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skellebonez · 1 year

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Cotton Tails and Borrowed Time: Aftermath and Remix... and Some Stuff Between. Chapter 3

Aftermath: One Last Change

Here we are, the first CANON sequel Aftermath to CTABT! This takes place roughly a year after the epilogue chapter. Tang is... let's just say... Going through it. (There's like... the smallest bit of a suggestive moment in this, so just noting. They're very much dating now.)

This chapter was once again edited by Bucky, thanks for the help!

AO3 Link.

The first thing that Tang heard was the sound of his boyfriend’s (and, wow, it felt amazing to be able to think that with no second guessing) voice. It sounded soft, gentle, and... concerned.

“Tang, honey bun, wake up.”

“Pigsy?” Tang mumbled, slowly coming around to be aware of his surroundings.

This wasn’t their bed. It also wasn’t plush, so it couldn’t be the couch either. There was something soft under him... The doormat? It wasn’t cold or wet, so he couldn’t have been outside. It had been raining horribly the night before so he would have had to be soaking wet if he had managed to somehow fall asleep out there. So it must have been the indoor doormat.

But why would he be sleeping on their doormat?

“Hey, morning,” Pigsy said softly. “How are you feeling?”

It was the same tone the chef used when Tang or MK was sick or hurt and resting in bed. That did not bode well. Tang didn’t FEEL sick, just stiff. Really stiff. Like he did when he was sleeping under their bed during thunderstorms instead of on top of it.

Tang slowly opened his eyes.

“...Why... Why am I sleeping in front of the front door?” he asked slowly.

“You were sleepwalking last night,” Pigsy explained as he helped his boyfriend sit up slowly.

“...I was?” Tang rubbed the sleep from his eyes as best he could.

There was no reason for his boyfriend to lie about that. And as easily as the other could have carried him here? Tang had become a much lighter sleeper after taking on his new bunny form. It was hard not to be when his hearing was so much more intense even with earplugs in overnight.

“You okay?” Pigsy asked, hand on Tang’s shoulder. “I’ve never seen you sleepwalk before.”

That made two of them.

But just because Tang hadn’t seen himself do it? Didn’t mean that he didn’t. He had the dirt stained pajamas hidden away in the closet to prove it.

“I’m just stiff,” the rabbit rebuffed truthfully, stretching out as best he could while on the floor. “Why didn’t you wake me up and take me back to bed?”

“I, uh...” Pigsy flushed red, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I wasn’t sure if that thing about now waking sleepwalkers was... actually a thing. And once you stopped trying to open the door and just laid down I figured I should leave you alone.”

“I actually tried to open the door?” Tang blinked in surprise. “It’s a good thing we keep it locked, I suppose.” He chuckled, standing and bouncing a little in place to bring some feeling back into his legs. “I’m pretty sure that thing about sleepwalkers is partly a myth, hopefully this is a one time thing but if I do it again? It’s completely fine to guide me back to bed, Master Chef.”

Pigsy sighed, shaking his head with a smile as the two of them made their way to the kitchen.

“Alright, funny bunny. Let’s get some breakfast before we head to the shop.”

Tang awoke the next morning to a tired and concerned looking Pigsy next to him in bed, holding him firmly in a side hug.

“Pigsy? W—”

“You tried to sleepwalk outside again,” his boyfriend replied. His concern was even more evident this time around. “I... I wasn’t sure if you were going to try again so I wanted to watch you, and then you tried to burrow into the bed until I grabbed ya, and...”

“Did you stay up all night to watch me?” Tang asked, shooting up instantly. He winced, something in his back twinging painfully. Oof, not doing that again. “Pigsy, you have work!”

“It was only for a couple hours!” Pigsy defended as he sat up as well. “I can lose a couple hours makin’ sure you’re okay! I’m worried about you.” The chef pulled his boyfriend down slightly, noting the other’s wince. He paused. “Tang?”

“...I think I slept on my back weird after yesterday,” Tang responded. “It’s still a little stiff.”

“Hmn...” Pigsy hummed for a second before pulling away, patting the bed. “Lay down on your stomach for me? I’m no masseuse, but maybe I can help you out a bit with a massage? Couldn’t hurt to try. And before you say anything, we’re up fifteen minutes before our alarms, and even if we weren’t the shop can wait for a few minutes anyway.”

The way Pigsy looked at him in so much care and concern was sweet. Tang couldn’t help but be grateful that he had fallen in love with someone who was so attentive and willing to take time out of a busy morning to do whatever his partner needed to feel better.

“Well, you make a convincing argument,” Tang said with a chuckle, gently pulling Pigsy closer to give him a soft morning kiss. Then the scholar pulled off his pajama top, not for one second missing the way the chef blushed and let out the soft pig squeal of surprise. Tang winked. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”

“Make it up to me by not sleepwalking again,” Pigsy joked, shaking his head as he started carefully kneading at the rabbit demon’s shoulders.

It didn’t take long for Pigsy to have Tang limp, the bunny grinding his teeth in pure contentment.

The massage helped a little, but not quite as much as either of them had hoped. Or for as long. By lunch time, the ache in the scholar’s back had returned almost as bad as before. It was nice while it lasted, he supposed. But there was no hiding the fact he was constantly rearranging himself and trying to stretch the ache out when he had the chance. He had given up trying to do any reading after the first hour of pain, instead opting to go for a walk to the nearby bookstore.

All it got him was fresh air and a new pile of books, but overall it could have been much worse.

He should have guessed that his unusual behavior would have garnered some attention from the only other person who was staying in the shop for a prolonged period outside Pigsy.

“Pops?” MK asked. The kid rested his hand on the scholar’s back for a split second before a wince made him immediately draw back. “Something’s wrong.”

“I’m f—”

“No, you’re not,” MK said firmly. “You’re not, please don’t say you’re fine.”

Tang winced again, not in pain but from MK’s words. He was doing it again, wasn’t he? Keeping things a secret. He had promised the kid that unless it was something specifically private he would be more honest about things after the whole ‘turning into a rabbit demon’ thing.

“...My back has been hurting me since this morning,” Tang admitted with a sigh. “I think I slept on it wrong, but... I can’t be sure. Pigsy says I’ve been sleepwalking.”

“That’s definitely new.”

“...Actually, hehe...”

“Pops,” MK said firmly. “I thought you said you told us everything already!”

“I know,” Tang admitted, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to alleviate the pain once again. He looked up, catching Pigsy’s eye as he looked back at his family in concern. “It’s just... I sleepwalked once before, during my transformation when my normal rabbit instincts were starting to take over. I don’t have a good reason for not telling you, except that it scared me when it happened. And after a while I felt it wasn’t that important since it didn’t happen again. Until the last couple nights...”

“You don’t think it could be related to the curse, do you?” MK asked in concern.

“No,” Tang said with a shake of his head quickly, putting his hands up in a practiced motion to keep his ears from hitting himself in the face. “No, I definitely had someone check that the curse was completely done and gone long ago. It can’t be that... Unless it’s just something from the transformation that was dormant for a while.”

MK hummed, much in the way a certain chef did when he was concerned. Tang could see so much of Pigsy in that boy. “Hang on a sec, I’ll be right back.”

“Hey, where are you—!” Pigsy shouted, not able to finish his sentence before MK flew out the door on a cloud. “—going... I swear, that kid is only patient when he is making dinner.”

“That means you must be a pretty good teacher,” Tang said with a chuckle. “You might give Sun Wukong a run for his money.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, fuzzbutt,” Pigsy said, earning a fake offended gasp from his boyfriend. “We’re practically already married.”

“Might it at least get me some extra carrot tops in my soup at least?” Tang asked, exaggeratedly batting his eyelashes.

“Hmmmmmmmmm... Perhaps.”

As it turned out, it did get him extra carrot tops.

It was so odd to see Pigsy making something that wasn’t his family recipe or something traditional. But the joy and gratitude that Tang had that there was now a delicious soup he could eat with no worry about his new dietary restrictions surpassed that.

It almost went to waste when one Monkie Kid and Monkey King flew right through the open door and shocked the living daylights out of the couple inside.

Tang supposed the new reflexes granted to him by his new form came in handy when he was able to narrowly avoid disaster.

It took no time at all for Sun Wukong to get the truth out of the scholar, nodding along as he listened intently. He had his eyes glowing gold the whole time, looking over him with some... bemused confusion.

“Why didn’t you tell us before?” the immortal asked in a tone that was more lighthearted than anything else.

“I was embarrassed,” Tang admitted. “And it was just my rabbit instincts kicking in. Or I thought it was... Do you think it could still be related even though the curse has run its course? What if it’s something else?"

Sun Wukong pondered for a moment in thought. “I think...” he began. “You’re stressed and that’s probably what’s causing the sleepwalking. I honestly don’t detect anything new with your form. Your powers...” The sage shrugged with a forced smile. “I am not the person to really judge, but I think they may be reacting to that stress. They feel stronger to me.”

“My... powers,” Tang repeated, looking down at his hands for a moment. In an instant, they glowed gold, the bowl in front of him lifting as he focused on it. Then that faded away as he slowly put it down. “Maybe. I have been practicing with them a lot since they came back to me.”

“I wish I could tell you anything else,” Sun Wukong said with a shrug. “But the person to ask if would be the last Golden Cicada reincarnation. And I, uh... don’t really know where he is. He’s gotta be around, since he passed them to you, but...”

The Monkey King shrugged, strained half a smile still on his face.

Pigsy and Tang shared a look, carefully hiding their guilt at knowing exactly where Tang Sanzang was. But it was not their place to expose him, not yet. He had promised to contact his lost disciple soon, once he had done... something up in the Celestial Realm. And he should be back by the next day...

“Well, I appreciate you coming here and giving me a look over,” Tang finally said, an honest smile on his face. “I’ll try not to stress myself out too much tonight.”

“Good,” Sun Wukong, returning the grin in kind. “If you try to do it again tonight... I guess I’ll see what else I can do. I AM the Great Sage, after all, I can figure it out!”

“Sure ya can,” Pigsy said under his breath with a roll of his eyes, but Tang could see the small smile on his face. Less unbelieving, more fond exacerbation.

“Maybe we should see what happens if we leave the door unlocked?” Pigsy chanced, setting down his chopsticks as they ate dinner. “I could watch over you while you sleepwalk to... wherever it is you’re heading off to. Maybe you’re trying to get to somewhere specific?”

“Absolutely not,” Tang pushed back instantly. “You have work in the morning, and I am not going to have you stay up all night just to watch me.”

“We could call in Sandy,” Pigsy offered. “I’m just... worried about you, Tang.”

“I know,” the scholar nodded. “And I appreciate it. I just don’t want you to push yourself trying to take care of me. Sandy... We can ask Sandy. I’m fine with asking him for help. Maybe tomorrow. After we talk to Tripitaka.”

“Okay,” Pigsy agreed. Both of them returned to dinner without mentioning their concerns for the rest of it.

They didn’t mention it the whole time they got ready for bed either, just enjoying the other’s attention while settling into their normal night time routine.

Both of them were reading a book on each side of the bed. It was a comfortable silence, the two content simply being near each other. That is, until Pigsy put his book down and slowly scooted closer to his partner.

“You don’t look very interested in reading that,” the chef noted as he peeked at the book Tang was holding.

“I’m really not,” Tang admitted with a chuckle. “The summary sounded interesting, but it’s very overwritten. Way too much detail that isn’t necessary.”

“Hmn... Maybe we can do something that’s also not necessary but will keep your attention way better,” Pigsy smirked. He leaned up to press a kiss on Tang’s neck, then more, hand roaming into the slightly open top of the robe his partner was wearing.

Normally, Tang would have leaned into the touches eagerly. He had hinted at wanting to do so early that morning! But...

The hand on his torso froze. “You okay?” Pigsy asked. His hand pulled up, still under the robe but resting on Tang’s chest more as a supportive measure. “Not feeling it?”

“Not... really?” Tang admitted. “I’m sorry, I know I said I wanted to before but—”

“No buts,” Pigsy said as he moved to lay down against his boyfriend. “If you’re not feeling it, then you’re not feeling it. Is there anything else you’d rather do instead?”

By the entire Celestial Realm, Tang loved Pigsy. Loved how supportive he was. How understanding he was. How he didn’t push him unless it was for his health and well-being, how he noticed little things Tang wouldn’t or didn’t. He loved Pigsy so much.

“Okay,” Tang started, pulling one of his ears down to rub his claws through the fur. “I would... appreciate if you could... rub my back and neck for me again? Please? They felt so much better after you massaged them this morning, even if it didn’t last very long.”

Pigsy stared at him for a moment, giving a sighing chuckle before turning his boyfriend around on the bed and lifting up the robe for him.

“You don’t have to ask like that,” he said. “I’m more than happy to.”

And it helped, once again. It helped a lot. They didn’t end up doing anything more than the massage and a few tender kisses under the blanket, but it was enough.

“I love you, Tang,” Pigsy whispered as he pulled his husbunny closer. He tucked his snout into the crook of the rabbit’s neck, snuggling against the soft fur that was exposed under the robe.

“I love you too, Pigsy,” Tang replied, leaning his own head into the crook of Pigsy’s neck. The chef’s skin was warm and soft, the residual smell of noodles never quite leaving him. “We’ll get through this.”

“I know,” Pigsy agreed. “We got through worse.”

Tang didn’t wake up in bed.

He didn’t wake up in their apartment either.

Instead, he woke up to Pigsy shouting his name, the cold air of the outdoors rubbing his fur and grime caked to it the wrong way.

“Pigsy, what... What happened?” he asked. His tongue felt like lead.

“You got outside!” Pigsy said, pulling him into a tight hug. “I-I don’t know how, but you unlocked the door in your sleep! I woke up and the door was open and you weren’t inside and I ran around looking for you until I followed your footprints and found you in the ground!”

“In... the ground?” Tang blinked. It felt like his head was full of fluff, making it hard to think clearly.

“Shit, shit, shit, come on, let’s—” Pigsy paused, breathing heavily. “Let’s get you inside. You’re covered in mud and it’s freezing. I’m gonna give you a hot bath and see if Sandy can check if Tripitaka is back in his dock boat.”

“‘Kay...” It was all Tang could think to reply with as Pigsy picked him up with practiced ease.

He was vaguely aware of being taken inside, of the warm air of the apartment they lived in warming him comfortably. Being taken to the bathroom and instructed to stay upright as much as possible while Pigsy filled the tub and began undressing him. He could hear Pigsy talking on the phone with someone, but he couldn’t make out what was being said.

Warm. It was warm. It would be nice to just... rest for a while... yeah...

The feeling of hands tightly gripping his shoulders roused Tang back into consciousness. Quickly, he was guided to the tub. And then... HEAT. The warmth of the tub was so overwhelming, he couldn’t help but whimper at it. But it wasn’t bad. Rather, it felt amazing. Pigsy’s hands running through his fur, scrubbing all the caked dirt and mud from his burrowing session, felt even better. Despite knowing that being in water was dangerous for him, Tang almost tried to resist as Pigsy pulled him out of the tub.

The warmth of the hair dryer was nice, but not as nice as the warmth of the bath.

He felt himself being carried back into their bedroom, dressed in his pajamas, and then laid down in bed. Pigsy didn’t join him, instead pulling out his phone again and making another call as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Tang’s back ached horribly. He tossed and turned under the blanket, trying his best to burrow into the sheets. Just as he started to fall asleep, his head started to hurt.

“Why the hell do I feel so disgusting?” Tang muttered as he woke to the sound of Pigsy and someone else conversing loudly in the next room over.

His back still ached, but not in the same way it seemed. And it felt like he had soaked the underside of the sheets and his fur in sweat. But it didn’t... smell that way. He didn’t know what this smell was, or what this dampness was. It didn’t feel like sweat either, it was more viscous.

Like mucus or something, as disgusting as that sounded for him to think.

When he sat up, he noted how the blanket almost stuck to his back. Or... not his back.

He wasn’t wearing a shirt.

And he knew what it felt like for something to slide across damp or slimy fur thanks to a science experiment gone wrong from a certain pair of twins.

This felt like...

His shoulders tensed and something MOVED with them that wasn’t there before.

His ears perked up. And so did something else on his head that WASN’T his ears.

Tang shot up in less than a second, ripping the blanket off and looking at the mirror on the dresser in front of their bed.

He screamed.

“TANG!” He heard Pigsy yell as two sets of footsteps rushed into the bedroom. “Tang, are you—what the FUCK is that!?”

“THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!” Tang yelled. “Is this blood, am I covered in blood!?

A closer look revealed that it was, in fact, blood. But the things that the blood were covering were making him truly shriek.

Drooping from his back and still slightly damp were insect wings. Cicada wings, if Tang had to make an educated guess. There were two pairs of them: a pair of larger forewings and a smaller pair of hindwings. Gold veins crisscrossed the otherwise clear membranes.

"WHY DO I HAVE WINGS?" Tang screamed, before immediately flinching and covering the sides of his head. Then he shrieked yet again when SOMETHING moved on his head for a second time. “WHAT’S ON MY HEAD!?”

“Ah, so that is what it was,” a new voice said. Tang looked up to see... Tang. Or rather Tang Sanzang, who was standing next to Pigsy and sighing in relief. The monk placed a hand on his chest. “For a moment I was concerned it may have been something else. But it seems everything has come in without issue.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Pigsy shouted, turning on the monk instantly. “Did you know this would happen? Is it the curse? Did we miss something? Is he turning into a BUG NOW!?”

Tang’s ears—and whatever the other things on his head were—jerked up. “I’M WHAT!?”

“No,” Tang Sanzang said calmly, holding up a hand. “No, I assure you that you are not turning into a bug. Nor did we miss something with the curse. But I did know this would happen... granted, not nearly as soon as this...” He paused, putting a hand on his chin in thought. “I suppose it is a good thing I came back when I did. Your blue friend was quite concerned and confused as to why you were frantically calling a dock worker at five in the morning.”

“Wait, you knew this would happen?” Tang asked, flinched as he felt the wings on his back flutter. “Oh, that feels so GROSS when they’re wet! Ew, ew, ew! Pigsy, please bring me a wet towel once we figure this out!”

“Why, one of the next steps in your Golden Cicada powers manifesting,” Tang Sanzang answered plainly. As if it was the most normal statement in the world. “I returned to the Celestial Realm to check up on some things regarding them, and had intended to guide you through your process of awakening them. But it seems your instincts figured it out without my assistance.”

“So this was supposed to happen?” Pigsy asked, arms crossed with a raised brow. He stepped over to the bed and winced as he picked up the blood covered sheets.

“Yes,” the monk replied. “But again, not this soon. And I did intend to inform you. The timing was just very poor.”

“Am I doomed to a life of poor timing?” Tang asked the ceiling. “Is this the curse coming back to haunt me?”

“I dunno, but something’s comin back to haunt someone,” a fourth voice said, making everyone jump and turn to the corner of the room no one had been paying attention to.

The one behind the door.

Bathed in shadow.

The face of one Six Eared Macaque peaked around and stared at Tang Sanzang with wide eyes.

“Oh... Oh dear,” the monk gulped as he backed up. “Uh... You do not... see me?”

“Oh, I saw you alright,” Macaque said. “It’s gonna be hard to unsee you and not tell a certain king that the person he has been obsessively thinking about since bunny boy over there got his bug powers has been here the whooooole time.”

“You wouldn’t,” the great monk countered.

“What the hell are you doing in our house!?” Pigsy yelled.

“Super hearing, remember? I can hear bunbun scream from anywhere in the city.” Macaque said with a shrug. “Also, I can be bribed with waffle fries.”

Tang laid face down on the bed, softly screaming into his pillow.

It was going to be a long morning.

#monkie kid #lego monkie kid #bunny tang #lmk tang #lmk pigsy #freenoodleshipping #lmk mk #lmk sun wukong #lmk monkey king #lmk tang sanzang #lmk tripitaka #cotton tails and borrowed time #lmk six eared macaque #lmk liu er mihou

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inkweaver22-blr · 1 year

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Happy Easter!

Here’s the first chapter of my next long-fic project! Don’t worry, I’ll still work on Scattered Cicadas as well. For now, please enjoy this chapter! And leave a comment to let me know what you think!

AO3 Link

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Tangerine Fur and Fraying Trust - Chapter One

Cornered in the desert with no way to escape, Tang is forced to break a pact and reveal things about himself in order to protect those he cares about. How will his family, both old and new, react to the secrets he’s been keeping? With enemies pursuing them from all sides, will Tang be able to rekindle the frayed trust in him and overcome the coming darkness? Or will everything be consumed by ice and shadow?

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There were many times over the past year that he could have- should have- interfered. Moments where his skills and expertise would have turned the tide in their favor. Advice he could have shared to smooth out various misunderstandings. Knowledge he should have passed down that would have hastened growth. Anything.

Yet he hadn’t. He had watched MK’s journey to becoming a hero passively. Held back at first by fear of retribution, and then by complacency. After all, the young man seemed to be getting the hang of things. No matter how bad the situation got, MK managed to succeed in the end. All without his help.

So he relaxed. Settled back into the role of the eccentric scholar. Offering help that a human with an interest in stories and a penchant for tricking a free bowl of noodles from his partner would be expected to give. Nothing more and nothing less. It wasn’t even that hard. He had quite grown fond of how freeing it was to just be himself without the weight of expectations and preconceived notions holding him back.

MK could handle himself, he had thought. If he couldn’t, his mentor was someone he still had quite a bit of faith in even all these years later. Surely there would be no obstacle they, along with the rest of MK’s family, would not be able to overcome. Revealing himself was simply not necessary.

Tang clenched his fists.

Oh, what a fool he had been.

The appearance of Lady Bone Demon and her theft of MK’s powers and Wukong’s staff had been a splash of icy water in his face. One that washed away his contentment to go with the flow and forced him to take a long look at himself. What he saw disgusted him. He had become lax. Lazy. Allowed his normally sharp senses and instincts to dull. He had committed his personal gravest sin by being inattentive.

If- no- when the others found out about this, they were going to be furious with him. Not that he deserved anything less.

A roar from Mei snapped Tang back to the present. She was surrounded by her dragon aura, blasting apart the mech Macaque piloted for what seemed like the dozenth time. Tang winced as he realized that this was not the time to be fixated on his failings. He needed to pay attention to what was happening now. Damn this new unhealthy habit of focusing on the wrong things and blocking everything else out!

So much had happened in the past forty-eight hours since they fled from Lady Bone Demon. Macaque tracking them down and the airship crashing into the ocean. Being imprisoned by Ao Guang, the Dragon of the East, and then fleeing once more in the RV Sandy had built as Macaque attacked the underwater palace. Barely making it a few hours into the desert before Macaque found them again.

Tang had been reeling from the shock of his own incompetence that he hadn’t been able to react or help properly. Yet another failure. But no more! He needed to take stock of the situation and act.

The RV was destroyed. That had been Macaque’s first action upon catching up to them. Luckily, they had managed to evacuate before he had crushed it underneath the foot of his mech. With the miles of empty desert sand surrounding them, they had no choice but to stand and fight.

Unfortunately, Wukong had gone into a deep meditative trance not even an hour earlier. Leaving them the dire warning to not interrupt him and with MK’s own powers not working, they were without their two heaviest hitters. Mei stepped up and engaged Macaque’s mech with her dragon aura instead.

She had landed a deciding blow, vaporizing a good chunk of the mech. Their celebration was short lived though as it had just started to regenerate. Even now, Macaque’s laughter filled the air as his mech repaired itself from Mei’s most recent attack.

In short, they were trapped with nowhere to run, facing a seemingly unbeatable enemy, and relying solely on Mei who would not last forever to protect them. It was far past time he did something.

Tang took a step forward, but hesitated when the binding around his neck heated up in warning. Even in his weakened and dulled state, there was no doubt he would be able to defeat Macaque with ease. But what then? The RV was reduced to scrap. He doubted anything of use could be made from it even with vehicle manifestation magics. That left them stranded and exposed for the reprisal that would come for breaking his word.

“This isn’t good,” Pigsy said, distracting Tang from his thoughts. “We’ve got nowhere to go and Mei’s not going to last much longer. We can’t even wake up Monkey King early ‘cause he made it clear only bad things would happen if we did.” He shook his head in despair. “It’s hopeless!”

A jolt ran through Tang as if struck by lightning.

Hope.

He reached beneath his robes and clasped the wooden totem he wore around his neck at all times. There was somewhere they could go. Someplace safe from both Lady Bone Demon and those who would pursue him for revealing himself. They would be intruding and most likely be unwelcome, but Tang would worry about that later. Right now he needed to get his current family to safety and hope things could be worked out.

Tang was sure their host would appreciate that thought at least.

His doubt shattered and resolve coursing through his veins, Tang threw his scarf away and placed a hand to the golden runes etched upon his skin. With a surge of power and a quick tug, the binding was snapped off. He examined the ring of symbols for a moment, squinting at something that didn’t seem quite right. He shook his head and dismissed it for now. He needed to stay focused

Capturing the spell in a stasis field before it could disperse and tucking it away into his robes, Tang steadied himself for what he was about to do. He had already broken the binding, so there was no undoing his decision. There were going to be so many questions from his loved ones that were going to be difficult to answer. He just prayed they would eventually forgive his deceit.

Taking a deep breath, he cleared his thoughts so he could focus on what was in front of him. Determined to go through with it before his resolve wavered, Tang bent down and quickly began unlacing his boots.

“Uh, Tang? What are you doing?” Sandy asked, lightly repositioning the unresponsive Monkey King in his arms and drawing attention to the scholar.

“Getting us out of here,” Tang replied, kicking off his boots and pulling off his socks as well.

“How is taking off your shoes going to help?” Pigsy said skeptically.

“You’ll see.” Tang straightened up and tucked his glasses into a pocket. They were purely cosmetic anyway. He turned and looked each of his companions in the eyes in turn. “No matter what happens, I need you all to trust me.”

“What’s going to happen?” MK’s voice wavered. “Tang?”

“Some pretty weird stuff,” Tang admitted. His stomach twisted at the frightened and confused looks he was receiving. “I’m going to be doing all that I can to get us somewhere safe. So please, just trust me.”

“I-” MK turned to look at where Mei was clashing with Macaque’s mech, her movements noticeably sluggish. He swallowed and looked back to Tang. “O-okay. I trust you.”

“I trust you, little buddy,” Sandy pitched in enthusiastically.

“You better know what you’re doing,” Pigsy huffed, crossing his arms. While his posture seemed annoyed, Tang could see the worry in his eyes. He would have to make it up to him, to them all, later.

“Thank you,” Tang sighed in relief. “Just… Save your questions for later, alright?”

Tang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It had been some time since he had reverted to his birth form. It wasn’t strictly necessary to activate the key, but his powers and connection to the Earth were stronger when he was. With how lax he had become, he would need the boost to distract Macaque long enough for them to make their escape. He focused and with a pulse of magic, he began to change.

Fur sprouted all over his body. His feet shifted to where he stood primarily on his toes. His skull elongated into a snout. Claws grew from his fingers which shortened in length and developed paw pads. A short fluffy tail grew from the base of his spine and his ears lengthened quite significantly. Tang took a breath once the transformation finished and opened his eyes. The others stared back in astonishment.

“Whoa…” Sandy said, his mouth hanging open.

“You’re a rabbit?!” Pigsy exclaimed, eyes wide and arms having fallen to his side.

“You’re orange?” MK said, scratching his head at Tang’s bright fur color as opposed to his sudden species change.

“I’ll explain later,” Tang promised as he turned towards the mech and flexed his paws. He grinned as he felt his magic flow through him. “Right now we need to get out of here.”

Tang shifted and concentrated, stance firm despite the sand. His magic spread out down into the Earth surrounding them. Once he built up enough, he took a step forward and swung his fists downwards in a straightforward and sturdy motion. He then stepped back, pulling his fists straight up. As he did, solid stone burst out from beneath the sand underneath Macaque’s mech, encasing it up to its neck. Opening his fists, Tang spread his arms out wide and golden chains of magical energy appeared, wrapping around the stone sealing it in place.

“Holy shit!”

“Language, MK!”

“Mei, get over here,” Tang shouted. He straightened up and took a deep breath. That should not have taken that much out of him. He was more out of practice than he thought.

“What happened? Why’s shadow boy locked in stone? Who’s the rabbit dude? Where’s Tang?” Mei fired off several questions as she rejoined the group, looking pretty worn out herself.

“The rabbit is Tang and he’s the one who trapped Macaque,” MK said.

“What?!”

“Later, I promise,” Tang interrupted as he reached beneath his robes and clasped onto the totem. “Everyone grab hold of me!”

Once everyone had done so, he pulsed his magic into the totem. It replied with its own weak pulse, slowly poking out and touching Tang and his companions. As it investigated them, one of the chains sealing Macaque in place shattered.

“Tang…” MK eyed the trembling stone prison warily.

“It’s warming up, give it a second.”

“We might not have a second, Tang,” Pigsy said, flinching as another chain failed. “Hurry it up!”

Tang closed his eyes and blocked out everything, including his rising panic. This needed to work. He needed to get them all to safety.

Snap!

“Tang?”

This would work. He would be able to protect them all this time. He believed this would work.

The totem grew warm to the touch.

Snap! Snap!

“Tang!”

They were all going to be fine. No matter what, he would hold fast to his hope.

A wave of magic flowed from the totem, enveloping them all.

Tang’s eyes snapped open as the final chain shattered and the rock began to crumble.

“Brace yourselves!” He tapped his foot twice against the ground. The sand and earth beneath them gave way, opening into a large hole.

The last thing Tang saw as the group fell in screaming was Macaque breaking free of the stone and charging at them fruitlessly.

The earth closed above them long before he reached where they had been.

----------

The past week had not been very fun for MK. It had to be in the Top Five of Worst Experiences He’d Had if he were to rate it. Right up there with Spider Queen’s takeover of the city. Or that time in High School when he was sick for a whole week. Having his powers and staff stolen by a creepy and terrifying demon lady then having to go on the run for nearly two days straight was definitely not something he hoped to repeat in his lifetime.

He felt so… Useless. First with Macaque attacking them on the ship, and then when they were imprisoned by Mei’s Great-Great-Great-Many-Times-Great-Grand Uncle. Without his powers he couldn’t do anything. Like he was sure Monkey King had implied before going into his meditation, he would just get in the way and put himself in danger if he tried to fight now.

Standing back and watching Mei take on Macaque’s mech solo had been hard. At first it looked like she had been winning, but then it just kept regenerating over and over. MK could see his best friend starting to get tired after a while. Frustration had started to build within him and he had almost stepped forward to help anyway despite his missing abilities.

But then Tang stepped forward first.

Of everything that had happened so far, what happened next was nowhere near what MK ever expected to happen.

He wasn’t sure what surprised him more. The fact that Tang was actually some sort of rabbit demon, or that he was bright orange in color. Maybe it was the sudden show of some seriously awesome magic as he temporarily sealed Macaque in place. That he was hiding this from them for all this time was up there too.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get long to think about it. A sudden wave of warm magic washed over them all and Tang’s eyes snapped open at the same moment the final chain keeping Macaque in place broke.

“Brace yourselves!” Tang tapped the ground twice with one of his now large furry feet. MK barely had time to react as the earth beneath them opened up into a large hole.

There was quite a lot of screaming as they fell in. They hit something solid yet slippery as they started to slide wildly downwards. It was surprisingly well lit, and MK was soon able to realize they were careening down a tunnel lined with moss. It was… pretty fun actually.

MK’s screams soon turned into shouts of exhilaration alongside Mei’s as they slid down, down, and even further down. The random twists and drops and loops made this better than any slide or roller coaster he had ever been on! He spotted something out of the corner of his vision and his eyes widened.

Tang, who was indeed still a rabbit, wasn’t sliding. He was running along the walls of the tunnels on all fours. He was keeping pace with their frantic descent and hopping over them with precision and grace. He caught MK staring at him and smirked before jumping over the young man as he slid fully around the circumference of the tunnel. He gave MK a wink just as the tunnel dropped out once again and he lost sight of him amongst the rush of green and brown blurring past.

So cool!

Their wild ride ended just as suddenly as it began, the tunnel flattening out and shooting them into a much more open space. As they all came to a stop in an undignified heap, MK couldn’t help but laugh. That had been a blast! He extracted himself from the tangle of limbs and exchanged a high five with Mei.

“That was awesome!” He cheered alongside her, ignoring Sandy’s groans and Pigsy’s muttered cursing.

A sudden breeze caught him off guard. Weren’t they underground? As the excitement began to fade, MK took the time to examine their new surroundings.

“Whoa…” He breathed, almost unbelieving of what he was seeing. “Where are we?”

They were underground as he thought, but he’d be forgiven for expressing his doubts. The cavern they now stood in was massive, with something as bright as the sun high up towards the distant ceiling providing plenty of light. There was vibrant plant life everywhere. Fields of emerald grass and flowers of every color and egg shaped rocks covered in moss. Was that a forest in the distance?!

The breeze returned, and MK took a deep breath. The air was crisp and pleasant and clean. It carried the scent of freshly thawed soil and morning dew on grass and everything else he associated with Spring. He could swear he could hear the sound of running water for just a moment before the wind settled. He would not be surprised if there was a full blown river down here at this point.

This place was special. Unique. Important. Even with his powers on the fritz, MK could practically taste the capital M Magic that infused every inch of the cave. It was deeply connected to Nature and the Earth. It reminded him a lot of Flower Fruit Mountain, actually.

“She’s a beaut, ain’t she?” Tang said, his voice slipping into a strange accent as he looked out across the lush cave as well. He sounded both happy and… sad somehow? Huh?

MK blinked as he had to look up into Tang’s face. He had almost forgotten Tang was a rabbit. A bright orange rabbit. That apparently meant he was taller now. The rabbit part, not the orange part. The altered face shape meant his expression was a bit harder to read, yet MK was surprised that he recognized it. He wasn’t entirely sure what it meant, but it was the one Monkey King would get sometimes when he made those origami figures of the other pilgrims.

MK had so many questions.

“Yeah, it’s amazing, but where are we?” Mei repeated MK’s question.

“We’re somewhere safe,” Tang replied, his accent returning to normal as he stood up straighter. He began scanning the path leading further into the cave that the tunnel had deposited them on with intense focus.

“Somewhere safe?” Sandy said as he made sure Monkey King hadn’t suffered any damage during their wild ride.

“Yes. At least, I hope so…” Tang’s ears and nose twitched occasionally as he vigilantly watched the path. “I… I’m not supposed to bring strangers here without permission. I’m just relieved the key accepted you all and opened for us.”

“Wait, are you saying this might not have worked?!” Pigsy said, incredulous. “And what do you mean you don’t have permission to bring strangers here?”

“Exactly that,” Tang said. “This place belongs to… someone I’ve known for a long time. He doesn’t really like having unexpected guests.”

“But, you’re good friends with this guy, right?” Sandy asked. “That means it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, should it?”

Tang winced. That wasn’t a good sign.

“We’re doomed,” Pigsy groaned, unknowingly agreeing with MK’s thoughts.

“It’s… It’s complicated,” Tang admitted, his ears drooping.

Wow. He looked very sad like that. But in a cute way. MK was sorely tempted to reach out and give Tang a hug. And maybe a pat on the head? Would that be offensive? Surely just because he looked like a soft and cuddly animal Tang wouldn’t appreciate being treated like one.

“We are close,” Tang continued, distracting MK from that line of thought. “But the last time we met was many years ago and we parted in a rather… explosive argument. We haven’t spoken since and he will not be pleased to see me in his home unannounced and with uninvited strangers to boot.”

“Then why did you bring us here?!” Pigsy’s temper was starting to wear thin. MK took a step back to avoid the oncoming outburst. “You said you were bringing us somewhere safe and now you tell us whoever lives here isn’t going to be happy to see us! Plus you aren’t on good terms with him right now! Who’s to say he won’t attack us straight away? That you’ve just led us into another fight?”

“He won’t attack us.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I’ve known him all of my life,” Tang said, voice hard like steel. “Unless we throw the first blow, the worst he will do is eject us back to where we entered.”

“How is that any better?!”

“It won’t happen as long-” Tang began.

“As long as what? You talk to him? Simply explain to this guy who’s been angry at you for years that we need his help for nothing in return?” Pigsy marched over to Tang and scowled up at him. “How can you be sure that will work? Considering how you’ve obviously been hiding things from us this whole time, why should we believe you?”

Tang’s ears went fully flat at that and MK’s heart twinged in sympathy at the hurt on his face. He may have agreed with some of what Pigsy was saying, but he didn’t like throwing accusations around. It made him feel icky whenever he assumed the worst in others. Especially those he cared about. They did need answers, but this wasn’t the way to get them.

“Come on Pigsy,” MK said, trying to ease the tension. “Aren’t you being a little harsh? He did get us away from Macaque.”

“No, MK,” Tang spoke up, catching him off guard. “He’s right. I have been hiding things from you. I can’t fully explain why just yet, we don’t have the time, but I need to start being more honest with you all.”

Tang took a deep breath and looked Pigsy in the eye.

“I know he won’t attack and will at least hear us out because… Because he’s my brother.”

MK’s jaw dropped at that. That… wasn’t what he had been expecting. But considering everything else that had happened so far, he wasn’t sure why he was surprised at all.

“Oh.” Pigsy’s temper deflated as he blinked. “Uh, like, sworn brothers or…?”

“No, full blooded brothers,” Tang corrected as he returned to scanning the path.

“Oh. So is, uh, he also…” Pigsy vaguely gestured at Tang.

“A rabbit?” Tang chuckled. “Technically we aren’t rabbits, but yes, we are the same species.”

“You aren’t rabbits?” Mei sounded as confused as MK felt.

“That’s a long story.” Tang’s ears perked up and his eyes narrowed. “One I can’t get into as we’re out of time.”

The tension in the air immediately returned and MK shifted instinctively into a battle-ready stance.

“Listen, I need you all to trust me again,” Tang said as he stepped up in front of the group, facing away from them.

“What? Why?” MK asked.

“While I can probably get him to hear us out, you were right to not underestimate his anger at me. I can convince him to stop and listen, but it will take some extreme measures.” He half turned to give them an intense stare. “No matter what happens, even if it appears that my life may be in danger, do not interfere. Understand?”

“But…”

“Understand?”

MK swallowed as he shared an uncertain look with the others. Deciding to trust him once more through an unspoken agreement, they all turned and gave Tang shaky nods.

Tang returned the nod and turned back to face the path, standing tall and straight.

Before too long, the sound of something approaching rapidly was heard. A figure could be seen running towards them on all fours at full speed. It was hard to make anything out except a gray blur as it grew closer. MK took a step back as it seemed the figure wasn’t going to stop and might plow straight into Tang.

Had he blinked, he would have missed the way they bounced a quick hop high into the air to shed speed and landed at a dead stop just a few feet in front of Tang. They stood to their full height and MK got his first good look at Tang’s brother.

They were indeed a rabbit, or looked like a rabbit, just like Tang.

They were also almost completely naked.

Save for some forearm guards, a bandolier around his chest, and foot wrappings, they wore no clothing. MK nearly choked at that before he realized that there wasn’t actually anything there to see. That was… odd. A relief for sure, but certainly strange. Once he got past that shock he began to examine them a bit closer.

They had blue-gray fur with a white front, which was strangely normal considering Tang’s bright orange. He had almost expected them to be the same color. There were darker patterns on his forehead, arms, and legs however. They looked almost like natural tattoos that grew in that way. In fact, he had noticed Tang had a similar mark on his forehead as well. Interesting…

Tang’s brother was the taller of the two. If only by an inch or so. Still, they were over six feet tall if he had to guess. Not counting the long ears. Which was more than enough for the gray rabbit to be looking down at them all. Well, maybe not Sandy. Not many people were taller than him.

Their expression was carefully neutral as they examined their group, but MK could see a bit of hardness in their eyes. Eyes that were a startling bright green. They looked almost familiar… MK blinked as he realized where he saw those eyes before. They were the exact same shade as Tang’s. He hadn’t been sure if he’d be able to tell if there was any family resemblance between the two, but that was at least one definite link.

The silence stretched on as Tang’s brother stared them down. MK did his best to avoid fidgeting. The gray rabbit was rather intimidating and he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. He swallowed nervously as he resisted the urge to wipe away a bead of sweat. He wished one of them would say something. This suspense was torture!

“Why are you here?” Tang’s brother finally said, voice brusk and cold. MK shivered at the edge in their words. Tang hadn’t been lying about them not being happy to see them.

Tang took a deep breath before lowering himself to one knee. He spread his arms out, palms open and facing forward. He tilted his head back and to the side, presenting his neck while keeping eye contact with his brother.

Then he spoke.

It was unlike any language MK had ever heard. He wasn’t sure how to describe it. It… flowed. Rising and falling in a beautiful way. It was like music, almost. Tang’s brother must not have been expecting it either if the short flicker of surprise in his eyes were any indication.

The hardness quickly returned though once Tang finished whatever he was saying. In response, the gray rabbit reached behind their back and pulled out… curved wooden sticks? No, boomerangs. Boomerangs with some seriously sharp edges now that MK looked closely. Sharp edges which were very quickly placed against Tang’s throat, who did not flinch or look away.

What? MK’s pulse quickened. Tang had been so sure his brother wouldn’t harm him. Had he been wrong? He needed to stop them!

A hand clamped down tightly on his arm. He jerked around to see Mei holding on to him. She shook her head and pulled him back from the half step he had involuntarily taken. MK grit his teeth and stepped back reluctantly. Right, they had promised to not interfere. He felt so useless, again! At least the tight grip Mei had on her sword in her other hand showed he wasn’t alone in his thoughts this time.

Tang’s brother was speaking now. The foreign language was still flowing and beautiful, but there was a strange bit of formality in their cadence. Almost as if they were reciting something. Tang’s initial response had felt that way as well, in hindsight.

The brothers exchanged words for a few minutes. All the while, Tang remained on one knee while his brother held the wooden blades to his neck. MK had no idea what they were saying, but from the way their tones changed, it seemed like Tang was being forced to explain himself. At least, he assumed the shorter, harsher sentences from Tang’s brother were questions. Tang’s answers fluctuated from matter of fact to hesitant to subdued.

Throughout it all, the expression on the gray rabbit’s face never changed. They remained stoic and focused on their brother, not giving away what they thought. MK wished he could see Tang’s face so he could have an idea on what was happening.

The flow of the conversation changed suddenly. Tang’s brother seemed to be reciting several things again to Tang, and Tang would give a short response that sounded like he agreed. Promises? Demands? An oath?

Whatever it was, it made MK’s anxiety ratchet up as he realized the conversation was about to end. However the gray rabbit would respond determined whether they would be safe, or be forced back out into the desert with Macaque. He hoped that whatever Tang had said had been enough. Not just for their sake, but for Tang’s as well. He didn’t have siblings, unless he counted Mei, and it would kill him inside to not be able to speak to her for years at a time.

He hoped this would be a good first step to mend whatever torn feeling the brothers had for each other.

The gray rabbit looked up and met his eyes for just a moment before looking back to Tang.

MK felt a chill up his spine. What was that?! Why had they looked right at him? They weren’t able to read minds, were they? God, he seriously hoped not.

There was another stretch of silence, and MK felt about ready to burst from the tension. Then, Tang’s brother removed the boomerangs from Tang’s throat and took a step back. They said something that sounded like a declaration as he sheathed the wooden blades on his back once more. They then stretched out a hand to Tang, who’s shoulders slumped in obvious relief.

MK let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, hearing similar sighs from the others around him. It worked! They were safe for now.

MK let out a yawn and blinked as his eyes drooped. Wow. He was tired. Exhausted, actually. When was the last time he had a decent night’s sleep? A week ago? Two? It was sometime before he met Lady Bone Demon for the first time underground when she was pretending to be a frightened little girl. Had it really been that short of a time? It felt much longer.

WHACK!

MK jumped a little as Tang’s brother smacked the orange rabbit over the side of the head after helping him up. His heart sped up again. Had he assumed wrong? Were they about to be kicked out?

“Ow, ow, yeah, I deserved that,” Tang moaned as he rubbed the spot he’d been hit.

“Ya deserve a whole lot worse!” Tang’s brother said in a rather strong accent. “Now come here!”

Tang tensed as his brother moved in close again but blinked in surprise as he was pulled into a hug.

“You aren’t forgiven. Not yet. But, dammit, I missed ya a lot, Tangerine.”

MK shook his head. Had he heard that right? The confusion of the last few hours and his sleepiness must be playing tricks on him. Did they just call Tang Tangerine?

“I missed you too,” Tang said as he returned the embrace. He pressed his forehead to his brother’s. “I promise, I’m going to fix all this.”

“Don’t make promises ya might not be able to keep,” the gray rabbit warned softly as he pulled away. He glanced over to the rest of their group and frowned. “I think full introductions and explanations will have to wait til later. Your crew looks dead on their feet.”

MK yawned again as he looked at the others. Like Tang’s brother had said, they all looked terrible. Bags under their eyes, sand in their rumpled clothes, and various scrapes and bruises from the two vehicle crashes they had managed to live through in the same amount of days. There was only one thing on MK’s mind right now and that was sleep.

He really hoped there wouldn’t be any more earth-shattering surprises. He might not be able to take it.

“Alright you lot, let me welcome ya officially to The Warren,” Tang’s brother said. “I’ll get ta know ya after you’ve had some shut eye. For now, you can call me Bunny.”

“Bunny?” Pigsy gaped. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” The gray rabbit smirked mischievously. “But if that bothers you, you can call me by my full title.”

Tang tensed. Uh oh…

“And… That would be?” Sandy asked.

Tang’s brother gave a toothy grin.

“The Easter Bunny.”

MK’s brain officially fizzled out and stopped processing.

----------

So what did you think? Quite a bit was revealed in a short time. Are your brains fried like MK’s here? ;P

Shout-out to @skellebonez once again for being a wonderful friend and sounding board as I rambled to them about this!

This is actually a re-write of a one shot I wrote some months ago. I liked the idea so much I decided to take a more serious crack at it and turn it into a full fic. I’m super excited for some of the things I have planned.

Unfortunately, I don’t know when the next chapter will be ready. I’ve managed to get a new job that required me to move states. I’m still settling in and getting used to working full time again. Hopefully a routine will settle and I’ll be able to start writing more often.

But for now, stay safe! Care for one another! And never give up on Hope!

Until Next Time!