A Ling is a little sheep who attained immortality and, by the grace of the Queen Mother of the West, came to serve at her side.
"Hey, have you heard? The new Bimawen actually dares to be unhappy with the position the Jade Emperor gave him."
"Of course I have. That monkey went back to the mortal realm and even raised a banner declaring himself the 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven.' What arrogance..."
This wasn't the first time A Ling had heard the fairies gossiping about Bimawen in private.
They said that monkey had once been a piece of spirit stone, which absorbed the essence of heaven and earth over countless years before taking human form.
A Ling kept walking, leaving their gossip behind.
She only needed to do her own job well.
-
The Peach Banquet, held once every hundred years, was coming up. The Queen Mother of the West ordered A Ling to oversee the affairs of the Jade Pool.
"Great Sage Equal to Heaven? Never heard of him. A mere Bimawen, a stone monkey who looks after the peach orchard, dares to attend the banquet at the Jade Pool? What a dreamer."
A Ling remained calm as she walked over and interrupted them. "This is a place of spiritual cultivation. You must not speak carelessly."
The little fairies recognized A Ling and stopped talking about it.
"Hey, A Ling, that butterfly hairpin on your head is so pretty."
A Ling was confused. "Butterfly?"
She didn't own a butterfly hairpin.
A Ling raised a hand to touch her head, seemingly startling the butterfly that had settled in her hair.
A translucent butterfly, as white as jade, fluttered away from her hairpin.
A little fairy's voice came from beside her. "It must be a little spirit butterfly that escaped from one of the palaces. How naughty!"
A Ling watched the butterfly fly away. Somehow, it looked familiar...
A gentle, reserved little fairy x Great Sage Equal to Heaven Sun Wukong
Reading guide:
1. A short, sweet story written to indulge my tastes. OOC warning!
2. Apologies to everyone
Theme: Those who stand on their own two feet get to enjoy the world first.
