A/N: The beginning is the part of the first chapter in my other story, "Unfortunate events" the rest is basically an alternate ending that was killing me, so I wrote it after giving the thought so much neglect, so, tell me what you think! Enjoy!
Kowalski stood in the middle of his lab. An empty – though saddened – expression remained on his face. After that incident with the other Kowalski's, and the portal that had gotten them there, he was left with lingering questions, all about the same thing. Logic.
For the first time in his adult life, he was actually pondering logic, not just using it. And for the first time, he was beginning to question it. Did it even exist at all? Is science really everything?
He was questioning the one thing he lived by. All after Rico had thrown his machine into the portal, thus officially screwing logic.
Was he really wrong…about everything? All those times, that he had chosen the scientific side of things, other than enjoying the actual miracles in life, were his choices correct? All the friends he had lost…and for what? Just for the sake of a simple equation that probably didn't even make sense! Even the loss of his own mother didn't faze him…he never thought of death as 'unfortunate', in fact, he thought of it as stone cold reality, people live, then they die…that's all.
Maybe that's why he was an atheist…only loyal to science. Not believing in the magical part of life. The farthest he would go to believe in the little fantasies that his younger, lunacorn loving, comrade thought of, was watching science fiction movies…but even then he tried to comprehend the logic in them.
"You lost almost everyone you knew to science…and for what? NOTHING." The droned voice echoed through his mind as he looked around, trying to find the source of this demonic sounding person inside his own head.
"Wh-what did you say? Who's there?...show yourself!" Kowalski searched the room. His blue eyes darted up and down and across the room as he got into an attacking position.
"You heard me, you ignorant twit. Where ever you go in life, whatever friends you make, you're stupid logic will always drive them away. And for what? A stupid obsession for everything to make sense in your life?" the voice sneered, giving an evil chuckle afterwards.
"Where are you." Kowalski asked, in a more than serious tone.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"WHERE ARE YOU."
"Listen to my voice clearly."
"COME OUT."
"Why rush anything?"
"Come out and face me you coward!" Kowalski screamed.
"Listen, to, my, voice. Who do I sound like?" the voice spoke, in an almost calm tone.
Kowalski stopped for a moment before realizing who it was. He froze up, his feathers rose with goose bumps, and his eyes widened. It was him. He was arguing with himself. It hit him in a large and sudden epiphany. It was his stubborn side. The side that a small six year old child would have. He could tell by the tint of arrogance in the voice.
After much waiting, the voice – or, arrogance – spoke again, "I take it that after an eternity of thought you finally have caught on to who I am."
"N-No…logic does not allow for the existence of – AH!" his head pounded, as if a cell had burst. He tumbled back and fell, rubbing his head as he closed one of his eyes.
"Logic nothing."
"But logic – AH!" another shock.
"Logic nothing."
"But logic – AH!" he fell again.
"LOGIC NOTHING!" arrogance screamed.
"Wh-why are you doing this?" Kowalski groaned as he struggled to keep his balance.
"It is time you found out who you truly are."
"N-no!" he tried his best to resist, but arrogance was stronger, sending more and more shocks with each word spoken.
"YOU HAVE TO FACE YOURSELF. YOU HAVE TO REALISE YOU'RE A GREEDY, SELF LOATHING, IGNORANT, SELF-CENTERED, JERK, THAT WILL ONE DAY ROT IN HELL! YOU ARE ARROGANCE ITSELF!" he yelled in the most brutal tone any one has ever used. He couldn't scream any louder.
One by one, the words fell upon Kowalski. He began sweating and hyperventilating as arrogance rambled on and on. He was dumbfounded. He had no way of explaining this. Logic had betrayed him. This couldn't be happening. It just wasn't possible, it just wasn't!
Everything suddenly came crashing down as realization rained on him, and he was pushed over the edge. His last cord of logic snapped as his cheeks became stained with tears. Not tears of sadness, but of anger. He bawled his flippers into fists as he yelled, "STOP IT!"
He suddenly saw arrogance's reflection on all of his inventions. He was laughing, laughing at him!
He yelled numerous amounts of curse words and broke down as he began tearing away at every single machine, liquid, chart, map, and chemical, not stopping until everything was gone. He could no longer look at arrogance – no, he could no longer look at himself…
Everything he had worked on, things that took months to make, were all being destroyed in seconds as he sobbed underneath screeches.
"K-K'walski?..." he heard a familiar accent behind him, and he whipped around. Tears streamed down his face in a frenzy. An angry expression covered his face as he glanced back down to his inventions. How dare they portray him with such little respect! He was their creator, and he wasn't proud of it at all!
He then looked to the cowering Private, who shrunk instantaneously.
"K'walski…what are you doing?...those are your inventions…"
"IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUISNESS." Kowalski growled while grinding his beak.
"B-but…"
"SHUT UP! YOU STUPID LITTLE BIRD! MIND YOUR OWN BUISNESS, YOU IGNORANT TIC!" Kowalski yelled harshly as he stomped on one of his various lasers, to make it clear that he did NOT want to be disturbed as he destroyed his possessions.
Unexpectedly, a blue streak of light shot out of the tip of the gun, beaming right across the room, hitting his younger teammate's face, burning the edges of the feathers on his right cheek.
Private whimpered as he touched his face, feeling tears well up in his terror filled eyes.
Kowalski's expression softened as he realized what he had done. He was at his comrades side in an instant, examining any wounds or busies he could posses. He hugged the younger penguin before him, the one he had hurt…more emotionally than physically.
Tears fell down endlessly as Private finally gathered the courage to hug back.
"K-K'walski…a-are you…you again?" Private whispered softly, still in a strong embrace.
Those few words were enough to shatter Kowalski's heart and very soul.
"Yes, Private. I'm back…and I'm not leaving again…you did NOTHING wrong…it's me who's been bad…I'm, the stupid little bird…not you…but I promise, that…I'll be more careful, and you'll NEVER, have to witness me like that EVER again…"
Kowalski was grateful for the experience. Because Private let him know, that he wasn't Arrogance. He reminded him of who he truly was. He let him know that that terrible thing, that creature that had lived dormant inside him, was no more. And that he could finally start a new, in which case he would help others out, and he wouldn't choose science over friends and family. Not anymore. He was thankful he had Private there. To show him a way out of the rut he was in.
He was glad he was no longer Arrogance…