TTA-The Final Episode
=====================
Nathan East-aka-Bloodstone the Technomancer
(ne15328@conrad.appstate.edu)

WARNING--This story was conceived in the dead of the night by one of the
         most disturbed minds on the planet, mine.  It's not cheerful, 
         it's not happy, and it's not going to make you feel better about
         the world we live in.
         Obviously, this story is NOT meant to be canon.  If it were,
         then we'd all need to find a new cartoon to watch!
         The main premise behind this story was established in the episode
         "Fields of Honey", which simply put is, when the fans stop caring,
         the toons fade away.  Combine this with a little bit of the "Never
         Ending Story" and you've got it.  Well, that and a little bit of
         Cheese!

                       *YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!*




















        Buster and Babs were huddled together on the front steps of the
Looniversity, shivering and cold under the gray skies.  They were here
because, well, there was no where else left to go.  Acme Acres, and 
everyone in it, was slowly slipping away, into the void where all cartoons
go when the people stop laughing.  Babs' head is resting against Buster's 
shoulder, she seems to have cried herself to sleep.  Buster's grim face 
belies his thoughts:  everything that he ever was is now gone, and now,
soon, he also will be gone.  A pensive expression ripples across his face,
as he thinks back on all his friends, now gone.

        When the show was cancelled, everyone knew that their fates had been
sealed.  Their hopes had been lifted, as efforts were made to syndicate the
show, but that soon failed.  People no longer cared, why watch reruns when
there were fresh, new cartoons to be seen?  And so, one fateful day, the
fadings began.

        The "fringe" characters began to fade away and disappear, all the
extras who had formed the society of Acme Acres, characters like Barky Marky
and the Roches.  Then, as time went on, lesser folk began to fade away,
people like Fowlmouth, and Banjo.

        The hierarchy was becoming apparent.  The more popular and exposed
a toon was, the better his or her chances for survival, because people tended
to remember them more.  In the meantime, the most distressing event so far
was beginning to take place:  Acme Acres itself was beginning to shrink and
disappear!

        Elmyra was moping about her house, bemoaning the loss of most of her
fuzzy-wuzzies, wondering where they had all gone.  Poor fool, she had no idea
what was happening until the very end.  While she was whining and moaning,
the color began to drain from her, ever so slowly.  She felt herself begin
to weaken, and then saw herself.  "Wha...what's happening to me?!" she
exclaimed.  Soon, to her horror, she became two-tone, then she began to fade,
lighter, lighter, and then she was gone.  Although few missed her, they all
knew that the times were upon them.  Elmyra had been very active in the show,
and if she had...gone...then nobody was long for this world.

        Not even Gogo Dodo was immune.  The Weird One attempted to stave off
the inevitable by becoming even wilder and wackier than ever before.  
However, Wackyland was at the very border of Acme Acres, and despite his 
valiant efforts, the Last of the Dodos died alone in the darkness that had
been Wackyland.

        Shirley the Loon, devastated by the loss of her close friend Fifi,
became obsessed with fighting the void, so that no more would be lost to the
cold darkness.  With all her psychic might, she erected a mental barrier over
what was left of Acme Acres, the darkness and the light clashing in titanic
battle.  Though she fought extravagantly, shielding the entire land was
spreading even her considerable resources thin, and after only two nights,
her barrier failed and fell.  Having used up all of her very essence, Shirley
was the very next victim to be claimed by the void.

        Plucky Duck had always been a coward, but perhaps because of this, he
had seen these days coming a long time ago.  He had attempted to double his 
chances for survival with "The Plucky Duck Show", but that, of course, failed
miserably.  This failure cast Plucky into doubt, doubt which gnawed at him
from within.  In time, the doubt consumed even his gigantic ego, and without
it, the once charismatic duck was reduced to a simple coward.  One by one,
Plucky watched as the people he had spent his life with faded away, until
only he and the bunnies were left.  Then, Plucky began to fade.  By now,
Plucky welcomed oblivion, and it took him into the darkness, where he would
fear no more.

        And now it was down to just Buster and Babs, alone in the last refuge
the once beautiful Acme Acres.  Buster is brought out of his reverie by Babs
stirring.  Buster is grim and hopeless, but he is determined not to show it.
"I've got to be strong...for Babs..." he thought.  Babs looks bleak, all her
tears had been cried.  Her mother, her family, her friends, all of them were
gone.  She missed them dearly, but now she was just empty inside.

        A cold wind blows, and both of them stiffen.  A gray mist seeps in,
and the Looniversity begins to fade. "Buster--I'm scared,"  Babs whispered.
"Don't be, Babs.  Maybe there's a place on the other side of the void, where
we can be together again."  The Looniversity is gone.  In it's place, only
flat grayness.  The bunnies begin to fade.  Babs: "I'll always love you, 
Buster." Buster: "I know."  Buster holds her tight.  

        Buster and Babs slowly fade away into nothingness.  They hold each-
other close to the last.  

        Only grayness remains.

                                END