Hey, guys! Oh my gosh, I am SO sorry it's taken me this long to update! Just got done spending the week with a vary...interesting friend, and well... Let's not get into that, the point is the next chapter is here! ^_^ Revised and ready to go! Thank you so much reviewers, you guys are amazing, and give me lots of inspiration. =) I'm leaving for a trip tomorrow, I get back Thursday though, so hopefully it won't take that long to get the next chapter up...Lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!
Sweet darling you worry too much, my child
See the sadness in your eyes
You are not alone in life
Although you might think that you are.
Marlene gently stroked the soft features of Skipper's forehead. She had cried herself to sleep hours earlier... When a loud noise startled her awake, her heart longed to believe that she was back in the zoo, and had merely fallen asleep at the Penguins HQ. It would not have been the first time Skipper had allowed her to stay over...
It was a cold December evening and she had came down with a nasty cold. Warm shivers ran up and down her spine as she remembered how Skipper had taken care of her for the rest of that week.....
Skipper placed a cold flipper to a very sick Marlene's forehead, and realized it was warmer than he had originally thought.
"Hoover dam, Marlene! The weather's freezing, but your burning up." He exclaimed, trying to hide the worry that etched somewhere within his deep blue eyes... The ones that gave Marlene's stomach butterflies.
The otter coughed, her body shook violently, partially from the cold, and partially from her illness.
"It-It's just a cold, Sk-Skipper. I-I'll be f-fine."She tried her hardest to put on her best smile. Inside she knew he could read her like a book.
Skipper knew Marlene, and she would never admit, out loud at least, to how bad she was truly feeling, whether it be physical pain or emotional . Luckily though, they had been friends long enough for him to tell when she was lying.
"Nonsense. Your coming with me...no ifs ands or buts about it. And don't worry, your in good hands. Rico hasn't lost a mammal yet."
Marlene looked at him hesitantly, not liking the idea of Rico playing nurse in the slightest.
"Just trust me." He flashed a reassuring grin, and scooped her up in his flippers.
Marlene sighed. Too weak to find the strength to protest, she rested her head against his shoulder and allowed her heavy eyelids to close.
"Thank you, Skipper..." She whispered, snuggling deeper into his warm embrace.
He looked down at her. A gentle smile graced his beak.
"It's a pleasure, Marlene." Before long, she had drifted into a pleasant dream. The comfort of knowing he was right there with her made it easy to fall asleep, Skipper was the only one she truly felt...safe with.
Marlene's eyes burned with salty liquid. That night, she had fallen asleep in Skipper's flippers, and awakened the next morning to the knowledge that he had never left her. She remembered how much she needed him then... How thankful she was that he was there, even in her darkest moments.
The image of Skipper's stainless white chest slowly faded to crimson. At the same moment a loud bang sounded from somewhere nearby, and Marlene jumped. A harsh wave of realization washed over her and the memories, as fast as a painful bullet, suddenly flooded her mind of the previous events that had taken place earlier that same day. It was one she longed so badly to forget, yet one she knew would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Now here she was in the present time, sitting on the dirt grounds of the sewer, gently stroking her best friends forehead. Marlene had positioned Skipper's body so that his head now rest in her lap, careful that she didn't cause him any more pain than he was already in.
She took in his facial expression. The blood had dried around his beak, leaving black clumps in his feathers. His eyes were closed, in what Marlene could only picture a peaceful manner.
"Ya know, Skipper.... I never realized it until now...but you were always there for me, even in the smallest, most unnoticeable ways....I'm sorry it took me this long to realize that....I'm so sorry." She whispered, her voice filled with raw emotion.
"Even now....you were there for me...even when it meant putting yourself in danger...for me." As she spoke, Marlene could feel her heart slowly falling apart.
She took a deep breath, kissed the very top of his forehead so gently she was sure he would not even be able to feel it.
"I'll take care of you...I-I promise. Just like you took care of me that cold December night. I needed you then...and I need you now....but I guess...maybe...you need me too." He shifted in her lap, and she gently placed a paw on his flipper to prevent him from moving a certain way, and hurting himself to a greater extent. Skipper let out a painful groan, and slowly opened his eyes.
"Ma-Marlene?"
"Shh..." She shushed him. He moved to sit upright, but froze when a jolt of pain coursed throughout his body. He let out a cry of pain and clutched his back.
"Oh, Skipper don't move! I don't really know how bad you're hurt, but moving might not be such a good idea right now." Marlene helped him lay back down, her lap once again serving as a pillow.
"Ma-Maybe you're right Marlene..." Skipper winced, breathing heavily.
"You al...always were ya know..."
She smiled brokenly.
"Oh, there were times I was wrong..."
The otter's gaze wandered off, her mind drifted out of the sewer, to brighter days.
"But you...Skipper, you always seem so strong....so... sure of yourself."
Her smile faded, and Marlene looked down at him, hoping he wouldn't notice that her chocolate eyes were bloodshot, the fur underneath them matted from the tears. She felt as if she could cry a literal river, though she held herself together the best she could, reminding herself that had to stay strong for Skipper.
Skipper closed his eyes, his expression being that of shame.
"If I'm so strong, then why.....why couldn't I pro...protect you? Marlene, I...I'm in the army....if I....can't protect the love...of...of my life from a little ol' lemur...then I....I must be a special kind of failure...."
He struggled out the words she had been waiting...longing....praying to hear for what seemed like a lifetime. Words she'd never thought she'd live to hear. Marlene felt her heartbeat rapidly grow faster within her chest.
"Wait a second Skipper... are you actually saying you....you love me?" She needed his reassurance, something to tell her that this was real, and not just another one of her cruel dreams taunting her in her subconscious, showing her all she'd never have.
Skipper sighed, finally gathering the strength to look up into her eyes... The ones staring back at him as though she was looking into his very soul, the ones that he could get lost in, and never want to find his way out.
"I've al....always loved you Marlene... Ever since the day we met.... Come to think of it, here we are....the same place we were before. Not very romantic...." Skipper chuckled weakly, lifting a flipper to clasp her paw, though he released it a moment later, his gaze sadly fell away.
"I understand if you don't feel the same...I mean.... You...your an otter....I...I'm just a penguin. And a terrible excuse for a Skipper..." Tears filled his own eyes. He would have never forgiven himself if anything had happened to her on his watch.
Seeing the tears in his eyes made Marlene's heart melt. She shook her head, and softly took his flipper back into her paw.
"Don't say that....you're the best Skipper I've ever met, and I'm not just saying that because you're the only skipper ever I've met." She smiled, letting out a little laugh.
"Skipper...I....I love you too. I always....have. I was just too afraid to tell you...too afraid that you would..reject me. Silly, right?" She rolled her eyes, though they portrayed the pain kept hidden deep inside.
Skipper looked up at her in surprise.
"No! No...no..not at all! Rejection can be a very frightening thing....it's....well, it's why I didn't tell you this before." His eyes once again avoided her's... Skipper could no longer find the strength now that Marlene had seen him at his weakest.
What will she think of me now...?
Marlene shook her head, gave his flipper a soft squeeze.
"If you would have, you know I wouldn't have rejected you."
"I know tha...that now...I-I wish I did then....but I was never really all that great with words..."
Her eyes filled with fresh tears.
"Here's another saying I try to remember. 'Don't think about the past...it'll only bring tears. Live life in the present, and enjoy every moment.'"Marlene said softly.
She smiled down at him despite it all... As much as she longed to believe the fact that he'd make it through whatever, she had told herself that if this truly were his last moments, she'd make it her personal goal to make sure he was happy.... Well, as happy as one possibly could be in such a situation.
Skipper chuckled a little, that same familiar glint returning to his eyes once again, the one Marlene had wondered if she'd ever see again.
"Same ol' Marlene....the same one who's stolen my heart."
"And whoever said you were bad with words? I just think you never really...tried."
Marlene touched him lightly on the head, taking careful thought that his beak was injured.
"Marlene....?"
Skipper's tone grew serious, and he looked into her eyes with such love and passion that Marlene's heart melted and bled at the same time.... She was overjoyed at the news she had finally learned, and yet... She feared losing him. It seemed that had become Marlene's greatest fear. It did not seem fair that he may be stolen from her so soon.
"Yes, Skipper?" She anxiously awaited what he would say.
"Even if I die in this very place, at this very moment... Well that... That will be perfectly fine with me. I mean... How many guys do you know get to...to die in the arms of an angel?"
He reached up to wipe a few fallen tears away from her fur.
"Oh, Marlene... Please don't cry. I've always....hated it when you were upset."
"I-I'm sorry..." She whispered brokenly.
"It's just...I-I don't want to lose you..."
"You won't. I'll always be with you...in here." Skipper smiled, his flipper slowly moved over her chest.
Marlene opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a sorrowful whimper.
"Awww.....isn't that sweet? I hate sweet." A sinister voice sneered in the darkness, sounding a lot like Darth Vader.
Rita ran as fast as her tiny legs would carry her. She paused at the sound of a dark, familiar voice. One that sent cold shivers up and down the young lemurs spine.
"Awww.....isn't that sweet? I hate sweet."
Rita skidded to a stop. She could have sworn her heart missed a beat.
"Oh no....no!" She whispered in a voice barely even audible.
Rita shook her head, pressed herself along the corner of the brick wall, and peered ever so cautiously over the other side to catch a clear view of the unfolding scene just feet away.... She had positioned herself in a place deep in the shadows, where she could not be seen herself, though she could see out.
A hooded figure stood tall, overshadowing two of it's frightened victims. Rita recognized them at once to be Skipper and Marlene. Her eyes flickered back to the black figure. She noticed it was holding something, hiding something in it's sleeve.
I never should have agreed to this....
She heard the sound of a startled gasp, followed by Skipper's voice.
"Marlene, no!"
Suddenly King Julien paused, his eyes frozen to the place where he had watched Rita disappear.
Private turned to Kowalski.
"What's the matter with him?"
The older penguin glanced at the deranged King, and shook his head. He walked up to him, waved a flipper in front of the lemur's face to steal his attention.
Julien blinked.
"I am getting a feeling...it is a feeling that I am supposed to be remembering something....something important in some way.... but I just can't remember what it is!" He exclaimed, placed a thoughtful finger to his chin, and began pacing back and forth.
Kowalski let out a sigh.
"We don't have time for this..."
Julien ignored him, as usual.
"Uh-huh! I am remembering! It has something to do...with.... little Rita's tragic and..."
He paused to shudder.
"Horrific de-de-de-de-death..."
Private and Kowalski took a few steps back, fearing he had finally cracked completely.
"Rita's death? What are you... Rita's not dead." Private looked at him, confused.
"Oh, but that is where you are being wrong penguin! Oh so very wrong! You see...Rita, is a ghost. The green monster killed her a long time ago.... she...she's go-gone."His tone fell quiet... A mysterious sadness entered his eyes, one that almost seemed foreign to the usually cheerful lemur's persona.
The two penguins exchanged an equal look, each knowing what the other was thinking.
Private was the first to step forward. He placed a flipper on King Julien's shoulder, and looked him in the eye.
"Julien... Rita is very much alive. You can touch her, and feel her... I wouldn't imagine you could do that, if she were really a ghost."
"Bu-But that means..." Suddenly a horrifying revelation overtook his mind, and he started to shake.
"Little Jillian...." He whispered.
"I must save her.... Out of the King's way, penguins!"Julien pushed the two puzzled birds aside, and ran into the same darkness that he had been staring at so long, with such a speed they had never seen before.
"Okay, now nothing makes sense!" Private threw his flippers into the air in defeat.
"Now, Private... Things aren't always what they appear. We may be onto something here..."
Kowalski pressed a thoughtful flipper to his chin, before things began to add up in his head.
"Julien, wait!" He called after him, but the lemur was too far gone.
"Come on Private... It's up to us now." He grabbed his friends flipper and bolted down the tunnel
"Marlene, no!" Skipper yelled, his tone desperate. Though, he knew she would ignore him. It was apart of her independent spirit. His emotions seethed with anger...he was angry with himself for being unable to do anything to stop his lover from possibly getting herself severely injured...or worse.
"Show yourself, you coward!" She practically screamed to the figure hidden in the dark.
It finally stepped out the of shadows, reveling nothing other than a long black cloak, it's face hidden within a hood. Marlene noticed the form beneath the cloth seemed bony, almost like a skeleton, and reminded her much of the grim reaper. It stood a good few feet higher than the otter, and in it's left arm, held something that shimmered in the light, though not enough for Marlene to make out exactly what it was.
"Gladly." The same dark voice replied.
Marlene could feel the fear already grasping at her heart, longing to latch itself on so it could suck out any bravery living inside.
She took a deep breath, desperately trying to suppress the overwhelming fear.
"Who....are you?" She asked as the stranger took a step forward, though Marlene never backed down. She would will herself to stand in that same position. She would not let Skipper down.
"My name is not important. But don't worry, It is not you who I have come for...."
Marlene glanced back at Skipper, and let out a horrified gasp.
"No.... no... I won't let you take him!"
"Marlene, it's okay."
Skipper said from behind her, in a soft tone.
The otter looked back at him and shook her head.
"No, Skipper.... You can't ask me to do this, no....no! I won't...." The tears had already began to fall from her eyes. Seeing the pain in her eyes, Skipper's heart broke in half... He knew he was the cause of her tears, and that was a fact he wasn't strong enough to bear.
"Marlene... Listen to me. This isn't something I'm forced to do...it's something I-I want to do. If keeping you safe means losing my own life, than so be it... But I'm not going to go on living knowing that I didn't do everything within my power to make sure no harm came to you."
Skipper could no longer stand to look into her sorrowful gaze... He looked passed her, to the hooded stranger.
"If it's me you want... Fine. But leave her out of this."
"Skipper...." Marlene begged.
The figure reached out to grab him.
Marlene refused to move... Skipper gently grabbed her paw, and eyes of bravery, sadness, and love met the frightened, sorrowful, pleading ones of Marlene.
"I love you Marlene... Never forget that."
"Sk-Skipper, please...don't do this..." At that moment, Marlene would have given anything to know that this was merely a dream, a horrible nightmare that she would soon awaken from at any second...
Yet nothing could numb the harsh reality staring back at her, letting her heart know that this was real. Skipper was giving his life in exchange for her's...And there was nothing she could do but scream out his name, scream out her deep love for him, as the hooded stranger stole him away from her touch.
Finally, her strength left her and she fell to her knees, forced to helplessly watch the cruel stranger drag Skipper away by the flippers... She had tried to run after them, even though deep down she knew it was in vain.
"Marlene stay back!"
Skipper's voice echoed off the walls surrounding the area.
"Skipper, please! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Marlene screamed into the darkness.
"YOU CAN'T!" She beat the ground in utter agony, as if it were somehow the verdict she was beating. It felt as if the hooded stranger had literally took a knife and sliced her heart into millions of unrepairable little pieces, never to be whole again.
"I-I...love you..." Marlene whispered brokenly... Tears fell down her cheek's once again, just like a river of sorrow. She knew deep down, they would never really end. The hurt would always be there... The memories always taunting her of everything she could no longer reach out and touch.
Marlene drew her knees to her chest and leaned back against the wall. She glanced to her left... She could still see a slight amount of dried blood, where skipper once lie, beaten and dying...for her. She flinched, buried her face within her knee's to hide away from the world, away from the pain and suffering, the unmerciful sorrow that was eating away at whatever was left of her heart.
In moments like these one often feels as if their world has just come to a horrifying crash, like nothing good could ever come their way again. Like maybe... they were not meant to feel the warmth happiness can bring. All they feel is pain, nothing else exists, and the memory's of the one they love the most comes flooding back in a wave of grief and longing. Suddenly the world is a cold, bitter place. A place that suddenly becomes frightening, and foreign. These are the exact feelings Marlene presently found herself drowning in.
"Skipper....P-Please...co-come back...do-don't leave me...." She choked out. Marlene had never felt so alone in her entire life. A new sense of fear came over her, it was one she had often felt before, but in small waves, never to such an extreme extent.... It was the fear of living a life without Skipper. Never could she have foretold that her secret paranoia would someday become a reality... Or so it would seem...
In my hands
A legacy of memories
I can hear you say my name
I can almost see your smile
Feel the warmth of your embrace
But there is nothing but silence now
Around the one I loved
Is this our farewell?
~ Within Temptation.
