Hey it's me again! Goddess Holly! This fanfiction right here has to be one
of the most touching S+M fanfictions I have ever read in my life! The
detail and plot is magnificent and greatly written. Many of the true
Hamtaro fans might be reading this and saying, 'Hey I've read this
somewhere before!'. Well if you do say that you're probably right because
this fanfic is from a website that was owned be someone called Hammy Girl.
Unfortunately, she shut down her site many moons ago, but I still had this
fic on file so I decided to share that magic with you all. You may find
that I have spruced this story up a bit as well! ^__^
Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro or any related items. I also do not own this fanfiction, I was written by a very good author of whom I have forgotten the name of.
**Maxwell, the Superstar
It was a normal day at the Ham-Ham clubhouse. Hamtaro arrived to find everything as it always was; Howdy was trying to tell a joke to Panda, Dexter, Stan, Cappy, Boss, and Oxnard, none of whom were listening. Oxnard was more in tune to Maxwell's lecture on the definition and usage of pi, which was making Oxnard hungry but besides that had little more of an audience than Howdy's joke, besides Dexter. Dexter was half-listening, his eyelids drooping, though he, of course, already knew everything on the subject. Stan was practically asleep; his eyes kept closing, and then his head would fall against the table and awaken him with a start, the same process to be repeated again. Panda was working on the blueprints for his latest idea, which he refused to tell anyone about. Boss, along with Cappy, kept glancing over to where Bijou was standing with the other ham-girls, who were deep in discussion. Sandy seemed extremely energetic, and kept jumping up and down as she explained something to Pashmina, Bijou and Penelope, who was listening intently and was also jumping up and down, saying "Ookyoo!" over and over.
Suddenly the girls approached the table, their eyes shining with enthusiasm and anticipation.
"Hey, everyone, listen up!" Sandy yelled, turning everyone's focus to the group of girls standing there, grinning. "Me and the girls here have decided to put on a dance routine for Elder-ham at his birthday celebration this week."
"Elder-ham's birthday already?" Oxnard cried worriedly. "I forgot all about it! How old is that guy, anyway?"
"That doesn't matter. What I'm trying to say is, we need everyone's help in order for this to go smoothly. Everyone up for this?"
"Oompa!" the rest of the Ham-Hams shouted in agreement.
"Okay, settle down. I've already decided what everyone needs to do. Hamtaro, you get to be the backstage guy, you know, the dude who arranges the props and all that."
"But I had to do that when-"
"Deal with it, it's better than pulling the curtains, which will be Dexter and Howdy's job."
"Sigh..."
"Boss, you do the lights. Oh, and Cappy can help you."
"Fine by me."
"Oxnard, you're the special effects manager."
"Yippee, something exciting for once."
"Oh, and Panda, here's a list of props we'll need," Sandy continued, handing a paper to Panda.
"I'm on it."
"Maxwell, I have a special job for you, which I'll tell you later."
Maxwell looked puzzled, but nodded.
"And, finally, I need someone to do the music."
"Me?" Stan asked. "You left me out, you know."
"Oh, yeah, Stan...you get to track down Jingle for me."
"Huh?"
"I need Jingle to do the music."
"But..."
"No buts. Just find him."
"How do you expect me to do that?"
"I dunno. If you're so great you'll think of something."
Stan grunted, "Fine. But I want a real job, too. You know, something to do during the show!"
"Oh, yes, let's see, I've got a job for you...STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!"
"That's not what I meant! And besides, you can't boss me around, I'm older than you-"
"By two minutes!"
"So? Come on, sis, give me a REAL part!"
"Oh, fine," Sandy sighed. "You help Hamtaro."
"That's more like it. Alright, I'll go look for Jingle, but I can't promise you anything." With that, Stan took off towards the door. Just as he was reaching it, it flung open, knocking him to the ground. There stood Jingle, guitar in hand, grinning.
"Just stopping by to say hi," he said.
"What a coincidence," Maxwell said.
"Huh?" Oxnard said, confused.
"Coincidence. It's when something happens when you least expect it."
"Oh."
"I was on my way into the city when I said to myself, what a pity," Jingle continued with his rhyme as Stan stood up, rubbing his head. "It's been some time since I've seen my friends, and I'd love to visit them once again."
"Well please, make yourself at home," Boss said.
"We were just discussing something," Sandy said. "Would you like to be the musical coordinator for the dance routine that me and the girls are doing for Elder-Ham at his birthday celebration?"
"Of course. You know I aim to please. Could I please have a piece of cheese?"
"Actually, all we have is sunflow-"
"Oh, I'm not really hungry at the time, just had to think of a word that rhymed," Jingle said.
All the Ham-Hams sweat-dropped.
"Okay," Sandy went on. "We're doing the performance next Friday. That gives us exactly one week to prepare. Jingle, here's the music to the songs we're going to be dancing to," she said, handing Jingle a few sheets of paper which he looked over considerably. "Oh yeah, and for the last one I need Stan to play his maracas."
"YESSS!" Stan said. "Another cool part for me!"
Hamtaro sighed.
"Yeah, um, that means you're by yourself on the last bit, Hamtaro," Sandy said apologetically. "But you'll be fine, don't worry. Anyone have any questions?"
Maxwell raised a paw timidly.
"Yeah?"
"What's my part?"
"I told you, I'll tell you later. Meet me at the clubhouse door this afternoon when everyone's gone."
"Oh, okay, I see...it's a secret, is it?"
Sandy grinned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*THAT AFTERNOON.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Everyone was leaving the clubhouse, heading back towards their homes for the rest of the day. Sandy stood impatiently at the door as she waited for Maxwell to finish the chapter in his book he had almost completed.
"I guess I'll leave you two alone," Boss said, heading for the exit as well. "Might as well go gather some sunflower seeds, I'm almost out."
"I'm going with him, since I've nothing to do," Jingle said. "Be good, have fun, and don't be blue!" With that, he left, closing the door firmly behind him.
"Maxy, hurry up," Sandy called. "I've got to be home soon, you know."
"There, I'm done," Maxwell replied, closing his book and walking over to where she was standing. "Now, tell me. What do I have to do for this performance of yours?"
"Well, I want you to, um..." Sandy blushed. Then she looked over at Snoozer sleeping in the corner. She stood up on her tiptoes and whispered the rest into Maxwell's ears. His eyes grew wide, and he too blushed.
"Sandy, I can't...What I mean is, I don't know how...I've never done anything like this before...And are you sure you're ready?"
"Maxy, pleeeease? It means the world to me. The show won't be the same without it. It'll be just like the show we did last time, only with more props..."
"Sandy..." Maxwell said, taking her paw and looking deep into her eyes. His were full of understanding, and finally he continued. "Okay, I'll do my best."
"Thank you so much, Maxy," Sandy cried, hugging him tight. "Now, here's what you need to practice." She handed a sheet with words and symbols printed all over it to him. "Thursday, I'll come to your place instead of the clubhouse to practice with you. In the meantime I'll be practicing with the girls. We've got a lot of cool moves to work out." Then she gave Maxwell a light kiss on the cheek and hurried home. Maxwell sighed, blushed, and made his way slowly homeward.
"Love is in the air," Snoozer mumbled dreamily from his soft sock in the corner.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~AT MAXWELL'S CAGE*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maxwell stood in his cage looking at the paper Sandy had given him. He sighed.
"I'll never be able to learn this by next Friday. But I might as well try, seeing as how I gave Sandy my promise. One foot in front of the other like so..." Maxwell tripped, sending wood chips flying. He sat up, groaning, and thought to himself, "I'm a wreck. Sandy will be so disappointed..."
The days passed by quickly. Sandy, Bijou, Pashimina, and Penelope practiced for hours on end, while Maxwell continued practicing his part at home in secret during the afternoon.
Panda was busy constructing backdrops for the show. Stan and Jingle practiced the music together, though Stan only took part in the third song, and he was still slightly bummed out a bit that he had no other important part. Boss made an attempt to teach Cappy how to control the lighting, finally deciding that he was better off doing the job himself. Oxnard was figuring out how to work the fog machine and streamer cannons, with some difficulty. At one point, a streamer cannon exploded in Boss' face, sending Oxnard into a mad dash for the door and Howdy into and uncontrollable laughing fit. Hamtaro, Dexter, and Howdy, who had nothing to practice, sat back and watched the show come together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*THE NEXT DAY~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Thursday had arrived sooner than Cappy could have chosen what hat to wear. Panda had gotten all the props in order, the girls were happy with the work they had done, Oxnard had finally gotten everything to work correctly, Boss had decided to let Cappy run the lights for a bit as he now seemed to understand it enough, and Jingle and Stan had fully memorized the music they were to play. All but Maxwell were ready and anticipated the next day's performance.
Maxwell awoke that day and began to climb out of his cage to join the others at the clubhouse when he remembered that Sandy was coming over to practice with him. He sighed.
"She'll be so upset at how badly I'm doing."
He went to the windowsill to await her arrival. Soon enough she appeared and hopped up onto the sill beside him.
"Hey, Maxy!" she said, giving him a hug. "You ready to practice?"
"I guess so, Sandy," Maxwell replied. "But...well...I don't know if I'll be ready for tomorrow. I've been practicing every day like you told me, but maybe this just isn't my strong suit. Don't you think the show will be good enough without me?"
"Of course not, silly," Sandy told him. "You're probably just saying that. And besides, even if everything DOES go wrong, it won't matter. I mean, this show only is for Elder-Ham and the other Ham-Hams anyway, right?"
"Okay. But I'm warning you...I think I have two left feet."
Sandy giggled, "Oh, just shut up and come on. We can practice under that tree, where it's nice and shady. I'll teach you everything I can." With that, Sandy took Maxwell's paw and led him onto the ground and to the spot she had chosen for practice.
"Now give me your paw. Okay. Put your foot there..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*THE DAY OF THE SHOW~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Okay, Hams, let's move it! Panda, put those right over there. Stan, Jingle has your maracas, you almost left them at the clubhouse. Cappy---Cappy, stop it! Stop it! Those are breakable and valuable, don't mess around with them. Oxnard, make sure that fog machine is working. No! Stop! That's enough, I just meant test it, not cover the whole place in fog! Hamtaro, set up that backdrop. Not that one! The one with the sunset---yeah, that's the one. Howdy, get your tail over there, we can't just have one Ham pulling the curtains. No, no! Other side. Sandy, your ribbon! Are you girls almost ready, because the rest of us sure aren't!" It was Friday, the day of the show, and the Ham-Hams were putting everything together on stage before Elder-Ham arrived. Boss was attempting to be the director and keep things in order, but the scene was chaos. Finally, Boss just sighed, put down his megaphone, and looked down at Cappy. "It's going to be a looooong day."
Maxwell was behind stage where nobody could see him, practicing his routine. He still wasn't sure if he had it right. "One, two, three...spin...back and forth...then left...Oh, it's hopeless." He sighed heavily, wiped some sweat from his forehead, and stepped in front of the curtain to see how the Ham-girls were doing.
"Hey, Maxy!" Sandy called when she saw him coming. Bijou and Pashmina were holding her up in the air as she twirled her ribbon; part of the act. Suddenly she lost her balance and came tumbling down. Maxwell caught her, and she looked up at him lovingly.
"Thanks. Sorry, I guess we're not quite ready to perform yet."
"Well, you're not the only one," Maxwell replied, grinning.
Sandy giggled, "You'll do fine," she said, and gave him a light kiss.
"Awwwwww!" all the other Ham-Hams said. Maxwell had forgotten they were there, and he let go of Sandy as his face went red.
"Good luck," he told her, and went back behind stage.
"You too," she whispered as he disappeared from view. "You too."
"Alright, Hams, quiet on the set!" Boss shouted from below the stage. "Cappy, get up there where the lights are, but don't mess with them. Howdy, Dexter, you set? Good. Panda, now that all the props are in place you can join the audience. Hamtaro, get back there. Out of sight! Bijou, Pashmina, Sandy, Penelope, line up offstage. Jingle, make sure your guitar is in tune. Stan---No! You don't have to be down here until the last song! That's right, get up there with Hamtaro. Oxnard, everything under control? Okay, we're good to go. Where's Maxwell?"
"He's back here!" came Sandy's voice.
"Alright. Now we just wait for Elder-Ham to get here and then-"
"Hello, sonny."
"AAAH! Oh, hello, Elder-Ham, you're just in time. We just finished getting ready."
"Hey, Elder-Ham!" Panda called, "Come join me and Snoozer up front. I think you'll enjoy this. I've seen the girls practicing, and it's a lovely show they've put together. Only, Maxwell apparently has some secret performance, and no one seems to know what it is. Except the Ham-girls, of course."
"Well, then, this will be interesting," Elder-Ham agreed, moving towards the stage, where Panda was standing next to Snoozer. "I am quite intrigued."
"Lights!" Boss called. Silence. "LIGHTS!"
"Does that mean me?" came Cappy's voice.
"You're the lights manager, aren't you?"
"I thought you were."
Boss sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"YOU are the current lights manager, seeing as how you are managing the lights at the present time."
"So, what do I do?"
"JUST DIM THE LIGHTS, FOR PETE'S SAKE!"
The lights dimmed.
"Now what?"
"Spotlight on center stage. CENTER STAGE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, NOT LEFT STAGE! That's it, right where Bijou is standing. No, more to the right. More...LEFT! MORE TO THE LEFT! NOT THAT FAR! No, no, no...THERE! STOP!"
Spotlight on center stage. Bijou stood blinking, an exasperated look on her face.
"And now, on behalf of zee Ham-Ham gang, I vish to present to you, the Ham- girls and zeir porformance of zee Zunflower Danz! Zis performance goes out to our beloved Elder-Ham on his birthday, and Boss, Dexter has just informed me zat he zinks it vould be vor zee best if you took over Cappy's job as lights manager."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll go help the little guy right now." Boss took off. Bijou stood waiting patiently in the middle of the stage. Suddenly, a shadow fell over the spotlight where she was standing.
"Quack, quack, quack. Look, it's a duck!" The Ham-Hams immediately recognized Cappy's voice. "Quack quack-HEY!"
"Cappy, this is no time for shadow puppets!" an enraged Boss shouted.
"Sorry, Boss, I just-HEY! OW!"
"Now keep quiet and maybe I'll let you work the lights again later."
"Fine."
Boss signaled to Bijou, and she walked offstage, the spotlight following her.
"Curtains!"
Howdy and Dexter began pulling the curtains apart. Naturally, this simple task couldn't be done without an argument.
"Dexter, yer pullin' too slow!" Howdy shouted from offstage.
"Me? You're going too fast! Slow down, speedy!"
"What're you talking about? We'll never get the curtains open at the rate yer goin'!"
"...And we'll never get through the show at the rate this whole thing is going," Panda muttered to himself, rubbing his face in an embarassed way. He was surprised to look over and see Elder-Ham smiling broadly, and not asleep.
Dexter had started pulling the curtains as fast as he could, turning it into a competition. Howdy sped up his pace as well, and when the curtains were finally drawn completely, the two fell flat on their backs, their faces red and breathing heavily.
Silence.
"Oxnard!" Panda whispered. "That's you're cue, right when the curtains open!"
"Huh? Oh! Oh yeah!" He turned on the fog machine enough so that the stage became enshrouded in mist, then turned it off. When the fog settled, there stood Sandy, her back to the audience and her ribbon, held firmly in her right paw, brushing against the floor of the stage. Behind her stood one of Panda's masterpieces - a beautiful backdrop depicting a meadow full of blooming sunflowers under a brilliant sunset.
Jingle began to play his guitar, softly and slowly, as the spotlight shone on Sandy's glistening fur. As the music gained strength, Sandy spun around, lifted her ribbon high and twirled it proudly, her eyes gleaming. Round and round - just like in Sandy's song - and the fog came once more. This time, the settling of the mist revealed Bijou, Pasmina and Penelope, all standing with their backs to the audience, as Sandy had done before. Jingle's song slowed, becoming ever quieter, and Sandy froze suddenly, closing her eyes tightly, her feet spread apart and her ribbon falling limply beside her outstretched arm. All was silent for a moment, and then, in one heart-pounding instant, Jingle struck a harsh, loud note on his guitar, and in that instant, with one motion, Bijou, Pashmina, and Penelope turned abruptly to face the audience. Jingle's song became intense, each note striking the audience in a mighty rush of energy. Bijou, Pashmina and Penelope raced forward in time to the music. Each held a brightly colored ribbon. Sandy's arm fell to her side as the three others raced up beside her. They stood still a moment, then raised their ribbons and spun around one time. The ribbons circled the girls' heads as they turned, creating a colored halo over each one. Then Sandy, Bijou and Pasmina formed a circle in the center of the stage, with Penelope in the middle. They lifted her up high, then each one - including Penelope - threw her ribbon into the air. Then Penelope leapt up above the others' heads, flipping in mid-air as the rest of the girls spun around below her. As Penelope fell back towards the awaiting Ham-girls, she caught her ribbon in one paw, lifting her other paw above her head in ecstasy. The other girls caught their ribbons as well, immediately before catching the falling Penelope. Penelope did a flip out of the girls' arms and landed on her feet in front of them.
Maxwell was watching all this from offstage. For the moment, he had forgotten his anxiety and was staring into Sandy's joyful face with compassion. He knew, he had always known, that he loved her. And this show meant the world to her, he could see that in her eyes. Her big, beautiful eyes, shining happily as she and the other Ham-girls moved into their next positions. He couldn't let her down. So what if it was never perfect before. Today was different. Today, he was going to show the world - or at least the Ham-Hams - the other side of himself, the emergetic side, the love-sick side that he never dared express at the clubhouse. He wanted to show them how much Sandy meant to him. She was different. She was a true leader, that girl. Someone you couldn't help but fall in love with...
Maxwell was considering all this thoughtfully as the girls were reaching the end of the first portion of the show. Pashmina and Bijou stood beside each other in the center of the stage, and Penelope was standing in front of them, twirling her ribbon wildly. As Maxwell watched, Sandy came up behind Pasmina and Bijou, and was lifted into the air. She twirled her ribbon once, and then Pashmina and Bijou joined in. Four circles of color, spinning swiftly, ever faster, until-
Jingle stopped playing abruptly, at once the girls' ribbons fell to their sides, and streamers exploded into the air in front of them, courtesy of Oxnard. Elder-Ham was clapping his paws together excitedly.
"Brilliant! Stunning! Magnificantly performed! What style! What animation! What intensity! Oh, encore, encore!"
Sandy smiled and leapt down in front of the Pashmina and Bijou, directly behind Penelope. The fog rose once more, and Hamtaro and Stan ran out onto the stage. Hamtaro moved the original backdrop offstage as Stan brough the next one on. This one was similar to the one before it - a shimmering field of sunflowers - but in this scene the sky was shining bright blue.
The mist settled again. Sandy, Pashmina, Bijou, and Penelope were curled up on the stage floor. As Jingle began to play a gentle melody on his guitar, one by one the girls rose, lifting with them their ribbons. They waved the ribbons above their heads, forming different shapes. Slowly, the girls brought their ribbons together into one huge, whirling circle of color dancing in the air. Then Bijou removed her ribbon from the circle and danced smoothly to one side of the stage. Pashmina then did the same, moving to the opposite side. Then Sandy backed away, leaving Penelope still standing in the center of the stage. The music Jingle played was eerily beautiful, soft and smooth like a leaf floating on a calm lake. Then, like ghosts in the early morning light, Penelope, Pasmina and Bijou drifted offstage. Sandy stood, still spinning her ribbon, her eyes closed in silent harmony. Then she brought the ribbon in front of her, grasping it with both paws now. Jingle's music began to fade like morning dew, and Sandy's ribbon slowed until it fell in front of her and the last note was played. Maxwell watched, unblinking, as Sandy stood there silently as a statue. She continued to stand as Stan leaped offstage to get his maracas and Hamtaro rushed out to change the backdrop. This was the most beautiful one of all, a starry sky holding a full moon above the same flower-filled field. No mist this time - only silence. When all was in order, Jingle began once again to play a soft melody on his guitar. Stan's maracas hummed along, quietly for now. Sandy lifted her eyes to the audience, then, with a swift motion, lifted her ribbon into the air. Now Jingle's melody became stronger, and more passionate, as Stan's maracas beat faster, furiously, and more often.
"Well I'll be darned. It's a tango!" Dexter said.
"A what?" Howdy asked.
"A tango. It's a kind of dance from - hey, Howdy, what are you doing on this side of the curtains, anyway?"
"There's a better view from over here."
"Well get back where you came from."
"But I always get the worst luck!"
"Just shut up and go."
Howdy grumbled off as Sandy began the dance. She twirled her ribbon, then whipped it offstage. As she pulled it back, to everyone's surprise, there was Maxwell, holding the end of the ribbon, a sunflower clamped between his teeth. He looked a bit nervous, but enthusiastic at the same time. His eyes were full of passion, and as they met Sandy's, hers were, too.
Sandy pulled the ribbon - and Maxwell - closer to her until Maxwell was standing right next to her. Then she jerked the ribbon towards her, and Maxwell spun around several times. Then, in an instant, he stopped. His right paw was outstretched away from him, and his left paw was in Sandy's right. Maxwell leaned closer to Sandy, and she leaned back, closing her eyes and letting her left paw fall limply backwards. Maxwell lifted her up, spun her around once, and then they were holding to both of each others' paws, staring deeply into each others' eyes. Maxwell swung Sandy around to the side, and they danced across the stage floor together. Then Maxwell threw Sandy into the air, and she seemed to be floating as all eyes watched in wonder. Then she was falling - and Maxwell caught her as delicately as a falling feather. He breathed a discreet sigh of relief, then continued with the dance.
The pair made their way across the stage, from side to side with graceful ease. Then, as the song was nearing its end, they stopped moving. Fog began to drift up from below the stage as Maxwell drew Sandy closer to him. The fog continued to rise. Closer and closer - the fog wouldn't stop.
"Oxnard! Stop the fog machine! I can't see!" an agitated Panda called.
"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, I was so caught up in watching them that I forgot...where's the off switch? Oh no, oh no..."
Maxwell's lips had almost touched Sandy's when the fog came between them and her face disappeared from view.
"Maxy---Maxy! Something's wrong...where are you? Where are - AAH!"
Sandy, unable to see anything because of the fog, had almost fallen off the stage. She grabbed hold of the curtain just in time - and it began to tear.
Maxwell was looking madly through the fog trying to find her, Dexter and Howdy made a mad dash for the exit and ended up falling off the stage themselves, the rest of the ham-girls came running out and tripped over one another, Hamtaro ran into the backdrop and it came crashing down, Oxnard accidentally set off a streamer cannon, sending Panda into a frenzy, Boss rushed to help the others and knocked the spotlight over, Cappy threw himself into the crowd of crazy Ham-Hams just to see what would happen, and Stan and Jingle ran into each other and were sent flying across the floor. Finally, the mist settled to the ground, and the sight was not a pleasant one.
Hamtaro was lying on the stage with a cardboard backdrop on top of him. Bijou, Pashmina and Penelope were also lying on the stage in a 'Ham-pile' of fur and ribbons. Stan had somehow ended up on his head against the stage, with Jingle lying on his back not far away. Boss was underneath a pile of equipment, with several lights shining in random directions around him. Oxnard was huddling in a corner, trying not to cause any more trouble. There was another 'Ham-pile' nearby consisting of a groaning Cappy, an unconscious Howdy, and a flattened Dexter underneath both of them. Panda was surveying the scene through his fingers, his paws over his face in terror. Snoozer, somehow, was still sleeping peacefully. Sandy lay in a heap, her fur all out of sorts and her ribbon missing. Maxwell was looking down at her from the stage, and then, without a moment's hesitation, leapt down and gathered her up in his arms.
"Sandy?! Sandy, are you-"
Sandy opened her eyes.
"Maxwell, you...you're..."
"I know. A failure. You don't have to tell me that." Maxwell sighed.
"...a wonderful dancer." Sandy finished. Maxwell looked at her in surprise.
"But everything went wrong! It was terrible! It was-"
"All Oxnard's fault!" Howdy shouted, regaining his consciousness.
"I'm so sorry, oh please forgive me!" Oxnard shouted, tears streaming from his eyes.
"No, it wasn't your fault, Oxnard, it was mine," Maxwell said. "I was never cut out for this in the first place. I should stick to reading and writing, that's all I can really do well. I can't believe I ever even agreed to this, I let everyone down, I-"
"Maxwell." It was Sandy.
"Yes?"
"We haven't finished the dance yet."
"Obviously. How do you expect us to now? There's no way-"
"Maxwell."
"Yes?"
"She wants ya to kiss her, ya nitwit!" Howdy cried.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, the end of the dance..." Without another word, the two embraced each other. The first real kiss, signifying the beginning of a beautiful relationship together.
"Marvelous! Simply marvelous!" All eyes looked up as Elder-Ham made his way over.
"What a stunning mixture of love, comedy, beauty, disaster...A masterpiece! Bravo! Bravo!"
Maxwell and Sandy blushed. There was silence for a moment, then all the other Ham-Hams cheered. Sandy and Maxwell gave Elder-Ham a final goodbye / happy birthday, then made their way outside alone.
"It figures," Stan said as he stood up and brushed himself off. "My little sis already found true love, and with all my work I haven't turned a single Ham-girl's head."
Bijou and Pashmina turned and looked at him strangely.
"Ah! There we go, that's two for the record! Not exactly what I had in mind, but I did turn their heads, didn't I? Huh? Didn't I?"
Not even Howdy laughed at that one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~OUTSIDE*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maxwell and Sandy sat together beneath a cherry blossom tree, looking up at the sky for a moment before looking back into each others' eyes.
"Maxy."
"Yes?"
"Today. That was wonderful."
Maxwell only blushed and looked away.
"Well? Aren't you going to say something to me? How well I did, or something?"
"I can't."
"What do you mean?"
"All I mean is...there are no words to describe it. How much I enjoyed today, too. The emotions I'm feeling right now. How much I love you."
Sandy smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. Then she leaned against him, their fur brushing softly. "Schmubby-wubby..." She put her paw on the ground, and Maxwell lowered his until it was on top of hers. Sandy closed her eyes as the wind rustled through her fur.
There was a moment's silence. Then,
"Sandy? We better go. Gotta get home before our owners, right?"
"Maxy."
"Yes?"
"Let's just stay another minute. I've never had this feeling before, and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can without interruptions." Maxwell didn't say another word, only looked back up at the sky.
Suddenly, the rest of the Ham-Hams appeared, making their way towards where the couple were seated.
"So much for no interruptions," Maxwell stated.
"Sorry, guys," Hamtaro said, coming up beside them. "We don't mean to break up this moment, only, we need to head home soon, and we also had to bring you a couple things." Hamtaro held out Sandy's ribbon. She took it from him daintily.
"Thanks! I was afraid I had lost this."
"And this," Panda said, and held out the sunflower from Maxwell's dance. He took it, examined it, and then handed it to Sandy.
"For my love," he said.
Sandy smiled and took it. Then she held both things close to her.
"I'll always remember this day," she said, a tear coming to her eye. Maxwell brushed it away caressingly.
"I love you, Sandy."
"Maxy."
"Yes?"
"...I love you too."
Maxwell smiled and squeezed Sandy's paw tight. Then the two stood together and made their way home, paw in paw, the other Ham-Hams following but leaving plenty of room in between. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~END OF STORY*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*is balling her eyes out* So b-b-beautiful! Simply wonderful! Bravo! Bravo!
And that's all words can describe.
~Signed,
Goddess Holly* ;D
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Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro or any related items. I also do not own this fanfiction, I was written by a very good author of whom I have forgotten the name of.
**Maxwell, the Superstar
It was a normal day at the Ham-Ham clubhouse. Hamtaro arrived to find everything as it always was; Howdy was trying to tell a joke to Panda, Dexter, Stan, Cappy, Boss, and Oxnard, none of whom were listening. Oxnard was more in tune to Maxwell's lecture on the definition and usage of pi, which was making Oxnard hungry but besides that had little more of an audience than Howdy's joke, besides Dexter. Dexter was half-listening, his eyelids drooping, though he, of course, already knew everything on the subject. Stan was practically asleep; his eyes kept closing, and then his head would fall against the table and awaken him with a start, the same process to be repeated again. Panda was working on the blueprints for his latest idea, which he refused to tell anyone about. Boss, along with Cappy, kept glancing over to where Bijou was standing with the other ham-girls, who were deep in discussion. Sandy seemed extremely energetic, and kept jumping up and down as she explained something to Pashmina, Bijou and Penelope, who was listening intently and was also jumping up and down, saying "Ookyoo!" over and over.
Suddenly the girls approached the table, their eyes shining with enthusiasm and anticipation.
"Hey, everyone, listen up!" Sandy yelled, turning everyone's focus to the group of girls standing there, grinning. "Me and the girls here have decided to put on a dance routine for Elder-ham at his birthday celebration this week."
"Elder-ham's birthday already?" Oxnard cried worriedly. "I forgot all about it! How old is that guy, anyway?"
"That doesn't matter. What I'm trying to say is, we need everyone's help in order for this to go smoothly. Everyone up for this?"
"Oompa!" the rest of the Ham-Hams shouted in agreement.
"Okay, settle down. I've already decided what everyone needs to do. Hamtaro, you get to be the backstage guy, you know, the dude who arranges the props and all that."
"But I had to do that when-"
"Deal with it, it's better than pulling the curtains, which will be Dexter and Howdy's job."
"Sigh..."
"Boss, you do the lights. Oh, and Cappy can help you."
"Fine by me."
"Oxnard, you're the special effects manager."
"Yippee, something exciting for once."
"Oh, and Panda, here's a list of props we'll need," Sandy continued, handing a paper to Panda.
"I'm on it."
"Maxwell, I have a special job for you, which I'll tell you later."
Maxwell looked puzzled, but nodded.
"And, finally, I need someone to do the music."
"Me?" Stan asked. "You left me out, you know."
"Oh, yeah, Stan...you get to track down Jingle for me."
"Huh?"
"I need Jingle to do the music."
"But..."
"No buts. Just find him."
"How do you expect me to do that?"
"I dunno. If you're so great you'll think of something."
Stan grunted, "Fine. But I want a real job, too. You know, something to do during the show!"
"Oh, yes, let's see, I've got a job for you...STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!"
"That's not what I meant! And besides, you can't boss me around, I'm older than you-"
"By two minutes!"
"So? Come on, sis, give me a REAL part!"
"Oh, fine," Sandy sighed. "You help Hamtaro."
"That's more like it. Alright, I'll go look for Jingle, but I can't promise you anything." With that, Stan took off towards the door. Just as he was reaching it, it flung open, knocking him to the ground. There stood Jingle, guitar in hand, grinning.
"Just stopping by to say hi," he said.
"What a coincidence," Maxwell said.
"Huh?" Oxnard said, confused.
"Coincidence. It's when something happens when you least expect it."
"Oh."
"I was on my way into the city when I said to myself, what a pity," Jingle continued with his rhyme as Stan stood up, rubbing his head. "It's been some time since I've seen my friends, and I'd love to visit them once again."
"Well please, make yourself at home," Boss said.
"We were just discussing something," Sandy said. "Would you like to be the musical coordinator for the dance routine that me and the girls are doing for Elder-Ham at his birthday celebration?"
"Of course. You know I aim to please. Could I please have a piece of cheese?"
"Actually, all we have is sunflow-"
"Oh, I'm not really hungry at the time, just had to think of a word that rhymed," Jingle said.
All the Ham-Hams sweat-dropped.
"Okay," Sandy went on. "We're doing the performance next Friday. That gives us exactly one week to prepare. Jingle, here's the music to the songs we're going to be dancing to," she said, handing Jingle a few sheets of paper which he looked over considerably. "Oh yeah, and for the last one I need Stan to play his maracas."
"YESSS!" Stan said. "Another cool part for me!"
Hamtaro sighed.
"Yeah, um, that means you're by yourself on the last bit, Hamtaro," Sandy said apologetically. "But you'll be fine, don't worry. Anyone have any questions?"
Maxwell raised a paw timidly.
"Yeah?"
"What's my part?"
"I told you, I'll tell you later. Meet me at the clubhouse door this afternoon when everyone's gone."
"Oh, okay, I see...it's a secret, is it?"
Sandy grinned.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*THAT AFTERNOON.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Everyone was leaving the clubhouse, heading back towards their homes for the rest of the day. Sandy stood impatiently at the door as she waited for Maxwell to finish the chapter in his book he had almost completed.
"I guess I'll leave you two alone," Boss said, heading for the exit as well. "Might as well go gather some sunflower seeds, I'm almost out."
"I'm going with him, since I've nothing to do," Jingle said. "Be good, have fun, and don't be blue!" With that, he left, closing the door firmly behind him.
"Maxy, hurry up," Sandy called. "I've got to be home soon, you know."
"There, I'm done," Maxwell replied, closing his book and walking over to where she was standing. "Now, tell me. What do I have to do for this performance of yours?"
"Well, I want you to, um..." Sandy blushed. Then she looked over at Snoozer sleeping in the corner. She stood up on her tiptoes and whispered the rest into Maxwell's ears. His eyes grew wide, and he too blushed.
"Sandy, I can't...What I mean is, I don't know how...I've never done anything like this before...And are you sure you're ready?"
"Maxy, pleeeease? It means the world to me. The show won't be the same without it. It'll be just like the show we did last time, only with more props..."
"Sandy..." Maxwell said, taking her paw and looking deep into her eyes. His were full of understanding, and finally he continued. "Okay, I'll do my best."
"Thank you so much, Maxy," Sandy cried, hugging him tight. "Now, here's what you need to practice." She handed a sheet with words and symbols printed all over it to him. "Thursday, I'll come to your place instead of the clubhouse to practice with you. In the meantime I'll be practicing with the girls. We've got a lot of cool moves to work out." Then she gave Maxwell a light kiss on the cheek and hurried home. Maxwell sighed, blushed, and made his way slowly homeward.
"Love is in the air," Snoozer mumbled dreamily from his soft sock in the corner.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~AT MAXWELL'S CAGE*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maxwell stood in his cage looking at the paper Sandy had given him. He sighed.
"I'll never be able to learn this by next Friday. But I might as well try, seeing as how I gave Sandy my promise. One foot in front of the other like so..." Maxwell tripped, sending wood chips flying. He sat up, groaning, and thought to himself, "I'm a wreck. Sandy will be so disappointed..."
The days passed by quickly. Sandy, Bijou, Pashimina, and Penelope practiced for hours on end, while Maxwell continued practicing his part at home in secret during the afternoon.
Panda was busy constructing backdrops for the show. Stan and Jingle practiced the music together, though Stan only took part in the third song, and he was still slightly bummed out a bit that he had no other important part. Boss made an attempt to teach Cappy how to control the lighting, finally deciding that he was better off doing the job himself. Oxnard was figuring out how to work the fog machine and streamer cannons, with some difficulty. At one point, a streamer cannon exploded in Boss' face, sending Oxnard into a mad dash for the door and Howdy into and uncontrollable laughing fit. Hamtaro, Dexter, and Howdy, who had nothing to practice, sat back and watched the show come together.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*THE NEXT DAY~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Thursday had arrived sooner than Cappy could have chosen what hat to wear. Panda had gotten all the props in order, the girls were happy with the work they had done, Oxnard had finally gotten everything to work correctly, Boss had decided to let Cappy run the lights for a bit as he now seemed to understand it enough, and Jingle and Stan had fully memorized the music they were to play. All but Maxwell were ready and anticipated the next day's performance.
Maxwell awoke that day and began to climb out of his cage to join the others at the clubhouse when he remembered that Sandy was coming over to practice with him. He sighed.
"She'll be so upset at how badly I'm doing."
He went to the windowsill to await her arrival. Soon enough she appeared and hopped up onto the sill beside him.
"Hey, Maxy!" she said, giving him a hug. "You ready to practice?"
"I guess so, Sandy," Maxwell replied. "But...well...I don't know if I'll be ready for tomorrow. I've been practicing every day like you told me, but maybe this just isn't my strong suit. Don't you think the show will be good enough without me?"
"Of course not, silly," Sandy told him. "You're probably just saying that. And besides, even if everything DOES go wrong, it won't matter. I mean, this show only is for Elder-Ham and the other Ham-Hams anyway, right?"
"Okay. But I'm warning you...I think I have two left feet."
Sandy giggled, "Oh, just shut up and come on. We can practice under that tree, where it's nice and shady. I'll teach you everything I can." With that, Sandy took Maxwell's paw and led him onto the ground and to the spot she had chosen for practice.
"Now give me your paw. Okay. Put your foot there..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*THE DAY OF THE SHOW~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Okay, Hams, let's move it! Panda, put those right over there. Stan, Jingle has your maracas, you almost left them at the clubhouse. Cappy---Cappy, stop it! Stop it! Those are breakable and valuable, don't mess around with them. Oxnard, make sure that fog machine is working. No! Stop! That's enough, I just meant test it, not cover the whole place in fog! Hamtaro, set up that backdrop. Not that one! The one with the sunset---yeah, that's the one. Howdy, get your tail over there, we can't just have one Ham pulling the curtains. No, no! Other side. Sandy, your ribbon! Are you girls almost ready, because the rest of us sure aren't!" It was Friday, the day of the show, and the Ham-Hams were putting everything together on stage before Elder-Ham arrived. Boss was attempting to be the director and keep things in order, but the scene was chaos. Finally, Boss just sighed, put down his megaphone, and looked down at Cappy. "It's going to be a looooong day."
Maxwell was behind stage where nobody could see him, practicing his routine. He still wasn't sure if he had it right. "One, two, three...spin...back and forth...then left...Oh, it's hopeless." He sighed heavily, wiped some sweat from his forehead, and stepped in front of the curtain to see how the Ham-girls were doing.
"Hey, Maxy!" Sandy called when she saw him coming. Bijou and Pashmina were holding her up in the air as she twirled her ribbon; part of the act. Suddenly she lost her balance and came tumbling down. Maxwell caught her, and she looked up at him lovingly.
"Thanks. Sorry, I guess we're not quite ready to perform yet."
"Well, you're not the only one," Maxwell replied, grinning.
Sandy giggled, "You'll do fine," she said, and gave him a light kiss.
"Awwwwww!" all the other Ham-Hams said. Maxwell had forgotten they were there, and he let go of Sandy as his face went red.
"Good luck," he told her, and went back behind stage.
"You too," she whispered as he disappeared from view. "You too."
"Alright, Hams, quiet on the set!" Boss shouted from below the stage. "Cappy, get up there where the lights are, but don't mess with them. Howdy, Dexter, you set? Good. Panda, now that all the props are in place you can join the audience. Hamtaro, get back there. Out of sight! Bijou, Pashmina, Sandy, Penelope, line up offstage. Jingle, make sure your guitar is in tune. Stan---No! You don't have to be down here until the last song! That's right, get up there with Hamtaro. Oxnard, everything under control? Okay, we're good to go. Where's Maxwell?"
"He's back here!" came Sandy's voice.
"Alright. Now we just wait for Elder-Ham to get here and then-"
"Hello, sonny."
"AAAH! Oh, hello, Elder-Ham, you're just in time. We just finished getting ready."
"Hey, Elder-Ham!" Panda called, "Come join me and Snoozer up front. I think you'll enjoy this. I've seen the girls practicing, and it's a lovely show they've put together. Only, Maxwell apparently has some secret performance, and no one seems to know what it is. Except the Ham-girls, of course."
"Well, then, this will be interesting," Elder-Ham agreed, moving towards the stage, where Panda was standing next to Snoozer. "I am quite intrigued."
"Lights!" Boss called. Silence. "LIGHTS!"
"Does that mean me?" came Cappy's voice.
"You're the lights manager, aren't you?"
"I thought you were."
Boss sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"YOU are the current lights manager, seeing as how you are managing the lights at the present time."
"So, what do I do?"
"JUST DIM THE LIGHTS, FOR PETE'S SAKE!"
The lights dimmed.
"Now what?"
"Spotlight on center stage. CENTER STAGE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, NOT LEFT STAGE! That's it, right where Bijou is standing. No, more to the right. More...LEFT! MORE TO THE LEFT! NOT THAT FAR! No, no, no...THERE! STOP!"
Spotlight on center stage. Bijou stood blinking, an exasperated look on her face.
"And now, on behalf of zee Ham-Ham gang, I vish to present to you, the Ham- girls and zeir porformance of zee Zunflower Danz! Zis performance goes out to our beloved Elder-Ham on his birthday, and Boss, Dexter has just informed me zat he zinks it vould be vor zee best if you took over Cappy's job as lights manager."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll go help the little guy right now." Boss took off. Bijou stood waiting patiently in the middle of the stage. Suddenly, a shadow fell over the spotlight where she was standing.
"Quack, quack, quack. Look, it's a duck!" The Ham-Hams immediately recognized Cappy's voice. "Quack quack-HEY!"
"Cappy, this is no time for shadow puppets!" an enraged Boss shouted.
"Sorry, Boss, I just-HEY! OW!"
"Now keep quiet and maybe I'll let you work the lights again later."
"Fine."
Boss signaled to Bijou, and she walked offstage, the spotlight following her.
"Curtains!"
Howdy and Dexter began pulling the curtains apart. Naturally, this simple task couldn't be done without an argument.
"Dexter, yer pullin' too slow!" Howdy shouted from offstage.
"Me? You're going too fast! Slow down, speedy!"
"What're you talking about? We'll never get the curtains open at the rate yer goin'!"
"...And we'll never get through the show at the rate this whole thing is going," Panda muttered to himself, rubbing his face in an embarassed way. He was surprised to look over and see Elder-Ham smiling broadly, and not asleep.
Dexter had started pulling the curtains as fast as he could, turning it into a competition. Howdy sped up his pace as well, and when the curtains were finally drawn completely, the two fell flat on their backs, their faces red and breathing heavily.
Silence.
"Oxnard!" Panda whispered. "That's you're cue, right when the curtains open!"
"Huh? Oh! Oh yeah!" He turned on the fog machine enough so that the stage became enshrouded in mist, then turned it off. When the fog settled, there stood Sandy, her back to the audience and her ribbon, held firmly in her right paw, brushing against the floor of the stage. Behind her stood one of Panda's masterpieces - a beautiful backdrop depicting a meadow full of blooming sunflowers under a brilliant sunset.
Jingle began to play his guitar, softly and slowly, as the spotlight shone on Sandy's glistening fur. As the music gained strength, Sandy spun around, lifted her ribbon high and twirled it proudly, her eyes gleaming. Round and round - just like in Sandy's song - and the fog came once more. This time, the settling of the mist revealed Bijou, Pasmina and Penelope, all standing with their backs to the audience, as Sandy had done before. Jingle's song slowed, becoming ever quieter, and Sandy froze suddenly, closing her eyes tightly, her feet spread apart and her ribbon falling limply beside her outstretched arm. All was silent for a moment, and then, in one heart-pounding instant, Jingle struck a harsh, loud note on his guitar, and in that instant, with one motion, Bijou, Pashmina, and Penelope turned abruptly to face the audience. Jingle's song became intense, each note striking the audience in a mighty rush of energy. Bijou, Pashmina and Penelope raced forward in time to the music. Each held a brightly colored ribbon. Sandy's arm fell to her side as the three others raced up beside her. They stood still a moment, then raised their ribbons and spun around one time. The ribbons circled the girls' heads as they turned, creating a colored halo over each one. Then Sandy, Bijou and Pasmina formed a circle in the center of the stage, with Penelope in the middle. They lifted her up high, then each one - including Penelope - threw her ribbon into the air. Then Penelope leapt up above the others' heads, flipping in mid-air as the rest of the girls spun around below her. As Penelope fell back towards the awaiting Ham-girls, she caught her ribbon in one paw, lifting her other paw above her head in ecstasy. The other girls caught their ribbons as well, immediately before catching the falling Penelope. Penelope did a flip out of the girls' arms and landed on her feet in front of them.
Maxwell was watching all this from offstage. For the moment, he had forgotten his anxiety and was staring into Sandy's joyful face with compassion. He knew, he had always known, that he loved her. And this show meant the world to her, he could see that in her eyes. Her big, beautiful eyes, shining happily as she and the other Ham-girls moved into their next positions. He couldn't let her down. So what if it was never perfect before. Today was different. Today, he was going to show the world - or at least the Ham-Hams - the other side of himself, the emergetic side, the love-sick side that he never dared express at the clubhouse. He wanted to show them how much Sandy meant to him. She was different. She was a true leader, that girl. Someone you couldn't help but fall in love with...
Maxwell was considering all this thoughtfully as the girls were reaching the end of the first portion of the show. Pashmina and Bijou stood beside each other in the center of the stage, and Penelope was standing in front of them, twirling her ribbon wildly. As Maxwell watched, Sandy came up behind Pasmina and Bijou, and was lifted into the air. She twirled her ribbon once, and then Pashmina and Bijou joined in. Four circles of color, spinning swiftly, ever faster, until-
Jingle stopped playing abruptly, at once the girls' ribbons fell to their sides, and streamers exploded into the air in front of them, courtesy of Oxnard. Elder-Ham was clapping his paws together excitedly.
"Brilliant! Stunning! Magnificantly performed! What style! What animation! What intensity! Oh, encore, encore!"
Sandy smiled and leapt down in front of the Pashmina and Bijou, directly behind Penelope. The fog rose once more, and Hamtaro and Stan ran out onto the stage. Hamtaro moved the original backdrop offstage as Stan brough the next one on. This one was similar to the one before it - a shimmering field of sunflowers - but in this scene the sky was shining bright blue.
The mist settled again. Sandy, Pashmina, Bijou, and Penelope were curled up on the stage floor. As Jingle began to play a gentle melody on his guitar, one by one the girls rose, lifting with them their ribbons. They waved the ribbons above their heads, forming different shapes. Slowly, the girls brought their ribbons together into one huge, whirling circle of color dancing in the air. Then Bijou removed her ribbon from the circle and danced smoothly to one side of the stage. Pashmina then did the same, moving to the opposite side. Then Sandy backed away, leaving Penelope still standing in the center of the stage. The music Jingle played was eerily beautiful, soft and smooth like a leaf floating on a calm lake. Then, like ghosts in the early morning light, Penelope, Pasmina and Bijou drifted offstage. Sandy stood, still spinning her ribbon, her eyes closed in silent harmony. Then she brought the ribbon in front of her, grasping it with both paws now. Jingle's music began to fade like morning dew, and Sandy's ribbon slowed until it fell in front of her and the last note was played. Maxwell watched, unblinking, as Sandy stood there silently as a statue. She continued to stand as Stan leaped offstage to get his maracas and Hamtaro rushed out to change the backdrop. This was the most beautiful one of all, a starry sky holding a full moon above the same flower-filled field. No mist this time - only silence. When all was in order, Jingle began once again to play a soft melody on his guitar. Stan's maracas hummed along, quietly for now. Sandy lifted her eyes to the audience, then, with a swift motion, lifted her ribbon into the air. Now Jingle's melody became stronger, and more passionate, as Stan's maracas beat faster, furiously, and more often.
"Well I'll be darned. It's a tango!" Dexter said.
"A what?" Howdy asked.
"A tango. It's a kind of dance from - hey, Howdy, what are you doing on this side of the curtains, anyway?"
"There's a better view from over here."
"Well get back where you came from."
"But I always get the worst luck!"
"Just shut up and go."
Howdy grumbled off as Sandy began the dance. She twirled her ribbon, then whipped it offstage. As she pulled it back, to everyone's surprise, there was Maxwell, holding the end of the ribbon, a sunflower clamped between his teeth. He looked a bit nervous, but enthusiastic at the same time. His eyes were full of passion, and as they met Sandy's, hers were, too.
Sandy pulled the ribbon - and Maxwell - closer to her until Maxwell was standing right next to her. Then she jerked the ribbon towards her, and Maxwell spun around several times. Then, in an instant, he stopped. His right paw was outstretched away from him, and his left paw was in Sandy's right. Maxwell leaned closer to Sandy, and she leaned back, closing her eyes and letting her left paw fall limply backwards. Maxwell lifted her up, spun her around once, and then they were holding to both of each others' paws, staring deeply into each others' eyes. Maxwell swung Sandy around to the side, and they danced across the stage floor together. Then Maxwell threw Sandy into the air, and she seemed to be floating as all eyes watched in wonder. Then she was falling - and Maxwell caught her as delicately as a falling feather. He breathed a discreet sigh of relief, then continued with the dance.
The pair made their way across the stage, from side to side with graceful ease. Then, as the song was nearing its end, they stopped moving. Fog began to drift up from below the stage as Maxwell drew Sandy closer to him. The fog continued to rise. Closer and closer - the fog wouldn't stop.
"Oxnard! Stop the fog machine! I can't see!" an agitated Panda called.
"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, I was so caught up in watching them that I forgot...where's the off switch? Oh no, oh no..."
Maxwell's lips had almost touched Sandy's when the fog came between them and her face disappeared from view.
"Maxy---Maxy! Something's wrong...where are you? Where are - AAH!"
Sandy, unable to see anything because of the fog, had almost fallen off the stage. She grabbed hold of the curtain just in time - and it began to tear.
Maxwell was looking madly through the fog trying to find her, Dexter and Howdy made a mad dash for the exit and ended up falling off the stage themselves, the rest of the ham-girls came running out and tripped over one another, Hamtaro ran into the backdrop and it came crashing down, Oxnard accidentally set off a streamer cannon, sending Panda into a frenzy, Boss rushed to help the others and knocked the spotlight over, Cappy threw himself into the crowd of crazy Ham-Hams just to see what would happen, and Stan and Jingle ran into each other and were sent flying across the floor. Finally, the mist settled to the ground, and the sight was not a pleasant one.
Hamtaro was lying on the stage with a cardboard backdrop on top of him. Bijou, Pashmina and Penelope were also lying on the stage in a 'Ham-pile' of fur and ribbons. Stan had somehow ended up on his head against the stage, with Jingle lying on his back not far away. Boss was underneath a pile of equipment, with several lights shining in random directions around him. Oxnard was huddling in a corner, trying not to cause any more trouble. There was another 'Ham-pile' nearby consisting of a groaning Cappy, an unconscious Howdy, and a flattened Dexter underneath both of them. Panda was surveying the scene through his fingers, his paws over his face in terror. Snoozer, somehow, was still sleeping peacefully. Sandy lay in a heap, her fur all out of sorts and her ribbon missing. Maxwell was looking down at her from the stage, and then, without a moment's hesitation, leapt down and gathered her up in his arms.
"Sandy?! Sandy, are you-"
Sandy opened her eyes.
"Maxwell, you...you're..."
"I know. A failure. You don't have to tell me that." Maxwell sighed.
"...a wonderful dancer." Sandy finished. Maxwell looked at her in surprise.
"But everything went wrong! It was terrible! It was-"
"All Oxnard's fault!" Howdy shouted, regaining his consciousness.
"I'm so sorry, oh please forgive me!" Oxnard shouted, tears streaming from his eyes.
"No, it wasn't your fault, Oxnard, it was mine," Maxwell said. "I was never cut out for this in the first place. I should stick to reading and writing, that's all I can really do well. I can't believe I ever even agreed to this, I let everyone down, I-"
"Maxwell." It was Sandy.
"Yes?"
"We haven't finished the dance yet."
"Obviously. How do you expect us to now? There's no way-"
"Maxwell."
"Yes?"
"She wants ya to kiss her, ya nitwit!" Howdy cried.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, the end of the dance..." Without another word, the two embraced each other. The first real kiss, signifying the beginning of a beautiful relationship together.
"Marvelous! Simply marvelous!" All eyes looked up as Elder-Ham made his way over.
"What a stunning mixture of love, comedy, beauty, disaster...A masterpiece! Bravo! Bravo!"
Maxwell and Sandy blushed. There was silence for a moment, then all the other Ham-Hams cheered. Sandy and Maxwell gave Elder-Ham a final goodbye / happy birthday, then made their way outside alone.
"It figures," Stan said as he stood up and brushed himself off. "My little sis already found true love, and with all my work I haven't turned a single Ham-girl's head."
Bijou and Pashmina turned and looked at him strangely.
"Ah! There we go, that's two for the record! Not exactly what I had in mind, but I did turn their heads, didn't I? Huh? Didn't I?"
Not even Howdy laughed at that one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~OUTSIDE*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Maxwell and Sandy sat together beneath a cherry blossom tree, looking up at the sky for a moment before looking back into each others' eyes.
"Maxy."
"Yes?"
"Today. That was wonderful."
Maxwell only blushed and looked away.
"Well? Aren't you going to say something to me? How well I did, or something?"
"I can't."
"What do you mean?"
"All I mean is...there are no words to describe it. How much I enjoyed today, too. The emotions I'm feeling right now. How much I love you."
Sandy smiled, knowing exactly what he meant. Then she leaned against him, their fur brushing softly. "Schmubby-wubby..." She put her paw on the ground, and Maxwell lowered his until it was on top of hers. Sandy closed her eyes as the wind rustled through her fur.
There was a moment's silence. Then,
"Sandy? We better go. Gotta get home before our owners, right?"
"Maxy."
"Yes?"
"Let's just stay another minute. I've never had this feeling before, and I want to enjoy it for as long as I can without interruptions." Maxwell didn't say another word, only looked back up at the sky.
Suddenly, the rest of the Ham-Hams appeared, making their way towards where the couple were seated.
"So much for no interruptions," Maxwell stated.
"Sorry, guys," Hamtaro said, coming up beside them. "We don't mean to break up this moment, only, we need to head home soon, and we also had to bring you a couple things." Hamtaro held out Sandy's ribbon. She took it from him daintily.
"Thanks! I was afraid I had lost this."
"And this," Panda said, and held out the sunflower from Maxwell's dance. He took it, examined it, and then handed it to Sandy.
"For my love," he said.
Sandy smiled and took it. Then she held both things close to her.
"I'll always remember this day," she said, a tear coming to her eye. Maxwell brushed it away caressingly.
"I love you, Sandy."
"Maxy."
"Yes?"
"...I love you too."
Maxwell smiled and squeezed Sandy's paw tight. Then the two stood together and made their way home, paw in paw, the other Ham-Hams following but leaving plenty of room in between. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~END OF STORY*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
*is balling her eyes out* So b-b-beautiful! Simply wonderful! Bravo! Bravo!
And that's all words can describe.
~Signed,
Goddess Holly* ;D
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