The next morning, Penfold discovers that his Aunt Doreen hasn't set him up on another date with the snobby Jennifer. He spots a note taped to the refrigerator as he gets something to eat for breakfast.
Ernest,
I know how tired you are from last night, and how upset yesterday was, so your father, sister and I decided to let you sleep in while we go to the chapel with your Aunt Doreen to put the final touches on the wedding for tomorrow. We won't be back home until late in the afternoon.
Do not answer the door to anybody while we're gone.
Love you, honey.
~Mom.
Perfect! With everybody gone, Penfold decided that it's time to start packing everything he needs to go back to London.
Inside Penfold's head...
"It's a good thing no one's home." Penfold's Anger said while smiling smugly. "Otherwise, this whole plan would've been a bust."
"Hang on, guys!" Penfold's Fear cried as Penfold's Anger is taking control. "Are we really doing this? I mean, this is serious."
"Look! We have no core memories." Penfold's Anger argued. "You want Penfold to be happy? Let's get back to London and make new ones."
However, the three emotions didn't realize that the idea of running away is about to partially destroy the last island - Family Island, thus taking away any chance of Penfold's Joy and Sadness to return to Headquarters with the core memories. Already, Honesty Island has been destroyed already in which the line connecting it to Headquarters ended up destroying the Train of Thoughts, causing Penfold's Joy, Sadness and George to get stranded at the Long-Term Memory after Honesty Island's destroyed.
Although they found another way back to Headquarters through one of the recall tubes, it turned out to be unsuccessful as Penfold's Joy was about to get inside the recall tube when he notices the core memories turning blue because Penfold's Sadness is near the memories.
"Sadness, stop!" Penfold's Joy stops Penfold's Sadness from going near the tube. "You're hurting Penfold."
"No, no, no. I did it again." Penfold's Sadness cried in shock, realizing that he almost turned the core memories blue.
Penfold's Joy sadly looks at Penfold's Sadness. "If you get in here, these core memories will get sad."
He looks at the core memories for a moment, then looks at Family Island about to crumble to pieces. He has to make a tough choice - leave Penfold's Sadness and make Penfold happy again, or be trapped in the Long-Term Memory forever with no way back to Headquarters.
"I'm sorry," Penfold's Joy apologizes to Penfold's Sadness before finally getting inside the tube and sealing himself in, leaving Penfold's Sadness and George outside. "Penfold needs to be happy."
"Joy?" Penfold's Sadness squeaked as he and George witness Penfold's Joy getting sucked upwards in the recall tube, onward to Headquarters.
Unfortunately, the partial destruction of Family Island is too much for the nearby shelves of Long-Term Memory to handle as it cracks open the tube when falling to the Memory Dump. This stops Penfold's Joy from reaching home. Instead, it causes Penfold's Joy to be ejected from the tube and fall to the Memory Dump. George tries to catch the fallen emotion, but he too falls into the Memory Dump with Penfold's Sadness standing near the edge in shock.
"Joy!"
Back in the real world, Penfold is walking alone in the empty streets of New York, wearing nothing but his usual navy-blue suit and yellow-and-black striped tie as he heads to the nearest bus station to get to the airport.
Inside Penfold's Head, Penfold's Joy is trying to get out of the Memory Dump by climbing from the many piles of faded memory orbs but to no avail.
Somewhere in the Memory Dumb, George had regained consciousness from the fall he had, just in time to see a few memory orbs fading away to dust.
Scared, George backs away from the fading memory orbs before seeing his scaly green hand starting to fade away. He gasped and runs to various locations to find Penfold's Joy.
The emotion was very easy to find in the dark Memory Dump because his golden suit is shining like the sun, hence his namesake. The imaginary dragon sees Penfold's Joy trying unsuccessfully to climb his way out.
"Joy!" George cried after seeing Penfold's Joy fall down. "Stop!"
Penfold's Joy looks at the dragon in the eyes.
"Don't you get it, Joy?" George tried reasoning with the emotion. "We're stuck down here! We're forgotten!"
Penfold's Joy didn't say anything. Looking around the Memory Dump, he notices a blue memory orb not fading away like the other memory orbs. It was the blue core memory created by Penfold's Sadness back in chapter 6.
"A prodigy? Conquering Mt. Everest just after he was born? That sounds rubbish!" Jennifer's voice played from the blue core memory. "The fact that he learned king fu and speak alien language fluently is also rubbish."
Penfold's Joy went closer to the core memory as it continues playing.
"Let me guess, he also lost an eye and had to wear that ugly black eyepatch for the rest of his life? I take back what I said about him being handsome." Jennifer's voice continued to play. "He's nothing but a monster in my opinion. Tell me something about Danger Mouse that isn't rubbish!"
Penfold's Joy sees the core memory playing the scene where Penfold was offended by Jennifer's insult to Danger Mouse and was about to cry.
"Oh grow up!" Jennifer's voice played again. "If you're going to be my future husband, you better man up and lose the tears."
He couldn't take it. That core memory is too depressing to watch. And it's all thanks to Jennifer. He got down on his knees and, for the first time, cried.
He then heard the giggles of a toddler Penfold play from one of the faded memory orbs.
It was a memory of a toddler Penfold coloring from a coloring book.
"Do you remember how he used to stick his tongue out when he's coloring?" Penfold sadly ask himself as tears come out from his eyes. He picks up another memory orb, replaying the memory of a very young Penfold. "I could listen to his stories all day."
Seeing the once joyful memories of Penfold fading away, and the sad core memory broke his heart. He couldn't stop himself from tearing up.
He thought he was doing everything to make Penfold happy.
But he failed.
One of his tears hits one of the joyful core memories, causing Penfold's Joy to pick up said core memory.
It was a memory of Danger Mouse and Penfold having a moment at the infirmary. Penfold was relieved that Danger Mouse was alive and okay, from suffering an injury caused by Baron Greenback back at the Louvre Museum.
Treating it as if it was a video, Penfold's Joy rewinds the orb to where Penfold and Squawkencluck are hugging in the hallways of HQ, both being depressed.
Because of that scenario, the orb turns blue. Penfold's Joy continues to rewind to where only Penfold's in the hallway, breaking down into tears, the orb still retains its blue hue. Penfold's Joy allows the orb to play at its own.
"It was the day Danger Mouse got shot by Baron Greenback while trying to stop him from stealing the world's largest diamond at the Louvre Museum." the voice of Penfold's Sadness played in Penfold's Joy's head. "Penfold was devastated. He blamed himself for what happened to Danger Mouse."
Penfold's Joy sees Professor Squawkencluck comforting a devastated Penfold, telling him that it wasn't his fault. He fast-forwarded a bit to where Professor Squawkencluck and Penfold followed Colonel K to the infirmary where they saw Danger Mouse awake and his wounds being treated. The orb turns gold.
"Sadness." Penfold's Joy spoke. "Professor Squawkencluck ... Colonel K? They came to help ... because of Sadness."
Penfold's Joy faces George with a determined look on his face. "We have to get back up there."
"Joy, we're stuck down here." George replied sadly, part of his body is almost fading away. "We might as well be flying our way up to Heaven."
"Heaven?" He had an idea. "George, do you remember how to fly?"
"It only works by singing." George replied. "Why?"
Penfold's Joy began to sing. "Who's your friend who likes to play?"
Nothing happens.
"Who's your friend who likes to play?" Penfold's Joy sang louder.
"His wings makes you yell hooray!" George also sang.
Both Penfold's Joy and George heard faint musical notes being play, and they see a faint green glow coming from George's back.
It's seems to be working.
"Who's the best in every way, and wants to sing this song to say?" George sang louder with Penfold's Joy joining in. "Who's your friend who likes to play? George the Dragon!"
They both continued to sing until George's wings are large enough to fly.
"Hop on to me back, lad!" George ordered Penfold's Joy who climbs up to George's back.
George starts running as his wings began to flap.
"Who's your friend who likes to play? George the Dragon! His wings makes you yell hooray! George the Dragon! Who's the best in every way, and wants to sing this song to say? George the Dragon!" Penfold's Joy and George sang as loud as they can to help George fly high enough to reach the edge of a cliff.
But that wasn't enough to get them to reach the edge as George's wings stops working, causing George and Penfold's Joy to fall back into the Memory Dump.
Neither of them is going to give up.
"Who's your friend who likes to play? George the Dragon! His wings makes you yell hooray! George the Dragon! Who's the best in every way, and wants to sing this song to say? George the Dragon!" Penfold's Joy and George tried singing again, coming closer to the edge, but they still can't reach the edge, and they fall again.
George looks up at the edge, and then his left arm that is now fading away.
He reaches his right hand to Penfold's Joy. "Come on, lad. One more time. I've got a feeling about this one."
Penfold's Joy takes George's hand and went back on top of the dragon.
"Who's your friend who likes to play? George the Dragon! His wings makes you yell hooray! George the Dragon! Who's the best in every way, and wants to sing this song to say? George the Dragon!" Penfold's Joy and George sang even louder.
"Louder, lad! Louder!" George yelled at Penfold's Joy who began to sing even louder than usual. "Sing louder!"
While Penfold's Joy is singing louder and louder, he didn't notice George grabbing him and flinging him upwards to the cliff.
"We're gonna make it!" Penfold's Joy cried happily as he finally lands on the cliff, finally out from the Memory Dump with the core memories with him.
"We did it, George! We did it!" Penfold cheered as he tries to look for George.
But the dragon is nowhere to be seen.
"George?"
Cor, he swore he heard George cheering from the Memory Dump. Rushing to the edge, he sees the dragon still stuck down the Memory Dump, but it seems that he's cheering.
"You made it, lad!" George cried happily. "Go! Go save Penfold!"
But Penfold's Joy began to notice the dragon's body starting to fade away completely.
No.
He can't let George fade away.
Despite his dilemma, George gave Penfold's Joy a heartfelt smile before his face began to fade away.
"Tell Penfold to stay strong for me." George said to Penfold's Joy tearfully before waving goodbye. "Okay?"
Penfold's Joy finds himself unable to do anything but watch George's face finally fade away until he sees the dragon no more.
"I'll try ... George." Penfold's Joy said sadly. "I promise."
Back in the real world...
"Honey, we're home!" Bronwen cried as she, Arthur, Bambi and Aunt Doreen enter the penthouse late in the afternoon.
No answer.
"Ernest?" Bronwen cried again.
No answer.
"Ernest, you are a grown man! Get out of bed and come here at once!" Aunt Doreen barked.
Still no answer.
Worried, Bronwen, Arthur, Bambi and Aunt Doreen went to Penfold's room to see if he's still sleeping, or doing something in his room.
When they open the door, Penfold was nowhere to be found.
"He must've went out." Bambi said.
"Speak only when you're spoken to, Bambi." Aunt Doreen lectured Bambi. "Women must learn how to be quiet and obedient to their future husbands."
"Doreen, shush!" Arthur yelled at his sister before dialing from his cellphone. "I'll try calling his cell."
()()()()()
Meanwhile, Penfold is still walking towards the bus station when his iPhone rang. Looking at his iPhone, he notices that his mother is trying to call him.
Inside Penfold's head...
"It's mom!" Penfold's Fear gasped. "She's onto us!"
"What do we do?" Penfold's Disgust asked.
"Penfold needs to get core memories!" Penfold's Anger replied, still under control. "We keep going.
Back in the real world, Penfold rejects his mom's incoming call and continues on the get to the bus station.
Inside Penfold's head, Family Island started to rumble a little.
Back in the real world, Penfold finally made it to the bus station where a couple of people are waiting to get onto the bus. He pays his ticket with Aunt Doreen's credit card to get onto the bus and is currently waiting in line for the bus to take him to the airport.
His iPhone rings again. His mom is still trying to call him.
Inside Penfold's head...
"It's mom again!" Penfold's Disgust cried as Penfold's Anger looked nervous and Penfold's Fear began to breathe rapidly in a paper bad. "What do we do?"
Penfold's Anger froze. "Uh..."
Back in the real world, Penfold turns his iPhone off as he finally gets on the bus.
Inside Penfold's head, half of Family Island broke apart and fell into the Memory Dump. The three emotions were horrified at the destruction.
"Crikey, this is madness!" Penfold's Anger cried in fear. "He shouldn't run away!"
"Let's get the idea out of his head." Penfold's Disgust cried as he tries to force the idea bulb out of the slot.
Only, it didn't budge.
Penfold's Anger tried to have a good at removing the idea bulb, but it still wouldn't budge.
"Crumbs! It's stuck!" Penfold's Anger cried as he bangs on the controllers which began to turn lifeless gray and inactive, save for the glowing idea bulb stuck in the slot.
"No, no, no, no!" Penfold's Fear cried as the inactive grayness began to take over the controllers. "What is this?"
The three emotions tried everything they can to remove the bulb - from Penfold's Anger throwing a chair at it to Penfold's Fear trying to force it out of the slot with a crowbar. Nothing's working.
"How do we stop it?" Penfold's Fear cried.
"I have an idea!" Penfold's Disgust replied. "Make Penfold feel scared! That'll make him change his mind."
Penfold's Fear wasted no time to get to the controllers and try to do something to make Penfold feel scared.
The controllers didn't respond either. "Nothing's working!"
All three emotions tried to get the controllers to work, but nothing happens as the lifeless gray color continues to spread all over the controllers.
"Guys." Penfold's Fear spoke suddenly, realizing the grim truth. "We can't make Penfold feel anything."
Penfold's Anger's eyes grew wide. "What have we done?"
Penfold's Fear shook nervously. "Cor, I wished Joy was here!"
As if a wish came true, the three emotions heard a loud thud from the windows. They turned around and saw Penfold's Joy and Sadness slammed into the wall before falling, but not before Penfold's Sadness grab hold of the ledge while holding Penfold's Joy to prevent him from falling.
"It's Joy!" Penfold's Disgust cried in relief.
"Stand back!" Penfold's Anger roared as he throws a chair at the window, hoping it would break.
But it causes the chair to bounce off from the window and hit the floor instead.
"Well that worked." Penfold's Disgust said sarcastically.
"Well why don't you do it if you're so smart?" Penfold's Anger roared.
Penfold's Disgust lets out a smirk. "I'd tell you, but you're too dumb to understand it."
"What?!" Penfold's Anger roared.
Penfold's Disgust continues. "Of course your tiny brain is confused! Guess I'll just have to dumb it down to your level!"
Penfold's Anger could feel his anger rising up as Penfold's Disgust continues. "Sorry I don't speak moron as well as you do, but let me try!"
Penfold's Disgust does an imitation of a moron. "Duuuhhhhhhh..."
Flames burst from Penfold's Anger's head with Penfold's Fear watching in fear. Penfold's Disgust lets out a smirk as he grabs Penfold's Anger and uses his bursting flames to burn down a hole on the window, allowing Penfold's Fear to haul Penfold's Sadness and Joy safely inside.
Penfold's Joy's heart sank when he saw Penfold leaving on a bus.
"He's running away?" Penfold's Joy asked.
"Joy! You gotta fix this!" Penfold's Disgust cried.
Penfold's Joy turns to Penfold's Sadness. "Sadness. It's up to you."
The other emotions, including Penfold's Sadness are shocked. "What?"
"I-I can't, Joy." Penfold's Sadness spoke nervously.
"Yes you can." Penfold's Joy replied. "Penfold needs you."
Penfold's Sadness took a deep breath before approaching the now grayed controllers. Walking up to the idea bulb still stuck in the slot, Penfold's Sadness grabs the bulb gently.
The other emotions watched as Penfold's Sadness removes the idea bulb from the slot with ease, reverting the controllers back to normal.
Back in the real world, Penfold began to realize that running away isn't such a good idea after all.
"Wait!" Penfold cried as he jumps out from his seat. "Stop the bus! I want to get off!"
The bus driver said nothing as he hits the brakes and allowing Penfold to get off the bus and run back to the penthouse.
()()()()()
"Thank you for you help." Bronwen had just finished calling Professor Squawkencluck before hanging up.
She looks at Arthur and Bambi. "Squawkencluck hasn't even seen Ernest all day!"
"Did you try calling Danger Mouse?" Arthur asked his wife.
"She also told me she hasn't even seen Danger Mouse since yesterday!"
"What?" Bambi gasped.
"What was Penfold wearing last?" Bronwen cried before hearing the door being opened.
Bronwen, Arthur and Bambi went to the front door to see Penfold just walking inside.
"Ernest!" Bronwen, Arthur and Bambi cried as they hugged a depressed Penfold.
"We were so worried about you," Bronwen cried. "Where have you been?"
Inside Penfold's head, Penfold's Joy looks at Penfold's Sadness who is still at the controllers, and then looks at the golden core memories.
Penfold needs Sadness.
"Sadness?" Penfold's Joy said, catching Penfold's Sadness' attention.
Penfold's Sadness turns around and sees Penfold's Joy holding the core memories. He motions him to take the memories from him. Penfold's Sadness accepted. Upon touching the core memories, the once joyful golden hue became a sad, blue hue.
Penfold's Joy gives him a nod. Penfold's Sadness allows all of the core memories to play in Penfold's mind before retreating to the empty circular tray where they belong. When finished, Penfold's Sadness walks up to the controllers and began using it.
Back in the real world, Penfold began to cry.
"Ernest?" Bronwen asked her son.
"I ... I know you don't ... want me to, but ..." Penfold choked. "I miss home. I miss London. I miss fighting bad guys. I even miss the annoying narrator."
Bronwen, Arthur and Bambi looked sad and hurt.
"You need me to be happy. To make the family name proud." Penfold continued as tears come out from his eyes. "But ... I want my friend back ... and my job. I wanna go home. Please don't be mad."
Bronwen and Arthur looked at each other.
"Sweetie." Bronwen spoke.
"We're not mad." Arthur replied sadly. "You know what? We didn't want to force you into this marriage to begin with."
Penfold's eyes looked up to meet his parents'. He finds himself crying less.
"If there's anyone to be mad about, it's Aunt Doreen." Bambi said. "She's the one that caused all of this."
"Come here," Both parents and sister spread their arms out, allowing them and Penfold to embrace a hug.
Inside Penfold's head, Penfold's Joy had seen everything, and he had to admit that Penfold's Sadness did a great job handling the situation.
If he had been at the controllers instead of Penfold's Sadness, it would've been worse.
He gives Penfold's Sadness the blue core memory. Penfold's Sadness accepted it, but Penfold's Joy didn't count on Penfold's Sadness to take him to the controllers with him as both emotions pushed a button at the controllers.
In the real world, Penfold is still crying, but gives out a small, genuine smile.
Back in Penfold's head, Penfold's Joy and Sadness witness a new creation of the memory. It was glowing brighter than the other memories, and unlike the other memory orbs, this one has a combination of blue and yellow.
They've created a new core memory consisted of boy joy and sadness.
All five emotions watched as the new core memory makes its way to the tray where outside of Headquarters, it creates a new island.
Back in the real world, all four family members are still embraced in a hug before Aunt Doreen enters the scene.
One part of her wanted to yell at the family for not acting like members of the high society and behaving like peasants.
But the other part of her wanted to hug the family.
Against her better judgement, Aunt Doreen got down onto her knees and hugged the family.
She may be a proud member of the high society, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a heart deep inside.