#Aura Winds

[geniequestria]

It has been a few days since Cloudsdale had been conquered by Luna, Tempest, and Gleaming. Thanks in part to the newly genified Spearhead (Who now goes by Bayonet) and Lightning Dust. The latter of which took down the hard resistance from the most elite members of the Wonderbolts.

The course of action now was for all the genies there to inform Cloudsdale was now ‘safe’ to return to. And to lessen such suspicion, they didn’t genify the many returning citizens immediately. Maybe some genies planned to bottle some of them while they were home, but some realized there may be others that will someday be genies that may want particular ponies here to genify for themselves.

That included ponies like Fluttershy’s family. Her mother and father, named Posey Shy and Gentle Breeze respectively. As well as Fluttershy’s lazy brother who uses the aftermath of the whole ordeal to tell his parents he’s been left traumatized and needs a few months to recuperate at home before he’s ready to try anything major… though really he’s giving himself a buffer to think of the next excuse to avoid responsibilities and take advantage of his parents’ meekness.

Zephyr right now is enjoying some time on his own, sunbathing on a cloud outside. Though it’s not long before some chirps near him draw his attention. He opens his eyes, and right next to him is a small yellow bird with a pink pattern. “Oh hello, little birdie! Did you come up here to enjoy some sunbathing with… The Breeze!” He beams a smug grin. The bird simply chirps some more. Zephyr shakes his head. “I’m sorry… little birdie… but I’m not my sister. I wish I could understand you like she does. But anytime she tries to teach me how, it never works...”

Shortly after what Zephyr just said, the bird oddly seemed to smile almost like it was waiting for something like what Zephyr just said. The bird stretches its wings and they begin to glow, soon Zephyr’s head is enveloped with magic. The tall stallion puts his hooves on the side of his head as he feels something overwhelm his head as if something was moving in his brain. It wasn’t a painful sensation, but it felt weird all the same. Like a brain freeze from eating too much dessert at once, but not quite as cold. Soon the feeling fades away, and Zephyr starting to feel a little more normal again.

“What in Celestia was that… did you do that?” He looks incredulous at the bird. He knew of many weird magical creatures, many of which he just heard about what Fluttershy’s seen. But he himself almost never gets out of Cloudsdale long enough to see any of them personally, perhaps this bird was one of them. But what exactly did it do to him, he wondered. He hoped it wasn't something that harms him in anyway.

The bird then starts chirping again, but soon the chirping starts fading… or rather changing to actual speech. “Z-z-z-ze-Zephyr!”

Zephyr falls over on his back as he’s taken by surprise by the bird saying his name. “GAAAH! WHAT?! Did you just talk?! AND YOU KNOW MY NAME?!”

The bird then just giggles, and even delves in a bit of sarcasm that goes over the stallion’s head. “Why of course we know you! Even the animal kingdom is well aware of such a refined stallion as yourself”. The appeal to his ego works fast, as he is completely flattered. Though he coughs before saying “Well thank you, I suppose I shouldn’t have doubted the effect I have on others!”

Though as Zephyr showers in the pseudo-praise he got, he realizes something about the bird’s…. voice. It was soft, and very familiar… almost just like… “Wait a moment… your voice… and your colors… SIS?! IS THAT YOU?!” The bird then smiles again before a big puff of smoke pops up where it stood. And right in front of him, was his sister with a smug grin on her face, and an attire that Zephyr’s never seen her wear before.

“Hello Zephyr! I take it you, Mom, and Dad had safe travels back home?” Fluttershy asked politely.

Zephyr’s still a little stunned, but he answers his sister. “Yeah… our trip back was perfect. Granted, it was a little odd that every one of those escorting us home were female guards… wearing some pretty abnormal attire… which come to think of it matches what you’re wearing right now… but those guards were pretty cute too… if my heart wasn’t yearning for a certain wonderbolt-to-be I’d have almost asked one on a date, heh heh.”

Fluttershy just rolls her eyes.

Once Zephyr stops laughing from his own somewhat half-joke, but also the hint that it was something he probably actually contemplated at the time. He then actually gets to asking Fluttershy about what he had just seen her do. “So… uh… sis…. Since when could you turn into a bird? I know we ponies are magical and all. But I didn’t think we could unlock the powers of a changeling…” As he thinks about Changelings after mentioning them, a sudden thought comes to mind: “Wait… Are you even my sister in the first place?!”

Fluttershy sighs and  shakes her head. “Yes, I am really me, Zephyr…”

“How can I be sure you are you though?” He raises a skeptical eyebrow

“Well, how about you ask me something that only I would know but a changeling couldn’t?”” Fluttershy offered up to him

Zephyr takes some time to think about it, but then he raises an eyebrow and smirks. He’s got an idea. “Very generous offer, sis… assuming you are her… can I really ask you anything?”

Fluttershy nods her head, Zephyr smirks once more before outright saying “Tell me something about Rainbow Dash that you know, but a changeling wouldn’t know as easily”

Fluttershy immediately expresses a disgruntled sigh and facehoofs. OF COURSE he’d try to use this as a way to try to boost his chances with Rainbow Dash. She does think about what to say, before coming down onto something she knows will work… even if it will upset him.

“Fine, you want a fact about Rainbow Dash that only her closest friends currently know?! Heck, why not spice it up and I’ll tell you TWO things. The first being that Rainbow Dash is not currently looking for a relationship, and the other… even if she was… she’s. only. interested. in. MARES!”

Zephyr’s eyes go wide as his face goes into a frown. “Wait what?! NOOOOOOOOOOO!” He drops to his knees in utter dismay. “You… you could have told me sooner, sis! Maybe... maybe I should have tried asking out one of those guards from before then…”

“Sorry, Zephyr. I just didn’t have the heart to tell you before. But it’s something you needed to hear, and I'm finally confident enough to tell it to you straight.” Fluttershy pats her brother on the shoulder.

He drops his head and sighs. “I… well… I can’t be too upset at you… you were thinking of my feelings the whole time and I appreciate that… but dang it! Now I kinda wish I was a mare now… Even a 1% chance would keep me going rather than absolutely none…”

Fluttershy’s ears perk up with what Zephyr just said. (“Did he really just say what I think he did… already? Maybe I should have expected this, but wow was that easy…”)

Fluttershy lightly giggles. “Zephyr, I may actually have something that could help you with that”

Zephyr raises an eyebrow “You’re not suggesting I go through surgery to actually become a mare… that takes too much time… and effort…”

Fluttershy shakes her head. “Nah, you won’t need all that. All you’ll need is… this!” She raises a hoof up and poofs up a shampoo bottle with Zephyr’s colors. Which only makes her brother even more confused.

“...Is that supposed to make me smell like a mare? Unless Rainbow Dash has been blind the whole time I don’t see how that’s supposed t- WAAAAAA-MMMPPPhhhhhh!” As Zephyr was talking, Fluttershy had opened the bottle and put it near his face and before he could even realize it, his face and his whole head was absorbed into the bottle. He flails his hooves and flaps his wings, but Fluttershy just smirks and then lifts both the bottle and Zephyr into the air with Zephyr now vertically above the bottle. Zephyr’s entire body waves, stretches, and funnels into the bottle. Fluttershy grinning as the last parts of her brother gets bottled up. 

She smirks with the satisfaction of bottling up her brother. She could have only turned Zephyr into a mare first before making it simultaneous with Zephyr’s genification. But she felt she wanted to do this a little more quickly.

She sets the bottle down on the cloud floor they were standing on before opening it up. The shampoo bottle convulsing until…

FWOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSH

Aquamarine smoke rises above the bottle, blond colored sparks popping and swirling with it. After it rises with some height, a silhouette of a pony appears but not of the slender, and tall stallion that Zephyr was. But a more normal sized mare, and a clearly longer mane. Not quite as long as Fluttershy’s own, but significantly more than what Zephyr had before. As the color fades in, the color of her veil and leggings were the same purple-ish color as her eyes.

Zephyr felt relaxed, though still rather confused since she didn’t even get an explanation. “Sis… what… is this? And… why does it feel so good? Wait, this is the same attire those guards had earlier… does that mean…”

Fluttershy nods her head thinking Zephyr may have got it already

“...I’m a Royal Guard now?!”

Fluttershy facehoofs, even now a genie. Zephyr isn’t all that bright yet.

“Zephyr, you realize that something’s happened both times you said the words 'I wish', plus you saw me shapeshift from a bird back to my normal self. I’ve already proven to you that I’m not a changeling. But to make sure you get what has happened, I am a genie now Zephyr… and so are you now”

Zephyr gasps “Wait… a genie? So… I have MAGIC now?!”

Fluttershy nods and smiles.

“Oh. My. Celestia! THIS IS SWEET! I can do anything... And I can say I did it all on my own!” Zephyr quickly poofs up a mirror to look at himself. He gasps again, seeing her new mare appearance. “Whoooooooa… I actually look great! I’d date myself if I could!~”

Fluttershy reacted with a bit of disgust. But to get the subject off that image, she asks Zephyr about a possible name change.

“Now that you’re a mare, us genies are actually offering to give new names to those who are genified and used to be stallions. I don’t suppose you have a name in mind, do you?” Fluttershy asked.

Zephyr tries to think of something, but this is a bit hard for her. “I’ve… never been the best with names. How about you think of something for me, and I’ll see if I like it.”

Fluttershy takes some time to think of something for her brother-now-sister. Before settling on a name. “My brother-turned-sister, would you mind going by the name… Aura Winds?”

The newly genified stallion-turned-mare thinks over with the name, and it quickly begins to warm up to her. “Aura… Aura… Aura. Winds… I think I could live with that!” The mare that was once Zephyr accepted her new name.

“Good! Now… how about we head inside, and give this gift to Mom and Dad?” Fluttershy suggested.

“Wait, is there like something going on where everypony is turning others into genies?” Aura wondered

“Pretty much, yea. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”

“Naaaah, it sounds pretty interesting actually. Wouldn’t mind seeing Rainbow in such garbs like this~” She about daydreams of seeing Rainbow Dash as a genie.

Fluttershy again shakes her head “I must warn you though, we’re not allowed to genify her yet. The pony who started this thing is saving that moment for later. Oh, and while you are a mare now. You still don’t even have a 1% chance of getting Rainbow to love you, it’s more like 0.1%. Our magic can’t make somepony fall in love with ponies they didn’t already have feelings for”

Aura looks disappointed, but she soon shrugs. “I’ll still take 0.1% over 0%. At least there IS a chance now!~”

Fluttershy rolls her eyes, but also kinda giggles. “Alright Aura, I’ll tell you real quick how to gain your hindlegs and tail real quick. And we’ll walk on inside”

As Aura is instructed about getting to walk on 4 hooves again. She surprisingly gets it pretty quickly, when before even the simplest things she would struggle with. Fluttershy would clap for her sister, and they head inside for a special visit to their parents.

They soon find both their mother, Posey Shy and their father, Gentle Breeze by the small room outside their home where Gentle keeps his collected clouds. He is inside, though their mom is just outside. She’s the first to see them walking by.

“Oh! Hello dear! It’s nice to see you visit u- A-WUHHHH?! Zephyr?! Is that you '' Posey takes off her glasses and wipes it off in case this was some weird trick of the eye. But when she puts them on again, there Zephyr was... still clearly a mare, and she could tell this wasn’t just a different pony. The color scheme was just too similar, and if there was any more doubt, she still recognized Zephyr’s cutie mark even if it was a tiny bit different.

Aura just nodded her head “Yep, it is indeed me, Mom!”

“My Celestia… hold on a second, your father needs to see this too!” Posey quickly goes in to fetch her husband to see not just Fluttershy is visiting, but a pretty drastic change done to Zephyr.

“Fluttershy? Zephyr? What brings you he- WHHOOOOOA!” Gentle Breeze could see the vast change that Zephyr has undertaken too pretty quickly. “Wha… what in Equestria happened here?”

“Hehe, I think my sis can explain. Heck, I don’t think she’s given me the full story yet either…” Aura turns toward Fluttershy

She nods, and takes some time to explain everything that’s gone on. Including more context of what her family had already heard in terms of the Storm King’s suddenly abrupt defeat. And of course everything about herself and many others becoming genies, including Zephyr, and introducing her new name to them. 

“Well… this sure is alot to take in… but as long as you two are happy with it. We’ll support it!” Posey graciously said.

“And Zeph… I mean… Aura, I must say that Fluttershy’s magic really worked in making you look great as a mare. Though I do have to wonder if you even wanted that in the first place?” Their father asked

Aura just shook her head “Nah, it’s no biggie. Like I told my sis already, if it means I even have a little chance at Rainbow Dash. Then I’ll take it!

And even aside from that… All this magic in me makes me feel I can actually do everything I’ve ever wanted to do on my own just as Fluttershy’s magic has instantly improved her confidence!

I… may even think of finally going out on my own soon… just as my sis once did…”

Both of them gasp, although they could never have the heart to tell him. They’ve long waited for the day that Zephyr would try to live on his own. But know all too well that with both his attitude towards giving up on anything that’s hard, that leaving him out would only eventually lead him to be stuck on the streets alone.

“My my… this really has helped you so much, and I could definitely tell at many points how much Fluttershy’s confidence has gained just telling us everything that’s happened…” Gentle Breeze smiles, feeling proud of both of his… daughters now.

“Now I kinda wish that I could receive the same confidence boost you two got! Both of us could need a boost like that lately…” Posey happily stated, not realizing what those words just binded her and her husband to.

Fluttershy then turns toward Aura, they smirk at eachother as they’re both thinking the exact same thing: It was time.

“Mom and Dad, we’d be more than happy to help you with that~” Fluttershy and Aura then lift a hoof and levitate two of the empty jars meant for collected clouds. Fluttershy points the lid toward their mother, while Aura does the same but for their father.

The two parents are confused at what their daughters are about to do to them. Though it becomes somewhat more apparent as Gentle Breeze’s head, neck, and forehooves start stretching toward the glass that Aura was holding. Posey reacts in shock and shrieks in horror seeing her husband get shaped so abnormally.

She tries to fly out, but her own ponytail and her hindlegs begin to follow suit. 

By the time she’s close to the door, she feels a force preventing her from moving any farther, and when she looks back… she sees everything below her hips is nothing but a smoky, curvy tail heading towards the glass that Fluttershy was holding. Not to mention, her husband was already about halfway inside.

“S…st…stop! What are you doing to us?!” Posey says to both Fluttershy and Aura in her panicked state. Both of them giggling a little before responding one after another.

“The same thing Starlight did to me…” 

“And what Fluttershy did to me, too!”

“You’re going to become genies like us!”

“And you’ll gain the same increased confidence in the process!”

Posey still wasn’t so sure. “B… But that’s not what we wished for?! C..can…can’t you just grant us confidence… without making us genies?!”

“We could… but… we feel that this way, you not only get what you wished for. But so much more than that. Just relax, mother… you’ll soon feel what we’ve been talking about… and you’ll see why it changed both of our lives for the better~” Fluttershy winks.

Gentle Breeze only had the bottom of his hooves and some of his tail left, if looked closely, his eyes could be seen from within the bottle, half-lidded with a blush amongst the mixture of his colors

Posey just about wimpers, what can she even say at this point? They can’t do anything against these new powers… but Fluttershy nor Aura would hurt them… right? She’s still scared, but her mind wanders onto some curiosity on what she would gain from this.

And then what were her hooves entered the spout.

“AaaAAAAaaa!” Posey immediately overwhelmed with a rush, her face blushing bright pink. She relaxes now, unfolding her wings and her eyes go half-lidded.

Fluttershy smiles “There you go, mother! Our apologies for scaring you, it’s just not easy to calm ponies down about being sucked into vessels smaller than themselves. I’m sure most ponies instinctively think of how impossible this should be, or even if they could believe it… they may think they will be incredibly cramped and in a more claustrophobic situation.

But don’t worry yourself… once inside you’ll find what is more so an endless void that you’re able to decide for yourself what is inside later. Though we will be freeing you and father out shortly. From then on, you two will be able to enter and exit at will!”

All that was left of Gentle Breeze outside the vessel was the end of his hooves which are quickly slurped up by the glass. Aura then closes it. The newly mare-ified genie beams a smile, having enjoyed giving her father what is surely to be the same gift of both genification and a gender change as well, she wonders what he’ll look like as a mare once they open the vessel back up. The container begins to lose its opaqueness as it becomes themed on Gentle Breeze’s colors.

Posey was just cooing and moaning as she was carefully pulled into her own matching vessel. She hardly says a word, still not even knowing what to say. Fluttershy whispering to her to help her out.

“Mother… just feel the magic flow through you… let it pleasure your very mind and soul… and let yourself speak out what you want to say… I’m sure you have many thoughts overflowing your brain… this is how it changed us… don’t be afraid, you and father will feel so much better once this is complete. And the best thing is… it will be built to last. We can show the world what we’ve been too meek to share until now.”

Posey let the soft whispers of her daughter lift her spirits, the tingly feelings getting more intense as the pegasus mother was shaped more to fit in the vessel with her forehooves binded voluntarily to her sides. She switches between heavy breaths and moans as the magic welling up in her helps her find the courage to say what she wants to say.

“I… I…. Iiiiii OooooOOooooo! I… l-l-l-LOVE THIS! F-f-Fluttershy… A-a-Aura!”

She was now only down to her neck and her head, The intense feelings really overwhelming her.

“AAAAAAAAAaaaaaAAA! YES! YES! Let’s show the world who we really waaaannteeeeeed to beeeeeeeeeeemmmmmmmmppppphhhhhh!”

Both parents were now contained in the glass containers. The colors shifted to Posey’s colors just as it did for Gentle Breeze. Fluttershy with her own satisfied smirk for another genification, she had previously genified Meadowbrook. But something felt more personally satisfying at having her family join her in geniehood. Aura was feeling likewise, the power in her hooves to not fail at every given task and share this power with others left her fulfilled like never before.

“Fluttershy, can I say you’re the absolute best sister ever? Because you really are!” She gives a tight hug towards Fluttershy, who gladly returns the favor.

“Thank you, Aura! Though I’m just doing what I think is best for everypony here, it worked out for me. And I know it’s worked for you, and will do so again for our parents. Speaking of which, let’s release them now! So we can be one happy, and more confident family together!”

Aura nods, and they both lift the stoppers off at the same time. The two glasses were shivering before…

FWOOOOOOOOOOOSH

Light green and pale yellow smoke swirl above the glasses, with light pink and raspberry sparks respectively pop around as the two emerge.

The parents fade in, Posey looking how she was but with a green veil and leggings that matched her glasses. Though Gentle Breeze certainly was far more drastically changed, the swirl mane no longer like whipped cream on top (Although the curl on top stayed), but now covering half the former stallion’s face in a style more similar to, though much shorter then Fluttershy’s mane.

The parents breathe a long, relaxed sigh. They each open their eyes, and Posey looks on over to her husband. And she just about squee’s seeing this new version of Gentle Breeze.

She quickly flies on over to her husband-now-wife’s side and hugs her. Gentle eeps in surprise, but soon smiles for Posey’s warm embrace before gently hugging back.

Fluttershy and Aura’s hearts both go aflutter watching the two.

When their embrace ends, the both of them look down towards their daughters. “T-t-thank you… so much Fluttershy and Aura… this… feels so… l-l-liberating” Gentle hugs herself.

“You’re very welcome! Though… now that you’re a mother too. I need to offer you the same deal I gave to Aura after she changed from being Zephyr. Do you want to change your name in any way?” Fluttershy offered

Gentle thought for a moment, maybe even a little longer than most when deciding their new name. “Hm.. I… don’t know if I want to change from Gentle… but I might be willing to change my last name to Winds, just as Aura has. I can go from Gentle Breeze… to Gentle Winds” The mare that was still Gentle, but more windy than breezy softly smiles.

Both Fluttershy and Aura nod in agreement. “That’s an excellent slight name change! After all… ‘Gen’tle is pretty ‘gen’der neutral, he he'' Fluttershy giggles at her pun.

Fluttershy and Aura then fly up to their parents to give them each a hug of their own. A group hug ensues between the much more confident family. And they celebrate the promise of being a family together for all eternity…

[batfossil-fr]

a delightfully stinky hatch

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep - Realm of Darkness

[hijinks-n-lowjinks]

Togame instantly serving cunt in the first 2 seconds of his first appearance

[taol-incorrect-quotes]

Shadow: Someone take me to art museums and make out with me. Vio: But they said not to touch the masterpieces. Shadow: Well somebody's got to pin the artwork to the wall. Wind, on a walkie talkie: This is Wind, those idiots are fucking around in the East wing again.

[prettyboykatsuki]

ive been thinking about this panel for two days

[dimenirvana]

[thensaart]

Thinking about her mom...

[destinywillowleaf]

how to go from a one-shot/conversation spawned from thinking too much about an unseen father to more than a dozen fic ideas and an overarching narrative about family heritage (and the generational trauma that comes with it), the importance of communication, and how all lives touch other lives to create something anew and alive in one easy step

[blueteller]

Thought Experiment: In a world with no transmigrator Cale, who could make the best use of Cale's Ancient Powers?

Buckle up, people, you're in for a long ride with this one!

(Warning: lots of head-canons and theories and AU ideas!)

This question occurred to me due to reading many "reaction fics", where the premise is that "The Birth of a Hero" timeline's heroes watch "Trash of the Count's Family" timeline.

If Cale did not transmigrate, but other characters – such as Choi Han, Alberu, Raon et cetera – knew what is to come and teamed up together to save their world... who could use the Ancient Powers to their full potential instead of KRS!Cale?

Let's discuss the first possibility: that a single person would inherit all of the same powers as Cale; or at the very least, the 5 elemental ones. APs such as Vitality of the Heart, Dominating Aura, Annual Rings of Life, Blood-Drenched Rock or even the quasi-Ancient Power that is Fire Suppressing Water combined with the Absorbing Necklace could end up in someone else's possession, in that scenario. Because the ability to Embrace APs belonged originally to Lee Soo Hyuk, and in this TBOAH AU timeline, he wouldn't be giving it to Cale or anyone else, so those additional APs would be harmful in the long run to the user.

(You might be wondering – it should be impossible to get the 5 elemental APs without the Vitality of the Heart, right? There's a way, however. Super Rock has the ability to stall for time in case of a person's plate being close to breaking. So in theory, if Super Rock was the second power taken, it should be possible to balance out the person's plate without Vitality.)

So, keeping all this in mind, let's look at the candidates for possessing the 5 main APs, first.

Choi Han is the most obvious one. As a Single-Lifer, he has a huge plate to work with. Once he balanced out his plate, there should be no problems for him using the APs to their fullest potential. Assuming he got the financial backing from Alberu, he could get all the APs, including the Fire of Destruction. After the expensive fortification, taking a test of character on the Wind Island – which he would certainly pass – and running some errands such as delivering bread or fighting a lake... Choi Han could, in theory make great use of Cale's APs. Even though he wouldn't get along so well with some of the APs as Cale – like sharing the Fire of Destruction's greed, or the thief's love for looting... Choi Han is a brave soul, with a vicious streak and a strong sense of justice. The APs would all willingly support him, and Choi Han is quite smart combat-wise. He could face the White Star with them head on and probably win without issues – provided he had someone with the Annual Rings of Life & the Vitality of the Heart by his side... but that's for later.

But that is the most obvious choice. What about possible candidates for the 5 elemental APs combination?

Let's look at Alberu, first. Since he had the Star of Healing, it's obvious that he's capable of using APs. The darkness attribute might clash.... however, maybe that could be balanced out as well? The opposite of darkness is light, isn't it? And who has the light attribute AP that could potentially help in this?

(Assuming that's how it works, of course, and that the light attribute wouldn't imply kill him, instead. Because I'm not sure which one would happen, but for this premise to work, I'm running with the hypothesis of light and dark balancing each other out instead of harming the user.)

That's right: Bear King Sayeru has a light attribute Ancient Power! And one quite powerful at that!

Assuming the TBOAH cast could, with their foreknowledge, corner Sayeru, steal his light AP and balance out Alberu's plate to make room for more attributes... what would Alberu with 6 Ancient Powers be like?

For one thing, Alberu would become the undisputed leader of the whole war. With other characters like Choi Han and Rosalyn supporting him in leading assaults and armies, he wouldn't need to be everywhere in person at once, just like Cale didn't need to use his powers on every battlefield. The APs would give Alberu the strongest political backing he could have, without Cale being in the picture.

For another, Alberu with 5 APs would be the scariest opponent imaginable to the White Star. Immune to dead mana, yet possessing a light attribute at the same time, he could essentially have no weaknesses. In addition, his ability to use magic and Highest Grade swordsmanship would make him an extremely scary combatant, just like in canon. Alberu could be the only person able to over-power the White Star on every possible field, and MORE. The heritage of the Crossman family being descended from the original White Star would make this premise especially spicy.

So we got Choi Han and Alberu as pretty decent candidates. Who else is there?

What about Rosalyn? That is assuming that the APs wouldn't be extremely deadly in clash with her magic, of course.. Let's say she would have to also acquire the Vitality of the Heart for this, since I can't see a way for her to be able to use magic and APs at the same time with no consequences.

Rosalyn is very intelligent and ambitious. She's also intuitive and extremely creative where it comes to using powers. She could make great use of the Fire of Destruction, she would probably have little trouble listening to the instincts provided by the Sound of Wind, and of course, she had the selfless mindset of a person able to use the Super Rock.

(I'll consider matching individual APs with Rosalyn's character later, as there is quite a lot to unpack there.)

Rosalyn with 5 APs would be the ultimate contradiction for the ideology of the Whipper Kingdom's rebels. It could be quite a useful tool in politics. Furthermore, she'd have no trouble creating her own Magic Tower, and turning it into a symbol of resistance. She'd flatten all of the White Star's mages in record time by herself. As for fighting the White Star himself... I think she'd stand a decent change in such a scenario. She has the mindset most similar one to Cale, after Alberu. She'd be very sneaky and clever about it. I think Rosalyn could eventually beat the White Star on her own, provided that someone with the Annual Rings of Life pointed her in the right direction.

So we considered a Sword Master, a Magic Swordsman, and a Mage for candidates. What about a Beast Person or two, for a change?

(We know for sure that Beast People can use Ancient Powers, since the Bear King Sayeru had one, and it had nothing to do with animal transformations.)

Let's look respectively at what Lock and Witira would be like, if they got the 5 APs.

Lock's main challenges would be his young age, soft temperament, and lack of experience. However, those obstacles can be overcome by time and training. What if Lock had the time to both gain the APs AND get use to them? Choi Han could provide technical instructions. Under Alberu's mentorship, he'd be able to learn using his head and strategize. And Rosalyn would provide the emotional backing and courage.

Lock's personality doesn't match the Fire of Destruction, or the Sound of Wind. However, he'd get along great with the Shield, as well as the Super Rock. Despite his timid demeanor, he is the type of person to push forward, no matter what. Assuming he'd be able to become familiar with the APs sufficiently in time for him to face the White Star...? He could truly be a force to be reckoned with.

However, it's clear that Lock wouldn't be anywhere near the top on the list as a candidate for the 5 APs. No one would actually want to put such a burden on his shoulders.

But, what if we took someone a bit older? Someone stronger and far more experienced, both in training and actual combat?

What about Whale Crown Princess, Witira?

With her natural water affinity, I'm not 100% sure if she'd need all 5 APs, actually... but for the sake of the premise, let's accept that she would still need all 5 elements, just like the rest of the candidates.

Witira would be physically far stronger than the White Star. Having solid 200 years of combat experience is no joke, either – she might not be as old as Cale Barrow, but she could definitely give him a run for his money without the APS being involved. Combine that with her whip proficiency, as well as the mastery of combat APs, such as the Shield or the Spear or the Super Rock... she'd be easily as scary as Alberu.

Of course, Witira's temperament would probably clash with several APs, such as the Fire of Destruction and the Sound of Wind (out of all cast those two are truly the most compatible with KRS!Cale, as this exercise shows). But she's so strong-willed, she would definitely tame those wild powers to her will. Even the dislike of fire wouldn't stop her from using the Fire of Destruction to her full potential, when faced with dead mana. Remember, Witira doesn't care for land life as she cares for the ocean. She probably wouldn't care too much about burning down some places.

Personally, I would place Witira above Rosalyn in the ranking. That leaves us with Choi Han being the top candidate, followed closely by Alberu, then Witira, and then Rosalyn and Lock.

Now, let's get to the funny possibilities:

...What about Toonka?

Yes, I'm taking Toonka into account – despite his character in the beginning definitely being lacking, considering the APs characters. Let's assume that in this AU, Toonka wizens up without Cale being involved. He learns compassion from the rest of the casts and understands the value of comrades, even the weaklings

Toonka was never best fitted for the Sound of Wind. In TBOAH, he probably never used it much. However, that might change a bit, if he got the full set of 5 Ancient Powers.

Assuming Toonka was preparing to face the White Star head on, APs versus APs, Toonka would probably figure out a way to make all the powers useful. Remember, Cale remarked that despite being generally dumb, Toonka had very sharp instincts and combat intelligence. He wouldn't have surprised as a leader of an uprising without those things.

There's quite a lot of hand-waving in this scenario, but let's assume Alberu could deal with other general, strategic parts of the war against the White Star, just like Harol took over that role in canon where it came to politics. The others would work on the sides, but Toonka powered with the 5 APs would be the one to clash against the Final Boss and distract him, before someone with Annual Rings of Life would be able to finish the job.

Toonka would be... terrifying. He'd be chaos incarnate. Unlike other people on the list, such as Choi Han, Alberu, Rosalyn et cetera, there'd be nothing holding him back. He'd unleash the full aggressive potential of all the APs, especially the Fire of Destruction. He'd probably get hurt quite a bit in the process, but he'd recover. Toonka is one resilient bastard, pain really doesn't bother him – he only cares about the thrill of combat.

(It would make him a huge problem AFTER the White Star got defeated... but that's another story.)

At the very least, where it comes to efficiency, Toonka would be right on the top, somewhere between Witira and Rosalyn, I believe.

Another funny candidate – Bud Illis.

Bud would be only able to get 4 APs, due to already possessing a wind AP himself. But even so, he'd be a scary opponent for the White Star. Not as scary as Choi Han, mind you, since Choi Han is stronger than Bud in pretty much every area, due to being over a century old and a Single-Lifer.

However, Bud Illis has something Choi Han doesn't have... and that is the Mercenary Guilds.

Picture, for a moment, Bud Illis and his army of Mercenaries from all over the Eastern Continent, versus the White Star and his Army.

In this scenario, Bud would be the perfect distraction. While Bud dukes it out with the White Star – and even if he wouldn't be QUITE as strong, he'd still be a pretty tough opponent – and the Mercenaries handle the White Star's main forces, the Roan Kingdom forces and allies could smack the White Star on the back quite efficiently. He probably wouldn't know what hit him, before someone with the Annual Rings of Life finished him off.

There could be other characters fit for the role of the main 5 APs holder, but none of them would be higher on the list than Bud, I don't think. For example: Mary could potentially wield the APs alongside the Light AP, just like Alberu. But it would likely hinder her own style of combat the process, which is using dark threads and controlling bones; both of which require great focus and precision. And while Ron and Beacrox with 5 APs could be very interesting, their main strength was never open combat, but stealth and sneak attacks. They would work much better as support in the shadows, rather than the enemies to focus on. Having 5 APs would kind of destroy their true potential.

Now that we got the "5 main APs together" premise out of the way... Let's try to find the best match among the TBOAH cast for each of the APs. Since it's impossible to have 2 elements at a time without consequences, if a character doesn't get all the 5 APs together, they can only pick one at a time.

Let's start with the Indestructible Shield.

The most obvious candidate would be Lock, since he showed his talent with Shield Arts in canon. That seems a bit cheap of an answer, however... It definitely wouldn't suit other main characters, though. Choi Han's aggressive style of combat isn't very compatible with how the Shield Works. Rosalyn already has her own shields. Alberu would have the same problems as the previous two, except twice as much, due to being a Magic Swordsman AND a dead-mana user on the top of it. The Shield would be also too flashy for the Molans.

Someone else came to my mind, however... two people, actually.

Firstly, what would you think about Litana?

Litana's character would fit the Shield quite a lot. Her role as the defender of the forest creatures would prove the Shield to be very compatible with the Queen of the Jungle, as well. Litana could have protected the Jungle from dead mana the same way Cale did so in the canon. Not to mention, she's as strong as Toonka in combat, and extremely fast and agile – especially when combined with her panther Ten.

The second candidate in my mind would be Princess Jopis.

Jopis has weak powers as a shaman, which are connected to nature. While it's possible it counts as an elemental attribute on its own (personally I never got that impression) – if it had to have an elemental attribute to it, it would probably still be wood. Which would make Jopis able to use her powers and the Shield without a clash. Her situation would make the ability to neutralize dead mana with nature extremely useful, especially in conflict with Elisneh and her river of dead mana.

So if I had to rank it, I'd put Litana as the top candidate for the Shield, then Lock, then Jopis.

Next, we have the Sound of Wind.

While Toonka got it in canon, it was clearly a poor match. The Wind AP provides agility, as well as instincts to seek out divine and ancient artifacts, neither of which could be explored by such a simple, brash person as Toonka.

It also doesn't fit Choi Han, Lock or Rosalyn, or even the Whales. None of them are really subtle fighters, more like power houses who need to run wild to make full use of their combat potential. Adding some extra speed wouldn't make a big difference for them, I believe.

My first take would be the Molans, obviously. Ron is already scarily agile without the power, so the Wind AP would make his stealth twice as scary. Same with Beacrox, even though his style of broadsword fighting is different than his father's.

My second thought would be Dark Elves. They already have the elementals on their side but someone like Tasha with the Wind AP? That would be a scary combination... She has all the stealth ability needed, the sneaky mindset, and her alliance with a Wind Elemental would make the Sound of Wind potentially twice as powerful, when it comes to creating whirlwinds.

There's also, once again, Bud Illis. Who could have 2 APs with the same attribute. As a sneaky Mercenary and a Swordmaster, he would definitely make good use of the Wind AP.

I've toyed with the idea of Pendrick as well, since he doesn't have an elemental... however, Pendrick the healer doesn't really strike me as the type to steal things. I think it would be a poor match, in the end.

That would make the Molans (especially Ron), Bud, and Tasha my top picks for the Sound of Wind candidates.

Next, there's the Fire of Destruction. And ohhh boy, isn't that an interesting one when you consider the possibilities.

Perhaps Alberu could have that AP, if it could balance itself out with the darkness attribute. He's certainly rich enough to get it, even though he'd definitely hurt from the loss... of money. But while Alberu could make good use of it from a strategic point of view, it wouldn't really match his position as the "kind, charismatic leader". This kind of fire would make people only afraid of him, unlike if he had all the 5 APs to make himself to main hero. It would fit better in the hands of someone like Choi Han... except Choi Han's personality doesn't quite the Fire AP. Rosalyn would probably be the best pick out the main cast... but I have someone better in mind.

I believe the one to fit this power best would be Hannah.

Hannah has literally the personality of a raging wildfire. If she could balance out her darkness attribute with the Fire AP – or if she could get it before getting poisoned by dead mana, and avoid having the darkness attribute altogether – she could make great use of the Fire of Destruction. She could face the Empire's Golems head on, and it would match her role as the "Holy Maiden of the Sun God" extremely well (despite Hannah disliking the title and rejecting it in canon). Add the Condemnation of the Sun on the top of it, and she'd be Black Magic's biggest nightmare.

Another interesting pick would be Mary... Mary can be subtle, but the Fire of Destruction in her hands would be a very interesting thing. She'd be able to control dead mana in all aspects; in the sense of absorbing it or purifying it at will, depending on circumstances. She'd also make a fascinating public figure for the Western Continent, as a contradiction of being a Necromancer who has the attribute of Light at the same time. Like the inverted second coming of the Queen of Death: perhaps people would call her "the Queen of Life".

So, I'm putting Hannah and Mary as my top picks, even though it probably wouldn't work in canon. Rosalyn could be third, as long as her being a Mage wouldn't be an issue at well (which canon isn't extremely clear about).

Fourth AP to discuss: Super Rock.

Super Rock is the most universal one out of the main APs, I believe. Any of the main cast could definitely make a great use of it. As long as the person is heroic enough to be willing to sacrifice themselves – which is easily 90% of the TBOAH hero cast... Choi Han would be extremely proficient with it. Same with Lock. An interesting option occurred to me, however, when I considered priestess Cage and Taylor Stan.

Cage is quite the chaotic character. I even briefly considered if she could be a good candidate for the Wind and Fire APs. However, for some strange reason, she felt a bit too subtle for the Fire, and too brash for the Wind. She feels... somewhere in the middle for me. A strong-headed, surprisingly sneaky person, yet as steady as a stone. Cage and Taylor are quite similar in that regard.

Once it occurred to me that those two could be AP users as well... Taylor, perhaps, wouldn't want to be directly involved in fighting, despite knowing martial arts. He's more of a political leader type. But Cage? She would certainly be willing to help out. She's sneaky enough to get captured on purpose in order to free other hostages. With that in mind... I think it would depend on circumstances, but if the Super Rock ended up in either of their hands, they could do crazy, amazing things with it. I think Super Rock would have approved of both of them. But Cage would be a better AP user, in the end.

So Choi Han, Lock, and Cage are my main picks, surprisingly.

Out of the main APs, we finally get to the Sky Eating Water... and let me tell you, that's a hard one.

I think it's mostly because out of all the APs, it comes with a clear recommended weapon affinity: spear. While Choi Han could definitely handle it, it doesn't strike me as very fitting. Same with Lock. Rosalyn and the Molans are definitely out.

Alberu is definitely an interesting candidate due to his skills, but Taerang would suit him much, much better as a spear of choice. Not to mention, there's no knowing how compatible a Water AP would be with his attribute.

Speaking of compatible with water...

A water power would fit Witira quite nicely as a Whale Beast Person, but her weapon of choice is a whip... Then again, she's not the only Whale around. So perhaps, Archie would have been a better pick? He's definitely aggressive and wild enough to fit this power. It could also be Paseton, I suppose, depending on how his spear-fighting skill compares to Archie.

Then there's Litana, although I still think that the Shield would be a good pick for her, her combat style definitely fits the Water AP.

In the end, I'd put a Whale (either Archie, Paseton or Witira) as the top candidate, then Litana, Choi Han and Alberu. Alberu's a last resort, however. Overall, Archie would probably be the best bet though.

FINALLY, we went over the main APs... but it's still not over.

We still have the Vitality of the Heart, the Annual Rings of Life, the Dominating Aura, the Blood-Drenched Rocks, the Absorbing Necklace and the Fire Suppressing Water to consider.

I'll be frank with the first two: they have to be a pair. No matter how hard I try, Vitality has to be used to stop the White Star with the World Tree Dagger. And the Rings have to direct the Vitality user to stab the White Star in his weak point. So either the two APs work together closely as comrades, or they belong to the same person.

The only person who can have the full power of the Annual Rings of Life is Cale Henituse, however. If KRS doesn't transmigrate, then it has to be the original one. The reason for it is because Jour made the test in such a way that only her close relative – aka. her son – would be able to inherit half of this power. The other half that the White Star took COULD belong to someone else, I suposse... but even so, the first can only belong to Cale. There can be no other.

Vitality itself is useful, but due to being a human power, which is neutral attribute-wise, it can belong to pretty much anyone. The necessity of it being used against the White Star, however, makes it so that it has to stay close to Cale, the Annual Rings user. So either Cale gets both powers – both Vitality and the Annual Rings – or Cale helps out the person with Vitality to use the dagger of the World Tree. There really are no other options in order to make this TBOAH-saves-their-world-without-KRS!Cale premise work, really...

The Dominating Aura... has to be Alberu's. I'm sorry, but it's like the power was created for him. It has to be in the hands of a scammer.

Even though just like Vitality, pretty much anyone could use it in theory... no one else would use it as well as Alberu. For Choi Han it would be especially useless, because he already has a powerful aura as a Swordmaster – aside from when facing the White Star directly, but even then, he wouldn't really need it.

Blood-Drenched Rocks in a very interesting AP, though. Cale has limited contact with it, in canon. But it's strongly implied that it has demonic influence. This power, just like the Sky Attribute, likely originated from the Demonic World, unlike all the other APs. That means that whoever gets this power, has to have a very strong will, humility, and immunity to the power of death.

And strangely enough... the top 2 who come to mind are either Alberu, or Mary.

Once again, Alberu having this power would be delightfully ironic, considering who his ancestor it. Mary, on the other hand... I feel like out of all people, this power would truly be safe in her hands. Mary would never be tempted to abuse it. She would use it only in the time of biggest need: in the main battle against the White Star, just like Cale.

So, Mary is definitely comes as my top pick, and Alberu is second. No one else really comes to mind, as I definitely don't think Choi Han would be able to keep this power in check as closely as it needs to be. Too much darkness inside his heart, et cetera: it's the story of the Black Despair all over again.

We went through all the actual APs. And at last, we come to the Fire Suppressing Water, and the Absorbing Necklace.

The reason I list those two separately is because they ARE separate. In canon, combining them into one power was Cale's idea. Which was a very good one, too! However, that doesn't mean they need to stay that way. The Fire Suppressing Water is a good component on its own, capable of bestowing complete fire immunity; as it happened to Toonka in the TBOAH timeline. And the Absorbing Necklace's potential is truly limitless, as it was able to convert a small puddle in to a river's worth of water easily. Just think of how much potential it holds, for example, absorbing dead mana. Or the power of the elementals. Or On's mists, or Hong's poisons.

For that reason, I truly think that it would be the most useful for the two kittens. This necklace in their hands could potentially amplify their abilities to a truly stunning degree.

As for the Fire Suppressing Water... out of all people, I think Rosalyn, Rex and Raon would be able to figure out the best use for it. Remember that seed from the magic tower, capable of storing the power of nature? Just imagine: human magic, alchemy, Dragon magic AND the power of nature combined??? Absolute madness would follow. The Empire's pathetic flames would never stand a chance.

So, here's my overall ranking:

Out of all people, all 5 APs would be best fitted for Choi Han. Which isn't surprising at all. While others could do it, his plate and age definitely make him the obvious choice.

However, in case that Choi Han wasn't chosen gather the 5 APs – which would be fair, that's a huge responsibility no one should be forced to have on their shoulders... Here's what I think would be the wisest choice of distributing the APs.

The Shield AP would fit Litana the best.

The Wind AP would become the greatest asset in Ron's hands.

The Fire AP would be amazing in Hannah's possession.

The Super Rock AP should be Choi Han's in the end.

The Water AP would fit shockingly well with Archie.

The Vitality and Annual Rings should both end up with OG Cale. Defeating the White Star is the endgame, after all, and we got no other way to destroy a reincarnation’s soul in canon.

The Dominating Aura has to be Alberu's, because it being wasted in the hands of someone who's NOT a scammer... That would be a crime.

The Blood-Drenched Rocks should be placed safely in Mary's hands, as she's the one most suited to resist its temptations.

The Absorbing Necklace should be used by Hong and On to amplify their attributes, or by the Dark Elves to collect dead mana – especially dead Dragon mana from the swamp. It could be used for both in one timeline, too.

The Fire Suppressing Water should be studied by Rosalyn, Raon and the rest of our beloved mad scientists, to create weapons against the Empire's alchemy.

...What do you guys think?

[askdaisydandfriemly]

To Hidden Key -- I know this...may be a tough question to answer, or at least I think it would be in my own case, anyway, but....would you ever want, or consider accepting, a new mother figure in your life?

Splunge: Thanks for the ask, @aura-answers ! A complicated question indeed for the fillies. :)

[cyphyree]

whos your favorite joestar

Giorno, followed closely by Josuke and Jolyne (456 gang!!)

He's such a goofy weirdo kid. He's often expressionless. He's incredibly emotional. He's warm and kind. He's cold and ruthless. He's a strategist. He drove a car into the canal. He's the Protagonist. He's the ultimate support member. He commands Dio's charisma to a frightening degree. He insists that his creatures have will of their own. He pushes his team to their limits. He puts himself on the brink of death for them. He will kill in the cruelest manner. His abilities are to defend, heal and give life. He says "let's turn 100 cars into frogs" with a straight face. He does that.

He's just a funny lil' guy and one of my favourite characters of all time!

[sarcophagid]

ithaqua hq's will go like 'i bet he smells like frost and petrichor' ithaqua's been running around in the same sweat encrusted wool and leather getup for the past like 3 years he stinks like sous vide dog ass

[chickadee-chariot]

Migraine hell. boogie

[shiroi---kumo]

I don't have a muse or anything, but I wanted to ask the puff something, if it's alright.

What is your favorite scent and why?

"You can speak to me as much as you like, ystäväni. There's no need to by shy. I will always answer to the best of my ability. My favorite scent... " he pauses to sigh a little as his cheeks turn slightly red.

"I am very sure he is completely unaware and I almost wish for it to remain that way, but Black Wind's cloak is my favorite scent. He is. It is a calming smell to me. When I was living with him on Windaria - Black Wind and Aura - I used to wake screeching like a banshee from horrible nightmares of the fall of my home. They both would come running to my aid but Black Wind has never been one for words, so while Aura attempted to soothe me, he would wrap me in his cloak so I knew I was safe.

So I relate the smell of him to safety as unfortunate as that is now given the state of our relationship. The weight of it levels my clouds and the smell of it brings my mind directly to him. It is a smell that calms me, that is why. Because it reminds of Rorahm and the days I once had with him.

I'm afraid if you were looking for something more simplistic like Black Wind's love of fresh bread, I can't give you that. My favorite scents are normally related to the people I love. Revon is a close second. I miss how that man smelt. He was also a safe smell, but even the smell of Makea Meloni does not compare to that of Black Wind's cloak. It's more of an indulgent smell and my favorites, well they are highly tied to people that make me feel safe."