Monkie Kid: Mommy Dearest

The Witch and The Great Sage

The group made one last stop for supplies, they needed to head up to the town in the mountains, so everyone got in the T.E.A. and Sandy started driving up. It was mostly quiet, with MK and Mei sleeping, Red Son working on a small gadget, Macaque meditating as Chyou did Daiyu's hair as Daiyu wrote in her diary as Mo lay next to her sleeping, and Tang reading a book as Pigsy, Chenguang, and Wukong were towards the front looking at the map to lead them up the mountain. 

"This town in the mountains is a big tourist attraction due to its caves," Chenguang explained. "The town has a legend that there was a drought many centuries ago and they couldn't grow crops, and the people were starving. Then one day a young monk desperate to save his village prayed to the Gods. A maiden moved by his words gifted him the pendant she wore around her neck. She told the young monk it was a wishing stone and that whatever he wished would come true but after he should hide it, in fear that the villagers may get greedy. After the young monk made his wish, he spent many days under the sun and many nights under the moon digging the labyrinth of caves and hid the pendant, so the young monk's village would continue to thrive."

"Actually," Tang adjusted his glasses, "it wasn't a maiden it was--"

"Tang, no one cares." Daiyu cut him off. 

Chyou looked surprised. She knew her daughter could be honest, but not blunt. Her attention turned away from her daughter when she heard a stifled laugh from Macaque. 

"Don't act coy," She looked at Macaque, "she gets it from you."

"Don't act like you don't love it." Macaque purred. 

Before Chyou had a chance to retort back, the T.E.A. jolted to a stop, walking up to MK and Mei. 

"What happened?" Mei yawned. 

"The road to the town is too narrow," Sandy explained, "will have to travel the rest of the way by foot." 

The group began to take the stairway built alongside the mountain to take them to the town. Daiyu looked over the railing, seeing how high up they were she felt her heart drop into her stomach, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she grabbed hold of Macaque. 

The wind started to pick up by the time they reached the mountain. The village was in ruins. A swarm of thorn demons was attacking it. 

"She's here," Wukong growled under his breath.

Wukong turned to the others. "You all know what to do, protect and rescue those in danger. Sandy, take Chyou and Daiyu back down the mountain."

"What about you Monkey King?" MK asked.

"I'm going after that witch." Wukong turned to the top of the mountain.   

Before anyone could say anything, Wukong launched himself towards the mountain. The silence amongst the group was interrupted by the screams of the villages. 

"No time," Red Son summoned fired, "split up."

Before Macaque left to help the others her turn to Chyou, Chyou was holding Daiyu, for the first time in a long time Macaque saw the scared princess she was when they first met. 

"Gem," Macaque approached Chyou. "I'll be back for you."

Macaque cupped Daiyu's cheek. "For both of you."

Chyou kissed Macaque, slowly pulling away before following Sandy down the mountain with Daiyu.

In the caves, Lady Thorn Rose slowly approached the altar where the grey crystal levitated it glowing with a soft silver aura, she took it in her hand, with a smile knowing the final stage of her plan was growing closer. 

"I finally found you," Wukong growled, "where is my son?"

"Ah Sun Wukong," She tucked the crystal into her robes, " to what do I owe the displeasure?"

"Where is he," Wukong snapped, "and don't act like you don't know who I'm talking about."

"You mean the boy?" Lady Thorn Rose raised an eyebrow, "I can assure you he's safe, for now."

"You made the mistake of taking him." Wukong clenched his fists.

"No Sun Wukong," All emotion left her face, "you made the mistake of letting him live."

Without thinking, Wukong charged at her, but Lady Thron Rose used her powers to summon multiple thorns in front of Wukong. Wukong jumped back away from the thorns, he was unaware Messenger was about to strike him from behind with a sickle. Before Messenger could strike Macaque had appeared blocking the sickle with his staff.

"Macaque?" Wukong was surprised.

"You!?" Messenger growled. 

"You deal with the witch," Macaque looked over his shoulder, "I'll deal with the errand boy."

Macaque kicked Messenger in the stomach, sending them skidding across the ground. Both monkeys charged in opposite directions. Lady Thorn Rose manifested a scythe and blocked Wukong's kick with the handle. 

Wukong jumped back and dodged the swings from the scythe before charging again, this time kicking the scythe out of her hand. 

"You just don't know when to quit do you?" Lady Thorn Rose grimaced.

Messenger was growling in frustration as their attempts to strike Macaque failed. Macaque had grabbed their wrist and pulled their masked face closer to his. A wicked smirk appeared on Macaque's face.

"I gonna enjoy this," Macaque reeled back his fist. "Especially after what you almost did to my daughter."

"That child is nothing but a disgusting hybrid!" Messenger spat out. "It's nothing but an abomination!"

"You're just saying all the right things to make me mad," Macaque's eyes started to glow, "all this is going in making what I'm about to do justifiable."

Lady Thorn Rose kept swinging her scythe at Wukong who manage to grab hold of the scythe's handle and use it to fling her across the cave, with the pendant stone falling out of her robe. She picked herself off the ground before tucking the stone back into her robe as Messenger was thrown at her feet.

"You may have won this battle Sun Wukong," her voice was cold, "but don't count on winning this war."

With a snap a tornado of wind formed around the two, blowing back Macaque and Wukong from attacking, and just like what happened with Tao, the two had disappeared alongside the tornado. At the same time in the village, the thorn demons the rest were fighting off had frozen before decaying into piles of dust, leaving the others confused. 

Wukong and Macaque jumped down from the mountain, covered in dirt and looking frustrated.

"How happened?" Mei asked concerned seeing the sate they were in.

"They got away." Macaque grumbled.

"We'll explain everything on the way down the hill," Wukong was stern, "that witch took the stone."

"What for?" Red Son inquired.

"I'm not sure," Wukong turned to him, "but it's probably not good for us."

With the stone in her hands, Lady Thorn Rose approached a crown made of thorned branches with an opening in the center, made for the stone. Once she placed the stone in the center, the pendant's silver aura turned a sickly greyish-green. 

"Keep an eye on Sun Wukong," Lady Thorn Rose turned to messenger with a sinister smile, "we won't want him to miss his son's coronation."