Prologue: A Stealthy Escape

The famous Chimp Cirque circus, recognized and prestigious by thousands of people who live in a big city. Almost every week, the numerous stands of the venue were occupied by an entire crowd arriving to see the long-awaited shows.

The artists, acrobats, jugglers, trapeze artists and contortionists were without a doubt the stars of the night and, in the middle of these presentations, there were also those of animals, who with their exotic appearance and their particular skills, earned the greatest attention and appreciation by viewers.

There was a wide variety of animals living there, although for the most part, Chimp Cirque was inhabited by primates, as its name indicated. The primates often came out on stage to exhibit their most talented acrobatics or even realize an improvised performance as in the cases of primate children. These last always earned the most tender looks from the public, as was the case with a little girl chimpanzee, who seemed to have unique hair with beginner flight skills.

On a day like any other, there was a family of primates in their respective room of that circus. It was a young chimpanzee couple with a baby girl of their species. They were also part of the circus performances, although they had had a season of rest due to the birth of their new daughter. They had lived there for years, like the other primates, and their days seemed to be quite calm... except for that particular day: the last day... that they were going to continue in that place.

The aforementioned baby chimpanzee was in the arms of her mother, who smiled at her and made gestures of affection, but who at the same time... looked at her with some concern. Next to her, there was also the father, who had a lowered gaze and remained thoughtful; it was as if an uncertainty was accompanying them.

"What will we do after all this?" the chimpanzee mother asked her husband, who then placed a hand on his temple, before looking up to respond.

"We'll have to find a way to survive," he responded, showing serious concern. "But I know it's going to be the best, even if we have to... start a new life out there."

"A new life..." the mother chimpanzee repeated to herself, as she looked at her little baby again. "And without knowing what may become of our destiny."

"I know, honey. And I understand, I know it's going to be… difficult to adapt," the father chimpanzee responded, before going to hug his wife. "But even so, our owners believe that it is the best thing they can do for us by getting us out of here, and even we think the same... We are not going to allow those other maniac humans to take our babies by force, the three children, in fact. And I know this is going to be complicated: leaving our entire life here behind. But... I want to think that we will achieve to be well, that we will all be well, like the family that we are... And that our children will be well."

"It's what I wish most, above all," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder, and the little baby chimpanzee looked at them with an innocent smile. "I want to see them grow well and be happy."

Suddenly, small but quick steps began to be heard arriving at that area, accompanied by childish laughter full of energy. A little girl chimpanzee appeared running and jumping, and even wearing her hair in a particular rotating way. The little girl, perhaps three years old, went to hide behind the two adult chimpanzees while she laughed and held up a diamond stone.

"Dixie, but what are you doing?" the father chimpanzee said to the infant, taking her in her arms and removing the diamond she was carrying. "Oh, no, don't play with those stones, you might drop them and you might get hurt."

"But it's very pretty," responded the little chimpanzee, who was the eldest daughter of the couple, with her sweet voice.

"Dixie!" suddenly exclaimed a voice apart from the apes present.

Shortly thereafter, a little gorilla boy came running to the scene, who looked exhausted.

"Chunky, but what happened?" the adult chimpanzee asked him, looking at him with some concern.

"Ah, here you are, Dixie," said the gorilla boy, walking towards the little infant chimpanzee, before speaking to the two adults. "Uncle, auntie, I was trying to catch up to Dixie, but she was walking too fast with her hair. She was running through the portal again and carrying that diamond."

"What?! Oh, no, Dixie," exclaimed the little girl's father, staring at her and moving his head from side to side. "I have already told you not to walk through the portal alone now."

"Dixie, honey, we've already told you again," her mother added in the same way. "Don't go out like that while no one is with you."

"Chunky was with me," answered the little girl chimpanzee.

"But Chunky is a child too," the father told her. "And children shouldn't be away from their parents if there is no one else accompanying them."

"But I want to play," the little girl added, making a gesture of supplication. "Why can't I go out now, dad?"

"Because it's dangerous for little ones to go out alone," the adult chimpanzee told, before smiling at her later. "Later there will be time to play as much as you want. Look, I promise you that when we get to that island we will play together, okay?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed the little chimpanzee, launching herself to hug her father, who in turn responded affectionately, earning a smile from the mother.

"But now you promise that you won't go out like that anymore, okay?" her father told her again, before the little girl nodded and he stroked her head. "That's my little girl."

Suddenly, two more primates arrived on the scene. It was another couple made up of a gorilla and a chimpanzee, the latter being the one who had a certain resemblance to the father of the two little girls chimpanzees, implying that they were related. Then, the little gorilla boy joined the two of them, which proved that he was the son of that couple.

"I think everything is almost ready," said the newly arrived adult chimpanzee, in a low tone, but trying to smile at the same time, like the other couple of chimpanzees. "All we have to do is wait for them to call us."

"They said they will take us tomorrow morning," added the adult gorilla, before glancing askance at his son and the two little girls chimpanzees… as if he didn't want to talk too much in front of them. "And I also heard that they are going to take action on it for security."

"I heard it too, and I hope they make it," responded the little girls' father while holding the eldest, who was distracted making funny faces and games to her younger sister, making the latter laugh. "And I hope the other small apes in this circus are not in danger... Eh, I mean, don't run through the portals, I meant," he added with a forced smile and pointing with sidelong glances at the primate children present.

"Hey, but why are we leaving here?" the little gorilla boy asked them, looking worried. "I'm afraid of going to an unknown place, and we won't have shows anymore."

"Chunky, honey, I already told you it's because we'll have a better life outside," his mother told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "And don't worry, we're all going to stay together. You do not fear."

"Are we going back here?" the little girl chimpanzee asked with an innocent smile. "I want to go out on show again and teach people how to fly with their hair."

"Oh, no, honey, we already told them that we won't be in this place anymore," her father responded, trying to smile back. "But don't worry, you'll be able to play with your hair as much as you want on that island where we're going, okay?" he told her, smiling at her again and caressing her head. The other apes in the family also smiled as they looked at the little girl, although a few seconds later, the four adult primates once again showed worried expressions on their faces. "Well... it seems there is no turning back. Tomorrow we will leave here," the chimpanzee added towards the group.

The next day began before the sun rose for the primate family, where they were being accompanied by a group of human people who looked everywhere as they were carried around the outside of the circus, and even seemed to be in a position to protect the apes. Then, people helped the group of primates into the container of a vehicle, and then said goodbye and seemed much more worried than the apes were. Before leaving, one of the people handed them a box that was filled with diamonds and some shiny stones.

"Take this, please," the person told them, handing them the box. "Take it with you away from here... And take good care of yourselves, okay?... We hope things go well for you and that you can live in peace."

With that, the people closed the doors of the container, and then the vehicle started its engines. The two couples of primates looked at each other with enormous uncertainty, while continuing to hold their respective children, who seemed quite confused, especially the gorilla child.

As the vehicle moved away from the place, the group of people watched with all the uncertainty and sadness for those primates, whom they had had in their custody for years and had given smiles to the public at their shows.

"We hope you stay safe and healthy wherever you go," said one of the people as they continued looking at the vehicle from a long distance. "They won't be found there."

"Will we start the entire legal process from now on?" asked another of the people. "Because those gentlemen will come in the afternoon to ask about the little gorilla and the two little chimpanzees."

"Of course yes, this must be quick, before those stupids arrive," said the first person quite seriously.

"What will happen with the threat?"

"I don't care about their stupid threat and their money, we'll ask for protection from those maniacs," the one added, shaking his head from side to side with firm seriousness. "Those crazy ones! We aren't going to support them for their monstrous project; they got crazy if they thought we were going to give them those three little creatures for that aberration they plan to do. But right now, we will take action and those maniacs will go to prison!" the person finished with complete firmness.

A few days of traveling passed for the primate family, between changes of land and sea vehicle, and being accompanied by another group of people from that circus. The trip had been quite exhausting and boring, especially for the three little apes, who tended to get restless during trips.

After all those exhausting days, the simian family had reached their destination, or at least as far as the people accompanied them. After that, they continued moving on their own in the middle of a jungle, looking for a good area to settle and stay protected. At the front of the herd, and carrying the child gorilla on his back, was the adult gorilla with his wife, who was the one who had the best knowledge about survival in nature. Behind them was the other couple of chimpanzees, each carrying their two little daughters. The four adult primates walked looking everywhere for any danger, and protecting their little children.

Suddenly, in the middle of all the vegetation they were going through, they got a little scare when they found some dark silhouettes near them. They were two subjects with dark capes and hoods who, when they showed their faces a little, saw that they were other primates, who had intimidating looks. The only thing that did not scare the family was that those strange primates were carrying four little infants with them, who were seen calm, but at the same time, clinging to those two mysterious apes. The family looked strangely at those strange primates as they passed by them, in turn they returned the same expression, but then they downplayed it and just continued on their way... until they could find a new place to live.

Meanwhile, those two hooded primates stayed for another few seconds looking at the family, but they also downplayed when they walked away from. Then, they continued walking with their four little primates, who were of different species and looked somewhat fearful, as if they did not want to part with the two of them.

After walking a few meters further, the two mysterious primates were arriving at a huge house, so huge that it seemed to be more of a mansion or a shelter. When they reached the door, they knocked on it and waited for a while, while holding the four little primates. These infants, who appeared to be about three years old, looked at the two adult apes with innocent uncertainty.

Suddenly, the door opened and a voluptuous gorilla lady appeared, with a stern look on her face. She greeted the two hooded apes, one of which revealed his face, who was an orangutan.

"The four new children," said the gorilla lady, directing her gaze at the little apes, who were clinging to the two adult apes and seemed to be afraid of her. "Come this way, please."

With the four little ones in their arms and on their backs, the two apes entered the property and followed that gorilla lady to a large room, which had a view toward several hallways with doors and a yard where there were several young primates of different ages, playing and interacting with each other. Then, the two adult primates left their little children on the ground, and went to talk to the lady, who gave them some sheets to later sign.

"That's all," the gorilla lady told them seriously, receiving the sheets. "Now, you can leave them. The visits will be scheduled at the end of the month, as you said."

Then, the two hooded apes headed towards their little children, who were looking around the place with fearful expressions.

"I want my dad," said one of the little apes, who was a langur species, with a pleading look and moist eyes towards the two adult apes.

"No, no, don't be like that, please," told one of the adult apes in his thick voice. "We already told you four that you are going to stay here while we are gone."

"No, I want to go home," said another of the little apes, who was an orangutan, with the same plea to the ape who had lowered his hood. "I want to go with you, dad."

"Dad has to go to work, you know," the adult orangutan replied. "Plus, we'll come visit you later."

"I don't want to be here," replied another of the little children, who was of the mandrill species. "I want to go home!" he added, starting to tap his feet.

"I want my dad!" exclaimed the little langur again, and began to sob.

"Your dads couldn't come," the other adult ape responded. "They stayed home because they are very busy, just like we are going to be. So please understan…"

"No, I want to leave here!" replied the little orangutan with moist eyes as well and taking the arm of whoever seemed to be his father. "I want to leave!"

"Oh, no, please! Please behave!" the adult orangutan ordered them, speaking more firmly. "We already told you several times that you are going to stay in this place to be taken care of because we have to go to work. And please, I don't want tantrums now!… Well, it's time to go," he concluded before patting the four children on the heads, who then stayed still. "We'll see you later, okay?"

"We'll come to visit you one month later, don't worry," the other adult ape added in the same way.

"Well, see you later, children," the adult orangutan said goodbye, before putting his hood back on and turning around. "Behave well."

The two hooded apes went out from the house, leaving the four little children behind, while the latter only watched them until the end with moistened eyes and fear reflected on their innocent faces.

"Do you think they're going to be okay there?" one of the adult primates asked the other, as they left.

The other adult primate, showing his orangutan face again, looked back one last time, where they had left the four little apes, and then gave a deep sigh.

"It's the only place we found," he responded, showing himself with a look of uncertainty. "But we can't have those children at home anymore; they shouldn't see all those things nor can we tell them anything."

Meanwhile, the four little ape children continued to stare at the now closed door. Suddenly, the little langur ran to the door as if he wanted to get out, but then he just burst into tears, before the other three joined him. The little orangutan and the mandrill were also with tears streaming down their faces, except for the other little child, who was a capuchin monkey and was trying to stay strong, despite also having small tears in his eyes.

"I want my dad!" exclaimed the little langur in the middle of crying.

"Don't cry" the capuchin monkey told him, patting him lightly as if he wanted to console him. "Our dads said they are going to return every month."

"How long is a month?" asked the little mandrill, wiping his eyes.

"I think it's five days," answered the little capuchin monkey.

"Hello," suddenly said another childish voice, apart from the four.

The four children immediately turned around and saw another group of primate children, almost the same age, at whom they looked at them somewhat strangely.

"Are you new here?" one of those children asked them.

"Yes... new ones," answered the little capuchin monkey with some shyness.

"Why is he crying?" a primate little girl from that group asked, pointing towards the little langur.

"Because my dad and our uncle brought us here," answered the little orangutan, before pointing to his other three companions. "Their parents couldn't come."

"Do you want to play a game with us?" another of those children asked them, smiling at them four.

Suddenly, the four ape children began to talk and interact with those other little children, who asked them questions about themselves or suggested certain games to them. Later, the little orangutan began to get a little distracted as he carefully observed all the corridors and shortcuts that were seen in that place, and even began to walk to explore some areas. Finally, he looked out of the windows that overlooked the yards, where there were more primate children, and later, he looked into another yard, but instead in this one, there were older primates, who looked more like teenagers.

"No, no, don't go there!" a child from that other group of little ones suddenly told him. "Don't go into that other yard," she added, pulling him by the arm as if she were a little afraid. "That is the place of older children... Older boys and girls are very evil, very evil," she said with seriousness and fear at the same time.

"Yes, don't step on that yard over there," added another of those children in the same way. "Those older kids hit you and treat you ugly and do evil things to you. And the lady directress will also punish you very ugly."

The four little children, who had reunited again, looked at them with some confusion and as if they did not seem to give importance to what they were saying.

"Come this way, new children," the gorilla lady from that place suddenly exclaimed, heading towards the four of them. "I'm going to show you your room where you should be, and your carers."

Then, the gorilla lady took the hands of the four little apes and gently pushed them to accompany her to the hallways with doors. For their part, the little children just followed her, while maintaining their innocent expressions of uncertainty and looking around the place.

A/N: That's it for the prologue (it was a bit long). Surely you did know who the characters in the first part were, but obviously I know that the rest didn't, anyways maybe you'll understand that later.