AN - I decided to make some more one shots whenever I get ideas that I really like.

This is another AU after the Shadow War.

Canon has been changed for Lena's backstory when she was a little girl from the beginning. And Magica isn't exactly a shadow nor does she have an actual body. She's kind of in between.

Enjoy!

It had been an eerily quiet day at McDuck Manor.

Scrooge was called into a meeting to discuss the destruction caused by the shadows that wreaked havoc all over Duckburg. While the residents have coped with the tragedy, the buildings and monuments still paid the price.

Donald and Beakley, while on good terms, had become annoyed with each other as they worked yet again on repairing the houseboat.

This left the kids to roam about the house. At one point it had turned into a game of hide and seek. Louie was it. He agreed to play but that didn't stop him from checking his phone as he searched for his brothers and friends.

"Louie! Could you at least try and participate?", said an irritated Huey from around the corner.

Louie scoffed. "Please, this is worse than golf. At least I got paid to help out."

A few halls over, Webby ran as she dragged a reluctant Lena behind her.

"Come on! We have to find a place to hide!", exclaimed Webby, who knew of the perfect places to hide in the mansion, expected that Louie would put his most minimal effort in actually playing the game right. So, she decided to look for spots that weren't too difficult. The other bin would've been acceptable... nah.

Lena smirked as she rolled her eyes. "Relax, Webby. The rate Lou is going, we practically have all day", she said nonchalantly. "Don't you have a secret passageway where you stored those old-", she began but was interrupted when Webby pressed a finger to her beak.

"Never speak of it!", whispered Webby. Her tone was unnatural.

"Alrighty then..."

After sprinting down the hall, Webby decided something then and there. "Ooh! I know! Over this way!" She stopped rather abruptly, (nearly making Lena trip), in front of a wooden door which she swung open. It appeared to be no bigger than a broom cupboard with a few buckets inside. "Here!", exclaimed Webby, unaware of the look on Lena's face; a look of alarm, simply at the sight of the confined space. "This will work for now! Go ahead!"

"Web-", said Lena. Before she could say more, she found herself being pushed inside and the door closed shut behind her. Lena turned around as she felt the door, splinters and all, hearing the sound of light footsteps becoming more faint.

Lena tried to look about the room knowing full well how small it was. But she couldn't see anything for it was completely dark. She lost her voice as her breathing began to quicken yet dared not speak or make any sudden movements.

Of course she could have let herself out. Lena however, froze with fear as she remembered something.

Agony... stuck in a dark room... the sensation of truly being alone... the choice that led her to that exact moment when she was merely seven years old.

Her moment of weakness.

Pretty. Thought Lena as she sat cross legged on the floor while she tinkered with the glowing purple staff. She imagined herself doing even more impressive tricks when she was older. If only her aunt would trust her.

She smiled.

Suddenly a white hot pain had been subjected to the side of the seven year old duckling's head, causing her to fall over. The staff flew out of her hands and onto the floor with a loud thud.

"What have I told you about touching my possessions, you little twit?!", shouted an angry sounding woman. The staff floated in mid air and sped towards its master.

Lena leaned on her elbow as she felt the place she had been smacked. She sighed. It wasn't like she hadn't gotten this type of discipline before. "I'm sorry, Aunt Magica. I was just admiring it", she said. Standing up, she took a few steps towards the elegant enchantress before her. Magica De Spell appeared to look more visible than she had to Lena the night before. It was almost as though she could see through her aunt. But that didn't stop Magica from being able to physically touch something.

Magica glared. "You failed me today, yet again, Lena. I feel myself growing stronger and stronger but-", she muttered as she strode towards the mantel that was filled with portraits of herself. "without that dime..."

The abandoned house the two currently resided in remained cold and despite all of her efforts Magica continued to try and keep them thriving. Even that was causing her to reach the brink of her insanity.

Sensing her aunt wanted to take her anger out on something, Lena stayed put whilst fiddling with the large shirt she wore. It didn't help that her shoes were three times her size and she tripped over them almost everyday. "I'm sorry. I'll try again tomorrow."

"There might not be another chance tomorrow! You had the most opportune moment and you wasted it by being sentimental!", yelled Magica. She let out an exasperated breath as she pinched the crook of her nose. She turned to look at the scared little girl. "I told you not to show weakness but you did just that!", she exclaimed. Holding onto her staff that glowed brighter than before, she used her other hand to point it at Lena.

Lena felt herself being levitated off the ground and was flown towards her aunt who immediately lowered her back onto the ground rather harshly; she threw Lena face forward onto the concrete floor, on her hands and knees. She tried to ignore the pain. "H-he was nice to me...", pleaded Lena, refusing to look into the wild eyes of the woman that stood before her. "M-Mr. McDuck was n-nice to me..."

Magica roughly grabbed Lena's wrist, forcing her to her feet.

Doing her best to fight the tears that were threatening to fill her eyes, Lena grit her teeth. The pain was too much. Her wrist was already marked with black and blues. She hated the thought of fresh bruises covering the ones that were almost gone.

"You had ONE job", said Magica through clenched teeth. "You were to happen upon Scrooge McDuck and pickpocket that precious dime of his and you couldn't even do that right!", she berated as she squeezed Lena's wrist harder than before.

"It... it wasn't my fault! I tripped and he caught me before I could get close enough", stammered Lena. The tears flowed down her cheeks. Lena pictured Scrooge's smiling face staring down at her as he offered his gentle hand to pick her up off the ground. He spoke to her in a way that Lena wasn't used to. His calm tone made her feel safe.

"And let me guess, you felt gratitude when he asked you if you were alright? You let your "compassion" get in the way of what I ordered you to do! He doesn't care about idiotic fools like yourself. Imagine if he knew you were related to his greatest nemesis of all time?!", she mused. "He'd too call you exactly what you know you are, Lena. A monster." With one more squeeze, Magica let go and smiled, watching Lena cry out of pain, falling on her side, holding her wrist. "I'm done with you for today. Perhaps tomorrow we can try again. But for now...", she started. Magica grabbed the crying girl by her forearm and dragged Lena to the small, secluded concrete room that was pitch black once the door was shut.

"No! Please! Not again! No! No!", yelled Lena, doing her best to fight but to no avail. The next thing she knew the familiar, unforgiving darkness surrounded her as she could hear her aunt casting a spell on the door that would lock permanently until tomorrow morning.

That was 9 hours from now.

Being tossed on the cold floor brought more searing pain to her knees and wrist.

That didn't stop her from running at the door and pounding her fists against it, blindingly trying to open it. But it was no use. Lena ignored the burning tears on her cheeks as she cried out every time she banged on the door. "Please! Aunt Magica! Please! Let me out! I don't... I don't want to be in here please! I hate it! No! No! Aunt... aun...", she screamed as her pleas for help became mixed with her heavy sobs.

After a while she had gotten tired. She took six steps back until her fingertips could feel the hard wall behind her. Continuing to cry, Lena sunk down and wrapped her arms around her knees. It didn't take long before her shirt was stained with tears.

Aunt Magica's voice haunted the young girl's mind, calling her useless, dumb, a horrible little mistake.

The door opened. The bright light blinding her. Wiping away her tears, Lena recognized the four standing in front of her but refused to move from her crouched position.

Webby kneeled in front of her fifteen year old rebel best friend. "Lena?"

"What's wrong? Are you okay?", asked a concerned Huey. Dewey and Louie approached cautiously.

"Y-yeah", said Lena, smiling a genuine smile at the sight of her family that she knew would never bring her any harm. "I'm fine..."