I don’t own any of the original Mighty Ducks characters. The Might Ducks Animated Series does though. Um, the characters of The Pride, the thought of Tanya being ‘The Black Cat’, Premnitia, Jazz, Natalie, Sandy, and Desiree are all mine though. Along with any other characters you see that weren’t in the series. So don’t plagiarize or sue me. If you wanna print out my stories for your own reading pleasure, that’s fine. I do like to receive credit for my work though. It ain’t as easy as I might make it look. LOL. ^_^ Happy reading!

Tanya had finally drifted off to sleep that night. She was always the last one to catch some shut eye. Well, unless Duke was up for some nocturnal activity, no one really knew or cared to know where he was always disappearing to.

In her sleep she saw herself twelve years younger, it was then that she realized this would be more of a memory than a dream…

Tossing and turning in her sleep, young Tanya thrashed around trying to fight back the pain that she felt at her fingertips. She clutched her pillow desperately. Screaming in her sleep. Whatever was happening---it hurt!

Her parents heard her screams from their bedroom and rushed down the hall. “Tanya!” her mother called.

The screams didn’t die down, Tanya’s eyes flew open. She was fully aware of her pain and it’s source now. She stared down at her hands, holding them up in the moonlight that fell just before her beak.

Her fingertips were bloody. Something was beneath all that blood. She strained her vision to see. It was gleaming in the light. Whatever it was, it was shiny, almost metallic but it didn’t feel cold like steel or anything. Her parents were at her door. She always kept it locked. Even at such a young age, Tanya was fond of her privacy.

“Tanya-” her father called, twisting the doorknob frantically, “-did you have a bad dream? Open the door honey.”

Tanya got up to do as he requested, flipping on the lamp by her bed as she did so. She shrieked as her eyes began to burn and water. She staggered over to the door, a mirror hung on the back. Opening her eyes she gazed at her reflection. Something was off…WAY off!

Her pupils, they were nothing but thin slits in her pale blue irises. The feathers around her hands and feet were black and---furry?! She opened her beak to say something to her parents but found her voice was raspy, almost indistinguishable. Her own parents would have trouble recognizing her in this form! That realization was what tempted her to keep the door closed.

“Tanya!” her mother begged, “Let us in! Are you hurt?”

Looking at her webbed toes, which were no longer webbed, and her fingers she finally noted the claws that sprang forth. They were retractable. With a sigh Tanya climbed back into bed, she waited there as her parents pounded on the door. Finally she felt the changes fade and she shifted back into her fully duck form. Tears rolled down the young duck’s cheeks. She got up and unlocked the door.

“Tanya!” her mother gasped, clutching her distraught daughter tightly, “Are you okay? What’s wrong sweetie?”

“I had a nightmare.” Tanya whispered, wishing that it were so. She had been wide awake for the whole painful transformation and she knew it!

Tanya’s father knelt down and stroked her short blonde hair gently, “Alright then, why don’t you try to get some sleep. Things will be okay, we’re here.” he kissed her forehead and with a nod Tanya turned and climbed back into bed.

Her parents lingered a moment and then returned to their bedroom. Tanya stared at the doorway a moment longer. Tears filling her eyes. She got up and slammed the door shut, locking it…but for a different reason this time.

What are harsh realization---discovering she was a mutant!

******

“Tanya?” A voice called softly from above her.

Tanya, no longer a frightened little girl but a full grown woman, opened her eyes and struggled to clear her vision. “Duke? How’d you get in here?”

“I--uh--kinda let myself in.” he grinned, holding up a pick.

Tanya sat up, trying to suppress the memory of her dream. “Oh, well, why’d you break in?”

“Didn’t wanna upset you more,” Duke replied with a worried gaze, “sounded like you were having one heck of a nightmare in here.”

Her eyes took on a saddened expression, “It wasn’t a nightmare,” Tanya admitted, “it was a memory I’ve been suppressing.”

Not wanting to talk about it anymore Tanya laid back down on her bed, turning away from the one eyed duck staring down at her.

“Oh, well that’s okay kid,” Duke took the hint, “whenever you’re ready to talk about that memory though, I’m here for ya.” He placed a gray feathered hand on Tanya’s shoulder and turned around, leaving the room.

Alone in her dark room Tanya sighed, “He calls me kid like I’m some kinda immature hatchling, or worse, NOSEDIVE!” with a groan she turned over and gazed out at her room, even though the lights were off she could see everything clearly, even better than when things were lit and she had on her glasses (which she didn’t really need).

“Well Duke l’Orange, if you think all there is to me is some blonde scientist that repairs weapons and occasionally blows something up…you’ve got another think comin’.”

******

Halfway across Anaheim, the Saurian ship of Dragonus rested disguised as a bakery. Inside no one was getting any sleep. The slimy lizards skulked about, moaning over the fact that neither of them was getting any sleep and all because of some back up plan their leader had.

“So Siege ol’ buddy ol’ pal,” the Chameleon began in his usual whiny tone, “what’s the boss cooked up for them ducks this time?”

The bulking red lizard in crimson armor turned to the small green one in the dark green leotard, “Have you idiots forgotten what Dragonus sent them Rexspur spies out to do once he met up with the Resistance on Puckworld?”

Chameleon turned to the ghostly lizard hovering next to him, the bony mystic just shrugged, “Wasn’t it the Rexspur spies that were supposed to seek out young Puckworlders with ‘special’ gifts that could be used in the event that something went wrong with the invasion?”

“Exactly,” Siege grunted to Wraith, “and since things DID go wrong we’re gonna call in the Rexspurs to deliver those brats so that we can use them to crush the ducks.”

“But why did we wait so long?” the Chameleon questioned, “Those ducks have been getting under our scales for nearly two years!”

“BECAUSE THE REXSPURS HAVE TO GATHER UP MORE THAN FIFTY BRATS OF OVER TWENTY DIFFERENT SPECIES!” a deep, scowling voice boomed from the entrance to the control room.

“Oh, hi ya boss,” Chameleon cringed.

“But I thought you said that the Rexspurs were only to extract mutant ducks?” Wraith insisted.

“There weren’t enough,” Dragonus growled, “only two were discovered. The Rexspurs will retrieve them and transport them to us shortly, along with the other brats from across the galaxy. So prepare that new transporter, NOW!”

“B-but boss,” the Chameleon squeaked, “wouldn’t it be easier just to open a dimensional gateway for the Rexspur ship to pass through?”

Dragonus turned and glared down at his lackey, smoke pouring out of his nostrils, “Those wretched ducks DESTROYED our dimensional gateway months ago!”

“Oh,” the Chameleon’s teeth chattered as he recalled the battle that had sent the Raptor plummeting into the sea, “right.”

Dragonus turned and skulked out of the room, leaving his ‘crew’ to finish their work on the transport.

“Nice going ya fink.” Siege snarled.

“I guess this means I won’t be getting that bonus around Christmas,” the Chameleon sighed.

******

Another universe away there was the small planet of the Mighty Ducks, Puckworld. Spinning in it’s orbit with temperatures nearly always at or below the freezing point. It was snowing again. Young Puckworlders were slipping and sliding on the ice enjoying of the most time honored past times of the planet---hockey.

They youngsters were just outside the orphanage where another young Puckworlder was sleeping on the top story.

Jazz Billeres yawned as she sat up in her bed, the game had been going on for hours, it was a wonder that Ms. Drakelot hadn’t drug them inside by the collars of their uniforms yet.

“Hey Jazz!” a little drake called from just below the blonde duck’s window. A pair of emerald green eyes and a brown striped beak greeted him, “What is it Deadringer?”

“Come down here right and help us out would ya?” he called, tilting his head back so far that he nearly toppled over into the snow bank behind him, “We need to score!”

Jazz sighed and rested her elbows on the windowsill. “I’m tired man, call it a tie and go get some sleep, it’s 2 A.M.”

The young duckling laughed, “Yeah, wonder what’s got Ms. Drakelot by the tail feathers? She shoulda been out here hours ago to hassle us.”

Jazz smiled down at her ‘little brother’, she considered all the other orphans her family. In all actuality she had no clue where her real family was. They had been pronounced dead by the authorities, Jazz knew better…

She’d been over two years younger when it happened. Her parents were out driving, they had never come back. Sirens were blaring at the end of her street, she’d walked out onto the front porch, sensed something was wrong, and fled towards the chaotic scene.

Upon reaching the scene she saw her mother and father lying lifeless in the snow. Tears stung in her eyes. She hadn’t been allowed to approach them, they were pronounced dead and rapidly rushed to a morgue. At the funeral there was something strange about the coffins, they’d been padlocked.

In an act of what might be thought of as insanity, Jazz had snuck away from the orphanage and unburied the coffins of her parents. Using the shovel to crack open the lock, she opened the lid, a little hesitantly and full of apologetic grief, only to have her suspicions confirmed, empty!

Since that time the Saurians had invaded and left the city in ruins. Jazz was stuck in an orphanage with no idea of where her parents were, but she was certain that they were alive. Over two years later Jazz had still not given up her search, and she was less than a year from the eighteen mark when she would be free to leave the orphanage and make it on her own. The city had rebuilt itself wonderfully and things were almost back to normal, but that would all change very soon…for two unlucky Puckworlders.

Across the street Jazz’s best friend Premnitia was coming her long raven colored hair. She sighed at the gray feathered duck in the mirror with the sad dark brown eyes. “I’ll find you,” she swore.

Premnitia too had lost her parents and mysteriously, their deaths proved to be hoaxes too. Her mother and father were attending a conference concerning negotiations with trade and other such matters when it grew late and Premnitia had wondered out onto the front porch to keep an eye out for them. They never came home.

She shut her eyes tight against the memories that came flooding back to her. About two years ago, she was a junior in high school and a promising student of the famous Ti Quack Doe. It was snowing, and getting colder, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders securely. “Mom? Dad?”

A figure did step out of the vehicle in her driveway, but the person had been of no relation to her. It was her piano teacher Ms. Featherfelt. The middle aged woman had a grave look etched across her tan feathers. Premnitia didn’t need to be told, the weight of her parents death lingered in the air, but something was odd about it.

“Where are they?!” Premnitia had demanded of the officer that accompanied Ms. Featherfelt.

“I’m sorry young lady but the morgue is a place that’s not fit for children,” the officer had tried to explain.

Dark shadows fell on Premnitia’s face from her long bangs, ‘children?!’ she hated being referred to as a child! “Let me see my parents!” she ordered through clenched teeth.

“Premnitia,” Ms. Featherfelt had said in a comforting tone that she had never used before, “maybe you should sit down for a moment while I discuss a few things with this officer?”

Premnitia was about to object but it hit her that she could slip past into the morgue if the officer was busy talking. “Alright.”

Her plan had worked, while the ‘adults’ were talking she slipped quietly into the morgue and found the stretchers with her parents lying on them. An identification tag on each ankle. “Mom, Dad…” tears had trickled down her cheeks.

She knew what she needed to do next, she had to see them, to say goodbye. With a great deal of hesitation she yanked back the sheets. Her heart went to her throat as she beheld the two ducks responsible for bringing her into the world. Premnitia’s hand rested upon her mother’s that was lying on her chest. While she clutched her mother’s hand something caught the young duck’s attention. Movement.

Gazing down at her mother’s chest she saw it gently rise and fall. Turning to her father she noticed the same thing. “You’re alive??” she’d gasped.

Someone had entered the room then, Premnitia ducked beneath a third stretcher. Voices grumbled inside the morgue. “What are we supposed to do with these stiffs?”

“They haven’t expired you idiot.” another voice hissed, “Take them out of town, same place you took the other two, explain to them very carefully what will happen to their precious daughter if they don’t cooperate and keep their distance.”

Anger, fear, sickness. This was awful! But what could she do? Her parents where being wheeled out before her very eyes and there was no way she could take on the bulky males she saw from peeking out beneath the sheet. Helplessly, she watched them go. At least they would be safe--that is--as long as they were far away from her. A twinge of guilt hit the poor girl. Somehow, this was all her fault.

The memories hurt, leaving tears in her eyes. Premnitia had blamed herself for the longest time, but time had made her realize that it was not her doing, whoever those ducks had been working for, it was their fault!

She had fought off nearly all thoughts of vengeance, more than anything, she just wanted to see her parents.

Wondering out into the street she saw her friend, Jazz, emerge from the orphanage in her classic way, by jumping out the window and sliding down the drainpipe. “Hey hotshot!” she called, “You’re gonna fall and break your neck!”

Jazz landed gracefully and shot her friend an challenging grin. “And what are you doing out so late? Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“No, I’m a night person anyways.” Premnitia smiled. She had become friends with Jazz out of habit mostly, living across the street from her, seeing her at school, and finally, obtaining a job with her (being in the same rock band).

“Well I’m a hockey person,” Jazz retorted, slinging her a hockey stick, “so let’s PLAY!”

With a smirk and a shrug, Premnitia joined in on the opposite team. It was gonna be one heck of a game!

________________________________________________________________________

*And this is the second Mighty Ducks story that I’ve been working on. It’s the fiction which will start off my line of Mighty Ducks fan fictions. There WILL be sequels to this. Please read and review.*

Tanya's Fanfic Database

Part 2