Journey to Somewhere New (Sun Wukong x reader)

Chap. 10 - Grieving, but not alone

Ever since the "ghost" incident, neither of them talked, it was quiet as they walked through the meadow. Looking ahead, (Y/n) saw a landscape of hills, they must be close to the valley's end. She glanced at Monkey who was still looking straight ahead. There was no tension between them and yet she felt like the silence was pushing them apart by the seconds. She wanted to say something but found nothing to start a conversation with, a friendly one filled with both laugh and sarcasm like the ones they've had together before. How she wanted to go back to that. She quietly sighed and let her gaze wander.

"Oh! Look!" she pointed, happy to have found something. "A crane!"
Monkey looked over. There was indeed a crane.
"I've never seen one before." she said.
He just looked forward again. (Y/n) wanted to tell him she heard that cranes were very spiritual birds and that they'd sometimes represent passed loved ones. But considering what happened, she didn't bring it up and kept observing the bird. It walked around through the tall grass, its head down, as if it was following something. She thought nothing of it at first but when it started to peck something and she heard a scream, she realized the crane was attacking someone.
"Hey!" she ran over to the bird and stood between it and the little old man it was attacking. "Shoo! Shoo!"
It looked unfazed by her but then Monkey came over and glared at it.
"Shoo." he pressed, and the bird flew away with a shriek.

"Are you okay sir?" (Y/n) asked, leaning over the old man with a concerned expression.
"Aouch~!" he held his head in pain but then shook his fist at the crane, flying high above them. "You damn bird! Ruining my daily stroll yet again! I don't care if you're symbolic I'll get you one day! And I'll round up that beak of yours see how you like me now!"
As he kept yelling, (Y/n) took a closer look at him and realized that he wasn't a human. He was too small, like half her size, his bald head looked like a turnip and his eyebrows were so hairy they covered his eyes.
"Excuse me but..." she asked, making him look at her. "Are you an Earth God by any chance?"
"I sure am!" he said as he picked up his cane.
She quickly bowed as soon as he said that.
"I'm honored sir."
"Finally some respect. Unlike *someone*!" he looked up at the crane. "Yeah that's right I'm talking to you!"
He went back to shouting and Monkey walked back to the road.
"Um, well." (Y/n) looked at him go before turning back to the God, bowing again. "Good day to you." she said before rushing back to her companion.

The old god watched her go and just then did he notice Monkey.
"Huh?! Hey!"
They both looked back but he wasn't there anymore. Suddenly, he appeared from the earth in a little cloud of smoke right in front of Monkey. (Y/n) yelped in surprise, but the two men didn't mind her.
"You're Sun Wukong aren't you?" he pointed at him with his cane, almost hitting his nose.
"Yeah. Why?" he said, pushing it aside.
"Oh~ finally!" he turned towards (Y/n). "Then you must be the new Golden Cicada."
The two companion exchanged a brief look of confusion before looking back at the old god.
"Uh...yeah? How do you-?"
"Great, wonderful!" he paused to look at her eyes. "Camouflage, smart. You're a clever one." he motioned a finger gun.
"Oh I didn't-
"More importantly, I have some stuff to give you."
"Stuff?" she blinked twice.
"Yes, the previous guy was supposed to have it, but he just wanted to learn the sutra of last resort and left right after that."
"Wait, you met my father?!" she leaned a bit closer to him.
"Your father?! Small world we live in." he smiled to himself before pointing ahead of the road. "I'll wait for you in my hills."
"Where in the hills exactly?"
"You'll find it, sometimes the spirit remembers." he tapped his temple with a smile right before disappearing into the earth once again.

Now alone, they both looked at each-other and shrugged before going back on the road. They had to go through the hills anyway so this wasn't a big change of plan.
"Do you seriously believe him?" Monkey asked.
"I'm not sure. He did meet my father, it won't hurt to see what he has to give me."
He hummed.
"Even if he was playing a trick, are Earth Gods powerful?" she asked.
"Depends. But with this guy? We'll be fine." he said. "Unless he's luring us to bigger more powerful baddies."
"Like an army of cranes?"
He puffed a smile. She smiled too, happy to have gotten that reaction out of him.
"Who knows."
And the conversation ended.
'No~ keep talking!' she thought.