Hello and welcome to the first chapter of "In Our World: Book 2." First of all, if you haven't read Book 1 yet, please exit this story and go read that story first. Otherwise, this story will make absolutely no sense. Then come back and read this. As usual, *'s means notes at the bottom and (P) means a perspective change from one character or scene to another. Oh, and the adventure starts in their universe. Now let's get onto the adventure!

CHAPTER 1 – Skilene Day

It was a beautiful day in New York City. It wasn't too hot, it wasn't too cold, and it was perfectly sunny. Mysteriously, the Central Park Zoo had been closed for the day. Of course, this was due to the Penguins, unbeknownst by the humans. They even managed to get Alice out of their feathers for the day with no substitute needed.

Why you ask? To prepare for one of the biggest days the zoo would ever see: the marriage of Skipper and Marlene. Since they and the rest of the Penguins had come back from wherever they had been, they'd been getting closer and closer together as a couple.

A week earlier, Skipper had proposed to Marlene. That was the perfect night. The moon was out and candles had been set up in Marlene's habitat. Skipper serenaded Marlene with his fantastic Spanish guitar skills * and gave Marlene a bouquet of oysters on half shells spelling out "Marlene." She happily and excitedly accepted.

The following week had been busy for both parties. When the zoo was closed at night, they both had been preparing for the wedding. Skipper and his team had been running around like mad looking for the perfect bowtie to go with his natural tuxedo and, of course, the perfect rings for Skipper and Marlene.

Marlene had also been running around like mad looking for the perfect wedding dress to go with her brown and white fur. She also looked for dresses for Becky and Stacy, who were her bridesmaids.

Skipper and Marlene could hardly wait for the next day. But they both fell asleep, dreaming of what they hoped their lives would be like during and after the wedding. (P to Marlene's habitat the next morning)

"You look beautiful Marlene," Becky said. "You really think so?" Marlene asked, in her dress. "Yes, Marlene. Skipper is one lucky bird," Stacy replied. "Thanks, girls. I'm so glad you agreed to be my bridesmaids," Marlene replied. "No problem cousin," the badgers both said.

"We'll see you in an hour, Marlene, at the altar. We just need to make sure our dresses fit as well," Becky said. "Are you sure you don't need any help?" Marlene asked, concerned. "It's your day, Marlene. You should relax. We're fine," Stacy said. "Well, see you girls later!" Marlene said. The badgers exited the cave and headed back to their habitat. (P to Marlene herself)

"I can't believe I'm finally getting married to Skipper!" I thought. "I almost thought this day would never come. I can't believe I owe it to Kowalski for sending us to that parallel universe. And of course, to Matthew for helping us. ** Without him, I don't know where the five us would be right now. We'd probably be in zoos there or living on the outskirts of civilization. I probably would be all the way across his world from the guys, and of course, Skipper. And, by both direct and indirect action, he got us to admit our feelings to each other and arrive at today. I can't wait to be married!" *** (P to the Penguins HQ)

"That's a really nice bow tie, Skipper," Private said to his leader. "Well thank you Private," Skipper replied. "I'm glad we didn't have to find a tuxedo for us all, since we've got natural ones." All four of the penguins laughed. "Skipper, I've calculated the odds of a perfect wedding occurring today and they are at 100% probability," Kowalski said.

"Outstanding, Kowalski!" Skipper exclaimed. "Thank you for being the one to wed us." "Where did you learn that Kowalski?" Private asked. "I received a license on the Internet with Alice's computer. It's good we learned to read, otherwise I would be unable to," Kowalski replied.

"That was a great idea Kowalski, almost as great as your Transporter thing," Skipper said. "You mean my Multi-Dimensional Transporter?" Kowalski asked. "Yes, Kowalski. Without it, I don't think Marlene and I would ever be getting married. Now, go you three, I'll be along shortly," Skipper said. With that, the three penguins left the HQ to go prepare the chairs, the aisle, and of course, the altar. (P to Skipper himself)

"I can't believe I'm finally marrying Marlene. We really are perfect for each other," I thought. "She's the smartest mammal I know, not to mention the most beautiful woman I know. I really should let Kowalski invent more often since that Teleporter he made helped bring us together," I continued inside my head.

I can't believe I also owe today to a human. **** Without that human, I don't know where the five of us would be. We'd probably be in government labs filled with needles, separated from each other, or worse. I don't think I would be able to live without my men or Marlene. I can't wait to be her husband!" I thought. *****

(P to Coney Island)

"Red One, show me what the pen-gu-wins are doing," Blowhole said to his lobster. Suddenly, on the screens in front of Blowhole, he could see everything going on in the zoo. "Doc the audio's out," Red One said. "I knew I should have set aside a bigger budget for those cameras!" Blowhole shouted. (P to Blowhole himself)

"What's going on with you today, Pen-gu-wins?" I thought to myself. I noticed many chairs on two sides of a walkway leading to an… altar? Hmm… "I wonder if there's any way I can use this opportunity against my arch-foes?" I continued thinking.

I tapped a button on my control panel and the cameras started cycling through on the screen. I stopped when I saw… an otter in a wedding dress? "I swear, that zoo gets stranger and stranger every day," I thought to myself. I wondered whom the otter could be marrying and if I could use that against Skipper and his men.

"Red One, show me the camera inside the Pen-gu-win HQ," I said to my lobster again. The screen changed to the only area I could ever see, the area their TV was facing. Something seemed up with Skipper, who appeared to be the only one around. Suddenly, he turned around and was wearing a black bow tie! "Skipper wearing a tie, I never thought I'd see that," I thought to myself.

Skipper suddenly walked out of the camera frame, only to return a few moments later, holding two small round objects. Suddenly I saw one was a diamond ring! I knew exactly what was going on then. "Skipper found himself a woman he truly cares for, eh?" I thought to myself. Suddenly, another one of my ingenious plans came into my head.

"Red One, prepare my flying pod, a cage, and my Portablizer," I said commanded my lobster. He quickly left, along with a few others. I love them having an overwhelming fear of my wrath. It makes it so much easier to get things done around here. (P To The Zoo In An Hour)

Finally, it was time for the wedding. Skipper, Kowalski, and Private were all waiting on the altar, watching Marlene approach it. Becky and Stacy were in their dresses were also watching Marlene walk down the aisle. Roger was playing the piano in the background. There was a smile on every animal's face. It was one of the happiest days they'd ever see.

Suddenly, a cage dropped down on Marlene! "Missed me, Pen-gu-wins?" Blowhole cackled, as he brought the cage up to his level. "You are not on the guest list, so leave and give me back Marlene!" Skipper cried. "My, my, Skipper, you really do care for this one don't you?" Blowhole replied. "Help!" Marlene shouted with a whimper. "You do anything to her, anything at all, and I swear, it'll be the last thing you ever do!" Skipper shouted at Blowhole.

"I doubt that," Blowhole said, as he pressed a button on his Segway, which was in the flying pod's bubble. Suddenly, a portal appeared behind him. "You want her, Skipper?" Blowhole asked. "Then come and get her," he said, before going through the portal. "After him boys!" Skipper shouted. The four Penguins quickly were able to get into the portal before it closed behind them.

All Marlene could do in her cage was hope that someone would rescue her, until an idea came into her head. (P to Marlene) "How could I forget that I have claws? I'll hack the lock with my claws!" I thought to myself. I let one paw release my claws and swiped them against the lock, breaking it.

I quickly jumped out of the cage towards Skipper and the guys. Suddenly, a portal opened up in front of me and there was nothing I could do. "Skipper!" I shouted as I passed through the portal. (P to the Penguins and Blowhole)

"Marlene!" Skipper cried. All four Penguins quickly jumped towards the portal, but it closed behind Marlene. "Now face the wrath of my knockouterizer!" Blowhole shouted. "That's really the best name you can come up with?" Kowalski retorted at Blowhole. "It may be a work in progress, but I still made it before you. My brain is bigger than your whole body!" Blowhole said.

After dodging for a few minutes, none of the Penguins had been hit with the invention's blasts. Blowhole decided to change his tactic and made the machine release an entire wall of energy towards them. That, unfortunately, worked. As they were falling back and blacking out, all Skipper could say was "Blowhole, I will find you and get Marlene back."

The four then blacked out. It seemed like Blowhole was about to capture them, when they fell through a portal of their own, which promptly closed. (P to Blowhole himself)

"I knew I should have accounted for that possibility," I thought to myself. "Leave it to me to get over cocky and lose both my captive and those darn Pen-gu-wins!" Suddenly another Portal opened behind me. I quickly went through it, hoping to find either my foes or my captive.

That's it for chapter 1. It was beautiful, until Blowhole interrupted it! Curse that overgrown guppy (to use Skipper's words, I think). I'll see you in the next chapter. Time for notes.

* Reference to Littlefoot, where it was revealed Skipper knows how to play the Spanish guitar.

** Marlene in Book 1 had sold me on the idea that I had helped bring her and Skipper together, despite me trying to say it was all them. I guess she still believes I helped her a lot more than I did.

*** It was fun to write what Marlene would probably think if she and Skipper were to be married.

**** Skipper in Book 1 had sold me on the idea that I had helped bring himself and Marlene together, despite me trying to say it was all them. I guess he still believes I helped him a lot more than I did.

***** It was also really fun to get into Skipper's head.