Gingko was in her room brushing her teeth for the third straight hour.

Draq decided to go in.

"Gingko come on it’s not so bad."

"MMOF SHO BOO." She spit toothpaste foam all over the paste.

"NOT SO BAD? Steelbeak had his beak on my mouth. I am never going to get the taste of beluga caviar and hi quality axle grease out of my mouth."

"Come on Annie it’s not like he hasn’t kissed you before. On second thought after that you did try to blow him up with an air ship. Okay Annie kissing Steelbeak big deal I understand. But hey you got Darkwing Duck’s phone number."

"Gaaaah. It’s bad enough that I’m in debt to that Caped Weirdo as well as the Unspeakably evil one. It’s bad enough that he had to…" she took a swig of mouthwash and spit it out "You know what. Now I’m in his pernicious and vile debt, and I can’t kill him." Gingko burst into huge tears. "I blame this on you Draq."

"Me without me you wouldn’t have even had a party. And you never would have hooked up with Darkwing."

"For the last time Draqonelle, I am not interested in that stupid egotistical Darkwing Duck. He has way too self deluded."

She gargled more mouthwash

"Such is the unspeakable burden I bear as the world’s most powerful living being."

She put the toothbrush in her mouth "How am I supposed to kill a guy if he saved me?"

A new cascade of foam started coming up over the old one.

"Whoa am I going to have to call the dog catcher. You look rabid. Put the toothbrush down Annie."

"No."

"I think you’ve had enough." Draq reached out for her brush.

"I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough you matchmaking misguided draconic sorceress you." Gingko said slurred and belligerent. Gingko pulled on her left horn.

Draq tried to pull the toothbrush from her mouth.

"Gimme."

"No. Gingko."

"GIMMEE!"

Draqonelle pushed her forehead back.

"It was tainted with Steelbeak anyway."

"Wipe the foam off your chin."

Gingko started bawling uncontrollably.

"Stop crying, STOP CRYING."

"Oh such is the plight of Gingko Biloba, Night Mistress of the- BAAAAH. How can I even call myself that anymore? If I can’t kill Steelbeak… What will I do? I can’t go on."

"Gingko what are you doing?"

"Goodbye cruel world." She grabbed a bottle and started chugging.

"Annie."

"Goodbye Draq, I see a light at the end of the trouble." She lay sprawled out on the floor

"Annie."

"It’s getting darker, darker…" she coughed and closed her eyes.

"Annie, you’re supposed to drink after shave."

"Well doesn’t mouthwash count?"

"No."

"Why couldn’t we have a guy live in this apartment? How about aloe vera intensive skin care lotion?"

"You can’t drink lotion."

"Well then I’ll eat it."

"Annie-"

"Oh. Then I’ll just spend the rest of my life down here wallowing in my own self pity."

Draqonelle couldn’t foresee the grave consequences of her next statement. But even Dimensional guardians can make mistakes, and even a part-time secretary can destroy the world.

"Hey you know Gingko. I mean all he did was give you mouth to mouth, and Darkwing helped him with that. All Steelie did was help Darkwing. Why he barely did anything, Yeah and Steelbeak didn’t pull you out of that bathroom. If it hadn’t for that guy who carried you out of the bathroom you would be dead."

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone let you out of that bathroom and brought you to the living room. And I’d say he was the one saved you from the Liquidator."

"Who?"

"I don’t know. He was kind of tall, and funny looking."

Gingko wiped her mouth. "He was really wet."

"He had to be. He swam in that bathroom."

"No I mean. It must have been hallucinating…"

"What?"

"It was like… It was like he was made of…"

"crystal clean Pure Flud Water.

Megavolt and Bushroot walked in abject horror and fascination. The Liquidator was immovable when he watched TV. He could sit for hours, days, and since he was not subject to the trials of flesh and blood, probably forever. Like a strange blue colossus.

And just when you thought he was completely dead to the world, completely out of it, someone would walk in front of the screen. He would burst into action, debilitate the viewer as quickly and possible and slide back into his seat. Like a booby trap in an Incan temple. He once threw a kitten out of the window because it mewed too loud during the commercials.

No one interrupted the Liquidator when he was watching TV.

The Liquidator had only been watching about 17 hours after the party, when they knew it was going to happen. Megavolt and Bushroot were eating Frosted crispies, and they were talking about it.

"So has Negaduck come in yet." Bushroot asked.

"No, I don’t think even he has the guts. You saw what he did to Quacker Jack that time he walked in front of the Brody Bunch. Or that unfortunate incident with the two part episode of Full House." Megavolt pointed to his scar on his arm."

"But this is Negaduck. He’s our boss, he’s evil. He’d probably make Liquidator into Jell-O."

"But this isn’t your standard everyday thing. Negaduck is going to have to…" Megavolt gulped "walk in front of the TV."

"Fifty buck says he does it."

"I like those odds."

Quacker Jack walked in the room.

"Good Morning Everybody." he said stretching "It’s a beautiful day."

At this the door fell off its hinges.

"You insufferable idiotic numskulls. When I get through with you. You’ll wish you had been arrested."

He smacked Quacker Jack "Ow", Bushroot "I’m sorry" he said to appease him, and Megavolt "Owww" and he raised his arm to smack Liquidator.

And smacked Quacker Jack again.

"See he’s not gonna do it." Megavolt hummed

"You Moronic excuse for a bucket of sludge? You putrid horrifically stupid collection of h2o molecules."

shouted "I know you can hear me, you Dimbulb."

Liquidator didn’t breathe.

"So treat your family to supper at-"

Negaduck rolled up his sleeves and menaced the Liquidator.

"I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t soon forget." He said testing out his baseball bat. "Ahhh!"

He punched Quacker Jack,

As the savage beating occurred behind them, Bushroot and Megavolt discussed their wager

"See I told you he wouldn’t do it. I told you he wouldn’t do it."

"He’s just getting warmed up

"Oh yeah. Right. I wonder what I’m going to do with your fifty bucks? Oh I could by one of those delicious gourmet alkaline battery chargers, or new gloves or maybe a new-"

Negaduck threw aside the broken bat.

"Will you two knobs pipe down?"

Quacker Jack’s teeth fell out of his mouth and huge lumps formed on his head as tiny toy banana’s swirled around his eyes. Quacker Jack encouraged woozily.

"That’s showing him who boss Negaduck." And he passed out.

Negaduck rolled down his sleeves, and straightened his hat.

"You incredible idiot. I can’t believe it. You had that Dorkwing Dunk, you had Launchpad and Quiverwing and a slew of perfectly acceptable hostages and then you just stop…"

"He’s going to do it…" Reggie whispered."

"Of all the lamebrain dunderheaded-"

Negaduck walked in front of the television.

Liquidator’s eyes fell upon him, like the sightless eyes of any stone idol. Negaduck was silenced, but stood his ground.

"I just remember I have an appointment with my electrician, my electrodes are killing me-"

"Oh and I got to go water my plants."

Quacker Jack "And I got to-"

Negaduck tripped Quacker Jack bill first.

Liquidator stared right at him.

"What’s a matter, Negaduck? Dawson’s Creek isn’t on till Seven."

The other members giggled.

"Dawson’s Creek?"

"Negaduck watches Dawson’s Creek. Negaduck watches Dawson’s Creek." Banana Brain mocked.

Negaduck kicked Quacker Jack in the stomach.

"I don’t wanna wait for YOUR life to be over, you miserable feeb."

Negaduck stepped on Quacker Jack and looked Liquidator right where his eyes should have been, as if he had eyes, He growled slightly. "I just want an explanation."

He walked into Liquidator’s face. "I want you to explain yourself." He placed his finger through Liquidator’s chest, pulled it out and shook it off "Why did you let Darkwing go? Again? I think you’re getting soft."

"Why Negaduck? You should know from my commercials, our special series of filters remove all manner of unpleasant chemicals and additives, Flud water is never hard."

"Why did you let him go?

"Why ask why, Drink Bud Dry?"

"Come on Lickie? Don’t play this game with me? You want to kill him too, Don’t you? I guess I thought too highly of you."

"Darkwing Duck can kiss my loosely packed collection of molecules. It had nothing to do with Darkwing Duck." Liquidator said.

"Then why did you-"

"You know Negaduck you make a better door than you do a window." Liquidator tried to wave him out of the way.

"Oh am I standing in front of your precious TV. Well here... here. Can you see now?"

Negaduck covered the screen with his cape.

The others shook their heads fearfully.

"Oh what’s a matter you can’t see your precious TV?"

Liquidator didn’t even change his facial expression.

Negaduck flew over to the other edge of the room on a huge geyser of water. He was tossed around like a baseball.

"Oh no. This is horrible . Liquidator and Negaduck are fighting to the death? This is horrible." Megavolt ducked behind the kitchen counter

"I wonder what I’m going buy with my fifty bucks. Maybe some nice nitrous filled fertilizer or-" Megavolt yanked Bushroot behind the counter with him.

Quacker Jack finally had the power to stand up by his own will.

A huge jet of scalding hot water slammed Negaduck and him into a wall.

Liquidator sat watching his TV. Negaduck stood up on Quacker Jack.

"Get off me you knob."

Quacker Jack chuckled and realizing the only justice in his world was comic justice, bonked himself unconscious.

The Liquidator turned off the TV. They all stared at him. He had never done anything remotely like that before.

The headquarters of the Fearsome Five lay silent for the first time ever.

Liquidator coughed, in a thin watery voice, he had never spoken in before.

"There was a girl, she was trapped in the bathroom. She was going to drown."

Negaduck straightened up. They all were staring at him. Negaduck broke the silence.

"THAT’S IT? You let Darkwing Duck escape because some stupid girl was going to drown?" Negaduck tried to portion out his unspeakable rage.

"She was going to drown. She wasn’t breathing. I almost…It was like I could almost feel her breathe disappear. And the cold and she couldn’t breath." Liquidator couldn’t string his thoughts together.

"You stupid knob."

"And she was going to be there, and she was going to be all alone and she was going to drown."

"Everyone should have drowned. Everyone *including Darkwing Duck* would have drowned."

"She wasn’t breathing."

"That’s generally what happens when you drown." Negaduck laughed.

Liquidator glared at him

"How would you know?"

Liquidator squished around before Negaduck.

"You don’t what it’s like." Liquidator growled "You don’t know how painful and horrible it is to take your last breath and have it squeezed right out of you. You don’t know what it’s like to feel this."

Liquidator slapped him across the bill, too upset to even solidify himself. "I wasn’t going to let her drown."

Liquidator started falling apart again into pure water, trying to hold himself together. He was too upset he had to get out of there.

"I’m sick of this." He tried to pull up his legs.

"What’s the matter you knob. Don’t you want everyone to know your secret?"

Liquidator smacked him again, and trudged off to the bathroom.

"If you would excuse me, I think I have to get out of here before I ruin your carpet."

Liquidator looked over his shoulder and left the headquarters.

The remaining Fearsome Five all looked at Negaduck.

"Pelican’s island is on in ten minutes."

"Well it doesn’t matter if he lost the fight, he did what I said he was. Pay up."

"No way, Twiggy."

"Don’t welsh on me now, Sparky."

"Don’t call me SPARKY?"

Bushroot and Megavolt began wrestling.

"A three hour tour…"

Quacker Jack looked up at the ceiling

"You know Mr. Banana Brain. Sometimes it does not pay to get out of bed."

Gingko Biloba sat in Draqonelle’s magic library.

"Lets see spirits, faeries, monsters Doesn’t she have a dictionary? He wasn’t really a monster he was a-."

Draqonelle put her hand on her shoulder.

"Oh uh Draq. I was…a looking for that Hammialle Steal book. Here it is." She picked up a book

"Well if you like Hammialle Steal garbage you’ll probably like this. ‘How to make a Zombie; Dummies’ Guide to Necromancy.’"

"Ah, so you see through my clever ruse, do you?"

"I never would have guessed if my alarm hadn’t gone off." Draqonelle might as well humor her. "Now what’s the deal."

"It appears that though the powers of the Gingko Biloba pills have given me a mind to rival any force in the universe, I don’t know much about magic. And I knew that you dabble in wicca and such on your time off… I thought I could find something on the spirit that rescued me from the Liquidator."

"Spirit? It was just probably just some guy."

"But who else knew I was hiding in the bathroom from all those jerky guys. I mean that’s why I picked it."

"Annie, it doesn’t make sense, I mean the spirits of the world are really shy these days. I mean they don’t go around helping people anymore. It’s too dangerous for them. You were saved by some sweet shy guy who doesn’t want to come forward."

"That you didn’t invite to the party? Why wouldn’t a spirit want to help me? In normal case, sure I could see why they would hide. But I am the great Gingko Biloba, I’m not just a normal."

"I’ll second that."

"The universe would fall apart if Gingko Biloba were to perish. Oh such is the weight my life. Why wouldn’t some friendly spirit try to save me, if not out of generosity than for the fate of the world?"

"Come on Gingko."

"I know what I felt. It wasn’t a human."

Draq knew that once Gingko got an idea into her head, no force in the universe could pry it out. Especially not the forces of her magic.

"All right here. A to Z guide of magical creatures, with illustrations, Sprite: A helpful…"

"Check under water."

"I’m not putting this book underwater. It cost me thirty pounds for this book."

"Water spirits."

"Ok, Kelpie: A nine-foot long horse with the tail of a dragon who sinks ships."

"No, he was well a him, and he didn’t try to sink my ship, he didn’t drown me so…"

"All right anthropomorphized. Mermaid."

"No."

"What about a Naiad like a mermaid but with legs. These beautiful nymph inhabit the oceans."

"Can Naiads be boys?"

"How are you so sure it was a guy? It could have been a girl. It probably was a girl if it was a water spirit like you said."

"I don’t know. I just do." She felt her brother’s gift around her neck.

"Water Pixie, Sylph"

Gingko looked closer "Would they be big enough to pick me up and carry me into the living room?"

"No they’d just use their magic."

They looked really creepy and green, with curly toed shoes and long mutant noses.

"No that’s not him either."

"Okay lets look under the definition. Water Sprite: An indeterminate aquatic being. It can run the range from dew drop pixie to Full fledged elemental."

"What does that mean?"

"It’s a blanket term. Most of the Fair Folk and Spirits are uncategorized. So if you see one you might not even recognize it."

Gingko looked at the book.

"A wishing well?"

"Oh yeah actually that’s where the legend comes from. They thought if you threw a coin or a jewel into the well, the spirit would grant your wish."

"Well that’s pretty reasonable. I always wondered where a wishing well got its power."

Draqonelle handed her the book. Gingko always surprised her.

"When I was a little kid. They had this wishing well in the park. It was really nice. And every day I would go and I would throw a penny in. And I would wish. And one day it came true. I was so happy."

"Really."

"What was the wish?"

"I thought it was bad luck to share wishes."

"Well I just thought."

"Draqonelle, could the spirit who saved me, be waiting in this well. I mean what if it’s the same one."

"Maybe he recognized you." Draq smiled. She could be such a sweet little kid. Most people only got to see her crazy violent side.

Draqonelle left Gingko Biloba alone with her spell book, to dream.

CITY PARK

splosh Gush Gush Gush

ONTO THE GRASS

Gush gush gushgush

STONE

The Liquidator collapsed into pure water

Fill FILL FILL

In the gentle stillness of the Old St. Canard Wishing Well, the Liquidator let go of all his anxieties and problems, and hypnotized by the gentle rhythm of the rain dripping into him, he almost slept, like he had before he died.

He was roused by something.

He looked closer.

The little penny splashed right through him.

Mom said See a Penny Pick it up, All the day you’ll have good luck.

splash

The Liquidator fished the two pennies from the bottom of the well.

"Hello, Well spirit. Wake up. It’s me."

Gingko grabbed another penny.

"Where are you? I know you’re in there and you know I’m out here. So come on out."

She threw another penny.

"Please come out."

She waited for a second and all of sudden there was a noise.

A penny came flying back and hit her in the shoulder.

Gingko dodged.

"I knew it someone is down there."

She ran to see what the Well Spirit looked like.

Nothing. It was just a really deep well with water in it and pennies.

She rubbed her eyes.

"Okay maybe I’m just seeing things. Maybe they were right. This is just silly."

She turned around and started to walk away.

A penny hit her in the back of the head.

"Oww." She rubbed the mark. "You could hurt someone."

A big watery voice whispered "sorry…"

"Oh don’t pretend like you’re not there now." Gingko raised her fist.

The well sat silent.

She picked up the penny and threw it back in.

There was a rumbling under the earth.

Gingko looked all around.

Thousands pennies shot 100 feet into the air in a huge geyser.

Ginkgo hid under the old slide, which was dented by a heavy shower.

"Okay Okay. You don’t want anymore pennies. Um I’ll get you something else."

Well now that, that’s over

Liquidator rested until he felt another plunk in him.

"Why you little weirdo- Get a life!"

He picked up the penny to throw back-

But it was heavier than a penny.

Nicer more sparkly too.

A diamond necklace?

A choker

He counted and weighed the stones in his hand.

Each rock was like 3 carats.

He looked at it closer before being splashed apart by something else.

Also not a penny.

A ruby broach with a solid gold backing.

A sapphire the size of his fist

Like the kinds of stuff that they had at the Museum of Art.

"These are a little better than pennies, huh Mr. Well spirit." The voice answered.

Well he didn’t know about this girl, but his wishes were coming true. Jewels were falling from heaven.

Liquidator didn’t know how to react. I mean she was giving him jewels, but she also must have been a nutcase. What did she want anyway? He paused

Gingko sat on the playground equipment, waiting for his response.

She heard the voice rise from the well

"Thank You."

Gingko was getting frustrated.

"I had to steal those from two rich foxes in the Park. And all you can say is Thank You."

"Um Thank You Very Much."

Gingko had read that anger scared off most demons. So she tried to stay cheerful.

"I’d appreciate a little more than an emphatic thank you. It’s not easy for someone as powerful as I am to be to reduced to mere burglary. I am no ordinary street thug you know. I am Gingko Biloba, Night Mistress of the Mysterious Night."

"I’m sorry. But getting diamond necklaces chucked in me is outside of my realm of experience." The big voice said. He sounded so familiar, but she couldn’t place it."

"I forgive your naiveté my dear little one. For I as benevolent as I am powerful." Gingko Biloba said.

"Yeah I’ll bet. Well thanks for stopping by and remember to play the home game."

Gingko screwed up her eyebrows.

"I know I’ve heard that voice before."

Gingko went to the edge of the water.

"Will you come out so I can talk to you?"

Liquidator almost dropped the necklace.

"Please come up."

"Are you sure you’re alone?" The well spirit asked "There aren’t any cops up there?"

"What? Why would there be any cops? It’s just an old park."

"Well I’m really shy." The Liquidator tried not to giggle.

"You have to prove to me no one’s up there."

"How can I do that?"

"Uh. I don’t know. Um make animal noises." The Liquidator held his voice steady. He covered his mouth so she would hear him giggling.

"I don’t know any animal noises."

"Make a noise like a frog."

"What I don’t know how do that."

"Look just try it."

"I’d feel so silly."

"That’s the idea. If you’re really alone, than you won’t care."

"Okay. Okay."

The Liquidator held out his ear.

Gingko began to make an unconfident noise.

"Gwa Gwahh. Gwah."

"What on Earth is that?" Liquidator wondered aloud.

"It’s my frog noise."

"Frogs don’t gwah." He shook his head. "They croak and ribbit. Like this."

Liquidator croaked

"Oh you mean Ribbit, Ribbit."

Liquidator laughed.

"Okay now cluck like a chicken."

"I know how to do that my vilest and most disgusting enemy is a chicken here."

She cleared her throat.

"Buck. BuckBuckBuck. BuckBuckBuck eck eck eck he hehey Hey Hey Hey Hey you gattah problem with me, joik?"

"You’re enemy sounds like Steelbeak."

Gingko paused.

"How do you know Steelbeak?"

"Um. I don’t."

"You have hidden powers Mr. Well Spirit."

The Liquidator thought hard

"Okay, well I know, bark."

She gasped.

"What did I say?" the Liquidator asked

"Did you just say what I think you said?" She asked in complete shock and disbelief.

"I just asked you to bark."

"I don’t know who you think you are, Mr. Well Spirit, but my mother raised me better than that. Please keep your mind out of the gutter."

"I am the gutter. I mean-"

"Oh I’ve never been so embarrassed."

Liquidator was so embarrassed. He should have just asked her to strip naked and run across the park. He hadn’t known she was a dog like- like he used to be.

"So I guess that makes you a well… you’re a dog right?" he chuckled nervously

"What’s it to you?"

The Liquidator wanted to say he was a dog too, but he knew he wasn’t any longer, so he continued talking

"Well I’m not." Gingko laughed at the cruel parody.

Liquidator splashed around to get a look at her.

"What do you look like?"

Gingko sat on the swing.

"Can’t you see me from where I am?"

"No."

"Well then you better come up."

"I’m not falling for that."

"Are you really going to make me bark?" She sounded like she was going to blush.

"Oh no please. I am really sorry Miss. Can you forgive me?"

"Oh I suppose that’s all right."

"Super."

"Why won’t you come up?"

"Don’t wanna."

"It’s nice up here. The moon is really big tonight."

"I can see it fine down here."

There was a long pause.

"I’m hungry. Are you hungry Mr. Well Spirit?"

"I don’t eat."

"I have an extra sandwich with me."

"Please don’t-"

"Here catch."

The sandwich fell in the water.

It was getting soggy bread on his shiny new jewels.

"You know Sandwiches always are better when someone else makes them." she started to chew.

The Liquidator made a doomed attempt to get rid of the greasy horrible white bread sandwich floating around in him.

"Of course I made these so they’re not very good." she laughed.

"Nonsense you make the best sandwiches in the universe." Liquidator said fishing around in his mass to get the hunks of bread out.

"You really think so?"

Liquidator didn’t answer.

"You know I despise sarcasm." Gingko said.

"Sarcasm never sells." Liquidator said trying to throw the bread crust over the edge of the well.

He had never wished for a pair of hands more. There was nothing worse then having soggy things trapped inside of you. He almost wished he could have a bite of this Gingko’s sandwich. It wasn’t fair that life was about so many unfair exchanges. Look at what he was doing to this poor girl. She gave him a diamond necklace, she gave him a sandwich. He was too much of a coward to even see what she looked like. People threw coins into wells and wanted their dreams of bikes and dolls and winning lottery tickets to come true. He wished she would just go.

"I can wait here as long as you can." she said.

"I doubt that. I don’t need to eat or sleep. I thank you for the jewels. But I don’t think I’m going to come up tonight. So I’ll bid you a fond Fondue."

"But why won’t you come up?" she sounded different "I’ve given you everything you would want. I gave you a sandwich. I gave you jewels. I don’t have anything you would want."

She sounded very small.

"Here I am Gingko Biloba, the stupid jerk who just dropped a 400 thousand dollar necklace down a stupid drainpipe. Gingko Biloba, the repulsive loser who can’t even get a stupid wishing well sprite to do my bidding, Gingko Biloba, Lord empress of the stupid loser nothing."

He could hear her cry.

One last thing floated to the bottom. He looked at it. Another piece of jewelry. Not any of the nice stuff that she had been throwing down before. One of those junky plastic crappy things. Of all things it was a pentagram.

The girl up there, British sounding, small, angry and sweet, vain and shy, and she wore a pentagram. She defied his imagination. Who in the heck was she?

Well he might as well find out.

Gingko was glad no one could see her cry. If she the most powerful living entity on Earth would cry what hope would the rest of the world have? The world was a cruel and strange place, and her place in it, as important as it had to be, didn’t make it any better. All around her, the own dark sources of her own power sat unattainable uncontrollable.

When you are alone you think you are the only person in existence.

When you are in love, you really are.

The Liquidator rose out of the well with her necklace floating on his palm. Gingko Biloba’s jaw fell open.

"You really should hang onto this."

"It was the only thing I could really give you of mine. I mean that’s your rule as a spirit. If it’s not a real sacrifice it doesn’t count." she tried to touch him.

He didn’t shrink back

"You just better hold onto it."

She put her sharp nail against and then through his hand and marveled.

The Liquidator looked at her.

It was the girl.

What girl?

That only girl. Who was drowning. Liquidator stared at her.

He had rescued a complete nutcase.

She finally let go of his hand, probably realizing who he really was. But she didn’t run away. If she could steal jewels like this in under an hour, she was probably a professional something. And she probably wouldn’t wait around where the cops could see her. She was small, and sharp-eyed. She had nasty little sweet eyes. They seemed bright pink, like nothing he had ever seen. They didn’t have pupils. She also had a huge round schnoz, Like a basketball only the light color of her fur, and that garish pink of her eyes. In comparison it made his features look chiseled.

She was a strange looking little person.

It was an unforgettable look.

He began to wonder if she always looked like this, and dressed in black.

"So you’re the Well Spirit."

"Yes I am. Booga Booga Booga." He stretched his paws and face especially fearsome and grotesque. Like a demon

"Haa. See I knew it."

"Huh." Liquidator’s scary face dropped.

"This was all apart of my clever plan, to appear as a weak and powerless little woman to lure you up here. To evoke your sympathy." she said as transparent as his body was.

"Uh huh. I guess it would be kind of silly for me to hand you a handkerchief to dry your tears."

"But I have you now."

"All right.I guess you got me there. I am your prisoner oh great Gingko Biloba." he bowed before her with a flourish.

"That is more like it."

He sunk back into the well a little and rested on his arms on the edge of it.

"Your wish is my command… Dumdum."

"Like I need a wish from you. Like I can’t will anything I desire into being. Wish indeed."

"No wish?"

"I have everything. Ultimate power, ultimate knowledge. What do I need of dresses or cars or money or electronics. My only wish is that everyone could be as fulfilled as I am."

"Can’t I just give you a car instead?"

"But you know me Mr. Wishing Well spirit. I am Gingko Biloba."

"Of course you are." Liquidator was having fun.

"In fact I’m very sure that the only thing I ever really wanted to happen that didn’t was tonight, when you wouldn’t see me."

"Oh, why miss Gingko Biloba you do know how to embarrass a po' unsophisticated sprite like myself." he said mimicking a Southern belle accent. He batted invisible eyelashes.

"Oh, you are very vulgar."

Liquidator nodded.

Gingko put her arms behind her back, in at ease position.

"No. I wish to thank you."

"Oh?" Liquidator asked

"For saving my life."

"Well. Your wish is my command."

"Thank you for saving my life." Gingko nodded and smiled.

"Your welcome." he said.

"Well that was it." Gingko Biloba sighed.

"Has your every desire been fulfilled, great Night Mistress?" Liquidator asked sheepishly.

Gingko found herself staring at him. She had never seen anyone who looked like that, who had such a nature. One of the greatest of her dark powers was that she could always find the most beautiful things. And here he was. She had never imagined she could find anyone so beautiful. He didn’t even belong in this world. It was a sight she’d never forget. "Yeah. That was all."

"Wouldn’t you want a diamond necklace, a black sapphire."

"I throw such useless things into wells." she threw her hand up in a dramatic gesture and laughed "You keep the ones I gave you."

"Ones you gave me? You got more?"

"Of course. I’m not an idiot." Gingko tossed her blue black hair.

"Oh."

"I only gave you the best ones." she said lugging throwing a burlap sack over her shoulder.

"I thank you Gingko Biloba." This was too much fun.

"You may call me Annie."

Liquidator screwed up his eyes

"What?"

"Well according to the rule of magic the name is a powerful weapon and tool. And Annie Pedicure is my given name."

"And this means."

"If you know my true identity you have power over me. And besides that’s also my name in the phone book."

"Oh." What a strange name. It sounded silly and small and as inappropriate as she was. It was like his name Bud Flud. Why had he ever called himself that? At the time he thought it up it was cute, and much easier to say then Bartolomeo Fugasi Jr. The cute lasted for about five days. Even after he had changed his name to Bud Flud, He had always wanted a better name for himself. At first it had been fun to be the Great and all Powerful The Liquidator. But then people started calling him Lickie, forgetting that Bud Flud ever was, except in his brilliant commercials.

"Call me Buddy Jr."

"That’s a strange name."

"Lots of people are named Buddy."

"Yes but I never heard a well spirit call himself that."

"Have you met a well spirit who called himself anything else?"

"No."

"Well then don’t judge."

"Well now that we have each others true and honest names, we can no longer be enemies. Yes Buddy. I have made you my equal."

"Oh thank you Gingko Biloba."

"You can call me Annie."

"But I know you don’t want me a mere water sprite to be so familiar with such a creature of greatness."

She really didn’t like her name, so why torture her.

"Well Buddy. I bid you a fond fondue."

"Arrivaderci, Baby." he said like Kojack.

He sunk back into the well.

She would never forget the night .

Liquidator wasn’t quite ready to say good bye. Even though she saw him sink down he didn’t say down.

He was very curious what psychopath’s did on their evenings off.

He floated into dew and sloshed after her.

She walked along the path whistling the whole theme song to the Love Ship.

She would never stop surprising him. He had never in both of his entire lives seen a woman who was so completely out of touch with reality. Buddy remembered his family all of a sudden. His mother was a little kooky, always saying those silly old country sayings. She would quote Drakespeare, FDR and Humphrey Boagart and then say it was a saying from the old country or his Uncle Alberto who had thirty-eight birdbaths even though he lived in an apartment. Aunty Ramona who had obsessive-compulsive disorder and licked her plate clean in public. This was the assorted mess of lunacy he was used to.

He had been living with Megavolt and Quacker Jack for two years and they both were a little crazy. I mean the Banana Brain for one thing. Megavolt talking to his lightbulbs. Negaduck throwing axes at people. Reginald proposing marriage to any woman he met.

This was the kind of crazy he was used too.

It never fascinated him so much. It separated him from the world. But Liquidator knew that if he followed Gingko, his life would never be the same.

Gingko had made her second turn in the park, when she heard someone approaching her.

"I say good my good woman do you have the time." a well dressed fox asked her.

"Yes of course. It’s…oh darn. Excuse me I put my watch in the-" she kneeled and looked in the sack.

As she bent, the other fox with the black jack tripped and fell over her

"Hey be careful. You could hurt someone."

"Oh Cheese. She’s onto us. Roxy, Rocko, Doxy, Jocko." the well-dressed fox’s voice completely changed into a funny Steelbeak like accent.

Several foxes dressed like preppies approached her. Four more foxes approach her."

"So you’re the dame who ruined our con at the museum." a tall blonde fox woman shrieked, pointing a tennis racket at her.

"We’ve been working 3 months to get into the vault, with this Vandermoney bit and you have ta foul it up and take our loot." The first man said, grabbing a croquet mallet.

Gingko Biloba stood tall. "Foolhardy Foxes, do you dare address me Gingko Biloba in such a tone?"

"You are one dead dame." The black jack fox pulled out a knife. "No one steals from the Vandermoney Gang."

"I am Gingko Biloba, Night Mistress of the Mysterious Night."

The blond chuckled just like Steelbeak except feminine "Oh boy get a load of this broad, She thinks she’s scary er sumpin."

"Yeah. Well were teach her not to steal our stolen loot."

Gingko was completely surrounded.

Liquidator stood behind her.

The foxes stop chuckling and dropped their croquet mallets.

Gingko Biloba didn’t see him.

"Cower in fear. Before me and I may let you live. Yes, my Foolish foxes you are no match for the Dark Powers of Gingko Biloba."

Liquidator swelled to a height of thirty feet and waved at the foxes.

"I know my nature is powerful to behold."

The foxes stared at the Liquidator in wide-eyed terror. He pointed at Gingko and smiled maliciously at them.

"So flee now or I shall-"

Liquidator made his gruesome demon face that he had tried to scare Gingko Biloba away.

"MONSTER!"

The Foxes ran in a thousand directions.

"I guess I was too much for them to handle." Gingko turned around and Liquidator shrunk to a puddle.

"Well I better get…"

Liquidator swished over to catch the black jack man.

As the fox fled into the puddle, Liquidator grabbed his ankle. He fell in the puddle and began splashing around, wrestling the Liquidator.

"Let go of me you lousy drip. I ain’t scared of you."

"Ooh. I’m shaking in my atoms."

Liquidator smooshed his face into the mud puddle.

Gingko heard a noise.

"Is that? Oh no it’s Buddy!" Gingko shouted.

She ran towards the direction of the noise.

"I’m coming Buddy."

"Gingko no-"

The fox looked up. "What do you want ya dumb broad?"

Gingko flipped him out of Buddy and onto the ground, and held her deadly pinkie to his throat.

"You leave Buddy alone. He’s under my protection."

The Liquidator had never in his life seen anything so ridiculous. He had never been rescued before.

"I’m outta here. Da jewels ain’t worth this."

As he pushed her off him, her nails slashed his belt, and the leader of the Vandermoney Gang ran off with his pants around his ankles.

Gingko collected herself.

"Buddy. Buddy are you okay speak to me?"

"Gingko Biloba." He tried not to laugh "You saved me."

"Oh Buddy what were you thinking. That Fox could have hurt you."

"Oh no not me, Gingko Biloba. You saw it I’m made out of…"

"Buddy you came out of the well when you thought I was in trouble. You are very brave."

"Not really." Liquidator admitted.

"No, no, no. That fox could have hurt you. Oh poor Buddy, you’re so brave. I promise Buddy. I’ll never let it happen again. I’ll protect you whenever you need help."

"I don’t-"

She hugged him too hard and he fell apart in her arms.

He might as well go with the flow. He was water after all

"Thank You Gingko Biloba. I now I’ll be safe with you around." he said trying to sound as sincere as possible.

The Liquidator rolled up the drain into the bathroom of the Fearsome Five, as the boys were brushing their teeth, in their jammies.

"Boo Ga Boo ga Boo ga."

Quacker Jack and Megavolt screamed and ran into each other and ran away.

Bushroot looked up.

"How come they always fall for that?" Bushroot asked. "You’ve only done in 345 times this year."

Liquidator smiled.

"Why are you so happy?" Bushroot asked. "Negaduck says he’s going to parboil you and put you in his rabid ferrets water bottle."

"Oh Flush Negaduck."

"Normally you’re more talkative too."

"Oh I had fun tonight."

"Really you rob a back or something big."

"Actually I spent one glorious all expense paid trip to the Old Wishing Well, complete with gangs of Preppie foxes. Yes I enjoyed my night of scaring muggers in the park."

"Boy you sound like Darkwing." Bushroot

"Very funny." Liquidator splashed him lightly. He jumped out of the sink. And tried to look at himself in the mirror. Because he was transparent it was no easy task. He willed himself to gel a little more so Bushroot could look at him.

"Is that all you did tonight?" Bushroot asked.

"Oh and this…"

He dangled the diamond necklace in front of Bushroot’s eyes.

"Wow. That’s the necklace that was stolen at the Museum of Art. You must be the cat burglar we heard about on the news."

"She’s not a cat. She’s a dog." The Liquidator put on the choker "And five flushes short on a 2000 thousand flushes. She is completely out of her mind."

"I’d love to hear this."

"She’s the girl I saved at the party. And so to thank me she gave me these."

"That is generous." Bushroot sounded jealous and bitter, looking at the huge sapphire. "Hey why does it have soggy breadcrusts on it."

Liquidator laughed.

"Oh what is so funny?"

"Nothing it’s private." Liquidator grabbed back the sapphire. "Get you leaves off my jewelry."

"Sorry. Boy you get all the luck. You go out on a date and get jewels, and I have to stay here and get beaten up by Negaduck."

"Wait a date? We didn’t go on a date. She just found me sleeping in the Wishing Well."

"Did you eat anything?"

"I don’t eat. I’m made out of water."

"Did she eat anything?"

"Yeah she brought a sandwich so she could wait until I came out." Liquidator laughed.

"Aha. So it was a date."

"Did you buy or did she?"

"I-"

"Did she give you a goodnight kiss?"

"She hugged me when she thought I was beat up by muggers."

"AHA!" Bushroot threw down his toothbrush.

Liquidator sighed "Yes, you figured it all out, Reggie. It was a date. Your typical date really. We chucked pennies at each other. And then we scared off some muggers."

Reggie scratched his head. "I have got to get out more."

Liquidator groaned. "Brains in this bathroom are smaller than they appear."

Reggie turned around.

"She was so completely crazy. She thought I was a wishing well sprite, and that I granted wishes or something. Can you imagine a grown woman believing in that kind of thing?"

Reggie listened seething with jealousy.

"Well anyway. Then when these preppie foxes with bad Brooklyn accents tried to beat her up. So I scared them off. And then get this, she saved me."

"What?"

"Well not really. She says she’s my protector now. Isn’t that wild?"

"Wild Lickie, Just Wild."

"Boy, I mean I really can’t stop thinking about her."

"Uh huh." Reggie started twirling his thumb leaves.

"I’ll never forget those sharp little pink eyes."

"Pink eyes?"

"Man."

"Pink eyes. Did she speech with a raspy English accent?"

"Yeah."

"Gingko Biloba, Night Mistress of the Mysterious Night?" Bushroot shouted.

"Hey how did you-"

Bushroot grew little thorns out of his face.

"Ooh, You Two-timing Liquid Lothario, That is my fiancée."

"Fiancée?" Liquidator said shocked at first. He caught himself "Why would you want to marry her? She’d drive you nuts."

"Look at my face. Because of you I’m breaking out in thorns." Bushroot pulled some off.

"Don’t pick them."

"Please Never say pick to a flower."

Bushroot smacked at him with his leaves like a little girl.

"That was my fiancée. I saw her first." Bushroot whined.

"What?"

"You can’t have her. I’m onto your scheme Mr. Trying to steal my girlfriend from under my nose." He balled up his leaves "That’s right put’em up, put’em up."

"Bushroot have you lost your mind."

Bushroot punched through his face.

"Oh yeah right. You’re water."

Liquidator shouted "Get your leaf out of my head."

"All right Liquidator. You’ve besmirched my honor. I am going to utilize previously secret, unseen and hidden powers, I’ve never used before." Bushroot’s eyes glowed.

Liquidator stepped back retreating further into the bathroom.

Bushroot took a deep breath

"NEGADUCK! NEGADUCK! Liquidator’s trying to steal my girlfriend." Bushroot whined.

He ran down the hall.

Liquidator slapped himself in the forehead.

Negaduck walked into the bathroom with a newspaper.

"What in the name of all that is Holy do you want you miserable disgusting hunk of stinkweed?" Negaduck grabbed Bushroot’s bill.

"Liquidator’s trying to steal my girlfriend." Reggie told him.

And this Negaduck began to laugh infectiously, soon Reggie joined him, even the Liquidator joined in.

"Don’t be silly Bushroot."

They continued laughing.

"You never had a girlfriend."

Reggie and Liquidator stopped laughing.

"Probably never will either." Negaduck laughed.

Reggie stared at him kind of hurt.

"Who would ever want to be with a bunch of freaks like you?" Negaduck continued chuckling. "I don’t even want to be around you two. What makes you think that anyone else would?"

The Liquidator normally never listened to the way Negaduck belittled Bushroot.

"Let’s face it. You better get used to being alone, cause I am the only one who is willing to put up with you."

Liquidator felt that Negaduck was talking to him instead of Bushroot, for once. Negaduck pinched Reggie’s bill "It’s not your fault you’re so repulsive. Cheer up pal. At least you don’t have to bother with anyone else. I’d say you are one of the lucky ones."

Negaduck left Bushroot with those horrible ideas in his head. Negaduck really couldn’t hurt Reggie badly, so he made him feel so horrible he couldn’t think straight.

"And as for you Liquidator, It’s so refreshing to see you come crawling back." He raised his hand to smack the Liquidator

and hit Quacker Jack who was walking down the hall for a bedtime snack.

"Hello Negaduck." Liquidator sloshed.

"Going to catch a little boob toob, boob."

"No thanks." Liquidator said.

"Good because the TV is broken."

Liquidator looked out into the hall. It was completely smashed. There was a huge ax sticking out of screen.

"I think it’s the tracking."

Liquidator winced.

"I don’t need to watch TV here. This is St. Canard I can go walking down the street and see a thousand television stores."

"Yeah well. You watch too much TV." Negaduck smiled.

"It’s kind of hard to stop when you can’t sleep anymore. I never sleep you know."

"Why don’t you get a life?" Negaduck suggested not even raising his voice.

"I’ll think about it."

"Good. Now, I’m gonna use the bathroom. You two get out." Negaduck shoved them both out.

"Yes Negaduck." Bushroot said in a very tiny voice.

Liquidator sloshed out.

"Negaduck is right. I’m just a silly lovesick old freak." Bushroot said very quietly. Liquidator looked at him closely.

"Bushroot are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, yeah."

If anyone could tell if someone was going to cry, it was the Liquidator.

"I’m just going in the kitchen to get some-"

He trailed off.

Liquidator left, so Bushroot could cry alone.