Chapter Text
The temple of hers was meant for many uses.
On many occasions, brave heroes or warriors would scale the vast, enormous, and dangerous mountain to seek her blessings before war, to ask forgiveness for the taking of massive life, or to plead their cases in hope that she would grant them some sort of compensation for crawling up a mountain she did not ask them to climb.
Her palace was also, more pleasantly, a home for the prayers and wishes of mortals, demons, and gods alike who have true and passionate dreams. It protects those yearnings that have traveled so far up to her mountain just to reach her ears, and once a month, when the moon in which Chang'e resides is whole, Lady Nüwa grants one of the prayers.
Yes, her haven was diverse in its purposes.
But out of the many things it is utilized for, raising a celestial primate was not one of them.
On rare occasions, women and their spouses would climb the mountain to birth their child at her temple, knowing she was the Goddess of Fertility and Life and would likely guide the soul of their child into the world of the living. A safe place for birth was one thing; a place suitable to grow a child, a celestial child, was another.
To put it simply, as of now, Lady Nüwa, goddess of life, fertility, and order, had her sanctuary in ruins.
Gaping holes scattered throughout the buildings walls and ceilings, allowing rays of gold and pink sunset to visit the once protected interior of her abode. (Ironically, Lady Nüwa finds the way the sunlight lights her room rather beautiful and calming.)
The cause of such disaster?
A small brown ball of fur that is currently flying across the inside in a hyperactive state of pure energy. She can remember when only days prior, all he had done after his awakening was cling to her.
Sat on her shoulder and curled carefully into the crook of her neck shielding himself from the wind and sun while they made their journey back to her temple from the mountain his stone had originally been placed.
She had been naive to believe that he would remain in such a condition, Lady Nüwa wouldn't have minded her child cling to her the entirety of his childhood. But he adapted to his environment rapidly, very enthusiastic to explore and experience all of her temple, accepting of his new home.
A boom sounds in the distance traveling back into her room.
Her little heaven had, unlike the Sage Equal to Heaven, unlocked his powers not at the moment of awakening but instead a small time later.
In a way it was rather fortunate for Qi Xiaotian and her that he was destroying temples here instead of Flower Fruit mountain. It meant the heavens were still unaware of the second coming of a certain celestial monkey, and the enormous power he possessed.
Another alarming crash reverberates through the halls from her garden of meditation.
Lady Nüwa can only assume it might be out of commission for a good while.
She sighs inwardly as she moves towards the loud unmistakable sounds of destruction, she cannot blame Xiaotian for his chaotic nature. It was, after all, his intended fate to always mix and weave with the forces of havoc and collapse. It was for that reason Lady Nüwa found it far too dangerous to let him free into the world where he would cause only disarray and destruction for those around him, she would protect her human children and Xiaotian as much as possible.
Her thoughts come to a halt as Lady Nüwa braces herself slightly as she closes in on the garden entrance, the loud crashing of wood and whatever furniture might have gotten in the way of her little heavens playing she speculated could be heard by all residents of her mountains.
Lady Nüwa enters inside to observe the damage and hopefully find some way to somehow cease and fix the damage that might be done.
"..."
A sort of silence envelopes her mind, for Lady Nüwa had severely underestimated the sheer destruction the little cub could bring. The squeals and chirps of excitement of Xiaotian as he spots her mid leap from a plum tree to a battered and broken pillar, and changes his desired destination.
Lady Nüwa smiles fondly as the small ray of sunshine leaps on to her and climbs onto her cupped hands.
"You are certainly a spirited child aren't you?"
Shes say softly to the monkey, that chitters happily in her hands. As if trying to tell her all about the wonderful adventures he had while she was away. She listens to the cheeping of the cub that sits cross legged in her hands, tail wrapped around her wrist while she moves around her temple assessing the damage.
Praying to Buddha that none of heaven noticed golden beams of light destroying her sanctuary, it would be very bothersome if the Golden Star of Venus took the rather extreme measures the former emperor did and tried to crown her child with a collar. She never did agree with what Tang Sanzang had been encouraged to do. And as much as Lady Nüwa was aware the unimaginable power and destruction Qi Xiaotian could bring, she would much rather just keep him safely tucked away from the rest of the world as the world was also safely kept safe from him.
She stares down into big dark his eyes, perhaps it is the sunset rays that make her see glints of gold in his eyes. They remind her of a dark sky full of stars, vast and beautiful, so big it could swallow the earth whole. But they don't. Because they are kind.
Slowly the tittering stops and Lady Nüwa quietly slides Xiaotian onto the crook of her neck, where he immediately grabs a hold of the fabric and begins to gradually descend into sleep, breathing slowing to a rhythmic in and out.
Finally, his chaos ceases, and a quiet peace settles over the temple. Almost as if the inhabitants could feel in the air that anarchy had passed for a short time.
Slowly the tittering stops and Lady Nüwa quietly slides Xiaotian onto the crook of her neck, where he immediately grabs a hold of the fabric and begins to gradually descend into sleep, breathing slowing to a rhythmic in and out.
Finally, his chaos ceases, and a quiet peace settles over the temple. Almost as if the inhabitants could feel in the air that anarchy had passed for a short time.
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