Darkness shrouded Wildwing's vision as he felt it coming. It was a nightmare he had been having lately and it was starting again. A flash of light and there he was. The moment that was at the core: the time his friend Canard Thunderbeak had sacrificed himself to the worm. He was observing the moment, but he wanted to try and change it. He paused as Canard removed the Mask of DuCaine from his face and held it out to his dream self. Seeing his face again always did.

"Take it Wildwing!", he ordered.

Wildwing's pulse quickened. He jumped forward, but it was too late. The worm had his friend around his heels and was pulling him away again. Wildwing watched in horror as Canard gave out the one sentence that haunted his mind.

"Take it. You're team captain now."

And then he let go vanishing with a flash followed by the vision disappearing and Wildwing found himself back where he was.

"Every time.", he said to himself in pity, "It's always too late."

"No. It's never too late."

The drake paused. This was new, but what was it?

"Who's there?", he asked.

"Why is it that after all these months, you're still haunted by your friend's deed?"

A shadowy form materialized nearby. It was hard to see exactly what it was, but the glowing eyes was what made Wildwing's nerve freeze.

"It won't be long now."

"What won't?", Wildwing asked getting a little more anxious, "And who are you?"

"What I am is not important now.", the entity answered calmly, "But know this: your friend will be free very soon and by your hand."

The entity's eyes started shining brightly and in an instant, Wildwing awoke. He blinked a few times before realizing he was in his bed with Nosedive sleeping peacefully above him( they share a bunk bed if that wasn't clear). He wiped his brow and looked over at the mask on the table next to him still wondering what he had just experienced.

"Who was that?", he thought, "And what did it mean?"

He laid back down on his pillow, but his mind was still wondering.

"Could Canard be coming back to us?"

After staring at the underside of Nosedive's bed, he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and drifted off again.

/

Deep beneath the ocean waves, far from the rays of the rising sun, a large spaceship rested upon the seafloor. This was no ordinary ship though. This was the Raptor and still looking pretty busted up from it's last flight, there was still power flowing in it's circuits, but inside someone was beyond a good mood. This was Dragaunus one of the few remaining Saurian overlords and the Mighty Duck's greatest foe. Several hunter drones were carrying large amounts of metal and parts to areas where the ship needed to be repaired with Dragaunus yelling orders as he normally did.

"Get those piles to the engine room!", he ordered the drones, "Most of the leaks are located in that area!"

Even as the drones carried off to preform the tasks given them, as soon as their backs were turned, Dragaunus aimed his wrist laser at one and blew it apart still fuming.

"A few moments further and I would have brought the Saurian war fleet from Dimensional Limbo and razed this infernal planet into submission. But then those puck loving pests interfered and now this ship is reduced to a wreck!"

Wraith phased in with a puff of smoke, but seeing his superior in such a bad mood, he reconsidered showing up.

"Well I see this is a bad time.", he said gloomily as he turned away.

Unfortunately Dragaunus caught sight of him and stormed over.

"How long until this ship is operational again?!", he demanded.

Wraith shrunk back, but didn't remain silent.

"Lord Dragaunus, I warned you that if we didn't use the dark powers of our ancestors, we would face a dismal outcome."

Dragaunus only seemed to get angrier.

"Just get this place fixed!"

Siege came in after working on some circuitry in the main control panel and it lit up as he approached.

"The main panel is operational my lord."

Dragaunus got to the panel and pressed a series of buttons and the main screen above it came on. They had power for the time being, but repairs were still needed in most areas. Then an alarm went off and the screen came up with a map and coordinates.

"Now what?!", Draganus demanded.

Siege check the data before turning to his superior.

"We've just detected a portal opening in the desert."

Dragaunus' eyes narrowed. He needed to find out what came through, but he knew someone would find out.

/

Wildwing scanned the area from above as Mallory guided the Aerowing to the location.

"Are you sure this is where Drake 1 said the portal opened?", he asked.

Grin, Duke, Tanya and Nosedive were at their own stations and looked unsure.

"Seems that way to me.", Tanya answered as she adjusted her glasses.

Duke looked unsure.

"Why would a portal open in the desert?"

Grin was in a meditative posture and clearly abstracting from the talk.

"You don't suppose Dragaunus repaired his gateway generator did you?", Mallory guessed.

Nosedive looked equally confused.

"Hey, didn't Dragaunus' ship go down at the end of our last season?", he asked in turn( breaking the fourth wall as usual).

Nobody answered him as it seemed they had reached the destination. After the Aerowing landed, the ducks got out and looked around. After about an hour, nothing seemed out of the ordinary so they headed back. As they did, Nosedive noticed something in the sand.

"Hello, what's this?", he wondered.

After a little digging, he pulled out an onyx stone the size of a small icicle and was instantly smitten.

"Dive? You find something?"

Nosedive looked up to see his brother standing nearby.

"Just a souvenir.", he answered showing the onyx.

Wildwing raised an eyebrow.

"Well take that back to the Pond.", he said, "Tanya can analyze it after practice."

After Wildwing got Nosedive inside, the Aerowing took off leaving the desert behind and heading back to Anaheim. Forty minutes later, they were on the ice practicing for the game later that night. They all seemed okay, but Wildwing's mind was elsewhere. He couldn't let go of what he dreamed of the other night and he almost let a puck get past him, but he blocked it in the end. Nosedive noticed his brother looking weird and looked interested.

"Hey bro, what's up?", he asked as the buzzer rang signaling practice was over and he skated over to his brother's side.

As much as Wildwing wanted to tell him it was nothing, it would only make Nosedive more eager to find out.

"Okay last night, I had that nightmare again."

Nosedive raised an eyebrow.

"Again? This is the third time this week."

Wildwing then looked his brother in the eye.

"Yeah, only then I was visited."

"By who?", Nosedive asked.

"I don't know.", Wildwing answered, "I couldn't tell what it was."

/

Dragaunus settled into his chair and was deep in thought. Siege and Wraith had already gone to help with repairs leaving him to brood.

"I swear those miserable mallards will suffer for this.", he snarled.

"So shall it be."

Dragaunus then looked confused. That wasn't Siege, Wraith or Chameleon, but someone or something was in the room with him.

"Who's there?", he called out.

After turning around, he noticed a shadowy figure standing nearby. And although it was hard to see, Dragaunus could tell whoever it was certainly was here for a reason.

"So the lord of the Annectia Seas now resides within a wreck on an alien planet beneath the waters."

Dragaunus was losing his patience.

"Who are you?", he asked harshly as his nostrils smoked.

"Someone who can help."

The figure stepped into the light to reveal another Saurian. He stood up to Draganus' shoulder, but his garb suggested he was royalty. The fancy battle armor he wore around his chest was clear to that although the skeletal staff he carried suggested he was talented in magic. The Saurian was strongly resembling a velociraptor though dark horns curved from his forehead, a cape decorated his back, and his amber eyes locked on Dragaunus.

"I am Charyus. Former oracle of the Saurian race and master of the mystic arts."

Dragaunus instantly changed tones as Charyus' cape opened into reptilian wings and glided smoothly closer. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a glowing amber crystal. Seeing Dragaunus' reaction, Charyus smiled.

"I can repair your ship and provide the power that you need, but in return you follow me."

Draganus wasn't appeased.

"I won't kneel to an ancient-"

"Careful!", Charyus snapped.

A strong wind whipped up in the room before Charyus continued.

"I might reconsider helping you."

He waved a clawed finger in the air and a bauble materialized.

"Now is this the issue that is causing you distress?"

The bauble revealed the Mighty Ducks getting ready for the big game and Dragaunus frowned.

"Yes. How can I take over this miserable mud ball when that remains in my way?"

Charyus' smile didn't fade.

"You were bested by mere children with primitive weaponry? Maybe I should visit sometime."

Dragaunus then smiled as Charyus glided a few feet away.

"Oh you wouldn't bother.", he said calmly, "It's not your place."

Charyus frowned and placed the crystal he brought out back in his satchel.

"Hey, nobody doubts me okay? And just because it will be worth a laugh or two, I'll take on your little "issue" and further more, I will beat them."

Charyus snapped his claws and in a flash of light, he had vanished. Dragaunus then chuckled evilly to himself.

"Now Ducks, prepare to meet your doom!"

/

Outside the Pond, Charyus materialized. He wasn't inside, but he knew what he was looking for. By the look of things, the game had ended and the Ducks won as they normally would.

"Oh Nosedive, you're too kind.", he chuckled to himself, " I knew you couldn't resist my little invitation. And now let the fun begin."

He waved his staff in the air and started chanting in an ancient tongue. Deep underneath, Tanya was trying to find out what the crystal was until she noticed it was rattling and the lights were flickering on and off rapidly.

"What the heck?", she asked.

Then the crystal shot off the table and flew right out the door. Tanya followed it til it got to the stadium. The other ducks had followed and clearly were in awe of what was happening.

"What's it doing?", Wildwing asked.

"From the beginning, I sensed a power in the onyx.", Grin said sagely.

"In other words, you thought there was something off?", Nosedive guessed.

Before anything else could happen, the crystal shattered to reveal a portal which expelled a really big freaky looking centipede.

"That is one big bug.", Nosedive said in awe.

The centipede barreled forward and after the ducks jumped out of the way, it crashed through the stands and then through the wall into the open lot outside. Charyus eyed the centipede and smiled.

"Nice to see you again my pet.", he purred, "Sorry I can't help, but can't let the enemy see me."

Charyus waved his claw and vanished again. By now the ducks had shown up and were firing away, but no matter how many pucks they fired, the centipede only brushed them away. It then reared up and fired corrosive slime which made even more problems. Grin was now close enough to go toe to toe and was holding it for now, but when it prepared to fire again, Wildwing fired a freeze puck which froze it's mouth.

"Any idea how to take this thing down?", Mallory asked.

Grin had now punched the insect's underside causing it to curl and he then hit a glowing gem on it's head causing it to break and the insect dissolved like it was a mirage. Up on the Pond roof, Charyus watched in amusement.

"Not bad Ducks.", he said calmly, "But I promise that this war is only beginning."

As Charyus waved his hand to leave, before he did, his satchel jerked and a violet gem flew out and landed at the duck's feet.

"Now what?", Wildwing asked as he examined this one.

The other ducks came over to see what he was looking at. As Wildwing looked at the gem, he saw his reflection shift for a second to reveal Canard's face and then back to his. The memory of the sacrifice echoed in his mind again.

"You okay Wing?", Duke asked.

Wildwing snapped out of his daze though the memory still remained.

"Sorry, I just thought I saw Canard Thunderbeak-"

He was cut off because what happened next was instantaneous. The gem exploded with a blinding flash of light causing the Ducks to clench their eyes.

"What the?!", Wildwing asked.

The flash was a second, but then the gem shot into the air as if it was stung by a wasp all lit up like a light bulb sending off large jagged bolts of violet lightning and small explosions. A strong wind picked up and large storm clouds rolled in covering the once clear sky. The wind was blowing so hard you had to yell to make yourself heard.

"Now what?!", Nosedive called out.

"What?!", Wildwing asked.

Then the wind died down and the gem instantly became a pillar of light large enough for a person to stand in. It went to the ground, but the ducks felt something else coming. Sure enough, from behind the clouds in the very center of the pillar, something began to fall. The light was dim enough so they could see without squinting(or whatever), but the light still covered the lot. As the object got closer, Wildwing's jaw dropped. Descending towards them, was Canard Thunderbeak appearing to be asleep. As he got close to the ground, Wildwing stepped forward and into the light. He slipped Canard's arm over his shoulder and made sure Canard would land feet first. The moment Canard's feet were flat on the ground, the pillar vanished with the storm clouds and gravity took over. Luckily it wasn't a big deal considering the position Canard was in.

"Canard?", Wildwing asked giving his friend a shake, "Buddy?"

Canard stirred for a second and barely opened an eye as he looked Wildwing's way.

"Wildwing?", he asked faintly before his eye closed and his head drooped.

Tanya came over and did a quick scan with her omnitool.

"His vital signs are okay.", she said, "But I think we should get him inside so I can do a thorough examination."

Wildwing nodded.

"Grin, can you carry him?"

Grin came forward.

"The wounded must be revered as it is the fate of us all to pass on into the afterlife."

Wildwing shrugged.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Whatever.", Grin answered as he took Canard in his large arms.

The Ducks then turned and headed back into the Pond.

"Well that's one way to open a new season.", Nosedive answered( breaking the fourth wall again as usual).

Nobody could disagree with that.