Author's Note: Update timeee! REVIEW guys! (That means you Lia XP )

~Natty.

Time Runs Out.

~M~

"Alex! Alex c'mon man! Alex!" Marty begged his unmoving best friend. All his fault. This was all his fault. Alex couldn't be gone! No! They'd never give up on the cat! He had to still be alive! He had to be! So he cried louder. "ALEX!"

Gloria shook her head, kneeling next to the lion as she smacked his cheeks to get him up. "Nononono, stay with us sweetie! You're s tough and gritty New Yorker!"

The zebra's eyes lit up. That was it. It had to be! New York!

Marty grabbed Alex's body and held up his head so the lion would be able to see around. They were in their beautiful city, home where Alex always wanted to be. That HAD to get the cat to get up, right? "Alex look…We made it home…We actually made it… Please Al, ya gotta look! We…we made it now!"

Nothing came from Alex's unmoving form, no movement no recognition and no nothing.

"Alex PLEASE!" Marty begged as the tears started to build. Nothing. Nothing would wake up Alex. Never again. And…he was to blame for this. The zebra looked away, eyes shutting as the tears streamed down his face. "This is all my fault….Alex no! You can't go like this! ALEX!" Slowly his grip loosened on the body until he had no more strength to hold it up. Alex was dead…because of him! He killed his best friend! HE KILLED ALEX!

Gloria's tears flowed too but she wiped them away as she was now holding the lion up in her arms limply. She pet the cat's bushy head gently and in a calming motion. She hoped Alex could feel it and know that they'd get through this together no matter what. They were a family and no one got left behind in one of those. And right now Marty couldn't be left behind either feeling this way.

"It'll be alright Marty." Gloria tried to reassure him, remaining headstrong.

"How?! How can you say that!" The zebra wiped his eyes with his hooves.

"I just can, sweetie." The hippo said softly.

"Alex is DEAD! She killed him just like she said she would! How is that okay?!" Marty cried.

"Marty-" The hippo reached out a hand to him, the other holding up the lion.

"NO! Tell me!" The monochromatic steed exclaimed, more emotional than he's ever been, pulling away from her. His breathing deepened in his crying. Knowing he was losing his temper he bowed his head as new streams of water ran down his cheeks. "This is all my fault…"

"This is NOT your fault!" Gloria was surprised that the zebra would say such a thing. "Do you hear me?!"

"Yes it is! I caused all of this! Everything that's happened to us! Don't you see that?! Me and my stupid dreams of- of becoming WILD! And what did they get me?" Marty looked up in a glare of hatred for himself. "They got my best friend killed…" He looked to the limp lion with regret. "I'm SO sorry Alex!" Knowing he wouldn't get a response didn't hurt as much as when he actually didn't get it. He'd never hear a word from Alex's mouth again. There'd never be any Alex ever again…. Alex was gone… Alex wasn't breathing because of him. That fact felt like he had been the one that had gotten shot instead. He deserved this, not Alex. Alex didn't deserve any of what was got because of his stupid wish! The wild…What the hell did it mean to him now? Nothing…Nothing without Alex…

Vitaly who'd come down from the flying circus, sliding down from a neon rope, ran up to them immediately. "The lion! What is wrong?"

"Alex is hurt." Gloria said.

"HURT?!" Marty exclaimed at the understatement.

Gloria shushed him and scolded. "Marty!" She then turned to the tiger. "Is there a doctor on the train?"

"No." Vitaly shook his head as he took the lion from the hippo's arms. "But the circus will do what they can. Come on!" He still didn't trust the lion but in situations like these he knew what was really important. So he led them to the rope he came down on, handing it to them as he threw Alex over his shoulder. "Tie yourselves with this!"

Gloria caught the pink rope and watched as the tiger started running to the gate of the caged habitat. "Woah! Where you going?"

"I will get there quicker with lion and meet you up!" Vitaly said and turned back to go on his own.

"Wait!" Marty stopped him, ears lowering. "Please don't let my best friend die because of me…"

The tiger gave a nod before he was running once again to the fence. He started to climb it with one paw, the other securing Alex as the Russian hopped it. Landing into the crowd of people that started to scream and flee, he ran to the brick wall nearest to the 'Afro Circus'. He started throwing knives that impaled into the bricks in a diagonal upward line.

Vitaly jumped to one, holding on before swinging to the other, each one nearing them to the flying platform. He'd make it in time but he just hoped the lion had some.

As the zebra watched this helplessly, Gloria put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, we'll meet them up there." Gloria nodded as she began to tie the hot pink rope around them. Her, Marty, and Melman. As it was tied firm and she gave a tug, the circus animals started to hoist them up.

Feeling the tug, the animals up above grabbed hold.

"Pull-a!" Stefano exclaimed as he was the first one to start.

Esmeralda, Esperanza, and Ernestina: the Andalusian horse triplets murmured to each other as they too started to pull, putting the rope in their mouths.

Gia looked exasperated at the others who just stood there. "Well do not just stand there! You will pull!" She exclaimed as she got behind the sea lion, pulling her hardest.

"Flippin heck you heard the lady then! Pull!" Freddie exclaimed as him and the other small dogs grabbed hold, Jonesy, Frankie, and Shakey.

Mason and Phil in the King of Versailles suit pulled silently.

Maurice shrugged and handed a piece of rope to Mort, they too helping out.

Manu and Maya the elephants tugged with their trunks, actually helping a whole lot.

King Julien grinned as he placed the pink string in Sonya the bear's mouth, although all she did was chew on it boredly.

Soon enough Marty, Gloria, and Melman were being pulled up. They stared as suddenly Kowalski, Private, and Rico slid down the rope they were being hoisted with.

The three penguins jumped down in fighting stances ready to help their leader that was still fighting against DuBois.

"Sir!" Kowalski exclaimed by his side.

"I thought I told you to stay on up there!" Skipper scolded to his left.

"The penguin credo, Skipper. We're sorry." Kowalski apologized with a nod.

Skipper smirked. "I love you guys."

"The feeling is mutual, sir." Kowalski replied.

"You too, Skipper!" Private smiled, cross-eyed in his fighting stance.

"Hai!" Rico agreed.

Skipper nodded and turned back to their fight. "Now on my mark-"

DuBois chose that moment to get up from the ground, frustrated she called her men for back up. How could she not beat ONE penguin?! And now there were four! She did not have time for this! That lion was getting away.

At the sudden quadruple multiply of humans added to their fight, Skipper quickly changed tactics. "-RETREAT!" He started to run.

"Excellent strategy, sir!" Kowalski praised in a pant as they ran.

"Thanks!" Skipper smiled and noticed the tiger had made it up to the platform with the lion. They headed for the knives in the brick wall. "Mission accomplished! Now let's get out of here!"

"WAIT!" Stefano cried to the rest of the circus animals as the pink rope holding the three Zoosters started to slip from their grasp.