Episode 24: Back with the Team
The Ducks were in the infirmary, surrounding their comrade, Canard Thunderbeak, who had been wished back from Dimensional Limbo.
"I checked his vitals, his organs, and everything else," Tanya informed the group, "He's his old self."
"When will he wake up?" Wildwing asked.
"Whenever he wants to, I bet he didn't sleep a wink while in Limbo," the science wiz answered.
Just then, Canard gave a moan and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, when he shot up and gave a cry, "Back off you Saurians!"
"Canard, it's okay! It's us!" Wildwing exclaimed, grabbing his friend's hands, struggling to calm him.
After taking a few deep breaths, Canard looked around, realizing that he was not in Dimensional Limbo, but someplace unusual to him.
He turned his head around, staring at his resistance comrades, and slowly spoke their names.
"Grin, Mallory, Tanya, Duke," he said and turned to Wildwing and Nosedive.
"Buddy? Am I…it's a dream is it?" he asked, but the leader shook his head.
"I can assure you, old pal, you're not dreaming," Wildwing answered, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Let me think this through," Canard replied and shut his eyes, "I was in Dimensional Limbo, fighting off the Saurians almost every day, and then…"
"And then what?" Nosedive asked.
"I don't know, there was this bright light and the next thing I know, I woke up here, but how did you get me out?" Canard had asked.
"Canard, there is someone I want you to meet," Wildwing replied, holding out his hand for Pearl.
Canard grew wide-eyed when he saw the enchanting alien. "Who…what are…are you a human?" he asked, again.
"Yes, my name is Prydwen, or Pearl, and I have a long story to tell you, unless Wildwing would like to tell you," Pearl said to him.
"Canard, you're now on a planet called Earth in the Solar System, which is halfway across the universe from Puckworld," Wildwing began to share the story as they walked Canard around the interesting place.
The leader explained about the Ducks' new home under the Arrowhead Pond Stadium in Anaheim, California in the United States, and that they are called 'The Mighty Ducks' and were part of the National Hockey League.
"Hockey? I hope I haven't lost all of my moves," Canard said as he looked at the ice.
Wildwing resumed his story of the many battles against Dragaunus and that's when Canard's face lit up.
"Dragaunus?! Where is that dinosaur hot-head? I want to give him a piece of my mind!" he exclaimed.
"Calm down, you don't have to worry about him, he's dead," Duke replied and Canard looked at him.
"Dead? How did…oh man, I really wanted to see him die. How did you kill him?" Canard asked.
"We didn't, our new enemy and Wraith did us a favor," Nosedive answered.
Pearl came forward and began to tell her story about her true identity, her home of Avalon, and the fight against Louran and of the Book of Avalon.
"It seems that we have enough problems to deal with," Canard said and that moment, Phil arrived.
"Hey boobies! Are the rumors true?" he called to them.
"Who in the Puckworld is that?" Canard asked, surprised to see the obese human male.
"Say hello to our manager, Phil Palmfeather," Nosedive replied.
"Oh wow! Another Duck to show off! I'm hitting the big top!" Phil exclaimed.
"Uncle, what did I say about promotional gimmicks?" Pearl asked and the obese man gave a slumped face.
Wildwing explained to Canard about Phil's habit of using the Ducks in social events and other annoying things that he wanted them to do.
"Buddy, I think you would want this back," Wildwing said, handing over the Mask of DuCaine to Canard.
"What? Oh, no way, after hearing those stories, you lead our comrades on the right path, maybe even better than me," he replied, pushing the mask back.
"But you started the resistance, you found the mask, and…" "I was leader for a day, but you lead in my place for months, and from what I heard, you have the heart and mind of a leader, and I'm happy to say that I'm proud of you," Canard explained to Wildwing and he placed the mask back on.
"Hey, about a game? Just us," Canard asked and everyone nodded, eagerly.
They went through piles of jerseys, skates, and other things to suit Canard and he was ready.
He skated onto the ice, wobbly-legged at first, but his body grew strong when he skated around, passing the puck to his comrades.
He then swung the puck at Wildwing's goalie net, but the leader had caught it in his hand.
"Hey, you've gotten good," Canard commented.
Pearl and Subria watched the Ducks, but they still felt the dread of disappointment the night before.
Suddenly, the ground shook under their feet; they toppled over, and the overhead lights swayed.
It lasted for only a minute, but the group was clearly shaken.
"What was that?!" Canard asked, surprised.
"That was an earthquake, California gets a lot of them, but Anaheim usual get light ones, this was a full scale one," Wildwing answered, but he saw that Pearl was balancing against Subria.
"Milady, breathe, it's okay," Subria said and everyone realized that she was having a seizure.
"Please don't tell that was a spell that just passed us just now," Mallory said.
Pearl's face returned to color and she rubbed the sides of her head.
"I'm afraid it was a spell," she answered and they hurried to Drake 1.
After doing a scan, Tanya announces, "We've got ourselves a big one! And it's heading downtown!"
"We better get going. Canard, it's time that you see how we capture spells," Wildwing said and they rushed to the Migrator.
"I must say Tanya, you've really outdone yourself," Canard commented upon seeing the big truck.
The Migrator's tires burned on the asphalt and it rushed towards downtown Anaheim.
()()()()()()
People were crowding the streets in a panic having no idea what the earthquake was about. Just then, another shake was felt across the ground and the street's concrete split open.
"Wildwing, look out!" Nosedive shouted as a hole opened up ahead of the Migrator. The leader slammed on the brakes and the truck grinned to a halt. The Ducks and the two princesses stepped out and saw the chaos evolve.
"Ducks!" someone shouted and they saw Captain Kelghorn coming towards them.
"Who is he?" Canard asked.
"Captain Kelghorn, he is helpful at times," Wildwing answered.
"No need to panic, it's just a random series of earthquakes…who is this?" Kelghorn asked upon seeing Canard.
"Canard Thunderbeak, pleasure to meet you," the mallard answered.
"Captain, I hate to correct you, but I sensed it was a spell, perhaps the last element spell," Pearl said to the short man.
Suddenly, a wall of dark earth sprouted from one of the pot holes and it raised high above the spell captors.
"That is a spell?! What is it?!" Canard exclaimed, surprised to see the strange creature.
"The 'Earth'," Pearl answered.
The spell looked down at them and it roared and they ran away just as it summoned a wall of dirt and debris.
"How are we going to capture this spell? It's way too strong," Mallory asked.
"There has to be a weakness," Subria said, but then, she sensed something.
On top of a building, Louran and Wraith were watching the spectacle unfold, but noticed the Ducks and the princesses.
"What?! Canard Thunderbeak is alive?!" Wraith angrily bellowed out.
"Good to see you, trigger-happy hag," Canard replied and spotted Louran, "So you must be the new enemy, you look more-"
"I forgot to tell you, don't make him angry," Wildwing warned his friend.
"It seems that we have more problems to deal with, but for now, I'll capture this spell before—"
"Keep dreaming, you old punk!" Nosedive shouted back, but that made Louran bitterly angry.
"Why don't I squish right now?!" the dark wizard exclaimed and hurled a dark spell at them.
They quickly scattered, but the 'Earth' spell had trapped them with its walls of debris.
"Wildwing, look!" Pearl shouted, pointing to an uprooted tree.
Within the roots, there was dirt and rocks that were trapped. He realized that this gave her an idea and they hurried back to regroup.
"Guys, we have an idea, but we need your help," Pearl said and they listened to her plan.
"Where are those fools? I want to skin them alive," Wraith had said, bitterly.
"Forget them, we must capture this spell before they do, and…" Louran went into a whisper, "Remember the plan."
"Hey Black Beard!" Nosedive shouted, catching the wizard's attention.
"How about a nice, fresh Duck that's out in the open?!" he replied, featuring Grin, who was tied up.
"Woo-hoo! Crazy old Saurian?!" Mallory called out to Wraith.
"You can't get us! Can't get us!" she teased as Subria, Tanya, and Duke made faces.
"I've had enough!" Wraith yelled out and they hurled spells at them.
Meanwhile, Canard, Wildwing, and Pearl were climbing up to a building that would reach the 'Earth'.
They hurried towards the spell, but they heard the others cry out in pain as Wraith and Louran had succeeded in injuring them.
"Pearl, go! We'll hold off the old haggards!" Wildwing ordered and the princess hurried away.
"Hey, Black Beard!" Canard shouted and Louran turned to face him.
"Want a drumstick? Or maybe a wing? Or how about a knuckle-sandwich!" Canard taunted the wizard.
Wraith had noticed the taunting on his comrade and saw Wildwing calling out, "Attempt it, you Saurians are wimps!"
"Why you little…!" Wraith shouted and used his staff to fire dark spells at the two Ducks.
Pearl had summoned the spell book and turns to the 'Fly' page, "'Fly', give me your wings!" she commanded and the spell obeyed.
Wings sprouted on her back and she flew up the tower of dirt and rock.
Louran than noticed Pearl and cries, "Wraith, they are stalling us!"
Pearl then turned to the 'Wood' page, "'Wood', take root in the 'Earth'!" she commanded and the gentle spirit obeyed.
The 'Wood' entered inside the 'Earth' and something to happen. Thick tree roots began to seep through the dirt and the 'Earth' had trouble moving and then it stopped.
"'Earth', I command you to return to the spell from where you came!" Pearl ordered and the spell's body swirled around in the air and it took residence in an empty page.
"Very clever, princess," a cold voice said from behind her. She turned to see Louran and he grabbed her neck as she gave a loud scream.
"PEARL!" Wildwing cried out in horror.
The princess struggled to get out of Louran's grip, but he held her tight. "I did say that I would take something valuable to you, but I figured it would be more fun to let you watch her die," Louran said, coolly and then noticed Pearl throwing the book towards the Ducks.
Mallory caught the book and they saw that Louran was deeply angered.
"Alright, change of plan; meet us at the high school grounds tonight and bring the book and maybe I will spare your princess' life," Louran explained and then, he, Pearl, and Wraith vanished.
"NO!" Wildwing cried out, slamming his fists to the ground.
"Milady!" Subria shrieked as her mistress vanished before her eyes.
"Wildwing, what do we do? We can't give him the book, it's too much of a risk," Canard said to his friend.
"We have no choice, if we have a fake spell book, Louran will notice and he will kill her," the leader replied.
"I wouldn't say so, bro," Nosedive said with a grin and taking the book into his hands.
"'Create', I command you to make an exact copy of this spell book," the young mallard said to the page.
The spell obeyed and the copy of the fake appeared before them.
"It looks like the spell book, except the pages are blank," Tanya replied, after looking through it.
"Let's just hope it works," Wildwing said and everything fades to black.