The Day The World Eclipsed || Lego Monkie Kid

The Slumbering Prince

Macaque had spent the last few days rectifying the mistakes he had made.

It wasn't perfect, as things seldom were, but the mountain looked better. All the destruction had been removed and disposed of to allow the wildlife to regrow. He had planted new trees and flowers, tidying up the shattered rocks and stones. He wished he hadn't been so speedy about this task because now he needed something to do while he waited for Sun Wukong's return.

How bitterly ironic.

He opted for this, of course, but he was once again waiting  for the mighty Monkey King's return.

"What did you say to yourself?" He mumbled, crouched over the wooden floor of Wukong's hut, scrubbing the ground with a sponge. "No, no, Mihou. You won't wait for him anymore. Not a single second more." He grumbled, scrubbing a notably stained spot amongst the wood. "Now look at you. Cleaning this filthy, grime-covered  floor like some... some housewife!" He slammed the sponge into the water bucket. Water erupted from the collision and took to the floor. He let it soak against his bare feet, seething, "Did this man clean even ONCE these last 500 years?!" he hiked his pants up, shuffling around the water stain to grab the mop. When he couldn't find a mop, cause, of course, Wukong wouldn't have one, he snagged the broom instead. He swept this house from top to bottom.

Breaking from time to time to make some tea. At least Wukong had that.

"Not even the good stuff," Macaque muttered heatedly, chugging what was probably the 4th cup of the day.

The hut was almost clean. He just needed to deal with their bedroo- no... Wukongs bedroom. He had purposely left that location for last. He tried to keep his focus, ticked off the to-do list, and did his chores.

Then the house would be done, and he wouldn't have anything else to do. He wouldn't be able to put it off anymore.

He had used cleaning as an ...Excuse. An excuse to avoid visiting his sworn Sister.

Lowering the cup in his hands, he gazed out the small window. Despite the years, he felt solace in this old friend of a home. In 500 years, it had hardly aged a day. It still reeked of Wukong and peaches. The wood still creaked under his feet. He still bonked his head against the door frame leading into the living room because it was just a few inches too small.

Perfect for Wukong's height yet not quite matching Macaque's few inches over the King.

His next words left his mouth in an exhale, tight and choppy, "I need to see her." nostalgia of the past drew him more and more to his longing for the familiar. Now, more than ever, he needed someone by his side. But more than that, he missed his Sister dearly.

When he tried to leave to do so, he had made it as far as the couch before he sat down. "Pathetic," he told himself. He was afraid.

What would she think of him if she could see him now? He stared at his own hands.

A broken man, a ghost of himself, with nothing to his name except an abandoned mountain. He rolled his hand into a fist. There was nothing to do but think- which was a dangerous pastime.

He had surrounded himself with what he could of his child. All the belongings were stored in a wooden box he had carved in his free time. It sat at the table, open for him to peer into. It soothed his soul, keeping his mind from wandering too far.

Stabilized, he worked on anything else he could. Pulling out the carving blade he had gotten a few weeks back, Macaque pressed the blade to the wood in his hands, slicing off a sliver of its bark. The sharpness of the blade made the task easy, whittling it away slowly. A plethora of toys lay at his feet. Wooden and hand carved from trains, blocks, and a little wooden dog with a string around its neck Xiaotian could pull around.