Last Hope 03.02.24

Note: This installment contains spoilers for my other work, Reign of Terror.

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His feet beat into the ground beneath him as he ran.

Whenever the penguin chick in his arms started to cry, he had to hide and quiet him.

At the docks, new ships already carried out Dr. Blowhole's bidding. The genocide Blowhole committed on the human race left the world's populations uneven, so survivors had to be displaced to even things out.

Humans and animals filed onto the ship, oversought by guards of different species. Julien could only imagine Blowhole built up his army prior to the Rising so they would be ready once he took over.

He sat down in some brush and breathed slowly, mustering his strength and courage to smuggle SJ onto a boat. SJ started to squirm again and he gently rocked him close to his chest and petted his soft downy feathers, ignoring the traces of Marlene's blood.

Take him somewhere safe. Don't tell me where. Then do whatever it takes to survive.

Sergeant's British accent hung in the back of his mind. They were a couple of the only survivors of the attack. Julien forced back tears, but the corpses of his royal subjects were seared into the backs of his eyelids.

He thought he'd known what hate felt like, but nothing compared to the hate he felt for Blowhole. He'd been a double agent for him once to help the penguins win, and he almost felt sick thinking of how close he was to someone capable of such evil.

Fur wet from the recent rain, he turned back to the boat. Scanning, he found a path and darted into it, crawling beneath the dock and dropping into the water. He held SJ high and swam toward the boat, climbing up the anchor chain into the hull. Then he stowed away among some trash.

It took several weeks of ship hopping to arrive at his old home. The amount of times he'd almost gotten caught put him on edge. SJ was difficult to keep quiet. He had never been one for danger, preferring dancing and parties. He mourned that he would never be able to do either again.

Skipper was one of his closest friends. They fought all the time, but they always had each other's backs when it mattered most. Now was one of those times.

Holding SJ in his arms, he fought his way through the jungles of Madagascar, his memory of many years here guiding him. Finally, he found where his old kingdom would still be if Dr. Blowhole hadn't already overrun it with his minions. But, thankfully, security measures weren't quite perfected yet, so he was able to sneak in seamlessly.

The population of his former kingdom held a lot of unfamiliar faces. He wasn't sure who he could trust with this massive secret. He had to make sure whomever he gave SJ to wouldn't betray him or be weak enough to succumb to threats or bribery from Dr. Blowhole's army if they were questioned.

His heart lifted as a flash of orange disappeared into a shabby hut. His feet pulled him forward, ducking behind shrubbery until he slipped into the home.

She was there with her back to him, looking out a window, almost the same as he remembered her. He tried to think of something to say to get her attention, but SJ broke the silence with a stir, causing her to flinch and turn.

"Oh my god, King Julien, that you?"

Julien smiled sadly. "Yes, Clover. It is me. I'm not as . . . kingly anymore though."

Clover looked him up and down. "Where did you come from?" she asked breathlessly.

"New York. After the city was destroyed and Dr. Blowhole took over, I escaped because I needed to find a good place to hide him." He lifted SJ a little, causing his head to flop to the side as he slept.

Clover crossed her arms. "I'm so confused, Julien. Who is Dr. Blowhole? And the chick?"

Julien stepped forward and shoved the penguin chick into her arms and Clover involuntarily pulled him to her chest.

"King Julien, wh –"

"Clover, listen to me," Julien whispered urgently, gripping her shoulders. "You'll learn what's going on soon enough. I need to know I can trust you. My best friend, Skipper, defeated Dr. Blowhole many times, but this time he didn't make it. This is his son, SJ. You have to protect him, Clover. He's not safe with me. Don't tell him his real name until he's old enough to understand he can't tell anybody. Do you hear me, Clover?"

Clover shook her head, stuttering as she looked from him to the baby. Finally, she said, "But, Julien, where are you going? Can't I come with you?"

Julien let her go and stepped back. "I've already been here too long. Dr. Blowhole knows me personally, so anyone with me is in danger. You're safer here if you just do what they say, okay?"

Clover scoffed incredulously. "But, Julien –"

Julien shook his head and stepped toward her again, forcing eye contact. "You can't win. He's taken over the entire world. I'm going to do what I can to help take him down. But in the meantime, he is the most important thing. He has to survive."

"But, couldn't that take years?!" Clover protested.

Julien nodded sadly. "Yes. It could very well take that long. But you have to promise me, Clover. You're his only chance."

Clover looked from him to the penguin chick, jaw hanging open. She thought of a million ways to say no, but realized she couldn't. This was her future now. At least this would give her a purpose bigger than whatever Blowhole had in store for her.

"Okay," she said finally, looking down. "I promise."

Julien smiled and stepped forward a last time, planting a kiss on SJ's forehead before turning and disappearing back into the jungle. Little did he know what he'd become to help the downfall of the most evil overlord the world had ever seen.

[Words: 999]