Launchpad was having a hard time understanding Darkwing's reasons for taking the girl. Darkwing's
ultimate vision was lost on his friend. Launchpad just said he hoped Darkwing knew what he was doing.
Upon saying that, he retired to a far corner of the tower. He didn't want to be in close range when she
woke up.
They had brought the girl back to the tower and rested her on a small cot that Darkwing kept
there. Carefully, they had removed her swords from her back, and placed them a safe distance away.
Darkwing had removed the leather jacket that she wore and laid it over her chest and arms, attempting to
keep the drafts off of her. He lifted her wrist and checked her pulse one more time. It beat steadily and
strongly, she would be fine in a while. Darkwing looked at her as she lay on the cot. She looked
different. The mask of rage she wore vanished when she was knocked out. She actually looked peaceful
now. Still, Darkwing didn't want to risk anything. He pushed a button on his communicator.
"Gosalyn, are you there?" He waited for a reply.
"Yeah dad, what's up?"
"Gos, I need you to call over to Morgana's house. Tell her to come to the tower as soon as
possible."
"Right dad." Darkwing ended communication and walked toward the window. He looked out
over the city. Dusk was falling and the cool night breeze ran through the tower. He watched the sun
sinking slowly into the West. He turned slowly as he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Morgana stood
before him. He placed a hand on hers and squeezed it gently.
"Thanks for coming." He whispered.
"Any time." Morgana smiled. Her smile quickly faded as she saw the serious look on
Darkwing's face. "Dark, what is it?" He jerked his head over to the cot. Morgana walked cautiously
towards the dark figure. She gazed down at the girl.
"She looks so....so....normal..." Morgana whispered. Darkwing stood beside her.
"Can you feel anything?" He asked. "Are you sure she's the one?"
Ever so gently, Morgana sat down on the cot next to the girl. She placed a hand on the girl's
forehead. Morgana closed her eyes. She felt a burning sensation run through her body. It grew hotter
and hotter. With her eyes still closed Morgana spoke softly.
"She's the one I felt. Anger and rage are burning inside her..." Morgana was about to lift her
hand when something else hit her. She felt a pressure flow from the girl to her. A weight was put on
Morgana's heart. She could feel a stinging pain all over her body. She suddenly felt like her heart was
being ripped in two. An icy chill made it's way over her body and she felt a deep sorrow build in side of
her. Tears began to flow from Morgana's eyes.
"Morg, sweety? What's wrong?" Darkwing asked. She shook her head.
"I don't know." Morgana lifted her hand from the girl's head and the feelings immediately
stopped. "Dark," She began. "there's something else here, something else is inside her..." Darkwing
hadn't time to question Morgana. The girl began to stir and open her eye.
She blinked slowly several times, trying to banish the fog that clouded her sight. A weak hand
made its way to her head. She rubbed the spot that had been hit, wincing in pain. When her eye sight
cleared, she looked around her. The first thing she saw was Morgana, who was still seated on the cot.
She quickly pulled herself up, pushing the jacket out of the way. She starred at Morgana for a few
minuets, unsure of what she should do, if she should try to get away. Morgana took a deep breath, trying
to calm her nerves. With quivering lips, she formed a smile and spoke softly to the girl.
"It's all right. We don't want to do you harm."
The girl's single electric blue eye rested on Morgana, studying her. She looked harmless enough.
She was trying to be polite but the girl could tell she was nervous. She felt a warm energy flow from
Morgana. The sensation calmed the girl. For the first time in a while, she felt, peaceful.
That all melted away when Darkwing stepped up next to Morgana. The girl's eye locked on him
as fire coursed through her veins. A harsh growl rumbled in side her. Darkwing began to back away
slowly. He searched with the corners of his eyes for any possible exit. With one quick motion, the girl
pulled her legs under her and leapt up in the air. She landed on the ground, facing Darkwing, her teeth
flashed as she bared them. She made another leap for Darkwing, brandishing her claws in mid air.
Morgana stood quickly. In one swift action, created a light mist that circled its self around Darkwing.
The mist rose around him, creating a protective shell. The girl's claws met the barrier as she landed on an
invisible shield surrounding her target. She hit the ground with a thud.
She stood back up and glared at Morgana. She was getting tired of people getting in her way.
"I'm not going to let you hurt him." Morgana spoke to her calmly. "So you may as well give up.
As I said we don't mean you harm. We just want to talk with you." The girl looked Morgana in the eyes.
She didn't know why, but for some reason she trusted Morgana. She moved back to the cot and sat down,
slumping her shoulders. She spoke in irritated tones.
"So talk!" She snarled. Morgana turned to face her. The mist around Darkwing slowly
disappeared. The conversation had drawn Launchpad out of hiding. He stood behind Darkwing who
stood behind Morgana, carefully watching the girl's every move. Morgana glided forward and sat at the
opposite end of the cot. Morgana was about to speak when Darkwing abruptly started throwing questions
at the girl.
"Who are you? What are you doing in St. Canard? Who do you think you are deciding the fate
of criminals???" The only response Darkwing got was a hiss. The girl narrowed her eye and glared at
Darkwing. She considered taking another shot at him. Morgana turned and quietly pleaded with
Darkwing.
"Please Dark, let me try." Darkwing reluctantly nodded and Morgana turned back to face the
girl. She managed a kind smile as she spoke. "Please don't be angry with Darkwing, he's just doing what
he thinks is best." Morgana bravely extended her hand. "My name is Morgana McCawber." The girl
looked at Morgana, and then at her open hand, then back to Morgana. Darkwing reached into his jacket
and put a hand around his gas gun, ready to draw. All three of them nearly jolted in shock as the girl
clasped her hand around Morgana's, shaking it gently.
"My name is Raven," She spoke so softly, her voice was barely audible. "Raven Inari."
Morgana's smile widened.
"Pleased to meet you Ms. Inari." She turned and gestured to Darkwing and Launchpad. "This is
Darkwing Duck and Launchpad McQuack." They were making the brave attempt to move forward and
shake her hand when she let out a loud growl, sending them both back to their places. It became clear to
Darkwing that if Raven was going to do any talking, it was only going to be with Morgana. Morgana
continued.
"Where are you from Ms. Inari?"
"Okinawa." Morgana nodded.
"From the East..." Morgana heard a faint noise and turned her head. Darkwing had begun to tap
his foot impatiently, trying to get a message across to Morgana. She rolled her eyes and turned back to
Raven.
"My friend wants me to get to the point. We need your help Ms. Inari." Raven looked at her,
puzzled.
"With what?" She asked.
"With Negaduck..." Raven was even more confused. She looked as if she had never heard the
name before. She shook her head.
"With who?" Darkwing looked at her in disbelieve.
"Negaduck! Remember? The guy you tried to decapitate!" Raven's eye glowed in rage.
"So, the demon has a name..." She hissed. She turned to Darkwing, anger building in her once
more. "He'd be gone now if it weren't for you!"
"Excuse me for not letting you commit murder!" Darkwing shrieked. "Pardon me for trying to
keep the law!" Raven leapt to her feet screaming.
"HE'S THE MURDERER! HE'S THE SOULLESS DEMON FROM THE DARK WINDS!
KILLING HIM WOULDN'T BE A CRIME! IT'D BE A BLESSING TO MANKIND!!!" Morgana stood
and placed firm hands on Raven's shoulders.
"Please Ms. Inari, calm down. Like I said, Dark's just doing what he thinks is right, just like you
are." Raven tore away from her and turned her back to them.
"I'm not interested in what's right, I'm trying to destroy an evil!" She turned her head and spoke
to Morgana. "And quit calling me Ms. Inari. Raven'll do." Darkwing tried again to reason with her.
"Look, Raven, all we want is...."
"I SAID SHE COULD CALL ME RAVEN! I DIDN'T SAY YOU COULD!!!" Darkwing jumped
back at the sudden out burst. He quickly regained his composure and spoke angrily.
"Look, what ever your name is, we brought you here to ask for your help! Negaduck's a tough
guy to beat. But you're a great fighter. You're the only person I've ever seen that's even slightly
intimidated him! Help me get him and we can lock him up for good!" Raven sneered.
"If I get him, I'll kill him. You won't be able to get in my way forever." Morgana turned Raven
to face her.
"Why are you so hell bent on killing him? Death would be a quick and easy punishment.
Rotting in jail for life would be much more fitting for him." She looked at her with eyebrows lowered.
"What did he do that was so awful, Raven?" Raven looked into Morgana's eyes for what felt like forever.
There was a kindness in them that Raven had missed. She felt kindred energies coursing between them.
She shook her head suddenly, dismissing the feeling.
"Forget it!" She hissed. "I'm not playing attack dog to some pathetic Dick Tracy wannabe in a
mask! I work for myself, by myself! I'm not handing that demon over so you can lock him up in some
flimsy iron cage where he's most likely to break free in days!" Darkwing was about to protest, but
Morgana raised a hand to stop him.
"It's your choice Raven, we can't and won't force you. But please, if you change your mind..."
Morgana pointed out to the bridge, letting Raven know exactly where they were. Raven turned away. She
grabbed her jacket from off the floor and threw it around herself.
"This is the last time I'm going to warn you about getting in my way!" She sneered at Darkwing.
She looked toward Morgana. "She can't protect you all the time!" Darkwing sighed and pointed toward
the elevator that lead down to the bridge. Raven started over, then stopped half way there, whirling
around in anger. "Where are my swords???" She demanded.
"Those things are dangerous." Darkwing snapped. "I don't think psycho's like you should own
them!" Raven let out and ear shattering scream.
"NEVER TAKE A WARRIOR'S BLADES!!!" She shrieked. "WHERE ARE THEY?!?!"
Darkwing nodded to the corner where the twin Kitanas lay. Raven rushed over and slung them over her
back. Giving Darkwing one last snarl, she made her way to the elevator and headed down to the bridge.
When she was out of ear shot, Morgana sighed.
"Looks like I'm done here. See you later, Dark." Before he had time to reply, she vanished.
Darkwing stood watching the spot where she had been. After a moment he shrugged and headed for the
Thunder Quack.
"Let's go LP." He said, climbing into the seat. Launchpad climbed in next to him.
"Where to DW?" Darkwing's answer shocked him.
"Head over the bridge and keep your eye open for Inari."
"You want to follow her??" Lauchpad asked in amazement.
"Despite what she thinks, our conversation isn't over!" Darkwing answered. Launchpad sighed.
"What ever you say, DW." The Thunder Quack shot out into the night sky.
A knock came on Negaduck's door. He looked up to see two twin ducks walk into his private
quarters. He grinned at their entrance.
"So, how'd it go?" He asked. The two nodded in unison.
"Just fine." One replied. "We gave our computer the description, and it gave us the address. We
were in and out in seconds!" Negaduck leaned back in his chair.
"Good. I don't want that demented Jezebel on my back any longer!"
"Don't worry sir!" The second twin spoke up. "There won't be enough left of her to feed to
vultures!"
"Great! Now get some one to fly out to the building. I want to know that everything went all
right." Negaduck dismissed them both. He smiled wickedly to himself.
"I love technology!" He thought. "Especially the kind that lets you find any one you want. Or
want killed." A cruel laughter filled the room.
Darkwing and Lanchpad had followed Raven across town and back. She had back tracked to the
sight of the fallen prison. Retrieved her motorcycle she had parked near bye and sped off towards
downtown. They followed her to a rather large apartment building. They were about to land on the roof
when an other object in the sky caught Darkwing's eye.
"Let's check it out." They flew around the building in search of the illusive object.
Raven was 8 feet from her door when she realized she had left her helmet hanging on the handle
bars of the motorcycle. Too tired to go back, she continued on to her room. She slid the key in the door
and turned it. The door swung open before the key could click. Raven was sure she had locked the door
before she left.
"Oh well." She thought, yawning. She had been in a hurry after all. She continued on into her
room. She flipped on the light switch and headed for the bed. She was about to remove the swords from
her back when she noticed something else. The main computer on the table was on. She only left the lap
top running while she went out. She knew she hadn't left the PC running.
Raven stood over the keyboard and started the manual shut down. She blinked when an error
message popped up.
"What the..." She read the message box. ""Memory terminated, computer can not respond."?"
She tried one more time. The same message box popped up. Frustrated, she tried to open up the main
control set up file. The same message popped appeared. She gave an annoyed groan and tried opening
the program manager. Maybe she had hit a wrong key and erased something.
""Memory terminated, computer can not respond."" She read the message aloud again. "Forget
it!" She thought. She'd reprogram it in the morning, right now she was exhausted. She leaned down to
the wall out let and pulled the main PC cord. Raven jumped in shock as a steady beeping noise started
coming from the computer. She ran to the screen to find it still up. This time a new message box was
flashing on the screen. It kept in time with the beeping.
""Error! Program not compatible with system."" The beeping was getting louder and faster.
Suddenly Raven remembered her unlocked door. She finally realized the situation.
"Oh no!"
She heard the beeping grow louder and louder. In a flash she ran for the window. Shoving the
sliding glass aside, she leapt out into the air. Seconds later, an explosion rocked the building. Raven
plummeted down ward. Her room had been on the higher levels. She closed her eye and gritted her teeth,
bracing herself for the landing she was going to make on the street below. A sharp breath escaped her
body when she hit something cold and metal. She opened her eye and looked up as the glass dome of the
Thunder Quack was slowly rising.
"Told you I heard something over here, DW!" Launchpad whistled as he looked up at the
smoldering hole in the building where a room used to be. He looked at Raven.
"Hope you didn't put this months rent check in the mail yet!" Another low flying jet whizzed
past them. It looked just like the Thunder Quack only the color was yellow and black. Two twin ducks
sat in the cock pit, surveying the damage. Darkwing stepped out onto the nose of the Thunder Quack. He
held out his hand to Raven.
"Ok look! You don't like me and I'm slightly up set with you for trying to kill me, twice! We
both know Negaduck was behind this! He nearly got you. He's come close to taking me out as well. We
might not agree on Negaduck's fate but there's one thing you should agree with: If we don't hang together,
he'll see to it we hang separately!" Raven looked him in the face for a moment, regarding him. She
reached up and drew the swords from her back. Darkwing stepped back waiting for her to strike.
"Fly under their jet!" She called. Darkwing looked stunned.
"Huh?"
" I said fly under their jet! Not too low!" Raven crawled her way to the edge of the cock pit. She
dropped the lower part of her legs inside. "Close the dome part way! And grab on to my legs!"
"What are you doing?" Darkwing called through the crack between the glass and the metal.
Raven turned her head forward as the headed toward the other jet.
"Hopefully not killing myself..." She muttered.
They were inches away from the jet, coming under it just low enough for Raven to have a good
balance. She secured the swords in her hands. As they went under, Raven plunged the blades into the
under side of the jet as hard as she could. Using all of her strength she bore down on the swords, keeping
them steady as they tore through the metal shell of the second jet. Fuel lines and wiring were severed as
they passed under, emerging from under the nose of their enemy. The dome of the Thunder Quack flew
open and Darkwing pulled Raven in before she could slip, closing the glass down after her. The Thunder
Quack made a mid air U-turn in time to see the rival jet slam into the ground. They watched as the two
pilots fell from the wreckage in time to be caught by arriving police. Darkwing turned to Raven as she
was sheathing her blades.
"Um, nice job!" He managed. Raven looked down at the wreck, and back up to where here
apartment had once been. She shook her head sadly.
"As much as I hate to say it, you're probably right. He won't stop until we're gone. We have to
get him first." Darkwing patted her shoulder.
"Nice to see you finally thinking with logic!" Raven glared at him.
"This does not mean I plan to let him live." She said coldly. Darkwing nodded.
"We'll tare down that bridge when we get there. Right now let's get back to the tower before the
cops figure we had anything to do with this."
"Drop me down in the parking lot." Raven instructed. "I'll follow you on my bike. Uh...I get up
the same way I came down, right?" Darkwing nodded. They dropped Raven down next to her motorcycle
and she picked up the helmet from where it hung on the handle bars.
"Good thing I didn't go back for it..." She thought. She gunned the motor and followed the
Thunder Quack back to the tower.
Morgana sat on her bed. She rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the head ache that had come
on. She sighed and lay down, turning to face the wall. Something on the bed side table caught her eye.
She looked up and saw Darkwing's cufflinks laying on the stand. Morgana groaned softly. She reached
up and took them in her hand.
"I hope he hasn't needed these." She thought.
Despite her weariness, Morgana knew that Darkwing kept a good part of his arsenal in his
cufflinks. A faint shimmer glowed around her as she vanished. Seconds later, she stood once more in
Darkwing tower. She saw that the Thunder Quack was gone. Morgana placed the cufflinks on a table top
next to one of Darkwing's computers. She was about to leave when she heard the hum of a large engine
approaching. The Thunder Quack flew in and landed in the center of the tower. Morgana met Darkwing
as he climbed down from the cockpit.
"Morg! What brings you back?" Morgana nodded her head toward the computer table.
"You left your cufflinks last night. I figured you might need them." Darkwing smiled.
"Like I said, you're too good to me!" Morgana smiled. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
She stopped and looked up as she heard another noise. The elevator from the bridge came up, holding a
black motorcycle. It's driver stepped off and removed it's helmet. Ebony strands of hair fell around
Raven's shoulders as she placed the helmet back on to the handles and stepped into the tower.
"Raven!" Morgana looked at her in surprise. "You came back?"
"It doesn't look like I have much of a choice." She answered, gesturing to Darkwing. "He's hell
bent on getting in my way and Negaduck's seen to it that my methods of finding him were destroyed. Not
to mention my living quarters. That leaves my options kind of limited."
"Speaking of options, where are you going to stay?" Darkwing asked. Raven shrugged.
"I don't know." She answered. Darkwing motioned to the cot.
"You're welcome to stay here, if you like." He offered. Raven nodded.
"Wait." Morgana spoke up. She turned to face Raven. "If you need some place to stay, stay with
me." Morgana grinned. "A bed's a lot more comfortable than that cot, and the house is slightly less drafty
than the tower." Raven starred at her for a moment, trying to see if she was serious. Darkwing gulped
nervously and grabbed Morgana by the wrist, pulling her aside.
"Morg, can I speak with you a moment?" When they were out of ear shot he stopped and looked
her in the eyes. "Are you mad, woman?!? You're just going to let her in your home? There's no telling
what she might do!"
"You were going to let her stay here!" Morgana hissed, trying to keep her voice down.
"That's different! We wouldn't be here all night, she wouldn't have a chance to kill us in our
sleep!" Morgana rolled her eyes.
"I don't believe you Dark! First you want her help, then you want to keep her locked up here
because you don't trust her! Make up your mind!"
"Well she did try to kill me! Sorry if I'm a bit cautious!"
"Dark, she's not after any of us, it's Negaduck she wants! Look, she didn't want to have any thing
to do with us, but she came back didn't she?"
"It's just what you said about her, Morg. What you said you felt. All that anger and hatred.
What if she snaps? If she were here at least no one would get hurt." Morgana sighed.
"Dark, I did feel a lot of anger and hatred from her. But when I was close to her, when I looked
her in the face. There was something else. Something besides the anger and bitterness." She bit her lip
and looked back at Raven for a split second. "There was pain. There was loneliness and sorrow. Above
all else that poor girl's bleeding from the inside. Her heart's been ripped out."
"You can say that again." Darkwing rubbed the side of his face. "I would almost have sworn she
didn't have one." Morgana looked at him pleadingly.
"Please Dark, I know what I'm doing." Darkwing sighed reluctantly.
"All right. No point in arguing when you have your mind set. Just promise me that if anything
happens you'll get away from her fast!" Morgana nodded. They made their way back to where Raven and
Launchpad stood.
"Well, shall we be off then?" Morgana said, warmly. Raven headed over to her motorcycle.
"Hop on," She said. "you can give me directions." Morgana gave Darkwing a quick kiss.
"See you soon, Dark." She followed Raven who helped her on. She handed Morgana the black
helmet.
"Better you stay safe than me." She said. They descended into the night. Have way down to the
bridge Raven spoke. "He doesn't trust me, does he?" Morgana nodded.
"You have good perception."
"No, I have good hearing." Raven replied. Morgana bit her lip.
"Sorry about that."
"I don't blame him. The person who tried to cut my throat would be the last one I'd want to
invite to my home with open arms."
They reached the bridge and shot out into the night. Morgana directed raven as best she could
around the helmet's face guard, and the whipping night wind. They pulled up to McCawber manor and
got off. Raven followed Morgana up the walk, pushing her motorcycle along beside her. She left it by the
porch and set the helmet down with it. The door swung open and Morgana gestured for Raven to enter.
Raven removed her boots and set them down by the door before she walked in.
Raven was awestruck by the house. It was the largest thing she had ever seen. Creeks and
groans from the old house echoed down through the dark corridors. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and
candles flickered in their mounts on the walls. Raven was lead to a bed room on the second floor. Wall
mounted oil lamps dimly lit the large room. A large bed stood in the corner. The bed post was covered in
carvings of dragons and snakes. Four wooden skulls sat neatly on all corners of the bed frame. There was
a vanity mirror on the other side of the room. The silver glass was mounted in a large wood frame, carved
to resemble a snakes mouth, complete with fangs.
"I hope the places doesn't bother you." Morgana said, half apologetically. "Most people find it
frightening." Raven looked at her in shock.
"Frightening? Are you kidding? This place is gorgeous!" Morgana chuckled.
"Well I'm glad someone besides me thinks so. I'll show you around in the morning. There's a
bathroom and shower through that door, and extra blankets in the closet. Let me know if you need
anything, I'm right down the hall." Raven nodded. "Good night." Morgana smiled and left the room,
closing the door behind her. Raven removed the swords and dropped them to the floor. She took off her
jacket and flung it over the chair by the vanity. She slipped off her flannel and blue jeans and draped
them over the jacket. She pulled back the covers of the bed and crawled in. She reached over and turned
down the flame in the oil lamp by the bed. She lay back and closed her eye, falling into an instant sleep.
Raven awoke several hours later. At first she thought it was still night. The room was pitch
dark. She looked over at a grand father clock that stood across from the bed. It was 10 a.m. Raven got
out of bed and walked over into the bath room. There were fresh towels and soap lying out. She took a
quick shower and wrapped a towel around her body, using another to dry her hair. After drying off she
slipped back into her T-shirt and jeans and flung her swords over her back. She hung the towels up and
headed down stairs.
The entire house was still dark. Raven followed the flickering candle light down the hallway.
Empty rooms past by as she neared the end of the long hallway. She poked her head into the last
doorway. The room was, for all Raven could figure, most likely the kitchen. Morgana was seated at the
table. Already dressed in a long deep blue dress, she was reading over the morning paper. She looked up
and smiled as Raven entered.
"Good morning. Sleep ok?"
"Yeah." Raven pulled out a chair and sat down. Morgana put the paper down. She smirked
when she saw that Raven was wearing the swords.
"You carry those with you all the time?" She asked.
"A warrior's blades should never be out of reach." Raven replied. Morgana smiled and nodded.
"Can I get you anything to eat? You must be starving." She chuckled. "Most don't care for my
cooking, but I could get some toast and eggs with out screwing it up too badly." Raven shook her head.
"I'm really not hungry."
"Well at least let me get you some tea. You need something hot in you." Morgana pleaded.
Raven agreed and Morgana poured green tea into a clay mug. Raven sipped the tea. She leaned back and
closed her eye. It did feel good to have something warm in her. When she was finished Morgana kept her
word of showing her around the house. She lead Raven through endless hallways and rooms. Raven was
impressed with the dark architecture. Statues, pillars and pictures seemed to breath and flow from their
places. At last they ended up at what seemed to be the last room. They stood infront of two large, wooden
double doors.
"You'll love this!" Morgana grinned. She pushed the doors open and they swung into a vast
room. Bare marble floor spread covered the entire area. Chandeliers that had once hung high above the
old ball room were resting on the floor, dusty and covered in cobwebs. Huge windows covered half the
room, starring out at the dark sky. Morgana pulled raven over to a wall on the east side of the room. A
huge mural spread across the marble wall. A picture of countless rooms covered most of the mural. Each
room painted a different color. Lavishly dressed men and women occupied the rooms. At the start of the
picture they looked to be happy and enjoying themselves. But working down the art work they started
looking pale and sickly. They became worse and worse until finally the rooms showed their occupants
laying about on the floor, dead. A figure in red was the only one left standing in the last room. It loomed
over a young man's dead body, dressed in cloths of royalty.
"An ancestor of mine had that made quite a long time ago." Morgana explained. "It's a portrait
of The Masque of the Red Death by Poe." Raven's eye lit up.
"I loved that story! It's one of his best!"
"It was my favorite. It just struck me as hysterical how the people thought they could escape
death!" Morgana laughed. Raven gave a small smirk.
"Yeah, stupid yuppies." Morgana smiled, pleased that she had been able to start an actual
conversation.
"So you're a Poe fan?" She asked Raven.
"I love Poe, I read his work since I was little. My favorite was Annabel Lee." A brief smile
moved across her lips. "My mother used to read his work to me. She loved it. She named me Raven after
the poem. She had a huge book filled with all the stories and poems he ever wrote. She'd read to me from
it at night back in Okinawa, before I went to sleep. My father used to say he was amazed that I didn't
have constant night mares. Then he'd say it was because I was very brave, like him...." Morgana's smile
widened as she listened to Raven reminiss.
"Are your parents in America now? I'd love to meet them." The smile that had come across
Raven's face vanished immediately.
"That's impossible," She said softly. "they're dead." Raven's eye began to glisten. She turned
her back to Morgana before her tears started falling.
"I'm so sorry, Raven." Morgana said gently. Something flashed into Morgana's memory and it
finally dawned on her. She stood behind Raven and places a tender hand on her shoulder.
"Negaduck killed them, didn't he." She asked.
"And my sister." Raven answered meekly. Her voice began to quiver. Morgana squeezed her
shoulder. She finally understood the emotions of pain and sorrow that mingled with the anger and hate
that controlled Raven.
"No wonder..." Morgana whispered to herself. She turned Raven around and faced her.
Morgana gently wiped the tears from Raven's face. Raven didn't stop her. She stood, quivering,
immersed in her own sorrow. "You poor thing, no wonder you want his blood so badly. He murdered
your family!" Raven snapped out of her thoughts and sat down on the floor leaning against the wall under
the mural. A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.
"He didn't kill them himself." She explained. "But he ordered the attack." Morgana sat down
next to Raven on the floor. A puzzled look spread across her face. "Let me start at the beginning." Raven
said. "I come from a small mura in Okinawa called Niwa-en. My Father was Japanese, his name was
Idzumo. My mother was American, her name was Karen. She came to Okinawa to study Eastern religion
and culture. She met my father at temple and soon after they were married. Two years later they had me,
13 years after that they had my sister, Ninyo. My father was a warrior. He taught me to fight, he even
taught me Tai-chi that he learned from a Chinese man he studied under. When I turned 18, he gave me
his Kitana blades, he said they represented balance and courage like the dragon. Even though he was a
warrior, always told be that I should only fight to protect myself. He said that violence and destruction
were two of the biggest evils."
"He was a very wise man." Morgana commented.
"Yes," Raven agreed. "but in the end, all his wisdom could not save him..." Raven closed her
eye and leaned back. Memories flowed from her mind to her lips. Morgana sat quietly, as Raven related
the entire story.
It was late summer. A cool breeze blew in from the ocean, over the small sea side village Niwa-
en. Small houses lined the road that lead into the city. It was a long way to travel from the village to the
city. But a bus came by the small community every day, to pick up those who worked in the city. As the
small bus made its way back to Niwa-en, Raven starred out the window at the passing fields. Vast
amounts of Wasabi plants covered the fields. The Wasabi was valued as a spice for Japanese cooking. It
was Niwa-en's second main export, next to fish.
Raven sighed. The harvest would be around soon and she would have to take off a few weeks at
the computer programming company she worked for in town to help out. She replayed the tired old
argument she had with her father that morning. It seemed that just about every other day, before she left
for work, her father would complain about her job.
"You are only winning money for those men who sell the machines. I know how they work!
They make you work on the machine and get it ready to be sold. Then they sell it for a lot of money, and
only give you a little bit! They work you hard and send you home tired every night. You hardly even see
your family! You get up and leave in the morning, and at night you are too tired to be with us! You
should stay here and fish, or tend the crops with the rest of the village! It is tradition here! Our ancestors
did not have technology, we do not have it now, and those who live here in the future will not have it!
You dishonor your family by being a slave to the men in the city!"
"And who do you think the fish that you catch and the crops that you plant go to, father? They
send them to the people in the city too! And what do you get out of it? A sore back and a few yen! I
bring home more money in a day than you do in a week! Times are changing father, soon machines are
going to be doing your job. Machines that you won't know how to run! The experience I get from that
company can benefit me the rest of my life!"
"It will be the people like you who bring the machines here! Look at what the city has done to
you already! You buy cloths from big stores! You argue with your mother and father! The city is
poisoning your mind, daughter! You are forsaking the old ways!"
"I'm not forsaking the old ways! I'm just being realistic! Soon, what I do will be one of the only
jobs you can get around here! The old ways are good father, but they are no match for the future."
Her father gave up in desperation. Raven ran out to the road just in time to catch the bus. Now
she was heading home. She didn't relish the welcome she would get. Her father would still be angry, her
mother upset. Poor Ninyo didn't even understand what the fights were about. She was nine years old and
all she even remotely understood was the word 'machine' which her father had told her meant 'monster'.
The bus rolled to a stop and Raven got off with the other passengers. She lagged far behind the
others. She was in no hurry to get home. She sighed and looked out at the sun as it sank into the ocean.
Perhaps the new ways were choking her. The old ways had always kept her and her family supported.
They were always fed, clothed and, usually, happy. At any rate, Raven decided that an apology to her
father was in order.
Suddenly, Raven stopped dead in her tracks. She heard shrieks of terror rising from the village.
Smoke rose into the night sky. She could smell the sour odor that arose when the Wasabi plants were cut.
It mingled with the smell of smoke and rose into the air. Raven began to run toward the village. She ran
as fast as she could, her heart pounding inside her like a drum. She came to a screeching halt at the
village edge. She gasped in horror at what she saw.
The other villagers that had walked on ahead of her, now lay on the ground. They were drenched
in a pool of blood. The smoke was coming from the village, where several of the small houses had been
set on fire. Trucks were lined up by the fields. Large, evil looking men were severing the steams of the
Wasabi plants and throwing them into crates on the truck beds.
Raven could feel some one's eyes on her. She heard the sound of a knife being drawn. Quickly
she spun a leg out. Kicking the knife from her would be attackers hand. The move took him by surprise
and he froze for a moment. Long enough for Raven to knock him to the ground.
The cries of terror grew stronger from the village. More men were running about after fleeing
villagers, swinging knifes and firing guns. A large duck pushed a mother and the baby that she held to
her chest down with his riffle. He aimed it at the woman's head, who was pleading with him for her life.
He began to pull the trigger back slowly. The gun fired into mid air. Raven had dashed up, grabbed the
end of the gun and pushed it up wards in the mans hands. He fought with Raven for a moment for control
of the riffle. Raven lifted her foot to his chest and pushed him hard. He lost his handle on the gun and
stumbled back wards, regaining his balance quickly. He started after Raven, only to have his face come
into hard contact with the end of the riffle. He fell back down, uncontious. Raven dropped the gun and
ran around the burning village. She looked in vain for her father. Why wasn't he out here fighting? She
ran to her house. He was probably there, protecting Raven's mother and sister. She dashed up to her
house. The first thing she noticed was that the door was open and the lights were out. She ran inside,
completely unprepared for what she found.
Blood covered the floor. Raven nearly slipped on it as she walked in the house. She squinted her
eyes in the darkness and scanned the room. They landed on something mounted to the wall. Raven
reached over and grabbed an oil lamp from the wall. She turned up the small flame and let the light fall
around the room. She screamed in horror. The thing she has seen mounted to the wall, was her mothers
head. It was stabbed through with a long knife. Blood still dripped from the neck and onto the floor
where the body lay. Her mother's dark brown eyes still looked on in a glassy stare of surprise. Laying not
far, was Raven's father. A large chunk of his face had been shot off and splattered around the room.
There were several gun shot wounds in his chest. He looked like a mannequin that had been toppled over,
still starring at the ceiling and clutching the twin Kitana blades in his fists. The swords were smeared red
with blood. Idzumo had not gone down with out a fight.
A small noise from under the stair way startled Raven. She grabbed the swords from her fathers
dead hands and faced dark shadows from under the stair well. A tiny voice quivered in fear.
"Raven?" Raven dropped the swords and ran toward the corner.
"Ninyo!" Raven held out her arms as the terrified 9 year old ran into them. Raven turned her
sister's back to the remains of her parents. She patted the girls back and whispered gently into her ear.
"It's all right, Ninyo. You're safe now!" Ninyo looked into Raven's eyes. She began to sob
hysterically.
"Mom and dad! They...they...were here and these men came in and dad was fighting and then
the men had guns and they shot dad and then they did it again and again and again and then mom started
screaming and then and... and...." Raven clutched her sister to her tighter, realizing that Ninyo had
witnessed the whole thing from under the stairs.
"Come on Ninyo!" Raven grabbed the swords from the ground. "We're leaving! Stay close to
me! You hear? No matter what, stay close to me!"
"Hey Brutic! Looks like we missed some in here!" Two men met Raven and Ninyo at the door.
One was a huge dog carrying a shot gun. The other a short slim duck that held a sharp meat hook in his
hand. They made there way in the door. Raven and Ninyo stepped back. Raven gave Ninyo a push back
wards, moving her behind. The dog grinned.
"I don't know how to say good bye in Japanese. But in a moment you won't be able to hear me say
anything any way!" He raised the gun and pointed it square at Raven's face. Raven let out a cry of rage
and leapt forward. She knocked the brute in the stomach knocking him down. The gun went off in his
hands. The bullet nicked Raven, but flew past her. She jumped back to her feet, blades still in hand,
ready to fight.
"Raven..." The small voice came again, cutting through Raven. She turned to see her sister
standing in the middle of the room. She was shaking violently and was about to fall over. Blood was
running down her face. The blood was spilling down and onto Ninyo's cloths.
Raven's eyes locked on the tiny hole in Ninyo's forehead.
"Raven..." She managed again. Her legs gave out from under her and she began to fall, still
talking softly as her tiny body hit the floor. "I'm sorry...I didn't...stay...close...." Raven starred in
disbelieve at her sister's body. It lay on the floor next to her father.
"No..." Raven said softly to herself. She began sobbing and screamed out in pain. "NO!!!"
Raven started over to her sister's side when she heard a click. She turned her head slightly. The
dog re aimed at Raven's head, an evil smile on his face. In a blur, Raven spun on her heels and hurled a
sword. It found its target in the dog's neck. His eyes bulged in shock as he fell backwards. The duck
looked down at this companion and then back at Raven. She stood, pointing the other sword at his chest.
A look of rage covered her face.
"You wanna dance, sweet heart?" The duck asked mockingly. "OK, let's dance."
Raven dodged out of the way as he darted towards her, his hook tore a chunk of her flesh as he
past by. She spun around and swung her sword, slashing him across the face. Metal clashed against
metal. They traded slashes back and forth. Raven took most of the damage on her arms. With out her
other sword she could only make poor attempts at shielding them. The duck's hook clanged loudly as it
crashed into Raven's blade. He momentarily over powered her, forcing her blade point down and
punching her in the face. She reeled back wards in pain. The duck jumped up and brought his hook
down. Raven tried to block it, but it was too late.
The hook tore into her right eye brow. Raven screamed in agony. She tried to back away from
the duck. That proved to be another mistake. The hook sliced down ward from her eye brow, through her
eye lid, and strait into her right eye. As she pulled back wards, the snared eye went with the hook in the
opposite direction. There was a soft, sickening, snapping noise as the ocular muscles were torn and the
eye ripped from the socket. Raven knelt on the floor, one hand clutching the wound.
The duck stumbled back wards. He regained his balance and looked down at the bloody eye, still
stuck to the hook. He made a disgusted face and shook it off onto the floor. He headed toward Raven
with the hook raised. He stood next to her, watching her seethe in pain. He brought the hook down
swiftly. The point was inches from Raven's head when it stopped suddenly. His eyes widened and his jaw
dropped open. He stumbled back wards, starring in disbelief at the sword hilt sticking out from his
stomach. Raven watched as he fell over. He writhed for a few minuets then was still.
Still clutching the wound, Raven made her way to where her sister lay. She held Ninyo's small
body in her arms. Tears flowed from one eye, blood from the other. Huge sobs shook her entire body. Her
family, her whole world, was gone. Lost for ever in an ocean of blood and tears.
"That's enough boys! Let's pack up and move out!" A harsh voice boomed from out side. Raven
looked down at her sister one last time before heading to the door. She stumbled weakly out into the
night. She stopped and starred at the group of trucks, loaded with Wasabi plants. Only a hand full of the
rough looking brutes were left. They were loading the last crates of plants onto the truck beds. With the
last of the crates loaded, one of the men spoke to a dark figure hidden in the shadows of a large truck.
"All done boss." Raven looked on.
"Boss?" She thought. "They have a leader?"
"Good job." The dark voice spoke again. "Let's get this to the docks and get back to the St.
Canard."
Raven watched as a short male duck emerged from the shadows. He wore a long red and black
cape, over a turtle neck and yellow jacket. He wore a black mask and red wide brimmed hat. Raven
watched as he got into one of the trucks and drove off, followed by the others.
Something took over Raven. She started to run after the trucks. Adrenaline carried her swiftly
after them as they headed up the road to town. At about half a mile up the road, the rush ended and
Raven collapsed on the ground. With her last ounce of strength, she lifted her head and starred after the
trucks. They were now just clouds of smoke on the road way. The word St. Canard sank into Raven's
mind.
"I'LL FIND YOU DEMON!" She screamed with all her might. "GO TO THE ENDS OF THE
EARTH! I'LL FOLLOW YOU! YOUR BLOOD WILL SPILL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE
DEMON! I SWEAR I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!!"
Tears ran down from Raven's eye. She starred out at the empty ball room, her voice shaking.
"I must have passed out after that. I woke up in a hospital in a near by valley. The surviving
villagers brought me there. They said my family had been buried in the village cemetery." Raven
dropped her head in her hands and sobbed. "The last words I said to my father were spoken in anger. I
was going to apologize..." Tears welled up in Morgana's eyes. She reached forward suddenly, throwing
her arms around Raven. Morgana hugged her tightly.
"I'm sure he knows how you feel..." She whispered in a soothing voice. Raven nodded half
heartedly. She reached up and wiped the tears from her face. With a heavy sigh she rested her head on
Morgana's shoulder. Morgana smiled weakly. She gently stroked Raven's long ebony hair, as if
comforting a child.
"Uh...Morg?" The two women jumped up at the sudden noise. Darkwing stood by the door way.
He raised one eye brow to Morgana who walked over to him. "Is everything ok?" He asked. Morgana
nodded and then silently mouthed 'I'll tell you later.' Darkwing nodded dumbly.
"What's going on, Dark?" Morgana asked.
"It's Negaduck. He's out in full force so to speak." Raven heard the name and rose to her feet.
Darkwing looked at her and nodded. "Let's go." Morgana followed them as they made their way out to
the street. Raven paused at the door to put on her boots, then pushed her motorcycle down to the road.
She gunned the motor and sped off behind the Rat Catcher. Morgana stood in the door way and watched
them go. She sighed and shook her head sadly.
"I know you only want to do what's right, Dark." She whispered. "But if you only knew what
she's been through."
ultimate vision was lost on his friend. Launchpad just said he hoped Darkwing knew what he was doing.
Upon saying that, he retired to a far corner of the tower. He didn't want to be in close range when she
woke up.
They had brought the girl back to the tower and rested her on a small cot that Darkwing kept
there. Carefully, they had removed her swords from her back, and placed them a safe distance away.
Darkwing had removed the leather jacket that she wore and laid it over her chest and arms, attempting to
keep the drafts off of her. He lifted her wrist and checked her pulse one more time. It beat steadily and
strongly, she would be fine in a while. Darkwing looked at her as she lay on the cot. She looked
different. The mask of rage she wore vanished when she was knocked out. She actually looked peaceful
now. Still, Darkwing didn't want to risk anything. He pushed a button on his communicator.
"Gosalyn, are you there?" He waited for a reply.
"Yeah dad, what's up?"
"Gos, I need you to call over to Morgana's house. Tell her to come to the tower as soon as
possible."
"Right dad." Darkwing ended communication and walked toward the window. He looked out
over the city. Dusk was falling and the cool night breeze ran through the tower. He watched the sun
sinking slowly into the West. He turned slowly as he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Morgana stood
before him. He placed a hand on hers and squeezed it gently.
"Thanks for coming." He whispered.
"Any time." Morgana smiled. Her smile quickly faded as she saw the serious look on
Darkwing's face. "Dark, what is it?" He jerked his head over to the cot. Morgana walked cautiously
towards the dark figure. She gazed down at the girl.
"She looks so....so....normal..." Morgana whispered. Darkwing stood beside her.
"Can you feel anything?" He asked. "Are you sure she's the one?"
Ever so gently, Morgana sat down on the cot next to the girl. She placed a hand on the girl's
forehead. Morgana closed her eyes. She felt a burning sensation run through her body. It grew hotter
and hotter. With her eyes still closed Morgana spoke softly.
"She's the one I felt. Anger and rage are burning inside her..." Morgana was about to lift her
hand when something else hit her. She felt a pressure flow from the girl to her. A weight was put on
Morgana's heart. She could feel a stinging pain all over her body. She suddenly felt like her heart was
being ripped in two. An icy chill made it's way over her body and she felt a deep sorrow build in side of
her. Tears began to flow from Morgana's eyes.
"Morg, sweety? What's wrong?" Darkwing asked. She shook her head.
"I don't know." Morgana lifted her hand from the girl's head and the feelings immediately
stopped. "Dark," She began. "there's something else here, something else is inside her..." Darkwing
hadn't time to question Morgana. The girl began to stir and open her eye.
She blinked slowly several times, trying to banish the fog that clouded her sight. A weak hand
made its way to her head. She rubbed the spot that had been hit, wincing in pain. When her eye sight
cleared, she looked around her. The first thing she saw was Morgana, who was still seated on the cot.
She quickly pulled herself up, pushing the jacket out of the way. She starred at Morgana for a few
minuets, unsure of what she should do, if she should try to get away. Morgana took a deep breath, trying
to calm her nerves. With quivering lips, she formed a smile and spoke softly to the girl.
"It's all right. We don't want to do you harm."
The girl's single electric blue eye rested on Morgana, studying her. She looked harmless enough.
She was trying to be polite but the girl could tell she was nervous. She felt a warm energy flow from
Morgana. The sensation calmed the girl. For the first time in a while, she felt, peaceful.
That all melted away when Darkwing stepped up next to Morgana. The girl's eye locked on him
as fire coursed through her veins. A harsh growl rumbled in side her. Darkwing began to back away
slowly. He searched with the corners of his eyes for any possible exit. With one quick motion, the girl
pulled her legs under her and leapt up in the air. She landed on the ground, facing Darkwing, her teeth
flashed as she bared them. She made another leap for Darkwing, brandishing her claws in mid air.
Morgana stood quickly. In one swift action, created a light mist that circled its self around Darkwing.
The mist rose around him, creating a protective shell. The girl's claws met the barrier as she landed on an
invisible shield surrounding her target. She hit the ground with a thud.
She stood back up and glared at Morgana. She was getting tired of people getting in her way.
"I'm not going to let you hurt him." Morgana spoke to her calmly. "So you may as well give up.
As I said we don't mean you harm. We just want to talk with you." The girl looked Morgana in the eyes.
She didn't know why, but for some reason she trusted Morgana. She moved back to the cot and sat down,
slumping her shoulders. She spoke in irritated tones.
"So talk!" She snarled. Morgana turned to face her. The mist around Darkwing slowly
disappeared. The conversation had drawn Launchpad out of hiding. He stood behind Darkwing who
stood behind Morgana, carefully watching the girl's every move. Morgana glided forward and sat at the
opposite end of the cot. Morgana was about to speak when Darkwing abruptly started throwing questions
at the girl.
"Who are you? What are you doing in St. Canard? Who do you think you are deciding the fate
of criminals???" The only response Darkwing got was a hiss. The girl narrowed her eye and glared at
Darkwing. She considered taking another shot at him. Morgana turned and quietly pleaded with
Darkwing.
"Please Dark, let me try." Darkwing reluctantly nodded and Morgana turned back to face the
girl. She managed a kind smile as she spoke. "Please don't be angry with Darkwing, he's just doing what
he thinks is best." Morgana bravely extended her hand. "My name is Morgana McCawber." The girl
looked at Morgana, and then at her open hand, then back to Morgana. Darkwing reached into his jacket
and put a hand around his gas gun, ready to draw. All three of them nearly jolted in shock as the girl
clasped her hand around Morgana's, shaking it gently.
"My name is Raven," She spoke so softly, her voice was barely audible. "Raven Inari."
Morgana's smile widened.
"Pleased to meet you Ms. Inari." She turned and gestured to Darkwing and Launchpad. "This is
Darkwing Duck and Launchpad McQuack." They were making the brave attempt to move forward and
shake her hand when she let out a loud growl, sending them both back to their places. It became clear to
Darkwing that if Raven was going to do any talking, it was only going to be with Morgana. Morgana
continued.
"Where are you from Ms. Inari?"
"Okinawa." Morgana nodded.
"From the East..." Morgana heard a faint noise and turned her head. Darkwing had begun to tap
his foot impatiently, trying to get a message across to Morgana. She rolled her eyes and turned back to
Raven.
"My friend wants me to get to the point. We need your help Ms. Inari." Raven looked at her,
puzzled.
"With what?" She asked.
"With Negaduck..." Raven was even more confused. She looked as if she had never heard the
name before. She shook her head.
"With who?" Darkwing looked at her in disbelieve.
"Negaduck! Remember? The guy you tried to decapitate!" Raven's eye glowed in rage.
"So, the demon has a name..." She hissed. She turned to Darkwing, anger building in her once
more. "He'd be gone now if it weren't for you!"
"Excuse me for not letting you commit murder!" Darkwing shrieked. "Pardon me for trying to
keep the law!" Raven leapt to her feet screaming.
"HE'S THE MURDERER! HE'S THE SOULLESS DEMON FROM THE DARK WINDS!
KILLING HIM WOULDN'T BE A CRIME! IT'D BE A BLESSING TO MANKIND!!!" Morgana stood
and placed firm hands on Raven's shoulders.
"Please Ms. Inari, calm down. Like I said, Dark's just doing what he thinks is right, just like you
are." Raven tore away from her and turned her back to them.
"I'm not interested in what's right, I'm trying to destroy an evil!" She turned her head and spoke
to Morgana. "And quit calling me Ms. Inari. Raven'll do." Darkwing tried again to reason with her.
"Look, Raven, all we want is...."
"I SAID SHE COULD CALL ME RAVEN! I DIDN'T SAY YOU COULD!!!" Darkwing jumped
back at the sudden out burst. He quickly regained his composure and spoke angrily.
"Look, what ever your name is, we brought you here to ask for your help! Negaduck's a tough
guy to beat. But you're a great fighter. You're the only person I've ever seen that's even slightly
intimidated him! Help me get him and we can lock him up for good!" Raven sneered.
"If I get him, I'll kill him. You won't be able to get in my way forever." Morgana turned Raven
to face her.
"Why are you so hell bent on killing him? Death would be a quick and easy punishment.
Rotting in jail for life would be much more fitting for him." She looked at her with eyebrows lowered.
"What did he do that was so awful, Raven?" Raven looked into Morgana's eyes for what felt like forever.
There was a kindness in them that Raven had missed. She felt kindred energies coursing between them.
She shook her head suddenly, dismissing the feeling.
"Forget it!" She hissed. "I'm not playing attack dog to some pathetic Dick Tracy wannabe in a
mask! I work for myself, by myself! I'm not handing that demon over so you can lock him up in some
flimsy iron cage where he's most likely to break free in days!" Darkwing was about to protest, but
Morgana raised a hand to stop him.
"It's your choice Raven, we can't and won't force you. But please, if you change your mind..."
Morgana pointed out to the bridge, letting Raven know exactly where they were. Raven turned away. She
grabbed her jacket from off the floor and threw it around herself.
"This is the last time I'm going to warn you about getting in my way!" She sneered at Darkwing.
She looked toward Morgana. "She can't protect you all the time!" Darkwing sighed and pointed toward
the elevator that lead down to the bridge. Raven started over, then stopped half way there, whirling
around in anger. "Where are my swords???" She demanded.
"Those things are dangerous." Darkwing snapped. "I don't think psycho's like you should own
them!" Raven let out and ear shattering scream.
"NEVER TAKE A WARRIOR'S BLADES!!!" She shrieked. "WHERE ARE THEY?!?!"
Darkwing nodded to the corner where the twin Kitanas lay. Raven rushed over and slung them over her
back. Giving Darkwing one last snarl, she made her way to the elevator and headed down to the bridge.
When she was out of ear shot, Morgana sighed.
"Looks like I'm done here. See you later, Dark." Before he had time to reply, she vanished.
Darkwing stood watching the spot where she had been. After a moment he shrugged and headed for the
Thunder Quack.
"Let's go LP." He said, climbing into the seat. Launchpad climbed in next to him.
"Where to DW?" Darkwing's answer shocked him.
"Head over the bridge and keep your eye open for Inari."
"You want to follow her??" Lauchpad asked in amazement.
"Despite what she thinks, our conversation isn't over!" Darkwing answered. Launchpad sighed.
"What ever you say, DW." The Thunder Quack shot out into the night sky.
A knock came on Negaduck's door. He looked up to see two twin ducks walk into his private
quarters. He grinned at their entrance.
"So, how'd it go?" He asked. The two nodded in unison.
"Just fine." One replied. "We gave our computer the description, and it gave us the address. We
were in and out in seconds!" Negaduck leaned back in his chair.
"Good. I don't want that demented Jezebel on my back any longer!"
"Don't worry sir!" The second twin spoke up. "There won't be enough left of her to feed to
vultures!"
"Great! Now get some one to fly out to the building. I want to know that everything went all
right." Negaduck dismissed them both. He smiled wickedly to himself.
"I love technology!" He thought. "Especially the kind that lets you find any one you want. Or
want killed." A cruel laughter filled the room.
Darkwing and Lanchpad had followed Raven across town and back. She had back tracked to the
sight of the fallen prison. Retrieved her motorcycle she had parked near bye and sped off towards
downtown. They followed her to a rather large apartment building. They were about to land on the roof
when an other object in the sky caught Darkwing's eye.
"Let's check it out." They flew around the building in search of the illusive object.
Raven was 8 feet from her door when she realized she had left her helmet hanging on the handle
bars of the motorcycle. Too tired to go back, she continued on to her room. She slid the key in the door
and turned it. The door swung open before the key could click. Raven was sure she had locked the door
before she left.
"Oh well." She thought, yawning. She had been in a hurry after all. She continued on into her
room. She flipped on the light switch and headed for the bed. She was about to remove the swords from
her back when she noticed something else. The main computer on the table was on. She only left the lap
top running while she went out. She knew she hadn't left the PC running.
Raven stood over the keyboard and started the manual shut down. She blinked when an error
message popped up.
"What the..." She read the message box. ""Memory terminated, computer can not respond."?"
She tried one more time. The same message box popped up. Frustrated, she tried to open up the main
control set up file. The same message popped appeared. She gave an annoyed groan and tried opening
the program manager. Maybe she had hit a wrong key and erased something.
""Memory terminated, computer can not respond."" She read the message aloud again. "Forget
it!" She thought. She'd reprogram it in the morning, right now she was exhausted. She leaned down to
the wall out let and pulled the main PC cord. Raven jumped in shock as a steady beeping noise started
coming from the computer. She ran to the screen to find it still up. This time a new message box was
flashing on the screen. It kept in time with the beeping.
""Error! Program not compatible with system."" The beeping was getting louder and faster.
Suddenly Raven remembered her unlocked door. She finally realized the situation.
"Oh no!"
She heard the beeping grow louder and louder. In a flash she ran for the window. Shoving the
sliding glass aside, she leapt out into the air. Seconds later, an explosion rocked the building. Raven
plummeted down ward. Her room had been on the higher levels. She closed her eye and gritted her teeth,
bracing herself for the landing she was going to make on the street below. A sharp breath escaped her
body when she hit something cold and metal. She opened her eye and looked up as the glass dome of the
Thunder Quack was slowly rising.
"Told you I heard something over here, DW!" Launchpad whistled as he looked up at the
smoldering hole in the building where a room used to be. He looked at Raven.
"Hope you didn't put this months rent check in the mail yet!" Another low flying jet whizzed
past them. It looked just like the Thunder Quack only the color was yellow and black. Two twin ducks
sat in the cock pit, surveying the damage. Darkwing stepped out onto the nose of the Thunder Quack. He
held out his hand to Raven.
"Ok look! You don't like me and I'm slightly up set with you for trying to kill me, twice! We
both know Negaduck was behind this! He nearly got you. He's come close to taking me out as well. We
might not agree on Negaduck's fate but there's one thing you should agree with: If we don't hang together,
he'll see to it we hang separately!" Raven looked him in the face for a moment, regarding him. She
reached up and drew the swords from her back. Darkwing stepped back waiting for her to strike.
"Fly under their jet!" She called. Darkwing looked stunned.
"Huh?"
" I said fly under their jet! Not too low!" Raven crawled her way to the edge of the cock pit. She
dropped the lower part of her legs inside. "Close the dome part way! And grab on to my legs!"
"What are you doing?" Darkwing called through the crack between the glass and the metal.
Raven turned her head forward as the headed toward the other jet.
"Hopefully not killing myself..." She muttered.
They were inches away from the jet, coming under it just low enough for Raven to have a good
balance. She secured the swords in her hands. As they went under, Raven plunged the blades into the
under side of the jet as hard as she could. Using all of her strength she bore down on the swords, keeping
them steady as they tore through the metal shell of the second jet. Fuel lines and wiring were severed as
they passed under, emerging from under the nose of their enemy. The dome of the Thunder Quack flew
open and Darkwing pulled Raven in before she could slip, closing the glass down after her. The Thunder
Quack made a mid air U-turn in time to see the rival jet slam into the ground. They watched as the two
pilots fell from the wreckage in time to be caught by arriving police. Darkwing turned to Raven as she
was sheathing her blades.
"Um, nice job!" He managed. Raven looked down at the wreck, and back up to where here
apartment had once been. She shook her head sadly.
"As much as I hate to say it, you're probably right. He won't stop until we're gone. We have to
get him first." Darkwing patted her shoulder.
"Nice to see you finally thinking with logic!" Raven glared at him.
"This does not mean I plan to let him live." She said coldly. Darkwing nodded.
"We'll tare down that bridge when we get there. Right now let's get back to the tower before the
cops figure we had anything to do with this."
"Drop me down in the parking lot." Raven instructed. "I'll follow you on my bike. Uh...I get up
the same way I came down, right?" Darkwing nodded. They dropped Raven down next to her motorcycle
and she picked up the helmet from where it hung on the handle bars.
"Good thing I didn't go back for it..." She thought. She gunned the motor and followed the
Thunder Quack back to the tower.
Morgana sat on her bed. She rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the head ache that had come
on. She sighed and lay down, turning to face the wall. Something on the bed side table caught her eye.
She looked up and saw Darkwing's cufflinks laying on the stand. Morgana groaned softly. She reached
up and took them in her hand.
"I hope he hasn't needed these." She thought.
Despite her weariness, Morgana knew that Darkwing kept a good part of his arsenal in his
cufflinks. A faint shimmer glowed around her as she vanished. Seconds later, she stood once more in
Darkwing tower. She saw that the Thunder Quack was gone. Morgana placed the cufflinks on a table top
next to one of Darkwing's computers. She was about to leave when she heard the hum of a large engine
approaching. The Thunder Quack flew in and landed in the center of the tower. Morgana met Darkwing
as he climbed down from the cockpit.
"Morg! What brings you back?" Morgana nodded her head toward the computer table.
"You left your cufflinks last night. I figured you might need them." Darkwing smiled.
"Like I said, you're too good to me!" Morgana smiled. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
She stopped and looked up as she heard another noise. The elevator from the bridge came up, holding a
black motorcycle. It's driver stepped off and removed it's helmet. Ebony strands of hair fell around
Raven's shoulders as she placed the helmet back on to the handles and stepped into the tower.
"Raven!" Morgana looked at her in surprise. "You came back?"
"It doesn't look like I have much of a choice." She answered, gesturing to Darkwing. "He's hell
bent on getting in my way and Negaduck's seen to it that my methods of finding him were destroyed. Not
to mention my living quarters. That leaves my options kind of limited."
"Speaking of options, where are you going to stay?" Darkwing asked. Raven shrugged.
"I don't know." She answered. Darkwing motioned to the cot.
"You're welcome to stay here, if you like." He offered. Raven nodded.
"Wait." Morgana spoke up. She turned to face Raven. "If you need some place to stay, stay with
me." Morgana grinned. "A bed's a lot more comfortable than that cot, and the house is slightly less drafty
than the tower." Raven starred at her for a moment, trying to see if she was serious. Darkwing gulped
nervously and grabbed Morgana by the wrist, pulling her aside.
"Morg, can I speak with you a moment?" When they were out of ear shot he stopped and looked
her in the eyes. "Are you mad, woman?!? You're just going to let her in your home? There's no telling
what she might do!"
"You were going to let her stay here!" Morgana hissed, trying to keep her voice down.
"That's different! We wouldn't be here all night, she wouldn't have a chance to kill us in our
sleep!" Morgana rolled her eyes.
"I don't believe you Dark! First you want her help, then you want to keep her locked up here
because you don't trust her! Make up your mind!"
"Well she did try to kill me! Sorry if I'm a bit cautious!"
"Dark, she's not after any of us, it's Negaduck she wants! Look, she didn't want to have any thing
to do with us, but she came back didn't she?"
"It's just what you said about her, Morg. What you said you felt. All that anger and hatred.
What if she snaps? If she were here at least no one would get hurt." Morgana sighed.
"Dark, I did feel a lot of anger and hatred from her. But when I was close to her, when I looked
her in the face. There was something else. Something besides the anger and bitterness." She bit her lip
and looked back at Raven for a split second. "There was pain. There was loneliness and sorrow. Above
all else that poor girl's bleeding from the inside. Her heart's been ripped out."
"You can say that again." Darkwing rubbed the side of his face. "I would almost have sworn she
didn't have one." Morgana looked at him pleadingly.
"Please Dark, I know what I'm doing." Darkwing sighed reluctantly.
"All right. No point in arguing when you have your mind set. Just promise me that if anything
happens you'll get away from her fast!" Morgana nodded. They made their way back to where Raven and
Launchpad stood.
"Well, shall we be off then?" Morgana said, warmly. Raven headed over to her motorcycle.
"Hop on," She said. "you can give me directions." Morgana gave Darkwing a quick kiss.
"See you soon, Dark." She followed Raven who helped her on. She handed Morgana the black
helmet.
"Better you stay safe than me." She said. They descended into the night. Have way down to the
bridge Raven spoke. "He doesn't trust me, does he?" Morgana nodded.
"You have good perception."
"No, I have good hearing." Raven replied. Morgana bit her lip.
"Sorry about that."
"I don't blame him. The person who tried to cut my throat would be the last one I'd want to
invite to my home with open arms."
They reached the bridge and shot out into the night. Morgana directed raven as best she could
around the helmet's face guard, and the whipping night wind. They pulled up to McCawber manor and
got off. Raven followed Morgana up the walk, pushing her motorcycle along beside her. She left it by the
porch and set the helmet down with it. The door swung open and Morgana gestured for Raven to enter.
Raven removed her boots and set them down by the door before she walked in.
Raven was awestruck by the house. It was the largest thing she had ever seen. Creeks and
groans from the old house echoed down through the dark corridors. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and
candles flickered in their mounts on the walls. Raven was lead to a bed room on the second floor. Wall
mounted oil lamps dimly lit the large room. A large bed stood in the corner. The bed post was covered in
carvings of dragons and snakes. Four wooden skulls sat neatly on all corners of the bed frame. There was
a vanity mirror on the other side of the room. The silver glass was mounted in a large wood frame, carved
to resemble a snakes mouth, complete with fangs.
"I hope the places doesn't bother you." Morgana said, half apologetically. "Most people find it
frightening." Raven looked at her in shock.
"Frightening? Are you kidding? This place is gorgeous!" Morgana chuckled.
"Well I'm glad someone besides me thinks so. I'll show you around in the morning. There's a
bathroom and shower through that door, and extra blankets in the closet. Let me know if you need
anything, I'm right down the hall." Raven nodded. "Good night." Morgana smiled and left the room,
closing the door behind her. Raven removed the swords and dropped them to the floor. She took off her
jacket and flung it over the chair by the vanity. She slipped off her flannel and blue jeans and draped
them over the jacket. She pulled back the covers of the bed and crawled in. She reached over and turned
down the flame in the oil lamp by the bed. She lay back and closed her eye, falling into an instant sleep.
Raven awoke several hours later. At first she thought it was still night. The room was pitch
dark. She looked over at a grand father clock that stood across from the bed. It was 10 a.m. Raven got
out of bed and walked over into the bath room. There were fresh towels and soap lying out. She took a
quick shower and wrapped a towel around her body, using another to dry her hair. After drying off she
slipped back into her T-shirt and jeans and flung her swords over her back. She hung the towels up and
headed down stairs.
The entire house was still dark. Raven followed the flickering candle light down the hallway.
Empty rooms past by as she neared the end of the long hallway. She poked her head into the last
doorway. The room was, for all Raven could figure, most likely the kitchen. Morgana was seated at the
table. Already dressed in a long deep blue dress, she was reading over the morning paper. She looked up
and smiled as Raven entered.
"Good morning. Sleep ok?"
"Yeah." Raven pulled out a chair and sat down. Morgana put the paper down. She smirked
when she saw that Raven was wearing the swords.
"You carry those with you all the time?" She asked.
"A warrior's blades should never be out of reach." Raven replied. Morgana smiled and nodded.
"Can I get you anything to eat? You must be starving." She chuckled. "Most don't care for my
cooking, but I could get some toast and eggs with out screwing it up too badly." Raven shook her head.
"I'm really not hungry."
"Well at least let me get you some tea. You need something hot in you." Morgana pleaded.
Raven agreed and Morgana poured green tea into a clay mug. Raven sipped the tea. She leaned back and
closed her eye. It did feel good to have something warm in her. When she was finished Morgana kept her
word of showing her around the house. She lead Raven through endless hallways and rooms. Raven was
impressed with the dark architecture. Statues, pillars and pictures seemed to breath and flow from their
places. At last they ended up at what seemed to be the last room. They stood infront of two large, wooden
double doors.
"You'll love this!" Morgana grinned. She pushed the doors open and they swung into a vast
room. Bare marble floor spread covered the entire area. Chandeliers that had once hung high above the
old ball room were resting on the floor, dusty and covered in cobwebs. Huge windows covered half the
room, starring out at the dark sky. Morgana pulled raven over to a wall on the east side of the room. A
huge mural spread across the marble wall. A picture of countless rooms covered most of the mural. Each
room painted a different color. Lavishly dressed men and women occupied the rooms. At the start of the
picture they looked to be happy and enjoying themselves. But working down the art work they started
looking pale and sickly. They became worse and worse until finally the rooms showed their occupants
laying about on the floor, dead. A figure in red was the only one left standing in the last room. It loomed
over a young man's dead body, dressed in cloths of royalty.
"An ancestor of mine had that made quite a long time ago." Morgana explained. "It's a portrait
of The Masque of the Red Death by Poe." Raven's eye lit up.
"I loved that story! It's one of his best!"
"It was my favorite. It just struck me as hysterical how the people thought they could escape
death!" Morgana laughed. Raven gave a small smirk.
"Yeah, stupid yuppies." Morgana smiled, pleased that she had been able to start an actual
conversation.
"So you're a Poe fan?" She asked Raven.
"I love Poe, I read his work since I was little. My favorite was Annabel Lee." A brief smile
moved across her lips. "My mother used to read his work to me. She loved it. She named me Raven after
the poem. She had a huge book filled with all the stories and poems he ever wrote. She'd read to me from
it at night back in Okinawa, before I went to sleep. My father used to say he was amazed that I didn't
have constant night mares. Then he'd say it was because I was very brave, like him...." Morgana's smile
widened as she listened to Raven reminiss.
"Are your parents in America now? I'd love to meet them." The smile that had come across
Raven's face vanished immediately.
"That's impossible," She said softly. "they're dead." Raven's eye began to glisten. She turned
her back to Morgana before her tears started falling.
"I'm so sorry, Raven." Morgana said gently. Something flashed into Morgana's memory and it
finally dawned on her. She stood behind Raven and places a tender hand on her shoulder.
"Negaduck killed them, didn't he." She asked.
"And my sister." Raven answered meekly. Her voice began to quiver. Morgana squeezed her
shoulder. She finally understood the emotions of pain and sorrow that mingled with the anger and hate
that controlled Raven.
"No wonder..." Morgana whispered to herself. She turned Raven around and faced her.
Morgana gently wiped the tears from Raven's face. Raven didn't stop her. She stood, quivering,
immersed in her own sorrow. "You poor thing, no wonder you want his blood so badly. He murdered
your family!" Raven snapped out of her thoughts and sat down on the floor leaning against the wall under
the mural. A heavy sigh escaped from her lips.
"He didn't kill them himself." She explained. "But he ordered the attack." Morgana sat down
next to Raven on the floor. A puzzled look spread across her face. "Let me start at the beginning." Raven
said. "I come from a small mura in Okinawa called Niwa-en. My Father was Japanese, his name was
Idzumo. My mother was American, her name was Karen. She came to Okinawa to study Eastern religion
and culture. She met my father at temple and soon after they were married. Two years later they had me,
13 years after that they had my sister, Ninyo. My father was a warrior. He taught me to fight, he even
taught me Tai-chi that he learned from a Chinese man he studied under. When I turned 18, he gave me
his Kitana blades, he said they represented balance and courage like the dragon. Even though he was a
warrior, always told be that I should only fight to protect myself. He said that violence and destruction
were two of the biggest evils."
"He was a very wise man." Morgana commented.
"Yes," Raven agreed. "but in the end, all his wisdom could not save him..." Raven closed her
eye and leaned back. Memories flowed from her mind to her lips. Morgana sat quietly, as Raven related
the entire story.
It was late summer. A cool breeze blew in from the ocean, over the small sea side village Niwa-
en. Small houses lined the road that lead into the city. It was a long way to travel from the village to the
city. But a bus came by the small community every day, to pick up those who worked in the city. As the
small bus made its way back to Niwa-en, Raven starred out the window at the passing fields. Vast
amounts of Wasabi plants covered the fields. The Wasabi was valued as a spice for Japanese cooking. It
was Niwa-en's second main export, next to fish.
Raven sighed. The harvest would be around soon and she would have to take off a few weeks at
the computer programming company she worked for in town to help out. She replayed the tired old
argument she had with her father that morning. It seemed that just about every other day, before she left
for work, her father would complain about her job.
"You are only winning money for those men who sell the machines. I know how they work!
They make you work on the machine and get it ready to be sold. Then they sell it for a lot of money, and
only give you a little bit! They work you hard and send you home tired every night. You hardly even see
your family! You get up and leave in the morning, and at night you are too tired to be with us! You
should stay here and fish, or tend the crops with the rest of the village! It is tradition here! Our ancestors
did not have technology, we do not have it now, and those who live here in the future will not have it!
You dishonor your family by being a slave to the men in the city!"
"And who do you think the fish that you catch and the crops that you plant go to, father? They
send them to the people in the city too! And what do you get out of it? A sore back and a few yen! I
bring home more money in a day than you do in a week! Times are changing father, soon machines are
going to be doing your job. Machines that you won't know how to run! The experience I get from that
company can benefit me the rest of my life!"
"It will be the people like you who bring the machines here! Look at what the city has done to
you already! You buy cloths from big stores! You argue with your mother and father! The city is
poisoning your mind, daughter! You are forsaking the old ways!"
"I'm not forsaking the old ways! I'm just being realistic! Soon, what I do will be one of the only
jobs you can get around here! The old ways are good father, but they are no match for the future."
Her father gave up in desperation. Raven ran out to the road just in time to catch the bus. Now
she was heading home. She didn't relish the welcome she would get. Her father would still be angry, her
mother upset. Poor Ninyo didn't even understand what the fights were about. She was nine years old and
all she even remotely understood was the word 'machine' which her father had told her meant 'monster'.
The bus rolled to a stop and Raven got off with the other passengers. She lagged far behind the
others. She was in no hurry to get home. She sighed and looked out at the sun as it sank into the ocean.
Perhaps the new ways were choking her. The old ways had always kept her and her family supported.
They were always fed, clothed and, usually, happy. At any rate, Raven decided that an apology to her
father was in order.
Suddenly, Raven stopped dead in her tracks. She heard shrieks of terror rising from the village.
Smoke rose into the night sky. She could smell the sour odor that arose when the Wasabi plants were cut.
It mingled with the smell of smoke and rose into the air. Raven began to run toward the village. She ran
as fast as she could, her heart pounding inside her like a drum. She came to a screeching halt at the
village edge. She gasped in horror at what she saw.
The other villagers that had walked on ahead of her, now lay on the ground. They were drenched
in a pool of blood. The smoke was coming from the village, where several of the small houses had been
set on fire. Trucks were lined up by the fields. Large, evil looking men were severing the steams of the
Wasabi plants and throwing them into crates on the truck beds.
Raven could feel some one's eyes on her. She heard the sound of a knife being drawn. Quickly
she spun a leg out. Kicking the knife from her would be attackers hand. The move took him by surprise
and he froze for a moment. Long enough for Raven to knock him to the ground.
The cries of terror grew stronger from the village. More men were running about after fleeing
villagers, swinging knifes and firing guns. A large duck pushed a mother and the baby that she held to
her chest down with his riffle. He aimed it at the woman's head, who was pleading with him for her life.
He began to pull the trigger back slowly. The gun fired into mid air. Raven had dashed up, grabbed the
end of the gun and pushed it up wards in the mans hands. He fought with Raven for a moment for control
of the riffle. Raven lifted her foot to his chest and pushed him hard. He lost his handle on the gun and
stumbled back wards, regaining his balance quickly. He started after Raven, only to have his face come
into hard contact with the end of the riffle. He fell back down, uncontious. Raven dropped the gun and
ran around the burning village. She looked in vain for her father. Why wasn't he out here fighting? She
ran to her house. He was probably there, protecting Raven's mother and sister. She dashed up to her
house. The first thing she noticed was that the door was open and the lights were out. She ran inside,
completely unprepared for what she found.
Blood covered the floor. Raven nearly slipped on it as she walked in the house. She squinted her
eyes in the darkness and scanned the room. They landed on something mounted to the wall. Raven
reached over and grabbed an oil lamp from the wall. She turned up the small flame and let the light fall
around the room. She screamed in horror. The thing she has seen mounted to the wall, was her mothers
head. It was stabbed through with a long knife. Blood still dripped from the neck and onto the floor
where the body lay. Her mother's dark brown eyes still looked on in a glassy stare of surprise. Laying not
far, was Raven's father. A large chunk of his face had been shot off and splattered around the room.
There were several gun shot wounds in his chest. He looked like a mannequin that had been toppled over,
still starring at the ceiling and clutching the twin Kitana blades in his fists. The swords were smeared red
with blood. Idzumo had not gone down with out a fight.
A small noise from under the stair way startled Raven. She grabbed the swords from her fathers
dead hands and faced dark shadows from under the stair well. A tiny voice quivered in fear.
"Raven?" Raven dropped the swords and ran toward the corner.
"Ninyo!" Raven held out her arms as the terrified 9 year old ran into them. Raven turned her
sister's back to the remains of her parents. She patted the girls back and whispered gently into her ear.
"It's all right, Ninyo. You're safe now!" Ninyo looked into Raven's eyes. She began to sob
hysterically.
"Mom and dad! They...they...were here and these men came in and dad was fighting and then
the men had guns and they shot dad and then they did it again and again and again and then mom started
screaming and then and... and...." Raven clutched her sister to her tighter, realizing that Ninyo had
witnessed the whole thing from under the stairs.
"Come on Ninyo!" Raven grabbed the swords from the ground. "We're leaving! Stay close to
me! You hear? No matter what, stay close to me!"
"Hey Brutic! Looks like we missed some in here!" Two men met Raven and Ninyo at the door.
One was a huge dog carrying a shot gun. The other a short slim duck that held a sharp meat hook in his
hand. They made there way in the door. Raven and Ninyo stepped back. Raven gave Ninyo a push back
wards, moving her behind. The dog grinned.
"I don't know how to say good bye in Japanese. But in a moment you won't be able to hear me say
anything any way!" He raised the gun and pointed it square at Raven's face. Raven let out a cry of rage
and leapt forward. She knocked the brute in the stomach knocking him down. The gun went off in his
hands. The bullet nicked Raven, but flew past her. She jumped back to her feet, blades still in hand,
ready to fight.
"Raven..." The small voice came again, cutting through Raven. She turned to see her sister
standing in the middle of the room. She was shaking violently and was about to fall over. Blood was
running down her face. The blood was spilling down and onto Ninyo's cloths.
Raven's eyes locked on the tiny hole in Ninyo's forehead.
"Raven..." She managed again. Her legs gave out from under her and she began to fall, still
talking softly as her tiny body hit the floor. "I'm sorry...I didn't...stay...close...." Raven starred in
disbelieve at her sister's body. It lay on the floor next to her father.
"No..." Raven said softly to herself. She began sobbing and screamed out in pain. "NO!!!"
Raven started over to her sister's side when she heard a click. She turned her head slightly. The
dog re aimed at Raven's head, an evil smile on his face. In a blur, Raven spun on her heels and hurled a
sword. It found its target in the dog's neck. His eyes bulged in shock as he fell backwards. The duck
looked down at this companion and then back at Raven. She stood, pointing the other sword at his chest.
A look of rage covered her face.
"You wanna dance, sweet heart?" The duck asked mockingly. "OK, let's dance."
Raven dodged out of the way as he darted towards her, his hook tore a chunk of her flesh as he
past by. She spun around and swung her sword, slashing him across the face. Metal clashed against
metal. They traded slashes back and forth. Raven took most of the damage on her arms. With out her
other sword she could only make poor attempts at shielding them. The duck's hook clanged loudly as it
crashed into Raven's blade. He momentarily over powered her, forcing her blade point down and
punching her in the face. She reeled back wards in pain. The duck jumped up and brought his hook
down. Raven tried to block it, but it was too late.
The hook tore into her right eye brow. Raven screamed in agony. She tried to back away from
the duck. That proved to be another mistake. The hook sliced down ward from her eye brow, through her
eye lid, and strait into her right eye. As she pulled back wards, the snared eye went with the hook in the
opposite direction. There was a soft, sickening, snapping noise as the ocular muscles were torn and the
eye ripped from the socket. Raven knelt on the floor, one hand clutching the wound.
The duck stumbled back wards. He regained his balance and looked down at the bloody eye, still
stuck to the hook. He made a disgusted face and shook it off onto the floor. He headed toward Raven
with the hook raised. He stood next to her, watching her seethe in pain. He brought the hook down
swiftly. The point was inches from Raven's head when it stopped suddenly. His eyes widened and his jaw
dropped open. He stumbled back wards, starring in disbelief at the sword hilt sticking out from his
stomach. Raven watched as he fell over. He writhed for a few minuets then was still.
Still clutching the wound, Raven made her way to where her sister lay. She held Ninyo's small
body in her arms. Tears flowed from one eye, blood from the other. Huge sobs shook her entire body. Her
family, her whole world, was gone. Lost for ever in an ocean of blood and tears.
"That's enough boys! Let's pack up and move out!" A harsh voice boomed from out side. Raven
looked down at her sister one last time before heading to the door. She stumbled weakly out into the
night. She stopped and starred at the group of trucks, loaded with Wasabi plants. Only a hand full of the
rough looking brutes were left. They were loading the last crates of plants onto the truck beds. With the
last of the crates loaded, one of the men spoke to a dark figure hidden in the shadows of a large truck.
"All done boss." Raven looked on.
"Boss?" She thought. "They have a leader?"
"Good job." The dark voice spoke again. "Let's get this to the docks and get back to the St.
Canard."
Raven watched as a short male duck emerged from the shadows. He wore a long red and black
cape, over a turtle neck and yellow jacket. He wore a black mask and red wide brimmed hat. Raven
watched as he got into one of the trucks and drove off, followed by the others.
Something took over Raven. She started to run after the trucks. Adrenaline carried her swiftly
after them as they headed up the road to town. At about half a mile up the road, the rush ended and
Raven collapsed on the ground. With her last ounce of strength, she lifted her head and starred after the
trucks. They were now just clouds of smoke on the road way. The word St. Canard sank into Raven's
mind.
"I'LL FIND YOU DEMON!" She screamed with all her might. "GO TO THE ENDS OF THE
EARTH! I'LL FOLLOW YOU! YOUR BLOOD WILL SPILL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE
DEMON! I SWEAR I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!!"
Tears ran down from Raven's eye. She starred out at the empty ball room, her voice shaking.
"I must have passed out after that. I woke up in a hospital in a near by valley. The surviving
villagers brought me there. They said my family had been buried in the village cemetery." Raven
dropped her head in her hands and sobbed. "The last words I said to my father were spoken in anger. I
was going to apologize..." Tears welled up in Morgana's eyes. She reached forward suddenly, throwing
her arms around Raven. Morgana hugged her tightly.
"I'm sure he knows how you feel..." She whispered in a soothing voice. Raven nodded half
heartedly. She reached up and wiped the tears from her face. With a heavy sigh she rested her head on
Morgana's shoulder. Morgana smiled weakly. She gently stroked Raven's long ebony hair, as if
comforting a child.
"Uh...Morg?" The two women jumped up at the sudden noise. Darkwing stood by the door way.
He raised one eye brow to Morgana who walked over to him. "Is everything ok?" He asked. Morgana
nodded and then silently mouthed 'I'll tell you later.' Darkwing nodded dumbly.
"What's going on, Dark?" Morgana asked.
"It's Negaduck. He's out in full force so to speak." Raven heard the name and rose to her feet.
Darkwing looked at her and nodded. "Let's go." Morgana followed them as they made their way out to
the street. Raven paused at the door to put on her boots, then pushed her motorcycle down to the road.
She gunned the motor and sped off behind the Rat Catcher. Morgana stood in the door way and watched
them go. She sighed and shook her head sadly.
"I know you only want to do what's right, Dark." She whispered. "But if you only knew what
she's been through."
