Green filled the sky as the sunlight was filtered magnificently by the leaves, leaving only splotches of brighter color upon the grass and dead leaves on the ground. Names were called and echoed and answered repetitively as the creatures conversed with one another, and it suddenly grew to silence. Fragrances of dirt and dew and chlorophyll filled the humid summer air, each creature ingesting the scents as they waited for the sensed arrival. The arrival of something new, something different, something foreign. They weighed the situation at hand, as if to trust or to flee, for attack was no sensible option. Rustling of grass crescendo until not even a single animal took a breath.
A blur of black and red and grey raced past the ground and their heart skipped a beat. An intruder? A predator? A red blur came rushing at the smaller blur, as if to chase him, or run away from something else entirely. The creatures began to name-call once more, in panic and confusion. And finally, the last blur raced by, slightly slower, but wild all the same. It was of no creature they had seen before, and it stopped and turned around.
With a hesitant form, it rose to its hind legs. Its pale, hairless flesh was crusted in mud and scrapes and dirt. Twigs and leaves were embedded in its knees. There was cloth about his body, torn, rigid, frayed, and caked with the earth. Scanning up to his face, they were stricken with horror at the curiosity shining in its large, grey eyes, partially covered with a snarled, tangled mess of tea green hair. His lips curled into a wild grin of a happy boy.
A courageous young creature stepped up and called. "What are you?" Bravery was the one trait this creature had.
"It's a boy." A wise old creature explained "He can't speak our tongue."
"Hello!" the boy called happily "What's your name?" this raised a loud chatter of calling, and with a loud growl the creatures hushed.
"You can understand us..?" The elder called question.
"Who cannot?" the boy answered.
"Man cannot speak the language of the monsters, what are you doing here, boy?" Another voice questioned.
"I'm exploring with my friends, Daru and Zoro." he smiled, as if nothing fazed him. The red and black blurs slowly caught up with him, and they saw that they too, were creatures of their kind. Monsters. The black creature, now appearing to be like a fox, jumped into the boy's arms.
"Do you have a name, boy?" the voice fluttered into view, revealing itself. It was a blue bat, and as it appeared another arrived, the same as it.
"He does not remember his name. For all we know, and accept, he has none." The red blur, or Daru, appearing to be a giant ape, defended for its child. "We are going to explore, now. Farewell."
"Farewell." The elder stuttered, and at that, Daru and Zoro ran away, leaving the boy behind.
"Goodbye!" The boy smiled, went on all fours, and dashed away as if it were natural. The creatures resumed calling, yet all in wonder of what they had just witnessed.
"Try and catch up!" Zoro called, running top speed. Daru ran close behind.
"You there?" he called.
"Yes!" The boy smiled, speeding up as fast as his small limbs could take him.
"And Zoro, what's up ahead?" Daru asked.
"Well, I think there's a-" a yelp was heard and Zoro's voice trailed off.
"Zoro? Zor-" Daru then let out a beastly cry.
"Guys? Hey P-" A scream erupted from the boy's throat as he tumbled down the remnants of a landslide. His frail body bounced and rolled and cut and bruised as he fell, and finally he hit soft, loamy earth. He spat rocks and dirt, felt no need to brush off the moss, and stood up with wobbly knees. He searched the area.
"Zoro...? Daru...?" He called. "Guys? Where are you? T-this isn't funny!" He called in their dialect, and then as no one had answered, curiosity sank in with the sorrow. His vision came upward and he saw a clearing in the trees. Something beckoned him, and he found himself crawling to the source of this familiar, warm feeling. The sky grew bluer and brighter until no trees remained before him, only stone objects alike to one another. Creatures spoke another tongue he had not spoken in forgotten lengths of time. He crawled to the outskirts, a purple cat purring familiarly into his ear and passed him. He then turned, observing the creatures on two legs, talking and laughing and smiling together. He longed for that. He let out a silent growl and turned forward.
There, in his face, sat two twins. One had been playing with a puppy, and another making a crown of flowers. Both of them had stopped, and were staring at the boy. They were like him, yet so clean. One of the twins had short brown hair, and the other had brunette pigtails. Both were so neat, so full, so loved in their eyes. It was as if he hadn't been loved, or had been a victim of malnutrition or neglect. He wasn't, and he knew that. But this was so different, so much...better. What was he missing? It made him remember Zoro and Daru, and his heart throbbed for them dearly. So much so that he didn't notice the girl was setting the flower crown on his head, or the puppy licking his face. He gave a low growl at them, and scampered off.
"Zoro! Daru! Where are you?!" He called into the forest. "ZORO! DARU!"
Something hit him hard in the back, and with a crack he fell to the mud. Something rustled in the distance, scoffing something foul in a foreign language. The boy turned, frightened as he looked to his back. A ball had been thrown at his spine, its crimson intimidated him, and the white was unnatural. He slowly got up, his back throbbing, and began again.
"DARU! ZORO! P-Please answer me!" He called, and the something's voice grew louder. Louder until he saw the source, and his big eyes grew wider. The something loomed over him like a shadow. Its pale green hair was tied up in a ponytail and his jacket was loose around its skin. It was a human, a man with cruel eyes...which changed hastily to kind as they were stared upon.
"Don't be afraid, little one." The man knelt down to eye level "What are you saying?"
"Daru...Zoro..." the boy wiped newly forming tears with his muddy fists, consciously adjusting his voice to the man's ears.
"Are they your friends?" He asked softly. The words the boy replied were inaudible through his sniffles and his sobs. Alone, scared, stranger, sorrow, pain...it was all too much for him. He finally gave up reasoning with himself and nodded, continuing to blubber about. The man gingerly wiped a tear from the child's watery eye, and took out two of the intimidating balls he had been attacked with. He tossed them aside and they opened, letting out two scarlet forms, which took shape as none other than Zoro and Daru. The child squeaked and ran to them, embracing them warmly.
"Ah, a Darumaka and a Zorua..." the man observed interestedly. However, he stopped to listen in on their conversation.
"Daru! Zoro!" he cried.
"We've been captured...I'm sorry..." Daru said sadly. Zoro was at a loss for words. The boy paused as he backed up.
"What's wrong? What's captured?" he asked.
"It means we can't explore with you anymore..." Zoro sniffled.
"What?"
"Child, are you speaking to them?" The man started.
"They...they say they can't explore with me..." he held his head down "Why can't they explore with me? Aren't they my friends?" He turned back to the creatures, beginning to form his lips in their native tongue, speaking again "Aren't we friends?"
"You have an unusual gift, boy. Can you understand what they're saying?" the man began, intrigued by this child.
"You can't?" the boy replied.
"N-no, my ears are weak, I can only understand human's speaking. But this Darumaka and Zorua- Daru and Zoro are mine, now. You see these?" He held up the scary ball "I threw these at them and they're now mine. They have to come home with me, now." The boy's eyes widened.
"Something like that hit me! Does that mean I have to go with you?" He gasped. The man stopped, examining the situation. After a moment he grinned.
"No, but I would like you too. You can explore my house as long as you want with your Daru and Zoro, and I can take care of you. I can be your father." He smiled.
"I want to explore with my friends. I want to make new friends. I want to." the boy pleaded helplessly. The man stood up and held up the two balls, and with a scarlet light Daru and Zoro vanished. He held out his hand.
"Well, come with me, I'll let you explore. I'll give you so many friends you won't know what to do with yourself. Come, my son." The boy took his hand with hesitation. The flower crown still lay like a halo on the child's head. The man looked down at it and smiled, handing the two balls to someone waiting on the outskirts of the forest, gathering the cash reward silently in return without the boy noticing. The man stroked the boy's hair gently, the flower crown bright in the sunlight.
"My king." The man spoke silently.