Chapter 5

"Sorry about the rude entrance," Roger offered after his wife explained. "Thank you for going all this way to bring our little girl back to us."

"Your wife was telling us about a resistance you're in charge of," Oswald started. "Is there any way we could help?"

"Oh, we couldn't ask you to do that," Ophelia quickly said.

"Oswald was ready to start one after we first got here," Mickey said, nodding his head at the rabbit.

"In that case," Roger said, shoving his hands into his pockets as he thought a moment. "We've got a rally this afternoon, outside of city hall. I've been looking for some people I could trust to make sure violence doesn't break out."

"Three protectors of the peace, you got it," Oswald said, sucking in air to buff out his chest.

Mickey let out a laugh at the sight of his brother, getting Oswald to let out the air and return his stomach to its normal size with a smile. Mickey turned back to the locals and asked, "How many people do you expect?"

"Only about twenty today," Roger admitted. "A lot of us are just too scared to do anything, afraid the domestics will persecute us farther. But if we don't stand up now, who knows how bad it'll get. We're already slaves."

"You two aren't though," Pipwolf realized.

"We were the lucky ones," Ophelia explained. "We were born into a family of magson supports. He treated us fairly and when we asked to be set free, he did. He's actually encouraging the magson under his care do join the resistance. But slavery is still slavery, even if it's run by a nice old man."

Roger pulled out the remains of a wrist watch from his pocket, the band missing, and checked the time. "Well, if you three are serious about this, we'd better head out now," he said as he pocketed the watch.

"We're serious," Oswald said, giving the mouse a nod.

"Good," Roger said with a responding nod of his own. He quickly stepped over to his daughter still sitting in her chair with her new teddy bear clutched tight in her arms as she started dozing. He gave her a kiss between the ears before giving a second kiss to his wife.

"Oh, please stay safe," Ophelia wished.

"Do my best," Roger said, giving her a smile. He gave the three still standing by the door a look before leading the way out of the home. They followed him out into the alleyway, Pipwolf shutting the door behind them, and silently made their way back to the main street.

"I'll have a speech right after the large clock'll strike five,"Roger explained as they turned onto the sidewalk. "I'll be standing at the top of the steps. I've got a few that will be at the front row, they'll keep everyone at the second step but try to keep the people out of the street."

"Do you think someone might also be after you?" Oswald asked, remembering his own world's history from the few times of listening in to Ortensia's homeschooling class.

"I've gotten so many death threats now, I don't have the time to take them serious anymore," Roger admitted with a shrug as they stopped to cross the road. "Just keep everyone safe. The last thing we need is for a magson to start a fight."

A break in the cars allowed them to cross the road as Oswald flashed Mickey a worried glance.

Roger led them to the steps of city hall and a group of cows and a bull standing at the large buildings steps. Roger gave them a nod and said, "Glad to see you four could make it."

"Wouldn't miss this," one of the cows said with a polite nod. "Any news about your daughter?"

"These nice men found her and brought her back to us," Roger said, a large smile on his face. "Oswald, Mickey, and Pipwolf, these are the folks I was telling you about. Karen, Sharron, Emily, and Joe. They'll be the front lines while I've asked these three to help keep the peace."

"How terrible of you," the cow Oswald guessed to be Emily chastised with a look at Roger. "They found your daughter and you make them work for you."

"Don't take it the wrong way," Oswald said. "We asked to help."

"Oh really?" Sharron asked, raising a brow at the three.

Motion caught Roger's eyes, bringing the group's attention to see more people gathering at the steps.

"Guess it's show time," Mickey offered.

"You should go ahead and get up there," Karen said as she looked at Roger. "We'll get into place."

Oswald watched Roger lead the four up the steps, leaving them a couple of steps up, before turning to the two. "Pipwolf, make sure the street's safe. Mickey, be in with the crowd. I have a bad feeling about all of this." He threw a glance across the street where police men already stood outside the doors with suspicious glares.

"I see the parallels too," Mickey mumbled.

The clock above city hall let out a loud chime before sounding off five times to ring out the hour. With a parting glace, Pipwolf and Mickey found places to mingle into the crowd as Oswald took in the steps up to the civil building.

As the last of the five bells ran, Roger started his speech. "People of Mouseburg! I come here not to apologies for my ancestor's mistakes. They acted wrongly towards your ancestors and were rightly punished. But it is time to stop taking revenge of the long dead on the living!"

Cries of agreement sounded from the small crowd gathered as Oswald took a glance around the surrounding street and buildings. People across the street had stopped to watch what was happening only for the police to motion for them to keep walking, most following their advice.

"We have not used our born abilities to abuse you or oppress you, that was someone so many generations from the people alive no one personally remembers it," Roger continued. "We have followed the rules you laid down out of fear. Fear that led to you beating us like your ancestors did only a few generations ago. We're not asking for things to go back to how they were, they weren't right. We're asking to be treated as equals."

"As equals!" the crowd echoed.

"As brothers and sisters under this one country we live!"

"As brothers and sisters!"

A flash of sunlight reflecting against something on the roof of the police station caught Oswald's eyes. The reflection moved to show the barrel of a rifle pointing out over the roof's edge.

"I hate when I'm right," Oswald mumbled under his breath. He caught sight of Mickey and called out, "Mick!" as the crowd let out another echo he couldn't understand. Not able to be heard, Oswald shook his head and ran across the street, glad his luck held out as a car's horn whizzed right behind him.

"I should arrest you right now, Rabbit," an officer said as Oswald's feet hit the sidewalk. "You know how danger-"

"Shooter!" Oswald interrupted as he bounded up the steps to the police station. "Roof! Now!" He passed the spell bound officers and pushed through the doors. Pausing to locate the door to the stairs, he continued his path to the door and ripped it open. He kept his mind focused on Roger and his family, knowing he had to stop this person as he rushed up three flights of stairs. He ran into the roof's access door, pushing the bar in with his shoulder as he made impact. The metal rang out in a bang as Oswald froze in the doorway to look for where the shooter knelt. His eyes locked on those of a horse, the rifle still pointed over the edge of the roof from where he knelt. Oswald moved first. He dived to the left, taking coverage behind the air conditioner unit just as a gunshot sounded off. A metal twang sounded close by.

"Where are those stupid cops," Oswald mumbled, dropping his ears back as he dared to take a peak out the other side of his hiding place only to quickly pull back at the sight of the rifle pointed his way. Another bullet fired off, this one he wasn't sure where it went. "Put the weapon down!" Oswald ordered, wishing he had his gun as he looked around the roof for some idea.

"I saw you down there with that mouse," the horse said. "You may be normal but you might as well be one of those darn magsons!"

"You know, from where I come from, everyone's supposed to be equal," Oswald said, picking up a rock. He bounced it in his hand as he admitted, "There's people like you that keep making it difficult, you know that right?"

"But they're not like us," the horse defended. "They're freaks and if they hadn't been in charge in the oppressed times we should've wiped them out as witches then!"

"Like it was their choice to be born with magic!" Oswald exclaimed.

"But it was their choice when they abused their magic on us!" the horse called back.

Oswald let out a loud grunt as he threw the rock in his hand out the other side of his hiding spot. A shot followed in that direction as Oswald scrambled to his feet and went back towards the door. He let out a cry as he jumped towards the man, arms reaching for the rifle as the gun was turned on him. A bullet fired off as Oswald took hold of the hot barrel. He struggled to rip it from the man's grip as another bullet fired off.

"Police! Freeze!" a voice boomed from behind.

Oswald stopped, his teeth barreled in a growl as he stared down at the man. Footsteps crunched the gravel on the roof as three bodies came up behind Oswald before a white hand reached out and ripped the gun from the two of them.

"Why did you come into my town just to cause havoc?" an officer asked, getting Oswald to notice the cop from when they first stepped into this world.

"I'm not the one trying to murder another man," Oswald said as he watched one of the police dogs handcuff the horse.

"Henry, we're gonna have ta lock you up this time," the police officer explained as he kept hold of the horse's cuffed hands behind his back.

"We'll need you to make a statement downstairs," the officer still talking to Oswald said.

Oswald drew in a deep breath, the adrenaline finally cooling down. "Just give me a moment to catch my breath."