Chapter Text
The ducklings did not relent in their rigorous training, constantly dedicating their lessons to Louie. The eldest chick, though making visible progress and demonstrating increasingly confident movements with each session, was still noticeably lagging behind the twins' virtuoso synchronicity. His body was covered in fresh bruises, and scrapes adorned the boy here and there, barely having time to replace one another. However, when his younger brother and sister finally felt genuine love and began treating him with sweet kindness, the weight on Louie's shoulders became noticeably lighter.
As the days passed, the trio seemed to only grow stronger in their mutual affection. The constant teasing and barbs, once used as weapons, had now become mere background noise to their communication, a familiar and even endearing game, incapable of overshadowing the growing warmth between them. Many long months had passed, and the heirs still couldn't quite believe in this new reality where they lived in peace and harmony. Everything around them seemed like a magical fairy tale, an amazing dream where only kindness and understanding reigned.
For most of their previous lives, the twins had barely communicated with each other, except for those countless moments when their dialogue turned into a fierce argument. And now they couldn't even imagine the bitter fate of being an only child, even though that was exactly what they had passionately dreamed of for all ten years they had spent side-by-side in quiet opposition.
Louie, for his part, struggled to comprehend how long he had remained in blissful ignorance, unaware that his younger brother and sister had been growing up right beside him all that time. Accustomed to the purely male company of his triplets, he simply didn't know how to behave around a girl. Finding common ground with Ethan was easier—they were united by a shared boyish energy. But Amanda was a completely different, mysterious creature.
In early childhood, Louie had sometimes allowed himself to fantasize about having a little sister. But the thought had never sparked any enthusiasm in him. In his young mind, all girls were creatures from another planet, whose interests were limited to playing with dolls and endless, incredibly boring tea parties. However, upon getting to know Amanda better, the boy discovered to his astonishment just how mistaken he had been. The little girl turned out to be cheerful, resourceful, surprisingly caring, and truly kind-hearted, although at first, from their tense initial meeting, Louie couldn't have imagined such an angel hidden beneath her prickly exterior.
The young villain still couldn't fully grasp how the twins managed to pretend to be "bad" so skillfully and convincingly. He knew their true faces—not evil, not thirsting for absolute power, not cruel, but understanding, responsive, and in their own way, sweet children, bound by the weight of others' expectations.
Louie was aware that life without these two restless ducklings would be empty, joyless, and simply impossible for him. Despite this, a longing for his birth brothers still smoldered in the depths of his heart, but along with it grew a bitter resentment towards them, eating away at his soul like rust.
---
Pacing through the endless, labyrinth-like corridors of their vast estate, the green-eyed duckling searched for his brother or sister with worried eyes. Not finding them at breakfast in the morning and not discovering them in their rooms, the boy grew seriously concerned, and when the twins stopped answering his persistent calls, panic gripped him. He rushed through familiar and unfamiliar halls until, at one of the turns, he ran into his friend, literally bumping into her at the entrance to a room, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the floor.
"Oops, sorry, I didn't see you!" Louie said in a soft voice, immediately offering a hand to help Emily up.
"It's alright," the advisor replied, accepting his help with a slight smile and immediately catching the worry frozen on his face. "Is something wrong? You look lost."
"I can't find Amanda and Ethan anywhere! They've disappeared, and they're not answering my calls!" the eldest blurted out, barely catching his breath.
Emily froze for a moment, giving him a puzzled, studying look, as if trying to figure something out.
"Hmm, Louie, don't you remember? I think they're supposed to be in that hall further down this corridor, left around the corner."
"Thank you so much, I'll check right away," the green-eyed duckling rattled off, not dwelling on her strange phrase. What exactly couldn't he remember? The thought flashed and vanished, displaced by the sole goal of finding his siblings as soon as possible.
Running a little further, the duckling found himself at the required door. Just as he was about to enter, loud, irritated exclamations reached his ears. Carefully, silently pushing the door ajar, Louie slipped stealthily into the room.
"There's only one week left! You're not even trying, you're not interested in doing this at all!" Amanda was shouting with unconcealed indignation, staring at her twin. He, in turn, looked utterly detached and indifferent. Ethan stood proudly with his arms crossed over his chest, rolling his eyes with exaggerated indifference and occasionally snorting irritably.
"Or maybe you're the one with comprehension problems?!"
Their verbal spat was on the verge of escalating into a real scuffle, but the older brother intervened in time, stepping decisively between them and spreading the hot-tempered arguers apart with his outstretched hands.
"STOP! Cease immediately! What is going on here?!" Louie finally exhaled, barely containing his own emotions.
The twins, delighted at the chance to vent their pent-up frustrations, began eagerly laying out their versions of events, each one categorically contradicting the other. The former Duck looked back and forth between the ruffled chicks in confusion, unable to make out a single word in the chaos.
"Enough! Speak one at a time!" Louie ordered, and his voice held notes of genuine authority.
"Tell him to start trying at least a little!" Amanda blurted out, throwing a withering, indignant look at her blood brother.
"It's always my fault with you!" Ethan immediately parried, adopting a defensive posture.
Once again, the hall echoed with a duet of loud shouts, which were starting to seriously get on Louie's nerves.
"That's it! Both of you, sit down, now!" the heir commanded, gently pushing both towards a nearby bench. The twins, surprised by such decisive behavior from their usually softer brother, didn't dare disobey. The green-eyed duckling took a deep breath and ordered Amanda to start and explain what had led to such a heated argument.
"I just asked Ethan to take the dance a bit more seriously! As if I immensely enjoy doing it myself!" the girl exhaled, throwing another look at her brother.
"If you don't like it, you shouldn't even start!" the older twin couldn't resist a jab.
"It's not my decision, and you know that perfectly well!"
"Wait a minute," Louie's voice became a bit calmer, though he still vigilantly watched every movement of his brother and sister, ready to separate them again at any moment, "What dance? What are you even talking about?"
"Ugh, that stupid twins' waltz," Ethan grumbled with genuine annoyance in his voice, "It's this ancient and unbreakable tradition: if twins are born into a family, upon reaching eleven years old, they are obliged to perform a special dance before all the gathered guests."
"Exactly! And Ethan doesn't even want to learn it properly! When we were rehearsing, he dropped me on purpose!" Amanda exclaimed with a fresh surge of emotion.
"That was a complete accident! I didn't do it on purpose!" the heir drawled with a clear note of sarcasm.
"Yeah, right, I totally believe you... Wait, Louie," Amanda suddenly fixed the older brother with a suspicious look, and Ethan followed suit, "you haven't forgotten about our birthday, have you?"
The young villain froze in place, his eyes involuntarily widening. He let out a confused, almost unnatural chuckle, trying to soften the situation and buy a second to think.
"Of course not... How could anyone forget that?" Louie lied, while only one panicked thought raced through his head: "God, I really hadn't thought about it at all!" Amanda squinted distrustfully, but her anger at her twin currently outweighed her slight irritation with the older brother.
"Anyway, order him to at least try a little!"
In response to his sister's shout, Ethan defiantly stuck his tongue out at her, well aware that Louie wouldn't use his position to give such orders. Although an unshakable law existed on the Continent of Evil stating that younger heirs must unquestioningly obey the eldest in everything, the Balcom family tried not to follow this rule blindly. Sure, Louie sometimes enjoyed the opportunity to order something, but he never abused this power, and the twins, sensing this, usually complied with his requests without extra reminders.
"Alright, listen to my verdict," the former Duck announced, adopting the demeanor of a wise judge, "Ethan, you will do what your sister asks and try to be more careful. And you, Amanda, will listen to his opinion and try to be softer. And for heaven's sake, please don't fight, don't argue over trifles, and don't shout at each other!" he proclaimed. The younger ones reluctantly nodded, demonstrating their agreement. Assured that the children no longer burned with the desire to destroy each other, the eldest prepared to leave.
"Wait," Amanda called out to him in a quiet, almost uncertain voice, "Won't you watch how we're doing?"
Turning back to his family, Louie saw two pairs of large, green, and now childishly sad eyes looking at him hopefully.
"Absolutely, as soon as you get a little better!" Louie hastily promised, "But right now... I really have to go... do... my work!" And with those words, the boy rushed for the exit, while the twins exchanged doubtful glances.
Once in the corridor, the duckling practically ran to his bedroom. He had indeed completely forgotten about the twins' upcoming birthday, consumed by his own worries and thoughts. A terrible, oppressive feeling of guilt settled deep in his chest, but fortunately, he still had a whole week left.
Procuring a gift itself wouldn't be a problem for Louie, but what to give them? This question haunted him all the way to his room. Crossing the threshold of the common hall, he scanned the space with an anxious gaze, as if hoping to find answers among the familiar objects. His gaze stopped on the door leading to his sister's room. He didn't want to rummage through the twins' personal belongings—that would be a betrayal of their trust—but he desperately hoped to give them something truly valuable.
Louie placed his palm on the scanner to enter Amanda's bedroom. The children had once exchanged fingerprints to have access to each other's rooms in case of extreme necessity, giving their honest word to use this privilege wisely and only in the most important situations.
The metal door slid silently aside, and Louie, feeling a slight pang of guilt, stepped over the threshold. He moved cautiously, almost on tiptoe, carefully examining the shelves and surfaces in search of any clue. Finally, the boy approached the desk, cluttered with all sorts of witchcraft attributes and heavy books.
His attention was drawn to an elegant box adorned with colorful beads that shimmered in the light. Opening it slightly, Louie immediately squinted from the bright, blinding light that burst forth. He had deliberately not turned on the main light in the room, hoping to remain unnoticed, and now his eyes hurt especially badly. Gradually adjusting, the child examined the contents and, picking up one of the sparkling substances, carefully held it in his hands.
"That's it! Moon crystals! They need three more, if I'm not mistaken, right?" Louie whispered to himself. Finally, an idea for the perfect gift had formed in his head, but immediately a new problem arose as if from nowhere. Where, exactly, could he find these crystals?
The boy pondered, but suddenly his gaze fell on a tall shelf, almost reaching the ceiling, filled with heavy volumes. Confident he could find the necessary information there, Louie reached for them, but alas, his height was categorically insufficient. Not giving up, the duckling began jumping up and down in a vain hope to grab at least one of the books.
"Ugh, how does Amanda even reach them herself?" the child hissed in frustration.
Even standing on a chair, Louie still couldn't reach the coveted books. Only one option remained, which he had been reluctant to resort to until the last moment, but he understood he had no other choice.
The duckling jumped off the chair and tightly closed his eyes, trying to focus his mind on one specific volume. He visualized it mentally and slowly stretched his hand forward and slightly upward, taking a calm, deep exhale. Louie stood like that for several seconds, and at first nothing happened, which had already begun to sow disappointment in him, but suddenly a thin, barely noticeable stream of magical energy shot from his palm. It was weak, uncertain, but it was enough to dislodge the book from its place.
Reluctantly, the children still periodically practiced using their newfound power. The twins were much better at it, especially Amanda. Of course, everyone understood perfectly well that their success was largely due to genetics. The ducklings' mother was a powerful sorceress, and the girl had inherited her abilities to a much greater extent than her twin brother. It also mattered that Amanda studied tons of books on magic and the occult, while Ethan considered such pastime a "useless waste of time." He preferred to act quickly, decisively, and sometimes carelessly, which often infuriated his sister.
Louie, however, still felt an inexplicable, cold fear of his "dark" half, Fred, lurking in the depths of his consciousness. Although Amanda assured the eldest that his body would only be taken over by the evil persona during a powerful, uncontrolled surge of magic, the duckling still didn't risk using magic unnecessarily, employing it only in the most extreme cases and in minimal amounts. Despite this, he sometimes managed quite well, which the heir couldn't help but feel proud of deep down.
The child was already ready to smile at the realization of his small victory when his right hand was once again pierced by the familiar, sharp pain, like a burn. He flinched sharply and let out a choked cry. Instead of the heavy book, a small, neat notebook fell on his head. Louie picked it up, rubbing his still-tingling wrist. The pain was gradually receding, and the green-eyed duck, dismissing the unpleasant sensations, began feverishly flipping through the pages filled with his sister's handwriting.
Finally, the boy's gaze fell on the long-awaited heading: "Moon Crystals." The duckling began reading the text attentively. Amanda's handwriting was surprisingly legible and elegant, so the child had no trouble deciphering it.
However, upon reading the location of one of the crystals, a real wave of despair washed over Louie. Of course, the precious stone was in Duckburg. And, quite predictably, in Uncle Scrooge's impregnable mansion—that very place where, it seemed, almost all artifacts from around the world were collected. And the strangest thing was that Amanda, apparently, knew about this, but for some reason hadn't shared this information with her brother.
Louie sighed heavily, hopelessly. He understood perfectly well how important this was for the twins, but what if he was recognized in Duckburg? Although the duckling hadn't seen the evil persona for over a week, the soul-chilling fear, fueled by nightmares, didn't allow him to forget about the Ducks for a second. Why hadn't his sister shown him these notes earlier?
Louie found no answers to his questions in the notebook. He faced a difficult choice: either risk it and go to Duckburg, or leave the twins without the desired moon crystal. The duckling clutched his head, trying to collect his thoughts and make the right decision. On one hand, he was literally paralyzed by fear; on the other, he saw before him the shining, happy faces of Ethan and Amanda receiving such a long-awaited gift.
"I'm definitely going to regret this..." Louie whispered quietly, almost under his breath, and shot out of his sister's room like a bullet. In his own bedroom, he hastily pulled a black hoodie out of the closet and pulled it on. Hiding his expressive green eyes behind dark glasses, he paused for a moment in front of the mirror, casting a sad, doubtful look at his reflection, and stepped firmly out the door.
---
A couple of hours later, Louie was already wandering through the painfully familiar streets of his hometown. A warm, pleasant feeling of nostalgia stirred within him, but he immediately suppressed it, trying not to catch the eye of the numerous passersby. As if on purpose, the streets were incredibly busy.
Louie was afraid of running into someone he knew who might recognize him beneath this improvised disguise. The chances were slim, but he couldn't risk it under any circumstances. Turning onto a familiar, quiet street, the boy chose a path through the forest adjacent to the mansion—longer, but much less crowded.
Louie walked along a deserted, overgrown path. The fresh scent of pine needles and damp earth filled his beak, and warm rays of sunlight, which he hadn't seen in such abundance for an eternity, filtered through the foliage. The surrounding nature breathed life and serenity, and he desperately wanted to stay here, forgetting everything, but the duckling firmly stuck to his goal.
Suddenly, loud, cheerful voices reached the heir, and, catching a glimpse of a group of children ahead, Louie instinctively dove into the nearest bushes, holding his breath and listening intently.
Through the dense foliage, the green-eyed duck easily recognized his older brother. A brief, involuntary, warm smile flickered across the runaway's face, but catching himself, he immediately made his expression impassive. Huey was dressed in his full Junior Woodchucks uniform, like all the other kids in the troop. They were animatedly discussing something, setting up tents and preparing to light a campfire.
"Darn it, what a route I chose..." Louie hissed quietly in frustration, scolding himself for such a blunder.
However, remembering that today was precisely the day Huey wouldn't be home until the next morning, a desperate plan immediately formed in his head. The duckling took another look at his carefreely laughing brother. "Does he miss me even a little?" flashed through Louie's mind, and this time his face was clouded by genuine, deep sadness.
Turning around quietly and with extreme care, the heir made a wide arc, bypassing the Woodchucks' camp, and strode confidently towards the mansion. The easiest part was behind him—he had reached his former home—but the main problem remained unsolved: how to find the coveted crystal in this incredibly huge, palace-like building?
Louie easily vaulted over the low fence and, crouching, ran across the spacious, well-kept garden. Reaching the mansion walls, he chose the side where the windows of his old room were located. Taking a heavy sigh, as if gathering his courage, the green-eyed duck began to climb the familiar protrusions; thanks to the twins' rock-climbing lessons, he scaled the windowsill almost effortlessly. Once inside and seeing the meticulously familiar setting, a powerful wave of memories washed over the boy.
There was no time to waste. Louie went to the chest of drawers with old clothes and opened the drawer belonging to Huey. He quickly pulled on his brother's red t-shirt and put his red cap on his head. Approaching the mirror, the runaway carefully adjusted his bangs, trying to copy the older triplet's style.
As children, the triplets loved to play pranks on others, easily pretending to be each other. Their uncle Donald was most often the victim. The perceptive drake, of course, always identified them correctly without fail, but, so as not to upset the children, often pretended to be fooled, which immensely amused his nephews. Others, however, rarely managed to decipher their cunning game, leading to countless funny situations.
Louie hid his own clothes under the bed and, slipping into the role of Huey, was about to leave the room when the door suddenly swung open, and he collided head-on with the second triplet. Losing his balance, the duckling began to fall, but Dewey swiftly grabbed him by the arm, preventing the fall.
Goosebumps ran down Louie's spine. He raised his head, but, remembering his bright, betraying eyes, immediately averted his gaze.
"Huey?" Dewey's voice held genuine surprise mixed with slight confusion, "I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning..."
"I-I... forgot to take something..." Louie stammered, trying to imitate Huey's voice and manner of speech.
"What exactly?" the blue duckling persisted.
"Oh, just... uh-uh... marshmallows for the campfire..." the young villain forced out with difficulty, feeling his voice treacherously trembling. He hurriedly let go of his brother's hand and tried to slip past him into the corridor, but another obstacle appeared in his path—this time in the form of Webby.
"Oh, Huey, I didn't know you were already here!" the friend exclaimed joyfully, "But that's actually perfect timing! I just found..."
"That's really great, but I'm in a huge hurry right now!" Louie interrupted her, unable to endure this tense dialogue any longer. He literally bolted into the corridor, leaving a stunned Dewey and Webby behind.
"What's with him today?" the girl asked with slight alarm in her voice, turning to her friend, who just shrugged in bewilderment.
"I don't know... Maybe something happened on the camping trip? We'll have to ask later when he gets back."
Louie's heart was pounding in his chest so hard it felt like it might jump out. He had been on the verge of exposure, but to his immense relief, the disguise trick had worked. A smile flickered across his face at the realization of the successfully executed "scheme." He was pleased to know he hadn't been recognized. However, it was too early to relax—he still had to find the moon crystal itself. The mansion was incredibly vast, and the duckling decided to first search all the rooms where Scrooge kept his priceless artifacts.
Louie had already checked five such rooms but found nothing even remotely resembling a moon crystal. He found countless precious stones, glittering nuggets, and exotic minerals, but none of them were it.
The duckling was almost ready to accept defeat, but the happy, shining faces of the twins appeared before his eyes again. He loved seeing their sincere, joyful smiles so much. Because of all the harsh trials and games they had to participate in, Louie more often saw only sadness, anxiety, and fatigue on their faces. Not that it was any easier for him, but deep down the heir felt he had to remain their support, that "big brother" they could rely on.
Having searched another room fruitlessly, Louie stepped out into the corridor and headed for the next one. Suddenly he heard familiar voices coming from behind a slightly ajar door. Listening, the child realized it was his uncle Donald and mom talking. The boy froze by the wall, deciding to listen to their conversation.
"What if we're wrong?" Della said with hope in her voice.
"Della, he's a villain, and you know that perfectly well," Donald replied firmly but without malice.
"Yes, you're right... His whole family is like that. As far as I remember, Derek was even proud of it," the girl said with a bitter sneer, though a hidden sadness seeped into her voice. The adults laughed briefly and joylessly, trying to hide their surging emotions.
Louie involuntarily lowered his head. A strange, contradictory mix of sadness and anger boiled within his soul. He terribly wanted to burst into the room and tell the adults everything he thought, but common sense told him that would be pure madness, and the boy continued to listen as they slandered his second family. Curiosity mixed with resentment held the green-eyed duck in place.
"Still... there's something of them in Louie..." Donald said in a calmer but still sad tone.
These words literally paralyzed Louie. He froze in place, unable to move. On one hand, he was always pleased to find similarities with his father, but hadn't the Ducks just been talking so easily about what a horrible villain he was, and then immediately lumped him, Louie, into the same category? Resentment and burning irritation overwhelmed his mind, and treacherous tears welled up in the corners of his green eyes. The duckling silently recoiled from the door and, wiping them away, shot off down the corridor like a bullet.
"Perhaps... But Louie... he's not like them. He can do bad things, but I know—deep in his soul, he's not evil. And I wish I hadn't scolded him so harshly back then... I just... I just wanted him to... to..." Della's voice trembled and broke, and tears once again rolled down her cheeks like hail. She helplessly tried to wipe them away, but Donald gently hugged his sister, holding her close and patting her back reassuringly.
"Everything will be alright, you know. We just need to find a way to get to that blasted land!"
"I hope we're not too late..." Della whispered, and suddenly her voice took on steely notes, "If anything happens to Louie, I'll personally come and kill Derek!"
The girl's words were spoken with such soul-chilling conviction that there was no doubt—she would keep her promise. Donald gave a bitter smile. He loved Louie like his own son, and the mere thought of the boy suffering drove him crazy.
Meanwhile, the heir, struggling to hold back the lump rising in his throat, entered the next room. It turned out to be enormous, and the number of various items crammed into it was impressive. The duckling looked at this abundance with despair and groaned quietly, realizing the volume of work ahead. Gathering his willpower, he began the inspection. His attention was drawn to a bulky pyramid of cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other. Deciding to start with them, the boy moved closer.
Louie tried to pull one of the boxes down, but it was surprisingly heavy, and he couldn't budge it. Frustrated, the child kicked the bottom crate, and the entire unstable structure came crashing down onto the floor, taking the duckling himself with it.
Trying to catch his breath, Louie looked around and noticed a faint but distinct blue glow near his right hand. Picking up the object emitting this mysterious light, he brought it right up to his face.
"Here it is! I finally found it!" the young villain exclaimed, and his heart beat with delight.
Overcome with joy, Louie hurried to get up, but one of the boxes painfully pinned his leg, and he couldn't get it off. The situation was becoming serious. Struggling to free himself, he spent a good five minutes like this, but in vain. And so, gritting his teeth, the green-eyed duck decided to resort to magic again. This time the method worked flawlessly. Feeling the long-awaited lightness, he jumped to his feet. Taking another look at the crystal sparkling in his palm, the duckling smiled happily and carefully pressed it to his chest.
Louie returned to his former room and, hiding by the door, listened—were Dewey and Webby there? To his immense relief, it was quiet and empty inside. He quickly grabbed his clothes and changed, carefully folding Huey's outfit back into the dresser. Approaching the window, the heir turned around for a moment, throwing a farewell glance at the familiar walls, and again felt his eyes treacherously filling with moisture, but he roughly wiped them away.
"You think I'm a villain? Well..." the boy's voice was quiet but firm, "Fine. Then I will be one."
Returning to the Continent of Evil, Louie carefully packed the precious crystal into a small, elegant box and tied it with a silky ribbon, making a neat bow. Just before his flight, he had popped into one of Duckburg's shops and bought a bunch of different treats in bright packaging to add to the main gift.
"Well then," Louie said with satisfaction, examining his trophies, "I think they'll definitely like this!"
Louie hid all the gifts in his closet, on the very top shelf, carefully covering them with folded clothes. Of course, he was almost sure the twins wouldn't rummage through his room in his absence, but a little extra caution never hurt.
---
The next morning, Huey, returning from the camping trip, found his brother and friend at home, who greeted him with somewhat confused and reproachful looks.
"Is something wrong?" the red duckling asked in surprise, feeling a bit uneasy.
"What do you think? Why did you act so... strange yesterday?" Dewey attacked the eldest with a direct question, carefully studying his brother's expression.
"Strange how? I wasn't here at all yesterday!" Huey objected, growing more and more perplexed.
"Yes, you were. You came back home," Webby confirmed confidently, which completely baffled the Junior Woodchuck.
"Me? Came back? I wasn't anywhere near the house yesterday!"
"No, you came. You said you forgot to take marshmallows for the campfire," the blue duckling insisted, though notes of doubt were already beginning to creep into his voice.
Huey looked from his brother to Webby with disbelief, and she nodded affirmatively in response.
"But I didn't come back! I never forget anything!" the eldest declared with slight irritation, "Are you sure it was me?"
"Yes... probably..." Dewey looked thoughtfully at the floor, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together in his head, "But it was you! Or... your double... Wait, if it wasn't you, does that mean we saw..."
"Louie!" the ducklings exclaimed in unison, interrupting each other. A deathly silence fell over the room for a second, and the three friends exchanged glances, mixed feelings readable in their eyes: anxiety, hope, and mild shock.
"W-what was he doing here?" an excited Huey finally spoke, breaking the silence first.
"I don't know... He was pretending to be you. And then he just ran off. But where?" Dewey looked at his brother hopefully, as if expecting him to have an answer.
"Ugh, he was so close!" Webby exclaimed in frustration, clutching her head. The children began to make conjectures, trying to find some logical explanation for Louie's actions.
"Okay, alright, alright..." Huey took a deep breath, trying to calm both himself and his friends, "At least we now know for sure that he's alive and, it seems, unharmed!"
---
Finally, the day arrived that Louie, strangely enough, had been looking forward to more eagerly than even the birthday celebrants themselves. The celebration itself, as the twins had explained to him the day before, was to take place in the evening at the majestic Palace of the Blue Flame. Despite this, the eldest hadn't seen his brother and sister practically all day. He knew they were rehearsing from morning till night, striving to perfect everything.
Heirs to influential villainous clans were taught from childhood that they must always be flawless: impeccably polite, perfectly mannered, and unconditionally neat. The slightest mistake in public could become a stain on the entire family's reputation. The twins had long grown accustomed to such pressure, but this birthday was special for them—the first they were celebrating with their older brother.
By evening, Louie put on his best, carefully ironed jacket, his gold watch, and got his feathers in perfect order. He tried his hardest not to let his new family down, so he acted strictly in accordance with the instructions his brother and sister had given him.
Louie went to the celebration with his father on his private plane. During the flight, Derek, with his remarkable perceptiveness, noticed the slight nervous tension emanating from his son.
"Worried?" the drake asked softly, without a hint of reproach. Louie nodded silently but expressively.
"A little... Everything has to go perfectly, and I... I've never been a 'villain' at events like this before..." the child admitted, looking out the window.
His son's words brought a slight, understanding smile to Derek's face. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, as if trying to transfer some of his own calmness to him.
"It's just a formality, kiddo. Of course, it's better to avoid mistakes, but believe me, no one will kill you for some minor slip-up."
"Yeah... I guess you're right..." Louie once again, for the umpteenth time, thought with surprise about how his former family could so blindly hate Derek. For him, he was becoming the father he had never had—attentive, caring, and wise.
When the Balcoms arrived at the palace, Louie involuntarily froze, struck by its grandeur and luxury. Everything around literally dazzled the eyes with its brilliance, and the heir felt that the decorations alone were worth half of his Uncle Scrooge's fortune.
Trying to live up to the status of "son of a great villain," Louie outwardly maintained an unflappable calm, although inside he desperately wanted to run around and touch every sparkling detail of the interior.
The Balcoms proceeded to a huge, mind-boggling banquet hall. It was done in light tones but illuminated by a mysterious blue glow emanating from countless torches. Majestic marble columns supported the high ceiling, and tables laden with exquisite dishes stood all around. Guests were already seated at them, who, upon seeing the entering Balcoms, hurried to rise and approach them with congratulations and flattering speeches. The children of other villains, meanwhile, looked at Louie with poorly concealed arrogance and contempt, making the boy feel out of place, but, remembering his duty, he tried his best to maintain an impassive expression.
"If you want, you can go to the twins. They seem to be preparing in the dressing room next door," Derek offered, sensing his son's discomfort, "The guard will show you the way."
"Yes, I think I'll do that," Louie replied with relief, and a servant immediately escorted him through the labyrinth of corridors. The boy entered a smaller room, indeed resembling a dressing room.
There the duckling found his brother and sister, dressed in incredibly expensive and elegant outfits. Ethan—in a black, perfectly fitting jacket with a green tie, and Amanda—in a long, flowing dress of the same emerald tones, with a rose woven into her loose, curled hair.
"Hey, hi!" the eldest greeted somewhat uncertainly, breaking the silence.
"Louie!" the delighted twins exclaimed almost in unison. They immediately rushed to him and enveloped him in a warm, family hug.
"Happy birthday, Ethan! Happy birthday, Amanda!" Louie said quickly, looking at each in turn, "How are you feeling?"
"Everything will be just wonderful, of course, if we can manage to avoid any mistakes!" Ethan shared with a slight note of anxiety in his voice.
"Don't worry so much," Louie smiled encouragingly, "I'm absolutely sure everything will go just perfectly!"
The eldest's words seemed to give the twins a bit of confidence, and they responded with grateful smiles.
Returning to the main hall, Louie took a seat at the table next to his father. Derek met him with a warm, approving look.
"So, how are they? Coping?" the drake inquired in his invariably calm, velvety voice.
"A little nervous, but I think it'll be alright..."
Meanwhile, all the guests had taken their seats at the tables, and only now did Louie fully realize just how many there were. The villains were seated around the perimeter of the hall, leaving a vast empty space in the very center.
Suddenly, the main lighting in the hall dimmed, and the space plunged into a mysterious semi-darkness, broken only by the flickering blue glow of numerous torches. The room became dark but light enough to make out the surroundings. And then a thunderous, well-trained voice of the master of ceremonies rolled through the hall.
"And now we move on to the culmination of our evening! Please welcome—the celebrants of today's occasion, the brilliant Ethan and Amanda Balcom!"
Amid applause, the twins stepped into the center of the hall. They moved in perfect synchrony, as if a single entity. On their faces, Louie read slight excitement, but to everyone else, they looked like the epitome of calm and confidence. A spotlight beam picked them out of the semi-darkness, and Ethan, as befits a gentleman, gallantly took his sister's hands. And then they began to move—smoothly, gracefully, with incredible grace.
Their dance resembled a classic waltz but felt imbued with some ancient, almost magical notes. Amanda and Ethan's movements were so polished and synchronized that it seemed as if one were watching a single being and its flawless shadow. Louie watched them with genuine admiration and pride, and a soft, warm smile bloomed on his face. The guests, holding their breath, followed every movement of the ducklings, and it was clear that all were captivated by their skill and harmony.
Finishing their performance, the children bowed in unison in an elegant curtsy. The entire hall, as one living being, rose from their seats and erupted in stormy, enthusiastic applause. With faces shining with happiness and relief, Ethan and Amanda headed towards the table where their father and brother awaited them, and the light in the hall grew brighter again.
"Bravo! Well done!" Derek looked at his younger children with unconcealed pride, "It's immediately clear that you are true Balcoms, and you have no equals!"
"Thank you, Father!" the twins replied in sync, and joy from the well-deserved praise shone in their eyes.
"That was... magnificent," Louie said quietly but with genuine feeling, "Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure you'd manage to learn everything so flawlessly in just a week!" And then he caught himself, realizing he had let it slip.
"But you said yourself you believed in us!" Amanda immediately exclaimed, looking at him with feigned indignation.
"Oh... Well, you know."
His sister gave him another suspicious look, but soon her face was lit up by a happy smile again.
All evening long, various important guests rose to make toasts in honor of the Balcom family, to which the latter invariably responded with due politeness and an unchanging, albeit slightly strained, smile. When the stream of congratulations subsided, the guests were invited onto the dance floor, where many immediately tried to hand their gifts to the twins, praising them effusively. Louie just smirked to himself, knowing that his modest gift, hidden at home, would be far more valuable than all these expensive trinkets.
Soon, servants brought in a huge, multi-tiered cake, covered in flickering candles, which the birthday celebrants blew out together. But the guests, showing little interest in the pastry arts, again surrounded the children, striving to win their attention.
Louie, finishing his piece of cake, stood aside, leaning against one of the columns, and watched this bustle. He felt not the slightest desire to join the dancers; his only thought was to return home as soon as possible and finally present his gift.
"Greetings! You're Frederick, aren't you?" a ringing female voice sounded nearby.
Louie turned and saw a young duck standing nearby, slightly shorter than him, with intelligent and cheerful eyes.
"Yeah..." the young villain replied somewhat warily.
"And why are you standing here all alone, away from everyone?" the girl asked without any ceremony.
"Well... You can't get near Ethan and Amanda right now, and the others seem to be avoiding me..." Louie admitted honestly.
"I see..." the heiress nodded, "My name is Brielle, by the way, but everyone just calls me Bree. I'm a friend of the twins, you could say, from the cradle!" she introduced herself with a proud smile and confidently extended her hand to him.
"Frederick... but you, well, already know that," the duckling felt slightly embarrassed but shook her hand nonetheless.
The evening was drawing to a close, but the guests didn't seem to think about leaving, continuing to besiege the Balcoms. The fatigue on Ethan and Amanda's faces was becoming more and more noticeable, and Louie saw how hard it was for them to maintain this constant need to be nice and welcoming. He himself spent the rest of the evening in pleasant conversation with Brielle, who also seemed quite tired of all this ostentatious hustle and bustle. Finally, a calm but authoritative voice rose above the noise of the crowd.
"Dear guests, I thank you all for sharing this beautiful evening with us! And before we conclude our celebration, I would like to personally present something to my birthday celebrants!"
The drake handed the twins an elegant, small box each. The children smiled gratefully at their father, and Louie moved closer to the family at that moment.
Ethan and Amanda were burning with curiosity and were about to unwrap the gifts when they were again surrounded by a crowd of guests, this time wanting to say goodbye. The older brother stepped aside again so as not to be in anyone's way. To his surprise, Derek approached him as well, holding out a similar small box. Louie looked at his father in bewilderment.
"For me? But why? My birthday isn't for another month..."
"I know," Derek smiled softly, "But when you think about how many of your birthdays I've missed... You deserve a little gift, just because."
These words warmed Louie's heart, and he no longer felt like an outsider at this celebration. He glanced at the twins, who, tired but happy, were trying to smile wholeheartedly at each departing guest, and quietly, with slight concern for them, laughed, involuntarily pressing closer to his father.
---
"Oh, god, it feels so good to be back in my comfortable pajamas and not in that stuffy dress!" Amanda exclaimed with genuine relief, coming out of her room into the common living room.
Immediately after returning from the celebration, the children's first move was to rush to change into their usual, comfortable home clothes. They had agreed in advance to unwrap all the gifts together, so Louie, who had managed to change first, was already patiently waiting for his brother and sister, comfortably settled on the sofa.
"So, is everyone ready? Can we start?" an ecstatic Ethan asked, practically bouncing with impatience.
Amanda nodded affirmatively, and all three simultaneously began opening the boxes given by Derek.
"And what is this?" Louie asked with slight bewilderment in his voice, pulling a soft plush toy out of his box. Looking closer, the heir discovered with amazement that it was an exact, albeit stylized, copy of himself. The twins, however, froze for a second and then simultaneously let out an exclamation of delight.
"Do you really not know?" Amanda was surprised, "These aren't just toys! They're said to bring their owner good luck. And, according to legend, they contain a piece of the soul of the person they're gifted to. Only one single old wizard can create such dolls, so they cost a fortune. Not every rich person can afford one!"
"A piece of the soul?" Louie repeated, still not fully understanding, "What does that mean?"
"To be honest, we don't really know ourselves," Ethan admitted, smiling as he watched his brother's reaction, "But every inhabitant of the Continent of Evil has heard fairy tales about these magical dolls since childhood!"
"Cool..." Louie drawled, still examining the plush copy of himself with curiosity, "Alright, now, maybe open my gift?" the duckling couldn't hide his smile, anticipating the moment.
"Oh, right! We completely forgot, of course!" the twins exclaimed in unison.
The eldest disappeared into his room for a moment and soon returned, carrying several packages in his hands. First, he handed the children two bags stuffed with all sorts of sweets.
"Wow! It's a whole treasure trove of goodies! You're the best, Louie!" Ethan exclaimed without hiding his joy, peering inside with delight.
"Yeah, but that's not all," Louie smiled mysteriously, "And here—is my main gift."
The eldest handed them that very same small, neat box tied with a ribbon. Amanda took it carefully. The twins froze in anticipation, but upon opening the lid and looking inside, they were stunned. Their eyes widened in incredible amazement, and the children seemed to turn into two ice statues. Not expecting such a reaction, Louie became embarrassed.
"What... is something wrong?" the green-eyed duck asked uncertainly.
"What?.. How?.. What?.." the stunned Amanda began firing questions at the eldest, unable to tear her eyes away from the sparkling contents.
"I... I went to Duckburg to get it..." Louie admitted quietly.
Amanda took a step forward and gave her brother a light but noticeable shove in the side.
"That's for going through my things without permission," the girl said, but then her face broke into a wide smile, and she hugged him tightly, "And this is a huge thank you for bringing us this crystal!"
The eldest hugged her back with relief, and Ethan immediately joined them, forming a warm, friendly circle.
"One thing still bothers me," the younger brother said with feigned seriousness, "how did you even manage it? I was sure you wouldn't get within five kilometers of the Ducks!"
"Ha-ha, very funny," Louie retorted with slight irony, "It turned out to be simple—I just pretended to be one of my brothers for a little while, that's all!"
"Not bad, not bad!" Ethan laughed, "It's a shame Amanda and I can't pull off the same trick. Ah, think of all the funny pranks we could set up!"
"All you ever think about is playing pranks on someone!" his sister shook her head with playful sternness.
"Oh, come on! As if you wouldn't dream of it yourself!"
And all three burst into happy, carefree laughter again, continuing to stand in their warm embrace. Louie finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just a couple of months ago, he couldn't have imagined he would come to love these once cruel and prickly twins so deeply. Looking at them now—cheerful, happy, truly family—who could possibly think they were the children of one of the world's greatest villains?