It is done; the final chapter to this sad, twisted story. Again, be warned, for the end contains some graphic violence, which might make the more squeamish among you a little uneasy. Still, it is a necessity to understand the thoughts behind our favourite hero/ines' scheme. Item, enough stalling and on with the last installment.
Enjoy, and don't forget to R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own one single bit in this except for the plot. All rights are Tad Jones and Disney, without any financial profit whatsoever
Warnings: PG-13 for some graphic details and character death
Summary: A scheme by the Fearsome Five leads to a tragic loss, which affects the entire Darkwing family. How will they cope?
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Beryllium Flowers
Vll The light beyond the dark
Bushroot gasped, then sucked in lungs full of air. Tossing away the remains of the plastic bag he had been wrapped in, he let his gaze roam the scenery.
Emptiness.
A vast expanse of brownish green grass and some lonely scattered shrubs greeted him. A solitary hut, that stood a few meters to his right, and was adorned with a battery of solar cells and a tiny excuse of a chimney, just helped to accent the loneliness of the dry-lands. Beyond that desert, line upon line upon line of snow-capped mountains loomed into the ash-grey sky; encasing the entire plateau.
Soft steps alarmed Bushroot; as he turned his head to the left, he saw Morgana approaching. He swallowed his gasp, but couldn't stop the rustling of his shivering leafs.
"Welcome to your new home, Doctor Bushroot. Please do make yourself comfortable, for you are going to be here for a very long time."
Wary, the duck-turned-plant eyed his captor.
"Comfortable? Where, here? There's nothing here", he stated, his arm including the dreary scenery.
Morgana gave a smile, just a hint broader than a razor's edge.
"Which is precisely the point why we brought you here. Your task will be, to reforest the entire plateau. Once you're done, you're free to return back to St. Canard."
Bushroot's eyes had widened to almost three times their size, his beak moving soundlessly. With an elegant gesture Morgana pointed to some sacks a few feet away from where they stood near the shack.
"You will receive every week a load of mulch or fertilizers. We have already prepared the seeds and saplings. Don't be worried, though, we made certain that they're all plants native to the area and capable of surviving the harsh weather conditions."
By now, Bushroot was bristling with rage. Glaring at the mage, he bit;
"What's to stop me from -ack!"
A single flick of her pinky and Bushroot found himself encased in Saran wrap. Squirming, fighting against the bonds, he growled,
"What-unh! -what's to stop me to-urgh-just make my -way through the..mountains, once-nnggh! you turn your back?"
This time, Morgana's smile was truly devious.
"Go ahead, be my guest. There is but one single pass leading to this plateau, which nine out of twelve months is buried beneath concrete snow and ice. But if you think your metabolism is capable of handling ice rain, blizzards and temperatures way below 25 degrees minus, go ahead. I'm certain, the sun will thaw you up in summer."
Bushroot thought about this for a moment, then let his sky-blue eyes fall on the mage.
"It's surrounded by a magic circle, isn't it?"
Morgana merely smirked.
Bushroot hung his head in defeat.
"Fine, I'll..I'll do it. It's not as if I had a choice, is it?"
This time, Morgana's smile held a small amount of warmth. Patting his shoulder, she replied,
"Don't worry, Doctor Bushroot; considering your powers and knowledge, I'm sure you will have finished your task within two or three years. Oh, and just for your comfort..." she snapped her fingers and a large, plastic-wrapped bundle of undefined shape appeared next to the hut. A flicker of a digit, and the wrappings came off to reveal-
"Spike! Oh, my dear, dear Spike! How much I missed you!" exclaimed the scientist, as he patted and embraced the dog-like Venus Fly trap. Morgana watched the reunion, then turned around.
"I will leave you to your work now," the witch spoke over her shoulder. Out of nowhere, a helicopter appeared in the sky. Even as Bushroot gazed at the vehicle, Morgana stepped into a cabin that had not been there seconds ago. Facing him anew, she let a twisted smile mar her exquisite features.
"You might want to get to work now. Winter will be here soon."
Bushroot watched the magic cabin elevate, until it disappeared inside the waiting chopper.
Epilogue
It was more of a croak than a cry.
Still, it carried enough pain to make one's skin crawl.
At least it left Quiverwing with goosebumps.
Swiftly moving across the main hall, the heroine crossed the bulk of the secret hideout to the hidden vault beneath Darkwing's beloved paravent.
Once the door was secured, Quiverwing turned to where Morgana stood before a slab.
An occupied slab.
A slab carrying a rather familiar figure bound securely to its frame.
Negaduck braced himself, but couldn't help the whimper that wedged itself past his clenched teeth, as the mage cut into his exposed chest, pulling off an inch-long piece of skin and feathers from his body.
Immediately, Morgana cast an instant healing spell, which closed the wound and restored the missing tissue.
Quiverwing cringed, as she moved closer, removing her grey hat and cape.
"You really are enjoying this, aren't you, mom?" she asked timidly, not daring to look too close at what the beautiful sorceress did to their arch-nemesis.
Morgana smiled.
"Immensely", she purred, even as she ripped a handful of plumage from Negaduck's naked belly.
This time, the nemesis howled, as loud as his strained voice would allow him to.
Again, the mending chant caused new feathers to sprout in the removed ones' place.
"After all, if it hadn't been for him, all of this wouldn't have happened and we would still be a happy family."
Quiverwing made an agreeing noise, as she took off her gloves and set them next to her neatly folded purple cape.
"Dr. Bellum told me to lower the dosage of my supplements. Even she was surprised, how well my body adjusted to dad's implants."
Morgana nodded, as she mused, which part of her prisoner to attack next.
"Indeed, Dr. Bellum did perform a miracle on you. Though, considering that she tried the treatment on herself first, it's not that surprising. Yet," the mage glanced lovingly at Quiverwing's enlarged beak and strong chin, "the resemblance is uncanny."
The younger woman smirked.
"Not to mention, I inherited several of dad's abilities and character traits."
"Minus the ego", they chorused, then chuckled.
Negaduck, watching the conversation from his prostate position, sobbed in despair, as he realized, that he would be spending the rest of his life imprisoned in perpetual agony, since there was no way the two women would let him free, now that he knew their secret.
His wail drew the mage's attention, as she let one finger roam slightly above his abused form, then asked,
"Would you like to give it a try?"
Quiverwing shook her head vividly.
"No-no thanks, I'm really not into that kind of -torture", she admitted.
Morgana smiled.
"You're really taking after your father" she said.
The she tore another strip of skin off of Negaduck's shin.
finis
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And thus ends this little story. I hope you enjoyed it, despite its bumps and flaws, and will return for my other stories. Take care, have fun and remember to enjoy life.
Felidae
