Haha! I bet you didn't think you would get an update so soon after the last one! But I am gonna finish this story this year, I swear. Put your life jackets on, things are going to get rough.
Donald turned and faced the only family he hadn't let go of, and he was met with familiar anguish.
"No," Louie said immediately.
"Louie-" Donald started.
"No, no, no! You can't expect us to let go of you, we just got you back. There has to be another way. We'll find it! Mom and I can see the angles, we'll save you!"
Donald felt the pull of drowning and he saw in his family's eyes they felt it too.
"Louie I wish it were that simple-"
"I don't need it to be simple! I need you to be safe! If we let go we'll never see you again and that can't be the only solution. Please. I'll do whatever it takes."
Donald fell to his knees and pulled Louie into his arms.
"Louie… I love you so much. And I want to face the unknown with you but there is nothing else you can do. You have to rejoin the land of the living. You all have to rejoin the land of the living. And so you have to let go."
"No, no, I won't, I can't…" Louie looked at Della and Dewey. "You have to help me save him!"
Tears were streaming down Dewey's eyes as he reached out to Louie.
"Louie, we can't… We can't rewrite history. I don't want this either, but we can't stay here and he can't leave."
"Then go! I'm not leaving him here." Louie's body began to shudder with coughs.
Della rushed forward and grabbed her son and Dewey stood, paralyzed with fear, images of his brother drowning in the spirit world filling his head.
"Donald," Della said, sounding desperate, "help us."
Donald shook his head.
"I can only meet you halfway, Della. I can say goodbye, but you each have to let go."
"Louie, baby, I know you're scared, I'm scared too, but we have to say goodbye. There are people counting on us to make it back to them," Della said.
Louie shuddered and wept.
Dewey stepped forward, reaching out for Donald.
"Uncle Donald, I love you. I'm going to miss you every day. I'll do my best for the others to uphold your legacy."
Donald hugged Dewey as Dewey began to disappear from the spirit world, "I love you too, my boy. I am so proud of you. Keep being yourself and I know my legacy will be just fine."
Then it was just Della, Donald, and Louie.
"I can't let go until Louie let goes," Della said, "I'm not going to leave him here."
Her legs were sinking, the drowning was having an effect on her too.
Donald grabbed her arm.
"Please, Della. You've always been the braver twin, the stronger twin, you can do this. I can help Louie but first, you have got to let go "
Della laughed through a sob, "You idiot, you're the stronger twin. You lost me once and you learned to keep living. I don't know how to go on without you."
"It'll be hard, it'll take time, but you'll have something I didn't have, you'll have a whole family who knows what you're going through and wants to be there for you."
Della nodded.
"I love you. I'm going to keep living for you, for them. Please help him."
Louie sobbed as Della passed him into Donald's arms and began to disappear.
"I will. I promise. I love you too."
And then it was just the two of them.
"Louie, I don't think we have much time left, so I need you to listen to me. I know you feel the pull of the spirit world and the water in your lungs. You can't stay here with me or you're going to die." Donald couldn't mince words, but the look of fear on his nephew's face caused his heart to break.
"I don't want to die!" Louie yelped, clinging to Donald.
"I know, Lou, I know, I promise you won't. Not today anyway. It's going to be okay, kiddo."
"I don't want you to die," Louie said, as Donald ran his hands through Louie's hair.
"We can't change the past, Louie, but we can change the future. You're going to grow up and do amazing things. I have lived my life. I consider myself lucky to have seen you and your brothers grow up into the young men you are now. The only thing that could make me happier is knowing that you'll keep living, please, Louie. Let go. Let go for me, for your siblings, for your mom and Uncle Scrooge. Please."
Louie let out a heart-wrenching wail, clenching Donald's shirt in his hands.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Donald, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I love you." And then, slowly, he let go of his uncle and, looking towards his family on the other side, began to disappear.
And then Donald was completely alone, and the waves overcame him once more. But he didn't feel the water in his lungs. Knowing that his family was okay, Donald found peace in drowning.