Secrets of the Golden Sea

Sleep bug

"What do you mean vacation?" Mk asked, looking at his mentor in confusion. Why did Monkey King need a vacation? Wasn't staying in his island enough? His phone dinged. An app called "sleep bug" was the reason for this. He threw his phone and grumpily sat down, folding his arms in an attempt to look angry.

"Aw come on bud, I promised myself when I found a successor I would go see some friends. Take a tour of my old stomping grounds, just cut loose you know? Oh! Gonna need these!"

"B-but you can't just leave! What if someone attacks the city?" He then gasped, a horrible thought festering in his mind. "What if the Spider Queen comes back?"

"You'll figure it out, it's adorable how nervous you are." Monkey King playfully punched his shoulder. "But don't be! You've come a long way! And this is your big step of the journey you must do alone!"

"Alone?" Mk looked at his mentor sadly. He had to do this alone?

•••

Jingshen sat next to Mei, eating a bowl of noodles as Pigsy argued with Tang.

"That's it! No more noodles for you until you clear your tab, Tang!"

"Well how come Jingshen gets some noodles?" Tang sniffed, crossing his arms angrily.

"Because he's a paying customer!"

"And I'm your boyfriend!" As the two continued to argue, Mei showed him something.

"Jingshen, look!" He lazily turned around and stared at the thing on her phone. It was a pop up ad that was talking about an app, sleep bug.

"What's it do?" He asked, putting his bowl down and staring at her screen.

"Let's find out!" She pressed download, as the app slowly downloaded he turned his head to the now silent couple. They were on the ground sleeping. For some reason.

"Uhm Mei—" He turned around and saw that she too, was also sleeping. "Why-"

•••

"Can you believe Monkey king just—" Mk gasped, where did everybody go? "My friends abandoned me!" Mei fell down, snoring as she did so. "Oh thank goodness! Tang! Mei! Pigsy?" Why were they sleeping, and in the middle of the day! "Wake up!" He throttled a sleeping Mei. "Cool cool cool, okay, friends are asleep, Monkey King is gone. It's just me and my thoughts. All alone! This is fine!" Somebody opened the back door to the noodle shop. Mk stood up and bolted to the back.

"You guys awake yet—" Mk was face to face to an awake Jinghsen. "...hi." Jingshen backed up, trying to reclaim his personal space. Only to be hugged tightly by Mk.

"You're awake!" Mk sobbed, squeezing the breath out of his friend.

"Won't be that way for long." Jingshen trailed off. Falling to the ground as Mk finally let go.

"Oh right, Monkey Kings strength."

•••

"It seems like years the big sleep hit."

"Mk—it's been a couple of hours."

"Years it's been, YEARS!"

"Wha—"

"Months, weeks, or just half an hour....Time has become irrelevant."

"Kid you'll always have your, Pigsy! I'm not going anywhere...son!" Mk said, using Pigsy as a puppet. His eyes teared up and he fell to his knees.

"Thanks Dadsy!" As Mk continued to sob Jinghsen just stood there nervously. Not knowing what to do. So he just patted his friends back and waited.

"MONKIE KID!" Mk grabbed his phone in annoyance as his ringer rang.