Jingu Bang: Staff of the Rightful King

by overlord-flinx


Epilogue: The King.

The tides...

Soft against the breaking stone, waves ebbed a steady pattern. Back and forth, waves sounded gentle hisses as they broke against the stone of the coast and fell back against itself into the waiting blue. The stone of the cliff side dripped steadily with the droplets the waves left against its ridged, eroded face. While the small waves clapped and hissed against the stone, one wave surged out from the reaches of the ocean and overtook the rest. The larger wave collided against the rocky wall and sent a rumble through it, causing smaller pebbles and loose footings stumble into the water with harsh splashes to follow them.

...They crash at my call.

The winds...

Warm, green canopies stretching all across the cool jungle below rustled with the passing winds of the sea. Light traces of salt and sun-baked water were carried with each whirling gust; leaving their invisible trace to streak against the leaf tops of the jungle. The leaves brushed against one another as the turning winds bent at their branches but did not split them. The wind soon stopped for a moment, letting each leaf and branch fall back to its natural place for just a moment. When the winds struck again, they were no longer coming from one way. From the north, south, east, and west, the wind became a vibrant jolt of sending calls. Branch after branch of the tree tops split one after the other and the winds soon swept those broken reaches into their swirling wake.

...They scream when I command.

The earth...

The land beneath the green canopy remained cool, perhaps even more so with the spurring winds that the great gusts were now displaying. Along too, the stone face of the cliff side remained true in its standing no matter how often the waves ripped against it. In harmony, land itself remained unchanged by the twisting elements against it. Yet, at the sudden strike of sea against the mighty stone, a small fracture formed. Gradually, as the wind howled against it louder and more viciously it grew more and more evident. Until it shattered monstrously against the entire rock face and ran a ridged fissure against the jungle floor itself. Trees toppled into the spreading abyss at each passing second; filling the crying winds with thundering calamity.

...It splits with my stomp.

Mountains...

The fissures and fractures only grew more violent as they chased nature itself into the depths of its maw. On its winding charge, the splitting of the earth came to face the incline of a mountain surrounded by jungle life. Like everything before it, the mountain only held for a fleeting moment before the land divided it and engorged the snowy peaks above it into the darkness.

...crumble with a single order.

This whole world...

Cries of worry and panic soon mingled helplessly with the shattering earth's bellow and the heaven's screech. At the foot of the mountain -the growing gorge- was a twinkling, gilded city home to a zebra tribe. The zebra's coward as they witnessed the great mountain once shadowing their great city crumble into nothingness. Many witnessed as boulders collided into the outskirts of the city and decimated crops and small dwellings built at length from the city walls.

...crushed if I only wished it.

But this world is needed...

The zebras' screams gradually died one after the other as one by one saw the figure standing proud atop the golden walls gating the city. A figure standing on only two legs and clutching a long pole that shined even more grand than the golden city of El Dorado of which they called home. They all watched in awe as the figure raised his staff high to his side before slamming the base against the ground.

...These lives are required...

All at once, the calamity started; in the most literal of meanings. Stones stopped in mid-air, the wind died into a halt, and the sea became stagnantly still. The only sound that remained was an echoing chime that radiated from the staff planted against the ground.

...The balance must be kept...

The staff was slowly drawn from the ground, causing the rocks being held in the sky to fall abruptly and the sea to let loose a strong fall of water, as if it had been holding its breath. The zebras of El Dorado did the same as the sea; releasing a held breath and looking relieved as they did too.

...So that I can have authority over it...

They watched as the figure jump from the top of the wall and flew across a great distance until it landed at the center of the golden city. The zebras gathered around it, knowing well who it was but being nonetheless excited to greet him personally. His staff still clenched tightly in his palm, he fixed his stature and stood tall; standing well higher than most of the ponies around him.

...So I can cast light into it...

One after another, the zebras bowed their heads collectively to this being until all the streets of paved gold became streaked with coats of black and white.

...So that I...

"Once more, we are thankful to you..." a single zebra spoke, an elderly but well decorated one that had stepped out from among the masses of his citizens, "Once more, you have stayed true..." the elder bowed his own tired head to their savior.

...May be king...

Their king, wielder of the great golden staff, put his hand up in a calming motion to the ponies. At once, all the zebras lifted their heads, following and listening to their proud leader without question. In the calm, he looked about with his sharp, red-yellow eyes; marking the area to be sure it was at peace for the moment. Once he was sure, his hand dropped back to his side and he swung his pole up and slung it against his shoulder.

...I...

"Elder..." he finally spoke, his voice coming out young yet heavy with experience, "Hold El Dorado in this hour of my absence." Both of his palms clapped together before he lowered himself into a bow before the zebra elder. His staff remained clutched to his shoulder as the other end of it was being held by a long, curled monkey tail protruding out from his behind.

...am...

"Leaving? Already? Why so soon, excuse me of my petty..." The Elder both apologized and inquired his king, being the voice of the other zebras of the city.

At first, he didn't answer the question, opting to looking up at the blazing ball of life hanging high in the morning sky. The sun's rays reflected brilliantly off of his mighty staff, sending glints of gold shimmers against every ponies' eyes. "...My right..." was the last thing he spoke before bursting into a surge of visible wind and leaves, signalling his departure out from the city.

.

..Sun Wukong...