Betrayer of the Secret Heart

Calandra's radiant violet eyes sparkled in the candlelight of the room. Duke was aroused by other girls before, but being near Calandra, he was moonstruck. Never in his entire life had he discovered how rare a beautiful rose Callie was. With her raven black hair down and her body in a beautiful gown, no one would think that this lovely belle was actually the adventurous vixen people knew most of their lives. Calandra looked so ravishing in her violet strapless gown, with the pink camellia in the middle of the top center of the gown with the lace around the top of the gown in the color of glittering gold. The torso of the garment was violet, and the skirts were violet as well, with golden sparkles on them. There were cuts that went a tiny bit below her knees so she could move freely as well.

There was also another change in Calandra's attire besides her dress. Instead of the usual locket she kept around her neck, she wore a diamond necklace instead. The one that Duke gave to her for Christmas. Even though they were imitation diamonds, they looked exactly like the real thing that Calandra was lead to believe that they were REAL crystals. They sparkled in the candlelight as well, but they weren't as radiant as her violet eyes. While she elegantly drank from her glass of French champagne, Duke leaned a little bit closer, being careful not to get too close to the candles. When Calandra opened her violet eyes, she saw Duke, staring at her strangely.

"What's wrong, love? Is there something on my face?" she asked Duke, her harmonious Russian accent almost making him drift off into his own world.

"No, sweetheart," Duke answered, taking her left hand, feeling its beautiful silk feel. "It's just that, I never realized how beautiful you really were until this very night."

Calandra's cheeks blushed a bright pink, her voice giggling slightly. Either Duke was being modest, or he had to be, without a doubt, the most charming gentleman she ever met in her entire life. When he took her hand to his lips, he gently kissed her hand. This had been a successful date he managed to take his love on. Saving up most of his pay checks, Duke managed to save up enough to take him and Calandra to the Moonlight's Rose, Anaheim's best known French Restaurant. It's been famous for its romantic atmosphere. Small vases of roses on each table, candlelight dinner, and romantic music by violinists for just about every table in the restaurant. Suddenly, the lights went off, with only the small flames of the candles the source of light. A white spotlight went onto the stage, where the manager stepped foot. He had blond hair and blue eyes, and had a figure similar to Duke's, except a little bit more buff. His elegant suit and bow tie reflected his personality much.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the manager spoke in a French accent. "For those who don't know me, I am Carlton LeRosan, manager of the Moonlight's Rose. We arranged for Elton John to come to the Moonlight's Rose tonight and perform for us, but unfortunately, he came down with a sore throat and a high fever, so he won't be with us tonight to perform. But," he added before the crowd could mourn and sigh. "We were prepared for such an event, so, without further ado, the Moonlight's Rose is proud to present Miss Mariah Carey."

The crowd clapped as the manager stepped off the stage, the center of the spotlight being replaced with Mariah Carey. Her golden brown hair danced in the light, and her red dress was glamorous and dazzling on the stage. Duke and Calandra looked at each other, both sounding very surprised to know that Mariah Carey was here tonight.

"THE Mariah Carey?" Calandra whispered to her lover. "Why would a famous singer like her be doing performing at a restaurant?"

"I dunno; maybe it's because she needs something to do in order to make a living or something..."

"People of Anaheim," Mariah Carey said, smiling. "It's an honor to be performing for the Moonlight's Rose tonight. To those who have my latest album, I play my favorite song on my album Butterfly, 'Whenever you Call'..."

When the music started, Duke got out of his seat and offered his hand to Calandra.

"Would the elegant lady Ms. Drakeler care to share a dance with me?" he asked, trying to sound like a wealthy aristocrat.

"Why Mr. L'Orange," Callie answered, giving him her hand and acting like a pure bred noblewoman the way she was raised before at her home of Drakeler Manor. "How generous of you to offer me a dance. I would be honored."

Helping her out of her seat, Duke guided Calandra to the dance floor, where other couples had gathered to dance the rest of their night together away. Mariah's harmonious voice echoed through the restaurant as each couple danced, as she sang 'Whenever you Call':

"Love wandered inside
Stronger than you
Stronger than I.
And now that it has begun
We cannot turn back

We can only turn into one.

"And I won't ever be too far away to fell you
And I won't hesitate all
Whenever you call.
And I'll always remember
The part of you so tender
I'll be the one to catch your fall
Whenever you call..."

While that very song was playing, Calandra's head rested on Duke's shoulder. While they gently rocked to the song, everyone's eyes gazed on the two lovebirds.

"Uhhh...love?" Calandra whispered into her lover's ears. "People are staring at us."

"They are?" Duke whispered back, his deep Keltorian accent sending sensuous chills down her arms and spine. "Well, why don't we give them something to REALLY stare at, sweetheart?"

"Huh? What do mean by THAT?"

Smirking, Duke pulled Calandra deeply into his strong embrace, having her feel the hardness of his hold. He then dipped her down, her raven black hair touching the floor. Without hesitating a moment longer, his mouth devoured hers, savoring the sweet flavor of the French champagne on her lips. He then pulled her up so she would be in front of him, their lips still locked tightly in the luscious and desirable kiss of love. His hands cradled her hips as Calandra's arms were wrapped around Duke's thick and strong neck. Duke's fingers then went into Calandra's hair, sifting through the soft silkiness of her raven haired locks. Both were in complete bliss, lost in their world of lust and love. The very world around them seemed to have vanished. In their minds, Duke and Calandra were in the heavens, their bodies wrapped in the gossamer light of the stars surrounding them.

The world of reality was brought back into their minds when some air-headed college student man, around twenty shouted.

"Woohoo! Go, Duke L'Orange!!!"

Duke's spare dark jade eye suddenly jerked open, seeing the air-head that shouted so unexpectedly. His hair was the same color and style as Nosedive's, except that his eyes were jade green, while Dive's were ocean blue. Not to mention his hair was tied back in a pony tail. Calandra slowly opened her violet eyes, all of heaven slipping from her lips and mind. When she noticed the crowd still staring at the two, eyes wide opened, her cheeks went dark pink, blushing in embarrassment. Even Mariah Carey stopped singing.

About an hour later, hand in hand, Duke and Calandra strolled out of the Moonlight's Rose. Her head was on his shoulder, and she still felt a little bit embarrassed from the scene they put on earlier. Even though she had her jacket that went with the gown, Callie still felt a little bit chilly in the night air. "All of those people staring at us...made me feel kind of awkward..."

"Don't worry about it, sweets," Duke ushered her, kissing the top of her forehead. "Give them a day or two, and they'll have forgotten all about the little scene we put on the dance floor. Heh; gotta admit, before that air-headed college student burst out like that, I was having a good time."

"Well, I loved the dancing as well. Mariah Carey has to be, without a doubt, one of the best singers that ever lived."

"Yeah, she had a pretty voice all right," Duke sighed, helping her inside his red Mustang. "But I was really talking about the moment when our lips touched."

Calandra's face flushed once again. When Duke went behind the steering wheel, she felt his hand lightly squeezing hers. Her brought her hand to his lips, kissing each one of her knuckles.

"You look beautiful tonight, angel."

"Thanks, love," Calandra said, her Russian voice barely above a whisper. "But that compliment can get a little dull when you tell me this over and over again."

"Can't help it, sweetheart."

Callie sighed, turning her head to the mirror, staring at the Anaheim streets. After Duke buckled up his seat belt, he looked at Cal, staring out into the world outside of them. What was on her mind? He kept thinking if she had a good time or not. The violinist who kept playing for them WAS a total nuisance, until Calandra gave him ten bucks to go bother some other innocent happy couple. Her raven black hair free from the straps of her braids, her gorgeous body out of her fighting uniform and in a beautiful gown....Duke woke up from his dream world when a car honked at them to go a little faster. Pushing the gas petal a little farther down, the red Mustang went a little faster down the road. Around the sidewalk of the Anaheim Park, Duke stopped the car. Callie bolted up some, looking at him straight in his dark jade eye.

"Um, love?" Cal asked. "Why are we stopping? We out of gas, or did you spy something that resembled a Saurian?"

"No. Car's fine, and there's not a Saurian in sight," Duke answered, lightly chuckling and unbuckling his seat belt. "It's just that I noticed that there's a full moon out tonight. And..." he started to say, unbuckling Callie's seat belt as well. "Come and sit beside me, sweetheart."

Calandra looked at Duke, her face in puzzlement. But then, realizing what he meant, smiled a bit and crawled up next to Duke. He cradled her into his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. He took the leather jacket she gave to him for Christmas and used it as a blanket for each other. Callie's arms looped around Duke's neck. Their eyes locked into each other's vision and their lips met. Their lips, with the coating of the French Champagne still fresh from the night at the Moonlight's Rose, pushed against each other's more and more. Her eyes closed and her lips still inside Duke's, Calandra found the knob that controlled the radio. She turned it on, a romantic song playing on the current station in Anaheim, called 'I Could Fall in Love with You', sung by a Latin singer named Selena, who was shot by the president of her fan club two years ago. Her hands went into Duke's hair and her fingers twirled around the curled bang in his hair. Still kissing and being kissed back over and over, Callie's hands moved down Duke's shoulders and muscular arms, down to the belt around his black pants. Calandra's entire hands went inside Duke's white turtleneck, moving all around his chest. Duke's dark jade eye jerked open suddenly when Callie's fingers touched the area where his pectorals separated.

"Whoa!" he said loudly, breathing heavily. "How'd you know that was where I go wild with desire, sweets?"

"It was?" Callie asked brazenly, yet innocently at the same time. "I never knew it was until now, love."

Duke's hands went to Calandra's necklace, and with a ticklish slowness, started to remove the diamonds laced around her neck. His mouth then went down her neck, his teeth gently biting the area between her collar bones separated. Callie sighed in lewdness, her fingers still lacing around Duke's pectoral separation, each other going wild with desirous cravings to feel more of each other's touches and kisses. Their lips met one last time, apparently setting a new lasting kiss record. Slowly, Calandra released her mouth from his, her sparkling violet eyes slowly opening, the lashes making her appear more sensual. Duke's breathing was still heavy, while he slowly pulled Calandra's hands out of his turtleneck.

"Wow," he sighed, looking straight into his girl's eyes, breathing heavily at the same time. "Never knew....that someone...who grew up...in the life you had...could be so....bold and erotic in the act of making-out, babe."

"First of all," Callie breathed. "I told you NOT to call me babe. Second of all, there's a dark and wild part of me only you've seen, beloved."

Duke chuckled, helping Calandra buckle herself up again. So much for nobility and well-breeding. Military training probably helped her to hide her wild desires, but she still had them deep down inside of her, well hidden in combat. Never in his life had he met a woman who was, one minute, an adventurous vixen, and the next minute, utterly feminine, yet still brazen at the same time. Before Duke turned the car back on, he looked into Calandra's beautiful violet eyes once more. Once more they kissed, looked into each others eyes, and kissed once more. Buckling himself up, Duke rode his Mustang back to the Pond.

******

Meanwhile, in the Raptor, Dragaunus was plotting another way to conquer all of Earth. He kept walking back and forth in the center of his throne room.

"Siege! How much longer until the Dimensional Gateway Generator is repaired?"

"It's beyond needing repairs, my lord," Siege answered, sounding a bit fearful.

"WHAT?!"

"That human girl tore apart nearly the entire thing," Siege explained, trying to keep from whimpering like a coward. "Do you want me to find her, Lord Dragaunus, and make her repair the thing and then have me assassinate her?"

"Tempting," Dragaunus chuckled. "But we won't need to shed worthless blood on our ship....YET. But that human tomboy IS becoming more a nuisance every day. If this keeps up, she might become a warrior herself in the future. First, we need to find the materials needed to repair the dimensional portal..."

"Why don't we try mugging the people at NASA?" Chameleon offered helpfully. "With their technology expanding everyday, they're BOUND to have the things we need to repair the portal maker!"

"HOW are going to get them, though?" Wraith asked, once again lowering the Saurians' hopes for world domination. "We can't be ANYWHERE without the Mighty Ducks interfering with us."

"Damn those ducks!" Dragaunus shouted, ready to blow up like a raging volcano. "Bad enough I had to deal with the first six. Then our traitor Calandra Drakeler joins them again, then I find out that Sonica Thunderbeak was alive on Earth all along, now joining with the ducks. Now, to make matters worse, that human tommy has brought Canard back to the Mighty Ducks!!! I would bring help from our old allies on Puckworld, but out generator is beyond broken. If only we could access our friends, this planet could be ours, along with the entire universe."

Suddenly, the computer screen started changing colors. A swirl of mulit-colors was on the computer screen. Thunder shrieked in the Raptor as streaks of electricity flashed in the Saurians' spaceship. Suddenly, a male duck jumped out of the swirling colors and landed on the floor, feet first. The male seemed really buff and strong, with dark brown feathers and light brown hair. His hair went down to his chest, which was tied in a ponytail. His eyes were a dark brown. So dark, that they almost looked black in color. His turtleneck had silver linings along the neck area, and so were the straps around his shoulders. His threads were a dark brown, almost to the point where it was black. His belt was silver, and his boots that went a few inches below his knees, were black. The threads along his chest went in a triangular pattern, revealing half of each side of his muscular pectorals. Attached to his back was a spear, and his belt had many knives.

"Lord Dragaunus," the duck said, his accent a mixture of German and French. "It has been a long time since we saw each other..."

"Lieutenant-Commander Kirtland Quackson?" Dragaunus questionably breathed. "How the devil did you arrive from Puckworld to here? On Earth? We didn't bring you here. We couldn't! The dimensional-portal was ripped apart!"

"I'm unsure myself, Lord Dragaunus," Kirt answered, kneeling down before him. "The last thing I remember before being swept into the portal was attacking one of the few remaining Rebels on Puckworld. A female, with violet hair and blue streaks. She went by the name of Lisa McDrakeson....ah details, details, details. What can I do to be of service to you, my lordship?"

"Many things, Commander Quackson," Dragaunus chuckled. "First, I need you to steal the sophisticated computer equipment around Anaheim, then move to NASA. Then, while the others are busy repairing the Gateway Generator, I need you to assassinate the Mighty Ducks. An old acquaintance of yours is one of them."

"Calandra?" Kirt asked, trying to sound as though he didn't care about her. He remembered Calandra Drakeler. He was so close to becoming her husband many years ago. He would have became her man if she hadn't faked her death the night before the wedding many, many years ago. "Calandra Drakeler, sir? The woman who pretended to be part of your army, but was actually working for the Resistance? She went by the name Felisha DeMalard, did she not, sir?"

"That she did, Commander Quackson. I'm still waiting for the chance where I can make her pay for betraying us. Since you're here, and you know her very well, you could be the one to make her pay for beguiling us."

"Lord Dragaunus," Kirtland voiced, smirking. "It would be my pleasure to murder my ex-fiancé for you, along with the others."

******

Calandra had no idea what was in store for her that very day. She was in her own room, humming 'Whenever You Call' while polishing her many knives that was part of her attire. Whenever she looked into her daggers, her violet eyes shined through. To her enemies, they were the eyes of an adventurous vixen who would grant them no pity for the crimes they committed. To strangers, they were just ordinary violet eyes. But in the eyes of her lover, Calandra's eyes were brighter than diamonds in the stars, having the power to hypnotize any man who had the courage to look at her.

She had just finished purifying the last of her knives when she noticed her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was still upbraided from last night. It was a night of magic to Calandra. She never knew that Duke L'Orange could be so romantic. A candlelit dinner for two at the Moonlight's Rose, the most popular French restaurant in Anaheim, followed by dancing, with singing provided by Mariah Carey. Callie still felt the warmth of his hands around her body, and could still taste last night's kiss. It would be impossible for herself to ever recover from last night. Braiding up her raven black hair, Calandra noticed how much different she looked. Instead of the beautiful belle she was raised to be at Drakeler Manor, she was now the adventurous vixen she preferred to be. Most people believed her to have been insane, to trade her life of riches and diamonds for adventure and danger, but she didn't care. When Callie finished braiding her hair, Drake 1's alarm went off. She quickly closed the flat in the container attached to her utility belt and ran to the center of the Headquarters under the Anaheim Pond.

"Sorry if I'm late, everyone," Calandra apologized. "What's going on?"

"Some type of theft at the military base far from Anaheim," Canard explained.

"Dragaunus obviously stole some hardware from that base," Wildwing went on. "Whatever he needs that stuff for, it's unknown. We're going to check it out."

"Can I come to?"

"Huh?" Wildwing asked, sounding kind of surprised. "Who said that? Who's there?"

"I'm right here, silly!"

When Wildwing and the others turned their heads, Jessie popped out from behind the couch. She smiled mischievously and laughed a little bit when she noticed that everyone looked shocked. They had no idea that Phil's niece was behind the couch.

"Surprise! Can I come?"

"No."

"But Wing!"

"No means no, Jessica."

"Ah geez!" Jessie grunted, plopping on the couch, her cheek resting against her left fist. "You're no fair!"

"Neither is life, kid," Duke said to her, making a REALLY good impression of Wildwing. "But ya gotta accept it the way it is, whether you like it or not."

Jessie mumbled something under her breath, but the ducks didn't pay any attention to it. They were too busy loading up into the Aerowing. Within less than an hour, they landed in front of the building where Drake 1 picked up all of the strange signals and signs of danger. All nine ducks approached the front door with caution. Wildwing kicked open the door, his left fist crunched up, ready to shoot at anything that resembled a Saurian. However, no lizards were in sight. All that was there were two scientists, gagged up. One was a female, with chest length red hair and jade green eyes with glasses. The other was a male, with blonde hair and azure blue eyes. Unsheathing a knife, Sonica Thunderbeak sliced open the bonds that had the scientists tied up.

"What happened here?" Canard asked.

"An alien showed up from nowhere and knocked Dr. Shanon and I out," the male scientist answered. "When we awoke, all of the equipment was taken, and we were gagged up."

"Would this alien, be, a giant red lizard with long yellow fingernails and yellow eyes?" Nosedive asked.

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Flashblade," Dr. Shanon responded. "It was one of your kind, unfortunately."

"One of OUR kind?" Wildwing asked, sounding a bit shocked. "Who, though? Lucretia DeCoy is still somewhere in limbo, Falcone's still in prison in England, and everyone was with us when Drake 1 found out that this place was robbed. Who could it have been?"

While the everyone was discussing different suggestions about who caused the robbery, something bright caught Calandra's left violet eye. Quietly sneaking away from the others, she bent down under the table to see what it was underneath the table. Under there, she noticed a sheet of paper and a feather underneath the table. When she took out one of her knives and stuck it into the feather, she brought it up to her face to get a better look at it. It was dark brown, with a slight smudge of dirt near the far end of the feather. She silently sniffed the feather. The smell of the masculine cologne smelled familiar to Calandra. She then noticed the sheet of paper that was next to the feather, she unfolded it, seeing the written marks. The piece of paper was a list of computer equipment. Scratched off was the military base in Anaheim, and the equipment needed there. All that wasn't crossed off was the name NASA, the space station in Florida. Her concentration of thought was broken when someone touched her shoulder. Calandra turned around, face to face with her lover, Duke.

"Heh; was wondering what happened to ya, sweetheart," Duke chuckled, kissing her cheek. When he opened his dark jade eye opened he noticed the dark brown feather in Callie's knife. Before Calandra could react, he tore it off what was on the dagger and looked into it. "I see you found some type of clue to who's behind the theft, sweets."

"You won't believe me if I told you who was responsible for the theft."

"Try me, sweetbeak."

"Let's just say," Callie said, taking a deep breath. "That it's someone I had an old...acquaintance with, love."

"Hey you two," Wildwing said suddenly. "What's going on? What'd you two find?"

'Some evidence on who did the robbery, Wildwing," Duke answered.

"Falcone?"

"Nope," Duke answered, showing Wing the feather. "Falcone's still in prison. Even if he DID escape, there's no evidence that a sword of some sort was around here. Besides, the feather's not his color; too dark in brown."

"We'll take it back to the Pond for a full analysis so we can track down who did this," Wildwing concluded, taking a closer look at the dark brown feather.

At the Pond, Tanya Vanderflock analyzed the feather under her new microscope. Using the maximum magnification that was possible, she managed to make a conclusion.

"Well, Tanya?" Canard asked.

"It's of a duck, all right," Tanya answered, holding it up into everyone's vision. "Not Falcone, that's for sure. And it's not any of us, obviously. This' obviously a newcomer. Working for Dragaunus, obviously. Have to admit, it DOES look familiar."

While Tanya was discussing what she fond out about the feather, Calandra hid her uneasiness, folding her arms across her chest. Her fingers rubbed her elbows, the brown leather feeling the slight iciness of the silver of her elbow pads. She was unsure whether or not she should tell everyone who the feather belonged to. They'd be asking a bunch of questions, making her open up to her past. And there were certain details about her past that she wished to keep secret, and this was one of them. Duke noticed Calandra's uneasiness and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, kissing the base of her neck.

"Something wrong, sweets? You seem a little nervous all of a sudden."

"I...I'm fine, love. Really, I'm alright."

"You don't SEEM fine, Callie," Wildwing argued, seeing her uneasiness as well. "You mind telling us why you're like this all of a sudden?"

"Well," Callie sighed. You might as well, Calandra. They won't stop bugging you unless you tell them the truth about what you know about that feather. The Russian vixen took a deep breath, then locked gazes with the others, her violet eyes hiding fear and nervousness. "That feather...I know who it belongs too. It's the property of Kirtland Quackson, my ex-fiancé."

"Whoa!" Sonica nearly shouted, surprised at what Callie said. "You were engaged to marry someone else?! Wicked..."

"The marriage was an ARRANGED one, Sonica. My father and Kirt's father made an agreement for me and him to be married, even though I hated Kirtland with all my heart and soul. He only decided to marry me for three reasons: my father's fortune, my beauty, and my body. Anyway, the night before the wedding, I made the hardest decision anyone in my predicament could make: I left home. I faked my death, dyed my hair pink, and changed my name to Felisha DeMalard. Few days after that, I joined the military on Puckworld...."

"We know THAT story, Cal," Dive interrupted. "Just tell us the bare facts, girl!"

"I'm GETTING to it, Nosedive! Well, as you all know, during the Saurian Invasion, I pretended to be a loyal soldier in Dragaunus' army, while sending information to the Resistance at the same time......"

The scenery started to change then. Instead of the present on Earth, it was the past of Puckworld, during the Saurian Invasion. At that time, the numbers of the Resistance was at a greater number. Around nearly one hundred. The younger version of Canard Thunderbeak was pacing the floor madly, his fingers twiddling in his hands.

"What's taking her? She should've been here long ago..."

"Take it easy, sir," a young Mallory McMallard pleaded, taking his hands into hers, cradling his cheek with her gloved hand. "If I know my friend Felisha right, she'll be here any second."

"Sir!" a younger Tanya Vanderflock reported. "There's movement going on outside the base."

"Scan it in, Tanya."

When Tanya activated the computer to scan in for the intruder, a female with tannish white feathers and carnation pink hair was running. She quickly turned back her head, making sure that no one was following her, then climbed down the ladder that led down to the underground base of the Resistance.

"It's her, sir! It's Felisha DeMalard!'

"Bring her in then, Tanya."

Tanya buzzed the signal for the door to open. When it did, the pink haired girl, walked in, smiling.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone. Dragaunus tightened up security at the prison camps, and it was hard to let them squeeze me by without demanding where I was heading off too. But," she added, holding out a computer chip. "I got what you needed to make the bomb to destroy Dragaunus' headquarters!"

"Great! Thank you, Felisha," Tanya said. "Wow! For a bomb chip, this thing sure is tiny."

"I got what you specifically asked for though, Tanya. You said you needed a thermal computer chip, and well...that's the size of those things."

"Well, it'll make one hell of an explosion when we blow up the headquarters. I'll start on it right away."

"Lieutenant DeMalard? Commander McMallard? I need to see you two in my quarters immediately."

"Of course, Commander Thunderbeak," Mallory saluted.

Mallory and the pink haired Resistance member followed Canard into his quarters. Sitting down on his desk, filled with bomb blueprints and locations of prison camps, Canard sat down on his chair and looked at the two females.

"Calandra," Canard began, cracking his knuckles. "Have any information to report to us that might come in handy?"

"Well, sir," Callie sighed. "I've located the prison camp where Wildwing and Nosedive Flashblade are being held captive. It's in the east quadrant south of where the city of Icestonsan used to stand before the Invasion started."

"Great news, Lieutenant," Canard complimented, trying hard not to sound overjoyed in hearing that his best friend was still alive. "We'll need his help in the ultimate attack when we go up against the Master Tower."

"HIS help, sir?" Mallory asked, sounding confused. "I thought there were TWO Flashblades."

"Yes, but we only need the oldest in the Resistance. The other kid's just a nuisance," Canard grunted.

"Um, sir?" Mallory asked again. "I don't mean to question your orders, but...the oldest Flashblade won't agree to join the Resistance unless his younger brother is included as well."

"I'll deal with that on my own, Mallory."

"I consider it a great honor to free the people of the camp and destroy the place, sir," Calandra offered.

"I'll need your help anyway in helping me to rescue my friends, Calandra."

"When do we leave, sir?"

"Immediately. Mallory, you, Calandra, and Duke will be waiting outside the prison. When I get Wildwing to join the Resistance, you three will be helping to set free the other prisoners. When that's done, Grin and Tanya will blow the place up, with the Saurian officials in it."

"Not to go against your plans, Canard, but," Calandra questioned. "Isn't that almost the same as murder?"

"The SAURIANS are murderers, Callie," Mallory said. "They murdered the lives of innocents and beat others just for the hell and fun of it."

"You're right," Callie sighed. "I don't know what's with me all of a sudden."

Canard then gave the two females the rest of the plan that was to follow. Leaving some of the other members of the Resistance behind to guard the place, the other six left the underground headquarters, to the destined prison camp they were about to free. Meanwhile, Nosedive and Wildwing were being guided to the mines they were to burrow in. Other people were in there, some of them kids as young as four.

"Dive, what're we gonna do?"

"I hear ya bro. I mean, we keep hearing about the Resistance, but where ARE they?!"

"I dunno. Maybe they're just another legend, like Drake DuCaine," Wing grunted.

Normally, Dive would've argued about the fact that Drake DuCaine was real and so was his mask. But knowing that Wing wasn't in the mood to argue, he just kept his beak shut.

"It's hopeless," Wing said again to break the silence. "We don't stand a chance---whoa!"

Suddenly, a hand of tannish brown feathers grabbed at Wildwing's shoulder and pulled him away from the line of prisoners. Nosedive peeked to see who it was, and saw Canard Thunderbeak, Wing's best friend.

"Canard!" Wildwing nearly shouted, embracing his best friend. "Where were you all these years?"

"I'm with what's left of the military; in the Resistance."

"The RESISTANCE? You mean it REALLY exists?!"

Canard nodded, then continued.

"I'm organizing a team of our best special forces. And a few civilians we've had our eyes on. Like you," Canard said, pointing at Wildwing. "We're going to take out Dragaunus himself."

"How?" Wildwing asked. "No one's ever seen him."

"I found it Wildwing. In an ancient tomb in the mountains they call Twin Beaks," Canard said, holding out a mask of white, shaped in a duck's head. "The mask. Drake DuCaine's mask."

"I TOLD you he existed man!" Dive exclaimed. "Was Drake DuCaine the main duck or WHAT?"

When Dive tried to touch the mask, Canard took it away from his reach, putting it back in his sack.

"Beat it, kid. Before you get us ALL into trouble."

"No," Wildwing commanded, putting his hand out and standing next to Nosedive. "If you want me, then my brother's part of the deal."

Mallory was right all along, Canard thought, grunting in his mind. "Okay," he groaned. "But you're responsible for the kid's safety."

"Alright bro! It's time for some serious par-T-T- time!"

I just KNOW I'm going to regret bringing him onto the Resistance, Canard thought, leading Wildwing and Nosedive to safety.

'Um, Canard? If you're part of the Resistance, then how come Sonica isn't?" Dive asked. "I thought you held a responsibility for her as well as Wing held a responsibility for me."

Canard stopped suddenly, a stab of fear and guilt in his heart. He turned his head to Nosedive and Wildwing, trying hard not to shed tears in his auburn brown eyes. He clenched his right fist in anger, anger in himself and Dragaunus. Anger at Dragaunus for murdering the people he loved, and anger in himself that he couldn't do anything about it to prevent their deaths.

"She's---Sonica, is.......dead, along with my folks," he finally spoke, his eyes shut tight and tears brimming down his cheeks and beak.

"WHAT?!" Wing almost shouted, in shock. "How, though?!"

"When two of my recruits, Mallory McMallard, and Felisha DeMalard, first entered the Raptor to scan the area, one of them head shooting and screams. When they climbed through the ventilation shafts, Mallory saw my mom, dad, and little sister. Mom and Dad were dead. Dragaunus had the Hunter Drones shoot them right in front of Sonica's eyes. The pool of their blood mixing together, and her tears flowing through her emerald green eyes. Dragaunus then zapped Sonica into limbo. They couldn't do anything about it. I should've gone with one of them. It was my fault," Canard said, looking down onto the ground, silently crying. "If I had only been there, they would still be alive."

Wildwing felt pity for Canard. If he was in the same position and Dragaunus killed HIS parents and zapped Nosedive into limbo, he would feel the same way. Canard would've given anything to save his baby sister. She was around....close to fourteen, probably. To think he would never see her face again. Those emerald green eyes, the emerald in her hair. Her laughter and tough exterior. Her sweet voice neither will ever hear again. Curse Dragaunus! Curse the entire Saurian race! Monsters. THAT was the right name for the entire Saurian race. Monsters. That's what they were. Murderous monsters that only cared about two things in their unneeded and tortured lives: power and lust. The duck race banished them before centuries ago, and they'll do it again.

Wildwing then patted Canard on the back, trying to show him that he felt sorry for his loss. Canard then embraced Wildwing, still crying silently on his shoulder. Normally, guys like Canard don't cry much, but in brining up his sister's death, along with his parents' death, it would make ANY man cry. Canard then brought his head up from Wing's shoulder and took a deep breath.

The brawny tan quickly wiped away his tears, turning serious. Emotions couldn't get in the way, no matter how painful they were. He had a responsibility to the team, and he can't let anything get in the way.

"You better get as far away from here as possible," Canard finally said, breaking the silence. "Some of our recruits are getting ready to blow up the prison here."

"Blow up the prison?!" Dive asked in shock. "But what about everyone else?!"

"Don't worry, kiddo," Canard assured. "We're going to free the people first, THEN explode the prison. Hopefully, the only one's who'll die are the Saurians that are in charge of the dungeon."

Meanwhile, Calandra was helping the last prisoner out. He was very old, around sixty or seventy at least. With shoulder-length silver hair. Deep sapphire blue eyes. His outfit was torn in nearly every area. His name was Joseph Michele Drakeler, Calandra's father. What he didn't know that the person who was dragging him out of his prison was his daughter, who he believed was murdered long ago, disguised in a pink wig.

"Sir, don't worry. We're almost there," Calandra assured him. "Don't worry. The Resistance will be guiding you and your people to freedom."

"Don't bother with me," the old man replied, his Russian voice weak. "I've already lost about everything. First I loose my baby girl to death by the saber of a member of the Brotherhood of the Blade. Then my wife Juletta, my one true love, is killed by the hands of a Saurian guard. Then five of my boys were murdered. I have nothing left to live for...."

"Yes you do, Mr. Drakeler," Callie assured him. "You're other boys are still alive. I can guide you to freedom if you let me. Please, sir...."

Mr. Drakeler had no choice but to obey Calandra, a.k.a. Felisha. She guided him to the secret walls of the prison which held an escape route for him. Pushing on the secret brick that opened the wall, a tunnel appeared in the wall. Callie assisted Mr. Drakeler through the tunnel. It was dark and gloomy. Very little light was in the underground passage of the penitentiary. When they were within a quarter away from the end, someone crept up from behind.

"Freeze where you are, double-crosser!"

Calandra then turned her head, seeing a duck of dark brown feathers and chest length brown hair, tied in a pony tail. In his hand, he carried a deadly and sharp spear. His auburn eyes glowed in anger and in the lust to murder.

"Kirtland!" Mr. Drakeler shouted, his voice very frail. "You betrayed our kind! No wonder my daughter refused to marry you! I should've listened to her a long time ago."

"It would've made no difference, old man," Kirtland answered back, his German accent crude, emotionless, and promising no mercy to his victims. "Besides, why should I join forces with the LOOSING side? You and your noble ways. The safety of the people before yourself. Ha!"

"At least I'm not a pathetic and replaceable pawn like you, Quackson," Calandra snapped at him, her Russian accent promising him that she would show him no mercy when they begin to fight each other.

"DeMalard," Kirt grunted. "Traitor. Our spy, Lucretia DeCoy, was right all along. You WERE with the Resistance all along. No matter. I had my suspicions about you anyway. I'll do what the drones and Saurians failed to do; KILL YOU!!!"

"Mr. Drakeler! Get out of here! I'll hold this bastard off!" Callie ordered him to do.

Surprisingly, despite his old age and scrawniness, the oldest of the Drakelers managed to run to the end of the tunnel with great speed. Even though Kirtland was surprised by the old man's speed, he kept his eyes on Felisha, who he didn't realize was actually Calandra, his former fiancé.

"Double-crossing bitch," Kirt insulted, spitting at her boots. "You shall pay for betraying Lord Dragaunus."

"No, Quackson," Callie hissed like a sanguinary snake. "YOU shall pay for betraying the innocent lives of Puckworld!"

Kirt took out his deadly spear and lunged at Calandra. However, her military training gave her the agility she needed to dodge his deadly blows. Skilled in the art of dagger throwing, Callie took out her military daggers and threw it at his spear. The sharp silver-steel pinned the wooden staff of the spear to the walls. Kirt had no weapon to defeat the Russian vixen. Cal took out one of her two crossbows and aimed an arrow of laser at the wall. The blast hit the ceiling and knocked some of the bricks onto Kirt's head. That gave her the edge she needed to make her escape. Calandra ran with all of her speed, clutching on to her pink wig to keep it from falling off. But no matter how fast she ran, Kirtland was always close behind her. She took out her crossbow once more and aimed at the walls again, knocking Kirt flat on his broad chest. Taking out her black bullwhip and cracking it at the wall, she climbed up onto the ceiling and kicked open the secret door on the canopy and pulled her bullwhip up so Kirt couldn't climb after her. She then jumped down to the other side of the wall and activated the secret door to let out Mr. Drakeler.

"Sorry about the delay, sir," Callie apologized. "Had to lose some excess baggage back there. C'mon; we're almost out of the prison!"

Calandra grabbed Mr. Drakeler's frail wrist and dragged him away from the prison walls. He then stopped short, a type of pain inflicted into his back. When Callie noticed that someone threw a knife at his back, she turned her head, and saw the face of Lucretia DeCoy.

"Hmph," Lucretia grunted. "Pathetic old man. He would've died anyway."

"LUCRETIA!!" Calandra shouted. "You traitorous slut! You'd dare stoop so low as to strike an old man who's only wish is to live?!"

"Excuse me, Felisha DeMalard," Lucretia snapped back. "Or should I say....Calandra Drakeler?"

Before Callie could speak, Lucretia took out another knife and aimed it at Callie. But instead of hitting her in the gut, it hit her pink wig, yanking it off her head. Her raven black locks flew slightly as she looked at Lucretia in shock.

"You...you knew my secret the whole time?"

"Yes; how big of an idiot do you take the Saurian Empire for?" Lucretia asked, sounding irritated and seductive at the same time. "We know what goes on behind our backs. We KNOW you've been with the Resistance all along. Why else do you think Dragaunus hired me to kill you, you double-crosser? Lieutenant-Commander Quackson couldn't do it, so it might as well be ME."

When Lucretia DeCoy pulled out a blaster of hers, Calandra took out one of her daggers and threw it at Lucretia's blaster. She then cracked her black bullwhip at Lucretia, tying her up with a great tightness that she could barely breathe. She took the knife out of Mr. Drakeler and stared into his sapphire blue eyes, his breathing short and heavy. At first he was struggling to live, but now he just wanted his suffering to end, even if it meant that he died right now. To the old man, who was Calandra's father, he didn't care if he died right now; he just wanted the emotional and physical pain to end. His wife, Juletta Diamondfeathers Drakeler, was already dead, thanks to the hands of Dragaunus when he executed her for insulting the Saurian Empire. Five of his sons were dead, and his only daughter he thought died a long time ago, the night before her wedding. He believed that he had nothing left to live for. He already lived his life to the fullest. Right now, he wanted his torment to end, so he would feel no pain in heaven, where he would meet his sons and wife again, and be with them forever. Calandra tried desperately to keep her father from dying, pleading to him over and over again to keep trying.

"Mr. Drakeler! Mr. Drakeler, wake up, please!"

"This life is over for me," Joseph Drakeler, Calandra's father, breathed. " At least now, when I die, I'll be with my darling wife, Juletta, and my dearest and only daughter Calandra again, for all eternity. If it weren't for that man Duke L'Orange...."

"Sir, your daughter's NOT dead," Callie sighed, brushing her raven locks into his face. "She's right in front of you..."

"Wha.....?" Mr. Drakeler sighed, trying desperately not to die then. "Calandra? Calandra, my child? My little girl?"

"Yes, papa. It's me," Calandra answered, tears forming in her eyes. "It's me, Calandra."

Father and daughter then embraced, Callie crying on his shoulder. It had been years since they've been with each other again. She explained to him that her death was all fake. She set up a mannequin dummy to impersonate her, dead as a door post so no one would have suspected her plan. After that, she grabbed a few of her personal belongings, hitched up on Spirit, and ran away from Drakeler Manor, away from the city of Moscalovsan, capital of Unistan, the Russian territory of Puckworld.

"I'm sorry, papa," Calandra whispered, still crying. "But I couldn't marry that man, Kirtland. He only wanted me so he could inherit your fortune, and for my looks. He never loved me. I could never love a man like him, father. He was wicked to the bone. I can only beg for your forgiveness, papa..."

"No, my child," Mr. Drakeler sighed, looking into her violet eyes. "If there is anyone her that needs forgiveness, it is me. I shouldn't have forced you into a marriage that would only make you broken-hearted. I should have listened to you in the first place. You were right all along. Kirtland IS a monster. He...murdered five of your brothers. He...took...Daniel, Robert....Michael, Zachary, Thomas....and...Wi...William...."

Calandra's violet eyes, brimmed red from her shedding of tears, opened wide in shock. Five of her nine brothers were dead by her own ex-fiancé!!! Kirtland was truly evil and wicked in the heart. William was a bit of a sourpuss, but he always put family before himself. Thomas and Zachary were a duet that always caused mischief, and would stop at nothing to obtain ANYTHING. Michael was always an expert in financial stuff, Robert seemed to have been as wild as a lion, and Daniel. He was truly a lady's man. Class structure never meant anything to him. Last Calandra knew of him was that he was engaged to marry a young Hispanic woman named Raquel, who was a poor young milkmaid. Two more tears from each eye fell from her eyes as she looked at her father again. He breathed heavily, and breathed once more.

"Calandra....my daughter....my child.....what ever you do, stop...Dragaunus at all costs. Make him pay...for murdering...our family......"

With that, Mr. Drakeler breathed his last breath, and closed his eyes and went to sleep. He would never awaken again. He was dead. The knife drained away to much of his blood. He laid lifeless on the ground, in the dark red pool of his own blood. His silver-white hair soaked up some of the blood. Now, his suffering had ended. He would be with his five sons again, and Juletta, his wife and the woman he loved for all his heart, for all eternity.

Calandra kneeled down onto her father's chest, crying bitterly and woefully. When she gathered up the courage to look at her dead father in his face with hers, her tears fell upon his ice cold face, dripping down into his vital fluid of life. She felt her hair falling onto his pool of red blood, but she didn't care. She didn't care if her raven black hair soaked up all the blood in his body, or if her hair changed into the same color as his bloodshed. Or if she ran out of tears to cry for him. Calandra just wanted to be with her father again. It was her fault he was gone. If only she had seen the knife coming, maybe he would still be alive right now. All she would have to hang on to the memory of him would be the necklace draped around her neck. She prayed with all of her might to the God of Puckworld that he would return to heaven, for even though he arranged her to marry Kirtland Quackson, the man she hated with all of her heart and so, a very long ago, he was a good man deep down.

Her violet eyes, red from shedding her tears of a lost loved one, her dear father, that were now watery from new tears forming, stared into the eyes of her father's killer, Lucretia DeCoy, who had just gotten free from Callie's black bullwhip. She appeared to have no guilt or sympathy for Calandra. She pushed back some of her purple hair, and smirked evilly. Calandra stared at Lucretia, the swelling in her eyes starting to glow like fire, the fire which symbolized anger and the lust for revenge. Lucretia DeCoy, the violet-haired sultry traitor of the people of Puckworld. Alive in triumph, even with her father dead, and possibly, other innocent lives. Did she even care how she felt with her father gone and everything? Right now, all Calandra could think of was a way to kill Lucretia. Her raven black hair, now stained with the pool of her father's blood, no longer symbolized her beauty or the mysteries of the raven. They now symbolized...her victims' DEATHS. Her face was a flame with anger and the lust for revenge on the fucking bitch that tore her away from her own father, the man who's seed helped to give her birth from the womb of Juletta Diamondfeathers Drakeler, her own mother, dead now by Dragaunus.

"Lucretia....you murderous BITCH!!!! YOU KILLED MY FATHER!!!!"

"Hmph. The old man deserved it. He wouldn't have lived anyway."

"What's wrong with you, you bitch?! Don't you care at all what happens?! Don't you know the feeling of loosing someone you care about?! Don't you care about YOUR parents?!"

"Don't talk to me about care, Drakeler," Lucretia said loudly, almost to the point where she would shout into her ear. "Did the military care when they murdered MY parents? Did they bother to help me when I cried out for help?! No! They never even knew I was even alive! Nor did they even bother to notice! So why should I have pity on the other people of Puckworld when they're responsible for the death of the people I love?! My own family?!"

Calandra was at a lost for words. She had no idea that Lucretia DeCoy actually cared about someone, or lost two people that she cared about the most. To lose your own family would be the same as to loose a part of yourself as well. It IS a shame what can happen to a child if the people who took an oath to protect people were the ones who murdered the innocent. No, it was more than a shame. It was monstrosity and wickedness. If Drake DuCaine was alive, he would be ashamed of what he saw before his eyes. Calandra blinked back the tears forming her reddened eyes and gathered up the courage to speak.

"Still...what happened to YOUR family was long ago. I had NOTHING to do with their assassination. What happened many years ago when I probably wasn't even born shouldn't be blamed on me, or on MY father. I should murder you also for that, but that would make me no better than you, or worse, no better than Dragaunus himself."

Calandra then grabbed her bullwhip and coiled it back up, rehooking it back onto her utility belt. She then stared at Lucretia DeCoy, anger in her violet eyes with red lining.

"I'll give you a FRIENDLY bit of advice, Lucretia," Callie offered, pulling out a knife in her boot. "The next time the urge strikes you to do something stupid or worse, murder the life of another one of the innocent, you better use THIS!"

With that, Calandra threw the dagger at Lucretia, barely missing her face, slicing off some of the strands of her purple hair, pinning it to the wall of the front of the dungeon. Lucretia stared at her missing hair, then back at Calandra, eyes in shock and fear.

"Because the next time I catch you," Cal threatened once more, her voice promising the traitor of Puckworld that she was serious about her threat, her left hand with her brown leather glove on crunched up in a fist. "You'll wish you HAD."

Calandra then walked away from Lucretia, trying to forget about what happened to her father. Her own dear father. Callie grabbed her wig and placed it on her head, making sure that none of the strands of her raven black hair stained with blood escaped the wig. She wanted to forget what Lucretia DeCoy, the traitor, did to her dad. Fresh tears started to fall down her cheeks, tearing again(tearing is silently crying).

Lucretia stood still for a moment, then smirked evilly. Quietly sneaking backwards, Puckworld's traitor grabbed that knife that Callie hurled at her, the strands of the purple hair on the scalpel falling to the ground. Callie sensed that there was something wrong in the air around her. When she turned her head, she saw Lucretia holding the very dagger she threw at her barely seconds ago. Callie backed off a little bit more, then started running away from Lucretia, the cutting blade barely missing Calandra's face. Lucretia then started to run after her, quickle gaining speed on her. But before Lucretia could catch her, an explosion took place. The purple-haired traitor looked back, and saw Kirtland running out, smoke and ash on his dark brown feathers and uniform. Calandra used that as her opportunity to make a run for it.

"Lieutenant-Commander Quackson! What happened?!"

"It's the Resistance! They set up an explosion in the dungeons! Hey; where's that traitor DeMalard?!"

"She's--," Lucretia looked back, and saw Calandra gone. "She escaped! She was probably trying to distract you and me by chasing her down the dungeon halls so we wouldn't have found the bomb! And you won't believe this, but, Felisha DeMalard is actually Calandra Drakeler!"

"CALANDRA?! That traitor is my EX-FIANCÉ?! I don't BELIEVE it!!! C'mon, Lucretia! Let's make that betrayer pay for deceiving Lord Dragaunus!"

Kirtland Quackson and Lucretia DeCoy ran after Felisha DeMalard, a.k.a. Calandra Drakeler. Her feet were starting to become as hot as fire as she kept running from her enemies. Callie then grabbed onto a rock and climbed up the stone, onto the mountains. She realized that she couldn't have climbed up that many meters by hand, she uncoiled her black bullwhip and cracked it onto the mountain top, her dark brown leathered gloves climbing up the mountain. Lucretia and Kirtland climbed onto the mountain and started to follow her, almost as fast as she was climbing up. Callie quickly recoiled her bullwhip and ran as fast as she could to her fellow comrades. Canard and Mallory were impatiently waiting for her.

"Felisha!" Mallory exclaimed, her hands on her shoulders to control Callie's fast breathing. "What happened to you?"

"Lucretia...and...Kirtland...," Cal explained, trying to desperately catch her breath. "They're after us....they killed...one of...the....prisoners....."

"C'mon!" Canard ordered. "We got to get out of here before they catch us!"

Mallory, Canard, and Calandra ran across a bridge that was unsteady and was capable of breaking at any minute. Before Lucretia and Kirtland could make it across the bridge, Callie cut the two sides of the bridge, making it impossible for the two soldiers of Dragaunus to run across. All they could do was watch their three enemies run in victory while they stood back, humiliated that they, soldiers in the most powerful army on Puckworld, were defeated by a few mallards. Canard, Mallory, and Felisha(Calandra to those who hadn't caught on yet) met up with the other members of the Resistance, with Wildwing and Nosedive included.

"So you must be the Felisha DeMalard we were told about by the others," Wildwing nodded at the pink-haired Russian.

"Yes; that would be me, Wildwing Flashblade," Callie answered, her accent giving him the hint that she was from the Russian territory Unistan. "You'll HAVE to meet the other members of the Resistance. We'll need your help when we try to take over the Master Tower, Dragaunus' headquarters."

Wildwing looked kind of scared when Calandra mentioned having to blow up the giant tower where Dragaunus ruled all of Puckworld. Nosedive, on the other hand, was excited when she mentioned that they were about to go on a deadly and dangerous adventure. The violence phase was what Canard and Mallory called it. He would get over the phase in a matter of time. All teenagers went through that phase of wanting to destroy all that was evil, or good if they were the demented type.

When they all got back to their underground base, all were in shock. The base was destroyed. Smoke from the grounds polluted the red air. Bodies of Saurians and ducks were littered on the ground, every last one dead. The earth of Puckworld near the underground base of the Resistance was stained with the pools of blood. Everything was gone. All of the Resistance was dead. Canard, Wildwing, Nosedive, Mallory, Duke, Grin, Tanya, and Calandra were all that was left now in the battle for freedom.

"The base....," Canard breathed, so badly in shock that he barely had the guts to speak. "Our...allies...they're....dead."

"But....how...." Duke muttered.

"Evil," Grin mumbled. "One we must have trusted to help us in the battle for freedom aided the enemy for our destruction and our people's slavery."

"Who, though?" Tanya asked.

Suddenly, a woman moaning and coughing was heard. The remaining members of the Resistance ran to the source of the coughing and moaning. Grin, Canard, and Wildwing pulled the heavy concrete off of the woman's body. Her sleeveless leather outfit was torn, her reddish brown hair stained with blood. She looked at the ducks, her dark brown feathers scarred.

"Alexandra," Canard moaned, lifting her into his arms. "Alex, what happened?"

"The Saurians," Alexandra muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "That damn traitorous bitch, Lucretia DeCoy, Dragaunus' spy, told them our secret location. They attacked without any warning. It was so sudden, we couldn't think straight. We fought them as best we could. We succeeded in managing to keep them from getting inside, but....all of us, except for me, were killed."

"Alex," Callie whispered, cradling her cheek. "Just rest. You did all that you could. We'll take care of the rest from here."

"It's too late for me," Alex whispered. "Just promise me....promise...that...no matter what...find Dragaunus....and....not only end his operation, but....kill him."

With that, Alexandra closed her eyes, breathing no more. She was now dead, along with the others that fought along her side. Canard sighed, brushing back the bangs of her auburn brown hair. He brought her dead body up to his face and buried his face into the middle of her breasts.

"Alexandra," Canard whispered. "You were one of our bravest female fighters. I swear, in the name of Drake DuCaine, I will avenge you, the Resistance, and the people of Puckworld."

"No, Canard," Mallory said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "WE'LL avenge all of Puckworld in the name of Drake DuCaine."

"Count me in," Tanya added.

"Me too," Duke offered.

"One must do the right thing," Grin added.

"I'll fight the Saurians, even if it takes me the rest of my life," Calandra said boldly.

"We'll avenge all of Puckworld, bud," Wildwing said.

"Count me in too, man," Nosedive offered.

Wildwing patted Nosedive on the shoulder, proud of how much braver his younger brother was right now. Canard turned his head to the others, smiling for the first time since the invasion began.

"Thank you all. We must leave immediately."

"Yes sir," Calandra saluted.

"Except for you, DeMalard," Canard ordered.

"But sir--"

"Felisha, listen to me," Canard said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You already did your duty as a soldier for the Resistance. No. In fact, you did MORE than your duty. More than anyone could've asked from you. You rose ABOVE the call of duty to help our people in their time of need. But they need you here. They need your help more than we do, Fellie. There're still prison camps in tact, still in use. The second Resistance will need someone like you to help them."

"Sir, I--" Calandra was about to argue, but she then saw his point. The Strike Force that Canard had assembled didn't need anyone one else, and the people of Puckworld needed her more than the Resistance did. "I see your point sir. I'll aid the second Resistance as you commanded. Good luck on your mission against the Master Tower, sir."

"Thank you, Felisha," Canard said while patting Calandra on the back. "And we all wish you good luck with the second resistance."

With that, the scenes of Puckworld of the past vanished, changing into the present on Earth. Calandra looked ashamed of her self, sort of, while the others appeared to have been shocked. Well, all except for Canard, Grin, Duke, and Mallory. Canard and Mallory already knew about her arranged marriage when she first joined the military and the resistance a while ago. Duke found out a couple of months after he and Callie became lovers. Grin, he was always expressionless. But the others, Wildwing, Nosedive, Sonica, and Tanya, were shocked at what Calandra just told them. Wing then gulped and restarted the conversation again.

"So this guy, Kirtland, your ex-fiancé, is an employee of Dragaunus. Now he's here on Earth, trying to find sophisticated computer equipment to rebuild his Dimensional Gateway Generator."

"I'm afraid so, Wildwing," Calandra assured him, nodding her head. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about him earlier, but....like some people, there're certain aspects of my life that I want to keep private, and this WAS one of them, until now."

Calandra then hung her head down in shame, her left hand on her right elbow, the leather of her brown gloves grasping onto her silver elbow pad. She had no idea what to say now. Usually, when someone tells people a secret they've been keeping for so long they feel better. But in Calandra's predicament, to reveal such a dark secret she's been hiding for nearly an entire decade form nearly everyone around her made her feel ashamed and dirty, like she was a traitor and a wench. Trying to give her comfort, Duke wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then finally, the base of her neck.

"Hey; don't worry about it, sweetheart," Duke assured her, cradling her head onto his shoulder. "As long as you don't reconsider not marrying the guy--"

"Duke!" Callie chided, shoving aside. "I can't believe you would actually THINK of such a thing! Me, reconsider not marrying Kirtland Quackson? The man who killed five of my brothers? Ha! I'd sooner wrestle an alligator before marrying that son of a bitch."

Duke let a low whistle escape the contents of his damaged beak from his early days as a thief. He knew that Calandra was a vixen, and occasionally swore, but she never called a man a son of a bitch. No real lady ever swore. But then again, Calandra was no lady, even though she grew up as the daughter of an aristocrat. Canard then faked a cough to break up the romantic tension between Calandra and Duke.

"Anyways, what're we going to do about Kirt?" Canard asked. "We don't even know where he's going to strike next."

"If only we had some type of clue to where he's going to go now....," Sonica said, pushing back some of her emerald green hair that was resting on her shoulders.

"I think I know where he's going to be striking next," Callie spoke up, pulling out the small form inside the gun-container attached to her utility. "This was next to the feather I found on the ground. On here is a record of sophisticated computer equipment needed. The only ones that weren't scratched off the list was a mega hy---hy---hypon---I can't read this! I don't speak science."

"Give me the list," Tanya said while holding out her hand. When Calandra gave it to Tanya, she read it out loud so everyone around her could understand the word that Callie couldn't say right if her life depended on it. "It says Mega Hypondronasium Capacitor and Ultra neutronic wires. Those are the main parts of the Dimensional Gateway Generator that help operate it. Without these, Dragaunus'll NEVER be able to operate the Generator. He could use them to re-open the prison to his Saurian comrades again, trying to raise war a second time."

"AGAIN?" Dive grunted. "Ya'd think after the FIRST time, he'd take a hint and just surrender to the Ducks O'Mighty."

Everyone hated to admit it, but Nosedive was right for a change. They stumped Dragaunus several times in his conquest for Earth. So many times in fact, that fighting him was starting to become boring, fighting the last evil Saurian overlord. The night was late then. Calandra suggested that they go to Florida immediately to see if Kirt was at NASA, stealing any of the sophisticated computer equipment. But Wildwing, being the leader of the team, suggested that everyone should sleep, since a lot has happened this night. He also told Callie not to worry; Drake 1's alarms were still on, and would sound REAL loud in case there WAS an emergency. She still felt unsure whether or not that would be the right decision, but had no choice but to obey Wildwing, since he was the captain of the team and all. Changing from her fighting attire into her silk night pyjamas, she plopped herself onto her very own bed. She then shut her violet eyes, and drifted off to sleep. Finding out that her ex-fiancé was still alive and here on earth, on a mission for his lordship, Dragaunus, she began to remember the party that was being held the night before the wedding, in which she would leave Drakeler Manor for good.

Around eighteen, the night before the day she would leave her home for good, her mother, Juletta Diamondfeathers Drakeler, and her attendants were preparing Calandra for the party she was to attend. Her mother's hand maid, Isa, with silver-gray hair from her old age of 70, was brushing Calandra's raven black hair, the candle on Callie's desk making her beautiful hair sparkle like the night sky, and her violet eyes sparkling like diamonds. She was tired of having to sit still and have Isa brush her hair, her mother insisting that she had her hair brushed at least 1,000 strokes. Callie's arms were folded across her chest. Her mother pinched her neck when Isa's frail hands completed the nine-hundred and ninety-seventh stroke with the golden-handled hair-brush with the ruby gems surrounding the handle, a diamond in the middle of the back of the brush.

"Ouch!" Calandra shrieked, clasping her right hand at her neck. "Mother, that hurt!"

"Well, I wouldn't have had to pinch you if you hadn't slouched like a pauper. You are of noble blood, Calandra. You are a lady, born as one and bred as one. Your father was an aristocrat, and you are as well. You need to look beautiful and well bred for tomorrow night. Tomorrow, you will become the bride of Kirtland Quackson. Imagine that; the bride of the dashing son of our very mayor. Most girls of your age can only DREAM of having a gentleman like Kirtland as a husband--"

"Well, they can HAVE him," Calandra grunted. "Because I want NOTHING to do with that bastard!"

"Calandra!' Juletta gasped, her hands going to her beak. "First of all, young ladies are NOT to swear, and, half Russian or not, you ARE a lady, and half French, like me. You swear like a sailor, daughter! And why is it that you refuse to marry Kirtland? He's handsome, he's rich, he's--"

"A total connective ba--er, monster, who only wants to marry me so he can inherit father's fortune and because of my beauty. He doesn't love me...for ME, that is. Even Duke L'Orange himself would make a better gentleman and husband than the likes of Kirtland Quackson!"

"Well, child," Juletta sighed, pushing back some of her saffron blonde hair, her French accent sounding concerned and a trifle bit annoyed. "There's nothing I can do about this arranged marriage. Your father signed a contract with Mayor Quackson, and there is no possible way to break the bond. Now, let's try to do something about your attire? Jeans and a regular T-shirt will not do for such an event like tonight. I know! Let's try that dress I bought for you on your fifteenth birthday! I believe it still fits your body. After, some of that French petite physique IS in your blood."

Juletta then started to go through Calandra's closet to find that dress that she was talking about earlier. Callie sighed in boredom and leaned her right cheek against her fist. This party that her mother and father were making her attend was starting to drive her NUTS. Bad enough that they had to make her marry Kirtland in the first place, but now she has to dress up all fancy in front of the man she hated with all her heart and soul. Juletta then finally found the very dress that she was talking about to her tenth child and only daughter. It had no sleeves at all, and was a violet color with snow white petticoats. The bodice was laced with gold, completing the elegance of the dress. Juletta placed it in front of Calandra, looking at the evening gown, then back at her daughter, smiling in pride.

"I knew it; the dress still fits you. You'll look beautiful in it. For that slender neck of yours, I think we'll use that elegant diamond necklace that I used to wear around your age. For your arms, I believe pearl white gloves that reach your shoulders will do for the occasion. But what about your hair? What are to do with your locks? Hair tied in a braid is no way to attract a gentleman such Kirtland Quackson, and we can't leave hanging loose because it might get caught in something, and it doesn't look proper and attractive"

Juletta started to play with the bangs of Calandra's raven black hair.

"Mother, I like my hair the way it was before; Can't I put it back in a braid?"

"Nonsense, child," Juletta said, her French accent not even caring for what her only daughter preferred. "We can't send you to the ball with your hair all tied up, having you look like some type of adventuress vixen..."

"Works for me, mother."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, daughter," Juletta groaned, the French woman starting to sound irritated that her daughter preferred to look like an adventuress instead of a woman of good breeding. "We must do SOMETHING about that hair of yours..." Suddenly, Juletta snapped her fingers, indicating to anyone that knew her the longest that it was the sign meaning that she had come up with an idea. "I know! We'll have it curled up, and I can put a violet on the left side of your hair. You'll look absolutely stunning! You will be the bell of the ball. And afterwards, we shall have you play the violin. That Russian folksong of your father's, The Rose of Midnight, yes that's the one! That's the one you shall play for the guests tonight."

"But mother...I don't even WANT to attend the party, much less play in front of everyone. And I liked my hair braided."

"Hush, daughter!" Juletta ordered. "You shall do as I say. Isa, please go and get those glittering hair stylers for Calandra's hair, and some of those violets for her as well."

"Yes, madam," Isa nodded, and, leaving as soon as she could, despite her old age. Juletta returned in trying to turn Calandra from an adventuress into a beautiful woman. Within a matter of minutes, Callie's looks had changed greatly. She looked at her reflection in the old French antique mirror of her mother's, the fine polished wood with the cherry-top pattern, outlined in rubies and sapphires. Calandra looked astonished at the way she looked.

Her raven black hair, upbraided and flowing, was now at her chest, since her mother and Isa had it curled. The shimmering sparkles used for her hair glittered like diamonds in the sky, with the violet flower on one of her curled up hair strands. The eye lids of her violet eyes were traced with violet eye shadow, to match the hypnotizing shine in her eyes and the mysterious yet radiant color of her hair, the color of the feathers of the raven. Her cheeks were lightly colored with a type of blush, imported all the way from Fransilan, the French territory where Juletta grew up. Her graceful neck finely shined with the diamond necklace laced gracefully around her beautiful throat. The dress, with the snow white ruffled sleeves pushed down a little bit below her shoulders, had a heart carved pearl in the center of the ruffled sleeves, with a golden rose in the middle of the pearl heart. Her violet gown with the white petticoats and the gold trimmed bodice glowed in the light of her bedroom. Callie didn't know whether or not she should be amazed that the very beautiful woman in her mirror was her, or gaze in horror that this was how she had to look in front of the very man she was being forced to marry.

"Mother?" Calandra asked, her Russian voice barely above a whisper. "Is this...me?"

"Yes, my daughter," Juletta answered with happiness. "It IS you. And I hope you look this glamorous on your wedding day. Now come, child. We must attend the ball now before your father and husband-to-be start to worry about us."

Juletta grabbed the petticoats of her silk pink gown and gently walked out of Calandra's bedroom. Callie hesitated for a moment. DID she want to go down the elegant stairs to see her father? Okay, maybe she did. But to see the man Kirtland Quackson? The man who's guts she hated with all of her heart and soul? Hell NO! She didn't care if he died of food poisoning at the party, or if some crazy maniac slashed his heart open with a rapier or his or her own bare hands. Just as long as she wouldn't have to marry him. She grabbed a silk laced Chinese fan that was on her desk. When it was opened, it revealed the stitches of a peacock. Several strands of different colors made the peacock on the fan. Her mother would've wanted her to use the fan anyways, to make her appear more as a lady. A single tear fell down her violet eye. Calandra quickly wiped it off before it could reach the blush. Her mother would've lectured her for letting the blush on her left cheek be wiped off, since the blush was very expensive, being ported all the way from Franzilian, the French territory where her mother grew up. Using her right hand to cover her beak with the silk fan, and her left hand to hold up a small section of her dress and petticoats so she could walk freely, Calandra slowly walked out of her room, through the hallway, and down the elegant marble white stairs.

Her father, Joseph Drakeler, with his dark raven black hair(if you're wondering why Calandra and Joseph have the same color hair, it's because she inherited her hair color from her dad), with silver-white streaks indicating to some people of his old age, tied in a small pony tail, smiled in admiration and pride. His very daughter was growing up right before his very eyes.

"Calandra, my little angel," Joseph sighed, and kissed her on the forehead. "You look so beautiful, my little girl."

"Indeed, Mr. Drakeler," Kirt nodded. "You daughter is indeed, a beautiful jewel."

Kirtland then took Calandra's left gloved hand and gently kissed it, as a sign of respect for his father's friend's daughter. Calandra smiled in dignity and politeness like all well-bred girls were to behave, but only to fool Kirt and her parents. In her heart, she was ready to take out a knife she hid inside her dress and stab the bastard right to death, even though she and him were to be married. When Kirt opened his dark brown eyes, he smiled. Callie seemed to have noticed that Kirt looked different, in his hair that is. When she first found out about their arranged marriage, and it wasn't pleasant news to her, his hair went down to his chest. Now, it was a little bit past his shoulders. His elegant bow tie, white long sleeved elegant shirt, black jacket and black pants, completed the rich man's elegant, yet disgusting look. Well, he was ugly and cruel in the violet eyes of Calandra.

"Care to dance, sweetie," Kirtland asked her. "It IS acceptable that I call you 'sweetie', isn't it? After all, I believe that since we are to become husband and wife tomorrow, you should be used to it, no?"

"The word 'sweetie' will do, Kirtland," Calandra answered.

"Care to dance, my lady?" he asked of her.

"I would be honored, Kirtland," Calandra answered, holding out her hand to him. Yes, Kirtland. I would be honored all right, she thought to herself, hiding her anger inside of her inner most thoughts. I would be honored to take out my dagger and stab you with it, right here, right now, you ****ing bastard! The sooner you rot in hell, the sooner I'll be in peace.

Yet Calandra didn't bother to say anything about how she really felt for Kirtland. She tried that before, but her side of the story of her refusal to marry Mayor Quackson's son got her nowhere. They were still arranged to marry him. Her father even snapped at her, saying that unless she married Kirtland Quackson, she would be thrown out of Drakeler Manor for good, with no chance of ever being let back in again. So instead, she allowed Kirtland to guide her to the dance floor, where they waltzed to the orchestra playing a slow, classical song. Joseph and Juletta looked at each other, and smiled.

"Calandra surely has grown up much, hasn't she, darling?" Joseph asked her, looping her hand into his arm.

"Yes, dear, she has," Juletta sighed in agreement. "But still, isn't she a little YOUNG for marriage? I mean, she's barely eighteen--"

"Juletta," Joseph quickly stopped his wife from continuing on. "I told you before, I didn't have a choice in the matter. If I didn't agree to let Carlton Quackson's son Kirtland marry Calandra, we would lose Drakeler Manor for good, even though I told him that our Callie was only barely past being a little girl."

Juletta couldn't argue any farther with her husband. Instead, she just sighed and adjusted the bodice on her gown. Joseph cupped his wife's chin in his hand, and brought her lips onto his, giving her a gentle kiss. They then attended the ball they decided to host.

The music of the orchestra played gracefully and elegantly as the people who attended the ball gracefully waltzed to the melody. Most were other family members of the Drakelers, other part of the Quackson family. Some of the other guests were other noble people of Moscalovsan and other parts of Unistan. Kirtland pulled Calandra closer into him, whispering words in the language of the French, even though his accent was mostly German.

"Ma cheri, tui incandescene rayonnant semblable une diamant deduns le minuit ciel." (French for 'My dear, you glow radiantly, like a diamond in the midnight sky.')

"Merci beaucoup, Misiour Quackson. Vous aussi paraitre bell toi." (Thank you very much, Mr. Quackson. You too look handsome yourself.)

"I am surprised that you didn't try to break away from me when I kissed your hand earlier, sweetie," Kirtland whispered. "Does this mean that you've changed your mind and you won't cry when we say 'I do'?"

"Yes, of c--course, Kirtland," Callie answered. "I can't fight this thing, so I have no other choice but to accept what is to be handed towards me."

"Wise choice, my dear," Kirt said, kissing the left side of her cheek. "I can't speak anymore of this here, my sweet. To many people here. Let's talk more about this outside where we won't be seen or heard, my love."

Calandra nodded, going along with her pretend emotions of love for Kirt for now. They walked over to the balcony of Drakeler Manor that faced the ocean of Puckworld, Arantica. The sun was already halfway down the sea. The colors of pink, red, yellow, orange in the sky blended in with the blue and black of the brine. The colors of the sky reflected on the water, giving color to the water. The clouds of snow covered most of the sky were now slowly starting to separate. A slow yet chilly wind blew through the clouds, gently nipping at her neck. But after a few seconds, the wind was no longer as cold. Kirtland turned his head to Calandra and forced her to look into his eyes.

"You're a pretty good liar, ma cheri."

"Almost as good as you, Quackson," Callie replied bitterly. "You knew that I was ready to vomit when you kissed my hand, didn't you?"

"But of course, ma cheri. I can read right through you, like a book. Of course, you DO you that you have no choice in this arranged marriage, do you, my dear?"

"I know that," Callie answered, her head resting on her arms, which were on the railings of the balcony. "I know that my freedom will be gone tomorrow. I won't have a chance at becoming an adventuress like I always wanted to be. And I suppose you'll want me to turn into those typical women that existed during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Cook your meals, clean your house and clothes, and raise a whole litter of ducklings?"

"Well, maybe not an entire LITTER, and there will be help in cleaning and cooking, but, yes, that's basically the general idea. If that's not the idea of a life that you want, then tough luck, sweetie."

"I can't believe that my father is making me marry you, you bastard! First you try to rob me of my virginity, and now you're making me live a life that I don't want. Shouldn't all women be entitled to make their own decisions and choose their own husbands?"

"Most think so, but the Germanians believe that women should be kept under the rule of the male race. And my father and I ARE Germanians."(Germans)

Without warning, Kirtland swept Calandra into his arms and crushed his lips against hers. The more Callie struggled, the tighter Kirt's grip became. His engorging muscles underneath his black coat crushed Calandra even tighter into his hard embrace. He pushed her into him even more, that is, until Callie brought her knee up hard on his groin. He clung onto his hurting loins, and starred at Calandra.

"Sorry, Kirt. But I don't want my virginity taken away from me until the wedding NIGHT. You need to understand that."

"But of course, ma Cheri," Kirtland groaned, but having no choice but hand victory over to his fiancé for the moment. "Even we Germanians have to learn to give into the gentle grace of anything feminine every once in a while. I heard that from your mother that you'll be playing 'The Rose of Midnight' on your violin for us all tonight? Isn't it that Russian folksong that your father adores greatly?"

"But of course, Monsieur," Calandra answered bitterly. "I am being FORCED to play the violin by my own mother. You know that."

"Calandra!" Juletta called for her from the balcony outside. "Your relatives and relatives to be want to hear your violin solo now!"

"Coming, mother!" Callie called back. "Sorry, Kirt. We'll have to continue later some time."

"But of course, ma Cheri."

He gently but passionately kissed her lips once more, even though he knew that Calandra didn't want anything to do with him. She returned the kiss, but it was out of respect, and not of lust and desire. Grabbing the many folds of her gown, Calandra returned to the center of the ballroom. Everyone clapped when she had entered the ball. Dennis, one of her father's male servants, handed Callie her the violin she was to play. It was made of a fine cherry-hickory smoke wood, which only grew in the forests of Calinstenide, far east from Unistan. It was greatly polished, and the strings were cleaned generously, and the bow of the violin was rosined very finely.

(To those who don't know the concepts of string instruments and the tools used for them, I'll explain them as delicately as I can. Rosin is a type of golden chalk-like piece of hardened powder. It's used on the bow of the violin to reduce the number of scratchy noises when the bow is used to play the violin, and to make it easier for the bow to slide up and down the strings of the violin. The bow is several strands of horse hair connected to a piece of long and semi-thin hard wood.)

Callie placed her chin on the left side of her violin, then put her bow on the center of the fourth string of her violin. Slowly, she started to play 'The Rose of Midnight'. While she did, Kirtland was talking matters over with her father, Joseph.

"Your daughter is VERY talented on the violin," Kirtland complimented. "I'm sure she got her musical talent from her FATHER'S side of the family?"

"Well," Joseph started to say, almost to the point where he would sound like a total and complete snob. "A tad bit. But she mainly got her musical talent from her mother. Except that her talents were mostly from her voice. Calandra couldn't sing, since some of her Russian inheritance shunned that out of her genetics, unfortunately. But luckily, they transferred that talent into the violin for her."

"She'll make perfect music for my family when we're married tomorrow," Kirt said, hiding a smirk.

"Yes...on your wedding," Joseph sighed sadly. Maybe he was making a mistake in allowing Calandra to marry Kirtland at such an early age. He didn't marry Juletta until he was around thirty-three, and she was thirty-one. Calandra was barely eighteen. Barely at adulthood. Not the right age for ANYONE to get married at. At least not YET. Kirtland was MUCH to old for her. He was around twenty-five. Alas, he didn't have any choice in the matter. Unless he agreed to let Calandra marry Kirtland, Drakeler Manor would be lost for good to the hands of the industrial company. They would tear apart Drakeler Manor, and turn it into a place for financial business. It was only to fill their greedy pockets with more gold and cash.

When Calandra finished the song 'The Rose of Midnight', everyone clapped politely, yet loudly. She was indeed a great violinist. More dancing and music playing took place before the last guest left. When all had retired to bed, Callie decided to put her plan into action. Luckily, she told her folks that she didn't want to sleep with Kirtland until the night of her marriage. Said something about wanting to cherish her virginity for as long as she can. So that meant that Kirtland would have to wait one more night before he and her could sleep together.

She dragged the mannequin out of her closet and threw it on top of her bed. Taking out the knife that she hid in her dress, she stuck it into the back of the dummy. Luckily, it was soft, so there was no difficulty in sticking it in. She then reached under the bed, and took out packages of fake blood. Opening one of them up, she poured the blood around the cut area of the knife, then on the silver blade part of the dagger. After that, she poured some on the contents of the body, then around the bed and floor. Washing the fake blood off of her hands, she changed from her nightgown and went into a pair semi-tight jeans and a white v-neckline tank, followed by a tight leather jacket. She packed a few dollars she would need to survive on her journey outside of her home, and a few of her personal belongings into a violet tote bag. Then, using the techniques she learned in acrobatics and gymnastics class, climbed down the high walls of her room, even though her room was on the third floor, the highest floor of Drakeler Manor. She then went to the Drakeler Manor stables. Gently stroking Spirit's main of ebony black hair, she placed the fine and gentle saddle on him, then pulled herself up. Snapping the reins attached to the saddle, Spirit, jumped over the stable gate, then over the fence, and ran down onto the beach, where he and Calandra usually rode down on. But instead of going on the cliff where they usually stared at the sun setting down below the ocean, he trotted away from Drakeler Manor. In fact, they both left all of Moscalovsan and all of Unistan. When they were three miles away from the Unistan boundaries, Callie pulled on the reins again, indicating that she wanted Spirit to stop.

She stared back at her old home, and her old home country. She would miss her old Russian home country, and her family. Well, all accept for Kirtland Quackson. That god damn son of a bitch! Calandra couldn't believe that she was to be married to him. It was a real nightmare come true for her. To be married to someone she barely knew. ESPECIALLY since she had no say in it. Oh well. It was too late. In the morning, her parents would discover her dead, along with her hated fiancé. Perhaps someday, when she had developed into a real woman, and lived her dreams, she would come back to Drakeler Manor, and explain to her parents why she did what she did. She then snapped at the reins again, and Spirit ran off away from Unistan. Little did she know that her ability to explain why she did what she did to her family would never come until it was too late.

The wind blew at her neck. But THIS wasn't the usual winds that she felt normally on Puckworld. ESPECIALLY when near Unistan, the coldest region of Puckworld. The wind felt warm. Like someone was breathing down on her neck. The breeze started to whisper her name. But then, slowly, the wind's voice changed into a deep Keltorian accent. "Calandra? Sweetie; sweets, wake up...."

Callie opened her eyes and saw her lover, Duke L'Orange, looking at her in curiosity, him looking distressed.

"Callie, you alright, sweetheart? I just came back from the kitchen to get a drink of water, when I heard you tossing and turning in your room. It didn't sound like normal turnings when people sleep, so I decided to--" he stopped when he saw a tear running down Callie's right cheek. He quickly sat down on the bed and wiped the tear out of her cheek. "You've been crying, angel? How come?"

"It's Kirtland, love," Cal answered, hiding more tears forming in her eyes. "When I found out that he was here on Earth, I had these flashbacks of the night before we were to be married. But it seemed so real. I was to loose my life...and my freedom...my freedom to do the things I loved, like riding my horse into the sunset......"

"Shhh....." Duke ushered her, when she started to tear, her face just below his neck. "Don't worry, sweetheart. That guy's miles away, and Drake 1'll warn us if he's in Florida, trying to steal NASA's sophisticated computer equipment."

Lightning flashed all of a sudden, thunder quickly following the thunderclap. Rain suddenly poured onto the city of Anaheim. The sudden sound of thunder and abrupt streak of lightning had Calandra so scared that her arms suddenly looped around Duke L'Orange's neck, bringing her face closer to his chest. The sudden swift and strong contact of her arms and face had Duke's face go into shock. Never in his life had a woman ever needed him by their side this badly. Not even Calandra. The shock of learning about her ex-fiancé being on Earth again obviously temporarily tore her of her spirit of pure fire, leaving her feeling helpless, like a three year old girl lost in a forest, with rain pouring on her clothes, and being chased by a pack of ravenous wolves, which would consume anything and everything in their path. Duke held her closely against his partially muscular chest, gently rubbing her shoulders, whispering that it was all right and he was right beside her. When she looked up into the remaining dark jade eye of her lover, Calandra's vision was blurry, her face brimming with tears. When she blinked, they fell down her face. Duke wiped them away from her face, then looked into her eyes.

Slowly, he kissed her lips, but then, his manly and wild lustful urges started to take over his better judgement. Their faces seemed to have consumed one another's. Right now, to Calandra, all of thoughts of Kirtland and how he tried to ruin her life were banished from her head, and were replaced with the battles of desperately clinging mouths. All Callie could think of was how Duke was making her feel with the swift sudden brushes of his lips. Without warning, he pushed her onto the bed, gently pushing her arms into the softness of the mattress she was sleeping on. She had no will to stop him. All of her life, she had wanted someone to love her like this. How could she deny herself even a small moment of happiness?

However, before Duke could start to pull of the top of Cal's pyjamas, there was rumbling on the top of the Pond's roof. But the sounds weren't the rumbles of the lightning. They were from footsteps. Could it be a housebreaker? Who could break into the Pond? It couldn't have been the Saurians. The ducks had a teleportation shield to protect them from any Saurian invasion inside of the Pond. But still, no chances could be taken. Callie immediately pushed Duke off of her and morphed into her battle attire, grabbed her utility belt, attached the weapon containers that attached themselves to the belt, and rushed out the door.

Duke just looked glum at the moment. Dang! He was SO close to making love with Calandra! Maybe it was probably for the best. He didn't necessarily ASK Callie if she DID want to make love with him. He just pushed her onto the bed and started to pull her top off. And the only reason that she didn't try to stop him because she was so weak from her shedding of tears in those beautiful violet eyes of hers. Oh well. Next chance he would get, he would be more formal about it. Right now, all that mattered was catching that burglar that was on the roof. He quickly morphed into his battle attire and rushed after Callie.

When Calandra reached the top of the roof, her black bullwhip in her hand, ready to fight, there was nothing to be seen. Of course, the sky was black and the rain was pounding down hard on her head, making sight in the night much more difficult for the Russian adventuress. She kept cautious, making sure no one would see her. Rain batted down on her raven black hair as she searched the Pond roof for her victim. Suddenly, she heard a voice. When Calandra turned around, she saw a man. No; not a man. A male duck. KIRTLAND QUACKSON!!!

"Ah, ma cheri," Kirtland nodded, smiling. "I see you are one of those...Mighty Ducks. Peh; you would've been better off if you were with the Saurian Empire for good, instead of spying for the Resistance."

"And allow innocent lives to be enslaved and murdered by a race of miniature dinosaurs? Not on your life, bastard!"

"I always DID say you were a wild one, my woman with hair of death."

"And you always wanted to be the man to tame me," Callie groaned under her teeth. "And I told you that you'd play hell trying. Well, guess what Quackson; you'd STILL play hell trying! Put your arms up in surrender, and I won't be forced to attack you."

"You always were a young fool, my pet," Kirtland smirked evilly. "Well, let's see if we can fix that."

Kirtland took out his spear. When he tried to lunge for Callie, a saber of golden color blocked the deadly blow of the silver-colored spear blade. Only one could use a saber of a golden color, and that was Duke L'Orange. He was here; he saved Calandra's life!

"Duke!" Calandra shouted in joy. Duke quickly took Calandra into his arms and pressed his lips against hers passionately, yet tenderly at the same time.

"You alright, sweetheart? He didn't injure you, did he? If that ****ing bastard did, I'll--"

"Well, well, well," Kirtland broke in, the Germanian tired of being left out of a conversation if he was part of it. "Duke L'Orange, the former jewel thief of Puckworld and ex-leader of the Brotherhood of the Blade. Should I be honored to face you in a duel, or try to slit your throat off for stealing away MY fiancé?!"

"Kirtland, for the five millionth time, I AM NO LONGER YOU FIANCÉ!!!! I don't love you; I've never loved you! My heart belongs to Duke L'Orange, and Duke only. Our marriage was only an arranged one; you knew that. You KNEW that I would never love you, even if my very life depended on it. You only loved me for my father's fortune and for my beauty. That's not what REAL love is."

"Bah; love. It's overrated. You are but a young fool, ma cheri. Believing that love is the ultimate source of power. You truly think that you and your pathetic lover will be able to stop me? I am the Lieutenant-Commander of the Army of the Saurian Empire, the most powerful army in this universe!"

"Oh really," Duke gestured, putting his golden saber at Kirt's throat, being careful not to cut his throat off. "If the Saurian Empire is so powerful, then how come only a few band of ducks managed to overthrow it?"

That was the final straw for Kirtland Quackson. The Germanian was offended for the final time. Duke L'Orange would never get away with insulting him AND the Saurian Empire at the same time, now, can he? Kirt backed Duke's saber away from his throat with his finger, a small droplet of blood escaping his finger. Then, he threw his spear back into the cask that was attached to the back of his black attire and put up a fighting stance in front of Duke.

"You believe that you are no match for the power of the Saurian Empire, L'Orange? Well, let's just see about that. If you would throw your blade to the ground and fight me like a REAL man would, we will see who is the superior of the species?"

"You would challenge the former leader of the Brotherhood of the Blade? So be it then, you bastard," Duke agreed, resting his saber back on his left shoulder once more.

Kirtland grinned. If Kirt wins, the Saurian Empire would take over all of Earth and the entire universe, and Calandra would belong to him forever. But if DUKE won the war, Calandra's freedom would remain to her forever. Duke stood still for the moment, waiting for Kirtland to make his move. Kirt stood still for that moment. Then, suddenly, without warning, the Germanian lunged at the Keltorian. The sudden shove to the floor was to sudden for Duke, so he could move right away. When Calandra grabbed her arms around the back of Kirt's neck, in an attempt to try and choke him, the Germanian only grabbed her by the collar of her attire top and threw her to side of the roof. She rolled to side of the room, the only thing that kept her from falling over was the thick sides of the roof. She laid there, unconscious. Her left shoulder had a bloody scar, even though barely any blood escaped from her wound.

Duke looked at her in shock, while still trying to keep Kirtland from touching his body with his. Calandra, his girlfriend and one true love, was laying almost lifelessly at the corner of the roof. He couldn't see her move or even give the slightest twitch, indicating movement. In fact, she was barely breathing. Duke stared back at Kirt, anger in his eyes. With great strength, the former jewel thief kicked the male Germanian traitor in the groin, and threw him off of him. Anger boiling in his dark jade eye, the intense rain water soaking his hair and attire, Duke glared at Kirtland.

"You.....you...bastard!!! Why'd you attack Calandra?! She's probably DEAD right now because you! What's wrong; can't accept the fact that she chose a former thief over a mayor's pampered rich son, like yourself, Quackson?! Huh?! Is THAT it? Can't handle being beaten by someone of lower class than yourself?"

"You beat me?" Kirtland asked, then laughed. "You, a low-class thief, like yourself, beat me, the son of the Mayor of Moscalovsan, and the Lieutenant-Commander of the Saurian Empire? HA! I don't know what is even MORE amusing: THAT, or the fact that Calandra chose you over me."

The fight between Kirtland and Duke resumed again. Kirt tried to reach for Duke by the throat, but he threw a good right hook at Puckworld's male traitor. Blood slowly trickled down Kirt's beak. Anger boiled in his dark brown eyes. He lunged at Duke and threw him on the floor of the roof, where they continued to fight one another. While they were brawling, the other ducks rushed up the roof, everyone in their battle gear.

"Duke; what the heck is going on here?! Who's that maniac you're wrestling with?!" Wildwing asked him, in a tone that indicated both shock and anger.

Duke immediately threw Kirtland off of him, and pulled himself off the soaked rain roof.

"Ask HIM, Wildwing."

Kirtland then stood up, the parts of his chest that were revealed soak with rain water and wet dirt that was on the roof. He glared at the other ducks. Sonica Thunderbeak immediately recognized the male duck.

"You're Kirtland Quackson!!!!"

"Yes, my young Australian female. I see Calandra has warned you about me. And don't bother trying to find her. Even if you did, she would prove of no use to--AGH!!!!"

He turned around, and saw a dagger stuck in the back of his left arm. Small droplets of blood were tricking down his arm, even when he pulled the dagger out. He turned around, and saw Calandra. SHE threw the knife! That damn bitch threw a knife at her ex-fiance! Callie forced herself to stand. Her legs were kind of wobbly, and some of her threads on her thighs were torn, but other than that, she was alright. She stared at Kirt, anger burning within her violet eyes.

"That was for my family, you bastard," Callie groaned at Kirt. "For my five brothers that you murdered."

Kirtland just growled at Calandra. Before he could make another move towards his ex-fiancé, Sonica shot a few rounds of pucks at the dark brown male duck, badly bruising his arms and the revealing flesh of his chest. He stumbled backwards, almost falling off of the roof. He grabbed the spear that was still attached to his back. He leaned it back, as if ready to stab anyone who would come near him. He was unsure whether or not he should throw the spear at Calandra Drakeler, or Duke L'Orange. Calandra, well, she was to marry him, but she chose to be a former thief's lover instead. Duke stole her away from him. Alright, he DIDN'T steal her away from him. It was Callie's choice, and not his. But still, if he hadn't existed, Calandra would've been his wife a long time ago. Not to mention Calandra was a traitor to the eyes of the Saurian Empire. She said that she would be loyal to the Saurians, but she tricked them; she was a spy for the Resistance all along.

"I have one question, Kirt," Calandra said. "Why the bloody hell are you here?!"

"Well...I was I was to go to NASA to pick up the supplies Lord Dragaunus needed to make his Dimensional Gateway Generator operate to the Limbo Prison where most of his Saurian comrades are. But instead, I thought of the Anaheim Pond. Lord Dragaunus mentioned your friends having a secret headquarters underneath the Pond, where your technology is much more advanced than the science here on Earth, so, I thought that I could swipe the technology you own here."

"You're welcome to try," Tanya warned. "But the only one's who have access to the Pond are us." AND Klegghorn, Phil, and Jessie, but that's off the record.

"Until NOW, ma cherie," Kirt said. "Unless you nine pathetic traitors of the Saurian Empire have a death wish, I suggest that you'd--whoa, whoa, no....AHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Kirtland lost his balance and fell off the roof. Callie quickly ran after him to try to catch him. She hated Kirt's guts, but this was no way for anyone to die. But she was too late. Kirtland landed with a thud on the ground. He was now dead. The pouring bathed his blood-marked corpse. It soaked his hair and attire, having it stick onto his shoulders, chest, and face. Callie turned her head to the others, and shook her head. They understood what she mean when she shook her head. No one saw, but his body was transported away from the soaking rain in Anaheim. He was back within the Raptor now. He suddenly opened his eyes and jumped up.

He faced Dragaunus and smiled.

"I did a good job on my death scene, didn't I, my lord?"

"Frankly, Lieutenant-Commander Quackson, I believe that you overdid the part."

"I just wish I could've entered the Pond though, my lord. Now we'll NEVER be able to free your Saurian comrades and conquer this miserable planet."

"Maybe, but at least our generator works again," Dragaunus said. "We can use it to bring forth anyone we may call upon from Puckworld or other planets for our help. And that...is the start of our victory."

In the Pond, Calandra was brushing her raven black hair, soaked from the pouring rain. Pain was inflicted on her shoulder whenever she brushed each strand of her hair, for the water fell from the brushed strands and touched the wound, causing a slight sting upon her skin. Someone knocked on her door, almost making her jump up in shock. But, softly and calmly, she answered that her door was unlocked, and to whoever was there was free to enter her private quarters. Duke walked in, holding a small rose in his hand. Placing the flower within her hand, he gently kissed the worn out knuckles.

"You alright, angel? That bastard Quackson made a big gash on your shoulder--"

"It's only a scratch, love. It'll heal within a few days. You shouldn't be so over-protective of me. Then again, I would give you a reason, since I'm always finding ways to get myself in trouble. I'm just glad that the bastard Kirtland, who I was forced to marry as young duckling, is now dead."

"You truly wished that he was dead, Calandra?"

"Well...yes AND no. He tried to rob me of my virginity, and he murdered five of my nine brothers. But then, his fate wouldn't have been up to me, but the courts. No one truly deserves to die like THAT. I don't really know WHAT fate I wanted that bastard to have. But certainly not a nice and decent one."

She brushed back a tear forming her eyes, and Duke lightly kissed her cheek, while gently stroking the other one. Callie used both hands to cover Duke's hand, wanting to feel more of the warmth of his tender and soothing touch. Gently yet amorously kissing her wet yet luscious lips, he slowly pulled her up into his arms, gently embracing her.

"Sweetheart...about what happened earlier...before Kirtland jumped onto the roof. What I was about to do....it would've been considered rape, and I apologize for it."

"Love, it would only be considered rape if it was against my will, and I was willing to have you make love to me."

"Only because you were in tears, sweetness. It almost gave me the power to take advantage of you. But...I still can't get the feeling of wanting to make love with you out of my mind. So I ask of you this time....if you want to, that is."

Calandra stood still for a few moments. Was she dreaming? Was Duke L'Orange TRULY asking her to let him make love to her? It couldn't have been real, yet it was. This was a big decision for her to make. All of her life, Calandra had been a virgin. A sassy vixen, yes, but she had never so much as kissed another man after Kirtland's forced mouth surges on hers, let alone have a man have sex with her. Slowly, she nodded her head yes. Duke smiled greatly and quickly locked the door up tight. Lightly kissing her throat, he unhooked the locket attached to her neck, and gently pulled it off her neck. Calandra helped him to pull off her gloves, communicator, arm bands and elbow pads while she went for the silver straps attached to his shoulders. Unbuckling and pulling off her belt, Duke slowly pulled the zipper down from her attire and pulled it off as well. All that was covering her breasts was a sports bra. Un-strapping her knee pads and pulling off her boots, Callie pulled down her skin-tight army pattern pants. Soon, all she was wearing to protect herself from being naked was her sports lingerie. Duke gazed, overwhelmed at Calandra's body. He had no idea how long and slender her legs were, and how curvy her hips and breasts were. Her arms were well defined, and her neck was so long and slender. It was like....looking at an angel that had no wings at all. Duke had never realized how beautiful Calandra looked to him. He remembered seeing her in tight black leather when she was fourteen years old, but she had greatly changed over the past eleven years. He was truly stunned at the woman she had become.

Now it was Duke's turn. With Calandra's help, he stripped off his maroon body suit, and the accessories attached to him, when soon, all that he was wearing were his boxer shorts. Never in Calandra's life had she known that Duke could look so strong and muscular. His muscles weren't much in the way of huge or anything, but that could be a good thing. Too much muscle, and any male would look like a muscle maniac, and that was a definite turn-off. Still, he WAS handsome. Maybe in a rugged way, but handsome none the less. He had a insignificant washboard pattern on his stomach, and his pectorals did separate slightly. Callie noticed that there was a small red circular tattoo on Duke's stomach.

"Duke? What's with the tattoo?"

"Huh? Oh...it's the symbol of the Red Circle, a rank in the Brotherhood of the Blade. Those who enter the rank of Red Circle have their stomach's tattooed with a red circle."

Callie lightly ran her hands around Duke's chest as they moved up towards his face, caressing his whiskered cheeks. He then pulled her into his arms and kissed her with such a passion of which she had never even DREAMED of, she thought she would die from lack of oxygen intake. Nuzzling her neck, Duke lifted Calandra into his arms and gently plopped her onto the bed. Callie lightly but firmly at the same time pushed her hands against Duke's whiskered cheeks once more to prevent any more kisses from his lips fall upon hers. She needed to know the truth first. She needed to know for sure that the emotions Duke felt for her was indeed true love, and not a simple lust.

"Duke, before we begin, I need to ask you an important question. Do you TRULY love me? For who I am, and is the love you feel for me real?"

"Of course I do, sweetheart. My love for you is eternal, and it always will be....for the rest of my life, and beyond."

He then took a blanket of gossamer silk on the bed and covered him and her with it. Soon, the blanket served as a cocoon for the two lovebirds. Callie pulled off his boxer shorts while he slowly removed her lingerie. His body on top of hers, the blanket still covering them, he slowly kissed the soft sweetness of her lips, which he believed to be, sweeter than the purest sugar and more valuable and rare than ambrosia itself. He started to caress her bare back, and Calandra shut her eyes tightly, appearing to be trying to keep herself from crying. Duke noticed this, and forced her open her eyes.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?"

"Please, love; don't touch me there. It hurts..."

"How? How could it--oh; I see."

Indeed, Duke did When Duke pulled Callie up, he saw a huge scar and Calandra's bare back. A HUGE scar. It reached all the way from the bottom of her left shoulder to the tip of her right hip. He pulled her into him a little closer, Callie feeling the warm sturdiness of Duke's chest.

"How did you--"

"Lucretia," Callie quickly answered. "She...scarred me a long time ago."

"I'm sorry I asked...and even MORE sorry that that slutty traitor did this to you...."

Duke gently pushed Calandra down and kissed her with a feverish passion, yet at the same time, it was slowly and in control. Callie caressed Duke's bare back, intertwining her legs around his waist, wanting to feel more of his touch and kiss. His mouth didn't KISS hers; it seemed to have CONSUMED hers. Duke gently whispered sweet nothings to his lover as he kissed her.

"Calandra--my love--you are more beautiful than a goddess, and are like a queen. Like those that had helped to rule Puckworld so many centuries ago. Noble, yet not too proud--with hair, as dark as the raven--no--DARKER than the raven--even when flying in the pale full moon, with its silver lining glistening on the clear sapphire blue water. And eyes--that glow--brighter than--diamonds in the--midnight sky--with your eyelids--that lightly fall--like raindrops on glistening seas. My beloved, my darling--you are TRUE perfection. I'll never forget tonight, not for as long as I live..."

"Neither will I, my love....," Calandra sighed, her Russian voice barely above a whisper.

Duke kissed her lips once more, and then gazed into her violet eyes again.

"Now...with God Himself watching over upon us in the darkness, this night will be ours...."

And the passion broke out within them, after being bottled up for nearly eleven years. Little did they know that they were being watched as they made love. Not by human, duck, or Saurian, but by the stars, the moon, and God Himself. They did not know, and NEVER will know, that He had been watching them. He knew that the love they felt for each other was real, and would last forever, and beyond eternity.