3. The Magical World Equestria
In a world where many mystical creatures and superior magic exist, there is one called Equestria. It is home to all sorts of creatures and different regions. But above all, it is a world full of earth, unicorn, and pegasi ponies. And one of the prominent and notable lands is Ponyville, where many ponies live in a peaceful and friendly society.
And next to the bustling town is an apple orchard overlooking Ponyville. The orchard has a red barn and a big house across from it. On this farm is an orange mare pony wearing a cowboy hat kicking the apple trees to collect the apples. The trees shook, and the apples fell into the barrels to catch them. The orange pony wipes the sweat off her head.
"Hoo-wee! Applebucking sure is hard work," the orange pony stated. "But I gotta keep up in order to make the finest apple dishes for the special event coming up soon." So the orange pony continues to applebuck the apples from the trees.
"Applejack!" Suddenly, she heard a voice call out to her. Applejack looked up, and approaching Applejack was a blue pegasus mare pony with rainbow-colored hair. The blue pegasus also has a bag around her.
"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack said with a grin. "Did ya get it?"
"Sure did," Rainbow replied. She then grabs a cookbook from her bag and gives it to Applejack. "Getting one of Chef A La Mode's cookbooks was no problem."
"Thanks, partner. With his recipes, I can make the finest apple dishes for the big dinner coming up soon."
"I can't believe Princess Twilight asked us to help with the special event."
"Twilight may be a full-fledged princess of Equestria, but she always thinks of us. We are still her best friends."
"She certainly still does." A female voice with a Mid-Atlantic accent spoke, grabbing Applejack and Rainbow's attention. They both turned and smiled. Applejack and Rainbow Dash see two ponies, one white with curled purple mane and the other a yellow pony with wings and a long pink mane. The two ponies approached Applejack and Rainbow Dash.
"Rarity! Fluttershy!" Rainbow said with a smile. "Great to see you!"
"Likewise, Darling," Rarity replied.
"Say, uh, where's Pinkie Pie?" Applejack asks.
"Right here, silly filly!" Pinkie said out loud and surprised Applejack. She popped out from one of the apple barrels close to Applejack.
Pinkie Pie, a pure pink female pony with a frizzy mane, is proud to see her four best friends. "Looks like the gang's all here!" Pinkie said with joy.
"Except one..." Fluttershy says with concern.
Rarity hears and says, "If you must mean Twilight, then we know what you mean. But she's the new Princess of Equestria, Dear. Twilight and her loyal dragon Spike are doing everything possible to prepare for the big gathering in a couple of days."
"And we need to complete our part, too," Rainbow Dash stated. "Twilight is relying on us to get our jobs done on time. If this gathering works, it will be the most awesome thing that will happen in Equestria's history."
"That is if no pony is busy napping in the trees," Applejack mocked with a giggle.
"Ha... Ha... And if no pony starts to get worked over any little and unnecessary things like a little sister or a granny that can seriously take care of herself."
"Hey! I was just concerned about their safety."
"C'mon, you ponies!" Pinkie interrupts, "We got more important and fun stuff to do!"
"Quite right, dear," Rarity agrees and then turns to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, how're your animals coming along?"
"The birds are very close to reaching the right pitch," Fluttershy stated. "A little more practice, and I think it'll be perfect for the opening. Oh! And all the mammals are perfecting well as waiters for the gathering."
"Splendid! And my fashion outfits for the gathering are in tip-top and fabulous shape. Every pony at the event will be bedazzled once they where the dresses I made."
"How's your part, Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked.
"Super-Duper, fantastically, extraordinarily great!" Pinkie said with excitement. "All the decorations and decors are delivered to Canterlot this morning. Mr., Mrs. Cake, and I finished making fresh pies for the party."
"It's not a party, Pinkie," Applejack corrected. "It's just a special gathering Twilight planned to make Equestria a peaceful and better place."
"Gatherings, parties… It's all the same."
Fluttershy thinks and says, "I wonder what Twilight and Spike are doing in Canterlot right now?"
"Pret-ty busy setting up the upcoming gathering," Rainbow Dash commented.
"I hope she's doing alright," Rarity said.
The five ponies then wonder how their best princess friend is doing…
In another area of Equestria is a small, high-society, and bustling city called Canterlot that rests on the side of tall mountains. Within this city are wealthy and high-class businesses and ponies. But one of the most iconic places of Canterlot is the castle where the ruler of Equestria resides.
Deep within the castle is a royal ballroom where many working ponies set up tables, chairs, silverware, and flowers for a big social event. Guiding the workers are a purple alicorn with a crown, a white unicorn dressed in a suit and a monocle, and a purple dragon with green spikes. The three observed carefully, ensuring everything for the social event was safe.
"Everything's going accordingly and smoothly, your majesty," the suited white unicorn said gentlemanly.
"Thanks, Fancy Pants," The princess unicorn replies. "I'm telling you this will be the best social event for Equestria."
"Do you really think this will work, Twilight?" the dragon asks with concern. "I mean, we're making a big deal over some paper and a proclamation."
Twilight, the princess of Equestria, replies, "That's why I planned and discussed one hundred percent thoroughly with my best friends and the counselors. We would never defeat Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow without all the creatures from different regions coming to our salvation. I realized that friendship does grow and spread everywhere than in Equestria.
So, I've decided after my coronation of becoming the ruler of Equestria, I've made a special proposal to all creatures that we will all live in perfect harmony."
Twilight uses her horn and magically summons a rolled-up and documented paper. She unravels it and shows Spike the paper.
"I've created the Friendship Harmony Treaty. A treaty that every creature and pony will live together in harmony throughout Equestria. It'll be perfect, and I think Celestia and Luna will be very impressed, including Star Swirl."
"And this will be signed on Trotober 10th, which is in a couple of days, correct?"
"Precisely, Spike."
"And I must say, it is the best choice you ever made, Princess," Fancy Pants complimented. "It's been six months since you were coronated as the princess of Equestria, and you've been doing quite well. All of Canterlot and your best friends back in Ponyville will be very pleased if this treaty will be complete on this social event, your highness."
"Please, Fancy Pants. Just call me Twilight."
"Your majesty!" said a pony worker, grabbing Twilight's attention. "I just got word that the special delivery we've ordered is on its way to Canterlot right now."
"Ah, good! Pinkie Pie must've already sent the decorations I requested earlier today."
Spike then says, "Everything's going smoothly at this rate. We'll be able to finish his social treaty gathering on schedule."
Twilight replies with a grin, "Well, Spike, I may be the new ruler of Equestria, but I'm still the organizing and book study Twilight you all know."
Then Fancy Pants says, "I've already sent out the invitations for the treaty gathering, including the retired princess in Silver Shoals."
"Thanks, Fancy Pants."
FWOP! CLANG!
Suddenly, a loud clanging and banging sound alerted, almost making Twilight and her loyal companions jolt. The three turned to the source and spotted two working ponies, a male pegasus and a female unicorn, on the ground in pain. Princess Twilight, Spike, and Fancy Pants approached the fallen workers.
"Is every pony alright?" Fancy Pants asked.
"What happened?" Twilight asks.
The pegasus pony worker gets up and replies, "We're good. But it was odd. I was just flying and putting up the streamers when suddenly I stopped flying and fell to the ground."
The unicorn then states, "And I was carrying these trays to place on the dining tables. But then my horn stopped working, and I dropped them."
"Is this a problem before?" Twilight asked.
The pegasus worker replies, "Nah, I've never fallen down ever since I started flying when I was a colt."
The unicorn also says, "And my horn never fails me when I started using it in filly school."
The two workers continue their jobs, but the princess, Spike, and Fancy Pants become concerned about their situation.
"That was odd," Spike commented.
"Maybe it was just a fluke," Twilight answers. "An unexpected moment that doesn't usually occur."
Fancy Pants heard, but he brings out a list and reads. "Well, right now, we need to prepare the entrance hall for our special guests to arrive. I'll go ahead and get started, your majesty."
Twilight hears and replies, "Thank you, Fancy Pants. Please continue."
The gentle stallion smiled and bowed to the princess for her acknowledgment. Fancy Pants then leaves the ballroom and heads to the entrance halls.
As Fancy Pants leaves, Spike starts to feel worried and sighs.
"Y'know," Spike says, "It's kind of lonely without our friends hanging around here anymore. We usually did all these things together before you became the princess of Equestria."
"I know what you mean, Spike," Twilight responded calmly. "But made a decree that every once a moon, we would get together and have a counselor of friendship. And our first counsel went off great. We were also the ones that proposed the treaty. We all agree to it."
"Yeah, you're right. And we're going to see them again at the social event for the signing of the treaty. So, we are still friends, even though we're still far apart and doing our own things."
Both Twilight and Spike smiled at each other for this happy moment.
"You're majesty!" a male pony called out, alerting the princess and the dragon. Approaching Twilight and Spike is a delivery pony with wings. He looks into his bag and takes out a letter. "A letter from Ms. Glimmer, your highness," the delivery pony said.
"Principal Starlight?" Twilight pondered.
Twilight receives and opens the letter, making the delivery pony take his leave. She opens the letter only to reveal it is blank. Twilight and Spike became confused, but after a few seconds…
"Hi! Princess Twilight!" Starlight greeted. A holographic image of her is displayed over the letter.
"Starlight!" Twilight and Spike smiled at their principal school friend. "Looks like you finally got the holo-letter to work."
"Sure did! It took me forever ever since I told you back at our first counselor of friendship. But using the paper materials from the book used to communicate with Celestia and a linking spell I found in the old archives of the Canterlot library, I was able to perfect this astounding work."
"That's amazing, Principal Starlight," Spike complimented.
"Spike, just call me Starlight. Like how you call Princess Twilight just Twilight."
"Oh, yeah…"
"How's everything going with the social event, Twilight?"
"All up to schedule," Twilight replies. "Preparations are almost done. We should be able to put the final touches by the end of tomorrow."
"Sounds good to me."
"How are you doing over at the school of friendship?"
"Well…"
On the other side of Ponyville is a large school near a waterfall. This particular school consists of many ponies and a few other creatures living and learning together throughout their school years. The school is a fun and thriving place, and every student is having a wonderful time.
And just a short distance away from the school is a small forest filled with wildlife animals. There Headmare Starlight Glimmer, along with a green stallion pony, an orange female dragon, a blue male griffon, a pink female hippogriff, a female aquamarine-colored changeling, and a female yak with braided hair, is in the forest observing the wildlife. Starlight Glimmer is speaking to Twilight via the special holo-letter she made.
"…At first, being the new headmare of the friendship school was a bit stressful," Starlight said. "But learning from your skills, it became a piece of cake. And thanks to my friends Vice Headmare Sunburst and Student Counselor Trixie, running the friendship school is no problem."
"Glad to hear the good news from you, Starlight," Twilight said via the holo-letter. "Will you make it over to the social event with the six students I chose?"
"Of course! The students are doing very well too. Right now, I'm taking your six best students on a little field trip about wildlife. I assigned them to a nature project. Once they're done with their studies and up to schedule, my students and I will gladly join the social event for the treaty. Sunburst and Trixie with tag along as well."
"Perfect! I can't wait to see you guys at the social event."
"Keep this letter so we can stay in contact for any information we need to discuss. Until then, I gotta get back and teach my students."
"Right, Starlight. See you then."
Then Twilight's hologram disappears, and the letter becomes a scroll. Starlight uses her horn magic and sends the scrolled letter into her bag. Starlight then turns to her six students.
"Alright, Sandbar, Ocellus, Yona, Silverstream, Gallus, and Smolder," Starlight speaks, "Ready to take a hike and explore nature?"
"Uh, tell me again, why are we going on a hiking trip to meet some wildlife animals in this forest?" Gallus the griffon said with sarcasm.
"As one of Fluttershy's friendship lessons, if you take time and respect mother nature, then mother nature will offer you something good in return. Like Fluttershy, if you help the wildlife, even the slightest, the creatures will see you as a friend and not a prey."
"OOO! Sounds exciting!" said Silverstream the hippogriff with excitement. "I know this because I befriended a cockatrice."
"That part kind of scares me still," Sandbar the green stallion pony noted.
"To me, it sounds like a waste of time talking to some cuddly animals," Smolder the dragon said with boredom.
Starlight heard and turned a bit irked. She says, "Well then, I guess you won't complete your projects and won't go to the social event I mentioned. You want that?"
The six students flinched and widened their eyes, realizing an opportunity they would miss.
Smolder then shyly says, "Uh, did I say a waste of time? I mean, we should use this time to learn how Fluttershy befriends various animals. That way, we can prove to everyone at the school we're the animals' best friends."
"Yona better start learning now!" Yona the yak declared.
"Maybe I can learn more about these creatures if I transform and understand their animal language," Ocelles the changeling said.
"C'mon!" Sandbar called, "Let's study and learn about these wildlife creatures. And once we're done, we can finish our projects, and we can go and meet everyone at the special treaty social event in Canterlot."
The other five creatures agree and start to explore the forest. Starlight Glimmer smiles.
"I knew they couldn't resist," Starlight noted. "They just can't wait to meet their families and prove to the school they are the best."
Starlight then follows the six students into the forest.
Time passed, and the young six observed and interacted with most animal life in the forest.
Sandbar observes a chameleon camouflaging its skin. "Cool," he says, "this chameleon changes its skin to hide from predators. This is something useful to protect me."
Ocellus looks up and spots a woodpecker on a tree. It pecks into the tree constantly. "Wow," she said, "look how fast that woodpecker drills into the tree."
Yona watches deer in an open field, and she's the herd leaping. "Ooo!" Yona said with awe, "Deer jump really far."
Silverstream, Gallus, and Smolder are together as they look for any wild animals for their report.
"I can't find any animals around here," Smolder said as she looked around in the bushes.
"Me neither," Gallus said as he searches near a creek.
"Maybe there some in the trees," Silverstream suggested. She then flies to a tree and searches within it. But in the next few seconds, she pops out of the tree's leaves and makes a concerned face. "Nope, nothing here."
"There's gotta be some kind of animal around here we can study," Smolder said. "I wish some kind of creature would appear right now."
Gallus hears and says, "What? You think some living creature would fall from the sky and land on us?"
Suddenly, Gallus, Silverstream, and Smolder heard a scream. The three became alert and wondered where the shouting was coming from. The pony, the dragon, and the hippogriff looked around the area.
"What is that?" Silverstream asked.
Then the screaming became louder and louder. It was then the three creatures looked up at the sky. There they see something falling towards. It gets closer and closer until…
PLOP!
The creature crash-landed on Gallus, Smolder, and Silverstream. The three students quickly got up and recovered from the crash.
"Wow, that hurt," Smolder said as she rubbed her head.
"What was that?" Gallus asked as he shook his head from being dizzy.
Silverstream takes a gander at the fallen creature. "Look!" she says.
All three observed the fallen creature, and appearing to the three students is…
"A… duck…?" Gallus noted in confusion.
Indeed it is a duck appearing before the three students. But this duck wears a pink shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a blue sleeveless sweater vest, and a purple skirt. It also has a pink bow on her head. The duck remained unconscious after the fall, and the three students kept staring at the duck.
"Okay…" Smolder said in confusion, "how did this duck get here?"
"Is it going to be okay?" Silverstream asked in concern.
"I'm not sure," Gallus replies with a worried look.
But not too far from the three creatures, bushes are rustling quietly. And popping out from the bushes is the McDuck family with troubled faces. They all see Webby surrounded by the three mystic creatures.
"How in blistering bagpipes did this happen?" Scrooge said with great concern.
Dewey hears his uncle and says, "Well if you recall back…"
Prior to Webby's fall, the McDuck family was exploring the new world and trying to find their enemy Bradford. They were on the fields, observing the area and passing every bush.
"How will we find Bradford in this world we don't know?" Dewey said in concern. "He could be anywhere."
Scrooge says, "More importantly, we better not draw any attention of the residents in this world. Who knows what the consequences will be if we're being witnessed by any of the folks residing in this regal land."
"Hey," Louie speaks, "when all else fails, we can pretend we're actual ducks. They won't know we're just feathery birds. Nobody is going to know except we're just real cuddly ducks."
Huey sarcastically says, "Yeah, except we're wearing clothes. Nobody is going to be that gullible."
"Just lay low and do not get spotted," Della warned.
Donald Duck becomes irked after tripping and gets stuck at every bush he encounters. "Quack!" he yelled. "I had enough of these bushes! How much further do we need to search for Bradford?"
"Hang on," Webby speaks, "I've got an idea."
Webby then spots a tree and immediately climbs to the top of it. She then reaches the top, stands on a thick branch, and holds onto a strong twig. As a result, she gets a better view of the area.
"Webby! Be careful!" Scrooge shouted. "I don't want to lose my only daughter!"
"Don't worry, Dad!" Webby called back. "I'll be fine!"
The triplets are together and turn curious at each other.
"I still can't believe Webby is really Scrooge's daughter," Dewey said with confliction.
"To think Bradford could create a child something like that?" Louie commented. "All just to find the papyrus and use it to get rid of Scrooge."
Huey hears his brothers and says, "Well, whether she is a real daughter or not, Webby is still our family." His two triplet brothers agree with Huey.
Webby kept looking outward in search of any sign of Bradford. At that moment, she spotted the school of friendship residing near a waterfall. She leans and observes carefully at the school and sees the ponies hanging around the campus.
"Is... Is that a school?" Webby wonders.
"What do ya see, Webby girl?" Scrooge called to her.
"I think... I think I see..."
SNAP!
Suddenly, the twig Webby held onto snapped, and the girl duckling tumbled and fell off the tree. She then screams and plunges straight downward to the bottom of the hill. McDuck and his family turned shocked.
"WEBBIGAIL!" Scrooge yelled.
"No! Webby!" Huey shouted.
Scrooge and his family went after Webby by following her down the hill.
"Hold on, Webby!" Launchpad shouted. "We're coming!"
Webby kept falling to the base of the hill until...
PLOP!
She landed on top of Gallus, Silverstream, and Smolder.
"...And that's what happened," Dewey said as he finished the flashback. He and everyone else are hiding in the bushes.
"That Webby..." Louie said with grief, "Does she always do reckless actions to get into trouble like this?"
Della then speaks, "I think the better question is: How are we going to save Webby from those... whatever they are."
Huey pulls out his trusty guidebook and reads the pages. He then says, "According to the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook, those creatures are a hippogriff, a griffon, and a dragon. But those are mythical creatures. So how could they exist?"
"Perhaps in this world, lad," Scrooge noted. "If this world is supposed to have magic that Bradford's after, then they're sure to be bound by magical and mythical creatures as well."
"Gee, do you think those monsters are going to eat poor Webby?" Launchpad panics.
"L.P." Louie grieves, "I know I always assume the worst, but let's not take that assumption for Webby's sake."
Just then, Webby starts to regain her consciousness. Silverstream, Gallus, and Smolder noticed Webby waking up. The McDuck family also noticed Webby waking. Once Webby fully opens her eyes, she sees the hippogriff, the griffon, and the dragon staring at her. Webby jolts in shock and hops onto her feet, quickly regaining her stance. Webby is still mesmerized by the three creatures' appearance and staring at her.
"Ooo! It's alive!" Silverstream said with excitement.
"Are you okay, little duckling?" Smolder asks.
Webby is about to say something, but she notices something behind the three creatures. It is the McDuck family, and Huey is making odd gestures to Webby. But they're not odd gestures. Instead, Webby noticed that Huey uses a Woodchuck communication code, or the scouts' sign language, to tell Webby what to do. Good at understanding languages in different codes, Webby picks up Huey's communication.
"Webby! Act like… a Duck," Webby thought in her mind and read Huey's signals. "Do not let… the three creatures know… you can talk. And we don't want… them to know... we're not from… this world. We don't want… to draw any… attention."
Webby widens her eyes and understands Huey's sign language. Quickly, Webby crouches and flaps her arms, and… "Quack! Quack! Quack!"
The three creatures witnessed Webby's fake duck acting.
"Eh, it seems fine," Gallus noted.
Huey in the bushes sighs in relief. "Whew! That was close," Huey said in comfort.
"And you said nobody is going to be that gullible," Louie mocked.
"Don't insult your big brother," Huey said with a scold.
"How can you still be our big brother?" Dewey said with anguish. "We're triplets."
"Wanna start that again?"
"Boys! Quiet!" Donald shouted silently. "Focus on Webby."
Webby kept acting like a real duck as the three creatures stared at her.
"Who knew this duck could be so lively," Silverstream commented with a grin.
"It's kind of annoying if you ask me," Gallus noted with a confused look.
"Hey, guys!" Sandbar called out. "What's up?"
Smolder, Gallus, Silverstream, and Webby heard and turned to the source. Appearing before them are Sandbar, Yona, and Ocellus. The pony, yak, and changeling noticed Webby.
"Whoa, is that a duck?" Ocellus asked.
Webby keeps quacking and pecking to the ground, even though it hurts her beak.
"It is duck!" Yona commented.
"A good sizeable one, too," Sandbar noted. "I have never seen a duck this big."
Ocellus observes carefully at Webby. Confused, she said, "But... why is it wearing clothes?"
"That's the part we like to know," Smolder noted with a curious face. "I'm not even sure if it is a real duck."
Huey, in the bushes, stares at Louie. "Nobody is going to know except we're cuddly ducks, huh?" Louie stares in irk at Huey.
The young six kept observing Webby's 'duck' behavior.
"Maybe, it's wearing clothes because she's cold?" Ocellus noted.
"That's a possibility," Gallus agrees a little.
"Students! Where are you?"
Then someone else shouted. Everyone turned to the source. Appearing from the small bushes and approaching the young six is…
"There you six are," Headmare Starlight said. "I got a little worried when I lost track of you."
"Hey, Headmare Starlight," Sandbar said with a grin.
"Where did you run off to?"
Silverstream replies, "We found his duck that fell from the sky."
When Starlight heard, she looked and saw Webby. But Webby jolted, her pupils shrunk, and shouts in her mind… "AAAHHH! A unicorn! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!"
"Ooohh, boy!" Louie said distraughtly from the bushes. His two other triplets heard Louie and wondered.
"What?" Dewey said, "What's wrong?"
"Is it something about Webby and that unicorn appeared we should know?" Huey asks.
Louie heard his brothers and replied, "Yeeeaah, I should've told you that Webby has a weak and cute side." Louie then revisualizes a memory.
"You see, Webby may be a top acrobatic and skillful spy, thanks to her 'grandma,' Mrs. Beakley. But one time, when Webby and I were shuffling through the shelves and storage boxes to look for something to sell at a good market price, I came across one of Webby's precious unicorn dolls she had when she was a hatchling. I tossed it to the side cuz it looked worthless.
But then Webby shoved me for treating one of her favorite stuffy dolls like trash. As I witnessed, she… acted all cutesy-wutesy over a silly rag doll. It almost made me barf."
Louie finishes his flashback and then says, "And now this happens…" He points to Webby and Starlight. Huey, Dewey, and the rest of the McDuck family turned worried.
Starlight Glimmer continues to observe Webby. But the duckling girl quivers as she tries to hold her excitement, seeing a cute, real-life unicorn for the first time. The young six and Starlight noticed Webby's shaky presence.
"Why duck shaking a lot?" Yona wonders.
"Is it cold or something?" Sandbar questions.
Webby kept holding her excitement, and then she saw Huey and his sign language again. Huey tells Webby in his Woodchuck sign language, "WEBBY! Hold it! Don't get overexcited on the unicorn! Resist! RESIST!"
Webby understood Huey's sign language and bit her lower beak to hold her excitement. However, Starlight kept examining Webby, and the duck girl rolled her eyes upward.
"How very interesting to see a duckling this big," Starlight noted. "Twilight and Fluttershy will be intrigued by this sizeable duckling."
"So close! So close! So close!" Webby yelled in her mind. "I can't hold it!" Webby sweats a lot due to stress pressure.
The Mcduck family kept telling Webby, using their gestures, not to let her lose her composure. Gallus makes a twitching instinct, feeling as if there's something behind him. He turns around to the bushes, but the McDucks quickly hide to avoid being spotted by Gallus. The griffon becomes confused and then turns back to the stressful Webby. The McDuck family popped out from the bushes from hiding.
Starlight keeps analyzing Webby. "I wonder why this duck is wearing clothes?" Starlight asks and notes. "None of the other ducks back at Fluttershy's animal sanctuary have them." Webby then quakes intensely, and her face is all red. Starlight notices and becomes quizzical. "Uh, little duckling... are you okay?"
Webby tries to hold it for a long time, and the McDuck family keeps telling her not to lose it. Webby kept trying and trying to withhold her excitement for a long time...
…
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Webby bursts into great excitement, releasing all that intense build-up pressure. Starlight and the young six were startled by Webby's exciting scream. Immediately, Webby dashes and hugs Starlight Glimmer. The headmare becomes surprised.
"You're so adorable! YOU'RE SO ADORABLE!" Webby said with great joy.
"What the...!? You can talk!?" Starlight said with shock.
"Of course, I can talk! And I got to say you're so cute and adorable to see a real-life unicorn before me. This is so awesome! I mean, I read and heard unicorns in fairy tales, but seeing the actual thing is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me. Aahh! You're so cute, adorable, and magically sweet!"
Starlight Glimmer blushes a little at Webby's compliment. "Oh… you really think so…?"
"Whoa," Gallus said in shock, "She can talk?"
"I thought something was off," Smolder noted. "But I didn't expect a duck to really talk."
"Wow!" Silverstream said joyfully, "A duck that can talk like us! This is amazing!"
"I know!" Ocellus said with a smile. "What a great discovery."
While Starlight and the young six are bedazzled by Webby's true self, the McDuck family from the bushes turn grief.
"I knew she couldn't last this long," Huey said with anguish.
"It's like Webby's first trip at Funso's all over again!" Louie mentioned.
"Except she didn't do any damage," Dewey stated. "Not like that Webby wrecked and reset that Japanese import game with all my top ten high scores. Do you know how hard it was to gain those top scores to be in the top–"
"You're being over dramatic, Dewford," Huey interrupted.
Back with Starlight, Webby, and the young six, they are all discussing with each other.
"I can't believe you can really talk!" Starlight Glimmer says with joy. "How is this possible? All the other ducks I met in Fluttershy's animal sanctuary never talk."
Webby hears and shyly replies, "Well... uh... I was born with the ability to speak. Yeah, I'm just a special duck with that incredible gift."
"Wow," Yona said with a smile, "You born to talk?"
"Yep, ever since I was a hatchling."
"Cool," Smolder says with a cheeky face, "the other students are going to be so jealous that we met a talking duck."
"May I ask, as a duck who talks, why are you wearing clothes?" Ocellus asked. "None of the other ducks are wearing them."
"Oh, this?" Webby replies and notices. "It's because... I've noticed that other creatures around sometimes wear clothes too. So yeah... Ha-ha... that's why I wore some. And what are you supposed to be? A bug or something?"
"Oh no, I'm a changeling. I can shapeshift into anything I see."
"Really!? Can you shapeshift into me then?"
Ocellus heard and smiled. She then shapeshifts exactly like Webby. The duckling girl smiled with great joy.
Louie observes and comments, "Well, Webby is having a good time with those weird animals. At least she's gotten the hang of coming up with good lies. Gotta give her value credit."
"What is changeling, I wonder?" Huey asked as he skimmed his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook.
The pink hippogriff gets close to Webby. "So tell me," Silverstream says with excitement. "What does a duckling who can talk do here in the first place?"
Webby replies, "Well, I was just walking around, sightseeing the forest. I thought I could, y'know, explore the wildlife and get to know nature. I like exploring. Seeing new things and discovering unsolved mysteries, finding treasure. It's my hobby. I've done this for a long time; whenever I'm home, alone, with my family here, and my friends–"
"Wait!" Smolder interrupted, "Your family is here?"
Webby realizes she made a mistake and covers her beak.
The McDuck family from the bushes turned to grief once again. "Can I get a refund of my credit to Webby?" Louie asked. "She totally blew it."
Webby panics but tries to recover. She then says, "I, uh... I mean, my family lives here, on the other side of the forest. That's right!"
Yona wonders and says, "But if family here... then duck family must mean they talk too!" The young six and Starlight gasped and smiled.
"You're right, Yona," Ocellus agrees. "This will be great for our nature report." Ocellus and the others turned to Webby. All seven became eager. "Hey, Webby! Is it possible we can meet your talking family, too?"
"Please! Please! Please! PLLEEEEAASSE!" Silverstream begs with great eagerness.
Webby panics again and is peer pressured by the seven creatures. Then she spots Huey doing his sign language, telling the duckling girl he'll think of something.
"Hold on, Webby!" Huey said to himself, "I'll find some way for you to get–"
Swoosh! Suddenly, Scrooge's cane appeared and halted Huey. The red hat triplet notices Scrooge, who makes a concerned but honest face to Huey.
"Lad," Scrooge says calmly, "Let's just get this over with."
"But what about not wanting any attention?"
"I'm well of the risks. Besides, those seven creatures do not seem to threaten me daughter. I'm sure betting my top hat these mystic lads and lasses with help us find Bradford."
Being Scrooge as a wise, thoughtful, and well-planned businessman, Huey trusts his great Uncle Scrooge's words. Huey then turns firm and makes a declaration.
"You're right," Huey says. "Hiding just slows us down. Let's go."
"I hope you know what you're doing…" Della said with little concern.
Back with Webby and the seven creatures, the duckling girl tries to fabricate a lie.
"Well, you see..." Webby slowly speaks, "My... family... happens to be..."
"Right here!"
An elderly man called out, and the eight beings heard. They turned around to the source and noticed. Appearing in front of the Webby, Starlight Glimmer, and the young six is...
"Please ta make your acquaintance, lads and lasses," Scrooge greeted.
Scrooge McDuck and his whole family appeared to everyone. Starlight and the young six gasped in awe at the McDuck family. They couldn't believe their eyes that there were more ducks like Webby.
"Oh my Gosh! Oh my Gosh! Oh my Gosh! Oh my Gosh!" Silverstream said with great amazement.
"Yona doesn't believe it!" she said with a big smile. "More ducks like duck girl."
Gallus says joyfully, "This is going to be the greatest nature project ever!"
Smolder says with a cheeky tone, "The school is really going to be super jealous of this."
Starlight came forth to the McDucks. She happily says, "O... M... Gosh! I can't believe there are other ducks that can talk. Twilight and Fluttershy are really going to be surprised. It's an honor to meet you special talking ducks! I'm Headmare Starlight Glimmer." She offers her hoof to Scrooge.
"The honor is ours, Starlight," Scrooge replies, shaking her hoof.
The rest of the McDuck family and the young six greeted each other with a hand, claw, and hoof shake.
Starlight then says, "So, what brings you special ducks here in this part of the woods… uh, no pun intended."
Scrooge replies with concern, "Well, we didn't come here to explore like me daughter said. You see–"
DING-A-LING! DING-A-LING! DING-A-LING!
Suddenly, a ringtone alerted everyone, interrupting Scrooge. Starlight noticed something glowing in her bag.
"Oh, hold on!" Starlight speaks. "That's for me."
Starlight pulls one of her scrolled holo-letters she used to communicate with Princess Twilight. She opened the letter, and a stallion pony with glasses and a star-studded caped appeared. The stallion looked in great concern.
"Sunburst!" Starlight says with surprise. "What's up?"
"Starlight! We got a problem!" Sunburst said with fear.
"Magic is disappearing from the school!"
Starlight and the young six heard, and they turned shocked. The McDuck family heard and blinked, knowing what had just happened.
"I think Bradford just made his first move," Dewey commented.
"Ya think?" Louie said with sarcasm.
Author's Notes
The month Spike mentioned (Trotober) is derived from "October." And the date October 10th I chose in this chapter is a good reason. What's that? Look up if you don't know.