The reborn primordial...

Lost and found

The pilgrims had practically searched everywhere for the cub, They knew it couldn't have gone far considering it was born only a week ago by Wukong's telling
Everyone in the group seemed drained from hours of searching as Wukong kept flipping stuff over, The crates, the baskets, the houses, even the livestock

He let out a sigh of defeat until he felt a tap on his shoulder, Looking over and seeing his master
The great monk was still tired but he had a suggestion
"Why not ask the locals..?"
He asked tiredly and Wukong's eyes widened in realization, chuckling nervously and nodding
"Oh! Right, On it!"

He scadaddles over and starts asking around
"Has anyone seen a fluffy blue baby monkey?!"
Rather loudly, some were startled by the sudden shout and others ended up ignoring, Wukong huffing with annoyance from getting no where with this as well
"Excuse me!"

His ears perk up and he looks down over at a young adult, An assistant from the fruit stand
"I'm not sure about a blue baby monkey but one of the elders had recently bought items meant for babies over there, Why not ask if the vender knows about your missing cub?"

The young adult suggested and Wukong's face brightened up, already jogging over
"Thanks kid!"
Wukong exclaimed with a grin before making his way over to another small, new looking shop in the village, Some of these items certainly are meant for infants, He looked around with a tail sway before landing his eyes on the vendor, A rather young woman who had a kind smile

"Hello, I certainly wasn't expecting THE monkey king to come to my shop."
She admitted with a chuckle and Wukong chuckled a bit as well
"Are you expecting a baby soon?"
She asked and Wukong tensed up a bit, Stuttering as he didn't know how to explain

"Er- um, It's complicated."
The king said rather quickly before leaning against the counter with a curious glance
"Have you seen a baby blue monkey around? A little birdie told me an elder had recently gotten a baby and I'm wondering if they found my-
I mean- it."

The woman looked a bit puzzled and begins to recollect her thoughts
"Oh, You mean elder Liu!"
She chimed with a smile
"She did come by the shop to gather toys and baby food, Which is a bit odd since she's been lonely for years..."
She mentioned with a saddened gaze, staring at the counter top before looking back up at Wukong

"She hardly lets anyone know where she lives so I'm afraid I can't help you anymore."
She said with a nervous smile, Wukong thinking for a moment before having a confident smile
"You've helped a lot, I'll be sure to come back later!
Then I can give a proper thank you!"

He shouted as he bolted out the shop and the woman had a surprised expression, Giggling to herself
Wukong went back out into the open, meeting up with the pilgrims again who had a lot of time to rest
They all looked over at Wukong who had an accomplished smile on his face

"Did you find anything?"
Sha Wujing asked as he was munching on a snack, Wukong nodded in response
"Sure did!
Apparently there's this old, lonely lady who shut herself out from the village and suddenly got a baby.

The locals don't know where she lives exactly so we'll need help from Tudi!"
The gang groaned and Wukong is response had a confused expression
"What's wrong?"
He asked with a raised brow

"Every time you call for Tudi you end up getting sucked into his stories and lose track of everything else!"
Zhu Bajie exclaimed in annoyance and everyone nodded in agreement, Wukong scoffing and crossing his arms
"Pft, What?
No I don't!
Watch me!"

The king exclaimed with the sudden motivation to prove it, Walking out to the field and starting to call for the earth god
"TUDI!!!
TUDI, TUDI!!
TUUUUUDIIIII!"
He called out repeatedly and rolled around as he waited, The gang feeling the ground shake and out pops a small elder from under Zhu Bajie

Practically knocking the pig over as Tudi looks around, Wukong zipping over with a grin as The monk and Sha Wujing help their friend up
"Tudi, There you are!
Listen, We need your help finding a lost blue baby monkey...Do you know where Elder Liu lives?"
He asked the earth god and Tudi responded with muffled noises, Wukong nodding and nodding before laughing

The gang looking over with unimpressed expressions
"WUKONG!"
Zhu Bajie exclaimed in frustration and the monkey tensed up, Looking over with a startled expression
"Focus!"

Zhu Bajie scolded and Wukong realized he did get lost in the stories
"Right, right!"
The king looks back at Tudi and the earth god speaks once more, Tudi points at a certain direction in the forest
"Got it, Thanks Tudi!"

Wukong said with a bow and off goes Tudi, Wukong looks back at his friends with a grin
"Tudi said he spotted Elder Liu heading that way, Come on!"
Wukong exclaimed and before he ran off, He was grabbed by the back of his scarf and pulled back

He looked over with a raised eyebrow
"I suggest we walk our way over instead of rushing in and giving the elder a heart attack."
Bai Long Ma suggested as everyone agreed, Wukong huffing and crossing his arms

"Ugh, Fiiiine.
Only because I'm tired of everyone complaining all day today!"
He admitted as he walked with the other pilgrims through the forest, They kept walking until they came into a clearing of a very old house

Some chickens pecking around the ground and running away when the pilgrims got close
"Let's hope it's not a demon that ate the baby..."
Wukong told before The monk walked up and knocked on the gate, He couldn't see into the house due to a curtain

The gang heard shuffling noises as if things were getting moved around until the curtain was moved aside slightly
A piercing glare toward the pilgrims
"Uh, Hello ma'am!
I hope we didn't startle you or anything among those things."
The monk greeted with a smile, The elder was surprised to see them all at her door but her gaze never fell short

"What do you want..?"
She asked with a hint of hesitance as the monk stepped back a bit
"We were wondering if you were the elder who had suddenly gotten an infant? It wouldn't happen to be a fluffy blue baby simian, Would it?"

He asked with a bit of cringe, The woman had a moment of nervousness as her eyes widened but she looked at the curtain to avoid eye contact
"No, That sounds ridiculous..."
She stated ever so bluntly that made the monk tense a bit before laughing nervously
"Oh!
Alright, Sorry to have disturbed you-"

The monk was suddenly but gently moved to the side as Wukong approached the elder hiding a bit behind the curtain
"But then that wouldn't explain the sudden purchases at that nice woman's baby shop, Now would it?"
Wukong claimed with a serious gaze as the elder stared back with a sudden intensity in the air

The others gave glances to each other before looking back at the elder and Wukong
"I don't have your child, If that's what you're claiming... Monkey."
She said with a grit in her teeth but it didn't phase Wukong
"You can't fool me... Elder Liu."

He told in response as his gaze on her narrowed, The elder feeling some sweat form on the side of her forehead as she was beggining to feel intimated from the monkey king
Her grasp of the curtain tightening slightly as they both kept eye contact...