Forgotten Heritage Part III... originally intended to be the third and final segment, but just started getting too darn big and had to be broken up into a two pieces. So, now this will be a FOUR part story. by Andy Fox (landru@minn.net) August 21, 2003 This story and any accompanying art is available online at http://www1.minn.net/~landru/book. This is a G-rated story. All commercially licensed cartoon characters are copyright and trademarks of their respective companies. All the rest are unique characters of Andy Fox. Fluffy's voice provided by Joss Ackland Sasha Raccoon's voice provided by Janet Wright Phillip Sandal played by Keith David ...the rest are up to you! This is a work of pure fiction based upon the Andy Fox Chronicles storyline, but not to the point where they are required reading for this story. Any similarities between the events depicted in this story to actual ones in Toonity is purely coincidental. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER 14: Answers "Mind if I come along, old chap?" There was a pause before the reply came. "I don't see why not. Mind the upholstery," Andy commented absently as Fluffy hopped in to the back seat of Slappy's car and lay down. All told, the fox's nervous claws on the steering wheel did more damage to the car than the large rabbit's gentle paws. The fox had had a sleepless night, tossing and turning as the words from Lady Amber played over and over in his mind: "You have reached your heritage crossroads, my friend. It's a true sign that the callings have been received, but as you will soon discover--you are a stranger only in spirit." Wile E. yawned casually as he walked up the steps of Acme Looniversity. The hallways were still quiet, the morning rush of students still a quarter of an hour away. He stopped at his office door, noticing that it was unlocked. He entered to see Andy sitting at his desk working. "Oh, I'm sorry," Wile E. scoffed. "I thought this was *my* office." "Uh huh," Andy mumbled, busily paging through the results of the Tiny Toons' Nel-Shada session from the previous day. Wile E. nodded and waved a paw to the rabbit sitting quietly next to the desk. Fluffy smiled and nodded back, his pendent sparking slightly as it caught the rays of morning sunlight coming through the office window. "Sleepless night?" Wile E. asked. "Not really," Andy sighed, "just busy." "Ah ha." Wile E. strolled over to a file cabinet and rummaged through some files. "And how are Lady Amber and Fern these days?" he asked, smiling. The fox still didn't look up, but scowled slightly at the papers in front of him. Wile E. chuckled softly, selecting a file from the cabinet and setting it on his desk. "Not a bad price to pay to have a friend of the animals like that." This time Andy did look up from his papers. He glared hard at Wile E. The coyote raised a paw in quiet defense. "I don't speak Ferret, Andy, and I don't pry. I'm just a concerned friend who happens to have a psychic connection to you." Andy's expression softened slightly. He took Wile E.'s paw and shook it warmly. "Indeed. Though perhaps it would be better for our link to be blocked for a period of time. I think..." Wile E. cut Andy off. "I understand, Fox." The two toons smiled knowingly to each other, and for a brief second a glow emitted from where their paws met. "So what are you going to do around here once the Tiny Toons graduate?" Andy asked, releasing the coyote's paw. Wile E. shrugged. "Same thing I've always done--same as the rest. We'll all staying on here for an indefinite time. Have to educate those young minds you know. There will always be young toons who want to have a career in cartoons." Andy smiled. "That's good to hear. I think the Tiny Toons are a good bunch. I think they will make you all proud." "They already have, Andy," Wile E. said, "more than you can imagine. These Nel-Shada results will confirm what we have always felt: they truly share the same toony spark we Looney Tunes have." Andy nodded. He selected a paper from his stack on the desk and passed it to Wile E. "Care to see your young protege's Nel-Shada index?" Wile E. glanced at the paper, his face going through a series of different expressions before he gave satisfied grunt. "Rotten little imp." Andy smiled. "Well, he does wag his tail more than you do. I don't think I've seen you to one blessed thing with yours on camera--other than get it lit on fire." "Hey!" Wile E. protested crossly. "I'll have you know that takes great skill!" "Sure," Andy smirked. The coyote grunted and handed the paper back to Andy. "Good to see the little scamp excelling so well. Now, if you don't mind, may I have my desk back?" Andy rose and stepped aside, motioning to the desk with a sweep of his paws as if he were displaying some prize on a game show. "Your desk, Sir." Wile E. reclaimed his piece of office furniture and began penciling in items for the day's schedule. Collecting his papers from the Desk, Andy walked over to a window and gazed out at the stream of students now entering the Looniversity. "Guess I'd better get ready for first period," he muttered. Wile E. looked up from a student roster. "I'll see you there in about ten minutes, Fox." Without turning from the window, the fox laid a paw warmly on the coyote's shoulder. Wile E. looked blankly ahead for a brief second, before silently nodding to himself. Andy dropped his paw and turned to Fluffy. "Fluffy--I'll be little more than an hour. You are welcome to wait here or wander about the campus. Just take care not to get into trouble. There are a couple of toons here who are a bit... em... well they might... Just avoid any little girls with red hair." At that, Wile E. broke into a snicker. "Indeed." Fluffy nodded. "See you later, Andy." Taking his papers, Andy disappeared down the hall. Wile E. returned to his roster, placing check marks next to specific students' names. "Does it ever bother you that he commands you like that?" Wile E. asked, not turning to Fluffy. The carousel rabbit shook his head. "Andy does not command me. I do what he says because it is my choice. He does not own me." Wile E. turned and pointed his pencil at Fluffy. "But he makes you carry him around." Again Fluffy shook his head. "No, he *asks* me to, and I am happy to do so. I do not serve him." "Even when he wears spurs?" Wile E. asked coyly. Fluffy gave a small chuckle. "Well, they do tickle, but yes." Then he added a bit rigidly, "still, he is the only one I allow to use spurs with me." Wile E. sighed and returned his attention to his work. "Well, I suppose you could always buck him off if you wanted to. You seem to do that rather well," he added, thinking back to the previous morning. Fluffy coughed awkwardly. "Well, actually, I..." "Oh, right," Wile E. muttered. "Him being your guardian and all I guess it would be a bit rude." "Well," Fluffy said, looking over to the clock, "that is true, but the simple fact is he's just too large and too skilled a rider for me to toss off." "Oh, come now," The coyote said gruffly. "It's true," Fluffy shrugged innocently. "You mean you couldn't even if you wanted to?" Fluffy only smiled and shook his head. "Not unless I tricked him, and I will not do that." "Does he know?" the coyote asked. Fluffy gazed up at the ceiling for a moment and nodded. "Oh, I think he suspects." "And that doesn't bother you? You still tote the fur ball around?" Again, Fluffy smiled and nodded. "That fur ball is quite special to me. I'd never have reason to buck him off anyhow. I owe a great deal to him." "You are a curious fellow," Wile E. commented, patting the rabbit's back. "More than you could imagine," Fluffy agreed. + + + + + + The Tiny Toons assembled in the Acme Looniversity's junior auditorium for their first period session of the day: the conclusion to the previous day's special events. The rest of the Looney Tunes were also once again present, this time including Wile E., as well as Thomas T. Wolf. The two carnivores exchanged smug glances with each other, conveying their own admiration for each other. The junior auditorium was little more than a very large classroom, but designed with better acoustics to allow a speaker's voice to carry to all corners of the room. It could accommodate perhaps 50 students, seated in rows rising up to the back wall, and it had a small, elevated platform at the front. Andy's voice spoke up above the quite din of the auditorium. "Good morning, everyone. Hope you all got a good night's sleep." "Are you kidding?" Plucky piped up. "I was up all night tryin' to guess what that animal stuff was all about yesterday." Sitting next to him, Shirley The Loon whomped Plucky on the head with her history book for his outburst, but his spoken feelings were not unique. Many of the toons had been curious about the previous day's proceedings. Andy held up the evaluation results. "All of your questions will be answered now. These are the results from yesterday's session in the gym." He began passing out the evaluations to the toons. Scowls and confusion appeared on their faces as they tried to interpret the numbers and scientific jargon written on their evaluations. "Contrary to the rumors you might have heard," Andy continued as he handed out the papers, "this was not a psychiatric evaluation. There are no shrinks with couches here to tell you what to feel. As I explained before, the Nel- Shada evaluation is given to a great number of toon animals each year near the end of their primary education, like CAT's or career placement evaluations, but the Nel-Shada is given for your benefit only, and has nothing to do with your careers." "Then why is it given?" Buster asked. "It varies between toons," Andy explained. "Each reason is unique. The evaluation is requested by a sponsor: the toon's parent, mentor, or guardian, who feels that the toon has a special gift or unique heritage which should be explored and nourished. "So..." Buster shrugged, "we're special?" Andy smiled. "Yes you are." "How come my parents didn't say anything about taking this test?" Hamton asked. "Because your evaluations were not requested by your parents." Andy handed Hamton his paper. "The results of Nel-Shada evaluation are meant to be shared between the toon and his or her sponsor, in your case..." Andy made a sweeping motion with his paw. "...your mentors. Only they and I can see them. Now, you are completely free to share your results with each other, but it is not required." "Hey--how come you got to look at all of them?" Babs asked. Andy answered curtly, "Because I'm En-nest'alida to all of you, so don't worry." "What's En-..." Babs started, but the fox silenced her with a sly look. "Ask your mentor," he whispered. "But... why did our mentors do this?" Buster asked, confused. A familiar voice cut in to answer the question. "Because you kids are da future for us." All the toons turned to see Bugs standing up on the platform at the front of the room. "You toons are da next generation of our family of toons. You're our legacy, and I ain't talking about makin' cartoons with Warner Brothers and actin'." "We all took the Nel-shada years ago just like you kids did yesterday," he explained. "It ain't no test, and it ain't got nuttin' ta do with Warner Brothers or da Looniversity; we just did it here because it was convenient with you all tagether here anyhow. Dis is about us toons and a new generation which will one day take our place in da world of toons and cartoon comedy. Last t'ing we want is to pass on our torch to a bunch of Disney-style animal toons who don't even realize dey are animals." At this the Tiny Toons broke into stifled laughter. "You kids have always made us very proud," Bugs finished, his voice filled with stern pride and admiration. "And you always will, no matter what you do with your lives. We just wanted you to discover how special you are inside, and to find out a little about da proud family of animals each of you comes from." Andy returned to the front of the room while Bugs went back to his seat next to Buster. "Okay, kids," the fox spoke up. "We're going to go through these evaluations and explain what they say, but first, there is one little thing you weren't told yesterday. Only one of the two animals you saw yesterday was real." A wave of murmurs passed among the Tiny Toons. Andy went on. "One of the animals you saw was a wild, natural toon animal, brought in as a volunteer to help you with your Nel-Shada evaluations. The second one was created from your own mind. It was the physical manifestation of the animal self inside of you--the animal that you perceive yourself, or your species, as. The purpose yesterday's evaluation was to let you see how different, or how similar, you see yourself compared to your animal counterparts." Buster again raised his paw. "You mean that white rabbit in with me was... from my own mind?" Andy nodded. "The rabbit from your inner self--the rabbit you are inside. On your papers, that animal is marked as "Self Animal." The other, wild animal is marked, obviously, "Wild Animal." "He was so nice and friendly to be with," Buster thought aloud, "not like that other rabbit." "The actions of the wild rabbit dictated how you would be perceived by animals out in the wild," Andy explained. "The more positive their reactions, the closer you are to your animal roots. As for the rabbit from your mind, the 'Self Animal', it's a bit more complex. It's reactions can show internal conflict inside you towards your animal side, or it can show how at ease or comfortable you are with your own perception of your species of animal. Based on the reactions of both animals, we can determine where you fall within the Nel-Shada indexes, and help you understand more about your own inner animal heritage. Again, this was not a psych. test. This is about your animal heritage. You may think you are in tune with your animal sides, but a Nel-Shada evaluation can show you that you might not be so keen after all." Sweetie nudged Furrball. "Did what he just said make any sense to you?" Furrball half-nodded, half-shrugged, and meowed. Andy stepped down from the platform at the front. "For the rest of the period, your mentors and I will help you understand your results. Feel free to ask us anything you wish. We are here for your benefit." For the next forty-five minutes, the Tiny Toons sat with their mentors as their results were explained to them. Now and then a hand would pop up or Andy would hear his name called as he went from toon to toon, aiding in their education. Calamity sat boxed in by Wile E. and Thomas T. Wolf, sharing his results with the two scruffy carnivores. A barrage of signage and canine barking was exchanged between the three toons. Out of all the Tiny Toons, the one who shined the most in his animal heritage was Furrball, the pitiful blue alley cat who lived his life 100% natural, and roaming the alleys (when not temporarily living with a toon as a pet). Driven by his animal instincts and natural feline urges, his actions showed very little human influence, and there had been virtually no difference between the Wild Animal and Self Animal that he had interacted with. Sylvester ruffled Furrball's head fur proudly. "Us cats have always been superior!" he boasted as Andy gave Furrball a brief pet and a congratulatory nod. Plucky and Daffy's squabbling was causing a minor uproar in one section of the auditorium. Andy gravitated over to the spittle storm as his name was called. "What?" he asked, poking his head through the argument. Plucky waved his paper furiously. "This sanna-frazzin' thing says I failed to communicate with my animal brothers!" Daffy was trying to calm the green mallard down. "That's not what it means, kid. It just means you didn't pick up on some of the body language." "I'll show you body language!" Plucky declared, about to form a rather lewd gesture with his wing. Andy quickly grabbed Plucky's wing and smacked the mallard's head with it. "Stop hittin' yourself," he smiled. Plucky collapsed into a huff. Andy and Daffy exchanged a smug glance and Andy gave Plucky a friendly chuck on the shoulder. "I donno what you're all bent out of shape for, Plucky. You got a 24.8 out of a possible 30. That is a very high score. Just because you missed a few things doesn't mean you aren't a true mallard." "Yeah?" Plucky asked, quickly changing moods and looking eager. "Yeah," Andy agreed. Plucky jumped up into the air. "Woo-hoo! Eat your heart out, bunnies! Make way for Plucky Duck: brother to the mallard, friend of the waterfowl!" "Sheesh," Daffy commented dryly. "Where does he get this stuff?" Andy shrugged, eyeing Daffy. "I have no idea, duck." Despite his minor confrontation with his wild rabbit, Buster scored the second highest score. Though his "Self Animal" resembled a domesticated rabbit, he was able to understand how to associate with the wild rabbit. "You did real good, kid," Bugs told him. "You got a lot of rabbit in ya." "Thanks, prof.," Buster said sheepishly. Bugs took the young rabbit's paw. "You was able to connect with the wild part of yourself. Dis part here," he said, pointing to a section on Buster's evaluation, "says you were able to actually hear da voice of the rabbit. Dat ain't no little achievement, kid." Buster shrugged casually. "Eh, just call me Dr. Dolittle Rabbit!" Fifi's eyes lowered as her results were explained to her. "Eet eez not your fault, Cherie`," Pepe said, trying to comfort her. "Eef you would have been any higher in your score, zat male wild skunk would have tried to... 'ave eez way with you. Sometimes, eet eez good not to be too animal-like, yes?" Pepe patted the purple skunkette's shoulder. "You have many skunk traits which zee others do not have, like your scent. Zat is a beeg plus in your animal heritage. Zer eez no pass or fail, Cherie`. You are a fine female skunk, and you are very special." Fifi shrugged. "I just thought I would 'ave scored higher." Although her inherent ability to make flowers wilt from her presence, Fifi was second only to one other Tiny Toon at having the lowest score: the toon who lived in conventional housing, and had taken on a great deal of human traits and beliefs--Hamton. "I don't need to speak Boar to understand what a pig says," he said with satisfaction, seeming to be quite content with his results. "And, if I want to live in a nice clean house instead of wallow around in the mud, that's my choice, and I don't think it makes me any less of a pig." "N-n-no one is saying that, Hamton," Porky assured him. "Th-the-th-the Nel-Shada evaluation is just a way of showing how human you've become." "And what's wrong with humans?" Hamton snapped. "N-ne-n-nothing, Hamton. You can be whoever you we-w-want to be. And w-we- w-what you are right now is one s-s-se-super kid!" "Aw, Thanks, Professor Pig." Despite Hamton's low score, however, there was one toon that had received one lower, and that toon's eyes fell with a heavy sigh the previous day when he was handed the evaluations and the disheartening truth of his own results had hit home. Now, the red vulpine sat quietly by himself, mulling his results over and over in his mind. It wasn't that his score showed that he failed, necessarily. It was that his score showed nothing at all. It was as if he was missing something inside: an empty hole where a toon animal heart and core should have been. He had believed that the fox that had spoken to him in the cubicle was his Self Animal: the fox from his mind, but as he scowled at the paper he held in his paw he saw that he had been mistaken. That fox had been the real, wild one all along. This only served to confuse him further. Where had the other fox, the terrified ghost of an animal, come from? The results showed something very peculiar, almost as if that second fox had not been generated from Andy's mind at all, but had came from some very far and distant place. At ten minutes to the end of the period, and the Tiny Toons now understanding their Nel-Shada scores, Andy returned to the front of the class. "Each of you is a unique and wonderful toon. It is up to you how you wish to interpret what you have learned here today. Now are there any remaining questions?" "So, like, is any of this going to show up on our final grades, or some junk?" Shirley asked. Andy shook his head. "Not at all, though if you are interested in learning more about the Nel-Shada and animal heritage, there are books on it in the library. The more you know about the animal you are, the more you will learn about yourself. It may not seem like it, but you would be surprised how your animal traits can be useful to you. Perhaps, someday, some of you may even partake in the toon heritage ritual of the Animal Rite of Passage to become more 'whole' in your animal spirit. It is all up to you." Babs' paw went up. "Okay, Mr. Know-it-all," she said, sarcastically, "if natural animal tendencies are so important to you, then how come you're living with a squirrel and a rabbit? They are your natural enemies!" Andy fell silent for a few moments at the directness of the pink bunny's question. "Natural enemies, yes," he eventually concluded calmly. "However, here in the toon world, nature is not the same as on Earth. There are exceptions everywhere--even our wild animals follow different rules. It can be easy to miss, being around humans all the time, but the exceptions are all around you." Andy motioned to Calamity. "For example, it can be easy to overlook the fact that you have a natural carnivorous predator amongst you." Calamity wasn't sure to look proud or hide behind Wile E. at his being singled out. "A carnivore who wouldn't mind a rabbit sandwich," Andy continued, eyeing Buster and Babs, who were squirming a bit nervously. "Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind one my..." "Settle down, Fox!" Bugs called out. Andy grumbled with mock annoyance and stuffed his paws in his fur in a huff. A few giggles escaped from the assembled toons. "Me want rabbit sammich too!" Dizzy spoke up, waving his paws. "Dizzy no eat breakfast today!" Andy produced a box of Acme pizza rolls and tossed them to Dizzy who devoured them, box and all, in one satisfied munch. "Anyhow," he finished, returning his attention to the class, "we all are intelligent animals, and that's why it can be so easy to forget these things. But, just because you have intelligent minds does not mean you should deny what feels natural to you. I honestly admit that it was a true conflict for me to fall in love with a squirrel--a natural victim of foxes. However, here in Toonity, exceptions in matters of the heart are not necessarily forbidden, or uncommon." The fox had clearly been unsettled by the rabbit's observation, and wiped his brow with a paw. "Would you, like, call that a sign of human influence?" Shirley asked. "I'd call it a sign of intelligence," Andy answered. "Human influence is what can drive you away from your animal sides. It takes animals away from their homes, makes them wear clothes and drive cars, and worst of all it can make the animal forget he is an animal. It can bombard them with so much civilization and the modern buzz of the workplace that the animal becomes nothing more than a human in an animal costume, and the toon doesn't even realize it. This is the final outcome that I truly hope none of you will ever encounter." Andy paused for a moment. "There is a DVD over in the anime section of the film library which tells the story of a band of shape-shifting raccoons who, in order to survive, had to abandon their natural way of life and live and work as humans in the human world. It is a truly tragic story. I suggest those who are interested, check it out. It's called, 'Pom Poko.'" "Hey, wait!" Babs started. "Isn't that the movie where the raccoons use their te..." "Yes it is," Andy cut in quickly, giving the rabbit a warning look. There were a few seconds of quiet before the next question. "Em... Mr. Fox?" Foulmouth asked. "You mentioned this Animal Rite of Passage thing before. Em... so what is it?" "It is a very old and ancient piece of toon animal heritage, Foulmouth," Andy responded. "It's a very private and spiritual method of exploring your animal heritage. A toon goes off into the wild to seek their true selves, and whatever they may feel they are missing from themselves. The ritual changes you--takes your mind to a more simple state. You become a wild version of yourself, and you do not return until you have found that which you sought." "Sounds mega-creepy," Foulmouth quipped. "Like, don't those rituals involve, like, mondo-mystical magic, or some junk?" Shirley asked. "It calls upon the forces of nature and the world around us. It can indeed seem creepy," Andy said, "but the ritual is not evil, nor can it harm you. It is there to help toon animals who have lost their ways." As the fox concluded his answer, the dismissal bell sounded, signaling that the hour was over. The fox raised a paw and the bell's ringing was suddenly cut off, the clock on the wall behind him freezing at 3 seconds after nine O'clock. "Are there any more questions?" Andy asked, as if nothing had happened. "This ritual," Buster asked. "Does everybody take it? I mean, do all animals take it?" "No," Andy shook his head. "Most wild animals never take it, as they are already as animal-like as they can be. A fair number of toons like us take it-- maybe one toon out of ten. It's really hard to say." "Does it actually work?" Buster asked. Andy scowled. "The ritual will not work if the toon taking it has nothing in his heart of his own heritage. The toon must be true and honest and have a longing for his or her animal spirituality." The room went silent and again Andy asked if there were any more questions. There were none, and the bell's ringing again filled the room with sound, the clock on the wall returning to its operation. "Remember, kids," Andy said as the Tiny Toons prepared to leave, "your mentors will always be here for you if you want to know more about anything we talked about today. Have a good rest of the day, kids." The Tiny Toons filed out of the room, some waving goodbye to the fox as they headed out to continue on with their school day. The Looney Tunes followed them, all except for one, who stayed behind. Walking over to Andy, he spoke, "Well, weren't we a bit morose?" Andy shrugged at Wile E. "Guess I wasn't the best choice to give this lecture. It's not been a good time." The two left the auditorium and made their way back to Wile E.'s office. "Well, what do you expect?" Wile E. said a bit smugly, "You're an alien, Fox--an energy being living as a toon. It's little wonder you're conflicted." Andy gave a contemptuous grumble. "Thanks for reminding me," he glared at Wile E, then looked down and sighed. "I'm serious, Fox," Wile E. continued, oddly casual about the matter, as if he was discussing the weather. "You were welcomed into the toon brotherhood and given the toon spirit and essence. Now the toon fox in you is reaching out--trying to find your own heritage, trying to become whole... to become complete. In a sense, you seem to be spurning your alien-ness in an attempt to become a true toon of this world. That's why I sponsored you for the Nel-Shada session. I figured I owed you the chance to explore your own animal heritage. Afterwards, there are toons that feel the call to take the Rite of Passage. Yours is no different, but the rite is a very serious thing, Fox. What toons get from it..." Wile E. broke off suddenly, and eyed the fox cautiously. "well, some never find out. And some..." "So, you know?" Andy asked, not noticing the concern on his friend's face. The coyote nodded. "Don't have to sense your thoughts to know you've decided to take the Rite of Passage." Andy shrugged. "I still don't know, Wile. I'm worried what this might do to Slappy. I'm worried about leaving her to pursue my own callings." "If she really loves you, Fox, she will wait." "That sounds rather cliche," Andy signed. The coyote waved a paw. "Take it as you see fit, Fox, but she will wait." Andy eyed the coyote, and saw that the coyote had begun to look rather dreary in the last few moments. "Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked, earnestly. Wile E. shook his head slowly. "Perhaps one day, you will find that out for yourself, Fox." He laid a paw on Andy's shoulder. "Then, you'll know." Standing in the hallway outside of Wile E.'s office, the two toons were greeted by a scene of general disorder and chaos as Fluffy came bounding down the hallway carrying a large mouse and a young skunk on his back. The rabbit barreled past Andy and Wile E. while a dozen other students cheered at the scene. Fluffy turned and raced past the two again, eyeing the fox as he swept by. The mouse's ponytail streamed out behind him as he rode past, clutching Fluffy's collar tightly and looking a bit uneasy. "Who's the mouse?" Andy asked, gesturing. The toon in question was roughly 2 and a half feet tall, and sported a gaudy, blue flowered tropical- style shirt and a pair of glasses. "He teaches one of our newer programs, 'Toons Behind The Scenes'. You know, all those geeky-type toons working behind the camera." "Really?" Andy sounded surprised. "We have a program for that?" "Well," Wile E. laughed. "Not everyone can be an actor. Some toon has to run the cameras and set up the lighting, work the booms, and add all those fancy, computer-generated special effects." "Oh, I see," Andy nodded. "That's neat." "I think the skunk is one of his students." As Wile E. spoke, Fluffy raced passed again, the mouse nearly falling off from the rabbit's energetic playfulness. Wile E. scowled at Andy. "You know I could insight you for causing a public disturbance and a fire hazard by not having your pet under control." "Yes," Andy muttered, finding himself enjoying the mayhem in the hallway. Fluffy came to a stop down the hallway and his two riders dismounted, the mouse gracefully falling off and landing with a *THUD*. A dozen or so pens and pencils fell from the mouse's shirt pocket, clattering to the floor and rolling about. The skunk smoothly slid off Fluffy and helped his professor up. "Professor Thorne! You okay?" "Never better," the mouse mumbled, rubbing his behind. Dropping off his two passengers, Fluffy hopped over to Andy. "Pardon me, mast... Andy. Just got caught up in the moment, don't you know. Lovely little youngsters around here!" He exclaimed happily. "Em... hope I didn't cause any trouble." "Apparently," Andy smiled. "some youngsters around here seem to be a lot bigger than others." "I thought you were more discriminating on your choice of riders," Wile E. said, eyeing Fluffy. "Well, I did let *you* on, didn't I?" The rabbit said, chuckling. Wile E. turned to Andy. "You know I do believe your rabbit has once again snubbed me." "Oh?" Andy asked, pretending he hadn't heard. CHAPTER 15: Plans Are Made It had been three days since Arthur had been brought to Los Angeles and meet The Friends of Forbidden Science, and after those three days they were still no closer to figuring out how to send Pinky and The Brain back to their own universe. Actually they were still trying to figure out exactly how their existence was even possible. After another two days of no answers, Phillip had become irritated at his team's lack of ability to help the situation. He had also began to lash out at Arthur in frustration. "Some genius you turned out to be," he accused Arthur one afternoon as they sat and watched the two cartoon mice dine on large chunks of Swiss cheese that they had produced from thin air. Arthur shrugged. "Sorry," he said weakly, feeling utterly useless and angry with himself. "I'm only human." Phillip was about to make another accusation, then gave a sigh. "I'm sorry. I apologize for bringing you into this, Arthur. It looks like you're just as helpless as we are." He turned and looked over at the cage holding Pinky & The Brain. The two mice continued munching away. "At least they still have their toony abilities." Arthur nodded in absent agreement. "My toon half is the only part of me those two cartoon mice over there have ever known. I'm a complete stranger to them--as they are to me. All they do is serve to remind me that the best part of myself is hopelessly beyond my reach." "You make being human sound like it's a jail sentence," Phillip said dryly. "When you know there is more to you than what you can see--some other, much grander part of yourself that you don't ever get to meet--isn't it?" "I'm afraid I can't answer that," Phillip answered. "I've never been anything else, but your life is what you make it, Arthur. Instead of hiding in the shadow of this other half, maybe you should try to compete with it." Arthur went silent and looked around blankly. "Compete," he repeated after a long pause. "Interesting idea." "You could start by working here," Phillip said, suggestively. "We've also pulled your educational and psychological records. You definitely qualify." "Yeah, sure," Arthur frowned. "And be surrounded by people with eight year engineering and bachelor degrees in science? No thanks. I'm just a simple network technician." Phillip began to laugh. "You know more than you think. It doesn't take a person with an engineering degree to understand the theoretical sciences. It takes something with a heart and love for the subject. You have the raw drive and spark that this kind of work requires. We could use someone with your aptitude here, if for nothing else, than to help us publish our works. Just because you're human doesn't mean you have nothing to offer." Arthur was completely stunned. He was about to accept the proposition gratefully when the impulses in his head began chattering again, as they had earlier when he first saw the two mice. He clasped his hands to his head as if in pain and slumped against a wall with a groan. "Arthur?" Phillip asked, quickly taking Arthur and leading him over to a chair. "What is it?" Again, words silently flashed inside Arthur's mind as his thoughts were filled with odd sensations of another place. "Receiving... initiating two-way exchange. Request shunted to primary entity. Coordinates locked." Suddenly Arthur's mind cleared. He sat up with a start as a tiny piece of information suddenly appeared in his conscious thoughts. "Oh, mother of..." Arthur muttered aloud. "The mission committee... they made a decision on... how to get The Brain and Pinky back." "The mission committee?" Phillip asked. Arthur slumped back down in the chair and gritted his teeth. "You lousy bastards," he thought silently to himself. "You couldn't just release my thoughts and free me from my prison down here, could you? You miserable, rotten eggheads." Just then, another small meek thought spoke up in his head, and Arthur's rage began to dissolve as quickly as it had formed. He sighed and looked down. "There must be something really important going on back home that they won't release my memories," he sighed to himself. Phillip shook Arthur's shoulder to bring him out of his thoughts. "Arthur? What is it?" Arthur glanced up at Phillip, his face pale and his voice barely above a whisper. "He's coming." "Who?" Arthur didn't answer. He looked blankly ahead as a cold shiver run down his spine. "I hope you like surprises," he remarked. + + + + + + A pair of pink ears protruded above a tall and unkempt stack of books in the Acme Looniversity library as pink paws flipped through the pages of a large, yellowed tome of forgotten knowledge. Babs hummed quietly to herself as she wondered why her mentor had been reluctant to answer her question earlier. "Ah! The very page!" She said triumphantly, and began running her finger down a list of words. "En-cerco, En-frina, En-frina'tet... here it is, En-nest'alida." She read aloud. "proper noun, ancient root 'Nestla', obsolete. A close and trusted friend of a family or community of animals, similar to a godparent, who has been entrusted with the safety and protection of offspring. Note: this term refers to the ancient, root form of family structure of animal kinship of pre-modern toon culture, now practiced only by the true animal toons, and is no longer used." Babs scowled slightly as she reread the definition several more times. She set the large book aside and was about to go for another when Buster stuck his head over the stack of books before her. "Hey, Babsy! It's three o'clock. Ready to go to Wackyland?" "Oh! Yeah!" she said, perking up cheerily. She hopped off the stool and headed out the door, arm in arm with Buster, matters of ancient animal lore quickly forgotten. + + + + + + The rest of the day had been a leisure one for Andy. After returning home from the Looniversity, and spending the day taking care of odds and ends around the house, he had taken Fluffy out for a ride. The rabbit's gentle gate lulled the fox into a peaceful state of reflection as he led Fluffy through the more relaxed parts of the suburbs. Fluffy remained relatively silent as well, taking his cues from the fox's gentle guiding, and feeling the vulpine's legs gently hugging his sides. "Well, there it is," Andy said eventually, bringing Fluffy to a halt on a small grassy plateau at the top of a steep cliff. "How grand!" Fluffy said in awe, taking in the view. The two had found their way to a little-known scenic overlook. Now both looked down over the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Across the valley in the distance stood the famous hillside sign of Hollywood. At their height, the sounds from the city below barely reached their sensitive ears. A warm sideways breeze blew through the two toons' fur as they took in the view. "It looks innocent," Andy smiled, "but it can be a real jungle." "Oh, I don't know," Fluffy mused. "Seems harmless enough to me." "Uh huh," Andy muttered absently, looking off into the distance. Fluffy's tail twitched slightly. He had noticed that during their ride the fox had been unusually quiet and reserved. He took a step forward and champed at his bit briefly before deciding to confront the issue. "Um... Andy?" he asked, turning to eye the fox. "Is there anything you wish to tell me?" Andy fumbled with the reins slightly. "No. I don't believe so." The rabbit twitched his long ears and scowled back. "I may be just a rabbit, but I do know when a friend is troubled." Andy sighed and squeezed the rabbit gently with his legs, his spurs jingling a touch as he did so. "Fluffy," he began, "I... I need to go away for a short while." The rabbit turned forward again so that Andy could not see the smile on his face. "I see," he commented innocently. "There is some private business I need to take care of," Andy explained. "Yes," Fluffy agreed, knowingly. "I understand." Andy noticed a definite hint of satisfaction in Fluffy's voice. He eyed the back of the rabbit's head. "You know, I keep getting this odd feeling that that several toons around me know more than they let on." Fluffy pawed the ground distractedly. "Really?" he asked, again sounding completely innocent. Andy patted Fluffy's side. "You're a true wonder, Fluffy. Take care of Slappy and Skippy in my absence?" "Of course, master." The rabbit's words had worked a strange sort-of magic on the fox, and he began to feel slightly more at ease with his decision. Only one problem remained. He had yet to tell the most important toon to him, the squirrel he loved, of his decision. "C'mon," Andy sighed, tugging gently on Fluffy's reins. "We'd better get back before we're late for supper and Slappy throws a fit." Fluffy gave the scene a final second of appreciation before obediently turning and heading back down the way they came. As they rode back along the road, a melodic beeping noise sounded from Andy's body. Fluffy's ears twitched, turning to hear the sound. "What was that?" Andy's paw fumbled about in his fur, pulling out an electronic pager and pressing a button on it. "Oh dear," he muttered, looking at the message displayed. He halted Fluffy and dismounted. The rabbit turned to look at the fox with concern. "What is it?" Andy stuffed his pager back into his fur. "Blasted work. Em... Fluffy, there's some business at work I need to take care of... right now. Sorry but I need to cut our ride short and send you home immediately. Okay?" The rabbit sensed the concern and oddly worried look in the fox's face. He didn't ask further, but simple nodded. "Slappy won't be happy, you know." "Tell me about it," Andy grumbled. "Work calls. Tell her I'll be back as soon as I can." He smiled and gave the rabbit a quick hug. "Em... about that other thing... thank you." The rabbit's eyes looked back at the fox warmly. "I shall be here when you return." The fox took one of Fluffy's front paws and held it in both of his. "I love you a great deal, Fluffy. Always remember that. No matter what may happen." A moment later Fluffy vanished in a flash of light, returning to the back yard of Andy's mansion. The fox disappeared a moment later in the same fashion, appearing outside of Tetra Dimensional, top theoretical toon science facility in the world. He casually walked inside and made his way down to the science staff meeting room. He was met by several toon scientists waiting inside, looks of grave concern evident on their faces. The fox went in and shut the door behind him. CHAPTER 16: Facing the Other Half "I... can't do it," Andy said, slumping down on the table and resting his chin on his paws. "I can never go down there again. Not until..." "You have to, Andy," Samantha Cat replied. "There's no other way we can bring them back." "She's right," Ed Puma spoke up. "We don't have any kind of technology to bring those two mice home, and neither does Earth." "I... can't," Andy repeated, almost sobbing. "I've lost too much down there already. This whole damn mission has gone on too long as it is. How can I live with..." "This *damn mission* is the only thing that's going to save those two," Samantha countered sternly. "The data you gathered on Earth was what helped us locate them. Now you need to go down there and bring them back. You've been there before. You've had no problems." "You don't understand," Andy said, his tail swishing agitatedly. "He's down there with them. I can feel it. Lately I've felt drained... I know it was him connecting with me. I can't face him. It's not like it used to be there. If I go down there..." Andy broke off, burying his face in his arm and closing his eyes, dreading the inevitable. For the first time since he had been split into a human and a toon over thirty years prior, both halves of himself would be together on Earth, and he would be completely gone from Toonity, one hundred percent-- again. In the blackness of his mind, two orange eyes glowed, piercing his senses with the same chilling cold he had felt when he was in the cubical with the two foxes. Momentarily, a very faint image began to appear next to the eyes--a vague and mysterious light with no form. Suddenly he heard very faint voices, echoing through the corridors of the universe. The minds of two toons, lost and in danger, were calling out through the vastness of time. As Andy's attention fixed on the two voices, the eyes and the cold disappeared from his mind, replaced by the piercing cry of a wild fox that echoed through his mind. The chill he had felt seemed to wash over him with the sound, changing into a surge of energy and spirit. Suddenly Andy sat up straight in his chair and looked squarely at the rest of the assembled toons. "Okay," he said decidedly. "Let's do this thing." + + + + + + Arthur and Phillip were standing near Pinky & The Brain's cage when several minutes later a blinding light suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the opposite side of the room. A strange fizzing sound accompanied the light, like fireworks sputtering and crackling, while brilliantly colored flakes of light danced in the air all about. The event took everyone in the room by surprise. A few of the security men went for their weapons. A couple of the scientists looked quizzically at the strange light in wonder and interest. Arthur, himself, stood in complete and confused panic. His earlier anger had slowly being replaced with a feeling of anticipation and excitement. He would finally be able to see his toon half--to talk with it--to finally have the answers that had been eluding him for so long. After several seconds the light faded away, the odd fizzing sound fading to silence. In their place stood something about three and a half feet tall, covered in impossibly vibrant red and white fur. Across the room from Arthur and Phillip stood the most handsome, cute, most perfect-looking cartoon fox Arthur could have ever possibly imagined. Arthur's knees gave out on him and he collapsed onto a stool as he looked over at the toon fox standing less than twenty feet away. It looked so perfect, so ideal, and so eerily familiar to him that he dared not believe it was what he hoped it might be, but it was. After running into so many doubts about himself over the years, after so many shattered dreams and lost wishes, could it be possible? His pulse began to rise as a feeling of exhilaration began to overtake him and he knew, down in his heart, that the thing across the room was his toon self--the toon, Andy Fox. Arthur, however, was not the only person in the room locked in paralysis at seeing the toon fox suddenly appear out of nowhere. Behind Arthur, Phillip was staring fixedly across the room at the toon, as was everyone else, including the two mice, who looked on with equal awe. The fox glanced briefly about before looking directly at Arthur, fixing him with an oddly familiar gaze, then the fox's eyes shifted to the two mice and the rest of the room as he began walking over to the cage holding Pinky & The Brain. A tear slowly formed in Arthur's eye as he continued to look at the fox. "It's me," he gasped to Phillip. "Something kept telling me in my mind, but... I still couldn't believe it." Two guards approached the fox and Arthur heard it say it was here for the mice. After a harsh order from Phillip, the guards led the fox over to where Arthur was standing next to the cage. As the fox came closer, Arthur began feeling like a forlorn, abandoned child in the being's presence. "My other half," he whispered, the phrase playing over and over in his head. The fox paused and again eyed Arthur as he walked past and gave him a tiny sideways smile, his tail curling itself ever-so-slightly around the human as he continued past. Arthur opened his mouth to speak to the fox, but found his throat congested from the bitter-sweet sadness of the truth that was standing not five feet away. One of the men brought over a stool and the fox hopped onto it to be eye- level with everyone else in the room. "Well, what do we have here, then?" the fox asked, brightly. His voice was low for an animal his size, and was unfamiliar to Arthur. "But, how..." The Brain stammered back, always the scientist. "Self-generated dimensional dampening vortex," the fox rattled off hurriedly, "but that isn't important. Now if you two are done sight-seeing we can get back to our own universe. We're violating a half-dozen laws of physics with our presence." "You can do that?" Phillip asked the fox. "Just like that--take them with you?" The fox nodded. "Why not?" he smirked. "Um..." Phillip began, faltering, "we were hoping you might be able to..." The fox cut him short. "Thank you for finding them, Mr. Sandal. We... owe you our thanks. It's good to know there are people like you around to keep these two safe." "You are indeed Andy Fox," Phillip said, decidedly. He extend a hand. The fox took it, only reluctantly. He shook his head and smiled. "No. You've already met him," he replied, motioning to Arthur. "He's more real than me. Do me a favor and remind him of that now and then. I couldn't exist without him." The fox released Phillip's hand and turned to the quietly confused human sitting on a stool, but Arthur still couldn't speak. His eyes remained fixed on the toon fox, his throat unable to make a sound. Phillip retrieved the keys to the cage and opened it. The fox's attention shifted back to the two mice. "Let's just make sure you two are all okay before we go back. Don't want to catch any nasty magnetic fields or radiation." He reached his paws inside the cage to either side of the two mice. A gentle fizzing sound began to emanate from his paws as Pinky and The Brain began to glow with a curious green light. Arthur watched the fox intently, noticing that its green eyes were flashing rhythmically as the mice continued to glow and change color. "If he really is my other half," he thought silently, "how 'bout that 'guess a number' trick? I wonder if that would..." "Ninety-four," the fox spoke up suddenly, not turning to Arthur. "Two thirty-eight, one eighty-three, seven. You can't fool me, Arthur." Arthur sat upright, startled that the fox was speaking to him, and that he had guessed his numbers correctly. "Is he psychic?" Arthur thought. "He's psychic. He's just..." "I don't have to read your mind, Arthur," the fox said flatly, his attention still focused on the two mice. "It's my mind too." Arthur watched the toon fox moved with deliberate skill, appearing calm and in control as his paws moved around Pinky & The Brain, but for the first time Arthur began to notice the fox was trembling ever-so-slightly, his tail swishing almost nervously, his voice quavering very slightly. Arthur had also noticed that the fox seemed to be averting his eyes from him, only giving him passing glances. Putting it all together, Arthur suddenly realized: the toon fox was frightened--very frightened, at being there, being on Earth, at being with Arthur! The glowing around Pinky & The Brain and the sound ceased and the fox retracted his paws. "There is a slight anti-particle decay in both of you," he assessed. "I'd suggest, Brain, that if you attempt this experiment again, you do it with a negative feedback envelope rather than a positive one." "Yes," The Brain chided. "Noted for future reference, but I assure you this experiment will not be repeated." "Good to hear," the fox smiled, "because I won't come down here to save you two next time. Now if you'll come along." The fox extended a paw to the mice, palm open. The two stepped onto it as the fox lifted them out of the cage. "Come, Pinky," The Brain began chattering, "this two week sabbatical has put us off schedule. We must alter our plans to take over the world." The fox paused and scratched his chin. "Two weeks, huh?" The Brain looked back at Andy, slightly irritated. "What?" Andy faltered a bit. "Oh, well, nothing really." He turned and nodded to Phillip and the rest of the Fans of Science. "Thank you again, gentlemen," he said, dropping the two mice into an invisible pocket in his fur. Then his mood went from cheery to somber. His shoulders sagged as the inevitable action he must take loomed before him. "Arthur?" he said slowly, turning to the human. He looked quietly and kindly at Arthur, and Arthur could see that the fox was clearly scared. Cold beads of sweat dotted the toon's brow, his eyes now finally fixed upon the human that was his other half. Now after decades of separation, the toon and human finally confronted each other. The fox swallowed hard and took Arthur's hand in his paws. Arthur could feel the fox's muscles trembling and placed his other hand around the fox's to try and comfort him. The fox gave another hard swallow, his mouth dry. "One force, forever bound by eternity," he whispered shakily. Arthur remained silent, gently holding the paws of the cartoon fox, which seemed to have stopped their trembling. "Em... excuse me?" he asked, looking a bit bewildered. "Thank you," the fox said quietly. He released Arthur's hands. Arthur stared back at him, smiling weakly. "You'd better get home," he said quietly. "As you implied, this isn't *your* universe." Despite his smile, there was a strong undertone of sadness in Arthur's voice, carrying a yearning desire to return with the fox--to return home. The fox laid a paw on Arthur's shoulder, understanding him implicitly. "You are wise," he agreed. This caught Arthur completely off-guard, and he couldn't help but snicker lightly. "You still don't believe I am you, do you?" the fox asked. "You think everything toony went back with me. You're quite wrong, Arthur. In fact you've got it quite backwards." "Backwards?" Arthur asked, clearly confused. "It's my fault," the fox admitted. "I've kept the truth from you." "Truth?" The fox nodded. "That you have the core, Arthur, of our energy force. It never left here. I've researched it all out... known it for years but kept the knowledge from you... until now. Now you know." He saw the confusion on Arthur's face and smiled warmly. The trembling was gone, his words now came soft and understanding. "You are the higher half, Arthur," he sighed. "Here you have powers beyond anything back home. You are in the world of the creators, Arthur. You walk among those who made our world. Here, you are one of them." The fox looked down sheepishly. "You are in the land of the gods, Arthur, and I am but a tiny speck, not worthy of your presence." "But," Arthur began. "You have your powers. You..." "My powers are within you, Arthur," The fox interrupted. "I finally understand now. You are the source now, and that is why I need you here. You're a human--the human me. Do you know how much I cherish having part of myself here, able to be a part of this world?" Arthur stared blankly back, giving no reply. The fox continued. "You are priceless down here. You have no idea of the things and experiences you have here that do not exist back home." The next words the fox said to Arthur were not spoken, but were delivered directly to the human's mind as the fox gazed into the human's eyes. "You are the conduit of time, my friend. You are able to see things about myself... about *us*, that I cannot. I have given you the future that I cannot know. No doubt you have seen things that won't happened for decades. You are my eyes for the future, Arthur. Guide us well, and one day we will again be together, and whole again." Arthur's thoughts drifted and began to focus on a certain cartoon character he dearly loved. A tinge of panic struck him as he wondered how much he really knew about his other half's life in Toonity. Arthur hurriedly grasped the fox's paw and clasped it in his hand. Holding it longingly he looked at the fox, his thoughts conveying his question to the toon. The fox's eyes flashed and glittered curiously in the room's light. "She's fine," he smiled after a moment's pause. He rested a paw on Arthur's shoulder. "And, yes," he added, "It's all true. And, no, she never blamed you for what you did here. She loves you more than anything." "Me?" The fox nodded slowly. "You--me--there is no difference. Please remember that. Take care, Arthur, and thank you." He embraced Arthur in a warm hug, his small furry body snuggling up to the human, his paws wrapped tight around Arthur. Overwhelmed by the displayed affection of the small animal, at first Arthur stood rigidly, unable to believe something so furry and beautiful would want to hug a slightly overweight, middle-aged human who hadn't shaved in a few days. Slowly though, the fox's words began to sink in, and as he felt the fox's warm fur wrapped around him, be began to feel a new sense of kinship and odd sort of brotherhood to the toon. Putting his hesitations aside Arthur hugged the fox back, and was immediately lost in a wondrous sensation beyond any pleasure or joy he had ever known. Suddenly the world around him didn't matter anymore, and everything became clear and simple. The room and people around them dissolved into blackness. There was only one being, one life, one force, and for the briefest of moments, Andy Fox was whole once again. Arthur, with his arms around the small furry toon, whispered into ear, his final words to him: "You're not a speck, Andy. You are the part I left behind, and the part that needs to become whole. You are fox, now and forever. And you're right, I do know the future... and the decision you will have to make one day. On that day, you will have returned to which you came." For over half of his life, Arthur had always been in the dark about something. There was always a part of him that was beyond his reach--something he could never touch, never feel, never get to know. Now that something had a shape, a form, and a voice somewhere in the vast expanse of space and dimension. As the fox took the two cartoon mice and disappeared in another shimmer of sparks and colored light, Arthur know that he was whole. And, he finally saw that he had a purpose. CHAPTER 17: Departure Slappy opened the front door of the mansion to see Andy standing outside. The fox looked completely drained and tired, but with a cheery and oddly tranquil expression on his face. "Fox!" Slappy gasped. "You look a wreck. What's the deal? Where've ya been?" "Don't ask," Andy said, stumbling in. "You're home earlier than expected," Slappy commented gruffly. "Fluffy said you'd be late. What's the deal?" "Trans-universe time differentials," Andy said, waving a paw as he walked in past her. "Ain't you forgettin' something, fox boy?" Slappy accused, scowling hard at Andy as he passed her. The fox felt her eyes on him and turned back. He smiled as he gazed at her ever-attractive squirrel body, and remembered Arthur's concern for her. He quickly scooped Slappy up on his arms and gave her a kiss. "God, I've missed you," he whispered into her fur. Pulling back, Slappy smiled. "Well, that was nice, but it ain't what I meant." Andy grumbled and dug out a small plastic shopping bag from his fur. The words, "Dynamite Emporium", were printed on it. He handed the bag to Slappy. She gave a squeal of pleasure and embraced the fox, giving him a kiss twice as passionate as the one he had given her. "Never saw anyone get so excited about explosives," Andy mused. "You haven't been around enough then, heh ha." A cloud-filled sky hung over Burbank as Andy stared blankly out across the yard into the darkening woods beyond. He thought about his meeting with Arthur. He remembered how at ease the human had been, while he had been a nervous wreck. He had walked in the land of the creators of his world. Since mankind first began to dream and wonder, the toon world has existed, both feeding off and replenishing the dreams and aspirations of mankind. He thought back to when he first visited Earth nearly 70 years before. Back then, it was just a simple planet, full of interesting people and ideas. Now after the passage of decades and becoming a toon himself, he finally saw that it had somehow become a much more special and sacred place. Since he had been split, he had been trying to hide from his human half in that place, hiding inside himself and pretending there was not a part of him in that grander world. Now that he had finally confronted his fear, an odd, giddy warmth had replaced the cold, chilling darkness in him. The channels between Arthur and Andy had been opened at last. "You're doin' that thing again, Fox," Slappy said, nudging Andy from his thoughts. "Hm?" Andy looked up with a bit of a start. "What thing?" Slappy selected a macadamia nut from a small crystal bowl of salted nuts on the table. She popped it into her mouth. "That 'sittin' quiet and contemplating somethin' thing," she remarked as she munched. "It's startin' to get annoying." The fox's voice was somber and tired. "I took the Nel-Shada test with the toons yesterday," be began, producing a folded piece of paper from his fur. "I ah...." "Eeeahhh," Slappy grumbled, going after an almond. "You're makin' a mountain outta a mole hill, aren't ya? You didn't do so good and now you're all bent outta shape about it." "Slappy," he started, his voice trembling slightly, "there's something I need..." Before he could finish, Slappy produced the gold medallion she had found on the bedroom dresser and placed it on the table in front of Andy. With a mix of confusion and bewilderment, Andy turned to look at Slappy, giving her a meek smile. "You, ah, need someone of animal lineage to perform the rite for you," she commented, attempting to sound dispassionate. Andy looked back at Slappy, completely awe-struck. "Slappy, I..." "Shut up, Fox," she said, taking his paw. "This has been eating at you for over a year, and it's time you did something about it before you drive everyone crazy with your brooding." "Are you sure, Slappy?" Andy asked, earnestly. Slappy shrugged innocently. "I told ya before, my family's got a strong natural animal vein runnin' through it, and it's not unheard of that new toons to our family end up taking the ritual when they join. Though, with you I'm afraid I can't take the credit for your action." "Then who?" Slappy cocked her thumb at the house. "Sorry to say, but it was that rabbit friend of yours." Slappy smiled and took Andy's paw. "He's connected with you on that very special, deep level of animal bonding doohickey stuff that those rare toons have--the ones who are natural, wild animal toons, but maybe just forgot, or never knew they were." She patted Andy's paw and dropped it casually. She stood facing him and chuckled slightly. "Fluffy's really stirred something in you, Fox." "So... what do we do now?" he asked, actually sounding a bit lost in the squirrel's presence. Slappy casually downed a small handful of cashews before wiping her paws. "C'm here," she ordered with her finger. She stood up on her deck chair to be eye-to-eye with Andy, the fox stepping up to face her. Then she took the small gold medallion and tied it around his neck by it's thin red ribbon. The medallion rested squarely against Andy's chest. Slappy smiled briefly at Andy and gave him a quick, nut-scented kiss. Her voice and expression then turned quite somber. "It'll take your mind, you know. You'll lose everything you know that ain't fox until it's over." "How long does it take?" "Hard to say," Slappy answered. "Could be days, could be weeks, as long as it needs to for the toon to find the answers he seeks." "What about Skippy?" Andy asked, a bit alarmed. The young squirrel in question was away that evening at a friend's house. "I wish he was here for this. I don't want to just leave..." Slappy cut him off. "ehhh, don't worry about him. He knows about the ritual. He'll understand, Fox, and he'll wait for you, just like I will. For as long as it takes, we'll wait here for you." Andy looked at the mansion, then back to Slappy. "Take... care of Fluffy, won't you?" he said, his voice quivering with anticipated loss. "Tell him... tell him it wasn't his fault." Slappy nodded. "Sure, Fox." Then she hopped down from the chair and held her hands aloft. She paused, looking up at Andy. "This is the dramatic part," she commented. The fox gave a solemn nod and stood quietly. The squirrel gazed skyward and began speaking in the ancient, lost tongue of toons from centuries past: "Nin-fai con tunun ker, et lo Frith. Sinom oto lo men oto, e fonochtia cone nisha. Net a, so a, le a, un nesh oto, oco et Nel-shada. kali no a, en fraer costra'c ser Frith, e semplar oto."* As she completed the ancient chant, the medallion suddenly vanished, seeming to melt into Andy's fur, ribbon and all. Then a dazzling glow filled the sky above the two toons. Andy shivered slightly as he watched, beads of cold sweat forming down his back. For all of known science and physics, what he was now witnessing could not be explained, could not be quantified, could not be understood. It was beyond science--beyond the world around him, and he suddenly felt very old, very lost, and a strong, very ancient presence begin to fill his mind as his eyes gazed into the light. Slappy watched silently as the fox before her slowly grew smaller, stooping forward as his legs changed, his arms growing shorter. His fingers shrunk and dissolved into short, blunt stubs of paws. He dropped to all fours, his body continuing to shrink and change shape and color, moving and shifting until there was only a natural, non-anthropomorphic fox standing on the deck, illuminated by the odd glowing light from above. Before the last shreds of his civilized mind were stripped away, the fox turned and gave one last, loving look at Slappy, a tear trickling down one cheek. Then his eyes glazed over and became thin, yellow ovals with tiny black slits. Slappy watched rigidly as the fox that was once her husband turned and bounded off the patio deck, away from the house and into the woods. At the edge of the tree line, the fox suddenly stopped and turned to look back. Slappy perked up slightly, meeting the fox's glance, hoping the fox she knew was not completely gone, but her heart quickly sank as she saw that the fox had only turned at the sound of a chipmunk scurrying up a nearby tree. The fox's face was expressionless and wild, and Slappy saw the feral viciousness and freedom surging through its eyes. She sank back into her chair as the fox disappeared into the woods. "Good luck, kid," she muttered. Then, the elderly gray squirrel glanced around silently before letting her cool and calm expression finally crumble. Folding her arms on the table she buried her head in them and sobbed gently. Thus began Andy's Rite of Passage. To Be Continued... * Footnote: Translated, the rite reads as follows: "O master of our world, this one is alone and has lost his way. Shroud him in the past of his future, and help him to see his world. Take him into your forest, sea, or sky, and bring him the kinship he seeks. Take him into your heart, O master of animals, and make him whole."