Orion
The grey clouds coating the sky above and blocking the sun's bright, invigorating rays did nothing to dampen Orion's mood right now.
Riding between the massive redwood trees, at a gentle trot, the young ape was just ecstatic to be back in a place he knew by heart at last – even if the slow drizzle of rain soaked his black pelt. The forest had changed very little in the two years he, Blue Eyes and Rocket had been gone, and though he had grown a lot on this journey, he relished in finally returning, feeling the urge to greet every single bird, rock and tree he passed by like he would old friends.
Looking over at Blue Eyes, he was pretty sure their expressions were mirroring each other – eyes full of barely-contained excitement and mouths pulled into soft smiles as they got closer and closer to the place they called home.
And to the people who made it so.
To Ivy and Mother.
Orion's heart fluttered in his chest with anticipation at the prospect of seeing them again. To get to hold them and breathe in their scents.
He wasn't truly home until he could do that.
The sound of welcoming hoots soon reached his ears, and Orion, together with Rocket and Blue Eyes, looked up into the trees to see several ape scouts. They all seemed to recognise the trio as they approached on their horses, and their hoots got steadily more excited as they followed the group through the forest towards the colony. Some of them, smaller and seemingly nimbler and faster, went ahead through the treetops, no doubt to alert the guards of their approach.
"Weren't those some of the females?" Orion saw Blue Eyes sign beside him, his nose scrunched up in confusion.
Orion thought he saw that as well – the scouts who went ahead seemed too small to be males.
Rocket jutted out his chin and nodded at the two younger apes. "They were." He replied in sign, making both younger apes' eyes go wide as they had their suspicions confirmed.
Then, the balding chimp looked over at Orion with a raised brow and a teasing smirk on his lips.
"Why do I get the feeling that your mother is somehow responsible for that?"
The Ape Prince released a chuckle at that, directing a mirthful sideways glance towards his childhood friend as they rode on. Orion could only shrug with a knowing smirk playing at his lips, not exactly able to deny what Rocket had said. In fact, he highly suspected that the older chimp was completely right – it did seem like something Mother would suggest.
But for the Ape King to agree to it… now that was what really surprised Orion.
More and more apes appeared in the trees the closer they got to the colony, and the youngest male recognised most of them – though none were the ones he wanted to see the most.
The gorillas guarding the arch that marked the entrance to the colony itself bowed their heads at the trio and when Orion turned around, he saw that they had several apes following their horses, many of whose pelts were adorned with the skeletal war paint of the colony, and all of them hooting, chuffing and gibbering excitedly.
When they had passed the arch and Orion directed his gaze ahead once more, he was welcomed by the sight of several apes coming out from the cave entrance behind the roaring waterfall, the Ape King standing tall and mighty at the very front of the group.
"Father." Blue Eyes signed as soon as they had dismounted, and went forward to greet his parent, the two chimps throwing their arms around each other in a fierce embrace. Orion saw how Caesar closed his eyes in contentment and relief at having his son back once more and felt a subtle tug of longing at his heart.
Rocket came next, and once the Ape King had released his son from his grip, he reached forward to lay a hand on the balding ape's shoulder in greeting of his old friend.
"Welcome home, Rocket. You look tired." He spoke warmly, a smile on his greying face.
Rocket gave a conceding huff and a nod in reply. "It was a long journey."
Then, Caesar's gaze landed on Orion and the king's green-and-golden eyes seemed to spark with recognition. It wasn't like Orion had had that much to do with the Ape King besides the fact that their families were close friends, so it surprised the young chimp a bit when his leader came over to lay a hand on his shoulder as well, giving it a friendly squeeze.
"I see you guarded my son well, Orion." Caesar spoke with a hint of gratitude in his voice. "Welcome home."
Despite his initial surprise, Orion smiled broadly at the Ape King and gave a single nod of thanks.
"Father!" The Ape Prince came up beside them to sign, calling back Caesar's attention. "We found something!"
The large chimp's eyes lit up with hope at his son's exclamation and he released Orion's shoulder to lay his arm around the Ape Prince's.
"Come." He said, gesturing for the three of them to follow him back into the main cave of the colony. Orion felt several hands touch briefly upon his shoulders and back in greeting as he passed by, walking beside Blue Eyes as his verdant gaze darted all around in search for his own loved ones.
Where were they?
They all climbed up onto the plateau that made up the floor of the main cave and were greeted with even more friendly faces, gleeful hoots and excited gibbers all around.
Tinker was the first to reach them, walking straight up to her husband with a young ape child of about two years holding her hand, though the little one immediately let go of the female's limb and reached for Caesar's instead, which told Orion that this was probably the youngest Ape Prince.
"Cornelius," The Ape King spoke gently, confirming Orion's suspicion as he hoisted the child up on his arm, gesturing towards Blue Eyes with his other one. "You must greet your brother."
The child looked shy as Blue Eyes reached forward to take his smaller hand into his own, but there was definitely a spark of familiarity once the contact had been made, and Cornelius gibbered a little more excitedly up at his older brother at that.
And then, as Orion tore his gaze from the royal family reunion, his eyes scanned the cave only to connect with a beautiful pair of solid emerald green eyes, framed by a light face and the finest silver fur in all of the colony.
His heart did a full-blown summersault inside his ribcage when he saw her, and a broad smile spread across his rugged features.
"Ivy..."
The moment he uttered her name, her eyes lit up and she bolted forward to greet him, her arms suddenly placed firmly around his midsection and her cheek pressed to his chest. He didn't mind at all. They might have been shy adolescents last time they had been together – hell, Ivy was still technically an adolescent ape – but in the time they had spent apart, Orion's feelings for her had only grown stronger. More passionate.
His long, black-furred arms closed around her and he bent his neck downwards to put his forehead gently against hers. She had always been a small female.
Orion grinned affectionately down at her as he spotted the silvery braid at the side of her face, and he reached up to subtly tug at it. Ivy only chuckled at his antics, brushing her mouth against his own with hooded eyes.
Behind him, Orion heard Blue Eyes hoot with amusement at his friend's display of affection and the young couple both turned their heads to regard the Ape Prince with unimpressed looks.
Then, Orion's smiled knowingly at his friend.
"Jealous?" His voice sounded smugly – he had spotted someone that Blue Eyes hadn't as he had turned his head and knew that the moment the prince's eyes would land on that person as well, he wouldn't have half a mind to tease Orion anymore.
He still had his arms around Ivy as he inclined his head towards the other side of the cave, not letting Blue Eyes answer his question.
"It looks like someone is here for you as well." He spoke teasingly, and the other ape followed his gaze, turning around to come face to face with Lake, who had been making her way across the wooden bridge just behind the waterfall.
Her eyes widened in surprise as they met with the prince's.
Orion smiled warmly at his childhood friends as they slowly made their way towards each other, not quite as boisterous in their greeting as Ivy and Orion had been, but no less tender as Blue Eyes reached forward to press his forehead against Lake's.
Orion felt Ivy squeeze him around the waist, leaning her head affectionately against his chest as she, too, looked at their friends' loving reunion.
And to think that the Ape Prince had been such a hopeless case! Orion couldn't help rolling his eyes good-naturedly at the thought. They had both grown a lot since they had left.
"What's all this ruckus about?" A feminine voice suddenly sounded behind them all, out of breath and curious. It was followed by sudden, excited barks.
It was a voice Orion knew well, and he whipped his head around to confirm that it was, indeed, who he thought.
"I hope nobody's…." Her words died on her tongue as their eyes met, verdant green clashing with deep blue. "Hurt…" She managed to finish quietly, her face shifting into an expression of utter surprise and disbelief.
The dogs ran past her to greet Orion, tails wagging vigorously as they whined.
And there she stood, clad in her usual attire of tied leather boots and deerskin pants, a thin tank top underneath a dark buckskin leather coat, the large hood pulled back to reveal her dark tresses which were tied in their customary braid.
It was his mother.
"Orion…?" She spoke softly, as if she didn't dare get her hopes up. As if she didn't dare believe what she was seeing.
Beside him, Orion could hear Ivy give a small, feminine chuckle at the scene, and he briefly wondered in the back of his mind if he looked just as disbelieving as Mother did. It must have been truly comical to witness for everyone present.
The arms around his waist gently released him as Mother began to tentatively step towards him, her eyes glossy with unshed tears as realisation began to set in.
And when she finally stood before him, it only took a second for them to throw their arms around one another in a fierce embrace and Orion buried his face into Mother's hair, breathing deeply as he refamiliarized himself with her scent.
The scent he had known since he was old enough to know anything.
The scent of safety and comfort and love.
The scent of home.
Around them, the dogs still whined for attention, rubbing against his legs and licking their muzzles.
Mother released a relieved sob as she was completely engulfed by his long arms, and Orion squeezed her ever tighter, not even caring about how she desperately clutched her hands at his fur, frantically pulling him to her.
Neither of them noticed how those around them took in the scene of their reunion with fond expressions on their faces. In this moment, there was only a mother and her son, reunited at last.
A soft sigh left Orion as he held on to the woman who raised him, and he was flooded with a feeling of love and peace.
This… This right here was how it was supposed to be.
"I can't breathe, Orion." Came a sudden, breathless voice beside the ape's ear, and he immediately loosened his grip so that Mother could draw back for some much-needed air.
Right, he had forgotten how strong he was. How strong he had become.
"Sorry, Mother." He spoke sheepishly, still not letting go of her completely.
She smiled brightly at him all the same, reaching up to lay a soft hand against his cheek.
"No worries, Sweetie." She spoke warmly, pulling him in to lay her forehead against his own. "You could squeeze me half to death and I'd still just be happy that you're home again."
It was only now, when Orion stood before her, that he realised how much he must have grown in the time they had been apart. Before they had left two years ago, he had been a good two inches shorter than Mother and she hadn't seemed nearly as small in his arms.
Now though… Now Orion realised that he had grown to be about an inch taller than her, almost the same height as the Ape King – which probably made him one of the tallest chimps in the entire colony…
No wonder Ivy had felt so small in his arms – she had probably grown too, now that he thought about it, which was most likely why he hadn't realised the increase in his own size until he had been able to compare with Mother.
"What the-…?" The human woman still holding on to him spoke confusedly, pulling the young chimp from his inner musings.
"Orion, what the hell happened to your ear!?" Mother exclaimed in alarm, using the hand on his jaw to turn his face so she could examine the old injury with eyes full of concern.
He knew it probably looked more horrendous than it actually was but hadn't worried too much about it since both Blue Eyes and Rocket had told him that it had healed quite well.
Though, as he had expected, not well enough to ease Mother's worries once she saw it.
"It is nothing, Mother, really." He tried to placate her, though he did nothing to stop her from inspecting the large tear. "It happened long ago. Over a year."
"Nothing?! You have a giant chunk missing completely! Is this from a gunshot!?" She ignored his attempt at calming her as her voice turned slightly shrilly. Her gaze shifted briefly towards Rocket and Blue Eyes for confirmation, which both apes responded to with sheepish nods of their heads.
Out of the corner of his eye, Orion could tell that Ivy was looking concernedly at the injury as well, though it seemed she was content to let Mother express their shared worry.
The human woman returned her attention to him, a soft frown on her lips.
"Didn't I tell you when you left to come back in one piece?" She reprimanded somewhat sternly, an index finger raised in front of his face to underline her words.
Orion smiled despite himself and shrugged.
"You told me to come home with all ten fingers and toes." He lifted his hands to show her that he had kept his promise, displaying all of his fingers, calloused but intact. "You said nothing about ears."
At that, Mother's expression briefly morphed into one of utter surprise as amused chuckles and hoots of laughter sounded around the two of them – most noticeably from Caesar, Maurice and Rocket, who all rumbled deeply at the scene before them.
"Two years apart and he comes back with a cheeky attitude!" She spoke in mock-exasperation before she shook her head, chuckling as well. Then, she let go of Orion and turned to Rocket, giving the old chimp a friendly, welcoming hug as she spoke her next words. "I suppose you're to blame for this development?"
Tinker giggle beside her husband as the chimp shrugged with barely-contained mirth evident in his expression.
"Of course not. He just takes after his mother." The balding ape replied smugly, to which Mother just rolled her eyes.
"Oh, it's definitely your fault."
Next, she turned to Blue Eyes, and the Ape Prince seemed almost startled when Mother's arms snuck around his shoulders, trapping the blue-eyed ape in an affectionate embrace. He got over it quickly, however, wrapping his long arms around the human woman with a gentle smile on his smooth face.
"It's good to have you all back." Mother spoke fondly as she released the Ape Prince.
Orion couldn't agree more.
It was good to be back.
The young chimp was so ecstatic, so relieved to finally be home, that he didn't notice the subtle, warm smile on the Ape King's lips as Mother commented approvingly on Blue Eyes' physical growth.
He didn't see the happy crinkle at the edge of Caesar's green-and-golden eyes, nor the gentle swell of his chest as Lydia got near to take over Cornelius, leaving the Ape King free to go on and deal with the matter of gathering everyone so that the trio could explain what they had found.
He didn't notice any of this at all, and even if he had, he would probably not had thought it important.
The only thing Orion cared about right in this moment, the only thing that mattered to him, was that he had returned home to find his loved ones alive and well.
And he would work hard to keep it that way.
Blue Eyes
It was just after the colony's meeting now, and Blue Eyes was finally, finally alone with Lake, having found a quiet spot – the one where she had first confronted him about her feelings – and taking turns telling about everything that had happened in the time they had been apart.
He hadn't been too surprised when he was told that his father had made Lydia his council member. Ape or not, she was as loyal as she was strong and wise, something Blue Eyes still regretted not seeing back when he had been a young adolescent, blinded by prejudice as he had been.
And she had welcomed him so warmly this afternoon. Had embraced him and smiled so brightly, like she had missed him almost as much as she had her own son.
And then there had been the wholesome joy of seeing his little brother again. Now that was something Blue Eyes had worried about a lot. Worried about whether or not Cornelius would even know who he was, if not by memory, then at least by instinct, or if he would recoil and whimper, believing Blue Eyes to be a complete stranger.
Luckily, the ape child had taken it all in stride and the moment his eyes had connected with Blue Eyes' own, a tiny spark of recognition had seemed to appear in the two-year-old ape's green gaze. Just a tiny flicker before he had tentatively reached forward and let his hand be engulfed by his older brother's and from then on, he had seemed to follow Blue Eyes everywhere.
It had been heart-warming and indeed amusing at first, but as twilight approached and Blue Eyes had wanted a moment alone with Lake, it became a bit of a constraint to have an ape child trailing his every step. Luckily, Lydia, ever observant, had quickly whisked the child into her arms and winked knowingly at the young ape couple.
In the past, Blue Eyes' ears might have gone red from embarrassment at something like this, but now, he would offer a small smile and a wave of thanks before trudging off with his intended mate, which was exactly what he had done.
Now, they sat on a little patch of moss just off the river's stony shore and Lake had just finished telling about the clash Lydia and Ivy had had with the tree soldiers in the forest many months prior. Blue Eyes couldn't help but stare in wonder at the tale his intended mate was telling.
Lydia's ferocity was something Blue Eyes had seen in action before, even when he had been a young ape child and so, the way she had dealt with the threat was nothing too stirring for the Ape Prince. No, what had really caught him off guard about this story was that Ivy had been there too and that she had, according to Lake, fought just as fiercely as the human woman had done.
"Orion really has chosen a female quite like his mother…" The prince had signed with a chuckle, making Lake release a feminine, bubbly giggle in reply.
Goodness he had missed that sound. He had only had a couple of weeks to truly appreciate it before he had left two years ago and now, being back once more, it seemed all the lovelier to finally hear it.
He reached up with one hand and tentatively brushed the tips of his fingers against her cheek, taking in every little detail of her feminine features. He had almost forgotten how pretty she was – his memory simply hadn't been able to do her justice.
Lake leaned into his touch, her green eyes lidded, and her lips pulled into a shy smile.
"I missed you." She whispered, so softly that it was almost completely drowned out by the rustle of the leaves and the rushing water of the river.
But Blue Eyes heard it. Heard every single, lovely syllable, and wished his voice had been smooth and even enough to match it.
"I missed you too. Lake." He spoke somewhat hoarsely, his lips ghosting against her muzzle. "Very much…"
He felt her fingers trace the scars on his right shoulder and pectoral muscle almost reverently and Blue Eyes allowed himself the barest hint of a shudder. He had accepted these scars long ago, and the lesson he had learned from receiving them, but it was still nice to know that Lake wasn't appalled by them. That she even seemed to like them, somehow.
Then, she pulled back slightly from his touch, worry finding its way to her eyes.
"I hope we can get everyone away safely…" She commented with fluid, subtle movements. "Winter seemed so scared tonight…"
Blue Eyes nodded seriously at that.
Winter, an albino gorilla and a young member of Luca's Gorilla Guard, had indeed seemed very upset that the apes weren't leaving immediately – so much so that Father had had to make a display of dominance for the white-furred gorilla to finally settle down.
Blue Eyes' added reassurances had seemed to help for a short while, but the large ape had still seemed agitated as he had left when the meeting was over.
The Ape Prince pursed his lips in deep thought.
Winter's outspoken anxiety hadn't been the only thing Blue Eyes had had to speculate on during the colony meeting.
During the entire thing, Cornelius had been happily nestled in Lydia's lap, playing with the woman's hands and once even reaching up to twirl the end of her braid between his fingers.
And though her mind had seemed completely occupied by what was being said at the meeting, Blue Eyes had noticed that, ever so often, she would glance down at his little brother with a look of pure affection.
It had almost seemed… motherly. Like how she would look at Orion, eyes soft and her lips pulled into a gentle smile, starkly different to the expression she wore when she had once again turned her attention to the meeting that was going on. Then, her eyes would lose their happy gleam and instead become intent, and her lips would once again relax into a loose frown.
Blue Eyes didn't know exactly how to describe the feeling he got when he had seen it – how his brother interacted so familiarly with the human woman. He remembered that time so long ago, when he had told Ash how it had seemed wrong to him that Cornelius was being handed off to Lydia because of Mother's sickness.
But it wasn't that feeling which had struck him this time around. No, this was one of mild surprise mixed with a sense of relief.
When Mother had died, aside from being absolutely devastated himself, Blue Eyes had feared that his little brother would be deprived of a loving mother-figure.
Sure, there had been plenty of females readily offering to be the young prince's nursemaid, but none of them would ever love him like a mother would. They had their own children to care for and feeding Cornelius would only be a favour – another duty towards the colony to be fulfilled.
But the way Lydia had looked down at Cornelius at the meeting, and the way the ape child had looked back, bright, cheerful and content, had made Blue Eyes realise that his brother had indeed enjoyed the love of a mother – maybe not the mother who had birthed him, but a mother nonetheless.
And judging from the way his best friend had turned out being raised by Lydia, the eldest Ape Prince had no doubt his little brother would be just fine.
Looking up, Blue Eyes noticed that the sky was now almost pitch-black and sprinkled with stars.
It was getting quite late…
"We should return." He spoke as softly as he could so as not to startle his life's intended. "Everyone will worry. If we do not."
Lake nodded, though he could tell that she, much like Blue Eyes himself, would have liked to stay and enjoy their quiet moment for just a bit longer. It had been years, literally years, since they had last been able to bask in each other's presence like this, and the Ape Prince wouldn't have minded extending this moment for the entire duration of the night, if he was honest with himself.
But it wouldn't do to make everyone sick with worry. He was, after all, Caesar's son and heir – he couldn't just do whatever he pleased. Especially not now, during a war, with so much at stake.
They walked back through the short stretch of forest hand in hand, just like the day Lake had first revealed her feelings for him, and the Ape Prince was hit at once with a bout of nostalgia.
It really was good to be home.
It didn't take long for them to enter the main cave and Blue Eyes could literally feel his father's piercing gaze on him as he bid Lake goodnight with a soft touch of his fingers against her cheek.
She was gone from his sight moments later, no doubt going back to the cave she shared with her parents, while Blue Eyes turned and trudged tiredly towards the nest he would once again be sharing with his father and younger brother. As thrilled as he was to spend his time with Lake again, the Ape Prince figured that it was probably a good thing that their time down by the river hadn't been prolonged. It had been an eventful day, and the young ape was so tired that it seemed as if his very bones were weighing him down.
He sat with a heavy thud, releasing a sigh of relief at the feel of the nest's soft padding. How long had it been since he had enjoyed the luxury of sleeping in a proper nest?
Cornelius was quick to crawl over and start grooming his older brother, throwing whatever dirt he found out of the nest.
"Long day?" Father's gruff voice sounded, and though his eyes were as serious as ever, Blue Eyes could easily tell that the Ape King was happy to have him back once more.
He nodded.
"Long… evening too?" Father then inquired with a raised brow, presenting Blue Eyes with a slightly lopsided, suggestive smirk.
The prince barely managed to resist the urge to splutter in surprise and mortification.
"What? No! Father, Lake and I-… We haven't-… I mean, we haven't done-… I just returned home!" He signed almost indignantly, his pale eyes wide as he stared at his parent.
Did Father really think that Blue Eyes and Lake had been up to… that while they had been down by the river? Sure, the Ape Prince had missed her dearly, and sure, he had every intention of fully and wholly making Lake his wife someday, just as Mother had been Father's, but really? He had barely been home for half a day as it was!
A deep, low chuckle came from the Ape King, his hulking frame shaking ever so slightly with the action.
"I said nothing about that, Son." He replied, the smirk from before now turning positively smug. "You must have your mind in the gutter."
Blue Eyes couldn't help but gape incredulously at his father.
"You learned that one from Lydia!" He signed with accusing eyes, though a slight smile soon appeared on his face, mirroring the Ape King's.
Really, his father's well-hidden sense of humour had a tendency to express itself at the strangest of times…
The Ape King shrugged, still with a somewhat amused look on his face, though it was slowly turning into a more sombre expression.
"She has taught us many things." He replied as his eyes lowered to stare at Cornelius, who was still grooming Blue Eyes' arm. "You brother know this better than anyone. She has become like a mother to him..."
"I can tell." The elder Ape Prince replied with soft movements, sensing the change of mood in their conversation. Cornelius yawned, but didn't stop his grooming as his brother signed. "I saw how she was with him during the meeting."
"And this does not bother you?" Father inquired almost hesitantly, and Blue Eyes could very well understand why.
In the past, the eldest Ape Prince had, after all, expressed a great dislike for the fact that Lydia had handled his little brother so often and so soon after he had been born. It had been back when Koba's talks of humans and their vile nature had still clouded Blue Eyes' own sense of right and wrong, and every human had seemed an enemy back then. Even Lydia, who the prince had known since he was three years old.
But he was a different ape now. Older, smarter, and free of Koba's influence.
"No." Blue Eyes shook his head in reply to his father's question. "In the past, it would have… But now, I'm just happy for Cornelius. I'm glad he has someone who can be that to him, now that Mother can't."
It still hurt to speak of his mother. Blue Eyes knew he would probably never be able to completely get rid of the stabbing ache in his heart whenever she was mentioned, but it had lessened considerably over the past two years.
By the looks of it, it also hurt Father, if the pursing of his lips and crease of his heavy brow was any indication to go by. But another emotion also seemed to play across his features as his shoulder eased up. Was it relief that seemed to emanate from the Ape King?
Blue Eyes decided to shake that notion off and continue where he left had off, telling his father of something that had been on his mind ever since he had seen how his little brother had interacted with Lydia. The mother of Orion, his best friend.
"In a way, I feel like it makes Orion as much of a brother to Cornelius as I am. I like that thought. All three of us being brothers together."
And that was the truth. He really did like that thought.
During their journey, Blue Eyes had gotten really close with Orion, their bond becoming very much like that of two brothers. Brothers in all but blood. After he had come home and seen how Lydia had interacted with Cornelius at the meeting earlier, the thought had struck him that he honestly wouldn't mind Orion having a brotherly relationship with the younger Ape Prince as well.
They would make a great team, the three of them, Blue Eyes was sure of that.
Father nodded, his expression thoughtful.
"I am glad you feel that way." He said, though there was a strange, wistful note to his voice that Blue Eyes didn't recognise. "And I am sure Lydia will be too. She cares very much for us."
The eldest Ape Prince didn't know what his father meant with those words. It sounded strangely cryptic to the younger chimp. Like there was a hidden meaning which he was simply not capable of understanding.
Before he could inquire about this, though, before he could even raise his arms to sign the words, Father had placed his hand on Blue Eyes' shoulder.
"Let us sleep, Son. We have much to do tomorrow." He spoke with an air of finality to his voice, indicating to the Ape Prince that he should let the matter rest for now.
Well, Blue Eyes had to admit that sleep sounded nice. His bones still felt heavy and his rear was sore from riding for so long to get back here. Some well-deserved rest in a padded nest did sound like a great idea.
Besides, he could always ask his father what he had meant in the morning.
The young ape nodded tiredly before moving Cornelius out of the way to settle down on top of the soft pelts in the nest, his father and little brother following shortly afterwards.
It was as if all the bones in his body popped back into place as he stretched himself and he groaned in satisfaction before finally nestling into the comforting, familiar-smelling bedding of his family's nest.
Beside him, Cornelius babbled happily and curled up between the two larger chimps and Blue Eyes thought he had never seen an ape child more content than his little brother was right then.
"It is good to have you home again, Blue Eyes." Came his father's quiet, deep rumble, and their eyes connected briefly above Cornelius' little head. "Goodnight, Son."
"Goodnight, Father." Came Blue Eyes' answer, so soft that it could barely be heard over the ever-present roaring of the waterfall just off to the side of the cave.
But the gentle upturn of Father's lips told the Ape Prince that he had heard it well enough and with that, the Royal Ape Family went to sleep, content at being together once more.
