All For Love, And All For One

The spaniel pulled herself inside, and set on her hunches. Her gaze planted on her forepaws and the safety tread flooring of the locomotive cab. Her ears shaking slightly as her head bobbed up and down in time to the train's rhythm. Lady lowered her gaze. She could remember a time when all she had wanted was to take her family and get as far away from the mutt as she could. Those memories where slowly becoming clearer as time went on. Yet they also become more and more conflicting.

And then there was Cash...that was a minefield she did not want to enter.

“It's hard not too think about it. I just can't help but wonder what went wrong. We where such a loving family. With a home from which we would never roam. It all went so downhill so quickly. I just...”

She looked up at the mongrel, once more examining the features of his face. Her mouth a thin line against her soft muzzle. He really was a handsome dog. A kind of roguish handsomeness, complete with a strong face and towseld maw. She saw how much she had meant to him, as well as realizing how much he had meant to her.

“I don't remember anything after well...giving birth. Saying goodbye to Cash. But I knew you had it rough. I knew it not long after you found me out by the Oasis. You looked like you had been through hell. I don't remember being dead. It's like waking up from a deep sleep. But listening to you speak. About that time, about when I was gone. I don't remember it, but I know it.”

She looked away, her chocolate eyes taking in the passing scenery. Pausing as if to collect her thoughts, before whipping her head back to him. “Tramp, you where never alone. That much I am most certain. Every step you took out there, even in the most darkest of times. I was there alongside you.”

There were so many reasons Tramp had thought of, about why they had split, how everything had gone so wrong. Mistakes that had been made, by both himself and by Lady. But, when all was said and done, it was his mistakes, his old street-dog mentality, that had ultimately been at fault.

When she gazed back up at him, he found himself once more taken with her beauty. A result, perhaps, or breeding, but it was so much more than that. Something no amount of breeding could have accomplished on its own. Something he'd noticed, and had been captivated by. He had come to realize, too late, that he really did want to spend the rest of his life with her.

But when she mentioned the circumstances surrounding her death, and how she had said a last goodbye to...that hound, and not to him, he had to turn away. Lady's relationship with Cash was still a deep wound in his heart. Indeed, in his very soul. Having to watch the one he loved more than life itself, more than anything in the world, with another, gazing at that hound with such affection...

He sighed, and padded back to the window opposite where Lady stood, and once more gazed outside, and away from the Graveyard. Once they had rescued Dani, he and Lady would have to take some time to talk, now that her memories were back, and see if they could work something out about their future, if any.

"Sometimes, I can almost believe that," he said softly, gazing back at Lady as he spoke. He remembered, if barely, a few frantic searches for her. Part of him had refused to accept her death as fact. But, in the end, he'd come to his senses, and tried to move on. "Later, after things have calmed down, we'll talk. But, right now, we can't let the past distract us," he said, as much to himself as to Lady.

The cocker solemnly nodded her head, before casting a genuine smile at the mongrel. A broad, sweet smile. The kind that curved into dimples in her soft cheeks. Wordlessly agreeing with him. They would figure this out...somehow.

But the here and now made itself known when the Baldwin built steam locomotive lurched sharply. Lady slid forward slightly, suddenly caught off guard. Bracing herself with her forepaws. Coming close to toppling into the ironclad magician. She swung her body around, perruteing on her forepaws, and scrambled to the engineer's seat box. Slinging herself onto her hind-legs, she pulled herself up so that she sat on the soft leather of the engineer's seat. Her mouth agape as she realized just how close they where getting.

Outside the window was a sight strait out of a fairytale. Directly in front of Casey, the flatcar was rocking back and forth violently. Chains left on it's deck rattling. Ahead of that, was the strange sight of barren earth, barley a scrub visible, sliding under the train with no sight of any rails. Even further ahead of that, imaging out of the mist was the first of the termite mounds. Bringing forth a sudden flood of emotions. Somewhere...in there...Dani lay. Fears and nightmares where about to become reality. The cocker mother had not seen her daughter since the day she left the home on Snob Hill.

Casey's main rods clattered. It seemed that, more then likely unknown to Scar and his army, the land sloped upward towards their home. The little locomotive was engaged in the time honored tradition of fighting gravity. His exhaust cracking like the footfalls of a thousand solders. Tossing a thunderhead of black smoke over his shoulder. A rain of cinders starting to fall. Each stroke accompanying a rock to one side or the other.

Lady looked at the Tramp. Brown eyes full of determination. Nothing stood to a mother's fury. The spaniel reached up and wrapped a golden furred paw around the whistle cord. Her ears fluttered around her head, caught in the wind blowing through the open cab window.

“I want them to know we are coming...I want her to know we are coming.”

With that, She pulled on the cord with all her might. The melodic tone of the steam whistle blasted, echoing across a strange land that had never heard such a sound. White steam erupted from the brass chimes. A smug smile split Casey's face. Off colored eyes flashing mischievously. Nothing was going to stop them now.

(With that, if Merlin is alright with it, I now open this Thread to all Outlanders. Especially if you have sharp hearing. Remember, it's a train, so it will be moving. If you don't keep up you may be left behind figuratively, and literally. I would love to see Scar and Zira at some point.)

Shenzi was padding along the OutLands,when she saw it; a giant continuous puff of white steam engine.They arrived, along with their steam engine. If they plan to invade our territory they got another thing coming. The hyena stood and sniffed the air, Dogs, no wait,a cocker spaniel, a mongrel and a human. Big mistake to come here heroes, a very big mistake come to here.
An evil smile spread across Shenzi's maw. Then the smile turned into a low growl. "I wonder who might be so brave to come here". She muttered through gritted teeth.



(ooc post: About Shenzi sniffing out whose who, I wanted her to have the sense of smell that dogs have.)

"Ugh, the hell?" Vakasa had just been awoken from his daily nap. After all, there was not much to do around here as of late. "Casey?" He knew that whistle anywhere. A hand dragged across his face, and the silverback, now alert, stood up on two legs. He let out a series of hoots, teeth gleaming in the light. The hyena's voice reached his ears and he turned, spotting her some feet away, muttering something. "Hey, what's Casey Jr. doing in the Outlands? What's going on?" He rushed towards Shenzi, hoping to get some answers.

Shenzi turned around and saw the silverback rushing towards her. Hey, what's Casey Jr. doing in the the Outlands? What's going on?Vakasa voiced her thoughts. "I have no idea, but I do know whose on the train. A cocker spaniel, a mongrel and a human are here. But if they dare enter here..." Shenzi paused at the thoughts of how they could hurt the heroes,throw 'em in the pit. But why are they here?. "They must be brave or came here for another reason", looking at the steam cloud, and asked "Shall we report it to Queen Zira and King Scar?". If she had no clue what to do, maybe they might.

DeSoto hit the ground running as soon as the high-pitched whistle of the locomotive reached his sensitive ears. His large paws tore up dirt as he went, black claws rending the parched earth with every footfall.

As far as he was concerned, this place never saw the passage of trains. It was too desolate, and the locals here saw no use for human methods of transportation. The doberman's simple mind concluded that something was very irregular about the arrival of this train.

A low, continuous growl rumbled in his throat and past his lips as he rocketed past both Shenzi and Vakasa. He spared them little more than a passing glance, yellow eyes narrowed in savage concentration. He would have to regulate his pace and breathing pattern if he wanted to match its speed, and even then he was still slower than the engine. However, the brute knew that all vehicles stopped at some point, and when it finally did, he would be there. Even if the passengers' scent was clouded by the fetor of the train, tracking was his specialty, and he would find them.

DeSoto's lips peeled back into a cruel smile at the thought. He had been wanting to sink his large fangs into someone for quite some time, and the thrill of the chase further filled him with adrenaline that pulsed through his veins and made him feel as though he could run forever. He would regret the exhaustion later, but for now, nothing but his target lingered in his thoughts.

Tramp was as caught off guard as Lady was, and he was forced to briefly flop down onto his belly to keep from toppling over. As soon as he could get his bearings, however, he was back on his feet, and moving to the fireman's side of the locomotive. As he stuck his head out the window, he was greeted by the sight of the termite mounds, looming out of the haze. His eyes narrowed as he looked for the opening to the pit.

He glanced back at Lady when she spoke, and he smirked, nodding in agreement as she gave a sharp tug on the whistle cord, announcing their presence to everyone who had a set of working ears. As he stuck his head back out the window, he caught sight of a massive gorilla, and a hyena beside it. It would take those two a bit to get after them. Same with the Doberman racing along in their wake.

"Oh, they know, alright. And I'm certain Dani heard, too," he said, returning his gaze to the nearing termite mounds. Whether or not their daughter would realize what the whistle meant was another matter, entirely. As for the Outlanders, they'd be hard-pressed to do so much as dent Casey's iron hide. They might be able to damage some parts of the locomotive, but not much.

"This is going to be rough," he said, grinning fiercely despite the great danger. Killing brought him no pleasure, and he would normally go out of his way to avoid a fight, but he still did the occasional jaunt on the wild side of life.

"The hell are you lot standing around for?" The huge bear charged past Shenzi and Vakasa, letting out a rough sounding grunt as if to tell them to get a move on. "After that train!" he ordered, racing behind Desoto as best he could despite his huge bulk. Bears could move quite fast on their feet if they needed to. He would just have to keep a good pace.
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"Heh heh heh." Griffin's cackle echoed from behind a termite mound as he scampered alongside the train tracks on the other side from where Desoto and the bear were. "Finally, we get something interesting happening," he said as a slick grin made its away across his muzzle, and he let out a cackle alerting the other hyenas nearby of a potential meal.

Casey's whistle blasted as he rocketed bay the first few termite mounds. His drive rods where flying as he struggled to keep up with the grade. The flatcar bunting against his front coupler. The whistle sounded in a succession of sharp blasts as he saw the oncoming doberman. But there was little the dog could do to the moving steam locomotive. Even as he attempted to keep pace. However, the bear was a different matter. Casey could see the massive animal approaching, as well as the sight of a strangely familiar silverback gorilla. All seemed either hell bent on catching up with him, or shouting.

The Baldwin product bit his lower lip, and charged against the flatcar. He opened his cylinder cocks, blowing wet steam alongside him. Because of his charge, instead of a massive cloud of steam, a small layer, likened to a feather, poured out of the cylinder drains. He just hoped that would be enough to keep the doberman or anyone else from getting a foothold on the cab stirrups and swinging aboard the cab. Two trails of steam, hanging low against the ground where being left in his wake.

But it was a rock in a hard place. Casey could either use his steam to carry him forward, or defend himself by opening the blow down valve and hitting everyone with a scalding cloud. He could not do both. There was a finite amount of steam his fire could generate.

With that in mind, Casey did something that he was always taught never to do. Heat things up, and quickly! Inside his belly, his fire raged. The temperature climbing higher. This was dangerous territory. He could quickly generate steam...more steam then his boiler was rated. The circus engine risked blowing himself up.

The only way to avoid this was to use his steam just as quickly as he created in.

Which is what he planned to do.

Lady swung around, placing her forepaws on the window ledge, and leaned out. Bracing herself so that she did not slide out of the window and into the waiting jaws of whomever was below. Her heart rate was climbing, and she could feel the adrenaline rushing. No doubt anyone on her side of the train would be able to spot the graceful cocker in the locomotive cab window. At this point, each wheel revolution one served to draw them deeper in the heart of Scar's Territory.

Her first sight was the termite mounds the train was negotiating itself around. She looked down at the doberman who was quickly approaching, and the bear not far off. Along with other Outlanders...now on each side! Brown eyes wide and mouth agape. They where so close...she had never been this close to any kind of enemy. Other then Dixie. Her mahogany ears flapped in the wind like two signal flags. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears. They could not stop...their movement was their shield.

The spaniel leaned back angst the wall, just in case someone actually whipped into the cab. Still holding her upper body out the window. She heard the cylinder cocks open and saw Casey began to defend himself. However the steam was saturated...wet...only serving to disorientate rather then keep away.

“Ohh left, left! Hang on Tramp!” The spaniel barked. The rails responded, narrowly avoiding smashing the steam locomotive shoving the flatcar into a termite mound. The mound whipped by the cab so close, Lady could count the individual stones embedded in it's muddy surface and the train weaved by. The sudden jolt hard enough to cause the locomotive to lean to one side.

“That was close!” she yipped at her former mate, turning back inside the cab. Her gaze turned to the pressure gauge, which was in her peripheral vision.

“Tramp...look!” A golden furred paw pointed to the big brass gauge. The needle was starting to rise!

"The hell are you lot standing around for? After that train!. Shenzi heard Griffen's cackle, and knew it was time. Finally, something to sink my teeth in other than food, those heroes made a huge mistake coming here. They won't make it out of here, we can catch up with your steam engine. Let the chase begin!. Another smile made it's way on Shenzi's maw.


She started to run after Magnus and DeSoto...

"POP!" the little elephant lets out the loudest trumpet he could as he called for his father. His father was in army before he would surely know how to deal with this train. Hathi Jr. was as fast as his feet could carry him towards the last place he saw his father. He could find Scar or Zira if he happened to bump into them but he doubted that.

Who left the zoo cages opened? Tramp wondered to himself as he caught sight of a large, angry bear joining the pursuit, and a cackling hyena. But, fast as the creatures were moving, they were still falling behind the racing locomotive. He returned his attention to the front as just as Lady spoke, and if he hadn't been half-crouched, he'd have gone right out the window. As it was, he grunted as he was bodily pressed up against the side of the cab.

His mouth fell open for a moment as he gazed at the gauge Lady indicated, then back out the window at the front of the locomotive. He knew full well what that rising needle meant. Just as he knew what would happen if Casey had an error in judgment. "I'm certain he knows what he's doing. Don't worry, he'll hold together," he said, as if willing it to be true.

"You hear me, Casey? Hold together," he said under his breath as he gazed ahead. He was struck by the odd situation of seeing a young elephant, little more than a child, running as fast as his legs could carry him, and trumpeting as loudly as he could.

Then he saw it. Still some distance away, but approaching rapidly. His gaze hardened as he saw, for the first time, the earthen prison/torture chamber Scar had had his daughter thrown into. "There it is, Pidge! Almost dead ahead!" he called, keeping his eyes fixed on its rim.

Haki, being some distance deeper into the Outlands, saw the metal man-thing coming before it could pass her. Her brows furrowed. How? As she narrowed her yellow eyes, she could see several animals already chasing behind the machine. That would be useless, she knew, so she did not made an attempt to join them. Haki turned from where she was standing and ran away from the encroaching train. It was too risky to take on anything man-made without a proper plan. Haki would never face a man head-on with a gun. The metal had to crippled before the slaughter began. If that machine was bound to tracks, then it seemed simple enough to her that what needed to be done was sabotage the machine's path. Haki had little understanding about how trains operated, so she did not think it was wise to attempt to counter it directly. If something solid were to get in that thing's way, it would be so heavy it would have a hard time stopping. Haki attempted to apply her experience with lions to solve this situation. Hyenas were the smaller animal, so one phrase tended to resonate with Haki - the bigger you are, the harder you all. But what could be used as a blockade here? How would they move it?

Haki ran deeper into the Outlands, ready to rally the troops. The large hyena was furious. How dare a creation of man encroach upon her land! If she wanted to associate with such brutes, she would have jumped ship and joined the Heroes a long time ago. Haki briefly glanced at the young elephant as she ran in search of reinforcements. The hyena female let out a couple whoops, but Hathi Jr. was probably louder than she was. Haki stopped for a moment, looking around for anyone who might've been listening.

"A large vehicle is approaching! We need to break it's path before it goes too far!"