The Man With Two Souls
"Well, how about it Miss Key Wielder? Why didn't you save my world from those things?"
Aqua stared quietly at the young woman with the blazing hair and eyes, feeling the raw magic circling around her because of her emotions.
She was different from the others.
The girl in the red hood, Ruby was looking for a twisted form of justice.
Weiss had metaphorically frozen her heart to try and numb the pain.
Blake was mentally broken, giving away all form of reason to cope.
This girl, Yang…
She was retaining her sanity and heart but Aqua could see the pain and anguish in her eyes.
She had just given up and accepted what had happened with bitterness and regret.
"You're supposed to be going from world to world to find these Heartless and stop them from destroying said worlds so where were you when they destroyed ours?" Yang harshly asked. "We could have made it back in time if it wasn't for you!"
"I didn't even know your world even existed. I only fell here because someone was using the power of a spirit named Ambrosius, creating a gap in between dimensions that I fell into." Aqua answered, remaining calm.
Yang's eyes widened and her breath hitched.
"You know who Ambrosius is, don't you?" Aqua carefully asked. "I was falling into a world known as the Realm of Darkness, the home of the Heartless when I was pulled away and fell here. Whoever used Ambrosius unintentionally created this gap just as I was falling and instead of the Realm of Darkness I fell here. The chances are that the gap accidently brought the Heartless to your world as well."
Yang's breath was panting slightly and she was trembling now. "You're saying…We did this?"
Aqua looked surprised at that question before she realized what Yang had meant. "You're the ones who used Ambrosius, aren't you?"
"I…We…" Yang stepped back. "We were only trying…"
Trying to do what? Neo asked as she typed and held up a message. To be heroes?
"Shut up!" Yang shouted ironically at the mute. "It's your fault we're here! You teamed up with Cinder and Salem even though they only want to destroy the world."
I am here because Cinder betrayed me and because you made that stupid golden road. I was not in this fight for that bitch or her boss. I was there because your sister killed my best friend and I wanted to avenge him.
"Killed your…You mean Roman?" Yang stopped and realized what this was about. "You thought Ruby killed Roman?"
Thought implies I was tricked. She emerged from that crash unscathed while he didn't, ergo she killed him.
"She didn't kill him! A Grimm ate him!" Yang snapped, her eyes flaring again. "All this because you thought she killed some crook!"
Why should I believe you? Neo glared back and typed another message. And he was the only friend I had in the world, not just some crook. It's people like you who are the villains to me. You act like you want to save people but you only do it for the ones you know are in immediate danger. You don't give consideration to the people suffering in silence and because of that I hate Huntsmen and Huntresses for being so stupid and fake.
Roman was the only one to help me. He was the only one to treat me as an actual human being, even more so than my own literally deadbeat parents who only cared about themselves. He gave me the motivation to actually try living and to have something to cling into this miserable hell we call life. We only had each other because we know no one else would ever give a damn whether we lived or died.
"You wrecked Vale and destroyed our school." Yang held up her mechanical arm. "That's why I have this."
Cinder forced us to work for her, promising we would live if we helped her. You think we should have said no and died for your sake? Screw that, Blondie. A bunch of clueless students and their douche bag leaders are not worth dying for in my eyes.
"Yeah because that worked so well for you, didn't it?" Yang scoffed. "Face it, Neo. She betrayed you again and you let her do it. She left you and Roman for dead at Beacon and she did it again just now."
Well, the jokes on her now. She's the one who is dead.
"And so is the rest of the world." Yang snapped. "All because you couldn't stop and think for two seconds."
And what about you, Blondie? I overheard your little spat with your friends. You lied to them and to Ironwood and because of that, you broke apart and Irondouche went nuts, not that he wasn't already a loon to begin with. You pretty much gave Salem the lamp and staff with how you were picking fights with each other.
Yang growled at that.
You still haven't gotten it through your thick head that you helped create the situation here as much as I did. You tore your bonds with your friends and allies apart while I just wanted to kill the one who killed my friend. I didn't need to do anything about that.
"Shut…up." Yang growled softly.
Neo smirked. I'm not even to blame for the loss of the world. You all did that with the staff. You ended the world, not me.
"SHUT UP!" Yang shouted with fire literally exploding around her.
(Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep OST Rage Awakened – The Origin -)
Aqua stepped in front of Neo, summoning a barrier that blocked the flames before they could burn them both alive but Aqua took a chance to throw a dirty look at Neo for provoking another fight. Neo just shrugged, knowing it was likely going to end in a fight anyway. Yang shot forward, her mechanical hand curling into a fist as she reached back and then shot forward. The first exploded on contact, forcing the barrier back and Aqua and Neo sliding along with it.
Aqua kept the barrier up as Yang wildly and savagely launched punch after punch and slowly cracks started to form. Aqua noticed that Yang was seemingly channeling her powers into her fists and thus was getting stronger over time.
That was not good.
Deciding it was no good to be on the defense, Aqua teleported herself and Neo away just as she dropped the barrier. Yang staggered forward a bit, not expecting such a reaction.
"Mini!"
Yang then watched as everything around her grew so much bigger…
Or maybe she was growing smaller.
Once she was shrunk to the point Aqua's foot was bigger than her, the Keyblade Master brought her hand down and pinned Yang to the ground. The girl struggled to move but her new size made it impossible to muster the strength she needed compared to her opponents.
Neo stood over Aqua, smiling tauntingly down at the pinned Maiden.
"Look, I understand your pain but this isn't helping." Aqua said before throwing a look at Neo. "And that's not helping either."
Neo just stepped back and crossed her arms.
Aqua looked back down at Yang. "I'm sorry about your world, I really am but I had no idea that I would be falling here in the first place. Think of existence like a forest of trees. Your tree is a completely separate in the forest. I couldn't save your world because until now, I did know other Worlds existed beyond the Realm of Light or Darkness."
Yang grunted as she tried to break free. "And I'm supposed to care."
"Yes, because trying to care might be the only thing you have left." Aqua retorted. "If not what else do you have to live for?"
"Let's find out!" Yang shouted as storm clouds started to rise up around her.
Of course they were really small clouds because of her size but it made Aqua let go and step back. Yang returned to her normal size and a yellow fiery aura surrounded her. Deciding it was useless to talk; Aqua charged and brought her Keyblade down on Yang who instantly blocked with arms. Yang then followed up with a punch that Aqua hastily blocked but the strike was powerful enough to force her back.
Yang then shot forward, delivering another punch that sent Aqua flying back. Aqua tumbled along the ground but quickly got back up, charging at Yang again. Yang gathered a large fire ball in her hands and launched it at Aqua who dodged and tried slashing at her. Yang ducked and backhanded Aqua aside, sending her skidding back again. Aqua managed to recover and stood back up quickly.
"Not bad." Yang said, sounding slightly impressed. "Hope you're smarter than the last guy I fought with a sword."
She flew at Yang, gathering fire into her hand again and launched it at Aqua who quickly used a Reflega spell to send it right back. Yang however flew over it, somersaulted over Aqua and delivered a punch to the back. Aqua grunted and rolled back, kicking off the ground next and gave a hard thrust at Yang, sending her crashing into the ground this time. Yang grunted but got back up as a yellow Aura flared around her.
Aqua charged at Yang again, shouting as she pointed her Keyblade forward. "Gather!"
Yang was suddenly pulled off the ground into an energy field Aqua projected above her head and delivered up to eight slashes before it dispelled. Yang fell to the ground but looked up with a smile as her eyes turned red. She then gathered fire into her mechanical fist and slammed it into the ground, creating a massive shockwave of fire through the ground that knocked Aqua back.
CRASH!
Yang looked up with a smirk while Neo actually looked a little worried now.
If Blondie defeated Blue what chance would she have?
"Heal!"
To their surprise Aqua stood up and in a flash of green light, looked completely fine. Yang growled and shot forward, ranging her fists down on the Master who blocked nearly all of them before Yang managed to trip Aqua and tried to punch her. Aqua quickly ducked and kicked up, managing to kick Yang in the chin.
Yang staggered back, growling as she summoned another fireball while Aqua shouted. "Fire!"
From the tip of her Keyblade came a fireball that collided with Yang's exploding contact as both canceled each other out. Aqua was then engulfed in an aura of fire as she and Yang took off running, shooting fire at each other with Neo following behind.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Their attacks collided with each other before Yang launched herself at Aqua, grabbing the Keyblade with her mechanical hand while clenching her real one.
"Just like the other guy." Yang said, gathering fire in the real one.
Eyes widening, Aqua dismissed her Keyblade, causing Yang to stagger in surprised and immediately summoned it back. She then swung, her Keyblade bashing Yang in the face which sent her flying back. Yang hit the ground hard but got back up with a growl and her hands flaming. Immediately Yang shot hundreds of fire balls at Aqua whose eyes widened.
It was unlikely her Reflega spell could block an endless barrage no matter strong she might be.
So she used a different tactic.
An icy blue aura surrounded her as she prepared herself. Particles of ice emanated around as her as well.
"Absolute Zero!"
She shot forward, rushing at Yang and any fire ball that came near her was instantly frozen much to the shock of the Spring Maiden who kept on firing. Aqua easily froze her attacks, no matter how many came close to her. She shot right at Yang and delivered a slash that was followed up by a pillar of ice slamming into her and sending her flying.
CRASH!
Aqua watched as Yang crashed back into the ground yet again. "Had enough?"
"Are you kidding?" Yang asked as she got back up, cracking her neck. "This is the most fun I have had in forever!"
To prove her point, Yang created and shot a giant fire ball at Aqua who hastily blocked with a barrier but the sheer force pushed her back. Aqua could feel sweat dropping from the heat of the attack as she struggled against it but she managed to push it away and sent it flying into the water that created a blast of steam. Both opponents then charged at each other, Yang rearing one fist back and Aqua swinging her Keyblade.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The resulting clash created a powerful shockwave that shook the entire beach and blew themselves back. Aqua plunged her Keyblade to halt her slide back while Yang dug her feet into the ground as she skid back, stopping by just a few feet. The two then jumped forward and clashed with each other again, damaging each other as Aqua's Keyblade made contact with Yang's head and Yang's fist hit Aqua in the chest. The resulting contact blew them back again and like before they just got up and attacked again.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Neo stared in awe from the fight as they attacked, striking each other and getting pushed back but getting up and doing so again.
It was like a twisted game of ping pong.
Just as Aqua tried slashing again, Yang ducked and grabbed her before taking off into the sky. "Let's see you try this!"
She pressed her body against Aqua's as she angled them both down towards the ground.
CRASH!
(Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep OST Rage Awakened – The Origin - Ends)
Yang jumped back and watched the smoke clear to reveal a crater…With Aqua lying face down on the ground, seemingly out cold. "Too bad. I was just starting to have fun."
She turned and looked at Neo who had been watching with awed shock on her face. "So, what say you and me settle our score?"
"Had enough?" The voice of an extremely weak Aqua asked.
Yang turned back, watching as Aqua weakly stood up. "How did-"
"Heal." Aqua whispered and in a flash of green light she was completely healed and fully recovered which made Yang gasp.
"No way…" She muttered. "Didn't I just knock you out?"
"Trust me; I've been hit by worse." Aqua remarked with a small smirk.
"Oh really?" Yang cracked her knuckles again. "How much can you really take?"
"I was about to ask the same of you." Aqua replied.
Neo had been watching the fight up until now, knowing that if she tried to intervene she would only get in the way. Still, it was thrilling to watch someone who was not a Maiden and didn't even have Aura able to take one and not only hold their own but dish it back.
Neo was not one for partnerships these days since the last one betrayed her but she knew that Aqua was her only chance of surviving here with four Maidens who hated her guts.
Speaking off…
SWISH!
She shattered just in time and appeared next to Aqua as Ruby landed a few feet away, having tied slicing Neo in two when she wasn't looking.
Yang looked over, seeing the girl in the red cloak. "…Ruby."
The girl stood up, her silver eyes flaring red as she glared at Aqua and Neo. "I finally found you."
Aqua looked carefully between the two, knowing their troubles had just doubled.
"After you two escaped, I spent a little time recovering before I started tracking you. I know you made it over to Weiss and escaped her and then you gave Blake the slip." Ruby twirled her scythe in one hand. "And you even found my sister."
Aqua looked in between the two. "Sisters? I…I can see the resemblance."
"Yeah, thanks." Ruby scoffed as she threw a dirty look at Yang.
Yang only stared back with a hardened look.
"I don't really care what your problem is…" Ruby pointed her scythe at Neo. "She's mine."
Neo glared at the red cloaked girl.
"Fine by me, I was just having fun with the blue one." Yang shrugged.
"Hehehehe…I'm not late for tea, am I?"
They all watched as Blake jumped from out of a tree and landed on the ground, slowly crawling on all fours.
"Blake…" Yang seemingly flinched.
"I was having a nice little cat nap when I heard all the ruckus." Blake said with a smile, briefly looking at Ruby and Yang. "Oh, look. We're all together…Except for Ice Queen…Well; she was always kind of a buzz kill at parties anyway."
Neo and Aqua could see they were in big trouble now. Just one of them was enough, two was pushing it but three?
Three was right out.
Neo didn't even have her weapon since she hadn't been able to find it in all the time she had been here. She glanced at Aqua who was staring stoically between the three. They would have to run for it but they moment they took off the three would be right on their trail.
They needed a distraction.
They needed a way to even the odds.
They needed a…
"So, shall we continue playing?" Blake asked as she crept forward. "Oh, but you must be! All of us playing together would be loads of fun! But then, you'd have to be mad…Mad enough to hide within a birdcage perhaps? Or mad…like…me."
Blake then charged right at the two, running on all four like a tiger as Aqua raised her Keyblade….
"Stop!"
A blast of green light slammed into Blake, knocking her down. Ruby and Yang turned around, watching as a man in dark cloak emerged from the woods and their eyes narrowed as flames around them intensified.
"Ozpin…" Both snarled.
Aqua looked at the cloaked man, feeling something familiar. She had felt that magic in the other world when she had met… "Ozma."
(Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep OST Another Side –Battle Ver.-)
Yang snarled as she launched a fire ball at the man but he easily side stepped the attack and shot forward, moving as a blur at Yang and slamming into her. The blond haired woman grunted from being hit but recovered and launched a fist at the cloaked man's face. The man side stepped the punch and rammed his foot into Yang's stomach. Ruby shot at the man, swinging her scythe with an enraged shout.
Aqua teleported between them and blocked the girl's slash and followed with one of her own. Ruby disappeared into a spiral of roses that slammed into Aqua, sending her skidding across the beach. Aqua jumped to her feet and watched the spiral coming right at her again.
"Lightning Ray!" Aqua shouted as a blinding light cloaked her.
She and Ruby dashed through each other, clashing with their attacks and moving so fast that it was impossible for them to be seen. Only Aqua was moving faster and she releasing bursts of electricity that shocked Ruby with each clash. The two then charged at each other, letting loud cries as they swung their weapons…
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The collision created a rather large explosion that scorched the beach and created high winds that blew through the trees. The two jumped back, landing perfectly on their feet. Just as Aqua did so, Blake tried leaping at her from behind…
Only for Neo to deliver a kick right to her face, knocking her into the water. "GAH! Not the water!"
Neo landed with her back facing Aqua's as the Keyblade Master looked over her shoulder, sharing a glance with Neo who nodded at her.
Aqua nodded back and focused on Ruby who charged at her. Just as Ruby swung her scythe Aqua teleported up into the air, generating a pillar of light that blinded Ruby and caused her Aura to shimmer. Neo followed up with a kick to Ruby's face that knocked her back. Blake lunged at Neo but Aqua appeared in front of her and rushed forward while cloaked in a barrier.
"Barrier Surge!" Aqua shouted as the barrier collided Blake, knocking her back.
Aqua then shot forward, executing a jumping attack that hit Blake three times before she could react. In the meantime, Neo shot at Ruby who snarled and swung her scythe. Only Neo stopped for she ran right into the scythe's range that would have got her head chopped off. Ruby's swing left her open and Neo capitalized by leaping grabbing her by the cloak and pulling her head down.
Neo slammed her knee into Ruby's face three times before throwing her away. Nearby, Yang let out an enraged roar at seeing Neo kicking her sister in the face, abandoning her fight with the cloaked man and rushed right at Neo.
Only that had been a mistake.
The man they had called Ozpin fired another green energy beam that hit Yang in the back, sending her tumbling at Neo who jumped over her and left her to collide with Ruby, knocking them both down. Neo landed next to the man, glaring at him but did nothing else.
Now was not the time to be picky of their allies.
Aqua landed in front of the two, watching as the three Maidens slowly picked themselves up.
"Okay, I've had enough!" Yang shouted as her fiery aura surrounded her. "I'm smashing you three into the ground now!"
"Off with your heads!" Ruby shouted, spinning her scythe and summoning a whirlwind around her.
"Oh! Today's the day to do your job's…Red like roses…Yellow beauty burns gold!" Blake giggled as the water around her began rising up. "Reclaim our destiny!"
All three Maidens powered up as Aqua readied herself by conjuring a barrier. The three shot forward and collided with the barrier, all of them screaming as they poured all of their powers into this one final attack.
'Terra, Ven, I wish you were with me.' Aqua thought sadly to herself.
Well, they were not with him but Neo and the man the girls had called Ozpin but felt like Ozma stood behind her and both placed their hands on the barrier to try and help her keep it up. Aqua looked between them, knowing that they were risking their lives by depending on her.
She couldn't let them down.
They might not be her friends but they were counting on her.
That seemed to give her the strength as her Keyblade began to glow right blue and this caused Neo's own pink aura and the man's white aura to shine and resonate with mystical key. The barrier seemed to grow stronger and began repelling the three Maidens who screamed as they were pushed back.
Aqua let out one final shout and swung her Keyblade, hitting each Maiden in the chest so hard they went flying back and crashed into the ground, their Auras shattering.
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
(Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep OST Another Side –Battle Ver.- Ends)
Aqua stood up, panting as she looked at the three downed Maidens who looked like they were seconds away from fainting.
Yang managed to look up and glare with one open eye but when she blinked the three were gone.
Xxx
Aqua sighed as she leaned against the wall of the cave the man had taken her and Neo to after they had made their escape.
She looked over at the man who had rescued her and Neo. "Ozma, is that you?"
The man simply stared at her before pulling back his hood, revealing a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. "…How do you know that name?"
One of the guest reviewers left a line I liked so I used it this chapter. I thank them for it if they read this.