"Are we in the right place?", Nosedive asked, "We're flying into nowhere but open skies and clouds."

Wildwing's expression didn't let up.

"Where no man can ever tread.", he muttered recalling Charyus' tip, "I'm betting the stratosphere is the place."

"Why there?", Duke asked, "Nothing grows up there."

Grin was in his meditative posture and clearly meditating.

"Look not with your eyes and find the place with your mind. Only then will you find the truth."

Wildwing was about to shake that off when the Aerowing brushed something. Wildwing slowed the plane down just in time for a large cloud formation to form in front of them. The moment they entered, the landing gear hit solid ground. They filed out only to step into a thick cloud.

"Watch your step.", Wildwing said and then remembered something, "Get ready to fly."

After he activated his Fly spell, they could all step out in comfort. At that moment, the cloud cleared revealing a massive garden filled with all kinds of ancient looking flowers and plants. The ducks were stunned.

"I had no idea that this place existed.", Nosedive said in awe.

"Clever ducks, you found the hidden garden in a rift in time and space.", Charyus' voice echoed, "Deep inside it's boarders you will find many flowers, but only the flower that reflects one's true self will provide what you seek."

"What if we chose the wrong one?", Duke asked.

Charyus' cackle rang out as it faded leaving the ducks hovering close to the garden.

"We better move.", Wildwing said, "Canard's not getting any better."

They floated above the many plants all taking a different direction as Wildwing called Tanya and Mallory.

"How's Canard?"

"He's holding on.", Mallory reported, "But so far, he's still not recovering fast enough to use his aura to neutralize whatever poison Alvin used on him."

"He can't.", Tanya stated, "The venom is enchanted so only that flower Charyus told us about will cure him. We'll do what we can."

Wildwing hung up and he passed by a flower the size of a french rose when something about it caught his eye: it was showing him in his pedestrian attire. He hovered closer and noticed the center had what looked like a shallow pool of water inside it's petals. Cautiously, he tipped the flower while holding a vial to it allowing the liquid to pour into it until it was full. He then let the flower go back and called the others.

"I got it. Regroup at the Aerowing."

/

Thrash and Mookie got to the Pond with Morpha right on their heels.

"Alvin is out of control.", Thrash said firmly as they got inside, "I knew he was crazy at first, but this takes the cake."

Mookie nodded.

"After what he did to our friends, I would hope Klegghorn would want to put him away for good."

As they made their way around, Phil happened to be nearby and noticed them heading towards the elevator.

"Hey, you can't go down there.", he said as he hustled after them, "I got a sick player down there."

Thrash and Mookie were beyond listening. They had reached the elevator and had gotten in with Morpha and Phil as well before it started going down.

"So why are you two here?", he asked.

"It's Alvin.", Mookie answered, "Thrash and I witnessed him do some savings from inter dimensional creatures, but we think those were set ups."

"So Mondo Man is back?", Phil asked.

"We're not signing him on.", Thrash said firmly, "He's working for the saurians and willingly now."

Phil's face fell.

"Man, why can't I ever get a break?"

By now they had reached the infirmary where Tanya and Mallory were still tending Canard. They came over and a call came in.

"The guys are in trouble.", Tanya stated, "But Canard is in pretty bad condition now."

Thrash and Mookie looked at Canard on the bed. He was looking like he was in pain and his side looked infected and was slowly bleeding between Mallory's fingers. Mookie rushed in with ointments from the medical cabinet while Thrash got extra bandages.

"We'll watch over him.", he told Mallory, "You two need to help the others. They may need your help."

Mallory sighed as she quickly took her hands away and Mookie took her place.

"Keep his head wet and pressure on his wound.", Tanya instructed, "And keep his pulse up."

Morpha had looked at the wound and it's blue color parts turned green as it flinched and looked sick. Phil was looking frantic.

"I can't have a dead player on my hands. You know how much funerals cost?"

Tanya and Mallory gave Canard a last concerned look before heading out. Canard was running out of time and they needed that flower fast.

/

Wildwing swerved right to avoid the molten slabs of earth that the dimensional bats were shooting their way.

"Can you hold still?", Nosedive asked as he had Create out, "I'm trying to write here."

"Sorry.", Wildwing answered, "I'm just trying to keep us alive here."

Duke moved his fingers over his Mirror crystal.

"Mirror, help us evade our foes with Smoke."

He had touched his Smoke crystal as thick clouds covered the Aerowing and another one came out flying in the opposite direction which the bats chased before the smoke dissolved away.

"Aw man.", Nosedive pouted, "I had a great idea for how to swat those flying rats."

He was about to send his spell back when the Aerowing got hit and almost spiraled out of control. They had regained their balance only to see Mondo Man in front of them with Charyus' image beside him.

"How nice. You found the flower in the rift.", Charyus said smiling, "But I have a schedule to keep. Alvin, finish them!"

Alvin reached into a satchel he had on his waist and pulled out a familiar looking egg shaped glowing material that Wildwing and Grin gasped at.

"Um, what's that?", Nosedive asked, And why do I feel so weak?"

"It's the...ducktonite.", Wildwing strained to say, "We got to...get away."

"Don't bet on it.", Charyus answered.

He snapped his fingers and the ducktonite in Alvin's massive hand warped into the Aerowing's cockpit and in arm's reach of the ducks only they were getting weaker by the minute and the Aerowing was falling now. Nosedive managed to scribble something in his spell before the spell vanished away. A loud bang was heard and the ducktonite flew out the open window where it exploded.

"Nice move baby bro.", Wildwing said as he felt his energy return to him.

They didn't have time to celebrate cause Alvin had now had several more ducktonite at the ready.

"Try dodging these.", he said trying to sound tough.

Duke had clearly taken enough and so had Grin.

"This guy needs to chill out.", Duke said firmly.

Fortunately for them, that was when the clouds turned dark and stormy. Alvin tensed only to be zapped by large lightning bolts causing the ducktonite to explode in his face and Charyus looked disappointed.

"Clever ducks. But don't count my hired help out yet."

Alvin then pulled out a crystal that seemed misty and a rainbow of sparkles inside it that spun rapidly then gave off a wave that made the storm clouds clear up. Alvin's form had changed too into a massive darker version with dark flames circling his fists.

"This aught to be interesting.", Charyus said calmly.

/

Thrash held Canard's wrist and he looked at Mookie grimly.

"His pulse is fading."

Canard was looking pale and Mookie kept applying a wet cloth to his head like Tanya instructed her trying to look calm, but she was feeling just as worried. She had seen her share of afflicted people before, but this time she felt like part of her heart was dying. One look at Thrash and she could tell he felt the same way. Morpha was watching all of this and was all black which ment it was scared as well. It wanted to help, but how? It turned and noticed a sponge fall into the bowel of water Mookie was using and it's color turned to back to it's usual blue color. Then an idea came to mind. It trotted over to Canard's side as Thrash washed his hands before applying fresh bandages. It then extended a couple tendrils and placed them both over Canard's injury causing the drake to flinch.

"What are you doing?", Mookie asked it.

Morpha ignored her and it's tendrils then formed into a patch and blood siphoned through one end and exited out the other. A third tendril came out of Morpha's side and hung over a bucket(that was conveniently there) and clear liquid began to flow into it. As Thrash came back and noticed what Morpha was doing, he raised an eyebrow.

"What's with the dog?"

"I think he's extracting the venom.", Mookie guessed.

Morpha's back shifted into a 'Winner' sign like on a game show followed by loud dinging like she got the right answer. Canard didn't look so dead now, but just barely. They needed that antidote and fast. At that moment a call came in.

"How's Canard?", Wildwing asked over the sound of battle.

"Wing, better hurry!", Thrash told him, "We're losing him here!"

Wildwing looked concerned.

"We managed to get a little busy. We'll try and get back when we can."

Wildwing hung up, but Thrash and Mookie didn't look assured. Morpha was smart, but the bucket was almost filled and it didn't seem to stop. Thrash got a bigger bucket which he switched with the one Morpha was filling and Mookie dumped it into a disposal container Tanya had designed in her spare time.

"Who knew Morpha could act like a life support system?", Mookie asked Thrash.

He smiled back at her.

"It shape shifts, changes color based on it's mood, and it acts like a filter on a life support system. No wonder Dive loves it."

Morpha's blue coloring turned light orange as it continued it's work. Phil came over and after seeing Canard's injury, he fainted.

/

Back in the air, the ducks were certainly having their hands full. Alvin was clearly having the upper hand until the duck's enchantium lit up again signaling that the magic was back on. Charyus was not amused.

"This is what I get for sub contracting.", he muttered, "I bestow an already enhanced being with equally powerful magic and he can't measure up."

He was a good distance away to observe what was going on and note what was going on. Alvin's new form was forming dark shapes and disabling spell was about to activate again only for Nosedive to take aim with his puck blaster.

"Oh no you don't Mr. Tall Dark and Gruesome.", he said before firing and shattering the crystal.

What happened then was a flash of light and Alvin had returned to his original self and plummeted downward as Charyus watched in disappointment.

"Well played ducks, but at least I've got one thing that might count as a prize."

Wildwing turned his way and punched the Aerowing's defenses, but Charyus simply floated off into the distance and kept talking.

"Someone on your team who is dying at this moment."

Charyus vanished away and Wildwing realized who he was talking about.

"Everyone get in!", he called out, "We don't have a moment to lose!"

The ducks hurried inside and Theo watched as the Aerowing propelled to Earth on one page while the other showed Canard with Thrash, Mookie and Morpha trying to keep him alive. The book hovered above his lap as he conjured an hourglass which had most of it's sand on the bottom and the top half's sand was low and falling slowly.

"Will you make it in time?", he asked himself knowing the answer to his own question, "Charyus using another to delay the others from saving a friend from death. Devious, but clever on his part I must admit. But what is this?"

He was looking at the page that showed the Aerowing's cockpit and Nosedive was scribbling something in his Create spell. Wildwing looked worried.

"Dive, hurry up!"

Theo eyed Canard and his heart rate was getting slower. Thew hourglass' sand was almost gone when the two pages he was looking at flashed for a second and became one whole page. The Aerowing was docked and the ducks were dashing into the infirmary. Wildwing tossed Thrash the vial full of liquid from the flower and after Morpha got out of the way, Thrash splashed it on the open wound. Theo watched the hourglass as the last grain of sand was about to fall from the top only for it to pause and the hourglass faded away. Theo eyed the suspense in the other duck's eyes and sighed.

"Well, it seems like they did make it although it was too close for comfort.", he said smiling, "Then again, I know many things about this tale."

/

A while later, Wildwing came to see Canard who was still being watched over by Tanya and Nosedive.

"How is he?", Wildwing asked.

"Well, the venom is neutralized and we managed to get him stable.", Nosedive reported, "But he's still in pretty rough shape from almost dying on us."

Tanya nodded.

"He's going to have to sleep here for the night."

Canard was patched up again, but his injured side looked a lot better than it used to. Wildwing came over and Canard turned his head so that Wildwing could see his eyes.

"Thought you'd lose me again?", he asked weakly.

Wildwing shook his head.

"Not again. Never again."

Canard smiled.

"You did good. Had a few close calls with death before, but this was closest."

Nosedive rolled his eyes.

"You really looked dead when we showed up."

Wildwing shot him a firm look, but that was enough to make the young drake zip the lip(or in his case beak).

"We didn't find Alvin, but I doubt he was let off the hook by Dragaunus."

Canard shook his head.

"First thing to know about Charyus: never make a deal with him no matter how much he tempts you."

Wildwing's eyes narrowed.

"How do you know this?", he asked, "Did you make one?"

Canard shook his head.

"I avoided that lizard even though he showed up a couple times. Though I saw some who didn't pull through. Charyus steals their life energy leaving nothing but a skeleton to add to a vast bone yard full of skeletons of the poor souls he tempted and couldn't hold their end of the deal leaving their souls to haunt it for all of eternity."

Nosedive looked pretty rattled.

"That is one sick lizard."

Wildwing put a hand on Canard's.

"Good thing Morpha thought of how to slow your condition down while we dealt with Alvin."

Canard relaxed as Tanya came over.

"We better hit the hay and he should too.", she said mentioning towards Canard, "He's had a near death experience and he needs plenty of time to recover."

Nosedive yawned and Wildwing did too.

"Get some rest buddy.", he told Canard.

Canard nodded and flinched.

"Luckily my aura will be kicking in and I'll make a full recovery by morning. Good night Wing."

Wildwing led Tanya and Nosedive out leaving Canard alone. Canard looked up at the ceiling recalling what went on that day.

"Wing has come a long way since I gave him the mask.", he thought to himself, "But now Charyus has a magic canceling spell that while only briefly will be trouble for us. As much as I would like to go out and hunt that lizard down, I'm in no condition to do so and the enchanted venom Charyus had Alvin use on me has taken it's toll."

He paused as he felt his eyelids grow heavy.

"So another attempt from the saurians thwarted again. Just wait til I get my strength back and they will soon...be finished."

He couldn't keep himself awake any longer. As soon as his eyelids closed, he drifted off to sleep as the light in the infirmary went out.