Disclaimer: Here's another short story I'm focusing on the Saluki that Illumination gave a criminally unique design to, that they or other fans will not give any love to, and that will not leave my brain. This reflects my feels on how a character like her would have been better off as an animated character in a different animated project since those execs won't give her anything else to do as far as we know.

This short will show the birth of my OC duplicate/twin of the Saluki I intend to use in fan works in the case that something canon will bash fan works (as canon media's running out of material for comedy). It is heavily inspired by the short "Forget Me Not" I've seen on YouTube.

I own two characters, while you-know-who belongs to Universal and Illumination. Now, be warned that this story is rated T for violence, a bit of blood and some language.

It was another evening in Autumn 2021 at the animation department of Illumination. Sing 2 was almost complete. Of course, one particular animator felt one character should be tweaked in order to get more fans. That character was Suki Lane, who's designed to be semi-antagonistic to the main characters for the first half of the film but later assist them and show up at the end just to set them up for future installments, without indication that she'll be an important part of the team afterwards.

She had a very unique design but not much info to her and not much about her character than just being a talent scout and assistant to a mogul, and this would all be for the sake of characters like the returning main group, Jimmy and Porsha Crystal, Clay Calloway, and Nooshy. This animator, however, felt so drawn to her that she deserved to be explored more, have more to her character, and give her more interactions with the main cast, than just be thought of as the sequel's Judith. He felt maybe a fun idea would be to give her a twin sister to enjoy more if the first dog can't.

The animator was at his computer adding some details to this character. She was exactly like Suki in every way, appearance-wise. The differences though were that her hair/ears were a darker shade of red, she had a stripe down the middle of her face that is the same color as her muzzle, a purple nose, black dots on her muzzle, the sleeves of her jacket (which was a hoodie in this case) were longer, most of her paws were cream-colored to appear as if she wore fingerless gloves, and she had dark brown feet that were covered by her brown boots.

As he added some finishing touches to her, the animator said, "Yep, she is like the first Suki down to the last detail. And she knows all about just about media in general, especially cartoons, but regardless, she tries not to let overthinking ruin enjoyment for her, though she does get moody at times. She can also sing, dance, and be funny. All that to go in an attractive package such as her."

He took a good look at her and the original Suki she was compared with as he sighed, "Nah, the staff won't want to give her a chance. We have to follow Hollywood's policy on how designs can't be used twice. I guess she'll have to be deleted."

So he cropped around the dog's double and moved his arrow forward to the "Delete" icon, getting ready to lose this idea that won't make it. But just as he was about to click, he moved his hand away from the mouse, saying, "It's getting late. I'll delete her in the morning when I get here."

So the animator got up and headed for the door. After shutting the lights off on his way out, he left the building. That's when both Suki and her duplicate came to life.

The original was the first to speak, as she spoke to herself, trying to figure out what to say, "Okay, what to say, what to say. Oh, I'll just be straight forward." She then turned to her saying, "Welcome to Illumination. I'm..."

"Suki Lane," the duplicate said gladly. "I know who you are because, well, I'm created to be your twin, and we share a few interests, although I prefer to enjoy most presentations than just frown at them. Still, it's great to meet you and be created as your partner."

She stuck her hand out for a handshake, with Suki shaking it back though feeling uneasy for some reason. "So what name would you prefer having?"

"Well, I thought maybe Sukey."

"That's MY name though."

"Oh, but this is spelled S-U-K-E-Y, while yours is spelled S-U-K-I, and I'll even have a middle name within my name to separate the confusion more."

"Hmm, wouldn't you like a different name?"

"Well, we'll iron out the details later," said the other Saluki, who will currently be called 'Sukey'. She continued as she placed her arm around Suki, "We've got a long time to plan what we can do for further stories in the franchise. And with my help, people will be able to like you more."

Suki looked concerned for her double. Apparently she didn't hear what the animator said. Looks like she'd have to break the news. "Um, we don't have much time. Just until morning."

Sukey was confused. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't know how else to say this but...you have to be deleted. The staff won't be interested in characters like us; they already have the main cast and more coming."

Sukey was in dismay. "We...you don't know that. Someone could take a shine to us and convince the others we're worth exploring."

The original shook her head, saying, "I'm afraid that's simply not done. We're simply secondary characters made to slightly move the main characters' plot along."

The twin couldn't believe this. Both of them are extraordinarily-designed anthropomorphic canine characters with potential, and they were being shut down before being given a chance? She went over to the edge of the platform and sat down in depression. She sat there in silence for a few seconds before it was broken by her asking the original Saluki, "And you just accept it?"

"What?" Suki asked as Sukey was not being loud enough.

"And you just accept it?"

"Well, I have to. We all have to follow the IP, the Illumination Protocol."

The double frowned. That isn't right to her! She then got up and turned, challenging her claim, "You'd rather just be a one-shot without showing more to you than a typical businesswoman?"

Suki groaned, "I saved Buster from my ex-boss killing him twice! I had the latter arrested! I supported the Moon Troupe in the end! I get them booked for other theaters! I drive a motorcycle! What more do you want?!"

Sukey then explained, "The way I see it, just about any toon has a story to tell about themselves. We have yet to tell ours. After all, we are both uniquely designed, have the opportunity to break out of the typical female assistant to a mogul shtick, and prove to be appealing as those around us, making everyone equal. Don't you want that?"

"You make a fair point, and I WOULD like to share more, but let's not kid ourselves. If we let every character have what they want, there would be chaos."

"Or maybe you're just too afraid to take chances! We need a real break and I am not going down that easy."

Then, suddenly, a pop-up add appeared right behind the two. It said "Are you a cartoon character with potential wanting to escape the fate your company decides? Click here!"

They both read carefully as the new Saluki grinned in interest and proclaimed, "I think I've found a break here!"

Suki, however, felt something off here. "Wait, you're not really going to click on it, are you? It's obviously a scam that may infect this computer with a virus. A majority of ads do that."

Sukey rolled her eyes at the original's skepticism. "It says 'are you a cartoon character?'. No human would be stupid enough to click 'yes'. It's clearly for us. I'm taking this chance."

"I strongly don't recommend this."

Sukey sighed, "Fine, you stay here and continue kissing that albino wolf's ass and being the businesswoman who is without friends. Me, I'm going to explore several vast animated horizons."

She got ready to click when Suki blocked her path, "No, it's not happening. Now why don't you and I just spend the amount of time we've got."

The duplicate, however, wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. She demanded, "Out of my way. Buster didn't listen to you, so I'm not going to."

"No! I can't risk whatever calamity you might bring!" Suki said in defiance.

"Oh, you are just being dramatic!"

She tried to reach out to the ad but the original Saluki held her back with all her might, and the two struggled for a bit, with the second dog trying to break free from the first one's grip in attempt to reach the ad, but the first one clicked the minimize icon with her elbow from behind and shoved her duplicate down to the ground out of desperation. In all the commotion, one of the lenses in Sukey's glasses had cracked.

Sukey got up and glared at the original, "Oh, you should not have done that."

The concerned Suki said to her double with her hands up, trying to reason with her, "I'm sorry I did that, but you were getting out of control."

"Oh, you haven't seen out of control yet! You want me to follow protocol and get deleted? You'll have to take me down first!"

"Forget it, I am not about to fight my double, okay?"

"Sorry you feel that way," Sukey said, before twirl kicking Suki in the nose, sending her to the floor in pain. "Yeah, I've also been coded with combat skills, something you didn't show off around others. So if you don't want to get your tail handed to you, I suggest you let me live out my desires."

"Never!" Suki snapped in defiance before she got up and rapidly punched her double down.

Sukey rubbed her snout as she got back up and sneered at her original. "You know, there's too much material on this desktop to botch. What say we take this fight outside the computer?"

The duplicate yelled as she tackled the screaming original and both dogs were sent tumbling out of the computer and into the real world's desk top. The two rolled across the keyboard, fighting one another like mad before Sukey kicked Suki off her, sending the latter slamming into the router.

Suki got up, dusting herself, and charged at her duplicate, demanding angrily, "You want some of me? I'm right here!"

But Sukey hit Suki in the mouth with her elbow, and then Suki punched her back, and soon it was a punch-out between the two lasting for a couple seconds before Suki caught Sukey's fists and held them back as best as she could. The two ended up circling like two wrestlers, snarling at each other before Sukey was sent down to the keyboard, with Suki slamming her double's face into buttons of the keyboard.

Sukey then elbowed Suki from behind, shaking her, but the undaunted first Saluki wiped the blood from her nose.

"You are not about to take away the potential from Sukey G. Lane!" Sukey said to her original counterpart in an almost evil tone.

"That's not your name!" Suki retorted.

"I can pick whatever damn name I want!"

She then pounced her double and the two started going at each other with their teeth like non-anthropomorphic dogs, biting arms and/or legs, all until Suki was kicked by Sukey's boot, sending her tumbling into the direction of an open ink jar. Her face plopped squarely in the black ink with her glasses flying off from her face thanks to the impact of the kick.

Suki got up with her face coated in black ink, and spat out some of the contents while wiping some off her face. She tried to look for Sukey and her glasses, until she heard the noise of glass crunching beneath her foot. That could only mean one thing: she stepped on her glasses.

"Alright, where are you now?" she demanded.

"Up here, one-shot!"

Suki turned around, and though her vision was blurry, she followed the direction of the voice, and at the nearby router, Sukey had climbed on to the top, glaring at her original. She exclaimed madly, preparing to pounce, "Lights out, hot dog."

"No!" Suki protested, but it was too late as Sukey leaped right off the tower with her elbow out.

"DOG PILE DRIVER!" Sukey yelled as she elbowed Suki to the ground, and upon hitting the ground, the collision (along with the force of the elbow) made Suki's eyes bug out in a cartoony fashion. Sukey got up and headed for the computer but not before Suki got up with her legs trembling. She wasn't ready to give up yet...but then she completely gave out, dropping to the floor, unconscious.

The panting Sukey got up and dusted herself off as she panted. She then turned to the out cold original, "That should keep you down for now. But just in case..."

The next thing you know, the still-unconscious Suki was mummified and gagged completely in scotch tape by Sukey, and was positioned to be sitting on the edge of the desk. Once cocooning the original up, she said to her, "It's too bad it had to be this way, Suki with an I. We truly could have been great friends and/or siblings. Sleep tight, princess pooch."

She then lightly poked Suki's back, sending her falling straight into a drawer she had opened up. Thankfully, some soft books cushioned her fall. Sukey then used a makeshift hook made from a paper clip and string to get a hold of the drawer's handle and close it.

Without anything or anyone else to interfere, Sukey climbed back into the computer, used her hand to bring back the advertisement from earlier, and she clicked "yes". The next thing that happened was the advertisement morphed into a little rocket that opened up its little hatch for her to climb in. So that is what she did, but not before putting on Suki's helmet which she stole.

Once she climbed into the seat, strapped herself in and closed the hatch, she said, "Well, other cartoon horizons and potential, here I come." She then pressed the appropriate buttons, and with that, the rocket's boosters started revving, reaching a certain speed rate, and WHOOSH! the rocket and Saluki clone zoomed off into the vast, colossal, multiversal horizons of cyberspace. She was not deleted from existence, but she was gone from the computer.

The next morning, the animator returned to finish what he meant to do last night. He turned on his computer screen, and to his surprise, his creation was no longer there. That's strange. He could have sworn he left his creation up last night.

The animator thought out loud, "Maybe Phil came in and decided to save me from being fired by deleting her for me. What a pal." However, he noticed Suki was gone as well. "What? Where's Suki?! Oh, he must have accidentally deleted her as well! Dang it, Phil!" Then he shrugged the issue off. "Oh well, the film's already complete anyway. No one's gonna miss her."

He was about to leave to get something to eat when the sounds of muffled shouting were heard from somewhere, making him stop. What was that, he thought? He looked around everywhere and found nothing. "Huh. I should get my ears cleaned professionally."

With that, he was gone. Had he stayed, he would have seen the drawer shake with the muffled shouting coming from the now-awake, taped-up Suki, trying to alert anyone to come free her from the drawer. So far? No one hears her. It would especially be a miracle if any characters on the computer hear her and come to her rescue.

The End...?

Voice Cast:
Chelsea Peretti: Suki Lane
Elizabeth Banks: Sukey G. Lane
Justin Long: Voice of Illumination Animator

Closing Notes:

This is not the end of Sukey, she will appear in tribute fanmakes (like the ones done by JusSonic, a former member of this website) I have planned for DeviantArt, Luke's Place or private e-mails. Why her and not the actual Suki? Because I think if she read these fan works, including fan redos of existing films, she wouldn't agree to doing them, being the critical type. That's why I have an exact duplicate of her go in her stead. Everything about her design is too unique to be used only once, so the best option is to just make a duplicate of her. Also, I created her to be the Suki who would be straight and into males shorter than her, in case they decide to make the canon one against all males or into males beefier and taller than her (which we already have enough of in Hollywood, by the way!)

One example of her usage will be as the partner and/or love-interest of Sylvester from Looney Tunes in some stories.

In all honesty, Suki's the perfect design for a modern anthro female dog that is the breed of one of my favorite dogs, Rita from Oliver & Company. Her adorable face, her eyes, her clothes, her darker bushier tail, her hair-like ears, her snarky personality, her willing to think differently than the villains she works with, everything about her. Sadly, I think her potential is wasted as a character in the Sing franchise, and think she should have been created for a meta cartoon film (like a Roger Rabbit continuation or the Chip & Dale film) as an anthro female dog working with a toon that challenges her lack of sense of humor, having her as an equivalent to Eddie Valiant and Nick Wilde. I feel Illumination creating a specimen like her and not doing enough with her (as she's not coming back in the third film or anything else) is their way of openly mocking me because Hollywood forbids anyone to use something of the same thing more than once.

Now, while more love is given to the Crystals, Johnny, Ash, Nooshy, Clay Calloway, Gunter, Darius, and the elephants, I guess it's up to me to give the Saluki (and/or her clone I created) stories that Illumination won't, as they're too interested in bringing more stars (especially younger ones) than even bothering to explore her character more than just a businesswoman. If anyone has suggestions for stories of her, please give some, as long as it doesn't involve making her the eventual love-interest of a beefy male figure. No offense but I'm sick of that kind of couple ratio "tall, beefy male and thin woman (especially tough ones)". I hope you can understand.

Oh, and while Sukey seemed like an evil twin in this, she isn't a villain truly. I hope I can have a future story where she and the canon Suki reconcile.

So with no one else giving this extraordinary Saluki love, besides authors like UNCLE SAM THE MAN, MysteryWriter2187, BeetleSpooks, and TheDragonSaver, it's up to me. Thanks for reading though, and stay tuned for other stories of cartoons I may do, but suggestions and help are more than welcome.