Chapter 6:
From Enemies To Friends
Clemson's POV:
I woke up the next morning, having a horrible headache. My vision was blurred, but noticed something, different. There was any pressure on my body, which meant only one thing...the ropes are off. I lifted my paw and sure enough, I was not bond to a chair anymore. I was free.
"Hans?" I said when I turned to look to my right, where Hans was. For some reason, he wasn't. I got worried, thinking my only friend was gone. Savio was my friend too, and he wasn't there either. "Hans?! Savio?! Where are you guys?!" I stood up and walked around the room. It wasn't the warehouse anymore. There was only a single door, but it was locked.
I banged on it, trying to see if the wood would break and set me free. Then, it swung open, hitting me in the face. "OW!" I yelped as I fell to the floor. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Clemson!" a voice said. I looked up and saw the badger I saw yesterday. "Who are you and what did you do to Hans and Savio!" I yelled. Nick entered as well and closed the door.
"Don't worry. Hans and Savio are fine. We are just here to ask you some questions..." Nick said. "What kind of questions? And why did you untie me? I thought you didn't trust me..." I asked, feeling suspicious that they just suddenly let me go to ask questions. "So, you want us to ask them while you are uncomfortably tied to a chair rather than be free to roam about? Fine, Ash get the ropes..." Nick said.
"No! That won't be necessary..." They smirked. "Wow, Hans was right. He can be trusted..." the badger, whom I identified as the one Nick calls Ash, said. "Hans told you I was trustable?" I asked, confused. "Sit first, and we'll answer that..." Nick said, gesturing me to the chair I first sat in. I did so and the two of them also took a chair and sat in front of me.
"Ok. First, yes, he said so himself. Second, he said you don't want anybody to know your full name. Why is that?" she asked. "Why are you asking me this? It's not like Hans or Savio will do the same..." I claimed, trying to change the subject. "Actually, he will. Savio is being interrogated in another room right now, so I'm not sure about him. But Hans said his full name was Hansel Svensen VII, so, may we know yours?"
I didn't know why they wanted to know so badly. "Why are you interrogating us for anyway?" They sighed, sounding a bit frustrated. "Because we want to try and help you. Hans said you two had a broken past as well so we want to see if we can be of any help..." This struck to me. They were actually trying to...help me? Were they trying to use my past as a weapon against me or is this real?
Savio's POV:
I opened my eyes to another empty room. But I had noticed something strange. I wasn't in that plastic cage anymore. I got up and looked around. Hans and Clemson weren't there anymore. All there was in the room was a stack of two chairs and a door. "Guys? Where are you?" Suddenly, the door opened slowly. I was ready to jump on whoever it was, till...
"Whoa tough guy! We're not here to hurt you! We're just here to talk..." said a voice. It was that penguin and lemur I didn't recognise the night before. "Who are you and where are my friends!?" I yelled. The penguin, who seems to be a female, continued. "I'm Gem, and he's Ernie. Your friends are alright, especially Hans..."
I was slightly relieved and confused by the claim. "Why especially Hans? And Clemson?" I asked. "Well, Hans is back with Skipper, catching up on each other's lives, and Clemson's back in the other room, also being interrogated..." I was about to say something when she interrupted. "And no, we aren't asking questions so we can use them against you. We, are here to listen and help, and based on what Hans told us, you had a pretty bad past..."
I was surprised by what they were actually going to do. It's like they could read my mind. They got the two chairs from the corner and set them up in front of me. They sat down and then asked, "So, first things first. What's your full name?" I was almost speechless that they trusted that I wouldn't eat them, and they seemed to act like last night never happened. "Well, my name is Savio Martinez..." I answered.
Clemson's POV:
Still feeling a bit suspicious, I just asked them, "Promise you won't laugh?" They nodded. They were serious of knowing my name, which was a bit silly. I sighed. "Ok. My name is...Barkley Clemson Miller..." I hid my face in shame, ready to hear laughter. Instead, they continued asking questions without even a snicker.
"Barkley Clemson Miller. That's a lovely name..." said Gem, the badger. "You really think that? You don't think it's...silly?" The two of them nodded in agreement. "Why would we think it's silly? To be honest, it's a special name, cause only you have it..." Nick answered. I was blown away by how much they understand me so far.
"So, Clemson, can you tell us a bit about what happened in the past that may or may not have led you to become who you are right now?" Gem continued asking. "Well, I guess I have to start from the beginning..." I simply answered.
Savio's POV:
"Ok, Savio, can you tell us what led you to become like this?" Gem asked. She seemed to not bother that I was a snake, aside from Ernie, the lemur. He seemed to be uncomfortable sitting in this room with me. "Well, I hate talking about it, but it was because my parents died..."
The two looked intrigued by this claim. Gem was writing notes at the same time. She actually knew how to read and write, unlike me. I only recognise a few human words. "What happened to them?" Ernie finally said, with a hint of fear in his speech.
"They...were murdered..." I said, almost showing my softer side. They both gasped at this. I knew they would. "Oh my..." said Gem. With that, I continued. "My dad was Anton Martinez and my mom was Olivia Martinez. We lived at the Hoboken Zoo long before Hans or Clemson. They cared for me...like any family would. We were...as happy as we could ever be...till those darn animals took them away from me! I was barely a young adult then, and because of that...I just snapped..."
I actually didn't feel a tear roll down my face. Just talking about it made me want to just roll up in a corner and just plain cry forever. I turned away and wiped the tear away before they could see it. "Why would they do that?" Ernie asked, this time, sounding rather concerned.
Clemson's POV:
"I was born in Madagascar, like most lemurs would, and I was raised there by my parents, George and Maddison Miller. I had...a special trait that ran in my family..." I pointed at my neon blue-tinted eyes. "My parents didn't have it. They said that every other generation of the Millers would get these kind of eyes. They told me that having these eyes meant that I was a good person, that I was special. They always encouraged me to stay positive, no matter what happens..." I continued.
Ash was writing down whatever I said, in what seems to be point form. I wish I knew how to read and write. I did know a few words, but not enough to decipher a human sentence. "But when they sent me to school, everyone made fun of me, saying my eyes made me a freak and that I was cursed or something. I didn't get many friends back then. I was always being picked on..." I said, feeling a bit gloomy.
"One day, a girl lemur just like me, joined a year later. Her name...was Caroline Bittersweet. She didn't have eyes like mine, but she too was picked on, due to her family name. We both got along pretty well. We had a lot in common. Two months later, she became my girlfriend..." I sighed dreamily. She was beautiful. In fact, she almost looked like a girl version of me. She loved wearing an orchid on her left ear.
"Aww...that's sweet..." The two smiled my smile, almost mirroring my action. I snapped out of it and continued. "Well, on Valentine's Day, she invited me over to her place. But when I got there, her parents disapproved of me instantly, saying I was a freak as well. They even went as far as telling me that I would only be worthy to be with her if I was king. After that, they left to who-knows-where..." I was tearing up at this point.
"I never saw her again. But, I vowed myself to become king, even if I had to use force. But at that same day I was going to throw over the king, I was taken away to New York. That was when I met that Julien guy, where when he mentioned he was king, I just had to take it to get her back..." I continued. I was about to break down. The two of them looked sorry for me, very sorry.
Savio's POV:
I almost didn't want to answer that question. "Well, one of those days, Hoboken Zoo got a few new transfers. So, my parents and I wanted to go and greet them. But when they saw us, they thought we were going to eat them. Apparently they believed in that stereotype about all snake being cold-blooded killers..." I said. They seemed to listen attentively. They were serious on knowing my past.
"Well, my parents tried and tried again to try to make friends with them. But with every attempt, they became more paranoid. Then, on my birthday, they wanted to invite them to it. But when they got there...they...they..." I just stuttered. Continuing on will just make me break down. It hurt so bad just thinking about what they did.
"They went ahead and did it, did they?" asked Gem. I nodded, my eyes watery from those horrid moments of my tragic life. "When I found out, I just...completely lost it. It was like...all meaning of my life going down the drain. So, I...I...got rid of the culprits..." I broke down, there and then. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let all my emotion gush out as tears.
"I lost my parents, my innocence, and myself that day. I had vowed...to do the same to all zoo animals...to avenge my parents' death..." I continued letting it all out. The two came up and gave me a hug. "Oh, it's ok now Savio. You're with friends now, and we would never do such a thing to you..." said Ash.
"Here's a quote from Josh. The past is like a dead weight. It is hard to move forward until you let it go..." quoted Ernie. That actually made sense. If I continued on my life holding on to my parents' death, then I would never be happy. "Your...right Ernie. I held on to this grudge for so long, I lost track of my own life. I didn't know that it affected me so greatly. I guess...it's time to let it go?" The two nodded in agreement. They gave me another hug and we all left the room together.
Clemson's POV:
"After my failed attempt and got sent to the Hoboken Zoo, that was where I met Hans and Savio. They actually liked my blue eyes, telling me that I was special, rather than a freak. We became friends, but I always hope to see Caroline again..." I finished. I was sobbing now. It hurt me to think that my one and only true love was still away from me.
"Love makes you do crazy things. I would do the same if someone took Private away from me..." claimed Ash. I cheered up to this joke. "Ha, yeah. But I just want to be with her again. She's my other half..." A big aww came from the two girls. "We understand. To be honest, this sounds a bit like a Romeo and Juliet kind of love, the star-crossed lovers kind..." I laughed at the big similarity. We were kind of star-crossed.
Ok, back to being serious. "Well, I can say that I would do anything to get her back..." That seemed to spark something between the two as they were shielding their faces and discussing something. The broke away and smiled at me. "Where does she live now?" they asked. "Not sure, but they said she transferred into a zoo in New York, but she obviously isn't here..." I said. They were really creeping me out with their huge grin. "Then we may know where she is right now..." they said. After that, we all left the room, as friends.
Normal POV (Josh's POV):
I was busy teaching Kowalski, Rico, Emmy and Private how to read. They were learning pretty fast, since most of the words they knew how to pronounce already. "So, what do these say?" I asked the four as I held up a piece of paper with their names on it.
"Um, Ko-wal-ski, Ri-co, E-mi-ly and uh...Pri-vate..." said the four simultaneously. "Hey, it's our names!" yelled Private. I nodded. "Yep. So now, you should know just enough words to decipher a sentence..." They cheered as they have learned kinda the basics of reading. Then, the fishbowl opened up. It was Skipper and Hans.
"We're back!" said Skipper. They had gone around New York just being the best buds they were. At the same time, the hidden elevator arrived and revealed six figures. "Hey dudes!" greeted Ernie. "Hey, Skipper? Can Clemson, Ash and I go visit the Bronx Zoo?" Nick asked. Skipper just nodded and they headed off to their destination.
"So, it seems my friends have changed as well..." said Hans. Clemson and Savio both gave Hans a huge hug. "Oh, you are alright!" said the two in unison. Clemson then detached himself from the hug and left with Nick and Ash. "See you all later!" He waved goodbye and disappeared up the fishbowl entrance. "So, you two are good now as well?" asked Emmy. "Well, yeah. We're better now..." replied Savio.
A few hours passed and we all got along pretty well. We were all playing go fish while Emmy went back to Doris to play with her sister Kate. "Oh, dang! I still don't know how to play this!" I yelled as I was obviously losing. Then, pitter patter of feet could be heard above us. The fishbowl then slid open and down came four figures. "Hey guys! I'd like you all to meet, Caroline Bittersweet!" Clemson said as Caroline entered after the three of them.
"She was at the Bronx Zoo, all by herself. She said her parents were transferred to another zoo somewhere else in America..." claimed Nick. We all went off and greeted the look-alike lemur. "Hi! Nice to meet you all..." she said. She looked a lot like Clemson, just that she's a girl, she didn't have blue tinted eyes and she wore and orchid on her left ear.
"I really missed you Clemmy. Sorry about what my parents did, leaving Madagascar. But it's not their fault. They're just, very superstitious, you know?" Clemson nodded in agreement. "It's ok. I understand. But I did try to become king, for you..." She giggled at this claim. "You took it seriously? They were only kidding..." Clemson blushed a bit, but it wasn't really noticeable under his orange fur.
Then, I bugged in. "Hey um, guys? We, want you to hear something. You know, Clemson, Hans and Savio..." The three turned. "Yes?" they asked in unison. "That's freakier than I thought..." commented Ernie on their unison reply. "Well, the five of us made something for you guys. It's a, um, a song..." I said. Everyone looked intrigued by the information. "You want to hear it?" Everyone nodded. We all gathered round and I got out the same Ukulele I used years before. With that, the five of us started playing. (BTW I really wrote this. It's called "The True You" but at the moment [18_Feb_2013] I still haven't recorded it; still tweaking it a bit)
(Instrumental Intro)
Josh, Nick, Ash, Gem and Ernie:
Ohhh, oh ohh, oh ohh, ohhh
Josh:
Do you know
That you are
Special in your, own way?
Do you want
To know why
This is so today?
Cause if you don't believe in your-self,
Your world will fall like some broken shelves...
It doesn't matter what everybody says,
If you know what to do you'll pass the test!
Josh and Nick (Ernie Beatbox):
So, we will be your friend
And we'll help you through the end
Cause that's what we're supposed to do
We'll be there for each other
And we'll help out one another
So the bonds of friendship get...
Stronger each day
So remember what we said
Cause we will help you
Find the true, you
(Short Instrumental)
Josh and Nick:
Your life may
Be so bad
But that doesn't mean you have to be sad
You have been
Through a lot
So why don't you sing along!
Josh and Nick (Ernie beatbox):
So, we will be your friend
And we'll help you through the end
Cause that's what we're supposed to do
We'll be there for each other
And we'll help out one another
So the bonds of friendship get...
Stronger each day
So remember what we said
Cause we will help you
Find the true
Josh and Nick (Ernie beatbox, Gem and Ash Long Notes Acapella):
You know what?
You know what?
You have made some friends today!
You know what?
You know what?
You have finally gone the right way!
So we, will be friends forever
And we'll make it through together!
Ohhh, Oh Ohh, Oh Ohh, Oh O-O-Oh
All five of us (Plus Gem and Ash Clapping):
So, we will be your friend
And we'll help you through the end
Cause that's what we're supposed to do
(Gem, Ash: Ohhh, Oh Ohh, Oh Ohh, Ohhh)
We'll be there for each other
And we'll help out one another
So the bonds of friendship get...
Stronger each day
(Gem, Ash: Ohhh, Oh Ohh, Oh Ohh, Ohhh)
So remember what we said
Cause we will help you
Find the true
(Gem, Ash: Ohhh, Oh Ohh, Oh Ohh, Ohhh)
Yooou, Oh Ohh, Oh Ohh, Ohhh
(Nick: We will help you,
Find the true you,
cause that's what we're supposed to do)
Yooou, Oh Ohh, Oh Ohh, Ohhh
(Nick: We'll always be
Friends forever
And we'll make it through together)
All five of us:
Cause we will help you
Find the true, yooouuu...
Everyone clapped. Some were even tearing up due to how touching the lyrics of the song were. "That was wonderful!" yelled Private, tearing up. "You made that song, for us?" asked Hans, also tearing up. "Yup, based on the info you gave us, we thought this may make y'all feel better..." I replied. Everyone huddled together in a big group hug.
"So, Clemmy, I have to go back to the Bronx Zoo now. See you at Hoboken Zoo sometime?" Clemson nodded. With that, the three Hobokeners, as well as Caroline, waved goodbye. "Bye! We'll see you all again tomorrow?" We all nodded and they left, happy as ever. "See, Skipper. I told you the most effective way to rid of the enemy is to make friends with them..." He nodded.
