Disclaimer: I don't Darkwing Duck and any similarities between certain Five Night at Freddy's characters and the mythical creature in this tail are purely "coincidental".

Chapter 28

The Nightmare Bunny

Gosalyn entered the lounge room and considered the situation, Negaduck was standing over his chainsaw that was resting on the coffee table concentrating hard on pouring the petrol into the tank using the jerry-can he was angling into the funnel, Lucy was sitting on the floor investigating the object she was holding.

'Dad.' Gosalyn asked summoning his attention. 'How does Lucy know what skulls are?'

He furrowed his brow as he looked around to her. 'What?' He asked seemingly still half asleep.

'How does Lucy know what skulls are?' Gosalyn repeated doing her best not to sound accusatory.

'I don't know, TV most likely, she probably just likes the look of them.'

Gosalyn frowned. 'Isn't it way too early for her to be so "choosy"?'

'She is what she is!' He snapped angrily. 'Now, stop distracting me, it's hard enough doing this when I'm tired I don't need you making it worse.'

Gosalyn winced as she remained obediently silent, that was the end of the conversation.

Lucy crawled over to her and held up the object that she'd been looking at. 'Goslie mak gwun banger?'

Gosalyn cocked her head wondering what her sister meant by "gun banger", she glanced up at Negaduck who had paused again in his refueling his chainsaw to smile at Lucy, he laughed loudly and returned to pouring.

Gosalyn found that rather mean since Lucy wasn't even walking yet, she sat down taking the empty bullet cartridge. 'It's a bullet casing, Lucy.' She said patiently.

Negaduck snorted in amusement. 'I don't think you're the right person to set her straight there, Gosloid.'

Gosalyn looked at him and sat up straighter, sure she probably didn't know as much about guns as him, or Nat, or Launchpad, but she knew enough to tell her baby sister what a bullet was! 'Oh? Really?' She asked him with a very unfamiliar cold tone in her voice.

He put the can down on the table and looked at her. 'Yes really.' He said mockingly. 'You don't know the first thing about guns.'

Gosalyn stood. 'I do so!' She said putting her hands on her hips.

'No, you don't.' He said in a sing-song voice with an amused smile on his face.

'Fine! I'll prove it!' She said and she held out her hand to him. 'Give me you pistol.'

His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he chuckled. 'Are you kidding me?'

'No.' She said bluntly. 'I'm not, pistol, Dad.'

His brow furrowed slightly as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pistol, he slowly passed it to her and watched her closely.

Gosalyn turned and deliberately detached the magazine from the gun, she looked to Lucy who was watching her in fascination.

Gosalyn knelt and showed Lucy the magazine. 'You see this? This is the magazine, it's where all of the bullets stay until you need them.' She popped a bullet free from the magazine. 'See, this is a bullet.' She passed it to Lucy who studied it.

'What part do you have?'

'Casing.'

Gosalyn smiled and nodded and held the gun out, trailing her finger around. 'The bullet goes in here; the casing comes out here and the bullet leaves this way.'

'Banger.'

Gosalyn pulled back the primer and then pressed the trigger, the gun clicked and Lucy looked confused. 'No big bang?'

'Empty...' Gosalyn said with a smile. 'Nothing to make it go bang...'

'Are you done yet?' Negaduck snapped snatching the pistol back from Gosalyn. 'honestly!' He put the pistol away. 'I can't even fill up my chainsaw!' He complained, Gosalyn drew a breath. But he marched out of the room.

'Daddy!' Lucy called out.

'What!' He yelled coming back into the room and glaring murder.

Lucy put the bullet back into the magazine and took it from Gosalyn, then much to their surprise she got to a shaky stand and stumbled a few steps to him. 'Bullets, Daddy.' She said holding the casing out for him.

He stared at her in surprise and confusion before snatching the magazine from her hand, he spun around on his heel, the front door opened and he walked over. 'When did she start walking?'

Nat stepped in and looked to Lucy. 'This morning.' She said simply. 'How long has she-' Lucy's legs gave out and she landed roughly on the carpet. 'Ohp, there she goes.' Nat chuckled and passed a cup to Negs. 'Nice work though, since you only started this morning you're rushing ahead.'

'Really ahead.' Negaduck said looking around. 'She's not that old.'

Nat considered him. 'Is that a bad thing? it'll make everyone else confused as well.'

Gosalyn smiled and got to a stand, she helped Lucy back onto her wobbly feet and held both her hands. 'Everyone else has to catch up to her.'

Negaduck turned, smiling. 'Rightfully so.'

'I'll bet neither of her cousins are walking yet and they're both older than her.'

'Cousins...'

'Third cousins.' Nat clarified. 'I'm not sure what their names are... Marcus and Bengie I think...'

'Are you about to brag about this?'

'Negs, just cos you don't have anyone to brag to...'

'Everyone'd never expect any less from my daughter.'

'Because you had such a big role in her first steps.' Nat said rolling her eyes.

'Oh, and you did?'

'Yes, actually I did.'

'What did you torment her with?' He asked pointedly.

Nat scoffed. 'You were the one who decided to go on a pre-dawn campaign with your chainsaw this morning, it's not like I made a big drama about not being there for her first word.'

'I'm not making a big drama about this!' He said.

Gosalyn winced, he was hurt that he'd missed the first few steps Lucy had taken. 'Lucy.' Gosalyn knelt down to whisper to her sister. 'Daddy's upset, he needs you to help him.'

Lucy looked to Gosalyn and then to Negaduck she turned and pointed to the chainsaw. 'Daddy not finished?'

Gosalyn stood slowly Nat and Negaduck were still arguing so she walked over to the table, gazing into the chainsaw's petrol tank. 'Not yet...'

'Aww...' Lucy pouted. 'But saw...'

'Oi! What are you doing?'

Gosalyn jumped.

'Saw! Saw! Saw!' Lucy chanted clapping her hands.

Gosalyn gave a shrug to Negaduck but he was gazing at Lucy with complete affection, after all, Lucy took after him.

'Not yet.' Gosalyn said again.

'Saw!' Lucy whined.

'Honestly, she's worse than you are!' Nat said playfully hitting Negaduck's arm.

'Worse?' He asked looking to Nat with a cool expression. 'I haven't taught her anything yet.' He said calmly and he walked over, giving Gosalyn a rather playful shove out of the way so that he could return to filling up the chainsaw. 'You wait... She's her Daddy's girl.'

'Absolutely.' Gosalyn agreed gazing at Lucy with a smile.

He reached out and ruffled Gosalyn's hair as he smiled.

Nat shook her head and walked into the kitchen.

'Oh... um...' Gosalyn began suddenly remembering the thing she'd been trying to build the courage to ask him for. 'Dad.'

He looked at her, silently gazing at her with an expression that showed his awareness that she was asking something of him and the confusion he had over the fact that she had never really asked for anything before. 'Yes?'

She gave him a slight smile. 'Uh... can I ask you for a favour?'


The sun was setting and children were starting to emerge from their homes dressed in their costumes for the yearly tradition of Halloween trick or treating.

Nat had just gotten Lucy down for a nap when Gosalyn came down the stairs in her chosen Halloween costume for the night.

Negaduck gave a slight scowl as he passed her a jewelled sword and sheath, Gosalyn gave him a grateful smile. 'Thank you.' She said and she fastened it around her waist.

Nat considered Gosalyn, evidently this was the latest of outfits to come from a children's movie, Gosalyn had watched the newest movie in the cinema at least 4 times now.

'That outfit is hideous.' Negaduck commented screwing up his face at it.

Nat laughed in amusement. 'It's Halloween, Negs, I think she's brilliantly gotten into the spirit of it.'

Gosalyn smiled at Nat, adjusting the tiara on her head appearing to be slightly uncomfortable about wearing the "warrior" princess number, the combination of royal blue ballgown and sheathed sword was certainly unusual but it gave Nat an idea.

'I'm surprised you're letting her borrow that, Negs.' Nat said quirking her eyebrow. 'How did she manage to twist your arm into agreeing to this?'

He shrugged and turned, seemingly caught out about a moment of affection.

'Is it a borrow or a keep?' Nat asked aware he was feeling uncomfortable.

'Borrow.' Gosalyn said quickly.

Nat looked at Negaduck quirking her eyebrow at him. 'Where'd you even get a sword like that?'

He shrugged and looked at Gosalyn. 'Just be careful with it, it's a lot more valuable than what any of the other kids are likely to have on them.' He said seriously.

Gosalyn nodded. 'Yes, Dad.'

'For a moment, there I thought you were going to tell her to be careful with it cos it's sharp.' Nat smirked.

'I don't need to.' He scoffed but he shot Gosalyn a non-too-subtle look enforcing what Nat had said anyway.

Gosalyn nodded quickly. 'I know, I will be, I promise.'

Nat sighed. 'Let's just hope that Nightmare isn't going to make an appearance.'

'Nightmare?' Gosalyn asked blinking a few times, Nat deliberately looked at Negaduck showing surprise that how he didn't know about this unique Mashinda family mythical monster.

'You haven't heard of the Nightmare Bunny?'

Negaduck looked about ready to laugh at the ridiculous name.

'Oh, apparently you have, I guess you never got his name then.' Nat said smiling at him, she could imagine the child version of Negaduck driving off the creature for good. 'No one takes Negaduck's candy.' She said and she turned to Gosalyn. 'The Nightmare Bunny is about so tall.' She said gesturing to a height above both her and Negaduck who was still smiling in amusement, at least he was being silent, that was good. 'As black as midnight with a netherworldly smoke about him, he's most active around Halloween.'

'What does he do?' Gosalyn asked nervously.

Nat sighed. 'He preys on kids who aren't strong enough to stand up for themselves and takes their candy from them, at least at first.'

Gosalyn gulped. 'Most active?'

'Well, Halloween is the time kids have the most candy.'

Gosalyn shifted uncomfortably.

'But anyway… off you go, have fun.' Nat twirled around on her heel and walked into the kitchen, aware Gosalyn was now silently begging for reassurance from Negaduck.

'They're not going to wait for you forever, kid.' He said his voice lacking the usual sharpness to it, Nat smiled, that was all the reassurance Negaduck would ever give to anyone.

The front door opened and closed and Negaduck came into the kitchen. 'Nightmare Bunny?' He asked in amusement.

Nat gave a shrug. 'It's a Mashinda family tale that always works a treat in getting us ready to fight for what we want.'

'Yeah, I get that, but why a freaking Nightmare Bunny?'

'Because Bunny's are usually something that one thinks of as sweet and friendly, as opposed to a demonic creature that'll take your hard-earned candy from you.'

'Your family's nuts.' Negaduck scoffed.

'You say that like it's news.' Nat said rolling her eyes.


Gosalyn met up with Tank on the footpath, he was staring at her in a strange way, Honker looked at her and considered her.

'Wow.'

'What?' She asked looking from one boy to the other. 'What's the matter? I'm Princess Ingrid.'

Tank nodded. 'Yes.'

'I know the sword isn't the same as hers, but it's close.'

'Is that real?' Honker asked.

'Dad's letting me borrow it for the night.' She said simply.

'Oh, really dear, what are you wearing?'

Gosalyn sighed, she was going to be dealing with that all night.

'She's Princess Ingrid, Ingrid's a zombie slayer.' Tank explained.

'Can we go and get candy now?' Gosalyn asked.


Gosalyn sat on her bed gazing at her bag of candy, she'd managed to keep it safe from the other kids, but for once she felt like it wasn't even safe here, was there really a creature out there that preyed on children simply because they weren't tough enough to fight back?

A knock on her bedroom door made her look around.

'It's after 12 you know.' Negaduck said gazing at her calmly. 'If you're fixing to go to school tomorrow don't you think you ought to get some sleep?'

She gazed at him. 'Why haven't you told me before?' She asked quietly.

He rose his eyebrow. 'About that netherworld ninny?' He scoffed and he came over to the bed.

'D-did he take yours?' She asked.

He looked at her, his gaze intense as ever. 'Do you reckon he'd have managed it even if he had tried to?' He asked pointedly.

The answer was so obviously "no" that she hated herself for bothering to ask it.

He considered her. 'You're that worried, huh?'

She nodded.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pistol. 'Here then, if he shows go ahead and take a shot at him.'

She stared at the gun he was holding out for her. 'Would that work?' She asked, she didn't want to hurt anyone but would a gun even work on a creature like that?

'If it doesn't he'll at least get the hint.' He said with a shrug and passed the gun to her.

Gosalyn winced at the notion of shooting someone but nodded all the same, at least she could scare it off. 'Thank you, Dad.' She hugged him. 'For everything.'

'You're not dying.' He said with a slight growl, he hated hugs but he was obliging her with this one which was strange. 'This isn't your last stand, you've got all the shots you need there to take him down, just try not to shoot your brains out in the process.' She sat back and gazed up at him, he tapped her beak with a slight smile. 'That'd be really tragic if you died for candy.'

She smiled at him. 'I won't, Pop.'

'Better not.' He said pointedly. 'Safety.' He reached out and clicked it on. 'Don't go taking it off till you need it and aim before shooting.'

She nodded. 'Thank you.'

He quirked his eyebrow. 'You keep this up kid and we might have to get you your own.' He smirked and turned. 'Nat'll probably know where you can get your hands on a pink one.'

Gosalyn giggled despite herself. 'At least we'll know which one is mine then.'

He looked at her and smiled before his gaze became serious. 'We get you one and the rule is you never part with it, like Nat and her revolver, she doesn't part with it for anything.'

'Do you have one?' She asked despite herself.

He smiled darkly. 'Gun? No… I don't part with my chainsaw.'

Gosalyn nodded, he did seem to go through everything else easily enough, but chainsaws were something that he always seemed to have on him so it wasn't so hard to believe that he'd have one in particular that he never parted with.

'Try and get some sleep.' He said before leaving the room.


Something started ringing in an ear-splitting metallic scream, the abruptness of the end to the meditative silence that had surrounded her for so many hours made Gosalyn jump and look around in alarm for any sign of an intruder.

After a moment, she realised that it was only her alarm clock, she leant over and switched it off.

She stretched and tried to rub away the tiredness from her eyes, she hadn't slept all night but at least she'd kept her candy safe.

She gazed at the gun in her lap, it did give her some confidence to have something to fight with, Nat never parted with her revolver and Negaduck never parted with his chainsaw, because there was reassurance in the ability to rely on something when all else had failed; but to have a gun of her very own? If she only relied on it when all else failed, when there was no other choice, surely that was alright, the term "self-defence" existed for a reason after all.

She gazed at her alarm, it was time for school.

She stood and went to get dressed.


Gosalyn sat down at the breakfast table across from Nat, uncomfortably building up the courage to ask Nat what had been on her mind all night. 'Nat… can I ask you for a favour?'

'You want me to defend your candy while you're at school?' Nat asked calmly sipping at her coffee casually.

Gosalyn nodded, something about Nat's calmness was reassuring.

'That's fine.' Nat said calmly with a shrug.

Gosalyn sighed in relief.

'You look like you didn't sleep all night.' Nat commented gazing at Gosalyn over the piece of toast she was chewing on.

'I… didn't.' Gosalyn admitted.

Nat rose her eyebrow. 'Stayed up guarding your haul then?'

Gosalyn nodded.

'Well, at least you're committed, it narrows Nightmare's chances of taking your things.'

'My... things?' Gosalyn repeated feeling dread pooling in her stomach.

Nat nodded. 'He starts with candy, cos it's easy to take, once he knows that you can't stand up for yourself he helps himself to all of your stuff.'

Gosalyn's mind went straight to her lamp and she stiffened. 'So how do I-'

A cry came from the baby-monitor and Nat stood with a sigh. 'She's awake.' Nat brushed her hands off as she started walking but stopped at the door. 'You've got to actively be tougher than those around you, he's less likely to pick you if there's a kid wimpier than you.'

Gosalyn frowned and watched Nat leave, could she do that? Let some other kid become a target to keep her possessions safe? Again, she thought about the lamp on her desk, a gift, a symbol of how much Negaduck cared about her underneath, to lose it? After everything in her life so far? Her parents, her grandfather, to let her few things be taken away?

She pulled out the pistol Negaduck had loaned her, being tough didn't mean she'd have to be bad just that she would be willing to stand up for herself.

A hand reached out and took hold of the gun and Gosalyn jumped, tensing her grip on the pistol instinctively, she looked up and noticed the amusement on Negaduck's face, he rose his eyebrow and Gosalyn blushed a bit in embarrassment as she offered the gun to him. 'Sorry.' She said gazing down at her cereal, she hadn't even gotten to putting the milk into it yet.

'Nat.' Negaduck said turning. 'D'you know where she can get her hands on a pink gun?'

Gosalyn felt a bucket of even more embarrassment wash over her.

'Pink is a tricky colour.' Nat said slowly.

Gosalyn wished the ground would open up beneath her chair to get her away from all of her embarrassment.

'But then again, they probably just don't display them, not many people want pink after all.' Nat said calmly and she considered Gosalyn. 'You'd get it at the same place you get every gun, the gun store.'

Negaduck drew a breath.

'And no, I am not going to take her to get one, for two reasons...' Nat walked over to the kettle. 'Lucy is being a right handful this morning.'

'And?'

'And I've got guard duty.' Nat said simply. 'And given how Gosalyn is feeling right now, she's not going to take herself.'

'Guard duty?'

'Her things won't guard themselves, Negs.' Nat said rolling her eyes.

He heaved a sigh. 'Fine...' He looked at Gosalyn. 'Eat up, kid.'

She picked up the milk and poured it into the bowl.


Negaduck stepped up to the door and held it open for Gosalyn to step in first, he couldn't help but smile at how it was all going, all it took was for Nat to spill that stupid story and Gosalyn was radically shaping herself up, sure she was on edge and anxious but in those few moments before she'd registered that it was him she'd mounted the nerve to stand up for herself, well if Nat had been every bit like Gosalyn then it was little wonder how she knew what the effects on her would be.

He stepped in and considered the store, now saying the phrase "pink gun" out loud would be painful.

He walked over to the hand-guns in the cabinet and considered them, mentally he had to curse how Nat had done this, like he could pick the right gun for Gosalyn?

Gosalyn was frowning slightly.

'Can I help you?'

Gosalyn spun on her heel to face the store clerk. 'I want that one in pink.' She said forcefully as she pointed deliberately at the Desert Eagle, he hadn't thought of her as someone who would choose a .44 magnum, he looked to the store clerk who looked surprised.

'She knows what she wants.' He said simply.

The clerk nodded and headed out the back.

'You know what you're asking for?' He asked looking back at Gosalyn.

She nodded. 'The best of the lot of them.' She said confidently.

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her pulling her into a hug. 'That's my girl.'

She smiled. 'Thanks, Dad.'

He considered her, he was going to make sure about her aim after this, sure she knew guns, but she hadn't fired one yet.

'I have a few choices in pink.'

'Wow... maybe I should start being colour choosy.' Negaduck commented with a smirk, Gosalyn giggled and walked over to the counter as the clerk laid out four choices, the first one was a pink hand-grip, the second was a pink barrel, the third had a black grip with the rest of the gun in pink and then the final one, a gun entirely of pink.

Negaduck shook his head.

'It looks like a toy.' Gosalyn said picking up the completely pink gun.

'It's called Pink Crystal.' The clerk said calmly.

'Don't say you like it.' Negaduck groaned.

She considered him. 'It's a different pink than my dress.'

He stared at her.

'And it's my gun.' She said simply.

He rose his eyebrow.

'And it's bad enough that my shoes don't match, let alone-'

'Alright, fine...' He groaned and he reached into his pocket pulling out his card. 'And we're gonna need plenty of ammo.' He said bluntly to the clerk who nodded and disappeared out the back again. 'You sure?'

'It looks like a toy.' She said showing it to him.

He rose his eyebrow. 'So? I thought you wanted to make a point.'

'Yes, but only to those people I need to.'

He straightened. 'Who's been messin' with you?'

She sighed. 'I'm a push-over, Dad, everyone knows it.'

He gazed at her.

'It's nothing serious, I just need to change the dynamics.'

'I can't wait to get the calls from the school.' He said grinning in amusement.