The Sky is Falling Like I Am For You

**The Sky is Falling Like I Am For You** is a different take on the Chicken Little/Henny Penny story.

After surviving a kidnapping attempt by who she believes are soldiers sent by an enemy kingdom, Penny Little wants to seek out the royal family and warn them about the presumed threat. Her friends join her to the capital city, but after meeting the discarded prince of the land, their journey risks coming to an end.

The remake was conceived on June 25, 2022, in the form of an answered question at Tumblr.

## The world explained

The story's setting is similar to 1700s-1800s southern North America, with some medieval elements, in a reality where anthropomorphic mammals, reptiles, and birds replace humanity.

They're intelligent and civilized, but endure the biological facts of their respective species, and depending on the animal, this is either accepted, ridiculed, or frowned upon. Even so, most don't know anything about the practises or biology of others. Similar breeds tend to flock together and form communities, leaving them uneducated and equally so unwilling to study up on animals they don't personally get involved with.

Natural enemies will experience an almost instinctual annoyance just by being in each other's presence, and mutual understanding is hard to achieve. Different species may form friendships or a beneficial connection for the sake of survival, but a romantic attraction is near-impossible if two species aren't genetically compatible.

Since so many carnivores are physically stronger -or at the very least intimidating to non-meat eaters- they dominate the upper class and the position of royalty is reserved to them. Predators don't respect prey animals, but the majority will pretend. Most herbivores, on the other hand, are convinced that equality has been established in the eyes of the law, though illegal hunting is an acknowledged crime and some look at predators with prejudice, regardless if they or an acquaintance have suffered at the hands of one.

When a herbivore has a strong build, like elephants and hippos, it's possible for them to climb the social ladder and be treated with genuine respect.

An ancient peace treaty originally kept carnivores fed in a world of sentient prey. They were given deceased animals as "donations" if their relatives agreed to it, but when the world started modernizing and its inhabitants' morals and family structures improved, it became less preferred to send off the body of a loved one over a proper burial. This resulted into growing hunger amongst carnivores, and a global abduction scheme was conducted by royal families as a way to gain easy favour amongst their suffering followers.

The kidnapping of innocent herbivore civilians, to either enslave or eat, is a known fact amongst all predators, but kept secret from their targets for obvious reasons. Carnivores either see it as a necessary evil, or a right, while herbivore communities are either clueless or treat it like a rumor.

Since size matters, small and skinny animals are often spared from becoming food or a slave.

## Story

> **CHAPTER 1: Introduction**Hay Hill, a countryside town inhabited by midsized birds, sleeps peacefully, until bandits intrude. With sedatives in hand, they capture and drag residents out of their beds, and stuff them inside burlap sacks.
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> One of the men shows up with a drowsy young chicken, but the commander sees no value in the scrawny thing and gives the rookie a scolding for wasting precious time. The men become alarmed when the lady's eyes slowly open, and the rookie hits her over the head with his shield.
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> The noise awakens some villagers and the kidnappers grab their "loot" to make their escape, yet are not pursued and the lights inside the houses are turned off again.
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> The next morning, Penny the chicken wakes up confused to find herself outside. While collecting her thoughts at the breakfast table, faint memories of the night before return, but feel surreal and dreamlike.
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> When she learns some of her neighbours are indeed missing, she becomes convinced something transpired. The shield that hit her is the clearest image in her mind about that night and leads her to believe the men were not random thieves, but soldiers sent by an enemy kingdom.
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> She fears the worst and suggests to the townspeople they should warn the king, but she's unable to answer their many questions and forced to admit most details evaded her in her drugged up state. They don't accept this excuse and conclude "the shield" must've been an acorn that fell on the tiny chicken's head.
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> The fake letters left behind by their missing loved ones -claiming they're visiting a family member or chasing an economic opportunity- contain believable language, making it apparent the kidnappers studied up on their victims.
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> Penny knows no acorn could produce a bump that large on her head, and maintains her position. Her three friends have mixed opinions, but as she's determined to visit the capital city, the one thing they agree on is that she'll need chaperones to ensure her safety on this trip. Since Penny can't fly, the women expect a long journey by foot.
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***CHAPTER 2: Foxy Woxy Knows the Way**
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> Penny the chicken, Turquoise the turkey, Lucy the goose, and Daddlesie the duck meet at the town's border. With exception of Penny, the girls' faces exude discontent, mainly over the conduct of the other villagers. Turquoise complains about how they're letting four young women walk off into the wilderness, Daddlesie about having grabbed the wrong colour of lipstick back home.
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> It can't be helped and they start walking.
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> After 10 minutes, Daddlesie asks for a travel estimate, which Lucy thinks she'll be able to guess if she sees the map. At that point, they realize they don't have one and their leader is strutting off with zero idea where the palace is. Turquoise utters disappointment in Penny's poor preparation, who quickly argues all royalty reside in the West and there's no need to panic. Turquoise barks this rule doesn't work if you travel from any direction but East.
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> They contemplate on how to progress. Lucy concludes they have no choice but to go back and hope one of the villagers knows the way. Turquoise concurs a merchant might've visited the capital city before, and they turn around with renewed optimism. Nevertheless, they can't find the way back, despite having walked only a short distance.
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> After an undetermined amount of time, Turquoise becomes angry and asks why Lucy or Daddlesie don't fly up to look for Hay Hill. They refuse, stating not to be wearing their flight undergarment; and don't want to undress and be seen naked. Turquoise groans loudly and begins lowering the top of her dress, whilst Penny undeservedly consoles the lazy girls.
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> Then suddenly, Daddlesie shoots towards Turquoise, who quickly pulls her sleeves back up when her gaze is directed to a fox gentleman sitting nearby.
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> Lucy asks him where he came from, to which the pale fox replies he's been sitting there the entire time. Penny confirms it's true, and Turquoise snaps why she didn't say anything.
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> The fox smiles "politely" and calls them an interesting lot, pointing to the fact each member is a different species. Penny shares that their town is a multi-bird community and they're best friends.
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> Not really interested, he just grins, then asks the flock if they're lost.
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> Penny's question if he knows the way to the palace raises Turquoise and Lucy's eyebrows, and as the two already knew, the fox reveals to be the prince. Penny takes a bow, but Turquoise says that not to be necessary, as Todd L'Woxy is a prince no more. A snarled smile appears on Todd's face, and he admits his family banished him. Penny expresses regret for that fact and starts digging through Daddleslie's satchel, asking if he wants candy.
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> The offer isn't graced with a reply, and Todd turns to her friends to ask why three women are dragging along a child on a long journey like this -referring to the short Penny. Turquoise grumbles they're all 18, to which he smirks she looks old for her age. Penny, thinking it's a compliment about her friend's level of maturity, agrees.
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> Lucy stops her from uttering more "Pennyrisms" and asks the prince if he could point them to the right direction.
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> The prince is curious to know why people like them want his home address, after which Penny jumps in with her fantastical story about organized civilian kidnapping at the hands of his father's enemies. Daddleslie excitedly adds that Penny karate-chopped her attackers to death, which is immediately debunked by Turquoise.
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> He gives the noisy country hicks a long stare whilst they're caught up in the excitement of their adventure. He then gets up and surprises them with the offer to guide them.
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> Lucy feels inclined to ask the price for his help, but is told money not to be a factor, as he was already contemplating on visiting his parents one of these days and they might as well tag along. Penny expresses smothering gratitude and gives him a piece of candy. Lucy anxiously slaps her hand and reminds her L'Woxy is a prince. Turquoise begs to differ.
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***CHAPTER 3: First Turkey Lurkey Went Through the Dark Hole**
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> Evening falls and the group arrives at the edge of a thick forest. The girls don't think it's a good idea to enter, but Todd argues it's a shortcut that will save them 4 days. He says to be familiar with the area and they'll be safe as long as they stick together. Penny trusts him and persuades her hesitant friends.
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> The trees become suffocating and all light disappears as they slowly reach the heart of the forest. The girls turn silent and carefully listen for any potential danger lurking in the big nothing, with only the wind and sound of their footsteps interrupting the process.
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> Todd purposely falls behind and starts nimbly running around the place. With their vision impaired, they can only make assumptions on what it is they're hearing. The noise frightens Lucy and Daddleslie, who think they're surrounded by a group of rogue predators, while Penny thinks it's the sound of her friends leaving and runs off. Turquoise notices and tries to grab hold of her, but misses and is forced to chase her down.
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> Soon, Turquoise realizes she's lost and by herself. She futilely calls for her friends, then stands frozen in place for a while. Every second that passes pulls on her nerves. She begins moving again, but as she does, hears rustling from behind. It repeats every time she takes a step, creating the illusion she's causing it.
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> Turquoise peers inside the dark void, but after a full minute, has to trust that the coast is clear.
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> Before she can even turn her head, a hand grabs her throat and another claw digs in her breast. She tries to wrestle herself loose, but the perpetrator is strong and she's fumbling in her moment of panic. She feels a furry body trying to force hers onto the ground, with the hand that's silencing her cries preparing to snap her neck. Teeth try to bury themselves inside her shoulder as to keep her in place, but Turquoise fights hard to not let them touch her skin.
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> The large bird barely manages to escape, ironically by slipping. She wastes no time to yank her arm out of her attacker's grip, allowing them to get off with a handful of feathers. She speeds off screaming, her heart full of adrenaline.
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***CHAPTER 4: Hrumph?**
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> Penny strenuously navigates through the darkness, tripping over small branches and rocks that almost seem too conveniently placed in front of her.
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> With every step, a subtle rustle can be heard behind her, but she immediately picks up on it and turns around to greet the prince. After a short couple of seconds, a voice asks how she knew it was him. She smiles her friends walk with an audible waddle, but his footsteps are soft.
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> With no suspicion for the way he approached her, Penny steps forward and starts feeling around for him, relieved by their reunion. He finds it an odd response to give someone she just met, but she says that not to matter and he's their designated guide, after all.
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> It's a rare experience to witness a compromised prey animal putting this level of blind, stupid faith in an unfamiliar predator, and Todd has trouble believing he's this lucky.
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> While she's urging him to follow the sound of her voice, he spreads his claws and ever so slightly hunches over her. He warns she'd do well to be more cautious, but the tone of his voice is ignored and Penny supports the "tip". With him now inches away from her, she's able to find one of his hands and grabs hold of it. She presses her body against his -the bold and unwarranted move greatly catching him off-guard.
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> She insists they shouldn't lose sight of each other whilst looking for her friends and promises to have his back in the darkness. He isn't sure what to say to the laughable vow.
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> She then mistakes Todd's reluctance to move for fear and offers to take the lead. She tries pulling him along, but he growls he can see in the dark. She responds in amazement, then wraps her arms around his and tells the walking night goggles she'll follow his lead instead. Todd yanks his arm away, reminding her he's a prince and commoners may not casually touch. She apologizes with not a hint of offence taken and asks if there's anything else she could grab in order to avoid separation. He says there's not.
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> Then, in the distance, a thin beam of moonlight is visible and Penny suggests they wait there for the others. Though Todd gives no response, she hears his feet shuffling behind her, making her believe he's agreed to the idea. With her back turned to him, Todd lowers his body again and points his hands at her neck, waiting for the right opportunity to perform that guaranteed kill.
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> The gnashing of his teeth overpowers the sound of his footsteps, and suddenly, his target stops and turns around.
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> Penny sounds concerned and asks if the forest frightens him. She stretches out her hands with the intent to console, but Todd steps back and reminds her he doesn't want to be touched.
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> Penny then searches the ground and looks for the stick she tripped over just 2 seconds prior, picks it up, and offers it to him as a way to hold hands without holding hands. With no idea on how to react to this stupefying interaction, he grabs it. The short distance is crossed before Todd can get his bearings.
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> Whilst waiting in the small-scale lit area, his large ears and orange eyes examine every tree, bush, and forest corner, then move back to Penny standing next to him, fiddling with her fingers. She asks Todd if he's spotted her friends yet, but he inappropriately grins they're alone. She accepts the verdict and moves her attention away from him again. He slowly raises a hand, going for the back of her neck once more, but freezes mid-air when she starts sliding over to him.
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> Her repeated, reckless behaviour encourages him to ask if she's unafraid of carnivores, a question she thinks is rather random to ask in the moment, but entertains. She replies there's no reason to be scared, though offers no further clarification.
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> He brings up the fact their existence will always require someone else's death, which Penny finds a pitiable reality that's pointless to condemn. Some of her favourite foods are living creatures and she's unable to imagine how she'd feel if one day they started wearing pants. Todd is surprised to learn chickens are omnivores and believed all birds ate seed. She corroborates it's a popular choice of food and he should try it sometime. He declines.
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> Silence follows, until Todd remembers his plan of snapping a neck and goes back into position. Before his hand can even twitch, though, Penny suddenly goes back on topic and asks his opinion on worms. He says they're a good Summer snack, but not exciting to eat. She doesn't understand what "exciting" food entails, whereafter he turns to make undeniable eye contact with her.
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> With a closed smile that attempts to prolong her trust in him, he leans forward, then brushes his nails through the delicate white feathers of the still unscathed neck he's been eyeballing for so long. He asks if she's ever found enjoyment in the way she obtained or devoured her food.
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> Even though the question wasn't asked with the desire to get an answer, she's seen thinking about it. Todd rests his thumbs on her collarbones, which then gently move up to her air pipe. His piercing stare is powerful enough to pull even her out of her daze, and she looks at him with curiosity. He then releases her and advices her to run.
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> But Penny doesn't move and looks moderately confused. Todd repeats himself, and again, his palms now slowly pushing her away from him, trying to instigate a chase that'll satisfy his unsubtle craving for hunting live prey. The hint is not received and her obliviousness begins to test his patience.
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> The fur on his neck puffs up and his eye white seemingly blackens. With every one of his fangs exposed, he shouts what is no longer advice, but a demand.
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> At that moment, a ghostly shriek is heard in the distance. Penny grabs Todd's hand in dread and starts running, dragging him along the best she's able to, until they bump into something.
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> Lucy recognizes the small figure and calls out to Penny, now lying face-down on the ground. She gives her a tight embrace and Penny hastily returns it, then urges her to follow them. Lucy asks what's going on, to which Penny explains Todd sensed danger approaching. He's baffled to hear how grossly she misinterpreted him.
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> Lucy says to have heard the same noise not long ago, but doesn't want to make a grand escape as long Daddleslie isn't found first, who was supposedly with her. Muttering is then heard coming from below; the sound of a trampled Daddleslie, stuck under Lucy's feet.
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> With the cowgirl teen squad mostly back together, Todd immediately enters a bad mood. He hisses under his breath and tries sneaking off to track down Turquoise again, but Penny is still holding onto his hand, her grip tightening as he starts moving.
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> She asks where he's going and begs him not to play the hero. Todd plays along and states he's the only one who can fight off whatever's chasing them. Lucy and Daddleslie hold each other in preparation for "the battle", but Penny still won't let go. She doesn't think he owes them the effort and it'd be better to run from their stalker, but then, the subject of their conversation comes storming through the bushes. Todd pushes Penny off of him to free his hands, but the beast goes right for her and her friends.
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> Lucy and Daddleslie recognize it and yell out Turquoise's name, but the ruffed-up turkey gets right to the point and warns them for Todd. They respond a bit spooked by her conduct, most out of character for the tough girl-archetype. Her bloodied left arm, plucked clean of its feathers, is hard to miss, even in the dim moonlight of the forest. They ask what happened, and Turquoise points at the fox, accusing him of attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, he denies being the perpetrator.
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> The arguing becomes louder, with Turquoise's distrust for predators becoming clear and Todd responding with insults about her appearance. When Penny tries to diffuse the situation, Todd gets her involved and claims they were together the entire time. Lucy asks if that's true and Penny replies they have been for some time, but isn't sure how long, since the forest is dark and Todd a quiet walker. He acts insulted and insists to be telling the truth, which pushes Penny into corroborating his side of the story. She decides to believe him and argues there's no better proof of his gentle nature than the fact she's remained unharmed in his presence.
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> Lucy and Daddleslie find the logic in that statement, but Turquoise is unwilling to entertain his innocence, especially after the personal insults.
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> Penny pats her thick leg and asks her to excuse the prince, since no one likes to be deemed guilty until proven innocent. Turquoise holds onto her aching arm and thinks to herself for a bit. As she didn't actually see her attacker, she understands the blame can't be pinned on Todd, and eventually, agrees to give him the benefit of the doubt.
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> Penny gives her a reassuring embrace and promises not to leave her side again. Daddleslie wraps some cloth around her arm, whereafter the group contemplates whether or not they should clear the forest now. Todd intervenes and advices them to rest, as they still have 4 days to go. Lucy angrily reminds him that going this way was supposed to erase 4 days of traveling, to which he clarifies he meant their overall travel time, but that it'll still take 4 days to traverse the forest itself.
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> The girls aren't happy to hear the news. Turquoise finds it dubious he didn't share this info prior to entering the forest, yet decides to say nothing this time.
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> Penny approaches Todd and asks if he's able to protect them during the night, since they won't be able to. Todd promises he can. Daddleslie's question what they'll do if the rogue predator is larger than him is ignored, and he assures them his royal status is an effective form of protection if anything. The girls give him their thanks, except for Turquoise, who indistinctly murmurs he's not a prince anymore.
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***CHAPTER 5: Why, Of Course, Certainly, Without Doubt, Why Not?**
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> The group tries their best to speedrun the surprisingly uneventful forest.
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> Despite the scare she's endured, Turquoise reclaims her self-assigned responsibility as guardian of the group and won't sleep or allow any one of her friends to walk off. After a few days, Penny doesn't think their stalker is around anymore, and Lucy and Daddleslie also choose to let their guard down, but when the girls start to take on a holiday demeanour, Turquoise picks up on Todd's growing suspicious behaviour. He often approaches her friends to join him on errands, or presents other excuses that'll allow him to be alone with them.
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> Lucy and Daddleslie are nice to him, but haven't been able to fully shake off the incident with Turquoise and feel tense whenever he's got his attention on them. The trusting Penny is Todd's only easy victim, but she's always called over by Turquoise before she can give him that "yes, let's go".
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> A clear dynamic is set between the five; where Todd sits by himself whenever they're not on the move. Penny finds it undesirable treatment of someone who's helping them and wants to include him in the group, but Turquoise masks her violent disagreement for it by stating he's royalty and wouldn't want to hang out with a bunch of bumpkins, anyway. Penny wishes to at the very least ask him, but her hand is grabbed as she gets up. Turquoise whispers he's been acting fishy towards Lucy and Daddleslie, but when asked for details, nothing conclusive is shared. Penny implores them not to look at him with unkind eyes because he's a carnivore, as each one of them knows what it's like to be misunderstood, thus should know better. Lucy is supportive of the message, but insists Todd has been trying way too hard to get them and her to be alone with him.
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> Penny wonders if his palace life is to blame for his social awkwardness, though also doesn't believe he acts that strangely at all. Turquoise grins that's because she herself is a weirdo.
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> Day 4 arrives and Penny makes sure not to let it end without doing Todd a favour for a change. After he's suffered another polite rejection from Lucy, she goes over to see him. She asks what he needs help with, after which Lucy turns around to tell her the supposed request involves physical labour unsuited for her. Lucy's attempt to save Penny is quickly circumvented by Todd, who smiles he has something for her to do as well.
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> Lucy becomes nervous when he and Penny are about to walk off and calls after her, saying she's needed elsewhere. Penny promises it won't take long, so Lucy offers to help out, but is now rejected by Todd, as the supposed chore can not be performed by a goose. There's no polite way to stop them and Lucy's only option left is to run off to the others.
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> With the clock now ticking, Todd motivates Penny to pick up the pace by putting on a playful act; and the two frolic away with not a care in the world. Within seconds, they've disappeared out of sight.
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> As discussed, Todd desires to have shower alternatives in cases water or soap are scarce, and Penny brought up the seemingly counterproductive concept of dirt, known amongst chickens. Though she admits not to be fond of it and Todd has no interest in this disgusting technique, they both start looking for the right spot to collect the right dirt.
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> Penny gets on her knees and inspects the ground, then starts digging with her hands. But these are not very strong, and she asks Todd if it'd disturb him if she were to take of her shoes and use her feet instead. The deadfaced prince replies it not to matter to him.
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> Penny continues to dig, whilst explaining to him how the sand should be used. Todd isn't listening and instead inspects the area for lurkers. He slowly approaches her, his excitement growing as she's getting visibly winded by the work. The boring fruits he's had to eat for the comfort of his watchful, feathered companions were a sacrifice he was willing to go through for this moment. This was going to be an easy catch..
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> With no intention to let it end in her survival, a hand boldly slides over her shoulder, the other across her waist, gauging the mass of her flesh and hoping to heighten his excitement for the hunt. He finds there's.. nothing. His moment of disappointment allows Penny to turn around and slap him in the face for the sudden sexual harassment. It's a hit that leaves less of an impact than the passing of a sad, dissolving cloud, yet she regrets it upon seeing his face, which appears not to be one of lewdness.
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> She apologizes, opening up the chance for Todd to think of an excuse for his actions. He mutters he merely wanted to practise dust washing on her and see its effects. Penny is Penny and believes it.
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> She calmly lays her hand upon his and apologizes again, but Todd is not offended and sees the humor in it. He smirks she should know better than to think a fox would find a chicken attractive -an insult that completely goes over her head and just leaves her smiling. Todd raises an eyebrow.
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> The sound of many footsteps is then heard approaching and he realizes to have missed his chance with her again.
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***CHAPTER 6: Foxy Woxy Turned 'Round for Henny Penny**
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> Day 4 comes to an end and there's still no sight of the exit.
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> Day 5 comes to an end and there's still no sight of the exit.
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> Day 6 comes to an end and guess what.
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> Lucy struggles to stay composed and reminds Todd of what he told them almost a week ago, to which he shrugs that was an estimate. Lucy, Daddleslie, and Turquoise aren't having it and make sure to let him know by giving him the silent treatment at the campfire that evening. Penny understands both sides and doesn't know what to say, or who to say it to.
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> The girls begin discussing their next strategy, since they don't know where they are and are having trouble finding food thanks to Todd sabotaging them behind the scenes. Turquoise can't fly anymore, so Lucy and Daddleslie have no choice but to decide amongst each other who should scout the air whilst looking like a fool. Todd tries to discourage them by asking how they'll find back this exact spot, a question that's audibly ignored, though their faces show concern.
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> Penny replies she could sit in a tree with her hair out, a solution not understood by Todd. She clarifies to have plentiful hair, bound to be visible because of its strong red colour. She shows him by undoing her little white bonnet, leaving him surprised, but also displeased. The feathered lighthouse may very well be an effective beacon in an area that's solely green.
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> Todd quickly considers his options. This tree maze allowed him to hunt the girls discreetly, while the open field waiting for them outside had travelers of all kinds doing the rounds. If he wanted his feast, he had to do it here.
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> There wasn't much he could do at this point, though. He could kill Penny and hide her body to make it appear like she'd gotten lost -not an implausible fate for the girl- or disable Lucy and Daddleslie.
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> He looks at Penny, smiling along with her friends, then at the two waterfowls, doing the same. They too give him a quick glance, but only one of them shows sincere interest. Todd turns away, and a few seconds later, a piece of candy hits him in the knee and a faint sorry follows.
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> Though not feeling particularly influenced by Penny's kindness, he decides not to target her for his scheme. There's an impractical difficulty to breaking the arms of two people within 10 minutes and making it look like an accident, but killing Penny just wouldn't guarantee anything and he'd rather not have any escapees.
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> He inspects the area for ways to realize his plan. A large tree hovers above them, with branches that look like they could do the trick if they were to fall, but no clear way to traverse and break them without being spotted.
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> Penny notices him examining the tree and starts doing the same. Todd feels inspired.
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> He shoots up and yells there's a cougar. The girls yelp by the sudden volume and give him a puzzled look. As hoped, Penny takes the bait and points at the tree above them, believing it to be hidden up there. Before the others can get up to check for themselves, Todd shouts at them to run for their lives. They somewhat unenthusiastically turn their backs to do so, so he quickly picks up a pebble and throws it at the branches, faking the sound of movement, instantly dialing up the panic.
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> The girls sprint away like they've never done before, with Todd chasing behind them, yelling worrisome and unconfirmable observations about their pursuer. Their screaming puts such a wide smile on his face, his voice barely manages to hide his joy.
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> 10 seconds haven't even passed when Penny's fatigue becomes too much for her. She drops to the ground and has to watch everyone leave without her.
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> Todd approaches Daddleslie and sees his chance to enact a fake rescue from their fake attacker by breaking her arm when pushing her out of the way. He aligns himself, but becomes distracted by the distant sound of crying. His sailboat ears pick up the heartbroken sniffles of Penny, lost long ago and not seen anywhere.
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> He looks back, then turns his head to her three friends running up ahead, now further away from him. Annoyed to have missed a great opportunity, he tries to catch up again, but Penny's voice won't stop echoing.
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> With no one coming for her, Penny drags her frightened self into some bushes, where she tries her best to silence her exhausted breaths in the hopes the cougar hasn't yet picked up on her presence. She hears something coming, and after the initial scare, she recognizes the soft landings of the visitor's feet. Before Penny can respond, Todd's head is inside her hiding spot, looking at her with a contemplative stare.
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> It's another opportunity for the taking and he tries to estimate the success rate of his other strategy if he were to go through with it, but Penny makes the first move and jumps him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She's too weak to speak, and Todd has nothing to say, either. Her body shivers and her grip continues to tighten.
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> Since she refuses to let go, she's carried out as he stands up. He looks around, thinking of where to go, how to get rid of her, what to say to her friends, but in the end, he just stands there with her tears hitting his pricey tunic.
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> His hand cups the back of her head, the muscles in his fingers contracting, wanting to make the decision for him, but his nails won't puncture her. His hesitance is hard to explain, and Todd concludes it's a real problem. The longer he looks at her, the more he realizes she needs to disappear.
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> He leans his fanged mouth closer, but as always, her friends come running just in time.
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***CHAPTER 7: Where Are You Going, Henny Penny?**
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> Penny's testimony that Todd came to check on her is not deemed plausible by her friends and just another instance where they find him with his mouth too close to her head. They try to make it clear she shouldn't leave their side in any circumstance, or at least hide in silence if that were to occur, but because Penny sees an ally in Todd, she doesn't pick up on their language that's clearly referring to him.
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> Curiously, Todd isn't butting in with attempts to defend his character and just stands there with a determined stare, targeted at the redhead. His unblinking eyes mirror his macabre intentions and the air turns heavy when Penny's friends finally notice. It's startling to see him drop his usual chummy act this suddenly, and some of them begin to stumble over their words as they try to pretend not to see.
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> Turquoise wraps up the lecture and urges Lucy or Daddleslie to start flying, but Todd then speaks up, saying there's no need for it anymore. He states to recognize the area and assures they'll be out before night time. Daddleslie moans they've heard that one before, but his insistence is good enough for Penny, who wants to give it one more shot. Her friends respond with a shared look of worry.
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> Though she hasn't noticed or questioned Todd's locked-on glare, she isn't blind for everyone's worsened mood and attempts to cheer them up by arguing the bright side of their harsh first days; that's left them with untouched money to buy a big feast with when they're finally out.
>
> The girls didn't plan on spending more time with the dishonest prince, but fear that separating now will incite him to initiate an attack and agree to let Todd guide them for one more day.
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> He gestures with his hand, instructing the birds to start walking. They turn around to do so, but with haste in their step. He follows right behind them, like he's always done. Penny slows down to meet with him, but is grabbed by Daddleslie like a worried parent.
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> Todd remarks they only need to go straight from here on and begins speeding up himself. When the girls hear him approach, they too walk faster.
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> They occasionally look over their shoulder whenever they're feeling brave enough, where a stoic fox shadows them, his eyes still pointed at their littlest friend, who's remained oblivious about the situation that's transpiring.
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> Their speed is anything but casual and just a few steps short from a chase. When the distance between the two parties gets too big, Penny reaches out her hand to Todd with the request to grab hold. Turquoise barks her down, startling her. Penny asks what's the matter, but no one answers.
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> Todd's footsteps become heavier, but it's hard to hear if he's getting closer or his movements more forceful. The girls tremble with the realisation they wouldn't be able to protect each other if he were to pounce them. They try to keep calm and not split up in a panic, since the one thing they knew was that Todd liked to separate them. As was typical for predator animals, group formations made him hesitant to attack.
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>
> Penny really wants Todd to grab her hand as not to get lost, but Lucy intervenes, saying he supposedly knows this forest and therefore they needn't worry about him. She ignores it and offers her hero again. Her friends don't know how to break the news Todd is threatening them and can only ask her to keep on moving. The tension visibly raises the feathers on their shoulders, but Todd and Penny only have eyes for each other, though their reasons differ.
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> He makes good use of her self-sabotage and stretches out his hand to her, causing Penny to want to slow down. Her friends won't let go and keep pulling her along, nearly causing her to trip. She begs them to wait, but when Todd performs what sounds like the beginnings of a sprint, the girls power-walk right out of there.
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> The clumsy Penny trips and falls, whereafter she gets dragged along like a flimsy rag, with still no one telling her what's going on. Todd's angry footsteps sound like horror movie music and Penny's fear-powered friends can't even hear her words anymore. Penny tries her best to keep her legs from getting scraped, with her dress receiving the most damage.
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> Todd starts calling after Penny with non-specific requests of wanting to talk, but with no way to stop the impatient frenzy of her friends, she can only stammer back that it'll have to wait. Lucy tells her there won't be time and they'll part ways after getting out.
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> Penny tries to assure them they don't need to hurry and will surely make it out before nightfall, but the fact the same sentence is repeated by the hungry fox in the back does not calm their nerves. With their hearts booming inside their heads, they speed up, more, and more, and more, and more-
>
>
> -until the unconcealed light of an orange, setting sun greets them.
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> They stop. They're out.
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> They do a 180 and celebrate loudly, while Todd watches on in discontent. Then, almost instantly, he's approached by his now released target, who holds his hands and does a little dance as well. Her friends turn around and become pale upon seeing Penny's already scurried off to the psychopath who's been hunting them.
>
> Todd looks at them with a careful, but victorious smile, Penny still bouncing up and down whilst attached to his hands. She then stops and touches her sore legs.
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>
> Without breaking a second of eye contact with Todd, Daddleslie asks her if she's alright, a question he also looks eager to know the answer of. She determines to have a few scrapes, but believes the pain is mostly to blame on the long days of walking. It doesn't affect her good mood much, though, and she turns to Todd with the invitation to join them for a well-deserved dinner on them.
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> He looks at her, seemingly for an eternity, making her wonder if he's thinking of a polite way to decline.
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> She remembers what Turquoise said about royalty and the kind of company they avoid, so adds he doesn't have to sit with them, as long he eats something. He replies he could eat. Unexpectedly, Penny is not swallowed whole after that sentence and allowed to run back to her friends. They quickly grab hold of her and watch Todd with large angry eyes, wondering what made him change his tune.
>
> In the far distance, they spot a few strangers minding their own business, whereafter it becomes clear to them. Todd was indeed a cowardly hunter who feigned docility when dealing with groups or possible witnesses, nevertheless, they learned it had a time limit and had to get rid of him as soon as possible.
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> Penny asks what everyone would like to eat, to which Turquoise replies they haven't even found a village yet. Todd informs them there's one nearby and he knows a shortcut. The sudden change of his voice and demeanour makes it seem like the last few minutes never transpired, and naturally, his talk of shortcuts isn't reassuring anyone.
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> Enough of all the games, Daddleslie lowers her dress to free her arms and shoots up in the air. She returns a few seconds later to point them into the direction of a nearby establishment and the group moseys off. Penny again tells Todd to come along, but Lucy repeats they don't need any more guidance and they should split up. Penny doesn't think it's polite to say goodbye without giving him a reward, let alone one she just promised, and urges them to show him some of that countryside hospitality.
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> Her friends would clench their teeth if they had any, but decide to carry out her wishes once again. They continue on, with one of them always keeping a watchful eye on the furry Hellspawn they don't know how to get rid of.
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***CHAPTER 8: Cocky Locky Calls Out to Henny Penny**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> They approach a small village, assumedly inhabited by likesized animals. A small sign reads "Burrow's Borough", despite there being no burrows in sight. The streets are empty, except for two roosters standing near the village's border, seemingly waiting for someone or something. A sturdy carriage with a large quantity of hay is parked next to them, making it likely they're merchants or farmers.
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> The girls are somewhat relieved to see fellow birds after having gotten chased down by a carnivore for days on end. And still were.
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> Though every building and doorway they pass is only tall enough for Penny, maybe Daddleslie if she hunched down, the one place they came for was altered for the travelers that made this residence their pit stop. The inn's huge entrance and additional walls were an obvious afterthought, but the girls weren't in the position to complain.
>
> With no time to waste, they head over to check it out, while Todd stays behind to rid himself of his flashy clothes. Turquoise thought this was a good opportunity to run for it, but of course, there's that one member in the team who voted against it.
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> They greet the male chickens as they pass by, who respond accordingly, but give Penny a dubious look.
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>
> Overcome with the serenity of the simple village, they stop to discuss if they should stay the night, until one of the roosters calls out to Penny. He asks what her deal is, with a smirk growing on his face. Though a seemingly unremarkable and random question, her friends know what's up and give him a frown. Penny knows it too, but Daddleslie tells her not to say anything back. The men are as curious as they are bored, and approach them uninvited.
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> They comment on her small size and disproportionate features; nothing Penny hasn't heard many times before throughout her teenage years. Turquoise snarls them down, but it just humors the roosters, who hardly find the dishevelled young turkey with the bandaged arm a threat. They tell her to back off, since they're speaking to a fellow chicken, not her. Lucy tells them to tone down the rudeness and that the four of them are friends, thus making it their business.
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> As expected, the visitors come from a chicken-only community and are skeptical of their friendship. One of the men then huffs it to be no surprise Penny had to find allies amongst species who can't see something's off, as any chicken would be disturbed to lay eyes on her. Turquoise, not missing a beat, swiftly raises her large leg up in the air and kicks him face down into the dirt. Penny and Daddleslie quickly come in between the two and beg for a peaceful separation.
>
> Surprisingly, the men see no honour in fighting a group of kids, and turn around after barking some turkey-related insults at Turquoise.
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> Daddleslie immediately turns to her and scolds her for choosing violence, but she insists it was called for. But this incident makes Lucy wonder if there are more one-specie communities in the area, which would make it a better idea to tolerate the ignorance than beat people up over it. They just don't have enough fists to go around for all these faces, though Turquoise would disagree.
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> Lucy turns to Penny and asks if she's doing okey, but she has nothing to say, nor carries a helpful expression to help them determine if and how the remarks of her bullies affected her.
>
> Before there's too long of an awkward silence, Penny announces to be hungry and they should hurry themselves to the inn. The friends agree and cheerfully stroll to the ugliest building they've ever seen. The roosters look on with disapproval, but choose to move on as well.
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> Todd watches on from afar, his large ears having picked up on every spoken word, his eyes locked onto the bulky roosters, his mind fixated on them. His nostrils expand, taking in the smells of his surroundings. He knows what lives here, what's moving underground. Though he's never visited this village before, he knows every one of its residents would be his personal soldier if he demanded it.
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> The voices of his avian acquaintances grow fainter, but he can't follow them just yet. A few polecats show up to collect the hay from the waiting roosters and offer them a pouch of coins for it. It's all very friendly and casual; it's apparent they do business often.
>
> Todd approaches one of the polecats as he's strutting back to the village with his hands full. Though Todd's not wearing his princely attire, the white fox and his unusual fur pattern is hard to mistake for a stranger, and the polecat stops to give him his full attention. No words are exchanged as Todd gives the two roosters in the distance a quick glance. The little mammal then sprints off. He's seen talking to a few other villagers, and before too long, a secret underground message reaches the polecats still standing with the chatting chickens.
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***CHAPTER 9: I Will Go First and You Come After**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> The restaurant was staffed by carnivorous sock creatures, and the guests also had fangs, so as expected, the girls' order looked like it was prepared by someone you could say had little to no experience serving their species. But like Penny remarked: they're lucky the kitchen had something edible at all.
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> The Burrowians looked like weasels -Penny had a few storybooks with illustrations for reference- but chubbier and primarily brown or pale. She asks every passing waiter what species they are, but a different answer is returned every time, really confusing. Regardless, she thinks they're cute, though Turquoise expresses they'd be cuter without the razor teeth, and Daddleslie wants to wear one. Lucy urges them to stop talking about others aloud or with their mouths full, whereafter they obediently get back to their food.
>
>
> Todd then enters the room, but with the table of his travel companions occupied and meeting the unwelcoming eyes of Turquoise, he sits down by himself near the entrance. Since he was taking so long, there was hope he had ran off. Penny turns around to shout he may order whatever he likes. Turquoise asks her to be careful, as he might eat their wallet dry just to spite them. Penny finds it a good joke and gives her friend an unconcerned smile. It's easy to smile when you've brought the least money..
>
>
> A few moments later, they catch wind of quite the unpleasant smell. Two waiters carry a plate with cooked meat across the room and place it down on Todd's table, who begins to dig in. Turquoise utters her disgust and Penny remarks it can't be helped, since he's a meat-eater. Turquoise says that not to be the issue, rather his choice to eat what is obviously bird, right in front of them.
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> Lucy and Daddleslie shake their head in disbelief for the bold move, and even Penny can't think of an excuse for it. She turns her head to Todd, who's eating his food with his eyes targeted at Turquoise and a cocky smile on his face. His eyes then move down to her. His expression changes when he picks up on the growing disappointment on Penny's face, but even so, quickly warps back. He gives her a wave like nothing's the matter.
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> There's no point in complaining about it. This isn't Hay Hill. They turn back to their plates and finish up.
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> In this town with creatures that don't tower over them, they decide to stay the night, hoping Todd will give up the chase and leave. They secure a small room for four, and as an added bonus, Todd indeed announces to sod off. Relief washes over Turquoise, Daddlesie, and Lucy as he gives them a "see you later".
>
> The high probability they'll meet again at the palace is ignored and they become instantly more upbeat now that they've gotten their safety back.
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> Their bedroom is cramped and the mattresses and pillows are filled with hay. The latter very much pleases them, though, it's a bird thing. They undress and lie down, instantly washing away their stress from the past days.
>
> While Turquoise and Lucy talk about the (un)importance of proper etiquette in response to her cockfighting earlier that day, Penny touches her face, catching the attention of Daddleslie. She asks if she's bothered after all, to which she replies to have looked at herself in the mirror many times and believed to had gotten used to her appearance, but realizes she still cares about how people see her. Lucy and Turquoise stop their bickering and insist she looks fine. Daddleslie adds that the roosters were wrong to insinuate that only the opinions of her own kind matter. Penny smiles with renewed optimism and states no opinion holds more value than that of a friend. Turquoise corrects her that only *her* opinion matters, whilst looking at Lucy.
>
>
> And so, the day reaches its conclusion and they fall asleep, for the first time in a long time, with no worry on their mind.
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> As the night progresses, Turquoise's arm starts acting up and causes her to have frightful dreams. She's stuck in what looks like a burrow, and rows of fangs keep shooting out from the dark, aiming for her neck. She then hears the sound of creaking wood. Footsteps are coming closer, but not for her. Her eyes slowly open, and next to Penny's bed, she sees a faint shadowy figure hunching over her. Two orange eyes like ominous lights look back at her as she wakes up, causing her to shriek. She hastily turns on the oil lamp on the stool next to her, but as its light fills the room, it's like no one was ever there.
>
> Lucy remains knocked out in bed, while the other two jump up in response to Turquoise's hysterical panic. She explains what she saw, but with no sign of anyone having entered the room, it leaves everyone puzzled. Daddleslie hastes herself to the windows to see if she sees anyone hiding or running away, and Penny wants to look behind the door, but is stopped by Turquoise, who prefers to do it herself.
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> Penny says not to have noticed anyone hover over her, and none of them can find a single hair or paw print to corroborate Turquoise's story. Daddleslie asks what they should do next, but Turquoise decides to not humiliate herself further in front of her friends and accepts it was likely in her head.
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> They lie back down, but Turquoise and Daddleslie struggle to fall back asleep and keep their eyes on all the room's entrances.
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***CHAPTER 10: The Proper Way; Shall I Show It to You?**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> Despite everything, everyone wakes up fairly refreshed. With no Todd or other bully outside waiting for them, they're somewhat excited to continue the trip. One of the sock things confirms that the royal palace is relatively nearby, which is appreciated good news. They're given easy directions and off they go.
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>
> From a thick forest to an empty stretch of land -the girls learned neither one was better than the other. After walking for hours, there were still no buildings in sight. Not wanting to waste another day, they decide to push through and not take any unnecessary breaks, but when water runs out and Penny collapses, morale goes down with it and all girls drop onto the grass.
>
> Turquoise curses Todd and the mustelid for lying. Lucy urges her to never waste her breath on mentioning the fox again. Penny still doesn't understand where the animosity for the prince comes from and expresses as much, since he's been quite generous towards them for a poultry lover. Lucy says she's lucky she didn't notice what a creep he was, and Daddlesie moans that his face alone gave her the shivers. A bad parody of Turquoise is heard agreeing loudly.
>
> The girls look at Turquoise, then in the direction the voice actually came from. It's Todd, lying with them on the ground, just a bite away from Penny.
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> They sit up and quickly pull her away from him. Daddlesie angrily asks him if he's stalking them, but he insists he left the same night he said he would, but took plenty of breaks to rest and scavenge for food. Penny sighs they should've kept him as their guide and Turquoise makes sure everyone knows she disagrees. Todd's earlier impression of her didn't sound that far off.
>
> Before he can be shooed, he throws each one of them a flask of water. Penny is grateful for the gift, but her portion is violently slapped out of her hands by Daddleslie before she can drink even a molecule. She looks at the escaping water with heartbreak. Todd grins it's not poisoned, but they doubt it and glare at him with distrust.
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> He pulls out his own flask and offers it to Penny, but her friends won't even allow her to stand up and grab it. They push her back in their midst, with their hands resting on her shoulders. The mood feels heavy, much like back in the forest, and Penny is once again the only person clueless as to why.
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> Todd continues to wear his smile as he looks at them. His fangs are a threat he wants the girls to stay reminded of, and it's very effective. With his calm, but unblinking eyes, he points out they need to eat and he can help them with that. Only foul stares are returned.
>
> Penny doesn't know what to make of it, so again advocates for Todd's sincerity and excuses her friends' behaviour to him, attributing it to exhaustion. While trying to pry herself loose from their fingers, she offers to help him scavenge, but Lucy says that not to be necessary and they'll manage. Penny argues differently, considering they've barely eaten anything today.
>
> Todd stretches out his clawed hand and proclaims they should get to it, but Penny is not released and Daddleslie kicks the other flasks back his way, stating they're doing fine. He points his finger at Penny and reminds them she just said they're not, but is told chickens always eat and her uttered grievances can be attributed to a low tolerance for hunger. Todd relates to the idea of eating whenever he wants and thinks it's a great way of living, but his comedy falls flat with Penny's bodyguards. Penny feels called out and clarifies she has the self-control not to snack throughout the day, if she really wanted to. Todd grins he downplays his gluttony in a similar manner.
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> He hunches down and picks up the rejected flasks, his face again getting too close for comfort. The thirsty Penny asks if she may have another, but when her hand reaches for one, the others notice how quickly Todd moves it away from her. His face doesn't show a hint of emotion and his actions are expertly excused with the claim the offer has expired. Did he spike theirdrinks, except Penny's..?
>
> Penny acknowledges they've rubbed him the wrong way and turns to her friends to criticize their conduct towards not only a prince, but someone who's been looking out for them. Of course, Todd concurs and calls them an ungrateful lot. Lucy whispers he can't be trusted, and Daddleslie adds they only need to watch his face to know he's a villain. Penny is saddened by the remarks and reminds them of last night's conversation -as to be defined by your appearance is hurtful and a struggle Todd quite possibly has been dealing with for all his life. Turquoise says she's right you shouldn't judge people, but this time, things are very much like they seem.
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>
> Penny turns to Todd to excuse herself for muttering in his presence and starts putting more effort in prying herself loose from her wary friends. He smiles back and approaches with the intent to help break the protective grip on his prey, raising the anxiety with Daddleslie. Before he can touch her hand, she pecks his with her beak, making Todd flinch and take a step back.
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> Everyone's breath stops in shock, including Daddleslie's. She doesn't know what to say or where to look after signing everyone's death sentence.
>
> Turquoise and Lucy are glued to Todd's face, where a thinning act of composure is transpiring. Penny quickly jumps up, but this time, the others are too petrified to muster the strength to call after her. Their bulging eyes just go back and forth between Todd and her.
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>
> She takes a bow and apologizes profusely for her friend, stating they sometimes can't resist the bird in them. She reassures him Daddleslie's beak can't draw blood, but wishes to inspect his paw, just in case. He refuses the offer, and with his eyes locked onto her friends, states it not to be a problem and didn't even hurt. She smiles with relief, but the other three know better. He was seething.
>
> Todd rests his other hand on Penny's head, his nails slightly curling into her bonnet, and asks if she's ready to go. She's quick to say yes, but Lucy tries to argue once more they don't need help and were about to move on anyway. Even Penny's grown tired of the repetitive back and forth, and wants them to stop fighting with the prince and accept they're starving. Todd also turns to them and calls them underprepared for this trip. Turquoise dismisses the remark and tries to send him off with a thanks, but he continues that treating Penny like an infant won't benefit her where they're going. This somewhat offends her friends, who say they respect her more than that. Todd begs to differ; since they're always telling her half the story, if at all, and don't believe she can handle challenging ideas and situations. They turn silent, not entirely sure what his intentions are by telling them this.
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> Todd then places both hands on Penny's shoulders. With a straight face, he tells her the water was poisoned. Penny looks at him for a few seconds, then giggles. Todd chuckles along for a bit, then turns to her friends and blames them for this.
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> Though Penny can't follow and shows some uncertainty over her given response, Todd appears to no longer care and gives her a polite pat on the head. He warns the girls that the palace won't let them in and the city might be an even bigger disappointment. Penny insists the king and queen have to listen to them, as they carry an important message that'll determine the safety of all people in the land. He remarks she and her friends are not credible and his parents will only see three rude, unwashed hicks and a child.
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> He then turns around to face a nearby hill, and reveals his home is practically over it and it might only take them another hour of walking. With that, he says his goodbye.
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> Daddleslie immediately suffers heart palpitations upon his leaving. Lucy and Turquoise console her, though not without scolding her. Penny can't believe Todd called Lucy a child.
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> Daddleslie calms down and looks at the wet patch of grass Penny's water fell onto. She wonders where the previously empty-handed Todd even got the flasks from. Turquoise remembers seeing some kind of print on it and theorizes he's already been to the capital city to get these, making his story of not stalking them just one of his many lies. Penny curiously asks what else he lied about, but like Todd conveyed, they give a general response where everything he's ever told them is deemed a lie. No clarification follows.
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> They again forbid her to leave their side under any circumstances, then get up to drag their tired bodies to -hopefully- their final destination.
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***CHAPTER 11: They Hadn't Gotten Far When-**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> City noises become ever more audible as the four friends traverse the small hill, and eventually, the royal palace enters their view. It's surrounded by many nice-looking homes, farms, and stores, and the streets are full of pedestrians, even though it's almost evening.
>
> While a pretty intimidating view to born and raised countrysiders, it also excites them. Hungry and hurting, they haste themselves down the hill to look for the nearest restaurant.
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> The tidy residents look at them and their ripped clothing with slight displeasure, but are too self-involved to linger on it and mind their own business. There are many well-dressed people walking around, but Lucy and Daddleslie have an appreciative eye for fashion and notice many that aren't. These simple folk are seen doing hard labour or shadowing the more financially fortunate like pets on a leash. Are these employees and employers..?
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> They find a place to eat, but are rejected entrance over their scruffy dresses. Lucy complains loudly and Turquoise teases her this is the kind of reality her precious "etiquette" creates. Penny tells them not to worry about it, as they can buy food from the market and eat it in their bedroom, but every inn has the same rules and also refuse their patronage. Lucy and Turquoise smirk in their rage, but naturally, it's not making anyone take pity on them.
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> Night arrives. People are heading home, while Penny, Lucy, Daddleslie, and Turquoise continue to roam the streets for a place to sleep. They bought some expensive market produce that hardly filled their stomachs, and now the cold of the night was draining their already depleted energy. They couldn't even sleep on the pavement, as loitering was illegal and law enforcement doing the rounds.
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> Daddleslie proposes heading for the palace to give them the warning, then return to the hill to sleep, but no one has the strength to traverse the distance. They sit down to consider their options, but an officer shows up to yell at them. They take a few steps to sit somewhere else, and the punishment repeats. The men are swift and strict, and become audibly irritated with the strangers. Professional mediator Penny apologizes for it and asks them if they can help them secure a place to sleep, but they say it not to be their job to look after ill-prepared tourists.
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> Then, another officer comes shuffling behind the corner and offers them his house to stay. The girls perk up and are overcome with gratitude, no questions asked. Penny gives the caiman some money for the trouble, which he gladly puts in his pocket. He guides them to his house, just a few blocks away.
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> As is common with animals that have long tails; his home is pretty spacious. They enter with eagerness and the officer follows behind. The door closes, and without warning or hesitation, he lunges at them with open mouth.
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> They shriek and jump around in surprise for the attack and only barely manage to avoid his clapping teeth. Penny is completely ignored by the crazed attacker, who only has eyes for the larger prey. Her heart races in fear as she can only watch her friends run around and manoeuvre out of the hungry caiman's grip, while feathers fly all over the place.
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> When she finally understands to be of no interest to the predator, she speeds towards the front door to open it, but it's locked and no amount of hitting or kicking makes a difference. She moves over to the windows, but she can't reach and there are no objects light enough for her to pick up and throw.
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> She goes back to the door and starts banging with her fists, crying for anyone nearby to save them, then does the same thing on the walls, hoping the neighbours will hear. But with the screams of her friends being this loud, wouldn't someone have heard them already?
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> There's nothing left to do. A bird cannot combat an alligator, no matter its size. She drops onto the floor and shivers as she watches her friends futilely run for their lives. Turquoise and Lucy bravely try to get a few kicks in, but it leads to near-amputations every time and proves to be too much of a risk. Penny sobs at the sight of it all. Though her uselessness was never a secret to her and many called her as much, to think it was going to lead to the deaths of her friends hit differently. She knocks on the door again, begging for a rescue, but her voice is drained of spirit. She cries and knocks and cries some more.
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> Suddenly, someone knocks back.
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> A hand -heavier than the feathered knuckle of a chick-sized chicken- is heard hitting the door with urgency, catching the officer's attention. A voice follows, demanding the door to be opened. Everyone stops and stares at the entrance for a while, wondering if they heard correctly. When there's no follow-up, the officer intends to continue his chase, but then the knocking returns and the voice demands again, in the name of the king.
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> The caiman walks backwards to the door, giving his petrified victims a stern look along the way, and opens up to see royal guards greeting him.
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***CHAPTER 12: Now, This Was the Door of Foxy Woxy's Burrow**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> Penny, Lucy, Daddleslie, and Turquoise are escorted to the palace. The reason wasn't shared and the guards don't feel inclined to interact with them, but at this point, it didn't matter. Their lives were saved and the palace was where they needed to be, anyway.
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> They stop at the large entrance, where one of the men shares his name and business to the person at the other side. The door is opened by a guard, who only lets his colleagues in, while the girls are left standing. Turquoise grumbles what this is all about, but Lucy begs her not to start any more conflicts and show some patience this time.
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> Minutes pass. With the assault still fresh in their minds, they aren't really in the mood to speak, making these minutes feel even longer. They could barely even look at each other. Before they could feel forgotten about, though, the door opened, this time by a familiar face.
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> Todd smiles arrogantly and has many insensitive remarks ready for them, but Penny throws herself at him before the first sentence can leave his mouth. She cries loudly, a sight that disgusts the watching staff and urges Todd to detach himself from her. He tells her crying is for when you've failed and she should be smiling, if anything. The crying doesn't stop, but she backs off and creates a more respectable distance between her and the royalty.
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> He takes a step to the side and gestures them inside, but the other three are not keen on entering. Turquoise prefers he calls his parents, to which he says they've gone to bed and waking them would be rude. He tries to entice them with the offer of dinner and a bed, but even in their extreme desperation and after owing their lives to him, they can't find it in themselves to trust his intentions.
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> Penny won't keep him waiting and enters. Todd grins to the others they may suit themselves and Penny's more than enough company for him, but before the door can be closed on them, they hurry inside.
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> The palace is beautiful, but they're too exhausted to utter words of wonderment. Their legs struggle to carry their own weight and Daddleslie tightly holds onto Penny's hand to help her stay awake, if not herself.
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> They enter a hallway with many doors, said to lead to empty bedrooms they may use. Penny, Lucy, and Daddleslie are about to pick one, until Turquoise reminds them they should stick together. Todd says they shouldn't worry, since they'll each be assigned a guard, to which Turquoise mutters all guards work for him. Todd pretends not to have heard and asks her to repeat herself, but Lucy elbows her turkey friend and expresses her gratitude on behalf of everyone.
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> To fight a potential murderer inside his own home would be quite foolish, and they just returned from doing that.
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> Todd wishes them good night and walks off, whereafter Turquoise assembles her friends and guides them inside a room. The bed inside is, though big, meant for one person, and they'd surely struggle having a comfortable night together, but it was better to stay vigilant than comfortable.
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> They each claim a corner and immediately lose consciousness as their tired bodies touch the hypnotizingly soft mattress. They didn't even realize Penny wasn't with them and had fallen asleep in front of the door. The next morning, she was gone.
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***CHAPTER 13: So They Went Along, and They Went Along**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> The injuries Penny had sustained during the trip were treated by the caregivers of the palace, and after servants prepared her a bath, a new dress was waiting for her. Nothing bombastic, but of a quality that exceeded anything she's ever owned.
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>
> Completely revitalized, she walks back to meet up with her sleeping friends, but ends up getting lost. She asks passing servants for help, but they don't recognize the descriptions she gives of them or know what wing they were assigned to. Since it's come to this, she decides to spend her time differently and asks around for the king and queen's location. The request makes the staff antsy and they advice her not to casually approach the royal family. Though she understands it's bad manners to intrude unannounced, she wishes to warn them of oncoming danger, and the servants are curious to hear more, until their eyes catch sight of someone standing behind her and they hurry back to work.
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>
> Todd greets her and proclaims she looks edible. It's a compliment she's never heard before, but she takes it as one and calls him edible in return. He gives her his thanks.
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> He points at the back of her dress, where a long row of lacing keep it all together, and asks how it fits her. Despite the obvious last-minute customizations to this existing dress, she has nothing to complain about and likes the look. Todd hears her out some more and asks about his staff, who she promises were professional and kind to her. He smiles, concluding the interrogation, then tells her to get her drumsticks to the dining room, since her friends are there and have been giving him death stares because she's walking around in circles out here. Penny stops her yapping and scurries off.
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> Her friends show relief upon seeing her enter. They'd also been washed up and given new clothes, but still looked less well-rested than her. Perhaps the floor was more comfortable than the bed, though that's hard to believe. Penny explains she'd gotten lost and Todd came to check on her. His name sours their faces, but they keep their comments to themselves.
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> She sits down and notices the food has remained untouched. She asks if they're waiting for the king and queen, but Turquoise doubts they'll join them, since this appears not to be the main dining hall. Lucy says the fact they're random peasants has likely more to do with it, then turns to Penny to inform her they're not actually planning on eating anything out of concern the food's been meddled with. Penny replies Todd was joking about the water the other day, to which Turquoise grumbles he sounded serious. She assures them it's part of his humor and he cracked these kind of jokes with her all the time, which worries them a bit. She offers to tell a few of his knee-slappers, but their scrunched up faces say enough.
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> Penny doesn't mind their unenthusiasm, after all, it's time for breakfast first, laughs later.
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> She takes a kiwifruit, but they tell her to leave it and it's safer to buy from the market later. She reminds them their budget has almost depleted and the royal family's generosity should not be disrespected. She offers them to test the food, but Daddleslie maintains they shouldn't touch it and just wait for the king's approval to meet them.
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> Penny puts the kiwi back in its bowl and folds her hands. The hunger is intense, but her thirst even more. She begins leaning towards the can of water, which Daddleslie also denies her.
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> An hour later, they're still sitting by themselves with no sign of anyone coming to get them. Servants are seen walking around, but all focussed on their assigned tasks. Lucy asks if they should wait in their room instead, and they agree they should get out of the way.
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> They leisurely stroll through the hallways, not because they feel at home, but rather of fatigue. Turquoise wonders if Todd even told his parents they have an urgent message, but with servants picking them up for a bath and an outfit, it can be assumed they're being prepared for something important. Then, what was taking them so long?
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> Behind a corner, Todd is standing with a servant. The girls don't notice him, except for Penny, who catches his reflection in the polished floor. She doesn't think anything of the two lurking and waves at him as she walks by. Todd's eyes follow her, but he gives no response back.
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> While waiting in their room, they try to pass the time, but there's little they dare to touch or care to do. The few books on the shelves contain heavy language and the girls never attended school; their reading skills were too basic to make sense out of these. Daddleslie feels listless and chooses to lie down, while Lucy claims the only window in the room and longingly stares at the sky. The two are so used to flying, the long walks gave them a real workout. Turquoise sits at the desk, where she keeps a close eye on everyone, but all the eventlessness is making her hyperfocus on her hunger and thirst. She's palpably irritated and not in the mood to talk with anyone.
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> Penny is sitting at the foot of the bed and was drifting away as well. She lies down, wondering when their adventure will finally come to an end, and if the king will believe her or if it'll all end up being for nothing. Then, underneath the door of their room, she sees the shadow of a person. They stand there for a while, then leave, yet a shadow remains.
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> Penny's dozing eyes stare at it for a while, until she decides to get up to have a closer look. Turquoise isn't suspicious and lets her walk off. She slowly opens the door and sees a little basket on the floor with food and water.
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> Her stomach cramps up the moment she lays eyes on it, but she knows her friends will deny her this gift if she alerts them. She briefly ponders on what to do, but can't resist and stuffs a small piece of something in her mouth. She takes a sip of water with it, then closes the door again and stands there. Turquoise asks what's up, to which Penny says she's waiting. When asked for what, she answers the poison. Turquoise sits up in surprise, then walks over to the door, where she discovers the basket.
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> She loses her mind with Penny, waking everyone in the room up. Penny thinks to make peace by deeming the food safe, but her friends remain upset. She doesn't share their worry and thinks Todd has earned their approval after having assisted them multiple times, but they see no possible friend in a prince or a dodgy carnivore. His kindness can never be genuine, as they're too different from each other. Penny finds that a cynical mindset to have towards a boy whose house they're staying in right now, but Turquoise proclaims it's his intention to make them lower their guards.
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> Penny becomes unsure on how to approach this matter. Her friends urge her to believe them and promise their suspicion is not just over Todd being a carnivore. Penny's face yearns for the contents of the basket, but she sees how it's stressing out the others, so agrees to leave it standing.
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> Her friends sit back down and reclaim their composure, even though they know not to have changed Penny's unwavering opinion on Todd. They lack the language to help them explain why he's dangerous and don't want to rush her in a panic. Penny was extremely bad at dealing with difficult situations, they've seen it happen before. She was quick to get winded, freeze up, or faint.
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> Just as bad was her inability to see the worst in people. Todd was still her hero, even after she witnessed him eat what was clearly chicken or a similar bird. She had a habit of excusing horrible behaviour, it's how Lucy and Turquoise ended up being her devoted friends, ironically. Once upon a time, the two were considered the most unapproachable kids of Hay Hill, and then *they* showed up.. Penny and Daddleslie. Daddleslie they were already acquainted with. She was a busybody, a real everyone's friend, the enemy of the edgy street punk™, but then she brought along her little love bazooka, Penny, like she knew they'd fall head over heels for the girl.
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> Bullying her was so unsatisfying. Bullying in general became no longer satisfying. Before they knew it, they were reformed villains. Well, as reformed as one could be.
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> If they could just write down their message for the king, give it to a guard, and get out of here.. Todd could continue to live out his life as a shady crook, and they go back to their quiet town and digest all the trauma of the previous days until finally forgotten. With Penny as their emotional support animal, they'd surely get to a point where the fear and nightmares would lessen. They were looking forward to it.
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> Little sighs fill the room as time keeps passing. Looked like the king wasn't planning on seeing them today. Penny glanced at her weakened friends.
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> Their stubbornness was a real shame. They occupied a beautiful palace and were given everything, but they rejected it all. Daddleslie especially wasn't looking so well, it brought her great sorrow.
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> An hour passes, then another, and another. The waiting game worsened their headaches, but they had no energy left to complain.
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> Penny then gets up and heads for the exit, tired of watching. Turquoise calls after her, but Penny stands her ground and grabs the jug of water out of the basket. She says she can't vouch for all the food, but it's been hours since she drank the water, and she's still alive. Turquoise wants to argue against it, but Daddleslie is visibly parched and tempted to take it. Penny gives Turquoise a long stare, and in the end, she can't fight those eyes. Turquoise's approval and the fact Penny is still alive is good enough for Daddleslie, who downs the jug like a sponge. When she sees Lucy looking, she urges her to come get some before she swallows the container itself. Turquoise is offered the last bit, but she rejects and argues someone needs to stay sober just in case they do end up sick.
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> Penny worries she'll be the one to end up sick at this rate, but she smirks that to be impossible, since she's the strongest out of them.
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***CHAPTER 14: Henny Penny Should've Picked Up the Corn**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> The next morning, the girls wake up with Penny missing again. They try finding her, but like last time, servants seemingly show up out of nowhere to drag them through the usual morning routine with the promise Penny's already in the tub and shall be joining them for breakfast.
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> Since they know where the dining room is this time, they want to go there now, but the servants urge them not to disrespect the royal family and wash up first. Turquoise growls they're the ones getting disrespected by being put on hold. Daddleslie pats her on the back to silence her grievances, and though they'd rather not get separated again, they split up with their assigned servants.
>
>
> Meanwhile, Penny has already been taken care of and is waiting with Todd in the dining room. He apologizes for not joining them the day before, but had things to do. Penny answers they're not entitled to his time and are here for his parents.
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> Since the discarded prince was the one to greet them at the door, though, she asks if they've welcomed him back, and Todd confirms that more or less to be so, but adds they were never serious about his banishment, since he's too valuable of an heir. Penny doesn't dig deeper in the why and just expresses relief for the happy ending.
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> He looks at her little smiling face, then asks what she's going to do if his parents end up not believing her. It's a concern she has, but she hopes her friends will help her convince them. He questions how they'll make a difference, as they're annoying and loud, to which Penny says they can be loud, but people always seem to trust their word over hers. Todd is in disbelief.
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> She asks him if he'd like to support them as well, but he admits not to believe the land is under attack, either. She's surprised to hear it and looks a bit let down to have learned she hasn't earned his alliance. The response doesn't evade him.
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> He exhales, then clarifies it's not because he doesn't believe she's experienced an attempted kidnapping, but because they have men stationed everywhere; and every foreign attack is directly reported back to the palace. That's how it's always been.
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> Penny is seen briefly thinking to herself. She asks if he's told his parents already. He says not to, because of the reason he just gave. Though she sees the validity in his reasoning, she maintains it would put her mind to ease if the incident were reported on, even if it ended up being for nothing.
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> Todd sighs and puts his feet on the table, after which she points at him to watch out and not contaminate the food. He huffs it won't be eaten anyway.
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> He grabs a handful of acorns and stuffs them in his mouth. The crunch makes them sound quite appetizing, and the starving Penny eyeballs the bowl whenever she thinks he isn't looking. But with eyes that big, it's hard to be subtle.
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> He slides the bowl her way and gives her a smile of approval. Or well. That's how she interpreted it. She hadn't forgotten about the rules her friends set for her, but she and Todd had been sitting by themselves for a while now. He's not laid a hand on her and was eating the food himself.. So surely, it'd be alright to have a few acorns.
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> She digs in, politely taking one every time. He comments it'll be faster to grab multiple at once, but her hands and mouth are too small to make this strategy useful, anyway. Even at her slow speed, she grabs into an empty bowl before she knows it. Todd gestures to the rest of the food, but there's no time to try it, as her friends come barging in.
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> They immediately see the empty dish in front of her and ask if she ate the contents, like a crew of angry mothers. Todd intervenes and states to have eaten it all in front of her. Daddleslie scolds him for bullying her, knowing they are hungry, but he grins not to care and that starving to death is a choice they made for themselves. He then gets up and contentedly walks off.
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> Though she appreciates Todd sacrificing his reputation for her sake, Penny doesn't like to lie and contemplates telling the truth, but her friends talk over her as they curse Todd and their hunger pains. She grabs a bowl of something and insists the food is safe, but they still won't have any of it.
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> Some time later, back in their room, Penny isn't feeling well. Her stomach hurts, and since no one else shares her symptoms, her friends again ask if she ate something. She sees no reason to prolong her silence and admits to have shared some acorns with Todd. Daddleslie is nearly in tears and Lucy hurries over to help Penny throw up. It's not working. She and Turquoise instruct Daddleslie to keep hitting her back while they go out to find Todd.
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> They speed through the hallways, and when they see him standing, give him an earful. The nearby castle staff look almost nauseous upon witnessing them scream down their master. Their thick-accented hissy fit draws little emotion from him, but when he manages to decipher Penny has fallen ill, his attention is grabbed somewhat. He replies not to have poisoned the acorns and something else has to be the cause. He's not believed, until a servant asks to approach and inserts himself in the conversation. The hare mentions to have had chicken playmates back in his youth, who always avoided the acorns his mother left on the table for them, since they're toxic to their kind.
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> Lucy and Turquoise look at Todd. He insists not to have known. They don't look convinced of it, but don't have proof of his absolute guilt, either.
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> Lucy asks the servant what they should do, but the hare doesn't know. Todd says stomach aches pass and drinking water will likely delude the toxins and help her get better sooner. They unenthusiastically announce to go try that, their skeptical eyes bolted on him as they turn around. The servant gives Todd a bow and escapes the scene, not wanting to be anywhere near him after this public embarrassment.
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> Back in the room, Penny is laid to rest and given plenty of water. Daddleslie is confused as to why drinking water is suddenly allowed, but told they don't have any other options.
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> After aiding Penny, Lucy and Turquoise turn to each other and begin discussing what the truth could be. Turquoise is unsure and finds it odd they haven't been killed already, since there's no reason for Todd to continue the facade within these walls. Yet here they were, still playing house with the fox who threatened their lives only two days ago.
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> Their talking wakes up Penny, and the bedridden victim pleads with them to give him the benefit of the doubt. It all sounds too familiar, so they mumble back they've already tried that and she should go to sleep. Their answer is especially dismissive this time and she doesn't want to let it go.
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> Penny recounts to have taken the acorns because she wanted to, and that Todd only shared them with her because he saw she wanted them. She's assured neither one of them knew it'd make her sick, and though she's hurting, he did not give her a lethal amount, making it more likely it was an accident. Her friends look at each other in silence.
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> In any normal circumstance, this would've been an accident, but Todd had already revealed himself back in the forest.. Were they supposed to forget it happened?
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***CHAPTER 15: Henny Penny Escaped**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> Penny wakes up to find her friends scattered across the room, fast asleep. Looks like the intent was to let her have the bed, though she wouldn't have minded if they had joined her. They looked uncomfortable, but she decided to let them sleep, it was almost time to get up anyway. The water she drank yesterday was wearing heavy on her body, though, she needed this bathroom break now.
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> She looks around for something easy to wear and finds an oversized bathrobe in the closet. Good enough, she only needed a few minutes.
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> As she exits the bathroom and enters the hallway, a lady in a fancy gown crosses her path. It's a fox with reddish orange fur and a dark tail. With a straightened head and back, her amber eyes look down at her. They're identical to Todd's, very beautiful indeed. Then, a snarl appears on her face. She asks what she's doing here, catching Penny off-guard for a bit, who then replies she had to go to the bathroom. The woman orders her to get to work, but when Penny continues to stand around confused, she urgently points into a direction not familiar to her and demands to get dressed. Still not going fast enough for her, her tone becomes threatening, giving Penny goosebumps. Not knowing how to respond, she follows the stranger's finger and runs off.
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> Some time later, Todd passes by a few open windows. He gets a whiff of someone he didn't expect to be snooping around at this part of the building and looks down at the garden below. Together with a few other servants, he sees Penny, sweeping away in a little maid outfit. It's not as cute as it sounds, these clothes were purposely boring and ugly.
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> He meets Cinderella downstairs to ask what she's doing. She states the obvious, sweeping. He wants to know the why, but she isn't sure. There's clearly no point in interrogating her further.
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> As he watches her slave away, the other servants believe it's time to go. Though he didn't show up to try anything, he'd be lying if he didn't feel encouraged to now. It was common knowledge inside the palace that servants should not turn their backs to prince Todd, and if he started staring one of them down anyway, they had to accept the honour of being a lamb for the slaughter. It didn't help that all servants were hares and other rodents foxes loved to eat.
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> It was uncommon for carnivores to "hire" short-statured staff, but foxes weren't that tall themselves, so it made sense to have servants you could push around. And Penny, she fit right in.
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> Todd folds his arms. She had her hair in a bun, her neck exposed for the taking, but would he enjoy it? She'd just been sick and was still so skinny. But days kept passing, he was running out of patience with these broads. If they weren't going to fatten themselves up, maybe he had to lower his standards and settle for lean meat. Penny was leaner than lean, though. He's had her in his arms before, she's not even half a dessert. She had none of the curves of a common chicken, her body was more like, well, perhaps a fox'? But well, if she's destined to die, why waste the drumsticks, food is food.
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> He asks Penny to drop the broom and join him for breakfast, no acorns this time. She hesitates, then replies that her friends wouldn't like it and she's worried them enough. Todd says they shouldn't withhold her basic needs just because *they* want to die so badly, and argues she's earned it after getting talked into playing housemaid. Penny smiles it's alot of fun and better than sitting around in a room all day. This sparks an idea with Todd.
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> He says that if she's bored, she may join him at training, which will also greatly benefit her and her friends. She asks how so and what this training entails, to which he argues that improving her stamina will make her less dependant on them and others. He promises it's nothing an animal like her can't handle; they'll focus on improving her running speed and endurance. Penny can't disagree with his assessments and likes the idea of being more independent in the face of danger. The incident with the guard helped her realise how powerless she was, but if she gained some confidence in, well, *any* ability, she'd surely make a difference next time? Not that she was looking forward to a next time.
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> Todd places his hand on her back and guides her inside, grinning they'll need to eat first to prepare for the workout.
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> It's just them at the dinner table. Penny is determined to make her upcoming training as successful as possible and doesn't hold back this time, though the size of her mouth still only allows for small bites. Todd watches with subdued pride over having convinced her, and patiently waits for her to finish up. When he suspects her friends are about to show up, he grabs some of the food to go and tells her to follow him. She obediently does so.
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> She's brought to what looks like a little dressing room, where a gloomy servant hands her a minimalistic suit of some kind. It's white, has no legs or sleeves, and the back is tied together with many laces, much like the dress she was given. It's awfully revealing, but she feels better about it when she sees Todd more or less wearing the same thing, just with short legs.
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> In their onesies, they meet up at a long stretch of land. Maybe it was a garden at one point, but there was only grass now, just for running, if she understood correctly.
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> Todd makes her stand in front of him, then explains the rules of the game. Penny is given a 5 second head start, whereafter he'll start running as well, with the objective of reaching the finish line first. She doesn't expect to win the race regardless of the handicap, but he reminds her this is her first day and there's no rush to exceed expectations. She takes his words to heart and gets ready.
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> Todd slowly gets down on all fours, his irises widening in anticipation. He starts the first countdown, but is so impatient with it, Penny needs a second to understand when the race has begun and clumsily begins drawing a sprint. Todd moves his gaze to the side and internally counts the seconds.
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> Exactly 5 seconds later, he charges forward. His speed is unparalleled, thanks to the calculated use of every limb and muscle; a kind of mobility only a few predators possess in the modern age. The air slides right past his slender body, and the absence of friction almost makes it look like he's gliding.
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> And just like that, he overshoots his target.
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> Penny stumbles around like a dying fly, despite only having traversed 10 feet. A generous estimate. Todd stops and looks over his shoulder to just about witness the oxygen-deprived girl collapse. He walks back and urges her to keep it going, but Penny pronounces herself deceased. He can't motivate her, not even by ironically pretending to be a stalking murderer. Penny admits and accepts she'd be killed. Good to know she knows, but it doesn't make for an exciting chase.
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> He tries a different approach of playing one of her friends, about to get murdered. He lies down in front of her and shouts for a rescue in his best Texan accent, pretending to be stuck or whatever. Penny half-heartedly gestures to "Lucy, Turquoise, or Daddleslie" how to free herself, but Todd isn't letting her off that easy and yells not to understand.
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> He then yelps that the murderer is coming, forcing Penny to take those last steps, whereafter she collapses again. Todd has been freed, supposedly, and she tells him to leave her behind. Todd sighs, but it's unclear whether he's internally screaming or snickering. He picks this fool up and carries her away from their scary pursuer, as that would be what her friends would do.
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> With that, Penny correctly concludes she's still a liability.
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> He proclaims the key to improving yourself is to reach your limit, then take a few steps more. She states not to have the lung capacity, but it's more excuses he doesn't want to hear. He expresses she's surrounded herself by people who assume she's incompetent, and now she doesn't care to see for herself if that's even true. Penny doesn't understand, so he clarifies to be talking about her friends, for one. She doesn't recognize her friends in the remark, which he expected.
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> Todd advices her that, if she wants to make a difference, she'll have to show everyone she's an adult and demand to be treated like one -starting by reaching her limit, then taking a few steps more.
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> He places her down on the ground, a short distance away from the finish line. Her sore, skinny legs tremble, but now that there's someone watching her with expectations, maybe she should take a few steps more.
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***CHAPTER 16: So Many Bodies to Throw Over Your Left Shoulder**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> Penny is killing herself on the training grounds while her friends watch on with concern. Todd shouts occasional words of encouragement from the sidelines, since that's all he's allowed to do. The role of running circles around Penny was now Daddleslie's, while Lucy and Turquoise side-eyed Todd to ensure he wasn't going to approach any of them unprompted. Or at all.
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> Penny had spent the entire day with him yesterday, so was greeted with lots of questions and crying when she finally returned to her room, but none of it stopped her from insisting on training with him again today. They couldn't let that happen with a clear conscience, so joined her, and nobody looked happy about it.
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> Todd hated Penny's friends. Passionately. But, this hatred was a familiar, trusted feeling. He felt it for all prey animals who dared to oppose him in some minor or major way. Him wanting to rip these birds' heads off was nothing new.. No, they were not the ones occupying his mind right now.. Penny was the problem.
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> He was supposed to do it yesterday, for real, but it's always the same deal with her: she does something, says something, or nothing at all, and he forgets. She's literally doing nothing right now; she's been unconscious and face-down in the dirt for a good 3 minutes. And it's sad, and funny, and sad, it's Penny.
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> Todd glares at Lucy and Turquoise, then at the duck shaking Penny's limp body. He wished they'd go away. Things aren't fun with them around. Penny cared too much about them, and then he'd get less attention from her. It was starting to get on his nerves. She was clearly enjoying herself more with him than them, he's counted the amount of times she smiled or laughed, while these alleged friends just kept her on a leash all the time. It was crazy she couldn't see that.
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> ..Why was he thinking about this? Back to reality.
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> Penny finally resurrects herself. Daddleslie wants her to quit and suggests taking a break inside their room, and though she contemplates it, seeing Todd reminds her she shouldn't just yet. Whilst struggling to stand up straight, she calls over at him with the idea of walking on all fours, and though he'd love to tell her yes-.. Yes, he said yes. Her friends know better, though, and ask her to stop it.
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> The next few minutes consist out of alot of crawling and falling, and eventually, nobody can take it anymore. Her friends want to take her back to their room, but Todd argues she needs food and should come with him instead. The hostility between them builds up, until Penny intervenes and chooses to have lunch. Daddleslie reminds her they're supposed to stick together and not blindly accept Todd's offerings, but as always, "Todd is a good person and they should trust him".
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> They join her at the table, but don't eat anything. They know they can't be on a hunger strike forever, and Penny's new hobby would make it unwise to let her go without, but this was still an unfavourable outcome. If they didn't know any better, they were purposely being put on hold. What were the king and queen doing all day? They already told Todd about the attack, why couldn't *he* tell his parents? Why were they still here? Not that they trusted him to accurately convey their message, but..
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> Penny's friends watch her closely as she eats from the many bowls and plates placed in front of her. They don't know what could be poisonous to chickens, but at least they could try to see if something looked fishy. They slapped anything out of her hands that looked even a bit off.
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> Lunch comes to an end, and before Todd can speak another word to Penny, they hastily drag her back to their room. There's nothing to keep her busy and her friends are too starved and out of it to want to do anything. The bored Penny suggests asking Todd to give them a full tour of the palace, but they reject the idea and grab hold of her dress when she stands up. But then, their grip weakens and they fall asleep mid-sentence. Penny thinks it's odd and tries to wake them up, but they won't.
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> They shoot awake and find themselves in some kind of medical bay, getting force-fed by strangers. Turquoise jumps out of bed to try and make herself throw up, until Penny runs over to stop her. She tells them how they wouldn't wake up anymore and needed food.
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> Daddleslie holds her stomach and panics at the thought she might've been poisoned, and Turquoise responds angered by Penny's repeated decision of approaching the prince for help. This displeases her, telling them Todd has proven himself multiple times and states to have never felt healthier, thanks to him.
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> She asks how they're feeling, and though they have to admit they've improved, they're hesitant to extend the same thanks to Todd.
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> Maybe when this journey finally ends and they're back home, they could look back at this with gratitude. But for now, nothing made sense and Todd was suspicious.
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***CHAPTER 17: Foxy Woxy Went Into Her Burrow**
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> Penny is strolling through the hallways. Weeks had passed, and her friends had gotten up early this morning. Looked like they'd finally gotten their strength back and she managed to convince them to get out there and do.. something. Cooping yourself up in a room was no way to spend your time in a place like this, or any place, for that matter. She hoped they were enjoying themselves after all the hardships.
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> She'd been feeling rather guilty for dragging them along on her personal quest, even if they volunteered. They looked so miserable since leaving the forest, but the nurses did their best and it helped that they were free to sleep in for hours on end. Whenever she visited the medical bay, they were usually knocked-out. They looked peaceful, well-groomed, and plump like a healthy bird should be.
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> Unlike her.
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>
> She had done her best at training, hoping she could show off some muscles on their day of discharge, but no such thing. Her body's still a cylinder. Not even the extravagant meals had affected her appearance in any meaningful way, but this was nothing new.
>
> Back when she was a preteen and noticed something off about her physical development, she already tried to force change. Daddleslie had so many "tips and tricks from grandma's book", but months passed with no results. They learned it wasn't a lifestyle issue.
>
> Todd was unconcerned, though. He derived enjoyment out of her failures and didn't feel responsible as her teacher. Penny took his carefreeness as supportive optimism, and he was probably the only factor right now that pushed her to keep torturing herself every day. She had the stamina of a lost sloth and that was probably never going to change, but Todd's company had value too, so it wasn't all for nothing.
>
>
> He shows up in front of her, but not with the usual offer of going outside. He announces it's likely going to rain soon and she can therefore take the day off. Penny asks if there are indoors exercises for her to try, to which he shrugs she could do some body stretches. She mimics a drowsy woman waking up from a long sleep. Todd can't believe his eyes.
>
> Since it's too early for this nonsense, he invites her to have breakfast with him first, which she accepts. Penny's friends aren't at the table, for which Todd offers no answer, though he equally can't fake to care. He clarifies he rarely visits these parts of the palace, since his bedroom is at the far opposite end. Penny understands and sees no reason to interrogate him.
>
>
> The palace was indeed big, and she was still curious to see the rest of it. She asks if she may have a look around, a good activity for a rainy day, and Todd agrees to play tour guide.
>
> The scenery is even more impressive at the other side, and Todd explains that this wing is strictly for the royal family and close friends. She worriedly asks if she's allowed to be here, but he says not to worry about it, as she's basically a friend. Penny turns silent and bashful upon hearing him say that. She'd been having a wonderful time with him and Todd had done so much for them, but she never expected him to consider her a friend.
>
>
> Eventually, they stop in front of a tall pair of white, beautifully crafted double doors. She imagined Heaven's gate to look something like this, but here, they led to Todd's bedroom. He asks if she's interested in seeing it, but since this a private space, she insists a simple tour will do and it's not her intention to intrude. He grins he'll spare her the slave chambers downstairs, but she's welcome to lay eyes upon his scandalous possessions. Penny smiles at his joke and contemplates the offer for a bit.
>
> If she is his friend, then he is hers, and that makes him no different from the girls, does it..? They visit each other's bedroom all the time. To see a prince's wasn't an opportunity most people got, so why not go inside.
>
>
> The doors are swung open and Penny enters what is basically a house. There's a living room with a nice-looking couch, surrounded by walls carved into bookshelves, and a spotless fireplace. Further in the back sits an almost comically large bed with a door to the right, probably leading to a washing room. There's a golden spiral staircase, but Penny can't see what's up there. When Todd picks up on her curious stare, he replies it's his study, which he never used, as bedrooms are for chillin' and learning is for nerds.
>
> It's a gorgeous room, though the scratches on the walls don't evade her. Attempts were made to cover them up, but the overall flawlessness of the room only makes it easier to pick up on the oddities.
>
>
> She approaches a wall to inspect. It puts Todd a bit on edge, but he decides to come clean and reveals he used to be an unruly kid. Penny replies her childhood days were upsetting as well, though she never felt the urge to get violent. He smirks that's a good thing, as she's a descendant of dinosaurs -a claim she's never heard of. He asks if she's ever had an education, but honestly, Penny's entire existence already answers the question for him.
>
> She explains girls are expected to be future home makers, thus don't need to prepare themselves for labour that might require a study. Todd finds that a waste and says this way of thinking will prevent communities from advancing. Penny's never heard a stance like his before, and asks if things are different amongst carnivores. Todd says not to know much about how commoners live their lives, but that the rich value education. It's a surprising answer from someone who's expected to rule over commoners one day.
>
>
> After letting her awe his furniture, Todd gestures to the sofa and offers her a drink. Penny doesn't like alcohol and politely declines, so to get her to sit down anyway, he places a glass box of candies on the coffee table. Probably more suited for this absolute child. Half a glass of whatever he has sitting in his cupboard will probably shut down her brain forever, if not the smell alone.
>
>
> Penny sits down and looks intentively at the box' content. It looks too expensive to eat, but also foreign, giving her that slight worry she'll end up poisoning herself again. She fiddles with her fingers, eager to try, but not wanting to die.
>
> Todd is back at his bar of edibles, where he downs a full glass of something, then sits down next to her. Penny welcomes him back -though they were only 5 steps apart- and starts some kind of rant he can't begin to decipher. He could take the charitable position and blame the alcohol's effects, but her Southern accent always thickened to inaudible levels whenever she became excited about something. She pointed at the candy a few times, so presumably, she's impressed by the look of them. He insists she tries a few, but she appears hesitant for a reason he fails to figure out.
>
> While she's nice and distracted with her story, he twists his body into her direction. He wants to say something, but the words won't come out. Better not to interrupt her.
>
>
> Them together, her guard down, no annoying friends around, no nothing around; it's another instance full of opportunities, and the times it's happened kinda baffled him.
>
> He could do it. No one would hear her. No one would stop him. No one would ask.
>
>
> No one would ask.
>
>
> His dumb little snack was getting real cosy on his couch, talking to him like they've known each other for 50 years. Madness, it was. Good instincts don't require an education, but this girl, she was so blind for everything, you'd almost think she was suicidal and doing it on purpose.
>
>
> Penny stops and looks up at him with a satisfied expression. The subject had changed somewhere along the way and she asks him what's in the couch cushions. The answer it's chicken feathers isn't taken seriously. She just laughs in response. She always laughs, because everything is a good joke, a good friend, or a good time. Still, his response peaked Penny's curiosity, who starts feeling her own butt to compare with the cushions.
>
>
> Her non-existent butt.
>
>
> Right, there's no meat on her, she's barely a meal.
>
>
> Then what was this maddening craving Todd felt..
>
>
> He stands up to pour himself another drink and points Penny's attention to his bed, claiming it to be even softer. She walks over with genuine interest, because really, all she's ever known is dried grass. She presses with her hand to confirm and utters sounds of approval. If only Todd would tell her what's inside, she could take that knowledge back home.
>
> A large shadow then forms over her and two hands grab her waist. She's lifted onto the bed, for which Penny expresses her thanks to the still looming Todd. She pets the blanket some more. It feels pleasant as well.
>
>
> He watches her mess about for a few seconds, her bulky hair spread all over his sheets. It was distractingly red, the kind of red any vixen would kill for and the upper class faked with the help of dye. Every time she pulled off her bonnet, it and her enormous orange eyes caught him off-guard in a way. She had thick red eyelashes as well, such a demanding presence on her face.
>
> There really was no reason for him to order his maids to bring her and the bird crew new dresses every morning. They could've kept wearing their old clothes, they were staying in the "lesser wing" after all, but he wanted to see it. More of her. The clothes he picked became redder, more expensive, less random. He was dressing her with a purpose, even if he didn't know it.
>
>
> He places a knee on the bed and leans towards her, her back still turned to him. A smart bird always tilts its head slightly to the side as to keep an eye on its surroundings. It doesn't matter if the predator in the room is an "ally", prey is always wary, knowingly or unknowingly, because as long carnivores have teeth and need meat, there is no true equality. Those who believe otherwise don't grow old.
>
>
> Todd's body shudders, but it remains subtle enough for Penny not to notice. Her trust in him greatly tested his self-control. It didn't matter she's low quality food, that hunting her provides no fun challenge, or he didn't actually know what hunger felt like as a prince; he was born with primal instincts that shouted at him to pounce her every time her back was turned to him. The amount of times it's happened, it was driving him insane.
>
> Today's upper class predators find great pride and entertainment in the act of hunting, but the truth was that this behaviour was no longer in them and had to be taught. It's why Todd was so valuable to his parents, yet also a hassle they couldn't keep under control. They punished their pampered son with fake exile -hoping he couldn't actually sustain himself and would come crawling back the next day.
>
>
> Since every generation strays farther away from their ancestors, maybe, very maybe, Penny wasn't stupid, but simply the next stage of this same evolution that diluted everyone's survival instincts. Real friends don't watch each other in the corner of their eyes, Todd knew that, but he was used to that lingering air of distrust he felt wherever he went. Penny was the first and only liberal he met who fully lived according to her beliefs. Not even his parents trusted him, yet here *she* was, a defenseless chicken, the size of an underfed rat, relaxed and content.
>
>
> Todd moves his clawed hand through her hair, finally grabbing her attention. She looks back at him in surprise, but says nothing. His face draws closer and closer, his teeth brushing against her neck. From her breathing he can sense she's rather startled by it, but it's not out of fear for her life. Because of course not, I just wrote a whole bunch of paragraphs explaining it.
>
> He knew that if he were to close his jaws on her, it'd give him that second of mindless gratification, but only a second. Her voice, generosity, mind-boggling comments, and weird face, could he say goodbye to those forever? He keeps hesitating. He keeps procrastinating. The question has already been answered, hasn't it.
>
>
> Penny, who's never gotten this kind of attention from someone before, isn't sure if she understands his intentions and asks him if she smells. Todd needs this crazy woman to shut up, because if he starts laughing now, it'll ruin the moment.
>
> He caresses her body, his nails getting a bit too close to her skin and his mouth still in her neck. Her non-responsiveness becomes a bit concerning, but then, a small white hand raises up and lands on his cheek. It flares up his entire body and weakens his limbs, as if there was a deadly virus attached to it. He exhales loudly and Penny lovingly rubs her head against his, suddenly reversing the effects and tensing up his muscles with reinvigorated energy.
>
>
> This prey animal had him wrapped around her finger the moment they met. This was a predator.
>
>
>
>
>
>

***CHAPTER 18: So She Turned 'Round and Hurried Back to Her Nest**
 (Click "Expand" to read)>*

> A new morning arrives and Todd is summoned to meet his parents in the throne room. He doesn't like talking to them, but it's something he knew had to happen eventually. He'd given them peace offerings to get them to open their doors, and now that they were ready to see him, it was time to discuss his future as the rightful heir to the throne.
>
> He had younger siblings, but he and his parents both knew they weren't even their plan B. They missed what Todd had and were therefore useless. Did his brother and sisters even have names or know what their parents looked like..? Todd couldn't even say for sure where they resided.
>
>
> It was fun living free and independently, but he missed his bed and having a new set of clothes to wear. And really, why run from a crown he's entitled to. An item that's become so much more crucial to him now.
>
> As a prince, he was powerful, but he didn't have the ultimate authority of a king, which he needed in order to establish and uphold additions to the law. He had controversial ideas in mind, so sucking up to his parents and faking remorse was necessary. For now.
>
>
> As he enters the large room, his father sitting in the distance orders him to give him a bow. Todd tries to suppress the snarl forming on his face and reluctantly stops in his tracks to do so.
>
> Royalty bowing for their higher family members is normal business, but he hated having to be submissive towards people who can't even beat him in a fight. His father was the type of coward to always throw 10 guards on top of him whenever he was too much for him to deal with. The man owned a sword collection, but kept his hands in his pockets. Penny was bolder than him.
>
>
> King L'Woxy isn't wholly satisfied with his son's insincerity, but nevertheless impressed to see him try. He asks him if he's learned his lesson and what made him return home, and Todd gives a perfectly rehearsed answer back. Since there are no reports of him pulling any unbecoming levels of mischief since his return, they conclude his trial period a success and feel inclined to believe him. His mother gives him a parody of a smile and welcomes him back. Todd returns the favour.
>
> Without any further announcement, a young lady then appears in the room. It's a fox he's never seen before, and the way she's dressed and interrupts their meeting fills him with dread. Queen L'Woxy introduces her as the reason to why they were unavailable to speak for so long, as she is the princess of another kingdom whose father accepted to give away.
>
>
> Todd tries to keep his composure and proclaims he'll be a better son to them, but won't accept an arranged marriage. His father doesn't care to hear it and wants this union, since the lady is claimed to have the same valued primal gene he has.
>
> His parents, seemingly done acknowledging him, then shift their full attention to the girl, who smiles and happily agrees with every spoken word. She occasionally glances over at Todd, whose handsomeness makes this forced relationship a bit more bearable. He, on the other hand, can't find any silver lining in this and feels his sanity slipping away the longer they keep on talking. Like always, his parents didn't waste any time to dictate his life.
>
>
> Todd interrupts the joyful chatter to announce the ceremony cannot continue, as he's already given himself away. Their eyes widen. Since foxes have a strict monogamous community, this is miserable news.
>
>
> His father roars with anger and demands to know who and where this woman is, a question Todd knows he can't casually answer. He didn't expect this to become a point of discussion and the truth will only endanger the one he wishes to protect. He tries to downplay their response and avoids giving a direct answer, but then his eagle-eyed witch of a mother jumps in, and mentions *her*.
>
> His father doesn't recall seeing a chicken around and is less convinced Todd would share a bed with one, but his mother brings up the types of dresses she's seen her wear; the kind no servant or even friend of royalty would receive as a gift. King L'Woxy finally understands and begins to feel sick to his stomach.
>
> He watches his son with perplexed disgust. It's been nothing but disappointment with him, this boy drove him insane and loved humiliating him at every turn..!
>
>
> The king apologizes to the young princess and asks her to leave, whereafter a short moment of silence follows. Then, he calls over the guards, who swiftly and obediently show up. Todd watches them with careful cautiousness, but surely, his father wouldn't-
>
>
> He points at Todd and orders for his execution.
>
>
> The men swarm their prince without questioning the verdict. This was the power of a king. Todd yells they're obligated to accept Penny as his wife, by law, but his parents just turn their heads aside. They'd rather kill their son than accept a prey animal into the family.
>
>
> Todd isn't a fool, he knew they'd never allow for this, it's why it was so important that it remained a secret before his crowning ceremony.. But if they thought he was going down without a fight, they might just end up paying for it with their lousy lives..!
>
>
> Todd immobilizes the nearest guard with a powerful bite and jumps over the others. He speeds towards his parents, fangs dripping in red and ready to collect more. They shoot up from their seats in shock. The soldiers attempt to protect them with their long distance weapons, but are too slow. Todd rips out the throat of his mother, the one to blame for all this.
>
> Having lost his wife in such an unceremonious manner dials up his father's rage, who risks it all by fighting back. He's clearly not built for it, though, and forced to step back again. The guards take this opportunity to fire more arrows and throw spears at Todd, and after another short chase, he's finally hit.
>
>
> Riddled with arrows, he starts to come back to his senses and realizes his bloodlust caused him to waste the opportunity to flee with his girl. He struggles to breathe. It's too late now.
>
>
> There's an air of relief now that Todd's been subdued, though the soldiers' failure to protect the queen makes a celebration not appropriate. Todd's father confidently walks up to him to kick him in the face. He growls some insults and bears his fangs, planning to give him the same fate as his slaughtered wife. As he hunches down, Todd tries to collect the energy needed to perform one last blow, just to make his revenge complete.
>
>
> Then suddenly, a sharp object pierces the king's chest. It's not deep in there, but obviously not accidental. He looks to the side and sees a remarkably short chicken holding a spear that's way too heavy for her. He gives her a long stare, and then it hits him; it's the illegitimate girlfriend. He grabs the weapon from her and pulls it out with ease. It might as well never happened.
>
>
> Panic washes over Todd when he sees her. He wants to get up, but he's shutting down. Penny sees him struggling and takes it as her cue to be brave. She barehandedly charges at the king with determination. It's a foolish, but well-intended attack that Todd refuses to be the last thing he sees. He jumps up and digs his claws in his father's throat, shouting at her to run, blood splattering from his mouth. His father tries to punch him off, she squeaks she needs to help him, but he replies nothing can be done.
>
> When the guards grab her, Todd lets go of his father to focus on them instead. Penny is released again and thinks to help him out by punching the men, but her fists do nothing.
>
>
> Meanwhile, the seething king walks back to his throne to grab a sword and creeps up on Todd with it raised in the air. Penny jumps as high as she can and tries to choke him out like Todd did, but it's another pointless attempt. One she pays dearly for this time.
>
> The king shakes her off and swings his sword. A small arm drops onto the floor.
>
>
> It takes a second for her to realize what's happened, but indeed, her left arm is no longer a part of her. She wants to scream and cry, but there is no time, the fight is not over yet. King L'Woxy is trying to swing at Todd again, who somehow manages to kick him away from him in his cadaverous state, while wrestling the guards. She has to save Todd. Todd is still alive, she can still save Todd.
>
>
> Seeing her kill herself over him hurts Todd more than his own death, and he begs her to leave him behind. Penny says she can't, to which he says she must, as there's nothing waiting for her here and her friends are dead. This news she did not expect to hear and she wishes for clarification, to which Todd can only tell her sorry. She starts to sob uncontrollably. What was going on around here?
>
>
> She knew she joined a losing battle, but she still hoped for a miracle. That she wouldn't be a liability this time. But she was too late. She was blind. Her friends were dead and she had no idea. The love of her life was being murdered in front of her and might've never been her ally in the first place. She'd given up everything to get a happy ending, she'd given up more than she had to give, and it made no difference. She had nothing anymore. Less than nothing.
>
> All that remained was Todd's wish for her to live.
>
>
> With shaking legs, she gets up and tries to catch her breath, then tightly holds onto her bleeding shoulder and sprints off. She runs as fast as she can. The many memories of her and Todd training in the field flood her mind. The palace and sounds of him dying fade away. She's just running. She and Todd are just running. Her friends are waiting for them at Hay Hill.
>
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>

## Characters

### Penny Little

Penny is a chicken and the main character. She is 18 years old.

She's an almost typical "Southern belle" farm girl, and has an inexhaustible amount of kindness towards everyone she meets, even if it's not returned. She's unusually skinny and petite for a chicken and it's implied she has a genetic defect that's not been medically explored or recognized in her community and/or time period.

Those unacquainted with her tend to think she's a child, while fellow chickens are better at picking up on the physical oddities and look at her with strange eyes. Her round head and "smushed" beak makes her look owlish, and the majority of chickens consider her hideously deformed -with a small percentage experiencing slight ingrained fear for this face that parodies that of a bird of prey.

She became the target of bullying throughout her early teenage years, but at the same time, her sweet nature and willingness to help others is appreciated by her surroundings and she's always had a better relationship with the adult townsfolk.

Penny has three loyal friends who function as her bodyguards, though also her voice of reason. She's extremely naive and seemingly can't pick up on sinister expressions or vocal cues. While they know this of her, she holds some form of authority over them and is always given the last word.

Penny is weak-bodied and can't pull her weight around town, but possibly also infertile and has never laid an egg -which is considered a sign of health and maturity for her species. Not being able to have children has always been a great concern, but one she kept to herself before meeting Todd, who she shared this info with on their last night together.

She likes Todd and was quick to trust his intentions. She consistently defends him throughout the story, which led to him falling for her, though also the eventual death of her friends, who were slaughtered behind her back.

She's the only character that survives in the end, though there's no certainty on whether she truly escaped.

Penny is short and slender with white feathers, has a short beak, long red hair stuffed in an orange-laced, white bonnet, large orange eyes with red lashes, and wears what looks to be orange eyeshadow, but is part of her face. Her own dress is yellow with a single layered skirt, long sleeves, and an orange top, but upon arrival at Todd's palace, she's sent a different dress to wear every day. These become increasingly more customized, detailed, and red as time progresses.

At the end of the story, she loses her entire left arm.

### Turquoise Keys

Turquoise is a turkey and one of Penny's friends. She is 18 years old.

She's the big sister and angry mother of the group, a born skeptic who can't resist speaking her mind, yet always finds herself getting dragged along the ride by the chirpy Penny. Turquoise and Lucy used to be a troublemaking duo in their younger years, and though the townsfolk still don't mess with her, meeting Penny made her more approachable.

She was Todd's first murder attempt and since then remained cautious of him. Her distrust for him rubbed off on Daddlesie and Lucy, who also began seeing his behaviour was off. Because Turquoise is large and fairly strong, she managed to stay off Todd's radar throughout most of the story, which allowed her to guard her friends the best she could. Despite her best efforts, she'd eventually succumb to hunger and exhaustion. The time she, Lucy, and Daddlesie spent in the medical bay of Todd's palace was cleverly used to inject them with strong sedatives and fatten them up for consumption. The three girls were killed without Penny's immediate knowledge.

Turquoise is tall, curvy, has brown feathers, a bare, light-blue neck and head, curly, faded pink hair in a short ponytail, pink freckles, black eyes, and wears what looks to be blue eyeshadow, but is part of her face. She wears black ballet flats, a red dress, and a dark-red corset with black string, but upon arrival at Todd's palace, she's sent a different dress to wear every few days, usually in brown colours.

### Lucy Poosy

Lucy is a goose and one of Penny's friends. She is 18 years old.

A calm and caring friend to all, with tremendous anger issues she's constantly trying to suppress. As a child, she liked to pick fights for little to no reason, but as an adult, her raging emotions mainly show their head in the form of a trembling smirk.

With the headstrong Turquoise as her first and only friend for a while, her behaviour didn't improve much, until Penny and Daddleslie joined their exclusive, self-proclaimed "cool kids" club. Envious of Daddleslie's grace and Penny's inexhaustible kindness, she wished to leave her unfavourable teenage years behind and become a proper lady.

She, Daddleslie, and Turquoise are killed on Todd's command, without Penny's immediate knowledge.

Lucy has white feathers, poofy half-long hair with bangs, small blue eyes, and wears black ballet flats, a blue dress with yellow edges, and a yellow bonnet. Upon arrival at Todd's palace, she's sent a different dress to wear every few days, usually in white.

### Daddleslie Luck

Daddleslie, or Leslie, is a duck and one of Penny's friends. She is 18 years old.

She's Penny's first friend and the one who introduced her to the troublemakers, Lucy and Turquoise. She stands out from the rest of the group by always having been somewhat popular in town as a beautiful sight to behold, an everyone's friend, and a textbook social butterfly.

She's generous, good with make-up, an excellent swimmer, but with a bad habit of pouncing dropped food, though this embarrassing tic is only known amongst her friends.

She, Lucy, and Turquoise are killed on Todd's command, without Penny's immediate knowledge.

Daddleslie has white feathers, long silver-white hair, large black eyes, and wears white high heels, a lilac dress with dark ruffles, and a likewise coloured bonnet. Upon arrival at Todd's palace, she's sent a different dress to wear every few days, usually in white.

### Prince Todd L'Woxy

Todd is a crossbreed/marble fox and the antagonist. He is 17 years old.

He's the eldest son of King and Queen L'Woxy, and used to live a pampered life before getting kicked out by them. He's extremely stubborn, entitled, and proud, and had a habit of running around with his fangs bared at everybody as if he were a wild animal. His lack of control -or unconcern with it- greatly embarrassed his family and is what resulted into his banishment.

Carnivorous royal families have a practise of training their children to be hunters and there's a high sense of pride found in embracing one's predator roots within the otherwise cultured upper classes. Todd was born with the rare, instinctual urge to pounce critters, which is taught behaviour within modern day predators. He is a wanted heir, despite going overboard with it, and knew his exile was meant to lower his spirits and make him crawl back home with humble remorse.

Though he disliked spending his days in the challenging wilderness, away from luxury and always having to avoid the riff-raff who'll recognize him, it was an appreciated break from the life he lived prior. He was a vagabond for almost a year, until he met Penny and her friends, which helped him see an opportunity to bring an end to the aimless wandering and make fake amends with his parents. Though he intended to eat them himself, he'd change plans and promised them to the king and queen as a peace offering, granting him access to the palace once more. When Penny's friends became sick after a long period of voluntary starvation and had to be hospitalized, he used that moment to sedate and fatten them up for consumption. They were carted away and slaughtered without Penny's knowledge, nor without a moment of guilt from Todd.

His upbringing is a bad combination with his primal instincts, and the only point he sees in non-carnivorous animals is to sustain the likes of him. He always has the pressing urge to jump prey animals who present their backs to him, which led to many castle servants to succumb and new additions having to be taught to be unusually cautious while doing their chores.

Even so, Todd is highly intelligent and never takes big risks; only having attempted to attack Penny and her friends whenever there was complete certainty there'd be no witnesses. Unlike his parents, who have distant plans in place to enslave all prey animals in the land, Todd supports the faux union between predators and prey. Since foxes are relatively small and there are plenty of herbivores who could take them on, he understands there's a greater benefit in letting their food continue to live under a false sense of security, opposed to learning the truth and retaliating.

He grows fond of Penny, who possesses a level of tolerance and motherly kindness that appears foreign to him. He was initially bothered by the emotional control she had over him and made her his priority kill, but never managed to push through. Though the animal inhabitants of the world can't feel romantic attraction towards a species physically dissimilar to themselves, Penny's "fox-like" slimness, red hair, and large orange eyes become ever more noticeable to him the more his respect for her grows. Even so, Todd confuses his desire for her with his predator urges, and it takes him a while to decide what role he wants her to play in his life.

When it came to light he laid with her, his parents ordered for his execution. He retaliated by trying to kill them first, but could only take his mother down before getting shot by the guards.

Todd is slender with primarily white fur, poofy cheeks and shoulders, a pointy black nose, black hair, large, dark-rimmed ears, dark eyelids, orange eyes, and a dark stripe going down his back to the top half of his tail. There's a single spot on the left side of his muzzle. His hands and feet are more or less shaped like a human's, but have black pointy nails and black pads.

When his intent is to chase or kill, his eye-white blackens and his back tends to automatically arch itself down to push himself on all four limbs.

## Gallery

**The cast, first designs.**
 *(Wiki exclusive upload, 2022)*
## Trivia

* Originally, Todd was written to experience a change of heart and save Penny and her friends.
* The L'Woxy family emblem is the abstract image of an acorn;
	+ It's seen in Todd's clothing;
	+ The men who snuck into Hay Hill worked for King and Queen L'Woxy;
	+ Penny and her friends never managed to figure this out.
* Todd and the girls don't call each other by name throughout most of the story;
	+ They address him as "Mr. Prince", though Turquoise uses "sir";
	+ Todd is less respectful and calls them after their species, sometimes in combination with their last name;
	+ He dubs Penny "Chicken (Little)";
	+ Turquoise, Lucy, and Daddleslie are consistently annoyed by it.
* The clothes Todd sends Turquoise, Lucy, and Daddleslie mimics the colour of their body and are meant to degrade them to the mere status of animal, thus prey;
	+ Penny's red dresses, on the other hand, are an act of favouritism and meant to make her seem more fox-like.
* Todd has a notably low voice, which appears not to be normal for foxes;
	+ Most small-sized (adult) animals sound like young adolescents;
	+ He joked it to be thanks to the double shots of testosterone he received from his different breed parents, but this is a really nonsensical remark and he should feel bad.
	+ Becks' rendition of "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" gives an example of his voice.