Wolf: Okay everybody! This is it!
W: What's it?
D: looks over my shoulder Dis chapta is pretty good, kiddo! I think dis one's da best one you've done so far!
Nosedive: looks over my shoulder, too The Dukester's right, Wolf: this is the best chapter you wrote.
Wolf: bangs both their heads together
D&N: Ow! What was that for?
Wolf: folds hands over my chest That's for the vote of confidence, guys. You two should be cheerleaders! You'd both look cute in skirts!
W: sighs I should've seen that coming...
Wolf: Anyway, to everyone who cares enough to read this story, thanks for the reviews, it's nice to know that people are still reading it after so long!
Happy readings, and remember:
...Smile until you stop...
Chapter Twelve: And then there was 7
We'll stick together
through thick and thin.
That's the meaning,
of being a team!
We all bring out,
the best things in each other!
The secret is believing each other!
Shadow looked up just in time for the two to join them with swollen eyes. "What's going to happen now?" She asked them in a broken up tone.
Duke smiled and placed an ashy feathered hand on top of the girl's. "Don' cha worry 'bout dat, sweet'eart. We're gonna take care of ya."
Nosedive looked up at his older brother with hopeful eyes. "You're kiddin', right, bro?" He said; not believing his brother's answer.
Duke smiled proudly and knelt down before the girl, and placed his hand on Shadow's shoulder. "You won' havta worry 'bout nobody comin' afta ya no more, sweet'eart. It's gonna be alright now." He said in a fatherly tone, as he gently pulled one of Shadow's hands down from her face.
"That's if you want to stay with us, Shadow." Wildwing pointed out in a knowing tone, "You're free to choose what happens in your life now. No more Organization or Mr. Kemo coming after you. You can live a normal life... well-as normal as living with the Mighty Ducks can get." He said in a slight joking tone.
Nosedive jumped up from his place beside the girl, and pulled the girl up with him. "And to make it official, we can change your name to, "Shadow Flashblade" so you can be our sister!" He said excitedly, as he gave Shadow a fierce hug. "I get to be a big brother for a change!"
Wildwing laughed and placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder; keeping him from jumping up and down. "Whoa now, baby brother. Let's not jump the puck here. Let's take this one day at a time." He said in a friendly tone; giving his brother's shoulder a warning squeeze.
Shadow nodded, and looked down at her shoes, and sighed. "I want to stay with you guys..." She whispered in a hurting tone; not looking anyone in the eyes.
Tanya's eyes softened at the girl, and placed her hand on the girl's back. "Come on, Shadow, let's get you back to the pond and see if we can't get that collar off you." She said in a soothing tone, as she did her best to guide the girl into the Migrator.
Shadow looked down at the ground below her for a moment; not talking or looking at anyone around her.
"Ray..." She whispered in a quiet tone; a small tear falling from her eye.
Duke looked down at the girl beside him with questioning eyes. "What's da matta, Sweet'eart?" He asked in a gentle tone.
Shadow shook her head and pinched her cheek tightly; a small bruise forming in place. She looked up at Wildwing with determined eyes. "I want to stay with you guys." She said in a mind-set tone; never taking her eyes off of Wildwing.
Wildwing knew the girl was thinking about something other than living with the ducks. He in turned, tilted his head to the side, and watched the girl in front of him for a split second, before he spoke up.
"There's something else, isn't there?" He asked in serious tone, as he looked up at everyone around him and the girl.
Angel sniffed slightly and nodded. "I want to say goodbye to someone back home..." She replied in a quiet tone. "I want to say goodbye before he go back to the Pond."
Nosedive mimicked his older brother's action, and tilted his head to the side. "Why can't cha call 'em up?"
Shadow shook her head. "I can't call up Ray." She said in a hurting tone. "I want to say goodbye in person."
Everyone was quiet for a moment. What could they say to help her feel better? Not a whole lot. Everyone felt terrible about everything that's happened to the poor, unfortunate soul they all grew to love, but they also wanted to make her understand that they loved her and wanted to take care of her. (Duke and the Flashblade brothers especially).
Duke placed a hand on Shadow's head, and gave her a fatherly smile. " 'ey, if no one else wants ta come, den I'll take ya myself." He declared in a proud tone.
"Whoa, hold it right dare a minute!" Tanya cried out in protest. "I don' dink dat's such a good idea! I mean-what happens if someone tries ta-you know- activate your collar while we're down dare?"
Wildwing sighed, and folded his arms over his chest. "Tanya's got a point, Shadow," Wildwing said in a brotherly tone. "I promise we'll take you back to New Orleans as soon as Tanya finds a way to remove that collar of yours. Or at least deactivate it long enough for you to say your goodbyes." He reasoned in a gentle smile.
"Besides, we could all use a good forty winks. We DO have a game in a few hours, ya know?" Nosedive chimed in with an understanding look on his face.
Shadow looked down at her feet, and thought about what they were telling her, and looked back up at them with a sad smile. "I guess you're right... It would be nice to know that no one would try to use this stupid collar on me."
"Dat's da spirit, patch!" Nosedive cried out in a readied tone; grabbing Shadow's hand and dragging her inside the Migrator; making everyone chuckle at the youngest duck's behavior. "I'll make sure you get front row seats to the game and you get to see yours truly beat the ta-ha-hail-feathers off the Arizona Werewolves!" (Wolf: I know that's not the correct team for Arizona NHL, but I wanted to make this as original as the series was. Sorry!)
The ducks had made it just in time for the big game, and it couldn't have gone any better. Even though their opponents played dirty, and were put in the penalty box for tripping Mallory and putting Duke on the boards, Shadow saw her favorite team play with honor; just like they always played. But they played their best for this game because they now had someone to really play for. Of course, they played for their fans, but none of them came close to the little girl known as "Shadow Honda".
Nosedive had followed through on his word and got Shadow a front row seat of their game. Shadow kept her eyes trained on the ducks; cheering them on like a true fan. Duke would be found skating by her and would wave to her as he went. Shadow clapped and hollered for them until the final score for the night. The Anaheim Mighty Ducks – 3, The Arazonia Werewolves – 1. It would've been a flawless victory (3-0) had not for one of the werewolves tripped Mallory, but everyone was happy they won regardless.
The ducks were all in the locker room; changing out of their uniforms with Shadow standing beside Nosedive like a normal little girl; praising them about the good game they played.
Tanya had finished putting her gear in her locker, and turned to Shadow with a firm look in her eyes. "Alright, Shadow," she told the girl in a motherly tone; placing a firm hand on Shadow's shoulder, "let's get you down to the infirmary and take dat collar off your neck."
Shadow looked up at Tanya, and smiled. "Yeah! I get to be normal again!" She said in a happy tone; looking to see everyone else in the room smile.
Tanya nodded and guided Shadow towards the elevator with everyone in tow. ( Wolf: Grin and Mallory had been told about what happened when the rest of them got back to the pond; how they managed to win the game was beyond me.)
After a few hours of being strapped onto the medicom, Tanya had told the others that she wasn't able to take the collar off of Shadow's neck. Everyone was on edge at what they heard. What's going to happen to Shadow now? Will she still be a normal little girl like she wanted? Or will she always be the "science project"? Questions ran through everyone's head like a runaway train. They all wished that they could help her in some way, but no one knew what to do.
"Are you sure you can't take it off, Tanya?" Wildwing asked in a serious tone; making the technology expert feel guilty.
Tanya shrank away from her leader, and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Wildwing. The collar can't be removed." She said in a shameful tone; not looking him in the eye. "At least not without killing her in the process."
Wildwing sighed and ran his feathered fingers through his hair. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now." He said in a defeated tone; cutting his losses.
Mallory slammed her fist into her hand. "If only I was there! I would've made sure Mr. Kemo would've never even made it to jail!" She said angrily, as venom nearly dripped from her beak.
Tanya took a step into the circle. "Hey, I still managed to deactivate da stupid collar! It could pass as -uh- ya know, tacky fashion accessory."
Duke eyed the female in front of him with untrusting eyes. "Yeah, but will she still have 'er powas?" He asked, not believing her.
Tanya nodded. "Yeah, but as long as she keeps them in check, which is- uh- a 100% chance, she could pass as a normal human girl her age." She reasoned in an honest tone; eying the duck as though he didn't believe her.
Duke sighed and looked back at the door where Shadow was behind it; putting her shirt back on. "Oh, well, I guess she'll have to live with it, but at least da stupid collar won' work anymore, right?"
Tanya nodded in approval. "Well, it shouldn't be able to work witout dis anyway." She agreed in a triumphant tone; holding up some kind of microchip that came from inside Shadow's collar.
Wildwing nodded, and heard the door open with a soft hiss; revealing a ragged Shadow stepping out.
"Hey, patch!" Nosedive cried out in a happy-go-lucky tone; grabbing Shadow in a tight hug. "How're ya feelin'?" He asked.
Shadow winced with a sharp yelp; forcing Nosedive to let her go. "I'd feel better if I didn't feel like Grin punched me through the wall." She said in a bitter tone; rubbing her arm in sympathy. "But it's nothing compared to the things I HAVE been through." She offered everybody her bravest smile, as she tried her best to walk towards her bunk.
Tanya carefully placed a hand on Shadow's back, and pushed her back into the infirmary. "Uh-Oh, no you don't, Shadow!" She warned in a firm tone, "You're goin' back in there and you will let me dress your wounds! Uh-and don't even think about leaving that room for the rest of the night! You need to rest!"
Shadow whined, as she looked back at Duke and Wildwing for help. "But I'll feel better sleeping in my OWN bed!"
Duke chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. "Betta do what she does, sweet'eart." She said in an amused tone; watching Tanya push Shadow back into the infirmary. "She'll only make it harda on ya if ya don' do what she says."
Shadow glared playfully at Duke before Tanya closed the door behind them; shutting the others out while she continued to fix the injured girl's wounds.
It was well into the middle of the night and Shadow was resting soundly on the medical bed. Tanya kept a constant visual on her while she slept. Wildwing had told everyone to try and get some rest, and that they'll all get to see Shadow tomorrow. (With the forced guarantee that Shadow will be back to the way she was before she was ever hurt.)
Shadow had woken up only once that night and had found Tanya sleeping with her head resting on the side of bed. She tried to lift her arm up to her face, but stopped when she saw the IV for a few medicine bags stuck in her wrists; where her veins popped out the most. The sharp pain forced Shadow to leave her arms where they lay. She also felt bandages on her knuckles, wrists, and neck; covering her collar.
From the way Shadow had recalled how motherly Tanya had been acting since she saw her in the cage; yelping and howling in pain, as she collar began hurting her, she could tell that the oldest female duck had sort of become like the mother she wished she had. Now, she took the time she had and thought about what the others reminded her of...
Shadow had always thought of Mallory like an older sister and best female friend. She was the one who helped Shadow get clothes and stuff for her room. She was the only one (besides Tanya) whom she could go to if she ever had any "girl problems" and willingly accept any advice they would give.
Nosedive had always reminded Shadow a lot of Ray. They were both so goofy and wild that it sometimes scares her. It hurts when she thinks about what the Organization did to her, but it hurt even worse knowing that Ray wasn't there. It was those times that Nosedive would say or do something that would make Shadow laugh; making it feel as though Ray was still with her.
Grin had often reminded Shadow of an kind of uncle. He always watches out for the she-wolf, but didn't take it any further than that. He once taught her how to meditate and formed a slight bond, they'd occasionally be found in the training room; meditating side by side.
Wildwing was like an older brother for Shadow. He was the oldest between the two teenagers, and was always protective over his brother and Shadow. She once heard Wildwing swearing that sometimes he couldn't tell if Nosedive either had a human twin – or if he's just rubbed off on her. He always seemed to know if she had something more she'd like to say, and give her the chance by speaking to her like a brother normally does when being cornered.
She admired that trait about him. She hardly had time to think about Duke. She was very fond of him and thought very highly of him. The way he'd look while he watched her skate on their pond made her think of the father and daughter she once saw while they were at the park at the beginning of the story. (Wolf: Nosedive always speaks to the audience throughout the series, so why couldn't I?) A small part of her wishes she could've been a duck like them so he WOULD be her father.
But even if she was close to Duke, she was just as close to him as she was the Flashblade brothers. She couldn't choose between them. It was as simple as that. She was close to the whole team in some unique way, but she was closer to the thief and two brothers. Simple and Clean.
She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard the door slide open with a hiss. Shadow's head snapped towards the sound to see Duke step into the room with a gentle smile on his feathered face.
"Mornin', sweet'eart." He said in a quiet tone; not wanting to wake Tanya up and knowing she had been up most of the night. "How're ya feelin'?"
Shadow smiled faintly at Duke, and tried to lift a hand to wave at him, but hissed in pain, and quickly placed her arm back down beside her body. She shook her head and smiled up at Duke.
"I look worse than I feel. Trust me, Duke," she said in a quiet tone; hoping not to wake Tanya up, "I don't hurt NEARLY as bad as I did last night while I was stuck in that cage. Now, THAT hurt."
Duke chuckled and ruffled Shadow's hair slightly. "I'd imagine. I'd be hurtin', too if I was in your shoes."
There was a brief moment of silence between the two awake, until he broke it with a quick clearing of his throat. "I was so proud of ya last night, Shadow. I wouldn't have been so nice ta Kemo if I was in yer place. I probably wouldn't have let da cops take 'im away if I was you." He said in an amazed tone; offering her a fatherly smile, as he leaned against the wall beside her bed with his arms crossed his chest.
Shadow shook her head at the duck beside her. "You're wrong, Duke." She said in a sweet tone. "I didn't want to leave anything left of him for the police. I was filled with so much hurt and rage inside that it consumed me. I almost lost control but I'm glad something I had you and the others to pull me back in time. Otherwise, I really would have done something that I would regret."
"That's a good way of thinking, Shadow." Wildwing interrupted in a proud tone; quietly joining Duke's side beside the bed.
Shadow smirked playfully at the leader. "Well, I do have a really good teacher now." She said in a sneaky tone; causing the male half in the room to chuckle; knowing what she meant.
"So have you put any thought into what your next move is, kiddo?" Wildwing asked the question Duke wanted to ask.
Shadow's duel colored eyes came back to life, and she smiled up at Wildwing. "Well, I'd like to stay here with you guys if you don't mind." She said in a hopeful tone, "But I don't want to be "Shadow Honda" anymore. "Allyce Pendragon" died with her brother, and I've washed my hands with the Organization. I don't like being reminded of it forever." She answered in a thoughtful tone.
"Well, you can always take my last name." Wildwing offered in a friendly tone; giving her a joking smile.
Shadow laid her head down on the pillows, and thought about the new name. "... "Shadow Flashblade"... it doesn't really sound right, you know? Don't get me wrong, Wing, "Flashblade" is a really good name for you, I-mean, every part of your name fits you true to form! It just doesn't go with Shadow."
Wildwing thought about his suggestion for a few quick seconds, and gave her a blank stare. "You're right. It doesn't make sense," he said in a slightly disappointed tone; looking over to Duke for his suggestion, "does it?"
Duke shook his head, and smiled fatherly at the girl. "We don' dink Grin even has a last name, but I'm sure Mallory wouldn't mind sharing her last name wit' cha."
Shadow looked down at her knees, and thought about the name for a minute. "I don't want Mallory's name." She said in a polite. "It's nothing against Mallory, but I'm not the descendant of a mallard." She said in a playing tone. "Any name with "Mc, Mac, or O' " means that they are a descendant of the name that it's attached to. I'm not a duck."
Wildwing had an idea and smiled over at Shadow. "Well, if you want to have one of our names, I think you should have Duke's last name." He said in a logical tone; looking over at Duke. "The name makes more sense than any of ours."
Shadow smacked her forehead and smiled nervously at the two beside her. "Why didn't I think of that?" She mumbled in sarcastically, as she faked pouting at the two. "I think Shadow L'Orange has a certain ring to it, too!"
Duke smiled and rubbed the top of Shadow's head. "Welcome to the family, sweet'eart." He said in a mock-fatherly tone.
"I think Ray would be so proud of you." Wildwing said in a big brother tone; offering Shadow an encouraging smile.
And after all that was said and done, Shadow made a silent pledge that she was no longer named 'Shadow Honda' because she wanted to move on and finally let go of the past. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but with the help of her new family, she knew she would be alright...
Right now, she was playing tarot cards by herself. Mallory and Nosedive were watching her while Duke was playing chess with Wildwing.
Shadow flipped a card over and pointed to the image. "This one means that I'll have new changes facing me. And the other one means that I'm going to fail someone or something. I'm not too clear on that one." She explained in a curious tone; eying the cards.
Mallory laughed and stood up from her seat. "It's good to have you back, kiddo. Things weren'y the same without ya." She said before a big yawn escaped her beak. "Just don't do that again, you hear me, soldier?" She asked in a joking tone; giving the girl a tired smile.
Shadow gasped and smiled softly at the duck in front of her. "I promise, Mallory. And go to sleep – Sargent!" She said in a mocking tone; pointing straight at her.
The male ducks snickered at the two bickering females in the room. It was good to see that not a whole lot has changed between the humanoid and the ducks since the terrible event that happened just the other night. Though Shadow is having a few difficulties, but they weren't much to deal with.
She had suffered greatly that night because Mr. Kemo had activated her collar and shooting volts of electricity through her body while being confined in a cage. She had also suffered burns around her neck, and because she slammed herself into the cage; trying to break free, she had a dislocated hip, and had to use crutches to get around the pond. Tanya had reasoned with Shadow, and let the girl sleep in her own room.
Yup... things haven't changed one bit.
The End
Wolf: Sorry it was so late! I had a lot of things I had to do! I have to do a Transformers Prime and Animated fanfic for a friend, and work, and I have to go to a family reunion whom half the people there are relatives I've never met, work, get my check and do my chores, and work! I'm just so busy theses days, I don't have a lot of time to finish. But This story now officially completed! I'm grateful to White Hunter for pushing me to finish my story. My only regret is that I took so long in finishing it.
I'd also like to thank everyone who never believed me. I promise I won't let you down next time! Until the next go-round... Smile Until You Stop. I'm outtie... Peace!
Duke: See Ya!
Wildwing: Later!
Nosedive: Catch cha on the flip-side!
Mallory: At ease, maggots!
Tanya: Nice to know ya!
Grin: May our paths cross in the near future...
Shadow: Peace out!