Disclaimer: I do not own Darkwing Duck, Scrooge McDuck or any other Disney character.

Authors Note: Again, this fic ties in with "The Path Chosen." This is one of the alternate realities that Darkwing could have chosen. Fair warning; another Darkwing Duck / Ducktales crossover!

Hidden Dawn

Part 2

It takes some time and persuasion to convince this Scrooge McDuck that I don't know who I am or where I come from. Gyro Gearloose, on the other hand readily excepts my explanation of waking up on the riverbanks with no memory.

I'm thankful that we take the conversation into Gyros house to discuss it over a hot meal. Scrooge sits across the table staring at me with incertitude, as I eat. He makes me feel uneasy, I try to ignore him as I finish off my second helping of soup.

Scrooge drums his fingers on the table rhythmically, constantly staring, suspicion in his eyes. "You know laddie," he finally speaks "If you really don't remember who you are, it seems to me, you'd been seeing a doctor as soon as possible."

"I suppose," is all I reply. I have a feeling he's testing me. I know also, that by simple logic, I should want to seek out a doctors help. But there's a still small voice inside that tells me -no. No, because it would me removing the sunglasses, revealing my face. I listen to the little voice, it's all I have to guide me right now.

"Well then, I'll give you a ride, my lemo is parked out front."

"No - no, I'd rather not..not at this time." I reply, still avoiding making eye contact.

"Why not?" Scrooge asks in a demanding tone. "And while I'm asking, Why don't you remove those sunglasses? You're indoors after all."

Before I can reply, Gyro walks over with a large heavy book and plops it down in the middle of the table. "Don't be so hard on him Mr. Mcduck. You may recall, you had amnesia once and you never went to a doctor."

Scrooge looks a bit annoyed at Gyro "I know, I know. But that was different."

'Why,"

"Because...because it was me and not him that's why," Poor Scrooge, I guess that's the best defense he can come up with.

Scrooges eyes narrow as he looks intently at me "besides I wasn't afraid to show others my face!" He snaps accusingly.

"That may not be so unusual, Mr McDuck. I've been checking into studies on amnesia, very interesting." he opens the pages of the book "It says here that often somebody with amnesia is suffering from a traumatic experience. In some cases it isn't wise to try and prod an amnesia victim into remembering things or force them to do anything they aren't comfortable with." He flipped the book to the front cover. "The Author of the book is a doctor who specializes in amnesia and she lives right here in Duckburg. Hey, maybe she could help you." Gyro says looking at me optimistically. "I'll give her a call right now!"

So later I find myself in the Dr. Acure's office being poked and prodded, the whole time I refuse to remove the sunglasses. After running several test, she is inconclusive as to the cause of my memory loss. "It could be physical," She tells me, "You don't seem to have any direct injury to your head, however, you show signs of being in that freezing for river a long time." I sit on the examination table feeling very uneasy. "You say all you remember is a rain storm and being in the water."

I nod but don't say anything.

She stands looking at me in silence for a long time. Finally she speaks "This is interesting. I've dealt with Amnesia patients before. Most of them were nervous and ambivalent. Most of them are afraid, in some ways, of discovering there identities." She studies the dark sunglasses that I take refuge behind. "This is the first case I've had where a patient hides his identity at the same time he's trying to find it! Fascinating!

Fascinating she says, I feel like a lad rat!

"Well, there could be a reason for that, too," she continues "You may have suffered a personal trauma that your subconscious doesn't want to remember."

No. That isn't it. Some how I know, that isn't the reason.

There was nothing the doctor could do other than tell me to give it time. She offered to give my information to Missing Persons, see what they could find.

Backtracking up river was the obvious way to go. It was the Audubon Bay river that flowed from St. Canard on through Duckburg. St. Canard would be the first place to check.

Gyro has offered to allow me to stay at his place for the time being. Something McDuck didn't approve of.

At the end of the day I find myself sitting on a small cot in Gyros house. I'm wearing a nightshirt he had been kind enough to find for me.

"I know my place is a little small and cluttered, but I think you'll be comfortable here until other arrangements can be made."

"Thanks, I appreciate your help. I really do." I say as I fumble with the sunglasses.

I guess I'll have to sleep in them so I tie a string to the rims to hold them on.

Gyro turns out the lights and I lay back in the cot. I'm so tired, I close my eyes. I can feel myself drifting off to sleep, and dream...

...I find myself in a long dimly lit corridor with many different kinds of mirrors on the walls. All of them are full length in size. I walk up to a mirror on the wall near me and stand in front of it. Nothing! No reflection at all. Something compels me to look in the other mirrors. One of them is oval with an old fashion dark wooden frame. I step in front of it and am startled by what I see looking back at me! It's me, I think, only I'm dressed in a long dark trench coat wearing an odd looking fedora and a mask! I back away, uneasily. I want to run, but something deep down is telling me to keep looking.

Not far away is a rather gaudy looking mirror with a light blue plastic frame. I step in front of it. The reflection is that of a person dressed in a light blue martial arts uniform. But this can't be my reflection. The image I am looking at appears to be much younger than I am. He too wears a mask!

I see a mirror at one end of the corridor, I am drawn to it for some reason. But upon approach, I see that it is shattered - broken! Pieces of the mirror are scattered on the floor. I kneel down and pick up one of the larger pieces. The

fragment of mirror reflects part of my face. What I see is a pair of piercing black eyes staring at me through a purple mask. Then I'm startled by the sound of rain coming down hard and thunder clashing and the sound of tires screeching on pavement. The sounds seem to be coming from the mirror! I drop the fragment and jump to my feet. I back away from the mirror. Then I hear a voice calling to me "Are you alright? Can you hear me? Wake up...

Wake up, fella. Hey wake up there!"

I startle awake, sitting up in my bed. Gyro is standing over me with a look of concern.

"Are you okay!"

I nod, feeling disoriented at the moment.

"You must have been in a deep sleep. I thought I'd never get you awake."

"I'm sorry," is all I can think to say.

"Oh, no need to be sorry," he walks over to a table and picks something up. " I got up early this morning so I thought maybe I'd put this together for you." He holds out a pair of unusual sunglasses.

I take them to inspect them. They are sharp looking, to say the least. The eyeglass is tinted dark blue and the flexible silver frame is one piece that is meant to fit around the head. I'm impressed. "That was very kind of you, Thanks!"

"Don't mention it. Well, these sunglasses will be a lot more comfortable if you're going to sleep in them and you won't have to worry about them falling off."

Falling off? I raise a hand to feel if they are still on. I'm relieve to find that they are. I glance at the clock on the wall, 8:17 AM. I slowly get up from the bed.

"The bathroom is in the back, you're welcome to shower and freshen up." he says handing me a small bundle. "I found these stuck away in a corner. I thought you may like a change of attire."

Again I thank him for his kindness before heading back to the bathroom.

I go to the sink to wash up. There is a small mirror over the sink. I see my reflection and suddenly go numb. I stand staring at the person in the mirror. Slowly, I reach up and remove the sunglasses. It's the same face I saw at the river, the face of a stranger.

I force myself to turn away. I take a quick shower, dry off and put on the fresh clothes Gyro has given me. A blue shirt and a tan vest. They fit perfectly. I put the new sunglasses on. They seem to adjust to the lighting around me and they are so comfortable, but do they protect my identity. I step back in front of the mirror and am startled to see the reflection of somebody standing behind me. I turn quickly to face him, but he's not there. I look around. I see no one. It must be my imagination.

Calming myself, I turned cautiously back to the mirror. My reflection is alone in the looking glass. Nobody else is there. Of coarse it's my imagination! I hadn't really seen him behind me; a duck dressed in White and Silver with a mask and cape. It's just my imagination. Just my imagination...

To be continued...