A Family Reunion

**A Family Reunion** is taking place between the Lagune, Lagoidis and Lagois Family, three families whom have always shared hard feelings for each other. While the two try yet again to resolve their centuries-long conflict, two puffles must embark on a quest of their own...

## Prologue

It was a rather gloomy afternoon in the city of Tropicapolis. The sky was thick and dark with storm clouds, and the roads jammed with hundreds of cars, all driving through a heavy shower of rain. Just as lightning flashed overhead followed by a low rumble of thunder, the traffic slowed to a jam.

Falco: Is the weather here usually like this during this time of year?

Falco Hochstadt stared outside the car window. The constant pour of rain made the world look warped and blurry through the window. Next to him in the car, at the wheel was his friend, Wikipenguino45. Terry Van Furry, Wikipenguino's blue puffle, Jordan, Wikipenguino's recently adopted yellow puffle, and Wikipengal45, Wikipenguino's R-63 Antibody were all seated in the back.

Wikipenguino45: Well, we might get a few showers every now and then. But I'm not used getting this much rain *this* early into the year.

Wikipengal45: It's absolutely *awful*. Its like someone's meddling with the weather.

Wikipenguino: I wouldn't be surprised if that were true.

Terry Van Furry: At this current rate, I'd say we risk being late to the meeting. I know off the top of my head the calculations would likely confirm that, too.

Wikipengal sighed heavily.

Wikipengal: Remind me *why* we're even going to this family meeting again?

Wikipenguino: *Because* it's a whole family meeting with the rest of the Lagois Family, and dad wants us there as soon as possible.

Wikipengal: But we hardly even *do* anything except sit around.

Wikipenguino: Well, you know he won't have it any other way. He wants us there regardless. If things actually work out between everyone this time, I'll be a slab of smoked salmon.

Jordan bounced around in front of them.

Jordan: Oh, come on guys! I'm sure it'll be fun!

Wikipengal: I appreciate the enthusiasm, Jordan, but I agree with Wiki. We've a fat chance.

Falco looked somewhat confused.

Falco: But... don't you guys already get along just fine? I mean, your cousins Kenny and William are both real nice people. Kenny's brother Cheddar is also a cool person. Your dad seems like a nice person, too.

Wikipenguino: Well, yeah, we do. But when I mean *whole* family meeting, I mean... with the *others* included.

Falco: "Others"?

Wikipenguino: It's really complicated, but to sum it all up, some of our family's members estranged themselves earlier on in our family's history. And that's, uh... created bad blood between us and their descendants.

Falco: Oh, believe me, I understand completely.

Wikipengal: The first time we all met with them, it *never* worked out.

Terry: They still resented us, if I remember correctly.

Jordan: Well, you know, this time we might just be lucky. Second time's the charm, right?

Wikipengal: I sure hope.

Falco: I can still come with you guys, right? Is that allowed?

Wikipenguino: Well yeah, trusted people are allowed to come. You're sure about it though?

Falco: Sure.

Wikipengal: I really don't think you'll want to though...

## Chapter 1: The Meeting

The car soon arrived outside the gate of a three story mansion. A fountain was present in front of the house, with a bronze fish spouting a stream of water from its mouth.

Wikipenguino: Here we are, guys.

As soon as they began opening the car doors to leave, a purple penguin in a dark butler suit came waddling up to them, holding up and umbrella and helping them out. A robot trailed behind him, with its own umbrella attached to the top of its head.

Dennis Kappa: Greetings, master Penguino. Welcome, all of you.

The robot behind him made a series of beeping noises.

Wikipenguino: Thanks, Dennis. Hello there, Digit. We're not late, I hope?

Dennis: No, sir. We are still expecting the arrival of a few more guests.

As soon as they were all out, Dennis and Digit the robot began escorting them through the downpour to the front doors of the house. Terry and Jordan crowded under Digit's own umbrella.

Wikipengal: Have *they* arrived yet? You know... the *others*?

Dennis: Not yet. We are still awaiting them. Your father and the rest of your cousins are present, however.

Falco: So when you guys say "others", who specifically do you mean?

Wikipenguino: Well, there's Steve Lagois I. Then you have Adrian and his wife Laura Lagois. And then there's their sons Luis and Lachlan.

Wikipengal: Lachlan, on the other flipper, doesn't hate us like the rest of his family, which is why he doesn't count as being one of the *others*.

Wikipenguino: And Lachlan's family doesn't exactly, uh... *like* him... for that reason.

Wikipengal: At all.

Falco: Aw, gee...

Dennis went ahead of them and opened the front doors of the house. As they entered, they were greeted by the chatter of numerous ongoing conversations and a smiling lime green penguin.

Cheddarbox: Heya, guys! Welcome to the party!

Wikipenguino: Good to see you too, Cheddar.

Falco: Prank shop business going well?

Cheddar: Running smoothly! Plenty of sales in the past months. I probably would've brought over a few new prank items to test today if it wasn't for... you know.

Cheddar's expression seemed to falter at the last part, but nevertheless returned to his smile.

Cheddar: But eh, it's no big deal! Come on in, we're probably gonna get the show on the road soon.

Everyone seemed to be moving around the entirety of the ground floor, with most of the family present in the main living room.

Cheddar escorted them to the main living room when a yellow-feathered penguin with white hair and a monocle stepped forwards to greet all of them. A blue feathered penguin and a lemon-coloured ninja followed behind him.

Penguino Lagois III: Penguino! So glad you all made it!

William: Hey, guys.

Wikipenguino: Hey, grandfather. Good to see you too, William.

Penguino III happily shook flippers with Falco.

Penguino III: We have some very important business to discuss. Good thing you brought a friend with you. It's nice to have support with us today, considering our circumstances.

Falco: Uh... yeah.

Wikipengal: Do you really think it will work, grandpa?

Penguino III sighed heavily.

Penguino III: Depends on how willing they are to compromise this time around, as opposed to how downright unreasonable they were the previous time. Then again, I wouldn't expect anything more from *those people*.

Penguino III looked around.

Penguino III: Well, I guess I best leave you to it. I expect they'll be here soon, likely the last to arrive as usual. See you very shortly.

With that, he waddled off.

Wikipengal: It's not going to work, is it?

William: Doubt it.

Cheddar: Ditto, pal. Fat chance.

Falco: Seems your grandfather has already made up his mind about them.

Kenny: Indeed he has.

Cheddar: Eh, can't say I'd blame him. Those guys are as stubborn as rusty door locks. They just plain didn't like me the moment they saw me, either.

Falco: But if nobody here wants to actually have this meeting then... why exactly is it still happening?

Cheddar: Heh heh, well, we have Wikipen and his sister's dad to thank for that. Not that they had anything to do with it, of course.

Kenny: Wikipenguino's father - our uncle - thinks that perhaps our...guests... will have had a change of heart since the last time we met as a whole family.

Wikipenguino: The last time something like this was organized, it was my grandfather who was in charge of the meeting. And, er...

Falco: I'm guessing that didn't turn out well?

William: Barely.

Cheddar: It was like opening a jack-in-the-box. A catastrophe any dummy could've seen coming from parsecs away.

Kenny: Near-complete silence for almost 10 minutes into that meeting.

Wikipenguino: And then it all kinda just crumbled from there.

Wikipengal: Honestly, dad shouldn't even have bothered.

Wikipenguino: Like I said before, he's not having it any other way. He's got his mind set on fixing things.

Falco: So it's probably not going to work?

Kenny: As grandfather said before, we have to take into account the willingness of our guests. The rest depends on how cooperative the rest of us are.

Cheddar: Which I don't personally have sky-high hopes for.

Wikipenguino: Well, we might as well get this over with.