Neb: Vincent Tailfeather is back to his old self. I am going to be working towards moving through these episodes, because I think I have a clear goal in mind on how I want this story to end. I do not own Duck Tales, and I hope you all enjoy the story.
"Hey Vincent, guess who I'm going as for Halloween?", Webby shouts with glee as she runs over in her one eyed monster costume.
"Oh, a lot of cyclopes in history, but the wings tells me it's Balor the Demon King," Vincent figured.
"Hey you got it right," Webby yelled gleefully. "No surprise though since fantasy is your favorite genre. So what are you going as for Halloween?"
"Um..."
"You did get a costume right?"
"The thing is Webby, I use to dress as a mage or an adventurer when I was a kid for Halloween," Vincent explained. "And since I joined Artifact, I've pretty much dressed like that everyday. Besides, I'm getting to that age where trick or treating just starts to look weird." As he stated this, they saw Scrooge walk by Vincent's room wearing a skeleton costume.
"I'm going to get so much candy this year," Scrooge grinned.
"Well... that disproved my point," Vincent admitted. "I am wrong sometimes, can't help that."
"Do you not like Halloween anymore?"
"What? No it's my favorite holiday," Vincent assured. "I use to do a lot of trick or treating when my mom was well. Not to mention it was also one of the few holidays where the old man wasn't a jerk. I mean, I worked during that day but we'd stay up past midnight watching scary movies, that was pretty fun. Not to mention when I joined Artifact Madame Aurora and I would spend that day summoning spirits to talk to. We even played a game where we'd bet candy on whether the spirits we summon are good or evil."
"That last one sounds like a lot of fun," Webby admitted. "I am sorry you gave up trick or treating at such a young age though, you think you can do that with the boys and I tonight?"
"I... I'll see what I can do," Vincent nodded. "I'll go find a costume, I'm sure there's still some good ones in stock."
"Better hurry Vincent," Scrooge called from down the hallway. "Shops will be closing soon."
"Got it," Vincent called back. "Text me a meeting point and I'll be there."
Webby smiled at him and Vincent ran out of his room, down the stairs, and out the door. She then looked down and sighed. Was she forcing him to do this?
Vincent ran towards the costume shop and then panted once he saw the shop was open. He headed to the door, but then the open sign turned to close. "R-really? There's still daylight out!"
"Hey I gotta get back to my house and family to," the store owner argued.
Well he had a good point, so Vincent decided not to argue any further.
"Well look who's out shopping," a familiar voice spoke up behind Vincent.
Vincent groaned before turning around to see his old man standing there.
"No don't run away," the old man blurted out as Vincent turned back away. "I just want to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about," Vincent assured him. "I'm not working any jobs with you, and I'm not giving you money. That's that."
"I don't want your money anymore Vincent," the old man assured. "I've changed, I just want my son back. I know I was tough on you, but it was to make you stronger."
"Really? You're telling me this now? This isn't the first time we've bumped into each other after you kicked me into the snow and walked off."
"You normally follow," the old man explained. "I... I suppose it was good you found another place to go. I was getting desperate when it came to our money situation, I suppose I shouldn't have taken that out on you."
"Desperate? Yeah right, had you just kept the money we earned instead of gambling it away we would have been fine."
"I was that much closer to a lucky break, at least I thought I was at the time. That lucky break never came, the house always won. I should have realized that... I am sorry."
Who was this person? What has he done with the old man? No it was a trick, it's always a trick. "You realized you couldn't win a legal battle against me," Vincent figured. "I'm old enough to claim independence from you now. Not to mention never filing a missing child report in would cost you points in court."
"Not to mention several felonies would also cost me points in court," Paddlefoot nodded. "You are a smart boy, you always have been. You get that from your mother."
"I get why she left you," Vincent begun. "But what did she ever see in you?"
Paddlefoot sighed before sitting on a nearby bench. He set his cane down and laid back. "You know how great I am at getting on people's good side," the old man explained. "Your mother was basically another job interview to me. I didn't have to be myself, I just had to be the person she wanted."
"Gross," Vincent groaned as he regretted asking that question.
"She thought I was a prince charming for a little while," Paddlefoot laughed. "But then it was clear she was smarter than my average mark. She saw that I was just some bum looking for handouts and left me. I saw her again a couple more times as she revisited Duckburg to talk with doctors about her illness. She told me about you and how I may have to step up and take care of you should the worse situation occur."
Vincent teared up when hearing this. This couldn't be true, his mother never mentioned a Theodore Paddlefoot.
"Alas, we were never going to get back together," he continued on. "I always plucked her feathers the wrong way."
"Again gross."
"Not like that... brat."
"Well I'd love to say it's been fun catching up with you," Vincent begun as he watched the sun start to set. "But that'd be a lie. I better get back to the manor, I'm going trick or treating with the kids."
"One day your going to regret not patching things up with me," the old man assured him. "But just know I forgive you anyways."
"Didn't ask for it and don't need it," Vincent stuck his tongue out. "But... thanks anyways. You really did mess me up you know."
"Yeah, and I was lucky there was someone else to pick up the pieces for you," Paddlefoot nodded.
Vincent couldn't get a costume from any store, but Violet's dads had a bunch of their old costumes still sitting in their attic. They let Vincent borrow a Grimm Reaper outfit that was just a black cloak with a skull mask, which wasn't as original as Webby's costume, as well constructed as Huey's Gizmoduck costume, or as creative as Dewey's Pirate on Vacation costume, but it beat Louie's costume by a long shot.
"I wish Artifact didn't leave with all my old Mage Hoods," Vincent admitted. "I'd definitely let you borrow one to avoid... this." Louie was wearing Huey's hat as his costume, and that was it. They way he mocked Huey for quoting his Junior Woodchuck guidebook also caused Vincent to shake his head. Did Louie always pick on Huey like this, and why didn't Vincent ever notice? He remembered back when they were sucked in the painting it was Dewey who was throwing stuff at Huey and picking a fight.
"I already wear a hoodie," Louie rolled his eyes. "Besides, what's the difference between dressing up as you for Halloween and dressing up as Huey. You're both nerds, it's just one likes fantasy and the other likes camping and Scifi."
"I like fantasy also," Huey pointed out.
"I also have been known to camp," Vincent nodded. "Not by choice, but the skills are there."
"Whatever, point is your both nerds," Louie groaned. "Anyways I have a plan that'll make us candy billionaires, nothing is going to scare me that'll..."
With that a glowing skeleton emerged from the pumpkin scaring the kids. Vincent also almost got ready to blast it, but remembered earlier that Scrooge's costume was a skeleton.
"Leave this house," demanded the skeleton. "Because there will be no Halloween handouts here." The skeleton had removed it's mask revealing, as Vincent figured, Scrooge.
Della was dressed as the Devil, Donald was dressed as an angel. Vincent was unsure if that was planned or some sort of symbol of their personalities. Clearly the latter because Della was in to the scary part of Halloween while Donald was into the giving part of it. Either way Scrooge basically told them all they didn't have to go home, but they couldn't stay at the manor. Even though the manor was technically their home. Huey wanted to take charge of the candy gathering adventure, but then Louie swept in again and stepped on Huey's map.
"Or we can go to one place and get all the candy that you want," Louie cut in.
"Oh, we're going to a candy store?", Dewey guessed.
"What? No it's nighttime, Candy stores are closed," Louie corrected him.
"We're going to rob a candy store?!", Dewey guessed again with much more excitement.
"No," Louie facepalmed. "We're going to hazel house. The most haunted house in town."
"Nope," Vincent cut in. "Seen this move before, does not end well... none of them do. We are going with Huey's plan."
"You're the Mage," Louie argued. "If there's actually anything bad in there, and there isn't, you can just blast it."
"How could you say that when you've seen actual ghosts, mummies, and zombies! I've never seen Zombies and Mummies, and I'm an actual mage!"
"Again you can just blast any monsters in sight," Louie shot back. "If you're going to be like this, why don't you go hang out with the adults back at Launchpad's."
"I asked him to be here," Webby reminded them.
"I'm fine with him being here," Dewey shrugged.
"You can't just assign him the bodyguard role and then kick him out the moment he uses logic," Huey added.
"Fine, but no more arguing," Louie groaned. "I've been planning this night for a while now."
"So have I," Huey argued.
"Can you just let me explain," Louie yelled. He then cleared his throat and pulled out a book. "Legend says long ago the house was hastily built on a gateway between the living and the dead. Every treater who dares to enter disappears along with their candy.. candy. candy... which means there's years worth of free candy inside."
"I'm not crazy right?", Vincent wondered. "Candy expires, doesn't it?"
"Yar," Dewey interrupted. "A treasure fit for a relaxed buccaneer."
"One last sweet score and we'll never have to go trick or treating again," Louie added, also ignoring Vincent. "Candy, for life!"
Vincent groaned as this was much like his adventure with them when they went to find the Herbs of Glaucus. The kids all ran off without him and didn't follow his instructions at all. At least when it was just he and Webby adventuring together she did what he said, but now this was Louie's show. Granted he's only been on three adventure with the Duck Children, the first one was when he met them the second was for the herbs, and the third was in the painting. Well there was also the Genie one also, but the adults were there, so they were following Scrooge mostly in that one until Donald wished them into a parallel universe.
"Nice story but I've never even heard of this place," Huey pointed out. "We want to trick or treat, not chase some phony myth from a phony Huey."
"If it is just a myth, then no harm in getting to the truth," Louie responded. "Junior Woodchuck sixty... whatever, go in that house now!"
The children started going inside the gate and Vincent facepalmed. They didn't have to listen to Louie and there was no way Louie would risk going into this house by himself. But, then he looked up and saw Webby was tugging his hand.
"I'll protect him," Webby remembered herself talking to Cassandra. "If the Enforcers of Order make a move against Vincent let me know."
"They have knowledge of this timeline," The memory of Cassandra reminded Webby. "They will wait until all of you are too busy to help Vincent."
Webby shook herself out of her flashback and stared at Vincent. "Please come on."
"Fine," Vincent nodded. "I'm sure it's just an old house anyways."
"Or I'll get a chance to mingle with monsters and test out my costume," Webby grinned.
"I suppose that would be fun to," Vincent sighed. "I wonder if they'll mingle with the Grimm Reaper?"
"Oh I'm sure they will," Webby nodded as the two of them made their way inside the gate. Then they made their way through to the front door where Louie made fun of Huey's Junior Woodchuck rules again, but Huey wasn't having it this time, he shoved Louie aside and entered the house followed by everyone else.
Vincent was trying his best not to take over this adventure like he's done on other ones. He just wanted to sit back and let the younger kids figure this one out, granted if they do get attack he is, as Louie state, going to start blasting. They followed a candy rapper trail that Louie found until they came upon a room. The kids all stopped and Louie groaned once more.
"Come on guys," Louie ordered. "We have a ghost butler, we have faced all kinds of monsters, what's going to scare us here? Nothing... So... go for it Vincent."
"I knew it," Vincent facepalmed.
"Oh maybe I should go with," Webby figured.
"No, I was waiting for this," Vincent admitted. "You all stay here and I'll yell stay away if there's danger."
Webby looked at him unsure and then nodded. What were the odds that the Enforcers of Order would be waiting for him here, at a random house that Louie found in a random book.
Vincent stepped inside the room and then took a look around.
The door then shut behind him immediately and candles lit up along the front hallway. An echo of laughter could be heard.
"Oh Vinney, you've made it too easy this time," Rosina spoke up as she stepped out of the darkness.
"Rosina? Of course, a witch on Halloween," Vincent facepalmed. "You're at your strongest tonight aren't you."
"That's right Vinney," Rosina nodded. "You know that celestial events and spooky holidays like this gives us witches boosts in manna. That being said it has nothing to do with the Cult of Isis, but right now we aren't on speaking terms."
"I thought Jackie got rid of you?", Vincent wondered. "How did you escape?"
"Oh you know how crafty I can be Vincent," Rosina nodded. "I can't control her, but I can still mess with her mind a little. Make her think that she's excellent at chaining me when the cuffs are too loose, make her think that the dungeon doors are closed when they are open a slight crack, making her think that she stole my Pendant of Quetzalcoatl when she didn't, stuff like that you know."
"Got it you played mind games," Vincent sighed. "But they won't work on me." The Celtic markings formed on his hands and arms. Those markings glowed blue along with his eyes and his black friendship bracelet."
"Ah yes, your connection to Lena," Rosina groaned. "It was a toss up really, whether I'd go after you tonight or go after her. Unfortunately she's also gained quite powerful since the last time I fought with her."
"She's no longer held down by Magica's power," Vincent explained. "She's her own Sorceress with her own source of magic."
"Good for her, she'll be a burnt corpse when I have you."
"You and what army?" Vincent mentally facepalmed after stating that, and on queue a vampire started crawling of a treasure chest. Then a slime monster merged, a were duck, a more stereo typical witch, and for some reason Frankenstein's monster was real. "Ok first off, I want the big green guy's autograph, peak fiction right there. Also, what?"
"Help us," the witch groaned as she remained in a almost mindless state.
"You've taken control of them," Vincent realized.
"Really Vincent, that's what your surprised by," Rosina rolled her eyes. "It's not like controlling people is my special witch power or anything. These monsters were wasting their talents, waiting in some run down house just to steal candy. Disgraceful, they even had stupid puppets and clown makeup."
"That's the current genre of horror," Vincent defended them. "It's not their fault they had to get with the times."
"I hate horror films," Rosina spat. "They are so inaccurate and not even that scary."
"Vincent?", Webby spoke up as she entered the room with the other kids.
"No screaming, I'm sure that's a good sign," Louie figured.
"No, stay out," Vincent yelled to them.
"Oh good, hostages," Rosina smiled. She snapped her fingers and pointed at the kids. "Monsters, seize the brats!"
"Run," Vincent yelled to them as they made their way towards a door that had a door, that had another door. "Screw this." Vincent blew a hole in the doors and they all started running out into the hallway as the monsters chased them.
"Surprisingly fast for a bunch of twerps," Rosina admitted. "What are you all waiting for? Chase them, and don't let them leave the property!"
The group made their way down a hallway until they made their way out the backdoor. The kids put a chair under the doorknob as they all panted. Now they were in a cemetery covered with fog.
Vincent groaned as he placed his hands over his face and started panting heavily "I should have just blasted her. Why am I still afraid?"
"She had a whole group of monsters helping her," Webby assured him. "I wanted to punch her also, but running was the best option."
"She probably stole all the candy also," Louie grumbled as he kicked a nearby pebble on the ground.
"Well we can ignore her and go back to trick or treating," Huey figured. "We can still catch the back half of the neighborhood."
"You and your lists," Louie groaned. "We should go back in for the candy."
"No," Vincent shook his head. "Candy isn't worth dealing with Rosina. We should go with Huey's plan, and call the authorities also. I'm sure Officer Cabrera is itching for another chance to arrest Rosina."
"It's just not worth the risk," Huey nodded.
"Why, because it's not on your stupid map," Louie groaned. "Well I'm putting it on there, give it to me." He snatched Huey's map from him and the two of them started fighting. Webby and Dewey moved to separate the two while Vincent was having another one of his panic attacks.
"Vincent," the faded memory of his mother spoke up. "It's so good to see you again. Come give your mother a hug my precious angel."
That was Vincent's first adventure where he met Rosina. She had taken the form of his mother to draw him in and then she took control of him and pitted him up against his mentor, Madame Aurora.
"Guys we need to go," Vincent groaned as he tried to regain his senses. The light from the marks on his hands started fading, it's power revolved around friendship. So the boys bickering must be causing it to power down. He'll have to draw from the Path of Order for now, but he didn't have a lot of runes or mage crystals on him at the moment. Not to mention his connection with that path was getting weaker and weaker the more he drew from Friendship.
"Wait a minute," Louie spoke up as he looked at Huey's map. "Hazel House, fabled candy fortune, stay away. You knew about this?"
"No," Huey responds. "Ok, fine, yes."
The two of them got into another argument, but at this point Vincent was tuning them out. He and Dewey turned to see the classic witch was back and she was crawling out of a well.
"Ahoy," Dewey spoke up. "Starboard side."
"No Port side," Vincent corrected him. The group got backed into a corner as all the monsters started surrounding them.
"Vinney, it's time to submit," Rosina grinned.
"No," Webby yelled before jumping and kicking at Rosina.
"Webby," Vincent yelled.
"Brat," Rosina groaned as Frankenstein's Monster moved in the way and blocked Webby's attack.
Frankenstein's Monster then moved to smack Webby back, but Vincent chucked one of his runes causing the Monster to fall back. The Wereduck then howled and charged along with the vampire as Vincent chucked his last two runes at them.
"Looks like you're all out of tricks Vinney!" She and the witch started chanting together as a dark cloud surrounded Vincent.
"No," Webby yelled as she tried to run to Vincent. She was held down by the wereduck.
The vampire then grabbed the boys.
"Sorry kids, but Halloween is over," Rosina laughed.
"It's over?", the witch whined as she continued to chant. "But what about our candy?"
"Geez, you're harder to control then I thought," Rosina admitted. "Well this holiday does give you a boost also. No matter, once I control Vincent all forces of magic will bow to me!"
"Vincent I'm sorry," Webby cried. "I promised to protect you from her, from the forces of Order."
"It's not your fault," Vincent groaned. "I should have been stronger, I should have just let you kids have your own adventure, Rosina never met any of you, she would have left you all alone."
"No, it's Louies fault," Huey yelled. "We went into an obvious monster infested place when we could have had a normal night trick or treating. But no, he wanted Halloween to be all about him and not having to put in work searching for candy ever again. We missed Halloween because of him!"
"I was doing this for everyone," Louie yelled. "We were all going to have a life supply of candy and... and that's the problem."
"I didn't want this to be our last Halloween," Huey admitted. "I wanted Halloween to be a family adventure just like it use to be."
"I... I'm sorry," Louie apologized. "I should have listened. This is all my fault."
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I already knew about this place," Huey apologized back. "I guess had I let you in my plan, you would have told me yours and we could have worked something out together."
Vincent suddenly felt a surge of strength flowing through himself as his markings glowed again.
"More speeches about friendship," Rosina yelled angrily. "Destroy the brats so I don't have to!"
"No," Vincent yelled as the magic surged around him and the other monsters.
The monsters let go of the kids and felt like they were waking up from a dream.
"W-what? That's impossible," Rosina responded before she tried to vanish away, but the classic witch stopped her with her own powers. Lights suddenly turned on and the fog faded away revealing it wasn't a backyard cemetery, but another decorated room in the house.
The monsters all turned angrily towards Rosina as she stumbled back. "N-no, don't come near me."
"You've wasted our entire night," the vampire growled. "If we can't have candy, then we will have you."
"No, come on Vinney, you can't let them eat me," Rosina called out to him. "It was all just a bit of fun. We were artifact hunting rivals."
"You didn't want a rival Rosina," Vincent shook his head. "You wanted a slave. Now you'll get what you deserve. But first!" Vincent yanked the pendant of Quetzalcoatl off of her neck and backed away. "Have at her."
"In ancient times we would have fed on you children if we didn't get our treats," the vampire stated. "But tonight we'll make an exception."
"The problem of you modern witches is you are too obsessed with power," the classic witch stated. "You forgot the very fundamentals that drove you to magic."
Things were too good to be true, a hacksaw started carving it's way into the room revealing a buffed man in a hockey mask.
"You guys do slasher films also?", Vincent questioned.
"That's not one of ours," the vampire explained.
Rosina grinned before vanishing away while the monsters were frightened.
"This ends now demons," the slasher yelled in Launchpad's voice.
It all went crazy from there as the monsters tried to escape their own horror house.
Vincent was just done with it all as he laid back. Webby sat next to him and grabbed his shoulder. The boys then all sat with them. Having avoided a near death experience took a lot out of them, and unfortunately Rosina was still out there.
Later Della explained that Launchpad didn't know what Halloween even was. The monsters were all impressed with his ability to scare so much they forgot entirely about Rosina. Huey had suggested using the manor as a test run for Launchpad and Dewey suggested using it as an all night Candy Store. Scrooge was behind the idea the moment he heard he could make a profit from it.
The monsters were at least appeased, since they got the candy they craved so much, and the family took a photo with the monsters that would be hung up in that abandoned house.
"Vincent," Webby spoke up as she came downstairs.
"Couldn't sleep either," Vincent figured.
"I'm sorry I pushed this on you," Webby apologized. "I didn't want you to be alone on Halloween."
"You didn't push anything on me," Vincent shook his head. "I wanted to come, but I'm sure since Rosina was there, this wasn't how the actual timeline was supposed to go. I almost got you all killed again."
"That happens with or without you though," Webby assured. "Adventuring is going to be dangerous, no matter what timeline we are in."
"Webby I can forgive fourteen year old me for not being able to take on Phantom Blot, I can't forgive myself for losing my powers over a dumb argument between a couple of preteens... and, why does Rosina still scare me!" Webby backed up when he yelled and Vincent sighed. "Sorry. I shouldn't bring down everyone else's mood because of my own drama."
"A couple days ago Lena was saying the same thing," Webby reminded him. "She found herself, I'm sure you will to. I mean, you did back in that cave. When we were fighting Britt together and she brought the Moonlander's cannon."
"I remember," Vincent nodded. He remembered that Webby almost died again. That he had to use the healing spell that never worked for him before in order to save her."
"Sure your power keeps turning on and off, but it's not dangerous, you just need more control," Webby figured.
"It's not about control," Vincent shook his head. "I'm just not that powerful of a mage. I'm not that strong of a big brother." Vincent shook his head and then smiled. "Don't worry about that right now though. We can talk about it tomorrow if you want."
When Vincent got up and left the room, Webby pulled out her phone and texted Cassandra. "We need to talk, about Rosina. How did you beat her?"