It's been a year since the last update, but here's a new one finally! Another short story about Antionette the skunk written by Zexo that's kind of a sequel to Skunks in the Snow.
Springtime in Royal Woods meant that Tall Timbers Park was teaming with wildlife once again after the long cold winter had finally passed. And this spring was very special because Lola Loud's skunk friend Antoinette and her mate, whose name was Louie, had been blessed with a litter of kits. Lola and her twin sister Lana wasted no time in getting to the park to pay a visit to their smelly animal friends and play with their new little ones.
Antoinette and Lola eagerly greeted each other with a hug while Lola cast a wary look over to Louie, who shrank a little under the young pageant girl's gaze. "Skunk babies! Auntie Lana and Lola are here!" Lana announced. The young skunks were all happy to see their aunties again and quickly rushed over to greet them. The twins had given all of them names and decided to do a quick head count to make sure all were present. "Okay, let's see. Bradley? Check! Cassandra? Check! Elias? Check! Julian? Check! Natalie?" Lana looked around, but failed to spot the last little skunk among the others. "Wait, where's Natalie?"
Just then, the tomboy twin felt something brushing up behind her back. She turned around and finally spotted the kit she'd been looking for. "Aww! There you are!" she said as the baby skunk looked at her with a shy smile. Now that they were all accounted for, the fun could begin.
While Lana wrestled and chased the kits around the field, Lola hung back to have a quick word with their mother. "So, Antoinette, how's Louie been doing with the whole 'family man' thing? Is he treating you and the kids right?" Lola inquired, earning an annoyed eyeroll from the doe skunk. She started ranting at her in skunk chittering, which Lola could more or less understand. "Okay, okay! He's a great husband and father! I get it!" Lola said defensively. "I'm sorry. It's just… I really care about you and I don't wanna see you end up with the wrong skunk. I wanna make sure Louie is taking good care of you and your family." Antoinette crossed her paws and turned away from her. Clearly, she didn't appreciate Lola being so critical of her mate. "Okay, look. I promise I'll try to go easier on him, alright?" That seemed to be good enough for the mama skunk for the moment as she turned around agave Lola another hug, which the blonde gladly returned.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Miss Lana Loud," said the condescending, haughty voice of a little girl. The twins and skunks turned to see that their classmate and archnemesis Lacey St. Clair had just arrived on the scene to spoil their fun. "Not surprised to see you fraternizing with skunks of all creatures, but as for you, Lola, I should've known that your sister's revolting behaviors would eventually rub off on you as well. You Louds really are an uncouth bunch after all."
Lola growled viciously, wanting nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of the stuck-up little girl right then and there. Fortunately, Lana intervened before she could. "What are you doing here, Lacey?" asked the young tomboy.
"I just came to deliver this." Lacey pulled out a piece of paper with the mayor's signature on it. "It's an official document signed by Mayor Davis declaring the skunks an invasive species. My parents persuaded her to push it through and it says that these fowl-smelling vermin have to clear out of the park by the end of the week or be taken away by Animal Control."
The twins and skunks all gasped in shock at this news. "You can't do that! These skunks have just as much of a right to live here as every other animal in this park!" Lana insisted.
"This document says otherwise," Lacey bragged. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm due for a hair appointment at Suzie's Salon."
As Lacey walked away, the skunk family exchanged fretful glances with one another. "Don't worry, Antoinette. We won't let them kick you and your family out of your home," Lola assured them.
"That's right," Lana agreed. "Luckily, I've been in this situation before and I know just what to do. We just have to write up a petition to let you guys stay here and get enough people in town to sign it. Then Mayor Davis will have to change her mind. Should be a piece of cake."
"Let's get to work!" said Lola.
The girls quickly wrote up their petition and immediately started collecting as many signatures as they could. Their family and friends were easy to convince, but when it came to convincing the rest of the townsfolk, they had a much harder time. Almost everywhere they went, people turned them away, sometimes laughing or slamming the door in their faces. Nobody wanted to sign a petition to help a bunch of smelly, unpleasant skunks.
"I cannot believe this!" Lola shouted in frustration as she and Lana made their way back home.
"We've been walking around town all day and we still have barely any signatures!"
"I know. I can't believe nobody wants to help save the skunks," Lana bemoaned.
Suddenly, the sound of Lacey's snobby laughter reached their ears and they both turned to see her standing right behind them with her usual smug expression. "Oh, I can believe it," she said. "You really thought anyone was going to stick their necks out to save a bunch of skunks? Puh-lease! Everyone knows that skunks are nothing but smelly, repulsive, unpleasant, disease-ridden pests. Just like you, Lana."
This time, however, Lola was ready to match Lacey's attitude with her own. "Oh, Lacey. Sweet, ignorant Lacey," Lola said condescendingly. "I used to think just like you, but then I met my darling Antoinette and realized just how wonderful skunks can be. Maybe you should try opening your mind a bit, sweetie. You might just get some knowledge in that empty space you call a brain."
Lacey gasped in offense and stormed off in a huff. Just then, Lola felt a lightbulb go off in her head.
"Wait, Lana. That's it!" she exclaimed. "All we have to do is show everyone how amazing Antoinette and her family really are. Then they'll realize that skunks aren't so bad after all and they'll be lining up to save them. I mean, it worked for me."
"Yes! That's brilliant," Lana agreed happily. "Lola, you're a genius!"
"I am, aren't I?" Lola bragged.
Lola and Lana decided to create a compilation video of all the pictures and footage that they had taken of Antoinette, Louie and their kits to show the rest of the town how cute, friendly and appealing skunks could really be. They included footage of Antoinette both before and after she started her family. With the help of their big sister Luan, they managed to edit the video together quickly and post it on her website.
The results were phenomenal. The video soon went viral as people all over Royal Woods and then some began to fall head over heels for the adorable skunk family. They became so popular that the petition ended up getting many more signatures than were required. As soon as Mayor Davis saw the video and the petition, she immediately changed her position and rescinded the order to evict the skunks, allowing them to stay.
Later, the twins threw a party at the skunks' tree to celebrate their success. They were joined by all of their friends Meli, Cricket, Winston, Roxanne, Diana, Kayla, Ashley, Kristen, and Skippy. Antoinette and Louie were eternally grateful to the twins for saving their home and the children were having a fun time playing with the adorable little kits.
Sadly, the fun was spoiled when Lacey suddenly arrived and was not in a good mood. "Oh, hello, Lacey," Lola greeted her smugly. "Care for some punch?"
"Don't think you've won, Louds!" Lacey threatened. "If I can't trust the city to get rid of these ugly, stinky weasels, then I'll just have to do it myself!"
Just then, Lacey pulled out a large net to capture the skunks with and charged at Antoinette and her babies. Before the twins could react, Louie threw himself in front of Lacey and growled at her before she could reach the others. He then turned around, aimed his tail directly at her and sprayed a revolting cloud of fumes straight into her face.
"MY EYES! I CAN'T SEE!" Lacey screamed as she fell into a fit of coughing and gagging. "Eugh! It smells like a thousand-year-old garbage! I can't breathe! Mommy! Daddy! Start a bath! NOW!" She ran off with the twins, skunks, and their friends all laughing at her misfortune.
"Yeesh, what a drama queen," Lana remarked.
"I know, right?" Lola agreed before turning to the male skunk. "Louie, that was a great job you did protecting your family and for that, you have officially earned my approval. You really are the perfect soulmate for Antoinette and a truly magnificent father."
Louie smiled widely at Lola's praise as Antoinette rushed over to give him a grateful hug and a loving nuzzle. The kits all quickly joined in on the hug as well as the twins and their friends all gushed over the adorable display.