No Matter What It Takes Part Two

by KidHeart4

The Mighty Ducks continue their adventures in their new home on Earth. Along with familiar foes, a few new ones begin to rear their heads. Some new allies will be met along the way as well. In this part 2, Heart's locked away past will be unveiled, bringing on more adventures for them to tackle as a team.

13. 38 To Steal From a Thief

Duke:

"This seemed like a good idea at the time," I chuckled under my breath as I jimmied the window open.

With a quick scan of the room we were venturing into, I then offered to the woman beside me, "Ladies first?"

She gave a bit of a smile, blushing as she caught a good look at me in my stealth suit, before she slipped through the slim opening, with me following right behind her. Once inside, I took her by the hand a moment, and made certain there were no sensors to worry over. Upon spotting one down the hall a bit, I whispered, "Watch your steps, darlin'."

With that we began making our way through the darkened hall. In the corner I spotted a camera and quickly climbed up to shift it's direction. Then I proceeded to keep a look out for other such things.

As did she as she waved me over to her from the doorway we were about to cross. Making ourselves as flat against the deep violet wall, we were able to avoid the attention of the guard on patrol.

"We must be close?" Heart mused quietly from beside me.

"Ya learn this stuff quick," I replied.

"I have you to thank for that," she said while looking up at me with a spark in her sapphires that made my heart skip a beat.

Clearing my throat, I knew I didn't need to remind her, "Let's see what we can find out...the callin' card said this was the place."

"Do you think you've gotten his feathers ruffled enough yet?" she asked.

"That's what I'm countin' on. Though he started this game, he lost it the moment we decided to play," I gave a mischeivious smile with these words slipping from my beak.

With that we ventured forward, avoiding the guard with ease. Allowing me to slip behind him with the soaked cloth in my hand and cover his gasping mouth with it. The chlrophorm did the trick and quick. When he slumped forward I dragged him to the nearest broom closet and secured him there.

"We don't want him gettin' in the middle of everythin'," I noted.

"You don't need to explain to me, Duke," Heart assured as I pulled the door closed behind me to rejoin her in the hall.

"Maybe not you, but if ya end up behind bars, I will have to answer to both of your brothers," I retorted.

She shook her head, before taking a step nearer to me to stand up on her toes. With this, she was able to reach up and brush my cheek with her soft lips, despite the ebony air we were enveloped in.

"I chose to go with you, as I always will," she assured me with a breath of a voice.

Before I could respond, beyond another skip of my heartbeat, we would hear the feint buzzing of a sabor being drawn from the outside.

"Seems we beat 'em here, but we needed a bit more time to cut the security," I said.

"I could help with that," Heart then mentioned.

"Hmm?"

"I can cut the power," she reminded me.

"Ya sure? I don't want ya strainin' yourself over a job like this," I insisted.

"This place is much smaller than the pond, or the prison out in space, and with an easier source to block," she replied, "And if we don't, he'll trip the alarm."

"Alright, jus' please don't over do it, alright?" I gave in reluctantly, "If ya start gettin' tired, let me know an' we'll figure out somethin' else."

"I'll be okay, especially if it keeps you from getting caught," she assured.

With that she took a deep breath, focusing as she did at the nearest source of electricity she could find. Another camera was hidden in the corner, watching the window nearby for anything that might crawl in or out of it. Like he was getting ready to do with his saber drawn. He hadn't spotted us yet, or the device watching for him. Instinct pulled at me as I grabbed for Heart and kept us both tucked away before we were noticed. As I did, I would catch a glimpse at the light of the camera beginning to flicker rapidly. Before at last we heard the sigh of every appliance and wire powering down.

This left us in complete black as we ventured further through the halls, leaving him to carve his way inside for the moment. We would hear him chuckle to himself, too relaxed to notice how odd it should have been that there was no alarm. The window itself would have been the first warning had we not shut it down.

"He hasn't learned," I said while shaking my head.

"So we're after a gem?" Heart prompted as we made sure the halls were cleared out of anyone that could get in the way, "What do we know about this one?"

"From what I read, it's said to be used by a spell caster to grant their target some sort of power, but with such thins usually comes a price, as we learned with the Star Point Emerald," I explained, "If Falcone wants it, it's not for anythin' good. So we need to swipe it before he does."

"Shouldn't be too hard," she encouraged with a smile I didn't have to see to know it was there.

"You're havin' fun, aren't ya?" I teased.

"Maybe some," she admitted, "It would be hard to explain that to Wing and Dive...but either way, I'm happy to be here at your side, Duke."

With a bit of pride building in me, I picked up my pace. The both of us slipping through the dark corridors of the museum, and taking care of any guards we found along the way; Heart and I would find our way to the display room we had our sights set on. In seconds the door was picked, and I was looking ahead to make sure the coast was clear.

"I'll keep watch here," Heart whispered once we were both through the door.

I gave a quiet nodd of my head before going forth to begin the real job. After securing my gloves in place, I got to work on moving the lid of the case, relying on the little bit of light my cybernetic eye allowed me to see with for such a careful operation. For this room didn't even have a window to get some moonlight through. Not surprising considering the decent number of gems resting in their cases that were there. It would make it far too easy to swipe what I wanted and run if there was a way out such as a window or door.

Lucky for me, I only needed one, and it would still be easy enough, I thought with a confident smirk curving my beak.

Slipping one hand beneath the tilted open cover, I grasped for the trillion cut clear diamond resting inside. Once I had it, I pulled it quickly, and went to put it into my pouch and retrieve the replica I'd made. Hearing this, Heart stepped away from the doorway, but kept a close watch on it as she did. With her gloved hands, she held the case steadily open while I nodded in a silent thank you to her. This enabled me to tuck the diamond into an inner pocket of my stealthsuit, and draw the fake from the satchel at my belt.

"Will he really for that again?" Heart asked in puzzlement, looking to me briefly.

"You'd be surprised, sweetheart," I laughed softly while eyeing the sapphire she wore.

With this, I set the case down carefully and began to walk back over to the door with her. It was now that we heard him swiftly approaching, and decided hiding behind one of the cases would be better than trying to get passed him at the moment.

Together, we ducked behind one of the long displays, holding a variety of gems. We held our breath as he looked them over, using the glow of his saber to do so. A sinister snickered emerged from his beak, "It would be far too easy. Perhaps a few extra prizes wouldn't hurt?"

"Then again, I should go after the main prize first, shouldn't I?" he mused while turning to the main display, the light of his blade caught in the cut clear glass.

I shook my head as he walked right up to it and slid the case open without gloves to cover his feathers and fingerprints.

"Should we go?" I heard Heart ask without a voice.

I gave a nod and began to lead the way back through the door. Planning my steps carefully, I crept over to the hall, and then waved for Heart to follow. I wouldn't hear her steps echoing mine, but I didn't need to in order to know they were.

Once out into the hall a bit, I suggested with a smirk, "Now we can get the jump on 'em. We'll wait out here for him to come out, an' find out what's goin' on."

Heart gave a nod, and we then found our place to hide and wait. Not long after a chuckle trickled down the hall with him, "Finally got a leg up on the competition. The dear boy will find an empty room. So tonight's venture wasn't entirely unsuccessful."

"What wouldn't be successful about it?" I wondered aloud so he heard me, "Ya lookin' for somethin' in particular?"

He paused abruptly, spinning around on his heel to face us. The soft moonlight falling through the skylight above allowed him to see us just enough. I'd already drawn my saber, and Heart had her glaive activated.

"You're a tad late this time, Duke. I've cleaned out everything this pathetic museum has to offer!" he insisted.

"Ya sure about that?" I taunted in a cooled tone.

"See for yourself!" he scoffed while showing his arm decorated in glittering gems and rare metallic chains.

"Ya never were one for subtelty," I said dryly, "Don't ya think you'll be caught like that?"

"I haven't been caught so far have I?" he taunted.

"Ya didn't think at all that it was far too easy? No alarms to trip, no guards near the door?" I mentioned with slight annoyance, "Ya really don't learn, do ya?"

"I see you're still rather distracted. It's much easier when you don't have someone to split the wealth with," he commented while glancing at Heart, "I'd have thought you'd have learned as well by now."

"Not all partners are like you, Falcone," I growled with a glare in my remaining eye, "An' if anythin', she keeps me from wanderin' into distractions."

Even in the dark, I knew she was looking to me when I'd said that. An appreciative smile curved my beak, but I didn't lose my focus.

"So ya never answered, what is it you're lookin' for?" I questioned again, "Somethin' to help Dragonus's efforts like last time?"

"On the contrary," he scoffed, "I'm working solo, and have no time to play with soft hearted hazbins such as you!"

"I think you're mistaken there, buddy," I stated, trying to mask the soured nature of my tone, "My skills have stayed as sharp as ever."

He barked with a quick, sharp laughter, "You're any better, Duke?! I've seen you racing against me to be back on top! Beating me to the prize, until tonight of course! Now I've won the game, and you want to make sure my luck runs out! Well now your luck has run out, dear boy!"

He drew his saber and ignored Heart standing across from me.

"I've been beatin' ya to the punch to make sure your greedy hands don't come in contact with somethin' dangerous!" I assured as he lunged for me, with our blades clashing into a block.

"Are you sure about that, Duke? Are you certain it's not that you don't want these treasures for yourself? It hasn't been that long, surely you miss the adrenaline of those dark nights back on Puck World? Living free to do whatever you wanted because you could?!" His words attempted to cut into me along with his blade.

I managed to block again and pushed him back a bit, forcing him to step away briefly as I followed after. From the corner of my left eye, I could see Heart standing guard and waiting to jump in if needed. I slid back just in time as another swipe was made at my stomach, before I blocked the following blow. Ignoring his words only caused him to push further.

"You had it all, didn't you? Infamy, wealth, skills as sharp as the blade you forged yourself along with them, all those hearts to pick from, and our gang looking to you with admiration? Now it's all gone, because you're stuck on this puny little world where you can't get away with the life you crave!"

"Funny the things ya listed off, an' most of which I still have!" I said smoothly.

"Then why are you here then? Why have you really been stealing every artifact and gem I've gone after up until now? Is it really just to keep them from me? Or was it to prove that you still could?" he taunted, before glancing at Heart, "He's been having a good time doing this, hasn't he, girl? Don't lie to me!"

"Ya know, ya keep sayin' 'til now...but I doubt you've taken a good luck at your main prize tonight, right?" I couldn't help but taunt back.

He stepped back, his eyes widened a bit, "What are you going on about?"

I slid back with a bit of a smirk over my beak, putting a hand over my chest, where the gem rested, and said, "I'd say if this were a race, than I'd still be in the lead."

He quickly retrieved the fake from his satchel and looked into it with the moonlight's aid. It certainly dazzled, but it's center was clouded. As he did this, I went ahead and produced the real thing with my mischievious smile remaining. Holding it up in the moonlight, I hadn't noticed Heart turning to me in bewilderment at first. The trillion cut diamond caught the soft glow of the moon in a wondrous display. The clear center of it allowed the white light to decorate the walls of the room we were in, almost like candles scattered over them.

"It doesn't seem to have the power you were hopin' to find, but at least it was safe with me until we could find out-"

"Duke?!" Heart would gasp, catching me off guard as I looked to her.

Her voice had sounded quite alarmed, frightened in fact. In that moment, I slipped the gem back into my satchel and turned to her with my saber still drawn.

"What the devil is this?!" Falcone exclaimed now.

I briefly worried that maybe Heart's more draconic traits were showing, and he would go after her. Yet when I looked to her, I found this wasn't so. Instead I would see widened sapphires watching me with confusion blending with their blue depths.

"Heart, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Doesn't have power, does it?" Falcone growled with contempt.

"What are ya talkin' about?" I questioned.

Heart:

As Duke had held up the diamond in the moonlight, I'd watched as it had occured. Once standing before me, still seen in the low illumination of the night, Duke had been in the middle of speaking...When from his feathered hair to his neck, he'd begun to vanish. This left only, from the neck up anyway, his cybernetic eye and the eyepatch covering it to be seen. His stealthsuit, gloves and all, remained as well.

Even after catching his attention briefly, and then listening to them banter on, I tried to process what I'd just seen.

"Duke, what's happened to you?" I finally managed to say, drawing him to face me, "I...I can't see you!"

"What are ya talkin' about, sweetheart?" he asked in just as much confusion.

I looked around to try and find some way of showing him. Finding a window leading outside, I said, "See for yourself...?"

As soon as he did, he stepped back in quick alarm, "Great Mother, what's goin' on?!"

It was just as I'd said. Before me he could see, even through the dark, only his stealth suit and...my cybernetic eye looking back at me from behind the still visible eyepatch. With his stealth suit and gloves, he could still see most of the movements he made. Yet from beyond his shirt's neckline was nothing.

"Are you hurt at all?" I asked looking over him a bit closer, resting a hand on his bicep.

I could hear his hair as he started to shake his head, but caught himself and said, "No, I feel jus' fine actually."

With a slight touch of relief in my eyes, I then wondered aloud, "What did this? Was it that diamond?"

"Didn't do your research, dear boy?" Falcone scoffed.

"I did!" Duke hissed, "It said the target would be given some sort of power. I guess holdin' it up in the moonlight triggered it."

Falcone laughed still, "That's not all there is to it, Duke. You see, I'm more ahead than you thought I was!"

"What did you do?!" I demanded sharply.

"You didn't think I was aware of you swooping in with your little accomplise here? I've been keeping a close eye on the both of you, and planned this perfectly I'd say to put you both out of business. I won't be upstaged by you any longer, old chum!" he insisted with a sinister snicker in his throat.

"How does this stop me from catchin' ya?" Duke laughed, "I can still see ya, if anythin' it makes the job easier. Then we'll find out how to get me back to normal."

Falcone only continued his deep, darkened chuckle, "There is no going back, Duke!"

"What...?" I stammered.

"That diamond you stole, it's cursed! There is no known cure, and you'll be stuck like that for the rest of your days!" he barked with triumphant laughter, "No more stealing the spotlight when it can't even find you!"

My blood went from ice cold with fear, to lava hot as anger boiled it rapidly. Clenching the staff of my blade, I lunged forward to take a swing at him. Still he laughed, "What's the matter, little wench, you want to come after a much better thief? One you can see shining before the world, while this one fades out of sight...and out of mind!"

There was a twisted glea in his smirking beak when he'd said that last part. Yet before I could ask, he'd swung with his blade to block my own attack. Then he assured, "Sorry, but I'm not interested in a pathetic distraction such as you!"

"Why would I want a snake like you?!" I spat as I took another swing.

He dodged it, ducking down, to then slash at me from under my right arm. Or would have, had Duke not grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back a bit. I'd stumbled while being pulled back, but felt him steadying my stance with his hands quickly setting firmly upon my shoulders.

It was then that I felt it, the soft sparks of electricity that was the first signals of my magic, bursting lightly around me. Duke pulled his hands back to avoid being zapped this time, and Falcone's eyes widened to see this for himself.

"What is this then?" he questioned.

"How do we change him back?" I questioned with my glaive steady in my hands.

"It's as I said, there isn't a way! All the stories behind that gem speak only of it's curse, of warriors and rogues who thought they could master it's power, only for it to take over them instead. Once the ritual is performed beneath the full moon's light, there is no going back. So I hope you got a good look at him tonight, for it's the last chance you will have had!" he replied with a smug grin over his pointed beak.

Before I could say anything in reply to this, he then added...tapping the chin of his beak as though he'd forgotten something, "Then again, who'd want to look at a washed up pickpocket like yourself anyway?"

Before Duke could respond to this, his saber clenched tightly in his gloved hand...his glove that began to fade from sight along with him now!

"Duke!" I caught his attention as we both watched this happening.

"It seems you both need some time to wrap your heads around what's happened, so I'll leave you to that...!" Falcone laughed as he turned to leave.

"We're not done here, Falcone!" Duke snapped as he went to give chase.

However, something in my core told me to grab for the gloved hand I could still see. Holding tightly even as he questioned, "Heart, what are ya doin'?! We have to stop him!"

"We need to get you back to the Pond! Tanya might be able to find a way to undo this!" I said quickly.

"It's been nice seeing you, Duke!" Falcone's laughter trickled down the hall back to us as he walked off.

Duke let out a frustrated growl of a breath, before it transitioned into a reluctant sigh as he turned to me with only his replacement eye seen looking over me, he said, "Okay, sweetheart."

"What on Earth happened?!" Wildwing exclaimed when he found us in the infirmary with Tanya.

Her reaction had been just as, if not more, alarmed. While explaining to our team captain now, our team tech. continued to run scans over the drake sitting on one of the medicom beds. His suit and cybernetic eye were still visible, but his gloves were both gone now.

Before long the others found us and listened in on what was happening.

"A diamond did this?" Mallory questioned.

"Not that surprising," Nosedive shrugged, "We've run into a number of nasty rocks in a number of chapters over the last year or so. The amulet, the crystal of Atlantis, that onyx circlet?"

"I guess that's a fair point," the redheaded duck replied, "How do we fix this one though?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out," Tanya commented while reading over the monitor her findings thus far, "I've never seen anything like this."

"Very funny," Duke retorted from the bed, his arms folded over his chest.

"Well, it doesn't seem to be hurting you, or draining you otherwise," Wildwing stated.

"Nah, I feel jus' fine in fact," Duke insisted casually.

"You're not just saying that?" Mallory commented.

"Heart would know if I was," he admitted with a bit of a shrug.

"Good to keep in mind next time you help Dive with a prank," she said in some jest.

"Heart wouldn't give me up like that either," he chuckled while looking to me.

"It'll be okay," he then said, making note of the touch of concern in my eyes that was betraying me.

"So what have you found so far, Tanya?" Grin asked while resting a steady hand on my shoulder.

"Well, while doing a quick scan I did find an odd energy source eminating from the crystal. It was probably activated when the moonlight powered it. Sort of like solar energy, but the moon's beams instead?" she began to explain, "That energy seems to be in Duke's bloodstream now, and is effecting him, and things on him. Soon even his suit will vanish."

"What about others around him?" Mallory asked with concern.

"I did a scan on Heart already, she hasn't been effected at all. It probably sees Duke as the one to try and take it, and thus placed it's curse on him. If it did this to anyone that took it, it wouldn't have been able to be discovered, let alone end up in a museum," Tanya replied.

"How do we remove that energy?" Grin inquired.

"I'm not sure. Now that it's a part of his blood, it will be very difficult to get it out. It may very well be effecting him throughout his body now if it's even making his clothes vanish," Tanya said.

"You're sure it's not hurting you?" I pushed in rising alarm.

"Heart, you'd know if it was," he repeated rather calmly.

"There must be a way to counter it, maybe an artifact that can break the curse?" Mallory suggested.

"That's just it," I said, "I started looking it up when we got back...any stories connected to this...they weren't able to find one. Granted these accounts are from so long ago there may be no record of it."

"If a person vanishes and no one's there to see it for themselves, it would be difficult to prove and then record without them sounding mad," Tanya mentioned, "Especially with magic involved in a world that isn't used to it. In the other Anahiem it would be different I imagine."

"Do you think we could get a messege to Borg?" Nosedive suggested.

"We can't risk connectin' the gateway," Duke said, "Remember, Shadow's on the other side tryin' to get through as it is."

"We have to try something!" I pushed.

"Look, maybe there's something here on this side that can help and we just need to find what that is. If it's from our Earth, then the counter to it must be here as well," Wildwing stated, "but Duke's right about not opening the doorway if we can help it."

"We'll continue researching this," Tanya assured, "and I'm sure the answer will be found! We always figure out a way, right?"

"For now, let me run a few more tests," she then added,

"Is something up?" Wildiwng noted her glancing at the monitor briefly in surprise.

"That's what I'm trying to find out," she assured calmly, "Duke is otherwise healthy and unharmed, but I just want to make sure there isn't anything else we're missing."

"This all seemed so much more straight forward when I planned this out," Duke said with a frustrated sigh escaping his throat.

"Unfortunately this time, it seems he got the best of you," Mallory winced, "This was surprisingly well plotted for that creep."

"I shouldn't be that surprised," Duke commented sourly before glancing at me, "I'm jus' glad you weren't caught in his trap instead."

There was something else he wasn't saying as he looked to me with only the red glow of his replacement eye showing. A blend of things he hadn't been able to put into words since we'd left. I knew being caught like this had pricked his pride quite a bit, but there was more to it than that.

"We'll catch him, Duke," I assured him, "And we'll find a way to get you back to normal."

I had walked up to him, and was resting a hand on his shoulder.

"He won't see me comin' at least," he chuckled.

"You can't go out like this!" Mallory exclaimed.

"We can't leave him loose, Mal. Others will get hurt with him out there. After gettin' some rest, Heart an' I can head back out. I'll just have to be careful not to be noticed, which shouldn't be hard to do right now," he said casually.

"As crazy as it sounds, I think the Dukester's got a point," Nosedive mentioned, "Falcone's probably expecting Duke to give up like this. Tomorrow would be the time to strike. We know the guy doesn't have any patience when it comes to his next job."

"Exactly," Duke said, "So we'll keep close to the news like we did to catch him off guard again. Heart an' I will catch him this time, an' that'll be one less problem to work on."

"I have a feeling that trying to argue won't work?" Wildwing sighed while looking to match my own worried expression.

"I jus' don't want anyone else gettin' hurt, an' we're the only ones that know how he works," Duke insisted, "Jus' trust us, okay?"

Duke didn't use this request lightly, and I knew that very well. In fact, it was these words that gave me some relief as I looked to him without seeing him.

"I'm with you on this," I assured him, wishing I could see the smile I knew he was trying to give me.

"Just be careful, both of you. We'll be on standby, and looking to see what else we can dig up," Wildwing instructed.

"Let me finish running my tests before you dissa...uh...I mean, get some rest," Tanya blushed beneath her feathers from her unintentional wording.

Duke chuckled a little, showing he wasn't bothered by this as he replied, "This might be fun for a little while at least?"

"You have an odd idea of fun, L'Orange...both of you," Mallory teased while nudging my arm.

When set free, we found our way to our bedroom. Tanya had informed us that it would take some time for the results to come back for her to look over.

"I guess I'm stuck in this for now," Duke commented while glancing over his stealth suit, "Don't want to risk my other clothes vanishin' on me."

Then looking to me, he watched as I sat on the bed, My body was tired, but my mind was racing still. It felt odd trying to rest while he was stuck this way.

"We won't be ready for 'em if we don't get some sleep," he prompted while sitting beside me.

"I should be trying to find a solution for you. What if there's a timer to this like with the Five Point Emerald? The longer you're like this, the worse it could get," I protested.

"Heart, I need ya at your best to help me catch that rat," he parried back, "An' I'll be okay. We'll figure this out. Ya need to relax a bit more."

I would feel his hand rest against my hip as he wrapped his arm around me. With this he pulled me against him so I could feel he was there, as though knowing, "Don't ya worry, sweetheart. I won't slip away from ya."

His other hand brushed against my cheek before he had me look up out of habit. The crimson light that was his right eye would meet my own eyes as he said, "I am glad it wasn't you though...I'd miss those sapphires."

With this he pulled me into a tight hug before kissing my forehead, "It'll be alright, love."

I hugged him tighter, promising that it certainly would be,...somehow. Shortly after we drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

It was somewhere between late at night or early in the morning when I stirred from my sleep. Sitting up, I would feel him pull his arm away to allow this. Yet it took all I could muster not to yell out in alarm to find he wasn't visible at all by this point, especially in my half awake state.

"Duke?!" I whispered in an escaping gasp.

"I'm right here," he assured me while brushing a hand against my own.

Even the light of his replacement eye was missing now.

This drew me from beneath the covers I realized he pulled over us when I'd drifted off. Kicking the quilted fabric away, I jumped from the bed and went towards the door.

"Heart, where ya goin'?" he asked.

"There has to be some news on where he's headed next by now, especially if he wants others to know it's him they have to worry over now!" I said.

Yet there was nothing.

"He might be more careful if he thinks the others are lookin' for him," Duke mentioned, "Then again, he just might not have a target jus' yet."

I placed a hand to my chin, a thought buzzing in my head as I did, "Well...what if I put out a calling card?"

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"I could claim I've found something to break your curse, and he would come running to stop it. We would catch him off guard," I replied thoughtfully.

I wish I could have seen his smile when I heard Duke chuckle, "That could work."

"We could have it hear in Anaheim with Kleghorn on standby," he added.

"What are we waiting for then?" I asked as we began to prepare for our plan to be put in action.

"Now we wait and try to spend our day as normal for now," Wildwing stated once we'd sent the message to Kleghorn, "He even said it works with the news of a new gem being transported to the city's musuem."

"Where that big ruby was?" Nosedive questioned.

"They're probably trying to put something in it's place," Mallory shrugged, "Seeing how we did sort of blow it up?"

"It's better than having everyone's mind wiped!" Nosedive insisted without anyone arguing against this.

"So we just sit back and hope it catches his attention now?" Mallory asked.

"Believe me, it will," Duke assured from his seat beside me at the console.

"This is hard to get used to," Wildwing admitted with a nervous chuckle, facing where Duke's voice had emerged from.

I bit my lip to keep from giggling briefly as I'd heard him shift in his seat just enough to alert that he was no longer sitting there. My eyes quietly followed where his soft steps were headed behind Tanya and our leader. Our team tech. turned towards my brother as though he'd tapped her shoulder, but found him bewildered...until he looked behind him too late, "Very funny, Duke."

He was already at my right, walking in a full circle now, "I've been beside Heart the entire time, Wing."

"This could be very problematic if you were to go unchecked, L'Orange," Mallory noted, shaking her head.

"I doubt we need worry about that," Grin stated.

"We should pull some pranks on Phil while you're like this though," Nosedive couldn't help but insist.

Duke couldn't help but chuckle as Mallory argued, "Don't encourage him. Last thing we need is an ex-thief using some old tricks on us, especially when we can't see him!"

"Mal, even if ya could, ya wouldn't if I didn't want ya to," he insisted in a cool, collected tone as I knew he was leaning back against the console still beside me, "This jus' takes out a little extra effort on my part."

"I know you're joking with us...but I'm still keeping a close eye on my gear until we figure this out," Mallory assured while patting the holster at her hip that held her already missing puck blaster, "...L'Orange!"

"Well, we'll at least see our gear floating around," Tanya sighed with a slight laugh, "I don't believe the effects of the diamond spread to anything that wasn't on his person at the time of the curse. Heart's lucky she wasn't right next to him, come to think of it."

At this he rested a hand upon my shoulder in a show of comfort. He also held the blaster out for Mallory to retrieve. Upon doing so, she shook her head, "It's going to be a long day."

"Come on, Duke! Let's find the Phil-Mister and give him a bit of a scare! Especially if he's working on a new public appearance for us!" Nosedive about begged while grabbing my hand to pull me to my feet, "You too sis! This is going to be great! Come on Grinster!"

"Well, now I don't have a choice," Duke laughed as he began to follow us.

"Should we warn Phil?" Tanya suggested.

"Not if we have to deal with this," Mallory retorted.

Duke:

Not long after we were just outside Phil's office, listening in on the phone call he was too busy on to notice us.

"I don't need to be invisible for this," I commented as the others crouched down.

"Come on man, this'll be great!"

"Alright," I knew he was shrugging before he opened the door and slipped inside, leaving it open just enough for us to watch and listen.

"You want them to endorse...oh and appear at..." the phone call went on with Phil jotting down notes, "They'll love this! Let me see if I got this right?"

As he started to write, I picked up a pen from the other side of the desk and began crossing out the words being put to paper. Phil, now seeing the red inked pen being moved on it's own, would jump in his seat. His blue writing utensil dropped to the floor. As it did, I was already slipping around the side of the mahogany desk to pick up the pen before it hit the floor.

"Wh-What's going on?!" Phil questioned as I offered it to him without a word.

Nosedive was biting the bottom part of his beak not to start laughing.

I then looked over the desk and saw other light objects such as tape, a highlighter, and a box of paper clips that I began juggling.

"G-Guys?!" he stammered, looking to the comm we'd given him.

On cue, Heart cut the power to it, causing it to not even turn on.

"Guys!" he exclaimed in growing alarm as he looked to where I stood.

I was setting down the three items after catching them with ease. Though I kept the highlighter to open it and then look over his papers. He followed the yellow marker's movements as I went across the jobs he'd lined up for us. Mostly involving charities, or schools to visit, things of that nature. While the more rediculous photo shoots, ads, and endoresments I crossed about half out.

"Are...Are you a ghost that wants an agent?! Do I need to do something to help you with some unfinished business? Please,...I don't know what you want!"

I saw a flyer among the papers, hidden under most of the stack. It was for some sort of bathing suit boutique, and the names of a few of our teammates were jotted down at the bottom. Heart's name was among them, to which I proceeded to crumple it up.

"I...I wasn't going to call them back! I swear!" he pleaded with sweat beading on his forehead now, "Please just tell me what it is you want!"

I put a hand to my chin, pondering over this offer. Then I snapped my fingers as I saw another add on one of the newspapers. I hovered the marker over it a moment as he stammered, "Th-That one? What about it?"

I circled the art event I was glancing over with the highlighter before proceeding to write my wife's name beside it.

"W-Wait...I know that hand writing don't I?" his face went rather pale as he looked up, "D-Duke?!"

"Hey Phil," I said pleasantly as he promptly passed out.

The trio behind me couldn't help but burst into laughter, with Heart chiming in, "Maybe we went a little too far?"

"Come on Phil, wake up buddy!" Nosedive chuckled while waving some papers over his sweat covered face.

I gave a shrug they couldn't see, knowing he was otherwise fine as I said, "He shouldn't be signin' up Heart for a bathin' suit thing."

"I doubt he would, but I'm sure the protective nature is well felt and appreciated," Grin commented with a bit of a smile towards Heart, who was blushing a bit despite not seeing my own.

Seconds later, Phil was coming to and sitting up, "What's going on?"

Nosedive went ahead and filled our manager in on the news, and the plan on how we were dealing with it. Though none of this eased his nerves as he exclaimed, "What about the game coming up?! Duke can't play invisible!"

"We'll figure it out before then. Believe me, Heart won't let him stay this way!" Nosedive insisted with a light, but confident laugh.

It was only now that I saw a trace of unease in Heart's eyes again as this was brought up. Then again, I didn't have to see her to know the pressure we were placing on her shoulders as this went on.

"I hope so!" Phil exclaimed while getting to his feet and dusting himself off, "But that wasn't funny, guys! You about gave me a heart attack!"

"Aw, you're tougher than that, Phil!" the blonde drake assured with a pat on his shoulder.

"Well, now that you've had your fun, I need to get back to some very important work here! I have to call these schools to make sure we're scheduled, and get in contact with this art thing Duke circled!"

"Art thing?" Nosedive raised a brow.

I glanced at Heart to see her own puzzled expression as I shrugged and said, "I thought ya might like to encourage some kids at the event or somethin'? It looked like somethin' you'd have fun doin', especially over a photo shoot."

"Duke...?" she replied in quiet surprise as I walked over and tugged on her hand to lead her back to our headquarters.

"For now, let's have some fun while we're waitin' to get back to our own job tonight," I suggested while pulling her along.

"This may have been a dangerous venture," Grin chuckled with slight worry in his tone before we stepped out of the office.

"Aw, there's nothing to worry about!" we would hear Nosedive insist.

Our teammates may have agreed more with Grin. For I couldn't help but take some delight in making sure my skills were as sharp as ever for the night to come. I practiced on stepping without a sound, and found this to be successful. That is unless Heart was nearby. She followed my movements to a tee, I realized when I was slipping into the galley to test this. The door had been open previously, and still was. Plus Wildwing and Tanya were inside making some lunch, giving more sounds to muffle my steps.

Yet Heart followed right behind me, alerting the others to our presence.

"Having fun at least?" our team captain asked when I slipped around behind Tanya to hand her the cup she'd just mentioned she needed.

"It's not so bad," I said, "I'm pretty used to workin' in the dark, so not bein' able to see what I'm doin' isn't that much of a problem for me."

"I'll still feel a lot better once we find a way to get you back," Heart said.

"We all will," Wildwing agreed as I tried to use this chance to slip away.

I didn't even move around Heart to test this, wondering if the sounds of the galley would mask my movements from her. I stepped lightly, with the fabric of my stealth suit muffling my feet.

I was just about at the door when she turned around, "Duke?"

"How are ya doin' that?" I asked in genuine surprise.

She looked to me rather bewildered as I caught how my tone had carried slight irritation in it, startling us both a little. I'd always loved how she kept track of me. So why did it bother me now? Being unseen made it easier to elude the worried expressions of Wildwing and Tanya as I took Heart by the hand and slipped back into the hallway with her.

"Sorry...maybe I'm more anxious than I thought about tonight," I said, "I have to make sure that creep doesn't hear me comin'."

"We'll catch him, Duke," Heart insisted.

"I know we well, an' you try not to worry so much too," I pointed out.

When she looked up at me as she was accustomed to, I said, "I know we're sorta puttin' the pressure on ya with this bein' a curse, or jus' magic in general. Ya know the others are doin' what they can to find somethin'..."

"I know that...but in a way...I feel like I should have the answer," she admitted.

"Heart, this is all still very new to you too," I reminded her gently, "but it's not your magic that makes us believe you'll be a part of fixin' this."

She looked to where my voice was emerging from as though she could see my face as normal. Bewilderment blended with a bit of hope in those sapphires, sharin' it with me.

"You've never given up on me before, have ya?" I ventured cheerfully, causing her to blush a light shade of pink as I kissed her hand, "Then I know I'm in good hands."

Heart:

With the calling card sent out, and the others in the know, we were preparing to hide out.

"Excited?" I heard Duke ask while I was tying my hair back with the gold ribbon that went with my stealth suit.

"I guess in a way," I tried to admit, "but I wish it were true."

"Once he's caught, we can focus on findin' a real cure for this," he assured me, "Jus' focus on tonight for now."

"It would be easier to do that if you'd let me tie my hair back," I gave in slightly as he began pulling it loose for the fourth time.

"Jus' tryin' to loosin' ya up a bit, sweetheart. Besides, it helps me know ya can keep track of me," he teased, "You might be the only one that could right now."

While realizing this was said in jest for the most part, it did make me a tad nervous, "You're not trying to hide from the others are you?"

"It's been fun tryin' to, at least while stuck like this anyway," he replied while taking a step closer up behind me.

I would feel him gently weaving my hair into a ponytail before threading my ribbon around the base of it. My gaze followed the dancing ribbon as it was looped and tied into a bow with the aid of the mirror. Then I turned around to face him as he carefully held the burgundy threads in his unseen hand. As they slipped from his grasp he brushed over the ends with a kiss.

At this, I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly as he did the same, "I'm here, love. I'd never want to slip away from ya."

I gave a knowing nod, my cheek brushing against his firm chest. His grip on me tightened briefly before he stepped away, but slid his hand to mine to hold it, "Ready darlin'?"

We found ourselves once again bathed in the moon's soft glow as it fell upon us just outside the museum window. Kleghorn and his team were scattered in unasuming cars nearby, but had left us to head in as planned. Taking a breath, I didn't waste any time in cutting the power. I had to make sure it looked as though I, alone, were behind this. Duke didn't risk a sound as he followed behind me this time.

I planned my steps carefully, avoiding guards that were told to keep to their normal patrols. In fact, to make the calling card convincing, they'd added to security for us to slip around. When we drew near the room with the gem we'd picked to be our bait, I went inside and waited, with Duke waiting just outside the door. It was an hour before I was supposed to have shown up and swipe the amythest resting within it's display case.

After almost that hour had passed, I began to worry that he wouldn't show. It registered to me that Falcone didn't really see me as a threat. I looked to where Duke was crouched down just outside the door, wondering now if this was a waste of what precious time he possibly had.

Then we heard him, chuckling to himself at the sheer ease of walking in the front door had been this time around. His overconfidence echoed down the hall to us, "With that soft hearted coward out of the way, beating his little accomplise to the punch will be all to easy. I'll even wait to see the look on her face as I dismantle this chance she claims to have at saving him. I'll loose a gem, but her turmoil will be priceless to see in return!"

At this I stood up and opened the case, swiping the gem and slipping it into my satchel. I didn't even make a replacement to set there, for that would have been one of Duke's trademarks. This was more so to keep it safe from Falcone's destructive nature.

It was well timed as I quickly ducked down and out of sight just as he was entering the large display room from the steps above. What he didn't notice as well, were the slightest signs of someone following him as the door was silently shut after he'd come in.

It wasn't until he got to the display case that he paused in any sort of alarm, "What the deuce? Did they not display it yet?!"

"You didn't think I'd let you try and get it before me did you?" I taunted with a bit of delight showing in my tone, "Not with Duke counting on me."

"So, you think you're good enough to join the big leagues do you?" he scoffed while drawing his saber.

"I learned from the best, didn't I?" I retorted with ease and confidence as I drew out my glaive, facing him with a smirk.

With the moonlight I was able to see a gleam of the glare in his dark eyes. A growl emerged from his throat, "If he were the best, he'd never have been caught!"

"He never was; as I recall you're the only one that knows anything about that experience?" I jabbed with contempt, "From repeated incidents?"

With that he lunged at me, "En guarde, you wench of a pick pocket!"

I was ready, and braced myself properly to block his oncoming blade. Though he was taller, and had a bulkier frame, I managed to use this to my advantage. Side stepping a bit, I was able to counter this with a smaller frame to hit and move around with.

"I'm not letting you save that deserter! He got what he deserves! To never be seen by the light of day, and the lonely years to go with it! Once I take care of you, there will be no one left to try and undo this!"

"There's our teammates," I pointed out casually, "nonetheless, I'm not letting him down!"

Sparks began to fly with our blades as I ducked down to avoid the next swipe. His eyes widened a bit in surprise, "What are you?! Some sort of witch or demon? Is that how you lured him to you?" he scoffed with some regaining composure as he began to push me back a bit.

I did not rise to this bait, however I was knocked back with a good swing of his blade against the staff of my glaive. Though I managed to steady my footing, I didn't have much time to react as he continued with his onslaught. Ducking down, I was able to avoid one of the slashes aimed for my throat, before turning striking him in the ribs with the base of the metal pole that made up the frame of my glaive. He doubled over a bit, placing a hand against the bruise surely forming beneath his feathers as I hurried to the stairs we'd entered from.

"I don't think so, girl!" I would hear him snicker just before firing his blaster.

As I did, I would just barely sidestep it, with the lazer nearly grazing my arm. Then I felt a hand brush against my shoulder, almost as though tagging himself in. Falcone went to fire again, but this time the blast was deflected, hitting it into the window and cutting right through it's center.

"What the deuce?!" Falcone exclaimed as he fired again, only for it to happen against, this time the blast sent back to nearly catch his cape.

Duke let out a chuckle, "For the record, Heart doesn't need any sort of spell to steal my heart. She did that a while ago."

"I should have known the little wench couldn't pull this off alone," Falcone hissed while raising his saber defensively.

"On the contrary, I'd say she did quite well. Her plan got ya here, didn't it?" Duke parried while stepping closer.

I didn't let on to where Duke was standing, and instead focused on his former partner trying to get a read on him.

"However, it's no fun workin' alone, despite the risks. Then again, I don't have to worry about bein' blinded by her...at least on purpose," Duke laughed while I winced slightly from the remark.

"Save me this disgusting droll, Duke! You were the best there was as much as it pains me to admit it, and now look at you? Oh wait; you can't!" Falcone snickered, "And with you out of my way, I will take the title that should have been mine a long time ago!"

"Ya do realize that if I wanted to, doin' this would only make things far easier for me?" Duke taunted, cutting Falcone's laughter a bit short.

"Perhaps; but as I recall, you've gone straight, haven't you?" Falcone tugged at a thread that made me suddonly uneasy.

"I'm jus' sayin', you could have had a dangerous rival on your hands again," Duke said smoothly, "Then again, I never needed a cheap trick to get ahead. I always jus' knew how to get a job done, not to mention the skills an' style to back it up."

"An' I still do," Duke assured as Falcone would pull his neck back a bit as a blade was drawn and pushed carefully against it.

"You say I cheat, dear boy?" the tan feathered avian hissed.

"It's not my fault ya can't listen. All I had to do was keep ya talkin'," Duke insisted, "Heart could follow me jus' fine."

A bit of a grin crossed my lips, though it was thinned with a bit of concern pulling at the back of my head.

"I'd drop that blaster if I were you," Duke then suggested.

"Or what? You've never been one for bloodshed," Falcone scoffed.

"I'm not, but if ya threaten my partner again I jus' might make an exception," Duke hissed as he pressed the blade up against his former rival's throat.

Falcone dropped the blaster, apparently as unclear if Duke was promising this or not as I was becoming. While he was certainly protective, this seemed slightly off for him. Then again, he could have been a bit pushed into it with how the fight had spiraled.

With this I gave the signal, with a burst of light illuminating the room. Seconds later we would hear several sets of footsteps hurrying towards the building, some breaking inside to find us. Duke and I were quick to secure our captured adversary, making sure he couldn't slip away.

Though Falcone would give a jab, "You might have stopped me for a short time, but soon enough I'll be the one who wins out. There's a part of the curse you still don't know about, old friend, and it will be quite the prize to hear once it has."

"What are you talking about?" I questioned with a glare in my eyes.

"You'll see soon enough, well...so to speak," he chuckled darkly, "Though I think you're already catching onto it aren't you, you poor girl. Better to leave him now, my dear while he's still himself."

Before I could ask anything further, Kleghorn rushed in with his men and apprehended the avian. Only then did I feel the brief motion of Duke stepping back beside me. He didn't say a word, only watched as I did in growing alarm and confusion. As he was lead away, and the room was clearing out to a calm again, only then did I retrieve the diamond. Looking at it, I asked, "What did he mean by all of that?"

"He's jus' tryin' to scare us, sweetheart," Duke insisted as he followed me to the display case.

"Well...it worked..." I admitted with a grimace, "We need to find a way to get you back to normal. There has to be something out there to counter this."

"An' we'll find it," he assured me, "In the meantime though, don't worry so much."

He then took the amythest from my open palm and held it up in the moonlight, admiring it I thought for a moment. Yet he held it a little while longer than I'd thought he'd be interested to. Noting this, I ventured carefully, "Duke?"

The gem jolted slightly with his hand before it was set onto it's velvet cusion. Once it was, I set the case securely in place.

"I don't know what came over me there," he said with what I knew to be a shrug from how he spoke.

"Let's get back to the pond so we can maybe research a bit more," I suggested while reaching for his hand.

"The night's so young, darlin'. Why not adventure with me a bit first?" Duke asked, "It'd be no different than a stroll through the park at in the dark?"

"Duke, why are you so okay with this? Don't you think I want you back to normal? What about the game coming up, and our teammates?" I questioned.

"I'm jus' makin' the best of a situation right now. Until we find a way to break this enchantment, I have little choice. Might as well try an' enjoy it," he argued casually, "As for our team, didn't I jus' show I'd be more than capable in a mission?"

"Yes, but it wasn't quite the same," I slipped as I thought of how he'd been when confronting Falcone.

"What do ya mean?" he asked.

By now we were well out of the museum while we went over this odd debate. He'd somehow lead me to the very park we had mentioned. Giving in a little I walked alongside him. Yet I found myself lacking the usual thrill I got when on such outtings with him. Even knowing that he was wearing his stealthsuit, which I'd been able to wash for him while he got cleaned up, wasn't pulling at me as it normally did.

"Heart?" Duke asked again.

"It's hard to explain. For the most part you seemed like yourself; but hearing you for a moment or two back there, you didn't sound like you," I tried to explain.

"He almost shot ya, how was I supposed to sound?" he questioned a tad sharply.

"I realize you were being protective, and I do appreciate that; but something about how you were speaking just didn't match with the drake I know so well. You've always been confident, and willing to fight back of course; it's hard to explain," I stumbled as I attempted still.

"Look, I jus' wanted to keep him from firin' at ya again, alright? If I got a little heated back there, it's because I don't want ya gettin' hurt. I think I have reason to be protective of my partner, an' wife, when it comes to cretins like him," Duke retorted, his tone souring as we paused to discuss this further.

I'd heard him pause in his steps, allowing me to grab for his arms as he turned to face me. The gentle breeze pushing against him aided in this endeavor, as did the rain that started to fall. Looking up, I would see his outline as the drops fell over him. This made it a little easier to reach a hand up to his feathered cheek, "Duke...I just want to see you again. To wake up and see you smiling when you greet me in the morning. It hurts knowing you're stuck like this."

When I'd first touched him just now, I'd felt how heated up he was under his feathers from this discussion. However, caressing his cheek seemed to help cool this, drawing out a sigh, "I didn't mean to scare ya if I did. Maybe I'm more nervous about all this than I realized. When Tanya said you were lucky not to be too close...I guess I let it get to me when I saw him."

I felt his hand against my cheek now, his thumb tracing the scar on my right cheek as he spoke, "I would miss these sapphires so much if I couldn't see 'em."

I tried to make it seem as though I were simply wiping the rain water from my face, rather than the tears welling in my eyes and escaping. He gave a soft chuckle as he then said, "Did ya know they were always my favorite?"

"What were?"

"Sapphires," he replied softly, "They were always my favorite to go after back then. I found them to be quite soothin' to look into, an' admire."

I couldn't help but feel a soft warmth in my face, and he gave a chuckle, "Even when ya can't see me, I get that reaction?"

"I still wish that I could," I told him.

"At least ya know how to find me, or I'd really be lost," he offered while leaning forward and brushing that same cheek with a kiss.
"And I'll find a way to fix this too," I promised.

"Then I know I have nothin' to worry about," he whispered before pulling back and taking me by the hand.

Back at the pond, Duke informed Wildwing of Falcone's arrest. While he was finishing our report, Tanya waved me over to her. Stepping away from Duke and following her to the infirmary, she would ask me, "Heart, did anything happen while you both were out tonight?"
I listened carefully before answering. When I was certain it was just us, I told her how Duke had been in and out, while mentioning the fight itself. Then I hesitantly added the part regarding the amethyst.

"I was afraid of that," Tanya winced while looking to the nearby monitor.

"What's it saying?" I asked while trying to read it myself, but failing to understand it entirely.

"I mentioned how the magic was effecting his body to where it made it difficult to remove?" she prompted.

"You did," I replied hesitantly.

"Well, according to these readings, that energy is reaching and effecting other parts of him, that much power to someone not used to it would alter them...and so...with Duke..." she pointed out the pattern of waves within his head, "It could very likely start warping his mind. Wildwing and I were looking into it after you left, and we found some scattered notes surrounding that diamond. It warped the thoughts of those under it's power, which would make it difficult to track them down and make any record of it."

"I didn't call on our comms, because I didn't want to trigger something that might not even be happening," she then added, "but if it's boosting his ego and altering his thoughts like that..."

"What do we do?" I asked, "We need to find a way to help him before it gets worse!"

"We're trying to find something, but the lack of records make it hard to uncover a cure. Magic seems to exist in pockets in this universe, but most people don't seem to even believe in it anymore. Your realm thrives with it, so it's different."

"Then let's go there!"

"We can't open the doorway right now, you know that. If Shadow got through with all of this going on, it would things a whole lot worse!" Tanya protested, "Besides, if the cursed item is from here, then the cure should be too."

"We don't know that!" I exclaimed, "For all we know it went on without a counter to it! Otherwise something would have been recorded and you would have found it!"

"Heart, try to stay calm. Getting upset won't help him either," Tanya insisted.

I attempted to do this, but to little avail, "Y-You're right...but what can I do to help him?"

"Well, from what you've told me, you're able to pull him back so far, right?"

"I...I guess so?"

"Keep doing that then. He responds to you," Tanya offered an encouraging smile, "So just do what you do best, and be there for him. Maybe the answer's closer than you think?"

"Do...do you think my magic could help?" I said.

"It's possible. I know you're a little more acquainted with the electricity part of it, but didn't you mention using crystal magic before?"

"Only once, and I'm not sure how I drew it out," I replied.

"It was from your mother's blood, and seems to be a secondary feature in your heritage. That would make it harder to harness it. Though if you can, it might do the trick," Tanya pondered.

Glancing at my hands, I tried to focus enough on them. Yet the only thing that came forward was a burst of lightning here and there. The protrusions of crystals remained hidden away.

"We'll keep looking for any other options that we can," Tanya then assured when she saw the frustration in my eyes, "In the meantime, just keep track of him."

I gave a nod to this, before slipping out of the infirmary to find Duke so I could follow that task. Luckily I didn't have to go far. For as I stepped into the hallway, I would a moment later feel a gentle tug on the ribbon I wore. I also realized that there was slight moisture from the rain water he'd stepped into on the floor where he stood.

"Everythin' alright?" he asked.

"As much as they can be," I replied, masking the alarm lingering in my head as best as I could, "She's still researching the diamond to try and find a counter to the curse."

"So then why pull ya aside like that?" he questioned as we started heading to our room.

"Oh, she wanted to make sure I hadn't strained anything during the fight while we talked. We didn't want to interrupt your report to Wing, so we just stepped out while you finished it," I said with a casual enough shrug.

"Are ya hurt at all?" he picked up quickly.

"No, I'm alright," I assured him.

Soon enough we were in our room, and I found a space on the couch to sit on. Beside me there would be an imprint in the cusion from his weight. Though he had dried off by this point.

"I could change, but I don't want this thing to effect my other clothes," he said while he leaned back into the deep teal backing of the sofa.

I watched my hands in an attempt to focus and harness my magic. Yet the only thing that came forth was the energy bursts I'd grown used to.

"Heart?" Duke asked when he saw this, "Is somethin' up?"

"Besides what we already know?" I replied.

"Relax, Heart, we did well tonight," he assured me while slipping an arm along my shoulders and pulling me against him.

"I'm not surprised though," he then chuckled, "You an' I are a good match for jobs like tonight's."

"Jobs?" I noted.

"Our mission," he said, "We slipped in, caught him off guard, an' got out without a hitch. I don't think there's anythin' you an' I can't do."

Giving me a squeeze, he then added, "Don't worry about his empty threats, okay? He was jus' sayin' that to try an' get under your skin."

"You think so?" I ventured carefully.

"Of course. Ya know he'd say anythin' to try an' get the last laugh. It didn't do him much good though. All this did was bring him to a closer prison to keep an eye on," he said, "This supposed curse helped us more than him."

"Duke, please stop acting like this is okay," I slipped while pushing against him to sit up.

"I never said it was okay, Heart; jus' that it was rather helpful in catchin' him. For someone that wanted to make sure I couldn't get in the way, he gave the wrong person invisibilty. Not that I needed this ability, but it seems I know how to use this to my advantage. I'm used to goin' unseen when I want," he continued.

"It also kept ya safe," he added while brushing a hand against my shoulder where the blast nearly hit, "An' anythin' that does that is fine in my book."

"Not to mention if he was so worried about me bein' competition, this only hurts his efforts," he commented while getting up off the sofa.

"What?" I stammered in rising alarm, all the while monitoring signs of where he was in the room.

"Well, like this, I really could go anywhere I wanted couldn't I? If I were to slip back into my old career, it would be much easier, even here on Earth. Normally I'd stand out too much with me not bein' human. Like this, though, no one would be able to know it was me. Falcone, heck, no one would be able to stop me from bein' who I was back on Puck World," he proclaimed with the same casual nature as he would talking about going for a walk.

"Duke, you wouldn't want to go back, would you?" I protested carefully.

"I didn't have the option until now. Not to mention," I watched the carpet as his footprints shifted to where he was facing me, "I didn't have the perfect partner as I do now."

I looked up with widened eyes at hearing this. Despite the flatteringly warm tone, his words were giving me nothing but a growing panic.

"Think about it, sweetheart. With your magic to cut off the power, an' this so called curse maskin' my every movement; what could stop us?" he chuckled while kneeling before me and resting a hand against my knee.

"Duke, you like using your skills to help in our missions, to protect others, remember?" I pointed out quickly.

"Heart, I have the chance to take back who I was, an' you'll be at my side as you've been since we got together. You've shown time an' time again you get a thrill from this side of me. So why are ya so hesitant now?"

I tried to think fast, but it seemed a switch had flipped in him and I wasn't sure how to fix it without making it worse. In an attempt to try, I rested my hand over his and said, "Of course I'll be at your side, but part of that thrill is getting to see how sharp your skills are, without this cheap trick."

"Cheap trick?" he questioned a bit sharply, "I still used plenty of skill to go undetected tonight, an' your aid helped in that. As it would in anything else. If others saw gems an' other treasures floatin' around, they'd catch on, an' so they'd catch us as a result."

"Duke, this isn't like you!" I finally exclaimed, "You love the thrill you get from protecting others in our missions! You use your skills for a much better cause than swiping some rocks!"

"Heart, we could have anythin' we ever wanted this way! The adventure of a lifetime, an' no one could ever catch us!" he insisted.

"We have everything we've ever wanted!" I protested, "A safe home, friends that rely on us, each other!"

His grip on my knee grew tense as his temper began to show in his voice, "You're my partner, an' I'm supposed to be your thief, aren't I? Isn't that what ya love callin' me the most? Let me live up to that title!"

"You already do!" I insisted, "Duke, please, just stop this! We're going to fix this, and you'll be back to yourself, I swear it!"

"I'm already myself, Heart! It jus' seems I was wrong in thinkin' you'd actually accepted me for what I am. I wanted to share this life with ya, but ya don't really want it, do ya?" he hissed with hurt dripping from his throat.

I managed to catch his shoulders as he went to pull away. However, as I did, I felt all form of words sticking to my drying throat. Trembling, I attempted, "Duke...please..."

What he'd just said to me, I tried to tell myself it didn't hurt. My mind raced to the memory of that night...the fight in clock tower, when he'd shown all that he was without hesitation for the first time, and I'd shown him in turn how much I trusted him. I knew this wasn't really his words, but they still stung.

"Am I your thief, or not?" he questioned with lingering hurt in his own voice.

"Of course you are," I whispered while grasping his shoulders in fear of him slipping away.

I felt him rest his other hand against my cheek, having me look at him as he did. I wished that I really was as his touch made my core ache. With this, his tense shoulders eased up. His tone softened, but held genuine regret, "I...I didn't mean to hurt ya, sweetheart."

His thumb was catching the tear that had escaped during this interaction. He then got up, quickly sat at my side, and wrapped his arms around me as he whispered, "I'm so sorry, darlin'. I don't know what got into me."

I couldn't find the words to answer him, but I held onto him as tightly as I was able to. With this, I tried in vain to summon the magic that might have helped. Yet nothing came forth, not even a spark of energy. So I just continued to cling to his lean frame, whispering in return, "I'm sorry."

Eventually Duke drifted off to sleep there on the sofa with me. However, I found myself far too anxious to do the same. If I did, and he decided to slip away, there would be a slim chance of pulling him back. Yet all I could think to do was keep a hold of him. Though I knew I couldn't do this forever.

Getting dressed and tying my hair back became a game again the next morning.

"How are you going to practice?" I asked him from outside the shower stall as I tended to his stealth suit again, "You don't want this effecting your gear."

"I'll have to sit out an' do other exercises for today," he replied over the running water, "Hopefully we'll find a way to fix this before the game tomorrow night."

"I'm trying..." I said looking at my hands in growing frustration as I folded his suit for him.

"What's that?" he asked while pulling back the curtain.

Glancing over I would see the water falling over his lean frame, but this would be all I would see. The steam that had built up wafted around him as well, almost like a glove over a hand.

Turning off the water, he then grabbed a towel to begin drying off with. Normally I would have blushed to see him doing this. Yet I couldn't do either at the moment. So I just handed him the invisible suit I'd folded to match his unseen frame as he said, "Thank you, Heart."

Getting ready for practice with the others proved to be just as frustrating. I'd followed him in once everyone was dressed to keep track of my unseen drake.

Our teammates would find some of their gear being swapped around, or just swiped from them without warning. Nosedive laughed at this until he found his gloves to be missing just after setting them out. Duke had waited for him to be busy laughing before hiding them.

"Come on, man!" Nosedive called out.

"Sorry, Dive, jus' doin' some exercises of my own," Duke would reply while tossing them to my brother.

"Exercises?" Tanya asked with a raised brow.

"Ya never know when a mission will pop up, an' even like this I need to be ready," Duke replied, "In fact, I might go on patrol for a bit an' make sure things are clear out in the city."

"I'd be careful about that Duke, we don't want to scare anyone," Wildwing protested carefully, "As well meaning as this is."

"It'll be fine, Wing. Heart an' I can jus' do a quick run through Anaheim. Maybe we can throw off some lizards if they're out an' about."

"Heart looks like she's about to pass out," Nosedive commented while catching a glimpse of me mistepping to try and fix my stance.

I would of course hear him, rather than see him, turn to me as this was brought to his attention.

"Have you slept at all since all this started?" Mallory asked with concern in her blue eyes.

"A little bit the first night," I shrugged, "but I'm fine."

"You need to get some rest," Tanya said firmly with her hands resting against her hips.

"I can rest once he's back to normal. We don't know how much longer we have to reverse this," I stated.

"Heart, exhaustin' yourself isn't goin' to help things," Duke chimed in, "I need my partner at her best."

I quickly made note of the transition, and carefully replied, "That's exactly why."

"Solutions to a problem are far harder to find when others are allowed to cloud the way," Grin then said while resting a hand on my shoulder.

"Grinster's right, sis. If you're too tired, you can't do much of anything, let alone help figure out a way to help Duke," Nosedive added.

"If I sleep..." I tried to think of what to say to not alert him to the shift I was trying to prevent from occuring again.

"Heart, if you're worried about me leavin' somewhere without ya, I have no intention of doin' that. I'll stick around durin' practice so you can get some sleep. Then we'll head out together on patrol, an' maybe find a way to fix this along the way?" Duke suggested with an unsee hand on my shoulder, and the other tilting my head to face him.

Before I could protest further, I would feel him sweeping me off my feet. I scrambled to grab a hold of him without accidentally hitting him. He gave a chuckle as I did this, "I guess there is a downside to this. I've got ya, Heart."

"No, you need me right now, to fix this," I attempted.

"I need ya to get some shut eye before we head out. Jus' trust me, okay?" he pushed gently, sounding like himself at least.

While I was looking what I felt to be passed him, and to the others, Tanya walked up behind us. In the seconds she had before Duke moved, she slipped something into my hand upon prompting me to open it. Without a word said between us, I would find a tracking device that was no bigger than a microchip. Feeling it's underside I would find it was incredibly adhesive. She then just as quietly gestured to our comms to signal that we could follow it. I gave a nod as I said, "Alright, I give up..."

With this I slipped it beneath the base of his feathered ponytail, being careful not to tug on or stick it to where it would pull away any of them. Then I smoothed his feathers back into place as though I were simply being affectionate as I leaned my head against his chest.

With some relief falling over me, I would have little choice, but to drift off as Duke carried me down to the rec room. I'd barely felt him laying me down on the long sofa while he rested my head in his lap. All that registered through my fatigue was him gingerly stroking my hair, brushing it out of my face. This small gesture gave me some hope that it wasn't too late, and allowed me to finally fall asleep for a little while.

Yet when I opened my eyes, I found that I was alone there on the couch, and nearly jumped out of my skin as a result. Sitting up, I scanned the room out of habit before calling out, "Duke?"

When he didn't answer I looked to my comm, testing the device I'd been given. To some relief, he was still in the pond. Following the signal I would find myself in the galley. Though I'd already heard someone inside prepping something it seemed. Closing my comm, and turning the corner into the room, I would find a floating plate being set on counter with a glass of milk beside it.

"I realized ya hadn't eaten an' didn't want ya out there on an empty stomach," he said.

A breath of relief escaped my lungs as I went to sit on one of the bar seats.

"Did ya think I was goin' to leave?"

"Duke...I'm just scared..." I admitted to him while reaching for his hand.

When I couldn't find it at first, I worried that I was losing track. Until I brushed against his feathers and he close his hand over mine. A soft chuckle came from the space across from me, "I told ya that I need ya with me out there. Why would I leave without my partner?"

A slight smile curved my lips as this was said. For I hoped that this was a sign that he was resisting the effects, and we had more time to save him.

A little while after this, he convinced me to head out on patrol with him. I argued against taking a duckcycle, so not to alarm those who might see us. To which he had laughed and gave in to this point. So we went out on foot, and I found that I'd slept longer than I realized. For the sun was just setting over the city, showing the earliest signs of dusk as it was.

"This works out nicely," Duke commented as we made our way along the streets, "The city's usually buzzin' at night anyway, an' we can keep a look out for trouble."

"Tanya said she'd alert us if they found anything that might help you," I mentioned as we went along, "And Dive and Mal are out on patrol with Grin in the Migrator too."

"Wing stayed back with Tanya?" Duke asked.

I nodded.

"It's sweet to see them growin' so close," Duke commented while his steps drew to a pause, "There's somethin' quite genuine when ya find someone like that. I should know."

We were across from the museum by this point, making sure that Falcone, nor anyone else, were out trying to slip inside.

"Do ya think the answer could be in there?" Duke asked, "That is where this started."

"We did look over everything that night, and Tanya went back yesterday with Wildwing to double check while we prepped for our mission," I replied.

"It wouldn't hurt to check again, would it? Maybe there's somethin' you an' I could uncover this time?" he suggested.

When I hesitated where I stood, I would feel a brush of movement drawing nearer to me. His hand slipped over mine as he lifted it to kiss it. Then his other caressed my cheek, "Heart, let's adventure in the moonlight together? Please, trust me as ya always do."

A bit of myself began to give in, as I shook my head to ignore the warnings within it. This was the sort of mission we were built for. As long as I could find him, one way or another, I felt it would be alright for the first time in days. Somehow?

"Alright," I finally said as I felt him brush my forehead with a kiss.

Soon enough we were slipping through the halls of the museum that third night.

"You should probably cut the power again, jus' so it doesn't look bad on the camera," Duke suggested, "It might be hard to explain."

"Alright," I said while finding this to be much easier with every attempt at this.

"You're gettin' the hang of it," Duke encouraged.

"If only I could get the hang of the rest of it," I mentioned, "The abilities given to me by mother aren't as easy to command it seems."

"Well, the electricity started as a reflex didn't it? It's easier to attack, an' then figure ways to conduct it for other uses. The crystals are a more focused magic it seems," Duke pondered aloud as we checked through the first room, "Ya jus' need to figure out how to command that power jus' the same as that energy coursin' through your veins."

"I've only used it once so far, and it was out of desperation..." I reminded him.

"That was before ya knew what ya had in ya," Duke pointed out.

"Do you really think it's as easy as that?" I asked while looking over another display of jewels as they glistened under the soft moonlight.

"I never said it was easy, jus' that now ya have an idea of what sort of magic ya have to use. It makes sense that the electricity would be easier for you to get a handle on though," he said from beside a statue he was examining it seemed.

"How so?"

"Well, it acts as an armor, a reflex as I said. It reacts with ya to what ya need, like how your brain tells ya to move an arm or leg, or even breath," he explained.

"That does make sense," I said, before asking, "Have you been thinking about this that much?"

"Of course I have, sweetheart," he replied as though it were obvious, "I said I'd support ya through this, just as you always support me. Whether it's able to help me with this problem or not, I want ya to feel comfortable in those scales, an' with the power that's come with them."

"Nothin' here it seems," he then added with a sigh, "Should we check the main room again?"

"I guess we can," I replied, though I was admittedly a bit stricken from his the words he'd just said.

"Let's go," he encouraged while taking me by the hand.

Once again we found ourselves in the main exhibit room at the top of the stairwell. The full moon light fell over the amythest we'd used as bait the night before. There were several other gems in another case near it that we went to look over. As we did, I would feel something slipped into the satchel of my belt. Looking to him curiously, I wasn't paying attention to what I was retrieving from it when I did. Nor was I aware of the soft white glow of the moon washing over me as I did this.

My eyes went wide in alarm as I found the diamond that had caused all of this in my hands, and just starting to glow. All I could think to do was chuck it across the room as soon as it registered. With a bit of luck I managed to evade it's acursed glow just in time as it was flung into the shadows in the corner of the room.

"What are ya doin'?!" Duke exclaimed as I heard him running to retrieve it.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" I said in my own exasperation, "Duke, are you trying to curse us both?!"

"It's not a curse, Heart! I want to share this ability with you! With it we can have the world if we wish!" Duke retorted while picking up the diamond and turning on his heel to face me, "There isn't a door we couldn't go through, a treasure we couldn't take for our own, or an adventure we couldn't share! No one would ever be able to catch us!"

"Duke, stop this! This isn't what you want, I know that!" I begged him.

"Stop what? Stop bein' me? Stop bein' the thief you claim to adore so much?" he taunted in growing contempt and frustration, "Ya don't really, do ya?"

"Of course I do!" I burst out in desperation, "but there's more to you than this! Please, remember that!"

"I've had to be good long enough, I think. Like this, I can be who I was an' enjoy it! You can join me in this, sweetheart," his tone softened, hinting that some part of him was holding on, "I want ya with me. Even if we can't see one another, we'll have each other. No one will ever catch us, not Shadow, nor anyone else."

I backed away as he tried to plant the diamond in my hands again. Yet as I did, he slipped his other hand around my back to hold me in place. Out of instinct, my hands pushed against his chest to try and get away from him. In this, he nearly pushed the gem into my right palm, catching it's shape in the moonlight as he did this. I whipped my hands back, keeping them against my own chest now, "Duke, stop!"

"I thought ya were my partner, Heart?! Am I your thief or not?! If I am, then join me an' we'll go after what ever ya like!"

"I want the drake I know back!" I snapped as I finally managed to pull away from him.

I took another step back as I attempted shakily, "Duke, please...listen to me...This isn't you. Yes, I adore the thief side of you, but there are other aspects of you I love as well."

"Ya know Heart, this is gettin' old," he retorted coldly, "Either ya want to be with me, or ya don't. Either you've accepted me, or ya haven't. It's as simple as that. It seems I was wrong on both fronts."

I don't think a blade could have cut as deeply as those rigid words.

"...Duke...?" I attempted with a breath of shock.

"I wanted to share this with ya, 'cause I loved ya. That sapphire ya wear is proof of that, but maybe that's misplaced too?"

My hand immediately went to the heart cut gem resting below my collar bone, attempting to guard it from his unseen grasp, "...Loved...?"

I listened for his steps carefully. Yet they never drew near. In fact, I realized in alarm that they were growing more distant, and quickly! Turning to where they were headed, I began to run after him, "Duke, wait!"

The window was already jimmied open, and I heard the motion through the breeze as his frame went against it on his way out. His chilling tone slipped in a warning, "I know better than to try an' take it now, but I will be takin' that heart back from ya. I'd rather go it alone than give it to someone else!"

"Duke!" I pleaded as I rushed to the window in vain.

He was gone, using the sounds of the city to mask my attempts at listening for him. Going out through the window proved just as useless, as he left no trace to follow. For when I checked my comm, I would find the signal on my own person. Slipping a hand to the base of neck, I found the tracking device to pull off of my collar. As I did this, while standing upon the roof of the museum, I looked out over Anaheim to no avail.

I hated that I was sliding to my knees, the impact of his words finally crashing through me. If he'd been there on the roof with me, it would have been easy for him to take back whatever he wanted. At least if he had been, I could have tried to reach him once more. This was not the case. Instead tears welled in my eyes and escaped as I tried to figure out what to do. A trembling hand stifled my sobs to little use as I cursed my magic for being as useless to helping him as I had been.

Returning to the pond without him was just as achingly difficult. Nearly every step I took was as quiet as I could muster, as I tried to listen for any sign of him. Whether it was for the sapphire I wore, or if he'd maybe come back to his senses, I tried to find some trace of my drake.

"What?!" Wildwing exclaimed when I'd finished my report.

"He just left you there?" Mallory questioned.

It seemed everyone else had returned from their own patrols.

"You're lucky you weren't cursed too!" Nosedive said in alarm, "What was he thinking?!"

"It's not really him thinking these things...well it is, but his thoughts are being warped from that magic taking a hold of him," Tanya reminded us.

"So what do we do now?" Mallory asked, "We can't even see him, and he was hard to keep track of before this if he didn't want to be found!"

"We have to find a way to track him down, before he gets himself in trouble," Wildwing tried to think aloud.

At this, I glanced down at sapphire still hanging from the delicate gold chain around my neck. As I did, my fingers brushed over it's deep blue surface. A soft, trembling voice emerged from my lips, "...Maybe I could...?"

"Heart?" Grin prompted carefully, "Do you have an idea to find him?"

"I have something he wants," I mentioned with the sting of his threat echoing in my head, "Maybe I could draw him out with it? From there...I don't know what to do."

"We could be there waiting with you to try and catch him with a bola puck?" Mallory suggested.

"I don't think that will work, he'll know one way or another that it's a trap if we're all there," Tanya mentioned, "He'll just wait for another time to take it. I doubt luring him here will work either."

"No...he's not going to let himself get caught that easily, soaring ego or no," Wildwing said.

"I still can't believe he said all that to you," Mallory commented carefully while resting a hand on my shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." I lied, and they knew it.

"He'd just been talking to me about my magic, encouraging me. Now I don't know if it was to lure me in, or..."

"A plea for help perhaps?" Grin pushed carefully.

"How can I help when I don't know how it works?" I questioned.

"Maybe that's the problem more than not knowing," Nosedive then chimed in.

"What do you mean Dive?" Mallory inquired.

"Well, your other magic seems to react to commands of instinct. Maybe you haven't tried to command it the right way? You're too focused on how it works to simply try using it?" he suggested.

"If that's true, then this could have been over the moment it happened!" I realized with a rising anger towards myself.

"Stop it!" Grin suddenly said, his tone firm, but gentle as well.

"If you give into feelings like that, then Duke will truly be lost!" he said while setting a strong hand over my shoulder.

My head swam as I thought over the last few nights. All the times I'd tried to get my magic to work and failed, "It wouldn't listen..."

"You were also exhausted," Mallory pointed out, "Remember, you're not an endless battery."

"Stop worrying so much on how you're going to help him, and just do it," Nosedive pushed a little, "You two always find a way out of trouble together."

"If I know Duke well enough," Wildwing ventured, "Then some part of him said those things out of hurt. You're the only one that can find him, even when he thinks he doesn't want to be found. That's what you need to do right now. The rest will follow suit."

Looking to my hands, I felt that odd warmth washing over me. My blood tingled with the charge of electricity running with it.

"I...I think I have an idea," I said as I grasped at the sapphire I wore, gripping it's smooth frame tightly.

The next day, at about noon, we would hear on the news of a budding string of burglaries performed overnight. Yet there'd been no footage captured of the thief at large.

"He's quick," Mallory commented from beside me as we watched on.

"As long as the public doesn't know it's him, we can do damage control once this is taken care of," Wildwing assured me.

"Do you think he's trying to catch our attention?" Nosedive asked.

"Well hopefully he's paying attention too," Tanya sighed as the news caster went to the next article on their list.

"In other news, it seems Heart L'Orange will be donating a rare necklace originating from the duck's home world to the Anaheim Museum. She will be handing it over personally tonight, stating this is where it belongs now," the news anchor declared.

Grasping the heart again, I breathed out, "This has to work."

"You don't think it will just make him mad?" Mallory mentioned.

"Well, he's already heading that way," Tanya commented, "And even if so, it'll be all the more reason for him to come and get it back."

To this, Wildwing rested a hand upon my shoulder as he stood in support behind me, with Nosedive doing the same at my left.

"Tonight's our last chance...if this goes on much longer, he'll..." I didn't allow myself to finish this thought.

Instead, I tightened my grip and said, "I'd better head over before it gets too late."

"We'll be on standby, whatever happens," Wildwing assured.

Unlatching that clasp from behind my neck, and handing that necklace over to the museum currator was one of the most alien feelings I'd ever felt. That really says a lot when I think of the things we'd been through. Even harder, was I had the feeling I wasn't alone when I did this. Perhaps it was knowing that, that made it feel like I was ripping out my own heart along with his...if he were still there to share in this horrid sensation. Swallowing the unease tossing around in my core, I followed the curator to the display case and watched as he locked it inside. It took all the control in the world to not stop this from happening, to not reach out with a second thought. For I knew how important this treasure was to him, and what he'd given up to get it.

Without a voice I called out desperately, unable to stop myself, "This isn't to hurt you..."

When the museum closed for the night after this cruel ceremony was complete, I waited a while before finding my private entrance back inside. Then I waited again.

I'd positioned myself near the door at the top of the stairwell, figuring it wouldn't be long before he came through. Especially if he'd been paying attention as I hoped and feared he would.

I was right and wrong at the same time. For he certainly made it known that he'd been watching all of this, but he didn't go through the door.

The shattering of glass nearly made me jump from my crouched position. Looking to the window, I would hear his footsteps drawing close to the display case. Using his lack of concern of being spotted to my advantage, I was able to mask my steps with his as I slipped behind him, despite the bite of his voice echoing through the air shaking my core, "So I guess this was your answer, wasn't it? Well don't worry, Heart...once I have this back, ya won't have to worry about seein' me again."

When he went to reach for the display case, not stopping to see if cameras were bothering to capture someone they couldn't see, I stood up and warned softly, "Don't grow careless, Duke."

Setting the case back down with a bit of a jump, he turned on his heel to face me.

"Ya tryin' to catch an' throw me behind bars now?" he hissed, "Not that it'll hold me long."

"You know I wouldn't do that to you, Duke," I assured him in the same steady, and gentle tone.

"Do I?" He questioned while gesturing to the sapphire still resting on it's new bust beneath the case, "Then why is this here?!"

"To help me find and bring you back," I insisted, "Duke, please...listen to me..."

"I don't want to be found, an' I don't want to go back! I tried to give ya the world, an' ya threw it back at me!"

"I don't want the world, Duke!" I snapped quietly, "I want you!"

"Sorry, but your chance at that has slipped from your grasp as well," he said before quickly lifting the case and retrieving the sapphire within.

With this, he darted for the broken space in the window. Listening carefully, I was able to reach and grab for his hand just in time.

"Let me go!" he snapped.

"I can't! If I let go now, I'll never see you again!" I pleaded, "And I can't just give up on you!"

This began our dance closer and closer towards that broken window. He would pull one hand away while I caught the other. While we did this, I tried to summon up the magic I needed in vain. He was too fast to get a lasting grip on. Finally we were at what I found to be a very long, but quick drop just at our feet. With this, Duke slipped from my grasp once more and chuckled a bit, "This has been fun, but I think it's time to go."

"Duke!"

He had already stepped back, allowing himself to fall until he caught the rope I realized he'd climbed up with.

"No! If I lose him now, I..." I took a quick breath and focused.

Upon releasing that breath, my wings and tail would burst forth from my back. Not wasting another moment, I darted down from the main room and glided towards him. I listened for where he was carefully placing his footing as he found a rather steep drop beneath him still if he were to fall. Not knowing what else to do, I charged into him, knocking him through the window he was hanging near. As I did, I wrapped my wings around him as best as I could to shield the drake.

With that crash, we tumbled and rolled into the room, with him falling prone on his stomach, while I went a bit further due to my smaller frame being harder to stop. Until I hit the wall across from the smashed open window, my back and wings colliding into the unforgiving surface and causing me to crumble onto my stomach with a groan.

Though I knew I didn't have long to do this, as I would hear him trying to get to his feet as well. Following this, came a sharp seized breath.

"Are...are you okay?" I asked, still shaken myself as I got to my feet.

"Not...not really..." he groaned as he tried to get up, using a hand to prop agaist the wall nearest to him.

My hand flew to my mouth to stifle a gasp, as I realized while he spoke, the drops of blood hitting the floor as he did, "There seems to be a set back to this that I didn't count on..."

I then listened as he stepped over the shards of glass to try and reach the window, "It's nothin' I haven't dealt with before..." he tried to chuckle with regained confidence.

Shaking my head, I would then feel something gently scraping my lips from the palm of my hand. Pulling it from my face, I looked to see through the tear in my glove as particles of crystal glistened over my skin. Not having much more time to think, I breathed out in desperation, "Please...I can't let him slip away now...!"

To my amazement, and his growing frustration, from my breath and hands came a growing wall of crystal that ran up from the floor to the ceiling. It covered the full wall and window from inside the room with us.

"Let me go!" Duke ordered while hitting his hand against the hardening surface.

"I can't..." I repeated shakily.

I heard him turn around as I was getting to my feet again. Despite my shaking, bruised and scraped up frame, I stood my ground as he warned, "Whether it's through the door, or through you Heart, I will get away."

As I felt his hand grasp my shoulder, I stood my ground and questioned, "And then you'll bleed to death?!"

"I've patched myself up in the dark before, Heart. This won't be any different," he assured with steady confidence in his throat.

Despite his wound, with his stronger frame, it was fairly easy for him to shove me back against the wall as he gave one last warning, "The moment ya gave that heart away, I got my answer. Now that I have it back, ya won't be seein' me again. Ya had your chance, Heart!"

"Duke-!"

"Let me go!" he hissed while pulling back harshly, causing me to crumble onto my hands in knees from the wave of shock that struck me with his cruel words.

Yet as he turned towards the door, I shook my head in desperation, breathing out a prayer I couldn't even hear myself. I pressed my hands against that cool flooring, and let out another breath. Again a sheet of crystal began to flow from me, from my hands and breath as the one before. This time the entire room was encased from within by this unyielding, shimmering surface. As Duke went to open the door, I would hear a frustrated groan escape his throat. Looking up, I found we were both trapped inside this space together.

Then I heard his saber activate as he drew it, but the slashes of it couldn't seem to break through the surface barring him from his way out. Suddenly he would give a short yell in pain, forcing him to drop the blade and turn to me, "Heart, let me out of here! Ya can't keep me in here forever!"

"I can't...I can't let you get away...not like this..." I said in tired gasps of breath.

"You're not goin' to have much of a choice when ya exhaust yourself tryin' to catch me like this," he retorted before he clenched his teeth, and I would hear more drops of blood fall upon the floor, staining it as they did.

"Heart...please..." he then breathed out in a softened tone, retrieving the diamond as he took a few steps closer to me, "...this doesn't have to be this way..."

He held it out towards me, offering it as his fingers opened like flower petals to produce the diamond in his palm, "All I ever really wanted...was to have ya with me...to give ya the world an' all the adventure you could ever desire...Let me give ya that...?"

"You've already given me more than this..." I whispered while reaching up to him.

As I did this, I didn't feel the odd, warm sensation growing from the palm of my other hand. My focus remained on him, afraid to turn away for even a second. My hand grasped just above his hand, pulling him by the wrist until he fell to his knees as I knelt before him still. Yet in his last ditch effort to place that gem in my hand, Duke used his falling momentum as he toppled over to knock my down on my back. Pinning me down, he tried to press that diamond in my open palm as I looked up at him in alarm, gasping, "Duke...!"

I quickly closed my hand to keep him from doing this. However, I found I couldn't do the same with the other. Glancing at it, I would see a cluster of clear and rose quartz growing out from my right palm. Yet before I could figure out what to do with it, Duke's hand would brush against my cheek. With this, he gently, but firmly, tilted my head to where I was looking up at him.

My eyes wide with desperation, and moistened with tears, I tried to steady my breathing. As I did, I would hear him doing the same. His thumb brushed the tears that were trying to escape, and I would hear him say to me, "...Beautiful sapphires...that always seem to find me...?"

"...Duke...?" I breathed as he dropped the diamond, and got up off of me.

Finally allowed to sit up, I heard him sitting back a bit against the wall. Then he shifted to where he was forcing himself to sit straight as best as he could, his breathing labored from pain, "They...always were...my favorite."

In this calm, I reached over with the crystals in my palm and rested it against his side. With my fingertips, I felt along him until I found the cut in the fabric of his suit, and the tear in his feathers and skin. He gritted his teeth as I grazed the quartz against it, trying to figure out what to do.

Then...I simply thought of what I wanted to do, whispering to him, "I want to see you...I want to save you..."

With this, those crystals in my hand began to glow as I reached through them with my own will it seemed. As they grew brighter with this soft illumination, I would see what looked like threads flowing out from his side. Not blood, I realized; but like before, a toxin of some sort, being pulled from Duke's form. Focusing still, I continued to draw out this darker source of magic, and cycled through the crystals created by my own.

As I did this, I began to notice something else as we sat there with the moonlight washing over us. Though faded at first, I would see what appeared to be the outline of his lean frame coming into view. From the feintly seen wound in his sign, I looked over his form until I was gazing up at him. With every second, he became more visible. First his outline, his shadow, the red glow of his cybernetic eye, and the blood still trickling through his fingers. Then his veins of still flowing blood, and his bones with them. Next his skin and feathers before as they hid the rest of his insides coming into view. By now I was looking up, my eyes meeting with his as he smiled warmly at me. Finally his stealth suit of burgundy and black enveloped him.

A soft chuckle escaped his throat as he brushed the strands of burgundy hair out of my eyes, "I love ya so much, my sapphire..."

It was now that I saw through my own blury vision, that tears had welled in his remaining eye as well. A relieved sigh trickled from his beak as he looked over me, seeing the crystal I was still holding out to him as it's light glistened in the moonlight. This radiated a soft, glittering glow of white and pink that wrapped around us, cleansing the space we were encased in, sitting in the otherwise dark there together.

"You've always been the answer...one way or another..." he said with a sweet smile curving his beak.

I couldn't even hold back as I tackled him, throwing my arms around him as I cried out, but being careful not to press the quartz into him somehow, "Duke!"

"Easy sweetheart!" he laughed softly as he caught me, his own embrace just as tight around my smaller frame, "Ya found me,...as ya always seem to..."

Duke:

"Can you two come back in one piece just once?" Tanya asked, "and not by the skin of your teeth?"

"It's jus' not our style," I winched as she sewed up the wound in my side.

"Going through a window is?" she retorted with a raised brow.

"Apparently," I shrugged before gritting my teeth to withstand the next piercing of the needle.

"Well, we might have to go without you for the game tomorrow," Wildwing sighed, "but at least we got our teammate back?"

I gave a nod before I glanced over to see Nosedive pressing a medicine soaked cloth against one of Heart's scrapes. We were both still wearing our stealth suits as we were being tended to. Though her draconic features had gone away quite some time ago, before we'd gotten home in fact.

"Thanks for picking us up. It would have been a rough walk back otherwise," Heart said to our team captain.

"I told you we would be on standby," he reminded while patting her shoulder gingerly.

"It seems you've gotten a better control over your magic?" Grin prompted with a bit of pride.

"It seems to be a healing sort," Heart mentioned, "Or at least that's part of it. I was able to make a shield to keep us inside...but it took a lot to do that...for a first time anyway..."

"You'll get better at it the more you use it," Mallory assured her.

"For now though, get some well earned rest, okay?" Wildwing requested more than ordered, sounding quite fatigued from worry himself by this point.

"We will," I assured as I was finally released to get up carefully.

"Don't push it, or you'll be right back in here," Tanya threatened, pointing the needle at me in warning.

"Understood," I promised while walking over to Heart and offering her a hand up.

"Hold it Dukester," Nosedive interrupted, his tone quite protective, "I want to make sure all that crazy stuff is out of your head!"

"Dive, I promise ya, my head is clearer than ever," I pushed carefully.

"Prove it!" he retorted, not letting go of a very confused Heart that he was hugging onto.

"Well..." I sighed while slipping a hand into the satchel at my hip, "I wanted to return this when we were alone...but I can't think of any better way of provin' I'm back than this..."

With this, I carefully retrieved the sapphire and walked up to Heart, who was watching with widened deep blue eyes the entire time I did this. As Nosedive eased his protective grip on his sister, he allowed me to slip beside her while I gently latched the delicate gold chain around her neck. Being sure her hair was not entangled in the chain and clasp, I then stepped around to see her softly blushing as she admired the necklace I'd returned to her. This drew out a smile as I assured her, "It was always meant to be yours, sweetheart."

I watched as she bit her lip, forcing herself to hold back the tears that were welling in her eyes. The others noticed as well, and quietly stepped out of the infirmary, knowing she'd hold back until they did. She tried in vain to wipe the few that fell free. As she did, I hopped onto the side of the infirmary bed, sitting right beside her, while I slipped an arm along her shoulders. Pulling her into a hug, I echoed, "It was always yours..."

"I didn't mean to hurt you earlier...!" she burst out quietly, her voice shaking.

"What are ya talkin' about?" I asked in confusion, "With the window, you were jus' tryin' to stop me from..."

"That's not what I mean!" she said while wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.

"What do ya mean then, darlin'?" I inquired while stroking her hair a bit.

"When I set up the plan with the sapphire...I...I knew it would catch your attention...and I knew it would probably hurt you to see that I was giving this away...but I didn't know how else to find you! I couldn't think of any other way!" she sobbed, "I was scared if I didn't try, then I'd never see you again! I swear I would never just give this away, not when I know how much it means to you!"

Stunned by this emotional onslaught, I held her still as she cried. She would freeze when I found my voice to answer, "Heart...it's okay. I know you'd never do that...an' you were right in it catchin' my attention..."

"I just...even under the curse...I could tell how you felt...I heard how you felt..."

"If I hadn't been under the curse in the first place, ya wouldn't have had to try somethin' like that. Heart, ya found a way to get me back...that's all that matters here. Ya didn't give up on me, as ya never do," I reminded her gently.

I thought back to when I'd seen her handing over the sapphire, while I was hidden away nearby. I'd seen the news cast as well. Yet I couldn't believe it. Then,... "When I saw it there in the display...it did hurt...but only 'cause of how much ya mean to me, Heart. I'd thought for a moment that you'd given up your search...I wanted ya to find me, an' didn't at the same time. Then when you were there...I still didn't know which outcome I wanted...not while under that spell...but..." I paused a moment as I caressed her tear stained cheek, having her look up at me, "Heart...you've always been the answer..."

"What?" she stammered.

"Since before we got together...when I first joined the resistance, without a doubt in my head of where I wanted to be, facin' the doubts of others...you were there to tell me ya had faith in me. When I was lonely our first weeks here at the pond, an' didn't know where to go...you would find me an' give me someone to talk to. Even when I don't always know it...you're there beside me, findin' the way with me. The answer...findin' me with those sapphires that always draw me back to ya...as they did tonight."

At last she caught her breath, and was able to dry her tears with my aid. As I did, I gave her a sincere smile as I gently cradled the sapphire heart in my hand and promised her, "An' that's why it was always meant to be yours, my sapphire." I looked into her eyes as I said this, knowing she understood what I was telling her.

"I...I found youu, my thief?" she ventured cheerfully.

To this I gave a soft laugh, before I kissed her, and whispered, "Just as I wanted ya to."