A large and rather lavish-looking hut, secluded near the outskirts of the kingdom, stood tall over the royal entourage. Its four integrants swapped glances and nodded to each other, soundlessly agreeing to cast aside their hesitation.

"Okay, people, stay sharp and keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity. This could get ugly fast," Clover muttered warningly before moving up to the front door – a tall, sleek slab of rosewood with thick bamboo trimmings. After a minute-long delay or so, she knocked. Whilst the seconds steadily ticked by in silence, she readied herself for anything; it had been a while since she'd last seen Crimson, and as was par for the course for them, things hadn't gone so well for either twin.

Clover was about to knock again, thinking that maybe no one was home, when the door opened suddenly and a slender figure emerged from within. Sunrays fell on striking red fur, making it shimmer vividly like fire, and a pair of beautiful sky-blue eyes, behind which wickedness and temptation always hid aplenty, soon narrowed into slits when they landed on the unexpected visitors.

"...Well, well, well... look what the cat dragged in..." Crimson purred in her characteristic sultry tone, sneering as she folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "If it isn't my oh-so dear sister and her little gang of cronies paying me a visit..." Then she glanced past Clover to single Julien out. "May I ask to what do I owe the pleasure, hmmm, schmoopie-bear? Ya better have a good explanation for showing up to my front door uninvited like this; y'know your face ain't a welcomed sight around here."

His Majesty raised his hand in a greeting manner, looking quite meek. "Um, hi there, uh, Crimson...! Good day to you and... stuff!"

All his friendliness got him in return was a dismissive "hmph" as Crimson looked away from him and back at her sister. "What about you, Clo-Clo? Are ya gonna answer my question?" she asked her. "'Cause if y'all have come to chat 'bout the weather, you can just go ahead and say so; I promise I won't bite."

Clover frowned vaguely. Was this the kind of impertinence she'd have to deal with for not just one – but three days straight? If so, she thought she'd be better off walking away right there and then! However, she forced herself to bear with it out of loyalty to Julien, if only for the moment.

"Trust me, Crimson, we aren't here because we actually want to," she told her then in the flattest tone she could manage, "but because there's something we need to... ask of you."

Julien nodded his head. "Yeah, it's really important! Believe it or not... we kinda need your help. I mean, sort of. More or less."

Crimson gave a short, albeit mirthless laugh at this. "You? In need of my help? Heh, now that's one joke I haven't heard before... What exactly would you need me for, Ju-Ju?"

"Uh, have you heard of that new beauty pageant Club Xanadu is organizing?"

Her eyes darkened at the mention of that name. "...Yes, I've read all about it," she hissed with a strange vitriol in her voice, like she was being troubled by something. "What of it?"

Clover twiddled her thumbs. What she was going to say wouldn't be easy. "Okay... Please don't freak out, but, ehm... the thing is... we need your help with that pageant because..."

"Mm-hmm?"

"...I... I... I – I'm going to participate in it!" she ended up blurting so fast that the words barely came out intelligible.

In that instant, Crimson's eyes sprang fully open.

"What...? You? You are...?" Her whole face was split by a toothy smirk then, before she suddenly erupted into intense, boisterous laughter that echoed all over the surrounding area. She almost went hysterical – even to the point of having to fight back tears as she doubled over and slapped her knees repeatedly. "Oh! Oh my goodness, that's just too funny, ha ha ha ha ha! I didn't know you lot had taken up a career as comedians, ha ha ha ha! Or – or maybe it's April Fools' Day again? Ha ha ha!" She kept openly mocking them till her belly started hurting and her face matched the blood-red color of the rest of her body. By the time she had finally settled down, it was a miracle she still had a voice. "Aw gee, I need a break; I mustn't have laughed this hard in ages! What's gotten into ya, sister-girl? Since when d'you care for any of that kind of shallow tripe, hey?"

"Since never," Clover replied blankly. "Now, if you're kindly done howling like a lunatic, I'd like to explain: I'm only doing this for King Julien, you see, since he wants that trophy they're giving out real bad – for whatever reason – but in order to even have a chance at winning, we need someone who can prepare me for it first! Y'know, with makeup, and dresses, and all that jazz! And the only person 'round here who has the chops for it is... well, you."

Crimson slitted her eyes at her sibling. Gone again was her cocky demeanor. "Hmph. That's funny. At least one of us is gonna have some fun then... Damn fate and its twisted sense of humor."

"What are ya on about?" Clover asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing. I just find it ironic how someone clueless like you is the one that's going to partake in that pageant, instead of me!" she snapped at her. "I'm the single most glamorous and stylish woman in this entire island – the only one who deserves to win in fact, and yet I can't. And now you're telling me you of all people are in? What a load; that's just not fair!"

"Hey, no need to yell at me – if you missed your chance to sign up, that's on you! You had all of last night to go into Club Xanadu and do it if you wanted it so badly, so why didn't ya?"

The evil twin hardened her eyes with that same joyless smirk. "It's not that simple, sis. You see, I would've loved to be the first in line so I could participate myself and bedazzle my way to the top without even breaking a sweat, but there's just one tiiiny little issue... Hasn't it ever occurred to y'all that you've never seen me at the Xanadu before; not even once after all these months?" The other lemurs simply blinked. "Psch, don't answer that – of course ya haven't. So I'll fill you in instead: I'm simply not allowed in there, y'know? All those damned stinking imbeciles that run the place barred me from ever stepping foot inside a long time ago." Gritting her teeth she then looked away.

Maurice shrugged indifferently. "Hm, no big surprise; I can imagine plenty of reasons..." he whispered to himself, yet Crimson heard him regardless.

"Actually, chunky-thighs," she spat back at the aye-aye, sounding even angrier now, "they never even wanted me around in the first place. They said I was... what was it? Ah, yes – too 'vile, nasty and majorly unsavory' for the likes of 'em – they somehow believe I'd 'ruin their image' or 'drive away the upstanding clientele' just by being there. Tried it the night after the grand opening; couldn't get a toe in without that pot-bellied knucklehead they got at the entrance throwing me out, and no matter how much I've tried ever since, even when I say I come in good terms, those snobs just keep rejecting me one time after the other! Ugh, just imagine the party goddess," she pressed a hand to her own chest, "cast out from the hottest spot in town like some poor dirty lowlife! Boy, it's simply torturous..."

Now that they pondered this over, neither member of the royal crew could recall ever seeing Crimson around Club Xanadu's premises since its foundation all those months ago – most certainly strange for a rambunctious party animal of her caliber, and even more so knowing of the high standing the nightclub possessed. They'd never given it much thought before, but now, it did make sense... Still though, they had no real reason to be regretful – Clover's party-loving sister could get very wild and destructive at times, so that ban on her was probably for the best.

"Well, we're sorry to hear of such a horrible tragedy, Crimson – we truly are," said Clover, "but I don't think that's our problem."

"Just as it's not my problem that you're in desperate need of help, is it?"

"...Yeah, speaking of that," King Julien interjected, "if we could just get back to the point...?"

Crimson didn't want to keep talking about this anymore – her patience had all but run its course. So, laying her scowl on the royal, she hissed, "Listen here, darling – and listen good so ya get this through that thick skull of yours: I really am flattered that you'd ask me out of all girls, but the day I do you a favor is the day I'll grow wings on my back – AKA, never." She then tilted her head haughtily at her sister. "Oh, but it was nice catching up with ya, Clo-Clo. Enjoy losing pathetically at that contest; I can't wait to see it all over the newspapers come Sunday morning. Now do me a favor and get outta here; you've wasted enough of my time. Ciao!"

And with one final gesture of farewell, the wicked woman retreated into her house and began to shut the door on their faces. However, Clover snarled – she wasn't one to give up easily! Before the door could fully close, she stuck her foot in and forced it open again, much to Crimson's annoyance.

"Crimson, please, just listen to me!" she implored her, voice raised earnestly, "Don't think of this as helping King Julien, think of it as helping me! I'm your sister, for Frank's sake; why can't you act as such for once? I know our relationship's never been the healthiest, but you're the only hope I have for this! Please..."

Now this caught Crimson's interest once more – seeing Clover despair like this was so deliciously gratifying...

"Gimme one reason I should help you."

"Well, because..." Clover's voice trailed off – she didn't wish to repeat herself. It was like what she'd just said had meant absolutely nothing. Crimson's cold heart was obviously set in stone, and nothing she'd say or do could change that. Realizing this, Clover sighed and turned away, disillusioned, yet not surprised in the least. "Forget it, guys, it's no use. I told ya we shouldn't have come here," she uttered to her friends. "I guess we'll just have to try our luck on our own."

"Fricking knew it..." Mort mumbled in disappointment, as Maurice shook his head.

"At least we tried. Don't worry, Clover, we'll make it somehow."

The bodyguard turned around one last time before walking off. "So long, Crimson. Thanks for nothing."

The other sibling did nothing to stop her. But then... something hit her like a sudden epiphany – an idea, product of her devious mind – which quickly wormed its way in, prompting her to reconsider. By the gods, how could she not have thought of it earlier?

"Oi, stop!" She stuck an arm out after the group, who veered their heads back at her. She was straddling her chin in her hands, and her face bore a pensive look.

"Listen... I have a proposition for ya," she cooed then with a sly grin. "I can give y'all a hand, and I'd be willing to do so, but... I want something in return. A favor for a favor, as they say." She sauntered over to Julien, only stopping once their faces were but an inch apart. "So in exchange for my services, you are also going to help me, schmoopie-bear." Licking her lips with self-satisfaction, she revealed her intentions. "There's two things I want: one – my preposterous ban from Club Xanadu lifted, forever and ever. And two – just a tiny, insignificant bonus to get back at those high-and-mighty cretins. In other words... I want full VIP privileges instated as well, and you're the one who's gonna get it done. You promise me that, and I'll guarantee my sis gets all the help she needs from the greatest beauty expert in the world!"

"What?!" the ringtail gaped at her, taken aback. "Bu – but I can't do that! I mean, bans are always meant to be permanent!"

"Oh, but you can, and you will. After all, you're an influential and powerful man, Ju-Ju; a simple word is all you'd need to get your legions of adoring followers to bend to your will like good lil' lapdogs." Crimson wrapped her long, supple tail around his waist, and her arms around his neck, locking the two ex-lovers in a close embrace. "C'mon, I'm sure such a simple request from your old flame wouldn't be too hard for ya to carry out, now would it...?"

"But – but-

"Ah ah ah!" She put a finger to his lips. "It's non-negotiable, sweetheart; you either accept my conditions, or you can sit and watch as some other chick nabs your precious little trophy, 'cause there's no way you're going to stand a chance without me. I myself had no interest in that worthless hunk of rubbish anyway; what I wanted was to establish myself as Madagascar's one and only beauty queen... but if I can't get that, at least I can settle for something else. Either way, it's a win-win for me. So what d'you say, sugar? Do we have a deal or not?"

Julien didn't even know what to think. This was too much to process at once, and having Crimson holding him so intimately definitely wasn't helping either. But he did come through – at that moment Clover stomped forth and freed him from the villainess' clutches with a hard tug. She then put herself in the way between them, boring emerald holes into her twin. This borderline lack of respect for royalty was really starting to get on her nerves.

"No, we don't have a deal! And I'd advise you to remember who you're talking to, sis!"

"Be cool, Clover, be cool. It's okay." The king made his protector stand down with a hand gesture, and then took a step further away from Crimson. "Uhhh, look, before we jump into any decisions, I must first consult my crew! Just give us a minute."

Crimson clicked her tongue to signify her compliance as the four visitors huddled into a group.

"Your Majesty, this is nuts!" Clover whispered to him, "We can't let her take advantage of us like this – it's like making a deal with the devil! You do this, and then somewhere down the line, when you least expect it, it's all gonna come right back at ya to bite you where it hurts the most!"

"Ew, thanks for the mental images there, Clo-Clo."

"Guys, please don't kick me for saying this, but I don't think she's asking for that much to be honest," Maurice followed, "And from what she's told us, that ban they gave her does look kind of... unjust to me. Like, sure, she's among the worst troublemakers we know, but... never giving her at least one chance to prove herself? I don't know... It doesn't sit very right with me."

Mort smirked. "That's because you're a big softie, Maurice."

Clover arched her eyebrows. "Yeah, you can't seriously tell me you pity her!"

"No, that's not the word I'd use. I'm just more, uhhh, understanding, if that makes sense. Basically what I'm saying is that the odds should be even for everyone when it comes to public spaces like the Big X, even for baddies like her. I'm not stoked about the idea, but I think we can live with it."

Julien raised his head to look at Crimson. She was staring back at him intently, her gaze icy and calculating. He knew then that she was not going to back down. As he lowered himself again, he said, "I mean, I do get her; I think I'd literally die without the Xanadu now! Imagine how horrific it must feel being the only person in the village who can't enter such a heavenly temple of boozy indulgence! Gods, just thinking about it makes me wanna throw up in my mouth!"

"Please, there are plenty of bars and clubs to go 'round," Clover stated without the slightest hint of sympathy in her voice. "Being excluded from one isn't gonna kill her."

Mort looked up at her. "Maybe not, but she won't help us unless we give in to her demands, and if we don't get her help, then we're screwed – hard!"

"I agree; we need her expertise," reaffirmed Maurice. "Otherwise, we might as well just call it quits and go home."

Clover pondered on the situation for some time. Not only did she have to cooperate with the irksome lawbreaker that was her sister, now she had to play by her rules too? Simply ludicrous!

"...Oh brother, this day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

Whilst the debate continued, Crimson mulled over it as well. Although she kept a cool face about it, at her core she was really, really hoping they would accept her deal. It wasn't Maurice, or Mort, or even Julien what worried her – no, it was Clover. Crimson figured she'd be the one to have the final say in the matter due to her position as the group's sole contender in the pageant, and as such, could easily shut down her plan all by herself, which unnerved her to a fair degree. Yet she was still fully aware of the impasse they were all stuck in – they needed her, and she needed them – and while the prospect of teaming up with her worst enemy and not-so dear sister didn't thrill her necessarily, at this point in time she had grown desperate enough to do whatever was necessary to gain her right of entry into that nightclub and all the amazing pleasures it had to offer. It was a hard fact that the other, lesser pubs just weren't cutting it anymore.

It was then that the other lemurs broke their huddle to speak to her again. Clearing his throat, the leader stated, "Crimson, we've reached an official – uh, what's the fancy word? Oh yeah – consensus. Since she's the one who had the last word, I'll let Clover tell you."

His bodyguard nodded, and then jungle eyes caught sky ones. It was more than evident that Clover wasn't all too happy about whatever they had decided, which could only spell good news for Crimson.

I can't believe I'm gonna say this... "Alright, let's cut to the chase," she said bluntly. "We hereby swear that if you help us win the pageant, King Julien will formally undo your ban so that you'll be allowed into Club Xanadu, just like any other regular citizen, and with no further tricks or catches. Your... 'extra privileges' will also be instated simultaneously. The only condition to all of this, of course, is that you behave yourself once that happens – if it happens. I wouldn't hold my breath."

Crimson's lips curled up with glee as she clasped her hands together. "Excellent news! You've made the right choice, fellas – with me on your side, nothing can stand in our way! Now we're gonna achieve the impossible, Clo-Clo: transforming ya into a perfect queen of beauty! ...Well, or as close to perfect as you can get, which might not be much." Then she ambled up and lightly pinched Clover's cheek, only for her hand to be swatted away.

"Yippee..."

"Aw, drop the face; you and I are gonna have some real sisterly bonding time for once! Aren't you just itching for it on the inside?"

Clover rolled her eyes. "Sure, I'm dying for it."

"That's great, because the sooner this ends, the better."

"Cool, so now that everything's settled, when will we start?" Maurice asked the smug-faced twin. "We have only until Saturday night to get ready."

"Glad that you ask, shorty! I'm gonna have to do some planning and gather a few things first, so why don't y'all meet me, let's say... at the watering hole in... two hours?"

Nodding, Julien reached under his crown and pulled out the official CX brochure, which he'd brought along just in case. "You got it. Also, take this thingy from the club; all the deets you need are right there," he said as he gave it to her.

"It's a date then." Crimson faked an amiable grin before strolling off towards her hut. Once she was at the door, she grabbed it, but didn't close it – instead she looked back at the other lemurs, and winked. "Try not to be late, by the way. I like my dates to be punctual..."

And with that, she went inside, softly shutting the door behind her.

The royal entourage remained there for a few seconds more, marred by brooding silence.

Had they made a huge mistake? Would things go along smoothly, or were they headed for inevitable disaster? Only time held the answers to those questions.

"...Well, now all we can hope is that you two don't end up trying to gut each other into little meaty slices," Julien told Clover then, as they all departed the area through a densely forested trail. "It's not every day that we do something with your sis that doesn't degenerate into that sort of stuff."

She drew in a slow breath, slouching over. "I'll try to keep it peaceful between us for as long as I can, Your Majesty. She knows she needs us as much as we need her, so I'm cautiously hopeful she won't do anything stupid. But, in the case she does..." She stopped to pick up a rock off the jungle floor. She aimed it upwards – precisely at a ripe, plump mango hanging overhead from a tree – and then threw it with all her might. The rock, fast as a speeding bullet, punched a hole straight through the fruit, and its mangled remains promptly crashed to the ground in a splattery mess.

"And that's the best-case scenario."

The three boys recoiled simultaneously.

"Eeesh... Wouldn't want to know the worst one..." mumbled Mort as he side-stepped around.


"Your turn now, Maurice; see if you can beat me!"

"Oh, come on, you're just showing off at this point! There's no way I can do that!"

Maurice gazed into the sparkling, cerulean waters of the massive swimming pool before him, gripping a little flat pebble in his hand. He didn't believe himself able to defeat Clover at the stone-skipping match she had come up with to pass the time, but darn it if he wasn't going to give it his all! Rearing his arm above his head, he waited for the path to be cleared of swimmers before tossing it. Just as he had feared, the stone didn't do much but bounce some six times before sinking – not terrible, but still a paltry number compared to Clover's record of eighteen.

"Awww," he heard her snigger teasingly behind him, "that's too bad – ya almost got it this time!"

He turned around, flexing his shoulder with a subtle lour. "Bah, that was my weak arm. Could've done a lot better. And the sun got in my eyes too."

"He he he, no amount of excuses is going to save you now, mate!" she shrugged. "So, that makes Clover, five – Maurice, still zero! And the clear winner is... me!" she exclaimed proudly and stuck her chin out high.

"Yeah, yeah, rub it on... Next time, when I pick the game, I promise I'm gonna wipe that smile off your face!"

"Next time. But till then, I'm free to make fun of ya all I want!"

The two friends therefore chose to terminate their silly games and sit down together at the water's edge to relax while they kept waiting for Crimson to arrive. Clover shaded her eyes and looked up at the sky – judging by the sun's lower position, their time of fun and peace would soon be coming to an end... but for now, she was determined to make the most out of it. Smiling merrily, she let her gaze sweep their surroundings. Today's afternoon had become quite warm and humid – more than usual, even – but that could never stop the lemurs around here from enjoying themselves. Their collective laughter was spreading through the air like a symphony as they swam in that cool, clear water, slid down those twisting waterslides, and lounged on the warm rocks atop those high, majestic waterfalls. The king of the lemurs himself was atypically quiet, however – now he was napping serenely beneath the shade of a palm tree just a few feet off Maurice and Clover's right. As for Mort, he could be glimpsed every so often whenever they looked out into the pool, still occupied doing laps from end to end, changing styles and diving underwater to refine his skills.

It was always moments like these that Clover cherished the most, when she could just sit back, take it easy in the company of her friends, and not need to worry about a thing. So it was with such a mindset that she lay down on the soft grass beneath her and closed her eyes, letting the laughter echo in her ears and the sunbeams rain down on her like a blanket of gilded bliss.

Ah, such a perfect way to spend a hot summer day... Nothing could ruin this moment. Nothing whatsoever.

But sadly, her joy didn't last much longer. She'd only been sunbathing there for less than fifteen minutes when she sensed soft footsteps coming her way, followed by something blocking her light. She begrudgingly opened one eye to come face to face with the one thing she'd been dreading to see – Crimson's smug little grin, flashing at her from above. Just like that, the good times were over.

"Well, hello again, sis. Soaking up some sunshine to take a load off, huh? How's that going for ya?"

Clover frowned. "...Fine. At least till that big fat noggin of yours got in the way."

"Tsk-tsk," Crimson shook her head. "Now, now, Clo-Clo, I'm here to give ya a hand in these trying times, remember? The least you could do is show some appreciation!" Then, huffing at her twin's unresponsiveness, she went around and sat to her right, not even bothering to acknowledge Maurice's presence in any way. Clover turned to lie on her right flank, head in hand – and that was when she noticed Crimson had a small pink purse slung over her arm. From it she drew out three sheets of paper, all bearing her handwriting. "Get this," she held them up for her sister to see, "here's all I've gathered from that brochure you guys gave me, and what I've got planned for these three days ahead of us – our game plan to get ya right up to snuff, if ya will."

Just then, Mort swam in towards the trio, waving a sodden arm at the newcomer. "Hi there, Crimson! Are you ready to help us now?" he inquired as he pulled himself out of the water.

"Wouldn't be here if I wasn't, right?" Her answer came terse and distant, barely a smidge over full disregard. Realizing then that Julien was missing, she looked around. "Say, where's-

She spotted His Majesty's still-sleeping form on the ground, oblivious to everything around him. With a naughty scoff, she got up and made a beeline towards him, and before Clover, or Mort, or Maurice could do anything to stop her, she ungraciously woke the king up by kicking him on his side – not quite hard enough to actually harm him, but still enough to shake him up good.

"Wakey-wakey, Ju-Ju! Ain't no time for napping when there's work to do!"

The ringtail shot up at once with a startled cry, eyes flung wide open and hands instinctively darting for his ribs as his crown tumbled off his head. When he saw who was standing over him, he scrambled to his feet. "Ow! What – what the hell?!" he gasped at Crimson indignantly. "Thanks a lot for the rude awakening, Crimson! Would have it hurt to let me know you were here by, uhhh – gently shaking my shoulder or something, like any normal person would do?"

She cocked her head innocently in return. "C'mon, love, where's the fun in that?" She then wagged her index finger at him as she returned to her sister's side, ignoring a slew of angry looks. "Now get over here, I gotta tell y'all what I've arranged for our little... operation."

After he'd retrieved his crown, Julien knelt behind the girls, while Mort went to dry himself off at one of the various communal towel racks strewn all over the watering hole. When he came back and all five lemurs were grouped by the poolside, Crimson laid out the sheets on the grass.

"Okay – first thing's first – d'you think you actually have a chance at winning that pageant, sister-girl? Be honest with me," she asked Clover with a snotty smile, and the bodyguard righted herself to a sitting stance, blinking briefly.

"I dunno... Sorta?"

"Hm, you don't sound very convinced."

Clover laid her eyes on her own reflection in the water. "Well... I'd say that, at least on the outside bit, I do have a fair shot. It's the inside bit that worries me more. Y'know, 'cause looking all hot and pretty isn't gonna be very useful if all I do once I'm up there is freeze up like a scared lil' pup. I've never done this kinda thing before... I'm not like you, Crimson; I'm not a girl who can just slap on a cute gown and some eyeliner and go out there for all the world to see, like a supermodel. It's just not what I'm used to."

"Ah, but that's why I'm here!" her identical sibling proclaimed assuredly, "To transform that scared lil' pup into a confident diva who knows what she's really packing under the hood! Because, sis, let me give it to ya straight right now: the only thing you're gonna be doing in that stage is make an absolute fool of yourself... unless I swoop in to save your sorry orange behind. And yeah, as funny as it'd be to see ya become a laughing stock in front of the entire kingdom, I guess we're stuck with each other for now, so let's try to get along for once in our lives, shall we?"

"Here's hoping," Clover said. "Think you can actually commit?"

"But of course! Are ya seriously doubting me, sister-girl?"

Clover could read from the look in her eyes – that glint of arrogant superiority and disdain for others that always marked her every move – that Crimson didn't care one bit whatsoever about truly helping her. What she was doing now, all of it, she did exclusively because of her own selfish reasons, and nothing more. She would just fabricate a smile and play nice for as long as they had to be together in order to get what she wanted, and then she'd simply up-and-leave without so much as a second thought. To think of how this was the way it must be really did hurt Clover in more ways than one, but she didn't let it show, nor did she say anything about it for the moment.

"...No, I'm not," she muttered then slowly, wiping those glum thoughts from her mind. "Anyway, please enlighten us, Crimson. Show us what you got."

"Happy to. First, a quick rundown of what we're up against." Crimson referred to the first sheet, which, like the other two, was full of little notes, doodles, scribbles, and other random thoughts. "The contest is divided in two parts, yes? One for physical attributes, and another for talent – we need to excel at both if we are to win. The good news is, the first one shouldn't be too hard – after all, sister-girl, you do have the advantage of sharing my impeccably fabulous body and face," she boastfully ran her hands all through her fur, "which then we'll enhance even more thanks to my technical know-how. Bad news though, the second part might give us a tough time."

"Why? There's lots of things I'm talented at."

"Well, yeah, but I don't think breaking arms and snapping necks is what people are looking for in these pageants. This brings me to my overall plan: for day one – which is tomorrow – I'm-

"Tomorrow?" Julien interrupted her. "Wouldn't it be better to start today?"

Crimson whacked him across the nape with her tail. "Are you the expert here, Ju-Ju? No? Then zip it." When the king had backed off, she resumed, "Anyway, as I was saying, tomorrow I'm gonna train ya to strut your stuff like any chick worth her salt, Clo-Clo. Like ya said yourself, the good looks aren't everything; you're also gonna need to put on a real show of confidence to win those judges over – and trust me, when everyone sees your smooth moves up there, you're gonna have 'em all eating right outta your hand! Next, day two," she switched out the sheets, "quick revision of your new skills before we go over the talent portion. We need to find something you're good at that won't scare everyone away, while also leaving them begging for more. We'll find out what that is when the time comes."

The three males nodded to each other, impressed by Crimson's unusual investment.

"Last but not least, day three – Saturday. Oh ho ho, this one's interesting alright..." She reached into her purse and took out a tube of mascara and a small cosmetic brush, both of which she waved around Clover's face. "'Member all those years ago, all the times I'd try to put some makeup on ya and you'd just run from me like I was gonna murder ya or something? Well, no more of that this time, 'cause now it's happening for real! After that comes the dress – lucky for you, dear sis, all of mine are still as good as new, so you'll be borrowing one for the occasion. All I ask is that you don't make a mess of it; most of them are way more valuable than you think." Suddenly, she added with a glower, "I don't wanna see a single smear, scratch or wrinkle on it when I get it back, or we're gonna have a problem... got it?"

Clover snarled under her breath, her fingers digging grooves deep into the soil. "...Loud and clear."

"Terrific." Crimson put her things back into the purse and zipped it close. "Well then, that's everything for today. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said as she stood up, "I gotta take care of some unrelated, far more interesting business. I'll swing by your place to pick ya up tomorrow after brunch, Clo-Clo, so be ready; you and I are in for some fun!" Looking at the boy lemurs, she noted, "Oh, by the way... uh, I shouldn't have to tell you this, but since this is all supposed to be a girls-only thing, I think it'd be best if you fellas sat this one out."

"No way!" Clover was at once pushing back, for this she would not tolerate. "Enough with your bloody demands, Crimson; my mates are staying, whether you like it or not! I can't and won't do this without them!" she bellowed fiercely, before looking at the three of them for reassurance. "You are staying, right?"

Julien patted her back. "We gave you our word, didn't we? So, yeah. Sorry, babe, but either we tag along, or no dice!"

Crimson slightly furrowed her brow, but then shrugged. "...If you insist. I'm sure I can figure out something for you lot to do besides being an annoyance. Anyhow, I'm outta here – be seeing ya."

And then, turning around, she pushed out her shapely hips at the four before leisurely strolling away.

As soon as she was gone, Clover let her body flump back onto the grass, as she exhaled out of pure mental exhaustion. "Oh, dear Frank almighty... I thought we'd never get rid of her."

"For real. And you wanna know the best part? Only three whole days to go now," Maurice commented sarcastically.

"Yep. Only three days to lose our bloody minds."

"Yo, cheer up, guys!" the advisor and bodyguard heard their king call out to them. Glancing up, they saw he had jumped to his feet and hidden his crown inside a shrub at the base of the palm tree he'd been napping under earlier, and was now teetering along the swimming pool's edge – dangerously so. "Those long faces you're pulling are making us all look real bad! Thankfully, I know just the remedy for that!"

"What?" they asked warily.

"This!"

Without any warning, Julien jumped backwards and cannonballed into the pool, hurling a deluge of cold water in every direction – including all over his friends. When they started to complain about it, he just laughed it off. "Ha ha ha ha! Gotcha! You know the rules, my dudes – now that you're wet, you must jump in too! Don't be shy, the water's great!"

Mort had just had quite the long swim, but what was one more? Whereas he dove in with gusto, Maurice declined.

"Nah, thanks, I'm good. I think I'm just gonna lie here and dry this off-

"No, you're not!" His Majesty suddenly reached out like a pouncing crocodile, grabbed his advisor by the wrist, and dragged him inside the pool. The poor man barely had time to even scream; he toppled into the water with a colossal splash, and when he emerged – fully drenched to the bone – he was treated to the sight of his friends laughing at the top of their lungs.

"...Seriously, Your Majesty?" he grumped at the mischievous ringtail floating in front of him, who wouldn't stop hollering like a madman.

"Ha ha ha! You really gotta up those reflexes, Mo-Mo; I've seen old grannies at the retirement home move faster than you, ha ha ha!"

The aye-aye, too disgruntled to come up with a verbal comeback, surged forth and thrust Julien's head underwater in retaliation.

A smile came upon Mort at this, and he spun towards Clover, beckoning her to join the fun. "Come on, Clover, you're up now; jump in, jump in!"

The orange lemur rose from the ground and shyly tested the waters with her toes. They were temptingly crisp and fresh – perfect for taking off this scorching tropical heat. Besides, anything that would help relax her mind in view of what awaited her tomorrow would do her some good, too.

"Well... okay! Just a little! Here I come!" She distanced herself several feet from the pool, stretched her knees and ankles swiftly, and then bolted forward at top speed. Her strong legs propelled her high into the air as she soared over the other's heads, performing a chain of elegant flips before swan-diving into the water with befitting grace.

Her display was immediately met with a round of cheers, applause and fist-pumping. She bowed her head, smiling.

"Thank you! Thank you!"