Gay Chicken (Monkey Edition)

The Loyalty

It took Macaque the better part of a week before he left the mountain's peak. Every monkey on the mountain visited him once a day with small offerings of fruit and cuddles. To his shame, he'd turned most of them away. Too caught up in his grief and loss to accept their attempts at comfort. Eventually, the grieving warrior allowed some of the mother monkeys to drag him down to the waterfall cave. Seeking solace in the stone mansion, he curled up in Wukong's room. Several of the baby monkeys were left in the king's room to keep the immortal company. Eventually his desire to fulfill the king's request surpassed his despair at the other's absence. Weeks passed unnoticed, the grieving simian going through the motions of caring for the little monkeys and protecting the mountain. After some time there was an unexpected visitor.

"Simian! I know you are here!" A familiar voice roared, echoing over the mountain. Macaque's ears flicked in disbelief and he slowly approached the waterfall. It can't be. A small troop of monkey followed him to the seal, where he opened it with a touch. Outside stood Demon Bull King, arms crossed and glaring.

"Bull King?" Macaque gave the demon a confused look. "Why are you here? How did you escape the Celestial Realm?" The last he saw of the other demon he was fighting a truly vicious celestial maiden.

The demon king gave the smaller immortal a once over. The monkey's fur was unkept and his eyes had visible bruises under them. "Macaque, I heard about Wukong's punishment. Have you....?" Demon Bull King trailed off when the simian shook his head.

"I haven't left the mountain since he told me to take care of it until he came back." Macaque softly admitted. One of the small monkeys climbed up his back and nuzzled his cheek. "I don't even- how long ago did we attack the Celestial Realm?" He looked up at the demon king, eyes listless but containing a fragile hope. "How long will his punishment last?"

Demon Bull King knelt in front of the tired warrior and hesitantly set his hand on the other's shoulder. "The attack was six months ago. Macaque.... Wukong was-" He lightly squeezed the simian's shoulder. "He was thrown into the Eight Trigram Furnace. They are trying to extract the elixir of immortality from him."

Macaque felt as if the ground under him had fallen away. "No...." His hoarse voice barely a whisper. "No. Please." Trembling hands clutched his love's scarf as tears fall unbidden from his face. Not my Wukong. A distant voice in his head noted that he'd fallen to his knees, but screaming thoughts of Wukong drowned out everything else. No one could survive that. Not even him. Faint wisps of shadows started to gather. A hand placing itself over his head jolted him from his thoughts.

Demon Bull King sighed, awkwardly looking down at the grieving simian. "We have been allies for a long time, Macaque. If you need anything, I am here. I know I cannot replace your... king, but as both your brother and his, I will make sure you are not alone." The large king shuffled his feet as he glanced away. "I may not have always gotten along with your... um partner, but I am no traitor." He almost seemed to be assuring himself of this.

Macaque tilted his head as he looked at the taller immortal, a bitter realization hitting him. "You heard about the Brotherhood declaring him a traitor and by an extension me as well." The bull nodded, a furious light in his eyes. "I tried to explain what happened, but I was a bit...." The ebony warrior glanced down in shame at his inability to convince the trio of former Celestials of Wukong's innocence. He clenched his fists. "I failed to get them to understand what happened. They had made up their minds." His hand subconsciously clutched the king's scarf.

"Fools. I expect such behavior from Peng, but I thought Azure was reasonable." Demon Bull King growled, clenching his fist. "Tusk agreed with them?" He stared at the simian, slight worry in his face as the other seemed to shrink in on himself.