In the Wake

         Written by Zelda

 

 

                Wildwing probably wouldn't be too proud of this story, but I feel the truth should be known, and I think the team would be proud of it. Anyway, this isn't about some explosive battle we had with Dragaunus, but rather it deals mostly with a little talk Wildwing and I had.

 

                It was the last few minutes of the third period. Zelda perched behind the Ducks goal, running only halfway down the boards, even if the puck ventured to the other side of the ice. She had resolved to keep a close watch and observe the team's defense this game, but had focused her attention on Wildwing. Strangely, he didn't seem to be playing normally, as if he were jittery or distracted. The Icers were tied with them four all, and she felt Wildwing might have blocked many of the goals that had passed him by. As the puck was slapped back onto their ice, Zelda perked up. Tanya and Grin skated back into their defensive positions. The Icers offense came on strong, with the fancy puck-passing maneuvers they were known for. Grin checked their left wing against the boards, and slapped the puck away from him, out onto the ice. It was swept up by the Icers center, who continued downwards with it. Wildwing hugged the corner of the goal post as Tanya forced him around the net, and the rest of the team arrived to back her up. Duke took the puck from Tanya, and passed it to Nosedive, who then took it out back beyond their ice. The Icers defense blocked Nosedive from making a shot, and so he passed back to Duke. In the last seconds of the game, Duke wound up, and delivered a terrific slapshot which sped into the net, scoring the winning goal for the game. After forming their typical victory stick-slapping pyramid, the team skated off, tired and satisfied with their win. The team changed out of their gear, eager to relax, but Wildwing kept more quiet than usual, save for praising the team for their excellent win.

                "What was wrong tonight Bro.?" asked Nosedive. "You weren't playing like yourself."

                "Nothing really." shrugged Wildwing, as the team headed off for the Ready Room.

 

                Things went pretty much normally for the rest of the evening. The team relaxed and did as they wished, until they eventually tired and went off to sleep. That night, Zelda awoke in the early hours of the morning, to lean up in her hammock and check on her teammates. She did this instinctively, like she used to do back home. Yawning, she quietly got up, and went off on her rounds. Every night, unless she was very tired, Zelda would trot around the whole of the Pond, checking on things in general. Looking around, she noticed Wildwing's bed lay empty. This wasn't unusual. The Ducks got up sometimes for a midnight snack, or things of that nature. Zelda walked out of the sleeping bunks, and started on her nightly rounds. She paced around slowly, past the misty and dark shadows of the rink, past the now empty infirmary, past Drake One, which still hummed in operation at this time of night. Past the towering quantum fusion generator, past Tanya's lab, and past the Tech and Rec. rooms, and the Galley. She padded around, claws clipping rhythmically on the metal floors, when she heard something around a corner. Rounding the bend, she found Wildwing sitting on the floor, next to some storage crates. "Wildwing!" she said, surprised.

                "Zelda, what are you doing up so late?" asked Wildwing.

                "Oh, just on my rounds." Zelda shrugged. "Why are you out here?"

                "I needed to do some thinking." he sighed.

Zelda came up, and put a claw on his shoulder. "Listen Wildwing, anytime you need to talk, you know we're here." she smiled gently. Wildwing nodded slowly. She withdrew, and started to walk away.

                "Zelda." called Wildwing, hesitating slightly.

Zelda smiled warmly, turned around, and sat down next to him, in the shadowed recesses he was in. "It's about Canard, isn't it?" she asked.

                "How did you know?" asked Wildwing, lifting his head.

                "Oh, I have my ways." she smiled. "From what the others have told me, he was your best friend, Wildwing." Wildwing nodded slowly, and lowered his head again. "You blame yourself for what happened." she said.

                "It was my fault." Wildwing replied softly.

                "I don't blame you. Not because it was your fault, but because you're like that. I am at times too." replied Zelda.

                "Canard didn't have to jump. I bet we would have been back on Puckworld by now if he were still around." Wildwing muttered.

                "What would you have done?" asked Zelda.

                "I don't know... there had to be another way." he replied slowly.

                "I think Canard made the right choice by giving you the Mask." Zelda said confidently. "If not, then why are you wearing it now?"

                "Because I have to. I never asked for this job." Wildwing bit back.

                "Ahhh, of course you didn't. Canard didn't either, but somebody had to lead the Resistance, and he knew that you had the qualities of a leader. He chose you to continue the fight for him, Wildwing." she said. Wildwing sighed. "Wildwing, try and remember just who Canard was, and everything he stood for. Now compare them to those of yourself. I think you'll find they're not all that different. Wildwing raised his head. "You see, Canard lives on in you. He sacrificed himself so that you and the rest of the team could continue the fight against Dragaunus." Wildwing shuddered, and slumped down.

                "I know that." he retorted. "But I just miss him. If there was anything I could have done... and now he's trapped in dimensional limbo...I don't even know if he's dead or alive." Wildwing's speech grew shaky, and he squinted his eyes shut.

Zelda reared up and hugged him, wrapping her wings around him. "That's right, you don't know." she sighed. "It's one of those things you may never know. It's something you have to live with." She withdrew slowly from him. "I never knew him, and that's to my disadvantage. But I do know that if Canard could see you now, he would be proud." Zelda turned her back. This was something Wildwing would have to work out by himself.

Wildwing looked up. "Thanks Zelda." he said, trying to smile.

Zelda smiled back, and walked off into the night. She slumped down after she had gotten far enough away from him, and sighed loudly. She herself wondered fearfully of Canard's fate, and she could only hope for the best. She hated things like that. You couldn't do anything, you had to just sit back and let fate twist everything up so cruelly. She took a shortcut back to the sleeping quarters, and nestled back down once again into her hammock. It was a long time before she finally fell asleep, but she knew someone who would be sleepless longer than she.

 

The End

 

Mighty Ducks-The Animated Series, including all logos and characters (except me) 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!