The Unforgiven Trilogy, Act III

Sorry it took so long to upload! I had MAJOR writers block on this one!

Elijah drifted on, unaware of his surroundings for days. The humans fed him on a regular basis, so he didn’t starve. But he didn’t know what he was doing. What did the humans want with him? He met another penguin. Two, actually. A male and a Female. They were both very friendly. The female seemed to get attached to him. The male had all these fanatical ideas about where they were going.

How could he know
This new dawn's light
Would change his life forever?

Set sail to sea
But pulled off course
By the light of golden treasure

During his trip across the vast oceans, he was falling in love with adventure. The male penguin told him about fantastical creatures he had never dreamed of, of animals so fierce they would rip your heart out in a heartbeat.

Badgers.
Both of the other penguins seemed scared of them, and with reason. Their parents had been mauled by Badgers. The male’s name was Ricardo, and the female was Shania. Elijah spent many a night not sleeping and dreaming of far – off lands.

Was he the one causing pain
With his careless dreaming?
Been afraid
Always afraid
Of the things he's feeling

He remembered what had happened to him in the past when he got sidetracked from a goal. The goal was to run as far away from the wars as possible. So he kept on, ignoring the fantastical world around him.

He could just be gone
He would just sail on
He'll just sail on

How can I be lost,
If I've got nowhere to go?
Search for seas of gold
How come it's got so cold?

How can I be lost?
In remembrance I relive
And how can I blame you
When it's me I can't forgive?

He couldn’t forgive himself from the past experiences. His only love had wound up dead.

These days drift on
Inside a fog
It's thick and suffocating

He went on, somehow. The memories remained, refusing to go away. Finally, they landed in America.

His sinking life
Outside it's hell
inside, intoxicating

The penguins escaped from the ship, getting a good surveillance of the land. Tall skyscrapers loomed over them. They went through the streets, finding a safe haven in a hotel.

He's run aground
Like his life
Water much too shallow

Eventually, they continued on. They came upon the Hoboken zoo. They stayed for a few days, and then Private left. They stayed behind, used to the comfort. He had gotten used to Shania’s company, and he thought he might love her, even.

Slipping fast
Down with his ship
Fading in the shadows

Now a castaway
They've all gone away
They've gone away

But he didn’t get to say anything, for when he returned he found an earthquake had hit. Habitats were destroyed, collapsed together and apart in the rubble. The Penguins habitat was demolished, no one was found alive.

How can I be lost
If I've got nowhere to go?
Search for seas of gold
How come it's got so cold?

How can I be lost?
In remembrance I relive
And how can I blame you
When it's me I can't forgive?

Elijah wallowed in guilt he conjured for himself. His friends were dead, or at the very most never going to return ever again. He picked at a flower he had found in the rubble.

“Forgive me
Forgive me not
Forgive me
Forgive me not
Forgive me
Forgive me not” he muttered to himself, picking off the petals one by one on his walk around New York.

Forgive me
Forgive me
Why can't I forgive me?

(Solo)


He came upon another zoo. This one was in the center of a giant park. It looked pleasant, much more so than the trashed remains of Hoboken. He started off towards the gates.

Set sail to sea
But pulled off course
By the light of golden treasure

How could he know
This new dawn's light
Would change his life forever?

He was greeted with open arms by a penguin, about his height. He was obviously paranoid, but caring at the same time. His name was Skipper. The Skipper told him to get to bed, because training would begin in the A.M.

How can I be lost,
If I've got nowhere to go?
Search for seas of gold
How come it's got so cold?

How can I be lost?
In remembrance I relive
So how can I blame you
When it's me I can't forgive?

Private finished his tale. The animals were solemnly quiet. A few were crying, and he noticed some in the back. He looked. There were five penguins watching him.

That wasn’t right. He looked closer, coming in through the crowd.

His walk turned into a jog. His jog turned into a run. He recognized the faces of those penguins – it couldn’t be! Was it? He reached the five of them. They were waiting. Rico, Kowalski and Skipper stepped aside to reveal Ricardo and Shania.

He ran up to Shania and hugged her. Everyone was teary eyed, except for Marlene who was bawling. The story was almost complete. There was just one more final thing to settle.

“Skipper, can I see your log?” Private asked. Skipper handed him his tape player. Private Elijah took out the tape and handed it back to Skipper. In its place went a tape Private had grabbed out of seemingly thin air.

On the side was their only marking, the word “Private.” Written by the female stranger that had come out of nowhere in their habitat a year or so ago.

Private pressed play, and allowed for the story of Skipper’s life to unfold.

REMEMBER TO REVIEW!
If the ending doesn't make sense, then you'll have to read my other fanfics, Across the Multiverse and As it Should Be.