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Buster had never really had a family. Well, perhaps that was a bit of a lie. He’d had one once, long ago. His mother had passed away when he was quite young, and for years it had just been him and his father. But even he’d had to leave eventually, leaving Buster a theater, a legacy and a bit of a predicament. The young koala had never been interesting in settling down, his heart belonging firmly to the preforming arts, and he had no closely related family with whom he could potentially bond. As thus, he’d quickly resigned to the idea of spending the rest of his days alone, surrounded perhaps with friends and colleagues, but none he could truly call family.
But then the performers came into his life, spurned by a desire to achieve that he couldn’t help but cultivate. Suddenly he was surrounded by people he’d put anything on the line for, even his precious theater, in order to protect. And they, though certain ones tended to deny it, would do just the same. It was an odd group, rag-tag and coming from all walks of life, but he loved them. Although you’d never hear him say it out loud, he’d found his family.
So it was no surprise that, when Rosita stumbled in one morning, looking like death incarnate, he’d immediately leapt to his feet and rushed to her side.
“Rosita, are you alright? You don’t look well.” He asked, looking her over. Her shoulders were slumped in exhaustion, eyes lightly unfocused when she glanced at him. She urged a tired smile onto her face, giving a little sniffle before she spoke.
“I’m fine Buster. Things are just a bit hectic at home is all. Half the kids are going through growth spurts and the rest are all just getting over colds. I must have picked up a bit of a bug from them. I should be right as rain in a few days.” She assured him, but the koala still tilted his head in concern, placing a hand on her arm.
“Are you sure?”
“I pulled through finals week for my engineering degree with a nasty case of pneumonia. It’ll take more than a simple cold to take me down.”
“Alright, if you’re certain. Gunter’s already back in the practice room. But if you start feeling any worse I want you to come tell me alright?”
“I promise Buster.” She replied, before tromping off in the direction of her partner. He stared after her for a moment before being distracted by a familiar engine rev, heading outside to meet Mike.
The rest of the morning passed much as usual, Buster moving between the different performers and giving them direction as needed. Rosita’s voice was straining a bit on certain higher notes and she was taking more breaks than usual, often choosing to sit and cool down by the air vent while Gunter practiced his solo moves, but otherwise the mother seemed to be holding up fine.
It wasn’t till the day was nearing mid-afternoon that he noticed something amiss. As he glanced into the dancing duo’s while he passed, he noticed her leaning against the wall, her head leaned back against the cool paneling. Frowning, he opened the door and softly called in.
“Rosita?”
At her lack of reply he and Gunter glanced at each other in concern and made their way over.
“Rosita? Are you alright?” He asked once more, taking a knee and reaching out to gently shake her shoulder. This seemed to wake her from her doze and her eyes sleepily opened. She lifted a hand and rubbed at them as she fully sat up, giving a yawn.
“Buster? Oh, did I doze off? Sorry.”
He disregarded her words, choosing instead to settle a hand on her forehead. He grimaced and pulled back, looking at her with a series gleam in his eyes.
“Rosita, you have a fever.”
“A fever? Oh Buster, I’m sure it’s not that bad. I’m just a bit waa-“
Her protests slurred into a groan as she tried to stand, swaying violently on her feet for a moment before sinking back to the ground, head in her hands.
“Alright, that’s it. You’re going home. No if’s ands or buts.” The koala declared before she could try and argue again.
“Gunter, could you help me get her outside?”
Rosita slumped a bit between them with a sigh, evidently giving up on her protests. As they helped her through the main stage towards the parking lot, the rest of the team quickly caught sight of them and made their way over.
“Rosita? Did something happen?” Meena asked, looking the woman over for injuries and the mother smiled at her.
“I’m just feeling a bit sick. Nothing to worry about. I’ll be good to go after a bit of rest.”
“Johnny, may we borrow your truck? We’re going to take her home.” The director asked as the others crowded around.
“Oh, yeah of course.” The gorilla said quickly, digging through his jacket and handing him the keys. He noodled in appreciation and, gently shooing the worried others out of the way, they started once more for the parking lot, the koala giving a call over his shoulder.
“We’ll be back soon, just keep practicing in the meantime!”
With that they helped her out to the black pickup, settling her comfortably between them in the front seat and setting off. Rosita’s house wasn’t all that far from the theater, thus why she walked every day, but by the time they reached it she was dozing again and Buster gently shook her awake as Gunter parked. They helped her out of the car and to the door, Buster fishing the keys out of her purse.
“Thank you guys, I really appreciate the help. Once I get some rest I should be just fi-”
As Buster opened the door a veritable explosion of sound erupted from behind it. Rosita’s face became confused for a moment before she shook her head.
“Right, the kids only had a half day. Well, so much for the peace and quiet.” she sighed before stepping inside, the other trailing behind her.
As the door clicked shut behind them there was a sudden lull in the ruckus, before there came a chorus of shouts and the sound of stampeding feet.
“MOMMY!”
The piglet’s rounded the corner in mass, their eyes going wide with gasps of delight as they spotted them.
“UNCLE BUSTER! UNCLE GUNTER!”
Normally Buster would have found the nicknames endearing, adorable even, but he found himself a bit too terrified to notice as the kids rushed them. Rosita braced herself with the poise only someone who’d been practicing for years could achieve, but Buster and Gunter weren’t so lucky. As the swarm launched themselves at the three the latter two were almost knocked off their feet, Buster actually collapsing back against the wall under the weight of the multiple children clinging to his torso and legs.
“Alright, alright everybody calm down. They won’t be here long, they were just helping Mommy-”. She gave a chuckle at their antics as they tugged at her legs, lifting her hands to calm them. Before she could finish though, she gave a little groan, pressing a hand to her head as a wave of dizziness passed over her. The children stilled when they noticed, releasing Buster and Gunter so they could crowd around their mother.
“Mommy? Mommy, what’s the matter?”
“She’s just feeling a bit sick, so we brought her home. How’s about you all help us get her into bed?” Buster tried and the kids jumped to action, most rushing off while a handful stayed behind to lead them through the house. They successfully made it up the stairs to find the rest waiting by the open bedroom door, just finishing fluffing the pillows and straightening the comforter as they walked up. Rosita smiled warmly at the sight.
“Aww thank you my dears.”
They helped her into bed and she looked down at the kids watching worriedly at the beds’ edge with a smile.
“Why don’t you all go play downstairs while I talk with your “uncles”?” she suggested and the children were out of the room in an instant, even closing the door behind them as they went. Once they were gone Rosita turned to them with a look of appreciation.
“Thank you both so much for the help. I’m sorry for being such a bother today.”
“Bother? You’re no bother! You’re sick! Of course we’re gonna help you!” Gunter replied and she gave a chuckle.
“Either way, you should probably be heading back to the others.”
“Are you sure you’ll be ok here alone?” Buster asked and she shook her head.
“I’ll be fine. Norman should be home from work in just a few-“
She suddenly paused as though something had occurred to her and gave a frustrated groan, letting her head fall back against the pillows.
“Oh damn it.”
Gunter and Buster jumped a bit at the exclamation then regarded her in confusion, the koala speaking once more.
“Is something wrong?”
“I just remembered that Norman is out of town for a business conference till tomorrow morning. Well, there’s not much that can be done about it now.”
The two men glanced at each other and exchanged a nod.
“Alright. Gunter, head back to the theater and let the others know they can go home. I’ll stay here for the night.”
“What?! Buster, I couldn’t ask you to do that! You’re so busy lately!” Rosita chirped, jerking back upright.
“Well, it’s a good thing you’re not asking me then. Besides, how are supposed to recover if there’s no one around to keep an eye on you, hmm?” He replied, handing the truck keys to Gunter. The mother considered his words for a moment before giving a sigh and relaxing once more.
“If you’re sure...”
Accepting her surrender, Gunter headed out, boisterously bidding the piglets farewell whilst Buster stayed behind to fetch a few books for the sick singer and pull the lamp closer within her reach. He paused when he felt eyes on him and turned to see Rosita staring at him. He cocked an eyebrow and she sat up a bit to meet his eyes better.
“Buster, are you really sure about this? I know you’ve been busy getting ready for the new show.”
To be honest, she wasn’t wrong. The instant he’d announced their new project, the workload had picked up quite a bit. It was to be a unique one, that’s for sure, and when he’d announced the theme the others had leapt headfirst into the fray, but that also meant even more long nights for him than usual. Still...
“Rosita, it’s fine. I’m happy to help. Besides, we don’t premiere for a few more months. One missed work night won’t bring everything crumbling down. Now get some rest.” He assured her, moving to the door and opening it. He winced at the wave of noise that leaked in from downstairs and quickly fetched a thick blanket, pinning it over the doorway to help block the clamor. With that he took a deep breathe, braced himself, and headed downstairs.
What he found was absolute chaos. Free to play, the children were going absolutely nuts, chasing each other around, jumping on the furniture, throwing balls and other toys to each other, and generally being kids. As he stepped off the landing several of them saw him and ran over to swarm around his legs in excitement. He froze and looked around in panic as they laughed and tugged at him, at a loss for what to do. Something suddenly landed on his back, nearly knocking the breath out of him, and he just barely managed to catch the kiddo as they climbed up over his shoulder and fell with a giggle. Gently holding them up in front of him, he felt little feet once again clambering on his back and then a weight settled on his head. A piglet’s upside-down visage appeared in his view as they leaned over into his face, a grin on the youngsters face.
“C’mon Uncle Buster! Play with us!”
Buster gave a nervous hum, feeling sweat bead on his forehead. Oh boy, he may have bitten off a bit too much this time.
“Umm, maybe in a bit kid.” He replied, glancing out at the chaos. No way was Rosita gonna get any rest with all this going on. Well, seems like he had a step one at least. And, while he didn’t know much about children, he had more than enough practice at wrangling theater casts. Swapping the piglet he held over to one arm, he glanced between him and the one on his head.
“Cover your ears you two.”
Though looking a bit confused, they did so, and he lifted two fingers two his mouth, giving a loud whistle. The pandemonium stilled as the kids turned to look at him in curiosity. Gently setting down the two clinging to him, he crossed his arms and addressed the crowd.
“Alright everybody, listen for a minute. You’ve been sick before right? And your mom always took good care of you, right?” He asked, keeping his voice calm and friendly, and a chorus of “Right!”s met him.
“Well, right now she’s not feeling well, so now our job is to take care of her. And the first thing we need to do is make sure to keep the noise down so she can rest, ok?”
Again there came a clamoring of replies and he felt a tug at this pant leg, looking down to see one of the kids looking up at him questioningly.
“Is there anything else we can do to help Mommy?”
He smiled down at the child, reaching down to ruffle their ears as he thought. Rosita still had a fever, if not a very high one, so it was probably best they dealt with that first.
“You guys have a medicine cabinet?” He asked and the kids leapt into action, grabbing at his hands and tugging him towards what he assumed was the kitchen. They lead him to a cabinet near the sink and he had to grab a few of them as they climbed up on the counter in an attempt to get into it, grabbing a stool and peeking inside himself. It was well stocked thankfully and he quickly acquired cold medicine and some Advil, even finding an ice bag tucked away in the back. He sent the kids to fill it and grabbed a glass of water in the meantime, thanking them when they swiftly returned. As he moved to return upstairs though he found the entire group tagging along at his heels and paused on the first step.
“You don’t you all stay down here and clean up your toys while I take this up to your mom?” He suggested and they scrambled off, some even giving him little salutes before they left. He swiftly headed upstairs before they could change their minds, quietly slipping back into the bedroom. Rosita was dozing when he walked in and she awoke when he set down the items on the nightstand, smiling sleepily at him as she sat up.
“Oh, thank you Buster.”
“No problem.” He replied, measuring out the correct dosage on the liquid medicine. It was advertised to taste like blueberry, and it most certainly smelled that way, but something told him it probably tasted more akin to burnt tire rubber.
“I know this won’t be the most pleasant but you know the drill.”
She gave a chuckle and took the capful of blue slime from him, swallowing it down with a grimace and chasing it with a gulp of water. Even this simple a task seemed to take the energy out of her and she laid back down with a tired sigh, falling back into a doze almost immediately. Buster carefully arranged the ice bag on her forehead and, leaving the Advil and water on the dresser for her, quietly slipped out.
When he made his way back downstairs, he was more than a little surprised by what he found. The kids had cleared out the toys lying about in mere minutes and now appeared to be...cleaning? Some were darting about with wet rags wiping things down, others were going at the corners and under chairs with the hose from the surprisingly quiet vacuum and there was even a group in the kitchen wrestling with the mop and a bucket of water. Buster couldn’t help but feel himself taken aback at the sight. The piglets he’d become acquainted with were almost always a force to be reckoned with, constantly running about with their focus jumping from place to place as they caused chaos. So the sight of them doing something so constructive out of the blue was just odd. Admittedly, they weren’t exactly the most proficient at the job, with a few of them wielding long handled Swiffer dusters with such ferocity he was surprised something hadn’t been broken yet, but they were still cleaning.
“Uhh, what are you guys up to?” He asked one of the kids dashing by and they paused to look at them.
“Oh, well Mommy always cleans after she gets home, but she can’t if she’s sick, so we’re gonna do it for her! We don’t want it to be all dirty when she feels better!” They replied with a grin and Buster felt his heart swell at the sentiment, a grin stretching across his face as well.
“Well, what can I say to that kinda enthusiasm? Here, gimme one of those cloths.” He replied, tugging off his jacket and dropping it on the coat rack.
The piglet tossed him one and he dove into the fray alongside them. Damn it if they wouldn’t make this place shine by the time Rosita was up and about. They swept, moped, dusted and cleaned for what felt like ages, one of the kids even arranging a division of their siblings to go start sorting laundry. By the time Buster glanced up from the work it was beginning to grow dark out. Fishing out his phone, he discovered it was closing it on dinner time. He straightened up, feeling his spine pop, and gave another, quieter, whistle to get everyone’s attention.
“Ok guys, I think that’s good for today. Let’s get cleaned up.”
The cleaning supplies were quickly put away and they once more assembled in the living room. He could see that, despite their childish enthusiasm, most of the kids were beginning to run out of steam. He crossed his arms once more, looking out over them.
“I think you all deserve a break. Why don’t you mess around in here for a while your Uncle Buster fixes dinner?”
Most of the kids flopped down on the couches at his words, but a few remained standing and scurried over to tug at him.
“Can we help?” One asked and he smiled, patting them on the heads.
“Well, aren’t you hard workers? If you want to, sure.” He replied and they gave little cheers as they followed him out to the kitchen.
“So, what can I refer to you little helpers by?” He asked as he opened the fridge and they announced themselves as Perry, Gail, Tess and Caspar. He greeted them in return and turned back to the fridge to see what he had to work with. The thing was fully stocked to the brim, just as he’d expect from Rosita, so ingredients would be no problem. He tapped his fingers against the door with a thoughtful hum. What to make? He was a pretty decent cook, if he did say so himself, and a number of recipes swirled around in his head. It should be something easy and fairly to make, he didn’t want to spend three hours cooking this evening. His mind finally settled on a nice stew he remembered and he began to pull vegetables and other ingredients out.
“How’s about you guys help me wash and peel these?” He suggested, piling potatoes, carrots and the like into the far side of the sink. The kids leapt into action, one taking up a station at the sink to begin scrubbing and then passing the freshly cleansed veggies to the other safety peeler wielding tots. Buster quickly found a large bowl for them to put the finished goods into and went to work looking for all his cooking instruments. He discovered a huge pot almost half as tall as himself in one of the lower cabinets and, with quite a bit of effort, hefted it up onto the stove. While the little ones were distracted with their own task he went to work, chopping up various herbs and other ingredients to add to the pot. In addition he set aside a far smaller pot to the side for Rosita. While he wasn’t sure if the illness was effecting her stomach or not, a light vegetable soup would probably be better suited for her right now than a thick stew. Faster than one would have though he was being handed a full bowl of peeled veggies and he began giving them various kid-safe directions, handing him various things and washing spoons and such. They ended up having to pull out the mop again when one of the kids dropped the bag of flour they were bringing him, but otherwise things seemed to go quite smoothly.
Just as he was setting the pot to simmer for a while, a cry of rage and a chorus of dramatic “OOOOOOOH!”s came from the living room and he nearly dropped the lid he was holding in his panicked scramble to get out here. He rounded the corner and 20 pairs of eyes turned to look at him, one piglet still starting at the tv in frustration where a few of them seemed to be playing some racing game.
“Is everyone alright?” He asked, suddenly feeling out of breath, and the group nodded, one pipping up from within the crowd.
“We’re fine. Nelson was just in first place on the last lap and Carla blue-shelled him.”
“Who does that?!” said piglet cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation and Buster shook his head in relief. He got both pots set to go and quickly cleaned up, joining the kids in the living room while he let them simmer. They were in the middle of an intense tournament of sorts, the 4 players swapping out after every few races and Buster soon found himself entranced. He’d never seen a game form and break friendships so quickly before. Before he knew it the timer he’d set on his phone rang and he went to go finish up on the dishes, taking them off the heat and adding a last few seasonings. He prepped a tray for Rosita and then stuck his head into the living room.
“Dinner’s ready! Could you guys wash up and get the table ready while I go take this to your Mom? Just don’t touch the stove.”
A clamoring of excited shouts greeted him and the game was quickly abandoned as they ran to follow his directions. Leaving the chaos to unfold behind him, he made his way upstairs.
The singer was awake when he entered this time and looked a bit better than before, some of the flush gone from her cheeks. She looked up from the book she was reading and smiled when she saw him.
“Ah, Buster! How are thing’s going down there?”
“Just finished with dinner. Was just bring you up yours.” He replied, and her eyes widened in surprise, just now seeming to see the tray he carried.
“Oh, Buster! You didn’t need to-“ she began, her words halting when she noticed the cocked eyebrow he was regarding her with. She smiled sheepishly as he set the tray in her lap, reaching over to feel her forehead as she examined the food. Her temperature had gone down for sure, but she was still feeling warmer than normal. Grabbing her mostly melted ice bag, he made a quick trip downstairs to refill it, passing the kids diligently, if a bit clumsily, following his suggestion. When he returned she was just tasting the soup and her eyes lit up in delight when she looked up at him.
“Buster, this is delicious!” she exclaimed and he chuckled, setting the ice bag on the dresser.
“Thank you. I’m glad some of my cooking skills carried over from college. When you’re done you should try to get some more rest, if you feel up to it. I’ll be back up to get the bowl later.”
As he turned to leave a hand closed around his wrist and he glanced back to see her regarding him with a warm smile.
“Really Buster, thank you for all of this.”
He smiled back at her, flipping his hand over to it rested in hers and gave a light squeeze.
“Any time Rosita.”
With that he took his leave and left her to her dinner, venturing back downstairs to dish out to the kids.
While something told him this was a far calmer dinner than normally occurred in the house, he was still forced to wrangle 25 young kids as the late night and long day began to bring out their silliness. More than once he had to keep them from adding things to their sibling’s dishes while they were looking away, though they did manage to slip past his notice a few times. (He had to admit though that watching one nearly sneeze themselves silly after their neighbor dumped a decent mound of pepper on their spoonful was far funnier than he should have found it.) Eventually they made it through the meal and he could see the tiredness hanging in the children’s movements, the day finally catching with them. He sent them to get ready for bed while he gathered the dishes and they stumbled off without a single complaint. While they were brushing their teeth he went to check on Rosita and found her sound asleep, the empty bowl set on the dresser. With a smile he collected her dishes, settled the ice bag in place on her forehead and bid her a quiet goodnight. He found the kids already in their pj’s and made quick work of getting them settled in bed. He switched off the lights and was moving to leave when a voice called out to him.
“Uncle Buster, will you read us a story?”
He turned back to see many pairs of expectant eyes watching him from the dark and he shook his head with a chuckle.
“Alright, but just one.”
He headed to their bookshelf and began fishing through the tomes there. They had quite a collection it seemed and he soon came across a book of Scottish fairy tales that seemed intriguing. Leafing through it for something mundane enough (he knew the Scottish tended to have a penchant for the darker side of folklore), he settled down at the foot of the bookcase. Soon he found something he thought might work and cleared his throat, all the kids settling down in anticipation.
“Once upon a time, a beautiful princess was born. Soon however her aunt grew jealous of her and cursed her to be light as a feather...”
*
Buster awoke in darkness to the feeling of a blanket being draped over him. His eyes flickering open, he blinked in sleepy confusion. From the plushness beneath him, he deduced he must have fallen asleep on the couch while waiting for the next batch of laundry to finish. He glanced around, finding the outline of someone standing next to him in the dark.
“Wha...who...?” he slurred sleepily and the shape chuckled.
“Whoa, calm down. It’s just me. Rosita called earlier and told me what happened.” Norman replied and Buster gave a tired noise of understanding, immediately slumping back down against the cushions. The pig gave another laugh and patted him on the shoulder.
“Thanks for looking after her Buster.” He murmured and Buster gave a little hum.
“No...problem...”
*
When the koala awoke one more it was light out. He yawned and sat up, trying feebly to tame his flyaway hair as he gave a long stretch and felt his back crack.
“Well, looks like someone’s awake.”
He turned sleepily toward the kitchen doorway to find Rosita standing there in a robe, a mug in each hand. There was still a bit of frogginess to her voice, but she looked leagues better than she had the day before and he smiled at her.
“Looks like someone’s feeling better.” He bantered back and she gave a laugh, coming to sit beside him and hand him one of the mugs. He took a long sip of the coffee inside and gave a happy sigh, the two settling into a comfortable silence.
“Thanks again for everything yesterday Buster.” Rosita said at last, swirling the last of the drink around in her cup.
“I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.”
“Oh, I’m sure you would have been fine.” He replied and she gave him a playful shove on the shoulder.
“I’m being serious. I wish there was some way for me to replay you.”
She fell into thought for a moment before turning to him with a smile.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll figure something out. Speaking of, we’re having breakfast soon. Would you like to join us?” She asked and he grinned back at her.
“I would love that.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Just because you find that life’s not fair, it doesn’t mean that you just have to grin and bear it! If you always take it on the chin and wear it, nothing will change!”
Moon hummed a bit to himself as he worked on his paperwork, the cast recording of the newest popular Broadway show pumping from the speakers of the stereo in the corner. The team had pitched in to get it for him after they had ranted about the production for the last month (also mostly likely as a not-so-subtle hint of “Dammit Buster, let us put on an abridged version!”), and he had to admit it was impressive. It’d certainly be a pain in the butt getting permission for it, but if the others preformed as well as they normally did...“Buster! Hey!”The koala glanced over at his office door, finding Gunter leaning around it with a grin. The others had gone home a few hours ago, but the excitable pig had offered to stick around and organize the costume department, a task the collection was desperately in need of and that the porcine was almost startlingly happy to tackle.“Ah, Gunter! Did you need something?” he asked, laying down his pen.“Yah, just a quick question. Would you mind if I borrowed this?”From behind the doorway appeared a jeweled tuxedo jacket with flared, ruffled bell sleeves. He vaguely recalled gaining procession of it during a production of “Midsummer’s Night Dream” many years ago. It was eye-catching, elaborate, and entirely Gunter.“Well, as long as you bring it back in relatively the same shape, I don’t see why not!” he chimed and the pig’s grin stretched wider.“All right! This’ll be perfect for tonight!”“Hmm? What’s tonight, if you don’t mind my asking?” The koala asked, leaning towards the other a bit in a sudden bout of interest.“I’m going out for drinks at the best bar in town! Haven’t found a place in the world yet that could top it!” The man replied, slipping the jacket on to check its fit.The pig’s eyes suddenly lit up and in a blur of movement he darted up to the desk and slapped his hands down on its surface, Buster jumping at the loud noise.“You should come along! Get out of this stuffy office and catch some limelight!”Buster opened his mouth to refuse, then paused as a though crossed his mind. When was the last time he’d gone out and enjoyed himself? Hell, had he ever been out drinking with friends before? He’d gone out to dinner or lunch with Eddie a few times in the past (and more recently a few patrons to the theater) but other than that, he couldn’t recall a single instance in years.“I really should finish these...” He weakly contested and the swine gave a scoff, leaning against the desk and waving his hand dismissively.“Pshh, you and your paperwork! You’re always hold up in here working yourself to the bone, like the whole world will crumble if you forget to cross a t. Come on, get out there and live a little!”He could see the koala’s resolve quickly crumbling and grinned slyly, leaning over to him in mock-nonchalantly. “I already finished with the costumes. And I maaaaay have heard about a new eucalyptus brew they just brought in.”“...Screw it, lemme throw these in the cabinet and we’ll hit the town.” He finally relented, throwing his hands up in defeat whilst the pig gave a cheer.“Woo, we just turned this one-man romp into a quickstep!”The glittering of the jacket’s jeweled front caught Busters eye as he stashed the files and he bit his lip in certain uncertainty.“What about what my clothes? Should I change?” He asked and Gunter waved off his worries.“Just loosen the bowtie a bit and you’re good to go! You pull of the ruffled professional look better than most. ”Buster gave a little snort of laugher at the comment and tugged at the accessory till it lay open around his neck. At least he’d chosen a good day to wear one of his proper ones at least.“Let’s go you slowpoke!” Gunter exclaimed once he’d finished, snatching his arm and half dragging the small mammal down the stairs.“You’re in for the night of your life!”‘Can’t argue with that sentiment’ the koala though, cheerfully rolling his eyes.This evening had just gotten far more interesting.*Buster wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting, what will all the hyping up Gunter had been giving the establishment on the way here, but the actual sight of the place blew them all out of the water. The building was at least 3 stories high, even then not coming up to the height of the massive tree it seemed to be built around. No wonder the place had been on the outer edge of town. Said trees branches protruded through the glass dome on the buildings top and were strung with multi-colored fairy lights that twinkled and winked in time with the patterns of the lights adorning establishment’s front. The heavy redwood entrance doors were up a small but impressive set of steps, a number of intricately carved pillars flanking it. A large stained glass window sat above them, depicting a nonsensical scene of a tea party, lit from behind from the lights inside. Above it, in glowing blue calligraphy, read “Wonderland”.“How...in the hell...have I never heard of this place before?” Buster asked, gapping up at the building in awe.“Ha, knew you’d be impressed!” Gunter laughed, clapping him on the shoulder then starting for the doors.“C’mon, let’s get in there!”They were met with loud electro-swing as they pushed through the doors, immediately being wrapped in a curtain of thin illuminated smoke emanating from the machines scattered around the area. For atmosphere and all that jazz he supposed.Now, if the outside stunned Buster, the interior full on blew his socks off. The place somehow seemed even larger on the inside than it had the out, with the trees trunk square in the center of the main room. Long banners of cloth were draped from both it and the ceiling, and a few of its branches supported platforms upon which he could see club-goes seated at tables. As he watched one of the patrons on the highest platform gave a whoop of laughter and jumped onto something just out of his sigh, only to reappear a few moment slater on what appeared to be a...slide?? The structure wrapped around the trunk, partially obscured by the branches, and he watched as they went sailing down it, finally being spit off the end into a pit of foam cubes just on the trees other side. More tables spilled out from arounds the trees base, filling in the space between the clubs two bars. One bar was modern looking, made from metal with a lit glass front that pulsed in time with the music. It was bathed in the lights from the stage and dance floor next to it where, mixed in amongst the other clubbers, two impalas (no doubt professional dancers from the perfect synch of their movements) were vogueing along to the flashing lights. The other bar area was quieter and softly lit, reminding him almost of a pub. The bar itself was made from what seemed to be a thick wood, polished to reflective shine, and surrounded by tall padded wooden stools.The door bouncer, a dark grey ram around Busters age, glanced over at them as they entered and smiled, giving the pair a nod of recognition. Gunter gave him a cheery wave and then set off towards the slightly quieter bar, Buster looking around in delight as he trailed along behind him. As they drew near the bartender, an alpaca, looked up and noticed them, breaking into a wide grin and waving around the glass they were polishing.“Ey, there’s my favorite patron! And this must be the famous Buster Moon you keep telling me about! Pleased to meet you. The name’s Blythe.” They chimed, tucking the glass away as Gunter shucked his jacket over the chair and the two seated themselves.“So, what’ll you boys be having?”Gunter ordered a Long Island Ice Tea almost before they had finished the question and the bartender gave a chuckle, turning to grab the ingredients whilst Buster glanced through the bar menu. Not wanting to start the night off too hard, he ordered something light, sitting back and watching in fascination as the bartender went to work. Their hands were a blur, tossing bottles up into the air whilst they mixed other ingredients and then catching them just as they were needed. After a good few minutes of this, they slid the drinks across the bar to them.“Enjoy! Lemme know if I can get ya anything else!”Gunter quickly went enthusiastically at his drink whist Buster took a sip of his own, smiling in approval at the taste. As he nursed the concoction, he turned to his companion.“By the way, how did you find this place? I’ve lived in this city my entire life and I didn’t even know it existed till 10 minutes ago.”“Aww, I’ve been coming here for ages! Got lost one night after I first moved here and ended up finding this place by chance while I was wondering around. Blythe was nice enough to tell me how to get home. Became a regular pretty quick after.”“Yeah, I’ve got his orders down to a science by now. Speaking of, you want a refill on that?” said bartender asked and Gunter slid them the empty glass with a grin.“Ja bitte! How have classes been this semester?” He replied and they gave a groan, slapping a bottle of vodka down a bit harder than needed.“Oh my god, I hate my astronomy professor! She’s like if Professor Trelawney and Snape had a baby and that baby had Umbridge’s superiority complex!”They listened to the bartender rant about the woman’s shoddy grading and vague teaching for the next while, both making their way through a handful of drinks along the way. Buster was in the middle of trying the eucalyptus brew his companion had mentioned in the form of a Black Velvet when the alpaca suddenly paused and glanced out over the club with a grin.“Look like they’re about to get started. You boys might want to finish those off quick.” Buster turned to follow their gaze just as the club’s booming music faded to a soft murmer and a platypus took to the stage across the way.“Alright everybody, it’s the time we’ve all been waiting for! You know the rules, if you’re holding a mic, ya gotta sing! Now let’s get this show on the road! Let’s find our first star!” He boomed over the loud speakers and the club gave a united cheer.“Umm, what is happening???” The koala asked in utter confusion as spotlight began to sweep over the crowd.“Surprise karaoke! It’s the reason I come here every week!” Gunter replied with a laugh, pointing out to something in the audience. Buster squinted through the lights and spied a group of small figures, most likely rabbits judging by their silhouettes, darting to and fro through the crowd, handing things to people. A moment later the spotlights settled on a pair on the clubs far end and they looked at each other with a laugh as music began flowing from the speakers. They stood and one began to sing out over what he could only assume was a mic.
“Rule #1, is that you gotta have fun. But baby when you’re done, you gotta be the first to run.”
Their companion quickly joined in, bouncing a bit in their seat along to the music.
“Rule #2, just don’t get attached to, somebody you could lose. So le-let me tell you.”
Buster couldn’t help but chuckle as the music jumped and they leapt up, starting to get into the performance. While they certainly didn’t seem prepared for the whole routine, their singing and dancing wasn’t half-bad, and the club gave loud applause as they finished. One of the rabbits came to retrieve the mics and the lights moved onto the next performers. This continued one for quite a while, shuffling through a whole catalog of different music styles, everything from pop and rock to jazz, country and Broadway. Some selectees were better than others, the two vouging impalas even joining in at one point with a very impressive rendition of Bradio’s “Flyers”, but each performance garnered an equal amount of applause from the club. Perhaps it was the alcohol taking effect, but Buster quickly found himself whooping and bouncing along with everyone else. He was so entranced by the whole thing that he didn’t even really register the person tapping his leg, simply absentmindedly taking the object they shoved into his hand. As the current singers finished he glanced over at Gunter.“I’m starting to see why you were so ecstatic about thi...What’s with that look?” He asked, seeing the wide grin the pig was giving him. He gave a mischievous point at Buster’s hand and koala looked down, eyes going wide when he finally noticed the microphone clenched in his grip.“Wait, what?”The spotlight suddenly flashed to life directly on them and he stared dumbfounded out at the excited crowd.“You know the rules.” Gunter smirked and brought out the mic he’d been hiding behind his back as the music started. He gave the koala a wink then lifted the mic and sang.
“I’ll be your light, your match, your burning sun. I’ll be the bright, and black, that’s making you run.”
The audience began to clap along to the beat and he looked over at Buster with a little nod. The director got the signal and cautiously lifted his own mic to sing the next verse.
“And I feel alright, and we'll feel alright. ‘Cause we'll work it out, yeah we'll work it out.”
Both the audience and Gunter gave a cheer at this and he felt a smile creep onto his face, the crowds’ energy forcing away his nervousness.
“I'll be doin' this, if you ever doubt. 'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out!”
Letting the smile fully spread across his mouth, he mimed Gunters movements, giving a little bounce to the beat as they swayed in unison.
“I'll be your ghost, your game, your stadium. I'll be your fifty thousand clapping like one.”
“And I feel alright, and I feel alright. 'Cause I worked it out, I worked it out.”
“I'll be doin' this, if you ever doubt. 'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out!”
At the held note, in a flash of movement, his companion leapt up onto the bar, the crowds volume leaping in return.“Gunter!” Buster laughed, reaching up to tug feebly at the pig’s pant leg, but at this point the alcohol and adrenaline had fully kicked in and he found himself just tippsy enough not to truly care.“I got my mind made up and I can't let go!” He cried, offering Buster a hand with a wink. For a brief moment the koala hesitated, before rolling his eyes with a grin and letting himself be pulled onto the counter, singing all the way.
“I'm killing every second 'til it sees my soul!”
“Oooo, I'll be running!”
“Oooo, I'll be running!”
“Till the love runs out!”
“Till the love runs ooout!”
“And we'll start a fire, and we'll shut it down. Til the love runs out!”
“Til the love runs ooout!”
“WOOOOOOOOOoooaaaaaa, we all want the same things.” Buster belted and there was a round of premature applause.
“OOOooooo, we all run for something.”
“For God, for fate, for love, for haaaaaAAAAAAATE!” Gunter belted equally hard, his voice perfectly blending into Busters next line.
“For gold, for rust, for diamonds, for dust!”
In perfect synch they began strutting down the bar’s length, and the audience clapping along to their march.
“I'll be your light, your match, your burning sun! I'll be the bright in black that's making you ruuuuUUUN!”
In unison they struck a pose, backs arched, one hand in the air with the other on their cocked hips, and the audience about lost their damn mind.
“I got my mind made up, and I can't let go!”
“I’m killing every second till it seeees my soooul!”
“Ooo I’ll be runnin!”
“Ooo I’ll be runnin!”
“Till the love runs ooout!”
“Till the love runs out!”
“And we’ll start a fire! And we’ll shut it down! Till the love runs out! Till the love runs out!”
“Till the looooooooove runs oooouuuuuut.”
They froze in a finishing pose, back to back, and the entire place exploded into applause, the whole club rising it its feet for the ovation. The two gave a bow, both grinning like no tomorrow, and Buster quickly slipping back into his seat.“Fine performance as always Gun. Now down you go.” The bartender chuckled, tapping the swine’s ankle.“I gotta use this ol hunk uh wood remember?”“What, unsatisfied with the performance? I could always give a repeat performance.” He cheekily replied, nonchalantly spinning and then dropping into a spilt.“Oh brother.” The other replied, rolling their eyes with a smile. They glanced over at the entrance and whistled, giving a wave to get the bouncers attention. For a moment concern clenched in Busters chest, but the casual stride and amused smile on the ram’s face as he drew up beside them alleviated his fears.“Hmm, shouldn’t a certain someone be getting down from there?” He asked, voice thick with concealed laughter.“Ooor, maybe a certain someone can come up here and join me, hmm?” The pig droned. With that he reached down to grab the man’s tie and pull him up to eye level. He grinned mischievously at him and Buster choked a bit on his drink as he leaning in to plant a firm kiss on the others lips.“G-Gunter!” He exclaimed, the panic returning. There was simply messing around and then there was randomly kissing the security! He paused in bewilderment though as the ram pulled back from the smooch and laughed, cheerfully reaching up to lift the giggling pig off the counter in a bridal hold and settle him back in one of the chairs.“Don’t worry, it’s not the first time and it certainly won’t be the last.” He assured the dumbstruck koala and Gunter gave a snort of laughter.“Well I would hope so! To think, being forbidden from kissing my own beau! The horror!” the pig replied, throwing a hand to his forehead and mock-fainting backward dramatically.“Wait, you’re dating?” Buster asked, ears perking up in intrigue.“Married actually.” The ram replied, holding up a hand to show the band around his finger.“...How many more secrets do you have hidden behind that glittery ensemble?” Buster finally managed and Gunter grinned, reaching out to boop him on the nose.“More than you’ll ever know.”“I’m assuming you must be the infamous Buster Moon. It’s a pleasure to meet you. The name’s Mikhail.” The ram replied, holding out a hand, which Buster readily shook.“The pleasure’s all mine. I apologize for my bewilderment. I don’t think Gunter’s ever mentioned you during practice and I’ve never seen him wearing a ring.”“Well not on my hand!” The pig replied in indignation, fishing a chain out from under his shirt and showing off the jeweled band hanging from it.“It kept flying off during other dance practices in the past, and I got sick of having to search for it under seats.”“Anyways,” Mikhail continued, interrupting the tipsy tirade that was sure to follow.“I’m still on the clock, but my shift ends in about an hour. Think you can last that long without me?”“Oh, I don’t know. I feel faint already!” Gunter replied dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest and the ram chuckled.“You drama king.”With that he leaned down to plant a kiss on the pigs head and then took his leave.“So, how did you two meet?” Buster asked and Gunter smiled, watching lovingly as the other man disappeared into the crowd.“Oh, it was years ago now. A dance company I was with at the time came here for drinks one night. Bout halfway through the night these two jerks showed up and started getting handsy with some of the dancers. We told them to beat it, but they just didn’t seem to be getting the hint. Misha came to take care of them, but I’d had enough of their bull for the night, so I just punched them.”Buster gave a little snorting laugh, giving him an incredulous look.“You didn’t!”“You know it. Knocked them straight into the foam pit and they were out like a light. Misha was so impressed he asked for my number.”Buster just shook his head, looking up at the pig with a grin.“Gunter, you are by far the most interesting person I’ve ever met. And we know a theater superstar and a gang leader.”The dancer beamed at the words, swirling the ice around in his drink as he giggled.“Well, the sentiment is mutual. So, any combat stories of your own?“Well, I’ve always been a bit more on the pacifying side of things...Then again, there was the once time where someone’s ex showed up and jumped in the orchestra pit to fight their new partner...”The next hour or so became a blur as they sat swapping tales, often laughing themselves to tears over various costume failures and stage disasters. Slowly the crowd began to filter out, till there was just a handful of people longing about chatting. It wasn’t soon after that Mikhail made his way back to them, clad now in a light coat. He chuckled at the way his husband was partially draped across the counter and looped an arm over his shoulders, helping the unsteady man stand. The pig didn’t seem flat-out drunk as much as just simply tired and when Buster glanced at the nearby clock he wasn’t surprised why. It was almost 1:30 in the morning now, and when Mikhail noticed the koala checking he gave a smile and nodded towards the employee exit.“Come on, we’ll give you a ride.”Buster gave him a quiet word of thanks and followed him outside to a truck in the parking lot. After helping Gunter into the passenger seat, he rattled off his address and they were off.He and the ram made small talk along the way whist the pig dozed, and soon they were pulling up outside Buster apartment building. He hopped out, giving the driver a hushed farewell and started to move away, only to be interrupted by a quiet call from the passenger. As he turned, the door popped open and Gunter waved him back over. He drew up beside the dancer, expecting a message, only to jump a bit as he was wrapped in a warm one armed hug.“Thanks for the company. It was fun.” The pig murmured and Buster smiled, briefly returning the embrace.“Yeah, we’ll have to have a repeat performance sometime.”The pig pulled back with a grin and he stepped back to allow him to close the door, being bid farewell as they pulled away. As he began to head up the building steps, he suddenly wavered unsteadily, clinging to the handrail as the alcohol finally got to him. Waiting for it to pass, he gave a chuckle and murmured under his breath.“Maybe not too soon though.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
It was a quiet chiming (though rather amplified by the enclosed space) rather than his alarm clock that woke Buster that morning several weeks later. He groggily rolled over, accidentally smacking his leg into the wall of his sleeping space as he moved. Though he could afford far more spacious sleeping accommodations nowadays, all his years of sleeping in a drawer had left the koala with a preference for small spaces, and his attempts at sleeping in a normal bed had been met with mixed results. As such he’d commissioned a local carpenter to create a “den” of sorts. It was a half-sphere shell that fit over his circular bedframe, lined with a soft pillowing. A curtain covered opening lay at the foot for easy access in and out and the whole contraption could be hinged open for cleaning with a winch attached to the top. It was this cozy cocoon that he found himself groping around in, finally fishing his phone out from where it was tangled in the blankets. He winced at the brightness as he swiped it open, blinking blurrily at the text.
Boy Wonder:
Hi Mr. Moon. Sorry to text you so early, but I just wanted to let you know I won’t be able to make it to rehearsal today.
The koala awoke a bit more as the words processed, brow rumpling in concern as he texted back.
Moon:
Johnny, is everything alright? Are you feeling sick?
Boy Wonder:
Oh no, I’m fine Mr. Moon. I just had some personal stuff come up. Thanks for your concern though! And sorry again about the rehearsal. It came up at the last moment...
Buster gave a little chuckle to himself, shaking his head in fond amusement at the message.
Moon:
Its fine Johnny, don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later..
Boy Wonder:
Thanks Mr. Moon. See you!
With one last chuckle Buster clicked the phone off and gave a long stretch. Well, he was certainly awake now. Might as well make this an early start. At least he’d have time to work the practice schedule around Johnny’s absence. With a nod to himself the koala clambered out the opening to his bed and set about getting ready.He got coffee on the way there, unlocking the doors promptly at 8 am. With most of his paperwork out of the way for the moment, he set the coffee maker to brew (his bloodstream was practically filled with the stuff, one cappuccino wasn’t going to keep him going all day) and began taking inventory of the stock room for the next production. The theme he’d decided on required a lot of different components and planning all of it was becoming a challenge in more ways than one. Lord knows how long it’s taken to find a pop song that suited Mike’s voice. The show was still a few months away, but there was still plenty of things on the backstage side of things that needed to be done, including replacing any damaged props and ordering anything new.He was about an hour and a half in, currently examining a set-piece of a palm tree, when he felt a puff of air on the back of his neck and a quiet voice.“Morning Moon.”The koala gave a yelp and instinctively leapt away from the intruder, climbing halfway up the tree in panic before he realized what he was doing. Keeping hold of the trunk with one hand, he thrust the other to his chest and wheezed, trying to calm his racing heartbeat as he glanced down at the perpetrator. The instant he saw them, his face dropped into an unimpressed expression, voice low and tired when he spoke.“I hate it when you do that.”Ash snickered as he clambered down, clapping the grumpy koala on the back as he reached her.“Aww, I gotta keep you on your feet somehow old man.” The porcupine replied, Buster giving a huff in response.“I’m not old. And if you have time to stand around and scare your boss, you have time to help him take inventory. Come on.”They had worked their way through storage and tested the lights by the time the others had all trickled in, taking their normal seats along the stage edge as they waited for Busters instructions for the day.He hadn’t even gotten a word out though before Meena glanced around and raised her hand.“Umm, has anyone seen Johnny?”The group broke into a cacophony of questions and suggestions, forcing Buster to whistle loudly to get their attention.“He messaged me this morning and said he had some personal business he needed to attend to. He should be at our next practice, no need to worry.” He assured them and Rosita raised a hoof to tap lightly at her chin in thought.“Hmm, I wonder what he had to take care of?”Her comment gave Buster pause for thought. He’s been drowsy enough that morning that it hadn’t even occurred to him to wonder what the young gorilla was up to. The teen didn’t have a job outside of the theater, and it wasn’t the day of his weekly prison visitation. What could he be doing?Realizing he’d been standing there in thought for several seconds, the koala thrust the question to the back of his mind and cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. Time was ticking and they should be making the most of it.“Alright everybody, let’s get this show on the road! Show me what you’ve got!”*Buster ended yet another call with a beep and leaned back in his chair with a relieved sigh. He’d spent most of the late afternoon and evening making calls, searching for various odds and ends they’d need for the show. Good god, he’d never realized how hard it would end up being finding a zoot suit and flapper dress tailored to his porcine dancers builds. Still, they’d be the metaphorical icing on the two’s swing routine cake.He gave a long stretch, feeling his stiff spine pop, and clambered down from his seat in search of refreshments. He’d stopped brewing normal coffee hours ago, but a nice cup of decaf would be just the thing to help him through the few more long hours before he went home.The theater was dim as he strode through it, the others having gone home long ago, shutting off anything unnecessary in their wake. He navigated around a few stray set pieces by the light of the moon and a few dim lamps he kept going out of habit after one too many collisions with support posts and lighting bars in the darkness. There was something comforting and serene about the dark and quiet though, and he found himself walking softly as not to disturb it.It was for this reason that he happened to hear the quiet sobs echoing from somewhere nearby.He froze, ears tilting up and outwards to try and catch a hint of the sound again. Was his late night imagination playing tricks on him? No, there it was again. Faint and partially muffled, as though the originator were trying to contain themselves, but definitely there.Careful to keep quiet, he ventured further into the darkness. With the way the sound echoed through the still space it was proving difficult to pinpoint, and his mind began to wonder as he searched. The cast was gone, Mrs. Crawly has left early that afternoon in preparation to visit relatives the next day, and as far back as he could track the theaters history there had been no records of paranormal activity. So who could possibly be in here with him?The tiniest flicker of movement caught his attention and he stilled, peering into the darkness. There was a shape sitting hunched over on one of the staircases, just beyond the reach of the pool of moonlight flooding through one of the windows. He squinted, eyes struggling to see through the gloom, and slowly began to make them out. Just as he’d though, they were curled up in on themselves, knees pressed up close to their chest and arms wrapped tight around them. He could see their wide shoulders quiver with each sob, one hand coming up to lace through their hair.As they moved, the scant light illuminating them shifted and Buster felt his heart clench as it reflected off a familiar leather jacket.“Johnny?”The boy froze and glanced over in his direction from the corner of his eye, quickly uncurling and scrubbing a hand across his eyes when he spotted him.“M-Mr. Moon? I-I didn’t realize you were still here.”“I...I stayed late to sort out some calls. Johnny, are you ok?” the koala asked in concern, quickly making his way over to the teen.“Huh? Y-Yeah, why do you ask?” He replied, smiling a bit too quickly to be believable.“You’ve got...um...” Buster made an awkward motion towards is face and Johnny blinked in surprise, quickly lifting a hand to swipe away the few stray tears still stuck to his fur.“Oh, uh, I accidentally bumped into a stray prop earlier and the dust just got to my eyes. No worries!” He assured him. There was several long moments of silence, Buster raising an eyebrow skeptically, before the teen gave a sigh and let his head hang, crossing his arms over his knees and staring at the ground.“It’s just...it’s been a rough day.” He admitted, pushing his slightly ruffled fur out of his eyes. Buster quietly took a seat beside him, leaning forward to keep his face in view.“Hey, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. I just want to make sure you’re ok, alright?” He quietly replied and the young gorilla nodded. They lapsed into silence, simply enjoying each other’s company for several long minutes.It was a quiet murmur that finally broke the silence.“A court hearing.”Buster ears perked up and he looked over at the teen with wide eyes. The gorilla glanced over at him for a moment before focusing back on the floor.“My, uh, my “personal business” today...it was a court hearing. For my dad’s case.”A cold clench settled in the bottom of Buster stomach and a sudden wave of regret settled over him. He should have known. From what the boy had told him, Johnny didn’t have any family outside his father and uncles. At least not any on speaking terms. And, sad as it was, the teen didn’t seem to have much of a life outside them and the theater. Of course they would have been involved.“They had me to testify about my dad breaking out during the show.” He continued, hands clenching his arms a bit tighter.“Ah thought it was gonna be simple. Just tell um what happened, explain the whole story and everything’d be fine. But then they started asking all these questions. “Has your relationship always been strained? Has he ever threatened you? Did you ever doubt he had you best interests in mind?” An I just...froze up.”Buster bit his lip, feeling his own eyes grow glassy at the look of sadness on the teens face. He could tell how much those questions must have hurt. He and the rest of the team had met the boys father and uncles for the first time a few months back. Before that Johnny had explained everything, from his connection to the gang members to the events leading up their first concert, wanting to be honest with them. To his surprise the team had taken the news in stride, immediately showing their support and understanding. Even Mike was in agreement, not a single disrespectful comment coming from the rodent the entire discussion. And when they finally met the teens family, he could tell every word was true. The way the boy’s father, an intimidating silverback he’d come to know as Marcus, had looked at and spoken of the boy, he could see that the youngster meant the entire world to him. Everything he’d done had been for his son. Perhaps he’d gotten carried away over the years, lost sight of what truly mattered, unknowingly pushed the boy down paths he wished not to tread, but it all came from a place of caring. And he’d realized his mistakes before it was too late, even if it took getting locked behind bars to do it.He was pulled back to reality by the teen giving a long shuddering breath. He was tempted to speak up then and there, but bit back his words, determined to let the boy finish.“I just needed someplace to chill out. I...I couldn’t go back to the garage. Not after that. So I used the spare key and came in around back.”He sighed and lifted a hand once more to brush through his fur.“I thought I’d be fine after a bit, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the trial. About all the stuff I did wrong in there, about Dad, about this whole mess.”His voice cracked on the last word and he made a choked noise as his eyes grew wet.“God, this is all my fault.”Buster felt his heart break a bit, seeing the teen in such disarray, and set a comforting hand on the teens arm.“Johnny...”“All of this is because of me.” He sobbed, tears welling up and disappearing into his fur.“I was to scared to tell them the truth, to try and stop them. They got caught because I was too stupid to take a better route back. Dad broke out because of me. They’re already going to be gone for 3 years, his is gonna be double that now. He only did it to try and patch things up, he doesn’t deserve that. This was my one chance to fix things, even if it was just a little bit. And I had to go and screw that up too. Now thing are even worse and I can’t do anything about it...”Buster stared at the distraught teen for a moment and then his eyes hardened with determination. Tightening his grip just a bit, he leaned over into the boy’s eye-line.“Johnny, listen to me.” He prompted, and the boy glanced over at him.“This is not, and never will be your fault.”“Mr. Moon-“ he began, pausing when Buster held up a finger.“There was no way for you to know what was going to happen. There was no way to know that the plan would fail. There was no way to know that your father would break out. There’s no way to know what was going to go down in that court room today. And there’s no way to know what their decision will be. I know things seem dark right now, like the whole world is conspiring against you. And it won’t be the last time you feel that way. But I promise you one thing. No matter what happens, everything will turn out alright in the end. Just look at the theater.”He swept his free arm dramatically in a gesture to the shady space, the singer’s eyes following his movement.“She was reduced to nothing more than rubble and now look at her. Shiny and new and more splendid that the first day I set eyes on her.”His voice went soft and he turned to fully look at the boy. “You’re not alone Johnny. We’re all here for you, just like you were here for us. And I don’t think your family would want anything less.”Johnny locked eyes with him, mouth open as though to say something, but the words seemed to catch behind the lump in his throat. Buster met his gaze and smiled warmly, hand giving a little squeeze.“It’s gonna be ok.”The teen stared at him tearily for a moment before closing his eyes with a sniffle and nodding.“Okay...”After giving him a moment to calm himself, Buster gave the gorilla’s arm one last pat and climbed to his feet.“Now, how’s about we go upstairs and I get us some drinks? I’m more of a coffee man, but I still know how to brew a mean pot of tea.”Johnny cracked a smile, standing up and brushing of his jacket.“What, just cause I’m British means I gotta like tea? What makes you don’t think I’m not a coffee connoisseur?”“Because I’ve never seen you drink anything not smothered in caramel and whip, plus you always have a thermos of ginger tea in your bag. So ha.”The Brit gave a snort of laughter and Buster felt the somber atmosphere subside. Together they climbed the stairs, spirit already lifted. And if they just so happened to stay up in that office till the wee hours of the morning, joking and conversing, well who was around to scold them?(A few days later)“MR. MOON!”Buster jumped a little and looked up from inspecting the fly line weights just in time to see a flash of black fur before he was yanked off the ground into a tight hug, the young gorilla laughing giddily as he spun them around in circles.“Whoa, calm down there kiddo! Where’s the parade?” the koala chuckled, the boys energy infectious. The teen pulled back a bit and grinned blindingly down at him, eyes wide and excited.“Mr. Moon, they just announced the verdict of the trial! They’re not adding to my Dad’s sentence!”Busters face broke into a matching grin, and he returned the hug with excitement.“Congratulations!”After a moment he leaned back and gave the gorilla a friendly punch on the shoulder.“See, what’d I tell ya? It’ll all work out in the end!”Johnny smile grew gentle and he gave a fond little chuckle, still holding the older man up off the ground.“Ugh, don’t go getting even more warm and gooey on us Fuzzy. I don’t think I could handle it.”The pair looked over to see Mike leaned up against the nearby wall, watching them with eyebrow cocked in a very unimpressed expression, and Johnny smirked playfully.“Why, you want a hug too Mike?”“Try it and I’ll bite you.”“Eh, I’d probably squish you by accident if I tried anyway.”The mouse gave a loud scoff and walked away from the, throwing a vulgar gesture over his shoulder as he left. The two chuckled together and Johnny gently placed Buster back down on the ground.“Thanks Mr. Moon. For, well, you know.”Buster chuckled and shrugged.“Eh, what’s a boss for anyway? Now then, let’s see how your act’s comin along.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Alright, now for this section I know it’ll be you first instinct to push the note and try to belt it, rocker girl you are and all, but what you really want to do is pull back a bit to make it more soft and airy, that way...Ash?”Buster looked up from the sheet music he held, pausing in his rant when he noticed the teen staring at her phone with a frustrated expression.“Ash, are you listening?”The girl jerked to attention at his slightly raised tone, looking up from the screen at him.“Huh? Oh, sorry Moon, kinda tuned you out there. What were you saying?” She asked, tapping the phone distractedly against her leg, and he tilted his head a bit in intrigue.“It’s fine. Ash, are you ok?” he replied. After the incident with Johnny he’d been keeping a closer eye on everyone and something about the young porcupine’s behavior seemed off. At his question she gave a sigh and leaned back against the practice room wall, flicking a few spines out of her face.“I mean, it’s not the end of the world or anything, but the buddy who was gonna help me move later just ditched on me. Ugh, I’m gonna kick his ass the next time I see him. Now I gotta find a moving company on short notice and it’s just a big headache.” Busters ears pricked up at her answer, eyes widening a bit.“You’re moving?”“Yeah, already have a new one set up and everything.” She replied, eyes flickering back down to her phone as she went back to searching.“Finally decided that since it was just me now, no reason to be paying for all the extra space. New one is cheaper, closer to the theater, and has a storage room they don’t mind me converting into a studio, so it’s a win-win situation. I was gonna move all my stuff there after rehearsal today, but that plans gone out the window now.”Her scrolling became a bit rougher with her frustration and Buster tapped his chin in thought.“Hmm, I might have an idea.” He mused and she glanced up at him again.“There’s a prop transport company, or the owner of one anyway, who owes me a favor. We play our cards right and you might be moving today after all.”“Really?” she asked, perking up and levering herself off the wall. He smiled and patted her on the shoulder.“Hey, can’t have my best rock star hauling a couch across the city by herself can I? I’ll give him a call in a bit.” He chuckled and after a moment of staring at him she grinned.“Thanks Moon.”“My pleasure. Now back to practice. So, on this line here...”*“Whoa, this place is...bigger than I thought it’d be.” Ash muttered, gazing up in surprise at the tall fence they were striding the sidewalk beside. It was 8 foot and made of a solid looking reddish-brown wood, standing out against the concrete and metal buildings nearby. Not what one would expect to find surrounding a truck depot, but intimidating none-the-less.“The owners got a thing for flair. One of the things that drew me to the place to begin with. Ah, here we are!”The pair drew up beside a door and guard station built directly into the fence. Beside them was a large section of metal paneling on what appeared to be a rail, no doubt another motorized door for allowing the trucks in and out.“Hello there!” Moon chimed, clambering up the set of stairs fixed to the stations front and tapping on the window. The guard within, a dingo, glanced up from his book and caught sight of them, quickly setting the novel aside and sliding the window open. Leaning forward on his elbows, he looked out the opening.“And a hello to you folks as well. How can I help you?” He asked, his voice having a pleasant Midwestern twang to it.“We’re here to procure some of your fine services. The name’s Buster Moon.” The koala announced and the guard nodded, glancing over the clipboard of names lying beside him on the desk.“Moon eh? Lemme just take a look...ah, here ya are. Yeah, I remember the boss callin down about you earlier. Gimme a sec to buzz you in.”The canid scribbled a few things on the clipboard and then leaned over to a button on the wall, the smaller door beside them giving a loud ring and click as he pressed it.“Boss’ll be over by the garage right about now. Hope you folks have a nice day.”Buster gave him a little salute and hopped down the stairs, pushing the door open with Ash close behind.It took them longer than they cared to admit to find the garage on the lot’s far side. The place was a lot larger than it seemed, with tall moving trucks blocking good chunks of the view, so it really was no surprise that the two reasonably small animals ended up lost in the maze of vehicles for a good 10 minutes. When they finally found the hidden metal building, they spied a tall figure standing outside its doors.“Farquhar!” Buster called, and the figure turned to them with a grin as they drew up beside them. He was a Cape buffalo, horns silhouetted against the sun and barrel chest straining a bit against the polo he wore.“It’s been a while Buster. Good to see ya.” He chimed, clapping a hand on the koala’s shoulder and nearly knocking him off balance.“You too Farquhar. Ash, this is Farquhar MacLean, the proprietor of MacLean Transport.” Buster announced and the man gave Ash an appraising look.“So, this here’s our damsel in distress.” He hummed jokingly.“I’d always wondered when you’d pull that favor out of your bag of tricks. Never thought you’d use it to help someone move.”“What happened to have you end up owing Moon anyway?” She asked, crossing her arms and tipping her head in curiosity. The owner and Buster shared a chuckle, the former rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as the koala spoke.“That’s a story that hasn’t been told in a while. So, few years back I had one of Farquhar’s guys bringing over some big set pieces from another theater. Well, along the way the truck blew a tire and spun out, smacked butt end-right into a tree. Oh, the driver was fine and none of the contents were damaged. But the crash wedged the door closed and we couldn’t get any of the stuff out of there till they could fix it. Ended up having to push back the performance a few days, so Farquhar gave me a raincheck on a favor to make for it. And that’s how we got to today. Here’s hoping we don’t make it a repeat performance.”“Oh, don’t worry, I personally checked the truck over before you got here. Speaking of- Laine! Anri!” He called in through the open garage door. A few moments later two people in matching grey uniforms appeared and strode of over to them. One was a peachish-gold tiger and the other a darkly-mained lion, both visibly built for heavy lifting.“Yeah Boss-man?” the lion asked, most likely a female judging by the cadence of her voice.“Laine, Anri, these are the two I told ya about earlier. I owe Buster here, so I hope you’re ready for a rather unorthodox day of work.”“Well, it can’t be nearly be the weirdest thing we’ve moved before.” The tiger, a male this time, replied with a shrug and the lion laughed.“Yeah, that honor’s gotta go to the almighty Grease Cube.”“Alright you knuckleheads, get going, you’re burnin daylight.” Farquhar interrupted and the two nodded before indicating for the newcomers to follow them. They led them to a large moving truck parked beside the garage and the tiger popped the cabs doors open.“Alright it might be a bit of a tight squeeze up here. I don’t assume anybody wants to ride in the back right?”There was a moment of silence and then Ash gave a quiet chuckle.“Not gonna lie, I’ve always wanted to try that.”“Anri, this is a woman after my own heart.” Laine announced, slapping her hands over her chest, her companion just shaking his head with a smile.“Just remember to stay sitting and grab onto the handles if things get to bumpy.”The teen nodded and jumped into the back, looking back at them as Anri began to close the door.“Buster, if I don’t come out of this alive, tell my family I love them.” She commanded with a jokingly solemn face, the door clicking shut a few moments after.“Heh, drama queen.” Buster mumbled, rolling his eyes with a chuckle before heading for the cab.The drive there was surprisingly short and uneventful, the three in the cockpit making small talk as they rode, and soon they were pulling up alongside an apartment building. They quickly moved to release Ash from the back (they found her giggling and half-laying on the truckbed from all the bouncing around, fabric handle clenched tightly in her grasp) and made their way upstairs.“Ignore the mess, I was sorta in a rush this morning.” She told them as she unlocked the door, leaving it hanging open behind her as she strode in. Whilst she set off deep into the apartment, they stopped a moment to glance around. The entryway wasn’t anything special, one doorway leading into the kitchen while the other disappeared around the corner, but there were quite a few boxes, empty or otherwise, scattered about.“There’s some waters in the fridge over there. Feel free to help yourselves.” She called from the next room, reappearing a moment later with a stapled bundle of papers.“Don’t mind if I do! So, where do you want us to start Ash?” Buster replied, snatching one and popping it open. The lion blinked a bit and glanced over at the girl with widened eyes, giving a little gasp after a moment.“Wait, your name is Ash? Ahhh, I knew I recognized you! I don’t know why it didn’t hit me earlier! You’re rocker queen of the New Moon Theater!” She exclaimed happily.“The one and only!” Buster announced, taking a sip from his bottle.“Is that really what they’ve been calling me?” Ash asked, an amused smile playing at her lips.“Of course! You’ve got quite a decent fanbase throughout the city actually. Tons of people love your stuff, myself included! Ooo, do you think I could get your autograph later?!”“Laine!” Anri chided, smacking her in the back of the head.“Stop flirting with her and let’s, you know, actually do our jobs!”Buster gave a choked snort of laughter, a bit of his water dribbling down his chin as he slapped a hand over his mouth to hide his chuckles. Laine turned to her companion, poking him in the chest with a pouty frown.“Oh, don’t eeeven start! You were just giving that new stag in the garage heart eyes this morning remember?”“Ok, ok, simmer down.” Ash chimed, choking back her own laughter.“The arguing and flirting can wait till later. Right now we need to get all this junk out of here. I’ve already got all the clothes and the like boxed up, so let’s focus on the big stuff first.”“Yes ma’am!” Laine replied, giving her a joking salute and moving off into the apartment. Anri shook his head at his companion and strode after her, Ash and Buster quickly following suit.As the other three made quick work of disassembling her bed frame and struggled to fit it out the door (how had they gotten it in to begin with??), Buster couldn’t help but take a peek around. He’d never been here before, so it natural for him to be curious of the space. The first thing that caught his eye was the array of framed photos were scattered across the walls and mantle. Some were of the theater crew, others of Ash with two older looking porcupines, her parents no doubt, and even a few of the teen posed with what he could only assume were notable musicians she’d met over the years. None were of this so called Lance, though from what she’d told him about the break-up he wasn’t surprised. Other than those and a few other nick-nacks, she seemed to have packed away most everything else. Even without the decorations he could tell that it was a decently nice place, if certainly a bit big for one person.“Yo, Buster!” Ash called, sticking her head out of the bedroom.“Do me a favor! There’s a cooler full of ice in the kitchen. I’ve already emptied the fridge out most of the way, but there’s still some stuff in there. Could you stick the rest of it in there?”“Will do!” he replied, and trotted back into the kitchen, flicking the cooler open as he passed. For being a moody teenage, Buster was actually a bit impressed at how well balanced the remaining food in the fridge appeared to be. Considering the array things he’d seen Gunter eating during the later hours of their little night out, perhaps he should be more concerned about the group’s adults getting scurvy or something more so than the younger members....Though maybe he’d spoken to soon, considering he’s just opened the fruit drawer to find an entire cheesecake.“Ash, do you want me to start taking down the pictures once I’m done over here?” He called as he shucked one last bag of asparagus into the cooler and shut it.“Yeah that would be- Oof!”He peeked out into the hallway to find the teen laying on her face, the mattress she’d evidently been shoving against having finally released its grip on the doorway. She lay there for a moment before raising an arm and giving a thumbs up.“Yeah, that’s be great.”He shook his head with a smile and continued to the living room. He quickly fetched a step-ladder from one of the other rooms and began plucking the photos from the walls and carefully packing them in the bubble wrap he found nearby, slowly filling one box and then the next. As he grabbed one, he paused to look at it, and couldn’t help the “aww” that bubbled up in his throat. It showed a very young Ash, only 5 or 6 at the most, wearing a severely oversized leather jacket and holding a guitar, her weak arms barely able to keep the instrument upright. Despite this, she was beaming into the camera, looking as though she were having the time of her life.“Oh god, I thought I already put that one away.”He looked down at the voice, finding Ash staring at the picture with a slightly mortified look. At his grin and eyebrow cock she sighed and rubbed a hand across her face.“My parents found it in storage a while back and sent me a copy. I put it up when they were visiting one time and never got around to taking it back down. Now wipe that smug grin off your face and help.”With that she grabbed the nearby screwdriver she’d come for and marched off, Buster giving an amused chuckle as he went back to work.They soon finished packing everything up and slowly brought it all down to the car. Which...ended up being a far more annoying task than first anticipated, on account of the lack of elevators in the place. After seemingly countless trips up and down the stairs, they placed the last box in the truck.“Ok, good to go!” Ash finally announced.“I’m not handing off the keys today, so we can head straight to the new place.”“I take it you’re riding in the back again?” Laine asked with a knowing smirk.“Hell yeah!” she replied, tired face lighting up with a grin.“Though somebody might want to sit back there with me in case stuff shifts. Don’t think Moon would be very happy if his rock star got squished by a couch.”“I’ll do it.” Anri immediately cut in and Laine pouted.“Spoil-sport.”“I am not sticking you back there with her. I don’t think Boss would be very happy if you created our own take on “The Incident”.” He replied, Ash lifting a brow at his air-qoutes.“The Incident?” She asked, and before Anri could stop her, the lioness was blurring the words out.“One time we had Anri ride back there with the client and when Boss and I opened it up later, we found the two of the hardcore making out.” Laine chimed in and her companion managed to visibly blush through his fur.“You promised we wouldn’t talk about that in public...”“Oh come on, you got a boyfriend out of the deal and he thinks it’s hysterical every time I bring it up. Chill out.”After a lot of pouting and laughter, they got the two situated in the back and set off. The new apartment complex was indeed significantly closer to the theater than the previous, which had required a short train ride. When they arrived Ash ran inside, a tad shaky from the drive, and fetched the keys from her new landlord. When she informed them that they could use the freight elevator, the group about cried with joy. The transfer took a fraction of what it had before, and there was still a fairly large chunk of the day remaining when they set down the final parcel. Ash hadn’t intended ask anything else of them it seemed, but the pair insisted that they at least set up her bed before they left. They set to work reconnecting the bedframe whilst Ash dug around in search of sheets, Buster taking it upon himself to deposit all her consumables in the fridge.“You sure you don’t need us to do anything else?” Anri asked a while later and Ash waved off the question.“Nah, you guys have done more than enough. I really owe ya.”“Well, just let us know I you need anything. Oh and here!” Laine replied, shoving something into Ash’s hands. Anri shook his head in exasperation as he headed for the door. Laine followed close behind, turning to click finger guns at them before exiting.“See ya!”The remaining two stared at the door before looking down at the object clasped in her fist. It was a section of a notebook page. Written on it were the number for the garage and below that, what they could only assume to be Laine’s. Slowly Buster turned to his singer with a smirk and she scowled at him.“Not a word.” She warned him, turning and beginning to look around the crowded couch for something.“Hey, I’m not the one putting it in their phone.” He replied and she froze, contact list open.“...S-Shut up!”He gave a laugh and strode to the kitchen, snatching another one of the now chilled waters.“Hey Moon, you got some more free time before you gotta go?” She said over her shoulder, riffling through a box, and the koala tipped his head in thought.“Well, I’m not doing anything else today. Why?”“Wanna help me soundproof the studio?” She asked, holding up a can of spray adhesive and a large foam tile.He glanced upward in thought for a moment, giving a little hum, before shrugging and going to fetch more tiles.“Eh, I’m game.”They went to work, passing the time swapping stories, the older with adventures from his many years in the theater, his own or otherwise, and the younger with tales from her relatively recent youth. At some point along the way Ash ended up digging out the cheesecake and Buster was a little ashamed with himself to admit the two of them polished off most of it.After a while they lapsed into companionable silence, just letting the air settle as they moved on to organizing the boxes. It was in the middle of them sorting out her closet, Ash dispensing various articles onto hangers and then handing them to Buster to hang, that the silence was finally broken.“Moon, how did you first get into the theater business?”He paused in his repetition to glance back at her in curiosity.“Why do you ask?”“Just curious I guess.” She replied with a shrug. Hanging the last few things, he turned towards her and leaned against the wall, a smile playing at his lips.“Well, that question certainly brings back memories.”His head tipped back against the wall, staring at the ceiling as he lapsed into memory.“Back when I was real little, my Dad took me to a show at the old Moon theater. I’d never been to one before and just by chance the one he chose was Epihany, one of Nana Noodleman’s most famous performances. And, oh man, from that day on I was hooked. Cheesy as it sounds, I couldn’t get the theater out of my mind. I dreamed of being able to put on shows like that. And my Dad, he worked and saved for 30 years to buy me that theater we’d been to all those years before. I’m where I am now because of him.”His smile grew softer and he looked down at the ground, his expression one of nostalgia.“I wish he could be here to see it.”There was a moment of stillness and then he popped back into a grin, bouncing over and plopping down on the bed beside her.“So, you’ve heard my story. Now, how’d little Miss Rocker get into music?”Ash gave a chuckle, leaning back on her hands.“Well, mine isn’t quite as “aww” inducing as yours, but it honestly kinda starts out the same. My parents have both always been the musical types, but it was really my dad who got me into it. He’s always been a fan of rock, played it all the time all though my life. Hell, he used to play “Don’t fear the Reaper” as a lullaby for me when I wouldn’t sleep.”“Alright, I would have paid good money to see that.” He said with a smirk as he sat down beside her and she gave him a shove.“Hey, you didn’t see me interrupting your backstory did you?”“Alright, alright.”She rolled her eyes, scratching her quills as she continued.“Anyways, much as I liked it, I never really found the inspiration to be a singer. Till one day, think I was around 8 at that point, my dad bought tickets for all of us to see his favorite band. Got seats right near the stage, we dressed up, the whole shebang. Everything was goin great. Till my parents lost me.”Buster let out a snort of surprised laughter, turning to her with wide eyes.“They lost you!?!?”“Yeah, all the other stuff I’d been to before had been smaller local stuff, so they never really factored in how hyped up the real deal might get me. When they realized I was gone they about had heart attacks. Meanwhile, I’m running around tryin to get to the stage and I ended up wandering into the mosh pit. Once some of them realized there was a kid amongst them they sorta freaked out and ended up throwing me onstage to get me out of there.“Oh good god.”“So here I am, staring up at these singers, who just a little dumbfounded cause there’s suddenly a child on the stage. Now I was pretty smart for a kid, so I’m thinking they’re either gonna push me back off or call security to come get me. So I’m shocked when they just grin, grab an extra mic, and have me preform with them the rest of the concert. The audience loved it. And when I heard them all cheering for me, just enjoying what I could do, THAT’S when I really fell in love with music. Started writing my own stuff a few years later and never looked back.”She gave a nostalgic little sigh, staring down at her hands. When she finally noticed the silence from beside her she found Buster gazing at her with a warm smile. She gave a groan, shoving a hand in his face.“Ugh, I’m too tired for you to get all mushy on me Moon.” She said, digging around in the pillows for her phone. She quickly found it and clicked it on, eyes going wide.“Oh god it’s almost midnight.” She announced and he pulled out his own phone to check.The koala hadn’t even realized how late it was till she brought it up, and as he looked out the window he could see that the sun had indeed gone down long ago.“I hadn’t even noticed.” He replied and she stood, offering him her hand.“I think I can handle things from here, you should probably be heading home. I know directors are known for needing their beauty sleep.”“Says the one who I constantly find napping in the seats while the others practice.” He retorted with a smile, grabbing her hand and levering himself up.“Oh quiet. Come on, I’ll walk you down.”The trip back down to the ground floor seemed to take much shorter than the way up and they soon found themselves on street level, the night quiet and pleasantly warm.“Moon, thanks for all the help today. You really saved my ass.” She as he pulled up the map app on his phone.“Oh, I’m sure you would have figure out something. There’s some brains in that hard-rock skull of yours.” He replied, and she gave his shoulder a little shove.“Watch it, I know where you work.” She announced, then smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder.“Really though, thanks. I appreciate i-”As she spoke her gaze flickered past him for a moment and she suddenly went stiff, eyes wide.“Oh no.”Suddenly alert, he glanced behind him and went equally still when he caught sight of her fixation. Seated on the steps of the building across the street was another porcupine, and judging by Ash’s reaction there was only one person it could be. As though sensing their gazes the distant figure suddenly looked up and, noticing them, clambered to his feet.“What the hell is he doing here?!” Ash hissed, stepping partially behind Buster in a failed attempt to hide as he began to cross the street.“Well, seems we’re gonna find out.” The koala murmured back as the teen gave a shout and stumbled up to them.“Ash!”Said porcupine suddenly gave a little growl, eyes flaring with anger, and stepped out to meet him as he jogged to a stop.“Lance why are you here?”“I’ve been looking all over the place for you! We gotta talk.”“No, I mean why are you here? How did you even find me?!” She repeated, voice cold and angry. The other teen didn’t seem phased in the slightest.“Oh, I kept trying to catch you at our place, but I guess we kept missing each other. Asked the landlord and they said you were checkin around here for a new apartment. You never told me you were moving!” He drawled and the girls hands tightened into fists.“Did it ever occur to you maybe I didn’t want you to find me? And it’s not “our” place, it’s mine. It hasn’t been “our” place for months.”“Aww babe, don’t be like that! I just came to apologize again! I really think we can be friends! Come on, I’ve been missing you so much!” He disputed, shoulders drooping in exasperation, and Buster sidestepped as the girls spines suddenly flared, almost jabbing him in the eye.“Why you whiny little...!” Ash began and raised an arm as though to sock him in the face, starting to take a step forward before being stopped by the koalas hand on her arm. She glanced back at him and they shared a look for a moment before she relaxed a bit, allowing him to step forwards.“Lance, I assume?” He asked, voice even but with a subtle undercurrent of scorn. One that Lance evidently didn’t pick up on from the way he tilted his head in confusion and glanced at Ash.“Who’s this guy?”“Buster Moon, owner of the New Moon Theater. I’m her boss. I believe we’ve met before.”“You’re dating your boss??” the porcupine asked, seeming even more confused than before, and Ash made a noise of disgust.“For god’s sake Lance, I’m not dating him! He just helped me move! Can you ever focus on anything other than who’s hooking up with who?”Buster cleared his throat a bit to stop the bickering and they both glanced back at him.“Regardless, let’s get something clear here.” He continued, crossing his arms.“If you truly are here to apologize, I won’t intrude. It’s entirely Ash’s own decision on whether to forgive you or not. If it were me, I’d have done much worse than simply kicked you out. But this isn’t about me, now is it? However...”With this he stepped forward and the cheating teen before him seemed to grow a bit nervous, his posture tightening as he took a step back.“If you’re just here to try and win her back, after all the things you’ve done, and oh trust me, I know about it all, well then, that’s a different story.Lance took another step back at the cold expression on the koala’s face, quills flattening down against his back.“I’ve been in the theater business long enough to know your type. You think the world belongs to you, and anyone who disagrees is just some idiot who can’t possible understand. You view everyone around you as a means to an end, or just some little toy you can play with then discard once you get bored of them. Ash is nothing like you. She has true talent, not just loud bravado, and she has the will to actually make something great out of it. You didn’t deserve her before, and you certainly don’t now. And after all the shit you’ve pulled, I doubt there’s a chance in the world she’d take you back.”He took another step forward and the teen froze up entirely at the glare being leveled on him.“Oh, and let me make something very clear. If by some astronomical chance she does forgive you, takes you back, puts her trust in you again. And you betray that trust? Oh believe you me, myself and the people who care about her will have no qualms in tracking your ass down and giving you what you deserve.”He chuckled darkly and what little color was left in the porcupines face flooded away. He let the boy stew in his terror for a moment before stepping back.“So what’ll it be? Here to actually apologize or will it be more selfish lies?”Lance seemed to choke on his words, mouth opening and closing silently as he stared at the smaller man. His flickered over to Ash and when he finally found his voice it was small and stuttered.“Ash, babe, talk to this guy. He’s just-““Answer the question Lance.” She cut him off, voice low and dark, and he stepped back as though he’d been struck. He made a few choked attempts at words, shuddering a bit, and then shook his head as though to clear it.“I, I don’t got time for this tonight. I’ll come talk to you later.” He replied, all his usual confidence gone, and turned to walk away from them. After a few yards he broke into a run, then a panicked sprint, and soon had disappeared around the corner.As soon as he was out of sight, Buster let himself deflate a bit, giving a relieved sigh.“Whoo, been a while since I’ve had to do something like that. Kinda takes it outta ya.” He said to no one in particular, pressing a hand to his chest before turning to his companion.“Ash are you-?”Before he could finish the breath he had arms wrapped tightly around his neck, a chin hooked over his shoulder.“Thanks Buster...just...thanks.” She murmured quietly. He froze for a moment and then relaxed, resting his hands on the curve of her waist where the spines didn’t reach. Careful not to prick himself, he rested his head sideways against hers, a soft smile creeping onto his face.“My pleasure.”They stayed that way for a minute and then she gently pulled away, quickly crossing her arms and lapsing back into her usual tough girl act.“So, you think you can get home on your own old man, or should I call a cab?” She smirked and he cocked an eyebrow.“Oh, this old man has been roaming these streets longer than you’ve been alive. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”She gave a laugh and made her way her way up the building stairs, pausing as she opened the door. Glancing back at him, her smile softened.“See you at the theater boss.”He happily returned the expression and nodded.“I expect your best.”She shook her head fondly and then disappeared inside, the door clicking shut behind her. Chuckling to himself, the koala turned and began strolling down the sidewalk, whistling a little tune. Something told him Lance wouldn’t be back.And if he did return, well, Ash was more than a capable young woman.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"There's a boy downtown, from the club I know. He doesn't say a word, he just hits the floor.”
Dress shoes clacked a sharp staccato against the stage as the music thumped over the speakers. From the audience Buster watched them go, tapping his foot along to the beat at the two dancers spun across the stage in a series of quick steps.
“The way he moves always caught my eye. Couldn't take it no more, just had to try.”
Rosita threw an arm out, kicking off and sliding a short way across the polished wood, Gunter shadowing the movement behind her. Before they had fully skidded to a halt he grabbed her by the hand and twirled her into a spin.“Move to the fours, he danced away. Speed like magic, then he looked my wa- AH!”Giving a panicked jump, the housewife just managed to avoid crashing into the mouse making his way across the stage.“Oh my gosh! Mike, are you okay?!” She chirped and the mouse glanced up, as though just now noticing her.“Huh? Oh, uh yeah, I’m fine.” He drawled, his tone seeming distracted, before trotting off towards the backstage, apparently lost in thought once more. The two dancers stared after him in surprise before turning to look at Buster in confusion, the koala mirroring their expressions. Well that was certainly out of the ordinary. Mike never let anything go that fast, least of all almost being stepped on. Something was up.Gesturing for the two to continue practicing, the theater owner stood and made his way backstage. It took a few minutes of searching, there were a lot of props and such the mouse could be obscured behind, but he eventually located the man. He was in one of the practice rooms, eyebrows drawn together in intense thought and muttering under his breath as he paced back and forth. Buster knocked lightly on the door, but the singer didn’t even seem to notice.“Mike, everything alright in here?” he asked and without even looking at him the mouse waved a hand dismissively.“Yeah, ‘s great. “The koala frowned and stepped into the room, letting the door click shut behind him.“Ok, what’s goin on?”The rodent finally looked up at him, eye brow cocked.“Eh? Whatcha talkin about?”“You’ve been distracted all morning, you’ve been wandering around like a zombie, hell, you haven’t even made a single comment towards the others, and we all know how rare that is.” He replied, crossing his arms. Mike quickly mimicked the movement, glaring up at the bigger animal.“Yeah, well even if there was, how’s my business any ah your beeswax?” He growled and Busters gaze grew softer.“Because you’re part of my team. And it’s my job to help you. So tell me what’s wrong.”The mouse stared at him for a few more moments before giving a frustrated huff and deflating a bit.“Alright, fine. But I swear to god, you’d better not breathe a word of this to anyone!”He strode over and gestured for Buster to come closer, the koala bending down so they were near eye level. As he watched, the mouse grew a bit sheepish, biting his lip and wringing his hands nervously.“I...I’m gonna propose to Nancy.” He murmured and Busters face split into a bright grin.“Really?!” He cried and the mouse aggressively shushed him, smacking him in the leg as a passing Meena cast a curious glance into the room.“Shut yer trap ya idiot! What part of “don’t tell anybody” don’t ya get!?” He hissed and Buster gave him an apologetic smile.“Sorry, sorry. So, when are you gonna spring the surprise on her?”At his words the mouse gave a sigh and leaned against the wall, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly.“That’s the problem. She’s gotta day off in a few days and I know I wanna do it then, I just have no damn clue how.”He gave a groan and began pacing again, hands flailing about as he talked.“I mean, this is my girl we’re talkin 'bout! I can’t just take a knee in the apartment and go “Hey babe, wanna get hitched?”! It’s gotta be something real special!”As he ranted Buster watched with a gentle smile. As ornery and rude as the mouse acted, the team knew the man’s girlfriend meant the whole world to him. He’d give her the moon and stars given the chance, and from the way she always looked at him, the feeling was mutual.“Alright, alright. Calm down before you pace a rut in my floor.” He interjected with a chuckle, holding his hand up in defense when the other glared at him.“How’s about this? I’ll help you plan it.”Mike paused and turned to him with a skeptical look.“Really? Mr. ‘Theater is my life’ knows how to plan a proposal?” He asked and the koala shrugged.“Hey, it’s not the first time. I even helped one of my actors propose to his co-star during the closing night curtain call once.”Mike actually looked slightly impressed at this, cocking a brow in curiosity as a little grin crept onto his face.“Huh, maybe I ain’t in as much trouble as I thought. So wise guy, got any ideas?”Buster tapped his chin in though, smiling as a plan began to formulate in his mind.“Hmm, perhaps a few. Let’s see...”*“So this is the place eh?” Mike asked, glancing up at the building in front of them.“Look like a nice enough joint.”“Well I’d hope so, it is on the pricier side of the scale.” The koala replied, scanning it with a critical eye.They were standing before a bistro against the bay, the building’s sprawling windows open to the fresh breeze. It resembled a vineyard a bit, constructed of dark rich wood and brick, a sea of flowering vines spilling down over the eves of the roof. The structure was built right up against the edge of a cliff and in fact the restaurants patio hung out over the edge, supported by struts buried amongst the rocks. They quickly discovered the inside to be just as nice as they made their way through the doors. It was large, but at the same time cozy, tall leafy potted plants helping filling the empty space. The sandhill crane standing behind the hostess podium turned to them with a polite smile as they walked up.“Hello! How may I- Ah, Buster!”Her smile broke into a grin and she hustled out from behind the podium to come stand with them.“You’re certainly early!”“Just coming to check that everything’s good to go. Good to see you Eloá.” He replied, and she nodded.“Good to see you to Buster. It’s been a while. Ah, and I’m assuming this is the man of the hour? Mike was it?” She asked, leaning down to see Mike better, and the mouse seemed to puff up proudly.“The one and only!” He announced and she gave a chuckle.“Well, no matter. We just finished setting up, if you’d like to see.”At their agreement she led them to a table in a less open area of the restaurant. It was lit with warm soft light and surrounded by flowering hydrangea bushes, the place cleaned and tablecloth set.“I know it’s still a few hours away, but it’s been a slow day anyway, so we closed off this section. You’ll have it all to yourselves. So, what do you think?” She asked, chuckling when she looked down to see Mike looking around with his jaw hanging open slightly.“It’s...it’s perfect.” He replied breathily, a smile creeping onto his face.“Glad you like it. As for the waitstaff, I assigned Julien to look after you guys once we get this ball rolling.”She gestured off toward the bar and they turned to see a large squirrel standing nearby, a tray balanced on his tail. When he noticed them he grinned and gave a wave before wandering off to help one of the few scattered customers.“Good, I think everything’s ready to go then for the big moment.” Buster nodded in satisfaction.There was a chiming noise from Mike’s direction and the mouse fished the phone out of his pocket, smirking when he saw the text.“Ring’s ready to pick up. Guess that’s our que.”“Alright. We’ll be back soon Eloá.”With a wave of farewell to the crane, they made their way out and down the street in the direction of the jewelers.“You seemed awful chummy with those two back there. Gotta story behind that?” Mike asked as they strolled and Buster chuckled.“You know me so well. Eloá was one of the leads in a few of my shows a while back. Fabulous actress. She really could have made a career out of it, but it seemed it was fated not to be. The restaurant is her parents, she took it over after they retired. As for Julien, he’s her adopted brother. He worked as a stage tech for me on and off during her performances when he wasn’t helping at the restaurant.”“Geeze,” Mike muttered, shaking his head in exasperation.“Is there anyone in this town you don’t know?”Buster gave a laugh and they continued on their way, a companionable silence falling between them whilst they enjoyed the warm breeze. For the last week they’re been spending every free moment planning this whole thing. It had proved to be quite the challenge keeping it a secret from the others, with how insightful the team tended to be, but somehow they’d managed to pull it off. And now all their efforts would come to fruition.Soon they arrived at the jeweler and Buster waited outside as Mike conversed with the ocelot behind the counter, glancing over when the bell jingled once more. The mouse held up the ring box with a grin and he leaned down to get a better look. The band was of rose gold and curled upwards in the center to form a sort-of crown shape. It was imbedded with a smooth brilliant pink-purple alexandrite, with a scattering of tumbled ametrine cascading away from it down the sides. Along the interior of the band underneath the crown was an inscription in curling script, but he couldn’t quite make out the words.“Beautiful. I can see why you picked it.” He grinned and the mouse gave a proud little smirk.“What can ya say, I’ve got good taste.”As the two set off down the sidewalk once more however, the rodents face slowly fell and he began fidgeting with the piece, turning it end over end in his hands. Buster frowned and gave a small sigh.“Ok, what is it this time?”“...What if she doesn’t like it? What if she doesn’t like me? I mean, there’s something between us, but I can’t read the woman’s mind!...What if she never intends for this whole thing to go anywhere?”Rolling his eyes, Buster reached down and flicked the mouse’s head to get his attention.“Would you calm down? You two are like two peas in a pod. Besides, she literally faced down bears for you. If that doesn’t prove she loves you, I don’t know what will.”The mouse stared at him for a moment then gave a little half-huff of a laugh, twirling the ring expertly around his fingers.“Yeah, what am I worried about? Me and my babe are the biggest power couple in this entire ci-”He suddenly froze and screeched to a halt, Buster’s momentum carrying him a few feet further before he was able to stop and look back. The mouse was staring at his hand, where he had just absentmindedly slid the ring down to the base of his ring finger, whilst all the color draining from his face with a whisper.“Oh shit.”A trill of fear ran through Busters chest and the words were out of his mouth before he’d even realized it.“Mike, I swear to god, if you just got it stuck...”“No, it’s loose!” he cried, eyes terrified and voice squeaking a bit with panic as he yanked it back off. Now it was Busters turn to be uncertain, tilting his head in confusion.“I...I don’t think I follow...” He replied and watched as his companions fear immediately turned to anger.“Ya nitwit, Nancy’s hands are smaller than mine!”The mouse spun on his heel and was off like a shot, sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him back towards the jewelers.“Mike! Where are you-!?” Buster began, getting cut off as the rodent shouted back over his shoulder.“I gotta get this fixed! Get to the restaurant and make sure everything’s ready! We’re gonna be cutting this damn close!”The koala nodded and set off in the opposite direction at a sprint, tucking his head and barreling forward. For a moment he briefly considered hailing a cab, but quickly dismissed the idea. The bistro wasn’t far, it’d probably take him longer by car than on foot.When he burst through the doors 10 minutes later he almost tripped and just narrowly avoided face-planting onto carpet. Wheezing so hard he thought he might be sick, he seized onto the edge of a plant pot and looked up to see Eloá staring at him in shock.“Buster?! Are you alright?!” She asked, rushing over to him, and he held up a finger, having to wait till his lungs started working correctly again before he could answer.“Th...There were complications...We just gotta...make sure everything’s ready for when they get here...” He huffed and she nodded, guiding him to a chair and grabbing him a glass of water as she signaled to Julian to start with the place settings. After a short rest he went about assisting them, working off some of his nervous energy by arranging the flowers certain ways, straightening the table cloth and dishes numerous times, hunting down every speck of dust in the vicinity and just generally making everything as perfect as possible. Before he knew it the phone in his pocket gave a buzz and he pulled it out to see a message. Crooner : The ring’s fixed and I just got Nancy. We’re on our way.Giving a sigh of relief, he finally allowed himself to relax. There had been a few hiccups, but it seemed the day was going to work out after all. He moved towards the restaurants front, intending to let Eloá know, and happened to glance out the windows on his way past.What he saw brought him to a screeching halt, his heart leaping into this throat.Far across the street, three hulking darkly furred figures stood conversing, and it didn’t take him more than a split second to recognize them as the bears who’d invaded his theater so long ago. But how!? And why here of all places!? They’d been reaching out to some of Marcus’s old contracts the last few months, asking them to keep tabs on the trio (for Mike and Nancy’s safety), and he’d assured them they’d be out of town all week! So what were they doing here!?Shivering with panic, Buster ducked out of sight and yanked out his phone, dialing Mike’s number. He gave a frantic whisper of “come on, come on, come on!” with each ring, feeling about ready to shake out of his skin. Finally the line picked up and he heard a muffled flicker of conversation before the mouse presumable turned towards his speaker in a hushed voice.“Just a sec sweetheart, I gotta take this- Moon, I already told you the problem’s fixed. What do you-?”“Mike, you guys need to stay away from here for a bit!” He rushed, swiftly cutting the mouse off. “What? What are you-?”“The bears are here!”There was a moment of silence, then came a strangled fearful whisper from the other end of the line.“What?! But I checked! They can’t be-!”“Mike, I’m staring at them right now! Just...just distract Nancy! Keep away from here for like 30 minutes, I’ll deal with it!” He assured him and after another pause he heard a small exhale.“...Alright. But I swear to god Moon, if you screw this up...”“I won’t, just go!”“Ok, ok! I’ll deal with it! Talk to you later...Hey doll, there’s still a while before the reservation. How’s about a stroll through the park?”The line went dead with a click and Buster quickly shoved the phone in his pocket. There had to be some way to get those mobsters out of here. As he turned to look at them again, he saw one gesture at the bistro and the group slowly began to make their way over, obviously intending to come inside. In a flash of panic his mind leapt into motion, formulating a plan at super speed.Seeing Julien over near the kitchen, he sprinted over and grabbed his arm.“Huh? Mr. Moon, what’s the-?” He began to ask, only to be surprised into silence as Buster yanked the uniform apron clean off of him.“Sorry, I need this for a bit!”Tying it on as he ran, he booked it back up to the front, coming to rest beside a very startled looking Eloá.“Sorry, no time to explain everything. But those guys about to come in are bad news, and I need to get them out of here. So please forgive me for whatever I’m about to do.”He glanced up to see them almost to the restaurant and in one last burst of speed he flung his bowtie behind the counter, rolled up his sleeves and ruffled his hair. The less chance of them recognizing him the better.“Hello gentlemen, how can I help you?” He chirped cheerfully as they entered, mind racing. Trying to force them out would just cause more problems. He needed to get them to leave of their own accord. But how?“One table.” The evident leader replied and a lightbulb seemed to go off in his head. He smiled at them and grabbed the seating arrangement from the host stand, giving it a look over.“Well, most of the restaurant is reserved right now, so there’ll be a bit of a wait till we can get you in. Most likely around an hour. My apologies.” He replied, glancing up at them. They looked to each other for a moment before turning back to him.“Dah, that is fine.” The largest replied and he managed to keep the smile on his face despite feeling his heart drop. Well crap, so much for that idea. Thoughts flying, he jumped to the next idea, glancing back at the board seemingly in contemplation.“Hmm, well perhaps I can find you gentlemen something. There is still one table vacant right now it seems. It’ll be a bit of a tight squeeze, but it might suit our purposes. If you could follow me.”With that he turned and began to walk deeper into the dining room, looking back to see if they were following. They were indeed, though looking a tad confused. As he passed Eloá she gave him a questioning look and he subtly shook his head, continuing to lead the trio to a table tucked away near the back. It was crammed into a corner between the wall and a row of shrubs, barely big enough for a pair of smaller animals to fit, let alone three large bears. When he turned once more to look at them, they looked more than a bit annoyed with the small accommodations.“Will this do?” He asked, trying to keep his smile polite as they seemed to consider the situation. He let out mental yell of frustration as the leader nodded once more.“It will do.”“Good to know! Just make yourselves comfortable and I’ll be right back with menus.” He chirped, quickly scurrying off to fetch them. He’d really need to pull out the stops if he was going to get this to work. Quickly snatching some menus off the counter, he retreated back to the group, once more slipping into on his customer service face. He found them all squashed around the table, shoulders pressed together and altogether looking uncomfortable.“Here you go!” He handed them the menus and quickly pulled out a notepad that had luckily been stashed in the apron’s pocket.“What can I get you gentlemen to drink?”“Just water.” The leader rumbled, his voice clearly irritated by the situation and Buster smiled as he took it down. It was slow going, but it seemed he was getting somewhere.“Alright, I’ll be right out with those.”With that he headed towards the kitchen, mind bouncing from idea to idea. He really needed to push their buttons, but how? Suddenly and idea came to him and he sped up, bursting into the kitchen with a shout.“I need sweet tea!”“The kitchen staff stopped and turned to him in confusion. Seemingly in unison they turned to look at Eloá, who had wandered in behind him and she gave them a nod. Glancing at each other in uncertainty, one staff member quickly fetched him platter with a few cups and a pitcher full to the brim. Quickly thanking them, he turned on his heel and sped back out, careful not to spill any. He dropped back into a normal gait as he neared the table once more, throwing the customer service smile back on.“Here’s your drinks! Have you gentlemen decided on anything, or do you need more time?” He called out as he approached and the three turned to look at him, the leader’s brows furrowing when he saw what the koala was carrying.“What? That is not what we ordered.”“Huh? You-ahh!” He asked as he continued towards them, suddenly giving a little cry. Praying that his acting skills had held up all these years, he pretended to trip, tucking one foot under the other to make it appear an accident. He hit the edge of the table and the pitcher went flying, making a perfect arc through the air and completely soaking the trio. They stared dumbfounded at him for a moment, he himself returning the look, before he leapt to his feet, waving his hands about in a panic.“Oh my god, I’m so so sorry! Please let me-!” He began, quickly back peddling in genuine fear as one of the bears stood with a growl.“Why you little-”Before he could get any farther the boss grabbed his arm, causing him to pause. The larger bear gave a long deep breath through his nose, then released it a few seconds later as he stood, as though trying to calm himself.“We are leaving.”His two companions relaxed, if a bit moodily, and Buster nodded, lowering his eyes apologetically.“I understand. And I truly do apologize. Please, let me escort you to the door.”He quickly led them to the back entrance, holding the door open for them as they exited. As the trio walked out into the warm air they winced down at their sticky clothes, and for a moment he felt a bit bad. They’d actually been quite polite and civil during their visit. Then again, they had tried to eat a member of his team (as much of an idiot as Mike was to get into the situation), so he couldn’t help cheekily sticking his tongue out at their backs as they left.“...Do I want to know?” Eloá asked, appearing beside him, and he gave a nonchalant wave.“I’ll explain it later.”Wandering back inside, he quickly went to give Julien back his apron. Luckily the table had been in an area with hardwood, so with a fresh tablecloth and a wet rag everything was good as new. Shucking both into a hamper in the kitchen, he ventured back toward the front, only to freeze when he heard Eloá speaking to someone.“Ah, Mr. Mike! You’re two are just in time for your reservation. Please, follow me. Your table’s right this way.”Biting back a curse, Buster quickly threw himself behind some of the flowered shrubs near their arrangement, huddling down beside the table he found there.“Oh, Mike! It’s perfect!” He heard Nancy exclaim from the other side of the foliage as they walked up, Mike giving a small chuckle in return.“Only the best for you sweetheart.”Buster held their breath, settling into a chair and trying not to move as he heard them seat themselves and Julian come to present their menus. He choked back a squeak of fear as the squirrel appeared around the bushes and handed him a menu as well, mouthing “On the house” at his confused look. Realizing he’d be stuck here for a while, he settled in, keeping an ear tilted back to listen for cautions sake as they all dined. Shortly after the couple finished and the main dishes had been cleared away, he heard Mike clear his throat. The koala paused, leaning closer to the edge of the bushes to hear better.“So, you likin this whole thing sweetheart?” He asked and Nancy sighed happily, the table giving a tiny creak as she leaned forward to clasp his hand.“Oh, Mike, it’s been wonderful.” She said sweetly and he gave a happy, plus just the tiniest bit nervous, chuckle.“Good, cause I’ve got a bit of a surprise for you.”Feeling the atmosphere swell, Buster turned and peeked through a space in the foliage, watching as Mike leaned closer to take both her hands. His face was open and full of love as he gazed at her.“Nancy, you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. You’re sweet, smart, hell, you’re by far the bravest person I’ve ever bet. You saved me from bears for god’s sake.”She giggled at this and he rubbed a thumb across her hand, smile growing yet warmer.“You saved my life, and I’m a far better person now than I ever was, just for knowing you. I know I’m not usually one for sentiments but...you’re the most important thing in my life.” He choked up a bit on the last line and Nancy gazed at him lovingly, waiting patiently as he took a deep breathe and gathered himself.“Now I’ve got something to ask you. Probably the most important question of my life.”Smoother than Buster had ever seen him move before, the mouse climbed atop the table and took a knee. Nancy’s eyes went wide in disbelief as the pieces fell into place and he gave her one of his signature dazzling smiles. This time however it was free of swagger and insincerity, instead genuinely warm and adoring. In a flourish he whipped out the ring box, flicked it open and presented it to her.“Nancy Sinatra, will you marry me?”She was silent for a moment, a hand pressed to her mouth in shock, before a smile split across her lips, eyes going bright with tears as she gave a half-sobbed reply.“Yes. Mike, oh my god yes!”With a laugh of utter relief he leapt forward, sliding the ring onto her finger and then dipping her into a deep kiss, their lips pressed tight together. After a few long moments they separated, Mike still supporting her in the pose, and she gave a chuckle.“Mike, you’re shaking.”He gave a trembling laugh, holding her close.“Not gonna lie sweetheart, I’ve never been more scared in my life then I was uh few seconds ago.”She giggled and pushed his fedora out of the way to give him a kiss on the forehead. The man gave a grin and, seemingly energized, he plopped her down on the edge of the table and leapt to his feet.“Lemme go get some drinks to celebrate!” He chirped, giving her a peck on the cheek before leaping down the rungs of the chair and running off towards the bar. She gave yet another giggle at his antics and Buster leaned back in his chair, a victorious smile on his face.After a few moments of silence, there came a quiet whistle and a soft musical call.“Buster⁓”He froze and slowly turned to peek throught he shrubs again. She was turned to look in his direction and when she sensed him looking she smiled and curled a finger twice to beckon him over. Sensing the jig was up, he slowly stood and sheepishly emerged from his hiding spot.“Oh, Nancy, fancy seeing you here.” He said with a nervous chuckle and she gave a laugh. With a defeat sigh he slumped a bit.“Now long did you know I was there?”“The whole time. I saw you hide when we first came in.” She replied and he gave a groan.“Well, so much for trying to give you two your moment.”With a smile, she set a hand on Busters arm and he glanced at her as she spoke.“Really though Buster, thank you. I know Mike’s been struggling with this, so thank you for helping him. I think a friend was all he really needed.” She said quietly and his eyes went wide.“Wait you... you knew?”“I maaaay have accidentally found the ring hidden behind our dresser a few weeks ago.” She said with a sheepish shrug, and the koala shook his head in exasperation. Suddenly something occurred to him and he brightened up, grinning at her.“You may have seen it in the early stages, but now it’s got a bit of a surprise inside.”Curious, she slipped it off and glanced it over, eyes widening a tad when she looked inside the band.“An inscription?”“Precisely. Can’t quite read it myself though. What’s it say?”She raised it to the light, her expression going soft as she made out the words.“’In other words, I love you’...that’s "Fly Me To The Moon"...he sang me that on our first real date...oh Mike...” She muttered softly, slipping it back on and holding it tight to her chest as a few happy tears rolling down her cheeks.“Babe, drinks are on the- Ah!”They turned to find Mike standing nearby, Nancy subtly swiping away her tears before he could see them. The mouse stared at Buster in shock for a moment, eyes seeming to scream “Why are you talking to her?! You should be hidden!” before he forced on a fake smile.“Eh, Moon! Whatcha doin here?”“Oh, I just happened to stop in for a bite and Nancy called me over. Congratulations by the way!” He replied, quickly slipping into the act (though more for the sake of Mike’s dignity than anything else).“Why don’t we invite him to celebrate with us?” Nancy suggested and Mike simply stared at Buster for a moment, the gears turning in his head, before giving a shrug.“You know, what the hell. More the merrier and all that stuff.”They spent the next hour or so talking over glasses of champagne, Mike slowly relaxing as he began to believe Nancy was none the wiser. After a bit he didn’t even seem to mind Buster’s interruption, easily laughing along as the koala marveled them with various theater stories at Nancy’s request. Eventually though the evening began to wind down and after thoroughly thanking the bistro staff, they stepped outside. The sun had just disappeared beneath the horizon, the sky still awash with golds, pinks and purples. It was still warm despite the breeze and Nancy took a deep breath of the sea air, seeming to thoroughly enjoy herself. She began to casually stroll off down the sidewalk and Buster moved to follow.Suddenly he felt a touch on his leg and looked down to see Mike’s stopping him, the two allowing Nancy to wander away from them a bit before the mouse spoke.“Eh, Moon?...Thanks.”Busters eyes snapped open wide, hardly believing what he’d just heard. That couldn’t be right. Had Mike just...?“Don’t make me say it again.” The mouse grumbled, seeing the koala’s shocked expression. This seemed to snap him out of it and he nodded, giving the mouse a wide grin. Evidently also a significantly dorky grin, considering the way the mouse gave a disgusted scoff and stomped off after his fiancé, giving a half-assed flip of his hand in goodbye.“See ya tomorrow, ya bozo.”Letting his smile soften as a warm feeling swelled in his chest, he gave a gentle wave after them, watching as Mike caught up beside Nancy and laced their fingers together as they walked.“Goodnight Casanova.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“If that’s what it comes to baby! Then all you gotta say to me! Oooo!”
Johnny was a blur as he moved across the stage, the spotlight tracking him. In a flap of movement from his leather jacket, the teen spun and moved to shift into another movement. He gave a surprised grunt however as one foot caught in the opposite’s pant leg and he tumbled to the stage floor with a heavy thud. A muffled laugh rang offstage from Eddie as Buster stood from his seat.“You alright Johnny?” He called, being met with a breathy chuckle and a thumbs up being thrust up into sight. Shaking his head to himself with a smile, he made his way to the stage edge and climbed up, reaching the teen just as he managed to untangle himself.“Ok, I think that’s enough for the day.” The koala announced, helping the singer to his feet.“We can work on that part more tomorrow. Go home and get some rest.”“Alright.” He replied, smiling when Buster gave a yawn.“You should too Mr. Moon. Can’t have ya working yourself to the bone, eh?”“Ok, enough being cheeky. Get going.” He replied, smacking the teens leg lightly with his clipboard in faux irritation. The gorilla gave a laugh and bid him farewell, leaving the koala to glance through his notes. Most of his cast had been busy that day or had left earlier, so that left just a handful of performers to check in with. He hadn’t seen Mike since early that morning, so it was probably best to go to him first.He was scribbling at his notes as he passed the front doors, and it was just by chance that he glanced outside. He continued forward a few steps before realizing what he’d just seen and quickly back peddled, shading his eyes with one hand as he tried to get a better look. Just as he’d thought, across the street he could see a familiar elephant talking to someone, the angle mostly blocking his view of her companion. Pushing the door open, he stepped out into the warm air, trying to see them past the cars whizzing by. As he drew closer he could make out that the other was a rhino, one who seemed to be talking quite animatedly with her judging by his hand movements. Curious, he moved to join them, pausing to allow the traffic to pass. As he waited, the stranger gave Meena a wave and began to stride off, having disappeared around the corner by the time the koala managed to get to her.“Huh, did you know that guy Meena?” He asked, glancing up at her when he was met with silence. She was staring off after the stranger, a nervous energy about her.“Meena?” He repeated and she jumped a bit, looking down at him in surprise.“Oh, Mr. Moon! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She replied, and he shook his head.“No, it’s no problem. I just though you left earlier, so I was a bit surprised myself to see you. Did you know that guy?”She gave a timid chuckle and sheepishly rubbed her head.“No, not exactly. He said he was a fan of mine. Apparently he’s come to a bunch of shows and he really liked my voice, so he just asked if we could talk for a bit.” She replied and a grin burst across the koala’s face.“That’s great!” He praised her, patting her leg.“Who knows, he might be the start of your very own fanclub!”“Yeah...” She muttered, rubbing her arms in a way that could only spell discomfort and his smile dropped, brows furrowing in corner.“Meena, are you alright? You seem... restless."“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” She replied, waving as though to dispel his worries.“I’m just a bit nervous, that’s all. I don’t have a lot of experience interacting with fans.”He nodded in understanding, giving her another pat on the leg.“Well then, you should head home. I wanna see you bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow!”She gave a chuckle and assured him, giving a wave as she started away down the sidewalk. He returned the gesture and watched her go, letting her words settle his nerves. But despite his efforts, a little knot of anxiety gnawed at him. Something about this just didn’t seem right.*It wouldn’t be the last time he was that he saw the stranger loitering around near the theater. In just a few weeks, he caught numerous glances of the rhino conversing with Meena before and after practices. Even from a distance he could see the nervousness in her posture and tried to assure himself it was just Meena being Meena. But still that little ball of worry squirmed and settled in his gut. A few times he tried to listen in on their conversations, but it seemed just fated not to be, the other teen wandering off each time before he got the chance.It wasn’t till a few weeks later that he finally brought it up.“Ok, that was good, but I want you to push that last note a bit more. Punk rock music is all about being confident in your voice. I know that’s something you still struggle with, but let’s give it another try, ok?” He requested and Mena gave a deep breathe to steady herself as the music began again.
“I taste you on my lips and I can't get rid of you. So I say damn your kiss and the awful things you do!”
She moved to crescendo into the next line, only to have the strength of her voice fizzle out halfway through. She gave a groan as Buster paused the music again, gently knocking the mic against her forehead in irritation.“Aaah, I suck.” She muttered and Buster vigorously shook his head.“Oh, you do not. You’re just a little stuck. We’ll figure this out in no time!”He paused, tapping a finger to his lips in thought.“Though, it is a bit strange that your voice is wavering. It normally only does that in front of an audience, before you really get going. Is something bothering you?”She sighed at Busters searching look and moved to sit down against the wall beside him.“I don’t know. It’s just so far outside my normal stuff. I just...I just keep thinking of being out in front of the audience and what they’ll think and it’s messing me up.” She replied and the koala patted her arm comfortingly.“That’s understandable. You’ve never really done this sort of thing before. But that challenge is what makes it fun right?”“I guess...” She replied and he frowned, looking down at the ground in concentration. There had to be some way he could help her stay calm...Ah! He grinned and gave a snap, excitedly looking back at her.“Meena you trust me right?”“Huh? Of course Mr. Moon!” She replied and he smiled warmly.“Alright, I want you to try something for me then.” He requested and she nodded in agreement.“Everytime you get nervous, whether you’re singing or not, I want you to imagine I’m right there with you. Right by your side, keeping an eye on you. I think it might help if you have a friend there to lean on.”She pondered it for a moment and then slowly nodded again.“I...I can try.”“And that’s all I could ask for.”She smiled at him and stood, suddenly seeming energized once more.“Ok, let’s try this again!”Chuckling his approval, the koala started the music as she grabbed up the mic once more.The song was going smoothly as they sped towards the portion she’d choked at before. As they neared it she closed her eyes, took a deep breathe...And hit the line perfectly.A massive grin spread across Busters face, but he dared not say a thing in fear of throwing her off. The rest of the song came together splendidly, and as she held the final note he finally allowed himself into a short round of applause.“Perfect! Now let’s see if you can pull that off again!” He cheered and she nodded ecstatically as he reloaded the music.As the hours went by she continued to nail every line and lyric, each iteration getting progressively better.“Alright, alright, I think it’s time for a break.” Buster declared when he heard her voice scratch the tiniest bit at the height of a note.“We need those cords to stay in good working order.”“Ok, Mr. Moon.” She croaked a tad, grabbing her water bottle and taking a long sip. She fished her phone out of her pocket and glance at it, eyes widening.“Oh my gosh, is that the time!? I need to get home!” She exclaimed, and began stuffing things into her bag.“Sorry Mr. Moon, but I’ve gotta run. I promised I’d help my Grandma with some cooking.”“No problem, I was thinking it was about time we wrapped up anyway. Lemme walk you down.”As they descended that stairs together and made their way towards the front door, Meena looked down at him with a smile.“Mr. Moon, thanks for the advice today. I really think it’ll help.”“My pleasure.” He replied as they drew up to the doors.“But remember, my help can only go so far. You need to be able to be confident in yourself.”Seeming to take his words to heart, she nodded and turned to leave. As she looked out the widow though, she suddenly froze and her face paled a tiny bit. Buster quickly glanced out as well, instantly spotting the rhino standing across the street.“I...I think I’ll go out the other way.” She said quietly, backing away from the doors. Buster watched the girl in concern, moving after her.“Meena, are you ok? Is there something going on between you two?”“N-No, everything’s fine. I, uh, I’m just running late and I didn’t want to risk getting caught in a conversation today. Nothing to worry about. Bye Mr. Moon!”With that, she quickly retreated deeper into the backstage and soon disappeared. Buster moved back to the front doors, keeping an eye on the young man across the way. The rhino lingered around for a bit before eventually wandering off. Even then, Buster remained by the doors, the bubble of concern in his guts seeming to swell. Even if Meena didn’t want to tell him about it, there was something going on. And it had him worried.*
“We’re up for one more night!”
“We’re up all night to the sun!”
“Oh, Celebration!”
“Music’s got me feelin so!”
“Our!”
“Work!”
“Is!”
“Never!”
“Over!”
Buster leapt up alongside the crowd of Wonderland as they gave a standing ovation, the team dropping out of their finishing poses onstage to give a bow. After a few moment the dj came to play them off and they scattered offstage into the crowd to meet the ecstatic fans vying for their attention. Buster himself was also quickly besieged by a number of people once they recognized who he was. Wonderland had requested a small performance from them for the clubs anniversary, a request they had happily accepted. It had only been a few group songs they used for practice, nothing as extravagant as the show they’d been training for the last few months, but the building was currently bursting at the seams regardless. After several minutes of conversing his own audience wandered off, giving the koala the chance to glance around for the others.They were easy to spot for the most part, Mike even perching himself on a high stool so he would on more even eye-level with his admirers, but the koala felt his brows furrow in confusion when he was unable to locate the largest member of his troupe. He began to wander through the crowd, glancing around for any sign of the elephant. At long last he caught a sight of her, tucked away from the crowd off to the side talking to someone, and started towards her with a smile. As he drew closer though, the figure to which she spoke came into view and he froze upon recognizing the now familiar young rhino. His stomach seemed to drop out from under him as a odd sense of tension filled his veins and he quickened his pace, weaving through the crowd. It was time he got to the bottom of this.Trying to seem subtle, he slid up beside one of the shorter tables in their vicinity and began fiddling with the silverwear, tilting an ear backwards to catch their conversation.“You were real great out there.” Came a rough voice. It was the first time he’s actually heard this particular male cadence, but it wasn’t hard to deduce who it came from.“Uh, t-thanks!” Meena replied, stuttering a bit in her usual embarrassment and Buster relaxed at their casual banter. Maybe he was just overthinking this. Overzealous fans weren’t anything new in the theater world. Perhaps he really did just want to hang around her.“Hey, whatta say we go hang at my apartment after this?”Buster stiffened, hands unconsciously tightening on the utensils as his head snapped around to watch them from the corner of his eye.“S-Sorry, but I need to help clean up after the show. M-Maybe next time.” Meena replied with a little shake of her head. To most nothing might seem amiss with her response, but the koala could sense the undercurrent of panic in her voice and see the way her hands tightened on the hem of her shirt.“Aww, you always say that! Come on, I’m sure they can handle things here without you. Stop playing hard to get and let’s hit the town!” the other teen replied, grinning confidently as he stepped closer to her. Despite her superior height, her eyes widened in fright and she took a hurried step back from his advance. As her back bumped into a table behind her and she gave a little squeak of alarm, Buster began to move, turning fully to head in her direction. Before he could begin though, a moment of realization flickered across her expression and he paused as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. When she opened them again they were fiery, and she fixed the young rhino before her in a fierce glare.“No.”The intruder froze, looking up at her in surprise.“Huh?”“No, I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t want to hang out with you, I don’t want to be near you, and to be frank, you’ve been making me very uncomfortable for weeks. Now, this conversation is going to end, I’m going to go help my friends pack up, and then you’re not going to come talk to me again. Understand?” She replied, voice steady and confident. Buster couldn’t help but burst into a proud grin as the rhino stared at her dumbfounded. Now that was the Meena he knew.His blood ran cold however as the rejecties face went dark, lips curling back in snarling scowl.“Why you little...nobody talks to me that way. Come here!”His hand shot forward and clamped over her wrist and she gave a choked sound of fear, back-peddling quickly to try and get the table behind her between them.Buster was across the room in what seemed like a split second, giving a hard kick off a chair and landing on the table with a loud snap of dress shoes against wood. The rhino flinched back in surprise, releasing his grip, and Meena quickly moved behind Buster to the opposite side. The koala thrust his usual showman smile into place and tried not to let the anger seep into his voice as he cheerfully turned to the elephant.“Ah, Meena, here you are! I’ve been looking for you! We need help with the equipment. Could you head over to the stage?” He asked, turning fully away from the assailant for a moment. The instant his face was out of sight he let the façade fall and mouthed a hurried “Go!” to her. She blinked owlishly at him for a moment before catching on and smiling, giving a nod.“Oh, of course Mr. Moon! I’ll head over right away!”“H-Hey! I’m not done with you!” the other teen rumbled, shifting around the table to try and cut her off as she moved to walk away. Buster instantly rounded on him, smile snapping back into place as he looked up at the bulky animal.“Oh, my apologies for interrupting your conversation, but my performers still has so much to do, so I’m really afraid we really must be going.” He cheerily announced, glancing past the teen. A familiar horned security guard across the club caught his eye and he stared at the man, attempting to catch Mikhail’s gaze from across the room. The ram straightened from his post beside the door in sudden alertness as their eyes met and Buster gave a little head tilt towards the troublemaker, the bouncer nodding in response and starting towards him. His focus jolted back to the rhino as he was shoved back, almost tumbling backwards off the table, as the young man gave with an angry snort and went to move past.“Butt out pipsqueak, this is none of your business!”The koala’s calm act dropped in an instant and despite his small stature he crowded into the teens space, jabbing a finger into his chest. The juvenile froze, staring down into an expression so cold the air around them seemed to drop a few degrees, something hard jabbing him through his shirt. Buster didn’t even seem entirely aware of the fact he still held a fork and even if he was, he simply didn’t care, pressing the tines into the man's chest a bit harder. His voice was deep, low, and menacing when he spoke.“Now you listen here and you listen well. You do not, I repeat, DO NOT, touch my performers. I don’t care how big and important you might think you are, antagonize them and you’re antagonizing me. And that’s something I simply won’t allow.”“Y-Yeah and what are you gonna do about it?!” He retorted, seeming as though he was trying to puff himself up. His bravado deflated entirely with a shudder however as Buster gave an unsettling smirk.“Oh, there’s plenty I could do. But I think I’ll leave it my friends in the uniforms here.”The teen gave a jump and a quit undignifying squeak as Mikahail and two Clysdale guards appeared on either side of him.“Miss, is this man bothering you?” the ram asked, completely ignoring the assailant’s protests as he fixed a gentle gaze on Meena. She nodded vigorously and he gave one in return, finally turning to face the troublemaker.“Sir, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”“What?! Hell no! Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something?!” He huffed and Mikhail sighed, shaking his head and then shrugging toward his companions.“Alright, if you say so. Your turn guys.”The teen gave a shout as the two other guards grabbed him by either arm and began dragging him towards the doors. Mikhail gave Buster and Meena a nod then turned to follow, moving ahead of them to clear the way. As soon as he was gone the koala spun around and hurried to his young singer, holding her hand between his as she sank bit shakily into one of the chairs.“Meena, Meena are you alright? He didn’t hurt you did he?” He asked, sitting down on the edge of the table as he gazed at her in concern.“Y-Yeah. Just a little shaken.”He seemed to accept her statement as the truth and calmed. A moment later his expression saddened and his ears sunk, tilting his head a bit as he watched her.“Meena, why didn’t you tell me? It’s obvious that that guy has been bothering you since you met him.”The teens head sunk, her own ears pulling forward towards her face sheepishly.“You’ve all been so busy lately, I just didn’t want to bother you...”Busters gaze softened and he gently patted her hand where it still rested in his lap, giving her a small warm smile.“Oh Meena, you could never bother us. Especially with something like this. I’m an idiot for not noticing earlier. I’m just glad I figured it out when I did.”He saw embarrassment flicker through her gaze, and all the hours of couching her clued him in to her coming apology. Before she could breathe a word he burst into a huge grin and gave a chuckle.“Though to be honest, my intervening was just a bit of a bonus. Something tells me that if I hadn’t stepped in when I did you would have kicked his butt all the way to the door.”She seemed taken aback by this for a moment, ears flicking open in surprise, before smiling and blushing just a bit, her eyes growing glassy.“Mr. Moon...”“Ah, ah, no time for waterworks right now.” He tutted, shaking a finger and climbing to his feet.“We’ve gotta go help the others pack remember?”She chuckled and blinked the wetness away, grinning as he clambered down onto the floor. He looked up at her and smiled, giving her a nod toward the stage as he tucked his hands nonchalantly behind his back.“How’s about we get goin, eh Tough Girl?”She nodded, moving to stand beside him.“Yeah, let’s go.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Alright everybody, we’re lowering the backdrop! Watch yourselves! We don’t want a repeat of last time!” Buster called out onto the stage, being met with a frustrated groan from Eddie in the lighting booth.
“You accidentally get knocked out with it one time and they never let ya live it down...”
Ignoring him, the koala took his place at the center at the seats and called to the backstage.
“Ok Romey, hit it.”
He watched as the canvas depicting a glowing cityscape slowly appeared from above stage and slid into place. It halted just as it touched the stage and a voice called back to him.
“Oi, how’s it look boss?”
He regarded it critically for a few moments before replying.
“It’s a bit too far to the left. Bring it the rest of the way down and we’ll adjust it.”
The command was swiftly followed and once the steel bar the backdrop was attached to was safely on the floor, Romey appeared from behind the curtains to help him, pulling her goggles down over her eyes to shield them from the lights. He’d hired the brush-tailed possum on as a stagehand a while before and she’d already been getting on with the whole cast like a house on fire, proving to be more than helpful with her exceptional climbing skills and general backstage prowess. The only inherent flaw he could name was her high sensitivity to bright lights, having to take medication to deal with the headaches even strong sunlight caused her, but if anything it made her fit in with their little band of misfits even better.
They made quick work of adjusting the canvas and she rushed backstage once again, raising the bar once more as he moved to check it.
“Perfect, it’s good to go! Take it back to the top and we’ll move on to the rest. Just gimme a sec to check the weights.”
With that he made his way backstage and into the cacophony of noise it contained. Everyone was rushing about adjusting things and organizing costumes, making last minute preparations. The show they’d been preparing for for months was in just a few days, so it really was no surprise they were in a bit of a tizzy. Even so, he could hardly hear himself think, just barely managing to catch Romey’s Aussie accent as he passed her.
“Righto, the backdrop's out uh the way. The lighting set for Ash's part needs adjustin next, ay?”
Buster quickly checked the weights on the fly system and, finding them in order, gave her a nod. She went to work lowering the piece, expertly stopping the rope just as it reached the place they’d marked earlier. Making sure it was secure, she turned and started back for the stage, stopping a moment to tie back the curtains.
As he moved to follow her, an odd sort of noise met his ears over the din and he paused, ears perking up to try and catch it again. It had been a high pitched sort of ‘pwing’, like something small and metallic slicing through the air. It came again and when he glanced up to follow it to the source, he felt his heart stop.
One of the shows set pieces, a large platform made of wood and glass, hung above the backstage, having been strung up out of the way earlier. A series of wires were wrapped around its bottom and corners to hold it aloft and they all came together above the platform's center to form a thick rope like cable.
A cable that was slowly beginning to snap and unravel.
But how?! He’d personally checked the wires when they’d first hauled it up...hadn’t he? He suddenly seemed unable to recall the memory and the little voice in the back of his head screamed at him for the many all-nighters he’d been pulling lately. As he stood there another section of it came loose and the platform listed violently to one side with a groan. Mind racing, the koala’s head snapped around to look at those around him. He expected to see them ducking for cover and hurrying out of the way, but it was as though he was the only one able to hear the incoming disaster. If it fell...
Just before the final strand gave way he let out a scream.
“EVERYONE GET BACK!”
The cast leapt in fright and scrambled blindly out of the way, following the order despite not understanding the situation at hand. Faster than he thought possible, his gaze snapped from person to person, checking their safety. For a moment he felt a bit more at calm. Then his eyes landed on the lone still figure among the chaos and his heart jerked.
Romey stood directly in the danger zone, eyes turned up in horror to the disaster above her, seemingly frozen in place.
He was moving before he even realized it, throwing himself forward into the fray. His shoulder met her solidly in the center of the back and she gave a choked sound, all of the air forced out of her lungs as she was thrown forward end over end.
The crash that followed shook the entire building, a cloud of dust exploding through the backstage. There was a chorus of shouts as the occupants threw their arms up to block it, doing their best to shelter anyone standing near them. After a minute or so the air began to clear, accompanied with a cacophony of voices and coughing.
“What the hell just happened!?”
“Is everyone alright?!”
“Did something fall??”
Coughing and waving the settling particles away, Johnny stumbled through the chaos, nearly tripping over a certain possum lying face down on the ground.
“Romey, are you ok?” He asked, crouching down as she rolled over and helped her sit up.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine. Where’s...?” She replied, gagging a bit on the cloud as she reached up to fix her severely askew goggles. She suddenly froze, all the color draining from her face as her eyes locked onto something. He followed her gaze and found the wrecked bulk of the platform scattered in a heap a few feet away. The wood and glass were twisted and shattered by the impact, most likely leaving a decent dent in the floor as well. There was something else there as well, hidden amongst the drifting dust at the base, and Romey gave a shocked whisper just as it settled enough for him to see.
Pinned beneath the wreckage, laying deathly still amongst a slowly growing pool of red, was a familiar face.
“Buster?”
*
Busters first thought, upon drifting back into consciousness, was that everything
really FUCKING hurt
. His entire body felt like a massive bruise, especially around his back and neck. To top it off, his right arm was a bit numb and felt as though it were wrapped in concrete. Slowly his eyes fluttered open and he gave a quiet groan at the room's dim light, even the gentle noise managing to send a new wave of pain flooding through him.
“Oh, you’re awake!”
Not daring to move his head, he slowly shifted his eyes over to the side, finding a civet in a white uniform leaned towards him.
“What’s...? Who...?” He muttered
“Sir, you’re in the hospital.” She gently interjected and he blinked sleepily at her, mind clearing a bit.
“Hospital...?”
“You were in an accident sir. At your theater.”
The moment the words left her mouth the memories came flooding back and he gave a gasp, moving to snap up right in bed. She pressed a hand to his chest before he got far, though he doubted he could have completed the action anyway, considering the agonizing yank of something in his side that accompanied the movement. He gave a hiss of pain and she gently guided him back down into the pillows of what he now recognized to be a hospital bed.
“My-My cast! Are they-!”
They stopped him with a calm hand on his shoulder and a smile.
“They’re all fine. Actually...”
Reaching for a phone hanging from the wall, she punched in a few numbers and held it to her ear.
“...Doctor?...Yes, he just woke up...Yes, you can send them up now.”
As she spoke Buster glanced down at himself. He was dressed in a hospital gown, a thick plaster cast on his right arm. He lifted the collar and moved to look down, but found the movement halted by a stiff neck brace. Straining his eyes he just managed to see the length of bandages wrapped around his abdomen, no doubt a number of stitches beneath from the painful pull each breath caused. His legs were equally un-spared, the stretches of dark bruises visible even through his fur. He suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him and he closed his eyes, falling into a light doze. His nap didn’t last very long though, as a few minutes later the sound of running feet stampeded up the hallway outside and the room's door flew open with a bang. His eyes jerked open and he looked over to see the theater gang, out of breath and still a bit dusty, standing in the doorway. They stood and stared at him for a moment before rushing into the room with a chorus of tearful shouts.
“Buster!”
“You’re ok!”
“Took ya long enough to wake up!”
Despite the pain he felt a smile climb on his face as they crowded around the bed.
“Alright, everyone calm down.” The nurse soothed, waving her hands as though she were hushing a group of rambunctious grade schoolers.
“He may be awake, but I don’t think yelling will help the healing process.”
Her presence seemed to help and the group quieted, giving her a respectful nod before turning once more to Buster. The nurse slowly helped the injured koala into a sitting position, piling a mountain of pillows behind him. He looked around at them for a moment and then spoke, voice raspy.
“Hi everyone.”
“How are you feeling?” Rosita quietly asked and he shrugged, wincing with the movement.
“Well, it’s not the worst condition I’ve ever been in.” He replied.
“Heh, find that a bit hard to believe.” Mike scoffed, leaping down from his perch in Meena’s hands to sit on the covers.
“You’ve never been a theater major in college.” He retorted and the group gave muffled snorts of laughter at Mike’s insulted expression.
“But really,” he continued, gaze scanning across his team.
“It might take a bit, but I’ll be fine. At least the theater is still in one piece this time.”
He paused, expression growing uncertain.
“It is still in one piece right?”
“Yeah, yeah! No worries!” Johnny quickly assured him.
“The theater’s fine. Can’t quite say the same for that platform, but we can always build another.”
Buster gave a sigh of relief and leaned back against the pillows the nurse had adjusted as they talked. After a moment though his face grew grim and he blew a long breathe out through his nose.
“I suppose we should address the problem at hand then.”
The others watched as he stared up at the ceiling.
“The show is in two days, and now we’re down both a director and part of the set. The later can be fixed of course but as for myself...well it’ll take more time than we have just for me to get out of here. I’m afraid that we’re going to need to ca-“
Before he could finish Ash held up a hand to stop him, an impish smile on her face as she spoke.
“Oh, no need to worry about that Moon.”
“W-What?”
“While we were waiting we all talked it over and, well...” Rosita continued, clasping her hand together.
“We’re going to do the show as planned.”
Buster froze, looking around at them with wide eyes.
“B-But who will be the announcer?” He asked, jumping as a hand settled on his knee.
“I will.”
He looked down to find Romey standing beside him, having slipped past the others without his noticing. She stared at him with fiery eyes for a moment before her expression saddened and she looked down at the ground.
“It’s the least I can do. I’m the reason you ended up here to begin with.”
He with a sympathetic sigh as he reached out and ruffled the girls fur in an attempt to be soothing, slowly looking around at the others.
“...Are you sure? You think you can handle it?” He asked and the group nodded in firm confirmation.
“Mr. Moon , you’ve put way too much work into this for us to just throw it away. We all have. We can handle this.” Meena confirmed and Gunter nodded vigorously beside her.
“Yah! Besides, what would we tell the fans if we suddenly canceled it out of the blue? The show must go on!”
This pulled a chuckle from him and some of the tension in the room evaporated.
“Alright, alright, I see your point. I’m counting on you guys.” He announced with a smile and they grinned in return.
“We won’t let you down Mr. Moon.” Johnny replied, the others shouting their agreement. The excitement was pierced by someone politely clearing their throat and they all glanced over at the nurse.
“Sorry to break up the celebration, but visiting hours are almost over.” She told them and they gave their quiet thanks before turning back to their director.
“Get some rest Buster. We’ve got this.” Rosita assured him and he nodded, settling back into the pillows with a sigh.
“I know you do.”
*
Once they were outside, the group stopped a few yards from the hospital doors, turning to look up at the windows. They simply stood and watched, all lost in thought for a moment, before springing once more into action. As per normal, Rosita took the lead and the others all turned to her as she began to speak.
“Alright everybody, we gotta put all we got into this. Buster has done so much for us, it’s about time we paid him back. The show’s only a couple days away. We’re gonna be having a few really long nights if we want to get everything finished in time. And I don’t want to hear any complaining about it.” This last part appeared mostly directed at Mike, fixing the rodent in her gaze as she spoke. He rolled his eye and gave a derisive snort.
“Oh, as if he hasn’t done just as much for me as he has you guys.”
“...I wish we could do something more to show him our gratitude.” Meena muttered and the others gave their own quiet agreements.
“If only we could think of something special for him.”
There was a loud snap and they all glanced over to see Romey looking at them as though she’d had a realization, hand still raised in a snapping position as a grin spread across her face.
“Mates, I think I ‘ave an idea.”
*
It didn’t take more than a few hours after his awakening for the news of Buster's stay to spread through the hospital. He entertained more than a few guests over the following days, everything from doctors and nurses to other more able-bodied patients. As it turns out, their shows had a bit of a rave following around the place, to the point where the staff would set up a massive projection screen in the visitor center and stage an impromptu “movie night” amongst themselves and the residents for each performance. Under better circumstances Buster would have been right there with them, but due to his current mobility issues he would have to abstain for the moment. It didn’t take more than a few words to the nurse though for an extra tv, a nice flatscreen at that, to be wheeled up to his room and posted at the foot of his bed. Once she was sure he was settled, the civet rushed off to join the others, leaving Buster alone with his thoughts as he waited.
His own doctor had been one of the earlier visitors, sitting with him for a time to explain the full extent of his injuries. Considering he’d had a large platform made of wood and glass dropped on him, they surprisingly weren’t nearly as severe as they’d typically expect them to be. He’d broken an arm (luckily a clean fracture that would heal easily), suffered a large laceration to his side, and significant bruising to his back and legs. The neck brace had been more of a precaution than anything and would be removed in a couple days. Nothing that would leave lasting damage, but still bad enough that he wouldn’t be able to walk in any way resembling well for a few more days.
Still, it wasn’t his own physical condition that occupied his mind, no, right now his thoughts were focused on the theater across town. Were the others ok? Was everything going smoothly? Had they made all the repairs in time? He knew he shouldn’t be worried, knew that they were far more skilled than they appeared at first glance and could handle themselves. But watching all of this happen from an outsider’s perspective was unknown territory for him and... well to be honest was just plain unsettling to him. He frowned, tapping his free hand nervously on the sheets as he lost himself in his worries.
A familiar announcement jingle met his ears and he turned to look at the screen just as the news cut to a live camera feed showing a, by now, familiar dachshund. Behind him Buster could clearly see the stage and seating full to bursting, the noise almost drowning out the reporter as he spoke.
“Hello everyone! Lawrence Wiles here!” He greeted the screen.
“I’m currently broadcasting straight from the New Moon Theater, where the show is about to begin! We’ve been promised it will be just as spectacular a performance as always, so I hope you stay tuned!”
The lights around him suddenly dimmed, a hush sweeping over the crowd, and he turned for a moment to glance at the curtain.
“Ah, I believe it’s starting! I’ll leave you all to enjoy now!”
With that he ducked out of sight and the camera smoothly zoomed in focus on the stage. After a brief moment, a spotlight focused in on the top of the curtain and, as had become tradition, their crescent moon began to lower. As it slid down into sight, Buster couldn’t help but give a tiny inhale.
Just as he always did, Romey rode upon it, her legs crossed, practically lounging along its curve and looking as nonchalant as could be. But gone was her normal, casual stagehand attire. Instead she wore dark tuxedo pants and an open swallowtail dress coat, a silvery-blue waistcoat and azure tie lying beneath. She still wore goggles, but as he could see from the close up angle the camera feed cut to, these had prismatic jewel-like lenses and were decorated with interacted clockwork. She looked every bit the showman he could have dreamed of.
In a flourish she raised the mic, throwing her other arm theatrically into the air.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the New Moon Theater!”
She called out, being met with an eruption of cheers. Even the rougher portions of her accent seemed to have vanished as she slipped into the role.
“My name is Romey, and I’ll be your announcer for the evening!”
The moon reached stage level and she slid down off of it, landing with a little skip and hop as she addressed the audience once more.
“Now, I’m sure you were most likely expecting our theater’s own Mr. Buster Moon.”
She said and once again the audience once again cheered.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Moon was involved in an accident here at the theater a few days ago and is currently in the hospital.”
A flood of worried whispers spread out across the through and Buster felt his heart ache a bit. Apparently the news hadn’t really gotten out to the public yet. She quieted them with a wave of her hand.
“No worries though. He’s currently on the mend and should be out in a few short days. Now then I believe you all came here for a show, didn’t you?”
The crowd quickly seemed to regain its enthusiasm, and soon she had to wave her hand again to calm their excitement.
“Now then, we here at the Moon Theater have a particular appreciation for themes. The same applies to this show. If you’re a regular here, you may know that each of our performers has a bit of a particular style that they adhere to. Well, we decided that tonight, they’ll be stepping out of their comfort zones and venturing into unknown territory. Our theme for tonight is opposites, and they’ll each be tackling a style of music you’ve never seen them perform before! Everyone excited?”
She gave a laugh at the rapturous reply she got and leapt back up onto the moon piece.
“Well then, it’s my pleasure to introduce everyone’s favorite dancing duo, Gunter and Rosita!”
She made a sweeping gesture towards the curtain and the moon quickly ascended again, the curtains parting as it did. Behind them lay a blank white scrim, and mutters of confusion passed through the audience. Quietly the music began and Buster felt himself shift in anticipation, the sound seeming far away at first before slowly growing louder. The lights along the edge of the stage gently pulsed along to the beat, and the audience quieted again.
The music suddenly jumped in volume and lights behind the scrim suddenly burst to life, casting a pair of familiar shadows onto the curtain as they leapt into perfectly synchronized movement. Cheers rose as the shadows danced, each fast step both smooth and yet with a particular sharpness to it. Legs kicked high and feet swiveled as they turned and switched places, Rosita’s voice echoing about the theater.
“There's a boy downtown, from the club I know. He doesn't say a word, he just hits the floor.”
“The way he moves always caught my eye. Couldn't take it no more, just had to try.”
The shadows joined hands and one spun the other into the spin Buster had seen them practice all those weeks ago.
“I moved to the floor as he danced away, his feet like magic, then he looked my way.”
She planted her feet near his and leaned, hands still clenched and arms thrown out, the silhouettes of their heads turned to look at each other. A moment later he swung her around and back upright, their bodies close.
“And in one swoop, he had me by his side.”
Suddenly she planted a foot on his hip and kicked him away, the male pig dramatically leaping backwards.
“I knew I was in for a ride!”
“As we!”
A leap from both and then their shadows were blurring into a series of sharp steps.
“Swing to the sound!”
“Our feet tap-tapping and our heartbeats beating and-uh, spin round and round.”
“We were lost in the rhythm, the lights and the crowd.”
“That look in his eyes made me sure,”
A series of hip wiggles from them both and then they struck a pose, one hand on their hips with the other teasingly pointed towards each other.
“We’d be dancing till the dawn.”
The scrim suddenly went dark, the silhouettes vanishing, and the crowd gasped, the camera angle cutting over to another feed just as a spotlight illuminated something hanging over the audience’s heads.
It was a giant rectangular birdcage of gilded gold metal with a wooden base, a series of spotlights along its edge illuminating its center. It was suspended by a number of absurdly thick cables that disappeared back up into the darkness that the structure had been hidden in earlier.
And in it’s center, still maintaining the pose that the projections had held just a moment before, were Gunter and Rosita.
Looking straight out of the jazz era, she wore a red and black flapper dress with a feathered headband, and he a matching pinstriped zoot suit and fedora. With a blast of trumpets, they leapt back into motion for the next verse, circling each other playfully around the edge of the cage as their hands trailing the bars.
“Boy, I tell ya, that boy can move. I've been twistin' and turnin' around in my Jimmy Choo's. Never knew I'd feel so alive. That guy sure knows how to twist and jive.”
They stepped towards each other and clasped hands, doing a front then back step that was distinctly Charleston. After a moment he twirled her close, the two hip popping and swaying together.
“We swayed around the club all night, not once did he ever leave my side. No matter what we couldn’t stop.”
“Dancing, waiting for that droooop!”
They both dramatically swooned in opposite directions, before popping back up into the chorus. As they did, the cage began to move, swinging in a wide arc over the audience as it headed for the stage.
“As we, swing to the sound!”
“Our feet tap-tapping and our heartbeats beating and-uh, spin round and round.”
“We were lost in the rhythm, the lights and the crowd.”
“That look in his eyes made me sure.”
They struck a series of poses, voguing along to the beat.
“We’d be dancing, dancing, dancing till the dawn.”
The cage touched down on the stage and, with a snap of their fingers, the walls fell away, freeing them. They immediately pranced out onto stage, heels clicking sharp and shoulders wiggling playfully as they danced back and forth along the edge with smooth fast moves.
“We were lost in the rhythm, the lights and the crowd.”
They paused at the center, each’s legs swinging expertly in front of one another in a series of iconic swing-based steps, their arms waving as though to bring the audience to its feet as they bounced along to the beat.
Suddenly things seemed to jump into high gear, one seizing the others forearm as they whipped around in a number of spinouts and twists under each other’s arms, the sudden rush of lyrics accenting their speed.
“Heartbeat beating on the ground, with-uh”
“Heartbeat beating on the-“
“Spin round and-“
“Heartbeat beating on the ground.”
“We were lost in the rhythm the lights and the crowd.”
“Heartbeat beating on the ground, with-uh”
“Heartbeat beating on the-“
“Spin round and-“
“Heartbeat beating on the ground-ground-“
“STOP.”
They dropped into crouches, one leg kicking out behind the other in a sort of controlled fall before they caught themselves, as the music slowed a bit. Smoothly they spun on their heels and twirled back up to their full heights. They parted, moving to either side of the stage in slow graceful movements, eyes focused on the audience.
“Swing to the sound. Our feet tap-tapping and our heartbeats beating and-uh spin round and round.”
“We got lost in the rhythm, the lights and the crowd.”
“That look in his eyes made me sure.”
“We'd be dancing-dancing-dancing till the dawn.”
If the jump in energy had been impressive before, the part that followed was a whole nother level. They both whipped around and, with the crescendoing of trumpets to lead them on, they sprinted towards each other. At the last moment Gunter planted himself and Rosita leapt, soaring through the air and landing side-saddle on his shoulder, one leg cocked up closer to her body while the other stretched out in a kick of sorts, both feet pointed. He grasped her arms and she balanced there for a moment before tilting sideways and down across his shoulders, flipping off of him. Not wasting a moment, they burst into a sequence of aerial tricks. They spun back to back, hooked their arms and he flipped her forward over his shoulders, only for her to dive back into a handstand once she’d landed, hooking her knees over his shoulders and pull herself up so she was seated on his collarbone. She grinned down at him for a split second before getting her feet under her and leaping off into a backflip.
“Heartbeat beating on the ground, with-uh”
“Heartbeat beating on the-“
“Spin round and-“
“Heartbeat beating on the ground-ground-“
“We got Lost In The Rhythm, the lights and the crowd”
The pure energy on the screen was practically tangible as they flipped, spun and threw in fast footwork, all perfectly on beat.
“Heartbeat beating on the ground, with-uh”
“Heartbeat beating on the-“
“Spin round and-“
“Heartbeat beating on the ground-ground-“
They planted themselves and whipped towards each other, each with an impish grin on their face. Clasping hands, he lifted her, bouncing her against his hip while her legs kicked out, and then swung her down between his legs. For a moment he released he hands and she made a full rotation beneath him before he grabbed hold again. Then, the muscles in his arms visibly tensing, he swung her out and up, her body making a perfect arc as she flipped backwards over his shoulder. Buster’s eyes widen and he felt himself beam at the sight. The trick, a hybrid all their own, of something he’d learned was called a Flail, was advanced and needed a lot of training. Yet he’d never seen them perform it as perfectly during practice as they had just then.
“Stop.”
One elbow on their bent knee, hand reaching up to tip their respective headpiece, the other limb thrown theatrically outwards as they mirrored the other’s pose and leaned towards each other, they froze.
There was a moment of silence as the music gave one last thump, then the audience leapt to their feet in applause, a section near the front reserved for their families cheering the hardest. They two of them smiled and bowed, high-fiving Romey as she came dashing on stage and stopped between them.
“Gunter and Rosita, as dazzling as ever! Give em a hand folks!”
She chirped, and the audience redoubled its efforts, Buster himself joining in with a chuckle as the curtain closed and they presumably began to clear the stage.
“Now then, how’s about we move this thing along? I’m pretty sure there’s a certain handsome young singer you’re all excited to see...and nah, Mike, I wasn’t talkin ‘bout you.”
She smirked, slipping out of her performance voice back into her normal accent as she looked over to make a comment towards the backstage, the audience chuckling at her words. Though the mics didn’t pick anything up, Buster had no doubts that the mouse was raging at her from offstage.
“Jokes aside, I think it’s time for our resident boy wonder to take this stage for a spin. Everybody, please welcome...Johnny!”
She quickly exited alongside the applause and the curtain opened, once more showing darkness beyond. As the music began to fade in, there was a flicker of pink light against the dark, then more, each light pulsing along to the heavy beat. As the music grew louder they rose, forming the levels of a waveform along either end of the stage. There was a momentary pause and then the spotlight above flashed on, bathing the stage and its contents in light purple light.
In addition to the many pulsing pink light bars, the stage was decorated with curling black iron work and lanterns, both they and the iron chandelier hanging over center stage bearing flickering purple flames. Just below it, posed on a tiered staircase-like platform, was Johnny.
He wore a white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbow and pinkish-purple tie tugged loose, over a pair of black jeans. He’d forgone his jacket this time it seemed in exchange for an open leather vest with lapels pinned back by stylized skull pins. He smirked at the audience and raised the mic to sing.
“I got this feeling, I'm losing you. And it's got me reeling, I need a clue.”
“Got my heart burning, I lost my spell. Can't see you turning up, ah.”
He gave a little shrug, shaking his head.
“This looks like hell.”
“Oooh!”
He started down the stairs, one line at a time.
“I can't fight this feeling.”
“It's not in my head.”
“And I know it was something I did, baby.”
“I can't fight this feeling.”
“I'm out of control.”
“Got to get back to the life that I know!”
“Hooo!”
Leaping the last step, he landed on the stage with a perfectly timed thump, face snapping down towards the mic as the chorus broke in.
“I'm not freaking out.”
“But it feels like time is running out.”
“How did this shit come about?”
He looked out at the crowd, head tilting playfully as though asking them.
“I'm not freaking out.”
“But I'm afraid,”
“Afraid of losing yoooou!”
“Hoo!”
He punctuated the music with a little bounce on the balls of his feet, dancing along the length of the stage as he pointed towards the crowd.
“If that's what it comes to, baby.”
“If that's what it comes to, baby.”
“It's all you gotta say to me.”
“If that's what it comes to, baby.”
“If that's what it comes to, baby.”
“It's all you gotta say to me!”
“Hooo!”
Three opposing jerks of his head and shoulders, then he planted his hand on his hip, mic tipping away with a little nonchalant shrug.
“Uh!”
As the music shifted into a guitar solo, he gave a little bounce and started along the ironwork that flanked him, hand trailing the metal. He paused at one of the lanterns, wrapping his hand around it as he sang.
“I just keep biting my tongue,
“'Til all you want is done.”
“Alright.”
He spun around it once, before planting his feet together at the base and leaning far out to one side.
“And you just wanna leave me.”
“Oh, yeah.”
His head ducked as though in a sigh before he regained his happy demeanor.
“Oh, c'mon!”
He hopped free and strut towards the front of the stage, getting right up on the crowd.
“I can't fight this feeling.”
“It's not in my head.”
“And I know it was something I did, baby.”
He gave a series of little upwards waves to the beat, the crowd bouncing to its feet at his command.
“I can't fight this feeling.”
“I'm out of control.”
“Got to get back to the life that I know!”
“Hooo!”
In unison he and the entire room gave a jump, Buster himself giving an excited little fist pump with his free arm though unable to move to the beat much, as the flashing lights washed over them like a rave. The teen grinned and started back up the stairs, dancing along with little popping movements and bouncing footwork the whole way.
“I'm not freaking out.”
“But it feels like time is running out.”
“How did this shit come about?”
“I'm not freaking out.”
“But I'm afraid,”
“Afraid of losing you.”
“Hooo!”
He reached the top and continued to sing, leaning low over the mic before dramatically arching back in profile as he really put his all into the act
“If that's what it comes to, baby.”
“If that's what it comes to, baby.”
“It's all you gotta say to me.”
“If that's what it comes to, baby.”
“If that's what it comes to, baby.”
“It's all you gotta say to me!”
“Hooo!”
With a little running start he leapt up and grabbed the chandelier, the momentum causing it to arch out in a series of wide circles around the platform. His laughter could be heard over the mic as he simply performed for the crowd, hanging from one arm, switching grips mid-flight, flipping upside-down to hang from his legs. Eventually it slowed to hang above the platform again and, the music rapidly nearing its end, he kicked out his legs, causing both it and himself to spin in place. He hung for a few moments from both arms, then one, before dropping down to the platform, spiraling as he went. He landed facing the audience, mic snapping up and fist thrusting towards the sky as the final beat sounded.
“Hooo!”
Already on their feet, the crowd leapt into motion and cheered, quickly beginning to resemble a bouncing mosh pit as the young man gave a grin and bowed.
(In a certain prison nearby, the rec room resembled the quite the same, the clapping of three familiar gorillas seated right up front the loudest of all.)
The applause only intensified as Romey descended down from above the curtain line via a gold tasseled rope, her feet clicking down right beside the teen.
“Johnny everybody!
” She cheered, thrusting her arms out towards him as though presenting him to the audience and he laughed. Together they descended the steps, Romey pulling the rope along with her, the platforms folding away into each other as they went.
“Impressive as always my friend.”
She praised, patting him on the back (or the portion of it she could reach anyway) as the curtain closed behind them and he slipped through the flap with one last wave. At the very edge of Buster hearing he could make out a whisper of tell-tale scrapping the mics were picking up in the quiet, no doubt the team rushing to adjust the stage.
“Now then, how’s about we simmer down after all that excitement? Hmmm, who could possibly be up next? Any guesses?”
The audience gave a resounding chant of “Ash, Ash, Ash!” and she laughed, waving a hand to settle them.
“Right you are! But our resident Rocker Queen is setting aside her guitar for tonight’s show. Instead, she’s taking a bit of a... slower touch, and she’s got a little show of her own for you. Hehehe...I’ll just let you see for yourselves.”
With that she twisted the rope twice around her arm and gave a strong tug, holding tight as it whisked her away upwards out of sight into the catwalk. The curtains parted, allowing the layer or atmospheric smoke now obscuring the floor to spill over the edge, and a spotlight appeared, sweeping slowly over the stage before settling on the figure at its center. She was seated sideways on a curved grey chaise lounge, a long black mantle draped over her shoulders and hiding away her spines. She took a deep breath as she pulled one knee closer to herself and lifted the microphone, the audience leaning forward in anticipation as the music quietly started.
“Birds flying high, you know how I feel.”
“Sun in the sky, you know how I feel.”
“Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel.”
Her voice was low and smooth as silk, the audience quickly finding themselves entranced as she leaned forward slightly.
“It's a new dawn.”
“It's a new day.”
“It's a new life.”
With each line the soft lighting above swelled, illuminating more of the stage. It was fairly bare, aiming more towards the atmospheric than flashy, with just a few draping curtains and a lighting screen behind her.
“For me,”
Her head turned to look at the audience and a playful smirk spread across her face.
“And I'm feeling...good.”
As a trumpet blared she threw back her shoulders, the mantle slipping away and the crowd giving a little gasp. She wore a dark swallowtail vest with jeweled buttons over a grey and white pinstriped shirt, the cuffs billowing out at the wrist. The dark ouji-style jodhpurs beneath fastened just above the knee with matching buttons, only a small stretch of pinstriped leggings showing underneath before meeting the tall heeled boots she wore.
“I’m feelin good.”
On the crescendo she spun her feet around and down with a click of heels and stood. The light screen at the back of the stage let out a pulse of light, resembling a ripple in a pond with each blare of the trumpets over the speakers. In slow smooth movement she began to move about the stage, coming to the edge and traversing the length as she looked out at the audience.
“Fish in the sea, you know how I feel,”
“River running free, you know how I feel.”
“Blossom on a tree, you know how I feel.”
“It's a new dawn.”
“It's a new day.”
“It's a new life.”
“For me,”
“And I'm feeling good.”
She slid down to sit on the edge of the stage, crossing her legs as her eyes scanned over the audience.
“Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know?”
“Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean.”
“Sleep in peace when day is done, that's what I mean.”
She lifted her arms, raising them higher with each line.
“And this old world “
“Is a new world”
“And a bold world”
“Foooor meeee.”
She suddenly lifted a knee and planted a foot on the stage, pushing herself to her feet and throwing her arms out wide as the softness of her voice gave way to power.
“Oh, fo-o-o-o-o-ooooor meeeeeeee!”
As the song broke into an instrumental she danced smoothly about the stage, her long slow movements interjected occasionally with sharp sudden poses on beat with the blares of the trumpets. As the solo came to an end her voice returned, still smoother and hushed than normal. She stood once more at the center of the stage, each of her movements seeming to hold back a burst of contained energy waiting to get out.
“Stars when you shine, you know how I feel.”
“Scent of the pine, you know how I feel.”
With a spin she stepped up onto the lounge behind her and when she spoke her voice contained all the emotion and power it normally did during rock, simply channeled into a new form.
“Oh freedom is mine!”
“And I know how I feel!”
She pulled her arms close to her chest, leaning into them as she sang, each word seeming more charged than the previous.
“It's a new dawn,”
“It's a new day,”
“It's a new life.”
The lounge suddenly began to rise upwards, supported on a lift. Smoke poured down the sides, making it appear she was suspended on a pillar of the stuff, silhouetting her against the light that pulsed behind her.
“It's a new dawn,
“It's a new day,
“It's a new life.”
Her arms jerked out away from her, as though pounding on invisible walls, as her voice billowed and grew.
“It's a new dawn!”
“It's a new day!”
“It's a new life!”
“It's a new life!”
Her arms flung out and lifted high as she crescendoed, her voice filing the theater.
“For meeeEEEEEE!”
The music dipped and she yanked them close to her body again.
“AAAAND I’M FEEEEELIIIIIIN......good.”
Her voice dipped down once more to the softness it had had before as she slowly sank back down to sit on the lounge, smiling at the audience as it slowly began to sink back to earth.
“I'm feeling gooooooood.”
“I feeeeel sooooo goooood.”
“I feel so good.”
As the music and lights began to dim, she leaned back along the couch, arms tucked nonchalantly behind her head as it touched down and the last note faded out.
There was a moment of silence from the audience and then both they and Buster himself seemed to break out of their stupor. They erupted into cheers while the koala clapped ecstatically, despite the fact she knew she wouldn’t be able to hear it. Romey seemed to pop up out of nowhere from the smoke, applauding as well, and politely offered Ash her hand in order to help her down from the couch.
“Well, well, well, seems our Rocker Queen has become a songbird
!” She teased and Ash gave her a playful shove as she took her bow.
“But, it’s time for this little bird to go back to her cage for a rest and let the next act have the spotlight.”
She made a cheeky shooing motion as the curtain closed and Ash stuck her tongue out at the possum before slipping out of sight. Giving one last chuckle, she turned back to the audience.
“Now then, I think you all are beginning to understand what we mean when we said ‘opposites’. But if you thought that switch was impressive, whooo you ain’t in for nothing yet. I’m sure everyone here remembers a certain suave mouse, hmm?”
She asked, waving away the last dregs of smoke. The crowd, a lot of ladies especially, shouted their confirmation and Romey grinned impishly.
“Good, because everyone’s favorite crooner is about to take us all for a bit of a trip on the wild side. Oh ho ho, things are about to get very interesting indeed.”
She slipped away out of sight and for just a moment over the speakers you could hear the faint whisper of “You guys all hooked in?” before she switched her mic off. A few moments later the curtains parted and with a swell of music, the lights eased on brightly. The first thing he saw was the backdrop they’d worked so long to hang straight. In the dark it seemed to glow just a bit, the iridescent paint catching the lights. The stage also littered with a number of wooden and glass platforms, the same type that had almost taken him out a few days before, forming almost a full circle around the stage with just a small opening between the first and last. Each was connected to the next with what seemed to be a small curved metal walkway, and they watched the light panels making up the floor of each platform came alight, along with the LED’s framing the paths. As they did so, the figure standing atop the front most was revealed.
Forgoing the suit for once in his life, the mouse stood dressed merely in dark slacks and a dress shirt, the sleeves pushed up and the first few buttons. Somewhere back stage a fan came on, casting a light breeze across the stage and causing the out of place duds to flutter. His cocky grin was still firmly in place though as he turned to the audience, adjusting the mic attached to his ear as he began to sing.
“We took it all apart but I'm wishing I'd stayed.”
“In the back room something I heard you say.”
“We didn't want to call it too early.”
“Now it seems a world away,”
Despite being a jazz man at heart, the mouse rich baritone seemed to fit the more modern style like a glove and the audience gave a few quiet scattered laughs of pleasant surprise. His grin growing even bigger at their reactions, he gave a sweeping arm motion.
“But I miss that day, are we ever gonna feel the same?”
His shoulders bounced to the beat as the base thumped, the lights pulsing and rippling around him as he sang.
“Standing in the light 'til it's over.”
“Out of our minds.”
“Someone had to draw a line.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
In the smooth, jazz-reminiscent steps of someone who wasn’t a dancer, but certainly knew how to carry himself, he danced off along the walkways, the light flashing beneath his feet with each step.
“I don't even care if I know ya.”
“Out of our minds.”
“Sad to leave it all behind.”
“We'll be coming back.”
(Back, back, back, back...)
An echo met him as the lights began to strobe. He tapped his foot along with it, gradually becoming faster and faster till he finally gave a short jump, the light silhouetting him for a moment.
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
The beat dropped and the speakers seemed to nearly shake the theater with the sound, quickly being matched with the steady “thump, thump” of the crowd as they stamped along to it. Despite being out of element the singer looked legitimately happy up on stage, bouncing and swaying along to the beat himself, giving a little musical laugh as it started to fade. He smoothly moved to the curtain, reached behind it and, in a flourish, spun the waiting Nancy out hiding and onto the stage. The crowd gave a cheer of delight and the woman’s own giggle could be heard across the man’s mic. Her inclusion had been Mike’s idea and when Buster had heard it he realized the woman’s presence was just the extra oomph the man’s routine needed. She wore a bright violet halter dress with a sweet-heart neckline, the skirt flaring out to just above her knees as she spun.
As the baritone pulled her close his smile turned warm, the two spinning and twirling up onto the front most platform with a happiness that was hard for even Rosita and Gunter to replicate.
“You can see it from afar, we were riding that wave.”
“Blinded by the lights, and it's something I crave.”
He wrapped his arms tight around her, her back to his chest, and they swayed together under the lights.
“We didn't want to call it too early,”
“Now it seems a world away.”
“But I miss that day, are we ever gonna feel the same?”
He dipped her and the two suddenly smirked, visibly bracing themselves.
As the beat sped up the platforms suddenly began to rise, propelled upwards by the scissor lifts built into their bases. The walkways split and transformed to staircases as the whole contraption engaged, the platform the two stood on staying firmly on the ground whilst the rest created a glowing spiral towards the roof. Grinning to each other, the two mice began to dance their way up, spinning and stepping along in sync to the continued pulsing of the lights.
“Standing in the light 'til it's over.”
“Out of our minds.”
“Someone had to draw a line.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
“I don't even care if I know ya.”
“Out of our minds.”
“Sad to leave it all behind.”
“We'll be coming back.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
Coming to a rest at the very top, they slowed, each clasping a hand with the other. They broke into a series of moves that were significantly more modern than previously, spinning down under each other’s arms and pushing away, veering towards the platform's edges at times before circling back towards each other.
“Gonna rise, gonna fall, getting pulled apart.”
“And we all do it all cause it stole our hearts.”
Grabbing her under the knees, he lifted her into his arms and they spun slowly in place.
“Gonna light up the skies, so ignore the stars.”
In one smooth movement he placed her back down and she twirled in his grip, pulling them closer to the edge.
“And we all do it all cause it stole our hearts.”
They twisted and turned around each other, as the music blared, coming closer and closer to danger. Finally they struck a pose, arms and legs thrown wide with one pair of clenched hands still connecting them. One of Nancy’s leg’s hung in midair, the other heel pressed flush to the edge.
She teetered there for one long moment before tipping off, pulling Mike smoothly along with her.
The audience choked on their breath as they fell, the first hints of a scream rising up amongst them, and Buster felt his heart simultaneously clench and nearly beat out of his chest, a thousand increasingly bad possibilities flickering through his mind.
Then the two’s fly lines caught and sent them swinging and soaring out over the crowd’s heads.
The scream transformed to a thunderous round of cheers as they continued their dance in open air, the camera zooming in to track them and revealing the ecstatic smiles stretched across their faces.
“Standing in the light 'til it's over.”
“Out of our minds.”
“Someone had to draw a line.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
“I don't even care if I know ya.”
“Out of our minds.”
“Sad to leave it all behind.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day.”
“We'll be coming back for you one day....”
Slowly they spiraled down, touching down on the bottom most platform as the music began to fade. Before it could disappear completely Mike spun Nancy into one last dip, pressing their lips together under the lights.
The crowd burst into equal parts cheers and wolf whistles, Romey adding her own to the clamor as she reappeared from the wings. The two finally pulled apart, blushing sheepishly as they turned to bow to the audience.
“Hmm, it appears you two lovebirds might be the new fan favorites.”
The possum chortled, the mice seeming to puff up in pride for a moment at the implication. Then she smirked, lookin down at them and wiggling her eyebrows.
“After that little display though, do we need to give you two some privacy?”
With that Nancy quickly dragged her fiancé offstage as the man turned even brighter red and turned as though to go fight the teen. She gave them a cheeky little wave as they went and luckily whatever he yelled back at her was drowned out by the laughter of the audience as Nancy reached over and flipped off his mic.
“Now then...”
the possum began, only to stop and chuckle.
“To be honest, I’m all sure you know who’s coming out here next.”
The crowd cheered, a faint chant of “Meena! Meena!” feathering out through their ranks and Romey giggled, giving a shrug.
“But who know? Maybe somebody else will show it. Maybe it’ll be me! Do you guys want to see
me
sing?”
She was answered with a roar of cheers from the crowd and she jumped a bit in surprise, Buster having to choke back a snort of laughter at her look of shock, eye wide behind the goggles. For a moment she lost her showman’s swagger, curling in a bit on herself in flattered embarrassment as she rubbed the back of her neck with a bashful chuckle, flushing hard enough for her blush to bleed through her dense fur.
“Sadly not today mates, not today. But, since you seem so certain, how’s about you help me call her out?”
She began waving her hands and arms upwards, bolstering the entire crowd into the chant till the place was practically vibrating with it. The possum suddenly threw her arms above her head and the crowds cheered as the curtains began to part, the little host leaping up and riding them offstage as the music began.
First it was just the tinkling notes of a piano floating through the air, calming the audience’s cheers as they settled into anticipation. But, as the electric guitar jumped to life over the speakers and a spotlight flashed on, they gasped, staring at the figure the light had revealed.
She was dressed in a pleated tartan miniskirt, leggings of a leather like material poking out from beneath, and a flowy t-shirt bearing the image of a weathered family crest, cropped just above the skirts band. Over it was thrown a deep green anorak jacket with a fur trimmed hood, the sleeves pushed up past her elbows. She shifted a bit, adjusting the baggy dark grey beanie that hung back past her ears, and the movement caused the heels of her laced ankle boots to click against the stage.
She suddenly pumped a fist into the air as the base beat hit, the rest of the lights flashing on to reveal the remainder of the set. Various set pieces of broken stone walls and chain-link fences lay around her, bringing about the image of ruins. Similarly to Ash’s performance, a light screen at the stages back thumped in time with the music, illuminating her in bright flashes. As the base thumped through the ground she moved towards the mic stand at the front of the stage and began to sing.
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
“Burn my lungs and curse my eyes.”
“I've lost control and I don't want it back.”
“I'm going numb, I've been hijacked!”
Her heel began tapping to the beat as she gave a shrug and shook her head.
“It's a freakin drag.”
A few people familiar with the song gave chuckles from the audience. As punk rock as she was going with the act, this was still Meena they were talking about. It’s no surprise she was toning things down a little. Smiling out at them she began to strut the edge of the stage.
“I taste you on my lips and I can't get rid of you.”
She paused her movement, hips swinging along to the beat.
“So I say damn your kiss and the awful things you do!”
Throwing her arms out, she pushed the next note and crescendoed beautifully.
“Yeah, you're worse than nicotiiiiiiine!”
“Nictotiiiiine!”
“Yeah, you’re worse than nicotiiiiiiine!”
“Nictotiiiiiiine, yeah!”
The intensity dropped back down again and she stilled, simply swaying in place a bit as he gaze scanned the audience.
“It's better to burn than to fade away.”
“It's better to leave than to be replaced.”
“I'm losing to you, baby, I'm no match.”
She pointed a finger out to the audience, wagging it playfully at them.
“I'm going numb, I've been hijacked”
“It's a freakin drag.”
The crowd began to clap along to the beat and she bounced in place to their rhythm.
“I taste you on my lips and I can't get rid of you.”
“So I say damn your kiss and the awful things you do!”
She grinned as her hips popped and swung, the entire place seeming to move and dance with her.
“Yeah, you're worse than nicotiiiiiiine!”
“Nictotiiiiine!”
“Yeah, you’re worse than nicotiiiiiiine!”
“Nictotiiiiiiine, yeah!”
The music settled once more and she waved a hand as though to calm the audience, slowly making her way around the stage, free hand trailing along the various pieces of the set.
“Just one more hit and then we're through,”
“'Cause you could never love me back.”
“Cut every tie I have to you,”
“'Cause your love's a freakin drag.”
She returned to her place at the stages edge, hand clenched in her shirt as she leaned low over the mic.
“But I need it so bad.”
“Your love's a freakin drag.”
“But I need it so bad.”
She exploded out of the contained posture, voice stronger than ever as she threw out her arms and sang.
“Yeah, you're worse than nicotiiiiiiine!”
“Nictotiiiiine!”
“Yeah, you’re worse than nicotiiiiiiine!”
“Nictotiiiiiiine!”
“Yeah!”
She froze in pose, back arched and mic held above her as she practically exuded confidence, the music pounded to a stop and the flashing lights halting to leave her in silhouette.
The crowd leapt to its feet, practically falling over each other in their excited cheers as Meena grinned out at them. Buster couldn’t help put a hand to his chest, heart swelling with pride at the image. All she ever needed was a little push in order to show her talent, one he was always more than happy to provide and now here she was, holding her own out in front of the roaring crowd that often brought her so much worry. And not just her, but all the others too. They’d each overcome their own limitation to become something more, right before his eyes. Oh, how far they’d all come.
His face slid into a confused frown though as, rather than the others rushing the stage to take their bows, the curtain slid shut. But why? The show was over.
The crowd hushed and his ears perked up as Romey once more stepped out through the flap, the camera zooming in on her as she addressed the audience.
“Now, I know the program lists this as the curtain call, but we have a bit of a surprise for you all. And for you Mr. Moon.”
With that she turned and looked directly into the camera, locking eyes with him through the screen with a smile.
“Sorry ta call ya out like this boss, but over the months we’ve all learned you’re a bit...willful. You’ll always put the theater and the team before yourself, even when to comes to stuff like your health. And so, to show our gratitude, and to make sure your stubbornness doesn’t result in you putting your own needs to the wayside...”
She gave a wave of her paw and Eddie emerged from the edge of the stage, holding a large box with a slot on the top.
“Over the course of tonight we’ve been taking donations. They, along with the proceeds from the show, will be donated directly to you, do with as you please.”
Buster felt the breath freeze in his lungs, staring wide-eyed at the screen as his mind went into a tizzy. They had done all that work, put in all those hours, just to give it all to him? No, no, that wasn’t fair. He couldn’t just stand by and-
His hurried thoughts were cut off as Romy continued, pointing sharply into the camera.
“Granted that you actually use it for yourself, and not just secretly sneak it back into the theater budget next change you get. And trust me, we
will
know if you do.”
Her brows knit together in a scolding, unimpressed look and he couldn’t help but laugh sheepishly. After a moment her expression softened and a warm smile spread across her lips.
“Truly though, thank you Buster, for everything. If not for you, who knows where we’d be right now. You’ve shaped us into the people we are today. Thank you for being there for us, for caring. For being, well, you.”
His gaze blurred over and he gave a quiet hiccup, blinking rapidly to clear the tears as the biggest grin of the night stretched across his face.
“You dummies...” he sniffled happily, shaking his head as much as the neck brace would allow.
As he turned back to the screen, Romey relaxed for a moment out of her controlled posture, dragging a hand over her face.
“I swear to all that is holy, ya had better have been watching that Buster. Otherwise yer gonna be havin one hellva awkward hospital visit later...”
Both he and the audience laughed quietly at her muttering and she straightened back into a more confident pose, throwing out her arms like the true showman she was.
“Now, didn’t we promise all you ladies and gentlemen a surprise?”
she asked and the crowd erupted into cheers. She grinned and swept into a bow, winking at the camera.
“This one’s for you boss. Hope ya like it.”
With one last flick of her tail she slid back through the curtains, and Buster shifted against his pillows in anticipation. What were they planning? The lights of the theater slid low and the audience fell silent, not a soul making a move.
The music suddenly roared over the speakers and the first few drum beats had his heart leaping up into his throat, jaw dropping open with a shocked whisper.
“What?”
Suddenly he was a child again, eyes practically glued to the tv screen as he watched an animated cat and troupe of dogs dance their way through the city.
“This is, what, the 12
th
time you’ve watched this in a week alone? Don’t you think you’ll get tired of it?” His father teasingly asked, leaning over the back of the couch beside his son.
“But Dad, look at how they choreographed this part! The movement is synched perfectly!” the excited young koala exclaimed, his father chuckling as he began pointing out things onscreen. So young, and yet already such an eye for theatrical details. The child paused form his examinations and turned to the elder with a smile.
“Besides, you always said that Mom loved growing up in New York. How’m I not supposed to love it?”
The older koala looked down at him in surprise before giving a warm smile, reaching down to ruffle his son’s hair.
“That she did son. That she did.”
Buster was pulled from his shocked recollections as the curtain pulled back. The normal wooden surface of the stage had been covered with a decorative dance floor resembling concrete. In addition, several faux stone walls of varying heights had been placed strategically around the performance space, the members of the team lounging in various relaxed poses upon them. They were dressed in degrees of mid 80’s street style, with the exception of Ash, whom wore somewhat tattered garb and a page-boy cap.
At his point the poor koala could practically feel his heart stopping from the shock (to be honest it was probably a miracle a nurse hadn’t come running it at this point from his soaring vital readings). How did they
know
? He’d never told anybody about his attachment to this piece, not even Eddie. No one except...
“Well, this is a certainly different choice of ambiance for the morning. I never knew you were into this style of music Mr. Moon.” A quiet voice pulled him from his reminiscing and he looked over the desk to find a familiar scaly smile on the other side, holding a cup of coffee out to him in the early morning light. He gave a chuckle and took the mug from her, cradling it in his free hand.
“Thank you Mrs. Crawly. Yes, it is, uh, uh bit out of place amongst the show tunes and all, isn’t it?” He replied, turning down the music echoing from the speaker of his phone. She gave a quiet laugh in reply and sat down at one of the stools nearby, giving him a look that urged him to say more.
“It, uh, it was my favorite song as a kid. My mom was from New York you see, so I always had a bit of a fond connection to the movie it’s from and the characters...I always listen to it on her birthday.”
The lizard gave him an understanding look and he smiled at her thankful, before looking back down at the picture in his hand, rubbing a thumb gently over the female koala captured there.
Giving a choked and teary laugh, he ran his free hand over his face in fond exasperation.
“You sneaky old lizard...”
A movement pulled his attention back to the screen just as Rosita slid down from her perch and trotted over to the teen, circling her with a smile and an appraising look.
“We gotta clean you up child and give you some on the job training.” She chimed, patting the girl on the head before grinning and moving back to the others with a swing of her hips.
“Oooo, yeah.”
Ash trailed along behind her and when they reached the other once more Rosita turned, putting a hand out to stop her.
“Now listen up,”
“You've got a lot to learn.”
“And if you don't learn, you don't eat.”
The woman wagged a finger at her and the teens face fell for a moment, only to rise once more as the pig paused and raised a digit in the classic “but” position.
“But if you're tough,”
“And always use your head,”
“You'll feel right at home on the street.”
The other slid down for their perches and joined her, all throwing out a hand to point at the younger girl.
“When you've got talent ev'rything is free.
“Watch how we do things, ooh, I guarantee!”
They all pressed a hand to their chests, as though vowing upon the words, and then smooth as could be burst into movement and sound, Buster feeling his breath catch once more as he watched them leap with perfect unison into the swinging, sliding steps he’d memorized all those years ago.
“You're gonna see how the best survive!”
“We make an art out of staying alive!”
“If you do just as you're told,”
“These are streets of gold!”
They threw their arms out, gesturing to the space around them and Rosita cocked a finger at Ash to join them, the teen sidling into their steps with an intentional clumsiness that befit the character perfectly.
“Ev'ry boulevard is a miracle mile!”
“You'll take the town and you'll take it with style!”
“If you play it brave and bold,”
“These are streets of gold!”
The teen purposefully stumbled on the spin they did and Johnny caught her, setting her back on her feet as Rosita chuckled.
“Listen here honey.” She began, patting Ash’s shoulder.
“To live from week to week,”
“You need technique.”
“So you practice ev'ry day.”
The others gave playful grabs at her, which she neatly dodged with a series of precise twirling steps.
“The only rule is:”
“Thou shalt not get caught.”
“Get what you can and then get away.”
She snatched the hat Gunter wore, the other pig giving a cheerful “Hey!” and failing his grab for it, and settled it over her own ears as the five circled around Ash once more.
“Remember all the places you can hide.”
In absolute sync, the six them all planted themselves, swiveled and threw pointing hands out at the camera, directly to Buster.
“Remember we are always on your side!”
Something about the emotion and sentiment in the line made his chest ache in the best way possible and he gave a happy little sob, tears freely rolling down his cheeks now as they grinned at him through the screen
They swung back into action once more, Ash matching them step for step this time as they slid and spun across the stage.
“You're gonna see how the best survive!”
“We make an art out of staying alive!”
They paused, hips popping in unison as they swayed side to side.
“If you do just as you're told,
“These are streets of gold!”
On the last line they threw their arms out to gesture about them, the light switched and both Buster and the audience gasped. He wasn’t sure how they’d done it, whether by a special light filter, luminous paint or both, but as the lights hit them and the stage, everything, from their clothes to the very floor they stood on, flashed golden. Ash, the only normal looking one among them, threw her hands to her mouth and gaped at them in delight at the sight, quickly falling back into step with their dance as they turned to the audience.
“Ev'ry boulevard is a miracle mile!”
“You'll take the town and you'll take it with style!”
Rosita pulled her into a spin and dipped her, one of the teens legs kicked up in the air with both arms thrown back in excitement. After an instant she pulled her back up, lifting her and tossing her to Meena seemingly effortlessly. The elephant caught her and twirled, giggling as she set her down and the teen bounced away a few steps.
“If you play it brave and bold,”
“These are streets of gold!”
As a trumpet section blared over the speakers they twirled, dodged and jumped over and around each other with laughter, their playful bantering seeming to get to the audience as well as several requests for tricks were shouted out from the crowd, the performers only so happy to comply. As the instrumental drew to a close they all stepped back to clear the way, Ash appearing at center stage. A lone spotlight suddenly flashed to life, shining down on the rocker, and Buster couldn’t help but lean far forward in excitement, oblivious of the pain in his stitches in lue of his delight.
“When you've got talent ev'rything is free!
“Watch how we do things, ooh, I guarantee!”
Her powerful voice sent the words echoing around the room as she shouted them out and, swift as the wind, she pulled at the hidden snaps of her ragged clothes, spinning and flinging them away to reveal the glittering gold hidden beneath. Buster gave a whoop of excitement, pumping a fist in the air and swaying back and forth to the music as the others stepped forward around her, following the girls lead.
“You're gonna see how the best survive!”
“We make an art out of staying alive!”
“If you do just as you're told,”
“These are streets of gold!”
They put their all into each step, every movement perfectly synched and bursting with as much energy as they could muster, letting the infectious joy of the environment take them over.
“Ev'ry boulevard is a miracle mile!”
“You'll take the town and you'll take it with style!”
“If you play it brave and bold,”
“These are streets of gold!”
They stepped to the edge of the stage, the audience miming their every movement as the lights flashed and the music swelled.
“
“You're gonna see how the best survive!”
“We make an art out of staying alive!”
“If you do just as you're told,”
“These are streets of gold!”
“Ev'ry boulevard is a miracle mile!”
“You'll take the town and you'll take it with style!”
“If you play it brave and bold,”
“These are streets of gold!”
With one final crescendo, they struck a pose, arms flung high and victorious into the air as the music reached its end.
The last note hadn’t even faded out before the audience, and Buster himself, lost their damn minds, jumping, whistling and screaming their approval as the team eased out of the move, breathing heavily and looking pretty exhausted, but with the biggest grins he’d ever seen on their faces as they looked out over the audience. Admittedly, Buster himself didn’t look much better. His eyes were red, his whole body ached and he’d no doubt pulled a few stitches in his excitement, if the steady thrum of pain in his side was anything to go by, but the ecstatic smile on his face made it all worth it.
The performers made a gesture towards the backstage and Romey came out to join them for their bows, the crowd redoubling their applause, a few even throwing flowers and other small gifts onto the stage. As the other straightened and waved to the adoring crowd Romey raised her mic, swiveling to address them.
“That’s our show everybody! We hope you enjoyed it!” She called, being met with a new wave of cheers. She chuckled and turned, the camera zooming in on her as she addressed it.
“And Buster...”
Gone was the showman act as she grinned wide and genuine, the others crowding down around her to get into frame as well. With a chuckle and flourish, she reached up to push her goggles out of the way and properly met his eyes.
“Thanks for stayin with us. We love ya boss.”
Her words took a few moments to register in his mind, the koala simply blinking owlishly at the screen for several long seconds.
When they finally did, the man gave a choked sound and began to sob in earnest, pressing his hands to his face in a feeble attempt to hide the massive happy grin stretching across his lips.
What in the world had he done to deserve these people?
(Just outside the door, the nurse, drawn here by his vital readings a few minutes before, gave a smile and slipped away unnoticed.)
*
*Moon has entered the group chat*
Super Mom
: So, you ready for us to come pick you Buster?
Moon
: Yep, doctor says I’m good to go.
Pan or European
: Aw yeah! The boss man is back at it! Who says we should go to Wonderland to celebrate?
Punk Goes Pop
: Gunter, I like celebrating as much as the next person, but we are not taking Moon out drinking right after he gets out of the hospital. That’s just askin for trouble.
Angel Cords
: Besides, most of us aren’t old enough to drink anyway.
Crooner
: That didn’t stop some of ya from getting a bit buzzed at the Halloween party.
Boy Wonder
: That’s only cause a certain someone thought it would be funny to spike the punch.
Crooner
: I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Al Dente
: Oh my god guys...
Buster chuckled down at this phone, sitting on the bed of his room as he waited for the doctor to return with his release form, his bag sitting at his feet. As much as he’d enjoyed all the care they’d given him here, he’d been stuck cooped up here the better part of two weeks and was anxious to get out and about. There was a knock at his doorway and he looked up to see the medical professional, a tall light haired gibbon, standing there with a smile.
“Everything’s signed and filed away, Mr. Moon. You’re free to go. I’ll walk you down.”
Buster egerly leapt to his feet and scooped up his things, following the doctor out the door. They made small talk on the way down and when they reached the doors Buster offered the man his hand.
“Thank you for all the care doctor.” He chirped and the man smiled, accepting his handshake.
“It was a pleasure.”
Bidding the nurses farewell as well, he stepped outside, taking a deep breath of fresh air. Looking around, he spotted one of the benches ringing the fountain in the courtyard and headed over, sitting down and leaned back with a content sigh. He’d been stuck inside this whole time, so it was a blessing to be able to enjoy the nice weather again. He shifted about to get comfortable and wait for the others, being careful not to bump his arm into anything. It was still in a cast, now being supported by a sling, and was healing excellently as far as the doctors could tell. He’d simply need to return to the hospital in a few weeks to get it removed.
He wasn’t sure how long he waited, falling into a light half-doze, but his eyes snapped open wide when he heard a call in the distance.
“Mr. Moon!” He snapped upright and turned to see the group heading towards him. Leaping to his feet, he rushed to them, a smile on his face. They reached each other and before he could say a word Meena scooped him up into a hug.
“Mr. Moon, we missed you so much!” She sniffed and he gently returned her hug with a smile.
“I missed you guys too.” He replied and when she set him down the others quickly assaulted him with their own hugs. (Well, other than Mike anyway. The mouse simply gave a little salute of a wave and Buster chuckled.)
“Were you able to see the concert?” Rosita piped up a tad sheepishly and the koala almost seemed to fluff up in excitement. Over the last few weeks there hadn’t been a single mention of it in their chats, the others most likely too nervous to bring it up, and so he’d been forced to contain himself till just now.
“Of course I did! You were all amazing!” he exclaimed and the group's nervous energy dissipated immediately, some even giving little sighs of relief. Unable to contain himself any longer the theater owner broke into an excited tirade, making wide sweeping hand gestures with his free arm as he complimented each of their performances.
“And that surprise at the end, oh my god where did that come from?! You had like two days to prepare, how did you even manage that?!” He enquired and Johnny gave a chuckle, grabbing the possum hiding at the back of the group and pushing her out front.
“Actually, it was Romey’s idea.” He replied and the girl curled her tail around herself sheepishly as Buster turned towards her.
“Umm, well I just thought it would be nice if we could do somethin just for you, and ya known Mrs. Crawly for years, so I asked her if there was any songs you really liked. I mean, I know it was a bit thrown together, and ’m pretty sure we didn’t sleep at all in the days leadin up to the concert, but...” She began to ramble and he placed a hand on her arm to stop her, looking around at the group with warm eyes.
“No, it... it was the best performance I’ve ever seen in my life. And I mean that from the very bottom of my heart. Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to see it.” He replied quietly and the team’s smiles grew warm and loving as they gazed at him, Rosita’s voice soft when she spoke.
“It was the least we could do, after all the help you’ve given and care you’ve shown for us.”
The koala felt his eyes grow moist and he grinned, giving a tiny shrug as he spoke.
“Well, what else was I supposed to do? You’re my family.”
Silence hit the group like a bolt of lightning, punctuated only by a few quiet gasps, their eyes going wide. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, just staring at him as they processed his words.
He wasn’t sure who moved first, but the next thing he knew he was being swept off the ground into a massive group hug, even Mike looking surprisingly content as he was hauled in too. The koala gave a chuckle as the fur of his cheeks grew wet once more, a small voice in the back of his head saying he was going to end up back in the hospital for dehydration if he kept this up, and he relaxed into the embrace, giving one last murmur to the warm silence.
“Oh, and by the way? I love you guys too.”