𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙔 𝘿𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙔___{Lᵐᵏ ˣ Kᶰʸ}

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏𝙀𝙀𝙉

LOVEY DOVEY

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Chapter Eighteen
New Adventures
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❝I find beauty in everyone, no matter their flaws or imperfections.❞

AFTER AZURE FINALLY managed to seal the scroll and trapped all of the ink inside it successfully, everything returned back to normal. You were grateful that he saved the day. However, both Mk and Mei had other thoughts about him.

The two of them attacked him when he least expected it, but he was quick enough to compose himself, "Hand over the scroll, children." Azure warned as he held his hand out, indicating Mk to give him the scroll. The boy pointed the scroll at the lion, "No, you hand over the scroll, or-..." He stopped when Mei whispered something in his ear, "We've got the scroll! Now free our friends, and we don't have to get physical." Mk corrected himself quickly. A low growl left Azure's lips as he glared at your two friends, "You expect me to believe you were not responsible for stealing the scroll despite it being in your possession?" He questioned them.

"Yup!" Mei and Mk said in unison.

"We don't even know what this friend napper is, so there's that." Mei added as she and Mk took a pose. You felt like things would get really serious, so you decided to step in before things could escalate quickly, "Guys, please stop. It's not time for a fight when there's something dangerous like this scroll." You tried to prevent the fight while panicking. Suddenly, Azure started to laugh out loud which made you all sweatdrop, "Why is he laughing? Did I say something funny?" You thought, staring at him with dotted eyes. Azure put his sword away before calming down, "Let's start again. You must be MK the Monkie Kid and Mei the White Horse Dragon Girl. Of course, I met miss Y/N in the way here." He pointed out, sounding more friendly now.

"Tell us who you are, guy, before we mess! You! Up!" Mei said while punching the air.

"I've gone by many names. Perhaps the one you are familiar with is... the Azure Lion!"

Azure introduced himself, but there was a moment of awkward silence since none of you knew him. His shoulders dropped in disappointment, "Or... not, okay. In any case, I am here to help. The item that imprisoned your friends is a fragment of the Scroll of Memory, an ancient artifact stolen from The Underworld. If not by you, then presumably by your Master, Sun Wukong." Azure explained to you three.

"You know Monkey King?!"

"Everyone knows the Monkey King. But yes, he was once my sworn brother."

Something suddenly clicked in your head. If he knows Sun Wukong, does that mean he also knows Macaque? You must ask Macaque about Azure Lion another time. The lion knows Mk and Mei pretty well even though it was the first time they met him. Could there be a possibility that he might be an enemy watching your friends? Your train of thoughts stopped when you heard Azure speak up again, "The only reason I can imagine Monkey King would have "borrowed" the scroll is that he has become sentimental in his old age. After all, that scroll contains the memories of his Journey to the West." Azure told you, crossing his arms over his chest.

Mk suddenly gasped in awe, "You're telling me that I'm holding the Journey to the West legend in my hand right now?!" He gawked, holding the scroll up

"That, and the great many other tales, I'm sure. Everything that has ever happened, every deed, every word has been recorded in the Scroll of Memory. It's a prison, designed to contain wicked souls, forcing them to relive their past misdeeds over and over again for all eternity. In order to contain its prisoners, a powerful protective curse was cast upon the scroll to prevent those imprisoned from escaping and ensare any who would seek to free those locked inside, trapping them forever. Left unchecked, that curse would have spread, consuming everything until nothing remained. I thought I arrived in time to contain the curse, but based on your expressions, I would hazard a guess that Sun Wukong has already been consumed, along with your friends." Azure explained more about the scroll and curse in it.

"This sounds really creepy. They should just kept it sealed and hidden somewhere secure instead of creating a destructive curse." You spoke up with a bit of fear. Azure sighed and shook his head, "Nobody expected this turn of events. Once a soul in, it can't get out." He replied which made a chill go down your spine.

Mk stepped forward with a look of determination, "But it's fine, right? We'll just pop this bad boy open and get them back!" He exclaimed, wanting desperately to help the others. You looked at him with concern, "Mk, this could be dangerous." You tried to reason with him, but it seemed that he was pretty determined to save the others.

"We fought what's worst, I'm sure we can do this."

"It's too late to save them. We can't risk unleashing the curse into the world just like what miss Kanroji said." Azure stated in a warning manner. Mk looked at you and Mei for a moment before looking back to Azure, "You don't know! We'd risk it for sure! I won't abandon them when they need us. If your friendship with Monkey King meant anything to you-..." The boy insisted, but he couldn't finished his sentence when Azure cut him off.

"It meant everything to me." He said and then let out a sigh, "If your friendship is as strong as you say it is, then... perhaps there is a way. But we need to move now." You, Mei, and Mk gasped in shock when Azure agreed to help you.

"Wait for real?"

"What? You're actually gonna... help?"

"Really?"

Azure sat down on the ground, "We're brothers. Nothing could ever change that." He said with a smirk on his face. Both Mei and Mk started to jump around in happiness while you stood there in surprise, "Yes, yes, yes! Yes! Yes! We'll just go in after them, find our boys in a bunch of cheeky little adventures, beat the curse and bing-bam-boom, we're done." Mk exclaimed with excitement. Azure let out another sigh before proceeding to explain more, "I'll open the scroll long enough for you to get inside. But finding your friends, that'll be up to you." Just as he said that, Mk, Mei, and you agreed with him..

"In order to escape the scroll, you'll need to defeat its protective curse, but it's going to take all your stength combined. Now, hand me the scroll." He  confronted while holding his hand out. Mk was hesitant of what to do, "If we're going to do this, we need to trust each other." He added firmly. Mk looked at you and Mei for confirmation. Mei held his hand while you gave him a smile and just like that, Mk handed the scroll to Azure.

"Look out for one another. You can do this."

"Thank you so much, Uncy Lion!"

Azure chuckled before going back to being serious, "Alright. Ready?" He asked, earing him firm nods from the three of you, "Good luck."

And just like that, he opened the scroll. Ink seeped out of it, taking a form of a dragon. It consumed you all, sending you to a dark void, "This is so scary!" You thought while looking around the void. Mk took a step back and the void started to disappear slowly. Little by little, it revealed the place you were in... It took you to the old age. To the time of Journey to the West.