Hi! New month and new chapter! To you reading, I mentioned last chapter that I had two routes that this story could take. Finally, after much thought and a reader's comment, the new chapters will be based on direction 2, "When You Lose A Letter." Now please keep in mind, that's not the title, it's just the direction as a really brief description of what to expect for these remaining chapters. Big Thank You to the one commenter on the other site where I shared this story! Thank you so much!

Now without delay, here's the real chapter 9! This one's all just about Donald Duck!

Date: July 23, 2024

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Chapter 9: Finding Instead A New Beginning

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Zero had embraced the moment of the hug as the memories came playing back. It brought him back to the days when he was first found. Back then, he had little to call his own. Then he was restored, but he could not answer their questions properly. One particular conversation he remembered so fondly came back at full force.

"So genuinely, you have no recollection of your name?"

"None whatsoever, Missus Quackett."

"Nary a memory of it, not even from your father?"

The metal duck slowly shakes his head, "Zero."

John Quackett became thoughtful, "If you have none, then why don't we call you that?"

Dolly looks to her husband rather offended by what he was suggesting, "Darling, isn't that rather harsh to call him nothing?"

The duck cuts in, laughing, "I'm sorry my Dolly, I did not mean it in that sense. I mean, we should call him as he spoke, Zero."

Dolly was still lost, "Oh, why? Even if it sounds better than nothing, I cannot fathom your reason for such a name."

Her husband smiles, "That is because, Zero is where everything starts." Both Dolly and the metal duck are still not understanding as he continues, "This metal duck has come from a place he knows not, holding onto very little of his memories. The ones he does hold, by Copernicus' instruction, he is not to tell of what's to come. So, he has nothing to speak of or add to himself. But that's the beauty of such a name darling, for we all start at Zero, and we can only move up from there."

Dolly smiles, thinking her husband could be such a romantic with symbolism. She then looks to the metal duck whose expression becomes thoughtful, computing the name in his head.

"Zero," the android said aloud.

"Zero," he repeated again.

The couple glances toward one another, hearing as the machine duck repeated the name, as if he were tasting testing a cake and seeing if it was pleasurable upon his tongue. A smile of approval grew on the beak of the metal duck, "Zero, the point of origin, and the beginning of everything."

They both say at the same time, "Then Zero you shall be."

The memory ends as Donald finally released himself from his embrace due to the vibrations of some device from his pocket. He watches at he pulls out what he begins to recall is a Smart Phone, though he doesn't know which model. The sailor duck smiles fondly at the screen and immediately turns it towards his direction.

"Looks like those two won the competition." He sees a young duckling with a blue long sleeved layered shirt holding a trophy up alongside a girl duckling with a bobbed cut hairstyle, pink shirt, and purple skirt. They're both standing in front of an arcade machine, with a sign that reads, "Uke or Puke: International Tours."

Zero becomes fascinated by the photo and asks, "Your family, Sir Donald?"

"Yeah, that's my boy, Dewey, middle child of triplets, and the girl is Webby. They're my nephew and honorary niece. My sister Della took them to an arcade competition." It doesn't escape his notices the way Donald talks about them, as if he's a proud father rather than an uncle.

Zero chuckles, "Well they must certainly be such a wonderful family."

"Yeah," Donald replies contently before realizing something, "Oh no! It's this late? I better find Gladstone and then get back home."

The android looks down. He was having so much fun with Donald and he wasn't quite ready to go back to sleep mode. At least it wouldn't be a deep slumber this time, but he still wasn't ready to say farewell just yet. So with steeled resolve and raising the volume of his voice, he yells out, "Sir Donald!"

"Wak! Uh, yeah Zero?"

"If I recall correctly, you started your journey here simply because of the lottery winning, correct?"

"Uh, yeah…?"

"I… The time had passed rather quickly for me, as if it were just yesterday I was saying good night to the masters. For everyone else, it has been decades. But," he pauses and Donald notices, "I… I want to ask, Sir Donald Duck, will you do the honor of being this villa's newest keeper? Will you claim the deed of your cousin's generosity and sign on to care for this home as my masters once had? Will you help bring life into this property to help it begin anew?"

"Zero…" Donald became quiet. Since Gladstone first proposed the idea of giving this villa, he had been fighting between wanting it and not. In the beginning, he was drawn in by its certain charm and privacy. Though as the two ventured further inward, there were so many things that set off alarms in his head. But for as much as this place had its unpredictability, which he now knows its because of the eccentric nature of Zero's second family, he just couldn't help but be drawn in. Even before meeting the android, something in this place just held some alluring beauty that he couldn't take his eyes off of it. If he was being honest with himself, it was as if this place was calling out to him, almost, as if he were meant to be here.

"Zero… I-"

"No, wait!"

"Wak?" Why did the android stop him?

"I realize, I am recklessly speaking out a place of hope and desperation. So instead of putting you on the spot with my questions, I will leave you to make a decision for yourself."

Donald smiles, "All right, Zero. I'll tell you another time, and I'll come back when it's all been decided."

"Truly?" Donald gives a firm nod and Zero's expression softens.

"Yeah, and if you let me, can I bring someone over?"

"Someone over?"

"Well," Donald's eyes slowly scan the room, "...you said earlier that your systems aren't in the best condition. I can bring someone who may just know what to do with it. He's no Copernicus, but I know my uncle trusts him to employ him at his work."

Zero thinks for a moment, going over the data of the current state of Villa Rosa. Many of the systems were draining of power, while other artifacts were in need of cleaning and maintenance for them to be back at full working capacity. He thought it was humorous how some objects work so much better with a simple cleaning and ridding of the dust. Finally he responded, "If you and your family trust this person, then I shall too."

"Great, then you know I'll definitely be back!"

The android relaxes, as if releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. Becoming delighted by the prospect of duck's return, he remembers something, "Oh! Sir Donald. I want you to have something." A small light turns on and a beam shines pointed over a small writing desk, "Open the drawer and take what's inside. This will be a triple assurance for me that you simply must return here."

Donald was now curious, so he peered inside the drawer and found only one thing. It was a single old leather-bound journal, embossed on its cover with simple, yet elegantly stylized boarders. Those were the kind one would see on older, expensive, or fancier books that modern hardcovers failed to capture in this day and age. Its pages were slightly yellowing and stuck out in all lengths, with no clean cut that aligned with the cover. On the spine, a symbol of what looked like a silhouette of Villa Rosa decorated the center, while on the edges the boarder lines wrapped around the spine and onto the rest of the book. On the cover, names engraved in the prettiest calligraphy he had ever seen, even rivaling Huey's calligraphy class training, read, "John Lamont & Dolly Duck Quackett." He blinked as he picked up the book, inspecting the beauty of its design.

"That is the journal my family kept. In it, they have recorded much of their life and times. I want you to have it, and to keep it safe. You have shown me you care so deeply, in the way that reminds me so much of them. So it is only right that I entrust to you, their legacy as my gratitude."

"Aww, Zero." Donald became touched.

Zero smiles, "Please, whatever you do decide, I ask that you keep this journal safe and for your eyes only."

Donald nods, taking in the journal's appearance one last time. He bet there were stories of Zero in here and that's why he was asked to keep it a secret. Just about everyone would have a field day if they knew that artificial intelligence was already a thing beyond old fictions imagining what the 21st century would look like. They'd probably wonder why the future didn't take form like that old cartoon, "The Quacksons," with flying cars, robot helpers, and houses up in the clouds. After he was satisfied inspecting it, he takes the journal and places it in his sailor hat, in a similar way Huey places his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook under his cap, which surprisingly fit.

"Well, I guess this is it. I better go get to Gladstone before he wakes up," Donald speaks a final time, "Good-bye, Zero."

The android chuckles, correcting him, "Not good-bye, but see you soon."

Donald perks up, "Yeah, not good-bye. See you real soon then!"

Zero smiles and soon directs him to the proper exit. He had told the duck to use the door of the cleaner looking tea room in order to make it back quicker to the stairwell, where his cousin should be resting. So Donald did that, and just like Zero had said, he found Gladstone sleeping on top of the tile mat that spelled welcome. The hole in the floor where his cousin fell into was gone and the vacuum he was sucked into was no longer visible.

It seemed timing was on Donald's side, cause Gladstone was only now waking up from his slumber, groggy and head seemingly light and airy.

"Ugh, Cuz?"

"Gladstone! You're okay!"

"What… what happened?"

Donald takes a breath and without missing a beat, tells his cousin, "You slipped on the dust and knocked out when you hit the wall."

Gladstone had been holding it together for as long as he could, but he chose this moment to give, "Okay, I've just had enough with this place. It's bad enough that I had to go through such harrowing experiences before meeting up with you, but this? Every. Single. Room. We went? I've had it up to-"

"Uh, Gladstone!" He quickly interrupts, "You know, after the tour, you really convinced me. This place is spacious and really out of the way. So, if you're still up for it? We can deal with the paperwork and make this official?"

That immediately got Gladstone's attention, distracting him from his outburst, "You're serious? You really mean it? No fooling?"

Donald nods firmly as he chuckles, "I mean everything I said. I'm not backing out and there are Zero reasons and excuses to say no."

"Really?" Gladstone asked, still in shock by his cousin's decision.

"Truly. This place, it just has a certain eccentric charm about it."

"Well, hot dog! You've got yourself a deal!" As soon as he said that, they made their way over to the front entrance. When Gladstone's placed his hand on the knob, it immediately opened up for him.

Donald comment saying, "Guess the door needed a pull from the inside to open."

Gladstone could only sigh, deciding that today was best left forgotten. Although, he had a nagging feeling that a lot more unpleasant things happened to him here, but immediately ignored that thought as they made their way out.

As the cousins make their impromptu exit out of the Villa to find that a helicopter was waiting for them once again, Donald looks back one last time whispering, "I'll be back soon, Zero," He places a hand on his hat, feeling the old journal, "I'll guard your treasure well." He was looking forward to reading more about John and Dolly, to know what a simpler kind of life they led.

From inside, Zero listens as the sounds of a helicopter fly away from the mansion. His expression becomes content, remembering the comforting moment with Donald and sharing his story about his family. But then, he becomes nostalgic, remembering what he said that day he got his name, "Zero, the point of origin, and the beginning of everything. This legacy can only go up from there."

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Yeah, this one was little shorter than usual, but it's all fine, there's more to come in other chapters. Isn't it so sweet that Zero's starting to find a friend in Donald Duck? Also, he's giving his word to come back and even bring an inventor to help out. I wonder who that could be? ;) But now, it seems like the android has entrusted something rather precious to our favorite sailor, so he may soon learn more secrets of Villa Rosa and the Quacketts because of this little gift of their legacy. Poor Gladstone just wants to remove this day from his mind, but he really doesn't know what he's started by giving Donald this villa.

Next chapter, we'll be going back to Scrooge and, possibly the aftermath of the heist. We'll see what happens when I write it out. You know, I have outlines for how each chapter plays out, but a lot of the times, the scenes go off course from the original plan. This chapter in particular actually took a turn away from my outline, not saying how though, at least until it's all over.

To all, thank you to those who have given favorites and follows for this story! Also, to all your quiet readers out there, thanks so much for stopping by to read! Hope you enjoyed yourselves! :D

If you've got questions or just want to know something, feel free to drop it in the comments. See you next chapter! :D