If you haven't watched I, Maurice and Un-King Me, I wouldn't recommend reading this.

[There's been a lot to deal with lately. Sacrifices, overthrown kings, and a family that once was. But maybe talking about it with your best friend helps. Maybe you both have your own loads of worries. But that island growing father away? It's still home.]

If there was one thing Maurice knew on that late night, It was that change happens quickly. It grabs you by the back of your neck when you least expect it and throws you against all odds. It can tear apart everything you thought you knew, and leave you in a desperate craving for answers.

And you're never able to just simply prepare for it. Any well organized plan of what could go wrong will mean nothing when the ground splits beneath your feet and the sky collapses above you. Because there are more important things to worry about. And the fact that you don't feel like who you were yesterday is the same person you are today doesn't matter then. There are more important things to deal with, when it comes to change.

Maurice had his fair share of change lately. The sky gods were certainly giving him a lot to think about, which in reality, was just another one of many problems. It was 3 in the morning and all he could do was think. Not sleep. Think.

The week had started off with the advisor discovering he wasn't even a lemur. He was an aye aye. And, for the love of Frank, was that going to take some time to get used too. Along with discovering his true species, he found out he had a sister, his parents were slaughtered by fossa, and the entire aye aye kingdom had supported his sacrifice to their suspiciously fake sounding bell gods.

And King Julien was convinced a day of paperwork was the worst feeling ever.

Soon after coming home, and yes, to his real home —Maurice had already made up his mind that wherever King Julien was would be where he belonged— It didn't take long until the mountain lemurs came and took over the kingdom, capturing everyone and dethroning the king.

The only reason he wasn't devoured by the bloodthirsty snake the Mountain Lemurs had unleashed on Julien and him, was because one of the sky gods had to be looking out for them both, and blessed King Julien and the advisor with an escape through a submarine.

Of course that submarine belonged to Pancho, someone Maurice didn't necessarily trust. And of course, none of them knew how to properly maneuver it and they were currently drifting around in circles underwater. But like he mentioned earlier, there were a lot more important things to worry about. It was already a miracle in its own that they were safe.

Too bad they were the only ones. Maurice had no idea what was happening to the rest of the island, but he assumed the worst. He had seen what Koto planned to do to King Julien, and he wouldn't wish that striking fear on anyone. And with the old king's sudden escape, the new lemur overlord probably wasn't in the best of moods.

Maurice had no idea how sleep was even an option for Julien and Pancho, who had both conked out at around 10 on a pile of blankets and pillows savaged from the back of the sub. In a weird way, Maurice was sort of jealous. He couldn't even lay down for more then five minutes before he began to feel the creeping rushes of anxiety embrace him.

And it wasn't like sitting there, staring out the only window of the submarine was helping anything. If anything it had only made his nerves rise.

His life was now changed forever. He had grown up thinking he knew the important parts about himself. He grew up thinking he knew who he was. How he was kind to those around him, that he was patient, and hardworking. It was supposed to be those same qualities that would get him through the rest of his life. But now, there was a whole other side to him that he never knew existed, and he didn't know how to feel about it. His parents hadn't cared enough to stop and say, "hey, maybe we shouldn't sacrifice our baby" and no one had thought anything when the infant they sacrificed had mysteriously disappeared.

He hadn't even known his sister for two days before the kingdom got attacked. He still had so many questions; so much to figure out. He never got to truly bond with her. He never had a chance to learn what her favorite foods were, what books she liked to read, weird hobbies that brought a smile to her face. He never got to hear the stories of her life, what events shaped her into who she is today.

There was so much more he had to do back on that island, but instead he was out in the middle of the ocean, escaping off to who knows where...

"MoMo?" A loud, startling voice, coming from behind, nearly made him jump. But somehow, Maurice held onto his composure, in the fear that his own overly panicked reaction might start something. He recognized the nickname and who was calling him and relaxed, immediately. "Oh. Uh. Hey, your majesty."

"Pancho has taken my entire blanket! I need you to go kick him off. I tried, but he latched onto my feet, which was obviously a problem. I don't think he will do it to yours, since they are not the most flattering, but..."

Maurice was already walking to the main room where the pillows and blankets were arranged when Julien skidded to a stop in front of him. "Ooh!" The king cried out, in a fit of excitement that wasn't there seconds ago. "Were you looking at the fishes?"

"Oh, no, not rea—" Maurice didn't get the chance to stop his best friend from running up toward the submarine's rusty, old window and leaning against the glass. Truth be told, the king looked like a small child, excited over something so trivial. But Maurice didn't let his own sour attitude ruin it, and instead leaned up against the wall and let Julien have his fun. At least, he didn't try and stop him, until the game of pointing out every fish that passed their way turned into a twenty minute long headache. And even when he did, it was gentle.

"You wanted me to get Pancho off your blanket?" Maurice asked, uncertainty nibbling on his mind. His best friend's face twisted into a fit of confusion, until a reliving hand gesture and a confident, "in a few minutes, Maurice" morphed into his response.

"It's nearly four in the morning. The fish aren't going anywhere. I'm sure you can look at them tomor—"

"—MAURICE LOOK AT THAT ONE!" Julien screamed. Tapping against the glass passionately, he used his right hand to pull Maurice even closer, so he too, could see the very interesting fish passing by..

"It's blue." Maurice commented matter-of-factly.

"With white dots! Do you not see the white dots, Maurice?"

"I see them. I don't know why they are a big deal, but I see them."

Julien shrugged as though the reason was obvious and, for whatever reason, scooted over to allow the advisor more room by the window. Every few seconds a new fish would swim by, and every few seconds Julien would find something else to say about each one.

Maurice hadn't even realize he had joined in, until thirty minutes later, when no fish swam by, did he notice Julien's grin.

"You know I don't think being an aye aye is that different." Julien stated, well chewing the only snacks abroad the submarine: lychee nuts. The king then made a face at the last than appealing food. "If anything, it's gonna be even better than before. Imagine all the parties we can have with a whole other species! You and me can introduce Bronda to our style of parties!"

"Yeah." Maurice mumbled quietly. If they ever got back home.

"I hope she's not completely like Brodney, no offense to Brodney, but he didn't seem very happy with the constant dancing. If she is though, we can make it work. I wonder what foods they have at the aye aye kingdom.. I am craving mangos right now, MoMo. Aren't you craving mangoes?"

Maurice couldn't quite think of how to respond to that. Food was the last thing on his mind right now, yet, unsurprisingly, that and dancing were the kings first. Fortunately he didn't have to come up with a coherent response, since Julien soon spoke up again.

"I guess we better be glad the harvest is not for another few months, huh?" Julien sniggered. And for a few seconds, Maurice couldn't tell if he was really, honestly joking about this.

"...Yeah."

Julien squeezed on one of the lychees in his paw. "Although, I think Koto may be able to handle it. Maybe." His face twisted into a sour grimace.

"...I don't think so, your majesty."

"True," Julien glanced back at the water. "I don't even think he would share."

Maurice couldn't fathom why Julien would even consider not sharing the worst of what Koto could do, but he replied again. "It would be a lot worse than that, King Julien." Maurice stated dully. His eyes wandered to where the king's were: the ocean. "I don't think we can really compare it to what he's doing now, but I highly doubt sharing mangoes would be the first thing on the new king's mind."

Julien pressed his forehead against the cool, comforting glass. He shut his eyes for a solid thirty seconds before eventually asking; "Do you think the kingdom's okay, Maurice?"

"I... hope so, your majesty." Maurice's gaze shifted, as he spoke. "But I can't tell you I haven't been thinking about it."

Sighing, the newly civilian put a hand to the top of his head. He smoothed out the uneven fur, as though he was feeling for the crown that had been striped from him, hours ago. "...I had another nightmare."

Noting how his best friend stayed silent, which seemed like an good enough reason to continue, Julien confirmed; "Except.. it wasn't a nightmare. Well it was. But it wasn't. I dreamed it, but it happened. And it kept happening. Repeatedly. Not in real life, but in the dream—you know how I let Koto into our walls?"

Maurice swallowed louder than he meant too, but he replied all the same. "Yeah."

"Yeah. Well. They kept hoarding everyone up. With the ropes. And then fast forward to us leaving and... MoMo, it just feels like we're abandoning everyone. I don't want to just leave my people! They were probably counting on me and... I left. We left them, Maurice."

Something inside the advisor shattered at that. Because he knew exactly how he felt. Things weren't the same. They did leave. They did run away from home, as much as Maurice tried to sugarcoat it. And maybe Julien's nightmares are just like his panic attacks, only all Maurice can think about is the family he knew for a day. Meanwhile, Julien's main concern is the people he once ruled over, who are suffering the same fate as his own sister. Maurice knew he couldn't argue with what Julien was saying, because they were free when everyone else was trapped. And Maurice knew this entire thing wasn't fair. How could it be? It was the question that had started off his first fit of anxiety. Things were different. Things were constantly changing. They didn't possess that same innocence they once did, years ago. Those years, with the biggest concern being that Julien was bored with his day.

Maurice took in a deep breath, trying to relax from the return of his jumbled thoughts. He knew exactly how Julien felt. He too had that fear that maybe they wouldn't get back in time—that maybe they had made the wrong choice. That maybe they're not who they once thought they were...

Except. He is.

Maurice looked at his best friend. Teary eyes were staring back at him with the same need of reassurance as always, and that small, innocent fact was enough to calm the advisor down for a few seconds at least. Julien was still here. He was still his family. They weren't alone. And they would get through like they always did. They would return to the kingdom, take back what was theirs, and Maurice would figure out everything he wanted too. He would ask his sister questions, discover more about himself, and have Julien at his side. And then.. things would still be different, yes. But they would be a good different. Maybe even better than before. But until then; until they rise up and take back Madagascar, they would come up with a plan. They would figure something out, on this submarine. Maurice knew that wherever Julien was, was where he belonged. And if Julien was on a submarine in the middle of no where? Then you better believe he would be too.

"Hey." It took more then a minute for the advisor to speak clearly, the need for air slowly started to dwindle. "It's going to be okay. We're going to get everyone back. We're going to come up with a plan. And you're going to be king again."

Julien breathed out a sigh of relief, as though those few words had been exactly what he needed to hear, even if it wasn't the most specific plan. The soon-to-be-king gave his best attempt of a smile to his advisor, who soon gave his own try back.

"Let's just... try to get some sleep tonight, okay? Tomorrow's gonna be a long day."