Chapter 19:

The Plan Failed/ Silverstream To The Rescue

Meanwhile, the Young 4 had gained a lot of ground pushing Slim in the cart until Lucky Jack looked ahead and gasped as they held on and came down a steep drop as they went down the tracks, screaming like they were on a roller coaster. They calmed down a little when they made it to more flatter ground.

But Crain and Drain have taken a shortcut and came down another tunnel.

"Slim! Slim!" Crain and Drain yelled on the hand-powered cart.

Suddenly they crashed into the cart as Crain and Drain jumped onto the Young 4's mine cart while Yona, Ocellus, Smolder, and Sandbar turned to them and gasped.

"Surprise!" Drain said as he and Crain grinned.

But they were the ones surprised when Lucky Jack quickly appeared behind them and started whacking them with the miner pan. He was certain to get some of the action since the rustlers took his home.

"Ow! Hey!" Crain said as he pulls on the cart's brake trying to hold on.

Sparks began to flew from the cart's wheels and hit the crates of dynamite. They soon came to a stop as Crain and Drain leaped off the cart and Rico, Silverstream, Junior, and Gallus appeared, and then everyone saw the entire cavern lit to the rim with dynamites.

Everyone rushed off running into different tunnels and screaming as they soon went off. The Young 5 with Slim held on to the cart and flew out of the caverns as the explosion plume spew out and they screamed as they fell. Soon the Young 5 slid down a slope as they held on to the cart and soon landed on the track.

"We made it, guys! We made it!" Gallus said excitedly with a laugh.

"Yona so happy!" Yona cheered, joining in as they kept running with Slim in the cart.

"Victory's ours!" Sandbar announced, jumping into the air in victory. Despite everything that happened things seemed to be finally going right.

"3 cheers for us the Young 5!" Smolder declared, joining in their victory of capturing Slim, being jovial for once.

"Hip-hip-Hooray!" Ocellus cheered as right behind them, Rico, Silverstream, Drain, Crain, and Junior appeared running along down the hill. When they reached the tracks, they turned to the Young 5 and Lucky Jack chased after them and their captive.

"Kiddos, we got company!" Lucky Jack warned them, looking back and seeing the chasers.

Drain and Crain, Rico, Silverstream, and Junior started to gain on them. But the pursuers were the least of their problems.

Slim begins to regain himself and saw something ahead in the other direction as he said, "Ohh...oh!".

Up ahead of them, Wesley's train was coming right towards them.

"Aah! Aah!" Slim yelled in panic, seeing they are right in a collision course.

Thankfully, in the locomotive, Wesley looked out the window and soon saw them heading towards the train as he shouted, "Whoa! Stop! Stop! Hit the brake!".

Brain quickly pulls the brake lever as the train screeches across the track for a halt towards them.

"Look Out!" Slim yelled as he and everyone else screamed and Silverstream soon saw the train and screamed as well.

But then everyone ended up in a crash with a big loud boom.

The smoke soon cleared as the Young 5 were on the locomotive's plow while Rico was on the roof, and Silverstream was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Lucky Jack opened the lamp port and then suddenly a piece of metal dropped onto his head and he was completely dazed while stars danced around him. This was too embarrassing.

In the cart, that is right now upside down, Slim angrily muttered as he then angrily got up and broke the cart apart.

"Yaah! Dagnabit! I guess I gotta do everything around here myself!" Slim yelled angrily with angry eyes as he grabs the Young 5, wrestled them to the ground in a headlock, and tied ropes on all 5 of them.

When he was finished tying the ropes, Brain, Drain, and Crain came and started pulling them back. Brain, Crain, and Drain were able to get a hold of the Young 5 while Gallus tried to get his talons on Slim.

"Call me crazy, but I think these kids have it in for me," Slim commented while he dusted himself and watched the Young 5 get pulled away from him

"Maybe they didn't like your singing," Drain said with a smile while he, Crain, and Brain kept pulling the ropes.

"Be quiet, feather-brain, and just pull!" Brain snapped harshly as they kept pulling. The last thing they needed was a more enraged Slim.

Slim cleared his throat, for he still had some business to attend to as he turned to the Griffon still in the cabin and said, "Mr. Weasley, my money if you please,".

"Heh, heh, heh, I was just keeping it save for you Slim," Wesley said with a nervous chuckle as he brought the money to him.

"Sure you were," Slim said with an amused grin while swiping the bag of money away from the small Griffon. He liked showing how smart he was.

In the train's tender, Silverstream, who had been thrown into the wood pile behind the train engine, poked her head out and regains herself as she saw Slim. She was ready to grab him when she received a shock.

"Protecting my investment is what I paid this fellow for. Mr. Weasely, let me present the most traitorous, double-crossin' talon for hire that I've ever had the pleasure to call partner…," Slim said, gesturing to the train.

Silverstream climbed out of the tender and was about to confront Slim as Slim revealed his partner and said, "...Rico,".

Rico landed in front of Silverstream, as she gasped at the revelation that Rico was actually working for the Outlaw, and commended with the stoic expression, "You're too kind, Boss,".

As Rico walked off, Silverstream looked completely shocked and said in a whisper, "No, he can't be,".

"His reputation as a bounty hunter is well-known, but lately he's been doing a little moonlighting and covering my tracks," Slim explained, patting Wesley on the shoulder as Rico put his and Silverstream's saddlebags on and they head off as Silverstream, who still couldn't believe that she was working with a fraud hero, uneasily turns to the Young 5 as they looked at her with disappointed glares.

"I sure hope you saw that comin', Silverstream," Smolder said to Silverstream in a whisper.

"I didn't...I really didn't," Silverstream confessed also in a whisper, she didn't blame them for she was disappointed in herself now.

"Rico's going to see you at the border so that nothing else goes wrong," Slim said, tossing a bundle of money to Rico, who put it away as he and Silverstream walked past them.

Slim then clicked his tongue and Junior quickly appeared.

"Don't push your luck Slim, we'll stop you no matter what," Gallus warned him, struggling to not get pulled back.

"Oh, I doubt that. Now, if you kiddos pardon me...there's a little Sweet Griffon Apple Acres on the auction block this morning," Slim said, changing behind Junior and appeared beside him in his disguise and putting on his hat.

Ocellus gasped, knowing he is talking about their home, and said, "He's going to buy our home!".

"We gotta stop him!" Smolder said as she and the others struggled some more to get free. But that didn't seem to be enough as they were still being pulled back to one of the carts on the train.

"Adios! Yee-Haw!" Slim yelled as he and Junior ran off through the desert.

Ahead of them, Rico has been thinking about seeing Silverstream again and decided that he might like having the kid around.

"I don't know how you got here, Silverstream, but stick with me and you might like the other side of the law," Rico said, patting Silverstream on the left shoulder as he and Silverstream continued walking off.

But Silverstream knew in her heart that she wouldn't like it at all as she moved to the side and saw Junior and Slim rushed by them.

"Get on there! Hyah!" Slim yelled as he and Junior kept running across the desert.

"All right! Come on! Come on!" Wesley shouted as Silverstream uneasily then looked back at the train and thought of the others and heard Wesley shouting at them.

"Move it, kids! Get in there!" Wesley said, trying to help Brain, Crain, and Drain as they begin to pull and push the Young 5 into the boxcar as they struggled.

"Hurry! You don't want to be late for that big round-up in the sky!" Wesley said, still pushing the Young 5 into the train cart.

After seeing the Young 5 being forced into the boxcar, and remembering how Gallus saved her from Junior, Silverstream thought about it more about wanting to help her friends. She knew that she had given them a lot of grief, especially when it came to their home. But believing she could make it up to them now and with a change of heart, she quickly turned back to go and help them and said, "No!".

"What? Silverstream, Whoa!" Rico said as he tries to stop her to stay in control but Silverstream runs back to the train.

Silverstream runs back to the train with Rico chasing right behind her as his hat flew off. She just hope that she wasn't too late to help her real friends.

Meanwhile, Brain, Crain, Drain, and Wesley were still pushing the Young 5 into the boxcar.

"Get in there! Come on, you stupid kids! Come on!" Wesley said getting agitated as the Young 5 continued trying to fight by pulling back until Brain quickly got out and they shoved the Young 5 into the boxcar.

"Lovely," Wesley said as The Young 5 turned with a glare at them, and the side door closed.

"You think this is gonna keep us in here forever, Wesley?" Smolder asked with a snarl.

"Yeah, because we will find a way out of here!" Ocellus warned them.

"Ha! I like to see you kids try. Now you three get the engine fired up and let's make tracks," Wesley said, ordering Slim's Henchmen as he was about to use the key to lock the door and they move on to carry out his order.

But then suddenly Silverstream's rein whipped the key from Wesley's hand.

"Huh?" Wesley said as he looked back.

But all he saw was Silverstream as she quickly punched him and Wesley was thrown back and skids across the ground.

"Make a break for it, guys! Run!" Silverstream shouted, turning to the others in the train cart.

In the boxcar, everyone, except Gallus, was surprised and shocked by the voice as the moved to where they could see outside of the cart. What they saw outside was Silverstream fighting against the Bounty Hunter she has idolized over the entire adventure. She then started bucking around causing Rico to back up a little.

"Whoa! Hah! Silverstream, whoa!" Rico said, trying to reason with her while getting a little scared.

"Wait, Silverstream, are you crazy?!" Sandbar asked, peeking through a gap.

"Now that's entirely possible! Yo! Or maybe I just figured out who the real heroes are!" Silverstream said as she banged her head against Rico's and then jumps and drops down on Rico with a kung-fu noise.

"Wait a minute, what if this is just one of Silverstream's tricks?" Ocellus asked, unsure of it while still not believing Silverstream.

"I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I can trust her, after what she has been doing," Smolder said, also unsure of it. Because Ocellus has a bit of a point.

But what they saw next greatly surprised them.

"Whoo! Whassah!" Silverstream yelled as she kicks Rico away and back as the saddlebag was destroyed in the process and Rico hits the ground hard.

"Guys, this isn't a trick! It's really a miracle! Come on, we gotta get out of here!" Gallus said, becoming excited as they all began body-slamming against the wall but the lock has kept them from getting out.

"So...you outlaws think you got the drop of me, huh? Well, think again! Hyah!" Silverstream said, glancing at Slim's Henchmen who got involved as they surrounded her on all sides. It felt like her daydreams. But it was real making it indefinitely better.

And just when Drain and Crain approached her, Silverstream lunged forward towards them before she did a split kick and kicks them off their feet.

Meanwhile, the Young 5 continued banging against the wall. But the lock has been making it difficult for them, even though it wasn't locked.

"Whassah! Whoo!" Silverstream yelled as she saw Crain come running up to her from behind with a big wrench and slapped him with her tail before she bucks him back as he hits the side of the tender, and 2 pieces of logs hit his head and Crain drops to the ground dizzy.

The Young 5 still continued banging on the wall one last time but it still won't break.

"It's no use, this door won't budge. We need to put our heads together," Smolder said, walking away with a huff.

"Yeah, this might require brains than brawn," Ocellus said, seeing that getting out of the cart wil require some thinking.

"Hmmm, hey Sandbar, how strong is Yona?" Gallus asked, turning to Sandbar while thinking for a minute and getting an idea.

"Well, she's very strong and...Ooooh!" Sandbar said before seeing what Gallus is getting at.

"Smolder, Ocellus help me draw an X on the wall!" Gallus said as he, Ocellus, and Smolder headed for the gate and started drawing which is surprising Yona and Sandbar.

"Grrr!" Brain growled, coming towards Silverstream with a shovel.

But Silverstream ducked, avoiding Brain's shovel, but Rico recovered as he has his talons sharpened and ready to be rid of this kid.

In the boxcar, Gallus, Smolder, and Ocellus finished drawing an X on the wall as Gallus said, "Alright, Yona, fetch!".

Seeing the X, Yona's eyes turned into flames and angry red as she then charged and everyone else moved out of the way. Meanwhile, Rico was about to attack Silverstream as Yona and the others burst out through the wall.

"Kaboosh!" Gallus yelled as he rammed Rico away from Silverstream.

"Hyah!" Ocellus yelled as she bucks Rico away.

Meanwhile, Silverstream continues dodging Brain's attack, then she got on the shovel and punched and karate kicked Brain as he spun. Lucky Jack, who recovered from the bump on his head, saw Brain and held the piece of metal high. As Brain was about to recover, the metal piece hits him on the head and he fell to the ground while Silverstream watched with a satisfied grin.

"Whoo! Lucky shot!" Lucky Jack said nonchalantly.

Smolder jumped high in the air and drops down towards Rico with a Tarzan yell.

"Mother of Mercy. Is this the end of Rico?" Rico asked in worry as Smolder lands on top of him hard and looks down at the fake bounty hunter.

"Uh...ha," Rico said as he completely smiles with a loose tooth hanging and his head plopped to the ground unconscious.

"Wow! Bravo! Bravo! You guys stopped Rico cold!" Silverstream said, cheering while walking to her new friends. He deserved what he gets for being dishonest.

"Hey, we couldn't have done it without you, Silverstream," Smolder said, blowing the dust off her hand.

"I gotta admit, I'm quite surprised that you came to save us, Silverstream," Ocellus admitted, feeling quite surprised that Silverstream has decided to come back to rescue them.

"Well, it's my way to thank this Griffon for saving my life," Silverstream said, placing her hand on Gallus's shoulder in gratitude.

"Yeah, well even saving your life won't do good, Alameda Slim has flown the coop," Gallus said bitterly, knowing there is still one more bad guy posse and he already got away.

"So, what do we do now, Gallus?" Sandbar asked, wondering what Gallus's new plan is in stopping Slim now.

"I think Gallus is right. Even when by the time we get back by flying, we'll be too late," Ocellus said sadly with a sigh.

"I can't believe what I am hearing. Guys, I know this train. It goes right by Sweet Griffon Apple Acres every day. So it might help us get home quickly," Smolder said while pointing to the train behind them.

"Smolder, what's been in the food you've been eating? Don't you see? You were right all along, we can't catch Slim, we can't drive a train. We're just a bunch of kids," Gallus said gesturing to the train with a sigh, sounding like he was giving up.

"No, Gallus! You were right. Don't you see? We did something that other kids couldn't do," Smolder said, reminding Gallus of what they have done.

"Smolder's right! You helped us see what the world was like when we left our home into the unknown," Ocellus said, reminding Gallus further while catching on to what Smolder is saying.

"You helped us defend ourselves against those burly Barmaid Griffons," Smolder said, reminding Gallus that he helped them defend themselves in the Saloon.

"And Gallus helped Yona and friends braved the wilderness without the benefit of food and water," Yona said, reminding them of the risks they have taken in the wilderness.

"So you see, Gallus? We came this far all because of you. We need you, Gallus. If we want to bring Slim to justice. So what do you say?" Sandbar asked, encouraging Gallus to not give up while waiting for his answer.

Seeing that his friends encouraged him and not wanting him to give up, Gallus smiled and said, "You're right, we've come way too far to give up. If we caught Slim once, then we shall do it, again! Who's with me?!".

Everybody cheered and raised their wings or paws, showing that they are all in.