Many years ago, in the state of New York, Alex the cub was sitting on his platform looking out to the Central Park Zoo. He had been living in the zoo for three months and he was getting use to his surroundings. He has three good neighbors and a wonderful audience. He loved having the spot light of the zoo; but, that was before someone came for a visit. It began when Commissioner Pervis McSlade came to see little Alex. He was with Commissioner Mike Brown of the Bronx Zoo.

"Yes our little Alex is the star of my zoo. What do you think?"

"You think he can do a few dance moves?"

Pervis snapped his fingers and a zoo keeper came to his side. "Can you make little Alex do a few dance moves?"

"Yes sir." Zoo keeper Alice went to the lion habitat and whistled. "Come Alex, it's time for a show."

Alex stands up and began to do incredible stunts and Mike was impressed. "I think that he's fantastic. You saw Marina, so what would happen if these two cubs were to dance together?"

"We'd be rich! First, we gotta see if it'll work out between the two. You can bring Marina to here for a week and then we can see if it'll work out."

"Okay. We'll get ready for the visit."

The commissioners left Alex and he jumps to his new friends. "Hey guys, I overheard that there is gonna be a new lion cub coming to visit from another zoo."

Marty lifts his head from eating his head. "Are you sure that you didn't mishear them?"

"No, I'm sure. Another cub is going to come and she is a performer just like me."

Gloria pops out of the water. "Ooo. Alex is getting a girlfriend."

Melman pops his head out from the wall. "Is is getting a girlfriend?"

"What? Of course not." Alex hops his stage. "Just because we can dance doesn't mean she's my girlfriend. Gross, girls have cooties.

"Hey!"

"Just saying what needs to be heard. I probably won't even like her."

The next day, a crate came to Alex's habitat and he jump on the crate. He knocks on the crate and then a knock was answered. Alex tries to open the crate with his claws; tries to pull it open, even kicks it, but it just wouldn't open. A laugh was heard from the box and he decides to push the box over. Then suddenly, the box instantly opened.

Alex looks inside to see a pair of green eyes. "Hello, who are you?"

The pair of green eyes came out to reveal a lion cub just him only female. "I'm Marina, and who are you?"

"I'm Alex." The cubs look at each other then walked around each other. "So I overheard that you can dance."

"And back at the Bronx zoo, I heard that you can dance." They laughed then hopped on the stage and began to dance fight. People began to gather around to the two lion cubs. Marina instantly notices. "Hey we're attracting a crowd. Let's kick it up a notch." They began to dance together. Everyone was cheering for them. The three other friends were watching the lion cubs perform on stage.

Marty shook his head. "I should have known that lioness was a show off."

Gloria gave Marty jealousy look then back at Marina and Alex. "They look so cute together."

"I reckon that they wouldn't last even a week together."

Melman looks at Marty. "I have to agree on Gloria on this one. They do look kinda cute together."

Alex and Marina tried their best work together but sometimes they fall off the stage. But they grabbed the other cub before they fall to the ground. When it was night time, dinner was served. A steak was tossed in the middle and Alex and Marina fought for it. They ended up breaking the steak in half and flew across with steak juice in their face.

Marina wipes her face and crosses her arms. "That wasn't such a good idea."

"I know, but it is tasty." Alex starts to lick himself.

"Oh Alex. Clearly you have learned the term hair conditioner."

"Hair conditioner?"

"It makes my fur so shiny and clean and it makes me a hit back in Bronx. I bet if you take a bath every two to three days, you'll be so shiny that people would be so thrilled to see you perform."

"Are you saying that I stink in both kinds of ways?"

"No, no, no. But I am saying that you should think about it. You want a lot of fans, don't you?"

"Well… yeah. You know since we're giving advice, please stop taking big steps, that rock won't hold us if we take big steps."

"Okay."

"Good."

"Then we have to go to Bronx. There's lots of room there."

"What? Me leave the zoo?"

"Come on Alex, you and I will be stars with a bigger stage."

Alex starts to think for a while. "If it doesn't work here, then I'll be able to try."

"Fantastic. First, we have to show that we're gonna get along. We play around, chase our tails and of course, dance together. Once they see that we're getting along, and that the stage is too small for us, they'll take you to the Bronx zoo and then we can rehears over there and we'll become the best dancers in the world. People would come from all over the world just to see us perform."

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"It's a life of a performer. Someday, you'll get this feeling suck in your head for a life time."

"Nah, you'll never catch me like that."

Marina shook her head with disbelief. "Well we better get to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." Marina and Alex sat in the rick bed. It was too cold for them. Then Marina saw something above them then clapped her hands twice. Then a heater above them turned on. Marina sighs and puts her back against Alex's. "That's much better. Good night Alex."

Alex lifts his head and stares at Marina. "Good night Marina." He's feeling a connection but he doesn't know what it is. He sighs and then falls asleep.

The next day, Alex and Marina began to practice in front of the commissioners. They saw how small the stage was and they decided to try somewhere else. Alex and Marina were sent to the Bronx zoo that day. Alex and Marina left the crate and into the lion habitat in the zoo, Alex hid behind Marina.

"What's wrong?"

"This place is filled with trees."

"I don't know how long you've lived in the city, but ever lion knows that they've been in this kind of place."

"I haven't." Marina rolls her eyes and walks forward. Alex follows her. "So um… is place all yours?"

"Well no, there're more of us here. They're probably playing or messing around like always." Then Marina stopped in an instant then gasps. "Look out!" She pounces on Alex and another came out of nowhere and just missed them.

"What was that?"

"That was are cue to run. So run!" They ran as fast as they could to run. "Quickly, follow me. They hurried on a plat form and the lion stopped. "Sorry about him, he's a real pain in the butt. I should have warned you."

"Why won't he cross?"

"It's because only performers are allowed over here. So what do you think?"

Alex looks around the stage and saw lots of things. "Oh Marina, it's even bigger than my stage." He notices a trumpet on the ground. "Is this yours?"

"Yeah I play a little." Marina grabs it and began to play the trumpet. Alex claps once she was done. "Thank you very much."

Alex holds out his paw. "So do you wanna dance?"

"Sure." They were about to dance… "Oh one more thing… Yo DJ!" Then a monkey on a record player woke up. "Let's pump the party!"

"You got it Marina!" DJ began to spin some music. Alex and Marina began to hip hop dance to the music. Everyone gathered to watch the two cubs dance to the song. Even the commissioners began to watch them.

Then it hit Pervis. "I got an idea that will go through the roof for our dear little cubs."

"What is it?"

"Every month, Alex comes here to rehears with Marina. Then in four to five days, the cubs come to central park and perform in front everyone in New York City."

"I love it!"

Marina was staring at them while she was dancing. "You hear that Alex, this is sounding like the beginning of a wonderful partnership."

"I hear you." Alex spun her around they both jumped in the air to use their paws to make a butterfly with their paws.

A few days later, Alex and Marina were dancing on a stage in the middle of sheep meadows. Everyone cheers for the partnership of the two cubs. Alex and Marina were even on television. Marty, Melman and Gloria were watching them through one.

Marty was surprised by them. "Wow. I never knew he would make it this far."

Gloria nudged him. "Like I told you, they look cute together."

"I wish I had a partnership like those two had." Melman coughed after that.

"Don't worry Melman. Knowing Alex for a while, they won't last longer than a week."

5 years and 11 months later in other words Valentine's Day

Alex and Marina were now full grown adults and were doing dancing stunts to the music. They smiled at each other as they do their fantastic stunts. Marina and Alex even did music together. While Marina played the trumpet, Alex did the ukulele. Once they were done, the people from every corner of Sheep meadows were cheering for them.

"The king and queen of New York City! Alex the lion and Marina the lioness!"

Alex and Marina take their bows onto the people. Marty Melman and Gloria were cheering for them back at the zoo.

"I can't believe that it's been almost six years since those two became partners." Marty drinks through a straw.

"Well they do share one thing, the audience." Melman agreed with Marty. "You think those two will end up being together for the rest of their lives?"

"They can only hope, Melman. But I can tell that Alex really wants it. He always talks about her when it's the week of his departure from the zoo to rehears in the Bronx zoo." Gloria looks at them. "Yeah I bet that the commissioners would come to their senses to let them stay together."

The car to take Marina home broke down so Marina would stay with Alex for the night. The people the blow-dry Alex's main while they brush Marina's fur. Then two steaks were put in front of them. Alex and Marina stopped their groomers and got to eating. The groomers left to leave the lions alone.

Marina lifts last of her steak. "To the King of New York City and the wonderful partnership between us."

"And to the Queen of New York City and the most beautiful lioness I've ever met."

"Oh Alex. You're just saying that."

"I'm serious. I've met the lionesses back at your zoo and no one can compare to you and your passion."

"Alex, you have such a way with words."

"Yeah." They lift their last of their steaks and then eat them. Alex notices the sad expression on Marina's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Alex, I've noticed that there is a big connection between us and I'm afraid that something is coming to break it apart. Next month is our six year anniversary and today is Valentine's Day. But yet there is this feeling that we would be separated."

Alex goes up to her and helps her up. "Nothing will separate us. Other than seeing each other four days a month will break our partnership."

"That's one of the things that I don't like. Seeing you only for four days a month is not enough for me. We may be only about 10 miles apart but I feel like we're 10 thousand miles apart. Alex, what will we do?"

"We can only hope Marina. Maybe someday, they'll make a habitat just for you and me."

"With a big stage and enough space around us for thousands of people to see."

"Wow that would be amazing."

Marina laughs and hugs him. "Oh Alex."

Alex hugs her back. "Don't worry about a thing, we'll think of something."

Marina saw that they had an audience. "Um Alex? Your friends are staring at us."

Alex looks at them and they had sly faces on them. "Um… this… isn't what it looks like?"

Marty shook his head. "Alex, we heard the whole thing."

"Oh Marty, I almost forgot." Marina got a present out for Marty. "Happy one week early birthday." She puts the present in front of Marty.

Marty opens the box to reveal grass. "No way, Norwegian grass? How did you know that was my favorite grass?"

"Alex talks about his best friend most of the time. So I asked my friends from next door to give me grass from next door."

"Well, we better get some sleep." Alex jumped down to his bedrock.

Marina joins him. "Well Alex pretty soon, you and I are gonna be big stars together on the same stage for the rest of our lives. But we're not gonna have that camera around us." Lies down next to him. "Imagine it, a huge stage with fantastic equipment, space that would fill thousands of people. People all over the world would come to see us. Wouldn't that be amazing?"

Alex smiles at her. "Yes it would. Marina, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You showed me how to be a better performer. How to be a better performer, how to make my mane shiny and how to be more passionate. Marina… I don't know what I'd do without you."

Marina smiles and kisses his forehead. "Good night Alex."

"Good night Marina." Alex his head down and Marina put her head on his.

The commissioners were watching them through the Alex-cam. "Well Mike, we might not be able to understand them, but they do deserve to be together like this."

"Let's a surprise for them next month on their anniversary."

The next day, Marina stands in front Alex and looks back at the crate behind her. Then she looks at Alex. "Well Alex, I'll see you next month."

"Yeah. Right back at you." Alex wipes a tear from his eye. Marina hugs him and he hugs her back. "I don't know why, but this feels like the last time we'll ever see each other again."

Marina rubs her head against Alex's. "Follow your own advice Alex, everything will be okay. Even if this is the last time we see each other, let's promise to let the passion for performing and in between us to never end."

"Our passion will live on forever." They let go and paws slowly slip away. Marina looks at Alex one last time before she went in the crate. She smiles at him and blows a kiss at him. He pretends to catch it and put it close to his heart. Marina gets in the crate and they close it. The crate was loaded on the truck and instantly on the road. Then the crate was out of sight, Alex began to dance and lands on the stage. "This is officially the best Valentine's Day and a half ever! I can't wait for next month!"

Marty walks to the wall. "Well I can't wait till next week. Next week is when I turn 10 years old."

Well guys what do you think? This doesn't involve any of my other option stories, but it's been stuck in my head for weeks.