The Crumbling Orb

Aether

The story takes place after EPISODE VII

Ken paced back and forth looking at the scientists working on copies of the virus to place into missiles.

“How long is this going to take?” Ken asked.

“I have asked all of the scientists on my planet to work on this together, it should take a day.” Stolas said.

“But the longer we-” Ken began to say.

“Patience.” Stolas said.

Ken nodded and understood that they needed to be extra careful.

“I guess more virus components wouldn’t hurt.” Ken said.

“We are going to try to make a million. That should be fifty percent more than what we need.” Stolas said.

“Dad, Ken, and Eto are being summoned?” Octavia asked while on the phone.

Stolas looked confused.

“By who?” Stolas asked.

“The man can’t tell me who her name is other than it’s a woman.” Octavia said.

“On the planet?” Stolas asked.

“Yes, down south. A shuttle is waiting for them.” Octavia said.

“Me and Eto will be fine.” Ken said.

Stolas handed him a jeweled button.

“My private emergency alarm.” Stolas said.

Ken walked past them and found Eto and the two headed to the waiting shuttle and the shuttle took them to the location on the planet.

An hour later, the shuttle landed on a plain field with creeks spread around and large trees circling the opened field.

“This is one of the many rainforests on the planet, you guys be careful okay?” The shuttle pilot said.

The shuttle pilot gave them his comlink number and when they stepped off he left off back to the palace.

Ken and Eto looked around.

“I don’t see anyone.” Eto said.

“This is the location.” Ken said.

They heard a crunch behind them and they turned around seeing an old woman with a cane giving them a smile.

“Pardon me for taking your time, but I heard a great many things about you two.” The old woman said.

“That’s fine but, who are you?” Ken asked.

“You may call me JoAnn.” JoAnn said.

“How may we help you miss, JoAnn?” Eto asked.

“You two are going up against a great enemy, you must prepare for what is to come and I want to help you both.” JoAnn said.

“You want to train us I take it?” Eto asked.

“No, I’m afraid I’m too old to train anyone, but I can give you advice and try to help you harness at least a little Aether.” JoAnn said.

“Aether?” Ken asked.

“Aether, what binds most elements of life. It can be used as an energy source, like the force or chakra or reiatsu.” JoAnn said.

“We have Kagune’s.” Eto said.

“Yet you think that will help you? You would be wise to learn at least a bit of Aether control, it can work with your Kagune’s.” JoAnn said.

“I guess I don’t see the harm in it.” Eto said.

“I don’t see the harm in it either.” Ken said.

JoAnn lifted her cane up and then tapped it on the ground teleporting both of them to an unknown location, in space.

“Woah what the!” Ken shouted.

“We’re breathing.” Eto said.

“That’s right you are, but we aren’t where you think we are, we are in an enclosed realm.” JoAnn said.

JoAnn waved her hand and a blue mist touched Ken and Eto.

“What is this?” Ken asked.

“What Aether looks like outside of your spiritual pressure, it works like any other energy but it fuels your power, helps you not become dizzy when you overuse any power you are using.” JoAnn said.

JoAnn waved her hand again and the mist entered both of their bodies.

“I’m giving mine to you two.” JoAnn said.

JoAnn started to look even older.

“Don’t you need it?” Ken asked.

“What use do I have for something I’m too old to control?” JoAnn replied to him.

JoAnn tapped her cane again and this time a figure appeared next to her and she stepped back.

The figure wore a Plague Doctor outfit.

“Do not be afraid, it’s only a vision of the past. This is a vision that your friend Aizen knew, now I want you two to defeat it with just your Kagune and Aether.” JoAnn said.

The Plague Doctor clapped his hands and summoned a dark fuming smoke around his palms.

Ken and Eto summoned their Kagune’s and immediately dashed at the Plague Doctor.

The Plague Doctor held his hands out and grabbed both of them with the smoke.

Ken struggled and kept flailing.

“Ken! Focus, do not stress yourself or it won’t work!” JoAnn called out.

Eto managed to keep her focus and immediately broke free and detached a few appendages to latch onto the Plague Doctor’s neck to choke him and created another one that shot right through the Plague Doctor’s smoke and into his arm breaking away his attack.

Ken managed to move and kept calm while running to the Plague Doctor and launched only one of his tentacles at him and speared right through his chest and out of his back, ripping away the bones.

The blue Aetherical mist fumed out of Ken’s tentacle and disappeared back inside and into his body.

The vision disappeared.

“Excellent, you both did well together. Now let’s see how you can handle a ranged attacker.” JoAnn said.

JoAnn tapped her cane and now another vision appeared, Saren.

Saren was on a jet pad and flew above them.

“Ken, can you detach your Kagune as I can?” Eto asked.

“I have never tried that before.” Ken said.

“I’ll teach you, and with the Aether you can do it with ease. Focus on him and just thrust your tentacles forward and then detach immediately by feeling it rip off- let it, that means it’s firing out. Sometimes you can detach it and put it somewhere and control it, I can teach you that later.” Eto said.

“Resummoning it will take up energy though.” Ken said.

“With the Aether it won’t, again, I’ll teach you when we get back.” Eto said.

“Thanks.” Ken said.

Ken launched one of his tentacles out and detached it as it sprung and nearly hit Saren but Saren was too quick and shot out small rocket pods from his surf jet.

Eto flew by Ken and took the rocket hits with her Appendages flaking away but she quickly re-summoned them and launched herself at Saren but missed.

Ken detached another tentacle and fired it at Saren who again avoided it and shot out more rocket pods.

Ken noticed the rockets and quickly moved away from one but he used his tentacle to grab the other before it went past him and threw it back while detaching the tentacle right at Saren which hit him point-blank range and wiped the vision out.

“Teamwork, excellent!” JoAnn called out.

Eto smiled and she and Ken faced JoAnn.

“This is fun.” Ken said.

“The fun is just beginning, youngster. Now comes your test.” JoAnn said.

JoAnn gave a sly smirk to be cheeky and tapped her cane again.

This time a vision of a tall woman appeared, one that looked quite scary.

“Talk about a horror show…” Eto said.

“This is your test, facing off against the vision of, Echidna!” JoAnn shouted.

Ken and Eto’s eyes widened.

“The woman that caused the Soul War.” Ken said.

“It’s only a vision.” Eto said.

Echidna stomped toward them and held her hands out shooting a web of sorts at them.

The web hit both of them and they immediately had to roll on the ground to avoid a swinging fist from Echidna.

Ken managed to rip the web off and Echidna summoned a scorpion tail that nearly pierced Eto through her body until Eto jumped on top of it and turned into her Kakuja form trying to pin Echidna down.

Ken turned into his Kakuja form and jumped at Echidna to give an attack but was knocked away by her tail and Eto was thrown off onto Ken.

We need to make a combination attack.” Eto said.

“I’m ready.” Ken said.

Ken and Eto merged their Aether together and together they ran at Echidna who summoned two large snakes out of the palms of her hands to snap at Ken and Eto as they approached.

Eto grabbed Ken and threw him up into the air while dispatching one of her appendages out to grab Echidna’s throat making Echidna de-summon one snake to use her left hand to try to take the appendage off.

While Ken was in the air he aimed down at the other snake and sliced it into pieces with his tentacles before shoving his horn on his armored mask right into Echidna’s eye socket.

Eto threw her large Kakuja form onto Echidna to knock her to the ground.

Ken and Eto raised their right and left fists and swung them down punching Echidna’s skull into mush.

The vision of Echidna shattered away.

The entire area began to wobble and they was back in the field.

JoAnn clapped and walked up to them.

“Your training is complete, your aether is now attuned to yourselves.” JoAnn said.

“I feel stronger.” Ken said.

“Don’t let strength cloud your judgment though. It doesn’t make you invincible, it just helps you.” JoAnn said.

“I will keep that in mind.” Ken said.

“Why was the visions of one person we met but two we never have?” Eto asked.

“No more questions, you have completed your training. Relax your mind.” JoAnn said.

Ken and Eto relaxed and gave JoAnn a soft nod.

“Now, you have a galaxy to save. Thank you both, now the last Aether in the galaxy resides in you two.” JoAnn said.

“In us?” Eto asked.

JoAnn nodded.

Ken just smiled.

“We won’t let it go to waste.” Ken said.

JoAnn walked up to them and gave both of them a hug and in turn, they gave her a hug back.

They suddenly felt the grip loosening and they saw JoAnn start to fade with light surrounding her body.

“Miss JoAnn!?” Eto called out.

JoAnn just smiled and vanished.

Ken and Eto was speechless about what happened and gave one another a hug.

“We should probably head back.” Eto said.

“We won’t forget this day will we.” Ken said.

“No, and I’m okay with that.” Eto said.

The two looked back at the field before Ken called for the shuttle.

There was a blue aura of wind blow past them and up into the sky.