Let's make the things more interesting, shall we?
Usually, I don't like to add new characters in my stories. I use the original ones or I give the extras some minor scenes… but not this one.
Let's add another female in Mumble's life, just to see what happen. If my inspiration tells me to go on with this, she would have a big role in the future.
Are you getting nervous? Good… because that was the idea XD
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Chapter 2: Rhythm nation
It was still very early in the morning and a fluffy feathered penguin was returning from the ocean coast. Mumble had spent the last hour fishing the best fishes he could find. Three big ones for Gloria and several small ones for Erik. He didn't swallow them since it would probable that Erik wouldn't accept to receive food from him now, so he was carring them on his flippers. Gloria would have to pre-digest them this time.
He soon reached the entrance of his cave. His wife, with his child between her legs, was sleeping far from the entrance. He sighed, knowing that his presence there could cause even more problems. Erik seemed to be really hurt last day. He wanted to apologize… but it wasn't the right moment. So, making sure to not wake up his family, he left the fish in the floor and walked away.
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The spring had arrived to Antarctica and the ice began to melt, revealing huge extensions of water that had been frozen for three months. This was completely normal and the penguins were actually waiting for it… however, far away from Emperor-Land or any other inhabited territory, the spring had come much more hotter than usual. The thin ice had disappeared, and now, huge blocks of ice were separating from the continent and left adrift in the cold Antarctic Ocean.
One in particular was just enormous. It all began with a little crack in the ice, but the water of the melted snow began to fall for this crack, enlarging it and enlarging it; until a piece of ice with the size of a small country broke apart from Antarctica.
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Mumble and some other penguin were reunited behind a huge hill in the middle of Emperor-Land, discussing the last details of the welcome party. Under this hill, almost every penguin of every generation was waiting.
"So, it is decided?" One male penguin asked and everyone nodded "My daughter and Mumble will open the show"
"And then, anyone who have a song to sing will be allow to participate" Another penguin added.
"And the chicks will have their own little party! Maybe some of them found their song earlier and want to share it!" Miss Viola concluded.
"Ok, come on everyone. Let give Mumble and my daughter some privacy, so they can prepare" The first penguin spoke again and he and the others went down the hill and lost into the crowd.
The only two penguin who remained there were Mumble and a female. She was almost the same height than him, but she seems to be younger, maybe for a generation. She wasn't an adult, because she still had some fluffy feathers; but at the same time, she wasn't a chick. She probably was in the last year of Penguin High School.
This girl seemed to be quite nervous. Not because she would have to sing in front of everyone, but because she would have to sing with a male who already had a mate. Since Gloria couldn't sing with him, Mumble had to choose someone, and he had chosen her to be his co-singer. Rather flattered, rather scared, she accepted to sing with him. After all, singing with a nation's hero wasn't an opportunity that came very often… and at the same time, singing with someone's mate it wasn't very well seen. But the Elders had explained everyone why it was going to be like that… except for Gloria, that wasn't in the reunion.
But it wasn't for that that she had accepted to sing. She and Mumble had met years ago at school. She went to another class, but they used to meet and chat with Gloria. Actually, apart from Mumble, she was the only friend that Gloria had during her chickhood. And also, Mumble was a kind of private teacher for the girl. She also had had problems with learning to sing, and as well as he did with Gloria, he defended her and always encouraged her.
Mumble, in the other hand, wasn't very focused in the show for being nervous. He was quite… distant. His son's words were dancing in his head. But he remembered that, even though he had had serious argues with his dad too (and the motives were similar), they always had worked out those problems; so, maybe if he apologized and gave Erik some time, everything would be ok at the end.
"Are you… are you sure that Gloria is… ok with this?" The young female suddenly asked, taking Mumble out of his thoughts.
"Eh?" Mumble stared at the girl several second, trying to understand what she had said. He wasn't paying attention at her at all "With… with what, Katherine?" Mumble asked, naively.
"Well… you and me, you know… singing together... in a celebration for the couples"
"Yeah, don't worry about that, Kath"
"Did you ask her?"
"No… but I don't need to. She knows that she is my first and only one" Mumble replied, very confident "Besides, you are too young for me" He added, chuckling, while Kath narrowed her eyes. She didn't like to be treated like a chick.
"I can assure you, Mr. Mumble, that I'm very mature" She replied, filling her chest with air and making a proud posture.
"Oh, you are? And those fluffy feathers?" Mumble teased, referring to the many infant feathers that she still had in her chest and neck. Kathy quickly covered her fluffy chest and turned around embarrassed, with her face blushing. At first, Mumble thought that it was funny and turned around, giving his back to her; but some seconds later, he began to hear a few sobs coming from the young female. Mumble turned around again just to see Katherine crying
Mumble instantly felt bad for her. When he was younger, he didn't like that the others penguins made jokes about his feathers and nicknamed him 'fuzzball'; but he got used to it, to the point that he almost liked to be called like that, and even the girls started to like that feature of him. However, his condition was due the accident when he was an egg. That a 'normal' penguin delay in changing his feathers was a sensitive issue. Kathy was still young, so she has plenty of time to change her feathers; but the other penguins of her generation had already change them all and that made her felt bad, even when the other penguins had never told her anything about her feathers.
"I'm sorry… Katherine… I didn't mean it like that" Mumble tried to comfort the young girl, putting a flipper on her shoulder. He had already hurt two penguins with his stupid beak… he wouldn't allow himself to do it again "You... you will change them soon… I'm sure"
"Yeah… I think so…" She sighted
"Come on, girl! Be patience. At least you will change them. Look at me! I'm a blue eyed fuzzball and I always going to be like this" Mumble joked, trying to cheer his friend up. The girl giggled and turned around to face Mumble smiling, showing that his plan had worked "Please, don't cry"
"Ok… I… I won't" She said, wiping away the few tears that she still had in her eyes with her flipper.
"That's better… and believe me; when you reach the adulthood, you will want to be a chick again" He added, causing her to laugh.
He laughed too, but was cut by the sudden contact of a warm body. He looked down and found Katherine with her flippers wrapped around his body. He didn't want to be rude (He had just hurt her feelings and he didn't want to do it again), so he allowed her hug him a little; she wasn't doing something bad, after all. But suddenly, she began to caress his back lovingly with her flippers… that crossed the line. It felt good, he admitted it; but it wasn't right…
"Erhm… what are you doing?" He asked coldly, making Kath understand that he was angry. The girl shot her eyes open and quickly broke the hug, blushing madly.
"I-I-I sorry, Mr. Mumble… I-I-I don't know what… what happened… I…" She desperately tried to excuse herself, but she was too nervous to think in what to say.
"Hey, it's ok" Mumble calmed her down. He understood it. She needed to be comforted in that moment and she kind of got carried away. She didn't do it because she really wanted… or… she did? "But, don't do that again, ok?"
"Pardon me, Mr. Mumble. I promise that I won't" Katherine replied.
"So, let's… start now, if you are ok with it"
"Yeah, sure! Let's finish with this" Mumble offered his flipper and the female accepted, walking along him until they came insight of the crowd.
Five… four…
Five, four three, two
Everyone cheered at the couple of penguins when they start their show.
Mumble: Penguins of the world, unite!
Strength in numbers, we can get it right!
Katherine: ONE TIME!
M & K and the crowd: We are a part of the Rhythm nation!
K:With music by our side
to break what now divides
Let's work together to improve our way of life
M: This is the test!
No struggle, no progress!
Lend a find to help your brother do his best
K: Sing it up now!
M & K and the crowd: Let's dance! Let's shout!
Shake your body down to the ground!
Let's dance! Let's shout!
Shake your body down to the ground!
"Woao! You are better than I expected!" Mumble exclaimed.
"That's because I've got a terrific teacher"
"Well, I've got one last lesson to teach you" Mumble replied. He then began to tap his feet, like he had done since he born. At first it was a slow and gentle tap, but he increased the speed until it reached a continuous tapping sound.
"W-w-what are you doing?" Katherine asked puzzled. She knew that Mumble could do that, but why he was doing it now? "That is not what we planned"
"It's time to improvise!" Mumble shouted, as he spun around and continued to make his Happy Feet's dance "Can you sing along the tap?"
Kath listened carefully to the sound made by Mumble's feet. They were similar to the rhythm of a song she knew pretty well.
Katherine: I don't need no TV?
She sang, a little unsure. Mumble nodded and continued tapping, encouraging her to keep on. She then smiled and do what Mumble had asked her to do.
K: I don't need no TV! I don't need no news!
All I need is a bumpin' beat to bump away my blues.
Mumble knew the song too. It was one of his favorites.
Mumble: I don't care what people say!
I'm gonna do it, gonna do my way
Gonna let it all out and do my thing
K & M: Boom boom boom and a bang bang bang
Oooh-Do your thing!
M: Do your thing!
K: Make my body sing!
Penguin: We are a part of the Rhythm nation!
Due to the brisk rhythm of the song, every penguin there started to dance the "Happy Feet" dance. Mumble offered his flipper to Katherine, inviting her to dance with him, invitation that she accepted.
"Let's be a bit stupid now, ok?" Mumble said playfully.
"Huh?" Katherine didn't know what Mumble was talking about.
"You just listen and sing along with me… if you can keep the pace, of course"
"Oh, yeah? Bring it on, twinkletoes!" She replied. Mumble smiled
Mumble: Bitty bitty boom,woo!
Katherine: Bitty bitty boom,woo!
M: Zippido,zippido,da,huh!
K: Zippido,zippido,da,huh!
M: Boom bang boom bang bang!
K: Boom bang boom bang bang!
M: Boom bang boom bang bang!
K: Boom bang boom bang bang!
M: Do you thing!
Mumble then spun Katherine and grab her with both flippers.
K: You make my body sing!
Penguins: We are a part of the rhythm nation!
M & K: Do you thing!
"Mumble!" Gloria's voice interrupted the dance.
"Gloria?" Mumble asked, while he accidently dropped his dance partner. His mate was staring at him with widened eyes "Gloria, baby! I-I-I can explain this… I…"
"You will, but not now. There is something more important" She replied "I calmed Erik down a bit, not it's your time"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes… you are a great father, Mumble. I know you can solve this" she comforted and rubbed her neck against his. Mumble accepted the kiss and nodded, then he walked toward his home.
Gloria took a last look at the blushed female in front of her.
"Hi, Kath"
"H-h-hi, G-Gloria" She managed to replied, totally embarrassed "Look, what you saw… it wasn't what… we were just singing… and…"
"Hey, don't worry. You are my friend and I know that you'd never try anything with Mumble. Now, I have to go, see ya!" Gloria said and followed her mate.
Unknown for the inhabitants of Emperor-Land; while they were having fun, the giant floating iceberg created some hours ago had reached the limit of the Antarctic Ocean, entering in the Atlantic Ocean. But the streams of water of this ocean were going in the opposite direction, so they redirected the course of the iceberg, setting his course directed to Emperor-Land.
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So, that was chapter 2! ^^
Review and tell me what you think about this new event XD and if you liked or not the chapter overall.
Read you soon ;)