Our Ball of Tangled Yarn

Chapter 8: The Six-Eared Macaque

My god my motivation is skyrocketing AND I'M NOT STOPPING- 

also here's the tissues I took from you guys last time. Enjoy!

It took Mk a while, but eventually he reached the familiar city. He passed by the noodle shop and found Pigsy laying in a crater. He was breathing, so the boy assumed he wasn't too roughed up by the time.

"Mk!" Mei grabbed Mk and pointed at the large monster behind a few buildings. "We need you to stop it! I've tried, but that thing seemed really pissed off after Pigsy's attack and almost threw me into a building!"

The successor gripped onto his staff. "I got this. Everyone's out, right?"

"Mhm!"

He took a deep breath. "Okay." He jumped up and pointed his staff at the monster. "Here comes Mon-"

He didn't finish when the monster grabbed his staff and threw him down onto the roof nearby.

Mk groaned, and slowly sat up. "Hopefully that doesn't leave a mark," He mumbled. He looked up and froze as he stared at a demon crying in front of him.

For some reason, this demon reminded him of Wukong for some reason. They had black fur that shined in the faint afternoon light, with tan skin. They had three pairs of colorful ears on the sides of his face. His eyes widened when he saw them wearing a black cloak with red clouds at the edges.

Mk only knew a person who wore that kind of cloak, and this wasn't a person.

Slowly, and carefully, he approached them. He saw how the monster above the body seemed to be protecting the demon, like a mother. It cooed loudly, softing bumping its head against the other's back while they cried into their hands. It noticed them, and growled lowly.

Mk froze, and glanced at the staff in his hand. Maybe he looked like a threat with it. He kept his eyes on the monster while he put the staff in his ear and slowly walked towards the two again. This time the monster seemed a bit more relaxed, and went back to caring for the other.

Mk sat down in front of the shadow monkey and hesitantly placed his hand on the other's shoulder. He stiffened when he saw them flinch, and looked at him with their tear-stained face. Mk barely caught their gasp as he forced himself to speak.

". . . Macaque?" He whispered. "Are . . . Are you Mr. Macaque?"

Macaque only stared at the successor with a lost expression. ". . . Mk?" He mumbled. "What are you doing here?"

Mk was about to speak, before he noticed the monster above them seemed to shrink. "Uh-" he blinked a few times as he watched the shadow beast morphed into what looked like a child. The small shadow figure glanced at him before running to Macaque and sitting in the shadow monkey's lap.

Macaque looked down and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Rumble," He smiled sadly and hugged what was once his little brother. "What are you doing out? You hate coming out in the mornings."

Mk stared at the shadow clone before yelling. "That was a child this whole time?!"

Macaque flinched at the noise and looked at Mk. He hugged Rumble closer and pursed his lips. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing here? Don't you have work right now?"

Mk shook his head. "You first! When were you going to tell me you were a demon?!" To the boy, it almost felt like he was being cheated by everyone. First his mentor, now his new friend. "Does Bai he know about this? Is she one too?" Mk curled his hand into a fist. "Just- . . . who exactly are you?"

Macaque's face dropped when he realized his human glamor had fallen. His hands went up to his head, feeling his natural fluffy fur and lotus-like ears instead of his usual silky white hair and only one pair of round ears. No doubt the boy could see the red mark on his face, and his scars too. His eyes-widened, and his breathing started to shake again.