Author's Note: At first I was planning to make the first part being a meeting between Ratchet and Little Helper, and second part being about Scrooge coming to Gladstone for advice with occult things. But once I started writing it, I decided to go with something different. Kind of a look into my version of Ratchet.
Alose this chapter contains references to Invader of Fort Duckburg.
Thinking of the past, thinking of the future
Scrooge jumped right into his Money Bin. Normally it was a relaxation ritual to ease his mind, but this time he wasn't here just to swim in his vast fortune. This time he intended to find certain coin amongst the sea of gold and bills. He remembered it being somewhere on the far right corner, so he swam in that direction. Soon he was sitting amongst coins and scanning them.
When it came to money in his Money Bin, Scrooge McDuck possessed almost eidetic memory of every story behind every coin and bill – every adventure, every investment, every event that led him to own every piece of his vast fortune. He never spent anything stored inside his Money Bin. They were his memories put into one place, like a chest of antique trinkets, souvenirs and toys. Oh, well, he was an old man. He was entitled to some sentimentality.
Scrooge finally found it: an old silver dollar. Once he put it up on his eye level and looked at it closer, he could almost hear the barman in a tavern asking him…
"C'mon, son… What'll be?"
…and then his uncle Angus "Pothole" McDuck saying…
"Tell him what you want, Scrooge! You're a man of the means now!"
Scrooge remembered everything – a thirteen-year-old him, uncle Angus and… Ratchet.
They were celebrating the victory over Blackheart Beagle and his sons. They were also celebrating the bargain he and uncle Angus made (that Scrooge will be working under his uncle and take over "Dilly Dollar" when old Pothole retires). The silver dollar was Scrooge's share of the reward put under Beagle Boys' head. While the barman was waiting for Scrooge's order, the boy was staring the dollar.
It was magnificent and beautiful, but more importantly – when he was looking at it, he was reliving the thrill of his latest adventure – the Beagles, the sunk boat, the wood suddenly trapping Blackheart's steamboat. And the longer he was staring at the coin, the more he was certain: it was just like with his first dime…
"I didn't realize it back then," A familiar voice brought Scrooge back to present. "that this was the moment when this silly idea of Money Bin was planted in your head."
Scrooge turned to his left where Ratchet was standing. The ghost smiled to him.
"'Spend your money! Do you want to end up with a coal bin full of the dang stuff?'" Ratchet mockingly mimicked uncle Angus and he was even waving his arms for emphasis.
Scrooge smiled weakly. Yes, this was what Pothole basically said when his nephew told him the memory his silver dollar brought to mind, was worth more than anything he could ever buy for it. And the idea of coal bin full of money seemed like a ridiculous, yet intriguing fantasy… When he was gathering his fortune, he knew which parts of it were destined to reside in this Money Bin he was going to build one beautiful day.
"He was… a practical duck." Scrooge replied. "I've learned a lot about steamboats from him."
"He wasn't a bad captain. Or a bad person, for that matter." Ratchet said with a sad smile. "He only had a bit of impulsive nature."
"He also tended to lie sometimes." The rich duck said with a bit of wryness. "Have you read those stories he wrote? They were preposterous!"
"Well, some of them were kind of funny." Ratchet grinned. "Even though I wasn't in many of them."
"Be happy! If I was the cowardly, constantly kidnapped nephew then who knows how you would be portrayed?"
The ghost didn't say anything to that. He looked around with mild interest.
"So that's how it looks like from the inside." He spoke quietly, before he came back to gazing at Scrooge. "It's… impressive."
"Well, I've spent a lot of time and effort into making it impressive. But the main purpose is to store my memory money."
"So that's why you disassembled the old Fort Duckburg?" Ratchet asked quietly, resignation in his eyes. "That's why you shooed away my son and other two Junior Woodchucks? To build a store for your money?"
Scrooge remembered three youngsters in those stupid beaver hats. He also remembered a tall, scrawny chicken with thin, black hair. One of his friends was calling him general Fulton…
"First of all," The duck began his defense. "Casey Coot sold me this land. Secondly, I didn't know that this kid was yours. And they found new headquarters, didn't they?"
"This fort was where Duckburg began. If past means so much to you, why did you robbed this town of its history?"
"I'm also part of this town's history!" Scrooge yelled, hitting the ground with his cane. "I've come here and industrialized Duckburg! Without me, this would still be a dump!"
"You don't have to yell, Scrooge. I can hear you very well." The mechanic said calmly. "And you don't have to tell me about all the things you did to this town. I could see them in motion, after all."
There was something in his tone… some unspoken accusation and resentment. And Scrooge could feel that his deceased friend didn't consider McDuck's influence as entirely good for Duckburg. But there was also something else. Some kind of deep sorrow.
"I can still remember when Fulton told me about you." Ratchet continued. "He was sad that he and other Woodchucks couldn't hang out in Fort Duckburg anymore, and he didn't know where they will reside from now on."
"Well, it's not like they were going to give it without a fight." Scrooge argued. "They contacted president, who brought cavalry."
"But my son still came back, worried that he and his friends won't have place for themselves. All because some big shot took their fort for himself. And later, when they were gathering money for their new place, the same big shot donated only an old doorknob."
Scrooge's eyes widened. Could it be…?
"Is this…" He began, looking at the ghost. "Is this why you never visited me? Because of what I did to Fulton?"
The chicken avoided his gaze and gave soft sigh.
"It's far more complicated than that, Scrooge."
"Then explain it to me!" McDuck stood up. "I have right to know!"
Ratchet once again looked at his former captain. He was observing him in silence with a sad expression and for the moment Scrooge could read pain in those eyes. The mechanic also looked conflicted, like he didn't know if he should answer his friend's question or not.
"And why did you never visit me?" He finally replied. "You knew I was in Duckburg. You could come to me any time you wanted. Yet you never did."
"Well…" Scrooge straightened himself and closed his eyes. "I was busy. Financial empire wouldn't run itself, you know…" He then looked at the ghost. "Besides, I'm the one asking questions here."
"Well, then…" Ratchet smiled lightly and walked towards Scrooge. When they were standing face to face, he extended his arm. "Take my hand. I have something to show you."
Hesitantly Scrooge grabbed Ratchet's transparent hand. It felt tangible, but cold and for a moment he was just staring at this wrinkled, hardened by years of work hand, while the coldness was sipping right into his bones. His own hand was also creased and old, and he tried to remember when was the last time they've shaken hands. Java, maybe?
But before he could think of it further he felt light all of a sudden and then they both appeared in the middle of Gyro's workshop. The man himself was sitting at the desk and working on some kind of machine.
Scrooge looked at Ratchet with annoyed look, but the mechanic said, still smiling:
"Don't worry, nobody can hear or see us now."
"Why are we here, anyway?"
"Wait for a moment. He should be here any time soon." Ratchet replied and turned back to look at the front door.
Scrooge did the same, and then someone knocked. Gyro abruptly stood up and walked right through his former boss to open the door. On the porch was standing little boy – about Huey, Dewey and Louie's age – with glasses and brown mop hair – a Gearloose family trait.
"Hi, Newton." The inventor greeted him and moved aside with a smile.
"Hi, uncle Gyro!" The kid replied with enthusiasm and came in. Then his expression changed into that of an amazement as he seemed to look at Ratchet, and he immediately ran through his ancestor and stopped only at the desk. Gyro laughing, came after him, once again going through the invisible Scrooge. Both the duck and the ghost turned back to look at Gyro and Newton, who leaned over the machine.
"Is it what I think it is, uncle Gyro?" The boy asked, eyes filled with wonder.
"If by 'it' you mean 'new, better automatic pogo stick', then yes, it is." Gyro replied.
"That's great! Can I help?"
His uncle giggled and ruffled his head.
"Only if you keep away from trouble."
Scrooge averted his eyes from them and looked at Ratchet. The ghost was gazing at his relatives with expression of love and delight as they started to work together. Still smiling, he turned to Scrooge and said:
"You know, that reminds me when me and my father were working together in his workshop. That was where I learned the mechanics, chemistry and physics. And my dad was so happy to show me all of inner workings of the world. He hoped that I will be a great scientist, like Isaac Newton…" He got silent for a moment and just observed his grandson.
Scrooge, on the other hand, remembered his own father telling him about the Castle McDuck and about the meaning of hard work. The ricc duck suddenly started to miss Scotland.
"I've tried to invent something which could benefit the mankind," Ratchet continued, still not averting his gaze from Gyro and Newton. "but I wasn't very good at it."
"Well, you did invent couple of useful things…" Scrooge decided to speak, but Ratchet didn't listen.
"Once I've finally settled in Duckburg, my life changed." He cut in and finally looked at his friend. "I've met a wonderful woman and we got married. And then Fulton was born." His gaze returned to his descendents. "And just like my father before, I was dreaming of the bright future where my Fulton will be something more than me. That he will achieve something great."
"Do you think this spring will do good?" Newton suddenly asked his uncle.
Gyro looked at the large spring the boy was holding and examined it in his hands.
"I think it'll be enough." He said and put the spring aside. "But we will test it later, just to be sure."
"Then Fulton became a Junior Woodchuck, one of the first few Junior Woodchucks in history." Ratchet went on and chuckled. "He once brought a merit badge, you know. He told me, he invented it himself, since they didn't have merit badges back then… He was also the first one to earn it." He took a deep breath, like he was trying not to cry. "And every day he tried to learn more and more about wilderness, survival and world in general. And before I even noticed, Fulton knew more than me."
There was so much pride in his eyes… So much happiness from his son's achievements… But suddenly his expression changed into more bittersweet.
"What?" Scrooge smirked. "You remembered that, in the end, he became an ordinary repairman?"
Ratchet looked at him and replied:
"That's not it. I just… feel old, all of a sudden."
He once again became silent.
Meanwhile Gyro and Newton assembled the pogo stick together and Gyro put it on the ground, the lower part downside. The pogo stick seemed to be built for a man of Gyro's height, but the inventor took the handle with both hands, screwed it to the left and then pushed down, making the pogo stick, handle and pedals smaller. Then he screwed the handle the other way around and the invention returned to its previous size.
"It works! That's so cool, uncle Gyro!"
"One of the features works, Newton. We need to check if it's safe to hop on it."
"Can I do it, uncle Gyro?" The boy looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Absolutely not. You can get hurt."
"You can too." Newton argued.
"But I'm big and my head is harder than yours. Besides," Gyro smiled to his nephew. "I'm not as efficient with first aid as you. But before we test this baby out," He said, putting the pogo stick back on the desk. "how about you tell me if my ice cream machine makes good ice cream?"
"Hurray, ice cream!" The boy called, putting his hands in the air.
They both stood up and directed to the kitchen.
"Come on, Scrooge." Ratchet urged the duck. "Let's go after them."
"Why? What's the purpose of us watching them eat ice cream?" Scrooge asked.
"Just come with me."
As it could be expected, both young Gearlooses were standing at the metal box with lots of buttons and a lever on the right side. However, instead of three feeders for each ice cream flavor (chocolate, creamy and mixed), there was only one.
"Which flavor would you like, Newton?" Gyro asked. "I'm taking pistachio with berries."
"I want chocolate with caramel!" The boy screamed.
"Okay."
Gyro only smiled and proceeded with pushing buttons that put new ice con under the feeder and filled it with chocolate and caramel ice cream. Then he gave the con to Newton and went on with making his own dessert.
"I still remember the day Gyro was born." Ratchet spoke suddenly taking Scrooge's attention away from Gyro and Newton. The mechanic smiled softly and looked at his companion. "You know, it was an odd feeling… seeing my son having a child of his own…" He gazed at Gyro, licking his ice cream. "But I remember that when I was holding him in my arms… when I was looking at another generation of Gearloose family, I could already see he was destined for great things."
Scrooge wanted to say that Gyro's inventions weren't all that great, but before he could speak even one word, Ratchet said:
"Even when he was just a child, he was proving to be more brilliant than me and my father." He looked at Scrooge with eyes filled with melancholy. "I was getting weaker with every year, and the world changed so much I couldn't recognize it, anymore. Watching Gyro growing up, I realized, I was leaving something on this world. I knew that I will be dead one day, but Gearlooses will live on. Our legacy will survive. In my son, in my grandson and in every Gearloose that will come after them. And every generation will add something from themselves."
"That's so good, uncle Gyro!" Newton exclaimed, making the ghost silent. Then he became serious and asked: "But aren't you worried about one ice cream having leftovers from the ice cream previously prepared? You know, due to single feeder?"
"Don't worry. It already has a sterilizing mechanism…"
And he proceeded with techno babble Scrooge didn't understand and he knew that he would probably never understand. But when he looked at Newton, the boy seemed not only following everything Gyro was saying, but he also added his own techno babble. It was obvious that Newton knew a lot about science and could talk about it with his genius uncle.
"You know, Scrooge," Ratchet began again, smiling. "Newton comes here every Saturday to hang out with Gyro. He even says that he want to be an inventor like his favorite uncle. And Gyro already decided that Newton will inherit the workshop after his death."
"Huh…" Was the only thing Scrooge said to that.
All of a sudden, he thought about his nephews. He thought about them often, because even if he was feeling fine, he wasn't getting younger. He already knew that Huey, Dewey and Louie will inherit his wealth. They proved to be resourceful and good businessmen. They knew the meaning of hard work and had ambitions. Yes, his legacy will be in good hands…
Still, he sometimes felt sad that the McDuck name won't survive. Right now he and Matilda were the last living McDucks. Once they die, the clan will be only the part of other families' history.
Ratchet turned to him, took him by the hand and suddenly they were back in Scrooge's Money Bin. Scrooge felt strangely grounded, like he had just got back into his own body. The ghost didn't waste any time. He looked into duck's eyes and asked:
"Do you understand now, Scrooge? Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"
Scrooge didn't respond immediately. He just leaned on his cane.
"You wanted to tell me that you've had family. And that you believe that your descendants will do better than you."
"I just want you to know, Scrooge," Ratchet smiled. "that I was happy with my life. We were both doing our things. While you were becoming the richest duck in the world, I became a family man. We both left a legacy."
"But it doesn't answer my question." Scrooge gave Ratchet stern look. "Why have you abandoned me all those years ago?"
Ratchet saddened.
"You really want to know?"
"I deserve to know/!" Scrooge raised his voice.
"Well then, seat down." The chicken sat on other nearest pile of coins. "It's a long story."
Scrooge did as he was told and started to listen.
