Chapter Text
So, I did it.
I still can’t believe that I managed to pull it off, but I did. Aunt Magica is free- and so am I.
Seriously, all it took was that Vesuvian diamond dagger and getting the bitch to shut up for two minutes. See that? She’s not watching me anymore! I can call her a bitch now! I’m free!
Just...wow. I wonder if old Mr. McMoneybags has even noticed the dime is missing yet. Either way, I’m going to jump town just in case he suspects me. Aunt Magica isn’t going to attack them until the eclipse, so that gives me about three weeks to get as far away from Duckburg as possible.
I’m going to St. Canard first. Maybe the old youth shelter there is still open- the people there weren’t that bad- and without Aunt Magica hovering over me all the time, I might finally be able to go hang out with them. Maybe I’ll even have some fun.
I think I’m real now. After Magica got out of the dime, she performed some ritual for me that involved her cutting open both our hands, doing some handshake, a few runes, and a lot of chanting. But, apparently I’m more or less real now. She said that I’m about three-quarters mortal and a quarter magic, so that’s something to get used to.
I wonder if I can age now. I fell down and scraped my knee earlier, and there was blood instead of shadow goop, so I know that I can get hurt. I’ll have to be more careful, though. And maybe pick up one of those books about growing up that all teenagers are supposed to read, because I have no idea how to take care of my body.
Do I have to see a doctor now-? Or maybe since I’m still a quarter magic I still can’t get sick. I hope I don’t have to see a doctor, they would totally call social services when they can’t find any record of my existence.
Or maybe that’d be a good thing. Aunt Magica wouldn’t make me get away from them this time, so I’d have a chance to live a normal life…
Ha! I started laughing when I wrote that. Lena de Spell, living a normal life? How would I even start that? What home would want me, anyways? I’m a troublemaker who breaks the law, doesn’t follow through, and betrays her friends. If an ex-spy says you’re not a good kid, then you’re not a good kid.
At least I have a future now, though. It may not be a bright one, but it’s better than none. And I’m free! I’m actually free!
Okay, it’s been a few hours. I’m sitting on a bus heading towards St. Canard right now. I packed all my stuff up since Aunt Magica was the one who wanted to use the amphitheater as a hideout. It’s not like it’s much, considering I don’t even have the amulet anymore, so there’s my best defense gone, I guess.
I should have grabbed some extra food from the mansion. Or a knife. Probably both. But nope, Aunt Magica is so damn impatient that I can’t even grab the basic necessities before leaving.
Then again, if I did stay, I totally would have been caught. I can’t believe they bought my bullshit excuse about my aunt needing me or whatever. I mean, I’ve never even mentioned having an aunt to them, and they just bought it. It’s amazing! But then again, they really are too trusting once they let their guard down.
I hope they don’t let their guard down. I don’t want Webby to get hurt. I kind of feel guilty about betraying her. I can’t believe it- she was just supposed to be my ticket in, I’m not supposed to even care about her! Am I even supposed to have feelings?
I mean, I guess I am now that I’m sort of real and everything. And free. I wonder what that’s like.
It’s kind of weird. I spent so long trying to get away from Aunt Magica, I don’t know what to do now that I’m done with her. I guess I need to get as far away from Duckburg as possible and stop worrying about them.
I shouldn’t worry about Scrooge. I mean, he’s tough. That entire family is tough. They can do anything together, and as long as they stay together, they’ll be able to take out Magica.
I hope that they can. I don’t want to live in a world where she’s in charge. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.
But I guess I can’t really complain, can I? It’s my fault that the world is gonna end, so I don’t get to complain about it- it was my fault because I wanted to be free, and I’m selfish, a bad person, not even real - tired. I’m really tired. Maybe that’s just what happens when you become real.
I guess I’ll sleep. It’s still another few hours until I get to St. Canard, and nobody on this bus is staring at me in a creepy way.
Goodnight.
Lena closed her journal and put it back in her beat-up backpack, easily fitting it in there with the rest of her few possessions; a change of clothes, a few cans of spray paint, an old journal, a few pencils, some spare change, her phone charger, her phone, a few random tools, and some ratty earbuds.
The teenager pulled out said phone and earbuds, plugging them in and began scrolling through her mediocre playlist. A few illegally downloaded musicals, a playlist with some random rap songs, and several punk albums, including one by The Runaways.
“Eenie-meenie-minie-moe.” She landed on The Runaways- decent enough, she guessed. Putting her earbuds in and leaning against the back of the seat, Lena let the sound of Joan Jett drown out the noise of the bus, the few passengers who were staring at this dirty teenager who was traveling on her own, and the noise inside her head. She stared out the window and drifted off to sleep.
Lena ran. She ran and ran and ran, but couldn’t get away. The shadows crept up, wrapping around her legs and dragging her down. They pulled her back, back all the way to Duckburg. Why was she in Duckburg?
The shadows swirled around the sky, engulfing in inky blackness. The citizens were screaming, running from the one person who was unaffected by the shadows; the Queen of them herself, Magica De Spell.
Lena struggled, desperately trying to break out of the shadows that were snaking around her, choking her, threatening to drown her and drag her back to the inky emptiness of the Shadow Realm. She reached her arm into her sweater, searching for the amulet, but found only her shirt.
Of course. Aunt Magica has the amulet now, and Lena was practically defenseless, with nothing but her fists to defend herself. She continued to flail, hoping that the shadows would miraculously let her go so that she could run away before-
“Oh, there you are, Lena.”
It was her. Aunt Magica stood tall and proud in front of her former shadow, who was kneeling on the ground. The shadows that brought her there retreated slightly, but Lena still couldn’t find the ability to move her feet. Paralyzed with fear, she tried to look away, but Aunt Magica grabbed her by the head, forcing her chin upwards to meet her gaze.
“I was wondering where you decided to run off to. I can’t believe you didn’t stick around to witness your dear aunt’s rise to power and the execution of her revenge upon Clan McDuck. Of course, I’ve already done the last part.” The witch reached into her cloak pocket, pulling out an old dime. Etched into the metal, Lena could make out Scrooge’s face glaring back at her.
“Now, I expect you to be here when I crush the rest of his miserable family beneath my heel for dear Scroogie to watch. You’ve helped me get so far, after all, it would only be fitting that you help complete the last of it.”
Magica picked Lena up, fingers gripping her jaw and forcing her wide eyes towards the battlefield. “Webster or whatever her name was is in there somewhere, you know. I’m sure she would love to see you again. Oh, the look on their faces when they discover you betrayed them is always delightful the first time!”
With that, Lena was shoved out into the chaos of the battle between the shadows and the Duck Clan. She could see Donald holding his own with what looked like a dozen shadows, trying to put himself between them and the terrified triplets. Launchpad was attempting to drive through them and run them over, but they were grabbing onto his car, slowing it down. Beakley, who always had a cool aura of control around her, was now desperately trying to stay above the waves of shadows threatening to pull her under.
And Webby... Webby was screaming, doing her best to tear through the shadows holding her grandmother captive, to no avail. In what was only moments, they grabbed onto the young girl’s fists, pulling her into the dark mass.
“Webby!” Lena couldn’t stop the scream from tearing out of her throat. Webby turned to look at her, eyes desperate.
“Lena! Help! Magica de Spell somehow came back, and-“
“Oh, but she already knows that, brat.” Aunt Magica’s cold voice cut through the air like a knife, the shadows slowing down for her as she walked. “Your so-called friend was the one who helped free me, after all.”
“What? No- she wouldn’t! Lena is my friend, she’d never help you!” Webby probably would have bitten Magica if she could get close enough in that moment.
Magica laughed, cruelly and viciously. “Lena isn’t even a person, Pinkie. She’s my shadow, and all you ever were to her was a tool to get to Scrooge McDuck’s Number One Dime!”
“You- you’re lying! That isn’t true- right... Lena?” Webby turned to look at the teenager, doubt and fear hiding behind the ferocity in her expression. Upon seeing the shame in Lena’s face, she began to panic. “She’s lying, right, Lena? Please, tell me she’s lying!”
Lena turned to face the ground, unable to look at her friend anymore. “I’m sorry, Pink.”
Webby’s face took on a mix of shock and horror, and the universe seemed to slow down, circling only them. Then, it shifted to anger. “So I was nothing more than a free pass into Mr. McDuck’s mansion? Did even mean anything to you!?”
“At first, it was,” Lena desperately tried to explain, “but I never wanted all this to happen! I didn’t have a choice-!”
“You always have a choice, Lena! And… and you chose wrong!” The shadows grew, and the ducks began to swirl around Lena, and their prodding insults and judgements became all she could hear over the growing noise of the vortex.
“We let you into our home, and you went and let her in?” Huey’s voice was clear, full of anger.
“We trusted you! We went on adventures together! You saved me from a money shark! You lied about all of that?” Dewey, or maybe Louie. Whichever it was, the other one was soon followed- “You took our Uncle away from us again!”
“I knew you were nothing but trouble from the start. I should have never allowed you near my granddaughter.”
“You tore my family apart! You put my kids in danger!” Donald’s voice. Lena wished she never had figured out how to understand it.
“You monster! How could you do this?” Even Launchpad was angry. Lena hadn’t known that the pilot was even capable of being angry.
“You’re not my friend!” as Webby’s voice grew louder, the shadows completely surrounded Lena, blocking out the sky. “You’re a coward! A traitor! You’re a bad person!”
Lena fell to the ground. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
“But it’s too late for that now, isn’t it?” The voice sounded like all of them, yet none of them all at once. “You’re a monster! Just like your Aunt!”
“Oh, now don’t give her too much credit.” The spiraling shadows slowed, and parted just slightly to let Aunt Magica through. “For her to be just like me, she would have to be a real person.”
“No! I’m not your puppet anymore. You promised me my freedom!” Lena cried, begging her aunt to let her go.
“And I gave it to you for quite a bit of time, Lena. But alas, you truly have become far too troublesome. I really ought to put you in your place.”
And with that, Aunt Magica raised her staff. Lena could feel a cold, chilling grip wrap around her body, submerging her, and then disappearing along with any other feeling as she was dragged back into the numbing darkness.
“No! Not again! Don’t send me back! Please, Aunt Magica-!”
“Hey, shut up, kid!”
Lena jolted awake, a scream escaping her throat. Sweat covered her brow as she proceeded to collapse onto a cold, hard floor. She looked around, trying to piece together her surroundings. Right. Bus, headed to St. Canard. Aunt Magica was free, she was getting away.
Pulling herself back into her seat, she looked at the person who had been shaking her awake. An older seagull, probably about his mid-forties, wearing a plaid shirt, jeans, and an old baseball cap. Probably working class, based on his old phone and beat up bag, and leaving a thankless job to go to an apartment that probably cost more than it was worth.
“I’m sorry.” Lena apologized, plugging her earbuds back in. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
The old guy sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Hope you don’t have to live through whatever nightmare you were having again.”
A few minutes later, the bus screeched to a stop, and the driver called out to the occupants, “Port Bridge Public Transit Station, St. Canard!”
Lena summoned what little energy she had left to pull herself to her feet. Picking up her bag, she climbed past the seagull, who refused to move, and out the bus.
As Lena stepped outside, she breathed in the cold air. It was early morning, the sun having only been up for a few hours. Most people hadn’t even left to go to work yet, and the streets were quiet, the station only sporting about two dozen commuters. Great. It would be a while before there were big enough crowds for her to be able to safely grab a meal.
The teenager approached the nearest map, looking for her next destination, instinctively turning to her shadow to ask where she had to go. Her shadow made no move.
Right. Aunt Magica was gone. No more stuck-up aunt in her shadow, but on the other hand, Lena had no idea what to do. Sighing, she closed her eyes and pointed to a random spot on the map, blinking her eyelids open in order to view where her finger had landed.
A business district on the edge of downtown and near a university. Not too far from a part of town that Lena remembered was a little shady, so if she was lucky, she’d be able to grab some food in the business district and crash in an abandoned building.
Another bus pulled into the station, and Lena dragged herself towards it. If this was how her freedom was going to go, she wasn’t looking forward to it.