Boxer walked into the studio. Today would mark his third day on site and each day had become more exciting. The first day he had got to meet the rest of the cast and crew who were much friendlier than the director in charge of leading them all. He didn't mind though, he could deal with a thorn-in-the-side director like Quentin if it meant getting to be in a movie. Holding his already worn out script in one hand, he waved to various different Toons who were working on different things, rehearsing lines, or getting prepared for another day. As second lead for Cobby, behind the esteemed teenage dream boat Hog McBuffson, he was still paid quite well. Unlike the main actors who were guaranteed their full salary, he was only paid for the days he was there. The pay was much more than anything else that he had ever made. The hardest part had been telling Guffaw that he would have to quit without any notice. To his surprise not only was she very understanding, she had been incredibly encouraging and had told him that he was able to come back anytime. Finally after months of dedication, hard work, loneliness and even living on the street for a few days, he could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Walking over to a dark brown crocodile, he smiled and slapped the Toon's back. "Caramel, you're here early! Must have had your coffee this morning?"
Chuckling, the slightly older crocodile turned around and made a sarcastic face at his friend. "Yeah, apparently they actually want me to show up on time. I have a scene today so I didn't want to make anybody mad at me. Actually, while you're here could you help me rehearse a bit? I totally put it off last night." Caramel was playing a small role as Anastasia's older brother. Caramel had been the first one to reach out to Boxer after he had been introduced to everyone and had really made the anxious dog a bit more comfortable.
"Absolutely!" Boxer exclaimed. "We're on page forty-eight, right?"
"Been here like three days and you already know the script better than I do, probably. Lemme check." flipping through the pages he landed on one that had a small yellow tab attached to the very top. "Yup. You're right! Do you think you could lead me in?"
Speaking in a higher pitched, feminine voice, or at least Boxer's best attempt, he portrayed Anastasia to the best of his ability. "Joshua, you cannot tell mom and dad about Cobby. You know that they will go to the Rangers! I love him!"
"Sorry Ana. I love you and because you're my sister I feel like I need to do something. It's not just Cobby, it's Victor. He's a cog. Toons and cogs could never love each other."
"Joseph, you just haven't had a chance to meet them yet. I bet if you met them you would change your mind!" Boxer tried to withhold laughter as he continued to play the female role.
Caramel spoke with excellence as he masterfully navigated his lines. The actor was in complete control of his craft, which amazed Boxer. This incredibly talented actor was playing a small-bit role, while the lead roles were given to two former models who had never acted before. Once they had finished up, Caramel smiled and closed his script. "Thanks, Boxer. It's just so much easier when you have someone else to lead you into things and not just crying out into a mirror. You weren't too bad. Maybe you could be the backup for Anastasia, too?"
"Haha, I guess. What about you though? Why are you playing Joseph? You should be playing a lead! You would kill it as Cobby! You were incredible!" standing stunned, he watched as Caramel cringed a bit at the last comment.
"Eh, maybe. I'm not the director though. I don't get to make those decisions unfortunately." the brown crocodile rubbed the back of his head as his words tailed off.
Boxer shook his head. "Seriously though, you are amazing. I guess it makes sense that an amazing actor would be in a Quentin Tarintoono movie, but the leads... well they're not actors. You're an amazing actor."
"Boxer, you're still new. One thing I've learned from my time acting is that not everybody can be a star, and that's okay! Everybody plays a part in making a movie into what it is. Two leads and a director a movie do not make. It takes an entire team, smaller roles are crucial to building the world and helping the main characters, the crew who creates sets and does costumes. We all play a part. We are just as important, and that's something I take pride in. I could easily phone it in, collect a paycheck and make a career out of playing small roles. In fact, it's what I've done in the past. I used to be mad for not getting the big roles, but I realized it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because it's given me a lot of variety. Once you're a star, you get shoe-horned into certain roles. Plus if I show up, I might still get those bigger roles someday. Don't be discouraged because you're not a Hog, you're a Boxer and that's just as good."
Before the purple dog could response, a yelling broke out from across the studio. "No! No!" Quentin stood up and tossed a script to the floor, throwing his arms up in frustration. "Why did I get stuck with two leads who can't even remember the most basic of lines! You are supposed to be confront Victor about your love for Anastasia!" walking over to the food table, the black cat rubbed his nose. "Idiots, all of them!" looking over to Caramel and Boxer who were looking at him, he pondered and shook his head. "You, Garfunkel!"
"Me, sir?" Boxer inquired.
"Well I'm not talking to Frappe there. Can you please go show Hotshot his lines? Maybe that will light a fire under his ass. As if." he threw his hand up, motioning with his thumb for his second in command. "Get over there and try not to embarrass yourself."
The once light rain had quickly given way to a heavy storm. The ship had been battered by sheets of rain, and bombarded with additional heavy winds. Toontown generally did not have this kind of weather. While the Brrrgh and Donald's Dock were known for some inclement weather, but this was beyond anything most of the Toons had ever witnessed. Scurvy stood at the helm and bravely navigated the ship through dimming vision. The pitch black sky was given no respite with the dark gray clouds that were dumping freezing cold water onto the crew. It was all hands on deck. Between wiping their face free of water, and trying to keep the ship on straight, Scurvy yelled out orders. Calypso and Mariner had been typing down boxes that had been carelessly freed throughout the short journey. Cross and John had been in charge of trying to keep the oars moving, while Edmund was in his usual state of handling the sails. Making sure that they were not opening or being destroyed by the heavy winds. Horsenado, unsure of what to do, was doing a little bit of everything. The red horse hated loud noises, and the loud thunder was horrifying enough without the frequent lightning strikes. It reminded him of something he might see in a nightmare, as if the previous weeks hadn't given him enough scars to last a lifetime. "Hey, Five-o, I need you to do something for me!" Scurvy managed to overcome the booming sounds of the storm to call out his message to Horsenado who was trying to manipulate a rope into a tight knot to prevent a large crate of supplies to fly overboard.
"Captain! What can I do for you!" the nearly hoarse horse struggled to project his voice to match Scurvy's.
"Up on the second deck there be a large chest! Inside of it be helmets with flashlights attached to them! I be needin' you to please grab them and distribute them to the crew It's about to be darker and I got feeling we are going to be needin' 'em now! Was hoping this weather would clear, but no luck!" a small burst of water managed to burst over the barriers and washed the deck, soaking the blue cat's feet. "Arrrgh, looks like Posideon and Neptune be havin' themselves a mighty duel!"
Horsenado saluted triumphantly and ran up to the second dick, nearly slipping on the slippery wooden planks as he climbed the stairs. If he thought it was difficult to see before, it was even worse as his ascent brought him closer to the hellfire of rain falling him onto him. He was sure he had seen a chest up here somewhere. Dodging a small crate that slid by and nearly knocked into him as the ship rocked left once again, Horsenado dropped to his knees and began to crawl. "I'm not seeing it captain!" the red horse screamed out, however his words were deafened by the whipping crack of thunder that continued to boom overhead. Making his way around the ship, through the darkness Horsenado eventually caught a small glimpse of his prize. "There you are you bugger." he exhaled in relief. Speeding up he finally reached the chest and easily opened it. Sure enough there were plenty of supplies; flashlights, medical kits, batteries, etc. It was likely going to be too heavy to carry, so he'd have to make several trips. Grabbing two headlamps, he stood up and bravely made his way across the ship. Knowing he'd have to hurry he began to sprint, keeping his balance as he slid through puddles of water.
"Five-o! I'll take those!" John began climbing up the stairs when he noticed Horsenado skating across the deck towards him. As the green crocodile climbed, the overwhelming sound caught his notice. Just a short distance away, a wave that towered over the ship roared towards the Melville II. "Everybody get down!" he screamed out, quickly dropping to the deck. The rest of the crew who had been on the lower deck, had some protection or something to hold onto. Horsenado who had been out in the middle of the deck turned and stared in horror as the giant wave approached. Unfortunately for the young Toon, he was unable to act quickly as the fast paced water crashed over the deck and sweeping over Horsenado like he was nothing. "Horsenado!" John was able to see just enough as the red horse was carried overboard after the large wave made its pass on the craft.
Horsenado did not know how to swim very well and generally stayed away from water. He didn't like being underwater, and even the idea of having his face submerged was enough to send him into a miniature panic attack. The wave had crashed him into the depths of the waves. Above him he could see his ship and his friends drifting away. Taking a deep breath, searching for any small amount of oxygen to bring comfort for his struggling lungs, the red horse pushes his arms forward, Swimming towards the surface. Breaking free from the water, the ship was but a blip on the radar in his eyesight. He was alone. Panic began to set in. The crew had not seen any land. After everything that he had gone through this was how it would end. No, he couldn't give up. Pushing his weary body forward, he called out, hoping his voice would breath through the dark and loud atmosphere to reach his friends. "Captain! Calypso!" slowly he became more exhausted as the freezing waters pounded him relentlessly. The ship was out of sight.
"Toon overboard!" John screamed out as he leapt down the stairs, sending the crew into a panic.
"What are you talking about? Who?" Calypso felt an icy hand gripping his heart, knowing full well they had little time to do something. "Stop the ship!"
Scurvy turned around and began to panic. The Captain had seen it all. But losing a Toon was not something they could handle again. "Arrrgh we turnin' around! All crew be ready to throw out a life saver!" Fighting the wind, Scurvy directed the ship to the left, slowly making a one-hundred and eighty degree turn. "Coming for you Five-o!" at this point the ship had gone hundreds, if not thousands of feet by the time they had successfully turned around. Each Toon had tied a rope to themselves and to the barriers at the behest of Calypso who warned them of any further accidents. The crew searched relentlessly for what seemed like hours, completely drenched and freezing. Horsenado was gone, nobody could find him. Nobody wanted to believe it. With false optimism, and fear of the truth, the Toons pushed on. Eventually the storm had passed and had given way to a bright warming sun. The weary Toons were clinging onto their own sanity as they had not slept in almost an entire day and had been barreled. Near hypothermia and in desperate need of a break, Scurvy stepped from their leading spot and addressed the crew. With pain in their voice, they spoke quietly. "Mateys, it look like we have lost him. Ain't nothin' we can do about it now. No use to anyone if the rest of us end up meetin' the same fate. I suggest everyone be goin' and gettin' some sleep and we discuss things tonight." as a tear rolled down their cheek, they took off their captain's hat and walked over to where Horsenado would generally sit. Placing their hat down, the Captain sat down and placed their head into their hands down and cried. Joined by the rest of the crew, who had finally come to the realization that Horsenado was gone.
Horsenado's head was pounding as they slowly opened their eyes. Beneath the red horse was not freezing cold water, but... sand? It was unlike anything at Donald's Dock. This sand was pink? His body was still too exhausted to move, but he was alive. He must have washed ashore somewhere after he had fallen unconscious. Embracing the warmth of the sand as the sun shone down onto his soggy body, Horsenado cried. While he was alive, he was alone. His friends were gone. The Melville was gone. Would he ever be able to get back home and see his family? All these thoughts raced through his mind as his eyes began to close again. He was too tired for those thoughts. First he needed to sleep. In front of him, a crinkling noise broke his attempts at sleep. "Oh my gosh, go get help!" a voice called out as several other and a response from several other voices let Horsenado know he was not alone. Trying to keep his eyes open, he raised his head just enough to see a pair of brown legs come running towards him. "Don't worry son, everything is going to be okay!" Horsenado attempted to speak, but his head fell face down into the sand, as the darkness soon overcame him again, allowing himself to be lifted by this strange character. Embracing his fate, the young horse drifted off into a well deserved sleep.