
The guardian calmly stood there. Then he chuckled. A flat band appeared around his head. It lay on his skull just above his ears, almost like a hollow cap.
"But I don't get why you're wearing one of them like that," MK answered.
"Because it's not one of your rings." The parrot spoke for the signing bear. "A long time ago, the Buddha gave the bodhisattva three treasures."
The bear waved a paw to him. "The tightening one, given to the Great Sage. The gold band, given to a Boy Sage. And I, the prohibiting one."
MK backed away, his eyes widening. "You're-"
"The Black Wind Guardian."
"The Black Wind King!" MK exclaimed. "You're the one who stole Tripitaka's mystical cassock!"
The bear frowned. "I'm no-"
"Really, MK? Mei asked. "Why do you just know now?" she gestured her arms at the bear. "He practically didn't change his name."
"The past-"
MK flushed, waving his arms. "Monkey King has a lot of legends, okay!? I'm not like Tang, who's practically a walking library!"
"Enough!" the parrot squawked. The guardian furiously signed, "I have the ring!" He pulled down his sleeve. The ring appeared on his right wrist. "But I'm not giving it to you."
"Why not?" MK challenged. "We need that to save the world!"
The bear's gaze rested on Mei and Sandy. He gestured at White on his shoulder. "He's been watching you all this time," he said. "The ring is not worth those who don't want it."
"What do you mean?" MK demanded. "It's why we're looking for it. We want it!"
" You may. But the journey cannot be done by you alone."
Sandy glanced at Mei and caught her eyes. If I don't act now, Mei would be blaming herself.
He stepped forward. "I want the ring," he announced, squaring his shoulders.
The bear grinned, showing teeth. "Do you?"
Much to their surprise, Black Wind charged at them on a magic cloud. Sandy grunted when he was grabbed by the prayer beads around his neck.
"Sandy!" MK and Mei cried. They reflexively shielded themselves when the parrot flapped a powerful gust.
"This isn't your fight," White said, flapping in one place.
"Wait, you can talk?" Mei said in surprise. MK tried to sidestep the bird, but White flapped his wings again.
"I am the filial White Parrot of our Master. And this is not your fight," White repeated.
"But Sandy doesn't like fighting!" Mei exclaimed.
"Do you trust your friend?"
Mei and MK glanced at each other. They both know what Sandy had been capable of in their journey to clear Mei's name.
The bear dropped him a distance away. Sandy grunted when his feet crushed a crater on impact.
The guardian dropped down on all fours. Then he stood up, robe ripping off his body as he grew larger than ever. A black mass of grizzled fur and claws loomed over Sandy. A white horizontal crescent floated starkly on his chest. The bear stabbed the hoe on the ground. It transformed into a black-tasseled spear.
"You want the ring?" Black Wind asked. He showed the ring glinting on his forearm. "Then take it."
Sandy looked back at Mei and MK. The bird was somehow holding them back. That was alright for Sandy. He'd rather they stay away if the guardian got violent.
He looked back at the guardian again. The guardian's eyes reflected in the twilight. He almost looked animalistic, the way Sandy's eyes would see The Others on the battlefield.
Sandy stepped back at the thought. But the guardian stepped forward.
"What's the matter?" the bear rumbled. The thick fur around his neck bristled, making him look as foreboding as the "bad guys" in Tang's stories of the Monkey King. "Have the ring, and you'll be one step closer to saving the world."
Sandy uncertainly went into a stance.
The bear became a blur. Sandy reactively shielded himself, boxer style. He could barely hear Mei and MK scream as the guardian struck and pounded him with all the strength of a wild bear.
Sandy bore the brunt of his attack. Then, paws grabbed him by the garter of his pants and prayer beads. His vision adjusted, and he found himself over the bear's head.
The sonic boom of Sandy's impact swept over the desert.
It felt like an eternity to wait for his vision to return. Sandy blinked into consciousness with his hands protecting the back of his head in the nick of time.
He heard Mei and MK screaming again, which propelled him to get up, numb from the adrenaline.
"STAY BACK!" Sandy roared. That made the kids stop. His heart pounded with the ache in his head. His chest heaved as blood sang in his veins. His vision shook. But Sandy blinked it away.
He had more control this time. Bodies weren't lying everywhere.
Sandy could feel the excitement burning under his skin. Mustn't lose my head. He could feel everything. Every nerve crackling for a response. Every fiber of his muscles bunching for action.
"Good," the bear signed. Then he rushed forward.
This time, Sandy was ready. He caught the guardian's paws before they could strike. Sandy grappled with the bear, palms pushing against paw pads, feet bracing against the earth. The ground cratered beneath their force. Glares matched as they pushed the other into submission.
Sandy felt unstoppable. Blood pounded into each corner of his being. He went for a hug to tackle him down. But the guardian locked his arms around him, too. The crater beneath them cracked deeper from their strength.
Sweat ran down Sandy's face. He just had to wrestle the guardian down. Bend the arm that had the ring.
But Sun Wukong's outburst broke through his memories.
"I told you! I saw you die from the Samadhi fire!"
Sandy froze. His heart stopped. The bear grabbed the chance to lift and slammed him to the ground.
This time, Sandy rolled away and up. He didn't even feel it. His vision was beginning to haze from the rush of adrenaline. The bodies were starting to appear again.
The guardian came to him, relentless with his hits. He roared as if demanding, "What are you afraid of?!"
Sandy could only shield himself. Downward, heavy swipes rained down on him. The ring glinted in the movement.
"Why're you holding back?!"
Sandy grabbed his wrists. The stopping force flattened the winds of his strikes. It reverberated into the looming bear, making him standstill. He didn't even think to struggle. If Sandy had looked, surprise overtook Black Wind's face.
"I'm scared," Sandy quietly said so the kids wouldn't hear.
"I'm scared we're going to kill MK," he continued, eyes staring at nothing. "With each ring we get, are we bringing him closer to death?" He tried to swallow down to compose himself. Sandy bowed his head in shame, still holding the bear's wrists.
He looked up when he felt the bear adjust his paws so that he was holding his hands.
"I cannot answer that," Black Wind said. "It's reasonable that it'll make your hearts waver. But…" his paws squeezed his hands. "Why're you carrying it alone?"
Sandy's eyes widened. His mind raced back to the others. Pigsy. Tang. Mei. MK. Even Wukong. In our efforts to be brave for each other, we started distancing ourselves.
He looked up at the guardian. But I think I know now what to do.
Sandy stepped back and went into a stance. The bear nodded in understanding and charged.
A sonic boom thundered as they crashed in the middle. They grunt and heaved, earth cracking in their stomps. The guardian began to twist and pin Sandy to the ground.
Sandy swept out his leg. In the moment of the bear's imbalance, Sandy spun them around. With a mighty heave, he knocked the bear down.
The ground quaked as dust rose high. Sandy sat on his back as the bear tried to rock him off. Sandy used his weight to keep him still. He pressed his knee on the bear's arm and locked the ringed arm behind.
The bear struggled, thrashing with more strength. The desert shook. From afar, demons wonder if the Fiery Mountains were active again.
But Sandy held tight, mind clear and focused.
In what felt like an eternity, the bear finally lay limped. He thumped the ground in surrender. Sandy relented and helped him up to the cheers of Mei and MK.
The bear panted. "You earned this." He touched the ring, and it widened. Sandy took the ring, thankful. Together, they bowed to each other for a battle well-fought.
In Mei's transformed car, MK rubbed the back of his head, eyes trained on the ground.
"I guess I owed all you guys an apology."
"I know you would agree to save Red," Mei said. "But if I had warned earlier-"
"Mei, it's not your fault," MK interjected. "I chose this," he said, examining the two rings clamped on each wrist. The second ring had floated to him as soon as Sandy had gotten nearby.
He cringed. "But I should've thought more of what I'm putting you guys through."
"You still would do it, though," Mei said with light exasperation.
MK laughed, ducking his head, "Yeah."
"Umm, MK," Sandy said hesitantly. Bruises marked his body. The guardian mainly used his paws for hitting. But some claws had nicked him here and there. "We're all scared of what might happen. But," he put a giant finger on MK's shoulder, "We're here for you."
MK smiled. "I know. Maybe that's why I'm braver in taking these on," he said, holding out his ringed wrists.
"Which is why I wanna teach you how to meditate, big guy," Sandy said. "I know the Monkey King has been teaching you active meditation." Sandy could still see those days when he would let rage get the better of him. "But if the Samadhi fire is this uncontrollable force, I think it would help to be mindful and in control."
"Yeah!" Mei said, her eyes widening. "It might be useful in recalling your powers back."
MK grinned. "That sounds like a plan!"
Sandy then waved to the guardian, who had kept away to give them privacy.
"We're ready to go now," Sandy said. The three rested their palms on their fists as they slightly bowed. "Thanks for everything."
The bear nodded. Then he spoke, his voice rough but dignified. "We wish you good luck in your journey." The parrot crooned in agreement on his shoulder.
Mei and MK stared. One second. Two seconds.
"YOU CAN TALK?!" they yelled together, pointing at the bear.
"You mustn't have heard us when we were fighting," Sandy mumbled, scratching the back of his head.
Mei and MK sputtered. Sandy ushered them into the car. The bear and parrot cheerfully waved to them goodbye.
Sandy waved back at them as Mei drove away with her transformed car.
Everything was relatively quiet. MK clinked the rings on his wrists together. It was almost peaceful.
"Noooo!" MK suddenly yelled in the backseat. "I was so blindsided at the bear being able to talk; I forgot to ask them about the other rings!"
"They probably can't tell you anything," Mei said thoughtfully behind the wheel. "That's how Aunt Longnü acted." She glanced at the dashboard. "Check this out; I can roll down the roof."
MK oooh-ed as the roof folded over so that they could enjoy the rising sun from behind.
Sandy was simply happy that he had cleared the air with Mei and MK. He turned around. "Hey MK? Why don't we try 'follow your breathing?'"
The hours ticked away, with MK nodding off to sleep and Mei and Sandy exchanging turns to drive. It became Mei's turn to drive again when they saw it.
"Is that the TEA truck?!" Mei exclaimed, slamming down the brakes.
MK, who had forgotten to put on his seatbelt, flew over the roofless car. He smacked into the Tea Truck's driver's window.
Then Mei's energy sword, acting as the car key, fizzled out. Sandy and Mei blinked as the car collapsed back into a heap.
"Pigsy!" Mei cheered from the dump. "Glad to see you guys."
"Aaand, you've got the second ring," Tang commended as MK happily clinked his wrists together, doing a celebratory dance.
Pigsy climbed down the truck. "What happened to you?" he asked Sandy.
Sandy looked down on himself. He had almost healed up, thanks to his body's vitality. But some of the bruises could still be seen here and there.
"He wrestled a bear," MK helpfully said.
Pigsy barely batted an eye. "Is the bear okay?"
"Oh!" Mei popped up between them, "And Sandy's gonna help MK meditate for the Samadhi fire."
Tang put a hand to his chin. "Controlled breathing might help," he mused.
"Yeah!" MK said, doing some moves, "Imagine if I get my Monkey King powers back AND the Samadhi fire!"
"Hey, we should tell Sun Wukong!"
"Great idea, Mei!"
Sandy let them rush along as he welcomed Mo into his arms. When he got Mo to settle on his shoulder, he caught Pigsy's thoughtful scowl in Wukong's general direction. Wukong, in a sense, whom Pigsy had to co-parent with for MK.
"Pigs," Sandy said as he gestured for Tang to come over. "I think we need to talk."
Author's Notes: Stuff that aren't in LMK but are in JTTW:
- Black Wind King is a demon of Black Wind Mountain that stole Tripitaka's cassock that is so heavenly it can banish evil. Wukong bragged about it to others despite Tripitaka's warning and got others to covet it for themselves. I believed he's based on the Asiatic Black Bear or moon bear. When he surrendered to Guanyin, he became a guardian in her island.
- The White Parrot is mentioned here and there in JTTW.
Why did Black Wind refuse to talk and only sign? It's based on my experience with a group of deaf kids. I was on public transportation, and they came in and talked so "loudly" with their hands and expressions that other people stared because they didn't know what they were saying. In a way, it felt like rebellion against a society that doesn't exactly accommodate them. Chinese sign language was invented in the 1950s. Black Wind and White sympathized with the cause. And they like to mess with people.
The bear being annoyed at MK accidentally ignoring him and focusing on the parrot is based on missteps those of hearing can make when talking to someone deaf that have a hired translator with them. I was inspired by this fic: /works/39575166/chapters/99063984
Also, based on my research, no one prays to Shancai. However, I also based it on religious culture of "It doesn't hurt to ask them even if they're not gods."