All of the love group and their Pokémon were surrounding Ash as he continued to lay there and wouldn't wake up. Meloetta was being held by Weiss, who it took a major loving to. Soon enough, the other Keyblade wielders arrived and they also saw Ash's condition.
"OH NO!" Kairi screamed with fright at the sight of him. Aqua got down at Ash and inspected him.
"He's barely alive. This is bad." Aqua said.
Just then, Ash's Gardevoir and Lucario rushed over and they inspected his aura. Lucario looked at Gardevoir and they nodded. They both formed a ball of aura and they combined them. They slowly lowered it into Ash.
"That's right. Gardevoir and Lucario are very loyal to their trainers." Weiss said. She then saw both Pokémon on their knees exhausted. Weiss took their Poke Balls from Ash and returned them. She then saw a familiar family bracelet on the ground nearby and quickly took it. "You've done enough now. Rest you two." Weiss said to the balls. "Melo!" Meloetta agreed.
"MANA!" Manaphy called out nearby. Blake gasped at the sound and ran towards it. "Mama!" Manaphy yelled with happiness and jumped into Blake's arms.
"Manaphy! You little hero you! Mama and papa are very proud of you sweetheart." Blake said while holding it in a hug while returning to the others.
"Papa?" Manaphy asked when it saw Ash.
"It's okay Manaphy, he's just resting…I hope." Blake whimpered as tears were forming in her eyes again.
Soon after, a medical bullhead arrived and landed right by them. When the doors opened, they saw Team ARMY right there.
"Get him inside! We're taking him to an emergency center in Atlas!" Amanda yelled. The rest of Team RWBY returned the rest of Ash's Pokémon into their respected Poke Balls and they entered the bullhead.
"HOLD THE FRICKEN SCROLLS!" A familiar voice to Emerald screamed nearby. They all looked and saw Mercury stomping towards them in anger and severely wounded.
"Mercury!?" Emerald yelled in shock.
"That's right traitor! I won't be left out of this! You all may have defeated Salem, but I shall avenge her death by killing you first Emerald!" Mercury yelled as he prepared his legs.
"That's it! I've had enough of you! I've wanted to do this for far too long now!" Emerald yelled with her Keyblade ready. Mercury screamed and ran towards her and was about to kick her. "STOPPGA!" Emerald shouted and froze Mercury in time.
She then casually walked towards him prepared her Keyblade like a golf club.
"Oh no! This is gonna hurt!" Coco yelled as she knew what Emerald was going to do.
"FORE!" Emerald shouted and slammed the crown of her Keyblade right at his crotch hard.
"OH!" Everyone that saw what Emerald did shouted as their faces cringed at that. Yang and Coco fell onto the ground as it happened.
Emerald casually walked away while whistling and then simply snapped her fingers. Mercury immediately felt the pain shoot right through the location where Emerald hit him at, and then some.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Mercury was screaming a few octaves higher than usual in intense pain while one the ground and couldn't move.
"Serves you right bitch." Emerald spat at him just as she entered the bullhead.
Just as they were taking off, Winter informed a squad to retrieve the injured Mercury at their location.
"Can't say I feel bad for him. He got what he deserved." Yang said.
Most of everyone was looking outside the windows and saw the remains of Vale.
"Well at least there's an upside to this. The damage here in Vale doesn't look too bad, except from where Xedrek detonated himself." Ruby said.
"It's horrible." Velvet said.
Meanwhile Winter, a few medics and Team ARMY were tending to Ash and getting him hooked into a life support system.
"The aura that Ash's Gardevoir and Lucario gave him helped out a lot. He's stabilized ma'am. He's going to make it." One of the medics said.
"Good. We can't afford to lose him tonight." Winter said while sitting by Ash and held his hand.
Meanwhile, Weiss came over and sat by Winter.
"Are you doing okay sis?" She asked.
"Yeah. I'm just worried about him." Winter said. Weiss looked at her and back to Ash and then back to her.
"You love him, don't you?" Weiss asked. Winter gasped a bit from that question.
"Wh-what?" Winter asked.
"I can see it in your eyes. Don't lie to me, you do." She said. Winter sighed a bit.
"Yes I do, but you got to him first. This may sound heartless, but I was originally meant to be the one to be with Ash. You and Ash are better than me and him. You have my support Weiss, I promise." Winter said.
Weiss smiled while getting a little closer to her and leaned on her shoulder.
"I'll tell you what; you can be as close to him as you want. I trust you." She said.
"Thank you dear sister." Winter said while holding her.
Throughout the majority of the flight to Atlas, it had been almost total silence. Many just looked outside trying to get their minds off of Ash's condition. Coco was twitchy, hoping to see some sort of movement coming from him. Velvet contacted Yatsuhashi of where she and Coco were at and they were safe. The off world Keyblade wielders were in deep thought. Most of Team RWBY tried to stay calm, but it hardly did much. Meloetta sat on Weiss's lap as she took an immediately liking to the heiress. Meloetta hummed a song to her to try to comfort her. Glynda just paced around and hoped for a miracle to hit. Amber, Neo and Emerald sat by each other trying to keep each other calmed and not think of the worst.
But Blake…Blake took it the worst.
She just continued to sit and stare at Ash and she didn't stop crying. She cursed herself inside for allowing Salem to do this to him. In short, she felt like she betrayed him, even though it wasn't her fault. Manaphy tried to comfort her, but it hardly did much.
Just then, Amanda sat right next to her and held her hand.
"Are you doing okay Blake?" She asked her. She just shook her head and didn't say a word. "I know how you feel. I promise you, he's going to be okay." She continued.
"How can you be so sure? We practically did more damage to Ash against our will!" She almost yelled at her.
"Calm down Blake." Glynda said. Blake just looked at her with a bit of anger. "We know what happened, and Ash wouldn't even dare be angry at you, let alone all that were with him. The only things we can really do for now are to protect Ash, fight in his place as he recovers, rest and wait. He's been through too much, and now it's our turn to return the favor. Call us his secondary replacements." She explained.
"We best not forget about Xedrek, Qrow, Ozma and all the others who sacrificed their lives to help us defeat Salem and her forces." Coco said.
"I don't care for Xedrek. He took me and Yang's father figure away from us." Ruby growled a bit. It was clear that Ruby wasn't going to get over this anytime soon.
"Ruby, please try to calm down. Qrow and especially Ash wouldn't want you to be like this." Weiss said to her while holding her wrist, but Ruby just swiped them away from her.
"You wouldn't understand the pain of losing a father figure like this." Ruby protested.
"I can." Amanda spoke out. Ruby looked at her with confusion. "Not two weeks of my first year at Atlas, both my mother and my father were killed and I never had the proper chance to say good bye, let alone save them." She explained.
"Amanda…stand down." Torn said while holding her shoulder. Amanda kissed him and leaned on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, the off world Keyblade wielders continued to be in deep thought of the situation. Terra then gasped a bit as he thought of something.
"Terra?" Aqua asked.
"Did you think of a plan?" Xion asked.
"Well…given the situation at hand, I believe that I may have figured out a solution of an item that'll help Ash. However, the item is near forbidden." He explained.
"Wait…you don't mean…?" Aqua asked while holding his shoulder.
"Yes, the Megalixir+." Terra answered.
"Terra, you brilliant person….I love you!" Aqua yelled before kissing him, catching Terra off guard.
Axel then cleared his throat, causing Aqua to separate from him and eye him.
"This is all very touching and all, but don't you think that moments like that should wait because well…you know?" Axel asked while pointing towards Ash.
"Good point. To be continued." Aqua whispered to Terra, who blushed.
"Anyway, so how do we make this…Megalixir+?" Sora asked.
"That's just it. Every Moogle store we've been to either have no knowledge on how to make it, or refuse to make one. Either way, creating one might just be our best hope." Terra said.
"If only…Master Bellaminus or Eraqus were here." Aqua said while holding Terra's hand.
"Yeah." Ven whispered.
Suddenly, Winter's scroll was going off. She quickly excused herself to the front. Ironwood was contacting her.
"Yes sir?" Winter asked.
"Winter, get Ash to the Atlas Emergency Military Hospital on the double. We need to make sure that he lives no matter what the cost." He ordered her.
"Yes sir!" She yelled before hanging up. "How much longer till we reach our destination?" She asked the pilots.
"Three hours, twenty minutes." One of them said.
"Reroute more power to the engines, but keep enough power going for Ash's life support. General Ironwood needs us there ASAP!" Winter commanded.
"Yes ma'am. Less than half of the power will be moved to the engines. At that rate, it will be about an hour and ten minutes." He said.
"Good. Guys! Strap in!" Winter called out as she was leaving.
Everyone buckled up as the ship increased in speed and they were making their way to Atlas faster than ever. Team ARMY and Winter were able to better secure Ash.
After a while, they finally were making their final arrival. Winter arrived at the cockpit and saw Atlas and saw the base.
"This is the Atlesian Military Base. Identify yourself." A woman contacted them.
"This is Winter Schnee, Specialist of the Atlesian Military requesting permission for an emergency landing." Winter spoke through the intercom.
"What is your cargo?" The woman asked.
"Passengers and a critically injured warrior that needs emergency attention." Winter answered.
"Standby for a location to land." She said. They had to wait about a minute until they were finally given permission to land. "Medical Bullhead 2973, welcome home." The woman said.
The ship finally made its descent onto the platform where medical squads were waiting for them. When the ship touched down, the hatch opened and they entered and collected Ash and put him onto a stretcher.
Blake then attempted to go after them, but was stopped by Winter.
"I'm sorry Blake, but this is as far as you can go." Winter said.
"No! I need to be with him. He needs us." Blake demanded.
"Team ARMY, go with them and make sure Ash gets there safely." Winter said while still stopping Blake.
"Yes ma'am!" They said as they ran with the medics.
Ruby and Yang held Blake back.
"It's okay Blake. Let them take care of him for now." Yang said.
"No! Please!" She yelled.
"PILOTS! TAKE THEM TO THE SCHNEE MANOR!" Winter shouted to the pilots.
"YES MA'AM!" The pilots said before starting the engines again.
"Listen Blake, I'll make absolute sure you and everyone here sees him first thing in the morning. But for now, get some rest. I'll inform our butlers to prepare a room for all of you. They'll take care of you." Winter said before stepping off the bullhead.
The hatch was slowly closing, and Blake continued to struggle. Once she finally broke free, it was too late as the hatch closed.
"NO! NO!" Blake screamed while banging on the hatch. She fell to her knees and began crying harder than before.
"Blake…?" Weiss asked while going to her and held her.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Blake screamed in anger while shoving her away.
"BLAKE! ENOUGH!" Glynda shouted at her.
"ASH IS TAKEN FROM US! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN FROM THIS!?" Blake demanded.
"I understand your concerns and caring for Ash, but there's so much that we all can do. His condition is too critical and if we get in the way, he's gonna die." Glynda explained.
Blake just glared at her before her emotions kicked in again and just looked back to where Ash was taken. She saw Winter running in that same direction as they were taking off.
"Mana…?" Manaphy asked Blake with fear. Blake slowly looked at Manaphy, who was also about to cry itself.
"Sweetie, mama's just worried about papa." Blake said while holding it and hugging it.
"Manaphy too." Manaphy whimpered.
Blake sat on a seat and continued to cry until she literally cried herself to sleep. Yang even fired off a sleeping spell at her, making it easier for her to sleep.
After a while, the bullhead landed on a landing pad nearby the Schnee Manor. Terra carried the sleeping Blake as they got off.
"Ms. Schnee! Thank goodness you're safe." Klein said as he stood by the bullhead. Weiss quickly ran to him and hugged him.
"Thank you Klein. Are the rooms ready?" She asked.
"Indeed. Everyone, follow me please." Klein said to them.
He took them down the manor where multiple rooms were already prepared for them. Most were given rooms for two to three people. Blake was placed in a room where Yang joined her to keep an eye on her.
Soon enough, Klein took Weiss and Meloetta to her own room.
"Thank you so much Klein. This is much appreciated." Weiss said.
"Melo!" Meloetta said in agreement.
"Of course. I'll have a spare change of clothing for you all by the time you wake up in the morning. Good night now." Klein said.
"Yes. By the by, mom and dad were informed of our arrival, right?" Weiss asked.
"That's right." Klein said.
"Winter told you that three of us were Faunus?" Weiss asked once again.
"Yes. Your mother allowed this, however your father was a bit unsure with this. As long as they behave, they'll be just fine." Klein told her. Weiss then hugged him.
"Thank you. These friends of mine really need this." She said before letting go of him.
"Good night now Ms. Schnee." Klein said before returning to his quarters.
Weiss and Meloetta went inside. Weiss got changed and she flopped onto her bed and quickly went to sleep with Meloetta sleeping right by her.
With Yang, she just sat on her bed and looked towards Blake, who was still sleeping in her bed. Yang knew that she wasn't going to get over this anytime soon. After a while, she finally dozed off to sleep.
With the off world Keyblade wielders, they made their way back outside.
"I guess we return back to our worlds for the time?" Sora asked.
"Yeah. We all could use some sleep. We'll check in on Ash in the morning, but for now let him rest." Terra said. They created their respected portals to take them back home and they went through them.
Meanwhile earlier at the military hospital, Winter along with Team ARMY went with the medical squads to get Ash to a treatment room. When they arrived, the medics quickly got him into a life support system that was much stronger and advanced than the one on the medical bullhead.
"I need you four to stay here to keep an eye on him and guard him." Winter said to Team ARMY.
"Yes ma'am!" Team ARMY said with a salute.
Winter left to speak with the medical crew.
"We all know that this is very serious. We need Ash alive no matter what. If anyone wishes to step down from this, now would be the time." Winter said to them. None of them moved. "At this point forward, we are going into uncharted territory with Ash's condition. My orders are to use any methods of keeping him alive. The darkness plaguing his body is our primary sickness that needs to be rid of. Understood?" She asked them.
"Yes ma'am!" They yelled before returning to their post.
Winer then went back to Ash and she knelt down to him. She gently stroked his head. Team ARMY just kept their distance.
"Ash…you better not die on me. Be strong now. We really need you back….I need to back Ash." Winter whispered while holding his hand. "We will do everything and anything to bring you back. Good night Ash, and rest well." She finished. She then lowered herself and kissed him.
"Are you alright ma'am?" Amanda asked.
"Yes…return to Atlas Academy. You've done enough now. Get some rest." Winter said to them.
"Yes ma'am." They said before they left. Winter followed them, only to take one last look at Ash and he was left to be taken care of by the medics.
Meanwhile in the Hall of Origin, Ash's spirit was slowly gaining conscious as he was on the ground. When he finally woke up, he groaned as he held his head. He then looked around and noticed where he was at, but what he didn't realize was that he was in spirit form.
"What the!?" He asked in fright as he saw his apparition appearance as he can see through his hands, arms, all of his body.
"Hello Ash." Arceus said nearby. Ash looked towards the alpha with shock.
"Lord Arceus, what happened to me?" Ash asked.
"You are in a spirit form with us in the Hall of Origin." It said.
"Spirit form? Wait! I'M DEAD!?" He shouted in fright.
"Officially no, but you do have the choice to either wait here till your body is strong enough, or….on." Arceus said as he showed him a large pair of doors behind him that will take him to heaven.
"What happened to my body?" He asked.
"Look into the Jewel of Life, and see for yourself." Arceus said as it showed him the jewel.
Ash gazed into it and saw his body on a bed in a high class medical center. He saw the very darkness plaguing his body, and noticed that his arm was being covered up, though he didn't know why.
Ash was struggling beyond believe to process what has happened, and what's happening now. He remembers that massive bright light that caused Salem's destruction and nothing more. He fell to the floor and covered his face from frustration.
"Ash." He heard the sound of her mother calling to him. He jerked his head up and looked towards the spirit of her mother.
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu yelled nearby as she jumped onto her shoulder.
"Mom…Pikachu." Ash said as he slowly went towards them. Delia reached out for him and Ash attempted to try to take it. Unfortunately, his hand fazed through hers. "Wha…?" He asked in confusion.
"It's because you are not really dead Ash. Therefore, she and Pikachu cannot be touched by you." Arceus explained. This made Ash weep a bit.
"We are so very proud of you sweetheart. I'm sorry Ash. I should've stayed on that transport. I was just so scared that I would never see you again like what happened years prior." Delia whimpered herself.
"Mom…I'm sorry too." Ash said.
"Hey kid." Qrow's voice echoed nearby.
They looked towards where his voice came from. They indeed see the spirit of Qrow coming their way. He wasn't alone though.
One of them was a man wearing blue-green tunic that was covered with armor from the neck down, alongside a cape that was marked with gold, had light brown skin, brown eyes and hair and was holding a staff in one hand. On his left arm, he had a Keyblade Pauldron.
The other was a woman with long blonde hair with blue eyes and light skin. She wore a beautiful dress with several gem accessories. She wore brown bracers and had circular earrings and her nails were pale lilac.
Ash slowly approached them with shock.
"Qrow…you too?" He asked.
"You have Xedrek to thank. That explosion killed me. Although, I can't exactly blame him because I always told myself that my semblance would be the death of me." Qrow said.
"No…and you?" Ash asked as he looked towards the other spirits.
"Hello Ash. Do you know who we are?" The man asked.
Ash looked at them for a moment. He then looked at the woman closely until his eyes widen.
"Ozma….Salem?" He asked in shock.
"Indeed. This is what we originally looked like before that sickness and curse of immortality hit us and stole our lives." Salem said with a very small smile.
"You look….wow." Ash said in astonishment.
"Ash, there is one person that is waiting to see you." Arceus said.
The doors to Heaven opened up and a man slowly walked out. He looked like an older Ash but with shorter hair. He had a few battle armor plating on his torso and arms. He wore cargo pants and black boots.
"Hello my son." He said to him.
"D…dad?" Ash asked as he slowly approached him. His father was slightly taller than him and he definitely noticed the birthmarks on his cheeks. "Is it really you?" He asked.
"Yes son. My name is Red. Ashton Satoshi Ketchum, you've grown so much." Red said with a smile.
"Why…why didn't you come back to see us?" Ash asked.
"Life as a Pokémon Trainer and a Huntsman isn't as easy as you think. I had to make absolute sure to raise enough money to keep food on the table, and Delia had to be a stay at home mom. When I heard what had happened years ago, I feared the worst. I'm so sorry I didn't come home as often as you wanted." Red said while looking away in shame.
"Father…I may not have known you well, but I understand you. Least I took a lot out of you as a Pokémon Trainer, but not really much of a Huntsman. I'm a Keyblade Master and Guardian of Vale." Ash said.
Delia approached them and stood right by her husband. Everyone else surrounded Ash.
"Ash, you really are a brave, wonderful human being. Had it not been for you, more lives would've been lost." Ozma said.
"I'm sorry to all of you. I never wanted any one of you to die for me. Salem, I know you weren't yourself for so long that I forgive you for all you've done." He said as while facing Salem.
"It's my own fault that I let my obsession for Ozma get the best of me. So in a way, I kinda deserved it." Salem said.
"Ash, there is a couple more that wish to see you. They will be here to allow you to determine the fates of both Ozma and Salem." Arceus said.
"Who?" He asked.
As if it was on cue, loud roars echoed all around them. Suddenly, two large dragons flew above them and were heading towards them. One was long and golden while one was bigger and dark purple. They landed right by them, and Ash noticed that Arceus was now bowing to them in respects. Ash and the others did the same.
The dragons began to glow their respected colors and they grew smaller. They then took the form of humanoids. They had smaller horns of their dragon forms on their heads and they had blank eyes.
"Noble Gods of Light and Darkness, I welcome you to the Hall of Origin." Arceus said.
"Arceus, thank you for your welcoming." Light said. He and Dark approached Ash. "Ash Ketchum, rise dear child." He said. Ash slowly stood up and faced them.
"I know you two. Ozma briefly mentioned you to me and Xedrek last night. You're the Gods of Light and Darkness." Ash said.
"Yes. You have done something that no one has ever succeeded in doing: bringing an end to the wrath that is Salem." Dark said. Salem sighed and shook a bit as she looked away in shame. "Salem, Ozma, rise." He said to them.
They slowly rose up and Salem held Ozma's arm.
"My lords, I do not expect any kinds of forgiveness for all that I have done. At least let me be with him no matter where I end up at." Salem pleaded while bowing to them.
"That…will be Ash's decision." Light said.
Ash gasped at what words the God of Light said. He looked at them in shock.
"Wha…?" He asked.
"As Arceus's Chosen One and the savior of this world that we have created, you can decide their fate courtesy of us Gods of Light and Darkness." Light said.
Ash looked at them, and they looked back at him with a bit of worry. Salem was shaking more while tightening her grip on his arm. He then smiled at them.
"Salem, I know what has happened to you in the past and how you did everything in your power to try to be with Ozma once again. Ozma, you've been through way too much as you kept coming back in other bodies. So, I suggest that the both of you return to Remnant one more time and live the happily ever after you always wanted. You will remain in the way you once were before a terrible sickness and a curse of immortality stole your lives from you two. Consider this a gift for forgiveness." Ash said.
The two of them couldn't believe what they were listening. They were practically petrified.
"We will allow this, but there must be a catch for that Ash." Dark said.
"Alright then. The catch is this: when the time of a death happens to any of you comes, the other must let the former go. If not, then you will be punished with separation….forever." Ash said.
Salem gasped from those words. She closed her eyes and thought for a moment until she opened her eyes and leaned on Ozma's shoulder.
"I accept this. I won't make the same mistake I made a second time." Salem said.
"And I'll provide her with the proper happiness." Ozma said.
"Then we are in an agreement." Dark said before channeling a ball of dark energy and fired it at the both of them.
As the ball hit them, it consumed them until it faded away, revealing them back to being alive.
"Ozma, Salem, remember the conditions you are to follow. Until the next time we meet, live happily ever after." Light said while he created a portal for them.
Before they went through it, they got closer to Ash.
"Ash, we owe you our lives. We are in your debt." Ozma said before placing a hand on Ash's spiritual shoulder.
Salem gently pecked his cheek and smiled.
"If you ever need a place to stay, we'll do what we can." Salem said.
"Y-yeah. Don't worry about me though. I'll let time do the healing." Ash said to them.
Ozma and Salem held hands as they entered the portal. They then took one last look at Ash while the portal closed and they were gone.
They then appeared right outside of an old abandoned castle. To them, it looked very familiar.
"Salem, it's our old home." He said.
"Yes, but it does bring back so many bad memories." Salem said while looking down. Ozma quickly comforted her.
"It's gonna be okay. No more lies, no more plans against humanity, let's just live our happily ever after we deserved." Ozma said.
"Of course. But perhaps maybe a little clean up and maybe a bit of a modern look should be in order." Salem said while beginning to channel her magic.
"I agree." He said before doing the same with his staff.
They then fired off several spells to restore their castle to its former glory. When they entered, they did the same thing. Everything was back to normal for them in a matter of hours.
When they arrived at the master bedroom, there was a large window that showed the horizon, a large picture of them when they first met, everything they needed.
Ozma held her hand and they smiled at each other.
"Welcome home." He whispered.
"Welcome home." She whispered back.
They starred at each other for a good moment until something within them snapped. They began to kiss violently with each other and she forced him onto the bed. She was about to unbuckle his armor until she launched a spell at the door and it slammed hard as it echoed around.
Back with Ash and the others at the Hall of Origin just as Ozma and Salem left, Ash just gazed into the Jewel of Life.
"Lord Arceus, has Xedrek arrived here?" He asked.
"No he hasn't. Nobodies usually fade into darkness when they perish. However, I believe that it may also be that Derek is still alive." Arceus said.
"Right, from before. He said to me that in order to be whole again and find Derek, he would need to destroy his Heartless, and come to peace with himself. I guess that explosion he did was exactly what he needed to do." Ash explained.
"Indeed. In fact, his original form should be recompleting itself very soon….what troubles you Ash?" Arceus asked.
"It's the others. They're probably worried beyond belief, Blake especially." Ash said.
"All but one is asleep. The one is Neo. Would you like to speak to them in their dreams?" Dark asked.
Ash looked at the Gods with a bit of shock.
"Sure. I just want them to know that I'm safe and I don't plan on going anywhere." Ash pleaded.
"This can be done, however you will have a short time to speak to them." Light said.
"I will help connect their dreams so you can speak to them." Arceus said.
"Let's do it." Ash said as he was getting prepared.
Back on Remnant, everyone minus Neo, who was staring out in it distance on a balcony, were dreaming their own visions. Suddenly, their visions turned into a peaceful meadow full of flowers.
"Wh-what the? Now what?" Blake asked while looking around.
"Blake!?" Ruby asked with shock. Blake looked at her with shock.
"What's going on? How did we get here?" Glynda asked as she and all the others met up with each other.
Suddenly, a bright ball of light began to fall towards them. The ball stopped a few feet from the ground and it began to glow. It slowly took on the form of Ash in his spirit form.
"ASH!" Blake screamed with happiness as she ran to him. She dove at him to hug him only… "WHOA! OOF!" Blake grunted as she fell right on her face. She looked back and realized she went right through him.
"I probably should've warned you about that faster. Hello girls." Ash said to them with a smile.
"Ash! You didn't….die did you?" Coco asked as fear consumed her while approaching him.
"No I didn't. My spirit has left my body because it's too weak. Don't worry though, I'm not going anywhere. Let me make that clear. I saw my body, and the darkness that is within me. I believe there is only one way to be rid of it. Apprentices, you must use the Keyblades on me when you get the chance to visit me." Ash explained.
"But Ash, what if it does the opposite and it does kill you?" Yang asked.
"It won't. My heart is too strong to let something like that get rid of me. After all, my heart is connected with all of yours and much more." Ash assured them.
"How do we do it?" Ruby asked.
"Remember that beam of light we used after we purified Cinder earlier?" Ash asked. His apprentices nodded. "Use that on me. The technology might not be enough." Ash finished.
"We'll do what we can. However, I think they might see that as the ultimate threat." Weiss said.
"Speak to Winter about it then. She'll listen to you. Not only that, but they'll listen to her. It's a win-win." Ash said.
"Ash, unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to see you tomorrow morning. I was informed that I must return to Vale and to Beacon to tend to the survivors. You better come back to me Ash." Glynda demanded as she got right in front of him.
"Count on it." Ash said with a confident smile. She attempted to kiss him but she went right through him, causing her to whine a bit. "Yang, remember what I taught you some time ago about how to create portals?" Ash asked her.
"Sure do. You want me to create one for us so we can all return home?" Yang asked.
"Please do." Ash said.
"WAIT A MINUTE! She knew how to create portals, and you didn't teach us!?" Blake yelled in complaint.
"It was an emergency when we rescued Emerald a couple months ago." Ash told her.
"Oh…my bad." Blake said while blushing. Suddenly, Ash began to start fading away. "NO ASH!" Blake screamed with fright.
"Ash? What's going on?" Amber asked.
"My time is up. The Gods of Light and Darkness gave me a short time to speak to you all. Remember what I told you." Ash said.
"Good night Ash. We love you." Velvet said with a small smile.
"I love you all too. Sleep well and good luck." Ash said before he faded away. After he faded, everyone else began to fade away into their own dream worlds again.
Ash returned to the Hall of Origin. He just looked back at the Jewel of Life with a smile.
"Ash, at least you can be at ease knowing that they are safe." Arceus said.
"How was Ruby and Yang?" Qrow asked.
"They're resting up. I think they're doing okay." Ash said. While he was looking into the Jewel of Life, he notices that Neo was on one of the balconies at the Schnee Manor just starring out into space looking worried. "Hey Lord Arceus, can I ask for a favor?" He asked the alpha.
"You have done so much for millions, no billions of lives on Remnant. What would you like in return?" He asked.
"That girl on the balcony, Neo. She's a mute, and I think it's unfair for her to have to spend all of her life not being able to say anything. Do you think that you can give her a voice that she can be proud of?" He requested.
"This is something I technically can't do, but I do know an old friend that will help. Jirachi!" Arceus called out.
Suddenly, a shooting star shot by in the sky. The star then turned directions and it was now heading towards them. It stopped just a few feet above the ground. The star stopped glowing and it revealed Jirachi sleeping. It slowly woke up and smiled.
"Ash! It has been a long time." Jirachi said while hovering towards him.
"Well you missed a few things." Ash said.
"Jirachi, Ash has a request for you?" Arceus asked.
"A wish? Anything for you Ash!" Jirachi said with excitement.
"Jirachi my old friend, I know that this may seem like a rather….unusual wish but…I wish for you to give Neo down there a beautiful voice. She's a mute and I don't think it's fair for her to be like that." Ash said.
"A beautiful voice for Neo? Okay!" Jirachi said before closing its eyes and the wish tags on its head began to glow.
Meanwhile back on Remnant on top of one of the balconies, Neo continued to stare out to the distance as far as the eye can see. She had been worrying for the worst about Ash, fearing that he was really not going to make it.
Just then, one of the stars began to glow brighter above her. She noticed this and was amazed of the colors that it was radiating…and getting bigger. Neo shrieked silently as a ball of light was heading right for her. She jumped backwards as it landed right in front of her. She got a little closer of what it is.
The light began to swirl around her. As it was doing that, a woman's voice began to sing a beautiful tune. She watched in shock and a bit of horror of what was happening. The light then entered her mouth and went down her throat and she was singing the tune herself.
She was breathing heavily after the light entered her mouth.
"Wh-what?" Neo asked before gasping and covering her mouth. She then gently held her neck where her vocal chords were at. "I can…talk? What happened?" She asked herself before looking back at the sky.
She continued to process all that just happened. She began to give a huge smile that she can finally talk to everyone now. She went inside with a spring in her step and went off to sleep. How will everyone react that the mute midget was no longer mute? Will Ash's message to the apprentices be enough to really save him? Find out more as the story continues.
And that's it! The start of the aftermath is pretty much me going back to being like this for practically the duration of the story. We're definitely nearing the end here. Also, if anyone gets the reference that happened at the end, you fricken own! Anyway, thank you so much for reading. TheD-Rock900 is signing off, see you next time!