-2 hours into the morning-
Along the stream in twos, the group walked on, seeing the environment around themselves, and voicing out their thoughts about the situation they've found themselves in. Haku spoke lightly, "One thing for sure, we aren't anywhere in the southern Hemisphere. The stars aren't familiar to me.".
Pippa blinked, "You too, huh? I couldn't even find my favorite constellation, 'Canopus' up there.". Emma startled, "But we aren't in the Northern Hemisphere either...I mean, I can't find 'Orion' up there either.".
Jason and Logan looked at each other in surprise before Logan spoke, "Not even the Big Dipper?". Zuri shook her head, "Nothing. It's almost like we're dropped off into a world with unknown stars...Honestly, the only stars that's barely familiar is the Evening Star and her companion star, but that's impossible...is it?".
Emma stopped walking, "Of course, I should have known! Straight on til morning and to the second star on the right.". Jason sputtered loudly in shock, "Wait, wait, back up!", stopping at once and looking at Emma, "Are you saying we're in Neverland?".
Eyes widen at Jason's questioning proclamation as they looked around, and Zuri commented, "For some reason, that seems plausible...But I think we might be on the mainland. I mean, on either side, the two stars appear the same...".
Pippa spoke, "But if that's right, we should be in the countryside of England or the city of London at least...But the fauna's incorrect if I read the books right...". Haku blinked slowly, "Guys...I think we're in the universe of Disney...That glowing door took us here for a reason, and we changed. We're still the honorably discharged soldiers, but we've changed from 3-D to 2-D...".
Jason blinked in surprise, "OMG...I have dreamed of meeting my favorite characters, but this, I never imagined!", breathing fast for a minute as Logan went to calm him down while the others took sharp breaths upon hearing Haku's revealing comment.
Zuri exhaled, "It totally makes sense...I mean, all of us resemble a mixed sort of our favorite characters...But why are we here?". Emma pursued her lips, "I don't know, Zuri, but while we're here, we can find out, and as long as we're careful,- What was that sound?", perking up as she heard a distant sound, and the others perked up, hearing it too.
Pippa blinked, "We got to check it out.", and murmurs of agreement sounded out, and they slowly, carefully walked from the stream through a thin portion of woods before ducking down into bushes when the sounds became louder. The group traded signals, and peeked over the top of the bushes to see what's causing the sounds, and gasps of awe and shock filled the air.
Before them is a herd of horses, but not just horses, actual winged horses! Pegasi! Neighs, whickers, nickers, burrs, snorts filled the atmosphere as five foals played; one black-coated/feathered with a silver-white mane/tail, one light brown-coated/feathered with a blonde mane/tail, one sand-golden coated/feathered with a light blonde mane/tail, one white-coated/feathered with a bluish-black mane/tail, and one red-roan coated/feathered with a dark brown mane/tail.
Zuri watched the little black one, and gasped softly as he pranced to his parents, his silver-white mother and his black/gray father, and whispered to Logan, "That's Peter Pegasus!", having watched Fantasia. Logan nodded, and saw the white foal walk over to a very familiar Pegasus, "No way! Look, that foal is the son of Pegasus!", pointing to the very familiar Pegasus, Hercules's animal companion.
Sure enough, it's Pegasus, the blue-maned, white coated/feathered winged horse, and he's nuzzling the little foal lovingly with a few nickers. Jason muttered, "I bet it's the dark bay mare as his mate/mother.", gesturing to the other mare of the herd, the dark bay brown coated/feathered with a black mane/tail.
Zuri blinked in confusion, "Is he just checking in or is he actually the lead stallion of the herd? I mean, I don't see Hercules anywhere...". Pippa spoke quietly, "Either way, Hercules let him go to be with this herd for the day or something...".
Haku chuckled softly, "This is incredible...Right, Em?". Emma nodded, "Amazing...", watching the herd frolic and relax around when all of a sudden, a very loud roar echoed through the air, and the Pegasi neighed out of alert, throwing their heads up, flapping their wings, and they saw Pegasus nudge his son into the air, heading away from the continuing roars.
They got up, and Jason spoke, "Emma.". Emma narrowed her eyes, "Let's find out what's going on.", and everybody nodded silently in agreement, following Emma out of the bushes, and walked on to the source of the roars. They ran faster when they heard screams, human screams.
Emma looked at Jason, "Do your thing, Jason. Rest of us, we'll take it close-range.", and Jason nodded, drawing out his scope out of his backpack, putting it on his rifle, figuring that the roars is coming from a large animal, definitely predator if judging by the human screams that occurred moments later.
The others held their shotguns closely as they came upon a terrifying and scary situation. A large, black bear with bloody red eyes, big as a redwood tree and tall as one man three times over, is stomping dangerously, growling as he got closer and closer to a cornered family.
Emma shot first, firing a bullet into a narrow slice of the bear's shoulder, and the bear roared in pain, its eyes turning around to focus on the group, and they swore its eyes became redder, the familiar glint of anger in them. Zuri shot next, firing for the neck, but narrowly missed as the bear snarled, walking furiously towards them.
The bear was upon them before they could fire again, and it was to swat its big paw at them when a shot sounded out, and the bear roared loudly as blood spilled down from its destroyed eye, rearing backwards, and was about to land and attack the group when another shot sounded again.
The bear's other eye widened, froze for a moment before dropping sort of sideways into the ground, the chest bleeding from a bullet wound in the heart, and moments later, it gave one last breath, and welcomed death as life faded from the remaining eye, and Logan came forward to poke the bear, checking to make sure that it's all dead.
Logan whistled lowly before calling out, "Yeah, you got him, bro!". Pippa blinked, "Dang, he's a monster of a bear...". Emma nodded, "Yep, and he's a familiar one. Remember Copper and Tod fighting him?". Eyes widen at Emma's comment before glancing at the bear. It's truly the monstrous bear from Fox & the Hound.
Zuri frowned lightly, "He's bigger than I remember...", before looking over to the cornered family, seeing Haku walk over to them. Haku bowed his head respectfully, "Pardon me, but are you all right now?".
A woman looked up to him, holding a man in her hands on her lap, her husband if judging the rings on their hands, dressed respectively in a olive green sleeved shirt, a dark green corset, a dark pink skirt, black boots, and a light pink cape, having medium-dark red hair that's down past her shoulders, brown eyes, and fair tan skin.
The man is dressed in a dark green half-sleeved shirt, blue trousers, dark brown boots, and a dark red cape, having medium-light red hair that's just past his ears, being a tad scruffy, dark brown eyes, and tanned skin.
Cuddled into the woman's side, next to the husband is a young boy, perhaps 10 years old, dressed in a dark red tunic, brown trousers, black boots, and a dark green cape, having medium-red hair that's more scruffy, brown eyes, and tanned skin.
The woman spoke, "Thank you for saving us, you and your friends, but my husband is injured. The bear hit him in the side after he tried to shoot with his bow.", and Haku can see the pain on the man, wincing and groaning quietly.
Haku frowned lightly, and removed his backpack, "I know I got it here somewhere...Ah, there it is!", pulling out the small WW2 American Navy surgical kit. "Ma'am, I am able to clean and stitch up his injury, if you would allow me to do so.".
The woman blinked in surprise, "Oh, you're a healer! Thank you so much, sir! I was almost considering to move Robin into one of our horses, and get back to the town, but it's a hour away, and he's really hurt...".
Haku nodded determinedly, "That would make things worse if he's moved too much. Pippa, help me move him into this blanket.", pulling out his bundled blanket, opening it up to air out, and lay it out besides the man.
Pippa nodded, "Sure thing, Haku. Miss, please gently put his head down, and look after your son while we help your husband out.". The woman obeyed Pippa's orders, and went to hold and check over her son while Haku and Pippa went to grab either side of the man.
"Alright, sir, we're going to lift you up some. This will hurt, but the blanket will be warmer than the snow, okay?", commented Haku gently yet sternly. The man nodded slightly, "Of course. What was that, anyway? How did you kill him? My arrows didn't even pierce far enough to injure or kill him.".
Logan whistled lowly as he picked up the wayward bow, "Wow, that's really beautiful craft. You're a archer, huh?". The man grinned lightly as he waved a hand before wincing, "Ow. Yes, I am the best archer in all of Sherwood Hollow. After all, that's why I am called Robin Hood.".
The group's eyes widen way big as they gaped and looked at each other for a moment before Jason spoke up, arriving from his high spot, "Okay, we ain't dreaming at all.", and the group agreed silently as it's quite the understatement of the century.