The Boy Who Fell Through The World XIII

'If only I could turn back time and somehow stop all of this chaos from happening in the first place…' The Red King thought and then his eyes widened. 'Perhaps I can.'

He looked over the Jabberwock as it continued fighting against the girl that had latched onto the Great Tree, still fighting against the still standing last member of the Five-Winged Beasts. The Jabberwock had summoned more humans to fight with it and was seemingly doing a better job than the rest of the Afterans he had summoned.

It seemed only appropriate that the Afteran reborn from one of these humans would somehow being doing better.

'Very well.' The Red King closed his eyes briefly. 'If I cannot bring the Ever After of the past back, I will return to the past and reject the future!'

The Red King shot up into the air just as Ven, Oscar and Terra surrounded him and he landed on the head of the Jabberwock.

"You wretched humans, you claim to be protectors and defenders, but you have constantly brought your fights to this world and beyond. I see now the path to remaking the Ever After as it was, is now closed to me and my people because your aggravating persistence. If I am unable to tame the chaos you have inflicted on this land, then I will just return to the past and from there I will protect my world from you before you infect it and from that point, any human that trespasses will be dealt with." The Red King proclaimed tapped his foot against the head of the Jabberwock. "By death and ascension, will you be made to understand what your kind has done to us and our homes. By all means, attempt to stop me or attempt to free the life of this one human who has paid the price for her transgressions. Choose wisely though, for no matter the path you take from this point forward, all of them will lead to one single end: yours as humans and reborn like your fellow humans who now stand against you."

The Afterans who were once humans, including the Jabberwock all shouted and roared in compliance to the Red King's claim.

"Never forget that you are all responsible for this. For that, I name you humans to be the destroyers of worlds!" The Red King proclaimed before he took off into the air. "Jabberwock, even if it costs you your life, finish these wretched humans off once and for all!"

The Jabberwock roared in compliance once again, lowering its head and glared at the Keyblade Wielders and Weiss. Then one by one, it summoned illusionary copies of people that Ven and Terra didn't recognize but the rest did: Roman Torchwick, the Malachite Sisters, Adam Taurus, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, James Ironwood, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, Ozpin, Clover, Qrow Brawn, and Cinder Fall.

"Oh boy." Weiss gulped from seeing so many friends and enemies appearing to fight her and everyone else. "…It's just never easy, is it?"


"..qa…"

"Aqua…"

"Aqua."

She opened her eyes, founding herself in the familiar surroundings of the Final World. "Where…The Fine World."

"Aqua." She looked down and saw Chirithy in front of her. "You've returned much sooner this time."

"I…" Aqua exhaled and tried to remember what happened. "I was…"

Aqua held up her hand and watched as it began to fade. "No…Not yet. Not now."

But there was nothing she could do.

Ozma had died again.

And with him, Aqua's bond with his heart was now forcing her to follow him into his next life, whenever or wherever that would be.

"Not like this…Not like this…" Was all Aqua could say, losing all senses as she fell to the ground.

She could barely make out someone screaming her name, seeing someone rushing to her side…

And then there was only darkness.

Aqua had vanished from Remnant once again.

That's right.

Aqua had returned to the Final World and Oz's third life was been destroyed no thanks to Oberon.

"I disappeared again." Aqua sighed. "Oberon must have killed Oz when I was distracted. How long will it be before he reincarnates again?"

Days?

Weeks?

Months?

Years?

Truthfully, it was only her second time now and Aqua was already sick and tired of this. She spent a decade on Remnant in her first cycle after following Oz to his first reincarnation and when he died Aqua had reappeared after he had reincarnated again, and that life had been tragically cut short by the husband of her own former apprentice.

Was this the price of her own actions in trying to find a home on Remnant or would it be easier to just pin the blame on Poppy?

'No.' Aqua shook her head. 'Poppy was left alone when I disappeared to continue what we started all those years ago. I can't blame her for having someone there for her, even that someone wasn't who she thought he was.'

It wouldn't be fair to Poppy, and it would be horrible for Aqua to just shirk the blame on her for being human.

"Do you know how it has been for me?" She asked, kneeling down to face Chirithy.

"I'm sorry, Aqua but you know time has little meaning here." Chirithy shook its head. "A second here could be years out there."

That's what Aqua was afraid of.

How long would she wait while Remnant was in danger from Oberon? Would anyone she remembered still be alive?

Poppy?

Amarilla?

Oz's daughters?

Would any of them still be alive and waiting for her when she finally reappeared?

How long would she have to go through this?

Not for the first time, Aqua was beginning to wonder if she had thought things through when she agreed to this, even if it was to save an entire World from darkness.

"Aqua?" Chirithy questioned. "Are you all right?"

Aqua sighed. "I'm just wondering if I haven't made a big mistake."

"Huh?"

"I keep disappearing and reappearing in a World I am stuck on and will be stuck for likely thousands of years. In more than a decade, I've left behind someone I took on a student, taking her in and making her a part of my family…Or trying to rebuild the family I lost. Since I disappeared and reappeared, our ages have swapped, I left her on her own when she was barely the same age I was when I began my journey." Aqua brought a hand to her chest. "How long will I have to endure this?"

Chirithy remained silent as it walked up and hugged Aqua's leg. "I am sorry you have to go through this but you can do it. Your heart is strong and not just because you wield a Keyblade. You do this not for yourself or just for the sake of the lost hearts you met in that world. You are doing it to save an entire world from a threat you know will eventually come to that world that its people won't be able to stop. That speaks to who you are as a Master and someone with a good heart."

Aqua looked down at the creature hugging her leg and knelt down, returning the hug. "Thank you."

She meant it as she needed this.

The comfort Chirithy offered helped calm her nerves from the doubts, stress and anguish she had begun to feel. The years she was spending on Remnant, she had long ago accepted she would be forced to live on Remnant for a long time and by now it was close to overtaking the years she had spent in the Land of Departure, the very land where she had been raised by her master.

Oh Hearts, would she even still be able to remember her original home and master after all of this?

She barely had time to think before she sensed something behind her. She and Chirithy stood up and watched as a swarm of sparkling lights appeared just a few feet away. The lights condensed together forming into an image of some sort…

"Neo?" Aqua gasped.

It was indeed an image of Neopolitan, looking exhausted.

What was the strangest part is that though Neo still retained her appearance and yet somehow, she was still transparent around her upper knees, reaching down to her legs that were barely visible and her feet were almost transparent to water.

Neo blinked, looking around at her surroundings to see where she was at.

Everything seemed so serene and peaceful.

Beautiful blue skies and clouds and the waters smooth quiet of a reflections that reflects the sky.

Then she notices someone approaching her none other than her friend and mentor. "Aqua?"

"Neo, how are you here?" Aqua asked, walking up to Neo and looking down at her legs. "Your feet. I can see right through them."

Neo looked down and saw they were transparent just above the water. "Is that good? Bad? Am I dead?"

"You're not dead." Neo looked forward and saw Chirithy. "But given what is happening, your Heart must be stuck in a form of limbo between life and death."

Neo raised an eyebrow at the strange…plushy like creature. "And you are?"

"Neo, this is Chirithy." Aqua introduced. "A kind of creature created to help Keyblade Wielders long ago. I first met him in a world called Daybreak Town, a place where Keyblade Wielders before the Keyblade War."

"Plushies helped you guys back then?" Neo raised an eyebrow. "Not a lot of confidence at first glance…No offense."

"We Chirithy act more a support and guides to Keyblade Wielders, trying to ensure their hearts remain on the right track." Chirithy replied.

"Oh, so you're a shrink." Neo snapped her fingers. "Had one of those when I was little. My parents paid him to 'help' me and he seemed to actually get me. Too bad those morons didn't care about actually making an effort."

"In any case, Neo how are you here?" Aqua asked.

"Not sure. The last thing I remember was…" Neo stiffened, bringing a hand over her face. "That…bastard…"

"Neo?"

Neo shook her head. "We have a problem in the Ever After. Some guy, Red King popped out of the Tree and wasn't very happy with the mess we caused. That guy, he did something to me."

"Something?" Aqua asked. "Did he kill you?"

"No, he…Took control of my Semblance and turned me into something." Neo was shuddering now. "I remember…my Semblance forming something around me, and I couldn't stop it. Then when my face was covered…there was only darkness and I think I blacked out because the next thing I remember was waking up here…Or was I even knocked out and where are we even?"

"The Final World." Aqua answered. "This place, it's the last world hearts arrive it when it is time to move on."

"Seriously?" Neo looked around. "So, a stopgap to whatever heaven or hell that waits on the other side?"

"Pretty much." Aqua shrugged.

"Huh." Neo blinked. "I remember that Oscar kid explaining it…Hmph, if Roman was here, he'd probably say something like 'place looks good but needs more casinos and women'."

Aqua chuckled. "Nice to see you've kept your sense of humor, Neo."

"Nice to see you barely changed, Aqua." Neo snapped her fingers again and pointed at Aqua. "We've been watching you from the Ever After, at least most of your adventures. Nice work on locking Salem up, you should have seen Oscar's face. Guess the wizard never thought of doing something like that."

"It was sort of leap of faith." Aqua admitted. "When it all came down to it, the staff was like a big magic wand once you figured out how to use it right. I could have probably slain her with just my Keyblade but I remembered that Izanagi and Erebus would have likely stepped in if I had."

"Those Brother Gods?" Neo blinked and questioned. "Oh, yeah. You had a fight with them."

"Yeah. They weren't happy I was seemingly going against my own rules. They agreed to stay out of the way, but they made it clear I was not to break Salem's curse as that would go against their own wishes." Aqua explained. "I knew Salem would never leave me, my home and the people I was living with alone so I had to figure out a way stop her. Then I remember that just as I used the Sword of Destruction to erase her and Oz's memories of me, I could probably use the Staff of Creation to create something to hold her and I remember reading a lot of stories back in the monastery I grew up in. Stories of great evils being sealed away, some inside a sacred rock or shrine and yes, a crystal."

"So, you gambled using a fairy tale to imprison the witch?" Neo asked and then grinned. "Not bad. Guess you're more of a risk taker than I thought."

"I guess so." Aqua nodded and then frowned. "Now about the Ever After."

"Oh yeah." Neo scowled. "Like I said, we'd been watching you when that red bastard came out and started attacking us. So, we know about that Maxwell guy and what he turned into. Oh, and you'll be happy to know someone else landed in the Ever After like you did, someone you should know. A kid named Ventus."

"What?!" Aqua gasped. "Ven's awake?!"

"And apparently has you to thank for that." Neo nodded. "Guess that time traveling think you did really helped."

"But-but I didn't…" Aqua trailed off. "Time travel…So I somehow Ven up and now he's with you in the Ever After? But I haven't woken him…"

"Yet." Neo held up a finger. "Sounds like something for future you. Bad news, it brought someone else back. Some freak in a mask with a dark Keyblade."

Aqua paled. "…Vanitas?"

"Yup. Said you saving that Ven kid somehow saved him." Neo nodded.

Aqua was speechless as she tried to process herself somehow saving her friend from deep slumber and ended up saving the darkness known as Vanitas before Ven had somehow arrived in the Ever After.

"Don't be like that, Aqua." Neo gave a light punch to Aqua's shoulder. "Sure, you brought a bad guy but you know, you saved your friend. That's got to count somewhere and if you beat that masked freak once, you can beat him again."

Aqua blinked. "I've never known you as a looking at the silver-line, Neo."

"Been trying to get to do…better." Neo sighed. "Went through some rough stuff before the whole Red King mess."

Neo then told Aqua more about the present issue of the Red King in the Ever After who had ascended along with many other Ever Afterians during her fights with Team RWBY after they got their Maiden powers. Everyone had been fighting against each other and somehow the Red King had some sort of ability that everything red was under his control along with colors associated with red, such as pink and purple.

The Red King had some used this power along the color of her own hair and eye to pretty much force her own entire being under his control.

"So, the whole transparent thing…" Neo looked down at herself. "Does this mean I'm going to fade away?"

"No." Aqua had a hand on her shoulder. "If that was the case, I think you would have vanished by now. There are a few people who still know you and have a strong connection to you. That's preventing you from vanishing. That mean's there is a chance for you to return."

Neo glanced up at Aqua, feeling better that her mentor believed she had a chance to return.

The one single question is how to do that.

"Any idea how I can come back?" Neo asked. "I'm all for going to see Roman…Even if it's likely in a pretty bad place…But I don't think it should be now."

Aqua began to think of any possible solution and one idea came to mind. "I think I have one idea."

"Yeah." Neo lit up.

Aqua took a deep breath and concentrated. A pink aura surrounded her and a pink light emanated from Neo's chest.

"Wha-"

"My Semblance." Aqua answered. "It forges connections with people I bond with. It's like a similar power I shared with my friends called Dimension Link. Or D-Link for short. I used it to save you in the Realm of Darkness, remember?"

"Yeah…" Neo nodded slowly.

"If I transfer some of my powers to you, maybe that will help you break free of the Jabberwalker and this Red King." Aqua reasoned.

"So what? I get a boost from the power from friendship here?"

Aqua shrugged with a smile.

"…I'll take it." Neo threw her arms up. "Been around you enough to know there's something to this 'friendship is magic' schtick."

"That's the spirit." Aqua laughed softly.

Just as Aqua was about the help Neo, the tri-haired girl held up a hand. "Wait."

"Huh?" Aqua blinked.

"Before you do that, there's something I need to tell you." Neo took a deep breath and told her what had happened during Aqua's departure through time on Remnant.

She spoke of how some part of the darkness Aqua initially saved her from in the Realm of Darkness hid deep in her heart, dwelling within her of a troublesome past. She explained all the trouble that she had gone through and thanks to Terra and the others trying to save her from her own darkness and freed from its control. She also explained that she ended up regretting all the things she had did a long ago in the past even also regretted falling into the path of revenge that wouldn't do any good.

Especially her actions for vengeance made Ruby Rose like her.

Neo didn't know or understand why but she wanted to confess her troublesome life and her deeds that she had done long ago. She was about to expect a harsh lecture when she was done and saw Aqua staring down at her…

Just as Aqua made a move, Neo closed her eyes…

…And felt a warm embrace from Aqua.

Neo was expecting to be scolded of her actions.

However, she had forgotten that Aqua had a compassionate heart toward others.

She really hated to admit it but a bit of compassion toward others with a kind heart goes a long way.

"I've only met you after all of that and you've helped me nearly every step of the way since we first met…I don't condone the actions you've committed but at least you were able to learn to overcome and admit your wrongs and are now asking for forgiveness. Right now, you are growing stronger Neo and becoming more than you once were and who you choose to be. Not for my sake, not for Roman's sake but for yourself." Aqua softly said. "You may not know it yet. You are making a difference and a better impact than you ever imagined. And you found more than one light in your life."

She is forgiving her.

She began to think back at those times especially in the station within her heart that the others that came in this to help her to overcome her dark side of herself.

And remembering what Oscar said and each one of the others touched her that gave her the strength to overcome her darkness.

Neo is now determined to make a difference now and her goals will be. Not just be free to do whatever she wants those who accept her. Aqua accepted her despite everything she had done. She is going perhaps one day after all of this to learn more to become like a Keyblade wielder and see the worlds to make new friends.

A sparkling light appeared behind her, and she turned around to see more lights, like the ones she had appeared from.

"Sounds like you've had a rough time, Neo."

Neo's eyes widened as the sparkling lights came together and formed into… "Roman!"

"Hey!" Roman laughed as Neo ran up and hugged him tightly. "Guessing you missed me."

Neo cried into Roman's chest, more than likely her answer to his statement.

"Heard you had been causing a lot of trouble to 'avenge' me." Roman patted Neo on the head.

Neo nodded, seemingly forgetting she could speak now.

"I'm flattered but I never would have asked you to go that far, and I certainly wouldn't have asked you to team up with that fire wench Cinder to do it." Roman said softly.

Neo looked up at Roman's face, her face consorting with anguish.

"I know. You only had me around and it was fun while it lasted but I got myself killed and we both know that's how it usually goes in the life." Roman patted Neo on the head. "I just wanted one last chance to see you again since we didn't even have the chance to say bye last time."

Neo hugged Roman again, so tight that Roman's body started to crack, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I know but it's good to get this chance because I got to make sure you can look after yourself." Roman wiped Neo's tears from her cheeks as she looked up at him. "Now, don't bother trying to take revenge on Red. Remember, we're professionals and we don't do sucker jobs like revenge. Besides, she didn't kill me, it was a Grimm. Second, look after this."

He tapped the hat Neo was still wearing.

"I'd say look after my cane too but that was lost, wasn't it?" Roman asked with a small smile.

Neo nodded.

"Well, saves you from crossing off one last chore on the list." Roman chuckled. "And lastly, you get the chance you get out of the life and don't look back, especially not that fire witch and her boss."

Neo trembled and nodded. "I…I will."

Roman smiled. "That's my girl."

Neo's eyes widened as Roman's body began to slowly dissolve. "No…"

"Sorry kid, I was only sticking around because I still needed to see you one last time." Roman chuckled. "Just make sure to look after yourself and the other girls."

Neo raised an eyebrow. "…Other girls?"

"Right. Still, that time travel stuff." Roman rubbed his head and sighed. "Oh, it's such a headache. But long story short, you won't be alone ever again, Neo. And I'm not just talking about her."

Roman gestured to Aqua who remained silent.

Neo followed Roman's gesture, looking at Aqua and then looked back at him. "Okay."

"Just that?" Roman raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I guess you'd want a better goodbye speech than that. All right, I got one for you." Neo giggled softly as she smiled at him. "I won't say I love you; I won't say I forget you. What I will say is…When it's my time, I hope you will be there, waiting for me with some ice cream and I'll bring the cigar and I'll tell all the wild stories I'll have to tell you, Roman."

Roman smiled back and patted Neo on the head. "I'll make sure it's your favorite flavor, kid. Don't be afraid to do something bad along with the good…Or do a little in between."

And with that, Roman's body dissolved back into the particles of light he had appeared from and was gone.

Neo just stood there, watching as he disappeared.

Aqua and Chirithy were silent and remained still, watching as Neo said her final goodbye to Roman Torchwick.

Once he was finally gone, Neo remained still for a moment.

Then she turned around and walked up to Aqua. "…I'm ready now."

Aqua nodded, summoning her Semblance and the pink glyph under her that represented her bond with Neo.

And a moment later, Neo vanished from the Final World.