Author's Note: Review if you want another chapter. I do plan to continue this story. Hopefully it gets a good response or any response at all?

Alternative ending to Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. Multi-chapter fic.

~Natty.

Time Runs Out.

~M~

"It was never about the money…" Chantel DuBois started, her blood red colored lips quirking into a frown. I didn't know why though. She won anyway now.

That would be it I guess. That would be the last sentence I would hear before I died. As I watched Dubois raise the foam finger which held my fate. I never thought I'd be scared to see something meant to praise me with my name on it. I guess this is one of these things where the fame is the death of the star and it's true. I suppose if I wasn't famous then this crazy woman wouldn't have found us or taken us in. She was going to kill me then cut off my head. That's kind of disturbing but I won't waste my final moments thinking about what would happen when I would no longer be able to think.

Now I guess was the time to really think back, reflect on my life. I used my last few seconds wisely I think but let's stay in the present, or better yet I thought back to the past, way back in 2005 when we first left the zoo: Gloria, Marty, Melman, and I. Things were so different back then yet it all changed for the better. Then again…if we hadn't of left the zoo I wouldn't about to be publicly killed. I guess I have to blame the penguins on that one.

Let's get this straight right now, I don't blame the penguins one bit for what's about to happen to me. It wasn't their fault. How could they know that them leaving the zoo would cause a whole domino effect thing?

Who could have known that ANY of this was going to happen? I know my friends and I know the penguins. I know that if they even for a moment suspected that any of this would happen they would have never left the zoo. As for me I wouldn't have had the last few years any other way. I know now in my situation that would be kind of hard to believe. Yeah I know. Me, Alex, is happy everything that happened to us happened.

I'm glad we got stranded on Madagascar. I'm glad the plane crashed in Africa. I'm glad the penguins left us. I'm glad we found them again. I'm glad we went to Europe. I'm glad the plane crashed AGAIN even though the second time around it kind of hurt…

I'm glad we bought a circus and met new friends. I'm glad we met Stefano and that Vitaly hates me. I'm glad I met Gia even though she probably hates me too. I do have a thing for her. I hope now that she did like me too. I hope she and the other circus animals forgive me. I hope they forgive the others too, my friends.

My friends…

That's a whole other steak now isn't it? Marty…Gloria…Melman… Oh man I'm never going to see you guys again. On this rock, my old beloved rock, I don't want to look behind me…

"Alex…?" Marty called me, not being able to see what was happening from behind the cage fence. I was relieved he couldn't. I didn't want to live to see his reaction. Luckily I wouldn't have to.

In the last seconds I had I didn't look back to see my friends for a final time. I wanted to remember them happy and not see the horror filled faces behind those fences.

I'm going to miss them. I can't believe in that moment I'm going to lose everyone and everything. I'll miss my friends most of all out of everyone. Of course I have others to miss and give my goodbyes to. I don't have enough time, she's shaking the foam finger with the concealed weapon inside it. I can hear it clinking and I instinctively pull myself back a bit in fear.

I'll miss the penguins. I wish I could tell Skipper he wasn't as insane as I originally thought. I respect him no matter what. I only wish I could tell him that to his face. I want to apologize to the penguins for anything I've said against them. I want to live.

I'll miss the lemurs. Julien wasn't so bad to bear. I want to tell Maurice he isn't just an advising fuzz bucket. I want to live.

I'll miss the circus animals. I want to apologize for lying to them. I want to cheer up Stefano and tell Gia what she actually means to me. I want to live to ask her out. I want to be able to hear her say yes. I won't.

"…it was about…" DuBois goes on, leaning into the microphone.

What was it all about the whole time? Me? Killing me? Taking me from my life and my friends? She wanted my head on her wall.

"…the lion…" She grins and raises her hand now, turning to face me, staring me straight in the eyes. She was evil. She was insane. She was…right.

It has always been about me. Everything that has happened. My whole life it has always been about me and now life will end with me. It was done now. The story would be over. It was already over as DuBois pointed it at me.

So I thought back again to all the times and adventures I had. I recall something I learned from the penguins, from Skipper. It was ridiculous and humorous and somewhat questionable but I raised my arms the same way the penguins had back in Grand Central Station way in 2005 when we escaped. My mind returned to the beginning of it all before my ending. I was giving it up to her now, my life on the count of my friends terms, my mission on the count of the penguins' terms, my kingdom on the count of the lemurs' terms. I was at her mercy.

DuBois pulled the trigger, the dart spinning as it ripped through the air. Nothing could stop it. Nothing did as it finally hit me, its needle stabbed into my chest. The force from it blew me back and I was falling right off my rock.

Long live the king. I heard that once but I don't know what it means. I'm on my back now and the poison's already inside of me. I can actually feel it. It burnt through my veins, traveling through my body. The world is numb and so am I. My vision blurs and I think I do too from existence. There's so much I want to say and do, see for the last time, my friends, but time is a gift and I don't have any.