(Intro) wide-eyed one with a mind full of wonder

[couldabeenturbo]

Part One: Closed To Canonmates

His first inclination after being told where he was, and what had happened, was elation. That finally, finally, he could be a proper adventurer, explore the wilds of this strange and amazing new world without being seen as part of a matching set. That people wouldn't look at him and see one-third of something, but a whole. Dewey Duck, master magician. It had a ring to it. So he had set out immediately to explore, his familiar a constant companion and guide. When he wasn't sure what something was, he asked. It didn't take him long to figure out that CHRONOS would only answer him twice a day ... but reliably, and well. So when he seemed particularly stuck on something, he'd camp out, and wait, and watch the stars roll by or make pictures from the clouds. Or pick flowers and berries.

CHRONOS had told him, several hours too late, that the yellow ones turned your tongue numb. Some familiar.

After the first few days of travel, marveling at every wonder in front of him, Dewey had started to feel a tug, like he'd been turned into an avian compass. He didn't even need to ask his new friend: he just knew it was his magic. He was being guided toward his greatest adventure, toward his destiny, toward something that would make him The Greatest Magician In All Of Everything Ever. He forded streams, singing to himself, arms windmilling as he walked on the rocks. "Sub-sti-tu-ti-ar-y ... looooo-co-mo-tion...."

After a while, he started to wish the song hadn't gotten stuck in his head, and tried to think of other songs. Powerline. Quillex. Imagine Unicorns. Any and everything he could. But they all reminded him of nights rocking out in the manor, bouncing on bunk beds, singing at the top of his lungs with his brothers and Webby. All the while, the pull got stronger.

When the Magicademy appeared on the horizon, Dewey knew it was fate. He was tired. He was hungry. He could really go for a Pep. But still, he broke into a dead run across the grounds, second wind rising up in him as steady as the power he'd felt building.

"YAAAA-HOO-OOOOO! HELLLOOOOOOOOO, DESTINY!"

Part Two: Open to All

After what was certainly one unforgettable reunion, Dewey made his way to the Great Hall to satisfy his growling stomach. CHRONOS hovered over his shoulder: a two-foot wide clock face frozen perpetually at 10:13 like a baroque handlebar moustache, unjudgemental at the way he piled plates high with food.

"I don't even know what this grey stuff is, but it looks delicious..."

Comments

[woo_oo]

Webby didn't say anything right away - confusion? shock? happiness - but warm tears begin to flood her eyes. When she finally does say something, it's not really a word - it's more like a combination of a sob and a laugh, as she throws herself at Dewey, her arms around his neck.

Sobbing, laughing, sobbing, laughing.

"I knew it! I knew she could come back!"

[couldabeenturbo]

He never knows what to do when Webby cries, but at least this seems like the happy kind. He hugs her back, smiling. New Magic World is exciting and all, but being able to make his BFF happy is even better.

"Yeah, some girl you met at the library heloed. I wasn't there, but you told me all about it and said it was really scary and really awesome. But I want in on makeovers next time."

[woo_oo]

"I... have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!" Thankfully she was way too happy to even care.

"The... the last thing I did before I came to this place was spend Christmas with everyone!"

[couldabeenturbo]

"Christmas? Wow, that was months ago." He shook his head. Timing of things didn't matter, there were other, more important things at stake. "But you've been here five months, so that kinda makes sense... five months in a magic castle, Webby! That is the best! I wanna hear everything!"

[woo_oo]

Five entire months! Webby laughed, a few happy tears still sliding down her cheeks.

"I wanna hear everything from you too! I FEEL LIKE MY HEART'S GUNNA EXPLODE FROM HAPPINESS!"

[couldabeenturbo]

"Thaaaaaat would be messy." He gave her one last squish before disengaging from the hug. "All I know about this place is that it's a magic school. I was thinking about it all the way here... How does that even work? Do we sleep in the classrooms? Are there desk bunks?"

[woo_oo]

Webby shook her head, cleaning her wet cheeks with her hands. "No, we have special dorms depending on what house we belong to. I'm in Ka, so mine has a tricky entrance and has ghosts and used to be full of ancient powerful weaponry."

So, really, the most suitable one for her.

[couldabeenturbo]

"That sounds amazing! My letter said my dorm's color is blue, so of course, it's gonna be totally awesome. I don't know how to say it..."

He fished around in his pockets until he found his letter, which he'd folded into a paper football for the express purpose of teaching CHRONOS to play on the way there. (He hadn't been very good at it.) "Eeee-ITH-err?"

[woo_oo]

"Oh, that's a good one!" Webby clapped her hands together. "It's all about knowledge and information! But they also encourage rulebreaking."

So, definitely a Dewey house, at least for the latter part.

[couldabeenturbo]

"Information and rulebreaking? That's perfect! That's even more perfect than I thought! But ... how do you even learn magic? Is it all knowing which magic word does what, or how to wave a wand, or ...?"

[woo_oo]

"Books and classes. Just like a normal school!" Which was still exciting by Webby standards, having never gone to school before.

[couldabeenturbo]

"Huh! Well ... at least the classes are probably cooler than normal school, right? Do the teachers demonstrate the spells by doing kooky stuff?!"

[woo_oo]

"The kookiest! And there's all kinds of magic you can learn! And there are sooo many classes! History, communication, a whole new sport they invented..."

[couldabeenturbo]

"Wait, wait, they invented a sport? Do you play it? Is there magic? Is it dangerous? Does anything blow up?"