Authors note: More name pronunciation: Rashid (Raw-sheed)
Chapter 26: Good News and Bad Reactions
"Tenji!" the large white lion quickly drew his son into a hug.
Tears of joy poured from Tenji's eyes, "Am I awake?"
Elsa smiled, her eyes sparkling, "Yes, Tenji. It looks like our King Pala has returned."
"Oh, Tenji. I've missed you so much!" Pala exclaimed.
"I can't believe it!" Tenji cheered.
The lionesses crowded around their returned leader, leaving the zoosters and the penguins standing staring open mouthed at the king. Julien muttered, "I so have no idea what's going on."
"I'm with you there," Gloria mumbled.
Finally, Pala released his son and turned to Alex, "So you're the new lion I've been hearing so much about."
Unaware of what to do, Alex bowed low to the ground.
"No need for that, I have some explaining to do!" Pala chuckled.
"Oh yes you do!" Tana snapped, "Where have you been the last few months?"
Pala turned to Tana, a smile still on his face. "Long story," he answered.
"Dad, tell us what happened. We thought you were dead!" Tenji exclaimed.
"Ok, ok," the white lion straightened up and cleared his throat, "If all began a few months ago, when Kuju took me out again to look for additions to our pride. It turns out Kuju was just trying to kill me! Kuju lead me to the south river and he and some other lion pushed me into the current drawing me to the waterfall. I fell and lost conciousness. When I awoke I was washed onto land miles and miles down the river. I was badly injured, you see. Both my hind leg's were broken, as well as three of my ribs. I tried to walk, but I only covered a few yards before collapsing to the ground. I was then rescued by my old friend, a wise old giraffe named Rashid. I stayed with him until I could heal enough to return and destroy Kuju to liberate my pride. Rashid fed me and gave me water until eventually I was well enough to walk again. A few day's ago, word had travelled through the birds that a new lion by the name of Alex came to the pride. I figured that Kuju would take this new lion to be a threat to his tule and might cause an uproar in the pride. Especially after discovering that this Alex fellow was accompanied by, pardon the term, 'plant-stuffers'. Though not as well as I was before the accident, I began my journey to return here. And now, here I am."
"Wait!" Tenji held up a hand, "If you survived a fall down that waterfall, then that means Kuju could've as well!"
"No. Kuju is dead," Pala answered plainly.
"How do you know?" Alex inquired.
"You see, I travelled here along side the south river. As I was walking in the bitter rain yesterday I saw a figure. I approached it to get a better look. It was Kuju's body. I gave him a make-shift burial and continued my journey. I have to say, I was relieved knowing he was gone, but that other lion that helped Kuju try and kill me is still about!"
"No, dad," Tenji answered, "He's dead, too."
"Really, but how do you know?" the king asked.
"After you 'died' a new lion came to the pride, even before Alex. It was Malik. And, yesterday, Malik died. We buried him by the feeding cliff."
"Tenji, would you mind filling me in on all that's happened? The birds can only pick up small stray facts," Pala requested.
Tenji nodded and sat next to the king, telling him the epic tale from Malik's arrival until Pala's own arrival describing every last detail, "And so, that's when you came," Tenji finished.
Pala paused for a moment to take this new information in. "Well Tenji, I'm very proud of you. Thank you for all that you've done in my absence," he turned to Alex, "And you, Alex. I can't thank you enough for liberating a pride that wasn't even your own. You showed love and compassion as Kuju could never dream to show," he veered to the left, "And you eight: zebra, giraffe, hippo, and...flappy-swimmy...things-"
"For the love of god," Kowalski shouted, "We're penguins!"
"Alright, alright, penn-gwinnz," he struggled to pronounce, "I would like to make all of you members of the Pala Pride, so that we may protect and serve each other in these difficult times."
"Sorry, your majesty," Julien hopped forward, "But I am afraid that we will be departing soon."
"What's this?" Pala was confused.
Marty explained, "We have a home to return to. We've been gone for days, and the longer we wait, the harder it will be to go back-"
"But we can't leave yet," Alex interrupted.
Marty looked at Alex with a puzzled look, but Alex's stern nod answered Marty's inner question.
"What is it, Alex?" Pala inquired.
"Can I speak with you alone, your majesty?" Alex requested.
"But, of course!" the king answered, "Follow me." The king looked back, "I'll be just a minute, Tenji," then he and Alex headed towards the grey rock together. The two jumped over to the other side. The morning sun was now midway in the sky, but the rays still beamed down apon the two lions. "What is it, young one?" Pala asked.
Alex thought of how he would phrase it. "You see..." Alex paused, "Theres this...problem I have..."
"Go on," Pala encouraged.
"Well...recently I've been hearing a...voice...in my head..." he trailed off. With regretful eyes he looked up to see Pala's ghastly expression, but he found Pala looked quite comfortable, completely unmoved by the confession Alex was just given.
"And what about this voice?" Pala asked.
Alex took a breath, opened his mouth, but closed it again. He cleared his throat, "Well...It claims to be my instincts...but it has a mind of it's own. It comes up with evil ideas and constantly tries to take over my mind," Alex sighed, "Yesterday, it almost succeeded," Alex quickly lifted his head again, "The point is, I can't live like this..." he looked up at Pala with his sparkling blue eyes, "I need your help."
Pala tapped his chin. He nodded to himself and lowered his paw. After what seemed to be an eternity, he answered, "You know, what you have isn't all that unusual."
"It isn't?" Alex pondered.
"Why, no. In fact, I had it once," the king answered.
"Wha- you did? You mean you can help me?" Alex's hope was growing.
"Of course I can," Pala smiled.
Alex was overtaken with joy, "Oh my god! Thank you so much," his expression suddenly shifted, "Wait...how exactly are you going to help?"
Pala laughed, "Nothing drastic, let me assure you," he once again assumed his calm, wise expressin, "But, first you must understand what you have acquired. You have a strange side affect that comes only in certain rare situations. You first become susceptible to it when you experience a large change in your life," Pala explained.
"Check," Alex answered. He thought of when he first came to Madagascar.
"It becomes stronger when you are disappointed," the king listed.
"Check," Alex nodded. He thought of when he was told the boat was out of gas.
Pala continued, "And it becomes a near permanent affair when you experience extreme anger."
"And check!" Alex acknowledged. Alex knew the final component is when he got angry with Skipper. Alex looked up at the king, happily. But his mood changed into curiousity, "When did you have It?"
Pala cleared his throat once again before answereing, "You see, when I was but a young lion, a new male took over our pride. He attempted to kill me to make sure all of the children in the pride were his. But, luckily I escaped," he gazed at the ground, "The only one to escape. I was forced to wander the wilderness alone. This is when the change came. Then, I attempted to return but my mother had already accepted this new lion, and I didn't wish to make her unhappy. Regretfully, I left forever. This is when disappointment came. And finally, I cursed this new lion and all he had done. This is when anger came, and the voice appeared. For months I struggled not to kill more than I had to, but it began taking control. Despite myself, I found myself doing reckless and dangerous things with no particular goal in mind. I thought I would surely perish the next time the voice got a hold of me. But then I met Rashid, the wise giraffe shaman of the savanna. He's the one who nursed me back to health when Kuju had tried to kill me. Anyway, Rashid knew exactly what the voice was and how to fix it. He took me to get a spiritual cleansing. I came out, relieved and free, and I then decided to make a pride of my own. And, here we are today in the Pala Pride," he beamed at Alex, "And tomorrow, I will take you to Rashid for yousrself, and he will help you how he onced helped me, all those many years ago."
"Oh thank you so much," Alex hugged the king in all his joy. He quickly released him, realizing how disrespectful he was acting.
Surprisingly, Pala simply began laughing. "Alright, young one. I have a few affairs to put into order." he jumped onto to the top of the rock. Suddenly, the king chuckled again, "Well, well, it seems we have a few eavesdroppers."
Alex climbed atop the rock and gazed downward. Marty, Julien, Melman, and Gloria were crowded against the rock. Gloria looked disappointed. However, Melman looked very upset.
Marty looked up at Alex with apologetic eyes, "I'm sorry, Alex. I told them it was private-"
"We both tried," Julien added.
Pala realized the weight of the situation. He glanced over at the lion, "Alex, I'll be under my tree if you need me." And with this, the king left.
Melman waited until the king was out of sight. He looked up at Alex angrily, "Why didn't you tell us you were still having a problem. All this time you couldn't trust us!"
Alex took a step back, "No! C'mon Melman, I trust you."
"Oh sure you say that now!" the giraffe snapped.
"It's not a big deal, I'm getting it taken scare of," Alex defended looking down at him from the rock.
"C'mon, Melman, it isn't that big a deal," Gloria sighed.
"Yes it is!" Melman shouted, "All this time we've been walking around with this-this MONSTER!" Melman stormed off in a huff.
Alex was frozen in place. The words stung him more than the battle with Kuju. Alex slid down the rock and bowed his head to the ground.
Gloria noticed his downtrodden expression. "Alex, it's no big deal. We were better off not knowing," Gloria put her hand on the lion's back.
Alex brushed it off, and walked away, eyes focussed on the ground.
Marty tried to get him to come back, "Alex! C'mon buddy."
"Just leave me alone for a while," Alex continued off. Sadly, he headed towards the king's tree.