IT'S DONE! IT'S FINALLY DONE!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!

Once again, I'm very sorry that this fic has taken so long, but it's done! I hope you like the ending…it's kinda weird, but it goes along with what I had in my head. I might rewrite it, I don't know. You feedback is much appricated! ^_^

Only Second Best

Chapter 12

("Ottercub! Let Kaeera out of the closet!!!")

Nosedive stopped and sighed. Wildwing had a firm grasp on his shoulder, preventing him from going anywhere at the present moment. He watched as the others kept going over the hill back towards Anaheim.

Canard stopped and turned around. He opened his mouth to say something, but Wildwing interrupted.

"Go on ahead, we'll catch up!" Wildwing assured. Canard gave a look of disappointment, then slowly turned around and followed after the others. Nosedive snorted.

"Good riddance," he spat.

"Ok Dive…" said Wildwing in attempt to stop his brother from continuing. He turned Dive around.

"What?" asked Nosedive, avoiding Wildwing's eyes and staring at the ground. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you. You've been acting weird lately.

Nosedive pulled away from Wing. "I've been acting funny?!?"

"Dive…" At least he's making eye contact…

"No!" Nosedive said angrily. "Don't you Dive me! I have not been acting funny! It's all you!"

"How?" asked Wildwing dumbfounded.

" 'Oh Canard, come see the Migrator! Oh Canard, come hit some pucks around with me. Oh Canard, let's…"

"Ok, ok, I see your point," Wildwing said. He stopped. "Is that what's been bothering you?"

"I swear, Wing, sometimes you have the intelligence of a lamp post," said Nosedive, turning away.

"I take that as a yes…" Nosedive threw his arms in the air in defeat. "What? Dive, talk to me! Tell me what's wrong!"

Nosedive spun around. "I'll tell you what's wrong! It's him! Him! I hate him! I always have! I can't stand him! I've hated him since the very beginning when he first showed his sorry tail feathers in our neighborhood. He's the most evil non-Saurian person I can think of...oh, don't give me any of that 'You're just jealous' crap, because I'm not. I am not jealous of Canard Thunderbeak nor will I ever be! How could I be jealous of a guy who judges people at their first meeting and hates them forever because they are a few years younger? How can I be jealous of a guy who has next to no control over his temper and hits people without a thought? How can I be jealous of a guy who despises anyone slightly different from himself? How could I? Tell me that, Wing. How could I? Anyone who would ever be jealous of that sorry two-faced son of a you-know-what should be taken into an open field and shot. He has done nothing that anyone should envy. AND HE IS NO HERO!"

Wildwing was dumbfounded. Nosedive out of breath and on the verge of tears. When Wildwing regained his speech ability, he walked up to touch Nosedive's arm.

"Get away from me," the younger Duck said hoarsely.

Wildwing was hurt. "Dive…"

"Just leave me alone." Dive's voice was cracking.

The two stood in silence for a few minutes. All that could be heard was Nosedive sniffing, trying to hold back tears. A gentle breeze blew past the two, playing with their hair. But they didn't move.

Finally Nosedive peeked over his shoulder. His eyes were red and puffy. Obviously he had torn open some tender wounds that had never quite healed over.

Wildwing's face was soft and caring, and equally hurt. Nosedive could read the guilt and sympathy on it like a book. But neither moved.

A few more silent minutes passed by. Nosedive slowly turned around and Wildwing opened his arms for his brother. Nosedive dug his face into Wilding's shoulder and Wildwing in returned hugged him.

"It's ok, Dive…it's ok…" he said softly.

"Was does he hate me so much?" Nosedive asked weakly.

"Oh, I don't think he hates you…"

"Yes he does!" shouted Nosedive. "He's always saying stuff to me like, 'Go do something useful for once,' or 'Get off your lazy butt, or 'Go play with kids your own age.' He never says anything nice to be. He never says anything positive about me! Wing, he wanted to leave me behind!"

"Dive, you know I would never allow that…"

"But he still wanted me to stay! We'd known each other for how many years? And he wanted to leave me behind in that awful hell!" Nosedive was getting hysterical again. "And then he made me stay behind in the Aerowing when you guys stormed Dragonnus's tower. You even agreed with him!" Nosedive stopped talking. Wildwing sat him down on a log and plopped down next to him.

"He wanted to leave me behind…" he repeated softly. Wildwing stayed silent. "I can't believe he was so harsh…to actually suggest keeping someone there…he's so evil."

"Dive…" started Wildwing, "You've mentioned a couple times about situations where Canard became…violent…" Nosedive looked at the ground. "Could you explain what you meant?"

"I dunno…one day after practice we were arguing and it kinda escalated. It's nothing really."

"How did it escalate?"

"Well, we were shouting at each other, and he was really, really mad, and I kinda provoked him, and he hit me accidentally…" Wildwing said nothing. "I don't think he meant to, he was really ashamed…and I didn't want you to freak so I said I ran into the goalie net. Nothin' major."

Wildwing shook his head sadly.

"But that's not important. It happened ages ago…"

"Dive, it is to important. Why didn't you ever tell me you two got along so poorly?" Wildwing asked.

"Well, you liked Canard so much, I couldn't burst your bubble. I mean, he is your best friend an' all…I'm just your brother…it's funny. Earlier today I got a free Tarot reading from a crazy lady in this weird shop. She kinda sorted it all out for me."

"She did?"

"Yea. She says there was jealousy involved, along with betrayal…."

"Oh Nosedive…" Wildwing sighed.

"Ok, yes I realize that Tarot reading is kinda crazy…"

"No!" Wildwing interrupted. "It's not that. Dive…are you jealous of Canard?"

Nosedive said nothing.

He thinks I favor Canard over him…he feels like I've betrayed him…Wildwing thought to himself. Oh stars…this can't be good.

"Dive, you have to know something." Nosedive looked up. "Don't feel like you have to compete with Canard for anything from me. It's not like you're only second best or anything. It's never been that way. It never will. I'm sorry if you think that way, but it's not true."

Nosedive looked up at his brother.

"Dive, there's something else. I know I've always said that Canard was my best friend?" Dive nodded. "Well, he's not. You've always been my best friend, Dive. You know that."

"I have?"

"Duh! You're the one who was my bunk-mate at the orphanage for five years! You were with me through all of the foster homes, all of the orphanages, all the children's centers. It was you and me. For sixteen years it's been you and me. Just us. Don't tell me you've forgotten that!" Wildwing said. Nosedive shrugged.

"You're my baby brother, Dive. It's always been you and me, and it always will be. Stars, I know how worried I am about Puckworld now and how it's doing…I don't even wanna know the mess I'd be knowing you were up there, too. It was bad enough those months when you were at the mines. It was the only time we were apart…well, except for that time with the von Paddlesons, that was hard, too. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, with all we've been through, you're more than just a kid to me. You're my best friend, bunk-mate, hockey-buddy, companion, and defender from loneliness." He put his arm over Nosedive's shoulder. "You're my brother, Dive. You're my friend."

They both had to fight to hold back tears. "Cool…" was all Nosedive managed to say.

"Yea, it is cool…" said Wildwing. He messed up Dive's hair. "So are we cool now?" he asked.

"Yea, I guess," said Dive.

"All  right then." Wildwing stood up and offered a hand to his brother. "Now, I know things have to change. We'll work all that out when we get home. Now, from now on you tell me if there is anything else that's weird between you and Canard, k? I don't wanna see you two at each other's throats again."

"Deal," said Nosedive.

"Let's go." The two started towards the Pond.

A woman stepped into the stadium. The overhead lights reflected the silver streaks growing in her hair. She muttered something to herself in a different language and walked over to the rail.

The Mighty Ducks were in the middle of a practice. They were standing in the middle of the ice discussing something. One was talking about a possible strategy and the others nodded. They took their positions on the ice.

The woman walked down the stairs until she was on the floor level. She shook her head sadly when the man in the seats screamed into his cell phone. He began ranting and raving. She muttered something again.

She stood at the boards and watched.

"Good shot, Dive!" said Wildwing, picking the puck out of the net.

"Of course it was, bro," said Nosedive with a huge smile on his face. He happened to see the woman out of the corner of his eye.

"Madam Silvern!" he called out. The other Ducks turned around to see what the teen was talking about. Dive skated over to the boards.

"Sa tattered hearts are mending semselves," she spoke with a smile. "I sought as much."

"Yea, well, things are getting better…" Nosedive said with a smirk.

"Excuse me, ma'am," said Wildwing, skating up. "Can we help you?" The other Ducks joined them.

"I don't need help," she stated simply. "I just needed to take care of some business." One of her eyebrows raised. Her eyes ran from Duck to Duck. "Anyvay…I just vanted to sank you again, Nose-Dife. And give you sis…" She pulled a cord from around her neck. It was a stone on a charm. "Sis is yours. Take it."

"No thanks. You don't need to give me anything. I told you…"

"HUSH!" Dive hushed. The Ducks jumped.

"Take sis charm. It vill be of use to you I sink." Nosedive took the necklace. "Sat is all I needed to do here. Goodbye, young von. Until ve meet again."

"Thanks, Madam Silvern. Thanks a lot."

She nodded and smiled. She turned around and walked out of the stadium. "Come Mirsha! Ve go now!"

"Ok, somebody tell me what that was all about?" said Mallory. "Who was she?"

"A friend…" Nosedive said, closing his fist around the charm. His eyes stayed on the woman until she and the girl were out of sight. "A friend."