"Misfit"
Donald Duck sat on the couch, bandaging Louie's leg. The triplets, Webby, Della, Scrooge, and Launchpad had just come home from an adventure, and like usual, Louie had a million scratches on him. Huey had a minor bruise, but Dewey and Webby were perfectly fine.
"Owww! Uncle Donald! That thing stings!" Louie whined as Donald put ointment on Louie's scratches.
"Stay still!" Donald ordered. He felt bad for his nephews; they were being dragged along on needlessly dangerous adventures instead of staying home.
Ugh, I cannot believe my sister! She's risking the lives of her very own kids just for some stupid treasure.
Louie interrupted Donald's thoughts, "Are you done yet?" He hissed. One band-aid was on Louie's forehead, another was on his beak, he had three on various spots of his left arm, and his right leg was bandaged.
"Yes, Louie."
"Ugh. Good."
But little did Donald know that Louie secretly liked it when he fussed over him. Whenever he would get injured, his mother would just blame him for "having his eye on the gold," when Louie was just following along. But when precious "Turbo" got a tiny scratch, she would always be hovering over him and wouldn't leave his side. Louie couldn't help but feel bilious with jealousy. He knew jealousy didn't end well, but he couldn't help it.
Jealousy is like a tornado, destroying everything it touches.
Jealously is a creature with no heart or soul. It can't feel bad for you; it can only watch you suffer.
Jealousy eats your heart away, until it is completely gone.
Jealousy is dangerous. Maybe even more dangerous than all those beasts and monsters Louie ever faced.
Louie watched as Uncle Donald sat up, and started to walk away. Louie wanted to call him back; maybe peel of one of his band-aids to say it came off and watch him tenderly put a new one on. But Dewey and the others were watching him, and he was already a dork, so he didn't want to ruin his reputation anymore.
- Time Skip-
"Hey Lou!" Dewey called out to his younger brother.
Louie was on the bottom bunk of the triple-bunk bed. "What?" He was doing something on his phone.
"Whatcha doing?" Dewey Duck bent over from the second bunk.
"Mmm….texting my friend from school."
Dewey grinned. "Wait what? You have friends?!"
Louie's hands balled into fists, and he closed his eyes. Anger bubble inside of him like a volcano on the verge of erupting.
"Uh, relax, Llewellyn, it was just a joke." Huey started to climb down from the top bunk, along with Dewey.
As soon as he was down, Louie's inner volcano exploded, and he pummeled Dewey to the ground while calling him names.
Louie started to both cry and scream at Dewey. The lava inside of him was made of four things:
Anger, frustration, sadness, and most of all: bitter jealousy.
Louie's head ached, and all his scratches hurt, but the biggest pain of all was his heart.
Why can't I have what Dewey has?
Huey managed to pull Louie off of Dewey, and Dewey screamed:
"Mom!"
Typical Dewey. It was going to be a heck of a predicament if Della came.
"What is going on in here? LOUIE!" Della yelled at Louie with only pure anger.
Louie's nose had started to bleed, and the blood from it dripped into Louie's mouth, which was open in a snarl.
It ever so slightly satisfied him. It was just as salty as him.
"Llewellyn Duck, I cannot believe you! You are grounded!"
Tears streamed down Louie's face, and he started to sob into his hoodie, not realizing that the blood from his nose would stain the hoodie.
Huey, who had been holding Louie this whole time, started to calm him down.
"Huey! Get away from Louie this instant!"
"But I'm trying to he-"
"He doesn't deserve help."
The eleven year-old duck wiped tears from his face with the sleeve of his hoodie. "Why do you hate me? Why don't you love me? What does Dewey have that I don't?"
Della's anger faded away almost instantly, "Oh, Louie…..of course I love you."
Louie's voice shook, "No. You love Dewey. He's your favorite. I know because I read your diary. You always brag about him. Huey too, just not as much. There isn't a single entry about me. And what about that whole 'Doomsday Vault' incident? You were going to give up since the grabber arm was broken, but Dewey disobeyed you and went for the money seeds. And you say I have my 'eye on the gold'. Why didn't you ground him? In the Cloudslayer, you told Dewey that he could accomplish any dream. And yes, I know about that. Well, when you grounded me after the 'Timephoon', you told me that Louie Incorporated was done. And that was my dream. A good mom doesn't destroy her son's dream. A good mom doesn't avoid her son and lock him up in a room. A good mom doesn't favor one son over another. Sometimes, I wish I was back on the houseboat with Donald. Sure, it's nice living in a mansion. Or it used to be anyway. Before you came. I spent ten years of my life without you, praying that you'd come back. I looked up to you. What an idiot I was. Maybe Donald's not that exciting. But at least he cares about me." Louie spat out the last words of his monologue.
Della just stared at Louie, speechless. Huey's jaw dropped, gaping, and Dewey shot a sad glance at Louie.
Louie could see a spark of anger mixed in with sadness in Della's eyes, as much as she didn't want to show it, Louie could tell. Eyes are like the gateway to the soul. And if read them properly, they can tell you hidden secrets. Eyes are like keys, you have to find the right one to open the correct door.
Huey, who was the peacemaker of the bunch, spoke:
"Louie, I understand, but-"
"No you don't." Louie retorted sourly.
Della sighed, "Maybe I should bring Donald in here. He can try to reason with you." Della said. She told Huey and Dewey to go downstairs, and then went to go find Donald. A few minutes later, Donald opened the room to the boys' room.
"Hi, Louie." He said gently.
Louie pulled his knees toward his stomach and wrapped his hands around them, rocking back and forth. His bloodstained hoodie made him feel even more uneasy.
Donald sat down on the floor next to him.
Louie hiccupped, and started to sob.
Donald stroked his head feathers, "Say, why don't you stay at the houseboat for a while? I miss you. Plus, it will give you a break from adventuring."
Louie blinked tears out his swollen red eyes, "You'd let me?"
The older duck hugged Louie, "Of course. Now change into a clean hoodie."
Louie smiled. Donald hadn't changed a bit.
- Time Skip-
Louie Duck tucked two green hoodies into his tote bag. He had already packed three of his toy cars, some clothes, his computer, phone, and scheme notebook.
Do I need anything else? I mean, I'll only be staying for a week anyways. I packed my scheme notebook right? Yep. It would suck if Huey found out I had been cheating of his homework for the past month. Haha! Oh Louie, what a magnificent moocher you are! Louie chuckled to himself.
He paused, Oh, maybe I should pack my swim shorts! After all, Uncle Donald does live on a boat in Scrooge's pool. It would be fun to swim with him. I could get my mind of Della. Just me and Donald. No Della.
Donald picked him up an hour later:
"Hey, Uncle Donald, do you feel like you never fit in sometimes?" Louie asked quietly, his voice was barely more than a whisper.
"All the time. When I used to adventure with Scrooge before you three were born, I always felt like the odd one out. I wasn't brave like them. I barely survived each adventure. But I still went on adventures, just to impress my sister."
"I-I'm not good at adventuring either. But I don't want to seem like a fraud. I want my brothers to like me, so I just pretend to be relaxed. I'm really terrified though. I don't get how Dewey and Webby do it. They're always full of energy, and so brave. Huey's the brains of the whole thing…..but me….I just fake it. I don't solve any of the mysteries. I just tag along. I stand out like a sore thumb."
Donald smiled sadly, "It's okay to be different. You can see things others can't. What did Scrooge call you again…oh right, a 'sharpie'. You can read people's faces. You can tell if someone's lying or not just by looking in their eyes. And you can pull a con like that." Donald snapped his fingers, "You're different, but special. Don't let anybody make you believe otherwise. Not even Della. You'll like her, in due time. You can't rush a relationship with someone you haven't known for ten years."
Donald ruffled Louie's feathers, and in response, he affectionately snuggled with him.
- A week later, in a hidden temple in Russia-
"Okay kids, don't ye touch anything. This cursed temple is filled with booby traps."
Louie groaned. He hadn't gone on an adventure in a week, and he certainly didn't miss it. Donald had suggested for him to go so Louie could quote unquote "bond with his mom."
But Louie had something else in mind. He was going to purposely set off one of the traps. If Della saved him, than that would mean she really did love him. If she didn't…oh well.
Louie spotted a button on the side of a wall and pressed it.
Suddenly, the temple burst into flames. Louie had not been expecting this. Maybe a boulder would fall down, or some type of beast would emerge. But fire?!
Screams echoed throughout the temple, and the putrid stench of burning flesh hit Louie's nose.
No,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,nooooooo!
Okay Louie, you need a plan. You got your family into this mess, time to get them out.
Louie's voice echoed through the temple: "I'm going to rope my way up to that ledge! Webby, give your grappling hook to Scrooge!"
Webby's voice sounded from somewhere in the temple, "Okay!"
"Scrooge, is anyone near you?"
"Uh, yes, I'm with him." A scared Huey said.
"Good. Take Huey with you when you grapple onto the ledge, Scrooge. Della, where are you?"
No reply.
Louie's heart lurched, "Dewey? Where are you?"
Dewey's voice echoed from the right side of the temple, "I'm here, with mom. She won't wake up! Her face is burnt! HELP!"
Louie had never heard Dewey sound this scared. He had always been the brave one.
Louie climbed the rope onto the ledge, where Webby and Scrooge hoisted him up. "Dewey, I need for you to remain calm. I'm going to throw this rope to you. You need to climb onto it."
"But what about mom?"
"I'm sorry, Dewey. Look, we'll find a way to save her. We're Ducks. And Ducks don't back down."
"Easy for you to say! You practically hate mom! I'm not going anywhere! I'm dying with her."
"Dewey, you have to trust me!"
"Well, I don't!" Dewey responded coldly.
"This isn't what mom would have wanted!"
"Mom is dead!"
"Not yet. Climb onto the rope. I promise, we'll find a way."
"NO," Dewey's tart reply singed in Louie's ears.
Louie fastened the rope on a big rock then swung to where he could see the top of Dewey's head. When he was just above, he yanked Dewey by the arm and the two brothers swung onto the ledge together.
Dewey shot Louie a dirty look, "Why did you do that? What about mom?"
We don't have time for this!
Louie ignored him and looked over at Webby, "I'll lower you down. You need to wrap the rope around Della's waist. Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, you are going to help me hoist them up."
Everyone nodded determinedly.
Louie's hands burned when he lowered Webby down, but he didn't care.
This was Louie's time to shine.
Webby wrapped the rope around Della's waist and secured it with a complicated knot he didn't know the name of. Louie and the others then hoisted the two ducks on to the ledge.
Everyone just stood there for a second, panting.
- Time Skip-
Louie stood in Della's of the hospital room. He was the last one to visit her.
Louie started to cry as soon as he saw her, half her face was burnt!
"Mom….I'm so sorry….I activated the booby trap. I wanted to see if you cared about me; if you would save me. It was all my fault any of this ever happened."
"Oh honey, no it isn't. If you hadn't activated the trap, someone else would have been bound to. The whole place was filled with those. What if someone had activated it when it had gotten dark? That would have been worse. And Louie, of course I love you. And I'm proud of you. You saved everyone."
Then it dawned on Louie. He had always seen himself as the weakso who always needed to be constantly saved. But that didn't mean Louie was a weakso. He just didn't have physical strength like Dewey. He wasn't smart like Huey. But he could come up with a master plan in mere minutes.
Louie wasn't the one who needed saving. He was the savior.
Louie wasn't useless. Infact, he was the most important Duck on the team. Without him, no one would devise the plans.
Louie was different. And he loved it. He learned an important lesson today: It's okay to be different. That's what makes you special.