Hello Readers! Apologies for the long wait but here it is! We are finally moving into War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations! A lot of the story will be about the same as the book itself with some twists and changes made here and there that hopefully fits within the narrative. Hope you all enjoy!
Now, since after the fighting up at the tower was done, there was a pause, a time for the apes to think and take in the aftermath of what happened. Moving along through the streets of the human city, Blue Eyes watched as many of the females and young ones from the colony cried out in despair as they huddled around the bodies of their fathers, brothers, and loved ones. Seeing the mournful faces of the female apes filled Blue Eyes with a great sadness, as if he could somehow feel their pain of loss as well, drowning him in a suffocating tide that was hard to breath in.
With a huff, Blue Eyes hurried pass the mournful apes only to come across a familiar looking orangutan with a distinctive spray of yellow hair that ran down the side of his head. It was Ray and he was sitting next to a corpse of another orangutan. Ray had taken the deceased orangutan's hand and was holding it next to his cheek, rocking back and forth slowly as if to try and calm or bring some sort of comfort to himself. Blue Eyes needn't look closer to see that the deceased ape that Ray was holding onto was Hector - Ray's father. The younger orangutan had just lost his last only living family member and it had hurt Blue Eyes as well seeing the younger ape in such a sad state.
Watching Ray from afar, Blue Eyes then noticed another orangutan slowly approaching the younger ape from the side - Maurice. The older ape stopped behind the younger ape and placed a hand upon Ray's shoulder, prompting the smaller orangutan to look up at whomever had touched him. Immediately Ray then wrapped his long arms around Maurice's middle and buried his face face into the older ape. While Maurice slowly wrapped his long arms around the smaller orangutan and patted Ray's back gently, keeping his beady green eyes that were filled with sadness upon Hector's body.
Sniffing to himself, Blue Eyes turned away from the two orangutans and slowly ambled away from the two apes, unable to bear the sight anymore. He soon found himself at the base of the human tower again, standing there upon the steps where his mother, father and brother were just at earlier. Gazing up at the tower, Blue Eyes remembered his father giving out the orders for the troops to leave the the base of the tower, saying that the structure was unstable due to the explosion that had occurred the night before. As Blue Eyes stared at the tower a sudden feeling overcame him as he remembered Ray by his dead father's side. Slowly Blue Eyes reached up and traced his hand over his still healing scars as memories slowly came back to him.
"Don't feel bad Blue Eyes. Scars make you strong."
Releasing a huff, Blue Eyes shut his eyes tightly remembering Koba's words of comfort after his failed hunt with his father. Why was he having such feelings for the bonobo now? Koba had caused all of this, tried to kill Ash, fought with his father for the right to rule the apes. So he shouldn't be having this feeling of loss for the scarred bonobo… Yet… Was his uncle truly at fault though? Koba had been mentally unstable and there were all manipulated by Pope, so Blue Eyes didn't know what to think or how to feel. However he couldn't just pretend that Koba was not in his life since the moment of his birth. Teaching him the ways of the warrior while his father taught him the ways of a leader.
Squatting by the steps, Blue Eyes had decided to curl in on himself, burying his head into his arms. He knew naught how long he sat there but eventually he heard soft padding and then a hand settled itself upon his shoulder, causing Blue Eyes to stare up into Maurice's kind face.
"Why are you here, all alone?" Maurice had asked the distraught looking prince.
"Why?" Blue Eyes suddenly croaked out in a defeated voice, surprising Maurice a little.
"Why are they all dead?" Blue Eyes signed.
At this Maurice frowned and took a deep breath as he stared into Blue Eyes' sky colored hues.
"Because they died," Maurice gestured back slowly.
At Maurice's response Blue Eyes couldn't help but side glared at the older ape, wondering why such a wise old ape would give him such a stupid answer.
"I know that they died but why are they dead?!" Blue Eyes signed frustratingly with a growl, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
The past few days and hours had opened Blue Eyes to a whole new world, a world that he wished that he had never seen. The fight with the humans had terrified him down to his very core. Blue Eyes himself wished to not share the same fate as his fallen brothers and it terrified him, down to his very core.
"Why? I know how apes die. But why? Why do apes die?" Blue Eyes choked out.
At this Maurice frowned at the young prince and could feel the sadness oozing from him.
"Apes die. Humans die. All living things die eventually," Maurice responded.
For some reason Blue Eyes felt that Maurice didn't really understand his question. But how could he? Blue Eyes himself knew what death was, he's seen it before. In the elderly, in the sick, the unfortunate ones that were born and passed on too soon and now his fallen brothers that died during the fight. But up until now, he himself haven't given it much thought. How much it must have hurt other apes to lose something so precious to them. A companion forever lost, never to laugh, cry, play, teach and groom one another again. The image of Ray holding onto his deceased father's hand and placing it upon his cheek. Letting out a huff, Blue Eyes turned away from Maurice and closed his eyes tightly once more.
After a moment Blue Eyes then felt a hand upon his shoulder, causing the young prince to slowly look up at the older orangutan.
"What is the matter?" Maurice asked.
"Koba!" Blue Eyes responded, his tears finally spilling over.
At the mention of the bonobo's name, Maurice nodded understandingly. Blue Eyes had always looked up to Koba, much more so that Caesar in more ways than one. To the young prince Koba was more than an uncle to him, more or less like a second father figure. Maurice figured that the young Blue Eyes was at a lost of how to feel for the loss of his uncle whom he's grown so close to.
"I miss Koba too," Maurice signed somberly.
"Why... Did he... Not hold on. Longer?" Blue Eyes choked out, voice cracking.
"May have been tired… Pope holding on to him too. Let go to save your father," Maurice explained.
At Maurice's signs, Blue Eyes lowered his head and stared at the ground.
"It hurts…" Blue Eyes breathed out after a long while.
"But not here," the prince indicated to his scars and wounds, head lowering towards the ground.
Maurice carefully looked over Blue Eyes and closed his eyes, nodding knowingly at the young prince before placing a finger under the young chimp's chin and bringing it up.
"Pain is here on the surface," Maurice signed as he traced a finger over Blue Eye's scars.
Blue Eyes then blinked as he watched the older orangutan placed a gentle hand upon his temple and then upon his chest.
"Pain is here too, much deeper and not on surface but inside," Maurice explained.
"How to make it go away?" Blue Eyes asked desperately.
At this Maurice didn't have answer for and did what apes do when they see another one in distress. He wrapped his long arms around Blue Eyes and brought the young ape into a gentle hug to comfort him. He could feel Blue Eyes shaking as he held him but reluctantly, Blue Eyes brought his arms up and wrapped them around the orangutan as well. After a moment the two pulled away and Maurice smiled down at the young prince.
"Feel a little better?" Maurice asked, gaining a slow nod from Blue Eyes.
Heaving out a breath, Blue Eyes looked around himself and then back up at Maurice.
"Where did all the… Where do all the dead apes go to?" Blue Eyes asked.
"Away. Far, far away. To a better place," Maurice answered.
…
After the battle between Koba and Caesar was done and in with the usher of a new dawn, Grey, along with many of his other brothers awaited eagerly as the females all came to greet them. His dark green eyes darted frantically until he finally sighted the two apes he had been searching for. With a relieved breath he approached the two and was greeted with cries as both his mate and child came rushing over towards him, throwing their arms around his sore form. The two chimpanzee females that held onto Grey were his beloved mate - Cedar, and their wonderful daughter Maple, whose hair was just like his, except a lighter tone in color.
"I thought we had lost you," Cedar sniffed as she pulled her head back to look into her mate's green eyes.
"We were so worried father," Maple whimpered as she hugged her father's midsection, prompting a grunt from the older ape.
Gently, Grey pried his daughter away from him and looked down at her with a tired smile.
"I am okay Maple, do not worry now," he reassured his daughter before giving her a gentle hug and then putting his forehead against hers.
Grey repeated the process with Cedar and hugged his family. Soon enough he sighted Caesar at the top of the steps at the base of the human tower and took in a deep breath. He was all alone now, with both Stone and Koba gone, their trio was now down to just himself, destroyed by Pope whom had manipulated them.
"Grey what is wrong?" Cedar asked, confused at her mate's hesitation.
"I have to make amends to our king. For I have wronged him," Grey responded.
"What did you do father?" Maple asked, concern lacing her features.
Grey looked down at Maple and offered her a solemn smile.
"Nothing for you to worry about my little Maple Tree," he signed to his daughter.
Rubbing a thumb over Maple's cheek, Grey noticed his daughter then looking pass him. Following his child's gaze, Grey could see that Maple was staring at a particular loud mouthed chimp whose lips had a distinct coloration of white flecks. Looking back down at his daughter, Grey huffed out amusingly before grunting to gain Maple's attention.
"Go," he signed simply and Maple was hesitant at first but Grey merely nodded, knowing exactly who his daughter wanted to go to.
Taking her father's hand into hers, Maple held onto it for a little while longer before she slowly knuckle walked away. Grey and Cedar watched as Maple approached Rocket's family and stood just a few feet away from them. As soon as Tinker had noticed the young female, she had waved for the light brown haired chimpanzee into their family circle. Maple greeted the two older chimps before she immediately approached their son - Ash, and fussed over him.
"Do you think it is a good idea for her to be with Rocket and Tinker's son?" Cedar asked hesitantly.
At this Grey watched his daughter from afar, seeing her happy with Ash as she pampered over his scruffy hair, fixing it, causing both Rocket and Tinker to pant laugh at the two amusingly.
"They will be fine," Grey answered simply, turning to look back down at his mate by his side, confident that Ash would bring nothing but happiness to his little Maple Tree.
…
Blue Eyes had climbed up onto the ruins of the tower after his talk with Maurice. After his father had moved the troops away from the tower, Blue Eyes had decided to keep watch upon their apes from up on high. Watching from a leaning girder, he observed the apes below as they all filed away from the place, going off in different directions throughout the human city.
Blue Eyes then heard the soft padding of another ape approaching and turned around slowly to see who it was. To his surprise Blue Eyes was met with three other chimpanzees, Fox, Shell, and Flint, whom all stared at him before they all peered down at the ground below as well.
"Your father should have not let the humans go," Fox the bigger chimp signed at Blue Eyes.
At this Blue Eyes furrowed his brows and Fox was quick to notice before he backed down a bit.
"The only thing the humans did wrong was to fight against Koba and the apes that were being manipulated by Pope," Blue Eyes explained.
"But apes attacked humans. Humans will be mad. Will fight again," Shell interjected.
"I do not think so," Blue Eyes replied.
"Humans are coming! We all know that!" Shell signed fiercely.
At this little outburst, Blue Eyes stood up slowly and bared down at the other chimp.
"Shell stop! He's still upset," Fox signed to the white eared chimp.
"It is Koba's fault that this all happened. If he didn't attack the humans-" Shell began but was quickly silenced when Fox barked at him, causing him to retreat to another beam below the others, a confused look upon his face.
Blue Eyes glared at the three apes in front of him. What would they know anything about Koba? They didn't even know that they were all being fooled, manipulated by a conniving chimp, whom had used them all.
"Do you want something, Fox?" Blue Eyes signed to the leader of the trio that had approached him.
Before Fox could answer a hoot from below had caught all their attention and up climbed Ash. As soon as he reached them the white flecked lipped chimpanzee looked at each of them eagerly wondering what they were doing way up in rafters of the human tower.
"Something the matter?" Ash signed as he gazed into their solemn and angry faces.
With a huff, Blue Eyes turned back around and glared down at the streets below as less and less apes were sighted. Hearing a thump as something landed to the girder next to him, Blue Eyes slowly turned his attention to Ash whom was staring at him with a sad smile.
"What is it?" Blue Eyes asked.
Ash did something unexpected and formed a small sign, placing it over his chest, held like wings flapping.
"You remember? When we were all young?" Ash gestured with a sad smile.
At this Blue Eyes did remember, although he had not thought about that time for a long while now.
"Butterflies," Blue Eyes signed.
"I remember!" Shell signed as he watched from below in his little spot of exile.
"Ash tried to catch one but fell off of a branch into the water," Flint signed quickly before hooting with laughter.
Upon hearing Flint and the other ape's laughter at Ash's expense, Blue Eyes could feel the anger within him ebbing away. He had remembered the years that he, Ash, Fox, Shell and Flint spent together when they were all young. The boring times they spent in their little school as Maurice taught them. The time they would play pranks on poor old Keling, the old orangutan before he passed away. The times they would often play fight with one another to build their muscles so that they could go hunting with the warriors.
Blue Eyes reached on over and patted Ash's shoulder, a smile upon his face.
"Back then… All I ever wanted to was grow up, be a adult ape. Now I miss those days," Blue Eyes signed.
"Me too," Ash responded with a sad smile of his own.
…
Winter was sitting at the end of the bridge as he watched the mass of female apes returning to the forest. Fidgeting with his finger, Winter then noticed Luca approaching him with a gun strapped over his shoulder. With a grunt, Winter approached the older gorilla.
"Luca! I want to join you," Winter signed with bravado.
"No," Luca signed back to the younger albino gorilla, noticing Winter falter. "You stay here."
"But, I want to fight the humans too," Winter signed back.
At this, Luca knuckled-walked on over to where Winter was and stared the younger ape down, causing the albino gorilla to avert eye contact and shrink away.
"Stay here," Luca pointed.
"It is because my hair is white isn't it?" Winter signed with a frown. "You are afraid that the humans will see me when they come."
"No," Luca responded to the white gorilla. "That is not it. You have a purpose, here, already with the females. You and some of the other apes are here to protect them, just like your father did when he first joined. I promised him that I will make you into a fine addition to the Gorilla Guard, just like he was," Luca explained.
At this Winter didn't quite believe Luca and wanted to keep arguing; he hadn't want anyone to think that he was a coward though. He remembered seeing what had happened to his fellow apes that were killed by the humans and it terrified him greatly.
"I… I don't remember my father," Winter gestured sadly.
"I know. But this is what he would have wanted. This is what I want for you," Luca explained, gaining a slow nod from Winter whom looked away.
"I'm not afraid to fight," Winter signed, finally looking back up at Luca.
With that Luca grunted with a smile and lowered himself.
"I know you aren't. If the females and young ones are ever threatened, I know you will be there to protect them," Luca replied.
Luca then placed a hand upon Winter's shoulder and then brought their forehead against one another before he turned around and left the albino gorilla, making his way back towards Caesar and the others.
…
Caesar had spent most of the morning ordering his troops away from the unstable human tower and sent the females back into the safety of the forest across the bridge. If what Malcolm had said was true and that human soldiers were indeed coming for them, then they would need to prepare for the inevitable. Thinking ahead, Caesar had also ordered his apes to find any remaining humans, provide them with whatever provisions they needed and then lead them safely out of the city. He needn't to cause any more stir with the remaining humans than there already were during his brief absence.
Huffing out a tired sigh, Caesar closed his eyes momentarily the soft padding of footsteps had caught his attention. Turning to see who was approaching him, Caesar met the eyes of Rocket, his good friend.
"Caesar," Rocket signed before raising a supplicating palm towards the ape king.
Caesar gently swiped his palm over Rocket's and watched as the bulky bald chimpanzee taking a stand next to him.
"Apes taking humans out of the human city now. Females and the young are being led back to the forest by Luca as you have ordered. Should we prepare ourselves now?" Rocket asked.
"No, we wait for Luca, Maurice and the other able apes to return first. Then we can discuss a plan of action," Caesar responded to his longtime friend.
With a grunt, Rocket stood on by and kept watch while both he and Caesar waited for the others.
It wasn't long after until both Maurice and Luca finally showed up to meet the two.
"Maurice how many?" Caesar asked, fearing what the orangutan would inform him.
"Counted close to ninety-seven lost, seventy three injured and many still missing," Maurice answered, noticing Caesar's brows furrowing at the numbers.
"And… the females?" Caesar asked, turning towards Luca.
"Many have been gathered and sent back deep into the forest with our most able bodied guards and scouts. Some are still making the journey across the bridge towards safety," Luca informed.
At this news Caesar huffed out and closed his eyes, nodding at Luca. If they could keep the females and young from harm then there is a chance to rebuild. For now though they really need to find a way to stall the human soldiers once they get here. But what would they do? If they even had the number the humans soldiers still had an advantage with their advance weaponry and Caesar himself was knew nothing about war or its tactics.
Maybe Malcolm was right… They would need to leave. But to where? That is the questions that Caesar had been asking himself.
Before Caesar could discuss things with the others several hoots from behind them had caught his attention. Curiously, Caesar rounded himself to see a group of apes holding onto a human who had his arms raised high to show that he wasn't causing any harm. Caesar's eyes widen momentarily which quickly narrowed in annoyance as he walked forwards towards the humans.
"I thought. I told. To leave," Caesar grunted as he came face to face with Malcolm.
"I know, and I'm sorry but…" Malcolm started as he glanced around at the apes around them before he hushed himself so that only Caesar could hear. "I found something that only you and maybe a few others should look at."
At this, Caesar tilted his head in confusion at Malcolm. Something important that he and a few others needed to see? Why was Malcolm being so secretive.
"Please, just you and a few others," Malcolm breathed, his blue eyes darting around at the apes around him.
Taking in a deep breath, Caesar pondered if he should leave his apes for the moment. However Malcolm had been nothing but earnest with him. He trusted the man and if he said that only he and a few others needed to see then he would do as asked… For now.
"Show me," Caesar finally spoke up.
...
"Come on this way!" Malcolm ushered as he started to make his way down the ladder.
Peering down the dark hole, Caesar, Rocket, Maurice and Luca stared at one another before Caesar himself soon followed Malcolm down the hatch. For some reason or another, Malcolm had lead them back into the human tower and had suggested that only Caesar, Rocket, Maurice, and Luca to be the ones to follow him. Rocket of course objected the idea but Maurice was able to persuade the bulky chimpanzee to agree.
Unable to find Blue Eyes, Caesar had to resort and pick out another ape to keep an eye on their forces. Looking around he found Andy, an old friend during their time from the San Bruno Primate Shelter days, mated to Judy and the father of Lake. Caesar had approached the other chimp and asked for him to keep an eye upon the ape troops while he, Rocket, Maurice and Luca were away. Accepting the role Andy nodded and informed Caesar that he would do his best to watch over the troops during his absence and the two patted each others shoulders before Caesar took his leave.
Following Malcolm down into the subway tunnels the group had made their way towards the underside of the human tower. Caesar and the other watched as Malcolm struggled to climb over some debris whereas the apes themselves had no trouble hopping and climbing up into the broken cranes and what not.
Caesar, Maurice, Rocket and Luca stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Pope's corpse; wedged in between some concrete on his back and staring back at them with his glassy lifeless eyes. Caesar himself was quite shaken up at Pope but Rocket merely growled at the corpse before moving on with Luca giving a gruff and following. Maurice on the other hand placed a hand upon Caesar's shoulder, causing the ape king to turn and face the older orangutan.
"You alright?" Maurice asked, using what little light that shown down through the cracks to sign.
"I'm okay," Caesar responded before nodding at his good friend and following after Rocket and Luca.
The four apes soon came upon a clearing where they could see hole way up into the tower bringing light down into the spot where they stood. The first thing they noticed was that Malcolm had quickly scrambled on over towards a spot a knelt down beside something. Curious as to what the human was kneeling next to, Caesar slowly approached Malcolm and soon enough his eyes widen with surprise.
There laying within a crater of sorts of stone and metal was a familiar looking scarred bonobo, whom looked broken, battered and bloodied as ever. At first Caesar was confused as to why Malcolm was showing him the corpse of his old friend but then he noticed the bonobo turning his blind and good eye towards him, chest rising slightly, signaling that he was still very much alive.
"Koba?" Caesar breathed.
I wasn't quite happy with this chapter but what the heck, its a start I suppose. There were a lot of apes that were mentioned within this chapter and most of them are Cannon within the continuity. I'll make a small list of the Original characters for this chapter below.
OC Apes...
Maple - Daughter of Grey and Cedar.
Judy - Mate to Andy and mother to Lake.
I've made some small changes within the story such as showing you guys whose Lake's parents are and turning Luca into more of a father figure for Winter. I also thought that maybe it would be interesting to give Ash a girlfriend as well. Are the changes good in your guy's opinion?
If any of you have questions about anything, do let me know via comments or by PM and I'll do my best to get back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, Happy Readings and I'll see you all in the next chapter!