Chapter Text
Wukong was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Since that stone cracked open my life on flower fruit Mountain became so much brighter. Suddenly I wasn't the only outsider.
Nobody on the mountian knew why I was born with six ears. At first, it seemed like some sort of birth defect, but as I grew, I started noticing things other monkeys didn't. While the class was listening to the teacher fine, I couldn't hear her over the droning of the waterfall and the endless chittering of the adult monkeys. So, as everyone else fell into their role on the mountain effortlessly, I was just sorta- left behind.
When I was old enough to I stopped sleeping curled up with my parent's and found my sleeping spot in a cave on the far side of the mountain. Where the snores and late night chats of the rest of the monkeys were just muffled enough for me to rest.
After a while, I just stopped going back to the other monkeys.
Don't get me wrong, I was never bullied by the others. They just knew I was different, and I figured if I'm already an outcast- why deal with all the noise? So I left and everything was peaceful. Well, up until...
"Hey! Are you awake?""
My eyes flew open, and my eyesight was filled with the too-close face of a arburn monkey with a-little-too-redish brown eyes. This wasn't the first time we had met, but it was the first time I had heard it speak. About a week ago now, while running away from some demon soliders, I had seen the stone on the tip of the mountian crack open. And with it out came a flash of light and this monkey-shaped thing. Despite the fact I had witnessed its 'birth' (?) it seemed about my age, and it can clearly speak.
" Six ears! Hello?"
That I grumbled at without thinking."Macaque." I corrected.
"Macaque," it repeated as if they were playing with how it felt in it’s mouth. "Hello, Macaque!" It grinned at me wildly- still too close to my face.
It was crouching just to the side of where I lay, and as I started to properly wake up I gently shoved it’s face to the side. Or, I would have if the monkey didn't sit completely unphased by my hand in their face, pushing with all my force. The monkey dropped their lip in a confused expression.
"Do you want me to move?"
I sighed and dropped my hand giving up on pushing. "Yes."
It let it’s crouch fall back into a sit as it pushed it’s head and chest back in one quick movement. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. For the first time, it fully set in how weird this interaction was.
"What are you doing here?"
The stone monkey shrugged their shoulders and scratched at their paws absentmindedly.
"What's your name?"
That just elicited a blank stare.
"I saw you come out of that stone."
It’s ears perked up at that, and that wild grin spread back across their muzzle.
"I saw you too! I know I did!"
It got up and started shaking it’s arms around in a strange little jig. "I knew I saw a monkey with six ears! But I couldn't see one with the other monkeys."
"That's why I care here." They said as a late response to my earlier question.
"I came to find you!" With that, their excitement burst out of them, and they fell onto me with a deep hug.
Despite my confusion, I admit it almost felt nice. But this was all too much. I pushed the monkeys shoulders.
"Hey! Get off of me!"
They sprung back into a crouch beside me.
"Do you not like hugs?" The stone monkey looked disappointed.
"I do, but I don't know, you that well." I explained. "I don't even know your name."
"A name?" The monkey bit his lip sheepishly. "I haven't even thought of a name.."
"Have you not spoken to the other monkeys? Surely they also asked your name?"
"Oh." They started pretending to draw on the rock looking down at their paws. "I wanted to meet you first. I thought you could've came out of a stone like me?" Their eyes met mine again. "Are you? You have six Ears and you sleep here alone.. you're different like me."
Their words tugged at my chest. They said them as if they were wishing them into reality.
"No." I admitted. "I'm not a stone monkey, sorry."
Their eyes went back to the floor.
"But you're right I am different like you." I scooted closer to them. "How about for now we just call you 'Stone Monkey'?"
The monkey continued pouting at the ground.
"Little stone monkey~" I sung gently at which they giggled letting that wild grin take over their face.
"Little stone monkey!~" they giggled again and ran out of the cave only to run right back into it.
"Hello I'm little stone monkey!~" They sang fiddling with how they pronounced it.
"Where did you learn that?"
"To speak, I mean." I admit I was still a little out of it.
" Oh! I just heard the other monkeys do it." They shrugged and let out a hearty laugh as they bounced around the room humming a variety of tunes.
In just a week this monkey has learned a entire language by just observing other monkeys speak it?
" Come on Macaque- let's go play!" They grabbed my arm and effortlessly pulled me from my sitting position dragging me into their run.
And everything finally felt like it had made sense.
I finally felt like I belonged.