Hello! Wow, I'm so close to finally being done with this book! After this there will only be one more chapter, meaning Loud and Clear will soon be back in the works! Also, I just wanted to elaborate on my title for chapter 10, 'A Fish Out of Water'. Since the saying alludes to someone having to deal with a new or unusual experience, I named it that way so as to demonstrate just how strange of a situation Cupcake and especially Matzoh had been put in. And there was also a fishing scene... so that MAY have been another reason... :) Enjoy!
"So, in conclusion, the Daisy Gardens agricultural department is fixedly working on developing these hybrids, and the percent chance concerning the project's success has raised from 99.034 to 99.564, indicating a high probability for the prosperity of this fruitful endeavor. Any questions?"
Not a word was spoken in reply. The room became so silent and still that one could swear they were able to hear the explosion of Cogs many miles away. Flippy swallowed uncomfortably. This had to be one of the single most uninteresting and extensive Toon Council meetings that had ever been held. Part of him even missed the chaos from the previous, unplanned meeting, where their decision on Mark's fate had been discussed. After taking a painfully deep breath, Flippy nodded to Mr. Snouts, who immediately sat down with satisfaction.
"Thank you, Mr. Snouts," he began, "for that very informative explanation of Toontown's current natural resources. I think we can all agree that any questions we might've had were covered by you."
"The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Mayor," he replied, smashing his glasses back onto his snout.
Flippy glanced at the clock hanging upon the wall. "Well, the Council has been in session for a good thirty minutes now, so if there aren't any more topic to cover…"
"YES, I HAVE A PRETTY URGENT TOPIC TO COVER!" a yell came from across the room. All eyes soon were fixated on the boisterous intruder, who was none other than Sheriff Jade, who had been absent for the meeting up until now. She had a determined and slightly crazed look plastered upon her beak, and her arm was thrust into the air, her hand firmly clenching a small cassette tape. "Now, will the Council finally hear MY view of this issue, or will my ideas once more be drowned out by those who feel as if only their voice matters?" She sent a nasty glare at Lord Lowden Clear, who huffed in irritation and crossed one leg over the other.
Flippy's eyes grew wide. He knew what this was about. He sent a pleading glance her way, almost begging that she wouldn't take another step into the room. But she was too far gone, and Flippy knew it. And at this point, he didn't really care.
"Hey!" Mr. Snouts squealed, suddenly standing up. "You're late, Jade!"
"That's Sheriff Jade to you, Oinkers," she hissed, storming over to a portable cassette player nearby. Moments later, she was slamming the player shut and pressing several different buttons, her angry expression becoming somewhat placated once she heard the video starting up. "Flip off the lights, Bacon Bits."
Mr. Snouts scurried over to the light switch on the wall, not wanting to irritate Jade any more than she already was. After flipping yet another switch to let down the projection screen, he quietly sat down in the corner, averting his gaze away from the duck and to the video they were all about to witness. After several minutes, the film began to roll, and the first scene to play was a video of Matzoh as a young kitten, sitting on the floor in her home. Scattered around her were various medical instruments, and she was holding a small, mouse Toon plush, and cradling it in her arms.
"There, there, Mr. Squeakers," she purred softly, sticking a pretend thermometer in its mouth. "It's all going to be okay." She giggled excitedly and kissed the doll on its head. "I'm going to take care of you, because I'm a doctor. Doctors help other Toons! Hey, Aunt Rainbow," she suddenly said, peering over the camera. "Do you think I'll make a good doctor?" she asked, smiling.
"Yes, sweetheart," the Toon recording the video assured her. "You will be the best."
The scene changed, and it soon showed yet another recording, this time of the day when Matzoh first opened her clinic. She looked so excited, so ready to help those in need. And soon after, many more scenes played in which she was assisting other Toons in need. They all clearly showed her care for the patients that visited her. After fifteen minutes of the video, the tape stopped, and Jade sent a nod to Mr. Snouts, who immediately turned the light back on and reeled up the screen. The aqua duck silently walked over to her usual chair, sat down, and glanced around at the Toons gathered.
"Toon Council," she began, her voice now much calmer than before. "I complied those videos to show you how much Doctor Matzoh cares about her patients, and all of Toontown. All she's ever wanted, for her whole life, was to help others. And you took that from her. How could you, as a community, accept a foreign, dangerous enemy like that Telemarketer, yet destroy one of your own kind for her unusual actions? Then, you let the main perpetrator go unscathed…" she inhaled sharply, catching a warning look from Flippy, who knew that she was talking about his daughter. "Anyway, I don't see, in any way, shape, or form, how you would take away her license to help others. So, does that mean that if I make a wrong decision, or do something 'Untoony', then I'll lose my ability to Toon someone up? To help heal that person? I may not know everything, but I am sure of one thing. If you take away her privilege to help those in need… well, then what kind of a message are you sending to the citizens of Toontown?"
The whole Council was baffled. Many couldn't utter a word, while others were nearly brough to tears by her powerful speech. Flippy himself was incredibly caught off guard by Jade's interest in Matzoh's future. He stole a glance at Lowden, who had a look written on his face that he had never seen before. Oddly enough, he himself looked moved by her words. And because of this, Flippy knew that it would be the perfect time to revisit the question if reinstating her license. He smiled upon the crowd and leaned forward over his podium.
"Council, Sheriff Jade is right. We can't do this. Think of how we're injuring our town! If we want to do what is right for the welfare of all our citizens, then I for one believe we should return Doctor Matzoh to her former position." He winked at Jade, who had finally broken into a jubilant grin. "So, who will stand with me?" Just then, before an answer could be given, who should barge in, swinging the doors right open, but Cupcake and HQ Harry, both panting as if they had run a mile.
"HOLD EVERYTHING!" Cupcake yelled. "I… GAH!... Matzoh… GIVE HER LICENSE BACK!"
Mr. Snouts snorted contemptuously. "You're about 3.48 seconds too late."
"Oh, come on!" Harry exclaimed, exasperated. "All of the Council meetings that I've been invited to were concerning the town's budget. But then when there's something actually exciting… NO!" He sulked off.
"Have you guys restored Matzoh's title?" Cupcake asked, eagerly.
Flippy sighed. "Well, Buttercup, I'm not entirely sure just yet…"
"Yes," Lowden suddenly said. Every Toon in the room looked to him.
"Lowden, are you serious?" Flippy asked, uncertainty marking his voice.
"Yes." The canine stood up, his expression unreadable. "I'm not going to approve of anything that could possibly endanger the town. Please, reinstate her license. If she cares that much about others, well… then we need a doctor like her." And with those words, he slowly made his way out of the meeting, and was soon shutting the door behind him, leaving everyone in the room dumbfounded.
Several seconds later, Flippy broke out into the biggest smile, and after retrieving his gavel from the compartment under the podium, he slammed it against the surface, and announced. "Well, there you have it, folks. Meeting adjourned!"
Doctor Matzoh was absolutely ecstatic once she learned that she could continue seeing her patients, and that her clinic would soon be back up and running. She decided to not tell anyone else about her 'secret practice', figuring it would be better to leave this information solely to her, her aunts, and the few Toons who stuck by their doctor in her most difficult season. In the end, all of the pain and anxiety she went through for helping Cupcake was worth it, and every time she would visit her and Mark, she could almost forget her hardest moments. There was something beautiful about their relationship, and she knew that it would have never been possible had she not assisted her dear friend. And now, she just couldn't wait to watch it grow.
As for Sheriff Jade, she soon was greatly compensated for her bold move in the recent Toon Council meeting. Although she greatly feared that Flippy would be angry for her interruption, his emotions were surprisingly quite the opposite. And to thank her for convincing Lord Lowden Clear and the other members to restore Matzoh's title, he ordered several Loony Labs scientists to create a new and improved cream pie, without the cream. Within a week the product was finished, and the exuberant duck was finally able to use Throw level five.
Mark stared up at the stars twinkling in the lucid night sky. He thought about all that had happened to him over the course of mere days; how he was turned on by those who he believed to be his comrades, how he had nearly been annihilated, and then how a wonderful, amazing individual had found him and brought her into his life. He had been thrust into the life of a Toon, and despite the things he still didn't understand, Cupcake was slowly acclimating him to his new life. To their new life.
Just then, Mark heard the door to Cupcake's house open and then click shut. He turned around and watched as she walked over to meet him. Her face was brightened by a gorgeous smile, and Mark grinned once he saw her soft, emerald eyes glistening in the dark.
"So, what do you think of them?" Cupcake asked, pointing up to the stars.
Mark glanced back at the sky. "They're beautiful," he remarked. Almost as beautiful as you, he thought.
The pair stayed there for some time, standing only inches apart. Eventually, their hands brushed together, and without a word, their fingers were soon locked, as they both attempted to stifle the excitement they felt. After nearly ten minutes, Cupcake let go of his hand and pulled away, turning to face him as their eyes met.
"Mark…" she began, but was cut short by him shaking his head.
"No, Cupcake, I need to say something first." He sighed. "When we first became friends, only days ago, I was terrified of you. There was this constant, nagging voice in the back of my head that told me you would leave me, or want to get rid of me, just like everyone else in my life has. But now, here we are, becoming closer and closer by the hour, and I can't figure out how, in all of Cog Nation, I was able to meet a Toon like you. It makes no sense. But I can assure you that I will never, ever take this life you've given me for granted. Thank you, Cupcake. I… care so much about you now. I've never experienced these feelings. You're so wonderful, and…"
Before he could utter another word, Cupcake grabbed him by the lapels of his suit, pulled him down, and had planted a kiss right on his cheek. His eyes grew wide once he realized what she was doing, and even as she broke off and let him go, he was speechless and barely able to comprehend what had just happened. She smiled warmly, and whispered, "I care about you too, Mark. Don't ever forget that." And with nothing more spoken, Cupcake quietly padded back into her home.
Mark was completely stunned for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, however, he placed his hand over his cheek and grinned. He had never known this emotion before, but whatever it was, he hoped that it would never end. And with that, he slowly crept back up to her house, ready to see where this journey would take them.
I was so emotional writing this chapter oh my goodness. O-O
