Kingdom Hearts F.I.M: Rise of The Elements

by Spirit Shift

CH25: Unexpected Meeting

After leaving Celestia and Twilight alone, AJ left the castle fairly quickly with the help of one of the attendants. The first thing she did when she got outside, however, was take a deep breath. The fresh clean air in Radiant Garden was a welcome and appreciated change from the stale thin air in Dante’s world. So the first thing that AJ wanted to do when she got the chance to relax, was to take a few seconds to appreciate that. Only after taking a few more deep breaths, did she finally start wondering where she wanted to go.

Letting out one final exhale, AJ craned her head to look around. “Alright, now… what to do with myself.” It was then that she felt her stomach grumble. “Guess I could use something to snack on. I wonder if this place has any apples.” Deciding that she didn't want to didn't want to go right back into the castle she had just left, AJ walked out into the city.

~~~

“Now, Twilight,” began Celestia, still standing in the conference room. “I know that I’m not your normal Master, but I hope that you’ll still be able to learn something.”

Twilight was nearly vibrating with excitement. “Of course Master Celestia. I’m ecstatic to learn anything you can teach me, and I’ll treat you with the exact same respect that I give Master Luna.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” Celestia chuckled quietly. “Poor Lulu’ll get jealous. Anyway, I’m going to go on a wild guess and say that you don’t actually know what aura is.”

Twilight thought about it for a second before shaking her head. Celestia, however, nodded in understanding. “I expected as much. Luna isn't really fond of this ability.”

Twilight cocked her head and confusion. She never knew of anything that her master was afraid of. In fact, even though most of the books that she read told Twilight to avoid and fight against the darkness, Master Luna was the one that taught her darkness was not something to fear, and that even accepting it would transform it from an enemy to an ally. Twilight was fully convinced that Master Luna was afraid of nothing. “Why would she not like it?”

“Well first,” Celestia said, raising a finger. “let me explain exactly what aura is in this case. Now pay attention.” All at once, Twilight watched as Celestia’s body started to glow brightly, almost like the shining sun. She found herself in a state of awe as she continued to stare, slack jawed, at what was probably the embodiment of all light. She suddenly found herself bowing to the glowing body in front of her, but soon after that, the light faded. With the sense of awe and wonder gone, Twilight stood back up, confused. “What was that?”

“Did you see what I just did?” she said, her finger still raised. “What did you feel just then?”

“I… I felt like I was in the presence of my mother. I felt like someone extremely powerful was in the room with me. Not that you aren't powerful though.”

Celestia lowered her finger in surprise at the way Twilight worded her sentence, but she shrugged it off. “Well, I guess that’s one way to put it. Aura is basically a rough display of power and intimidation. However, since the intimidation part is largely ignored by enemies, and as it has no offensive or defensive capabilities, auras are one of the most useless things to learn. Not many people know about it, and those who do, don’t care enough to teach it.”

Twilight opened her mouth, but Celestia raised her hand to stop her. “However, auras are also useful in conveying emotions between people who are capable of understanding one another. In my case, my aura conveys trust. I can also resonate with the light inside you. That’s what you felt. I feel like a mother to you, because that who you believed to be someone you can trust wholeheartedly.

“Now, the reason that Luna doesn't like this particular ability, aside from the fact that it’s useless in most instances, is that her particular aura inspires fear and obedience via overwhelming power.”

Twilight’s face contorted in a shocked expression. “What?”

“Indeed,” Celestia’s smile dropped and her expression followed. “Before, when Luna talked down to Rachelle, her emotions caused some of her aura to leak out, causing you all to go silent and complacent. Has anything like that happened before?”

Twilight folded her arms and thought about it. “When she was training us, sometimes when we wouldn't calm down and listen, she’d yell extremely loud to get out attention. I remember freezing up completely whenever she did.”

“That was probably how you all, as children perceived it. An adult yelling at you to be quiet. I know for a fact that Luna can yell loudly, but not loud enough to cause all six of you to freeze up. However, how did you feel today?”

Twilight lowered her head sadly, and muttered, “I-I think I remember feeling really afraid of what would happen when she said that she’d hunt down Spike.”

“Exactly. As adults, you are seeing her aura for what it is naturally. She inspires fear. Luna is extremely powerful, and she’s scared of throwing that power around because of her emotions.” Celestia cracked a smile. “She actually very rarely gets upset like that. She must care about you girls very much.”

Twilight thought back to when they left the mountains, and what Luna told her before they took off. A small happy smile appeared on her face.

Celestia acknowledged the smile as her own grew wider. “Well, moving on with the lesson. You said in your story that while you were fighting Lady, something similar happened?”

Twilight nodded and recalled the final moments in her fight with Lady, and how she began glowing. “That’s right. From what Dash told me, my eyes were all white and and I was surrounded by a shimmering purple field.”

“I see. That’s another property of aura. It’s appearance and effects varies from person to person. Mine appears as a shining light, and Luna’s appears as a hazy shadow. From your description of how Lady acted afterwards, I would assume that your aura inspires people to believe in you. Could you summon your aura now?”

“I don’t know how...” Twilight muttered. Blushing slightly. To her, it was embarrassing to know that she could do something, but also not know how to do it. Embarrassing and slightly humiliating.

Oh my gosh, she so cute when she doesn't know something. I wish she was my student so I could mess with her! Celestia gushed internally. “It’s alright, you don’t have to know how to do it. Like I said, it’s probably a useless skill unless you’re dealing with certain types of people.”

Twilight ran up to the taller women with wide sparkling eyes. “But I want to learn it! Please teach me?”

Celestia flinched back from the girls powerful gaze. So that’s what Luna was talking about… “Alright, for the sake of completion. Usually, you need to channel a powerful emotion…”

~~~

Finally, after so long. After so many hardships, trials and, icky tribulations… bliss. Truly, it was nirvana. These are the thoughts that went through Rarity’s mind as she sank herself into large spa tub. As soon as she sank her first toe into the steaming waters, she knew that everything had been leading up to this moment. All of the filth and grime from Dante’s world was about to be washed away. Sure, the Gummy ship had a rather extensive bathroom and shower, but it only contained the bare essentials; and not Rarity’s definition of essentials that were complete with several kinds of shampoo, finishers and conditioners, and a dozen or so different hair styling products and materials. As well as various make up kits, emergency make up kits, backup kits, and especially her prized original dress robes. She was allowed to bring some of them, but the majority of her collections were left home.

“Well, lets not think of such negative things for now shall we,” Rarity muttered, slipping deeper and deeper into the blissful bathtub. With lack of better things to do while relaxing, she reflected back on her experiences in the demon tower. She soon found that she didn't actually remember much from her time there. Almost as if she slept through most of it.

“Oh… I suppose I did miss out on a lot. How many times did I fall unconscious?” Rarity began to think back to the times that she blanked out. There was that time when Virgil defeated her with nary an effort. There was the time that she and Pinkie were attacked by demons. She remembered fainting the very first time that I saw the Arachne. However, there was a strange hole in her memory almost directly after that point, where she was found unconscious outside in the tower hall.

“What was I doing out there by myself anyway?” Rarity wondered. It just looks like to me, they all left without giving you a second thought. Rarity grimaced.“Oh right, they left back into that… ugh, icky spider room to find a missing puzzle piece.” her face relaxing slightly, she began to pout. They were all more eager to fight the enemy then to make sure you were safe. “They sure were eager to leave me behind. What were they thinking, leaving poor defenseless… me…” What started out as a dramatic expression, soon trailed off into actual concern. “Am… am I really that weak that I couldn't fend for myself for ten minutes?”

Rarity thought back to the fights that they encountered in the last two worlds they visited. “When Spike showed up, Jacquline and Rachelle did all they could until the end. When Virgil attacked, I stupidly sat there daydreaming instead of helping until it was too late.”

Rarity lifted her arm out of the water and summoned her keyblade. Radiant Gem stood strong and beautiful like it had always been. As far as Rarity knew, her keyblade had one of the most unique powers available. Being able to summon more than one of it and use it without lifting a finger. She briefly even wondered if that made her an exception to Master Celestia’s rule about dual wielding. For if she duplicated her keyblade, and held each in both of her hands, would that make her a dual wield?

“Of course not.” Rarity chuckled half heartedly and sat the keyblade in the water, and watched as it floated in front of her. Never once did it float too far away in the jet current. She stared at it for a few seconds. “But… that doesn't mean that I can’t become stronger. A lady sometimes needs to be able to carry her own bags. I can’t let myself drag down my friends by being weak and defenseless.”

With new resolve, Rarity quickly decided that she had relaxed enough today. Master Celestia said that her students were here, perhaps she would pay them a visit. Grabbing her keyblade, Rarity got out of the spa and headed back towards the castle.

~~~

It was a well known fact that, out of the six of her friends, including Spike, AJ had the calmest head on her when it came to most situations. Shia was to averse when it came to problem solving, Rarity was too dramatic, Dash didn't think things through, Twilight thought too much, Pinkie usually didn't think at all, and Spike would take the quickest route and damn the consequences. Only AJ had the patience to come to the best logical conclusion.

However, when it came to apples, all of that clear thought went out the windows. This was the reason why AJ was stomping through the city leaving small craters and destroyed buildings in her wake.

It all started when AJ decided not to go back into the castle. It didn't take long before she found a shop to get something to eat, run by an old duck of all people. She was disappointed to find that the only thing he sold was some kind of ice cream bar that she had never heard of before. Sea… something. However, when AJ asked about the nearest place to get anything apple flavored, the poor guy had the bad humor to act like he didn't know what apples were.

Of course AJ played along, laughing out of courtesy, but the longer the ice cream guy denied knowing, the more annoyed AJ got. Finally, she simply left. Everything spun downward from there when the next two places she went to all said the same thing. “What in the world is an apple?” Now, AJ had no problem describing the gloriousness that was her namesake. In fact, she even seemed happy to enlighten them… until one of them responded by saying, “Ehh, sounds gross.”

That person didn't have a shop anymore.

It got to the point where AJ started running around random shops ransacking the place and trying to prove that it was all a bad dream. Then to the point where she was simply running around in a frenzy looking for the stuff. Unfortunately, the worst came to pass and she came to the realization the this world was the representation of her worst nightmare.

A world without apples.

AJ’s fierce stomps soon dwindled into sluggish wanderings as all hope faded from her eyes. She found herself wandering aimlessly until she tripped and fell onto a bed of flower. She vaguely realized that she was back out in the garden where they had first arrived.

A small girl stepped up and stood over her. “Um, excuse me? Are you alright.” A low mumble was all AJ made in response.

“Is she dead?” asked another voice.

There was a slapping sound, a grunt of pain, and an irritated. “No, you dodo! Look she’s breathing just fine!”

“Don’t call me a dodo!”

There was a small scuffling noise, until a loud screech shut everyone up. “Stop fighting! We should help her!”

Ears now hurting, AJ turned her head to see what the source of the noise was. She saw three small girls, no more than 10 years old. One was a pale girl with light lavender hair styled in swirls. Another was a red haired girl that spoke with a slight southern accent. And the final one was a tallish girl with short purple hair.

AJ frowned sadly. “Poor kids, forced to live their lives like that, never knowing the joy of apples.” Sulking, AJ turned her head back so that she was faced down on the ground. She fully intended to just stay where she lie, praying that when she woke up, it would be time to leave. Unfortunately, the three girls were still around.

“Jeez, Sweetie why do you have to scream all the time!” asked the purple haired girl, still covering her ears.

The girl in question fidgeted and clung to the bottom of her dress nervously. “It’s the only way to get you two to stop fighting.”

“Girls, what’s going on?” another voice called out, this time from AJ’s other side.

The red haired girl looked up, and waved him over. “There’s an injured person here. We don’t know what’s wrong.”

“Let me see.” AJ heard someone lean down next to her. He shook her slightly, asking, “Are you all right?”

AJ didn't turn to face him, instead she mumbled through the grass. “Leave me alone…”

All three girls glanced at each other nervously before turning back to the guy, who looked back at them and shrugged. The red haired girl spoke up, saying, “Ah don’t know, Spike... maybe there’s nothin’ wrong with her after all.”

The violet haired girl relaxed her arms behind her back, “Yeah, maybe she’s just taking a nap.”

“I guess,” said the guy. He took one last look at the girl in front of him, but flinched back when he found himself staring right into her bright green eyes, both of which were wide in shock. In the corner of his vision he spied a familiar old brown stetson, and his own eyes widened in recognition when he realized who this girl was.

Spike and AJ were speechless and still as stone in each others presence.

Author's Note:

So, I've been thinking about the names I gave them. (Rachelle, Jackie, Diane) At first I wanted them to sound more human, but now I'm not sure, would it be better if I just went with normal names? Thoughts?

Comments

[KaijinZero]

the names sound fine to me personally.

[BronyPonyMan]

wow, what a way to end the chapter!

[DashDeviL117]

Nah, the human names are fine in my opinion.

Also, That cliffhanger though!!!