Heroes of Disney #1: Rise of the Firebird

Ch. 17: Good Company

As we made our way through the metropolitan city, Buck saddling Tiana, while Pegasus carried a knocked out Hercules, I walked ahead with Dodger and Perry, who had parked his hovercraft in an ally, concealed of course, as to not cause a traffic overload on the sidewalk.

"You'll love New York." Dodger told me as we crossed the street. I was surprised one could do that in this city. "It's got everything from hot dog vendors to mail trucks."

"Well, this city sounds fantastic, for dogs at least." I replied as we reached Jenny's house. If you've never seen Oliver and Company, you'd know that Jennifer Foxworth, Jenny, is the daughter of a happy rich couple, and they lived in a large mansion. The building itself was decent, well, for a mansion. Three to Four stories, same amount wide. You know, rich people houses. I'm not gonna' go into details. It's a house. Not much to say about that.

Perry rung the doorbell and after a couple of seconds, an old man in a black suit answered the door. This was not Jenny's father, but the Foxworth's butler, Winston.

His eyes widened as he saw our group. His eyes darted from Dodger to me, to Perry, to Buck and Tiana, to Hercules and Pegasus, and finally settling back on Dodger.

"Well. Dodger, you just can't stop bringing home friends, can you?" He asked, a hint of annoyance resonant in his voice. I couldn't blame him. We all looked like a wreck. We were all dirty, a bit scratched up, and Pegasus had mud on his hooves. Hercules was covered in brick dust. And I was in desperate need of deodorant. He was the butler. He was supposed to make everyone comfortable. How exactly are you supposed to make a winged horse and a platypus comfortable in a mansion designed for humans? It's a good thing I wasn't in his shoes.

He turned around and called into the house behind him. "Jenny? Would you please come down here?"

"Coming Winston!" a young girl's voice called from above us. Soon, a young girl about eleven or twelve bounded into view, wearing a light blue sweater and dark blue skirt. She was shoeless, but she was wearing socks.

She circled around Winston and surveyed the crowd that had gathered on her front porch. She bit her bottom lip when she noticed the problem.

"Oh boy." She muttered.

<<<<<<<<<<

About an hour later, Winston and Jenny had managed to make everyone at least slightly comfortable. Hercules and Tiana were both resting in separate rooms, Hercules in Jenny's empty bedroom and Tiana in her parent's. Unfortunately, Buck and Perry were not allowed inside. According to Winston, they smelled like a disgusting mix between a horse and a platypus. Very creative with his naming smells. The two weren't particularly happy about being kicked out, but Dodger pointed out to them a café that would allow them in. They would even get a "talking animal discount." I guess in New York City you have to have stuff like that. So the two headed there. I kind of feel bad for them. Unless Buck somehow understood anything Perry growled, it would be an awkward conversation.

"So, Perry." Buck would say. "How 'bout them East High Wildcats?"

"GGGRRRRRGGGGG."

"Yeah. Yeah that's, uh, that's what I thought too."

Something along those lines.

Anyway, as everyone was resting, Pegasus had flown away, again, and Winston, Jenny, Dodger and I sat in the living room. Oliver, Jenny's orange cat, sat on Jenny's lap, listening to the conversation in interest. Georgette, the Foxworth's pompous poodle, was nowhere to be seen. She was probably looking at herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time.

"You're an Earthling boy?" Jenny asked in amazement.

I nodded. "Apparently I was brought here to stop an apocalypse, something relating to lava and hell. Piece of cake."

Winston and Jenny exchanged a nervous glance. As did Dodger and Oliver.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Winston asked.

I shrugged, "Mickey never explained. All I know is that I'm supposed to stop it. And to do that I have to try and figure out why the realms are being destroyed, and by who. The two have a connection. I hope."

"Realms have been getting destroyed?" Jenny looked flabbergasted. "That's awful! Which ones?"

I shook my head. "I can't remember all of them. I do know of The Pride Lands and The Hundred Acre Woods. There are only five realms left. Agrabah, Olympus, Atlantica, Wonderland and Neverland. We're heading toward The Hundred Acre Woods. Hopefully we'll find some clues."

Jenny nodded. Winston looked thoughtful. Dodger and Oliver didn't offer any opinions, which I was confused about. Dodger would usually have something to say about a topic as important as this, at least.

"What do you think, Dodger?" I asked him.

He raised his head from where he was resting it on the carpet, and his tail began wagging, like I was about to play with him or something.

"Woof!" He barked playfully.

Jenny grinned. "I'm sure you can take that to heart, whatever he said."

I frowned. "But-"

"I may have an idea about how you can find out what is going on." Winston interrupted.

I looked at him. "What?"

He got up and went upstairs.

"Where's he going?" I asked the girl sitting across from me on the red velvet couch.

She shrugged. "I don't know. But whatever idea he has, it's probably good. Winston's really smart."

A few minutes later, the butler came back carrying a newspaper that looked many years old.

"I suspect you know you're Disney history, correct?" He asked me.

I nodded.

"Well then you're most likely aware that a one point in Disney history, the Disney Villains all teamed up together to try and take over the House of Mouse, yes?"

Once again, I nodded. Mickey''s House of Villains, a Halloween special based on the hit Disney tv. series Mickey's House of Mouse. "They failed though."

"Correct." He handed me the newspaper. On the front page was an article titled "Villainy Alliance Almost Leads to Disney Destruction." I noticed at the top of the Newspaper it read The Disney Chronicle: Issue #458, Feb. 10th, 1967.

I was confused. "But that movie was released in 2002. How could the newspaper write an article about it 35 years earlier?"

"Just because a Disney movie was released on a specific date, doesn't mean that the event in the movie happened at the same time. For example, in Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the plot was set in 1914, but the movie was released in 2001. The actual event took place in 1914. It was just turned into as movie 87 years later. The Villains taking over the House of Mouse took place in 1967, but was turned into a story in 2002, for Earthlings to enjoy. So basically the Disney movies you watch are actually reenactments of actual events from the World of Disney's past. Does this make any sense?"

"I think so. Tiana told me something similar. She said there was no specific time period in the World of Disney. But now you're saying that the World of Disney has history, which implies year dates. How does that work?"

Winston chuckled. "Believe me, it's best if you didn't ruminate on the topic."

I nodded. "Yes, definitely. So what does this have to do with the realms?"

Winston's smile faded. "Well, it's only a thought, but it's perfectly plausible."

I waited. "What?"

"Well, Jamie, I think you're here to stop something much more than the 'Lavas of Hell.'" He grimaced. "I think you're here to prevent......a war."