Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction based on the Madagascar movie; it was done for fun and personal enjoyment, not for profit or compensation of any kind. I do not own Madagascar or its characters; they are the property of the talented folks at DreamWorks Animation SKG, their creators. No infringement of the owner's rights is intended. The actions of the characters in this storyline do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the original creators.
Updates: Expect new chapter updates approximately once each month. This is a minimum, it may be more frequent than that depending on my available time to write.
Timeframe and Setting Intro: This story begins several days after the point at which the original movie ended. The huge powerless cargo ship rests beached on the shore, and the animals remain stranded for the present.
It was about 10:00 a.m. on the island of Madagascar and the sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky, warming the ocean water and making the beach sand almost too hot to walk on. Gloria the hippo and Melman the giraffe were staying cool in the shade under Marty's hut. The two of them had been watching the clouds drift by, and Gloria was now studying a passing cumulus cloud which looked a lot like a lion's face and mane, reminding her of Alex. Marty the zebra had temporarily left their company to go looking for his absent lion friend, in hopes he might be able to cheer him up. Gloria broke away from her trance in the clouds and turned to face Melman.
"I saw that cloud you were looking at," Melman said. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
"You're pretty observant, Melman," she replied. "Maybe I should go check on Marty; he's been gone for a while now."
"He's probably finally having a good long talk with Alex," Melman suggested.
"I'd like a word or two with that cranky lion myself," she shot back. "He's been ignoring us for days now. Marty is so upset."
"Well, you know how we had Alex so hyped up about sailing home, and then it didn't happen. We all but promised him. We were all disappointed, but you know how upset he was-"
"Yeah, I know, but it's getting ridiculous," said Gloria emphatically. "He's hurting his best friend, not to mention us. I'm tired of seeing Marty so sad. Alex never behaved like this at the zoo!"
"We're not at the zoo anymore," Melman added.
"No, we're not," agreed Gloria, standing up. "I better go check to see if Marty's all right. This island isn't the safest place, you know." Gloria stepped out of the shade and hopped and danced across the hot sand, until she got to the edge of the forest. She looked back and waved goodbye to Melman, then turned and headed down the jungle trail she had seen Marty take.
Alex the lion knew he was being selfish with his isolationism, but didn't care at the moment. "So what?" he said outloud. He was mopey and irritable, quite beside himself. The past week had been a rollercoaster of events for him and his friends, including misunderstandings, rejection, fighting, dealing with wild instincts, and life and death struggles. Then the final blow: the cargo ship, which was his grand ticket of hope of returning to New York City, did not have fuel to make the promised voyage. This piece of vital but depressing information was discovered, of all times, just before attempting to launch. So now that plan was buried in the litter box.
Prior to this last letdown, he had reluctantly considered the possibility of accepting his new life in the wild on Madagascar, perhaps finding a new purpose in looking out for his friends' safety. Thanks to the penguins, who were experienced fisherman by nature, he now had food to eat- it wasn't steak, but it was real meat, and quite tasty. Alex didn't like the water or the sand, but couldn't bring himself to say he hated the island, as it really was a tropical paradise. And running wild in the open expanses of grassy fields did indeed satisy inner cravings he was just beginning to discover. But then, thoughts of the zoo came back and he couldn't think about anything else.
Upon their initial arrival on the island, Alex had been very angry at Marty the zebra, who was his best friend, for getting them all kicked out of the zoo. In fact, he had been ready to beat the crap out of him over it. "You ruined me, Marty!! You bit the hand!!" he had yelled. But that is a story in itself. Although he had since 'made up' with his zebra friend, a melancholy mood now settled over him whenever he thought back on his wonderful life at the Central Park Zoo. And that was the direction his mind was taking today.
He missed the luxurious electric sunlamp just above his bed. He missed the daily, delicious meals of steak catered to him, which he might never taste again. He missed all the fuss and tender loving care his groomers gave him. But above all, he missed the admiration that was once his- admiration from people, who were the ones in charge of everything running this world. Even in this age of fantastic entertainment technology- high definition home theater systems, computers, and video games- the live animal world was still found fascinating by the people. He was a big shot, the King of Central Park Zoo, and was respected and treated as such by all, both man and fellow beast.
Daily, Alex the lion had put on an enthusiastic show at the zoo, with lots of hoopla to accompany him- and it wasn't really a circus act, as he was the ringmaster here. The park visitors loved him. In fact, he didn't even have to do much to get their attention- if he just stood there he was adored. Alex was good looking and he knew it, and was very proud of himself. He loved the exhilaration of showing off and getting such positive reactions from the crowd. On a regular basis he made money for the zoo, which sold a variety of merchandise with the lion's trademark on it. He was a success story in a win-win living situation; his needs were relatively simple and well provided for, and the zoo profited.
But, all that was now in the past, and not by his own choice. Alex had never wanted to leave. He knew his fans probably missed him. He certainly missed them, and wondered what misinterpreted explanations the media had told them about his transfer.
In their last weeks there at the zoo, Marty the zebra was the one who was getting depressed, with increasing obnoxious behavior. He wanted to experience living in the wild, and yearned for it. Well, he got his wish, ending up on the beautiful island of Madagascar... along with his three closest friends. And, unlike his friend Alex the lion, he was quite content to stay there.
There in the forest, not too far away, Alex sat in a clearing staring into blank space, homesick, lonely, and feeling sorry for himself. He sniffled and wiped his eyes with his paw, unaware of Marty's cautious approach. When the zebra got closer, a twig snapped and Alex suddenly noticed him there. "Geez!" he exclaimed in surprise, jumping. Ashamed of his tears, the lion turned himself around and sat down with his back facing Marty. "Do you mind?" he said to his striped friend in an irritated tone. "I wanted to be alone for a while."
"Yeah, I noticed," replied Marty, disappointed. "But for a day and a half?"
"Yeah, well, I've been busy," muttered the lion, looking at the ground.
"Really? Well we sure haven't- the three of us, that is. We haven't done much of anything. So what have you been doing?"
"Stuff," Alex vaguely responded, picking up his tail and playing with the fuzzy tassel at the end.
"Oh." About half a minute of silence followed, then Marty continued. "We've missed you at dinnertime. Have you had any breakfast?"
"I didn't feel like eating," Alex answered, trying to evade the question.
"Not wise, not wise my friend. I mean, you know what happens when you get too hungry."
"I'm all right, I'll get something later."
"I see," said Marty, unconvinced. "Well, we all miss you Alex. I miss you. It's not the same without you."
Alex didn't say anything, he just sat there and kept fiddling with his tail. So Marty pushed to continue the conversation.
"I'm bored, Alex. Can't we please play some tag together, or go for a run, or maybe even swing on some of those vines again? It'll make you feel better, I know it will! And me too."
"What about Melman and Gloria? Don't you ever play with them?"
"I did play with them," he said, "just this morning. But they won't play wild... not like you."
"Look Marty, I just want to be alone right now, okay? I'm not good company."
"Alex?" Marty asked pathetically, in an almost choking voice. "I gotta know something. Do you still like me? Am I still your friend?"
Alex stopped fiddling with his tail and dropped it. Feeling the weight of Marty's question, his mood began to change. He got up, turned around, and faced his companion, realizing how much his solitude was affecting the others. "Aww, Marty...," he said compassionately, opening his arms wide. He reached out and embraced the zebra in a loving hug. "Of course... you're my best friend!"
"And you're mine!," said Marty in a sigh of joyous relief, relishing the lion's warm hug. "I really needed to hear that, Alex. I was beginning to wonder."
"I just wanna be back at the zoo," Alex explained. "I'm sorry I've been acting like such a jerk again." He reassured the zebra by giving him a squeeze. "And just so you know, I've missed you too."
"Really?" Marty asked, now a bit teary-eyed himself.
The lion released him and nodded, smiling.
"Okay, Alex, I'll let you have some time for yourself," Marty said, slowly turning to leave. "I wanted to cheer you up, but you told me what I needed to hear. If you want to join us later, you know where to find me."
"Listen Marty, I have to tell you something." The zebra turned back around, concerned, with ears perked up, listening attentively. Alex paused and looked around as if he was making sure no one else was there to overhear. He bent closer as if he was going to whisper something, but then said emphatically, "You're it!!" Then he smacked Marty on the butt and took off.
A big smile spread across Marty's striped face and he broke into a gallop after his best friend. "I'm gonna get you!!" he yelled happily.
Marty's positive influence was off to a good start; as he ran, Alex started smiling, leaving his woes behind. At first, the two friends ran around and chased each other in a spirited game of tag, but then their play became increasingly wild and rough. Although he didn't try it, Alex got a little carried away and accidentally hit Marty across the muzzle, knocking him to the ground. His claws were not extended, but he had hit him pretty hard. And, to make matters worse, just when Gloria came into the clearing to witness the deed.
Alex put a paw over his mouth. He felt awful and knelt down to his dizzy friend. "Marty, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- are you okay?"
Gloria stood there glaring at Alex with her hands on her hips. "Tell me I didn't just see you punch that zebra in the face!" she said angrily.
Alex stood up stammering, "It was- I didn't- I-"
"Your best friend!" Gloria yelled at him, pushing him aside as she walked over to the fallen zebra.
Marty was still down for the count and couldn't get up, though he was trying. Alex got down on all fours and bent down again to his friend. "Marty! Are you-"
"Just leave him alone!" Gloria scolded. "Haven't you done enough already?"
Already under emotional distress before all of this, Alex's eyes welled up with tears, and he ran off bawling and disappeared. Marty just lay there, panting. A minute or so later, his senses finally came to, and Gloria helped him up.
"Thanks Gloria," he said, still seeing stars, "but I wish you hadn't said that to him. It was an accident."
"Mmm hmmm," she said, unconvinced. "Right. And so we're just gonna look the other way and forget it, so he can just slap you around anytime he gets in one of these rotten moods? It wasn't your fault that the boat won't run..."
"No!" Marty pleaded, "that isn't what happened. We were playing together, having a great time. He hit me accidentally. Believe me! I'm not just covering for Alex, I'm telling the truth! He wasn't mad, and he wasn't trying to hurt me. No matter how it must have looked, it was an accident!"
Gloria could tell by the look in Marty's eyes that he was telling the truth. She looked away for a moment to think about the ordeal, starting to feel regret. Reviewing what she had seen, she defended herself, justifying her actions; with recent events and all, Alex had soiled his reputation and unwittingly set himself up. But she still felt bad about the hasty way she had judged and reacted toward the lion friend she had known for so many years. Especially knowing that he was already down emotionally. "Poor Alex," she thought. "He's really such a sweetie- somehow, I have to make it up to him... if I can."
Marty was nauseous and had trouble walking, so Gloria helped steady him on their way back to the beach. Lunchtime came and went, also suppertime. Alex was the main topic of conversation, when there was any at all. The beautiful day seemed to drag on purposelessly for Marty, and for Melman and Gloria as well.
Alex remained gone for the rest of the day, and, for the first time, did not return to Marty's hut at bedtime. None of them dared venture into the forest searching at night. Poor Marty went to bed alone that night, worried, hoping his friend was all right and that he would return to them soon. It didn't take long for the exhausted zebra to cry himself into a deep sleep. He really needed a friend, but had asked to be alone. So Gloria hung out with Melman on the far end of the beach under the shimmering starlight, reviewing the day's events and pondering how to fix them.
"Tomorrow," she said to Melman, "we must find Alex, first thing. And get this whole mess straightened out." Melman nodded and rested his head on her shoulder.