Pretentious Faces (Masquerade Au)

Begin My Agony

AU created by @decaffinated_fox on TikTok!

TW: Mild gore, self harm, suicide, extensive injury

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The pills sobered him quickly, and Sun Wukong realized what he'd done.

He'd become immortal multiple times. In the Celestial Realm. By stealing basically everything fun that they had.

Shit.

Wukong fled as soon as he could, reuniting with his sworn brothers in order to plan their attack against Heaven.

---

"You may be immortal, but are your brothers?" The emperor stared down the monkey, eyes gleaming as he gestured at the others.

Wukong turned, watching as his brothers fought fiercely, taking heavy hits that made him wince. They could die. The emperor knew they could die.

Heaven would absolutely kill them.

"I surrender. I surrender, just please allow them to escape." Sun Wukong bowed down low, head leaned forward. He could hear his friend's shocked gasps. He could hear Macaque protesting. He didn't dare look up.

Arms grabbed ahold of him, dragging him to his feet. Wukong snarled to himself, allowing the soldiers to push him along. The palace came into view, and despite his awe, Wukong continued to glare at the magnificent architecture.

He was then shoved into a furnace.

And the furnace was hidden, placed amidst a cavern in the mortal realm with seals that made sure he'd never be heard nor found.

---

His skin burned, and his fur was already set ablaze.

The king screamed, running out of breath as his lungs filled with putrid smoke. He thrashed, sobbing internally as he recalled only eating the peaches of immortality, missing the ones that could make his body invincible to such horrors. He regretted his impulsivity, wishing he'd eaten at least one.

His face stung, and he knew his skin was blistering. Wukong tried to cover the tender skin to shield it from further damage, but he knew it was useless.

---

By the end of his forty-ninth day in the furnace, he managed to escape.

The furnace toppled over violently, clambering as the smoke bellowed out. Wukong clambered out, trembling as he stood up. He flinched, feeling the breeze hit his skin.

Someone began to scream in horror.

Wukong looked over, staring as a mortal man gagged, clawing at his eyes. The man screamed garbled words, cursing whatever cruel being decided to cast such a hideous monster before his eyes.

And then the man killed himself.

The king screamed, backing away frantically. He collapsed, curling in on himself and covering himself as best he could with the scraps of fabric he still had. Someone landed near him. Wukong shuddered, "Don't look. Please don't look."

A gentle hand placed itself against his mangled fur, "I am the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin. Please, monkey, tell me what is wrong." He shuddered again, "I am so hideous that that poor mortal has ended his own life once he laid eyes upon me."

A veil was placed over him, and only then did the monkey finally allow her to move him.

---

"For your crimes, Buddha shall decide your punishment."