"Almost time, almost time! Just a few more hours and I'll be free!"
Magica could hardly stand the waiting any longer, especially now that it was so close to over, she could almost feel her own feathers again, although it also meant the end of this strange closeness to Scrooge, this awkward yet oddly intimate situation would soon be over but she didn't want to think of what would happen after it was over, for now she just wanted to enjoy what little time was left of this odd intimacy, where everything was known but she didn't have to really face it.
"Yes, yes, I get it, you'll have your blasted body back soon, could you please not scream in my head?" He responded, out loud this time and just as he'd hoped, doing so made her appear from his shadow again, still just a spectre, but a welcome one nonetheless.
"Scroogie why do you have to be such a grouch? We'll be separated again soon enough, why not just enjoy each other's company for now?" She pouted, her shadowy form over-exaggerating her features as she spoke.
Scrooge just grinned. "Because I prefer to actually talk to some semblance of you instead of feeling like I'm hearing voices in my head," He laughed. "Oh, but Scroogie, you are hearing voices in your head darling~" she purred internally. "You know, I might actually miss this," He said teasingly.
Oh, how Magica wished she was free already, yet she enjoyed being able to tease and flirt with him like this with no consequences.
Actually, they both enjoyed not having to actually discuss their pesky feelings because they both knew and they both wanted to avoid that discussion so instead they just continued to flirt and tease each other like it didn't really mean anything, but it went without saying, as did everything else, that when she was finally free again that discussion may have to happen because neither could truly say that the prospect of this intimacy mixed with actually being physically close was a temptation that either of them could, or would, resist.
Scrooge still felt the little nagging pangs of guilt every now and again and while a part of him wondered if he really was doing the right thing for himself the other part just wanted it to stop, the pangs of guilt, the pain that all this upheaval had brought back, he just wanted it all to end so he could finally move on and forget.
The one comfort he had left these days was Magica, somehow, in spite of all his misgivings about his recent actions, her presence never felt wrong and somehow reassuring, that she had shown she truly cared and held out a hand to him when he needed it most was what helped him to ignore his other emotions and somehow the fact that she now knew exactly how he felt and what he really thought never really bothered him, only made him more at ease with her since she still hadn't rejected him.
Although, that was exactly the thought that ran through his mind at that moment, would she betray him completely after their deal was done? Would she rebuke the sacred knowledge of his heart and mind she now possessed once she had the choice?
"Oh, Scroogie, you know as much of my heart and mind now as I do yours, you should already know the answers to those questions…" She said softly, wishing she could actually touch him, run her fingers through the feathers of his sideburns.
"Well, it won't be much longer till we find out for certain, will it?" He asked, pressing his hand gently against the wall where her own silhouetted hand was, the first time he'd dared to come so close to an expression of the unspoken feelings between them.
The quiet moment was interrupted by sound of loud bang from the entryway. "Ugh, what now?" Magica groaned, unhappy at being disturbed once more.
"Way to be subtle Poe." Lena snarked at his bold approach to the situation, simply busting down the front door with a spell. "What? We don't exactly have a lot of time here and besides, the fellow is loaded so a new door shouldn't be a problem for him," Poe shrugged. "Uncle Scrooge isn't going to like this…" Louie muttered. "No, he's not,"
They were all startled at the stern and icy sound of Scrooge's voice and more so by the dark look on his face when he stepped out the gloom in the mansion and into the beam of sunlight that poured in from the opening where his front door once stood.
"Just who are you and where do you get off breaking down my front door?" He demanded. "U-uncle Scrooge? Is that you?" Dewey asked, a sudden feeling of guilt washing over him like icy rain in the winter.
"What is it with you brats?" He rubbed the bridge of his beak. "First, you're only too happy to walk away from me, now you all seem to think you just come back and fix it, well you can't!" He snapped, waiving his hand and replacing the door.
"Well, that went well; He seems quite bitter," Poe deadpanned, again using his magic on the front door, this time opening it gently.
"I am Poe DeSpell and I refuse to leave until I've spoken to my sister," He demanded. Scrooge turned around to face the group that now stood inside his foyer. Immediately Magica appeared through Scrooge's shadow again.
"Poe? What are- no how are you here?" She asked, shocked to see him after so many years. "Little Lena here freed me, said something about wanting my help to deal with you and save Scrooge," he said with a small shrug. "But I can see you're not exactly 'all there' right now sister dear," he chuckled and she just scowled. "You're still not funny Poe," she deadpanned. Poe just chuckled again. "Might we come in and try to discuss this little mess you've made?" he asked.
Scrooge didn't care for this at all; they all just wanted to separate him from Magica and for what? Just so they could leave him alone again? They just wanted to clear their own consciences of any feeling that they had somehow done anything wrong because after all, he was the one who had wrong, who possibly be forgiven.
"I'll only tell you this once," He spoke, his tone darker than his scowl. "Leave me be, I don't want to see any of you again," His voice was calm but the words carried an unspoken threat.
"Oh, Scroogie… don't be so worried… I gave you my word I'd help you and I will; I'm not leaving you now," Magica soothed in their shared mental space where no one else could hear.
"You have ten minutes," Magica said firmly to the visitors, now in control of Scrooge's body and moving aside to let them further into the mansion.
Uneasily Lena, Webby, Dewey, Louie and Launchpad followed them to the great room which just looked dark and sad.
Lena looked around at the cold stone that now formed the walls of the mansion and couldn't help finding it both intimidating and depressing, the dim lighting from the chandelier that was now holding candles instead of light bulbs and the fire burning in the fireplace that now looked like something out an old horror movie with carvings of gargoyles in place of the elegant woodwork didn't help to lighten or warm the room much. While she was certain the others were just scared by the mansion's make-over Lena could only see it as a reflection of anger and loneliness, an expression of the desire to shut everything and everyone out, a more literal take on putting up walls around a broken heart and as scared as she was, Lena was also heartbroken for Scrooge and even a little for Magica now that she knew the truth.
"Well?" Magica, now appearing through Scrooge's shadow asked, looking at her brother expectantly.
"Oh, come now Mag, aren't you even a little happy to see me?" Poe asked, sincerely surprised Magica wasn't more enthusiastic about his return.
Honestly her attitude had him worried; yes, she could be a bit crazy sometimes but they had always been together since the day they hatched and she really should have been happier to see him; obviously she was father gone than he'd thought.
"Of course, I'm happy you're back Poe… but since you came here with those brats and the buffoon, I assume you're not here to help me," She eyed the others with a look of annoyance before returning her gaze to her brother.
"You have it all wrong Magica… I want nothing more than to help you my dear sister," He said, daring to step closer. "And Scrooge too… If you'll only hear me out…"
"I told you, he wants to separate us, he needs to leave, they ALL need to just go away!" Scrooge snapped silently at that moment. "It's alright, I told you I'm not leaving you until our deal is done and I will hold to my word as I always do…" Magica tried to soothe him again.
Magica resumed control of Scrooge's body and took a defensive stance. "Your ten minutes are up Poe… if you're not going to help me then leave," She raised hands and some magic sparked at the fingertips.
"You're not welcome here," Scrooge took control and glared at Poe, then at the others, "and the rest of you of wore out whatever welcome you had, now get out!" He snapped.
Poe took note of the long gaps of silence during their short conversation, realizing she and Scrooge were likely having some sort of silent conversation, and then Scrooge seemed the most adamant to get rid of everyone, clearly because his feeling of abandonment but it seemed like there was something else there too and Poe had the feeling that he knew what.
"Please listen to me… both of you, I know you're both upset and you're both hurt, I understand and believe you me, I know what it's like," Poe said, raising his own hands, preparing for the fight he knew was coming.
"The path of hate is a dangerous track, you take one step and it's hard to turn back; It pulls you along
and though it seems wrong it feels right,"
Poe started singing a melody, his dark blue magic beginning to flow with accompanying music in an attempt to calm and reason with both Scrooge and Magica, determined to at least try to save his sister regardless of what the others thought; he wanted to at least be completely certain of how far gone they were before going through with the alternative.
"Don't you see this path you're on leaves a permanent mark, it feels good at first, then it slowly turns dark; With each passing day you're further astray from the light"
Poe continued to sing as Magica held Scrooge's cane as a staff and tried to use her magic to simply force Poe and the others out with barriers of her purple magic, trying to keep control as she knew Scrooge was beyond ready to chase all of them, especially Poe, out as he had Lena.
"Suddenly, you lose your way and lose the thread; Lose your cool, then lose your head; Every loss is harder to excuse… Then you'll see you'll lose your faith and lose your soul, 'til you lose complete control
and realize there's nothing left to lose… Nothing left to lose…" Poe defended himself and the others and halted from his melody for a moment.
"Trust me, becoming the villain isn't the answer-"
"Is that what you think I am?" Magica asked incredulously.
"The path I'm on is a path paved in black, I'm taking that road and I'm not looking back; Each twist and each turn leads straight where I'm yearning to go,"
She resumed the melody Poe had started, her purple magic swirling with his dark blue and adding to the melody, then Scrooge took over, using the dark magic to conjure images of his other rivals such as Glomgold, Rockerduck and Ma Beagle in purple clouds and then swinging his cane through each of them as he sang.
"Yes, it's true, my path is dark but I see where it ends; My rivals will fall as my power ascends, despise me, that's fine, I'm taking what's mine even so…" He looked to a portrait of himself, "Not like you, you lost your nerve, you lost the game, but you and I, we're not the same,"
While Scrooge began to swing, intending to hit Poe with either his cane or one of the glowing purple magic orbs he was flinging from it, Magica took his shadow once more and looked her bother in the eye.
"I'm not lost, this fate was mine to choose; So, I chose to lose my doubts and lose my chains, lose each weakness that remains, now that I have nothing left to lose… Nothing left to lose,"
"You have so much to hold onto," Poe sang as he continued dodging, countering and deflecting the magic orbs Scrooge kept throwing at him.
"I only want my rightful dues," Magica took back control for moment as a magic orb whizzed past Poe's head, barely missing him and leaving a moderately sized crater in the wall behind him.
"Listen please, you've lost your grip and lost your mind," Poe pleaded as he kept doing his best to not let his head be blown off or let the others get hurt, he was really getting concerned as Scrooge seemed to have practically mastered his sister's dark magic in very short time.
"I'm not gonna lose, I refuse," They vocalized in unison, the glow of the purple magic growing stronger.
Poe did his best to match their combined strength calling up barriers of dark blue magic while he continued to plead. "All's not lost, don't be so blind, cut your losses, drop the IOUs, choose…"
"I lose no tears and lose no sleep" Scrooge responded resolutely and Magica continued, "What I want I'll take and keep,"
They backed Poe into a corner but he kept pleading and refusing to attack, "You can stop the turning of the screws," they harmonized with Poe as he plead with them, his dark blue magic and their purple magic clashing, "You can't stop the turning of the screws,"
Finally, the fight ended, a quick wave of the cane had summoned a cage of magical energy, ensnaring Poe.
"You'll stay there until this is done," Scrooge said darkly. "All of you will," he waved the cane like a staff once more and the others found themselves in similar cages.
He moved to the fireplace mantle and picked up a photograph of himself, Donald and the boys, looking at it for a moment before tossing it in the fire, a single tear trickling down his cheek.
"Now… I have nothing… left to lose," He sang slowly, using Magica's purple magic to send them away to other parts of the castle-like mansion.
The song used here was 'Nothing Left To Lose' from 'Tangled: The Series' because quite frankly it seemed perfect for this plot although I did debate for a bit on having Lena sing Varian's part but ultimately decided that Poe would be a perfect fit. I also changed a couple of lyrics at then end just fit a little better and to make it easier for myself to incorporate the song into the chapter.