United (Monkie Kid X Ninjago)

Episode 15: Loss

Crystal clear. That was Jilie's memory. She remembered nearly everything except for the less important details...she even remembered what it was like being born. The Four Spiritual Primates all hatched from stone eggs.

But the first face she had ever seen when she hatched was someone just like her. Her big brother.

Zhihui had hopped onto the mountaintop that her little self was just sitting on, having just hatched about an hour ago. Zhihui then heard her cooing and looked.

Jilie began to crawl over, having not left the spot she hatched from. She cooed and made a bunch of sounds as she looked up at Zhihui.

Zhihui's eyes softened and he slowly knelt down, scooping the baby monkey into his arms. "Oh...you must be cold." He whispered as he snuggled her into his robes and fur, just so she could feel warmth. "And dirty too..."

Jilie looked around her before nuzzling into his chest, cooing again as she continued to look up at him with those big red eyes.

Zhihui smiled softly and chuckled, leaning in towards her face. "Hello, little sister. A friend told me of your existence...you haven't been in this world for very long, have you?"

Jilie, due to being a baby, didn't answer and just cuddled up in his arms.

Zhihui chuckled and then nuzzled her. "Well, it'd be poor of me to leave you here. We are family...and I know what it is like to grow up alone before you finally find someone to guide you. I'm not giving you that life. You'll live in my monastery with me."

Jilie patted his cheek, giggling a little.

Zhihui just laughed softly. "Such a curious little one. You must think I'm your father and not your brother, hmm? Well, we don't exactly have parents. We were born from mystic energy."

Jilie blinked, clearly not understanding a single word he said.

"Right. I tend to ramble." Zhihui chuckled before leaving the mountain with his little sister in his arms.

Brother or not, he found her as a baby and raised her. He supported her beliefs, didn't force her to become a monk like him, and was even proud of her for coming out to him about liking girls instead of boys.

And now? She was watching her brother's skin slowly turn to crystal thanks to the demon that held him in the sky.

Jilie SCREAMED at the top of her lungs before lunging at The Crystal King, slashing his arm off and grabbing her brother.

The Crystal King roared in pain as purple, pink, and gold energy sprouted from the stub that was his arm. He was regenerating.

Jilie landed with her big brother in her arms. "Z-Zhi?! ZHI!"

Zhihui didn't respond...his face was then finally covered in crystal. Jilie gasped and then dropped him, not wanting to be crystallized herself. She stood back. "N...no...!"

The Wise Sage then stood up, his skin pink and his eyes silver...but his facial expression wasn't mindless. It was saddened.

Zhihui had always been unstoppable in his mind. The Crystal King may have controlled his body, but his willpower and emotions remained. But it seemed he couldn't speak.

The Crystal King then fully regenerated his arm and roared, raising his hand. Macaque and Wukong ran over as well, growling and roaring.

"BRING HER TO ME..." The Crystal King commanded as he grabbed Zhihui, ready to steal his power.