*Hey guys! What a coincidence! I published a day after I just uploaded the last chapter. I was not expecting it to go by fast, but here it is. This is published on April 9, 2021. If you like this chapter, don't forget to vote and spam the comment section. It will encourage me to keep writing. :) So, without further ado, the song used is called "Sing Me To Sleep". Enjoy! Warning: It deals with heavy themes such as depression and suicidal thoughts*

Buster shook the sleepy pig to wake him up. "Gunter, wake up!"

Gunter snorted while opening his eyelids. "Are ve dead?"

Buster chuckled a bit. "No, we're still alive."

Gunter glanced around the house, eyes widened in pure shock. "Where are we?"

"Johnny's house...and garage--"

"Ooh, I'fe nefer been to Johnny's house before!" Gunter immediately sat up on the couch.

From below Buster's feet, Mike groaned awake while seeing his beloved sleeping peacefully. A smile formed on the once arrogant mouse as he sat up and stretched his limbs.

"Ah, what a beautiful day," Mike replied with a restful yawn.

Buster glanced down at Mike. "I was just about to wake you and tell you...your night club idea was a terrible idea!"

"Wait...my idea?" Mike asked, trying to remember what happened last night.

"Y-Yeah! You were the one who suggested we go to the night club!" Buster shouted at the small white mouse.

Mike blinked for a second until he remembered. "Oh yeah. That was fun."

"That was not fun and I'm not making that mistake again," Buster determined with a groan, getting a bit of a migraine from the hangover.

"Well, at least you got to relax, Mr. Moon--"

"Yeah, in a stupid way," Buster responded while shivering.

"If I may interject, I hafe loads of fun last night!" Gunter stepped into the conversation. "I want to do that again sometime."

"Yeah, no, we're not getting ourselves drunk again," Buster responded while sighing heavily. "We still got a musical to work on, we need to set up auditions--"

"There goes the workaholic koala rambling again," Mike mumbled to himself.

"--and on top of that, we have to find costumes, settings, and the cast!! Ugh, okay, okay, calm down, Buster, you can always look for a way out," Buster talked to himself, breathing heavily in anxiety.

Mike laughed. "Need a drink, buddy?"

Buster gave Mike a withering glare for his teasing. He rolled his baby blues skywards and groaned.

Eddie noticed Buster stressing and pacing the gorilla's living room. "Hey, Buster, calm down. Okay? Everything will work out. Although, I think you should be more worried about that cheetah going after your theater."

Buster rolled his eyes and turned to Eddie. "She's not going to kill me, Eddie. She's just watching me die slowly in misery just for the fun of it all! She's making me pay for my Dad's mistakes! And I don't know what his mistakes are!"

Buster blurted out the couple of sentences until he realized that there's more people in the room than just him and Eddie. Eddie seemed to be shock by Buster's sudden anger and frustration while Johnny and Ash just walked in on Buster's outburst and Gunter, Mike, and Nancy were looking at him with questions in their brains.

Buster breathed in and out heavily. "I---I need some air."

The koala immediately strode through the garage and out of it, closing the red door quickly. He paced back and forth on the steps, his breathing becoming louder and faster while sitting on the steps, grabbing his head and his small body began to tremble.

Meanwhile, inside the garage and the small house, the group exchanged confused glances at each other.

"Uh...what just happened?" Mike uttered with a brow raised.

"Mr. Noodleman, what do you mean by the cheetah wanting the theater?" Johnny immediately interrogated the sheep.

"Wait...Buster didn't tell you guys?" Eddie questioned the group.

Ash arched a brow. "You know, you're literally the only person Mr. Moon opens up to...so, it's kind of obvious that we don't have all the information."

Eddie sighed heavily. "Look, all I know is that this cheetah girl is part of some gang and wants the theater from Buster so that's why she participated in jumping me. Just to get his attention. And, being typical Buster, he came up with the idea that a musical would save the theater from the cheetah."

Everyone became silent.

"Um...I hate to be disrespectful to Mr. Moon...but that's idiotic," Johnny responded to the idea. "Gangs are cutthroats and brutal, believe me, I've been in one of them."

"Yeah, and the fact that the cheetah wants the theater from him doesn't even make sense. What that's gonna do? Increase her gang empire?" Ash scoffed at the idea.

"Because she thought that Buster's father was a crook and Buster didn't deserve the theater. So...to show that he worked hard for it...he wanted to perform a musical to convince her," Eddie droned a bit, now might as well informed the group about everything that's been going on.

"And...? Does he seriously think that she's not going to waltz in there with an assault rifle and fired it at everyone on stage? I mean, let's not forget that the bears waltz into the theater with weapons and they didn't care if there's a fricking singing competition," Mike recalled, with a disapproving laugh. "While I'm in their clutches of death!"

"Look, if she came by herself, that's one thing to have a musical but if she brought her own gang into this theater...something's bad is going to happen," Johnny cautioned the group.

"Well, since you used to be part of the gang, what should we do?" Eddie asked. "Any ideas?"

Johnny pondered about it for a moment. "If she wants the theater that badly...maybe...ooh, no...that's going to sound stupid."

"Don't worry, Johnny-boy, take your time," Mike encouraged like a proud father of a perfect son.

Johnny huffed. "If she was just wanting Buster to pay for his father's mistakes...then why don't we actually look for any evidence--"

"Buster tried to look through the records for his father--"

"I actually meant for her," Johnny responded, interrupting Eddie's statement. "If we look up some information about her...we might know what we're up against. If you want to take on any gang, you have to look for the weakness...and she has to have a weakness we could use against her."

"Where do you suggest we look?" Nancy asked Johnny.

Johnny sighed heavily. "I know someone in jail who could help us."

"Who?" A meek voice came into the living room as the group looked and gasped at Milla, who's black eye was worst than last night.

"Milla!" Nancy gasped in worry.

"Oh gosh!" Gunter's face was filled with horror while standing right off of the couch.

Eddie immediately looked for ice in the fridge and put the ice in the small bag. He closed the fridge and handed the bag of ice to her. "Here, put that over your eye."

"Oh, Eddie, you didn't--"

"Please...do it for me," Eddie begged Milla.

Milla nodded her head hesitantly as she suppressed the cold onto her black eye.

"I'll go fetch Moon," Ash volunteered while striding through the garage.

~.~

Buster stared at the city ahead of him, hearing sirens and car honks through the city. He tried to distract himself from the lingering thought that he's at war with this cheetah girl who he barely knew other than being this girl who broke into his office twice. Will this be a war where Buster Moon loses? And what if he does give up the theater to her? All he worked for. All he and his father worked for. No, he's not going to give it to this...this mistress who showed no dedication to the theater.

He thought about his father now...what had he done that made his own son now a target on his back? He wouldn't kill himself if he wasn't plagued with guilt and regrets. What did he do that caused him to do this? Buster couldn't figure out a single ounce. All the memories he had with his father, the times where his father would take him to the theaters to watch operas, musicals, and the plays. The times where his father would take him to an amusement park and lets his kid explore the magic behind those rides. All those moments...all of those times, was his father truly happy?

Buster himself thought that his father was the happiest man in the world. He had everything in his life and he just...threw it away because of this guilty consciousness eating him away. Maybe his father might be right in not telling him how he died...otherwise, Buster wouldn't have blamed himself. His father sacrificed everything for him...and what did he give? Nothing. Just to help with the car wash and help him to afford the theater. He hugged his father, happy tears edging out of his eyes when he first opened the Moon theater. And his father was hesitant to hug him back until he gave in...showing that he wasn't expecting it.

Buster couldn't help but break down into tears. He let it all out as he cried into his folded legs, arms covering his face. He felt the breeze, shivering in its cold embrace.

This is all my fault.

Buster weeped more when he thought that. His father wouldn't stick his neck out, both literally and figuratively for his son if it weren't for his entire existence.

This is a burden...he's the burden that his father couldn't take anymore.

This is all my fault. I'm so sorry, Dad.

Buster tried to recover from being a sobbing mess but he felt weak. He felt powerless against those venom thoughts.

Why did I have such a big dream?

Dad wouldn't have to sacrifice so much if it weren't for me.

I should've been a better son.

He heard the door prompted open, causing him to lift his head to find Ash. Ash seemed shocked to see the famous optimist Mr. Moon in utter tears. But she shook it off.

"Mind if I sit by you?" Ash asked while sitting next to Buster.

Buster sighed heavily while looking out into the city. "I'm an idiot, am I?"

"You get your hopes up way too high. But I wouldn't say you're an idiot," Ash responded softly.

Buster huffed while shivering. "Did Eddie tell you everything?"

"Yeah. He seems scared for you...well, we all are scared for you," Ash uttered while leaning back on the concrete step.

Buster blinked while wiping the tears away. "I'm sorry...for...being...well, too determined. I-I didn't mean to be a burden to you guys. I'm sorry."

Ash arched a brow. "A burden? Mr. Moon, you've been nothing more than a supportive role model in my entire life."

That quickly snapped Buster out of his self-pity as he glanced at the teenage porcupine, shocked.

"Look, I was in a relationship with Lance when you chose me...just me in that competition. You showed me that I was able to be more than just the back-up singer for Lance. Remember what you told me in the auditions?"

Buster stared at her, blinking incredulously at this edgy porcupine in surprise.

"You told me that I showed promise, Moon. And you were right. You were right all along. And it's not just about me but about everyone else. Johnny, Gunter, Rosita, Mike, and heck, even Meena! You showed us all that we have a potential to live. Not just by singing or dancing or being in some kind of musical, but to live and love each other like a family. You gave us something that fits all of us together like a glove. And you're sitting here and calling yourself a burden? Mr. Moon, you're anything but a burden in our lives."

Buster immediately began to shed tears, his heart turned to mush when Ash was offering him comfort in a firm and gentle mix of tones.

I was not expecting that, Buster thought but he kept it to himself.

Ash gave him a soft smile. "You helped us when we're down in the dumps. Let us help you now."

Buster smiled softly back at the porcupine as she hugged him. He gasped in surprise until he embraced her back, holding her tightly and not wanting to let go. In all honesty, what Ash said was what he needed to hear. She may not think of it as life saving but it definitely saved him from the depths of those negative thoughts. For now at least. For right now, all he could do was hold on for dear life.

Ash noticed Buster hugging for too long while looking around her awkwardly. "Uh, Mr. Moon, you okay?"

"Yeah. I just needed to hear those words is all," Buster responded while breaking away from the teenage porcupine. "Thank you, Ash."

Ash smiled softly. "It's no problem."

The door prompted open again as both of the animals turned to see Johnny hovering them.

"Mr. Moon, I think I know a way to solve the problem," Johnny uttered.

~.~

The heavy scent of sweat hanged thick in the air. White walls formed an endless hallway with windows giving light in the hall on one side while the other were cells clicking and clacking. Loud grumblings and growls from dangerous animals in orange jumpsuits scared Buster. Johnny, Ash, Mike, Nancy, and Gunter were with him while Eddie told him that he needed to take Milla to Nana's but the sheep never told him why.

Buster saw Milla's black eye and almost gasped in horror since he thought that he might have given to her by accident. However, Eddie reassured him that his actions weren't anything more explicit than just him taking his clothes off.

But, despite his friend's reassurance, Buster still could feel some guilt in the pit of stomach. Like he shouldn't have been drunk that night. He should've seen what happened with Milla or pay attention to her more. Even though, Milla told him before they departed that she's fine, Buster couldn't help but worry.

Being in the jail full of guilty dangerous criminals didn't lessened his worrying at all.

Johnny made a lunch appointment with one of the prisoners, his father. The young gorilla claimed that his father knew gangs in all directions and he might help with the cheetah problem.

They entered the lunchroom cafeteria, emptied out like everyone just left. The only one in the lunchroom was Dexter, Johnny's father, sitting patiently in the middle of cafeteria with a bright grin while two rhino cops stood side by side with him like he's a dangerous beast that will hurt anyone drawing near to him.

Dexter got up from his seat to hug Johnny but was held down by the chains the rhino cops were holding onto.

Johnny gasped in surprise that they're holding his father back from embrace.

"Oi, I'm only going to hug my son," Dexter grumbled at the cops.

The cops loosened their holds on the chains just a bit for the huge gorilla to get up and hugged his son.

Johnny embraced his father for what felt like forever.

Dexter buried his face into his son's shoulder. "Heh, I just saw you yesterday."

Johnny gave a chuckle. "Well, we need your help."

"I'd be glad to help ya. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine," Dexter responded to his son as both of the gorillas broke away from their hugs. His father sat on the chair around the cafeteria table. He looked at the cops guarding him. "They ain't gonna give me much time. So...make it quick."

"Oh boy," Buster breathed while trembling a bit.

"What can I do for you?" Dexter asked the group.

The group let Johnny speak with his father. "Well, you see, Dad. Someone wants the Moon Theater."

The huge gorilla blinked, eyes widened to hear this. "Who?"

"This cheetah...we don't know her name," Johnny explained shyly.

Dexter pondered for a second. "Do you know what she looked like?"

The group turned to Buster, who breathed heavily in anxiety. The koala took a deep calm breath and cleared his throat.

"Well...uh, she, um, she has earrings...on her right ear. And a scar," Buster described as best as he could.

However, when he mentioned a scar, he saw Dexter's inquisitive face turned into horror in the matter of minutes. He threw a glance at his son to see if he knew anything else about the cheetah. Then he turned to Buster Moon.

"Which eye, mate?" Dexter probed the koala.

"Uh...this eye, I think," Buster pointed his right eye, earning another quiet gasp from the gorilla.

Dexter turned to the rest of the group and then to Buster. "You've ran into Chirea Bellows."

"Chirea?" Mike asked with a laugh. "What kind of name is that?"

"It's a foreign name," Dexter answered Mike's rhetorical question. "She's a dangerous assassin."

"I'm sorry, assassin? I thought she's part of the gang," Ash responded with a brow raised.

"Oh no, she ain't part of the gang. The gangs, including us, fear her," Dexter pointed out while shaking his head.

"How come I never knew her?" Johnny asked with his head tilted.

"You wouldn't have known her. She disappeared from Catalonia after Kobra's assassination five years ago," Dexter explained further into the situation. "Somehow...she came back and began the hunt."

"For who?" Nancy asked timidly.

Dexter shifted his gaze on Buster, who took in the information while thinking to himself.

Where have I seen that name?

Buster suddenly recalled seeing that photo in his father's secret office, which caused him to gasp in realization. That photo! That's why her name was so familiar! Buster immediately got out of his seat and ran out of the cafeteria.

"Moon!" his friends called him but he didn't listen as he ran through the white halls, passing by cells with the prisoners looking at him in curiosity.

~.~

Meanwhile, Eddie guided Milla through the nice streets of Catalonia, their eyes peering around them to make sure they weren't going to get jumped.

"Where are we going, Eddie?" Milla asked softly as Eddie approached a huge mansion beside them.

Eddie pulled on the doorbell, which the door was automatically opened by a penguin servant. Both of the animals strode into the mansion. Milla gasped in fascination of all the clean and polished floors and even the stairs ahead of them.

"What is this place?" Milla questioned in awe.

"Eddie?!" The old woman called as both of the animals glanced up to see an old black sheep walking elegantly down the steps, her scared expression made her elegant steps a bit sloppy when approaching Eddie and Milla. "Where are your bodyguards?"

Eddie looked behind him to see that he didn't see the bodyguards. "I don't know...I haven't seen them. Anyways, look, Nana, there's something I need your help with."

Nana Noodleman arched a brow as she glanced at Milla. "Who's this?"

"Milla," Milla introduced herself with a paw extended out, which was received by a confused stare from Nana. Milla awkwardly put her hand down. "I-uh-love your broadway show on television."

Nana blinked for a moment. "Well, being there in the theater was a much better viewing experience than on television."

"Understood," Milla responded awkwardly.

Nana looked at Eddie. "So, Eddie, what is it you need my help with? And be quick about it. I haven't gotten all day."

Nana walked towards the lounge room where there were portraits of her shows everywhere, causing the snow leopard following her to look around in awe. Eddie took deep breaths a bit.

"Nana...we need help with the money," Eddie replied to his grandmother.

Nana turned to Eddie, giving him a deadpan stare. "Don't tell me that your theater friend got the theater bankrupt again."

Eddie shook his head. "No. No. Not at all."

"Good, because I paid good money to help him rebuild it--"

"Nana, it's not even about the theater. Someone is in terrible debt and she's getting harassed by gangsters to the point where they're going to kill her if she doesn't have the money," Eddie explained the situation.

Nana arched a brow and glanced over at Milla, who was just lost in looking at her posters. "Do you mean her?"

"Yes. She sings at a nightclub every night but the people she worked for barely pay her for food. She is harassed by this...snake guy named Serpent--"

"Serpent? That ghastly toxic snake of the Rattler family?!" Nana scowled at the name.

"Yeah!" Eddie responded in the excitement that his grandmother knows those people, only except it's negative.

"No, I'm not going to give that money to that...wretched devil! And I'm not going to enable him by giving the money to whatever her name is!" Nana growled stubbornly.

"Nana, she's going to get killed if she doesn't pay him--"

"Then she shouldn't have dealt with that particular family in the first place," Nana scolded while looking out into the window.

"If I may say something," Milla interjected the conversation, overhearing almost the whole thing. "I was twelve when the Rattler family took me in. Back then, Kobra took care of me until he got assassinated. Serpent took over the inheritance and tried to get money out of me. I found a job to pay him back but it hasn't been successful. I tried everything in my power to pay Serpent. If you don't want to help, I understand. This is not your battle to fight. Thank you, Eddie, for the consideration but...I don't want to be a burden. I'm sorry."

Milla began to walk away, ready to go outside away from everyone until she felt both Nana's and Eddie's eyes were on her.

"How much do you owe him, dear?" Nana asked hesitantly.

Milla perked her koala ears as she turned around with disbelief. "Um...two hundred thousand dollars."

"Ugh, how are you going to give that to him and be expected to live?" Nana groaned as she approached her desk and began writing a check, surprising both Milla and Eddie. She signed Serpent's name and her name on the check to two hundred dollars and gave the check to the snow leopard. "Here. Tell Serpent that he better leave you alone, my dear. If he asks anymore than that then it's all he's going to get in the bank. Any complaints, he comes to me...without his henchmen guarding him. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you," Milla responded, debating whether to grab the check or not. "Look, I'm sorry to be a bother--"

"Pish Posh, dear, you are no bother. I simply don't like Serpent and his...dealings. If this what it takes to get him to leave you alone forever, then take it," Nana insisted.

Milla slowly received the check while holding it as if she had never seen it before.

"My my, dear, you look like you have never seen a check before," Nana noted while getting up from her desk.

"It's because I haven't," Milla answered with a shy tone.

Nana glanced at Eddie.

"She went through a lot of trauma," Eddie whispered to his grandmother.

Nana straightened herself up. "Why don't you stay for tea? I want to learn more about you."

Milla blinked incredulously before accepting. "Uh sure, Ms. Noodleman."

"Please, dear, Nana is fine."

~.~

Buster ran out of the prison, breathing heavily while sprinting across the street. He hit the corner of the street as he bolted through the pedestrians on the sidewalks, who looked at him strangely for a short moment before going back to their daily lives.

Suddenly, a familiar green truck zoomed through the streets and screeched the tires in besides Buster, who stopped as soon as he saw Johnny prompted the passenger open with Ash sitting on the passenger seat.

"Wherever you're going, Mr. Moon, your feet will be tired by the time you get there. Let us give you a lift," Johnny offered quickly.

Buster smiled as he climbed up on the truck and sat between Ash and Johnny, with Gunter sitting at the back with Mike and Nancy.

"Where are we heading, Moon?" Ash asked while closing the door.

"New Heights. You know where that is, Johnny?" the koala asked Johnny urgently.

"Yeah! It's near where I live!" Johnny replied with a bright smile on his face.

"Great, go there. And hurry, please," Buster instructed while sitting at the back with Gunter, Mike, and Nancy.

Johnny shifted the gears and slammed his foot against the gas pedal, speeding through the streets of Catalonia.

"Whoa there, Johnny! Easy on the gas pedal!" Mike shouted while Johnny dodged the cars in the streets, ran through the red lights, and sped around the corners of Catalonia. He jumped the small hills leading downwards while turning into an alleyway and sped on the sidewalk, knocking the animals out of his way without running them over. Despite the other animals pleading for him to stop, the gorilla then took a sharp turn left after exiting out of the alleyway and skid the tires towards the apartment complex called New Heights, parking alongside the curb perfectly.

Johnny smiled in relief that he's there. "Okay, we're here, how's everyone doing?"

Johnny looked to see Buster stunned and Mike and Nancy holding onto each other for dear life.

Gunter was holding onto the safety bar above him, smiling a bit at Johnny. "I'm doing good. Thank you...how are you?"

"I'm doing just fantastic," Johnny answered in a positive tone.

Buster immediately exited out of the gorilla's truck, running towards the building complex.

"Mr. Moon!" Johnny called out as Buster bolted into the building.

Mike and Nancy exchanged glances at one another. "Uh...are we supposed to follow him?"

"I have no idea," Nancy responded meekly.

Johnny shifted his attention on Ash, who had her quills stuck on the seat.

"I think I'm losing all of my quills," Ash uttered with blue eyes widened in shock as she slowly moved her head, most of her quills stuck onto the seat.

Mike sighed heavily. "Johnny boy, when someone says hurry...don't hurry illegally."

"Sorry, old habits die hard," Johnny responded with a chuckle.

Ash chuckled at Johnny's response while the animals got out of the truck and strode towards the apartment complex to look for Buster.

Meanwhile, Buster found the room quicker than he expected, running up the stairs and finding the apartment number. He entered through the open door while heading straight to his father's room, knowing where his secret office was. He pushed the panel of the wall in his father's room, striding as soon as it opened. The door closed behind him.

However, Johnny, Ash, Gunter, Mike, and Nancy found the apartment since it's the only door opened as they warily headed inside.

"Uh, Mr. Moon?" Johnny called while the floors creaked beneath the group's feet.

"Gee, talking about haunted places," Mike replied while shivering in the cold.

"Is this place haunted?" Nancy asked timidly.

"Cool," Ash responded, cornering an adventurous smirk as she explored further into the apartment, with Johnny keeping her company.

Gunter, Nancy, and Mike timidly explored the house.

"Do you sink zey are any ghosts?" Gunter questioned the mice.

Mike shrugged. "Don't know. I saw random people looking for demons in places like this. Although, I highly doubt any of that is real."

The door slammed behind the trio, causing them to jump.

Gunter gasped. "Aah! Vhat vas zat?!"

Mike shivered a bit again. "Must be the wind."

"Mikey," Nancy scolded a bit. "The wind blowing a soft breeze like this wouldn't be able to shut the door quickly like that."

"Calm yourself, babe. If any, I'll protect you from whatever lurks in this house," Mike reassured her while they explored further into the apartment.

They heard clattering coming from the kitchen, which made the trio jumped again.

A tin can rolled on the kitchen floor.

Gunter looked up to notice that the metal can fell from the highest shelf. "I don't know, Mike, I sink something is haunting ziss place."

"Tsk, you're worrying too much, porkchop," Mike responded while trying to corner a half-smile.

~.~

Ash and Johnny were exploring the living room, with the porcupine sneezing in the dark.

"Bless you," Johnny uttered a response to Ash's sneeze.

"Thanks," Ash replied while looking around the living room. "Hmm, this place is underwhelming, to say the least."

"You sounded a bit disappointed," Johnny noted with lips formed into a smirk.

"Well, I was hoping to meet a ghost," Ash answered with a giggle.

Johnny chuckled at the answer. "I think finding Mr. Moon is our priority first."

The gorilla glanced at the wall while pondering about something about it that seemed out of place. A small round button was stuck out on the wall as Johnny pressed it in curiosity. The wall opened quietly as Johnny gasped in fascination.

"Ash!" Johnny whispered her name. "Ash! Come here!"

Ash glanced over to witness a secret passage. "Oh my--!" Her sentence was cut off from her awed expression, her blue eyes sparkling in surprise.

Both of the animals noticed the stairs leading downwards in front of them.

"Come on!" Ash urged as she went down the stairs.

"Ash, wait!" Johnny gasped as he followed after her while the door shut behind them automatically.

All the while, Gunter, Mike, and Nancy entered the living room when they heard a loud click, causing the group to gasp and glanced around.

"Where did it come from?" Nancy inquired mostly to herself.

"Eh...it's probably nothing. Look, the sooner we find Moon, the sooner we outta here," Mike determined as they continued to look for Buster. 

To Be Continued...