Chapter 8: Minora's Dilemma

Grizzly bears were considered to be the largest creatures on earth, next to the elephant. But in her ninth and last month, Minora looked even more larger. As she walked about through the park, she thought about Bert, and the baby growing inside her. The real main issue that was bothering her...was her diet.

She had been a vegetarian since she was a teenager. But before that, she had been born a carnivore, raised to know the taste of flesh from small animals and fish. Why did she switch to that meatless diet? It was not because she did not want to harm animals any more, but it was just because she wanted to impress her boyfriend, Robert, who was destined to be her first husband. Now that he was dead and she was married to Bert, things haven't been the same--all of a sudden, she was beginning to find fruits and vegetables "less nutritious".

Minora came to the edge of a roaring waterfall, where she spotted millions of salmon swimming upstream to spawn. "This is winter," she thought. "Why are the salmon doing it at this time?" Then, she started to recall the first time she ate salmon--when she was a cub, her father used to take her to the edge of the waterfall and teach her how to catch those fish. Upon seeing the salmon leaping up into the waters, her stomach began to growl. But still, she badly wanted to remain a vegetarian, even if her taste for nuts, berries, and fresh vegetables were starting to fade away. Would she do it again?

After hesitating for a moment, Minora took a deep breath and began to cross the stream, slowly and carefully. Right in the middle she stopped there, got down on her haunches (just like what a real grizzly bear would do at a time like this), and waited patiently for a fish to come swimming up her way. Just then, a salmon leaped out into view and started coming up towards her direction. Minora raised her paw and swiped at the fish, only to miss it by a split-second. She groaned, but when she saw another fish coming around, she decided to try it another time. Missed it again.

Minora was just near enough to lose her temper. Had she roared and growled, she would've felt different. But then, she found herself quoting an advice her father gave her on her first salmon hunt: "Patience, my dear, is the best weapon used in hunting for food." Minora sighed again, before going back to her work. All at once, she looked up and saw a salmon leaping about in the waters. This was going to be her last big chance. She marched over and tried to catch the fish.

Every time she caught it, it slipped away from her paws and flipped around about her. She spent several precious seconds trying to capture the slippery fellow, before successfully slapping it away to the other side of the waterfall. The salmon was now on dry land, still leaping, quivering, and shaking. Minora got out of the river and strolled over to where the fish was. She waited until the fish had lain still, then she picked it up. She sighed and, looking at the dead fish in her paws, she whispered, "Well...here goes nothing..." With that, she began to sink her jaws into the flesh of the salmon and took a huge bite out of it.

She chewed the piece for a long time, before swallowing it. She smiled. Minora Raccoon, nee Grizzly, nee Bearsden, had just eaten meat for the first time! Happily and hungrily she continued to chow down on the fish until there was nothing left but the whole skeleton. Then, she sat down by a palm tree and rubbed her belly. She said, "Now, I've become a born-again carnivore...and it's been months since my baby had a real meal like this one. I hope he or she enjoys it. But I wonder if Bert will find out about my rediscovered diet..."

All of a sudden, she heard Alexandra's voice in the breeze: "Minora...Minora..."

Minora leaped up to find the source of her dead mother-in-law's voice. She could not see Alexandra, but she could hear her. She said, "Um, Mrs. Raccoon...what do you want?"

"My son will arrive on the island with his friends in any moment," answered Alexandra. "Find Lady Creampuff and Bentley, and take them to the shore where you will meet the TTC. I will be with you shortly to bring more horrible news about Myrna's evil plan."

"What evil plan?"

"I will tell you when you get there, but until then just do as I say!"

And just like that, the breeze died down and Alexandra's voice faded away. Minora nodded and went off to get Bentley and Lady Creampuff.

In Neo-Detroit, Chris had come back with the villians. He said, "I'm back, Myrna. But I had a little problem with Mr. Sneer here. He won't comply to my commands." The Bully Brothers came in, holding Cyril Sneer by the arms.

"Let me go, you rascals!" he shouted angrily. "I want revenge, but I'm not working with you to hurt that miserable raccoon!"

"Quick, Belladonna," said Myrna. "Do the same thing you did to Evil Bert, before that aardvark gets away!" Belladonna nodded, put her whistle in "Aardvark" mode, and blew it. In an instant, Cyril's eyes started to turn green. He said, "I am in your control. I am under your command. Whatever you want me to do, I will do it, as long as I am under your spell."

Belladonna said, "You are in my power, and you will do what we say."

"I am in your power, and I will do whatever you say."

"Good."

She then set the whistle on "Miscellaneous" mode and blew it again. All at once, the villains' eyes turned green and they said, "We are under your control, Your Majesty."

"Get into that robot," said Myrna, pointing to Robo-Bert. "And we'll take it to Mr. Stork's Paradise Island--as of right now, the president and the TTC are already there, and I will give them the biggest surprise of their life! HA-HA-HA-HA!"

The villains got inside the robot, and so did Belladonna, Chris, Dark Bunnie, Strawberry, Flame, Scream, and lastly, Myrna herself. Robo-Bert then came to life, burst a wall through the building, and marched outside, terrifying many humans and toons. Myrna laughed evilly and shouted, "WATCH OUT, NEPHEW! HERE I COME!"