Chapter 7: Louie and the Antarctic Desert
Louie had spent the last two years of his life trying to find his flock of Macaroni Penguins, but without much luck. After wandering around in circles for a good chunk of his life, all he had found was a plethora of predators, and by now, a grueling two years after his initial departure, the skin under his feathers was covered in callus and scabs. But he never gave up. He was determined to find his family or die trying. Right now, he was trudging through an ice storm, with winds so thick with ice that he couldn't see very far ahead. But at that one special moment…
"Louie! You're alive!" called a very familiar voice from behind. Louie turned around, with the false hope that this would be one of his parents. He saw the silhouette against the backdrop of the winds blowing.
"Papa?" called Louie. "Papa? Is that you?" Louie and the mysterious penguin figure trudged toward each other.
"Who are you?" asked Louie over the howling winds of the storm. "Who are you?" When they were close enough to do so, Louie saw a face he barely recognized, and couldn't quite make out.
"Who are you?" asked Louie a third time over the howling winds of the storm.
"Louie, don't you remember?" asked the figure over the howling winds of the storm. "It's me, Scamper! I need your help…" Louie instantly realized, but wasn't quite sure, that the penguin he met was Scamper, the penguin he met years ago.
"Scamper?" asked Louie. "You mean the penguin who helped me escape from those bad men a few years ago?"
"Yeah, that one!" said Scamper, whom Louie was now pretty sure he was who he claimed to be.
"What are you doing here, in the middle of nowhere?" asked Louie.
"Well, Snowflake was kidnapped a few days ago and I need your help to rescue her!" said Scamper. Louie was lost for a second.
"Snowflake…" he mused, racking his brain for a recollection. "Wasn't she your pessimistic companion?"
"Yeah!" said Scamper. "And now she's trapped on a boat out at sea! She swallowed something called a bomb! Do you know what that is?"
"Beats me!" said Louie. "I've never heard of it in my life!"
"Well, do you think you can help me find her?" asked Scamper.
"Listen, pal!" said Louie. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're hundreds of miles away from any water, and I'm still trying to find my family! I don't have time to do anything else!"
"But you've been stuck out here for two years!" argued Scamper. "You've had plenty of time to find your family, and you still do! But Snowflake is in danger, and they're probably going to kill her!"
"Look, Scamper," said Louie. "You've got your problems and I've got mine." Louie turned around and walked away. By now, the winds were dying down, slowing to less violent speeds.
"Then why don't we solve them together?" asked Scamper. Louie stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"You mean, I help you find Snowflake and you help me find my family?" confirmed Louie.
"Yeah," said Scamper. "And if we rescue Snowflake first, she'll be able to help us find your family, too." Louie didn't have to negotiate any further.
"It's a deal," said Louie.