Whoo! 2 chapters in one week! Well I guess this is to make up from the other times that I didn't post. However, I hope you all enjoy this chapter too. And if you guys and gals like it, please do leave a note in the comment. Thank you and Happy Readings!
Slinking into the shadows of the rooftop, Grey peeked out edge of the building, his dark green eyes picking over at the beach that lay far below them. He had noticed that the bridge was still far out within the water but knew better of it from experience on the bridge. Even at this distance he knew that the ship's guns could still find him and shoot at him if they knew where he was. Peering below, Grey could see that the ant like humans were setting up a camp there, meeting up with the humans that had came in two smaller boats from the giant ship itself. From this distance he could see that along with the new humans, they had brought new guns as well, ones that were bigger than he's ever seen before. Grey then felt someone tapping his shoulder, causing him to turn and look who it was.
"Are the humans building a new village?" Red asked as he sat nearby, keeping well into the shadows.
"Do not think so… There are no children with them," Grey pointed out simply before his face darkened. "This is only for war. Seems like Caesar has control of the bridge and therefore the humans ship cannot come onto land… They build more strength below with some of the humans from the city," Grey gestured before pointing to the sandy beach below them.
"The humans that Caesar had let go?" Red inquired.
"Yes… The humans that Caesar had let go…" Grey confirmed with a frown as he observed the humans with renewed disgust.
It was silent between the two of them for a moment before Red reached out and tapped Grey on the shoulder, gaining his attention.
"Did I not tell you? Caesar was wrong and stupid to let them go. Should have killed them. Now they turn around and try to kill us again," Red gestured.
Grey grunted and turned back around to keep his eyes upon the humans. Off within his peripheral though, Grey turned slowly to look at Red as the rust colored gorilla glared back at him.
"Caesar did not choose you to go see humans. He does not trust you," Red informed.
Snorting, Grey turned his head away to look elsewhere… However Red was right though. Caesar had not chosen Grey for this mission and had instead chosen Andy and Spear to go investigate instead. Unlike the two inexperienced apes, Grey had quickly picked them out through the foliage nearby the beach's edge and both were blissfully unaware of his presence, much like the humans. While he watched the humans down on the sandy shore, Grey's mind travelled back to that one night a few days ago...
Nearby the ape congregation within the city, Grey had picked out a suitable building for him and the other apes to meet on. As the sun dipped lower and lower in the distance, leaving the sky a dark orange and red hue. While he sat there all alone on the rooftop, Grey couldn't help but think of his beloved daughter and mate - Cedar as he watched the sunset. While in the midst of his thoughts the first sounds of apes alerted Grey that he was soon going to be joined by others.
Some of the very first apes to meet Grey atop of the tower were Pongo and his troops that he had joined earlier. The other chimpanzee huffed and approached, stopping a few feet away from where Grey stood and idly looked about. As they all waited, more and more apes showed up at the rooftop. Soon enough there were quite a lot of them, all huddled upon the rooftop, much to Grey's surprise. The all varied in species and age, all with hardened stares upon their faces. He knew why they were here, they were all tired and weary of how Caesar was leading them.
Hearing a gruff to his left, Grey turned to see Red standing there with Rex, both of the gorillas approaching. Red came up to him and grunted with a nod as he turned around to address the others. The red gorilla then declared that Grey was their new leader and with that they all raised a fist into the air to declare their allegiance. At this Grey couldn't help but huff incredulously at the notion but kept his face passive nonetheless as they all recognize him as their new leader.
After the announcement Grey then watched carefully as Red formulated their break away from Caesar. The idea was to take the females away from Caesar and his followers and lead them away, to a safe place where there were no humans who will follow them. With that they could start a new life, have a new plan where they could be free from all of this fighting. Many apes had agree with the idea and looked up towards Grey to see what his decision about it was. To the brown chimpanzee the idea was very possible and makes a lot of sense. However, there were some problems with it and they were…
As the memory faded from his mind, Grey felt a tap on his shoulder, causing him to turn and look at Red.
"Do you think we can fight them?" Red asked.
"No," Grey answered slowly.
"Then we do as I have suggested. Take the rest of the apes up north where it is safe. Leave Caesar and his followers to fend for themselves," Red grunted.
There was a long pause.
"You still don't think that females will follow us if we tell them?" Red more or less stated.
"I told you and the others already. Like Ceaser is the leader for us males, Cornelia is the leader for the females. She would never allow them to betray her or Caesar. Even if they wanted to. And I know that they don't want to. Caesar is Alpha, leader of this tribe and proves himself over and over again," Grey gestured back.
"Then we force the females to go!" Red huffed in annoyance.
"Did you not listen to me? Females will not go. They will most likely be protected," Grey snapped back.
"Would you rather your wife and daughter die under Caesar's rule then?" Red shot back.
At this, Grey slowly rose from the shadows and stood tall, his nose flaring and cheeks puffing. Even if he was physically shorter than Red, he was not going to let this other ape insult nor talk ill of his family. At this Red blinked a couple of times before he slightly lowered his head and offered his hand in supplication.
"Forgive… I. Out of line," Red grunted out, lowering his lime green gaze.
Still breathing heavily, Grey glared down upon Red's head before he closed his dark green eyes momentarily and swiped his palm over the rust colored gorilla's hand.
"Even if we try to force the females. If Caesar was smart, he will have no doubt be protecting them now because of the recent attack from the human soldiers," Grey explained as Red looked back at him.
Turning back to look down at the humans the two apes were suddenly joined by a third - Rex.
"Were you not suppose to be on the bridge with the others? Why are you over here?" Rex asked Grey.
"I wanted to see what we apes are facing against," Grey informed.
"But it is because you don't trust Caesar, either," Red signed in.
At this, Grey slowly eyed Red for a long while before he finally grunted and turned around.
"Let us leave, before apes get suspicious of us," Grey informed as he decended down the building.
"Yes, my king," Red grumbled as he narrowed his green eyes and followed suit while Rex silently trailed close behind.
…
Looking up at the tower, Caesar pondered about his fight with Koba, spurred on by Pope, an ape he had thought was loyal. He remembered trying desperately trying to hold onto Koba as Pope clung onto the bonobo, thrashing all the while. While holding onto Koba's hand tightly, Caesar himself was surprised when the bonobo had smiled at him before letting go. Causing both of the apes to fall into the dark abyss below, Pope's final screams forever haunting his mind.
With a shudder, Caesar lowered his head. He had not known both Koba's and Pope's life before they had been both released from the Gen-Sys laboratory. Their scars and damaged minds had said a lot about them. Koba's pure hatred of humans and Pope's seclusion from the others had said a lot more. These two apes had found common ground with one another and hid the details of their years of torture mostly to themselves… It wasn't until Pope's contorted schemes and usurpation had given Caesar the confirmation he needed that not all apes were good…
Caesar however knew that compared to both Pope and Koba, his own early life had been very fortunate. He was lucky enough to be raised by good humans who loved him and almost treated him as one of their own. Caesar couldn't help but smile to himself as he thought about his human father and grandfather - Will, Charles. Then later there was Caroline as well, who was very much like a mother to him. Oh how much he had miss his human family. Wondering what life would be like now if humans and apes did indeed throw away their hatred of one another and coexist with each other. But that was not how it was meant to be.
His exposure to the cruelty of humans, only came later when he was taken away from his loving family to live with the other apes. That was where Caesar had met Rocket, who had been the Alpha at that place. Caesar couldn't help but huffed out in amusement at the thought. Rocket had put him through a lot during his stay but from the bulky chimp he had learned a lot as well. Soon after Caesar himself took Rocket's place as the dominant male and with the nearly hairless chimpanzee becoming and still remaining a good and most trusted friend.
Pope and Koba too had been trustworthy friends, if not friend then ally. Once they were all free from the humans and had settled in the woods, among just apes, any worries that Caesar might have had about both the damaged apes had faded away. In those days Koba had been nothing but exceptionally loyal and trustworthy towards Caesar while Pope had kept his distance but respectfully adhered to his orders. After ten winters though, with Malcolm and his people happened upon the ape colony, things had changed drastically. In what Caesar had seen, Koba could not coexist with the humans, and in Koba's mind that meant that no other apes could as well. For Pope however, Caesar himself believes that the fishnet scarred ape could not accept his leadership if they were to have peace with the humans. For within Pope's mind, a leader who did not destroy his enemies was considered weak… Caesar himself was unable or perhaps unwilling to think the consequences of what the two damaged apes might do, right up until Pope had shot him and Koba had taken control of his apes in revenge.
As much as Pope and Koba's betrayal had disappointed and infuriated him… He had come to understand that it was his own stubbornness to not see the signs from the two other apes that had caused this. Both Pope and Koba hated humans and weak leaders because they understood them, had the worst of what they were deep inside of them, festering and waiting to take over their very own being. Caesar thought to himself that maybe if he could have seen the signs then maybe… Maybe he could have saved them sooner. And prevented all of this from ever happening... Now though, he had lost Pope… But he still had Koba and he was going to make right with the scarred bonobo, or try to at least.
Koba was right about one thing though. Aside from Malcolm, his family and a few selected other humans. The majority of the human race, or what's left of it would never have been able to stand the thought of apes living so near them, as intelligent as them, equals. Even if Pope and Koba had not taken over, the humans would have most likely attacked the apes anyways. As they would only see them as a threat to their survival seeing nothing but the worst in them and the apes under his very own rule would most likely have had the same thoughts as well…
And now War was definitely upon them and Caesar had to consider the possibility that they… Might lose.
Back then, Caesar knew that he and his troop of apes had been very fortunate. Lucky to have escaped the city with a few losses. Lucky to survive the humans who came after them in the forest, where they were attacked with guns and flying machines that set the forest alit with flames. It was due to their cunning and adaptability that they had outwitted their human hunters for a time and survived those very first few days of freedom, even if barely. Only with the aid of some humans whom had sympathized with the apes did they finally lure the rest of the human hunters away.
Soon enough the humans had stopped coming into the forest and from the treetops Caesar could see the fires that erupted within the city. He didn't know what was going nor did he cared. All that mattered to him was that the battle between both humans and apes were over and that his troops were safe as the humans had seemed to have forgotten about them. Eventually there were a few scouting parties that were sent out to see what had happened, with them only returning to bring news that the humans were dying off due to a sickness and that those who had survived started to kill off one another.
Upon hearing this, Caesar had sat alone that night and thought about his human father - Will, wondering if he too had succumbed to this strange illness. That night Caesar had grieved to himself, knowing that if what the scouts had said was true, then his father would most likely have perished to this strange disease and if not that then most likely by the hands of the surviving humans.
As much as he grieved for the loss of human lives, Caesar himself understood that if there was no sickness then the humans would have kept coming after them, hunting them all down one by one and would never stop coming. He knew that he and his apes would have most likely been killed and or been taken into their laboratories to be experimented on. If that were to happen then there were no such tools he possessed that could have stopped all of that from happening to him and his apes. So yes… They had been very lucky. So now he and his apes faced death once more and now there must be something to be done about it. But what?
Making his way on over towards one of the buildings by the giant tower, Caesar entered it to see Malcolm again, where the gorillas had taken him. Malcolm had looked up from his seat when Caesar had entered and warily glanced behind him to see that both Luca and Rocket flanking him, just the four of them.
"Am I your prisoner now?" Malcolm asked curiously
"Yes. For now... But I will send you back to your family. Soon," Caesar answered.
Upon hearing this, Malcolm lowered his eyes slightly.
"Caesar… I know your apes have a hard time trusting me but I can help you," Malcolm offered. "Please, we humans have been fighting wars for thousands of years. We know a lot about it… Are extremely good at it… Whoever it is on that boat, out there, right now on the water. He or she knows a whole lot more about it. It's not just the weapons that they have too. It's the knowledge and years of experience.
Caesar had a thoughtful look for a moment as he considered Malcolm's words before looking back down at him.
"Like how you know how to make buildings. They make war," Caesar simply stated.
This startled Malcolm a bit before he slowly nodded his head.
"Yes… That is exactly how you put it," the man said in almost a defeated tone.
"So you only know how to make buildings and not war?" Caesar questioned curiously.
"Y-yes, I'm not a soldier or general or anything but-"
"Then you must leave us apes. Go. Go be with your wife and son. Away from the fighting," Caesar offered simply.
"But Caesar-"
"It is too dangerous here for you!" Caesar barked, silencing the man. "For you wife and son. Go be with them, help Koba with his injuries… Do this for me?" Caesar asked Malcolm. "Once Koba is healed. And no longer need your care. Then you can leave and go make a new start. Where humans have good hearts. Maybe then. One day. We can meet each other again."
Caesar watched Malcolm as he held his gaze for a long moment but then could see the change in the man, going quiet. Malcolm may not be an ape but the way that humans spoke with their body movements were very much in common with their own as the man slumped slightly in defeat.
"You feel responsible. You want to fix what has happened. You cannot. I have told you. Apes Started war. Humans will not forgive… And they will not forgive humans who stands and help apes," Caesar said quietly.
Malcolm couldn't help but lower his eyes.
"Alex… He's just been through so much. I had hoped that-"
"War is not for him or you," Caesar said simply and then paused momentarily before he eyed Rocket who curiously stared back, "or for any of our sons," he finished.
"What are you going to do about your son?" Malcolm curiously asked, noticing Caesar perk up at the mention of his very own son before a sad look overcame his features.
"I will send Blue Eyes towards the south, along with Rocket's son, Ash. They will seek a new home for us apes. While the rest, stay here. Keep the human soldiers distracted."
"I do not know what lies in the south Caesar. Are you sure about this?" Malcolm asked.
"I am sure," Caesar responded confidently.
…
Timidly walking around, keeping his arms close towards him, Winter looked about himself as he took note of many more of the injured that were brought in from the bridge. Luckily most of the gorillas were needed here to travel back and forth as they carted in their wounded and help out whenever they can. Off within his peripheral, Winter could see a figure quickly approaching him. Turning slowly to see who it was, Winter was surprised by an panting Glade.
"Winter! Saw big fire from the other end of the bridge!" Glade signed worriedly.
"Humans attacked us. The ones that we had let go," Winter gestured back sadly. "Caesar let them go and they try to kill us… Why?"
At this Glades eyes grew wide but then he shrunk in on himself, casting his gaze elsewhere.
"Glade does not know what is in the human minds. All Glade know is that those humans, betrayed our trust. Understand?" Glade explained.
"I think so?" Winter signed back, not quite fully understanding what Glade had said himself.
Winter jolted when Glade had suddenly reached out and took a hold of his hands and looked down at them. The bonobo shifted his face from one hand to the other before looking back up at Winter.
"Your hands. Bleeding," Glade spoke quietly, looking hurt all the while.
"From pushing long metal box with wheels. Cut hand," Winter explained, remembering when he had to help Luca, Ajax and the other gorillas push the heavy object in place so that they could take cover behind it.
Glade frowned at this before letting his gaze fall back down towards Winter's hands which was now by the bigger ape's side. He could see Winter trying to wipe away at them but they only stained his snow white fur a pinkish red. At this Glade met Winter's timid eyes again and he couldn't help but smile up at the bigger ape.
"Come. Glade help you," Glade chuckled, reaching out and taking Winter's wrist.
Surprisingly the gorilla did not shirk away at his touch as Glade reached out and took a hold of his wrist, careful to not touch the gashes. Winter breathed through his nose, fearful, but Glade merely smiled up at the albino gorilla, reassuring him that everything was going to be alright.
Then without another word the bonobo lead the gorilla down to where the healing area was.
...
Once Malcolm had left the three of them, Rocket approached Caesar and stood by his side, eyeing the opening from where the man had walked through.
"Rocket?" Caesar asked.
"Blue Eyes and my son will be hard to convince to leave. They will want to stay and fight with us," Rocket gestured simply.
At the mention of Blue Eyes, Caesar could remember his very own son cowering behind the cars while Ash and Ray did their best to keep the humans at bay. Rocket hadn't seen that of course but he wasn't going to tell the bulkier ape that. What Rocket did see though was the hatred and anger Blue Eyes had shone as the young chimp had finally snapped out of his fear and replaced it with wrath and hatred. Caesar feared that if his son continued to stay and fight with them, then his uncontrolled anger will only bring death to him more quickly. And he doesn't want that for Blue Eyes.
"I know," Caesar answered slowly, lowering his gaze a moment before meeting Rocket's again. "That is why you are going with with them. To make sure that they both do not come straight back here."
Upon seeing this, Rocket tilted his head slightly while his green eyes narrowed a little.
"Caesar? What do you mean?" Rocket asked slowly his hand movements slow but shaking slightly.
"You go with them Rocket," Caesar pointed out.
"Caesar no! I belong here with you!" Rocket growled out, his nostrils flaring and cheeks puffing while his shoulders rose and fell with every heavy breath he took.
Caesar however stood his ground but considered his old friend carefully. Rocket had too suffered much at the hands of humans. Not as much as Pope or Koba, but it was enough. Be as it may though, there was no other ape for this job and Caesar trusted Rocket more than anyone else.
"Rocket you are my friend and my second. If we apes fall here… Fighting these human soldiers, the colony and troops will need your leadership," Caesar gestured to the fuming chimp, noticing Rocket's frown deepening. "And they will need my son, my heir. Both you and your son's strength in order to move on. We have ignored the humans for much too long. I hoped that they had gone away… But I was wrong. Now the human soldiers found us and are joined by the ones that I had let go from the city," Caesar gestured with resentment. "I have kept Blue Eyes too close to me. He must learn to lead… Forge his own path… Without me…" Caesar gestured, his hands shaking slightly as he looked down for a moment before meeting Rocket's angry gaze once more.
"Is this what you command from me?" Rocket signed back sharply.
"You are the only one I trust to watch over him. To teach him how to be a leader," Caesar gestured back.
"Why? I could hardly protect my own son. Yet you trust me with Blue Eyes? Why?" Rocket fired back.
"Because you are my friend Rocket. My brother. And you are much stronger than me. In more ways than one," Caesar signed simply.
Shifting back and forth on his spot, still huffing and puffing, Rocket did not meet Caesar's gaze for a long while. Soon enough though the bulkier chimp's shoulder slumped and he warily glanced back at Caesar, looking almost desperate.
"Why do you do this to me?" Rocket asked.
"Because I trust you and only you to do this," Caesar answered with a sad smile of his own, reaching out and placing a hand on Rocket's shoulder.
Rocket averted his gaze and closed his eyes tightly before letting out a deep exhale before turning fully towards Caesar once more.
"I understand Caesar… I will do as you say," Rocket finally gave him, meeting Caesar's eyes.
Upon seeing this come from Rocket, Caesar placed his forehead upon the other chimp's.
"Thank you, Rocket," Caesar breathed before pulling back.
"What about Tinker? Cornelia? And the rest of the females and injured?" Rocket questioned slowly after a brief quiet.
"We will find a safe haven for them somewhere in the city," Caesar answered before turning towards Luca who had been silent during all this time. "The Gorilla Guard will take them and guard them," Caesar explained.
Luca on the other hand couldn't help but let his heavy brows arch up at this, hoping that Caesar was not sending him away too.
"Luca, you however will stay by my side. Pick another ape to lead the guard," Caesar informed.
"Yes, Caesar. Right away," Luca signed back in relief.
It was then someone else entered into the building, causing all three of the occupants to look at the doorway. Standing there with a bandage still wrapped around his head was Maurice, his beady green eyes beaming at them.
"You are all okay!" The red haired ape signed happily, making his way on over towards them.
"Maurice," Caesar greeted as he was pulled into a hug by the big orangutan.
"There are so many new injured. What had happened?" Maurice questioned immediately, gaining wary looks from the other three.
"Much," Caesar said simply.
…
It had been a while now since Maurice had left them and Koba couldn't help but seethed silently on the sofa he was laying on. If he were not so wounded he would have followed after Maurice to see what had those loud noises were. Were they more humans? Or were they something else? He himself had never heard such sounds like that before and it irked him that he wasn't able to leave to go possibly help the apes out… Now here he was, stuck with these humans whom Maurice claimed had helped him.
While the humans stood watch by the window Koba eyed the multiple medical supplies on the coffee table next to him. With a growl he swung his good arm and knocked them all off, scattering them onto the ground, causing the humans to jump in surprise.
"Hey! What are you doing?" the boy said aloud.
"Alex don't," woman exclaimed next as she took a hold of the boy, preventing him from moving forward.
Breathing heavily, Koba glared at the two before his golden green eye locked onto the coffee table. Taking a hold of it with his good arm, he tossed it aside, causing the rest of the supplies to fall onto the ground. He hated this. Hated being unable to do things himself. Hated being weak. Hated being left behind to be cared for by these… these humans.
Reaching down Koba then picked up the picture frame and was about to throw it across the room but stopped himself when he looked at it. Huffing and puffing, Koba's singular eye caught the image of Caesar and his human parent once more. Lowering his arm, Koba slowly laid the picture upon his lap and stared at it.
"He looks happy. Doesn't he?"
Blinking once, Koba turned from the photo to the human woman who was now standing next to him.
"What?"
"That's Caesar isn't it? In that photo? He looked so happy with his human caretaker- no, father."
"Human… Father?" Koba breathed, looking back down at the photo. "Stupid Caesar," Koba growled. "Nothing but lies."
"No… not stupid and no lies," the human woman spoke quietly, now kneeling next to Koba.
Tentatively the woman met Koba's eye before she reached out and touched the picture too.
"Love," the woman said.
"Love?" Koba repeated unsurely.
As he mulled on over that word Koba's eyes grew wide as a memory started to emerge from the back of his mind…
Koba was little and he was small as he played within his pen. He had a stuffed animal, a striped cat to be exact. He had played with a real one before but this was what they had given him. Along within his pen his mother sat by, watching him with every so often as she munched on leafy greens that were provided for them. Soon enough a figure emerged from one side of the room, alerting Koba and his mother.
"Koba. Come here you silly little thing," the sweet voice of a woman ehoed as she knelt down with open arms.
Happily Koba ran over and leaped into the woman's arms, happy that she was finally here, his mother slowly following close behind.
"Play?" he would sign to her.
"Yes, play," the woman laughed as she hugged Koba close to her bosom. "I love you Koba."
With the memory fading, Koba grey very still, becoming silent all the while.
With a sigh, Ellie removed her hand away from the bonobo and quietly stood back up.
"What did you do to him?" Alexander asked as she came to stand next to her.
"I don't know," Ellie responded as she pulled Alex in close to her and held onto him.
It was at that moment that Malcolm had decided to walk through the front door of the house, surprising both of them.
"Malcolm!"
"Dad!"
The three then immediately threw their arms around each other into a group hug.
"What happened Malcolm?" Ellie asked worriedly.
"The soldiers. They're here," Malcolm quickly answered back with a down trodden cast. "Caesar told me to stay out of it. That this was their fight and that we should leave. Not before we… Take care of… What happened?" Malcolm asked as he looked into the room, noticing it strewn about and Koba sitting still.
"We had a moment ourselves," Ellie answered with a sigh.
...
A few hours later Blue Eyes could hear his mother coming long before he saw her. The queen still wheezed a little from her strange sickness and of course it didn't help that his little brother was weighing her down as he clung onto her back. When she had finally arrived to where Blue Eyes was, up on a rooftop, Cornelius had jumped down from her back and rushed on over towards him on all fours. Blue Eyes let his little brother clambered up onto him but he himself continued to sulk silently.
"Blue Eyes? Are you ready?" his mother asked as she came next to him.
"He's just trying to get rid of me," Blue Eyes scoffed, eyes narrowing. "Father thinks that I'll get killed."
"As am I Blue Eyes," Cornelia gestured before she walked up to her eldest and touched his face.
At this Cornelia inhaled silently and stared down at her son. She had remembered when Caesar had came up to her and Tinker, telling them both of what he was planning.
"I do not understand Caesar. Why? Why do you send Blue Eyes away?" Cornelia asked desperately.
"And both Rocket and Ash too?" Tinker joined in.
"Because it is no longer safe here. Apes must find a new home… One safe from humans," Caesar explained before reaching out to take a hold of his youngest son. "Blue Eyes,believes that to keep apes safe is to only fight the humans. He has too much anger within him, like Koba… Like other apes who around us," Caesar explained, turning to look at Cornelia.
Caesar had then turned to look at Tinker as her eyes were glossing over from oncoming tears.
"I am sorry Tinker but I am sending Rocket and Ash too. If I fall… Rocket will need to take my place and lead the apes… And Blue Eyes will need Ash's strength when they leave," Caesar said to the petite female who sniffed quietly, wiping away at her tearful eyes.
Looking away from Tinker, Caesar turned his sights back towards Cornelia. "I have sent Blue Eyes away to prepare him to be Leader some day. A Leader that will keep his apes safe… Not bring them war," he finished.
"But Blue Eyes and Ash are too young. They are not ready for this," Cornelia desperately countered, hoping to change Caesar's mind.
"Who is ever ready, Cornelia?" Caesar breathed back his voice cracking a little as he held onto Cornelius before giving him back to his mate. "This is best for all apes," Caesar said finally as he looked down at both Cornelia and Tinker.
"As long. As long they are away from danger then. Then I understand and believe in what you do," Tinker responded.
"Me too," Cornelia whimpered, meeting Caesar's eyes.
"I'm sorry. To both of you. I had to make this choice. There is no other way," Caesar explained before he reached out and pulled both Cornelia and Tinker into a hug.
As the memory faded away from her mind, Cornelia watched as Blue Eyes' frown deepened before he shot her a look.
"Why couldn't father just send Rocket and Ash instead? Why send me?" Blue Eyes argued.
"Rocket is strong, loyal and full of courage. But he is not very smart. Ash on the other hand is just like his father, a bit smarter but very hard to keep his attention sometimes. They need someone very smart to lead them, like you," Cornelia explained with a warm smile.
"Really? I had let Pope fool me," Blue Eyes countered, grunting as Cornelius was shifting around him again.
"Pope fooled all of us… Even Koba," Cornelia explained slowly.
She then reached on over and touched Blue Eyes' cheek, turning his face so that he was looking at her.
"And that is why you must go. You notice these differences. Where somethings might be ignored by Rocket and Ash, it will not to you. Where they only see two sticks and then two more, you see four altogether. Understand? That is why your father is sending you." Cornelia continued.
With a huff, Blue Eyes turned his head away sharply for a moment before he slowly brought it back to face his mother. "Then why does father not tell me this himself?" he asked with a grunt as Cornelius finally settled within his lap.
"Your father is very busy, if you haven't noticed," Cornelia answered gently with a warm smile.
"Busy," Blue Eyes signed into the air.
At this Blue Eyes watched as his mother smiled before she came closer and brought their foreheads together. It was at this moment that Blue Eyes remembered clinging to her fur when he was like Cornelius, small and full of curiosity. How'd safe he had felt then, protected by both his mother and father. How fleeting those moments were, so long ago, yet he could remember them as if it were just the other day. Safe and small, within the arms of both is mother and father, who loved him. As she pulled away from him Blue Eyes gave his little brother back to his mother.
"I want to stay and fight," Blue Eyes gestured.
"I know… But that is not what you are good at Blue Eyes," his mother signed back. "Even when you were little, you were always trying to find what was in the next tree, never satisfied within one spot longer than need be. Always looking for something new. Something different. Take this gift from him, Blue Eyes. Please. Do this for me."
Sighing in defeat, Blue Eyes turned his head away slightly from his mother as he looked out towards the bridge that he was on just a few hours earlier.
"What choice do I have?" he spoke quietly.