Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Scrooge McDuck or any other Disney character.
Authors Note: Reader's warning. This ties directly to my fic "The Path Chosen", it also bridges the other fics, Tracker's Story "Synthetic Hero" and "Hidden Dawn". If you haven't read those fics, I doubt this one will make any sense to you.
Meant To Be: Chapter 20
As evening falls, the small group finds that they are in need of a safe haven. The children need a place to sleep. They can not go back to McDuck manor or Darkwing Tower. There are no accommodations at SHUSH headquarters for the care of children.
Darkwing can think of one place to go – Morgana's. After calling her to ask, the group is dropped off by SHUSH at Morgana's mansion.
Approaching the front gate, Scrooges clan is understandably intimidated by the sight of the Gothic like manor.
"I don't know about this." Scrooge says nervously. "Are you sure this place is safe, Darkwing Duck."
"Yes, though you'd better let me do the knocking, if the doorbell doesn't know you it might bite." Darkwing says casually.
"Your kidding?" Scrooge yelps. "What kind of person in their right mind has such a house?"
A scowl crosses Darkwing's face "Mr. McDuck, you are talking about my fiancée!"
"Mr. McDuck, you're talking about my wife!" Tracker injects sharply.
Scrooges face blushes with embarrassment. "Oh, yes...I apologize. It is good of her, to help us out like this, after all."
"Let's just get inside," says Mrs. Beakley, who is carrying her sleeping granddaughter.
LaunchPad has Louie, who is also asleep after his ordeal earlier that day.
The other children stand quietly, all quite tired, even the ever energetic Quiverwing.
Darkwing walks up and knocks. Scrooge is sure he hears Darkwing threatening the door knocker, something about knowing how to use a welding torch?
Soon, a beautiful and mysterious looking lady appears at the door. They talk, then Darkwing motions for the others to come inside.
Morgana has taken the cautionary measures of disarmingany special features that the mansion has, such as a door that leads into another dimension or the closet that harbors the crooning skeleton quartette,or the screaming toilet.
The kids are too tired to eat, they are put to bed early and are asleep as soon as they are tucked in.
Mrs. Beakley and LaunchPad also turn in early. Morgana and Darkwing sit out on the front porch and talk.
Glancing out the window of the mansion, Scrooge sees them sitting close together. He doesn't want to bother them. But he does see the moment as an opportunity to do something he has wanted to do all day.
He walks into the center of the foyer and glances around, now where is Tracker?
He starts searching the mansion for the visitor from the future. He finds Tracker, upstairs, in an alcove just off of the Library.
Tracker is standing in front of a large picture window, gazing out at the gloaming. The sky is dark blue and purple as the veil of night falls slowly upon the land. "An eerie time of day isn't it?" Scrooge asks.
Tracker nods. "The twilight has always fascinated me, somehow."
He walks away from the window to stand in front of the fire place, a small fire burns inside.
Cocking his head Scrooge notes that though much of the mansion has modern electric power, there are some rooms that seem to be a monument to a by gone era.
"Could I ask you something, lad?" Scrooge asks.
Again Tracker nods.
"There are a few things that don't sit right with me. You had the disc all along. You had the Alloy you took from Gyro's for almost a week. Why did you not just take it to SHUSH to start with?"
The look Tracker gives him. Tells Scrooge that the question has been an anticipated one. "I didn't plan on coming back Mr. McDuck. I was very surprised when I found myself back in this time. It took me a while to figure out why I was back again. Then, I was afraid of doing anything that might change things from what they are meant to be."
"But you did give us the information and material to make the Bio Enhancement Armor. Doesn't that worry you. Aren't you afraid that you may have changed reality by doing so?" Scrooge presses. He wants to understand Tracker, He wants a reason to trust him completely.
"I decided," Tracker says slowly "that if I am going to change reality, it might as well be for the better."
"But is it for the better, lad?" Scrooge asks "I mean, you let Bulba have the means of making his own Armor."
"But he won't have the same power with his Armor that Darkwing will." Tracker stares into the fire "You saw Guardian. Even with his own Enhancement Armor, do you think Bulba could have beaten him?"
Scrooge ponders the question profoundly for a moment "No, I don't think so. Guardian – he had something about him...something special."
Tracker nods in agreement "Darkwing has it too, it just hasn't come to the surface yet, but it will."
A look of wonder spread across the old duck's face. This is the part I do not understand, lad. You are Darkwing Duck. You are as much Darkwing Duck as the fella out on the front porch or the Duck in Silver and White. You could wear the Armor the same as either of them..."
"No," Tracker cuts him off. A deep sorrow in his is evident in his voice "I've – I've lost it."
"Lost what lad?" Scrooge is feeling a twinge of sympathy. He really does want to understand Tracker.
Tracker closes his eyes tightly. "What I tell you, Mr. McDuck, I ask you not to repeat it to another living soul. I've never told this to anybody else, not even my daughter." He looks woefully away from the rich duck. "I was born with a very mysterious illness. Mysterious and life-threatening.
As a child I would have these episodes where I would stop breathing, my vital signs would shut down..." He pauses to turn back to Scrooge who is listening intently. "You've heard of people who have had near death experiences and how it changed their lives?"
Scrooge nods but doesn't speak.
"Well, I had more than my share of them. As I can remember, on four different occasions, I found myself...somewhere else.
The first time I can remember I was very young. I was playing when all at once, I stopped breathing and collapsed. Everything went black around me. Then I was in this place. It was bright and warm and cheerful. Like an entire world made of soft sunshine. But there was also a place nearby of darkness. I could see – creatures – monsters in that darkness, but they couldn't cross into the light.
I wasn't afraid of them either. Then I recall hearing somebody talking to me. They were telling me things. I don't recall much about that except that they kept saying that I was called. They referred to me as a guardsmen. A Twilight's Guard. They told me to go back...and I did. I woke up in a hospital bed. That was the first time. There were others. Times I almost died, but was sent back for some reason. I'm not really clear on all of that any more. I've forgotten."
Tracker sighs heavily rubbing his fingertips over his forehead.
Scrooge is staring at him, captivated by what he has just been told. No wonder Darkwing Duck seems so otherworldly at times. It takes Scrooge a moment to find his voice again. "That would explain a few things."
This could be the source of the special something Guardian and supposedly Darkwing both possessed. Scrooge always heard that those who had these near death experiences saw things in a different light that others.
"But, I don't understand lad. You had the experience. Why could you not wear the Armor with the same success as the others? You said you lost it. How? What did you mean?"
"I made some mistakes, big mistakes. Ones I had every opportunity to correct – until it was finally too late. I lost everything that made me Darkwing Duck, even the memories of those child hood experiences. It's all gone."
Now Scrooge McDuck is nobodies fool. He has seen the way Tracker looks at little Quiverwing. He suspects that by losing it, Tracker may well mean, losing her.
He gazes into the face of the duck behind the mask and for the first time he sees. The eyes are different. They do not have that piercing fire that both Darkwing Duck and Guardian possess. The eyes Scrooge sees now are those of a duck that is lost and defeated. The life slowly fading from them like a weakened flame dying in a cold wind.
Scrooge understands now. In his heart, he only hopes, that Darkwing Duck never follows the same regrettable path as Tracker has.
To be continued...
From the Author: OK give it to me straight, people. Is this storyline getting to complicated ( or boring )? I have been trying to work in the "why Darkwing Duck is so driven" plot into this fic. I think I may have to end this fic with a few unanswered questions. I am thinking about doing a short fic following this one to warp up the whole "Path Chosen" series.