Freedom From Fear is a DuckTales (2017) Alternate Universe What If? Fan Fiction by Kung-fu Blaiken
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Freedom. Lena had wanted it for so very long. But even though the connection with Magica is broken, she wonders if she is truly free. Thankfully, she's got a better family out of the deal.
This story can be found here.
Freedom From Fear provides examples of:
- Adapted Out: Due to starting before they were introduced, Lunaris, Penumbra, and the other Moonlanders are not included in the story.
- And I Must Scream: The story doesn't spare any details about how much Lena suffered while Magica was possessing her, noting that while Magica might not feel the strain she's placing Lena's body under, Lena can and she's utterly miserable, yet can't do anything about it.
- Cry Laughing: Once she realizes she's free from Magica, Lena bursts out laughing, with said laughter quickly turning to relived sobs as everything else hits her.
- Denied Food as Punishment: Used in a roundabout way. Since Magica never ate much while she was alive, she naturally doesn't eat much while she's in Lena's body, something that Lena suffers from the effects of.
- Disabled in the Adaptation: Due to being introduced here before it was revealed in canon Della used Oxy-Chew to survive, it's shown she used a different moon air pressure to survive and has to wear a nose tube around her nose to adjust to normal Earth oxygen.
- False Flag Operation: Due to finding the whole thing extremely stupid, Lena fakes Magica's return in order to get the Ducks to apologize to each other over the Spear of Selene incident.
- Happily Adopted: Scrooge gets paperwork filled out to become Lena's offical guardian. She's quite pleased about it.
- Mage Tower: Not exactly, but Lena takes up residence in the top of one of the towers in McDuck Manor due to a strange feeling about being in high places when she sleeps.
- "Reason You Suck" Speech: In chapter 15, Lena tears Magica to shreds when she tries to put the blame for everything bad that happened to her on Lena.Lena: How dare you? After all you did, how dare you claim to have gotten off worse?
Magica: You're living in a mansion, Lena. By definition-
Lena: YOU RUINED MY LIFE! Do you have any idea what you did to me? You...were...abusive. The things you did to me, I'll spend my whole life getting away from. Every other word out of your mouth was either a negative scream against me, tearing down my my will and confidence, or it was manipulative, something to get me to dance to your tune in the vain hopes of the smallest amount of affection. You used me. You manipulated, belittled, insulted, and gaslit me. You stole my freaking body from me! I was a child! I wanted someone to love me, but you never gave me even an ounce of care and compassion. I was nothing to you, just a tool! (at this point, Lena starts to tear up) I had to unlearn so much of what you programmed into me, and it's been some of the hardest things I've ever done. I had to learn that could be a safe place, that family isn't suppose to yell and berate you, that how I treated was not normal. I catch myself thinking about this or that awful thing, things about myself I know to be wrong but they still bubble up from deep inside without warning. I have anxiety and sometimes depression. I have trouble getting out of bed in the morning and I sometimes have to slip away to be alone, reorient my brain after too much is going on around me. And my nightmares...great Gaia, my nightmares! A lot of them are mostly shock value now, but there have been some nights where I am too keyed up from them that I can't go back to sleep. I just something something fluffy, usually Skadi, and sit by the window looking at the stars until morning. It's not healthy, I know it's not, but that's what it is!
(Lena turns to Magica with hateful fury in her eyes)
And the worst part about all this is that I can barely talk about what's bothering me sometimes. Not to Webby, not to the boys, not to Scrooge or Beakley or Doc Van Horn. Della gets some of it, but I still feel like the words won't come. And right now, it's all spilling out , and it's to you. And now you have the gall to stand there like I'm the one at fault? Bullshit lady! You tried me like scum, tore me apart, and tried to rebuilt me into a tin toy! I'm not going to apologize for striking back at an abuser!
Magica: I was-
Lena: BEING A HEINOUS BITCH! That's all you ever do! You're a pile of toxic sludge in the shape of a duck and your every action makes people miserable! But I got away. I still have scars, but I found a place where I can be safe and warm and loved and doesn't that just burn you up inside? That despite all you did to me, all those years of pretending to be family, that I found something better? That I survived your best efforts and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it? - Related Differently in the Adaptation: In canon, for all intents and purposes, Magica is Lena's mother. Here, they are distant relatives.
- This Explains So Much: After learning Mrs. Beakley is a retired spy, a stunned Lena can only note that it explains so much about Webby.
- What If?: What if Lena had been freed from Magica before The Shadow War, along with giving her a different backstory?
