Angela floated in the sky, the magic of her ancestors flowed into her. It was so powerful Angela had to close her eyes. When it had fully absorbed in her, she put her hands to her heart encapsulating the gift that had now been bestowed upon her. She looked to Magica who was weak and in shock.
"It's over Magica." Angela said.
"This can't be!" The dark sorceress yelled.
"You better believe it is!" Scrooge yelled from down below.
Angela got into defensive position.
"You wanna try me now?" She asked with a grin.
Magica gulped.
Angela conjured her magic and before Magica could do anything, she was wrapped in tight wires preventing her from casting any magical retaliation at Angela. The witch struggled and and yelled in anger.
Angela flew to her.
"You're going to pay for everything you have done. To me, and especially to those people below us."
"Never!" Magica yelled.
Angela smiled.
"Have it your way." She said and casted a knock out spell. Magica in her weakness could not stop it and she slipped into unconsciousness. Angela then slowly dropped her to the ground, sparing her a fatal fall.
The group ran to her.
"Is she?" Webby asked.
"No still alive." Drake said checking her pulse.
They all watched as Angela then descended. When she was about to take a step, she put her hand to her forehead and crumpled to the ground. They all came to her side as Ethan pulled Angela into his arms.
"Angie!" He said giving her face light slaps. "Angie wake up!"
"What's wrong with her?" Violet asked.
"The magic might have been too strong for her." Lena said fearfully. "That along with her injures, Angela-"
She couldn't finish as tears fell from her eyes.
"Angela!" Ethan cried. "You gotta wake up, come on, this isn't like you!"
He shook the sorceress in his arms.
The children clung to the adults as Ethan desperately tried to revive his best friend. He readied himself to start CPR, but then a hand blocked his face.
"Do it and I will slug you."
He looked to see Angela had opened her eyes and was grinning up at him with her usual smile.
"Angie!" He yelled and scooped her up. Everyone cheered as Ethan hugged his dearest friend.
"Ya know." She said. "I love a good nap, but this is getting ridiculous."
Angela was then swarmed into a large hug.
"Hehehe." She said. "Sorry guys. I guess I need to work on my stamina!"
"Don't ever do that again." Ethan said.
Angela looked up at him.
"So long as you promise never to attempt to give me mouth to mouth!" She said standing up. "Unless it is truly necessary!"
"You were unconscious!"
"Did you check my pulse!?"
"You weren't moving!"
"Why didn't you check if I was breathing first!?"
"So sue me for being proactive!"
The two friends squabbled, but then once again were in a hug.
"How do you feel Angela?" Webby asked. "Are you any different now that you have your family's power?"
Angela shrugged.
"I'm still me." She said. "I guess the magic will be what it will be once I use it."
"Hmmph." Dewey said. "I thought you would become all powerful and become another superhero and stuff. Well my hopes are dashed.
Angela chuckled and waved her magic. The triplet was airborne.
"Hey, hey!" He yelled as Angela swept him around then put him back down.
"I think I will leave the superhero business to the professionals." She said eyeing Darkwing and Fenton. "Granted, I may intervene now and then for fun."
She winked at them.
"Not unless it's on MY terms!" Darkwing said. "And I always get first dibs on the press!"
He turned to Fenton.
"That goes for you too!" He said pointing at him. "St. Canard is my turf buddy!"
"Aw, can't I help from time to time?!" Fenton argued. "I'll let you battle some of the criminals in Duckburg!"
"Come on dad." Gosalyn said. "You always tell me to share."
Darkwing sighed.
"Fine." He uttered. "But again, I get the majority of the press news!"
Everyone laughed.
"So what happens with them?" Donald asked pointing to the unconscious Magica and Negaduck. "I mean, they know that Angela is a sorceress and Drake and Fenton's secret identities?"
"Oooo, we can mess around with their brains!" Gosalyn said evilly. "Quick, who has a hack saw!?"
Everyone cringed.
"I have a less gross idea." Angela said. "But I appreciate your enthusiasm Gos."
She walked over to the two beings and casted a spell, a light danced around the two.
"There." She said wiping her hands.
"What did you do?" Della asked.
"Just a good old mind sweep spell." She said. "When they wake up, all they will know is what happened, except for who Darkwing and Gizmoduck truly are and how they got to this island. Your secrets are safe guys as well as mine."
"Looks like you can stay in St. Canard as Drake Mallard after all." Ethan whispered to him.
"Uh yeah." Drake said as he approached the group. "Listen everyone, do you think, well, that I can trust you all to keep my identity a secret? Not just for my sake, but for Gosalyn's and Launchpad's too? I don't want to ask Angela to mind sweep you all too, but I can't risk her or Launchpad's life because someone finds out who I am."
"Yeah, me too." Fenton said rubbing the back of his head. "I don't want Mama getting hurt."
"I guess we can." Louie said. "For a price."
"LOUIE!" Everyone yelled at the boy's attempt at bribery.
"What have I told ya?" Scrooge said scolding the boy. "Bribery is only good when it doesn't hurt those ya care about."
He turned to Drake and Fenton
"You can absolutely trust us." Scrooge said. "Worry not lads."
"Even him?" Drake asked pointing at Louie.
"He'd better if he wants his inheritance!" Scrooge said.
"And his allowance." Della said. "Don't think I won't revoke it permanently."
"And his collection of valuable goods he's found on our trips with Scrooge." Webby said. "I know where they are after all."
Louie yelled in frustration.
"ALRIGHT!" He screamed. "I WON'T TELL! I PROMISE!"
The two superheroes breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well I don't know about you all!" Mrs. Beakley said. "But I'm ready to head back home!"
"Sounds like a plan." Violet said.
"Ugh, more walking." Donald groaned.
Angela smiled.
"Ya know, I think we all got our exercise for the week." She said. "How about we take the more relaxed, but faster route."
"Which is?" Ethan asked.
Angela smiled and swept her hands. Moments later everyone was airborne.
"WAHOO!" Huey yelled as they swept up into the sky.
"Not again." Dewey moaned.
Angela smiled and led the group towards their destination. They dove, swept, and had a blast through the clouds. Della especially was enraptured in the moment where she could truly be in the sky like she had always wanted. Drake and Fenton enjoyed dragging Negaduck who had regained consciousness and was now throwing a temper tantrum across the trees smacking into every branch imaginable. Mrs. Beakley held on to Magica who had still not awoken. Gosalyn and Ethan chased each other as Drake watched with delight. The triplets, Webby, Lena, and Violet flew around each other, like a game. Donald, in disbelief he was in the air without being in any type of flying machine was holding on to Scrooge who was trying to pry him off.
Not long after, the Sun Chaser/Cloud Slayer was in their sight and Angela helped them descend.
A cursory look at the plane told there wasn't any immediate damage from their first arrival that would prevent them from taking off. As Angela boarded the plane, she took one last look at the island.
"Do you think the island will still exist now that the stone is gone?" Lena asked her.
Angela smiled.
"No one will harm it now." She said.
They watched as animals began scurrying from their hiding places. The quintessential mothers with their babies foraging for food, birds returning to their nests. The land was becoming like it was before Magica and Negaduck ever set foot.
And they never would again.
"Yuck, like a kids movie." Donald uttered as he helped lock Magica and Negaduck into their seats, which was a crate with holes. Angela had put a sleeping spell on Negaduck that would keep him quiet until the police would take him.
"Think we'll have trouble taking off?" Launchpad asked. "I mean we don't have much runway here.
Suddenly the trees before them moved aside creating the perfecting length for the plane to take off.
"I don't think so." Scrooge said smiling. Launchpad put the plane in gear and soon they were in the sky. Everyone looked out the windows as the island soon became a distant memory.
Ethan had been sitting next to Drake who was admiring the view. When he turned back around, Ethan cleared his throat.
"Some adventure eh?" Ethan asked him.
"You're telling me." Drake said.
"Um, listen." Ethan said. "I know you are busy being Darkwing and everything, but I was wondering-"
"Are you busy on Saturday?" Drake said suddenly to him.
"Huh?" Ethan said.
"Like, do you maybe want to, uh, I don't know, catch a movie or something?"
Ethan looked at him in surprise.
"You mean like a..a date?" Ethan asked nervously.
Drake rubbed the back of his head, blushing bright pink.
"I..I..I don't know." He said. "It can be, but it doesn't have to! I mean it can just be two guys hanging out!"
"But you had a girlfriend, so you aren't umm..."
Drake sighed.
"Well, I uh, like women." He said. "I just happen to like men too."
Ethan looked over to Launchpad who was humming away at the controls.
But then...aren't you and Launchpad..together?"
Drake blinked then laughed.
"No!" He said. "Launchpad is like my brother and my best friend, but not my boyfriend. Yeah he lives with me and Gos, but it's all platonic."
Ethan thought he would have a heart attack due to the joy he was feeling.
Drake looked over at Gosalyn who was hanging out with the kids and Angela.
"But don't tell Gosalyn!" He said. "She doesn't know...yet."
Ethan smiled softly.
"What time on Saturday?" He whispered.
Drake chuckled.
"Afternoon?" He asked. "Two-ish?"
Ethan grinned and secretly threaded his hand into Drake's.
"It's a date." He said.
When night arrived, sleep came easily, well except for two people. Angela looked up from her sleeping bag to see Scrooge standing at the front of the plane. She walked over to him.
"Everything okay?" Angela asked him.
"Aye lass." He said. "Just taking in another adventure. You alright?"
Angela nodded.
"Tis a lovely night." He said. "I find it hard to sleep after such a time with me family and friends. Heh..friends..it's hard to believe I have them again too."
He turned to the group sleeping behind him and Della at the controls smiling gently at him.
"And I hope ya think of us too." He said to Angela. "I hope when we bid goodbye it will not be the last time we see ya and Ethan."
Angela chuckled.
"Well Webby has insisted Ethan and I tend her kids and grown-ups slumber party Saturday night. I don't think we can say no."
Scrooge laughed.
"I suppose not." He said. "We'll be glad to have ya."
They stared out at the sky.
"Does the thrill of adventure ever go away?" Angela asked him. "I mean, did you ever get tired of it all?"
Scrooge shook his head.
"The only time I did was when that one took her jaunt to the moon!" He said pointing at Della. Della made a face at him. "But then her boys came and showed me that life was not about hiding yerself away."
He looked to window.
"It used to be about me money." He continued. "It still is. But now I want it to be more. I want to see more, do more! I don't think it ever goes away. Why dear?"
"I don't know." Angela said. "I just wonder if I'll ever get tired of exploring, of seeking out new places. The show can only go on for so long. I mean this trip was discovering how my family preserved their heritage, their power. Now, it's back to being Angela Pato, secret sorceress and television personality."
Scrooge smiled and put his arm around her.
"You will never stop discovering new places because they are out there." He said pointing his cane to the sky. "Even when Donald, Della, and I thought we had found everything, new things kept popping up. The wait can be agony, yes, but it is worth it."
"And we never stopped." Della said. "Especially now with the kids. The adventure has more thrill because you are seeing it through their eyes now. There is nothing like it."
Angela smiled.
"Well I may not be in the running for parenthood anytime soon, but I would like it if I could accompany you guys on your travels when I am back in Duckburg after work is finished for the season."
"Well ya have lifetime pass now!" Scrooge said with a wink.
Angela chuckled.
"Do I?"
Scrooge put his cane to her shoulder.
"I hereby dub thee Angela Pato, honorary McDuck." He said tapping her shoulders with his cane. "And all the adventures that come with it."
Angela grinned and pulled the older duck into a hug.
"Thanks Scrooge." She said. "Can I still call you that?"
"Heck you can call him Uncle Scrooge!" Della said.
"Aye." He said with a laugh. "Should we wake up Ethan and give him the same merit?"
Angela looked to her friend and covered her mouth to conceal the happy squeal she would emit.
"Umm, maybe when we get home." She said. "He'd kill us if we woke him up now."
They turned to see Ethan, asleep with his head on Drake's shoulder who was also out, the side of his face laying on Ethan's hair. Gosalyn was curled up on top of both's laps and their hands both holding her warmly.
"Aw, what a sight." Scrooge said happily.
"Keep your fingers crossed." Angela said. "Maybe it will blossom into something."
Scrooge smiled.
"Ya might be right lass." He said. "After all, as you say, the biggest adventure is being yourself, but I like to say that the second biggest adventure is falling in love."
"Like you and Goldie?" Della asked.
Scrooge glared at her.
"Don't be starting that now."
Angela and Della laughed as Della raised the plane higher in the sky. The sun was beginning to rise and in a few hours they would touch down at McDuck Manor. Another adventure in the books for all them.
But as they all knew, a new one would always be right around the corner.
The End
Of course it's not the end entirely. I've got some works up my sleeve.
Some other notes: I like the Drakepad story arcs, and yes those who write them keep 'em coming, but I can't get myself to write them. Probably because I had never thought of it before. I had grown up with the original Ducktales and Darkwing Duck of the 80s and 90s, so I guess it's hard for me to create it out of that. I do like the new Ducktales though and I am glad to see Darkwing hasn't been forgotten. The idea for Drake being bisexual came to me because while he dates Morgana and fawned over Binkie's sister Trudie in that one episode, he doesn't really give off the impression that that was it for him. He loves Morgana, but of course fears commitment, which isn't a new concept. But you wonder about it, because he's also a single father to a girl he adopted and while I am not a parent myself, you hear the stories from both two parent and single parent households. That being said, single parents are truly superheroes there is no question about that. And staying a single parent or wanting to marry is your choice and I salute all of you. Darkwing Duck and Goof Troop brought single fatherhood into the limelight, which I know Disney has done, but there was always some type of love interest. Even an episode of Goof Troop touches on Goofy going out into the dating world and a potential mother for Max (if I remember correctly, it's been a long time). Darkwing doesn't go that route (at least not in the show anyway, the comics I haven't read), so I decided to join the club of writers who see Drake as bisexual or gay. Quite frankly, it is fun. Hope you liked!