Phantom Roxas

“THINK, PLAN, ANALYZE, WIN

ATTEMPT THIS ALL YOU LIKE－BUT ASK YOURSELVES, WHAT POINT IS THERE?”

Sora and Kairi cut through the D-Reaper’s power cables, only for even more to ensnare them just as quickly. Meanwhile, Ariel still waited for her allies to answer her own question. Unlike Protheus, Izanami’s current form was designed specifically to delete Digimon. Aetos would not work a second time, especially after it had only barely succeeded against Protheus. Even then, that was because they were able to take advantage of the lake. Aetos only worked because they were able to turn the circumstances in their favor, but absolutely none of those advantages were available now.

“Perhaps there’s a way we could protect MirageGaogamon,” Eria offered. “Arthur, you’ve mostly relied on your Reflect spell, so you might have some knack for defensive magic. Maybe with the power Itsu gave us, there are some more spells you could use to give him an edge against the Chaos?”

“Maybe.” Arthur aimed his Keyblade at MirageGaogamon, but before he could try anything, the group had to avoid another wave of Chaos. MirageGaogamon carried Arthur away, while the two Erias conjured their waves of water to repel the Chaos. The Chaos quickly dissolved the water, but it was slowed down just long enough for the Erias to summon new ice platforms in the air for themselves and Gagagigo.

“If you can cover me,” said Gagagigo, “I may be able to save Sora and Kairi. Then you can focus on Izanami herself.”

As the team quickly exchanged ideas in the face of this utterly oppressive force, filling up by the second with a mixture of uncertainty and powerlessness, the D-Reaper of Envy spoke out.

“DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?”

The gargantuan force of nature, embodiment of crimson destruction, remained fixed in place as she towered over the battlefield. Yet even though her form wasn’t moving an inch, insane portions of Chaos began to wash over the platform’s surface, reaching the point where all they could see over the horizon floor was sickly, deathly vermillion.

“YOU LOST

AND IZANAMI WON

WITH HER NIGH-INFINITE POWER AND VOID INCLUSION, THIS WAS AN EVENTUALITY”

 Not only that, but the surface of the D-Reaper’s lower body seemed to be bubbling, apparently forming what appeared to be egg-shaped warts－and when they erupted, the result could not have been surprising. What else would be contained but copies of the only soldier-data stored within this program? What else would emerge but even more ADR-01ii: Jeri-Types? 

The familiar form screeched into the air. Mindless, lacking the years of development the original went through, yet clearly retaining all of Jeriii’s offensive power. For now, seven had prematurely emerged, but the innumerable amount of warts on the D-Reaper’s skin suggested that many, many more may soon be incoming.

“NO. ONE MAY EVEN SAY YOU WERE FATED TO LOSE HERE, 

IN THIS VERY BATTLE, IN THIS VERY LOCATION

RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW, WHEN IT MATTERED MOST, WHEN YOU CAME SO FAR AND CHANGED SO MUCH

...WHY, YOU ASK?”

 

 

“JUST BECAUSE:

RE̡ALI͢TY C̡ÁN B͏E ̴C̸R͟U͏EL ĻI͜K͏E͟ ̀T͏H̛AT̡”

Her voice echoed across the space of the Origin Cosmos, containing distorted remnants of Isamy Maximus’s original tone and attitude. Still, for some reason, it didn’t feel like IZANAMI, D-Reaper of Envy held ill will towards them.

Rather… It was as if this was a final declaration of war against them. As if daring them to prove her wrong and end things right here, right now.

 

FINAL PHASE - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3OsurDY0Aw

 

“Keep telling yourself that,” MirageGaogamon snarled, gripping his flail as his whole body glowed with golden light. The spiked ball began to grow, and grow, and grow until it was twice the size of MirageGaogamon himself. Pulling the chain with all his might, he shouted “Meteor Shackle!”

The flail crushed many of the Jeriiis under its immense weight, splattering them into puddles of Chaos. The residual Chaos attempted to eat into the flail, but its brilliant golden energy was somehow restoring itself. MirageGaogamon pulled the flail back, his whole body aglow, as he prepared to strike again.

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Arthur muttered. He knew Izanami would not listen. Even still, despite the displays of might between them and Izanami, she still spoke as if there was a debate to be won here. If there was, Arthur had only to do as Itsu had said, and convince Izanami to give up the Omni Principle.

“Reality isn’t cruel,” said Arthur, to which the D-Reaper gave no response. He prepared a Reflect spell, but tried to imagine more than just an ordinary barrier. The hexagonal patterns began to form around MirageGaogamon, but Arthur envisioned them shifting in place.

Eria and Ariel continued to keep away the waves of Chaos, while Gagagigo stood his ground, waiting to fight back. Sora and Kairi kept struggling, but they were able to push further ahead this time, before being caught once more. Everyone was doing their part, so Arthur chose to focus on MirageGaogamon. The barrier was starting to fold, as if it was conforming to MirageGaogamon’s whole body.

MirageGaogamon destroyed more and more Jeriiis, but just as many continued to spawn and replenish their ranks. Arthur continued to reinforce MirageGaogamon’s armor, but he caught something out of the corner of his eye. One Jeriii had avoided MirageGaogamon’s attack. Unable to pull his flail back in time, MirageGaogamon charged at the Jeriii and backhanded it. Another Jeriii aimed its hand at Arthur, before Eria froze that one solid.

Even more Jeriiis were beginning to avoid MirageGaogamon’s flail, and one by one, began to fire a barrage of α Decay Shots at MirageGaogamon. However, without hesitation, another swing of the flail demolished the Jeriiis. MirageGaogamon charged forward, seemingly undeterred by the agents of the D-Reaper.

Arthur smiled. His plan had worked. MirageGaogamon’s was able to take the brunt of the attacks. Of course, Arthur would have to restore the armor, but to be able to protect MirageGaogamon from the Chaos would be enough, for the moment. He was still not convinced that Aetos was the way to go, but it was a start.

“The point is that we have to win here! I told you that I didn’t want a shortcut. We’ve both suffered more than either of us would care to.”

“Don’t waste your breath!” Ariel warned. “You think you can talk some sense to her? We have to kill her now, so focus on protecting MirageGaogamon!”

“No, let him try,” Eria said. “Arthur… I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Arthur nodded. “Thank you. Izana- no. Isabella, Ameliorer. You’ve both suffered a lot.” Arthur took a deep breath. He wouldn’t excuse what they had done, and they were sure to see through any bluff. “After everything you’ve done, you’re come to the Door, and found that nothing you’ve done was worth it. You hit a dead end.”

“DEAD END, YOU SAY. NONSENSE...

WHAT 

UTTER

NONSENSE!”

Agitated by this, the D-Reaper of Envy forced more of her eggs to burst, releasing even more Jeriiis into the sky. Eria nodded over to Gagagigo, and she commanded his platform to carry him forward. Though various Jeriiis immediately turned to swarm Gagagigo, Eria summoned just as many ice shards to impale the agents before they could get too close.

“If you insist on standing in our way,” Arthur continued, “then that just proves my point. Reality itself isn’t cruel. It’s us. You, me, so-called ‘Guardians’ like Emiya or Arturia… you and your father started this war, and everyone here is trying to end it. I’m fighting so MirageGaogamon and I can be friends without having to choose between him or my family. A family that I betrayed. I didn’t give them a chance, and they don’t deserve to lose everything. You chose me, but why should I be the one who gets to live, while their world falls apart? And Eria…”

Arthur and Eria shared a glance. “I wouldn’t be here if she didn’t have faith in me. I don’t know if I can have that same faith in you, so I’ll make it clear what the difference is between you and us. What the damn ‘point’ of this is.”

Arthur’s eyes began to glow gold. As he raised his Keyblade above his head, he could feel his arms warming up, as if something within him was starting to burn. Alexandra, his father, the Royal Knights, Sam, Baxter, all of Camp Half-Blood… there were far too many people waiting for him.

“Father,” said Arthur. “If you can hear me, I could use your help right now.”

Suddenly, the warts across IZANAMI’S body started to boil. Sparks of light flickered into life, and the whole area started to grow warmer. “Gagagigo, jump!” Arthur cried out. Gagagigo looked down and saw that his platform was starting to melt. Jumping onto IZANAMI’s towering body, Gagagigo into her body, pulling Sora and Kairi free. With the quick aid of an Aeroga spell, Sora, Kairi, and Gagagigo were all pushed away from IZANAMI with a gust of wind.

The sparks of light began to expand, and a ring of light appeared above IZANAMI. Then, another ring around that, followed by a third. As she turned to face them in surprise, her D-Reaper mask glowed as if analyzing its composition, as if attempting to understand what exactly she was facing here. 

“Everyone has a future waiting for them, Izanami,” said Arthur. As Gagagigo brought Sora and Kairi back across, MirageGaogamon pulled back as well. With everyone behind him, Arthur cast a Reflect barrier around the team. “Just because you’ve hit a dead end doesn’t mean that anyone else has.”

“FOOL!

THIS CANNOT HURT ME!”

 

 

“Eschaton.”

At Arthur’s command, a giant beam of golden light shot through the rings, as the sparks of light exploded all at once. IZANAMI’S entire body was being burnt alive by the raw pure power of a sun. 

Just like that, the deep crimson tower called the ‘D-Reaper’ was utterly enveloped in a sudden, and bright, and merciless light, and for all her scale and prowess, even something on a galactic level of power such as the sun was not something she was capable of resisting. The onslaught ripped away at her every layer, burning deeper and deeper, evaporating all oozing Chaos in the vacancy and incinerating every growing Jeriii within. She resisted, of course. IZANAMI resisted, calling all her forces together to attempt to form a wall, a net, anything to protect her against the beam. Certainly, there was little doubt that even in this state, she may only be able to maintain this form for seconds, perhaps twenty at most. And as she burned, she wondered, why? Why? Not how this was happening, because she understood exactly how. But rather, why? Why why why why why why why did that DAMNED sun god Apollo answer the boy’s prayers after all this time?! To support his progress? Or to spite her desire? This was, this was unacceptable… Unacceptable...

“UNACCEPTABLE!!!”

Naturally, one path of victory still remained for Omnibound Immortal IZANAMI.

In the seconds before IZANAMI ceased to be, she - with extreme reluctance - let go of her connection to Jeriii’s Existence and reached out to the greater realm of existences. To the void. To the only person, the only existence which could possibly protect her against the power of the sun.

And amidst that burning light of destruction, IZANAMI mightily declared,

 

“VOID INCLUSION”

As soon as she heard those words, Ariel thrust her hands forward, attempting to reach out for the collection of souls that she had witnessed before. Whoever IZANAMI was hoping to transform into next, Ariel was determined to stop her. Arthur was falling to knees, his body giving off smoke. Slight burns had formed across his body; nowhere near as bad as anyone would have expected from standing close to the sun, but his barrier had protected everyone but himself. Eria rushed to his side, trying to summon some magic to soothe his wounds and heal him, while MirageGaogamon, Gagagigo, Sora, and Kairi were steeled themselves for IZANAMI’S next move.

“ITSU

FUDO!”

Of course it was.

Shamelessly, Omnibound Immortal IZANAMI called out her name. When the power of a sun god ended up being unleashed on her, when she was in the process of being incinerated, what other choice did she have? Who else did she have to counter with but the power of another sun god? The sheer size of her existence, unstable as it was, would consume her remaining Void Inclusion uses and take a heavy toll just bringing it here, but that didn’t matter. That didn’t matter! It would help her survive. It would help her achieve victory. She would include the aspect of Itsu Fudo that initially entered the Origin War, back when the goddess was still at full power, held back only by the now-bypassable restriction of distortions. Whilst Itsu Fudo possessed many talents that made her unstoppable, her foremost use in this situation would be her complete mastery over heat and the sun, absorption included. To begin with, Itsu Fudo herself was once a sun. It was the perfect choice.

Not to mention, by the sound of it, it was Itsu Fudo herself who’d saved the others and granted them the powers necessary to oppose her. With this in consideration, how utterly satisfying would it be to use her powers to crush them?! If even the D-Reaper wasn’t enough, she would use Itsu Fudo’s powers, and she would use them to their fullest to crush any last interference from Apollo, and steamroll everyone else, and ensure ultimate victory!

A giant blast of ruby lightning blasted out from the Origin Cosmos the instant she declared this name, penetrating the platform’s barrier and ready to make contact with IZANAMI in an instant. 

“－?!”

However, it never reached her. The lightning seemed to stop midair. Although IZANAMI was still shielded within the remains of the D-Reaper, an expression of horror and confusion swept over her.

“H- HOW－?!”

Ariel was concentrating on the pool of souls, holding onto Itsu’s essence. She could see it, far in the distance, yet still shining brightly among all the others. How could she not have seen it before? Whatever the case, she was holding onto the essence, just as she had with the others. But she could hear it resisting, trying to break free. The bolt of lightning slowly began to inch its way through the sky above them, but Ariel tried to hold on.

“Don’t try to hide behind anyone else’s power,” said Ariel. “Isabella, Ameliorer, whoever you are, it doesn’t matter.” The monster connected to Ariel’s lower body dug its legs into the platform, holding its ground. “Thanks to your father, I’ve been connected to the Omni Principle once already. You’re not like him, though, so it’s far more difficult to gain a hold on it.”

“Here.” Eria handed the Staff of Armadyl to her counterpart. It had helped against Protheus, but it had broken the Staff in half. Ariel narrowed an eye, uncertain if it would be just as useful in this state, but she took the Staff, pointing it at Itsu’s essence. She wouldn’t dare try to absorb the essence, but she could at least feel its resistance growing weaker. Even the lightning bolt in the sky was starting to recede, but it wasn’t enough. Ariel had to prevent IZANAMI from using the Void Inclusion altogether.

Ariel’s body was burning. It was burning even hotter than the residual heat from Arthur’s attack. Poor Arthur couldn’t handle his own attack. “You idiots,” Ariel snarled. He had made such a propesterous speech, and if IZANAMI was able to use Itsu’s power, what good was it for Arthur to just kill himself? “At least one of us deserves to be happy. Eria, promise me that you’ll save him.”

“Like that’s even in doubt.” Eria tried to push back tears as Kairi and Sora aided with Cure spells, but Arthur was still barely moving. He was breathing, yes, but for how long?

“He promised you the future.”

“Please don’t,” Eria begged.

“Hold on,” said Ariel. Itsu’s essence was drawing closer. With the staff, even if she couldn’t take all of Itsu’s power, she might be able to draw on just enough to turn this around. “Before we started this battle, I told you that I felt something more. For all the power that Itsu promised, I didn’t think that she had given us enough. That she had let us down.”

“What do you mean?”

“You said that we would use the Door to decide our future. I believe that with the Power of the Future, we may only be able to call upon a future that we believe in. I… I didn’t see much of a future for myself, I’m afraid. Maybe long enough for us to defeat Izanami, for us to go back home, but… after that?” Ariel smirked. “Well, it’s like Arthur said. You give us faith, Eria. Faith that it’s not too late for us.”

Ariel’s skin grew pale, and the Gishki Beast howled as its skin began to shift. Black scales began to transform into violet armor. Its frills turned transluscent, and the monster’s roar slowly grew more mechanical. Ariel’s upper body likewise began to change. For a moment, gears appeared out of her skin before sinking back in.

“What are you doing?!” Eria asked.

“It’s alright,” Ariel assured her through gritted teeth. “It just means there will be more pain in my future. Can’t say I’m too surprised. But that’s what you and Arthur are preparing for, so why should I be any different? It’ll be worth it, in the end.”

Eria pursed her lips, but she nodded at last. Smiling back, Ariel called out to the last of Itsu’s essence. “I’m ready now, Itsu! Show me my future!”

Corona flares flowed directly into the Staff of Armadyl. The artifact started to tremble in Ariel’s hand, as the last traces of black and blue in her clothes turned violet. In her other hand, a second staff began to materalize, adorned with a mirror displaying the symbol of the Gishki. Ariel accepted the rest of the power, and she could feel herself growing calmer. Her body no longer looked human. Instead, it resembled something more of a mechanical doll.

 

 

“IZANAMI!” Ariel called, as she held the Gishki staff up high. “You cannot hide any longer.” Dozens of blue strings shot out from the mirror, and into the Origin Cosmos. Several more strings fired to wrap themselves around IZANAMI’S body. 

“THIS… THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

IZANAMI FINDS THIS RIDICULOUS! 

HOW… HOW DARE YOU, A MERE PUPPET OF A DEAD MAN!”

With Itsu’s Void Inclusion about to be used up, the situation was dire. Still, even as the D-Reaper’s giant essence melted around IZANAMI, her own physical strength as an Omnibound Immortal was nothing to scoff at. She pulled against the strings constricting around her, summoning her signature Tabris scythe into one hand as she attempted to tear out of this trap. If she could just stop Ariel before whatever the Gishki Charmer completed whatever she was doing, if she could just salvage a Void Inclusion, these tables could still be turned in her favour… and yet, the situation was even worse than IZANAMI could have ever envisioned.

Feeling the Staff of Armadyl continuing to warm up in her hand, Ariel tossed it aside.

“No!” Sora called out, but it was too late. As soon as the Staff of Armadyl started falling to the ground, Itsu’s essence had finally overwhelmed it. Cracks formed along its body and to the crystal at the top, until finally, the staff exploded. For as much as it had carried them through this, to overcoming Xansvita and Protheus, to the power it had once granted Itsu, it was perhaps only fitting that Itsu’s own power would in turn destroy it once and for all.

Ariel paid the Staff of Armadyl no mind, however. Grabbing her new Gishki staff with both hands, she pulled it back, tugging on each and every string it had conjured, pulling against the Omnibound’s raw strength. Thanks to Itsu - and though Ariel would hate to admit it, Protheus as well - for a brief moment, Ariel could feel herself connected to the Origin Cosmos. 

To the very center of the IZANAMI’S Void Inclusion.

That brief moment was all Ariel needed, as she pulled the staff.

“AH.̴̫͎̦.͚͕͈̩̲̰.̤̝̺̞̰̘̝͟

.͍̣.̭͞.̛̺͍.̪̪͕̱̙.҉͎̜̮͉̮ͅ.̕.̝̣̫̱̪͙̼̀.̴̫͎̦.͚͕͈̩̲̰.̤̝̺̞̰̘̝͟.͍̣.̭͞.̛̺͍.̪̪͕̱̙.҉͎̜̮͉̮ͅ.̕

.̝̣̫̱̪͙̼̀.̴̫͎̦.͚͕͈̩̲̰.̤̝̺̞̰̘̝͟.͍̣.̭͞.̛̺͍.̪̪͕̱̙.҉͎̜̮͉̮ͅ.̕.̝̣̫̱̪͙̼̀.̴̫͎̦.͚͕͈̩̲̰.̤̝̺̞̰̘̝͟.͍̣.̭͞.̛̺͍.̪̪͕̱̙.҉͎̜̮͉̮ͅ.̕.̝̣̫̱̪͙̼̀.̴̫͎̦.͚͕͈̩̲̰

.̤̝̺̞̰̘̝͟.͍̣.̭͞.̛̺͍.̪̪͕̱̙.҉͎̜̮͉̮ͅ.̴̫͎̦.͚͕͈̩̲̰.̤̝̺̞̰̘̝͟.͍̣.̭͞.̛̺͍.̪̪͕̱̙.҉͎̜̮͉̮ͅ.̕.̝̣̫̱̪͙̼̀.̴̫͎̦.͚͕͈̩̲̰.̤̝̺̞̰̘̝͟.͍̣.̭͞.̛̺͍.̪̪͕̱̙.҉͎̜̮͉̮ͅ.̕.̝̣̫̱̪͙̼̀.̴̫͎̦.͚͕͈̩̲̰.̤̝̺̞̰̘̝͟.͍̣.̭͞.̛̺͍.̪̪͕̱̙.҉͎̜̮͉̮ͅ.̕.̝̣̫̱̪͙̼̀.̕.̝̣̫̱̪͙̼̀”

 

 

And just like that… something was severed. 

A connection. 

A power. 

A bond.

What had happened? Whatever it was, IZANAMI’s very soul felt it, experienced it, hurt from it. What was this sudden emptiness in her senses－did someone destroy all of reality? Or did someone simply switch off the internet? It was a sensation that rattled her.

At last, IZANAMI tore herself free from Ariel’s strings. The last remnants of the D-Reaper’s Incluson had since melted, leaving nothing but the avatar’s initial, distorted figure. Although it still vastly towered above the warriors, emanating raw strength and magic, it no longer possessed the sheer scale that the D-Reaper came with. Still, confused but otherwise unperturbed, she grinned as she eyed the warriors.

“IZANAMI IS PERTURBED, BUT NO MATTER!

NOW THEN, WHERE WAS I…?”

Readying her scythe once more, IZANAMI thrust it into the sky as she declared,

“VOID INCLUSION:

ITSU FUDO!”

…

But this time… nothing happened.

“WHA…?”

Indeed, it seemed her own words had come to bite her, reality had come to punish her exactly as it was foretold would.

For it wasn’t working. Her Void Inclusion wasn’t working!

All Envy IZANAMI could do was well up with annoyance. Still, however that girl had achieved it, at least it wouldn’t hinder the others- LIVE MEMORIES OF INTERCONNECTED IZANAMIS SUDDENLY RACE THROUGH WHAT IS THIS

 

---

 

“THIS CANNOT BE-”

 

---

 

“NOW OF ALL TIMES?!”

  

---

 

“IT’S NOT WORKING! DAMN THAT ARIEL!!!”

  

---

 

“IZANAMI WAS JUST ABOUT TO HAVE SOME MORE FUN…”

 

---

 

 “SO IT AFFECTED ALL IZANAMIS. PATHETIC.”

 

---

 

“DISAPPOINTING… 

BUT NOT THE END!”

  

---

 

Envy IZANAMI reeled back with horror, standing on the scorched battlefield of the Origin Cosmos as she faced the ragtag team of Counter Corps in disbelief. Her eyes locked onto Ariel first, but then onto Arthur, and then onto MirageGaogamon and Eria and Gagagigo and Sora and Kairi AND how could they have possibly accomplished this?

“...”

HOW COULD THEY HAVE POSSIBLY LOCKED OUT ALL THE IZANAMIS FROM VOID INCLUSION?! HOW COULD THEY?! HOW COULD

“HOW COULD YOU? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE? TAKING THAT AWAY… TAKING THAT POWER AWAY… WITHOUT THAT, IZANAMI… IZANAMI’S CHANCES OF VICTORY AGAINST YOU ARE...”

Omnibound Immortal IZANAMI hung her head low, standing coldly a short distance away from her opponents. Her emotions intensified. Her power, although vastly reduced now, solidified and condensed itself in preparation for one last stand as immense energy－both violet psychic and dark shadow－danced around her. If there was ever a time to strike her down, it may very well be now.

“STOP WINNING, DAMN IT…”

Even though her appearance was no longer humanoid, the shaking of her fists, and the rattling of the scythe in her hands, could still be seen.

“STOP BEATING THE ODDS.”

And ultimately, convulsed as her emotions hit a breaking point none other than envy shattered its way through.

“YOU GUYS… 

STOP IT! 

STOP BEING SO, SO GODDAMN BLESSED WITH FORTUNE!!!”

Those were the words IZANAMI screamed, standing opposed to Team Eria with what could only be described as the human feeling of ‘extreme frustration’.

“Are you ready now?” Ariel asked the rest of the team.

Arthur started to cough. Eria lifted him up gently, but Arthur’s breathing was still weak. “I… I think so.”

Ariel stared at him. Arthur could only push himself so much further. “Whatever you have in mind, make it count.” Her voice was still. Emotionless, just as it had been while she was under Protheus’s control.”

“Is this… are you sure you want this future?” Eria asked.

“I will choose it,” Ariel answered plainly. “I may not know how I will come to be like this, but if this is to be my future, then so be it. However, my desires are irrelevant at the moment. We need to finish Izanami.” She raised her staff once more. “Now.”

“Arthur,” said MirageGaogamon. “If she no longer has the power of the D-Reaper, then we can use Aetos. We must!”

“I think you’re right.” Arthur continue to push himself, though he only managed to stand on one foot. “Is everyone ready?”

Eria, Sora, and Kairi all raised their Keyblades as well, and together, they called upon a brilliant light, as sparks of data surrounded all of them. In a flash, Arthur, Eria, Sora, Kairi, MirageGaogamon, and Gagagigo once more had merged together into Aetos. The gestalt warrior knelt on the ground, reeling from the collective injuries their original selves, but they would push through the pain. They had to.

"Hmm,” Ariel observed. “I hope it’s enough.”

“Wait, what are you still doing there?” Aetos asked in Eria’s voice. “Come on! You should be a part of us!”

“We are still using the Power of the Future,” Ariel reminded them. “I believe that all of you still have a future together, but I have my own. I had helped you with Aetos against Protheus, but much of that power came from my counterpart. I… do not believe that I am meant to be a part of Aetos, if that is what is the future holds for us. But, I am sure that you will do fine as you are.”

Aetos could swear that there was the faintest hint of a smile on Ariel’s face. “Alright. If you say so.” Summoning all four Keyblades, Aetos flew off towards IZANAMI, while Ariel began to fill the entire area with more water, concentrating it in a spiral around IZANAMI.

They were finally ready to finish this.