Incarnate

Upcoming Foes From Before

Training was overly familiar. Wukong knew how to move, how to laugh, and how to smile around MK. And the brunette only had clues. He only had smudges of memories left throughout each life he'd lived.

"I met a Spider Queen." MK shuddered, scrunching his nose. Wukong snickered, amused, "That's rough, bud. You've always hated spiders. How did fighting her go?" The young hero ignored the discomfort of being known so well and shrugged, "She stole some of my hair? I dunno, she knew I was the Monkie Kid." He glanced up at his mentor, "Did I know her?"

Wukong denied, shaking his head firmly, "She only knew me. We met during the journey, and she's still salty about losing. As for taking your hair...that's not good." The king scratched his chin, frowning softly. MK suddenly cleared his throat, "Right. Probably not."

"It's fine, bud, I'm sure we can deal with her if needed."

'We'. Sun Wukong included himself, and MK. But the brunette didn't feel as if that was entirely true. Maybe he was talking more about Qi Xiaotian than the boy in front of him. 'We', he'd said, but MK felt as if he were trespassing.

---

MK watched the clouds drift along the sky, amber-brown eyes lazily flicking by each white puff. He heard someone appear, a cool bout of magic washing over him. The brunette twisted his head to glance behind him, staring at the newcomer.

Macaque watched the sky as well, following the path of the sun. He sat down beside the young hero, "What's going on, bud?" MK glanced away and shrugged, "I feel...not real. Made up, maybe, like I'm just an idea. Not a person." He cleared his throat awkwardly, "It's fine, though, I'm used to it."

He wasn't himself. MK was not Qi Xiaotian, not with how his memories remained missing and how he lacked control over his powers. MK was not someone impressive, he was not someone to fawn over. He was not incredible, he was just...well, MK. An unassuming wedge of clay with the lucky touch the skies possessed.

But Qi Xiaotian was a star, granting a wish so beautiful it went down through history.

"I dream of them, sometimes." A silent confession. "I dream of Qi Xiaotian and the others talking with me. There's, what? Five of us? And we just sit around, idly chatting for whatever reason. There's probably more lives hidden away-- No, there definitely are, but we haven't..."

He looked up, staring at Macaque's confused frown. MK flushed, looking away and rubbing his knuckles together. The warrior hummed, "So they talk to you? Your past lives, I mean." MK slowly nodded, "Sometimes. Yeah. We have... a lot in common. Which makes sense but--"

The brunette exhaled harshly, "I'm still... really different." Too human, too detached, too strong for his own good, too...

Macaque understood. After all, he was a Celestial Primate. He had many things in common with Wukong, but he was still so different it set him apart without fail. And honestly, Macaque knew Wukong felt the same. Not quite demon, not quite monkey, not quite human.

"...Maybe you should talk with your mentor, kid. He'll understand." Macaque refused to meet the other's eyes, his own heart thumping wildly. How could it not? Someone he'd adored, someone he'd fought, someone he'd died to, had yet to know he was still alive. Still breathing. Talking to his beloved wish.

"You're doing it again. Talking like you know him." MK huffed, plopping onto his back, "You do know him." Macaque grimaced sharply, wincing at the boy's words. He wouldn't lie to the kid, he had a feeling MK would know, did know.

"Yeah, long ago. Before you even came to be." Macaque picked at his clothes, tail lashing in agitation. MK hummed, staring up at the blue stretched out above them. The silence stretched on, and the warrior blinked in surprise as not a single question left the other's lips.