I made this picture above, I own it. This is what Regina is wearing in the story unless stated otherwise. Just to give you all a visual. not the best looking picture, but I like to think I did okay. I noticed that some ducks look more human like while others have more duck features. Regina has more human features, so therefor she is wearing shoes and you can't see her tail-feathers. There's also the fact she is wearing tights too.

I had this idea ever since I have watched the new Ducktales, and I am going for it. This is going to be a serious take though, with some humor thrown in of course.

Regina is from 'Where My Roots Lead' (WMRL), her being reborn to take the place of Reginald Bushroot, the duck who mutated himself to prove himself. Now, in this story, she is born years after Reginald, becoming his little sister. Of course, this changes a whole lot but keeps quite the bit the same.

The Bushroot's do not have a great family relationship if you can't tell from the summary. There is no way Reginald had a nice happy family with how quickly he mutated himself and deluded himself into thinking that someone else was in love with him, just by being nice to him and using his given name. There is no way in hell, he had a good childhood - but who does in superhero movies, shows, and cartoons? Might be glassed over for the kids, but it's not hard to tell.

Regina is mentally older, and she doesn't bother hiding this fact. She sees no point in it, what's the point in pretending to be dumber then she currently is? But she is going through school normally instead of testing out of it. 

In no way does she like her parents, seeing them as just people she has to live with for the moment. She does love her brother though, to her shock, and she does love her Grandfather, Abaddon, as well. Because of how mature she acts, and with how Reginald is - Depression, mentally unstable, Low confidence at best, sensitive, ect. - she takes the older sibling roll. While Reginald might be the older brother, it is only by name alone. Regina takes care of Reginald like a older sibling would, maybe even coming off as a parent, and while the siblings see nothing wrong with their relationship, others do.

Lily and Cypress Bushroot are my OCs, the whole Bushroot family is my OCs besides Reginald, as they never show Reginald's parents or family at all, and they are older then in WMRL as they had Reginald over twenty or thirty years ago, it's hard to say as I do not know Reginald's true age. But they did have him young in this story, so they are in their forties. Hard to have kids in that age rang, as there are a ton of complications that can happen, but it is possible.

There are going to be changes to Darkwing Duck and Ducktales to make this all fit. Also, Regina doesn't know about the Reboot version of the Ducktales, only the old one. So she is going in blind.

-Chapter Start-

-What does family mean?-

Regina could remember having another family, one very different from the one she currently had. But the basics were the same. A Mother, a Father, and a older Brother. She even had two sets of grandparents as well.

It was almost funny how different this like was compared to her last life.

First, she was reborn into a cartoon. How did she know this? Well, maybe being a cartoon duck was the first clue. The last clue? Hearing her parents talk about 'Scrooge McDuck'. If that wasn't a slap in the face, nothing was.

Second, Regina was related to someone who had a place in the plot of a cartoon called 'Darkwing Duck'.

Third, her family was in no way a healthy family unlike her last one.

-What makes someone family?-

Mother and Father, or Lily and Cypress as she mentally calls them, are not good parents. They're not the worst, but in no way should they have became parents. Regina in no way can see them as parents, her last set hold that place in both lives as far as she is concerned.

Lily was a white duck, brown hair that was graying done up in a ponytail, dark blue eyes and was always dressed like she was going to go to a office when she instead worked as a botanist.

Cypress was a tall white duck with short brown hair with gray strips and watery blue eyes. Unless he was going to work, then he wore comfy clothing unlike his wife.

Lily and Cypress were in their forties, late to be having children, but they took the risk to have another. They told her they wanted a little girl, only a little girl. So, they were willing to try one more time. When they had her, they were so excited.

It made Regina wonder what would have happened if she had been a he. Nothing good came to mind when she thought about it. Not that anything good comes to mind now.

Being born a female duck in a cartoon was not what she was expecting, but it's what she got. Being female also didn't help her with her parents.

Lily wanted the perfect little girl to mold, to leave her mark on the world.

Cypress wanted a little girl, a sweet, innocent little girl to protect and shape.

What they got was a little girl who has lived once before, doesn't remember dying - thank everything above for that - and has the mental capabilities of a adult. Not that they know this, as Regina isn't stupid to say all this, but it's what they got.

They didn't want a baby girl, they wanted a piece of clay. Something to shape and mold to their image. It would hurt to know this, but for someone to hurt you, you have to love and care for them. She refuses to be a piece of clay.

Regina refuses to be molded, but her parents have yet to see this fact.

-Is it blood? DNA?-

Regina's older brother is Reginald Bushroot.

Reginald Bushroot.

The duck who loved so hard, clung so hard to one moment of being nice, that he mutated himself to prove himself. That alone spoke of a unhealthy childhood if not a abusive one. When she had watched the show the first time, Regina could remember wondering about Reginald's family. What they were like, where they apart of the reason that made Reginald fall so hard into insanity.

She never expected front row seats to the answers she had wanted once upon a time.

Reginald came over for the holidays, birthdays, and a few random days. Honestly, if Regina didn't press for him to come home to visit her a few times a month, he wouldn't come to the house at all. Not that Regina blames him at all.

Lily ignored Reginald's existence. It was like she didn't have a son, only a daughter. Only one child, not two. When talking to him, it was talking to a stranger, not her son. Watching him wilt, sometimes even cry, from how Lily treats him made Regina want to scream. The most Regina could do was take Reginald's attention away from Lily, make sure they are not alone together or even talk at times.

Cypress on the other hand, looked and treated Reginald with disappointment, like Reginald was the one to blame. Scapegoat to every wrong was how Cypress treated Reginald, if something was wrong, it was Reginald's fault. Cypress never physically hurt Reginald - from what Regina can see that is - but emotional hurt can be worse. 

The body can break, and it can heal. The mind breaks, and it's never the same.

Regina can't understand it. Reginald was so kind, a hard worker, and sensitive. Never has he gotten mad, not once has he not smiled at her. Love was in his eyes, fondness and love looked back at her every time she looked him in the eyes. Reginald saw her as family, treated her gently and hugged her every time he saw her. Talked to her, gave her his old books, listened to her and tried to do good.

He was a worrywart, always fretting, and had anxiety. Courage was emotionally beaten out of him, if not physically - bullies - and his self-esteem was so low it wasn't even there.

But even through all that, he became a Doctor. Not a medical one, but in botany, following after Lily's footsteps. He made many discoveries in his field, making cures and finding out never before seen facts about plants. Quite a few of his theories and papers had won awards as well. Dr. Reginald Bushroot was a name most scientist knew in his field.

All that didn't matter though to Lily and Cypress, all because he was a boy.

It mattered to Regina though.

In her mind, she only has two family members, and Lily and Cypress were not apart of it.

-No. Blood is the same no matter the body it is in. And you can share DNA, yet still not call someone family.-

Grandparents, the ones Regina can remember, were loving and doting.

That is not the case with this family, or, not fully.

Lily's parents painted a grim picture.

Lily's Mother was a stern looking duck, her white feathers contrasted against her long grey hair done up in a tight bun and steely, cold blue eyes seemed to glare at her. She always wore a long grey skirt and white blouse with a pair of slip on shoes every time Regina saw her. Her name is Rue Desdemona Webtimer. Her name was not a nice one, it made Regina wonder what her parents were thinking. Rue, the plant, holds the meanings of regret, sorrow, and repentance. And Desdemona is the name of a Shakespearean villain, and the name means 'of the devil', 'i'll-fated one', and 'misery'. If cartoons have taught her anything, it is that names usually are puns or hold more meaning then they appear. Not once has Regina seen this older women smile, not even to her own daughter. In fact, she just seemed to glare at everyone and anything. Never mind that her voice came out in harsh tones.

Rue's husband on the other hand, reminded her of Reginald. He was on the shorter side, coming up to his wife's shoulders, and was also a white duck. His hair was gone, and he wore big glasses over top of his dull brown eyes. His name is Jezebel Akuji Webtimer. Never mind that Jezebel used to be a insult to women, but it held the meaning of 'an impure follower of idols'. And Akuji in African means 'dead and awake'. Jezebel was twitchy and cowardly from what Regina could tell, always listening yet cowering away from his wife. It made her wonder why he even married her or if there was some low-key abuse going on now before Lily left that turned for the worst once she left.

Regina never wants Reginald to turn into Jezebel. Stuck in what seems like a loveless marriage and abused in some form or fashion. Luckily for her, she rarely saw this set of grandparents for they live too far off to visit unless it was a major holiday.

Cypress's parents on the other hand...

Cypress's Mother was Narcissa - that can mean the narcissa flower, the daffodil. That or it means narcissistic, meaning obsessed with oneself. And going by how she acted, Regina is going with the latter. - Portia - which means pig, Regina laughed at that one - Bushroot. Regina actually never met the duck, only seen pictures of her, as Narcissa had died shortly after Regina had been born. She was always seen with dyed blond hair and snooty look on her face. Reginald had once showed her a family picture with her in it, she had been sneering down her beak at him. Glad to have never met her, Regina went on her way with no regrets in that department.

Narcissa's husband on the other hand, made Regina shudder the first time she met him. He was a tall imposing figure, standing over everybody with a straight back. Abaddon - the meaning is 'Angel of Death' and 'Destroyer' of all things. Regina really wonders why his parents went with that name. - Azazel - 'evil demon', evil spirit', or even 'fallen angel' are what the biblical groups believe his name means. - Bushroot was a tall black duck, his feathers reminding Regina of the night. No hair, but he did wear a black hat and suit. He looked like a professional, but a professional what? Regina did not want to know and still doesn't know. He felt dangerous, but Regina soon found out this wasn't the case. Her Grandfather treated her like a mini-adult, and while he was slightly cold to Reginald, he wasn't mean about it. Abaddon treated Reginald like any other adult, kinder in fact because they were family. It was clear though that she was favored, but Regina can over look this fact because Abaddon didn't try anything with Reginald.

Unlike with her parents and other grandparents, Abaddon treated Reginald like family. That alone was enough for her to love the older duck just as much as she did Reginald.

Abaddon was her favorite grandparent, and it showed. He treated her with respect and love unlike her own parents who saw her as clay to mold. She had her own mind, and Abaddon knew this.

-You can chose family, so what does that make family?-

While not perfect, Regina honestly thought that she could wait out her parents until she hit adulthood.

She had a plan in mind for the whole thing too. Money was rarely ever spent by her, she saved as much money as she could. Some money was spent on gifts for birthdays and holidays, but that was it. Once she was old enough, she was going to get a part time job too. By the time she is old enough, she will have enough money for a cheap apartment at the least. Working on scholarships will be the next step, to lessen the burden in collage or a university.

Regina will be out of the house before she is 20, that much was certain.

She just never expected this. Honestly, for some time, she had forgotten.

Then, Reginald was mutated after she turned 10.

Forcibly reminding her that she lived in a cartoon where this was possible.

It was after then, that she was hit with a decision that was too easy for her to make.

Plans were made to be changed, even if some of it stays true.

-What does family mean?-

Numbly, she had watched as police came to the house to ask them questions about Reginald.

While Lily and Cypress sighed and told the officers they always knew that Reginald was a bad egg, Regina quietly asked one officer where her brother was and what was going to happen to him now. The older dog must have saw something on her face, because he lead her away from the others and quietly explained that her older brother was for now being held in the county jail until they can transform him over to a prison that was better equipped for someone like him.

After hearing that, she then asked if he was getting the death penalty, which the officer quickly denied. Unless something happens, then no, he will not. Vague, but pleasant to hear at the moment. Hearing that put her more at ease then ever before.

But it was when the officers were gone that made her plans change more then ever.

Lily and Cypress had started talking about Reginald, how bad he was, how Regina would never be aloud around him. Normal and something she has heard before. No, it was next that got her attention.

They were going to push for Reginald to get a harsher punishment.

Regina could hear, 'country', 'death', 'chair', and 'plant'. None of the painted a good light. They didn't want Reginald to their name anymore. They never saw Reginald as one of their own, so why would they care.

To them, they wanted Reginald out of their lives no matter how it gets done. Maybe if he had been their only son, they would have ignored it or just moved out of the country. But they have her, their favored little girl. This changes things.

Really, it wasn't that hard of a decision in the end.

-Family is a feeling. It's where you feel love, safe, and happiness even through the bad times. Family is when you know someone has your back no matter what and you can turn to them no matter what happens or what you do. Family is a choice. Family is forever. Blood, DNA or a piece of paper can not tell you who family is, only you can.-

Late at night, Regina picked up her cell phone and dialed a number as soon as Lily and Cypress were asleep.

She was not dressed for bed. Putting on a light green and pink blouse, purple skirt, green tights and sturdy brown dress shoes, she looked ready for school instead. She slipped on her favorite sweater, a green one with pink flowers and purple and pink designs on the bottom of it. It was slightly baggy and the sleeves were puffy. Glancing in her vanity, Regina looked to her book bag and piggy bank. She thought about everything as she put on two hair clips to get her brown hair out of her face. Her hair stopping just before her shoulders, uneven.

Plans change, but some things will carry over no matter what.

"Grandfather? Yes, this is me..... I know it is late, but I just wanted to tell you something."

There was a pause, Regina smiles.

"What is so important? I just wanted to tell you that I am running away."

She knew she was going to leave the house before she hit 20, she just never knew that it would before she even hit her teens.

-End Chapter-

Regina is slightly different here. In WMRL, when she was younger, she cared but didn't care about the plot of Darkwing Duck. She refused to get mutated, yet it happened anyway.

Here, she doesn't care at all. She will do what she has to for those she calls family.

Abaddon's wife has already passed on in this story unlike with WMRL.

And yes, I did take the introductions from WMRL and put them here, changing it up only a little bit. It wasn't laziness, but the fact that I would have typed almost the exact same thing anyway. Practical.

Regina is very much the same though, only younger. She is in the morally gray area after all.

She takes after her Grandfather as I like to call it.