Julien stood up and watched the scene unfold, almost mesmerized by the memory playing in front of him.
"This happened on the same day as the first flashback scene?" he said to nobody in particular.
"Seems like the broken pieces are falling back in place." Masikura analyzed. "Anything else you recall?"
"Yeah...it's been three months since my parents..." Julien paused sullenly "... "disappeared". I wasn't acting like myself, was going through my moody angsty faze."
The younger Julien was sitting near the edge of the water, slouching and with his ears bent. A very sour expression was plastered on his normally jovial face.
"Prince Julien, be careful." the little chubby aye-aye waddling up to him tried to warn him. "There could be crocodiles lurkin' in the water."
Little Julien snapped his head back with a groan before turning to his friend, who flinched under the young prince's bitter glare.
"Maurice! That is...that is..." Julien curled his fingers in frustration "...the most mentally not-right-in-the-head thing I've ever heard!"
Masikura eyed the adult Julien, causing the latter to grin awkwardly. "Ehhh...I totally forgot that I used to use such... insensitive lingo? C'mon, I was just a kid!"
"Jus' bein' carefu-"
"Everybody knows crocodiles are big, scaly pansies! Look!" the disgruntled prince pointed ahead. Young Maurice looked and saw an adolescent crocodile with a shower cap squirming in the waist-deep water, surrounded by water lilies.
"Ahhh! A bug! Get it off me! Get it off me! Someone help me!" he screamed in an effeminate tone while flailing his tiny arm.
That's when a tiny orange blur appeared. Swinging on the reptile's long snout, she delivered a series of punches and kicks to his face, causing the croc to keel over onto the nearest sandbank, moaning in pain before the lemur girl with a bow on her head jumped onto his back and twisted one of his stumpy arms behind it, making the croc squeak in pain.
"Yield, fiend! Tell me who you're working for or you're gonna be one lovely handbag!" she demanded, her voice laced with a British accent.
"Nobody, I'm just an intern at the Crocodile Embassy!" the terrified teen cried. "I don't get paid!"
"No, no, baby brawler." a stocky adult crowned lemur jumped onto a nearby boulder, arms crossed and shaking her head. "We're supposed to fight off threats to the kingdom, that's just a crocodile."
"Oh." the girl looked embarrassed for a second before composing herself and giving a formal apology. "Apologizes, citizen. I mistook you for something dangerous."
Julien's brow furrowed. "That girl is so weird."
"Oi...tell me 'bout it." Maurice agreed as he sat next to his friend. "I wouldn't wanna be in her friend group."
The adult Julien briefly watched the girl being instructed by her grandmother, deeply regretting how he paid her so little attention for years. He should have known that this violence-prone, anti-social conspiracy nut who struggled to understand the concept of "fun" was meant to be one of his best friends, and that she would eventually have to leave him.
But he couldn't linger on that regret, as his focus shifted to little Maurice and he shifted with growing agitation.
"I know exactly what's gonna happen!" the flustered ringtail blurted. "We don't have to watch the whole thing!?"
"Do we?" Masikura smiled knowingly, much to his ire.
"Masikura, I'm already feeling downer than the dumps." Julien lamented. "Why do I have to be reminded that Maurice was always there for me and what a jerk I have been to him in return?"
"I think you answered your own question, your majesty." Masikura answered coolly. "As I said before, everything we see is conjured up by you and you alone."
Julien seethed, but try as he may, he could not block out the conversation going on in front of him one bit. He wasn't hearing it, he was remembering it. And clearly, his royal brain thought that he needed to jog his memory.
"Anyway..." Maurice started while scratching the back of his head "...why aren't ya playin' with the other kids? You know they feel peer pressured to adore ya..." he caught himself and chuckled nervously "...I mean, they can't get enough of your royal swagger, PJ. You're the coolest kid in the jungle after all."
"I don't feel like it!" Julien snapped at him before looking away. An awkward silence ensued and Maurice wrung his bushy tail.
"A penny for your thoughts?"
"Maurice, I'm the prince! I don't need stupid pennies!" Julien retorted bitterly, making the aye-aye sigh.
He had to remind himself how literal-minded the prince could be. "Sorry, what I meant to say was...why do ya look so sad?"
Julien's lips thinned out and he continued avoiding eye contact. Why was Maurice so good at reading him, even with his mad acting skills?
"I'm not sad. What makes ya think that? I just asked my stupid uncle if he wanted to play and he said that he's busy. AGAIN! Big whoop!"
Maurice sported an understanding look and scratched the back of his head again.
"Ah. I see. The usual then...well, he's the king and I guess bein' king means ya have a busy schedule. At least he does a good job keepin' us safe and comfortable."
"And bored too." Julien sulked. "He's a total buzzkill. How are we even related?"
"Can't argue with that though..." Maurice shrugged.
"You didn't give him the whole story?" Masikura noted.
"I...I felt embarrassed..." Julien reluctantly admitted. "He's my best friend but I...I had like...an image to keep. Mo-Mo was supposed to be the meek, insecure one? I was the prince, the future king, self-confidence and mind-boggling awesomeness incarnate. Kings aren't supposed to be all meek and insecure and needing a shoulder to cry on because their stupid family are never there for them!"
"I'd wager your relationship with Maurice is a lot more complicated than you would like to think." Masikura said matter-of-factly.
"Y'know...bein' boring has its perks too. It means we've got nothin' to worry 'bout..." Maurice tried to explain... and possibly sought some self-validation.
"...and hey? I know I'm not the most exciting' guy out there, but you know that if ya need a playmate, I'm always there at your beck and call? It's basically my job."
Julien didn't respond. Instead, he observed the weird kung fu girl and her grandma, before watching a brown lemur couple and their pup having a picnic together on the other side of the lake, clearly enjoying each other's company.
The adult Julien saw his younger self grow an imbittered look once more.
"That's not the same! I can play with you and the other kids any time I want." Julien lamented to the aye-aye, the latter looking visibly hurt. "But my uncle never has any time for me, and my..."
Julien caught himself, flushed, and pursed his lips. But Maurice had heard everything he needed to know, not like he couldn't have guessed it anyway.
"Oh...ya were thinkin' 'bout your folks again?" he asked carefully, aware that this was a sore spot for the prince.
Julien sniffed and rubbed his nose. "No."
Maurice didn't say anything and his companion quickly started cracking "...okay, maybe just a little."
Looking unsure, Maurice patted his back. "I know you're sad that they had to go an' live on a farm with lotsa room to run around an' play but...eh...it was necessary. It was the only way to deal with their hay fever. I'm sure they'll come back once...they're better..." he looked away, clearly guilt-ridden due to his blatant lying.
"He's not telling the truth." the adult Julien commented, feeling a mix of anger and simple confusion.
"He was under the impression that they were eaten by the fossa, so he was trying to soften the blow for you." Masikura deduced. "He didn't know the truth, nobody really did. Your parents didn't have the courtesy to tell anyone where they were going, and as with any case where lemurs vanish without a trace, it was only logical to assume they were picked off by the fossa."
"Grrr... I know that!" the vexed Julien clutched his head. "But they weren't eaten. I knew that! I knew they didn't go to a farm either...so why was I...playing along with this bogus charade?"
"Yeah...farm. I know that." his younger self mumbled before growing angry again. "But it's still not fair. Why couldn't I go with them?"
"What am I doing?! Why am I not correcting him? I'm royalty, it's my duty to tell others they are wrong and I'm unquestionably right!"
"Because it was easier for you to believe the lie." Masikura deduced again. "That's when it all began it seems, you started repressing what you didn't want to know."
"And it's not fair how everyone whispers behind my back that they were eaten by the fossa." young Julien continued his self-deluded rant, making Maurice extremely uncomfortable as he twisted his own tail.
"...ehh yeah, total nonsense, Prince Julien. Don't listen to 'em. Those nasty fossa wouldn't dare eat royalty."
Julien saw his younger self pause with uncertainty, before blurting, "I know, right?"
The aye-aye chuckled. "Yeah, they're jus' jealous of ya. Who wouldn't be? You're the prince an' the future king, after all."
"But my folks..." Julien started again.
"Ehhh...and that's why ya couldn't go, Prince Julien. Jus' think 'about it for a sec? Someone's gotta pick up the crown from your uncle, and from the looks of things...eh...he ain't goin' to the Baby Patch any time soon, if I know what I'm sayin'."
Julien turned dour again. "Oh, shove it up your booty, Maurice! My uncle will never give up the crown. I'll only be king if I take it from my unc's cold, dead, stingy hands."
Maurice grew a hint of smirk. "Maybe ya will? The ol' grouch's like 80 years old, he won't be around forever."
Involuntarily, the prince snorted. "Guess that's true... huh? Maybe I will wear that awesome-tacular crown someday?" The thought of it seemed to lift his spirit a bit.
"Now you're talkin'." Maurice said. "That's what I admire 'bout you. Ya always look on the bright side of things and your future is pretty dang bright. I mean, what other kid in class got "future king" as a career choice on their aptitude test?"
Julien rubbed his chin. "Yeah, I do get the best grades, don't I? No shame in coming in second, Mo-Mo." He patted the aye-aye's back, while the latter silently rolled his eyes.
"Maurice earned his good grades though, you know?" Masikura pointed out to the adult Julien. "Frankly, I think that if you hadn't been the prince, you'd probably have been held back till this day."
"Wait, what now?" Julien blurted in surprise, and judging from his expression, young Maurice was privy to that open secret too.
Masikura shrugged. "Didn't you learn during your class reunion that royals get...certain privileges at school."
"None taken..." Maurice forced a smile. "All things considered, I'd say I ain't doin' too shabby for a foster kid who doesn't even know what he is."
Julien saw his younger self blinking, as something clicked in his mind. It was a commonality between him and Maurice, despite their different backgrounds.
"Say, Maurice? Does it ever bother you...y'know, not knowing who your parents are and where you came from?" the little ringtail asked in a surprisingly reserved tone.
Faced with that question, Maurice grew sullen and lowered his ears. As usual, he was upfront about it.
"It does, but nothin' I can do about it. It's my lot life." he shrugged and then smiled. "So whenever I'm feelin' down, I try to follow your motto...nobody wants to be a sadsack, and it's not like I have nothin' to be grateful for."
As he continued, he started getting choked up. "Like bein' best friends with a royal, a dude that's like...like a brother to me, y'know."
Both Juliens smiled warmly before the younger one erupted with laughter.
"Good one, Mo-Mo!" he playfully punched the aye-aye in the arm. "You and me can't be brothers, I'm a ringtail and you're like...some weird bat-eared squirrel thingy. Being brothers would be really weird."
The adult Julien cringed as he watched little Maurice's devasted look, but the latter was clearly trying not to take it personally, knowing the ringtail was not trying to be malicious, one of the first of many times he let such things slide in the name of their friendship.
"That was kinda harsh..." he replied, trying not to show his disappointment. "I mean, I know I'm...odd... but-"
"Oh, I don't have a problem with that." Julien raised a hand, missing the point entirely. "I think your oddness makes ya...special, a one-of-a-kind. And I think it's cool to have a one-of-a-kind friend...it's like a special privilege only royals should have."
Maurice chuckled a little. "Guess that's one way to look at it?"
"Ughhhh! You dumb, stupid kid!" the adult Julien stomped his foot. "Why do you have to be so...so..."
"Narrow-minded?" Masikura suggested. " Or maybe inconsiderate? Prone to taking things for granted?"
"Alright, I get it! Sheesh!" Julien snapped back at her. "I know this! It's not like I never saw Mo-Mo as family, even if I didn't fully realize it, I just..." he grew sheepish "...have a bad habit of letting valuable lessons slip my mind, and... being inconsiderate comes with being royalty."
"True, but you yourself said that you were a rebel, a free spirit who doesn't adhere to tradition, yes?" Masikura pointed out. "So shouldn't you be the one to finally break away from that trend?"
Julien's face fell and he deflated. "I walked into that one, didn't I?"
Masikura nodded.
"Say..." young Julien had an idea "...when I become king, I'm gonna be needing an advisor."
"Advisor?" Maurice inquired.
"Yeah, like what Masikura does for my uncle. It basically means that you do all the thinking and make all the tough decisions for the king while the king takes all the credit for it."
Maurice's lips trembled and he shed a happy tear. "You're not askin' me to be your underappreciated royal aid? I...I'm not worthy of such an honor."
"Don't be silly, Mo-Mo. You're a massive bore who always thinks things through, a worrywart who is scared of doing anything fun and exciting cuz of stupid "consequences", and you follow me around like a shadow." the prince made air quotes. "I think you would be perfect for the job!"
Maurice touched his chest, overwhelmed. "I...dunno what to say?"
Julien laughed. "I'll be taking that as a "yes" then."
"Okay, if ya say so..." Maurice tried to collect himself. "Who am I to question the crown prince's judgment?"
"We have witnessed a historic moment." Masikura commented but Julien remained glum, unable to deny his issues anymore.
"I always try to look at the bright side..." he muttered "...but that won't make the not-bright side go away?"
Masikura was impressed. "True. One should be grateful for what they have and positive thinking can certainly help, but there's a limit to everything. Overundilging in something is ultimately..."
"...harmful. I get it." Julien mumbled. He had used up all of his excuses, leaving him with no choice but to face the reality head-on, the fact that he was a grownup lemur still hung up about his parents not paying him attention.
Despite what Masikura said earlier, he couldn't help but see himself as utterly pathetic, and he had nobody to blame for his patheticness other than himself.
He saw his younger self stand up and stretch his arms, evidently feeling better than before.
"Y'know, being reminded of my awesome destiny really makes me feel better." he looked at the sky and spread his arms out. "This day is way too bright and sunny to be moping around. How about we go to the waterslide?"
"Waterslide? I thought your uncle wanted it dismantled?" Maurice asked.
"He did but ya know him." Julien shrugged. "When he puts his mind to something, he's too lazy to go through with it."
Maurice snickered and got up. "Guess that's true."
"Yeah...now, about the waterslide-RACE YA TO IT!" Julien tried to give himself a headstart, only to suddenly come face to face with a fanaloka cub.
The latter was clutching his paws, and wore huge glasses and equally huge braces that complimented his awkward grin.
"H-h-h-hi, Prince J-j-julien." he greeted the ringtail shyly, but Julien just stared at him blankly, as if he was invisible, before calmly shoving his head aside and looking around.
"Eh...Maurice. Did you hear something?"
"...I've seen enough, Masikura. I wanna go back..." the adult Julien turned away, completely missing the fanaloka too.
"Don't you want to know how you acquired your strange accent even though none of your relatives have it?" Masikura suggested. "It's an interesting story."
"Nah..." Julien waved his hand lamely. "I'm too bummed out for it, maybe another time."
"As you wish, your majesty." Masikura obliged, feeling like her work was done.
Night had fallen over Madagascar. Not far from Ted and Dorothy's home, Horst was sound asleep and snoring on the jungle floor, having dozed off six hours ago.
"Sólo... una copa... de vino...favor..." he mumbled in his sleep.
Mary Ann and Tammy, however, were still watching the garage without blinking, both sporting bloodshot eyes, but the fossa also couldn't help but smile while resting her chin on her paw. Tammy's exasperated look was worth it.
"Feeling sleepy yet?" she quipped.
"Not while my good samaritan senses are tingling, fossa." Tammy shot back venomously. "Something's gonna happen! Theft! Property damage! Badmouthing to authority?"
"She's sure taking her sweet time, huh?" Mary Ann retorted smugly while the portly lemur sizzled with anger.
Meanwhile, Keke, covered in dust bunnies, was busy restocking the last box. Her eyes were bloodshot as well and she wore a drowsy expression until she held up a child-sized pink tutu, making her gag.
"Of course, Dorothy took dancing lessons." she said drearily when Ted suddenly appeared, startling her and snatching the tutu.
"Fiddlesticks, Keke. This terrific tutu isn't Dorothy's, it's mine!" he laughed before tearing up with a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "I was one primo ballerino back in the day, I tell ya."
"Alguien por favor mátame." Keke cluched her face.
Ted sighed happily. "Those were the days. Hey? You can have this as a token of my gratitude. I've grown out of it years ago."
Resisting the urge to kill, Keke grinned through clenched teeth. "Gracias, but I couldn't. It must have...sentimental value to you, Mr. Ted."
"Golly, it sure does." Ted held it up to his face while his lips trembled.
"Care for some lemonade?" Dorothy arrived and offered the kinkajou a glass. "Such a hard-working girl deserves a treat."
"Yes!" Keke grabbed the glass and poured its content into her eyes, to the adults' shock.
"Awww...that's the stuff." the girl wheezed as her eyes burned and sizzled, offering a much-needed distraction from the absolute misery she had to endure today, as she grabbed the box and pushed it into the garage.
"Guess they have a different way of enjoying lemonade in Guanomala?" Ted shrugged before looking at his tutu and getting an idea.
"Excuse me, Dorothy, but I have to frame this in commemoration of my most treasured childhood memory!" he said before twirling his way out of the scene, making his wife roll her eyes. She missed Snake so much.
"Alright, enough dilly-dallying!" she was snapped out of her thoughts as Tammy barged in. Scratching her rump, the exhausted Keke walked out of the garage and was more than displeased to see her least favorite person.
Dorothy grew uneasy but tried to maintain her friendly disposition.
"Can I help you, Tammy?"
"Yes! As a concerned citizen, I must know what Kelsey stole and/or vandalized on your property, so I can adequately warn the rest of the neighborhood in advance." Tammy said with an air of self-importance.
"Stole what?" Keke held out her paws and her prehensile tail. "I don't have pockets."
"Oh, no. Keke's been a perfect little angel." Dorothy insisted nonchalantly while pinching the kinkajou's cheek. "She insisted on cleaning our garage. It's more organized than it's been in years."
"What? Don't tell me that... rebellious hooligan spent all day here without causing any inconveniences?" Tammy asked incredulously.
"Were you spying on us all this whole time?" Keke smirked a bit, despite her aching cheek. "Weirdo alert." she said in a sing-song voice.
"Don't worry, she does that all the time." Dorothy chuckled before Tammy could get a word in. "It's just one of her quirky idiosyncrasies."
Keke raised an eyebrow, unsure if the mongoose lemur was taking a subtle jab at Tammy or being entirely sincere.
The plus-sized soccer mom frowned and crossed her arms. "I only did it to make sure nothing unsavory happened, Mary Ann has no such excuse."
Dorothy yelped and stumbled back as the fossa leaped out of the darkness and exchanged glares with Tammy.
"I beg to differ, Tammy." she scoffed. "As Keke's guardian, it's my duty, as assigned by King Julien, to always keep an eye on her and make sure she's not struggling with anything, including socializing and integrating herself into the community."
"Aww...that's quite considerate, for a bloodthirsty carnivore." Dorothy commented, despite her terror.
"While conveniently scoping out future targets at the same time." Tammy shot back, when a male red ruffed lemur ran out of the jungle, panicking.
"Has anyone seen King Julien?! My wife and I were taking an evening stroll and something snatched her while I wasn't looking! Someone, please help her!" he cried, too distraught to scream at the sight of Mary Ann, and continued frantically searching for the king.
"Lucky you, Tammy..." Mary Ann deadpanned. "Now you can testify against me, given how we've spent the whole day together."
"Pure coincidence!" the flustered Tammy insisted. "We can't pin every predator attack on one culprit!"
"So you're suggesting our beloved protector Alex does a substandard job keeping my unsavory kin out of the kingdom?" Mary Ann replied coolly, making Dorothy gasp and clutch her face.
"That's unthinkable!" the mongoose lemur looked scandalized, making Tammy even more nervous. She'd rather burn in Larry's pits than criticize a celebrity.
It occurred to her that maybe she should step back this time, less her moral righteousness be tainted in the eyes of her fellow lemurs.
"I would never suggest such a thing." she said crossly and stepped back "...eh...I should go back home, my son probably needs me."
"Oh, yes? You haven't been there to micromanage Todd all day." Mary Ann realized with a smirk, enraging Tammy further. "Unattentive much?"
Elsewhere, at Tammy and Butterfish's home, an uncharacteristically happy Todd was giggling while rocking on a swing before both he and the swing froze, and his regular dead-eyed stare returned. Instinctively, the poor boy knew that his fleeting day of happiness would soon come to an end.
"You'll slip up, fossa..." Tammy grumbled as she stormed off.
"Perdedora..." Keke mumbled sleepily.
Both she and Mary Ann were relieved to finally be free of that wretched woman. But Mary Ann realized that Dorothy was still with them, and the mongoose lemur still looked scared.
Her eyelids heavy, Keke tugged the fossa's arm. "Can we go home? I want to take a siesta and never wake up."
Mary Ann chuckled awkwardly. "I apologize for...ehh...watching you and Ted without your knowledge, it's just...after what happened last time, I'm hesitant to let Keke out of my sight for even a second. I don't want to make the same mistake twice."
"Si, she's spying on others for a good cause." Keke was quick to add. "Tammy's being the weirdo."
Dorothy could hear snoring and noticed Horst form sleeping in the distance. To Mary Ann's surprise, the former chuckled.
"Oh, I see what happened." she put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "A very rookie mistake, Mary Ann, but an understandable one."
"Excuse me?"
"That whole fiasco yesterday? You left Keke in the care of your husband, and that's why the little scamp got away so easily." Dorothy said good-naturedly.
Mary Ann looked unsure. "I...I don't plan to do that again, really. I just had to go hunting... I suppose there's no harm in taking Keke on a fishing trip and letting her watch as I gut my catch."
"Can I gut fish too?" Keke asked with intrigue. She didn't care much about eating fish but was interested in using a sharp object for dissection.
Dorothy seemed to approve. "Oh, yes. You are learning on the job, just like Mr. Alex said you would. It's vital that you bond with Keke and be her main role model, Horst is optional."
Mary Ann didn't follow, so Dorothy elaborated.
"It's a simple truth that males are horribly and inherently inept at parenting. Child-rearing is a mother's duty, and one she'll instinctively excel at as long as she tries. If you're too busy to do it yourself, you should find a babysitter, preferably a female one. Just a little advice between us women."
Mary Ann blinked. "Ehh...your logic seems very questionable but...I appreciate the pointers. Thank you."
"Oh, I'm just trying to help." Dorothy smiled. "You might be a dangerous, volatile killer but anyone willing to spend a whole day in Tammy's presence for the sake of supervising their child is a devoted guardian."
Keke let the mongoose lemur's words sink in. That truly was a noble sacrifice.
"I...thank you...again." Mary Ann said sheepishly, not used to receiving a compliment.
"Of course she's devoted." Keke insisted. "When I was lost, she scoured the jungle all night, and fought a giant eagle and the leader of the bad fossa."
Something seemed to dawn on Dorothy. "Huh? With such a heroic and nurturing side, maybe you're not as savage and unfeeling as folks say? Tammy and her friends are a bit hyperbolic and all. Maybe...you can join Keke on her next visit to our humble abode."
The kinkajou grew a look of abject horror but Mary Ann cut her off by saying, "We would love to. Goodnight, Dorothy."
"But-"
"Don't worry, I'm just saying that to be polite." the fossa whispered as she nudged Keke away, figuring a little white lie wouldn't hurt, while Dorothy waved goodbye.
Mary Ann grabbed the sleeping Horst and threw him onto her back, while Keke climbed on top of her head as they headed back home.
"You really spent the whole day with the dumb vaca?" Keke asked. "That must have been tough."
Unbeknownst to them, the tree they passed under had been chosen as the resting spot by a massive serpent, who was trying to digest his latest mammalian meal, only to be woken up by a familiar and obnoxious voice.
"It wasn't so bad really." Mary Ann shrugged. "For once, I had the upper hand. She expected you to do something bad, but you never did. Watching her grow more and more vexed was quite cathartic."
"Y'know, for a temporary mamá... you're not too bad." Keke giggled, while high above, a serpentine head was lowered from the canopy and his eyes widened in shock upon seeing Mary Ann.
Mary Ann smiled before adding, "I'm proud to see you being a good neighbor and offering unconditional help... because you'll be doing a lot more of that if you want to stay with us."
"Ay caramba." Keke groaned and slammed her face against Mary Ann's head.
"Impossible?" the boa thought incredulously. "This island paradise is home to giant mongooses?"
Yes, the fabled animosity between mongooses and snakes was so strong, that even a New World serpent intuitively knew what mongooses were and that they posed a threat to him.
Apprehensive, he held back a vicious hiss as he watched the fossa disappear. Mongooses, why did it have to be mongooses? This could be his undoing.
But after some thought, he grew a devious smile and flicked his tongue.
"No matter. Every problem can be solved with a little cunning, and Savio's got plenty of cunning to spare."