Enjoy!
Caesar sat on his bed, patiently waiting for Rocket to give him a report on what they found in the city, well the bridge leading to it. The King didn't want them to actually enter the city as he didn't know if anything still lived in it. Any humans that is.
Rocket entered Caesar's home with Nina at his side. Caesar immediately noticed the dog in Nina's arms. He barely heard Rocket's report as he was caught in a flashback of the German Shepherd barking at him in the woods ten years ago, the day he found out what he was, when Will was still alive. When apes were still suffering.
After Rocket finished, Caesar politely dismissed him. He then turned his attention to the human.
"Dog." He said while pointing at the animal. He noticed the girl held it protectively.
"Yeah a baby dog. A puppy." Nina looked down, averting her gaze from the leader before she continued, "So… uh can I keep him?"
She finally looked up at him, giving him- what did Will call it? Puppy dog eyes. Yes that's what she was giving him.
After a moment he nodded his head then warned, "If it causes any trouble or hurts an ape, I will have no choice but to get rid of him."
Nina promised him that wouldn't happen since she'll train the puppy well. She thanked him before she exited his home.
Caesar was then left to reflect on the recent events. He adopted a human into the Ape Colony, something that has angered many of his people.
Many of the apes who opposed his decision came to speak with him, trying to convince him to reconsider. Caesar stubbornly told them that his mind was made. Some females even offered to adopt Hope and Hunter as they found them having a human as a mother shameful and just plain wrong. The King quickly rejected their offers, telling them that the babies already had a mother and didn't care what species she was. They loved her regardless.
Caesar was taken out of his thoughts as he heard someone enter his room. He turned around to see his son standing at the entrance.
"Hello, son." He greeted.
Blue Eyes only gave an acknowledging nod of his head. For the past two weeks, Caesar had woken up several nights to find out that his son was not home. He figured now was the time to ask him what Blue Eyes had been up to.
"Blue Eyes, where have you been going during the night?"
His son's eyes widened but he knew better than to lie to his father. Caesar had a good bullshit detector, at least when it came to his son.
"Cannot sleep some nights. Too many thoughts keep me awake. I go to clear my mind." The teenager explained, tiredly. Caesar could now see the lack of sleep on his son's face.
"What troubles you, son?" The concerned father asked.
At that question, a troubled and confused look formed on the young ape's face. "The human." Caesar then asked what about her was troubling him.
"I do not know if she is good or not. Koba says all humans bad but when I look at her…" He looked into the distance, past Caesar, at the stars on the horizon, "...see only good. Do not know to trust her. Am scared but don't feel in danger. I do not understand."
The Ape King took a moment to formulate a response. He was surprised that his son actually told him what was bugging him. He hadn't opened up to Caesar in a long time.
"Nina has known apes more than humans. Raising ape young. See her as an ape, my son." He put a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder before signing with the other, "Befriend her. You will then see that you do not need to fear her."
Blue Eyes grunted in response. He then surprised his father again by bringing their foreheads together. Though brief, it still brought a smile on Caesar's face.
He watched as his son left their home, heading to Ash's dwelling for the night.
Caesar looked upon his kingdom, remembering the days when his two-year old son would follow him around. When he was close to his father, before he started to distance himself, soon idolizing Koba. It worried him greatly that Koba's stories about the humans would cloud his son's judgement. Blue Eyes could not allow hate and fear to control him.
He sighed, wondering if his next child would follow Blue Eyes' footsteps.
A hand gently rested on his back as a feminine voice whispered in his ear, "Ready now? It is time."
Caesar smiled, excited at the prospect of making a new child. "Ready when you are, my love." He told her affectionately.
Cornelia grabbed his hand, leading him to their bed.
Koba stood outside his home, looking up at the stars as he recalled what Nina had told him in the stables earlier. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he did admire the young human's courage not only to speak out to him, but to simply speak her mind. That took guts. It also took courage to be face to face with a mountain lion. Didn't kill it though. Koba did.
Regardless, she had guts. Koba could respect that, but could he respect her? Not sure. He wasn't really sure about anything regarding that peculiar human these days. His views on her species were slowly changing, of course he wouldn't hesitate to kill any other human who crossed his path (unless Caesar was there to stop him.) Nina was different. Maybe she is an ape trapped in a human body.
That made a little bit of sense. Now he was less apprehensive about getting to know her. Maybe she won't hurt him like the other humans did. After all, she didn't have him in a cage, she couldn't hurt him with the stings that made him fall asleep. Doesn't have the sleeping guns. Koba free, will always be free. Because of Caesar.
She could not hurt him.
"Koba?" The bonobo jumped at the question, lowering his gaze to the human standing in front of his home. She was carrying the puppy.
He already knew what she wanted to know. "Young are inside. Asleep. You should sleep too."
She nodded her head, entering the hut. Koba soon followed. He needed to sleep too.
Hope and Hunter apparently weren't asleep because they were eagerly greeting their adoptive mother. Koba watched as she set the puppy on the bed in between the twins. The ape's fur stood on end as he watched the babies and canine look at each other curiously. He was ready to kill the animal if it dared to hurt the young apes. But it did no such thing. It started to lick Hunter's face causing the baby to squeal in happiness. Hope began to groom the puppy's black fur. Nina watched the exchange, a smile on her face.
"Dog." She said while signing the word to them as well. They repeated the sign to her. "His name is Charlie." She signed that to them as well.
Koba grunted to get there attention. "Why name it?"
"Because he is family now." She looked agitated that he would ask such a question.
Koba scowled. Making a dumb animal family? Humans are weird. He walked to his bed, sitting down to look at the twins' happily interact with their new 'family member.'
After about ten more minutes of play, the three youngsters soon fell asleep. The twins' slept close to the puppy, obviously quite fond of the furry mammal. Nina sat down next to her small, odd family, looking at them with loving eyes. Koba watched, wishing he had a family to look at like that.
"My real name is Marina." Nina suddenly said loud enough for Koba to hear, but quiet enough to not wake up the kids. "Nina is what Zira, the leader of my old troop, named me. She said that if I were to live with apes I had to be named by them. I didn't mind since I didn't really like my original name, it reminded me of the parents I barely remember."
"What happened to your parents?" Koba asked, trying to keep his voice from waking up the children as well. He honestly didn't know what compelled him to ask that, he only knew that he wanted to know. Why want to know about a human?
She looked at him, tears in her eyes before replying with, "They were murdered. The killer was never caught." She wiped her nose before continuing, "I had an uncle that took me and my dog in. My uncle didn't like dogs and he would hurt my little Bentley. His wife would try to stop him but he wouldn't listen. Any little thing Bentley did would make him so angry. I never understood why."
Koba watched as she wiped away her tears, then wiping her nose with her arm before she could continue. "One day, Bentley decided to fight back. My uncle grabbed him around the neck and threw him across the room… into a wall. I'll never forget the sound his body made as it hit the cold, hard wall. I'll never forget the blood stains on the once pure white wall. My Bentley didn't get up. I was only 6 when I watched him die. I could've done something sooner. If I'd just called the cops or told a teacher maybe my dog would still be alive. It was my fault. My inaction caused his death. Aunt Clara told me soon after that my uncle hated animals. I was mad at her because she didn't tell anyone and told me not to do so either, or else I'd be punished. I hated them both. I hated the person that killed my parents. I hated myself. I hate the people that killed my troop . I hate my kind." She looked up at him, making eye contact. Koba saw the hate, the grief, the thirst for vengeance in her eyes. He knew she saw the same in his. "Please, don't tell anyone this. I only told you because I feel like you'd understand."
Koba looked dumbfounded. Did she trust him with such information? Why? But she was right. He did understand why she had so much hate and pain. Her life was tragic, though not as tragic as his but still. He understood what it was like to be subjected to pain, both physical and mental. He understood the scars that could be left on the body and mind as a result of such horrors. Although their stories were different, he felt a spark inside him telling him she was like him. It scared him. Yet he couldn't stop himself from going up to the crying human, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She seemed shocked at first, but soon rested her hand on his.
"Koba is sorry." He told her sincerely. The words felt foreign on his tongue. He was consoling a human. Someone he should hate yet all he could feel for her is sympathy, as well as empathy.
She let out a shaky 'thank you.' The bonobo grunted before heading back to his bed, lying down. He now had new thoughts forming in his mind, new feelings as well. Maybe she isn't so bad after all.
If Nina needed to be saved from life threatening danger again, he wouldn't hesitate to aid her like the first time.
Marina.
He found himself liking his roommate's former name.
I felt tired after telling Koba that. Yet I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. The pain was still there, though it was dulling. The anger and hate, however, was there as well. I never acted out such emotions. They only led to destruction for not only others, but myself as well. I may have lost two families, but now I had one of my own.
I'll always miss my mother and father. I'll always miss my ape mother and ape father too.
I sighed contently. I was excited for tomorrow. Sparrow said it was fine for me to do stuff other than laze around at home now. I hoped Koba would teach me something new and maybe Blue Eyes and Ash would come with us.
I liked those two. They were kind, especially Ash. Blue Eyes was a bit weird but I attributed that to his lack of interaction with humans. He was cute though. Ya know, for an ape.
Maybe even cuter than any human boy my age. I laughed quietly, not wanting to wake up Koba or the kids.
I looked at the scarred ape, wondering why he didn't have a family. From what I've observed, he was a respected warrior. I would expect him to have a mate and kids by now. Well I guess I could help him find a mate.
He did save my life so it's the least I could.
And the plot thickens…
I got a bit teary as I wrote about what happened to poor Bentley but as Weasel says "It'll further the plot."
I don't know if I quoted that right or if you guys will get that reference soo yeah…
Anyways it was a necessary tragedy so don't hate me for it. xc
Hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know in a review!
Have a nice day/night! :)
