Warning, the first scene of the following chapter contains depictions of strangulation and other forms of violence you would expect involving a sadistic dictator. Viewer discretion is advised.

….

Roaring waves of black and white ebbed and flowed beneath a bright blue sky, with every mountain lemur from the tall to the small making up it's vast depths. All except for a few who stood apart from the rest around on a large stage adjacent to a tall pole with a massive mound of kindling surrounding it's thick base. Then, one of those lemurs slammed a huge hammer against a gargantuan gong and it's booming call sliced through the clamor of the colossal crowd like a knife. To which Minerva pressed up against Jodie and clenched her quivering paws around her friend's arm ever tighter as lips swiftly shut and the tide of eyes turned towards the stage. Where King Koto stepped forth and told once more of a new traitor among them. At which Campion dragged forth a shackled mountain lemur and the king informed the unaware masses of the man's crime. Which was that he had snuck into the pen that held their people's latest batch of prisoners and had wasted vital medical supplies on one of it's inferior inhabitants. At which the accused proclaimed with scathing conviction,

"Valuing life isn't a crime!"

"Quiet you!" Campion swiftly snapped and yanked the chains that bound the man's arms and neck. At which the prisoner let out a strangled gasp as he was jolted off his feet and landed on his hands and knees before the captain. Whose scolding scowl remained steadfast as his victim started violently coughing, with his head bowed as his body rattled.

While Koto's own enraged expression twisted into a wide wicked grin and he strolled on over to stand above the prisoner, then waited until the man's pained hacking simmered into lighter huffing and puffing before telling him with gleeful mocking, "Well then, I've got good news for you, doc! Seems your patient has made a full recovery, thanks to you! Wanna see him?" At which the king's smug sneer widened all the more as the former doctor's fleeting scorching scowl for him swiftly fell in heart stopping realization. Koto then looked over his shoulder at the large curtain that covered the back of the stage, cupped a paw around his mouth and giddily called out in a sing song manner, "Oh Ben-son! You can come out now!" At which a corner of the curtain lifted and out stepped Benson, carrying in his arms a bound and gagged giant jumping rat. Who ruefully looked to the shackled man and received a wide eyed stare from his savior in return. Then, the latter's face furrowed once more and he slowly picked himself off the floor as he snarled something that Minerva couldn't quite catch. Though Koto did, to which he placed a paw to his ear and leaned towards the accused as he said loud and clear for all to hear, "Hmm, what's that, doc? Sorry, you're going to have to speak up. I don't think everyone heard you."

"You son of a bitch!" The condemned doctor bellowed out his enraged battle cry as he lunged towards the king. Whose sadistic smile widened all the more as Campion promptly wrenched the livid lemur's chains mid leap. To which the prisoner's eyes popped out wide and he squeaked out a strangled gasp as the thick iron tightened all the more around his throat. As the captain propelled him backwards and slammed him to the floor in one swift motion, accompanied by a thunderous thud that rattled Minerva down to her bones.

At which Koto threw his head back in boisterous laughter that promptly gained callous company. From the guards on stage to lemurs below, heinous howling spread like wildfire, swiftly blending together into one ear splitting entity that drilled into Minerva's skull and violently shook her brain. That caged her hammering heart within it's cruel claws, squeezing it tighter and tighter and it was all Minerva could do not to scream but to laugh. Painfully, obviously forced cackling that caused Jodie to stare at her friend with a startled start, grave confusion and concern. Upon noticing this, Minerva was struck by a jolt of panic and she elbowed her friend while hurriedly nodding to their surrounding peers, all of whom were too preoccupied in their wicked merriment to notice the pair's distress in those moments. And when Jodie kept giving her that pained puzzled look, Minerva kept elbowing her while her eyes pleaded for understanding. Which finally, mercifully came to Jodie and so, she reluctantly joined in with her own forced guffaws that, as with Minerva, wouldn't have fooled anyone on their own but lost in that sea of vile glee, it was enough to conceal the friend's true feelings. Enough to protect them from those who wished to stomp out such soft hearted sentiments. Enough to spare them from ending up like the rebel laying battered and forsaken before them.

It was when their peer's heinous howling finally started simmering into sinister snickers that the pair shut their lips and watched as Koto gave off a last few fiendish giggles before looking over to a still cackling Benson. Who had one arm wrapped around his jiggling belly as if were about to burst while the other still held onto the rueful rat, whose mournful gaze remained on the shackled man still laying on the stage. Koto's face then furrowed into a irritated scowl and after closing the distance between them, punched his lackey in the arm. To which Benson let out a sharp startled yelp, then sheepishly looked to his king. Whose smug smirk returned to his lips and he whispered something into his minion's ear that Minerva couldn't hear but she did see the ghouless grin that swiftly spread across Benson's lips while his face lit up like the sun overhead. She then watched with mounting dread as the goon promptly turned the rat around so that they were face to face as he looked upon his hostage as a fossa would with their prey, receiving a wide eyed gaze of terror in return. At which Minerva squeezed her eyes shut and listened as muffled horrified screaming went on for some spine chilling seconds before being cut short by a resounding,

Crack

That was followed by a thunderous thud that sliced through the now otherwise still air. It was then that Minerva, in spite of her brain beseeching her to keep them shut, opened her eyes and saw that Benson was grinning down upon his prey, who now laying sprawled out on the stage with his face turned towards the condemned doctor. Who was now on his hands and knees and stayed there as he stared upon the crumbled heap before him for a long moment. Then, his body rocked in a heaving motion as a strangled croak escaped his throat. That was followed by more heaving, more gasping that rattled him down to his bruised bones while Benson and Koto watched on with ghouless glee. Relishing in this agony until the prisoner's strangled sobbing simmered into pitiful whimpers. It was then that Koto nodded to Campion. Who dragged the despondent doctor off the stage, then brought him to the tall pole and tied him up without receiving any protest in return. Nor screaming, cursing, or thrashing. Just forlorn whimpering as the captain worked. Then, once done, Campion stepped back and Koto stepped forward, looking out at his subjects with a scolding scowl.

"Mountain lemurs, I've said it before and I'll say it again! This is what happened when you aid inferior creatures! When you dare stand in the way of what I am doing for all of us! For our people's glorious future! You pay the price and it's time you paid yours!" The king pointed a cruel claw towards the accused while keeping his eyes on his audience for most of his scathing statement, then glared over at the condemned doctor at his last few withering words. While the object of his scorn had ceased sobbing and gave his own scorching scowl in return as Koto snarled with a sneer, "Any last words, doc?"

"Fuck you!" The doctor shrieked furiously, then looked out among his peers to proclaim, "And fuck all of you standing by and allowing this insanity to go on!I'll see you demons in hell!", his words oozing with virulent venom that stabbed through Minerva's heart like a thousand swords and she clenched her chest as the condemned man then turned to Koto and snarled, "I'm especially looking forward to seeing you!"

"Aww, I'm touched!" Koto said sarcastically sweet like with his paws over his heart. He then looked over at Benson and said with a sincerely sadistic smile, "Go on, Benson. Do your thing."

"Oh boy, oh boy!" Benson said and clapped his paws excitedly as he pranced in pace, then giddily accepted the lit torch handed to him by another guard like a child receiving a long awaited present. Then, with his ghouless grin dancing across his lips, Benson turned back to the pole and lowered the torch to the massive mound of wood at it's base. Which swiftly set ablaze and the goon stepped back away from the flames while keeping his eyes on the lemur trapped within them.

Who continued to look defiantly at the crowd even as more and more smoke surrounded him. Even as one hacking cough after another escaped his lips, he still gave a scorching scowl in between them. While Benson and Koto watched with triumphant glee and even a small satisfied smirk came out to play across Campion's lips as the blaze before the trio grew. As smoke soon shrouded the sky in it's smothering embrace. As the sound of the doctor's increasingly desperate fight for air gave way into screams of agony. As the smell of burning flesh shoved itself into Minerva's nose and coiled around her lungs as well as her hammering heart. To which Minerva tightened her grip on Jodie's arm and Jodie gently squeezed her friend's paw in return but the tender gesture did nothing to stop what was happening before the pair. Nothing to stop the man's screams from drilling through Minerva's skull and blaring in her brain and blaring all the more after she squeezed her eyes shut. Nothing to stop the stench of scorched skin from stuffing her lungs. Nothing to stop Minerva from beseeching for it all to

"Stop!"

At which Minerva's eyes flew open, her body lurched forward and her desperate plea came to a screeching halt when she saw that the man trapped in his blazing tomb was gone. That she was no longer clinging onto Jodie like a lifeline helplessly floating in a sea of sneering lemurs but sitting on her bed inside the tent that the friends shared with a much smaller crowd. Which included Benson. To which Minerva's ragged breathing picked up pace and she frantically looked this way and that for the blood thirsty brute but couldn't find him or Jodie or any of their companions for that matter. It seemed she was alone and by the way the tent walls were faintly glowing and thins beams of bright light peeked around the edges of the front door flap, the rattled lemur realized that it was daytime. Which meant that all her allies must have already gotten up and were out and about.

To which Minerva took some deep shuddering breathes until her rattling bones simmered, then dragged herself out of bed. Then, she started getting ready for the new day and thoughts of that mostly memory were joined by those of an event yet to come. Uncle King Julien and Zora's wedding. For exactly when each and every lemur in King Julien's kingdom would get their chance to order around their former king had only be planned out for three weeks so far. So it was agreed upon that once those three weeks ended, then the tyrant turned servant could take a day off to get married. That present morning, in which the smell of searing flesh lingered in Minerva's lungs as she read the large calendar that hung on one of the tent's support beams, was the end of aforementioned three weeks. Which meant that the wedding was tomorrow.

Fan-fucking-tastic!

Minerva had kept her promise not to tell anyone of the upcoming occasion. Not Jodie nor any of her other companions. Including Benson. At which a tiny twinge pitched Minerva's heart and softened the bitterness within ever so slightly. For even with all her mixed, messy, morbid feelings towards the former lackey, Minerva believed that he genuinely cared for Zora in spite of herself and it was possible that Zora felt the same way towards her former friend. For according to the letters Xixi sent to everyone she interviewed during her brief stay with the mountain lemurs, the reporter had wasted no time in sharing what she had recorded with the citizens of her home kingdom. Which meant that Zora could have listened to aforementioned interviews, including the one with Benson saying in no uncertain terms that he's aligned with Minerva, before inviting Minerva and her allies to her wedding. So it was possible that Zora knew that Benson was among said allies and if that was the case, then maybe...maybe it was part of hers and Uncle King Julien's innocent act. Letting bygones be bygones with her old buddy to show that there wasn't a malicious bone in the bride to be's body. While the groom supports the heartfelt reunion whole heartedly to show that he's a wonderful, understanding lemur that Benson can trust as well. In hopes that Benson might be able to convince his companions to trust the betrothed pair in turn...Or maybe Zora really did just want to make amends with her old friend and if that was the case, then didn't she deserve the chance to do so? Didn't Benson deserve to know that maybe, just maybe, Zora missed him too?

. . .

At which Minerva let out a long exasperated groan as her elbows dropped onto the small table she was sitting at and her palms flew to her face. She then slowly shook her head as she let out a weary sigh, then her arms toppled over and flopped onto the table and the lady lemur looked into the small mirror hung before her. If the Minerva in her nightmares could hear herself now…

According to a number of people who had known her back then, Zora had considered Benson a true friend back when she still lived with her fellow mountain lemurs. That she had not only enjoyed serving Koto along side him but had been proud of her buddy being their king's top homicidal puppy, as she too believed in that demon's depraved desires. Having no qualms with carrying out his vile orders for her until she fell in love with Mort and even then, that hadn't stopped her from continuing to fight for the bastard until the day he died. Or from aligning herself with another.

And then there was Benson. At which Minerva raked her claws against her scalp as she growled out a groan through tightly clenched teeth. Ever since the day he stood up for her against Campion of all lemurs, her feelings towards the once ghouless goon had been tossed, turned and twisted in a strange and terrible limbo that had only become all the more torturous ever since the night that Sage desperately seeked him out so that they could cry about Koto together. Only for Benson to deny him that empathetic ear and even walking away without a word after Sage repeated Clover's belief that the grieving king should have killed his brutish brother. Of course, since Sage didn't give the full context behind said sardonic comment, Benson ended up deducing that Clover believed that Sage should have killed Koto after defeating him in The War of The Beasts. A belief that Benson told his companions he agreed with whole heartedly and repeated it along with other likewise statements in the days after. Which should have pleased Minerva but didn't. For she could still hear his heinous howling at so many animals crying out in agony for so many seasons. Could still see the depraved grin that danced across his lips as he broke body after body like piñatas, with the blood that painted his paws crimson and Koto's sadistic smile being sweeter then any candy to the brute. And the way he tried to denounce how much that smile meant to him sounded all too eager to Minerva. Too passionate. Too dramatic. As if he was acting out a part in a play, with Minerva and all his other new companions as his audience. The same part he had been playing ever since Koto's demise.

"Hello?"

A sharp yelp escaped Minerva's lips at the sudden sound of Benson's puzzled voice, with her skin leaping off her bones as she sprung from her seat and whipped around to find her ally standing at the tent's entrance.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I was just looking for my spear and wanted to ask if...if you've seen it. I..." Benson anxiously apologized as he held his palms out towards Minerva defensively before awkwardly trailing off and letting his paws fall to his sides as he slumped his shoulders sheepishly.

"O-oh, i-it's alright, I just wasn't expecting...anyone, that's all." Minerva awkwardly answered as she avoided Benson's gaze in turn.

"H-hey, you okay?" Benson asked with gentle concern, much to Minerva's surprise, and when she looked back at him likewise, it made Benson feel self conscious once more and he anxiously rattled on, "I-I mean, y-you seemed kinda...looked like ya had a lot on your mind just now? Not that you have to tell me what it was if you don't want to! You don't! I just...I-I'll go! I'll get my spear and go!", then proceeded to frantically search around the tent for his weapon.

This was what the relationship between the pair had become, with Minerva being unable to even describe the relief she felt whenever they parted ways. But much to her own shock and for reasons she couldn't quite grasp, a tiny voice in her head begged her not to let Benson out of her sight just yet. It begged and begged and begged until, just as Benson found his spear and was heading for the door, Minerva reached out a paw and called out with more urgency then she had meant to use,

"Wait!"

At which Benson stopped with a paw on the door flap and looked over his shoulder to stare at Minerva in shock. Which made Minerva sheepishly rub the back of her neck as she went on to say in kind, "I'm...actually glad you're here. There's...something I need to tell you. Something I need to tell everyone actually but since you're here, surely it wouldn't hurt if you know first. Tomorrow...I'm going with Clover to The Julien Kingdom."

"What? Why?" Benson asked, surprised, confused and a bit leery as well, as he let go of the flap and turned the rest of himself around to face his ally.

"Cause Sage wants me to 'keep an eye on her'." Minerva explained, with embarrassment swiftly replaced by contempt, complete with bitter venom oozing through her bared teeth as she made air quotes with her fingers. To which Benson said incredulously,

"Y-you're kidding, right?"

"Fraid not. Sage's orders."

"But...does Clover know about this?"

"Oh yeah! It was her idea for me to go so that Sage won't be supervising her himself!"

"No!?"

"Yes! Cause Clover would rather deal with my self righteous ass then Sage's and I'm going along with it cause joke's on jackass, I'm not gonna be tailing his wife's ass! Soon as we touch ground in her buddy's kingdom, the bitch and I are staying out of each other's way til it's time to go home! She'll be free to do her thing while I'm doing something actually worth my time!" Minerva's snappy retort was a pungent cocktail of smug spite that left Benson in stunned disbelief as well as seething anger as he silently listened to it all. Then, when his companion finished speaking and with his interest quite piqued by this point, he asked her,

"So, what are you going be doing?"

"I'm gonna...gonna…" And just like that, Minerva's rancorous resolve crumbled before Benson's eyes, with the former swiftly turning her falling face away from the latter's confused expression and taking a sheepishly second before telling him in kind, "I'm going to be...asking around about...Uncle King Julien and Zora."

"Oh." Simple, stunned and the only response that Benson could think to give in that moment, now understanding his companion's reluctance.

"I'm not gonna go around demanding for incriminating evidence against them or anything like that, I swear! I just...want to talk to lemurs who've spent time with them these past weeks, ask what they think. And maybe...maybe I'll talk to Zora and Uncle King Julien themselves while I'm at it." Minerva told Benson, frantically at first before slowing down to timid caution. She then furrowed her brow into a scowl and went on with greater conviction as well as frustration, "This is my chance to actually do something instead of just prattling on about what ifs and maybes! If I can get Xixi to loan me her recorder, then I can record what lemurs tell me and when I get back here, you and everyone else can listen to them too! Then maybe we all can have more meaningful conversations about this shitshow we're all stuck in stead of talking in circles day in and day out and day in and day out and…!", then trailed off when she became aware of her increasingly bitter rambling. To which she sheepishly cleared her throat and finished off on a more composed note, though Benson could still hear the determination in her words (with perhaps a sprinkling of pleading as well?), "It's worth a shot!"

"...Yeah. Yeah, it is." Benson uttered in agreement as one part of his companion's plan stood out in particular and after a pensive second, asked her with cautious hope, "Do you really think Zora and Uncle King Julien will talk to you?"

To which Minerva was taken aback by this question and took a thoughtful moment before giving her answer. "Between Xixi's interview and good old gossip, Zora and Julien probably know about us by now, where we stand when it comes to them, and I'd like to think that they would be grateful we're not treating Zora like she's definitely a demon or an angel who needs to be saved or even that Julien can't possibly be a changed lemur. That we're giving them that benefit of the doubt...even if it is very much on the leery side from me...towards both of them...but better then condemning them without a second thought or being like Sage. So yeah, I think they'll talk to me." She said, mostly solemn like with sprinklings of bitterness and embarrassment that were shoved aside by the cautiously optimistic end.

"Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense." Benson soberly agreed with a thoughtful faraway look that told Minerva that he wished he could speak with his former friend too. Which reminded Minerva that he was invited to her wedding and with that thought came yet another pang pulsing through her tangled heart. Though this one also sparked an idea in her brain, one that might appease her nagging conscience, and it was with this in mind that Minerva said solemnly,

"Benson?"

"Hmm?" Benson hummed, snapping out of his pensive state.

"Would you like me to relay a message from you to Zora?"

Well, this certainly got Benson's attention and it was all he could say but a stunned, "What?"

"I can tell her that you're thinking of her or something like that, if you'd like." Minerva explained, with composed nervousness lacing her offer.

"Y-you'd do that for me?" Benson asked in awe, with the way his face lit up and his watermelon eyes shined as those tender words passed through his lips sparking a gentle warmth in Minerva's heart, much to her shock. And she was shocked all the more by the small smile that graced her lips and the words that passed through them in reply.

"It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."

As stunned by their soft sincerity as Benson, who gave a gentle grateful grin in return. But then it faded and was replaced by a thoughtful frown. "But what would I say and...and what if she doesn't want to talk to me? Not even through you? What if it just stresses her out on top of all the other stress she's already dealing with? What if...I-I don't know." He anxiously argued.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. It's your call, not mine. I don't have to even mention you if you don't want me to and you don't have to make a decision right now. I'm not leaving til tomorrow. You got until then." Minerva gently assured him. Which managed to coax a tiny smile onto Benson's lips but just as he opened them to express his gratitude…

"Minerva!"

...Clover's shrill shriek sliced through the air like a spear. At which the pair's skins leapt off their bones as they whipped around to find the lemur queen poking her head through the front door flap while glaring in their direction.

"There you are! Get packed, get your hawk and both be ready to leave when I get back!" Clover barked her curt command, at which Minerva anxiously asked in confusion,

"Wait, what, go? Go where?"

"To King Julien's kingdom, dumbass! Where the fuck else would we go!?" Clover snapped, then demanded as she started to pull her head out of the tent, "Now get ready! I'll be back soon!"

"But Minerva just told me you were leaving tomorrow!" Benson piped in, just as bewildered as Minerva.

"We are! Or...we were." Minerva told him, with waning confidence as she spoke, then asked Clover, "Why the sudden change of plans?"

"Because I'm your queen and what I say goes, that's why! And I say you're going to get your hawk right now!" Clover made her ratty retort as she stepped forth all the way into the tent. To which Minerva recoiled from her blaring bark and anxiously pointed out,

"B-but I don't have a hawk!"

"What?" Clover said through clenched teeth, then came ever closer towards an increasingly uncomfortable Minerva as she demanded to know, "Then who the hell's hawk did you fly last time!?"

"I-I don't know! Some lemur Sage ordered to load me theirs! I don't even remember their name!" Minerva answered as she took a step back away from the queen and her withering jungle gaze. At which Benson snapped out of his stunned state, furrowed his brow into a scolding scowl and demanded,

"Hey! Lay off her!"

To which Clover glared over at Benson with a growl and although her piercing eyes sent a jolt of fear drumming down his spine, that didn't wipe the scowl off Benson's face nor stopped him from giving his opinion, with anger held back by bared teeth as he spoke, "Some of our roommates have hawks. I'm sure one of them would load theirs. That sound good to you, your majesty?"

To which Clover continued to silently scowl at him for a long second before responding. "That won't be necessary. Minerva and I can both ride Shadow. Unless either of you has a problem with that?" The queen said with a sneer to both of her subjects, with the prickly edge lacing her words spiking at their testy tip. Which would have received a snappy retort from Benson if Minerva hadn't swiftly and firmly answered with composed unease,

"That's fine. I wasn't planning on packing that much anyway."

"Good. I'll meet you back here soon." Clover firmly told her, then turned and walked away and when she was out the door, Benson turned to his companion in both confusion and offense.

To which Minerva explained that while she appreciated him standing up for her and thought that his idea was a good one, she also argued that it wasn't worth arguing with Clover over. That there was no need to stir up trouble with her at that time and assured her concerned companion that she would be fine with their temperamental leader for however long they were gone. Then, concluded with the fact that the last thing she needed was an unnecessary shouting match potentially attracting Sage especially after their last conversation.

Where Sage had found her alone the morning after he so abruptly busted into her home and got right into interrogating her about how much she and Benson's other companions had heard the previous night. To which Minerva had done her best to recap what the group had caught from his and Benson's confrontation and what little Benson told them himself, including Clover's proposition for disposing of Koto. At which Sage got uncomfortably close as he demanded to know exactly what Benson and the others had inferred from the incomplete statement given to them.

"Th-The war! W-with all the other kingdoms! Benson thinks that Clover thinks that you should have killed Koto then! A-and everyone agrees with him!" Minerva anxiously answered as she backed away from Sage. Away from his manic bloodshot eyes that were drumming frigid foreboding claws down her spine. At which time Sage lunged and grabbed Minerva's shoulders, then pulled his startled subject so close that their noses were almost touching as he furiously demanded of her,

"And you!? What did you say!? The truth!?"

"What!? No! No, I agreed with everyone else, honest! That's all! And...and I'm guessing I made the right call…?" Minerva first frantically replied before slowing into awkward cautious optimism while giving an equally uneased smile at Sage. Who continued to gaze back at Minerva with eyes like rings of fire surrounding blistering blue pools as he told her with firm command,

"You did. You are not to tell a soul what Clover truly meant! Not your friends or even their hawks must know!"

At the puzzled expression Minerva gave in reply, Sage made a closed lipped growl that gave way into an exasperated explanation. "Hawks love to gossip! Word would spread to other hawks in the kingdom in no time and that includes Shadow and if she finds out what Clover said about Koto…!" At which Sage trailed off as his face fell and Minerva didn't need an explanation as to why. For all the king's subjects knew of Shadow's sorrow over the death over her previous master and that she had chosen Clover as her new one because of what the latter had done during Koto's final moments. When she convinced Sage to spare his brother's life in spite of her own desire for the tyrant's demise. If Shadow knew just how much Clover's stance on the matter had changed…

"After everything Shadow has done for her! After choosing her as her partner in flight in spite of their differing feelings! For Clover to say something so vile about a lemur Shadow loved so much!...But I can't tell Shadow that because Clover will deny everything and Shadow will believe her because I'm the one who wanted Koto dead and Clover's the angel who can do no wrong!" Sage's ranting grew ever more embittered as he spoke, as his paws clamped onto Minerva's shoulders over tighter while his claws dug into her skin ever deeper, with the virulent venom oozing through his bared teeth like scalding ash sprayed in Minerva's face as she beseeched Sage to cease his screeching with wide petrified eyes until he finally, mercifully did. Then he huffed and puffed for air, with Minerva squinting against his hot ragged breathes until they too ceased. At which her eyes widened and her body stiffened in the livid lemur's iron grip once more as he snarled with a sneer, "Clover will do anything to stay in Shadow's good graces! Even if it means keeping her disgusting opinions to herself so that they not may not spread beyond her control! I know it!" Then, Sage's face suddenly softened and his eyes warmed to where they seemed to be inviting Minerva to jump into their gentle depths as their master pleaded, "And I'm asking you to hide her heinous words in your own heart and for your friends to do the same! Tell them not to repeat what they've heard or said to anyone! Not even their own hawks! Promise me!"

"O-okay! Okay, I promise!" Minerva swore, blindsided and unnerved by this swift shift. Though Sage continued to either not notice or not care about his subject's obvious discomfort, for his eyes lit up, his quivering lips flipped into a soft smile and he tenderly told her,

"Thank you!"

After the two of them finally parted ways, Minerva wasted no time in gathering all of her companions together and informing them of their king's wishes. From there, after discussing various pros and cons of going against said wishes, it was ultimately unanimously decided that it would be best to honor them for the time being. Since then, as far as Minerva knew, everyone had kept to their word. She certainly had. She was too afraid not to. Of what Clover might do to anyone who let the proverbial cat out of the bag. Of how Sage might use his wife's reaction against her. Of how Benson might react to the truth including that Minerva had kept it from him along side the royal couple. And the more Minerva thought, the more her fears worsened, with one horrifying scenario playing out in her mind after another in the days to come. So she did what she was told. Be it keeping her mouth shut or promptly packing her things after pacifying Benson.

Who went off and found several of their companions, explained the situation at hand and brought everyone home to say goodbye to Minerva. Who didn't have much else to tell except that she too was stumped by Clover's abrupt changing of their plans. Though truth be told, she figured that it must have had something to do with Zora and the elder Julien's wedding but of course, didn't share her musings with her companions. Instead, she only requested that they look into the matter while she was gone, to which everyone promised to do just that.

Soon enough, Clover arrived on the scene with Mort. Who watched with a heavy heart along side the mountain lemurs as their respective companions climbed onto Shadow and were carried off into the sky, with all eyes locked on the retreating trio until they vanished from sight.

It was then that Jodie pulled her eyes away to look down at Mort and said, "Mort?"

"What?" Mort curtly replied without taking his eyes off the patch of sky that had swallowed his dear friend. To which Jodie irritably asked,

"Dude, do you have any idea what Clover's deal is? Why she changed plans on Minnie out of freaking nowhere or why she wouldn't even tell her why?"

Well, this certainly got Mort's attention and he stared at Jodie for a stunned second before his face twisted in a way that sent a nervous sliver sliding down the larger lemur's spine. "Oh, that. Yeah, I know exactly what Clover's deal is. It's because I overheard some lemurs, who've all sworn that they love Clover, talking about something very interesting! Something that I just had to tell Clover and when Clover confronted these adorning subjects about it, they didn't deny it, oh no! In fact, it turns out that not only is this interesting information true but that pretty much everybody in your kingdom already knew about it and yet, nobody, nobodyhad bothered to tell Clover!" He started off low and slow with a sneer, with the somewhat composed contempt lacing his tone swiftly oozing out until his voice was soon drenched in bitterly blatant venom while the withering words within steadily picked up both volume and pace before ending in a raging roar. Mort then huffed and puffed for air while continuing to glare at Jodie while it was all Jodie could do but stare at Mort in stunned shock along with everyone else until she asked in utter perplexment,

"Dude, what the hell are you talking about!?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! All of you!" Mort shrieked his scathing retort at her, then at the rest of the increasingly confused and uncomfortable crowd. "You've all known about that demon fucking over Clover this whole time and you didn't warn her!"

"Fucking over...you mean Sage?" Jodie asked, at which Mort directed his scalding scowl at her once more.

"Oh, as if you didn't know! You can't fool me!"

"We're not trying to fool you, Mort! We really don't know! Please, just calm down and tell us what we did wrong so we can make it right!" Benson begged.

"You can never make this right, you lying bastard!" Mort screeched, then let out a blood curdling battle cry as he shoot up in the air like a lightning bolt, slammed into Benson's face and promptly proceeded to rake his claws into the larger lemur's flesh in a feral frenzy. At which Benson stumbled and fumbled this way and that in a blind panic, yowling at the top of his lungs as he scrambled to grab Mort until his paws finally clamped down around the livid lemur's tiny body. Benson then yanked with all his might against his foe but no matter how hard he pushed and shoved, how furiously he twisted and twirled this way and that, Mort held on, using his razor sharp claws to anchor himself as he gnawed on Benson's nose. All as everyone else scrambled to catch the dueling duo until the middle aged man among them finally managed to grab hold of Mort's tail, promptly planted his feet, braced his burly body and pulled with all his might. Which simultaneously stopped Benson in his tracks and after that first yank, he too dug his heels into the dirt and pushed Mort in earnest as the other man pulled and yet, Mort still held on while shrieking at the top of his lungs in protest. Then, Jodie and the other woman present each grabbed a guy companion from behind and proceeded to pull them towards their own persons with all their mights and now everyone was locked in that tumultuous tug of war, throwing their whole bodies into pulling and pushing and clamping and shoving, with all their feverish screaming blending together into one blaring howl that stuffed the crisp morning air about them.

Then suddenly, a long shrill squeal sliced through the chaotic clamor like a sword, bringing it to a screeching halt. At which the quarreling crowd all stopped on the spot and all eyes turned towards the source of this new sound, who meet everyone's stunned stares with a stern scowl. Captain Jake, Clover's hand picked replacement for Campion and one of her most loyal subjects.

"You!" Mort screeched as he released one of Benson's cheeks to point a bloody claw at the captain. Then, swift as lightning, shoved himself off his foe and swung his tiny body towards his next while letting out another blood curdling battle cry but the iron grip that the other mountain lemur man still had on his tail brought the livid lemur's furious flight to a screeching halt. At which Mort's body stretched out like a rubber band before then swiftly swinging upside down back towards where he came and before he could even blink, a huge hand clamped around his torso and the small lemur let out a startled squeak.

"What the…!?" Mort croaked and looked up to see his captor glaring down at him. Which ignited Mort's rage anew and he started squirming furiously against the thick fingers caging him but his little legs kicked nothing but air while his arms and torso remained tightly bound. "Let go of me!" Mort demanded but the larger lemur only continued to silently scowl at his quarry while keeping his hold on it good and tight.

It was by that time that Jodie had let go of aforementioned ally and after briefly watching his embittered exchange with Mort, then turned her attention to Jake as he came towards her. "What are you doing here, Jake, and why the squealing?" She irritably asked the captain, who answered likewise,

"I tried shouting but no one heard me and I'm here because I'm looking for Clover. Have you seen her?"

"Yeah, ya just missed her. Flew off to see King Julien bout five minutes ago."

"What? But she wasn't supposed to leave until tomorrow!" Jake said, confused with a perturbed edge lacing his words. Which Jodie immediately picked up on and that brought the reason behind Mort's wrath back to the forefront of her mind, to which bitter venom laced her reply.

"Well, according to a certain psycho, she had a bit of a tiff with certain lemurs and maybe, and I'm just guessing here, maybe she wanted to get away from them sooner then later."

"What are y...you motherfucker!" Realization slammed into Jake after a perplexed second and he snapped over at Mort. "You told them!?"

"Everyone's gonna know the jig is up, you lying bastard!" Mort snapped back, having stopped squirming by then and turning his head to that his own scalding scowl met the captain's.

"He told us that we've all apparently been keeping some big secret about Sage from Clover! Just not what that secret is!" Jodie said in piqued perplexment, her patience wearing thin fast.

"Stop acting innocent, you conniving bitch!" Mort shrieked, at which Jodie glared over at the livid lemur, silently willing him to shut up or else. She then turned back to Jake and resumed.

"So you would please tell us what the fuck he's talking about!?"

"I…!" Jake started to give a snappy reply before it died on his tongue as unease flashed across his face. Which worsened as he looked from Jodie to everyone else in turn, meeting one expectant scowl after another until he turned away from them all. He then let out a begrudgingly growly sigh and faced Jodie once more to concede in kind, "Okay! Okay, okay! Since you're gonna find out anyways!", then proceeded to explain all.