"Home!" Gloria sighed as she relaxed in her spa. Next door, Melman swallowed the contents of a coconut jar and scooted into his MRI bed.

"Home!" Melman's sighing voice echoed from inside the bed.

Marty reclined in his hammock, sipping pineapple juice from a coconut and watching his ceiling fan turn.

"Home!" Marty sighed.

Alex stood on the beach outside of Marty's hut and faced into the ocean. He thought about crowds of cheering people, pampering, safety, and comfort.

"Home." Alex sighed.

"I just can't stop thinking about her!" Marty exclaimed the next day. The four friends were enjoying breakfast together outside of the hut.

"Who?" asked Melman, mouth full of vitamin-rich fruit.

Marty shook his head, "That girl on the beach, the one who sho-…I met." Marty hadn't told his friends about the people yet.

"Oh," said Melman, swallowing. He winked, "She was really pretty, huh?"

Marty looked surprised, "Yeah, she kinda was…" He shook his head; he hoped she was okay, and that she wasn't too mad at him for running off so rudely. Marty stared off into the ocean, thinking about last night. What was up with him anyway? They were just people! Very loud and smelly people, but they were people. The creature he'd been around since Day One. The creature who had crowded into the zoo by the hundreds to see him and his friends. The creature who had fed and cared for all of the animals at the zoo.

The creature who had sent them all away from the zoo.

Alex stopped chewing his food to look at his friend. Marty still stared into the ocean, almost dreamily! What was going on with him?

"Uh, where does she live?" Alex frowned, swallowing the fish. Alex was not at all sure he liked seeing Marty all moon-eyed over a girl. It wasn't like the zebra to be so mushy.

"Huh?" Marty snapped back to reality, "Cora? She lives on the other side of the island."

Alex was relieved. Then he wasn't. Cora? He's on a first name basis? What if he runs off again to go visit her? She lives so far away…

"Well, maybe she just came to Madagascar for the day." Alex hoped out loud, "I mean, she doesn't actually live here, right?"

Marty looked at Alex. The lion hadn't even met Cora, and he was already acting unfriendly. Marty frowned, "I don't know. She came with people."

Melman choked on a piece of melon. Gloria's mouth dropped open, and Alex's expression changed instantly to excitement.

"People?" they all said at once.

Marty nodded nonchalantly, "Yeah, but you're probably right, Alex. They probably just came for a visit."

"Now hold on," Alex put up a paw, "Why didn't you tell me…us…that there might be people on the island?" the lion demanded.

"It isn't might be, Alex. There are people here. I know, because I saw them. And smelled them. There's not another thing in the world that smells like that," Marty wrinkled his nose.

Alex's whole body lit up, "Where there's people, there's a way home!" Alex, Gloria, and Melman leapt up excitedly and danced around.

"Crowds to please!" yelled Alex ecstatically.

"24-hour full spa!" Gloria sighed happily.

"An entire staff of specialized doctors!" Melman grinned.

Marty watched his friends celebrate. He looked around at the huts they'd built from scratch, the sandy white beach, the clear blue ocean, the lush green jungle, open spaces, and sapphire sky. The zebra sighed. He hated to leave all this for stuffy, noisy, dirty New York. And what about his sudden aversion to people? What would happen when he was placed in a cage in the middle of one of the largest human cities on earth?

Marty almost smiled as he watched his friends. They seemed so happy at the prospect of going home. Who was he to stand in the way of their happiness? Besides, as long as they were together, it really didn't matter where they were. Marty knew they'd be there for one another. He decided that was enough for him.

Marty stood up and joined his friends in an impromptu conga line that Alex had started.

"Grass without bugs in it!" Marty added to their list of good things about New York.

Marty knew he'd go…but he felt that it would never be the same for him.

Alex ran out of the woods toward Marty's hut.

"Marty! Marty!" the excited lion burst into the hut. He saw Marty sweep up a bunch of large leaves off his counter in an attempt to hide them, "Ahh! Alex! Do not interrupt me when I'm planning!"

"Sorry," Alex grinned at the annoyed zebra, "but I have good news!" He jigged around the room, "Great news, wonderful news, exciting news, fantastic news!"

"Well, let's hear it!" Marty leaned over his counter expectantly, no longer annoyed.

Alex grinned broadly, "I just went to see the lemurs."

Marty nodded.

"I talked to the one that looks like an overgrown Furby."

"Maurice."

"That's the one."

"Aaand?"

"And he said that…" Alex paused for effect.

"What?" Marty cried.

"He knows of a shortcut to the other side of the island! The other side! You know, where the people are!" Alex leapt into the air and did a double front flip to where Marty stood behind his counter, "Ta da!"

Marty smiled and nodded, "That's great, Al."

Alex's enthusiasm faded when he saw that his best friend lacked it.

"What's wrong, Marty? I thought you wanted to go! Grass without bugs and all that, remember? You were all excited at breakfast…" Alex frowned sadly.

"No, no, it's great. Really!" Marty sighed and stashed the leaves (plans for Alex's island home) under the counter. Then the zebra walked around the counter to his buddy.

"If you're happy, I'm happy." Marty tried to grin convincingly at Alex.

"Sure." Alex sat down on a sand couch. I've known you forever, Marty. I can tell when you're pretending.

Marty sat down next to Alex. The two pals sat together for a while in silence.

"Hey, Alex, you were right." Marty said suddenly.

Alex looked up, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You told me to make a wish for something." Marty shrugged, "Well, that night I wished for something to get rid of those nightmares, and it worked! Cause I had no nightmares last night."

"That's great!" Alex smiled warmly.

"I uh, also did…something else." Marty looked down.

Alex sat up straight, "What?" he asked curiously.

Marty looked slightly embarrassed, "I left the other day to try and find you a way back to New York."

Alex blinked. Mr. Wild and Free went looking for a way to go back to the city? He did it for me…all the time I was mad at him for running off…

"You didn't have to do that." Alex said when he remembered to talk.

"I know, but I wanted to." Marty sighed again, "As much as I wish you thought of this place as home, I can't make you like it. I'd be happy in New York because you guys would be happy. So…that's why I went."

"Thanks, Marty." Alex stood up and stretched, "Well, soon we should go check out the people!" The big cat moved toward the door.

"Um, yeah, sure." Marty tried to forget the terror he'd felt near the humans.

"Oh, Alex…" Marty remembered something.

Alex turned around, "Yeah?"

"I invited Glo and Melman over for dinner."

"Great!" Alex did a little dance, once again excited, "We can tell them the news! I can't wait!"

Marty grinned at his happy hyper friend, "Where are you going?"

"Oh, I just thought I'd take a walk…" Alex waved a paw vaguely in the direction of the jungle.

"Hey!" Marty cried, "No fair checkin' out the people without me! I discovered them!"

"Ok, okay." Alex pretended to be disappointed, "Maybe I'll just do some exercises then. How's that sound?"

"Much better!" the striped equine stood up and returned to his counter, "And when you get back, we're gonna party!"

Alex nodded happily. He loved it when the two of them were getting along. "Sounds good, See you later!" The lion left to find a non-sandy place to do calisthenics.

Marty watched him go, sighed, and began making drinks.

Several hours later, the four of them were in Marty's hut, feasting on island treats and telling jokes and stories.

It doesn't get any better than this, Marty thought contentedly as they laughed at one of Melman's corny jokes.

It was now Alex's turn.

"Okay, I've got a new one, and guys, it's good!" Alex began, "All righty. Why did the zebra cross the road?"

Marty groaned good-naturedly, "Aww, that's an easy one. To get to Grand Central Station!" he answered, having experienced the phenomenon himself.

Alex mock-glared at Marty, "That's you. This is a normal zebra…"

A knock came at the door.

Alex did a quick head count. Melman, Gloria, and Marty were here. That meant that the knock must've come from either the lemurs or the psychotic penguins…neither of which would be welcome intrusions.

Gloria stood up and went to the door. She opened the peep-slat. Her brown eyes opened wide when she saw who had knocked.

"Marty? I think you'd better come here." Gloria stepped aside to let the zebra peek out.

Marty looked out. His eyes widened. He closed the slat and threw open the door, grinning broadly, "Hi!"

Alex blinked. In the doorway stood…a horse! A dark brown horse about Marty's size, but much prettier. She smiled at Marty.

"I was…in the area and I heard all the noise, so I thought I'd come see what was going on…I hope I'm not interrupting anything." The girl horse blinked her big blue eyes.

You happen to have interrupted my joke, thought Alex.

"No, no, of course not! Come on in, make yourself comfortable!" Marty gestured into his hut. The mare stepped in, smiled again at Marty, and nodded politely to Gloria.

"I'm really sorry about the people." Cora apologized to Marty.

Alex's ears pricked. People?

Marty waved a hoof dismissively, "Don't worry about it. That wasn't your fault."

Cora looked as though she disagreed, but hid that look when Marty glanced at her. Instead of explaining, she asked, "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Marty grinned, "Of course! You already know me; this is Gloria…"

"Nice to meet you!" Gloria smiled kindly at Cora. Cora smiled back.

Marty continued, "…and this is Melman…"

Cora looked, and her eyes got wider, "What's wrong with his neck?"

"There's something wrong with my neck?" Melman cried.

Gloria looked reassuringly at Melman, "There is nothing wrong with your neck, that's the way it's supposed to look." She turned to Cora, "Melman's a giraffe."

Melman sighed with relief.

"Oh," Cora nodded, looking confused, "what's a giraffe?"

"A Melman!" Marty explained helpfully.

"Oh, ok." Cora accepted this explanation.

"And this is my best friend!" Marty pointed to Alex with his hoof, "This is Alex!"

Cora took one look at Alex and leapt backward about four feet, "Ahhhh!" she screamed, "Marty, that's a lion!"

"I know." Marty walked over to Alex, "He's my friend. We grew up together in New York."

Cora still didn't look too sure, "New York must be a very strange place."

"It is." Alex said, sounding almost irritated. Marty gave him a questioning glance. Why was Alex so upset?

Marty decided to do something about the tense silence.

"So, who wants a drink?" Marty went swiftly to his counter and held up a coconut cup. He noticed that Cora sat down next to Gloria and as far from Alex as possible.

"I'll take one." Gloria answered quickly.

"Me too." Cora said.

"Make that three." Melman added.

Alex nodded at Marty, "I'd like one too."

"Coming right up!" Marty cheerfully filled five coconuts with some fruit juice he'd squeezed earlier. Then he set them on a driftwood tray and carried them to his friends.

"So, where are you from?" Gloria asked, trying to make conversation.

"Um," Cora took her drink from Marty's tray, "Kansas."

"How did you get here? Did you come with the people? When are you leaving?" Alex rapidly fired questions at the horse.

Cora frowned uncomfortably, unsure of how to answer.

Gloria glared at Alex, who shrugged.

Melman looked suspiciously into his brown drink, "Is this decaffeinated?"

Marty glanced around the room and realized that his party was falling apart. He set down his cup and yawned, "Well, guys, it's getting late, huh?"

Melman took the cue right away, "I guess I'll…snshzzzzz." The giraffe fell asleep.

Alex sighed, put his cup on the ground, and flopped onto the sand couch, his back to the rest of the room.

Gloria kindly turned to Cora, "Come on, honey, you can bunk with me," she offered the mare.

Cora stood up, "Actually, I really should be going…"

"What?" Marty protested, "You can't go all the way to the other side of the island by yourself…and this late!"

"Marty's right," Gloria said, "You might as well wait until morning to head out."

Cora looked as though she was about to protest…then she stopped. She kind-of liked these odd creatures. And it was late. "Okay." She followed Gloria out of the hut.

"Night Marty, night Alex." Gloria waved, "Melman, come on." Melman stood sleepily up and stumbled out with the girls.

"Night, Glo! Sleep well, guys!" Marty called out. The zebra tidied up a little, got into his hammock, and glanced across the room at his best friend.

"Good night, Al." he said.

A paw waved briefly from the furry lump on the sand couch.

Marty sighed, shrugged, and snuggled into his hammock.

Tomorrow would be a new day.