Call Me Launch-Dad

Chapter 2: Hunt for the Perfect Breakfast!

An alarm rang within a room.

Della sat up from her bed and turned off the alarm… by tossing it out the open window. She did her normal morning routine. She got out of bed, stretched a bit, showered, put on her normal attire and headed downstairs to the kitchen to get some food in her belly.

When she went downstairs to the dining hall, she saw her kids and Webby already sitting there.

"Morning kids." Della greeted the four.

"Morning, mom/Della." The triplets and Webby greeted back.

"Waiting for breakfast?" Della asked earning nod from the children. "No worries. I'll go in there and cook something up Della style." Della said with a proud smile as she headed for the kitchen.

"Actually mom, we're waiting for-" but before Huey could finish, coming out the door and almost smashing the door against Della, was Launchpad with trays in his hands that had plates of food on them.

"Breakfast is ready!" Launchpad exclaimed with a big smile, surprising Della.

(Cue Theme Song)

Della watched with wide eyes as Launchpad served the children breakfast.

"What are you doing here?" Della asked.

"Making breakfast." Launchpad answered, still smiling.

"I can see that, but what I mean is 'why are you here at the mansion so early?'" Della asked with more clarity.

"Simple. I'm the dad and any good dad takes care of his family, like making them breakfast." Launchpad answered, still smiling with his fists pressed against his hips.

"Oh right. The fake family plan." Della said with a dull expression, remembering what she got herself into.

"Mom, you got to try these hash browns! They're the best!" Dewey exclaimed with a smile and his mouth full.

"The secret ingredient… is salt." Launchpad said with a proud smile.

"I got to admit, this stuff does taste better than any breakfast Beakley's made." Louie said only to get nudged in the arm by Webby.

"Don't say that. Granny is very self-conscious about her cooking skills… and has eyes everywhere~." Webby whispered.

Louie now looked a bit worried. When a sudden ringing sound was heard, he screamed in shock.

"Sorry. Dropped my knife." Huey said as he bent over to grab his utensil off the floor.

"Here. I made some for you too." Launchpad said as he placed a plate of breakfast in front of Della, now sitting down next to Dewey.

Scrooge had just entered the room with a cup of nutmeg tea in hand.

Della looked down at the breakfast to find it was a pancake with eggs for eyes, a smile made of bacon, curly fries for hair, hash browns for ears and bacon wrapped in lean ham that oddly worked as earrings for the hash brown ears.

"Oh. Thanks Launchpad." Della thanked her fellow pilot, surprised by the delicious looking meal he prepared for her.

"Anything for my 'wife'." Launchpad said with a smile just as Scrooge sipped from his tea.

If he wasn't used to a life of unpredictability he would have spat out the tea, but he did choke on the liquid a bit. After gently pounding on his chest, he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Uh, right, let me see if I remember this correctly. Launchpad's family is coming next week to visit an entire month before the air show that I'm sponsoring and he needed you all to pretend to be his wife and children?" Scrooge questioned.

"That's the gist of it." Huey said.

"And telling the truth is out of the question because?"

"It's just too hard to admit to your family, especially your father that you aren't as great as you know he wishes you were." Launchpad said with a frown, arms slumped and head hanging a bit.

"Well I have felt that feeling for a long while before." Scrooge said looking to the side with a frown as he remembered his old problems her had with his father. "I still think sucking it up and telling the truth is better, but to each his own method of approach, I suppose." Scrooge said with a shrug.

Della took a bite of the food Launchpad had made and gave a small moan of delight.

"This is great, Launchpad." Della said with a smile.

"Thank you. I try." Launchpad said with a smile and hands on his hips.

"And succeed! This has to be the best breakfast ever!" Dewey exclaimed with joy as he was halfway done with his meal.

"Nah, trust me Dewey, you haven't tried the best breakfast ever. Nothing beats a sapphire moon omelet." Launchpad said placing a hand on the back Dewey's seat.

This time Scrooge actually spit out his tea in shock.

"Sapphire Moon Omelet?! You mean from the Aqua Sky Kingdom?!" Scrooge asked with loud shock.

"Yeah, exactly." Launchpad answered.

"Wait, you've been to the Aqua Sky Kingdom?" Della asked with equal shock, but less loudness.

"Yeah. It was great. I crash there once and the natives gave me the best breakfast ever had. Sapphire Moon Omelet, Ocean Hog Bacon, Blue River Tea and a Hot Sky Muffin that was so soft that it felt like you were biting into a cloud." Launchpad said with a big, nostalgic smile as he remembered the best breakfast he ever had.

"Um, that's actually impossible… and inaccurate. Clouds aren't soft, they're actually very heavy. In fact an average cloud's weight is over a million pounds. That's more than seventy tyrannosaurus rexes." Huey explained.

"Launchpad, do you remember where the Aqua Sky Kingdom is?" Scrooge asked as he leaned out of his seat.

"Not really." Launchpad said with a shrug, causing Scrooge to be crestfallen as he fell back in his seat. "But they did give me this medallion. They said if I ever wanted to come back I just had to use it to find my way back." Launchpad said, bringing a spark back into the aged adventurer.

"Do you still have it?" Scrooge asked leaning back out of his seat.

"Yeah. It's back at my home. Somewhere." Launchpad answered.

"Ha, Ha!" Scrooge laughed as he hopped atop the table. "Gear up family! We're heading out for another adventure!" Scrooge exclaimed with excitement and new resolution.

"Can we finish breakfast first?" Louie asked.

.

.

After breakfast, everyone headed to Launchpad's home/garage where they all were looking through his stuff to find the medallion he had talked about.

Kind of difficult since Launchpad's place was a bit messy with stuff everywhere, along with car parts.

Everyone was looking through the place trying to find the medallion.

"Launchpad, why do you keep your place so messy?" Della asked as she tossed away a car axle.

"I kind of like it. It's like a treasure trove of motor vehicles of the past." Webby said with a smile as she helped move things around. She then took out what looked to be a fan looking device. "Like this… fan thing?"

"That's a boat propeller." Scrooge answered.

"When did you own a boat, Launchpad?" Huey asked.

"Oh, it's right here." Launchpad said as he walked over to a pile of parts, pulled out a pipe as it all collapsed to the ground, revealing a boat underneath it all, surprising the others. "Won it when I was nineteen from a band of pirates." Launchpad said as he resumed searching.

"So you don't remember where you placed the medallion then?" Scrooge questioned with a frown.

"I know I placed it somewhere… here." Launchpad said rubbing his chin.

"You earned it before coming to Duckburg, right?" Huey asked.

"Yeah. I crashed in Duckburg back when I was twenty one, so I collected a few things here and there while I was travelling." Launchpad answered.

"So maybe you put it in a special place where you keep all the treasures you collected before arriving." Huey suggested.

"Oh yeah! Under my bed!" Launchpad exclaimed with a smile as he headed for his bedroom upstairs.

The rest followed upstairs to find Launchpad's bedroom where Launchpad pulled away a curtain to reveal a simple bed, a rug next to it that said 'Bed Sweet Bed' on it, a beanbag chair with magazines able vehicles and airshows beside it and a poster of none other than his family, The Flying McQuacks.

While Launchpad looked under the bed, Della looked to the poster of Launchpad's family.

Launchpad's father, Ripcord McQuack, was a big bulky guy like Launchpad with reddish hair and thick reddish eyebrows, and a big cleft chin just like Launchpad's but a bit thick. He wore a purple aviator's jacket with a fur collar, a lavender scarf, beige pants, black boots and an aviator's cap with a pair of goggles.

Launchpad's mother, Birdie McQuack, was a short woman compared to the rest of her family. Her hair was shoulder length and the same shade of color as Launchpad's. She wore a seafoam green long sleeved dress with a dark green belt around the waist, dark green flats, a dark green scarf and an aviator's cap with goggles just like her husband's.

Finally was Launchpad's sister, Loopey McQuack, who was half a foot shorter than her brother and she had a blonde curly bob haircut that was brushed to the sides. She wore a bright red band wrapped around her head right under the peak of her hair, a pink jacket pea coat-like jacket with a bright red belt wrapped around the waist, a bright red scarf around her neck, red violet leggings and bright red boots with pink soles at the bottom of them.

The poster of them was from an airshow they did in Toronto five years ago, where they tested the first multi-manned plane, able to hold up to four people. It was just them three, so they had to use auto-pilot for the fourth seat.

She knew about this because she read up on them the first night she came back to Earth.

She smiled at the sight of the poster, but what got her was what she saw right next to Loopey's picture. It was a picture of Launchpad's smiling face with a childish drawing made of crayon underneath it.

Della frowned at the sight, feeling sad for Launchpad. He really missed his family and wished he was with them. Or at least was flying with them, especially at their big shows.

She looked to the big guy, who was still looking under his bed.

"I know it's here some… ah-ha!" Launchpad pulled out a brown, rectangular chest. He opened it up to reveal treasures like gold, jewels, small statues; basically everything you'd find on adventures to different places around the world.

The family gasped at the sight.

"Bless me bagpipes." Scrooge said with wide eyes.

"Here it is." Launchpad said as he took out a paper bag with a pair of holes in it.

"A lunch bag?" Louie questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Not just any lunch bag. This was the same one I wore when I left my family. I remember it being packed with mom's tuna fish sandwich and apple slices for my first airshow." Launchpad said, causing his friends to develop sad faces for the guy. When he opened it he took a big whiff of the air. "You can still the tuna." He said with a nostalgic smile.

"Ew." Della said with her face scrunched up with disgust.

"Here it is." Launchpad said taking out a golden medallion with a blue beaded chain attached to it.

It had the design of a bird with two long feathers sticking out the top of its head similar to a King of Saxony bird-of-paradise, but it had a long body with large wingspan and a tail feather shaped like a Chinese fan. The bird design was surrounded by golden waves, and the edges of the medallion had blue gems embedded in a ring around the center design.

Launchpad handed the medallion to Scrooge.

"I can't believe I'm actually holding actual treasure from the Aqua Sky Kingdom." Scrooge said with a smile, but then he noticed the blue beaded chain had a yellow hexagonal stone wrapped around it. "Is this a honey comb diamond from Microbeesia?!"

"Oh yeah. That place was buzzing with giant bees, who were way more unfriendly than actual bees. Especially when you helped yourself to some of their honey." Launchpad said.

Scrooge took the honey comb diamond out before handing it to Launchpad.

"Hey can I have that?" Louie asked.

"Okay." Launchpad said with a shrug and handed Louie the diamond.

"Thanks." Louie said with a smile.

"Louie~." Della scolded her son with narrowed eyes and fists on her hips.

"What? He said I can have it." Louie said with a shrug.

Scrooge examined the medallion from one side to the other.

"No engraved map on the back." Scrooge said with squinted eyes.

"Yeah it doesn't have one. Weird, right?" Launchpad said with a shrug. "But it does have a nice picture when you shine in front of the Sun."

Scrooge's eyes widened with surprise. He looked up to notice a small window with sun shining through it. He lifted the medallion up to the light, causing the blue gems to shine and shoot out rays of blue light that shined onto the floor creating an image of a map. It showed an image of a part of the world map, but it had what looked to be a new island in the middle of the certain part of the area which had an X on it.

"The gems shine a map that leads to the kingdom!" Huey exclaimed the obvious.

"Oh cool!" Launchpad exclaimed with a smile.

"From the looks of the map, there's an island where the Atlantic and Southern Oceans meet." Huey said pointing at the X.

"I know that area well. Of course it would be hiding there." Scrooge said with a frown.

"Hiding where exactly?" Louie asked, not liking his grand uncle's tone of dread.

"Time to shove off." Scrooge said as he headed for the stairs.

"Shove off where?" Louie asked with rising fear as everyone followed Scrooge. "Guys?"

.

.

Everyone was now in the Sun Chaser/Cloud Slayer heading for the Atlantic and Southern Oceans borders.

"The What?!" Louie screamed.

"The Blue Ice Storm. Believed to be a storm that originated from Antarctica, it is a giant storm cloud that is both as cold as the ice of Antarctica and has lightning that freezes anything upon contact." Scrooge explained.

"And we're heading right for it… just for another helping of breakfast?" Louie questioned with a frown, in disbelief that they're risking their life for something so foolish.

"Ah, Ah, The Best Breakfast Ever!" Dewey said with a big smile.

"We're not just heading there for a meal. You see there is an ancient treasure there that the legendary Isabella Finch had never collected. It was always left a mystery. Many have wondered why she had left it all a mystery." Scrooge explained.

"And we're heading right for it to find out? Hasn't it ever occurred to people that there's a reason for that?" Louie questioned.

Within the cockpit, Della was flying while Launchpad was looking through the world map.

"So it looks like we'll have to fly by this big green patch here." Launchpad said pointing at a continent.

Della looked over to see for herself.

"That's Africa." Della clarified.

"Oh… I don't remember it being so green since last time." Launchpad said as he squinted his eyes and leaned closer to the map. "Do you think that's because of the trees?" Launchpad asked Della.

"No, that's just how maps are designed. So you actually flew through this storm when you were younger? How did you make it?"

"Simple. I flew through." Launchpad said with a smile.

"That's it?" Della questioned with shock. "Weren't you scared? Didn't you register the danger you flying into?"

"Not really. I was too depressed to pay attention to anything. I didn't even notice the storm until one of my wings were hit by the frost lightning." Launchpad said.

"What in the world got you so down that you didn't even bother noticing a storm?" Della asked.

Launchpad sat up straight as he had a serious yet somber expression. He then looked out the side window and stared at the clouds.

"Her name was Oceanica."

"Oh boy." Della said, knowing she was in for a story.

.

.

It had been almost an hour and the kids were trying to find way to quench their boredom.

Dewey was playing with a yo-yo that occasionally whacked him in the face, but he was too bored to even care about the pain, Louie looking stuff up on his phone, Huey was reading through his Junior Woodchucks Guidebook reciting the rules in order.

Webby was gazing out the window, cloud watching with a bored expression, trying to find ones that were shaped like other things.

"That one looks like cotton candy… that one looks like a heart… that one looks like Mickey Mouse…" Webby looked to her side to see Scrooge reading through his old book about the adventures of Isabella Finch. "You reading up on her adventures from the kingdom?" Webby asked.

"What little she mentioned at least. Isabella was always trying to keep as much of the kingdom's secrets as that. Secrets. The only thing she mentioned was that it had a natural defense with something lurking inside." Scrooge answered before he looked to the bird design on the medallion. "I wonder…"

Back with our two pilots, Launchpad had finished telling Della his old love story.

"So you actually dated the Queen of the Oceans herself?" Della questioned with wide eyes.

"Yep. Although she was just a princess back then. She wouldn't be the queen if I stayed though." Launchpad said.

"So you left it for the greater good of the world then." Della said with a somber tone.

"It had to be done. The oceans needed a queen. It was the biggest sacrifice I ever made. I was so depressed I just flew off into the sunset, not caring where I was going until I hit that storm over there." Launchpad said pointing out the window.

"Over there?" Della looked back out the front window only for her eyes to widen as she saw a storm of cloud light gray clouds and ice blue colored lightning. "Oh no. Attention Passengers! We're Approaching the Blue Ice Storm!" Della called out getting the rest of the group's attention.

They all rushed over to see the approaching storm.

"The Legendary Blue Ice Storm. A storm so deadly that it is said to be the closest anyone can to feeling the cold grip of the reaper himself." Scrooge said.

"Did I mention how much I am not for this adventure?" Louie said with a deep frown.

"Relax, if Launchpad can make it through, than anyone can." Scrooge said with a dismissive wave. "No offence Launchpad."

"No worries." Launchpad said with a shrug.

"Alright, no worries Della. You survive a cosmic storm, you can survive this." Della said to herself. She then glanced to the others with a worried look. "While making sure none of the passengers get hurt… or losing another leg."

A lightning bolt shot pass them causing them all to scream.

"You know, we could just turn back now and eat a second breakfast on another continent. Better than just risking our lives into a storm." Louie said before another lightning bolt suddenly struck a part of the plane's wing. "That has lightning bolts made of ice!"

"Actually I don't think they're made of ice." Huey said. "They could be made of-"

"Who cares?!" Louie screamed with his hands up.

"Here we go!" Della shouted right before they all flew into the storm.

They all screamed as Della tried to maneuver around the lightning bolts of the storm. Della gritted her teeth and had her eyes wide as she tried avoiding bolts of lightning, but some managed to strike the Cloud Slayer/Sun Chaser. After a while, she managed to find her rhythm.

"Are we doomed yet?" Louie asked as he was on the floor with his hands over his head.

"Well we're not frozen yet." Dewey said down to his brother.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this." Della said with a nervous smile.

"Hmm." Launchpad was busy looking out the side window. He then looked out the front looking around.

"Uh, something you want to tell us here Launchpad?" Della asked with new worry.

"Just wondering where she is." Launchpad said.

"Where who is?" Webby asked as they all started to worry.

"The Guardian of the Storm." Launchpad nonchalantly answered.

"The what?" Della questioned as she and the others looked to him with wide eyes.

"The Guardian of the Storm. She's a giant flying bird who guards the kingdom within the storm itself. In fact, I think she's the one making the storm itself." Launchpad said with a casual smile.

"A giant bird you say?" Scrooge questioned.

"By any chance, is this guardian the bird on the medallion?" Huey asked with new dread as Scrooge brought out the medallion.

"Yeah, that's her." Launchpad said pointing to the bird designed on the medallion. Suddenly they all heard a loud roaring squawk making them all flinch. "Hey, that must be her." Launchpad said with a smile.

They all noticed a giant shadow flying within the clouds.

They all gulped.

"Why'd you all gulp? What's happening?!" Louie asked hysterically as he looked up to the others with new fear.

"Let's say hi!" Launchpad suggested with a big smile.

"Let's not." Huey suggested with wide scared eyes.

"Everyone buckle up!" Della shouted. Everyone did so as Della tried flying away. "Launchpad, how did you avoid this bird?" Della asked her co-pilot.

"Avoid her?" Launchpad questioned, before the plane was hit again by lightning, this time striking the tail of the plane, causing it to start losing balance.

Della tried to balance the plane, but it was difficult to do so considering she had to avoid lightning bolts that freeze anything upon impact while the tail end of your plane is frozen!

Dewey looked out the plane to see more bolts of lightning with one of them striking the wing.

"That was way too close to the propeller!" Dewey shouted.

"We don't need to fly away from her. Let's just fly back and explain this whole thing." Launchpad said.

"Are you serious?!" Della shouted with a stressed look.

"Launchpad, we're being chased by an angry giant bird that shoots freezing lightning and you want to say hi to her?!" Huey shouted.

"Yeah, why not? I know her. He helped got me there after-"

Suddenly they were hit again.

Della looked to her left out the side window to see the propeller on the left wing was finally frozen.

"We're hit!" Della shouted just as the plane started to go down.

"We're dead!" Louie shouted before he covered his entire head with his hood.

"Hey this is how it happened to me too." Launchpad said still smiling. The plane suddenly stopped in midair. "This part too." Launchpad added.

The Cloud Slayer/Sun Chaser was lifted up by something big. They all looked to the front of the plane to see a pair of the giant blue glowing eyes of a giant gray bird.

The Guardian of the Storm was gargantuan enough to hold the entire Cloud Slayer/Sun Chaser in its talons. It had a giant wing span with a mixture of white feathers under its wings and more on its belly, while the rest of its feathers were gray and sticking out atop its head were a long pair of electric blue feathers with ice blue stripes designed on them.

The Guardian let out another roaring squawk forcing the others to cover their ears.

"Yep… we're dead." Louie said with a frown and shoulders slumped.

"Hi Misty!" Launchpad called out with a smile and wave.

The Guardian's eyes widened and stopped glowing to reveal regular bird eyes with blue iris. The Guardian looked closer into the window view of the plane to see Launchpad waving at it. The Guardian squawk with a smile, seeing the bulky pilot.

"Yeah, I just came back for a visit. This is my family." Launchpad said gesturing to the others.

"Uh… hi." Della greeted the Guardian, still having a look of fear like the rest.

"You mind getting us there and out of this storm?" Launchpad asked.

The Guardian squawked with a nod before it opened its beak wide and suddenly ate the plane, causing everyone, but Launchpad, to scream as they were swallowed by the Guardian.

Now the Cloud Slayer/Sun Chaser rested inside the fleshy insides of the Guardian.

"Great… we're bird food." Louie said with his arms crossed.

"Your bird friend at us! Why?!" Huey shouted.

"So she can get us through the storm." Launchpad answered, turning to the others.

"What?" Della questioned.

"This happened last time. I was knocked out, but the natives told me she keeps people in her stomach so to keep them from getting hurt by the storm she makes. She makes them every time she flaps her wings." Launchpad explains.

"Oh I get in now." Huey said.

"You do?" Dewey questioned.

"The storm is caused by the friction and gusts of wind made from the Guardian's wings every time she flaps them. She ate us so we would be protected from the storm she is causing. She couldn't guide us to the kingdom with the danger her flying creates." Huey explained.

"Incredible! That's one mystery solved." Scrooge said with a proud smile and determined look.

"You said you were knocked out last time. What happened back then?" Webby asked.

"Well when she first grabbed my biplane I noticed a huge thorn in her foot. I took it out and we became friends. Then I got hit by lightning. After that I woke up in bed at the medical hut. That's when I had that perfect breakfast." Launchpad explained with a nostalgic smile.

"You got struck by lightning?" Della questioned with shock.

"Yeah. Brought a new meaning to icy-hot. Although it was hot first then icy." Launchpad said rubbing his chin.

"So she's taking us straight to the kingdom?" Dewey asked.

"Yep. She drops us off at the thorn forest-"

"Thorn forest?" Huey and Louie questioned.

"Wait, how do you know there was a thorn forest?" Dewey asked.

"I saw it on my way out the kingdom when I was back in my biplane. I didn't have to worry about going through it since they carried me through while I was unconscious." Launchpad answered.

"So~ is there any chance they'll carry us through when we get there or do we have to walk?" Louie asked, hoping it was the former. He didn't have high hopes though.

They all felt movement, causing them to flinch.

"Looks like we made it." Launchpad said.

The plane suddenly started to move causing everyone to scream again as they were all coughed up by the Guardian. The plane landed hard upon some sort of land, causing everyone and everything within to jump from impact. Luckily everyone was wearing their seat belts. Can't say the same for the items inside.

They all groaned feeling uneased and dizzy from the experience. They all noticed the grassy land the plane was on, but what also caught their attention was the giant thorny vines across from them.

"Whoa." Della said with shock.

They all unbuckled and got out of the plane where they saw the Guardian rest on the edge of cliff.

"Thanks, Misty!" Launchpad called out with a smile.

The Guardian, Misty, let out a squawk before she turned and flew off with bolts of lightning shooting out her wings before she disappeared into the storm clouds once more.

Della looked over her plane to notice the ice gone from it.

"The propeller… it's unfrozen." Della said with surprise.

"It was pretty warm in there." Louie said, referring to Misty's stomach.

"Maybe Misty's stomach is so warm inside that it melts the ice created from her own lightning bolts." Webby said.

"Well makes it easier for repairs. Although, I don't think there is any real damage done to the Cloud Slayer." Della said as she looked around her plane.

Scrooge walked near the edge where Misty was and looked around to see the clouds of the Ice Blue Storm surrounding what looks to be…

"A floating island. This is indeed the correct place." Scrooge said.

"So she said it was a floating island?" Webby asked walking up next to Scrooge.

"All Isabella wrote was that the Aqua Sky Kingdom was an ancient place that somehow flew into the sky and remained hidden from the rest of the world. It's also been said that there is an ancient gift the land gives that raises those trapped on ground to reach the clouds above." Scrooge explained as he and Webby rejoined the others.

"I don't see why anyone would want a gift like that with a huge storm cloud surrounding it." Louie said. Then suddenly a spear stabbed into the ground near them. "That also rains spears?! Seriously?!" Louie shouted with new worry.

"I don't think that was caused by Misty." Huey said as he and the others looked up to see a group of three flying down towards them.

Landing in front of the group were three masked warriors of varying size.

They had masks made of wood marking painted on them with various colors, taping around their feet and hands, and they wore silver armor with embedded blue gems over their shoulders, torso and forearms. The most distinguishing part of their appearance were a pair of aqua blue with white colored wings. They all carried spears in hand and swords tied to their backs.

"Who dares arrives upon the land of our kingdom?" The largest and tallest of the three demanded answers.

"Um… us?" Dewey spoke up as they all were on their toes.

"Hi Otto." Launchpad greeted the big guard with a smile and wave.

"Oh, Launchpad! Hey!" The big guard, Otto greeted the pilot with a wave.

"Hi Launchpad." A slender guard greeted with a wave.

"Wassup." The third guard greeted with a female voice.

They took off their masks to reveal their faces.

The tall bulky guard was a duck with a full fuzzy beard, the slender guard was also a duck had blonde hair that is slicked back and the third was a female scarlet macaw with shoulder length black hair.

"Nice to have you back." Otto said with a smile. "It's been, what? Eleven years?"

"Yeah sounds right." Launchpad said.

"Who are these others?" Otto asked, pointing to the Duck/McDuck family.

"Are you there hostage?" The female guard asked with narrowed eyes and pointing her spear forward.

"Easy, Asia." Otto said with a hand up.

"No, this is my family." Launchpad said surprising the three guards.

"Really?" The slender guard asked with surprise.

"You have kids?" Asia asked looking to the four children. "Wow. You work fast." She said as she put her spear down.

"You guys… have wings? Used for flying?!" Webby asked with excitement. "Is that thanks to the ancient gift?!"

"How do you know about the gift?" The slender guard asked.

"Launchpad, did you break your promise?" Otto asked.

"Nope. I kept my lips shut about it like you asked." Launchpad said with a lip zip moment.

"I learned about it myself from the stories of Isabella Finch." Scrooge said showing off his book. "She never mentioned in detail the treasure itself. Only that it had the ability to give those trapped on the ground the ability to reach the clouds above. I knew it had to do with flight, but this is astounding!" Scrooge said with amazement.

"Yeah, they're pretty cool." The slender guard said with a smile as he petted his wings. "Launchpad almost got a pair of his own once."

"You did? Why didn't you?" Huey asked as they all looked over to Launchpad.

"Flying a plan was more my style. If I had wings there'd be no reason to fly a plane. You can't beat that experience." Launchpad said with a smile.

"But you could have flown any time you want!" Dewey exclaimed.

"Well I still can with Sun Chaser." Launchpad said gesturing to the large plane.

"Not if you get a Frisbee trapped in a tree at the park." Dewey said with a frown, remembering his old toy.

"I can with my biplane. Just need to find first." Launchpad said rubbing his chin in thought where his old aircraft was.

"So what'd you come here for?" Otto asked.

"The best breakfast ever!" Dewey cheered with a grin.

"Yeah, remember when you brought me in when I was unconscious and they gave me the best meal ever?" Launchpad asked with a smile.

"Oh right. You wouldn't stop talking about how good it was." Asia said with a stoic expression.

"Well some of us actually came for the adventure and witness the amazing secrets of the land that Isabella Finch had kept hidden from the rest of the world." Scrooge said.

The three guards looked to one another. Otto then walked over to Scrooge.

"Let me tell you this. What secrets this land holds is best kept as that to the rest of the world. What little Isabella shared is what she could share. Some things are best kept hidden. Trust me." Otto said to Scrooge with a serious expression.

"That's fine. I only came to find out for myself." Scrooge said.

"Alright then. So long as you keep the dangerous and extremely valuable things secret then we'll have no problems." Otto said with a shrug. "So since you're here with Launchpad I suppose you'll be wanting a ride over the thorn forest."

"Yes please." Louie said.

"No thank you." Scrooge said.

"What?!" Louie exclaimed with shock.

"Isabella Finch travelled through this forest herself, did she not?" Scrooge asked.

"Yes, she did." Otto answered.

"Then it's only fitting that adventurers like ourselves take a chance to explore a hazard that the greatest has survived herself. Plus I am curious myself what dangers lie inside it besides thorns." Scrooge said as he headed for the thorn forest.

"Oh that's simple. Vine Men and Greed Seeds." Otto said.

"Vine who and Greed what?" Louie questioned with wide eyes.

"Vine men and Greed Seeds. The Vine Men are just as one would expect. They are plant men made from the thorn vines themselves. These vines however are created by the Greed Seeds. Their real name is just really long and a mouthful so we just call them Greed Seeds because anyone who manages to survive the storm were usually greedy and the seeds somehow grow bigger after eating one." Otto explained.

"This is way too much work for a second breakfast." Louie said with a frown.

"You know Uncle Scrooge, the Cloud Slayer isn't as banged up as we thought. We could just fly over the forest instead of having to face Vine Men." Della suggested.

"Alright fine. You lot can fly over the forest. I myself will be getting the full experience of this place." Scrooge said as he stubbornly went into the forest.

Della let out a sigh and her arms became more slumped.

"Uh, should I start the plane? Because I feel bad leaving Mr. Mc-D in a dangerous forest filled with thorns and guys made of vines turning him into a meal." Launchpad spoke to Della.

"Let's go with Uncle Scrooge. Heaven knows he'll probably need us to keep him from becoming seed food." Della said. "Keep the plane safe for me, would ya?" Della asked, earning a nod from Otto before her and Launchpad headed their way to the thorn forest.

"Or you could just fly us over it while Launchpad goes with Uncle Scrooge by himself." Louie suggested with a hopeful smile.

"Louie." Webby, Dewey and Huey said his name with disapproval and frowns.

"What? Just a suggestion." Louie said with a pout and hands in his hoodie pockets as he and the kids followed Della and Launchpad into the thorn forest.

"A family full of adventurers. At least it's better than tourists." Asia said with a frown.

.

.

The family of seven headed through the forest of thorns, all incredibly uncomfortable with all the big spiky thorns scratching and nearly piercing them.

"Why didn't we go on the plane again?" Louie asked as he tried maneuvering pass thorns.

"For authenticity." Scrooge said before his coat was momentarily caught by a thorn.

"Uh huh. Sure." Louie said with a frown before his hood was suddenly caught. "Does anyone even know where we are? Everything looks the same." Louie pointed out as he tried getting his hoodie unstuck.

"Of course I do. We… um…" Scrooge looked around to find a path, but all he found was thorny vines, thorny vines and… more thorny vines. "Go forward?"

"Great. Lost in a forest filled with thorns. Not how I'd pick our grave site, but whatever." Louie said with a frown as he managed to his hoodie unstuck.

"Luckily a Junior Woodchuck is always prepared." Huey said as he took off his cap to reveal his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook, opened it up and took out a compass he was using as a bookmark. "North always leads to civilization so we just follow the compass to… my-my compass… what's happening to my compass?!" Huey shouted as he watched the needle in the center spinning rapidly with no signs of slowing down.

Webby looked over his shoulder to see the problem.

"Maybe it's the storm. The electricity must keep this place in such a powerful magnetic force that your compass is pointing in all directions." Webby theorized.

"Oh no, we're lost! Louie was right! We should have used the plane!" Huey exclaimed as he was now freaking out.

"Told ya." Louie said looking to the side, still frowning.

"Maybe we should go with Uncle Scrooge's plan and just keep moving forward. If this forest is surrounding the kingdom then it's not covering everything on the island. If we just keep moving in one single direction we'll come across something eventually." Dewey said.

"Or we might just keep walking in a large circle, forever stuck in a prickly forest filled with plant creatures who want to feed us to man eating seeds to continue spawning!" Huey screamed with fear.

"Well, we lost Huey." Louie said.

"I am lost in a green place of terror!" Huey screamed as he fell to his knees and hugged his Junior Woodchuck Guidebook.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Dewey's right. We might come across something if we keep moving in one direction." Della said as she knelt over to her eldest triplet with a comforting tone and gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Dewey… right? I know nothing anymore. My greatest fear… its happening." Huey said with wide eyes as he shivered in place.

"Okay Uncle Scrooge, keeping leading the way." Della said turning towards her uncle, but he was out of sight. "Uncle Scrooge?" Della spoke with wide eyes and a new sense of dread as she hopped to her feet.

"Oh no, he's gone! The forest has claimed another!" Huey screamed.

"Wait, look!" Louie exclaimed as he moved pass the others and headed deeper forward. He knelt down and picked up a gold coin. "This has to be from Uncle Scrooge." Louie said with narrowed eyes, he then noticed more on the ground. "And there's another. It's a whole trail of gold!" Louie shouted with a big smile and greedy eyes.

"He left it for us to follow." Webby said.

"I'll lead the way." Della said.

"Uh, I think Louie's got that covered." Dewey said pointing to the youngest triplet who was humming a jolly tune as he followed the trail and collected the coins on the ground.

"Well let's follow before we lose him. We all know he's not gonna stop." Della said as she and the others followed.

"Could someone please carry me?" Huey asked, still shaken up by his world being crumbled.

"I gotcha." Launchpad said as he grabbed Huey and lifted him up over his shoulder, before resuming following the others.

They all followed Louie who blissfully collected the coins and pocketed them, all with a smile on his face. After a while the trail stopped.

"What the? No more? Great. The best part of the adventure and it's already over." Louie said with a frown as he stood up and put his hands in his pockets.

"Did you find him?" Della asked as they all joined Louie, only for all their eyes to widen at seeing what was across from them.

They found an opening where people made of green vines with thorns on their back and heads the shape of seeds with yellow eyes were kneeling around a pit where a giant dark brown seed with thorny vines surrounding it and filling the pit laid.

"What is this?" Louie questioned with a new feeling of worry.

"These must be the vine people and that has to be the Greed Seed." Webby stated.

They all then noticed several Vine Men walking over towards the pit carrying Scrooge, who was tied up with green thorny vines.

"Let me go you conniving walking vegetation!" Scrooge shouted as he struggled, only to let out a pained 'ouch' as he felt his skin get pricked by his thorny holdings.

"And they got Mr. Mc-D." Launchpad said with urgency.

"Okay, we need a plan and quick." Dewey said with a determined expression, but suddenly more Vine Men landed around them with narrowed eyes and sharp javelin thorn weapons. "Not quick enough." Dewey said with a frown.

They were all then tied with thorny vines and started carrying them towards the pit.

The Vine Men holding Scrooge tossed him into the pit where the Greed Seed opened up and ate him.

"Uncle Scrooge/Mr. Mc-D!" The gang shouted with shock.

The Vine Men carried them to the edge of the pit to be tossed next.

"No wait! All I've ever eaten in my life was junk! I'd bring indigestion!" Louie screamed before they were all tossed into the pit, screaming before they were all eaten by the Greed Seed.

They all fell into the seed's insides which was just a huge space filled with some sort of yellow stomach juice. They were submerged by the stomach juice upon impact and quickly swam up above the surface as they all spat out the stomach juice.

"EW~." They all said in disgust.

"Why did this have to be the last thing I'll most likely ever taste?" Della questioned with despair and her tongue out a bit.

"Nice of you all to join me." Scrooge said with a frown and half lidded eyes.

"The water is surprisingly nice and warm." Launchpad said.

"Good thing you left that trail of gold coins." Della said.

"Speaking of which, did any of you decide to collect them?" Scrooge asked.

Louie's eyes were wide.

"No~. Why? Were we supposed to?" Louie 'asked' as he played innocent.

They all noticed that their thorny binds started to dissolve.

"The stomach acid… it's freeing us from the vines." Webby said.

"Great. At least we'll be able to move our arms while we're being digested." Louie said with a frown.

"Let us out, you carnivorous pip!" Scrooge said as he stabbed his cane into the seed's insides only to get electrocuted.

"It's no use! Its insides are too hazardous. We need to somehow get the seed to let us out on its own." Webby said.

"How?" Dewey asked feeling anxious.

"Wait, what was it that Louie said before we were swallowed?" Huey asked.

"I'd give it indigestion?"

"Exactly! If we find a way to give the plant indigestion, then it'll throw up, freeing us!" Huey exclaimed.

"… Is there a better way to get out of here without resorting to being puked out?" Louie asked, looking to the others for any other solution that isn't Huey's.

"The only problem is what is it we can give the seed for that to happen." Webby said.

"Something that isn't a norm for this thing or maybe something known to give indigestion if too much is eaten." Huey said rubbing his chin.

"My stomach usually gets upset whenever I have too much hot sauce." Launchpad said.

"Yeah, but where are we gonna get hot sauce?" Huey questioned.

"I got some in my pocket." Launchpad said as he reached into his aviator jacket and pulled out a red bottle of hot sauce. "See?"

"Why do carry hot sauce with you?" Huey asked with surprise and confusion.

"Well my favorite food is Mexican, so I always carry some hot sauce for whenever we're travelling around the world. You never know when you'll find a taco stand." Launchpad said with a smile before handing Huey the hot sauce.

Huey opened the cap and unloaded all of the hot sauce into the stomach juice.

"There. Now we just have to wait." Huey said as he dropped the rest of the bottle inside the yellow liquid.

"Which might not be long." Launchpad said just as the stomach juice started to bubble… more than expected.

"Launchpad, what kind of hot sauce was that?" Huey asked as they all looked to the stomach juice with wide eyes.

"They call it 'La Lagrima del Diablo'. It means The Devil's Tear. One drop is as hot as a total of twelve bottles of average hot sauce. And you just emptied a whole bottle of the stuff. I can only take a drop before my eyes start to burn. I can only imagine what drinking the whole thing will do." Launchpad explained.

"I think you're about to find out." Dewey said with wide eyes as the stomach juice bubbled more frequently.

"Oh dear." Huey said, frightened that he miscalculated.

On the outside, Greed Seed bloated up in size and rumbled, which confused the Vine Men. Suddenly it spewed out a geyser of yellow bubbling liquid out from its insides, causing the family of duck to rocket into the sky.

They all screamed as they all flew into the air.

"Look! I can see the kingdom!" Scrooge shouted as he pointed towards a grassy green and blue land filled with structures.

"Are those floating islands?!" Dewey shouted as he noticed floating pieces of land.

"With Waterfalls?!" Webby exclaimed with excitement.

They all started to descend downwards, causing them all to scream again with the gold coins Louie collect earlier to fall out of his pockets.

"No, the money!" Louie screamed as he tried grabbing the coins.

They all continued screaming as they were all falling towards the ground, but luckily they were all caught in midair by pairs of hands.

"Huh?" Dewey questioned with wide eyes.

"Don't worry, we got you." A voice spoke as they all now were safely descending towards the kingdom.

Near the ground they all took in the view of the kingdom around them.

The land not only had green grass, but also blue grass. Literal blue grass. There were lakes that had waterfalls coming out of them and rising upwards towards the floating islands above, which I suppose makes them water-rises instead, along with streams of water floating into the air making loops and ring formations, pieces of stone levitating off the ground and even making streams of levitating stones, structures of wood like huts, longhouses and statues were scattered around and there were even what looked to be blue crystals scattered around the kingdom and even more levitating into the air. There were also trees with blue leaves and blue fruit. There were even trees sticking out of the bodies of water with some carrying fruit and others containing bodies of water shaped as fruits with fish swimming inside them.

The creatures around looked similar to the ones on the main lands, like deer, dogs, fish and birds, except they were blue and white and they had wings, allowing them to fly into the air with the fish able to fly into the streams of water above.

"Whoa this is all so… blue." Huey said.

"It's… perfect." Dewey said with a big smile and teary eyes.

The group was placed back safely onto the ground as their saviors flew in front of them and landed upon the ground.

"Welcome to the Aqua Blue Kingdom." A long silver haired tall male duck with a strong upper body and as big as Launchpad greeted them with a smile. He had a gray short sleeve shirt, long black pants and a necklace with a blue gem looking item attached to it.

"Hey Xavier, long time no see." Launchpad greeted the tall silver haired man with a smile.

"Launchpad! Great to see you!" Xavier greeted the pilot with a smile as he walked over and shook his hand. "You bulked up since I last saw you."

"You too! Work around the farm really helped out, huh?" Launchpad said with a smile.

"You know it." Xavier said as he flexed his bicep.

"Great to see you again, Launchpad." A tall slender female duck with long silver hair and a mole on her cheek greeted Launchpad with a smile. She wore a long silver dress with a dark gray sash tied around her waist, gold bangles around her wrists, sandals with blue gem stones embedded into the straps around her feet and ankles, and she also wore a necklace with a blue gem looking item attached to it.

"Silva, how have you been?" Launchpad greeted the silver haired woman with a smile.

"Much better now that you're here." Silva said with a small blush that didn't go unnoticed by the others. However it did by Launchpad. "Who are these people with you?" Silva asked pointing towards the rest.

"Oh this is my family." Launchpad introduced them, causing Xavier, Silva and the rest's eyes to widen.

"Uh, bu-duh-y… your family?" Silva questioned with wide eyes as she then gained a saddened expression.

Xavier gasped with a huge open mouth smile.

"I don't believe it! You married! And had kids!" Xavier said with amazement as he walked over and knelt down in front of the children. "This one looks just like you." Xavier said pointing to Huey.

"Wait what?" Huey questioned.

"I bet you also inherited your father's brains too, huh little guy?" Xavier said, causing Huey to flinch with a horrified look on his face.

"Nah. Dewey's more like Launchpad than anyone." Louie said pointing to his brother in blue.

"You call your father by his first name?" Xavier asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's just a little shaken up by the terror of falling from the sky." Webby spoke up as she walked up to Xavier and extended her hand to him. "Hi! I'm Webby! Webby Vander~… McQuack! Vander's my middle name." Webby said managing to save her slip up as Xavier shook her hand.

"I'm Dewey, this is Huey and Louie. We're the McQuack brothers!" Dewey said as he put on a grin and brought his brother's closer into a hug.

"Oh boy." Louie said looking to the side with a frown at the thought of having to stick with that for a while.

"And you must be Launchpad's wife. He is lucky to find someone as beautiful as you." Xavier said as he stood up with a smile and his hand extended towards Della.

"Uh, yup, that's me! Mrs. McQuack. Della Duck-McQuack to be specific. I hyphenated." Della said forcing on a grin as she shook Xavier's hand. Like her youngest son she felt uneasy having to use Launchpad's surname as part of her own for now. "And this right here is my uncle!" Della gestured to Scrooge, wanting to take any attention off of her.

"Scrooge McDuck." Scrooge greeted with a tip of his hat.

"Nice to make your acquaintance, sir." Xavier said as he extended his hand to shake Scrooge's hand. "Oh what am I doing? You're family to our dear friend! Come here!" Xavier suddenly hugged Scrooge right when he stuck his own hand out.

"So you all too have wings as well?" Huey asked.

"That is correct." Xavier said with a nod as he released Scrooge, then expanded out his blue and white wings.

"How?"

"Isabella Finch wrote down it had something to do with a gift you guys have in your possession." Webby said.

"Oh yes. Our most priceless and precious gift found within the kingdom itself." Silva said.

"Priceless?" Louie started to get excited.

"What is it?" Webby asked.

"This." Xavier said showing off his blue gem-like item.

"Are those ancient gems that grant the wielder the ability of flight so long as they hold it in their possession?" Huey asked.

"No. Actually it's amber." Xavier corrected with a smile.

"Amber?" Louie questioned.

"That's fossilized tree resin." Huey said with surprise.

"Huh?" Louie looked confused.

"Hardened tree sap." Webby clarified.

"Sap?! The treasure is sap?!" Louie exclaimed.

"That's correct." Xavier said, still smiling.

"We almost became plant food just for sap?!" Louie shouted, flabbergasted by the whole situation.

"So this sap… when you drink it, it grants you these wings?" Huey asked.

"That is correct." Xavier said with a nod.

"The sap itself has magical properties to it. When consumed it evolves the body of a person to gain wings like the days of old all without losing their current body's physical properties." Silva explained.

"So you drink sap to get wings. I've heard way stranger before." Louie said with a dull look.

"Astounding. I can't believe Isabella would refrain from such a marvel for her archives." Scrooge said with an amazed smile.

"Well we had our reasons for hiding such a secret." Xavier said. "Which I'm not sure we should share it with you." Xavier said rubbing his chin with his eyes squinted in suspicion to Scrooge.

"Eh, don't worry about it. We came to get some breakfast anyway." Launchpad said with a smile.

"Not all of us." Scrooge said in a low tone.

"Right, right, so anyway where do we get this breakfast?" Louie asked.

"Simple. You work for it." Xavier said.

Louie stared at him with a deep frown and wide annoyed eyes.

"I'm sorry, what?" Louie questioned.

"Well here you have to work for your meals. It's very old school." Launchpad explained, still smiling.

"You never said that! You said they gave you your meal! For free!" Louie shouted.

"That was because I was struck by lightning and had to stay in bed a few days. Xavier and Silva were the ones who housed me until I could get back on my feet. After that I worked for my meals and they never tasted better." Launchpad said reminiscing with a smile on his bill.

"Really? How? Did you put spices on them or something?" Dewey asked.

"Nope. They just tasted much sweeter because I worked for it and made it myself."

"… I don't understand the words coming out of your bill right now." Louie said still frowning.

"Come on it'll be fun." Launchpad said still smiling.

"Work and fun don't really go together." Louie said with grumpy look and hands in pockets.

"Haven't you heard the phrase 'work can be fun'?" Launchpad asked.

"Who says that?" Louie questioned with disbelief at the phrase as then Huey, Dewey, Webby, Launchpad, Scrooge, Della, Xavier and Silva raised their hands.

"It usually can when you 'Dewey-ify' it." Dewey said with a smile.

"Uh huh." Louie quickly thought of a way to get out of responsible back breaking labor. "Oh no, I seem to have gotten carpal tunnel from all the adventuring. It maybe not as bad as being struck by a lightning bolt, but it still hurts… a lot." Louie said playing the part as he held his wrist.

"That shouldn't stop you from working. I once broke both my legs and my left arm once and yet I still managed to get myself some golden horn cow milk." Xavier said with a smile and patting the youngest triplet on the shoulder.

"Oh wow. That's incredible." Louie said with a dull attitude, but then he realized something. "Wait, you have cows with gold horns here?!" Louie questioned with shock.

"Sure we do." Xavier said.

"They got a lot of cool creatures here that were mutated by the sap they eat. Jack-Antelopes, Sparkle Wing Herons, Diamond Tusk Elephants, Aqua Blue Bulls, Bunny Dragonflies-"

"I'm sorry but did you just mention elephants with tusks made of diamond?" Louie asked.

"They live a bit farther out on the other side of the kingdom where they cut down and feast upon the thorn forest vines. It's they're favorite me- what's your daughter?" Xavier gained a bit of an uneasy look as he pointed down towards Webby, who was shaking with excitement and a huge grin on her face that looked ready to split her face open.

"I wanna pet a Bunny Dragonfly!" Webby cheered at the top of her lungs.

"I know where they keep them. Come on!" Launchpad said with vigor as he hurried off with Dewey and Webby.

"I'm gonna ride a Sparkling Heron!" Dewey cheered.

"It's called Sparkle Wing Heron!" Huey called out, before he turned to Silva. "I still have some questions, but right now I think I'm needed with them. Someone needs to keep the excitement in check." Huey said before followed after Dewey, Webby and Launchpad.

Louie blinked his eyes with a look of disinterest then looked to his mother and grand uncle.

"So~ you and Uncle Scrooge just going to do nothing or-"

"Is there some sort of sacred treasure here that no doubt is kept behind obstacles and trials filled with peril?" Scrooge asked.

"Oh yes, definitely." Xavier said with a nod.

"Yeah, I'm going with the others. At least I'll probably get to touch something from an animal that's worth millions." Louie said as he walked away towards the direction his siblings, Webby and Launchpad went towards.

"Nice kids. They got their priorities straight. I'll guide them to the farm once they're done sightseeing." Xavier said as he followed.

Della, Scrooge and Silva watched as they all walked off with Launchpad taking the lead.

Silva sighed with a smile on her face.

"You really are a lucky one, Mrs. McQuack." Silva said.

"You can just call me Della." Della said with a forced smile. The whole Mrs. McQuack thing is definitely something she'd have to get used to within the month. She noticed the look Silva had on her face as she looked at Launchpad. "Was there… something between you and Launchpad?" Della asked causing Silva to flinch.

"Oh no, no. Nothing you need to worry about. Just the simple crush of a young teenage girl back in the day." Silva said with her hands up in defense. "He was a lot to deal with at first, but over time he grows on you. He's kind, reliable, loyal, brave and you have to admit quite the looker." Silva said smiling to Della, who glance to the side. "I asked him out and hoped that he'd stay. He accepted my date, but couldn't stay. He was too attached to a woman named-"

"Oceanica. Yeah. He told me about her. He was really heartbroken about them splitting up." Della said with a frown, feeling bad for her friend and his failed romance.

"He wasn't prepared for another relationship at the time and despite how great he fitted in here, he felt he needed to continue travelling to find what he was looking for… and apparently his travels led him to you." Silva said smiling down at Della.

"Actually his travels led him to me." Scrooge intervened.

"You?" Silva questioned.

"I actually met Launchpad through my Uncle Scrooge. You see he works as his limo driver. I got to know him every time he came to the house, he found my plane the Cloud Slayer, and I offered him a chance to fly and well… things kind of happen." Della explained with a nervous grin and shrug.

Silva then sighed dreamily at the story.

"Oh, how sweet. A romance literally built upon the wings of love." Silva said with a dreamy smile as she twirled in place.

Della let out a long 'uh' sound as she had a bit of an uncomfortable look on her face.

"I can tell she's the romantic type." Scrooge said with a dull expression. "So lass, I take it you would do anything for Launchpad."

"Of course." Silva said with a smile.

"Even help his family with something, hmm?" Scrooge asked with a smile.

"You want to know about the treasure. Sly one." Silva stated with a frown.

"I prefer the term 'sharp'." Scrooge said with a cocky smile as he rubbed his knuckles against the breast of his coat.

"Alright fine. The treasure is the sap that grants the ability of flight when devoured, however what we did not mention earlier is that if the sap is not drank within five minutes it immediately hardens. After that they can become accessories, but not much else to people. The animals however are able to digest them. At first they licked the harden sap, but over time it strengthened their own bodies as well as mutating them, so they now are able to shatter them apart with a single bite. That's because the sap's properties are fueled by an ancient jewel found from beneath the sea. It's origin is unknown, but it was desired all around when we found out its abilities to not only give us wings for flight, but also when enough is consumed it mutates a body with super strength, speed, stamina; basically anything that a human can do, but super. It even makes your skin harder than diamond, so if we ever fall from the sky we'll be completely fine." Silva explained.

"Whoa. That's some good sap." Della said as she and Scrooge had wide eyes.

"Where is this jewel?" Scrooge asked.

"Why are you so interested in it? You don't plan on taking it for yourself, do you?" Silva asked with narrowed eyes.

"No. Isabella Finch left this place keeping the secrets with it to her grave, bless her spirit. For so long I have wondered what she had kept in this land. I've always dreamt to come to this land and finally see for myself the untold… mostly untold, story that Isabella Finch had kept to herself." Scrooge explained with a passion.

"I see. Isabella was your hero." Silva said with an understanding smile.

Scrooge nodded with his eyes closed.

"I promise, I don't plan on taking the jewel and my family and I will keep this place and its treasures secret. Just as Isabella before us." Scrooge said.

Silva sighed.

"I suppose if you two are so determined you'd need a guide." Silva said with a soft smile.

"Thank you." Scrooge said with a smile.

"Besides, I'd hate for Launchpad to have a heart attack if his wife got hurt." Silva said as she turned and started to lead the way.

"Hey! I'm no delicate flower!" Della shouted with an annoyed expression shaking her fist as she and Scrooge followed Silva. "I'll have you know I'm the tough one in the relationship! What Della says goes!"

.

.

After seeing the animals, with Webby taking a Bunny Dragonfly for herself (Launchpad said it was okay), Launchpad and Xavier brought the kids to the farm where all the animals and produce that created food for the people lived.

"Just look at it. It's beautiful, isn't it?" Launchpad said with a proud smile and a single tear falling out his right eye.

"This Is a Normal Farm?!" Huey questioned very loudly as he and the other kids stared in shock with wide eyes and jaws dropped.

In front of them was a large blue grassed plain with structures you'd find on any farm like a fence, crops, farm tools that didn't run on electricity and scarecrows, just as examples, but also animals similar to ones on farms, but more… big and extravagant.

There were cows as large as houses with rainbow spots and horns made of gold, roosters with feathers rainbow feathers and a small Mohawk made of blue fire, sheep with berries instead of wool covering them, horses with scaly skin, white hair down its back and even a white beard and a horn sticking out its head, and, of course, no odd farm would be complete without… flying pigs.

"Yep. I'm guessing farms in the mainland aren't as… extravagant? Is that the right word?" Xavier asked.

"Actually I was going for the word overwhelming." Huey said with his eyes still wide.

Louie walked over to the nearest cow and starred up at it. He spoke some gibberish as he stared up at the majestic golden horns atop their heads.

"I don't believe it. Look at the size of those puppies. Or are they calves? Whatever, it doesn't matter. What does matter is I'm staring at… true beauty." Louie said with an astonished tone and expression as he continued to stare at the shining gold horns that reflected the sheen provided by the Sun right off of them. "Pinch me, I must be dreaming." Louie said, before his arm was bitten causing him to shout with pain.

"You're welcome." Webby said with a smile.

"Webby are you sure you should be holding that? I mean look at it." Louie gestured to the half rabbit half dragonfly in Webby's arms.

The creature had the body of a bunny with pink fur, but had transparent wings wrapped around it like a dragonfly's. It also had big eyes like one

"I think he looks cute. He's pink, furry, flies and can see in hundreds of different directions all at once." Webby said with a smile as she looks down at the creature.

"How do you even milk one of these things?" Huey asked.

"Simple. You tickle them and the tip of their horns let out a big drop of delicious honey milk." Xavier said.

"Gold horns that let out honey milk? This thing can make a man rich and give them some of the most delicious milk ever to be tasted? If it wasn't too big for a house this thing would be perfect." Louie said.

"Well that breakfast isn't going to make itself." Launchpad said.

"Wish it did." Louie mumbled with a frown.

"Let's get to work." Launchpad said with a bright smile.

"I call egg duty!" Dewey exclaimed with a hand raised up.

"That's the most daring job there is here." Xavier here.

"Daring is my middle name." Dewey said with a cocky look and smirk.

"It's Doofus." Louie said.

"But if I could change it would be Daring… and then Turbo." Dewey said still showing bravado.

"I see you've inherited your father's sense of danger and bravery." Xavier said with a smile, placing a hand on Launchpad's shoulder.

"Actually he gets that from his mother." Launchpad said.

"Then you know how to choose them." Xavier said, making the triplets flinch with a cringe feeling. "Alright blue one, if you are so eager to deal with the Thunder Chickens then so be it."

"Thunder… Chickens?" Dewey questioned with wide eyes.

.

.

Later everyone had their assigned tasks.

Dewey met the Thunder Chickens with Launchpad and safe to say there was a reason for it being a daring task.

Dewey screamed as he ran out of the large chicken coop with white spotted blue eggs in a big basket, while Launchpad held a shield in hand blocking bolts of lightning.

Dewey panted as he placed the basket on the floor.

"Nice work, Dewey." Launchpad said with a smile, but then suddenly a big blue chicken with glowing yellow eyes and a yellow gizzard hopped onto Launchpad's shield, shooting a bolt of lightning out of its beak. Launchpad pushed the big blue feathered bird off of his shield, back into the chicken coop and quickly closed the door. "You handled it way better than I did last time." Launchpad said smiling down at his young friend.

"You had to deal with this years ago?" Dewey questioned with shock and still feeling the sense of panic.

"Yeah, but its way easier when you have a partner helping you. Look you only got one feather on fire." Launchpad said pointing at Dewey's tail feather, causing him to scream again as he ran away. "Stop, drop and roll! It works every time!" Launchpad called out.

Huey and Louie were with Xavier who was showing them how to milk honey milk from a Golden Horn Cow.

"That's a big bucket." Louie said as Xavier carried a bucket twice his size and laid it in front of the giant cow, right under the tip of its golden horn.

"Well these cows secrete big drops of honey. Don't have a big enough bucket and you're gonna get drenched." Xavier said with a smile and fists pressed against his hips.

"So is there a specific way you need to, um… tickle them or is it just-"

"Huey, it's just a tickle. There is no science behind the method." Louie said with a dull expression.

"But there's always science behind everything that is meant to be practical. There's even science behind tickling. Nerve endings play a big part in-" Huey was interrupted by a groan from his brother.

"Just do it like this." Louie said as he walked over and tickled the giant cow, but it reacted to nothing. "Like… like this." Louie tried tickling it more, but still nothing. "Like This!" Louie shouted as he tried hard. "Why Is This Not Working?!" Louie questioned with a shout.

"Because you're tickling the white parts. You need to tickle its spots." Xavier said as he tickled a rainbow spot, causing the cow to unleash a 'moo' as it suddenly developed a small smile upon its lips. "See?"

"Ah ha! A method! Just as I thought!" Huey cheered with a big smile, while Louie rolled his eyes.

"Red one. Your name is… Louie?"

"Nope. He's Louie. I'm Huey." Huey said clarified.

"Well, Huey, since you seem the most excited, how about you assist me with this chore while your brother here collects berries off the sheep." Xavier said with a smile.

"I'd be honored, but if there is a certain method to doing these chores, I'm not sure Louie's the best person for the job. He does tend to try and find the easy way out." Huey said.

"I'm not really for one working whatsoever." Louie said.

"That's disappointing. Without work, life isn't worth living." Xavier said.

"That sounds like something Uncle Scrooge would say." Louie said with a frown.

"And look where he is now." Huey said.

Louie groaned looking to the side.

"Fine. I'll work willingly… when pigs fly." Louie said with a frown.

"Wahoo!" The three looked up to find Webby riding on a blue pig with wings and a pink gem on its forehead that was leading other flying pigs. "This Is the Best Place Ever!" Webby cheered at the top of her lungs as her bunny dragonfly flew beside her.

"… I really should have seen that coming." Louie said with a frown as he just walked away to find the sheep.

Webby was laughing with joy as she flew through the sky, but then a shadow loomed over her. She turned her head only to gasp as she saw a giant ear of corn.

"This place is so beautiful, Wingston." Webby said with teary eyes while the bunny dragonfly responded with a small sound similar to a feline, but with a buzz at the end. Yes… Webby named him Wingston. "I want to see it all!" Webby cheered with a big grin, but then the pigs stopped in the air, squealing with fear. "Huh? What's wrong little guys?" Webby asked with surprise and concern.

Webby looked over to see a forest down below with tall black oak trees and blue leaves. She raised an eyebrow at this, before the lead flying pig turned and flew back towards the direction of the farm. Even Wingston was following their lead. Webby rubbed the bottom of her bill as she looked back at the forest.

.

.

Silva flew towards the mountains with her grip on Scrooge in one hand and Della on the other. Making it to the mountains, she flew by several one.

Della and Scrooge looked to the passing mountains to find large clumps of blue amber attached to them.

Silva flew down towards a cliff and landed there, letting down Scrooge and Della.

"Whoa~." Della said as they were all in front of a large stone door with wood sticking out of it.

The door was fifteen feet tall with the wood sticking out taking the form of a tree on it with blue amber for its leaves along with several more sticking out along the bark of it and at the bottom were stone carvings of people kneeling in front of the tree with buckets full of blue amber in them.

"Incredible." Scrooge said with amazement as he examined the structure of the door.

"The door is only opened by a puzzle that needs to be solved upon the door." Silva explained.

"A puzzle, I take, is upon the door itself?" Scrooge rhetorically asked with a smirk.

"Nice to see it isn't anything new to you." Silva said with a smirk. "Certain pieces of amber upon the wood act as switches and need to be pressed in order unlock it."

"Give me just a moment." Scrooge said as he rubbed the bottom of his bill. He examined the door more closely.

"Should I solve it for him or is this really important to him?" Silva asked Della.

"An adventure isn't an adventure for Uncle Scrooge unless he solves things on his own." Della said back to Silva.

"Hmm." Scrooge looked over the blue amber over the wooden area to find a pattern. "Mind giving me a boost?" Scrooge asked Silva.

Silva grabbed Scrooge by the hand and flew up higher for him where he pushed his feathered hand against a set group of amber that when downward with the last one being amber in a certain bucket carving of one of the carving people. They all glowed blue to distinguish them from the unused ones, making them look like blue liquid had dripped down into the bucket of a kneeling person. The doors started to shake and then began to open up.

"Nice work." Silva said with a smile and arms crossed.

"Nothing gets pass Scrooge McDuck!" Scrooge cheered with a big, proud smile and chest puffed out.

However unbeknownst to the group, someone was watching them from a blue leaved bush. The person stared at them with wide eyes.

Once the door was opened, Scrooge, Silva and Della walked right in, still unaware of the person watching them.

"Now is the time~. Now I can finally free him and get my reward." The person in the bush said as he slowly popped out of the bush.

He was a short dog with a hump, a stubble along its snout and wide yellow eye. He wore a tattered white shirt with blue vest and puffy pants.

He quickly scurried on all fours towards the door before it closed up on its own.

Inside, Scrooge, Della and Silva travelled across a bridge where the two adventurers looked over and around to see a frozen waterfall of amber and amber acting as water under the bridge.

"So this whole mountain is filled with amber?" Della asked.

"Yep. The whole kingdom is filled with it underground. We have a special irrigation system that helps us superheat it to make it edible." Silva said.

"Why keep it frozen to begin with?" Scrooge asked.

"We have… our reasons." Silva said staring ahead with narrowed eyes.

Following behind them was the small dog, making sure to keep himself hidden in the shadows.

"Your reasons are my obstacle. I will accomplish my task." The small dogs said with a whisper.

When crossing the bridge the three made it to a room where Silva stopped the other two from moving any further.

"This room is booby trapped." Silva said.

"How booby trapped?" Della asked.

Silva plucked a feather out of scrooge, causing him to jump and get annoyed, as she then tossed it forward into the room, causing it to suddenly burn up from a laser beam. Silva pointed up at tall statues with blue amber jewels for eyes.

"Eh. Nothing we can't handle, ay lass?" Scrooge said to his niece with a cocky smile.

"It'll be just like laser tag, but only with the dodging." Della said with a confident smile and furrowed brow as she cracked her knuckles.

The two let out determined battle cries as they rushed forward.

"You know I could just shut it off with a secret switch over… never mind." Silva just stayed silent and let the uncle and niece deal with the traps on their own.

"Ah! Saw blades!" Della shouted.

.

.

Back on the farm, Louie was feeling very apathetic with his task. He didn't even start it and already he was feeling bored. With shoulders slumped he had a bucket in hand as he walked towards the sheep.

They looked like normal sheep, but instead of wool they had several types of berries attached to their body.

Louie placed the bucket down next to the sheep with a sigh. He started to pull out a berries, which caused the sheep to baa every time he did.

"This is so tedious." Louie said with a frown, but then turned and glared at him with gritted teeth. "Uh, what's got you in 'baa-d' mood? Wait, did I just make a lame joke?" Louie then got more worried as the sheep actually growled at him.

Over with Huey and Xavier, they tickled the giant cow's rainbow spots enough causing a large golden drop of honey milk to secrete from the tip of the golden horn and hanging off, ready to drop.

"Here it comes! The bucket is properly angled. Be prepared Huey! This is going to get a bit messy." Xavier said with a big smile as he and Huey held onto the oversized bucket tightly.

"How messy is a bit?" Huey asked with some worry.

"Well if we did things properly…" Xavier started as then the giant drop fell from the tip of the horn and into the bucket, causing a splash. Huey closed his eyes expecting to be drenched, but all he got was a drop of golden milk to land upon his hat. "That kind of messy." Xavier said with a smile.

"Oh. Not as bad as I thought." Huey said with a soft smile as he wiped away the golden milk drop from his hat and tasted it. "Mm. Taste like accurate success." Huey said with a smile.

He and Xavier heard screaming making them turn to see Louie running away from a berry sheep.

"Get this mad sheep away from me!" Louie shouted.

Launchpad noticed Louie running from the berry sheep. He hurried over and picked up Louie from the ground and kept him a distance from the sheep creature by putting the duckling on his shoulders.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down little guy, uh… girl." Launchpad said as he tilted his head a bit downward.

"What's wrong with this sheep?!" Louie exclaimed.

"I dunno. Did you take out the berries the right way?" Launchpad asked.

"There's supposed to be a right way to pluck berries?!"

"Yeah." Launchpad said. He turned to the Berry Sheep and noticed one of the berries shake. He knelt down and plucked it out of from the sheep. "See?"

"Wait, I'm supposed to pluck them when they shake?" Louie asked with surprise.

"Yup. Here, try it." Launchpad said as he handed Louie the berry.

Louie tried it, causing his eyes to widen.

"Whoa~… that was the most delicious berry I ever tasted." Louie said with a big, satisfied smile and hands cupping his cheeks.

"You can pluck more if you want." Launchpad said with a smile.

Louie looked over to see the berry sheep still growling and baring its teeth.

"Yeah, no thanks." Louie said with a frown.

"Well then let's get you a different job." Launchpad said. "How about collecting cornel?"

"You mean corn? That's be easy. At least it looks normal. Minus the blue color." Louie said looking towards the crops.

"No, those are baby corn. That's the corn I'm talking about." Launchpad said pointing out towards the distance.

"Where? All I see is a weird shaped mountain." Louie said looking afar with squinted eyes.

"That's not a mountain." Launchpad corrected, causing Louie's eyes to bulge.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that either." Louie immediately said.

"Hey look, here come the Ocean Hogs! Dewey! Get the platter ready!" Launchpad called out with the blue dressed duckling rushing over with a large silver platter.

"So why did Webby have to fly the pigs for this?" Dewey asked before Webby, Wingston and the flock of flying pigs landed.

Webby hopped off the lead pig and petted its head. The gem on the pig's forehead suddenly glowed and fired a beam onto the silver platter, causing freshly cooked bacon to appear, causing the ducklings to gasp in shock.

"For that. A happy ocean hog makes happier bacon. Literally." Launchpad said with a smile.

"I did not just see that!" Huey shouted with shock and dropped jaw as he and Xavier walked over.

"Oh! I better get the rest of the platter for this!" Xavier cheered as he hurried off back into his house.

"Hey Launchpad, for some reason the pigs got frightened when we were close to a forest just beyond those hills." Webby said pointing towards the direction of the forest she almost flew over.

"Oh, that's the forbidden forest." Launchpad answered.

"Forbidden Forest? Oh, what's in it?" Dewey asked with an intrigued smile.

"I dunno. All I do know is that no one should ever go in there. It has horrible secrets the likes of which no one must ever encounter." Launchpad said with narrowed eyes and an ominous voice. "Or at least that's what Tonraq told me."

"Who?" Dewey asked.

"Xavier and Silva's father. He was a chieftain of the kingdom. One of seven. He was in charge of wildlife preservation. He built this farm close to keep an eye on people from getting near the forest." Launchpad explained. "Speaking of which I haven't seen him around."

"So just to make sure I got this accurately. A forbidden forest over those hills to never be entered or else encounter horrible secrets never to be seen by man. Okay, I've got that locked in the memory banks." Huey said keeping a mental note for his safety. Although who would willingly go towards forbidden danger at the risk of their own life?

Dewey had a look of excitement as he hopped in place with vigor.

"Hey Huey, how about you pick the berries from the sheep?" Launchpad suggested. "Remember, only pick the ones that shake. If you pluck any that aren't shaking, you'll hurt the sheep." Launchpad explained.

"Seems simple enough." Huey said with a smile as he petted the berry sheep, earning a happy 'baa' and smile from said animal. The sheep then headed back to its specific field with Huey following.

"Let's find you a better job, Louie." Launchpad said.

"He can have mine!" Dewey exclaimed.

"What? Holding bacon?" Huey questioned.

"I do love bacon." Louie said as he hopped off of Launchpad's shoulders and took the silver platter of bacon, only to nearly fall over. "What the heck?! Why is it so heavy?!" Louie shouted.

"That's the protein packed in them. They don't call it mega-ton bacon for nothing. Although it's not heavier than a ton. They just thought it would sound cool." Launchpad said with a smile.

"This is not cool." Louie said with a frown as he tried to move towards the house, literally trying to carry home the bacon.

"Once you've put that away bring out another one! There's more bacon to collect!" Launchpad called out making Louie let out a loud groan of frustration. "And Dewey, how about you… where did he go?" Launchpad questioned as Dewey was nowhere.

"Oh no." Webby said with a frown as she knew what was up. "Say Launchpad, how about you go help Huey with picking berries while I go look for Dewey. Knowing him he probably went to handle the hard job again."

"Hmm. Well you can't go wrong with more Thunder Eggs… okay! Just holler when you're done." Launchpad said with a smile and thumbs up before he headed off towards the berry sheep fields.

Webby waved goodbye before she gained a serious expression and rushed off towards the forbidden forest.

.

.

Dewey made it to the forest near the giant blue corn. He stood in front of the forest with a giddy nature and an excited expression complete with a big grin on his face. He quickly headed in with gusto, not caring about any dangers ahead.

Although as he got deeper into the forest it did get a little darker and he felt this ominous feeling. Almost as if there was a cold chill left over from the arctic was blowing right through the woods themselves.

Dewey rubbed his arms to feel warm as he let out an exhale to reveal fog for breath. He looked around only seeing black oak and blue leaves, but something was bringing a chill up his spine and it wasn't the cold chilling breeze, even though it's doing a pretty good job at it.

Dewey was actually shivering, but was it from the cold or from fear?

"It's okay, Dewey. Nothing to worry about. No creatures of the shadows here. Wait are my teeth chatter?" Dewey said then questioned to himself as his teeth indeed chattered, but then he realized something. "Actually… I haven't seen any animal since I first got in here. That's weird." Dewey said now feeling very concerned as he had not seen one animal around whatsoever. He figured in a place like this there would at least be some form of wild life. "Hello~? Cute or… not so cute animals~. Where are you~?" Dewey called out, feeling frightened the longer he stayed in the forest.

"Free me." A voice whispered.

"Huh?!" Dewey jumped with wide and fearful eyes with an expression to boot.

"Free me. Now." The voice whispered louder.

"Okay, creepy scary voice in my head. Now I can see why this place is forbidden." Dewey said to himself now feeling scared.

"Dewey." A feminine voice spoke.

Dewey screamed with fear before he fell onto his knees and knelt over with his hands over his head.

"How do you know my name?!" Dewey shouted.

"Because I'm your best friend."

"Oh no! I've finally gone crazy!" Dewey screamed as he shot his head up. "Huh, it actually feels too soon."

"Dewey." The feminine voice spoke behind him causing Dewey to turn to see Webby.

"Oh it's just you Webby." Dewey said with a relieved expression and smile as he got back to his feet. "You really had me going there, Webby. I almost thought I was listening to ghosts there for a second." Dewey said with an amused smile.

"What are you talking about? I just found you shaking like a leaf." Webby said.

Dewey then suddenly laughed.

"Nice one, Webby, but the jokes over, there's no need for-"

"Free Me!" The voice from before echoed throughout the area, causing the two ducklings to jump with Dewey resuming shivering like he had an ice pack tied to his back.

"Uh… was that your ghost friend?" Webby asked now feeling worried.

"Not my friend. Definitely not my friend. I don't even know his first name!" Dewey screamed, now in a panic.

"Free Me!" The voice screamed louder.

Webby looked around with a serious expression. A light blue mist started to surround the area around them. Webby's webbed foot dug into the ground as she got into a battle stance with her fists up and ready.

"Dewey… we're heading back. I managed to collect some rocks and started leaving a trail. We just follow it back out of the forest. Okay?" Webby turned to Dewey only to start seeing him walk away in a different direction. "Dewey?" Webby quickly hurried over. "Dewey, where are you going?" Webby asked as she placed a hand on Dewey's shoulder.

Dewey then calmly turned towards Webby to reveal blue glowing eyes.

"To free the master." Dewey said in monotone.

Webby gasped, only to choke up as she felt some of the mist go into her mouth.

"What's with this mist?!" Webby exclaimed as she coughed up some more, hunching over. After a moment or two, Webby stood up straight to reveal her eyes were glowing blue too. "Must free the master."

.

.

Launchpad was humming a happy tune with a smile on his face and a pair of wooden buckets being carried over his shoulders with various berries inside of them.

The barn itself was huge with black and blue wood used for structure. Walking in there were chimera stallions inside corrals along with large red donkey with golden flames along their backs and the top of their heads, a flame at the tip of their tail and golden hooves. They too were in corrals.

Launchpad noticed Louie sitting in the barn on a stool with a frown and hands cupping his cheeks.

"You okay there, Louie?" Launchpad asked as he walked over.

"Do I look it?" Louie rhetorically asked.

Launchpad placed down the buckets and squinted his eyes as he rubbed the chin of his bill.

"No~." Launchpad answered after a moment of examination.

Louie sighed as he looked away.

"This is the reason why I always rather avoid doing the work myself." Louie said.

"What do you mean?" Launchpad questioned.

"What do you mean what do I mean?" Louie questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"… Uh~…" Launchpad was confused by the question.

"What I mean is, the reason I don't do manual labor is because I'm not the best at it. That's why I'd rather lay back and let others do the work." Louie said.

"But if you don't do part of the work yourself then how are you going to really care about it?" Launchpad asked.

"I care! At least when it comes to my schemes." Louie said looking down with a frown.

"Yeah, exactly!" Launchpad exclaimed with a smile.

"Huh?" Louie looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"Every time you work on a scheme you always feel super proud of it. I've never seen you more confident and excited in anything that wasn't one of your plans."

"Yeah well, they are pretty good… until they failed me." Louie sad with a deeper frown.

"But it never stopped you from making a new plan afterwards." Launchpad pointed out, surprising Louie.

"Yeah~…"

"It's the same with physical work. Things don't always work out, but it should never stop you from trying again next time. You'll just know what not to do." Launchpad said as he grabbed a blue berry from one of the buckets that fit into the palm of his hand. "You remember what I said about picking a berry from one of the sheep here?" Launchpad asked as he tossed the berry to Louie, who managed to catch it in hand.

"Yeah, just pick the ones shaking." Louie answered.

"There you go! You know for next time!" Launchpad said with a smile.

"… I guess." Louie said as he looked to the berry in his hands. "So… am I even allowed to eat this?"

"Well… I picked it… so it's my choice to do with it what I want. So I'm giving it to you. To eat." Launchpad said with a big smile, causing Louie to smile back.

"Thanks Launchpad." Louie said with a grateful smile before he took a bite. As he chewed on it, his eyes widened with amazement. "Wow! Oh, this is good!" Louie said with amazement.

"Yeah, they are." Launchpad said as he took a red berry and sat down on the ground next to Louie. "And to think it taste even better when you do it yourself." Launchpad said before he took a bite from his berry.

"I'm still not sure how one can compare a berry to a scheme." Louie said as he took another bite.

"Well I just did." Launchpad said.

"Yeah… but what I mean is, how is doing work with my hands going to feel as good as the work I come up with my head?" Louie questioned.

"I'm not sure. You should ask Mr. Mc-D. If anyone knows better on how good it feels to get something with both your hands and your head it's him. I mean, he got his fortune with both of them." Launchpad said.

"Yeah, he did." Louie said with slightly wide eyes before he got a bit sad. "And I took it with just my head… not really in a good place."

"Yeah, well, you live and learn right. Next time you'll get it the right way." Launchpad said as he bit into his berry again.

"You sure about that?" Louie asked looking to Launchpad.

"Of course. I got a good feeling about it, but if anyone can be really sure about it, it's gonna be you." Launchpad said, smiling down at Louie, making him smile.

"Thanks, Launchpad." Louie said, feeling genuinely happy with Launchpad's words.

"Launchpad!" The two turned to see Xavier and Huey hurrying into the barn. "Your son and daughter are gone."

"What?" Launchpad questioned, mostly confused by the phrase 'your son and daughter', until he remembered what Xavier was talking about.

"I think they went into the Forbidden Forest." Huey said.

"Yeah, that sounds like them." Louie said with a stoic expression.

"This is not good. We'll have to round about a small group… one who aren't afraid to go into the forest, but that'll probably result in them getting lost, so… ugh, why did they have to go in there?" Xavier said with a frown as he scratched the sides of his head.

"Maybe we should get mom and Uncle Scrooge." Huey said.

"They might be too busy. Knowing them they're neck deep in booby traps." Louie said.

Launchpad thought over the situation with a look of worry as he was now very worried about Webby and Dewey, but then he gained a serious look.

"I'll go find them." Launchpad said as he got to his feet. "I mean, that's what a dad does right? Helping their kids whenever they can and right now they need my help."

"But what if you get trapped in the forest?" Huey asked.

"I'll just try my best not to." Launchpad said as he headed out.

"But…" Huey sighed knowing what he say wouldn't change Launchpad's mind. "Alright, fine, but if you get lost we'll go find Uncle Scrooge and mom. We're gonna give you an hour at the most, got it?"

"Yup. I'll be back soon." Launchpad said with a thumbs up as he headed off. "Now where is that forbidden forest?" Launchpad wondered. Suddenly Webby's little dragonfly bunny friend flew over to Launchpad. "Oh, hello little friend." Launchpad greeted the amalgamated creature with a smile.

Wingston let out a cooing purr-like sound as he flew a bit away, but gestured with his paw for Launchpad to follow.

"I believe he's offering to guide you to the forest." Xavier said.

"Oh, cool! Let's go!" Launchpad exclaimed with a determined expression as he and Wingston hurried off towards the Forbidden Forest.

"So with Launchpad, I mean dad, off saving Webby and Dewey, what do we do?" Huey questioned.

Louie looked to the half-eaten berry in his hand for a moment before gaining a new form of determination.

"Simple. We get back to work." Louie said as he stood up from the stool.

"Wait, you're gonna help us work?" Huey asked his brother.

"Well with half the group gone, someone's got to help pull some of the load they left." Louie said as he then proceeded to finish off his berry.

.

.

Scrooge and Della had pushed onward through the many traps within the mountain temple.

Statues that fired beams of lasers, spiked pits, giant blue scaled snakes with diamonds on their foreheads shooting several beams at the same time, a giant four arms golem with four sword in each hand and several large red iguanas and chameleons that blasted fire from their mouths.

Right now the two had finished dealing with those hot n' cold blooded reptilians, they panted as they made their way into the next room with some of their feathers and clothes alit with flames.

"Man that was tough." Della said as she panted with her shoulders and arms slumped.

"Aye." Scrooge agreed with his posture the same as his niece's. They both patted the flames away, but as Scrooge looked to Della, he let out a chuckle.

"What?" Della questioned with a raised eyebrow as she patted away fire from her shoulder.

"It's just that it's been a while since you and I had an adventure all on our own, eh lass?" Scrooge said, making Della blink her eyes in surprise before she smiled.

"Yeah. It sure has been. I almost forgot the feeling."

"Maybe if Donald was here with his constant jittering jargon the feeling would come back to you completely." Scrooge said with a smirk.

"True. Who knew someone would ever miss the thought of not understanding someone." Della said as she then did a perfect impression of her brother's incoherent quacking causing Scrooge to laugh, followed by Della.

"Looks like we made it to the elevator room." Silva said as she arrived beside them.

"Wait, how did you get through all those traps without a scratch?" Della asked.

"Simple, there were switches for the booby traps and easy soothing methods for the animal guards." Silva answered.

"Huh… that would have helped."

"But it wouldn't be an authentic adventure without some perils." Scrooge said proudly with a determined smile and fist pump as he walked ahead.

Keeping a safe distance from the trio was the stout hunched individual who was actually crawling along the ceiling with their long nailed hands. He looked down at them with narrowed eyes as they stood at the center of the room where a circular carving was with a sky blue jewel in the center of that carving. There were five columns surrounding it.

"So what now?" Della asked as she and Scrooge looked around the room.

"Allow me." Silva said as she walked over to a column, pushed a tile on it, causing it to go deeper into the stone structure and then she slid her finger upward against the surface of the column, causing it to glow blue with the rest of the columns doing the same. She walked back to the center of the circular carving with Scrooge and Della as the center jewel glowed sky blue. "Keep a strong stance." Silva said with her hands on her hips.

Suddenly the ground shook, causing Della and Scrooge to stumble a bit before the circular carving started to rise, revealing itself to be a disk that double as an elevator. The trio were rising up into the air where there was a second level high above the room. The disk elevator managed to make it to the second floor where it floated in the center of a much larger circular opening.

Silva grabbed Scrooge and Della's arm as she flew them over the gap where they were met with a long bridge that led to stairs. The trio walked down the bridge, still unaware of the short dog man following them as he had managed to latch onto the bottom of the elevator disk and climbed to the top side where he watched the trio walk down the bridge.

The three managed to make it to the stairs where they walked up it.

Scrooge and Della looked up to the ceiling where frozen blue amber stalagmites.

The trio made it to the top where they found a pedestal attached to a mountain of blue amber that extended far downward towards a dark abyss below.

There floating atop of a pedestal was a large blue gemstone encased in a silver frame with several silver wings surrounding it.

"Meet the Sailing Sky Sapphire. A jewel said to be born from the sea destined to take flight into the skies. It's the source of all the amber that gifted us the ability of flight, but it also hardens the blue sap to amber which is also the reason for the kingdom's ascension into the sky." Silva explained.

"Wait, the amber is the reason the kingdom is flying?" Della questioned.

"We believe the amber itself is a mutagen from the fathoms of the abyss from the seas below. Like how devouring a sum of the sap gave us flight and constantly devouring the amber caused the animals to mutate and evolve, it affected the land as well. This gemstone creates the sap through the earth below thanks to the magic it radiates, which caused the land to be affected as well, making it light as air. However this is only possible when the blue sap is amber. If the gemstone is ever taken off of this pedestal, the amber will melt into sap causing the kingdom to fall into the oceans below… but~ not before drowning the entire kingdom in blue sap." Silva explained.

"Remarkable." Scrooge said as he walked ahead to be in front of the large jewel. "So this is why Isabella kept everything secret. The dangers that could happen if any wayward treasure hunters take this beauty."

"Yes. That's why we ask anyone who comes by to keep what they learn a secret. Not only for the dangers it could cause this land, but if taken to other lands, the same will be dealt with upon them. Their lands will grow sap, harden into amber and mutate it into a place that flies into the sky never to be seen again." Silva said as she developed a sad expression. "Our home… our kingdom is dependent on this thing. Forever."

Scrooge frowned at this.

"So what seems like a gift is really a curse upon this land. Forever separating lands from the rest of the world. Splitting the inhabitants from society itself, forcing them to form their own." Scrooge said as he stared at the large jewel. "This is why Isabella kept details scarce. This isn't treasure. Not at all."

"It is to me!" A voice screamed as someone hopped off of Scrooge's head, flattening his hat a bit and grasped the jewel. "It is mine to take!" The short, humped back dog shouted as he lifted the jewel over his head.

"What in blazes?!" Scrooge shouted as he fixed his hat.

"You! You're still alive?!" Silva shouted with shock.

The short, humped dog laughed as he suddenly took little pellets from his vest and tossed to the ground where the three ducks stood, causing them to burst, blinding the trio and causing them to cough.

They waved the smoke away to find that the dog man was gone. They turned around to find him running off towards the elevator, where he jumped into the gap, falling down towards the next level.

"Who was that?!" Della exclaimed.

Silva turned to the blue amber surrounding the pedestal. She brushed her finger against the surface of the fossilized sap, only to find blue sap now on the feathers of her finger.

"Oh no."

.

.

Launchpad followed Wingston until he was in front of the black oak, blue leaf forest.

"So this is it?" Launchpad asked. He turned to Wingston to see him shivering in the air with fear. "Don't worry little guy. I can go on from here. If I'm not back in an hour, go get some more help." Launchpad said as he gently petted Wingston's back. "Alright Launchpad, time to act like a dad and- oh a trail!" Launchpad exclaimed as he noticed a trail of rocks. He knelt down and took the first one that had a pink letter 'W' on it. "Hmm. W? Maybe this belongs to someone. Guess can't take it for my collection." Launchpad said as he placed the rock back in place. "Hmm… I think there's a Woodchuck rule that says that trails of things are good. So I'll just follow this trail and I might just find the kids." Launchpad said as he now followed the trail of rocks with pink 'W's on it. Launchpad continued following, but he felt a chill up his spine. "Whoa. Someone really cranked the AC up all the way." Launchpad said.

"Free me." A voice spoke.

"Huh? Who's that?" Launchpad questioned as he looked around.

"Free me!" The voice called out louder.

"Free you from where?" Launchpad asked as a cold mist surrounded him. The mist went into his nostrils, causing him to suddenly cough and hunch over a bit. "Mm~, blueberry." Launchpad said with a smile. He suddenly heard something echo in the forest. It sounded like… a rock hitting something hard. Launchpad decided to follow the sound to find its origin. After following deeper into the forest, the sound got louder and louder, until he came into an opening and found none other than Dewey and Webby, slamming stones in their hands against a large chunk of amber. "Oh there you guys are!" Launchpad exclaimed with a smile.

"Must free master." Dewey said in monotone.

"Who?" Launchpad questioned as he walked over only to notice something inside the big chunk of blue amber. "Whoa~." Launchpad said as he gazed up at a large griffon with long strands of hair sticking out its beak like an oriental mustache and around its neck was a jewel with a green talisman attached to it. It stood on its hind bird legs with its furry claws open up and its beak opened wide.

"Free me~." The voice from earlier spoke as the griffon's eyes glowed green.

"Oh, so that was you." Launchpad said.

"Must free master." Webby and Dewey said as they continued to repeatedly slam the stone against the blue amber encasing the amber.

"Huh?" Launchpad looked to them with a confused expression.

"You~… large one. Free me." The griffon 'said' as its eyes continued to glow green.

"Um…" Launchpad took a big stone, lifted it over his head and tossed it at the blue amber, causing it to break apart upon contact. "Hmm." Launchpad rubbed his chin as he went over and bit the amber, only to reel back in pain. "Ow! Nope, that's not gonna work." Launchpad said as he rubbed his jaw. "Sorry, can't help ya." Launchpad said.

"Free me!" The griffon 'yelled' as its eyes burned bright like the Sun.

"I can't. I don't think even crashing the plane into it can break this stuff." Launchpad said as he tapped the amber casing with his index joint. "Sorry, but maybe I'll find someone to get you out of here. Right now, I got to get these kids back to the farm." Launchpad said as he grabbed Dewey and Webby and wrapped his arms around them.

"What?! No! How Are You Not Affected By My Spell?!" The griffon questioned as Launchpad turned and walked away. "Come back! Free me! Free Me, You Imbecile! FREE ME!" The griffon 'yelled', but Launchpad had already left the area.

The griffon 'growled' with rage as his eyes burned bright green.

It didn't notice yet, but the amber around it started to melt.

.

.

Silva, Scrooge and Della chased after the short dog man who laughed as he held the Sailing Sky Sapphire over his head.

"You know him?" Della asked.

"I know of him! My father told me of this short man with a humped back! He came with the beast!" Silva shouted.

"What beast?!" Scrooge questioned.

"Over a century ago there was this beast that was able to change its form into any beast imaginable. Isabelle Finch managed to trap the beast by encasing it in sap that froze into amber. The man was gone. He never appeared again, so we all thought he was dead. To find out he's been hiding all this time… its impossible!" Silva shouted.

"Shiny is all mine!" The dog man shouted as he ran out of the mountain temple and jumped off the cliff. The trio came in time to see him leap off, but they were surprised to see him flying up into the air screaming "Shiny!"

"We have to stop him, but first we need to warn the kingdom." Silva said with a determined tone and expression.

"How are we going to do that? There's no we can chase after him and warn the people at the same time." Scrooge spoke up.

"Yes we can." Silva said as she grabbed Scrooge and Della's hands and dragging them towards the door where the blue amber was melting into sap. "You must lick the sap." Silva ordered.

"You want us to grow wings?" Della questioned with shock.

"Do not worry. The change will only be temporary. Only constant consumption of the sap will result in a permanent change. I'm trusting you two to retrieve the jewel while I warn the people." Silva explained.

Scrooge and Della nodded with serious expressions as they then licked the sap off of the melting amber.

"Ugh. Too sweet." Della said with a frown. She and Scrooge suddenly shook and twitched as they felt their bodies change. Suddenly a pair of wings shot right out of their backs and tearing right through the back of their clothes. "Whoa-ho-ho! This is amazing!" Della cheered as she shot up into the air. She laughed with joy as she flew around, only to hit the side of the mountain. "Ow! Whoops. Takes some getting used to." Della said as she flew away, only to hit a tree hanging off the cliff of the mountain. "Ow!"

"Towards the skies to put an end to that pilfering perpetrator's dastardly deeds!" Scrooge shouted as he flew up into the air, but then noticed Della crashing into the mountain side and trees in the area. "Della stop crashing into everything! You're not Launchpad!" Scrooge shouted.

"Oh~, that is low." Della said with a frown and squinted eyes before she got enough control to follow her uncle.

.

.

Launchpad came out of the Forbidden Forest where he met Wingston, who flew beside him on his left where Webby was being carried. Both Dewey and Webby were unconscious now thanks to being far away from the encased griffon.

Wingston rubbed the side of his face against Webby's making her moan as she woke up.

"What?" Webby looked to her left to see Wingston. "Wingston?"

"Oh you're up!" Launchpad said with a smile.

"Launchpad? Did you save us?" Webby asked.

"Oh you mean from the forest? Yeah. You don't remember?"

"No. The last thing I recall was seeing Dewey's eyes glowing…" Webby suddenly gasped. "Where's Dewey?!"

"On my right." Launchpad said as he showed her Dewey wrapped around his right arm, snoring.

"Oh good." Webby said.

"Dewey, Dewey, Dewey. Yay~." Dewey said with a big smile in his sleep.

"Is he… cheering himself?" Webby questioned with surprise.

"Aw~, it must be a happy dream." Launchpad said with a smile.

"I think we were under some sort of spell back there. How did you remain unaffected?" Webby asked.

"I don't know. I just went in there and found you guys." Launchpad said with a shrug. "A dad can never abandon their kids."

Webby smiled at this.

"Thanks, Launchpad. I mean, dad." Webby said with a smile.

"No problem, uh, daughter." Launchpad said smiling down at Webby. "Wow, that'll take some getting used to."

The three made their way back to the farm to find Louie picking berries off of the sheep from earlier.

"Hey you got the hang of it!" Launchpad called out with a smile.

"Is Louie actually working?" Webby questioned.

"Wait, what?" Dewey woke up with surprise as he then gasped at the sight of his brother. "No way, and with his own hands too."

"Guess you and the little one aren't on bad terms anymore." Launchpad said as he stopped in front of the green clothed duckling.

"Yeah. She's not so bad when you do things the right way." Louie said with a smile as he pet the berry sheep, making her cutely 'baa' with joy. "Thanks Launchpad."

"Wait, how did we get out of the forest?" Dewey asked, but they all suddenly heard the sound of a very loud siren. "Follow up: what's that?"

"Experience usually says: Nothing good." Louie said with a frown.

They all hurried over back to the house where they saw Xavier and Huey with worried expressions.

"What's going on?" Webby asked as Launchpad put her and Dewey down back onto the ground.

"It's the Siren of Doom." Xavier said with narrowed eyes.

"Told ya. Nothing good." Louie said.

"What does the Siren of Doom warn us about?" Huey asked.

"What else? The kingdom's doomed! To think I'd live to see this day!" Xavier answered.

"Should have expected that." Huey said with wide fearful eyes.

"Someone has taken the Sailing Skies Sapphire!" Xavier shouted.

"What's that?" Webby asked.

"It's the ancient gemstone that created the sap from the land itself and hardened it into amber. The amber is the reason the kingdom is in the skies to begin with thanks to its mystical properties that mutated the land and all that live on it. If the gemstone isn't placed back onto its pedestal, the amber throughout the area will melt and drown the entire kingdom in sap!" Xavier exclaimed with a serious tone and expression. "Followed by the kingdom falling back into the oceans below, but we'll all drown by then." Xavier added nonchalantly.

"So wait, the whole kingdom's going to drown… And I Did All This Work For Nothing?!" Louie shouted, dropping the bucket full of various berries.

"In the long run? Yes. Sadly it gets worse. You see across the other end down there pass the Forbidden Forest is a mountain made of amber. Once it all melts it will all pour downward towards our location, which will drown us and the farm before the rest of kingdom." Xavier explained pointing far onward.

"That's just great." Louie said with a frown and shoulders slumped.

"Well at least since its sap, it might be slow coming down here." Webby said.

"I'm afraid that's not the case. The more the amber melts, the more sap there will be and as it travels downward the sap will increase speed thanks to the momentum and mass of sap added over time." Huey explained.

"Then we got to run." Dewey said.

"You all go. I'm staying here." Xavier said.

"What?! Why?!" Louie shouted.

"Because this is my home. My family built this place long ago. Even if it is doomed I have to at least try and protect it somehow." Xavier explained.

"By yourself?!" Huey questioned, shocked by Xavier's dedication.

"If that's what it takes." Xavier said with a somber yet determined tone and expression.

"Well then I won't leave either. I can't let a friend down when he needs help." Launchpad said.

"Launchpad, you're a father! I can't let this happen! I'm not going to let your children live without you in their lives." Xavier argued.

"Then we'll stay too." Dewey said.

"What?!" Xavier exclaimed with shock.

"We're a family. We never let any one of us get left behind." Dewey said as he and the others had determined expressions.

"Huh… brave ones, aren't you?" Xavier said with a smile.

"They're smart too." Launchpad said with a smile.

"We just need to make a trench that the sap can go into." Huey said.

"We can use the bull-dozers to help!" Launchpad spoke up.

"This place has bulldozers?" Huey questioned with wide eyes.

"Sadly won't have enough time to make one deep enough, even with the help of the bulls." Xavier said.

"Especially since it'll be mountain sized sap." Dewey added.

Louie looked towards the direction where the sap is supposed to come from. His gaze landed upon another mountain sized object.

"Say, um… you got anything that's big enough to tear that ear of corn down?" Louie asked pointing towards the mountain sized corn in the distance.

"Isabella can help tear it down, but it won't be enough. It wouldn't even be a working barrier. It'll just be consumed by the sap entirely after some time." Xavier explained.

"Isabella?" Huey questioned.

"She's a goose I named after Isabella Finch." Xavier explained.

"Then what about the kernels? Maybe we can stack them like a wall." Webby suggested.

"Not a bad idea, but it might not be effective enough." Xavier said.

"Then how about we do the same thing, but after we heat them up-"

"And turn them into popcorn!" Huey exclaimed, finishing his brother's sentence. "It's bigger and it would be much more effective!"

"Not a bad solution. It will require a lot of work though." Xavier said.

"Then we better get it done as soon as possible." Louie said with a determined expression.

Xavier suddenly let out a loud whistle.

"Isabella!" Xavier called out. They group heard flapping before a giant goose landed next to them and let out a loud 'honk'. "I'll take her to bite the corn from the stem. Launchpad, I'm trusting you and your kids with the bulldozers." Xavier said as he quickly climbed atop of Isabella's back. "Yip-Ho!" Xavier called out as he tapped his heels against the sides of the geese, causing her to roar a loud 'honk' before flying into the air and headed towards mountainous blue ear of corn.

"So where are these bulldozers?" Dewey asked.

"Yippee-Yip-Ho!" Launchpad called out as the ground started to shake.

Rising from out of the ground were towering bulls with long blue hair at the shoulders and back, and horns that resembled the big metal plating similar to the digging mechanisms found on bulldozers.

"Oh… bull-dozers. Okay, that makes sense. And is very convenient of a name." Huey said.

"Sooie!" Launchpad called out as the flying pigs from earlier flew down towards them. They hopped on and flew up towards the back of the giant bulls. "Kids! It's time to teach you to ride the bulls!"

"They will not be gentle, will they?" Huey asked.

.

.

Meanwhile up in the skies, nearing the barn was the mysterious dog man who had stolen the Sailing Skies Sapphire.

He was determined to keep the jewel out of the grasp of everyone in the kingdom.

"Must do it. Must be free. Must get reward." The dog man said to himself.

"Hey short stack!" A voice called out.

"Huh?" The thief looked down to see Della flying towards him with a battle cry and ready to punch him, but she accidentally flew right pass.

"Gosh darn it!" Della shouted as sped pass him.

"Ha! First timer!" The thief called out with a smug smile, but then he was punched by Scrooge, causing him to drop the large sapphire. "No!" The thief cried out as he flew down to get it, but Scrooge managed to get to it first. The two now were fluttering across from one another. "How are you able to get the hang of flying so easily?" The thief asked.

"Believe it or not, this isn't the first time I've had a temporary flight mutation." Scrooge said with a confident smirk.

"It will be your last!" The thief shouted as he shot towards Scrooge, who easily flew around him.

"Fifty thousand nine hundred and seven." Scrooge said.

"What?" The thief questioned.

"That's how many times I've heard that line. You've been here for over a hundred years, right? You'd think with all time someone would come up with more original threats or comebacks." Scrooge taunted, still smirking.

"A comeback is what will happen! Be prepared to pray to your deities!" The thief yelled before flying at Scrooge again.

"A tad bit better, but needs work." Scrooge said as he outmaneuvered the thief easily.

"Here's my comeback!" Della shouted as she dived down, only to tackle her uncle, accidentally assisting the thief in retrieving the jewel that was back in his arms now.

"Dah! Della, what are you trying to do? Help him?!" Scrooge exclaimed as he pulled his niece off of himself.

"Sorry Uncle Scrooge, I thought this would be easy, but this is way harder than flying a plane. Oh boy, I really am starting to sound like Launchpad." Della said, feeling embarrassed by her lack of actual flying skills. She looked up to see the thief laughing and hugging the sapphire in his arms. "I need to borrow your back." Della said.

"What?" Scrooge questioned with a raised eyebrow before Della quickly got on his back, balanced on it and pushed off of her uncle to give her a boost in the right direction.

Della let out a battle cry with her fist extended out and managed to nail the thief in the face, sending him flying, so to speak, away with the sapphire out of his grasp and into Della's.

"Yes! Nothing can stop Della-"

"Mine!" The thief shouted as he quickly flew back and grabbed the sapphire.

"Hey! I wasn't finished cheering!" Della shouted as she was fighting the thief in a struggle to attain the jewel. The thief tried biting her arm, but after a pained scream she kicked him away, but he managed to grab the jewel again, resuming the struggle.

Scrooge flew up and joined the struggle, helping Della and managed to pull the sapphire away from the thief.

"No!" The thief shouted.

"Let's get back quick!" Scrooge shouted as he and Della hurried to fly back to the mountains, but Scrooge's leg was grabbed by the thief, who pulled him in and then brought a dagger from out of his vest and pointed it to Scrooge's neck.

"Hold it, lady! Or the old man dies!" The thief shouted.

"Uncle Scrooge!" Della called out her uncle's name in worry.

"Della, it's okay. Just get the jewel back." Scrooge said.

"Give me jewel now or I feast on duck tonight!" The thief shouted.

"Ew." Della said with disgust. A shadow suddenly loomed over them, causing them to look up to see a giant ear of corn falling down on top of them. "Whoa, that's big!" Della shouted as she, Scrooge and the thief stared at the giant vegetable in shock.

Scrooge quickly took advantage of the situation and got out of the thief's hold thanks to a good elbow to the gut and twist of the arm, forcing him to release his hold on the blade.

The three quickly flew away so as to avoid being flattened by giant blue corn.

The giant ear of corn slammed against the ground, creating a large dust cloud from impact.

"Well I can safely say that I've never been nearly flatten by a giant ear of corn." Scrooge said.

"Success!" A voice cheered. Scrooge and Della turned to see Xavier flying up on a giant goose who spat out a green stem. "Launchpad's family! You have the jewel!"

"We just got it back from this creep." Della said gesturing to the thief across from them. "Why'd you chop down a giant vegetable?" Della asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's part of your son's plan to hopefully slow down… that!" Xavier pointed towards the distance where the Forbidden Forest was as it looks like a mountain of amber was melting like ice cream and the more it melted the faster it was to travelling downward. It already consumed a portion of the forest itself.

The thief's eyes were wide. He slowly started to smile at the sight. He then started to giggle which turned into a chuckle and then finally full blown laughter. He laughed with joy at the sight before him as he then flew away towards the distance.

"Am I missing something?" Della questioned, confused by the thief's sudden erratic behavior.

"Not sure, but I know that pedestal is missing this gem. We need to hurry back." Scrooge said, referring to the Sailing Skies Sapphire.

"Wait! We're gonna need help. Can one of you get some of the kingdom citizens to assist? Tell them to bring Drill Bugs to assist." Xavier spoke up.

"I'll do it. Uncle Scrooge, you're better at flying than I am, so you're the best person to bring the sapphire back." Della said as she handed Scrooge the large gemstone.

"Good luck, lass." Scrooge said as he flew away.

Della flew off as well, but she was still having a bit of trouble flying. But nothing will stop her! For she is Della Duck!

"Now I need to get the Kirins. Isabella! Back to the farm! Yip-Ho!" Xavier exclaimed as he gently tapped the heels of his feet on the sides of Isabella, causing her to let out a loud 'honk' before flying off back towards the farm.

.

.

Meanwhile back with Launchpad and the kids, after a quick lesson, they were trying to dig not just one, but several rows of trenches with the bull-dozers.

"I still can't believe how easy this is." Huey said as his hands were tightly gripping two long locks of hair sticking out the nape of the giant beast's neck. He tugged on the left one, causing the bull-dozer to dig its horns into the ground, then he tugged on the other lock of hair, causing the bull-dozer to lift its head, digging out a large cluster of the ground below. "These two locks of hair are connected to the nerves in the brain stem, acting as controls sending signals through their brain to guide them in direction and digging. They're just like the bulldozers on Earth! Perfectly convenient naming! Also, I'm riding a giant powerful animal and I wish someone had a camera!" Huey explained with amazement and a big smile.

"I got ya covered!" Dewey called out as he took out his phone, but he didn't let go of the two long locks of hair, causing the bull-dozer to buck a bit, causing the blue clad duckling to drop his device off of the bull-dozer. "Aw man. It's going to be a long while until I get a new one." Dewey said with a frown.

"Everyone holding up okay?" Launchpad asked.

"Yup. Clarence here is actually doing most of the work, so this job is perfect for me." Louie said with a smile.

"Clarence?" Webby questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. I named him. You did the same for that little guy, why can't I for this big guy?" Louie said, referring to Wingston, who was flying beside Webby. "Uh, is it just me or is that forest becoming more blue than usual?" Louie asked, causing Webby to turn to see already half of the forest was consumed in blue sap.

"Oh no, that sap really is getting faster with more sap added. We got to hurry!" Webby said.

"Wait, does anyone else hear that?" Huey asked as they all then listened closely as they were hearing a sort of rumbling noise.

They all looked to see a stampede of the chimera stallions of earlier, otherwise known as Kirins, and Xavier was riding the lead one.

"I've collected our heating solution!" Xavier called out as the Kirin he was rising let out a whinny and fired a bolt of lightning from the horn sticking out atop its head.

"Wouldn't fire have worked better?" Huey called out his questioned.

"Do you know how stubborn those Spitfire Mules are? This is easier!" Xavier retorted as he guided the Kirins towards the giant ear of corn. The silver haired duck stopped in front of the giant ear of corn. "All together now!" Xavier shouted with a fist up, causing all the Kirins to raise their heads as sparks started to form at the tips of them. "Fire!" Xavier shouted as he thrust his arm forward with his hand opened up.

The Kirin stallions fired all together bolts of lightning, striking the giant ear of corn. After a while, the kernels heated up and turned red before they sudden shot out like bullets.

Giant pieces of popcorn hit the ground below, scattering about the area.

"Enough!" Xavier called out as he snapped his hand to the side, causing the Kirin stallions to cease.

"Whoa. That's enough to feed a hundred movie theaters." Dewey said.

"Give or take a few million." Huey added.

"Done on my end!" Xavier called out as he and the Kirin stallions rushed by near the Duck family.

One of the bull-dozers picked up its head and let out a worried trumpeting sound as it and the rest started to hurry away from the area.

"Sooie!" Launchpad called out as he quickly rushed and jumped off of his bull-dozer and landed on a flying Ocean Hog.

The kids followed his lead.

"Guess we're done too." Huey said as he and the others flew down by Xavier as they watched the bull-dozers run off. They turned their heads towards the forest to see the blue sap fully flooding out of it while at the same time consuming it. "But we're out of time! There's no way we can move the popcorn into the trenches!" Huey exclaimed as they all had looks of worry.

"Then just leave it to mama!" They all turned up to see Della actually flying with a pair of wings sticking out of her back and all around her were the kingdom citizens atop of flying insects that seemed to be a cross between scarabs and dragonflies that had drills at the ends of their faces and legs. "Let's get constructive!" Della called out as the citizens directed the Drill Bugs to latch onto the pieces of popcorn with their drills, which dug deep to strengthen the grip.

"Yes! Way to go mom!" Dewey cheered.

"You have wings now?!" Huey exclaimed with bewilderment.

"Cool!" Webby cheered with a big grin.

"Make a wall behind the trenches! They'll act as the second defense!" Louie called out, earning nods from the citizens.

The citizens started building a wall of popcorn behind the several rows of trenches made by Launchpad and the kids.

Just in time too as the sap flood made it to the deep trenches. After some time the trenches filled up and hit the wall of popcorn. Everyone watched as the sap was being blocked, but from the looks of things it'll soon enough find a way to bypass the wall of giant popcorn.

"Come on Uncle Scrooge. Please make it in time." Della said with a worried look as she was flying up and looking down at the sap that was building up.

After a while, the sap was rising and even managing to leak through the cracks in the popcorn wall.

The citizens were now worried, but after a few moments, the sap started to harden once more.

"Look!" A citizen called out as they all watched the sap once more turn into blue amber.

"Yes!" Louie cheered as everyone cheered in victory.

"Alright!" Della cheered as she did a flip in the air.

"Thank goodness. That was way too close." Xavier said. He then looked to Louie. "Excellent work, kid." Xavier said to Louie with a smile.

"Thanks! I can't believe that worked! At least for a while." Louie said.

"Feel proud my young friend. You work today protected the life stock of this very town." Xavier said with a smile.

"You know what? I do feel proud." Louie said with a smile. He felt a hand on his shoulder making him look up to see a smiling Launchpad giving him a thumbs up. Louie's smile widened as he returned the gesture with a thumbs up of his very own.

"Wait, this is the only farm of the kingdom?" Huey asked.

"Sadly. No one really bothers us so we considered it no harm no foul. Guess we'll have to change that after all this." Xavier said as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Whoa~, whoa!" They looked up to see Della having trouble flying with her very own wings, trying to get down to ground level. "Okay, I think I'm getting a little better at this." Della said as she tried controlling her wings, but she accidently crashed into a Drill Bug, causing her to lose control and fall towards the ground with a small scream, but she was caught by Launchpad, bridal style. "Thanks Launchpad."

"No problem. Nice crash by the way." Launchpad said with a smile before he put Della back onto her feet.

"So is this going to be the new normal or what?" Huey asked, pointing to his mother's wings.

"Don't worry. Silva said that as long as I don't eat anymore sap then the change is temporary." Della said with a dismissive wave.

"For how long?" Webby asked.

"About an hour. I wonder how long it's been n-" Della suddenly let out a groan as her body stiffened. She then had a bit of a spasm as he wings started to shrink with feathers flying, right before she fell on her knee. "This feels gross!" Della said as she held her stomach just as the wings finally disappeared into her body.

"You okay mom?" Louie asked.

"Yeah… just feeling hungry now." Della said with a frown.

.

.

Back at the farmhouse, the Duck/McDuck family sat down at the dinner table that was right next to the kitchen.

"So thanks to Della telling Silva I was making my way back to the mountain, she disabled the traps inside so I didn't have to waste time and put the Sailing Skies Sapphire right where it belongs." Scrooge said with a smile.

"Whatever happened to that thief?" Webby asked.

"Not sure. He just flew off right after he saw the sight of this Forbidden Forest being consumed in the sap. An odd reaction." Scrooge said.

"What doesn't make sense is why he did it. To steal the jewel, to destroy the kingdom or maybe something else." Della added.

"Well whatever he was trying to accomplish, we'll find out soon." Silva said as she, Xavier and Launchpad came out of the kitchen with plates in their hands. "Now that we know he's still around, he lost his biggest advantage." Silva said as she, her brother and Launchpad placed the plates of food in front of everyone.

"Here. You all deserved this for all your efforts." Xavier said with a smile.

The plates had omelets with blue spots of liquid on them, bacon with specs of blue colored sugar on them, piping hot muffins that created steam that formed above it in the shape of clouds, stacks of pancakes with blue specs all throughout them and covered in blue syrup and on the side were cups full of blue colored tea.

"We actually had enough for Cornbread Blue Star Pancakes." Launchpad said with a smile.

"It's all so blue. So… perfect." Dewey said with a big smile and happy teary eyes.

"Uh, none of this is made with the sap is it?" Huey asked.

"No. They just look that way because of food coloring." Silva said with a dismissive wave.

"Well, time for the moment of truth." Della said as she and the family dug in. After their first bite, their eyes widened. "Oh My Gosh! Was I even alive until now?!" Della exclaimed as she ate more of her Blue Star Pancakes.

"This bacon makes me feels like I'm stronger!" Webby cheered, flexing her bicep before eat more of her Ocean Hog Bacon.

"That would be the protein." Xavier said with a smile.

"So~ sugary~!" Huey said as he ate more bacon, feeling a new form of sugar high.

"Mm. This might be the most delicious muffin I ever tasted after the Shinto Goddess Uke Mochi's." Scrooge said as he savored his muffin.

"Mm~." Louie moaned with delight after taking a sip from his Blue River Tea.

"Like it? It's made from water from the Pure Blue River and from the same berry I gave you earlier." Launchpad said with a smile.

"Seriously? It taste so much better!" Louie said with a smile.

"That's because you earned it." Launchpad said with smile and wink.

"I guess so. I'm never working that hard again though." Louie said with a smile as he drank more from his tear.

Della noticed the exchange between her youngest and Launchpad. From the looks of it, the two had actually bonded while she was away. She couldn't help, but smile at not just the stronger bond they formed, but it looks like Launchpad taught what was considered the impossible and taught Louie the value of hard work. Guess pigs were flying… with one literally flying by the window.

"Say just wondering you guys, what was in that forest you went into?" Louie asked Dewey and Webby.

Dewey and Webby stopped eating as they thought over their experience inside the Forbidden Forest.

"I'm~… not sure. I don't even remember what happened in there. I just remember waking up in Launchpad's arm after a mist covered the place." Dewey said with a confused expression.

"That's because we were put under a spell. We heard a voice telling us to free is as the mist rolled by. It had to be enchanted and brainwashed us." Webby answered.

"I wonder who that voice belonged to." Della wondered.

"Maybe it belonged to that griffon." Launchpad said, earning everyone's attention.

"A griffon?" Scrooge questioned.

"Can I have more sugary bacon please?!" Huey asked with so much energy that he didn't really pay attention to what everyone else was saying thanks to his sugar high.

"You came across a griffon in the forest?" Scrooge asked Launchpad.

"Yeah. He was stuck in the amber. Webby and Dewey were trying to get him out using rocks, but there was no use. I was gonna get help, but then that sap flood was coming. I wonder if he got out or not." Launchpad explained.

Everyone now looked worried.

"A griffon…?" Silva said to herself with worry.

"You don't think that…" Xavier was equally worried as he looked to his sister.

.

.

The thief from earlier was flying around the kingdom, trying to find something. Right now he was nearing some mountains.

"Where? Where?" The thief questioned to himself as he kept turning his head left and right. "Where could…" He however noticed a pair of men in armor and with weapons in their hands flying by. One with a stork with a black Mohawk and the other a seagull blonde crewcut. The thief quickly flew down towards a mountain and hid behind some shrubs.

The two armored men flew by, looking around on patrol.

The dog man peeked out from the bushes to see the pair stop for a moment.

"I could have sworn I saw someone just now." The blonde seagull said, scratching the top of his head.

"Let's keep patrolling just in case. I'm sure that thief is hiding around like the rat he is deep down inside himself." The Mohawk stork said before he and the seagull flew away.

"Too close." The short dog said.

"A rat is close, but street rat is accurate." A voice spoke behind him.

The thief turned to see a towering seven foot tall man dressed in a blue stained cloak with a hood over his head. His hood his part of his face with his snout sticking out revealing a two long locks of hair looking like an oriental mustache and a full grey beard revealed. He also had green glowing eyes which matched the talisman attached to the necklace around his neck.

"Is… is it really you?" The thief asked, shaking in place.

"Hello Dijon." The hooded man said.

"Master! It is you!" The thief, now known as Dijon, exclaimed with joy as he ran up to his master and hugged his legs that were hidden behind his cloak. "I am so happy to see you are free!" Dijon cheered as he continued hugging his master's legs.

"Happy to see me… or this?" The cloaked being said as he brought up his hand to reveal a golden coin held in between his fingers.

Dijon gasped at the sight.

"Shiny." Dijon said with a big smile on his face and glittering eyes.

"You sure took your time freeing me Dijon." The hooded man said as he hid the coin within his fist. "How long has it been?"

"Around century and a half, but-"

"I gave you the gift of immortality to assist me for the rest of eternity. Any trap coming your way you could have survived it." The cloaked man said.

"Yes master, but I did not know how to open the door to the key to your freedom. I tried, but when I got it wrong the citizens were alerted. If I tried once more they would know that I still skulked the area. All I could do was wait until they opened the door themselves or else they would catch on and I'd meet the same fate as you did. I would be useless to you if I too were frozen in amber. I would have no ability to serve my master and I would never be able to see my shiny things again." Dijon explained, trying to spare himself from his master's rising anger.

"Hmm." The hooded being narrowed his eyes at Dijon. After a moment and a gulp from Dijon, the cloaked man flipped the golden coin towards Dijon, who managed to grab it. "Fair argument." The hooded being said.

"Oh~, shiny." Dijon said with a big smile as he stared at the coin with shimmering eyes.

"A century and a half. Sure feels like that. Which means that daring do-gooder Isabella is no longer around." The cloaked being said.

"Shall we take jewel for good master?" Dijon asked.

"No. I'm sick of this place. It's not worth the risk of another century and a half in all this godforsaken amber." The cloaked being said.

"Then what shall we do next?" Dijon asked.

"During my clash with Finch I had managed to take her adventure journal and found that she had discovered where my lamp was taken. Not the exact location, but I know that it's back in Arabia."

"Arabia? Home?" Dijon questioned.

"Collie Baba hid it well from me… but thanks to another 'hero' I will have my greatest treasure fully returned to me… in one piece." The cloaked man said as he gently grasped his green talisman.

"And the world will in turn be yours to control once more, yes?" Dijon asked with a smile.

"Precisely." The cloaked being said, looking down upon his servant.

"Hail the mighty Merlock! Wizard Supreme! Indomitable Immortal! Deliverer of Disasters!" Dijon praised as he knelt down and bowed to his master.

"Hmm. I missed hearing that." Merlock said as he then revealed his shiny, sharp pearly whites.

.

End of Chapter 2

.

Author's Words:

Uh oh.

That's right! I figured it would be appropriate to have a villain in the shadows like the real show does, and who else could I think of besides Merlock?

I grew up with the guy, kind of. When I was young I was nuts for Donald Duck Goin' Quackers for the N64. In fact, I was once playing it while writing this chapter… okay, twice. Despite being an adult, nothing feels more gratifying than accomplishing victory over a game you've constantly played when you were a child. I guess it just feels good since I've obviously come a long way since first playing it. Even if it is a child's game.

There's just something about overcoming a nostalgic obstacle that just makes you feel great. No matter how old you get.

Plus the game ends with Donald Duck defeating Merlock's dragon forms with a freaking laser cannon! Even for old school kids games that's cool!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I like the first better, but I'm still proud of this one. Although I think I'll like writing the third chapter better.

By the way, I know Dijon's incarnation from the 2017 Reboot is the awesomely cool and skilled Faris D'jinn, but I decided for my story that Merlock would need a servant to assist him. I mean all villains aiming for world domination need a servant to assist them. Especially if they want to stick to the shadows. Since Dijon worked as his servant in the original series, I figured this would work best since people would be more familiar with a familiar incarnation of a character instead of an all new character. I'll try and tone down the Arabic stereotyping unlike the original series since this is a different era.

Also I based the design of Launchpad's family from the poster on a drawing from Queenie Draws Stuff where Launchpad introduces Della to his family.

Anyway, thank you for reading chapter two. Hope you'll stick around for chapter three when I post it.

Takeshi1225, Out!