"Come on dudes, let's go," urged Dive, running ahead of the others as they neared the mall.
"Hold up kid, what's the rush?" asked Duke.
"Kristy said there's an awesome comic store."
"We'd be there by now if they hadn't taken the migrator," grumbled Canard, "Mallory could've at least told us they took it."
"The fresh air is good for us," commented Grin, "and it's not a long walk."
"Dive's found the girls," announced Wildwing, looking ahead, "and it looks like they had fun shopping."
"What the-" Canard saw Nosedive run up to a familiar teenaged duck girl. She was wearing oversized tan cargo pants and a very small blue tank top. It hugged tightly to her chest and ended well above her bellybutton. Her hair was confined in a predictable high pony tail and the ends brushed just below her shoulders. There was no mistake, that was Kristy, and Canard knew who to blame. "Mallory!"
The red-head rolled her eyes and answered Canard's summons. "What? She's fine, we weren't attacked..."
"What's my sister wearing? I thought you got the message after you helped dress her yesterday. She needs real clothes!"
"She is wearing 'real clothes' and she looks good. Besides, I didn't pick out that outfit."
"You're trying to tell me that she pick those out?"
"Uh Canard," Tanya stepped forward, "I picked that outfit out for her. I thought it looked cute on Kristy."
"It dose look really good," added Dive, earning him a deadly glare Canard.
Kristy elbowed him. "Might wanna stay out'a it." She blushed, "You really think it looks good?"
"Totally. So where's this comic shop you were talking about?"
Canard was about to object when Wildwing pulled him aside. "Just let it go. It you keep objecting it'll just encourage her."
"But she looks like-"
"A teenager," finished Wildwing, "let's take them to Captain Comics. One look at Mookie and you'll feel way better."
Canard grimaced, thinking of Dive's human friend. "You're right Wing. Let's go."
"Finally! Can we go now?" asked Kristy, tapping her foot impatiently.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
"Yo Dive dude, I thought you were done for!" exclaimed Thrash, seeing Nosedive and Kristy burst through the door.
"What? Do I know you?" asked Dive, looking the human over carefully.
"Dude, Kristy, what's up with him?" asked Mookie.
"Huh?"
"They've got amnesia," explained Wildwing, following the teens into Captain Comics, "and they don't remember anything."
"Whoa, tough one dude," said Thrash, "and I'm Thrash by the way, your numero uno buddy."
"Coola!" Dive shook his hand. "And you get to work here?"
"Exactamundo bro, me 'n Mook like totally run the place."
"Yeah, I'm Mookie by the way." She shook hands with Kristy.
"You have awesome hair," commented Kristy.
Mookie grinned, "You said that last night, T."
"Oh..."
"So, Thrash my man, what're my fav comics?" asked Dive, getting down to the serious business.
"Right here dude." Thrash reached down behind the counter and brought out a huge stack. "These are the ones you ordered last week."
"Awesome!" The two guys proceeded to page through Dive's purchases, Thrash pointed out important parts.
"So what're your favorite comics, Kristy?" asked Mookie, "I just met you last night and we didn't get a lot of time to talk."
"I'm not sure, what do you think's good?" Mookie led her farther back in the shop, in search of the best comice.
"That went well," commented Duke dryly.
"So what do the rest of us do?" asked Canard.
"Don't worry, we'll leave soon," assured Wildwing.
"Yeah, I'll wait outside," said Mallory, joining Grin and Tanya out on the sidewalk.
"Hey Canard, can I borrow like ten dollars?" asked Kristy, walking back to the counter with Mookie.
"Kriss, you don't need that many comic books," argued her brother.
"It's not for comic books."
Canard sighed and reached for his wallet, but Duke stopped him. "Hey Kristy, what do you need the money for?" asked the suspicious ex-thief.
"Um, some...stuff that Mookie suggested." She fumbled with the bag that Mookie placed on the counter.
"What's in the bag Kristina?" Canard stepped up to the counter and reached into the bag, pulling out a tube of dark blue hair dye.
"Come on Canard, it would look cool," argued Kristy.
"No. N. O. You're not having blue hair!"
"Okay, I think it's time to get going," said Wildwing.
"Ah Wing, do we have to leave?" whined Dive.
"Let's go." Wildwing steered Dive, and his stack of comic books, out the door.
"Now Kristy," ordered Canard, handing the hair dye back to Mookie and escorting his sister out the door.
"Ah man, you're so not fun," whined Kristy. Once outside she shoot Duke a look that could kill.
"Don't blame me!" he argued, holding up his hands in defeat.
"What did you do?" accused Mallory.
"He stopped Canard from letting me buy this monster cool hair dye," explained Kristy.
"She wanted to dye her hair blue!" exclaimed Canard in his and Duke's defense.
"I think blue would look good on you Kristy," said Tanya thoughtfully, "it would accent your eyes and brighten your face."
"You're not helping," informed Canard.
"Tough break Kriss," said Dive, patting her shoulder.
"Maybe this would be a good time to get some lunch," suggested Grin, trying to stop the argument.
Kristy and Dive lagged back, behind the adults. "He is such a bummer!" she complained.
"I kind'a got that idea," replied Dive, flashing her a sympathetic smile.
Kristy stared ahead, at Canard's receding back. It's like I'm an annoyance that he just tolerates, she thought, like it's something he has to do. Kristy thought she'd been getting closer to him, but then she did something and Canard would get all bossy, like a control freak. Or he could just be way too overprotective, she countered herself, Wildwing acts almost the same way about Dive, but it's obvious he dose it out of love...I'm not sure what Canard's motives are.
"Woo-hoo, Kristy, you there?" Dive waved his hand in front of her face.
"Wha- Yeah, what?"
"You just had this weird look on your face."
"I was just thinking," said Kristy defensively.
"Sooorry..." Dive stretched out the word. "What's up?"
"It's nothing dude, I'm just...you seem to trust them all, but I'm not sure..."
"Kriss, you had one itsy-bitsy little argument with Canard, it's totally natural," assured Dive, holding up his thumb and forefinger to demonstrate the insignificant size, "I don't think we have anything to worry about."
Kristy smiled sheepishly. "You're right...teenage moods I guess." Her eyes took on a mischievous twinkle. "So, when are you gonna teach me how to play hockey?"
Dive's answer was interrupted by a large explosion in the middle of the street, causing them to drop down on their stomachs.
"What was that?" yelled Kristy over the panicked screams.
"No clue!" shouted Dive, shaking the dirt out of his hair.
"Kristy! Nosedive!" The other ducks had morphed into their battle gear and were running over to help the teens.
"You two okay?" asked Wildwing.
"Yeah, I think so," replied Kristy, she took Canard's hand and let him pull her to her feet. Dive took Wing's hand, but couldn't say a word. Wing's face was covered by the mask of Ducaine, and the eyes were glowing red. He hadn't been wearing the mask much lately, and Dive wasn't used to it. The glow softened when he noticed Dive's stare.
"It's still me bro," assured Wing softly.
"Where'd that blast come from?" asked Mallory, scanning the area.
"Over there!" exclaimed Duke, pointing with his sword at the Saurians standing across the street.
Dragonus spotted the ducks and smiled, showing rows of razor sharp teeth. "Attack!" he ordered. Siege and Chameleon obeyed, along with a small army of drones that suddenly appeared behind Dragonus.
The ducks leaped into battle, all but Wildwing and Canard. They were torn between their duties to the team and to protect Dive and Kristy.
"You two take cover," commanded Canard, seeing that the others needed their help. He steered them at a nearby alleyway and ran to join the fight.
"Stay here and stay low," added Wildwing, following Canard. Kristy and Dive obeyed without comment. They ducked behind a pile of crates near the entrance where they could still watch the battle. Kristy had to hold Dive back when a laser blast slammed into Wildwing's chest, but luckily he was protected by his armor and jumped right back up. Then it was Dive's turn to hold Kristy back when Siege threw Mallory into a wall, stunning her.
"But I can help her," argued Kristy, pulling against Dive's hand on her arm.
"Mal's fine Kriss, look, she's getting up." It was true, Mallory pulled herself up stiffly and proceeded to fire her puck bazooka at a hoard of drones, destroying them. Pieces of debris flew all over. Dive and Kristy ran further into the alley to avoid the falling metal. Kristy was a step behind when she looked behind to check their rear and crashed into Dive. He'd stopped suddenly when an aged blue lizard appeared in front of him.
"AH!" Dive back peddled, almost knocking over Kristy, and ran straight into a blue force field that was suddenly blocking their escape.
"What the?" Kristy pounded on the force field and found it was very solid.
"Hello children," said a low, ominous voice. Dive and Kristy whirled around to face the Saurian sorcerer.
"W-Who are you?" asked Kristy.
"I am called Wraith," replied the stranger, "and I am your friend, Kristina."
"Oh yeah...Well what do you want?" demanded Dive, stepping in front of Kristy protectively. He didn't like the idea of this creepy lizard being on a first name basis with her.
"You should not fear me Nosedive," said Wraith, "I am here to save you."
"Then why're those other lizards attacking our friends?" asked Dive.
"They are fighting to free you," explained Wraith, "after you lost your memories we were too late and those ducks beat us to you. We've just been waiting for the chance to rescue you."
"So you're saying we're supposed to trust you, a lizard, and not the ducks, who look like us?" asked Kristy skeptically.
"Those ducks are the traitors, who want to annihilate my species," said Wraith, "you, along with me and my comrades, are part of the resistance. We're fighting for the right to coexist peacefully."
"If you're on our side then why did you trap us in here?" asked Dive.
"I simply wanted a chance to talk to you," said Wraith. "I feared that the ducks had poisoned your minds and you wouldn't trust me. Now, we must escape while we can."
"I'm not sure..." Kristy didn't know who to trust, and that moment of uncertainty allowed Wraith's spell to take hold.
The sorcerer smiled. "Now, you must steal the mask of Ducaine," he ordered. Kristy nodded in agreement.
"Hey Kristy, snap out of it!" yealled Dive, seeing her eyes glaze over. "You can't seriously believe him!"
Kristy shook her head, trying to clear her confused mind.
"Shut up boy!" commended Wraith, sending a tentacle of power to encircle Dive, silencing him. The boy had broken through his spell and was getting his memories back, he was useless. "And you Kristina, you will obey me." Wraith put all the power at his disposal to breaking her shifting will.
"NO!" Kristy fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands. Her memories were waging a war of emotions. I have to believe Wraith....But Canard is my brother...Who's telling the truth?...What is the truth?
"Kriss..." gasped Dive, "...Help..." Kristy watched in horror as Wraith used his magic to life Dive up by his throat, choking the duck.
"Obey me or he dies," threatened Wraith.
"No..." He was going to hurt Dive, Wraith wasn't her friend. Nosedive, he was her friend, he believed Canard and Wildwing and others. Dive trusted the ducks...and she trusted Dive!
Something snapped in Kristy's head, and suddenly she remembered! She remembered everything. Sneaking out...The accident...Her brother Canard...her friend Dive...the rest of the ducks, her team mates...the evil Saurians, they were the enemy...Arriving on Earth...the invasion...her family... her friends...back home on Puckworld.
"Let him go you Saurian scum!" Kristy faced him with clenched fists, ready to fight,with or without a weapon.
Wraith frowned and shook his head. "A pity. I'd hoped to do this the easy way."
"Kristy!"
"Nosedive! Where are you?" Canard and Wildwing's voices echoed through the alley.
"Canard! Help! We're over here!" shouted Kristy.
"Foolish girl!" Wraith used his magic to throw Dive at her, knocking them both into a wall and onto the ground."Now you will both die!"
"No!" Wildwing fired at the force field but the puck had no effect, it just ricocheted back at the ducks, forcing them to, ironically, duck.
"Let them go," yelled Canard Grin slammed into the force field and had the same effect as the puck, he just bounced off.
Tanya searched the area, looking for the force field's transmitter. "There!" she exclaimed, pointing at the device attached to the top corner of the alley wall.
Duke shot out his grappling hook and pulled himself up as Wraith confidnetly charged up a fire ball in his hand. Duke reached the top and flung himself over the blue wall, using his sword to slice the transmitter in half as he dropped to the ground on the other side.
The instant the force field was down the rest of the ducks shot a barrage of pucks at Wraith just as he released the fire ball, sending it off to the left. Unfortunately, when Wraith threw the ball Dive and Kristy pushed off each other, using their momentum to jump away from the Saurian's target. Kristy went to the right and Dive leaped to the left, right into the redirected fireball! He fell to the ground, clutching his burnt arm to his chest.
"Nosedive!" Kristy ran straight to her injured friend, and Wildwing wasn't far behind her. Wraith took his chance to escape and quickly teleported away.
"Dive, let me see your arm," demanded Kristy, gently pulling it away from his chest.
"Oh Nosedive..." Wildwing stepped around where Kristy was kneeling to cradle Dive's head in his lap.
"OW! Wing bro, it REALLY HURTS!" Dive cringed as Kristy rotated his arm.
"I'm sorry, but I need to see how bad the burns are."
"Here Kristy, use these," directed Tanya, handing her a roll of bandages.
"Thanks." Kristy let Tanya hold Dive's arm while she carefully wrapped the bandages around over the burns.
"Hey Kristy, you do know she's gonna make you the new team medic," warned Mallory.
Kristy rolled her eyes, but still stayed concentrated on her task. "I know, I should've told you before, but you guys never needed me and I figured Tanya could handle it." She expertly tied off the end of the bandage. "I just wanted to be like a normal kid for once and I didn't want to remember mom..."
"It's totally fine," assured Tanya, "but you've been warned and as of tomorrow you're my new assistant in the infirmary.
"Can I look yet?" inquired Dive, his eyes were squeezed shut.
"Yeah, I'm done." Kristy sighed and felt the adrenaline rushing out of her.
"Kristy, you alright?" Canard was at her side in an instant, steadying her with an arm around her shoulders.
"Yeah..." Kristy leaned back to nuzzle his beak with hers. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you Canard."
Her brother was speechless. "Y-You got your memory back?"
"Yep. Something happened when Wraith ordered me to obey him and steal the mask. It was like I wanted to believe you guys, but something was telling me to go with him. Then he threatened Dive and it felt like something just snapped. Suddenly I could remember everything."
"So it was magic," said Tanya thoughtfully, "that's what you felt, the spell breaking."
"Whew, now things can get back to normal," commented Duke.
"Who wants to be normal?" asked Dive.
"Yeah, normal is totally over-rated," added Kristy with a smile.
THE END!
Thanks to everyone for reading! Especially Saphire Cate and Angel for their great reviews. If anyone has any ideas for stories, characters, pairings, plots, etc. feel free to let me know, I'm always looking for fun new ideas!