Orion

The steady rhythm of his horse's even steps were meditative to Orion as he and his two companions made their way across the, thankfully, even terrain.

It had been five months since they had left the Ape Colony, and about four months since they had left Malcolm and his family back at the city of Sacramento.

It had been a heartfelt farewell for everyone involved – even Blue Eyes, who had warmed up considerably to the trio during their stay with the apes, and then by spending time with them in those three weeks it had taken to reach the city where the apes were to leave them.

Even now, Orion remembered the separation like it had only been yesterday that it had happened.

An hour or two after they had left the zoo, their little group had stopped just before they reached the city centre, when Malcolm had begun to recognise the area and told them that the human colony wouldn't be far now.

And there had been plenty of evidence that humans had at least been around, which had prompted the group to proceed with caution. Judging by how they had reacted back at San Francisco, everyone had agreed that it was probably not a good idea to bring the apes with them to the humans here, should there be any left.

Malcolm had explained that the human colony in Sacramento was separated between three areas, with their base of operations being situated in a place called California State Capitol Museum, wherever that was. Orion had little concept of this, as the only time he had been in a human city prior to this moment had been those days he had spent as Koba's prisoner back in San Francisco together with Caesar's other followers.

"What is a museum?" He had asked Alex, puzzlement clear on his features. He had never heard that word before in his life.

"It's a place where they keep old stuff, basically." The human teen had explained. "Like bones of animals, if it's a museum for history of nature… Or the history of humans… which usually means history about all the wars we've fought with each other."

That last bit had sounded… dreadful. Though Orion had been able to see the purpose in such a place. Mother had always told him that it was important to know about the past, if for nothing else than to not make the same mistakes over and over.

Then, another question came to mind.

"Why have a colony in such a place?" Orion had frowned.

It had been Malcolm who had answered that question.

"Buildings like that are very easy to recognise from a distance, and it's somewhere people can gather in large groups. That, and I think they wanted to have something to remind them of what once was."

That had made sense to Orion too and had made him think about Mother as well. She had also said that humans clung to the idea that they were superior and that they wanted to go back to that time. It made Orion kind of sad to think that these people in Sacramento might be like that as well – it couldn't be very healthy to want something seemingly unattainable that desperately.

They had stopped a couple of streets away from the place Malcolm had spoken of, the three humans looking in the direction of the building for any signs of life – be it smoke, the sound of engines or even shouts – anything to indicate that some members of their own species were still here.

Even if they hadn't seen anything which definitely proved that humans were still around from that far away, Malcolm had seemed to remain optimistic as he turned his gaze towards the three apes once more, telling them that he thought the trio would be fine from this point on.

"So… I guess this is goodbye, huh?" The grown human male had said once everyone had dismounted, holding on to the reins of his steed as he reached forward to shake Blue Eyes' hand as he had done Caesar's several weeks prior.

The Ape Prince had seemed taken aback by the gesture at first and looked back and forth from Rocket to Malcolm, as if he was expecting the human to shake hands with the elder ape first.

Rocket, seeing Blue Eyes' hesitation, had released an amused chuff and signed to the younger ape.

"See? Even the humans know you are the leader here! Don't be rude!"

Orion hadn't been able to keep back a chuckle at the exchange, earning himself a half-hearted glare from the Ape Prince before he turned back to Malcolm and took his hand to shake.

"Yes… And. Thank you. For helping. Father." The Ape Prince had managed to grind out with difficulty, surprising humans as well as apes.

Sure, he had the ability to speak, but he didn't practice it nearly as much as Orion did, preferring instead to sign whenever possible.

It would seemed, however, that Blue Eyes had thought it appropriate in this situation – something Orion could only agree with. These people had tried their best to prevent conflict between apes and humans, and even when the entirety of the Ape Colony had actively hunted them, they had had it in their hearts to save the Ape King, not knowing if he would be able to overcome those who opposed him if he recovered from his wound.

Malcolm had smiled after the initial surprise as the Ape Prince's words had worn off, giving the young ape's hand a firm shake.

"It was a pleasure to get to know you all." He had said then, letting go so that he could turn to Rocket and Orion with the same gesture.

Ellie had actually given all of them a quick, but no less sincere hug, telling them how glad she was to have been able to spend so much time with them all and how much she was going to miss them.

Orion couldn't help the lump that appeared in his throat as Alex came forth next, hoisting the strap of his ever-present satchel further up onto his shoulder as he stood in front of the two adolescent apes.

"Thanks for being such cool friends." He had said with no small amount of emotion in his voice, though he had done his best not to let it show in front of his father and step-mother. "I've had loads of fun with you guys. You're the best."

Then, he had reached his arm forward to grab Orion's and the two had bumped shoulders – like the human teen had showed him that male friends of his species would sometimes do. He did the same with Blue Eyes before going to Rocket and receiving a firm handshake and a friendly hand on his shoulder.

Orion had been loath to say goodbye to the human teen, who he had formed such a strong friendship with.

He remembered the first time he had heard talk of the young human as his mother had described the group. It was a day or two after they had first arrived in the forest and Orion's interest had immediately been piqued at the mention of an adolescent human boy. He had wondered if they would have something in common. If Orion's upbringing with a human mother would aid him in forming a connection with this person.

The meeting of the two species had occupied his mind immensely. True, Mother was human, and she did have some quirks and habits which were related to that fact – but she had sworn off her own kind long ago, before Orion had even been placed in her care, and so the only human he had ever known was her.

And to his joy, he and Alex had connected almost immediately, the boy seemingly just as curious as Orion himself had been – if a bit wary and shy in the beginning. The two had shared so much about themselves and their lives that Orion now felt he knew the human boy almost as well as he did Blue Eyes. He had learned so many things about humans and their world before they got sick and the apes got smart. Things that Mother had never deigned to tell him about.

Like how people used to need all kinds of permissions for using things around them, things of their own invention, like cars and guns. Or how it had been possible for them to communicate across vast distances all around the world using phones, computers and radios – devices Orion had little to no idea of what was.

He had even been told that one needed to acquire their home and the land it was on from others. Like a roof above one's head was a commodity and not a given right. None of the three had been able to explain why that was the case and asking Mother later on hadn't helped either. She had tried, which he appreciated a whole lot, but in the end she, too, had merely shrugged and replied that it was just how the system had ended up being.

It didn't make sense to him. All it really did was make him grateful that he lived in a society where something like that wasn't a problem at all. The apes simply chose their own living quarters, built their own huts and worked together to survive.

Human society seemed very complicated and flawed to Orion, and he almost felt dizzy just thinking about it all.

He hoped life in the Sacramento Colony wouldn't be quite as complicated for the human trio they had left behind, that's for sure.

If there was even anyone left for them to find, Orion pondered worriedly.

They hadn't seen anyone at all, but Malcolm had seemed quite hopeful as they had parted ways.

The three humans had elected to stay dismounted for when they would approach the colony and had all been standing in the middle of the road with their reins in hand as the apes had jumped back onto their own horses.

"Good luck you guys." Malcolm had spoken in a warm, albeit shaky voice as he bid them farewell in that eerily empty street. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Orion had cast one last look at the humans as the apes had nodded and turned their horses down the road leading east, making eye contact with Alex and signing goodbye to him over his shoulder. The teen, having learned some rudimentary signs, had mirrored the gesture with a sad smile.

Orion hated goodbyes. With a passion.

They made his chest tighten uncomfortably and his stomach churn with anxiety. They always had.

The knowledge that he would probably never see these people ever again only made it worse. It was different with Mother and Ivy and everyone else back at the colony. He had known from the beginning that his group intended to return to them and that he would see them again – no matter how long it took.

Honestly, he would have liked these humans to stay with the apes – they had done so for three months, four if one counted the weeks they had spent together with Orion, Rocket and Blue Eyes on the road. Would it really have been such a bad thing for them to stay? After all, Mother had been able to make a life for herself with the apes, so why couldn't Malcolm, Ellie and Alex do the same?

But even as the thought had struck him, Orion had realised it wasn't an option. Mother may have rejected human society long ago and was able to live happily with this decision, but that didn't mean that these three people could do the same.

Besides, with the apes going to war with those soldiers down in the city, Orion knew that it was safer for them if they left.

It still didn't mean he had to like it, though.

Just as that thought passed his mind, Blue Eyes gave a hoot of concern beside him.

It drew Orion from his memories and musings immediately and he looked up to meet the Ape Prince's sky-coloured stare.

"Are you well, Orion?" He asked, worry colouring his features.

On his other side, Rocket, too, was looking at him in much the same manner.

The youngest of the three apes waved his hand dismissively in the air and offered an easy smile at his two companions. Seemed like he had become lost in his thoughts for too long yet again…

"Do not worry. I was only thinking." He told them, adjusting his hold of the reins of his horse. "Long day."

It had been a long day, after all. They had been riding since early morning and though Orion did like to believe that he was getting quite used to life in the saddle, he was beginning to wish for a break to stretch his legs.

Blue Eyes nodded, a thoughtful look on his smooth face.

"Perhaps we should take a break soon. Our horses could probably use a rest as well." He offered, looking back to Rocket for approval of his suggestion.

The balding ape didn't seem too satisfied with the Ape Prince's wording, even if he seemed to agree with the suggestion itself.

"If you think we should, then we will, Blue Eyes." The eldest chimp signed. "You must be surer of yourself and the decisions you make. A leader needs to listen to his followers, true, but he also needs to be assertive. Believe that his decision is the right one."

Blue Eyes nodded in a manner which reminded Orion of an ape child recently reprimanded by his parents, the slight hunching of his shoulders and briefly downcast gaze underlining this fact.

He sympathised greatly with his friend, he really did. Blue Eyes had grown up with the knowledge that he was Caesar's heir and had often expressed concern for how he was going to handle the task of one day taking his father's place. He had confessed to both Orion and Ash that he felt… unequipped for the task, knowing the legend that his father had become even before the Ape Prince had been born.

He didn't feel comfortable with being assertive, he had told them. Didn't think that he would be able to handle the kind of trials and tribulations his father had had to go through.

It was quite understandable. At least to Orion, it was.

How would Mother have put it? He had big shoes to fill? Yes, Orion believed that was the saying she had used.

He reached over and patted the Ape Prince lightly on the arm. Rocket's words had been true, but that didn't mean Blue Eyes should feel bad about them. He was still learning and as of right now, he was only leading two apes – not the entire colony.

If anything, this would qualify as practice, in Orion's opinion.

Blue Eyes gave a subtle, thankful smile to his friend before straightening up in his saddle and facing forward once more.

"Let us rest by that group of trees further ahead, then." He signed a bit more confidently, pointing out a nice, little stretch of land shaded by the trees that dotted the landscape.

The forest up in the mountains they had travelled through for the better part of four months had been completely covered in trees and other vegetation but now, it was getting steadily scarcer as they began to enter the desert-lands that Mother had described before they had left the colony.

Rocket nodded at that, approving Blue Eyes' decision as well at his attempt at being more assertive. It was a start.

They tied their horses' reins to the trees and let the beasts drink from their cupped hands, pouring the precious water from their gourds and making it easier for the horses to drink properly. They didn't have much water left and would need to find a place to resupply themselves soon, Orion estimated.

Rocket had sat himself against one of the trees, still with the human gun he had brought with him slung across his shoulders as he stared at the stretch of land that lie ahead of them, releasing a heavy sigh. Adding to that, Orion noticed the gentle slump of his shoulders and how his lips seemed to press into a thin line on his muzzle.

Orion shared a look with Blue Eyes, who had noticed the older apes' behaviour as well.

Honestly, he didn't seem disheartened or hopeless to Orion… perhaps a little…?

"Homesick, Rocket?" The youngest chimp dared ask, compassion shining in his intelligent, verdant stare.

The balding ape seemed startled by the question, his eyes going wide for a short moment before Orion's words registered properly and he released an amused huff and nodded.

"Always so observant." Rocket commented with a smile. "Very much like your mother."

"Or Maurice." Blue Eyes rasped out teasingly, earning himself a playful shove from Orion.

Rocket chuckled at the pair's antics.

"But to answer your question, Orion… Yes, I do feel a bit homesick." He signed once the two younger apes had settled down again and come to sit by him. "I wonder how everyone is doing at home. Especially Tinker."

His words immediately had a sobering effect on the atmosphere and the two younger apes nodded seriously at their elder. They worried too, after all, and it was really no wonder that Rocket would be especially concerned about his wife's wellbeing, not only because of their bond and the war that was going on with the soldiers, but also because Tinker was alone now, without her mate and son.

Very much like Mother, really… Orion thought quietly, a slight pang of guilt making his heart clench uncomfortably in his chest. He just hoped that the two females could find strength in each other's company.

The young chimp pursed his lips in thought, folding his hands in his lap.

"We can only remember them. And keep hope. Like they do for us." He commented.

He knew it wasn't much consolation and probably didn't serve to ease Rocket's mind any more than it did his own, but what else was there to say, really? They couldn't turn tail now and come home with no results to show for. Yes, there was the risk that the colony was gone once they returned, though Orion preferred not to think on that too much. But if they didn't complete this mission, then the colony would perish either way.

At least, in this way, they had a shot at ensuring the apes' future.

They had to be strong and pull through – and trust Caesar's ability to protect their home.

Rocket and Blue Eyes both nodded in agreement.

"You are right, Orion. That is-" The elder ape began to sign, only to stop mid-sentence with a frown appearing on his dark face as he turned his head slightly to his left.

"What is it, Rocket?" The Ape Prince beside Orion hooted confusedly after a second or two, though Rocket only held up his hand to request silence form the two younger apes.

Soon, the cause of Rocket's sudden shift in behaviour became clear to Orion and the Ape Prince, when the faint sound of childish laughter could be heard.

Human laughter.

The three chimps looked at each other with grave expressions.

"What are humans doing all the way out here?" Blue Eyes questioned, his gaze continuously darting towards the sound. "So far away from any city?"

"I don't know." Rocket signed as he made to get up. "Might be stragglers."

"What should we do?" Orion chose to sign instead of speaking, sensing that Rocket wanted them to make as little noise as possible for now. "Do we investigate?"

He looked to Blue Eyes, even if his instincts told him that Rocket was still the real decisionmaker.

The Ape Prince seemed hesitant as he stood as well, though his brows furrowed in a way that made him look startlingly much like his father after a few seconds.

"I… I think we should… We need to know how many, and where precisely, so we can avoid them." The prince reasoned, sounding almost confident until he looked to his honorary uncle for him to back up his decision.

In this situation, though, Rocket let the slight show of insecurity slip past without a comment, only nodding briefly in agreement and drawing his gun.

Orion really hoped he wouldn't have to use it. He hated guns and the often-irreparable damage they could inflict.

The three apes left their horses tied to the trees as they stealthily made their way towards the sound of the laughter, keeping their heads low to camouflage themselves in the sparse vegetation that dotted the landscape. The sound got steadily louder as they got nearer, and a few hundred yards away from the apes' original position, they were met with the sight of five human children of varying ages as they peeked between the leaves and branches of the denser bushes they were hiding behind.

There were three girls and two boys in total, the youngest of the group moving around on his little legs in a stomping, slightly uncertain manner, which made Orion suspect that he must be quite young and might only have learned to walk properly a short while ago. Two of the children looked to be around the same age, a boy and a girl, obviously a few years older than the first one, who were nimbly chasing each other around with dry sticks in some sort of game together with another girl, who looked to be older still.

The obvious leader of the little group of human children, however, seemed to be the oldest of them all – a skinny, olive-skinned child with tousled, dark brown hair. She was dressed in a faded, orange top and a long, white skirt, her feet bare against the dry dirt.

"Where are the parents?" Orion questioned the two other chimps, who also seemed to be scouting the area around the children for any sign of the adults. They were bound to be around, after all.

Rocket shook his head, his lips pulled into a thin line as he observed the surrounding area, seemingly not liking what he saw – or rather, what he didn't see.

"I don't know… They must be here – humans take care of their young too…" He signed, not looking at the two younger apes beside him.

"We should probably sneak by and search further. We need to know where they are, so we can avoid running into them…" Blue Eyes signed next. "And the guns they might have."

Both Orion and Rocket nodded at that, seeing no fault in the Ape Prince's reasoning, and the three of them began easing their way around the area in search for the potential threat, taking great care not to let themselves be seen by the children already there.

Before they could get even one quarter of the way around, Rocket seemed to spot something out of the corner of his eye and signalled for the younger apes to get down and stay low, his keen eyes trained on something in the distance as he peeked above the bushes.

And when Orion followed his gaze, his heart nearly ceased its beating and the air left his lungs in a barely-contained gasp of dread.

It was a mountain lion on the prowl.

Right towards the unsuspecting human children.

And suddenly, as his eyes darted from the predator to its blissfully ignorant prey, Orion's mind took him back to that day when he had been just past three years old and had snuck into the woods back home with Blue Eyes and Ash.

The realisation, the terror and the hopelessness as it had happened – it all came back to him in that moment as he watched the beast inch closer and closer.

And Orion looked over at Blue Eyes, he knew his friend felt it too.

The predator's body language was purposeful and its eyes intent, the apes could all see that even from this distance, as it snuck forward through the green and golden vegetation.

It would pounce soon.

"Should we not help them?" Orion whispered worriedly, not comfortable with the possible prospect of letting these human children get mauled and killed by the beast.

He did recognise, however, that it was Blue Eyes' decision to make, as the leader of their group.

The Ape Prince, however, seemed doubtful, biting his lip as hesitation shone in his sky-coloured orbs.

He looked to Rocket briefly, the older male wearing a deeply troubled frown on his face. It was clear to Orion what the balding ape thought of the situation, but it seemed that he was struggling with whether or not he should use this as yet another lesson to teach Blue Eyes how to be a leader.

Orion thought that was a foolish thing to even consider, given that there were lives at stake – true, they were human lives, but how much did that really matter? They were still children, for crying out loud!

The way his face must have looked seemed to stir something in Blue Eyes' mind, however, because the moment Orion looked back to the previously indecisive prince, his gaze seemed to have hardened and his mouth set into a resolute frown. It didn't quite match the look of his father, but the resemblance was there, alright.

"We must help." He rasped out, looking at his honorary uncle. "They are. Just children."

Rocket gave a single, approving nod and hoisted his gun onto his arm as the younger apes prepared their spears.

And just in time, as the huge cat crouched down in preparation the moment the three chimps drew their weapons, lurching forward from the thicket it had hid inside, running towards the humans with incredible speed.

Blue Eyes was the first of the apes to charge at the beast from the apes' hiding spot, though Rocket and Orion himself were sure to follow immediately after the Ape Prince, weapons raised threateningly and with angry screeches directed at the large cat.

From then on, it was all just chaos, really.

The human children screamed and cowered in fright as the three apes and the huge mountain lion sprang towards them from two different directions, mighty screeches and roars mingling with the sound of gunfire as Rocket began to shoot at the outraged beast.

The older ape was not used to the weapon, however, and completely missed the target, though the frightening, and no doubt unexpected spectacle the cat was met with did make it halt and jump back from the children with a vicious, spitting hiss.

The apes reached the small, terrified humans in no time and managed to get between them and the predator, hackles raised and canines on display to show the mountain lion that they meant business.

It only managed deter the cat for a short while as it jumped out of the line of fire when Rocket shot at it again.

Then it pounced once more, growling angrily as Orion stabbed at it with his spear, grazing its flank.

The children cried and huddled together behind the apes, looking on with tears streaming down their cheeks and open-mouthed frowns as they howled and wept.

It all ended as soon as it had begun, however, when the beast threw itself towards Rocket and the ape shot the animal in the right side of its chest, followed quickly by Blue Eyes' spear piercing its soft underbelly and blood began spilling forth from the wounds in copious amounts.

It landed with an unceremonious thud, practically on top of the Ape Prince, and he struggled for a while to get free from the beast's deadweight before Rocket came forth to remove it from his leader-in-training.

Orion's heart was beating violently against his ribcage as the adrenaline began to dissipate and his hands loosened their intense grip on his large spear. He wondered if this was how Mother had felt all those years ago, when she had jumped to defend him, Ash and Blue Eyes in much the same manner.

Then, just as he was regaining his breath and his hackles lowered once more now that the danger had passed, the young chimp became aware of the frightened whimpers behind him and turned around to look at the cowering group of human children on the ground.

The eldest of them, the one in the white skirt, had her arms protectively around the rest, providing quiet, soothing words to the younger children in a language Orion didn't understand.

Looking at how frightened they all were, even with the predator now dead on the ground, the young chimp crouched down to gently lay his spear on the ground before he inched towards the humans in what he hoped would be a non-threatening manner. Behind him, Blue Eyes seemed to catch on to what Orion was trying to do and followed suit, putting his spear down and crouching so he didn't seem so large and imposing to the small children. Though unlike Orion, the prince made no move to approach them.

Rocket, meanwhile, kept his distance, still holding the gun and looking nervously at the scene before him.

Orion gibbered soothingly at the children as they shirked away from him, holding his hands up in a placating manner to show them that he meant no harm – he just wanted them to know that they didn't need to cry anymore. That he didn't want to scare them.

"Do not worry." He spoke gently. "You are safe."

The eyes of the four eldest children widened in surprise and fright, and the youngest girl whimpered and buried her face in the crook of the boy's shoulder.

This was not going too well.

It seemed, however, that the girl in the orange top and white skirt understood Orion's intentions, at least to a degree, as her gaze slowly shifted from one of terror to one of cautious interest.

Just then, as verdant eyes connected with dark brown, frantic shouts could be heard approaching the scene, and Orion had to tear his eyes from the human girl's – only to come face to face with a group of seven adults, who came running towards them.

These humans, three men and four women, were of varying ages, ranging from what Orion would estimate to be early 20's to late 50's and all wearing looks of utter shock and fright on their faces as they approached

And what was worse – one of them was carrying a gun in his hands, which he raised towards the apes the moment he was within 15 feet of the scene, shouting strange words and gesturing wildly with his weapon.

Well, now we know where the adults are, Orion's mind chimed hollowly as he made to slowly stand up and face this new threat together with Rocket and Blue Eyes.

He just hoped they could solve this mess before anyone got hurt.

This was turning downhill quicker than he imagined it would.