Note: Technically I've no business writing this. I haven't updated my Invader Zim fics in soooo long, but I've been somewhat paralyzed in my writing lately, and I was so starved for inspiration, that when I finally got it (despite the different subject) I pounced on it. It's short and simple. Enjoy... if that's the right word for a story like this.
"Mayor. It's cloudy today. It might rain. But don't worry, I'll keep you safe." The hulking elephant smiled as he held the orange clover under an outstretched ear. Birds sang in the swaying trees as the sun warmed them from the chill night. Yet the elephant trudged through the forest, dutifully shading the fuzzy flower from the non-existent storm.
"It's a good thing my ears are so big. I can hear you, and protect you at the same time." The smile never left his face. His eyes stared fixedly at the frail flower that rested in his curled trunk.
All around him, at every step, eyes glanced up to see what the disturbance was, and just as quickly dropped back to the ground. Grown creatures turned the heads of younger animals who didn't know enough not to stare. One child whispered, "But why can't I look?" and was rewarded with a fierce glare.
"It's okay" he continued. "If Vlad comes back, I know what to do, cause I've been practicing. I'm much faster now, and I know all the escape routes in the jungle."
He plodded along, oblivious to the stares and the not-stares. He gingerly sidestepped a small vine blossom, tripping over a fallen log. Frantically, he pushed himself up and brought the clover close to his eyes. "Mayor! Are you alright? I'm sorry." His smile returned. "I'll have to be more careful, right? Don't worry. It's next on my list of things to improve on."
One pair of eyes stayed on the clumsy elephant, and one pair of ears swiveled to catch his cheerful words. A solitary kangaroo stepped out from the shade of a tree and hopped forward. The elephant turned, warily. His eyes widened a little, and his trunk curled protectively behind his head, but his smile stayed put.
The kangaroo folded his arms. "You can't keep doing this." His voice was quiet, but he knew he'd be heard. Those ears could pick up the sound of an ant grumbling a mile away. "You have to get over this. It isn't right."
The trunk relaxed a little, bringing the flower back into view. "You know I can't. A person's a person, no matter how small, and there are small people on this speck."
Tersely, the kangaroo grated, "There isn't a speck. There's a flower, but no speck. The speck is gone."
"You shouldn't talk about the speck like it isn't there," the elephant grinned. "After all, there's a whole world of people on it. That's a lot of feelings you're hurting."
Flinching at this, the kangaroo turned his face away for a moment. Then he looked back at Horton, anger rising in his eyes. "Get rid of it. We're all tired of watching you walk in circles around the jungle carrying that thing."
The curl tightened, and the elephant murmured, "But I promised. An elephant's faithful one hundred percent. I promised I'd find them a home. They're my friends."
Faster than the elephant could blink, the kangaroo snatched the orange clover and crushed it in his grip. His eyes glinted harshly as he growled, "My mother boiled your stupid flower years ago, Horton. It isn't coming back." Hurling the remains in Horton's face, he bounded off, smaller animals scrambling to get out of the way.
Horton stared blankly at his empty trunk for a moment or two. Then, slowly, he stretched it out, wrapping it around the stem of a nearby purple clover. Gently tugging it from the ground, he pulled it close to his face, and shrouded it with his ears. "Don't worry," he murmured, "I'll keep you safe this time."