I, as in me

Behold, my first posted KPDH fic! This was part of @yourgirlathena’s Tag You’re Fic event.

@duckverse-june-2026 @blueapples-captain @boingodigitalart

A journey can really be anything. It can be somewhere nearby, or somewhere far away. But with this story, I’ll be exploring the latter. For this last story of mine for this event, I give you…

The Ducks Go Down Under!

Scrooge McDuck was getting ever closer to finding all of Isabella Finch’s Missing Mysteries. But even he could use a good side quest to distract himself from the pressure of getting them before F.O.W.L. got their own dastardly mitts on them.

That was why today, he, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Webby, Donald, and Della were going on an excursion westward to Australia.

“What are we hoping to find today, Uncle Scrooge?” Webby asked excitedly.

“Our objective today,” Scrooge reported back, “is to find the Sacred Thorny Devil of Tanami. Legend has it that it gives anyone who touches it an epic power-but only if ye can figure out its secret.”

“Ah, the thorny devil,” said Huey. “A most unique creature.” He flipped to a picture of one in the Australian guidebook he was reading.

“It looks like it’s wearing a suit of armor,” Louie commented.

“I’d say it looks more like a dragon,” suggested Donald.

“Let me see!” Dewey exclaimed as pushed past Louie and looked at the picture in Huey’s book. “Cooooooooool.”

“I knew a guy in flight school that wanted to be a bush pilot,” remarked Della. “I’m surprised that we’ve never been to Australia before, Uncle Scrooge.”

“Ah made a couple jaunts there ages ago,” Scrooge explained. “Before all of ye were born.”

“Still, I’ve always wanted to go at some point,” Della reasoned.

“I think it goes without saying, Della, but I doubt Australia is going to be much like it’s depicted in media,” cautioned Donald. “Especially since we’re going to be in the heart of the Outback.”

“Oh, don’t be a stick in the mud, Don,” implored Della. Then she began to sing, “I come from a land down under! Where Pep does flow and men chunder!”, taking care enough to sanitize the line for the kids.

“Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?” chimed in Dewey. “You better run, you better take cover, yeah!” This was immediately followed by mother and son sounding out the post-chorus instrumentals of the song with their mouths.

“Oh, phooey, not that song again,” groaned Donald. “Anyway, keep focused, or you’re going to get us all killed!”

Luckily, the plane proceeded over the Pacific Ocean as planned, and before the family of adventurers knew it, they were flying over the massive island country. It was just before dawn by the time Della touched the Cloudslayer down in a remote part of the Australian Outback.

“Everyone, wake up!” Scrooge called out. “We’re here. Remember, it is imperative that ye all have plenty of water.”

“I’m doing my part to block out the sun,” Huey reported, attaching a piece of cloth to the back of his cap, making it into a makeshift legionnaire. Donald removed his sailor hat, plopping on a fishing hat in its place.

As Della lowered the ramp, allowing everyone to make their way down to the ground, the stifling heat immediately hit the group.

“Phew!” Louie exclaimed. “What’s the temperature right now?”

Webby checked her phone. “27 degrees,” she reported back.

“Webs, I’m serious.”

“Celsius, I mean,” Webby elaborated. “So that would be about 81 or 82 degrees Fahrenheit.”

“Geez, already?” Louie groaned.

“And it’ll only get hotter,” Huey chimed in. “Here.” He handed Louie a water bottle. “Don’t drink it all in one gulp.”

By mid-morning, the party of seven had already hiked about four miles-in excess of six kilometers, abiding by the metric system. Webby had advised them to think cool thoughts. Even with the hot sun beaming down on them, the arid atmosphere around them, and the sand below them, everyone else seemed to be able to fixate on a place that took their minds somewhere else, anywhere but the oppressive desert.

“Guys,” Dewey suddenly panted out. “I see palm trees!”

“Dewey, this better not be you experiencing a mira-hey, wait, I see them too,” Louie responded, interrupting himself.

Scrooge squinted his eyes just enough to block out the direct glare of the sun. “Well, if that’s not the darndest thing,” he remarked. “According to my findings, the Thorny Devil of Tanami is located somewhere in that grove.”

“Trees ahoy!” called out Della. “Let’s go.”

With their destination in sight, the family of adventurers tracked it down with renewed vigor.

By the time the seven of them got to the grove of trees, they had trekked the better part of six miles-over nine kilometers. And they were beat. Della had resorted to wringing the sweat out of her jacket. Louie had resorted to pouring water on his head. They continued through into the grove until Huey and Scrooge pointed out the artifact in a clearing, atop a single, stone pedestal.

“So, we’ve found the Thorny Devil,” Donald stated plainly. “Now what?”

“We have to figure out its secret,” Huey proclaimed. He flipped back to the section on thorny devils. “Let’s see-thorny devils’ habitat and coloring allows them to camouflage themselves from predators.”

Webby came up over Huey’s shoulder. “Thorny devils can ward off potential predators by presenting a “false head” on the back of their neck,” she read.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t want a false head,” Louie remarked.

“Don’t worry, kiddos, we can figure this out,” proclaimed Della. “There’s got to be more to it than just a feature of the lizard itself.”

Out of burgeoning curiosity, Louie decided to take a look at the section himself. “Thorny devils can collect water by touching it. The ridges on their backs, combined with capillary action, transport the water to the lizard’s mouth. Lucky.”

Suddenly, the stone pedestal began to glow. Louie jumped. “What did I just do?” he asked.

“Lad, I think ye just figured it out,” announced Scrooge.

“Wow,” Louie responded flatly. “Now what?”

“Dude, I think you gotta touch it,” Dewey replied. “That’s what you said, right, Uncle Scrooge?”

Scrooge nodded. Louie shrugged, and stepped before the stone pedestal perching the Sacred Thorny Devil of Tanami on top of it. He put a finger to the lizard’s head. Nothing happened.

“You gotta be a little more hands-on with it, Lou,” Della encouraged.

Louie put both of his hands out, and began feeling his way along the top of the prismatic structure. When he found himself in a position with one hand on the artifact itself, and one on the side of the pedestal, he felt a strange sensation course through his body. The rest of his family waited with bated breath.

All of a sudden, Louie’s gaze shot straight up in the air. After about thirty seconds, he shook his head as if to reorient himself.

“I feel…strange,” he muttered. Then he looked around above him. “Wait, why are there Alexandra palm trees here? Besides the fact that we’re in the desert, those are native to Queensland.”

“I know, right?” shot back Huey. “Wait-how do you know that?”

“Quick, Webby-in Celsius, what’s the current temperature?” Louie asked.

“36 degrees,” Webby reported back.

“Which, if Australia were to use Fahrenheit instead, would translate to approximately 97 degrees,” Louie deduced.

Webby double-checked her younger brother’s calculation. “He’s right,” she gasped.

The adults looked at Louie in amazement. “Louie, lad, it would appear that this artifact has rendered ye both sharper than the sharpies and smarter than the smarties.”

“This artifact, modeled after one of Australia’s most unique animal species-has made me smart?” Louie asked.

“It would appear that way,” Donald replied. “Oh, Louie, I’m so happy for you.”

“But how?” Webby asked. “What does collecting water on your back have to do with being smart?”

“At face value, nothing,” explained Huey. “I think we gotta break it down a little. There is one thing-specifically, one word-that connects the two: thirst. Both a thirst for the sustenance that water provides, and a thirst for knowledge.”

“Of course!” Louie exclaimed. “My dear brother, I believe we have much to discuss.”

At that moment, everyone noticed the glow of the artifact beginning to fade.

“Aw, shoot,” Louie continued. “I was hoping to have a little fun with these newfound smarts.”

Della decided to take a stab at testing her youngest son’s newfound worldliness. “Hang on, honey. Let’s see-who was the-I don’t know, 5th-Vice President of the U.S.?”

“Elbird Gerry,” Louie answered without missing a beat. “Who is also the namesake for gerrymandering.”

Huey nodded his head in confirmation.

“I think it’s gonna be some time until this power of yours wears off,” Della reassured Louie.

“Just a little time is all I need,” affirmed the green-clad triplet. “Come on, let’s head back. You three can quiz me on the way.”

@duckverse-june-2026 @blueapples-captain @boingodigitalart

This time of year is the perfect time to plant things, see what others have planted, or just generally see what has popped back up in nature. Capitalizing on that sentiment, I give you…

Haru no Sakura

It was finally spring in Duckburg. The season of new life. The time of year when the world seemed to come awake again. And for Huey and Boyd, a day like this was an excuse for them to take a walk in the park.

Both boys were wearing light jackets, but it wasn’t unreasonably cold, as the sun was cutting through the coolness nicely enough on this early April day.

“How many trees do you think the parks department will end up adding?” Boyd asked.

“That’s a tough estimate,” countered Huey. “But they usually do end up planting at least, say, 200 saplings every spring. So that’s the benchmark, in my opinion.”

“That’s fair,” Boyd replied back. “I sure love the spring. All the beautiful flowers. All the plants to take note of.”

Huey nodded vigorously at this.

“Even the trees are in bloom,” Boyd sighed dreamily.

They were nearing a part of the park that had special meaning to them. It featured a pathway lined with cherry trees. Every year, once the weather started getting warmer, the trees exploded with pink blossoms.

“They look amazing already,” admired Huey.

“I know we’re not in Japan anymore, Huey, but without fail, every time I see these in bloom, it makes me think back to right around when we first met, and our adventure in Tokyolk,” Boyd reminisced.

“I can’t help but feel the same way,” Huey smiled. “Specifically, me providing endless facts about Japan, and you not even being bored by them.”

“How could I be?” Boyd asked rhetorically. “And it was in an area of the city just like this, the breeze swirling the cherry blossoms around.”

Huey looked back quizzically at the tree behind Boyd. He thought he was the only one who’d noticed that.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if Duckburg actually had a festival for cherry blossoms?” Boyd continued. “Like in Japan, or other places in this country.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Huey replied. “The space doesn’t exactly seem big enough for it yet, though. It’s a lofty goal, but not necessarily unattainable.”

Boyd’s face dropped a bit, but he understood where Huey was coming from. “Still, it’s nice to have these trees here where we live, at least.”

Huey nodded again. “Maybe we should get some lunch.”

“You know what?” Boyd asked. “My mind’s now so focused on Japan, and our time there, I’m craving sushi.”

@duckverse-june-2026 @blueapples-captain @boingodigitalart

Ah, the month of June. Not just my own birth month, but also the designated birth month for Donald, Della, and Daisy. This story will be focusing on the latter two, the last duo for me to cover in this unofficial birthday trilogy.

Without further ado, I give you…

Girls’ Birthday Out

It was a Monday in early June. More specifically, it was the day between when Daisy had her birthday, and when Della and Donald had theirs.

Donald had already given Daisy a wonderful birthday experience, complete with dinner and a makeshift drive-in movie (with some help from Launchpad on that front). Now, it was just another normal day of work for Daisy. She was working on the sketches for her latest design, when she heard a knock at the door.

“Come in!”

Della burst through excitedly. “Yo, Daise, what’s up?” she greeted.

“Oh, hi, Della,” Daisy responded in turn. “What a nice surprise.”

“Are you, uh, busy tonight?” Della asked.

“Not necessarily. I know that tomorrow, both you and Donald are celebrating your birthdays. But as for tonight, not really. Why?”

“Hear me out,” Della explained. “What do you say to a girls’ night out for both our birthdays?”

“Doing what, exactly?” wondered Daisy.

“Letting off some steam, getting some drinks, that kind of thing,” answered Della.

Daisy paused for a moment, nodding slowly as she took in Della’s suggestion. “Okay. I’d be open to it.”

“Great!” Della exclaimed. “Oh, and you’ll probably want a change of clothes for what I’m thinking. Something a bit more casual. Preferably with close-toed shoes.”

“That’s fine,” Daisy responded politely. “Just let me finish my sketches, change, and then we can go off.”

So Della sat down in a nearby chair, making small talk with Daisy while she finished up.

About an hour later, after Daisy had changed, the two women headed out for a night on the town.

“So where exactly are we going first, Della?” Daisy asked.

“You’ll see when we get there,” Della replied vaguely.

“Not even a hint?” Daisy pleaded.

“Nope.”

The entire trip there, Daisy wondered what the surprise could be. She figured it was something rather specific, since Della had requested she wear close-toed shoes, and Della herself was wearing a boot. After Della parked and the two women walked for a bit, Daisy had her answer when they stopped in front of the Duckburg Axe Range.

“An axe range?” she asked skeptically.

“Come on, Daisy, I’ve seen that badass womanly power with my own eyes before,” Della explained. “This ties right into that. Just give it a chance. Please?”

Daisy couldn’t help but crack a smile at Della’s persistence. “Let’s go, then,” she chuckled.

So they went in, and Della confirmed the reservation. When it came to the right lingo to use, it really paid off being the niece of one of the richest ducks in the world.

“There’s a bar, too, so we don’t really have to head anywhere else when we’re done,” she pointed out to Daisy.

Once the two reached their lane, they looked over the rack of axes next to them. Della selected one, and after feeling it in her hands to make sure she was comfortable with it, she toed the line. She eyed the target, then heaved the axe as hard as she could. It struck a little below the target.

“Nice one, Della!” Daisy commended.

“Thanks!” Della replied. “I’ve done a little throwing with my grandpa in Scotland before. Fun fact: my leg actually functions pretty well as an axe, too. Now you.”

Daisy picked up her own axe. She concentrated, looked down the lane at the target herself, and lobbed the axe down it. It fell just shy of the center of the target.

“Shoot!” she exclaimed, a bit frustrated.

“That was a good shot, though,” Della reassured her. “I know you’ve got more in you.” She returned to make her second throw, and finished just off the center again, this time a bit to the right.

“Alright,” Daisy proclaimed, tightly gripping the handle of her axe.

“Okay, before you go again,” Della interrupted, “can I make a suggestion?”

“What is it?”

“I think it would serve you better if you thought about something that made you angry.”

“Wait, what?” Daisy asked, surprised.

“Like I said before, you’re a total badass. Absolutely generally speaking, but also, I remember you taking on that Titan when the Greek gods came to town,” reminisced Della.

“Well, it had just eaten Donald, and I was just so angry that-“

“Good! Use that,” Della encouraged. “Get mad, you son of a gun.”

Daisy closed her eyes, flashing back to that night. Sure, she and Donald’s date didn’t go according to plan, but oh, when that big lunk attacked Donald and (seemingly) killed him…it just made her want to pound him into dust!

“AHHHHHHHHH!” she yelled, and hurled the axe, eyes still completely closed.

The next thing Daisy knew, she heard the sound of cheers and applause.

“What the-Della? Did I do it?”

“Take a look for yourself,” Della smirked.

Daisy slowly opened her eyes, and sure enough, she had nailed the center of the target! Not simply that, the head of the axe was buried rather deep into the wood, almost to its shoulder.

Daisy stared at the target in absolute shock for a moment, before breaking into a wide grin.

“Oh, my goodness,” she finally managed to spit out.

“My friend, everyone!” Della whooped as she thrust Daisy’s hand up in the air.

Now armed with the right motivation, Daisy proceeded to take turns trading blows with Della. They did some major damage to the target, splinters of wood jutting out left and right. Sure, they missed some, too, but both women were markedly consistent that night. Della was right-this was good for letting off steam.

After getting in all they could of axe throwing, Daisy and Della retired to the bar area, ordering some drinks and appetizers.

“I still can’t believe you actually used your leg to throw that one turn!” Daisy exclaimed.

“Oh, the attendant was pissed!” laughed Della. “He’s lucky I didn’t sharpen the toe part, or I could’ve gotten us both kicked for carrying an unregistered weapon.”

“Has that actually happened to you before, vis-à-vis your leg?” Daisy wondered.

“A couple times, almost. I’ve at least threatened to use it on people before.”

Daisy was shocked, but not entirely surprised.

“I propose a toast,” Della said, holding up her glass of beer. “To our birthdays.”

Daisy obligingly clinked her cocktail glass with it. “To our birthdays.”

“Anyway, how did you hit the target no-look so quickly?” Della continued. “It took me years before I was able to do that!”

“To be honest, I don’t know,” Daisy replied. “I’ve wound up sewing in the dark before, being so focused on my work that before I know it, it’s after dark and I forgot to turn on the light. Though bringing my mind to a place of anger really helped, too. Thank you for that.”

“Psssh, of course,” said Della.

“I have read before that some animals have a sixth sense, though,” Daisy continued.

“Like, they’re psychic?”

“No, no,” laughed Daisy. “Electroreception, which is primarily used by water-dwelling animals to pick up electrical stimuli in order to sense things without actually seeing or touching them.”

“Right!” Della exclaimed. “I’ve heard Fethry use that word before. I love the guy, but sometimes, I don’t know how he’s so comfortable with being underwater. With all the fish.”

“I get it,” Daisy sympathized. “I’m not cut out for that environment, either. Now, when will our appetizers be done?”

“Beats me,” Della answered. “I’m starving.”