To the Stars and Back [Sanders Sides Analogical AU]

M. I. A. pt. 2

The next morning Nico woke up and almost fell out of the tree before regaining his balance and shimmying down the trunk. Once on the ground Nico wiped the tears stains off his cheeks and set out in the direction he thought was home.

And so he walked and walked and walked and walked, getting scrapes and cuts from some branches and undergrowth but kept on trekking through the trees. His shirt and shorts got caught up in pokie and owie plants, making Nico have to pull himself out and getting the stickers stuck on his clothing, and even in his hair.

The day passed by quickly, it soon being dark once again and poor lil Nico went to sleep that night scared, lost, confused, and hungry. He managed to find a sheltered area and curled up there, his cuts and scratches stinging as he laid on them while big fat tears rolled down his cheeks.

He wanted to be at home playing with Everglade in the living room as she gave him big, slobbery kisses then being chided by his daddy for letting Everglade lick his face after eating. He wanted more than anything to be back at home with his dads in their warm bed having a sleep over. He wanted to be curled up next to his dada and feeling his little sibling inside his daddy's belly. But, instead, his was lost in the woods, frightened out of his mind as he tried to fall asleep.

The next day was no different; he woke up feeling very hungry, very thirsty and very scared, but kept moving. Walking farther through the woods and getting even more scratches and cuts on his body. By now he has a torn off off some of his shirt by accident on the trees and gotten holes not only in his shirt, but in his shorts too.

After walking for who knows how long the ground suddenly disappeared from beneath his feet. Nico let out a short cry of surprise as he went tumbling down a small hill, being hit and slapped by plants and getting many more booboos on his way down. He landed on solid ground with a thump, hiccuping and sniffling as he really tried to stop from wailing and sobbing. He never liked being loud or anything loud, that was his least favorite thing so he just let the tears run down his cheeks as he cried softly and quietly. He did let himself cry though, his dada always said crying was okay and even good for you when you don't know how else to express your feelings (or something like that. His dada used bigger words).

Nico pushed himself to his feet and stumbled over to a rock and sat down, trying to stop the tears that kept falling down his face and the sobs escaping his throat. Nico pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face into his legs, whimpering and trembling.

"I wanna go home," he cried softly. "I want my daddies."

Then the bushes in front of him rustled. He looked up with pink glossy cheeks, snotty nose, and red tinted eyes.

"Daddy?" Nico said, hoping his daddy or dada had come looking for him.

The branches parted and a large, brown animal that looked like a meaner, hairier Pumba came stomping out. When it saw Nico it snorted and scraped at the dirt, the tusks on its face aimed at him.

Nico screamed in fright as the animal charged at him, jumping out of the way so the animal charged into the tree behind the rock. Nico rolled onto his back and tried to scramble away quietly, but the monster snorted and glared at him with beaty black eyes. Whimpering Nico closed his eyes and put his arms over his face in a way to protect himself while waiting for the animal to trample him.

Instead loud barking erupted in front of him. He looked between his arms to see a large, tan dog come running out of the forest and start snapping, barking, and biting at the beast, the animal squealing and falling down several times, getting up only for the dog to push it down again. The dog bit the animal's muzzle, a crack sound coming from it and red dye spewed out of the creature's muzzle before it shrieked and ran away into the woods.

The dog growled after it, but then came over to Nico, licking the red dye off its mouth then sniffing his face and licking the tears on his cheeks. This dog was very different from Everglade. Everglade was very fluffy, and soft, but this dog wasn't fluffy at all. It's hair was very short, and didn't look too soft, but Nico wasn't one to judge, though the dog's fur was pretty dirty on its legs and underbelly.

"Hello. I'm Nico and I'm lost. Are you lost, too?" said Nico while petting the dog's head.

The dog huffed softly, giving Nico's hand a lick but looked off to his right (Nico's left) then back at Nico. He then pulled him up by his shirt and started walking, Nico keeping up with him by grabbing the red bandanna tied around the dog's neck.

The pair walked together, the dog (whom Nico started calling Skits from "Martha Speaks") leading the boy until the forest parted and they were standing near a sidewalk leading to some shops to their right.

"Maybe dey can help us," Nico said as the dog and then started walking down the sidewalk to the shops. They didn't make it far until two men dressed in dark blue and white, like his unkie 'Oman would, walked up to Nico.

"Hello there little one. Where are your parents?" one man asked, kneeling down in front of him.

Nico felt a little nervous because of the last man who came up to him, but he remembered watching some shows with his dada that had theses types of men who were always the good guys and Skits didn't seem to mind them. That and his unkie 'Oman worked with them, so they were probably nice people who could help him.

"I dunno. A mean man took me from my uncies so I bit him. I den got lost in de woods until Skits came," said Nico while hugging the dog's neck.

"Do you know where that mean man is?" the second man asked, but Nico shook his head.

"Would you be okay coming with us?" the first man asked.

"Will you help me find my daddies?" asked the toddler with big blue and green eyes.

"Of course, now let's get back to our car," the second man took Nico's hand and led him and Skits to his car, the cool white and blue one that makes flashing lights and loud sounds.

"Skits can come too?" Nico said hopefully while hugging the dog's neck.

"Yes sir he can. Now let's get in,"

They all got in the car, Nico allowed to sit up front in the man's lap and look out the window as they drove down the street to town where he'd go to the store with his daddy or see is cousin, Alex, and his other unkies, Remy and Emile. They drove for a bit more until they pulled into to a cool building, parking the car with the others like it.

I give y'all this in hopes that y'all won't kill me in my sleep. I've been safe for the two nights, but I'm not testing my luck.

Look I finally mentioned Remy, Emile, and Alex for once. Yay
There will be a chapter with Nico and Alex in it, I promise
(Btw Alex is also gonna be an older sibling too)

By the way, Skits, as Nico has named him, isn't the dog's actual name, that will be reviewed later, but 'Skits' is a Black-Mouth Cur, a hunting and cattle dog most common in the southern United States. Here's a picture of 'Skits'