{Shadows In The Snow} |Monkie Kid AU| •Book 1•

•Chapter 21• {|The Aftermath|}

{⚠️TW:Blood:TW⚠️}
Wukong was speeding to Kenji, holding the kid and Li in his grasp, tears leaving the side of his face. "Cmon...cmon faster DANG it!!!" He muttered as he gritted his teeth and zoomed faster on his cloud, trying to find where Kenji could be, his eyes and head darting his surroundings. He then saw Kenji meditating on his porch down below him, him immediately turning the direction to his house and zooming down to him. "K-KENJI!!!" Wukong shouted to Kenji from above, Kenji opening his eyes immediately and looking up only to see Wukong land roughly onto the ground and rolls off as his cloud vanished and with Li and MK in his arms. Kenji looked confused and shocked by this and immediately went to help him, "Monkey King! What is the matter..?! Wait..." he then paused, seeing his granddaughter in Wukong's arms, blood down her face and mouth, and her left leg badly sprained and then saw MK laying on his back, looking weak and tired, injured badly. "Who.....what...?" Said Kenji in a state of shock, unable to speak or do anything, frozen in shock. "M-...Macaque tried to take her...he attacked us when I tried to protect her and take her home....I-..I-I'm sorry I couldn't protect them.." said Wukong as he looked tired and full of grief and sadness, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks and dripping from his chin. "Macaque....? HE did this...? To my grandchild...and former student...?" Said Kenji, in a calm tone. Wukong then immediately felt the rage from within the old monkey, just begging to get out, the redness in his eyes and the completely calm face hiding the angered snarl that was behind it, he then went to the three, picked up Li and MK without trouble and went to go inside without a word. "K-Kenji...??" Said Wukong in worry and a bit of fear, the old monkey stopped and looked at him, looking a bit angry but worried as well. "Come inside." Said Kenji, Wukong already understood the instructions and got up, staggering after the old one, almost tripping onto his knees and coughing a bit, blood spouting out his mouth a little. Kenji saw and immediately went to him, but before he could, Wukong fell onto the ground limply. "W-Wukong!!!" Kenji screamed, then everything went black.

A few hours had passed, it was raining and pouring outside, parts of the house was rebuilt by Kenji and the doors reinstalled. Wukong was resting in Kenji's bedroom, him in some comfortable sleeping clothes and wounds bandaged up. Li was in her room, resting peacefully and thankfully well after all that happened, her head wrapped in bandages and her leg in some bandages and a cast, she was breathing slowly and felt a bit of a headache from the head injury, but was overall good. Kenji was sitting in the living room with the others, quietly discussing about what happened. "I can't believe that black furred,  sadistic sociopath hurt my friends!!!" Shouted Mei, then continued, a raging glow in her eyes. "He....is going to PAY." Thunder then rumbling from the outside and lighting shining through. "Calm yourself Mei dear...MK, Wukong and Li are in good hands now....I'm hoping they'll be ok.." said Kenji as he calmed her with a small pat on her back. Tang and Pigsy looked grieved and angry by the news, Pigsy looking outraged...yet saddened by what happened, Sammy and the others looking grieved too. MK was sleeping on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and looking pale yet patched up from his wounds, breathing calmly and deep within slumber. Then a small knock was heard at the door, Kenji got up to see who it was and peeked out the window, only to see...Red Son?! He was in a cloak and his face a bit wet from the rain, him looking rather irritated than calm, he then knocked again, growing angry and impatient. "Ugh...what is taking them so long?! HELLO..?!" He shouted as he was about to knock again but the door swung open, him meeting the face of an old monkey, Kenji. He then paused and looked surprised but kept his polite yet rude demeanor, "Listen old man...I heard of what happened and..I, Red Son, have come to.....apologize." Said the redhead, him looking a bit disgusted by saying the last word, but also grieved. Kenji took a sigh of relief and calmness and spoke. "Thank you, your highness...I accept your apology, but how did you hear of this?" Asked the old monkey, "Mother and father were discussing about the matter, so I listened in and found out that the Monkey King was brutally beaten by some foe...it wasn't my father which was a disappointment, but I thought it was rather joyous to hear that our target was finally taken down...only to find out that monkey gi- I mean...your granddaughter and the boy was badly injured...so I got my parents permission to visit, to see if the it was true..." said Red Son, him looking a bit guilty for saying the truth of what he thought, but he kept his composure. Kenji looked a bit irritated from the lack of sympathy the boy had, but kept calm. "Yes Red Son, the news was true, the Demon Bull King family might've thought it was "funny" but I felt distraught by it.....so plz, if your hear to pay respects, I'd gladly let you see them...but, if your here to laugh and claim your victory.." he then paused and sighed in a bit of a shaky and grieving tone. "Th-Then do it..." he mumbled, hurt and sadness in his voice and he closed the door, making Red Son jump and look surprised and saddened by the matter, he thought of saying something but held his peace, leaving and returning back to his parents, a small sigh coming from him. He then paused when he heard the screams of a girl, turning back only to see a fist and feeling an impact on his cheek. "AUUGH!!!" He shouted, holding his cheek and his glasses landing on the ground, him slipping on the wet grass and falling on his backside, holding his cheek in pain. He opened his eyes and saw Mei standing before him, looking outraged and tears streaming down her face. "Why you EVER show your face around here...we know your the son of the Demon Bull King and WHY you came! To rub your victory in our faces!!?" She screamed, sounding angry and hurt. Red Son was shocked, his eyes widened and his hand on his bruised cheek. "What are you TALKING about?! I didn't want to LAUGH?! I came to apologize dragon girl!!!" He lashed back, still holding his cheek. "YOUR LYING!!!" Screamed Mei as she shoved him to the ground, a shaky scream escaping her mouth. "O-OW! Hey! Stop that!!!" Red Son responded, sounding a bit irritated by now. Mei then was about to punch him again until she was stopped, Red Son looked behind her and gasped in shock, it was MK. Mei turned and then gasped in pure shock, more tears welling up in her eyes. "M-MK....?" She muttered, MK looked weak but seemed fine and nodded a bit in his shorts and shirt. "Y-Yeah...it's me Mei, are you ok..? What's..." MK spoke but he paused, seeing Red Son on the ground, trying to get up but was struggling to due to his bruised and swollen cheek, MK then felt a bit scared and backed away a bit. Red Son then was going to say something but didn't, grabbing his glasses and running back to home, his cheek still swollen and bruised and some of his hair wet and drenched in the rain. Mei watched and gave him a growl before turning back to MK and looking relieved. "MK...I can't believe your ok! You had me so worried!!!" She screamed as she hugged him tightly while sobbing uncontrollably, MK simply pat her back and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah buddy..It was hard to come to ya but...here I am.." the boy chuckled.

Mei and MK was getting wet by the rain but then felt something loom about them, they looked up and saw an umbrella, looking and seeing Sammy holding the umbrella over them. "Hey kiddos...I saw you two out here in the rain and thought of sheltering you from it..." said the blue giant, him looking as positive as usual but a bit of sadness in his smile. "Oh, hi Sammy! T-Thanks.." said Mei as she wiped the tears from her face, a small sniff escaping her whimpers. MK patted her back and hugged her again, trying to comfort her, she hugged back and smiled. Sammy smiled as well and spoke. "Cmon now, it's raining like crazy out here, let's go get some dinner from Pigsy, he's making noodles and dumplings for dinner, and besides, I don't want you two getting a cold!" Said Sammy, nudging the two kids towards the house and taking them inside, the smell of fresh steaming dumplings filling the air and everyone talking and gathered together except...Li and Wukong. MK was curious and worried, trying to figure out where the two monkeys went, excusing himself. "Uhm guys, this is wonderful and all but...where's Li Mei and Monkey King...?" He asked, everyone going silent and before one of them could answer, they heard faint sobs and cries coming from Li's room, they sounded like Kenji's. "W-What happened..??? What happened to Li..?! Where is she..?? And Monkey King..??" The boy asked again but sounded distressed, Pigsy then said, "They're resting kid...Kenji is having a terrible moment right now..it's best not to ruin it..." the pig looking sad as he passed out bowls of noodles and dumplings to everyone at the kitchen table. MK sighed and joined, sitting beside Tang and Mei, Sammy at the sink making tea with his tea bangs. MK then was met with a bowl of dumplings by Pigsy, "Here kid, some extra dumplings for ya, after what you went through, you deserve something on ya stomach...eat up." The pig said sympathetically and going back to his seat across the table, MK thanked him and picked up some chopsticks, plucking at a dumpling a bit, looking thankful yet still sad but kept his small smile, picking up a dumpling and digging in.

[Meanwhile]
"Oh why.....WHY! My only grandchild......why did I let you go there...?! WHY?!! Oh Li Mei..p-plz...wake up..." cried Kenji as he sobbed in his hands before his granddaughter, sitting on a chair near her bed, sobs and cries coming from the old man and him in a grieving state. He kept crying and sobbing, tears leaking through his fingers and onto the carpet, his sobs muffled and chocked by hicks and sniffs. Li was still unconscious, looking weak and bruised, patched up from her wounds. She breathed long and heavy breathes, her chest slowly rising and falling. "This is all YOUR fault..." a voice spoke in his mind, "You let her go..." "She's going to die because of YOU." The voices spoke, sounding familiar and full of sadistic laughs and giggles. "Leave us ALONE MACAQUE!!!" Kenji screamed, grabbing his stick and in a fighting stance. "So much hatred Kenji...you always said not to let it grow...we're you lying? Ooooohohoho...that's now how a teacher should act..." the voice continued, making Kenji grow more and more in anger but tried to regain his composure. "That is enough Macaque! Haven't you caused enough pain?! You almost killed my granddaughter!!!" Shouted Kenji in pain and frustration at the voice but...he got no response. He then heard groaning and heard his name being called. "G-Grandpa..???" The voice spoke, it was Li, Kenji immediately looked over to Li and saw her sitting up in bed, still looking tired. Kenji gasped and looked shocked and relieved, going to her and sitting near her bed. "D-Dear...? Is that you..oh thank the heavens your back...I...I thought I lost you...." He muttered, his hands shaking and holding one of her cheeks, caressing them. Li simply flinched but smiled reassuringly and weakly, holding his hand as a sign she missed his comfort. "Yeah pop...it's me..." she said in a whisper as she smiled more. "My granddaughter..." Kenji replied in pure happiness as he hugged Li gently, tears of joy steaming down his face, Li smiled too and hugged back, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you grandpa..."

"I missed you too dear..thank the heavens you have awoken...I'd don't know what I'd do without you..."

"Well, I'm here now...I'm so happy to see you again papa...I'm sorry I worried you.."

"You never worried me at all dear...not at all."