The gang ran to the light, anticipating a safe return to the crystal’s cave. But rather than be greeted by a jewel’s light, the group instead were met with an enormous abyss. Donald and the gang scramble back to safety. Their toes latched deeply on the edge of the chasm. They may be safe, but now they had a bigger problem on their hands.

What lay ahead was a chasm. The chasm was miles deep and surrounded by fog. From where they stood, the fog seemed endless. However, if one managed to fall in, there was a likely chance of either being consumed by violent waters or impaled by sharpened spikes.

“Aw, great! How are we gonna get across?!” Scrooge growled.

“Wuh-what’s it say on the paper?” asked Dewey.

“The scripture says… have faith,” Alumak explained.

“Aw, phooey!” Donald groaned.

Upon further inspection of the chasm, Scrooge saw an indent in the rock formation on the other side. A deeper inspection would reveal that the rocks were misaligned. Intrigued, the squinting senior then took to his crystal finger. Using its refracted light, Scrooge could faintly see an open passage directly where the indent stood.

A lightbulb lit Scrooge’s tophat. He first bent down to pick up some dirt. Then, he tossed the dirt over the edge. To the shock of many, the dirt floated in the air. But it was the inquisitive mind that disclosed the reality of the situation. Rather, the pebbles were not floating in mid-air. Instead, they lay seated on an invisible bridge.

“Magic?!” Alumak exclaimed.

“Ahh, ‘tis but a mere illusion,” Scrooge corrected, “What we have here is a bridge, and a convincing one at that.”

“Whoa,” the boys uttered, “It's so tight, you can’t even see it!”

“Aye. If I wanted to hide my fortune. I’d create an illusion myself.”

Though illusory, the bridge was built like a tightrope. Should they proceed, they should remember the importance of balance and, as the scripture states, faith. With that in mind, the question was who was daring to go first.

After a bit of bartering, Donald willfully volunteered. After all, it was he who brought them here. He had the pride and bravery, if Uncle Scrooge were to believe it. That, and it also helps to lose a game of rock-paper-scissors also helps.

“Oh boy… here goes nothing,” Donald thought aloud.

The sailor set one foot on the rocky beam. Like the brave soul he depicted himself as, Donald waddled fearlessly across the tightrope. Unfortunately for him, reality tends to be far more disappointing.

What really happened was that Donald barely moved after the first step. His eyes shot down to the fog below, causing his pupils to shake and his bones to freeze. Not even the egging from his family could undo his fear.

“Don’t look, do- ULP!” Louie was swiftly silenced by his brothers. Though he could not see it, Donald responded with a stern, disapproving glare.

Donald could only stand in place for so long before his fears pulled him back to the others. WHOOSH! Donald zoomed past them and clung to the nearest stalactite, shivering like a dog.

“Donald?” called Scrooge.

“Huh? Oh! Hehhhh…” Donald laughed sheepishly, “M-maybe you guys should go. I’ll stay behind… for moral support!”

Seeing the others take on the challenge would give Donald the confidence he sorely lacked. Convincingly, Scrooge and the boys took Donald’s offer and crossed the bridge. Scrooge scuttled across the gap with nothing but his cane to keep him steady. After all, it was a tightrope. If he were to cross a tightrope, he had to think like a circus acrobat. The triplets followed in his example, climbing atop one another to create a tower of triplets. They used their little totem act to walk the bridge. Their unified minds empowered them as they completed the challenge seemingly quicker than their rich uncle.

“They must teach me the secret to their unification,” Alumak uttered.

Seeing the others complete the challenge left Donald with shame. Thankfully, he had a friend to lean on in times like this.

“Ah, do not feel shame, my friend,” said Alumak, “Take my hand. We shall succeed together, yes?”

“Uh… sorry,” Donald misunderstood, “I don’t swing like that.”

“Oh, ho, ho, ho!” Alumak chortled, “You are a funny man, Donald Duck.

Donald responded with a small smile and accepted Alumak’s offer. The pair lent themselves to the trapeze bridge. They held hands tightly and began to shimmy across the bridge. Clearly, neither men were built for trapeze traversal.

“Be careful, Unca’ Donald!” the triplets expressed.

“ZIP IT!” Donald shut them down, hoping to avoid any more bad luck.

A level head was best if the two men wanted to complete this trial. But as the scroll said, “faith will guide their path.” Donald and Alumak held each other firmly. They shimmied faster, doing their best to keep a level head. Regrettably, they both lacked the confidence to push forward.

Early signs of vertigo loomed over their heads. Soon, they felt sweat trickle down their temples. Their eyes sagged like water balloons, sloshing over the edges of their chins. Their vision blurred, blinded slightly by the dusty illusion below. Their palms trickled with sweat. Their hair stood up in a constant frazzle. Any misstep could be their last, which greatly pressured them into losing their balance.

“Remember the scroll, Unca’ Donald!” the triplets informed, “Have faith!”

But Donald could not keep up his pride any longer, and he screamed. He threw himself around and shouted, “I don’t have enough faith for this! … Uh-oh! WAK!”

Donald’s frantic antics nearly cost him and Alumak their lives. The two men flailed about, still gripped to each other as they threw themselves at the end of the bridge. Like rats to a maze, they leapt over to the other side, crashing into the crevice. Once again, Donald’s clumsiness had saved his hide.

“Yay!” the triplets cheered, “You did it, Unca’ Donald! You had faith!”

“Aye, Hallelujah, and all that is good…” Scrooge thanked kindly, “BUT WILL YE’ GET OFF?!?!”

And so, the mighty explorers have completed all the trials as written in the scripture. And yet, their efforts bore no fruit. They had come all this way, and there was still nothing but a trail ahead. It started to feel like this adventure was nothing more than some dungeon keeper’s sick game, and only they got the prize. That, or some writer’s unjustified love for danger. The results left the family exhausted and strained.

An emotional wedge formed between Donald and Scrooge. What began as a frivolous bet has now become a battle of virtue and ideology. Donald and Scrooge have had frequent spats in the past, but nothing could prepare them for a predicament that posed itself as a pursuit of parlaying a pinch of skepticism over a purse of unfettered schizophrenia.

In Scrooge’s mind, the truth could be that Donald had fallen into the early trappings of a cult. To him, no sane person would risk their family’s life unless it was for a cause that did more harm than good. Or worse, Donald wanted to take his family to the most remote location just to snuff them out and be the sole inheritor of Scrooge’s riches.

Donald, on the other hand, had different theories in mind. Donald felt he was this close to finding the treasure, and even closer to finding the sword. In his mind, the existence of the sword was in his hands. It became less about settling a tangible bet and more about following his calling. Such a close feeling that could risk a lifetime of embarrassment or an eternity of spoils. Either way, he knew he was close on account of his exploding head. But then, like a repetitive cycle, another wall sprang forward, stopping Donald dead in his tracks.

“Wak?!” Donald exclaimed, “But-but-but-…! Where’s the path?!”

“Maybe it's another test?” Alumak suggested.

They skimmed through the scroll, turning the page back and forth. But their efforts were in vain. The reality was clear as day. It was a dead end. No route. No guidance. Just a wall with a very dim light.

Donald and Alumak babbled to the annoyance of his uncle, who had all he could take of these foolish games. He knocked the ground with the butt of his cane and exclaimed, “Hold it! Now you see here. I have had enough of this chicanery. All these trials are just utter nonsense! This zealotry about magic swords and calamitous crystals has made you people insane! And now look at you. Banging yer’ heads for some wild goose chase. Don’t you see it? This is a fluke! A fool’s errand!”

“But we’re so close, Uncle Scrooge. I just know it!” Donald argued.

“And I know when a man has had it,” Scrooge countered, “And as for your… PARTNER… Well! May I never lend a cent to you or your business people. EVER!”

“But Scrooge…”

“Not another word—Huey, Dewey, Louie. Come with me. Let us leave these ‘prophets’ to their ‘bountiful blessings.’ We have our own blessings waiting in the REAL WORLD.”

Scrooge’s nephews followed him, obedient yet reluctant. They did not want to leave Uncle Donald behind. But even they had to admit that this venture had made their father figure a bit out of step. They saw it in his eyes, and they could not subject themselves to it any longer. Scrooge ushered the boys faster so they could no longer be exposed to any more of Donald’s shameful display. Scrooge then stopped. He turned his head slightly, giving his nephew a final glance. Donald could only let his eyes focus on the ground. On that note, Scrooge tipped his hat and bid the two ‘prophets’ adieu.

“Come now, boys,” Scrooge ordered, “The sooner, the better.”

Scrooge and the boys separated from their uncle. But to their surprise, an unseen force would push them back. Scrooge exclaimed, “What the devil?!” as he fell to the ground. It would seem that the cave did not take kindly to their defiance. But that would be the least of their suspicions. Reality was much worse, and it came in the form of the MaliQuack-Tud.

“The MaliQuack-Tud!” the triplets exclaimed.

After countless hours risking life and limb, the MaliQuack-Tud had found them. The question was… “How?”

“Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!” a ghastly cackle echoed, “Nyeh-heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! Heh! Hehhhh!”

Just then, a purple flame ignited from above. The flame fell between the two factions. It converted into a ring that manifested a body before their eyes. That manifestation became none other than the mysterious gypsy.

“You!” Scrooge shouted, ready to strike. Scrooge was held back, but that did not stop him from accusing her. “I knew something was wrong with you from the very start!”

“Oh, Scrooge. I knew you would be a tough nut to crack. For that is why I needed a whimsical mind to trick you at that!” the gypsy illustrated, “What you see before you is no mere gypsy. For you see, I am your worst fear. I am…”

The gypsy stopped mid-sentence and raised her hands. The shadows that surrounded her came alive. They swirled around her, tearing off her coverings piece by piece. The gypsy was no more. For it was a mask for the woman’s true identity. The woman revealed herself to be none other than the one and only…

“MAGICA DE SPELL!” proclaimed the theatrical mistress.

“Magica?!” the ducks cried out, prompting the vile woman to laugh.

“Welcome to your doom! For this is your tomb!”