The Age of Fairy Tales:
The Fairy King II
(The screen was black again before a single torch was lit, showing the young man and the red haired woman trekking through a dark forest)
The young man who would be the one to become the Fairy King would follow the red-haired girl, once an apprentice now a warrior in her own right to her home.
(They emerged from the forest and looked up to see a grand white and gold temple sitting atop a mountain)
A grand monastery that welcomed all who sought shelter from the Grimm. The young man would be welcomed here.
(The young man could be seen in what looked to be a class, reading a book by a window)
The comforts of a home beckoned him, and he was grateful to be here. He found himself immersed in the legends and stories held in the archives of the temple. Having witnessed destruction and misery that claimed the lives of his family and village, he had the hope of one day possessing the same power as the red-haired girl and her mentor had possessed.
(The red-haired girl held up her weapon for the young man to see.)
However, she refused, claiming it was not for her to decide if he could wield such a weapon.
(Her weapon disappeared, and the young man's face gazed down to the ground.)
Having been raised by her mentor and sworn to never reveal the truth of her weapon's origins until she was sure it was the right time; the red-haired girl would keep her secrets from the young man. Still, she would allow him to stay and help train him and many others who came to the monastery to seek shelter in becoming great warriors who wander the lands, battling Grimm and saving many lives.
(The young man held up a simple sword and stabbed a Grimm in the head.)
Despite her refusal, the young man would accept the training and remained close to her, becoming her own apprentice in a way.
Earlier
A green light seemed to shine in the darkness.
Aqua opened her eyes to see the barrier being reinforced by a green magical light. She looked over her shoulder to see Ambroise holding the scepter up and the green gem was glowing brightly. It was visibly straining to the old man as Aqua could see the sweat running down his face.
Ambroise was not a young man.
He was old and frail and the strain of channeling that magic must be…
Aqua's eyes widened as she noticed her hands becoming transparent.
Ambroise, Ozma was dying!
Ozma was glad to see Aqua is alright except for himself Ambrose's heart is accelerating but too fast. He's having a heart attack. He tried to use his own magic to heal himself. With the rapic acceleration within his heart he can't cast his spells fast enough so he collapsed to the ground looking up to his friend situation that she's about to disappear because of him dying. He couldn't see the figure that was coming over the person notice Aqua then she came over to him and perform something to take away the pain he felt relieved.
Then he lost consciousness.
He slowly opened his eyes, seeing the light shining down through the windows. He slept very comfortably for someone who felt like they were about to die. He realized when he got up that he didn't recognize the place he was in right now.
It almost reminded him of the medical bay back in the castle of the emerald Kingdom except with some more differences. He did look down at himself, seeng he was still Ambrose right now which meant he hadn't died. When he got a better look around the room that he was in he saw that it was quite majestic. The room almost looked like a white marble and mix of gold ornated designs match more. He had to admit this place makes any other kingdom included his own that him and his wife in his second life and first to shame.
He shook his head, casting those thoughts aside. He remembered his last thoughts before he woke up, feeling like he was about to die in the heat of battle. He saw his scepter the side of the bed so at least it wasn't left behind or confiscated.
He picked it up when someone came in. "Please don't push yourself, sir. You were in bad condition when you were brought here."
By the white robes the young woman was wearing, she was obviously a healer. "Was someone with me? A young woman with blue hair and eyes?"
"She is all right. She is resting right now." A voice spoke behind the healer.
Oz watched as someone in a black cloak and a skull mask over their face stepped into the infirmary. He felt on edge and was ready to defend himself again.
He remembered this person.
During his days as the White King, this person fought against his armies.
They had even been mistaken as the representation of death due to their skull mask and the weapons they wielded.
The individual removed their mask and hood, revealing their identity to him.
It was like seeing a ghost all over again.
First Aqua and now… "Artura?"
The woman smiled, her silver eyes glinting. "Close. I am her descendant, Amarilla. This would be the second time I have been mistaken for her."
Ambroise couldn't stand anymore and sat back down on his bed. "I…I…"
"You don't need to speak Mr. Ambroise. Or should I call you Your Majesty…Or even, Sir Ozma?"
The man flinched at his titles…Former titles. "I am simply Ambroise now. A simple man, living in his shack, waiting out his days."
"Is that so? Seems to humble a life for one like you." Amarilla remarked before frowning and looked to the infirmary staff. "Leave us. If something happens, I'll call for help."
The healers looked reluctant but complied. Ambroise couldn't help but be reminded of Artura when she was not happy.
Amarilla sat down on the bed next to his, staring him in the eye. "There is much we need to talk about, Sir Ozma."
Ambroise flinched but nodded. "Where are we?"
"A temple in the mountains of the eastern lands." Amarilla answered. "Founded by Aqua and home to many people seeking a home from the Grimm."
Ambroise's eyes widened. "I remember…I was told about this by an agent sent by…"
"Salem." Amarilla finished for him, earning another flinch. "I read the diary of my ancestor. She spoke highly of you, Sir Ozma. Your death was a huge loss to the Emerald Kingdom…And it seemingly set your wife, the former Black Queen on the path she took that lost humanity its magic when she rebelled against the Gods."
Ambroise looked away.
"What I want to know is why did you help her. Sure, you married her and built a kingdom with her, but you actively helped conquer everything surrounding you until Aqua stepped in and had to remind you of who you seemingly used to be." Amarilla noted with a steel edge in her voice. "My question is what you hope to do now?"
Ambroise glanced at her with a surprised look on his face. "What do I hope to do now?"
"You were a renowned warrior in your first life, a king pretending to be a god in your second life and now you are…this." She gestured to his withering frail body. "What happened to make you like this? What are your goals?"
"Goals?" Ambroise chuckled bitterly. "…I have no goals."
Amarilla raised an eyebrow.
"In my first life, I always strived to do what was right and just because of the lessons my mother imparted to me at a young age. I followed her teachings, even at times when I felt I was just using them as an excuse to look for some form of exhilaration from battling monsters and tyrants. And then came the day when I answered the call to freeing a young maiden locked in a tower by her father…Everything started to change." Ambroise spoke slowly. "I answered the call and where so many others had failed, I succeeded. And when I rescued her, I felt like it was the beginning of a fairy tale where we would off together into the sunset together and live happily ever after…Only for myself to be blinded by a harsh reality when I was struck down by a sickness, instead of dying in battle that I always believed would happen to me."
Amarilla was silent but noticed the look of anguish appearing on Ambroise's face now.
"And then I was suddenly pulled back, seeing, breathing, and hearing as I had before I died but it happened so fast, I could barely understand it as I was brought back only to be killed again. The cycle repeated itself a few more times before I was finally put back to rest by the very deity that had revived me in the beginning. And then I was in a place, not the afterlife but somewhere else with the God of Light before me, offering me a chance to return. He told me humanity had been judged and stripped of magic but would be given a chance to redeem themselves."
"Redeem ourselves?" Amarilla raised an eyebrow again and scowled. "For the actions of one lying woman who manipulate everyone into fighting against the Gods in the first place? Why should we redeem ourselves?"
Those were…
Very good questions.
Why did humanity need to redeem themselves?
Obviously, Ozma hoped to one day complete his task so he would be free of his curse.
But that hadn't been the reason why he accepted this task in the first place.
He accepted because it meant he would be with Salem again.
The God of Light had warned him, but he thought seeing her again would be worth any pain.
Now though, he wasn't so sure.
"What about Aqua?" He asked, deciding to change the subject and hoped Amarilla would kind enough to do so.
"She is still alive and with us." The silver eyed woman answered, seemingly playing along. "She fainted from nearly disappearing like she did when you died."
Ambroise winced, remembering that awful night. "She disappeared…Because I died."
"Yes." Amarilla nodded. "I asked Poppy about it many times but she was always evasive on why Aqua disappeared and seeing as you are back now, albeit in an older body then it's safe to say Aqua reappeared when you did."
Reappeared when he did?
Or reappeared when he reincarnated?
Ambroise had a hard time understanding why Aqua would disappear when he died and then reappeared when the soul of Ozma would reincarnate. On the one hand though, it would explain why she suddenly reappeared in his past life, looking exactly the same as before even though Aqua had tried to explain it to him when they met again.
"What happened to you, Aqua? How are you standing before me, looking so young as the day we first…That Ozma first met you?" The old man questioned. "You never told me during my time as Diggs."
It took a moment for Aqua to answer as she turned to the window. "I used a power I didn't know existed when my journey began. It's a power that allows me to travel not only across great distances…But through time as I found out."
Ambroise stared at her with a surprised face. "Through time?"
"Yes." Aqua turned and faced Ambroise. "It works by utilizing the bonds and connections of one's heart. I used the between you and me, our friendship to open a passage through time. It caused me to appear when you reincarnated before and when you died, I disappeared. When I appeared again, I reverted back to the age when we first met."
Ambroise sat down, holding his scepter with both hands as he thought over what he been told. "I never knew such a magic existed."
"Neither did I until right before I used it." Aqua sat down on the other side of the shack. "I guess when you die and I disappear…My body is reconstructed to its 'default' age, for the lack of better words. I have no idea how long time passes, though I guess it's as long as it takes for you to reincarnate."
"And why would you do this?" Ambroise questioned. "Why use this power to…travel through time with me?"
Aqua looked conflicted but she spoke. "I learned of a danger coming to Remnant."
That's right.
A danger.
But how did Aqua know?
And if she was somehow traveling through time, connecting to herself to him so that when he dies and she disappears, she later reappears back at the same young age she when he had first met her.
Still, despite Aqua's attempts to explain herself, Ambroise was left with many questions.
What was this power that allowed Aqua to travel through the ages, seemingly connecting herself to his life?
What was this danger she spoke of?
And how long would it be before this danger arrived?
A year?
Five years?
A decade?
A century?
A millennium?
Would Aqua truly put herself through something like all that because of a danger she believed was coming to Remnant?
It was all so…confusing.
At the very least, his daughters were alive and well now and he could be with them for however long his new host could last.
But what happened then?
What happened when he needed to gather all the Relics together?
Would he be allowed to rest?
And what about Salem?
As far as he knew, she was still trapped in that crystal prison Aqua had sealed her in.
Would she be allowed to rest with him?
And their children…
"Father!"
His eyes widened to see his daughters rush into the infirmary, literally almost knocking the door down as they entered.
"Hey, calm down!" Amarilla scolded the girls, but they barely paid her any heed.
They were all circled around their father or at least the man claiming to be their father who stared back with wide, tearful eyes.
"My…my children…" He whispered, his words barely even audible.
They were here.
Right in front of him.
Alive and well.
The eldest, Sarah held out a hand that was glowing with magic and he recognized it for what it was.
A magical bond.
The same bond that had existed between him and Salem as husband and wife but this one was between a father and his child.
He held up his hand and it glowed as he slowly reached out and touched the girl's hand, the magical energies swirling around their hands as they made contact and Sarah's eyes began to water. "…Father."
That seemed to break the dam as he tearfully reached and hugged Sarah who immediately hugged him back. The other girls seemed to understand as they gathered around Ambroise and hugged him tightly, making his own tears of joy fall down his cheeks.
He had thought them gone.
Lost with his wife and kingdom.
But they were here, holding him.
Alive.
Had he ever felt this happy in any of his lifetimes?
Following his awakening inside the infirmary Ambroise was more than happy to allow his daughters to drag him around to see the monastery and kingdom they had been staying in since they were brought here. He was glad to see they were feeling much more happier here. He thought the temple was a great addition, seeing all of its glory and texture even seeing students in a class learning new things. His second life never had anything like this when he was the ruler of the kingdom with his wife.
Salem's customs and order was not exactly the best strong suit, even as she argued on their behalf.
These customs here proved one thing: that doesn't matter if you're a noble line or not you are capable of doing great things.
That belief holds great potential.
When he got outside and was led down to see the city, he had to admit it was quite amazing. The did have to try to discover the power of new resource known as Dust…
He wondered who had come up with that name.
He was then led into a courtyard where he could see warriors training which brought a sense of nostalgia to him, remembering his own days as the great warrior Ozma. He remembered hearing that Amarilla had brought some her subjects here to help better train the people to become great warriors. Fighting was not always the only way to make a difference in this world. Learning and teaching to help others other ways to use their skills and passion becoming much more was just as important.
He wondered what this place will become later in the future.
He cast those thoughts aside as his little girls brought him to the nice area to settle down and relax in. He was pretty much enjoying the moment listening to the girls as they told him of new lives here and seeing them playing around. Perhaps he should not have let himself fall into despair in his second life and should have gone with Aqua when he was still Diggs to start a good life here.
A small part of him even wondered if he should have started his life with his friend Aqua to a new beginning.
Bump-Bump!
Ambroise's eyes widened, sensing something horribly wrong.
A strange power…
One that he felt before.
Bump-Bump!
It was pulsing and beating…
Like a heart.
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
He looked up at the top of the monastery, seeing a glowing Heart at right above it that was pulsing and near it was Aqua!
"Father?" The girls rushed up to him. "What is happening?"
"Come on. We have to move."
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
The strange began glowing even brighter as the pulsing intensified as Ambroise and the girls made their back up. Down below, Amarilla along with Poppy, Ozma and his daughters had all rushed to see what was happening.
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Bump-Bump!
Kingdom Hearts began to change color, the golden light now turning violet before a pillar of power exploded from it and shot up into the sky.
"Ah!" Aqua was knocked back, the temporary flight ability provided by her Semblance having been cancelled by Aqua losing concentration.
The Heart began to shrink down while misty form appeared and began to shape around it. First there was a torso, followed by a head and then arms and legs.
"Yes…" A disembodied voice spoke from the mouth that while still transparent and misty, had just sprung into existence.
Aqua had changed her Keyblade into its glider form and had flown back close enough that she could see the lips curling into a smile. The swirling mist surrounding the violet light in its chest where the Kingdom Hearts had shrunk continued to thicken.
It was becoming more solid…
Denser…
More…Human.
Aqua could see eyes that were azure in color with a darkened irises now staring at her, locks of white hair flowing down the back. Elongated ears poked their tips out from either side of the head as a lean yet muscular form body was now formed.
It was almost watching a Spirit from a divine Relic being born.
The face was elongated with a pointed nose, broad chin and strong cheek bones.
The hair white hair reached down all the way to the lower back.
"My rebirth has come at last." The new…man spoke, showing fangs in his mouth as a golden crown appeared on his head and a long blue robe and a white cloak.
Golden armor surrounded his chest and from his back sprouted fairy like wings.
"I couldn't believe it when I made contact with this so-called Kingdom Hearts but I feel…Amazing." The new being looked down at his new form. "It transformed all my desires from mere fantasy…Into reality. That's what it can do. Break down the barriers between fantasy and reality and grant a person's true desires."
"Maxwell…" Aqua said carefully.
"Maxwell…" The being seemed confused before smiling. "Ah yes, my former name. The name I left behind with my old life when I chose to merge with this great Heart. I no longer answer to that name or face. From now on, you may address me as the new king of this world, a new God: Oberon!"
Down below, Ambroise reached out to his daughters as they began to tremble.