A/N, Hello readers, another installment of mine in the penguin sector! I'm glad to have had so many viewers in the past and if you are reading this then that only proves your loyalty. I know I keep going on with the Julian Marlene thing but for me they just work together while many of you may see them with others, I cannot stray away.

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Leaning back in a bamboo sun chair, the king of lemurs slumped in exuastion after attempting to teach the ever slow minded but blind praiseing mouse lemur Mort a certain new dance that required much endurance. Mort and his second in charge Maurice laid out on the stone floor, barely awake next to their acrobatic king, unable to speak their daily praise any much longer.

Julian cracked his neck to the side and gave a large stretch in his back and arms as he drew in a breath of air, recoiling instantly at the stench that followed.

"Dear Sky Spirits that can't be me." Another whiff to possibly exclude himself from the odor.

Nope, definetly him. Ugh the heat always did this to him, his fur never set very well when the temperature went up, lemur sweat provided the king with a choking sensation almost.

Rolling his eyes at having to get up, he looked at both his subjects as they rested and then headed over to his royal waterway that surrounded the perimeter of the lemur habitat. Julian laid his eve important crown down with a gentle touch before slipping himself into the cool water.

"Ieek!" He screeched for a sec as he dropped into the unsuspecting chilled water. Shaking for a moment he settled himself slowly lower and lower, each step a cautious one. Finally submerging his head he ran his dark paws over his face and over his head, the water felt so refreshing and contrary to the relentless weather. Rubbing the Dial soap he'd confiscated while in the hospital during his illness, he scrubbed himself vigorously as he worked the stench away. Stabbing the soap with a nearby fork, he rubbed his furry back and neck before dropping into the depths once again to rinse off. Rising out of the water, the lemur king shook himself rapidly to relinquish the dry feeling in his coat. While drying off his head with a torn piece of rag, he noticed the otter Marlene preparing for a dive into her own pool. He watched her quietly as she dove in headfirst, a nice splash following her actions. Julian walked over as he cleaned out his large ears to watch her swim around a bit. She noticed him leaning over her habitat and waved.

"Hello nieghbor" He replied to the backstroking otter. He stood there for a moment, resting against the wall, dazing off into thought.

why haven't I moved back to my royal throne? Why am I just staring at the silly otter?

Julian snapped back into reality a moment later and headed back for his kingdom. He adorned his crown once more and sought to maybe take it easy the rest of the day, refusing to allow his royal pits to reek the foulness again.

The sun began to decend behind the tall sky scrapers and flashing lights, letting the zoo filter itself in a nice orange and pink light.

Julian awoke from his nap to find his other two companions still sleeping steadily, feeling like getting out of the way for a minute he decided the most polite thing would be to visit the penguins. He knew it drove the leader Skipper crazy when he'd show up out of nowhere. It wasn't that he liked putting people to their wits end, he just figured it was his way of loosening up the group, he hated tension and everytime he entered, tension is what he felt.

Upon entry, the lemur looked around, the room seemed to be...empty?

Where are all my silly flightless bird subjects?

He headed deeper into the headquarters of the manic birds, possibly hoping to "sample" some more of their delicous cake they always seemed to have. He walked a few more feet forward as his shin grazed some kind of tight string.

"THWAM!"

Julian soon found himself in another milkcrate/prison cell. Ugh he hated being captured, back in his homeland of Madagascar, the Foosa always planted traps many his friends had fallen victim to over the years. Being alone was also just as agonizing because there was noone to comfort him, he was left with only his assumptions and rather morbid imagination when it came to these kind of scenarios. Its aura of doom and hopelessness crawled up his spine, its icey touch beginning to get to him.

He couldn't let this go to his head, he had to remain calm, as a king would.

"PLEASE OH PLEASE SKY SPIRITS GET ME OUT OF THIS CONFONDED BOX OF DOOM! PLEASE ANYONE!!!!!" He screeched, madly clawing at the crate's plastic walls, he'd forgotten how badly his clastrophobia truly was, wether the crate was see through or not. Of all the places he would have to end up caged it was the soundproof HQ of the flightless birds. He pried and raked at the fence walls until blood began dripping from his finger tips. It didn't matter, the pain was in the back of his mind as all he wanted in that moment was to be out and free again. Finally succoming to the effects of his fear of tight places, the lemur grew dizzy and fell to the floor of the crate, unaware and vunerable, if the foosa had planned this from the start, they had earned their kingly dinner.

A hatch opened from the side wall, all four members of the penguin habitat stepped inside their home. Skipper was the first to speak.

"Men, we have got to find a more evasive manuver around Alice, she almost caught Rico raiding her purse!" He pointed to the psychotic scarred bird who danced with credit cards and lip gloss. Applying some to his beak, he looked at the team and laughed hysterically.

Skipper, "Rico hide those keepsakes, and enough with the lip gloss already, a penguin's beak should NEVER be that shiny!" He and Kowalski headed over to the fridge for a fishy refreshment, Private looked over toward the south corner of their home, noticing certain trap had gone off. Heading over to inspect, he came upon the still form of Julian, his body laying in the fetal position, the lemur's paws slowly dripping out fresh crimson blood, his toungue hanging slightly out of his ajar mouth, both eyes closed by black eyelids.

"Skippa! Julian's dead!" Private yelped, the rest of the team gathered quicklky around Private.

"Rico get the crate off him man, now now now!!" Skipper ordered, the crazy bird took hold of the crate and flipped it over on its side as Kowalski leaned in next to the lemur. Putting a home made stethiscope to julian's chest, he listened closely.

"It would appear he is merely unconcious Private." The brains of the operation said to his younger colleege, standing up again. Skipper examined the drying blood upon the sides of the milk crate, something have driven that ringtail mad to excape if he'd drawn blood in the process.

Private walked over and patted Julian's cheek softly to wake him up. The lemur stirred and then opened his eyes to find the team of four birds staring at him.

"AAUUGGHH!!!!" Julian screeched immediatly, not expecting four penguins to be circled around him, he streaked back into the wall. Wincing slightly as his hands made contact with the walls, he pulled them infront of his eyes to see why they ached so dearly.

"Julian, are you okay?" Private asked, the young flightless bird's voice found itself a way inside the ears of the ringtailed mammal. He relaxed his muscles and took his hands from his face and stopped shaking.

"Oh, hello neighbors...eh..why are my royal hands hurting so much?." the ringtail said, easing himself down against the wall, resting his crown adorning head against the cold brick as he continued looking at his paws. Skipper stepped up to the lemur, offering a fin to help him up, a look of stern seriousness that never seemed to truly leave the boss's face, rather simply fading and rising with intensity at times. Julian took the fin and jumped back to his feet.

"Alright Ringtail, why are you here, or do we even need to ask, wait, we always have to...Kowalski, do we?" The clipboard holding round headed one looked to his superior and nodded.

"*Sigh* Fine your king was helping himself to your delicious snacks, are you happy?" He asked in a snobbish tone. Skipper rolled his eyes.

"Why am I not suprised, well at least now you know better, Rico, tape up the lemur's paws will you?" The known psychotic of the group nodded and came next to Julian's side holding medical tape. Kowalski refused to allow him to vomit it up as to have no contamination in the wounds. King Julian watched the mute bird work silently as he held out his paws to make it easy and quick for the bird to work. Rico ocasionally looked up at the lemur's face, Julian noted to himself, while he'd never really noticed very much before, the crazed bird had a very thoughful look to himself, even though he never was one to speak his mind.

After the bird finished the job, he nodded to Julian and then headed back over next to Skipper. Holding on to his tail in his right paw, Julian left through the front door, thoughts flowing through his head that had struck him during his unconcious state. These, visons, of him..and...and Marlene. Her wild form carried him along like a ragdoll, leaving him to only cry out for help, while secretly enjoying every minute of it. He'd never felt so chosen, so cared for. Her primal side was indeed a bit of a turnoff to the usual male, but something about the manic blaze in her eyes that day tickled him inside, he knew his royal kinglyness was not to be falling for someone in her condition, but the sheer out of the box feel she provided him with her inner beast was fantastic.

Then

When they had brought her back, and she turned back to normal, he'd given her a green light to courting. She had returned his offer with a look of repulsion and words to match. It felt as though, had they been alone, she may have reacted in a different way, as if the penguins kept her from being completly honest. He exite the HQ and stared once again at the otter's habitat. Night had fallen, the streetlamps illuminate the way for him as he tip toed over to Marlene's home and sat upon the fence's bricks. Marlene was heading inside when she caught sight of him sitting above her on the wall, his eyes focused on...her?

why is he staring at me? What's he even doing here?

She walked up to him, feeling his yellowish orbs upon her as she approached.

"Hey...there Julian, what uh...whats up?" He did not reply but merely slide down to be face to face with her. Looking deep into her eyes, he moved closer

and closer...

Marlene knew not what do at the moment as the lemur moved in on her. Suddenly he stopped in his advance and looked at her.

Why is she looking at me like that? Whats wrong?

Julian retracted his body to a straight posture as he studied the otter in silence. She didn't look very comfortable with him being that close.

She isn't interested...

"Julian?" Marlene called his name, the ringtail looked back at her and then took a few shy steps away. She tilted her head at this and then looked down at his hurt paws.

"Oh my gosh what happened to your hands?" This shocked statement pulled the lemur out of his daze.

"I um..I its nothing I fell.."

"You fell?" Julian hesitated, he knew it was a stupid and bad attempt at a lie, not to mention his first every lie to the otter. Shame filled his insides even more as he glanced back at his to hurt paws. Feeling the overwhelming sensation of clastrophobia again although he was in a wide open space, the lemur knew he had to get out of there now. Without saying a word he left the otter standing confused and slightly bothered by how her ringtailed neighbor was acting around her. She took a few steps toward Julian to possibly calm his obviously troubled mind.

But the ringtailed king jumped from the habitat, onto the wall and over to his own kingom. He needed one thing right now, he needed to be alone. Marlene watched him leave hastily and torn up inside, she herself now felt something she had never truly for the lemur king,

worry.

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Julian raced to his home, using all four paws to get him there faster. Oh god how he'd humiliated himself infront of the last peerson he'd wanted to, why her, why had he even tried to bring himself to the otter's heart. It as foolish for him to have gone there, he couldn't make that mistake again. It was the last thing he needed was for his locked and secured heart to he in such agony as it was now. Back in Madagascar, back in his home, he'd felt similar feelings, but never quite as strong as found with the otter.

Shaking his head in loss of what to do, he climbed into his bouncy, finding Mort and Maurice already asleep next to eachother. He looked at both of his loyal subjects and found a wave of unexpected guilt hitting him. He didn't deserve them, he treated them so unfairly as they did everything he asked each and everyday, no complaints and no mistakes unless his selfish mind found reason to say so. Julian Rubbed his eyes with his bandaged paws and laid down beside the two smaller lemurs and shut his black eyelids to try and sleep off this torment.

Looking over at the tower clock,, the hands rested at 2am. Julian smacked his head back against the bounce floor, putting both paws to his face in frustation. He couldn't even get away from the otter in his dreams, the one place he'd thought to have been able to escape anything. That blasted mammel was starting to drive him crazy!

"UGH Sky Spirits why me? Why am I stuck with these horrible feelings of, wanting but not moving onable feelings. I feel like I'm stuck in de sticky glue!" He said to the sky, never getting a verbal reply whenever he conversed with those above, unless if was someone around who'd listened to his plea and mocked it. Marlene peeked up over the floor of the bouncy to see the two smaller lemurs passed out and the crowned one laying on his back, staring up into the starry night sky.

"Sky Gods WHY! I was fine not feeling for her, everything was perfect when I wasn't feeling like so....needing!" He said to himself, unknowing that the very one he spoke of was listening.

"And know I've acted weird in front of her, so now she prolly thinks, "Oh King Julian, the guy who runs away in the middle of talking!" Angerly hissing that last part out, every time the very thought of it came back, he couldn't do much else but turn red from embarrassment. Marlene mentally nodded at that last statment

well, he was kind of already there anyway...who else dances till midnight?

She popped her head back over to see him sitting up, looking into his crown in his paws. With an irritated thrust, he sent it across the bouncy and outside, kicking himself inside for doing that. The otter snuck over and grabbed it before it fell into the water and got wet. Taking a deep breath, she made herself visable and walked up to the king. He heard her approaching him and froze in a tight ball, unable to look at her or show himself. Wishing he could merely dissapear and hide for as long as it took for him to feel safe again, he held himself, his tail wrapped around him like a firm rope. She held the crown in her paws for a moment and then spoke, breaking the silence between the two of them.

"Hey...um..u...U dropped this." He didn't move but lift one eye and turn it to her direction and then shut it again softly, still trying the best he could to merely dissolve into thin air. Marlene raised a brow and walked over to the poorly hidden lemur and sat next to him.

"Julian, are you okay? Whats going on with you." She asked, wanting more than anything at the moment just for him to reply, she reached out and put her paw on his knee. The eye opened again and looked at her before having the other follow suit as he uncovered his face from his arms. He held and expression on his face that felt beaten and exausted. Getting himself to look into her eyes once more he spoke.

"I'm...not okay...eh you probobly already knew dat." he said, letting his gaze fall to the bounce castle floor. Marlene nodded

"Well, whats going on with you? Please Julian, just talk to me." She spoke with a tone of pleading in her voice. Julian looked back up at her and sighed.

"Silly Otter, why is it me, king of things who is still...falling for you." It took every bit of strength to force those last words out of his throat. Marelene turned to reply when he continued on.

" I mean, I'm never hung up on stuff, but I can't get you out of my head...I don't like it. You already told me no and that wasn't fun...but why can't I push you out of my thoughts at least?" He said, raising both hurt paws as he made eye contact with her. She was dumbfounded by all this, this greedy self loving crazed king was head over heels for her? While the idea truly at first disturbed her...it wasn't really like Julian to every actually be falling for anyone. She hadn't known him back on his island Madagascar, she'd always assumed he'd been fine in the girl department but perhaps she'd been wrong.

"Okay so you...really like me." He looked at her with an expression that pretty much made her want to hit herself.

"Alright stupid thing to say...well do you know why or ya know what made you feel like this in the first place, ussually we don't talk all that often really."

Julian leaned back a minute to think, glancing back at her he responded.

"Well okay the penguins tol me you don't remember anything when you left the zoo, but when you were all CRAZY and stuff, you were really...attracted to me." He said, recalling the events of that day. Marlene had spoken with the team of flightless birds about what happened, they apparently weren't lying as she'd...hoped.

"So...you liked me because I was trying to be flirty with you at some point?" He nodded

"Flirty is understating but whatevea okay." He muttered.

Marlene took the lemur's hurt paw, he winced slightly as she held it and spoke to him.

"Julian, I can't speak for myself and for what I might have or might not have done. All I know is, I need to truly know when I feel THAT way for someone you know? It has to be obvious for me...when I'm me and not the person you apparently saw that day. I'm sorry if I led you on and I just want you to know I don't....I don't want to say it would be impossible for you and me to work out, but for now I have to still say no okay?" She looked to him for a response. His eyes weren't on her for the moment, they rested on the view of the sky, the bright twinkling of the stars reflecting in his large eyes.

"*Sigh* Otter I know now that it wouldn't work out. I guess I just needed to get out that urge to tell someone about it. I'll be okay." Marelene smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Well look if you need to talk with me again sometime just say the word okay? I need to get going but let's hang out tommorow okay?" He nodded and waved to her as she headed off to her habitat. Taking in a breath, he had to admit, he'd felt alot better knowing he was not seen as a complete fool by her and at least she'd been honest right? Julian stretched his limbs and curled up on the bouncy next to Maurice and Mort and shut his eyes to try getting some sleep one more time.

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A/N, Wellthis took a minute to get done with merely cuz I was havin writer's block and also getting alot done outside in the big bad world. Review if you may please and I hope you enjoyed it, sorry the ending was a bit short, I got tired of this admittingly, I hate it when I can't make them workout together! lol