Searchforthepast2 Search for the past on the road to the future(part2)
By Kelly Barina
Author's note: Part two, finally done. Let's hope I finish the last part by Ground Hog's Day! ? Enjoy! Oops, I almost forgot. Copyrights. All Tiny Toon characters have been used without permission and are property of Warner brothers(Except for, Billy, Elsa, Lisa, Harley, Cassidy, and Bob).


"Like, Plucky, what happened out there? I sensed, like, mondo bad vibes coming from outside!" Shirley questioned in concern as the other toons waited expectantly for his answer.
"Buster and Babs have gone completely nuts! They were both upset over this separation thing and they kept on spouting insults at each other. At first they were joking, but by the end…the things they said…I dunno if they'll ever be able to fix their friendship this time. Oh well. Who cares?"
Plucky propped his feet onto the table and nibbled on a French fry unemotionally.
"Plucky, we have to ,like, get them together before morning! Or at least get, like, Buster to stay! We have to help them or some junk!"
"We do?"
"Like, yes! I'll give you a…kiss if you help." Shirley groaned at the very thought.
"Hold on, pals! Plucky Duck is on his way!" Plucky exclaimed dramatically.
* * * * *
"Babs? You, like, down there?" Shirley yelled into her best friend's burrow.
"No!" Babs cried. Shirley peered inside the hole worried.
"Babs?" She leaped into the burrow and searched for her friend among the sea of little rabbits. Babs' mother approached Shirley warmly. "Mrs. Bunny? Do you, like, know where Babs is?"
"Babs? Probably in her bedroom. Go right in, Hon," she answered.
"Like, thanks." Shirley invited herself into the bedroom timidly. "Babs, can we talk or some junk?"
"I told I'm not here so go away!" Babs sobbed with her head buried into the pillow.
"Babs, I feel, like, totally negative vibes coming from your aura or some junk. Why don't you just, like, make up with Buster?"
"Make up with him?" Babs glanced up at her. "I wasn't the one who started this in the first place!"
"It doesn't matter who, like, started it! You, like, finish it!"
"No! I'll wait for him to grovel. I won't go to him."
"But what if he, like, never shows up?" Babs threw herself onto her pillow sighing deeply. Her blue eyes glowed with tears as she turned away from her.
"Then I guess it's over, isn't it?"
* * * * * *
"Buster, ya ready?" Plucky asked him the next morning. Buster shoved the last of his belongings into his suitcase. He bounced onto it, struggling to get it shut. "Need help?"
"Nah. I can handle myself. I'm strong enough," I smirked playfully. "Unlike some people we both know who aren't even secure enough to leave their home…" Was I making my anger too obvious?
"About that person, Buster," Plucky started. "What happened?" The suitcase snapped shut.
"What do you mean 'what happened'? You know very well what happened, Plucky."
"What I meant was 'why?'" I sighed.
"Why do you care, Plucky?"
"I don't," Plucky said as if stating the obvious. "It's out of curiosity. And also because Shirley promised me a kiss." Plucky grinned. "Mom and Dad are out for the weekend. Maybe I can get Shirley to play house with me…"
"Plucky,…," I scolded. "Look, Pluckster, we don't have time for this. We can talk about your so-called love life on the way."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" I smiled.
"I'll tell you when you get older."
"You know, I've never liked rabbits."
"I feel the same way about ducks. Specifically mallards." Plucky frowned and stormed outside.
"Let's go."
"Aye aye, sir," I saluted.
Shirley approached Plucky and whispered, "So what did he, like, say? Is he, like, going to talk to her? Is he still mad or some junk?"
"Nah. He's not bitter. Much. I thought it'd be worse."
"Babs is, like, just as bad. What'll we do?"
"We? Whoa, whoa, hold it right there! I did my part. Now how bout' you follow through with yours, hmm?" Plucky closed his eyes and puckered suggestively. She rolled her eyes and searched around for a weapon to use on the mallard.
Ribbit>! A frog croaked nearby. Shirley grinned mischievously. She caught the frog and held it toward Plucky's beak. The frog struggled to break free of Shirley's firm grip, trying to escape the jaws of death. Or Plucky's beak. Whichever came first. Both were killers.
Shirley turned her head away as she pressed the frog against Plucky's mouth.
"Eww!" she groaned. "Like, disgusting." Plucky smiled in sweet bliss. Shirley watched the overjoyed mallard enjoying his kiss. Well, luckily for Plucky, he can't possibly get an uglier even with his new wart.
After what seemed like an eternity, Plucky finally pulled out of the kiss. Shirley tossed the frog aside quickly and smiled innocently.
"You look like you actually enjoyed that, Shirl," Plucky replied.
"Like, totally," she smirked wryly.
"So are we going? I wanna hit the road before Christmas comes around," I snapped impatiently.
"Aren't we going to, like, wait for Babs?" Shirley asked. Nice try, Shirl. But it ain't gonna work.
"What for?" I questioned unemotionally. Well, at least I pretended not to be emotional about this, but it was really hard getting it past Shirley, being that she was a mind reader.
"Buster, why are you, like, doing this? I know you care for her, but, like, why are you, like, trying to hide it?"
"I'm not hiding anything, Shirl! Now can we please get outta here?" I demanded angrily. My tone even shocked me. I had no reason to take it out on Shirley. She didn't do anything except be my friend. But sometimes even friends turn on ya.
"Like, sure, Buster." We all climbed out of the hole and trudged silently side-by-side to the bus stop. There was really nothing to be said. Babs and I weren't an issue anymore. Not that we ever were. Fifi and Hampton greeted us warmly when we reached our destination.
"Goodbye, Buster! I'll miss you!" Hampton said, hugging me tightly.
"Yeah, me too," I replied. Fifi wrapped her tail around Plucky and I and squeezed us as if she was a snake and we were her prey.
"Moi vil miss vu!" Fifi sobbed.
"Us…too!" Plucky gasped, our cheeks reddening. When Fifi, realized that we were running out of oxygen, she slowly released us.
"Well, Shirl, I guess this is goodbye," Plucky began.
"Yep," Shirley acknowledged.
"Goodbye, Shirley the loon." Plucky leaned in for a kiss.
"Like, goodbye, Plucky the fool or some junk!" she muttered as she zapped the mallard angrily. Plucky stood, dizzily swaying dreamily.
"Now that's a kiss!" He collapsed onto the floor with a thump. I peered around half expecting-half wanting-Babs to be there to say goodbye, though I knew she wouldn't. I guess what I had said earlier would come true-I would never see her again.
"Buster? You, like, looking for someone?" Shirley asked knowingly.
"Huh? Uh, no! I mean, I was, but…it's not what you're thinking! I'm not…she's not…I wasn't…oh, Shirl, why do you even ask? You know!"
"Well, why don't you, like, tell her or some junk?"
"Because I can't! I just can't, all right? Can we please stop talking about Babs?"
"Okay. Here, I want you to, like, have this." She handed him a long chain, with a small, hardly noticeable dragon pendant. "If you ever need me, like, for anything, you can telepathically contact me, like, using this."
I took it gratefully and tied it carefully about my neck.
"Thanks, Shirley. How do I look?"
"Like, fine. All you, like, need to do is, hold it in your, like, hand and chant, 'OhwhataloonIam.' It's 55 cents a minute for, like, channeling local spirits and 95 cents a minute for spirits that are, like, totally out of state."
"Boy, I never knew this psychic stuff was so expensive."
"Like, tell me about it." The bus pulled up beside us and me and Plucky glanced at each other, knowing it was our time to leave.
I took on last look out into the open, hoping that Babs would rush out from the forest and into my arms, but I had no such luck.
"Buster, we have time, ya know. You, like, can stay in Acme Acres or some junk," Shirley suggested.
"Nah. If she wanted me to stay, she would've came. Let's go, Plucky."
"But wait! What about my goodbye kiss?" Plucky whined as I dragged him onto the bus.
"Later, Plucky," I hissed.
"Here's my number! Call me, babe!" Plucky tossed a little slip of paper to the loon and disappeared with the crowd of people on the bus.
"Like, yeah right," she smirked as she pocketed the paper for future reference.
"So long Acme Acres…" I mused as my beloved hometown disappeared over the horizon along with all of the friends I had once known.
"Well, this is gonna be one long trip so I came prepared." Plucky whipped out two comic books. "Immature Radioactive Samurai Slugs!"
I slumped onto the armrest.
"Hello, dullsville."
* * * * * *
"So Buster actuallyleft?" Babs asked in amazement.
"Yep. Like, just this morning," Shirley answered.
"Without even saying goodbye?"
"Uh-huh. Why do you, like, even care?"
"I don't! I'm just asking." Babs slumped onto the pillow in depression. "Oh, who am I kidding? I feel awful! I didn't even get to say goodbye…there! You got it out of me! I confess! Are you happy? I said it! I said it!!!" she sobbed.
"Well, why didn't you just, like, tell him that in the first place or some junk?"
"Are you looney? He'd never let me live it down! He'd always be making fun and gloating and…I can't deal with that stress!!!" Babs screamed as she shook Shirley ferociously.
"Babs, like, get a grip on reality here." Babs slowly released her, grinning sheepishly.
"Oops. I'd better cut down on the caffeine. Can't you bring him home? Use your psychic magic stuff!"
"Babs, he is gone or some junk. He's not, like, coming back."
"But…why?"
"There are, like, some things that even mind readers don't, like, know."
* * * * *
I stared longingly out the window of the bus. Maybe I should've stayed. Nah. I gotta go to college and get a good education and all that junk. I had to keep moving. I couldn't sop for Babs. I had to find my family. I needed to know where I came from and where I was going.
"Hey, Buster, what's wrong? You've been quiet the whole trip!" Plucky interrogated.
"I've just lost all of my friends. You figure it out."
"You still have me."
"Whoopee." I turned away from him.
"Well, excuse me for caring." I was beginning to have some second thoughts about this trip. This was one of these crucial moments that I needed to console with my mentor. And I already know what he'd say-'Go wherever your heart leads ya, kid'. And if I followed that, I would still be in Acme Acres-exactly what I don't want. I'm tired of Acme Acres. I needed change, but Babs was afraid of it. Is afraid of it.
"Plucky, I think I should go back."
"Whatever. Just keep it down. I'm getting to the best part," Plucky snapped. I crossed my arms angrily.
"You're a lot of help."
"What do you want me to tell you? 'Sure! Go right ahead!' Earlier, you were complaining about a certain someone who was afraid of change. Well, pal, hate to break it to you, but you fit into that same category!"
Plucky was actually making sense. Which was exactly why I couldn't go back.
* * * * *
Well, hours later, after Plucky had gotten tired of his disgusting comic, he decided to take a little nap. At first, I didn't object. Heck, I encouraged it. But soon I realized the error in my ways(doesn't everybody at some point?)…
"Plucky, get off! I'm not your pillow!" I yelled. I shoved at the mallard's head, which was lying on my shoulder. Drool dripped from his beak and splattered onto my red sweatshirt. My new red sweatshirt. "Disgusting!" Yuck! Now I would have to burn it once I got home. Wait. I wasn't going home. I was traveling into the abyss. Creepy, ain't it?
"Shirley, I love ya! Can't you see that? How can you resist me any longer? Let me demonstrate my love," Plucky suggested, still wistfully dreaming. Then he moved toward me, puckering.
"I really do not want to see what happens next," I muttered. "Plucky, wake up!" I called. When it hit me that it wasn't working, I pulled out a megaphone. "Plucky Duck, you are needed at the front desk!"
Plucky just kept coming at me with his deadly beak.
"Look, I'm sorry, pal, but I'm gonna hafta bring out the heavy artillery. Don't worry about the pain, Plucky. I won't feel a thing." I seized my handy dandy stick of dynamite(never leave home without one) and cautiously lit it. I placed it onto his beak and covered my head.
Then I began to have second thoughts. Was I being too mean? Yeah. I quickly snatched the dynamite and placed it carefully inside his beak. That was better. My conscience had been eased. Without warning, it exploded!
I was thrown against the window and Plucky sat up in shock.
"Hey! Stay out of my dreams!" Plucky snapped, pushing me away roughly. We felt all of the cold glares of all the passengers on the bus. A muscular man stood to his feet and stomped over to us threateningly. He cracked his knuckles and rolled up his tattered, dirty sleeves and grabbed us by our collars.
"Ya know, that lovely shade of musty black looks great with your 'cartoons should die' T-shirt," I choked out, grinning sheepishly.
* * * * *
The bus dragged onward to our destination slowly. Plucky and I lay on the seat, recuperating as gradually as the moving bus. Our bodies were completely covered in bandages and I sported a very stylish sling for my fractured arm. Just my luck, huh?
"Thanks a lot, Buster," Plucky growled.
"Next time, stay on your side of the aisle!" I retorted.
"Ignore me!"
"Would you be able to ignore death???"
"Huh?"
"Never mind," I sighed. The bus jerked to a stop.
"Well, this is our stop." We got to our feet and marched to the front slowly.
"Wow! It's amazing, isn't it?" I breathed in awe. A massive city decorated in skyscrapers stood before us. It reminded me somewhat of New York. Except New York was cleaner.
"Whatever," the passengers grumbled and stampeded off of the bus, trampling over us in the process. When the crowd had disappeared, we hobbled to our feet, swaying dizzily.
"The…pain," Plucky groaned.
"So, Plucky, you do know the way to the college, don't you?" I asked skeptically.
"Of course! It's a piece of cake! How can we possibly get lost?"
"I'm sure you'd find a way."
"Aww, come on, Buster. Give me a chance. Don't you trust me?"
"No."
"Sadistic bunny."
* * * * * *
"Plucky, I think we oughta turn back. I gotta a bad hunch we're lost and…"
"I know the way! It's around here somewhere…."
"Now where have I heard that before?"
"Ah ha! Here it is!' Plucky dragged me into a dark alley and peered around. "Hmm…it should be here somewhere…."
"Abandon hope all ye who enter," I muttered.
"Aww, is the wittle bunny scared?" Plucky mocked. A crate smashed onto the ground, startling us both. Plucky leaped into my arms.
"Who dares to trespass?" a voice demanded.
"Uh, nobody here, but us mice!" Plucky squeaked.
"Uh…we're new and we kinda lost our way so…bye!" I replied as we both rushed to the nearest exit. A gang blocked our way. We weren't gonna get out of this any time soon.
"You're not getting away so easy," a girl snapped. The female bunny wore a form fitting tattered tank top and ripped jean shorts. Really short shorts. I bit my lip, nervously edging away as she strolled over to us and looked each of us over. "Who are you?"
"Uh…um…," I stuttered. "A mouse?" She giggled.
"You're funny. I like that in a guy. What else can you do?"
"You wanna see how fast I can run?" She laughed once again. I had her! We might just make it outta here alive!
"Aw, do we hafta kill em', Harley? They're so cute!" she begged. "Well, at least one of them is cute." She leaned onto me and twirled my ears. I felt very uncomfortable with her all over me, but what else could I do? I just had to play along.
"Yeah. They're trespassin'. Nobody trespasses on our turf," Harley responded coldly. "Let's take em' out."
"Out? Out where?" Plucky questioned. "Out for pizza I hope cause I'm starving!"
"Don't the convicts even get a last request?" I asked nervously.
"No," he cracked his knuckles. He reached out to grab our collars angrily as the female bunny looked on.
"Sorry, cutie, but what the boss says goes," she shrugged her shoulders unfeelingly.
"What would you do if you didn't like me?" I questioned. Plucky and me shut our eyes and awaited impending doom.
"Hold it right there, Harley!" another female bunny leaped in Harley's path.
"Back off, wimp! I'm just taking care of business," Harley growled as he shoved her aside.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" I yelled. Harley glared at me evilly. "Heh heh. I'll just stand over here." I backed away timidly.
"Harley, look, they didn't know. Cut em' a break," she replied calmly.
"No! They hafta pay! Besides, who died and left you leader of the gang, Elsa?"
"Yeah!" the other members agreed irritatedly.
"…Cassidy, try and talk some sense into your bro," Elsa pleaded.
"Sorry, Elsa. Siblings stick together. Besides, I don't like fights. Too messy for me," Cassidy smirked, leaning against her brother as the rest of the gang surrounded them.
"Oh, this was such a bad idea! I told you we should've turned back, but did you listen to me? Noooo!" Plucky grumbled. I rolled my eyes.
"Some friend you are, Cassidy! Can't even stick up for your best friend!" Elsa snapped.
"I would stick up for you if I wasn't in any real danger, Elsa."
"At least let them go," Elsa responded calmly hiding her fear. "Call it a last request."
"Aww, please, Harley. Let em' go. Do it for me," Cassidy begged sweetly.
"Oh…okay, but only for you, Cass." She grinned broadly.
"Thanks, Harl."
"But I'll take you out instead!" He turned his fury to Elsa.
"That's all I ask," Elsa smiled confidently. The circle opened, freeing me and Plucky.
"Get lost! We have bigger fish to fry." Harley grinned evilly. We turned to leave, but I took a second glance back to find Cassidy winking at me flirtatiously.
"Go on," she encouraged.
"Let's take her advice and scram, Buster! I ain't sticking around here!" Plucky agreed.
"But I can't just leave her!" I protested.
"But I can!"
"Plucky, she stood up for us!"
"So?"
"Listen to your friend! I'll be all right!" Elsa winked at us, grinning.
"Get her!" Harley commanded. They all pounced onto Elsa and fought roughly.
"Elsa!" I screamed.
"Let's go!" Plucky pulled at my arm, but I wouldn't budge. I had to help…but how? I couldn't just leave her, could I?
Before I could decide what to do, I felt someone else drag us away from the mob scene. I struggled to pull away, but our kidnapper held us firmly. The stranger yanked us into an alley then paused to take a deep breath.
"Hey! Let go!" I shouted.
"Oops, sorry. I guess I don't know my own strength," the stranger apologized. It sounded vaguely like…
"Elsa?!" I gasped. "How did you get out?"
"A magician never tells her secrets," Elsa grinned.
"Wow. You're really somethin'," I responded in awe.
"So youse two got names?"
"Yeah. Buster Bunny here and this is my friend Ba…uh, Plucky Duck," I answered. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. It was a simple mistake. It could happen to anybody. Just because I almost mentioned Babs doesn't mean a thing. I'm just used to saying it. That's all. Is that a crime? Huh???
"Nice to meet ya. As you heard before, the name's Elsa. Look, fellas, what you doin' in this side of town? It's not exactly Hollywood, ya know."
"Well, we're looking for a college."
"Oh, Notur Bucksworth, right? I'll take you there. It's no problem."
"Gee thanks, Elsa." We began on our little journey to the college in silence. I didn't like the quiet so I started conversation. "So…you've lived down here all your life?"
"Yeah. Not the friendliest neighborhood, but I get around." Once again silence. She wasn't very talkative, that's for sure.
"So…where are your folks?"
"Don't have any."
"Oh, gee. Sorry for asking. Mine are gone too…I think." She giggled softly.
"Mine aren't dead. Well, at least dad isn't. He's just never around so he might as well be dead. How can you not know what happened to your parents?"
"I dunno. I just…don't. I don't remember a thing about my family. I wish I did, but I don't."
"Weird. I have almost the same problem in my family. My dad's always talking about this other kid he had, but he says mom lost him the night she…I remember dad told me his name was…." She paused suddenly.
"Name was what?" Plucky pressed on.
She took a deep breath, never taking her eyes off me for a second.
"…Buster."


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