Thanks for your amazing patience! All glory praise be to Lies, I could ask for no Christmas gift greater.
Minnie faced no punishments when she returned to land, as it was deemed that she was kidnapped instead of demanding to be taken on board. She didn't know whether Clarabelle hadn't heard Minnie's demands to Peg, or that she had heard and hadn't told Amelia, but whatever the reasons were, the only thing she had to endure was the occasional astonished inquiry from other Privates that she had survived being on a pirate ship. Minnie was tempted to snap to them that of course she was alive and well, as she wanted to inform them of Mickey's vow not to kill, but defending the honor of a pirate was the last thing her reputation needed. Daisy happily welcomed her back with open arms, and told Minnie about the big news while the mouse had been gone – that Amelia had gone into labor, and delivered four healthy and beautiful children. Everyone in the N.A.V.Y. was happy for their captain.
However, any time for baby showers and celebration would have to wait. Though Captain Jane expressed the same joy as the others, she still handed out assignments and expected them to be followed immediately. It wasn't said but it was understood that if she hadn't, Amelia would have marched out of the hospital and demanded to know what everyone was waiting for. A joke spread throughout headquarters that her children would likely dominate all the playgrounds. Minnie was glad to be among the company of girls who loved to gossip and giggle about babies and the future, as it grounded her in a sense of normalcy for a few moments. She knew it wouldn't last long, and soon she would be shoved back in the world of proposing pirates, mismatched millionaires, and the dangers of Doctor Thatch. Yet, she was also looking forward to returning to such adventures. Her last year in the N.A.V.Y. was slowly proving to be her favorite.
She was assigned to kitchen duty for a few days, and tried to keep her complaints about it to a minimum. Daisy and Clarabelle were busy with their duties, so Minnie was often left alone with her thoughts. She would lay awake in her bed, with Figaro purring happily near her cheek, thinking of the past, the present, and the future. The room seemed a lot quieter without Mickey around to try and cheer her up, making some absurd joke with his rum-smelling breath and then launching into a million excuses to give her a kiss. It came to be that whenever her thoughts were of him, and he seemed to invade her mind plenty these days, they caused her to smile. Though she still refused to admit she loved him, she knew he was loveable, and that he was capable of being loved for his good qualities. She could see what Ortensia desired.
It was difficult to pinpoint when she had allowed the word 'love' to form in her mind instead of childishly referring it to as the l-word. It had been a gradual process, much like their odd relationship, and she now allowed the word to take residence in her mind. Though she was content with this, she knew there were still a great many things she didn't understand about her feelings. What she needed was to ask the advice of someone who was in love, and had that love returned. She frowned in bed as she tried to form a list of those she knew, mentally crossing them off when she understood she couldn't ask for their opinion. Lately Daisy seemed rigid and broken whenever the discussion of Donald came up, whenever she allowed it to come up. Clarabelle was out of the question, since she and Horace were obviously in denial. Minnie hadn't seen Clarabelle in days and had no idea anything had changed between the cow and the horse.
Minnie tried to think of other friends she knew, but none who were in healthy and stable relationships came to mind. There was Captain Amelia, but to ask her about this issue would be as good as admitting what had happened with Mickey, and she may as well hand in her uniform. There was the possibility of asking her parents, but she had heard the story of how they had gotten together so many in times in her childhood that it had become more like a fairy tale than a real story. She sighed, knowing that there were more important things to think about than her feelings, as she needed to investigate Mortimer, Magica, the Justice Ducks, Thatch, the man with the cats, and by the time she tried to make a schedule of what to look over when, she mentally exhausted herself to sleep.
The next morning, she half expected to wake up with Mickey at her side, and blushed darkly at the implications of such an expectation. She was quick to get up, showering and dressing in minutes as she wanted to get to roll call early. She had just finished putting on her boots when the door opened, and in walked Daisy and Clarabelle. It was the first time they had seen each other since Minnie had first returned from the hostage situation, and she said their names with great happiness, rushing to hug them both again. They returned the embrace, but when she got a look at their faces, they were laced with worry and fear. Daisy held Minnie's cheeks to take a good look at her. "Are you okay, Minnie? How are you feeling?"
Minnie blinked at her companions for their terrified attitude. "I'm fine, of course." Had they already forgotten Mickey's vow? She stepped back from them, trying to show them that physically nothing had changed. "I always have that silly Mickey around my finger. You should have seen me on his ship!" It felt liberating to be able to tell someone what had happened, and she gestured around with imaginary sword thrusts. "My sword fighting is really improving! I almost had him begging for mercy! I finally got him to open up, and tell me what he was doing. Just like a man, to shut everything out and not say a word." She smirked at her friends, expecting chuckles of agreement, but was met only with the same fear.
Clarabelle looked to Daisy, hands clutched together. "She doesn't know what happened."
Minnie paused in her pretend game of pointing. "I don't know what happened?"
Daisy ground her beak together, her hands forming into fists but not angry at any one person. "They probably didn't want to scare her… but she needs to know!"
Minnie wasn't fond of being spoken about when she was right there to be spoken to. Pouting, she put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot to get their attention. "After everything I've been through, I really doubt a little gossip is going to scare me now! What did I miss?" She couldn't imagine what they were being so hesitant about, but given Minnie had survived a sword in the stomach, she felt nothing could frighten her anymore. Daisy and Clarabelle were just being melodramatic as always.
Clarabelle and Daisy exchanged another look, and then Clarabelle knelt down on one knee, to be on eye level with Minnie. This was typically done when Clarabelle needed to speak of something with utmost seriousness to Minnie, so the mouse finally began to feel a sense of urgency. Clarabelle spoke carefully, but the horror in her voice couldn't be controlled. "Mirage escaped from prison."
At once Minnie felt the sword in her back and saw it piercing through her body on the other side. She instinctively held herself to try and push the blade back out, thrown back into the memory of the worst pain she had ever endured. Her legs gave way, but Daisy was there to catch her and hold her close. Clarabelle joined the embrace, the three of them protecting each other from the bloody recollection of the days when it seemed Minnie would be lost to them forever. Even Figaro crawled away from the bed to rub up against Minnie's weak legs, sensing something was terribly wrong with his mistress. Minnie's breath was labored for a few minutes, with Daisy stroking her head and Clarabelle squeezing Minnie's shoulders. Eventually, she managed to regain the power of speech. "H… How?"
"She attacked Captain Jane." Clarabelle answered, using her know-how of gossip and everything that happened in the world of the N.A.V.Y. for good. "And wounded several other Privates. She stole their swords and no one's been able to find her. There aren't any leads, but the entire kingdom is being swept for her."
"We'll find her." Daisy spoke with conviction, her grip tightening on her friend. "And we'll make sure she's locked up for good. She's not going to lay a hand on you, I promise." Clarabelle squeezed Minnie's shoulder again to agree to the promise. Figaro mewed pitifully. Roll call was forgotten.
Minnie had a million more questions to ask, but knew that even for all of Clarabelle's information hunting, no comforting answers would be given. If what Oswald said was true, then because she and Mickey were not exactly 'apart', she would still be a target. Mickey would also be in the line of fire, and though he had shown himself capable of taking the cat down, that had only been when he had nothing left to lose. Now that he knew Minnie was alive and well, would he still be able to strike down a woman, despite the threat she carried? Simultaneously, anger and strength flowed through Minnie's veins. Mirage and her mysterious employer had no right to kill them, especially not because of their relationship. Though Minnie knew Mickey had an entire crew willing to protect him, she felt a need to be his shield. The man who vowed to never kill would not be killed.
Daisy and Clarabelle were surprised to see strength returning to Minnie's muscles so soon. "Yes, we will." Minnie raised her head, meeting Daisy's eyes. "We're going to find her and bring her to justice. That is our job."
"We?" Daisy echoed, easing her hold on Minnie to give the girl breathing room. "Minnie, you're the last person who should go after her! She's probably looking for you as we speak!"
"Then I'll make her job easier." Minnie stood up tall, though she was still trembling occasionally. She was still afraid, but she wasn't going to let fear keep her from doing what was right. She had faced death, and even defeated it. There was no guarantee that Mickey would be so lucky. Granted, it made little sense to defend him in the long run, since his death was inevitable as all pirates were sentenced to execution. Yet this line of logic didn't detail her resolve, and her trembling eased with resolve. "You're not going to leave me out just because I'm a target. We're doing this together." She waited for their agreement, and while she would have liked it, she didn't need it in order to after Mirage.
There was a pause, and then Clarabelle rubbed Minnie between the ears, mussing up her fur. "We've never been able to stop you before. Why start now?"
"Captain Amelia probably won't like it…" Daisy warned, but the smile on her beak showed her real feelings. "…But no one can order us to stop being your friends. We're in this together!" She held out a hand, and with Minnie and Clarabelle placing their hands on top of hers, they silently agreed to the symbol of unity. There would be no more secrets, and no more holding back. They couldn't afford to be tightlipped about anything now that death was so close. The girls smiled at each other, relieved to be in each other's company. So many terrible and terrifying things had happened during the course of the year, yet they nothing had damaged their friendship. Nothing in this world had the power to destroy the invincible.
The girls pulled apart, ready to head out. "We've got the cover duties from Jane, and real assignments from Amelia. We need to pick up from where we left off." She winked at Minnie's puzzled expression. "Captain Amelia is a part of this too. We'll explain on the carriage ride there… and I think it's about time you were told about her and Mirage."
Halfway across the world, Gosalyn was enjoying the view of Italy from atop Morgana's shoulders. The little girl had been complaining about how her feet hurt, expecting her father to take the load and carry her. Morgana had offered to do it instead, and Gosalyn took it up, taking it as a chance to get to know Morgana better. She hadn't objected to the rushed marriage, and she liked what she knew about Morgana, but it still felt like she knew so little of her mother. The trio had found nothing else of value in the abandoned caverns, and Drake had decided they needed to return to civilized land as soon as possible to know what had happened to those strange flying metal eggs. They had made many guesses as to what the objects were, but nothing conclusive.
Gosayln rested her head on top of Morgana's, noting the long white streak that stood out against the ebony. She knew what she was about to say wouldn't be tactful, but it'd get the ball rolling on conversations outside of flying metal eggs, as interesting as the topic was. "Hey, Morgana? How old are you?"
Drake stopped in his tracks, sputtering in startled audacity at what his daughter had just said. "Gosalyn!"
"What?" The accused shrugged. "Hair isn't supposed to turn white until people turn eighty or something! But she's only got a little white hair, so maybe she's some kind of weird fraction."
Drake groaned, ready to apologize profusely for his daughter, but Morgana was smiling and suppressing a laugh that might have knocked Gosalyn off the taller woman's shoulders. "It's not a sign of age, Gosalyn. A lot of women in my family are born with this trait. We're not sure why, it's a genetic question. But I like it. Gives it a little character." Though she couldn't see Gosalyn's face, she glanced up, hoping that was an approved answer. She sought to have Gosalyn's approval in many ways, knowing that to be a part of Drake's life, she needed to be a part of the daughter's. Morgana had easily come to adore the child, spunky and clever in her own ways, and could understand how a bond had formed between the two. It was still a little unnerving to be thought of as a mother, but with Gosalyn as her child, she welcomed the idea more and more each day. The very idea of this family was so radically different from her own childhood and living with Magica, which had been full of cruelty and dark expectations.
Gosalyn 'hmm'ed the matter over before coming to a decision. "Dad, when we get home, can I dye my hair purple?"
Morgana let her laughter fly that time while Drake shot Gosalyn a pointed look. "Absolutely not."
"Aw, but Morgana gets to have different colors in her hair!"
"She just said she was born with it! You were born a redhead, and so help me, you'll stay one!"
"You don't know that. Maybe I dyed it red before you adopted me. Would you believe me if I said I was born with green hair?"
The debate helped time to pass, with Morgana occasionally chiming in about what colors would like nice on Gosalyn. Their playful arguments were becoming second nature, and Morgana began to feel more as if she wasn't an outsider invading the family but actually becoming a part of it. Though Drake would stubbornly say for Morgana not to take Gosayln's side all the time, she could catch his quick smile, and could tell he was delighted for the two girls he loved more than anything in the world getting along so well. His fingers longed to hold her hand, but he wouldn't complain, since Morgana was using both of her hands to keep Gosalyn steady on her shoulders. Gosalyn's subjects of conversation bounced around, from hair colors to their future home to getting a piranha for a pet and, for what she thought were some very hilarious minutes, the possibility of future siblings.
The time zones between England and Italy greatly differed, and soon Gosalyn was yawning in between sentences. Morgana slowed down her walking, looking up again. "Gosalyn, dear, are you tired? Maybe we should stop and make camp."
"Nah." Gosalyn yawned again, closing her eyes and resting herself into Morgana's hair, mumbling as she spoke. "I'm fine, mom."
Morgana abruptly stopped walking, sharply turning her head towards Drake to make sure she had heard correctly. Judging by Drake's shock, followed by his wide smile, the parental name had indeed been used for the first time since Morgana joined them. Morgana copied his smile, feeling a unique happiness that threatened tears. She didn't think she would ever hear that magical word from Gosalyn's beak, and had come to accept it, being such a speedy shove into Gosalyn's life. Yet it had been said, and Gosalyn didn't appear to notice how important the admission was, as she mumbled again. "Why'd you stop?"
"N-No reason!" Morgana stammered and resumed walking, a few giggles escaping her throat. "We'll keep going, dear!" She didn't understand how one simple word could fill her with elation, but she didn't need to examine it either. Drake appeared to feel the same way, strutting forward proudly. The happy parents continued to walk through the jungle, all arguments evaporating as they kept reciting the special word in their head over and over. Drake could remember the first time Gosalyn had started calling him 'dad', and could imagine the same happiness beating inside of his beloved. He had also been worried about Gosalyn's acceptance of Morgana into their lives, but after hearing that, who needed to worry? They were a perfect happy family.
He was probably doomed the moment he dared to think of any aspect of his life as 'perfect', as he suddenly heard the clicks of pistols echoing from the trees. The owners of the guns then sprang from the trees, from behind the tall grass and foliage – dozens of armed men, donned in A.R.M.Y. outfits, aiming their pistols right at the family. Gosalyn had been snapped awake by all of the noise, flailing around until she wound up in Morgana's arms. Morgana held Gosalyn close to her chest, trying to shield her, and Drake tried to shield them in turn as he stood in front of his girls, though his shortness only guaranteed the protection of Morgana's lower half. The men didn't fire, but they kept a steady hold of their targets, awaiting further orders. Two men from the back of the group began to make their way to the front, though they weren't holding their pistols. Drake took a glance at the medals on the green uniforms and correctly guessed they were in charge of these troops.
"At ease." Said the first man, holding up a gloved hand. "What are you thinking, aiming these things at women and children?" The red rooster slowly lowered his hand, signaling that the other men should do the same. His accent was thick through his beak, and he smiled gently at the frightened family.
"And such beautiful women too." The green parrot to the rooster's side smirked, getting an eyeful of Morgana. He too carried an accent and carried kindness, not showing an ounce of ill intent toward them. "Good thing being pretty isn't a crime, senora."
Drake found the act of someone hitting on his wife more upsetting than having a pistol aimed at his face, so he haughtily marched forward, holding up his hand to show his wedding ring. "But in some countries, adultery is, so how about you keep those eyeballs back in your socket, Polly?"
The rooster laughed loudly at this, and then slapped Drake hard but friendly on the back, almost making Drake lose his balance. "Oh, amigo, you must forgive my friend! He always has his eyeballs on the women! I bet he wished he joined the N.A.V.Y. instead!"
"Si, but my legs don't look so good in a skirt." Jose didn't mind Drake's threat, pulling out a cigar from underneath his uniform and stuffing it into his beak. "And none of you look good here. See, all of you are in forbidden territory. Just being here is against the law, and I'm afraid we must arrest you."
Gosalyn, wide awake by now, pointed at the parrot. "But doesn't that mean you guys are breaking the law too?"
This gave the A.R.M.Y. birds pause, and the rooster scratched his head. "I think she has a point, Jose. Not even we are allowed here. Why is that, anyway?"
Jose shrugged, trying to find a lighter on his belt. "I'm not sure, Panchito. But I think we're allowed to be here. We're supposed to prevent people from coming in here."
"But we're here! Should we have prevented ourselves from coming in here?"
"How would we prevent ourselves from coming here and also prevent others from coming here?"
"Excellent question!" Panchito looked at his now very confused soldiers. "What do you guys think?"
One soldier pointed at the spot where the small family used to be. "I think we should go after them, sir."
Gosalyn's question had provided her father and mother with enough time to run back in the direction they had come from. Panchito and Jose hurriedly gave the others to give chase, though Panchito loudly noted "Just remember not to remember anything you see here!" The soldiers had the advantage, as Morgana, Gosalyn, and Drake's legs were exhausted from so many days of walking exploration. Drake realized this early on, and dug his feet into the dirt, ready to stop and distract the men long enough for his girls to get away. He was willing to take whatever they would give…
… And then they fell from the sky.
That same day, in a different time zone, Donald should have gotten out of bed by that point. Breakfast was being served, and there were many important things to do. Yet just like every morning since his big fight with Daisy, Donald didn't want to get up. He didn't want to face the world and all of its troubles, and wished to sleep forever and never face anyone or anything again. Since that disaster, Donald had struggled to stay on task, but he kept thinking back to the fight and as a result could hardly concentrate on anything. He could no longer aid in controlling Goldie's temper, allowed Donna to move into the mansion, and hadn't learned a single new thing about Magica and Scrooge. He groaned, tossing and turning in bed, still able to hear Daisy's angry voice yelling at him.
He regretted some of the things he said to her, but not everything. The point he made about her seeing other men was still valid, and until they could talk about that, what they had couldn't be fixed. He was still very angry at her, yet he couldn't bring himself to hate her, nor to think of breaking off the engagement. He sighed, holding up his hand, gazing intently at his engagement ring. Maybe it wouldn't be up to him if the engagement was cancelled. Any day now, Daisy could call up to tell him it was over. He couldn't blame her, considering all the secrets he had kept from her.
He knew he was being selfish, and that his uncle needed his help. If Daisy broke up with him, Donald would just have to move on and continue with his life and the investigation. He didn't want to, though, and that was what chained him to bed. He didn't want to have a life that didn't involve Daisy. Despite her illicit cheating, she was still a good person. She cared about others, she was enjoyable to be around, and most importantly of all, she loved him for him, and not for his relation to money. What other girl would look past his many flaws and ignore his chances for a big inheritance, in order to see who he really was? So far only Daisy had tried. Girls like her were one in a million.
Donald could have easily stayed in bed all day, wallowing in self pity, when he heard a clamor of noise out in the hallway. Silverware was breaking, and Donna was screaming. Donald grumbled, guessing that Goldie was in one of her moods again. He forced himself out of bed, not bothering to smooth down his pajamas and feathers, and headed for the door. "I'm starting to see why Uncle Scrooge likes her so much." Big tempers ran in the McDuck family, so naturally Scrooge find someone even more hotheaded extremely attractive. He opened the door, and snapped before he saw what was going on. "Keep it down, will you?"
Goldie was raising hell, but it wasn't out of her typical tantrum. She was wrestling with a tall, hooded figure, while Donna was being tied up and gagged in the corner by a man who looked exactly like the one who was fighting with Goldie - the infamous Beagle boys. He could hear the injured cries of Ms. Beakly and Ducksworth though he didn't know where they were. Fear seized Donald, but his anger was much stronger, and he ran into the hallway, tackling down the one attacking Goldie. He went down easy out of surprise, and Goldie managed to smack the intruder's face with the butt of her empty shotgun. The one tying up Donna yelped in shock at seeing the assault, trying to pick up Donna in a panic. "Aw man, Magica didn't say all of these people were here!"
"You put her down!" Donald had no time to register what the villain said, racing towards the remaining Beagle Boy. The Beagle fled down the hallway, with Goldie and Donald chasing after them.
"They just burst into the house!" Goldie shouted as they rounded a corner. "There's dozens of these guys!" She shook her gun, showing that she had emptied them in trying to get rid of several of the intruders. "They're destroying the whole place and attacking everyone in here!"
Donald thought fast, keeping his eyes on Donna as she was getting further away, screaming hysterically from under the gag in her beak. In an instant, he remembered a prank his nephews played on him in this very same hallway years ago, and reached downward. "Get the rug!" Goldie didn't question it and also went down, grabbing the rug that stretched down the hall. Both ducks yanked on the rug, and up ahead, the rug went out from the Beagle's feet, tripping him so he landed face first on the floor, sending Donna rolling away. Donald and Goldie wasted no time in catching up to the kidnapper, beating him until he was unconscious. Goldie then went to work freeing Donna, but Donald was already on the move again, knowing there were at least three other household members unaccounted for.
In the grand and large living room, Ms. Beakly was backed up against the empty fireplace, with Ducksworth – already suffering a blow from the head that caused blood to roll down his cheek – wielding a fire poker and Ludwig – his glasses smashed and his body bruised – using an empty suitcase as a weapon. The men were valiantly trying to defend Ms. Beakly, but it seemed like the onslaught of Beagles to fight were endless. Their head honcho, the oldest with a growing beard was lazily sitting in Scrooge's chair, legs propped up on a footrest, and eating the breakfast that Ducksworth had prepared. Two Siamese cats were purring around the footrest, and they and their master were amused at the pitiful resistance. Donald ran to join them, but yet another Beagle grabbed him by the arm, and threw him into Ducksworth. They fell down in a heap, and the various Beagles debated what score the thrower should get. An 8.7 was decided.
Donna and Goldie joined them shortly, roughly shoved into the group by the same men. Donna hid behind Donald, and Goldie's shotgun was forcibly yanked from her grasp. Donald kept his eyes on who he assumed was the leader, sitting in his uncle's favorite chair. "Why are you doing this? Who are you people?"
The man licked the remains of syrup off his fingers. "I don't think it really matters that much, since you're going to die soon." He rose from his seat, and his cats circled his feet. "But it's been so long since my boys have had any fun! All right, who has ideas for how we should finish them?" The boys halted in their assault, throwing their hands in their air to offer their suggestions, ranging from hanging, drowning, and something involving fish hooks and Swiss cheese that Donald couldn't make out from all the shouts of agreement.
Donald could feel Donna holding onto his pajamas from behind, and he carefully look around at his friends and family. None of them would have expected an ambush on the mansion, since Scrooge could afford the finest in security. It then clicked together in Donald's mind – Scrooge had trusted Magica with the security system. He then remembered what Donna's attacker had said, and made the connection out loud. "Magica is trying to have us killed!"
"Trying? She's succeeding." Ducksworth winced as the pain in his head throbbed. "But why? She has Mister McDuck, what more could she possibly need?"
"Maybe she's tryin' to tie up loose ends." Goldie muttered, fingers sore without something deadly to hold onto. Even as she said it, they didn't all believe it. Killing off the remainder of Scrooge's family and servants didn't serve Magica any good, and had the chance of throwing suspicion on her, since the security system was designed by her. This was the act of a jealous madwoman.
The leader then snapped his fingers, agreeing to an idea Donald didn't hear. "So it's settled! Let's get started, and we can wrap this up before lunch." He then mulled over who to pick off first, murmuring a short game of 'eeny, meeny, miney, mo', before his finger settled towards Beakly. "All right, grab the fat one."
Ducksworth stood in front of her, aiming his poker out and growling with ferocity that Donald didn't think the butler was capable of. "Over my dead body, you wretches!"
The Beagle shrugged, indifferent. "Okay, you first. Then the fat one." A wave of laughter rippled throughout the many men, and they began to fully encircle the terrified group. The servants and family edged in closer together, determined to aide one another until their very last breath – save for Donna, who had promptly fainted. Donald could see some of the Beagles eyeing his expensive looking engagement ring, no doubt planning to pry it off his future corpse for extra cash. He clenched his hand, protecting the ring for what little time he could, wishing he could see Daisy's face one last time…
… And then they fell from the sky.
Minnie was rarely glad to go see Mortimer, but this was one of those times. She was going to finish the assignment she and Clarabelle were supposed to do before going on Mickey's ship, only this time Daisy would accompany them. Perhaps this time Mortimer would be more complaint to share his financial records now that his beloved fiancé had returned from the clutches of pirates. He must have been worried sick with her gone, though she had noticed he hadn't tried to contact her once since she returned. It was possible that he had been busy, but it still upset her that as far as she knew, he hadn't made an effort to see if she was okay. Daisy and Clarabelle had no reports of him trying to talk to either of them or any of Minnie's friends while she was 'taken hostage'.
She tried not to think about it which became easy as the carriage ride to his house was filled with talk. They had decided to longer keep any secrets, and had told each other everything they had held back during the year. Amelia's relation to Mirage, the Justice Ducks, Mickey's past, all the fights and all the kisses and everything and anything in between, nothing was left out as they approached Mortimer's gates. As the carriage slowed to a stop, Clarabelle inhaled deeply, moving to open the door. "Then I guess there's only one thing left to tell you both." She exited the carriage and her friends eagerly followed to hear the final story of the day. "Horace and I… are a couple!" She then exhaled deeply, flustered with the admittance of her love, blushing deeply as she turned to look at her friends, expecting gasps of surprise and delight.
Minnie and Daisy stared blankly at their taller friend, waiting for more. Impatiently, Daisy replied. "… And?"
"And?" Clarabelle's happiness deflated, and she pouted as she loomed over her friends. "What do you mean, 'and'? Horace and I are dating now, this is big news! It's the beginning of a new era! Everything has changed!"
Minnie thought of how to put their thoughts gently, but then decided blunt was best. "Clarabelle… we knew you two would get together eventually. Everyone knew. You two have obviously been in love for years. Everyone's been able to see it. Daisy, Millie, Amelia, Jane, Gadget, Goofy, Peg, Pete…"
"Everyone in the N.A.V.Y. knew it." Daisy added, and then looked at the carriage rider, a pretty deer who was tending to the horses. "Fawn?"
Fawn didn't even bother looking at them. "Everyone in the A.R.M.Y. knew it. Everyone in the Kingdom knew it. Everyone in the world-"
"Oh, shut up!" Clarabelle shoved open Mortimer's tall, black iron gates, miffed that her romantic discovery wasn't as amazing as she thought it was.
Daisy and Minnie resumed following her, taking up each side. "We really are happy for you." Minnie tried to smooth things over with a smile. "You two were made for each other." That eased Clarabelle up, who walked with more joy in each step. "We know Horace will treat you very well. Right, Daisy?"
Daisy shot a hand into the air, struck with an idea. "I call being maid of honor!"
Clarabelle covered her face with her hands at the proclamation, trying to cover her darkening face. "D-D-Daisy! You're getting way too ahead of yourself!"
"Clarabelle's right." Minnie wagged a finger at Daisy, relieving Clarabelle for only a few seconds. "She can't decide that now. She has to choose between us and Millie!"
Daisy threw her hair behind her shoulder, defiant. "Not in the kingdom, not in the wedding. Those are the rules." Daisy and Minnie enjoyed their teasing games, grateful to at last have a chance be the ones to make the gossip queen go quiet. They managed to calm themselves as they approached the front door, where Mortimer was just leaving, his back to them as he was locking the doors.
What luck, to find him home so soon! Minnie called out to him, quickening her pace. "Mortimer! We need to talk to you!"
Mortimer dropped his key in surprise, and then scrambled to pick it back up in order to unlock the doors he had just locked. "W-what, again, so soon?" His hands were shaking, unable to put the key back in properly. "Oh, wow, that's… I'd love to, Minerva, but I'm really busy, I'll talk to you later!"
"Hold it." Clarabelle was at his left in an instant, grabbing by his shoulder and spinning him around a few times before making him face the girls. "You're not going anywhere until you answer our questions."
Mortimer looked around, desperate for an escape. "I don't think I have any answers-"
"No excuses!" Daisy was at his right, taking hold of his other arm, yanking him down until he was sitting on the ground. "First off, what do you mean so soon? It's been over a week since Minnie got kidnapped by those pirate thugs!" She and Clarabelle held him securely in place so he couldn't even fathom running away.
Mortimer uneasily turned his head towards Minnie. "…You were kidnapped?" At the very least they could tell he wasn't lying about his lack of information. They weren't surprised that he hadn't given her any thought or bothered to see how she was doing since he had last seen her. It was just aggravating to have those facts made clear as day, and Daisy and Clarabelle tightened their grip on him.
Daisy and Clarabelle could have guessed that Minnie was hurt, but the truth was that Minnie wasn't surprised at all. In fact, she didn't care, and raised a hand to signal to the girls to ease their holds. "We can discuss this later. We need to get the job done first." She marched up to Mortimer, getting so close to his face that a sneeze would have made their noses touch. "You're giving us your financial records, and you're telling us about every single interaction you've ever had with Magica DeSpell." There wasn't a tone of kindness or even a please in her demand. No longer did she care if he was upset by her attitude. Mirage's assault, combined with Mickey's confrontation, had helped Minnie clear up her denial about a great many things, and her feelings towards Mortimer was one of them. "Just because we're getting married doesn't mean I have to treat you any differently from any other civilian suspect. Am I understood?"
Mortimer regretted wearing his expensive suit that day, due to all the sweating he was doing now. He had finished a call with Magica, and was off to do more of her demands in exchange for more of her support, but one of those demands was to not sure their talks with anyone. The girls' glares said they weren't going anywhere without him talking. The men who were between rocks and hard places had it easy. What happened to the diminutive Minerva who would do whatever he said with no complaint, and went along with everything he did? She had been the perfect fiancé, quiet and agreeable and obedient. Now she was making demands of him, a bad quality in a wife. There would be no pirates to stop this interrogation…
… And then they fell from the sky.
Magica was a frugal woman, and believed in cutting corners wherever possible. Deep below the enormous building in which her company worked, her latest prisoner was sitting in the same cell that Drake Mallard had been in not too long ago. There were still bits of dried blood in the cell, and some fallen feathers that this prisoner occasionally fingered in contemplation. Unlike Drake, there was no need to chain or beat this captive. He proved to be no trouble and offered no resistance. He had no information to offer, and was only an incentive.
He sat on the dirty floor, running his fingers over a feather again, until he heard footsteps. He didn't bother to look in their direction and it wasn't expected of him. This aging man was blind, but he could perfectly hear the footsteps of a Beagle boy unlocking his door, grumbling how his brothers were off having fun at the McDuck mansion while he was stuck transporting useless old men. "Up and at 'em." The Beagle barked. "You're being moved around."
The man said nothing, moving slowly in his ragged robes. Cold cuffs captured his wrists, and the Beagle dragged him out of the cell, needing to lead him around as they left the cells. The Beagle couldn't stand the silence as they walked up the stairs, and he took a glanced behind him at the prisoner. "Is it really true that you're Mirage's man?" He and his extended family had seen pictures of the dangerous beauty, and the idea that she'd want to be with a blind, ugly old geezer was laughable. "Because… I don't see it!" He guffawed heartily as his joke, but the man still said nothing, making the laughter die off quickly. The Beagle grumbled. "What, are you deaf too?"
They continued up the stairs, but just as they reached the door, the man stopped. He lifted his head, going absolutely still. The Beagle tugged at the cuffs, trying to urge him to move on. "What's with the hold up?"
At last, the man spoke. "Something… is happening." His voice also revealed his age, deep and croaking in the back of his throat. "I can feel the vibrations from the ground. Something terrible is happening outside… something from above."
"It's England. The weather always sucks." The Beagle tugged him harder this time, forcing the man to move. "Get a move on!" The old man didn't resist this time, though his steps slowed down considerably. They left the dungeon, and the idea was to take him all the way to the roof, in order to board the man on a flying ship. But as they walked higher and higher up the building, the Beagle would eventually come across a window, and when he saw what the old man had warned of, he froze in his tracks. "W-… What in the world am I looking at?"
He said this… for they were falling from the sky.
All across the Kingdom, far enough to interrupt Drake's chase and powerful enough to slam into Scrooge and Mortimer's mansion, they were falling. People screamed in fear, running as circular shadows descended from above, disrupting everyone's intended paths for that day. Amelia was checking out of the hospital with her babies, Mickey was planning his newest heist, Roger was knocking on the door of Valiant's office, Jane had to stop and catch her breath as she still hadn't fully recovered from Mirage's assault, Launchpad was just leaving the Justice Ducks hideout, Gadget was working on her latest adjustment to Minnie's steam powered skates, Horace was asking his friends about the right time to propose, Millie was boarding a boat to England, Goofy was meeting with Thatch's descendents, Mirage was seeking information in the pirate's black market, and Magica was waiting on the roof for the prisoner –
And each and every one of them stopped what they were doing to look at the sky, as metallic egg shaped oddities crashed into the land. The things Drake had accidently set free were now landing on top of houses, splashing into rivers and oceans, destroying buildings and endangering the lives of thousands for their sizes ranged from the size of carriages to famous flying boats. The rain of steel lasted for three minutes, but it felt as if a lifetime passed through the seconds of shock. Everyone's problems were now vastly shrunk and unimportant compared to the single question that was on every person's mind.
What were they?
End Of Chapter Twenty-Eight.
