Disclaimer: Disney owns all aspects of the Mighty Ducks, as they always will. Sadly.
Author's Note: I'm still trying to write longer chapters. I think I'm getting better. Please excuse me for making you all wait for so long. I hope to be back soon with another COMPLETED story. GOD BLESS!
Chapter 7-Finally Free
Canard was right. As Nosedive and Wildwing observed, the strange ray of hope was indeed filtering through a small hole no more than ten feet above their heads. However, the only way to reach the hole was by climbing up a slope that looked suspiciously slippery.
"Uh Canard? Do you think we'll be able to reach that?" Wing asked.
"Yeah, wouldn't we fall or something?" piped in Dive.
"Naw. Look, I'll climb up first, as usual, and make hand and footholds in the wall for you guys with my flashlight. That way, it'll be easy for all of us to get out."
Once more, Wing and Dive looked at each other uneasily. Canard's plans always seemed to have the habit of sounding crazy at first, but then working out once they actually put them into motion.
"All right Canard," said Wing, "You haven't let us down yet."
"And I won't be starting now, just you watch me." With that, Canard turned and faced the wall.
Amazed, the brothers watched as Canard carefully picked his way up the side of the ice cave, taking care to dig out plenty of holes to grip the wall with as he went. Soon, he had reached the light and peered out.
"Canard, can you see anything?" called Wing.
"Not really. The hole is too small for me or you to crawl through, so Dive'll have to come up here and help break it open some more from the other side."
"What? Why do I have to climb all the way up there? I could get hurt," whined Dive.
"Because, squirt," taunted Canard, "You're the only one here small enough to fit through this hole. If you crawl through, you could help me make bigger from the other side. And then your brother and I could get through and we can escape this freezing hole in the ground. All right?"
"Ah, do I have to Wing?"
"Well, we'll all have to crawl through sooner of later to get out. Besides, I'm sure you want to hurry up and get back home right?"
"I guess so."
"Well, the sooner we get through that hole, the sooner we can go home."
"Ok, I 'spose I'll do it."
"Now that's my little brother." Canard watched as Wing helped Dive grab the first handhold and then as the seven-year-old began to climb ever so delicately.
Wing knew Dive was scared, but he tried to keep him calm by rallying him on. "That's it Dive! Just keep going and don't look down!"
Dive tried to heed his brother's warning to not look down as he rose higher and higher off of the ice cave floor. "Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look down," he whispered repeatedly to himself. Soon, he felt Canard's grip, as he was pulled up next to him.
"All right kid. You made it," said Canard, "And here I thought it would take a miracle to get you up here."
"I did it, didn't I?" exclaimed Nosedive, "Hey look Wildwing! I made it!"
"That's awesome Dive! You're doing a great job!" answered the lone duck on the ground.
"Ok, ok, enough celebrating," snapped Canard, "We're not out of this stupid cave yet. You still have to crawl through and help me make this big enough for Wing an' me."
Dive stared at the hole and gulped. "You mean I got to fit through that tiny hole?"
"Yes, pipsqueak. Now get going! My hands are starting to freeze here."
"But what if I get stuck or fall through?"
"You won't get stuck or fall through. It's just a hole."
"Well…"
"What's going on up there?" yelled Wing.
"Nothing. Except that your brother's having second thoughts about crawling through this hole and, in turn, denying us our freedom."
"I am not."
"Oh don't be so dramatic Canard. Besides, what do you mean 'second thoughts'?"
"Just that I think he's too scared to go through."
"'Scared?' You don't have to be afraid Dive. It will be all right. Everything's going to be just fine. You'll see."
Nosedive, though still uneasy, began to feel more confident after hearing Wing's encouraging words.
"See, even your brother says everything will be fine," said Canard, "And you trust your only brother, right?"
Nosedive nodded his head.
"Well then, what are you waiting for-an introduction? Hurry up and get through that hole. Or are you too chicken to go through?"
"I am not a chicken! I'm a duck!" replied Nosedive. With that, he gathered some last minute strength and forced his way into the hole.
"That's it. Come on." Canard pushed as hard as he could against Nosedive to try and push the blond duck through the hole.
"I can't get through!" yelled Dive. He had his eyes squeezed shut. "I'm stuck!"
"Oh no you're not!" screamed Canard, "I've come too far to have you ruin my only chances of escaping. And I certainly won't be stuck down here forever with the likes of you!" The older mallard gave one last great push.
With a rather loud pop, Dive went hurling forward, taking much of the outer portion of the hole with him, and went careening down a completely ice covered tunnel, much like the one that had sent the three into the ice cave in the first place.
"I told you!" yelled the little duck. By now, however, Dive had already disappeared down the lit tunnel.
"Nosedive? Nosedive!" Knowing something obviously went wrong, Wildwing quickly leapt on to the ice cave wall and scrambled up the side. "Canard, go through the hole!"
"What?! Are you mad? You heard what happened. Dive just vanished. I don't want to disappear too."
"We have to catch up with him before it's too late, now go!" He shoved his best friend through the hole and then jumped through it himself. Soon, all three of them were slipping and sliding down the ice slide.
As Nosedive went tumbling through, he couldn't help but feel a strange sensation of deja-vu rather than fear. "This is exactly how everything started!" he yelled, "With me sliding down into the unknown!" Suddenly, he could feel himself beginning to slide upwards, as the light grew stronger and stronger, until…
He burst out of the ice tunnel and was once more falling through the air. "Not again!"
But this time, instead of the hard thwack on the ground, which he was expecting, he landed in a soft patch of snow. "Oof!" He popped his little blond head out of the snow drift, only to see Canard and Wildwing come soaring out of the tunnel as well. With quite a loud thump, they landed in snow bank right next to Dive. The two slowly raised their heads.
"Ow, my body. I hope I didn't break anything," moaned Wing.
"My head. Have I got one heck of a headache," sighed Canard, "Could this day have gone any worse?"
"Well, at least we got the puck back," Dive squeaked as he brandished the puck, which he still had clutched in his hand.
Just then, a big blanket of snow fell on top of them, burying them in white fluff.
"Dive, just shut up," said Canard.
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A few minutes later, three ducks staggered out of the snow and slowly lingered on home, wondering how on Puckworld they were going to explain to their parents where they had been, since they had missed both last night's dinner and the new morning's breakfast.
THE END.
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Author's Note: So, how was it? Not bad I hope. Review me and tell me what you thought of it. But please don't tell me of your disgust at me for waiting so long to finish it. I already feel bad. I'll never do it again, if I can help it. After all, the best things in life are indeed worth waiting for. GOD BLESS, like always.