Chapter 10
In front of a flower bush at the bottom of a braided tree bent in an arch, a young female zebra was on her knees, embraced in the arms of an antlered animal dressed in red, with a dark cape, and a large-brimmed hat. It was clear that this animal was other-worldly—thanks to him having a bare skull for a head.
The zebra then became limp, sliding down the skeletal animal's body until her head laid motionless on his lap as if she were dead. He then lifted his head skyward, the light reflecting this piercing—yet slightly mournful—amber eyes.
"Ellen," the skulled animal exclaimed solemnly. "You have bid farewell…to this world."
Soft music could be heard in the distance as a red curtain slowly fell in front of the two animals. A few moments after, the curtain ascended back up to reveal the two individuals standing side by side along with other groups of animals in various forms of dress. After each group took turns taking a gracious bow, the curtain descended once again.
"Okay, people! That's a wrap!"
Behind the heavy folds of fabric, the groups began to relax their postures, walking off different directions while Rob and his crew began pushing away the tree and the bushes.
"Amazing job, everyone," congratulated a short, bespectacled pelican waddling across the stage. "This was definitely one of our better dress rehearsals. And glad to see you were in top form, Louis. Ellen."
The skeletal creature carefully removed his hat—making sure not to snag his horns—and then his skull, revealing a red deer with small beads of sweat sitting upon his brow.
Rob continued watching Louis as he helped remove the props. As always, his performance was simply breathtaking. Even from the sidelines the young lion always found himself transported to the forest where the Adler defended his charge against the spirit antagonists—easily forgetting that it was just a play.
He has seen the production many times already, but his heart continued to race each time Louis took the stage. The deer truly was… a sight to behold and he could see why many girls would swoon whenever he walked past—the way he evoked awe and respect to all that lay eyes upon him. There was no doubt in the carnivore's mind that Louis would be named the new Beastar.
"Hey, great job on getting things out so quick for us."
"...Huh. Oh, u-um… thanks, D-Dolph," said Rob answered, turning to the grey hippopotamus pulling on the other side of the arched tree.
"I admit, I was a little worried you wouldn't learn where everything went in two days. Good thing you're a really fast learner."
"Y-yeah."
After setting the large prop down, Rob turned heel to find himself in front of the two females of his group—Mina, the giraffe and Moro, the rhinoceros.
"...H-Hey, g-great, uh, work t-today," he shyly remarked.
"...Yeah, you too," Mina answered back while exchanging nervous glances with her horned friend.
Things have gotten somewhat better between Rob and his crew mates in the past few days. At the very least, they are willing to speak after he initiates greeting or ask questions. Still, it was clear that they still see him as somewhat of an outcast.
After a short bow, the young lion quickly walked across the other side of the stage, passing the red deer, who was heading the opposite direction.
Crick—! Pop.
"...Huh?" Rob's ears suddenly perked up from the strange noise coming from somewhere behind. Turning his head, he saw Louis who had stopped momentarily as his eyes looked down to his left. His amber orbs lifted up and suddenly met with the carnivore's.
"Is something the matter?" Louis casually asked.
"Um…I…th-thought I heard…"
"Hm?"
Rob turned his gaze downward as Louis' remained steady and unwavering. "W-well, it's… N-Nevermind. It was p-probably my imagin—imagination…"
"...Very well, then." After another quick searching look, the red deer sauntered on, leaving the carnivore standing with a closed hand over his mouth, perplexed. He could've sworn those strange popping sounds came from Louis' direction.
Come to think of it, I feel like I'd heard those same sounds the other day. Mmm, when was that aga—?
"Hey, Rob! Can you grab that gate for us? The one with the roses!" called Dolph.
"Ah—O-okay!" As he quickly made his way towards the prop on the other side, he briefly glanced at Louis who was discussing something with Bill and Tao—the Bengal tiger and black panther playing two of the spirits—as well as Tem's replacement, Zoe the goat.
Everything seemed completely normal with the antlered animal. Yet, the young lion could not shake the feeling that something was going on—especially when that popping noise sounded so familiar…
…
Rob reached down into his locker for his bag, his head slightly inside. As he stood back up—
Bang!
"Ooooww…!" He had somehow struck the top of his head on the upper part of the locker space.
"Woah, a-are you okay?" asked Legoshi, a few rows down from him.
"Ahh…. Y-yeah, I'm…f-fine. I don't th-think that's ever happened b-before." As the young lion rubbed his hands on the part of his head that was impacted, the grey wolf quickly glanced at him from top to bottom.
"Maybe...you've gotten taller?" Legoshi postulated.
"Talle—! O-oh no…" Rob groaned loudly as his hands slid down over his face.
"What's wrong?"
"...I-I was hoping my body would s-stop growing by n-now."
"Oh… How much do liligers usually grow?"
"I r-really don't know. M-my kind is p-pretty rare. All I know is…th-that I'm missing part of a gene that t-tells my body how t-tall I should be. My m-mom was the s-sam—the same way."
Legoshi's ears perked up in surprise and fascination from what he had just learned.
"So…how tall was she?"
"W-well…I remember m-my uncle saying s-she was almost a f-foot taller than D-Dad—and he w-was six foot seven B-Barbary lion."
The wolf arms dropped to his sides, his eyes growing to the size of dinner plates and jaw gaping open. Some of the other male animals listening nearby shared a similar reaction, with several audible gasps and Bill the tiger blurting out, "Holy s#$&..."
Rob heaved a great sigh, and then purposely banged his forehead on the now-closed locker door. "I d-don't wanna g-get any taller…"
Legoshi nervously scratched the side of his jowl and then met eyes with a friendly-faced brown bear a few feet away.
"H-hey, don't they usually give larger animals…pills that reduce size and strength? Maybe you could…"
"I c-can't," Rob mumbled without lifting his head. "They said…m-mixing it with my anxiety m-medication would cause d-dangerous side-effects. P-plus, there n-no wa—no way of knowing the right d-dosage s-since there are so f-few of us out there."
"Hmm…That makes sense…" Legoshi muttered, nodding as he crossed his arms. The other students began whispering excitedly amongst themselves about what had been revealed, which made the young lion moan louder.
This was the first time Rob made any mention about his biology or his family. It wasn't something he was meaning to conceal—as no one ever asked him—but now he wished he didn't, as now it felt like everyone's seeing him as some sideshow attraction. As if he didn't feel freakish enough already…
The young lion then felt a large hand grasping his right shoulder. He turned his head to see it belonged to the brown bear from the sound department, his bag slinging over his shoulder.
"Hey, cheer up," the ursine exclaimed with an easygoing smile. "It's not so bad being this big. Sure, it can be hard sometimes, but...it's just one other thing that makes us special."
Listening to the brown bear's words immediately invoked the memory of Rob's first meeting with Tem, and his exuberance in encountering a lion as tall as him.
"Y-yeah. I guess you're r-right," he said with a small grin. "Thanks. I-I needed that…"
With a quiet chuckle, the brown bear gave Rob an affectionate pat and began heading out the door—waving farewell to his fellow crewmates as he went.
I guess every animal has their own share of burdens, big or small…even him, thought Rob. Speaking of which…
"H-hey, um, Legoshi?"
"...Hm?"
"W-wanna walk back t-together? There's actually s-something I wanted to ask...y-you about."
Legoshi tilted his head slightly at the lion's request. "Um…okay."
….
The waning moon had already risen into the sky by the time dress rehearsal was adjourned. With the soft, yellow glow of the street lamps lighting their way, the two carnivores strolled leisurely on the dirt path.
"...I see. So, you want to know if I noticed anything strange with Louis during rehearsal?"
Rob nodded, confirming the wolf's question.
Legoshi then closed his eyes as he rubbed his finger under his chin. "Nothing…seemed out of the ordinary from where I was. Although…"
"Y-yeah?"
"It did feel like he had been a bit slower lately."
"Okay… D-do you have any ideas w-what the reason could b-be?"
"A reason…" The grey wolf paused as he slowed his steps. Rob slowed his own pace as he watched him expectantly.
"Wait…could it have been—no, that can't be right," Legoshi murmured.
"W-What can't be… r-right?"
"Well, he did trip and sprained his ankle a few weeks ago. But, he seemed to be moving just fine, though…"
"A s-sprained ankle? Th-then, it could've healed…b-by now."
"Yeah, I know... Sorry I couldn't be much help," Legoshi apologized, scratching the back of his head.
"No, it's f-fine, really. I j-just want t—to make sure. S-still, what do think c-could actually make him s-slow down."
"Hmm…Well, it could be he's just been feeling the pressure more than usual?"
"W-What do you mean?"
"Oh, no. It's just… something I've been thinking about. Everyone…everyone looks to Louis as the embodiment of strength, you know—especially herbivores."
Legoshi steps then came to a stop as he began staring at the ground. "After what happened with…Tem, there are even more eyes on him. They want something to follow as a beacon of hope in dark times such as these. Louis has become that hope… for all the animals at this school. And now…he must shine that much brighter when he finally steps out onto the stage."
"Huh…"
"Besides that, I couldn't help but feel… that this incident affected him more than anyone. Oop—I mean, n-not that it wasn't especially hard on you, Rob! J-just in a different way!" the wolf exclaimed, frantically flailing his hands in front of him.
"A d-different way… no, I th-think I understand. He wants…he wants t-to honor Tem's m-memory. Working harder tha—than anyone else—a-and becoming the next B-Beastar—is his w-way of doing just that."
"...Yeah, that's it."
Rob paused as he looked up into the beautiful night sky, pondering on the wolf's words.
"R-right, I've decided," he exclaimed nodding resolutely.
"Hm?"
"I want… to d-do what I can to support L-Louis. I don't kn-know exactly what I ca—can do for him yet, b-but in the meantime, I can at l-least do my part… backstage."
Rob then turned to his canine companion as he smiled. "I-it's our job as the s-stage crew to m-make sure the star actor h-has nothing t-to worry about so h-he ca—he can shine brighter…right?"
Legoshi's ear began flicking a little and then soon mirrored the young lion's smile. "...Mmm-hmm. Let's do our best on opening night…for him."
With a nod, the two carnivores continued on—with greater resolve in their steps. After a few minutes, they soon were passing the herbivore girls' dormitory. Before taking the steps leading to the entrance, a light-brown bighorn ewe noticed the lion and the grey wolf approaching.
"Hm? Ah, Rob!" She called, waving as she trotted towards the two males.
"Oh, h-hey there, Sis," Rob greeted in return.
"H-huh? 'Sis'?!" Legoshi exclaimed in surprise as his eyes darted between the two.
"...Hey, aren't you…." Maria stepped in front of the fidgeting wolf as she peered into his face. "Yeah, I remember you—that awkward wolf I bumped into the other week."
"Hmm? O-oh, I-it's you! The girl…from before."
"Y-you've met each other?" asked Rob.
"Yeah, we did. I think it was the day when… when you were taken to the hospital. So, both of you are in the same club, then?"
"Y-yes, that's right. Th-this is L-Legoshi. He's a y-year behind us."
"Um, y-yea—I mean, yes!" The young canine's arms snapped to his sides as he—and his tail—stood erect and gave a quick bow, soon after. "I-I'm Legoshi. But, um, you—you…already knew that, Miss, u—um…!"
"Haha! You're even more of a mess than last time," the ewe laughed, causing the young wolf to flush profusely. "And it's Maria. There's no need to be so formal with me."
"R-right…" Legoshi sheepishly responded, scratching the back of his head.
"Heh...So, Rob. Everything good with you, so far?"
"Y-yeah…Everyt-thing's fine."
"Getting caught with everything you missed in class?"
"Y-yes."
"No problems with late assignments?"
"So f-far, so good,"
Maria lowered her head a bit before continuing. "And the world literature and civic papers that are due next week?"
"Uh—I-I…didn't actually…s-start them…yet…" the young lion mumbled as he averted his gaze.
"Mmm-hmm… *sigh* Guess we'll just have to get together to write them."
"N-no, it's okay. Y-you don't have to—"
"We both know there's no way you can finish both on time, especially with them being your worst subjects and all. Plus, they both make up like forty percent of our grade," Maria lectured, folding her arms. "Don't think you can get into SMU with just your math and science grades alone. You gotta stay at least in the top ten in school to stand a chance, remember?"
"Yeah…I-I know…"
"Good. I'll meet you at the library when your play is done. We can text so we can figure out a time. And at least try to get started before then. Got it?"
"Yes, S-Sis…"
"Alright. Well, I better get inside." The Bighorn ewe then turned to Legoshi and bowed her head. "It was nice seeing you again. Take care of Rob, would you?"
"...Mmm, Y-yes, of course."
After a final wave, Maria jogged up the small set of stairs and disappeared through the door, with a slightly bewildered canine and sighing lion.
"...Hey, Rob? When you called her 'Sis', did you actually mean…"
"W-we're not actually r-related, but I-I started calling her my s-sis—my sister when I got adopted i-into her family."
"Oh, I see. So that's why… Wait, what?!"
Rob flinched at Legoshi's sudden outburst. "Y-y-you mean…! You were raised by sheep? Like, actual sheep?!"
"B-Bighorn sheep. Her d-dad took me in, after my...p-parents died. H-he and my dad w-were old friends, so he w-wa—was made my g-godfather after I was… b-born."
Once again, Legoshi gave the same exact exact expression of utter disbelief from the locker room.
"I…g-guess I didn't m-mention that…did I?"
The grey wolf slowly shook his head.
…
After parting ways with Legoshi inside the male carnivore's dormitory building, Rob climbed to the upper floors towards his room. As he turned the corner from the stairs he almost bumped into an unknown lioness. Blushing, she bowed as she quickly descended behind him.
Don't tell me he just finished, he scowled. Sure enough, after knocking on his room door he was greeted by a fatigued yet grinning Lorde—his red mane completely tousled and donning nothing but striped boxer shorts. Rob could already pick up the scent of that same lioness emanating from all over his roommate's body.
"Oh, heey bud! Club over already?" the half-naked lion exclaimed as if he was drunk.
"I-it's past eight-th-thirty, Lorde," Rob responded curtly.
"Oh, wow! I am so sorry, dude. I know I said an hour, but hooooweee!" Lorde staggered while propping himself on the door's frame. "That girl was a freak, in the best kind of way! Heh heh heh, am I gonna sleep well tonight. Seriously, man. You're really missing out."
Rob scoffed in disgust as he pushed past his teetering roommate. He was well aware of a lion's virility and longevity—when given the chance to rest a little bit in between—but he wished he didn't have to be reminded every other week by this addict. He was grateful Lorde had at least decided to put on his underwear before opening the door this time…
…
Opening night had been going very smoothly, and Louis showed an unusual vigor during his breathtaking performance.
"Alright, second to last scene. Ready, Bill?" asked the pelican. The tiger—who was wearing a green tunic, cape, and bandages over his eye—gave a cheerful thumbs-up and then took some deep breaths before walking solemnly onto the stage, meeting the "Adler" for their final confrontation. After a fierce battle between the two spiritual beings, the audience gave a rousing applause, shouting Louis' name as he stood over his vanquished foe.
The curtains fell and it was time for Rob and his team to quickly set up the final props. He made sure to utilize all his strength to push the tree—almost without any assistance from his crewmates. After rushing to the other side of the stage, the young lion decided to stand and watch the final scene from the sidelines with some of the other animals.
As Louis moved passed them, Rob suddenly heard a subtle *CRICK!*.
Wha—! That sound again? The young carnivore swerved his head towards the masked deer walking towards the center. There was no doubt: it was coming from him. What in the world was… that…?
Rob immediately recalled where he had heard the muffled creaking noise. While shadowing an orthopedic physician several months back—it being a requirement for his chosen school in gaining more outside experience—he remembered witnessing her setting another animal's broken bones back into place. As she was doing so, the young lion grimaced as the bones and joints let out sickly creaks and pops.
No, he wouldn't—! Why would he—?!
"Hey, are you okay, Rob?" asked the pelican. "You're looking a little pale."
"U—I-I…L-L-Louis is…!" Before he could finish, the curtain had already risen for the finale.
Why did it take so long for Rob to realize what was going on? And he had just made a promise to do more to support the red deer the night before.
"...H-hey! Where do you think you're going?!" the pelican loudly whispered, blocking the lion's path. "You can't go out there in the middle of the act!"
"B-but, P-President…! Louis is—!"
"L-Listen to me! Whatever it is, at least wait until the curtain falls. We're almost done!"
Rob clenched his teeth while turning away his head. He knew the pelican was right to stop him. "The show must go on," as the old saying goes. But still, knowing what he knows now, he couldn't help but feel he had failed Louis, somehow.
As the "Adler" delivered his final line, the audience broke into a loud cheer once more as the curtain slowly descended. Rob twiddle his fingers as he paced back and forth—with several of his fellow club members looking nervously at him. When the curtain finally touched the floor, the young lion soon heard a small thud.
"Louis…? H-hey, Louis just collapsed!" Ellen cried after lifting her head from his lap.
Several of the actors and stage crew members surrounding Rob gasped in disbelief as they saw the proud "Adler" lying motionless on the ground. Some began making their way toward center stage, but were easily overtaken by the sprinting lion.
Rob slid to a stop upon his knees in front of the unconscious deer, making the female zebra jump in surprise. After a quick scan up and down Louis' leg, he then gingerly lifted the hem of his trousers, revealing a bandaged ankle that had swollen several times its original size. The young carnivore could also smell a good amount of alcohol and pain cream that was probably slathered under the bandage wraps.
"...L-Louis," Rob mumbled mournfully. "W-we have to get him t-to the n-nurse right away! I-I think his a-ank— his ankle's broken!"
"B-broken?!" shouted the club president. "Oh—oh no! We're supposed to do a curtain call now. What'll we—! Uh, hey! Rob!"
The young lion had already gently lifted the young deer from off the ground. While carefully being positioned into the carnivore's arms, Louis let out a soft groan as his eyes opened slightly.
"W-wait…The curtain…call…" he quietly wheezed. "Put me…down…I have to…to…" The herbivore suddenly went limp as he slipped back into unconsciousness.
Rob stared at the young buck, almost in shock. He had always seen Louis as a proud and indomitable man whom he respected greatly. He had almost thought him invincible. Now that the carnivore was holding him close to his body, he realized just how thin and frail he was compared to him.
Was Louis… always this small? Rob wondered. Whatever, that's not important, right now.
After shaking his head, the young lion proceeded to carry the herbivore towards the exit past the left side of the stage— a line of worried club members trailing behind him.
Author's Note
Phew. A lot more dialogue-heavy this time around. Well, it's with Legoshi, so it's to be expected. Plus, I was hoping to flesh some characters out more.
Being a new fanfic writer, there's still plenty of room for improvement on my part. For all those following me and Robbie's story within the Beastars universe, thanks SO MUCH for your continued support!
