Chapter Text
"Once upon a time, there was a goddess who grew the loveliest peach trees in all the realms.
Beneath her feet, the ground became fertile with life and promise, soon to be enriched with Spring.
Every peach she grew was given the title of 'Blessed Stone Fruit,' granting of immortality to those who ate one whole.
She visited the King of the Sun, asking that he not let there be a summer day too hot, as to not burn her peaches,
he agreed.
She visited the Warrior of the Moon, asking that he not let there be a winter night too cold, as to not freeze her peaches,
he agreed.
Yet, the Sun and the Moon did not wish for peaches or fruit, for the goddess was all of their desires.
In the silence of the night, the King and the Warrior schemed together.
They had a plan to charm the goddess, and win her heart, forever in possession of the fruit she bore.
The Warrior, unknowing of the King's veiled greed, agreed to take part.
But alas, when came the day they meant to claim her heart-
Fate would not let them have their way."
[Y/N]'s bored gaze finally drifted from the screen, thumbing past the chapter they'd read a moment before.
"Talk about absolutely ridiculous myths."
[Y/N] had spent the better part of an hour or two getting ready for work, thumbing through a little book of myths they'd managed to find online. Usually, they'd be enchanted by myths! Knowing about so many different ones from all sorts of places and cultures! But unfortunately, there was a dumb one here and there. No use in brooding over it, but it just sounded so... Fan-service..-y? [Y/N] couldn't think of the word right now, it didn't come to mind. Whatever though! You're supposed to be getting ready for work, not reading borderline fanfiction!
Taking a hold of some casual comfy attire, you dressed yourself quickly. You'd been a sort of special case in the town of Megapolis, China... A few years ago, you woke up to a peculiar boy who dubbed himself with the name MK, or Monkie Kid. Weird, right? According to them, you'd woken up with no memory, just some clothes, and a particular neckpiece. It was a very fancy, almost royal-looking necklace when they described it, but upon taking a look in the mirror, you found it was just a cute-looking choker. It was made of metal, and looped elegantly around your neck, but didn't seem to stand out much more than that. The only strange thing about it was... Well, the fact that it seemed like it couldn't be removed. It never seemed to get dirty, and you sure as hell didn't want to remove it! It looked good on you!
By the time you'd finished, there was still some time to kill before getting to work... Sure, why not?
Assuring yourself your earphones were plugged in properly, the tunes began in your head. There was about twenty, maybe thirty minutes to hit the arcade, so off you went. Upon arrival, you prepared some quarters and went off to try and beat some highscores. By no means were you a pro, but doing this as a pass time has certainly made you quite the enemy to a few dedicated players. Most of the games seemed to revolve around some of those many mythical characters you adored so much, especially your sort of favorite, Sun Wukong. It wasn't uncommon for the people of Megapolis to chatter about The Great Sage being their favorite, considering this is were the great mythical story of the Demon Bull King originated. You remember hearing a few passing comments from MK about it, mostly how he was now training under the Monkey King himself! But strangely enough, it seemed you never found yourself fortunate enough to meet him.
You were either too early or too late. A shame... But alas, you didn't mind very much. You wouldn't really know what to say to him so hey, more time to prepare just in case. The average Sun Wukong fan you were, but you'd also heard the very incredible tales of the all-hearing Six-Eared Macaque. First things first, did he ACTUALLY have six ears? You'd never known, and no matter how much you tried to find information on him, it seemed there was no concrete record, be it myth or media, that displayed him consistently with six ears or just the normal two. Personally? You liked to think he had six of them, and could just hide them at will. He was often described as a trickster, so it'd make sense.
Final quarter. You snapped back to reality, noticing you'd once again completed the runthrough with little trouble. Hey, new record too! Just gotta beat that god-forsaken Mei... She was absolutely INCREDIBLE at these games, no matter what- What is she, some kind of secret tournament player??
Probably, considering the amount of time she probably has to just game and post.
A smile crossed your lips as you finished the use of your final quarter, leaving the next player with a new skin unlock.
For some odd reason, your mind drifted back to the myth of the monkeys. Just as you stepped out of the arcade, a signature song slipped into your playlist. Problems. How fitting for your thoughts, right? So began your mindless humming along.
The walk was short, but it gave you time to collect your thoughts. By the time you arrived, you'd managed to store your wandering mind away and prepare to get to work.
"Finally! I thought you weren't gonna show up," Pigsy began from behind the counter, kneading some dough in preparation for his next batch of orders.
"Sorry Pigsy, but hey, I'm not late right?" You hummed.
Pigsy seemed to mumble, but either way, he seemed silently appreciative of your appearance.
"Yeah yeah, just go get ready." The swine huffed, gesturing towards the back with his arm and thumb.
After greeting the loyal mister Tang, you headed on back to change. Not that you had much to change really, just put on some gloves and your apron. It had a bit of a flour stain on it but nothing a quick wash couldn't fix, right? You'd finished after a few minutes, heading on back to the front. The usual scolding of MK's tardiness was practically the soundtrack of the noodle restaurant. Of course, MK had orders to get too- but it was probably something he'd be called away from.
"I won't have time Pigsy, I'm sorry!" He protested, trying to leave the noodles where they were.
"Well I need SOMEONE to deliver these!"
"Go ahead MK," You spoke up. "I'll handle it!"
MK's smile was so big, you could've sworn the kid saw a halo form around your head. It got a faint giggle out of you before you quickly went to correct yourself. "But you better be sure to tell your great mentor about your job, okay? Saving the world is important, but you need time to rest and be a normal teenager."
MK gave you a proud smile, his brows furrowed in determination. He rushed to give you a quick hug and one of his excited 'BYEEEE's before practically skipping away. Pigsy sighed, immediately turning to apologize and tell you there was no need for you to do such a thing, but you'd already agreed. Plus, it was really no trouble! A chance to head into the city again, right? After gathering your things and taking the orders to the delivery car, you drove off to the first destination.
Upon arrival, you knocked, delivered, and went on. You stopped by quite a few places, and got to see some new places to check out when you had the time! Apparently, there are a few hidden gems around here that you still haven't been able to visit, a shame. But the one that particularly stuck with you was a mysterious theater. Seemed to be in a pretty cramped part of town, at least cramped building-wise. Besides that, it was relatively quiet...
Approaching the theater, you headed on towards the entrance and opened the door, looking around. The front seemed to be deserted, but you could hear something coming from further within. Knowing you couldn't just leave without delivering, you strolled on further in, smiling to yourself.
"Hello? Delivery from Pigsy's Noodles,"
Your voice seemed to echo through empty halls, and you felt like turning back until a voice replied.
"Last door to your left."
Huh. Now that voice was... Kind of hot. It sounded deep, and had a bit of a husk to it. If you didn't know any better, you would've assumed it was some sort of voice acting or something. A few strides ahead, you came face-to-face with a door, what seemed to be violet light peeking through the bottom. As soon as you pushed to open the door, it flickered, becoming more natural yellowed lighting.
You were right, the place was deserted, save for a cloaked creature standing atop the stage before you.
"You ordered the spicy combo?"
The creature looked towards you, offering a sly smile. "Yup, thanks plum."
You blinked, sort of surprised by the nickname. Not that it didn't go appreciated! Just, wow, okay.
"O-Of course! Yeah, heh. Uh, enjoy your meal, thanks for ordering from Pigsy's noodles." You managed to reply, thinking a little too hard about your words.
"No problem. Could you leave it on that last row there?" There was no way he hadn't taken notice of how you struggled to speak to him... Honestly.
You nodded, approaching the door in preparation to drop off the noodles, but just as you went to set it down, the walls around you seemed to dance. Not in a scary, frightening way- But some form of figures. They moved smoothly along the walls, and you could recognize two distict characters... The Monkey King, and the Six-Eared Macaque.
"Wait, are you... Are you doing a shadow play for Journey to the West?" You turned, smiling lightly.
The creature, well, man probably, had been looking at you go, letting you notice that he was probably purposely trying to catch your attention. His sly smile stretched further. "You noticed, hm?"
An enthusiastic nod later, and your attention was all on the walls around you as they lit up with life. Shadows danced brightly across paintings and pillars, moving seamlessly across the theater room as if it were some sort of CGI. That was... Incredible.
"I've never read it but, the movie was funny." You chuckled, thinking back to the various scenes that had you laughing your ass to high heaven.
"The movie? I'm hurt," The man laughed. "haven't you ever read the book?"
You gave a cocky 'HAH,' following it up quickly. "No, but I've heard all sorts of things about it! I'm practically an expert."
Stepping off of the stage, the man approached. He reached for you momentarily, and you were quite surprised by the approach, but then you realized you were still clutching his order. "Oh! Sorry, thought I'd put it down."
He chuckled, settling down on the row just beside you. "Running off with my food?"
"No! No no," You replied. "I'm not a big fan of spicy food, wouldn't steal it either way."
"Really now? Well, if you got something, what would it be?"
Okay, now it was obvious he was keeping you here for the chat. You could stay for a bit, some customers wouldn't mind getting their noodles a bit late, right? "Probably... Dumpling soup. Absolutely delicious but no one gives it a chance!"
The chattery went on for a good while. It began with noodles, moved onto the shadowplay, until finally it moved onto myths. You were gushing about the myth of Sun Wukong, but what you said seemed to catch the puppeteer off-guard.
"Can I just- I feel like Wukong was cruel, you know? He had EVERYTHING, power, wealth, immortality... He was the literal definition of 'I want it, I got it,' but he left people behind in pursuit of things he wanted... I mean, in so many shows, Macaque was literally his friend! I can't imagine how bad Macaque felt, being abandoned like that." You sighed.
"Do you feel bad for him?" The man asked, lowering his fork.
"I guess... I mean, it just sucks. You understand his motive, despite the fact hes such a villian. But hey, the best villians are written with a good motive!"
"Heh... Yeah."
You hummed, relaxing. In that moment, you realized you hadn't even seen this guys face, much less asked anything about him.
"I'm so sorry, I don't even know your name and I just info-dumped like hell on you," You giggled, shaking your head. "name's [Y/N], yours?"
His sly smirk returned, and slowly, he uncloaked himself. Just as the hood fell, your stomach tightened. Six beautifully decorated ears came into view, followed close behind by a rich, golden gaze with what seemed to be purple under-tones. Holy fuck.
"Macaque, the six-eared Macaque, but I think you know that already huh?"
"Oh my god," You broke into a smile, absolutely laughing your ass off. "I've sat here GUSHING about how awesome I think you are for the last half an HOUR, please kill me..."
The hearty laugh that followed warmed your heart, and cheeks. "No, no! I'm flattered, really. You know a lot about me, plum. Kinda surprising really, most people come for The Great Sage!" He posed dramatically, attempting to exaggerate his sarcasm. "Equal to Heaven!"
One of your hands rose to cover your lips as you snickered. Pretty accurate really, at leas you thought so. Sun Wukong always seemed like a bit of a stuck-up guy, you know?
"But meeting someone who likes me and my side of the story...? Wow, thats kind of a first." His brow rose as he chuckled.
"Well, what can I say? You make a point to be upset," You shrugged. "STILL-" You shot up, pointing at him playfully. "-probably best you don't act a fool mister Macaque."
"Oh, I'm sorry sugar plum, can a monkey have no fun?" He purred, eyes fixed on your face.
You lit up like a candle before pushing him away with a shy hmph. "Have fun without pissing off a king, dingus."
Macaque laughed, leaning back. "I'll keep that in mind."
Just as you went to sit down with a smile on your face, you froze. Looking down at your phone, you checked the time. It'd been an hour already... Damn.
"I gotta get going, orders to fill and stuff." A hint of defeat was evident in your voice, but you still kept a chipper tone.
"Before you go," He rose from his seat, removing the cloak he wore previously. "I can hear a storm brewing, so go ahead and take this with ya, hm?"
"What? But I won't be able to-"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to go looking for you. Plus, hard to forget your only fan, isn't it?" He hummed, fixing you a look.
You returned his gaze with your own, humming. "Well, I'll be sure to keep it clean for you, Puppeteer."
Macaque walked you towards the front, his resting smile seemingly disturbed when the heard the winds howl and whistle between the buildings. You took notice and quickly stopped him. "I'll be off for now, many thanks for the cloak! If you wanna stop by, Pigsy's is always open."
He noticed your attempts at preventing his discomfort and seemed surprised. The same sly smile returned. "I'll be sure to visit, princess."
You turned with a laugh, waving your goodbyes as you stepped out into the rain. Booking it to the delivery car, you took one good leap in after opening the door and quickly situating yourself in the front seat. You cast one last glance inside the theater, but alas, Macaque was gone. You weren't too surprised, shrugging it off with a hum. You removed the cloak quietly, taking a look at it. Wow, it was actually kind of... Pretty. And it smelled nice, a faint lavender-ish scent, but sharp in all the right places.
How nice...
Setting it down with care in the seat beside you, you drove off to your next drop-off, apologizing for your tardiness. A few more deliveries later, and you were finally finished. The day had come to an end, and the rain seemed to only come down harder on you. By the time you got back, Pigsy was freaking out about the orders and the amount of time it took you, and came up with a few white lies just to keep yourself out of trouble. Plus, it wasn't such a big deal, you'd met someone new!
You went off to the back, leaving your items in the little locker you'd been supplied by Pigsy to keep your work stuff. Again when you returned, MK was there, seemingly nervous when he saw you. A figure in a hoodie was near him, some sort of a... Tail? Peeking out from beneath and swinging about aggressively.
The coat you'd put on was still hanging loosely from your shoulders when you caught his eye. There was a pause when he saw you, an aggressive pause filled with tension.
"MK, who is that?" You began quickly, disturbed by the way his friend was staring at you.
His eyes were a brilliant, warm shade of honey gold, but something about them felt chilling. It was as if he'd been staring into you rather than simply at you. You hadn't notice MK gasp loudly, his eyes wide.
"ITS-"
"Kid, kid!" The being stopped him, quickly cutting him off with a hush.
MK looked at him through confused eyes as he approached you. Your hair stood on end, something clearly making you uncomfortable as he approached. His gaze never once ripped itself from you as he came close. You swore you could see his nose twitch before it wrinkled and he stepped back.
"Do... Do you not recognize me?" He spoke abruptly, his hands slipping out of his pockets.
Your brows furrowed, the once cheery expression you wore becoming one of anger. Who the hell was this guy, approaching you all scary and shit? "No, I don't. If you could move please, I'd like to go ho-"
He ripped his hood off of his head immediately, and suddenly you realized! "Holy sh-"
"Peaches! Peaches surely you-"
"Oh my god, you're Sun Wukong!" You blurted, the angry expression melting.
Suddenly everything made sense! He could smell Macaque on you, thats why he was upset! Wait- Wait no no, you can't jump to conclusions like that-! You quickly removed the cloak, clearing your throat awkwardly. When you found his gaze once more, he seemed to be in disbelief, as if something wasn't quite right. Your expression twisted into one of worry.
"Is everything alright or-"
"Yeah, sorry." He interrupted quickly, his eyes trailing away before he realized how strange this must've looked.
Quickly, he turned back to face you, a smile forcing itself onto his face. You could tell something was off, especially right now. No one smiled that quickly... "Oh great- I've made stuff awkward haha- I'm sorry miss, I uh- Confused you for someone else," He managed to smooth that out.
You could still tell he wasn't all that overjoyed, but at least his smile became a bit more genuine when you raised your hand to shake his. "I could tell, no harm no foul though."
"Yeah... Heh, assuming you know about me then?" He let his hand fall, stuffing them both into his pockets.
"I'm sure everyone does," You replied, shrugging. "but hey, sure the attention is nice, hm?"
He could erase that past event with a quick charm, but he had to make sure to just... Forgot. This was it. This was his... Chance.
"Well, attention is nice, had to be particularly nice when it comes from a pretty lady." He chuckled.
Your cheeks flushed instantly as you stared at him, blinking. "Whoa- Wow- Okay," You laughed awkwardly. "how forward of you."
Fuck, mistake Wukong, big mistake! "Sorry- Just uh- Well the introduction wasn't exactly ideal so uh..." He mumbled the last bit, trailing off.
Shit Wukong! Where did your charm go! The old you could've handled this no problem! Fumbling with his words for a few moments longer, you picked it up easily, trying to offer a smile. "Eh, it happens, plus you can always introduce yourself again. Heres your chance,"
Wukong blinked, staring at you as if you'd grown another head, but he quickly smiled, standing up straight. Shit.. He was kind of tall.
"Hah, well, the names Sun Wukong. What about yours Peaches?" He hummed.
"[Y/N], [L/N] [Y/N], but I don't mind the nickname," You chuckled.
A charmer, just like before... The Great Sage hummed peacefully, nodding. "Well then, Peaches, I'll be sure to use it."
Wow, that went better than you thought...
The King smiled slightly. Oh Little Goddess... This really is his chance to start anew.