FSE

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Part 1

Redshore City was known as the entertainment capital of the world. For that reason, theater-owner, koala, Buster Moon and his troupe wanted nothing more than to perform there. Through a comedic series of events, they’d successfully auditioned and pitched a sci-fi musical to Arctic Wolf and entertainment mogul Jimmy Crystal. Admittedly, it took some fancy talking and white lies. White lies that nearly got Buster killed but his tenacity, combined with the empathy of Ash the porcupine and the wisdom of the reclusive Clay had been enough to get them to this night.

They had all been terrified out of their minds but, even in the face of grave danger, the New Moon Troupe performed before a packed theater of guests. Johnny conquered his cruel teacher in a dance battle. Porsha Crystal stood up to her father, embracing her new role as the green alien of the planet Joy. Meena found the courage to talk to her ice cream guy.

Then the final act came. It was time for Rosita and Gunter to wow the audience with the climax. Buster would have been lying if he said he wasn’t nervous when Rosita’s acrophobia once more surfaced as she peered down from the diving board.

“Come on, Rosita…” he prayed, trying to will her fear away. No one saw the maniacal white wolf rushing up to them. “Ahhhh!” He cried out when the wolf grabbed him by the jacket and ran to the lift, riding it to the top of the catwalk.

Blue eyes shrank to pin pricks. “Got you now, you low-life little loser!” He growled.

“I am not a loser and I’m not a low-life. We did what we came here to do! And there’s nothing you can do or say to change that… even if you kill me… I’ve won…” Buster could see his life starting to flash before his eyes. Could this really be it? After coming this far?

Jimmy hauled Buster to the edge of the catwalk towering over the stage. He laughed. “We’ll see about that.” And without thinking, he threw the koala from the catwalk.

Buster screamed with terror as he felt himself plummeting. He thought of his friends, his family, Nana, Eddie. Oh good lord, Eddie. He would never get to tell him. He was never going to see him again. Then he saw Rosita, she was coming towards him. For a brief moment, he had a flash of hope that died when he realized he was falling too fast. He watched her go by him and he could see the dismay in her face. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears starting, accepting his fate. “It’s okay, Rosita…” he thought to himself just before pain surged through every inch of his body and everything went black.

—————

From her position, Rosita was trying desperately to regain her composure so she could do the scene.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Buster falling. “Oh… oh….” She ran to the end of the springboard and leaped into the air. She aimed herself at the falling koala. She just needed to reach him in time. She fell down but he was falling faster. She bit her lip and tried to push herself to go faster. She was about to grab him, she could feel his fur, but he was gone before she could, and he fell down past the flashing lights and onto the rising ice cave set. “No…” She finished the drop and ran to the small figure as the audience slowly realized something was wrong. The lights came on, allowing them to see the little producer lying in a growing pool of red. She was only barely aware of Gunter joining her while Suki dropped the curtain around them.

“Mr. Moon?” She looked at the koala, his body twisted in a bad way. Ice filled her chest as she assessed his injuries. “Buster?” She knelt and touched him, holding him gently, cradling him.

He moaned and looked up at her, making her smile with relief that he was still alive. “R… Rosita… you… you made the jump…” He smiled at her before coughing up blood. “You… you… did it… I’m so… so proud of you….”

She shook her head while the rest of the cast joined them on stage. “Shhh, don’t talk about that now. We need to get you some help.” She didn’t like the way he was breathing.

The koala smiled as he felt someone pick him up. It was Big Daddy, Johnny’s dad. In his big arms, he could see the rest of his family nearby. “We… we need to… to finish the show… if we don’t… he wins…”

“How could we finish now?” Johnny asked. “When you’re better, we can try again, so you can see the ending.” He argued. The young gorilla male couldn’t believe this was happening. Why couldn’t he stop that maniacal wolf?

Meena nodded. “He’s right. We need to get you to a hospital, Mr. Moon. You’ll be alright.” If only she’d seen Crystal sooner. If only she’d thought to sit on him.

Buster smiled at the elephant. “No… please, we need to… finish the… show. Please…” He seized with pain, fighting just to stay conscious. He saw Ash nearby. “Please, let me… let me see… the end…” He coughed up more blood, aware of the rattling in his chest. He knew and he had to see the end. “Please… we worked… so… hard….”

The porcupine felt her chest aching as she looked to her partner for the upcoming scene. She could see it in his eyes. He had seen this before. He nodded at her sadly.

“Mr. Moon, please, we can do the show again when you’re better,” Meena begged.

Buster wanted to reach out to her but he couldn’t even lift his arm. “It’s okay, Meena. It’s going to be… alright… I love you all… so much… Please… let me….. see… the end…”

She reached out to him instead, stroking his head. “Mr. Moon, please…. Let us get you some help…”

“Meena…” he smiled up at her. “I’m so…. So proud of you… I’m glad I…. got to…. know you… to see you blossom… Thank you… for everything…”

The elephant realized she wasn’t going to change his mind. She just couldn’t accept what she was seeing. She picked up his hand and squeezed.

Marcus held him. “It’ll be alright, now. We’ll watch the end of the show, then go to the hospital.” He looked at his son. “This is what he wants.” He whispered.

Johnny’s lip trembled and he gently pulled Meena away. “He’ll be alright. He has to be…” he tried to reassure her. He couldn’t accept anything else.

Gunter touched Rosita’s hand. “We have to finish the show.” He whispered. She could see tears in his eyes.

Rosita looked at Buster. “Are you really sure this is what you want? We could always try again another time, when you’ve had a chance to heal. We could do it even better for you…” She stroked his cheek. “Please, let us get you help…” Why wouldn’t he let them get him help?

He smiled at her. “Rosita… you’re such… such a… good mama… thank you… for making me… part of your family… I’m sorry… I… really want… to see the end… before… please…”

Resolutely, she nodded. “Then… you hold on, okay. Just hold on until we can get you help. Please… You’re going to be alright…”

He smiled. “Yes… I know… I’m… I’m not scared…”

She looked out at the audience, at her husband and children. She met Norman’s eyes and she knew that he’d seen it too. She wanted his arms around her now but she had a job to do. She mouthed something to him and he nodded. Quietly, he whispered to his children and they quickly left the theater.

Marcus carried Buster back to the control booth. Porsha took Buster’s little hand. “Mr. Moon, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault you’re hurt.”

His chest rattled as he fought for each breath. For a brief moment, he was only vaguely aware of the pain. “Porsha, no. It’s not your fault. You… you were great….” He looked out at the stage. While they got back into position, he looked up at the gorilla holding him. “Marcus… I… I need to ask you something… I’m not… I’m not going to make it…”

Marcus forced a smile. “Don’t say things like that. Just hold on until we can get you some help.”

He shook his head. “You… you don’t have to… sugarcoat it… I know… I can… feel it… it’s… it’s okay…” Breathing was painful, every bone in his body felt broken, shattered. But he had to see the ending. “I need to know… that they’ll be alright… without me… I can’t rest without knowing…”

Choking back emotion, Marcus nodded. “They’ll be fine. I promise. I’ll see to it… that isn’t something you need to worry about.” He picked up the little gray hand and squeezed, attempting to give him some comfort. “Don’t worry, Mr. Moon, I’ll take care of them.”

Buster smiled up at him. “Thank you. I love them. Johnny’s lucky… to have a father like you…” He coughed and groaned as the pain gradually became worse. “At least we did it. We played Redshore City. I’m going out… on a high note… you know?”

Marcus nodded, understandingly. “Don’t give up. It might not be it,” he lied. “Mr. Moon, you did so much for my son… you saved my family. Thank you.”

Buster grinned and grit his teeth through another surge of pain. He coughed, blood oozing from his mouth.

Porsha watched the koala fighting for his life. “Mr. Moon, you’re going to be alright. You have to be. This is all my fault….” She used a tissue to wipe up the blood.

“I… I’ll… be alright,” he promised. “I’ll get to see my dad again. And my mom. It’s okay, Porsha.”

Barry dragged Crystal down the lift and Porsha ran over. “How could you Daddy? How could you hurt Mr. Moon?” She wept.

He growled. “You traitor! He fired you! He humiliated me!”

“He didn’t fire me! He put me in the show! You hurt him!” She sobbed as she gripped the front of his suit.

Crystal looked at the little koala. For the first time in his life, he felt a strange sensation, as though someone had removed a pair of red-tinted glasses from his eyes. He’d made threats before but he never acted on the worst of them. Someone, usually Suki, got them out and let them go and they’d leave. Moon didn’t do that and he had the opportunity to be gracious but had lost his mind with hate and anger. ‘What have I done?’ He thought to himself.

Marcus came over, forcing him to look even closer at his victim. “If he dies, so do you.” He vowed. “Porsha, say your goodbyes and go wait for the curtain calls.”

Porsha nodded with understanding. She glared at him. “I hate you, Daddy. I hate you!” She ran back to the rest of the troupe, crying. She didn’t mean it. It was her fault anyway.

Crystal tried to break free. “Porsha! Porsha, wait!” He called after her. All of a sudden all he wanted was his daughter. To hold her and comfort her and reassure her. But he couldn’t escape the iron grip. Marcus didn’t miss the tears in his eyes. “Let me go! Porsha!”

Johnny glanced at Buster from his position, before turning to watch the show. He turned his head as he felt a pair of eyes on him. Ryan was close, looking at him with a strange expression. He wanted to grab his boss and race to the hospital but he couldn’t bring himself to deny Buster this one simple thing.

“We have survived the wormhole. The missing space explorer must be here somewhere…”

————————————

In the cave, Ash was trying to find the strength to play. “How can I play now?” She whispered. A big paw covered her shoulder.

“Because it’s his wish,” the gruff lion told her. He was nervous about performing after 15 years of living like a hermit but when he’d seen the koala’s condition, hearing him beg to see the end , he knew he had to see it through.

“But… it’s Buster. We shouldn’t be playing now. We should be getting him to a hospital!” She insisted.

Clay turned his head. “Even if you did… Ash… there’s nothing to be done… We need to do this. Don’t worry… my Ruby… She's here. She’ll take good care of him. Go on now… it’s time.” He put a big hand on her shoulder. “This is all we can do for him now.” He sighed as she nodded. He didn’t like being so blunt, but she needed to hear it.

Tears falling down her cheeks, Ash swallowed her pain and walked out onto the end of the stage. “I have climbed the highest mountains… I have run… through the fields. Only to be with you, only to be with you. But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

————

Thankfully, the pain slowly receded until he felt nothing. Growing weaker, Buster watched and listened to the porcupine who had wowed him once with her amazing voice and songwriting. The electric guitar riff that followed preceded Clay coming out onto the stage to sing with her.

He thought about the last five years. All of the great shows he got to see his troupe perform. He had no idea that Redshore City, this show would be his last. And he still felt it was worth it. This show was the greatest show he’d ever put out. He smiled proudly. A few tears fell from his eyes.

But he also thought of the things he wouldn’t get to do. The words he would never get to say. He thought of him. “I’m sorry, Eddie…” He whispered to the air. His only regret was he wouldn’t get to tell him how he felt.

As the glass platform began to rise with Ash, Clay, Rosita and Gunter, the koala couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment as he felt extraordinarily tired and he heaved a heavy sigh and fell asleep for only a minute. He snapped his eyes open. He couldn’t sleep yet. They’d done it. They’d played Redshore City. He looked at the crowd, applauding and cheering. Then he had to blink a few times before he saw him. An older koala in the crowd, wearing a tan golf hat and a green plaid shirt talking with a lovely lioness, surrounded by a male elephant and female gorilla. Without thinking, he jumped out of Marcus’ arms and ran to him.

“Dad! You’re here! You came!” He didn’t even consider the connotations.

Benji Moon smiled. “I’m so proud of you. This is Mrs. Calloway.”

Buster nodded. “Always a pleasure.”

“Thank you for making my husband snap out of it,” the lioness said with a grin at the white-maned lion on stage.

The older koala nodded. “Come along now. Your mother has dinner waiting.” He hugged his son.

Buster stopped and turned to the stage while his troupe came out. “Not yet, Dad. I still need to do the curtain calls. Come meet my friends.” He was about to join them when he saw Marcus. He understood. “Okay, Dad. Okay…” He turned to his team once more. “You did great, guys. I love you all.” He followed his dad and Mrs. Calloway to the double doors. He stopped and turned back. “Will they be okay, Dad? Did I do everything I could?”

Benji took his son by the hand. “You’ll have to trust in them now, son. Now it’s time for you to rest.”

—————

Marcus felt it. The heavy sigh. The little hand went limp in his and he looked down just in time to see his eyes flutter closed. His chest went up and down only once. He waited and hoped to see it rise and fall again but nothing. “Mr. Moon?” He shook him gently.

Crystal saw it too and he couldn’t deny the guilt burning in his stomach. Dark eyes fixed upon him. He had no doubt that the gorilla would fulfill his threats and he wasn’t sure he wanted to stop him.

“Get him out of here!” He ordered Barry.

“Wait! I want to see Porsha!” He protested. “I have to tell her…” Green eyes tore into him.

“You have a lot of nerve making demands now! You sad sack of shit! I should let the police have you. Prison would destroy a weak, vulnerable, thin-skinned bastard like you!” He threatened. “Get him out of here!”

Barry nodded and he and Stan dragged him out of the theater and hotel. He forced him back into his limo and he and Stan took either side. Not even his bodyguards were doing anything to help him.

“Raoul, headquarters!” He ordered, reluctantly.

—————

On the outskirts of Calatonia city sat a beautiful, pink modern mansion complete with a huge pool and a pool house. Inside the pool house, a middle-aged polled sheep played his favorite video game.

“I’m sorry, Eddie…” He looked up and looked around. He could swear he just heard his best friend and it felt like someone had just broken a rubber band against him.

“Buster…” he said softly to himself. He was just lonely, he thought. He would have to give him a call in the morning. His parents had forbidden contact but what they didn’t know and all that.

—————

Johnny, Meena, Darius and Porsha went out on stage, taking their bows alongside Rosita, Gunter, Ash and Clay. Marcus would have cheered if not for the precious package in his arms. He looked down at the limp koala, his eyes closed but the ghost of a smile still on his face.

“Thank you, Mr. Moon… for letting my son have his dreams….” The tough gorilla had to get control of his emotions. His son needed him strong now. He’d known when he picked him up that Mr. Moon was badly hurt. He knew that taking him to a hospital would only delay the inevitable, if he even survived the trip. He would never walk again. He could feel the sheer amount of damage and blood coated his shirt and Marcus’ jacket, almost like his insides had been liquified. He couldn’t help feeling responsible. His son had called and asked them to protect them from Crystal and in the home stretch, he had failed. He had made the dangerous assumption that the wolf had been dealt with and was no longer a danger. He should have had one of his boys guarding the wolf.

He became aware of the young Saluki beside him. “I’m sorry, I tried to warn Mr. Moon. I knew he wasn’t cut out for this place.” She looked into the quiet face, trying to keep from crying. She’d seen Crystal hurt too many people. “I tried to save him. I told him to leave this city and never come back. Why didn’t he listen?” She reached out to pet his soft fur.

Marcus sighed. “Buster’s not the type to run away. He didn’t deserve this. Don’t worry, Crystal won’t hurt anyone else after tonight.” His tone made her shiver. She believed he could make it happen.

“I’m sorry. I tried…” she sobbed. “Oh good gosh, what about Porsha. What’s going to happen to her? She’ll lose everything if the law gets involved. They love that sort of thing. What’ll happen to him? Jail is…”

He shook his head. “I know. I’ve been on the inside. It’s no place for a wolf like him. And I wouldn’t take her father from her and not offer her a place with me. She’ll be fine and you can protect what should be hers. If she wants to share it, that’s up to her. Not the law.”

She tried to get control. She wasn’t normally a crier but she couldn’t help it. It felt like her own life was falling apart. “I loved him…”

Marcus sighed. He didn’t want to be merciful. He thought the wolf could do with the torture of jail before someone finally mutilated him, but that would hurt that innocent child too. Both by losing him in such a way but leaving her destitute.

When the crowd started to leave, the cast came backstage. “Okay, it’s over.” Johnny said. “Let’s get Mr. Moon to the hospital.” He tried to take his boss from his father. “Come on…”

Marcus put a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Son…”

“Dad, we have to get Mr. Moon to the hospital,” he said. “He needs help.”

The older gorilla shook his head. “Johnny… there’s nothing you can do for him. He’s gone.” He saw his son’s eyes becoming shiny. “I’m sorry.” His son was always so sensitive and this was a very difficult situation.

Johnny shook his head. “No… no, he’s not. He’s just resting. He needs a hospital!” He argued, taking him into his arms. “Mr. Moon…” he tried to rouse the koala.

“Mr. Moon, what did you think?” Rosita asked, trying to get a response from their leader. “Mr. Moon… Buster…” His eyes were closed as if sleeping. She touched his cheek, it was already growing cold. “Buster… Buster, wake up… we did it… Please, wake up and tell us what you thought…. Please.” She picked up his hand in hers and squeezed it. “Open your eyes!” She pleaded. “Please… come back…” Behind her, she became aware of Gunter starting to cry.

“Mr. Moon!” Johnny shouted. “Wake up!” His whole body quaked as he tried to make him wake.

Ash fell to her knees, sobbing. Clay knelt beside her and pulled her close, letting her cry into his black leather jacket. Softly, he whispered. “Oh Ruby, this was not supposed to happen.”

“Don’t worry, darling, I’ll take good care of him.” A voice whispered in his ear. Looking around, he saw no one.

Still wearing her white dress, Meena reached over. “Mr. Moon, please… You can’t… you can’t leave us. We still need you…” Her voice broke as she took him from Johnny, cradling him, trying to jar him awake. “We… I love you…. Please….”

——————————

Outside the stage, the bull elephant waited, unsure. “I said we could meet after the show…” he reminded his friend. “Should I keep waiting, Tyler? What if she comes and I’m not here…”

The orangutan shook his head. “I don’t know what happened, Alphie, but I have a strong feeling she’s not coming. Tomorrow morning, go find her. You could take her some of your pastries. She has to be in the hotel somewhere.”

He nodded. “I just pray to God that it was nothing. I sincerely hope she’s alright.”