The only reason why this mess exists in the first place is because I had this thought: If Donald is (un)officially the most powerful spellcaster in Square Enix's canon and used an instant win attack in one time line, then what's stopping him from using it in the final battle(s)?
And then it all snow balled from there. In my attempt to 'fix things,' it all became a big ball of self-indulgent nonsense. I am not sorry for most of it.
Most of this was written before the KH3 edition of Ultimania was released and is most likely inaccurate now. This also took me a long time to finish due to procrastination. As a result, a good portion of my initial feelings towards the ending more or less hit the Acceptance stage whoops.
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. That goes to Disney and Square Enix.
Translation note: Title is Pretentious Google Translate Italian for 'the duck mage's wrath.' I have no good reason for this, sorry.
L'ira del mago delle anatre
By Bilbo-sama
The moment Donald had stepped out of the cave tunnel with Sora and Goofy to join the others, something didn't feel right.
For one, his magic ached with echoes of spells he knew he hadn't cast yet.
...Including Zettaflare.
But he hadn't cast that in years. Not since the duel against Magica de Spell.
What made him cast the most dangerous spell he had ever learned without him remembering that he did it?
Donald quickly drank an elixer he had hidden in his hat. The ache lessened but didn't fully dissipate. He frowned as he got the urge to look up at Sora. The boy stared straight ahead, his expression a mix of determination, fear, and confusion.
As the complete group marched forward, a figure appeared and Donald was struck with deja vu as Ven ran up to the man he called Terra.
This happened before.
And then Terra revealed his true colors and knocked Ven out of the way as all hell broke loose.
The maze blocked out a good portion of the fading sunlight. Night is falling and Donald can sense that Sora is no longer in the area. None of the Keyblade wielders gathered in a dead end are him anyway.
(He double-taked when he saw two very confused Vens staring at each other. Somehow it was Goofy who figured out that the one in the black coat was Roxas.)
"Donald! Goofy!" gasped Mickey, "Lea just told us that Xemnas has captured Kairi!"
"Sora and Riku have gone ahead," added a dark haired girl by Axel's (Lea's?) left side who made Donald wonder when she had arrived, "and so did this weird armor..."
"Terra's," corrected Aqua as she glanced at the brown haired man bowing his head in concentration.
The weird haunted armor that intervened earlier that day belonged to him? Donald wondered how he had missed that.
Mickey suddenly ran off into the depths of the labyrinth with incredible speed that left nearly everyone looking on in surprise at his wake. Lea shrugged before summoning his chakrams (is his connection to his Keyblade still unstable?) and motioned the others to follow (with Terra so deep in concentration that Aqua and Ven had to lead him around as he mechanically walked).
After a long quiet trek that did nothing but raise all of their anxieties, they at last heard shouting coming from the top of a platform.
"Let her go!" came Sora's voice and Lea made a shocked noise as he looked up. Donald jerked in shock as he watched as Master Xehanort dangled Kairi over a ledge as several keys circled around the two.
"Oh no," squeaked Jiminy as he jumped off Goofy's hat, startling Donald. When did he decide to hitch a ride with them? "Sora would do anything to save Kairi if anything happens to her. He already abused the power of waking to save everyone before."
"He what?" squawked Donald.
"It's a long story," shuffled Jiminy, "but...we already relived part of today."
"We what?" said one of the Vens.
"Oh boy, the movie kind of time travel," huffed Lea, "just what we needed. More major brain aches."
Donald recalled the feeling of deja vu he had earlier that day. How his strength felt sapped as if he had unleashed the Zettaflare. He wondered if he finally perfected it that aborted timeline or if he experienced magical backlash again. He barely survived it the first time but he had to stop Magica from obtaining power from the Realm of Darkness somehow.
This time was no different. Xehanort had to be stopped. And if it meant protecting Sora from damaging himself even further, then Donald will risk everything once more.
His mind made up, Donald pictured the glyphs of the spell before tapping his foot against the dirt. Light flared up around him.
"Donald-" Goofy began but was silenced by Aqua shaking her head.
It was at that moment Kairi woke up from the sleeping curse Master Xehanort put her under and let out a screech of rage. She was not impressed by this turn of events and the string of curses that escaped her lips made Axel and Aqua scramble to cover their young friends' ears ("But we've heard worse from Larxene and Demyx, Axel!") to no avail.
And then Terra lifted his head and said calmly, "Now."
A clash of metal was heard just as Riku and Sora screamed.
"What's this?" growled Master Xehanort.
A suit of armor blocked a strike from the old man's Keyblade. It appeared that he had attempted to kill the girl and would have succeeded if it weren't for the armor.
The armor leaned forward and its massive Keyblade's weight caused its opponent to withdraw their own. It then grabbed Kairi and as it glided away, Kairi summoned her own to channel a light spell that grew enormously large.
With a shout of "MOTIVATE THIS!" her Keyblade unleashed the massive burst of light and it connected. To her vindication, she heard the old man yell.
"Terra," Donald managed while deep in concentration, "get her out of the way."
"Oh no," whimpered Goofy.
"Everyone get down!" shouted Aqua as Terra nodded before flicking his wrist. In response, the armor's Keyblade extended itself and grabbed Mickey, Riku and Sora. They were flung away.
Donald released the spell and his vision went red...
...
...
"up!"
Huh?
"...nald!" What was that?
"Please!" said a desperate voice, "wake up!"
Why should he? It's not time to start the day yet.
"Donald!" called a squeaky and equally desperate voice. Both sounded familiar.
"I will summon Genie if you don't wake up!" Ugh. That show off? Sora and Goofy knew how he feels about the Genie.
"Fine," Donald mumbled, "I'll get up."
"See? I knew that will work!" said someone - Sora's - in a relieved tone.
Why is Sora worried? It's not like the final...something...
Final...
Final battle.
By Oswald's luck!
With a squawk Donald's eyes opened and he shot up into a sitting position.
"Woah!" yelped Sora as the duck mage flailed as he quacked in alarm, "It's alright! We're all fine!"
Donald quieted down as he looked around. Everyone was accounted for and relieved that he was awake and moving.
"Did...did we win?" he asked.
"I hope so!" Goofy replied before his eyes narrowed, "But Donald that was dangerous! You could've -"
"I know the risk," Donald interrupted as he stood up and crossed his arms, "but it's finally over!"
"No," boomed a familiar scratchy and smug voice. "It's not over."
Everyone looked up and watched in horror as Master Xehanort, who barely looked injured, called the X-Blade into his hand and raised it towards the heart shaped moon in the sky.
-OMAKE 1-
"You did it, Donald!" cheered King Mickey, "You defeated Xehanort once and for all!"
As everyone congratulated the duck mage, no one noticed Xigbar picking up the X-Blade and quickly retreating into a portal.
-OMAKE 2-
Donald narrowed his eyes as he watched his King, Sora, and Riku battle against Xehanort's last three standing lieutenants. While frantically fending off three opponents at once, his friends also have to avoid the stream of discarded Keyblades the old man would summon.
How is that fair?! He fumed as he heard Sora cry out as he narrowly avoided getting slammed in the back. This is cheating!
Donald stamped his foot. That's it. If the thirteen darknesses can cheat, then so can the light!
Glyphs appeared on the ground around him. If he aims this right, it would hit the old man while he's distracted.
He vaguely heard Goofy protesting but before Donald could reply, his vision went red...
Mickey froze as he sensed powerful magic heading towards their way. Oh no. Donald...!
"Get out of the way!" he screamed as he jumped backed away from Xemnas. Sora and Riku complied and to their shock, a red beam engulfed Master Xehanort's younger self.
"No!" screamed the old man as the beam faded away. To everyone's surprise, he, Xemnas, and Ansem started to flicker.
And then the world seemed to go sideways and -
"The X-Blade must be forged," declared Master Eraqus, "it is inevitable. I will not be stopped."
Kairi's unconscious body materialized before him. He raised his Keyblade and looked down at the horrified Sora below.
"I'm sorry my boy," he said, "but it must be done. Light forgive me."
He slashed through her and her very being exploded into shards of light.
-OMAKE 3-
"It's not over," said Sora sadly as everyone returned from the inside of Kingdom Hearts, "Donald needs us."
"But Sora," Jiminy popped out of the boy's hood, "he's gone. That spell backfire left nothing behind!"
"He's not gone," Sora shook his head, "When Xehanort almost got me, I could've sworn I heard Donald calling to me. To tell me to not give up."
"Come to think of it," Goofy mused, "that spell we used in the end requires three people castin' it at the same time."
"Yeah!" agreed Sora, "that means he's still with us!"
"But how are you bringing him back?" asked Terra.
"With the power of waking!" Sora revealed as his Keyblade appeared in his hand. "I'll be back in a bit!"
1. I have no idea how Donald can tell that time travel shenanigans has happened but its probably got to do with part of my brain going 'well if he's that powerful enough to partially cast a stupidly powerful spell and not die then what else can he do?'
2. Magica de Spell is from Ducktales and apparently was just as bad as Xehanort according to this fic's backstory if Donald had to defeat her with Zettaflare.
3. There was no explanation as to what happened to the Lingering Will before The Big Book of Everything KH3 Edition came out. So...Terra can control his armor with his mind now. I don't even know how. I also wanted Kairi avenging her canon self. The result of this is that everybody except Master Xehanort gets a happy ending and nobody has to die for sequel bait. And like, Lea should still be able to summon his chakrams right? He's not completely defenseless.
4. I wouldn't be surprised if the X-Blade would help the old geezer tank a beam of death spell somehow.
And that's all I got. Come back next time when I punch writer's block in the face long enough to write something better (or worse) than this. :D