Today is the five-year anniversary Doctor Reginald Bushroot's mutation and his decent into a life of crime. In his mind he is just a misunderstood genius that was a victim of one of the most popular villain origin stories (try to make the world a better place). Bushroot was sitting in the meadow next to his greenhouse hideout, thinking about the life choices he had made that got him here. He looked up at the sky and sighed, "Another year goes and another year of being a freak among ducks. I may have my plants, but what's the point if you don't have someone comfort you when you are defeated by Darkwing Duck, my life is a joke, a big green joke," he said to himself as he started to cry, but all of the sudden he started to smell smoke coming from the forest. "I hope that's not fire. I should probably check before it'll burn my house down," he said before getting up and headed into the trees.
He followed the scent to the river where he usually got his water from. He started to here crying coming from there as well. He moved the branches and saw that it was a beautiful swan that was crying, and her hair was smoking. She heard the rustling, got up from the rock she was sitting up, and turned around. She about the same height as Morgana, had long red and blonde hair that stood up in spikes that looked like flames, she had deep orange eyes, and off-white feathers. She wore a red, yellow, orange, blue, and white dress that had a tail hole that her tail poked through. "Oh, I'm sorry that my crying is bothering you," she said as her tears sizzled into mist. She walked closer to the mutant botanist, Bushroot didn't move, mainly because he memorized by her beauty, and partly because that he thought she had fire powers. "I know you, you're that plant scientist that mutated himself into a plant, Dr. Bushroot, right?"
"Um, yes. I didn't know there was fire mutant in St. Canard," Bushroot said before quickly noticing his mistake. "Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I mean with the hair and outfit and your tears sizzling. For all I know you could be magic or born with the power!" he started to babble on with the apology.
She stopped her crying and started to laugh. "It's okay, I am a mutant and yes I have fire powers. Hi, my name is Emme Swan, but I guess you call me Ember Swan now," she said as she went back to her rock. "If you want you can sit with me and I'll tell you about how I gained my pyrokinesis powers," she said as she patted the rock next to her.
"I would love to her your tale," Bushroot said as walked over and sat down.
"You see, I lived Cape Suzette, I was chemist at the university trying to make the cure for cancer in fire. My colleagues thought I was crazy, but I didn't care. One day I was so close, but unfortunately something went wrong, there was an explosion in the lab and I was turned into this freak of flames. Now whenever I get angry or feel any strong emotions, I just flame up," she said as she started to cry again, and her hair started to catch fire. Bushroot got scared and stubbled off his rock. "See, I can't be anywhere without hurting someone."
Bushroot got up and watched her cry. He reached out touched her shoulder and said through the pain of his hand of being burned by fire. "Look, at least you look normal and don't have into town in some ridiculous costume. I think that you are very kind of you to search for the cure for cancer, but didn't you want revenge on those who made fun of you? I mean I killed these two guys ruined one of my inventions and who making fun of me in front of this woman I loved," he said through the pain until his hand caught on fire. He screamed and ran into the river to put it out.
Ember gasped and ran next to the water. He popped his head out of the water and came back out. "Are you okay?!" she asked as she took his hand to see if it was okay and saw it was fine. "It's fine?" she said in confusion.
"The helped sooth the pain and I grow an aloe cactus while I under and used the healing power to heal the burn away," he explained to her as they got up.
"Oh, I am so sorry," she said as she let go of his hand. "This is why I left my home in Cape Suzette. Ever time I meet someone I hurt them."
Bushroot looked at her sadness in his eyes, he knew what it's like to be freak. He looked up at the sky and saw that rain clouds were quickly forming. 'A fire-powered swan in the rain, that is bad mixture,' he thought. "Hey, since it's going to rain maybe you stay with me at my hideout, so you have place to stay tonight," he offered.
"I don't think that's a good idea. I wouldn't want to burn down your home, I think I'll just stay here," Ember said to him.
He took her hand and said, "I insist, I have plenty of water and fire extinguisher at hideout. Please I don't want you catch a cold out hurt or who knows what."
Ember rethought her decision. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you," she said in worried voice.
"Great! Follow me," he said with an excited voice. He took her hand again and lead her to the greenhouse. "Here's home sweet home, let me show you around."
Ember looked around in awe at green beauties that are the plants. "This place is so gorgeous," she said as she stopped to sniff the roses. "This must have taken you years to make this."
"Actually, it only took me a year. Thanks to my powers I can control these plants and grow any kind I want," Bushroot said to her.
Ember started to look sad again. "You're so lucky that you can use your powers to make something beautiful and all I can do is destroyed."
"Not true, some farmers set fire to their crops to enrich the soil," he said, trying to cheer her up. She smiled and yawned. "You must be tired, follow me. You can sleep in my room tonight. You must be hungry. I can grow anything you want, as long as it's a veggie or fruit."
"I don't need to eat, I'm completely sustained by the oxygen in the air. Although I do eat for the taste sometimes."
"I'm powered by the sun, earth, and water," he said. "Anyway, here's your room for the night." It was basically just a bed on the dirt. "Sorry, it's not more comfortable."
"I love it, thank you, but where will you sleep?" she asked.
He walked outside and shoved his feet in the dirt. "I only sleep on the bed for the comfort sometimes. I can sleep by standing still. Goodnight, Ember," he said before closing his eyes.
She smiled and said, "Goodnight, Dr. Bushroot." She climbed onto the bed and went to sleep.
