Hubie panted as he jumped from the thrashing waves onto pebble beach. The full moon was high in the sky and the full moon mating ceremony was about to begin, he only had minutes to put a stop to Drake's plot before he forced Marina into mating with him. Hobbling as fast as any penguin had ever gone before Hubie went in search of the two other penguins. He knew that Drake liked to roost in the old cavern behind the rookery and that was his destination.
When he got there, Drake and Marina were nowhere in sight. Hubie snuck through Drakes lair, grimacing at the bones that littered the ground; how could a penguin live like this? Hubie finally made it to what could only be the other penguins nest. Drake was still nowhere to be seen but Marina was there. The female penguin sat huddled in Drake's nest, a wretched look on her face as she cradled herself.
"M-Marina!" Hubie cried out softly, mindful that Drake could show up at any moment. Marina's head whipped around and she stared wide eyed at Hubie. Fresh tears flooded her eyes and washed down her cheeks "Hubie!". The female penguin jumped up from her huddled position and scurried over to the male, throwing her flippers around his neck in a tight hug. Hubie returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm "Oh Marina, I'm s-so s-sorry I made you wait, let's g-get out of here before Drake comes back".
Hubie turned and started to lead the way out but he was halted from doing so when Marina didn't move. Hubie looked back at her in confusion "Marina?". Marina gave Hubie a heart broken and guilty look as more tears continued to flood her eyes. "I can't Hubie" she said with a miserable whimper. "Marina w-what do you mean? W-why can't w-we leave?" Hubie asked, confused and worried about the penguin he loved. "I can't leave Hubie; Drake has forbidden it" Marina cried as she huddled in on herself again.
"Marina I…. I don't understand; we sh-should get out of here now" Hubie urged the female penguin. "I can't Hubie!" Marina wailed as she crumpled to the floor "I'm so sorry Hubie, I tried to wait, I truly did but you took so long that I thought you were truly gone; I had no choice". Hubei froze as he heard those words, his blood turning as cold as the icy wind that howled outside. "What?" Hubie finally gasped as he stared down at the love of his life in horror as she continued to sob.
"I've mated with Drake; we've consummated the mating and I'm now carrying his chick" Marina said brokenly as she wrapper her flippers around her stomach. "No no nonononono this wasn't supposed to happen, I was supposed to return and give you the pebble and then we'd be mates for life!" Hubie said in denial, forgetting for the moment that the pebble had been lost with Rocko; his world was crumbling and he didn't know what to do to stop it.
"Just go Hubie, go before Drake returns from fishing" Marina urged. Hubie had no will left to defy those words, he turned and ran; each waddling step shattering his already broken heart a little more. Hubie didn't stop moving until he arrived at the hill top where he once contemplated the world. Hubie fell to the snow, finally allowing his heart wrenching tears to flow free. He cried and cried until not a single drop remained; he cried for the loss of the woman he loved, he cried for the loss of the greatest friend a penguin could ever ask for, he cried for the unfairness life seemed to throw at him. Hubie threw his head back and screamed to the sky, his heart break could be heard for miles in every direction.