The King, The Prince, and The Warrior

Chapter 25

"Whenever happiness is destroyed, there's always the smell of blood"
--Tanjiro Kamado (Demon Slayer)

Wukong flies on his cloud at a high speed filled with pride and happiness he and his brothers fought heaven and was victorious with the Celestial army retreating, they were one more step closer to defeating the Jade Emperor and Wukong had to tell Macaque the great news 'I can't wait to tell him' Wukong thought as he flies through the cloudy sky and over the village. He flies over the palace walls and lands "Mac, Mac I'm back! I told you I'd come--" Wukong stopped mid-sentence when he looked at the palace his eyes widening

The palace was in shambles, their was a big hole in the front entrance with cracks all over the floors and pillars 'what...what happened here?' Wukong thought as he ran inside the ruined palace "hello, anyone! Emperor, Empress anyone!" Wukong called out running around the palace looking in every room "Mac, Mangoes! Can you hear me! Macaque where are you!!" Wukong called out, but no answer. He searched and comb the entire palace but no sign of the royal family or Macaque 'where is everyone, what happened here, where is Macaque and his family' Wukong thought searching the palace but no matter how hard or how many times he looks he couldn't find anyone

As he was beginning to panic he heard a noise from behind him and he quickly turns around getting his staff out "whoa whoa, easy, easy, I come in peace" A demon said holding his hands up "like I'd believe you, what are you doing in this palace, did you have something to do to with this?" Wukong asked glaring at the demon "now now, I had nothing to do with this honest, I only came to see what was the big commotion happening here" the demon said still holding his hands up "commotion?" Wukong said confused "however I do know someone who might know what fully happened here" the demon said

Wukong lowered his staff a bit "you do?" The copper simian asked raising an eyebrow "yes yes, follow me, he does live far away though" the demon said, Wukong summoned his cloud and hops on picking up the demon with his tail "point the direction" Wukong said and heads to the direction we're this mysterious demon was

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Wukong lands on the ash covered ground looking at the dark and gloomy city as ash rain down "is this where he lives?" Wukong asked looking back to the demon "yes yes, he lives in that palace right there" the demon said pointing to the large red and black palace, Wukong summoned his cloud and flies off to the palace not noticing the demons smirk. He flies over the city his main focus on the palace where the demon with the possible knowledge of what happened to his Mango was in, he lands in front of the doors and kick them wide open

"HEY! DEMON, COME OUT AND SHOW YOURSELF!!!!" Wukong shouted his voice echoing across the dark room, then the torches all lit up lighting up the room and in front of him was Kai sitting on a stone throne "Wukong, how nice to see you, you like the place, I earned it myself" Kai said chuckling "Kai?" Wukong said staring at the guard in shock "yep the one and only, with some added features of course" Kai said standing up from the throne showing his tail "so, what brings you here in my city?" Kai said walking up to the copper simian "what happened to the Kingdom of Peace?" Wukong asked

"A demon said they saw you the time something happened to the palace, now what happened?" Wukong asked looking at the guard, Kai didn't answer as he stares at the copper simian "TELL ME!!!!" Wukong shouted slamming his staff to the ground cracking it "well, while you were out fighting heaven, Erlang Shen came and attacked the palace, the Emperor, Empress and the children managed to escape" Kai said looking at the copper simian "and Macaque?" Wukong asked hoping that he escaped as well ".....he was caught by him and.....killed him" Kai said with a sorrow look

Wukong eyes widened "wh...what?" Wukong said feeling sick to his stomach at those words "no...no you're lying! He's not dead, he's still alive, he's not---" Wukong was cut off when Kai pulled out a familiar hair stick from his sash, Macaques favorite hair stick. Wukong felt his blood grow cold at the sight, his hands were shaking as he gently takes it into his hands, he stares at the hair stick that belongs to the love of his life his breathing quickening as he fell on his knees his legs no longer supporting his weight. Memories flash to his mind as he stares at the hair stick from when he first met the prince, all to the very last time he saw him

He clutch the hair stick in his hands close to his chest and let out a loud scream of pain, anguish, and heartbreak, the scream echoing across the city, farther across the land, until all of China could hear his wailing cry. Finally his cries faded as he hung his head down in sorrow, tears filling his clenched shut eyes as he held the hair stick to his chest 'Mangoes...forgive me for not coming back to you faster' Wukong thought a tear falling onto the gem. Then an unimaginable rage bubbled up inside him 'Erlang Shen...may this be the final day you breathe life ever again!' Wukong thought glaring at the cloudy sky, he stood up, summon his cloud, hopped on, and flew off at high lightning speed to the Celestial Realm clutching the hair stick in his hand with revenge on his mind