Trial and Error

Written by Zelda

 

                The dragon stared hard at the huddle of the Saurians before her. She stood slowly, her bruised limbs aching radically beneath her, the shackles which held her to the floor clinking dully. She cocked an ear and peered through the bars of one of the Raptor's trademark holding cells to try and make out what they were saying. Dragaunus, Siege and Wraith were conversing in some hushed tone, their backs to her. Zelda growled audibly and started for the bars. The Chameleon poked his head at her and pointed his laser gun menacingly forward. Zelda reluctantly lowered her head and sat again. What was going on here? This was no usual capture and imprisonment routine. By now, Dragaunus would have her lined up for the incineration chamber. It had been at least a half an hour since she'd been put in her cell. If they had a scheme, Siege would be cackling about it. But nothing. The dragon was unnerved.

                "So boys, you mind telling me your plans? You gonna use me as bait to trap the Ducks, or maybe just kill me outright, or make me suffer for a while? Or maybe you'll try something that actually hasn't failed you before?" She grinned at them. Dragaunus shot a glare at her, his eyes burning red. But he didn't fly into a rage as he usually did. Wraith put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, then pulled his head closer to listen to him as he whispered. Siege was gesturing in objection. Dragaunus finally stood up in an authoritative manner.

                "No no dragon." Wraith called to her. "I'm afraid there will be no pain for now."

                "What a disappointment." the dragon snorted.

                "Wraith has convinced me you need a different kind of punishment." Dragaunus folded his arms. "Forget about the Ducks."

                "Whoa... I think that's the first time I've ever heard you say that!" Zelda mocked him. "Truly honorable Draggy, meethinks you're starting to realize you'll never be able to defeat them eh?" Again, Dragaunus was not provoked.

                "I'll go ready the dimensional gateway. Siege, Chameleon, I want you to come with me." Siege humphed and followed, the spry Chameleon in tow. Now Zelda was really worried. Hadn't the Ducks destroyed the generator not a few months ago? She looked up in question, only to find Wraith's beady eyes grinning back.

                "I sense you'd like to know what you're fated for dragon." Wraith smiled at her.

                "The generator?"

                "As you know it was destroyed. Put a nasty crimp in our plans too. Unfortunately you Ducks didn't realize that if we could put together a generator with the limited resources in Dimensional Limbo, we could easily do the same thing here."

                "So you've rebuilt it.... and now what?"

                "Put the Ducks out of your head for a moment dragon." Wraith was annoyed. "We speak on a basis of lineage now. No Ducks included."

                "They're always included for me." Zelda stood again and growled. Wraith shifted his weight on his staff and grinned wryly.

                "Not anymore."

 

                Wildwing knitted his brows at the ship before him. Something wasn't right.

                "I got a bed feeling Ducks." Nosedive started.

                "On several levels little bro." Wildwing agreed.

                "First of all, they attack, they catch us all by surprise, and they take Zel only." Duke started. "I know Siege had me in a bind, then he let me go!"

                "Then we show up to rescue her, and no welcoming party to greet us." Mallory still stood nervously with her launcher at the ready. "I don't like this at all. Big Red's got something up his sleeve." Grin stood before the bay doors of the ship.

                "I didn't even have to open these this time." He said, a slight disappointment in his voice.

                "We could be walking into a trap." Tanya started.

                "We'll risk it, let's go Ducks." Widlwing waved his team on and climbed into the Raptor. The ship's huge entrance corridor was empty and silent, as were the halls leading from it. Tanya let her guard down to tap at her Omnitool, scanning the area.

                "No hunter drones on this floor at all, I can't pick up their electric signatures." she started.

                "If there's anything in here, it's out of range." Wildwing scanned the area with his Mask as well. "I really don't like this."

                "I guess we've got the all clear! We might actually have an easy time getting Zelda out." Nosedive marveled. Wildwing continued a little way up the hall.

                "Or she might not even be here at all." Wildwing started.

                "I assure you she is!" a familiar voice called from outside the ship. The team spun around to see Dragaunus standing outside! He must have teleported into the field surrounding the ship, and there he was, holding Zelda chained and bound in his arm! Wildwing froze as his team circled their backs together with him. Why was he outside? Should they go and combat him or would they be met from an attack within the ship? "There'll be nothing for you here Ducks, leave now and let the dragon be judged in peace." Wildwing chanced it and lead the team as he leapt out of the ship, landing with Dragaunus already in the crosshairs of his launcher. About 50 feet to the left, the three henchmen stood, launchers raised as well. But Dragaunus signaled them to hold their fire. He casually strode, Zelda fastened to him with an arm, towards his minions.

                "Let her go Dragaunus!" Wildwing called in his usual high warning tone. "One more step and I'll blast you to pieces!"

                "I'll do no such thing Duck. Put the dragon out of your mind, you won't be seeing her again." He motioned behind him. "Open the gateway!" Wildwing froze. A familiar purple beam shot out from the tip of the Raptor, exploding in a whirlwind on the ground. The four Saurians walked in calmly, the dragon struggling to escape them. The team was helpless as they were forced to their hands and knees, anchoring themselves in the grass to keep from getting sucked in.

                "We've gotta follow them!" Mallory yelled over the din.

                "Are you CRAZY?" Nosedive snapped back. "How can we get back?"

                "What's the plan Wildwing?" Duke asked him. Wildwing paused in thought. Suddenly, the gateway snapped closed!

                "No!" Wildwing leapt to his feet. But the gateway was gone. The team was left alone in the field, the great red Raptor towering silently above them.

                "I don't believe it." Tanya didn't take her eyes off of the patch of blue sky where the whirlwind had been. "They rebuilt the generator."

                "And I thought that part of our worries were over." Grin shook his head.

                "We've gotta go after them! They have Zelda, who knows where they went!" Mallory was still all-action.

                "... I agree." Wildwing said slowly.

                "I hate to be the echo in here, but are you CRAZY?" Nosedive yelled again. "Even if those sleezoids left and we could even use the generator, we have no way of getting back!"

                "Canard took that chance when we came here." Wildwing glared at his brother with an unusual fire. "I'm not going to hesitate to do it again." There was a silence. A bird twittered somewhere in the distance. "Mallory, Dive and Duke, I want you to take the Migrator and go back to the Pond. Leave us three duckcycles. Get all of our crucial weaponry and technology that you can fit in the back. And leave a note to Phil.... just in case." The selected three paused. "The rest of us are going to get to that generator. Go on, we'll need you back here in case the Saurians decided to leave their defenses up in the Raptor." Mallory, Duke and Dive jogged off to the Migrator. Wildwing turned and headed steadily back to the Raptor. He stood before the open bay doors and leapt up, and then something cold and sizzling snapped him backwards. He flew back and landed hard in the grass, rolling up quickly. He heard the Migrator pulling away. Tanya helped him up. "What was that?"

                "Looks like the Saurians expected us to be prodding around Wildwing." Tanya sighed. "They've put up a force field around the Raptor."

 

                The dragon recovered herself quickly, staggering to her feet despite her shackles. Panicked in her damp, musty surroundings, she darted off, tripped, and fell. Siege reached out a meaty hand and grabbed her by the tail, lifting her clean into the air. She squirmed helplessly.

                "You won't be going anywhere dragon, it's useless to resist." he snapped at her.

                "Wraith." Dragaunus commanded his mage. "Prepare her for the hearing. I've got business matters to take care of. You two do as you like." Siege and Chameleon's eyes lit up. They both dashed off in opposite directions, leaving Wraith alone with Zelda, squirming on the foggy floor. Zelda was scrambling to get her bearings. They had come out of the gateway, but where? Why was it so dark and musty? She could make out cement walls around her, maybe they were in some kind of tunnel... Wraith suddenly clinked something in his hand. He grabbed Zelda's jaw and used a glittering golden key to unlock the shackle that clamped it shut. Zelda snapped at him as he retreated.

                "Careful what you do here dragon, more are watching than you would know."

                "Yeah? What is this place? Where are we anyway?" Zelda tried to stand. Wraith leaned up and steadied himself on his staff. He paused as he looked up at the walls and breathed the musty air in.

                "Welcome to Hell."

 

                Grin snarled as the shocks came racing through his fingers and up his arms. He broke free of the sizzling blue light coming from the force field and regained himself.

                "Ouch." he frowned.

                "I've circled the whole Raptor around." Tanya shook her head. "There's no outside panel that's controlling this thing... it must be from the central computer inside."

                "Can you hack into it?" Wildwing asked.

                "Are you kidding?" Tanya grinned. "Hacker is my middle name!" She immediately sat Indian-style in the grass and started tapping away at her Omnitool. She slowly wrinkled her brow. "Ummm.... this may take a little longer than I thought." she hesitated.

                "What?" Wildwing asked her.

                "Seems they've encrypted the data on their computer. I can get in, but it'll take me some time to access the codes that'll take this shield out."

                "An open door and no way to enter." Grin sighed.

                "Start on that encryption Tanya, I'm sure Drake One can help." Wildwing started.

                "HEY!" She yelled. "That reminds me, I can get some real help!" She opened her com and Duke came up onto the screen. "Do me a favor Duke, grab BRAWN for me before you leave, tell him I need his help with some encrypted data."

                "That thing?" Duke whined. "Can't I at least put tape over his mouth or something?"

                "And hurry up if you can." Tanya grinned back at him before closing her com. "This should be a lot easier than I thought."

 

                The dragon froze in the doorway to the arena.... at least that was what it seemed like. Over her head, rows of seating spiraled up higher and higher to a point at the top of the building. Eyes glowed at her from all directions. The room was in black and blue shadow, save for a few spotlights on a platform on the floor. Against the wall in front of her, stood a tall podium where three tiers could be sat in. The room erupted into sound as Dragaunus himself emerged from a door to Zelda's left.

                "All rise for the honorable judge Gila!" a voice boomed out over the din. The crowd fell to solemn silence as a door on her right opened. A huge, long-necked Saurian walked out slowly, tottering in age, dragging a long black robe after him. He sat in the highest tier of the podium before her, his tail winding about the base. The gray saurian peered at the room with stone black eyes, silencing everyone.

                "Let this court come to order." His voice was wizened with age, but still deep and strong. "Lord Dragaunus, where is the prisoner you have brought for judgment?"

                "She is present your Honor." he bowed before the judge. Zelda growled and looked behind her. In her shackles, being held by Siege, a club-tailed bailiff, there was no chance of running to the hallway behind her. She looked ahead of her again to see the judge not banging a gavel on the podium, but the blunt end of an axe. The dragon gulped.

                "Let the plaintiff proceed."

                "Your Honor, members of the jury." Dragaunus started eloquently. "Let me first state that it is good to be amongst you again. After being trapped on the planet Earth for over two years, it is most refreshing to know my empire is still making me proud. Even in my absence, I know that I can depend on your loyalty. But the case I bring to you today is of someone that did not recognize that loyalty. I call to case Saurian history in citing our ancestry with the mighty dinosaurs of earth. And from those dinosaurs, as sprang us, sprang the kind of the dragon. In the time that we left the planet in dream of conquest, the dragon race nearly died out on account of a disease. When I returned to Earth, I sought the help of the leader of the last surviving clan of dragons on the planet. Her name was Zelda. She knew full well of our bloodline, she knew full well of our traditions of loyalty along that bloodline. I regret to say that she refused to recognize that loyalty." A rumbling went up amongst the crowd. "But that is not why I have brought her here to face you today." Dragaunus continued quickly. "Not only did she refuse to help our cause upon returning to our home planet, but immediately she allied herself with my enemy!" The crowd was thrown into uproar. Zelda gulped harder. Judge Gila banged on his podium to restore order.

                "Continue my Lord."

                "I charge the dragon leader Zelda with treason! For proof I site the fact that for over three years, she has fought against me and my henchmen in every battle we have come into with the Ducks. She has done bodily injury to myself and my henchmen, and has stated that her intentions are to kill!" The crowd again was howling. It took Judge Gila repeated banging with his axe to get the crowd to quiet their angry roars.

                "The court calls the defendant to the floor!" Gila called. Siege stalked out of the hallway, dragging Zelda in her chains with him. The dragon didn't resist. The unseen and shadowed faces in the crowd were up in arms, howling angrily.

                "TRAITOR! DIE!" They spat at her. She ducked as one audience member threw something at her. Siege secured her chains to a stake in the platform before the judge's podium, and backed away. The judge waited for the room to quiet. Zelda stared at the angry crowd in bewilderment. She met Gila's powerful black eyes.

                "Do you understand the charges against you?" he asked her plainly.

                "I do your Honor." she replied slowly.

                "Then you will have the opportunity to respond to those charges." he mandated. Zelda hesitated.

                "Your Honor, fellow Saurians..."

                "How dare you 'fellow' yourself with us! Scum!" a juror screamed. This again initiated jeering from the crowd, which quieted slowly. Zelda would really have to work on this one. She concentrated as the room again grew silent.

                "I address you today as brothers. Just as Dragaunus asked you to call upon history, I shall do the same. For our kinds were once brothers. Once, long ago, you shared the earth with the dragon kind. But when tragedy struck the planet, you disappeared. We thought your kind had been wiped out, like the dinosaurs. Our species survived under the protection of nature. But eons later, your Lord returned to the planet you Saurians were born from, to ask of my help in his quest. I was at first willing to help him, here was the last Saurian Overlord in existence. I was willing to help a link from our past find a new future. But I was not aware of the deeds your leader had done, nor what he intended for my home planet. The destruction of races of creatures, the draining of planets in a lust for conquest is unacceptable to us. And Draguanus announced to me that he planned to conquer the Earth in the same way, and then destroy it." The crowd didn't respond. Zelda frowned.

                "The very planet you were born from, like an egg for your kind, would be gone. To do what he planned was sacrilege on our dinosaurian ancestors, and a violation of the right for our kind, your current brothers, to survive. I refused to help him in my own destruction, and I joined the Ducks. That I do not dispute. But I am no killer, I am a preserver. I seek to protect my home and my kind from all harm, that is my duty as a leader. The Ducks have equal goals. And if the Saurians press battle until their demise, it is a fate they have brought upon themselves." More rumbles in the crowd, unapprovingly, Zelda noted.

                "Now my Lord, you may question the defendant if you wish." Dragaunus let a smile down to Siege, who smiled back. Zelda narrowed her eyes.

                "Now Zelda, let me recall a date in the fall of the Earth year 1996 AD. I approached you in your home Territory, did I not?"

                "Approached? You nearly pounced on me!"

                "Unimportant details. But did I not make my situation clear to you about my goals on the planet Earth?"

                "You did."

                "Then repeat them, will you?" he asked.

                "I could never forget them." Zelda sniffed. "You plainly stated that you would have my support and help in your quest to destroy the remainder of the Ducks' Resistance force. After that, I was to help you in controlling the human population of the planet into being your slaves. You'd suck the resources of my planet dry, and then leave."

                "Did I mention what was to become of you?" he asked. Zelda thought for a moment.

                "No."

                "Then why do you assume I meant your kind harm?"

                "You would destroy our planet!"

                "But did I say anything about your kind specifically?" Zelda had to be honest, despite the fact that she knew where he was going.

                "No."

                "Now Zelda, recall for me one battle in which I put an innocent member of your kind in the line of fire."

                "Pardon?"

                "Have I ever engaged one of your kind in battle that had not sided with the Ducks?" He edged. Zelda thought again.

                "No."

                "Have I ever invaded your Territory?"

                "No."

                "Then you would say that I have never posed a direct threat to the well being of your race, would you?"

                "You have posed a threat." Zelda lowered her ears at him.

                "Explain to me how." A grin spread across his face. Zelda paused, eyeing him. "Explain." he said again.

                "First of all, you would have no answer from me but 'yes' to your proposal of allegiance. Secondly, you'd seek to enslave the humans of the planet. As I have done before, I stand in their defense. Thirdly, you would destroy the planet upon which we live. You'd outrightly kill those that you call of your blood." The crowd rumbled again. Zelda pounced on it. She stood up strait and tall, chains clinking. "You charge me with the crime of self-defense, and mask it in treason! Yet here you set an evil hand to your own flesh and blood!" she accused boldly, fire in her eyes. "The actions that only I and the other leaders of my kind have taken to preserve the lives of our kind and other Earth species from your harm are questioned as treason before your court and jury. I say the crimes of bloodletting and outright destruction towards my planet cannot be questioned. The Saurian Overlord stands for the same charges of treason, upon the same definition he himself has stated to you the jury!" The crowd was thrown into a ruckus. Zelda shot a glare at Draguanus to find him stewing with rage in a corner. She drew herself up more proudly in the spotlights as the crowd rocked in disarray. Judge Gila banged upon his podium. Zelda defied him. "If I stand for death upon my so-called crimes, Dragaunus deserves a fate worse!" The crowd reeled in chaos.

                "Silence her!" Gila snapped. Zelda suddenly felt a pain rip across her back, the burning pain of a familiar Saurian laser. She collapsed to the ground under the blow, feeling Siege's rhinoceros footsteps rumbling towards her. He picked her up swiftly, lifting her so high her chains felt as if they would rip her limbs off. "I said ORDER!" Gila's roar rocked the room with a surprising volume. The crowd silenced. Siege dropped Zelda to the ground and backed away. She got up slowly. Gila stared at her stonily. "One more defiance of my order and I will have you executed. Is that clear?"

                "I do not question the rule of this court." Zelda coughed.

                "Good." Gila sat back slowly. "Do you wish to continue your cross-examination Lord?" Dragaunus still stood shadowed, pondering.

                "Your Honor, I'd like to close this day of testimony, and finish with a statement."

                "I grant it. After what's happened we'll let this jury come to their senses."

                "Hear my last words jury." Dragaunus commanded them. "I am your Overlord, I am shocked when I see your reaction to the comments of this dragon. What she dares to do is undermine our operations. I told her when I came to Earth, that my main purpose there and first goal was to destroy the last of the Resistance. It was the only force that dared to stand up to our regime on Puckworld, it must be crushed. By resisting to help me, she only prolongs my stay on the planet Earth. She helps to keep me trapped, she helps to hold me to that primary goal. The sooner I could rid  myself of the Ducks, the sooner we as a race can move on. That is my final accusation for today, she brings this on herself!" The crowd was again swayed to their leader's every word. Zelda realized in a sickening snap that the jury didn't matter. Dragaunus was the Overlord. No judge could outrank him. This trial was rigged from its beginning.

                "This court is dismissed! Take the defendant to her cell!" Gila banged his axe. The crowd started to noisily filter out of the room. Gila climbed down from his podium and started to leave as well. Seige was grinning from ear to ear as he stalked back up and started to take Zelda's chains from the stake that held them. Zelda seethed and lunged for him as far as her chains would allow her.

                "Slimeball!" she spat. "You know it don't you. You know this whole thing is rigged, you know you'll get your way with me. That's why you're here. You can't fool me." she snarled. "I never thought you'd stoop this low as to mock justice." Siege calmly cocked his laser and shot her in the back again, hitting her squarely this time. Zelda hit the floor again, squealing. Gila turned slowly for a moment.

                "Just getting this one under control your Honor." Siege smiled as he gathered up her chains. Gila nodded and turned away. Zelda was powerless to resist as she was dragged out of the room. As her body slid roughly over the cold floor, she slowly closed her eyes and watched her world go black...

 

               

                "Gee golly willikers, those Saurians have a knack for encryption, don't they?" BRAWN's head flashed brass in the sunset.

                "They do." Tanya replied, in a tone that was half preoccupied and half annoyed. "But we've almost got  it, and....... there!" Tanya stood up and stretched. She must have been sitting for hours in the Migrator's computer console. She walked out of the side hatch to find Wildwing sitting alone against a rough black back tire, distantly running his gloved hands over a puck cannon. "Cracked it Wing, that force field is history." she grinned proudly.

                "Good work Tanya." Wildwing stood up quickly. "Get your launcher and let's go, something tells me there's no time to waste here. Tanya jogged back inside.

                "So what now Tanya?" BRAWN asked with a smile.

                "We're going in, seeing if we can't get our hands on that generator."

                "Well good luck! Just holler if ya need any encryption work again!" he said cheerily. Tanya nodded as she pocketed a launcher, and walked back out. "Oh and Tanya!" BRAWN called after her. Tanya poked her head back in.

                "Give those Saurians one for me." BRAWN wasn't smiling anymore. Tanya nodded and walked out, closing the hatch behind her.

 

                She met the others as they were already hopping up into the Migrator, armed to the beaks, flanking out in the ship's bay.

                "Well this shouldn't be too hard. We've found the control room before no sweat." Duke started down a tunnel.

                "Travel in pairs in case there's trouble Ducks." Wildwing and Tanya started down a passage themselves. "Keep in touch!"

                "Let's get a move on Duke!" Mallory jogged past him. "I wanna be the first to frag a pack of hunter drones." Duke grinned as he unsheathed his sabre, and started after her. They ran together down the hall, heads darting quickly, ready for anything.

 

                The musty air hung in her throat. The dragon faded slowly back to life as she breathed the clamminess in. Slowly, she recognized the burning pain down her back. Zelda slowly rolled over, trying to cool her back on the clammy ground below. The pain resulting from putting pressure on the wound was intense. The dragon gritted her teeth until it ebbed away. She rolled back onto her stomach and opened her eyes. She was in a musty, old cell. The bars were crusted with dirt and rust, the stones on the wall and floor aged and smooth. It was pretty dark. There was a cell across from her, but it looked empty. At least, she couldn't see beyond the shadows into it. Slowly, she put a paw beneath her and tried to prop herself up, failing quickly. She flopped back down and reached up, starting to run her claws over her back.

                "That looks pretty bad." a voice sounded at her. A male voice, from the cell across from her. It sounded amused. The dragon started quickly, eyes snapping around the opposite cell.

                "Who said that?" she asked slowly.

                "So you can't see me? Oh well." he chuckled. "So what did they get you in here for? You're pretty weird looking for a Saurian. What are you, some kind of a pet?"

                "I'm not a Saurian." Zelda rumbled. "And I'm no pet. I'm a dragon, from the planet Earth."

                "Never heard of it. And you look like a Saurian to me." the voice still sounded like it came from a smiling mouth. "What are you in for?"

                "Treason." she spat. "Or what they call it. Ridiculous."

                "So you ARE a Saurian!"

                "No, Dragaunus expected my alliance because our two species are distantly related." she started methodically.

                "Draggy put you in here eh? Well you're lucky, by the look of that hit, you're getting the first priority for their justice."

                "Lucky me." Zelda grunted in pain.

                "You are." the voice sobered. "I've been here for two... three years." There was a pause. "That's what you get for standing up to Dragaunus." Zelda tried to get a look at the occupant of the other cell again, but was too exhausted to move.

                "I've gotta get outta here." she breathed.

                "Now there's a plan!" the voice nearly laughed. "Look you.... whatever you are. You're in dimensional limbo. This is Saurian H.Q. The place is crawling with them. You CAN'T get outta here."

                "This is limbo?" Zelda started, alarmed.

                "Yup." The voice replied. Zelda glanced around fearfully.

                "Then if my friends are coming to help.... they'll be walking into a trap...."

                "Heh, you're counting on your friends to save you?" the voice chuckled again.

                "They'll come." Zelda lay her head back down. "They've escaped from the claws of Dragaunus for years.... I hope this would seem routine."

                "Well you make them sound pretty big." the voice sighed. "I wish I knew what happened to my friends....."

                "If only I could tell them..." Zelda mumbled, preoccupied. "Wildwing has to know...."

                "What did you say?" Suddenly the voice across the way snapped to order.

                "What?" Zelda raised her head.

                "Who did you just say?"

                "My leader..." Zelda was cautiously guarded.

                "Yeah.... his name?"

                "Wildwing."

                "...I don't believe it." The occupant of the next cell walked quickly to the bars, into the light. He looked like a human, until Zelda looked into his face.

                "Canard!?"

 

                The control room was black. Dead silent. Tanya trained her flashlight around it carefully.

                "There's nothing here Wing." she said.

                "Yup." he finished scanning the room. "Nothing. This feels bad."

                "I agree." Grin rumbled from behind his leader. "There is a strange absence here...."

                "We'll wait for the others to show." Wildwing ruled. "There could be a trap."

                "Great. Thanks fearless leader. Are you going to march us all in before you too?" Nosedive chuckled. Wildwing shied away from him with a frown. Nosedive shut quickly up. Had he hit a nerve? His brother paused for a second and then scanned the room with the Mask again.

                "Got a light Tanya?"

                "Right here." she replied, popping a florescent bulb out of her Omnitool. The room was suddenly flooded. Nothing. As Mallory and Duke approached, Wildwing waved them silently in the room. They all entered the towering control room together, sneaking around and waving their launchers at every corner.

                "You know Wing... I really think it's clean." Mallory shook her head.

                "Alright, go ahead and start with that computer Tanya, see if you can't access the gateway generator controls." Wildwing said, still peering around nervously. Tanya grinned and cracked her knuckles, striding up to the computer console and tapping away. Wildwing grew tense. This was way too easy. There had to be a catch, and he feared that catch was waiting on the other side of that dimensional portal.

 

                "Incredible. What a twist of fate." Zelda shook her head. "You have no idea how much I've heard of you."

                "A twist of fate indeed, so how are the guys doing?" Canard leaned against the bars, fully interested in the dragon's every word. So she lay on her side, telling him of how she joined the team. She told him of the Pond and the underground headquarters beneath it. She told him about Drake 1, Phil, and Klegghorn. She told him of the friends they had made, and the enemies as well. It was a long tale, and to every fact, Canard would shake his head and smile. "I couldn't hope for any better." He sighed happily. "You have no idea what a load off my mind this is. I believe you now... no Saurian could talk about the team like that. You have no idea." He paused again, letting his head lean up against the bars, grinning from ear to ear, eyes closed. "I've had to sit here and rot for two, three years and think about them.... you always think about the worst you know."

                "I understand." Zelda straitened herself up and felt the charred hole in her back protest. "I've heard a lot about you, the others respected you a lot. You were a good leader to them."

                "Really? Is that what they told you?" Canard grew quiet. Zelda paused.

                "Wildwing... he never gave up looking for you Canard. He told me quite a few times about you guys. He misses you... a lot."

                "I've wondered quite a few times about him. Man do I miss him too. He sounds like he's had no problem wearing that Mask."

                "I'd follow him into any battle." Zelda replied strongly. She tried to roll up when her back froze in pain. She snarled and lowered herself slowly to the cold floor.

                "Nasty hit there." Canard repeated, no amusement in his voice this time.

                "Yeah..." Zelda admitted. "The Ducks... they'll be here if I know them. They'll be here. You'll see, they'll come for one of us and find two."

                "Yeah..." Canard chewed on the thought, and smiled again.

 

                Draguanus strode through the hall happily, his cohort tagging along at a rambling pace, trying to keep up with him.

                "Now be quiet." He ordered. "Not a word until I have shown you what I want to show you." Draguanus stalked up to a door, shouldered by two burly Saurian guards. They both nodded, one of them inserting a keycard into a panel, and the door opened accordingly. He strode through the doorway and down into the dark hall, slowly making out two sets of cells, opposite each other. These were the ones he was looking for. He turned to his accomplice and put a claw to his leathery lips, continuing. He stood before one cell and peered in, making out a form lying stretched in one corner. He grinned, and placed his claws to the cell bars.

 

                Zelda awoke with a gasp to a harsh, rusty scraping, a repeated ratting as Dragaunus raked his claws across the old bars. She snapped her neck up, hearing Canard audibly awaken in the opposite cell. Her vision cleared quickly to reveal an unmistakable silhouette before the cell.

                "Dragaunus..." she snarled.

                "Sorry about the wake up call." he grinned. "But I had a little friend I wanted you to meet." Draguanus used his tail to push a smaller form out from behind him. In the dim light, Zelda could make out... a little Saurian? Looking incredibly similar to Dragaunus himself, was a very young creature, with a snub beak and one horn, a backward-pointing crest, and meaty, clawless hands and feet. He grabbed Dragaunus's long robes, wide-eyed at the sprawled dragon. "This... is Draceus. He is my heir to the throne."

                "WHAT?" Canard clanged his body violently against the bars. "You have an heir? Turn around and let me get a look at you, you little snake!" Canard groped for the hatchling in the dark. "You're lucky I can't see you well, because when I get outta here I'd find you and gut you on the spot!" he threatened loudly. "So this is what we Ducks get for not killing you outright, isn't it  Draguanus?" he asked sarcastically. Draceus still cowered behind the Saurian's leg.

                "Don't be a fool Draceus." Draguanus scolded. "He can do nothing to you. He's in a cage, a bird in a cage! Look at how funny and mad he is. He can't hurt you. None of them can hurt you!" Dragaunus laughed, shoving the hatchling into the open. Canard flung himself at the bars again, and Draceus flinched. "No no no." Draguanus shook his crested head. "You see, this Duck is like all the other Ducks. They are primitive, angry. But they can't hurt you. He's not scary, he's funny!" Draceus's face slowly turned. Draguanus started to laugh at Canard, and slowly, hesitantly, Draceus joined him, until both of their voices raised to a cackle. He was no longer afraid. Canard finally threw his arms down in frustration and retreated into the shadows. "You see?!" Draguanus snarled. "When you show them no fear, they give up! This Duck is like all the others. Weak, defeated."

                "Let me loose and we'll see who'll be defeated Lizard Lips." Canard snapped. Draganus spun around, clanging the bars loudly with his tail.

                "And this one... this is a dragon Draceus." Zelda suddenly realized they were both staring at her! Still in wonder about the hatchling Saurian, she tried to get up. She only got halfway when pain ripped up her back, leaving her frozen on her forepaws.

                "Gee she looks lazy Uncle Draggy." Draceus peered in through the bars.

                "She's just injured Draceus. But normally, she'd be powerful for her size. We are related you know, by ancestors long ago."

                "No way!" Draceus looked as if he were a human child viewing a monkey.

                "It's true! But while we evolved into a truly great race, the dragons stayed on Earth, and now they are weak, small, easily hurt and easily broken. Just look at her! Other dragons call her their leader. Just like the Ducks, they are easy to defeat."

                "You're a liar Draguanus."

                "Wow she talks too!" Draceus yelped happily.

                "No, you see it is dragons that lie. They know that we Saurians are superior to them, and so they lie and steal and backstab to get along in life. They aren't as smart as us, really."

                "How could you Draguanus, have a hatchling for your puppet? Are you teaching him the same twisted, evil lies that you were taught? You're disgusting."

                "She seems pretty smart Uncle Draggy, even if she is little." Draceus interjected.

                "Oh but this IS the truth Zelda." Draguanus wagged a talon at her. "It's the only truth he needs to know." He picked Draceus up and placed him on his crest. "Now it's time for you to run along." He started to walk out, the hatchling grabbing for the bars.

                "Awww, can't we stay a little longer?"

                "No, you need to get to sleep. If you're good, we'll come back tomorrow." The two in their cells heard the hatchling cheering as the door to the hallway slammed shut.

 

                Canard emerged from the darkness quickly.

                "I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. Talk about the spawn of Satan. When I get outta here...." he gripped the bars in frustration. "Three years here and I had no clue..." he looked over to see Zelda slowly lowering herself back to the floor. "You okay?"

                "Not exactly 100%" she admitted. "I don't think I can get up..." Canard sighed.

                "You just wait Zelda... when the team gets here they'll get us both out, and we can both gut Dragaunus and that little scaled worm."

                "Yeah..." she breathed. "But I dunno about gutting him."

                "What are you saying?"

                "He's so young Canard. You can't blame him for believing Draggy, he doesn't know any better."

                "Yeah well we'll see. I had enough trouble with one Overlord. There's no way I'm letting another one live." Zelda sighed and nodded.

                "Yeah, you are right." she nodded, and put her head back down on the cold ground. "To defeat the Saurians, you start with the leader."

                "Course I'm right." he snorted. "After all that lizard's done to us... I can't believe you'd actually think about anything related to his self-preservation." Canard folded his arms and turned his back to the dragon.

 

                Tanya snapped her fingers and rocked back from the console with a grin from ear to ear.

                "What?"

                "I finally figured out the pandimlink system on the generator!" she cracked her knuckles. "It's the system that makes sure a dimensional portal ends at a specific place and time in a universe. It's complicated as heck, but I've just hacked into the history of pandimlink accesses." A small list popped up on a blue screen over her head.      

                "Wow! Look! The very first pandimlink use log... is the one where Dragaunus emerged over Puckworld!" Mallory pointed at the top entry.

                "Then here's where we came to earth... and here's where he set it to go back to Puckworld, see how it says 'not activated' next to it?" Tanya followed.

                "It's the history of the generator's use... even after we destroyed it, the records were kept here." Wildwing nodded.

                "At least we know the Saurians haven't been sneaking around anywhere with that thing." Duke said, scanning over the short list. "And here's the last entry!"

                "That must have been where Draggy took Zelda." Wildwing said, looking it over.

                "But it has no location name... just the pandimlink code." Tanya frowned.

                "And if we follow him... we have no idea where we're going to end up." Mallory frowned. Wildwing hesitated.

                "If Draggy ended up safely there than so will we. Tanya, can you activate that thing from this computer?"

                "I think so." she said. After a few seconds of her hammering at the keyboard, another program came up on the computer, and Tanya copied the destination pandimlink over from the last entry. Suddenly, words flashed in red. "Gateway open!" she read. "We're on the level, and we've got five minutes before it closes again."

                "That's five minutes too little!" Wildwing already was turning and running out the door. The rest of the team followed him quickly out into the empty hallway. "We've only got five minutes... everyone make a mad dash for the 'Grator!" he ordered as they ran. "Get whatever weapons you can carry and regroup before the gateway... move it!" The speedier members of the team were out of the ship running before Wing was, and in one mad dash they collected what they could from the Migrator, and met just out of the suction range of the gateway as it swirled in the field.

                "Whew... that was fun." Nosedive breathed, as Grin was the last to catch up.

                "Good, everyone's here. Now we've got thirty seconds, everyone keep a hold of your gear and brace yourselves!" Wildwing let himself be sucked in through the portal, and one by one, sucking their breath and closing their eyes, his teammates followed him, leaving the earth behind.

 

                Canard fished around for some solid food in a pan of slop that had just been slipped through the bars of his cell. Starving, he found some kind of lumpy object, closed his eyes, and bit on it. It was hard and unyielding. Canard squinted and swallowed the jagged object whole. He looked across the way to see Zelda dragging herself over to her pan, and sniffing it, disdaining.

                "Better eat up." Canard sighed. "It's all you'll get." Zelda sighed and stuck her snout in the glop. Suddenly, a door opened somewhere far off. Zelda and Canard both forgot their food. "I bet it's Draggy and his little friend." Canard hissed. "Man I hope I can get a shot at the little one this time." But nobody came down the hall. Zelda raised her head, alert, and spotted two little eyes peering at her from around a corner.

                "Draceus?" she asked. The hatchling was startled, and slowly stepped forwards.

                "Well well there." Canard said bitterly, leaning against the bars with folded arms. "Come back to visit the 'animals' eh? And without your big bad uncle." The hatchling stared up at him and backed away slowly.

                "You don't have to be afraid of us Draceus... we're not going to hurt you." Zelda raised a paw.

                "Speak for yourself." Canard muttered. The little Saurian perked up.

                "Hey... yeah that's right! 'Cause you can't get me!" the little thing yelled happily. He scurried back and forth in front of their cells, taunting and laughing. Zelda suddenly reared to her forepaws and let out a wall-shaking roar that froze the hatchling in his tracks. He stared at her in fear and surprise as the dragon sank weakly back to the ground.

                "Now... I don't wanna hurt you Draceus... I wanna talk...."

                "Hmph!" Draceus stuck his beak up. "I don't need to talk to you. My uncle says you're stupid." he pointed.

                "You're uncle has made a lot of mistakes little one." the dragon said plainly. "And he's lied to you Draceus."

                "Yeah right."

                "I am right." the dragon tried to reason with him. "Do I look stupid to you?" The Saurian stared into her eyes and thought.

                "I .... I don't know...."

                "And you believe you're uncle. But he's lying to you... he's lied to you about a lot."

                "Like what?" the little one dared to venture closer to the bars of Zelda's cell. And so, Zelda and Canard started to tell him of what had happened to Puckworld, and what was slowly happening to earth. Canard told the story of the Ducks, and Zelda of her dragons, and how they and the Saurians were related. The hatchling sat awestruck through it all, like a kindergartener through story hour. When they both had finished, the hatchling was sitting placidly on the floor.

                "And now you know the truth." Zelda said. The Saurian hesitated.

                "How do I know you're not lying?"

                "Why would we?" Canard asked. "It's obvious we can't escape from here. What good would it do us?" Draceus chewed on it for a while.

                "I dunno." he backed away.

                "Wait and see Draceus." Zelda told him. "Keep an open mind and a sharp eye. You'll see that Dragaunus is lying to you." The Saurian knitted his brows in confusion and walked out of view. The door down the hall opened and closed a few seconds later.

 

                The floor was cold and damp. It was dark as Nosedive leaned up on his elbow. At least they had landed on solid ground! He looked around him to find dingy stone walls leaning cavernously around him.

                "Whoa." he said. Wildwing hushed him as the team stood up and looked around them nervously.

                "Where could we be Wing?" Duke asked.

                "I dunno, but this place stinks." the leader squinted his eyes.

                "Of Saurians." Mallory snarled. Wildwing felt the walls slowly, and started to walk. The team followed nervously, glancing behind them. Zelda was somewhere in this place, but where? And how were they going to get back to Earth? They wove in and out of a labyrinth of passages for about half an hour, passing no more than overhead light bulbs with harsh grates as lampshades.

                "We've gotta be underground." Duke said. "Maybe in a sewer?"

                "That would explain the stink." Mallory smirked.

                "I don't think so." Grin pointed. Ahead was the end of a tunnel, leading into a balcony and an open space. The Ducks walked cautiously out to find themselves looking down onto the floor of a great hall, perhaps an auditorium of some sort. It was lit with a cone of light focused on a center platform on the floor, but the room was totally empty. There was a small ladder that led the small balcony down to a larger one beneath it.

                "Should we climb down?" Tanya asked.

                "Are you picking anything up on your Omnitool?" Wildwing asked in reply.

                "Nope." she assured, checking. "But then again... I see no need for them to teleport within their own stronghold..." Wildwing grumbled and reached for the ladder. Suddenly, there were voices below them. Wildwing and the rest of the team quickly retreated to the entrance of the tunnel as the voices grew louder. He activated his Mask and looked through the floor.

                "Saurians..." he growled. "None we've seen before."

                "So what do we do?" Duke asked, drawing his sabre. Wildwing put a hand on Duke's arm to lower it as more voices filled the room.

                "Hope they don't come up here." he whispered.

 

                Draguanus strode out into the gloomy lighting of the floor, looking upwards as the columns of his Saurian underlings filed into their seats. Soon they would all be ready.

                "This ends today Draceus." the Overlord said to the hatchling sitting on his shoulder. Slowly, Judge Gila entered the room, tail winding, head bowed with his wizened age. He slowly ascended his podium, and banged his gable for silence. The bangs echoed upwards, and all eyes shifted to the floor.

                "Lord Dragaunus, do you have the defendant ready to prosecute further?" Gila blinked.

                "I think enough has been said your Honor." Dragaunus bowed. "I would like to get to the sentencing." Gila leaned up.

                "This is a court my Lord, perhaps we should put it to the jury first..."

                "I am the Overlord here Gila." Dragaunus drew closer to the old judge, leaning in his ear. "I make the rules here. That dragon must be put to death and made an example of." The judge thought for a moment.

                "Very well then." he responded in his normal tone. "Prepare the execution block." Suddenly, the room was filled with the deafening tone of the roars from the jury. Draceus hopped off of Dragaunus's shoulder and scurried away in the clamor. In the uppermost balcony, Wildwing peeked over the edge as far as he dared to get a good look at what was going on below.

                "Come! Let us fetch the prisoner!" Wraith commanded, leading the other henchmen away through a hall.

                "Suspicious...." Grin muttered. "This is no ordinary trial."

                "You got that right, do you think they're gonna execute Zelda?" Nosedive asked.

                "We've gotta follow them!" Mallory said.

                "I've tapped into the computers that run this place." Tanya looked up from her Omnitool. "With this map, we can get to the dungeon in no time if we hurry."

                "Then let's go!" Wildwing was already off and running, away from the noisy room.

 

                Draceus burst in, panting heavily, leaning against the cell bars.

                "What is it?" Canard asked. "What happened?"

                "They... they're coming!" the hatchling gasped. Zelda slowly raised her head, alarmed.

                "What?"

                "They're... gonna kill you..." Draceus pointed at the dragon.

                "That's some swift justice..." Canard snorted.

                "Draceus... please." The dragon tried to raise herself, but the pain in her back barely let her move. "You have to help us out of here."

                "You were right..." the hatchling started. "He was lying to me... he didn't trust the jury."

                "Then you'll help?" Canard asked.

                "I don't know how to open these!" The hatchling was frustrated. He hopped up on a chair next to Zelda's cell, and started pressing buttons on a control panel. "What do I do?"

                "Try the green button over there!" Canard told him. "I think that should do it!" Suddenly, there was a loud click as the rusty bars of the cell unlocked. Zelda whined, struggling to try and gain her feet.

                "Go ahead, get Canard out!" she snarled. Draceus leapt off of the chair, and suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the halls. The Saurian froze in fear as the hallway was suddenly flooded with moving bodies. The dragon stared in panic as lasers ricocheted off of the walls, slitting inches from her. She had to get up, she had to get out. Again, she shifted her legs beneath her and strained to get up. The pain from her back was dizzying. She fell to the ground as her vision started to darken. Suddenly, two arms grabbed her roughly around the middle, heaving her off the ground, the pain surging through her as the she whirled through the air.

                "Show them to the generator!" was the last thing she heard. It was Canard. She didn't understand as the world went black around her.

 

                She awoke slowly, silence echoing around her. Yet as her senses came back to her, she knew she was somewhere different.... she knew she was back on Earth. Her eyes blinked slowly as she sighed in relief. It was over... they were home... they had made it back safely, and with Canard. Mission accomplished, but she hoped no one was badly hurt. Slowly, she raised her head, again pain running up her spine as it twisted.

                "Easy girl...." Wildwing's voice floated soothingly to her. "You're home... you're okay." The dragon slowly leaned up to see the rest of the team staring at her, looking relived themselves.

                "Jeez Zel, you look pretty beat." Nosedive rubbed her snout.

                "Yeah... how's our "guest"?" she asked.

                "What guest?" Tanya asked. Zelda perked her ears and suddenly sat strait up.

                "You mean...." she looked around the infirmary frantically. "Where...?"

                "What are you talking about Zel?" Duke asked. "We scooped you up and high-tailed it outta there. There was this little lizard we chased to the generator..."

                "No...." she breathed, eyes wide. Nosedive shook his head and patted her flank gently.

                "There's nothing to worry about girly-girl." he assured her. "Although Lizard Lips and his three slimebags managed to follow us back through the gateway, we trashed the generator before we left."

                "And Miss Hacker got the plans." Tanya pulled a floppy disk from her pocket and waved it proudly. "They won't be rebuilding that anytime soon!" The dragon's expression still didn't change. She couldn't believe it! Could they not have seen? She gupled slowly. "Wing... can I talk to you alone?"

                "Sure Zel..." Wildwing was now starting to get nervous too. The team exited slowly, with an air of great curiosity. Wildwing sat in a chair beside Zelda, who was now nearly shaking. "Zelda... easy, now what's the matter?" The dragon hesitated.

                "I... I can't believe you didn't see him...." she began, still in shock.

                "Zelda what is it?" Wildwing was almost annoyed.

                "In the cell across from mine..." she breathed. "Canard was in there...." Wildwing cocked his head and frowned.

                "What?"

                "I can't believe you didn't see him...." she couldn't look him in the face.

                "Wait a minute... Canard? In that prison?"

                "For all these three years...." Zelda stared at him sadly. Wildwing stared blankly at her for a long time, his eyes slowly changing.

                "...Was he okay?"

                "Yes..." Zelda said. "Yes... he missed you." Wildwing's shoulders lowered slowly with the full impact of the situation slowly lowering onto them. "I can't believe you didn't see him...." she said, trailing off. Wildwing placed his head into his arms and leaned heavily on the table. The dragon stretched a paw out onto his shoulder.

                "Neither can I...." he muttered, trailing off, leaving the room in an empty silence. Zelda curled her head around the back of his neck, feeling it tremble, and closed her eyes.

 

 

The End

 

Mighty Ducks-The Animated Series, including all logos and characters (except mine) are copyright and property of Disney. You may copy, print, or whatever with this document, so long as it is not altered and I (Zelda) am credited. Thanks!