Chapter 21:
David Returns
At an early light of morning, Bucky along with Mort and Bess were sleeping in their Barnhouse on a nest made of hay. Bucky and Bess were curled up on Mort's stomach as Mort laid flat on his back. The Three Friends were snoring and in his snore, Mort occasionally mumbles " Veggies. Veggies,". Then Summer appears and came in the Barnhouse and approaches The Three Friends. Summer then nudges Bucky and said " Hey, hey wake up,". Buck starts to stir and sleepily open his eyes to look at who's talking to him. But Bucky sees a HippoGriff beak in front of him.
Then Bucky immediately starts screaming with his feathers standing on end and then Mort and Bess woke up and started screaming as well. " It's ok. Whoa, whoa. It's OK. It's me," said Summer, " Don't ever do that again. HippoGriffs. Oy!" said Bucky, " have you guys seen David?" asked Summer, " I'm afraid we haven't darling," said Bess, " We thought he was with you," said Bucky holding a hand on his head, " Well, he was but now I can't find him. Where is he?" asked Summer, they then hear laughter from behind themselves. They looked behind themselves to see Zecora standing at the entrance. " Ho, ho, ho, ho. Those who make the wrong turn, The Leader has returned," said Zecora, " I can't believe it," said Summer quietly to herself, Summer was then amazed and said louder " He's gone back!".
" Wait, gone back? What do you mean?" asked Bucky to Zecora, but when Bucky looked to where Zecora was, she was now gone.
" Hey! What's going on here? Who's the QuaggaGriff?" asked Bucky.
" David's gone back to challenge The Duke," said Summer.
" Who?" asked Bucky.
" Duke," said Summer.
" Who has a Duke?" asked Mort.
" No, no. It's his uncle," said Summer shaking her head.
" That QuaggaGriff's his uncle?" asked Bess.
" No. David's gone back to challenge his uncle to take his place as leader of the Barn," said Summer.
" Ooooh," said The Three Friends now realizing.
Out in the desert, David runs all the way back to the Great Farmlands. On the following days, David jumped across a medium cliff and runs through a tumbleweed field whinnying in determination. Then we hear a Male Chorus singing…
( You AIn't Home On The Range ( Reprise ) Music )
Male Chorus: David's right now heading back to his father's farm.
And he's never ever gonna let himself fall.
David's about to get the shudders.
Justice is here and it's wearing udders Yee-Haw!
David's Walking Tall!
As the last lyrics were sung, David slid down a rocky hill and jumped a little. Not much later, David continues running through a forest faster than any of his kind has been before. Perhaps the first time. David kept running and running until he reached the Great Farmlands.
Male Chorus: Tale, Tale.
Tale Of David, now.
Tale, Tale.
Tale Of David.
Tale, Tale.
Tale Of David, now.
Tale, Tale, Tale Of David.
As David made it back home, he slowly crosses the desolated and flooded land. David was shocked by the sight of the Farmlands looking like this and there were bones of herbivores and carnivores everywhere. David could not see a single sign of life. He was completely broken. How could The Grand Duke do this to his homeland? And most of all, The Grand Duke has let the Strays into the valley now. David reaches the lip of a cliff and looks out over his former homeland. The Great Red Barn is now surrounded by a vast flooded wasteland. Mostly lacking sunlight, fruits, gardens, and life. It is now a gray flooded valley.
Seeing the desolation, a look of determinations, even fury, appeared on Davids' face. " David wait up!" said a voice, David looked behind himself to see Summer running up to him and standing next to him. " It's awful, isn't it?" asked Summer, " I didn't want to believe you," said David, " What made you come back?" asked Summer, " I finally got some sense knocked into me. And I got the bump to prove it. Besides this is my farm. If I don't fight for it, who will?" said David, " I will," said Summer, " It's going to be dangerous," said David smiling, " Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger. Ha ha ha ha ha," said Summer quoting David when he said that sentence when he was young.
" Well, I see nothing about this," said Bucky as he, Bess and Mort approached David and Summer, " Mom? Dad? Uncle Mort? What're you guys doing here?" asked David, " At your service, my nephew," said Mort as he bowed down, " Uh, we're gonna fight your real uncle...for this?" asked Bucky looking across the flooded wasteland, " Yes, Dad. This is my home," said David, " Alright then," said Bucky, " Well, David if it's important to you, we're with you until the end," said Bess as she and Bucky bowed down, David smiled appreciatively. Then all of The Group of Five Heroes looked across the horizon, viewing the work ahead of them as more storm clouds roll into the landscape.