AN: I have noticed that this fandom doesn't have many stories. So I decided to incorporate my own contribution.
Disclaimer: I do not own AHKJ.
He screamed and hollered until his throat was raw and corse, until his voice faded into a whisper in the rapid downpour of rainwater. His paw was pressed firmly against the frequently bleeding wound, the thick dark blood spilled trickled over his fingers and dribbled onto the grass; damp and sticky from the substance. His knees were stained with the bodily fluid that continuously pooled out around him. No one heard his desperate cries.
"Clover," he whimpered softly. He held his feminine bodyguard's limp, motionless form close-her bright orange fur matted with blood. The sound of the gunshot echoed in his ears. He had been paralyzed with fear, helpless to do anything, except watch with wide eyes as Karl, his psychotic arch enemy held him at gunpoint, ready to take his life right then and there.
As the trigger was pulled and the lethal bullet fired, his life had flashed before his eyes: from the moment his mother had brought him into the world under the warm Madagascar sun, his rise to fame after transitioning from a mere prince to the acclaimed king of the lemurs, and finally his cruel demise at the hands of the vindictive Fanaloka.
However, before it could strike him down Clover leapt in front of him, and took the shot full force. It had all happened so fast; he remembered hearing her cry out as the bullet struck her, sending her plowing into the ground. He remembered screaming her name, scrambling to his feet, and rushing to her. He witnessed her motionless, crumpled body outstretched in front of him. The sight and scent of her blood sent tremors down his spine, and threatened to make him retch. He remembered Karl's demonic laughter ringing out through the air as he declared he had changed his mind, and would let him live after all. He just walked away, leaving a mortally wounded Clover behind with Julien helpless to do anything.
How he wished Maurice were here, he would know what to do. He cursed himself for being so idiotic, he wished he had listened during the session on first aid-instead he dismissed it as unimportant, claiming he did not need to know such senseless information. He had vaguely remembered Clover saying that with any wound the first thing you have to do is form a clot, and stop the bleeding. Julien hastily turned her onto her back, and clamped a paw down on her chest, grimacing from the stench and feel of blood he looked away.
Panic had begun to set in, he didn't even know if she was alive. He stole a glance back at her, frightened from her grotesque appearance. Her chest was rising and falling slowly, okay she was alive for the time being, but with a wound this serious she didn't have much time.
"Clover," he shook her shoulders. "Clover, wake up. I don't know what to do. How do I help you?" he wept as warm salty tears trailed down his cheek.
He cradled her in his arms, brushing his thumb across her soft fur, and stifling back a sob. He wished it had been him, how could she do this? She knew he wasn't intelligent enough to save her. Why had she placed her life on the line for him? he was arrogant, and selfish, and didn't always treat her the way he should have.
He looked at her face, her beautiful, fiery green eyes hidden behind orange. She cared that's why, it wasn't just her job to protect him, it was more then that. He was her friend, one of her only friends who truly understood her, and never dared judge her because of her raging paranoia, and rough exterior. When he gazed upon her he never saw a hardened figure who despised others, what he saw was someone reaching out for attention and someone she could trust, someone who had been hurt and was still picking up the pieces.
Julien tightened his grip and pressed Clover into his chest, ignoring the fact that blood was spilling down his slick glossy coat, and down his stomach. The only thing he knew he could do was keep her warm, and attempt to shield her from the weather streaming from the darkened sky that mirrored his soul. Kevin the Precipitation God was crying tears of sorrow, and despair onto the Island of Madagascar, and down his back.
Clover's eyes slowly fluttered half open. "J-Julien?"
Upon hearing her voice he quickly looked back at her, believing he was hearing things and his mind was playing tricks on him.
A small smile lit up his face upon realizing he was wrong "Clover, you're awake! I thought I lost you."
She hastily attempted to push herself into a sitting position. "W-where's Karl?...why are you...still here?...you're in...danger." She clenched her teeth, and groaned as a spasm of pain shook her body.
"I couldn't leave you. You saved my life."
Her eyes met his; usually burning with strength and determination they now shone with a desperate plea. "You have...to get out...of here...it's not safe...the fossa...could arrive...any minute!" Her breath quickened, and she began to hyperventilate fear plagued her mind. The action caused her to moan and flop back down on the ground as her chest tightened as a result.
"Clover," his smile dispersed and was replaced with concern. "You're hurting yourself, how do I help you?"
She flicked from his eyes down to her bullet wound; Julien's paw still lay tightly against it. "You...remembered...what I taught...you," she formed a pained smile "I'm...impressed."
"I couldn't let you bleed out" he mumbled quietly, brushing away the tears that had formed in the corners of his corneas.
She raised a trembling paw and slightly moved his to examine the damage. A hole had been torn clean through her flesh; she couldn't see the bullet, indicating it had went in deep with the possibility of puncturing one of her organs.
Clover knew she couldn't tell Julien, she didn't want him to panic and blame himself-which is what he would most likely do. She placed his paw back on her chest "you...did good...your Majesty."
"A-re you going to survive?" Julien stuttered, fear clenching his chest as he anticipated her answer.
She offered a small smile, "I'll...be fine" she lied. "We need...something...to patch...it up...with." She turned towards the shrubs bordering them, "go get...some leaves."
"I can't leave you," Julien responded with a shake of his head.
"I'll...be fine," she slipped his paw away, and replaced it with one of her own.
He glanced back at her reluctantly, after receiving an reassuring nod he stood up.
"Stay awake, okay?"
She nodded again, and he scurried into the shrubs.
Clover turned her attention towards the blackened sky, she tried to slow her rapid breathing and let out short quick breathes. Her face twisted in sickly grimace each time a breath left her body. It felt like a weight had been pressed down on her chest and was suffocating her, stealing each painstaking breath away. She pressed both paws to her chest, and desperately clawed at it in a hopeless attempt to rid herself of the horrid feeling.
So this is what dying felt like. Being a lemur herself she had her experiences with the reaper; members of her kind were constantly killed off by the offending foosa. On the occasion that she did find herself in the jaws of the beast she prepared herself for her undoing. She had said that she didn't want any surprises, every time she stepped foot outside she braced herself with the knowledge that it would be her last hour. Never in her paranoid induced fantasies had she ever come close to this feeling.
Her eyes fell on her midsection now splattered and smeared with blood, she never knew she had so much in her. The reddened fluid had stained the white fur across her chest. There was no possible way she could get back to the village before bleeding out completely. She was just glad that the ring-tailed King hadn't suffered the same fate; she knew he wouldn't be able to handle the pain, and all of the blood and dizziness from lack of blood.
Julien reemerged from the bushes cradling a handful of leaves. He rushed back to Clover's side and pressed them against her chest, struggling to remain calm on the outside when on the inside he was panicking.
"Clover," he spoke trying to maintain conversation. "You didn't have to take the fall, it was me that Karl wanted."
"I couldn't...let him...kill you...your Majesty" she breathed. "The Kingdom...needs you...I'm...expendable."
"That's not true," Julien contradicted, clearly not knowing the definition of the word, but knowing it was negative. He couldn't stand to see hear talking negatively about herself.
She looked up into his eyes through her sunken eyelids. "Julien...you're the greatest...thing to ever...happen to...the Kingdom...they need you...they don't need me."
"But you're my bodyguard," he responded, his voice cracking.
"Bodyguards...come and go...there's only...one great King...and that's...you."
"There's only one great bodyguard," he sniffled. "You're dying, aren't you?"
She weakly nodded, unable to hold back the cold, harsh reality.
"I'm sorry...Julien."
"No, you can't" he whimpered, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. "This is all my fault, if only I hadn't become King then none of this would have happened."
"That's...not true...it was just...my time."
"You're right, it's Karl's fault!. I'll make him pay and vengeance will be mine!" he sneered, pumping his fist through the air.
She placed a paw over his. "Your Majesty...you're a big boy...now you can take...care of yourself...just remember...what I taught...you."
He adverted his gaze back towards her, and nodded tearfully. "A-are you sure I can't save you?"
Clover returned the gesture sadly. "I can't even save myself"
He flung his arms around her neck, and held her close. "Thank you for always looking out for me, and making sure I didn't kill myself."
She offered a pained smile. "You'll...be fine, Maurice...and Mort will...keep you...in line."
"What do I tell them?"
"The truth...don't sugarcoat it...except for...Mort. And...Julien?"
"Yes, Clover?"
"Stay...out of...my journal."
He nodded with a sad smile tugging at his lips. "I will, Clover."
She nodded in satisfaction and slowly closed her eyes, gulping in her last breath of air before she became still and cold to the touch.
Tears drizzled down his cheeks as he pressed her tightly against his chest. "Goodbye, Clover...I love you."
As he gazed at her lifeless form for the first time the boisterous hard partying ring-tailed King felt truly alone.