Epilogue

     After what seemed like an eternity; struggling through the oceans of test, reports,
studying, and research papers, the day was finally almost nearly there. It was the last
day of school before graduation and naturally, it was all the poor teachers at Acme
Looniversity could do to keep the student from literally taking off before the bell.
     "Okay class," Daffy yelled above the noise of the antsy students. "I need you all
to pay attention to me for just a minute here."
     Almost half the eyes in the room were on him then, which wasn't bad considering
the circumstances.
     "Now," Daffy began as he moved to the pull down screen covering the chalk
board. "I have one more assignment for you. The last thing you'll ever do in this
class. And the topic is..." He lifted the screen and repeated the bold words written on
the chalk board. "Where will I be in Ten Years?"
     The Tiny Toons looked at him like he was crazy for making them work on the
last day, but Daffy didn't seem to notice.
     "I want you all to write a letter to yourselves," he went on. "I want you to
include your future dreams and where you think you'll be within ten years time."
     "Aww, come on Professor Daffy," Plucky whined. "School's almost over, we--"
     "DO IT, YOU LITTLE UPSTART!!!!" Daffy angrily cut him off, but was quick
to compose himself again. "I hope you all will take this assignment seriously. You'll
be surprised how quickly your goals can change once you get into the real world."
     The black duck turned around and went back to his desk. "When you're done, put
your letters in these envelopes and stick your names on them. You can go when the
bell rings."
     For a while, the classroom was semi quiet as the students went about their
assignment with almost partial seriousness. Each jotted down what was on their
minds hastily so they could get it done and leave.
     The bell eventually rang and the excited toons dashed out of the classrooms and
away from the Looniversity without giving it so much as a backward glance.
     The next day was graduation. Everyone showed up faithfully bright and early for
practice. And later that day, the real event occurred. Each toon marched up one by
one to receive their diplomas. The Looniversity and everyone involved celebrated
their first graduates from the school. Soon, the Tiny Toons would be off to discover
their own lives according to their dreams.
     
     Time passed. Set on fast forward it sped through dates, people and places. Old
dreams were forgotten and surrendered as reality set in. Years sailed by like days and
lazy afternoons and idle weekends were a thing of the past. Ten years arrived and
letters were sent abroad to reclaim the wandering souls and invite them back to
where they had started.

Tiny Toon Adventures:
Where Will I Be In Ten Years?
Written by: Felicia Tabby (f_tabby@hotmail.com)

     Buster trudged into his second floor apartment and turned on the light. Juggling a
stack of papers in one hand and the mail in his mouth, he managed to shut the door
and lock it behind him with his free hand. The tall, blue rabbit staggered over to his
desk and plopped the whole mess down upon the large stack of papers already there,
startling the large, blue cat sleeping among them.
     "Sorry Furball," Buster apologized and scratched the cat's ears to calm him
down.
     Furball meowed and purred in response before settling back down among the
papers and going back to sleep.
     Buster sat down at his cluttered desk and turned on the reading lamp. He sighed
heavily before going about the task of sorting through the stacks of papers that lay
before him. First of all, he picked out everything that needed to be done the next
day. Next, he went though his mail and read out loud what each letter was in a bored
tone.
     "Bill....bill..Well look, I may have already won here.  Give us money...you owe us
money..."Buster paused when he saw the last envelope. His name was scrawled on it
in large, hasty letters. The handwriting seemed familiar somehow, but he couldn't
place it.
     Curious, he opened it and found a quick note sketched on a piece of torn
notebook paper. The letter was addressed to him and briefly described a young
rabbit's dreams and ambitions, told with enthusiasm and confidence. The letter ended
with a quick "From, Buster Bunny".
     Buster didn't say anything as he read the letter again, and then once more before
finally looking up. His eyes wandered slowly over his surroundings. Nothing he saw
was mentioned in the letter. Living alone in a small apartment in Acme Acres was
never his plan. But it was where he had ended up.
     A bit more probing into the envelope brought out another piece of paper. An
invitation announcing the tenth year reunion of the first graduating class of Acme
Loo. Buster blinked at the news. Had it really been ten years? It didn't seem all that
long ago when he and his friends had parted their own ways to find their place in the
world. And now they all would be returning back to Acme Acres. Buster found it
almost hard to believe he would be seeing them all again. Hearing of what their lives
have been like and what they were doing now. What about them had changed and what
precious little managed to stay the same?

     It was early the next morning as Buster walked down the city streets of Acme
Acres to a small, familiar shop he knew. It was located on the back street side of
town between two larger, more industrious type buildings. The sign on the window
of the little store said "closed" but Buster didn't seem to notice and pushed open the
door, stepping through the multicolored beaded curtain and inside.
     The one room shop was brightly decorated with colorful paints, posters, and
lights. Shelves with all sorts of trinkets, candies, and potions covered the left side of
the room while a glass case holding more expensive jewelry items ran long the right
wall. Behind the case, a thick bushel of blonde hair could be seen. Buster went right
up to it and peeked over the counter.
     "Hey Shirl," he greeted.
     The face of a white feathered, dark eyed loon popped up from behind the counter
at the sound of her name.
     "Like, hi Buster," she greeted.
     "Did you hear about the reunion thing?"
     "Yeah, I'm just barely getting to my mail now." She held up the envelope
containing the invitation and her old high school assignment. "Like, can you believe
this letter? Lookit my handwriting er some junk."
     Buster nodded a bit grimly. "So what do you think of those things? Did anything
you write about come true?"
     "Like, fer sure," Shirley confirmed as she put away the rest of her mail. "My
cosmic center must have been, like, totally in tune with the cosmos the day I made
those predictions."
     Buster looked at her as she disappeared behind the counter to retrieve a box.
"You mean you knew back then you'd end up with a charm shop in down town
Acme Acres?"
     "No Buster," Shirley corrected as she set the box on the counter top and started
stocking the glass cases. "I didn't predict anything that specific. What I wanted back
then was to end up doing something with my life that I totally enjoyed and where I
could, like, be myself. And I did."
     Buster gave Shirley a sidewards smile as she continued with her work. He and
Shirley had stayed close their entire adult lives and no matter how much the world
around them had changed, Shirley had refused to change with it. She was still the
way she was when they went to school, save her appearance.
     She was, of course, taller now; though she could never match up to Buster whose
height had even surpassed that of his age old mentor by a good inch or two. Shirley
had long since thrown off the bows and curls and let her hair grow long and wild
with a thick, blonde lock falling off handedly over her left eye. But the baggy, off
shoulder sweater she wore was still her favorite shad of pink and her trade mark
valley accent never wavered a bit.
     Buster had turned out much differently than she had. He wasn't the fun loving
prankster that had walked out of that school ten years ago. Reality had happened to
Buster, just as his teachers had promised. And that young rabbit was forced to grow
and mature as a result.
     But what about the others? Buster had a hard time keeping up with his old
friends since they left Acme Acres. They all had been traveling about, living their
own more exciting lives. What would they have to say when they found out what
"Mr. Popular" Buster Bunny had become?
     "Shirl? You going to that reunion thing tomorrow night?" he finally asked.
     "Like, fer sure. Aren't you?"
     Buster leaned his back against the glass case and stared darkly at the floor.
"Aww, I dunno. When you really think about it, it does sound kinda dumb."
     Shirley paused to give him a calculating look. "Buster Bunny, I can't believe you
would want to dis all yer old friends er some junk."
     Buster pretended not to hear her as he looked at his watch. "I should go or I'll be
late for work." He started for the door without so much as a backward glance.
     "Just what are you afraid of?" Shirley called after him.
     Buster paused in front of the door and looked back at her. "What will they think
of me when they find out the former star of Tiny Toon Adventures, the most popular
kid in school, the class president--voted most likely to succeed is a......a...." He
trailed off and pushed through the door, unable to finish.
     Shirley shook her head sadly as he left. "All that searching, Buster, and you still
haven't found yourself."

     But Buster did find himself continually worrying throughout his work day--or at
least as much as his busy job allowed. The letter, the invitation, the fear of rejection
all hovered in his thoughts. By the time his work day was over, Buster was in deep
spirits as he trudged back to his apartment.
     His gloved paws were shoved deep into the pockets of his blue and green jacket
he usually wore. He paused as he wandered past the old Weenie Burger restaurant
he and his friends used to eat. The place was still open and bustling with toons
young and old to that day. It had been age since Buster had eaten out, let alone in his
past favorite burger place.
     Though he wasn't hungry, Buster felt compelled to go inside. He slowly strolled
through the doors with uncertain steps and paused for a moment to gaze at the once
familiar room. The place had changed a bit since he was in there last. They had
gotten an new carpet when the restaurant expanded about three years back. The
tables were placed differently now and it even had a much different smell than Buster
was used to. But he went in further and slowly sat at a small table, taking in the
sights, sounds, and smells as if now trying to reclaim a part of his past he had long
since given up.
     "Buster?" a light voice asked, catching his attention. "Buster Bunny? Is that
you?"
     Buster turned around in his chair and blinked at the beautiful purple skunkette
who had addressed him. She was tall with long legs and a sensuous smile. Her lighter
purple hair was done up in a most fashionable and attractive style, parted to the left
and tapered daintily around her youthful face. The tight red shirt and short blue skirt
only accented the firm, curvy body beneath.
     "Fifi?" Buster asked as he slowly stood.
     The skunk femme nodded and smiled.
     Buster opened his mouth, but no words would come out. He had not planned on
facing up to one of his old friends so soon.
     "Fifi, wow. I....you...What are you doing here?"
     "I'm back for the reunion, of course," Fifi smiled brightly and hugged the tall,
blue rabbit. "It's so good to see you after all this time. I see you still go for the no
pants look," Fifi added as she let her eyes wander over him. "And you still manage to
make it look good. How do you do it?"
     Buster chuckled nervously as he offered her a seat. He wasn't used to females
looking at him that way.
     "I see you fixed up your accent a bit," Buster floundered for a more comfortable
subject. He had noticed that Fifi still held onto her trade mark French accent, but not
it wasn't as thick as it used to be and her English was elegantly spoken.
     "Ah yes," Fifi nodded. "I made myself improve my speech. I found with my
appearance and background, many of the people I had to work with had problems
taking me seriously until I started sounding more professional and educated."
     Buster smiled, feeling proud and happy for her of her efforts and achievements.
     Though he hadn't seen or talked to her in years, Buster was well aware of what
Fifi had been doing with her life. He'd seen pictures of her from time to time on
Entertoonment Tonight and in fashion magazines. Fifi had, at first, started out as a
model and ended up being quite successful. As her success grew she moved into
acting and there were even rumors of her directing her own movie sometime in the
future.
     "So, is there anything I can get you for old time's sake?"
     "Here?" Fifi asked with a laugh. "I'm sorry, but I must decline. My nutritionist
would kill me if he even found out I was here."
     Both had a good chuckle. Fifi rested her chin on the back of her paws and gazed
at the blue rabbit across from her. She couldn't deny there were differences about
him. His eyes seemed somehow darker now; very hesitant and wary. And he seemed
to furrow his brow with almost every thought that crossed his mind as if he had the
world to worry about. The female skunk could only wonder what caused him to
change so drastically from the friend she used to know.
     "So tell me Buster, what do you do now?"
     Buster cleared his throat as the uncomfortable, yet likely subject came up. "Well,
it isn't as glamorous as what you've been doing."
     Fifi smiled. "Perhaps not. But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it."
     "Well I....it's not really..." Buster fumbled.
     Fifi put a paw on his. "Buster, it really doesn't matter whether you have a big
name or make a lot of money. The important thing is that you're happy with what
you do."
     Buster lowered his gaze to stare at the table top.
     "Well?" Fifi prodded. "Are you?"
     Buster stared at her paw touching his for a long time before finally looking up at
her. 
     "Yeah," he said with a faint smile. "Yeah, I do."

     It was dark outside, almost closing time as Shirley worked to get everything put
in their places so she could lock up and head home. She could tell it was a Friday.
Since three o'clock the place had been filled with kids of every size and age. Not that
she minded. Being with the young toons was one of the reasons she enjoyed her job
so much.
     Shirley moved behind the counter to empty the cash register when she heard the
door chimes sound, signaling a late customer. She looked up, but was surprised to
find no one there. A second later her questions were answered as a single red rose
slowly drifted up from the other side of the counter, followed by a pair of long, blue
ears.
     "Be my date for tomorrow?" Buster asked with a sheepish grin as he stood to his
full height.
     Shirley smiled, signaling she forgave him as she took the offered flower. "Like,
you sure you want everyone to see you as one of the common people, er some
junk?"
     Buster suavely offered her his elbow as they made their way to the door. "Oh
come on Shirley, it doesn't matter what the others think. What matters is that I'm
happy and I enjoy what I do."
     Shirley laughed as she locked up and they continued on down the street together.
"Well Blue Boy, there may be some hope for you yet."

     The fateful night of the reunion finally came. The event had already been going
for a good twenty minutes when Buster and Shirley arrived at the Looniversity. Both
were dressed in their nicest clothes. Shirley, in a purple off shoulder dress and Buster
in a black suit. He had even bothered to wear the pants this time. They also arrived
on foot since they both lived fairly close to the school. Shirley never owned a car in
her life. She was firmly against the air pollution they created and walked whenever
she could. Buster's car was just such a piece of junk he didn't trust it enough to
get them there.
     The two friends paused in front of the Looniversity steps. The building was
decorated with balloons and bright banners welcoming back its first graduating class.
Buster reflexively fidgeted with his tie, a nervous habit he seemed to have picked up
along the way.
     "Buster," Shirley berated. "You're, like, totally sending out some mondo bad
vibes here. Calm down."
     "Sorry." Buster slowly removed his trembling fingers from his crooked tie.
     Shirley glanced at him and her look instantly turned from annoyance to pity. "Oh
Buster. Here, like, lemme help you." She reached up to straighten his tie and collar
to which Buster smiled awkwardly.
     "Now come on," Shirley said, taking his wrist. "You're totally going to have fun
tonight. Trust me."
     Buster shrugged, resisting only slightly as Shirley pulled him up the stairs. "We'll
see Shirl, we'll see."
     
     The duo stepped into the Looniversity's large and beautifully decorated gym to
find the place already filled with faces familiar and unfamiliar alike. But before
Buster and Shirley could even figure out what to do, a beautiful skunkette in a silky
red dress ran up to them.
     "Shirley! It's wonderful to see you again!" Fifi squealed happily as she hugged her
long lost friend.
     "Fifi!" Shirley cried as if she were back in school again.
     "Look at you! You look so good!" both said to each other at the same time.
     Buster smiled at this, remembering a similar scene at their Junior Prom. It seemed
like a whole lifetime ago.
     "Buster," Fifi said, interrupting his thoughts. "Mind if I borrow her? Shirley,
there's some people here you simply must meet!"
     "Fine by me. Go knock yourselves out."
     The two females grinned and took off like no time had been lost between them.
     Buster stood alone for a while after they left. He looked around at all the crowds
of toons he used to be friends with, only to feel like a stranger in their midst now.
Buster couldn't bring up the courage to approach any of them, so instead, he subtly
made his way to the refreshments table and picked up a cup of punch. He sipped the
rim quietly, hoping no one would notice him.
     "Buster!"
     Buster choked on his drink in surprise at the loud voice, making a spectacle of
gagging and spitting out his punch. Between the coughs and hacks, Buster looked at
the cause of his attack and spied a green duck in a nice suit.
     "Plucky!" Buster sputtered, grabbing his chest as he tried to breath clearly again.
"Sheesh! Give me a heart attack why don't ya!?"
     The green duck chuckled and looked up at the taller rabbit. "Getting a little high
strung in our old age?" Plucky teased.
     "Fuh-ney!" Buster replied sarcastically. He moved over to a table to sit and wipe
the remaining punch from his mouth with a napkin. 
     Plucky sat across from him with an amused expression on his face which still
looked quite young. Though Buster couldn't help but notice that there were certain
things that made him look older as well. His build, mostly. He wasn't very tall, but he
had considerably wider shoulders since graduation, most likely from working out,
and he had gained more weight as a result with his muscles filling in.
     "So what have you been up to duck?" Buster returned Plucky's grin with an
expectant glare.
     Plucky opened his mouth and took a long breath as if he were about to make a
lengthy speech.
     "Oh gee, what haven't I been up to?" He rubbed the back of his neck, his mind
wandering to the past years spent. "I've tried just about every profession out there. I
was an agent for a time. Got tired of that so I tried photography. Did some movie
work. Even tried accounting for a while. Now that was a mistake!"
     Buster chuckled. "Sounds like you've been busy."
     "Oh yeah," Plucky nodded. "I'm trying to get into directing now. But I just don't
know if I'm good enough for it."
     Buster raised an eye brow at the duck's unexpected confession.
     "You? Plucky Duck? Admitting you're not good at something?"
     Plucky shrugged weakly. "Well, it's a tough business. I may not have what it
takes."
     Buster sat up straight and stared at him in disbelief. Plucky looked up at him with
those same world wary eyes Buster had seen in the mirror several times before. The
conceited, boastful young toon that used to be Plucky no longer existed in the
mature, green duck sitting before him.
     "Plucky," Buster said with a quiet voice filled with awe. "What happened to
you?"
     Plucky smiled softly. A far off look formed in his eyes. "I met a girl," he said
simply.
     "A girl huh?" Buster smiled crookedly. "And what happened with you and this
girl?"
     "Well, I can tell you this Buster, I've never met anyone like her. There was just
something about this girl that made me want to be a better person. And I've changed
a lot since I've known her."
     "Did you marry this girl then?" Buster ventured.
     "No, she dumped me in Paris for some artist," Plucky grumbled. "So I came back
to the states and married a model instead."
     Buster chuckled.
     "But I learned my lesson!" Plucky quickly insisted. He paused to look into his
cup. "I'm a different duck now."
     A short pause occurred between them as each allowed their thoughts to wander
off.
     "I see you two found each other," Fifi observed as she and Shirley approached.
     Buster turned and smiled at them. But before he could say a word, Fifi walked
right up to Plucky and kissed him fully on the beak.
     "Hi Honey," she cooed sweetly as she sat down next to him.
     The blue rabbit's eyes nearly popped out of his head in surprise. He stared
dumbfoundedly at the couple, stumbling for the right words to say.
     "You mean....you two are...."
     "For a month now," Fifi grinned and showed off her new ring. "But don't tell
anyone. The press still has no clue."
     Buster's lower jaw remained hanging down farther than it should have been. He
glanced at Shirley who didn't look at all surprised at the news.
     "Did you know about this?"
     "Like, only a minute before you did," Shirley confided. "Quite a shocker."
     "What? Don't you think we look good together?" Fifi giggled as she cuddled up
to Plucky's shoulder.
     Buster and Shirley glanced at each other at the question.
     "Oh come on Shirley, you're not jealous, are you?" Plucky teased, sounding more
like his younger self than he had all night.
     In turn, Shirley gave him that old look she used to when he got that way. But this
time where was a hint of playfulness in her eyes.
     "Like, get crucial Plucky. Just sitting near you still sends negative energy to my
aura er some junk."
     Plucky chuckled. "It's nice to know some things are still the same."
     "Hello," a light, feminine voice said.
     Buster turned around and saw an unfamiliar woman standing behind him. She had
bright red hair hanging down to her shoulders. Her larger, dark eyes sparkled at him
and her lips were curved in a sweet smile.
     "Don't any of you recognize me?" she asked when the four of them gave her blank
looks.
     Buster squinted his eyes at the woman. He was almost sure he'd never met her
before. And yet, there was something about her that seemed so familiar. The woman
giggled and Buster's eyes widened as realization struck him.
     "Elmyra!" he gasped as he stumbled out of his chair. Buster gaped at the girl who
used to strike terror in his heart when ever she was near. Now before him stood a
young lady, tall and thin who was actually quite pretty now. "Elmyra, you've..grown,"
Buster fumbled, not being able to take his eyes off this most befuddling sight.
     "Buster! It's so nice to see you again!" Elmyra sang as she suddenly hugged him
tightly.
     "Same to you," Buster managed to choke out. He could hear his spine cracking
under Elmyra's embrace. "Still have that wonderful vice-like grip I see."
     Elmyra giggled again as she let him go. "Don't tell me you actually missed it."
     "Well, I--"
     "Are we ready to leave this dump yet?" said a lanky man in a large, expensive
trench coat as he approached. "Being in this place again gives me the creeps."
     "Well, if it isn't Mr. Sunshine himself." Plucky said to which Fifi giggled. "How's
it going Monty?"
     "Shut your beak duck! I wasn't talking to you!" Montana Max retorted.
     "Don't tell me that Elmyra finally managed to snag you Monty." Buster leaned
against the table with an amused smile.
     "Yeah, yeah," Max grumbled then grabbed Elmyra's arm. "Let's ditch these
loosers and get out of here."
     "Oh Monty, you're such a silly head," Elmyra laughed and waved to the group at
the table as Max pulled her away.
     The four animals waved back with false smiles pasted to their faces.
     "Like, mondo strange-ola." Shirley commented after they left.
     "I second that," Plucky nodded.
     "So has anyone seen Hamton around lately?" Buster asked as he resumed his seat
at the table. "I've been wondering what became of that guy."
     "I was able to talk with him earlier," Fifi replied. "He couldn't stay long. He got a
call that his wife was having her...fourth child, I think it was. So he left to fly back
east to be with her."
     "Four kids!?" Plucky exclaimed. "Hammy's sure asking for it, with that many rug
rats."
     "Like, what's he do now anyway?" Shirley asked.
     "He and Calamity both work for Acme developing products and such things," Fifi
answered. "They're making a pretty good living by it, too."
     "So what's Hamton like now?" Buster wondered. "Is he still the same old guy?"
     "Pretty much. A bit taller now but still as sweet and loving as I remember." Fifi
sighed. "I wish I had kept in touch with him over the years. You guys, too."
     The others nodded in agreement, wishing the same thing. They all had let their
lives drift apart from each other.
     "And just what do you do these days Buster?" Plucky asked expectantly.
     Buster tensed at the question. It was the thing he had been hoping to avoid all
night.
     "Well...I..uh..."
     "Plucky! We haven't even danced yet!" Fifi suddenly spoke up. She tugged at her
husband's arm. "Come on, I love this song. Please?"
     Plucky shrugged, surrendering his question and letting Fifi drag him off to the
dance floor where they stood in each other's arms and swayed to the music.
     "Now there's a scene that's going to, like, take some getting used to," Shirley
stated as she watched them.
     Buster nodded in agreement.
     "So Blue Boy, are you glad you showed up after all?"
     "Yeah," Buster replied with a smile. "You were right, I did have fun."
     But despite what he had said, disappointment hung heavily on his heart. There
was still one special reason he wanted to come here. An old friend he had been
aching to see for so long. But she hadn't come. Or had she?
     Buster stood up so fast he almost knocked over his chair when he caught a
glimpse of something pink exiting the room. With eyes riveted to the spot, he
quickly followed out the same way, throwing a hasty "Be back later Shirl." over his
shoulder.
     Buster reached the gymnasium doors and gazed down the two hallways. His
spirits sunk and his ears drooped when he found it empty. But the faint sound of a
door closing lifted them again. Buster started down the hall at a quickened pace. His
feet moved faster and faster as he neared the front doors of the Looniversity.
     He was practically running by the time he burst into the cool night air. He was
breathing hard in anticipation as he looked frantically about into the darkness. There
weren't many lights past the Looniversity which made it hard to find what he was
looking for in the darkness. He traveled down the steps of the school, searching
every dark pathway and corner. He reached the edge of the school grounds and
looked out at the streets. Down the sidewalk about thirty feet was a figure sitting in
a bench under a street lamp.
     Buster moved cautiously now as he approached the female rabbit sitting there.
From what he could see, she was taller and a bit thinner than she was last they met.
Her trade mark ear bows were now gone and her long, pink ears were draped off to
the side of her face.
     "Babs?" Buster asked with a small, hesitant voice.
     Babs instantly turned around at the sound of her name and the two looked on
each other for the first time in years.
     "Buster," Babs replied quietly. "It-it's been a long time." She turned away and
looked at her lap.
     "It has," Buster replied ruefully. "May I sit?"
     Babs motioned half heartedly that he could, but wouldn't look at him as he sat
down next to her.
     "So um...what have you been up to Babs? I heard you were doing great on
Broadway a few years ago and then...nothing."
     "I don't do that anymore," Babs replied, still looking at her hands.
     "Why?" Buster wanted to know. "You were so good at it. How could you just
give it up?"
     Babs looked down for a moment longer before raising her head to gaze at him
sadly. "I realized it wasn't what I really wanted." She moved her gaze to stare out
across the darkened street. "I own a comedy club and cafe up in New York now. It's
not the fabulous acting career I had dreamed of, but I'm so much more happier now.
I get to know people better and work closer with them."
     Buster nodded and took his turn to stare at his lap.
     "Buster?" Babs spoke up. "Do you ever regret us breaking up and going our
separate ways when we did?"
     "Sometimes," Buster admitted. "I am content with how my life ended up. But
there are times I do miss having you around Babs."
     Babs smiled faintly at this. "I saw you and Shirley come in together. Are you....?"
     "We're just friends, if that's what you're thinking. I haven't been able to, you
know, find that special person yet."
     "Same here," Babs agreed. "Been through more relationships than I care to
admit. None of them ever worked out. Besides, after seeing Plucky and Fifi together,
I don't think I could handle another odd couple like that tonight."
     Buster chuckled in agreement. "Hey, but if they're happy, who are we to judge?"
     An uneasy silence followed after. Both rabbits wrestled with their thoughts. Each
wanted to say so much to the other but had no idea where to begin. Buster went
back to staring at his lap as his thoughts consumed him. Babs spent her time
watching him out of the corner of her eye, taking notice of how much older he
looked.
     "Tell me Buster, what is it you do now days?" she spoke. "Where is it you
work?"
     Buster blanched on the inside. He knew this was coming. He couldn't stall the
situation  anymore. Babs would definitely make sure she got an answer. No use
putting off the inevitable.
     "Back where you were," he said simply. "That's where I work."
     Babs looked behind her at the building she came out of. "The Looniversity? You
mean you're a.....a..."
     "Teacher," Buster finished. "I've been working here for a few years now."
     Babs turned back around to look him in the face. "Buster, you can't be serious."
     "What do you mean?" Buster asked. "I enjoy teaching. There's nothing wrong
with that."
     "But you had so much potential. You could have done anything you wanted.
Doesn't it bother you that you're still right where you began?"
     "You don't understand," Buster argued. "This is what I want to do. You should
see the kids I teach, they--"
     "Buster, look around you. You've gone nowhere. Why didn't you do anything
with your life?"
     "Babs, I--"
     "I don't want to hear it Buster," Babs stated as she stood. "I can't believe you
could just throw away your future like that. All my faith in you is gone. You've let
me down."
     Buster could feel the heat rising to his face as he stood also. "What are you
saying Babs? Do you mean that just because I'm not some wealthy business man or a
movie star that I'm a failure? I can't believe how shallow you've become!"
     "Shallow!" Babs fumed. "Just because I have the sense to get out of this stupid
town and make something of myself. You're just jealous because you're the only one
who doesn't have a life!"
     Buster glared coldly at her accusations. There were so many things he could say
to her. So many insults flew passed his mind, daring him to speak them out loud. But
all he did was turn his back and start towards the school.
     "This was a bad idea," he said.
     "Yeah, it was!" Babs replied heatedly. "I'm out of here!"
     "See you next reunion," Buster growled back, though his heart was wrenching
with sadness.
     "Don't count on it!" Babs yelled before getting into her car and speeding away.
     Buster watched the car's headlights angrily. But after the vehicle had disappeared,
hurt and disappointment showed clearly on his face. The blue rabbit continued up the
walkway back to the Looniversity with ears drooped. He paused in front of the large
stairway and gazed up at the big, bright building which had played such a large part
in his life. So many memories were made here. So many great and wonderful things
that could never be brought back. At that point, Buster would have done anything to
be able to relive those good, fun-loving times of his youth again.
     The sounds of approaching feet brought Buster out of his lamentations. He didn't
need to look back, he knew who it was.
     "Bugs, am I really a failure? Should I have done more with my life than this?"
     Bugs shook his head. "Come on Buster, it don't matter what those others say.
Who cares what they think anyway?"
     Buster just shook his head and sighed ruefully. Bugs put a gloved paw on his
shoulder.
     "For what it's worth, I'm proud of ya. You've done good kid. I'm proud to have
been able to teach you and now days, I don't know of anyone else I'd rather work
with."
     Buster's mouth curved into a small smile. "Thanks teach," he said, referring to
him by a name he hadn't used in years.
     Bugs smiled. "Now let's go back in and finish that party."
     Buster nodded and followed his lifetime mentor inside.
     
     Babs could still feel the anger boiling inside her as she reached her hotel room.
She sat down on the small bed and stared moodily at the dark TV across from her.
Words could not describe how disappointed she felt over her meeting with Buster.
There had been a small hope hovering inside her that they might get back together.
But not any more.
     Babs opened her suitcase which was laying on the bed beside her and pulled out a
folded piece of lined paper. She slowly unfolded it and looked over the words
written there. It was a letter written to herself by a younger Babs ten years previous.
On the top of the paper was the title of their last assignment in Acme Looniversity.
The single paragraph answer composed of only one sentence read "In ten years I will
be married to Buster Bunny."
     Babs stared at the paper for a long time, reading that single sentence over and
over. Then suddenly, she became furious at it and, with a growl of frustration and
anger, crumpled it up and slammed it in the trash. The pink rabbit seethed over the
wadded paper in the waist basket before falling to her bed and bursting into
uncontrollable sobs. She never thought life would be so cruel--or so lonely.

     The weekend passed as uneventful. Monday came and Buster fell back into the
swing of his old routine, putting the events of his reunion behind him. Back in the
classroom once again, he could turn his thoughts and attention back to his job and
his students.
     "And back in the early 1900's, the first cartoons were introduced to an audience.
The drawings were flipped in front of a camera and then shown on a screen. Back
then, the cartoons didn't have any sound or color," Buster explained to his students
as he walked back and forth in front of the class. 
     "No color or sound at all?" a girl in the second row asked incredulously. "How
could they stand to watch it?"
     "Those were the only ting they had to watch in those days. People thought that it
was amazing. They had never seen a drawing actually move before."
     Buster moved over to the front of his desk and sat on the edge of it. In the back
room, one of the kids, a young rooster, raised his hand.
     "No Franklin, no matter how loud they yelled, we still wouldn't be able to hear
them," Buster replied before the anticipated question could be asked.
     The hand instantly lowered and the class chuckled as a result.
     Down the empty halls of the Looniversity walked a figure with slow, hesitant
steps. The visitor approached the closed classroom door reading "Cartoon Basics"
and stared at the doorknob for the longest time.
     "Babs?" Bugs asked as he walked up the hall toward her.
     Babs jumped and spun around at the sound of her name as if her hand had just
been caught in the cookie jar.
     "What are you doing here?" Bugs asked again.
     Babs fumbled for an answer. "I--I just....is this Buster's class?"
     Bugs smiled and nodded. "Yup. The best teacher I've had the privilege to work
with." Bugs looked through the door's small window at the blue rabbit inside. "I
don't think anyone tries harder than he does here. He's always thinking up new ways
to teach and to keep things interesting. All the kids love him. In fact, I'm having
problems with some kids who flunk the class just so they can have him again."
     Babs smiled faintly at this. That sounded like Buster, always having to be the
popular one.  She slowly edged her way over to the door and peeked ever so
cautiously through the small window. 
     "You can go in if you want," Bugs told her.
     Babs held her breath as Bugs reached for the doorknob. Was she really doing the
right thing by coming here? She shot her paw out and caught Bug's wrist. The older
grey rabbit looked at her questioningly.
     "No," Babs said flatly.
     Bugs pulled away, almost unable to hide the disappointment in his face. But his
face faith was renewed when Babs reached for the doorknob herself.
     "I need to do this on my own," she said.
     Bugs smiled and stepped aside as Babs turned the nob and slowly eased the door
open. Buster was in the middle of his lecture as she walked in. She stood at the back
of the room and waited patiently.
     Buster stopped in the middle of his speech when the student already identified as
Franklin raised his hand again.
     "Oh, I can hardly wait to hear this," Buster said with an amused smile. "Let's
have it."
     Instead of whipping out some smart remark, Franklin pointed behind his teacher.
"Hey, isn't she that chick you used to work with?"
     Buster, wondering to what the young toon was referring, looked behind him. He
balked at the unexpected pink rabbit who met his gaze.
     "Babs! What are you doing here?" he asked.
     He took her arm and moved her to the corner so the students couldn't hear their
conversation.
     "I just wanted to apologize for last night," Babs replied softly. "I really shouldn't
have said those things. I was hoping we could maybe get together later and talk?"
     A happy smile spread on Buster's face as relief filled him.
     "I'd like that," he softly replied.
     Babs grinned. Then her attention was turned down when she felt a tug on her
skirt. At her feet was a tiny grey kitten with a pink dress and bow in her hair.
     "We've been watching your show in class," the kitten informed her. "You're the
greatest."
     Babs looked at the kitten in surprise, then up at Buster. "Been showing them old
Tiny Toons reruns, have you?"
     Buster shrugged. "Hey, it's a great teaching element. Besides, I think the kids like
to watch them. Little Carolina here just adores you."
     "Hey Babs, do a spin change for us!" Franklin Rooster yelled out. The rest of the
class heartily voiced their opinions in agreement.
     "Is it just me or does that toon look awfully familiar?" Babs whispered to Buster.
     "That's Franklin, Foulmouth's little brother," Buster replied.
     "And here I thought class would be boring," Babs said with a smirk. She turned
to Carolina Kitten and picked the small toon up and set her on top of the nearest
desk. "Get ready kids, here it comes."
     The class cheered in anticipation of seeing a live spin change by one of the best
toons in the business. Babs took a moment to bask in the glow of her captive
audience before suddenly grabbing Buster's hand and forcing him to do a spin
change with her. Buster gave a surprised yelp before he was pulled into the spinning
pink whirlwind Babs had created. The class laughed at their teacher's surprised
expression and then stared in awe as their spin came to a stop.
     Buster and Babs emerged dressed as the famous duo Sonny and Cher, completely
decked out with old 70s clothes and wigs. Multiple disco lights flashed around the
room as music started out of nowhere. And at that instant, to Buster and Babs, it
seemed like old times again. They felt whole and completed, like nothing had ever
changed as they sang a few bars of "I got you, Babe" together.
     When they were done, each spun back into their own clothes and the class broke
into cheers and whistles and applause.
     "Now how about doing a song that isn't for old fogies?" Franklin shouted. "That
stuff is dead! I wanna hear something from the Retro Rats!"
     "Hey, do you know anything from Overkill?" another student asked.
     The rest of the class broke into requests of their favorite teen bands, most of
which the bunnies had never heard of.
     "Kids these days," Babs said with a wry smile. "They never change."
     Buster grinned. "They will someday Babs, they will someday."