Heroes of Disney #1: Rise of the Firebird

Ch. 26: Casey Junior

My face paled. "What do you mean?"

He turned the mirror around to face me. It showed Meg, lying on a dark cave floor, hands bound behind her back, and a gag over her mouth. She was unconscious.

"How do you know Hades has her?" I asked the hero.

He glared threateningly at the glass surface, as if he might smash it against the nearest tree, which so happened to be the one Dodger was using to relieve himself. "I just have that dark feeling. The feeling I always get when Hades is around. Hades definitely has her."

I wasn't about to tell him he was wrong. Who was I to say that the cavern Meg was lying in wasn't the Underworld?

Hercules handed me the mirror and turned his face to the sky, whistling with his fingers.

After the shrill sound pierced the calm air, causing Dodger to whine, Pegasus swiftly flew into view, blue mane flapping in the wind. He flew to the ground as Hercules quickly strode toward him.

"Hercules, where are you going?" Tiana asked, just noticing the commotion. "Aren't you going to help Buck when Casey Junior gets here?"

At this point Hercules has already saddled Pegasus and was preparing to lift off with a determined look resonant on his chiseled face. "I'm sorry Tiana. But Hades has Meg. I don't know how long he's had her, so I can't wait any longer." He turned to me. "I'm sorry for abandoning you, Jamie. But I need to rescue her."

I nodded and grinned. "Hercules, you're doing what's expected of a proper Disney hero. Now, Herk, go and rescue your damsel."

He smiled. Then began his ascent. "Alright, Pegasus, LET'S GO!"

And with the speed of a supersonic jet, Pegasus lifted off into the air, and blasted into the unknown.

<<<<<<<<<<

Casey Junior came down the track a few minutes later. He was a basic looking train, except for the one uncommon feature of a train- he had a face. Complete with eyes, a nose and a mouth. He had steam blowing out of the top.

"C'mon, Jamie. The train only stops at each stop for five minutes. We have to get Buck into one of the open compartments."

As Casey Junior was slowing down, Tiana and I walked over to Buck, who was lying on the grass, eating daffodils. Perry and Dodger was lying next to him.

"Am I getting on the train?" Buck asked as we got closer.

"Yup. Tiana and I have to lift you. If you could try and lessen the weight that would be great."

The princess and I got onto either side of Buck and, on the count of three, we lifted.

Boy, was he heavy. I don't know how Hercules did it. Then again, he had ultimate super-human strength, so I'm sure that helped.

"Geez Buck, you need to lay off the sugar cubes." I grunted as Tiana and I barely lifted him a few feet.

Buck scoffed at that. "Well EXCUSE ME for surviving on a normal diet."

"Quiet, both of you." Tiana looked ready to buckle underneath Buck's weight. "Jamie, do you think you could walk backwards to reach the nearest open compartment?"

"I think I can. I think I can. I think I can."

Tiana glared at me.

"What? Too soon?"