Complement Song by Lucky Dragons

For this song I envisioned a juvenile adventurer, who has by happenstance stumbled upon a vast and magnificent forest. The forest seems to come alive with time, and embraces him with open arms.

Marcus drew a hand across his face, slowly pushing away the massive ferns that obscured his view. Mouth agape in wonder, he tilted his head back to stare up at the jungle around him. The trunks of massive trees sprouted around him in every direction, their distant leaves reaching in vain for the heavens. Sunlight blinked in and out from behind the forest canopy above, dancing complex patterns on Marcus's face. A vast network of vines spanned the gaps between the trees, hanging eerily still in the lifeless atmosphere. The humidity caused Marcus's shirt to cling to his skin, but he paid it no mind as he continued slowly, creeping closer to a small clearing in the jungle adorned by a modest pool, its water stagnant under the shade of the trees. Nature seemed to hold its breath, and Marcus felt he was intruding with every step he took for it seemed to echo amidst the serene tranquility of the undisturbed habitat. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and heard a faint yipping sound as a small patch of foliage rustled on the opposing side of the lake. For a brief moment Marcus grew nervous, for he had happened upon this primeval jungle by pure chance, and had no idea of the kind of wildlife it supported.

The chittering sounded again behind him, and Marcus whipped around, eyes wide with fear. Backing up slowly, Marcus could feel as if the forest was watching him with bated breath, wondering what his next move would be. The trees observed carefully with their branches swaying in a nonexistent wind, making the leaves rustle in a rudimentary mocking laugh. This sound cut through the palpable silence that hung in the air, and suddenly Marcus stood up straight, observing as out of the brush came a small lemur-looking creature, no more the size of his forearm. The lemur chittered once more, and Marcus found himself smiling despite himself. Sliding his rucksack off his weary shoulders, he undid a bronze zipper and pulled out a small biscuit before offering it to the marsupial that sat before him. The lemur recoiled hesitantly as all at once the chattering of the trees stopped, and all was silent once more.  Finally the creature outstretched what Marcus noticed was a three toed paw, and gingerly took the biscuit from his hand, pulling it away instantly and darting back to the shrubbery behind it. Marcus watched as it cautiously took a small nibble of the dried food, allowing small crumbs to fall to the forest floor below. Standing straight once more, Marcus cocked his head, struggling to hear what could only be described as the entire woods inhaling a deep breath all at once, as if the trees were preparing to usher him out of their land.

Without warning, the forest burst into life, and Marcus watched on in awe as wild creatures emerged out of every thinkable orifice of the jungle. Lemurs poured out of the trees in massive quantities, all gathering around the biscuit and taking turns poking at it with childlike wonder glistening in their eyes. Marcus couldn't help himself but laugh at the sudden change in the scenery around him, and he began to wander, exploring the nature that had suddenly revealed itself to him. He first stopped by the lake that he had been previously toeing, and noted the algae covered surface. Great lilies covered every inch of the pond, their flora creating a breathtaking bouquet of colors. Clearing a small segment with his hand, Marcus plunged his head under the stagnant water, slowly opening his eyes to another world that laid beneath the surface. Aquatic creatures of every possible hue swam around him, darting between the pastel clusters of coral that jutted out from the edges of the lake. The pool continued down in this fashion for roughly five or six feet before ending in a smooth bed of sand, decorated with patterns of shells and polished stones.

Marcus reluctantly drew his head above the surface and into the open air, his chest heaving and his breaths deep and greedy. Pushing his quickly drying hair out of his face, he pushed himself to his feet and began to meander through the jungle once more, warily treading over the intricate webbing of roots that littered the detritus beneath him. Lemurs now swung gleefully from vine to vine around him, some stopping briefly to observe him before leaping off once more to join the others. Taking note of this wondrous opportunity, Marcus sat on a small boulder and unclasped a small leather-bound notebook from his hip, flipping it open to a new page. He quickly sketched what he had seen under the unsuspecting surface of the pond, as well as the tree-dwelling lemurs, and jotted down page after page of notes on both of them. While he sat, he noticed various insects and reptiles crawling along the forest floor, marching along in packs led by some nonexistent drum beat. 

Lost in his writing, Marcus failed to notice the sudden shift in the atmosphere around him, for when he managed to tear himself away from his sedulous note-taking, the forest had seemed to die down around him. Lemurs that once played around his ankles now sat perched high up in trees, watching the sky from their refuge. Perplexed, Marcus too gazed skyward, straining to see anything behind the vast mesh of leaves and branches intertwined above him. Failing to notice anything, he cautiously approached a large fern that hung above a small cluster of three or four of the marsupials huddling together upon a small boulder who lazily looked up at his approach. He stretched his neck upwards once more, but this time observed a faint sound in the distance. Twisting around, he listened and noted a faint patter on the leaves around him, as if thousands of needles were being dropped simultaneously. Marcus carefully outstretched his hand- turning it palm up- only to have a large droplet of water splash in the dead center before trickling down the side, leaving a slick rivulet in its wake.

Shying away from the oncoming rainfall, Marcus retreated back under the shade of the leaves, not wanting to get his already damp clothing even more drenched. He slowly slipped his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly, watching the rain draw across his vision like a curtain across a tropical window. Marcus felt the liveliness of the forest quell into a peaceful slumber, and once again the forest seemed to breath in time with him. This time, however, the breeze that earlier breathed life into the jungle now swept it away, carrying it far beyond the furthest confines of the tropics. 

Marcus found himself absentmindedly stroking the head of one of the lemurs, resulting in a quiet purring bubbling up from the stomach of the animal. With his other hand he drew small circles on the rock below him, noting the serene yet melancholy pride the jungle held during the storm. Each drop of the deluge splashed with purpose, and soon the entirety of the jungle was slick with precipitation. He must have sat in that position for a few hours, stopping his petting very briefly- much to the lemur's dismay- to unwrap and nibble on a dry biscuit. Closing his eyes, Marcus drifted off, taking in the unseen sensations around him. His vision was lost in the vast blackness of his eyelids, yet as he opened his ears he saw more than his eyes could ever. He saw the rain falling, he saw the lemurs quietly breathing beside him, he saw the trees shifting ever so slightly in the humid breeze. He saw how alive this jungle was, even in it's tempestuous state. Suddenly Marcus understood the forest, and the sheer awe and mystery that had first enveloped the land was replaced by a sense of admiration and a friendship most peculiar.

All at once Marcus noticed a distinct lack of the patter of rain on the leaves above, and he quickly dove from his cover, landing on his feed and gazing upwards at the clear sky above. A slow grin spread across Marcus' face, and he inhaled deeply, tasting the electricity from the storm that still lingered in the atmosphere around him. Light shone down on him in abundance, warming his damp clothing and spreading a light smile across his face. A quiet whooping emitted from where he was hiding during the storm,  and Marcus gazed over his backpack to see the lemur he was petting climb out from under the fern with a deliberate caution. After the creature saw the weather had died down once more, it hooting loudly, the call echoed throughout the forest by the other denizens. Soon the jungle was in full swing once more as lemurs emerged from every safe haven they had found to escape the tempest. 

Marcus began to walk again, taking care to avoid trekking through the quagmire that had formed due to the downpour. For hours Marcus took more and more notes, collecting ample information on the occupants of the forest. Perhaps the most curious thing, Marcus noted, was a small crystalline slug that hung on the underbelly of one of the lemurs, and while Marcus assumed it was a parasite, the lemur payed it no mind; on the contrary it seemed to treat it as a companion. As Marcus scrambled to document his thoughts while they were fresh, it dawned on him that he had not once seen a single predatory creature during his sojourn here. Even the lemurs, whose kind typically helped to quell insect overpopulation, seemed to simply not require any sort of sustenance. Marcus allowed his mind to dwell on the subject of nourishment for a bit longer before realizing his own hunger, sliding his pack down once more and pulling it open. To his dismay, however, the small tin of biscuits he had brought along was now empty, the last one resting somewhere in the digestive system of one of the marsupials flying above his head. 

Scanning the treeline above him, Marcus noted several vibrant fruits, nestled safely within beds of leaves and vines far above his head. Halting his trek at the base of one of the deciduous giants, Marcus regarded a relatively low-hanging fruit dangling just above his head, begging to be noticed like the photophore of an angler fish to the unsuspecting minnow. His stomach gnashed its teeth loudly, the sight of the fruit inciting his deprived appetite. Within mere minutes Marcus had located a moderately sized boulder, and with great difficulty had rolled it underneath his soon-to-be dinner. Perched upon the tip of the stone, wobbling like a newborn foal, Marcus stretched his open hand towards the sky, grabbing in vain at the golden fruit. For a brief moment, time seemed to halt, and Marcus took in the scene around him. The sun had just begun to set, casting great rivers of violets and oranges coursing through the once bright skyline. Droplets of water slid down the fruit before plummeting to the earth below, but not before each drop caught the sunlight on its descent. The light turned the rainwater a beautiful hue, and Marcus would have sworn that the fruit was dripping with a golden amber. The scene was magnificent, yet heart-wrenching in a way, for Marcus knew that if he were to pluck the fruit from its nest, he would sate his appetite, but at the cost of disturbing this display around him.

With a great sigh, Marcus abandoned the fruit above him, and climbed off the rock, much to his stomach's protest. Throwing his discarded backpack over his shoulder, Marcus tried to find something to take his mind off of the gnawing pain from his hunger, and to his delight he found it in the sound of rushing water nearby. With curiosity replacing his growing appetite, Marcus followed the sound's direction, the roaring growing in volume with every step he took. Soon the cacophony was overwhelmingly loud, and Marcus found himself throwing caution to the wind as he began to move faster, letting the forest guide him. He nimbly leaped over tangled beds of roots sleeping on the ground, and weaved between the towering giants that loomed overhead, the wind in their leaves cheering him on with their rustling. He was a child again, and as the jungle blurred past him he couldn't help but grin widely, laughing as he saw lemurs swinging aside him as he ran towards the water. Before he knew what had transpired, the soil beneath his feel gave way to warm, sun-dried stone, and Marcus skidded to a halt. 

Marcus took a single step forward, and gazed upon the beauty of the landscape before him. He stood upon a large cliff  overlooking a valley that spanned further than his eyes could see, decorated with the same jungle topography as the land he had just traversed. The river of whose massive roaring Marcus had followed laid not fifty meters away on his left, It ran for the length of the stone cliff, about a few hundred meters or so, before dropping off the edge of the world in the largest waterfall Marcus had ever laid his eyes upon. The sun set over the valley before him, its previously violet and orange rays now a deep golden hue, making the jungle appear as a kingdom graced by Midas' touch.  

Marcus swung the pack from off his shoulder and pulled from the top a small bed roll, spreading it out a good distance away from the daunting edge of the cliff. He then walked to the river, shedding his shoes and socks, and placed his battered feet in the water. Shuddering at the vast temperature change from the cool stream, Marcus looked back at the jungle as the current swirled around his feet, pirouetting around his legs like otherworldly dancers before tumbling down the falls. With the sun setting beyond the edge of the cliff the scene would have been perfect, if not for the deep hunger that gnawed at Marcus's insides. He laid on his back, closing his eyes, and tried his hardest to ignore the sensation, or to distract himself from it, but it was persistent, and followed him through his endeavors. 

Hearing once more the calls of the lemurs, Marcus turned his head to the side to see a small cluster of them, no more than four or five, each one holding a small pile of various small fruits in their arms. One by one they slowly laid down their bounty before leaping back into the trees, joining their hooting cohorts. Scrambling over, Marcus grabbed a handful of the assorted berries in his hand and pushed them to his lips. He paused, however, when he looked back at the forest, and the forest seemed to smile back at him, as a parent would to their child. Marcus nodded a silent appreciation to the jungle and to its inhabitants before sitting up, quietly and politely eating the fruits one by one. 

Before long the sky had grown dark, and Marcus's appetite was sated. Brushing himself off, he rose and pulled his bedroll to the edge of the jungle, lying down so that his head rested against the roots of the forest. Closing his eyes, Marcus reflected at the events of the day. He thought about the lemurs, the insects, the fish, but most of all he thought about the jungle itself. Unable to sleep due his musings, Marcus rolled to and fro in an attempt to clear his tired mind. Sighing in frustration at his lack of success, he sat upright, leaning his head back to look at the darkened sky above him. From deep within the forest Marcus swore he heard small chimes, a tuneless melody that seemed to soothe his restless thoughts. The wind blew gently, rustling the leaves around him, joining the distant chimes to form a peaceful duet that caused Marcus's eyelids to flutter before carrying him peacefully off to sleep.

~~~

A humid breeze caressed Marcus's sleeping face, prompting him to stir from his repose. Before opening his eyes, Marcus allowed himself to lay there, listening to the jungle to awaken with him. He heard the first call of the lemurs, felt the first morning breeze, and felt the forest drum up a new beat to march to. Following the forest's example, Marcus got to his feet as well, rolling up his bed and stowing it away with his pack. Lemurs watched him carefully as he compiled his supplies, making sure to fill his canteen from the river. Once he was done, however, he noticed something peculiar happen. The lemurs, whose eyes were just glued to Marcus's every action, paid him no mind and instead seemed to be all travelling in one direction away parallel to him. 

Perplexed, Marcus began to follow them into the jungle, abandoning both his belongings and his studious ways at the river. The further he accompanied the lemurs deeper and deeper into the woods around him, the more layers of his academic self came off in great strides. He hooted and hollered like the marsupials who currently swung around him, joining them in a whimsical chorus that echoed throughout the jungle. The forest joined him in his song, the trees swaying in time with the rhythm. Marcus bounded and leaped, clearing fallen trees, hills, and small tributaries with ease, and with each hurtle he found himself filled with a sense of wonderment at his newfound ways. 

Without warning, however, Marcus found himself near colliding with a steep wall of stone, pockmarked with small caves in which the lemurs were diving into with abundance. Bewildered, Marcus stooped down, almost lying prone to peer into a cave not inhabited by the marsupials. The sight beyond stole his breath, and he lay there, unable to force his body to preform the most simple cognitive functions. Scrambling, he rose to his feet, desperate to find a way past the cliff that stood between him and the handful of the world that he observed through the tunnel. Not finding anything. Marcus attempted to wriggle through the passage he had looked into before, but to no avail, as he only succeeded in getting himself partially stuck at the shoulder level. 

Crying out in frustration, Marcus pulled himself out into a sitting position and leaned back, straining to see if there were any larger entrances. All but one lemur had now passed through the veil into the world beyond, and Marcus found himself envying the creatures. The single lemur that remained was small- a pup if Marcus had to guess. The pup looked at him, unsure, then looked at the wall, as if questioning Marcus's inability to enter. A strong breeze began to pick up, a breeze that seemed to tug at his very soul, egging him on, pushing him to find a way beyond the layer of stone that lay between him and the beyond. Seeing Marcus stand with revitalized vigor, the pup yelped happily before scaling the stone and into a thick fog that seemed to hang exclusively above this cliff. 

Without a moments hesitation, Marcus followed the lemur, muscles straining as he pulled himself up the wall, utilizing the passageways to his advantage. Before long, the swirling tentacles of the fog had wrapped around his ankles and wrists, desperately trying to help him up the wall. Marcus soon began to grow aware of the tremendous height he had achieved, for when he turned his head in an attempt to see his progress, all that stared back was the swirling vapors behind him. 

Although it was obscured to him, Marcus could still feel the presence of the forest, of all those that lived inside of it, of the river, and of the pond. Each had a separate voice, and for a moment Marcus heard them all clearly, as if they were climbing alongside him. They whispered in his ears, sending words of encouragement  racing to his heart. Abruptly Marcus found himself lying, curled in a tight ball, in the entrance to a large passage, with a blinding light coming from the other end. Tentatively, Marcus began to shimmy along the floor of the small cave, and with each motion the light grew brighter, warmer, and more inviting. 

As his hand grasped the end of the tunnel, Marcus closed his eyes and thanked the jungle one last time before pulling himself forward. The light wrapped itself around him, gently lowering him to the ground. The small lemur pup awaited him, chittering happily at his arrival. Marcus, however, was paralyzed at the beauty before him. A solitary tear fell to the ground as Marcus gazed upon true perfection.

Author's Note

As the title suggests, this is inspired by the emotions conveyed in this song- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBYM5IW8VYU
Criticism and feedback is very appreciated.