The day for the modern Romeo and Juliet play has arrived. Kickin Chicken, Peggy Penguin and CozyFair Sheep entered the community centre theatre calling out to Bubba.

"Bubba!" CozyFair called out. "Bubba!"

"Bubba!" Peggy called. "Bubba!"

"Bubba!" Kickin called. "Bubba!"

The three critters kept calling out for Bubba until Bubba turned to the three critters in annoyance. "YES?" he demanded. "Do you three need something?"

"Bubba," Kickin began. "DogDay said he wasn't feeling too well tonight and that he needed to drop out of the play tonight."

Bubba's blood boiled in anger at that. "Are you serious?" he shouted in rage. "The play is TONIGHT! We've been rehearsing a whole two days for this. Why isn't he here telling me himself?"

"He's just...uhh...that sick." Peggy answered. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it."

Bubba sighed angrily. "Well, looks like we'll have to use his understudy and we did not tell this critter about this one..."

Kickin smiles with pride while Peggy and CozyFair stand beside the chicken critter giving him encouraging smiles. However, who the critter Bubba said is DogDay's understudy made the three critters' smiles falter.

"Sorry Kickin, but you haven't got the part for Romeo either way." Bubba informed him. "I already decided CatNap is going to be DogDay's understudy. He may not like it, but he's the best alternative."

"Oh, I see." Kickin strained, his right eye twitching.

Just then LuckyLeo entered the stage. "Hey Bubba, the sets are secure." she informed the elephant critter, then turned to Kickin and the other two critters. She wasn't going to bother with her old friends though. "Hey Kickin, is it? Your face looks red there."

"DogDay had to drop out of the play due to an illness, so CatNap being his understudy gets the role." Bubba reported. "We haven't told CatNap this yet."

LuckyLeo glanced at each critter with an eyebrow raised in confusion. "DogDay? Ill?" LuckyLeo asked, then turned to the backstage entrance then back to the critters. "DogDay isn't sick, he's backstage rehearsing his lines."

"WHAT?!" the three critters gawked in shock.

"Are you kidding me?" Bubba gritted his teeth behind his tusks.

Peggy roughly pulled Kickin close to him glaring daggers at the chicken critter. CozyFair glared at Kickin as well.

"Kickin, we boarded up DogDay's house." Peggy whispered angrily. "Did you not make sure he was inside?"

Kickin stared at the two critters in shock, and then glared at them as well. "No." he answered. "I thought one of you guys did."

"That's it!" Bubba yelled at the top of his lungs; making the critters around him flinch. "Peggy, Kickin, CozyFair, this is the third time you three tried to get DogDay out of the role as Romeo. I swear. I swear to you three; one more time before the play starts and I'll have you three NOT in the play AT ALL! Understand?" The elephant critter then took some deep breaths to calm himself down. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have to make sure that Crafty is done with those costumes." He closes his laptop and walks towards backstage.

"Lucky!" Kickin, Peggy, and CozyFair whisper shouted in unison.

"What?" LuckyLeo asked. "It's not my fault I didn't hear of you guys' elaborate scheme beforehand. I wouldn't have said anything if you guys told me."

As she talked, Bobby entered the stage in curiosity. She had heard the commotion on the stage and decided to figure out what was going on.

"What's with all the yelling LuckyLeo?" Bobby asked. "What did Kickin, Peggy, and CozyFair tell you?"

"Oh, Bobby!" LuckyLeo exclaimed before scratching the back of her head. "Well, they were trying to get DogDay out of his role-"

"Lucky, no!" Peggy whisper yelled.

CozyFair shook his head and waved his hands wildly. "Don't tell her."

Kickin's eyes were just wide with fear. His feathers are ruffling from the nervousness he's feeling. "Do not make her angry."

"Huh?" LuckyLeo asked Kickin. "How is telling her about you guys trying to stop the kissing scene between Crafty and DogDay going to make her angry?"

"What?" Bobby asked angrily. Her smile is sill on her face, but now it's more of a smile of anger. Her eyebrows furrowed, her teeth are clenched, and her hands balled up into fists. "Would you mind repeating that? I don't think I caught that the first time."

"Uhh, Kickin is feeling envious about not getting the part as Romeo and the idea of DogDay and Crafty kissing is-" LuckyLeo tried to explain, but Bobby cut him off.

"So they're trying to sink one of my ships?" Bobby growled.

"Now I'm concerned." LuckyLeo pointed out. "Are you okay? Do you need to ask Bubba if you can step outside for a moment?"

Bobby shook her head wildly; her anger disappearing and replaced with a genuine smile. "Oh, I'm perfectly fine." she giggled, then turned to Kickin, Peggy, and CozyFair. "Hey boys, good luck on the play tonight." She continued giggling as she returned backstage.

LuckyLeo shook her head in disapproval. "I swear Bubba should only let in the sane critters for this play." he said to himself, then turned to the three critters himself. "Oh, that reminds me. Opening night is tonight, and if you guys come up with something fast that kiss IS going to happen."

Kickin groaned in defeat. "Whatever. I'm going to head backstage and get ready for my role as Prince Escalus. We just have to accept the inevitable." He then starts walking towards backstage.

CozyFair and Peggy sighed in defeat as well. "Kickin's right guys." CozyFair agreed. "We've tried every scheme we can think of. It would take a miracle to stop that kiss now."

"Did someone say 'miracle'?" a voice shouted.

CozyFair, Peggy, and LuckyLeo turned to see a black and pink critter with a butterfly with a bow pendant and a scent that smells like orchids.

"Wait, Wonderful Wolf?" LuckyLeo exclaimed.

"That's right." Wonderful Wolf said with pride.

"And you're moving here?" Peggy asked in surprise.

"Yep, came back today." Wonderful Wolf answered. "I saw flyers about a Romeo and Juliet play in the valley and thought of seeing it for myself when I overheard your little...dilemma." She giggled mischievously.

"It's really none of your business." CozyFair told the wolf critter; shaking his head in disapproval. Peggy did the same.

Wonderful Wolf giggled. "Oh, what a shame." she said "dramatically". "And here I was about to give you the answer to your problems."

"Which is?" LuckyLeo asked suspiciously.

Wonderful Wolf giggled again, and took out a bottle of red liquid. She shook the bottle with the liquid inside. "A VERY special potion I made." she answered. Wonderful Wolf may be an average critter, but she has an unaverage secret only a few critters know. "Here, take this and when Romeo is about to kiss Juliet, throw it on him. You'll instantly switch places and BOOM! You get that kiss." She hands Peggy the potion.

"Really?" Peggy asked.

"No way!" CozyFair exclaimed.

"You better believe it." Wonderful Wolf winked at the two critters.

"Wait, hold on there a minute." Peggy said. "You're just giving it to us? Just like that?"

"Consider it a favour." Wonderful Wolf pointed out. "I will advise that you use it wisely though. I haven't tested it yet, so I'd say this is my chance to see it in action." She giggled once more. "Break a leg." She then walks away while she resumes her giggles.

"So, are we going to give that to Kickin?" CozyFair asked Peggy while glancing at him.

Peggy scoffed. "No way. He walked off." he answered, then added with a swoon. "This is my chance to steal that kiss."

CozyFair sighed. "Alright, just make sure you hold onto it tight." he advised, then added with a teasing smile. "I might try to steal it myself." The sheep critter then took off running towards the backstage.

Peggy turned towards the direction the sheep critter ran. "CozyFair!" he shouted before taking off as well. LuckyLeo shrugged and let out a sigh before returning to the backstage as well.

Later that evening, all the critters in the valley crowded inside the community center are lined up to pay for tickets, buy snacks and enter the theatre. There were posters on the wall for the Romeo and Juliet play with DogDay and Crafty in them. Some critters noticed and took a look at them; some are even gushing over them.

Meanwhile backstage Crafty in finishing up touches with her makeup. She's wearing a red dress for Juliet. CatNap walked up to her in his Tybalt costume for his new role.

"Hey Crafty." CatNap greeted softly. "How are you feeling tonight?"

Crafty let out a fearful sigh and turned to CatNap. "Really really nervous." Crafty answered. "We only had two days to rehearse. It hardly seems like enough."

CatNap shrugged. "Well that's as long as we've got this place, so we have to make due." he pointed out. "In any case, I wasn't asking about the play itself. I mean the kissing scene. That's the part you seem to be the most nervous about."

Crafty let out a small squeak and her face turned bright red from her blushing, then she chuckled nervously to herself. "Y-Yeah." she answered with a shaky voice.

"Why are you so-"

CatNap's question was cut off when FancyFox entered the dressing room. "Hey Crafty, CatNap!" she called out. "I wanted to come by and say thank you so much for doing this for Bubba. I cannot thank you guys enough."

Crafty laughed nervously as CatNap put a hand on her shoulder. "It was no problem at all FancyFox." CatNap chimed in.

"After this I'm taking everyone out to dinner at my favourite place." FancyFox cheered. "Anyway, I would like to wish you and the other Smiling Critters good luck out there. Break a leg! Well, not literally." She chuckled as she left the room.

"Ten minutes until curtain call!" Bubba announced through the speakers on the wall throughout the backstage.

"Ten minutes." Crafty shrieked nervously; about ready to cry even.

"Calm down Crafty. You'll do fine." CatNap encouraged.

That didn't get through to CraftyCorn though. She still cried in nervousness. "B-But what if Kickin and his two critter friends try to ruin Bubba's play?" she asked.

"Personally I don't think it can be ruined anymore than it already is." CatNap said.

"CatNap!" Crafty shouted. "That's rude!"

"Wh-sorry, I just...never mind." the purple cat groaned. "I don't write scripts so I guess I can't judge, but-"

"Five minutes! Everyone to the stage!" Bubba announced.

Crafty and CatNap both sighed. "Break a leg." CatNap encouraged (only the speech, not literally).

Crafty nodded. "You too CatNap." She then sighed again. "Here we go." The two critters left the change rooms to enter the stage.

The play has started and all the critters attending to opening night are seated in the theatre chairs. CozyFair is the only one on stage for the prologue scene.

"Two households, both alike in dignity." CozyFair said. "In fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes. A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life." The crowd applauded as CozyFair left the stage.

In scene one of the first act there is CatNap, another critter named Danny Dragon, and a few other critters also friends with Bubba. Danny is standing in the center of the stage while CatNap has just entered it, but is standing behind the three critters supposedly on the Capulets side.

"Stop this quarrel!" Danny shouted. "Do you not know what you do?"

CatNap walked up beside Danny while avoiding the "fighting" critters. "They know of what they do alright." he replied.

Danny turned to CatNap. "Tybalt!" he exclaimed. "Put up your sword or manage it to stop this quarrel with me."

"What's this?" CatNap asked mockingly. "Your sword is drawn and yet you talk of peace? Hmpfh. I hate the very word, as I hate ALL MONTAGUES! Have at thee!" CatNap rushed up to Danny and the two clashed their swords.

In scene five of act one, DogDay is in a bathroom setting. He looks at a mirror and walks towards an aquarium. Crafty did the same on the other side in a similar bathroom setting. There, DogDay's and Crafty's eyes met at both sides of the aquarium.

"It's so beautiful." Bobby swooned from backstage.

In the second scene of act two, Crafty stands on the tower lamenting.

"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name." Crafty was interrupted by a ding from her phone. She took it out of her dress pocket and unlocked it; seeing she got a text. "Ah, a text from my love."

Picky and CatNap watched from backstage. CatNap shook his head slowly. "I can't believe Bubba actually allowed a texting scene." he said.

Picky shrugged. "Well, that's as modern as it could get." she pointed out.

"That's going to be a travesty to theatre I swear." the purple cat mumbled to himself.

At the end of scene six of act two, Bobby wedded DogDay and Crafty.

"And by my hand, I bless this union." Bobby announced.

Meanwhile backstage CatNap, Hoppy, and LuckyLeo watched.

"Okay, forget the texting scene." CatNap shook his head and pointed at Bobby. "Bobby got the part of Friar Lawrence?"

"Well she really wanted to marry them in the play." LuckyLeo pointed out.

"Which is a scary fitting for her." Hoppy commented.

The three critters shuddered at that.

In the first scene of act three, gasps were heard from the audience as Peggy lies on the floor with fake blood around him. DogDay stared down as Peggy took his Mercutio's last breath.

"Romeo..." Peggy whispered before he closed his eyes.

DogDay and CatNap then glanced at each other worriedly. What worried them is that they're best friends; never once had a fight. They started telling themselves repeatedly in their heads that it's just a play; nothing more. Peggy isn't even hurt. The swords aren't even real. Everything is being performed on stage in front of a live audience.

With his eyes clenched shut, DogDay rushed towards CatNap and "stabbed" him; taking the purple cat by surprise. CatNap staggered back with a yelp.

"I'm dead!" he exclaimed as he laid down on the floor on his stomach and took out his phone. "Must...post...selfie...on X..." He took a picture of himself and typed it up as he let out choking sounds. Once his post was posted, CatNap put his head on the floor too; now unmoving.

Backstage Danny and Kickin took out their phones and opened up X. Sure enough, CatNap's selfie has been posted.

"Well what do you know?" Danny asked. "He really did post that selfie before his death."

"I think this play's a little too modern if you ask me," Kickin commented, but then he added on quickly. "but that's just my opinion. I'm not hating or anything."

At the end of scene two of act five, the curtains closed. "We are now at intermission." Bubba announced to the crowd.

Meanwhile backstage almost the cast has gathered. Some were chatting amongst themselves while others were on their phones. Bubba suddenly rushed towards them in excitement. All eyes are away from the screens and all chatter dissolved.

"You guys are doing great!" Bubba exclaimed happily. "We have one more scene left and that'll be it."

"Pardon me for asking Bubba, but isn't the intermission usually in the middle of the play?" Hoppy asked. "Not towards the end?"

"Usually, but I wanted to put it towards the best part." Bubba explained. "Since Crafty is so nervous about the kissing scene, I want her to catch her breath before this big part. Speaking of which, where are Crafty and DogDay?"

"Crafty is in her dressing room, I know that part." Hoppy answered. "As for DogDay, I'm not sure."

After returning backstage during intermission, DogDay had sneaked out of the theatre to use the bathroom. As he entered quietly, Kickin got out of his hiding spot - behind the plants - and took out a key to lock the bathroom door. The chicken snickered as he ran off back to the theatre.

Next step on his list is dealing with the cat.

Meanwhile backstage, Bubba's smile faltered back to worry. "Find him!" he ordered. "This isn't funny! It's five minutes until the final curtain call."

"I've looked all over and DogDay's nowhere to be seen." Bobby reported back worriedly.

"I can't find him either." CatNap reported as well.

Bubba sighed in frustration. "Then I guess drastic times call for drastic measures." He grabbed CatNap's wrist. "CatNap, come with me." he ordered as he dragged CatNap to the boys' dressing room. The purple cat started asking questions, but they were ignored.

Kickin then entered backstage and waved at the other critters. "Hey guys, what's happening?" the chicken asked out of breath.

The critters turned to glare at Kickin. Hoppy stomped towards him and gave him a shove; making the chicken stagger back.

"What was that for?" Kickin demanded.

"You and your two buddies didn't do anything to DogDay, didn't you?" the green rabbit accused.

Kickin quickly shook his head. "What are you talking about? No. I haven't seen him." he lied.

Bobby sighed with stress. "Is there any Romeo coming?" she asked herself.

In the dressing room, Crafty overheard the ruckus and felt herself even more nervous. Kickin must've done something to DogDay; their leader of the Smiling Critters. If DogDay did find out, then who knows what'll happen to Kickin.

An applause erupts during scene three of act five; the final part of the final act. An empty cup was being held by a purple Romeo wearing a helmet. The audience had been confused at the start of the final scene, but that was dismissed when the moment they've all been waiting for came up; the kissing scene. Crafty walked up the stairs gazing down at the purple cat and at the cup.

"What's here? A cup closed in my true love's hand?" Crafty asked as part of her last line. She takes the cup out of CatNap's hand. "Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end. Oh churl, drunk all, and left no friendly drop." Crafty held CatNap's chin and moved her face slowly towards his. "I will kiss thy lips. Haply some poison yet doth hang on them."

Peggy observed the scene, his hand in his pocket where he kept the potion Frolic gave him. "It's now or never." he said to himself. He took his hand out of his pocket to reveal...nothing. This left Peggy confused. "Huh?" he asked quietly. He looked around frantically until he saw Kickin next to Picky. To his shock, KICKIN is holding the potion. Peggy wondered how he managed to steal that potion unnoticed.

That doesn't matter now, because Kickin used it on himself.

The result of that potion was quite unexpected.

Instead of Kickin on stage kissing Crafty as Romeo like he thought, Kickin ended up in the bathroom. The chicken looked around in confusion. "Wait what? Was that supposed to happen?" he asked himself. Of course no answer since the bathroom was empty.

What Kickin didn't know is that he's trapped in the bathroom he locked DogDay in.

Crafty is instead backstage, so she isn't the one being kissed.

No, it was a twist.

One that made everyone gasp in shock.

DogDay is back onstage, but if that wasn't enough; he and CatNap...

...are kissing, and with tongue. DogDay and CatNap are on stage ACTUALLY kissing.

The audience roared into an applause.

"Oh ho ho!" Frolic laughed amongst the crowd. "So I did make that potion wrong." She giggled to herself at the sight of the two males kissing.

CatNap and DogDay opened their eyes wide. Once they saw they were kissing each other, their lips parted and they let out the loudest blood curdling scream that reached the outside of the community center theatre.

The critters backstage had different reactions. Some squealed at the kissing scene, others gave out praises to the kiss to themselves. Bobby held up her phone and took pictures and Crafty thought of new art inspirations to draw.

CozyFair and Peggy stared at the supposed "bromance" slack jawed.

The applause didn't stop as CatNap and DogDay arguing. CatNap accusing DogDay of him planning this play for the kiss between them and telling him they're supposed to be friends. DogDay acknowledged the friends part and denied the accusations telling his feline friend he had no idea what just happened.

Backstage later on after ending the play, all the critters entered their dressing rooms to take off their costumes. LuckyLeo entered with an angry Kickin Chicken.

"Well, I found Kickin in the bathroom." she laughed.

"Kickin!" Bobby shouted in annoyance.

Crafty put a hoof on Bobby's shoulder with a grin. "Bobby, calm down. I think Kickin, CozyFair, and Peggy have learned a lesson tonight." She giggled. "I love how you managed to pull off a bromance scene between DogDay and CatNap." The unicorn glanced towards the cat and dog critters. They are both looking away from each other embarrassed and blushing. She gazed back at the three angered critters. "Now, let this be a lesson to you three. NEVER, let your jealousy drive you again."

"Never. Again." CozyFair seethed.

"Lesson learned." Peggy said.

Bubba then came running towards the critters in excitement. "Wow you guys! The play was a success!" Bubba exclaimed. "And instead of doing that Romeo and Juliet sad ending we've got a shock ending! We've got to do that again!"

CatNap and DogDay started quickly denying that idea in embarrassment. The other Smiling Critters would suspect this would be the only time DogDay and CatNap will be able to participate in an event for the valley.

Later on that night after everyone had gone home to bed, Bobby entered her basement with blank canvases and new plushes. The red bear tossed the Kickin and Hoppy plushes away from the candles and placed the two new plushes. The plushes are of DogDay and CatNap this time. She then took down many canvases filled with Hoppy x Kickin shipping art and set them aside; leaning them on the wall, then hung up the blank canvases.

It took about three hours to hang everything up, but once the new shipping shrine is all set; Bobby started laughing maniacally. It started off quietly, then rose up in volume. She can't wait to start this new shipping shrine.

First thing tomorrow morning, she's going to start hiring artists to make CatNap x DogDay art for her new shrine.

THE END

A/N: Hey everyone, supersader9 here. That's going to be a wrap on all three parts of The Valley Play. Don't just assume from the chapter name this book is done. Not yet. Just two more episodes and THEN the book is done.

I think I may have you all fooled on this one, and it's not even April Fools! You may have been promised CraftyCorn x DogDay, but instead it's CatNap x DogDay. By the way, I'm one of those people that ships the sunny leader and the sleepy moon kitty as a couple. If you don't like this ship, then why are you still reading this book? Heck, why do you still have it in your libraries and reading lists?

With that ship sailing in this episode, should I add in the #catnapxdogday tag for this book? Go ahead and give me the green light comment for that one.

Without further ado, here's the next comment hall of fame. This time it's from Miss_Wanna_Draw96

Thank you all for contributing your OCs. Keep on at it!

Well, that's it for now. See you all in episode 9. supersader9 out.