Chapter Text
So apparently my warning meant nothing. “A second ago I was in bed! What’s going on?” MK asked as I put him down.
“Yeah, the guys in the cool robes only strike when you’re asleep. Kinda their thing.”
MK turned his attention back to me. “This is what you were talking about?!”
“You knew?!” I shrug, he doesn’t want me to tell him the future and gets surprised when I don’t tell him the future? Seriously? This was your choice, Wukong!
“Sun Wukong, the six eared Macaque and MK the Monkie kid.” My skin itches from the title they address me as. “You have been summoned by the court of the underworld to answer for your crimes. You stand before the Ten Kings, Guardians of the Great Cycle.”
“A cycle that has been disrupted.”
“Help me remember, what happened the last time you all brought me here? Oh right, things didn't super work out for you.”
“And as I recall; you removed your name from the Book of the Dead.” I want to slap my hand over the king’s mouth for bringing that up.
“A similar crime has led to this moment. The scroll of memory was stolen, your guilt is obvious.”
“Wait, are we on trial?” MK asked. “Do we need a lawyer?” I mentally groan, not prepared for what happens next. “Wait, we didn’t even steal the scroll in the first place. Right?”
I blinked. He’s not doing the lawyer bit? “I borrowed a lot of stuff, the scroll isn’t one of them.”
Huh. Not sure what to make of this. Can I portal out of here? Would that work? I attempted to make a portal to Rumble and Savage but just like before, it was small. I could probably get a small box of something with that size of a portal. I look at MK in his pajamas and decide to reach into his room. As I pulled what I was looking for out the portal, I saw Rumble and Savage’s gifts on top of the pile. MK took the clothes from my hands. “What are the real charges against us?” I ask, knowing that the longer we drag this out, the madder they will get. I can be happy about MK liking the gifts that much later.
“Because of your actions the Jade Emperor fell and now the pillar of heaven has been irreparably damaged.” Because of Azure’s actions. Not ours. I tried to stop it before it even happened. But they don’t care about that, do they.
“A pillar of Heaven?” Wukong asked.
“You stand accused of the destruction of this world.”
“I’ma- I’ma going to need a minute with my monkey friends.” MK grabbed me and Wukong into a huddle.
“We’re friends?” I asked, trying to mask my excitement because now is not really the moment. Both Wukong and MK looked at me like I called the ocean a soup without context. “What? I chased you all the way down to lanturn city.” I explained. Not to mention the other things. “MK’s first assumption of me is that I want to make him feel bad about things.” Ouch but fair, I give off ‘bad vibes- Trademark Mei.’ “Wukong gives me looks and expects me to know what they mean.” Probably because Macaque knew what they meant. Both of them sighed and I felt a hand pat me on the back. Huh. Have I really been that oblivious? When did we become friends?!
“My professional advice is, we should leave.” MK pleaded.
“Already tried.”
“Crud.” Do I really say that so often that MK picked it up?
Wukong raised his head out of the huddle. “Hm, not seeing a door so I’m just gonna make one.”
I tried to pull his hand down to not anger our captors but it was too late. “We thought you might try some… foolishness to escape justice. And so, we have brought a power even greater than yours.”
“Crud.” I moved in front of Wukong, hoping that me standing in the way might delay the magic in some way. When NeZha came out of the summoning, I couldn’t help but wonder what went wrong. “Oh no. NeZha, What happened?”
MK was happy to see his fellow prince. “NeZha? Hey, NeZha!” he waved with both hands.
This? Mac you were worried about him?” Wukong shut up. You’re going to drag us deeper into this mess! “This is your big scary?” NeZha looked away and his father was next to be summoned. “Okay, yeah, a little bit more powerful than Neshi” YA THINK?!
“Pagoda wielding General, Li Jing.”
I couldn’t decide if I wanted to hide or scream. “Crud.” My warning meant nothing. I didn’t change anything!
“New leader of the Celestial Realm.”
“NeZha’s Dad?! NeZha, your dad’s the new Jade Emperor?”
“The Jade Emperor cannot be replaced-”
“In his absence.” Li Jing interrupted. “I have been incharge with resolving this.” This is not the time for me to judge celestial parenting but if I put a face like that on my kids, I would hand them over to Wukong instantly.
“Big UPS on the promotion Lee. I always knew you’d weasel your way to the top.”
“Stop talking.” I warned the king.
“The world is on a knife’s edge. You add nothing but chaos.” I looked back at NeZha, he turned away from me. I guess he does feel a bit guilty about not being able to do anything, he is trapped in this narrative as much as I am in this moment.
“You know that pagoda of yours isn’t going to be enough to stop us.” I blinked. When did Wukong move? Why isn’t he behind me?! “And as I have been empowered by the heavenly host.”
“STOP!” I ran forward, hoping to get Wukong behind me again, the king was shocked as I pushed him back and with a flash of green light I suddenly had a crown.
"Mac!" MK rushed over while the king was frozen in shock.
"Such indolence." Li Jung growled, dispelling the circlet. "The six eared Macaque is not of worth here."
he reached forward with the building in his hand and suddenly I was pulled in.