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Not this ending, young monkey.
Awareness hits him like a brick to the face.
He realizes, rather quickly, that he's not in a form he should be in, and de-transforms. Two wolf guais seem shocked at his appearance, but he takes them out without a second thought, staff making quick work of their skulls.
His staff. Jingubang. That's right, he- he's Wukong now. But…this area…
Slowly, the Destined One looks around. This looks familiar, all of this looks familiar, so what-
Oh. This is where his journey started. Black Wind Mountain.
He sucks in a sharp breath, looking down at himself. He still has Wuk- the Great Sage's armor, he still has Jingubang. The hum of five relics sits inside him calmly, though their power teeters on the edge of burning.
There's one missing. There's one missing. He's supposed to be the sixth relic, but the others feel- disjointed. Lost. Separated from their last piece.
He failed. He failed and now he's back again and he has to- everything- all of it-
The Destined One doesn't realize he's panicking until a frail yet somehow still quite strong hand yanks him down. He goes easily, sinking to his knees, breaths shuddering and shallow. His vision, previously darkened, slowly returns. The Keeper looks at him with concern, holding his arm and- well. He's counting, like the Destined One is a child that he has to calm down, but his counting is all out of order. It's all wrong. Six after ten- what?
The confusion is enough to bring him out of his panic, enough to hear the Keeper better at least. Once the old man realizes he's aware enough, he gives the Destined One's hand a pat.
"Can you hear me now, little monkey? You gave me quite the scare," the Keeper says. The Destined One nods slowly, earning a pleased hum for his reply.
"Good, good. Now, as curious as I am at how you came about this armor and that staff, my questions can wait for later. What is it that had you so upset?"
With no real, coherent thoughts ready yet, the Destined One shakily raises his hands to sign again. It's all he can think to say, emotions a mess.
The Keeper obviously doesn't understand, though he doesn't say so, just nods gently. "And what is happening again, may I ask?"
The Destined One gestures around them. Everything. All of it. Everything is happening again. The Keeper understands that, exhaling a soft sigh.
"Ah. I see now. This is…an unfortunate situation. An unfortunate destiny thrust upon you." The old man murmurs, stepping back and giving the Destined One room to stand. He does so, shakily, using Jingubang for support. Jingubang seems to mock him in his hold, the power of the relics humming quietly in tandem with the legendary staff, only highlighting the missing one all the more.
"I fear there's nothing to be done, little monkey. Things like this…they're done by a much higher power than either you or I. I am, admittedly, not quite sure who could do this," the Keeper muses, pacing slowly. "But it might be best to try again. Maybe you missed something. Now that you're all kitted out-" the words are said teasingly, but make the Destined One's fur prickle nonetheless, "-it will be much easier this time around to figure out where you went wrong."
The Keeper has a point. Take the wolves for instance, how they went down so quickly when last time it took longer. A large part of his panic calms at the realization that a lot of the things he struggled with, the demons he fought, will be significantly easier with all of his equipment intact
He releases a slow breath, standing straighter, shrinking Jingubang for later and pulling out a different staff for now. One that didn't set his nerves on edge, make him feel guilty for existing.
Later, he'll change his armor too. Thinking about parading around as Wukong when he failed feels wrong.
He can't save the Yellow Wind Sage. That becomes quite apparent fast, as much as he would like for it not to be true. Bodhisattva Lingji still thanks him nonetheless, though the thanks leaves a bad taste at the back of the monkey's tongue. The Bodhisattva knows something is wrong, kneels closer to his height, and tells him not to worry too much. Things will get better.
The Destined One can only nod. He doesn't have a proper reply.
His meeting with Bajie goes the same.
This time, however, he wastes little time in breaking out of the Pagoda and destroying both Lotus-Vision and Wise-Voice. He keeps silent as Bajie scrutinizes him after degrading Kang-Jin Loong, keeps silent as Bajie sees fault with him again, and keeps silent as he trails after Bajie. Bajie didn't like him before, he was well aware, but maybe if he's good enough this time, Bajie will like him.
It's a pitiful thing to want, really. His heart still stings whenever Bajie compares him to Wukong though. Still, he keeps silent.
"You're rather quiet," Bajie says during their travels. "Even quieter than the others I've met, somehow. They usually had their tells, expression shifts or huffing at me or what have you. You don't have any of that. Kind of unnerving, really."
The Destined One swears his heart stutters for a moment. He doesn't let his expression change, just gives a very slight nod and continues onward. Zhu Bajie seems to realize he took it poorly, because the pig quickly changes the subject and starts telling the story of how him and Wukong initially met Yellowbrow. It's a story the Destined One has heard before, but he enjoys the way Bajie tells stories, so he listens intently. He even goes as far as slowing down enough to let the pig keep pace with him, since normally Bajie hits him with his rake if he tries to do that. Says something about the fact he can keep pace just fine thank you.
And, as they make camp for the night just outside the Thunderclap Temple, he finds the silence between them more comfortable than before.
Perhaps his efforts at getting Bajie to like him by being better are paying off. Perhaps…
Despite his efforts, Zhu Bajie still gets taken by Yellowbrow.
Guilt and anxiety makes the Destined One's stomach twist painfully, makes him unable to sleep or eat properly after that. He finds the watermelons, talks with Maitreya again, desperately ignores how the conversation goes completely differently and how Maitreya keeps giving him this- this look. He fights his way through the temple, drags himself up the steps, and…stops outside the doors.
Tension thrums in his bones. Here he is to prove Yellowbrow right once more, that he really is nothing but a violent, savage demon. He- maybe he can avoid killing the Macaque Chief again, maybe this time-
No. He has to save Bajie, Macaque Chief be damned. With that in mind, he throws open the doors, Jingubang held firmly and a determined scowl on his face.
It wasn't until later that Zhu Bajie said anything.
The Destined One knows he'd seen Jingubang, but they'd been too busy fighting the Macaque Chief to address it. By the time they'd gathered their wits, taking a long break on Mirrormere's shore, the Destined One had forgotten all about it.
So, when their travels led them to where the Violet Spider and her daughters resided, Zhu Bajie pulled him aside before they could proceed any further. The pig looks…troubled, and something in the Destined One twists.
"You don't have to tell me now," Zhu Bajie says, quiet, but tense. "But I know I saw you had Jingubang. I'd recognize that damn staff anywhere. When we're done here, I expect a proper story."
With a choked feeling in his throat, the Destined One nods, hesitant and anxious. Zhu Bajie releases him, turning back around without another word and continuing on. They don't bring it up again, and they certainly don't get to address it later because Zhu Bajie gets captured. Again. And it's the Destined One's fault. Though, to be fair, pretty much all of this is his fault. He is Wukong after all.
Like a fool, he goes after Bajie. And, like a fool, he falls into the web again.
Bajie's fight is different this time around.
He still says the same hurtful things he said before, though this time…this time there's more. It's ramped up. He insults the Destined One during their second fight far more often, accuses him of lying, of keeping secrets. Even says that he knows the Destined One can't possibly be the right one.
The Destined One doesn't want to admit it, but it…stings, even if few of his delirious sentences make any real sense. Even after he frees Bajie of the needle, the pig gets little time to say anything, grabbed by webs and yanked up. Yet another mistake the Destined One has made. He kicks himself for it mentally, and kicks himself even through Purple Cloud Mountain.
This time, he doesn't kill the Scorpionlord. In fact, he makes a deal with the yaoguai, and takes down both the Daoist and the weird overgrown chicken with him. The Scorpionlord dies during the fight with said chicken though, so he doesn't feel too bad about teaming up with him.
He half wishes he had the scorpion guai available against the Hundred-Eyed demon, but he'll make do with what he has.
He knows Bajie uses a piece of the relic to save the Violet Spider. He doesn't fault the pig for that, despite how Bajie seems to warily eye him as if he thinks the Destined One will care or say anything. He didn't do that last time, which means something is going wrong. The Destined One isn't good enough this time. Still.
When Bajie tries to talk to him later, he avoids all eye contact and silently gets a camp set up, ignoring all of Zhu Bajie's attempts. The pig demon gives up after a while with a loud huff, angrily clearing a space on the ground to sleep.
Neither one of them speaks again. Not until much later.
The Destined One remembers Red Boy, and the heartbreak his suicide caused. Part of the Destined One felt a little destroyed after that day, despite barely knowing the boy.
This time…this time he'll fix it. Even if the Demon Bull King and his wife might hate him, he'll do all he can.
It ends up much the same as last time, with the Yaksha kneeling, breathing labored and exhausted, Princess Rakshasi pleading with them to spare him.
All the Destined One can focus on is Red Boy though. Everything else is blocked out, his focus narrowed down to the boy. He remembers it like it happened yesterday, the way he killed himself, the sickening sound of bone piercing bone.
A quick flick of his wrist at the right moment freezes the boy in an immobilization spell. Rakshasi looks shocked and outraged, until the Destined One stumbles forward, still weak from their previous fight, and gives her the most serious look he can summon.
He doesn't have the words, doesn't have the right vocabulary with his hands, but he gets the point across well enough when he mimes the action of stabbing his own skull and pointing at Red Boy frantically.
Bajie tugs him back, a reprimand ready, but Rakshasi catches her son when he stumbles out of the immobilization spell and weeps over him. His hands hesitate, then carefully hold his mother back.
This time, when they leave, they still leave a broken family. Just…one that's less broken than before.
And this time, the Destined One drags Bajie back to the Thunderclap Temple to speak with Maitreya about something he said. Something about an old friend.
As it turns out, the old friend is none other than Wukong's killer. Honestly, the Destined One expected…worse, but it's clear the man is still mourning for Wukong. Even after all this time.
It's sad, almost, the way Erlang clings to the image of Wukong within the Destined One. He seems…off, as if he knows something.
And then the sixth relic is given. So is Erlang's spear. And a new travel companion.
"There's something wrong with you, kid," Bajie starts one night, breaking their long standing silence. Ever since the incident with Red Boy, neither of them have really spoken outside of short commands or exclamations — all from Bajie, of course. "Like, really wrong. We still haven't talked about you having Wukong's staff."
Beside the Destined One, Erlang stiffens.
The Destined One himself carefully avoids all expressions, just calmly looks at Zhu Bajie, hands folded in his lap. Shockingly, the pig demon isn't even angry with him. He seems…tired.
"And not only that, you- you seem to know things. Blocking an axe thrown at me without even looking, stopping Red Boy when he was going to kill himself, not to mention how you handled Yellowbrow. It was like you already knew what he was going to do and what he was going to say. And when that Inspector guy came down, you knew exactly what he was going to do too. So tell me what's going on."
It's difficult to think of the right thing to say, hands lifting and dropping a few times, fingers stuttering. Even Erlang is quiet, watching with an unreadable expression. And finally, finally, the Destined One clears his throat.
"Time loop." He manages, voice rough from disuse. The admission makes him want to curl up from guilt, knowing that now both of them know he could have prevented so many bad things from happening and he didn't because—
"Kid…" Bajie says, voice a little softer, if possible. The Destined One stares at the ground, ears burning, knowing it sounds ridiculous. But he takes Jingubang out, holding it out for Zhu Bajie to examine. The pig cautiously takes the staff, running his hands over the surface, both him and Erlang are staring with unreadable expressions.
"You did all this before. Everything?"
A nod. Zhu Bajie sighs through his nose, handing the staff back.
"Do you know…why you're redoing everything?"
The Destined One's head shake cuts off, then changes into a shaky nod. He lifts his hands to sign. Messed up, he signs, failed. Try again.
Erlang hums, getting his attention. "Do you know what it is that you…messed up?"
The Destined One nods, more firmly this time. "Mind relic," he says, not having the right signs for it but needing to say it. I wasn't the true one.
"What else did you…fix aside from that?" Zhu Bajie asks this time. "I know you kept the Spider's daughter safe, and that you saved Red Boy, but…"
Mother of Stones, Father of Stones, Son of Stones, he signs, but doesn't clarify. Saved Ma Tianba. Third Prince.
He still feels bad for the Third Prince, but at least his captains are at peace now.
"…A time loop," Bajie seems to still have a hard time accepting it. Still, he nods, even while looking conflicted. "Got it. Okay. That…makes things marginally easier. So you know what to do when we find Wukong then, yeah?"
Unfortunately. And he hates it.
He still wishes that it were Wukong coming back to life instead of the Destined One becoming Wukong. Heaven knows he's terrible for the job, as proven by this time loop.
At the end of it all, it doesn't reset.
He opens his eyes to the bright sunset over Mount Huaguo. Erlang helps him to his feet. Absently, he realizes he's holding that damned circlet. The gold burns.
"So…you're-" Bajie starts, looking like the pieces are finally falling into place for him. The Destined- no, Wukong clears his throat. He doubts his voice will ever be clear.
"The Destined One," he replies, voice grating and rough. "Wukong. Great Sage. All of it."
And yet, when he looks at the sunset, he doesn't feel like Wukong.
The relics feel incomplete.