AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a little something out of the ordinary here. My first Disney/Mickey Mouse story. All the characters belong to Disney, except for Chernoberus, Robyn, and a few incidental characters. I also mix universes a bit. I use the "Ducktales" versions of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and the "Goofy Movie"/"House of Mouse" version of Max (mainly because I like Huey, Dewey, and Louie better on "Ducktales" and Max better in "A Goofy Movie").
Scrooge McDuck was returning from his latest expedition. He had a delivery for the Duckburg Museum. He had gone to Greeziturki, which was a small island located somewhere in the Black Sea. There, in a cavern, he found several artifacts from ancient Greeziturkian times, including armor worn by warriors, weapons, and several pieces of jewlery. One item he found was said to have been the legendary Emerald of Chernoberus, from a land known as Dragonwilde.
"You know something, Mr. McDee?" Scrooge's pilot, Launchpad McQuack, asked. "I'm a little nervous carrying that emerald you found."
"Why is that, Launchpad?" Scrooge asked.
"Well . . . . ." Launchpad said. "That the guy who owned it, Cherno-something-or-another, or whatever his name is . . . . he was an evil sorcerer, right?"
"So the legend goes."
"I was just thinking . . . . remember the part the Greeziturkians told us about his spirit inside that thing being able to give anyone who holds it magical powers . . . ."
"Launchpad, you don't actually believe that story, do you? It's nothing more than an old legend!"
Launchpad didn't have a response to that. He was still apprehensive about carrying that emerald. But by the time he got to the airport, he had forgotten all about it.
"Okay, Mr. McDee," he said. "Time for one of Launchpad McQuack's world famous landings!"
"Oh no . . . . ." Scrooge groaned, and he reinforced his seatbelt.
As Launchpad was coming in for a landing, Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Daisy Duck, Scrooge's housekeeper, Mrs. Beakly, and her granddaughter, Webby, were waiting for Scrooge. They immediately saw the plane.
"There's Launchpad and Unca Scrooge now!" Dewey called out.
"And it looks like Launchpad's about ready to make one of his 'famous' landings," Louie said.
"Oh dear . . . ." Mrs. Beakly said.
"Oh no!" Donald groaned, holding his hand over his eyes.
"I don't think I can look!" Daisy shouted, doing the same thing.
Launchpad lowered the landing gear, and landed, only he wound up skidding right off the runway, and he crashed the plane directly into an idle plane, which crashed into another, and then another, causing a chain reaction.
"Is it over?" Daisy asked.
"Yup," Huey said, cringing a little. "It's over."
"Looks like a pile up on the freeway out there," Dewey said.
"Yeah," Louie commented. "One of Launchpad's best landings ever!"
Donald gave his nephew a strange look, and then he and the others ran out to the airfield. By the time they got there, Scrooge and Launchpad were crawling out of the debris.
"Don't worry," Launchpad said. "I'm okay!"
"That's strictly a matter of opinion," Scrooge said, glaring at his pilot.
"Are you okay, Unca Scrooge?" Webby asked.
"Yes, lassie, I'm all right," Scrooge replied, patting Webby on the head. "If I can survive Launchpad's landings, I can survive anything. Donald, give Launchpad a hand with the cargo. The Duckburg Museum has been waiting for these artifacts from Greeziturki."
"You got it, Uncle Scrooge!" Donald shouted, saluting. Then he and Launchpad went to the plane's cargo hold, and began lugging crates to the Duckburg Museum.
Later that day, Minnie was walking in downtown Toontown. She had a bow appointment and didn't want to be late for it. As luck would have it, Mickey's rival, Mortimer Mouse, was walking down the street himself.
"Well, ha-cha-cha!" he shouted. "Fancy running into you downtown, Minnie."
"Small world," Minnie said, rolling her eyes.
"Whattaya say you and me go paint the town red? A little dinner, a little dancing, and then later . . . . ."
"No thank you, Mortimer. I have a bow appointment that I don't want to be late for."
"How about a date for tonight then? Dinner and a movie!"
"I can't. I have a date with Mickey tonight."
"A date with Mickey. Hmph! What does that little runt got that I ain't got?"
"I'd love to tell you, Mortimer, but if I do, I'll be standing here all day."
With that, Minnie walked off. Mortimer glared and kicked a can.
"What does she see in that shrimp?" he asked. "Why, I'm twice the mouse Mickey is! I'm better looking, I've got more personality, I'm smarter, taller, and richer than he is! I just don't get it!"
Mortimer jammed his hands inside his pockets and walked off.
About a week later, the Duckburg Museum officially opened their Greeziturkian exhibit. Practically all of Toontown was there, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Goofy and his son, Max.
"Hiya, Donald!" Mickey shouted, smiling at his best friend. "Boy, Scrooge really brought back some great stuff this time!"
"I know," Donald said. "See that over there? That's the armor of a fearless Greeziturkian warrior!"
"Oh, Mickey!" Minnie gasped. "Look over there! That's the biggest emerald I've ever seen!"
"Gawrsh!" Goofy shouted. "Imagine the size of the necklace you could make with that! Hyuck!"
"I'm surprised Scrooge didn't keep it for himself," Mickey commented.
"He said donating the thing would result in a heavy tax break or something," Donald said, shrugging. "You know Uncle Scrooge."
"It says here that it's the Emerald of Chernoberus," Minnie said, reading the plaque. "According to the legend, Chernoberus was an evil sorcerer from a place called Dragonwilde."
"That sounds more like the name of a medieval English town," Max commented.
"Long ago," Minnie said, continuing to read the plaque, "Chernoberus tried to use the evil magic in his emerald to take over the world, but a good sorcerer cast a magic spell that trapped Chernoberus inside his own emerald, and locked it inside a chest. A great cataclysm then struck Dragonwilde, and earthquakes, fires, and floods destroyed the entire country."
"That makes sense," Max said, shrugging. "The flood waters probably swept the emerald to the Greeziturkian shore at one point in time."
"Yeah, Uncle Scrooge said he found a lot of treasure that didn't look Greeziturkian," Donald said.
"It's said that someone can unleash Chernoberus's power by holding the emerald on the night of a full moon," Minnie went on.
"Maybe that's why Scrooge donated it to the museum," Mickey said. "Maybe he was afraid of unleashing that power."
"No way, Mickey!" Donald shouted, somewhat indignantly. "Uncle Scrooge isn't afraid of anything! Besides, he doesn't believe in silly legends like this!"
"Well, I don't think Uncle Scrooge would be able to unleash it, anyway," Daisy said. "According to the legend, whoever holds the emerald to unleash it's power has to be a complete jerk. And Uncle Scrooge may be a skinflint, a cheapskate, and a tightwad, but he's not a complete jerk!"
"Well, ha-cha-cha!" an annoying voice called out. "If it isn't Mickey Mouse and his Mouseketeers!"
"Speaking of complete jerks . . . ." Mickey said, under his breath.
"Hiya, Mickey," Mortimer said, giving Mickey a thump on the back, causing him to fall on his face. "Have a nice trip? Ha, ha, ha!"
"Hello, Mortimer," Mickey replied, glaring at his rival.
"What are you doing here, Mortimer?" Minnie asked.
"Just came by to see all the old junk the ol' skinflint brought back," Mortimer said. He grabbed a helmet and chest plate from the exhibit and put them on. Then he took the sword and the shield, and struck a heroic pose.
"Look at me, I'm a greasy turkey!" he shouted. "Gobble, gobble, gobble!"
"Mortimer, haven't you ever heard the expression look with your eyes, not with your hands?" Daisy asked, glaring at the tall mouse.
"Yeah," Goofy said. "You'd better put that stuff back!"
"Whattaya think, Minnie?" Mortimer asked. "Don't I look heroic? I'm a regular Hercules! Wanna go the distance with me?"
"Hmph!" Minnie shouted, turning away from Mortimer.
"Hey, now, here's something that's more my speed!" Mortimer shouted. He threw the armor to the floor, and ran to a display of jewels. Some were from Greeziturki, and others were from Dragonwilde. Mortimer grabbed a bejweled crown that Scrooge had found from the Dragonwilde set, and immediately put it on.
"Ha-cha-cha, this is definitely me!" Mortimer shouted. Then he grabbed a scepter. "King Mortimer!"
"Uhh, Mortimer . . . ." Mickey said. "I think maybe you should put those back. The sign on the wall says do not touch."
"Aww, shove off, ya little shrimp!" Mortimer shouted, bopping Mickey on the head with the scepter. "I was born to be a king!"
"Well, if that's the case," a Scottish-accented voice said, "then let me crown you!"
The next thing Mortimer knew, he was clubbed on the head, and left seeing stars. Standing behind him was Scrooge, and he had hit Mortimer in the head with his cane.
"Ha-cha-chouch . . . . ." Mortimer groaned, dazedly, before falling face first on the floor.
"Now put these artifacts back where you found them!" Scrooge ordered. "And be minding the signs on the wall from now on! Or else!"
"Oh yeah?" Mortimer asked. "Or else what?"
"Or else I'm gonna have to fold you into an origami crane," a deep, intimidating voice said. Mortimer turned around, and saw a giant gorilla in a security guard's uniform standing behind him. Mortimer smiled sheepishly, and immediately put the crown, scepter, and armor back where they belonged.
"Well, so long, pal!" Mortimer shouted, and he took off running.
"Thank you, Bruno," Scrooge said, patting the gorilla on the back. "I can see the Dragonwilde jewelry collection is in good hands."
"Yes sir, Mr. McDuck, sir!" Bruno shouted, saluting.
And with that, the group left the museum, having a good laugh at the look on Mortimer's face when he saw Bruno.
