It is now twenty years after the time frame of the "Darkwing Duck" TV series. A lot of changes have taken place, like ... oh, heck, read it for yourself. This is the world premier of the pilot episode of
By Kim McFarland
It was a dark and stormy night at McCawber Manor in The Negaverse. The night was broken by flashes of lightning - within the house. Several rapid-fire bursts illuminated the windows, and then abruptly they stopped.
Inside, Morgana McCawber held one end of willow branch. The other end was connected to a glowing cord made of hemp and iron wire, which was wrapped around a very angry young drake. He struggled against the thin binding, but he could not free himself.
Coolly Morgana regarded him. He had put up a good fight this time. If she had not had this tool at hand, he might have actually done some damage. She told him, "Oh, stop fighting, Essobee. You've lost. You know iron stops a witch's powers unless the witch is skilled enough to overcome it - and you aren't!"
Essobee glared furiously at her and the other duck who was watching with amusement. He had been trying to defeat them for a year now, and he never could manage it. If one of them didn't bring him down, the other did. "You'll have to let me go sooner or later!"
"Let him stew for awhile, Morgana." Negaduck said. "Punk deserves it for interrupting."
"You can't hold me like this forever!" Essobee shouted. "You ought to give up anyway, you two're too old to run St. Canard anymore!"
Morgana's eyes flashed red. She raised a hand to cast a bolt of lightning. Negaduck put a hand over hers, stopping her. "Hold it, Morgana. Too old, you think, kid?"
"Yeah! You're only alive because Heaven won't take you and Hades is afraid you'll take over!" Essobee spat.
"You have a lot of spirit, kid... I hate that. Morgana, let him go. I'll show him who's too old!"
She loosened the cord with a flick of her wrist. Negaduck took a long-barreled pistol out of his coat. After checking the bullet chamber he clicked the safety catch off and handed it to Essobee. Essobee looked at it in surprise. Negaduck said, "What's the matter, kid? Do guns scare you?"
"No!" He gripped the handle with both hands.
"Good." Negaduck took a knife with a six-inch blade out of another coat pocket. He held it by the point at arm's length, then flicked it at a beam in the wall. It landed, vibrating, the tip of its blade buried deep in the wood. He yanked it back out. "Yep, it's sharp enough. And that gun's barrel is long enough for even a klutz like you to sight along. Now, kid, you got one minute to show what you're made of!"
Essobee raised the gun at arm's length, aiming along the barrel. Negaduck nonchalantly knocked it aside and scratched Essobee's wrist with the tip of the blade.
Essobee looked at the cut. It was just deep enough to bleed. Negaduck grinned and said, "I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you? Should mommy take you to the hospital?"
Essobee gritted his teeth and raised the gun again. Negaduck swatted it away, darted forward, and nicked Essobee on the left side of his rib cage, cutting through his clothes in the process.
This time Essobee did not pause. He held the gun closer this time. The blade flickered toward his neck. He put up his hands to block it, but he still felt the sting, first on one side of his neck, then the other. He stumbled back, and felt the sting again, on his abdomen and then the inside of his left wrist. Negaduck stepped back, an infuriating smile on his face. Essobee raised the gun again. Negaduck flipped the knife into throwing position. And Morgana called "That's enough."
Negaduck lowered the knife. "Now I'm a child abuser. Who said you can't teach an old villain new tricks?" he smirked.
"I am not a child!" Essobee shouted. "And you couldn't beat me! I won!"
"Oh, did you?" Negaduck stepped forward and rapped a finger against Essobee's neck. Essobee flinched. Negaduck showed him a pink stain. "What's this? Lipstick marks?"
"It's barely a scratch! It doesn't hurt at all!"
"You stupid son of a witch, I just killed you six times!" He rapped each wound with his finger as he said, "Left wrist. Right wrist. Gut wound. One in the heart. And twice on the throat. If I'd been playing for keeps, or if I'd poisoned the blade, you'd be dead! Now go away and lick your wounds." He turned his back on Essobee.
Enraged, Essobee raised the gun again and pointed it at Negaduck's back. The hammer clicked on an empty chamber.
Negaduck spoke without turning. "And only a complete fool lets his enemy choose his weapon."
Essobee threw the gun down and stalked out of the room. Morgana watched him go. "What was the point of all that?" she demanded of Negaduck.
"I put the brat in his place. Something you never seem to manage, Morgue." he said as he picked up the gun and placed it and the knife back in his inner coat pockets.
"Oh, and you can control him?" she replied, her fists on her hips.
"Hey, he's your problem, not mine. You brought him on yourself. I like to think of him as my revenge on you. For every hour of misery you gave me, he gives you a year."
"In that case, he shouldn't have survived infancy." she replied. "Well, he's not going to sulk for long. He'll try something again soon. He is gaining power and magical skill."
"Oh, he's probably off plotting against us right now." Negaduck shrugged, as if the matter was of no consequence. "He'll try to overthrow us to take over St. Canard again, and we'll clobber him again. He'll never learn."
"I see where he gets it from." Morgana muttered.
In a tower of McCawber Manor, Essobee was grumbling under his breath as he looked at his wounds. Each one was a long, shallow scratch, just enough to hurt. Except the cuts on his chest and abdomen; those were smaller and slightly deeper. Negaduck must have inflicted those with the point of his knife instead of the blade. Showoff! Essobee drew his finger along each wound while muttering a healing spell. The injuries disappeared as he touched them.
He hated Morgana and Negaduck. Morgana had raised him to be her successor, but now that he wanted to take over she and Negaduck wouldn't step down! He would have to take his place by force. But Morgana was a much more powerful sorcerer than he was, and Negaduck always had his weapons with him.
Morgana wouldn't let him become powerful enough to take her place, he knew that. So he was not going to wait for her to teach him. He had been swiping magical books and items that he thought she would not notice, and had been experimenting with some new, more powerful spells. He had also taken a wooden box that was cut in strange ways and inlaid with gold. Morgana's notes described it as a puzzle that, when opened, would create a gate between universes. Which universes her notes had not mentioned, and he had never been able to solve the puzzle, but he kept the box anyway for possible future use.
His problem, he told himself, was that he had to deal with both Morgana and Negaduck at the same time. He could, he believed, defeat one or the other. Negaduck could not defend himself against magic - Essobee had seen him fall victim to Morgana's wrath many times - and Morgana could not fight physically. If he could get one out of the way, then the other would soon fall.
What spells could he use? He had been going through her books, but most of them looked easy to counteract. If he tried to cast a death spell Morgana would recognize it and cancel it before he could finish - or, worse, turn it back on its caster. What he needed was something that she wouldn't notice until it was too late. Which, unfortunately, left out any magic directed at her and any spell that would physically harm Negaduck.
How he'd like to clobber Negaduck, Essobee thought. The old duck had not weakened with age like he should have. He had dried out and toughened, like rawhide. And he positively lived to humiliate Essobee!
Wait a minute. Could Essobee turn Negaduck against Morgana? They were always squabbling anyway, even though they were allied both to rule St. Canard and to oppress Essobee. Morgana would always be on her guard against Essobee, but she wouldn't expect anything from Negaduck! He flipped through the book, looking for an appropriate spell. Maybe a love spell, but reversed?
He found nothing of that kind in the book. But he did find a "soul jar" spell. This spell would imprison its victim's soul in a container, allowing the spellcaster to inhabit the body. Oh, that would be perfect! If she thought Essobee was Negaduck, he could take her down in a heartbeat!
He looked over the spell. It was long, but it didn't look too difficult. He gathered the necessary items for the spell - a container, some magical herbs, and a few feathers from the victim - and arranged them, following the diagram, in a five-pointed star. He put the herbs in a shallow copper bowl and set them on fire. Then he began reading the incantation out of the book.
Downstairs, Morgana interrupted Negaduck. "He's trying something."
"Already? Not lazy, is he. What's he doing?"
"He's casting a spell of some kind on you. I can feel it." She closed her eyes and concentrated. With her magic sense she could 'see' the spell. It was loose, poorly focused, more like fog than an arrow. It was not deadly, she could tell. But it was aimed at Negaduck. She waited for it to begin to take effect, so she would know how to counteract it.
Soon the spell enveloped Negaduck. It began pulling at him, as if trying to kill him - but, again, it was not a deadly spell. She began chanting, trying to break the spell's grip.
Essobee felt Morgana's interference. The spell had already started to take effect; from now on it would be a battle of wills. He strained, pouring energy into the spell.
Morgana fought against the spell. Essobee was putting more power into the spell than she had thought he could! But she felt its grip loosen suddenly. With a sudden burst of energy she destroyed the spell. It dissipated, like steam burning off.
She sighed. "Now Essobee's safe. He can't cast anything after that; he'll be too drained." Negaduck did not reply. Morgana opened her eyes. Negaduck had fallen, face forward, onto the table. Morgana nudged him. He did not react. Alarmed, she shook him by the shoulders, then slapped him. It was like shaking a doll. She pressed a finger to his throat. After a nervous moment she felt a pulse - faint, but steady.
She opened his eyes. He stared into the distance, his pupils dilated.
Morgana let him go. He slumped lifelessly in the chair. She closed her eyes and stared at him with her magic sense. His aura, normally a smoky black, was completely gone. His body was alive and unharmed, but unoccupied. Essobee had somehow separated Negaduck's soul from his body. Oh, the brat had done it this time! She would separate him from his hide! But first things first.
She carried Negaduck's body into her magical workroom and put it in the pentagram etched in the floor. She cast a ward spell over it to keep it safe from any further mischief.
Essobee was dazed and drained. Morgana had destroyed his spell somewhere in the middle; he was not sure if any of it had taken effect. Quickly he inspected the container using his magical sight. It was empty. Drat it! If he had at least captured Negaduck's soul he could hold it hostage! But now Morgana was going to nail him for what he had tried - and, if the spell had failed completely, Negaduck would too! And in his weakened state he couldn't hope to defend himself from their combined wrath.
His glance lighted on the puzzle box. He grabbed it and began turning and twisting it, trying to open it. If he ever needed an escape to another dimension, this was the time!
He heard a crackling sound outside, and saw a flash of flame. Morgana must be furious; normally she used lightning, not fire. He continued fumbling with the box, trying to see where the puzzle pieces turned-
The box clicked open. A light shot out. Startled, Essobee dropped it. A gate, like a hole in the air, appeared above it. Essobee could not see what was on the other side - all that was visible was a chaotic whirlpool of colors - but a fan of fire at the window convinced him to leap through anyway.
Morgana entered the room less than a minute later. The first thing she noticed was the pentagram containing the container, the feathers, and the dish of smoldering herbs. One of her magic books was open. A possession spell! Essobee had ingenuity, she could not deny that. She picked up the jar, and immediately knew that it was empty. She threw it to the ground, where it shattered quite satisfactorily. A glance at the puzzle cube on the floor told her how Essobee had escaped.
Oh, she was going to destroy that brat! Not only had he dared this magical attack on Negaduck, he had botched the spell! Now she was going to have to clean up after his mistakes. She would exact her revenge on him as soon as she reversed the spell's effects - and, of course, Negaduck would want to take a crack at him too, once he learned what had happened.
She gathered up the book, the puzzle box, and the components of the spell, and returned to her lab.
The dimensional gate opened in another universe. Essobee stepped out. And fell twenty feet to the ground.
When he recovered he looked around. He was in a vacant lot in a city. It was uncomfortably sunny and warm. The air smelled strange. Bland. There was no smog haze in the skyline. And it was quiet. Too quiet for a normal city.
Then he noticed the buildings around him. He had not realized it at first, but the buildings nearby were the same as the ones he could see from his home. They just looked different in the sunlight. He looked around. He could see no trace of McCawber Manor. What had happened? Had he destroyed it somehow?
Wait a minute. That puzzle cube created a gate to another dimension. This was one of the parallel universes he had heard about from Morgana and Negaduck! That explained why everything looked similar, but with changes. There was no McCawber Manor in this universe, so he had appeared in midair. He looked up. There was no gate above him. It must have closed after he came through. Great.
Not so bad, he corrected himself. Okay, so he was stranded in an unfamiliar universe. But here there was no Negaduck and no Morgana to thwart him! He could carve out his territory without their interference!
He closed his eyes and began to soak up magic energy from his surroundings. He found that this universe was poor in that respect. It took him an hour to recharge himself, and this was a relatively magic-rich area too! That discouraged him. But maybe that also meant that there would be no other sorcerers. Who would bother with magic in a desert like this?
In the Negaverse, Morgana restrained herself from pitching anything breakable against the wall. She compromised by throwing a lightning bolt. It hit a wall which was already scorched from many years of such abuse.
She had been trying to summon Negaduck's soul, to reunite it with its body, but so far it had evaded her grasp. She was used to dealing with dead people, but a partially-living ghost was another thing entirely. Even the use of his feathers had not helped. If only she only knew his birth name, she could call him with that! But the paranoid, rotten old drake had evaded all of her efforts to learn that one detail about himself.
Essobee soon decided that he liked this universe much better than the Negaverse. Even if the people here, not knowing who he was, did not cower from him like they did back at home, they learned quickly with the help of a few pyrotechnics! You would think they had never seen anything burst spontaneously into flame before.
Things became even more entertaining when people in blue uniforms began arriving in noisy cars. These must be "police". He had never seen any in the Negaverse. With Morgana and Negaduck commanding the city, who needed them? Now, he supposed, they would try to "bring him to justice". Well, let them try!
One of the policemen spoke through a megaphone, offering Essobee a chance to surrender peacefully. Essobee had to laugh. They actually thought he would give in if they asked him nicely? He responded by creating a spark inside the gas tank of one of the police cars, causing it to explode. Any time they tried to approach Essobee a sheet of flame appeared to force them away.
After that the police were better behaved. They stopped pestering him to surrender. In fact, all they seemed to be doing was keeping the citizenry far away. What fun was that? Essobee did not know that they had called in a specialist for matters such as this, and were simply fighting a holding action until he arrived.
The appearance of a puff of white smoke surprised Essobee. A duck in a blue and white costume stepped out and said, "I am the dove that flies in the light. I am the sword in the hand of justice. I am Posiduck!"
Posiduck? This was this universe's version of Negaduck? He was wearing a similar coat and hat, but he was much too young, and looked nothing like him. No matter - he had heard about these alternate universe superhero types from Negaduck. They were all pushovers.
"You're surrounded. You can play with fire all day if you want, but sooner or later you're going to lose. Might as well cut your losses and stop now." Posiduck announced.
Was Essobee supposed to take this seriously? He created a fireball and threw it at Posiduck. Posiduck leapt over it, barely missing getting his feet burned - and stayed in midair.
Posiduck and Essobee both paused, surprised. Then Essobee began shooting more fireballs at Posiduck. He made a much better target in the air! But soon Essobee's fireballs became smaller and weaker. He did not have enough power. He had forgotten that the magic level of this universe was so low. When he paused Posiduck swooped in for the attack. When he touched Essobee the sorcerer stunned him with an electrical burst. Posiduck, temporarily out of control, crashed into the fence behind Essobee. Essobee chanted a quick spell, jumped backward, and disappeared.
Posiduck sat up and shook his head to clear it. The duck in the black robe was nowhere to be seen. "Where'd he go?"
One of the policemen helped him to his feet. "I don't know. One minute he was here, the next he's gone. Who was that?"
"Beats me. I was hoping you knew. He just disappeared? Like, he turned invisible?" Posiduck asked.
"Like that." The policeman agreed.
"Oh boy. A supervillain. I knew it'd been too quiet too long." Posiduck said to himself.
Essobee watched as Posiduck spoke to the police. He had not turned invisible, he had created a pocket just far enough out of this dimension that they could not see him, but he could watch them. It was like watching television - he could observe, but he could not do anything. The trick had saved him more than once from Negaduck and Morgana.
They seemed to be taking Essobee seriously as a threat! Great! And, from what he overheard, villains were rare here. Better! He wouldn't have any competition then!
Meanwhile, Morgana was still busy. She had moved Negaduck out of the pentagram, and was now using it for a summoning. The spell worked a little too quickly; she suspected he had been waiting for her. The red goat appeared in the pentagram and said, "Morgana! How long's it been?"
"Lucifer, you know that you do not have the power to take the souls of the living-"
"Not unless they make a deal that says I do." he responded.
"Well, he is not dead!" she gestured at Negaduck.
"Yeah, but he sure don't look so good. Musta been some hot party last night, eh?"
"Don't play games, Lucifer. You must give his soul back!"
"Hey, whoa! Morgana, you think I'd snatch him? He's worth more to me up here than downstairs anytime! Someone else stole his soul - kinda futile, 'cause he's mine anyway. I'll bet it was that kid of yours. A chip off the old block, ain't he?"
Morgana shook her head in frustration. "I'm going to kill him!"
"Oh, I dunno. I kinda like him. Lotta potential there."
"Are you sure you don't have Negaduck?" Morgana asked suspiciously.
"'Course I don't. His reservation doesn't come up for a few years yet. However - you taken out any long subscriptions, Morgana?"
"Lucifer, please. This is not a joking matter."
"Hey, what fun is life without a few laughs? You're takin' this way too serious anyway. Why don't'cha try summoning him in your pentagram?"
"What? He isn't a demon!"
"Not yet. Besides, what's a demon but an evil spirit with a good job? I'll show ya. Hand me that book there, willya?" He indicated one of Morgana's spellbooks. She gave it to him. A black feather appeared in his hand. As he wrote in the book small wisps of smoke curled up from the paper. He handed the book back. "Give that a whirl, kid. Bet'cha it'll do the trick."
She glanced at the spell. "I suppose it can't hurt. Thanks."
He took her hand. "No need to thank me, Morgana. You and I got a deal. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, right?" he grinned toothily.
She drew her hand back. "Yes, I know."
"See ya soon." He vanished, leaving behind a stench of sulphur.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Lucifer always made her nervous. Maybe it was that attitude of his.
Oh well. She set the book down on a table and began assembling the spell's ingredients.
"-and he just disappeared."
Posiduck finished describing the incident to Drake Mallard and Morgana McCawber, two of his parents. Although he had taken over the role of Posiduck some years back, he still looked to them for help on tougher cases.
Drake let out a low whistle. "Another supervillain. It had to happen sooner or later."
"Right." Posiduck took off his blue, wide-brimmed hat and laid it on the table. "He's already torn up a city block." he said in a flat voice.
"Hey, don't let it get to you." Drake said. "You can whip him. Just find the right approach. Find his weakness."
"Well, he used magic spells. They didn't look too complicated, but fireballs don't have to be. If he was a master sorcerer he would use showier spells to scare people more, wouldn't he?" Posiduck asked, looking at Morgana.
"He would, unless he was hiding his true strength. But from what you told me it looked as if he ran low on power in the middle of the fight. Only an amateur makes that kind of mistake."
Posiduck looked up hopefully. "Then maybe he can't do anything worse?"
"Don't underestimate him. That's a quick way to lose." Drake said. "He probably knows all about you. Your powers and limitations."
"I don't know. He said something about the good guys here being easy to beat, not like in 'The Negaverse', wherever-"
Both Drake and Morgana startled. Drake said, "Negaverse?!"
"Yeah. D'you know what he was talking about?"
Drake put a hand on his forehead. "Joey, it's no wonder he gave you a bad time! You were too young to remember it, but Morgana, Launchpad and I once fought a character from the Negaverse. His name was Negaduck. He was my proverbial 'evil twin', believe it or not, and a holy terror. He infiltrated the city and tried to organize the city's criminals. His aim was to 'conquer' St. Canard. If we hadn't realized what was happening in time, he might have succeeded."
Posiduck whistled. "What did you do? How did you get rid of him?"
"Your sister Gosalyn infiltrated the gang and learned about the only person who had ever defeated him, 'Darkwing Duck'. We found him, and all five of us managed to capture him."
"It took five of you? To catch one villain?"
"Supervillain." Drake corrected. "And, even so, he managed to escape."
Morgana commented, "This one couldn't be Negaduck. Negaduck didn't know magic, and he was a cleverer strategist. But, whoever this is is still a threat..." She picked up a spherical glass paperweight. She concentrated, casting the spell under her breath.
Joey watched the glass carefully. She was scanning the magical activity in St. Canard. He was surprised when, instead of showing the blues and greens it usually did, it darkened to a reddish black. Shaking her head with distaste, Morgana ended the spell and set the paperweight down.
"What did that mean?" Joey asked.
She paused, reluctant to answer. "I was scanning for the presence of evil magic. Unfortunately, I found it. He is not terribly powerful or experienced, but he is a definite threat."
"I know." Posiduck glanced down at the scorch marks on his coat. "Well, I guess what I gotta do is figure out if he has any weaknesses. Better start now." he sighed.
"Joey, you'll need help on this case." Morgana said.
He looked back. "I know." he said bleakly.
"Morgana can help you with her magic, but neither she nor I are up to an actual battle any more. You'll need the help of someone who is used to fighting people like him."
Joey already knew where this was heading. "He can't be that powerful."
"Joey, you know very little about him, especially how much he knows about you." Morgana said gently. "And The Negaverse is a harsh place; it breeds harsh people. We had no experience in dealing with that. We were lucky to find someone who did."
"Yeah - but couldn't I give it another try first? He caught me by surprise that time, is all."
Drake looked him in the eyes and said, "Being Posiduck isn't about the glory of fighting evil. It's about keeping peace. You have worked with the police when they need you, and vice versa. Launchpad, Morgana and I pitch in however we can. There's nothing shameful in calling for help when you need it!"
"I know." He looked away.
"But you still have to hear it every so often." Drake added gently.
A sigh. "I guess so. But, who could I ask for help?"
Drake looked upward. "Darkwing Duck was who I found. Like Negaduck, he's an alternate version of myself. He's the same age as I am, so he's probably no longer fighting crime either. He must have appointed a successor too."
"How do I find him? Go to his universe and commit a crime?" Joey asked jokingly.
"That's the same thing I wondered when I went to his world, two decades ago. Would you believe that I just took a cab to his house? I guessed that he might live at the same address that I do, and he did. And the first thing he did when he saw me was attack. He thought I was Negaduck." Drake grinned with amusement.
"Oh, brother. I don't know if I want to go looking for someone like that!" Joey said.
"Remember, his world is different from ours. He's tougher because his world is."
"And that's why I have to ask for help from him. Or the current Darkwing Duck, anyway. I'll do it." The decision made, Joey found that he already felt a little better. "I better do it quick, so I can get back before anything else goes haywire."
Morgana spoke. "Hurry, but don't rush. I can interfere with him. He must be trying to soak up all the power he can now, since he let himself run dry before. I know a spell that can make that difficult for him, and which he won't be able to combat without expending more power." She smiled and flexed her fingers.
"Okay. How'll I go there, though?"
Morgana said, "You know the 'instant-elsewhere' spell that teleports you from place to place? It'll work across dimensions too, and you have the skill. It's very draining, though."
"Really? That'll work? Just concentrate on where I want to go? But I've never seen it."
"I have." Drake said. "Read my mind."
Joey looked briefly at the ceiling, recalling the proper spell, then spoke it and touched Drake. Images came to him of a St. Canard different from his own. He closed his eyes and gave his full attention to Drake's memories. After a minute he ended the spell by breaking contact with Drake. "You can remember it that clearly, after twenty years! It must be quite a place."
"When you're my age, Joey, twenty years won't be quite such a long time to you."
Embarrassed, Joey started, "Sorry, I didn't mean-"
"If your memory is still good, which mine is. And, yes, it was a memorable experience. So, Posiduck, what are you waiting for?" Drake asked.
"I guess, nothing." He picked up his hat and put it on. He paused briefly, looking at them, then decided there was nothing more to say.
They watched as he closed his eyes, concentrating on the images Drake had given him and summoning up the magical power for the spell. When he was ready he raised his arms, then slammed his hands together.
The sound seemed to hang in the air briefly after he disappeared. Morgana closed her eyes and began speaking and gesturing for a spell. Drake sat beside her and put his hand on her shoulder, silently wishing his protégé good luck.
When Posiduck opened his eyes the first thing he thought was that his spell had failed. He was still inside a house, facing a familiar picture window. But Drake and Morgana were not where they were a moment ago - and the walls were painted the wrong color.
"Hey! Who are you! How'd you get in here?!" a familiar voice said behind him.
He turned around. "Sorry! I didn't mean to-" the he stopped and stared at the elderly duck who was striding toward him.
"I don't care who you are, you're going to regret breaking in here!" The duck dropped into a martial arts pose.
"Wait a second! Please!" Posiduck held up his hands.
The duck blinked in surprise at his surrender. Then he folded his arms and said, "So, what'll it be? Shall I call the cops in, or make a citizen's arrest?"
"I didn't mean to show up inside your house. But - I'm Posiduck. You're Drake Mallard, right? I came here for your help."
"Posiduck? Hah! I met him once - wait a minute." It began to come back to Drake. "What's your real name?" he asked slyly.
His name? But then, Drake had probably guessed who he was, so it was no secret anyway. "I'm Joey McCawber."
"Joey McCawber? Son of a - what color is your hair?"
Posiduck took off his hat. "Red."
Drake stared for a moment longer, then said, "I didn't think anything could surprise me any more! I ought to thank you for that; since I hung up my cape things have been kind of dull. But, it's quite a trip here from The Posiverse. You guys need help again?"
"Yes. My father - the original Posiduck, he met you years ago - told me to come to you. We've got a villain from The Negaverse wreaking havoc in St. Canard."
"He's back? I haven't heard from him in years! I thought he'd finally given up. I guess he just decided that THIS St. Canard was too much for him. Almost makes me wish I was still Darkwing Duck. It'd be worth coming out of retirement just to kick his tail feathers once and for all!" Drake flipped an oddly placed light switch. A picture on the wall slid sideways, revealing a panel with a speaker and keypad. He punched a code and said, "Quiv?"
A pause. Then, "Right here."
"I got a case for you. You'll like this one. Are you at the tower?"
"No, I'm on patrol. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Right. Meet you there." He flipped the switch again, and the picture slid back into place. He gestured to Posiduck to follow him. Posiduck recognized the two chairs with the table between them from his on home. They sat in the chairs. Posiduck pressed the head of the mouse statuette on the table down.
Moments later they were in the tower. Posiduck looked around in surprise. "The more things change, the more they remain the same." he commented.
"I know what you mean. I felt the same way when I went to The Posiverse."
"You said 'Quiv' - is that the current Darkwing Duck?"
"No - there's no Darkwing Duck any more. St. Canard's hero is now Quiverwing Quack. I retired about ten years ago. I haven't done much adventuring since, except a few times when Darkwing had to step in so Quiverwing could take 'family leave'." Almost sadly he admitted, "I'm pretty much past it for running around in a cape and mask."
"So's my father. He helps me a lot, though - I've only been at this for a few years, so I need his advice. He and Morgana will have me trained. Eventually."
"Yeah - he had to start on you later, didn't he? When I was in The Posiverse you were just hatched. Quiverwing was my apprentice before you were born. Well, she's good. She'll be able to handle him."
"She?" Posiduck said in surprise. He was about to ask another question when a motorcycle shot in through the tower window.
The vehicle landed smartly on its platform. Its rider dismounted and took off her helmet. "All right, Dad, what's - whoa!" She looked at Posiduck in surprise.
"Posiduck, meet Quiverwing Quack. Quiverwing, Posiduck." Drake said, grinning at their mutual confusion.
Quiverwing spoke. "Well, Dad, you're right. I'm interested in this case."
"You remember that 'fish story' I told you about The Posiverse? You're about to find out about it yourself. Guess who's escaped from The Negaverse, and is up to his old tricks again."
"I came here to ask for help." Posiduck said. "I don't think I can handle him by myself."
Quiverwing could see that the admission hurt him. She replied, "He's a tough character. Sure, I'll lend a hand."
"Thanks! I can take you to the Posiverse now." Posiduck exclaimed, relieved at not having to repeat his plea for help.
"Wait just a moment." she said. She took out a gadget the size of a playing card which bore the SHUSH logo. "Tovarisch Muddlefoot."
"Da. What's happening, Quiv?"
"I've got a case. I'm going to be doing some traveling, so don't wait supper."
"Where are you going?"
"Another universe. The Posiverse." She looked at Posiduck, who nodded back. "Keep the kids from tagging along after me!" She heard a snicker, and turned and glared at Drake.
"I'll try. Out."
"That's the best I can ask. Out." She put the device back. "It is not that funny!" she said to Drake.
"Oh, sure it isn't." he said, grinning broadly. "Revenge is mine!"
"Ignore him." she said to Posiduck. "He enjoys being a bad influence on his grandchildren. It's his way of getting back at me for making him an in-law to The Muddlefoots."
"Who, me?" Drake asked innocently. "I would never be that petty!"
"Oh, never mind. Posiduck, we'd better get going. If my kids overheard that message - and I wouldn't put it past them to tap my equipment - we have only minutes to escape."
"Okay. Put a hand on my shoulder, and I'll cast the spell."
She did. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Quiverwing was about to speak after a minute's pause when he slapped his hands together at arms' length.
She looked around. They were in the tower, but Drake and her motorcycle were now nowhere to be seen. She ran to the window. The sky looked bluer, and the air was cleaner. Looking back at Posiduck, she said "Wow! How'd you do that?"
"I learned it from my mother. I got a lot of magic from her."
"Your mother? Wait, don't tell me. Morgana?"
"Right."
"A magical crimefighter. When you meet a villain, you can zap him into oblivion, can't you?" she said, thinking of Morgana.
"Well, not exactly... I'm nowhere near as good as my mother. I don't know that many spells. That teleportation one is just about the best I can do. What I inherited from her was some powers."
"Powers? Really? What can you do?"
"Well, I can move at super speed, turn invisible, fly - levitate, actually, but there's not a lot of difference - strength, those kinds of things."
"Whew! If you told Dad about that he'd die of jealousy. Those powers will come in handy in this battle. Negaduck isn't used to-"
"Negaduck? This isn't Negaduck."
She stopped in her tracks. "Say what?"
"He's a lot younger. About my age. And he's a sorcerer."
She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Oh brother. All right, tell me everything you know about him!"
After half an hour of exposition covering both their new villain and Quiverwing's skills and techniques, they started forming a plan. Quiverwing said, "You and I have different approaches. In this case that's a good thing; if we coordinate we can catch him between your magic powers and my arrows and martial arts training. We'll go on patrol; that's a classic way to draw supervillains out. They never can resist taking a shot at the hero."
"All right. I have a spare motorcycle you can use."
"Great. Lead the way."
Minutes later they were cruising the streets. Quiverwing was not used to the sirens on the motorcycles, but the way the traffic parted to let them through made it worthwhile. And, she reminded herself, they were trying to advertise their presence. Soon Posiduck noticed a cloud gathering in the sky. He pointed at it, signaling to Quiverwing. She beeped her horn in acknowledgement.
As they approached the cloud darkened and began thundering. So Essobee was fully recharged and looking for trouble again. That meant Morgana had released the spell that interfered with his magic. If he knew his mother, she had known the moment he came back, and had released her draining spell so it wouldn't interfere with Posiduck's powers by accident.
He pulled up in a side street near the edge of the stormy area. She pulled alongside. Posiduck said, "He's just practicing, I think. Seeing how much power he can call up. There's nothing to worry about from the storm itself."
"Yeah. But he sure isn't smart! He might as well put up a billboard saying 'COME AND GET ME'!"
"I can't argue with that." Posiduck replied. "He's wasting power."
"And he's also not expecting us." Quiverwing said. "You can just turn invisible, walk up to him, and have him cuffed before he-'
"No, I can't." Posiduck said.
"What? Why not?"
"I can't use my powers all the time. They only show up when I'm in action. Adrenaline triggers them. And I don't know which one I'll get."
She sat back on the motorcycle again and slapped a hand to her forehead. "Yikes."
"Hey, I do pretty good!" he said defensively. "I can improvise."
"I'll bet." She drew an odd-looking arrow out of her quarrel. "I can trap him. Then you can catch and arrest him, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then get ready." She nocked the arrow on her bowstring.
Essobee was enjoying himself, drawing power up and feeding it into the storm. In the Negaverse he could have blanketed the entire city with a thunderstorm in minutes. In this universe, as thin as the power was, he could still do it if he concentrated. And he liked the city better with the sky darkened; it was more like home.
He heard a soft twang behind himself, like a taut string being plucked. A second later he was covered by a net. He tried to remove it, but he only became more entangled. Through the mesh he could see an arrow fly into the sky, leaving behind a shimmering green trail. The arrow flew in a curving path, writing a large Q in the air. "What the heck...?"
On the other edge of his field of vision a cloud of white smoke appeared. "I am the dove that flies in the light. I am the sword in the hand of justice. I am Posiduck!" Essobee could see a woman in a 'Robin Hood' style costume, and the same duck that had bothered him earlier.
Essobee grinned. This was going to be fun! Flames began to ooze from his fingers, burning through the net.
Back in The Negaverse, Morgana was concentrating on the spell Lucifer had written in her book. It had been tricky to cast; she was not used to summoning people who weren't completely dead. It was hard to get a grip on him. If he had only told her his name, she would have been able to call him down at once! It would serve him right if his paranoia did him in. At least she could use his feathers - not to mention the rest of his body - to establish a connection to him.
After some effort she felt a response to her call. With her mind she grasped the spirit, trying to pull it in. It resisted. But it was no match for the magical strength of a master witch. She dragged it down to its body, like reeling a fish in. Once it was inside the pentagram in which the body lay she quickly lit the candles at the points of the star, capturing it. She recited the final words of the spell, then waited.
After a few minutes Negaduck drew in a sharp breath of air. He opened his eyes and looked around himself. Then, seeing Morgana and the candles, he jumped out of the pentagram. He kicked a few of the candles over to break the spell. Glaring at her, he growled, "Nice try, Morgana! Whatever you were trying, it didn't work!"
Calmly she stood, walked over to him, and slapped him. "You idiot. I just saved your worthless life. That brat of yours nearly killed you with a botched spell."
"Of mine? Oh, no, Morgana. He's all yours. In fact, one can only guess if I had anything to do with him at all."
She slapped him again. He surprised her by returning the gesture. They stared at each other for a moment. Then Morgana lowered her hand. "He tried to possess you, but he succeeded only in driving your soul out of your body. He could have killed you. If I hadn't brought you back you'd be haunting this place forever."
"You -" He was surprised. "Why'd you-" He shook his head. "Never mind."
"We have no time to waste. He escaped into the Posiverse. We have to catch him before he causes more trouble."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" He picked up the puzzle cube and handed it to her.
"No. I don't trust that. I'm going to open a portal by myself."
"Well? Get to it." he said.
Morgana glared at him. "I just drained myself saving you! I need time to gather my powers and cast the spell! Leave me alone until I'm ready!"
"With pleasure." he replied coolly and walked out.
Back in The Posiverse, the battle raged on. Posiduck and Quiverwing were harrying Essobee, trying to make him drain his powers again. Unfortunately, he did not fall for that trick this time. He let the storm dissipate, reserving his powers for his simple - but quite dangerous - fireballs. It bothered him to be forced to use such a low-level spell, but the destruction they caused pacified him somewhat.
Posiduck did his best to keep Essobee's attention, so that the sorcerer would not attack Quiverwing. He was not worried about getting burned; the power that had surfaced when the action had begun was super speed. He could dodge the fireballs easily. He had to hold back, in fact, so Essobee would not give up on him and turn his attention to Quiverwing.
Essobee was aware of Quiverwing. He knew from experience with his mother and father that he could not ignore one of his adversaries; if he did she - or he - would catch him from behind. He needed to get rid of her somehow so he could concentrate on Posiduck.
Essobee whirled around to face her. She was taking aim at him with some peculiar kind of arrow. He pointed at her feet and shouted a few words. The ground beneath her disappeared. She fell into the hole. Using a telekinesis spell he picked up a nearby car and dropped it on top of the hole, covering it.
Posiduck ran to the hole faster than Essobee could see. "Quiverwing!" he whispered urgently. "Are you all right?!"
"Yeah!" came the muffled answer. "But this thing's dripping motor oil all over my costume!"
Posiduck went behind the car, so Essobee would not see him, and began straining to lift it. "Come on, come on!" he muttered.
"What are you trying to do?! You can't lift this thing!" Quiverwing exclaimed.
"Gimme a minute! C'mon, please!" He continued straining.
Essobee watched with amusement from a new vantage point, high above the ground. It was like watching an ant trying to move a rubber tree plant.
Both Quiverwing and Essobee were startled when the car suddenly flew high into the air. Posiduck reached down and pulled Quiverwing up with one hand. "Every so often I can call the right one up, if I wish hard enough." he said in explanation.
Essobee shouted down, "You nearly hit me with that thing! You klutz!"
"Can you believe this?" Quiverwing asked.
"Watch out!" Posiduck pointed at a car which was rising into the air.
Essobee was moving the vehicle with his magic. He threw it at his enemies. Quiverwing ran. Posiduck stood his ground. Essobee was surprised to see the car seemingly bounce away. He tossed another car at Posiduck.
This time Essobee saw what happened. Posiduck punched the car, which flew back up, straight at Essobee. The sorcerer barely dodged.
Quiverwing laughed. "Someone's strategy needs a little work!"
Posiduck grinned as he picked up the first car that Essobee had wrecked. "You think so?" he said as he threw it at Essobee. Essobee dodged, then disappeared.
"Where'd he go?" Quiverwing asked.
"Wait..." Posiduck stared at the spot where Essobee had just been floating. "He's still there, sort of. I can see his aura."
"His aura? Are you kidding me?" Quiverwing said.
"No. All people have some kind of aura. His ain't too pretty. It's weak now. He must be recharging again."
"Why don't you keep throwing cars at him, if you can tell where he is?"
Posiduck shook his head. "My strength's gone. My powers disappear when the action stops. Sorry."
"Okay, plan B. We can't wait for him to gather his powers again. Point to where he is, and I'll aim for him." She took a glue-bomb arrow out.
"You can't. He's only partly here. It's hard to explain if you don't know a whole lot about magic and dimensions. Wait! I have an idea. Do you have any iron arrows?"
"Iron? What are you talking about? This is no time to press your clothes."
"No! I mean, arrows with any iron in them. Iron can interfere with magic powers. We can use it against him!"
She looked into her quiver. "Nope. I use stainless steel and aluminum, not iron."
"If you can find some somewhere, I can keep his attention-"
"I think I can work it onto an arrow. Okay! Be careful."
"No problem." he grinned. "Just hurry - I can hold him off all day, but I don't want him to do any more damage to the city."
"Gotcha!" She left quickly.
Essobee looked down into their dimension. The woman was leaving, and Posiduck was not doing anything in particular. He had fooled them into thinking that he had run away! Well, they were going to get a nasty surprise as soon as he was back up to full power.
Quiverwing looked around, trying to think of where she could find iron. What was made of iron? Nearly everything was made of steel. Even irons were steel!
She glanced around. Just down the street was a hardware shop. That was a good place to start. She ran to it, ignoring out of habit the stares her costume got from the civilians who had been watching the battle from within. She found a sales person and asked, "I need something made of iron - what do you have?"
"Iron? Steel is stronger and less brittle-"
"I need iron. Trust me." An idea hit her. "Do you have iron chain? Or wire?"
"Got come chain. What weight?"
"As light as possible."
He indicated a spool on a rack. "That do?"
"Yeah! I need a couple of yards. Let's see -" She reeled it off into her hands until she judged she had about half a pound. Good thing it was fine chain! "This much." He cut it. She asked, "How much?"
"I saw what was going on out there. I don't know what you need it for, but if it'll help, take it!" he replied.
Why couldn't the citizens in her St. Canard be that helpful? Most of them didn't even have the sense to get out of the way when she was battling a supervillain! "Thanks!" She darted out. Just in time - the battle had already resumed. She ducked into a nearby alley and started dismantling one of her arrows.
Essobee reappeared and threw a fireball at Posiduck. Posiduck had been watching his aura out of the corner of his eye, so he was not caught off guard. He dodged out of the way just in time.
He heard another fireball explode, but it was nowhere near him. Essobee was looking in the wrong direction. Was he firing at Quiverwing? She was nowhere to be seen. Then Posiduck looked down at himself. He had turned invisible. "Of all the times for THIS one to kick in!" he exclaimed in annoyance.
Essobee turned towards the sound of Posiduck's voice. He looked for him, then, assuming he was hidden behind a fence, blasted it with an electrical bolt.
Posiduck ran over to a wrecked car and slammed its door. "You're too slow! Can't catch me!" he shouted.
He felt the heat from the blast as he ran away.
Quiverwing frantically worked with one of her net arrows, trying to weave the chain into the mesh. It was going to be too heavy to shoot normally. She could use the net by hand, though. She just had to make sure the chain was secure. The explosions she heard did not help her nerves. "Just a few seconds, Posiduck. Hold on..."
"No rush." a voice whispered behind her. "I'm doing fine. He's busy cremating an empty car."
She turned around. Nobody was there. "Where are you?"
"I'm invisible - oh, rats!" he said as he appeared behind her. "It wore off."
"I'm almost ready. If I can get close enough to him I can throw this."
"No problem. I'll keep him busy."
Posiduck ran out of the alley. When he neared Essobee he called, "Hey! You need glasses! I'm over here!"
Essobee whirled, furious. He pointed at Posiduck. A bolt of lightning leapt from his fingertips.
Posiduck ran to the side to avoid it. And ran straight into a brick wall. As he shook his head to clear the daze he muttered, "Aw, give me a break!"
Quiverwing flinched. That had to hurt.
Posiduck emerged from the hole and darted toward Essobee almost too quickly to see. So he had super speed now. It had caught him by surprise before. Startled, Essobee leapt up into the air and hung there. Posiduck glanced back at Quiverwing, then called up to Essobee, "Ready to give up?!"
"Not on your life!" the sorcerer shouted back and threw another fireball.
Posiduck darted away, then stopped and called, "Oh, come on! This is getting boring!" He dodged another fireball.
Frustrated, Quiverwing watched. She was ready, but now Essobee was too high in the air! When Posiduck glanced her way she made quick movements with her hand, as if pushing something down. He only looked puzzled. When she pointed at Essobee he understood. Posiduck dodged into an alley. Essobee followed him.
The alley was a dead end. Posiduck looked about frantically, as if searching for an escape route. Then he looked back at Essobee. The sorcerer, still hovering, was grinning nastily back at him. "Say goodbye to all of this, and hello to oblivion!" he said as he raised his hands to cast another fireball.
The fireball exploded, filling the back of the dead end. A hot blast buffeted Essobee as everything that was flammable caught fire.
Essobee landed and looked at the flames. Just for the heck of it he added more jets of fire. He wanted to burn that costumed idiot until nothing was left.
In the roar of the flames, Essobee did not hear Quiverwing come up behind him. She threw a heavy net over him. He turned and snarled, "I'll burn you too!" He raised his hands to cast another spell. And nothing happened.
Quiverwing sighed with relief. "Good idea, Posiduck. I'd never have thought of using iron against him. How'd you get out of the fire? You don't even look scorched."
"I can run faster than you can see. I got out of the way just before it hit." Posiduck answered. He wrapped an end of the chain around Essobee's wrists. The sorcerer tried to fight him; Posiduck bent one of Essobee's ring fingers backward and said, "You've lost. Don't make me hurt you any more than I already have."
Essobee growled inarticulately at Posiduck. Posiduck ignored it. Walking Essobee out of the alley, he asked Quiverwing, "Is he wanted for any crimes in your universe?"
"No, not that I know of. Why?"
"If he isn't, he should stay here to stand trial."
"Fair enough. HEY!"
Posiduck looked up from his prisoner and saw what had startled Quiverwing. There, on the lot where they had just fought, something else was happening. It looked almost as if a hole were being torn in the air.
Posiduck recognized it. "A dimensional portal?! Who did that?! He couldn't have!"
"I have an icky feeling in the pit of my stomach..." Quiverwing muttered.
The hole widened and solidified. A tall, black-haired woman, and a shorter drake wearing red and yellow clothes stepped out. The woman looked at them and said something to the other, who rolled his eyes with a look of exasperation.
Posiduck and Quiverwing heard Essobee groan loudly. He tried again to escape. Quiverwing nocked an arrow. "Posiduck, meet Negaduck. I have no idea who the woman is." she said in a low voice.
"Morgana." Posiduck answered quietly.
"Oh, yeah. I didn't recognize her with her hair down."
"I don't like their auras. They're worse than Essobee's." Posiduck wondered if there was a way he could keep Essobee from escaping while he fought the other two.
Morgana raised her hands and shouted a spell. Glowing bolts of power leapt from her hands. They formed bars, which encircled Quiverwing, Posiduck, and Essobee.
"Don't touch those, Quiverwing." Posiduck warned. "They'll fry you!"
Negaduck and Morgana approached. Quiverwing raised her bow and arrow. Morgana gestured impatiently. Quiverwing's bowstring snapped with a loud twang!
Posiduck put his arm around Quiverwing's waist. Holding Essobee's net with his other hand, he whispered to her, "Hang on to me tight."
"What?!"
"Looks like they've done our dirty work for us." Negaduck commented. Morgana gestured again. The bolts circling them faded away.
Again Posiduck said, "Hold on."
"Hey! WHOA!" Quiverwing yelped as the ground suddenly dropped away. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Essobee struggled briefly. Then, when he saw the distance between himself and the ground, he stopped.
Negaduck folded his arms in annoyance. "Bloody do-gooders. And me without a machine gun."
"We're not here to waste anyone." Morgana answered. She shot a bolt of lightning from one hand at Posiduck. He tried to dodge, but encumbered as he was he could not maneuver well enough. The lightning barely missed him. It hit the net he was holding, setting it on fire. He yelped and dropped it.
Essobee screamed, his eyes squeezed shut. Then he stopped falling, but the ground did not hit him. He opened his eyes. Morgana was pointing her hand at him, levitating him just inches from the ground. The net was no longer burning. Her gaze met his. She lowered her hand. He fell to the ground with an undignified thump.
Posiduck lowered Quiverwing to the ground. Posiduck started to run towards Essobee, as if to recapture him. Morgana blocked him with a wall of force. Negaduck shouted, "Oh, cut it out already! I'm not here to fool with you two. We just want the troublemaker." Morgana levitated the net again - Essobee still had not managed to free himself - and they went back through the gate. The gate disappeared.
Posiduck looked at Quiverwing blankly. "What was that all about?"
"I have no idea."
"After all that trouble, he got away!"
"Now I know why everyone hates the 'deus ex machina' cliché." she said.
Morgana, Essobee, and Negaduck re-emerged back in The Negaverse. Morgana canceled her levitation spell. Essobee thudded to the ground again.
He growled "Don't you get tired of dropping me?" as he tried to free himself from the net.
"Don't complain, you fool. You nearly got yourself thrown in jail!" Morgana said.
"So what."
Negaduck sliced the net with a knife. "'So what.' Kid, You make me want to take you back!"
"Then do it! I could've won, if you hadn't interfered!"
Negaduck and Morgana looked at each other. Together they said "Riiiiiiiiight." Morgana added, "Getting yourself bound with iron chain was just to lure them into a false sense of security."
Essobee finally freed himself from the net. Morgana gestured. A line of force appeared and encircled Essobee. She said, "And you still have to answer for that prank you pulled before you left."
Essobee had forgotten that. Negaduck glared at him, then smiled and cracked his knuckles. Morgana said, "You deserve the first turn, Negaduck. Have fun."
"Oh, I will." Negaduck smirked.
Morgana opened the force line to allow Negaduck to enter. It widened until it outlined an area roughly the size of a boxing ring. Negaduck threw off his cape. "No weapons this time, punk. I'll pay you back with my bare hands."
Essobee backed away. He knew he couldn't cancel Morgana's force spell; she was too powerful for him. But if he couldn't get away, Negaduck would murder him!
Negaduck allowed Essobee a few moments to think. He was enjoying the look of terror on the brat's face. When Essobee started muttering to himself, casting a spell, Negaduck moved in. He was ready to slap Essobee's hands aside to deflect the lightning and fireballs that were his favorite weapons. But instead of throwing magic at him, Essobee suddenly jumped backwards and vanished.
Negaduck said to Morgana, "Where'd he go?!"
"He cast a dimension pocket spell again. He's hiding. We can't get to him, but he can see and hear us. However, I know something about that spell that he doesn't. How to seal it off!" Smiling, she began speaking in magical gibberish. She finished on a decisive note, took out her athame, and made a slicing motion through the air where Essobee had been standing.
"So where is he now?" Negaduck asked.
"Still in the dimensional pocket. But he's no longer tied to this dimension. He can try to find his way back, but he won't be able to do it by himself. It'll do him some good to cool his heels."
"Serves the brat right. How long are you gonna leave him?"
"I don't plan to rescue him any time soon. I may not even bother at all. Why?"
"You brought me back." His puzzlement showed clearly in his voice.
"Isn't this revenge enough for what he did to you? Or, are you actually worried about him?" she asked teasingly.
"Wash your mouth out, Morgana!-" he began indignantly.
"Oh, save it. I brought you back because I have use for you. We are allies, after all. You know that there's no other possible reason. So stop worrying about it. Him - well, what use is he? He's like an incompetent version of you!"
"Funny, I'd say exactly the same thing." Negaduck replied.
"I knew you would."
All characters copyright © Disney, except possibly for the Nega-Morgana and the denizens of the Posiverse household , who might be copyright © Kim McFarland, and Joey McCawber and Essobee, who are definitely copyright © Kim McFarland. Story copyright © Kim McFarland. Permission is given by the author to copy this story for personal use only, provided no changes are made to the story, the credits, or Gosalyn's age.
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