Chapter 3

"So where are we going?" Oswald asked, grabbing Ortensia's hand as he looked around the unfamiliar town.

"Well, Casper lives in the old manner, it can't be that hard to find," Mickey offered with a shrug. He caught sight of a little girl pulling a wagon with a dog in it on the other side of the street. Crossing over he called out, "Excuse me, do you know where Whipstaff Manner is?"

"Sorry sir, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," the girl said, looking up at him.

"Oh, well, I can't argue with that," Mickey said with a shrug as he put his hands in his pockets.

The girl started walking again as she said, "But I can tell Minty here." Mickey rushed forward, keeping up with her as she continued. "The old haunted house is up on the hill, but I wouldn't say to go there. The ghosts are oftly scary." She stopped to look at the mouse and added, "Tommy Jones went up there last week. He came back sick."

"Sick? I didn't think ghosts could make somebody sick," Mickey asked.

"Sick from bein' scared," the girl clarified as she continued walking down the sidewalk. "At that light back there, turn to the blue fried chicken place. You'll be able to see it from there."

"Thank you!" Mickey said, stopping to let the girl go on her own. He looked back at Oswald and Ortensia across the street and waved them over. Once they were close enough he said, "It sounds like he's got family over."

"I hope we're not imposing than," Ortensia offered.

"Who is this Casper anyway?" Oswald asked as they followed Mickey back the way the little girl had come. "We couldn't hear much but I caught the word haunted."

"Oh right, he would've been after your time," Mickey realized. "He's Casper the Friendly Ghost."

"Great, more ghosts," Oswald grumbled.

"More ghosts?"

"Just too many times of dealing with the Haunted Mansion and its reject ghosts," Oswald offered offhandedly.

"Aren't those the same ghosts who are afraid of the kids?" Ortensia asked.

Oswald threw her a smile, squeezing her hand as answer.

"She said we'd be able to see it passed this place," Mickey offered, turning right as they got to the corner with the blue building. Looking out into the housing development they could see a decrepit old mansion on a hill not too far from them.

"Well, an't that peachy?" Oswald offered.

"So how is someone that we've never met supposed to help clear Oswald's name?" Ortensia asked as the three made their way on foot to the old mansion.

"I'm hoping he might know of others that could help," Mickey admitted as he looked around. "Universal didn't do much in Roger's movie so I don't know about many of the toons still around from your time here. It was either Casper or Woody, and I couldn't get him to answer."

"Wait a moment, I saw Roger's movie," Oswald said as they continued on their way through the neighborhood. "I don't remember Casper being in it."

"Deleted scene," Mickey offered with a shrug. "He was gonna be there at Acme's funeral."

An explosion of noises sounded from the mansion, freezing the three in their tracks.

"What on earth was that!?" Oswald exclaimed, putting himself before his wife as he held his free hand up in protection.

They could make out two bodies running out of the front door of the mansion on the hill, objects being thrown out after them.

"Are you sure he's a friendly ghost?" Ortensia asked.

A small ghost came out of the door, floating with arms outstretched as he turned to look back at the house only for a toaster to soar straight through him and into the wake of the two humans.

The two boys ran towards the three on the sidewalk, panic evident on their faces. "Go back!" one cried out, waving his hands. "It's not worth it!"

Mickey sidestepped to let the two boys run between him and his family.

"Andy! Bill!" a voice called, turning the three to the small ghost floating after the two boys. The ghost came to a stop in front of Mickey, defeated as he hung his shoulders.

"Hey Casper, things not going well?" Mickey asked, throwing a glance back to the retreating forms.

"My uncles are in town again," Casper admitted with a sigh. He looked at the two beside Mickey and held out his hand. "You two must be Oswald and Ortensia. I'm Casper."

"Nice to…" Oswald's hand phased through Casper's, leading the rabbit to look at his own hand in surprise, "meet you?"

"Sorry," Casper offered. "It's hard to be solid sometimes."

"Hey, at least you don't do it as a prank," Oswald said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he gave the young ghost a smile only for the smile to drop as his stomach let out a sound.

"Oh, it is passed lunch time, isn't it?" Casper realized.

"It's been a…" Ortensia paused a moment before saying, "hectic day."

"Come on, there's a little deli everyone loves over here," Casper offered, floating around them to lead them back the way they had come. "Maybe then you can tell me what's going on." He looked over his shoulder and added, "Over the phone you didn't make much sense."

"I still don't think it makes much sense," Mickey admitted, throwing a look upwards. "In short, what we need is proof from the 30s that a movie was just that."

"That's gonna be tough, finding someone around here that old," Casper admitted. He continued floating across the street as he was deep in thought, leading them to the deli.

"Hey Casper!" Oswald called out, quickly pulling Mickey and Ortensia back as a truck ran the light.

Casper turned at his name as the truck drove through him, leaving the ghost where he floated. He stared at the truck driving away as he admitted, "I'm tired of that."

"Are you okay?" Ortensia asked as the three crossed the street, Casper joining them to the sidewalk.

"I'm fine," Casper sighed. "You'd think I'd be used to being a ghost."

"You're not normal for a ghost," Mickey pointed out.

"You're the nicest ghost I've ever met, if that means anything," Oswald offered.

"Thanks," Casper said with a smile. An idea struck the ghost as he added, "Oh hey, the guy who runs the deli's from the 30s, he might be able to help."

"Do you know which part?" Ortensia asked.

Casper shook his head. "Sorry."

"It's a start either way," Mickey pointed out, pulling the door open.

Oswald and Ortensia stepped in behind Casper only to freeze in the doorway.

"Wait a moment, this is Jason's Deli," Ortensia exclaimed.

Squeezing in behind them so the door could shut, Mickey asked, "You know this place?"

"Know it?" Oswald let out a laugh as he looked at the mouse. "We practically lived here for a bit."

"Go ahead and find a seat, I'll be with you in a moment," a boyish voice called out.

"Oh no," Ortensia let out, throwing a glance at Oswald.

"I know that voice," Oswald said as his brows increased.

"It could be someone else," Ortensia offered, pulling the hand still in hers. "Come on, Casper's already found us a table."

"Who else still has that voice?" Oswald asked as he followed behind his wife to a circular table by the wall.

"There could've been others from that time," Ortensia offered, letting go of his hand as she sat down. She took a menu out of its holder between the napkins and salt and pepper shakers as she added, "I wonder if they still make the Cato."

"Doubt it, if this town's called Friendship now," Oswald retorted, refusing to pick up a menu as he looked around the small shop.

"I feel like I'm missing something," Mickey offered as he took a menu.

"At least I'm not alone," Casper offered, floating just above his chair.

"After I got replace, the original owner, Mr. Jason, gave me work here," Ortensia explained. "The kids spent the days helping me or upstairs in the apartment."

"I didn't realize that Friendship used to be the old Comicland," Oswald admitted as he gave up on looking for the owner of the voice.

"Comicland, it's been a long time since I've heard that name," the boyish voice said from beside Oswald, getting the rabbit to jump in surprise.

Oswald turned to look at the owner of the voice to see a brown rabbit standing with a notepad and pen in hand. "You!" Oswald exclaimed.

"Nice to see you, too," the rabbit offered with a snarl. "What, regaining your popularity not enough for you? Gotta rub it in my nose?"

"Ha! If I'd know you were working here, I wouldn't've come," Oswald threatened.

"Oswald," Ortensia ordered. "Both of you."

"But he started it," the brown rabbit said, pointing at Oswald.

"And I'll finish it too," Oswald said, rolling up his sleeve with his hand in a fist.

"Stop it, you need his help," Ortensia pointed out.

"My help! Ha!" the rabbit stepped back with a large smile on his face. "Like he'd let a- what was it you called me, oh right, an inferior imitation help the 'oh so important' Oswald the Lucky Rabbit? Now if you'll excuse me, I have an actual customer." The rabbit turned to Mickey and opened his mouth to ask a question only to stall out at who he saw. "Mickey Mouse! What are you doing here? Don't tell me you came with him!?" the rabbit asked, pointing his pen at Oswald.

"We're also here for food," Mickey offered with a smile as he held up the menu in his hands.

"What can I get'cha?" the rabbit asked, scribbling down something on his notepad.

"Do you still make the Cato?" Ortensia asked.

The rabbit's brows rose high as he admitted, "I hadn't heard that sub in years, I don't even remember what's in the thing."

"I don't fully either," Ortensia admitted. "It had the old secret sauce on it with salami and white cheese."

"The Big Bubba sounds closest to that," the rabbit offered. "It's a cold sub with lettuce, tomato, and the sauce has changed a bit from what you probably remember."

"That sounds fine, thank you, Oswald," Ortensia offered, placing the menu back.

"And ta drink?"

"Wait, your name's Oswald? As in Oswald Rabbit?" Mickey asked as things finally started to make sense to him.

"I go by Oz now, but yeah," Oz offered the mouse. He looked back at Ortensia and asked, "Sadie, what drink?"

"Sprite'd be fine, and I go by Ortensia now," she added with a smile.

"I'll have the same, with a Coke," Oswald said, leaning his elbows on the table.

"I'll take a Reuben and water," Mickey said, putting the menu back with Ortneisa's.

"And usual for you, Casper?" Oz asked, eyeing the ghost.

"Thank you," Casper said with a nod.

"Comin' right up," Oz said before leaving the four.

"I didn't think ghosts could eat," Mickey said, looking at Casper.

"Not really, but whenever I'm here I get a chocolate chip cookie," Casper admitted. "So what exactly happened? Why do you need someone from the 30's from here?"

"Sorry for how I was with you on the phone," Mickey offered. "We've been given two days to prove Oswald didn't rob a bank back then."

"Do you know if Dicky Sheriffson's still around?" Oswald asked.

"He disappeared forty years ago!" Oz called out as he made his way over with three drinks in hand. He sat them down on the table between the brothers and passed them to the ones who ordered them before grabbing a chair from the neighboring table to sit down.

"Don't you have a job to do?" Oswald asked, eyeing the rabbit.

"And a business to run," Oz said with a nod.

"You're the owner of Jason's Deli?" Ortensia asked. "What happened to Mr. Jason?"

"He retired, asked me to take over the business since I've been working here for- shoot, eighty years now." Oz's ears dropped a bit as he admitted, "Kinda miss the old man."

"If he's retired, why don't you… oh," Mickey stopped as he noticed the grim faces on those around him. "I'm sorry."

"No, it was his choice," Oz offered. "It'll happen to me one of these days. Defiantly now."

"Why's that?" Mickey asked, taking a sip of his water.

"I was connected to his copyright," Oz explained, throwing his thumb at Oswald beside him as he looked at the mouse. "When our two companies did the trade that made it so that if they ever wanted to use me again, they couldn't." He let out a snort as he glared at the black rabbit. "Guess you were right."

"Hey, you've got your own business now, that's nothing to scoff at," Oswald said.

"But it's not in front of a camera."

Oswald's ears drooped. "I know." He looked the other rabbit in the eye and offered, "I know it's a few years too late, but I am sorry about all the things I said when you got casted."

"You're only saying that because you're getting it all back," Oz said, eyeing Oswald.

"Oswald," Ortensia chastised. "He wanted to apologies to you years ago."

Oz let out a sigh. "I guess that's what I get for them dropping the 'Lucky' from my name."

"Oz! Their meal's ready!" an older female voice called out from behind the counter.

"You curious ol' hag, why won't you be curious when there's something to be curious about?" Oz called out as he pushed himself out of the chair.

"Just to annoy you," the woman said with a loud laugh.

Oz shook his head as he left the table to go behind the counter.

"I wonder if any of his family's still around," Ortensia thought aloud once he was far enough away.

"No, they're not," Casper offered in a whisper. "I was friends with his nephews. They disappeared in the nineties."

The table went silent just before Oz came back with their food.

"Hot cookie, Reuben, and two Big Bubbas," the rabbit announced as he sat the paper plates down. He took his seat back and sat down. "I don't think there's many still around from the time you're looking for though. Even Woody didn't come 'round until 1940. Andy Panda would've also been a few years too late…"

"Is Krazy Kat still around?" Oswald asked through a mouthful.

"He disappeared years ago," Oz offered, shaking his head. He snapped his fingers as he added, "Though Felix is!'

"Felix the Cat? I didn't think he was Universal," Mickey offered before taking a bite.

"I didn't even think he was still around," Ortensia offered.

"He's been living off his old cartoons mostly, I think there was talk of giving him a show or movie but I haven't heard anything more than rumors."

"Do you know where he lives?" Oswald asked.

"Yeah, over in Logansport," Oz offered, scribbling down the address on his notepad. He tore the page out and handed it to Mickey. "It's the next city over."

"I'm sorry Mickey, I don't know that area," Casper offered, looking over the mouse's shoulder to see the address.

The door opened, hitting the bell to alert that someone had walked in. Without turning to look Oz called out, "Go ahead and find a seat, I'll be with you in a moment."

A unique laugh filled the air before the owner said, "Oz, you really are a lazy business owner."

"Woody!" Oz let out, jumping to his feet.

"What?" Woody asked as a purple haired woman stood on the other side of the counter where the woodpecker sat. "Just give me the Jubilee and water, Mo."

"Coming up."

"Woody, get over here," Oz said, stepping to the side of the chair so it was open for the woodpecker.

Woody looked over his shoulder only to drop off the stool onto his feet with surprise on his face. "Mickey Mouse? What are you doing here?"

"Hey Woody, how you doing?" Mickey asked, smiling.

Woody stepped over and took the chair offered to him as he said, "Can't complain."

"Hey Woody," Oz started. He leaned against the back of the chair and took the note back from Mickey to show it to Woody. "You live over in Logansport, do you think you could show them where this is?"
"Sure, I'm heading that way now anyway," Woody offered. His eyes fell on Oswald and Ortensia before asking Oz, "So who's the Animaniacs?"

Oz put a hand to his smile, hiding a laugh as Oswald choked on the bite in his mouth.