Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Gosalyn, Scrooge McDuck, or any characters from either Darkwing Duck or Ducktales...
I Am Chosen Chapter 12
Again, Darkwing and the angel walk into the midst of the soft illumination.
This time, however, there are no visions to follow. The angel stops, she turns to Darkwing with a gentle smile "Tours over." she says softly.
Darkwing looks at her, confused. "Over?" he repeats. He feels as though they had
given up on a journey before reaching their destination. "You mean, that's it. I just go back to my body?"
"Yes," she answers. "You've seen all you need to."
"But, I still don't understand. Wh-what was this all about? What was it suppose to do for me?" Darkwing asks pleadingly. He doesn't want to leave now, not without understanding the purpose for all of this. He has been taken into his own past to relive his childhood in the clinic. He has been reminded of his near death experience as a result of the sickness he had. He has seen his life in alternate realities, Flyer, Tracker and Guardian. So what? Why had they gone through all that.
Again, the angel seems to know his thoughts. "You will come to understand, Darkwing. Give it a little time.
She takes his hands in hers "Never lose heart, Darkwing Duck. You have a great destiny ahead of you."
With those words, she moves away from him and fades into the light.
Darkwing only stands there and waits. He waits for what ever is to come. Soon, the light begins to dim into darkness. The warmth is replaced by coldness. Everything goes silent around him.
The next thing he is aware of.
There are voices all around him, lots of voices. He becomes aware of pain throughout his body. Oh, the pain. It is hard, but he opens his eyes, slowly. Everything is blurry through the tented visors. It's dark.
There is movement in the darkness. Silhouettes against shadows. He can hear the voices. He can't make out what they are saying. He concentrates, he listens intently. One of the voices is calling out to him. "Dad? Dad, can you hear me?"
Gosalyn.
He tries to move his head, to look in the direction the voice is coming from. He can't.
The outlines seems to lean close over him. "Daddy?"
"Gos?" he gasps weakly.
"You'll be alright dad." he hears her say. "SHUSH is here. They are going to take you to a privet hospital to take care of you." she tells him. He feels her small hands touch his and he is comforted by it. "Just rest, dad. It's okay..."
He drifts into unconsciousness.
Days pass. Christmas Eve arrives. Miraculously, Darkwing has recovered enough from his injuries that he insist on going home. The doctors didn't recommend it by any means, he simply refused to spend another Christmas in the hospital. So, with
a broken arm, a mild concussion and a few stitches, he finds himself in his own home on Christmas Eve.
He lays on the sofa in front of the television. Everything is quiet. Everybody is gone. Gosalyn and LaunchPad have gone to get to distribute Christmas gifts. Morgana told him that she had some last minute business to take care of. Business, on Christmas Eve? Drake suspects there is an alternative motive, something to do with the fact that tomorrow is Christmas. She had been dropping hints of something special this year. Ah well, he'll find out soon enough.
He lays back on a stack of fluffed pillows gazing up at the yet bare Christmas tree.
The family is suppose to decorate it together tonight. Drake looks down at the broken arm sadly. Well, he can still supervise.
He closes his eyes. The doctors had given him pain killer, but he takes them sparingly. He doesn't like to feel sleepy all the time. He elects to only take the medicine when the pain becomes to much to bare.
Just the then, the doorbell rings. Uh, he certainly can't get up to answer it. "Come in!" he calls loud enough to be heard. In a few seconds, the door opens. Darkwing strains to see over the back of the sofa. Through his light blue shades, he can make out a silky black top hat.
It is enough to identify the visitor. "I'm in here, Mr. McDuck."
There is the soft padding of footsteps on the floor. Scrooge walks into view. He looks down at the sight of Drake Mallard, bandaged and bruised. An expression of
guilt is evident on the rich ducks face. "Darkwi...that is, Mr. Mallard."
"Drake, will do." Drake replies casually.
"Oh, yes." Scrooge says, there is an uneasiness in is tone. "Well, Drake. I thought I would come by and see how you were fairing lad."
"Pretty good considering a laid down on an exploding bomb only a few days ago. Drake meant the remark in good humor, but it isn't taken that way. He sees the sorrow in McDuck's eyes.
"I am so sorry," the old zillionaire proclaims with a heartbroken rasp.
"Oh, oh, I didn't mean anything by that..." Drake starts. He tries to sit up But the pain shoots through his body and he falls back onto the pillow.
"Here lad, easy, take it easy." scrooge says sitting down on the end of the sofa. He watches the pain stricken look on Drakes face. "Is there anything I can do for ya laddie?" he offers.
Drake gasps for breath "No, I'll-be...fine. Just give me a sec." he closes his eyes and takes long deep breaths. The pain eases.
In a few seconds, he is able to open his eyes again. He looks at Scrooge through the colored shades. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks trying to sound cheerful.
"Oh," Scrooge says hesitantly "Like I said, lad, I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing."
Drake gazes at the old duck "Stop by? You live all the way in Duckburg, thats' a big distance to just be stopping by."
"I know, but after what happened," he stammers. Making apologies is not one of Scrooge McDuck's strong points. "I thought it only right." he sighs remorsefully. "I am so sorry, Drake. This is all my fault, If it had not been for my foolish pride...well...I am sorry."
"I'm not mad at you, McDuck, not any more."
One of the very few times in his life, the rich duck is humbled "I would not blame ya if you were lad. I did a very foolish thing. You almost paid with your life, for it."
"What's the old saying? Almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades?" Drake answers, smiling slightly.
"Or time bombs," Scrooge mutters. He draws a long deep breath. "I had to come up here and apologize to ya face to face, laddie."
"I will be alright, Mr. McDuck. As you can see, I will make a full recovery."
"Aye..." Scrooge replies. taking a moment to study Drake mallard. "I still can not believe it! You were on top of that bomb when it exploded. It should have blown you to bits – yet here you are."
Scrooge falls silent, waiting for a response. Drake seems content not to reply, however. Scrooge presses him."You were in bad shape when LaunchPad and I found you, very bad shape. We were not sure you would live long enough to be rescued." again Scrooge waits for a reply, again he is answered with silence. He continues. "Strangely enough, you seemed to actually get stronger all the while we were waiting to get dug out of that death trap. When the firefighters did finally get us out, your vital signs were stable." he pauses, looking expectantly at Drake for answers.
Finally, Drake replies "You're hinting around for an answer you already know, Mr. McDuck. It was the armor. It protected me from the blast, it sped up my healing. The B.E.A literally saved my life. Though," he admits wit obvious fatigue "I am still on the mend."
"Aye, but you should still be in the hospital, lad. Or so I am told." Scrooge remarks.
"So you've heard, huh?" Darkwing says, studies Scrooges face, "LaunchPad?"
Scrooge nods "Aye, he's been keep'en in touch with me on your condition. He says the doctors didn't want you to leave so soon, in case – er-complications arise."
"This is Christmas Eve. Mr. McDuck. Do you realize that two years ago this day I was nearly killed in a fire. I spent my Christmas – and new years that year in the hospital I'm not going to spend another holiday there!" Drake responds firmly.
In spite of his sense of guilt, Scrooge can't help but grin. Drake Mallard aka Darkwing Duck is the one person who is probably more pig-headed then he is.
"Alright laddie, don't be gett'en upset now." Scrooge says holding up his hands in front of him.
He glances down at Drakes casted arm. He notices that hero is wearing his night clothes and a robe. "If the armor doe speed up healing, wouldn't it make sense to be wearing it now?"
Drake smiles "It speeds up heeling, it doesn't perform miracles." He places his good hand on the broken one gingerly "I'm just glad it got me this far in the recovery process."
Scrooge smiles and leans back against the sofa. "That is one remarkable costume." he says. "But I have come to realize, the suit is only as good as the man who wears it."
Drake looks at Scrooge is utter surprise. He is flattered. He is actually flattered.
"Oh well, I don't know about that." he replies softly. "The armor did empower Bulba, you know."
"Aye, but nowhere to the degree that it has affected you, me boy." Scrooge insists. "You have a courage that I have not seen in any other person in all my years. And this old duck has known a lot of people in his time."
OK, now Drake's ego is in serous danger of inflating. But noting like a concussion to keep the ego in check, however. Drake just didn't feel well enough to be conceited, at the moment. Instead he smiles politely "You know, my kid has threatened to put up a sign on the RatCatcher - Please do not feed the ego!"
Scrooge chuckles "I may just have ta etched that Gizma'Duck's suit.
He sighs softly 'There is another reason I came lad." he gets up and disappears from Drakes sight fro a moment. Drake hears the front door open and the sound of
of rollers squeaking on the hardwood floor of the entrance hall. He also hears a second set of footsteps. In a few seconds, Scrooge comes back followed by Duckworth, pushing what looks like a small cart with a white cloth covering something on top.
Curiously, he sits up slowly to better see the object. "Wh- what is it."
"Well, it's a Christmas Present, I suppose." Scrooge answers seeming a little uncertain about it, however. "Your daughter and Launchpad were in Duckburg exchanging gifts. I felt that this one my need some explaining, though. So I brought it me self." He motions to Duckworth to bring the object close over to Drake. With it object now right in front of Drake Mallard, Scrooge removes the cover. There before Drake's eyes is a lighted desplay case. Within the case are four figurines. Drake is dumbstruck. The small figures are detailed crafted images of his alternate selves. Tracker, Flyer, Nomad and Guardian. He stares at the figures in pure bewilderment. "Mr. McDuck I-I-don't know what to say...' he trails off. He is at a loss for words.
Scrooge studies Drakes face, carefully. He isn't sure how the hero feels about the gift. "I said it needed some explanation, Mr. Mallard. He moves back to the foot of the sofa and sits down. "A couple of months ago, I leased a small loft in one of my
buildings out to a young lady. She did sculptures and such. Well, she wasn't there but a month. I got a phone call from her telling me she had to leave. She said I could keep the deposit because she had to leave quickly and the loft was going to be a mess. She apologized and said that I could do what I wanted with whatever she left there."
Scrooge huffs slightly "I honestly expected to go there and find sculpting clay splattered on the walls and floor with gaudy little figures of half dressed men. Instead, I found the loft, for the most part, clean and tidy. And most of the sculptures were of animals. They were actually very good. I do not understand to this day, why the girl did not just sell them before she left. I have no doubt she could have made a nice little profit." Scrooge smiles a bit "The kids grabbed up most of the stuff she had and laid claim to it. There old Uncle Scrooge wasn't about to sell any of it." Scrooge laughs at the thought. "They even took the rest of her unused clay. Needless to say, there is now clay splattered over the walls and floors of the boys and Webby's rooms. I found this, covered with an old terry cloth in one corner of the loft. The desplay case itself is worth a pretty penny. I do not know why she went to all that trouble and just left it there." Scrooge smirks a bit at Drake, "She must be a real die-hard Darkwing Duck fan. I thought you might like to have it, to remember them by." The old zillionaire explains. He glances as Drake, waiting for a reply.
Drake stares in disbelief at the small figures, Each one done in great detail, painted and polished to a shine. But something else catches his eye. There seems to be an inscription under the glass casing. He leans forward to get a better look. He can't make it out. "What does it say at the bottom, there Mr. McDuck?"
"Oh that. Yes, I noticed that. Don't know what it suppose to mean though, it just says "Always Remember."
A chill shoots through Drakes entire body. It couldn't be! He looks at Scrooge and asks in a choked voice "Do- do you remember what she looked like? The girl I mean?"
"Aye, lad, I do at that. She was a pretty young thing, in her early twenties, I'd say. She had shoulder length, light brown hair, her eyes where a pale blue. She had this round little face, kind of tomboyish look'en. But I think I remember her by her voice the best. It was so warm and soft, almost melodious, like the voice of an angel." Scrooge sees Drake turn white and leave heavily back into his pillow.
"Are you alright, laddie? Should I call the doctor?" Scrooge asks with concern.
"No," Drake answers in a raspy voice "I'm okay." he replies. He closes his eyes for a few seconds to let what Scrooge just told him, sink in. When he opens his eyes he glances up at Scrooge with a slight smile "You know, Mr. McDuck. This girl, I'm rather sure I've met her somewhere before."
To be concluded
From the Author: Yeah, this was suppose to be the last chapter. So it's the second to last chapter.
Also, since I may not be able to get this part worked into the story line. I mentioned earlier that Darkwing Duck chose the colors purple and blue for his costume, for a reason. They are the colors of twilight (as in Twilight Guard).
The final chapter is nearly complete so I hope I can get it up soon.