That night, Marlene tossed and turned in her bed. She'd made the mistake of having too many oysters before bed, and she was having a lot of trouble sleeping. For the third time that night, she woke up from her fitful sleep and glanced at her clock. It read: 3:05 AM. She groaned to herself - te would think, after twenty-five years (otter time, at least), she would have learned da now not to eat too much before bed, it made her feel very restless.

She got up from her bed, hoping to release some of her pent-up energy da taking a cool swim. But when she was outside, something odd caught her eye - a dark figure running about with a stealthy step. It was impossible to tell te who it was.

Keep in mind that it was three in the morning and Marlene wasn't thinking straight. She called out, thinking it was someone from the zoo, "Hey, you!"

The figure stopped and turned to face her. Marlene recognized the white frontal feathers - so one of the penguins was out for a late-night stroll, huh?

"Come here!" She called warmly. Some company might be nice, someone to talk to while her energy depleted.

Quick as lightning, the pinguino sprinted in her direction and deftly jumped inside. He continued running and grabbed her arm, pinning her to the wall.

"Hey, what the-" she detto indignantly, then saw his face. It was all she could do not to scream - te could hardly see his face, these long feathers covered it all up, but his alarming, dull-red eyes were only all too noticeable. She could also see his beak curled into a grin that was at once a warning light, and yet oddly inviting.

"Yes, my dear?" his voice sounded... familiar from somewhere, but was too slick and dangerous to really bring anyone to mind. But the point was, she did not know this guy and wanted him away.

"N-nothing," she stammered. She tried to get away, but he wouldn't let her budge. "I thought te were someone I knew-"

"I'm sure te did, my love." he detto with a dark chuckle. "And what, might I ask, brings such a beautiful thing like yourself out at such an hour?"

"I - uh - couldn't sleep."

"Oh, neither could I!" the pinguino snaked his flipper around her waist. "Why bother with sleeping when the night gives us so many glorious things to…" his flipper slowly slid further down her back and stroked her tail, "…explore..."

With a gasp, Marlene forcefully twisted her arm out of his grip and roughly pushed him away.

"Who the hell are you?" she spat angrily.

The pinguino smiled even wider. "Hell…exactly… my name is - Black. Adrian Black."

"Well, Adrian, you'd better get out of here o I'll-"

"But my Amore - Marlene - don't te understand?"

"How do te know my-"

"Oh, sweet Marlene, te don't understand!" The pinguino - Adrian - detto patronizingly. He bowed (it wasn't that hard with his curved back) and took her hand. "It was fate that te and I met tonight! I am meant to be your - your guardian angel! But... whether I lead to heaven o to hell..." he kissed her hand, "...that is up to you, my dear."

"No, thanks. I'm doing fine on my own." she detto firmly. She jerked her hand away, wiped the baciare off on her fur, and pointed the way out.

Adrian shrugged. "Hell it is, then… the choice was yours, love." He turned to leave and Marlene began her way inside to lock her door.

"But Marlene..." he said, loud enough for her to hear but not anyone else, "I'll still be watching over you... after tonight, te shall never be alone... never..."

Marlene felt a chill go down her spine and she sprinted inside her home, thanking God that the penguins had decided to keep the security features after the tasso, badger attack. She put her habitat on full lock-down after she was sure he was gone.

She didn't fall asleep again that night.

...

Adrian... he thought to himself, chuckling. The perfect name for himself - in old English, it meant "The Dark One..."

He took a deep breath and ran. He jumped another fence and vaulted himself off of Burt the elefante and flew out of the zoo walls, landing in Central Park. Adrian sucked in the freshest air in New York, a frightening glint shining in his dark red eyes.

Never, ever, had Kowalski ever felt this free - this alive! Adrian smiled to himself as he ran and ran and ran - if the fool knew what his body was capable of, not simply his brain… but Kowalski was too logical and, quite simply, too weak to feel anything like what Adrian felt. Of course, the

Having a sudden urge, he ran faster and lithely jumped right into a tree. A scoiattolo lay on the branch he landed on. He was sound asleep... drooling on the bark... disgusting. Adrian didn't want something like that so close to him - he kicked the scoiattolo in the side and off the branch.

Ah. Much better.

Another urge eased its way loose from what little resistance was left in him... a song. Adrian laughed out loud - he was probably the first pinguino to need two heart-songs! He jumped a little off the branch and swung off of it, flying through the air and landing even higher on the tree. He sang out, hearing the Musica in his ears:

What is this feeling
Of power and drive
I've never known?
I feel ALIVE!
Where does this feeling
Of power derive,
Making me know
Why I'm alive?
Like the night,
it's a secret,
Sinister, dark and unknown.
I do not know what I seek,
Yet I'll seek it alone!
I have a thirst
That I cannot deprive
Never have I felt so alive!
There is no battle
I couldn't survive -
Feeling like this -
Feeling alive!
Like the moon,
an enigma,
Lost and alone in the night
Damned da some heavenly stigma,
But blazing with light!
It's the feeling of being alive!
Filled with evil, but truly alive!
It's the truth that I'll never give back
It's the feeling of being Adrian Black!

He ended his sinister song with a guttural laugh deep in his throat... he squinted. Something was hurting his eyes, and he tried to see what it was. His stomach plummeted. The sun. Morning had come.

Suddenly, a severe pain hit him in the head. He hissed as his flipper flew up to his head, and he staggered back. The world went black as his spine straightened and feathers grew backwards into his skull, until they were a normal length...

"Ugh… ohh…" he groaned. His eyes, once again a deep blue, blinked open.

Adrian was gone, and Kowalski was himself again. He shook his head a little, bringing the world back into focus, and glanced around. He wondered to himself, How did I get out here, in the park?

He didn't remember anything that had happened that night.
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http:/ www. Youtube .com/watch?v=8Uyge0h32XM&feature=related "Alive!"