Cora watched all the movement around her. There's something so invigorating about the city. Everyone's got a place to go and things to do. It wears me out just looking at it!

Cora shivered as a gust of cold wind blew through the concrete and steel canyon that she was walking through. The mare scanned the streets, looking for her zebra friend.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of black-and-white stripes moving through a crowd on the other side of the street! Cora darted across the street, dodging between taxicabs. She pushed through the crowd towards the stripes. "Marty!" she called. There was a clearing in the crowd, and the stripes went into it. Cora wiggled toward the clearing in time to see a woman with a zebra-striped handbag enter a building.

Disappointed, the spotted horse resumed trudging down the street. She noticed a map in front of one building. "You Are Here" it proclaimed, with an arrow to a spot on the map. Cora shook her head.

"What I need is a 'Marty is here' map!" she sighed.

A few blocks ahead, Cora noticed a gap in the buildings where a white, cloudy sky showed through.

She stopped. "Actually, knowing where I am might help." She returned to the sign and scrutinized it. "I would guess that Marty's headed to the Bronx Zoo, because that's the last place he heard that we went, and that's where the penguins and Alex were going. And the best way to get to the Bronx…" She studied the maze of lines representing streets and avenues, "…is this road here with a bridge. Madison Avenue. Hmm. And I'm at…" Cora looked for a street sign, "Okay, I'm on Madison! Hopefully, this is the street that Marty decided to take."

The horse followed the street north. It wasn't long before she saw a bridge ahead of her.

Cora grinned, "Great! That must be the bridge I saw on the map. I'm almost to the Bronx!" She was proud of herself for successfully navigating the big city.

Her grin widened when she caught sight of Marty, just ahead at the bridge! She saw him wait for a break in traffic, step onto the bridge, then jump aside just in time to avoid being run over by a speeding taxicab.

"Marty!" Cora yelled, running and waving at the zebra. He looked up at her and grinned joyfully. It had seemed like weeks since the two had seen each other.

The horse ran full speed down the sidewalk, forgetting her weariness. She dashed up to the spot where the zebra stood.

Cora grabbed Marty and hugged him tight, "I missed you so much! You were gone so long, and no one had seen you…I'm so glad you're okay!" She released him to look him over, "You are okay, right?" Marty's fur was damp and icy. His leather jacket had holes in it, and he stood stiffly on his legs. He looked cold, but his eyes and smile were as warm and friendly as ever!

Marty nodded, "I'm okay! I've just been trying to get across for a while…"

"No you're not!" Cora gasped. She saw splashes of bright red in the snow where Marty had been standing. "You're bleeding!"

Marty looked down, "No I'm n-wait…I am! How long's that been happening?"

Crimson rivulets stood out against the black and white of Marty's legs. They started from small cuts above his ankles and colored the snow around his hooves.

"They're not deep," Cora sighed with relief, "do you remember anything that happened that could have done that?"

Marty tried to think back, "Not really, I mean, I can't even feel it. Wait, there was that big puddle on 115th street, with ice over it. I didn't see it until I was already in it. It might have scraped the backs of my heels a little."

Cora still looked worried.

Marty sighed, "Cor, look, don't worry, okay? I'm fine! Just a little tired, but I'm still good to go."

Cora shook her head, "Marty, you look like an ice zebra! How long have you been out in this weather? And wet?" She eyed his soggy shirt.

A tiny flash of exhaustion showed in Marty's clear aqua eyes, "A while."

The mare put her hooves on her hips, "And exactly how long is 'a while'?"

"'A while' is however long it's been since you, Glo, and Melman left." Marty admitted.

Cora's mouth dropped open, "Marty, it's been almost two days! You've been walking around New York City in the freezing cold for two days?"

Marty nodded, "I guess so. Has it really been two days? Wow. Hey, where are the others? I thought they were with you, except for Alex and the penguins." He looked around, as though they might be hiding around a corner somewhere.

Cora bit her lip, "We got separated. They're probably back at the Bronx Zoo with Alex, if the penguins haven't broken them out by now."

Marty's ears perked up, "You've seen Alex? How is he?"

"I actually haven't seen him," Cora confessed, "but the penguins told me that he was very close to the zoo the last time they saw him."

Marty sighed, ending with a cough, "Good for him. At least one of us made it there." Marty stared at the bridge, "I'll bet they're all worried about me."

"Ahh!" Cora yelled. Marty looked up just in time to narrowly avoid being hit by a taxicab that jumped the curb onto the sidewalk. He and Cora dove to the side and into a snow bank. The cab screeched to a halt.

Cora stood up and helped Marty to his feet, "Are you okay?"

"You keep asking me that," Marty teased, "Do I really look that bad?"

Cora gave Marty a sarcastic look, "We almost got mowed down by a taxicab, I thought that under the circumstances, it was an appropriate question!"

Marty glared at the yellow car in disgust, "Where do cabbies learn to drive, anyway?"

"New York." Cora answered cynically.

The cab's driver-side door opened. Feet hopped out, but no head appeared over the door

Cora and Marty exchanged a confused look.

The feet waddled a few steps, and then Skipper peered around the door at Marty and Cora. The penguin grinned, "Quadrupeds! I acquired this vehicle for transport to the rendezvous point."

"Rendezvous point?" Marty asked.

Skipper winked at Marty, "It's Plan B, my monochromatic friend. Get in, and I'll take you to your missing companions."

"Great!" Cora smiled.

Marty opened a side door, "Let's go! Ladies first."

Cora giggled and slid inside, followed by Marty.

Skipper hopped back into the cab and onto a pile of books that had been seat-belted to the chair. "Is everybody accounted for?" he asked.

Marty answered, "We're ready!" He noticed there were two squirrels sitting in the front seat, wearing the seatbelt and covering their eyes. Marty didn't have a chance to ask about them, though. Skipper had, as usual, wasted no time in leaping into action.

"Rico, we need forward acceleration!" Skipper ordered in the direction of the floor beneath the steering wheel. Rico saluted from his position at the pedals. Skipper turned to Private, "Private, release the parking brake." Private complied.

The cab jerked forward, then careened back onto the street. Skipper spun the steering wheel, swinging the cab onto the bridge.

All around, cars honked and people yelled. Marty and Cora just relaxed and held on for dear life as Skipper negotiated traffic.

Alex paced back and forth in the subway station. The station was nearly empty, with all of the other passengers opting for quicker forms of transportation.

Gloria rolled her eyes, "Alex, pacing isn't going to make anything happen faster."

"Yeah," Melman's eyes were shut, "and you're making me dizzy!"

"Sorry." Alex said, flopping down, "I just wish it wasn't so cold out there. I'd rather wait outside."

Mimi looked at the empty track, "This is taking a while. Um, what exactly are we waiting for?"

Kowalski considered her question, "You are not currently authorized to know. I was instructed to wait here until our transport back to the boat arrived."

Mimi looked disappointed.

"However," the penguin continued, "under the circumstances, you should be informed. We are waiting," he said, "for a taxi."

"A taxi?" Alex jumped up, "That's it. That's the last straw!"

Gloria looked warningly at the lion, "Alex…"

"Did you hear what he just said? It's insane!" Alex shook his head, "A taxi! Why didn't you just say so? Why don't I just go flag one down?" Alex sighed sarcastically, "Oh, wait, does anyone have any money? Or speak human, by any chance?"

Kowalski shook his head, "Negative. We are neither carrying currency nor able to speak passable human."

"Shut up!" Alex cried, "If we had walked, we'd be halfway to the boat by now! But nooo, you had to stay here to wait for your precious Plan B!"

The penguin's beady stare worked its way to Alex's eyes, "The taxi will be driven by Skipper. It will arrive in a timely fashion."

A penguin driving a taxicab? "Oh, great!" Alex threw up his paws, "Well, I'm glad we've got such a qualified driver!"

"Alex, cool it!" Gloria ordered.

The lion didn't act as though he'd heard. Nothing has gone right since we left Madagascar. Come to think of it, since Marty escaped from the zoo those long two weeks ago, life hasn't been the same. In a bad way. And I can't do a thing about it. And things just keep getting worse! And my friends aren't helping matters any! We just keep getting into more and more ridiculous situations...I can't take it anymore! I've been keeping it all inside for so long…His feelings exploded out of him uncontrollably. His voice dripping with sarcasm, Alex stomped around the station, "I mean, hey, why not? If a lion can take a subway, and a bunch of giraffes can walk out of a zoo in broad daylight, why couldn't a penguin drive a cab?" Alex continued, "I just hope he doesn't expect a tip, because his schedule-keeping is lousy!"

"Alex, are you hungry?" Melman asked timidly.

"No, I'm not hungry." Alex snapped, "I had a very filling breakfast of steak and fish, and I'm fine. I'm just fine! But I'd be a lot finer if some part of my day would go right, you know, just for a change in PACE!" He banged his fist on a bench, "And I'm in here, listening to a lunatic penguin, while Marty and Cora are out there freezing to death!" Alex pointed to the snowy world at the top of the stairs.

"Alex!" Gloria exclaimed, grabbing the upset lion, "You settle down! You don't know…"

Melman interrupted her, "Alex, I thought you said you weren't hungry."

A low rumble could be heard.

Alex looked confused, "That isn't me!"

The rumbling grew louder. And louder.

Whoosh! A train roared through the station, slowing down as the loudspeaker announced its arrival.

"Look!" Alex smiled, "The train made it! We don't have to wait for the taxi!"

The train slowed to a stop. Its last car pulled exactly even with the departure tunnel, leaving the tracks accessible to the station completely empty.

Alex stared. His hope drained once again. "Why me?" he cried.

"I don't think it's supposed to do that." Mimi whispered to her husband.

"Look, Alex," Gloria said gently but firmly, "We'll wait for the taxi, okay? I'm sure it's not going to be much longer."

The frustrated lion glared at the back of the train and sighed, feeling empty after releasing his emotions, "What else can we do?"

"Marty, you've got to get these wet clothes off!" Cora remarked to Marty.

Skipper and the other penguins had more or less settled into the routine of driving, with Skipper calling out "Brake!" and "Gas!" every so often. The ride was much smoother.

The ice in Marty's fur had melted. He was now soaking wet as opposed to frozen. The zebra was shaking, though whether because of the cold or the intense people smell in the cab was debatable. He felt tingling all over, and the scrapes on his legs now stung. Wow, I didn't realize just how tired I was. I guess I was too cold. Did Cora say something? I probably should answer her…I am sooo sleepy. Cora. What did she say? Something about wet. Yeah, I feel wet.

"Mm hmm." Marty mumbled. He was barely aware of Cora helping him remove the torn jacket and the wet shirt. He hardly noticed when she wrapped the scrapes on his legs with strips of the shirt to stop the bleeding. And he didn't realize that soon after, he fell asleep with his head on Cora's shoulder.

Surprised, Cora smiled. She sighed. I'm glad he's resting and drying off. Two days. She shook her head at the zebra. Two days is too long for anyone in this weather.

"I hope your friends appreciate you." Cora whispered to her sleeping companion, "because I sure do. I really missed you, Marty. I was so afraid we wouldn't find you. You're the first real friend I've ever had." Cora closed her eyes contentedly. Marty is right next to me, and we're going to go see Alex, Gloria, and Melman. Soon, we'll all be on a ship back to Madagascar.

All is right in my world.

Melman was awakened from a wonderful dream about the emergency room. What's going on? The drowsy giraffe wondered, Is this an earthquake? If it is, we're in trouble. We're in the worst place possible! We're underground!

"Guys! Guys? Wake up!" He looked around at his pals, all of whom had fallen asleep, "Wake up! Mom? Dad? Come on, now, WAKE UP!"

Alex sat up and rubbed his eyes, "What is it, Melma-" He stopped.

The ground was rumbling again.

Outside the station, a cab pulled ungracefully up onto the snowy sidewalk.

"This is it!" Skipper announced, "Striped quadruped! Are you able to go inside and report that we have arrived?"

"Yes, sir!" Marty said, feeling much better after a long nap. He got out of the car and trotted to the station. Cora watched his bobbing mane disappear down the steps.

"Maybe I should go with him." She suggested.

Skipper smiled at her, "Your monochromatic friend will be fine! I'm sure his mission will be successfully accomplished in a manner of minutes."

"Skipper." Private said, "I thought Plan B was in the event that the subways didn't work."

"That is correct, young Private." Skipper answered.

Private looked confused, "Then why is the ground shaking?"

Marty saw his friends over by a wall. They appeared to be waking up. He smiled, "Alex!" he yelled happily.

Alex looked up and saw Marty, "Marty!" he cried. Gloria and Melman smiled, "Marty! You made it!"

"Guys! The cab's h…" Marty called. Then he stopped. "What's that?"

The rumbling was getting more and more intense. "An earthquake," Melman stuck his head under a bench. Mimi and Mitchell held each other tightly.

"Melman, I don't think that's an earthquake." Gloria said.

Alex wasn't paying attention. He was running to Marty.

Suddenly, a train came barreling into the station at full speed!

Alex stopped, saw the speeding subway, and remembered the train that was already stopped on the track.

"Uh, oh."

Smash! The first car of the speeding train collided with the last car of the stopped train. The force of the impact sent the remaining cars sliding off the tracks and slamming into the station. They hit a pillar, then a wall. The cars bunched up on themselves like someone closing an accordion in a very messy way. The schedule board and various other signs fell from the ceiling. The automated loudspeaker announced the arrival of the train just before being crushed by a falling piece of concrete.

The station was falling apart.

"Everybody get out!" Alex yelled, pointing at the stairs. He saw Melman, Mimi, Mitchell, Gloria, and Kowalski running for the stairs.

Someone was missing.

"Marty? Marty! Where are you?" Alex cried.

"Over here!" Marty's voice answered, "Alex, look out!"

Alex dodged just as a light fixture fell to the ground where he had just been standing. All around the station, other light fixtures rained down to the floor. He caught a glimpse of Marty, struggling to get a sign off his leg. Then all of the lights went out.

"Marty!" Alex yelled over the sound of the station caving in.

A large slab of concrete broke from the ceiling and slammed into the floor in front of Alex.

"Alex, get out of here!" Marty cried, afraid for his friend's life.

The wrecked subway train burst into flame, lighting the cavernous station.

Alex dodged yet another missile that was determined to land on his head, "I'm not leaving until you are!" Alex fought his way to Marty. He felt around, grabbed the sign that kept Marty trapped, and tossed it aside.

Marty got up, "Then let's go!" He ran toward the staircase with Alex hot on his heels.

Alex heard a loud snapping sound above him. He looked up. Giant cracks and fissures shot across the concrete ceiling. It started to give way.

The lion ran for the stairs. He saw the outline of Marty climbing the stairs. Huge chunks of concrete fell. Alex dodged one, but tripped over another and sprawled on the floor. Lying on is back, he saw a gargantuan slab directly above him dislodge itself from the ceiling and start to fall, as though in slow motion.

Then he knew he wouldn't make it.

Alex took one last look at his beloved friend limping up the steps to safety.

"Goodbye, Marty."

Marty reached the top of the staircase. A cloud of concrete dust puffed out of the staircase.

All was quiet.

"Alex?" Marty looked around. "Alex? Alex!" To his horror, Marty realized that his best friend hadn't made it out with him.

"No!" Marty ran back down the stairs, coughing on the dust.

All he saw was a sea of concrete slabs, broken and crumbling, sticking out every which way. The slabs were lit by the smoldering train, giving the room an eerie light.

Tears filled Marty's eyes. "Alex." He choked.