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Post by Eternity on Oct 19, 2007 21:17:23 GMT -5
The Greatest Joy on Earth
Disclaimer: The only characters I own are Madison, her parents, her brother, and the villain(s) featured in this story. The Toons and all other related characters belong to their respective studios.
Prologue:
Los Angeles, California, 1947
Eddie Valiant smiled as he read the morning paper.
The headline read: VALIANT SOLVES ACME MURDER!
It was only one of several other papers chronicling the detective's first Toon case in many years. Other headlines read:
ROGER RABBIT EXONERATED!
MAROON TOON STAR CLEARED!
ACME WILL FOUND!
Roger Rabbit was the star of Maroon Cartoon Studios. It had only been three days since he had been falsely accused of murdering Marvin Acme, owner of the Acme Gag factory. Acme had been discovered playing "patty-cake" with Roger's ultra-hot wife, Jessica. When Acme was found dead the next day, it was assumed that Roger had killed him in a jealous rage.
The real killer had of course been Judge Doom, an evil judge. He killed Marvin Acme, framed Roger, and then planned to have Roger sentenced to death by dip. Dip was an acid-like liquid consisting of benzene, turpentine, and acetone. In other words, paint-thinner. Dip was the only known way to kill a Toon. Once Roger was dealt with, Doom planned to destroy Toon Town using a giant dip machine. Toon Town was where the Toons lived, also owned by Acme. In its place, Doom planned to build a freeway.
Eddie had foiled Doom's evil plan, and Doom turned out to be a Toon himself! Doom fell victim to his own dip and Toon Town was saved. Upon the discovery of Acme's will, the Toons inherited Toon Town. The charges against Roger had been dropped and he was restored to stardom. Eddie, meanwhile, was back in business as a Toon detective. He was busy with cases, but he always found time for the woman he loved, Delores.
In less than a year Eddie and Delores were married. Over the next several years they would have four children. In time, Eddie and Delores became grandparents.
Sadly, Delores passed away in 1999. Eddie was grief-stricken, but he knew he had to move on.
He hoped that at least one of his grandchildren would follow in his footsteps in working with Toons. And one of them would...
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Post by netske on Oct 20, 2007 3:26:47 GMT -5
Nice start. BTW Its sad that Dolores passed away so early.
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Post by Eternity on Oct 20, 2007 6:01:42 GMT -5
Chapter 1: In Grandpa's Footsteps
Los Angeles, California, 2002
Eddie was sitting at the breakfast table with his youngest son, Nick, who was reading the morning paper.
Nick felt someone tap his shoulder. "Morning honey," he said cheerfully, "Did you have a nice-"
He put down the paper and turned his head, expecting to see his wife. Instead, he saw a giant, green eye staring right back at him!
"Oh!" Nick cried, slightly startled. After a moment, though, he realized what it was. It was his five-year-old daughter, Madison. She was holding a magnifying glass up to her eye.
Madison, or Maddy, as everyone called her, giggled as she lowered the magnifying glass. "Morning, Daddy!" she chirped.
"Morning, sweetheart," Nick said, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead, "What're you doing?" he asked.
"Looking for clues," the brown-haired child replied, "I'm trying to solve a mystery!"
"Oh, a mystery?" Nick asked playfully, "Have you found anything Maddy?"
"Detective Maddy," she quipped, "That's what I'm gonna be when I grow up! A Toon detective, like Grandpa!" Then Maddy went over to her grandfather and climbed into his lap.
"I'm sure you'll make a darn good detective!" Eddie chuckled.
Out of all his grandchildren, Eddie saw himself most in Maddy. They also shared the closest bond. Her grandfather's stories of his past cases and exploits enchanted Maddy. Her favorite was the one of the framing of Roger Rabbit. Like her grandfather, Maddy loved Toons. Playing detective, and Toons were her two favorite things in the world.
"I'm gonna be the best detective in the world!" Maddy announced.
At that moment, Nick's wife, Elaine, walked into the kitchen. She had short, blonde hair and green eyes. She was also seven months pregnant.
"Morning Mommy!" Maddy chirped.
"Morning, Maddy," Elaine cooed. Brushing Maddy's bangs away from her forehead, she gave her daughter a kiss. Elaine then went over to her husband.
"Morning hon," Nick said, "how's our little bundle?"
Elaine laid a hand on her belly. "It's fine," she replied.
Maddy got down off Eddie's lap and laid her tiny hand on Elaine's belly. "Mommy, how much longer till my sister comes?" she asked anxiously.
Elaine smiled at her daughter. "Now Maddy, it might be a brother," Elaine reminded, "And it'll be another two months before we'll know."
Maddy's face fell. Another two months? She wanted to know now! Frowning, she climbed onto a chair and pouted. Patience never was one of her virtues.
Eddie reached over and stroked his granddaughter's chocolate-colored hair. "Aw, don't worry kiddo!" Eddie said smiling, "Boy or girl, you'll have a partner to help you with cases."
Maddy turned to look at her grandfather. His gentle eyes made her smile.
Elaine set a bowl of cereal in front of Maddy. As she ate, Maddy dreamed about the kinds of cases she would solve when she grew up. She would be famous! Her name would be on the front page, in the news, and in the history books! The name "Maddy Valiant" would become a household name, and she would have connections with the biggest names in Toon Town!
At the thought of Toon Town, the five-year-old suddenly realized something: she had never been to Toon Town before! She had met many, many Toons in her young life, including Roger Rabbit. Heck, some of her best friends were Toons, including Roger. Even so, Maddy had never been to Toon Town. Turning to her grandfather, she tugged on his shirtsleeve. Feeling the tug, Eddie turned his attention to Maddy.
"Grandpa, what's in like in Toon Town?" Maddy asked.
Eddie sighed and looked into his grandchild's eyes. "In a word: crazy," he said simply.
Maddy wasn't satisfied with just this simple explanation. "I wish I could go to Toon Town," she sighed.
Eddie smiled and scooted his chair over to Maddy. "How 'bout I take you there this week?" he asked.
Maddy stopped in mid-bite and turned to Eddie. The twinkle in his eyes told her that he meant it. Maddy swallowed the cereal in her mouth and she hugged her grandfather.
"Oh, Grandpa!" Maddy cried, "Can we really? Can we go visit Roger and Jessica?"
"Yep!" Eddie said, nodding, "Them and all the other Toons!"
The little girl hugged Eddie as she giggled with delight. She was going to go to Toon Town!
"Okay, Maddy," Elaine said, "finish your breakfast. We have to leave soon."
--
Within thirty minutes Nick, Elaine, and Maddy were in the family car. Maddy waved to her grandfather through the car window as they drove off. As soon as Eddie was out of sight, her thoughts turned to Toon Town. I'm going to Toon Town, she thought excitedly to herself. I'm gonna be in Toon Town in a few days!
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Post by netske on Oct 20, 2007 6:20:06 GMT -5
Good work with this chapter. Cant wait the contuning.
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Post by Eternity on Oct 20, 2007 20:15:51 GMT -5
Get out the tissues guys, this one's a sad one. Chapter Two: Sudden Tragedy Three days had passed since the Valiant family’s last visit to Eddie. Nick had gone to check up on his father, leaving Elaine and Maddy at home. Maddy was sitting in front of the TV, watching a Roger Rabbit cartoon. Sherlock, the family dog, lay next to her. Elaine was washing dishes in the kitchen. Then, the telephone rang. Drying her hands with a towel, Elaine walked to the wall and picked up the phone. “Hello?” she answered. “Oh, hi Nick!” Maddy turned her head at the mention of her father’s name. “Yes…your father?” Elaine’s cheerful expression became one of concern. “What’s wrong? I-Is he alright?” she asked. By this time, Maddy was no longer paying attention to the cartoon. Her instincts were telling her something wasn’t right. Elaine listened to her husband’s voice intently. Then she let out a gasp. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no…” she moaned. Nick said something else. “Maddy? She’s in the den… Yes, yes, I’ll tell her…” Elaine said nodding. “I’ll see you later…bye.” Elaine slowly walked over to the chair in front of the tv. She looked as if she would cry. “Maddy, sweetie…” Elaine said sadly, “Daddy called, and I’m afraid I have very sad news.” Maddy stared intently at her mother. She knew something was very, very wrong. “Your Grandpa Eddie has died.” Elaine said softly. Maddy felt like she had been hit by an Acme boxing glove. Had she heard correctly? Her Grandpa Eddie? Dead? Her five-year-old mind was reeling. Then the tears came. Maddy grabbed her mother’s legs. Elaine picked her daughter up and sat down on the couch. Maddy cried on her mother’s shoulder. This wasn’t happening! It couldn’t be true! Sherlock, in spite of being a dog, seemed to understand what was happening. His ears lowered and he started whining. This can’t be happening! Maddy thought. Right now, she should have been on her way to Toon Town with Grandpa, catching her first glimpse of the cartoon world. Now, it would never happen… The world was shocked and saddened by the death of Eddie Valiant. No place in the world, however, was more shocked and saddened by the tragic news than Toon Town. No Toon was more devastated than Roger Rabbit. He had known Eddie would die. At the same time, though, he had hoped that day would never come. Two weeks later, Edward James Valiant was laid to rest. He was buried next to his brother, Theodore “Teddy” J. Valiant. Teddy had been killed by Doom years before the whole Roger Rabbit incident. Humans and Toons alike attended the funeral. After the services were held, several Toons approached the Valiants. Mickey Mouse stepped up to Nick. “Your father was a great fella,” Mickey said sympathetically, “and a dear friend. Just remember Nick, you and your family will always be welcome in Toon Town.” Nobody was more heartbroken than Maddy. She still couldn’t believe she would never again hear her grandfather tell another story. She would never again hear his deep laugh, nor see the twinkle in his eye. She buried her face into Sherlock’s furry neck and wept like she had never wept before.
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Post by julayla on Oct 20, 2007 22:27:59 GMT -5
Poor Maddy! She lost her dear grandfather. Goodbye, Eddie, we'll miss you. It's a tragedy for all Toons. I wonder what she would be like in the present?
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Post by Veggirl on Oct 20, 2007 23:06:02 GMT -5
Poor Maddy! I can't believe Eddie died! That's so sad!
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Post by netske on Oct 21, 2007 2:16:51 GMT -5
Poor Maddy! Its sad that Eddie died.
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Post by Eternity on Oct 21, 2007 9:55:08 GMT -5
Actually he's 95 in my fic. Thanks for the comments ya'll!
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Post by Eternity on Oct 21, 2007 17:58:23 GMT -5
I know this chapter's kinda short, but bear with me, it gets interesting soon!
Chapter 3: Memories
LA, California, 2007
Five years had passed since the death of beloved Toon detective Eddie Valiant. In Toon Town, a statue of Eddie had been erected, complete with a memorial plaque. The citizens of Toon Town were still a happy lot, despite the loss of their dear friend.
Maddy, now ten years old, visited her grandfather’s grave whenever she could. She still loved Toons and mysteries, but the pain of her loss lingered in her heart. It was as if a part of her had died with Eddie.
Right now, Maddy was sitting at her desk in her bedroom, working on her math homework. “Ugh!” Maddy groaned, “I hate math!”
Maddy was so absorbed by the math problem that she didn’t notice the door to her room being opened.
“Okay,” she repeated to herself, “order of operations. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt-”
“Rawwr!”
“Aghh!!” Maddy shrieked. In her fright, Maddy fell off her chair. Looking up, her startled expression became one of annoyance. “Teddy!” she growled.
Teddy, her five-year-old brother, giggled as Maddy picked herself up. Teddy had been born two months after Eddie’s death. He had been named after Eddie’s brother. Teddy was a string bean of a little boy, with unruly blonde hair and brown eyes.
“Maddy, come play with me!” Teddy cried happily.
He might as well have been asking a mountain to move. “No Teddy,” Maddy said flatly, “I’ve got homework! So take your annoying little self out of my room, if you don’t mind.”
Teddy frowned. “You’re no fun!” he whined. Pouting, he shuffled out of his sister’s room. Maddy closed the door after him. She set her chair back upright and sat back down.
To be honest, Maddy was bored with her life. She wanted, no, needed, an adventure. “I’ve gotta get outta here!” she muttered.
--
Meanwhile, Toon Town was being observed by a sinister figure. Bathed in the glow of the computer screen, he watched as the Toons went about their crazy lives.
“Toon Town, full of joy and happiness…it makes me sick!”
A wiry-looking man with a hooked nose slammed his fist onto the desk. “All this miserable world had to offer me was gloom, so that is how the world will be once I’m through with it!”
An evil grin formed on his cruel face, and he emitted a low chuckle.
“Smile while you can, my animated friends, because it won’t be long before it all ends…”
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Post by netske on Oct 22, 2007 2:00:07 GMT -5
Wow, its becoming more and more interesting!
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Post by netske on Oct 22, 2007 2:01:05 GMT -5
PS And this chapter is not so short. I somethimes write shorter.
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Post by Eternity on Oct 22, 2007 12:17:53 GMT -5
You'll just have to wait and see.
You guys think I should have introduced the weasels' plight earlier, or should I do it later?
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Post by netske on Oct 22, 2007 12:21:57 GMT -5
Well, I think you should introduse it later. I think you should keep the mystery.
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Post by Eternity on Oct 27, 2007 13:11:31 GMT -5
You know what the really frustrating part about writing a fic is? When you have the cool chapters done, but you have to get the chapters that come before them done, and you're stuck on them! That's what it's like with me. I have the chapters where Maddy and Roger meet and team up with the weasels finished and I really want to share them, but I have to get Maddy to get past her parents to finding Roger done first! Arggh!
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