TTA: THE QUEST A Quest-Like Story by Nick Distler ***Okay, you can start reading now...*** It was that same nice and sunny day that all Tiny Toon stories start with, but it was quite different. I surveyed the area, but found nothing. The area had been totally wiped out be a force that had done the unthinkable. What I would happened in the next few hours will probably be one of the most shocking revalations that any one has ever told. I came across good ol' Acme Loo, the center of everything for a toonster like me. I walked into the empty corridors looking for a justifiable reason it had to happen to us. I came across old Fudd's class. I entered, sat down, thought about the past. ***** "Hey, Buster! What's up?" "Oh, hi Babs! Nothing much but the ceiling. How 'bout you?" "Well, I'm fine. Enough of this small talk, you've GOT to come with me." I was dragged to the chemistry lab where Babs pulled out some orange stuff, mixed it with the blue stuff, and applied heat. "You're gonna love this!" Loved it I did! When the actions had finally reacted to each other, the most beautiful display of colors I had ever seen flashed before my eyes. The fumes gave me a sensational feeling that could never be matched. "Babs! What have you done?!" "Oh, it's nothing. It gives off a hallucinogenic effect on the first use, but the real show starts soon." One that I would never forget. ***** I got up out of my old desk and continued on to the film library. Not that I could watch anything. All the films had been destroyed because of the "Accident." I looked around anyway, figuring that maybe at least one film survived. One did. ***** "That's not it! My God, that was the most spectacular display I've ever seen! What else does it do?" "Watch this!" The beaker started to shake violently, until it finally bursted open. "What's going on Babs?" "I'm taking a role, Buster. I'm playing God." ***** The title of the film was unfamiliar. It sounded like an early Bugs film, possibly Daffy. I decided I would watch it. ***** As Babs said this, the blob started to take form. It was round, small, but it moved. It had no eyes, no mouth, nothing, yet it was living. "You can't do this Babs! It's impossible!" Babs picked up the creature and petted it. It purred. "Says who? I did it, didn't I? It's happening right now, and you can't stop it. It's a living creature." "But there's serious consequences from this! I'm sure of it!" "We only learn through experience, right Buster? Well, this has never been done, so I'm gaining experience." In the next few weeks, Babs took care of her creation as if it were her own baby. She even named it. Henry. I've always dispised that name, and this caused me to hate it even more. Bab's grades started to fall quite sharply. I, only when deciding it was safe enough, decided to confront her. "What's happened Babs?" She was out of her trademarked outfit, and was in all black. "Why, nothing has changed, Buster. I've only changed my focus a bit." This was said in such a fashion, I couldn't bear it. "Babs, where is Henry?" ***** I stuck the film in the projector, started it running, and took my seat. The screen lighted up and some of the worst animation you've ever seen was displayed. I tolerated it until I saw him in the film. Henry was in the film. ***** "He's at my house, Buster. You... you wouldn't do anything to hurt him, would you?" I didn't answer this. I quickly walked out of the school. Babs was following me. "BUSTER! STOP! please..." I walked the distance to her house, jumped in the hole, and came to her room. Inside, I saw Henry, at least three times the original size. I picked up one of Babs' books, ready to smash the little slug. "No, Buster, please..." "I have to, Babs. It's for your own good..." I took the book, and when it came down, what I expected was a squash, but instead, a mighty explosion occurred. When I awoke, today, a week after the occurrence, I found everything was missing. ***** I went and look at the date of the cartoon. It seems it had been released just five days ago, which meant that Henry, and maybe even Babs and all my other friends, were alive! ***** Another twenty four hours had passed and a new, lonely day was beginning. Last night I had moved from the Looniversity on to my former house, bringing along the only film I had found in the library (that had amazingly been put there after the big incident...). I got up, went to my fridge, and I opened the door. The familiar light popped on, but then... "Hey, turn the lights off!" I slammed the refrigerator door. Stunned a couple of seconds I decided to open the door again. "Hey! I told you to turn the light OFF!" I suddenly recognized the voice. "Plucky? Is that you?" "Yes, and if you don't turn of that light I'm gonna' come right out and get you! I'll give you three seconds. 3... 2... 1... Awright!" When expecting a normal, regulation size Plucky to come out of my fridge, the only Pluck that came was about three inches tall. "You asked for it!" I stared down at him in amazement as he drew back for his swing and swung. It went right through me. "Note to myself: Holographic projections cannot punch some one..." "Holographic projection? You mean you're not really here?" "Buster, why else would I be three inches tall? Try and think a little, okay?" "Well, it coulda' been an after effect from the explosion..." "What do you mean 'explosion'? Calamity and I have been stuck in his secret lab for over a week, trying to get in contact with someone with Calamity's imaging chamber. So far, you're the only one we've reached..." At this point, I decided filling him in would be a good idea, and I did so. "So?" he replied, "When are you going to come and help us?" "When you tell me where the secret lab is." "I can't." "Why not?" "It's a secret." "Don't you want to be saved?" "Yes." "And you're in Calamity's secret lab?" "Yes, but I can't tell you where it is." "BUT YOU WANT TO BE SAVED, DON'T YOU?" "Yes, sheesh. You don't hafta' yell... I can't tell you because I don't know where it is!" "Well, ask Calamity where it is!" "I can't." "Why not?!?" "I can't tell you... it's a secret..." "JUST TELL ME!!!!" "Okay, okay! He's asleep!" "Why didn't you just tell me in the first place?" "Because all going ons within the compound are secret..." "Wake him up, Plucky..." "But that would be rude..." "JUST DO IT!!!" "WAK! OKAY, OKAY!" The little green hologram disappeared, and reappeared within the next few minutes. He disclosed the directions to the compound. The holographic Plucky floated along with me as I made my way towards the destination. "It was about a week ago when Calamity and I went down into his lab so I could use my stunning genius to create a machine that would sleep for me so I could stay up all night and party. As we got close to finishing my project, a great rumble came across the land, destroying my work and blocking the entrance. We assumed it was an earthquake and we've been living off Calamity's stockpile of beef jerky that he was using to be used as a pollution free substitute to gas. Using the imaging chamber to try and contact someone, we came across you, but you were unconscious. We waited until you woke up, and here you are!" Plucky looked around, "Awright, take a left at that tree and then just follow the signs that say 'This way to secret lab' for the remainder..." I came up to a small shack that said, "Go away, this is not Calamity's secret lab. Those signs were wrong. Go home." Nonetheless, I entered, and I found a door barricaded with rocks that were moved with a bit of labor on my part. I opened the door and to my surprise, no one was in there. "Oh great, Buster... We're not here..." ***** I was still inside compound and the two who were supposed to be here were not. "Plucky, is there something your not telling me?" "Buster, I've told you everything." "Are you SURE this is Calamity's lab?" "Absolutely! Look over to your left. See that large piece of machinery? That is where all the beef jerky that he was using in his experiments." I walked over to the machine and opened it up, and sure enough, it was filled with beef jerky. Inside was also found a note, which read as follows: Dear Whoever Finds This, After the great quake, my companion and I took shelter within my lab, living off my stockpile of beef jerky, trying to get in contact with anyone using my holographic projector. We have had no luck so far, and due to consequences unforeseen by myself, we will have to discontinue our search. If we are not here when you find this, we have gone off to find a better shelter where he can't find us, most likely somewhere near Wacky Land. Please take all the beef jerky you'd like because, we're quite sick of it... Beyond this, the paper had been ripped to shreds. "I wonder what could have made the writer leave like that?" "Um, Buster, I think I know the answer to that... You might want to turn around..." I turned around and I saw a horrible creature, who said to me "RROOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!" "Uh, good day to you, too..." I said as I slowly backed up. "RROOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!" "Well, nice meeting you, but I must be going now..." Before I could zoom out of there, the monster picked me up. "HELP ME, PLUCKY!!!" "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? I'M A HOLOGRAM!" "HE DOESN'T KNOW THAT!" "Well, okay... HEY MONSTER! Come over here! Look what I've got!" Plucky was standing directly in front of beef jerky and the monster gave him immediate attention. "ROAR?" "Yes, made out of pure rabbit. Now, why would you want raw, slimy rabbit, when you could have cooked, dry rabbit jerky?" The monster put me down and walked over near the jerky. "And we'll even outfit you with a drink. Buster, get the man a drink out of the fridge... and please THROW it to me..." "But Plucky..." "No BUTS..." I opened the fridge and pulled out a Coke and I hurled it toward Plucky. Because Plucky was a hologram, the Coke went right through him and hit the monster right between the eyes, putting him out cold. "Awright, Buster, start packing up, we're going to Wacky Land!" ***** We made our way out of the Lab and toward Wacky Land, taking a handful of devices with us. When we got to the connecting bridge between Acme Acres and Wacky Land, we found that it had been destroyed. "Aw, great! Now how're we supposed to get across?" Plucky asked. "Why couldn't I just have been a Disney character? Nothing like this ever happens to those guys..." "Ohm..." said a voice out of the sky. "Watt?" I said. "Enough with the electricity jokes already! What the heck was that?" "It was, like, me or some jazz." "SHIRLEY!?!" "Like, yeah. Like, my real self isn't here, but like my Karma is." A somewhat clear Shirley slowly came upon us. She wasn't exactly a ghost, but she definitely wasn't opaque. "You can, like touch me and stuff cause you're so close to the real me or something." "So you can, like... er, so you can fly, right?" "Yeah! You need a flight or something?" "YOU BET!!!" "Gee, you don't hafta' yell! Buster, grab on to my leg and I'll take you across." "How come you never let me grab your lag?" Plucky said, "Oh, to be solid." Shirley raised her fist to Plucky. "Yeah, I wish you were solid, too..." We flew across and into the pit to Wacky Land where we were greeted by a man banging the side of his head on the keys of a piano. "What in the world are you doing?" "Why, I'm playing the piano by ear! [Groan] Welcome to Wacky Land! The only place in this dimension where you can time travel, travel to other dimensions, or buy a google-scoop ice cream cone!" "Ya' know what that sounds like to me, Plucky?" "Yeah, a lot of ice cream..." I stared at him viciously. "Well, it is a lot..." "It's a way to change things back to the way they were. We're gonna' travel through time!" ***** We made our way to the center of Wacky Land, a giant ice cream parlor. Plucky was pleased. "Okay, I'll take the google scoop with chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, grape, pumpkin pie... ooh! Do you have 'Triple Chocolate Swirl Deluxe'?" "Plucky! Will you shut up? Not like you could eat it even if you did name off a google flavors of ice creams! You're a hologram." "Details, details..." I walked up to the soda jerk. "How do we travel in time?" "Okay, you follow the row of chocolates until you get to the banana. You'll take a right and, boom, your at the time machine!" I thanked him and the three of us followed his directions. ***** We came to the time machine and there were several buttons, one for time travel, one for dimensional travel, and one for regular land travel. "So, like, where are you going first, Buster?" "Well, if I can, getting a solid version of the two of you would be nice. You guys have any idea what dimensions your in?" "Who cares? This is a cartoon. You're likely to find us on the first or second tries anyway..." I fiddled around with a few buttons and, boom, I was in the lab again. Plucky was right next to me. "See? What'd I tell you?" "Hop on in!" I said, "And get Calamity. We'll need him, too!" I pressed a few more buttons and we were off again. This time, we landed somewhere in Wacky Land, along side Shirley. She climbed in and we put together plan for the past. "We've got to stop Babs from making Henry. I wonder if we could find out what he's made of if Calamity were to watch the film I found..." "Um, Buster, I don't think that that will be all that necessary..." "Oh, and why is that, Plucky?" He pointed towards Shirley. I turned and didn't see Shirley, but, too my surprise, Henry, only a bit bigger. Oh, what the heck, a LOT bigger. Instead of the slug type thing I had known before, Henry was about the size of a recliner or two. Of course, we didn't stay much longer than to notice anything more than that... ***** "What the heck was that!?!" Plucky said. "Like I would know... Calamity, what was that?" He got out a sign: It looks to be a combo of hahalium (symbol: Ha) and Pbbbppttium (symbol: Pt), two man made elements that are made in only one location." "Where?" "Acme Loo Labs..." ***** We all went back to the time machine and got ready to go back to and stop the invention of these two elements so Babs could never create Henry. I pressed a few buttons and, when I expected to land in a lab setting, we landed in a valley. I looked, and right behind us was Henry. Of course, we said the first thing that came to our minds: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!" "Why do you scream so?" Henry replied. "Y-You can talk?" "But of course! And if it weren't for you, I don't think I would have ever gotten to the advance state I'm in. Why, I can do just about anything I want to..." "Where's Babs?" "Babs? That obnoxious pink bunny? Why, she's dead! But don't be too upset. I could manufacture a replacement for you if you'd like." "I don't want a replacement, I want the real Babs..." "Well, I could bring her back from the dead if you don't mind a few worms crawling through her skull..." "Why did you kill her..." "Well, I didn't specifically WANT to. You see, I get my powers from draining the brainwaves of others. I slowly grew while I was with Babs. But when you 'smashed' me, it sent a surge of brainwaves to me and I grew to this size. The three of you were saved because of you locations. You being so near ironically saved you, and the underground labs couldn't be penetrated, saving the other two. Now, while I have your attention, I'd like to answer a few questions you may have. First, I am NOT a chemical compound. I am a creature from another plane of existence. Babs simply opened a portal that I crawled through. The reason I appear to be made of the chemicals is that the portal left an imprint on my body. And there is NO way to get rid of me. I've back tracked and found out there is no way to get rid of me. Babs creates the portal anyway you look at it. Now, do what ever you like. I tire of you." He snapped his slimy flesh and we were back where we started. Plucky spoke up. "There is one way to get rid of him." "How?" I enthusiastically asked. "Kill Babs..." ***** "NO!" "Buster, there's no other way. He said that if we tried anything he would still ultimatly get through because of Babs. If we get rid of her, a portal will never come in to existence!" "But Babs will be dead..." Calamity inserted a sign: "There's a slight chance that if we off her at the right moment, things will go back to a normal time stream." "And what would that moment be?" "We won't ever be 100% sure..." ***** I reluctantly stepped into the machine, pressed a few buttons, and we were off once again. We landed to where it all started, Acme Loo. "Now, Buster, Calamity and I are going to take care of the current you for the moment. You should go watch Babs at every moment. Take something sharp just in case you get the urge..." "shut up, plucky..." I left the two and found Babs in the lab. I watched from behind the door. "Hmmm... I wonder what happens when I mix this blue stuff and the orange? We'll just have to find out, won't we?" The hallucinogenic took effect on her and she stumbled towards the door. "C'mon in Buster!" She had seen me? "Um... okay." I stepped in and right behind the other Buster ran in with Plucky and Calamity chasing him. "Sorry, Buster, but we couldn't catch you! You wouldn't believe all the troubles we wen..." The two didn't finish their sentence as the hallucinogenic effect started in their systems. Babs squinted and looked at the two Busters. I was stable the other was effected like the others. "Wow! There's two Busters! COOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL..." The quartet finally came out of it. "What in the world is going on here???" Babs asked. Calamity pulled out a sign that said "Well..." and promptly knocked Babs out. "HEY!!!" Said the two me's. The former Buster continued. "What are you doing??? Why are there two of me? Who is that???" he said pointing at me. Plucky offered an answer. "That, my good friend, is you. A future you! He's come back to stop the end of all toon-kind, and you'd better believe that what Calamity just did is for the better." "How in the world could knocking out Babs help toon- kind?" "Actually, Buster, we're gonna' kill her..." ***** While the other Buster went into a rage, and Plucky and Calamity tried to calm him, I investigated the small blob that had been created. It wasn't as big as the one I had seen earlier. I looked in the corner and I saw a vanishing portal. I picked up the slime creature and threw it back through. Before it went through, I could here it yell a complete "NO!!!!!" This surprised me a bit. But then it hit me. If the creatures live off brain waves, and also takes knowledge from the brain waves. One of the first things learned would have to be language. And why didn't the creature suck the brain waves from me instead of Babs? I figured that the creature couldn't attach when hallucinated. The first creature Babs had made must had died quickly. When she invited me in, the second creature attached to her. I knew at that moment how to kill Babs. ***** Babs woke up and groaned. She walked over to Calamity and shoved him. "What'd you hit me for?" She asked. "Now I'm gonna' have to start all over. The three of us from the future started chanting (and holding up signs) "No!" "And why not? It's my expirament. I'll do what I want..." She mixed the chemicals just before as Plucky and Calamity ran screaming out of the room with Buster following them, ready to kill them." "What's up with them?" The blob formed. "Cooolll... Look at this Buster!" I walked over and looked at it. She picked it up. "Babs, throw that thing through that portal." I pointed at the barely visable portal. "No... It's so... cute..." "Well, I'll just have to get rid of it for you..." I grabbed it from her and threw it through the portal. Babs ran after it and jumped through. She died on entry. Plucky reentered the room. "Where's Babs?" "I killed her..." "Then it's over?" "Not quite. The blob will regenerate itself through me. I was present at the creation. The only way to save toondom is if I jump through. Wish me luck!" I jumped through. ***** I saw a bright, white light as I went through. ***** The next thing I remembered I was back in at Acme Loo and Babs was approaching me. "Hey, Buster! What's up?" A force made me say what I had said before. "Oh, hi Babs! Nothing much but the ceiling. How 'bout you?" "Well, I'm fine. Enough of this small talk, you've GOT to come with me." I was dragged to the chemistry lab where Babs pulled out some orange stuff, mixed it with the blue stuff, and applied heat. "You're gonna love this!" It looked like we were gonna start all over again... but then she stuffed the liquid down my throat. "It's a combonation of orange and blueberry soda, heated! Tastes great, doesn't it!? I wonder what I should call it..." "Whatever you do, don't call it 'Henry'..." THE END ***** ***The Stuff You Don't Really Have To Read*** Okay, I know it took a while, but my first solo TTA story is now complete. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you didn't, well, tell me. I'd like to know why you think this is a piece of crap. Yeah, I could take you any day! C'mon, c'mon! Coming up next from the demented brain of Nick, is a TTA story about the end of the series (at least my view of it). Only the first act (of at least 5) is finished, so it may be a while. Closer in the future is a Darkwing Duck story about a heat wave that's struck St. Canard and how Megavolt connects with it. Farther down the road is an Animaniacs story, "Animani-X", where Mulder and Scully investigate to find out just what those pesky Warners are. Look for 'em! I'd like to thank everyone who commented (both of them!) on the original parts and everyone who didn't. Apparently they liked it SO much that they didn't need to give me help... This presentation has been 10 pages. How in the world do you people right so much??? Well, that's all I can think of right now. Uh... Yeah... Buh-Bye... -Nick Suggestions, comments, and general nonsense: Nick2cool@aol.com