Backstory: In an ancient time long ago, we open on weary traveler Donald Duck, who has been sent by his uncle to go to a village in order to deliver messages and seal a contract. During the journey, wild animals steal his food, almost leaving him to starve to death in the forest, until he comes across mystical beautiful beings, Fae. With the help of one Fae, Daisy, he rests and recovers, and the two fall in love. But he is duty bound to do what his uncle orders, and as he leaves, Daisy gives him a necklace to remember her by - if he should ever be in the forest again and be in danger, he need only say the words engraved upon the necklace, and he'll get aide. He manages to make it to the village, which has many temples, and many people believing in the supernatural. The contract is with the village leader's daughter, Magica, who is now allowed to use some of Scrooge's wealth to begin tearing down some of the forest for future construction.
Then we suddenly go to America, a steampunk era taking place! Mickey is a local thief, who lately has been plagued by nightmares, but doesn't give them too much thought. His main focus is to woo Minnie, a beautiful heiress, whose father is the president of an ammunition company. He's been in love with her ever since they once played together as children, and he often breaks into her home to see her again. On this day, she and her father are taking a great aircraft to travel to Japan, a land which is finally considering opening its boarders to the outside world. Mickey manages to sneak on board, and for a brief moment, sees the monster from his nightmare in Minnie's vanity mirror. But before he can show her, it's already gone.
Another scene switch, this time to Russia, where a heavy snow is laid on the land. Lately, there have been many reports of children gone missing, which greatly fears Goofy, a humble violinist, trying to make ends meet for him and his young son. He finally lands a gig, when a young prince hires him to play for a ball. As he plays during a ball, he notices that all of the young children in attendance, his son included, are suddenly transfixed, and begin running out of the ballroom. Goofy runs out to follow them, and outside, there is a looming pair of monstrous legs, and an old woman's cackling voice calling herself Baba Yaga, urging the children to 'come home'. Goofy manages to find Max, and grabs him, running for his life away from the spectacle.
Back in Japan, Donald becomes greatly worried when he hears that Magica plans to harm the forest. He gets in contact with Daisy via the necklace, but she assures him that the Shadowed Warrior will always protect them, a fae-like figure who lurks in the shadows and has vowed to protect the forest. But Magica is well aware of this warrior, and has sent for one of her estranged nieces to come and help capture him. The niece, Morgana, arrives, and is revealed to have a great mastery of potions, able to control all emotions and manipulate them to her needs. Morgana says she'll find the Warrior, and using a potion, will cause him to fall in love with her, leaving the forest without any defense. When she goes into the forest, she is suddenly attacked by angered animal spirits, and is saved by the warrior(Darkwing).
In the skies above America, it's getting harder and harder for Mickey to hide his presence in the air ship. Minnie does her best to keep him a secret, but everyone on board is getting suspicious. The nightmares are also spreading to everyone, all of them the same - a hideous skeletal figure that wants to devour them alive. During the travel, the ship is suddenly attacked by an unseen,invisible force, though Mickey swears he hears the roar of the monster from the dreams, and the ship begins to fall from the skies. Mickey finds Minnie, and together they plunge into the ocean, but are saved by exotic mermaids. The mermaids try to coax and seduce Mickey into staying, but he refuses their advances, caring more for Minnie and her safety, managing to get them both to shore.
In Russia, Goofy has been trying to travel as far away as he can to get Max away from Baba Yaga's grasp, but Max keeps saying he can feel her getting closer, no matter how long they go. They come upon a boating port, and Goofy tries to pay people to sail him and his boy away, but no one will, believing the two to be cursed. Goofy resorts to stealing a small boat, but just as they begin to sail away, Baba Yaga has caught up to them - giant bird legs,attached to a crickity old house, with the old woman calling from within. Max begins to get hypnotized again, but Goofy takes out his violin, and the sound is enough to not only keep Max close to him, but causes Baba Yaga great pain to hear it. He continues playing until they are a safe distance away, and when they finally reach another shore, they find Mickey and Minnie. The mice have been trying to find other survivors of the air ship crash, but to no avail, and so the four band together to travel into the forest.
Back to the village, where Morgana has fallen in love with the Warrior, and makes a confession to Donald and Daisy that her emotion potions are all fake, and she's really just a con artist. The Warrior also reveals he used to be an ordinary fae, but due to wanting to protect his clan (and somewhat daughter gosalyn), he sacrificed a part of his soul and magic to become stronger. They get word Scrooge is personally heading to the village to oversee how the destruction and construction will go, and so these four hope that when he arrives, they can convince him to take his money back and stop Magica. But Magica's real plans are to try and flush out the Fae, as Magica knows how to create real potions by using the powers of the Fae. She's in love with Scrooge, ever since she was a young child and he once helped to take care of her for a short time, and she's resolved to find a way to make him love her. She has made an agreement with a Demon, who says if he can get her some fae, he will teach her the magic to make Scrooge love her.
With the mice and the dogs, they discuss the nightmares they've been having, and find similarities between the skeleton creature/boogeyman and Baba Yaga. Goofy's violin playing attracts the Fae, and they explain the entire situation with Donald/Daisy/Warrior/etc. When the group in turn explains the monsters they've encountered, the Fae say that the skeleton and Yaga are one and the same, a Demon that craves innocence as sustenance, and the stronger someone is afraid of it, the stronger it becomes. The group runs into Scrooge, who leads them to the village. Scrooge+Mice+dogs meet up with Donald+Morgana, and everyone exchanges the stories as to what has been happening. Unfortunately, Scrooge is deeply skeptical, not believing in the supernatural, and refuses to withdraw the money, allowing Magica and her workers to continue attacking the forest.
The Warrior tries to stop the construction workers, but his magic is no match against the ammunition they have, and Minnie recognizes it as the sort of thing her father's company made, and it's made clear that not only did the father survive, but he sold ammunition to these villages, without ever trying to look for his daughter. Magica happens to catch Donald and Daisy in the forest, and realizes the latter is a Fae. She has Donald kidnapped, takes his necklace, and summons Daisy with it, capturing her. Magica offers her up to the Demon, and the last of his seals is broken - using Daisy as a 'battery', he can now have limitless magic to attack the world, and of course has no intention of keeping his word to Magica. The Demon attacks the village, able to take on the forms of whatever the victims fear most, and with that fear, he becomes stronger. Our gang of protagonists know that running away will do no good, so they band together to try and defeat the Demon and save Daisy.
He continues to turn into what scared them - the skeleton, Baba Yaga, the mermaids, minnie's father, etc, and for a while it works. He then seals the village off from the rest of the world, so that our protagonists are faced with not only monstrous fears, but fears of the heart - loved ones declaring hate, being told they're never amount to anything, lives are pointless, etc. However, Donald manages to find strength, in that he loves Daisy more than he is afraid of the Demon, and everyone else is able to draw inspiration from this defiance. They admit their fears, but also say they can face them, and that life is too important to be burdened down by what they were afraid of. Each declaration creates another seal on the Demon, until is sucked entirely into the necklace, and the village is restored. The Fae explain that this won't last forever, and that the Demon will always exist as long as fear exists in the world, but the heroes are fine with this - for if he should ever come out again, they know love can seal him again, for the Demon has existed for thousands of years, and yet has never been entirely able to come out - he will always fail, as long as there is also love in the world. The group settles to live in the village peacefully with the Fae, and live happily ever after.
This scene is Donald first stumbling upon the Fae. Onward!
Donald felt all of his problems could be solved if he just had some food. This trip that was supposed to be an easy week's journey had gone to pieces, thanks to the wild animals that had seized upon his food when he slept two days ago. There were still two more days left in the travel, and he felt he would not survive a few more hours if he did not get something in his stomach. Because he was so hungry, he could not sleep, he could not relax, and just walking forward took every single ounce of strength he had left. The grass that crunched under his feet was a mere whisper compared to the groans his stomach was making, the empty pit within growing deeper and deeper. He could not even concentrate on where his feet were headed, and, thus, managed to trip over a small rock, falling flat onto his belly.
Muttering his foul luck, he made no effort to get up. What was the point? There were no people around for miles, there was nothing edible growing on any of the plants,there was no water running anywhere...he was resigned to his fate. Closing his eyes, he wondered how long the actual process of dying took, and hoped it was short and bore less pain than his stomach. There was a struggle to concentrate on anything but his hunger, and so he tried to focus on the noises. The occasional gust of wind... the chirping of the crickets... the laughter of the children...
… The what now?
Eyes popping open upon the realization those voices weren't hallucinations, there sprung a great relief in his soul. Children! If there were laughing children nearby, then there had to be adults with them! Adults with enough food to feed the scamps, and more! Eagerness creating strength, he pushed himself back on his feet, nearly salivating the sheer image of what could await him. After taking a moment to hear which direction the giggles were coming from, he followed the sounds, pushing through bushes and twisted tree limbs. Thorns and sticks scraped him, but such injuries would be worth it if it meant salvation. As he came closer, he slowed down his feet, as he did not wish to startle whoever he was coming upon, and peered through the last plant obstacles to see who the enjoyable group was.
In the scene in front of him, an old and decaying log laid upon the ground, moss and flowers interwoven in its figure. The children, ducklings he could see, were of three boys and one girl, each dressed in light cloth of designs he had never seen before. The boys were playing with each other, but always returned to the girl, who was nestled comfortably in the arms and lap of a young woman, sitting atop the log. Once Donald saw her, the children, and his stomach, were entirely forgotten. For this was a woman of pristine beauty, something so lovely and pure it was almost painful to endure. She was lovely, as many young ladies are, but she also had... well, he could not find a way to describe it , aptly.
Something about her was as natural as the log on the ground and the grass that crunched, as if she was a very part of the wilderness herself. She was dressed much like the children, a thin cloth that had details and designs that his eyes had never come across, able to blend in with the surrounding nature. When she spoke, it was not in any tongue or language he could conceive – her words were of the wind, of the tree's growth, of sweet smelling rain and the warm sunlight. This woman was content to have this children pulling at her hands and demanding her attention, giving them tender strokes to their heads and nestling them lovingly in her arms. She loved them, and they loved her, and Donald found a great ache in him, an overwhelming desire to run his fingers through her hair, and to kiss her deeply, and these wishes only grew stronger and more passionate the more he gazed upon her. As one comes across the most precious flower they have ever seen, and in so pluck it from the ground to keep it for themselves, so did he long to take her hand and bask in her eyes...
… And then, his stomach made a truly hideous gurgling noise.
The laughter was silenced, and all of the mystical forms froze in place, their once delighted faces now of sheer terror. Staring upon where the grotesque roar had come from, the children soon easily scrambled away from the woman, dashing off into the wilderness, leaving no trace that they had ever been there in the first place. The woman stood up as well, and though she was just as frightened, she was burdened by curiosity. Donald knew he had to seize upon this moment, or lose his chance, as the pain in his stomach was an easy reminder now.
He stumbled forward, enough to be seen, hands outstretched. "Wait, please!" His voice was cracked, his throat was dry, he could not remember the last time he had spoken out loud. "I'm not going to hurt you! I... I just need some food! I haven't eaten in days!" Surely such a gorgeous woman would take pity on him and aide him? Surely?
Yet she was backing away, unsure of what to make of this man. Before he could say another word, she had turned around, and so too fled into the deeper regions of the woods. He knew he could never catch up, and, feeling greatly defeated, he collapsed onto the log, numb to the splinters that would touch him. Perhaps he had dreamed up the little family... as his eyes blackened, losing consciousness, he became very agreeable with himself. Yes, he had dreamed them up, a last vision of what he always wanted but somehow never got the chance to have... a happy family he could call his own, with rambunctious sons, and a cute daughter, and the most beautiful wife... and his body gave up.
Eventually, he had another dream. In this dream, he was in a great ocean, and he fell off his small boat. Now he was drowning, soaked in water, the liquid being forced into his mouth and down his throat. Yet this ocean water contained no salt or distaste, and felt very cooling into his body. The waves that once crashed against him were now smooth to his cheek, caressing him like cold fingers. When the water met his beak again, it began to dawn on him that he was not in the ocean, and this was not ocean water, but a purified water, and that the finger waves were real fingers, and, all together, he was very much awake. His eyes opened, and, after blinking a few times just to make sure, he saw a small clay-like bowl being put in his mouth, sliding water down into him.
Swallowing hard in gratitude, he looked up towards his savior, and, much to his shock, it was his 'imagined wife', looking down at him with worry and concern, with that hint of curiosity still there. His head was in her lap while she was sitting on the ground, and his cheeks became red as he noticed it was her that was giving him those tender pets. As all of his senses woke up, his sense of smell alerted him to a small pile next to him, composed of fruits and vegetables and other shapes and colors he did not know of but surely had to be edible, along with a clay jug filled to the brim with water. He instantly sprang up and onto his knees, making a grab for the banquet – but managed to have some control of herself and glanced towards the maiden, eyebrows raised in a silent questioning if this was indeed for him. When she nodded, he grabbed whatever he could fit into his hands, and shoved it into his mouth. Sweet merciful relief!
He chewed, spat, choked, eating and drinking until his body threatened to regurgitate it all back up if he did not slow down. Taking a break, he leaned over, hands on his thighs, breathing deeply to calm his stomach. Only then did he notice just how slovenly he had devoured the offerings, and just how savagely he must have looked before the girl. Embarrassed, he wiped his beak with the back of his arm, slightly amazed that instead of looking disgusted or annoyed, she was merely surprised, with a twist of amusement. Clearing his throat, and no longer suffering when he spoke, he addressed her. "Thank you so much... I owe you my life!"
There was obvious hesitation before she returned the words, now speaking in a tongue he could full well understand, yet still containing a melodious quality to it. "Who are you?"
His outfit was smoothed down, trying to look presentable. "I'm Donald Duck. My uncle sent me to go to the village of Temples Peak." There was a bit of a frown from her when he mentioned the town name, and he quickly moved on. "I'm supposed to deliver some messages and help him enter into a contract with the village leader's daughter... or something." He gestured to his pack on his back, indicating the messages. "I don't try to get involved too much... but some animals took the food I had." A pause... was that enough? "...I'm, uh, sorry I scared you and the kids. I was just so surprised to see anyone that I didn't know what to do."
She studied him before answering in turn. "My name is Daisy. We do not often get..." she appeared to be searching for the right word. "... your kind here."
It was an odd way to put it, but he decided not to press on it. He lifted the jug up to take a drink before continuing the conversation. "Mind if I take some of this stuff with me? Still got a few days left in the way."
"Take as much as you want." She scooted a little closer to him, putting the bowl in her hands aside. "We always have plenty."
"Thanks!" He chirped, licking leftover droplets on his beak. "I really do owe you one."
"Owe me?" She repeated, tilting her head.
"You betcha." he slapped a hand to his heart, proud. "I'm a duck of my word. You name it, I'll do it. You saved my life... why, I'll do anything to repay you!"
Hearing that, her expression changed. She smiled, but it was a dangerous one, curling around her in a predatory fashion, eyes glinting with possibility. Her beauty remained in tact, but it now resembled the hypnotizing light a carnivorous animal might use to lure the prey in close. Donald felt he would be swallowed whole if he did not look away, and grabbed a leafy vegetable to begin nibbling on. "Anything." She repeated again, not a question but a confirmation.
"Yeah... well... within reason..." He mumbled, shrinking under her intense gaze, still biting into the plant. Daisy was now close enough so that their shoulders were brushing together, and Donald could not recall the last time he had been in such bodily contact with a woman. The earlier sounds his stomach had made were now nothing compared to how hard his heart was beating. He nearly choked, as he felt her head rest on his shoulder, and when her arms lightly came around him, breathing was a lost art for him.
"How long can your journey be delayed?" Her voice cooed, eyelashes fluttering up at him. "I would really like to learn about your kind."
It wasn't until a few more bites that Donald learned he had long since finished the vegetable and had begun to chew on his fingers. He was nervous, but it was a thrilling kind of nervousness. "W-w-well," he stammered, his mind locked in battle, duty to his uncle and greedy lust competing for victory of importance. "I... guess... m-m-maybe a day... or two... or three..." or sixteen, for all he cared, if she kept petting his chest like that. Delighted by this answer, she snuggled up even closer to him.
They were not alone, however. High up in the trees, the children were watching the spectacle play out before them. "Oh, no." said the girl, timidly voicing her concern. "The others are really going to be upset when they find out about this!"
The leader of the boys huffed, crossing his arms. "That's Aunt Daisy for you... she always has to have what no one else does."
