DISCLAIMER: Penguins of Madagascar and all original storyline characters are the property of Nickelodeon and the respective creative talents of the show. The creation of this fan fiction is for enjoyment purposes only and no money is being made. All characters of my own creation remain my property and may not be copied or used without permission.
Once More unto the Breech
Chapter 8
By
Wildgoose
(The penguins sit inside the storage compartment of a bus as it proceeds to its next destination after having left SeaWorld Oceanic Park. Grunts and complaints are heard as the four attempt to move about amongst the baggage in the darkness until finally a beam of light breaks through casting its glow about the compartment allowing the penguins to observe their surroundings.)
Skipper: Excellent work Kowalski, where did you find the flashlight?
Kowalski: (taps a metal box attached to the wall of the compartment) In this little box marked emergency road kit. We also have four road flares, this reflective triangle that…well…reflects. (Shines the flashlight on it to demonstrate) I'm not sure what real purpose this thing is supposed to serve BUT it's what we have. Also we have this nifty blanket, the down side is that there's only one.
Private: Well at least it was courteous of the humans to provide accommodations for stowaways. We can always share it if it gets cold out.
Rico: (Skipper is about to speak but Rico gestures to cut him off) (grunts) Yea I've got this one. (Slaps Private upside the head.)
Skipper: Well thanks for being proactive, Rico!
Rico: (grunts) No sweat.
Private: Ow! (Rubs his head) What the devil was that for?
Kowalski: Firstly Private, We're penguins. Cold is what we do, we're just BUILT for it. (Rico illustrates by preening his dense feathers) Second, ….we just left sea world and our intelligence has indicated that the facility is located in the state of Florida which is relatively warm year around due to its proximity to the equator with relation to the rest of the country. (Private stares blankly for a moment)
Skipper: It means that it doesn't get cold around here, Private. So the blanket must have been put in there for some other purpose. The question is why?
Kowalski: Well there are a great number of geriatric humans who move down here every year to live out the remainder of their lives until they get wiped out by a huge seasonal storm, perhaps the blanket is placed here in case one of them expires on the bus. The blanket could be used to wrap up the body before it's disposed of thus containing the stench of decaying wrinkled old flesh…and possibly a soiled oversized baby wrapping that replaces the undergarment.
Skipper: Hmm…possibly but where's the bags of lime and the shovels you would need to go along with that situation?
Kowalski: (scratches his head with irritation) I KNOW, it's one of life's great mysteries! (Shakes his head)
Private: Um Skipper, on a side note I couldn't help but think about the others. If they have been transferred like we were then where would we start looking for them? They could be lost to us forever!
Skipper: Don't think so much like a little nancy cat, Private. Everyone in our HQ has been trained to the highest quality, even Marlene. I mean sure she doesn't have our combat training or honed skills but she's panicky and has those adorable goo-goo eyes that are almost as effective as the super cute.
Private: I don't recall Marlene ever knocking people out by being panicky or adorable.
Kowalski: (Skipper looks irritated and about to slap Private when Kowalski interrupts) Allow me to translate Skipper, Private what Skipper is trying to say is that Marlene is adept at getting what she wants by seeming afraid or adorable. The humans can't help it when exposed to such qualities from attractive animals.
Private: Oh.
Skipper: Anyhow if everybody has been transferred then finding them could be the least of our problems, what we'd really need to worry about is what's to stop Alice from discovering our HQ? Our whole operation could be compromised.
Kowalski: Oh I wouldn't worry about that Skipper, after our last series of unplanned excursions away from home I contemplated the very problem of our HQ being discovered while we were away. For some reason I happened to reflect on the little bit with Private and the wishing well a while back where for about an hour Alice had discovered our HQ after one of experiments blew a hole in the ceiling.
Private: Hey, I wished that it had never happened and look, we're all fine!
Kowalski: And yet, …if it never happened then why are we able to remember that it DID? (Pause as the penguins look back and forth at each other waiting for Kowalski to continue as he crosses his flippers smugly.)
Skipper: (annoyed) Yes Kowalski, …AND?
Kowalski: …And, what?
Private: Aren't you going to continue sharing the details of your solution to the problem? You know, AFTER the part where you reflected on the possibility of our discovery!?
Kowalski: Oh right! (Chuckles) I got ahead of myself and simply thought you understood where I was going with that.
Rico: (grunts/rolls eyes) Oh boy.
Kowalski: Anyway, …so what I did to prevent the possibility of our eventual discovery was to incorporate a failsafe into the top secret fusion reactor core. It requires that an encrypted pass code be entered every so often to prove our continued presence in the HQ.
Private: And if the code ISN'T entered?
Rico:(grunts/smiles) Boom?
Kowalski: (smug) Precisely, if the code is not entered then the control module of the reactor core will count down from a preset grace period after which the core will build to overload and detonate in a huge underground explosion destroying the entire penguin AND otter habitats. The only thing left will be a huge crater.
Private: But…
Skipper: NOT to worry Private, we'll be back long before that thing ever kicks in. (Pause) How long DO we have Kowalski?
Kowalski: Encoded six weeks from the last entry which was a few days before we left.
Private: That's not much time, we've been gone four already.
Skipper: Don't be such a nancy cat, Private. That's plenty of time, we've already escaped our confinement and as soon as we get our bearings then we'll be on our way. (Pause) So now that that little moment has been handled, does anybody remember what resort this bus is supposed to take us to?
Kowalski: (Smug) Of COURSE, the sign said Kennedy Space Center.
Skipper: (unimpressed) Great, …what kind of resort is that? It sounds some kind of museum or a storage facility, you know like Office Space®, or rent-a space, or some other open space place the humans use to store all of their useless nick-knack's.
Kowalsk: You've got me I'm afraid but it's someplace other than the confinement of our habitats so I'm certain that it's progress.
Private: (Thinks for a moment) Has anybody noticed how often we seem to be getting stuck in this whole "trying to get home" situation? It's like a repeating plot in our lives that we're doomed to repeat forever as if our actions were being dictated for us somehow. (Private looks about at the others as his comments go ignored, then looks down and shakes his head in disgust.)
Kowalski: I'd be able to give you an exact time table regarding our progress if we knew our exact location but unfortunately from in here I can't even see the sun.
Skipper: Start with the date then, what's today?
Kowalski: I'm certain today is what the humans refer to as Black Friday, the day after the American giving of thanks.
Private: (Sighs and jumps back into the conversation) What are they giving thanks for?
Kowalski: For having more than they could possibly need hopefully, and even then it's doubtful that they're actually grateful. You should remember this Skipper, you went through it when you and Marlene were human. (Skipper looks away)
Skipper: The horror of seeing that poor bird cooked to perfection and placed on the table with mounds of bread stuffed into its body and a cornucopia of other foods placed around it on the table. (Chokes up briefly)
Private: I don't recall a bird being served, Kitsune prepared every kind of fish you could imagine. Rico left the zookeepers place with a belly so full he was farting out fish the whole way home. (Skipper grumbles)
Kowalski: I think that Skipper is referring to the birds on the culinary shows broadcast on the television.
Skipper: (sighs) …And the day after is called Black Friday because?
Kowalski: Likely it has something to do with monetary liquidity, the day after Thanksgiving is the official start of the kidsmas season and thus the last day that any human will be debt free or have a penny in their pockets until sometime in the middle of next year…if they're lucky. Of course one could hardly distinguish the official start of the season what with the radio stations broadcasting kidsmas music before Halloween and the bombardment of holiday commercials well in advance of thanksgiving. One might as well blend October through January into one holiday and simply say Hallo-Thanks-kidsmas, and a suicide free changing of the calendar while consistently writing the wrong date for the next month!
Rico: (As the penguins exchange looks) (grunts) Eh, …needs work.
(The scene is inside of the main office of the Montana state zoo, Jr. and Astrid stand on the counter before the security console with Jr. working steadily. In the background the night zookeeper lies unconscious on the floor having been stunned with a makeshift taser.
Jr.: (without turning to look at the man on the floor) …And THAT's what happens when you call me monochrome you overstuffed rent-a-cop! (The unconscious zookeeper replies with the loud report of flatulence prompting Jr. to turn away in disgust.) Ugh, he had to get the last word in didn't he.
Astrid: (Fans a flipper in front of her beak for a moment to shoo away the odor) How much time do we have to get out of here?
Jr.: Plenty, the humans will be too busy worrying about the larger animals to be concerned about us. (He begins going through all of the drawers in the room packing everything he thinks he can use into a small gym bag that he got from the zoo lost and found. He zips up the bag and then reaches into the zookeeper's pockets to retrieve a wallet and cell phone. He then removes all cash and tosses the wallet) Alright, let's go see what we can get from the vending machines.
Astrid: Won't the plastic cards help us? You have one of those back home.
Jr.: No, once they're reported missing they can be used to track us. We can stay off the grid with paper money. The phone we'll only use once to call home before we leave here and then toss it. (The pair leave the room with the security monitors displaying the cages of the animals around the zoo swinging open and the animals beginning to run loose.)
Astrid: So are we going home or is this a chance to do what we've been talking about? (Jr. glances at her and smirks without answer prompting a smile from Astrid.)
Jr.: We'll need to see if we can find a laptop somewhere, once we've had a chance to settle in I'll need to set up online and complete my schoolwork.
Astrid: I thought we were trying to get away from everything.
Jr.: Not everything, we're going to check in with the family from time to time and I only have a semester to go before graduation. I've worked too hard to just give up on that. (Astrid shakes her head silently)
Astrid: Do we even have an idea where to head?
Jr.: Maine, Hans had some suggestions not far from his place.
Astrid: Won't your father blow out his sphincter or something?
Jr.: Only if he finds out. (They reach the vending machines and go to work extracting all food stuffs and money from the device. Once done they simply walk out the back exit of the zoo without a soul noticing them thanks to the distraction created by setting loose the other animals.)
(The scene changes to the otter habitat inside the Portland Zoo, It is late at night with a full moon overhead and Loki has been sitting on top the habitat cave watching everything around him for hours. Eventually Cedar comes out from the cave and looks around for Loki finding him in his perch above.)
Cedar: (Rubbing her eyes) What are you doing up there newbie, It's late.
Loki: Suddenly you're so concerned about me? I thought that you couldn't stand me.
Cedar: I can't, but I've gotten used to having a soft pillow lately.
Loki: (balls his paws into fists) I am not FAT! (Pause) …And I'm not your pillow either!
Cedar: (Smirks) I know, you're just big boned right? …And you're correct, you're not my pillow. Just your belly is, to use all of you as my pillow would suggest that I liked you. (Loki grits his teeth and growls under his breath. After a moment she repeats her initial question.) So what are you doing up there Newbie?
Loki: (sighs) Getting ready to bail on out of this place, I want to go home. At least people like me there.
Cedar: Oh come on, people like you here. You make a great pillow.
Loki: (scowls) I rest my case.
Cedar: So how do you plan on getting out of here? The fence is electrified, at best you'll get singed at worst you'll get dead.
Loki: You don't know much about electricity do you? (Cedar cocks an eyebrow and shakes her head slowly) In order to hurt you, electrical current has to be able to pass through you. (Loki looks about to ensure that the coast is clear and then backs up to get a running start, a moment later he leaps from the top of the cave to the top of the fence landing on one foot only and balancing himself while preparing for his next move. He then hops from the fence to the ground unharmed.)
Cedar: (Face drops in disbelief) You didn't get zapped, …how did you do that!?
Loki: Physics, as long as only one part of me was touching the fence and I wasn't touching the ground then the electricity had no path to travel through me.
Cedar: (Beside herself) You get marks for being clever newbie, where did you learn about that?
Loki: My friend Jr., he's a major egghead.
Cedar: A what?
Loki: A nerd. (Cedar gestures with her paws to indicate that she's still in the dark) A genius! Geez, you really are from the wild. (Pause for a moment as they exchange glances) Alright well, …I guess I'll get going then. You've got the habitat all to yourself again, have fun with it. (Loki starts to walk off.)
Cedar: (Gawks in disbelief) Wait!
Loki: (turns partially to look back in annoyance) What?
Cedar: Do you even KNOW how to get out of here?
Loki: I find the front door to be of most use, this time of night as long as you're careful you shouldn't have a problem. Once outside the walls I'll wait until I find a bus that's heading out of the city, from there I'll just have to wing it but don't worry. I'll make it home. (Turns to leave again)
Cedar: Wait!
Loki: (turns and throws his paws up in frustration) WHAT, …what is it woman!? I don't want to be your pillow okay!?
Cedar: No it's not the pillow thing, …don't leave me here. I want to go home too.
Loki: (cocks his head) You've GOT to be kidding, you've been up my butt from day one and now suddenly that the odds are in my favor I'm supposed to help you? Give me a reason why I should.
Cedar: (pause) …Because you're a good person and I'd wager that it's in your nature.
Loki: (Rolls his eyes and lets out a loud sigh) That was too easy for you, give me a better reason. It had better be GOOD too.
Cedar: (Pause in thought) You need me. (Loki cocks an eyebrow in disbelief) Look the whole way back home can't be all city with human machines to take you where you want to go, you're going to run into the county side sooner or later and that means in some areas you may have to navigate your way through the wild especially when we get closer to my neck of the world. That's where I come in, I can help you survive, avoid predators, build shelter, etc. (Loki looks unconvinced) The winter is just about here, do you know how to survive out there if we happen to be in country when the weather bears down on us? (Loki pauses in thought, sighs, and then locates an electrical box hidden in the bushes and shuts down the power to the fence. Cedar looks uncertain about the fence.)
Loki: Well come on Huck, the Mississippi isn't going to navigate itself.
Cedar: What?
Loki: Huckleberry Finn, it's a character in a book I read.
Cedar: (smirks) I forgot, …you can read human.
Loki: (As Cedar still stares at the fence.) I shut the power down, it's safe. (Pause) Like you said, the winter's coming fast, gotta' go gotta' go! (Cedar braves the fence and hops over the same way Loki did) Welcome to the urban part of the world, follow me. (They head for the front exit and along the way Cedar offers up a quick punch into Loki's shoulder) OW, what was that for?
Cedar: For being nice.
Loki: (Rolls his eyes) Wow a complement, that's new for you. Did you hurt yourself?
Cedar: I felt a twinge.
Loki: Interesting, where at?
Cedar: (punches Loki in the same shoulder as before) Right there! (Loki grumbles as he rubs his shoulder)
Loki: I guess it's true that no good deed goes unpunished. (Pause) By the way, I'm pretty sure that most of the country is covered by roadways so I really don't see why we would have much of a problem hitching rides all the way home.
Cedar: Not where I'm from.
Loki: I guess you'll be the only one of us navigating the wild then when we get close to your neck of the world.
Cedar: If you don't think that I'll be very useful then why did you bother to bust me out instead of heading on your merry way?
Loki: Like you said before, I'm nice. Regardless of how annoying my traveling companion is. (Once outside the zoo they quickly spy a bus stop shelter. Loki climbs around inside of it until he locates a bus schedule that was crumpled up on the bench. At the opposite end of the bench sits an elderly man who appears to be talking to invisible people.)
Elderly man: (looks at Loki un-crumpling the schedule and attempting to smooth it out so that it could be read easily.) You really need a shave there buddy. (Goes back to talking to himself as Loki stares at the man for a moment and then exchanges glances with Cedar.)
Cedar: (smirks) He's probably right you know.
Loki: Please don't encourage the senile old human, Cedar. (Resumes reading the schedule) We're looking for bus number fourteen, that should eventually take us west out of the city. Once we're in the suburbs we'll have to catch another ride.
Cedar: Great, how do we catch this bus without the humans noticing us? They may have a problem with small furry animals riding on their transportation machines.
Loki: (gestures as he spies a bus passing by) Outside storage compartments, see them along the side of the bus? (Cedar nods) That's where we'll be riding.
Cedar: So you HAVE done this before, and here I thought you were just trying to impress the girl.
Loki: (dryly) You're a girl, ..REALLY? (Shakes his head) The way you act sometimes I couldn't tell, your behavior certainly isn't very lady like. Heck, I was beginning to wonder if you liked monster trucks. (Cedar's Jaw drops for an instant and she looks speechless.)
Cedar: (cocks her head) Wait, what's a monster truck?
(The scene cuts to later in the day at Kennedy space center. The tour bus has unloaded it's cargo of picture snapping tourists and unbeknownst to any of them four penguins have disembarked as well and hidden themselves in a nearby security vehicle while waiting for the coast to clear before deciding what their next move should be. Unfortunately while waiting two NASA security officers approach and enter the vehicle before driving away. The penguins have little recourse but to hunker down in the back seat in effort to avoid discovery and are successful despite bouts of flatulism from undisclosed members of the team which fortunately the human security officers blame on each other while occasionally rolling the windows up or down to vent the interior of the car. After hours of planned but aborted egress attempts at each of the stops the officers have made the group of penguins finally manages to duck out of the vehicle inside of an enormous hangar with cranes and strange types of construction equipment in operation that are working on something resembling a tall thin tower with smaller towers clustered about the bottom.)
Skipper: (As the group peers out from behind a stack of crates. Before them are a large group of humans operating strange machinery used to work on the structures in the room.) Where the heck are we, a construction site? We were better off staying with the tourists. (Looks about for a moment) Kowalski, report!
Kowalski: I'm not sure Skipper, the fact that this construction seems to be occurring inside of a preexisting building may suggest that this is some sort of covert operation that the humans want to keep hidden from spy planes or satellites.
Skipper: Covert eh? Sounds like my sort of operation, what do you make of what they're building?
Kowalski: It looks like it could be a rocket, ….or a really huge water tower connected to one HECK of a toilet. I'm not sure.
Skipper: Well let's not wait around to see the butt that lands on that commode, find us a way out of here Kowalski. Curiosity can wait for another day.
Kowalski: We know Skipper, that's our ongoing mission remember? Get home and find our people, that's what we do every time we get stuck like this. It's almost a pattern.
Private: That's what I was saying earlier! (Private is again ignored)
Skipper: Did you hear something Kowalski? (Kowalski shrugs) Rico?
Rico: (grunts) My stomach growled a bit.
Skipper: I know what you mean, I could go for some grub myself. (Looks around and then points to a large cylinder shaped object tipped by a cone) Let's check out that storage bin that the humans are loading over there, where there's humans there has to be food.
Private: I'm not so sure if the humans would just put their pantry out in the open for us, usually they keep things like that near the kitchen. (Looks about) Which I actually don't see anywhere around here.
Skipper: Maybe, but it looks like it could be worth checking out. Maybe we can find something else we could use. (The penguins wait for a moment of opportunity and then belly slide over to the perceived storage area. Once inside the group begins to look about, skipper looks about at all of the shrink wrapped packages and boxes) Kowalski, what the heck IS all of this stuff?
Kowalski: (looks about while stroking his bill with his flipper) Hmm, ….well I suppose it COULD be the mysterious ® warehouse. I've always wondered where all of those packages seemed to appear from.
Private: Well there certainly seems to be a little bit of everything in here and then some, I suppose this might be it. (Pokes at the packages) Some fairly strange things as well, I don't know what they are.
Skipper: (hears a vehicle approaching) We've got company people! (The penguins dart in all directions to seek a hiding spot as the front end of a fork lift truck approaches and deposits something into the container. After withdrawing the driver exits the truck and begins to check over the cargo to insure that it's perfectly positioned. As he does so the view pans up to show Rico clinging to the ceiling as a single feather comes loose from his tail and begins to drift about slowly making its way down to the workman's head almost making contact when the man backs out of the container without having noticed it. Moments later before giving the all clear the container is suddenly sealed with a large door and bolted into place leaving the interior without illumination. In the darkness Skippers voice emerges.)
Skipper: Oh well that's just great, who forgot to pay the electric bill this month?
Rico: (shrugs/grunts) Don't look at me, you guys haven't let me handle money since we met the girls in Philadelphia.
Kowalski: Actually Skipper I don't think the present circumstance is the result of discontinued utilities.
Skipper: I can see that Kowalski, I was attempting to make light of the situation. You know light Kowalski, it's that thing we're lacking right now?
Kowalski: (grumbles) You're sarcasm is perceived Skipper. (Loud metallic scraping sounds are heard from about the container and moments later the entire thing begins to shift)
Skipper: Kowalski, report!
Kowalski: Oh NOW you want my input, mr. sarcasm.
Skipper: You can gripe later Kowalski, let's hear that report!
Kowalski: Well gee Skipper, observational input would suggest that the container we're in is being moved. More so in the upward direction it feels like, the container is probably being stored with others of the same shape or contents. (Pauses as everyone steadies themselves) …And now it seems we're moving to the left a bit. (The container makes clunking sounds as it shudders slightly.) …And now we've been put down. (Soon afterwards power tools are heard along with clunking and scraping sounds accompanied by humans talking.)
Skipper: What else have you got Kowalski?
Kowalski: Nothing useful I'm afraid, I keep hearing one of the humans outside complaining about how his mate isn't giving him any.
Skipper: (crosses his flippers) I know what that's like.
Rico: (Grunts) Well that's what happens when you marry outside of your species.
Skipper: (Points with annoyance) You know Rico, if you weren't right I'd give the order to have you slapped silly right now. (Rico rolls his eyes) Alright people, lets break out the think melons. How do we get out of here? (Looks at Rico) What have you got for us? (Rico responds by trying to hack up anything without success.) I can't believe this, we have NO equipment?
Private: Well we didn't have any before when we were at Sea world and nothing has happened to change that so…
Skipper: That's never stopped us from using the elements around us, look around and see what you can find people! (The group begins groping about in the dark and tearing away at shrink wrap surrounding boxes or crates. A moment later the compartment is filled with yellow light.)
Kowalski: (looks around to see the light coming from small squares on the wall.) I think we may have activated some sort of emergency lighting. (He begins to probe around the walls until he comes upon a circuit panel and then pries it open.)
Private: Are you sure you should be touching that?
Kowalski: It's an interesting feeling I'm having really, every fiber of my being says it's a bad idea but I just can't help myself.
Private: Well, that's how great discoveries are made I guess. (Sighs and turns away as Kowalski is shocked and thrown to the floor.)
Skipper: (Stands over Kowalski) Any progress?
Kowalski: I think I'm going to have a seizure now. (Begins twitching all over and then doing something that resembles the Curly shuffle.)
Skipper: Kowalski's occupied at the moment, Rico see what you can do with that panel. (Rico stands there and stares at Skipper unsure of how to respond)
(The scene changes to the Central Park Zoo, it is late at night here now and the area is quiet. Julian and the other lemurs have since ended their activities so the noise level has dropped significantly and with the night zookeeper having completed her tasks the area is now devoid of movement. Lighting comes from the walkway floodlights and the full moon overhead. Kowalski and Rico stand near the water on the rocks of the otter habitat while watching Skipper slap Private about while spouting some sort of non-sensical pep talk. In the background Ming can be seen looking on with a sort of half-cocked smile before being distracted by a point of light moving across the sky and seemingly moving closer at the same time. As her attention shifts the figures of the penguins fade away into nothing leaving the rocks of the habitat empty once more.)
Ming: (Watching as the point of light grows closer still, a look of curiosity morphs into a smile as Ming closes her eyes for a moment and sheds a tear) I've missed you so much, where did you go? (The point of light closes on the zoo quickly and moments later a small figure descends into the zoo and touches down in the penguin habitat. The figure is an otter donning a green glowing uniform which fades to reveal fur moments after touching down.)
Yoshi: Mom, dad, I'm home! (She looks about to find no response, Yoshi heads down into the penguin habitat and several minutes later pops up through the cave of the otter habitat.) Where IS everybody!?
Ming: (smiles as she calls over from her spot on the rocks) I'm still here. (Ming rushes over and embraces her sister in a hug) Where have you been, I couldn't find you anywhere!? It was like you dropped off the earth.
Yoshi: (chuckles briefly) It's funny that you should mention that, I sort of did for a while.
Ming: (confused) What?
Yoshi: It's a LONG story and I'll get to that in a bit, but for now where is everybody?
Ming: (looks down) Gone, they were all transferred to other places.
Yoshi: (Jaw drops in disbelief) Trans….transferred!? How can that be, the zookeeper always….
Ming: He's gone to, the zoo got rid of him. Then they got rid of us.
Yoshi: How could they just DO that!?
Ming: Alice said that the zoo thought that we were too much trouble, so they got rid of all of us.
Yoshi: (cocks her head) You're still here though.
Ming: Apparently a one of a kind otter like me is too valuable to them.
Yoshi: Those rotten, greedy, … (Balls her paws into fists and grits her teeth with a load growl.) We can't abandon them, (thinks for a moment) but how are we ever going to find them?
Ming: They're okay for now, they're already working their way home. Except for Jr. and Astrid, they have their own plans.
Yoshi: Their own plans, you mean besides getting busy with each other? …And how do you know that? (Pause in thought) …And what does that even mean exactly?
Ming: To borrow from you, it's a long story. You'll just have to trust that I know.
Yoshi: …But HOW do you know?
Ming: (looks thoughtful) You have your talents, …I have mine.
Yoshi: (Smirks) Talents?
Ming: (Reaches over and taps the ring on Yoshi's digit) So what's with all the green and the flying?
Yoshi: (surprised) You saw my approach!?
Ming: (shrugs) ...And more. (Yoshi looks intrigued at what that could mean) So…?
Yoshi: Um….(Thinks for a moment on how to sum things up quickly) I've got myself a job, …as a space cop, …sort of.
Ming: (Amused) A space cop!?
Yoshi: A green one, yea.
Ming: Who hired you, intergalactic five-o?
Yoshi: They're aliens, I don't know about the five-o part. Like I said before, it's a long story.
Ming: Yea, we seem to keep tossing that phrase around a lot. (slight disbelief) So aliens..?
Yoshi: As in people from other worlds, strange new cultures and civilizations, cue the star trek theme® if you want. (Ming smiles in amusement) So you said that everybody was okay though, …do you know where they all are?
Ming: They were in zoo's, but they've escaped. Except for dad and the team, they're somewhere in Florida. Now I'm having a real hard time figuring out exactly where they are.
Yoshi: How are you keeping track of them, are they tagged or something?
Ming: (looks uneasy) No. (Yoshi looks about to speak) Like I said, you have your talents and I have mine.
Yoshi: Besides sharing Hannibal's affinity for martial arts I've never known you to have any talents other than being afraid of everything. (Ming looks slightly hurt) So spit it out, this is our family we're talking about and it's in trouble by the sounds of things so there's no time for games, how are you keeping tabs on them!?
Ming: (Takes a deep breath and makes a leap of faith) …I can see what they see. (Yoshi's face twists in a bewildered/confused expression)
Yoshi: (expression morphs into a wry smile) You were watching old movies with Jr. before everybody left weren't you, "Big Trouble in Little China" was it? Been having a little of Egg Shen's tonic have you?
Ming: (Takes a deep breath and gestures with her paws) I have psychic abilities okay?
Yoshi: (disbelief) What?
Ming: Telekinetic, telepathic, and photokinetic. (Loud sigh) …I knew you had returned while you were still flying.
Yoshi: (Stunned/confused expression) Prove it!
Ming: (Sighs/looks disappointed) Can't you just believe me? (Yoshi makes a questioning gesture with face and paws prompting Ming to sigh in defeat and knock Yoshi on her butt with a thought.)
Yoshi: Alrighty then, I honestly thought you were having fun with me.
Ming: (beside herself) I thought you would be a little more stunned than this.
Yoshi: Trust me, I've seen some pretty interesting stuff as of late. It will take a bit more to stun me. (Picks herself up while rubbing her rump) Okay you've impressed but Is that the extent of what you've got?
Ming: On Halloween, the human girl that went out to apologize to the crowd for the delay, …that was me.
Yoshi: (dumbstruck expression/smirks) I'm listening.
Ming: I tried to tell you before about the things I can do… (Looks frustrated as she lacks the means to properly explain without Jr's technical jargon. She closes her eyes as she lets out a loud sigh and a moment later she is replaced by the human woman she made appear on Halloween to address the crowd.)
Yoshi: (looks Ming up and down) It's official, I'm impressed. Alright you can push people around if you want to…and apparently make people see things. (Pause) So how long have you been able to do this stuff!? (Awkward pause) …And have you ever done anything to me?
Ming: Do we have to go into all of that right now? We're sort of losing focus of the original topic.
Yoshi: (Thinks for a moment) All right fine, but we're going to have a REAL long chat about this later. (Scoffs) Keeping huge secrets like that from your family?
Ming: I didn't want anybody to be afraid of me.
Yoshi: We're… your… FAMILY!
Ming: Original subject…? (Grumbles and point a finger at Ming to suggest the subject will be continued later)
Yoshi: So we don't know exactly where our family is, …what about the zookeeper?
Ming: He's moved to his old place in NJ with his family.
Yoshi: How do you know about that place, the last time we were there was before you were born. (Ming responds by tapping her temple) Oh right, …I guess I have to get used to that. (Pause) At least we're sure of where the zookeeper is, we'll deal with that in a moment. First things first though. (Yoshi walks into the cave of the otter habitat with Ming trailing behind and work their way back over to the penguin habitat to eventually arrive at Jr.'s work space where Yoshi walks over to the green crystal like lamp sitting on the table.)
Ming: What's that thing?
Yoshi: A power source, I have to recharge.
Ming: What are you a Duracell® or something? (Yoshi doesn't respond but instead places her ring against the lamp, there is a brief glow as a transfer of energy occurs after which Yoshi uses the rings energy to lift the lamp off the table and float it out of the room as she works her way back up out of the habitat to the surface.) What are you going to do with that thing?
Yoshi: I have to take it with me, the ring needs to be recharged periodically.
Ming: What, …where are you going? You just got back!
Yoshi: I'm going to go find the zookeeper and see what we can do to get everybody back, don't worry I'll return for you.
Ming: Yea eventually, you can't leave me here all alone again. Do you have any idea what it's been like here for me!? I've been all alone, with nobody. It's scary…
Yoshi: You seem to have made out okay, you'll be fine again.
Ming: I don't WANT to be all alone again, I hate how it feels. Just take me with you, at least at the zookeepers place I'll have family around me. (Pause as she points at the lamp) You're taking that big thing with you, can't you take me as well?
Yoshi: (looks back and forth between Ming and the lamp) I probably could but I'm still learning with this ring, it takes concentration and I'm not sure if I can concentrate on three things at once. I don't want to take the chance of dropping you.
Ming: So leave the lamp and take me, come back for that thing later.
Yoshi: I can't just leave it here, it looks like the zoo is already converting the penguin habitat into something else. Something could happen to the lamp.
Ming: Is that the only thing you care about any more, don't you have any room for your sister?
Yoshi: Of course it's not, but it IS very important. I've been trusted with it, it's a universal responsibility. (Ming crosses her arms and stares at Yoshi.) Look, I have to go but I promise I'll come back for you as soon as things are straightened out okay? (Yoshi's green uniform reappears and she starts to lift off from the ground when she is suddenly hit from behind by a flying bench that came from outside the habitat. A moment later Yoshi picks herself up off the ground with a grunt and a groan.) What the…?
Ming: I can't believe you'd choose a stupid lamp over your own sister!
Yoshi: It's a lantern, … and did you just throw a park bench at me?
Ming: (shrugs) I didn't want to…
Yoshi: I've never seen this side of you before Ming. (Sigh) I will come back for you, I promise. You can't stop me from going okay. (The splintering of wood and creaking of metal is heard as Yoshi looks over at the bench that had hit her to see that it is crumpling itself into a very small ball.) Um…. (Awkward pause) I can see that you're upset by recent events so I'll just go. (Yoshi tries to fly off to the left but collides with something and falls to the ground. After she shakes it off she looks to see she'd run right into the rocks behind the penguin pond.) Wait, …I was going in the opposite direction. (Looks around to see Ming staring at her) Did you do that? (Sighs) Fine, chalk this up under sibling rivalry I guess. (Yoshi lets out a blast from her ring that manifests into a set of chains that bind Ming and a shroud to cover her whole head.) You can't hit what you can't see, I'll let you go as soon as I'm clear of this place so don't worry. (A moment of silence passes) You're not going to say anything? (Another silent moment passes) Alright but I don't want any hard feelings from you later about this, You're my sister and I love you but what I'm trying to do is in the best interest of everybody. (Water droplets begin to tap Yoshi on her head and shoulders.) What the…? (Yoshi looks about herself and then up to see that the water from the otter habitat pond has formed into a wave like form and arced up and over to the penguin habitat above Yoshi's head.) Oh crap! (Yoshi tries to form a shield about herself but it not fast enough before the wall of water sloshes down on her. Having lost her concentration Ming is freed from her bonds. While Yoshi coughs and gags Yoshi is lifted up and then pinned against the nearby rocks several feet off the ground. Yoshi struggles but is unable to move.) Ming! (Gags some more) You said you didn't want anybody to be afraid of you but you're doing a darned good job of scaring your sister, is that really what you want?
Ming: (Bows her head as her face turns sad, a moment later Yoshi is released and falls to the ground) I don't want anybody to be afraid, ….but I also don't want to BE afraid. Just take me out of this place, that's all that I want. Then you can come right back for that lamp, how much of that things energy can it take? It flew you back and forth from wherever it is that you went didn't it?
Yoshi: I could have come back for you just as quickly you know.
Ming: You weren't making it sound that way, the way you sounded you'd be back for me whenever you found the time. That's if you didn't get wrapped up with everybody else and forget about me.
Yoshi: (Sighs as she stops to think) I guess that was kind of my train of thought at the time, except for the forgetting about you part. Alright, ….I'll make a double trip if that makes you happy. (Yoshi takes the lantern back into the HQ and then comes back up.)
Ming: I'm sorry for my behavior Yoshi, and thanks for taking it easy on me. I was worried you were really going to dish it out with whatever that ring can do.
Yoshi: Actually I'm still new with it, I have to work on being creative quicker so I can act faster. (Pause) I also didn't want to end up like that bench.
Ming: I'm sorry about that.
Yoshi: It's okay, you just have to learn not to be afraid. As I've been told, fear is the enemy of will, it's what stops you from taking action.
Ming: (Nervous) We're enemies then?
Yoshi: Of course not, but fear is what has made this place your prison and what made you act out against me. If you don't want any of those things to happen again you have to overcome your fear, some temper control might help in the long run also. (Pats Ming on the shoulder) We'll work on it together. (Ming smiles)
Ming: So do I have to take your paw or something?
Yoshi: Do I look like Peter Pan to you?
Ming: Click some slippers together?
Yoshi: That was "The Wizard of Oz", you watch too much TV Ming. (Yoshi's ring glows and field of energy envelopes them both and they lift off ascending into the sky towards the horizon.) I forgot to mention, if you're afraid of heights too, close your eyes and aim your face down in case you barf. (Ming frequently looks about for something to grab hold of.)
Ming: (Over the sound of wind rushing past them) Where's the cape?
Yoshi: (Sighs) That's Superman, Ming! Stop reading Loki's comics. (The two fade into the distance becoming only a green dot of light before disappearing from view)
Chapter 9 coming soon….
