The Legend of Gizmoduck

Part 100

I'm Sorry

With a dark breeze, Darkwing appeared with Morgana in front of the caravan and carried her in. When he stepped out, he caught Gosalyn's gaze for a moment. The dark expression on his face didn't change. Then he turned to shadow and swept away behind the caravan. Gosalyn left Honker at the magic table and ran after the blotch of darkness to a far corner of McDuck's garden. The black mist solidified into a tree in front of one of Scrooge McDuck's garden beds. Branches grew and reached upwards and outwards, sprouting leaves as they did. Green summery leaves.

"Darkwing?" Gosalyn asked.
The tree inclined a small branch toward her but otherwise said nothing.
"Are you alright?"
The tree said nothing, obviously.
"You know it's autumn, right? Fall? Your leaves are supposed to be orange." Getting nothing back out of the tree, Gosalyn rubbed her head. Morgana could talk. Morgana still had a beak!

Gosalyn raced back to the caravan.
"W-wait! She's sleeping." Honker said.
Gosalyn pushed past him. "Geez, not for the first five minutes, Honk; she just got here." Gosalyn climbed up the stairs into the caravan.

"Are you okay, Morgana?" Gosalyn asked, "What happened to you guys over there?"
"How do I put this?" Morgana sat up on the bed and looked at Gosalyn. "Erm, Felldrake hit us with..." Morgana pursed her beak. "He hit us with a de-spell. One simple little cleaning spell a child could do. How a master theurgist even thought of it I don't suppose." Morgana sighed, "I'm sorry, Gosalyn. Darkwing used up every ounce of power he could find to bring everyone back to the beginning of all this. Not everyone was lost exactly at the same time... I'm sorry." Morgana looked away down to the blanket over her and gave a heavy sigh. "This whole thing is terrible."

"What's wrong?" Gosalyn felt a shard of panic in her chest. "Please don't tell me you're going to die too!"
"No!" Morgana sat up straight. "No, sweetie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think that." Morgana offered Gosalyn a hug and Gosalyn took it.

Morgana sighed. "I don't have a lot of experience being a parent. I usually am better at being positive though."
Gosalyn pulled away from her and wiped her eyes. "So then... what 'is' wrong?"
"Well... I better just show you." Morgana pulled on the covers till the bottom edge crept up.

Gosalyn saw silvery tail fins. "You're a mermaid? That's cool!"
"You think it's 'cool'. Really?" Morgana sighed. "All I can think of is how difficult showering's going to be."
"Can't you just magic your legs back if you don't want a tail?"
"No. I have no magic." Morgana gave a weak smile. "I don't even know if... well, there's a lot I don't know right now."

"If showering's a problem you could take a bath."
"No!" Morgana shrieked and hid her face in her hands.

"What, what on earth?" Morgana took several steadying breaths. "Where did that come from?" When she looked back up at Gosalyn she was bright pink under her feathers. "I'm... sorry. I know you're trying to help, I... I'm an adult. Allegedly." She gulped. Morgana smoothed the covers down with an unsteady breath.

"I'll come back later..."
Morgana looked up at Gosalyn, an obviously fake smile on her face. "It's my job to help you, Gosalyn. What's the matter?"
"Darkwing turned into a tree. I don't think he recognises me."
"Of course he recognises you, sweetie. You're his little angel."

Gosalyn? An angel? Said no teacher ever. She let the comment slide. "I just want to know you guys are okay."
"We're fine, sweetie." Morgana stifled a yawn. "Your father will drive us home tonight. He'll get me a wheelchair. I can use a stool in the shower... It's not perfect, but there isn't anything to panic about. Erm, and he'll be fine after his nap. He's been through quite a lot worse these past few weeks; if anything that's just made him more..." She looked for a word. "Like a rock." She rubbed her head and suppressed a yawn.

Gosalyn nodded. "Okay. Well good night. Day." She corrected herself in confusion.

"Try to have fun, dear. You can play with the other children. We'll be here a few hours at least..." She yawned again. "Oh, dear. That's what you get for staying awake all night and day."
Gosalyn nodded and left the caravan feeling daunted. Morgana had literally not explained the reason she was so apologetic.

"Gosalyn!" Honker jumped up and down, waving his phone, "Mum's on the phone! My family's fine!"
"That's great, Honker!" Gosalyn said just as her phone in her own pocket began ringing.

The split second of excitement vanished when Gosalyn read the caller's name.

It was Unknown.