Just a drabble I wanted to do after catching up with the latest DuckTales episodes.
Some people might recognize a song from Avatar: The Last Airbender, only slightly modified.
I don't own DuckTales 2017 – but I do own the character of Margaret, my imagined version of Bentina's daughter and Webby's mother, who has yet to appear in the cartoon.
Fifth Anniversary
When the alarm rang at its usual time of 8am, Scrooge for once pressed snooze and ignored it. He wanted to go back to the land of dreams, and escape away from his messed-up life – even if only for a little while.
"I don't deserve this. Any of this," the old billionaire thought bitterly to himself.
10 minutes later, when the alarm rang again, discipline drilled into him since the age of 5 let him arise to its blasted sound.
At the breakfast table, he sat on the side opposite to his employees, as far away from them as possible.
Only two other avians in the dining room knew the reason for their boss's aloof nature today. But Launchpad, believe it or not, knew there were just certain buttons that you do not push on other people, and Bentina Beakley silenced other prying eyes with her grandmotherly glare.
Well, except for one pair of prying eyes. Very young eyes, to be exact.
"Mr. McDuck, why aren't you sitting next to me and Granny today?" asked little Webby. Bentina gently nudged her granddaughter with her hand.
"I mean – you always greet us cheerily and ask us how our day's going so far, and you usually bounce me in your lap for a few minutes and–"
"Webby, dear, Mr. McDuck might have just gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. It can happen to anyone," Bentina spoke gently to Webby, picking up her granddaughter's empty dishes and using her other hand to usher the 4-year-old duckling to the play room, "Now, I'm sure he'll be able to play with you later today, just give him time. But for now, why don't you play with your dolls?"
Webby pouted for a moment before obediently complying.
"Yes, Granny."
"That's a good girl."
Scrooge was the last to leave the dining room. He spent up until the last 10 minutes staring at his food. He couldn't look anyone else in the eye.
"Bentina," said Scrooge hollowly, staring out his office window towards the dark grey storm clouds in the sky.
"Yes, Mr. McDuck?" replied his housekeeper and his definitely-not-a-secretary. She had just entered the room after settling Webby into her noon-time nap.
"Postpone all of my meetings today."
"Can do, Scrooge. Go do what you have to," his loyal housekeeper replied, her voice laced with sympathetic understanding, "I'll keep an eye on the mansion."
"Thank you, Beakley," Scrooge muttered, sullenly walking over to his private cupboards to pack some supplies for a very short trip. After a few seconds, he paused and let an old memory wash over him.
"Come on in, Donald!" yelled a duckling from one of the windows on the mansion's ground level, next to the big gardens.
"Not you too, Della!" another duckling, a boy this time, responded.
"But it's dark and it's late, and Uncle Scrooge says you've already used up all of your extra post-curfew time! And if you won't come in, he won't tell you any bedtime stories!"
This got the boy duckling to halt in place. The girl duckling used this as her chance to run out and grab him.
"Ah phooey!"
"Come on, little brother! If we hurry, Uncle Scrooge won't even blink at your tardiness!"
"You're only older than me by 4 minutes, Della."
"4 and a half minutes to be exact, baby boy!"
Donald quacked angrily at this, but he didn't let go of his twin's hand.
From the twins' bedroom window, Scrooge watched his niece and nephew's interaction with affectionate interest. Della would always take care of her "little twin".
"You know, you can't keep dwelling on the past forever."
Beakley's voice snapped him out of his daydream.
"Not if dwelling on the past makes me remember what it is to be ethical. Even if, for some, it is too late for me to help them."
Bentina could only nod at this. In all her years of service under Scrooge, a large part of it was playing nanny to his niece and nephew. She loved them and took care of them like her own – they were only 1 measly year younger than her only child, Margaret.
Her beloved Margaret… who died in the line of duty with her husband by her side, leaving only their infant daughter for Margaret's mother to look after.
"They lived a fulfilled and happy life," Bentina silently reflected, "Their only final wish – Margaret's final wish – was just that I would make sure that Webby lived a long and happy life. To me, there was no point on dwelling on their deaths for years. But then, Donald and Della, when it comes down to it, aren't my blood. They are Scrooge's."
Noticing from Scrooge's eyes that he had forgotten again that she was still in the room, Bentina just resolved to quietly leave. Let him be.
One day, she hoped, he would learn to let go, too.
Scrooge fastened the hood of his old rubber raincoat securely over his head. It was raining fiercely. But, to his small solace, there was no sounds of angry thunder roaring overhead.
The walk down Duckburg Harbour in the howling, wet weather was merely a minor inconvenience to Scrooge. He had braved many a bad storm in his adventuring days. No, his anguish was sourced mentally.
"Come on! Why don't we set sail already?" came his nephew's voice, a few paces behind him.
"Calm yourself, laddie. Ground rules and adventuring etiquette must be laid out before departing on a lifetime of quests," he chuckled.
"Rule #1: Family always comes first!" Della announced proudly.
"Ah, I can see that you did your homework, dear," Scrooge smiled at his niece.
"It's not that hard, Uncle."
"Rule #2: Fulfill your quest with a 100% best!" Scrooge continued, "Adventures are supposed to not only give you thrills and treasure, but to challenge your character and your mettle. You're like gold being refined through fire.
"Rule #3 – hey Donald, maybe this is simple enough for you to guess!" Della teased.
"Uh… have fun?" came Donald's belated and unsure reply.
"Exactly!" Scrooge grinned, clapping his nephew on the back. Then, he handed his kids – no, his young adventurers – their life vests and told them to climb aboard.
Scrooge stopped his journey at the place where they had first set out to sail the world, all those years ago. He climbed down to a jetty that was chained to one of the pier's pillars.
Unfazed despite the howling wind which was causing the jetty to sway, Scrooge pulled out a small hand-carved wooden boat from his backpack that he had crafted for the occasion. He opened a small compartment on the model boat, and placed in one of his niece's moulted baby feathers.
If his niece were alive right now, she'd be 35 years old today, and a happy mother of three triplet sons.
"Happy birthday, my dear Della," he whispered to the winds, as he gently placed the small boat in the water and sent it on its way.
"If only I had listened to you…"
It was all his fault, really. Her death. She had told him of her research behind the Spear of Selene, how it cursed whoever possessed it – along with any nearby family – to a slow and agonizing death. But he hadn't listened. Back then, he had only cared about the treasure and his wealth, and it had cost him his family.
With tears forming and beginning to leak from his old eyes, Scrooge began to sing an old song. It was an old sailor's lullaby that he would often sing to Della and Donald when they were very young.
Leaves from the vine,
Blown through the breeze.
Like shedded duck feathers,
Drifting through the seas.
Young sailor lass,
Come sailing home.
Brave sailor lass,
Goes sailing home.
Yeah, y'all wanna know how I've been describing DuckTales 2017?
It's to Disney what Avatar was to Nickelodeon.
It's to Disney what Transformers Animated was to Cartoon Network.
Otherwise known in simple terms as the flagship show of the network. Because it's the best show on the channel.
Also, if you've looked on my profile page, DuckTales, Avatar, and Transformers Animated are all in my Top 3 of TV shows.
They're just that awesome!
Oh, and I love how Scrooge and Donald are made more altruistic in the reboot. They have their flaws, but when you glimpse their hearts, they are truly heroes – and that should never be forgotten.