Disclaimer: I don't own Happy Feet or any of it's characters. I also don't own the song Lies. That belongs to Evanescence.

Part 1

Chapter 4

Mumble's depressed. Gloria was most likely on her way and he lost the egg. To a leopard seal! How could he let that happen? He gotta rescue that egg! But how? That seal could be anywhere. And how would he know the egg was still...no! It was alive, he knows it! He'll find it and get it back!

Or he'll die trying.

The eggs from the rest of the colony hatched already. Most likely, if it's okay, his egg hatched too. So now the chick is in danger! The urgency doubled.

He got up and turned to the Amigos.

"Tell Gloria that I went on a rescue mission for our egg." he said. Ramon and the others looked at him.

"But, mi amigo, he'll kill you!"

"I don't care! And besides..." He turned to them with a smile. "...he has to catch me first."

With that he left.

Whisper woke to a horrid sight. The crabeater seal...all that's left is bloody bones and a few tufts of fur. Rojas was sleeping, hugging her close to keep her warm.

Frightened, yet curious, Whisper carefully wiggled herself free and approached what was once a seal. She poked at the bones until her beak was bloody. She wiped the blood off on the snow. Then she stared at the whitish fur.

She nudged a tuft. What happened? Where's the seal?

"Sausage?" Whisper turned to Rojas, who stared at her. He has been awake since she started moving. He had watched her explore what was left of his dinner. Whisper looked at the remains.

"What happened? Where's the...other one?" she asked. Rojas righted himself and approached the baby bird. He placed a flipper over her.

"It's dead." he explained. She looked up at him.

"What does that mean?" Rojas paused. How to say this? How can he explain death to a one day old penguin chick?

"Well...you see...there is life and there is death. What we're experiencing is life. And you have to fight to keep it. If you don't, you'll die. It's kinda like sleeping but...it's likely to be painful and once you doze off, you'll never wake up again."

"I don't like that." she said.

"Nobody likes it. But it will happen if you're not strong." He motioned towards the morning sky. Whisper looked up and saw a skua passing overhead.

"All you have to do to stay alive is be aggresive. Stand you're ground. I'll give you a tip. Most animals get killed when they run. That thing up there is called a skua and they want to kill things like you. If faced with danger, don't run. Fight back and you just might survive."

"Might?" she questioned. Rojas chuckled.

"Better than no chance." he said. "Come on, Whisper. We need to get home."

He sniffed at the crabeater's blood trail and followed it. Whisper, being way smaller, hurried to keep up. Along the way, Whisper decided to entertain herself. She began to sing a song.

"Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear. Sealed with lies through so many tears. Lost from within and pursuing the end. I fight for the chance to be lied to again."

Rojas listened, having nothing better to do.

"You will never be strong enough. You will never be good enough. You were conceived in love. And you will never rise above."

Whisper definitly had her mother's voice. And apperantly, her dad's love of dancing. She couldn't help but pull off a few moves. Rojas smiled and looked back at her.

"They'll never see. I'll never be! I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger burning deep inside of me."

With the chorus over, her dance slowed.

"But through these tears breaks a blinding light. Birthing a dawn to this endless night. Arms outstretched, awaiting me. An open embrace upon a bleeding tree. Rest in me and I'll comfort you...I have lived and I died for you...Abide in me and I vow to you...I will never forsake you."

She repeated the chorus twice.

"Rest in me and I'll comfort you! I have lived, yet died for you! Abide in me and I vow to you! That I will never forsake you!"

Another chorus and she was done. She rushed up to Rojas and nuzzled him under the chin. He nudged her and they resumed their long walk.

Mumble slid on his stomach as fast as he could. He's been going on all night and wasn't even sure if he was going the right way. But if he was in the right direction, he'll catch up with the lumbering seal in no time.

He stopped at a hopeful clue. He stood up and approached a large burrow. It was large enough to house a leopard seal.

He could make out the drag mark of a huge seal. It fits the size of the thief.

Cautiously, he entered the den. He had no idea if the seal was still in here. But it wasn't. He got out and fell to his front and followed the track.

It appears he's in the right place.

"How far do we have to go?" Whisper asked. Rojas didn't stop.

"Just a few miles. It'll be okay." he reassured. Whisper paused and fell forward on her belly. She closed her eyes, panting.

"I'm tired. I can't take another step." she said. Rojas finally stopped and came back for her. Very, very gently, Rojas set his jaws on the nape of her neck. He lifted her up.

As a reflex, Whisper went limp. That one of the penguin's defense. Stay limp until the predator loses grip, then make a run for it.

Rojas knew of that defense. Most of the time, it annoyed him. He'd seize one normally in a grab bite. That's uncomfortable for him to keep that up, so he has to relocate the bite to an easier grip. But when he let's go for the transfer, the penguin always made a get away.

He has no problem catching it again if they're in the water. It's when they're on land that pisses him off.

He had no intention to eat Whisper, nor was he feeling discomfort in his grip.

Whisper was only a little comfortable. Her instincts didn't like her position, but she knew Rojas won't hurt her. So she made no complaint.

This chapter was dedicated to my best friend. Evanescence is the best! Please review. Preview:

They finally arrive home and Whisper has her first encounter with predators that want to kill her.