Things just weren't right for Ash when he awoke from his coma. First were some unnecessary violence from Ruby to Derek, second was the aftermath of that fight, but most of all….he lost his whole arm. He was struggling to adjust with only one arm.
Ruby calmed down, but not much. She remained clingy onto Ash to ensure that they didn't lose each other. Blake knew how serious Ruby took their relationship together. After all, it was all Ruby's idea. So, she let them have their fun while she and Yang spared a bit.
A little while later, everyone saw Team CFVY arriving at the Xiao Long residence. Coco was looking for Ash in fear.
"ASHY!" Velvet screamed in joy as she saw Ash standing with Ruby. She ran to him and kissed him. "I'm so happy you're finally up." She said after she broke it.
"So are many. You have Derek to thank for that." Ash said.
"Who's Derek?" She asked. Ash described what he looked like, which caused her to gasp. "We ran into him with a pair of familiar twins. Coco…attacked him and she hasn't been acting like herself since she woke up from a nightmare thanks to some sort of Pokémon." She said.
"That must've been a Darkrai. It's a Pokémon that is known to give nightmares to whoever sleeps near it. Last time that happened to me was when I was in Alamos Town long ago. Coco, what did you see?" Ash asked Coco, who was looking down and was shaking a bit.
"I…" She try saying before slamming into him and hugged him tight before crying.
"What is it? What did you see?" He asked again while comforting her.
"The government…was forcing the citizens to…betray you!" Coco cried.
"What!?" He yelled in shock.
"Why did I attack him? It was just like that failure from that mission early this year. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!?" She exploded before all of Team CFVY, and Team RWBY, minus Weiss who was elsewhere playing with Meloetta and Manaphy, joined Ash and calmed her down.
Suddenly, a portal opened up nearby and they saw Derek and the twins emerging from it.
"Hey Derek, everything okay?" Ash asked.
"More or less. Listen Ash, there is something that needs to be dealt with. I am going to set things right with my father. Would you guys like to come along?" He asked.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt, just as long as I stay out of some fights for a while." Ash said.
"But first, should we go see Professor Goodwitch? She'll want to know that you're up." Velvet suggested.
"Not a bad idea. Allow me!" Ash said as he extended his arm and attempted to summon the X-Blade, only…nothing's happening. "Wha…?" He asked in fright.
"Ash? What's wrong? Can't you summon it?" Ruby asked.
"I'm trying…oh no. I guess my gut feeling was right: I need both arms to properly wield it!" Ash said in fright. As of right now, he's defenseless.
"What's with all the yelling?" Weiss asked as she was coming with Meloetta and Manaphy in her arms. "Oh hello again Derek!" Weiss said with happiness.
"Whassup!?" He asked.
"Okay…this is not good. So uh…who's ready to make portals?" Ash asked his apprentices.
"ME!" Blake screamed with excitement and held his right side.
"Okay." Ash said before telling her exactly what he told Yang months ago when they saved Emerald. Speaking of whom, Emerald along with Amber and Neo arrived just when Blake learned how to create one. "Very good. Now let's go have a look on the other side everyone." Ash said to them.
Weiss then put Manaphy and Meloetta down in front of her.
"We are gonna be gone for a while. You two stay here and play nicely with others. Okay?" She asked them. They nodded and they went inside.
"I guess we're gonna come along too. Might as well keep Coco in check…again." Yatsuhashi said before they entered the portal.
At Glynda's office, she was staring out into the horizon and in deep thought. The sound of a portal opening up snapped her out of it. She then saw Ash, Derek, everyone emerge from the portal.
Glynda saw Ash and she ran to him and hugged him. They were like that for a good minute until she pulled back a bit until she smashed her lips onto his. She even wrapped a leg around his hips and he held it. They broke the kiss and their eyes met.
"Ash…I missed you." She whispered.
"Me too." He whispered back.
"Professor, you seem so happy when you're with him." Neo said. Glynda was caught off guard that she can talk now.
"Yes well, things have been going all over the place. Anyway sweetie, what's going on?" She asked.
"We're heading off to have Derek here set things right with his late father. You want to tag along?" Ash asked. Derek waved at her when he mentioned him.
"What? I thought you were dead." Glynda said while looking at him.
"Long story. I'll explain afterwards." Derek said.
"I see. Sure, I could use some fresh air." Glynda said.
Derek then summoned Twilight's Embrace.
"Now then, the place where we journey to is a sacred location. Just don't touch anything." Derek warned them.
"Can't wait to see it." Fox said.
Derek created a portal for them all and they entered. The portal closed just after Team CFVY entered. They arrived at the badlands of the Keyblade Graveyard and they all looked around, with most of them being shocked by how completely destroyed the place was.
Derek looked around for a bit until he heard something fall to the ground behind him. He quickly shot his head back and he saw his master's Keyblade right there in front of him.
"Where'd you come from?" He asked in shock.
"That's the same Keyblade I saw when I collected the X-Blade." Ash said as everyone approached Derek.
Derek got in front of it and knelt down to it and held the blade.
"Master…I'm here now. I'm sorry that I caused all of this. I swore to myself that one day I'd set everything right. Hench the reason I come before you today." Derek said.
Suddenly, the wind around them began to pick up, and a small dust devil swirled right in front of Derek and the Keyblade. Derek got back some feet where it was forming and he stood right in between Ash and his friends and the From Dawn to Dusk Keyblade. When the dust finally settled, a familiar Keyblade armor was kneeling down while gripping the Keyblade.
"Zachuria…" Ash whispered.
"Master! I'm back!" Derek said while approaching the armor with happiness.
The armor slowly looked at Derek and, to most of everyone's shock, slowly stood up and looked down at him. Derek was losing his smile when Zachuria began to pull the Keyblade out of the ground.
"No, no! Please stop it Master. This isn't funny!" Derek yelled a bit while slowly walking backwards.
"What's happening? Why is he doing that?" Emerald asked while summoning Emerald Thorn.
Zachuria then jumped up and attempted to harm Derek.
"RUN!" He screamed as he quickly summoned Twilight's Embrace and the two Keyblades collided.
"HEY! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Blake screamed as she pulled out her weapons and struck at him.
Zachuria not only intercepted the attack, but he shot everyone minus Derek away from them with a powerful wind spell. The wind shot them far away. Zachuria then created a barrier around them he continued to strike at Derek.
"DEREK!" Ash screamed with fright as he ran up to the barrier and try to break through it. "I need help!" Ash yelled to everyone.
They grabbed their weapons and they opened fired on the barrier, minus Yatsuhashi since his Fulcrum didn't have a built in gun, and Ash who couldn't summon the X-Blade due to his condition. Yatsuhashi struck at the barrier when he had the chance, but it was no use. All they could really do now was just watch helplessly behind a magical barrier where Derek was relying on defending rather than actually attacking Zachuria.
Suddenly, a portal opened up behind them. They all looked and saw Aqua, Terra and Ven running out with their Keyblades out.
"What's going on out here? I've been sensing a large amount of struggling and pain from our home." Aqua asked.
"Derek was forced to do battle with Zachuria." Amber said.
"WHAT!? How!?" Terra asked in shock as they ran to the barrier. One good look at Zachuria caused him to gasp. "That's a lingering will!" Terra yelled.
"A what?" Everyone asked.
"Aqua, Ven, remember when Xehanort possessed me long ago and how my armor stayed behind?" Terra asked.
"How could I forget? It was horrible." Ven asked.
"You had to bring that up?" Aqua asked as she leaned on his arm.
"A lingering will is basically the mind and will of the Keyblade wielder in the armor. In a way, the armor has a mind of its own resembling that of the original. I guess Zachuria's will lived on, but how he 'died' is a mystery." Terra said.
They continued to watch as Derek was trying to defend himself from the lingering will. Derek flat out refused to fight due to fearing that he will lose it once again.
Just then, both of their Keyblades collided and they got into a lock.
"Master! Stop this! I don't want to fight you!" Derek yelled to him. Zachuria then broke the lock and kicked him away, putting him into a daze. He then jumped over him and fired off a powerful Mega Flare at the ground in front of him. "YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Derek screamed as the explosion sent him flying right to the end of the barrier.
"DEREK!" The twins screamed in fright as they and everyone else got to him.
"GET BACK TO REMNANT!" Derek screamed at them while holding his chest in pain. Zachuria caught up with him and used his Keyblade as a whip and it latched onto him. "SAVE YOURSELVES!" He screamed just as he was grabbed and was yanked away from them and was sent flying.
"MASTER ZACHURIA! STOP IT!" Aqua screamed.
Zachuria didn't responded and just continued to march towards Derek and his Keyblade no longer was a whip. When he approached him, he kicked him over and Derek was shaking, fear and pain overwhelming his body.
"Master…please." Derek whispered. Zachuria then raised his Keyblade and attempted to strike until…"FATHER!" Derek screamed as he shut his eyes, waiting for the final blow to destroy him.
Except he felt nothing hit him.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw the crown of the Keyblade mere inches from his neck. He saw the armor froze as if time stopped. Zachuria slowly backed away as he began to tremble and dropped his Keyblade to the ground. He then dropped to all four and looked down.
"What…have I done?" Zachuria spoke.
Derek tried to get up, but the pain was too great. He instead reached inside his pocket and pulled out the remains of the Megalixir+ and used it on himself. He reached to his father and held his shoulders.
"Master…father, I am so sorry for everything." He whispered.
"No, I should be the one to be sorry for not only refusing to aid you in the time of need when you learned that forbidden knowledge, but also failing to keep my promises to your mother before she died from childbirth all those years ago on that dying world."Zachuria said.
"I know of that. You were more than my mentor and my father, you were the source of what really kept me from looking away from the future and lived in the past. Had it not been for you, I wouldn't have learned so much, and even then some." Derek said.
The both of the got up and Zachuria gave him a Mega Elixir to use. After Derek used it on himself, he felt completely better.
"This time, let's finish what we started with the Mark of Mastery years ago. Let's do this not as master and apprentice…but as father and son." Zachuria said as he held a hand out for him.
Derek closed his eyes and smiled. A single tear fell from his eyes.
"You've no idea how long I've waited to hear those words. Let's do it!" Derek said before grabbing his father's hand and they continued to fight, this time Derek was no longer fighting back with himself. He was giving it his all.
"He got through to him!" Aqua yelled with delight.
"Go get him Derek!" The twins yelled to him.
"May your heart be your guiding key Derek." Ash said while smiling.
Derek was fighting well and was showing that he was almost on par with Zachuria in many ways. Derek even grabbed a lifeless Keyblade and used that as an offhand weapon to catch him off guard. Zachuria retaliated by relying on mostly magic attacks now.
Suddenly, as a fire spell was about to hit Derek, he used his aura to shield himself. The shield was twilight energy. And that's when he realized…
'That's right! I have Xedrek's semblance!' He thought to himself. He then grinned at Zachuria as his eyes began to glow.
'What's this?' Zachuria asked.
"I've always wanted to try this." Derek said as twilight aura began to erupt out of him. He then opened his mouth and the aura was entering it, causing it to glow.
Zachuria jumped away from him and he readied a powerful fire spell. He began to glow red and insignia markings formed underneath him.
Back with the others, Terra, Aqua and Ven watched with shock at what was happening.
"Guys, you might want to brace yourself!" Terra yelled. They felt the ground rumble as the two were still charging up their attacks. "GET DOWN!" He shouted.
'ZETTAFLARE!' Zachuria screamed and a powerful beam of flames shot out of his Keyblade.
Just as Zachuria fired off his spell, Derek then shot a beam of twilight energy from his mouth. It was causing a ringing sound as he was firing it. The attack collided which made the ground was shaking so much it looked like it was about to split open.
A massive explosion erupted from the center of the attack. Ash and company watched in shock as the explosion covered the battlefield. As the smoke settled, they saw Derek stumbling towards Zachuria until he collapsed onto all four.
Derek was breathing heavily while on his limbs. Suddenly, he saw the crown of his father's From Dawn to Dusk Keyblade right at his neck. He slowly looked up and saw him standing right there looking down at him. He looked down and closed his eyes.
"I…surrender." He whispered after he dismissed his Keyblade. Just then, he heard footsteps being moved away from him and he felt a healing spell hit him. "Huh?" He asked and he looked up.
'Derek Bellaminus. By the right of a master, by the will of the heart, and by the light of Kingdom Hearts, I hereby dub thee…Keyblade Master!' Zachuria said as he accolade Derek.
Derek's eyes shot open after that dubbing. His chest began glowing and a familiar Keyblade chest plate. The barrier finally faded away, and Ash and company joined them.
"Derek! You're okay!" The twins said before they took both of his arms.
"That was amazing. How did you do that with your mouth?" Blake asked.
"Absolutely no idea. It felt like I was just doing an experiment. Looks like it worked a little too well." Derek said.
'My son.' Zachuria said, gaining Derek's attention. He slowly pulled his helmet off. Just as he did, a man with tan skin, orange eyes, and long brown hair flowed with the wind. "I am so sorry once again for everything." He said with a smile.
"Father, I'm sorry too." Derek said.
"Master Zachuria. It has been far too long." Aqua said as she, Terra and Ven walked over to greet him.
"Aqua, Terra, you've both grown so much. And you must be…Ventus." Zachuria said while looking down at him.
"Yup, but everyone calls me Ven." Ven said with a smile.
"Yes Eraqus told me all about you. He was a good man." He said.
"So, what happens now?" Ash asked.
Zachuria smiled and he looked back at Derek and approached him. To everyone's surprise, especially Derek, he held out From Dawn to Dusk.
"Well done Derek. It is yours." Zachuria said.
He gasped at the fact that his father was handing him his own Keyblade. He slowly reached out and took the grip. Just as he touched it, the handle glowed a bit as it accepted him as its new wielder.
"What…?" Derek asked.
"Giving the circumstances now, I will not need it any longer. After what I done to you, it destroyed me. I should've done something to protect you. You've taught me something important that day: family always comes first." Zachuria said.
"That forbidden knowledge caused all this. Destroying it is the next thing I'm gonna do. Then afterwards, we can be a family again…right?" Derek asked.
Zachuria looked down and a single tear fell.
"I am sorry, but this is all that's left of me. My will lived on until my debt is paid. And now it has. Now I can finally be at peace. Just remember this Derek, it's not your actions that make you a great person, but it's how others see you as a great person. Your friends on Remnant are the proof of it. You've touched their hearts and they have become a part of you. Remember that Derek." Zachuria said.
"Yes father. I will remember it." Derek said while he was starting to break. Suddenly, Zachuria began to glow. "Father!" Derek yelled in fright.
"Farewell my son. We will see each other again. Just keep me close to your heart. Good bye." Zachuria said and his body began to fade into dust and blew with the wind.
"No! DON'T GO!" Derek screamed as he ran after the dust.
"DEREK!" Terra shouted as he and the others ran after him.
Derek continued to run after the dust until it was too far away from him to go after. He then collapsed onto his knees and finally he shattered. He screamed and his aura exploded out of him as he cried. Everyone kept their distance until finally his aura faded and he lay on the ground crying more.
"Derek, I am so sorry." Aqua said as she knelt down to him. The twins joined her and they placed a hand on his back. "If you ever need a place to come to, the Land of Departure is open for you." She said.
"Aqua…thank you." Derek whispered. After a moment, he finally got up and the twins smiled that he was coming around. "All of you, head on back to Remnant. There's one last thing I need to do." Derek said.
"We want to come with you." Militia said.
"We do this together remember?" Melanie asked.
Derek thought about it for a moment, until he nodded.
"Okay, but big rules though: you cannot tell anyone about other worlds and blend in with everyone, unless if someone knows you are from another world. Just stay close, and don't take anything unless if it's a gift." Derek warned them.
"Take care of yourself Derek. You will return to Remnant right?" Ash asked.
"I will. This I promise. I just need to undo the one thing that caused all this to happen. Melanie, Militia, the place we journey to is a peaceful town called Radiant Garden." Derek said to the twins as he created a portal. "Let us go." Derek said.
"Right." They said before they went into it. Everyone watched as they left and the portal closed.
"Well, I least the worst of it was now over for Derek. I hope he gets better soon." Blake said.
"Knowing him, he'll come back to himself pretty soon." Terra said.
"How did you guys know him anyway?" Ash asked.
"We met almost fifteen years ago while our respected masters were having discussions of our futures. In fact, we use to sneak out to an old abandoned world called Scala Ad Caelum to work on our fighting styles and even created our own type of fighting styles." Aqua said.
"You guys seemed pretty tight." Ven said.
"Mhm. Sadly, we barely saw him ever since you showed up Ven. Then again, we were pretty strict on training and having issues with the Unversed." Aqua said.
"Anyway, we should head on back. I got Remnant to get back to and help protect." Ash said.
"Of course. Until we meet again." Ven said before the three of them created a portal for them and they went through it.
Yang then summoned Hydra's Fire and created a portal to return to Remnant.
"Come on everyone, let's go home." Yang said. They entered the portal and it closed.
When they returned back to Remnant, they were just outside the park where Salem's defeat took place. Ash immediately saw the X-Blade right there plunged into the ground. He quickly went to it and pulled it out. The X-Blade reacted to his touch, accepting him back.
"Guys!" Jaune's voice yelled out nearby. They all saw Team JNPR running towards them. "Thank god you guys are alright." Jaune said.
"Team JNPR! We're have you guys been?" Ruby said as she hugged her first ever friend at Beacon.
"I could be asking you guys the same thing." Jaune said.
"Glad to see that you're still alive Ash." Ren said while trying to ignore his lack of an arm.
Nora ran to him and gave him a Beware hug. Good thing it was short lived for Ash because she literally squeezed the air out of him. Pyrrha then hugged him and snuck in a kiss on the cheek.
"Anyway, you guys might want to see this." Ren said as he pulled out his scroll and showed them a live broadcast that happened.
The broadcast showed a man, whose name was showing Arthur Watts, speaking to the press.
"The results of the events that have happened in the previous week were something that was beyond our understandings. The Keyblade Guardian Ash Ketchum is harnessing power that we have not come across before. It is questionable of whether he is someone that we can trust, or put in detention for potentially use this very power against us. That massive moon size heart in the sky every night is also something we should be concerning about. We are dealing with power that we have not come across before in our history. I suggest we keep Ash detained for now until me and the Grand Council come to a decision of his fate." Watts explained to them.
Everyone couldn't believe what they just heard. After all that Ash has done, the Grand Council was now questioning of his loyalty and his heroics. This made no sense to him at all. What was also bothering him was who this Arthur Watts is.
"This is bad. Arthur Watts is a political mastermind. He can worm his way into practically anyone's mind by taking the one thing that they personally value most mentally, and use it against them. He must've gotten through many politicians minds to gain power." Glynda thought.
"He did seem familiar." Weiss said. Everyone then turned towards her. "I do remember when Ironwood before he became a general, he along with Watts worked with my father in the council in Atlas. Supposedly, Watts died from an unknown accident, possibly from a military experiment, or whatever they try to B.S their way around." She explained.
"I think we are also missing one other problem." Blake said.
"What's that?" Nora and Coco asked.
"The traitors. Sure there were multiple arrests and a death, but there are some that practically got away. Don't you find that kinda strange that they just disappeared during the tournament?" Blake asked.
"Now that you mentioned it, I haven't been able to sense them since before my match with Cinder." Ash said.
"Speaking of Cinder, we were able to intercept a package that was sent to Cinder. We were able to figure out what's inside: a cybernetic eye." Glynda said.
"Why would she need that?" Yang asked.
"I think I know, but I think right now we should continue at what's happening right now." Ash suggested.
"I agree. I think we should relocate you for a while." Ruby said.
"WHAT!?" All the other girls minus Nora and Pyrrha shouted.
"Ash is still in potential danger. You heard what Watt's said. They might consider Ash a threat." Ruby stated.
Everyone just looked at each other for a moment. They realized that Ruby might be right, but the love group didn't want to believe it.
"But the question is where? Where will he go?" Velvet asked.
"Vacuo? I bet my tribe would watch him." Fox suggested.
'Really Fox? Really?' Coco asked with her mind to Fox.
'Just a thought.' Fox thought back to her.
"Well, I think I know a place." Blake said.
"Where?" Ash asked. Blake turned towards him and twitched her cat ears. Ash immediately figured it out. "You're serious about this? Isn't it more dangerous for me to be there?" Ash asked.
"Mom and dad really do want to meet you. Let's face it, it's probably the best location to take you to as Menagerie is that last place they'll ever look." Blake said.
"Kuo Kuana!? That's a place for the Faunus that wants to be left alone. He won't be welcomed there." Glynda said.
"We may not have a choice Glynda. And besides, I might need to go into hiding for a while. I know I've only been up for a little while, but I might need to be on the move." Ash said.
"We can buy you some time, but if Watt's if coming after you, who knows what he'll do." Emerald said.
"Then I guess we are in agreement?" Ash asked. Everyone nodded. "Alright, Blake if you please." Ash asked Blake.
"Sure thing." Blake said before summoning Panther's Claw and created a portal.
"Wait!" Yang yelled before she grabbed Ash and kissed him. After a good moment, she broke the kiss. "Be safe Ash. We lost you once before, I can't bear to lose you a second time." She said.
"Have faith love. I'll be just fine." Ash assured her. Ash kissed everyone else, while hugging Team JNPR and the guys of Team CFVY. "Let's go Blake." He said to her.
"Before you go, take this." Glynda said as she tossed him the package she mentioned before.
"Thanks." Ash said before he and Blake walked through the portal.
Just outside a large manor at a village, a portal opened up and Ash and Blake walked out. They looked around and indeed that have arrived at Kuo Kuana. Ash saw Faunus species he had never seen before from a distance. They were breathtaking to him.
Suddenly, Blake took the door slammer and hit the door once, causing a bit of a rumbling. Ash jumped a bit in fright when it happened, which made Blake chuckle.
Suddenly, the door opened. A beautiful cat Faunus woman that almost resembled Blake peeked her head out from behind the door. She gasped a bit and she came out. She wore black hakama and had piercings in her cat ears.
"Blake? Is that you?" She asked.
"Hi…mom." Blake said with a small smile.
Blake's mother walked out and hugged her.
"My baby girl." She said as she stroked her daughters head. Blake smiled and hugged her back. As she pulled back, she eyed Ash. "Are you…Ash Ketchum?" She asked.
"Yeah, well what's left of me that is." Ash said.
"Come on inside. I'll make us some tea. By the way, I'm Kali Belladonna. Blake has told me so much about you in her letters." Kali said as she took his wrist and pulled him inside.
With many, many people now believing that Ash was now considered a threat, he now had to live a bit of a hand to mouth existence. He was now in a safe house for the time being, but not for long. How will Ash find his way out of this mess? Will Watts get full control of the Grand Council and have everyone turn on Ash? And most importantly, how will Ash live a life with only one arm, which made him more vulnerable, making him less human than before? Find out more next time as the story continues.
And that is all for this chapter. Thank you so much for reading. This one seems a bit shorter than my average chapters. Ah well no matter. Things are getting a bit more serious again, this time with political power and questionable reliability. See you guys next time as Ash spends some time at Menagerie. TheD-Rock900 is signing off, see you all next time.